She's back. Maleficent is back from the ashes, quite literally. Regina's heart clenched when she heard that. All those memories, all the feelings, the pain, she could feel them all at once. It almost broke her, her lungs didn't seem to have enough air.
She moved on. She really did, it's been more than 30 years since they ended their… affair? Romance? And it's been 30 years since they saw each other. But it was strange. It wasn't the same like when you simply break up with someone. Their love, the kind of love they had, didn't just fade away. No. It was Regina's obsession with revenge and dark magic that destroyed what they had.
She spent many sleepless nights thinking about it. She missed Maleficent. She missed talking till early mornings, watching the stars. She missed sharing bed with someone, she missed the laugh they shared, the touches, she missed feeling the blonde's body pressed against hers.
Did she really? Did she really miss the Dragon? Or was it just the loneliness of this world and the inability to use magic? What they had, was it really love? Was the love they felt love for the other person, or was it just self love?
It was no secret that they helped each other to grow, to find the strength to fight, to find their biggest powers. But that's what partners do, right? They support each other.
Or were they just trying to fill up the holes in their hearts that stayed there after they lost their loved ones?
Regina decided that it wasn't really love. Well, it was but a different one than people usually share. They genuinely cared about each other, which Maleficent proved while she was trying to save Regina from the darkest of magic. They liked each other, they were attracted to each other. They loved themselves more when they were with the other one than when being alone. They loved the other one for all the help. They loved each other.
After two years, Maleficent became just a memory. Just a locked nightmare, a dark dream in the basement.
And then Emma killed her. Regina spent the night sitting in front of the fireplace crying. She was devastated. But also relieved. No more troubles. The past is gone.
Emma actually became quite an important person in her life. They've spent a lot of time together, going from hating each other to tolerating and now they seemed to be becoming friends, quite close ones. Or more. At least Regina hoped so. She didn't want to rush it, she didn't want to put Emma in danger, which seemed impossible in Storybrooke. But she wanted to be sure that she's really changed, that she's no longer the Evil Queen. She wanted to be good for Emma and so far she was.
And now Maleficent is back, exactly on time when everything went so well.
She wasn't sure if she was ready to meet her. No. She wasn't. She was afraid. Is Maleficent going to kill her? Hurt her? She kept her locked for 28 years after all.
But death is not always the worst.
She was afraid that her feelings would come back, that they would reveal themselves from the furthest places of her heart.
But there was no time to play hide and seek. She promised to find out what the three of the Queens wanted. She promised. Because of Emma. There was no way she would put Emma in danger. No.
So she stepped into the diner, not ready to face the woman who once owned her heart. She was happy for all those years of her mayoral pretending. She held her head high. She remembered the Evil Queen and the way she behaved. She was ready not to show Maleficent any doubts. And neither to the other two, of course.
Maleficent played with her. Since the diner when she stepped too close to her, just like the first time they met. So close that she almost felt her breath. So close that she shivered. She accepted the alcohol with joy, hoping in calming her nerves. She was surprised. She felt happy to see her, all she wanted to do was to smile and hug her. Instead, she hid her bright smile under an evilish smirk.
Because that question, that question made her legs weak. A bad girl. That sparkle in Maleficent's eye showed that she meant something different than Cruella and Ursula thought. It was a reminder on the old days. Because they were bad girls together. In all meanings possible.
Regina crushed the glass with a smirk while looking into the blue eyes. It was a yes. An unspoken answer to the unspoken question.
Do you want to play?
Yes.
And so it started. They weren't like a cat and mouse. They were like two cats.
All the alcohol they drunk that night didn't exactly help. If Ursula and Cruella hadn't known that Regina and Maleficent were together in some way, they certainly had an idea about it now.
Stepping too close to each other, long, deep staring into the eyes while drinking. Licking their lips. Sitting so close that they touched. They touched. Not once and it wasn't a mistake. It was supposed to look like that at first.
But soon they stopped pretending. What was the point, anyway?
The last months of their lives together, even more months before the curse actually happened, they were just growing apart. They were more annoyed with each other than enjoying each other. Anger, desperation, love. They were never exclusive, they never talked about it, they never discussed if they dated or not. Both of them needed the freedom, the freedom of a dragon and an evil queen. But they also needed each other.
The passion, betrayal, anger, longing, it all rose to the surface with every single glass of wine and a shot of whatever alcohol they had in that time.
All the light touches on her hand and on her leg made Regina feel dizzy. She wasn't able to think clearly. And when Maleficent started to move her hand up her thigh under her skirt, she almost gave in. She wanted to shove her against a wall and taste her.
But that wouldn't be right. It was a game. Maleficent was playing something. This couldn't be truthful. She wanted to accomplish something, to destroy the brunette in any possible way. But Regina was no longer the girl in love. No. She was strong. She could resist.
Emma.
Emma.
Emma.
She repeated that name like a mantra. They weren't dating, yet. But it was heading there. There was no way she would destroy this starting romance for a one night stand with her ex-evil-what-ever-she-was. No.
She caught herself closing her eyes way too often. To take a deep breath and clear her mind. Which, given how intoxicated she was, was almost impossible.
Cruella and Ursula soon found their own corner of the vault. They were sharing a bottle between all those kisses, not being able to keep their hands to themselves. When Cruella took of her coat and Ursula's hands stopped to be enough and her tentacles appeared, Regina threw them out.
She was actually grateful for that, for an excuse to stand up angrily. Maleficent was leaning on her right side, too close, whispering into her ear, propping on her left arm that was placed behind Regina's back and using her right hand to stroke Regina's thigh, going higher and higher.
And the brunette was slowly giving in. She craved that touch, she wanted that. The love – hate sex, wild but caring. But she wasn't prepared to lose everything. She couldn't be sure Maleficent would keep this for herself. She might just share it with the heroes. She knew there would be no excuse for that, no 'proving herself'. And Emma would be broken and that was something she couldn't stand.
And then they were alone. Just the two of them. A dragon and a former evil queen. A dragon who was now more evil then before and an evil queen who was now better than she ever was.
So it's just you and me then, I guess.
Her voice was like velvet. Seducing and caressing, sinking into her skin.
I think you should go.
Regina whispered that. She needed her to leave now.
Okay then, your majesty.
And then the blonde leaned forward and pressed a kiss into the corner of red lips, a little too long, and then pulled away and winked. She winked at the brunette and wished her a good night. And then she disappeared into the dark.