Regina felt restless after two days in the city. She was used to the quiet of Storybrooke, used to the slower pace of life there, not the hustle and bustle that unfolded all around her outside in the streets below. Neither of them had left the apartment aside from Regina retrieving her luggage from her car and a joint trip to the grocery store.
They cooked, they talked, and they slept in the same bed for mid-afternoon naps and at night. They didn't talk about Emma running away, not since that night Regina had found her, but there were still some things Emma needed to answer and one of those things was how the hell she had gotten the cuff off in the first place.
By the third morning, Regina was more than ready to go home, but she knew Emma wasn't quite there yet and she didn't want to force her to go home before she was ready. Regina had been up early, since before the sun even rose. She had showered, dressed in her last clean clothes. She put on the coffee and opened the window to the fire escape to let the warm breeze in.
Regina spent the next hour leaning against the windowsill, sipping coffee and reflecting on the past couple of days. The night she had caught and stopped Emma from shooting herself up to death, it had taken such a heavy emotional toll on them both. They hadn't kissed since the last time they'd kissed when Emma had made her the promise that next day, but they had been close, sharing lingering touches as they had been doing for weeks, but there was something so much more behind those touches now, just as there was so much more between the small smiles they exchanged at times for no reason at all.
Emma wasn't ready for more, and that was something Regina thought about the most. She wasn't sure she was ready for more between them either, but there was no denying the heated passion that had been there while they had kissed, and the hunger that no doubt driven them both. She wanted more, she wanted to kiss Emma again whenever she felt like it, she wanted to know the feel of Emma's hand on her body, she wanted to know the way that Emma's skin felt beneath her fingertips as she explored every inch of her for hours on an end.
"Morning," Emma said, startling her from her thoughts.
Regina cleared her throat and turned away from the windowsill. "Good morning, Emma."
"How come you were up so early?"
"Habit," Regina replied and she grabbed her mug off the windowsill and walked into the kitchen. "Did you sleep well?"
"I did until you left."
"I'm right here. I didn't go anywhere."
"I meant until you left the bed," Emma muttered, her voice cracking slightly as she grabbed a mug and poured a cup of coffee. "Call me crazy, Regina, but the last few nights, I don't think I've ever slept like that in my life."
"Oh? Like how?"
"Peacefully. I don't know, it's stupid, isn't it?"
"Not at all. I know exactly what you mean."
"Yeah?" Emma turned with a half smile forming over her lips. "You do?"
"Yes," Regina nodded and placed her mug next to Emma's and she returned the smile. Emma poured her another cup of coffee and set the carafe back on the burner. "Emma, there is something I've been meaning to ask you."
"What is it?" Emma asked nervously. "Is this about us?" She asked in a rush before Regina could say a word. "Regina, I feel the same way about you, I just—I don't know if I'm ready and it's not because I don't want you, because I do, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about kissing you again and I—"
"Will you shut up for a second?" Regina snapped lightly. "I know you are not ready, Emma, but that is not what I am going to ask you. What I want to know is how the hell you got the cuff off before you crossed the town line. Who did it for you?"
"No one did," Emma muttered into her mug. "I crossed the line, took it off, crossed back over and placed it on the note I'd know you or someone else would find. You really think someone would've taken it off of me?"
"You are the Savior, dear."
"Was, I was the Savior. I'm just…Emma Swan now."
"Yes you are."
"I'm just—wait, what?" Emma blinked in confusion and Regina had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes at how utterly adorable she looked in that moment. "I'm just Emma Swan?"
"Yes," Regina smiled. "That is only who you have to be is yourself. Not the lost little orphan girl, not the junkie, not the Savior, not the Dark One. Just Emma Swan."
Emma threw her arms around her and sobbed into her neck. Regina exhaled as she relaxed in Emma's embrace, reveling in the warmth she felt spreading throughout her entire body.
"Kiss me," Emma whispered against her ear.
"You're not ready."
"Maybe not for anyone else to find out about this, about us," Emma said as she leaned back slowly. "Not right away."
Regina knew where she was coming from. Their ever-changing relationship would not be wildly accepted by anyone else other than their son, no doubt. There would be complications neither of them were ready to face head on, together or alone, and she knew now why Emma wasn't ready for something more to happen between them.
"Not right away," Regina repeated softly. "I understand."
"You do?"
"Emma, if there is one person in this entire world, in all the realms, who truly understands you, who is that person?"
"You?"
"Yes," Regina smiled and she fought the urge just to close the small distance between them and kiss her. "And nothing is going to change that."
"Regina—"
"What do you want, Emma?" Regina asked, their lips now only a hairsbreadth apart and she could feel Emma's short nails digging into her hips as she gripped on tight. "Tell me, what do you want, Emma?"
"I want a lot of things," Emma replied. "Mostly, I want you."
"What do you want, Emma?" She asked again, her heart racing, thundering in her chest.
"I want to kiss you."
"Anything else?"
"I just…want to kiss you."
"Is that all you want?"
"For right now."
It was Emma who closed the last tiny bit of distance and captured Regina's lips in a sweet kiss. It didn't last near as long as Regina had hoped and she hid her disappointment by turning to pick up her mug and took a sip without bothering to put a splash of milk or two. She exhaled sharply at the strong, bitter taste of the coffee and she walked back over to the window by the fire escape.
Sirens wailed off in the distance and she took another sip of her black coffee before she felt the warmth and tenderness of Emma's arms wrapping around her from behind. The intimacy of the embrace was not lost on her, but instead of pulling away, she sank back into Emma's body and tilted her head just as Emma dropped a kiss on to her neck.
"Is this okay?" Emma whispered, her breath tickling the shell of Regina's ear as she spoke.
"Yes."
"Can I…touch you like this whenever I want?"
"Yes."
Emma exhaled softly before placing a lingering kiss on her neck just above her pulse point and then another just under her jaw. "Can I kiss you whenever I want?"
"Yes," Regina replied, her breath trembling slightly as Emma kissed her once more, nipping lightly at her skin before she pulled away. "Any time you want."
Emma's breath hitched as hers did and Regina closed her eyes as Emma took the mug out of her hand gently. She opened her eyes, watching as Emma placed the mug on the windowsill and she held her breath as Emma turned her around slowly.
Regina could not remember a time when she felt just like this, that she felt so many emotions, so many of them she couldn't even put a name to, but each and every single one of them felt nothing short of amazing. She never felt this way with anyone else before, she didn't feel that warmth, that explosive surge of nothing but love, that lust, the arousal, the need, the want, the urging that she felt in that very moment with anyone else other than Emma Swan.
Unfortunately, before they could share a kiss, Regina's phone began to ring and Emma reluctantly let go of her to allow her to pick it up from the coffee table. Henry's name flashed on the screen and Regina groaned quietly. She debated whether to let it go through to voice mail because every time Henry had called her or text her, he was asking her a question she couldn't answer yet: when are you coming home?
"Our son has the worst timing," Regina muttered and Emma just smiled as Regina answered the call. "Hello Henry."
"Hey," he replied. "Mom you have got to come home."
"Is something wrong?"
"Do you know how many times I get woken up because Neal won't stop crying?" Henry complained. "Why can't I just stay home by myself, Mom?"
"Because you're too young to be alone all night."
"But—"
"I told you before that this is not a discussion, Henry."
"When are you guys coming home?"
Regina sighed and walked over to the windowsill to pick up her mug. "I don't know," she said after she took a sip. "Soon."
"Tonight?"
"Not that soon, Henry."
"Why not? Is Ma okay?"
"She's fine," Regina said as she looked over at Emma. "She just needs a couple of days before we come home, that's all. You needn't worry."
"But why?"
"Henry, I know it's hard for you to understand—"
"Let me talk to him," Emma said as she held out a hand. "Regina?"
"Your mother wants to talk to you," Regina said before she handed the phone to Emma.
"Hey kid," Emma said cheerfully as she walked away with the phone to her right ear and she slipped into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her for a little privacy.
Regina wasn't bothered by the action. Emma wanted to talk to their son privately and Regina was perfectly fine in respecting that she wanted that privacy to talk to Henry and to tell him whatever it is she wanted to tell him without Regina being within earshot. It was entirely up to Emma what she disclosed to their son about why she had run, about why they were still in New York City, and why they hadn't come home yet.
Regina browsed the bookshelf in the living room and spotted a small photo album that she immediately plucked off the shelf. Regina sat on the couch in the corner and kicked off her flats she'd slipped on earlier and brought her legs up on the couch as she settled in comfortable to flip through the photo album.
The first page was written in Henry's writing, titled "Our Adventures" with a smiley face underneath. They were all pictures taken during their year in the city and a part of Regina's heart ached when she remembered how much she had missed Henry, and even then a part of her had missed Emma too.
"I forgot to pack that before we came back," Emma said as she lingered in the kitchen and placed Regina's cell phone down on the kitchen table. "Henry took pictures everywhere we went. He doesn't do that anymore."
"No, he wouldn't because photography was an interested I put into both of your memories in hopes that I could look back and see your lives one day even if it was just through the photographs he'd taken."
Wordlessly Emma moved to stand behind the couch and she leaned over the back, her face close to Regina's as Regina flipped the page. She shifted slightly on the couch when Emma's hands fell upon her shoulders and she flipped the next page and Emma gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze.
"I remember saving up for a month to buy him a new camera, a better one than what he already had," Emma whispered into her ear as the quality of the pictures were clearly different and better than the first few pages. "I spent over a thousand dollars on that camera. I must've been crazy."
"A thousand dollars?"
"Crazy, right?"
"I would've spent two."
"On a camera for a kid who is only twelve?" Emma laughed softly. "Crazy, but he took good care of it."
"What happened to it?"
"I don't know. After I ran into Neal, after everything with Walsh and then with him showing up, everything just became such a blur. As you can see," Emma said with a slight wave around the living room. "We didn't exactly pack much before we went back to Storybrooke."
"We should," Regina said as she turned to look back at Emma. "Pack some of his things at least. I'm sure I saw a few rare comic books I know he would love to have in his collection at home."
"Yeah. Probably should get rid of the clothes I didn't pack for him. He's grown a lot since we left," Emma said and she sighed softly before she started to lightly massage Regina's shoulders. "I—I told him we would be coming back in a couple of days."
"Oh?"
"He whined about it. He's tired of staying with my parents and my baby brother. Can't blame him. I know what its like not getting enough sleep because Neal is a very fussy kid and refuses just to sleep," she sighed. "Was Henry like that at Neal's age?"
"Sometimes," Regina replied. "But he learned fairly quick not to fuss because he was not going to get his way. I've had my fair share of sleepless nights when he was that young."
They had talked about Henry when he was younger before, sometimes talking about the shared memories Regina had given to her, other times talking about some of the things that she hadn't shared at all. Regina was certain that if it were not for Henry, they would not have gotten over their differences and became friends, at least not the way they had, the transition neither smooth nor complicated. Henry seemed to be the glue that held them together, but she knew it was also the unspoken connection that they had to one another as well.
"I have a feeling we're not out of the woods yet on those sleepless nights," Emma said with a low chuckle. "In not even two years he's going to be driving."
"Don't remind me."
"He's dating now."
"Not exactly," Regina reminded her. "He sees Violet with his friends. I don't think they've been on an actual date by themselves yet."
"No, they haven't, but it's going to happen. Are you ready for that?"
"No. Are you?"
"Not at all," Emma laughed and the sound of her laughter sent delicious shivers down Regina's spine. "Would you want to, I don't know, go on a date before we go home?" Emma asked, her voice filled with nerves as her hands stilled on Regina's shoulders.
"A date?" Regina asked, trying and failing to hide her smile that just flooded and burst through her. "And where is this date taking place, Emma?"
"Can I surprise you?"
"Yes," Regina smiled as she turned to look back at her again. "Tonight?"
"Yeah, we can do that tonight," Emma grinned and Regina almost expected a kiss with how close their lips were, but Emma's eyes cast down to the photo album open in her lap. "Flip the page, the next few are pretty hilarious. We took a trip down to New Jersey the first weekend after school ended. Don't ask my why I thought Atlantic City was a good choice because it definitely wasn't, but we still had fun. Too much fun. Henry went a little crazy on corn dogs that weekend and ended up making himself sick. Let me tell you, it took a few trips to get the Bug detailed before the smell of puke got out of the backseat."
They spent the rest of the morning together looking through Henry's photo album of his and Emma's adventures in New York City. Regina couldn't remember a time in the last six months that she had heard Emma laugh as much as she did in those few hours they spent together pouring over those photographs.
The change in the aura around them was not at all lost on Regina, but she reveled in each of Emma's lingering touches, always allowing Emma to make that first tiny move, never pushing for more even though every inch of her very being wanted to. When Emma went for her early afternoon nap after they had lunch, Regina busied herself with cleaning the kitchen, trying to ignore the thousand and one thoughts running rampant through her mind by wiping down every surface, every cupboard, and even the floor.
At four that afternoon, Emma told her to get ready and with her being on her last clean outfit, Regina felt at loss as to what to do when it came to something to wear on what would be considered their first official date. While Emma was in the shower, Regina headed out and explored the neighborhood, and with whatever string of luck she'd had since Emma had run that had led her to finding her just in the knick of time, she found a small shop half a block away from the apartment where she found what she thought was the perfect first date dress.
Regina was ready by seven and waiting in the living room as patiently as she could for Emma to finish getting ready. She glanced down at the black dress she had bought and ran her hands over the curves of her hips, loving the way the material clung to her skin as if it were made to fit only her body.
With Emma, things were not easy, they were far from it, and the fact that Regina was not used to the customs of that world when it came to dating, she was beyond nervous about how the night would play out. She understood Emma, far more than she ever gave herself credit for, but she had no idea of what kind of expectations that Emma expected during their first date and that only served to raise her nerves to a level she had never in her whole life ever experienced before.
When Emma emerged from her room, dressed in a skin-tight red dress and high black heels, her hair curled at the ends and her makeup done to perfection, Regina's breath was taken away completely. For the first time in a very long time, Regina found herself nervous and yet giddy at the same time. Any other time, she would've hated how vulnerable it made her feel, but not then, not in that moment.
They left the apartment shortly afterwards and Emma led the way down the street to a small Italian restaurant just around the corner. They were seated almost immediately in a rather private table in a quiet and dimly lit corner. Emma asked the waiter for water, only water, to be served when he showed up a few minutes after they'd been seated with two bottles of wine for them to select from.
"Henry and I used to come here at least once a week for the lasagna," Emma said quietly once the waiter had left to leave them to decide on what they were going to have for dinner. "It's not as good as yours, but it's still good."
"I see," Regina said as her eyes scanned the menu. "What else is good here?"
"Everything," Emma laughed. "I would've taken you somewhere else, but pretty much everywhere in this city you need a reservation days in advance."
"This is fine, Emma," Regina said with a smile. "It's nice. Quiet."
"Yeah, it's kind of why I picked the place aside from the fact that Henry loved coming here to eat. Oh, this isn't romantic for a first date, is it? I mean this used to be mine and Henry's place and—"
"It's perfect because it's his favorite," Regina said gently and she reached across the small table and placed a hand on top of Emma's with a smile. "What would you suggest?" Regina asked as she gestured to the menu. "I wouldn't know where to start."
"The servings here are pretty big, so I was thinking maybe we could share a dish?" Emma asked and Regina nodded. Emma intertwined their fingers on top of the table and scanned over her menu. "The cannelloni is amazing. Would you like to try that?"
"Meat or cheese?"
"Cheese?" Emma shrugged. "We can get them to make it half an half. They do it in one big roll here."
"Whatever you would like is fine with me, Emma."
Emma nodded and closed the menu, keeping their fingers intertwined as the waiter came to the table with a pitcher of ice water and poured them each a glass. Emma ordered their dinner with a side of salad and garlic bread. The waiter just smiled politely as he noticed their hands and when Regina began to pull away, Emma held on a little tighter.
"You don't need to pull away," Emma whispered once the waiter had left. "Unless you don't want to be seen holding my hand in public?"
"It's fine, Emma, it's just not something I'm used to."
"Holding hands?"
"Holding hands with you," she replied. "Kissing you," she added quietly. "Emma, it's clear how we both feel about one another, but I wanted to ask you how you would like to do this once we are back home."
"I—I don't know, I guess we just take it slow for now?"
"And keep this between ourselves for the time being?"
"Well, we should tell Henry. He'll figure it out one way or another anyway, but I think it is better if we tell him that we're…"
"Dating?" Regina asked and she saw Emma blush a little before she nodded her head.
"Dating," Emma repeated. "We'll still go out when we get home, right? On dates and stuff?"
"Yes," Regina nodded. "Of course we can do that, Emma."
"And I—I think we really do need to take this slow, you know, because I don't know if I'm ready for anything more than just going out on dates and kissing you right now."
Regina knew she was talking about the sexual aspect of their relationship and she knew it was going to be their best choice to wait to have sex, especially since Emma was still very much in recovery. If things were going to work out between the two of them, they would have to wait to get to that point of their relationship, whether it was months or even a year—which she hoped it wouldn't be, but she was more than willing to wait for however long they needed to.
They talked quietly, more about Henry than anything else. They ate their dinner and after deciding to skip on dessert, Emma paid the bill and led the way out of the small restaurant. They went for a walk until they ended up in Central Park an hour later where there was a dance floor set up and a band played on a small stage. Dozens of people were dancing with their partners or spouses and Emma looked at Regina with a raised eyebrow before it was Regina who led the way to the dance floor.
Regina was surprised how well the evening was turning out, but she knew she shouldn't be too surprised since it wasn't all that different than all the nights they'd spent together over the past month. They danced for hours, long after the sun had set and the stars came out. They made it back to the apartment just before midnight where they shared a lengthy goodnight kiss just outside the door in the hallway and Regina went inside first, at Emma's urging and was a little surprised when Emma didn't follow her inside.
"Go. Let's do this right, okay?" Emma whispered before she shut the door.
Regina shook her head and slipped out of her heels, her feet aching from all the walking and dancing they'd done that night, but she was happy and she had thoroughly enjoyed her first date with Emma. She walked into the living room and turned on the lights in the kitchen before taking a seat on the leather couch. She waited for almost ten minutes for Emma to come inside and just as she was about to go back over to the door and find out what the hell she was doing, Emma came in and shut the door behind her, grinning widely as she locked it and slipped out of her heels.
"So," Emma said as she strolled over to the couch and sat down. "I just had the most amazing date with the most amazing woman," she grinned cheekily.
"Did you now?" Regina played along. "Amazing, was it?"
"Yeah," Emma chuckled. "You know what the best part was?"
"A kiss goodnight at the door?" Regina smirked and Emma nodded her head. "You're a goof, Emma."
"Did you have fun tonight, Regina?"
"I had an wonderful time with you," she nodded and she leaned over and pressed her lips to Emma's cheek lightly. "Thank you, Emma. I can't wait to go out with you again."
"As a couple," Emma breathed out softly and she turned to place a lingering kiss on Regina's lips and pulled back with a wide smile. "This is crazy, isn't it?"
"Why is it crazy?"
Emma shook her head. "You and me. Us. The fact that there is an us now."
"I wouldn't call it crazy," Regina drawled and she licked over her lips slowly, watching Emma's eyes flick down to watch her as she did. "Unexpected, yes, but definitely not crazy. Your parents, however, will think that you've lost your damn mind when they find out about us."
Emma breathed out heavily and groaned. "Yeah and watch, they'll probably think you've put some kind of spell on me or something."
"That is likely."
"They'll probably try to come between us."
"Of course they will."
"I won't let them," Emma said with a firm look of determination. "If they hate that we're together, then that's fine. They'll just have to learn to accept it, to be okay with it, with us. If they can't…well, I don't know what I'm going to do, but I guess we'll…"
"We'll cross that bridge when that happens."
"Sometimes I wonder if I'm better off staying here," Emma whispered after a few minutes. "We can just…be ourselves here, be together, and raise Henry together. I know it's not possible for us to just stay here, Storybrooke is yours and Henry's home."
"It's yours too."
"Sometimes it doesn't feel like home, Regina."
"And it feels like home here?"
"Only because you're here."
"Smooth," Regina chuckled.
"I try."
Regina smiled and she stood up from the couch, smoothing down her dress as she looked down at Emma. "It's getting late. I'm going to head to bed."
"Right behind you."
Regina changed into her pajama's first, a pair of black silk bottoms with a matching camisole. She was on her way out of the bedroom just as Emma came in and she washed her makeup off in the bathroom before they switched so Emma could do the same. The domesticity of their living arrangements for the past month came so easily that neither seemed to think of it at all. Regina settled into bed, keeping only the lamp on as she pulled up a single sheet to her waist and settled in.
Emma returned a few minutes later, her face clean of her makeup and her hair tied back loosely. She turned off the lamp and settled into the bed next to Regina. Emma had been wearing boxers and a tank top to bed, but she had chosen to wear long plaid pants instead of the boxers. Regina turned to look at Emma as Emma turned to look over at her and they met halfway for a lingering kiss goodnight.
Emma was the one who reached out first and pulled Regina in a little closer. Their kissed deepened quickly and before either of them could put a stop to it, Emma was moving to straddle Regina's hips without breaking their kiss. The weight of Emma on top of her only caused her to kiss Emma harder, deeper. She balled her fists into the back of Emma's tank top while arching her body up into hers. Her whole body was thrumming with desire, with need, with arousal, and the fact that she was on the bottom had her urging to reverse their positions immediately. She didn't, however, and instead she moved a hand to press against Emma's chest to push her back, ending their kiss and their close contact.
"We should stop," Regina whispered against Emma's lips. "It's late."
"Fuck. I'm sorry."
"Don't."
Emma moved to lay on her side of the bed, but her hands rubbed over the slight curve at Regina's waist, her fingers dipping just under the hem of her camisole. "I'm sorry," Emma murmured under her breath. "God, I want you. I want—"
"Emma, we will get there," Regina whispered gently. "In time. When you are truly ready."
Regina's heart was pounding and her arousal was coursing through her body, making her mind and heart spin wildly out of control. Regina ran a hand over Emma's forearm while Emma continued to stroke over her skin just under the hem of her camisole. She wanted to push that hand higher, lower, to feel more of the warmth of Emma's palm against her flesh.
"I want you," Regina murmured even though she hadn't meant to say it aloud. Emma's short nails grazed over her skin roughly and Regina could barely hold back. How she was going to keep from physically jumping Emma from that point onwards, she had absolutely zero clue. "Good night, Emma."
"Good night," Emma replied, her breath tickling over Regina's lips.
Regina moved to take the hand that was under her camisole into her own and she brought it up to her lips, kissing lightly over Emma's knuckles. Without a word having to be spoken, they moved until Regina became the little spoon, taking Emma's hand with her other as they settled in on the bed curled up against one another.
It was going to be a long night, that much Regina knew as she struggled to fall asleep. She focused on the sound and the feel of Emma's breath against the back of her neck and after a long while, she finally gave in to the pull of sleep, drifting off into a deep, dreamless state.
[X]
Regina woke up alone in the bed and to the sounds of clattering coming from the kitchen and the intoxicating aroma of fresh coffee wafting in the air. Breaking her own rule about wearing pajamas outside the bedroom, she made her way into the kitchen to find Emma at the sink washing some of the dishes that had piled up from the day before.
"Morning," Emma said as she turned to look at her quickly before turning back to the sink to finish rinsing one of the plates.
"Good morning," Regina replied. "I'm surprised you're awake so early, dear."
"Yeah," Emma shrugged, placing the plate in the drying rack as she turned off the water.
"Couldn't sleep any longer?"
"No," she shrugged again. "I've been thinking."
"Oh? About what?"
"Going home," Emma replied. "We need to go home, don't we?"
"Yes we do."
"Today," Emma clarified. "I'll give what is left of the food we bought to the homeless guy around the corner and we can go somewhere for breakfast before we get on the road."
Regina was surprised that Emma was ready to go home, but she wasn't going to question it or push Emma for any answers as to why she suddenly felt different that morning versus how she'd felt the day before. She had to wonder if the talk Emma had with Henry on the phone yesterday morning had anything to do with it or even the date they'd gone on last night.
They had their coffee, showered, dressed, and then packed. Emma used Regina's phone, since hers had been purposely left behind, to call Henry and to let him know they were both coming home. After they put their things in their own cars, Emma took what was left of their food to give to the homeless man around the corner. Regina just stood aside and watched as the man's face lit up with nothing but gratitude and awe.
They stopped at a diner not far from the apartment, making plans to stop at certain places in case one got ahead or too far behind the other. They shared a brief kiss before they got into their own vehicles and Regina exhaled sharply, watching Emma pull away from the curb before she followed and merged into the heavy traffic.
They were going home, home where they belonged, home to their son, their family. Regina wasn't sure how different things would be once they were back in Storybrooke, but she had a feeling the darkest of days were now behind them.
