A/N: I am terribly sorry for keeping you waiting this long. My muse simply went off partying and got so drunk that she's still hungover, but I somehow got her to cooperate. I hope the length of this chapter makes up for the wait, it's the longest one yet.
I wish you all a happy New Year!
I'd really like to hear your thoughts on my take on Regina's POV. Thank you for all the support.
The kitchen clock ticked away almost silently and at its usual pace. To the Mayor of Storybrooke, however, it was both too loud and too fast. That's not to say dinner wouldn't be ready on time – it was Regina Mills, after all – but it showed 6.30 and that meant she had only thirty minutes to mentally prepare herself for the Sheriff to storm into her house and disrupt her already very fragile peace and routine. If the blonde could make it on time, that is.
That was just it. Emma Swan was notorious for her complete lack of manners and sense of abiding by the rules. It was one of those characteristics Regina hated most in others – it showed lack of control and control was something the brunette held very dear to her heart. Everything had to be planned in front, every step had to be clear from a mile away, no nasty surprises. Like the one she was a victim of a couple of nights ago, for example.
A shudder coursed through her body as vivid images of the encounter flooded her mind and she almost dropped a plate she was holding. Lowering it on the kitchen island slowly, she took a deep breath and exhaled. This would not do. She needed to get herself together and quickly since the clock showed only twenty minutes until dinner time. Regina would be damned if she showed any weakness, not to mention lack of control. Control was something she'd always had in abundance and she wasn't about to let it go in favor of a woman whose very existence mocked everything she'd worked so hard for.
The Savior. The very thought of that word, not to mention its implications, made Regina's fists clench in an instant flash of fury. The only upside to the whole story was the fact that the blonde was too blind and self-absorbed to see the truth that was all around her. Turns out that the former Queen should be thankful that Snow decided to have a child with that obnoxious shepherd – Emma's ignorance had Charming's genes written all over it. There was, however, something truly charming about it…
No. No, no, no. There was absolutely nothing charming about Snow's excruciatingly irritating spawn from hell. She was a common thug who made the mistake of stepping on Regina's toes and taking liberties with her no one ever got away with. If they were in the old world, Queen Regina would have dealt with her swiftly. Mayor Regina, however, had to be a tad more tactical in her approach in this matter, but that was all right – she was always up for some nice little mind games. The truth was, no matter how much the brunette was reluctant to admit it, Emma brought excitement to Storybrooke and Regina was intent on having some fun.
"Henry!" she exclaimed when the clock showed ten minutes to show time. "Come down here and help me set the table, please."
He was in his room, as usual. Ever since Snow gave him that damned book, he spent every single minute of his free time reading it, trying to collect evidence that his mother was indeed the infamous Evil Queen. She would deal with that eventually. The Savior was the number one project currently.
Henry barely spared her a glance as he stormed into the kitchen, took the offered plates and silverware and took off in the direction of the dining room. Regina sighed.
She didn't have much time to contemplate her alienated son, though, because the sound of the doorbell ringing broke the silence that surrounded her. She whipped her head around and locked her eyes on the clock – five minutes early. Well, that was a surprise. Whether a pleasant or an unpleasant one, Regina wasn't quite sure. She quickly discarded her apron, revealing high waist black slacks and a dark blue silk shirt, three buttons undone, of course. Running her hands through her hair, she exited the kitchen and went into the foyer.
"Miss Swan," she said after opening the door, her trademark smirk already in place on her lips. "You're early."
"Surprise?" Emma offered a small smile, along with a bottle of red wine.
Regina eyed the label – barely above the cheap grade. Why didn't that surprise her?
"Charming," she said, moving to the side and letting the blonde in.
"Hey," Emma started as she took off that terrible excuse for a red jacket of hers. "If you found more money in the budget for my paycheck, I would have bought something better so this one's on you."
"Of course, dear. God forbid you take responsibility for any of your actions," Regina deadpanned.
Just as Emma was about to think of something smart to say to that, Henry appeared and wrapped his arms around her waist. Regina wasn't going to stand witness to this show of affection so she simply pointed to the dining room and said she'd follow with the food shortly.
Back in the kitchen, she was once again irritated when she realized the wine Emma had so politely brought was obviously too cheap to be opened with ease. She struggled with the bottle opener for a while, another wave of fury slowly taking over her senses.
Can this woman do anything right?
"Need some help with that?" Emma said, casually leaning against the door frame, her hands in the back pockets of her trademark skinny jeans.
"I am perfectly able to open a bottle of wine, Sheriff," Regina said as she shot her a death glare.
"Doesn't look like it," Emma mused as she sauntered over to where Regina was standing and wrapped her hand around the bottle. In doing so, she accidentally brushed the other woman's fingers.
They stared each other down for a couple of moments until Regina relented and let go of the bottle, the heat radiating from Emma's skin proving to be too distracting. Just as she turned around and opened a glass cabinet, the traitorous popping sound of the bottle opening reached her ears, sounding another little victory for the Sheriff. She turned around and handed two glasses to Emma who had the presence of mind not to say anything smart. Instead, she took the offered items and went back to the dining room without a word, the smallest of smirks tugging at her lips the only indication of her satisfaction.
Regina couldn't help but let out a groan before she followed the blonde into the dining room.
The dinner started well and Regina found herself relaxing in her seat, right across the table from Emma. Henry was between them, to Regina's right, and he was happily munching away on his food pausing only to drink some of his juice and speak to Emma. Regina was happy that he acknowledged his mother's hard work and thanked her for making one of his favorite meals – lasagna. As she watched them talk and eat, the brunette couldn't help but notice all the subtle similarities between the two – the lopsided smile, the little crease between their brows when they were deep in thought, even the way they crossed their arms. It sent a pang of sadness right through Regina's heart, but there was also another feeling in the mix. It looked almost endearing and the Mayor caught herself smiling absentmindedly while watching them interact. Thankfully, nobody noticed and she quickly schooled her features. It would do her no good if Emma suddenly started getting funny ideas in her head.
Emma wasn't that lucky and Regina caught more than one of the quick stolen glances the blonde shot her way. She smirked internally, thinking that she had this one in the bag. The Sheriff was obviously interested. What she was supposed to do with that information, the Mayor didn't know yet. For now, she would be satisfied with playing along.
"Who's for dessert?" Regina asked when Henry finished telling Emma about one of his numerous comic books.
"What's for dessert?" Henry's eyes immediately widened.
"Now, now, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now would it?" Regina couldn't help but smile as she rose from the table.
"You need help?" Emma asked, already half way up to a standing position.
"No, Miss Swan, I'll manage," Regina said and went into the kitchen.
Sure enough, the sound of Emma's heavy boots followed her and she let out an exasperated breath.
"Miss Swan, can't you follow a simple instruction?" She rolled her eyes and turned around, only to find herself almost forehead to forehead with the blonde.
She stopped dead in her tracks, her mouth still slightly open, her eyes locked on the greenish ones in front of her. She knew she should take a step back and say something especially snarky in order to put the obnoxious woman in her place, but she found herself simply at a loss for words. A rare occurrence for the usually word-savvy Mayor. If it was any consolation, the blonde looked equally dumbstruck and simply stared back. Regina could feel her hot breath on her face and smell the faint scent of wine in it. It was almost intoxicating. It would be so easy to simply reach out and…
No. No, no, no. That was definitely not part of the plan. She cleared her throat, managing to somehow clear her mind as well. She took a step back and turned around in the direction of the refrigerator in order to extract the dessert. She could hear the faint sound of feet shuffling behind her, but not much else. When she turned around, she realized she was alone in the kitchen. Well, that was interesting. She decided to count that as a small victory in her favor and it definitely felt good.
"Tiramisu!" Henry exclaimed as Regina set down three plates on the table, each carrying a generous piece of the famous Italian dessert.
She smiled, happy that she made a dinner consisting exclusively of Henry's favorites. Glancing at Emma, she found another reason to feel satisfied – the blonde looked positively out of her comfort zone.
My dear, you wish you knew how to play with fire.
"Miss Swan, how is the dessert?" Regina asked when they were half way through with it. "I'd ask Henry, but I'm pretty sure he likes it," she added with a smile, taking a sip of wine from her glass.
Henry nodded with a smile and continued to eviscerate the cake.
"Oh, it's great. It's really great," Emma said nodding at the cake instead of the brunette.
"I'm glad you like it. I trust the dinner was also to your satisfaction?" One of her brows raised in an amused manner.
"Yup, it really was. Great work, Regina," the blonde answered, still not making eye contact.
"You guys are acting weird," Henry said as he eyed them, the crease between his eyebrows suddenly very prominent.
Emma raised her head slowly and opened her mouth, but Regina was faster. "What do you mean, Henry?"
"I don't know, it's just weird," he answered. "Can I finish this in the living room? The movie is starting," he added, once more resorting to using his puppy eyes to get what he wants.
"Just this once," Regina said, giving him a somewhat warning look.
He nodded and hopped off into the living room, the plate with his precious dessert firmly in his hands.
Regina eyed Emma as she refilled their glasses. The bottle was almost empty.
"Do you think we're acting weird, Sheriff?" she prodded.
Emma accepted the glass and gave her a disdainful look.
Ah, here we go then.
"Seriously, Regina? God, you're such a child sometimes," she huffed.
"Me?" The brunette's eyebrows shot up in a mocking fashion. "I'm not the one who all but ran out of the kitchen half an hour ago."
"I didn't run out of the kitchen," Emma said.
"Oh? Then, by all means, what did you do?"
"You said you didn't need my help so I left you to it," Emma said as she shrugged her shoulders innocently.
"An odd time to start following my wishes," Regina deadpanned.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma's eyes narrowed.
"Oh, nothing. I'm simply saying that following the rules, any rules, isn't usually part of your nature," Regina said with a smirk.
Emma took a sip from her glass and gave the other woman a pointed look. "I think you like it."
"Like what?"
"Me not following your rules."
"Please, Sheriff. I think the wine might be getting to your head."
"Is that a bad thing?" Emma asked, this time with a smirk of her own.
Regina regarded the blonde calmly. There was just something about this woman, about her insolence and total disregard of order that made her feel almost excited. Almost. After 28 years in this town, she had someone who wasn't afraid to come at her or call her out on her bullshit. It was fun to play these games, Regina had to admit that much.
"That, my dear, depends on your definition of bad," she said plainly.
"You know, Regina, I think it's your definition of bad that's the issue here," Emma shot back.
"Whatever do you mean?"
"You think having fun is bad," Emma said in an even, matter of fact tone.
"Ah, but then we come to your definition of fun, Sheriff." Regina's smirk grew bigger.
"And what is my definition of fun?" the blonde challenged.
Regina took a moment as she watched Emma refill their glasses and set the empty bottle aside. The whole scene looked like something out of a movie – the two of them sitting at the opposite sides of a big table, drinking wine and playing word games, trying to outsmart each other. The Mayor would have chuckled if she wasn't intent on keeping her poker face intact.
"Whatever it is, it isn't compatible to mine."
"And why are you so sure?" Emma wasn't giving up.
"Oh, please, Miss Swan. We are absolute opposites in every way possible. What makes you think we would have similar, not to mention identical, notions of having fun?" Regina's tone was dripping with condescension.
"Opposites attract," Emma said as a wide grin appeared on her face.
Regina had to will herself not to roll her eyes. The blonde looked as if she had just won the lottery when, in fact, she blurted out one of the most notoriously ignorant sayings this realm was plagued with.
"I highly doubt that," she said, taking the plates off the table and walking to the kitchen, not giving Emma the chance to respond.
Sure enough, the irritating sound of those damned boots tickled her ears only moments later. She turned around, half expecting to find the blonde much too close to her again, but she was standing at a safe distance this time. Regina accepted the offered glass which contained only a couple of sips of wine and eyed the blonde that was casually leaning against the kitchen island.
"Why don't we test that?" Emma said as she gulped the rest of her wine down.
"Test what?" Regina's brows scrunched together.
"If opposites attract or not."
Regina ignored the feeling of nervousness that started to settle in the pit of her stomach. "And how do you suppose we do that?"
"It's simple. Let me kiss you," Emma said casually.
"What?" the Mayor exclaimed, her voice just a tad too high to her liking. She immediately scolded herself mentally for the slip up. The feeling in her stomach was now growing by the second.
"Aw, Regina, I didn't know you were so afraid of a little challenge," Emma said, her grin set firmly upon her lips.
"Please, Miss Swan. I thought we were out of high school. I simply don't follow your logic," the brunette said, slowly regaining her footing.
"What logic?"
"How does you kissing me prove anything."
"Well, if you feel anything, then I guess opposites do attract. I said it was simple," Emma said with a shrug.
"Oh, God, you are in high school," Regina groaned.
"What are you so afraid of?" Emma's expression was halfway between serious and making fun of Regina.
"I'm not afraid of anything, Sheriff. I simply don't see the point in you assaulting me again."
"Here we go with this again," Emma rolled her eyes. "I thought we already established that you kissed me back."
"No, you established that."
"Fine, whatever," Emma huffed. "So now I'm asking. This way you can't say I forced you to do anything."
"Miss Swan, Henry is in the other room."
Just as the words left her mouth, Regina realized what she'd said. It sounded as if she was decided on the matter and that the only problem was Henry being there. Was she really willing to go through with this? On one hand, she couldn't stand the self-satisfied smirk on Emma's face and she'd do anything to erase it for good. On the other, what if she was taking it too far? What if she…
No. No, no, no. She wouldn't like it. She couldn't possibly. It was Emma Swan, for God's sake. The Savior, Snow's child, Henry's birth mother, the list went on. Regina had reasons to hate her in abundance. And now she could actually win against her in her own game.
"Is that a yes?" Emma prodded carefully.
"Are you deaf?" Regina groaned. "Henry is right there!" She pointed her hand in the general direction of the living room.
"Jeez, relax. He's watching a movie. You and I both now he's glued to the screen and will be for the next hour at least." Emma's tone gained a note of annoyance to it.
She did have a point. Once Henry sat in front of the TV, there was no way of moving him or getting his attention. Regina couldn't count the times she had to all but yell in order to get his attention while watching something.
"And you want to do this now?" Regina asked.
"Why not? Now is good as any other time is." Emma shrugged.
"Okay." Regina said in a sure tone.
She noticed a very perceptible change in Emma's demeanor the moment that simple word left her mouth. If she'd been drinking something, the brunette was sure the Sheriff would have spluttered it all over her black tank top. Another thing Regina hated about her. It was just so… Plain and ordinary.
"Well?" Regina said cockily, after seeing Emma's mouth open and close without a sound leaving them. She set her glass on the counter and waited, piercing the blonde with her eyes, challenging her.
Oh, how she loved the feeling of control, the knowledge that she was several steps ahead. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this good. Probably the last time she outsmarted the woman that was now watching her warily.
Without a word, Emma took a tentative step forward. And another one. And another one. They were now mere inches apart and Regina was able to, once more, feel that hot breath breezing over her lips and cheeks. The greenish eyes looked determined, albeit a little unsure, as if trying to make sure she heard right and this was real. Regina made no move. It was Emma's challenge after all.
The Mayor watched as the blonde's eyes closed and a hand came up to her face, grazing it with her fingers carefully. She watched as the blonde's face inched closer. She watched as the blonde exhaled slowly before connecting their lips. And then she closed her eyes and didn't see anything.
Emma kissed her slowly, carefully moving her lips over her own, more plump ones. They were soft, yet hard. The hand on her cheek grabbed her face more firmly, as Emma started to get into it.
Then, all of a sudden, the Sheriff pulled back, annoyance visible in her eyes. Regina simply blinked at her.
"When I asked to kiss you, I thought it was clear that you're supposed to kiss me back," Emma gritted through her teeth.
Regina only then realized that she hadn't made a single move since the other woman stepped in front of her. Whether it was on purpose or she simply forgot that she was also required to do something, she wasn't sure. However, the look on Emma's face was, as the youth of this realm would say, priceless and she couldn't help but laugh. Actually, genuinely laugh.
This earned her a death glare from Emma. "Seriously?"
"Oh, come on, Miss Swan," Regina said, still fighting her fit of laughter. "I thought you liked a bit of a challenge."
Emma raised her eyebrow, fury still very evident in her features.
"I thought you knew how to play with fire," the brunette continued, enjoying this turn of events.
Emma's face darkened for a moment, but then a look of realization wrote itself all over her face.
"You remember I said that?" she asked with victory in her eyes.
Great.
A flash of panic ran through Regina's body, but she contained it before it showed on the outside. Emma may have caught her of guard, but she had no idea who she was playing with. Without giving it a second thought, the former Queen switched into attack mode.
"Oh, shut up," she said and grabbed Emma's hand.
She smirked at the look of surprise in the blonde's eyes before pulling her flush against her own body and kissing her with new found motivation. There was nothing slow and tentative about this kiss. Regina was in control, but Emma quickly recovered her wits and followed suit.
Regina tangled her fingers in blonde tresses, pulling the other woman even more in. The kiss was fire incarnated. A dance of lips, tongues and teeth. Hands roamed and soft, yet aggressive, moans filled the room.
The Mayor completely lost track of time. She had no idea how long this dangerous dance of theirs lasted. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours. As she felt fire consume her body and touch every single one of her nerve endings, she found that she didn't care. She simply gave in and enjoyed the moment. She would think about what this all meant later. Right now she was too consumed with Emma's hands exploring her body to focus on anything else. The blonde proved to be a very skilled kisser and Regina couldn't help but smile into the kiss. Just another proof that this irritating woman could hold her own against the most formidable Queen a realm far away had ever seen.
"Mom?" Henry's voice reached them both and they broke the kiss in a flash, turning their heads toward the door in perfect unison.
The shared shock on their faces was replaced with relief once they realized Henry wasn't in the kitchen, but simply calling Regina from the living room.
"Yes, Henry?" Regina yelled back in a shaky voice, trying to fix her hair and shooting a death glare Emma's way. She couldn't help but notice how the Sheriff's chest heaved, not unlike her own.
"Could you bring me some juice, please?"
"Sure, honey," Regina said, immediately going to the refrigerator.
Her hands shook as she poured the liquid in a tall glass. She could feel Emma's eyes on her, but the blonde didn't say anything.
She returned to the kitchen after giving Henry his juice. The boy was too engrossed in his movie to even spare her a glance, not to mention notice anything strange about her. She was definitely grateful for that.
Emma hadn't moved from her spot in the kitchen, her eyes trained on Regina, her chest still slightly heaving.
"Regina," she started.
"Just," the Mayor interrupted her. "Just… I think you should go, Miss Swan. It's getting late."
Emma's eyes slightly darkened and Regina prepared herself mentally for another one of her usual childlike fits.
"Um, yeah. Yeah, I think I'll go," Emma said.
Well, that was a surprise.
"Can I leave my car here? I don't think I should drive," she added almost apologetically.
"Yes, yes of course."
The only way Regina could describe the silence that surrounded them as they walked towards the front door was awkward. It was really awkward. Neither one of them said anything. Regina waited patiently as Emma put on her jacket. She opened the door slowly and watched the Sheriff step onto the porch.
She had her mind set on simply closing the door, but the blonde turned around and stopped her mid-track.
"I'll just," Emma started. "I'll come by tomorrow to pick up the car."
Regina nodded and closed the door. She leaned her back against it and let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She listened as the footsteps receded in the distance outside and pressed her head against the door, her eyes closed.
So much for that brilliant plan.
A/N: Okay, there it is. I apologize for any mistakes, didn't do much editing because I wanted to upload it as soon as possible. Reviews are very welcome! :)