Author's Note: I don't really know where I stand on Swan Queen...but I've been dared to do this, so I'm trying my hand at it :) I don't think this story warrants 'M' right now, so I've labeled it as 'T'. If you can't handle some language and kissing, then don't read on.
Knock, knock, knock!
What the hell did she think she was doing? Everything that she'd done so far had been to avoid a situation like this, and what she was about to do was going to go against her better judgment. Hell, sirens were blaring inside her head. Red alert! Red alert! Emma, you're about to go into the belly of the beast! She'd probably have more luck dealing with Gold than doing this.
But she'd already knocked.
And Regina's dark silhouette was coming to answer the door.
She was screwed.
"Be civil," she reminded herself just before the lock unclicked and the door swung open.
Regina stood inside, allowing her dark eyes to trail up from Emma's high boots to her red-leather jacket. "Miss Swan..." she purred delightedly. A true smile slowly spread across her features and she inhaled deeply. She was dressed in her normal black dress, which fit her figure snuggly and enunciated the curves and swing of her hips. High heels clicked as she took a step back to let Emma past. "Come in."
"Er...thanks, Regina," Emma breathed, ambling over the threshold and wishing she'd brought her holster with her gun. "Is Henry joining us?"
Regina spun gracefully away, waving for Emma to follow. "Henry has an appointment with Doctor Hopper. It will only be the two of us dining tonight." Something devious sparkled in Regina's eyes and Emma felt knots tighten in her stomach.
"Oh," she managed, placing her hands on her hips. She tailed Regina into the kitchen and sucked in a surprised breath. Her green eyes traveled over the kitchen's marble island, looking over the various dishes Regina had prepared. "Wow...you went all out. Is that a homemade cake?" She eyeballed the chocolate cake layered with chocolate syrup and whip cream, which sat on the far end of the top.
"It is...and it won't be taken out into the dining room until we have dessert," Regina said, flicking off a bit of the whip cream and slipping her finger into her mouth. She licked for longer than was necessary, making Emma look away. "Miss Swan, have I ever told you that I make one hell of a lasagna?"
"Um...no, you haven't," Emma supplied, honing in on the covered lasagna set on the stove. She watched as Regina ran a slender finger on the edge of the glass container.
Regina smirked and raised an eyebrow. "It's considered the best in town."
"Shall we dive in, then?" Emma joked, trying to sound enthusiastic. She wished she could be anywhere but here. Why on earth had she accepted that invitation to dinner? Without Henry to mediate, it could possibly turn into a blood bath. Or worse...
"Oh, I think we shall. Miss Swan, could you please carry the salad? The table has already been set, so we won't need to carry silverware." Regina lifted the lasagna and went into the dining room, leaving Emma to grab the salad. She pulled it gracefully from its perch and shifted to see Regina glancing at her.
"Am I forgetting something?"
"No. Not at all," Regina reassured her, smiling again. That look. Spiders seemed to crawl up Emma's skin, causing her to shiver. "Are you cold, Miss Swan?"
Clearing her throat, Emma set down the salad a little harder than she meant to. "No—it's actually a bit stifling in here, sorry." She soaked in the interior of the dining room: all white, pristine, and dark wood. The chandelier overhead cast a welcoming glow on the table.
"Then should you take off your jacket?" Regina questioned, voice—wait did she sound hopeful?—low. She gestured to Emma's trademark leather.
"I guess that might help," Emma allowed, shrugging her leather jacket off and nearly flying into a karate position when Regina took it from her and draped it over the back of a chair. "That's...better..." Regina exited the room to retrieve the buttered rolls before returning and adding the basket to the food present on the table.
They took their seats. "Please...dig in."
Slowly, Emma grabbed a roll and tugged the bowl of salad toward her plate. "So...how are things with Henry?" She hadn't been able to talk with the kid for a week. Regina had had him holed up so that he couldn't skip school or sneak out.
"Well..." Regina served herself a generous slice of lasagna before placing a warm, delicious slab of it on Emma's. It felt so awkward having her sit so near. "It is always hard for a child to deal with the fact that he has two mothers." Her tone lowered, and she absently twirled her glass of wine in her grasp, eyeing Emma.
Emma cleared her throat, having trouble swallowing her small bit of lasagna under Regina's intense scrutiny. "I can imagine..."
"How are you enjoying the lasagna?"
"It's very good, thanks." Emma even showed her by plopping another piece into her mouth and chewing appreciatively. She didn't see Regina's eyes linger on her lips. "It really is the best lasagna I've ever tasted." It was true. The explosion of taste on her tongue was outstanding. Hell, if she could have this every day, she'd be very happy. It had her longing to try a bite of that chocolate cake.
"I'm glad you like it."
They ate in companionable silence for several minutes before the quiet became excruciatingly painful. "Regina, why did you invite me to dinner?" Emma dropped the bomb. They'd finished with the lasagna and the salad and now Emma was nibbling on a roll.
Regina folded her hands together on top of the dinner table. She leaned forward, smiling once more. Her curtains of ebony hair cast part of her face in shadow.
"I wanted to have a friendly chat with you, Miss Swan. Is that not reason enough?"
Oh God...the way her voice grumbled in that soft, seductive tone.
Despite her efforts, Emma colored and attempted to hide some of her face behind the roll. Damn. The tightening of the coils started up again. Warmth flooded her system, causing her to grow red in the face.
"Something troubling you, Miss Swan?"
Emma shook her head, exhaling slowly. She should not have come here. "I think I should be goin—" she started, but she was cut off when Regina stood abruptly from her seat and announced:
"I think it's time for that cake." Her high heels clicked on the polish wooden floors, and Emma had to hold back from sucking in the scent of Regina's perfume as she whisked past. It was overwhelming being in the same room with her...alone...utterly alone...
Oh God, she had to go.
There was a loud scrape of wood on wood as Emma drew back in her chair and reached for her leather jacket. She practically tripped in her speed to stand out of her seat. But before she could move, Regina was back, carrying the chocolate syrup cake, topped with whip cream and a cherry. "What's the rush, Miss Swan?" Her eyes narrowed calculatingly as she eyed the blonde.
"I just got a text from the station saying that Leroy's drunk and traipsing down Main Street singing profanity," Emma lied instinctively. Damn. Jesus! Had she really just said that? She'd never been a good liar. Her words echoed in her ears, making her want to bang her head against the wall. Worst. Excuse. Ever.
"Ah...I see... Well, can you at least stay for dessert? I am sure Leroy can wait."
"Uah..." At Regina's disappointed expression, Emma rethought it through. "Okay, just one slice."
She watched dazedly as her host cut her a slice of the rich cake and handed her a small plate. Emma took a tentative bite and grinned in spite of herself. The cake was wonderful! It even had a pinch of cinnamon in it! Chocolate and cinnamon combined? It was like Regina knew her favorite sweet-tastes.
"How does it taste?"
Warm breath tickled her earlobe. Emma froze.
Regina was leaning very close, her face almost side-by-side with her own. This was way out of Emma's comfort zone. "Very good..." Emma murmured, keening quietly when she felt Regina's lips press behind her left ear. Oh God, Oh God. Her ultimate, secret, dark fantasy was coming true.
"Very good?" Regina mimicked her, purring. Another kiss followed that...with tongue this time, leaving Emma's neck slightly slick. "Tell me...what pleases you, Miss Swan..." Her voice was as soft as honey. Slender hands stroked their way up Emma's fit shoulders before tangling themselves in Emma's golden tresses and gently urging Emma's head back.
"You..." Emma gulped. "You do..." There, she'd said it. How could she not be infatuated with the woman? She brought a whole other level to 'sexiness'. God, Regina was the epitome of sexiness.
Warm, luscious lips trailed her cheek as Regina continued to coax her head back, exposing her neck. "Tell me your darkest desires... Emma..." Hearing her name fall from Regina's lips sent Emma over the precipice.
The chair went flying backwards and suddenly, Regina was pressing her into the nearest wall. Their lips crashed together, hungrily seeking each other out. Tongues battled for dominance. Emma's hands ran up Regina's back, making soothing motions. "Regina," she moaned, trying to find dominance in the situation. She whirled, pinning her lover to the wall.
Hot. Emma was hot.
They were heating up.
Everything was going steady until Regina's palms pushed hard against Emma, slamming her back onto the table. Emma landed in the cake, aware that the lasagna had fallen off the table. Rolls were spinning away on the wooden floors. The salad was toppled, sending green leaves scattering across the table.
With a growl of pleasure, Regina anchored Emma to the table, claiming dominance. Her tongue ran down the chocolate syrup that had splashed the startled blonde's cheek. Emma shuddered in happiness, turning her head to meet her and taste the chocolate on Regina's tongue—
—the sound of the front door opening and closing caused them to pause.
"Henry," Regina gasped against Emma's lips; the parting of their lips created a wet sound.
"Damn," Emma hissed, springing from the table and trying desperately to wipe her mouth of the syrup. Her clothes were ruined.
"Mom?" Henry's innocent voice reverberated through the house. "Mom?"
"In here, honey!" Regina answered, throwing Emma a napkin while applying one to her face. How the hell they were going to explain the mess to Henry, Emma had no clue. Icing was all over her, but her leather jacket had survived. She pulled that on just in time to see Henry walk around the corner and into the kitchen.
"Emma? What are you doing here?" Henry asked, his eyebrows knitting together. He approached them and saw the state of the room. "Wow...what happened in here?"
"I tripped into the table," Emma lied, wanting to bang her head on the floor this time. Tripped? Seriously? Even Regina shot her a look.
But Henry didn't notice. He seemed to see nothing wrong with Emma's explanation. "Ha! You landed in the cake!" he chortled.
"I'll...just be going," Emma muttered.
"Goodbye, Miss Swan." It sounded simple and friendly, but Emma read the undertone underneath it. If they hadn't been interrupted...who knows what would have happened?
She avoided Regina's adamant gaze as she literally pelted out of the room, house, and finally into the night's soft warmth.
Yet, Emma didn't move once outside. "What just happened?" she wondered aloud, breathing heavily against the front door of Regina's mansion.
That was how it all started.
Thoughts, opinions, words? I've honestly never done a Swan Queen story yet, so I really am curious as to what you guys think.