"You never did finish telling me how you got it."
Regina sighs at Emma's words, because Emma's tried to have this conversation half a dozen times by now, and Regina has skilfully ignored it just as many. "There's a reason, dear."
"Oh come on," Emma rolls over onto her side and drapes an arm across the brunette's middle. "How bad can it be?" She presses a kiss to Regina's bare shoulder, smiling. "Fall off your bike as a kid? I promise I won't tell anyone that you were ever anything but graceful."
Regina shifts then, letting both Emma's arm and the sheets fall from her as she sits up, wrapping her arms around her knees. Other scars are visible in the dim light – faint lines across her back that Emma hasn't asked about yet. "I didn't have a bike as a child. I had a horse." That much somehow doesn't surprise Emma and she winces, lightly brushing her hand over Regina's back.
"Did you fall off it, or...?"
"No, never," Regina gives a small smile. "My father said I was a natural, he'd help me up when I was too small. My mother..." the smile disappears. "She was considerably heavier handed."
Emma's eyes widen and she sits up, arms instinctively wrapping around her lover's shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Gina. If I'd have known, I wouldn't have..." she brings a hand up to Regina's jaw, tilting her head slightly. Her thumb brushes over the scar that started this conversation and is soon followed by her lips. Regina gives a quiet noise of approval.
"I got over my pain a long time ago."
But Emma doesn't believe her and, gently pushing her back onto the bed, proceeds to spend the rest of the night leaving no patch of skin untouched, as if trying to soothe the pain felt all those years ago.