A/N: Thank you for the amazing reviews! So many of them! Keep them coming! To the guest reviewers that I can't respond privately to.. THANK YOU! You can find me on Tumblr as Delirious-Comfort if you need some comfort at the end. :) xDC

Emma had never seen Regina smile as deviously as she did now and it both scared and excited her.

"Get ready for the game of a lifetime, Miss Swan. If I win-" she gently shook her head and tutted.

"If you get caught cheating, I automatically win."

Regina laughed, "Fine, but I wasn't cheating before. You're still going down."

Emma squinted her eyes at Regina and tapped a finger on the table, "Hit me, please."

Regina couldn't help but snort at the delicate request, "Why, Miss Swan! What an odd request coming from your mouth."

Emma frowned for a second while realization dawned on her and her cheeks flushed and she murmured under her breath, "Shut up."

Regina's lip caught between her teeth as she dealt Emma her card and waited patiently for her to make the next move. "You should never play poker," Regina grinned as Emma's face gave away exactly how she felt about the cards in her hand.

"Stop trying to distract me, I will consider it cheating," Emma said as she placed two cards on the table and gave Regina a smug look.

"Well, it's adorable that you think you can make the rules as you go," Regina said with an arched brow as she grabbed a card. "Tell me, Emma. Are you hoping to win or lose?"

Emma growled, not wanting to indulge her with an answer. She honestly wasn't quite sure what she wanted. If she won, she'd get breakfast in bed but something about Regina's mood made her want to find out what exactly she had in store for Emma. "Win, of course," Emma said, not wanting to give Regina any more amo.

"Are you sure?" Regina placed three cards on the table and showed Emma her teeth baring grin.

"Positive," she said as she held out her hand for another card. "So about my breakfast for tomorrow," Emma said as she added the card to her hand when Regina handed them to her. "I don't want cereal."

Regina didn't say anything but just looked at her with an amused smile.

"I do want coffee though. Maybe some bacon and," she paused for dramatic effect before she grinned broadly, "sunny side up eggs."

"Anything else, your highness?"

Emma nodded, "I want my coffee scolding hot."

Regina rolled her eyes, "Your concussion must be getting worse if you think you're in a position to make demands."

"Hey," Emma scolded lightly, "Don't you mock my very serious condition. I could sue you, you know?"

"Oh?"

"Mhm," Emma mused. "I won't though, because you'd probably lose all your money and I know how attached you are to it. "

Regina smirked, "Keep on fantasizing, Miss Swan and while you're at it, how about you play your cards?"

"Oh right," Emma murmured as she looked at her cards. "Queen beats King, right?"

Regina nodded.

Emma growled, "Do you have any Queens?"

"Maybe."

"Does that mean yes?"

"It means maybe."

"So," Emma drawled. "It's not a no?"

Regina chuckled, "Play your cards, Emma."

"Fine," Emma huffed as she placed three Kings on the table and looked at Regina expectantly.

"Well, well," Regina said with an amused smile. "It looks like you'll be having breakfast tomorrow morning." She grinned when she saw Emma's face lit up as she laid down her cards. "But you'll be making it yourself."

"Motherfuc-"

"Watch your tongue."

Emma swallowed the rest of her sentence when she heard Regina's firm tone. "How did you do that?"

"What can I say? A Queen never reveals her secrets."

"Ugh. Congratulations."

Regina grinned, "You sound so sincere!" She couldn't help but smile when she saw the worry spread on Emma's face. It was obvious that she was terrified of what was going to happen next. "Okay, what's on your mind?"

Emma was quiet for a long time, "I don't like not knowing what's going to happen next."

"I told you, it won't be anything sexual. For all you know, I'm going to make you clean the house." She laughed loudly when she saw the grimace on Emma's face.

"I'm allergic to cleaning products."

"Sure, you are," Regina grinned. "So, before we start this hour, tell me about your limits. Tell me what you absolutely do not want to happen."

Emma was surprised, she didn't think Regina would negotiate with her, but it made her feel more at ease that she was given the option to opt out of things she didn't want to happen. "Well," she said as she thought it over, "I don't want to masturbate in your playroom."

"That would be a sexual thing, we've covered that. What else?"

"I don't want to kneel."

Regina's lips curled up in a small smile as she nodded for Emma to continue.

"I don't want to be humiliated."

"Mhm."

"I'm not going to address you with any titles."

"Okay."

"I'm not going to strip naked."

Regina snorted. "Such a shame. Anything else?"

"I don't want to clean your house."

Regina quirked a brow, "You don't want to, or it's a limit?"

Emma grinned, "It's a limit!"

"One day we're going to have a talk about what limits actually are and what they entail," Regina said gently. "But for now, I will accept your no cleaning limit."

Emma gulped at the implication that this would definitely be happening again, "I think that's it."

"Good," Regina said as she folded her hands. "What is your safe word?"

"Wingardium Leviosa."

"When do you use it?"

"When I want you to stop."

"Good girl, are you ready?"

Emma took a deep breath before she slowly nodded.

Regina reached out her hand and smiled when Emma took it with a trembling hand. "Relax," she whispered softly and gave her a encouraging smile. "So, your limits didn't mention my playroom. Do you dare set foot in it again?"

Emma bit her lip as she nodded, "Nothing sexual, right?"

"Nothing sexual," Regina repeated as she brought Emma to her playroom and closed the door behind them. She leaned against the door, "One hour. You can stop everything by saying your safe word. Nothing sexual is going to happen. I won't make you touch yourself, nor will I make you touch me." Regina wanted to laugh at Emma's horrified expression.

"Does that mean you will touch me?"

"Not intimately," Regina said. "I want you to look around and tell me if there's anything that you are curious about. It doesn't mean we will be using it. For now, I just want to talk."

Emma sighed a breath of relief as she looked around the room. Most of the equipment frightened her because they involved her being completely tied up and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that kind of commitment. Her eyes wandered to the drawer where the ropes lay and she swallowed thickly. When Regina had used the ropes on herself it had fascinated her and she had wondered what they would feel like against her skin. "The ropes," she said softly, not daring to look at Regina.

"Grab the red ones," Regina said as she motioned to the drawer.

Emma's hands trembled as she reached into the drawer and grabbed the red rope before wanting to hand them to Regina who shook her head. "Tell me, why did you chose the ropes?"

"I-I don't know. I'm curious about them."

Regina nodded, "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," Emma breathed out and surprised even herself with the answer.

"Good girl." She smiled when she saw Emma's flustered look and held out her hand for Emma to place the rope in. She tangled them in her fingers as she looked at Emma, "How are you feeling?"

"Nervous," Emma said earnestly as Regina slipped behind her and pressed her front to Emma's back. She brushed Emma's hair to one side as she leaned in closer to whisper in her ear, "You are safe here. I will take care of you."

Emma shivered against her and inhaled sharply as Regina grabbed her hair and chuckled against her ear, "I'm going to do something very scary."

"W-wait," Emma said as her heart pounded faster.

"I'm going to put your hair in a ponytail."

"Oh jesus, Regina!"

"Not quite my preferred title, but it will do!" Regina laughed softly as she pulled the hair tie from her wrist and put Emma's hair in a ponytail. Regina let the rope slide through her hands as she made a bide and reached it around Emma's waist. "Arms up."

Emma put her arms up and her breathing became shallow as felt the rope slide up a little higher to right under her breasts as Regina pulled the remaining rope through the bide and tightened it.

"How does that feel?"

"Weird," Emma breathed out.

Regina chuckled softly as she stepped around Emma, holding the rope in place with one hand. She used her other hand to cup Emma's cheek, "How do you feel?"

"Still okay," Emma murmured, trying desperately not to lean into Regina's touch.

"Good." She reached her hand over Emma's shoulder and grabbed the rope from her other hand, and placed it over her shoulder like a strap before pulling it through the rope underneath her breasts before repeating the action over her other shoulder and turned Emma around.

Emma groaned softly when she felt the rope being tightened on her back before Regina turned her around again and moved the rope across the top of Emma's breasts and underneath the straps. She inhaled sharply when Regina's hand brushed against her nipple as she adjusted the rope.

"This is called a rope Pentagram," Regina said as she loosely looped the rope behind Emma's neck, she didn't want Emma to think she was going to choke her. Her fingers expertly moved the rope underneath the straps before tying it up behind her back.

She slid behind Emma once more and pulled Emma close to her as her fingers followed the path of the rope to make sure it wasn't too tight around her chest. "Tell me, Emma, was that as scary as you thought it would be?"

"No."

Regina softly chuckled as she turned Emma around and took a step back as she look her over and licked her lips approvingly. "You look beautiful, how does it feel?"

Emma tried to think of the right word. The rope didn't feel uncomfortable at all, it was snuggly fit and she hadn't minded at all the way Regina's hands had touched her with every movement. It felt.. "Nice."

"Are you capable of saying more than one word, Emma?"

"Y-yeah," Emma smiled softly. "Sorry, I just don't know what to say."

"Are you embarrassed?"

"No, just getting used to it, I suppose."

Regina smiled as she turned Emma around, "You can put your arms down now."

Emma glanced down at her breasts and grinned, "They have never been more perky."

"Rope will do that," Regina laughed as she tangled Emma's hair in her fingers and gave it a light tug. Seeing Emma in the small harness made her ache to tie her up all over, but she knew it would be too much for the first time. She reached around with her hand and placed it on Emma's chest as she pulled her back slightly by her hair, "I am so proud of you, Emma. You did really good."

"Thank you," Emma murmured as her head rested on Regina's shoulder. She squeezed her eyes shut when she felt the familiar throb between her legs. A squirm escaped her lips when she felt Regina's finger trace the rope and she wanted nothing more but to feel the touch on her skin.

"Didn't I tell you that I would peal away your layers?" Regina murmured huskily. "You are such a good girl, Emma. So obedient and silent, when you want to be. I admire that in you. Just like I admire your willingness to fight and to not give in so easily. Tell me," she whispered as she tugged on her hair a little harder, "What do you want me to do, Emma?"

Emma gulped and her legs wobbled, "I don't know."

"I think you do know."

"You said nothing sexual," Emma moaned softly when Regina's chuckle was low and mesmerizing.

"I asked you what you wanted me to do, I never said I would actually do it. So, let's try this again, what do you want me to do?" Regina fingered the rope and tugged on it, much like she was doing to Emma's hair.

"Touch me," Emma breathed out as her cheeks flushed from the desire she felt.

Regina smiled as she released Emma's hair and gently shoved Emma towards the cage. "Sit on top of it."

Emma did as she was told and swallowed visibly when Regina pushed her legs apart and stood in between them. She cupped Emma's chin and looked her in the eyes. "I am very proud of you for telling me that," she brushed away a strand of hair that fell in Emma's face, "I'm not doing it though. Tying someone up, it gives you a high. It makes you ache for more. I made you a promise though that nothing sexual would happen."

Emma nodded as she listened to Regina.

"I know you've said that you trust me, but I needed to prove it to you. I didn't take advantage of you, Emma. I listened to what you told me before we started and I kept my word."

"Thank you," Emma said with a smile. "So this was some kind of trust exercise?"

Regina shook her head, "No. I wanted to tie you up and I wanted you to understand that it isn't all as scary as you make it out to be in your head."

"Mission accomplished," Emma murmured as Regina reached around Emma and untied the rope swiftly. Emma pouted at the loss of sensation and smiled up at Regina apologetically. "That actually felt really nice."

"Perhaps we can do it again," Regina said as she pulled Emma up to her feet. "Now comes the truly scary part," she said as she wiggled her brows.

"What's that?"

"Now," Regina said as she wrapped Emma's arms around her own waist and pulled her close, "we hug."

Emma chuckled softly as she leaned into the touch and closed her eyes, not in a hurry to let go anytime soon. Her lips curled up in a smile when Regina soothingly stroked her back.

"I still have thirty minutes left."

"Regina?"

"Yes, Emma?"

Emma wrapped her arms tighter around Regina as tears spilled from her eyes. She had no idea why she was crying, but she was unable to stop the stream of tears.

"Ssh," Regina cooed, "You're okay. You did so good, Emma. I am so incredible proud of you."

"Thank you," Emma sniffled as she released Regina from the hug and wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Don't ever apologize for your emotions, Emma. Crying is a natural thing, don't feel ashamed and do not apologize," she smiled as she took Emma's hand and pulled her along to the living room. She sat down on her chair and crossed her legs as she arched a brow.

Emma bit her lip as she lowered herself to the ground and leaned her head against Regina's knees. She pulled up her knees and sighed contently when Regina's hands untied the ponytail and fingers gently combed through her hair.

"Can we do that again, sometime?" A quiet voice said and Regina nearly beamed with pride.

"We can. All you have to do is ask me."

Emma nodded against Regina's knee, "Not when Ruby and her friend are here though."

"Of course not, we wouldn't want to do that again when there are people here who wouldn't judge us for it!" She mocked playfully. Regina sighed and exhaled through her nose, "I would never want you to feel uncomfortable, Emma. Not while you're figuring all these feelings out, anyway."

"What happens when I've figured them out?"

Regina didn't know. It had been the million dollar question on her mind for a while now. What would happen when Emma gave in to her desires? Would they continue this as friends? Could they even play together without Regina wanting to ravish Emma?

"I don't know," Regina said quietly. "I suppose we will have another talk when you do."

"I don't want to be another of your clients."

Regina smiled and if Emma had been watching she could've seen that the smile didn't quite reach Regina's eyes. "You're not a client, Emma."

"Kathryn paid you."

Regina frowned, not liking where the conversation was headed. "She paid me to give you an accommodation. Nothing more."

"So you say," Emma murmured, not quite understanding her current outburst herself. "You don't know what Kathryn had in mind when she did. For all you know she wanted this to happen."

"Then I will give her back the money. I don't need it. If it makes you uncomfortable, I will be happy to return it," Regina said with a hint of anger in her voice. She didn't understand what had just changed and why this happened every time they got a little closer.

Emma shook Regina's hand out of her as she stood up and faced Regina, "You became a lot more friendly when money was added into the equation."

"Emma," Regina said softly as she reached for the reluctant girl's hand and pulled her down to her lap. "You are not a client. If you were, you would not be sitting on my lap. I wouldn't let you sleep in my bed. I would be a whole lot stricter with you and I wouldn't be telling you stories about my youth." She placed a hand on Emma's back and rubbed it softly, "We had a rocky start and I know you lash out when you feel that people are coming to close, but I'm not here to hurt you, Emma."

"Prove it," Emma said defiantly.

"How?" Regina furrowed her brows. "I don't know how else to prove it to you."

"I do," Emma murmured as she turned her head and stared straight into chocolate orbs. She swallowed thickly as she leaned in closer, "You could kiss me."

"Emma," Regina breathed out, uncomfortable with Emma suddenly taking charge. "I am not ready for that."

"Why not," Emma cried out in frustration. "You say I'm not one of your clients. I've been fighting you every step of the way and you're still here, why won't give you give me the one thing I truly need?"

"What do you need?"

"Reassurance that this is more than a session to you. That I mean something to you," Emma said as her fist slammed down on Regina's shoulder.

"How would a kiss prove that to you?"

"You don't kiss your clients. You've said it yourself, you don't allow your clients to touch you," Emma said as her thumb traced Regina's lips. "Prove to me, that I'm not just another client. Prove to me that I'm worth something," Emma's lips quivered as her voice cracked.

"Oh, Emma," Regina murmured as she pulled Emma's head down and eased it onto her shoulder. "You are worth everything. A kiss isn't going to make you believe that you are worthy. No one can make you believe that but yourself."

"I'm so frustrated," Emma sniffed. "I feel things for you and I want to make you proud of me."

Regina smiled softly as she hugged Emma closer to her, "I am proud of you. Whether I kiss you or not, I am incredible proud of you. You've been doing so well. I know it's scary and frighting. But a kiss isn't going to take those feelings away, Emma."

Emma burrowed her head deeper into Regina's shoulder. She didn't understand why Regina wouldn't kiss her. It was all she had asked for while she was here, the one thing she truly needed from Regina. She had tremendously enjoyed it when Regina's hand had been on her as she wrapped the rope around her. She still felt aroused and while that scared her, it scared her more that Regina didn't want any kind of intimacy.

"Are you frustrated because I didn't touch you when you wanted me to?"

Emma shrugged her shoulders, her frustration turning into sluggish, petulant behavior.

"Emma, you have to talk to me, please."

"Maybe. I understand what you said about trust and I appreciate that you kept your word. But I don't understand that when I ask you for reassurance, you won't give it to me. It seems simple to me. You say you don't allow for any intimacy between you and your clients, so logically some kind of intimacy would take away any fear of mine that I'm just another toy."

Regina wanted to huff and get angry. "This isn't intimate to you?"

"I'm going to be furious if Ruby gets here and you kiss her."

Regina couldn't help but chuckle softly, "This isn't about you wanting reassurance. This is about you being jealous of Ruby."

"Well, can you blame me?"

"No. Ruby is my friend, Emma. But I have never kissed her."

"What about other things," Emma murmured as she grabbed Regina's hand and played with her fingers. "Have these been inside of her?"

"They have." Emma dropped Regina's hand and turned her head away as her eyes glossed over, feeling incredibly hurt.

Regina grabbed Emma's hand and laced their fingers together, "They have never cupped her cheek. They have never wiped away her tears. They have never played with her hair." She brought Emma's fingertips to her mouth and pressed her lips against each one. "I have never done that." She moved her lips to Emma's knuckles and kissed them softly, "Nor that."

When Emma turned her head back to Regina she was taken aback by the trail of tears on her cheeks. "Will I ever see you again once I go back to the mainland?"

"Who says you're going back," Regina joked half-heartedly in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Of course you will. I will come by your office and we can tag-team Kathryn as we tell her in no uncertain terms that she went about this the wrong way."

Emma's lips curled up in the tiniest smile.

"And when we've done that, I will take you to diner."

"McDonald's?"

Regina grimaced, "Over my dead body." She smiled when Emma chuckled and cupped her cheek as her thumb traced over Emma's lips. "I want to kiss you. I want to do many delicious things to you, but neither of us are ready for that. I want you to want it, because you want it, not because you're jealous of Ruby."

Emma nodded as she chewed on her lip. "Maybe I should sleep in my own bed tonight."

Regina shook her head, "Not a chance. You're not running away from me just because it got difficult for a second."

"I'm not running, it's just really difficult to sleep next to you if I can't touch you," Emma murmured.

"You can touch me. You can hug me and snuggle up against me. The only thing you can't do is kiss me."

Emma sighed, "Okay. No kissing, just hugging."

Regina petted Emma's thigh, "That's right. I will show you all about intimacy and reassurance, without ever pressing my lips on yours."

Emma groaned, "I really want it though."

"I know," Regina smiled. It wasn't a lie. She knew exactly how badly Emma wanted it, because she had the exact same urges. She wanted to press her lips on Emma and take her to bed. She wanted to prove to her that she could trust Regina and that she was more than just a client.

"How about a kiss on the cheek," Emma asked as she gave Regina her best puppy eyes.

Regina rolled her eyes before pressing her lips on Emma's cheek softly. She lingered there longer than either of them could deal with and Emma closed her eyes when the soft lips retracted from her skin.

"Thank you."

Regina smiled and said the only thing she could think of, the one sentence that came so natural to her whenever she was around Emma. The one thing she hadn't voiced yet. And when Emma's eyes grew wide, she knew she had said it way too soon.

"You're welcome, my girl."