Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time, no matter how cool that would be.

To be honest, I didn't even know I shipped Golden Queen until season 6 (I kind of suspected there was more between them than we'd got to see - I mean, student/teacher relationships aren't exactly unheard of). As a (former) Rumbelle shipper, I spent my time hoping for a happy ending for the Beauty and the Beast. But that ship has obviously sailed - no Belle bashing here, by the way. She chose herself over a (let's be honest) bad relationship and I applaud her for that - you go, girl. But no matter what he's done, Rumple has always been and always will be my favourite character and I'm still rooting for him to find his happiness.

And why could that not be with Regina? The two people who have been battling darkness longer and harder than the rest of the gang combined. They get each other, they don't judge each other. They could work together.

And then there's the chemistry. You know, THE chemistry.

As for this one-shot, all you need to know is that Regina and the Evil Queen are one and the same again because (insert any reason you like), and Regina's having a little trouble dealing with it.

Okay, I'm done rambling now. Mostly. You're here to read the story, so go read it.

P.S. I'm sorry for any grammar or spelling mistake.

Regina's path had led her many times into the Beast's lair, be it in shape of a giant dark castle in the middle of the forest or a little antique shop in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Rare souls dared venture there – even rarer managed to survive whims of the Dark One.

But the Evil Queen was not afraid of him – mostly.

Her heart thundered in her chest for an entirely different reason.

Regina knew she was pushing her luck with this visit. What had happened between the Evil Queen and Rumpelstiltskin while she and the Queen were two separate entities should never even be thought, let alone spoken of. It had been a game of power driven by lust the Evil Queen felt for her former teacher – and it seemed the Dark One hadn't been enough opposed to the game as not to play it. That affair should have been buried with the Evil Queen – if not for the misfortunate consequence of Regina and the Evil Queen becoming one and the same again. Unasked for, she had also got all of the Queen's memories – and quite a few of them involved the Dark One.

Regina had tried her best to bury the memories of his lips on the Queen's, on her neck, on her cleavage – all in vain. The problem was that it just felt so good when they invaded her mind – her skin was burning, her toes curling. Suddenly, she was breathing heavily – and only snapped out of it when her eyes met her reflection on the door of the antique shop.

Her cheeks were flushed, her pupils dilated. Her whole body was shaking – sweaty with lust.

She shook her head and took a deep breath, forcing herself to focus. The rational part of her screamed at her that this was a bad idea. She should leave while she was still in control over herself. The Evil Queen might not be the world's problem anymore, but she still got a thing or two to say with Regina. She especially reared her head whenever someone mentioned something even remotely related to Rumpelstiltskin – and it was the frustration with inappropriate waves of heat on those occasions that had brought Regina to his doorstep.

No, she decided, this needed to be dealt with, sooner rather than later. She would not spend a single moment of her time lusting after the Dark One. Even if he was a fabulous kisser – she would give him that.

Resisting the urge to slap herself, she checked her reflection quickly. A tuck of hair behind ear, swift smoothing down of black skirt, crimson top and black jacket she had not spent half an hour picking. Make-up was fine – though the red lipstick could use a little refreshing, but…

She burst into the shop before her cheeks could reach the shade of scarlet to match her top, sending the sound of bell ringing through the shop, accompanied by slamming of the door. Seriously, what was wrong with her? It wasn't like Rumpelstiltskin cared what she looked like – no, it wasn't like she cared what she looked like in front of him.

Speaking of the devil, he appeared on the other side of the room, looking as he always did – a fancy suit and tie, a piercing gaze only slightly lightened by a mischievous spark, and otherwise completely unreadable expression. She spared a moment to admire his new haircut again – damn it, it wasn't her fault that short hair suited him better.

"What can I do for you, Regina?" He asked, emerging from behind the counter to join her in the middle of the shop.

She took another deep breath, trying to remember the final version of the speech she had been putting together the whole day. Admittedly, it was an awkward subject to discuss, but she would handle it like an adult.

"I…"

She swallowed a lump down her throat. Why couldn't she remember? "I…"

He raised his eyebrows in anticipation.

She could literally feel her plan falling apart in her mind like a house of cards. The words wouldn't come and she was suddenly having trouble looking him in the eyes.

Really, what was the matter with her? She was the Evil Queen, for crying out loud! She had taken down the ruler of the Underworld, she could handle one bloody conversation about an affair she hadn't even been a part of!

"I…" Another deep breath. She could do this. "I've come here to…"

Apparently no, she couldn't.

"Tell me that whatever happened between you and me stays that way?" He finished when a few moments passed after her voice had drifted off into silence.

Yes – NO!

"Whatever happened, it happened between you and the Evil Queen." She said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest. Her body and her memories might claim otherwise, but nobody paid any attention to them – right? "Not between you and me."

His lips curled into a familiar smirk – if it weren't so infuriating, it would be hot – no, it wouldn't!

"But her memories are now," He made a step towards her, his forefingers coming together in the air as they pointed at her, in a way that reminded her of his Enchanted-forest self, "Your memories."

It would be a waste of breath to ask how he knew that when not even those closest to her didn't. It was Rumpelstiltskin's speciality to know things he shouldn't know.

"And I imagine you wouldn't be here if you weren't bothered by those memories." He made another step forward; suddenly Regina felt her back bumping against the door. How and when she had reached it, she couldn't tell.

"I… They're irritating!" The words burst out of her mouth in a shrieking voice before she could stop them, a desperate move of a mouse backed into a corner by a hungry cat. She stretched out her hand towards him, both to gesture accusingly and to keep him at safe distance. "Whatever you two had, she liked it! I can't help it!"

Well done, Regina. She slapped herself mentally, trying to even her suddenly wild breathing. Handled it like an adult, sure.

Her discomfort seemed to amuse him – his smirk widened, his brown eyes sparking mockingly.

"She?" He echoed, drawling the word lazily.

It took every last bit of Regina's self-control to keep her eyes on his. His very gaze made her insides twist, in a way she definitely didn't appreciate. It wasn't that he was looking at her any differently than he usually did – a mix of playfulness and challenge sparking in his eyes – it was precisely that what irked her. It seemed he was less affected by what had occurred between him and the Evil Queen than she was – and she hadn't even taken part in it!

"You do realize the Evil Queen is you, don't you?" Rumpelstiltskin said when it started to seem she would let the silence stretch into the next week. He got even closer while she had been having her inner debate; they stood barely a step from each other. "Always has been, always will be."

She opened her mouth to deny his words, but he brushed a finger against her lips and she fell silent as if he had used a spell. His hand was left lingering in the air in front of her face, but he never touched her – and a part of her – the-Evil-Queen part of her, she insisted – was shuddering with disappointment.

"You owe me no explanation, Regina." He said, backing away from her; she let out a breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding. "Nothing's changed between us."

That was where he was wrong.

There was this yearning, this discordance between her mind and her body that desperately needed levelling. There was an unexplainable emptiness on her skin the memories had created, but couldn't fill. Remembering simply wasn't enough – she needed to feel it, like the Evil Queen had felt it.

He was surprised when their lips collided, she could tell. Her hands cupped his face, pulling him closer, her nails running into his skin like claws holding their prey. Her lips curled into a smirk beneath his. She had him right where she wanted him and wasn't about to let go.

A soft moan of pleasure escaped her when his hands grabbed her hips, pressing her body against his. Her breasts brushed against his chest – she half-wanted to lift his hands to them and let him work his magic. But her hands were too busy pressing against his scalp, playing with his short hair. It was soft beneath her fingers, far less soft than the groan he let out as he pushed her against the counter, his tongue demanding entrance into her mouth. She provided it in less than a heartbeat, her own tongue pressing against his in an intimate dance that set her whole body on fire. She nibbled at his lower lip daringly, a move that made him remove his mouth from hers in favour of her neck, which was less likely to behave mischievously than her teeth.

"Ah!" She moaned as his lips found a weak spot at her pulse, sending a wave of heat that spread from the lower part of her belly to the every last cell of her body.

Obviously pleased with her reaction, his mouth then continued to venture closer to her cleavage and she could feel her nipples hardening against her bra in anticipation. The sinful things he could do to her – she was half-mad with lust just thinking about them, ready to strip them both off their clothes. It was only one flicker of wrist, one spell away.

As if he knew what she was about to do, he seized her hand, preventing her from casting the spell. She opened her eyes, ready to send a menacing glare his way, but she found herself facing one of the shop's many curio cabinets, Rumpelstiltskin's chest pressed against her back. He resumed with his ministrations on her neck, his teeth nibbling at the sensitive skin. Instinctively, her head leaned backwards to grant him easier access while her hand grabbed at his hair, tugging roughly in pleasure. Her boldness was gladly accepted and immediately matched as his hand sneaked beneath her top, evaded her bra and curled around her breast. Her unrestrained moan was in perfect harmony with his low groan in her ear, as well as with the pressure against her backside that hadn't been there before. Her lips curled into a mischievous smile – he wanted her, as badly as she wanted him, and he couldn't keep his lust under control anymore.

His skilled fingers began to squeeze and massage the area around her nipple teasingly; no matter how her body writhed against his hand, she couldn't get him to touch her where she wanted – needed – to be touched. In sheer frustration, she grabbed it with her free hand and led it to the exact spot where she wanted it. She could feel his lips shaping a smirk on her skin as she pleasured herself with his hand, but he didn't try to snatch it away from her. Instead, his other hand let go of hers and found its way between her legs, applying just enough pressure to make her even more aroused, but far from enough to satisfy her.

"Rumple!" She was all but begging, but she didn't care. She could wait no more. She wanted to be naked, to be whatever he desired her to be, to be taken however he chose to take her.

"Wait, Regina."

The pressure of his body was suddenly gone – she felt strangely empty and naked without it. Her chest was rising and falling disharmoniously with her uneven breathing, her skin filled with goose bumps. She was so not ready to stop now. But he ceased to touch her altogether, so her eyelids fluttered open unwillingly, her face frowned in protest as she turned around to look at him.

He was still within arm's reach, a silver sliver of lust still sparking in his eyes. They took in her flushed skin, her shivering body – she half-believed he could hear her unsteady heartbeat. For a moment, the spark of lust blazed brighter, before dying out like a flame of a candle in the rain.

"If we take this any further," His gaze pinned her to where she stood, as if he had put up a barrier between them neither of them could cross, "Some of us might regret it."

Bafflement hit her swiftly and forcefully like a lightning bolt, followed by a flood of frustration that resolutely refused to withdraw. Damn it, of all the times he could have chosen to behave like a hero, this was it? She was a grown woman, a woman who had been terribly lacking passion and spontaneity in her life lately, always keeping her darkest urges firmly on the leash. And now that she was finally giving in, letting her desires control her actions, he was refusing to satisfy them?

"I'm not a child." She objected feistily, driven by a mix of lust and anger. I know what I want.

She let a seductive smile form on her face, her tongue coming out to slowly lick her cherry-red lips. His eyes absorbed the sight like hypnotized – he was tempted, she could see it – but then he let out a defeated sigh – and she knew she had lost him.

"You might not regret it today," His hand reached out to her cheek, leaving only a ghost of a touch on her skin. Their almost-touch somehow felt even more intimate than an actual touch, keeping her from leaning in, "But…"

"Is this about Belle?"

She was regretting the words even as she was saying them. Her head turned away in shame, blood growing cold in her veins.

What right did she have to spit those words at him? What right did she have to be wounded by his refusal? Whatever had happened between them, whatever insurmountable obstacles they faced, Rumple was still married to Belle, belonged to Belle.

Not to Regina.

"Rumple, I…" Her lips, made swollen by numerous kisses he had adorned them with, trembled, heavy with guilt, "I'm sorry."

The silence around her was so complete she could hear her own heartbeat. For a moment, she thought he was so offended by her insolence that he had left without a word, but then she felt a gentle hand cupping her chin.

There was no anger in his eyes when they once again stood in level with hers, his hand moving to rest once again on her cheek. The last time he had looked at her like this – firm, and yet tender…

She was just a young girl searching for a way to escape her mother's ambitious clutches. Out of nowhere (literally), he came to her aid, as if he were her knight in shining armour. He called her kind, he called her gentle. He called her powerful.

For the first time after Daniel, her heart beat faster.

"There might be no regrets today," His gaze flickered to her lips, before returning to her eyes. "But you will regret it tomorrow."

For a moment, she thought he was talking about him and her, gasping with shock at his indifference. Didn't this man have a child on the way and a wife to look after? Didn't their opinion about… this – haunt him, like it did Regina whenever she was around Henry, or Emma, or Snow, or literally everyone? Why did he seem so unbothered by what had occurred between him and the Evil Queen – what was both happening and not happening between him and Regina now?

Her breath was caught in her throat again as the realization dawned on her. They wouldn't be able to hide… this forever. They would both regret it eventually.

But the Evil Queen wouldn't.

"And to be perfectly frank with you, Regina, I'm tired of being everyone's regret."

He tucked a lock of black hair behind her ear, his gaze completely focused on his task as if it were the most complicated riddle he had ever seen and he was desperate to solve it. His thumb lingered on her temple, but even that gentlest of touches eventually turned into a brush of air against her skin. Without another glance into her eyes, he made as if to turn away from her, but before his face could disappear into shadows, she placed her hand on his forearm, causing him to pause.

"She…" No, she rebuked herself – it was about damn time she stopped addressing the Evil Queen as 'she', "I… We've known each other for a long time, Rumple… And we've done plenty of harm to each other."

When he looked at her again, she was caught completely off guard by the vulnerability in his features. So exposed, so bare – for her, and only her, to witness. It was strange – and yet perfectly natural – to see him like this; at the end of the day, he was just another lost soul searching for his happy ending, just like all of them.

She breathed in deeply, holding onto him, even if she wasn't sure who was closer to breaking at this point (if it wouldn't be too preposterous of her to claim they weren't already far past broken).

"But I don't regret it." Breath froze on his lips – hers was not far from meeting the same fate, but she continued to speak all the same. "Not a single moment of it."

For a moment, it seemed as if time was standing still.

But when his lips met hers again, tender yet sensual, the ground trembled beneath her feet.

They pulled apart all too quickly, as if in some silent agreement they should not put their self-control to a test again. Regina opened her eyes and caught sight of Rumpelstiltskin licking his lips, as if savouring the taste of her on his tongue. Her heartbeat picked up its pace again, but she didn't get to say a word. His hand came to rest on hers, rendering her soundless.

He bowed his head and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles. The only token of his love for her he could give – invisible for everyone else but her, given in secret and shadows.

"Thank you, Regina." He whispered softly, his breath brushing against her skin.

For a moment, she was an innocent girl again, a princess courted by her prince. The comparison made her smile, if only for a moment.

But she was not an innocent girl anymore and he was not her prince. Those parts didn't suit them – not as well as the Evil Queen and the Dark One did. To the outside world, they – or at least parts of them – would always be villains. It seemed the only people who would ever truly view them as heroes were they themselves.

"Thank you, Rumple." She pulled her hand out of his gently.

With a smirk playing in the corner of his lips, he spread his arms as if they were wings and bowed down.

"Allow me to introduce myself. Rumpelstiltskin."

As if it were a game, she reached out as if she were gathering skirts of her imaginary dress and curtsied elegantly.

"And I'm…"

"Regina. I know."