Chapter 2: Slow Burn

Emma was in full sprint mode, her brain furiously trying to keep up with the pace her legs are going at. She likes it this way. She can escape from the weirdness of Storybrooke and let her mind wander where it may. Tonight she's running faster because all she can think about it Mayor Regina Mills.

They hate each other, or so it seems. Emma knows she should stay away from her and stop causing so much trouble, but she can't seem to stop herself. She even knows she likes a challenge, but even with her there's usually a limit. Evidently not when it comes to Regina. Every time she sees the woman, she can't help but spout off some smart ass comment, instigating some of the worst arguments she's ever had in her life.

Like last week in Regina's office. Emma had come flying into the office, blazing mad about the new mayoral office mandated uniforms for the Storybrooke Police Station. They were tan, khaki and hideous and there was no way that Emma was trading her sexy red leather for standard issue uniforms from hell. They had screamed and yelled until they were hoarse and Regina had ordered her away. Of course, they had accomplished nothing but creating new ways to say 'bitch' and 'fuck' within a sentence structure.

And yet again, Emma left mad and feeling the most turned on she ever had in her entire life.

While pounding down the next block, her nose picked up a peculiar smell of a habit she had rid herself of years before. Cigarette smoke.

She slowed to a walk and tried to control her panting, wiping the sheen of sweat off her brow and slapping her hands on her hipbones. The further she walked, the stronger the smell got.

Then it dawned on her. The hedges belonged to Regina. The front path belong to Regina. The mansion and the door belonged to Regina. And that was most certainly Regina sitting on her stoop half covered in a blanket, book in one hand, cigarette in the other, glasses perched on her edge of her nose, her face clean of the usual makeup.

Emma's mouth fell open.

"Regina?" she called out, not quite recognizing the rasp coming out from between her lips.

Regina looked up over her glasses, seemingly unfazed by Emma's appearance at midnight in her front lawn. She flicked the ash off the end of her cigarette and brought it to her lips for a long drag before settling her stare on Emma's sweaty body.

"Miss Swan," she said smoothly. "Out creating raucous in the middle of the night again, are we?"

Emma scoffed and opened her mouth to sass back, but nothing came out. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Emma felt a warmth build deep in her belly and a flush creep up onto her sweaty cheeks. That same flush that she had been managing to avoid during all their other altercations. Emma couldn't help but stare wide eyed at this new version of Mayor Mills. She obviously wasn't expecting any company, and now Emma was there, halfway up the front path to her house, staring like a loon.

"Miss Swan, do I need to call the sheriff and have her arrest you for trespassing?"

And then Regina smirked and took another drag on her cigarette, then stubbed it out on the step in front of her. Only then did Emma realize the very large glass of red wine sitting behind the Mayor. And the glasses perched on the end of her nose that made her look very, very, sexy. Very hot teacher. Very hot mayor. Very hot Regina and before Emma could stop herself, she was walking up to the stoop and dropping down on that same step in front of Regina, swinging herself sideways and propping herself against the white column.

"Shut up, Regina," Emma teased from her own lips. The flush deepened. "I didn't know you smoked."

"Old vice. I expect you know a thing about that, don't you?"

"Yep."

Emma rolled her eyes, and if it didn't feel so good to be sitting down, she would've gotten up and make a dramatic exit. Regina slipped her hand under the throw and produced a beat up pack of cigarettes and slid them open, holding them out to Emma.

For the first time that night, Emma looked into Regina's face and smiled big. The vibes Regina was sending off, for once, weren't malicious. They were remotely friendly. Emma thought about it, after all there was no one around to see them being nice to each other. They were shrouded in the darkness of night, a time when they were both used to being vulnerable.

Emma took the cigarette and leaned forward when Regina produced a book of matches between her manicured fingers. The mayor struck one and Emma cupped her hands around the tiny flame, the edges of her palms brushing against the tops of Regina's hands.

"Thanks," Emma breathed out.

"I thought you might."

"Might what?"

Regina laughed deeply in her throat and tilted her head down to look over her glasses at Emma.

"Have some old vices," she continued with a delicately arched eyebrow.

"Yeah well, it looks like you're not as high and mighty as you seem either, Madame Mayor," Emma replied, surprised at how easy the teasing banter was flowing between them.

And then they sat there, staring at each other's alter ego for as long as they could take it.

The last thing Regina expected to encounter that night was Emma. Any other time, she would've banished the woman from her property, yelling at her all the way. But this Emma that appeared in from of her was different. It was the same image of Emma that had been appearing behind her eyes as she tried to sleep. Sweaty with sparkly eyes and a wide honest smile. It haunted her and now her dream had become a real vision.

Of course it had, Regina sassed inside her head. Not one to admit weakness though, she rolled her eyes to herself. Maybe she wasn't the only one that felt like a different person in the middle of the night. For once, she submitted to the thoughts in her head and smiled at Emma.

"You run?"

"Only at night."

"Can't sleep?"

"Nope."

Beat.

"Me either."

And with that, Regina pulled out another cigarette and lit it, picked up her book and continued reading. Emma stretched out her legs and crossed her ankles and watched how the ends of their cigarettes burned so similarly in the dimness of the front porch light.