"I didn't bring a toothbrush," Emma announced when they made it to the hallway. "Or a pajamas, for that matter."
No, of course she hadn't. This was after all a totally spontaneous idea on Regina's behalf. But the absence of a toothbrush and a pajama wasn't the worst thing in the world. Regina took off her coat and hung it next to Emma's on the coat rack. Then she began typing on her phone. 'Don't worry, I have an extra toothbrush you can use. And an extra pajama.' Easily solved. She turned the screen towards Emma so she could read the message.
"Oh. Great," Emma said. "Perfect." She gave a loud yawn.
Regina smiled at that. Somebody was tired. Emma wasn't the only one. Regina too was tired. She wrote a new message on her phone. 'I would have offered you a cup of coffee, but I have a feeling you would fall asleep halfway through it.' She once again turned the screen towards Emma again and hoped that she wasn't too tired to appreciate a little joke.
"That would be correct," Emma confirmed, grinning slightly. "I'm positively knackered. It must be the dancing. And the horrible music."
The music had indeed been bad. Regina gave a nod and formed the words 'me, too'. Then she pointed towards the stairs and hoped that Emma would understand what she meant.
"Yeah," Emma nodded. "Let's go to bed."
Regina smiled. Of course Emma understood her. It was starting to feel silly to doubt that. She slipped off her high heels (her feet were grateful) and then slowly walked up the stairs, counting on Emma to follow her.
Emma did just that. She was right behind her as they reached the top of the stairs and quietly walked down the hallway. Regina was sure that Henry was already asleep. He had been completely beat, the little man. But he'd had a good night. Regina was happy about that.
They reached Regina's bedroom. Regina walked over to the closet and opened it. Roamed through it briefly before finding what she was looking for. Her grey pajamas. As soon as she had found the pajamas, she hastily turned around and blocked the closet. Her roaming around had caused her nightwear-shelf to become messed up, and as a result some of her more… interesting nightwear was almost staring at her. There was really no reason for Emma to see those items. Regina reminded herself to find a new place for her nightgowns. Just in case Emma needed to borrow a pajama another time.
She held up the pajamas while raising an eyebrow. She was silently asking if this pajama would be fitting for Emma. if not, she was sure she had another one. Or a pair of sweatpants and a tanktop if that was what Emma preferred.
"That looks insanely comfortable," Emma said as she reached out and first touched the pajama top. Then took it.
Regina should hope so. The pajama was made of silk. Quite the silly, overpriced buy, but she had always valued comfortability. And softness. She was worth it. There was absolutely no reason why she shouldn't wear silk pajamas for bed and sleep of Egyptian cotton sheets.
Satisfied that Emma was happy with the pajamas, Regina turned around and made sure to block the view to the closet as she roamed around and found a second pajamas for herself. A black one. Then she shut the closet. No more flimsy nightgowns and far too revealing negligees staring her in the face. Thank god.
She turned around, and with the pajamas dangling over one arm, she wrote a new message on her phone. 'I'll just go and change and check on Henry.' Then she turned the screen.
"Okay," Emma nodded.
Regina left the bedroom and noted that her heart was thudding far too rapidly in her chest. She scolded herself for acting like a little fool.
But she couldn't help it. There was just something about having Emma in her bedroom. For whatever reason, co-sleeping with Emma in her bedroom was different. It somehow seemed more intimate than co-sleeping with her in the cabin had been. Regina had no idea why, though. They were gonna sleep, after all. Nothing remotely intimate was gonna happen tonight. So why did it feel different to have Emma in this bedroom?
Regina gave up on finding out why. It didn't matter. As long as she wasn't uncomfortable. And that she definitely was not. She was just thrilled to have Emma here. She loved it. Loved that she now had no problem with inviting her girlfriend to stay over. She loved that when she woke up tomorrow morning, Emma would still be here. That was absolutely wonderful to know.
In the bathroom, Regina quickly changed out of her slightly tight dress. She left it in the hamper basket along with her bra and stockings. She could take care of all that tomorrow. Then she brushed her teeth and completed a few other tasks in her night routine (that soda Emma sweetly had convinced her to drink at the spaghetti dinner had really taken a toll on her poor bladder.), removed her makeup and gave her hair a quick brushing. Which was silly seeing that she wasn't going anywhere except for to bed. But oh well, there was nothing wrong with trying to impress her girlfriend. Even if she wasn't going anywhere except for to bed.
Regina critically inspected her reflection, but for once, she couldn't find a single flaw to obsess about. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her eyes shone. She looked happy, she acknowledged and felt all kinds of satisfied. Happy that tonight had been a success. Happy that her son had had a great night and been proud of having both her and Emma there.
Happy that she was not going to bed alone.
Regina concluded her trip to the bathroom by brushing her teeth a second time. Just to make sure that she wasn't smelling of meatballs. That wouldn't be very nice.
She tiptoed down the hallway and peered inside Henry's bedroom. He was fast asleep laying on his stomach with his face mashed against the pillow. He had always slept like that, and Regina still wondered how on earth that could be comfortable.
She stepped inside the bedroom and blew out a quiet breath at what she found. The clothes Henry had worn scattered all over the floor. Regina didn't want to wake her son, so she refrained from clicking her tongue as she bent down and picked up the clothes. They would have to have a little chat about this at some point. She didn't like when his clothes became all crumbled.
Regina put the clothes away in the closet, and although she was being very quiet, Henry still stirred slightly. For a moment it sounded like false alarm, and Regina assumed that Henry just had made some little sound in his sleep, but then she heard a sleepy and slightly muffled: "mommy?"
Regina smiled. Mommy. Henry had stopped calling her that when he turned nine. He claimed that he was 'too old' to call her 'mommy'. And although it had hurt a little, Regina had accepted her new title. The only reason she hadn't mourned it more was because Henry still occasionally called her mommy. When he was sleepy, for instance.
"Mommy, is that you?" Henry called.
Regina frowned as she sat down on his bedside and ruffled his hair gently in response. Who else would it be if not her? Did he have a nightmare? She could have sworn she had detected a hint of alarm in his voice.
"I forgot to say goodnight to Emma," Henry groaned, now sounding completely like himself again. He had probably just been a bit confused. "I wanted to say goodnight to her," he continued, sounding younger than he was. "I wanted to hug her before she left!"
Regina tapped his back to signalize that she needed his full attention for this.
"I'm paying attention," Henry sleepily promised.
There was a chance that he would fall asleep before she was done, though, so Regina made sure to be quick. But not only that. She also put in an effort to make the letters clear as she wrote E-m-m-a on Henry's back.
"Emma," Henry said sleepily.
Regina tapped his back twice to indicate that he was right. Then she wrote: i-s.
"Is," Henry mumbled into the pillow.
Another correct answer. Regina tapped Henry's back again. Then continued. S-t-i-l-l.
"Still," Henry yawned.
H-e-r-e, Regina wrote on her son's back.
"He-" Henry interrupted himself by yawning loudly. "Here."
Regina tapped him on the back twice again and patiently waited for the penny to drop. If it did. Maybe he was too tired to figure out the half-complicated sentence. If that was the case, Regina wouldn't make an enormous effort to try and make him understand. She would simply kiss him goodnight and go to bed. And when he woke up, Emma's presence would be a delightful surprise for him.
"'Emma is… still here,'" Henry concluded.
Regina smiled. Not too tired then.
Henry was quiet for a moment. Then: "really? She's still here?" he still sounded sleepily. But now also excited.
Regina tapped his back twice again. That was absolutely correct. Emma was indeed still here.
"She's sleeping here tonight?"
Tap-tap. Yes, she was.
"Then she'll be here at breakfast too, right?"
Tap-tap. Absolutely correct again. Emma would be there for breakfast. Regina would make something extra special.
"Awesome," Henry was half-slurring by now, but Regina could still hear the genuine excitement in his voice. She shifted slightly so she could pull the cover up. As always, Henry had kicked the covers away in his sleep.
"Goodnight, mommy," Henry said slowly. Clearly half asleep already.
Regina smiled softly as she stood from the bed and bowed her head. She kissed him right in his curly mop of hair and earned herself a sleepy little grin.
She turned around to quietly leave her son's bedroom but was stopped by a soft: "Mommy? Can you leave the door open?"
Regina gave the wall two gentle taps in 'yes'.
"Thanks." With a soft groan, Henry burrowed under the covers and became a sleepy little lump.
Regina took that as more than a cue and left the bedroom, leaving the door open per Henry's request. She did wonder about that, though. Wondered if he really had had a nightmare before she came in. He hadn't seemed upset, but…
No, Regina decided. No, Henry would have told her if he'd had a nightmare. He always told her if he had a nightmare. There was no reason why he should stop now. He probably just had a silly dream that had made him a little bit confused. That was all. Everyone had those dreams now and then. There was nothing strange about that.
Reaching the door to her own bedroom, Regina gently knocked on the door. Which seemed like a silly thing seeing that this was her bedroom, but she was bearing in mind that Emma was in there, and Regina didn't want to accidentally walk in on her while she was changing clothes.
Or did she? Wasn't she just the slightest bit interested in-
No, Regina firmly told herself. No, she was absolutely NOT interested in catching Emma changing her clothes. Thereby not saying that she was disinterested in seeing Emma without clothes, but not like that. Definitely not like that.
And NOW it was definitely time to think about something that wasn't Emma half-dressed. Or half-naked for that matter…
"Come in!"
Thank god. Regina stepped inside and found Emma by the mirror. Had she been admiring herself? Regina hoped so. Emma looked stunning in that pajamas. Very good indeed. Regina scratched her throat slightly. The scarf had been a little itchy. And she had developed the habit of scratching her throat when she was distracted. Emma was distracting her, but Regina forced herself to snap out of it by finding her phone in the breast pocket of her pajama and quickly writing a message: 'the bathroom is available now. There is an extra toothbrush in the cabinet above the sink.' She turned the screen so Emma could read the message.
"Great," Emma said briskly and pulled her hair free of the hair tie that had been holding her ponytail together all night. Golden curls immediately spilled down her shoulders and back, and Regina couldn't help but staring. She was so tempted to run her fingers through Emma's hair again and again and again. It looked so incredibly soft tonight. It always did, but particularly tonight. Regina wondered if Emma had added some kind of product to her hair.
"Well, I'll be right back," Emma said, speaking in that brisk pace again. She pressed a kiss to Regina's cheek and then made a whole point out of swaying her hips as she left the bedroom.
Regina actually had to sit down on the edge of the bed. Her legs felt weak. Almost as though the spaghetti she had consumed earlier somehow had replaced what used to be her very well-functioning kneecaps. God, what was with her tonight? Why was Emma making her feel extra dizzy on this particular night? Was it because of the dancing? Because they had had such a good time? Had smiled so much? Because Henry had been so happy about Emma's presence? Or was it because Emma had turned her anxiety to happiness?
It was everything, Regina realized. And it could be summarized in one simple sentence. Emma had been there. It was that simple. She had been there with her and Henry, and it had felt like they were a little family, and because that did not frighten Emma or made her feel weird, Regina was dizzy. Because Emma was the perfect addition to her and Henry's little family, Regina was dizzy, and Emma was extra lovely tonight.
She shifted on the bed and frowned when she felt something under her. What was she sitting on? It felt a bit lumpy. Regina stood from the bed and moved the covers aside so she could see what the lumpy thing was.
Oh. It would appear that Regina wasn't any better at putting away her clothes than Henry was. She silently scolded herself as she pulled out the red nightgown and put it away in her closet. Hopefully, Emma had not seen that damned nightgown. That would be a little awkward. Not because her nightwear was a secret. But Regina would prefer if Emma saw the nightgown on HER and not crumbled at the bottom of her bed.
With that taken care of, Regina slipped under the covers and made herself comfortable. She was getting a little sleepy. Not as sleepy as she should have been after a night like this. She didn't feel as drained as she would have a few months ago. Regina smiled a little. Her strength was still coming back. Bit by bit. Tonight had been a complete success, and she couldn't wait to tell Doctor Kristine about her progress.
She glanced towards the door, listened. Could she hear Emma come back down the hallway? No. Not yet. Regina was impatient. But she busied herself with writing a message on her phone. 'would you lie on top of me?' she hoped that she wasn't asking too much or that Emma was too tired for that. Regina was really craving closeness tonight. But not for any bad reason.
Just as she had finished writing the message, there was a knock on the bedroom door, and Regina immediately set the phone down on the nightstand. Then she knocked back. Twice for yes.
The door opened and Emma slipped inside, quietly closing the door behind her. She smiled as she spotted Regina in the bed. Quickly, she crossed the bedroom and joined Regina in the bed. Was clearly about to wiggle and get comfortable but was stopped by Regina who snatched her phone from the nightstand and held it up so Emma could read the message. And the question.
Emma reacted to the question just as Regina had hoped. "Always," she said, smiled and then quickly shuffling closer to Regina. "As much as you want me."
Regina returned the smile and pushed the covers aside so there was as few barriers between them as possible. She was incredibly touch starved tonight. Which honestly didn't make much sense because she had been plenty close to Emma when they had danced earlier.
Emma shifted and planted her hands on either side of Regina's face. "Ready?" she asked as she looked down at Regina.
Regina nodded. She was more than ready.
Ever so slowly and carefully, Emma lowered herself down on top of her. She moaned quietly when her body came into contact with Regina's.
Regina couldn't help but sigh quietly too. Oh, that felt so good. Perhaps this was what she had missed all day.
No, scratch that. She had missed this all WEEK.
She skated her fingers up and down Emma's pajama clad back. First it was just random patterns, but then she made her touches more determinated as she wrote 'I love you' on Emma's back.
"I love you too," Emma murmured. Then snickering softly. Regina wasn't completely sure why. Perhaps it was her hair that had tickled Emma's cheek or something.
Because she wasn't completely ready for sleep yet, Regina busied herself with tracing Emma's spine. From the nape of her neck and all the way down to Emma's lower back. Down and up, down and up. She was pretty sure she felt Emma shift slightly, though. Perhaps her lower back was a bit more sensitive than her upper back was.
Well. If Henry hadn't been asleep down the hallway, Regina definitely would have investigated further. Found out exactly how sensitive Emma's lower back really was. Now she couldn't help but wonder. Was Emma's lower back as sensitive to touches as Regina's feet was? If that was the case, Regina would have been more than happy to-
"Can I make a request?" Emma mumbled sleepily.
Oh. Yes, of course. Good thing Emma had interrupted her train of thoughts. They had clearly been heading towards a very sordid place. Now Regina pulled herself together and shifted slightly under Emma. Tapped two fingers twice against Emma's spine and earned herself a sound between a chuckle and a moan. Oops.
"Could you possibly play with my hair?" Emma asked a bit muffled.
Absolutely. Regina considered herself to be an expert when it came to hair-playing. She moved her hands away from Emma's back and pushed her fingers into Emma's soft, golden locks instead. She gently ran her fingers through Emma's curls. Tugged gently. Then scratched her fingers lightly against Emma's scalp.
"Mmm," Emma mewled (which wasn't distracting at all), then, lifting her head slightly: "you've tried that before."
Indeed. Regina nodded in confirmation and smiled as she continued to gently massage Emma's scalp.
"On Henry?"
Amongst others, yes. Regina nodded again.
"I figured." Emma dropped her head to Regina's chest again. She let out a sleepy little sound. Another little something between a moan and a sigh. If this was how they would be going to sleep tonight, Regina definitely would not mind. This was complete and utter bliss. And she was starting to feel a little bit sleepy too. She wondered if she would have felt this relaxed if Emma had not been here tonight. Probably not. She surely would have found something to keep her awake. Something to obsess over. A minor detail that hadn't felt right. Anastasia Scarlett's lingering looks, perhaps.
But when Emma was here, that didn't matter at all. It became insignificant.
"I can't stop thinking about that phone call from David," Emma mumbled.
Regina stopped massaging her scalp for a second. Oh. So that was what Emma's silence had been about. She had not been about to go to sleep. She had been speculating. Regina gently tapped her scalp twice to encourage Emma to go on and keep talking. She hadn't gotten the chance to really talk about this tonight, and Regina perfectly understood if she needed to do it now. If she felt ready now. It made perfect sense that Emma felt ready now when they weren't supposed to go anywhere. Now that it was just the two of them in a comfortable environment.
"I mean, yeah, she was a crappy mother," Emma mumbled, audibly inhaling by the collar of Regina's pajamas. "But I'm afraid that this will nag me for the rest of my life if I don't go and see her. I mean... wouldn't I be a pretty terrible person if I chose to not go?"
Regina tapped Emma's scalp gently once. For 'no'. Because Emma definitely wouldn't be 'a terrible person' if she chose not to see Mary-Margaret Blanchard-Nolan. It would make perfect sense if she chose to stay away.
Emma sighed, lifted her head and looked at Regina. "Mary Margaret and David has guilt tripped me a lot during my childhood, and if I chose to go... I want it to be because I want to. Not because David called me and asked me to. You know what I mean?"
Yes. Regina nodded and frowned. She understood exactly what Emma meant. She knew what it was like to be guilt tripped. Killian Jones had been an expert in doing that.
But this was not about Killian Jones. It was about Emma.
"Did you really mean it?" Emma murmured. "About wanting to go with me if I chose to actually go?"
Absolutely. She nodded firmly and raised her head slightly so she could peck Emma's cheek. Of course she meant it.
"You're awesome. Have I told you that lately?"
The rhetorical question had Regina smirking as she nodded. Yes, Emma had told her that quite a few times already.
Emma grinned for a second but then grew serious again. "I know it sounds ridiculous because I haven't talked to him in ages, but I have this insane urge to call David and ask him how he's doing. He can't function without Mary Margaret. He seriously cannot. And with the baby and everything..." Emma shook her head. "I dunno, maybe I'm just crazy."
No, she wasn't. Regina shook her head and raised an eyebrow in warning. She wouldn't hear of Emma criticizing herself. That didn't belong here.
"I can't decide what to do," Emma sighed, looking genuinely frustrated about the situation. "There seriously isn't no "right" choice in this. If I stay away and let things continue like they have so far, there'll always be a part of me wondering. And if I chose to go... I could end up being bombed back to that state I was in when I left Mary Margaret and David's house. I don't know what seeing them again would do to me, and honestly, I'm scared to find out. But then again... Shit, I don't know. I just don't know."
Regina could think of no other form of consolation, so she began running her fingers through Emma's hair again. She hoped it would feel soothing.
"Mmmm!" Emma mewled again. Then: "it's a good thing I don't have to decide anything right now."
Regina nodded. Yes, Emma didn't have to decide anything right now. She still had time to figure things out. And when she did, Regina would be there to support her. No matter what her final decision would be.
"And now I don't wanna talk about it anymore tonight," Emma said simply and put a hand on Regina's cheek. "Hi."
Regina smiled up at her. What was miss Swan up too now?
She soon found out. Emma bowed her head and pecked her lips gently. "I haven't had enough chances to do that tonight. Mind if I take this opportunity to rectify that?"
Oh, more than anything, Regina wanted Emma to rectify that. She flashed her a smile. But found that she wasn't able to wait for Emma to kiss her again. So she took matters into her own hands and lifted her head. She easily captured Emma's lips.
"Mmm," Emma sighed against her lips. Then nothing else. The only sound in the room was their lips meeting.
Regina could feel that her breathing had changed. Had become deeper. That was quick. Usually, it did take a little more than just this. But she wasn't quite herself tonight. Everything, every feeling was a bit stronger. She was way more on edge than she normally was. She moaned softly when Emma deepened the kiss, and in return, Regina gave Emma's blonde curls the slightest of little tugs. She couldn't help it. The way Emma kissed her, had heat stirring low in her abdomen and tingles rushing down her spine. She too deepened the kiss and sucked lightly on Emma's bottom lip, then moved her hands to Emma's lower back. She began to draw random patterns. Up and down, up and down. God, she suddenly had the strongest urge to flip them over, so she was the one on top! She wanted to kiss Emma's neck and-
Emma broke the kiss. Took a shuddering breath. Her sea green eyes were darker than usually and her cheeks and neck beautifully flushed. Her voice trembling ever so slightly as she said: "I love you, Regina. God, I love you!"
Regina exchanged the random patterns for writing on Emma's back again. 'I love you too.'
Emma grinned a little. "Have I ever mentioned how much I love this way of communicating?"
Regina's lips pulled upwards in a smirk, but she didn't waste time with giving a witty comeback. She was impatient and raised her head. Searched for Emma's lips again. She wasn't done kissing her, and she sincerely hoped that Emma wasn't done kissing her either.
She wasn't. Her search was answered by Emma who dipped down and quickly slotted their lips together again.
Thank god. Regina snuck her tongue along the seam of Emma's lips. Then tapped the tip lightly against those soft, soft lips.
Emma immediately caught on and parted her lips for her. Regina slipped her tongue inside Emma's mouth. Found Emma's tongue with her own and gently wrapped it around the tip and sucked slowly.
Emma moaned and caused Regina to shift slightly underneath her. Possibly even rolling her hips a little bit. Certain things were happening in her body, but she was not embarrassed about them. Not tonight.
She withdrew her tongue, now focusing on Emma's lips again. Switched between soft and slightly harder kisses. Even teased a little but pulling back the tiniest bit and feeling how Emma's mouth followed hers where it went. She swiftly brought her lips back to Emma's and reveled in the relieved moan Emma gave.
Good. Her intention had not been to have Emma chase her down and become frustrated. Nor had it been to make Emma think that she was pulling away because something was wrong. Because absolutely nothing was wrong. Regina felt fantastic. She didn't feel uneasy or hesitant. Quite the reverse, she found herself wanting more. Burning for more. Yearning for more.
She caressed Emma's lower back through the thin pajama top (it really was quite fortunate that Emma was borrowing her nightwear tonight!) and imagined that there wasn't a pajama top between them. Was she bold enough to lift Emma's top and touch her lower back directly? What would happen if she did? What would happen if she suddenly was to break the kiss and plant her lips on Emma's neck instead? She wanted to do that. But again, she wasn't sure she was bold enough to do so. It was better to keep doing this. Kiss Emma's lips.
Tonight she was consumed by the urge to kiss Emma. Kiss and kiss and kiss her. Until the sun rose. Until either of them fell asleep. Until her lungs burned from lack of oxygen. She wanted to wrap her arms around Emma. Wanted to grab Emma's hands and guide them to places they had not yet touched her.
Yes. Oh god, yes. She wanted Emma to touch her. Without any barriers. Without clothes between them. She wanted to…. Go beyond kissing. And go beyond the things they had done in the cabin.
The realization came to her the same time as Emma broke the kiss for the second time. Usually, Regina was the one to end their kisses. But not tonight.
"Woah..." Emma murmured, and her word was just the tiniest bit slurred. Her skin had flushed even more, and she was panting ever so slightly. Her eyes had glazed over.
Regina nodded and was sure her appearance was a perfect mirror of Emma's.
"That was really nice," Emma said with a grin.
Regina nodded, half automatic and obviously because Emma was absolutely right. That WAS really nice.
But it was more than that. Something had shifted inside her. Regina could feel that. It was almost as though something had clicked into place.
She looked at Emma. Sweet, wonderful Emma. Kind-hearted, funny, clever Emma who had been the absolute best tonight. Who had made Regina feel so safe and so comfortable in a situation that would have caused her anxiety if things had been any different. She had not been anxious tonight. She had been dancing. She had been smiling. She had been having a good time with her son and girlfriend. All three of them had been together. Like a family. Tonight had confirmed what she already knew. That Emma was far more than her girlfriend.
And… Regina was ready for them to be more. Well, of course they already WERE more. They were devoted to one another. Completely and utterly. She did not doubt that. Emma showed her devotion in a million different ways every single day, and Regina knew Emma didn't doubt her devotion either. From the moment they had started dating again after the ordeal with Liam, there hadn't been any doubt between them. Only mutual understanding and devotion. Emma had given her so many things back. She had made her brave enough to do so many things. Kiss. Fall in love. Confess her love. Touch Emma and BE touched in ways she had been scared of before.
A whirlwind of emotions rushed through Regina as she silently acknowledged what was happening to her. She was… She was READY. Of course she immediately tried to turn the realization upside down and pick it apart, but nothing happened. She was still ready after having examined the realization and looked for weaknesses and/or fears.
There wasn't any. When she thought of taking off her clothes in front of Emma, she was not afraid. She was nervous in the excited way, but not afraid.
When she though of Emma touching her naked body, there was no part of her that recoiled, The thought did not fill her with dread. It filled her with excitement. Hot, breathless excitement.
A part of her wanted to tell Emma immediately. Wanted to tell her that the time was finally right. Wanted to kiss her. Take off her clothes (first her own and then Emma's) and finally do what she often had dreamed of but had been too scared of. Until now. Until tonight where she suddenly felt more ready than ever.
But naturally, reality caught up with her.
It was late.
Henry was asleep down the hall.
The time and place was off.
She had to wait.
But that was alright. She had waited a long time already, she could handle waiting a little while longer. And she could get the chance to carefully think about this one more time. Right now, it didn't feel like her decision would change at all, but you never knew.
"You okay?" Emma asked, and her soft voice brought Regina out of the partial trance.
Regina nodded automatically. She WAS fine. But the epiphany had her heart pounding in her chest. God, she was READY! Actually ready. Not for another phone call. Not for helping Emma out by slipping a thigh in between her legs. But actually ready. For the one thing she and Emma had not yet done.
To finally be physically together. No phones. No clothes. No closed eyes. No barriers.
Emma gently rolled off of her and snuggled into her side. Regina automatically wrapped her arms around Emma and pulled her closer. But her head was still spinning with the 'aha-moment' she had just experienced. Still no fear.
Emma would take care of her.
Emma would be gentle with her.
Emma would be just as wonderful in bed as she was in any other situation.
There was absolutely nothing to be afraid of.
Her jaw was pecked. Emma raised her head slightly. "You're sure you're okay?"
Regina nodded again. Smiled softly at Emma. She was absolutely fine. More than that. She was basking in the wonderful feeling of certainty. And by all the gods, she hoped that she would continue to feel ready. Because it truly was wonderful to finally feel this secure in a decision.
Emma yawned loudly and snuggled even closer to Regina. "G'night."
Regina gave her a little squeeze in return.
Emma quickly fell asleep, but Regina laid awake for quite a while and listened to her breathing. Felt how the decision and certainty settled deep in her chest.
She had never been more sure of anything…
The epiphany wasn't quite as strong when she woke up the following morning.
It was quite early, but Regina couldn't sleep any longer. Not when Emma was talking in her sleep. Sure, Emma had mentioned that she did that from time to time, but Regina hadn't actually had the privilege of experiencing it. Until now. She propped herself up on one elbow and looked at Emma who was lying on her side with her golden hair fanning out around her. Her eyes were closed, but her mouth very busy indeed.
"I love you," Emma said, and it sounded so daily Regina for a moment thought that Emma was in fact awake. But then she sighed and rolled onto her stomach. "Mmm," she mumbled in her sleep. "That's nice."
Regina tilted her head. Exactly what dream was Emma having?
"'Love you…"
Apparently, the kind of dream where she said 'I love you' a lot. Not bad at all. Regina shamelessly lingered and waited in anticipation for Emma to say more sweet things.
But there was no more 'I love you's'. Instead came a heartfelt: "is that bacon?!"
Regina had to suffocate a rumble of amusement. Then she started to consider it. Bacon for breakfast. What an excellent idea. Emma loved bacon. Regina loved Emma. Making a decision wasn't hard at all.
Regina quietly slipped out of bed and tiptoed into the bathroom where she found her blue bathrobe. She shrugged it on and then continued downstairs into the kitchen where she found the frying pan, a spatula, and last but not least, the bacon.
She was in full swing with frying bacon and filling the kitchen with the delicious smell and perhaps thinking a little too much about a certain kiss last night when she was interrupted by a familiar voice saying: "good morning."
Regina turned her head and flashed Emma a smile. She looked as fresh as a daisy, all bright eyed and bushy haired. It was a privilege to see Emma like that.
Emma's bare feet gently slapped against the floor as she crossed the kitchen. As easy as one-two-three she had wrapped her arms around Regina's waist from behind. "Something smells delicious, and it's not the bacon," she murmured and buried her nose in Regina's hair.
Regina let out an automatic rumble of amusement. But on the inside, she was completely melting as she indulged and leaned back against Emma's body for a moment. Felt Emma's solid body against her own. Her breasts pressing into her back. It shouldn't be allowed to do this kind of thing. Regina had officially reached the state where she almost couldn't handle it.
Emma's arms around her waist sent shivers down her spine and made her toes curl in ways that they shouldn't because of this. The epiphany she had experienced last night whispered in her mind again, and oh yes, she was still very much sure of her decision. Her heart thudded in her chest as images she hadn't allowed herself to imagine too much flashed before her inner eye.
But now was definitely not the time to wonder what Emma Swan looked like naked.
"You shouldn't be making breakfast for me," Emma scolded lightly.
Regina scoffed. Both relieved and annoyed to have her little daydream interrupted.
"I am going to cook you one hell of a meal on Saturday," Emma vowed.
Regina rumbled in amusement again. Another automatic response. Because suddenly the word 'Saturday' echoed in her mind. When Saturday came, it would just be the two of them. Alone together. There would be no Henry asleep down the hall.
Suppose she was still ready on Saturday? What would happen then?
She was sure that her heart skipped several beats, most of them because of the connection her brain had just made, and few of them out of sheer surprise because Henry was coming thundering down the stairs and making it sound like a horde of wild elephants on the loose.
Two seconds later, he came into the kitchen. "Mom, are you-oh. Hey, Emma. I didn't know you were still here."
So no recollection of last night, then, Regina thought to herself. Her poor son had clearly been completely beat.
"Morning, kid," Emma greeted, and Regina felt her loosen her grip around her waist. Unfortunately. But Henry would probably have a few things to say if they kept standing like that.
"Is that bacon?" Henry asked and sniffed into the air. Clearly surprised. And happy.
Regina turned slightly and flashed her son a thumbs-up in response and caused Emma to snicker softly.
Henry tilted his head. "Are you making bacon because Emma's here?" he smirked.
Regina shrugged. No, actually, she was making bacon because Emma had seemed very enthusiastic about it in her dreams. But she didn't tell Henry that. Mostly because she wasn't sure how to sign it.
"So you are doing something special because I'm here," Emma exclaimed. "I knew it."
Regina shrugged again, busied herself with flipping the bacon with the spatula. And so what if she was? Emma was definitely worth doing something special for. She sat the spatula down and turned around once more, lifting her hands and signing to Henry. 'Set the table, please.'
"Mom, I set the table every morning. You don't have to remind me," Henry said dramatically and grumbled slightly under his breath as he walked around in the kitchen to find the plates, cutlery and cups. "Do you want coffee too, Emma?"
"That sounds great," Emma said with a little nod. "Why don't I make that? I'm just standing around doing nothing." She briskly walked over to one of the other cupboards and grabbed the coffee.
Regina was pleased to see Emma finding the coffee with such ease and be so at home. But admittedly, she was also a bit sad that there would be no more touching.
Once the bacon had been made along with scrambled eggs, all three of them were sitting at the table and eating breakfast. Exactly like a family. Henry was excited that Emma was here and cracked joke after joke that had Emma laughing and sometimes nearly choking on her coffee.
Regina left the joking to her son and made sure to smile every time he made his point. But her thoughts drifted. Once again, she was thinking about things she definitely shouldn't be thinking about in this setting. But she could not help it. Could not stop the images from flashing through her mind now and again. She kept checking and checking herself, but no, there wasn't an ounce of fear connected to those thoughts. No fear. No pressure.
She hadn't arrived at this decision because 'it was time'. Well, time it was. Definitely. But the decision hadn't been influenced by any kind of 'it's been long enough' or 'it's time to just get it over with'. That wasn't the case at all.
She had arrived at this decision because she simply couldn't wait any longer. She had arrived at this decision because she WANTED this. More than she had ever wanted anything else. She had arrived at this decision because she no longer was afraid. The idea of being touched by Emma didn't frighten her. The idea of being close to Emma in ways they had not yet tried, didn't fill her stomach with dread.
Had they been alone and had they still been in bed and had Emma kissed her, Regina wasn't sure she would have been able to hold back a minute longer. She couldn't deny herself this anymore. She so wanted to experience this. And she hoped that Emma felt the same.
Her hand was gently squeezed, and Regina quickly looked up and smiled at Emma. She looked questioningly at Regina, but now was not the time. Regina could not tell Emma what she was thinking about. Not yet. So she settled for smiling. And returning the squeeze.
"You guys are being gross again," Henry stated plainly.
And a bit rudely. But Regina was simply too busy thinking about other things to scold him.
"No, we're not," Emma was quick to protest. "We're not kissing!"
Unfortunately, Regina thought to herself.
"No, but you're sending mom googly eyes." Henry said it very matter of factly. And then resumed eating his bacon.
"'Googly eyes'?" Emma echoed and coughed as though some of her coffee had just gone down the wrong tube.
"Mmm," Henry said, now sipping his orange juice (to Regina it looked more like he was busy spilling the tea.). "You're always giving mom a special look when you want to kiss her but can't."
Emma's protests went well above Regina's head as she absentmindedly scratched her throat and let her thoughts drift again. It was a good thing that Emma wasn't kissing her right now. A very good thing indeed. The long kiss goodnight they had shared last night popped up in Regina's head again, and she nearly put a finger on her lip. She could almost feel the phantom touch of Emma's lips against her own. Her body on top of hers-
A hand was put over hers again. Regina quickly looked up to find Emma looking back at her.
"Hi," she said gently. "Your bacon is getting cold."
Oh. Regina blinked and then hastily turned her attention to her bacon and eggs. Scarved down a mouthful but wasn't really that hungry. At least not for food.
She was only vaguely aware that Emma and Henry were talking about his secret English assignment. Regina should join in the conversation. But she didn't have the capacity to do so right now. Because she couldn't stop thinking about Saturday when she had her next date with Emma. What if she really DID feel the same when Saturday came? A shiver ran down her spine…
As the week progressed, Regina thought of little else than the decision she had made. It remained unwavering. She had made up her mind, and the anticipation for Saturday to come was both torturous and delicious.
Zelena kept telling her that she was being absentminded to which Regina would smile and apologize. But nothing would change. She would still be absentminded.
Zelena then asked her if everything was okay, to which Regina immediately assured that it was.
"Are you sure?" her older sister frowned. "You've been acting a bit strange."
Regina shrugged. She wasn't planning on telling her sister about her decision. They were close, but there were certain things Zelena did not need to know. This was private. Very private. There was only one person Regina had told it to. Her therapist. She could do that without feeling awkward or shy. It was Doctor Kristine's job to listen to her. To guide and give advises. Her therapist had smiled and said: "well, Regina, I am very happy to hear that you feel ready for the next step in your relationship with Emma. Can you tell me what brought on this decision?"
Regina hadn't been able to. Not really. She had tried her best. Had told Doctor Kristine that it had to have been a combination of how safe she felt with Emma and how much more than 'just' a girlfriend Emma was. She was… She was family. A worthy partner. And through all the nonsense she had managed to sign that it could be boiled down to one simple thing. She WANTED it. And yes, she had definitely blushed at that.
Doctor Kristine had not. Of course not. She had been as professional as ever as she reminded Regina to check herself multiple times to make sure.
"I am not here to question your decision, Regina," she said. "I'm here to remind you to take care of yourself."
Regina nodded. She understood that. Of course she did.
Doctor Kristine smiled. "I am happy for you, Regina. I truly am. I know how wonderful Emma is."
'I trust her completely,' Regina signed. 'She would never hurt me.' And what's more, Regina finally trusted herself. She trusted her body and mind not to shut down in the middle of it. She wouldn't experience a blackout in the middle of it. She could feel that.
"You've come so far, Regina," Doctor Kristine said and gave her hand a little pat. "It's as if you've blossomed."
Regina smiled at her therapist. She liked the flower language.
Flowers needed to be nurtured and cared for in order to blossom. And that was exactly what Emma Swan had done for her. She had come into Regina's life as a stranger. And had turned into being the best thing to ever happen to her…
'Hey, beautiful, hope I'm not interrupting your busy, busy workday ;) but I was wondering if you'd like to stay the night when you come for dinner?'
Regina smiled as she immediately texted back. 'I would absolutely love to. What are we having for dinner?' she was only teasing. As far as she was concerned, Emma could serve her macaroni and cheese. Regina would still be enjoying it.
'Spaghetti and meatballs? ;)'
Regina rumbled. 'Sounds good.'
'Oh my god, I was just kidding! No way I'm serving you spaghetti and meatballs. No. I'm gonna make you something way more sophisticated!'
Regina tilted her head. 'Why?'
'Because you are a lady and deserve a sophisticated meal ;)'
Now she rolled her eyes. 'You are so silly.'
'Correct. About you ;) can't wait to see you, babe!'
'I can't wait to see you either, darling.' Regina was tempted to add a little heart-emoji, but found that to be a tad too cliché.
'Aww :D anyway, I should probably let you get back to work. I bet you're busy, right?'
Regina glanced at the laptop screen and the chat with the struggling student she was in the middle of. 'I am working, yes. But I am never too busy for you.'
'Any chance I can stop by right now? I suddenly have the intense and pressing need to kiss you!'
Regina wholeheartedly sympathized with that. She too had the 'intense and pressing need' to kiss Emma. But unfortunately, that had to wait until Saturday.
'You'll get every option to do so on Saturday.' That and hopefully so much more. Regina felt that flutter behind her navel again and had to take a deep breath. She still wasn't nervous. Just excited.
'Oooooh… Can't wait for that, beautiful ;)'
Regina found herself to be grinning like an idiot. She loved Emma's little emojis.
"Are you texting in the middle of work, sis?"
She looked up and found Zelena standing in the doorway and looking at her.
Regina did a little shrug. Not denying anything.
"I don't s'ppose I need to ask you who you're texting?" now Zelena was smirking.
Regina scoffed and rolled her eyes. Then resumed texting. 'You really must stop flirting with me in the middle of work. I'll text you later, darling.'
'Ooooh…. I can't wait for that either ;)'
"You two are impossible," Zelena said simply.
Regina grimaced at Zelena. Damn cheeky of her…
When Saturday night came, it found Regina taking one last look at herself in the bedroom mirror. She had put on her favorite black pencil skirt and paired it with a matching blazer and a red blouse. Under that she was wearing a camisole, and she had chosen to wear a pearl necklace rather than wearing a scarf.
She scrunched up her hair and gave herself another critical look. Then blew out a breath. Her clothes looked nice. There was nothing to worry about.
Except everything.
Regina's shoulders slumped.
She needed tonight to go well. She wanted it to be special. And not just for herself. She wasn't the only one who had waited for a long time. So had Emma.
Oh god, suppose Emma wasn't ready? What if Regina's decision would take her completely by surprise and muck up everything? Now she was the one who had to be careful not to overstep Emma's boundaries. Just because she was ready, it didn't necessarily mean that Emma was.
Breathe, Regina reminded herself. There was only one way to find out whether Emma was ready for the next level in their relationship. By asking her. By talking about this like mature, sensible adults.
She didn't feel very adult right now. She felt like a teenager all over again. Her mind had been racing all week and tonight felt like the culmination.
Regina shifted slightly and reached up to smoothen a bra strap on her shoulder. She had vaguely signed 'clothes' when Zelena asked about the bag she had brought home after an afternoon in town, but in reality, Regina had been shopping for specific clothes. Underwear. Yes, she had bought herself a brand-new set of underwear. It was red, it was lace, and Regina felt quite sexy when she was wearing it. And that was the plan. Regina hadn't been allowed to feel sexy for a very long time, and it had felt quite liberating to stand there in front of her bedroom mirror, wearing nothing but underwear and feeling sexy. Firstly for herself. That was what mattered the most. How the underwear made HER feel. How it boosted HER confidence.
But… she wouldn't mind seeing Emma's eyes widen when (if?) she was to see the underwear tonight.
Regina brushed her hair one more time and then went downstairs.
"You look really nice," Zelena complimented. "Did you remember everything?"
Regina nodded and struggled not to roll her eyes as she toyed with the strap on her large shoulder bag. She was not a child on her way to summer camp, thank you very much.
"Have a great time with Emma," Zelena smiled.
Regina nodded. She was sure it would be a great time. No matter what direction the evening would take….
She was both antsy and early when she arrived in front of Emma's house in Steveston. Ten minutes early in fact. Oh.
Regina briefly considered to take a quick drive around town to kill the time, but then she decided that it was silly. Knowing Emma, she had probably already seen Regina's car in the driveway, and it would probably confuse her if she saw Regina drive away again.
She told herself to stop being so silly and got out of the car. Her high heels clacked against the pavement as she walked up to Emma's house. On the porch, her heel nearly got stuck in a tiny little crack, and Regina came dangerously close to tripping. God, she really had to pay attention to where she was going!
She brushed a hand over her hair and coat and then pressed the doorbell. The 'ding-dong' was almost obnoxiously loud, and Regina winced. Then patted her pocket to make sure the pre-written note was still there. It was. Good. Regina fished it out of her pocket to have it ready.
The door was opened by Emma who looked as lovely as ever in her skinny jeans and grey, tightfitting tanktop.
The self-consciousness crept into Regina's mind. Was she too overdressed? Did it look like she was trying too hard?
Jesus Christ, this was ridiculous. For months and months, the goal had been to draw as little attention to herself as possible. And now that she finally was 'putting on a show' she was immediately worried that it was too much. She was impossible.
Regina pulled herself together and handed Emma the pre-written note ('hello, my darling. You look beautiful tonight.')
Emma grinned, leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Hey. I've missed you."
That feeling was entirely mutual. Regina smiled at her.
"Anyway, come in, come in," Emma said briskly and stepped aside. "The dinner is ready, and the candles are lit. Here, let me take your coat."
Stepping into the hallway, Regina took off her coat and willingly handed it to Emma so she could hang it on the coat rack. A task Regina herself easily could have completed, but she knew that telling Emma that would be entirely fruitless. Dear Emma was very stubborn when it came to being gallant.
"Holy shit. You look awesome," Emma said warmly as she hung up Regina's coat.
Perhaps not overdressed then. Regina shrugged slightly. But couldn't quite hide her smile.
Emma took her hand and lead her into the kitchen. Dinner was clearly ready. It smelled fantastic. Regina hoped that she would be able to eat the delicious food. Her stomach was full of metaphorical butterflies flapping about. Exactly as if she had been a teenager….
She was able to eat. And thank god for that. Emma had cooked the most delicious meal. Filet mignon and potatoes. It was so, so good.
But Regina feared that she wasn't doing a very good job at being present. Sure, she paid attention to what Emma was saying. She praised the food and smiled at Emma's jokes. But every time there was a moment where they weren't communicating, Regina's thoughts drifted, and she once again became acutely aware of the butterflies in her stomach. The images in her head of Emma touching her. She couldn't banish them no matter what she did.
Emma reached across the table and took her hand. "Do you think you'll want dessert afterwards? I've bought some vanilla ice cream."
Regina tore off a new post-it note and wrote down her answer. 'I don't think I can eat any ice cream tonight. I have a feeling I'll be stuffed after this delicious meal.' She did want dessert. But not ice cream.
"Some coffee then," Emma said, smirking slightly as she added: "some coffee in the living room and some kisses. How does that sound?"
That… sounded good. And also very close to what she wanted the most.
God. Was it just her, or was it getting very hot in here? Regina for sure felt hot. Was she flushing? She probably was. Her own fault. She COULD just stop paying so much attention to the way Emma's tanktop was clinging to her body…
"More potatoes?" Emma sweetly offered as she held out the bowl towards her.
Regina eagerly accepted the bowl and loaded some potatoes onto her plate. Eating was what she was doing right now. And absolutely nothing else. And the food was delicious. It really was.
"So…. How was your week?"
Regina abandoned the potatoes in favor of writing an answer: 'my week's been long because I've spent most of it thinking about you.'
Well. That was definitely no lie.
"Aww, babe," Emma said, reaching across the table and taking her hand once more. "I've been thinking about you too. As you know, I do that pretty much all the time."
Regina rolled her eyes just as she always did. But secretly, she wondered if they had been thinking about the same thing. What if they had? Oh, that would be wonderful!
Emma treated herself to another mouthful of the delicious food before saying: "sooo, what have you been thinking about me then? How awesome I am at kissing?"
Well. Not…. Entirely. Kissing had definitely been a part of Regina's thought process, but for once not the main thing in her daydreams. She gave a vague nod and averted her eyes. Was sure she was flushing again. Thank god she was not wearing a scarf tonight. That would have been impossibly warm.
Not that this was much better. Her clothes seemed to be way too tight tonight…
"Sit down and make yourself at home, babe. I'll just make the coffee!"
Regina was more than happy to do that. She stalked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Emma's soft couch. But for once, Regina wasn't comfortable. Not at all. Her clothes were still too tight. Something was going on in her abdomen even though she hadn't even kissed Emma. Barely touched her.
She was being ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. How was it possible that she suddenly was so bad at something she once had been a master in?
Regina wasn't one to brag about her skills, but seduction had always come fairly easily to her. She had known exactly when to touch and where. Known what to say and in which tone. Known exactly how to smile and smirk and drop hints.
Using her voice tonight was of course out of the question, but she could definitely have done a much better job at seducing. Since she had stepped over the threshold, she had done the exact opposite, and if she kept this up, Emma would undoubtedly reach the conclusion that she was uncomfortable. And that would be a disaster because Regina was NOT uncomfortable. She seriously was not.
She just had no idea how to do this without her voice. Sure, she had that note in her purse, but that wasn't very romantic. Emma deserved romance. She deserved a big romantic grand gesture. And all Regina had to offer was a stupid little note saying, 'I'm ready'. She had thought so much about that note and yet that was the best she had been able to come up with. 'I'm ready'. Fucking pathetic. Why hadn't she written something romantic instead? Like… 'do you want to take the next step with me?'
No, that didn't work either. It sounded stupid.
What about…. 'how about we take this upstairs instead?' that was what she would have said had she been able to talk. And it would have done the job. But in writing it would just look stupid and cliché and awkward. Exactly like 'make love to me'. Regina might or might not have thrown that particular note into the fireplace and watched it burn to make sure it was gone and stayed gone forever.
'Please touch me before I die', then?
No. Regina rolled her eyes. That was even worse than 'I'm ready'.
How about 'hey, let's go have sex?' easy and straight to the point.
Not to mention absolutely horrible. Way too blunt. 'Sex' was the wrong word to use. And so she had landed on 'I'm ready'. Out of all the things she could have written, that had been it. And now it was too late to change it. Mainly because she had no clue what else to write.
Regina shifted on the couch again. Crossed and uncrossed her ankles. Then crossed them again. Fidgeted with her hands in her lap. Bit her lip.
God, she was nervous. As nervous as she had been at her first date with Emma.
No, scratch that. She was MORE nervous. Her palms were literally going damp just thinking about what she hoped would happen tonight.
As summoned by her thoughts, Emma came into the living room. She was carrying two cups of coffee, and once she had sat them down on the coffee table, she sat herself down on the couch. Reached out and took one of Regina's hands between her own. "Are you alright?"
Yes. No. Maybe? Regina nodded.
"Are you sure?" Emma gently prodded in that sweet manner that felt strangely un-prodding. "There isn't something that's upsetting you, is there?"
No. Regina shook her head again.
"You know you can tell me anything, babe," Emma said softly. "Anything at all."
Yes, she did know that. There was no secrets between them. But how exactly did one tell your girlfriend that you wished to have sex in a non-clumsy and extremely romantic way when you actually didn't know whether your girlfriend was interested in that or not? Emma was so gallant. So kind and careful and gentle when it came to respecting the boundaries Regina had set up. She always thought of Regina first.
And now Regina struggled to figure out what Emma's opinion on making their intimacy even more real, was. Were they even on the same page in this? Was Regina the only one who wanted to take things a step further?
There was only one way to find out. And preferably soon. Before the tension made her combust.
"I made some coffee for us."
Regina automatically grabbed the cup of coffee and took two sips of the scolding hot beverage before setting the cup down on the coffee table again. She didn't want her breath to smell too much of coffee if….
She looked at Emma. Bit her lip again.
Emma turned slightly on the couch, so they were sitting more face to face. She then gently cupped Regina's cheek. Her voice was low and slightly worried as she asked: "Regina, what's going on? You're making me a bit worried now, babe. Please communicate with me."
Well. If that wasn't her cue, Regina didn't know what was. She leaned over and kissed Emma deeply, earning herself a surprised gasp in return. But Emma didn't pull away. She chuckled into the kiss. That was a good sign. A definite good sign.
She would have to rely solely on actions and body language tonight. Regina had never dreamed that she one day would be in the situation where she had to seduce her partner without uttering a word, but there was a first time for everything, as they said. She would just have to try. She cupped the back of Emma's neck and deepened the kiss.
The response from Emma was utterly positive. Her hands skated down to Regina's hips and squeezed slightly. Then she nipped at Regina's bottom lip, and oh god, they had to be on the same page, right? This was a good thing, right? Normally, Emma took a bit longer to touch her. Because she was being careful. Not because she didn't want to.
Emma's grip on her hips tightened the slightest bit and Regina responded by eagerly flicking the tip of her tongue against Emma's bottom lip. Emma willingly opened her mouth and Regina slipped her tongue inside. So far, so good (very, very good!) but they had done this quite a few times before. As glorious as it was (and boy was it EVER glorious!), it wasn't exactly a new thing. She had to find a way to nudge them from known territory and into new territory. And she had to do it without being a complete klutz about it.
For a moment she stopped thinking and moaned into Emma's mouth. That caused Emma to wrap her arms snugly around her waist.
Good. Good, good, good! Surely, this had to mean that Regina was on the right track! She shifted slightly but regretted it the moment she felt Emma's arms around her waist go slightly slack. No, no, no! She wasn't about to pull away like she always did. Emma couldn't think that. If she thought that and broke the kiss thinking that Regina needed some space, it would be tricky to get back in the mood.
She had to do something. And she had to do it fast before Emma got the wrong idea and started apologizing.
Regina reluctantly moved her hands away from the back of Emma's neck and brought them down. Not to touch Emma, she feared that would be too crass.
No, instead she managed to open the first button in her blazer. So far so good. Now she just had to open the second, take off the blazer and then continue to her blouse. That wasn't so difficult, was it?
But just as she had managed to open the second button in her blazer, Emma opened her eyes. Her gaze flickered down to Regina's fingers by the button and then up to her face.
Regina gently freed herself from Emma's embrace. She needed a bit of room to do this. She slid the blazer down her shoulders and let it land on the floor. Then she lifted her head and made eye contact with Emma. Eye contact wasn't such a bad idea. Now she really could communicate what was on her mind. Or at least she hoped that she could. She raised her hands and let her fingers hover by the first button in her blouse for a second. Her heart flapped in her chest like a bird in a cage. God, she was nervous.
But still not nervous in a bad way. Still not in a way that had her second guessing this decision. Definitely not.
Without breaking eye contact with Emma, Regina slowly unbuttoned the first button in her blouse. Was that just her fingers shaking, or was it in fact all of her?
She wasn't completely sure. Nor did it matter. As long as she wasn't shaking because of something bad. And she absolutely wasn't. She was trembling because she was excited and aroused and everything in between. She unbuttoned the second button. Then the third.
"Woah, what are you- what are you d-doing?" Emma stuttered, voice nothing more than a tiny squeak and eyes nearly bulging as she looked at Regina.
Well… Regina was tempted to unbutton her blouse the rest of the way and let that be answer enough, because she had a feeling that Emma already knew what she was doing.
But open communication had always been one of the most important things in their relationship. So just to make sure that there was absolutely nothing to be unsure of, Regina reached within her purse and found the pre-written note and handed it to Emma.
The note that said 'I'm ready'…
To Be Continued…