Sorry about the delay in updating - I just can't seem to get these chapters the way I want them. A huge thank you to all of you who are still reading this - please be patient!
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Regina woke with an uncharacteristic smile on her face. She was sore yes, but not as though she had been hit by a number of trucks, but rather one gorgeous blonde, leaving a pleasurable ache she would gladly bear. Letting her eyelids flutter open, she blinked lazily to clear the sleep from her eyes, her gaze focusing on the blonde curls splayed across her chest.
She brought one hand up to leisurely stoke through the golden strands, brushing them away from Emma's face so she could take in the peaceful expression on her lover's face. In sleep, her expression had an almost childlike quality in its serenity. A smile still etched on her features, she let her eyes fall closed once more, content to just lay there and enjoy the warmth of the woman in her arms.
Feeling the arm around her waist tighten, she looked down to find green eyes gazing up at her, accompanied by a sleepy smile. "Morning."
"Mmm, morning," grinned Emma, nuzzling into Regina's neck. "You look good in the morning."
The former Queen managed an elegant snort. "Somehow I doubt it. My hair no doubt looks like I've walked through a wind storm, and my make-up is probably anywhere but the area of my face to which it was applied."
The blonde chuckled against her chest. "God, even first thing in the morning you talk like you've swallowed a dictionary!"
"Just because I have the linguistic abilities suited to a woman of my age, and use it, should be no source of surprise."
"I suppose not, considering you technically have a few decades on me," smirked the blonde, realizing her mistake too late when she received a none too soft smack to the back of her head. She lifted her head, using her best puppy dog eyes. "But you know I love you no matter what age you are."
Regina lifted one perfectly sculpted eyebrow.
"And you know you have the hottest body in this entire town," the blonde went on, trying to placate her lover. She lowered her head to press open mouthed kisses to the soft skin on offer to her. "The softest skin," she whispered, moving up to kiss the sensitive spot just below the brunette's ear. Pulling back, she was pleased to find the smile she had been hoping for gracing the former Queen's lips. "And the most amazing smile." Leaning up on her elbows, she was content to simply gaze at her lover. "I'm thinking it's the same smile Henry loves so much."
"You're the one who brought it back."
"I'm glad," said Emma softly. "Brightens the place up," she added with a smile of her own as she leant up to press a kiss to the brunette's lips, only to be halted by finger pressed to her own. She pulled back with a frown. "You're not going all shy on me now after all the things we did last night."
Regina blushed at the memories of the night before. "It's not that. I'll have morning breath."
Emma rolled her eyes. "You really think I care?"
"I do."
The blonde sighed, taking a deep breath. She would have to fall in love with a woman of such high standards. "Then you had better go and brush your teeth pronto, because if I have to wait much longer to kiss you will have one grumpy Sheriff in your bed."
"How about I do one better?" smirked the brunette. "I'll brush my teeth, and then go for a shower…where you can join me."
Grinning, Emma sat up, practically shoving her lover towards the edge of the bed.
Laughing, Regina swatted at the hands pushing at her, slipping out from under the sheets. She felt the blonde's eyes on her as she made her way to the bathroom. "Five minutes?" she asked with a grin over her shoulder.
"Two," Emma countered. "And not a second more!" She let herself fall back into the sheets as her lover disappeared into the bathroom, stretching and flexing her protesting muscles. Counting the seconds by tapping out a rhythm on the empty sheets next to her, she managed to wait a whole sixty seconds before swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She looked down as she felt something cold and metallic beneath her left foot. Lifting the foot, she reached down to pick up the object beneath. Daniel's ring, she realised. The ring Regina had wanted to destroy.
"Are you coming, Miss Swan?"
Emma grinned as the seductive tone of her lover reached her ears. "Hopefully soon," she called back, pushing herself to her feet. Glancing around the room, her eyes halted on a framed scenic print. Quickly stepping up to the print, she carefully hid the ring behind it, tucking the thin metal band into a small gap in the frame. She had plans for the simply copper band. Plans Regina didn't need to know about quite yet.
"I wish you'd let me heal that," said Regina as Emma moved to get out of the car.
The blonde merely grinned. "Uh-uh. I'm wearing this thing with pride."
The brunette rolled her eyes. "At least wear a scarf," she said, pulling the thin strip of fabric from around her own neck.
Emma shook her head. "Nope. Wearing this thing with pride like I said. I want the whole town to know you just couldn't contain yourself."
Regina sighed, eyeing the deep purple bite mark on the blonde's neck. She hadn't meant to give her quite such a visible reminder of their shower, but somehow, at some point during their shower, she had decided to muffle her scream of pleasure by occupying her mouth with the blonde's pale skin instead. "Henry's going to ask about it." She had been careful the night before to only leave marks where they could be hidden for that very reason.
Emma chuckled. "Regina, he's ten. Believe me, he knows what a hicky is. Even in this town, school will have taught him that much." She leant over, pressing a sweet kiss to her lover's lips, painted their usual blood red once more. "Just let me enjoy it for today? I'll let you heal it tomorrow if it bothers you that much, but please just give me today? I just want to see their faces."
With a further eye roll, Regina sighed.
"Come on, you know you want to see Snow's face when she lays eyes on this," teased Emma.
"Fine!" the brunette relented, her lips twitching up in her trademark smirk at the thought of the pixie haired woman's face when she laid eyes on the mark she had left on their daughter. "Now, let's go eat before your stomach deafens me!"