"Ruby!" a voice shouted from downstairs.
The scantily clad brunette jumped about a foot from her position on the bed. Her eyes darted nervously to the computer screen and back up to the closed door, hoping desperately that the voice did not approach. "Yes, Gran?" Ruby yelled back.
"I'm heading out for a bit. I'll be back soon! Clean up that room of yours while I'm gone, huh?"
Ruby rolled her eyes. At her age, she really shouldn't be ordered around like that. But she was certainly used to it. "Where you going?"
No response.
Ruby shrugged. Her grandmother had probably already left. Good. She would rather be alone while she was reading these stories anyway.
Ruby glanced back down at her computer once more. She had about seven tabs open, each containing a story whose description she had found interesting and so she intended to read.
Ever since "The Tales of Storybrooke" had launched two weeks ago, it had been a tremendous success. People had taken to the format of the website right away, adopting anonymous usernames and posting works of fiction for everyone else in the town to read. Initially, it had just been fun to read the stories purely for entertainment purposes, much as Ruby would have read any other old book she got from the library. But very quickly the townspeople had discovered the real appeal of the website: reading what people wrote, guessing their identity based on their clever or not-so-clever usernames, and using their work to make inferences about their personal lives.
Most people didn't actually write about their own lives, however. Most people wrote about the lives of people close to them. The site was a way to dispense gossip without guilt. Or to create gossip where there was none. It was malicious, sure, but Ruby was never one to shy away from an opportunity to catch up on the town news, even if it was less than accurate.
The other big appeal of the website lay in the M-rated section (and sometimes, frankly, the two appeals overlapped—that made for the juiciest gossip). Almost every citizen of Storybrooke over 18, and probably some under as well, secretly and guiltily narrowed their searches nightly to Genre: Romance and Rating: M.
Smut.
Pure, intense, hot smut.
That's what made "Tales" so popular.
Well, that and the gossip thing.
Ruby clicked forward to the next and final chapter of the fic she had been reading before. She skimmed it quickly before clicking the story away angrily. "A heated kiss should not mean an 'M' rating."
"What was that dear?"
Ruby jumped again, looking up to see her granny had opened the door and was about to enter. "Erm… games Gran. You know how some games are rated M? Well uh, I was just looking at reviews for this game and didn't think it looked like it was scandalous enough to be rated M…" The brunette frantically closed her tabs one by one as the older woman approached the bed. She felt it sink from the weight of the body beside her.
"I just came up to tell you where I was going. You asked, right?" Granny's eyes flicked to the computer screen for a second before looking back up to meet Ruby's.
"Oh, uh, yeah. So where are you going?" Ruby leaned back, making every effort to appear casual and nonchalant.
"I have to run to the sheriff's station. Leroy left without paying for his meal again today, and, well, I'm most likely to find him there. If he isn't, at least I can report the incident to Sheriff Swan."
"Right. Good. That sounds… great! You should go do that." Ruby almost audibly exhaled when her grandmother got off the bed and headed for the door.
"Alright, I should be back in about an hour. And Ruby?"
"Yes, Gran?" The young girl did her best impression of innocent, cocking her head to the side like a curious puppy.
"Let me know how 'Hot Love in the Desert' is after you finish, okay?"
"Oh, god." Ruby's eyes fell to her computer screen to confirm that she had missed a tab. She blushed and buried her face in her hands as her grandmother left, chuckling. Ruby quickly closed that tab as well. There was no way she could read that story now without being miserably embarrassed the whole time.
She went back to the main page. A few new stories had been posted, so she decided to investigate. Ruby read through their descriptions to try to decide which to read first:
'Three's a Crowd'—A woman suspects her husband is cheating on her with the local schoolteacher. Will she win him back? Or take advantage of the situation? By PantsuitsMeanBusiness
'You're Having my Baby'—A scandalous affair leaves a girl pregnant, the father of her child intimidated into leaving by his uptight father. Both just want their 'happily ever after.' By HandcuffsAreFunctionalToo
'Love me Back'—An employee falls for his boss and does everything he can to try to win her over. By ReportingFiend
Ruby chuckled at that one. Sidney was not the most creative.
'One Night'—A doctor dedicated to his community. A lowly waitress with enormous sex appeal. Two lovers destined for a one night stand, or more. By WhaleOfATale
Ruby felt personally violated. Once she had forced the bile back down her throat, she continued.
'On the Desk, Dear'—Two women who never should have given each other a second glance. To the world, they were enemies, caught in a raging war. To each other they were something more. By AnonymousOne
Ruby gasped. Was this about who she thought it was about? She clicked the story quickly, opening it to see.
A quick skim confirmed her suspicions. Ohhh this was going to be good. She turned around onto her stomach to lay down while she read.
It was a cold and rainy night. The sheriff had sat for the last several hours at her desk, finishing up paperwork that the mayor needed immediately. Getting up, she stretched before grabbing the stack of papers and shoving them under her brown leather jacket. She ran out into the rain, only her hands shielding her face as she made a dash for her yellow Bug. Her blonde hair curled quickly in the downpour, and she regretted not for the first time today forgetting her umbrella at home.
The sheriff drove quickly to City Hall. She wanted to deliver the papers fast so she could get home, shower, change into dry clothes, and snuggle under the blankets on her bed. The blonde would give anything right now just to be dry and warm.
Arriving at the looming building, she made a dash for the door. Shaking off the excess water when she entered the building, she walked slowly up the stairs, her footsteps echoing through the empty halls. The woman shuddered. She had never liked City Hall at night.
She made it to the mayor's door. Seeing a light flicker through the frosted glass, the sheriff tapped softly before pushing the door open with a creak. The mayor, a beautiful brunette woman, sat at her desk shifting through papers. A fire burned in the corner.
"I have the paperwork you asked for. Where would you like it?" The sheriff held out her hand in which she clasped the stack of papers.
The brunette looked up briefly before returning her gaze to her own papers as if she couldn't be bothered. "On the desk, dear," she stated shortly.
The sheriff walked over quickly and placed the papers on the corner of the mayor's desk. The brunette stopped what she was doing upon hearing the other woman's teeth chattering.
"Are you cold, dear?"
"Just a little," the woman answered, but her shiver betrayed her. The mayor stood up. Within seconds she stood just inches away from the sheriff. Normally she would be the shorter one, but with her three inch heels the mayor was decidedly taller. Now away from her desk, the blonde could see the purple blouse tucked into the tight black pencil much better. Just enough buttons were undone on the blouse to reveal the lacy black bra underneath. The sheriff gulped.
The mayor smirked before moving around behind the other woman and removing her jacket. "I think, Madam Mayor, if you are trying to warm a person up, you cover them up more rather than peeling layers off."
The mayor pinched the jacket between two fingers as though touching it would infect her with some disease. She carried it, dripping, over to her coatrack and placed it there carefully. "Taking off that soaking wet jacket can only help you, dear." The mayor turned around and seemed to notice the sheriff's appearance now for the first time. A tight, white tank top clung to her body, hiding nothing. The form-fitting jeans weren't any better at concealing her bottom half. The blonde's nipples stood erect, from cold or discomfort the mayor wasn't sure, but she smirked either way.
"Your body seems to be saying you're more than a 'little' cold," the brunette taunted. The other woman blushed, but allowed herself to be led over to the sofa near the fire. The mayor sat her down and poured them both a drink. "Cider?" The sheriff took the glass happily and gulped down its contents, while the mayor herself sipped hers slower, seating herself all too close to the other woman.
Her bare leg brushed up against the sheriff's damp pants, and she winced. Setting her glass down on the coffee table, she turned to the blonde and said, "Stand up."
"What?"
"You're getting my sofa all wet; if you wish to remain there, stand up. Let's get you out of those jeans." The mayor tapped her high heel impatiently against the tile.
The sheriff stood up quickly, but began to back away. "That's okay… I can leave…"
The other woman surged forward, grabbing the sheriff by her belt loops. "Don't do anything rash," she hissed predatorily. Her tongue darted out and licked her lips slowly as she pulled the blonde closer until their faces were mere inches apart.
"Madam Mayor," the sheriff whispered and then parted her lips. The mayor's eyes flicked down and then back up to look into the sheriff's eyes. Then she took two steps back, gesturing to the woman's jeans once more as if to remind her why they were in their current position. The blonde knelt down, untying and removing her boots, then unbuttoning, unzipping, and slowly peeling off her jeans. Her eye's never left the mayor's, who was watching her with a knee-weakening intensity. "Anything else you'd like me to remove?" the blonde asked with a smirk.
"Don't flatter yourself, Sheriff," the mayor shot back. She grabbed her glass off the table and took it over to her desk, leaning back against it while she sipped.
"Just because you're all the way over there doesn't mean I don't see you staring."
The mayor rolled her eyes. "I am not staring."
A few swift strides brought the sheriff within inches of the mayor again, this time trapping her against her own desk. "Do I make you uncomfortable, Madam Mayor?"
The brunette's breath hitched, hearing her formal title spilling from the other woman's lips as she pressed ever-closer. "You are invading my personal space, Sheriff."
"But I don't hear you complaining." The sheriff closed the distance, pressing her lips to the mayor's lightly, and then harder, more passionately. "What do you want me to do?" she whispered against the brunette's lips.
"Stop talking." The mayor grabbed the sheriff's hips, pulling them into her own. Their lips met again, their tongues dueling for dominance. Neither headstrong woman was willing to give up.
When the mayor's legs parted slightly, the sheriff quickly insinuated her thigh between them. The brunette moaned against the other woman's lips and involuntarily bucked her hips against the sheriff's leg. The blonde smiled between kisses, grabbing underneath the mayor's thighs and lifting her up onto the desk. The paperwork from before was quickly scattered to the floor.
The sheriff's hands moved up, cupping the older woman's breasts through the silky blouse. The mayor moved to unbutton the blouse, wanting to feel the sheriff's rough hands brushing directly over her nipples. Growing impatient, the blonde ripped through the rest of the buttons which clattered haphazardly onto the tile floor. The mayor gave her a look, and would have issued an admonishment had her lips not been covered so quickly by the other woman's. As she kissed the blonde passionately, the sheriff's tongue thrust into her mouth, and she felt the release of her bra clasp and the air rush past the front of her chest as the offending black lace was removed.
The mayor moaned, feeling her matching lace underwear dampening quickly as the sheriff ran her rough palms over her nipples. Her back arched into the younger woman's touch, wanting—needing—more. Resting her right hand on the mayor's leg, the sheriff massaged the older woman's right breast roughly with her other hand, while bending down to take the left nipple into her mouth. Her tongue swirled around the sensitive bud until it stood upright, the mayor panting hard for air. Then the blonde switched, massaging the left breast, and sucking on the right nipple.
The mayor's hands clasped the edge of the desk, the knuckles turning white. Her need was growing, and with it, her frustration. She would happily have sat there all day, allowing the sheriff to lavish attention on each breast in turn, worshiping her body, but there were other parts of her body that now desperately required the other woman's attention. Her breath came in short gasps as she wrapped her legs around the blonde's body, trying to communicate her need.
The sheriff smirked and placed both hands on the mayor's thighs just under the hem of her skirt, leaning forward to kiss her once more. During the kiss, the blonde inched her hands slowly up the older woman's thighs, painfully gradually approaching the area of greatest need and pushing the skirt up as she went. The mayor bucked against her, trying to urge her faster. With her right hand, the sheriff finally began to explore the brunette's sex. She moaned feeling how wet the mayor was for her. Two fingers ran from the woman's center to her clit, gathering wetness until it was dripping off. She brought the fingers delicately to her lips, tasting the mayor slowly, sensuously, making sure the older woman was watching her every move.
Seeing the blonde tasting her, wrapping her tongue deliberately around those two fingers, the mayor couldn't take it anymore. "Please, Sheriff."
"Please what?"
Normally the mayor would not have allowed these games. Normally she would have insisted on dominating—never giving in. But she was way too far gone now to care. "Fuck me," she stated simply. The sheriff salivated hearing those words. She quickly thrust the two, now clean fingers into the other woman's center. The mayor cried out loudly, and the other woman smirked in reply. She held her fingers still, allowing the brunette to adjust to their presence. The mayor adjusted quickly, and just as quickly grew impatient, attempting to buck against the blonde and take her fingers in deeper. But the sheriff used her other hand to pin the mayor's hips to the desk. She wanted to take this slowly and teasingly at first, torturing the other woman as much as possible. She slowly pulled her fingers out of the other woman, who groaned at their loss, then thrust them back in with great force. The mayor cried out once more. She repeated this several times: out slowly, thrust hard, out gradually, thrust deeper.
"God fucking dammit woman PLEASE? Do I have to BEG?"
"Actually—" The sheriff appeared thoughtful for a second, but looking down and seeing the desperation in the other woman's eyes, she took pity on her. She leaned forward and kissed the mayor passionately, biting her lip. The older woman moaned her name, and the blonde began speeding up her rhythm in response, becoming more constant, removing her other hand from the brunette's hips and allowing her to thrust back against her. She moved closer so that with every thrust her palm pressed hard against the other woman's clit. The sheriff felt the mayor's walls clenching around her fingers before the woman let out a scream, coming hard against her.
The blonde continued thrusting, allowing the mayor to ride out her orgasm, panting hard. Even after that, the sheriff kept her fingers inside the mayor as she kissed her more sweetly and then pulled back to allow the older woman to catch her breath. She removed her fingers from inside the mayor, but instead of licking them off herself, this time pressed them to the other woman's lips. The brunette met her eyes before opening her mouth, wrapping her tongue around the blonde's fingers.
The sheriff gulped, eyes widening, clearly turned on by the sight in front of her. The mayor smirked, finally feeling as though she had regained an iota of control. She pushed herself off of the desk, and turned to the blonde, stepping close into her personal space once more. The younger woman's breath was coming quicker as she looked up into the mayor's eyes. "What now?" she asked softly.
The mayor smiled, raising an eyebrow. "On the desk, dear."
"Oh… my god," Ruby whispered aloud. She moved herself back into a sitting position. Rocking back and forth impatiently, she thought about what she had just read. If true, this was the juiciest piece of gossip ever to hit Storybrooke. Regina and Emma together. Regina Mills and Emma Swan… together. The fucking mayor and sheriff, mortal enemies, only ever seen acting antagonistically toward one another, completely hostile… together. Could it even be possible?
"Ruby? I'm home," her grandmother's voice called through the door.
Ruby slammed her laptop shut just as Granny turned the knob and entered. "Are you okay dear?"
"Uh yeah, just fine… I'm just going to get ready for bed," Ruby answered from her dazed state.
She got up, all of her motions on autopilot, and started for the bathroom to brush her teeth. Her grandmother shrugged and left the room, headed for her own bedroom for the night. After all, it was late, and she'd have to get up early to go file her complaint at the sheriff's station. Neither Leroy, nor Emma had been there when she'd gone tonight, strangely enough. But she didn't think much of it.
…
The next morning, Ruby was still in her bewildered state as she began her day at work. She waited on customers, went through all the motions, and basically did her job correctly but without the pep she typically exuded. That is, until Regina entered the diner for her morning coffee, taking her seat at a booth near the back so as not to be disturbed by the other customers.
Rather than simply going to the table and taking her order, Ruby slid into the booth across from Regina. The mayor only raised an eyebrow. "Something I can help you with, dear?"
"Is it true?" the waitress hissed excitedly, then turned making certain no one had heard her.
"I'm sorry, dear, I'm afraid I have no idea what you mean."
"From the 'Tales,' the rumor that you and Emma are… you know… an item."
"An item?" Regina asked slowly.
"You know, a thing. Together. Something about lemurs and whatnot… I think. A couple?"
"COUPLE?" Regina's voice was raised, and it held a twinge of outrage, just the slightest peek through to her emotional side to which normally no one was privy. But she recovered quickly. "Of course it's not true. What makes you think that, dear?"
"Like I said, the 'Tales.' You know, that new—"
"New, damned, primarily false rumor and gossip-spreading tripe. Yes I know. What about it?"
"Well there was a new story last night. You and Emma… you know… enjoying each other."
"Oh, god." Regina rolled her eyes. "Who would publish such obviously false trash?" She contemplated the thought.
"I—"
"No, I think I know who it is. There are only a handful of people with something to gain by simultaneously derailing both myself and Miss Swan's reputations. And I think I know just the person to talk to. Thank you, Miss Lucas, for this enlightening discussion."
The mayor stood abruptly and walked quickly out the door, high heels clicking all the way. Ruby could see her pulling out her cell phone and making a call the second she emerged from the building.
The waitress sighed. Alas, the rumor wasn't true. Life in Storybrooke had officially gone back to Boringsville. She rested her chin on her hands and sulked quietly.
…
Hours later, the mayor sat at her desk working on paperwork. By now she had read the offending story, and made a call to the party she was certain was responsible. She heard a sharp knock on the door followed by the creak of it opening just a crack. "Come inside," she said simply.
"You asked to see me?" the other voice remained in the shadows.
"I read your story."
"How did you know it was mine?"
The mayor chuckled at that. "Really, Emma, who could write a more accurate account of the events of last Thursday than someone who had been there? And I certainly didn't write it."
Emma Swan smiled, but remained in the dark corner of the office. "So you're not angry Madam Mayor?" she taunted.
Regina sobered. "Actually I am quite furious that you went behind my back and—"
"Because I was thinking," Emma interrupted, stepping into the light, "that if you were angry I might have to make it up to you." She dropped the long trench coat she had wrapped around her body, revealing a tight leather corset and thigh high leather boots with laces. Peeking over the tops of the boots were the lace tops of thigh high stockings, connected with garters to a black lace garter belt, all covering a black lace thong.
Regina was rarely thrown off her game, but she had not been expecting this. She recovered quickly. Except for a small gulp and slightly widened eyes, she showed no signs of having been affected. "That… might be an acceptable arrangement."
"Well, if you don't want—" Emma began tauntingly.
Within seconds Regina was around the desk and on her, hands on her hips, backing her up slowly.
Emma looked back at Regina with a triumphant smile. "Where are we going?"
The mayor just smirked. "On the desk, dear."