Part X
It was a particularly cold Friday afternoon in January when Emma packed up the Bug, ready to drive down to Gainesville to spend the weekend alone with Regina, their first weekend alone since before Christmas. She pulled the sleeves of her hoodie down over her hands and rushed back into the house to say goodbye to August and the boys.
"You sure you can watch them until I get back on Sunday?" Emma asked when she walked into the living room to find Henry on August's back and Nathan on the floor in front of him yanking on his hair. "I can call Ruby and see if she'll come over tomorrow night if it's too much?"
"Too much? Are you kidding me?" August laughed just as Nathan grabbed at the scruffy beard he'd been too lazy to shave off. "We're gonna have a boys only weekend, aren't we guys?"
"Yeah! Boys only, Mama!"
"You're going to behave yourself, aren't you?" Emma asked and she reached down for Nathan, scooping him up into her arms and exhaling sharply. "Jeez Nate, you're getting heavier every day!"
"Evy!" He laughed before he wrapped his arms around her neck to hug her tight. "Bye!"
"Bye? Already?" She chuckled and spun around before holding him upside down. "I'm not leaving right this second, silly boy!"
"Mama, how come we can't come too?" Henry asked from where he was riding on August's back like August was a horse. "I miss Gina, Mama."
"I know you do and I also know she misses you too, but Mama needs some alone time with Regina, okay?"
Henry scrunched his face. "To kiss each other all the time?"
Emma laughed and let Nathan down on the floor. "Sometimes adults need some time alone, kid. When you are older, you'll understand what I mean."
"I think it's gross," Henry said as he pulled a face.
"Oh, is it gross when I kiss you too?" Emma asked and she lunged for Henry as he squealed and scrambled to get off of August's back to run away. "That's what I thought!"
"Hey Em?" August asked, grunting as he stood up from the floor. "I think I'm getting too old for this," he muttered as he scratched over his beard. "I know why you're heading down to see Regina without the boys. You didn't tell me, but I think I get it."
"Get what?"
"You two are looking for a place together, aren't you?"
"August—"
"You know how much I'd miss you guys being neighbors, coming around to eat your food and drink your beer all the time, but I think it's good for you two, taking this step, thinking about a real future together."
"August—"
"Think you two could find a place with a room for me?" He asked jokingly but his grin quickly faded. "I'm serious, Em. I mean my novels are selling but they're no bestsellers here. I know you want to get back to work and it's hard with two boys under five to look after. I could help you out with that."
"You want to be their manny?" Emma asked him with a raised eyebrow. "Are you serious right now, August?"
He shrugged. "I wouldn't mind. I love the boys like they were my own, you know? I was literally there when you gave birth to Henry on the front lawn and I was there when your mom had Nathan too early and during all those rough nights he was still in the hospital and even after he first came home and you all we're too exhausted during those three in the morning feedings and I came around to help out, give you all a few extra hours of sleep. These boys, Em? They mean the fucking world to me."
"Dude, language!" Emma hissed as she glanced down at Nathan on the floor, ignoring them and happily content in playing with one of Henry's old fire trucks on the floor. "You know I would love to have you around wherever we ultimately decide to go, August. You are family and nothing will ever change that. Honestly, these past couple of months? I don't know what I would've done without you."
"You getting sappy on me, Em?" August grinned and he reached out to pull her into a tight hug. "I don't know what I'd do without you either."
"Can I tell you a secret?" Emma asked as she pulled back from their embrace.
"You can tell me anything, you know that."
"Regina basically asked me to marry her."
"What?" August exclaimed, his voice changing several octaves. "She did? When?"
"On Christmas Eve, when you took her mother out dancing and got her drunk."
"Actually, Cora was the one who got me drunk, but wow, really? She asked you?"
"She did."
"You said yes, didn't you?"
"Of course I did," Emma laughed and August hugged her again. "And you are right. This weekend we are looking for a place together. Regina found a few places we're going to check out, but most of them are close to Gainesville. She still has like a year and a half left before she can start her Masters and uh, well, she wants to get married before she starts that."
"Shit," August muttered. "Shit! You two are serious about this, aren't you?"
"I love her, August. I didn't think it was possible to love someone like this until I fell in love with her. If we had met any other way, I doubt we'd be where we are now, you know? I guess that's the one other thing Neal was good for. He got me into this pen pal program as a way to save my ass from getting into some major trouble during my last stint in juvie. I would've never met her if it weren't for him and that program he helped set up, you know?"
"Fate," August nodded and he pulled her in for yet another hug. "That's what it was, Em. Fate. It doesn't always work the way we want it to, but sometimes it does when we least expect it to. When I first met Regina, let me tell you that I had no idea what a woman like her was doing with someone like you."
"Hey!"
"The more I see you two together, the more it makes sense," August finished. "Your parents, they had a love like that. It is one that only comes once in a lifetime."
They shared one last hug before Emma went off to look for Henry to say goodbye. She found him hiding behind the open back door, knowing he was there because it had been closed before she had taken her bag out to the car. After she reminded him, yet again, to behave for August and to take it easy on him, she went to say goodbye to Nathan who was stumbling around the living room, trying to chase after August.
Just for a moment she watched Nathan and she smiled, remembering when he first started to walk, a milestone that came a little later than it had for Henry. Nathan would have some developmental challenges in his life because he had been born too early and Emma was doing all that she could to help him get caught up.
"Remember to keep talking to him," she said to August. "Get him to repeat words back. He's getting better at almost making out some of them."
"I know. Use the flashcards," August replied as he pointed over to the stack of cards on the coffee table. "Don't swear in front of the boys, no beer until after they're in bed, no walking around the house in just my boxers, and no strippers. Anything else?"
Emma laughed and picked Nathan up, covering his face in kisses. "You be good for Uncle August, Nathan. I'll be back before you know it."
Nathan smiled at her, cooing as he hugged her, his little arms tight around her neck. When he let go, he just stared at her for a moment, before he placed a tiny, chubby hand on her cheek. "Mama?"
Emma felt the room start to spin as her mouth dropped open and she looked over at August. The look on his face, one of surprise, told her he'd heard it too. She inhaled sharply, kissing Nathan on the forehead before handing him off to August. She grabbed her wallet, her phone, and her keys, and headed out the front door without another word.
She called Regina to let her know she was heading down, keeping the call short before she got on the road. Over and over in her head she heard Nathan's first clear word he had said that wasn't yes, no, or okay, or even broken parts of other words he tried to repeat. It had been so very clear.
After an hour on the road, she started to panic. Nathan thought that she was his mother, not his sister. He was too young to remember their parents, too young to know Emma as anyone else other than "mama", likely picking it up from Henry because that is all Henry ever called her. Should she have corrected him instead of saying nothing? Should she have tried to explain that she wasn't his mother even though it was clear that is exactly how he looked at her? As another wave of panic washed over her, she pulled to the side of the road and called Regina.
"So, I need to talk to you about something," Emma said the moment Regina answered the phone. "I'm kind of freaking out."
"Emma, please tell me you are not driving right now."
"I pulled over," she replied. "Nathan called me Mama."
"Did he?" Regina said quietly. "When?"
"Right before I left, when I was saying goodbye."
"And you are freaking out over that?" Regina asked. "Emma, I'm afraid this is something you should've expected."
"Something I—are you kidding me?"
"Think about it," Regina said calmly. "You are the only woman taking care of him every day. You put him to bed every night, you treat him like he is your own child, and you shower him with love and affection. Of course he thinks you are his mother, Emma."
"But I'm not!"
"I know, and maybe when he is older you can explain everything to him when he can understand things much better."
"Regina," she frowned and jumped a little when a passing car honked its horn loudly at her. "I'm his sister, not his mother."
"But he doesn't know that. He hears Henry call you Mama all the time and somehow he has interpreted that in the only way he can understand by thinking you are his mother too. You don't need to freak out over this," Regina said, her voice soothing and soft. Another car drove past, much faster than the last and it caused the Bug to sway in its wake. "Can we talk about this when you get here? How far are you?"
"Almost halfway," Emma replied. "Shit, I can't believe I'm freaking out over this, Regina. I almost had a full-blown panic attack. What do I do?"
"What do you think you need to do?"
"I don't know. It almost feels wrong."
"It's not wrong. He's a baby, Emma, he doesn't know any better yet."
"I don't want him to be confused when he's older," Emma sighed. "He doesn't remember them. He'll never remember them and if he thinks I'm his mother, he'll never love the one that truly was."
"He will know them when he's older, Emma, you'll make sure of it. We all will. He will know what kind and loving parents he had before they were so cruelly taken from this world. He will know just how amazing they were and the sacrifices they had made, big and small. He will also know just how amazing his big sister is, raising him as her own."
Emma smiled, not amazed in the least that Regina had helped her through her panic attack with ease. "Have I told you how much I love you yet today?"
"You have," Regina replied and Emma could almost see her brilliantly beautiful smile as she spoke. "But, I'd much rather you come here and show me."
"Regina…" Emma groaned quietly. "I'll get back on the road right now. I'll see you soon."
"Be safe," Regina said. "I love you."
"I love you too."
Emma was back on the road in a matter of minutes, merging into the sudden influx of traffic. She felt better after talking to Regina, less panicked, less tense, and definitely less worried about the future with her baby brother mistaking her as his mother. She thought more about what Regina had said and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that it was something she really should've seen coming a mile away.
They would talk more about this, Emma was sure of it, but this weekend had been planned as one they'd spend entirely alone and completely kid-free for a reason. They did have their usual alone time over Christmas and the last couple of weekends, but they were never truly alone. The last weekend when Regina had driven up to visit and August had the boys over at his place for a couple of hours, they had been interrupted by August calling because Henry wasn't feeling well.
Was it so bad that Emma just wanted to test out the private gifts that she and Regina had given to each other for Christmas? Regina refused to use them with the boys in the same house, even late at night when they were dead asleep. It was frustrating Emma to no end because like it or not, their time alone completely kid-free was always going to be a rarity for many, many years to come.
Emma stepped on the gas pedal a little harder, zooming past a few slower cars as the Bug rattled and the engine tried to protest against the high speed. She slowed down when she reached a stretch without any cars and she rolled down the window, pleasantly surprised that the cold snap that plagued Tallahassee hadn't stretched out too far over the state.
[X]
Regina hadn't been expecting any visitors aside from Emma, so she was surprised when her old dorm roommate showed up at her door shortly after she had gotten off the phone with Emma. She was grateful though, since her laptop hadn't been working and she needed it to complete some of her papers, and Charlie was the first and only person she knew that could fix it for her without any additional problems.
She had Charlie get set up in the guest room she used as an office and she'd retreated to the kitchen to make some coffee while Charlie fixed her laptop. She brought her a cup of coffee and watched her for a few minutes, growing bored and a tad impatient. After informing Charlie she was going to finish cleaning up the kitchen she'd started just before the phone call from Emma and Charlie's sudden visit, she left her alone and returned to the kitchen.
Regina busied herself with wiping down the counters and the cupboards, and when that was done, she moved to the living room, gathering up her textbooks that were strewn over the coffee table and piled them neatly on one end. She kept checking the time, eagerly waiting for Emma to arrive and at the same time, hoping that Charlie would finish up and leave before Emma showed up.
The truth was, she was in no ways "out" to those she went to classes with. She kept to herself mostly and even those who she considered just beyond the planes of acquaintances, she was a very private person and never shared any intimate details of her life outside of campus. When she had roomed with Charlie, they never talked about personal details and Charlie seemed to know right off the bat that Regina was a private person, never asking her questions beyond the very basics, and never beyond what Regina had told her of Emma during that first trip to Tallahassee.
By the time she heard Emma's Bug pull up in the driveway and the brakes squealing as she came to a sudden stop, panic filled her and she cast her eyes over to the guest room, knowing that she didn't have a moment to rush into the office to ask Charlie to leave before Emma came rushing through the front door.
"God, I missed you," Emma murmured, dropping her bag with a loud thump before she pulled Regina into her arms. She wasted no time in kissing her and as much as Regina wanted to stop her, she wanted to kiss her even more.
Emma slipped her hands to grasp at her ass as she led her backwards into the living room and Regina moaned, her hands sinking into Emma's wild, long hair as she gave into the heated passion growing between them. She did, however, come to her senses when she felt Emma's hands slide around to her front and deftly began to unbutton her blouse.
"Emma," she groaned as she pulled back. "Wait."
"Don't wanna wait," Emma gasped, pulling at each button a little quicker. "Can't wait."
She was utterly powerless against Emma at the best of times and it was too easy to give in to the way Emma's lips trailed down her neck, to the way her hands slid up her abdomen to cup her bra-covered breasts. Regina stumbled back, knocking off her textbooks from the coffee table and they landed on the floor with a loud bang.
"Regina?"
Emma pulled back immediately. "Who is that? Regina?"
Regina groaned and quickly tried to button her shirt, but Charlie walked out of the office in that very moment. She groaned again at the look on her former roommates face, a look of surprise and bewilderment.
"Hey," Charlie said as she nodded at Emma. "I'm Charlie."
"Emma," she replied and she looked at Regina. "You should've told me you had company, Regina."
"I—"
"Charlie? Old roommate Charlie?" Emma asked as she walked over to her and she outstretched her hand with a smile. "Nice to meet you."
"Hi," Charlie grinned. "Emma—oh, you are the one that Regina was always talking about, aren't you?"
"Unless there is another Emma she's been talking about that I don't know about then yeah, that'd be me."
Charlie laughed. "I'm just here to fix Regina's laptop. I wasn't supposed to come around until Sunday, but something came up and I thought I'd come around to see if I could fix it this afternoon."
Regina tried to subtly finish buttoning up her blouse, but she wasn't subtle nor was she quick enough. Charlie raised an eyebrow before pointing at Emma and then over at Regina. Regina frowned, her cheeks flushed, and she swallowed thickly past the rising lump in her throat.
"Oh," Charlie said softly. "Oh, I'm sorry. I—I interrupted something, didn't I?"
"Charlie—"
"No, you don't need to explain. Do you want me to just take your laptop with me? I can have it back to you by Sunday night if that's all right?"
"Charlie—"
"No, it's no bother. I should've just asked you to do that in the first place. The whole system needs to be reinstalled after I try to save most of your files. Virus. I can fix it, it'll just take some time."
"Thank you, Charlie. Do whatever you need to do. I do appreciate it," Regina said quietly as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Charlie—"
"Hey, don't let me keep you two from your little reunion," she said with a wink and a smile. "Let me just get my things and I'll be out of your hair."
Regina watched her hurry back into the office and she didn't look over at Emma to know that she was a little baffled by what had just transpired. She didn't look at Emma until after Charlie had left and she wasn't surprised to see the frown on Emma's face.
"Emma—"
"You didn't tell her, did you?" Emma asked, her frown deepening. "Babe, how many people know you're in a relationship with a woman, with me?"
"The ones that matter," Regina replied instantly. "Emma, I am not hiding what we have. I'm not. We weren't even together when I was rooming with Charlie."
"It doesn't matter," Emma said and she moved to wrap her arms around Regina once again. "Hi."
Their lips met slowly, the kiss starting off light and sweet. Regina knew that Emma was horny from the way she had all but attacked her the moment she walked in the front door and she was feeling her whole body heating up once more. She loved the way Emma just took her when she was in that mood, hungry and needing. She loved the way Emma's hands felt as they touched her body, sometimes feeling like they were everywhere all at once. She loved the way that Emma's body arched into hers, and most of all she love the ever so responsive way Emma's body reacted to even just the smallest of touches.
Soon, she hoped, they wouldn't have to go five days without seeing each other and only just a few hours during the day, sometimes more. Soon they would be able to sleep in the same bed every night and wake up together every morning. Soon they would make and share a lot more memories, together and with the boys.
Just thinking of that made her kiss Emma harder, deeper. She could feel the heat radiating from Emma's body as her hands roamed over her back and under the sweatshirt she was wearing. She pulled back with a small shake of her head.
"What? It was cold back home when I left. Freak cold front or something."
"And you didn't think to stop somewhere to take it off?"
"No," Emma shrugged. "All I could think about was coming here as quickly as I could without breaking the speed limit."
"Did you?"
"Little bit," Emma said with a coy smirk. "Can you blame me?" She asked. "Listen."
"I don't hear anything."
"Exactly," she chuckled and she spun Regina around playfully. "No kids. No kids for two nights and two days. Do you realize how fucking amazing this weekend is going to be?"
Regina couldn't help but laugh. While she adored spending time with Henry and Nathan, she had to admit that a whole weekend alone with Emma was definitely going to be nothing short of amazing.
"How much time do we have?" Emma asked, letting Regina back down to her feet but not letting go. "Before we have to go see the house? How much time do we have?"
"Not enough time," Regina murmured and she clutched at Emma's shoulders tightly, a frown sliding into place when she saw the disappointment in Emma's eyes. "I'm sorry. I should've told you when you got here. I—if Charlie hadn't been here, we might have had enough time."
"It's okay," Emma said as she tried to hide her disappointment. "Can I just kiss you?"
"Of course you can."
[X]
The house Regina had lined up for them to see wasn't too far from the place she was currently renting. Emma liked the neighborhood almost from the moment Regina turned on to the street. Emma had told her about the things that August had said to her and Regina immediately had agreed it was a good idea if they tried to include him in the new phase of their lives. She was surprised Regina had been so quick to agree, but then again, August was part of the family and like herself, Regina didn't want to leave him behind.
When Regina pulled up in front of the house, it was much bigger than Emma had thought it'd be. It had two floors and a detached garage in the backyard. The landlord, an older gentleman, was waiting for them on the front porch. After she and Regina just exchanged a look, they got out of the car and walked up the front walkway together.
After some formalities were exchanged, the man, Jacoby Nichols as he had introduced himself, led the way into the empty house. Emma was worried right from the start that the house was going to rent out for far too much and that they'd be swamped trying to make rent, pay the bills, then there was Regina's tuition to worry about—even though Regina had told her time and time again that she was going to deal with that alone.
"How much is this place?" Emma whispered as they followed the man up the stairs to the second floor to look at the bedrooms. "Regina?"
"Not much more than the place I'm renting right now," she replied quietly. "Do you like it?"
Emma nodded. She had liked what they'd seen so far, the first floor rather spacious and open. "Mr. Nichols, how many bedrooms are there?" Emma asked once they'd reached the stop of the stairs.
"Four. Two of the bedrooms have an en-suite."
"Four?" Emma's eyes went wide at that. "The boys will be able to have their own rooms," she said with a smile as she looked at Regina.
"You have children, miss?" He asked and Emma nodded. "How many, may I ask?"
"Two boys. One is almost five and the other is just over a year old."
The man smiled politely before showing the first of the four bedrooms. By the time he showed them the master bedroom, Regina seemed to be sold, but Emma wasn't too sure. The house was older and it needed some work, some love and care to truly make it a home that would work for all of them.
The tour continued out in the backyard where they were shown the double garage and the small studio space above it. It was only then that Emma was convinced this place was perfect for them. August would be perfectly happy to stay in the studio space above the garage, and the garage itself would be useful as she knew how much August loved to get into woodworking projects whenever the inspiration struck.
Jacoby Nichols left the two of them alone out on the driveway in front of the garage to discuss quietly what they thought of the house. Emma shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans and stared up at the porch that wound its way around the entire house. She tried to envision herself living in the house, tried to envision the boys playing in the surprisingly shady backyard that was big enough for one of those temporary blow-up pools. She tried to envision living in that very house with Regina and August living above the garage.
"What do you think?" Regina asked quietly. "Do you like it? Do you think it's enough room for all of us?"
"It's definitely big enough," Emma nodded. "It's kind of perfect, actually."
"You're just worried about the rent?"
"A little bit," Emma nodded. "The money from my parents' insurance, I'm trying to save that for when Nathan is older. I'm going to have to get a job."
"Emma, I told you before, if the rent is a little more than you're comfortable with, we can find something else, something smaller, cheaper, if that puts your mind at ease."
"The boys would have their own room here," Emma continued. "August could move into the studio above the garage," she sighed. "It seems like a good neighborhood too."
"There is a school just two blocks from here. I've checked into it and it's a good school."
"Is it?"
"Yes," Regina smiled and she moved to take one of Emma's hands out of her back pocket and intertwined their fingers together. "Mr. Nichols informed me over the phone this morning that we're not the only ones viewing the house. If we're going to make a decision, it needs to be soon."
"It needs a little bit of work," Emma said quietly. "Some paint, you know, and a little bit of love to make it feel like home. What do you think, Regina?"
"I think we can make it work if you feel this is the right one. There are always other houses we can look at if this doesn't feel right to you."
"It's perfect though," Emma sighed and she glanced down at their joined hands. "I think we should do it. I think we should put an application in. I just—I don't see how we'll get the house. You're in school and I'm not currently working."
"Mr. Nichols is well aware of our situation and I happen to know that his wife is a fan of your work."
"Is she?"
Regina just smiled. "Yes. It just happened to come up in our conversation on the phone this morning. If you want to do this, Emma, we'll do this."
"Okay," Emma nodded. "Okay, let's do this."
They met up with the man out front and he led the way back into the house where the two of them filled out an application in the kitchen together. Jacoby Nichols promised to contact them by no later than Tuesday morning whether or not they had been the chosen applicants for the house. As they were leaving, another couple was arriving to look at the house. Regina did her best to reassure Emma that their chances were high as she believed they had both made a good impression on their potential future landlord.
They stopped on the way back to Regina's to grab some takeout for dinner, Regina choosing the healthier chicken salad wrap the small restaurant offered and Emma, as always, the greasy bacon cheeseburger with the works and french fries on the side. Emma called the house after they'd eaten and settled down in the living room with a glass of wine to say goodnight to the boys and to check in with August that they'd been behaving themselves since she'd left earlier that afternoon.
Emma didn't tell him much about the house, not wanting to get too excited about the place they might end up calling home within a month or two. After she'd said goodnight to the boys a second time, she hung up the phone and Regina curled up against her side as they sat in comfortable silence together.
She hadn't thought much about their initial plans since they'd left to view the house, but now that they were comfortably settled down for the evening, those thoughts came rushing right back to her as she sipped her wine. With those thoughts came the fantasies that Emma had been having for weeks. Her mind was suddenly clouded with lust and she downed the last of her wine, placing the empty glass on the coffee table before she moved to pull Regina into her lap.
Regina laughed and finished her glass, reaching out to place it next to Emma's before she turned and straddled Emma's thighs. She ran her fingers through Emma's hair lightly, staring into her eyes for a moment with a smile dancing over her lips.
"Is it too early to go to bed?" Regina asked, her eyes shining, her smile teasing and playful as she continued to stroke her fingers through Emma's hair. "Or should we—"
"It's never too early to go to bed," Emma replied lowly. "But I think that I need a—"
"Shower?" Regina finished for her with a knowing nod. "It's been a long day."
"Yeah."
"Or," Regina said and her fingers stroked over the nape of Emma's neck. "We could run the bath, soak for a little while together?"
Emma shook her head no, her hands slipping under the hem of Regina's blouse and smoothed her palms over the soft skin of Regina's lower back. She took a moment just to really look at her, to really take in the way Regina's brown eyes sparkled in the dim light of the living room, eyes that were filled with so much love that Emma almost couldn't believe it was all meant for her.
"How did I ever get so lucky?" Emma murmured, a question that she hadn't meant to say aloud. Regina just smiled widely at her as she continued to stroke her fingers over the nape of Emma's neck. "Seriously, how did I ever get so lucky, Regina? To be with someone like you?"
"That is a question I ask myself at times when you look at me like the way you are right now," she whispered. "I love you so very much, Emma."
"I love you so very much too."
The kiss they shared was deep, it was passionate, and it was filled with promise, love, and hope. There hadn't been many times when a kiss felt so intense as that one had, and when they parted, Emma saw the tears in Regina's eyes, tears that Regina was trying to blink away without any success.
"You know what?" Emma asked and she reached up with her left hand to wipe away a few tears from Regina's cheek. "Let's go soak in the tub for a little while."
Regina smiled and rose from Emma's lap swiftly. "I'll go run the water. Can you grab the wine, Emma?"
"Yeah," Emma breathed out heavily. "I'll be there in a few," she said once Regina had walked out of the living room.
Emma grabbed her bag where she'd left it by the front door earlier and then she grabbed the half-empty bottle of wine and their glasses off the coffee table. She walked into Regina's bedroom, placed her bag on the immaculately made bed, and placed the wine and the glasses down on the dresser.
She could hear the water running in the bathroom and the sound of Regina humming lightly. She smiled and stripped out of her clothes before she pulled open the zipper on her bag and pulled out the small box she'd packed under a few of her t-shirts. The purple feeldoe Regina had given her for Christmas wasn't intimidating in size at all, it was slender and barely six inches long.
Emma dropped it on to the bed when she heard soft footsteps approaching her from behind and she relaxed when she felt Regina's nude body press up against her back. She turned for a kiss, placing her hands over Regina's that had fallen to rest on her hips and when they parted, Regina just smiled and reached for the feeldoe with ease. She ran the bulb over Emma's slit, wordlessly asking for permission to slip it inside of her. Emma wet her suddenly dry lips and widened her stance.
"Have you…tested it out yet?" Regina murmured, her lips falling against her bare shoulder. "Or have you been waiting for a moment such as this?"
"For this," Emma breathed out and she closed her eyes as Regina slicked her fingers over her cunt, pulling the feeldoe away from her. "Babe, I thought we were going to soak in the tub for a little while?"
"We are," Regina whispered, easing a finger inside her slowly, teasing her. "Were you planning on fucking me with this while we were in the tub?"
"No?"
"No?"
"I mean I'll admit that I was debating it," Emma chuckled lightly. "But there is one thing I can't quite get out of my head and that is taking you," she said under her breath as she moved to face her fully. "On your hands and knees, sliding in you from behind."
Her arms went around Regina's waist just as Regina's knees buckled. Emma laughed just before she captured Regina's lips in a hungry kiss that left her own knees buckling. They managed to make their way out of the bedroom and into the bathroom without letting go of one another and without parting from one kiss after another for more than mere seconds at a time.
Things cooled down while they soaked in the large tub together. Regina sat between Emma's legs and laid her back against Emma's front. They didn't talk much; they just enjoyed one another's company in comfortable, easy silence. Emma loved those quiet moments with Regina more than anything else. It was so easy just to be herself around Regina without worrying that she'd say something wrong or do something that was deemed socially unacceptable. Regina had, right from the very beginning, right from the very first letter, accepted her for who she was.
They stayed in the tub until the water started to cool and after they'd rinsed off under the hot spray of water from the shower head, Regina's phone began to ring and she sprinted off out of the bathroom with a white towel loosely wrapped around her body to answer the call.
Emma wrapped her towel around her body and strolled out of the bathroom, smiling at the sound of Regina's laughter drifting out of the bedroom. Emma walked up behind Regina and kissed along her neck as she spoke into the phone.
"This is wonderful news, Kathryn," she said and she swatted playfully at Emma's hands that were tugging at the towel wrapped around her body. "I will absolutely take a week off and fly up to Boston. I wouldn't miss being there for the world, Kat, you know that."
Emma continued to kiss over her neck and down along her shoulders, tugging on the towel until it gave away and fluttered to the floor. Regina bit back a moan and she pulled the phone away from her ear, placing it against her chest.
"Emma, give me five minutes please? Kathryn just had her due date confirmed."
"When is it?"
"First week of February, she's due on the third and if she doesn't go into labor they are going to induce her on the fifth," Regina replied and she moaned quietly as Emma's hands slid over her stomach and up over her breasts. "Emma, five minutes, please?"
"Okay."
"Emma says hello," Regina said once she lifted the phone back up to her ear. "Do you and Frederick know the sex of the baby yet? A surprise? What about the nursery?"
Emma moved to lay on the bed, her eyes locked with Regina's as she slowly teased open her towel and ran her hands along the top of her thighs. It was only a little tease meant to get Regina to put a quicker end to the call with her pregnant best friend, but as Emma spread her legs and her fingers barely skimmed over her cunt, she was a little surprised at the curt way Regina ended the call.
Emma sucked in a sharp breath and slicked her fingers over her cunt, watching Regina as Regina's eyes drifted to the hand between her partially spread legs. Regina knelt on the edge of the bed near Emma's feet and licked over her lips slowly, her eyes clouding over with lust as Emma teased her fingers over her clit.
She moaned as Regina began to slide her hands up her legs slowly. "I remember what you said on Christmas," Regina said and she placed a kiss on the inside of Emma's right knee. "About not being sexually adventurous. I want that to change."
"Babe…"
"Don't stop," Regina murmured the instant Emma's fingers stilled. "I want to watch you touch yourself."
Emma bit her bottom lip and continued to stroke her fingers over her clit under Regina's watchful gaze. Regina's hands grasped at Emma's thighs, spreading her legs further apart as Emma's fingers picked up speed. Normally it took her a while to get herself even close to the edge alone, but with the way Regina was watching her and rubbing over her thighs, she was being brought to the edge within seconds.
Regina took Emma's other hand and lifted a single finger to her lips, sucking it in slowly as Emma continued to rub her clit. Regina moved to hover over her lower abdomen and guided the finger she'd just wet between her legs.
"Fuck me the way you're fucking yourself," Regina murmured erotically before she fell forward, bracing herself with both hands. Her hot breath fell upon Emma's lips as Emma deftly slipped a finger inside of Regina and then one inside of herself.
Regina never swore much, and she almost never talked dirty during sex. For Emma, it was an incredibly amazing turn-on and she knew that Regina was well aware of that. She knew because in more recent weeks Regina had been making more of an effort of doing just that whenever they had some time alone—naked time at that.
Emma groaned as Regina started to roll her hips, wordlessly begging for Emma to fuck her harder. Never one to deny Regina the pleasure she craved, Emma slipped a second finger inside of her as she slipped a second one inside of herself. She was already on edge, but she'd been holding back, not wanting to get off too easily and not without Regina.
Suddenly they were kissing, the kiss deep yet sloppy as Regina rode her fingers steadily. Emma slipped her fingers out from inside of herself and blindly reached for the feeldoe that was just slightly out of reach. She snaked her arm around Regina's waist and without pulling her fingers out from inside of her, she reversed their position and grinned as she wiggled her eyebrows at how it left Regina breathless.
"Let me," Regina whispered as they both moved to grab the feeldoe at the same time. She gently pushed at Emma's chest.
"Regina—"
"Let me," she repeated. "Let me and I'll let you fuck me as hard as you want, any way that you want."
Emma moved to kneel on her knees, her legs spread and her whole body suddenly tense as Regina moved to kneel in front of her while taking the feeldoe firmly in her hands. Emma watched and her breath hitched as Regina licked over the bulb of the feeldoe slowly, coating it generously with saliva before she lowered it towards Emma's cunt. With the fingers on her left hand, Regina slicked them between her slit and parted her lips. She barely looked down, her eyes locked on Emma's as she eased the bulb inside of her slowly.
"How does it feel?"
"Tight," Emma breathed out as she felt her cunt adjusting to the new sensation. "Good."
"Good?" Regina repeated as she tugged on it and it caused Emma to clench and moan all at once.
"Do we need lube?"
"My love, your fingers were just inside me moments ago, was I not wet enough?"
Emma surged forward, kissing Regina with everything that she had. They tumbled down together with Emma on top, Regina on her back, and it was nothing like the way they had both fantasied since Regina had uttered those words about Emma taking her for the first time from behind.
Emma drove her hips down, eliciting the sexiest moans past Regina's lips that she had ever heard and it only caused her to keep going, to push harder, faster, until Regina's nails dug into the skin of her shoulders and they both could hardly contain themselves. It felt unlike anything Emma had felt before and she was on the brink of orgasm, the base of the feeldoe rubbing against her tender, throbbing clit with every thrust.
Regina wrapped her legs around Emma's hips, slowing her down a little. All it took was a soft yet lingering kiss and the pace changed completely. Every breathy moan that slipped past her lips was mirrored by a gasp from Regina. Her short nails scratched along Emma's back, some strokes harder than others. At times her hands sunk into Emma's damp hair to crush their lips together in a bruising kiss.
Despite how close Emma had been before, just teetering on the edge of ecstasy, she just couldn't find her release. The base of the feeldoe was hitting her clit with every thrust, but the angle was off. She grunted in frustration and only stopped when Regina moved her hands to her hips to stop her.
"What is wrong?" Regina whispered. "Is this not okay?"
"I can't get there," Emma murmured. "You?"
"Almost."
"Can we try something different?"
Regina bit her bottom lip before nodding her head. Emma slipped out of her and moaned at the sight of the purple silicone just glistening with Regina's arousal. She readjusted it inside of her before watching Regina move to kneel on her hands and knees in front of her. Emma smoothed her hands over Regina's delicious ass before she teased her fingers over her dripping, swollen hole.
"Emma…" Regina moaned, her arms shaking as she struggled to hold herself upright. Emma slicked her fingers over her slit once more, a feather-light and teasing touch that served as both pleasure and torture to Regina. "Don't tease me. Fuck me."
Emma breathed out shakily before grabbing the hilt of the feeldoe and guided it inside of Regina, the silicone sliding inside of her much easier than the first time as she was so wet and so ready to be fucked. Emma moved her hands to grip at Regina's waist, pulling her back with every deep yet slow thrust.
"Emma," Regina sighed out. "Fuck me like you want to."
"I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't," she gasped when Emma thrust hard, fast, and deep inside of her without warning. "Just like that."
The angle was different and it made the base press up against Emma's clit in a much more pleasurable way. Combined with the sounds that were escaping past Regina's lips and she was well on her way towards the edge, her orgasm stirring and building inside of her slowly yet surely.
Regina continued to beg her to fuck her harder and every time she thrust as hard as she could manage without hurting Regina, the way Regina gasped, moaned, and gripped at the comforter as she struggled to stay upright only caused Emma's pleasure to increase more and more. She thrust hard a few times, three to be exact, the third causing Regina's arms to give and she landed on the bed with the side of her face pressed hard just below the pillows.
Emma's hands moved to Regina's ass, gripping at a pliable flesh in an uncontrollable grip that left her skin red when Emma moved her hands away. Regina's hips were bucking in time to every hard thrust Emma delivered and when she noticed Regina had slipped a hand between her own legs to rub at her clit, a wave of hot arousal surged through her body all at once.
Sweat gleamed over Regina's body and Emma found the sight erotically pleasing to her. This was why she hadn't been able to find her release because this was the fantasy that had been playing in her mind for weeks.
Emma moved her right hand to tease her fingers along the crack of her ass, stopping when she reached Regina's puckered hole. She slowed her thrusts down, almost stopping as she tested new waters between them and pressed the tip of her finger against the tighter, smaller hole.
"Emma!" Regina howled in surprise, but she didn't try to pull away, and instead she just pushed back against Emma's finger. "Fuck, do it again."
"Do you want me to slip it inside?"
"God, you can do whatever you want, I'm about to—Emma!"
Emma panted hard as the tip of her finger slipped inside her tight hole. A shiver ran through Emma's body in the moments before her orgasm took her suddenly by surprise and Regina was right there with her, her body jerking, her thighs quivering and her sensual moans filling the room.
She could feel the bulb of the feeldoe start to slip out and she let it fall as she slipped her finger out from Regina's puckered hole slowly. Emma nearly collapsed on top of her, moaning as Regina reached around to pull her flush against her back. Emma felt Regina sigh contently as she placed hot, open-mouthed kisses along her shoulder and neck.
"That was—that was amazing," Regina breathed out, her hand gripping at Emma's hip as if she was trying to hold her even closer against her. "You are amazing."
"Yeah?" Emma chuckled as she wrapped an arm around Regina and smoothed her palm over her lower abdomen, her fingers teasing along her skin just below her navel. "You are amazing, Regina."
Regina nudged at her and Emma lifted up enough for her to roll over on to her back and Regina pulled her down on top of her once more. "That was new," she whispered and she stroked her fingers down the length of Emma's back. "Is that something you've wanted to try before or is that something that just happened?"
"I've been tempted," Emma chuckled. "Did it feel good?"
"Yes."
"Would you want to do that again?"
Regina laughed lowly as her cheeks went flush. "Yes," she whispered. "I would want to do it again."
Emma bit her bottom lip, not sure if she should continue. "Would you want more than just a finger?"
"More?" Regina asked. "Like this?" She asked as she grabbed the feeldoe and shook her head. "Isn't it a little big?"
"We could get something smaller?"
"Maybe," Regina sighed. "Can we talk about this tomorrow?"
"Okay?"
"Because I really want to fuck you again," she murmured. "Just you."
"Just me?"
"No…toys," Regina murmured as she pushed at Emma until she rolled on to her back and Regina was on top. "Just you. Just me. Lips," she whispered as she kissed Emma lightly. "Tongue," she continued and she teased her tongue over Emma's bottom lip and it elicited a giggle out of both of them. "And fingers," she finished as she slipped a hand over Emma side and up to cup her right breast.
Emma threw her head back the moment Regina began to quickly descend down her body and settled between her legs. They were both so lost within each other that time, the world, nothing else existed outside of that room other than each other.
It was a feeling they didn't get to indulge in often, but it was a feeling that made Emma feel like she was soaring amongst the highest clouds in the sky.
[X]
Regina woke before Emma did the next morning and after she placed a kiss to the middle of her back and whispered for her to sleep, she slipped out of bed and pull on her white silk robe as she strolled out of the bedroom. It was early, almost too early, but Regina couldn't sleep when she had so much on her mind.
After she had the coffee on, she retreated to her office, sighing as she remembered that Charlie had taken her laptop with her to fix it. She straightened up a few things before she came across some pale yellow stationary, very similar to the same one she'd used to send Emma the first paper flower years ago for her birthday. She barely realized what she was doing until the paper tulip was nearly finished and she sighed as she dropped it on her desk, staring at it as a hundred different memories started to fill her mind.
Emma was so much a part of her memories of the last eight and a half years even though she hadn't physically been there. Emma had been a key part of her life is so many ways, some ways she was only just realizing in that very moment. Even when she had been with Daniel and had fallen in love with him, Emma had been right there all along. She had thought about Emma the day she and Daniel had gotten married and she had been on her mind during their honeymoon in New York City.
There had been so many times when she had been making memories with Daniel that the first person on her mind—most times without realizing it—had been Emma Swan. She told Emma everything, secrets she told no one else, not even Daniel or Kathryn. Emma had always been the one person Regina found it so very easy to confide in when she needed to and yet, when her father had died and when Daniel had died, she hadn't reached out to her the way she knew she should've.
Would it have made any difference? It was something she often wondered since she knew Emma would've found a way to come to her after her father had died and she knew that Emma would've come no matter what when Daniel had died too. Would it have changed everything if Emma had come years ago when her father had suddenly died that day while he'd been out riding with Marco? Would she have still married Daniel if she had met Emma when she was nineteen?
Regina shook her head as she picked up the paper flower and twisted it in her fingers slowly. She dropped it back on her desk and pulled open the top left drawer and pulled out the small blue box. Inside was a ring, Emma's ring, one she had only just bought that past week on a whim. She had been browsing the shops after class just off campus when it had caught her eye. It wasn't extraordinary or expensive by any means. It was just a simple diamond, but beautiful.
The early morning sunlight that was streaming in through the windows made the diamond sparkle and in that very moment, she knew exactly how and when she wanted to give Emma the ring. She had asked her over Christmas, it hadn't been planned, but the ring made things much more official. The ring made it real.
She managed to slip the ring inside the paper flower and she smiled to herself as the smell of coffee wafted through the air. She tucked the paper flower into the pocket of her robe and headed into the kitchen, each step feeling lighter than the last as her heart began to race uncontrollably fast.
She made herself a coffee and then Emma one just the way that Emma preferred it, too much sugar and vanilla flavored creamer that she kept in her fridge just for her. She grinned as she carried both mugs into the bedroom and placed them on the bedside table. She sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to smooth her hand along Emma's bare back, stopping when she reached the sheet that came up just over her hips.
"Good morning, my love," Regina whispered, smiling when Emma turned her head. Her hair covered her eyes and she blinked a few times, adjusting to the light as Regina reached out to brush her hair out of her eyes.
"Is that coffee I smell?"
"Yes," Regina laughed. "Just the way you like it."
"Mm," Emma smiled and she closed her eyes. "I think it's too early. It's Saturday, babe. No kids, no…responsibilities. Can't we just…sleep?"
"We can," Regina said as she slipped a hand inside her robe pocket and pulled out the flower with the ring inside it. "I can't remember the last time that I made one of these for you."
"You make them for me all the time."
"Not yellow. Not like the first one."
Emma sighed and she turned on her side, taking the paper flower from Regina's fingers and she smiled. "It's pretty."
"Is it?"
"What is—Regina?" Emma asked, suddenly more awake than she was before when she turned the flower upside down and the ring slipped out onto the palm of her hand.
"I love you, Emma Swan," Regina said and she moved to lay down next to her, their faces mere inches apart. "I was serious about wanting to marry you. I—I never thought I would want to get married again after Daniel died, but with you, everything seems right. Perfect almost even if it isn't quite that yet. It may not be legal for us to get married here in this state, but that isn't going to stop me from marrying you one day."
Emma was speechless and Regina swallowed thickly, reaching for the ring that lay in her outstretched palm. She trembled slightly as she slipped it on to her left ring finger and wrapped her hands around Emma's tightly.
"I don't know what our future holds, Emma, and I know the road ahead isn't going to be easy, but I want this with you. I want everything with you. Every moment that I am not with you, I feel like I'm just going through the motions, going through each day because that is what I am supposed to do, but when I am with you, I feel like I'm truly living for the first time, I feel so alive when I am with you."
Emma lips are on hers before she could say another word, but nothing more needed to be said in that very moment. When they parted, everything felt different for Regina and it felt different in the most wonderful, amazing way. It was a feeling she never wanted to let go of, a feeling she never wanted to go a day without. It filled her heart, her very soul in ways she couldn't describe.
"You are my sunlight," she murmured softly. "The one sunbeam on a bleak and dreary day that shines through and makes everything better."
"Yeah?"
"Yes," Regina smiled. "I love you, Emma."
"I love you too. I can't wait to marry you."
"I can't wait either, my love."
They spent the rest of the weekend holed up inside the house, mainly in bed, barely letting go of one another as they made love for hours, stopping only to eat or nap before they were right back at it again. When it came time for Emma to drive back up to Tallahassee on Sunday afternoon, Regina was reluctant to let her go, their goodbye a long one in the driveway as neither seemed to be able to let go of the other.
An hour after Emma had left, Regina was lounging on the front porch, nursing a glass of wine despite that it was barely even four in the afternoon. She tensed when she saw Charlie's old car pull up in front of the house, the brakes squealing as she came to a sudden stop, but that tension fluttered away when Charlie waved out the window at her with a wide smile on her face.
"Hey," Charlie laughed as she bounced up to the front porch. "I fixed it for you. It's practically brand new again."
"Thank you," Regina smiled as she took the laptop bag from her. "I truly appreciate it, Charlie. Did you manage to—"
"Saved everything aside from a few files, pictures that I couldn't recover," she replied quickly and she took it upon herself to sit on the chair next to Regina's. "So, Emma is your like, girlfriend?"
"Fiancée actually."
"Shit. Wow! Congratulations, Regina!" Charlie laughed and raised her hand. Regina reluctantly high-fived her before she reached for her glass of wine. "So, when is the wedding?"
"Not for a while yet. I want to finish with my classes first. The uh, the plan is to get married before I start my Masters."
"Hey," Charlie said as she reached out to stop Regina from taking the last few sips of her wine. "That's not going to happen, is it? The whole doctor thing?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I didn't mean to read it, your transfer letter," Charlie said in a rush. "A teacher?"
Regina sighed. "I've always wanted to teach and that letter? I had a few drinks one night and I just—I started writing it and never intended to send it or for anyone to ever read it. I thought I deleted it."
"Not that it's my place to say anything, but, you should do what makes you happy. You told me once that it was your mother who pushed you into being a doctor. It doesn't make you happy, does it?"
"No."
"There are more than one way to change the world, to save lives, Regina," Charlie continued. "Teachers can do that too, just in a very different way."
"I know."
"Pretty big difference in pay though, isn't there?" Charlie chuckled and she shook her head. "What does Emma do?"
"She's a photographer, kind of. She's been published actually. She's also a mother."
"Tell me again how you two met," Charlie said with a slightly dreamy, far-away look in her eyes. "You told me once before, but now that I know you two are definitely more than just pen pals, I want to hear the story all over again."
"Would you like a glass of wine, Charlie?"
"You gonna tell me the story?"
Regina laughed as she stood up from the chair and she just nodded, retreating into the house without another word to grab a glass of wine for Charlie and to top up her own glass. Regina felt like it was so surreal, for her old roommate to be there, acting like they were old friends just catching up. She supposed they were in a way; they had lived together for five months even if they hadn't kept in touch much after her first semester had ended at UF. Charlie was like Emma, someone she never thought she'd be friends with years before, but somehow they were in a way.
Regina hadn't told Emma that she had been having doubts about following through on the long path towards being a doctor, that she had been wanting to change her major, to be a teacher just as she had always dreamt of being. She had never thought anyone would read that letter she was so convinced she had deleted after she'd written it one night after far too many glasses of wine.
She spent almost an hour telling Charlie the story of how her and Emma's relationship had evolved over the years and after Charlie had left when Lucky had called her to come back to the apartment they shared for a marathon of some video game that had just come out, Regina stayed out on the porch, watching the last rays of sunlight disappear along the horizon, her mind on a lot of different things, on things that didn't mater, on things that did, on Emma and their future together, on her own future that could change on a whim if she so wished to change it.
It was later that night that she pulled up the letter she'd written and she went over it, editing it to perfection before she sent it to the administrations office and the dean. She knew exactly what she was throwing away, but after her conversation with Charlie, she realized something she had been missing, something she hadn't been allowing herself to notice all along.
Emma Swan made her happy, she made her feel love unlike anything else she had ever felt before, but even with that, there was still something missing. She was long overdue in taking control of her life and doing what she had always dreamt of, of taking that step in making it happen, was just the first of many changes she knew she'd be making in her life in the days, weeks, months, and years to come.
And for once she wasn't afraid because the future was beginning to look brighter than ever.