Emma awakened to the feel of hair tickling her nose, the smell of sex, and the sound of someone pounding on the front door. She cracked her eyes and smiled as she realized she was lying half on Regina, her arms and legs possessively around the brunette who looked absolutely adorable as she slept. Emma wanted to become lost in her fascination of Regina's incredibly long and thick lashes but the banging on the door sounded again and she could faintly hear someone yelling.
The sound began intruding on Regina's dreams and Emma watched with a smile as her brows crinkled then smoothed out. It was a unique thing to watch someone awaken, to watch as they became aware, to see their first reaction to the new day. Regina's lips curved into a contented smile even as consciousness was still blooming in her mind and Emma released a breath she didn't know she had been holding.
"Good morning," Regina purred and the sound of her voice alone was enough to make Emma's body respond. Sensing the sudden tension in Emma's body – or probably feeling the slight thrusting Emma was doing against her side – Regina hid her face in the bed with a small laugh.
"Someone is at your door," Emma said and Regina peeked at her, eyebrow raised.
"You don't say," she deadpanned. Emma leaned forward and kissed Regina's shoulder, her hand beginning to rub circles on Regina's back. Emma had had so much fun biting, licking, and marking Regina's back and shoulders and she traced her fingers around several passion stains.
"We can just ignore it..." she began but cut off mid-sentence as the pounding sounded again. "... or not."
"I don't answer the door when I haven't brushed my hair yet," Regina said with a yawn. Emma loved Regina's tangled waves and she carefully memorized every detail of how Regina looked lying on the bed, the golden morning sun shining through the window as though spotlighting her perfection.
"I can get it, if you'd like. I mean I don't know if you want me to stay hidden or if you're OK with someone knowing I was here..."
"EMMA SWAN GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!" Emma's eyes widened as Snow's voice sounded directly under Regina's window. She gulped and as she turned wide eyes to Regina they narrowed at the look of glee on the other woman's face.
"Your mom came to escort you on your walk of shame," Regina teased. Emma picked up a pillow and smacked her with it.
"I don't even know where all my clothes are," she groaned as she climbed off the bed and slipped into her jeans. She found her phone curled in the bedspread and she tried to call Snow to tell her to be quiet before she brought Jesus back. "And my phone's dead. Of course." Before she left the room, Emma leaned over and kissed Regina's bare bottom causing the other woman to gasp. "You." Kiss. "With the sexy, distracting ass." Kiss. "You need to get up, brush your hair, and come to breakfast with me." Emma finished with a soft slap and Regina's breath caught. Emma wanted nothing more than to get back in bed and continue directly from where they'd left off last night... well, this morning.
She took the stairs two at a time and heard Regina call down something about circus animals as she reached the bottom. She spotted her shirt and Snow looking through the window at the same time. She would never be able to reach her clothes sitting in the foyer without her mother seeing her through the window. She bit her lip nervously.
"Emma! You have one more minute or so help me I am calling your father and we are breaking down this door. I know you're in there because your boots are out here on the porch!" Emma quickly grabbed her tank top and threw it on as she heard Snow stomping back over to the door. She grabbed her jacket and frantically looked for her sweater as she unlocked the door and opened it.
"YOU ARE GROUNDED!" Snow White said as she stomped into the house. "Your phone goes directly to voice mail, you don't call, you don't tell me where you are! Do you have any idea how worried we were?"
"You can't ground me..." Emma said and Snow turned on her furiously.
"What are you doing here, Emma? Hmm?" Snow raked her eyes from Emma's head to bare toes, her brows raising as she spotted Emma's sweater. "Did you sleep with her?" She gasped.
"We actually didn't do a lot of sleeping," Regina said from the top of the stairs and Emma felt her face begin to flame with a blush.
"You are talking about my daughter! Did you trick her?" Snow growled as she stepped menacingly towards the stairs. Emma put her hand on her mother's arm.
"Mom! I... it isn't what you think. OK, maybe it is, but it isn't entirely what you think. I came for Regina..."
"Many times," Regina murmured with a smile as she slowly descended the steps.
"Sweet baby Jesus Freudian slip... TO... I came TO Regina, she didn't... wait... fuck, I forgot my point."
"Grounded," Snow growled, her finger wagging under Emma's nose. "And I am telling your... wait, did you call me mom?" Snow's eyes filled with tears as she steepled her hands over her mouth. "Of all the times and yet it still sounded so wonderful." Emma smiled as she realized that she had indeed called Snow mom.
"Is she grounded from the television?" Regina asked, her voice filled with laughter. "Or is she grounded from going out with her girlfriend?" She continued innocently.
"Regina, you are too much!" Snow shouted. "Emma get dressed and come on. We're already running late. As it is, I've asked Mr. Gold to take Henry to school. I will deal with... this... later. For now we need to focus on the very real threat of those hobbits."
"Munchkins," Regina and Emma said simultaneously.
"Whatever, you know what the hell I'm talking about. Outside in fifteen, young lady." Snow turned and stomped out of the house, slamming the door behind her.
"She cursed," Emma said in surprise as the chandelier rattled overhead. She eyed it warily; she did NOT feel like being phantomed today. Her eyes met Regina's which were just as wide and surprised.
"I'm not often uncomfortable around Snow but this time I feel it- just a little." Regina turned to head back upstairs to get dressed. "If you ever tell her that I'll... I'll never let you do that thing again."
"Secret is safe with me," Emma quickly assured her. She didn't know which thing Regina was referring to but she didn't want to lose any privileges. She quickly bounded up the stairs to the guest room to perform her ablutions and run her hands through her hair. No matter what she did her lips looked bruised and swollen, she couldn't hide all of her love marks, and she looked freshly fucked. Ah, well.
She met Regina in the hall and nearly fell down the stairs as the brunette came around the corner wet and nude from her shower. Emma groaned and caught herself on the banister, her heard beginning to thud in her ears. It amazed her how weak her lust for Regina made her feel. Regina stepped forward and kissed Emma softly, her hands taking hold of Emma's as the blonde couldn't stop them from wandering.
"I'll meet up with you at the diner." Regina released Emma only to draw closer, her thumb tracing Emma's lips. Her eyes were warm and filled with an emotion that made Emma want to melt right where she was standing.
"I miss you already," Emma breathed, closing her eyes as Regina softly kissed her cheek. They stood still, content to just breathe each other in. Emma turned her head and was moments from kissing Regina when the door flung open and Snow yelled into the house.
"In the car now, Emma!" Regina chuckled as Emma ran her fingertip over one taut nipple.
"Promises, promises," Regina flirted before turning away and walking to her room. Emma gulped as she watched Regina's ass the entire way. Regina turned with a laugh, shaking her head and blowing a kiss before closing the door behind her.
Contrary to what Emma expected, the drive to the diner was very quiet. Snow was gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. Her jaw repeatedly clenched and unclenched as though she were chewing on her anger. As they pulled in, Snow held up her hand to thwart whatever Emma was going to say.
Emma slid onto a stool beside Belle as Snow went straight to David. He captured Snow in a hug shooting a confused look Emma's way; she shrugged weakly and quickly turned away.
"Hey, Ems, what gives?" Ruby said.
"Apparently I'm grounded," Emma muttered. Belle looked down at the phone in her lap as Ruby gawked before bursting into laughter.
"Oh wow. But hey, um, have you checked your phone this morning?"
"Actually it's dead. I didn't get a chance to charge it last night, although I had a full battery. I don't know why it died so quickly." Belle cleared her throat and excused herself to the restroom. Ruby watched her go, her eyes dancing with barely contained laughter.
"Yeah, about that... is Belle your first contact?" Emma thought the question strange but answered.
"Yeah, I think she is. Why?"
"Because she had quite an interesting message this morning. Apparently someone butt dialed her in the middle of some AHHHH-mazing sex," Ruby said, drawing out the ah in an orgasmic sound. Snow looked over sharply, her eyes haunted and angry.
"Who?" Emma asked leaning forward gleefully. Ruby shook her head.
"You really are blonde aren't you? You, dim-sum." Emma's smile slid from her face. She remembered dropping her phone after Snow's call. It must have gotten pushed and called Belle while they were... just wow. "Her voice mail doesn't cut off until the other party hangs up so she has quite a few listening hours worth."
"She didn't delete it?!" Emma whisper shrieked.
"No, she accidentally forwarded it to me. I don't know how... I don't ask particulars. And no, I'm not deleting it until I listen to it."
"You wouldn't?!" Emma asked, shocked and mortified. Ruby laughed.
"I'm fucking with you. She deleted it but only after she listened to enough to be certain who, what, when, where, why and several of the hows. She feels terrible about listening." Belle came out of the bathroom and Emma carefully avoided looking at her. As the other woman slid onto her stool Ruby slid a hot cocoa over to Emma.
"Sorry, Belle," Emma muttered. "I didn't know..."
"I'm sorry, Emma. If I had known I was listening to a private moment between you and Regina I wouldn't have..."
"Regina?!" Ruby screeched and Belle winced. "You fucking fucked Regina?! Do you have a death wish?" Ruby hissed. Emma put her hand over the woman's mouth, stifling the spill of words. As it was, David and Snow were glaring at the three of them and Emma wondered who else down the block, a town over, maybe a state away, had heard. David quickly led Snow to the restrooms and Emma felt a pang of regret, hoping she hadn't hurt her parents too badly.
Regina chose that moment to walk in. Emma's mouth dropped open and she nearly slid off her stool. Regina was dressed in black pants that clung to the shape of her hips and legs, a a black mock turtleneck and over it a long, black leather coat. The end of the leather swept around her calves and as her eyes met Emma's she gave the blonde a sensual smile.
"Holy fuck," Ruby whispered behind Emma's hand. "She's one of those women who look soooo hot when she has that just been fucked look."
"Mine." Emma said finding the only word in her vocabulary at that moment. She realized she still had her hand over Ruby's mouth and quickly dropped it. As she repositioned to rest her elbow nonchalantly on the bar, she misjudged and nearly fell off her stool. Belle caught her and helped her sit back up.
"Ms. Swan, I see balance isn't one of your skills," Regina said as she pulled off black leather gloves. Emma turned on her stool and leaned back against her elbows, catching her boot heels in the stool's rungs and spreading her legs wide. She looked Regina up and down with a possessive smile and felt pleased when she noticed her actions had a visible effect on the other woman.
"I have many skills," Emma purred, distracting herself momentarily by thoughts of Xena. "Why don't you come over here and find out." Regina stepped forward, her eyes locked with Emma's, until she was standing in front of Emma, just between her spread knees. She crossed one arm under her breasts and tapped her lips with the other.
"Is this close enough to call your bluff, Ms. Swan?" she asked, her voice low and husky. Emma smirked at the brunette and shrugged.
"Who's bluffing, Madame Mayor? I think you are well aware of my unique... skill sets."
"Oh my god," Ruby said from behind her. Regina dragged her eyes away from Emma's and raised her eyebrow at Ruby over Emma's shoulder. "Sorry, um, mayor. I'll bring you your usual."
"What exactly is your usual?" Emma asked softly as Regina slid in beside her, turning her body so that her legs stayed on either side of the mayor. Belle discreetly stirred her cocoa and Emma could tell she was trying not to think about the voice mail Emma had left.
"English breakfast tea sweetened with honey." Regina smiled shyly and Emma reached forward to tuck a stray hair behind Regina's ear. "Careful, Ms. Swan, you'll ruin my reputation as a bad ass if you make me melt into a puddle at your feet right here in this diner."
"Is this real?" Emma said wonderingly, her eyes memorizing ever line of Regina's face,her smile. Ruby cleared her throat bringing the two back into reality. Regina chuckled lightly, thanking Ruby for the tea.
As Snow and David returned from the restroom, Regina quickly began talking as Snow opened her mouth angrily upon seeing the mayor sitting so closely to Emma.
"I've been thinking about the Munchkinlanders. I know how to beat them," Regina said. Everyone turned to look at her in surprise. Emma supposed that she and Regina could have stopped to have a few moments of serious conversation last night... nah. "They have always been ruled by queens who had magic as they have none of their own. They cannot stand up to it nor can they combat it, but instead, it seems they revere it. Emma, Gold, and I have magic which is something I don't think they realize. If there is a war, then they will not prevail." Regina's eyes softened at the last as she gazed worriedly into Emma's eyes. Emma could hear Regina's words echo in her head, "If you fail, then I will fail with you." Or something like that.
"No magic," Snow hissed surprising everyone with her outburst. "Emma will never be like you!"
"I think Emma is more like me that you think," Regina said with a wink and Emma sighed. She was beginning to realize just how much of a boon sleeping with her was to Regina when it came to ways to get under Snow's skin.
"If you keep antagonizing her I'll tell her," Emma leaned forward and whispered causing Regina to nearly spit out her tea.
"You wouldn't?!" Her voice was shocked as she wiped tea from her shirt and dabbed it from her lips with a napkin. Emma didn't say anything, just continued to look at Regina with as serious of an expression as she could muster.
"Actually it's a good idea," David said slowly. He threw his hands up as Snow turned on him. "Just because Regina said it doesn't mean it's a bad idea. Besides, Emma doesn't have to learn magic, she only has to learn how to control the shoes." He looked up at Regina who nodded.
"Exactly. Emma has the perfect weapon and protective device all in one; she just has to learn how to use them." Gold walked through the door and upon hearing Regina's words he nodded his agreement.
"Henry?" Emma asked him and he smiled at her and Regina, his eyes lingering upon the closeness of their bodies. Emma felt the urge to draw Regina in closer and barely resisted.
"All dropped off at school although he didn't want to go. He sincerely wants to be here for the meeting today."
"Actually, I want to hold off meeting with the munchkins until I have a pretty good grasp on those hideous silver blobs. Snow do you think you can distract them for a bit today?" Snow nodded, immediately pushing aside her anger and planning her strategy. Emma loved that about her mother and hoped that one day she could be as truly good of a person Snow was. Wait, what? Since when did she start thinking the word love in regards to anything? Her thoughts confused her so intensely that she realized she had a finger in the air, her mouth open to say something, and everyone had been looking at her expectantly for several seconds.
Smiling at Regina, Emma walked over to her parents and pulled Snow into a huge hug. She kissed her mother's brow and pulled back to find Snow beaming at her, her eyes filled with hope and shining with love. "Thanks," Emma said. She patted David on the arm before turning back to face the bar. Regina was watching her with a soft expression which completely surprised Emma. "Ok, Regina and I will go train with the shoes while hopefully the rest of you can assist Snow."
"Um...," Belle ducked her hand and held up her hand. "Is that wise?"
"What? You think someone here shouldn't be around the munchkins?" Emma asked in confusion.
"No, um, I was thinking that you and Regina alone might find... other... what I mean is that, it wouldn't hurt to have someone else help you train with the shoes as well." Belle's face was beet red by the time she finished and Ruby was pretending to cough as she tried to hide her laughter. Regina's eyes were wide and looking at Emma.
"Did you take out an advert?" Regina asked, her toe tapping as she crossed her arms over her chest. Emma cleared her throat.
"No, I accidentally left Belle a voice mail..."
"So you could call your friends but not your mother," Snow said behind her, crossing her arms as well and glaring at Emma. Emma felt trapped and shot a panicked look at Ruby.
"No, no," Ruby said helpfully. "Emma accidentally called Belle and left a really long message of... well, what had happened was Emma butt dialed Belle and when Belle checked her messages..."
"Enough!" Snow and Regina said at the same time.
"Gold can you assist?" Belle asked and he nodded, looking around the room and reaching conclusions.
"Of course, dearie. Hopefully, you will accompany us as well?" Belle nodded and accepted his arm. She looked relieved that he was leading her from the diner and she carefully avoided Regina's eyes.
"Ms. Swan," Regina said in a cool voice, "shall we ride together? We need to discuss your cell phone usage." Ruby snorted with laughter as Regina led Emma from the diner.