A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews and follows! Next update may NOT be ready Thursday...keep your fingers crossed! I shall do my best.
Hours later, Emma felt the bed dip beside her. Her semi-conscious mind thought maybe it was Regina, but when a small index finger bopped her on the nose, she knew exactly who was waking her up.
"Can I help you?"
"How was your date?"
"We had dinner, Henry."
"Emma, you didn't come back last night. It was a date, and a very successful one, I might add."
Emma wearily eyed her son, "How would you know about that?"
"Mom and I read eight different books about it together."
"Of course you did."
"She stuttered through most of my questions, so I just kept thinking of things to ask. I've never heard her stutter before," Henry held his stomach as he giggled.
"Wow."
"So, success?"
"We had a nice dinner; I stayed over until this morning. That is all you need to know, sir," Emma groused.
Henry jumped off the bed with a fist pump and set off to find Ruby. Emma had to admit it was nice to have Henry's approval of their relationship, but it was also a bit strange. Emma felt a lot of pressure to live up to, as the women also had to take his feelings into account. Even though they agreed to remain friends and not pursue anything beyond, Emma knew the desire to do so was present for them both.
Emma groaned and put her face back into the pillow. It was too early to be worrying about these matters. Emma stretched out tired muscles and closed her eyes. She did not want to think about unpleasant things, especially after the remarkable and erotic night she spent with Regina, Emma would save the worrying for later.
Down the hall, Ruby and Henry clinked their glasses together in a toast to another successful phase of their mission. While there was still plenty of work to be done, they decided to take a day off from planning and plotting and instead simply enjoyed their accomplishment.
Arizona, June 2016
Regina lay sprawled atop the desk in her suite, Emma lapping greedily at the wetness between her legs Regina had been placed there as soon as she returned from a rally by Emma, who could not contain her desire for the brunette. She hadn't even been able to take her dress off, and Emma had ripped her panties off when she placed her on the desk.
"Don't stop, Emma, don't you ever stop, "Regina panted as she made the demand.
Regina had never been with anyone else but her husband, but she had to admit Emma knew how to work her body in ways she did not even know were possible. In their brief time as lovers, Emma had learned her likes and dislikes, she learned what made her soaked, and Emma was an artfully skilled oral lover. It had quickly become her favorite way of being taken by Emma, and she found she could not get enough of Emma's mouth. Regina was addicted.
Emma shoved her tongue inside of Regina's wetness, and rubbed against her clit with her fingers, instantly causing Regina to cry out, her orgasm taking her up and off the metaphorical cliff in no time at all. Emma rubbed at Regina's things with her hands, soothing her as she placed soft kisses to the insides of her legs, the skin moist with sweat and Regina's essence. Emma used her mouth and cleaned the moisture from there, and then lapped gently at her sex, taking great care not to apply too much pressure, she only meant to clean Regina not get her worked up for another round. They would have time for that later.
Regina played with Emma's hair, waiting until green eyes looked up to meet hers and she smiled lazily. "Come up here," she said.
"I can't," Emma mumbled.
"What's wrong?"
"My period came early," Emma grumbled. "Must be all the hot sex we've been having."
Regina laughed and then resumed running her fingers through Emma's hair, scratching at her scalp.
"That feels amazing, don't stop," Emma sighed contentedly.
"Mmkay," Regina replied, feeling relaxed and beyond sated. "Are you comfortable? Did you take anything?"
"I had some Motrin right before you got back. Was that alright, grabbing you as soon as you walked in?"
"Now you ask?"
Emma's eyes widened as she sheepishly looked up to meet Regina's gaze.
Regina giggled; a sound Emma had only heard when the two of them spent time alone. "Yes, Emma, it was all right. I am fully capable of saying no to you if need be. I haven't wanted to; I know that much."
Emma entwined her fingers with Regina's. "Good. I get horny the first few days of my period. It's kind of weird. I don't care about my needs, but I can't help but want to get my partner off, as much as possible, if I can." Recognizing her slip at calling Regina her partner, Emma kept nervously talking, "I get horny and needy, so I apologize in advance if I am a little clingy the next few days. It has been a long time since I had anyone around."
"Needy how?" Regina noticed Emma's slip, and it secretly thrilled her to be referred to in such a manner. Emma meant sexual partner, as she had admitted to Regina that she held no serious relationships in her background, but Regina knew she meant more to Emma. She wanted to be Emma's partner in every sense of the word.
"I want hugs, and cuddles, and backrubs, and affection."
"Sweet girl," Regina husked, "Why don't you get showered and changed and meet me back here in my bed? Is Henry bunking in your suite or with Ruby?"
"He and Ruby watched a movie and fell asleep in her suite."
"Fine, does that sound good?"
"Sure, I'll be right back."
Thirty minutes later, Emma found Regina lying in bed; arms open in greeting as she kicked the covers back to welcome her into bed. Emma quickly climbed in and pulled the sheet up and over them both. She scooted close to Regina's side, cuddling against her as Regina wrapped her arms around her and kissed the crown of her head.
"Your body is always so warm, just like Henry," Regina noted.
"I run pretty very warm."
"It feels nice. I am always so cold."
"I know," Emma said as she pinched Regina's side, under her shirt, causing her to yelp. "Keep your cold feet away from me tonight, woman." Emma placed her hand against Regina's stomach, rubbing patterns into the soft skin with her fingers.
"We fly back in two days," Emma mentioned.
"We do, are you ready to go back?"
"In a way, but I have to admit this has been nice."
Regina nodded against Emma's forehead. "It has been."
"I don't know how we'll-"
"Shh, Emma. Let's try not to think of it."
"I worry, Regina. It's what I do," Emma quietly offered.
"I know, Emma."
"I just wanted you to know that I have enjoyed the time we have had together. It's been amazing."
"Damn amazing," Regina drawled.
"I'm not just talking about the sex either," Emma clarified.
"Nor am I," Regina admitted.
There was so much more Emma wanted to say, but Regina began rubbing her hand along Emma's back, and the words stayed stuck in her throat as she drifted off to sleep, safe in Regina's arms.
The following day, as the trio worked on various tasks, August cleared his throat and made eye contact with Mary Margaret. Now was as good a time as any to get things out in the open.
"Regina, there is something we'd like to discuss with you."
Regina took her glasses off and tiredly rubbed at her eyes; makeup be damned. "What is it?"
"Emma," Mary Margaret replied.
"What about her?"
"Is there something going on?" August asked blue eyes laser focused on Regina's face. He hoped she would be honest with them; their entire working relationship depended on it. He had seen politicians go down for scandals all throughout his career, and he needed to know what they were dealing with this situation.
"What is this, some intervention?" Regina demanded, anger welling.
"Of course not, Regina, we just wanted you to know that it doesn't matter to us personally, but professionally we have to look out for you. We just don't want any surprises," Mary Margaret nervously replied.
"Well, Miss Blanchard, thank you for your concern, but it isn't justified. Emma is a friend. She has become a good friend over the past few weeks, and I am happy to have her around."
"Are you sleeping with her?"
"Mr. Booth!"
"August, please," Mary Margaret scolded. She knew Regina would be skittish, and this was not the way to get her to open up. While the candidate had her right to privacy, the last thing either of them wanted was for her campaign to get thrown off course by any scandal.
"Regina, I don't know about you, but I intend to win this election. I want this, more than you can even imagine. I do not want anything to reach the press that will harm what we are doing here. You're both adults, but please recognize that this doesn't just affect the two of you," August said, the sincerity in his tone reaching Regina.
"Emma and I have an arrangement," Regina quietly admitted, so quiet that August and Mary Margaret both didn't even realize she had spoken until she looked at them and waited for one of them to speak.
"What," August asked.
"We have an arrangement," Regina spoke louder this time. "We have an agreement, an arrangement, whatever you want to call it. It is casual, and we have kept it hidden. We aren't involved in the dating sense, so no announcements need to be made. There is no great scandal here; we are both single, this isn't a big deal."
Mary Margaret wanted to laugh, but she knew her boss was likely to toss her out of the room if she did so, so she refrained. The two women weren't hiding anything. Anyone with two eyes could see what was happening between them. Calling it casual wasn't going to change what it was, and Mary Margaret believed it was two people who cared a great deal for one another.
"She makes you happy," Mary Margaret said and smiled when Regina's face lit up.
"She does. However, we both know our timing isn't right, and so we are conscious of that. So, while I appreciate the concern, our situation will not trickle out into the campaign. You have my word on that."
August sat back and folded his hands in his lap. Hearing Regina speak about Emma made him realize that he had plenty to worry about should any of this get out. August was positive Regina would keep her word nonetheless, and not let any of this affect her campaign. He had to trust her, in the same way she trusted him to do his job.
"I need to make a few calls, Regina, but thanks for listening to us. For what it's worth, I like Emma. I hope you realize we are with you, not against you. Our job is to win this election, and we need to be able to concentrate on that and handle any problems that might arise. We felt like we needed to get this out into the open. Are we good?"
Regina nodded at him, and he stood and left the room. He hoped he had gotten through to Regina. He was only trying to do his job.
"Maybe when all is said and done, Regina-"Mary Margaret began.
"We will worry about it then. This election comes second only to my son, so please keep this between us."
"I am not one to tell secrets, Regina."
"Really, because you told my mother I was seeing that Senator."
"To be fair," Mary Margaret argued, "I thought Cora knew. She tricked me into telling. She has sorcery or magic or something."
"Well, at least it did not ruin anyone's life or anything," Regina said, corners of her mouth twitching in a small smile. "Did my mother put you two up to this little talk?"
"No, she didn't. Cora has been out of my ear for a few days, surprisingly. Which is very unlike her, by the way, and making me slightly nervous."
"I'm sure she is busy raising money. She has outraised you this entire election, Dr. Blanchard. What is going on?"
"Oh, stop it. The dinner at Streisand's is going to put me over the top, you wait and see. Cora won't be able to catch up."
"Goodness," Regina shook her head at the antics of her mother and campaign manager. They were fiercely competitive when it came to fundraising and constantly bickered over totals.
"I like Emma a lot, too, Regina. So that you know, I am on your side. August and I both are. You're different around her, relaxed; you smile a lot more, too. We both see she's right for you and Henry."
"What are you getting at?" Regina asked, closing her laptop.
"If it's meant to be, it will happen."
"Like you and David?" Regina teased.
"You know about that?" Mary Margaret's comically wide eyes made Regina laugh loudly.
"Don't be a fool, Mary Margaret. How could anyone not know? Even Henry knows!"
Mary Margaret blushed, and her green eyes twinkled as she spent the next forty-five minutes telling Regina about the man she was convinced was her Prince Charming. If it meant she wasn't being grilled on her own love life, Regina was more than willing to listen.
The next morning, a tense trio of Mary Margaret, August, and Regina sat in front of a laptop and watched a commercial that Senator Gold would be running later that evening. It was entitled "Family Values," and touted him as a beacon of wholesome family values. The narrator encouraged voters to make the right choice for the candidate whose beliefs were in line with theirs. It was a low blow, and a distinct dig as the commercial contained the photo of Emma kissing Regina on the beach. As their faces blasted across the screen, Regina felt a rage she could not recall ever feeling in her lifetime. It took root in her heart and spread throughout her body. That son of a bitch.
"Get my mother on the phone. Now," Regina demanded, voice cold and steely.