Hello there :) Here's Chapter 6, obviously heh, hope you all enjoy it! Let me know what you guys think as always. Your support is immensely appreciated, thank you :')
Emma and Regina ascended the staircase. Regina was still moving gingerly, her muscles sore, her bones jaded, and her flesh burning. Once they reached the top, Emma made her way to Regina's bedroom, pulling the brunette after her, never letting their hands fall apart. Regina loved the way Emma felt comfortable in her house enough to wonder about without permission and clearly knowing where everything was located. The Major relished in bossing people around, but somehow she had a great liking for the blonde's assertiveness. She felt delighted that she was being cared for, and it made her heart melt. The blonde hauled the brunette across the bedroom floor, over to the proprietor's bathroom. When they were both inside Emma shut the door behind them.
"What you doing?" Regina husked, as Emma turned to face her.
The blonde observed Regina's weakened framework: her shoulders slumped forward, her arms and fingers loosened, ceasing to move, as she was shifting her weight from on leg to the other. Her eyelids had almost closed halfway, barely letting her bloodshot eyes to be seen.
"I'm gonna help you!" the blonde declared, walking past her to the bathtub in order to start running the water, allowing it to start filling up.
"What?" Regina eyed her in shock.
"Regina you can barely hold yourself up!" she exclaimed, causing Regina to pull away her gaze, lowering her head in shame. Emma grabbed her chin, lifting it up, and spoke softly, looking fixedly at beautiful dark brown eyes, "Let me help you …" Her hands glided away from Regina's chin, down her neck, using the back of her fingers to brush against the skin. The dark-haired women trembled under the touch, involuntarily dropping her head back to expose her neck to the blonde, making the contact last just a little bit longer, as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Emma's fingers eventually found the first button of Regina's garment, popping it open, as she husked softly in a low voice, "Relax…"
Before either one of them knew, Regina's shirt was fully open. Emma let her hands wander under the Queen's article of clothing, caressing her sides, shooting waves down Regina's spine. The Saviour's hands slowly traveled back up Regina's body, fingers brushing against her navel, then all the way up to her collarbones. "…It's me …" she whispered, attempting to assure the woman before her. Regina was tongue-tied, but a simple nod sufficed, for Emma stroked the other women's collarbones one last time, and pushed the shirt over her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor.
Never breaking eye-contact, Emma's hands found the hem of Regina's trousers. The blonde fidgeted briefly, until she found her destination, undoing the button, and unzipped slowly. She gently tugged the trousers, pulling them down, dropping them to Regina's ankles. The two women had not moved a millimetre, and neither had their eyes: they remained fixated on one another. The blonde offered her hand to the brunette, in order to help her keep her balance as Regina stepped out of her pants. The Major was now in just her underwear, yet Emma's eyes never detached themselves from Regina's. This was not about lust for Emma. Not sexual. Not about herself. This was about so much more. She wondered to herself …It's about tenderness, fondness …warmth, depth … affection, adoration. All that mattered to Emma was making Regina feel safe … sympathized … soothed …savoured.
The brunette cleared her throat, trying to compose herself, for observing the way Emma was gazing into her eyes tingled her entire body. The sound made Emma pull out of her own thoughts. She raised her arms and placed them round Regina's back. With a single jerk, the brunette's black bra was unclasped. Emma run her hands up the Queen's arms, up to her shoulders, then slowly pulled the bra straps down, letting it fall to the floor. Regina was shy and modest, causing her to pull her arms up and cross them against her chest, covering herself. This gesture made the Saviour smile. God she's so fucking adorable, she thought to her own self. She raised a hand to Regina's face, cupping it gently, stroking her thumb against the brunette's cheek. The blonde twisted her wrist, now touching Regina's face with the back of her hand. Her fingers progressed from Regina's cheekbones down to her lips, and unhurriedly ran two fingers across. Regina became undone, and let her arms fall to her sides, exposing her upper half, but once again Emma persisted on never breaking eye-contact. The Sheriff traced her fingers down the Major's sides, then once her hands were low enough, she gripped at the final garment, and slide them down. Regina's panties dropped to the floor instantly, causing her to lose her ability to respire momentarily, biting her lips, whilst her eyes shut, breaking eye-contact from Emma for the first time in a while. Emma leaned in, brushing her cheek against Regina's, and placed a soft kiss against the trembling cheek.
"Oh shit!" Emma exclaimed, catching a glimpse of the water nearly overflowing in the bathtub behind Regina.
Emma quickly went over to the tub to shut off the water, whilst Regina turned to observe what was happening.
"I don't know what city you come from Ms. Swan, but in Storybrooke water isn't free!" she joked.
"Well I doubt the Major of this said Storybrooke is genuinely worried about her water bill" Emma mocked in return. "Plus … you do know where I come from Madam Major" she husked.
Once Emma adjusted the water in the tub (emptying it just a bit so that it would not over-flow when Regina stepped in, which would displace an amount of water equal to her own volume causing the water to rise), dimmed the lights, and lit all the candles available, she helped Regina into the bathtub. When Regina's fingertips dipped into the water, a small amount of magic materialized, tingling her body a little in a way that made her giggle and her toes curl.
"Careful!" Emma worried.
Regina inhaled and exhaled steadily, making sure her magic was under control, and once she was satisfied, she set foot in the bathtub. She carefully lowered her body and eventually laid down in the water, sighing at the relief of the warmth soothing her skin.
"Is it okay?" Emma questioned, sitting behind Regina on the elevated bricks covered with tiles that surrounded the bathtub.
"Mmmm it's perfect!" the brunette husked.
Regina lay motionless in the tub for a while, finally feeling rested and tranquil, enjoying the warm water. It was so blissfully silent, in contrast to what she had experienced all day so far. However she was delighted Emma was there, sitting behind her, trying to be as quiet as humanly possible. Nevertheless, Regina could hear her faintly. She listened to the blonde's breathing which was barely audible, but that minimal sound emerging from the blonde comforted her. Regina heavily raised her hands over to her upper back, trying to massage her shoulders and neck, as best as her range of motion allowed her too. Emma observed from behind her, watching the brunette struggling for some relief from the soreness. She edged closer to her, lifted her sleeves, and gently placed her hands on the brunette. Regina, who was not aware of Emma's intention, being that she was facing the other direction, jerked a little bit forward, gasping, at the touch. Though she eagerly dropped back against Emma's hands. The blonde moved her palms up and down Regina's full back, then settled at the top. She massaged the Queen's shoulders and neck, causing her to groan in pleasure once in a while.
"Oh that feels amazing!" she whispered.
Emma was relentless, seeking to please the Queen, now having found her rhythm and confidence. She wished to help Regina loosen up and feel refreshed. She wanted to work her magic so to speak. And indeed she did. She pressed her fingers into Regina's muscles, rubbing her back, neck, shoulders and arms; massaging her head as she washed her dark hair; washing and cleaning the dark-haired woman, her hands gliding across the soft and wet skin, across her throat, across her collarbones and chest; holding the shower head, letting the water fall on Regina, rinsing her, always from behind her. There was something … intimate … affectionate … about touching someone's bare back and wet hair, about bathing them yourself. It was breath-taking, intoxicating even, for the both of them. Emma could not help herself, she leaned into the back of Regina's neck and placed a soft kiss.
"Are you okay?" Emma whispered, her voice shaking, her mouth still close to Regina's neck.
"Yeah" Regina husked, feeling the blonde's breath on her. The Saviour was doing things to her … unexplainable and indescribable things.
"Do want me to give you some privacy so you can rinse properly?" Emma questioned, not wanting to over-step her boundaries, but admittedly she did it for herself too. It was becoming impossible to have Regina there, naked, and not being able to look, and touch, and marvel at every inch of her beauty.
Regina spun her head round so she could look at Emma for the first time since she went in the tub. She wanted to shake her head in relation to Emma's question, but she was bashful and timid, so instead she nodded her head politely with a smile.
"Will you be alright?" the blonde worried, prompting the brunette to nod her head. "Well if you need anything, I'll be right outside okay?" The brunette nodded her head again, and with a smile Emma propped herself up, walked outside and closed the door behind her.
Once the door was shut Emma leaned against it, slamming her head against it with a sigh, whilst simultaneously Regina did the same against the bathtub.
"Regina?" Emma questioned, adjacent to the closed door, in order to check up on the Major who was still inside the bathroom. There was no response, causing the blonde to lean an ear against the door in an attempt to hear any movement inside. On point the door opened, prompting Emma to quickly pull herself away from the door: so she would not seem like a snoopy pervert, and also so she would not topple over onto Regina.
"Hi" Emma husked, eyeing the brunette before her, whose body was wrapped in a white towel that was merely long enough to cover her front and behind. Her hair was soaking wet, dripping all over her exposed shoulders.
"Hey" Regina smiled.
"I was just …checking up on you" the blonde mumbled, running her hand through her hair, fidgeting.
"I know…" the Major husked back. "Can't seem to get rid of you!" she teased her, trying to keep a straight face, but her stern look rapidly disappeared when Emma jaw dropped, then raised an eyebrow at her. The women grinned at one another, till Regina's broad smile faded, lowering her head. Emma was about to open her mouth to question the brunette, but before she could, Regina crashed her body up against Emma's and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her. Regina let herself become vulnerable to Emma, to her emotions, to her urges and to her desires. Once Emma wrapped her head around what was happening, she enclosed Regina in an embrace.
"Thank you" the Major whispered, grabbing Emma's golden locks gently once she felt the blonde return her affections.
"For what?" the Sheriff asked.
"You know what…"
"I do … but I wanna hear you say it… please" the Saviour requested.
"For taking care of me … for … for making me feel … safe … significant …" she mumbled, never letting go of Emma, and neither did the blonde. "For making my walls fall down … for not leaving me!" she gasped, attempting to hold back her tears, burying her head in Emma's neck. Her soaked hair was dribbling all over Emma's neck and clothes, but the blonde did not mind, not even for a second. She held onto her.
"I'm so sorry I left though…this morning. I shouldn't have! Regina I'm so sorry" Emma exclaimed, causing Regina to pull away from the embrace to look at the blonde.
"Don't … Emma don't … please. It's not your fault. You had every right to leave. I was a … well … I was a bitch."
"Well, yeah, a bit" Emma teased her, beaming at her, earning herself a nudge.
"Would you mind? I'm trying to apologize!" she exclaimed, trying to be serious but her smile was evident. Emma smiled back but remained silent, letting Regina continue this time. The brunette sighed in an attempt to find her words. "Most of my life I've pushed people away, and closed myself off from any kind of positive emotion. I relished in hurting people and killing them, and watching them suffer."
Regina paused for a moment in shame, lowering her head, but Emma remained quiet and still, not wanting to interrupt in any way. "And the worst part about having to live with that memory now, is knowing how much I loved it at the time. I was heartless, and I loved every second of it. I became … evil." she scoffed to herself in irony of her former title.
Nevertheless the blonde stood motionless, but the brunette was becoming restless and started pacing from side to side in front of the Sheriff, flapping her arms in the air for emphasis when required.
"I was so scared to love and feel anything, out of fear that I would lose it all over again and that I wouldn't have been able to bare the pain for a second time. I know I managed to let part of that go … for Henry … But now I realized that my heart was still not whole. I loved Henry with all I had, but now I know I have so much more. In order for my heart and me to be whole I needed to let go of the darkness in my heart." Regina paused her words and her movement, now looking fixedly at Emma, as she played with her fingers.
"And you…you did that Emma. You somehow removed every ounce of fear, you made me feel understood and not alone, and you started to remove my darkness and you began to fill my heart with light. You made me want to be better … better for Henry, for the people of Storybrooke … better for myself. You made me become a better mother and a better person. Anyway you get the point … better!" she smiled, making Emma giggle.
"And the best part is I wanted that. I wanted to … feel. I wanted to be the way I once was… good…wanted and accepted by the community. I wanted to be me again. But it's not as easy as it sounds. I spent so much time alone, that I forgot what it was like to talk to people and open up, and I freaked out and I snapped at you, because it's all too much sometimes … and sometimes that fear and darkness starts to creep back in. I used to deal with emotions by myself… or not deal with it was more likely" Regina continued, now starting to speak rapidly, mumbling.
"I was thought that love was weakness, so I panicked because the fact that you managed to break my walls so easily, it frightened me. I haven't felt this vulnerable to someone in a long time and I can't lose you."
Regina's confession came to an end, inhaling deeply, as if she had lost her breathe with all the jibber jabber. She was not sure her lips uttered the words her brain taught, but from Emma's face she concluded that she did. Emma was speechless, dumfounded and paralyzed. However her mind was booming with thoughts. Wait what? Did she say love? She's vulnerable to me? She can't lose me? What?
Regina realized Emma had not fully comprehended what she had said, and although Regina had went red with embarrassment and could not believe she let those roll of her lips, she stepped closer to the blonde, inhaled and exhaled slowly, finding her courage and repeated with a whisper, "Emma … I can't lose you."
The Saviour felt something inside she would not dare to explain for she could not understand herself what it was. It fluttered her chest, poisoned her veins, weakened her bones and heated up her body. It intoxicated her entire anatomy.
"Did you hear what I said?" Regina chucked at the blonde's reaction, whose only response was a nod.
The Major gazed at the dilated, sparkling, green eyes, waiting for some form of verbal expression from the blonde, prompting Emma to finally attempt to speak, but she was suddenly hoarse and nothing came out, causing Regina to beam a smile at her. Emma cleared her throat and tried again.
"Come here" she husked, pulling the Major from her arm, towards her. The brunette did not even hesitate for a second, and let Emma crash their bodies together. They stood there, their physical structures connected, as they rested their head against one another's forehead, arms wrapped around each other. Regina's face was literally inches away from Emma's, both feeling the other one's breath on them.
"Is that why you lost control of your magic? Emma husked, causing Regina to nod slowly, grazing her nose against the blonde's. "Because your emotions are all over the place?" she continued.
"They're not all over the place!" Regina shot at Emma, slightly pulling back to eye the blonde. "They're just a little bit … unstable" she mumbled, scrunching her face, then letting her forehead rest back where it was a moment ago. " And not exactly… you see, my body, which has magic, is not used to these emotions … it's unfamiliar with them. Hence now it doesn't know what to do with them… so whenever I feel things that the Evil Queen never felt… care, sympathy, virtuousness, lo- …" she paused, cutting herself off, then quickly resumed her trying to hide what she was about to say. "um … my magic spirals out of control because it never dealt with those feelings. My magic is new to this side of me. It was always controlled by the darkness, and now it wants to reject the light."
Emma nodded showing the brunette she understood, then whispered to her, "Well … I'm here."
"Good … because it seems like you're the only one that can help me control it."
"Why is that?" the blonde questioned raising a brow, as she cupped the brunette's face.
"Don't you get it Emma?" Regina muttered, grabbing Emma's hand from her face so she could hold it for encouragement. "I need you more than you think."
Emma gazed at her, letting a gentle smile form at the corner of her mouth, letting those words warm her, touch her, move her. Regina smiled back, until her teeth began to chatter. Emma observed the goose bumps that had formed on Regina's skin, and raised her hands so she could rub Regina's arms, to keep her warm.
"Come on, you should get out of that towel and go change. You're getting cold!" Emma pouted.
Regina nodded and walked over to her dresser. When she located the garments she wished to wear, she released her towel, letting her towel drop to the floor. Emma, who had not removed her gaze from the brunette, watched as Regina's back was exposed. The blonde instantly gasped, causing her to cover her mouth, to silence herself. She shut her eyes, not to pry on Regina's body, but she could not help herself this time. She reopened her organ of sight, peering at Regina's broad shoulders, her alluring back, her tight ass, her muscular thighs, her long and strong legs. Fuck.
Regina was certain Emma was staring at her, and she wanted her to. It was the reason she dropped her towel in the first place. She had no idea why she wanted to tease the blonde, she just knew that she did. Regina licked her lips knowing there are probing emerald eyes on her. However, despite yearning for the moment to last longer, she wore her clothes, wanting to conceal her intentions.
When she was done she grabbed another change of clothes and pranced over to Emma, who was clearly still in shock. She was as red and flustered as she had ever seen her, and God did Regina love it.
"Here" she spoke causing the blonde to flutter her eyes and exhale, trying to come back to life. Regina handed her the clothing. "Go take a shower."
"I don't wanna impose" Emma husked, still unsettled.
Regina squinted her eyes at Emma. "Go! You're not imposing. I'd say I'm offering, but I'm demanding! You've been in those clothes since yesterday morning, and you slept on my floor last night."
"Thank you" Emma smiled, earning her a smile in return.
The blonde made her way over to the bathroom and shut the door, but not before she stole once last glance at the brunette, who was now in her pyjamas.
About half an hour later, Emma walked back out of the bathroom, to find Regina in bed watching something on Netflix on her flat screen.
"Can't believe Regina Mills, a.k.a the Major of Storybrooke, a.k.a the Queen, actually owns sweatpants." she joked, pulling Regina's attention to her.
"Royals are people too Ms. Swan, or did you forget you're one too?" she teased back.
"Fair point" she smiled.
Then the blonde circled around the bed, over to the armchair on Regina's side, and attempted to sit down, before Regina interrupted her.
"Err what you doing?" she questioned, eyeing her.
"Um … sitting?" she replied in confusion.
"Get your ass in here." she muttered in a husky voice, signalling over to her bed with her eyes.
"Regina I - " she tried but the Queen interfered once again.
"Swan. Get. Your. Ass. In my bed!" she said assertively, making Emma gulp at the gesture. "When a Queen orders something, you do as she demands!" she teased, her voice making Emma's body tingle.
The Saviour could feel her body heating up and her breathing become laboured. "Yes, your Majesty!" she husked back, making Regina smile at her triumph and her title.
Emma circled back around the bed, to get in from the other side. She lifted the covers and slid in, next to Regina.
Regina let her rigid Queen exterior slip, and once she saw Emma was seated comfortably in her bed, she moved closer to her and let her head rest across the blonde's chest, prompting Emma to immediately wrap her arms around her, as they both watched what was on TV.