AN: I'd like to thank you all for sticking with me, my muse disappeared for a while (well, work kind of took over my life) but it's back now, I have the next couple updates already done (it was that or a super long one). Things should start picking up now though, both in the story and between our two leading ladies (yes it will still be swanqueen)
One shot, two shots, three shots, and they lost count. Laughing, giggling, talking, moving ever closer, the two enjoyed the company of the other. Conversation flowing freely, talking about everything, talking about nothing, time passed around them while they stayed fixed in the moment. Emma could feel herself falling ever deeper, knowing it was a path of no return, that someone would end up hurt (most likely her).
Emma did her best to keep conversation on safe topics, meaning nothing personal. Anything and everything superficial was brought up, they discussed the weather, TV shows, gossip, people watched (mostly on that one lady with the beard three tables over who didn't realize that not only was there a weight limit to wearing yoga pants without anything else, they shouldn't come in jumpsuit orange and that purple flowery-lacy not quite top was really unattractive with it).
That however, was a bad idea as the conversation somehow got pulled into the realm of which celebrities would you fuck. Regina seemed most curious in Emma's choices, asking mostly about men. Emma in an attempt to make Regina feel just as awkward (or maybe she was genuinely curious on just how straight she really was) asked her about women.
"Okay, okay, I got one," Emma tried to spit out between bouts of laughter, "How about Rose, from Doctor Who? Do you know who that is?"
Regina blushed ever so slightly, "Yes, I'd have to give it a shot, even if I don't like it, to be able to say yes to that, we'll who wouldn't be jealous? Your turn, I'm guessing she's a yes for you too, so what about…." Regina trailed off, lost in thought for a second, biting her bottom lip and tilting her head slightly to the left, "Tennant?"
Now it was Emma's turn to sheepishly answer with a yes, "Though I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't especially if he really was the Doctor, I mean that's hard to resist right there, dangly bits and all."
The waitress walked over to the table interrupting their conversation, "I'm sorry ladies, but we're about to close for the night." She placed their check down on the table, pulling them out of their own world. Emma reached for the check, pulling it away from Regina and looked around the restaurant as she pulled out her wallet.
"I didn't even realize we were the only ones left in her."
Regina chuckled, "I hadn't either, didn't realize how late it was getting to be, to be honest."
Emma stood up from the table and held her hand out to Regina, offering it in case she needed help standing up, or maybe just because she was hoping to have some contact with her companion for the evening. Regina smiled, looked away, and took Emma's hand as she stood up, and pulling her towards the door. She didn't notice how Emma beamed at this slight contact between them.
Regina pushed the door of the restaurant open and stepped outside. She stopped and fell back in line with Emma, standing close to her, their shoulders brushing. It might have been the alcohol, or maybe it was the physical contact, but Emma's world started spinning (she would always blame it on the alcohol in the future). She pulled out her phone and called a cab, not wanting to attempt a drive home, or lose contact with the brunette (but that was a selfish reason, so safety first). It wasn't that Emma was hoping to get lucky (well, that thought was in the back of her mind –she certainly wouldn't complain if the other woman wanted to instigate any events later that night), but she wanted to savor any moment of contact between the two. She stayed there, enjoying the comfort of the brunette's skin on her own, for a good long moment (or a few), waiting for the cab to arrive, conversation forgotten about.
The cab finally pulled up outside the restaurant and Emma, being ever the chivalrous woman she was, opened the door to help Regina in, who this time accepted her help. Emma could feel the heat rising to her cheeks as Regina held her hand, fingers lingering. A silent prayer that Regina wouldn't notice later, and she finally let go of her hand, determined to blame anything that happened tonight solely on the alcohol. She shut the door and exhaled deeply as she turned around, trying to forget the electric feeling in her fingertips left by such a gentle touch. "Get your head in the game Swan, she's married. You can't do this," she muttered, trying to convince and remind herself at the same time. It didn't provide much solace though as she walked around the car, fingers still tingling.
She slid in on the other side, and found Regina sitting closer than necessary, which became way too close when the cab turned a corner and she fell into Emma's side with a giggle. "Oops." Emma felt a blush once again creeping up her cheeks. Regina made no move to sit upright again, staying put where she was, leaned up against Emma, in the back of a cab, in Houston.
"Shit," was all Emma could think as she tried to find a way to bring them back to a safe ground. It seemed Regina was a lot less uptight than she had thought, or maybe she was just very friendly. She had said she was straight after all right? Maybe, it was possible, that she didn't actually realize just what effect she was having on the blonde. Her thoughts were interrupted by the gentle snoring sounds of the brunette on her shoulder. Emma relaxed and started to enjoy their position when the cab stopped, having arrived at their destination.
She gently prodded the brunette awake and paid for the cab before getting out and once more helping her inside and up to her room. Reflecting upon the evening she realized, maybe it hadn't been such a bad idea after all to ask Regina along. Savoring the last few moments of close contact as she walked down the hallway, arm wrapped around Regina's waist, she secretly wished this would never end.
Regina fished around in her pockets looking for the room key before a drunken "shit" could be heard, "I don't have my key." Emma turned to guide Regina back downstairs and was mildly surprised at the sound of protest she heard from the brunette at her side. "Nooo sleep now, key later. I'll get in mm the morning."
"This has got to be a bad idea," was all that Emma could think as she felt like she was walking to her death. She paused for a moment outside her door, swallowing hard, she grabbed her room key and slid it through the door, tensing as she pushed open the door. This could either go very very wrong or maybe okay as her mind was reeling with all the possibilities. Emma's pulse quickened as she felt the brunette starting to take the lead and pull them both towards the bed. But relief came as the brunette simply pulled her down on the bed with her and snuggled into her side, holding on tight.
The two of them lay there, fully dressed, shoes still on (Emma decided to try and slip hers off without disturbing her sleeping companion), Emma staring at the ceiling, while the brunette slumbered curled up into her side. Emma's arm found its home wrapped around Regina's shoulders and she couldn't resist running her fingers through dark locks. The nagging voice at the back of her mind kept telling her it felt right, that this is how she wanted her life, though she knew it would never happen.
Images of her and Regina and Henry on vacation, going to the beach, running through an amusement park or even walking their dog flitted through her drunken mind. She could find a home with them, maybe not the home she wanted, or the family she'd ever imagined. Especially not the family part if Regina really was as straight as she had said, and there was always the problem of the husband. But a girl can dream right? That's all it was, just a dream. And dream that night she did.
That morning Emma woke up to an empty bed, a closing door and a foggy mind. Nothing made sense to her, until it started to come back to her in bits and pieces (so did the hangover). She vowed she would not go chasing after the woman who had attempted to sneak out, and been successful up to the shutting door. If she wanted to leave without waking Emma, then Emma would let her believe she was successful. Besides, it wasn't as if Regina was disappearing forever, maybe it was just work? She checked her phone for the time. The screen lit up blindingly bright, displaying 4:18am on the lock screen. Okay, maybe it wasn't work. (Though she told her self it could be – she didn't know what Regina did in all honesty, not having gotten past it's classified.)
Groggily, Emma got up and made her way to the bathroom. She was determined to sleep the rest of her hangover off, in just a minute. Pushing away any thoughts about the likelihood of Regina running away, regretting the previous night's actions (even though nothing happened), she stripped her clothes off and went back to bed, this time in a proper manner, sliding under the covers.