Title: Starlight
Category: TV Shows » Once Upon A Time
Author: Alwaysbringback-up
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T (for language and sexual themes)
Genre: General
Chapter 1: Starlight
Pairing: SwanQueen
Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the OUAT universe. All characters belong to Adam and Eddie, the show's creators. I promise that my writing is done purely for recreational purposes only. No ill harm is intended.
A/N: So I wrote this for SQ week! The prompt was Bedsharing. Supposedly, it can happen at the beginning of the story or end of the story, so that's how I wrote it. Please enjoy!
"Camping," Regina scoffed as she set her silverware down on her plate with a soft clink, her eyes glaring daggers into Snow from across the table. "You better be joking!" Snow let out a sigh, and set her glass down on the table.
The brunette was all too aware that two sets of bright green eyes were staring back at her expectantly.
"It's what Henry wants to do for his birthday," Emma said, as she turned to look at her son, "Tell her, kid."
"It's true!" Henry said, as he put on his best puppy dog expression. "Grandpa said that he's willing to teach me how to fish and everything."
Now it was David's turn to get speared by Regina's razor sharp gaze. She stared at David with such an intensity, it was a mystery to Emma how the man somehow managed to avoid spontaneously erupting in flames.
"And just what do you know about fishing?" Regina asked, her tone clearly skeptical, "Last time I checked you were a shepherd, and not a fisherman."
"I'm a man of many trades," David said with a wry smile.
"Fine," Regina hissed, "If you really want to spend your birthday in the woods, with the Charmings, you are welcome to. But if you think for one moment that I… am staying anywhere without at least indoor plumbing, then you are sorely mistaken."
"Aww, come on, Mom!" Henry whined. "It'll be fun!"
"Yeah, Madam Mayor," Emma said, perfectly replicating Henry's tone. "It'll be fun. We'll get you your own cabin and everything."
"My own cabin, you say?" Regina murmured, her eyebrow quirking upwards in curiosity.
"Yes," Snow nodded. "We reserved two cabins. One for David, Neal, and I…and the other for you."
"What about you two?" Regina questioned as she met Emma's eyes.
"Oh," Emma breathed. "Us? Well, we'll be doing what Henry wants to do. We'll be sleeping under the stars like real campers."
"Don't forget the smores," Henry smiled knowingly, "There will be lots and lots of smores." Emma laughed, loving his childlike enthusiasm. "Oh!" Henry said excitedly as he pushed back his chair, and stood up. "Wait until you see what mom got me for my birthday! It's awesome!"
Regina let out a sigh, as he rushed away from the table, leaving her with the Charmings. "Henry, you never asked to be excused!" she called out after him in a reprimanding tone.
"I'm sure he meant to," Emma said softly, "You raised him well, Regina."
Regina let out a huff as she reached up to rub at the tense muscles in her forehead. "And yet you've still managed to rub off on him an awful lot." Emma let out a little laugh.
"I could say I'm sorry," Emma spoke honestly, "But I'm not sure that I could really change, even if I wanted to." Regina just nodded.
A minute later, she heard Henry's brisk footsteps rushing back towards them. She looked up just as he appeared, holding a small leather-bound journal. He sat back down and handed the book to Regina over the table. Regina took it, and ran her fingers over the cover. The embellishment on its leather-bound surface was extremely intricate. Regina realized, under further scrutiny that they were stars, and constellations. Regina flipped it open. Slowly she flipped through the pages, and gasped, for inside were pages upon pages of notes and pictures, all completely handwritten.
"This is beautiful," Regina said honestly. "Where did you find this?"
"It's mine," Emma replied sheepishly. "I put it together myself."
"The notes and pictures are all yours?" Regina asked in astonishment.
"Yeah," Emma nodded. "Stargazing is a favorite pastime of mine. I…I guess that Neal's enthusiasm for astronomy and navigation had a hand in that, but I've always loved the night sky. It's a little overwhelming sometimes, thinking about the things that we can't even see. But they're there whether you can see them or not." Emma cleared her throat, tearing her eyes away from Regina. Regina noted Emma's almost nervous ministrations as the blonde twiddled her thumbs.
"But where did you find time to put something like this together?" Regina asked.
"Oh," Emma swallowed over the sudden obstruction in her throat, "Well, I'm sure you know that I drifted around for a time. And, well, during that time, I had to find ways to entertain myself. I thought…why not keep a journal, and write down what I see." Emma cleared her throat. "Of course, there was a lot of time that went into studying them as well. You would be surprised on how many books there are out there about Astronomy. I just tried to incorporate that knowledge, into my own experiences, and there you go…" Emma said indicating the book in Regina's hand.
"Well," Regina said honestly. "This is truly extraordinary, Emma. I mean it."
"Th-Thank you," Emma stuttered. Emma watched as Regina ran her fingers over the pages almost reverently. "You know. Maybe if you wanted me to give you a bit of a tour of the night sky, sometime, I could do that."
"So…" Henry said hopefully. "Camping?"
"I can't help but feel like you've romanticized the notion of camping a bit, Henry," Regina said, "It's not nearly as glamorous as you might think. The ground isn't exactly the most comfortable place to sleep."
"He'll be fine," Emma shrugged, "Sleeping on the ground for a few nights, never really hurt anybody."
"I'm sure you would know that," Regina spoke without thinking. Regina felt a pang of regret as she noticed the way that Emma's jaw tightened just a little bit at Regina's words. "Emma," Regina said suddenly, her expression remorseful.
"Hey," Emma gave her a pained smile, "Don't worry about it."
"Still," Regina said softly, "I shouldn't have…"
"It's okay," Emma said calmly, as she pushed back her chair, "I lived out of my car for a while. You don't have to apologize for speaking your mind." Emma picked up her plate.
"Mom," Henry said, standing up, "Let me help."
"Naw, it's all right," Emma said softly, with a gentle smile, "I'll clear tonight." She walked over to pick up David and Mary Margaret's plates from the table, opting to come back for Henry's and Regina's. Henry, however, didn't listen to Emma's instructions, and picked up his plate, as well as Regina's. He walked briskly from the room, leaving Regina with David and Mary Margaret.
"So," David began awkwardly, as the silence became too much. "What do you say?"
"Are you telling me that you still think camping out in the middle of nowhere is a good idea, after what just happened?" Regina asked honestly.
"I think it would be a good idea for all of us to spend time together as a family," Snow replied, clearly unperturbed by Regina's reply.
"I don't know how to censor myself, and neither does Emma," Regina spoke stubbornly. "I just know… One of us will wind up killing the other."
"Oh, for fuck's sake, Regina," Emma huffed, strutting into the room. "We're both adults, here. I think we can refrain from killing eachother for a mere three days."
"Speak for yourself," Regina pouted, muttering under her breath. Emma just laughed.
"What was that?" Emma teased, though it was clear from the glint in her eyes that she'd heard the brunette just fine.
"I don't know how you expect me to get along with the two idiots, either." Regina let out a sigh. "However, it is something that Henry appears to really want. So I will agree. But there will be some clear rules in place." Regina let out a groan as Snow clapped happily, her eyes instantly lighting up in elation. Regina merely held up a warning hand. "And I refuse to spend six hours in a car with them," Regina said, with a flick of her head in Snow and Charming's direction.
"Fine," Emma replied. "You can ride with Henry and I." Regina nodded.
"And for the love of god, Swan," Regina said with a groan, "Do not make me regret this."
"You won't!" Henry exclaimed as he rushed forwards to wrap his arms around Regina's shoulders.
Regina let out an annoyed groan from the passenger seat of Emma's bug, as they breezed down the highway, with the windows all rolled down. Emma had cranked up her radio to a headache inducing volume. Frankly, it was a wonder that the blonde hadn't turned deaf long ago. Regina would not ever admit to it out loud, but the song currently blasting through the stereo was extremely catchy, and the guitar riffs exhibited sheer amounts of musical brilliance. As much as she tried to fight it, Regina found herself bobbing her head to the music, as though it pulled at something in her. It also helped that she kept hearing Emma's surprisingly adequate voice belting out the lyrics.
Ooh, baby, don't you know I suffer?
Ooh, baby, can't you hear me moan?
You caught me under false pretenses
How long before you let me go?
Ooooh-ahhh, you set my soul a-light
Ooooh-ahhh, you set my soul a-light
'Damn,' Regina thought, 'Those lyrics…'
Regina figured that this was one of their favorites, as Emma and Henry knew every word and every chord of the song, singing to the melody at the very top of their lungs. Emma drummed out the rhythm on the steering wheel, as Henry took over singing. Regina turned back to the window, her hair picking up as the wind gusted through the open windows. Of course, when Emma insisted on taking her "deathtrap," she had also neglected to tell Regina that the air conditioner wasn't working.
By the time that they stopped for gas, Regina had a raging headache. She rubbed at her temples as she walking into the gas station.
"Please…Please…Please," Regina begged the teller, as she walked up to the counter, "Tell me that you have ear plugs. Or I might seriously die."
"Should be right over there," he said with a sympathetic smile as he pointed to an end cap. Regina walked, or more like stomped over to the end cap, and pulled the box off the hook with a little too much vigor.
For the hell of it, she grabbed some Tylenol, and walked back to the counter. An hour later, when she could only hear the faintest sounds permeating her eardrums, Regina couldn't help but think that earplugs were the world's best-damned invention. It certainly ranked right up there with indoor plumbing and combustion engines. For a while, she watched Emma and Henry jamming out to whatever music came on. She couldn't deny there was something adorable about the whole thing. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.
When they finally got to their campsite at the lake, there wasn't a lot of daylight left. They quickly unloaded all of their supplies, stacking the wood, along the front of David and Mary Margaret's cabin. Emma, like the charming and chivalrous young woman that she was insisted on carrying Regina's bag into the cabin.
"For god's sake," Regina huffed, "I am fully capable of carrying my own luggage, Miss Swan."
"I insist," Emma spoke as she picked up Regina's bag like it was nothing. Of course the brunette would never admit it, but as the muscles in Emma's arms flexed under the weight of Regina's bag, Regina allowed herself to admire the woman's physique.
As she stepped into the tiny cabin, Regina let out a shuddering breath of exasperation. The place was tiny. It looked more like a shack, with two beds, tucked to either side of the door.
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Regina bemoaned, as Emma set her bag down on the other bed.
"Relax," Emma laughed, "it's only for three days, Regina."
"There better not be any spiders or snakes in here," Regina grumbled.
"Would you like me to do a sweep for you, your majesty?" Emma said with a mock bow. "I can check for monsters too, if you want."
"Get out, Miss Swan!" Regina hissed. Emma just laughed, ducking as Regina sent a pillow flying in her direction. Thankfully, Henry caught it as he was walking in. He pushed his way inside, and handed the pillow to his mother.
"Do you want any smores?" Henry asked. "Grandpa is about to start the fire."
"I'll be out in a minute, dear," Regina told him.
When she walked out of the cabin a few minutes later, Emma was pulling another large bag out of the back of David's truck. Regina settled down onto a fallen tree stump near the edge of the fire pit as David arranged the logs in a small teepee. He set the kindling inside, and lit the kindling. Regina's eyes followed Emma's body down to the edge of the water, admiring Emma's form as the blonde set the bag down. She walked back up towards the truck, looking up just in time to catch Regina's eyes at it. Regina felt her cheeks flush a little.
"You might not want to sit there," Emma said as she walked over.
"And why is that?" Regina huffed.
"Because you're upwind," Emma said, "the smoke will blow into your face. Not to mention, it'll get all over your clothes."
"I'm perfectly fine right here," Regina said stubbornly, not willing to admit that maybe Emma knew what she was talking about.
"Okay," Emma said with a shrug. "Suit yourself."
Emma walked back to the truck, pulling the tent out of the back. For the next fifteen minutes, she watched with amusement as Emma and Henry struggled with the tent. The blonde had made herself sound like such an expert, but Regina quickly realized that Emma clearly had no idea how to set up the contraption she and Henry were supposed to be sleeping in for the next few days. She watched Emma assemble the tent's poles and infrastructure. But when it came to figuring out how the poles were meant to slide into the tents nylon fabric, it's clear that the blonde was at a loss. Regina happily watched the blonde's struggles, struggling to keep the smile from overtaking her face as the blonde's cusswords floated up to her ears. Regina knew she should reprimand the blonde for swearing in front of their son. But every time Emma shouted something obscene, Henry would just laugh, and do Regina's reprimanding for her.
When Emma tripped over the rolled up tarp, Regina couldn't stop the involuntarily laugh from escaping. She laughed even harder, when Emma sent a glare her way, her green eyes narrowing at the brunette.
"You could try and help, you know?!" Emma shouted at her. Regina pushed herself to her feet and walked over, to get a better view. Although, she clearly had no intention of helping.
"And why would I want to do that," Regina said with a mischievous smile, "This is all extremely entertaining. In fact, next time I'm bored, I'll just watch you attempt to blunder your way through assembling something." Emma's only reaction to this was a grunt.
"Mom," Henry groaned, as the tent fell down for the third time. "If Mom can't figure out how to put up the tent, can I sleep with you in the Cabin?"
"Why you little traitor!" Emma exclaimed. Regina felt her heart swell, as Emma tackled Henry to the ground. "Take it back!" Emma ordered as she started tickling him. He laughed so hard, it sounded like it hurt. And Regina laughed too. After rolling around on the ground for several minutes, Emma finally got Henry to recant his statement. And in another half an hour, Emma had succeeded in getting the tent to stay up. She grabbed the stakes from the bag, and started setting about securing said tent in the ground.
As the blonde dropped down to all fours in front of her, Regina felt her face flush with undeniable heat. The blonde, however, seemed completely oblivious to what her close proximity was doing to the brunette. It didn't help that Emma's jeans were tight around her ass and lower thighs, almost as if the fabric were painted on.
"Can you help me?" Emma asked as she turned towards her, holding out a stake for Regina. Regina nodded, and took the metal stake. "Can you drive this into the ground, on the opposite side." Regina swallowed hard, and nodded. "Make sure you pull out the fabric so that it's taught. Regina walked briskly to the opposite side, and did as Emma instructed. She took the mallet with her and drove the stake deep into the ground.
"Perfect," Emma spoke from closely behind her, causing Regina to jump. Regina looked up, catching the mischievous look in deep sea green eyes.
"You planned this," Regina said with a hint of recognition.
Emma just laughed. "What?" Emma shrugged innocently, "You took a good look at my ass, so I figured that it was only fair for me to do the same."
"You're despicable," Regina said with a growl, her rasped voice holding a distinct edge to it. Emma offered Regina her hand, to help her up, but Regina only batted it away with another growl of warning.
"Suit yourself," Emma whispered, as she walked away, unrolling the tarp, and setting it up over the tent.
Minutes later, when they were all around the fire, roasting marshmallows, Regina couldn't help but feel content. Henry was sitting close to Emma, his head on her shoulder as he talked animatedly. Regina felt her heart quicken in her chest, as Emma looked up from across the fire. Flames danced in the blonde's beautiful green eyes, and Regina decided that she had never seen something quite as majestic in all of her years of life. Emma pulled the stick from the flames, the marshmallow shaded a perfect shade of brown. She watched as Emma broke off a bit of chocolate, and snapped a graham cracker in half. She placed the chocolate in the middle and set the marshmallow in-between. The gooey substance slid off of the stick and onto the chocolate. Emma stood up, walking around the fire. She plopped down next to Regina and offered the brunette the creation.
"Here," Emma said softly. "For you."
"That's quite all right, Miss Swan," Regina said, turning the blonde down. "I don't need to indulge in something so unhealthy."
"Oh come on," Emma whined, "You can't go camping without having a Smore. It's…It's like a rule or something."
"Is that so?" Regina challenged with a arch of her eyebrows.
"Mmhmm," Emma hummed. "Come on. Just try a bite. If you hate it, I'll eat the rest." Regina let out a little huff, but took the sandwich from Emma's hand. The shiver that Emma's touch elicited, when their hands brushed, was not lost on either of them. Regina was all too aware of the blonde's eyes on her as she waited expectantly for Regina to take the first bite. Emma laughed softly under her breath, as Regina took a dainty bite. Regina couldn't stop the small moan from escaping as the flavors exploded on her tongue. Regina's eyes widened a little in surprise. She honestly didn't expect to be so pleasantly surprised.
"See," Emma smiled. "It's good right?"
"Well," Regina smiled, "I suppose."
"You never know when something might surprise you," Emma said with an affection hidden deep in her sea green eyes. Regina nodded, clearly oblivious to the blonde's feelings. Emma stood up and walked back to the other side of the fire. She sat down and set about roasting some more marshmallows. Regina continued to nibble on her treat, looking up every so often across the fire. She didn't understand why there was a sudden sadness evident on the blonde's face.
"Well, I think I'm going to call it a night," Snow said softly.
"Me too," David nodded. "Emma, will you put out the fire for me before you guys turn in?"
"Of course," Emma nodded.
"Are we going to do some stargazing tonight?" Henry asked her.
"You bet, kid," Emma smiled, as she reached up to ruffle his hair. Regina tried to ignore the stirring in her chest that she felt at this. It was just like earlier. Her heart somehow felt full.
"Mom!" Henry whined as he reached up to straighten his unruly hair. Regina just shook her head.
"I think I'm going to call it a night, too," Regina said softly as she stood up. "You two crazy kids have fun. Don't stay up too late."
"We won't, Mom," Henry assured her. Regina walked around the fire to give Henry a hug goodnight.
"Don't get eaten by wolves," Regina breathed in both of their ears. She felt a slight amount of pride at the sudden shiver this earner her from Emma. She cackled evilly as she walked towards her cabin.
Hours later, when she woke up to a howling wind, and a loud clap of thunder, Regina jolted up into a seated position on her bed. There was a thin sheen of sweat on her skin, from the warm humid air in her cabin. Regina's eyes darted around the darkness, and her stomach suddenly fell. Emma and Henry were out there, in the storm. Regina threw back her covers, and pushed herself to the edge of the bed. Her feet had just touched the floor when the cabin door was thrown open, and Henry rushed inside. He was soaking wet, and shivering. Drops of water dripped off of his eyelashes, and his hair was matted and stuck to his forehead.
"Henry," Regina gasped as she wrapped her arms around him. "Are you okay? Where's Emma?"
"Securing the tarp," Henry breathed as he moved Regina's suitcase to the floor, and settled down on the other bed. "She said she'll be right in."
One minute ticked by, then another, and another. Regina jumped every time a loud clap of thunder shook the cabin. Her anxiety, and concern for Emma continued growing with each passing minute. She could hear the torrent of rain pouring down outside. Emma must be soaked. Hell, everything in their tent was likely going to take days to dry out, after this.
When Regina could take it no longer, she pushed open the cabin door and stepped outside. She blinked rapidly at the blinding flashes of light, as the peak of the storm settled upon them. Lightning danced across the sky in jagged bolts. Regina felt a pang of fear at the knowledge that Emma was outside. The blonde could get struck by lightning.
"Emma!" Regina screamed. Through another flash of light, she saw movement down by the edge of the water. Emma was wrestling with the tarp, trying to keep the wind from ripping it away completely. Regina let out a gasp, as Emma was wrenched from her feet, tumbling to the ground. Before she could stop herself, she was running for the blonde. "Emma, just leave it!" Regina could barely hear herself over the storm.
Regina rushed forwards and grabbed Emma by the arm, pulling her to her feet and urging her towards the cabin. The blonde met her eyes and nodded, with a look of defeat on her face. Together they ran back to the cabin. By the time they made it through the cabin door, Regina was drenched. But not even she looked quite as waterlogged as Emma. Regina flipped on the lantern, and looked up into Emma's eyes.
"You're hurt," Regina said softly as she reached up to Emma's face. There was a sizable cut on Emma's forehead, from where she'd struck her head in the fall.
"I'm all right," Emma sighed, as she pulled back.
"Nonsense," Regina said as she knelt down in front of her suitcase. "I know I have a first aid kit in here somewhere." Regina rifled through her things. Finally she pulled out a small red case, and unzipped it. "Sit down on the bed," Regina commanded. Emma sighed and dropped down onto the mattress. Regina sat down next to her and turned towards her. With a cloth she wiped away the moisture from the blonde's forehead, and prodded around the wound with her fingertips. This earned her a sharp intake of breath from the blonde.
"Well, the good news is it's not deep," Regina informed her. "I don't think you need any stitches. But I will need to clean it up a bit, before putting a bandage on it." Emma nodded her acceptance. Regina looked down, pulling out the small bottle of antiseptic. When she looked back up, she felt her breath hitch in her throat, as she met Emma's eyes.
Like Henry, Emma had small beads of water suspended in her lashes. Several errant drops of water trailed from Emma's hairline and down past her temples, weaving a sort of sinuous line, as they moved. The blonde looked undeniably beautiful like this.
"This might hurt a little," Regina warned, as she lifted the peroxide stained Q-tip and began meticulously cleaning the cut. The only sign that it hurt or caused Emma any pain, was the way that Emma's jaw clenched a little bit, as Regina cleaned out the cut.
When she was finished, Regina placed a bandage over the wound, and pressed it down around the edges in an airtight seal. Emma swallowed thickly, and then spoke in a near whisper. "Thank you."
"You're quite welcome, Emma," Regina said with a warm smile.
"Henry was really lucky, you know," Emma said just as softly as before. "I don't care what anyone else thinks. You're good at taking care of other people. You're a good person, Regina." Regina felt tears spring to her eyes at the sincerity in Emma's words. "We should get some sleep," Emma spoke a moment later, as a heavy silence hung between them. "I'll…umm…I'll take the floor," Emma whispered as she stood up.
"Emma," Regina reached out to wrap around the blonde's wrist. "You don't have to do that."
"It's okay," Emma said as she aimed a smile at Regina. "I don't want to get mud all over your blankets."
Regina nodded, settling back into bed, as Emma lowered herself onto the floor. Regina let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding, after Emma turned off the lantern, plunging the small cabin into darkness.
The next time Regina's eyes blinked open, it was to complete quiet. The storm had passed. She rolled onto her back, and let out a soft sigh. She couldn't help but wonder what had woken her. But when she turned her head to look at Henry through the darkness, she noticed that something was missing. Or rather, someone was missing. Regina's brow furrowed as, she pushed back the covers and pushed herself up into a seated position. She quickly pushed herself up out of bed, and slipped on her shoes, before pushing her way out of the cabin.
She stepped outside into the moonlight, her eyes searching for the blonde. She gasped softly as her eyes found the blonde, moving down by the water. Regina began walking towards her, but froze. Regina felt her heart begin to pound as the blonde started peeling off her shirt. She could see the muscles in Emma's back flex as the blonde lifted the fabric up and over her head, before she tossed it away carelessly. The blonde's back was to her, but Regina could guess as to what was happening. She could see the distinctive shimmer as the moonlight reflected off of Emma's pale skin. Regina gasped, as the blonde pushed the denim fabric lower on her hips, and began to shimmy out of them. Even from this distance, Emma was stunning. Regina gulped audibly. She watched as Emma stepped out of her pants and walked to the edge of the water. She walked forwards. Regina watched as the water, climbed slowly up Emma's body, first just to her ankles, but then to her knees, thighs, waist, and chest. Regina felt her feet compel her forward, towards the edge of the water.
She could hear the quiet splashes as Emma began to bathe herself, washing the mud from her hair and body. Regina watched Emma's ministrations, seemingly transfixed.
"Emma?" Regina hated the way her voice shook as she stepped up to the edge of the water.
"Jesus!" Emma gasped, her whole body tensing as her eyes flew towards Regina. "God, Regina! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
"You weren't in bed, so I wanted to make sure everything was okay," Regina answered. "What are you doing?" she questioned.
Emma laughed. "I…I…uh thought that part would be obvious."
"Tell me," Regina said breathed softly, "Do you always make a habit of going for midnight swims?"
"Not really," Emma replied honestly. "But haven't you ever wanted to do something just a little forbidden. The chances of you getting caught always make it just a little more fun and exciting."
"I see," Regina muttered, her lips pressing together in a thin line.
"You could always join me, you know," Emma smiled.
"Don't be ridiculous," Regina scoffed, "I would never…"
"Oh, come on," Emma dared, "Live a little."
"No," Regina huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I will not. You have a good swim, Miss Swan. I'm going back to bed." Regina turned and started walking back to the cabin, but Emma's insufferable voice chased after her.
"Chicken," Emma's teasing voice had the brunette whirling around with a fire in her eyes.
"What did you just call me?" Regina hissed.
"I called you a Chicken," Emma said loudly this time.
"I resent that!" Regina said angrily. "I am not a chicken."
"Then get in the water and prove it," Emma challenged. "If it's your modesty that you feel is in danger, I promise that I'll look away."
"You had better," Regina threatened, "Or I will gouge out your eyes with my bare fingers."
"Geez," Emma laughed, "You paint quite the picture as always, Regina."
Emma did as she promised, turning her back to the brunette, as Regina methodically stripped. By the time she was down to her underwear, Regina was rethinking this whole thing. A shiver rocketed up her spine as she felt the cool breeze on her bare skin. Slowly, Regina walked forwards, dipping her toes into the water. She instantly recoiled, gasping.
"Emma! You neglected to tell me that the water was freezing!" Regina said as she tried to ease herself into the chilly water.
"You get used to it," Emma said, keeping her back to Regina, as the brunette waded deeper and deeper into the water. By the time it was up to her shoulders, Regina was finally getting used to the water's temperature. "I have to say," Emma confessed as she turned around to face Regina. "I never expected you would actually do it."
"I have never been one to back down from a challenge. You should know that better than anyone," Regina said, through chattering teeth. Her breath misted in the night air. Regina felt her breath quicken as Emma moved towards her. "So," Regina breathed shallowly, "Why did you come out here in the middle of the night?"
"Couldn't sleep," Emma shrugged.
"Was it because I made you sleep on the floor?" Regina asked.
Emma just shook her head. "No," Emma said honestly. "I really don't think that had nothing to do with it. As you suggested before, I have substantial experience with sleeping on the floor. Hell, I don't think I even had a bed of my own until I hit my teenage years."
"Emma, I don't even know what to say," Regina said sincerely. "I'm so sorry."
"It's okay," Emma said calmly. "I didn't tell you to get pity. I was just answering your question." Emma took a breath. "So…what do you think?" Emma asked. "Don't you feel just a little bit more alive than you did before?"
"Well, I don't know if I would say that…but you were right about one thing. It does feel a little exhilarating," Regina confessed.
"Yeah?" Emma's eyes twinkled, "You want to know what else feels exhilarating?"
"No," Regina shook her head. "What?"
Regina gasped as Emma reached up, her palm grazing Regina's cheek. The blonde was so close to her now, certainly within arms reach. Regina felt Emma's thumb slide over the shell of her ear as the blonde stepped even closer.
"Emma," Regina spoke within a shuddering breath. "What are you doing?"
"I think you know that answer to that already," Emma said knowingly.
"I…I'm not sure this is a good idea," Regina said as calmly as she could manage. However, her voice still shook.
"Do you want me to kiss you?" Emma asked softly, her eyes meeting Regina's.
"Yes," Regina replied honestly, "But that doesn't mean that it's a…" Regina moaned as Emma's mouth suddenly swallowed the rest of her words. The gentle pressure of the blonde's lips against her own was unlike anything Regina had ever experienced before. Emma's lips were perfectly soft, and just pliant enough against her own. Before Regina could stop herself, she was closing the rest of the distance between their bodies, her hands sliding over Emma's bare skin under the water. Emma moaned loudly into the kiss, as Regina pressed her hands to Emma's chest, squeezing and kneading the flesh there. Regina pulled back; breathing the same air as Emma for a heartbeat, before diving right back in. She knew she should stop before going any further, but she couldn't bring herself to deny something she'd wanted for so long, especially because it felt so right. Regina opened her mouth, moaning as Emma's tongue pressed into her mouth.
Emma wove her fingers in Regina's hair as she kissed the brunette with everything she had. She felt an undeniable heat building in her stomach as Regina's hands moved down to her hips, pulling her even closer.
"Do you want me to stop?" Regina asked breathlessly.
"No," Emma moaned as one of Regina's hands gravitated to between Emma's thighs.
In minutes, Regina had stroked Emma through an intense orgasm, and Emma had returned the favor.
When Regina came back to her body, after experiencing one of the most intense orgasms of her life, she couldn't help but feel as if the stars were finally aligning. Daniel had once told her to love again, and for the longest time, Regina had thought that she would never be able to. But somehow, over the last few years, Emma and Henry had pieced back the pieced of her heart and made her whole again. They had healed some of the scars on her heart. And Regina would like to think that she had done the same for Emma.
Regina let out a ragged breath as she pressed her forehead to the warm skin of Emma's neck.
"You okay?" Emma asked softly. Regina nodded softly. "Look," Emma said tentatively, "I know that I don't regret what happened, but if you do, I won't hold it against you. We can just…" Regina pulled back to look in Emma's eyes.
"I will never regret what just happened," Regina said sincerely. "Never, Emma. You… You have no idea how long I've waited for what I've found with you and Henry."
"Good," Emma smiled, her gaze full of adoration, "Me too."
"Come on," Emma said as she started pulling Regina towards the shore. "It's almost morning. We should sleep for at least a few hours, before we have to get up again." Regina nodded.
In another several minutes they were tucked under the covers on Regina's bed with Regina's back pressed to Emma's front. It was a tight fit, but there was no way that Regina was going to let the blonde sleep on the floor. In fact, if she had any say in the matter, she would make sure that Emma Swan never had to sleep on the floor again.
"Goodnight, Regina," Emma breathed in Regina's ear. Regina tugged Emma's arm tighter around her, and murmured a similar wish.
"Goodnight, dear," Regina said, as she closed her eyes. Regina fell into sleep with a smile on her face.
A/N: So that's it! I hope you guys liked it! Please review and give me some feedback! I will be posting some more stuff for SQweek, during the week, and will try to update my other stories too. Thanks for reading!