DISCLAIMER: Not mine. It could be mine if I cursed the world, took the show to another dimension and then made everyone forget who they originally were, but who has the time?
"You know Miss Swan, I knew you had a talent for the absurd, but this is pushing it, even for you."
They were walking through the forest at nightfall. She had been dressed to kill, already anticipating the look on Emma's face when she saw her, already planning how she'd drive the woman insane, in payback for Emma's wild assumption that she'd be nervous on this first date of theirs.
She'd jumped out of her skin when her phone had buzzed, a few minutes before Emma had showed up.
Wear a coat. A heavy one.
When she'd opened her door, Emma had kissed her cheek, oddly formal, and escorted her to the yellow monstrosity, her fingers tightening on her arm in a way that she knew meant any comments on the bug would not be fondly received.
They'd driven in silence towards the outskirts of town, tension thrumming through the car. She hadn't known what to say, didn't know how to start. By the time they'd pulled up outside dense forest in one of the more remote areas of town, she'd been panicking. And now they were hiking, at night, towards the tail end of winter.
She'd questioned it, when Emma plucked a backpack from the backseat and had started to lead her into the woods, but the blonde had just muttered something about a surprise, which was not at all reassuring. Nonetheless, where Emma walked, so too did she. Until my heel snaps or I die of hypothermia.
She cursed her shoes, which were not conducive to walking through the forest with ease, cursed the cold, which was not conducive to making her feel remotely sexy. Most of all, she cursed Emma Swan, for keeping her off-balance.
She kept all the curses silent, but Emma turned around, eyed her. "Five more minutes. Stop being such a control freak."
They studied each other, the forest eerily quiet. She watched the nerves flicker across Emma's face, the way she held herself as if expecting a reprimand. She finally huffed a breath, swiped her hair out of her eyes, and made a well, get on with it gesture. "I don't think I need to remind you Miss Swan, that's what you said five minutes ago. Are you sure you're not leading me out here to my doom?"
Emma threw a wicked smile over her shoulder as she turned to continue on."Depends on your definition of doom."
The forest seemed to get quieter and quieter as they continued on. Nothing was familiar here, and she realised that if Emma wasn't here she'd wouldn't be able to find her way back easily. She took a deep breath, fighting off the sudden fear. She's not going to leave you here. She's not going to hurt you here. That kind of calculation doesn't apply to Emma Swan.
Her skin began to hum, as they came to a small clearing, clear of forest debris and blanketed with green grass. A small stone table and two chairs sat in the middle. She took a small step towards the clearing, suspicion warring with delight as Emma watched her. "What-" Then she saw that clearing was ringed with mushrooms. She froze as memory crashed in, as the hum became recognisable. "Do you know what this is?" The fear was holding her immobile, her breathing suddenly choppy, uneven.
"Yeah. Do you?" Emma asked softly. Just watching her. Just waiting.
"It's...it's a fairy ring. I didn't think they still existed."
"They do. When there's a need."
She folded her arms against chest, shivering from more than the cold. "When there's a need."
Emma stayed where she was. Regina was thankful for it, because if she'd come any closer she would have run, blindly, panicked. She watched the mist form in the cold air as the blonde spoke, gently. "Fairy rings have been around forever. People thought that they were, I don't know, fairy dance halls – that you could spot them parading around on certain nights, if you were lucky. Then they thought a fairy ring was a place humans could be lured to their death. They thought they were a trap, that they were evil. People began to avoid them."
"I know." She stared at the circle, knowing there was hunger, fascination on her face.
Emma moved closer. Stopped when Regina took a step back. "Soon almost everyone, except the fairies, except those who were born to magic, forgot what the fairy rings actually are."
"Safe harbour." She spoke softly, reverently. These places, she'd been taught, were places to rest, to shelter, gather strength. They were for supernatural travelers who were weary, who were injured or broken – as long as they were inside the ring they would come to no harm, protected and healed by whatever magic dwelled within the mushrooms, within the ground inside the ring.
She'd tried to enter, once. When she'd first started to walk dark paths, test her powers, she'd been hurt in an unwise confrontation with a powerful woods witch. Though she'd managed to run, she'd been drained enough to need to seek a place to recover, to regain strength. She'd seen the ring, remembered the lore with relief. And had been denied entrance as she'd stood outside the circle, bleeding, afraid of her power. Afraid of herself. The rage, betrayal she'd sensed from the sentient magic in the ring on that day had stopped her from trying again. These places weren't for her; she'd understood that loud and clear. She wasn't welcome.
"Safe harbour." Emma agreed.
"But why have you brought me here?"
Before she could resist Emma reached forward and drew her to the edge of the circle."You'll see-"
"-No!" She wrenched violently away. "I'm not allowed in." She tried to give an uncaring smirk, felt it falter. "I'm not worthy, Miss Swan. Surely you of all people know that the people in this town think I'm nothing."
Emma threw up her hands. "Do you know why there are so many stories about you in my world? Why there are pages and pages all about you?"
She folded her arms about herself at this, wary. "Why?"
"Because people are desperate for someone like you to really exist."
Oh. "As a cartoon villain."
"As someone who knows what waits in the dark, who knows how tempting it is. As someone who fucks up royally and still has the courage to keep trying. You're not the bad guy, Regina. You're what happens when we ignore the cricket on our shoulders, rightly or wrongly."
She raised her chin, tried to stop her hands shaking, curling them into her elbows.. "So I'm the role model for screw ups. Charming."
Emma shook her head. "Nope. You're the test case for what happens when you ignore the people who think you're nothing, instead of the damn cricket." She watched Emma step into the circle, turn to face her. "How about you give it a shot?"
She frowned. The woman was up to something. "This is a trap."
"Yes, Regina, every damn thing is a trap. I lured you out here in the freezing fucking cold where no one else is around because I want to trap you. In fact, I spend most of my nights plotting how I can possibly-"
"-Okay, okay." She held up her hands. "It was plausible, you have to admit."
Emma snorted. "Will you just get in here?"
She stared at the circle, feeling that same unwilling fascination come back. The hum increased against her skin, signalling protection that had never been offered to her. "This isn't easy."
Emma dropped her backpack on the table, crossed her arms. "Since when are you afraid of hard?"
Fine. She snapped her spine straight, glared at Emma Swan, and stepped over the ring of mushrooms. "Happy n –oh." She broke off as the magic hit her, swirling through her, rising to meet her magic as it rose within her involuntarily, but somehow it felt... non threatening. It's testing me. Apparently satisfied, it coiled once around her heart, so tightly she gasped, and then faded. She looked at Emma, who was grinning smugly. "I- I passed."
Emma raised a brow at her. "You were saying?"
She put her hands on her hips. "It could have been a trap. And I'm cold."
Emma clapped a hand to her pocket. "Oh, right." Amused, she watched Emma draw a stone from her pocket, whisper something into it, and look up expectantly. Her face fell as whatever she was expecting didn't happen. "Um, wait a sec."
Amused, she waited patiently through a few more damn its before enquiring. "What are you trying to do?"
Emma looked sheepish. "A warming spell."
She raised a brow. "Want some help?"
Emma scowled at her. "No."
Amused, she crossed the clearing to settle at the low stone table. Crossed her arms. "Are you-"
She broke off as light flared around them, a great ball of flame sparking from Emma's hands, breaking off to circle the fairy ring. Emma made a small motion with her hands and the flames broke down even further, rising to become tiny balls of flame in a dome covering the ring. She stared around in wonder. It's like being surrounded by fireflies. She felt the heat immediately, warming the circle so it felt like they were sitting beside a roaring fire.
Emma whooped. "Yes!"
She gave in to the urge to laugh, both in delight at the magic that Emma had created and in amusement at her obvious glee. "What would you have done if you couldn't start it?"
Emma opened her backpack, began to pull out covered dishes, a bottle of wine, glasses, slanting a glance at her. "There are other ways to keep warm."
There certainly are, Miss Swan. She felt a little light headed, drunk on the magic in the circle, the flickering light, the heat. Responding to the flirtation in Emma's voice, she shrugged out of her coat, watched in satisfaction as the other woman's eyes widened at her dress. "Well, Miss Swan. I'm quite warm now. In fact, I could walk around naked and be quite comfortable I'm sure. Quite a feat of magic, dear." Since Emma appeared to have lost all motor function, she plucked the bottle out of the blonde's hand, poured them both wine, and saluted Emma with her glass. "Salute."
Emma blinked at her slowly. "That is an excellent dress, Regina."
She shrugged, elegantly, watching Emma's eyes flick down, then up, staying determinedly on her face. "Well. I appear to be overdressed for the code in this place, considering you seem determined to continue wearing your coat."
"Oh." Fascinated, she watched a flush rise up Emma's neck before she took off her coat. Felt the urge to command, to demand fealty and surrender as Emma stood revealed in black pants and a red top that would have been outlawed in several counties back in the Enchanted Forest. She curled her fists, repressing the instinct to dominate that which she couldn't control. That's not who I am anymore. She stared at Emma, came to the realisation that she was staring, and forced a smile. "You look beautiful."
Emma slid onto her chair. "Thank you." She ducked her head. "I hope this is okay- I mean, I know you might not have been-"
She covered Emma's hand with her own. "-Emma."
"What?"
She squeezed, tight. Felt Emma's hand grip hers back. "There had better not be any seafood in there. It will go terribly with this wine."
Emma smiled at her. "You'll eat what you're given, and like it."
She gave Emma's hand a final squeeze, and began unwrapping covered plates. "The things I do for you."
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Later, when the second bottle of wine was open and her head was swimming pleasantly, she turned her head as a thought occurred to her. "How did you know this was here?"
They were curled companionably on the grass, shoes off, hands linked. Her head was on Emma's shoulder, Emma's perfume teasing at her each time she moved. She hadn't known how to ask for this, hadn't known it was easy until Emma had tugged on her hand, telling her she needed to see the stars.
Emma drew in a breath, and she knew the woman was about to be cautious with her. "The Blue Fairy told me about it. She said you'd changed enough to allow it."
She fought back a sneer at that blue meddler allowing her anything. "That was nice."
She felt Emma's chuckle. "Say it."
She huffed. "Well, I was just going to say she isn't exactly sweetness and light, as much as she pretends to be."
Emma turned her head, kissed her temple. "So, not on your Christmas card list."
She smirked. "Of course she is, dear. Keep your friends close-"
She broke off as Emma's mouth came down on hers, hard, then eased back. "Are we enemies?"
She stared into eyes that held a question, a hint of fear. And a lot of determination. She considered, briefly, being flippant. Felt the weight of the ancient magic that had settled on her skin like fairy dust over the course of the evening. "What do you think we are?"
Emma's mouth quirked. "Not enemies."
She slid her hand out of Emma's, cupped the back of Emma's head to bring her closer. "Not enemies," she whispered as she kissed Emma's forehead.
Emma stared at her for a moment after she drew back, like she was trying to read her. A demonstration, perhaps. She pulled Emma's head down and kissed her. Her hands went into Emma's hair as Emma's hands traced the lines of her back. She moaned, already caught in sensation as lips traced over hers, and her tongue traced over Emma's, tasting wine. The thought went through her mind that they were on the ground, of all places, but a hand scratched teasingly at the base of her spine, trailed around to rest reassuringly on her stomach. Her own hands wandered where they would, seeking out vulnerability, lingering when Emma's breath hitched, when she squirmed against her. And all the while she sank deeper and deeper into the sensation of Emma's mouth on hers.
Wait. She broke away, panting, biting softly at Emma's jaw line even as she noticed that something was wrong. I'm cold.
She pressed her nose into Emma's neck, heard her yelp. "What the hell-oh."
"What's-oh." She looked around. "Your spell stopped working." She tried not to laugh, failed as she got a glimpse of Emma's disgruntled face. "You lost focus."
Emma slanted a glance at her, then sat up. "Your fault."
She smirked. "Your fault. I'm the one that's supposed to 'stop being such a control freak.'"
That earned her a glare as Emma fumbled in her pocket for the curious red stone that apparently triggered the flame spell. She closed her eyes. Regina promptly leaned forward, and nipped the closest earlobe. "Concentrate, Emma." She breathed, sing-song, directly into the shell of Emma's ear. Frowned when Emma didn't react.
The other woman spoke without opening her eyes. "Gonna have to do better than that, Madame Mayor." Light flared and warmth enveloped them again. Emma opened her eyes and raised a brow. "Feeling a bit off our game tonight, are we? It's okay. You're tired. We'll get you home soon."
She refused to laugh at anyone insulting her ability to distract anyone, even if the mischievous light in their eyes was making her lips twitch. "You know what, Miss Swan?"
Emma stilled, suddenly looking wary. "What?"
She smiled. Watched Emma's fade. "I think your technique needs work."
Emma blinked. "My technique."
"Yes," she purred. "Here. Let me show you. Turn around." She raised an imperious hand, hid a smile as Emma turned so her back was showing. She slid in close behind her on the grass, felt the spell flicker, momentarily. "So you want to really feel the magic."
"Regina. I really feel the magic. Can't we just-" Emma made to turn around, but she slid her hands down Emma's bare arms, covered her hands. She lightly traced her nails back up again, dragged them down, raising goosebumps in their wake.
"Can you feel the path the spell took? Sometimes you need to follow a trail, figure out how to unravel what was done." She felt the spell shiver again, and felt triumph, as well as an irrational, irresistible desire to push this woman's buttons. She leaned in so she was speaking into Emma's ear again. "Well?"
Emma cleared her throat. "Yes." Her voice was low, husky, and she could feel her heart start to pound again in response.
She moved her hands to Emma's waist, skimmed them so they were resting in Emma's abdomen. She raked her fingers across the satin of Emma's top. "What about here?" The spell went out, and she stilled her hands. "Concentrate, Emma."
She smiled as she caught a small, cut-off whimper, and the spell went back up. "Good girl."
"Jesus, Mary and Joseph." Emma's voice rose to a squeak as Regina's hands teased their way up to flick lightly along the undersides of Emma's breasts.
She laughed, amused and aroused and so delighted in this woman who was letting her play. "They can't help you."Emma's head fell back as she lay light nips and kisses shoulder to neck. The spell flickered again. "Focus."
Emma groaned. "I can't." Her hand clenched on the stone as Regina traced her hands back down her stomach, finding their way underneath the red top.
"That's a shame. If you'd held out I might have let you get to second base." She bit lightly at Emma's earlobe, flicked her tongue back and forth gently.
Emma let out a definite moan this time and dropped the spell.
She laughed as the cold rushed in and Emma turned to face her, cheeks flushed, eyes dark in the moonlight. "Happy now?"
She reached out, ran her thumb along Emma's cheek, smiling as the other woman caught her hand, held. This woman, who brought her safe harbour. "If you only knew."
A/N: Holy hell. What does Henry think of all this, I wonder? Thanks for all reads and reviews - if I keep saying you guys are awesome and repeating myself, it doesn't make it less true. Also, some creative license taken with fairy rings. But who knows, maybe...? :)
