Never Let Me Go
Rumpelstiltskin knew that what he felt for Regina was dangerous. It blurred the lines between genuine affection and undeniable desire; and the most damnable thing was that it had only taken a mere touch.
Even now, he could imagine the soft feel of her skin under his fingertips. Though he had been careful to not linger too long, a few moments had been all that was needed for him to fall completely under her spell.
As such, it left the goblin in a constantly precarious position. With Regina now under his tutelage, it meant that she was continually nearby, and the slightest gesture could be enough to transfix him if he wasn't careful.
Additionally, he found it incredibly difficult to resist the urge to reach out for her. Sometimes, he simply couldn't fight it, and his hand would find its way to hers.
It was a slight hiccup in his carefully laid out plan: actually caring for her; but he was determined to push those emotions aside in order to see it through. He had come much too far, and had too much at stake, to back down now.
That was why, even though it killed him inside to do it, he had to destroy the last of her hope. He needed her to be his monster: no matter what that took.
Sending Regina away and pretending that she meant nothing to him was akin to torture, and the weeks that passed while she spent her time in the company of that rake Jefferson and his friend, Doctor Frankenstein, were assuredly the loneliest Rumpelstiltskin had occupied since he had lost his son.
He tried not to dwell on it. He knew eventually she would return to him, after this nonsense about bringing her true love back from the dead failed. And he convinced himself, over and over again, that jealousy had not played a part in his actions (though arguably, it had.)
When she finally came back, it was a mixture of relief and delight that filled him upon seeing her, even though he immediately slipped into a mask of nonchalance.
Of course, it didn't help matters that she was a vision: draped entirely in black leather and silk, her lips a deep, crimson red and her eyes lined with black charcoal. It took all of his willpower not to grab her right then and there.
Regina glided right past the insipid young thing that was trying to master one of his simpler tricks. "Who's this?" she didn't even gesture at the other woman, just looked him straight in the eyes as she came tantalizingly close.
Someone I have no intention of letting stick around. He smirked, before answering her properly: "Your replacement, of course. I needed someone more dedicated."
"Dedicated?" she arched an eyebrow, and then, without a word, turned on her heel and ripped the unfortunate girl's heart right out of her chest.
Oh but that should not be the turn on that it is… he watched with unrepressed glee as his Queen crushed the heart into dust.
Regina grinned at seeing the pride on his features as she let the final pieces crumble, scattering them into the wind before speaking. "Now…where were we?"
He eyed her up and down, a grin that matched hers crossing his striking features, and then gave his answer by bridging the space that remained between them and claiming her mouth with his.
She gasped against his lips when he dragged her flush against him, his hands settling on her hips as their tongues met and dueled for dominance.
She tangled her fingers into the surprisingly silky strands of his hair, gripping tightly as the embrace deepened and his hands began to wander avidly over her form.
Reluctantly, he pulled back for air, his lips brushing against her ear as he murmured. "I've wanted to do that for a while now."
Regina moaned quietly when his mouth began to traverse the column of her neck. "Is that so?"
He chuckled against her skin, prompting a pleased shudder out of the woman in his grasp, and began to focus his attention on getting her out of those admittedly gorgeous clothes. "You've proved quite a temptation at times, yes..."
She hissed when he suddenly licked at her clavicle, his clever fingers deftly undoing the belt and buttons to her coat so he could slide it off her shoulders, leaving her in a black lace bustier underneath.
Regina retaliated by shoving insistently at his jacket, causing Rumpelstiltskin to pull away momentarily in order to tug his arms free, and then his mouth was upon hers again, ceasing all further conversation.
Clothing rapidly made its way to the forest floor, and then the couple crashed back against the ground, naked limbs already entangled.
A startled whimper escaped the sorceress when the goblin's fingers trailed along her ribs, his touch light and feathery against her skin, while his mouth travelled down: over her neck, and then her shoulder, before finally gaining purchase on her breast.
She cried out as nearly unbearable heat flooded her system, her fingers gripping painfully at his hair in order to keep him close as he paid special attention to one, and then the other.
The goblin smirked at her reaction, releasing his hold on her in order to continue his trek down, biting and teasing at her flesh as he went.
She all but lost it when he delved lower, and then she was completely at his mercy until he sent her over the edge.
There was an incredibly satisfied smirk on Rumpelstiltskin's face when he moved so that he could stare down at her as she attempted to recover, admiring the wanton image she made.
Regina, panting harshly and still trembling from the effect he'd had over her, attempted to glare at him, but there was an equally pleased smile tugging at her lips, so instead she settled for simply existing as he leaned on an elbow and let her calm down.
With her dark hair feathering out in a dark halo around her head, her skin flushed and gleaming with moisture, and her lips swollen from his kisses, she had never looked lovelier, and he reached out to tenderly trace over her face.
The gentle action made her still, her eyes locking with his, and her breath caught in her throat at seeing just how deep the affection was in those dark depths.
She slid one long leg against his, hooking it over his waist and then shifting her weight, knocking the breath out of her lover when she managed to pin him under her.
He stared up at her, admiration apparent in his gaze. "Impressive."
Regina just grinned and dipped her head towards his. "I'm a quick learner, what can I say?"
He just chuckled and drew her closer as they kissed with building passion.
Now it was his turn to be driven crazy as his apprentice explored every inch of his form.
She quickly became fascinated by the nature of his skin. When they had first met, she assumed that he was covered in some type of scales, but in actuality, his entire body was dusted with gold. His flesh was warm and surprisingly soft to the touch, though there was a unique texture to it, and now that he wasn't covered in layers of silk and leather, she was pleasantly surprised by how lithe and leanly muscled he was.
She delighted in the sounds he made when she discovered more sensitive areas, determined to cover every inch of his skin in kisses.
No woman, not even his wife, had expressed such devotion before, and before long, she made him spiral out of control.
"Gods above, Regina…" he muttered, his chest heaving as she settled against him and brushed errant strands of hair away from his eyes. "Where did you even learn that?"
"What? You think that just because a woman is inexperienced that she doesn't do a bit of research?" She smirked and pressed a sweet kiss to the middle of his chest.
He blinked at her answer and then pushed her back into a sitting position, placing both hands on her arms and gazing at her seriously. "How inexperienced are we talking?"
Regina flushed a bit. "Well…I've never…Leopold let certain technicalities slide because he doesn't want any more children."
Rumpelstiltskin drew in a shaky breath. "Then you're still a virgin?"
She bit at her lower lip, looking adorably innocent despite her nudity.
He exhaled and then tucked a loose lock of her hair behind her ear. "It's a good thing you told me."
She nodded, carefully meeting his eyes, hoping that her revelation hadn't changed things.
To her relief, he smiled, and when he leaned in to kiss her again, it was soft and sweet, unlike their previous embraces.
Slowly, he bore her back against the leaves that covered the ground, the kiss gradually deepening as he ran his hands languidly over her skin.
He was determined now to make this experience as special as he could. The knowledge that he would be her first sent a thrill up his spine, but he was cautious of getting carried away. After all, he had taken so much from her: it was time to give something back.
She truly felt like a Queen in his arms as he worshipped her skin with touch, those nimble fingers sweeping over the curve of her hip and drawing her further against him.
She returned his kiss eagerly, her fingers curling into the waves of his hair, pulling him close so that every inch of them was touching.
He tugged back to meet her eyes, directing a silent question at her, to which she nodded and arched her body in invitation.
He was exceptionally gentle when he joined with her, giving her plenty of time to adjust to the new sensation of being one with him.
Experimentally, she shifted, bringing her lips to his, which encouraged the motion of their entwined bodies.
It wasn't long before they found a steady rhythm, Regina meeting his movements with ones of her own, the pair unable to stop kissing or touching as they found bliss together.
Their motions lost grace as an insatiable need took over, exchanging bites and scratches as easily as kisses, and then, finally: they fell, complete.
It was a while before Regina's heart stopped thundering against her ribcage, and, due to her position with her head resting against Rumpelstiltskin's chest, she knew that he was in the same state.
Smiling, she curled further against him, nuzzling lazily at his neck, before tilting her chin up to look at him.
She had to bite back a laugh: there were leaves sticking to his skin and tangled in his hair, and she was quite certain she looked just as disheveled. "Not that I'm complaining, but…what exactly brought all this on?"
He locked gazes with her, and saw the amusement in her dark brown eyes, which made him chuckle softly. "Consider it a celebration of taking the next step in your training."
"Oh, is that all?" she stretched, cat-like, against him, crawling further on top of his body. "There was no other reason?"
He gave her a tender look and cupped her chin. "I'll let you figure that out on your own, if you don't mind."
Regina smiled warmly. "I've always loved a challenge."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"You should."
His response to that was to press his lips to hers, and as they sank back together once more, he knew that there was no way he was letting her go.
Luckily for Rumpelstiltskin, Regina didn't want it any other way.
The End