Chapter eight
Emma didn't recognise the Killian that had started following her around.
They weren't 'officially' back together again – Emma's exact words on the matter had been, "Fine, I guess we can see how things go." And yet he'd taken it as a victory, and Emma could barely leave the house without him appearing at her elbow.
She hadn't let him move back in with her, because that was just too much when the thought of his hands anywhere near her made her feel slightly sick. But he still managed to walk her to and from the sheriff station every single day, and he usually called her at least three times while she was there.
"The boat I've rented isn't actually so bad," he said one evening two weeks after his miraculous return. He'd bullied his way into Emma's house for the evening, and they were sitting at her dining room table eating pasta in near-silence. "It's no Jolly Roger, obviously, but it's fine. You should come by."
Emma's eyes were on her cell phone, which was siting in her lap. It hadn't lit up with a text from anyone besides him or her mother in days. She murmured a response. "Maybe."
"I could take you out on the bay. I know you say you hate sailing, but I still think I can change your mind."
"Mm."
"Is everything okay?"
"Sure," Emma said, tapping on her message chain with Regina.
How are things going with the pirate? Regina had written four days ago.
Fine, I guess.
You don't sound very convinced. Can I help?
No, not really. I'm just giving this thing a try, but it's hard.
Would it be easier if I didn't contact you?
The answer to that had been a resounding no, but Emma had forced herself to reply with something else. Maybe. Just while I'm getting my head together.
Of course. Whatever you need.
Emma had regretted saying it ever since. She knew Regina was keeping her distance because she respected her and, against all odds, was trying to make this decision easier for her, but Emma couldn't help wish that she'd burst into her kitchen and kiss her up against the kitchen table anyway.
"Who are you texting?" Hook asked, trying to peer over the table and into Emma's lap.
Emma sighed, locking her phone with a resigned click. "Absolutely no one."
Killian was smiling at her when she looked up, although it looked forced.
"We should do something tomorrow," he said.
"Like what?"
"I don't know. I just feel like we need to… reconnect," he said, glancing not-so-subtly at Emma's chest as he spoke. He'd been making similar comments ever since he'd stepped back into her life, evidently put out by the fact that Emma hadn't dragged him into her bed yet, and just like all those other times, Emma ignored him.
"We could go out for dinner," she said flatly. She sure as hell wasn't about to suggest anything else.
A flicker of disappointment crossed Hook's face before it brightened again. "Okay. And then maybe we can come back here after. For some alone time."
"I'm not so sure about that."
"Excuse me?" Hook asked, forgetting himself. That same old look of resentfulness crossed his features – the one that he'd somehow been managing to hide ever since the day after he'd shown up at her front door.
Emma sighed. "It's just… I'm not ready yet. I need more time."
"More time for what?" Hook snapped, then caught himself. He took a breath and said slightly more gently, "What do I need to do to earn your trust back?"
The problem was, it wasn't actually about trust. Not to him, anyway. He was only asking that because he knew it was the right question, but Emma was all too aware from the way that he kept watching her and licking his lips that what he really meant was, "What do I need to do to get back in your bed?"
She swallowed. "Just be patient with me."
"But it's already been—"
"Killian," Emma interrupted wearily. "Please. I'm giving this a shot, I really am. But I need to move slowly on this."
There was a pause, and Emma thought maybe he was about to accept that. But then she felt a hand touching her leg underneath the table, making her jump.
"Come on, Swan," he murmured, stroking her knee. "I know things aren't the same as they were, but if you let me, I'll help you feel like they are."
Rage brewed up inside her like water boiling out of a pan. "I just said no. What, you think you can twist my arm?"
"No, of course not."
"Good. Because I'm not playing a game here – I mean it. I'm not ready to have sex with you again."
"I get it," Hook said, removing himself from her leg and lifting his hands in a woah, easy now gesture. "I was just kidding around. You don't need to be so difficult about it."
Emma gritted her teeth so hard that she thought she heard a crack. "I'm not being difficult."
"Fine," Hook sighed, going back to his pasta. "So, to clarify: dinner tomorrow. No funny business. Right?"
In spite of everything, Emma felt slightly sorry for him. "Sure."
"Granny's?"
"Fine."
They finished their dinner in silence.
She met Hook after work and they went to the diner together. All the smaller tables were already taken – not by anyone Emma wanted to see, she noted miserably – so they grabbed one of the larger booths. They ordered without speaking to one another, and as Granny disappeared with her notepad, Emma waited for the inevitable to begin.
"So," Hook said right on cue. He'd washed his hair, she noticed. Her heart pulled, but not in the right way. "I've been thinking."
"About what?"
"Us. And how we can get back to where we were before I got taken."
He always said 'taken' like none of this was his fault. Whether that was true or not, Emma would have preferred the word 'left', simply because it would have given her the impression that he actually felt guilty about it.
"Go on," she said, lifting her water glass to her lips.
"The wedding."
Emma choked on her drink immediately. "Sorry?"
"Our wedding," Hook clarified, eyeing her curiously as she put the glass back down with shaky hands. "That's where we were before everything got messed up: we were engaged and things were going great. So, how about we just go back to that? We can start planning our wedding again."
"Like nothing happened, you mean?"
"Exactly," Hook said, not noticing the ice in her voice.
"And you think that will work?"
"I mean, it's worth a shot. We've got to try and get things back on track, right? If we're going to get married and have kids one day, we need to fight for this."
Kids. The word blared in Emma's head like a siren, and she slumped back against her side of the booth. Hook was beaming at her, and it was a sight that made her feel simultaneously nauseous and like the absolute worst person in the entire world.
You could never have kids with him.
It was an obtrusive thought that she'd had too many times over the past couple of years, and even now that it was louder and more certain than ever, it brought up an acidic kind of guilt that threatened to choke her.
"Are you alright?" Hook asked. "You look a bit pale."
She nodded sharply. "Fine. Sorry."
"I thought we could discuss venues first?" he suggested, and sweat broke out over Emma's entire body. "How do you feel about getting married at sea?"
"I… I don't…"
The door chimed, and a beat later she heard, "Emma!"
She glanced up, relief swarming through her when she found her parents approaching their table, pushing baby Neal between them.
"Hey," Emma said, hoping they didn't notice the shake in her voice. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Just stopping to get some food," David said. "Are you guys okay?"
"We're good," Hook said, and he was just about to say something else when Emma cut over the top of him with a frantic sentence that made everyone in a three-metre radius jump slightly.
"You should join us!"
Her parents blinked at her. Hook, meanwhile, turned to pin her with an icy glare.
"Really?" Snow asked, looking hopeful.
"Sure, of course," Emma gabbled, sliding across the seat to make room for her. Her parents stepped forward and joined them, and Hook was left quietly fuming.
Things got easier once they were there. Emma felt like she could relax and actually talk again, and her parents seemed so completely delighted to be spending time with her for the first time since Hook had reappeared and commandeered all of her attention that she didn't even notice the sulky pout on his face. It was nice to be normal again for a few minutes. Emma sat back and decided to enjoy it.
And then she bolted upright in her seat once more, because the door was opening and two more people were walking in.
"Oh, hey guys," Henry said as he strolled over. Behind him, Regina was closing the diner door.
Emma wanted to say hi back, but her throat had closed up. Regina was wearing her blue dress – that blue dress – and her hair looked silky and glossy and somehow delicious. She spotted Emma at once, and she smiled.
"Mom, can we join them?" Henry asked, turning back to her. Regina glanced at Emma, waiting for some kind of response, but Snow got there first.
"Of course you can," she chirped. "How lovely! An impromptu family dinner."
By that point Hook looked like his head was about to explode, but there was nothing he could do about it. Henry was sauntering round to the other side of the booth, and he plonked himself down on Hook's left side.
That just left Regina to slowly amble over to the empty space on Emma's right.
"May I?" she asked. Her voice was as smooth and calm as ever.
"Sure," Emma replied. She already sounded hysterical.
Regina slid in next to her. The smell of her perfume immediately washed over Emma, wrapping around her limbs like vines scattered with rosebuds.
"How are you?" Regina asked quietly, and Emma turned to look at her. Everyone else on the table was happily chatting to one another, except for Hook: although Emma could feel his displeased gaze on the side of her face, she couldn't help but look down at Regina's lips with a sigh.
"I'm fine," she said. "You?"
"Better now," Regina said so softly that no one else could have heard her. Emma struggled not to moan.
"Good," she said, looking away with her cheeks going hot. Regina's thigh was pressed up against her own, and suddenly all she could think about was what it had felt like to have them clamped around the sides of her face.
She sighed and looked up. Hook was watching her.
"What are you going to get, Mom?" Henry suddenly asked.
"I'm not sure," Regina hummed, opening her menu. "I can't say I'm craving a salad right now."
Out of nowhere, Emma was chuckling to herself.
"What?" Regina asked. Emma glanced over to find her smirking.
"You never crave a salad," Emma pointed out. "You want a burger. You always do."
"You sound awfully sure of yourself."
"Yeah, because I'm not a moron," Emma replied. She looked back across the table at their son. "Henry. She wants a burger, right?"
"Probably," Henry grinned back at her. "But now you've said it, she's going to order something else just to spite you."
"Do you think I'm that petty?" Regina asked.
"Yes," Emma and Henry said in unison. Regina rolled her eyes.
"You two have such a low opinion of me."
"Well, prove us wrong," Emma said, enjoying being able to challenge her for once without immediately receiving a stinging slap to the ass. "Order the burger."
Regina surveyed her coolly, and Emma knew she was thinking about exactly the same thing.
"I will not be bullied into ordering something by my son and his immature second guardian."
"I'd like to see someone try and bully you, Regina," David said. He was watching their conversation with a twist of amusement on his face.
"They wouldn't win," Regina said, looking across at him. "No one bests me."
Her hand suddenly slipped over Emma's knee. Emma jumped, her other leg knocking against Hook's.
"But as you all seem to be so impassioned about it," Regina continued, letting her hand slip an inch higher. "I will get a burger."
"Does this mean we won?" Henry asked. He was grinning at both of his mothers, seemingly not noticing the dazed look on Emma's face.
"I suppose so," Regina sighed, stroking her thumb over Emma's thigh. Emma was holding her breath and her temples were pounding, and she knew she could push her away again. She knew she should. She was surrounded by her entire family and she was directly opposite her sort-of-fiancé-but-not-really and her mother was right next to her, and the sensible thing to do would be to laugh and nudge Regina away from her, and then just get through this meal like a normal person.
But she didn't do any of that. Instead, she shifted forward in her seat so that her lap was fully hidden beneath the table.
She could feel Regina smirking as she said, "But this still doesn't mean you two have outdone me. I always come out on top."
Emma's hands were shaking when Granny came back over and took the remaining orders. By the time she was gone again, Regina's hand was located halfway up her thigh and was slowly moving round in circles, her fingertips sending shivers up to the peak of Emma's spine.
"You look very alert, Emma," David said, suddenly noticing the way that she was sitting bolt upright with her stomach pressed against the edge of the table.
Regina's fingers slid down toward the inside of her thigh, and Emma choked out, "Yeah. Just excited for food."
Her pussy was throbbing. She hadn't touched Regina in weeks – not since they'd woken up together after the best and wildest night of Emma's entire life – and the mere feeling of her fingers skating over her leg had sent all the blood in her body rushing directly towards her clit. She wriggled in her seat, wordlessly begging Regina to go further, and felt a breath of laughter from beside her.
"And what did you order, Miss Swan?" Regina asked. When Emma heard that name, she nearly fell out of the booth altogether.
"Miss Swan?" Snow asked, shaking her head. "Come on, Regina. Surely you can call her Emma by now."
"It's fine," Emma choked out. "It's like a joke between us now. Right, Madam Mayor?"
Regina's eyes flashed. "Right."
Her fingers teased at the crease of Emma's hipbone. Emma swallowed hard.
"I got a burger too."
"Not your usual combination of a grilled cheese with extra cheese and a side of mac and cheese?" Regina asked, smiling wryly. She was only inches away, her lips within kissing distance, and it was absolute fucking torture.
"No," Emma said, hoping no one else could hear the crack in her voice. "I'm trying new things at the moment."
Regina smirked again. "That you are."
She twisted her wrist and cupped her hand directly over Emma's pussy. Emma jumped, her knees banging against the table, and suddenly the hot pulsing of blood in her body sounded like a roaring in her ears.
She wriggled away from Regina and started to clamber over Snow's lap.
"Emma?" Snow asked, blinking.
"Sorry. I just have to…" Emma trailed off as she hurdled over her mother and made it safely onto solid ground. "I just need the…"
And then she ran, heading for the bathroom without looking back.
The table fell silent for a few moments, everybody blinking confusedly at one another as they wondered what the hell had just happened. Eventually Snow asked, "Do you think she's okay?"
"She was acting a little strange before you arrived," Hook said. "She kept going pale."
"Oh dear," Snow sighed. "Maybe we should go check she's alright."
Regina tried not to snort. Her own blood was up, because the feeling of being next to Emma again had been even more tantalising than she'd expected. She couldn't believe how close they'd gotten to outing themselves in front of everyone within less than five minutes of sitting beside one another.
She shouldn't have done any of that. She knew it. But she also knew how miserable Emma had looked every single time she'd seen her trailing after Hook those past two weeks, and she'd seen the way her face had lit up the second Regina had walked into the diner. She'd felt Emma pressing herself into her touch.
She sighed. This whole thing was such a fucking disaster.
"I'll go," Hook said in response to Snow's suggestion. He looked to his right, where David was busy checking on Neal in his stroller, and then to his left, where Henry was slumped down with seemingly no intention of moving.
With a snort of derision, Regina said, "It's the ladies' room. I'll go." She slid out of the booth before anyone could object.
Fire was burning in her stomach as she approached the bathroom, and it was only partly because she wasn't sure whether Emma would welcome her with open arms or scream at her to please just give her some goddamn space. The rest of the fire was a hot cocktail of jealousy, so thick and putrid that she couldn't even lie to herself and pretend that it was something else. She'd seen Emma and Hook together a dozen times since he'd miraculously reappeared, and the sight of him there, with her, with his good hand constantly reaching for the small of her back and the other one glinting whenever it twisted, made her feel sick.
Regina still wasn't sure that she was worthy of touching Emma, but she was absolutely certain that Hook was not.
She reached the bathroom and took a breath. She pushed open the door.
There were three stalls lined up against the back wall, and all of them were empty. For a second, Regina wasn't sure she'd gone into the right place.
But then Emma was rushing toward her from the sinks on the other side of the room, and she was grabbing the front of Regina's jacket with hands that said I miss you and I want you and I need you. Regina didn't have time to react before she was forced up against the wall, and then Emma was kissing her, not even pausing to mutter a furious word in her ear before she was forcing Regina's lips apart and sliding a greedy tongue into her mouth. Regina moaned, taking hold of Emma's waist and pulling her against her, not quite recognising the feeling of being the one who wasn't in charge but allowing herself to enjoy it for just a second. Emma was burning with something that felt a little bit like despair, and she was happy to be attacked by her desperate kisses while she worked it out of her system.
She was expecting that to be it – for Emma to kiss her angrily and then suddenly pull away with her eyes flashing. But it didn't happen that way: instead, Regina felt a set of fingers curling around her wrist, and before she knew it she was being tugged toward the stall in the corner.
"Emma," Regina said as she was dragged inside. "What are you doing?"
"You know what I'm doing," Emma said, shutting the door and then wedging Regina up against it. Her hands were everywhere, skimming over Regina's neck and shoulders and then down to her breasts, and Regina didn't consider telling her to stop. Why should she? Why should she stay away from her when clearly neither of them wanted that? It wasn't like Hook was a good man or a good boyfriend or a good anything – as far as Regina was concerned, he and Emma weren't even officially dating again. So fuck it – why should she tear herself away from Emma when she'd finally found someone who wanted to be draped around her just as much as she wanted to be draped around them?
Regina fisted a hand in the front of Emma's shirt and pulled her against her, sliding her tongue into her mouth with ease. Emma seemed frantic – her hands were splayed against the door either side of Regina's head, and she had shoved a leg roughly between her thighs. It was restricted by the tight fabric of her dress, which meant that Regina couldn't grind down against it, but they could both still feel it helping to pin her back against the wall. The sensation just made Regina moan.
But then Emma's hands got grabby. They were skating all over Regina's body, grasping for her and pulling her close and pushing her away all at once, and Regina knew what that meant. There was a neediness in her actions that only surfaced when she was in a very specific mindset.
Regina reached for Emma's waist and pushed, turning them so that Emma crashed back against the solid wall. Emma gasped, but her eyes were glinting. Her head fell back against the bricks as she watched Regina looming over her.
With cool eyes, Regina peered down at her from her towering shoes. One hand stayed on Emma's waist, holding her against the wall, while the other crept up to caress the jut of her jaw.
"Do you need something, Miss Swan?"
The words sent something that felt like hot oil sputtering through Emma's veins. She nodded, her eyes wide and unblinking.
"And what might that be?" Regina asked softly, stroking her hair away from her face.
Emma surprised her by reaching out to grab hold of her waist. She didn't pull her closer, but rather just clung onto her like she was expecting her to walk away. Regina laughed softly.
"You're very needy today," she commented.
"I know."
"Is that because you've missed me?"
Part of her expected Emma to blush at that, or to say no. She did neither of those things.
"Yes," she said shortly, her jaw tensed and angry-looking. "I have."
"I've seen you wandering around town with that man," Regina said, refusing to use his name because he didn't deserve that. "With someone who isn't me."
Emma's face fell. "I know. I'm sorry, Madam Mayor."
"That's alright. It's not your fault," Regina said coolly. "Do you remember when we got a room together here?"
Blinking at the subject change, Emma said, "Yes, of course."
"And do you remember what I told you that night?"
Emma hesitated, her mind flicking back over the dozens of things that had happened that during that evening. In her moment of confusion, Regina leaned forward and pressed her mouth hotly against Emma's ear.
"I told you that I don't like to share."
Emma whimpered, her fingers digging into Regina's waist. "I remember."
"Good. The problem, though, is that I'm being forced to share you anyway. And that fact is making me a little angry."
She wasn't sure how far she should push this right at that moment, but as soon as she saw the flash of excitement in Emma's eye, she knew that they weren't going to have a problem.
"I'm sorry," Emma whispered. She slid her hands down Regina's hips, then round to her ass. "Can I make it up to you?"
Regina smirked. "You've gotten bold."
"I'm just making up for lost time."
"Hm," Regina purred, dipping forward and pressing a quick kiss against Emma's mouth. "I admire that. Although I might have to put a stop to it."
"Really?" Emma asked. She squeezed Regina's ass and shivered when a pair of dark eyes flashed back at her.
"Yes," Regina snapped, grabbing Emma's wrists and pinning them against the wall. "Really."
Emma trembled in the most delicious way possible, and Regina had to resist the urge to bend forward and suck on her neck until it was purple all up one side. She suspected even someone as self-involved and moronic as Hook might notice that.
She settled for kissing her throat gently, letting her tongue flick out and lap at Emma's pulse point until her arms were shaking beneath her grip. Then she let her wrists go entirely, reaching down to unbutton Emma's jeans and slowly drag the zipper down.
When Regina pulled back, Emma was watching her with wide eyes. Regina could tell she was holding her breath.
"Are you going to stand there and take this, Miss Swan?'
Emma's nod was frantic and sincere. "Yes, Madam Mayor."
"You're not going to start bitching and whining that I'm not going fast enough?"
"No."
"You're certain?" Regina asked, suddenly gripping hold of Emma's jeans and panties and yanking them down her thighs. Emma whimpered, but she didn't move. "Because if I hear one word of complaint out of you, I'll have no problem leaving you here feeling extremely unsatisfied."
She reached up to tuck Emma's hair behind her ear, then added, "Maybe I'll even tie you to that hook on the door and see how long I can leave you in here for before you start to lose your mind with need."
Emma's jaw trembled before she choked out, "I'll take whatever you're willing to give me, Madam Mayor."
"And what if I'm not willing to give you anything?"
She was startled by just how close to tears Emma looked at that.
"Then… I'll take that too."
She was lying, but it didn't matter. Regina smiled proudly at her, cupping her chin.
"Very good," she said, finally slipping a hand between Emma's legs. Even she was slightly shocked by how hot and slick her skin already was.
"Emma," she purred, drawing out her name like a ribbon. "You continue to surprise me."
Emma's head had fallen back against the wall, and there was a tear glinting in the corner of her eye. "Is that a bad thing?"
"No, dear," Regina said, making Emma moan out loud. Regina quickly clapped her spare hand across her mouth, smothering her. "You know, I never used to like surprises. But for some reason, I've grown to love them with you."
She could feel Emma nervously smiling beneath her fingers.
"How long after I sat down next to you did you start getting wet like this?" Regina asked, pulling her hand away from Emma's mouth and cupping her cheek instead. Between her legs, her fingers were ever so slowly circling Emma's clit, applying so little pressure that she knew it must have been torturous.
"Seconds," Emma breathed. "As soon as I could smell you."
Regina smirked at that. "You can smell me?"
"Yes."
"Do you like it?"
"Yes. I want to buy a bottle of your perfume just so I can spray it on my bed and fuck myself in it."
A glimmer of surprise crossed over Regina's face. "My my. You really are needy today."
"I know," Emma gasped, and her hips were starting to buck against Regina's infuriatingly soft touch. "I wish you had your strap-on with you so you could bend me over and fuck me with it."
"Mm," Regina gently encouraged, increasing the pressure just slightly. "I would enjoy that too. What else would you like?"
Emma was panting, her head rolling back against the wall and her fists clenched by her sides. "I'd like you to slap me."
Regina smirked. The hand that was cupping her face pulled away and feebly did as she asked. "Like that?"
Emma moaned. "Harder. Please."
"I thought you were going to take whatever I gave you?"
"I am," Emma gasped, scrunching her eyes shut as Regina's fingers pressed harder against her clit. "I just—"
She was interrupted by Regina's palm slapping viciously against her cheek. She groaned out loud, the sound echoing off the walls, and Regina immediately clapped her hand back over her mouth.
"Be quiet," she hissed, pressing her forehead against Emma's. Just as Emma began to mumble her apologies, Regina slid two fingers inside her, taking her sweet time and enjoying the way Emma's eyes widened in response. "Do you want me to stop?"
Emma shook her head almost violently, and Regina began to gradually pump her fingers in and out.
"Then let me ask you this again," Regina said quietly, pressing her thumb against Emma's clit as she pushed her fingers back inside. "Are you going to stand there and take this?"
"Yes, Madam Mayor," Emma forced out from beneath her palm.
"Good girl," Regina purred, slipping a third finger inside her and admonishing her softly when Emma cried out. "Shh, Emma. You don't want someone to come in here and catch you with my fingers in your cunt."
Emma whined at that. She tilted her hips toward Regina's hand so she could take her deeper, and she released a low moan when she felt something hot and pliable starting to creep through her muscles.
"Or do you?" Regina mused, driving her fingers in harder and smirking whenever Emma gasped. "Do you want someone to walk in and hear you moaning? Do you want people to know that you spread your legs for the mayor whenever she asks you to, and you thank her for it afterwards?"
The noise that came from Emma's mouth was more like a wail than anything Regina had ever heard, and she could tell from the fierce clenching around her fingers that Emma was close to coming. She leaned forward, pressing the full weight of her body against Emma's so she could properly pin her to the wall, and she peeled her other hand away from her mouth.
"Let's see how quiet you can be," she murmured, gripping hold of Emma's cheeks instead. Her right hand drove into her again, making the most delicious sucking noises as it plunged into Emma's wetness, and before she knew it, Emma's entire body was shaking. "Come on, Miss Swan. You know I don't like to be kept waiting."
Emma let out a sharp bark of laughter right before her orgasm washed over her, and then she was grabbing at Regina's shoulders to keep herself upright.
"Fuck," she gasped, Regina's fingers still pistoning into her. "Fuck. I need… I need you so badly."
"I'm right here," Regina cooed, grinding the palm of her hand against her clit.
Emma was breathing hard through the tail end of her orgasm, her fingers digging into Regina's skin. She whimpered as the tremors started to leave her.
"But I need you all the time," Emma said, her forehead tipping forward against Regina's shoulder. "I… miss you."
That made Regina pause. This wasn't part of the game.
But Emma felt her hesitation and let out a shaky sigh. "Don't stop."
"Really?"
"No. Please."
When Regina didn't respond right away, Emma pulled away from her and reached down for the bottom of her dress. She started tugging at it, and when Regina met her gaze, she found only determination there.
She grabbed Emma's wrist, forcing her to stop. "What do you think you're doing, Miss Swan?"
"I'm trying to fuck you," Emma replied right away. Her voice snapped at the back of her throat, and it was just bratty enough to piss Regina off.
She grabbed Emma's wrists and quickly spun her around, thrusting her forward against the wall. "I beg your pardon?"
Emma wriggled under her weight, but a faint moan escaped her lips before she could hide it. "I said, I'm trying to fuck you."
"And when exactly did I say you could do that?"
"You didn't," Emma bit out. Regina's breath was hot against the back of her neck, like a dragon spitting fire.
Something snapped inside Regina's head when she heard her tone, and she reached down between them and smacked Emma hard across her naked ass.
Emma yelped, jumping up on the balls of her feet, moments before Regina reached out a hand to grab the back of her neck. She pinned her hard against the wall as she spanked her again.
"Do not talk to me like that," she spat, slapping her over and over again until Emma's skin started to turn pink. "Do not try and touch me without my permission. And especially do not try and put your filthy little hands under my skirt like it's your God-given right. Who the hell do you think you are?"
Emma whimpered, her hands clutching aimlessly at the wall. "I'm sorry."
"No, you're not," Regina scoffed, suddenly plunging her fingers back inside her. "You're enjoying this."
Emma's moan of gratitude didn't exactly prove her wrong. Regina moved her other hand from the back of her neck to the front of her throat, squeezing hard and scoffing when Emma choked.
"Shut up," she hissed, watching the way her cheeks were already turning red. "You brought this on yourself."
Something that was either an apology or a plea rasped from Emma's throat, but Regina just squeezed harder. Her other hand was ramming into her cunt, filling the bathroom with frantic sucking sounds that made her brain feel hot and swollen, and she shivered all over as she watched Emma starting to claw at the wall like she was trying to get away. Her short nails scraped over the exposed bricks as her face got darker and darker, and Regina waited until the very last second before she finally released her.
As Emma choked and gasped, her forehead leaning against the wall, Regina demanded, "What do you say?"
"I'm sorry, Madam Mayor." Emma's voice sounded thick and rusty.
"Good," Regina snapped, grabbing Emma's hips and tugging her backward until she was bent at the waist, her folded arms pressed up against the wall. "And what else?"
Her fingers were still buried between her legs – three of them, all harsh and demanding – and Emma whimpered. "Thank you."
"Thank you for what?"
Emma nearly choked, her body clenching desperately around Regina as she started sliding in and out once more. "Thank you for fucking me."
"You're enjoying it, aren't you?"
"Yes, Madam Mayor," Emma all but wailed, cocking her spine and pressing herself harder against Regina's hand.
"I knew it," Regina said, sounding almost disgusted. Her spare hand grabbed hold of Emma's ass and gripped it hard enough to leave dark crescent marks in her skin. "I always knew you were the type of girl to enjoy being taken from behind in a dingy bathroom."
Emma moaned as heat began to pool in the base of her stomach. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?" Regina, slapping her ass hard.
"Sorry for… needing you to fuck me this badly," Emma choked out. Her throat was still burning from Regina's earlier grip on it, and it was making her head swim in the most delicious way possible.
Regina laughed. "You're not sorry for that. I don't believe it for a second."
She spanked her again and continued her onslaught on her pussy, stretching it around her demanding fingers and loving the way Emma's wetness kept spilling out of it. Emma's moans and whimpers were echoing off the bricks and the tiles and Regina could tell from the arch in her spine and the way that she was biting down on her lip that she was close to coming, and so she fucked her harder, ignoring the burn in her arm and the sticky warmth within her own panties as she watched Emma's body succumb to her.
"Madam Mayor," Emma moaned, her voice loud and wanton. "I'm so close."
Regina opened her mouth to ask just how close she was, but something stopped her. She heard a faint squeak from over the top of the stall door.
Her fingers went still around the same time that Emma's eyes snapped open. They both waited.
Then came the unmistakable sound of the bathroom door swinging shut again, and someone walking toward the stall directly next to theirs.
"Shit," Emma muttered. Regina immediately thrust her forward, pushing her flat against the wall once more, and clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Be quiet," she purred in her ear. Behind her, she could hear their guest bustling around in the neighbouring cubicle.
Pressing her body hard against Emma's back, Regina shifted her other hand until her little finger was also within reach of Emma's pussy. As they waited, she slid that fourth finger inside.
Emma gasped at once, shock melting into pleasure, and pushed herself back against Regina's chest. Regina tightened her grip on her face, feeling Emma's hot breath crystallising on her palm.
"Shh," she said. Her fingers began to move again, all four of them slipping up inside Emma slowly enough to make her legs tremble.
Emma let out a garbled moan that the other woman in the room would definitely have been able to hear, and Regina growled. "Shut up."
Emma nodded her head in a wordless apology, and Regina kept going. As she plunged her fingers deep inside, she idly wondered how long it would be before Emma would let her put her whole fist inside her. She had to fight back a moan of her own at that, imagining Emma's needy little cunt stretched wide around her entire hand, and with newfound desire burning inside her, she managed to pick up a steady rhythm that left Emma panting and writhing against the wall.
The other toilet flushed. Emma used the opportunity to gasp out, "Madam Mayor. I'm…"
But Regina didn't want a running commentary right then, nor was she waiting for her to ask for permission, so she pressed her mouth hotly against Emma's ear and growled, "Shut your fucking mouth, Miss Swan."
That was all it took for Emma to come with a cry that left the other person in the room gasping in shock – thankfully, not with a voice that either of them recognised. The woman hurried out again without washing her hands as Emma continued to moan and pant and buck back against Regina's knuckles.
"Oh Emma," Regina cooed, continuing to pump her fingers until she saw Emma's spine go slack. "You really can take a pounding, can't you?"
Emma let out a noise that was half a laugh and half a sob. "Yes, Madam Mayor."
Regina finally pulled her hand out from between her legs, leaving Emma trembling against the wall. She took a deep breath. "Are you okay?"
"Mm," Emma sighed, her eyes closed. "I'm fine."
But there was something that sounded too much like sadness in Emma's voice, and Regina didn't like it.
"Are you sure?" she asked, reaching for Emma's arm and pulling her until she was facing her. "Did I hurt you?"
Another watery laugh escaped Emma at that. "No, Regina. It was perfect."
She'd called her Regina because they could both tell that they were done playing. Emma's cheeks were still flushed, and there were fading fingerprints on her throat.
Emma reached down for her jeans and panties and pulled them back up. After a beat, she said, "Thank you."
Regina wanted to tell her that she was welcome, but Emma's voice had gone quiet again and she knew all too well what that meant.
With a sigh, she reached for Emma's face and gently cupped it. "Emma…"
Emma leaned into her touch at once, releasing a shaky breath that was tinged with both relief and gratitude. But before Regina could do anything else – before she could ask her to tell her the truth about how she was, or push her into talking about why they'd done this in the first place – the door outside swung open again. For a second, there was silence.
And then, "Emma?"
Both women groaned simultaneously at the sound of Snow's voice.
"In here," Emma said dully, her eyes still on Regina's face.
Another confused pause, before Snow asked, "Is Regina with you?"
"I am," Regina called back. She hesitated, both of them searching for an excuse, before she settled on, "Emma threw up."
Emma immediately reached out and slapped her arm.
"Why?" she demanded in a whisper.
"We're locked in a bathroom stall together," Regina hissed back at her. "What the hell else could we be doing?"
Snow was already calling back at them. "Oh, dear – are you okay? Can I get you anything?"
"I'm fine, Mom," Emma huffed, sounding just pissy enough that it was all too easy to believe that she'd been puking for the past 20 minutes. "We'll be out in a second."
"Alright. If you're sure," Snow said, reluctantly heading out into the diner again. Emma's head thudded back against the wall when the door clicked shut.
"Thank God."
But Regina was still watching her, her eyes taking in the dull glaze over Emma's eyes, and before she could stop herself, she was saying, "Please tell me what's wrong."
Emma looked flatly back at her. "Nothing's wrong."
"Right," Regina snorted, reaching out for her hand. "It's Hook, I'm guessing?"
When Emma didn't reply to that, she had her answer.
"Emma," she sighed, squeezing on her fingers. "Just talk to me."
"I can't," Emma said, exasperated and somehow apologetic. "This is... I'm supposed to be keeping you out of it."
"Sure. Except we just had sex, so that plan's not going too well, is it?"
Emma groaned. "I'm sorry. I've made this even more difficult."
"You haven't made anything difficult," Regina said, and she meant it. This wasn't Emma's fault – she was just trying to do the right thing. The problem was that the definition of 'right' was both loose and so very, very unpleasant. "Emma… I know how hard you're trying to make it work with Hook, and I want to respect that. But…"
Emma waited patiently for the end of that sentence. She almost looked hopeful.
Regina sighed and tried again. "I'm just wondering why you're putting yourself through this ordeal when it's obvious you're not happy."
"Who says I'm not happy?"
"Your face," Regina pointed out gently. "Your body language. Everything about you."
She half expected Emma to get offended and push her away, but she didn't. She just looked down.
"I just think I… owe it to him."
Regina realised then just how much of her parents' daughter she was. She was so good through and through.
Far too good for her.
She opened her mouth to say that, or maybe to tell Emma that there was someone right in front of her who already loved her more than Hook ever could. But before she could say anything, Emma's face was crumpling. She reached up and clutched at her throat with one shaky hand, and it took Regina a split second too long to realise what was happening.
"Oh," she said, stepping forward and sliding an arm around her. Emma tumbled into her embrace, her sobs building quickly and painfully. She buried her face in Regina's shoulder and took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to get herself under control even though Regina knew she'd barely started.
"Shh," she murmured into her hair. "It's okay. Don't try and hold it back."
Emma hadn't experienced a sub drop yet. Maybe she'd been lucky, or maybe she'd just been stubborn – either way, it was finally hitting her, and Regina could sense the shock in her tight muscles.
"What's…?" Emma choked out, her face wet and hot against Regina's dress.
"Sub drop," Regina said, lifting a hand and stroking it over the back of Emma's head. "I'm sorry. This is my fault."
Emma nearly wailed at that. "It's not." She sounded frustrated and embarrassed and so, so sad, and Regina wanted to cry along with her.
"It is," Regina murmured, pressing a kiss just above her ear. "Just take a second to breathe. I'm right here with you. Okay?"
Emma nodded. Her hands had grabbed the back of Regina's dress and were twisting in the fabric, trying to pull her closer even though every inch of their bodies were already pressed together. She sniffed hard, nuzzling her nose against Regina's shoulder so that the familiar scent of her could drift up into her brain.
All Regina could do was hold her tightly, whispering soft things into her ear until she felt the trembling stop.
Eventually Emma huffed out, "I feel so stupid."
"Don't," Regina said at once. Emma's face was still buried somewhere beneath her hair, and she wished she could look her in the eye as she spoke. "It's really common, Emma. It's nothing to be embarrassed by."
"Right. Except I'm 30 years old and I should—"
"This has got nothing to do with not being mature enough or tough enough," Regina said, rubbing circles over her back. "It just happens. Like I said – it's my fault."
"How?"
"Because I knew you weren't feeling great and yet I went along with this anyway."
Emma scoffed, and the hot burst of air against her neck made Regina shiver. "I made you do this. I wanted to."
"So did I. But I should have taken it slower," Regina sighed. "That's my responsibility in this arrangement – to make sure you're safe, so you don't get overwhelmed. So, I'm sorry. Really."
Emma finally pulled away from the embrace. Her eyes were pink and teary, but at least she was smiling again. "I'm not going to forgive you for something that you don't need to apologise for in the first place."
Regina rolled her eyes. "As stubborn as ever."
"Always," Emma said. She leaned forward and pecked Regina on the cheek. "I'm sorry for crying all over you."
"And you don't need to apologise for that," Regina scolded gently. "Decent aftercare is important, but it's hard to give you that in a public bathroom. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Emma insisted, scrubbing her nose with the back of her fist. Regina grimaced.
"My God, will you use a tissue at least?" she asked, grabbing some toilet paper and pushing it into Emma's hand. Emma blew her nose with an apologetic smile.
"We've officially reached a new point in our friendship," she said, and the joke hurt them both.
Regina smiled weakly back at her. "It's a momentous occasion."
For a second they just stood there, watching one another wistfully. Regina could see something in Emma's gaze that felt an awful lot like regret, and she wondered whether she'd tell her why if she was brave enough to ask.
But before she could, the bathroom door was swinging open again.
"Emma, honey," Snow said to them. "I brought you a glass of water, and Granny's made you some chamomile tea."
They both rolled their eyes. When Regina laughed at the despairing expression on Emma's face, Emma actually smirked back at her.
"I'm okay now," Emma called out, her eyes fixed on Regina's lips. "We're coming back."
They waited for Snow to leave again, but from the lack of movement, it seemed that she planned on waiting there until her daughter had resurfaced. With a sigh, Emma adjusted her shirt before reaching out to smooth down some of Regina's messy hair. They finally unlocked the door.
Snow was waiting with a glass of water in her hand and a concerned frown on her face. She didn't even glance at Regina as she asked, "How are you feeling?"
"Better," Emma said, although she looked so flushed and puffy-eyed that Snow's face fell further.
"Come on," she said, reaching out and wrapping her spare arm around her daughter's shoulders. "We should probably get you home."
Regina followed them out of the bathroom, her eyes on the defeated sag of Emma's spine.
The second they were back out in the diner, Hook leapt up from the table and strode toward them. He didn't seem to notice Regina either – he was too busy wrapping Emma in a hug that made her visibly flinch.
"Come on, love," he said, easing her away from her mother and turning toward the door. "I'm taking you home."
Emma blinked. "I'm fine. I don't need to go anywhere."
"Yeah, you do," he said, and his voice was impatient. Whether it was directed at the fact that their date was ruined or the fact that Emma had left him alone with, God forbid, her family for so long, Regina couldn't tell.
He was using the arm with the hook to guide Emma away from them, and Regina gritted her teeth when she noticed its sharp point digging into her arm.
Emma didn't even seem to register it, though. She turned her head and looked over her shoulder at Regina, who was waiting five feet away with her hands folded in front of her stomach. Her lips were slightly swollen, and her eyes were flashing with something that Emma both hated and missed.
Hook pulled her harder, and then Emma was gone. Regina went back to the table and sat down, forcing herself to listen to the people surrounding her talk about how good it was of Hook to take care of Emma like that.
