Flu Love's Kiss 3
A/N: OMG you guys thanks so much for the reviews and the follows! I was far too impatient to wait long for this chapter so get your rubber duckies ready.
(PS. if you're reading Glamour of Truth... I will be sharing the love between both my Swan Queen fics, I won't neglect any of my children.)
Chapter 3 - Gotta thing for you
"You were serious?" said Emma nervously, her mouth going dry as she looked around. "I thought you were just trying to annoy my parents."
The blonde eyed the huge sunken spa bath in the center of a bathroom that seemed bigger than Mary Margaret's apartment. The room wasn't even filled by the bath, it also had a separate glass-walled shower and an enormous black-and-white marble vanity with chrome fixtures. The entire wall was covered by mirrors of different shapes with silver frames that threw the dim lighting around.
It was pure Regina elegance everywhere and Emma was so very dead.
"Miss Swan, I wouldn't have thought that you would have a problem with communal bathing," said Regina.
"What?" Emma squeaked before getting her meaning. "Oh, right. Prison joke. Those never get old - just like you."
Regina narrowed her eyes at her. "Clearly I missed my opportunity to drown you at birth. I suppose I could rectify that mistake now."
"Whatever. Are we going to do this or what?" Emma fidgeted uncomfortably, hoping that Regina couldn't feel how clammy her hand was in hers.
"Do what, Miss Swan."
"You know, get naked. Have a bath."
Regina leaned in and gave her a patronising look. "No, I'm having a bath. You will be sitting here on the step until I've finished."
Emma rolled her eyes and plonked herself on the slate stone step that ran around the edge of the large bath. The arm that was attached to Regina's dangled above her head and she felt like a pathetic child being dragged around the mall.
Regina waved her free hand casually and the bath instantly filled with a rush of hot water. "Close your eyes."
"Yup, closed," Emma lied. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a pile of clothes slip magically to the floor beside her.
Of course Regina hadn't meant it, Emma thought with a grumble. The brunette hated her, she despised even having to share breathing space with her. There was no way in hell Regina would be attracted to her which was a relief because of how complicated it would be with Henry and - oh god, her parents. But if it was such a relief why did she feel- No. Absolutely not, she was definitely not disappointed to not be sharing a bath with the most infuriating insufferable -
Emma's jaw dropped. Just before the steam fogged up all the mirrors, she caught a glimpse of a lithe naked form stepping into the bath.
- stunningly beautiful woman in Storybrooke, her mind finished.
Emma groaned before she could stop herself and the image was now burned into her brain permanently. She froze, heart pounding in her chest, hoping like hell it hadn't been audible. She listened hard, waiting for the brunette to say anything indicating she'd heard, but all there was was the soft sound of water settling.
The twenty minutes or so in the bath had felt like hours to Emma with forcing herself not to let her head snap around at every slight splash of movement. She never trusted herself to speak to Regina, clenching her jaw the whole time. The hot steam from the bath must've soothed her cough-roughened throat and every now and again Regina would sigh. It was torturous enough for Emma, trying not to picture what was going on behind her. So close that she could just turn around and -
Emma caught her breath suddenly, feeling Regina's hand pull on hers as she stepped out of the bath.
When Emma dared to look up Regina stood above her, dressed for the day wearing her usual corporate-ish style. Her hair was dry but the ends were damp and curling prettily around her face.
Dammit. Regina was obviously cheating and using magic for things like dressing. Completely ruining Emma's chance of seeing the brunette in nothing but a towel with water droplets beading on her tanned skin, which of course, she reminded herself, she had absolutely no interest in seeing and was not in any way disappointed about missing out on.
"So it's my turn now?" asked Emma, getting up off the hard step.
Regina's lips parted baring her teeth in a predatory smile. She pointed her index finger to the ceiling and followed it with her dark eyes, encouraging Emma to look up as well.
"What is that," said Emma, frowning.
It looked like a fluffy grey mist forming above her head. Wait, was that a ...? At the last second, Regina stepped back as far as their joined hands allowed.
"Wha- OHHHH!" Emma shrieked in shock as a torrent of dead-cold water poured out of the cloud, saturating her instantly. Too stunned by the sudden cold she couldn't move out of her own personal downpour. She tensed her shoulders and was chilled to the bone even though it was all over in seconds.
"R-re-gina! W-what the h-hell!" Emma shivered violently, water dripping from her clothes and hair and forming a puddle at her feet.
"I thought you could use a cold shower, dear."
Shit. Regina did hear. Emma cursed the supersonic hearing ability of Moms everywhere, annoyed and embarrassed that she'd been caught out.
"A c-c-cold shower, are you insane?... I have the f-flu," chattered Emma angrily. A rough cough seized her chest as if to make her point.
Regina flicked her wrist backwards in front of her and in an instant Emma was completely dry and dressed in clothes from her own wardrobe. The same outfit she'd turned up to Storybrooke in actually- skinny jeans, white tank, long-sleeved knit. Trust Regina to pick the stupid grey see-through thing that Emma hated and had only thrown on in a hurry since Henry was hovering impatiently outside her bedroom.
"I won't have you dripping and making a mess all over my carpet," Regina avoided her eyes and headed for the door, pulling Emma behind.
"Mary Margaret, calm down."
"Calm down?! Regina's got Emma, she's dangerous! She could be doing god-knows-what to her-"
David cringed. "Do you really think it's a good idea we've come unannounced?"
Mary Margaret bounced on her heels with the jitters and knocked again impatiently near the gold 108. "Why aren't they answering?"
"I'm sure they're just busy," offered David lamely. He shrugged his shoulders with his hands in the pockets of his jacket.
Mary Margaret glared balefully at his unfortunate choice of words before the door cracked slightly and Emma peeked out.
"Uh, hey guys," said Emma nonchalantly through the gap in the door. "I'm fine but you shouldn't come too close. It's still a Biohazard zone in here."
"Emma! Are you sure you're okay? Why is Regina keeping you here?" said Mary Margaret, worry etched over her face.
"She's not."
"We've known her a long time, Emma. You can't trust her," warned David.
"Guys, really? I'm a big girl," said Emma, a little chagrined. "I have to uh, go now. Thanks for stopping by."
Mary Margaret narrowed her eyes shrewdly. "You're trying to get rid of us."
"What, no I'm not-"
Emma tried to shut the door with one hand but Mary Margaret pushed her weight harder against it. The door swing was interrupted by something solid and there were two angry cries of pain in quick succession. Someone was standing behind the door.
"Ow, Regina! What'd you do that for?"
"Because somebody shoved a door into me!"
Mary Margaret froze in fright as the door opened wider to reveal Regina, glaring and rubbing her left shoulder. She had just opened a door into her mortal enemy who was now standing in the doorway side-by-side with the pixie-haired brunette's only daughter.
Mary Margaret took a deep breath like she was facing a firing squad and her words came out in a rush. "Regina, I want my daughter back."
"Why, Miss Blanchard, I'd be happy to get rid of Typhoid Mary but I'm afraid that's not possible," said Regina. "However, I would be willing to sever her arm at the wrist if you insist."
Emma sneered at the brunette at her side. "I doubt a bloody stump would go with that outfit."
"Er, do either of you want to explain what's going on," asked David, firmly setting his jaw and looking like he might be considering going for his shotgun.
Mary Margaret's eyes widened as she noticed the two women's joined hands. "Oh my god. It's Love Flu."