Here's the new chapter y'all have been waiting for (: Regina and Snow on the run. Enjoy and leave me some words - you know your fingers are itching to touch the review button ;)
- xo, np
They rode until the sun was high in the sky. Snow had led them to a small hut in the woods, explaining to Regina that she'd stayed there for some time during her 'bandit' days. It was small and it had several holes in his walls and roof but it was also secluded and had a bed.
"You should sleep." Snow gestured at the bed. It was the first time she had spoken since leaving the palace, leaving Charming. She knew the ride had been hard on Regina. The women had only started getting better; hell, she'd had difficulty only walking for a few steps the day before. She wouldn't wait for the older woman to collapse; she could not wait for her to die or wake up again.
"What about you?" Regina asked, a softness in her eyes that was still new to Snow but also very familiar.
"I am not tired," she lied, feeling her face flush. She sighed. She had always been a bad liar. That one time she had taken Regina's favorite riding shirt. The woman had played oblivious but Snow knew that Regina could see through her charade. Several days later, Regina had even discovered the shirt. She'd helped Snow brush her long thick hair in front of her dressing table. Suddenly, Snow had seen her lips curl in a smirk and had followed Regina's gaze in the mirror. A small corner of Regina's riding shirt had peeked out from under the princess' pillow. Snow had blushed furiously but Regina hadn't addressed her about the missing shirt. She had just gone on with brushing her hair, ever being so careful so as not to pull her strands. She smiled to herself. That shirt was still somewhere in her dresser; Regina's comforting scent on it was long gone though.
"Snow," Regina drawled raising her eyebrows. "You and I both know this isn't the truth. So unless you come and share that bed with me, I am staying awake as well."
"But, Regina, it's really small and I…"
"Nonsense." Regina's voice was regal and commanding. "There is room enough. Come on. It is not the first time you slept cuddled up to me." The dark haired woman laid down on the bed, moving until her back hit the wooden wall of the hut. Then she patted the space in front of her, giving Snow an encouraging smile.
Snow sighed but slipped into the bed next to Regina anyways. She knew if she didn't, Regina would hold her promise and not close an eye herself. She may be tired, but the queen was stubborn and will strong as hell – if she wanted to, she would stay awake all day. And, Snow quietly confessed to herself in her mind, she really wanted to have the woman's arms around her. Even when she was younger and had had a bad dream, Regina's bed had always been her place to go. The one place she had felt safe above all else. Of course, Regina hadn't always allowed it. Snow knew now, that Regina had been bitter. Bitter because of the life she'd felt Snow had brought upon her. In a way, she guessed, it was true. She HAD gotten Daniel killed.
She tried to keep her distance and stayed at the very edge of the bed. Soon though, she felt Regina's arm wrap around her waist and pull her back into her body. She almost moaned at the contact.
"Sleep tight, Snow. You're safe with me. I'll be here when you wake up." Snow smiled at Regina's words. They were the same she had always said to her when she had climbed into her bed after a nightmare. It was warming her heart that she remembered.
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"Snow." Snow heard a voice in her dreams and soon found herself waking up to Regina, who was urgently shaking her shoulder. "You have to wake up, darling. It's already getting dark outside; we should move."
Sleepily, she looked at Regina, took her in. The woman's black hair was messed up from sleeping and her brown eyes were still hazy from just having woken up. It had always been one of her favorite things, the sight of Regina in the morning.
"You are so beautiful," Snow whispered softly. She was defenseless against the words; they made their way outside without her consent but with the support of her heart. Sometimes, she found she wore her heart on the tip of her tongue. The radiant smile that crept onto Regina's face was more than enough compensation for her embarrassment.
"Haven't you looked into a mirror lately?" Regina smirked at her, her hand reaching out to lightly touch her pale cheek. "No one could ever be more beautiful than you."
She smiled at Regina and was about to respond, when the older woman softly pressed her index finger against her lips. "I am going to kiss you." Snow's green eyes widened at Regina's words. She hadn't heard right, had she? "I am going to kiss you," Regina repeated. "So if you want to pull away, now would be the time. I really hope you won't though."
Snow gulped but didn't move one inch. She was ready for this, ready to finally feel those full lips on her own. Teenage Snow had dreamed about this – but, and this was somehow terrifying – adult Snow found her dreams had never really changed. Maybe she had just tried to exchange her assumed impossible dream for one that was actually reachable. She took a deep breath and looked into Regina's dark eyes. They were even darker now than before but at the same time, they held endlessly more warmth in them.
She watched as Regina slowly moved in, her face getting closer and closer to her own. Her heartbeat was loud in her ears and her skin felt like it would explode in sheer excitement of the promised touch. When half an inch separated their lips from each other, her eyes shuttered close. She wanted to feel this with her whole being.
"Thank you for not pulling away," Regina whispered, her warm breath gently caressing Snow's face. Then Snow felt lips on her own. Soft, full lips. They were everything and more she ever dreamed them to be. So much more. A bolt of electricity ran through the two of them at their lips' first touch and they flinched away from each other. They looked into each other's eyes, chuckling, before they moved in again. The second kiss was long, slow and so sensual. Snow felt goosebumps rise on her arms and a fire spread throughout her body. The fire was lapping at her and it was almost too much for her to bear, but it was too delicious to lose. They kissed like this for a long time before Snow, encouraged by the way in which Regina's body pressed close into her own and the quiet sounds she made in the back of her throat, wrapped her arms around the woman's curvaceous body and pulled her even closer. She ran her tongue over the woman's full lips, teasing their entrance. Regina complied and parted her lips, a moan escaping her as Snow's tongue darted into her mouth. Their tongues were dancing a new but somehow familiar dance, neither the dominant one, just tasting and learning everything there was to learn. When Snow moved her hands under the woman's shirt, trailing her spine with her fingertips, Regina forced herself to pull back.
"As much as I enjoy this," she said out of breath, her cheeks flushed and her eyes glazed over with lust, "we really need to stop and move. We are still too close to the palace."
Snow nodded, her hands still on Regina's heated skin. "I know." She slowly pulled her hands back out from under her shirt, but not without trailing her fingers along Regina's sides and making the black haired woman shudder with pleasure. "One last kiss?" She playfully raised a brow at Regina.
Regina took her face in both of her hands, softly caressing her cheekbones. Then she pecked her forehead, moved on to her temples, the tip of her nose, before finally laying a sweet kiss on the corner of Snow's mouth. "We will have to stop and rest again," she whispered into Snow's ear before trailing her lips along her neck. Too fast for both their liking, she pulled away. But Snow knew a promise when she heard one and she was intent of collecting this one.
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Both of them felt the need to be close to the other. When Regina sat upon Rocinante and Snow was about to mount Dewdrop, she called out to her and held out her hand. Snow's face split in a smile and she quickly accepted the offered hand, letting Regina pull her onto Roc behind her.
"We can take turns riding Roc and Dewdrop," Regina explained to Snow, taking her hands and leading them around her waist. "I really don't want to part with you right now. I know it is silly, but…"
"It's perfect," Snow interrupted her, snuggling close to Regina's back. "I am glad you had the idea." Then she clicked her tongue. Dewdrop understood and slowly walked over to her until she could reach her reins. She wrapped them around her fingers and brought her hands back around Regina's waist. "Ready when you are. Where are we actually going?"
"Back to my palace. No one would dare attack my kingdom and especially my castle. My army counts thousands and the palace is heavily warded with my magic."
Snow nodded into Regina's back. Going back to her palace sounded like the reasonable thing to do.
"What changed you?" Snow quietly asked two hours later. She had been comfortable just riding in silence and hanging onto her own thoughts, but the question had buried itself deep in her mind and demanded to be answered. "I mean, you were after me for seven years, Regina. Tried to make me miserable. Then one day you have suddenly turned the switch and are the Regina from my childhood."
The question hit Regina. She didn't exactly know how to answer. She didn't even know how much she could actually tell Snow of the real truth. Powerful curses like the one that had taken her back in time and space were often tangled with other enchantments. She couldn't rule out the possibility that she would turn temporarily mute or something else should she choose to speak truthfully. She wanted to tell Snow the truth nonetheless. Just maybe not all of it while they were riding through the darkness. How she wished to be strong enough to just 'poof' them and the horses back to her palace! Alas, the sickness had weakened her greatly and what little magic was left, was still busy with healing her body.
"I had a long time to get over the past," Regina eventually began, extracting one hand from Rocinante's rein to cover Snows. "These seven years… I can't find the words to describe how ashamed I am for doing this to you. Making you live in constant fear and uncertainty. I… was in a dark place. Rumpelstiltskin needed me for his own selfish reasons. He needed me dark and powerful. I let him turn me into what I am… was. I regret what I did to you, what I did to so many other people in this realm. But I don't regret what it caused. I am a different person now. I don't know if I would've gotten this far without all the darkness in my past. I'm just sorry you had to suffer. I want to tell you the truth, everything, if possible. But I want to look into your eyes when I tell you… Let me just say that I and the Regina that hunted you down mere weeks ago – we are almost two different persons. She is still a part of me but I have come a far way. It has been a lot more time than mere weeks or even just days for me to get there…"
"Thank you, for being honest," Snow mumbled into her hair, her lips slightly grazing her neck. "I shall look forward to that talk once we reach your palace." She couldn't help but wonder if the other Snow she'd seen in her dreams had something to do with this. She HAD sent her to the Willow where she'd met Regina. She had known that she would be there. She was pretty sure at this point it hadn't been a trick of Regina's or someone else's. The alternate she looked different. Her hair was shorter and she had never seen clothes like the ones she wore. Snow had wondered about Regina's hair before. It was much shorter than she used to wear it. Maybe, maybe there really were different versions of them somewhere… maybe this wasn't THE Regina but an alternate version? She shook her head to free herself from the thoughts. Regina would tell her soon enough. So she gently placed her cheek onto Regina's back and closed her eyes. She was tired and she knew she was safe with Regina. She would never fall off a horse with her close by.
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huh, didn't see this coming, did ya? So.. they kissed and obviously are in love (although they haven't said this to each other yet).. Why isn't Regina back in Storybrooke? Well, you'll see soon enough. Promise.