The hour was late and Snow found herself roaming alone through the Castle. How many years had it been since she had done so? No, she didn't care to think about the lost time, not when every stone and timber that surrounded her felt like an old friend. There was such an upwelling of happiness at being home, though the homecoming was bittersweet. She wished desperately that Emma and Henry could be there to share it with her. At least she had David…

…and Regina. Snow pulled up short as she became aware of where her wanderings had taken her. She was outside the queen's suite and there was a light shining under the door, suggesting that Regina was still awake. Should she knock? Part of her wanted to turn and walk away, to retreat to the parts of her domain less fraught with uncomfortable memories, but she'd spoken with Robin earlier in the evening. He'd told her how the queen had planned to put herself under a sleeping curse before finding out about her sister. Even though Regina seemed to have a renewed purpose in battling Zelena, she was also exceptional at hiding her true emotions.

Snow was still dithering in the hallway when the door was wrenched open and she stood face to face with an annoyed-looking queen. "Well, are you going to come in, or are you just going to stand there trying to decide all night?"

"How did you…?"

"That's nothing you should worry yourself about," was the brusque reply as Regina gestured for Snow to come inside. Once she'd done so and the door was closed again, the two stood eyeing each other, as they'd done so many times over the years. Regina was clearly waiting to see what had brought Snow to her door, so the younger woman took a deep breath to collect her thoughts and let it out slowly.

"I was talking to Robin Hood earlier."

"How very nice for you. Did you dig out your old wanted posters and sing 'Kumbaya' around a campfire?"

"Regina," Snow leveled a disparaging look at the older woman, "you can drop the prickly, evil queen attitude. We've had this discussion already. I know you're hurting."

"Then you'll know that it's better for everyone involved if you just leave me alone. Stay out of my way and let me deal with Zelena. After she's gone, let me do what I wish without trying to interfere."

Snow stepped closer to the queen, shaking her head as she did so. "You know I can't do that. I won't."

She watched as Regina's fists clenched, and had an uncomfortable feeling that she was about to see a fireball very soon. Still she held her ground. Long moments passed that way, with the two women staring at each other, neither willing to back down. At last, Regina relented. "Why do you care so much what happens to me? The truth, not some platitudes about how I'm becoming a better person. What possible reason could you have for preventing me from finding the only peace available to me in this place?"

Snow rolled her eyes, and before she realized what she was saying, she blurted out, "The reason is that I love you, you infuriating woman!"

"You what?"

Well this was awkward. She really needed to learn to stop confessing things like that. There was nothing to do but to lift her chin and own it. "You heard me. I said, 'I love you.' I always have."

"When you say love…" Regina's voice trailed off into bemused, incredulous silence that still managed to prompt for explanation.

"Exactly the way it sounds. I love you. I want you. Have since I was old enough to figure out what on Earth the feelings I was feeling meant."

"You…wanted me?"

"Regina, you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

"But how could you ever think that you want to be with me? After all I've done to you."

Snow raised a hand to cup Regina's cheek. The older woman flinched at the contact, but her stiff-necked pride kept her from pulling away. Those deep brown eyes, usually so full of anger or disdain, showed uncertainty and, unless Snow was mistaken, the tiniest sliver of hope.

"The heart wants what the heart wants," Snow smiled with a little shrug.

Silence stretched between the two women, and Snow decided that she'd hate herself forever if she let the moment simply pass. She was stronger than that, braver. Her hand slid from Regina's cheek to the back of her neck as she pressed a kiss to those maddeningly lush lips. The older woman didn't fight, nor did she attempt to push Snow away, but even so, several moments stretched before she finally yielded. Though "yielded" was not at all the right word. Deceptively strong arms wrapped around Snow's waist as Regina maneuvered her backward.

Snow suddenly found herself pressed between a wall and the liquid fire of the Queen's kiss, her mind racing and her body responding instinctively to the passion of the embrace. Her fingers tightened in Regina's hair, giving a tug, and she was rewarded with a throaty growl that drew a sharp tingle low in her abdomen. Charming never kissed her this way, not with this primal hunger. Before she knew it, Regina had broken the kiss and was biting along the sensitive flesh of her neck. The sensation was almost too much, a combination of pain, ticklishness, and pure, animal lust. Snow moaned and surged against the Queen's body, even though there was nowhere to go.

"Such a wanton," Regina was murmuring between nips, her voice like molten honey, "is this what you want? Is this what you've been dreaming about while lying in bed with your prince?"

"Yes," Snow panted, craning her neck for more, "Oh gods, yes!" Because Snow did want it; she was desperate for the queen's touch. She couldn't help it, really. Regina was fire, and fire always melted snow.

It wasn't long before Snow's arousal had become a constant, dull ache. She wanted, no needed, to be ravished by this woman. The woman who had spent so many years trying to destroy her. "Regina…" the name came out as a desperate whisper, and she was rewarded with a throaty laugh. The queen lifted her head and Snow found herself transfixed by the lust that darkened the other woman's eyes.

"Beg me," that sultry voice was saying, "tell me what wicked things you want me to do to you, Little Princess."

But Snow wasn't a little princess any more.

"Touch me." Those dark eyes flashed in warning, prompting Snow to hastily amend, "Please! Please Regina, touch me."

Regina's gaze was so intense that Snow couldn't meet it any longer. Her own focus slid down to the hollow at the base of the queen's throat, but she wasn't allowed to evade for long. There were fingers on her chin, forcing her to look back up to Regina's eyes.

"Touch you where?" Amusement mingled with the disdain and raw lust in Regina's voice. "You'll have to be more specific, Dear. Touch you…here?" A thumb grazed the front of Snow's bodice, searching for the place that drew an involuntary gasp from Snow's lips.

"Oh!"

She arched toward that taunting thumb, feeling her nipple tightening as the queen applied more pressure. The throbbing between her legs intensified in response, and her eyes drifted closed as she was swept away by desire. "Yes! Fuck!" Snow's head dropped back with a muffled thump against the stone, and her whole body shuddered as Regina pinched and rolled the nub between her finger and thumb. Her legs buckled and she would have fallen, if not for the queen's body keeping her pinned against the wall.

"Such vulgarity!" Regina taunted, giving voice to a delighted laugh, "Tell me, did you kiss your mother with that mouth?" The cruelty was back in force at that last jab, but Snow met it head on, "No. Just my evil step-mother!"

Their lips crashed back together, Regina's kiss rough, punishing. Snow returned it with gusto. They'd been dancing around this moment for so long in their eternal fencing match: parry, riposte, cut. Here, at last, was the thrust.

Unable to wait a moment longer for the touch she craved, Snow took Regina's hand and all but shoved it under the fabric of her skirt. There was an amused sound from the older woman, but she didn't draw away. Instead, there was a long, blissful time where Snow's attention was split between the queen's tongue, flirting and possessing her mouth, and the queen's hand, teasing and stroking the most sensitive parts of her. The electricity of the stimulation surged through her nerve endings, making her wriggle and moan.

Finally, though, Regina broke from the kiss to murmur naughty nothings in Snow White's ear. "Who would have thought," she was veritably purring, "that you would be so very wet for me, hmm? You dirty, dirty girl!"

And gods, Snow was about to lose her mind with need. Everything about this was so wrong. Everything about this was so right! Her hand pressed atop Regina's, urging her on, as those talented fingers found all the spots that made her moan. The older woman was so very, very good at this! As though she was reading Snow's body like a spell book.

Regina's fingers began to circle, circle, circle and press just so…and Snow was crying out, her passion gushing over the queen's still stroking fingers. Those fingers that did not relent until Regina had wrung three more orgasms from her willing victim.

At last they stilled, and the queen raised her hand to Snow's mouth, pressing her first two fingers between Snow's lips so that she had no choice but to taste herself. She found the gesture perverse and so very intimate that not only did she lick her juices off Regina's fingers, she began to suck them with abandon. The queen permitted that for a minute or two before removing her hand so that she could give Snow another searing kiss.

"How was that?" she asked, when the kiss at last ended. Her voice was smug and self-satisfied, so quintessentially Regina. As though she'd never had a moment of self-doubt in her life.

"That. Was…" Snow wasn't even sure how to describe what it was. A raised eyebrow and a knowing smirk told her that she didn't really need to.

"Gods," Snow suddenly noticed the state of Regina's clothing, earlier so immaculate, and now very askew. She could only imagine what sort of state she was in, "I must be a mess!"

"Nothing a little magic won't cure," came the amused reply. The queen raised a hand, but before she could cast a spell, Snow grabbed her wrist.

"Wait. Not yet." A naughty smile settled on her lips at Regina's questioning look. "I'd like to return the favor before I go."

For a moment, it seemed like Regina would refuse. Her expression had turned inscrutable, though pent up lust still lurked in her eyes. "Please?" Snow brushed her cheek as she'd done before, and Regina relented once again, taking her hand to lead her off on unsteady legs toward the queen's bed chamber.