Perhaps Regina no longer needed to visit Maleficent now she had somewhat managed to create her own fireball. It was usually small and took a tremendous amount of effort to make, but if she thought about her mother's stern looks or something equally as frustrating, it would build and hold in her palm. Rumple had still dismissed it, and he hadn't been happy the one time he'd caught her returning from Maleficent's castle. Regina had started to wonder whether he had some vendetta against her finding some sort of solace.
She couldn't say happiness when there was still the matter of the little brat who had stolen her one true love away, but for the time she spent away from them and in the company of a moody dragon, she would forget. It was the best she could hope for.
Regina would dismiss Rumple's concerns outright if it wasn't for the chance he could teach her to bring Daniel back, which left her with no option other than to sneak around. It gave her a sense of thrill; she liked having something that was just her own.
Not that Maleficent seemed all too thrilled about her being there most of the time, but Regina was here now. She took slow steps through the castle in search of the woman who would most likely sigh the moment she had found her.
"Maleficent," she calls, scanning the hall ways with her body tense as if she was about to jump out at her at any moment. So…there were times where her palms would be sweaty, her stomach would clench and her heart would pound so loudly she wondered if the woman could hear it too. It still didn't stop her from returning, and even when that happened, it wasn't as if she wanted to run either.
"Mal," she calls, feeling the warmth of the fire coming from the throne room as she approaches the ajar doors. With the book clutched tightly to her chest, she pushes her shoulder against the door until the gap is wide enough to peep her head through.
Maleficent is on the throne, legs dangling over the side and an arm covering her eyes. As usual, her hair is in tatters and her clothing worn, but for some reason it makes her look beautiful. In her own way, because Regina's almost certain if she just ran a brush through the tangled hair and wore clothes that weren't ripped the woman would be breath taking. All the men would fall at her feet. Not that Regina particularly wants to think about that.
"What do you want, child?" she says, groaning at the echo of her own voice. The fire is set near the wall closet to the throne, and Regina had never understood why she needed it considering her ridiculous body heat.
"N-nothing," she says, and holds out the book as she walks closer. "I thought maybe you could teach me more?"
"I haven't taught you anything in weeks, yet you insist on coming back here each and every time?"
Maleficent lets her arm drop and finally looks her way. Their eyes meet and Maleficent's flash a light golden as they do. They reset to their usual colour, the bright blue that continue to connect with her own.
"Well I…" she frowns, arm swinging by her side, the book resting against her thigh.
Maleficent chuckles and swings her legs over the throne. "Perhaps you're here for something else," she says, gripping the dress and makes her way down the stairs. Now Regina's even more confused, especially with the smirk directed her way.
"Something else?" she asks, heart beat speeding up the closer Maleficent gets. It was almost like the way she would respond to Rumple when he took his lessons a step too far, and Maleficent was a dragon who could toast her for breakfast, but she didn't want this to stop.
"So naïve." Maleficent stops so close they might as well be breathing the same air. One more step and their bodies would collide. Her features soften as she tucks a piece of hair behind Regina's ear. "I'm not sure if you're mature enough for this."
Regina shudders at those soft fingers, momentarily closing her eyes as they run through her hair on repeat. "I'm an adult," she says, her voice hoarse and eyes visibly dilated when she opens them. It's insulting to be labelled immature, but Regina doesn't understand why it bothers her so much.
"Is that so?" Maleficent says, a smirk playing on her lips. She licks them, and it creates a shudder in Regina's chest. Maleficent's fingers circle around the book until it's taken from Regina's possession. She places it out of reach. Then the hand is back against Regina's where she threads their fingers together. "And what would you have us do?"
"I don't…" she shakes her head, briefly looking down to their conjoined fingers. Maleficent squeezes and her stomach does another flip. "I don't understand," she whispers and looks back up. "You're a-"
"A dragon?" She lifts her brow.
"A woman."
Maleficent cups her cheek. It feels so good Regina tips her head into the palm and closes her eyes. The fingers interlaced with her own tighten and a thumb begins to run the length of her cheek. "Do you want me to stop?" she asks, voice a little mocking, but somewhere underneath she can hear the genuine concern.
"No." It's the last thing she wants. If anything, she wants more.
She sighs deeply, eyes still closed when she feels breath on her lips. She licks them, ready for the intrusion, when it doesn't come. Her dark eyes flutter open. Maleficent is looking to her with a sort of curiosity.
"Kiss me?" Regina asks, the desperation for them to close the distant growing.
"Will you enjoy it if I do?"
"I'm enjoying this," she admits quietly.
It comes as a surprise; she'd promised herself there would be no one until she could figure out how to bring Daniel back. She doesn't want anyone else, and it wasn't difficult with the marriage. She couldn't have anyone else, but here she was.
For all the demeanour she hands out to the world, the big bad dragon who wasn't afraid of anything, Maleficent is still stroking her cheek with a tender look in her eyes. It calms Regina and gives her the courage to lightly place her hand on Maleficent's hip.
Their lips brush next, two pairs of eyes closing the instant they touch. Maleficent tilts her head downwards as if she's kissing her from above, and pushes air from her nose whilst pressing her lips more firmly against Regina's. Her hand slips to Maleficent's lower back as it arches so their bodies press together. The fingers of her other hand squeeze tighter when Maleficent's lips part then close, urging Regina to do the same.
They find a slow steady rhythm. Regina hums, fingers digging into the material covering Maleficent's lower back, half wishing it wasn't there. Her lips are so soft and it was nothing like kissing Daniel, but it was just as good and made her never want to stop.
Maleficent tips her head back down to separate their lips, eyes opening as Regina rocks back on her heels with her eyes firmly shut. A smirk pushes on her lips as she watches the younger woman come back to herself. "Enjoy that?"
"Yes," she breathes, slowly opening her eyes and feeling as if her knees were about to give way.
Maleficent chuckles, letting her hand fall away from her cheek and letting go of Regina's hand. Her face falls for a second, until arms snake around her lower back. "Aren't you the unexpected one?" she says, face all lit up in a way Regina had never seen before.
"I didn't know I was…"
"Attracted to women?"
Regina nods, then dares to snake her arms around the older woman's neck. She rests the side of her cheek against her collar bone and sighs into the warmth of her body. "I've met lots of women before."
"Were you attracted to every man you've ever met?" she asks, holding onto Regina's body as if it were precious. Neither of them can tell who's more surprised by the displays and gentleness to the dragon's touches.
"No, of course not."
"Then perhaps I'm simply the first woman you've come across who you're attracted to."
Regina nods against her chest. It made perfect sense and at least now she understands what her body had been telling her for weeks.
"You're beautiful," she whispers, certain she shouldn't feel this safe in a dragon's arms.
"As are you, little one."
Regina smiles and pops her head back up. "Could we get back to the kissing?" she asks, with her bottom lip between her teeth.
"Here I was thinking you wanted to learn more magic."
Regina chuckles, standing on her tip toes until her lips press against Maleficent's, now certain she would enjoy it.