The Staircase
By Red Charcoal

CHAPTER 50: BRUSHING AGAINST THE STARS

They woke in the tent, side by side, coccooned comfortably in separate sleeping bags.

Emma yawned and rubbed her eyes, vaguely remembering in the middle of the night waking up freezing cold and finding Regina shivering faintly against her. She had felt foolish they hadn't moved "inside" hours before and she bundled up the mayor in blankets and pointed her into the tent. Then the blonde did a streak moments later, throwing herself into the fat, downy sleeping bag, moaning loudly in relief the second toasty warmth saturated her body.

"You left your clothes outside," was Regina's only wry comment as she zipped up her bag firmly. The mayor at least had the presence of mind to rescue her pants and her tee-shirt and was now clad and cosy.

"I'm not going back for them," Emma muttered tiredly. She briefly wondered if she should suggest they join their two bags. Before she could formulate the right words, she felt a heaviness weigh down her eyelids.

They were both back asleep in no time.

The morning sun was creeping over the trees, lighting up the tent in a filtered, dappled yellow. Emma shifted to look at the woman in the sleeping bag beside hers. Her hair was mussed and her face unlined without worries, regrets or memories, an arm crooked underneath her head. Her pillow had wound up a few feet away, discarded in the night. Regina looked years younger - and seemed completely, captivatingly radiant.

For a minute Emma just stared, unblinking, barely breathing. She couldn't resist leaning over and nudging an errant sweep of brunette hair out of tightly shut eyes.

She let her hand flatten and faintly stroked the side of the brunette's face. So soft. She sighed. She rolled fully onto her side and kissed the brunette's cheek, lips lingering.

"Miss Swan, that had better be you," a voice said thickly, dripping with amusement.

Emma smirked. "You need to ask? Were you expecting someone else?"

Regina fluttered her eyes open. "Can't say that I was." She flashed white even teeth. "Now are you going to keep me waiting or will you give me a more adventurous good morning kiss? I may be ensconced in Boy Scout bedding, but I'd rather not do 'chaste' at my age."

Emma laughed, leaned forward and softly said, "By all means, Madame Mayor. No chaste." She kissed her gently, then slid just the tip of her tongue along the mayor's lips playfully.

Regina's eyes sparked and narrowed at the tease and darted across to stare at Emma. Halfway out of her sleeping bag in order to lean over to Regina's face, Emma was only too aware she was naked. She glanced down. And her bare breasts had somehow slid into view like a store window display. She couldn't bring herself to feel embarrassed and offered her best sexy grin.

The mayor sucked in a deep breath.

"Like what you see, Regina?" Emma asked innocently.

The mayor licked her lips. She looked back at Emma and the want written over her face was all the answer the blonde needed.

Emma slowly, achingly slowly, unzipped the side of her bag and lay on her back. She curled the top of the padded bag up, just a little, exposing a long but narrow side length of calf, thigh, hip, and arm. Bare and teasing - ready for closer inspection. She waited, heart pounding.

Regina stared, eyes darkening, raking the thin expanse of skin.

Then she unzipped her own bag, too.

For a moment neither woman spoke.

Suddenly there was a flurry of movement. Regina apparently was sliding off her pants, which, after a moment, impatiently flew out of the sleeping bag in a black blur. Next, lace dark panties arced across the tent, too. Emma swallowed convulsively as she identified what they were. A designer tee-shirt finally followed. Eyes swivelled to look at the blonde.

Emma gulped and quietly tried to process the fact that the object of her dreams, desires, love and occasionally anguish was now completely naked, one foot away from her.

"Emma?" came a low growl, much huskier than she'd ever heard the mayor's voice before. "Come here."

The blonde didn't need to be asked twice. She flung back the cover of her own bag and slid over, edging her bare body on top of Regina's. It was a tight-ish fit. And hot. Very, very hot.

They both slowly began a gentle pulsing rhythm, and slid skin against skin, as Emma dropped kisses down Regina's throat. She nuzzled behind her ear and smiled into her shoulder when the brunette gave a small, surprised gasp and arched.

Regina paused, lifting a flat hand to Emma's shoulder. Emma merely nibbled lower.

"Ground rules," the mayor whispered urgently, her voice hitching as she eyed Emma's dedicated explorations. "Please, no, ah, oooh there, going inside. For now. Until we - you know, sort out this, ah, situation, God! But outside is f-fine."

Emma nodded into her chest and latched on to a nipple. "Mmm," Emma agreed. "I'll say. Outside is very, very fine."

"I also very much want to taste you," Regina added and her voice was weird. Emma froze from her ardent nipple worship and glanced up to discover a face flushing furiously, embarrassment clearly warring with desire. "I understand if..." Regina hesitated. "If you cannot return the favour given the circumstances but that's OK," she said, rushing on, shutting her eyes briefly before continuing. "I mean it's not, er, necessary. For me. Today."

Emma blinked down at Regina, wondering when she had ever seen her look quite so embarrassed.

This stuff was hard. Hard to talk about. Emma didn't want to, but Regina was right. Yet again the brave one, Emma mused. She watched Regina's brown eyes boring through her, as if pleading for her to say something. Anything.

The blonde nodded and dropped a kiss back on tan skin. "Sounds like a plan," she said as quietly and matter of factly as she could manage. No need to make it any more awkward than it already was. She gave her a small smile and peppered her breasts with distracting kisses. "But I want you to know I intend to work long and hard on being able to 'return the favour' at some point. Because I want you to see stars on that day when I bury myself between your legs."

There was no doubting the effect Emma's words had as Regina bucked instantly against her, hard, gasping out a shocked "Oh god, Emma!"

Emma gave a feral grin, and her hand snaked down. Lower. She threaded fingers in cropped curls, already soaked with wetness, swollen and so, so ready. Her fingers danced down to Regina's clit and began to swirl lightly, providing more pressure as moisture immediately slicked her fingers. She was careful to brush Regina's entrance but not go inside, as she had asked. Just the faint brushes made Regina moan and twitch, wriggling impatiently. Emma watched her face, the emotions flitting past - longing, lust, hunger, desire, delight - and felt herself amazed she was doing this. Creating that expression. She skidded her fingers back up to the brunette's clit, rubbing in tight circles, and then leaned forward, latching her lips on a nipple, laving it fiercely with her tongue.

Regina's head snapped back and she bared her teeth, eyes flashing wildly as if unable to quite comprehend how much pleasure she was experiencing. "Emma," was all she hissed, in a low voice.

Her thighs tensed and un-tensed, her breathing became deeper and more ragged. And suddenly all of her body went taut. Regina's moan was long, deep, and loud and Emma dropped her head against her chest, hearing the thundering of the mayor's powerful heart, never for a moment slowing the fingers pleasuring her.

The twitching subsided and Regina slowly lifted her head again and eyed Emma. "Stop now, dear," she said breathily. "I think two orgasms in two days after such a long drought is something of a shock to my system."

Emma watched her with a lazy smile, unbelievably pleased by how satisfied and thoroughly, delightfully fucked the other woman looked. She brought her glistening fingers up to her mouth, green eyes focused on Regina.

The mayor caught her wrist in trembling fingers before Emma's lips made contact. "No," she whispered urgently. "Remember?"

Emma felt the memory crash around her, like a bullet tearing through flesh, and gasped in what almost felt like pain, wrenching her hand from Regina's grip in dismay. She turned away, onto her side, her back to Regina. All joy erased from her in a split second. "God. I... Thanks. F-forgot."

Strong arms pulled her back against Regina's body, stroking her reassuringly. "Hey, sssh, it's OK. It's easy to forget. In fact I hope one day we will completely forget..." She didn't finish the thought.

She didn't have to.

Emma felt hands smoothing across her back and snaking under her arm to cup her breasts. Nimble fingers sought out her nipple and Emma found herself surprised to feel a lurch in her lower abdomen as she felt the tentative touch.

"Would you like me to continue?" asked the sultry voice rumbling against her back.

Emma bit her lip and her hand came up to press Regina's hard against her breast. "Yes."

Regina pulled her over and then flung off the sleeping bag top cover. She sensuously straddled Emma's hips, a small knowing smile watching her as she did so, her dark triangle rubbing against Emma's. She looked down at her imperiously. Like a queen, Emma thought fleetingly, gazing up in wonder. The wetness of their centres mingled and the blonde moaned. A queen with sublime, erotic skills.

"Ohhh," she whispered when Regina wiggled her hips again and offered a thoroughly naughty smile.

"You like that, dear?" she asked rhetorically and then leaned forward, capturing Emma's lips in her own, plundering her, her tongue sending sparks throughout the blonde's body. All the while Regina rubbed and rocked against her, her slick, heated wetness sliding over Emma's.

"Gah," was all Emma could think to say, her brain fusing stupidly when Regina finally paused from kissing her. Her addled reply seemed to please the mayor whose eyes danced in amusement, and earned Emma another grinding against her overheated groin.

"I said before that I want to taste you," Regina said, eyes glittering. "I meant it. If you're agreeable of course." She added the latter with a challenging voice, dripping with sultry dark promises.

Emma's chest rose and fell sharply as she sucked in a breath and tried to imagine it. Those ruby red lips parted briefly above her and Emma felt like she was about to explode at the mere idea of where else they soon might be positioned.

"Yes," she groaned. "God, yes. Do it. Take me."

Regina Mills was kissing her way down Emma's body before the blonde could even process it. She blinked as her hips felt kisses. Then her belly button was ringed in a dash of impertinent pink tongue. Faint stretchmarks - Henry - were licked in an oh-so-reverent swipe and Emma had no doubt Regina had figured out where they came from.

Her tongue and fingers meandered further south. Emma's legs were pushed wide apart, far wider than she ever would open them herself. She heard a sharp intake of breath and glanced down to see the brunette's entranced look, examining her with eyes burning darkly, lips parting slightly, moments before she dipped her head.

And then she felt it. A wet tongue bisecting her drenched folds, then sliding from her base up to her clit. Then down again. Emma almost howled. She bucked and a hand flew out, anchoring itself in brown hair, threading, kneading, massaging, part benediction, holding her against her, whimpering. Regina Mills was licking her. Emma felt she might come from thought alone.

Regina was having none of that. She controlled Emma's mounting arousal with a confidence that took Emma's breath away. Regina licked and swiped, urging trembles and moans from her, scooping up her liquid on her tongue and spreading it over her folds. She took her to the brink several times. And each time Emma announced she was on the edge and "ohgodohgodohgod", she would hear a deliciously wicked chuckle against her most intimate skin and firm, seductive words, declaring "Not yet, dear."

Emma knew she was barely remembering to breathe by the time she felt two fingers edge inside her and wiggle. Her senses had switched off sometime between Regina humming against her tender flesh and groaning into her as she licked as though she was indulging in a deliciously sinful chocolate treat.

Emma's thighs were shaking now, her gasping a halting background thrum, offset by the embarrassingly wet noises emerging from between her legs that would make her blush if only they weren't so fucking hot. And being made by Regina.

Ohgodohgodohgod, her mind screamed again, or was it her mouth? Did she say that out loud? She lost track. And then Regina sucked hard on her clit and twisted her fingers further, deeper and, oh fuck, up right there, and blew against her fevered heat. Then she was whispering, "Now Emma, come for me now, I want to see you come. Show me everything."

It was too much. The tremors turned into an earthquake and her orgasm shook her like a worthless rag doll. Her back arched. Her hands flew from Regina's soft hair to her own achingly hard nipples to finally cover her face. But a hand immediately lifted and gently pulled her fingers away with a soft "No, dear, I want to see."

Emma let them drop and opened her eyes and locked onto brown depths as the ecstasy, relief and ... something much deeper, more primal and connected ... rolled over her, in wave after wave.

Regina held on, watching closely, her half-lidded expression seemed to be of barely contained wonder and awe. Then she lowered her head and returned to licking contentedly, drawing out the last of the trembles, but never once took her eyes off Emma's.

"Enough," the blonde begged weakly when her sensitive folds protested.

She felt the smile before she saw it, as Regina sat up, her chest red from exertion, supple breasts swaying. Her hair was everywhere. She wiped the wet smear off her chin and licked her fingers like a cat which had the cream. She was a vision and Emma's heart clenched.

"God," she husked, her eyes wide. She gazed at her. "You're..."

"Yes, dear?"

Emma shook her head. Pointless to put into words. How could she? She sighed and fell silent.

"I had always wondered," Regina broke the quiet, her voice a faint husk, as though she had been the one coming apart at the seams.

"Hmm?" Emma propped herself up on an elbow.

"There are stories I've read of what people in love experience when making love with the objects of their desire," Regina began, before a shadow crossed her face. "I have never been ... involved - sexually to be precise - with anyone who loved me before," she said. She looked away for a moment, a bleakness settling in. Then she resumed haltingly. "I-I wanted to know if the stories were true. About the transcendence of the experience."

Emma exhaled harshly as she heard the sadness and longing in Regina's words. No one had ever made love to Regina? Was everyone in her life a blind, stupid fool?

She would ask her about her sadness later.

"So?" Emma asked, curious. "What did you see? When you made the woman who loves you come so hard she can barely see straight." She offered a cheeky grin.

"The stories are true," Regina said reverently. "This is why people spend their lives pursuing love. Why they fight for it. I know of love more ... obliquely, you might say. Never in a healthy or fulfilling sense. Your eyes told me everything about you. What you feel. What you want. And why it's all worth it. That's what I saw ... i-in your moment of infinite pleasure. It was inspirational."

Emma swallowed and tried to calm her breathing, which was still ragged from her earth-shattering previous ten minutes.

Had anyone ever loved her body so well? So perfectly? She flopped onto her back and gazed unseeingly up at the white tent ceiling. "You are my entire universe," Emma offered suddenly. "The stars, galaxies. The whole enchilada."

Regina slithered - there was no other word for it - up Emma's body and leaned her head against her chest. "If I am the universe, who are you?"

Emma grinned. "The lost homely girl sitting alone on a hill, staring up in wonder at the vast beauty of the heavens. Regina, you radiate this incredible freaking raw energy, like nothing I have experienced before. It makes me come alive. It burns and I just ... Fuck.

"Next to you I ... Well I am just ... me. Emma Swan. Small. Flawed. Undeserving. Unable to quite believe you would ever let me love you - in every sense of the word. But that's OK. I mean - I'm OK about where I fit in the scheme of the universe, I accept who I am. We can't all be like you. A spectacular galaxy." She smiled reassuringly and brought her arms around Regina to hug her close. "I'm at peace with that. I just feel ... lucky to brush against the stars at all."

She shut her eyes and felt a contented drowsiness. It would be so easy to fall asleep now.

"Homely?" a soft voice asked beside her, contorted in dismay. "Emma, don't you know you're beautiful?"

"Mmm maybe a little," Emma mumbled, sleep rapidly catching her. "Physically anyway, to some men whose heads are easily turned. OK I'm gauche then. Clumsy. Messy. The class and deportment of a charging rhino." Her lips twitched. She faded out and was barely audible when she concluded with a weary yawn. "You know what I mean, Regina. You know where I came from. How my life started out. Disposable. I know I was not worthy then. I know I'm broken now. S'okay, though. It's OK. Really."

She never saw the frown mar the lines of the brunette's face above her, as her eyes fluttered shut. Nor, as she slipped into dreamy unconsciousness, did she see brown eyes watching her face, filled with worry. Or feel the hand trail sorrowfully down her cheek, until it clenched into a quivering fist.

And she never noticed when Regina Mills curled up next to her and let silent tears slip down her face, her trembling fingers stroking Emma's hand.