Just a little writing exercise to coax my muse out of hiding ...
Emma had no idea what she was doing in front of 108 Mifflin Street. It was hotter than hell and she could feel sweat trickling down her back in a small rivulet between her shoulder blades, her tank top clinging to her skin and already feeling like way too much clothing.
She was glad it was her day off, so she wasn't forced to wear her usual jeans that were at least halfway appropriate for her job. No, today was shorts weather, so Emma had dug hers out of a box and put them on, surprised they still fit after so many years. She didn't know how they had made it to Storybrooke, but today she was glad they were there and she didn't have to borrow a pair from Ruby's closet.
Although, she thought with a smirk down her long legs, they probably wouldn't that be much shorter. Short enough, in fact, to probably be deemed entirely inappropriate by Regina Mills.
Emma grinned as she imagined Regina's annoyed face and pulled a fresh popsicle from the cooler next to her on the passenger seat. She was glad the treat had survived the short trip from her own apartment to Regina's house because in weather like this, her homemade popsicles were the only thing keeping her cool. Not that they would meet Regina's approval either, she thought with a small frown, but then again, nothing Emma did ever would.
Why was she here then, knowing this? She gave herself a rueful grin in the rearview mirror and shook her head at her own reflection. The truth was that she couldn't stay away. She hadn't seen Regina in two days and she was feeling … antsy. There was just something about the other woman that made her blood boil, and not in a bad way either.
The simple truth was that her attraction to Regina kept drawing her back, would probably always draw her back. She hadn't seen Regina in two days, three hours, and — she checked her watch — thirty-seven minutes, and that was way too long.
She remembered how that was one of the harder things to live with when she was stuck in the Enchanted Forest with Snow, that constant feeling of missing something essential, although at the time she hadn't been sure what it was. She had assumed it was Henry, but the feeling hadn't completely abated even with him in her arms. It had only gone away once she felt and saw Regina's relieved smile at her return. It didn't matter that Regina would never want her the way she wanted Regina, would never feel the same pull. But Emma felt it, and deep down she knew she always would.
She stuck her popsicle in her mouth and held onto it with her lips as she grabbed the second one she had brought. Yes, she was probably crazy, she realized, but once her mind had come up with the idea of bringing Regina the sweet treat, she hadn't been able to think of anything else. Especially once her brain had conjured images of Regina slowly sucking on the bright red cherry popsicle.
With a groan that had only partly to do with the heat, Emma got out of her car and walked up to the gleaming white door. She hesitated only a second before she knocked, holding Regina's treat behind her back, and mentally patted herself on the back for that.
The door opened almost instantly. "Ms. Swan?"
Emma could feel Regina's eyes raking a trail down her body, and then up again, halting momentarily at the edge of the very short shorts. Emma's skin burned under the dark gaze and she fought the urge to look down to see if her legs were actually on fire. But her eyes never left Regina's face which was the only reason why she didn't miss the brief flicker of something on Regina's otherwise cool expression.
"Is Henry all right?" Regina asked after what seemed like hours.
"Henry is fine," Emma reassured her as she took the opportunity to check out Regina. Her jaw dropped slightly as she saw Regina's bare, defined arms and the smooth, toned legs. That's when Emma realized that Regina had also succumbed to the demands of the hot July sun and put on actual summer clothes. Her pale violet summer dress was low-cut and stopped closer to her hips than her knees. Emma swallowed hard. She forgot all about why she was there as she felt arousal pool between her thighs.
Regina smirked for some reason. "You're dripping, dear." Her voice was sinfully deep.
Emma jerked a little, pulled out of her little trance. How does she know? She freaked out a little at being too obvious, but then Regina simply nodded at the popsicle that was slowly melting all over Emma's hand.
"Oh." Emma breathed a sigh of relief. She ran her tongue all around the popsicle to stop the dropping, then proceeded to lick her fingers clean. When she noticed Regina watching her every move, and saw the dark eyes getting darker, she slowed her movements and decided to put on a show. She slowly ran her tongue over and between her fingers, licking the sweet substance, wondering what it would taste like to clean her fingers of a different taste. She moaned at the thought, and saw Regina's nostrils flare in response.
"Was there something you wanted, Ms. Swan?" Regina croaked, her voice raspier than usual.
Emma finished cleaning her fingers with a bright smile, and pulled the second popsicle from behind her back. "I wanted to bring you a little treat, Regina." She sucked her own popsicle between her lips as she pulled the saran wrap from Regina's popsicle and held it out to the other woman. When Regina didn't reach out to take it, Emma took a step towards her until she was well within her personal space.
"Why would I want that?" Regina's voice hadn't really recovered yet, Emma noticed, and was somewhat breathless.
"Because," Emma whispered with a devilish glint in her eyes, "it's sweet and it's good, and it can make you feel so good on a day like today." She ran her tongue and lips around her own popsicle, her eyes never leaving Regina's, which were focused on Emma's mouth. "Because I want you," she continued.
Regina eyes shot up to meet Emma's. "What?" It sounded a little weak.
"I want you …" Emma repeated as she took another tiny step closer to Regina. "To enjoy all the good things life has to offer."
"Oh." Now Regina sounded vaguely disappointed.
Emma decided if there was ever a moment to take a chance, it was now. She dropped her popsicle on the porch and took Regina's hand, pulling them flush together. "And yes, I want you, Regina," she whispered in a low voice, taking a giant leap of faith. "I have for the longest time."
Regina studied Emma's face for a moment before closing her eyes. To Emma it looked as if she was on the verge of making a huge decision, and she found herself hoping that it would be in her favor. She closed her own eyes, trying hard not to beg. Suddenly, she felt Regina's free hand on her other hand, the one that still held Regina's popsicle. She looked down and saw that it was in a slightly sorry state, melting in the summer heat.
Regina looked down as well, a small smile playing around her lips. Emma felt suddenly hopeful. "You're dripping, dear," Regina repeated in a low, suggestive whisper.
Emma saw the melted popsicle running over her fingers, and now Regina's as well. "So are you," she replied.
"So I am," Regina said close to Emma's ear. "The question is: what are you going to do about it?"
Dropping another popsicle on the porch and going in a for a kiss, obviously, Emma thought two hours later, as she slowly and methodically cleaned up her mess with the brightest smile on her face.