Footsteps in the Sand – Chapter One
AN: Welcome! I'm used to writing angst, which is far from this chapter, but hopefully you'll stick with me! Contains spoilers for Season 2, and this chapter takes place back in FTL just after episode 5 'The Doctor'. Enjoy!
"Jefferson…?" she mumbled against his chest, loving the way his beating heart felt against her cheek and the way his fine chest hair tickled her nose. Sunlight spilled through the tiny windows, illuminating the small, sparsely-furnished bedroom as the morning slipped past the blissfully-unaware couple.
He glanced down at her restful body, entwining his fingers in her long, ebony locks, "Mmm hmm?"
"Tell me a story...a tale of the fantastic lands you've been to" she asked, turning her head to look up at him.
"I'm going to run out of stories Regina, I've only been portal-jumping for so many years you know!" he teased, fingers absent-mindedly playing with her soft hair.
She let her lips fall slowly into a pout and he chuckled before pressing a tender kiss to his young lover's forehead, "Fine…I'm sure I can remember a few more yet"
She smiled in triumph and snuggled back against his chest, pulling the blanket further up towards her chin, "Well there was this one time a wealthy landowner paid me to find and destroy a dog, so I ended up in Oz….."
The young couple finally managed to leave the comfort of his bed a few hours later, although Regina was mildly distracted by the idea of returning to the castle with no more hope of resurrecting Daniel.
To divert from that she busied herself in the small kitchen of his modest dwelling, humming quietly as she poured tea and attempted to make some soup for lunch.
Jefferson sat quietly at the kitchen table as she worked, watching her lithe body move in her usually-constrictive outfits, and thinking about how at home she looked in that moment. Of course, he thought bitterly, she wasn't his, and it was unlikely she ever could be if they remained in this realm. At the beginning he'd often cursed himself for getting involved with the Queen, even one as young and beautiful as Regina was off limits to all but the King. Jefferson gulped at the thought of them being beheaded if their secret was discovered, but the threat still wasn't enough to stop him going back to her.
She was bewitchingly beautiful, even when he caught a glimpse of the sadness and loss that she rarely spoke about; Daniel. Jefferson knew he'd been the love of her life, and he knew that were they ever together he'd spend the rest of his life trying to fill a dead man's shoes. But he'd do it and suffer if it meant he could be with her; wake up next to her and spend moments like this for the rest of his life….
"Jefferson", the wooden spoon being waved closely in front of his face broke him from his thoughts.
"Sorry, what?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes and stretching back in the chair.
Regina laughed, the delicate sound not unlike a beautiful melody, and flitted away back to the stove before dishing up the soup.
Jefferson managed one mouthful without a grimace but the second turned deadly and he pushed away the bowl as he dissolved into a coughing fit.
Regina raised an eyebrow from across the table as she glanced nervously at her own untouched soup, "Is it really that bad or is this little display simply for attention?"
He finished coughing and paused, trying to think of a kind way not to hurt her feelings, "What, exactly, did you put in the soup?"
Regina glanced back at the kitchen counter, "Garlic, some onions, some of that red powder and quite possibly the green powder too" she said, biting down on her lip.
"Do you even know what those powders are?"
She rolled her eyes, "Honestly Jefferson; how often do you think a Queen has to do her own cooking? I'm still learning!" she protested.
He laughed at her stubborn outburst, "And a lovely experiment it was too, perhaps next time I'll assist you in the hopes we might not perish at dinnertime!"
Regina pouted slightly and picked daintily at a piece of bread instead, "One day I'll be a fantastic cook; just you wait and see Jefferson" she teased, getting up to dispose of the inedible soup.
Jefferson smirked, he loved her stubborn temper and wicked-fast wit when they were together, it always made him imagine how they'd be if the ever got the chance to be a real couple. A chance to stop hiding away from the world and just be themselves.
Spotting her getting into difficulty with the soapy water and the long sleeves of her gown, he made quick work of coming up behind her to help.
"I take it Queens don't do the washing up either then?" he teased, snaking his arms around until she pulled away from the sink.
"Most certainly not!"
A mischievous smirk fell over his face, one which always made her very wary of his intentions, as he glanced down at the bubble-filled sink and thrust a hand in. Pulling his arm back he lifted it and blew, bubbles flying towards her and landing on her shocked face.
"Queens don't get to have a lot of fun now, do they?"
Slightly bewildered his young lover drew herself up to her full height and wiped away the bubbles, "If Rumplestiltskin could only see me now…" she muttered.
The mood of the room immediately changed and he turned away to finish washing up; Regina knew of his dislike for her learning dark magic, and especially from that imp. Every time she came to him he felt her getting darker, losing the youthful joy that made her quintessentially her. He tried so hard to hold onto the part of her which he'd initially fallen for, but it was getting harder and harder to deter her from the pull of the power. He hated Rumplestiltskin for changing her, for sending her down the path of dark magic, but nothing he said could convince her otherwise. It was one of the few things they frequently fought about, and he didn't want to ruin this perfect day by making a big deal out of it.
He made light work of the dishes and turned around to find her staring out of the window with an unreadable look on her pretty features.
"What's the matter?"
She sighed and turned to face him, "I have a masquerade ball tomorrow night"
"Sounds fun, perhaps I'll find a mask and sneak in" he teased, although he trailed off when she didn't smile as his proposition.
"They never are; I'm paraded around to a roomful of people who pretend to adore me, when all I know is that they wish I was Eva. They'll never love me like they do her"
Jefferson hesitated at her sad tone; Regina had never told him the full story of quite how she'd become queen, but he knew she was miserable locked away in that castle in a man she didn't love and a daughter who wanted her real mother.
Clearing his throat he wrapped his arms around her, "Well then they're stupid, how they could not love you I will never understand" he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead and then resting his against hers. Her huge dark eyes stared trustingly up at him, "Thank you Jefferson….for all of this"
He smiled and kissed her again before she made to head for the door, "I hate it every time you have to leave" he sulked.
"As do I, my dear Hatter. One day though, perhaps I'll never have to"
He watched as she climbed the grassy banks up to where a small carriage awaited, manned only by the two guards she trusted with her secret and her life. He watched as it moved away until no longer visible through the trees, walked back to the small kitchen sink and smashed the first object he came in contact with. Glass remnants of a vase spilled across the wooden floor. He hated it, hated her so much for leaving each time. It drove him crazy knowing she was going back to the castle to spend lonely nights with the king and a child who she had a raging hatred for.
Calming down he set about cleaning up the mess he'd just made, trying to block out the silence which invaded his home, and pretend that he could still hear her tuneful humming as she played house. He thought of her last words and how he wished they could be true; that they could have a happy life together, perhaps even a family. It would have to be in a separate world of course, but what did that matter? He'd do anything, live anywhere so long as they could be together.
Mwahahaha oh how little he knows of what I have in store for them :p I'm giving out free mental images of Sebastian Stan's amazing naked torso…. :D
Please review and tell me what you think, even if you hate it! I'm a massive HookedQueen shipper but for some reason my brain is dead-set on finishing this MadQueen fic instead! x