The golden-brown expanse of her muscular back is shining from the morning summer sun pouring through the window. Regina tilts her head to the side, admiring the warm tan that contrasts beautifully against the white sheet clinging to the firm bottom. Three weeks in the sun by her pool and Emma's skin is much darker while her golden waves have brightened up to almost a platinum blonde. Since Emma has taken her test, she has spent every day relaxing by their pool and distracting Regina from her artwork.
So, now, at seven o'clock in the morning on a Friday, Regina is sitting with her legs crisscrossed, a canvas resting in her lap and a broad range of pastels laid out in front of her. Emma's to her left, arms folded beneath her pillow, only a portion of her face peeking out from her wild mane that's slipping over her face and spread out across the pillow and her long back. She's smiling in her sleep and Regina's heart flips from the image. Graham is to her right, his head attempting to share a tiny corner of Emma's pillow. He's curled up on his side, his hand resting comfortably over Emma's forearm like he's somehow protecting her in her dreams and Regina's blood warms from the thought.
She purses her lips to contain her smile, but it's all rather useless. She shakes her head, her heart fluttering in her chest and inhales sharply as she proceeds. Little wisps of hair continue to tumble in her view as she works, so she quickly tosses her hair into a high and messy bun, streaking her inky strands with a vibrant color of daffodil yellow.
She allows her hand to control her work, gliding the yellow pastel across the scratchy canvas before the tips of her fingers rub across the line to spread the color. She bites down on the corner of her lip, her laser-focused eyes flicking between her reality and her masterpiece.
Because she knows this one will be a masterpiece.
She abandons the yellow pastel and quickly finds a peach color, her hand sliding down the length of the canvas, swooping and dipping to recreate all the voluptuous curves that define Emma Swan. She licks her lips, striving for perfection as she maps out the dip in the woman's lower back just before that tight bottom comes into focus.
And they sleep. Emma and Graham continue to sleep in peace, ignorant to the scratching and the rubbing coming from Regina's skilled hands until she has her next piece complete. She smiles at the drawing, she holds it up in front of her truth, her eyes flicking between the two and she genuinely smiles.
Her eyes linger on one detail, a hand to be exact. She didn't draw her husband this morning, no, this piece was strictly for the adorable blonde that stole her heart. However, there is a hand, in the corner of the picture, she drew Graham's hand gently holding Emma's forearm, because to her it's the perfect representation of this woman.
Emma is independent, goal oriented, beautiful, but is a loner. She will never be strapped down to a relationship, because her mind is set on one thing, becoming a doctor. And that's all that matters to this incredible woman. The hand represents that maybe someone might be able to touch, but that's all that it will ever be, there will never be a man or a woman in the picture. Just Emma. Just her beauty and her grace and most importantly, her brains.
XXXX
Strong hands work the lotion into her back while the sweet aroma of coconuts fills the air and she sighs from the tranquility of it all.
"Don't you feel...weird, being naked outside?" Emma asks from somewhere behind her, persuading a small smirk to come out and greet the day.
"No, dear. The fence is plenty high, nobody will be sneaking a peek," she lazily replies, half-asleep from the warming sun and a morning with laps in the pool.
"I don't know...I think I would still feel...exposed."
Graham chuckles from his lounge chair, his eyes securely shut to hide away from the sun and his swim trunks dripping all over the concrete below from his last swim.
Regina slowly turns over and squints from the burning sun up at Emma, who is practically salivating at her breasts on full display for those shimmering green eyes. She slides her warm palms up those deliciously damp biceps and pulls the younger woman down for a lazy kiss. Emma sighs, resting her entire weight on top of Regina's burning skin and the feeling of her cool skin from her swim against Regina's from sunbathing, is absolutely delightful.
Regina makes quick work of untying the thin strap at the nape of Emma's neck, allowing the baby blue bikini top to fall away from the slick skin. She moves even faster to unclasp the fasten at her back and smirks into the kiss when the top exposes those heavy breasts. Emma's nipples are already hard from the cool water still clinging to her skin and Regina moans from the way they scrape heavenly against her own.
"You're the worst," Emma murmurs into the kiss, but there's no bite in her tone and truthfully she sounds half-asleep, prompting Regina to laugh into their slow kiss.
Regina lightly drags her nails against the cool back, sliding through water droplets along the way until she is forcefully tugging Emma's bottoms down, releasing her baby white bottom into the world. She swats at both cheeks, grinning wildly against the woman's mouth before soothing the sting away with her warm palms and forcing Emma's center roughly against hers.
Emma groans and quickly jumps off Regina, pulling her bottoms back into place. "I don't need my butt burning to where I can't even sit down," she declares.
"You know we can always apply sunscreen," Graham suggests, his hand blocking the sun as he peeks over at Emma standing tall to readjust her bathing suit bottoms. "We wouldn't want those to burn either," he insinuates, nodding toward her exposed breasts.
"That's why you are going to help me tie this bathing suit back up," Emma firmly demands, jumping down rather aggressively right on top of his package, causing him to groan while offering him a good look at her back.
He slithers one arm around her waist and holds her into place as he slides up in the lounge chair. She gathers her wet hair and holds it up high so he can tie the strings his wife untied only moments ago.
Once he's finished, he places a small kiss to her shoulder and mutters, "you need more sunscreen on your shoulders, you're turning red."
Emma reaches over to Regina's lounge chair where she had left the sunscreen and hands it to Graham. Regina watches closely as her husband carefully rubs the lotion into Emma's shoulders and back, showering her muscles with extra attention. She smiles to herself, because there's just something about Graham always taking care of Emma that warms her soul.
It's been three weeks since they started acting like they are all in a relationship together, still no labels because Emma is very anti-labels and she must say, she's exhausted. Ever since Graham gave Emma the green light, the younger woman has been insatiable. Every time Emma has alone time with her, she's attacking her like she's desperate for her touch and then Graham comes home, and finds them naked together, and then he wakes them up, and the three of them go at it again and she's utterly exhausted. But she can't seem to wipe this stupid grin off her face, so really, she doesn't mind.
"So, what time do people usually show up tomorrow for your annual Fourth Of July Barbecue?" Emma asks, her head hanging low and her wet hair blocking her face as Graham works through the stiff muscles in her neck.
"I would say usually around noon, right babe?"
"Yes, usually around noon," she confirms.
"Who will be coming? Anyone I know?" Emma investigates, her eyes slowly slipping closed from Graham's strong hands.
"I'm not quite sure who you met at the last party," Regina says, "but the Lucas' and the Deckers will be here."
"Susan and Bruce, Janet and her husband," Graham rambles off as well.
"I really didn't meet anyone last time, you two were kind of keeping me occupied," Emma chuckles softly, her neck rolling from left to right as Graham really digs in deep.
"We should be honest," Graham suddenly blurts out, encouraging Regina's eyes to slide in his direction. "These parties usually end up pretty crazy..." he trails off, hoping Emma will pick up on what he's insinuating.
"Is this like...a um...swinging party?" She timidly questions, her nervousness on full display for the couple to analyze and pick apart.
"Yes," Regina fully admits, "usually at the end of the night, people will head downstairs into the basement and anyone who is down there is interested in swapping for the evening."
Golden, curly waves snap up, revealing a set of wide green eyes that are in shock. "Really?"
"Oh come on, dear, you know that we enjoy swapping, obviously we know plenty of couples who indulge as well," Regina states, holding Emma's gaze firmly.
The younger woman swallows thickly, her gaze dropping to the floor in an instant. "And tomorrow night...are you two..."
Graham squeezes her shoulders and pulls her in even closer. "Honestly," he whispers over her ear, "we haven't discussed anything, yet."
"You are a part of our relationship now, yes?" Regina gently asks, knowing how Emma stays clear of the subject quite frequently.
"I-I, yeah," she whispers, still so unsure what she truly wants, but knowing all too clearly that her body needs both of them.
"Well, then I suppose it's something for all of us to discuss together," Regina simply replies, as casual as ever to settle whatever worries the younger woman might be feeling.
"And if I'm interested? We just...find a couple to hook up with?" She further investigates, still so confused by it all. "Wouldn't that also be like outing us, if people see me engaging with you two and another couple. Jeez...that's five people, how would that even work?" She shrieks, absolutely flabbergasted by the idea while Regina and Graham lightly chuckle from the expression on her face.
"Relax," Regina commands, a broad smile taking over her face. "Nothing has to even happen, but if you decide you would like to experiment, we know just the couple."
"Who?" Emma screeches, even more perplexed than moments ago.
"It doesn't matter," Graham assures her, squeezing her shoulders and pulling her against his warm embrace. "You don't know any of the couples anyways and besides, we may not even do this, just relax," he whispers and Regina observes as the woman slumps against him, trusting in his words.
"Will it be just as crowded as it was at the last party?" She casually asks, appearing much calmer this time around.
"Probably more crowded, we host this thing every year and it keeps growing. It's the biggest party of the year," Graham informs her.
"Will your parents be joining us?" Regina curiously investigates, because since the day Mary Margret had tried threatening her, she hasn't seen or heard from the woman, but then again Emma is always over and there's no reason for Regina to visit the neighbors anymore.
"I don't know," Emma mumbles under her breath.
"What's wrong?" Graham asks, the concern as clear as day in his tone.
"Nothing, really," the younger woman shrugs, but they both know better.
"Em," Regina sternly growls, coaxing her to stop holding back and because Emma is head over heels for that nickname, she nods and explains.
"I'm sure my dad will stop by. I don't know about my mom. She's been nagging me lately about practically living here, I guess she's not your biggest fan," she lightly teases while Regina smirks to herself.
"I suppose not."
"She overheard Janet and Susan talking, so," she hangs on that simple word, not truly wanting to finish the statement.
"So, she has an idea about our open marriage and doesn't approve?" Graham finishes, because Regina already knows all of this, but she didn't want to stir up drama for her husband or Emma.
She deliberately kept that confrontation between her and Mary Margret to herself.
"Yeah, she assumes something is going on between us and I mean, she's not wrong, but I will die before I ever admit it to her," Emma confesses, her skin burning a bright scarlet all over and Regina knows it has nothing to do with the sun.
"Yeah, probably keep that to yourself," Graham teases as he lightly peppers her shoulder with sweet kisses. Emma reaches behind her, her fingers swimming through his thick curls as he continues worshipping her warm skin. And a swarm of butterflies attack Regina's gut as she watches the intimacy between the two. "You wanna go for another dip?" He questions into her neck, her wet curling locks invading his face.
"Sure," Emma hums and stands up from the lounge chair, except Graham has other plans and he snatches her up and hoists her over his shoulder in one swift motion. "Graham!" She yelps while Regina laughs and watches as her husband effortlessly tosses the blonde into the deep end.
Emma disappears under the water and then his grey eyes are on her, twinkling with mischief. "Don't even think about it," Regina strictly orders, holding up a hand to stop his feet from coming any closer.
"You're no fun," he grumbles before he cannon balls right next to where Emma is emerging from the water, thoroughly soaking her all over again.
"You jerk," Emma bellows the minute his curly locks are popping out of the cool blue.
Regina observes from a safe distance as Emma climbs on top of her husband, attempting to dunk him, but he's far too strong and remains above the water, grinning from ear to ear. He moves quickly, he always has, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist and pulling her to his front. He's laughing, hard, while Emma groans at her failure and he backs her up until she is trapped against the wall.
Emma snarls at him which Regina finds the expression a little too adorable and Graham must be thinking the same thing because he dips down and gently kisses her pouty lips. Regina's heart skips a beat as she watches Graham tenderly cup Emma's cheek to deepen the kiss while Emma's left hand skims down his neck and caresses his broad shoulder. Those two always find themselves lost in another world whenever their tongues are so freely dancing and it's one of their favorite things to do. Every time Regina turns around those two are making out like a couple of teenagers.
Even though she distinctly hears Emma moan into the kiss, she knows she won't be summoned, because Emma refuses to have sex in the pool. Regina's tried, on numerous occasions, but Emma's going to be a doctor and every time she goes in depth about how unsanitary it is. So, she relaxes, allows the warm sun to wash over her and listens to her two most favorite humans connect intimately through just deep kisses.
She's not entirely sure why it doesn't bother her when Graham and Emma make out without her. Maybe it's because she has Emma in more intimate ways, and she knows that she is the only one that is allowed to touch Emma and connect with her alone? Maybe it's because she knows Emma won't have sex without her in the mix? Even though Emma and Graham share plenty of moments of just the two of them, she will only go so far before she's waiting for Regina to finish. Maybe it's because she knows Graham and Emma are both hers?
All she truly knows, is at the end of the day, watching her husband and Emma warms her soul and above all, turns her on.