Emma searched the woman's gloating face for humor; finding none she shook her head. "I'm not sleeping in the corner on a mat like a dog; I'll sleep in the bed."
"I'm sleeping in the bed."
"Then I suppose you have a bedmate."
Regina stepped closer to her; crowding her space. "No, I will not share my bed."
"Then you can sleep in the corner." Emma smirked at that image.
"I sleep alone." A tone in her voice caused the blonde to look down into her eyes curiously.
"Regina, I'm not sleeping on the floor. We slept in the same bed the first night. Anyway, you may be the Evil Queen, but as I recall, I'm a Princess right? You can't boss me around."
"This bed is much smaller. Besides, it's not as if you ever did what I asked anyway."
"I never remember you actually…asking." Emma retorted and strode to the bed before flinging back the covers on the straw mattress to look for unwanted guests. Finding there were none; she crawled under the sheets and cuddled to one side. "Come on in, Your Majesty, the bed is lumpy as hell." She called over her shoulder.
"I kick in my sleep." Regina said.
"I'll kick you back."
"I talk a lot."
"Is that any different than when you're awake?"
"I sleep in the nude." Regina said in desperation.
"Well, don't go changing to try and please me." Came the pithy retort.
Emma heard the woman behind her curse at her back as she tried to still her own heart. Regina Mills, nude and between the sheets with her. The thought sent skitters of anticipation up her back. Emma had slept with a few women before; nothing serious, just more or less experimenting and having a good time. But never had she bedded a woman quite as exquisite as the brunette was. Emma's mouth watered at the thought of Regina's soft skin rubbing against her own bare flesh…. Nope, not going there. Henry's Mom, thirty years older than me, Evil Queen…definitely not my type. She thought desperately as she heard the brunette tossing away the towel that had encased her head.
The bed depressed behind her and she felt the woman snuggling under the covers in an angry huff. The mattress was large enough that they had a foot between them; so long as they clung to their respective edges. Emma found herself wondering what exactly Regina was wearing as a bare calf accidently brushed the back of her leg. Surely the woman hadn't actually divested herself of her nightshirt? The thought consumed the blonde as she imagined lying in bed with a very naked Regina. Forcing the image from her brain, she shut her eyes tight and let sleep take her over.
But she was awakened barely a few hours later by a chill. Restless movement had kicked the covers from her body. She rolled over to come face to face with a flailing and trembling brunette. Bleary green eyes opened as she peered at the jerking woman beside her in the flickering flames of the dying fire.
"No…" a whispered moan escaped the brunette as she clutched at the borrowed linen shirt on her sweating body.
Emma raised herself to one elbow, watching the woman in the throes of a nightmare. "Regina." She said softly, leaning into the woman. The brunette struck out an elbow at the noise.
"Please, no…" the pleading note tugged at the blonde's heart.
Emma caught the arm that surely would have rattled her skull and pulled the brunette around to face her. She released the grip on the woman's wrist to grab her shoulder and shake her awake. "Regina." She said more loudly and the woman's dark eyes flew open.
Regina sat up abruptly, chest heaving and panicked eyes scanning the room. Relief washed over her as she realized she was not in the bedchamber she shared with her former husband; she sank back into the pillow.
Emma watched her closely. There was a sheen of sweat on her forehead and upper lip; the blonde found a hand reaching up to touch the woman's forehead out of instinct. Regina closed her eyes briefly and then whirled to face her.
"Miss Swan, keep your common hands off of me."
"No need to thank me from waking you from your terrible dream." Emma muttered and retracted her hand. She did continue to watch the woman as she shuddered. The blonde reached down and pulled the covers back up around them tucking them into the pocket of warmth. However, the brunette continued to quake in cold and aftershocks.
"My nightmares are familiar." She said with a strength that didn't quite reach her haunted eyes.
"Well, considering you're sharing the bed with me, I hope you'll forgive me for not wanting to awaken black and blue. Who were you fighting anyway? You nearly dislodge my teeth."
Pain and fear raked briefly over the woman's stunning features until she dropped her gaze and closed her eyes. "I'm sure you don't want to know."
Emma hesitated. "Was it about Henry?"
Regina's eyes flew open. "No." She said and pulled the covers up to her chin; craving the security and warmth. Emma watched as the brunette's breathing deepened and her dark lashes cast shadows over her high cheekbones in the dim light. "Stop staring, Miss Swan, I'm quite alright."
"Right…yeah…sorry." Emma ground out and closed her eyes, trying not to imagine that it was most likely her own grandfather that Regina had been fighting.
The thought sickened the blonde and she fought the urge to comfort the sleeping woman facing her. Emma watched as Regina snuggled deeper and curled her knees up to her chest so that they were pressed against Emma's thighs. The contact was electrifying and self-preserving. This position allowed Regina to seek heat and comfort from contact with Emma without the blonde having the ability to move closer. It was typical Regina. Emma sighed and let herself drift off, back to sleep.
Regina awoke in the morning in a warm, sleepy haze. She yawned lazily and snuggled deeper into the warmth behind her; allowing her eyes to flutter shut once more. Wait…dark eyes flew back open and she stifled a gasp as her spine stiffened. Emma Swan was curled around her protectively. Her thighs were brushing the back of Regina's own bare flesh. She felt a warm weight on her hip and realized it was the blonde's presumptuous hand cupping her thigh.
What was even more disconcerting than the fact that her enemy was wrapped around her comfortably like a human blanket was the fact that Regina actually…liked it. She shook her head even as she felt her body relaxing into the warmth of the blonde. No, this would not do. She simply could not be snuggling with the cause of most of her rage and frustration. She pushed herself out of the bed and set about her morning rituals with as much rigidity as she could muster.
Regina placed a few logs on the fire to build it back up and then filled a pot from the bucket of water Emma had dragged inside the day before. During her plundering of the cabinets, she had found a container of tea grounds and as they had no coffee; she would make it work.
Emma awoke to a warm, sensual smell. She cracked an eye about the room and motion caught her attention. Regina was crouched, long nightshirt riding up on her thighs to allow her maneuverability from her position and dark hair swinging forward in her face. She was checking something in a pot over the fire and when she poured it out of the kettle into a chipped, wooden cup Emma placed the smell. It was hot tea.
Still she didn't move; she continued to watch as the woman carried the two cups to the table and then set out the jar of honey as well as a warped spoon side by side. She then opened the pear preserves and began dishing them into two bowls. Emma was struck by how soft she looked standing in the kitchen with the long shirt flowing loosely about her body. The top button was undone carelessly and her hair fell about her face in long, subtle waves. The blonde fought a smile when the brunette reached up and flicked it back out of her face in irritation; she had long ago realized that it was a tell of Regina's to touch her hair. Just as it was a tell for the brunette to clutch at her flat stomach when she was nervous.
Emma rolled onto her back and stretched stiffly; yawning loudly because she knew it would bother the brunette. Sure enough, when she glanced over to her she saw dark eyes roll dramatically.
"Miss Swan, we need to get moving." She said and nudged the bowl and cup on the counter. "We have tea and pears for breakfast."