Note the rating change everybody. And yes, it means what you think it means. For those of you not inclined to the reading of carnal acts but want to keep abreast of the storyline I'll put a line break and everything after that you'll be able to skip. Enjoy.
Two days later Emma fell into their bed with a long groan. "Holy seven hells," she said, muffled by the pillow in front of her face. "Court is a ridiculous place."
Regina laughed and sat down beside Emma. "Of course it is. It's the one place where nobles and peasants alike can come and get their disputes and problems fixed."
"Problems? Those weren't real problems. Except the guy with the chickens, he had a legitimate complaint that was actually the crown's problem."
Regina started to rub a hand up and down Emma's back. Emma relaxed into the touch, practically purring. It was the first thing that had felt good all day. "They're problems to the people, whether or not they're the crown's problem is another matter. They look to their monarchs for guidance in all things. Though I will give you that most of the nobles who complained to you should probably shut their mouths, but nobles are usually like that."
Emma snorted. "You don't have to tell me that." She sighed and sat up. "Half the problem is that even if it was truly the crown's problem and I had leave to act there are no solutions to their problems. I want to be this queen that helps, but I can't even do anything to help. This isn't the kind of irony I like."
Regina's hand came to rest on Emma's. "It's a reality of ruling you have to face sooner or later, you can't help everyone. Whatever changes you may make may benefit the majority, but there always will be those who either do not benefit at all or are harmed in some way. Then there are just problems like today that have no solution, or no practical one. It doesn't make you a bad ruler, darling, it makes you human. You are neither all powerful nor infallible."
Emma looked at the other woman. "This pep talk of yours isn't exactly doing much for me, Regina."
The corners of Regina's mouth pulled up for just a fraction of a second. "It wasn't exactly meant to be a pep talk so much as an explanation. You are more than a little idealistic, dear. It's not a bad thing, but it has to be tempered by reality sometime or it's just as bad as the complete opposite."
"Fine, fine. I get what you're saying, I do, but I just…I don't want it to be that way."
"I don't think anyone does, but life rarely listens to us."
Emma sighed and reached for Regina, pulling the other woman down on the bed with her. She pulled Regina to her and the other woman instinctively curled into Emma. The blonde settled her head on top of Regina's and felt at peace for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. Amazing how bad days could warp time so much. But holding Regina like this made time flow in a much more sensical manner again. She wasn't sure what she would do if the other woman wasn't there to even her out.
She looked down at the other woman nestled against her and her heart swelled and that same warmth she'd been feeling for so long now filled her. Except this time she was absolutely sure of what it was and she was read to put a name to it, the same name she had accidently let slip a few days prior.
"I love you," Emma said quietly. And this time the words weren't an accident, they were purposeful. She loved Regina, it was so very clear to her now. The woman was her other half in every way. She wanted to love and be loved by her, be protected and protect her, live to old age with the other woman at her side, cuddle, and kiss, and talk from sundown until the sun colored the sky again. Their marriage meant she had at least some of those things, in a way, but not wholly, and she just wouldn't stand that. She wanted to be Regina's in every way just as Regina was already hers. "I love you," she said again, firmer, a little louder, but not breaking the hushed air between them.
Regina pulled back just enough to look at Emma, surveying her face carefully. A radiant smile broke across her face when she saw no hint of a lie on Emma's face. She lunged forward and kissed Emma hard, conveying all the love she had for the woman in that one action.
Emma kissed back just as hard, hoping beyond hope that Regina felt the same amount of love in her touch.
"I love you too," Regina said, pulling back just enough to free her lips from their kiss.
Emma pushed forward again and sealed their mouths back together. It didn't feel right to be separated from Regina in that moment. She wanted, no needed the other woman's touch, much like the other night, but this time she couldn't blame it on any sort of magic except the sort of magical hold Regina had on her. Love was magic in a way, she supposed.
She knew that there was going to be no stopping tonight, and for once, she didn't want there to be. She wanted to give herself to Regina in every way. She was ready now that she admitted her love of the other woman. All the exhaustion wrought by the day left her, leaving her energized, adrenaline pumping through her veins, making every nerve ending come alive. She felt every inch of Regina pressed against her, felt every single iota of the other woman's soft lips against her own. She was drowning and finally breathing all at once.
Her hands sought out the curve of Regina's waist instinctively. She wasn't quite sure of anything that was going to happen next, but this seemed right if their intense session from a few nights ago was anything to go by. The flesh under her fingers was surprisingly supple. She was used to the other woman's hard muscle covered by a layer of soft skin, velvet covered steel, but hips were a different story. Her fingers pressed in gently, reveling in the feeling.
Regina whimpered slightly under the touch and Emma almost pulled back, thinking that somehow she'd hurt the other woman. The knight's arms were around her in a second though, not letting her go anywhere and kissing her more deeply and then she thought perhaps she had done quite the opposite of hurting her and dug in just a little harder, getting the exact same response.
Emma hadn't had much experience, but she was sure the taste of Regina was something she would never grow tired of. It was nothing that could be replicated, she was positive, nothing so perfect could ever be copied. She wasn't disappointed by such thoughts though, she'd just have to keep kissing Regina and that would never be a disappointment.
She moaned, half in pleasure, half in pain as Regina's hands wound their way into her hair. Emma found she loved the divided feeling, almost as if one intensified the other. Her fingers dug just a little tighter into Regina's hips in response.
In a swift movement, Regina had turned them both so she was straddling Emma's hips, smirking down at the blonde before going back to kissing her. Emma's insides clenched at the smirk directed at her. Gods, she didn't think there was a more attractive expression in the world. She reveled in the feeling of Regina pressing into her from hips to chest. The other woman's breasts rubbing against her own was likely to drive her mad with pleasure. She wanted to feel more of Regina, more skin on skin. She needed it now.
Her hands drifted up from Regina's hips towards her back. She hadn't quite ever untied a corset from this angle, but she hoped that she could figure it out. With Regina's lips and tongue as distracting as they were, she wasn't sure she could, but damn if she wasn't sure she really cared. Regina would end up out of her dress by the end of all this she was sure of it, later would be fine as long as she didn't stop kissing her. Still, her fingers started trying to work at the laces anyway.
Regina started to kiss down Emma's jaw. Emma drew in a shuddering breath at the feeling. She whimpered as teeth dug in at the junction between her neck and shoulder. The feelings were similar to a few nights before, yet different, more intense. She had no idea how without magic being involved. She idly wondered for half a second how this would feel if there was magic involved. She'd probably explode from all the feelings.
She almost laughed in relief when her fingers managed to untie the laces of Regina's corset just by fumbling around. She quickly set to loosening it, glad that such actions were quite so difficult. Her motions stuttered to a stop when Regina bit at the top of her breast hard enough to bruise right off. One of her hands came to the back of Regina's head and held her there. Oh gods.
"Regina," she sighed, breath hitching in the middle of the knight's name.
Regina looked up at her, that same smirk in her eyes before going back to nipping and licking at the flesh right above Emma's neckline.
It was difficult, but Emma managed to pull her hand away from Regina's head and go back to the other woman's corset. She was only a few seconds from having it loose and then Regina's skin would be hers. One last lace and the garment opened. Emma slipped a hand inside, tracing the defined muscles in Regina's back, loving the way the other woman shivered against her at the touch.
Regina was sitting up within a second. She quickly shucked the corset and dress, leaving her in only her undergarments. She traced the bruise she had left on Emma's chest for a few seconds, looking down at Emma, lip sucked into her mouth, just a hint of a blush on her cheeks.
Emma sat and stared for a long moment. Holy seven hells, the woman above her was beautiful. Gods, she had already known that, but this, having almost every inch of the other woman exposed for her viewing only was a whole other experience. Her hands came around to Regina's front, tracing the lightly defined ab muscles, making the skin under her fingers twitch. Her hands moved up slowly, exploring the skin under them carefully, until she reached the other woman's breasts. She cupped them gently, watching as Regina's eyes fluttered shut at the touch. They were bigger than she thought they were, a little more than a handful. She licked her lips and leaned up, kissing each one gently. Regina's breath hitched under her and a sense of power flowed through her. She literally had one of the realm's most powerful knight's in the palm of her hand.
She kissed up Regina's bared skin until their lips met again. Emma tugged Regina back down with her, arms going around her neck. She could feel the other woman's warmth through her thick autumn dress, the warmth already burning inside her spiked at the feeling. She needed more.
With strength she didn't know she possessed she flipped them over, pinning Regina against the mattress. She grabbed the knight's hands and tugged them to her back, clearly sending the message of what she wanted done. Regina responded quickly and nimbly, like she'd done it a hundred times. Emma didn't care, feeling the laces loosen around her and air rush back into her lungs and onto her now bare skin. She moved to peel everything off, but one of Regina's hands stopped her. Emma looked down at her, questioningly. The other woman just smiled and set to slowly stripping Emma herself, patting her when she needed to move up.
Emma almost felt embarrassed at the dress and corset hit the floor. Almost. Regina's eyes were far too dark and hungry for her to feel anything other than the arousal that burst through her.
"Beautiful," Regina whispered, hands tracing the pale white skin of the undersides of Emma's breasts.
"You're more beautiful." Emma's hands began to wander again, finding a spot just under Regina's ribs that made her jerk and giggle. She catalogued the spot away for later use.
"Eye of the beholder, darling." Regina tugged Emma on top of her and kissed her, long, slow, and wet.
And now that they were both bare, skin against skin, Emma thought there was no better feeling. She wanted to stay like this forever, feeling the smooth skin of Regina rubbing against her own, drawing arcs of pleasure from her. She shifted up so she could kiss Regina more deeply and gasped into the kiss as their nipples rubbed together. Oh gods, she was going to die from this. It felt too good to live through.
Regina's arm came to encircle her, nails digging into Emma's back. Emma groaned and arched into the contact. She had always thought the first time was supposed to be more gentle, at least if the other person cared, but now she wouldn't have it any other way. She trusted Regina to keep everything just at the edge of pain and pleasure. She nipped at Regina's lip and felt more than heard the other woman moan in response. They were perfect for each other like this.
She rocked forward again, this time Regina's hot center pressed up against her stomach. She drew in a stuttering breath. The blonde could feel the beginning of wetness starting to seep through the hot fabric. Gods, how in the world did she affect the other woman like this?
Her eyes started to roll back as her own center pressed into the mattress. She ground down a little, slight pressure relieving some of the ache there, smearing some of her own wetness on her undergarments. It was clear how Regina affected her this way. The other woman was gorgeous and knew just how to touch her to set off so much pleasure it sparked behind her eyes like fireworks.
Regina arched up into her, moaning into their kiss again. Her hips started to thrust up regularly, grinding against Emma's stomach. Her moans became louder and louder as the tempo of her hips sped up.
Emma was entranced. She wanted nothing more than to slip her fingers under the waistband of Regina's underwear and finally have the woman completely bare against her and feel just how good it would be to have her grinding against her like that, but Regina's face like this froze her. She didn't want to miss a single second of Regina's face scrunched up in pleasure, wantonly seeking out something Emma wasn't sure she understood.
She pulled back from the kiss and just stared down. The blonde pressed just a little harder into Regina and the brunette groaned long and loud in response. Her hips were starting to lose their rhythm, fast and jerky now. And then Regina was arching off the bed and screaming Emma's name at the top of her lungs and Emma felt her insides clench so hard at that she couldn't breathe for a second.
Regina slumped back to the mattress after a few seconds, still jerking at irregular intervals until she finally relaxed completely. Her breathing evened out slowly and her eyelids fluttered open after a few long moments. She smiled at Emma, all lazy cat in the sunshine.
Emma just continued to stare down at her. She wasn't sure that there was a more perfect person in the world than Regina Mills. She reached out slowly and traced her fingers over the other woman's lips before lowering herself again and kissing the woman gently.
"You're beautiful." Emma kissed her again. "I love you so much." Another kiss.
Regina's hands came up to Emma's waist, untangling from where they had been in the sheets. She slipped her fingers under the waistband of Emma's underwear and tugged them down.
Emma got the message immediately, sitting up enough so Regina could guide the article of clothing over her ass and down. When Regina couldn't reach anymore she took over and pulled everything the rest of the way off, standing up on her knees before throwing them somewhere off the bed. She was probably going to have a hell of time finding them in the morning, but she didn't care.
Her hips jerked when Regina's fingers lightly combed through the neatly trimmed hair at the apex of her thighs. The other woman smirked at her reaction and it was all Emma could do to keep herself upright in the face of that smile. The woman was far too attractive for her own good.
The knight pulled lightly at the hair and Emma gasped at the feeling. She wanted more. No, she needed more.
"Regina," she whined.
And then she was on her back in an instant, Regina moving above her, kicking off her own undergarments. Emma strained to get a look at the woman's lower half, but Regina just smirked at her again and started to plant kisses down Emma's body. She stopped for a few seconds at her breasts, taking a nipple into her mouth and sucking for a few seconds before moving on to the next one. One hard nip of teeth and Regina was moving down her body once more.
Emma almost sobbed in relief. The sight of Regina's dark hair against her pale skin and the teasing touches of the other woman were doing things to her. She needed touched badly. There was something out there that her body so desperately wanted and Regina's touch could give it to her.
The other woman stopped just shy of where Emma was throbbing. She inhaled audibly and growled low in her throat. "Gods." Her fingers tightened on Emma's thighs.
Emma's eyes rolled back in her head at the sound. Holy seven hells a sound was not supposed to be so arousing, but it was. Her head smashed back into the pillow as Regina finally moved just an inch down and kissed her mound. She whimpered. It was too much and much too little.
Regina's hand snaked from her thigh and came to spread Emma gently. Emma shivered as the cold air hit her exposed sex. She swore she could feel every molecule of air hitting her. Gods it was torture. Then Regina was licking a slow stripe up her core, from bottom to top and Emma's mouth opened in a silent moan, too overwhelmed to actually make a sound. Regina's tongue was everywhere after that, licking slowly everywhere, exploring every single part of her. The feeling was…gods she didn't know what it was, white hot magic, everything at once and nothing at all. She felt herself light on fire from the inside out, heat finally enough to combust.
And as good as Regina's mouth felt on her, it wasn't enough, until the other woman started to lick in earnest at the little hardened bud. Emma's moan was almost a scream. She knew why Regina had avoided that place now. She felt close to something, the end she supposed, but she didn't know of what, just that with Regina's tongue on her like that she was going there so fast everything was starting to blur around her.
With a light nip of Regina's teeth against her she was gone. Every muscle within her tightened and released and she was moaning loud enough to hurt her vocal chords. Liquid light was pouring through her every nerve ending. Oh, she never thought such pleasure was possible. Gods, this was why the servants talked of sex so much, she was sure of it, but this, this was even better she was sure.
She fell back against the bed again, little spasms still ripping through her. She couldn't quite open her eyes yet, but she wanted to. She wanted to look down at Regina and smile at her and pull her up into a kiss, but her limbs were far too heavy for that right then.
Instead, Regina crawled up her body and settled lightly on top of her. Lips settled against her forehead lightly, leaving a sweet trail of kisses down her face until their lips met. Emma took a deep breath and sighed. Oh, this was what heaven must be like. Regina pulled back after a short moment and settled her face into the crook of Emma's neck.
Emma mustered up the energy to wrap her arms around the other woman, holding her loosely. If she could stay here for the rest of eternity, just wrapped up like this with her wife she would gladly do it. Gods, she wondered why in the world she had put this off now. She felt so much closer to Regina now, closer in ways she couldn't quite grasp, but nonetheless they were there. She liked the feeling. She was in love with the woman lying on top of her, she wanted to be as close to her as possible both physically and otherwise. She felt more in love than she had even an hour before. She sighed, content, and started carding her hands through the very ends of Regina's hair.
"I love you," Emma whispered into the other woman's ear.
A gentle kiss was pressed behind her ear, sending shivers down Emma's spine.
"I love you too, darling." Regina's voice was deeper, roughed by arousal and strain.
The heavy feeling was starting to leave her limbs now. She missed it just a little bit, but now that she could move without a gargantuan effort, there was a beautiful woman on top of her and who was she to pass up such an opportunity. She tugged up on Regina's shoulder and a second later was met with black-brown eyes. Emma leaned up just slightly, sealing their lips together again. She wanted to touch Regina now that she was completely naked, she wanted to make her come undone like she just had a few minutes before. The heat within her grew at the image of the other woman tensing and crying out below her.
But she was still trapped below the woman she loved and as much as she wanted to make the other woman come, she wasn't sure she could part herself from being pressed up against so much bare skin. So she continued to kiss Regina lazily, broad sweeps of tongue and the quiet exchange of moans. This was perfect, even as the heat started to build within her again. It could go by the wayside for now.
Regina's hands came to tangle in her hair, not tugging this time, just simply holding, twirling a few strands around her index finger. Emma hummed at the action. She liked having her hair pulled before, but this was lovely in its own way. She loved having her hair played with, and this was just a more intimate version of that she supposed.
Her own hands traced gently up and down Regina's back, mapping the muscles and bones under the tan skin, counting the vertebrae, stopping where the other woman gasped or squirmed to spend a few moments teasing there. She traced little nonsensical designed in the curve of Regina's lower back that had the other woman squirming into her, grinding up against Emma's center deliciously. She was surprised the skin was so sensitive there and made note of it for later before moving on.
She loved the feel of Regina's ass in her hands she decided. Firm round muscle, flexing under her hands as she massaged gently was hypnotizing. The little deep throated moans it drew from Regina were even better.
Regina's hands slipped from her hair and came to rest between them, tracing the skin of her collar bone lightly. Emma giggled into their kiss from the contact. It was quite the strange place to be ticklish, but she felt Regina smile into their kiss at the reaction, so it was all worth it.
The knight sat up just a bit so she could get her hands on Emma's breasts again, cupping them gently. Emma sighed into the contact. She was even more sensitive now after her orgasm that Regina's hands felt that much better against her. Her thumbs stroked her nipples into peaks before pinching them lightly. Her hands quested down Emma's body once more before Emma could ask for more.
Emma took advantage of Regina sitting up to inch up just enough to kiss at Regina's breasts. She kissed all around the woman's nipple without actually going anywhere near it. Above her Regina whimpered, urging her on, but Emma didn't give. This time was slower, she could sense it, gentler, now that they had gotten the original fire out of their system. She wanted to take her time now.
Regina didn't agree, putting a hand on Emma's head and guiding her to where she wanted her. Emma finally gave in, latching onto a hardened peak and sucking gently. Regina purred her approval, slipping her fingers between Emma's folds as a reward. Emma moaned at the contact. Regina shivered at the vibrations on her skin.
Fingers and tongue were different, Emma found. The type of heat was different, built differently, but both were exquisite in their own way. She had the presence of mind to switch to Regina's neglected nipple, but beyond that, all she was, was pleasure once again. She could get addicted to this feeling, being nothing, not princess, not heir to the throne, not Emma, just a bundle of nerves and good feelings. There were no responsibilities within the confines of their bed and it was freeing.
She pulled back from Regina's breasts, hips jerking at a particularly good swipe of Regina's fingers against her. She wanted to do more to the other woman. She shifted just enough so that her hand could slip in-between and into Regina's wetness. They both moaned as Emma stroked gently. Feeling this through Regina's underwear had been a meager fraction of the feeling. She started to move her fingers, trying to emulate just what Regina was doing to her. She quickly sought out the swollen little nub near the front of Regina's sex and started to rub gently, getting a groan from Regina as she tossed her head back just slightly.
Regina's fingers increased in pressure and tempo and Emma's brain nearly short circuited. Her fingers stopped moving just for a second until she could readjust, applying the same amount of pressure to Regina. The sounds of pleasure multiplied, falling from their mouths every few seconds it seemed. She felt the heat growing and growing inside of her. Muscles everywhere were starting to twitch and tense in preparation. She knew what was coming now.
Above her Regina was biting her lip hard. Emma thought that she had to be close as well. She stroked a little harder. She wanted to come with Regina this time. Regina returned the attention, driving her ever closer to the edge. Emma felt like she wasn't getting near enough oxygen, gasping for breath just as Regina was.
Then in one particularly firm stroke of fingers Emma was gone, Regina right with her. They collapsed together, a tangle of sweaty, tired limbs and satisfaction. Emma was even heavier now. She knew sleep would take her soon.
She blinked her eyes open while she still could to look down at Regina and gasped. "Regina? What in the world is that?" she asked, looking around them.
"What is what, darling?" Regina said, not raising her head from where it had landed on Emma's shoulder.
Emma pushed her head up. "Look."
Regina sat up just enough to indulge Emma and gasped. Her fingers traced Emma's skin lightly. "Emma, do you feel anything different?"
"Me? I meant you." She grabbed Regina's hand and held it up for Regina to really see.
Regina looked at her own hand like it wasn't a part of her. "What in the gods' names?"
Emma looked at her own hand, gripped around Regina's. Regina was right, they both were glowing, literally glowing enough to light the darkness around them like the fireflies that frequented the White Kingdom in the summertime. The glow was a different color, though, golden instead of yellow-green, the same color as some of the sparks of Regina's magic. It faded as they stared at their limbs, dying away quite fast.
The blonde glanced at Regina, both relieved and somewhat sad that the glow had left so quickly. "What was that, Regina?"
"I have little clue." She still stared at her hand like the glow would come back at any moment and give her the answers she wanted.
"Could it be a side effect of the other night when your magic rather, um, excited me?" Despite what they'd just done Emma found herself blushing. It was different saying it aloud instead of just acting on desires.
"Perhaps, though I don't see why it would appear only now instead of sometime before this." Regina let a few sparks of magic flow into Emma just to see.
Emma closed her eyes against the onslaught. She was sensitive enough now that the pleasure felt like pain, but not quite in the good way anymore. She let out a relieved breath when Regina stopped.
Regina made a noise in the back of her throat. "Nothing." She bit her lip. "The answer is out there somewhere, but seeing as how whatever this is, is probably magical in origin, we're not going to find any books on the subject to look up possible causes."
"Regina, this isn't the first time things have glowed that shouldn't have. It's becoming a trend." Emma's thoughts drifted back to their wedding. She had almost forgotten about the binding cord glowing when it had been wrapped around their hands, time and many things had caused the unexplained event to fade to the back of her mind. But now…
Regina titled her head for a second before settling back on top of Emma, arms growing slightly tired of holding her up. "It's possible the two events could be connected. The priest said he had a theory about why the cord glowed, I'd have to hear his theory to know both if he even has a correct inkling and if his theory could connect the two."
Emma kissed the top of Regina's head. "Talk to him tomorrow then while I'm in court, see if he has any answers. If not…well, it doesn't seem to be life threatening whatever it is, quite the opposite really since everything keeps happening at rather good moments for the both of us."
She felt Regina smile into her shoulder. "I'd call them better than good." She cleared her throat. "But I'll talk to him. Are you sure you'll be fine on your own dealing with the court?"
"Father will be there as well, I won't really be alone, but if you happened to come back after you're done talking, well I wouldn't say no."
"I think that could be arranged, darling." She rolled off of Emma and settled firmly against Emma's side, tangling their legs together, wrapping and arm around Emma's waist and setting her head on Emma's shoulder once more.
Emma frowned at the loss of Regina's weight. It had been a comforting feeling. Though, perhaps it would have been a little difficult to get to sleep like that. Maybe. After their activities she was on the verge of falling asleep in the next few seconds now that their little glowing mystery was settled for now. Regina curled into her side would do nicely anyway.
"Good." She yawned. "Goodnight, Regina."
"Goodnight, my love."
Emma squeezed Regina once before settling in and drifting off to sleep soon after.