Chapter five
The atmosphere at breakfast was so unusual that even Henry couldn't decipher it. He watched as Regina asked Emma for the salt, then pointedly refused to look at her as she passed it over - even though their thighs were clearly pressed together under the table - without having the faintest idea what it meant. There was a new shyness between them that he'd never seen before - over the years they'd gone from uncertain to enemies to deadly enemies to maybe friends, but this new development was the strangest of them all.
He frowned and watched as Emma accidentally touched Regina's hand with the back of her own, hesitated, held it there, and then slowly pulled away like she had been scolded by an invisible teacher. It was weird, but he thought he saw Regina's cheeks turn pink.
When they began their journey back home, he clambered into the backseat without it being discussed. For a moment he worried that one of his mothers would make an excuse and peel herself away from the other, but instead they settled into their usual positions - Regina at the wheel, Emma rummaging in the glove compartment for candy - without a word. As they headed into Indiana, a new routine became obvious: less chatter, but more glances across the car. Emma opened a bottle of water, took a sip and then offered it to Regina, who drank it without comment. Henry watched them eagerly, spotting the energy dancing between them like it was made of bright lights, and desperately wished he could ask what was going on. But he knew no good would come of that - if anything, it would probably send them hurtling back a step.
Instead, he sat back and remained quiet, watching them all the way up to their stop for the night.
When they arrived at the checkin desk and the man behind it handed them two keys, not three, he didn't comment. He also didn't say a word at dinner whenever he caught them smiling nervously at each other and occasionally touching each other's knee under the table.
Meanwhile, Regina and Emma hadn't even considered that he might have noticed. They were so wrapped up in trying not to state at each other that it didn't occur to them their son might be staring at them instead.
When they arrived back at their rooms, Regina kissed Henry's cheek before he vanished behind his door. Their rooms were side by side this time, which meant he had to resist the urge to press his ear up against the wall the moment he was inside.
In the next room, Emma was kicking off her shoes as Regina watched from the doorway. They both felt hot and slightly jumpy from a day trapped in the car together without being able to say anything they needed to say. Regina wondered which one of them would be the one to break the silence.
A second later, Emma looked up, tucking her hair behind both ears, and smiled. "You doing okay?"
"Sure," Regina replied, removing her own shoes before heading over to the bed. Emma continued watching as she sat down. "Are you?"
"I'm good. It's just been weird not being able to talk properly all day."
"I know. Maybe we should have scheduled our little tryst better."
Emma laughed. "Was it... okay?"
For about half a second, Regina considered propping up her protective walls and offering Emma a disinterested shrug. It would have been very, very easy to act like their hour-long kiss from the night before hadn't meant anything to her at all. But then she remembered what it had felt like to fall asleep beside Emma - not wrapped up in each other's arms, but deliberately facing one another and watching the other breathe - and she couldn't do it. She smiled instead.
"It was perfect."
Emma let out a heavy sigh of relief and walked over. Plonking down beside her, she said, "Good. I was worried it was only me."
"You weren't paying attention then, were you?"
"Do I ever?"
"No," Regina said, nudging her playfully. "I guess you don't."
Emma grinned back, but then her gaze fell to the knotted fingers in her lap. "It's just... I don't want to presume anything or put pressure on you, but last night was kind of great. It would suck if we couldn't do it again."
She sounded so hopeful that Regina nearly threw her onto the pillows then and there.
"Oh, really?" she asked smoothly. Her hand crept out and traced a faint line up the front of Emma's thigh. "That's quite the compliment."
"I'm trying to be casual."
"Well, don't. I've never liked casual."
Emma's head shot up at the certainty in her voice and found Regina staring levelly back at her, her eyes darker than ever. For some reason, she could sense that she was slightly nervous, but at the same time she saw determination in her face. She was challenging Emma to be brave and take this further, and Emma was so enamoured with her that she didn't even pause to consider saying no.
She shuffled closer and admitted, "I haven't done anything like that in a long time."
"What about Hook?"
"That was different. We got together so slowly, because I was resistant to it the whole time, that when we finally kissed it was almost an anticlimax. Whereas with you, I..." Emma hesitated, gathering her nerve. "I think I've wanted to kiss you for a really, really long time, but I didn't realise it until we got into the car a week ago. And then as soon as it happened, I thought I'd die if we stopped."
The words rushed out of her like water, and she found herself breathless when she finally came to a halt. After a beat, she peered up at Regina like she was expecting to find her laughing. Instead, she was watching her thoughtfully, already reaching out to tenderly tuck Emma's hair behind her ear.
"I think I've loved you for years."
Something inside Emma ground to a halt. "What?"
"I know," Regina replied solemnly. "I didn't want to admit it, and maybe I shouldn't be admitting it now. But I think I have. Even when Robin left and I was heartbroken, a tiny part of me was relieved because it meant I was free for you if you ever wanted me. I just didn't admit it to myself until last night."
Emma smiled wistfully. "That's crazy."
"I know."
"I always thought you were the level-headed one out of the two of us."
"I know," Regina said yet again. "But something about you makes me go a bit insane."
It was a strange, sweet compliment, and Emma couldn't help but laugh. She leaned forward to kiss Regina, and was so blessedly relieved when Regina kissed her back.
When they fell back against the sheets, it was with none of the surprised uncertainty of the night before. Regina gently lowered Emma down and cupped her cheek, but kissed her hard enough to make it clear that her cautiousness was long gone. Eventually her hand slid down from Emma's face to her throat, and when it was nearly at her chest, she paused. Emma nodded without breaking their kiss, and then groaned out loud when she felt a hand sliding over her breast and tracing the peak of her nipple through her shirt.
And then the hand was slipping lower, reaching the bottom of her shirt and easing it up. Emma was devastated when Regina stopped kissing her, until she felt her shifting and easing down the bed so she could press her lips against Emma's exposed stomach. Emma inhaled sharply, causing her hips and ribs to rise up, and Regina moaned into the new dips and curves she was privy to. A gentle bite against Emma's lowest rib created such a low whimper of longing that Regina nearly tore the rest of her clothes off right then.
But she forced herself to move slowly, not pushing Emma's shirt up too far and only unbuttoning the top of Emma's jeans. She rubbed her nose against the space between Emma's belly button and the zipper of her pants, breathing in the smell of her, before kissing the skin hard and making her jump. A tiny red mark was left behind.
"Do you bruise easily?" she asked.
Above her, Emma whimpered. "Kind of."
"Is that going to cause a problem?"
"No," Emma replied breathlessly. "You can do whatever you want."
Regina lifted her head and met Emma's gaze, checking that there wasn't any uncertainty on her face. When Emma nodded sharply, Regina returned to her stomach and kissed her again, harder this time, sucking what flesh she could find between her teeth and vibrating when it made Emma moan.
"You're going to need to keep it down a bit," Regina muttered into her abdomen. "Henry's next door."
"Then you're going to need to stop touching me," Emma replied through gritted teeth. She was relieved when her words were met with a laugh.
"You know, I don't see that happening somehow."
And just like that, her fingers were curling round the waistband of Emma's jeans and slowly pulling them down. Emma lifted her hips to help, watching Regina eagerly. Once they were gone, Regina eyed her underwear and paused.
"We should make this even, I think," she said, and then, before Emma could blink, reached down and tugged off her own shirt. The second Emma saw her black, lacy bra appearing, she groaned and reached out for her.
"Come here. Now."
They moved up toward the pillows and fell into a series of breathless, gasping kisses that made them both go lightheaded. Emma's arms were thrown around Regina's neck and kept trying to tug her closer, like the faintest sliver of air between them was nipping at her skin. She could feel Regina's chest and back burning beneath her hands - the muscles shifting and subsiding any time she moved - and had to stop herself whining out loud yet again at the need to have even more of her.
Regina noticed and grinned against her lips. "You have been wanting this for a while, haven't you?"
Emma decided to ignore her. Instead, she reached behind Regina's back, fiddled for her bra clasp and pulled it open.
The second Regina's breasts appeared before her eyes, she felt herself tearing up. Regina laughed at the sight of her. "Are you quite alright?"
"Shut up," Emma choked out as Regina sat back and removed the rest of her bra, giving her an unobstructed view. Emma reached out and tentatively cupped them, her forehead scrunched up like she was worried they were about to disappear again. The second Regina felt her cool palms against her nipples, she groaned and tipped her head back. Just like that, Emma couldn't hold back any longer.
She pushed herself upright and buried her face in Regina's chest, leaving hot, desperate kisses across any inch of skin she could find. She smelled otherworldly - even sitting beside her in a car for a week hadn't prepared her for how rich and fresh and exotic her skin was. Regina's pulse was pounding beneath it and Emma deliberately left a red mark directly over her heart, hoping the touch of her lips would repair some of the damage everyone before her - and maybe her as well - had done to it. At the sensation, Regina lifted her hands to cup the back of Emma's head and sighed with gratitude.
And then they were lying down again, Emma's shirt being torn over her head as Regina's pants were unbuttoned. The remaining scraps of fabric were ripped off and tossed to the carpet. Emma blinked back tears for a second time when she realised Regina was completely naked and starry-eyed above her, her hair messy and tousled and thrown to the side as she dipped forward to kiss Emma's lips one more time before sliding downward. The faint bruises on her stomach began to multiply, and just when Emma was writhing and begging for more, Regina caved and moved down those last few inches.
At the feeling of her tongue swiping through her, Emma nearly burst into tears. She gripped the pillow beneath her head with both hands and all but howled, spreading her legs further so Regina could settle herself between them. Grinning, Regina dipped her tongue in again and moaned against her clit, sending vibrations shooting up from her cunt to her head. Emma could barely lie still from the sudden overstimulation, but that worked just fine for Regina - looping her arms around Emma's thighs, she pinned her down hard and dove back in.
"Stop wriggling," she muttered. She didn't really mind, but she just wanted to say what was coming next. "If you break my nose, I'll never fuck you again."
Just like that, Emma was lying perfectly still. Regina could feel her legs trembling from the exertion, and when she quietly said, "Good girl" into Emma's dripping pussy, she felt the shaking sensation move to the rest of her body.
"Regina," Emma gasped, slapping a hand over her own mouth. "I can't—"
To stop her saying anything else, Regina roughly shoved two fingers inside her and laughed as Emma fell apart, her orgasm rattling through her and lifting her lower back off the bed. As soon as it had passed, Regina started again, pushing her fingers in slower and focusing them on her G-spot, rubbing in short, sharp curves that made Emma's eyes grow wider and wider. She was shaking again, and her right hand was no longer over her mouth but buried in Regina's hair, pulling her so close to her clit that she was sure she probably couldn't breathe. Still, Regina just smirked and kept going, not letting her rhythm falter, until Emma came again with a breathless cry that Regina was certain the entire floor had heard.
She let her recover after that, burying her face back in Emma's stomach and kissing her tenderly over all her newly formed bruises. Her body was hot and sticky and almost melted into the sheets.
"Regina," she eventually croaked, forcing her to look up. "Come here. Please."
Climbing onto her knees at once, Regina crawled forward to kiss her or hold her or whatever else Emma needed. She was slightly taken aback when Emma shook her head.
"No," she said, looking pointedly down at Regina's body. "Come here."
It took Regina a moment to realise what she meant. As soon as she understood, she smirked.
The second she'd settled down with her pussy above Emma's mouth, she felt herself starting to sink. Emma grabbed her ass and yanked her closer, not caring about the sudden weight on her face or the thighs stopping her from catching her breath - her tongue was already deep in Regina's cunt, and the second she heard her gasp out loud, she knew she wasn't removing it any time soon.
She could feel Regina's arousal dripping down from her cunt to the very back of her tongue. It made her whole body ignite. The ass that was still captured beneath her palms and fingernails was taut and just cushioned enough for her to dig her fingers into, which only made Regina gasp harder. She grabbed hold of the headboard and rocked forward, bumping her clit against Emma's nose and moaning loudly at the feel of it. At once, Emma had too much of her and not enough by far, so she wriggled free.
"Stay right there," she said as she slipped out from Regina's body. She was positioned on her knees with her folded arms resting along the top of the headboard. When she felt Emma settling down behind her, her forehead fell down to join them.
"Emma," she groaned, although she didn't know what she was trying to say. She felt Emma's mouth between her shoulder blades, kissing down her spine until she reached her ass and then gently biting it. In that moment of distraction, two fingers slipped between her legs and entered her like a boat coursing upstream.
Regina whimpered and rocked back into them at once. She already wanted so much more, and she wondered how exactly she was supposed to ask for that without terrifying Emma away from her.
But then Emma grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back from the headboard, shoving her down into the pillows instead. Regina gasped with surprise, but automatically propped her ass higher in the air. As soon as she had, another finger slipped inside her.
She moaned gratefully and gathered the pillows into her face. Behind her, she could feel the smugness radiating from Emma as she started to fuck her faster, her other hand looping round Regina's waist and slowly caressing her clit.
"Harder," Regina bit out into the fabric. Emma did as she was told, pressing down with four fingers so that every inch of Regina's slippery clit was covered. She received a frantic nod of approval and began to fuck her even harder.
Regina could feel the very top of her head hitting the bedframe as she was forced forward with every stroke, but the pain just made the stars behind her eyes burn even brighter. She moaned on each thrust, silently begging Emma for more and then doubting herself when she felt her cunt being stretched by yet another finger. Something manic and animalistic was overtaking her and she suddenly wanted everything she could get - Emma's whole fist, her arm if it would fit in there - and the mere thought of that alone tipped her so far into her orgasm that she collapsed onto the sheets howling, the pillow beneath her face wet from saliva and sweat and the faintest tears.
Emma fell down after her, kissing her tenderly all over her back and shoulders. The sight of her - naked and trembling and glistening ever so slightly, like she was dusted with glitter - was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
"Regina," she whispered, kissing a particularly perfect birthmark halfway down her spine.
"Mm?"
"No rush," Emma said, "but do you mind if I do that again?"
Regina laughed out loud and rolled over, grabbing Emma by the back of her head and yanking her in for a messy kiss. Emma giggled with her, enjoying the warmth of their bodies pressed together and the feeling of Regina's heart pounding against hers.
"Not at all," she eventually replied, pushing the curls away from Emma's face. "I don't know about you, but I suddenly have enough energy to keep me up all night."
Emma grinned and kissed her again. She was just getting ready to crawl downward once more - to spend at least an hour with her tongue buried between Regina's legs, just like she deserved - when she heard her phone buzz. After a moment of rummaging on the floor, she managed to fish it out of her crumpled jeans.
Her eyes nearly rolled out of her head when she saw the text.
Obviously I'm really happy for you both, but do you mind keeping it down a bit? We have to be up early tomorrow for the rest of the drive.
She showed the screen to Regina and, as total mortification spilled out over them, they collapsed laughing in each other's arms. By the next morning, neither of them could remember exactly how they'd fallen asleep - but they had, naked and curled up together, Emma's face buried in Regina's shoulder and Regina's thigh tangled between Emma's. They woke up blearily, their bodies tender and slightly bruised, but still pressed together. Regina cracked open one eye, saw Emma smiling sleepily at her, and felt her heart thump properly for the first time in years.
THE END