Dark 18

Regina took Emma's arm and walked down the walkway of her mansion. She looked up in surprise to see David's truck parked out front. She stopped in her tracks, confused. "Why are you driving David's pick up truck?"

Emma smiled as she opened the door. "I asked him if I could borrow it. We'll be needing it later. "

Regina was confused and worried. "Why?!"

Emma chuckled as she he door for Regina. "You'll see." She stuck out her hand to help lift Regina into the truck. "Your highness?"

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They walked into the Italian restaurant, Emma putting on her best confident face. She knew she had told Regina she was alright with them going public with the fact they were dating, but she was still extremely nervous. She was happy to find that people barely even looked up from their plates and companions.

Emma and Regina followed the hostess to their table and sat down across from each other. Emma looked around nervously, seeing how several of the tables had noticed their arrival. Emma cleared her throat and tried to ignore their glances and focus solely on Regina.

She met Regina's eyes who had clearly been regarding her for a while. Emma blushed.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Regina asked with all sincerity, because though she was, she would march right back out the front door if Emma wanted to.

Emma's heart swooned at the adorably sweet look on Regina's face. All her doubts of being public with Regina were out the window. Emma smiled and reached across the table. She took Regina's hand in hers and intertwined their fingers. She didn't even look to see who was watching. She melted as Regina smiled back. They let go and picked up their menus.

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"So, where exactly are you taking me? In a truck?"

Emma laughed and shook her head. "Well, hopefully somewhere you've never been. At least, never spent a lot of time at." She looked over and smiled at Regina's skepticism. "Relax. I think you'll like it."

They sat in silence for a few moments as Emma took a secluded road into the woods. Regina watched their path for a while before looking over at Emma, eyes intent on the road. She laid her head back on the seat and smiled. She imagined them always being like this; side by side, Emma in the drivers seat.

Emma felt Regina looking at her and half smiled. She glanced over for as long as she could, her eyes catching the sparkling chocolate of Regina's.

Regina sighed quietly and looked back at the road shortly after Emma did, and noticed the woods were thinning. They passed over a cattle guard rail with a barbed wire fence going in either direction. Suddenly they were in a large clearing, appearing to be several acres in size. Regina waited until Emma came to a stop right in the middle of the field and turned the truck off. The two women looked at each other, one in confusion, the other in mischief.

Without a word Emma was out of the truck and around the side to let Regina out.

"Are we in a cow field?" Regina asked incredulously.

Emma laughed out loud at this, knowing that Regina would be skeptical at first. She turned Regina's body and pointed down the field.

"Sheep. This is Bo Peep's field. Relax, thy won't attack."

Regina could barely make out small figures in the moonlight. She looked at Emma and cocked her head.

Emma smiled into Regina'a confused face as she walked around and opened the tail gate. Regina just looked on in confusion as Emma climbed in the back and started grabbing things. She watched as Emma set up two reclining lawn chairs, fitting smugly against each other in the bed of the truck.

Still confused, Regina gave Emma a crooked smile and looked at her in question. When Emma walked over and hopped back out of the truck,she took Regina into an embrace.

"Emma, I'm all for romanticism, but I don't find it in an empty field full of sheep shit." Regina spewed, slightly annoyed at the turn of events.

Emma took Regina's chin with two fingers and forced her to look at her. "Look up."

Regina saw the sparkling in Emma's eyes and complied. When she did, she saw the most beautiful sight she had seen in quite a while. Trillions and trillions of stars lit up the sky; more stars than she knew existed in this world. The moon shine brightly across the valley, illuminating the field and the outline of white sheep, grazing on the green grass. Without the tree line and lights of the city, the full brilliance of the nights sky was revealed to them. Regina gasped and clutched onto Emma. She looked up into the woman's smiling face.

"Come on," Emma said as she took her hand. Emma climbed into the truck and looked back down at Regina. She watched as the woman peeled off her heels and tossed them in the truck. Regina reached up and allowed Emma to pull her up into the bed of the truck. Regina noticed Emma had taken care and lined the floor of the bed with a soft blanket.

Regina laid back in the comfortable canvas chair as Emma was fiddling with something. She was staring up into the beauty that Emma had laid before her when suddenly a glass of campaign was placed in her hand.

Emma handed Regina the glass of champaign and smiled, already seeing that Regina was eating up the choice of venue. She held out her glass as she leaned slightly forward in the chair. "Cheers?"

Regina bit her bottom lip as she tilted her glass up. "To new beginnings."

Emma licked her lips and nodded. "And to happy endings."

Regina's heart skipped a beat as their eyes never parted while glasses clinked.

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For nearly two hours the two laid in the back of the pick up, sipping champaign, holding hands, and simply enjoying each others company.

Emma suddenly turned her body in the chair and faced Regina. When Regina saw this she did the same. They gazed into each others eyes, searching faces freely for the first time. Emma was breathless at the soft look of adoration in Regina's eyes. Emma reached up and caressed the side of Regina's face, cupping around to grasp her ear slightly.

Regina licked her lips, anticipating what she thought was to be another make out session. Instead she saw Emma's eyes soften and become almost serious. Regina quirked an eyebrow, and reached out to hold Emma around the waist in an attempt to comfort her.

Emma chuckled silently and shook her head. "I know, Regina, that us being here together, if you look at our history, is pretty freaking crazy." She smirked as Regina laughed too. "On paper, we should have killed each other by now."

Regina stroked her hand from Emma's shoulder down to her hip again, looking deep in Emma's eyes.

Emma weaved her fingers through Regina's hair as she continued. "But if you look beneath the surface, the Savior and the Queen...make perfect sense. Ironic, yes, but perfect." Emma tilted her head and pulled Regina's head slightly closer, ghosting across the queen's bottom lip as she did. "I know we said we'd take it slow, and that's okay with me," Emma saw Regina's eyes dilate even in the low light of the moon and stars. "But I want you to know," she saw Regina swallow and lick her lips. "That I already know...that I want you, Regina. I've always wanted you." She caressed Regina's face as she saw the woman's breathing pick up. They made eye contact again as Emma saw a single tear fall down her cheek. "Not just this...gorgeous body." Emma laughed as she let a hand streak softly down Regina's side, then back up to her face. She smiled back into eyes that were completely invested in her words. "I do want this. But I also want,". Her hand caressed up to rest on Regina's temple, "this," she said, indicating Regina's brilliant mind. She grew more serious as she let her hand trail down the side of Regina's neck until settling just above Regina's heaving cleavage, directly over her heart. "But I want this most of all. I don't want to take it. I want you to give it to me."

Regina breathed out a heavy breath, and suddenly heard the sound of her champaign glass shattering as she ejected from her lawn chair. She laid on top of Emma as she pressed her lips on hers, kissing messily and awkwardly like first time teenagers.

Emma was surprised as Regina launched herself onto her lap, but met her lips hungrily. Their hands were all over each other, Emma gasping loudly as she felt Regina's fingers press between her legs.

Regina was just about to reach down and unbutton Emma's jeans when the bottom fell out from under her; literally. The lawn chair they were in buckled from the weight and movement sending both women crashing to the ground.

Emma let out an audible 'oof' as Regina's body came crashing down on top of her.

Both women laughed boisterously once they realized they were okay, gripping at each other as they laughed. Finally Regina regained herself, even as her arousal demanded attention. She breathed heavy breaths into Emma's mouth until she came to a simple conclusion.

"Take me home. Now."

***thanks for hanging in, guys. Next chapter is M for what you've been patiently waiting for, I promise.