It was early when Emma blinked open her eyes and smiled as she snuggled into Regina's back. For a fleeting moment, barely a second, Emma felt that old and yet familiar urge to get up and run, but as she inhaled deeply, that fleeting feeling disappeared completely and she just reveled in the feel of Regina sleeping soundly in her arms.

She smiled when Regina's hand that was placed over her arm that draped along the middle of her abdomen began to rub over her skin lightly. When Regina turned in her arms, she propped her head up on her hand and smiled at her. She was floored at how breathtaking Regina looked even after just waking up and unable to hold back, she leaned in to place the softest, sweetest kiss upon her lips. Regina moaned quietly and slipped a hand along the back of Emma's neck, pulling her in for a deeper, lingering kiss.

"Good morning," Regina whispered when she parted a moment later.

"Morning," she smiled. "It's too early, isn't it?"

"Hmm, yes," Regina replied with a slight nod. "Henry won't be awake for another hour."

Henry. Emma sighed as the thoughts of possibly taking things further than just kissing flew right out the window. When she went to pull back from their close embrace, Regina's arms snaked around her body and held her tight, almost as if she knew Emma was about to pull back in that very moment.

There was something so very intimate about that moment and the way that Regina just gently pressed her forehead against Emma's, their breath mingling, lips barely touching. Emma closed her eyes as Regina's fingers slipped under the hem of her tank top and stroked along her lower back in a way that elicited soft, breathy moans that she tried to fight back and failed. She slipped her hands over Regina's hips and over the gracious curve of her ass, unable to resist the feel of it beneath her palms.

Their lips met in a crescendo of passion that suddenly overtook them both. Despite the very fact they both had morning breath, Emma found herself wanting more, delightfully enjoying the kiss and the slightly different taste of Regina—one that was far from being unpleasant as one would expect it to be. It only caused her to kiss her harder, deeper, all the while pulling her more flush against her own body.

Emma pulled back when she felt Regina's fingertips tracing over her scars. While there weren't many, the few she had were painful reminders of her past and one she knew that she'd tell Regina about one day when she was ready.

"I should probably get into the shower before Henry wakes," Regina said softly. "I'll be out in ten minutes."

"Okay."

"If you want to, you can head downstairs and start the coffee while you wait."

Emma nodded, watching Regina as she slipped out of bed and pulled on her long gray robe before exiting the bedroom swiftly and quietly. She had thought for a moment that Regina would ask and then try to convince her to join her in the shower, but despite having already been intimate, that was on an entirely different level that they weren't quite near and besides, her answer would've been no because whether it be in the bedroom or in the shower, Henry was still home and sound asleep in his bed just down the hall.

After a few minutes passed, Emma slipped out of bed and sleepily rubbed at her eyes as she made her way to the partially open bedroom door. The last thing she wanted was to be seen exiting Regina's bedroom by Henry because it would open up a host of questions she wasn't sure how to answer just yet. She was still very much adjusting to the fact that Henry was the very same boy she had given up for adoption ten years before and it didn't help that she had been wholly distracted by finding out his adoptive mother was the very same Regina she had been trying to find for the last handful of years.

She moved quickly and quietly down the hall towards the stairs, running a shaky hand through her hair before she made the descent down the stairs and into the kitchen. She was still very unfamiliar with the house, but after poking and prodding around the kitchen, she got the coffee on within a couple of minutes.

"Hi."

Henry's sleepy voice caused her to jump and she laughed nervously as she stared over at him. He smiled at her before walking over to the fridge to pull out the jug of milk before opening up the pantry door to pull out a box of Cheerios.

"Mom said the shower is free. I can wait. I'm hungry anyway."

"Okay…and uh, good morning, Henry."

"Good morning," he beamed before busying himself with pouring a bowl of cereal for breakfast.

Emma felt a little dizzy and once out of the kitchen, she placed a hand on the wall to brace herself until the dizziness passed as quickly as it had came on. Shaking it off, she tried not to let the thoughts going through her mind affect her at all, but it was impossible to shut them out. She knew that before Sunday rolled around, she'd have to spend some time with Henry, to get to know the boy she gave up, the boy who found her and brought her home.

Home. That word rang loudly through her mind as she approached the guest bedroom where her things were and she tried not to let that wonderful feeling settle because it was scary and new and she just didn't know why she felt it or why she couldn't just let it go. This was all too fast, her relationship with Regina and feeling at home not just there in the Mills' house but in Storybrooke as well.

She was so lost in her thoughts while she rooted through her bag before realizing she'd unpacked most of her clothes and she had to take a moment just to laugh at herself for forgetting that she hadn't noticed Regina standing in the doorway, her hair wet and wearing only her grey robe.

"The shower is free," Regina said with a husky burr to her voice that caused Emma to shiver in arousal.

"Okay."

Standing just a few feet away from her, she took a moment just to soak in the natural beauty she truly was without the makeup she normally wore and her hair perfectly in place. The way Regina's eyes lit up as the smile curled over her lips had Emma's heart skipping several beats before it began to race wildly in her chest. She could get used to seeing Regina just like this early in the morning, every single morning from there on out. She could get used to sharing the other woman's bed with her and waking up with her in her arms. A frown suddenly found its way to her lips and Regina stepped forward, her smile fading as she reached out for her.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Oh no, I uh—I should just go jump in the shower. Henry is already up and eating breakfast," Emma said in a rush as she walked past Regina and headed for the bathroom.

Just moments after she'd shut the door behind her, a knock resounded and she jumped a little, her heart racing harder than before. She opened it slowly only to find Regina standing on the other side with a white folded towel in her hands.

"I suppose you'll need this," Regina said softly and Emma felt her face flush as she took the offered towel with shaky hands. "Are you all right, darling?"

"I—I'm fine, just you know, still waking up I guess," Emma said in a rush before stepping back and shutting the door slowly. "And thinking of U-Hauling it to Storybrooke before the end of next week," she muttered under her breath. "Fuck…"

[X]

Regina paced the floor in her bedroom in just her robe, her closet door open along with a few of her dresser drawers. None of her clothes seemed to be remotely suitable for a day at the stables. Even her few pairs of jeans mocked her from where they lay folded in her drawer, sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the rest of her clothes. She had always been proud of her wardrobe, always dressing to impress even when she didn't need to be in the office. It was just something she had done since her first term in office and it had become a habit that had stuck.

Running her hands through her damp hair, she pulled out the two pairs of jeans she owned and laid them out flat on the bed, her face scrunched in confusion as she stared at both pairs. Both were conservative, even for jeans, one pair a little darker and tighter than the other. Putting the other pair back in the drawer, she stormed over to the closet and thumbed through her shirts, knowing she'd have to dress for the weather and not for fashion.

"Mom?" Henry called out tentatively as he knocked on the door. "Can I come in?"

"Yes, Henry?" Regina said as she turned just as he opened the bedroom door.

"Aren't there anymore clean towels?"

Regina frowned, now just realizing she'd given up the last clean towel to Emma not that long ago. She had forgotten to put the load of towels on the other day and her frown deepened. "What about the one hanging on the back of your door, dear?"

"Oh, right."

"Is there something else on your mind, my little prince?" Regina asked and she approached him tentatively, sensing his reluctance. "Henry?"

"Did Emma sleep in here last night with you?"

"I—"

"Why?" Henry probed and Regina felt her face flush and there was nothing she could do to hide it from her curious son. "Mom?"

"You should get into the shower, Henry. You'll be late for school if you don't go now."

"Mom—"

"Now, Henry."

She hid her trembling hands by crossing her arms over her chest, watching as Henry just rolled his eyes and stormed out of her room with a huff. She was more alarmed that he was fully aware that Emma had spent the night in her bed that she stood there for a few long moments wondering just how he knew that. She knew she couldn't avoid it forever, or even for the remainder of Emma's time there, but until they figured out what was evolving between them, Henry had no right to know. If he didn't know and things fell apart after Emma left on Sunday, it would be only her heart that was broken and not his as well.

It wasn't lying if she was doing it to protect him, she reasoned with herself as she shut the bedroom door and returned to the closet. While it would be heartbreaking in a sense for him as well if things between her and Emma didn't work out, she hoped that if that ended up being the case that Emma would still somehow keep in touch, even if just with Henry.

She didn't want to think of that situation, yet knew it was a high possibility considering Emma had a life in Boston and hers was there in Storybrooke. Their relationship was moving quickly and she had sensed that at times it was moving far too fast for Emma. She had her own doubts as well, but when she loved—and she did not love easily—it was pure and real and deep. As her fingers brushed over a soft grey sweater, she came to the realization that she wasn't just falling in love with Emma Swan; she was in love with her.

She barely knew the woman, but it was stemmed from feelings from twenty years prior and had just escalated from that very first kiss they shared in the laundry room a handful of days before. There was just something about Emma that enthralled her right from the start, even before she knew who she truly was and it was something she still couldn't quite put her finger on, but something she knew she wanted to find out for herself and soon.

She was lost in her thoughts as she dressed in the only clothes she had that were somewhat suitable for the day she had planned for her and Emma. She even dug out her old riding boots, smiling to herself when she slipped them on and found them to fit as perfect as they had over ten years before. Deciding to skip her usual makeup routine, she just swept a brush through her nearly dry hair and headed down the stairs to make sure Henry was ready for school on time.

"Wow, Mom," Henry said in surprise when she walked into the kitchen. "You look different."

"I do?" Regina asked, frowning as she looked down at her clothes. "Different in a good or bad way, dear?"

"Good, I mean I've barely seen you in jeans my whole life or without makeup except when you've been sick and—and—you look beautiful, Mom," Henry stammered, a smile slipping out at the last moment as he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Thank you, Henry."

"I like you better like this."

"Why?"

"Because you look more like a mom than the mayor," he replied and although he had no idea the impact of his words, Regina felt them deep in her heart. "I like it. You should dress like this more often, Mom."

"We'll see, dear. Now go on off to school," she said with a watery smile and leaned down to kiss his forehead. "Do you want me to walk you to the bus?"

"No, I'm okay. I'll see you after school, Mom."

"I love you, Henry, have a good day."

"You too!" He called out with a wave over his shoulder before he walked out of the kitchen leaving Regina standing there with more than just a few perplexing thoughts plaguing her mind.

[X]

Emma had skipped the shower and opted on taking a run first instead. After she had been sure Regina was in her bedroom and wouldn't be out anytime soon, she exited the bathroom and changed into what barely passed as work out clothes and headed downstairs. She'd run into Henry, but neither said a word to one another and she quickly scribbled a note to Regina that she left stuck on the fridge.

She didn't know the streets too well, but it was almost impossible to get lost in a town as small as Storybrooke. She headed towards the harbor first, her feet hitting the pavement rhythmically and almost in time to the pounding of her racing heart. The minutes passed by quickly as the miles soon did and she only stopped when she felt that deep burn in her gut and slowed her pace down to a steady walk. Sweat rolled down her back as she took in her surroundings, finding that she'd led herself to a secluded park somewhere in town. Blinking away the fog that had settled into her mind, she sat on the bench by the pond and let her body slowly begin to recover from the strenuous exercise she hadn't done in quite some time.

Waking up that morning had been more than just waking up after a night of deep, peaceful sleep. Something deep inside of her had woken, something she never felt before and she knew why in that very moment she had taken off to go for a run. It was her instinct to run when things felt as if they were closing in on her, but this wasn't that same feeling, it was that something else, something she was trying so hard not to think of and yet could feel it thundering through every fiber of her very being.

Despite all the reasons why she shouldn't jump into things with Regina and make the move to Storybrooke, the reasons that settled deep in her heart outweighed all the rest. The passion they shared between them, whether it was intimate or raw and sexual, was something Emma had yet to feel with anyone else she'd ever known—or barely knew. Regina seemed to be like some sort of a magnet, pulling her in without her knowing all the reasons why and even after last night, just spending the night laying in her bed with her in her arms, Emma knew she just couldn't get up and walk away, never to return again.

She couldn't let that happen and she would make sure that it didn't at all costs. Sure, to anyone else, they were moving too quickly seeing as they barely knew each other and a week wasn't long enough to know someone even if they had known one another as children for a short time. By what she knew was common logic, she herself had never been one to follow the rest of societies rules and when it came to love, the only rules she wanted to follow were her own.

Rising from the bench and realizing she had no idea how to get back to the Mills' house, she started walking along the path that led to the street in hopes of running into someone who could lead her in the right direction. It wasn't long before she crossed the path of a tall, redheaded man walking a Dalmatian who greeted her with a friendly, toothy smile.

"Hi," Emma smiled at him. "I'm a little bit lost."

"And I'm Dr. Archie Hopper," he replied with a laugh. "Where are you looking to go to, Miss…"

"Swan. Emma Swan," she replied. "Mifflin Street."

"Ah," he said as an eyebrow rose suddenly. "Dare I take a chance and say that you are Henry Mills' birth mother?"

"The one and only."

"Of course it wasn't much of a stretch, we don't get many visitors in this town and Henry took the liberty of telling me all about you the other day."

"I can imagine," Emma laughed. "So, how do I get to Mifflin from here?"

[X]

It wasn't until Henry had left for school that she discovered the note left for her on the refrigerator door from Emma and while she busied herself preparing a light picnic to take along with them to the stables, she tried not to watch the clock and found it to be nearly impossible. She focused on small, menial tasks, set on getting ready for their day and she ended up in the mudroom looking for a suitable jacket to wear out riding when the door swung open and hit the wall with a bang.

"Oh!" Regina jumped in surprise, the old winter jacket she had in her hands falling from her hands to the floor. "Emma?"

"I've been thinking," Emma said lowly, stalking towards her as the door slowly shut on its own due to the force it had been opened. "I've been thinking about a lot of things, mostly you, mainly us."

Regina inhaled shakily as she took in the sight of Emma standing before her with her black hoodie zipped up and the hood still over her head. Her skin was flushed and her eyes were filled with intense emotion that Regina backed up and braced herself against the wall behind her. She couldn't figure out what had come over Emma and yet she could sense Emma didn't quite know herself. All Regina knew was that the heated passion that flowed between them right from the night she brought Henry home from Boston was there and it was hotter and far more intense than it had ever been before.

Much like their first kiss, Regina wasn't sure who had bridged the gap between them, but they were kissing passionately in an instant, hard and deep. Although this kiss was far different than the first, it was more controlled passion in a way since they now knew just what the other liked and how to spurn the other on further, there was something else weighted beyond it. Regina grasped at Emma's hips and gently eased her back until they broke apart from the kiss with a breathy gasp.

"Emma?" Regina murmured as Emma's hands fell to her hips and began to work her fingertips under the hem of her sweater. "What were you thinking about?"

"A lot of things."

"You said that."

Emma laughed throatily. "It sounds crazy, but after this job in Boston, I want to come back here."

"You do?" Regina asked timidly and Emma nodded her head with a playful yet salacious smile dancing over her lips. "For how long?"

"Long enough to call Storybrooke home."

"Oh?"

"Forever, maybe," Emma said, trying to shrug as if it weren't some big revelation. "It depends."

"On what?"

The question hung in the air for what felt like minutes, but it was only seconds as Emma wet her lips and leaned in close. "On us," she whispered, her lips ghosting over Regina's softly.

The meaning behind her words was not lost on Regina, yet she barely had a moment to let it all sink in before Emma's lips captured hers in another zealously deep and wanton kiss. She moaned in surprise when Emma's hands swept down to the back of her thighs and lifted her up in her arms with ease. A hand slipped inside the hoodie to cup around the back of Emma's neck and she pulled back from her lips with hesitation.

"Not here."

"Where?"

A surge of arousal coursed through her body when Emma grasped at her ass roughly. She needed her now and the bedroom was much too far away. "The study," she groaned as Emma's lips fell to her neck and sucked along her pulse point. "Emma—"

Emma's lips were on her own before she could urge her to move things to the study, not wanting a repeat of the other day despite how good it had been and how it had left her hanging, urging, and waiting for more.

Regina was let down to her feet the moment Emma past the threshold into the study and their lips only parted for a moment to allow Emma to pull off Regina's sweater. The backs of her knees hit the edge of the sofa before her sweater fell to the floor. Regina pulled Emma down to the sofa with her, relinquishing the control she normally like to have in favor of having Emma's full weight on top of her.

She had never craved someone as much as she craved Emma Swan. She had never craved to be touched in the way that Emma touched her, nor had she ever craved to be kissed the way Emma kissed her. It was exhilarating and intoxicating, like a drug she just couldn't get enough of. She moaned as Emma's lips trailed down her neck and roughly pulled down the camisole she still had on and exposed her breasts to her lips.

"Emma," she gasped quietly. She arched into Emma's mouth, her fingers threading through her hair as she nipped at her erect nipple before soothing the tender flesh with her tongue.

Had she known of Emma's intentions, she would've said to take this to the bedroom instead of the study and even as Emma's lips trailed wetly back up to capture her own in a deep kiss, she couldn't quite seem to form the words or any coherent thoughts. She moaned when Emma's hand fell between her thighs and rubbed her hard over her jeans, her intentions now very obvious.

Regina reached between them as Emma lifted her body slightly off of hers and she deftly undid the button on her own jeans and pulled down the zipper unhurriedly despite the pounding of her heart and the rush of arousal that surged through her body all at once. She took Emma's right hand in her own and guided it towards the top of her open jeans and let go as Emma got the hint of exactly what Regina wanted and needed in that very moment.

"Emma, maybe we should…take this upstairs," Regina murmured as her brain finally caught up and Emma shook her head no, placing a firm kiss to her lips before kissing her way down her neck and over the tops of her exposed breasts. She slicked her fingers over her cunt, once, twice, before pulling her hand out of her jeans completely. "Emma—"

"After," Emma murmured against the soft, warm skin between her breasts and shifted down the couch as her hands grasped at the top of her jeans and began to tug them down, taking her panties with them. "I can't wait."

Regina moaned in anticipation of having Emma's delectable mouth on her and she grunted in frustration as her jeans only were pushed down to the top of her tight riding boots. She shifted on the couch, wondering if Emma would even bother taking a moment or two to remove them and remove her pants completely, but all thoughts were lost yet again the moment Emma pushed her legs towards her body and licked along her aching cunt firmly. Regina had no other choice but to grab on to the back of her own thighs, opening herself up to Emma as much as her constricted position would allow her to.

Emma's tongue seemed to be everywhere, on her, in her, and it was almost too much to take all at once. She was amazed by how much this woman turned her on and by how much she wanted everything she had to offer all at once. She was amazed by the way Emma just couldn't seem to get enough of her as she nearly devoured her whole.

"Emma, I—fuck!" Regina moaned loudly, unable to hold back as two of Emma's fingers slipped hard inside of her while she moved her lips and kissed along the back of her thighs, each one lingering a second longer than the last before she nipped at her skin and moved her lips back down to her cunt, sucking over her clit in time with the hard, deep thrusting of her fingers.

She was so close, so close to letting the pleasure that ran through her explode through her entire body. She tried to hold back, not wanting Emma to stop, not wanting to cum so quickly in favor of an orgasm that rattled her through and through. But her body and her libido had very different ideas, betraying her the moment Emma's teeth scraped over her throbbing, swollen clit.

Her body trembled as her orgasm rocked through her quickly, her hands flying to the back and side of the sofa as she gripped on tightly, riding it out while Emma withdrew her fingers and lazily lapped at her clenching hole, her body suddenly racked with rough, jerky spasms she could hardly control.

Regina moaned breathlessly as Emma moved to lay behind her on the sofa, her arms instantly around hers and holding her impossibly close. She gasped quietly when Emma's hand slipped between her thighs once more, her fingers lightly stroking over her as her orgasm came to a slow stop. The very moment Emma buried her face into the side of her neck, she knew that the plan she had for the day was no longer happening as she wanted nothing more than to spend the day alone with Emma Swan and preferably in her bed where it was far more comfortable.

"Emma…"

Emma hummed into her neck, burying her face further as she nudged her hair away from her neck and kissed over her skin softly. She ran her hand over Emma's arm gently, moaning as she sifted in her arms until she was facing her, their lips just a hairsbreadth apart. She could smell herself on Emma's lips, the heady muskiness of her lingering arousal and she all but purred as she leaned in for a kiss. She reached up and pushed back the hood that still covered Emma's hair and tangled her fingers into the loose ponytail, deepening the kiss as Emma's fingers continued to stroke over her pussy languidly.

"Emma," she tried again. "Let's go upstairs."

"Upstairs," Emma repeated, her lips ghosting over her own before kissing her firmly and deeply.

Upon breaking, Emma helped Regina pull her jeans back up, refusing her attempts at pulling her camisole up and over her breasts. Each attempt elicited a low growl from the blonde who nipped and sucked at her erect nipples each and every time. Regina moaned in frustration and somehow managed to overpower Emma, flipping her over on the sofa and straddled her lower abdomen.

"Either we take this upstairs," Regina said in a serious voice as she pulled her camisole up over her breasts. "Or this stops right now."

"Oh?"

"You won't touch me when Henry is in the house," Regina continued and she stopped Emma from speaking by placing a single finger over her lips. "I understand why, I do, but then you go and take me like that here on the sofa and I—I—"

"You what?" Emma whispered. "Regina?"

"Just a few days ago we weren't even here," she said just as quietly. "And now…"

Emma sat up slowly, keeping Regina in her lap as she wrapped her arms around her. "Are you having second thoughts about this, about us?"

"No," Regina said with a small shake of her head. "Are you?"

"Do you not remember what I said before?" Emma asked, her voice taking on a teasing tone, one that sent delicious shivers down Regina's spine. "I'm coming back to Storybrooke for you."

"Are you really willing to risk uprooting your life for me?"

"Yes," Emma smiled. "I'd risk everything for you, especially after this week and the last couple of days, I know you are worth it."

"I think you have a little too much faith in me, darling."

"Do I? Am I wrong in saying that I can feel our connection growing stronger with every minute we spend with each other?"

"No."

"Am I wrong if I tell you that even when we were kids, I felt something then too, but none of it ever made any sense until I kissed you for the first time?"

Regina simply just stared into Emma's brilliant green eyes as her fingers moved to play with her loose, messy ponytail. She was still experiencing a brilliant high that came with the orgasm she'd just had and her thoughts were bouncing back and forth inside her mind. She inhaled deeply and slowly, not breaking contact with Emma for even a second.

"I think, for all intents and purposes, we may have always been destined to be together."

"If someone had told me something like that before, I would've laughed in their faces at how completely fucking ridiculous it sounds, but," Emma said, raising an eyebrow when Regina frowned at her choice of words. "But, I believe it, I do. Do you know why, Regina?"

"Hmm, why?"

"Because even though we barely know each other, just to be intimate with you, to kiss you, to hold you, it feels like its something I've always done, you know?"

Regina did know that feeling, it was one that she had felt from the moment she'd laid her eyes on the blonde woman when she dropped Henry off in the middle of the night after he'd run off to Boston to find his birth mother. She felt it the first time they hugged, the first time they kissed and every single time they had contact with one another ever since. It was almost hard for her to believe that it had been barely a week, barely a handful of days since that first kiss, yet everything felt right, like it was meant to be, that they were fated to be together.

Regina tried not to laugh at the ridiculous thoughts spinning through her mind, but it was nearly impossible. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Emma and held on to her tightly as the gesture was returned, strong arms holding her impossibly close. Despite the fact they were in deep in their whirlwind romance, Regina knew they needed to be logical about everything, especially with Henry.

They could allowed themselves to be swept up in the whirlwind—and they had—but they also couldn't allow any of it to affect Henry or the life he had there in Storybrooke. Regina pulled back from Emma slowly and tucked a few errant strands of hair behind her ear. Despite Emma just having taken her there on the sofa, Regina knew in that very moment that they wouldn't be retreating to her bedroom, at least not that morning.

"Go and shower," she whispered to Emma softly. "I'm going to finish preparing for our day out."

"We're still going?"

"Did you think we weren't?"

"I mean, after we just…" Emma trailed off and shook her head. "Right. I'll go shower and you do whatever it is you're going to do."

"Emma…"

"What, Regina?"

"Are you upset?" Regina asked and she moved to slide off of Emma's lap, watching as she stood up and stretched out slowly. "Emma?"

"No, I just thought that we'd take this upstairs."

"We have plans."

"And here I thought I could seduce my way out of going riding today," Emma smirked and she bent down and captured Regina's lips in a sweet, lingering kiss. "I won't be long."

Regina smiled and watched her stroll out of the study and she leaned back on the sofa with a groan as she ran her fingers through her hair. She waited for a grand total of five minutes before she headed upstairs. Maybe Emma had been right, maybe she could seduce her way out of the plans Regina had made for the day.

And she was about to show her just how right she was as she stripped out of her clothes in the hallway and slipped into the bathroom, unnoticed until she joined the blonde in the shower, swallowing her surprised gasp with a deep and passionate kiss.