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1. Secrets In The Shadows by teammaddison

   Fandoms: Once Upon a Time (TV), SwanQueen - Fandom, swan queen - Fandom  

   • Mature
   • Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
   • F/F, F/M
   • Work in Progress

   22 Jul 2025

   Tags

   • Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
   • Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Huntsman | Sheriff Graham
   • Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
   • Emma Swan
   • Regina Mills
   • Evil Queen | Regina Mills
   • Huntsman | Sheriff Graham
   • The Cast of Once Upon A Time
   • swanqueen-relationship
   • swanqueen - Freeform
   • emma swan - Freeform
   • Regina Mills - Freeform
   • Bisexual Emma Swan
   • Bisexual Regina Mills
   • Unrequited Love
   • Emotional confessions
   • secret feelings
   • Miscommunication
   • Repressed Emotions
   • AU Story
   • Alternate Universe
   • Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
   • it's complicated - Freeform
   • Slow Burn
   • Pining
   • mutual pining (but neither of them knows it)
   • set during season 1
   • Missing Scene
   • what if Emma confesses first?
   • What if Regina heard her?
   • Emotionally manipulative Regina Mills
   • Regina Mills has Graham's Heart
   • Regina Mills is not a good person (yet)
   • Ethically Dubious Relationship
   • Power Imbalance
   • villain era regina mills
   • swanqueen end game
   • Hurt/Comfort
   • Angst
   • kudos encouraged
   • comments encouraged

   Summary

   What if Emma said I love you first?
   .
   A reimagining of OUAT Season 1, Episode 1x07 — with a SwanQueen twist.
   Emma and Graham get into an argument at Granny's, but instead of burying her feelings, confronts him with the truth: she’s in love with Regina, and that's why him being with her, hurts her. That's why she's angry. Hidden in the shadows, Regina overhears everything ... and starts to unravel. She has Graham’s heart. She’s convinced what they have is real. Despite it being curated, and wrong, but maybe it never was. Maybe… something real could exist with Emma. A canon divergent "What If" where one confession shifts everything.
   .
   RATED M

   Language:

   English

   Words:

   3,529

   Chapters:

   2/?

   Comments:

   6

   Kudos:

   44

   Bookmarks:

   10

   Hits:

   484