Burning Confessions Chapter 4: Playing With Fire, an once upon a time fanfic

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DSQ :: DRAGON SWAN QUEEN :: DSQ

Emma tossed her keys aside in a small wooden bowl that was sitting on the table in the foyer of her cabin that was sitting on the water front of Provincetown, Massachusetts. It was one of Emma's get away homes that no one really knew about—except Merida, and now Regina Mills. It was a good two hour drive, give or take a few minutes due to traffic, but it was the longest two hours of Emma's life. Hour's she'd never get back from Regina prying into her life, or at least trying to, the woman was persistent and taunting and Emma thought about just unloading the brunette off on the side of the highway and be done with her.

Almost as if she could read Emma's mind whenever that particular thought would cross the blondes mind, Regina would smile and mention Texas vaguely—though she offered no other details. At one point when they had to stop for gas...Emma managed to convince herself that Regina was bluffing, but they both knew she wasn't.

The criminal defense attorney tore her eyes away from the gas pump once she locked the handle into place and walked inside of the store to get herself something to drink—leaving the brunette to her own devices in her car. It's not that Emma trusted her—not by a long shot—she'd be wiling to bet her career that Regina was rifling through her glove compartment and reading over her insurance card...or going through her briefcase.

Emma didn't keep important things on paper. That's what she had Peter for. He was her file cabinet. The hacker's mind was like a computer file itself and he had personally installed security on Emma's phone, tablet, and laptop...there was no way in hell Regina would get passed the power button. It was fingerprint activated, after all. When Emma got back to the car with her coffee, the gas was done and Regina looked perfectly innocent. To a fool's eye.

Once Emma got back on the highway towards Provincetown, the evening already starting to settle in—she finally asked a question of her own. One that she should've asked more than an hour ago, but was too thrown off balance to do so. "How do I know you're not lying about Texas, Regina."

"Well it's not a coincidence, dear. I've done my research on you, just as I'm sure you've done on me. Am I wrong?"

"I—"

The brunette continued on as if Emma was never going to respond, "And besides, I didn't really know if the incident in Texas was true or not..." Regina looked at Emma, leaning over the center console slightly with that infuriating half smile that irritated Emma so much, "Until you confirmed it."

"How?! I didn't confirm a damn thing! I..."

"The first drop of Texas and you froze. Now you're taking me to a safe-house hours away from Boston...if that doesn't scream guilt I don't know what does, Emma Nolan."

"I knew you were bad news, I should have never...goddamn it."

"I'm sure one Mr. Neal Cassidy had the exact same thoughts about you...but look how that ended up for him."

"And yet he's still haunting me from his grave." Emma sneered, hands tightening on the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white.

Regina snorted, "If that's what you call a grave, then I hope I don't really piss you off, Swan."

SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ

Emma was startled slightly when she felt someone touch her forearm gently. She looked around briefly, unaware that she was standing in the middle of the kitchen. She took a step back and tried not to think about how Regina's warm and mildly calloused fingers felt against her skin. Dismissing the brunette's concerned gaze, Emma opened a drawer that was next to the sink. Lifting a few dish rags that still had the price tag on them, there was a handful of cold hard cash sitting there neatly. All one hundred dollar bills.

Brow raised questioningly, Regina reached over and took the cash out and counted. "Is there a reason you have fifteen hundred dollars just laying around? Assuming from the amount of dust this beautiful granite counter has collected—you're hardly ever here."

"Emergency. This is a safe-house after all." Emma shrugged, "The cash is yours to use for toiletries, food and whatever else you think you'll be needing. There's spare clothes in the bedroom, mostly new. I'll be back in a week or so to check in with you. Until then, do you think you can lay low for that long? Because if you cause trouble here, Regina, I can't help you anymore."

"Of course I can, Swan. I'm not a child."

Emma scoffed, rolling her eyes and stifling a yawn. "And somehow, here I am...hiding you, like a babysitter. If there isn't anything else, I need to get back home."

"To an empty house you mean." Regina side stepped Emma's exit, and set the money on the counter—closely watching the blonde's body stiffen. "You look tired, Emma. I'd feel a lot better if you stayed here with me tonight. Can't have my lawyer falling asleep at the wheel, now can I?"

"I appreciate the concern, Regina, but I'll be fine." Emma sighed loudly when her exit was yet again thwarted, "Is this a game to you?"

"No, I really am concerned about you driving back tonight...but, would it kill you to have dinner with me tonight? I promise I won't try anything..." the 'tonight' was left out, but Emma was well aware of what the mischievous glint in Regina's dark brown eyes meant. It was the same look Lory had when she was thinking about less than innocent things—things that mostly involved Emma naked and later passed out, then hungry as hell when she eventually woke up. "I won't beg you, Emma. I'm not a lowly peasant looking for a warm body, if you want to be another statistic, I'll be sure to let your girlfriend know you didn't have to be."

Regina stepped aside and Emma breezed by her easily, collecting her keys by the front door quickly and was out of the door—completely oblivious to Regina's disappointment. Halfway out of town, sitting at a red-light, Emma stifled yet another yawn as she checked her phone for any new emails or messages while her stomach turned irritably—almost painfully. Maybe she was a little tired...and hungry, and perhaps she was a bit childish storming out the cabin the way she did. But Regina Mills was an infuriating woman...seductive and all knowing and mysterious—drove Emma nuts every time they were in the same room together.

Tossing her phone into the passengers seat without much care, a small Italian sign caught Emma's eye—as well as the lightening that lit up the sky for half a second.

DSQ :: DRAGON SWAN QUEEN :: DSQ

By the time Emma made it back to the cabin, the wind had picked up tremendously but the rain had yet to fall. She knew coming back unannounced with a murder lurking about in one of her homes was a horrible idea—but it was her goddamn house, and she had the main key. Regina, thankfully, was only sitting in the recliner watching TV sipping red wine when Emma walked in with her hair blown all over her place. Emma came in and set the brown bag on the coffee table next to the silver Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum. Emma had something similar sitting in the briefcase she was carrying.

"I'm glad you listened to me, weather report just came in...overnight storm is coming in and you probably would have been stranded, and I would've had to steal someone's car and go save you."

"I'm going to take a shower, the food is there if you're hungry." when it was clear that Regina wasn't going to say anything else, Emma turned and left the room. Feeling the brunette's eyes on her backside with every-step until she disappeared around the corner.

Thirty minutes later...

Emma dragged herself out of the shower and barely managed to pull on a hoodie and a pair of yoga shorts—remembering that she wasn't alone, so she couldn't walk around or sleep naked. Emma shuffled to the living room and plopped herself down on the sofa, pulling the throw blanket from the back of the sofa at the same time. She saw that the other woman laid the food containers out on the table, and set out a glass of wine for Emma.

"You can sleep in the bed if you'd like, Princess. It's big enough to fit three people."

Emma didn't even have to look, she could hear the smirk in Regina's tone. "Thank you, Regina, but the sofa is just fine." Emma reached forward for her wine glass—the first sip seeming to pure bliss as her her shoulders slumped tiredly with relief.

They sat in somewhat comfortable silence for a few more minutes, watching the western show that the brunette found— Emma had enjoyed the silence while it lasted, "I remember you telling me a few days ago you were single, Ms. Swan, but unavailable...I've been thinking about that while you were in the shower. The fed isn't your girlfriend is she?"

Not even bothering to correct Regina with her last name, Emma just shrugged. "Are you going to go back on your promise?"

"I'll try to be an honest woman, if you promise to repay the favor."

That wasn't a yes, but definitely not a no— "No, she isn't my girlfriend...yet, but we are regular lovers."

"Hm, so in other words you've never dipped your toes in other ponds. Never been curious about what it's like to be with someone different...a little extra?"

Emma grinned behind her wine glass, she knew exactly what Regina was getting at—she's been around Merida and Lory too much not to have noticed the brunette was packing. "Oh trust me Regina, I have enough 'extra' in my life to last a lifetime. I don't think I really need two, that's just greedy don't you think?"

Regina stared at Emma for a few beats, blinking once then twice before glancing down quickly and back to the blonde...the implication slowly dawning on her, and Emma was sure to bet that no one has ever really just unveiled Regina's game so bluntly before as she just did, "You'll never know until you try it."

"Try...what, exactly? You or going at it all at once?" why am I even having this conversation with her?

"Both." red lips curled slightly as Regina stood with her wine glass and food container, "But I made a promise, Ms. Swan, I promise I intend to keep tonight. Perhaps we can continue this in the morning when I'm sober and you're well rested. I would hate for anything to happen and we don't remember every last detail." Regina chuckling sounded more like a purr and Emma cursed her pale skin for making her blush so obvious. Once Emma heard the bedroom close soundly, she picked up her food and began to dig in. Contemplating whether she should sleep with one eye open.

DSQ :: DRAGON SWAN QUEEN :: DSQ

All mistakes are my own and yes I know it's short, but this is just to let ya'll know I'm still kickin'. Next chapter is more Regina and Emma time.