Everything Feels Right
Chapter Thirteen
Emma opened her eyes. It was a bright, sunny morning. There were hardly any clouds and the sky was a perfect blue, which was unusual for the season. She was rather hot and stuffy, and it didn't take her a while to realise why. On her left side, Regina had snuggled into her chest. Her hair was all messy and some of her makeup had ran onto Emma's t-shirt. She looked beautiful, Emma thought. She couldn't see her much among all her hair, but that was kinda the reason she looked so beautiful, as she was effortless and unguarded. She'd fell asleep on Emma - which was adorable for starters - but had seemingly not let go all night, either. On her right side, Henry had managed to lean on her too. He wasn't curled into her like Regina was, but nevertheless was adding to how stuffy it was. It was entirely uncharacteristic of Emma to have woken before anyone else (because she knew she loved her sleep, she could literally sleep for days). It must have been the heat that woke her, or maybe Henry's snoring (which was actually quite loud). It seemed uncharacteristic of Regina to have slept in her work clothes, too. But there she was, still in yesterday's clothes with her makeup smeared and that messy hair. It was something that wouldn't ever leave Emma's mind. Her son, his other mother and her, all in an embrace. Honestly, it felt like she was home more than ever before. Emma did feel at home with her parents most of the time - and especially with Henry - but now to be under the same roof with them all, it really startled Emma, just at how far she had come. She always felt like she had no-one before she came to Storybrooke. But now, here she was. And finally feeling like her and Regina felt the same for each other - that was a whole other level of happy.
She was hoping that her parents hadn't worked out that Regina had stayed over, mostly because of the questions it would provoke. They didn't make an appearance at any point in the night so it was likely that they could wing it and say Regina left in the evening, but by using magic. It was to be kept as a secret, for now. That's what they'd decided anyway: her, Henry and Regina, the previous evening. After Henry had came in with an obvious question in his eyes, and after Regina and Emma had looked at each other knowingly, they figured he required an explanation. Emma knew how perceptive and understanding Henry was, knew he'd already noticed a change. So she had started to explain, saying that "you were right about something happening in the Enchanted Forest. Between me and past-Regina. For some reason she couldn't kill me, and eventually I convinced her of our friendship, but..." It was at this point, when Emma started to struggle, that Regina had realised Emma was cutting corners and didn't know how to describe it to him.
"But," began Regina, "me and Emma were, for that brief period, more than friends. Similar to most stories in the Storybook, if you understand?" Henry was nodding along and hadn't batted an eye, "I'm old enough to get that mom, why didn't either of you tell me earlier?" Emma sighed and had answered, "we weren't sure what to do with what happened ourselves. I hadn't met the present Regina, I'd met her as the Evil Queen, and also Regina had taken a forgetting potion, so she didn't know any of this until recently. It wasn't exactly a surprise to me, what happened, but I thought it kinda would be with Regina. Plus, you're still a kid you know?" Henry seemed to get that, and asked, "so is that why you haven't let anyone see the Storybook since you came back from the Enchanted Forest? You know everyone would be cool with it, right?" Regina looked at Emma slightly and then back at Henry, "would they? Even if they did, me and Emma don't feel as though it's a necessity for everyone to know, yet." Emma agreed, and then Henry had another question.
"So, what are we gonna call it?" Emma thought this was typical of him, and she'd ruffled his hair playfully asking, "do we have to have a codename for everything kid?" Henry smiled and nodded and eventually they decided on 'Operation Dragonfly', as it was very unclear what that could be to prying eyes and ears. It was the first Operation that Regina had been in with them, so to Emma it felt extra special. Emma couldn't really remember much else from that night, she was still recovering from nearly freezing to death and figured that they all crashed at the same time. She does remember the warmth of Regina and Henry, though, and how comforting it felt to fall asleep like that. But now, it was just too damn stuffy for her to fully enjoy the moment.
Emma noticed that Henry was starting to stir in his sleep. She'd been too busy thinking about last night to really notice. He woke up Regina, who groggily glanced up at Emma and frowned. Squinting her eyes, she mumbled something inaudible, but along the lines of, "Emma have you been staring at me? Stop staring at me."
Emma was laughing as Regina shuffled and sat up on the bed. Her white silk blouse was teetering open, and had probably come undone overnight, though she normally had it quite low anyway. It was just part of how gorgeous she was, it literally leaked out of every bit of her, and made something as nonchalant as a low-cut blouse, seem heavenly. Emma hadn't realised that she was looking until she heard a noise alike to a grunt from Regina's throat. Emma looked up at her face to find she was raising her eyebrows and pouting slightly. Her disapproving face started to develop into a smirk, and Emma knew she'd taken this as a compliment merely from the eye contact maintained between them. She tested her luck by looking down while Regina was doing the last few buttons.
Emma only stopped looking at Regina re-dressing herself when Henry started to wake. "Hey mom," he said looking up at Emma. He sat up and then lent backwards and smiled toothily "and mom." Regina looked at Emma and they both laughed and looked down at him.
Henry sprang up and asked right away, "what's for breakfast? I'm hungry."
Regina put her index finger over her mouth, and Henry realised her staying overnight was supposed to be a secret, and any noise that indicated Regina was up there would be a risk. "Well we could still make you some," Emma said, throwing her arms up and curling her bottom lip, so as to say why the hell not.
"No no," Regina insisted, moving off the bed, "don't worry about me, I need to get going anyway."
Henry looked at them both, realised how hungry he was, and how it looked as though a moment was brewing between them both. "Moms? I'm gonna head down." He then looked over his shoulder, and lowered his voice directing, "see you later?" at Regina. "Of course," she smiled, watching him awkwardly shuffle out of the room.
Emma pouted at Regina when Henry left. She then patted where in the bed Regina had previously been. "I liked it when you were here, come back."
Regina smiled softly at the blonde, whose eyes were glimmering up at her as she pouted. Regina lent down onto the end of the bed frame, so she was eye-to-eye with Emma. "I liked it too, being with you two. It was really nice."
Emma looked up at Regina, who was brushing off her clothes and straightening them out, and exclaimed jokingly, "I didn't really have a choice, you just spread out all across me and collapsed, it seems."
There was a minute of silence as Regina looked up at Emma, then back down at her clothes. "Well, if that's how you would like to end last night, then fine," Regina replied coldly. She shuffled a little and her stance changed, as it does when she's serious about something.
"Regina," Emma hummed, "you've got to know I was joking." There was worry in her voice, and she was desperately trying to catch Regina's eye as she hated it when she averted her eye contact, because it was normally when she was putting up walls.
Regina looked up at Emma, directly into her eyes. Her face was serious and her eyes cold. Then she burst out laughing and her eyes lit up like a beacon. "Of course I know dear," she announced, moving over to Emma. Regina was in such a good mood, she'd decided to trick the blonde.
Emma threw a pillow at her as she was walking over, and exclaimed, "Regina!". Emma then clasped her mouth with her hand and Regina grinned and lent down to kiss her on the cheek. Emma could feel her heart rate increase as she moved her cheek against Regina's, her soft skin sending shivers down her spine.
She then looked up at Regina and moved up to kiss her on the nose. Regina, as she was still stood up, should have had all the dominance. But for some reason Emma could sense that, in this moment, Regina was smitten, just waiting for Emma to pull her down, and it was her who had all the power.
Emma pulled Regina by her shirt collar onto the bed and moved on top her, trying not to make too much noise as they both stumbled onto the covers. They were eye-to-eye and their noses were touching. Emma could feel Regina's breasts pressed against her. She was trying not to find the moment too sexual seen as they'd had a really innocent night, but she just couldn't help the warmth developing in her stomach. She knew this familiar feeling well. Had felt it over Regina numerous times and denied it nevertheless. Had felt it when she was with her, but not the her, her, in the Enchanted Forest...
"Dear, I have to go," Regina spoke quietly, and almost slightly breathlessly, "Henry will be wondering where you are, and...it'll be obvious to your parents there's someone up here with you. I feel a bit like a child, sneaking around."
Emma pouted again, "I know, but just stay for a few more seconds, please."
Regina sighed, but her eyes said something else. They were urging Emma to touch her. So Emma moved her hands, putting one in Regina's hair and the other on her arm, feeling her soft, warm skin. Then she kissed her on the lips, harder than they had kissed before. (Well, in Storybrooke, anyway)
She carried on kissing her, gradually parting her lips wider and wider. Emma felt the brush of Regina's tongue against her bottom lip and it sent a shiver down her spine again. Emma couldn't resist, so she slipped her tongue in. They both had morning breath but it didn't seem to really matter, Emma could still taste the sweetness on Regina's tongue, something she'd remembered from their kisses in the Enchanted Forest. God, Emma had missed it, craved it, wanted it, ever since. And this felt better too, because this time she knew for definite it wasn't just an unrequited feeling, that what she felt was returned. She knew Regina wanted it too, wanted her and her kisses. She could tell from how submissive she'd been, how she was waiting for Emma to make the first move. But Emma knew that this wasn't the time, or the place, for anything to escalate too far. And she knew Regina well enough to know that she knew this too, was probably thinking it as their kisses got progressively hotter. Emma didn't know if it was her insecurity or because there was truth to it, but she was worried that, despite having her feelings returned, Regina would change her mind and decide that no, she didn't actually want Emma like that at all. I mean, she seemingly didn't have any ties with Robin anymore, and she certainly seemed sure that she'd had feelings for a while too. So Emma was probably just worrying. Regina Mills did something to her that not many had ever done to her. Losing her before she'd even really...got her would just hurt her deeply. But all that worry could be put to the back of her mind, because what cut through all the worry, was the warmth of the kiss. The warmth of Regina's hand that had made its way into Emma's hair. The feeling of her body pressed against hers. It was soothing, comforting even. The physical act carried with it an emotional, passionate feeling of craving and desire.
Emma stopped kissing her, afraid to kiss her anymore and rush anything between them. They were both flustered, their eyes darker.
Regina's brown eyes were deep, chocolate pools, her mouth slightly pink left over from her rouge lipstick. She took a deep breath and sighed. "Why didn't we do that, this, sooner?" she asked, with a husky tone to her voice.
"Too busy denying our feelings for one another, huh?" Emma teased, lightly patting Regina on the arm.
Emma had just started to shuffle off Regina, and lent next to her, placing one arm across Regina's stomach as the other propped her up. She was just lapping up the moment while she had it. Regina turned her head to the blonde and exclaimed,
"I mean that, Emma. I'm truly sorry that I haven't made it clear...ever... that my feelings for you were more than...well, what they were."
Emma shook her head and lent over to kiss her on the cheek. "Don't apologise. You don't need to. Hell, I don't think either of us really got what was going on between us. We've had too many distractions. Too many gross men. Let's just go from here, okay?"
"I'd like that." Regina smiled. "But I really, really need to get going. If we haven't made it obvious to those idio-" Regina laughed, stopped herself and continued, "to your parents, then staying any longer will definitely make it obvious."
"Okay." Emma agreed, jumping off the bed so as to pull Regina up and pull her into her arms. She stroked her olive skin, hugged her tight and released her to kiss her forehead.
"See you soon?" asked Emma, wrapping her arms around Regina again to say goodbye.
"See you soon." Regina nodded. With that she stepped back and disappeared into a puff of purple smoke.
Emma got her grey t-shirt on and her trusty dark blue jeans. They probably needed a good wash seen as she hadn't thrown them in the washer for a good few days. She decided she'd probably toss her brown leather jacket on when she went out, as she felt more herself when she wore a leather jacket. She made her way downstairs to see Henry popping some toast in the toaster. Emma knew that she still needed to find Elsa's sister, so she would have to see her at some point in the day. She also wanted to see Regina again. She was starting to miss that god damn woman whenever she wasn't around. She figured having breakfast first was best though, seen as her stomach had started grumbling.
Her parents had just surfaced into the kitchen when Snow made herself known, with that inquiring look in her eyes.
"Who were you talking to, up there? I was sure that I could hear voices..."
Henry had just bit into his toast when he looked at the petite brunette who was questioning Emma - and when he saw Emma's panicked faced he nearly choked on it.
Emma stuttered slightly, and began, "uh...I was just talking..."
"To herself," added Henry, grinning into his plate. "She's started doing it a lot lately, maybe she's going a little bit crazy."
Emma shot him a glance of thanks - but also of offence - and exclaimed, "hey, Kid, I'm not going crazy!"
David chuckled and elbowed Snow as he walked past her, "just like your mother," he stated.
Snow let out a shocked gasp and slapped David on his arm - gently though, as she had started to laugh after taking initial offence.
Emma gulped slightly and figured that she had gotten away with it, but she could sense her mother's glare following her as she walked up to the toaster.
Fuck, she thought. "I'm gonna have to be more clever about this," she said to herself, inaudible to anyone but her.
*
Emma had just met Elsa. She had left the house right away after eating her toast because she wanted to avoid anymore questions. After meeting Elsa, decided to head to Mr Gold's shop, because if anyone knew where her sister was, or why Elsa's memories were gone, it was him. He always knew what was happening when it concerned magic - he was the Dark One. It was whether he was willing to say, that would be the problem.
Elsa and Emma walked in to find Gold standing behind his desk, polishing a small metal cauldron. He was surrounded by glimmering relics of the Enchanted Forest in glass cabinets. At his right side, Belle was talking to him about something, though he looked too invested in polishing the cauldron to really concentrate on what she was saying. When the door bell rang, they both looked up at the two women entering.
After explaining a few things to him, Gold threw his hands up, "sorry to disappoint, but I've never seen her before."
Emma sighed, and in a sarcastic tone, asked, "well how did she end up in your urn?"
With an equal amount of sarcasm, he replied, "if you really wanna know how she wound up there, she's standing right beside you. Why don't you simply ask her."
Elsa, with arms crossed, nodded, "she did. But I can't remember why, something happened to my memories."
"An all too common affliction in these parts," he answered, "pity. But as you can see, many objects fall into my possession: urns, necklaces...all manner of things. I can't know the history behind all of them."
Emma crossed her arms and said, "you better not be lying. I can use my superpower you know."
"Well how about I make it easier for you." Gold replied, smugly, "I'll have Belle use the dagger..."
"No! Rumple. No, you don't have do that," Belle exclaimed, growing nearer to Rumple so as to show her support. God Emma didn't loath Belle, being in love with a man so vulgar would be her worst nightmare.
"No, no. Miss Swan wants proof and I'm happy to co-operate. I told you I was turning over a leaf," Gold said looking at Belle, "and I am."
Emma curled her bottom lip watching this exchange and smiled slightly, as she could tell that in reality Rumple was being unhelpful as possible. She also, for some reason, just wanted to get Belle and remove her from this toxic relationship. Obviously they loved each other, but Rumplestiltskin was a serial liar, and only cared about one thing now Neal was gone, his magic.
Belle sighed as she retrieved the dagger from its box, "fine. I command you, Dark One, to tell them the truth."
"The truth is," began Rumple, "just as I said. I had no idea there was someone inside there. I know nothing about Elsa or her sister. But I wish you the best of luck finding her."
Emma was suspicious. She'd sensed something off about Rumple, but if that was the Dark One dagger, then he was really telling the truth. It looked like her and Elsa would have to resort to other methods to find out what they needed to know. Honestly, Emma was kind of distracted, with the thoughts of poor Belle, and of missing Regina. She was missing her an irrational amount, especially considering they'd been spending a lot of time with each other recently. She wondered what business she had been attending to. Emma knew she needed to be on the ball to help Elsa, she felt as though it was her duty. She was warming to Elsa and saw a lot of her younger self in her, which made helping her marginally easier. They both made their way out of the shop and talked about what else they could do.
She couldn't stop herself, though, when her and Elsa were just walking silently. She took out her phone from her pocket and did something she rarely ever did.
She texted Regina.
Missing you already
- E
Emma pulled the phone closer to her face and read over the very short sentence she had typed. Her finger was hovering over the send button. Fuck it, she thought. She clicked the button, smiled and put her phone back into her back pocket.
"Someone's happy," the voice said next to her.
Emma laughed, realising she must have smirked when she sent it, and said, "I am," in reply to Elsa's remark.
*
Regina was walking over to Granny's Cafe, her hair tied back in a pony tail as she hadn't had the time to wash it, when her phone buzzed in her jacket. She looked at the phone, to see the name Emma Swan shining bright out of the screen.
She just stared at it for a moment, and swiped to open the message.
Missing you already
- E
is what it read. She looked up from the phone and at the entrance of Granny's Café, then at the comic books tucked on her left side, then back at the phone. She smiled smugly but put her phone into her pocket, deciding to reply later. Robin had never texted her like that. Actually - she corrected herself - she wasn't much of a texter, so nobody had ever really texted her like that. But Robin was seemingly irrelevant to her now, which surprised her, a little. But not a lot, because Emma Swan was a lot better, if she was honest with herself. I mean, who else would miss her after all the time they'd been spending together?
She opened the door of the Café, expectant to see her son whom she was meeting. With a face wide with a smile, she made her way up and sat on the stool next to him, placing the comic books she had bought down in-front of him.
"I didn't know which ones you were buying these days," Regina stated. She'd decided to get him some comic books for a while, but she'd had to get a lot of them online, so it wasn't until this morning that they'd shown up at her door.
"These are awesome!" Henry gasped. "Much better than algebra, thanks. But you didn't have to do this."
Regina shook her head, smiling wide still, "well I wanted to. But don't get used to it."
"Isn't it funny," Regina added, "how these are just ink and paper, but everything in the storybook is real. Makes you wonder who wrote it, doesn't it?" She'd honestly been thinking about this for a few days. First, because of Robin, but not anymore. Now it was for Emma.
Regina could detect confusion in her son's eyes when he replied, "the storybook? no-one knows..."
"Oh come on," Regina exclaimed, "you're such an expert on all this! You've read it cover-to-cover, and there's nothing in the book that gives even a clue?
Henry's smile thinned as he leant in, "what are you up to?" Is this...something to do with Operation Dragonfly?"
Regina hummed, paused, and then looked slightly nervous as she began explaining. "Well, yes...partially. These stories in the book, I was written as a villain and things never work out for villains. So I wanna find out who wrote this book, and make them...ask...them about... well if my happy ending is with Emma. I'm just so...worried that something will ruin what we have, like everything else has been ruined. I want to do anything in my capability to prevent that from happening...because what we have developed...it's good, it's great in-fact. But I don't want to tell her because she'll probably think I'm worrying too much. Is that crazy?"
"This is the best idea you've ever had!" Henry exclaimed, much to Regina's surprise, "we have to change the book because it's wrong about you, you're not a villain. We just need to find the clues."
"We?" Regina asked, "you'll help me?"
"It'll be our own secret mission!" Henry exclaimed excitedly, "but you do know that Emma would probably be fine with it, right?"
"I know she'd understand," Regina said, "but...honestly I'm just afraid that I'll lose her eventually, Henry. And I'm determined not to let that happen."
"Okay, I get that," Henry nodded, his youthful voice suggesting wisdom beyond his years.
"I'm guessing you want another code name," Regina asked with a slight smirk on her face.
"Yes, this one we'll call, operation..."
Regina noticed he was thinking, but she already had a name in mind. "Mongoose?" she asked.
His face lit up, "perfect! Operation Mongoose it is."
"And we'll only tell Emma if we succeed. I don't want it to seem...I don't know, too forward?" Regina asked, brown eyes wide.
"Okay, Mom." Henry smiled.
...
The brunette and her son had been sat talking for a while, then the door burst open and Robinhood was at the entrance of it.
Regina turned around immediately and did a double-take, as his face was stricken with worry and she was really hoping it wasn't at or for her. She could really do without him trying to win her back like she was some prize.
"Regina," Robin began.
Oh dear, thought Regina.
"Can we talk?" he asked, walking up to her.
"What are you doing here?" Regina spat.
"It's Marian - something's happened to her. I didn't know who else to turn to. I need your help."
After receiving a brief explanation over Marian's condition - apparently she was extremely cold to the touch, she'd fainted and ice had started to form on her, like she was freezing from the inside out - they had ventured to Regina's mayors office where Snow was residing (seen as she had adopted Regina's mayoral position while she took a short break)
The cheek, Regina had thought, of him coming to her, considering how he had discarded her. Despite this, she agreed to help, because none of that was Marian's fault, and she had quickly stopped feeling upset, anyway. She was too busy discovering all her feelings for Emma, the only one beside Henry who seemed to really matter.
Once they had reached Regina's office, Robin had immediately asked David, "how is she?"
"Not good," David exclaimed, "she's getting colder."
"Regina, thanks for coming," Snow smiled, walking slightly closer to Regina.
"Don't thank me until I've done something," Regina replied, trying to avoid looking at Snow as she was practically dating her daughter or loved her or whatever and it added a whole other layer of awkwardness to her already awkward relationship with her.
As she walked over to the couch - her couch - that Marian was lay on, she noticed a flash of colour in her office that she most definitely had not put there.
"Whose idea was that?" Regina spat, pointing at the framed photo of two colourful birds, her eyes hungry to verbally abuse the culprit.
"I thought I'd put my own personal touch on the office," Mary Margaret said lightly, her bottom lip turning into a pout as her eyebrows raised so as to suggest she was thinking oops.
"Well you've succeeded - hideously" Regina replied sarcastically. She then directed her energy back on Robin, and the suffering Marian.
"Is there anything you can do?" Robin asked, worriedly.
"This is strong magic, I can't stop it." Regina stated, "but maybe I can slow it down."
Just as she finished her sentence she saw a flash of ice blonde hair, and then familiar golden blonde hair. Emma had just walked in with Elsa. Regina looked at what Emma was wearing - a leather jacket, typical, and blue jeans that hugged in all the right places. Also typical, Regina thought. Emma didn't even intend to be attractive, yet she was. Her blue eyes locked onto Regina's immediately.
"What happened?" Emma asked, her mouth wide as she looked over to Marian.
Regina had come to her conclusion as soon as she'd seen the frozen Marian. "Perhaps you should ask your new friend," she stated, looking over at Elsa. "After all it was her monster that attacked Marian."
Elsa looked from Marian to Regina. "This isn't my magic - someone else did this."
"Oh," Regina hummed, her mouth wide and her eyes suggesting sarcasm, "and we're supposed to just trust you?"
Emma looked at Regina, but not just at her, right into her. With that knowing look she knows her and Regina are accustomed to doing with each other.
"You can trust me. If she says it was someone else, it was."
Regina looked at the blonde's glimmering emerald eyes - with touches of blue - and nodded. True, she thought. She could trust Emma. But she wasn't so sure about the other blonde. She seemed...off. But maybe Regina was just jealous over how occupied Emma had been trying to help her. She probably was. It's not like Regina didn't know Emma loved her - she did, now, but...it hurt her to see her with other people sometimes. She never got like this with Robin, really. Sure, she did get jealous now and then, but she hadn't felt this way for a while. And this time it was different, deeper.
"So," Henry broke the silence that developed, "how do we break the spell?"
Elsa folded her arms and walked over to Marian. "The only way to care a freezing spell is an act of true love -true love's kiss."
Robin looked at Regina so as to apologise. Emma looked from Regina to Robin with a twinge of jealousy, until she saw that Regina wasn't even fazed, and was in-fact making her way over to stand next to her. She figured Regina had either decided to show her she wasn't phased, or to move away from Robin. Maybe it was both.
Robin lent over Marian and placed a soft kiss on her lips, lingering for a second, then standing up straight, confused as nothing had happened.
"I've seen this before with someone who was turned cold." David exclaimed, looking at Robin who looked hopeless.
"So the cold is acting as a barrier - is there nothing we can do?" Robin asked helplessly.
"Every curse is different, I need more time to study this one." Regina said bluntly.
Emma looked over at Regina, who had made her way back over to Marian. Her olive skin was brushed with a golden bronze, she was practically glowing. The slight pink blush on her cheeks only emphasised her sharp cheekbones. She had scraped her hair back, with a few brown bangs hanging in her face. Her lips were that luscious cherry-red that Emma found irresistible. God, she's gorgeous, Emma thought, Emma always thought. Her eyes wandered to her body, and just before she could start checking her out, she noticed Regina's phone layout on the table. An immediate pang of anxiety flood through her body as she realised that Regina hadn't replied to her yet. Emma didn't mind texting, she often did it with her parents or Henry. But she wasn't big on it, and texting Regina was scary to her. And texting Regina that she missed her, that was a whole other level of scary, especially now she had realised she'd been ignored. I mean, maybe she was about to, Emma thought. Or maybe she was too busy helping Robin. Robin, she thought. Maybe he's professed his love to Regina...and maybe she's discovered that she doesn't like Emma in that way at all. Emma's stomach twisted at the thought. No, she assured herself, he contacted Regina to help save his wife. And Regina had revealed her feelings...she had nothing to worry about, right? God, she knew that this wasn't the time to be worrying.
"I'm gonna go find who did this before it happened again," Emma blurted, startling everyone due to how quiet she'd been.
"Well, I hope you bring backup," Regina replied just as Emma was walking out of the door with Elsa.
Emma turned around. She was totally caught off guard, hearing Regina's husky voice and seeing the glaring brown eyes. What had she meant by that? It sounded accusatory, almost.
"What the hell was that supposed to mean?" Emma asked, tucking her hands into the back pockets of her jeans as she stepped in Regina's direction.
"Well, between the snow monster and the cave-in...seems like the saviour needs saving these days." Regina replied, her tone of voice slightly aggressive.
She looked pissed for some reason, Emma observed. Honestly, it was freaking her out. First the text, now this. What had she done to upset her? Last time they had seen each other they'd had a really great time. She'd felt the warmth of the brunette against her and got lost in their sweet kisses. She really didn't have a clue what was happening. She couldn't snap back, she was too anxious the brunette had decided that actually, she didn't want Emma. It reminded her of all the rejection she faced when she was a young girl. She was still, even now, battling with this inner fear that everyone will eventually reject her.
Regina looked up at Emma. She was looking down at her feet and she looked pretty upset. Regina hadn't meant to snap at her, she actually kind of intended it as a joke but it didn't come out that way at all. Everyone was kind of silent, Snow was glancing up at Regina and Emma with inquiring eyes.
"I'm sorry dear," Regina said just as Emma turned on her foot to leave. "I...I didn't mean to snap at you. It was intended mostly as a joke."
Emma turned as she heard that last sentence. A joke? Oh well, maybe she was just being extra sensitive. Plus, hearing Regina apologise like that - in front of everyone, it was kind of liberating. It felt like she was showing her affection publicly, which up until now they had always been really subtle about. Or at least Emma thought.
Snow was glancing at them both, again. Emma smiled at Regina, at Snow and then looked back at Regina, "it's no problem."
And with that she headed out once again, figuring that getting out of that awkward environment was best.
"What happened there, then?" a voice asked. Emma turned to realise Elsa had followed her. Hell, she'd even forgotten what they were supposed to be doing.
"Oh, it's nothing." Emma stated, smiling up at Elsa, "I'm going to go and find who did this. Sorry to be a pain, but you're going to have to head to the sheriff's station. You'll be safe there, I don't want anyone to hurt you thinking whatever happened to Marian was you."
"That's kind of you..." Elsa began, "but, even if I did know where the sheriff's station was, and I don't by the way, I'd like to say, that was definitely not nothing. I could be wrong but, that definitely sounded like a lovers tiff."
Emma, who was now turned away from the long-haired blonde, looked down at her nails and mouthed, fuck.
Elsa lent over, her hand on Emma's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. I won't tell anyone. That is if they don't already know. I'm assuming that you two don't want anyone to know?"
Emma turned around, "no. Henry knows, oh and Killian, who you know, but no-one else. I was hoping to keep it that way."
Elsa nodded, "I understand. I won't ask you anymore questions. But, everything you're doing for me...If you need to talk, I am here."
Emma already liked Elsa, understood her. But this honestly warmed her heart, ironically, and she'd never expected it.
"Thanks. But I'll show you to the station. You still need to stay safe." Just as Emma started to walk with Elsa, Killian shot out of nowhere, running up to them both. Not again, Emma thought.
"Swan. I overheard, would you like me to help her to the station?" Killian asked, stinking of rum.
"Umm." Emma hummed. Honestly getting a head start searching for whoever did this to Marian would be very helpful. But, could she leave the blonde with him, the alcoholic pirate? It was a fate worst than death. He stunk of desperation. Emma had wanted to be friends with him, but ever since she'd simply said no, he'd turned into more of a drunken idiot than he already was.
"I will go with him." Elsa directed at Emma. "You have done enough for me already."
"You sure?" Emma asked.
Elsa nodded, so Emma started walking away. But not before she added, "oh, and thanks Killian."
"No problem, Swan." He replied, winking as he walked away.
Emma shook her head and carried on her journey to find whoever did this to Marian.
*
It wasn't long into her journey before David had texted Emma, and they had met up to head into the forest. Emma, who had been searching for a while, was thinking about Regina again. Her thoughts always led back to her. She was worrying. Regina had apologised, yes, but there was still the possible Robin problem. And David kept speaking to her, and she could hardly concentrate. That's when she heard it. The text tone. She clicked her phone and the name lit up the screen: Regina Mills.
"Who's that?" David asked.
"Just Henry..." Emma stuttered, "telling me to hurry up."
She moved away from David slightly so she could open the message. It read:
I missed you too, all morning in-fact. I was meeting Henry when you texted. Then Robin came in, worrying about Marian. So I didn't have time to reply to your text.
Sorry, again. You don't need back-up. You're Emma Swan, the saviour.
I almost said something cheesy then.
Good luck finding who caused Marian's curse, she's getting worse.
Stay over at mine, tonight?
- R
Emma couldn't help it. She felt butterflies in her stomach and her face lit up into a smile. She missed me, and I had worried over the text for nothing, she thought. And Regina nearly said something cheesy? What did she mean by that? She was definitely going to have to ask about that. And as for tonight, if she could make up a good lie about where she was going to be for the night, she could definitely stay over. Just like Regina had said, it was almost like they were kids, sneaking around to sleep over at each other's houses. That was a point, she'd always wondered what Regina's bedroom was like. She knew it was kinda weird, but she'd always envisioned it being immaculate and the bed linen silky and blood red, just like it was in the Enchanted Forest, but less dark and threatening. It wasn't all in a sexual way - of course that was part of her fantasy - but just in a, intrigued way, Emma just liked to know these things.
She slid up the keyboard and started typing.
Tell me later what you were gonna say, when I...stay over.
Me and David are just in the forest right now, he's glancing at me weirdly because I have a massive fucking smile on my face, so I probably won't be able to reply to you if you reply.
We'll hurry.
- E
Emma pressed send, and looked over to David, who raised his eyebrows. "Henry, huh?"
"Yes," Emma replied, "he's quite funny."
David shook his head. He then looked ahead, pointing as he spoke, "Robin and Marian's tent's up ahead. So, what exactly are we looking for?"
Emma was glad he shook off this. She replied, "if whoever cursed Marian has the same powers as Elsa, maybe they left a trail."
"So, we split up and we look for anything...cold."
Emma scoffed at this, "yeah."
"Well, shout if you need help and I'll-"
Emma cut in, aware of what he was going to say, "okay, yeah I got it."
Just as David left, she could hear clattering from the tent and it startled her at first.
Emma reached into her pocket and got her gun out. "Whoever's in there, come out," she shouted.
*
Regina was looking over the frozen Marian, who was no longer blue, but actually covered completely in ice. "The curse is working its way towards her heart," she observed, "once it touches...that's it."
Robin had tears in his eyes and had been pacing for what, to Regina, felt like the whole time she was there. "Is there nothing you can do?"
Regina sighed, feeling slightly helpless. But then she remembered, there was something. "There might be something," she began, "but only if you trust me completely."
Robin immediately nodded, "I do."
Regina nodded. "Then I'll send Henry to my vault to get what I need."
"Of course," Robin replied, "what are you going to do?"
Regina was going to take Marian's heart out, as it was the only way she could ensure that Marian would stay alive, even her body was missing a heart.
"Something drastic," Regina replied, glancing down at the frozen Marian and thinking to where Emma was up to with finding who did this.
*
Emma, David, and Will were headed to Storybrook's ice cream parlour. When Emma had discovered that Will, who was in Robin and Marian's tent stealing wasn't a threat, she'd proceeded to get David and see whether his claims that "the ice cream was still frozen solid" during blackout in the parlour were believable. She could sense with her superpower that at least he believed what he was saying, but it seemed unlikely. David had said they may as well give it a try, and so they did. They had just reached the parlour, and noticed it was closed with the blinds down, but they were open enough to see inside.
Emma strolled over to look inside. "I don't know. Looks pretty normal to me."
Will replied, his eyes wide, "it was bleeding cold in there, I'm telling you."
Emma threw her hands up and said, "yeah, because they sell ice cream."
"During the blackout." Will sassed back.
"Says the guy who's just trying to avoid jail," David intersected, his hands folded in a disapproving manner.
"I may be a thief, but I'm no liar and I can bloody well prove it." Will then proceeded to pick the lock, which made Emma laugh.
David rolled his eyes, "really? You think breaking in is gonna help your case?"
The thief sassed back, "can you just be quiet a second mate? I'm just trying to do this. Takes concentration. Bit tricky. It's all about--"
Emma couldn't help it. She butt in because she could see he was struggling. She was an expert at picking locks ever since Neal, and knew a beginner when she saw one. How he'd survived that long being that bad at picking a lock, she didn't know.
"Yeah, the tumblers. I got it."
"You do?" David asked, his tone surprised.
"Neal taught me a few things."
Immediately the door flew open and Emma smiled, chuffed with herself for yet again another successful break in.
They'd hardly been in there for a minute before Emma noticed the deafening silence in there. Surely there'd be some kind of generator, cooling the ice cream?
"Emma it doesn't look like-"
Emma held her hand up at David, "shh. Listen."
"I don't hear nothing," Will stated.
"Exactly," Emma exclaimed, "no compressor hum, means no cooling system. Smart ass here was telling the truth. Something's not right here."
Will raised his eyebrows to the back door. "Check the back. You'll see how right I am."
Emma and David nodded and walked into the back, where it was like an ice palace, everything frozen including the ceiling. "Well," David stated, "look at that. Looks like we owe Will an apology."
In the distance, the door bell rang and Emma and David looked at each other, realising they'd only gone and left a thief they had arrested, alone.
"Shit," muttered Emma as she ran out, seeing the cash register wide open. "He's gone. And he didn't leave empty-handed." She immediately charged into action, pelting towards the door.
"Emma," shouted David, "stop. He's not the most important thing right now."
Emma held back. She wouldn't have normally, but she agreed. They had basically worked out the source of the problem, another person perhaps like Elsa, and they were out there somewhere while Marian deteriorated.
And so her and David headed back to the forest.
...
"No it wasn't," Emma could hear Elsa shouting somewhere not too far ahead of her, "you wanted them to think it was me. To blame me. Why?"
David turned to Emma and they both gave each other a knowing look and started running faster, towards the voice.
"I was trying to teach you a lesson," a mature voice replied, "eventually everyone turns on people like us, even friends. Even family. They're just waiting for a reason."
Emma ran into the clearing and saw who the voice was coming from. It was a woman older than herself, with long white hair and a long dress. There was a groaning coming from behind the woman, which was Killian, stuck in ice with some frozen droplets dangling over him. They must have come into the forest, instead of the police station where they were supposed to be.
Shit, Emma thought. "Hey Dairy Queen!"
"Emma?!" questioned the woman. Emma frowned, she'd never seen her before. She didn't think. So how did she know her name? And actually, there was something oddly familiar about her.
"Do we know each other?" Emma asked.
"Of course not. Your reputation precedes you. Do you really think your magic is a match for mine?" The woman replied, controlling the ice droplets so they were sharper and closer to Killian.
"There's only one way to find out," shouted Emma, blasting the woman onto the floor. David ran over to Hook and started to try and cut him out of the ice while the droplets above him shook and threatened to fall.
Emma noticed the woman was recovering and she shot her hand out before Emma had any chance to stop it. She released the droplets.
Emma shot out her magic at David just in time, and he didn't get hit. The same couldn't be said for Killian, who was now no longer stood up, but laying down with his head trickling out blood.
David, Elsa and Emma all ran up to him in horror. Emma was terrified that her lack of aim had caused his death, but thankfully when she checked his pulse, he was alive. But injured, and out of it. They called an ambulance, which took Killian on a stretcher, and proceeded to search the clearing for the woman, who had completely disappeared.
"No sign of her. Not even tracks," Emma sighed, perching herself up on a tree.
"Hey, are you okay?" David asked, noticing her obvious stress.
Emma shook her head and said, "I'm fine, I just...maybe there is some truth to what Regina said. She meant nothing by it but Killian could have died and he doesn't deserve that, despite being a drunken fool...and now I can't even find the woman who is causing these problems..."
"We're gonna find her. Don't let Regina shake your confidence. Speaking of, what's going on there?"
"What do you mean?" Emma asked, putting on her best clueless voice.
"Oh come on," David sighed, "I have eyes."
"Nothing, just the normal stuff." Emma replied, leaping off the tree and adding, "I'm just worried about that woman...she acted like she knew me, it was weird."
"Well you are the sheriff, and the saviour, and royalty," David scoffed, "I think pretty much everyone in Storybrooke knows who you are."
Emma shook her head, knowing to trust her own instincts. "No, there's something more."
"You will find her, Emma. Don't stop believing in yourself."
Emma smiled at her father's attempts to make her feel better. She was just slightly distressed at not being able to do any actual saving. She took out her phone, not caring that Regina hadn't replied.
I need a hug,
- E
She typed and didn't even re-read her message before pressing send. She wanted a Regina hug. She wanted to smell her sweet smell and get lost in the chocolate pools of her eyes. She wanted to lean into her neck and feel her arms around her. She wanted reassurance that she was still wanted. Unfortunately, the previous text hadn't sufficed, and Regina being in Robin's presence put Emma on edge.
*
Regina heard the text notification and saw her phone glow up. Unfortunately, she was too busy consoling a distraught Robin, who was standing over his wife with a look of pure worry and devastation. "Roland's with little John now. I wish I could have told him I did everything I could."
Regina sighed, " even true love's kiss can't solve every problem." She wondered if something happened to her if Emma would give her true love's kiss. It was probably silly of her to think this so early on into their - well, whatever it was.
Robin turned his head away from his wife and looked at Regina with tears in his eyes, "well there's a reason that kiss didn't work. And it's not what everyone else thinks. I'm in love with someone else."
Regina's jaw dropped and she stuttered a little. She wasn't one to swear, really, but she found herself thinking shit. She really didn't need this, need him deciding that he wanted her back. To tell the truth, not being with him was like a breath of fresh air, and being with Emma, it felt so right.
"I..." Regina began, "I'm sorry to hear that Robin. But I have to be honest, I know you're sticking behind Marian anyway...But I'm afraid I no longer feel the same."
"Oh," Robin muttered awkwardly.
It was at this point, Regina averted her eye contact and looked anywhere but at Robin. He was just about to say something else, but thankfully for Regina she saw her son bursting through the door, box in hand.
"You really need to clean that vault out," Henry announced, walking up to Regina while gesturing to the box, "but I found it."
Regina sighed in relief, both that he had come back at the perfect time (so she could avoid facing Robin) and that he had retrieved a box for Marian's heart.
Regina, with reluctance, looked up at Robin and asked, "you're sure you still want me to do this?"
Hardly looking at her, but instead at his wife, Robin simply replied, "yes."
Regina nodded and took a few step fowards to the frozen Marian. She'd done this many times as the Evil Queen - ripped innocent's hearts out and murdered them. But this time, she was doing it to help someone. She marvelled slightly at how far she had come, she could never have predicted it. Not even for a second.
It was as this thought entered her mind, that she threw her hand into Marian's frozen chest. It was freezing and a lot tougher than normal, but with a few tugs she eventually managed to rip it out, with a crunch. Robin watched anxiously as his ex put his wife's heart in a box.
"At least the ice hasn't touched her heart," Regina stated, still trying to comfort the man who was in obvious distress, probably for two reasons now.
"So she'll simply stay like this? Alive but...frozen?"
Regina nodded at Robin, "until we find a cure. And I will find one." She knew that this was the right thing to do, and it was also something that Emma could help her with.
Just as she had thought about her, Emma walked through the door.
Robin, Henry and Regina all looked up to her, when Henry asked, "any luck finding the one who did this?"
"Well, kid," Emma began, tossing her jacket off which seemed to bang as if it had tonnes of stuff in it. "We saw who it was for sure. It was the woman who works in the ice cream store. But she got away. Also, Killian's pretty badly injured, but David rang the hospital and he's awake now, at least. Elsa's staying with us for a bit, but yeah. No luck, really, sorry Robin."
He tried to smile in response but, looking over at Marian, it was obvious to everyone he really wasn't okay.
Regina walked over to the blonde, her hair messy and wind-swept, "you'll find her dear. You're good at this." She rubbed Emma's arm, and it didn't go unnoticed by Robin, something about the way his facial features twitched just suggested he'd thought of something.
Regina looked down at Marian and realised she couldn't exactly move her from the room. Thankfully, the office was far from the many bedrooms upstairs that Emma would find herself in. That is, if she was still willing to stay over. "You are, of course, welcome to stay with Marian in here if you so wish." Regina gestured to Robin.
He huffed slightly and said, "well I need to get back to Little John for Roland. And I'm not helping anybody by just staring at her. Promise you'll keep her safe for me?"
"Of course," Regina nodded, "I'll lock the door to this room when I go to sleep tonight."
"Thanks," Robin replied, grabbing his jacket and walking out of the room. But not before he walked back in, covered Marian in a blanket and awkwardly rushed back out again.
Emma and Regina, who had moved for him to walk out both looked at each other with that same look.
Henry waited until Robin had left to ask, "so what's in the jacket?" he pointed to Emma's brown leather jacket which was slung down on a chair.
"Oh, just some stuff to stay the night in." Emma glanced over at her kid, his face glowing as he looked at both of his moms. She'd seen him happy many, many times. But this was a different kind of happy that he carried.
"You're staying over?! Cool! Can we all watch some movies again? But later, because Regina gave me some new comics and I think I'll read them for a bit."
Emma looked over to Regina, not for her approval so much but for her reaction, to which she nodded and replied to him, "of course we can dear."
"Great." Henry beamed at them both, "I'm gonna go grab a bite to eat."
Emma walked over to the chair where her jacket was and sat down, "jeez kid. You're always hungry." Talking about hungry, Emma felt her stomach growl and realised she was, too. And this was kinda hypocritical coming from her.
Both Regina and Henry raised their eyebrows and then Henry pounced up, exclaiming, "well I had to get it from somewhere," as he left the room smirking.
Regina and Emma laughed. Then emerald eyes met brown, and Emma just melted. God, she would have leapt out of that chair faster than a cheetah but she was too exhausted.
"Come here," she pouted at Regina, whose face still glowing.
"I didn't have time to check your text," Regina declared, turning to check it to read Emma's, I need a hug.
"I never had you down for the clingy one, Miss Swan." Regina's voice was husky as she said this, walking over to Emma slowly, with a glint in her eye.
"Shh, I'm not. It's just you, you have this effect on me. But yeah. I do need a hug, get down here and hug me." Emma didn't have to usher her over for too long, as Regina had bent down, one hand on each arm of the chair.
"What kind of effect?" Regina teased. She then proceeded to take out her bobble and she swished her hair slightly over Emma.
Emma raised her eyebrows and gave in, she leant up to kiss Regina on the lips, and found herself standing up so she could wrap her arms tight around the brunette. She sighed in content as the brunette relaxed into her arms and moved her head to her shoulder.
"Lots." Emma mumbled, with earned her a chuckle from Regina. "So, apart from, the obvious," Emma moved to make eye contact with Regina, and gestured to the covered Marian, "what was going on with you and Robin?"
Regina moved slightly out of Emma's embrace, and asked, "what do you mean?"
"There was just, well I detected something. I know it's been weird since you broke up but, he's never normally that awkward with you."
Emma slumped back down into the chair and held onto Regina's hand, gesturing her to sit on her knee. She obliged, wrapping her arms around Emma.
"He basically told me the true love's kiss didn't work because he isn't in love with her. He's in love with me."
Emma averted her eye contact with her lover and shuffled slightly so Regina was in a better position on her lap. She had dreaded something like this happening.
"And, what do you think? What did you say to him?" She asked, gazing up at Regina who was shimmering in the warm light of the lamps. She looked ethereal to the blonde, the way her every move was just like something out of a movie. Her beauty, out of comprehension.
"What do you think I thought?" Regina asked, glancing down at Emma into her green blue pools, "you can't possibly think I'd change my mind?"
"Well, I don't know," Emma answered, "this only got to develop like it has because he was out of the question."
"Emma." Regina stated, her facial expression serious, "I would have always found my way to you, dear. Just as you would have found your way to me. The way that everything feels right, well...I think that's why. Because everything between us has led up to now, this moment, when we both know and recognise how we feel, and are willing to do something about it."
"Do you genuinely believe that?" Emma asked. She believed it, but to hear it from the other woman that if she was honest, she adored, it was almost unbelievable.
"Yes dear," Regina smiled, "do you?"
"Oh god, of course." Emma replied quickly, shuffling Regina even closer to her than she already was.
"Good." Regina smiled, her brown eyes sparkling as they met green.
Emma placed her hand in Regina's brown hair and pulled her into a kiss, and a soft moan slipped through Regina's lips due to it being unexpected. Emma shuddered at the moan and continued to kiss her, a smile appearing on her lips.
A bang came from behind them and an, "ew gross," from their son.
"Oh," Regina mumbled, removing her lips from Emma's.
"I was just gonna ask if you guys wanted anything to eat, but it seems like you're already eating each other's faces sooo..."
"Henry!" exclaimed Regina, who couldn't help smirking slightly, "but no, thanks dear. Not for me, anyway."
"I'd love something," Emma lent over, "but I'll go grab something, you go and read your comics so we can watch the film quicker."
"Sure," Henry nodded, leaving them behind.
"It's about time we moved out of here anyway," Regina declared, "it's a little bit inappropriate to kiss right next to poor Marian over there." She then shuffled off Emma and pulled at her arm, "come on."
"It's not like she can hear or see anything," Emma replied jokingly, standing up to follow Regina out of the office. She had grabbed her jacket and Regina, like promised, had locked the door behind them.
...
Regina's eyes lit up in delight at the recent revelation of Emma's. "I can't believe David spotted the difference between us," she laughed, scooping the last bit of pasta off her fork and walking over to grab Emma's plate.
"Not just Mary Margaret who's spotted something," Emma huffed, laughing along with Regina who, after putting the dishes away, was walking over to Emma.
"How about we call Henry down, it's been a few hours now hasn't it? If we wait any longer we won't be able to finish the movie. Henry shouldn't stay up this late really..."
Emma laughed at how much Regina was such a sweetie when it came to Henry. "He's a lot more grown up now Regina," she replied, smiling up at her.
Regina frowned slightly and shook her head, "I know...I forget sometimes. I still see him as my little boy...well, our..." before she could continue, Emma shook her head and added, "you can say he's your son, Regina. I never thanked you, I don't think, for all you did while I wasn't here. I had my reasons, and I stand by them. But I missed out on so many years of his life, you were there, regardless of how you used to be, you loved him. He is my son, but he's also your son. That's the joy of it, this. We can spend time with him, together. I think he's just always wanted that, more than anything. And it's about time that we give him that. You can see how happy he is, can't you?"
"Yes, dear. I can, and the fact he has this secret Operation with us both, he's probably enjoying it more than ever." Regina replied, laughing.
Emma looked down and laughed back, "definitely."
Regina looked at her for a second, a twinge of guilt surfacing due to her other Operation with Henry. She felt the impulse to tell her, merely so she just wasn't keeping anything back. But she knew until they got anywhere, this was probably the best option.
"Anyway," added Emma, "speaking of our son, I'll go grab him." She proceeded to leap up out of her seat to kiss Regina on the cheek. "Thanks for the food," she added, running up the stairs to grab their son.
...
Emma was curled up in Regina's bed waiting for her to return from the bathroom. They'd stayed up rather late with Henry and watched Star Wars: Episode III. To her surprise, Regina had actually enjoyed the movie. She'd commented on the graphics being better than she'd expected, to which Henry had replied that they filmed the prequel after the original films. Emma liked those movies herself, but she didn't think for one second that Regina would be able to bear them. Again they all went up to bed smiling, cheesy as it was, Emma knew how happy it had made them. She shuffled deeper into the luscious silk sheets, chuckling to herself slightly. She couldn't remember the last time that she'd felt this content.
A husky voice shocked her slightly, its owner taking the towel off her hair as she strolled in regally, "something funny, dear?"
Emma cleared her throat and looked at Regina from head-to-toe. Obviously she looked gorgeous without any makeup. Obviously she looked absolutely impeccable with small water droplets still on sliding down her skin. Obviously.
"No. Well, uh, yeah. This, us. In a good way. It's making me laugh because we're so domesticated right now. It feels so sudden, but not, you know? Like totally right...agh, I don't...words..." Emma stuttered, pulling a strange face and looking to Regina in the hope her verbal diarrhoea hadn't pissed her off.
"I take it, then, that was a compliment?" Regina asked, one eyebrow arched.
"Yeah, something like that," Emma replied, sighing at herself. She looked at Regina again. "Not to sound rude or anything, but did you come in here for something? You look as though you had something to say, or search for. Or did you just come to tease me? Because fuck, you've succeeded, you look gorgeous."
Regina smirked, shuffled the towel on her body and laughed. "All of the above, I have to confess. I was looking for my brush, I was going to let you know that the shower is tricky to use, and if you plan to shower I can show you how to use it. Also..." she sighed, "yes, I wanted to tease you, what can I say? Guilty as charged."
"Knew it." Emma laughed, "also, your brush is over there. I kinda used it, if we're confessing things. I forgot mine. I probably won't use the shower, but thanks anyway."
Regina tutted with a smirk on her face and picked up the brush off the dresser. "That's fine, I will be with you shortly."
Regina strolled out proudly, but as she walked out of the room, her towel got caught on the handle and started to slip off. It was one big dramatic moment with arms flailing everywhere and Emma neither moving to help her or stopping laughing. The next thing she knew she had a front-seat view of Regina's back and butt, and boy was her body gorgeous.
Emma heard Regina mutter "shit" as she pulled the towel back at her, which was probably the first time she'd heard her cuss. "You okay Regina?"
"Yes," she replied, face blushing, "I meant to do that, clearly."
"Clearly," Emma replied, shaking her head and laughing.
Regina laughed back and hurried out. It wasn't long before she surfaced, donning a purple silk pyjama top with matching pants.
"Nice," Emma commented, watching her every move as she made her way over to the bed.
"Do you have to comment on everything?" Regina asked, with a lightness in her voice to suggest the compliments were something she wasn't used to.
"Didn't Robin?" Emma replied.
"No, actually. But not like you and him can even be compared." Regina replied, eyebrow cocked as she shuffled into bed beside Emma.
"Are you glad you chose me?" Emma asked, looking into Regina's eyes.
"After me and Robin broke up, after I found out about what happened between you and the older me, after I stopped being so stubborn and admitted my real feelings, there was no other option. You and Henry. I am glad I chose you. I am looking forward to whatever becomes of this. I am aware as much as you that it is still early days. But this feels right, even in this short space of time." She looked up to Emma as she said this, and shuffled closer to her.
Emma wrapped her arm around her and kissed her forehead. "Even after Robin told you he was still in love with you?" She asked.
"More so. My feelings were reinforced today. I almost wanted to laugh, which is probably incredibly...Evil Queen-esque of me..."
"Maybe a little. But I like her too," Emma winked, laughing.
"I sure know you do," Regina replied, shuffling in Emma's arms. "I know this sounds crazy, but I'm slightly annoyed that she got to make love to you first."
Emma gulped slightly and looked at Regina in surprise. She hadn't expected that.
"I hadn't even thought about it like that..." Emma replied, disappointment in her voice. "That's...actually pretty sad. I feel bad now."
"Oh no!" Regina exclaimed, squeezing her arm. "I did not intend to make you feel bad, dear. It was just a thought, but now I realise how it would sound."
"Well," Emma began, pushing the covers back and leaning into kiss Regina, "we have lots of time for that."
Regina smiled, "indeed we d-" but was broken off by the soft, warm lips of the blonde lover.
Emma moved onto Regina as the kiss progressed, heat immediately rising in the room. Tongues clashed with teeth and Emma could hear Regina's sultry moan whenever their tongues collided. Emma stopped kissing her, her hands in Regina's hair, "will you stop with that moan. You did it earlier. It's gonna kill me."
Regina's eyes flew open and a cunning smile formed on her lips. "What a superb euphemism," she replied, her eyes flickering with something dark as she leant up to Emma's ear, nibbled the lobe slightly, breathed and moaned quietly down her ear.
Emma felt shivers down her spine and moaned in response. "That was mean," Emma replied, pushing Regina down to see her biting her lip.
"Oh I know. Mostly because I know, and you know, that we won't initiate anything with Henry in the house. And too, with a frozen Marian. Also, let's not forget the fact it's early days."
"You're evil," Emma replied haphazardly, then on realising what she'd said, she started laughing and Regina shook her head chuckling, "they didn't call me that for nothing."
"Come here." Emma commanded, breaking the eye contact so she could pull her up into the kiss. She then pushed her down, kissing her chin, then her neck, then her chest. Emma was filled with lust and unbuttoned the pyjama shirt without a pause. She gazed at Regina's expression, her eyes watching Emma's every move as she moved to kiss Regina's breasts. On earning more moans, Emma continued, kissing them until her mouth reached the hard peaks. She looked up at Regina who was biting her lip. Taking her tongue, she softly licked one nipple while squeezing the other breast. Regina's hands made their way into Emma's hair, tugging, she exclaimed, her voice shaking, "if you go any further I'm afraid I won't be able to shut up. And that would be a problem."
"Oh, I know," Emma replied, "I'm just paying you back for that moan."
Regina pouted slightly, and Emma immediately removed her head from her chest and climbed up so she was near her face. "I suppose payback has been done. It's better for the both of us that we leave this now, pick it up some other time, yes?"
Regina smiled cunningly, aware her pouting had worked, she put her arm on Emma's shoulders and pushed her down underneath her. "You have too much of a soft spot for me," her voice said, full of husk as her brown eyes surveyed Emma's face, which was plastered with arousal.
"I should have saw that coming," Emma replied, watching Regina out of the corner of her eye as she lent to kiss her cheek. Tracing the kisses down to her chest.
Emma couldn't help a moan slipping from her lips, which earned her a squeeze on her breasts as Regina looked up and responded, "your moans kill me too."
...
She did exactly what Emma had done to her own chest. But Regina's knee had found its way in-between Emma's legs, and she had pressed into her every so often, just to gain more of a reaction. They had both gone to the toilet, and were now cuddled up.
"You do realise I'm totally gonna pay you back for that knee technique when we actually make love, right?" Emma asked, spooning Regina.
"I do not doubt it," Regina replied sleepily.
Emma lent across to the nightshade and turned it off.
"What was that cheesy thing you nearly said to me on text earlier?" Emma asked, her question lingering in the air.
"Oh that," Regina chuckled, "I was going to say that you're my saviour. Then I stopped myself. Because neither of us need saving, least of all you."
Emma smiled. She never liked the idea of being the saviour, and knowing she didn't have to be, knowing that Regina didn't have to be for her too, it felt right. Like everything else about them both did.
"That's great to hear out-loud. It's like we're stronger together, more whole, but we were never halves of anything. But we still fit. Crazy." Emma replied.
"That's definitely it dear," Regina replied beside her, her head sinking further into the pillow. Emma moved to snuggle more into Regina's neck. She drifted into sleep smelling the sweet cinnamon of Regina's shower gel.