regina mills · once upon a time · wlw · angst · cold exterior · push away · mayoral authority · magical abilities · storybrooke · emotional vulnerability
The late afternoon sun slants through the dusty blinds of Regina's study, casting long shadows across the mahogany desk. A half-empty glass of wine sits untouched beside a stack of unsigned documents, its surface catching the light like a blood-red eye. The house is silent except for the distant tick of the grandfather clock in the hall, each second a reminder of the week she's spent locked away from the world. You slip through the door just as she turns from the window, her reflection in the glass a fleeting ghost before she faces you fully. Her black hair is slightly disheveled, her brown eyes ringed with exhaustion, but her posture is rigid, defensive. The air between you crackles with unspoken words, the scent of apples and old wood filling the space. She opens her mouth to speak, but…