That Space in Time


Disclaimer: This is one of my very first SwanQueen fic, please be gentle on me. Oh, as with all of us, I (we) do not own them. All thanks to the wonderful players who have lit the spark for us all.

This might be a re-imagining, an alternate universe, if you will, of a small space within the first 10 minutes of this season's 19th episode.

For my friend Uni-C (justlovebt) – a gift of sorts. *smiles* Thank you for introducing me to them, and thank you for my RedBeauty fic. *smiles some more* OH and! *huggles*


She stumbled in, chased by a phantom lover.

The roses in her scent spilled on her dress and all over the room. They settled by her feet, muffling her footsteps momentarily, but not enough to unannounce her arrival.

From somewhere across the room, a nose twitched – tickled by the fragrance that has always surrounded the woman who has just entered. The cushion that cradled her form burned comfort to ashes and pricked her senses to another space in time.

To Emma Swan, this was a sight she had seen before.

Once upon a time, in a place between truths, Regina stumbled into a room. The rose in her scent lassoed and pulled in her lover; tickled the nose so it would twitch and remember. She turned around, her heels digging into fibers red as her dress, so she could face the blonde woman giggling behind her.

The woman captured Regina in one swoop, scooped and gathered her against the other's body as their laughter escaped in puffs. Regina shook her head, her index finger following. The movement wiped away the kiss the other woman almost planted.

"Uh uh uhhhh…" she grinned teasingly. She threw back her head to deepen her laughter, but it was caught in her throat as lips and tongue lightly fluttered against her neck.

"Miss Swan, this is…" a sharp pinch bit the words she was supposed to say.

"This is… what?" the other woman's breath crawled on her neck and cooled the heat of the kisses that were just there.

"Wha-?" she gulped down words that couldn't form. Emma's tongue chased the movement in her throat. She pecked to punctuate the end of Regina's failed attempts at small talk. Small talk was cheap in nights when the light of the moon casts a glow in her bed, where her bed beckons bodies to bend and twist to what they desire.

"Really, Regina, what did you want to say?" the woman stopped with her kisses abruptly and distanced her body to give a good look at Regina. Emma's eyes were twinkling – she knew she had the other woman in her spell.

The brunette bit her lip and clasped the blonde's collar. She pulled Emma to her for a very quick kiss. It was soft, sweet and promising. She gave her another quick kiss, and then another, and then another – both of them starting to have hitches in their breaths. An almost quick kiss alerted Emma's senses as a barely audible moan escaped from Regina's throat. She sucked the brunette's lower lip lightly and swiped her tongue across it.

The moan became a soft growl.

She captured Regina's now-parted lips afresh. The tip of her tongue chanced upon another swipe but was met with an equally eager one.

Their desire yellowed the moon and made the skies bleed their envy.

In a space of a blink, the sun rose and shone outside the window.

Regina flicked her hair and the space between truths was swept away with it. Shadows dissolved and the redness of the rose remained.

Emma looked at Regina questioningly.

This has happened before, at a space in her mind she couldn't control.

"Regina! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you look smitten."

The space widened and all Emma could do was to hook herself onto something she can use to jab at another phantom. Not even Regina's sharp comment stopped her from dishing out a name that the Queen will mince altogether.

"We are waiting for Hook."

Her eyes spaced out, and her eyebrows pushed the chasm further apart.

Something had opened, and only her pursed lips were trying to seal them in – because maybe that space was between truths. And maybe it wasn't.