Flickering
Rain. That's the first thing Regina notices the next morning. Rain against the windows. The quiet, whispering sound of rain coming down.
The sheets underneath her are soft. Soft, like her own sheets back at the castle, but she's well aware that she isn't at home in her own castle.
She's at the Forbidden Fortress. And she has absolutely problems with remembering exactly what happened last night.
Regina stretches in the bed without opening her eyes. She still feels a little boneless. And she's a bit sore between her legs. Not much, just a reminder of what happened last night.
"How are you feeling?"
Regina doesn't answer. How Maleficent knows she's awake is a bit of a mystery, but the sorceress' voice is close to her. Does that mean she slept next to her? For some reason, that makes Regina happy.
"I know you're awake, my sweet."
Regina scoffs quietly into the pillow. Why is it that Maleficent is so determined to talk right now? Regina could relish in this all day. The silence. No "stepmother, are you awake?" or "good morning, Your Majesty". Just the sound of rain tapping against the windows. Nothing more.
But Maleficent clearly has a different opinion, because the blonde sorceress gently brushes her lips against Regina's naked shoulder.
Regina finally opens her eyes and turns around to lie on her side. She pulls the sheets up to her chest. You would think that she was beyond shame and shyness after last night, but for some reason, she's not quite ready to be naked again.
Maleficent is lying only inches from her. So she did in fact fall asleep next to Regina last night. Regina notes that the blonde has changed into some sort of nightgown. She must have done that after Regina fell asleep.
Regina purses her lips slightly. Last night had been all about her. Exactly what had been in it for Maleficent?
Regina suddenly feels like some sort of greedy creature. She didn't even remove Maleficent's clothes last night. She didn't even attempt to.
"What's the matter?" Maleficent asks calmly and brushes a strand of hair behind Regina's ear.
"Nothing."
"Are you in pain?"
Regina shakes her head. She isn't in pain. Not much, at least.
"Then what is it?"
Regina isn't doing a terribly good job at choosing her words. "You didn't…." she says vaguely.
Vague or not, Maleficent seems to understand what Regina is getting at, and the blonde sorceress flashes Regina a smile and chuckles warmly. "You're worried that I didn't get any satisfaction, is that it?"
Regina nods. She might not have a profound knowledge about intimacy, but she knows that there should be something in it for both parts.
"Darling," Maleficent says warmly and strokes Regina's cheek. "Watching you last night was plenty enjoyable for me."
Regina's frown goes deeper. She isn't too sure what to think of that. On the one hand, she's happy that her reactions brought Maleficent such joy, but on the other hand, she can't help but feel a bit… offended that Maleficent seemingly isn't interested in having Regina reciprocate.
"Oh." She says, nods once as if she understands.
But Maleficent reads her like an open book, skims a finger up and down Regina's sheet-covered back and says: "That doesn't mean that I don't want you."
"It doesn't?"
Maleficent sighs. "Of course I want you. Surely, you must know that by now. But I simply didn't want to overwhelm you last night. I figured you would be too exhausted for a- lesson."
Regina tilts her head when she realizes what Maleficent means. "You'll teach me? How to…?" the rest of the sentence dies on her lips.
"Oh yes, darling," Maleficent chuckles. "I'll teach you anything you want to learn."
"Anything?"
"Anything." Maleficent confirms and her grin widens. "You are quite the curious one."
Regina bobs her shoulders once. She supposes she is a bit curious now after last night. Her marriage is loveless, and she had never imagined that she would get a chance to experience intimacy. Not like this, at least. Not with someone who actually means something to her. She suddenly feels immensely grateful that Maleficent had been the one to take her to bed for the first time. Because no matter what else happened, she would always have this. Not many things had been perfect in Regina's life, but this, her first intimate experience had been absolutely perfect, and Regina can't imagine that she at any point should wish to change last night's event.
"Not having seconds thoughts, are we?" Maleficent asks, there's a hint of concern in her voice, and Regina leans in and kisses her. Just because she can.
"No." she smiles, and Maleficent smiles back at her.
"Tell me, my sweet. Exactly what would you like me to teach you?"
"How to make you feel as good as you made me feel last night," Regina says without hesitation. She so wants to reciprocate. She so wants to explore Maleficent's body like Maleficent explored hers last night.
"Oh." Maleficent grins. "Well, that I can teach you, darling."
"Can you?"
"Mhmm."
"When?" Regina asks bluntly.
Maleficent laughs. "My, my. Someone isn't feeling as shy and timid anymore."
Regina shrugs lightly.
"If you're beyond all that, why don't you drop that silly sheet, hmm?" Maleficent challenges with a crooked smile.
Regina narrows her eyes. But only for a moment. Then she lets go of the sheet, and it doesn't take long before Maleficent pulls it away from her body.
"There you are. So beautiful."
"I'm cold," Regina says, and that isn't a bad excuse. She really is feeling rather cold. The Forbidden Fortress is quite chilly.
"How about a bath then?" Maleficent suggests and elegantly hops out of bed.
"That sounds nice." Regina climbs out of bed and immediately notes that she's feeling rather achy between her legs. Every time she takes a step, it aches down there.
"A bath will also help with the pain," Maleficent adds as she hands Regina a bathrobe.
"I'm not in pain," Regina denies firmly.
Maleficent raises an eyebrow. "Don't lie, darling. I can see how stiff you're walking."
Regina glares but doesn't say anything. Maleficent takes her hand and leads her into the bathroom and to one of the biggest bathtubs Regina has ever seen.
With a flick of Maleficent's wrist, the tub fills itself with warm water. Regina quickly disrobes and climbs into the bathtub. Maleficent was right. The hot water does feel good.
Regina looks up and sees Maleficent nonchalantly undoing the strings on her own dress. "I do hope you don't mind if I join you?"
Regina shakes her head. She doesn't mind that at all. The only thing she minds is that she isn't the one who's undressing Maleficent right now.
She can't help but stare when Maleficent's dress falls to the floor. The blonde sorceress is absolutely perfect. So beautiful. So complete. So flawless. Regina's throat suddenly feels rather dry at the sight of the other woman completely undressed before her eyes.
Maleficent climbs into the tub, and Regina moves to the other side to give her some room, but the blonde is having none of it and grabs Regina's wrist. "Come closer to me."
Regina does her bidding and comes closer until they're skin to skin. It's not just Maleficent's hands that are warm. So is the rest of her body.
"Don't be shy," Maleficent murmurs and strokes Regina's hair.
"I'm not." But she is a little shy. This isn't exactly a situation she counted on finding herself in when she first met Maleficent.
"The maids at the castle probably wonders where I am," Regina muses more to herself than to Maleficent.
"No, they don't," Maleficent says and rubs Regina's shoulders lightly.
"And how can you be so sure of that?"
"I took care of all that after you fell asleep," the blonde says with a dismissal wave of her hand. "When you return, no one will even have noticed you were gone."
"Hmm," Regina says and reminds herself to ask Rumplestiltskin to teach her that spell.
"Is the water warm enough for you?" Maleficent asks, and Regina quickly snaps out of her thoughts.
"Oh yes, it's fine."
"Good. We can't have you getting cold."
Regina scoffs a little, but she still relishes in it. Maleficent cares for her. It's been a long time since anyone did that.
Maleficent stops rubbing her shoulders and lowers her lips to her neck instead. Regina instantly shudders at the contact and tips her head back a little to give Maleficent better access.
Maleficent hums in approval and Regina yelps quietly when she feels the other woman's teeth sink into her neck. Maleficent just bit her. Regina knows that she probably should have a problem with that, but oddly enough she doesn't. She likes it. How odd.
"You're mine now," Maleficent teases.
Regina sniffs haughtily. She's tempted to inform Maleficent that she technically is Leopold's, but she has no desire to think of her husband in this bathtub.
Maleficent nips at her neck again, and this time Regina makes an "mm!" sound in the back of her throat.
"You like that, don't you?" Maleficent asks plainly.
"Yes." Regina answers just as straight forward. She has no reason to lie. Her reaction is obvious, and they are well past the point of lying to one another.
Maleficent laughs and says, "turn around", so Regina does, and she once again takes in the image of the other woman.
"You're beautiful." Regina says spontaneously and immediately feels a little stupid.
But Maleficent's face lights up in a smile. "Why thank you, darling. But I think my beauty pales in comparison to you."
Before Regina gets the chance to respond to that startling statement, Maleficent wrap her arms around her, pulls her closer and then covers her lips with her own.
Regina eagerly returns the kiss, had been hoping for a kiss since she opened her eyes, so this is a most welcome gesture. She wants to touch, too, but she isn't quite sure how. So she settles for burying her fingers in Maleficent's half-wet golden tresses.
Maleficent pulls her even closer. Now they're pressed up against each other and Regina feels how her nipples hardens at the contact. And it doesn't get better when Maleficent hand slides down and cups her breast.
"Maleficent, I… Mmpf!" It's not terribly coherent, but Maleficent seems to understand her completely. Her hand travels lower and with the tip of her finger she finds Regina's clit.
Regina's breath instantly hitches and her hips bucks and she sloshes water all over the floor. She can't control her movements. All she can do is moan deeply and hope that Maleficent takes mercy on her.
And she does. The blonde immediately starts circling Regina's clit, and Regina bites her lip to keep herself quiet, and she buries her face in the crook of Maleficent's neck.
"Don't hold back, darling. I want to hear you," Maleficent encourages and rubs at her again.
That little ministration alone is enough to make Regina start babbling incoherent nonsense like she has never done it before.
Maleficent sniggers satisfied, and her hand leaves the back of her neck. Regina hisses when Maleficent uses her other hand to cup her breast and tug gently at her nipple.
Regina cries out again and those flames erupts in her body again. Now she knows what those flames means, and everything briefly tightens inside her as she releases with a sharp cry.
She goes completely boneless and if it hadn't been for Maleficent, she would most definitely have ended up with her head under the water. But Maleficent grabs her upper arms and holds her up.
"It really would be a terrible shame if you drowned, darling."
Regina giggles softly. She's still a little rattled and her head is spinning.
"Come. Let's get you out of the tub. The water is getting cold."
"Not yet," Regina protests.
"And why is that?"
"I… I can't stand," Regina admits and her cheeks flushes at the admission. But it's the truth. Her legs feel like jelly all over again.
Maleficent laughs warmly and presses a light kiss to the top of her head. "Then I guess we'll have to wait a little longer."
To Be Continued…