July 12: Bed Sharing
"Your Arms Are my Castle, Your Heart is my Sky"
A/N: one of those quaint little "5 times" fics. Thank you space_dementia55 for editing and offering suggestions, as well my wonderful SQ fanfiction facebook group who helped me determination the bed locations!
'Cause every time we touch, I get this feeling…'
…
The first time Regina had to share a bed with Emma was on their journey home from Neverland. The additional passengers comprised of the Lost Boys took up all the cabins and crevices aboard the Jolly Roger, and Regina wanted Henry to have his own bunk.
Feelings of overwhelming relief and reuniting with her son left Regina feeling positively euphoric. She was exhausted and drained from the ordeal, and believed she could rest easily no matter where she slept aboard the ship.
Emma had noticed her quietly sitting near the ladder that led down to Henry. She quirked her lip into a half smile and motioned with her head for Regina to come along. Emma's bed was narrow for one woman, let alone both of them to sleep on. Regina reasoned that it was better than being above deck where it was noisy.
As she had done each night of their long trip, Regina removed her blazer and blouse, and used a magic spell to freshen up. It wasn't as satisfying as her home nighttime routine which centered on a hot shower, but the end result was the same: she was clean.
"So that's how you always smell so good," Emma mused upon seeing the wisps of violet colored magic encompass her and scrub away the grime and clinging itch of the jungle. "Do you um…mind doing me too?"
Regina sighed in faux exasperation to mask the smile that threatened to betray her steely exterior. Emma's timid question was too cute.
She flicked her wrists and the spell encompassed Emma, "only because I'm going to be sleeping next to you."
The spell finished with a smile, and Regina watched the other woman enjoy the effects. She ran her tongue over her top teeth, "Wow, minty fresh!"
Regina smiled then and chalked the warm feeling in her heart up to knowing that her son was finally safe. Emma yawned then, and pulled back the thin cover on the bed. She wedged herself on her side against the wall and held the blanket up for Regina slide under.
She turned onto her side and faced away from Emma in the dark, quiet room, and tried to settle in.
That's when Regina knew this was a horrible mistake. Her butt was pushed up against Emma's hips, and she could feel her soft pillowy breasts pressed against her back with nothing but the thin layer of grey cotton and black silk separating skin from skin.
The residual magic wafted over and through both of their bodies. Emma slid her arm over the swell of Regina's hip due to the limited space, and her other arm stretched beneath Regina's waist and wrapped around her making her feel snug and safe.
Emma spoke into her ear; hot breath puffing out over the sensitive outer shell of it, "Sorry. Is this okay? The bed is really small."
Regina squeezed her eyes closed in attempt to calm the wild beat of her heart and quench the sparking static tingle in all the spots on her body where Emma touched.
"That's obvious; it's fine. I'm sure we're both in need of rest and will hardly notice the inconvenience."
Emma tensed for a moment, and Regina gritted her teeth realizing a moment too late that the blonde could tell she was lying.
"You know, I've never really slept-slept with anyone before."
A shudder ran through Regina's body, and she felt the boat pitch and roll lightly on the water. She stayed silent, hoping Emma wouldn't notice her strange discomfort.
"I mean…really the last person was Neal," Emma continued sleepily, and casually swept Regina's hair to the side. The touch was a sublime caress and her lips were close to the nape of Regina's neck.
"What are you saying?" Regina cringed as breathing rate seemed to speed up despite her best efforts at maintaining a steady in and out. She squirmed in Emma's embrace, fighting the want she felt. She hated that it was so incredibly easy to settle in against the solid body behind her.
"Nothing," Emma answered quickly. "I'm just warning you in case I snore, or kick in my sleep."
Regina licked her lips and turned her neck just a little; she wanted to see Emma's face. "I haven't really slept with anyone either. Not for a very long time…"
"Oh," Emma breathed out and then yawned, the expansion and sudden contraction of her chest felt like the ocean tide pulling Regina in closer.
"Well, just smack me if I bother you somehow."
"That won't be a problem."
They stopped talking altogether after that, but Regina stayed awake, privately reveling in the contentment and comfort of being held so intimately and securely by her personal savior.
….
The second time they shared a bed was an impromptu occurrence much later. Things had been rocky, curses and villains alike ran rampant over Storybrooke, but eventually things thawed out and life settled into a new sense of normalcy.
Regina had privately enjoyed cuddling with the Savior on the return trip from Neverland, but understood that it was a one-time thing borne of necessity and a particular vulnerability that the two women had shared during that time.
Sometimes she'd think about that night, when she laid alone in her cold bed. She'd try to sense the magic and the warmth. Sometimes it helped her get to sleep. She tried to downplay the specialness of the moment was due to her particular bed partner, and hoped that her increased longing for a happy ending/relationship was simply because she was alone and received a bit of affection from Emma that she had not previously known.
It was a sunny afternoon, when the chance to share a bed with Emma arose again. Regina sat on a patio chair, her attention focused on peeling an apple. The red skin dangled from the white flesh in an unbroken ribbon. Emma was busy installing a hammock between two trees in Regina's backyard.
"I really don't want this back here. It's an eyesore," Regina commented without looking up from her snack.
"Yeah? Henry wants it and you didn't say 'no' so it's too late now," Emma tied one end of the woven hammock to the first tree and dragged it to the second, measuring out how much rope she'd need to get it to stretch.
"Doesn't your boyfriend have any other skills? Foisting poorly made hammocks on the town is hardly a way to make a living," Regina lifted her head and watched Emma struggle with the knotted twine.
"He's good at tying knots, but he's not my boyfriend," Emma deadpanned with a shrug of her shoulders. "He tried to start a business to help people write their resumes, but he was shit at typing for obvious reasons."
"On account of the hook for a hand," Regina nodded, amused at the image of Hook attempting to type.
"Mainly because he's never seen a QWERTY keyboard at all, and in his advertisement in the Mirror, he spelled "write" with an "r" instead of a 'w'. Let's just say it didn't do wonders for his reputation in proofreading," Emma was breathing a bit harder, working to get the hammock tied on at the correct angle and level.
Regina took a bite of her apple and chewed quietly while continuing to watch Emma. "Are you quite finished yet?"
"Am I bothering you or something?" Emma wiped her hands on her jeans and then tentatively rolled back the tiny frayed hammock so she could test it out. "You don't have to supervise me, you know."
"Yes, I do," Regina countered immediately as she finished her apple. She uncrossed her legs and stood, pouring a cool glass of lemonade for Emma and walking across the yard to examine the hammock. Regina studied the frazzled looking structure with concern as she handed over the glass of liquid to Emma. "I have to make sure it's safe for Henry."
Emma gulped back the lemonade and pressed the cool glass to her forehead, and squinted up at Regina. "The weight limit is 300 pounds. I weigh about 120, so unless you weigh over 180 I think we're good."
She swung her legs over the edge of the hammock and lay down. Then she patted the tiny space next to her. "Come on we have to test it out, right?"
"Did you just call me fat, Sheriff?" Regina deflected from the mouthwatering fact that Emma was inviting her in to share the hammock. Her heart was already going crazy and screaming at her mind to give in and curl up for a much needed and well-deserved peaceful nap of bliss.
Emma chuckled and shook her head, "Regina, come on, this can hold me, you and Henry too. Just get in here for a minute."
At that, something seemed to change in Emma's eyes. Regina noticed and her breath caught in her chest, as her posture softened. She exhaled slowly, knowing she was powerless to refuse and might as well give in now instead of after an extended and pointless continuance of her little 'hard to get' routine. She still managed to roll her eyes as if it was a great inconvenience to take off her shoes, but Emma was smiling and ready.
The hammock's natural inclination was to roll up on itself, so Emma was holding it open with her arms and legs to let Regina crawl in. This meant that Regina had to crawl on top of Emma.
Neither woman pointed that out. As soon as Regina lifted her knee and pushed on the swinging side of the rope Emma almost toppled out, and they realized it was going to take a bit of balance to get them both tucked in.
"Don't put your knee on the side, put it between my legs and put your hands on my shoulders," Emma offered her suggestion, as Regina stepped off and stared at her. The mere suggestion of the position was starting to make her feel lightheaded. She tried again, and did as Emma asked. It wasn't the most graceful impression Regina had ever made, but as soon as she found herself swaying lightly in the hammock and straddling Emma she didn't care about how she looked at all.
Regina was tensed with fear and trepidation, part of her brain was worried that the hammock would collapse, and part of her was fearful of the feelings and memories that were bubbling up with her newfound proximity to Emma's soft breasts.
Emma was staring at Regina, she stroked her arm softly, "Relax, we're fine. You can…lay down right here?"
The end of her sentence quirked up into a high pitched question that Regina answered by slowly bending her arms and lowering herself so she was fully in line and fully on top of Emma. She sighed unwittingly as Emma adjusted their bodies easily, so that they fit together as smooth as puzzle pieces.
"Comfortable?" Emma asked as she placed her hands behind her head and lifted her neck to peer at Regina, with her face burrowed into Emma's side, and her legs tangled up with hers. Regina was in the midst of a rather large endorphin rush, she murmured a contented 'mmmhmm,' and closed her eyes, as she flung her arm over Emma's chest and took a deep even breath.
With the warm sun shining down and sensation of floating on the swaying hammock, Regina was in peaceful cloud of bliss. But it was the familiar sensation of wrapping herself around Emma that comprised the most fantastic part of her high. The sheer sense of relief she felt soaking in Emma's aura was overwhelming.
She had missed this more than she thought possible. She felt Emma stroke her hair in just the right way that made her scalp dance and tingle. Their breathing evened out together and they fell asleep. Regina enjoyed the most wondrous and most restful nap she'd had in ages.
They woke up as dusk was settling over Storybrooke, and the temperature had dropped slightly. "We should probably get up," Emma suggested, but made no attempt to move.
"Yes," Regina agreed as she shifted her body closer to Emma and greedily tightened her hold on the other woman.
…
The third time Regina found herself in bed with Emma was during a more stressful adventure.
It was an ill-fated and overly ambitious camping trip to the far reaches of the woods around Storybrooke. Emma had piled a kayak on the roof of her bug, along with two bikes on the back. With Regina and Emma up front,front and Henry crammed in the small back seat with all of their gear and food, the short trip felt extremely long.
"Remind me again why we decided to do this?" Regina asked in a whisper, after stealing a glance at Henry, who was steadfastly glued to his hand held video game.
"So Henry can enjoy the beauty of nature," Emma replied cheerily, and took a look in the rearview. Her smile fell as she saw Henry most assuredly not enjoying the scenery, but rather his Nintendo DS.
Regina just shrugged and refrained from further comment. Emma had shared a sad story about how she was supposed to go camping with one of her adoptive families, but fate intervened and she never had the opportunity.
It was fine if the trip to the woods was more for Emma's sake than for Henry's. He'd never been the outdoor type and was squeamish and frightened of bugs and birds, much to his grandmother's chagrin.
The yellow bug handled the cumbersome add-on vehicles just fine, and it was only when they started to unpack the car to set up that things went poorly. The 5 gallon water jug rolled out of the back when the trunk was opened and spilled all over Regina's sleeping bag and clothes.
They hung everything up to dry, but by nightfall when exhaustion was creeping in and the temperature was going down, the bag was still uninhabitable and dripping. Henry had his own one man tent, and child sized bag. Emma had set up another a few feet away for Regina and herself.
Emma frowned at the droplets raining off the bag, and then turned to look at Regina. "My sleeping bag is brand new," Emma cleared her throat and averted her gaze as she began to stammer with uncertainty. "I mean you've got to have a blanket of some sort, it's going to get cold out and…um, well, we could…if you want to, share mine or whatever."
"Yes!" Regina replied after waiting for Emma to stumble and draw out her suggestion. "I mean it's only logical. I have no wish to freeze tonight."
"Great!" Emma seemed to realize her smile was brighter than the sun, and looked like she was purposefully dampening her mood. "Yeah, it's going to be a tight fit for both of us, but that's the sacrifice we'll just have to make. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and deal. This is a matter of survival."
They caught each other's eyes in the moonlight and shared a private wordless moment until Henry interrupted.
"Moms, I'm going to bed. The battery on my DS is drained," Henry grumbled as he slipped into his tent. After Henry was asleep and good nights were uttered, Regina stoked their campfire and added a new log. The woods were silent and dark all around them.
"I brought some cider, if you'd care to join me for a glass around the camp fire?" Regina asked as she poured them each a plastic cup of the sweet amber liquid.
Emma accepted her glass and took a long drink. Regina followed suit and it wasn't long before she felt the familiar droop as her facial muscles relaxed with mild inebriation.
"Let me roast a marshmallow for you," Emma excitedly grabbed a stick and ripped open the bag of puffed white sugar. "I watched a YouTube video on how to roast it to a perfect golden brown…it'll be all melty on the inside."
Regina took another swallow of cider and laughed as the marshmallow on Emma's stick immediately caught fire and charred itself black before Emma had a chance to blow it out. Regina wanted to tell her that she was feeling quite melty inside herself, but she kept her mouth clamped shut as she wasn't so drunk that the edit button in her brain was malfunctioning, yet.
She was enjoying Emma's company and her well-meaning, but inexperienced, attempt at camping, but Regina could barely wait to get to bed with her. She stared into the fire and imagined how her whole body would buzz with energy yet feel completely at ease. It was like waiting for the food to arrive at a restaurant when she was over hungry. She needed to sink her teeth into Emma and get her fill.
She had no idea when this would happen again, or if it ever would and she promised herself she'd thoroughly enjoy the feeling. She planned to take her time and memorize it so she could pull it out like an often read book to fantasize about on the many night lonely nights when she craved another person's touch.
Five ruined marshmallows, four glasses of cider, and one dying fire later, the ladies decided to call it a night. Emma struggled with the zip on the tent and finally got the flaps open before diving in and sliding across the tarp floor.
Regina appeared after her, stepping in and sitting down to re-zip the tent. The air was still warm and humid, and her cheeks felt hot from the alcohol. Or so she told herself that was all it was, and not the fact that her whole body quivered with the very thought of spending another all too rare night cuddling with Emma.
The sleeping bag was the most confined space they'd shared yet, which was sure to mean they'd be wrapped around each other like bacon twirled around a hotdog and stuffed in a bun. Regina took off her blouse due to the heat, and certainly not because she wanted Emma's hands closer to her skin. Her camisole was so thin and flimsy, it was transparent. After kicking off her shoes, she stretched her arms over her head in fitful anticipation.
Emma spread out the sleeping bag and casually took off her jeans, leaving her in her standard issue tank top and panties, while Regina gaped at her in the pale cast of light from the lantern. "Oh, I'm afraid I'll get too hot…you don't mind, do you?"
"No, no…it's absolutely fine," Regina said, realizing her voice sounded strange like she was being overly polite.
"Heh, good thing I shaved my legs…I didn't want to be all scratchy for you."
Regina blinked, unable to understand. She furrowed her brow and her mind reeled to figure out what Emma meant. Had she assumed or premeditated that they would be sharing a bed again?
"Well, good…" Regina stated in a curt tone as Emma sucked in her top lip and held the sleeping bag for Regina to wriggle into. It was truly going to be an extremely tight fit for both women, and Emma had to slowly stick her legs in and then shimmy the rest of the way as her shirt raked up and against Regina and she found she was acutely aware of the special heat their skin seemed to produce when in naked contact.
Emma slithered around, they were both on their sides, but this time, unlike their Neverland bed coupling, they were face to face, breast to breast and hips to hips. There was no room to put their arms except around each other.
The smell of cider and fresh campfire with an underlying sweetness from Regina's mostly evaporated perfume was entrancing. The intimacy was startling, and with the brunette being in an already alcohol induced state of relaxation,relaxation; she found that certain feelings she usually didn't dwell on were coming to the front of her mind. For instance, Emma's legs brushing along Regina's knees were silky and her arms encircling Regina's waist made her feel wholly secure and wanted. Her eyes popped open at the thought, and Emma stirred immediately. She fluffed the pillow under Regina's head and whispered, "There…it's okay, just relax."
So Regina did, she let go of her worries. As each thought passed through her mind she acknowledged it and then let it go. Why did she want Emma in this way? Did Emma want her? What else could they do wrapped up in each other's arms besides hold one another in sleep? A rather sweaty and sexy vision popped into Regina's head.
This one was a bit harder to let go, and although the concept wasn't new to her, she'd never acknowledged the nearly maddening throb between her legs whenever they shared a bed. She simply willed the desire away and sometimes it even almost worked.
She sank deeper into Emma and they both cooed dreamily half asleep. Regina felt guilty imagining her fantasy. She couldn't get the idea of what it would feel like if Emma leaned forward a few inches and started kissing her. She imagined how gentle the first touches would be, and then her thoughts would shift and she'd feel a heat wave roll her over as the fantasy of Emma naked and pressing her down, lips latched onto Regina's neck with her hand and fingers working furiously to drive up her pleasure.
Sometimes Regina would dream of that situation, and always she'd wake up wet, grumpy, horny and alone. She resettled in and nestled closer to Emma, situated so her warm steady puffs of breath landed across her cheek.
Regina only dreamed of Emma's lips that night. Despite the apparent boulder that was underneath the tent and stabbing into her side all night, Regina felt amazing and refreshed when she awoke still in Emma's protective arms.
….
The fourth time Regina and Emma shared a bed happened shortly after the camping trip. Regina's home had been invaded by an army of ants, and fumigation was needed on short notice. The circumstance was all too convenient, and Regina entertained the idea of booking a room at Granny's Inn for the night, but she hadn't been able to get the idea of sleeping with Emma out of her head.
Regina knew she shouldn't impose on The Charming's. Honestly, she didn't want to stay over in their dingy and overcrowded apartment, and for all she knew she'd be stuck sleeping on a stained couch in the living area three feet away from Snow and David's bed. It was clear how much she needed a fix of Emma time if she was willing to make the call and ask, even on the slim chance she could maneuver her way into the Savior's bed.
Even if they didn't get to sleep together she hoped for a bit of snuggling on the couch. She slumped back in her desk chair as she rehearsed what she was going to say. Each attempt she made at forming the question sounded hokey and desperate in her mind, but eventually she sat up straight, picked up the phone and dialed.
"Regina, hey!" Emma's voice greeted her on the first ring. "What's up?"
Regina drew in a breath through her slightly parted lips and found her courage, "It appears that Henry and I are in a predicament. I actually am calling to ask a favor of you and your parents."
"Are you and Henry okay?" Emma asked immediately, and Regina tilted the phone against her ear, as a pang of guilt struck her. She just hadn't been able to get Emma and their nocturnal cuddling sessions out of her head.
She was a full-fledged junkie and she'd do anything to get her drug. All in all she hadn't been sleeping that well on her own for the past few weeks and part of her wished she'd never known how pleasurable it was to sleep with company. In that regard, ignorance was bliss…but so was the sweet, serene sleep of being so close to the blonde. Now that she'd had it, she needed it like air.
"Yes, yes, we're perfectly fine, but my house, I'm afraid, is not. I appear to have acquired a bug infestation and it's rather urgent that pest control fumigates. The fumigation requires a 24 hour evacuation period and Henry and I don't have a place to stay tonight…." Regina bit her lip and swallowed the lump in her throat. She was hinging her plan on Emma's reaction, and she could already feel the hot sting of rejection in the pregnant pause that followed Regina's explanation.
"Oh? Oh! Regina come stay here…It's tight and all but we have a couch…"
Regina held her breath.
"That Henry and sleep on, and you…y-you can sleep with me," Emma rambled on as if they were simply casual friends having a sleep over, but Regina heard her stutter. "I have a double bed…only use like half of it… you'll have plenty of room…I mean, I'll sleep on the floor if you prefer…it's really okay."
Regina was practically giggling as Emma continued to ramble with her interjected nervously strung together thoughts. Of course the noble Savior would offer to sleep on the floor and give Regina her bed, but they both knew that was not how the situation was going to play out.
"Emma…Emma…" Regina finally had to catch her attention and cut her off. "I'm sure we can work out the precise arrangement tonight. I'll be over with Henry around 8 if that is suitable."
"Yeah, come earlier if you want…" Emma was practically grinning down the telephone lines, Regina could feel it. Earlier would mean dinnertime, and Regina wasn't really in the mood to spend time with the rest of the charming's.
"No, that's quite alright, I have to pack an overnight bag before we leave the house."
"Oh, because Mom and Dad have a date night so it will just be me having dinner…they probably won't be home until late and I am planning to make my award winning chili."
"We'll see you at 6," Regina replied cheerily, and left work early to go pack her and Henry's bags.
Emma's chili was actually amazing, judging by the small spoon full Regina got to try before Emma decided it needed a pinch more salt. The whole shaker fell into the pot and ruined the entire batch.
The next the order of business was to order in pizza and watch movies on the couch. Henry claimed one end, stretching out his ever lengthening body, and Regina sat on the other end, with her legs crossed. This left Emma the spot in the middle.
Using the excuse that Henry's feet smelled, she sidled up next to Regina and curled her feet underneath, pressing softly into Regina's side.
The connection was instant and visceral, Regina felt her mouth dry out and her body heat up. She noticed that Emma was stroking Regina's arm absently with just her fingertips. There was no one else who could relax Regina and make her feel so alive with such a small gesture.
She felt so relaxed that she almost lost control of her magic and prematurely shot a fireball at the television. Emma cautiously cleared her throat and shifted away, and Regina knew she had sensed it.
After a while, Henry yawned and retreated to go to sleep, leaving Regina and Emma alone.
"Ready to get some sleep?" Emma asked hesitantly. Regina nodded as she felt a wave of anxiety hit her. "Okay, uh, my bed is upstairs."
"I know," Regina said right away and primly hopped up from the couch, following Emma up the ladder like stairs to her loft.
Emma didn't have a large bed, but it was far bigger than a cot, hammock or sleeping bag for that matter. Regina brushed her teeth, washed her face and slipped into a rather revealing nighty in the bathroom while Emma changed into her typical sleeping uniform: pants less and braless for comfort.
They circled the bed and tried to read one another. Before when they had ended up sleeping together, it had been intimate, but not quite as personal as one of their respective beds. Emma pulled back the sheets and slid in on one side, while Regina mirrored her actions on the other.
"Goodnight," Emma chirped, but her tone held a bit of expectation or maybe Regina was reading into it. She wanted to recapture the closeness she craved, but feared she had blown her chance and made Emma uncomfortable.
"Thanks, Emma…goodnight."
The light clicked off and the room was plunged into darkness. The only sound was the slight rustle of the sheets as they both shifted position to get comfortable. Truth be told, Regina didn't sleep well on the best of nights in her own super cozy bed, and on Emma's double sized mattress she didn't expect to be able to get to sleep at all unless Emma came much, much closer.
The three times previously when they were so close, Regina had the most restful sleep of her long life, yet there was always an underlying element of self-torture involved when cuddling the Savior. Her mind was at peace, but her body always felt restless and in need of something she wasn't getting.
Regina felt Emma move slightly, and their arms brushed together where they met in the middle of the bed. The small innocent touch felt like an engulfing fire to Regina. She took a deep steadying breath that sounded like a loud gasp in the stillness of the room.
She felt Emma tense up next her and Regina closed her eyes in humiliation. She had to pull herself together, this simply wouldn't do. She had just decided she would excuse herself and go lay on the couch, even if it meant Mary Margaret and David would be arriving home from their date at any time and probably giggling and necking obnoxiously.
How Emma could stand to live with her parents for so long was still a mystery to Regina. What if they didn't notice her on the couch or know Henry was just off to the side and started doing loud sexual things? That could not happen.
Then the thought of doing loud sexual things with the woman trying to sleep next to her flew into Regina's mind like a harsh breeze. Admitting that her dreams and fantasies had been on an ever increasing spike since this whole bed sharing business had started, and was also the driving cause for Regina to go out of her way to sleep with Emma now scared her.
She couldn't take the growing pressure she felt as she heard Emma sigh breathily, and the mere sound caused a pang of desire to shoot through Regina's core. There had to be a way to ask Emma if they could sleep a bit closer. How would she react if Regina simply turned over and threw her legs and arms across Emma's body and held on like a Koala scaling a Eucalyptus tree?
At best, they'd both relax and sleep easily; at worst, Emma would jostle her and kick Regina off. She could always feign that she had been sleeping and surely, she couldn't be held accountable for the actions of her limbs when she was asleep. If Regina tried to kiss her, however, that may result in a more swift removal from the bed and quite possibly, endanger any hope she had of ever getting this close to Emma again.
As her mind worked overtime, going back and forth endlessly, her opportunity finally presented it. Thank God that Emma was so whiny when she was tired. "Regina, you asleep?" Emma whispered as she prodded her gently.
After a moment of consideration, Regina replied, "No…I'm not."
"I'm cold," Emma whispered, sounding wholly pathetic and preposterous as the room and sheets felt overly warm to Regina.
"Do you want me to turn off the fan?" Regina asked with uncertainty, her heart filling with hope and uncertainty as to why Emma was sharing with her.
"No, I like the noise of it…I was wondering, since your arm feels nice and hot if you wanted to maybe put it around me?" Emma stroked the length of Regina's arm and the heat intensified even as Regina shivered.
With a thick swallow and low reply, "Oh, if it will shut you up."
Trying with all of her self-control not to pounce on Emma, Regina slowly rolled over and slid her hand evenly under the hem of Emma's tank and across her stomach, while hooking leg over Emma's hips and bringing her head to tuck under her chin. The moment they were locked into place with the magnetic force of their attraction, they both exhaled deeply and all of their tension resolved.
"Better."
Emma's voice reverberated from her throat against Regina's cheek and Regina answered with a purr of own: "Mmm, much better."
Regina listened and felt the steady breathing of Emma's lungs filling and emptying, in and out, and felt lulled into a trance like state of relaxation. The only thing keeping her awake was the nagging, insistent drum like pulsing she felt between her thighs. She knew she couldn't do anything about it, and she should be happy with what she had managed to accomplish.
"Regina?" Emma asked breathlessly, "I have to ask you something. I know you're trying to sleep, but there's this problem I'm having with my magic, and I have to ask if you know what it is?"
Groggy and blissed out on Emma, Regina lifted her head slightly, "What's your magic problem?"
"I don't know…not that I'm counting, or anything, but every time we sleep together or even get close I feel this strange sensation…don't get me wrong, it's really, really nice, but it's also sort of…um, like when you eat something that's tasty, but it's too spicy and it sort of burns your mouth, but then you take another bite because it's so good?"
"Is that a question?" Regina asked, her heart racing as she wondered what exactly Emma was trying to explain.
"I mean…" Emma blew out a long breath, and the air raced over Regina's face. "Yeah, I just wondered if it's…normal?"
Taking a moment to think about what Emma was asking, Regina could feel the exact sensation Emma was talking about. "I wouldn't say normal…two magical women of our caliber is unprecedented, but I believe I know the sensation you speak of."
Emma seemed relieved at the validation, "Is there anything we can do about it?"
"That depends," Regina pushed her up so she was leaning directly on Emma's chest and looking her in the eye. She considered her words carefully. "Are you sure all of what you're feeling is stemming from magic?"
The room felt heavy with silence, as Emma considered the question, and Regina trailed her fingers up and down Emma's sides freely, trying to coax an answer out of her.
Emma's face seemed to scrunch up in fear for a moment before she set her jaw and spoke with confidently, "All I can think about is kissing you, and I don't think it has anything to do with magic actually."
At the admission, Regina felt her magic and blood swirl together and shoot through her body. She felt dizzy and flooded with lust as she looked at Emma's lips and lifted her chin to present her own, ripe for the picking.
Emma closed the minute gap between their lips and brushed hers over Regina's in a soft tentative touch. Then she added a bit more pressure and kissed her properly and firmly. Regina pulled herself completely on top of Emma and grabbed the neck of her tank top to get even closer. She had to have more. Their kiss escalated and they made it sweet and wet, opening and closing their mouths over one another, and turning one another on as easily as sleep.
"This…I needed this," Regina whispered, but found her words suffocated by Emma's unrelenting and greedy mouth.
"I need this," Emma stated as she ran her palm down Regina's back all the way to her butt, she squeezed her cheek and brazenly lifted her thigh to press it hard between Regina's legs.
"Oh," Regina moaned as she arched her back and bore down against Emma's leg, not caring if she appeared wanton or lascivious. She had waited for this with only her endless loop of thoughts and fantasies to keep her sane.
She rocked into Emma's bare leg, rubbing on her methodically, and feeling her arousal soar. Emma was whispering encouragement between kisses, her hands roving up and under Regina's night gown as she churned her hips upwards in search of pleasure.
"I want to feel more," Emma said, or at least that's what Regina heard, but she got distracted when she felt her panties tugged to the side and Emma's hands insistently pulling her full bare, wet pussy against her. She was off and riding her thigh as a whole new more intense feeling fueled her on.
Regina was trying to rub and touch Emma too, but her hand eye coordination was lagging as she chased her orgasm, and Emma was moving so good and jerkily beneath her, she couldn't manage to focus enough to get her finger on Emma's trigger.
Until Emma, in a display of Herculean strength sat up and lifted Regina with her, before turning them over and slamming her back down on the bed. The aggression was thrilling and Regina beamed as she threw her head back and let Emma ravish her.
She now had the upper hand, as Regina spread her legs and watched Emma lick her fingers before thrusting inside her swollen entrance and pushing her hips against her in time. Yes, this had nothing to do with magic and all to do with the simmering desire that had a lid kept on it for far too long. It was exactly the kind of fucking Regina needed and like all else in life Emma was perfectly attuned to her.
She had a mind-splitting orgasm with Emma's fingers deep inside her and their bodies melded together closer than ever before, that she screamed through into Emma's hand that stifled her so she wouldn't wake up the whole house.
As Regina floated down, Emma kept going with Regina's hands around her hips and her legs widely drawn apart, she let her hump against her until her pleasure peaked and her comforting weight covered her like a blanket.
They kissed and luxuriated in the intimacy of one another until the peace of hard-earned and well-deserved sleep overtook them both.
…
The fifth time they shared a bed happened the very next night. It was without pretense, danger, convenience, or fear of rejection.
They shared a bed because they wanted to, that night and many, many more.