Feather of a Swan
Chapter 36:
A date.
An actual date with Regina.
After everything that had happened, it seemed like a dream. A dream come true.
And all the sudden, Emma felt slightly nervous. This wasn't just a walk in the park with Lady or a few shots in the bar. This was an actual date with Regina. Not Roni.
Regina was so very different from Roni, and Emma had no idea what to expect. Or how to act. This was Regina, her friend. Her son's mother. She would be damned if she somehow managed to screw this up.
Emma took a deep, calming breath as she put a finishing touch on her makeup. Not that she was wearing much. Just a bit of light lipstick and a touch of mascara. Nothing major.
She had decided to skip the "formal" attires too and gone for a pair of jeans, one of her many tank tops and her red leather jacket. She could have chosen a dress or something like that, but she preferred this. To be herself. The Emma, Regina knew, and not some dolled up version.
The blonde glanced at her watch. She had twenty minutes until she was supposed to be at Regina's. She would rather be there a little early, so she quickly ran a comb through her blonde locks. This was definitely the best she could do for tonight, and Emma actually felt confident with the way she looked.
Deciding that this was enough, Emma walked out of her bedroom, down the stairs and out of her house.
It was another beautiful day in Storybrooke, the sun was shining brightly from a blue sky, and Emma smiled to herself as she walked down the street. Life wasn't half-bad these days.
The blonde walked down Main Street and had just turned a corner, heading toward Mifflin Street when she spotted someone out of the corner of her eye. She quickly turned around, but there wasn't anybody to see now. Hmm. Strange. She could have sworn she saw… Oh, well. Never mind.
Emma finally reached the mansion and knocked on the front door. Hopefully, the brunette wouldn't mind that she was a little early.
Ten seconds after the first knock, Regina opened the door, and Emma tried her best not to stare like an idiot. The brunette was wearing a very tight red dress. Nothing indecent, but still very, very alluring. Especially paired with those high heels and that shade of lipstick. And her hair was slightly curly.
Regina looked rather amused at the way Emma stared at her. ,,You are early, dear."
,,And you're beautiful," Emma blurted out. I should probably have dolled up too.
But Regina seemed pleased with Emma's appearance. ,,Miss Swan, you are an absolute vision."
Emma rolled her green eyes. I think you are the "vision" here. Not me.
,,Do come in," Regina said briskly and stepped aside so Emma could cross the threshold. The blonde noticed how the other woman briefly looked out on the street and chuckled quietly to herself.
Emma looked around in the mansion. The place seemed different, or, she was seeing it with different eyes. To her, the mansion had always seemed to large, too many rooms and too tidy to live in. But now, the house seemed warm and inviting. She felt welcome.
,,I'm afraid dinner isn't quite ready yet," Regina said.
Emma sniffed into the air. ,,Well, it smells amazing. What are you making?"
,,Lasagna," Regina admitted with a grin.
,,What, no frozen pizza tonight?" Emma teased lightly. Frozen pizza had been Roni's "specialty".
,,Nu-uh," Regina joked. ,,Lasagna. From scratch."
From scratch? Is she trying to impress me or something? Because I am already pretty darn impressed.
,,But as I said, it's not quite done yet," Regina continued. ,,So I was wondering if you would like to take a walk with me and Lady while the lasagna is in the oven?"
,,Yeah, sure," Emma grinned. I would like nothing more than that.
,,Come on, Lady," Regina called, and the cocker spaniel came trotting through the door, she sniffed at Emma's trouser leg and wagged her tail in recognition.
,,Hey girlie," Emma said and bent down to pet the dog. ,,Did you miss me?"
Lady yapped.
,,She has," Emma said triumphantly.
,,Try not to let it overinflate your ego," Regina deadpanned as she put a leash on Lady. ,,Shall we?"
,,Yep."
The two women left the mansion, and Emma felt nothing but pure happiness as they walked down Mifflin Street with Lady prancing along in front of them. To Emma, this, this was life. And to think she once thought she knew what "real" happiness was. She might as well have been blind.
,,Can I…?" she asked and hesitantly reached for Regina's hand.
The brunette chuckled warmly. ,,Emma, you don't have to ask."
Emma couldn't help but grin as she interlaced their fingers.
Regina gave her fingers a light squeeze and then lowered her voice as she conspiratorially said: ,,Do you know we're being followed?"
,,Huh?" the blonde replied confused and raised an eyebrow.
Regina shot another amused glance behind her. ,,Your mother has been hovering around my place since you arrived."
,,Seriously?" Emma said and rolled her eyes.
,,Mhmm. Maybe she's making sure I'm not trying anything inappropriate with you," Regina grinned, and Emma's jaw dropped.
,,I don't think I would mind that. If you were inappropriate with me, I mean."
Regina laughed again and squeezed her hand once more.
,,Do you want me to ask her to drop it? Because I can do that," Emma offered, but Regina just chuckled.
,,Let her. She's probably dying of curiosity. And completely oblivious to the fact that we've seen her."
Emma sighed deeply in mock sadness. ,,This is gonna be tricky, isn't it?"
,,Very," Regina said gravely and let go of Emma's hand to wrap her arm loosely around the blonde's waist instead. ,,Is this okay?"
,,Yeah." It's totally okay. More than okay.
,,She's still following us," Regina commented as they continued their walk around town.
,,She's embarrassing me," Emma muttered.
Regina chuckled. ,,She's your mother. She can't help it."
,,As long as she's not insisting upon joining us for dinner," the blonde grumbled.
,,Do I get permission to slam the door in her face if she tries?" Regina asked sweetly.
,,Permission totally granted," Emma chuckled.
,,And now I'm hoping she will," Regina said mischievously. ,,It's been a while since I slammed the door in Snow White's face."
,,Your jokes are getting better," Emma praised.
,,Thank you." Regina glanced at her watch. ,,We should head back. The lasagna is probably about done. I hope you're hungry."
,,Like the wolf," Emma assured.
They headed back to the mansion, Regina let Lady off her leash, and the dog instantly curled up on her blanket in the kitchen.
Emma groaned when she saw her mother still lurking behind Regina's fence. Why this sudden curiosity about my relationship?
Emma answered the question herself. Because it was Regina. Obviously.
Said brunette returned from the kitchen and followed Emma's gaze. ,,Do you mind if I close the curtains? She's making me nervy."
,,Please do." Emma said quickly. She wasn't very keen on having her mother lurking through the fence all night.
Regina walked over to the window and closed the curtains. And Emma noticed that she was grinning widely at their lurker while she did it.
Cheeky you.
,,Dinner's ready," Regina announced and ushered Emma into the dining room. ,,Sit down, dear."
And Emma sat down at the neatly set table. A very nice, white table cloth covered the large table, and there were lit candles on the table as well.
So this is what a date with Regina Mills looks like. Did she do all this for me? Damn.
Regina smiled sweetly at the blonde as she filled her glass with red wine.
Yep, this is definitely some kind of wonderful dream.
,,Cheers," the brunette smiled and clinked her glass with Emma's.
,,Cheers," Emma beamed as she took a sip of the wine. Very good wine too, and it had probably costed more than Emma's entire wardrobe.
They dug into the lasagna, and Regina laughed and talked while they ate. In fact, Emma had never seen her quite so... bubbly and happy.
Is that because of me? Am I making her this happy?
The thought of that made Emma's own lips curl into a broad smile. To imagine that they were actually here, having dinner together after everything that had happened. Was this the calm after the storm? Could this really be that "new chapter" she had been steering toward?
Emma certainly hoped so.
An eaten lasagna and several glasses of wine later, they ended up on the couch in front of the fireplace's flickering flames, Regina had brought their wineglasses and a bottle with her into the living room, but Emma wasn't paying attention to the alcohol. She was far more interested in the beautiful woman next to her, and once Regina had tended to the fireplace and returned to the couch, Emma couldn't help herself anymore. She just had to lean in and kiss the brunette. And Regina didn't seem to mind that one bit. She gently cupped Emma's face and returned the kiss.
Oh, look at that. Back in Paradise. Emma decided to test the waters a little, and her hand went on a little journey from Regina's neck to her knee. The brunette didn't flinch at that, she simply wrapped her arms firmly around Emma's neck and ghosted the tip of her tongue along Emma's lower lip.
Oh. Oh! Emma more than willingly opened her mouth, and welcomed Regina's tongue. Whatever shyness the other woman had been feeling yesterday, seemed completely gone right now, and Regina suddenly shifted them, so Emma was more or less sitting in her lap. A position the Savior didn't mind one bit.
Maybe I'm dead and in heaven, Emma mused to herself as she heard Regina kick her high heels off. The brunette shifted again, and Emma gulped when the other woman lied back on the couch and wrapped her stocking clad legs around the blonde's jeans-clad legs.
Emma wasn't sure exactly what had changed Regina's mind about this, but she sure was grateful. Kissing Regina was as natural as eating or drinking, as easy as breathing in the air.
Right now, Regina was her air. Hell, she was everything. The world only consisted of one thing, Regina, and Emma once again had trouble believing this was real as she dipped down and kissed the brunette's neck. Regina whimpered, actually whimpered, and that sound went straight to Emma's head.
Do you even know the effect you have on me?
As if she had said it out loud, Regina grabbed onto the soft flesh on Emma's hips and squeezed lightly.
If the world ended right now, I would die happy..
Emma gasped against Regina's throat when the brunette skimmed a finger up and down her spine and digged into the soft flesh. A moment later, Emma struggled to keep her head on when she felt Regina's hand against her naked back underneath the tank top.
Now it was Emma's turn to whimper a little as she dipped down to kiss Regina's throat again. Regina's legs tightened around her waist, and for a moment, Emma feared that she had crossed some sort of line, but then the brunette moaned and closed her eyes in pure bliss.
,,Regina…" Emma whispered softly.
,,Emma," the brunette breathed back and opened her eyes. Brown eyes found green orbs and Regina reached up and cupped Emma's face as she kissed her tenderly once more and tugged lightly at the straps on her tanktop.
Emma tangled her fingers into Regina's curly hair. She could seriously do this forever and be happy about it. But yet… she wanted more. No, she craved more. Regina was like a drug. Have just one taste and you get completely addicted.
But this was an addiction Emma didn't mind in the slightest. She broke the kiss, but her hands never left Regina's hair as she said: ,,I don't want to stop…"
To Be Continued…