It was a few years into the curse, and Regina was feeling increasingly restless. Victory had been sweet at first, but it had quickly grown stale in its monotony. Being the only one aware of what was going on, of the passage of time, was proving to be a curse of its own.
Every day was just like the last, and her skin itched with the urge to break the routine. The part of her that had been a young queen trapped in a castle longed to travel across the town lines, to explore the world unbidden, finally, from her past and all it entailed. But even with the help of memories implanted into her thanks to the curse, the world outside her created town was an unknown. Though she did not want to admit it to herself, she was afraid of it, really.
Like a bird trapped in a cage for too long, she no longer knew what to do when the bars were finally gone.
So, she stayed inside the cage. Or Storybrooke, as it was-the town that was meant to be her happy ending. And she convinced herself that she was content, that she was happy. Over the years, she'd gotten quite well at self-denial, and she was putting it to good use now.
She still had her occasional trysts with the Huntsman, or what had become of him in this strange Land without Magic, anyway. But they had proven to be as unsatisfying and empty as the rest of this town. The sheriff was a shell of his former self, another bland face in a sea of grey.
Whatever spark she felt during their affair in the Enchanted Forest seemed to have vanished along with the rest of his personality as the curse took effect. It started to feel less like stress relief and more like an obligation, which just sparked up all sorts of associations she would rather it not. Their entanglement was complicated enough as it was. Still, she did not break it off. Could not. If only because she was still too stubborn to ever admit defeat, even in this. But her attention wandered.
So, she noticed her, of course. It was impossible not to, not when she was practically dressed in scraps and shoved into her face every time she entered the diner. Not when she was red in a sea of grey.
Ruby, as she was now known, seemed to be temptation incarnate, according to the curse. Though she'd been pretty enough, especially for a peasant, back in their old world, she had been easy enough to dismiss as merely the best friend of her greatest enemy.
Now, she served coffee and baked goods with a flirtatious smile that had Regina's brows ticking up in not entirely unpleasant surprise and consideration. There was something in her eyes, a rare spark that none of the rest of the townspeople (the sheep, she thought disdainfully) possessed. She reminded her of the fireballs she was once able to control, wild and dangerous and full of life. Perhaps it was the wolf, the magic, in her. Whatever the reason, Regina could not help but find herself intrigued.
For weeks, months, she entertained the idea. She closed her eyes and imagined what it might be like, thought of hands on her hip, of a mouth on her clit, and came harder than she ever did in any session with Graham.
Visits to the diner increased, not just in frequency but in duration. Regina found a liking for the apple pancakes they served, and when Ruby flashed her a wink with her plate, she found herself allowing a small smirk back.
The easy flirtation was a familiar dance, one that she found she'd missed more than she'd realized. In her quest for revenge, so many things had gone ignored. Not that she'd had much opportunity for it even if she hadn't been so obsessed with Snow. Few people were eager to flirt with the Evil Queen, after all.
But even so, when something finally came of it, there was no plan, no thought beforehand. They had been flirting for weeks, months, an indeterminable amount of time within the curse, with neither making any real move to escalate.
Until they met by chance, one night, on the edge of a moonlit forest, in a small town created by magic.
Sleep had never come easily to her. As a young child, she'd had night terrors that her father had once soothed her over, before her mother had made him stop. It never had, but she'd learned to keep quiet, to keep her screams and tears locked inside her, and that was enough. Over the years, her nightmares, and thus her insomnia, had only grown worse. There had been a short brief period, when she'd been able to rest in Daniel's arms, feeling a sense of safety and security (however misguided it might've been) that she had never been able to replicate. So, she was used to staying up late into the night.
Here, in the town meant to be her happy ending, Regina found herself wandering when she could not sleep. She found herself drawn to the forest, away from the strange modern houses that were so unlike anything in the Enchanted Forest. Perhaps she was simply seeking something familiar, in this world where she did not belong.
Perhaps, deep down, so was Ruby. The moon was out, full and round, clearly visible in the cloudless night. Had her wolf drawn her to this place? Regina wondered. There was still much about magic she did not know, that no one knew, after all. Even though this was the Land Without Magic, even though she could no longer conjure up even the tiniest flame in her hands…
There was something like magic in the air, she thought. It crackled between them.
Ruby smiled. She was dressed even more daringly than usual, with a low-cut top and too short skirt. The lingering scent of smoke and liquor clinging to her suggesting she'd likely just come from a bar, the Rabbit Hole, no doubt.
"You shouldn't be out so late at night by yourself, Madame Mayor."
"Are you implying my town is unsafe, Ms. Lucas?" Regina raised a brow, tone dry, but the twitch of her lips betrayed her.
An innocent shrug (that was likely anything but) came from those pale, exposed shoulders. "I'm only suggesting you might be safer with some company."
This time, Regina did not attempt to hide her smirk. "Are you offering, dear?"
Instead of replying, Ruby moved closer, until they were only inches apart from each other. When they were close enough that Regina could see flecks of gold in those dark eyes, the other woman spoke. "Are you accepting?"
Looking into those eyes, seeing the challenge, the offer, Regina wondered found she could not resist. So, she moved, closing those final inches between them and pressing her lips against that tempting mouth.
There weren't fireworks or stars in her eyes, or any of that (there wasn't any of the sweet, soft love coursing through, not like it was with Daniel). But there was a shot of pleasure that went straight to her core, and her heart started to race, just a little faster. It was impulsive, it was heady, sending her into a headspace she had not been in since she'd lost magic in her veins.
Regina kissed her first, but it was Ruby who deepened it, slipping in a tongue that had her moaning unconsciously. She tasted faintly like alcohol, but also something fresher, earthier. The smell of smoke and sulfur curled between them, the memory of magic so strong that Regina swore she could conjure fire again in her hands. Instead, she let her fingers curl into long dark hair, as she pressed deeper, until they were both drowning in each other.
Finally, they broke apart, chests heaving. Regina took in the sight of the werewolf in the Land Without Magic, looking just as wild as ever underneath the moonlight. As her eyes flitted to the mussed hair and the bruised lips, she smirked at her handiwork. But she only had a moment to enjoy the sight before Ruby was on her again, lips on her neck. She tilted her head, allowing her further access, as her eyes fluttered shut in pleasure.
The trail of kisses stopped just at her collarbone, when Ruby looked up, an amused smile on her lips as she asked, "Are we really doing this out here?"
Blinking, Regina abruptly realized where they were, and just how far either of their homes were. This was the problem with impulsive acts, clearly. Frowning, Regina had never cursed her lack of magic more. If she had it, all she had to do was flick her wrist and they could be in bed now. Instead, they were here, in the middle of the woods miles away from civilization.
"I don't suppose you brought a car with you?"
"Don't you think I would be dragging you into it by now if I had, woman?" Regina responded with frustration. Sexual frustration. Her skin was still thrumming with need, and she could feel all too keenly the tingle on her lips.
Ruby's eyes seemed to glint with gold, when she spoke, low and throaty, "There's no one around for miles."
"Are you seriously suggesting we have sex in the middle of the forest?" Regina said incredulously.
The brunette shrugged, grinning mischievously as she pointed out, "Hey, that's how people used to do it, right?"
Only if they were peasants, Regina thought. Considering who she was about to do this with, maybe that was appropriate. Queens and princesses had castles. But she was no longer a queen here, and there were no castles either.
Once upon a time, Regina had been in love with a peasant too. A mere stable boy. They had planned to run away, and maybe, if they had, the woods would have been a choice then. Her heart clenched, as it always did, when she thought of him and all the what could've beens.
Something must have shown on her face, despite her best efforts, because the humor fell from Ruby's face. There was a frown, a look that might've been concern, if Regina wasn't who she was, if this woman before her wasn't who she was, however altered she was.
Suddenly, the whole encounter was too much, and Regina could only turn away, practically running as she felt grip with the desperate need to get as far as she could from Ruby (Red).
"Regina, wait!" The startled cry was immediate, but she ignored it in favor of moving faster. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite fast enough to avoid Ruby, who ran after her.
A hand was at her wrist, holding her in place. She glared at the offending appendage, hissing out, "Let me go!"
"Not until we talk!" The other woman shot back, but she loosened the grip. "I was just kidding, you know." There was a faint flush to her cheeks that wasn't entirely from the exertion.
"That's not why." She said simply, shaking her head. "This… this cannot happen."
"Why?" Ruby asked heatedly. "Because you're the mayor, and I'm the town slut?"
No. Regina thought. Because I am the Evil Queen, and you are Red Riding Hood.
Because they were literally from two different worlds. Because this was a mistake. Because Regina realized she was chasing after something she had lost, and Ruby-Red-seemed like the closest thing to it. The magic she'd lost had seemed to spark up in Red's eyes, and she'd let it tempt her once again. But she knew better now, didn't she? She knew this was a terrible idea anyway. The chilly air of the forest seemed to finally reach her, seep into her and soak her bones until she felt heavy with its weight. The magic, the spark, was gone. In it's place, Regina only felt hollow.
Shaking her head again, Regina spoke quietly but with finality, "This won't happen again."
Then, she broke free from the other woman's hold and walked away for good.
Ruby watched her as did so, hand raised limply in the air still.
Above them, the moon continued to shine above them, bright and cold and indifferent as always.