Standard Disclaimer: The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.
Chapter 5 – Snacks And Snuggles
Regina woke from her nap with a contented sigh, feeling sated down to the marrow. Her body was pleasantly aching in places that had been far too long without proper attention. Ruby had seen to that, though, with two hours worth of unbridled passion and pure ecstasy in which the she proved to be just skilled a lover as Regina remembered her being, not that she had expected any different.
What had surprised Regina was just how easily they flowed back together having spent so long apart. Making love with Ruby was so natural that it was almost didn't feel like 28 years had passed since the last time it happened. Her body, it seemed, had as long a memory as her mind and having never forgotten Red's touch, it instantly became pliant under the fervent, instinctual touches of long, slender fingers.
With her system completely engulfed by Ruby's diligent ministrations, any remaining doubts Regina harbored over her course of action fled into the ether. Just as she had with Red, she felt safe enough with Ruby both physically and emotionally to let her walls down and surrender herself to the stimulating effects of unadulterated sensation, made only more intense by the elemental connection that still existed between herself and her younger lover.
It was hard for Regina to fathom that so little had changed in the way she felt with Red even though so much was different in both her life and her circumstances. In almost every way that counted, she was no longer the obsessive Queen who was responsible for casting the Curse that had taken Red away from her, yet in her heart that place that belonged to Red alone could still be found. Her love had not dimmed over time as she had once hoped it might. Through a year's worth of kindness, understanding, sympathy, encouragement, no small amount of stubbornness, and most of all, unconditional love, Red had earned a permanent place in Regina's life that even the most powerful Curse ever cast could not wipe away.
It's because I belong with her, Regina told herself, for however long I have left to live, and I was a fool to ever resist it.
Breathing deeply, the latent, heady scent of sex filled her nostrils, eliciting an involuntary shudder. Like always, Red...or Ruby, rather, had reduced Regina to a bundle of quaking muscles and wanton moans, unable to do much but lay limply in Ruby's embrace while she came down from the soaring heights of ecstasy. Red always was an apt and bold lover, particularly once she moved past that initial stage of awkward shyness, so Regina was very pleased that attentive nature had carried over to this world. Whether as Red or as Ruby, the remarkable young woman seemed incapable of leaving her Queen unsatisfied, but then again, the way they fit together between the sheets was never the problem.
Fondly studying the slumbering form of her lover who was turned away towards the outer wall with the sheets draped low across her hips, Regina recalled that it was the messy emotions that arose out of evermore frequent encounters that had triggered her fight or flight response. There was a good reason for that, too.
Once she became Queen in her own right by freeing herself from Leopold's oppressive presence, she swore off all notions of love, believing herself incapable of ever truly feeling such a pure emotion again. After having endured the soul rending tragedy of Daniel's death and many oppressive years of unwanted contact with an old king who didn't love her, Regina had been even been loathe to consider ever having sex again. Yet being a young and healthy woman whose natural desires eventually returned with time, she had to compromise by making a point to never take a lover for longer than a month before discarding them for the next pretty thing to catch her fancy.
While her belief remained true that her heart was so significantly damaged she could not love someone in a romantic sense, Regina was still cognizant of the fact that however much she abhorred the idea, it was not impossible for her to get attached to a lover if they were kept around too long whether she wanted to or not. No matter how broken, the human heart could not help but form such attachments, an inescapable detail that she had come to appreciate as the reason her mother tore her own heart out. Cora would have rather lived without love than to give into the whims of heartfelt emotions, and the more Regina lived as the Queen, the more she saw the wisdom in her mother's actions.
But with Red, she had miscalculated not only her ability to resist forming attachment but also the influence such a simple girl as Red could exert over her. Just for a split second, Regina had taken her eyes off of her ultimate goal to exact vengeance on Snow White, and in that brief moment of distraction, she was ensnared by the incredible beauty and beguiled by the innocence in the green eyes of a girl she had every reason to hate. With one touch, Red slipped past the barriers that barred entry into her heart, taking up residence there as if she'd always belonged. By the time Regina realized what was happening, it was far too late to go back, so in the end it was her own overconfidence that wound up being the cause of her downfall.
With Red occupying her thoughts almost constantly, all too soon one month bled into two, which turned into six, and before she knew it, Regina had exclusively been with her werewolf lover for nearly a year and was feeling things she hadn't believed herself capable of feeling. Alarmed by how close she was to actually being in love with Red, she panicked and succumbed to the temptation of the Curse. And oh, how she regretted that, both then and now.
Reaching out her hand, Regina ran a finger down the smooth skin of Ruby's bare back, delighted in the way her paramour shivered against the touch even in her unconscious state. She had missed this, just lazing in bed with the woman she loved, content to relish their togetherness for its own sake. To be truthful, she had missed so much about Red in general. Regina had missed the way her lover smelled, missed the pleasantly feminine timbre of her voice and the soft fullness of her hair and how it looked so dark when juxtaposed with the paleness of her skin. And she had missed the feel of that silken skin, which had a unique texture and flavor that was a little too close to heaven for such a jaded person as herself to be given the privilege of enjoying.
Tasting Red's essence and smelling her earthy aroma in such intimate ways used to make Regina feel like a thief, as if every night she'd spent with Red was a night she was robbing someone who was far more worthy of the happiness they would find in such an extraordinary woman. But she could never help herself where Red was concerned, for even the most loathsome aspects of her character had been unwilling to part from a companion who came to embody the only available sanctuary in which she could hide from her inner demons. Somehow, by just being nearby, Red was able to provide a balm that calmed the monster inside of Regina, tamed it until it was relegated to simple background noise.
Under those circumstances, the hopeful, loving young woman Regina used to be managed to surface every now and then when the prison holding that old and nearly forgotten aspect of her being grew weak enough so that it could fight through the bars of its cage. Once free, it was able to affect her by prompting sentimental outpourings which could never have come from the hardened version of herself who so proudly defined her existence through coldness and cruelty. It was being under the influence of the kinder, gentler version of herself that had prompted her to create the necklace for Red. And now, with Ruby in her arms and the taste of her still lingering upon her lips, with Ruby's smell surrounding her like a blanket, Regina was reminded once again of the person she used to be.
As she often did after making love with Red, she felt such a sense peace with the world that all of her troubles melted away if just for a while, and she felt as if she could actually breathe. But now that feeling was being enhanced by a contentment and happiness that made Regina feel ready at last to move beyond the emotional stasis she'd dwelt in for so many years. While it might very well fade with the morning light, she was going to bask in the euphoria for however long it lasted.
"Mmm," Ruby hummed as Regina continued tracing a feather-light finger down her side from shoulder to hip. Flipping around to face Regina mid-hum, Ruby snuggled forward, tucking her head into Regina's chest as the older woman reached around to secure her in place. Splaying her fingers out on the small of Ruby's back, Regina pulled their bodies more tightly together. "Feels nice," Ruby sighed with immense satisfaction.
"Yes, it does," Regina murmured into Ruby's messy hair.
After inhaling deeply, she let the faded scent of Ruby's shampoo linger in her nostrils. Strawberries. Not her favorite fruit but she was adaptable in this case. So long as it meant Ruby was in her arms, she could put up with the smell of any manner of fruity shampoos the girl might choose. Strawberries, though, were quite palatable whether concerning their edibility or olfactory qualities, which was good because Regina knew Ruby favored them. Because of that predilection, Regina had considered making a strawberry pie for dessert, but ultimately decided against it as she'd been concerned the overture would be too obvious. In retrospect, however, when considering their current position it probably wouldn't have mattered at all.
With that thought, Regina was brought back to the reality that she had crossed a line she hadn't meant to. Tonight was supposed to have been a simple date and not a seduction. Despite the innuendo that might have suggested otherwise, it was never her intention to take advantage of Ruby in such a way. Rather, tonight was supposed to have been a simple romantic dinner that would facilitate Ruby getting acquainted with the Regina that Red already knew but to which Ruby was still a relative stranger. Somehow things just spiraled completely out of control. In her current state of thinking, Regina wasn't quite sure why she'd allowed things to go so far, but whatever the cause, it was too late to go back now and she wouldn't want to even if she could.
Steeling herself, she called Ruby's name. However much she appreciated the development, she felt obligated to clear the air immediately.
"Mmm?" was the muffled response. Ruby's warm breath ghosted across her chest, a sensation that caused an altogether different kind of warmth within.
"I'm sorry, Ruby."
Emitting a weak groan, Ruby lifted up her head, looking at Regina through confused and slightly blurry eyes. With tousled hair and a scratchy voice from her nap, she replied, "What for?"
Sighing, Regina brushed a wild section of hair out of Ruby's face. "I..." she faltered, not wanting to ruin the moment but also not wanting Ruby to get the wrong idea about what had just happened. "I need you to know that I didn't just invite you over to seduce you. I know I made some comments that might have hinted otherwise but I promise you that was just my aggressive and admittedly poor method of flirting. I had every intention of taking this slow. So, if I took advantage of you..."
Frowning, Ruby shook her head vehemently. "I don't feel that way at all, Regina. Quite the opposite. Where is this coming from?"
"I don't normally do this," Regina replied in answer, gesturing between their very naked bodies. Ruby's skin, in particular, seemed to be glowing under the light of the moon. It was an entrancing effect that reminded Regina of what lurked just beneath the extremely tantalizing layer of human flesh.
Ruby's face filled with hurt at the poor explanation. "What? Sleep around like I do?"
Regina cursed herself. "That's not what I'm saying," she then explained, sighing once more. "I just...I'm not...I don't want to be flippant about this, Ruby. I'm not just after you for sex. It wasn't my intention for things to go this far because I don't want you to feel like...I don't want to be like everyone else. I swore to you I wouldn't be and I failed on the first attempt."
"Oh, Regina," Ruby replied, her wounded expression fleeing in favor of a tender smile at Regina's stunted attempt at smoothing things over. "You didn't fail." Regina frowned out of reflex. "You didn't! You don't have to worry about me. I know you're nothing like the others, which is why I'm still here. You have to realize, normally I would have been dressed and out the door the second we were done. Yet I stayed. That should tell you something."
Breathing a breath of relief, Regina nodded and worried her lip. She glanced at her clock, noting it was almost 9:30 in the evening. They'd been at it for hours and then fell asleep tangled up together. Were it not for the fact that Regina remembered much longer pleasure sessions with Red in the past, she might have been tempted to crow internally as if it were some kind of personal record.
Returning her eyes to Ruby, she replied, "While that is certainly a relief, I don't want to pressure you in any way, so you're free to leave whenever you like without fear of judgment or hurt feelings. I'll be as patient with you from now on as you need me to be."
"God, you really are adorable," Ruby laughed, a soft, breathy sound that stirred up Regina's heart. "I'm not going anywhere. I stayed for a reason: I want to be here with you. I can't tell you how great it was to wake up surrounded by your smell, or how amazing it felt to burrow my nose into your skin and know that this is real, that I'm really here with you. I want to make a thousand more memories like that, of making love with you again and again and again. Hell, I don't think it's possible that I'll ever get tired of just touching you."
With an awestruck expression, Ruby trailed a finger down the valley between Regina's breasts, all the way down to just below her navel, leaving a trail of heated flesh in her wake. "Or of kissing you." Removing her finger, she gently cupped Regina's cheek and then leaned in to share a sweet kiss. When they parted, Ruby lingered, their lips still brushing together as her hair draped around Regina's face like a curtain. "I think I'd stay here forever if you'd let me."
The last words were spoken with such reverence that Regina almost gasped. Opening her mouth, she was about to reply but was stopped short by a growling sound. Ruby's face turned as red as her namesake when they both realized where the sound came from. And then it happened again.
"Oh, God," Ruby groaned, flopping rather dramatically over on her back and flinging her arm over her face. "I'm so sorry. Dammit! That's so embarrassing."
Unable to help herself, Regina laughed. Without knowing how loaded the moment was about to get, Ruby's stomach had intervened in a show of perfect timing, injecting much needed levity into a conversation that was getting a little too serious for a first...date, if that's even what it could be called. To Regina, it was so much more than a date, it was a reunion. What Ruby thought, however, she couldn't say.
"Nonsense," Regina replied, relegating her thoughts to later analysis. Propping up on one elbow, she gently pried Ruby's arm away from her face. When she was met by a mortified expression, she gave her blushing lover a smile. "Don't be embarrassed. There's no need." Ruby looked over at her, one brow raised, causing Regina to smirk. "Well, it's true. I did work you awfully hard, so I completely understand that your body needs replenishment."
Ruby huffed against a smile of her own, the corners of her lips turning up despite her unnecessary humiliation. "I suppose that's true. I did earn it, didn't I?" Bashfully gazing at Regina through her lashes, she then bit her lip with such charming diffidence that Regina almost sighed with affection. Almost. "Say, do you think our food is still warm? I mean, you did leave it in the oven..."
Swearing at the reminder, Regina threw back the covers and bolted out of bed, praying her kitchen was still intact. After retrieving her robe she made her way downstairs with such speed that the sound of her bare feet slapping on hardwood echoed through the house. Much to her relief, when she arrived in the kitchen, everything was still in place and their dinner was, in fact, still being kept warm in the oven. While she waited for Ruby, she went about removing it.
A few seconds later, Ruby ambled down, dressed only in her panties and one of Regina's blue button up blouses (the one she'd left hanging on her bathroom door from where she'd changed quickly after work). The sleeves of the shirt were rolled up to the elbows and only fastened by the middle buttons, leaving a gap between the sections that exposed plenty of creamy skin. The way the fine fabric hugged Ruby's svelte frame and clung to her hips set Regina's heart racing, and that was without mentioning the twin expanses of oh-so-delectable flesh jutting out from beneath the indecently high hem. Ruby's legs were truly a miracle of nature, long and lean and strong and smooth and just so damn enticing that Regina could barely contain herself from touching them when Ruby sidled over.
"Is that for me?" Ruby asked, indicating to the pan of lasagna Regina was holding with a gloved hand.
Drawing her eyes away from Ruby's thighs, Regina found her lover wearing a smug grin. Great. Now that Ruby knew of her preference for a specific pair of ridiculously fine legs, there would be even more short-shorts and mini-skirts in her future work wardrobe. It was going to be difficult for Regina to keep her reactions hidden from Granny with Ruby flaunting herself like that, for however well-aged the formidable woman was, Granny's senses were still sharp. In order to deflect suspicion, Regina was just going to have to keep things professional, no matter how much she wanted to leer at Ruby while she would no doubt for her benefit very deliberately bend over tables while taking customer orders. The girl was a shameless tease but then again that was half the fun.
"Why, of course," Regina replied to Ruby's question, and then proceeded to take the hot pan over to the counter, where she it down on a rectangular slab of marble. After fetching their plates, she then proceeded to set them upon her prep table, after which she retrieved two stools from her utility room. Next, she went about serving them both generous portions of lasagna, making sure to put more on Ruby's plate than on her own. Regina still remembered Red's extremely healthy appetite.
In the year they spent together in the Enchanted Forest, Red became a frequent visitor to the Dark Palace, during which they shared many meals together. Whether dining privately in the Queen's chambers or more publicly in the castle's large, opulent dining room, Regina had never personally witnessed anyone, even the burliest of her Black Guard, out-eat Red when the werewolf had done any kind of strenuous activity. It always mystified her how a person so slim could fit that much food into their body and still move around afterward, but Red did it on a regular basis.
Once Regina had replaced the pan on the marble, she indicated toward the table. "We can sit in here and eat if that's alright."
"That's perfect," Ruby smiled, obediently sitting and then waiting for Regina to join her before digging in. "Sweet Jesus!" she exclaimed after the first bite. "This is the best lasagna I've ever tasted." Realizing what she'd implied, Ruby's eyes grew wide. "Please don't tell Granny I said that."
Chuckling, Regina wiped her mouth with her napkin before replying. "It's the red pepper flakes I put in it. Gives it a little extra kick. And don't worry, dear, I won't tattle on you. This can be our little secret." She winked causing Ruby to blush.
After that, the women settled into a comfortable silence, sharing smiles and fond glances while they ate. Well, Regina ate, Ruby practically inhaled her portion, and once she had scraped what remained of the lasagna from the plate, she looked up at Regina with abashed yet also silently pleading eyes.
"Have all you want," Regina said, her eyes crinkling with delight at the unasked question. Ruby wasted no time in helping herself to more lasagna.
Settling in to watch her lover, Regina was struck by a bout of nostalgia. This was something else she'd missed, the comfortable companionship of sharing a meal with Red. Used to the stilted, overly structured atmosphere of high society functions, eating with Red was a welcome change of pace. Things were just natural and easy, flowing like a meandering stream moving gently along its naturally carved path. Unlike with formal meals, there was no pretense or strained exchanges for Regina to maneuver through.
Likewise, the conversations were always pleasant and the silences never suffocating. With Red, she felt no pressure to discuss topics that interested the nobility, such as politics, philosophy, religion, and warfare, and while those things were interesting to talk about to a point, the way people of high birth pompously argued and nitpicked about them made the subjects tiresome at times. It wasn't as if those things didn't come up with Red, either, it was just when they did, it was not forced and always stimulating.
Now, Red was certainly an opinionated woman in her own right but one of the things most admirable about her was that she did not try to change Regina by being obnoxious or stubborn about her views. Instead, Red listened carefully and respectfully when Regina spoke and did not dismiss Regina's own ideals out of hand even though she knew some of those ideals were responsible for her best friend's life being in nearly constant peril. And as with all couples, sometimes they agreed on things and sometimes they didn't, but whenever they didn't, their disagreements were never violent or contentious. In matters of debate, Red seemed to possess a patience and poise that belied her upbringing, which earned her a great deal of respect in Regina's eyes.
But even though Red always tried to hide her more peasant manners, she never seemed to be able to for long, particularly when she was famished and ate in the same manner in which she lived as the wolf, with reckless abandon. At first, if Regina was being totally honest, the behavior had disgusted her. The semi-restrained way Red attacked her food on any normal day was tolerable, but on the first occasion that she was in desperate need of energy after an all-night run, she practically inhaled her meal. Such poor manners ran counter to everything Regina had been taught as a child. Her mother had demanded she eat like a properly lady and enforced those demands with iron glares, harsh words, and painful strikes from a ruler so that it became deeply ingrained behavior. As such, to say Regina was initially offended by the lack of dining etiquette would be understating things.
But in a rare bout of self-control, instead of speaking out and rudely correcting Red, she decided to observe her young lover more closely. Subconsciously, she supposed, she'd recognized something worth noticing in the relatively uncouth way Red ate and it wasn't until a few weeks later that she finally began to make sense of what that was. In watching Red, it had seemed to Regina like the girl half expected her meal to run away from her or as if she was unsure of whether or not it would be her last, which told Regina far more than she'd cared to know about the past hardships Red had endured.
In observing Red over time, she had come to the conclusion (and quite accurately as she had found out later on from Red's own admission) that her lover was a young woman who was tragically familiar with the gnawing pangs of hunger, the painful uncertainty of where her next meal would be coming from, and the intense frustrations of a potential meal getting away because of a failed trap or a bad arrow shot or an accidental noise that spooked the animal off. Sure, she'd told Regina that things got better in her life after her grandmother's industry finally began to pay off, and even more so after moving into the castle with Snow, but those kinds of hard-learned habits did not just disappear. So while Red had been careful to smooth away the rough edges of her difficult upbringing with practice, for anyone who cared to look, all the evidence was there to indicate her familiarity with extreme hunger.
That revelation stung Regina's heart more than she cared to admit. It hurt her to imagine a very young Red, startlingly frail and starving, having to go to bed hungry and feeling hopeless in a way that no child should. It was that comprehension of how hard Red's life had been that gave Regina a new perspective on her own.
Despite her mother's austerity, Regina realized that her childhood had been spent in relative comfort. She'd never wanted for anything material, had more than her fill of food, and been privileged to enjoy quite a few delicacies that even those among the upper nobility did not have access to, and it was all because she had been fortunate enough to be born to the son of a king. Red did not have those luxuries. Yet, even so, the incredibly resilient girl retained her virtue, kindness, and good-natured demeanor, while on the other hand, Regina crumbled after her first true test and turned to evil without a second thought. It was in becoming aware of that contrast in choices that Regina felt legitimate shame for the first time in a long time.
Now, though, watching Ruby devour her meal just made her feel happy, if only for the fact that it was clear Red was in there somewhere, hidden inside the cursed personality of Ruby Lucas. As if aware that she was with Regina once again, she seemed to be coming out at all the right moments to make her lover soften, to return Regina to the woman she'd just started to become when the Curse took effect. Well, Regina thought to herself, it's working. It was funny how such a simple thing as watching a person eat could have such a profound effect.
"What?" Ruby then asked around a mouthful of food, having felt Regina's eyes on her. She winced at the clear break in polite table manners and swallowed down her food. Blushing yet again, she muttered, "Sorry." But she had nothing to be sorry for and Regina told her so.
Once done eating, Red sighed and leaned back in her chair and rubbed her belly with a lazy smile. For a moment, she sat there unmoving as if hypnotize, and Regina might have thought something wrong except for the way her eyes swept appreciatively over Regina's features. But suddenly the trace was broken by an enormous yawn from Red, her jaw popping due to the power of it.
"Wow," she said after, "guess you really did wear me out."
"In a good way, though," Regina replied, eyes twinkling.
Ruby grinned. "The best way."
After that, Regina insisted that Ruby go back to bed. Realizing the time, Ruby then inquired as to whether or not she should leave, to which Regina insisted that she stay a while longer. While it was true that Henry was due back home sometime around eleven, Regina was willing to bet he would be so tired that she would need to make him go straight to bed, which meant that afterward, she could return to her room for a blissfully full night of sleeping next to Ruby.
Knowing that Ruby would question the decision, Regina preemptively explained her reasoning, adding to it that for one, she didn't want Ruby out driving so late, but most importantly, she just wanted Ruby there with her. She didn't elaborate beyond that, but it had been beyond nice to wake up with someone she cared so deeply for in her bed, and it was even more wonderful that it was Ruby. In fact, had it been feasibly appropriate, Regina would have liked nothing more than to accommodate Ruby's earlier comment for her to never leave. However, Regina knew that kind of progression was going to take time.
With 28 years of longing already behind her, she was ready to make that step but Ruby was not, no matter what she said in a moment where emotions were running high and superseding rationality. Regina didn't think it would take long for Ruby to get there, but until she was, she was going to have to exercise patience, and while patience was something Regina still struggled with at times, it was going to be required if she didn't want to scare Ruby off by being too pushy or quick to jump the gun. Still, she figured that because one night was not an invitation to move in, it would be okay. She just couldn't allow it to become a habit until Ruby was much more invested in the relationship.
In any case, the argument worked, and with Ruby's agreement secured, Regina led them both back upstairs. Not bothering to change from their impromptu pajamas, they climbed into bed together. Once they were both under the covers, Regina curled up behind Ruby, wanting nothing more than to settle in for the night. Until her son came home and she got him in bed, though, she would have to stay away. But there was still an hour or so to go before then.
"I'm so glad you came," Regina told Ruby as she linked their fingers together.
"Me, too," Ruby replied, and then glanced back at Regina with bleary eyes that were somehow still illuminated with affection. "I've been waiting a long time for this." Giving a contented sigh, she then laid her head on the pillow. Her eyes fluttered a few times before sliding shut.
"So have I, darling," Regina whispered, leaning over to nuzzle her cheek Ruby's. She felt Ruby's respondent smile. "But it was worth the wait."
Her eyes remaining closed, Ruby made a happy sound that echoed what Regina was feeling inside. "I'm glad." Silence descended for a moment, after which Regina withdrew to rest her head next to Ruby's. But then suddenly Ruby spoke once more. "Hey, Regina?"
"Yes, dear?"
"What time does Henry usually get up on Sunday morning?"
A slight pout of confusion on her face, Regina raised her head to rest it over Ruby's shoulder, looking down at her heavy lidded lover. "He's up by 7:30 normally. Why?"
"I tend to wake up on my own by 5:30," she answered around a large yawn, "but if it's okay, can you make sure I'm up by then? I want to leave before Henry's up so you don't have to answer any awkward questions."
Regina frowned. "There's no need for that, Ruby. I can deal with my son. I think he'll be fine. It won't be the first time someone has stayed the night here, after all." Graham had on several occasions and Henry had never made much of a fuss about it, chalking it up to 'adult stuff' and going about his morning.
Craning her head up, Ruby gave Regina a grateful smile. "I know that, and while I appreciate the offer, I need to get a head start home to get ready for work anyways. Sunday mornings are super busy at the diner. And besides, I know you'll need to get up to fix breakfast and stuff."
Regina heard the unspoken reason behind Ruby's desire to leave early. While it was one thing to sleep over, it was another to be confronted by the reality of Regina's 10 year old son finding out what had transpired between them. If Henry found out this early, he might ask questions of Ruby she was not yet prepared to answer or put pressure on her she was not yet willing to bear. It wasn't that Ruby didn't want to stay, she just wasn't ready for the implications of hanging around to eat breakfast with the family.
Patience, Regina reminded herself while kissing Ruby's shoulder. She then answered audibly, "I completely understand. I will make sure you're up and at 'em by 5:30. Meanwhile, settle in and relax. I'll lay here with you until Henry gets home."
With a sleepy smile, Ruby nodded and then snuggled back further into her position spooned up against Regina. "'Kay. Goodnight, Regina."
Brushing a strand of hair over her lover's ear, Regina leaned in to place one last kiss on her cheek before whispering in her ear, "Goodnight, my dear."
Five minutes later, Ruby was sound asleep. Laying there quietly, Regina took time to just listen to the reassuring sounds of Ruby's breathing. It was a strangely pleasing that such a little thing could bring her so much comfort. She supposed it was because listening to Ruby's steady breathing reminded her of how lucky she was that Red was alive and well and where she belonged once more, and while the Curse had given Regina many benefits, nothing she was given could equal the worth that.
Still, it was going to be hard to sleep alone tomorrow with Ruby gone but she reminded herself it was not forever. Soon enough it would be time to make things more permanent, for once Ruby was ready, Regina wasn't going to allow any more time to go to waste. She'd done quite enough of that already.
In the end, it was five till eleven when Regina heard the sound of Emma's Volkswagen pull into the driveway, so she carefully arose so as not to disturb Ruby and then made her way downstairs to greet her son. That Emma had managed to be five minutes earlier than the agreed upon time was a surprise since Emma was not well known for being a punctual person. Having honestly expected the woman at least a few minutes late, Regina found herself in the unusual position of feeling a measure of respect for the woman who she once believed had come to Storybrooke just to turn her life upside down. Emma seemed determined to make things work, though, and so long as that remained the case, Regina was willing to do the same.
She hadn't been waiting in the foyer for more than a minute when Henry burst through the front door. The second he caught sight of his mother, he smiled at her in a way he hadn't in a very long time, and it made Regina feel so amazingly euphoric that she didn't complain once as he was chatted away about his awesome day with Emma. Though visibly fighting against exhaustion, he remained buoyant as they made their way into the living room where they sat together on the sofa while her son talked a mile a minute and Regina patiently listened.
Though she really was not interested in learning about how good of a bowler Emma was or how many times Emma had seen Star Wars, she endured the stories all the same, intently taking in every detail Henry relayed like a good mother should. Not wanting her son to pick up on her admittedly petty continued dislike of his birth mother, she even went so far as to insert questions or comments where appropriate. But eventually, as she knew would happen, Henry ran out of steam some time around midnight, and after watching Henry yawn so hard tears came to his eyes, Regina ended the conversation by expressing her genuine contentment at his happiness. After that, she made him go to bed
As if too tired to protest, Henry allowed his mother to usher him upstairs, where she went about putting his things away while he brushed his teeth and washed his face. Once that was done, Regina saw her son to bed, tucked him in and kissed him goodnight. He was out moments later with a smile on his face.
For several minutes, Regina lingered in the doorway to watch him, surprisingly happy just because he was happy. Again she was struck by the possibility that she had actually made the right decision, for just down the hallway not twenty feet away, the woman she loved was sound asleep in her bed and her son was happy once again. That night, she realized, something wonderful had happened, and the proof was in the fact that the two people she loved the most were under one roof for the first time. It was, she thought, as it was supposed to be and quite frankly how she always wanted it to be.
Patience, it will come soon enough, she reminded herself once more as she closed the door to Henry's bedroom and then made her way back to her own.
When she stepped next to the bed a few moments later, she stopped to take the sight of Ruby still sleeping soundly just as she was when Regina had left her. And as her heart swelled up to the point it was overflowing with emotion, she slid back into bed and resumed her position behind her lover's pliant body. After snuggling in close, Ruby woke just enough to hum with pleasure and then press her body back against Regina's in order to bring them as close together as was as humanly possible. The second Ruby was settled in Regina's embrace, she gave a contented little sigh and was almost instantly back asleep.
With a soft smile on her face, Regina allowed her eyes to slide shut and it wasn't long after that the welcoming arms of slumber opened for her. When she finally succumbed to the drag of that welcoming peace, it was with the knowledge that for once in her life, she was truly happy.