Author's Notes: As always, you guys are awesome and I can't thank you enough for following/faves and especially the reviews. So, here's a little present for you all :D
Emma was running late and it wasn't on purpose. It had taken her longer than necessary to figure out what to wear and it wasn't like she had a whole lot of options. Friends, she had kept reminding herself, she was meeting Regina there as friends and nothing more. Even with Ruby's help, she hated everything she put on, some of her tops too revealing, her pants too tight. In the end she settled on the first outfit she'd tried on, one similar to the night before, but the jeans weren't as tight and she opted on a plain white t-shirt, one of the least revealing ones she'd brought along.
"You're just going to meet her for a few drinks, as friends," Ruby reminded her gently.
"I know I just…" Emma frowned as she ran her fingers through her hair and checked her clothes in the mirror for a third time. "Why do I feel so nervous, Ruby?"
"You're worrying about nothing, that's why," Ruby replied and she stood behind Emma and gently rubbed her tense shoulders. "You and Regina agreed to try this whole being friends thing. This could be her way of trying out this friendship thing."
"At a bar?"
"There aren't many places in Storybrooke to go in the first place, at least not as friends. The Diner would mean dinner and that would end up feeling like a date, wouldn't it?"
"I guess, but it really doesn't seem like somewhere she'd want to go."
"She was there last night."
"Yeah, but—"
"Emma," Ruby sighed as she turned her around and made her look at her. "It's not a date. It's just drinks with a friend. That's all."
"A friend that I'm in love with."
Ruby smiled as she shook her by her shoulders and laughed as Emma backed away from her. "Just relax, Em. Look, I called ahead and booked you a room at the Inn, you know, just in case you end up having a little too much to drink and can't drive back tonight. Belle said to stop by to pick up the key."
"Thanks," Emma said through a forced smile as her stomach twisted in nervous knots.
"Now go! You're going to be late," Ruby laughed as she pushed Emma towards the bedroom door. "Go, Emma!"
She shook her head, laughing under her breath as she grabbed her red jacket and headed down the stairs. After a quick goodbye to Henry, she was in her car and driving to town, her fingers drumming against the steering wheel to the beat of the music she had blasting on the radio. Her nerves were still coiling inside of her, but she had to keep reminding herself that she was meeting Regina as friends and they were going to have a few drinks at the Rabbit Hole as friends.
She stopped at the Inn and debated whether or not to go inside to pick up the key from Belle for a moment before she just shook her head and went inside. Belle wasn't there when she walked in and after hitting the bell twice, Belle came in from the door that led to the diner.
"Hey, Emma," Belle smiled as she handed her one of the keys she pulled off the board. "It's room three."
"Thanks, uh, is there somewhere I can park my car?"
"You can leave it where you've parked it. We don't exactly have a parking lot."
"Yeah, I've noticed."
Belle smiled. "I should be getting back, I have a few customers waiting."
"Yeah, sure. Thanks, Belle."
Emma left, sliding the key into the inside pocket of her jacket and her nerves came back tenfold when she realized she was already ten minutes late meeting Regina. She walked down the street quickly since the Rabbit Hole wasn't too far and when she walked in, she was surprised to see the place was even busier than the night before.
She looked around for Regina, but it was so crowded she didn't see her anywhere and she made her way to the bar, nearly bumping into a laughing Leroy as he turned on the stool and greeted her with a smile.
"Emma! Back again are ya?" He chuckled and he caught Tori's attention. "Care to have a drink with me, sister?"
"I'm actually meeting someone here," she replied. "Can I get a beer, Tori? Thanks."
"Oh you are?" Leroy asked and he chuckled as he nodded his head, his line of sight just over her shoulder. "The Mayor?"
Emma turned around slowly and she saw Regina sitting at a booth in the far corner. She hadn't seen her yet and she lifted her glass of red wine and sipped it as she glanced down at the dainty watch she wore on her left wrist.
"Take it everything worked out last night then?" Leroy asked as Emma turned around to face him again. "Didn't it?"
"We're still kind of working things out," Emma replied and she grabbed her beer from Tori and smiled. "Maybe we can have a drink later, Leroy."
"Yeah sure, sister, whatever you say," he chuckled throatily before turning to the brunette woman sitting next to him, resuming the conversation he'd been having before Emma nearly bumped into him.
Emma made her way through the crowd towards Regina, unable to wipe the smile off her face as Regina spotted her headed her way. She took a deep breath as she watched Regina rise up from the booth and smooth her hands down her dark blue dress, one that was similar to the one she wore earlier, yet the neckline plunged a little lower and the hem was shorter. Emma had to swallow hard as she drank in the sight of Regina and noticing that she looked completely out of place in the Rabbit Hole dressed like she was.
Emma weaved her way through a few more people before she ended up in front of a smiling Regina. If she'd thought she felt nervous before, she was feeling it a lot more as Regina moved to hug her.
"Sorry I'm late," Emma whispered, hugging her back briefly before they pulled apart.
"It's fine, Emma," she smiled as she sat down in the booth and motioned for Emma to take a seat beside her. "I'll admit I just arrived minutes ago myself."
"It's sure crowded here tonight," Emma mused as she took a seat next to Regina and placed her beer on the table in front of her. "Is it always like this?"
"On the weekends, usually yes, but I'll admit I have never come here on a Saturday night before," she said and she placed a hand on Emma's thigh, nearly making her jump. "Relax, Emma, we're just here as friends. There's no need for you to be nervous."
"Who says I'm nervous?" Emma asked as she sat back and tried to calm her nerves.
"You're tense."
Emma glanced down at Regina's hand still resting on her thigh and she breathed out heavily as she looked over at her, losing herself in her brown eyes far too easily. Regina gently squeezed her thigh before letting go, moving her hand to rest in her lap.
"I don't know why I'm nervous," Emma said quietly as she lifted the bottle to her lips and took a sip. "We're just friends, right?"
"Yes."
"And we're just here having a few drinks like friends do."
"Of course," Regina smiled easily. "Perhaps once we've had a little bit to drink, you won't feel this way."
"Probably."
"Shall we move on to a round of shots to get started?" Regina asked and Emma shrugged, not sure if it was a good idea to be doing shots with Regina, especially not after how last night had played out because of the shots she'd been doing. "We could wait a little while then, if that's what you'd like."
"So, why here?" Emma asked her, figuring it would help her feel more at ease if they fell into a conversation instead of sitting there in silence. "Why not somewhere else?"
"I thought you would feel more comfortable here, Emma. I was going to suggest we go for dinner, but then I realized it would make it feel like we were going on a date and not spending time together as friends."
"And your mother? What did you tell her?"
"That I was going on a date," Regina replied dryly. "She believed me and did not ask questions, but of course as you can see I had to dress for the part."
"You look…really nice."
"Thank you, darling. You do as well."
Emma smiled at her before taking another sip of her beer. The music blasted from the jukebox and she watched the crowd of people dancing and having a good time. She recognized a few of them from the night before and they waved at her, motioning for her to come dance. She shook her head no and slipped off her jacket and placed it on the seat next to her.
Her eyes trailed down to her lap and over to look at Regina's legs as Regina crossed her legs towards hers. The dress definitely was short and she couldn't stop thinking about how much she wanted to trail her hands up those smooth thighs. With the way they were sitting, the table blocked anyone from seeing their bottom halves and she knew that if she did touch Regina, nobody would be able to see.
It was thoughts like that she knew she couldn't be having about the woman she was supposed to just be friends with. She couldn't help it though and it brought back those feelings she had when they were together a long time ago, feelings she didn't expect to feel all over again just sitting there next to Regina in a packed, loud and smoky bar.
"What's your poison?"
"Pardon?"
"I'm going to get us a round of shots," Emma said quickly. "What do you want to have?"
"It does not matter. Whatever you would like is fine with me."
"Except rum," Emma smiled as she remembered Regina's dislike of the specific liquor.
"I don't do rum."
"I know, I remembered," she smiled again before she slipped out of the booth. "I'll be right back."
"I'll be right here," Regina grinned as she lifted her wine glass to her lips and took a sip.
Emma nodded, feeling her heart skip a beat or two before she made her way through the crowd to the bar. She breathed heavily as she tried to calm herself down. All she was doing was getting a round of shots to share between her and Regina. As friends.
"Hey, what can I get you?" Tori asked loudly.
"Is it possible I can have a bottle of vodka and two shot glasses? It doesn't have to be, you know, full."
Tori sighed and nodded, grabbing a bottle off the shelf behind her and two clean shot glasses. She placed the bottle on the bar in front of Emma and raised an eyebrow at her. "Leroy told me about her," she said as she leaned forward. "About what happened between you two last night."
"Why did he—"
"I haven't told anyone and he hasn't said a word to anyone else. Even if he does, nobody is going to believe him."
"I could kill him."
"Trust me, I have thoughts of killing that man daily, but he only told me because for some reason he thinks you're his friend and he made me promise him that you two will be well taken care of tonight."
"What exactly did he tell you?"
"You seem to forget that I was standing not even five feet away when he told you to go after her last night," Tori replied. "He just filled in some of the blanks for me, that's all."
"Great. If this is your way of asking if we're together, we're not. We're just friends."
"Right, okay," Tori chuckled and she let go of the bottle and handed the shot glasses to Emma. "Have fun and let me know if there's anything else you two need, okay?"
She nodded but didn't return the smile that Tori flashed at her and she headed back to the booth where Regina was waiting, her glass of wine now empty. Emma took a deep breath, her hands shaking as she placed the bottle and the glasses down on the table before she slid back into the booth next to Regina.
"A whole bottle?"
"I just thought it'd be easier than making a few trips back and forth to the bar."
Regina laughed as Emma poured them each a shot and placed the bottle in the middle of the table. "What shall we drink to, Emma?"
"To us," she replied as she reached for her glass. "To uh, us being friends," she corrected and Regina nodded, smiling as they tapped their glasses together and downed the vodka quickly.
It was Regina who poured the second shot they both drank without a word. They went back and forth, each taking a turn to pour another shot. By the time they downed the fifth one, Emma could feel the buzz from the alcohol becoming stronger and she shook her head when Regina moved to pour them another.
Emma slipped out of the booth and held her hand out towards Regina as the same song came on that they had danced to the night before. It was a move she knew was a risk to make, but when Regina smiled and took her hand, she knew it wasn't the wrong move.
They didn't move far from the booth, their arms immediately encircling each other. Emma sighed as she held Regina close to her, far closer than what was acceptable between two friends. If Regina had any doubts, she would've put some space between them, but she didn't and instead she held Emma tighter against her.
When the song ended, Emma tried to move out of Regina's arms, but she wouldn't let her go as another song started to play. Couples were paired up all around them, none of them paying the slightest bit of attention to her and Regina.
"One more?" Regina asked. "To make up for last night."
"Once more dance," Emma nodded. "And then I think I'm going to get another beer."
Of course it wasn't just one more dance and Emma couldn't find the strength in her to let go of Regina just yet. After they spent nearly an hour dancing, they finally were able to let go of one another. Emma headed to the bar while Regina sat back down in the booth and she ordered another beer for herself and a glass of red wine for Regina. Tori just gave her a knowing smirk before she headed back to join Regina in the booth.
"Thank you," Regina smiled as she handed her the glass and sat down next to her, sliding over to sit a little closer. "Are you enjoying yourself?"
"Yeah," Emma smiled. "Tonight has been great."
It would be better if we were here not as friends, she thought to herself but kept the smile dancing over her lips. She glanced down at Regina's legs as she crossed them towards her again. Her mind went back to the thoughts she'd had before, of sliding her hands up Regina's thighs, hidden from the eyes of everyone else in the room, sliding her fingers between those lean legs and touching her, teasing her, taking her right there under everyone's oblivious noses.
"Emma?" Regina's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Are you all right?"
"This is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be."
"Why?"
"Because all I can think about is kissing you and touching you and I can't stop. I didn't think it was going to be this hard trying to be friends with you, Regina."
"You can," Regina said as she leaned in closer to her. "Kiss me if you want to."
"Here? In front of everyone?"
"Nobody is watching us, dear," Regina smiled at her as she easily draped an arm over the back of the booth and slid her fingers through the ends of Emma's hair. Emma's head was spinning as Regina moved closer to her. "Even if anyone does see, the people here know better than to gossip about the Mayor kissing another woman. They are more afraid of my mother than they are of me."
It was Regina who moved in first, planting a soft kiss on Emma's cheek. Emma's lips twitched as she turned to capture Regina's lips in a soft yet passionate kiss she ended far too quickly.
"I think you were right before when you said it is hard for us to be friends," Regina whispered, not moving her arm from where it was just behind Emma. "I believe it is a ridiculous notion to try to believe that we can just simply be friends."
"Why did you invite me here tonight?"
"I wanted to spend some time with you. I miss you, Emma."
"I miss you too."
Regina smiled as her fingers twirled around a few strands of Emma's hair. They stared at each other for a few moments, smiling as they just lost themselves in each other's eyes. She shook her head no when Regina started to lean in to kiss her again and she reached for her beer, bringing the bottle to her lips as she heard Regina sigh and move her arm away from her.
"So, if we can't be friends, what are we?" Emma asked and Regina sighed again as she held her glass of wine with one hand and the other moved to trace over the top of the glass lightly. "Regina?"
"I want to be with you, Emma," she said quietly, just loud enough for only Emma to hear her speak. "I want to go out on dates with you, I want to kiss you, I want to touch you, I want to laugh with you and spend time with you. I want to spent some nights doing nothing but making love with you. I know you are leaving at the end of August, but I still want something with you, something more than friends, something—"
"Like we used to have?"
"I know we cannot get back what we used to have," she said with a small smile. "But maybe we can start something new. If that is what you would like, Emma."
She wanted this woman in her life again and there she was, offering herself to Emma, offering her a second chance at finding what they used to have together. She couldn't quite understand what made Regina turn the tables so quickly, but she definitely wasn't complaining because god, did she ever want this woman in every single way.
"Is this for real?" Emma asked, wondering if she'd fallen asleep and this was all just a dream, all of it from the conversation she and Ruby had had before she left, to the nervous feeling she couldn't shake as she drove into town and parked outside the Inn, to picking up the key to a room before she met Regina there at the White Rabbit to have a few drinks as friends, to taking shots and dancing like they were lovers to this one single moment. "Regina, is this really happening?"
"Yes, darling, it is. We can take this slow, like you wanted and just let whatever happens between us happen."
Emma smiled at her and shook her head no. "No, that's not what I want."
"What?"
"Slow," Emma said. "I don't want to take this slow, Regina. Slow is going to kill me. Slow is going to take up what time we do have together this summer."
"Then what are you proposing?"
"I know we can't have exactly what we had before, we're both different people and we both have very different lives. And I have Henry, my own little family. But I—"
"Don't want to waste any more time?" Regina finished for her, both of them smiling at each other as Emma nodded and placed her hand on Regina's knee. "We don't have to waste anymore time, Emma. Whatever you want, you can have."
"What about what you want?"
"You know what I want, darling. You."
Emma felt like her whole world was coming back together in one single moment. Her fingers slipped over Regina's thigh, smiling as she was met with no resistance. She wanted to kiss her again, devour her completely, but she couldn't do that, not in the middle of a crowded bar. She watched her own hand slip up the soft expanse of Regina's thigh and she watched as she uncrossed her legs subtly when her fingertips met the hem of the dress.
"I believe you've wanted to do this since the moment you sat down earlier," Regina whispered into her ear. "Touch me."
"How did you—"
"I remember that look on your face, darling, the one you always had right before you would touch me," Regina gasped as Emma's hand slid under her dress, trailing her fingers over the soft skin of Regina's inner left thigh. "I want you to."
"Here? Now?"
"No one can see just where you hand has disappeared to and to anyone who happens to be looking our way, they'll just assume we're having a rather intimate conversation, sitting so closely just so we can hear each other over the noise."
"Then I guess we need to have a conversation to look like that's all we are doing," Emma whispered, licking over her lips as Regina's legs fell open a little wider. "What do you want to talk about, Regina?"
"I want to talk about how much I want to feel your fingers inside of me right now."
A surge of arousal flooded through Emma's body at hearing those words fall past Regina's lips. She moaned as her fingertips came into contact with Regina's wet center instead of panties she had expected to feel first. Regina's lips curled into a salacious smile as Emma slid a single finger between her folds.
"You knew we wouldn't last long trying this whole friends thing, didn't you?" Emma asked and Regina bit her bottom lip as Emma eased a finger inside of her. "You purposely wore this dress tonight, didn't you?"
"The dress, as I said before, was for show. The lack of panties however, was on purpose," Regina admitted, her breath hitching in her chest as Emma buried that one single finger to the hilt and stilled her hand from moving. "We could never just be friends, Emma. Even I know that."
Emma moaned as she felt Regina shudder when her thumb found its way to circle over her clit as she began to fuck her slowly with just one single finger, the tight dress making it impossible for Regina to spread her legs any wider so that she could really fuck her.
Regina gripped onto her wine glass as she struggled to keep herself composed, but the breathy sighs and quiet moans escaped past her lips as Emma added a second finger and fucked her slowly but deeply.
"I thought we were supposed to look like we're having an intimate conversation?" Emma teased as Regina forced herself to laugh, but it came out strangled as she moaned, unable to hold it back.
"If you think I can hold on to a conversation at the moment, you've clearly had a little too much to drink, darling."
"Clearly, so have you."
"Clearly since I'm letting you touch me like this in a crowded bar."
Emma chuckled as she felt Regina's hips start to subtly move against her hand and one hand went to grab on to Emma's left arm, gently squeezing it to encourage her to keep going. Emma turned to look around at the other patrons around the bar. Most were still dancing, other's took to the pool tables and dart boards and the rest were drinking, drowning whatever sorrows they were trying to let go of. Not one eye was on the two of them as she grinned as she thrust her fingers inside of Regina's pussy harder and faster as she felt her tremble against her, so close to coming undone.
"Let go," Emma whispered. "I know you want to. I know you need to."
"Emma…" Regina groaned quietly and she shook her head. She was going to cum, but she wasn't going to be able to keep from crying out as she did. "Kiss me," she uttered as Emma's fingers didn't slow. "Please."
Emma leaned in, complying with her wish, feeling her moan as her orgasm rippled through her body. Emma kissed her deeply as she stilled her fingers, keeping them buried inside of her. When she pulled apart, they were both panting and Emma pulled her hand out from between Regina's thighs and lifted her fingers to her lips.
She smiled around her fingers, tasting Regina for the first time in eleven years. Regina licked over her own lips, her eyes just dripping with sex as she watched Emma lick her fingers slowly. Emma shifted slightly, feeling her panties damp with arousal just from touching Regina and feeling her come undone right under everyone's oblivious noses.
As she dropped her hand to her lap, licking over her lips at the faintest taste of Regina still lingering, she grabbed her bottle of beer and didn't take her eyes off of Regina as she downed the rest of it.
"I uh, I'll be right back, Regina."
"Where are you going?"
"To the bathroom," Emma replied, sounding a little unsure of herself. "I'll be right back."
Emma moved out of the booth quickly and she didn't look back as she made her way to the bathroom. Thankfully it was empty and she panted heavily as she gripped at the sink with both hands and let her hair fall around her face as she closed her eyes.
It was hard for her to wrap her head around what had just happened. Regina had let her fuck her in the booth in the middle of the packed bar with over fifty people surrounding them, oblivious of course as to what they were doing. Her heart was still racing as she found herself smiling. Regina had known before she came here tonight that things were going to lead up to where they were now.
It was true, they could never be friends, not when they shared a connection that ran deep and not when they loved each other still after so many years apart. She shook her head, laughing softly as she looked up in the mirror and stared at her reflection for a good long minute before she laughed again.
"This is insane," she muttered to herself as she turned on the water and wet her hands and touched her flushed cheeks. "Did that really just happen?"
"Yes, it did," Regina whispered as she walked up behind her.
"Regina?"
"Hmm?" She smiled as Emma shut off the tap and turned to look at her. "It was rather risqué of me to allow that to happen, but of course when it comes to you, I could never quite control myself."
"Oh my god, what are we doing?"
"What do you mean?"
"This? This isn't who we are, Regina. It isn't who we were then and it isn't now."
"We have had a few drinks, darling, and I like to believe we are just having a little bit too much fun here tonight together."
"Yeah, but—"
"Come here," Regina whispered huskily as she took both of Emma's hands in hers and led her to the furthest stall. "I came in here to return the favour."
She knocked the stall door shut with her hip and pushed Emma up against the wall. Emma gasped as Regina's hands went to her belt, tugging at it until it came undone and then her lips were on Emma's, kissing her hard and deep as she unzipped her jeans and pulled both her jeans and underwear down to her knees.
"Regina!" Emma gasped as Regina's lips moved to her neck, kissing and sucking at her pulse point as her hands gripped on to Emma's bare hips. She pulled back suddenly and brown eyes bore into hers and she licked over her lips, waiting for Regina to make the next move.
"This, perhaps, may not be who we are, but it is for tonight," Regina whispered, her lips just a hairsbreadth away from Emma's as she kept one hand on her bare hip and the other, she trailed her fingertips down the side of Emma's left thigh. "From the moment I saw you here in Storybrooke, I have been having these dreams about you."
"Dreams?"
"Yes," Regina chuckled throatily. "Dreams, darling." She paused as she looked between them, watching her hand as her fingertips danced over the top of Emma's thigh, not quite reaching their intended destination yet. It was driving Emma absolutely insane as wave after wave of lust and pleasure and arousal rolled through her body. "Dreams of making love to you once again, just like I used to. Dreams of taking you against the wall, just like this."
As their lips met again in an equally wild and wanton kiss as the last one, Regina's hand slipped between Emma's legs, her fingers teasing over her clit as she pushed her against the wall. Hard. Yet her touch was teasing and it was making Emma uncoil slowly, not quite reaching the place she needed to be in at the moment. As Regina pulled back from the kiss, she grinned in the most delectable way before she moved to kneel down in front of her, pulling one leg out of her jeans and smoothing her hands up Emma's inner thighs.
"The thing about dreams, darling, I'm going to make those ones come true and I didn't just take you up against the wall like this…" She grinned up at her as she moved to place a kiss on each thigh before continuing. "You came for me while I was on my knees and trying not to scream my name because of where we are."
"Regina…"
Emma gasped at the feel of Regina's tongue as she licked over her inner thigh, using her hands to nudge her legs apart. Emma almost stumbled as she widened her stance, her whole body trembling as she watched Regina tease her tongue over her skin ever so slowly. A part of her mind couldn't believe that Regina was kneeling in front of her, on a dirty bathroom floor in the Rabbit Hole, about to eat her out. The thought alone nearly made her cum, but she held it back, anticipating feeling Regina's lips and tongue on her once again. The memory of it had never faded from her mind, but she knew what was better than the memories, and the dreams she too also had.
She slid one hand through Regina's hair, groaning as she tangled her fingers around the soft strands, wanting nothing more than to guide Regina exactly where she needed her, wanted her. Her other hand grasped at the wall, finding nothing to grab on to, to anchor herself. She moaned as Regina's fingers spread her lips and her tongue dipped out for a taste of her.
"Regina…fuck…" Emma groaned as her eyes slid shut and she banged her head against the wall as Regina licked her again, more fully this time, leaving not one inch of her untouched.
Every touch, every lick, every nip at her clit had her nearly losing herself at the mercy of Regina's lips and tongue, but she teased her endlessly, her tongue dipping inside of her for mere seconds before it was gone. Emma was panting and groaning, gripping at Regina's head and she nearly had enough as she pulled her away from her aching core and stared down at her with heavy-lidded eyes.
"Stop teasing me," Emma said under her breath. "Please, Regina. No more teasing."
"Hmm?" Regina grinned as she licked over her lips before moving in to lick over her fully once more.
This time, however, she didn't tease. She deftly slipped two fingers inside of her as her lips wrapped around her throbbing clit. As another wave of arousal rolled through her body, she knew it wouldn't take much for her to come undone, not with the sight of Regina on her knees, eating her out right there in front of her.
"Fuck," Emma gasped as Regina was relentless, her fingers fucking her hard and fast, filling her deep as her tongue flicked over her clit before wrapping her lips around it again to suck on it hard. "Fuck, Regina!"
As her orgasm crashed through her body, she pulled Regina back up onto her feet, kissing her with everything that she had as Regina's fingers stayed buried inside of her.
Emma was sure of one thing as she lost herself in the kiss and that was that she never wanted this night to end. And she knew exactly where they needed to go next…