The End of the Thunderstorm
Boston had had to endure sweltering heat for over three weeks, humidity sticking people to their clothes. With each day came an overwhelming claustrophobic mugginess that meant that no one could breathe properly and even though it wasn't the hottest it could have been, it was unbearable. One of the biggest thunderstorms seen by the state of Massachusetts was looming, everyone waiting with baited breath. Trust Emma Swan to be one of the only ones outside when it hit.
The normally bustling streets were pretty much deserted, much to the confusion of the blonde woman. She had been in a rush earlier that day to get to work on time and had completely missed the weather warning, wondering what people were talking about all day. She figured it out pretty quickly when the whole sky lit up in a flash of blue-white light, causing her to jump. She stopped walking, pulling her headphones off to try and gauge her surroundings. After a few seconds, a loud crack from the sky echoed off every grey building and shook the ground. Emma regretted not bringing a coat earlier when a cold river of air sliced through the warmer areas and dropped the temperature by ten degrees.
Emma began to walk back to her apartment at a faster pace once she felt the first fat raindrop fall onto her arm. She knew she only had a couple of minutes, breaking out into a fast run. The layer of hot air around the city and the eerie quiet meant that she could hear the rain bashing against the ground and buildings from a few miles away. The black, ominous cloud was inching its way closer, encasing the city in a wall of water. Her apartment soon came into sight and she started to sprint, hoping to avoid any more rain. It was already starting to fall a bit more heavily, splashing onto the hot pavement which absorbed it like a desert plant desperate for water.
"No!" Emma hissed, rummaging through her bag. She turned it over and dropped all the contents onto the steps outside the entrance. Empty bear claw and grilled cheese packets blew away in the cool wind while she turned over books and random objects to try and find her keys. Colour drained from her face when she realised that she had left them on her desk at work. Lightening again flashed across the sky, reflecting off every glass surface and beaming light down every dark street in the city. She cursed, shoving all the contents back into her bag before they got soaked. She knocked on the front door as hard as she could, hoping people in the other apartments might hear her and open the door. After a few minutes of hearing the thunder getting louder and closer and no one answering the door, she decided her best plan was to seek shelter.
Running through the warm and dusty rainwater tumbling towards the ground, she aimed for the building further down the street with a slightly extended roof which would supply a small bit of shelter until the storm passed. She stopped when she saw a huddled figure that had already had the same idea. They had a hood pulled over their head so Emma couldn't see their face. The rain suddenly became like a hot shower, drenching Emma and her hair in a matter of seconds. Running out of options, she approached the figure and the shelter cautiously.
Once she stepped under the cover, the figure looked up at her. Another bit of lightning struck the sky and Emma could make out soft brown eyes, full lips, dark hair and tanned skin that belonged to a woman.
"Hi." Emma greeted quietly, suddenly conscious of her soaking wet shirt which was now sticking very closely to her and her dripping hair which was plastered to the side of her face and down her back. Luckily, she had opted for the bare minimum of make up in the morning after she had sweated most of the foundation off the day before. The woman lifted two elegant hands and pushed back the hood of her jacket while looking Emma up and down. A shiver ran down Emma's spine, and she was unsure whether it was due to the cold wind on her soaked clothes or the other woman's suggestive glance. The other woman had eyeliner rimmed around her dark brown eyes perfectly, apart from where it was starting to smudge and drip at the edges. She had dark lipstick on to match her features and her chestnut hair just reached her shoulders, flicking slightly at the end. Emma couldn't deny that she was absolutely gorgeous.
"Good evening." She greeted, in a way that suggested they were two business owners meeting in an office instead of sheltering under a building in the middle of a summer thunderstorm. Emma nodded once back, pushing her hair behind her ears with both hands.
"Emma." She stated, glancing at the brunette from the corner of her eye.
"Regina." The other woman replied, again looking Emma up and down. There was a small frown on her face, counteracted by the tiny smile on her lips. Honestly, Emma didn't know what to make of her. The silence between them was broken by a roar of thunder, louder than before and causing the windows around them to shake. Emma shrugged to herself and walked over to where Regina was sitting, flopping down ceremoniously onto the step next to the brunette.
"So, why are you out here?" Emma asked, stretching her legs out in front of her.
"Why are you?" Regina replied defensively. Emma's eyebrows raised in surprise at the response.
"I left my keys at the office." Emma shrugged, having to raise her voice a bit higher over the sound of the rain on the pavement. Regina looked at Emma again, both of them locking eyes for a few seconds. Then, the other woman tore her eyes away to look at the rain in front of them. Emma noticed that Regina was definitely conflicted over something but opted not to say anything as to let the woman decide.
"My mother locked me out." Regina admitted quietly, so quietly that Emma wasn't sure she heard her correctly over the cacophony of noise from the skies. She watched Regina's mask slip as she suddenly appeared very young and vulnerable, but only for a second. It stirred a strange emotion within her, as if she wanted to shield and protect the woman from anything that was thrown at her in life. Yet, she had only known her for a couple of minutes. Only when Regina started to look worried did Emma notice that she had been staring at her during her internal monologue.
"I'm sorry. If you don't mind me asking, why didn't you just…leave?" Emma asked, frowning. Regina opened her mouth, but quickly closed it and looked straight forward again. Emma knew she wasn't going to get an answer and dropped the subject. The rain was getting heavier and heavier, the thunder louder and lightening closer. The wind changed slightly, blowing the rain right onto Emma.
Emma gasped, brushing the rainwater out of her eyes. Next to her, she heard Regina snicker at Emma's misfortune. Emma mock glared at her, causing Regina to laugh even more when she saw her long blonde hair plastered even more to her head and her clothes were dripping.
Emma grinned childishly, grabbing Regina's warm hand and pulling both of them out from underneath the shelter and into the warm torrents of rain.
"No!" Regina yelled, trying to pull out of Emma's grasp. Regina's yells were interlaced with laughter as both women stood in the falling water. Emma's breath hitched when Regina pushed her short brown hair out of her face, a carefree smile on her face.
"See!" Emma laughed, looking up as another lick of lightening filled the sky. Regina laughed loudly, her hand resting on her stomach as she doubled over.
"What's so funny?" Emma asked, amused. Regina ran a hand over her face, brushing off all the rainwater. Her nose and cheeks were tinted red from laughter, her brown eyes sparkling with life.
"I've never done anything like this." Regina admitted, squinting her eyes against the rain.
"If you think that's fun, try this." Emma grinned, taking Regina's hand again and kneeling down, pulling the brunette with her. Then, Emma lay down, resting her back against the wet Boston pavement.
"You are mad." Regina stated fondly, looking at her incredulously from above. Emma laughed.
"Probably. Just try it!" Emma protested, tugging Regina's hand lightly. Regina rolled her eyes.
"I met you a few minutes ago and now you want me to lie down on the pavement with you." Regina stated, arching an eyebrow. Emma nodded again, smiling.
"I'm in an expensive dress." Regina protested, motioning to the dark blue dress which caused Emma's eyes to roam over where it was now clinging to her curves.
"We can get that off you later." Emma shrugged, suddenly freezing when she realised how suggestive it was. She shyly looked over to Regina who was looking at her with an unreadable expression. Emma's stomach flipped, a breath caught in her throat as they continued to maintain eye contact.
"Fine." Regina conceded, lying down next to Emma. They watched as the rain plummeted from thousands of metres above them and the sky lit up in various places. It was breath-taking. Emma started to notice Regina shivering against the rain next to her so she wrapped an arm around the older woman, pulling her into her side. She could feel Regina tense up but after a few moments, she relaxed into the blonde's side. Every bit of her that was in contact with Regina felt like it was on fire, sending tingles up her body. The sensation was overwhelming, coupled with the roaring crack of the thunder. She barely knew the woman, yet she made her feel like she was more alive than ever before.
Something was digging into Emma's hip, but she was reluctant to move so she could keep Regina where she was. However, after a couple of minutes of watching the stunning sky and the reflection of the lights off the brunette's face, her hip started to hurt badly.
"Sorry." Emma whispered into Regina's ear, her breath on her neck. Emma moved her arm from Regina to remove whatever in her pocket was hurting her. Regina automatically wrapped her arms around herself at the loss of contact.
"You're kidding." Emma laughed, pulling out the object from her pocket. Regina looked at her questioningly so she outstretched her hands, showing Regina the keys to her apartment.
"You're an idiot." Regina deadpanned, having to yell over the rain which started to fall even harder. Emma flashed an endearing grin before hopping up, extending a hand to Regina. Regina seemed almost disappointed, taking her hand and standing up. She pushed her hair back away from her face as it was dripping.
"I live over there." Emma yelled, gesturing to the block a hundred metres away. Regina nodded, frowning.
"Okay." Regina replied, wrapping her arms around herself.
"Do you want to come in? You're getting cold." Emma asked, stepping forward and putting her hands on Regina's arms, rubbing them up and down to try and warm her up. Regina kept her eyes trained on her, her mouth opening slightly.
"I barely know you. You could be a murderer." Regina teased, a small smile playing on her perfectly formed lips. Emma laughed, tipping her head back slightly.
"You've figured out my plan. I pretend to lose my keys to lure gorgeous women into my lair so I can murder them." Emma retorted, a playful glint in her eyes. Regina's lips slowly formed a smile, shaking her head.
"If you must." Regina replied, lifting her head up mock-haughtily. Emma smiled, moving her hand from Regina's arm to her hand, pulling her along with her. She let go once they reached the front door, putting the keys into the lock and opening the door. They were both dripping all over the floor as they carefully ascended the stairs, trying not to leave puddles everywhere for the other residents to slip on. They reached Emma's yellow door and she quickly let both of them in.
Emma shivered, jumping up and down to warm herself up. Regina stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do as she was leaving a mess on the floor.
"Emma, what should I…?" Regina asked, pulling her shoes off.
"Don't worry about it. Hang on." Emma dismissed, popping into the other room and leaving a trail of rainwater behind her. She came back a second later, handing Regina a large white towel, a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. "Besides, it's kinda my fault that you're soaked."
"Yes it is. " Regina agreed, offering Emma a half smile. "Thank you."
Emma nodded, heading off to her own room to get changed. Once she returned, Regina was sitting on her kitchen counter while surveying the room. Regina's eyes focused on her, her lips pursing slightly. Emma felt her heart pound more heavily in her chest as she stepped forward, her mouth feeling dry. As Emma approached her, Regina's own eyes darkened slightly when she observed the blonde's sinewy form. She was wearing a tank top and pyjama shorts, leaving little to the imagination. Emma noticed that Regina must have taken her bra off, the cool room causing Regina's nipples to harden under the tank top.
"Um…are you hungry? I could make something if you want." Emma asked, averting her eyes from Regina. The warmth pooling down in her stomach was making her unable to think of anything else but pulling the small amount of clothes off the brunette woman and taking her on the kitchen counter.
"I am." Regina replied lowly, slowly lowering herself off the counter and brushing herself against Emma as she did so. Emma held her breath, her tongue darting out to wet her lips as Regina's gaze darted between Emma's green eyes. The moment started to feel like forever as the room suddenly felt warmer. Emma was sure that her cheeks were flushed due to the brunette ever so slightly moving closer towards her.
Emma decided to take charge as she was sure that she was going to die of anticipation if they were going to go at the rate that Regina was going. She took a small step forward, the act causing Emma to be pressed all the way along Regina's body and placing Regina between her and the counter. Regina's pupils dilated as Emma raised a slightly shaking hand to brush Regina's hair behind her ear to allow herself to cup her cheek.
Regina wet her own lips as Emma leaned forward, pressing the two bodies closer together. Emma brushed the pad of her thumb against Regina's cheek, her own eyes imploring Regina's to check if she had consent. Regina's eyes fluttered shut in response at Emma's breath on her lips, giving her the answer she needed.
Emma leaned forward. In a last bold move, she lightly brushed her lips against Regina's. At first, it felt like there was nothing and Emma felt crushing disappointment after all the anticipation building between them. Suddenly, Regina brought one hand to the back of Emma's head and the other to the small of the other woman's back, pulling the woman to her and pressing their lips together harder. It was suddenly all lips and teeth and tongues as they deepened the kiss, taking turns in pressing the other against the counter in a battle for dominance. Emma felt like the storm outside, her stomach continually cartwheeling, tingles racing up her spine and a thousand thoughts running through her head.
Regina moaned, heat pooling in Emma's stomach. Emma lifted the hem of Regina's tank top to allow her hand to roam over the soft skin. Regina lifted her hands to palm Emma's breasts through the cotton material, earning a moan from the blonde. Emma leant down and placed her hands on the backs of Regina's thighs, pulling her up onto the counter. Regina wrapped her legs around Emma's midriff and her arms around her shoulders, deepening the kiss further. Emma was hit with the feeling that they were both wearing way too much clothing, and it appeared to be mutual.
Emma hooked her fingers under Regina's top, slowly pulling it over her head. Regina had the same idea, quickly discarding Emma's. Emma took in the voluptuous curve of Regina's breasts, running a hand over the incredibly soft skin before rolling the nipples with her fingers, causing them to quickly harden. Regina moaned again, her head tilting back. Emma took the opportunity to slide her tongue down Regina's neck before sucking on her pulse point, inhaling the scent of her.
Regina reached over to Emma and ran her hand down the taut muscles on her stomach before dipping her fingers through the waistband of the shorts. Past the curls, she circled a finger around her clit, quickly feeling her fingers get wet with Emma's arousal. Emma hummed against her throat, peppering kisses up her neck and across her cheek until she joined their lips together again. Regina bit lightly down onto Emma's lip, causing the blonde to feel overloaded with senses.
Emma slowly stepped away, causing Regina to retract her hand from Emma's shorts. Regina's eyes seductively took in Emma's form again, now that she had no top on. Her eyes roamed over the planes of flawless pale skin, meeting Emma's as they both breathed heavily, trying to catch their breath back. Emma took a step forward again; pressing a kiss to the brunette's already swollen lips. She slowly lowered herself down onto her knees, causing Regina's eyes to dilate further. Emma looped her fingers under the waistband of Regina's sweatpants, pulling them off. Regina bucked her hips to allow her to get them off quickly.
Emma repositioned herself, looking up to Regina to see if she was still okay with it. Seeing nothing but lust in the brunette's expression, she swiftly pulled off her panties. Emma pressed kisses to the insides of Regina's thighs, working her way up to where she was needed. Each time she did so, Regina's breath hitched. Finally, Emma pressed a kiss on top of Regina's core, earning a soft gasp from her.
Emma set to work devouring the brunette, caressing her clit with her tongue and trying to figure out which movements made Regina gasp and moan beneath her. After a while, she slowly entered two fingers into her centre and hooked them at the ends so that she hit the spot with each movement. The combination of the two caused Regina to scream and writhe beneath her, her head thrown back, exposing her perfect breasts.
As Regina came closer to climaxing, her arms began to shake and she was unable to hold herself up. She leant all the way back, resting her flushed back against the cool marble top. Emma began to pump faster as she felt Regina's walls tighten around her. Regina's yells grew louder and louder until she bucked her hips and came. She rested her hand against Emma's head as Emma slowly moved her fingers inside the brunette to guide her through her orgasm.
"Emma, that was…" Regina panted, at a loss for words. She sat back up to gain a full view of her. Emma pulled her fingers out of Regina and stood up, bringing her fingers up to her mouth and seductively licking the juices off of them. Regina's dark eyes followed the movement, wrapping her legs around Emma to pull her closer to her. Emma's stomach rest against Regina's hot core causing Emma's own arousal to increase. Regina pulled Emma until a searing kiss, moaning as she tasted herself on Emma's soft lips.
Regina hopped off the counter mid-kiss, turning Emma around so that she was pressed against it. However, nervousness got the better of Regina and Emma felt her hands shake as her hands moved down the blonde's stomach.
"Hey, Regina, it's okay. Have you done this before?" Emma asked, gently grasping Regina's wrist to stop her doing anything she didn't want to. Regina blushed, looking away from her in embarrassment.
"Not with a woman, no." She admitted, not looking to see Emma's reaction. Emma lifted her free hand to guide Regina's chin so that she was looking at her again, before placing a gentle kiss against her full lips.
"It's okay if you don't want to." Emma explained, brushing the fallen straight strands of dark brown hair behind Regina's ears.
"Trust me, I want to. I just don't know how to do it right." Regina replied, running her hands up and down Emma's waist in thought.
"Then I'll show you." Emma smiled, taking Regina's hand and leading her into her bedroom. She removed the shorts herself and pulled Regina into the bed on top of her, their pressing bodies already reigniting the fire between them.
Their teeth clashed as they kissed hungrily, tongues wielding and giving in perfect synchronisation as they figured out a perfect rhythm for the both of them. Emma ran her hands down Regina's back before resting her hands on the ass that she had been appreciating earlier, giving it a small squeeze. Regina appeared to have gained more confidence as her own hands roamed over Emma's slender body, causing the blonde to shiver.
Regina lowered herself down Emma's body, stopping when Emma parted her legs to give her good access.
"Just do what you would do to yourself if you were alone." Emma rasped, running a hand down the side of Regina's face. Regina nodded, stroking her fingers through Emma's wet folds. Emma moaned loudly at the action, giving Regina newfound confidence. She entered two fingers into Emma, Emma again reacting loudly at being filled. Regina began to move her fingers in and out slowly, starting to move a bit faster when she found the spot that she needed to hit. Emma gripped the sheets with her slender fingers, her back arched off the bed in pleasure.
Regina slowly lowered herself onto Emma, tentatively darting her tongue over Emma's clit. Emma hissed, causing Regina to move her tongue faster. She started to draw patterns and letters with her tongue, pushing Emma closer and closer to coming.
"Fuck, Regina!" Emma gasped, bucking her hips more as her walls tightened around Regina's fingers. Regina smiled against Emma's when she realised that it was her that was making Emma feel this way. Determined to be even better, she moved faster and started to hum against Emma's clit. It drove Emma over the edge and she came crashing down, yelling Regina's name as her walls clenched around Regina. Regina pulled out of Emma, mimicking Emma's actions earlier and licking her fingers clean.
Emma opened her eyes, still panting. Regina moved up the bed to lie on her back next to her, so Emma turned onto her side.
"What'd ya know, you're a natural." Emma grinned, pressing a kiss to Regina's shoulder. Regina smiled while pushing her hair out of her face.
"I guess I am." Regina replied absentmindedly, intertwining her hand with Emma's in between them. They both lay in Emma's bed for a few minutes, satisfied and exhausted.
"Hey, if you don't mind me asking…" Emma started, running one hand up and down Regina's arm to gain her attention. Once she had it, she continued. "What happened between you and your mum to make her lock you out?"
Regina immediately tensed, her hand pausing where it been subconsciously caressing Emma's thigh. Emma quickly regretted asking the question, resting her forehead against Regina's arm. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."
"It's alright. She…she wants me to marry this man that has promised to provide for both me and my mother if I married him. I explained to her that I didn't want to, and she took it rather badly." Regina explained, unconsciously pressing her hand lightly to the top of her own arm. Emma noticed for the first time the various bruises running up and down her arm, some finger marks and some not. Emma felt bile rise in her throat at the idea of anyone wanting to hurt Regina, let alone her own mother.
"God, Regina, that's awful. You're not actually going to marry him, are you?" Emma asked, filling up with rage at Regina's mother's selfish actions even though she had never met the woman.
"I don't think I have much of a choice." Regina admitted softly, her voice breaking at the end. Her brown eyes turned to Emma, and in that moment Emma didn't think she'd seen such sadness in someone's eyes before. It broke Emma's heart, and she wanted to weep for the woman next to her. She reached down for Regina's hand and clasped it between her two cooler ones, pressing a soft kiss to the tanned skin before resting the hand against her chest.
"You always have a choice." Emma affirmed, her eyes imploring. Regina's eyebrows drew together as a single tear slipped down her cheek and onto the pillow. Emma reached up and brushed it away before pressing a kiss to where it had been. She then pressed tentative kisses to where the bruises were etched into her skin, contradicting the brutality of their origin with loving gentleness. A few more tears escaped Regina's eyes, making Emma realise just how broken and hurting the woman next to her was.
"Thank you." Regina croaked, giving Emma a watery smile. Emma wrapped her arm around Regina's waist, pulling the woman towards her in a comforting embrace. Emma wasn't sure how long they lay there for, but she was content to lie like that for the rest of her life.
"Is lying on the pavement something you do often?" Regina asked quietly, turning her head to Emma. Emma smiled to herself, propping her body up with her arm so she could see Regina.
"When I was a baby, my parents left me to the foster system and I bounced from home to home my entire childhood. When I was 16, I was living in a particularly bad one and so I ran away. I lived on the streets for half a year and I always used to enjoy when it rained. I found it…liberating? I would lie on the pavement because it would be so peaceful and quiet whenever it rained and I would watch it fall, making me realise that really everything just…continues. The water falling on me could have been from the deepest depths of the ocean to the highest point of the sky. It made me forget. " Emma explained, her eyes roaming over to where the storm was still ongoing, rain lashing against the window.
"I'm sorry, Emma." Regina whispered, her eyes filled with sympathy.
"I think we both have some fairly tragic backstories." Emma smiled softly, tucking herself into Regina's side again.
"That we do." Regina agreed, tracing patterns lightly over Emma's soft thigh.
While the two lay in drowsy silence, the storms outside stopped, leaving behind a fresh, clear night. Emma watched as Regina slowly slipped into sleep, her worries and inhibitions melting. She pressed a fond kiss to her shoulder and in that moment, Emma realised that she might have just fallen for the sad woman, abandoned in the storm.
Now the storm was over.