Christmas Eve
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
"What?" Regina set her bottle of perfume down onto the dresser and peered over at Emma, who was standing in the bathroom doorway in just a lace bra and black jeans.
"You're wearing that to the party tonight?" Emma's eyes went wide and she didn't bother to hide the way they fell downward, taking in every inch of Regina's body.
"What? You don't like it?" Regina turned to catch a glimpse of her reflection in the full-length mirror. The hem of her black dress with a lace overlay was shorter than she was used to, with a tight fit around the curve of her ass and a deep neckline. "I'm planning on throwing a jacket over it. Is it too much?"
"I'm not going to be able to keep my hands off of you. And I know you. You'll have one glass of wine and end up dragging me into the bathroom because you're too impatient to wait until we get home."
Regina raised an eyebrow in amusement and laughed. "I can change if you'd li—"
"Don't you dare!" Emma rushed over until she was inches away. She stayed strong, resisting the ache to reach out and tease Regina's exposed thigh. Her willpower diminished and she sighed as she traced one fingertip over Regina's exposed chest.
"Remind me again why it's a bad thing if you can't keep your hands to yourself?" Regina smirked as she let her head fall against Emma's. Keeping her gaze fixed on both of them in the mirror's reflection, she turned her head and pressed a soft kiss to Emma's cheek. "Now put on a shirt or we're both going to end up missing the party."
Emma emerged moments later wearing a shimmery silver tank top that tucked loosely into the front of her black jeans.
Regina eyed her, drinking in the way her legs seemed to go on for days. She skimmed her fingertips along her own jawline and licked her lips.
"It seems I was mistaken." She paused, eyeing Emma's chest. "You've put on your shirt and we're going to be late, after all."
Emma tilted her head slightly to the right, her eyes beaming while a soft smirk played at her lips.
Opting to take the subway to the venue at The High Line, they blamed their tardiness on the C train.
"It's so nice to see you both again," Belle greeted them with a hug as soon as they walked in. "Ruby is outside on the terrace talking to Ashley if you want to go say hello. The bar is upstairs and to the left."
Regina guided them through the crowd, but Emma tugged her toward the bar instead.
"I thought we already discussed what would happen if I drank too much," Regina teased before accepting the cocktail Emma had ordered for her.
"I'm willing to take the risk if you are."
They were inches apart, with Emma whispering against Regina's ear. If anyone saw them, they'd be able to tell how much they couldn't get enough of each other.
"We should go find Ruby and say hi before she drinks too much and forgets we were even here," Emma joked.
She led the way this time, the sound of their heels echoing around them. Once they made their way out onto the terrace, the cold air hit them and Regina shivered.
"Oh my god, you made it!" Ruby rushed over to them and tossed her arms around Emma.
"Of course we did," Emma laughed. "Why wouldn't we?"
Ruby didn't answer. She just tilted her head to the side and let her eyes fall from Emma to Regina and back to Emma again. She smirked.
"Okay, yeah yeah. We get it," Emma rolled her eyes and laughed again.
"I didn't even say anything!"
Regina jumped in, finding Ruby's antics endearing. "You never have to, dear."
Ruby flashed her an unapologetic smile and Regina laughed. Emma felt Regina shiver again beside her and she wrapped her arm around her waist to pull her closer.
"So I have some bad news," Ruby frowned. "Neal kind of crashed. I really don't know who keeps inviting him to these parties because it's certainly not me."
Emma shrugged. "My money's on Killian. But thanks for the heads up. We'll be fine."
She glanced at Regina who looked unaffected by Ruby's warning.
"He's more of a nuisance than a threat," Regina laughed and leaned in closer to Emma.
"God, Regina. How are you always shivering?" Emma eyed the towering space heater nearby and gestured them closer toward it.
"I'm alright, my hands are just chilly." She pushed them under Emma's jacket and rested the palm of her hands on either side of her waist. "It helps that you always feel so warm."
Emma smiled, but still didn't like knowing Regina was uncomfortable. "Let's go inside."
Ruby said goodbye to them, opting to stay outside to smoke with Ashley before heading back in.
"I really would have been fine in the cold. I don't mean to cut your conversation short," Regina laughed. But she was grateful that Emma knew her well.
"You and I both know that's a lie," Emma chuckled as she leaned in to kiss her. "Besides, I want another drink."
They made it to the bar when they spotted Neal standing behind it.
"New job?" Emma asked, approaching cautiously. She never knew what Neal did for work, but she couldn't imagine that a bartending career would suit him well. He'd end up with a lawsuit filed against him for sexual misconduct within a month.
"I was flirting with that cute eye candy over there and she let me back here to make my signature holiday cocktails. Want one, Swan Song?"
Regina cleared her throat.
"Regina, pleasure to see you again."
"Yes. A pleasure," Regina spoke in a sarcastic tone that was anything but warm.
"I guess I should apologize for my behavior on New Year's Eve last year. I was high and I'm sure I made a complete ass of myself."
"Mm," Regina hummed. "A bit."
"So, what do you say, Em? Candy cane cocktail?"
"Absolutely not," Emma said with a nervous laugh. Regardless of Neal being on what seemed to be his best behavior, she still didn't trust him to serve a cocktail. "White wine will do."
Emma was right earlier – after her second drink, Regina was already reaching her hand out to trace her fingernails up and down Emma's thigh. They were seated in a group with ten other people and Emma crossed her legs to conceal Regina's wandering hand.
When the attention was on Belle, who was telling a story to a few of her coworkers, Emma looked at Regina and shook her head. But she was smiling, and was clearly amused.
Regina pretended to pout, but it was more of a demanding smirk than anything that looked remotely innocent.
"You're insatiable, you know that?" Emma whispered as she stood up and grabbed Regina by the hand. Emma's stomach fluttered – the way it always did when she even thought of kissing Regina Mills.
They didn't even make it to the bathroom before Regina pushed her up against the wall as they rounded the corner. Their mouths crashed together and Regina let out a soft moan, as if she'd been waiting to do this for hours.
"Mm, you taste so good," Regina's moans brushed against Emma's lips and her hand fell to the small of Emma's back to pull her in. Emma deepened the kiss with one hand at the base of Regina's neck.
"A-hem."
The sound of someone clearing their throat forced them to untangle their limbs and look up. Regina brought her thumb to just below her lips to wipe her smeared lipstick.
"Not that I don't appreciate a good show," Ruby laughed and continued, "Could you maybe go do that elsewhere? You're blocking the line to the bathroom."
"I can't manage to keep my hands off of her, it seems," Regina laughed. "My apologies."
"I remember when Belle and I were like that," Ruby sighed.
"You still are, Rubes." Emma laughed and dragged Regina back toward the crowd.
After one last round of drinks, they stumbled back toward the subway – a little too eager to be alone.
"Remind me again why I let you convince me we should bake cookies after consuming that much alcohol?" Regina laughed as she dropped her head into Emma's lap. They were both in their underwear sitting on the kitchen floor, with Emma's tank top covered in flour.
The warm glow of the string lights on the tree that they'd put up together was nothing in comparison to the warmth radiating off of the two of them.
"We need to leave cookies out for Santa!" Emma brought one hand up and swept Regina's hair over to one side, smiling down at her.
Regina sat up and blinked, straight faced.
"You're kidding."
But Emma curled her lips up into a pout that made Regina laugh softly. "Oh, you're not kidding."
"Oh c'mon. I've never had a proper Christmas Eve, don't mock me!"
But Regina laughed again and Emma couldn't help herself when she reached for the remnants of flour dusting the kitchen countertop. She grabbed what she could between her fingertips and tossed it at Regina.
With her jaw falling slack, Regina narrowed her eyes at Emma. For a moment, Emma was nervous Regina was about to yell at her. But, instead, Regina finally pressed her lips together and Emma knew she was trying to suppress a smile. Before she could say anything, Regina reached out and grabbed Emma by the waist.
Emma squealed, feeling Regina's weight collapsing on top of her as they fell backward onto the area rug that broke up the kitchen from the living room.
"No, no!" Emma screamed as Regina shook the flour out of her hair and onto Emma before falling back down and kissing her.
"You're washing this flour out of my hair, you know." Regina said matter-of-factly as soon as they pulled apart. She stayed still, straddling Emma's waist as she smiled down at her.
"Oh, really? I didn't know you were such a princess."
"Queen, actually." Regina corrected and Emma laughed.
"Oh. Well then, Your Majesty," Emma mocked. "How about you go start the tub while I take the cookies out of the oven?"
Regina hummed, mulling it over as she walked further into the living room. "How about a movie first?"
Emma laughed. "You're going to sit on the sofa with flour in your hair?"
"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but it's in your hair, too, darling."
Emma frowned as she brushed her fingers through her long hair, spotting the remnants of flour trickling out of it like soft snow.
Regina watched and they both broke out into laughter again. She put the cookies on a plate and carried them over.
"We drank too much. We'll clean the mess later." Emma dismissed the idea of showering first and collapsed on the couch. She reached out and pulled Regina down on top of her.
"Sugar cookie or chocolate chip?" Regina reached out and took one in each hand.
Emma answered Regina's question by leaning in and taking a bite out of the sugar cookie in her left hand.
"How did we do?"
Emma moaned, nodding her head in approval. "Very well considering how much alcohol we had tonight."
"So do you suppose they'll be up to par for Santa's high standards? What, should we leave him some milk, too?" Despite the mocking tone in her voice, Regina couldn't stop smiling at Emma's insistence to hold up a proper Christmas tradition.
Emma only smiled and nodded.
"You're cute."
"You think so?"
Regina nodded and reached for the remote.
"Are you really going to insist on It's A Wonderful Life?"
"I am." She smiled and reached for another cookie.
It didn't matter what movie they put on, though. Neither were interested in paying much attention.
"What happened to leaving some for Santa?" Regina laughed. Thirty minutes later, all the cookies were gone. Emma chewed and swallowed the last of the evidence that was already in her mouth and then shrugged.
"Oops."
Regina laughed and Emma laid backward until her head was in Regina's lap. Instinctively, Regina's hands fell to Emma's hair. The lightness in the air around them was euphoric.
Emma looked up at Regina, studying her with a contented smile. When Regina felt eyes on her, she looked down.
"If you really want to stare at me, at least choose a more flattering angle."
"You don't have a single unflattering angle and you know it." Emma refused to budge an inch as she spoke. Regina only smiled and looked back at the television.
"Are you dreading going to your parent's house tomorrow for Christmas?"
Regina turned her attention down to Emma again and shook her head slowly.
"No, actually." She paused, then let out a soft laugh as her cheeks grew warm. She combed through Emma's hair again and continued. "This might be the first time I'm actually looking forward to a holiday with my family. I have you to thank for that."
Emma's eyes gleamed and she smiled. "I'm actually pretty excited, too. I had fun on Thanksgiving."
"You're the first person who's ever stood up to my mother and lived to tell the tale. it's no wonder she approves of you."
"Wanna know something funny?" Emma began, starting to sit upright. "It's been a full year since we first met."
"How could I forget?" Regina's tender tone made Emma feel safe and she curled up closer.
"Who would have thought—last year when we both were alone and miserable on Christmas Eve—that a year later we'd be here? Spending the holiday together?"
"I wouldn't trade my lifetime of miserable holidays for anything." Regina tucked a stray hair behind Emma's ear, then she leaned in and kissed her forehead. With a grin, she looked back up. "They led me to you."
THE END