A/N: The end! Happy Halloween guys! I hope you have a lovely eve (as lovely as can be had with everything going on right now) and that you enjoyed this little story :)
Stalking a little way down the hall, Regina glances over her shoulder as the door to the control room swings closed behind her and stops. Moving to stand with her back against the wall and her eyes adjusting to the darkness, she frowns down at the cables that snake across the floor but doesn't go any further.
She doesn't need to.
She'll simply take a couple of minutes to get herself firmly back under control before she brings the monitor miraculously to life.
You shouldn't have let the conversation take the direction it did. Now you have that to deal with on top of everything else!
Perhaps, but she'd argue that she's not solely responsible and that the majority of the blame should fall on Emma who had definitely been the ringleader in their suggestive back and forth.
Why are you surprised? The woman prides herself on getting under your skin with uncouth remarks and obnoxious teasing.
True, except that had been back in Storybrooke. Back home. Back when Emma had known who she was and had had a reason to wind her up and dole back some of the confusion and irritation she'd received in spades. Now, the blonde has no pretext for her impish comments. She has no memory of their heated spats and their tumultuous battle for dominance and control.
Now, she's just a woman at work, making rather provocative comments towards a stranger she seems openly appreciative of.
This isn't part of a game... At least, not one we've played before...
Regina swallows as she tries to decide how best to proceed. She could make her way back into the room and push for the younger woman to eat the candy- hardly the most challenging of requests- and put an immediate end to this before either of them says anything else that might cause friction in the future.
Friction?! Our entire relationship has been built off friction, and it seems we can't help but enjoy the spark!
She could end this... Or, she could carry on letting Emma unknowingly take the reigns. She could simply see how this all plays out.
The thought fills her with more anticipation than she knows it should, and she tells herself she's merely relishing this much-needed break from the monotony of her interactions with those back home.
Don't make this into something bigger than it really is.
She scolds herself, blaming her disquiet and reluctance on Snow and her prince, as she fears their newfound caution has rubbed off on her. Never when she had claimed the throne would she have given a second thought to the consequence of her actions, and, while she knows that her growth in this respect is valid and crucial, she does acknowledge that she can sometimes allow situations to blow up and get away from her in her mind only to find herself disappointed and deflated by their eventual reality.
It's not as though anything's about to happen.
She rolls her eyes as she primps her hair and reapplies her smirk of superiority before flicking her wrist to bring the monitor in the control room to life and heading back in to reap the adoration her magic has surely earned her.
"Is it working? I think I-"
But she falls silent with a frown of confusion as she looks from the camera footage lighting up the screen to the blonde who has moved to sit perched on the desk with her back to the display that's caused her so much grief.
"It's working."
Emma agrees, her expression hard to read and her tone low. Dangerous.
"Well, you're welcome."
Regina sighs dramatically, and the younger woman offers her a curt nod but nothing more, before musing quietly.
"I guess that means you're done here."
"... Looks that way."
The brunette agrees, but she makes no move to leave and simply stands with her back to the props littering the shelves.
"Shame."
Emma replies finally, and the darker woman raises a brow as she enquires silkily
"Oh?"
"I think the rest of my night it going to be pretty boring sat in here on my own."
"Mm... Well, you were offered a swap of position to see the action."
Regina reminds her baitedly, and the younger woman nods slowly before asking
"Is that what you think I should do, then?"
"Well, I imagine what you do is up to you, dear. I don't see how it's any of my business."
"... It could be."
Emma replies cryptically, and she waits for the brunette to ask her what she means. To tell her to back off. To sigh and say that she should get going now that she's done what she's come here to do.
The darker woman simply remains stood where she is, and there's no way she's not aware of the electricity between them.
At least, that's what Emma tells herself, but she's pretty sure she's right as the brunette wets her lips and stares her down.
"What do you-"
Regina asks finally, but she's cut off as the Sheriff moves swiftly from the desk to push her none too gently back against the stacked shelves; tasting her in the way she had seemed to threaten to all that time ago when she'd pushed the Queen up against the shelves in the hospital supply closet.
Reciprocating the blonde's kiss hungrily, the Mayor shivers as a hand slips beneath her coat to rest firmly against her side, and she threads her fingers into tousled curls and offers a wicked tug in retaliation. She considers pulling back to insist that any progression to this madness is inadvisable, but then the younger woman trails hot velvet down her throat followed by a bold brush of her teeth, and the brunette allows herself to be pulled over towards the desk willingly as she battles clumsily to remove the blonde's jacket.
"Ouch!"
She hisses as the backs of her thighs smack against the edge of the desk, but she makes no further protest as Emma encourages her to lean back on its surface while the younger woman takes over in shedding rough leather; wrestling open the Mayor's smart, wool coat to even the score.
"It should be alright..."
Emma murmurs into dark locks as she pulls herself up onto the desk so she may straddle the darker woman who she now guides to lie across its length with little concern when Regina accidentally kicks the monitor, in danger of knocking it onto the floor, and Emma's odd assurance promptly makes sense as the desk gives an ominous creak beneath their weight and shudders with their movements.
"Are you sure?"
Regina demands breathlessly as she slips her hand beneath thin cotton.
"You want to stop?"
The blonde growls as she dips her head to nip at softly parted lips.
"No."
The Mayor replies firmly, watching through hooded lids as the younger woman takes her response as a request to make swift work of the buttons of her shirt.
"Good."
Emma smirks as she runs her hand over newly exposed flesh with a suggestive push of her hips that causes the desk to shudder.
"Just be careful."
Regina warns as she pulls the younger woman's t-shirt roughly up and over her head; taking little care to keep from scratching pale skin as she does.
"Sorry, not my style."
The blonde grins as she shakes out messy curls and rises high up onto her knees in order to make swift work of the catch to smart dress pants. A loud crack heralds this action, and the Mayor frowns, before biting her lip when sly fingers slip swiftly inside steadily dampening silk.
"Don't worry, that was my knees."
Emma chuckles as she teases the brunette slowly, and Regina allows her lashes to fall shut as she hisses irritably
"Could you stop ruining the moment?!"
"Oh, are we having a moment?"
The blonde muses impishly, cracking up throatily when the darker woman offers her ass a firm squeeze in a flawed attempt at punishment, before stopping with an abrupt yelp as Regina pulls her down roughly to sink her teeth into her bottom lip.
"You tell me..."
The Mayor whispers, her breathing audible as Emma gives up any pretence and enters her with a slick curl of her fingers. She uses her own to wrestle the blonde's jeans open, before coaxing her to pull back so that she can slip rough denim partially down her thighs.
"I guess we are."
The younger woman hisses as her earlier teasing is reciprocated and skilled fingers play over scant lace before pulling the damp crotch of her underwear to the side.
"Careful..."
Regina repeats her earlier warning when the desk shudders against the wall as Emma lowers her hips and begins to move in time with slow thrusts of her fingers, although she doesn't imagine either of them is in any state to take heed of her demand as she tastes the blonde hungrily; feeling lightheaded with shock that this should be happening, yet sure in every reciprocal dip into slick heat.
"Fuck..."
Emma hisses through gritted teeth as they begin to move with purpose towards the edge, and she imagines it's a good thing that canned sound effects are being pumped out to illicit real screams, as this drowns out the steady knocking of the desk against the wall, and the small noises they make that grow steadily louder as each tries to outdo the other.
"Faster..."
Regina pants as she picks up her own pace roughly, and she adds her own steady moaning to rival that in the haunted rooms as Emma complies with a gentle nip to her throat.
That teasing nip soon becomes a cruel bite as the younger woman falls forward with a cry; driving her fingers deep and grinding her palm against the brunette's need to bring the latter crashing over the edge after her with a choked sob.
"Careful."
The Mayor warns yet again, although this time she has little interest in the desk, and instead refers to Emma's movements as the blonde pushes herself up and slips her fingers from spent folds to earn herself a telling jerk.
"Sorry."
The Sheriff grins knowingly, taking a moment to drink in flushed cheeks and forbidden flesh before she climbs cautiously off the table to allow the brunette to sit up.
"God..."
Regina croaks, running a shaking hand through her hair as she tries to catch her breath. Glancing over at the blonde as the latter pulls up her jeans and retrieves her top, she begins doing up the buttons of her shirt before lowering herself off the desk and tucking it neatly back into the waistband of her pants. Pulling her coat firmly around herself, she watches as Emma reclaims her seat and shakes the mouse to bring the computer screen back to life. Rubbing at her lips a little awkwardly- imagining her lipstick is now nothing but a ghosted memory- she struggles to think of something to say before her gaze falls on something she can't quite explain. Glancing back up at messy curls and the younger woman's improbably relaxed demeanour, she shakes her head and stalks stiffly towards the desk; picking up the opened and almost empty packet of candy still trailing its orange ribbon.
"What...?"
She struggles to get the word out, and once successful, she has no clue what to say to follow, so she simply holds up the bag in demand for an explanation; eyes wide with confusion as they meet cool green.
Emma merely looks at the bag and shrugs, going back to messing with the mouse, before musing softly
"Shouldn't you get going? Now that you've finished with your 'job' and all?"
"I don't understand..."
The brunette replies woodenly, taking a hasty step back as the younger woman pushes herself up and moves to fetch her jacket from the floor.
"Really? That's not like you, Regina."
Emma remarks coolly, and the darker woman glances over at her sharply as the use of her name confirms the insanity she holds in her hand, and she opens her mouth in sheer shock before demanding incredulously
"When did you-?! How did you?!... Why did you do that if you knew who I was?!"
"Why did you start it when you knew who I was?"
The younger woman counters boldly, and the Mayor struggles with fury, disbelief and a nauseating sense of unease as she stammers in an attempt to answer; her cheeks flushed with rage.
"I didn't start anything!"
She snaps finally, knowing this is a weak response at best. Emma seems of a similar opinion as she stares her down pensively, before perching on the desk with a sigh.
"Well, you can plead innocence all you like, but you sure as hell finished something."
"I-..."
Regina tries again, but she remains too stunned to do much more than glower at the Sheriff, and finally, Emma takes a small form of pity on her.
"Look, I ate those while you were out the room sorting the cameras- pretending to sort the cameras- and I felt very much how you're feeling right now, believe me! I don't know exactly what you're doing here pretending to be a tech wiz inside a Haunted House, but I can guess at the gist of it and I imagine you're probably here to try and convince Henry and I to come home now that it's safe to do so. I can't think why else you'd be here... That's a lot, Regina. Always with you, it's a lot. You fuck with my head like it's a sport; it's like your greatest pleasure in life is complicating mine. I guess I just saw an opportunity to give you a taste of how that feels."
The blonde admits, pulling her hair back with a wince and tying it into a messy knot away from her face.
"...So that's why you did it? To get back at me?! Miss Swan, that is so far over the line! To make me look like a fool, and-"
"-I didn't say I wanted to make you look like a fool."
Emma interrupts with a frown.
"No?! Well, how am I supposed to feel learning that you were playing me to settle some imagined score?"
"I wasn't playing you... I already told you; I don't see you like that."
"You... But you didn't know... When you said those things about me, you didn't know who I was. So how would you-"
"-No, but I told you; sometimes you just get a feeling about someone... In this case, I was right. I usually am about that kind of thing."
The blonde shrugs.
"I... I don't... You couldn't have just told me that? You couldn't have just admitted you'd eaten the candy? I don't understand why you would kiss me when you knew full well who I was!? Let alone anything else!"
"Well, I imagine, Madame Mayor, my reasons are similar to yours for letting me... You knew just as well as I did. Better than you believed I did, so why did you do it?"
"... I wanted to."
Regina replies finally, her expression hard as she meets Emma's green stare warily.
"Ooooh, I bet that stung to admit!"
The blonde teases, earning herself a warning glower before the brunette lets go of her furious disbelief and sighs.
"Not as badly as either of us probably would expect... After all, you've admitted that you find me worthy of possessive adoration and long-term romance. It seems fair that I permit that you're just about tolerable when you're naked."
"Hmm... If that's your theory, then your research is highly flawed."
"Maybe. But you see, I'm the sort of woman you'd need to take out for wine and dinner to find out more."
Regina points out; playing with fire as she throws the younger woman's oblivious assumptions about her character back at her.
"Is that so?"
"Your words, not mine, dear. I don't make the rules."
"Actually, you almost always do."
"True... And yet you kissed me."
"Hmm... Well, I guess that tells you something about the sort of woman I might be."
"... Not nearly enough..."
"Then, maybe we should go get something to eat once I'm done here. I take it you're not on any schedule?"
"No... My task was always going to take as long as it took... I'm sure it's not totally outside the realms of the others' imagination that you might prove difficult and stall."
"That does sound like me."
Emma agrees.
"And, I'm sure there's some truth in my presumption that you're not in any immediate hurry to run on home?"
"I have my reservations, but I would have thought you'd be eager to bring us back?"
"I was eager to find you... Henry, I mean."
"Sure."
"Dinner sounds... Fine. Insane, but acceptable."
"Is it though?"
"Acceptable?"
"Insane?"
"... No. Maybe not.
"I don't think so either."
Emma admits quietly, leaning over for her phone and opening up her messages.
"I'll text Ryan to see if there's any chance he can swing things so I can get out of here early."
"Are you going to tell him why?"
Regina asks, dark eyes glittering wickedly, and Emma raises a brow with a small smirk before reaching up to wipe at a smear of lipstick colouring the brunette's jaw.
"I don't think I need to..."
"Mm. Do it anyway."
"Yeah?"
"For fun."
"You're evil."
"You know this already."
"I guess I do."