Emma lightly traced her fingertips over Regina's spine, from the base of her neck to the small of her back, watching as she slept soundly beside her as the early morning sunlight began to peak through the partially closed curtains over the windows. The way the light hit Regina's warm, soft skin sparked something inside of Emma and she trailed her fingertips up her spine once again, eliciting a soft moan from the sleeping woman as she slowly began to wake.
They had spent hours in Regina's bed, hours fucking and hours making love. There had been several defining points of their night together, moments where Emma felt herself beginning to slip away and Regina wouldn't let her, she'd held on to her and didn't let her slip. Regina had been a tether of sorts, keeping Emma there in the moment every time the darkness began to take a strong hold of her once again.
Regina turned her head on the pillow and her eyes fluttered open as a soft, dreamy smile curled over her lips. Emma returned the smile, her eyes flicking to her hand and her fingertips as she continued to trail them up and down her spine and over the smooth expanse of her back. The moment itself was far more intimate than the night they'd just had together and while it would've scared Emma away before, she didn't move nor did she stop touching the woman who had captivated her heart and soul completely.
Wordlessly, Emma leaned forward to capture Regina's lips with her own in a soft, lingering kiss. Neither parted as Regina turned on her side and swept her hand up Emma's side before sinking into her wild hair, pulling her in closer as she deepened the kiss. Emma's hand splayed almost possessively across Regina's lower back as she pulled her almost flush against her own body.
"You stayed."
"Yeah," Emma smiled against her lips and nuzzled her nose against hers before pulling back to look into brown eyes, eyes she'd gotten lost in over and over again for hours. "I stayed."
"You're not going to—"
"Freak out and bail on you?" Emma finished for her and she laughed with a small shake of her head. "No, I won't. Not this time."
As if to reassure her, she kissed her once more, keeping it light, but soft and sure. She felt Regina smile against her lips and for just a moment she felt a pang of guilt for feeling so happy in that moment when their lives were anything but happy. She tried to remember what Regina had said to her several times the night before, about living in the moment and forgetting the rest of the world even if it felt like it was the worst thing they could be doing.
Living in the moment was what had kept her from slipping completely and she closed her eyes, struggling to hold on to the moment they were sharing, a sweet good morning moment between two new lovers. She focused on the feel of the brunette in her arms, the way her skin felt upon her own, on the tender touch of her fingers that trailed along her cheek. She focused on the way Regina pressed her lips to her own, unmoving as she waited for her to respond.
Instead of kissing her back, Emma pulled away, opened her eyes, and found herself immediately locked in a heavy gaze. "Regina?"
"Hmm?"
"About last night—"
Emma stopped when she saw the look on Regina's face fall from being blissfully content to worried. She shook her head and let out a small laugh as she pulled Regina closer to her, her leg slipping between hers in the process. She wasn't even certain what she was going to say, but the moment she felt the damp, warm skin against her thigh, all other thoughts all but disappeared from her mind.
"What about last night?" Regina asked tentatively, her breath hitching in her chest as she subtly rolled her hips down on Emma's thigh. "Emma?"
"It was amazing," Emma breathed, her breath dancing over Regina's parted lips as she remembered what she'd wanted to say. "You were amazing. You are amazing."
"Emma—"
"Was it like that night?" Emma asked and Regina bit her bottom lip and nodded.
"Yes, it was, but better."
"Better?"
"You're a sloppy kisser when you've had one too many to drink," Regina chuckled and she stole a quick kiss. "Good, but sloppy. I much prefer the way you kissed me last night."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes," she grinned salaciously. "And all those other delightfully naughty things you did with that mouth of yours as well."
Emma couldn't hold back the moan that slipped past her lips as Regina pressed her wet cunt harder against her thigh. She swallowed past the guilt that was lingering, wanting nothing more than to just live in the moment and worry about the rest of the world afterwards because all she wanted to see, feel, taste, and hear was the delectable woman next to her. She skimmed her fingers over Regina's hip and inhaled sharply as she remembered dominating her more often than not the night before. Regina had relinquished control and willingly so, and as hot as it had been, Emma wanted to know how much better it could be with their roles reversed.
The sheet fell away as Emma pulled Regina fully on top of her, both their bodies moving fluidly as if they were perfectly in sync with one another. Her hands swept the smooth expanse of Regina's bare back, eliciting a moan from her as their lips ghosted over one another's. Emma loved the response she gained from just a touch and it was in that moment she realized the weight of their bond together, as friends and as something more. Lovers.
The kiss they shared next was full of wild passion and heated desire that thundered through Emma's body, leaving behind a delicious, burning ache in her core. The passion between them consumed them both, allowing them to become so lost within one another that the rest of the world finally began to slip away. Neither parted from the other as Emma's hands swept over Regina's body, her hesitation fading as she slipped her right hand between their bodies and in between Regina's legs.
A moan tore past Regina's lips as Emma deftly slipped her fingers through slick, smooth folds. Her fingers sank into the wet heat slowly, almost as if it were the first time she'd touched her so intimately when she'd all but lost count just how many times she'd buried her fingers inside her. She felt Regina shudder as she pressed the tip of her index finger against her tight hole and they pulled away from one another as another moan tore past Regina's lips.
"Emma," she sighed out as Emma's finger slipped inside of her with ease. "Slowly. I'm still quite tender from last night."
"Did I hurt you?"
"No," Regina smiled, moaning against as Emma's finger, buried to the hilt, stilled inside her.
Emma watched her carefully as she began to thrust her finger in and out of her as gently as she could manage, focusing not only on the feel of her wrapped around her finger, but on the lustful brown eyes that bore into her own. Her finger stilled as she buried it inside of Regina's cunt again and she found herself lost in her eyes and lingering gaze. A small smiled tugged at her lips when she felt Regina roll her hips against her hand, wordlessly demanding more.
As their lips crushed together in a heated, hungry kiss, Emma continued to fuck her, each thrust picking up the pace until Regina was moaning and sighing against her lips and tongue. Before she could slip a second finger inside of her, Regina's hand curled around her wrist and pulled it away from her, her cunt lowering against Emma's as she spread her legs wider. The hand around her wrist moved to slip into hers, their fingers intertwining as they moved fluidly together.
Emma's left hand gripped at Regina's hip, pulling her harder against her, meeting every thrust and roll of her hips in almost perfect synchrony. The delicious burn in her core built up steadily and quickly, her orgasm just on the verge of thundering through her body. Her short nails dug into the soft skin of Regina's hip as she tried to hold back, still floored by the fact that Regina could make her come undone so easily, so quickly, just as she had done for hours the night before.
Regina threw her head back, moaning loudly as her hips jerked down roughly. Emma surged forward and kissed, sucked, and nipped over her neck, her hands holding her firmly against her as she came undone completely. She reeled back to watch her as she did, the very sight of her the most alluring and beautiful thing she had ever laid witness to in her life.
Her heart was racing as Regina's body shook, the tremors of her strong orgasm flowing through her body to the point where Emma couldn't tell where her own ended and Regina's began. Emma urged Regina back down for another kiss, finding it so very addicting to kiss the other woman, to become lost in her fully and completely. She moaned at the sudden loss of Regina's lips upon her own, but the feel of her lips trailing over her neck had her whimpering softly.
Her back arched as Regina's lips wrapped around a semi-erect nipple and her fingers lightly trailed down her abdomen. Emma grasped at the sheets tightly as Regina's fingers slipped between her folds, teasing over her swollen, throbbing clit with light strokes. Her lips unhurriedly made the delicious descent down her abdomen, her tongue flicking out to lick circles around her navel. Her fingers stilled as Emma spread her legs wider, watching with lust-filled eyes as Regina's lips descended lower.
"Regina," Emma moaned softly as she felt Regina's breath spill over her core.
The moan that spilled past Regina's lips sent a flood of arousal surging through her body. Every sense was heightened and sensitive to the tentative touch of Regina's lips and tongue against her cunt. Regina moaned again before wrapping her lips around her clit, sucking and licking thoroughly until she had to pull back to take a sharp intake of breath. Their eyes met in that very moment and Emma's breath hitched in her chest as Regina lowered her mouth back down to her throbbing clit.
Regina's hands moved to grip at her hips, stilling the thrusts that Emma had no control over. Emma could feel the fire inside of her building and the burn of smooth, short nails digging into her skin sent her into a dizzying haze of unabashed arousal. Emma arched into the hot, wet mouth relentlessly sucking at her clit, her vision swimming as teeth grazed over her sensitive skin.
Emma inhaled sharply, struggling to catch her rapid breath as the pleasure filled her whole. She was still on a high from the orgasm she'd had just minutes ago, but her body was craving more. A hand released the soft, satin sheets and moved to Regina's head, fingers threading through her dark brown hair gently but firmly.
"Oh god, Regina!" Emma cried out. "Don't stop!"
Regina purred against tender flesh, flicking her tongue once more of her sensitive, throbbing clit. Emma inhaled sharply as she looked down at the woman between her legs and focused on the feel of her tongue as she languidly licked the length of her cunt. Her toes curled the moment Regina's tongue slipped inside her hole and she released the grip she had on her head, her body arching and straining as she came undone.
The tiny quakes of pleasure coursed through her body as she lay there, content in many ways she hadn't felt in a long time, if ever—save for the night before—and yet Regina didn't move from between her legs, her lips trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses along her inner thighs slowly. She felt the flood of arousal spill from her core and she forced her eyes open just in time to see the hungry look of desire in Regina's eyes in the moments before she licked over her fully, drinking her in, bringing her to the edge once more.
She wanted to pull Regina away from between her legs, the pleasure she was delivering almost too much for her to handle, but she also wanted to slide her fingers into Regina's hair and hold her right where she was and ride out the blissful ecstasy she was drowning in completely. She didn't get to do either as Regina's slender fingers deftly slipped inside of her and her lips wrapped around her aching clit, bringing her closer to tumbling over the edge with every hard, deep thrust of her fingers.
It took all her strength not to clamp her thighs against Regina's head. She came hard, her fingers grasping at the sheets, pulling them as her body went rigid, her hips jerking wildly as Regina struggled to hold her still. She clenched her eyes shut tightly and let out a scream.
Her heart was pounding hard and fast, her body relaxing as her orgasm washed through her in waves. She smiled, her eyes still closed, as she felt Regina kiss her way unhurriedly up her body, her lips lingering in some spots before Emma wrapped her arms around her and pulled her in for a deep, languid kiss. She could taste herself on Regina's lips and tongue and she moaned, pulling Regina tighter against her as they kissed hungrily.
What surprised her was the squeal of delight that escaped past Regina's lips as she flipped her over and on to her back. Emma pulled back from her lips with a smile and took just a moment to stare down into brown eyes that looked at her with nothing but love and adoration.
"I—" Emma faltered, the words nearly spilling past her lips, words she wasn't sure either were ready for. She shook her head and kissed her firmly before pulling back with a salacious smile dancing over her lips. "I believe it's your turn," she said softly, drawing out a small moan from the beautiful woman beneath her.
"Emma?"
"Hmm?"
Regina grinned as Emma stared down at her. She pulled Emma down, her lips grazing over the shell of her ear before she whispered, "don't hold back."
[X]
Regina inhaled sharply and gripped on to the edge of the countertop, her body aching in every way, reminding her of the night and early morning she'd had with Emma. She had never felt so thoroughly satisfied before, not in such a deliciously raw way. Emma hadn't held back, not throughout the night and not earlier that morning, both of them taking one another until they could barely move an inch any longer.
The way Emma had taken her at times had been exhilarating and even though that darkness had been there at first, it seemed that after a handful of hours it had all but faded away, not once returning, not even when they woke earlier that morning.
She moaned quietly as she pushed off the countertop and clenched her hands at her sides, watching as the last of the coffee brewed. She hadn't expected things to escalate the way they had and she hadn't expected just a kiss to turn things around completely either. The night had been emotional, for both of them, and she glanced over at their untouched dinner that still sat on top of the stove. She could hardly fight back the smile just remembering the dominating way that Emma had taken her.
Regina smoothed her hands down her robe and tightened the belt before she grabbed two clean mugs from the cupboard and made herself and Emma a cup of coffee. Her smile grew as she heard the soft footsteps coming up behind her and she moaned quietly as Emma's hand slipped over her hips with ease.
"I thought you were still sleeping," Regina said as she turned slightly to look back at Emma.
"Yeah, I was," Emma murmured, leaning in to kiss her softly on the cheek, just missing her lips by a fraction of an inch. "But all I could smell was coffee. One of those for me?"
Regina nodded, pointing to the mug on the right. "Sugar with a dash of milk and coffee," she smirked as Emma dropped her hands from her hips and eagerly reached for the hot mug on the counter. "Emma?"
"Hmm?"
Regina just stared at her, drinking in the sight of her wearing nothing more than a thin white tank top and barely-there purple panties. She blinked and reached for her mug of coffee and sipped carefully, her eyes raking over Emma's body hungrily and appreciatively. The strong coffee brought her thoughts back down to reality and as much as she wanted to take Emma back upstairs and into her bed, she knew it wasn't going to happen.
"Regina?" Emma asked as she looked at her pointedly. "You all right?"
"I'm fine, I was just—"
"Ogling me?" Emma smirked and she winked as Regina's cheeks flushed slightly. "Were you going to say something before you got distracted?"
"Oh," Regina said and nodded quickly. "I was going to talk to you about our current arrangement. I just want you to know that you are not being forced to stay here, Emma."
"I know, but it's not safe for me to be anywhere else or to be alone," Emma replied quietly. "I lost control many times last night, Regina. You were there, you saw it, you—"
"I helped you control your emotions by helping you channel them elsewhere," Regina finished for her and this time Emma blushed, her cheeks turning soft pink as she sipped her coffee. "Emma, I know you can control your magic and your emotions, you are stronger than you believe yourself to be. You don't need me to help you as much as we both thought you did."
"You're wrong, Regina. I do need you."
Regina felt a bit taken back by the blatant admission from Emma. She hadn't expected her to come right out and say it, to easily admit that she needed her. Emma needed her in more than just one way. She needed her to help control her emotions, and her magic. She needed her because they were stronger together and in a lot of ways, Regina needed her for the same reasons. It wasn't just about their relationship or where they now stood, whether they were friends or lovers or somewhere in between. It was about the very fact that they truly needed one another and Regina wasn't going to let Emma slip back into the darkness again, not without being there to catch her before she could fall.
"I need you too, Emma."
"I know."
"I'm not forcing you to stay here."
"I know you're not," Emma said quietly. "But I think it's better that I'm here. With you."
Regina just stared at her for a moment before she read between the lines, understanding what Emma wasn't saying in that moment. Despite the real reason for Emma being there with her, for staying in her house, there was another reason Emma wasn't willing to go home and that was because it was where their son had died. Regina's heart tensed as she thought of him and a wave of guilt flooded through her because it was the first she had thought of him since the night before.
A sad smile curled over her lips as she thought of their son and how he'd probably be happy for both of his mother's to have found something with one another. Love. What they had found was love and it was something she was still trying to come to terms with just as she knew that Emma was as well. Neither loved easily, but when it came to each other, it seemed to come naturally despite having fought it for far longer than either could willingly admit. Henry would want them to be happy together.
Henry would've wanted them to be together, to explore this new relationship that was unfolding despite everything else that was happening in their lives. Henry would've likely conspired against them if they had continued to fight their feelings for one another and she knew that without a single doubt in her mind that he would've tried everything to get them together. She didn't fight the smile as she thought of the ways he would've got them together, the dates he would've planned for them behind their backs, and how he would've cleverly found a way to get them alone together.
Her smile faded as she felt that void in her heart, the one that had settled in there the moment she found out that their son was dead, return tenfold. Emma's frown mirrored her own and there was no doubt in her mind she was going through the same emotions, thinking of the same things, of Henry. She swallowed thickly as she placed her mug on the counter and quickly wiped away her tears, turning her head away from Emma as she did.
"Regina," Emma whispered as she took a step closer to her and placed her mug down beside hers before she wrapped her arms around her from behind. "Regina, is it ever going to stop hurting?"
"I do not know."
"You're thinking about him too, aren't you?"
"Yes."
Regina's tears fell freely as she turned in Emma's arms. "Emma, about last night—"
"Let's not talk about last night," Emma said gently and she leaned in to kiss away her tears that rolled down her cheeks. "He would've wanted us to be happy even if we're in mourning. He would've told us not to feel so guilty because we spent the night together and forgot about the rest of the world for a little while."
"Yes, he would've."
"So," she sighed as she moved to cup Regina's face gently with both hands, "I think we need to do that. Be happy. For him. For ourselves."
Regina smiled through the tears that continued to fall. Happiness seemed so far off, an impossible feat, but in that very moment she felt something she hadn't since the night their son had died.
Hope, hope surrounded by strength and love. It was something they both needed more than anything in their lives. Hope, strength, love, and each other.