Emma pulled away slowly, and when she did, Regina let out a soft, contented sigh, which made the blonde smile.
"Let's check out the menu and order some food, yeah?" she asked.
"Sure."
So Emma grabbed the hotel's menu off the nightstand and opened it, holding it between them so the other girl could read it with her.
"Salad's good for me," Regina told her.
"You kidding? I'm getting the burger and fries."
"No… I'm not kidding. Why?"
"I dunno. Salads are just… crispy water…"
"You're crispy water!" the brunette cried, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Nice insult, babe. One of your best. Crispy. Fucking. Water."
"Twat!"
"Brat."
"Cooch."
"Vaginal discharge."
"Wait, what?!" Regina said, bursting into laughter.
Emma laughed too, holding her stomach as she doubled over.
"I dunno," the blonde told her, between gasping breaths. "It was the first thing that came to mind."
"The first thing that comes to your mind when you think about me is vaginal discharge?"
"What? No! I just… I was trying to think of an insult. It sounded better in my head."
"Oh, yeah? And were you trying to be less offensive, or more?"
"Well, I…" Emma started, then realized quickly that the question was a trap, and said, "You're beautiful…"
Regina laughed again, shaking her head and shoving the girl's shoulder.
"You're such a twat."
"I'm gonna call for food. We both know this could go on for hours, if we let it."
"Yeah, yeah. Alright…" the brunette said, then added, "Brat."
After shooting a scowl shot in her lover's direction, Emma picked up the phone and called the hotel's kitchen to order their food.
Until it arrived, Emma flopped back on the bed, and Regina pulled out a book from her suitcase.
"Nerd," Emma teased, placing a hand gently on her lover's back.
"Hands off, twat!" Regina shouted, slapping the girl's hand away.
With a laugh, Emma just rolled over onto her side to face the girl, who was already turned away with her face in the book.
"It's cute…" the blonde said softly, dragging her fingers from the girl's neck, all the way down her spine.
Once Emma's hand landed flat on her lower back, Regina shivered, and Emma felt it.
"Oooh," she cooed. "You like that, babe?"
"Shut up," Regina hissed, but her next statement was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"I'll get it!" Emma said happily, rushing over to the door, glad for the distraction.
She paid the young man for the food, thanked him for bringing it to them, took the plates, and shut the door. When she turned back to Regina, the girl was still scowling.
"I don't like being teased," she said sternly.
"But I liked teasing you."
"I think you like making me sweat."
"How'd you guess?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the way you moan, when I do?"
"Hey, shut up. That was one time!"
"Haha. Yeah right. That was several times, and you know it."
"Yeah, well… Maybe. Anyway, let's eat. I'm starving now."
When she was finished eating, Regina immediately stood up and hurried to brush her teeth.
"You okay?" her lover asked, concerned by the girl's sudden rush to the bathroom.
"Fine, babe," she answered, with her mouth full of the toothbrush and a large amount of toothpaste.
Once she'd spit out the mouthful of toothpaste, she said, "Just making sure my breath doesn't reek."
"From salad?"
"It had dressing!" Regina whined, reappearing in the main room.
"Yeah, whatever," Emma laughed. "Guess I should brush mine too. Mine meal was way worse than yours."
"You don't have to-"
"I want to. Just in case you kiss me."
With a wink, Emma took her turn in the bathroom. When she returned, Regina was laying back against the pillows with her book open again, engulfed by its pages.
"Babe?" Emma asked softly, then waited for a response. When she didn't get one, she said, "Regina?"
"Huh? What? Sorry. I was-"
"Reading," the blonde giggled. "I know."
Regina blushed as Emma crawled onto the bed beside her on the right, then placed her left hand on the brunette's abdomen. Again, the girl shivered.
"Babe," Emma breathed, looking up into her eyes.
Not saying anything else, Regina simply dropped the book, not bothering to save her page, pulled Emma on top of her until she was kneeling over one of her thighs and her mouth was hovering above the brunette's red lips.
"I want your lipstick all over me," the girl's lover whispered.
"All over you?" Regina teased, flashing a bright, mischievous smile.
"All over me."
"Let's start with your lips."
So Regina kissed her firmly on the mouth, making it last, until Emma's lips parted. She hesitated for a moment, not having gotten this far before, but slowly slid her tongue along the girl's bottom lip. Emma brushed her own tongue against her lover's but didn't press further, until, to her surprise, Regina's tongue pushed past her lips and into her mouth. The blonde opened it a little wider to allow her access, and the brunette, still a little apprehensive about her own skills, moved her tongue a little more forcefully as it tangled with her lover's.
"Babe," Emma moaned, pressing her body closer and cupping Regina's face in her hands.
"Yeah, honey," Regina managed to say between kisses and heavy breaths.
"This feels so good."
"I know… Your lips… Your tongue… It's so perfect. They're softer than I every could have imagined."
"Kiss me," the blonde whispered, moving her lips even closer to Regina's, but not making them touch.
The brunette leaned up just enough to catch Emma's lips, then slid her fingers through Emma's hair and gently pulled her closer, not breaking the kiss as the girl leaned down to get a little closer. As soon as she heard the sound of her lover's soft, hushed moan, Emma felt her wetness pool between her legs.
"Shit," she breathed. "You're…"
"Shh. Don't stop."
So Emma kissed her, this time harder than before, as Regina's hands moved to her back. When she lifted the blonde's shirt and dug her nails into the skin of her shoulder blades, though, it was Emma's turn to moan, and as soon as the brunette heard that, her own grew louder. Unintentionally, Regina lifted her leg, just enough to create friction between Emma's, and the girl gasped when she felt the sensation.
"Gina," she moaned. "Wait…"
After she'd swallowed hard once and caught her breath, the brunette slowly gained the courage to rock her hips forward, just slightly, so that her thigh rubbed against the space between Emma's legs.
"D-Don't," Emma whimpered.
But Regina lifted her thigh slightly once more, earning another, louder moan from her lover.
When the girl said, "Please, don't," though, she finally stopped, her brow furrowing.
"Why, babe? What's wrong?"
"I can't… I'm… You're… You're making me wet, and I don't… I don't wanna push you, but it feel so good, and I-"
"Em," Regina whispered. "I want to. I'm scared, but I want to."
"Gina, I… I think we should wait a while. Until you're sure."
"No… Babe… I am sure."
"Gina, come on. You're just turned on and thinking with your hormones right now."
"Hey, shut up!" the brunette cried. "I'm not fucking-"
"Yes, you are. Tell me you're not horny right now."
"Of course I'm fucking horny! You were fucking-"
"You're not thinking with your head. I know you think you're ready right now, but you weren't twenty-four hours ago. Don't jump into this like that. Let's just take it slow, okay? I don't want you to regret anything. Especially… Um…"
"Especially what, Emma?"
"Especially not your first time. Losing your virginity is-"
"I'm not losing it, Em. I'm giving it."
"No, you're not. Not right now. Not like this."
"Not like what?"
"Not twenty-four hours after you were throwing up because you were so scared to meet me!"
"I love you, Em! And I-"
"I love you too, baby. That's why this is so important to me. And it should be important to you too. You can't take it back."
"I don't want to take it back! I want you to-"
"Regina Mills. Stop it. Stop it right now."
"Look, if you're not comfortable with it yet, or if you don't want to, then just fucking say so, but don't fucking make my choices for me. Don't decide what I do and don't want, or what I should do."
"I…"
"No. I don't want to hear it. Unless you're gonna tell me that you aren't ready, I don't want to hear what you're about to say."
"It's not that. I trust you. I've completely fallen for you. It's just that this feels so wrong. To take it from you so soon."
"You're not taking! I'm giving! Why can't you understand that?"
"Look. What it comes down to is that, no matter what you're saying, I'm saying no. And that's it. No."
"You know what? That's bullshit," Regina snapped, shoving the girl off of her. "You're not my fucking mother."
"You'll thank me, Gina. You will. I can promise you that you'll be glad you waited."
"Fuck you."
"You're really gonna say that, just because I won't fuck you right now? Because I'm trying not to hurt you? Because I'm trying to do what's best for you?"
"Because you won't make love to me right now. And how the fuck would you know what the fuck is best for me? I'm twenty-three years old. I'm a grown-ass woman, and I can make my own choices. The only legitimate reason you could possibly have not to make love to me right now is that you aren't comfortable or you don't want it. And I know that you want it. I heard it in your voice. The way you moaned for me…"
"Stop it! Stop trying to fucking guilt me into this!"
"Maybe I'm not trying to guilt you, Emma…" Regina said softly, her voice taking on the low, familiar tone that she'd used over the phone so many times. "Maybe I'm trying to seduce you."
The girl climbed onto Emma's lap, then reached out and slid her hands under the girl's tank top, lifting it swiftly up over her head, then quickly leaning in and pressing her lips to the bare skin of the blonde's toned abs.
"Fuck," Emma moaned, letting her head fall back against the pillows. "Gina…"
"See? You want it too."
"I… I…" the girl started, but was cut off and cried out as she felt the warmth of Regina's tongue sliding from the top of her shorts, up the middle of her abs, and all the way to the bottom of her bra. "Oh, fuck."
"Yeah, babe?" Regina husked. "Does that feel good?"
"Gina… Gina, please stop…"
But Emma sounded less than convincing, so her lover repeated the action, this time finishing with a kiss on her collarbone.
"Just let me love you," the brunette whispered in her ear, sliding her hands up the girl's sides.
When Regina's tongue found its way to Emma's neck, the blonde yelled, "Stop it!" and finally mustered the strength and willpower to sit up and push the girl away. "Enough!"
"Jesus, Emma. I'm sorry. I was just trying to-"
"I said no. That needs to be enough for you."
As Regina saw a tear drip from Emma's eye, she immediately recanted, saying, "Oh, God. I'm so sorry… I don't know what I was thinking. I just… I wanted to make you feel good, and I thought-"
"It's fine. Can we just lay down for a while? I need a nap after all that bullshit outside."
"Um… Yeah. Yeah, we can lay down."
But Regina didn't fall asleep. Instead, she buried herself in her book, feeling guilty, as she sat beside her lover on the bed while the girl fell asleep. Twenty minutes or so later, when Emma woke up, the brunette was still reading.
"Bookworm," the blonde mumbled with a small smile as she rolled over and wrapped her arm around her lover's waist.
Regina wanted to smile. She tried to. But her lips refused to curl.
Instead, she simply managed a quiet, "I'm really sorry," and turned her face away.
"No, babe. Don't be. I get it. I really do. You felt rejected by me, and what you needed was to feel wanted. I'm sorry I couldn't give that to you. I just won't take the chance that you'll regret something and be hurt by it afterwards."
"I… I get that now. I thought about it, and it makes sense. I was just a complete and total ass. I can't believe I even did that. I never thought I'd be one to pressure anyone for sex, let alone the person I care about most in this world."
"Regina… What?"
"I… I just care about you. That's all. I'd never want to hurt-"
"Most in this world?"
"Well… Yeah…"
"What about your parents?"
"What about them?"
"Well, aren't they-"
"I'm not in love with my parents, Emma."
"I… What?"
"I said… I said I'm in love with you."
Emma stared in disbelief, then finally managed, "Loving someone is one thing. You can love your best friend. But being in love with someone… That's something very different."
"You're right. It is."
"But you…"
"I am."
"Are you… I mean… Are you sure? That's a really big thing to say, and I just… I don't want you to say it because you feel like you have to."
"I know I don't have to. I'm saying it because it's true. I thought about not telling you. About keeping it in for a while, until you said it first, but after what just happened… I realized that it's probably not true for you, and I should just get it out there and let you realize how pathetic I am."
"Regina! That's ridiculous! That's bullshit! I am… I'm…"
"Em…?"
"I'm…" the blonde tried, but the words got stuck. "I…" Not hearing the words she'd allowed herself to hope for, Regina's eyes began to tear, and she looked away again, until Emma finally admitted, "I'm in love with you too. Completely and totally in love with you. I know this moved fast, but I've never felt so sure about anything. Ever."
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
"I was embarrassed. I didn't think you felt that way yet. I wasn't even sure if you ever would."
"Well, I do. I do feel that way. And that's not going to change."
"How do you know that, though?"
"Because I've never felt like this before either. I've never been so sure. But this… I'm sure about this. I'm positive."
"I… I love you," Emma said softly, leaning in and kissing her lips. "And I do want you. I just want to do it right. I want your first time to be perfect, not just good."
"Thank you, Emma… I'm so sorry I pushed you. I never meant to hurt you or manipulate you into anything. I honestly just went kinda crazy and lost control."
"We all do that sometimes."
"No. Not everyone pressures their girlfriend to have sex after they've said no."
"Well… I…"
"You don't have to tell me it's okay. I know it's not. Just… Just tell me you still love me."
"I do. I'll always love you."
The following day, the riot was still raging on, so they continued to stay in the hotel.
"I'm sorry," Emma told her girlfriend. "I wish this hadn't gotten so fucked up."
"It's alright, babe. I'm here with you. That's all I care about."
"But I wanted to walk around… and to see Vixx. To see the sights."
"I know. Me too. But the next time they come, we'll be sure to go."
The blonde scoffed, saying, "We both know that won't be anytime soon. They never come to the states."
"Actually… I was on my phone earlier, while you were in the shower…"
"Yeah, and?"
"And I think you should see this."
Regina reached over to the nightstand and grabbed her phone, swiped the screen to unlock it, then held it out to Emma, who looked down and gasped immediately.
"NO. FUCKING. WAY. Is this even real?!"
"It's real, Em. And I think we should go. And you have to let me pay this time."
"Oh, fuck off. You're not paying. But we are definitely going. GOT7 in L.A.? I'm totally in!"
"Just let me pay, Emma! Let me treat you this time."
"No way, Jose. It's way too expensive, and it's still eleven months away. I'll have plenty of time to save up. It's no big deal. You keep saving for school, alright?"
With a sigh, Regina nodded her head reluctantly and pressed herself into the girl's side, wrapping an arm around her.
"I can't wait," Emma told her. "It's gonna be awesome. And I seriously doubt there will be any riots in Los Angeles."
By the time of their departure from Baltimore a few days later, the riots had calmed down, and it was safe to walk the streets again (at least before the curfew). Once they were in the airport, though, Regina broke down crying at the gate.
"Emma, I…"
"Shh. Baby, I know. But I'll see you again in a few months, okay? You can drive down or I can drive up. Then a few months after that, we'll meet up in San Fran and it'll be perfect. We'll get to see California."
"Yeah, but…"
"Hush. It's gonna be okay. Chat me as soon as you get home, okay? And text me when you land. We'll plan out our next visit when we get back. Don't you wanna see Boston?"
"Of course I do!"
"Good. Then you'll come down in a few months and I'll show you around."
Regina's tears slowed, at least until it was time for her departure, and they shared a slow, painful kiss.
"I love you," she sniffled through her tears.
"I love you too, baby," Emma told her, kissing the top of her head. "Now, get going. Don't miss your flight. We'll talk tonight."
Emma waited anxiously for her own flight, which was a few hours later, eager to get home and talk to Regina as quickly as possible.
Once she did arrive home and opened her laptop, she found that she already had a message waiting for her.
'Regina: Home safe. Missing you terribly. Chat me soon. I'm dying without you.'
With a smile, Emma started the call, but as soon as the girl answered, she saw that her lover was crying.
"Babe, what's wrong?" Emma asked her, sounding more than concerned.
"N-Nothing…" the girl managed. "I just miss you so much. I don't want to do this without you."
"Do what?"
"Anything, Emma! Any of this. I don't want to fucking go to work and pointlessly save for a school I'm never going to be able to afford. I just want to be with you!"
"Aww… Baby… Come on. Don't think of it that way. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, right? If that's even possible. I'm pretty sure I'm already 110% infatuated with you."
"And I'm enamored by you. But I'm so lonely here… I didn't want to tell you before, but now that I've seen you, I don't think I'll be able to stand it. My parents, they…"
"They what, honey?"
"They drive me crazy. They make me feel horrible about my life. Even though I love them, it's torture being here, with no friends and no you."
"Honey, it's gonna be fine. You're gonna see me in a few months, and we'll be together again."
"Can't you come up and see me before that?"
"I can't get time off from work again that soon, babe. Plus, I gotta save for our trip. I thought of something really fun to do while we're there, but it's a surprise."
"Isn't a Got7 fan-meet good enough?"
"Nope. I've got one better."
"Oh, come on. The only thing that could be better than Got7 is Vixx, and they're definitely not performing in L.A."
"No, it is better. I promise."
"Yeah, alright. We'll see about that. But I'm telling you, seeing them and seeing you is more than enough. All I want is to be with you again."
"I know, darling. I feel the same way. But you've gotta be strong for me, alright? We gotta get through this together."
With a sigh, Regina nodded and held her head in her hands.
"Babe, come on. Cheer up! We're gonna have a blast, and it's not gonna get fucked up like it did this time."
"It didn't get fucked up. It just… got a little crazy. Besides, we're safe, and that's what really matters."
"You're right. You're safe, and that's all I care about."
"I love you, babe."
"I love you too."
Over the next three months, they talked almost every night. Sometimes about nothing, sometimes about how their days went, and sometimes about their upcoming trip, which was still quite a ways away. But Emma's favorite nights were the ones where they talked about writing. Better than that, the nights when Regina had decided to keep writing, and even agreed to read to her. Those nights, as her lover's voice helped her come, she fell more and more in love.
Three months later, Regina drove to Boston.
Emma waited for her in the parking garage next to her apartment, and stood with arms wide open as Regina pulled in, parked, and threw the driver's door open. Just like the first time they'd met, Regina ran to her lover and fell into her arms. The blonde embraced her and held her tightly, kissing the top of her head before lifting the girl's chin and catching her lips.
"Butterflies all over again," Regina mumbled against her lips, then kissed her again.
"Me too."
"Well?" the brunette asked suddenly, pulling away from the hug.
"Well, what?"
"Well, aren't you gonna bring me inside and ravish me?"
Raising her eyebrows, but taking the hint, Emma lifted the girl into her arms and carried her, bridal style, up the stairs and into her apartment, where she laid the girl on her bed, then straddled her hips.
"Hi, baby," she said with a smile. "I missed you."
"I missed you too," Regina said, kissing her lips a few times. "So, so much."
"I'm so glad you're here."
"Me too."
"So… I sort of have no food in the house," Emma confessed. "But I have a good reason! I wanted to wait and bring you with me to the grocery store to pick stuff out. I'll make you whatever you want."
"I'm happy with simple stuff. Chicken and salad does just fine for me."
"I figure I'll take you out a few nights, but I think it'll be sweet if I make you a meal here… even though I'm not such a great cook. You might die, actually. I'll probably poison you accidentally."
"Oh, God," Regina laughed. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm sure your cooking's fine."
"No, it's really not… but hey, maybe you could give me a few tips?"
"Sure. I'd love to."
So the two continued to kiss, tongues entwining with passion, for a while longer, until Emma finally pulled away.
"It's getting late," she said slowly. "We should get to the store so I can feed you. You must be starving."
Right on cue, Regina's stomach growled, causing Emma to laugh loudly, lean down, and press her lips to the girl's abdomen.
"Hey," the girl scolded her. "Don't do that."
"Sorry," Emma said with a smirk. "Anyway, let's get going."
"Whatever, twat."
"Jerk."
"Ass."
"C-"
"Emma, don't you dare!"
Again, the blonde burst out in laughter as she rolled off the bed and began to put her shoes on. Scowling at her, Regina did the same. At the store, Emma picked out everything her girlfriend suggested and put it carefully in the cart.
"Alright," she said happily. "I think that'll do it for the rest of the week. Anything else?"
"Ice cream," Regina gasped. "We have to have ice cream."
Laughing again, for the third time that day, Emma nodded and went down the isle, letting her lover pick the flavor, which was chocolate with caramel swirls and mini peanut butter cups.
"You sure this is okay?" the brunette asked her, just before they reached the register. When the girl nodded, she added, "You're gonna let me pay, right?"
"Nope. I got it. You relax."
"But, Em, I-"
"But nothing. Hush up and let's go."
So when they checked out, Emma paid for everything, and Regina helped her carry the bags to the car. The blonde made dinner, which wasn't nearly as horrible as she'd attempted to make Regina believe, and afterwards, the two laid in Emma's bed, with Regina's head on the girl's shoulder.
"It's so good to have you here," Emma sighed. "It makes it feel like home."
"You live here… Shouldn't it feel like home anyway?"
"It should. But it doesn't. Not without you here."
Regina couldn't help but smile as she placed a kiss on the girl's cheek, saying, "You're adorable." Emma shook her head in defiance, but the brunette just laughed and added, "Twat."
"Stop that!" the blonde cried. "I'm so tired of you calling-"
"Twat."
"-me that…"
"Oh, well," the girl's lover teased, her satisfied smirk growing wider.
Their playful banter continued for the rest of the visit, especially as Emma showed her around the city of Boston, until it was finally time to Regina to leave. Once again, she cried while attempting to say goodbye. Her girlfriend tried to comfort her, but ended up crying herself, frustrated by the distance that kept them apart.
"It'll be okay," Emma whispered through tears. "I promise. I'll come up there in a few months and visit, if you want."
"Of course I want you to!"
"What about your parents?"
"I… I want you to meet them, and they want to meet you."
"Wait, they know about us?!"
"Well, I sort of told them you were a 'friend,' when we went down to Baltimore. But when I told them I was going away for another week, they got pretty suspicious, and I had to tell the truth."
"Wow. What did they say?"
"Well, Mom kinda freaked out and wanted to know what she'd done wrong to make me a lesbian… but Dad just laughed and said, 'I knew it,' and gave me a hug. Eventually, he got her to cool it with the anti-homo crap, and now she's just upset that she's never actually met you. They're starting to doubt that you're real. They think I'm vacationing alone and making you up. They're pretty… uh… surprised that I have a girlfriend."
"Uh… Why?"
"Well… For starters, I've never had one before. I had a boyfriend back in high school, but… he… Look, nevermind. That's not the point. The point is, I've never had a girlfriend before, and it's been a long time since I've dated anyone, so they were starting to worry that I was asexual and that I'd never give them grandkids. Now that they're sure I won't, they're pretty upset about that, but… overall, it went pretty well."
"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Emma asked. "And what makes them so sure you won't have kids?"
"I… I don't know. I didn't want to scare you by telling you Mom was totally against it at first. And… I guess just because… because… I don't know. I mean, you can't really get me pregnant."
"Well… I kind of could…"
"What the fuck?"
"You've never heard of artificial insemination? Or being a surrogate mother?"
"Well, yeah, but I… I just hadn't… really… um… thought about it…"
"I can tell this conversation is making you uncomfortable, so let's change the subject, okay? You gotta go, but we can talk about California when you get home."
"Okay…" Regina agreed slowly, wiping the fresh tears from her eyes. "That sounds good. I love you."
"I love you too, baby. I'll come up and see you soon."