"Can we slow down a little?" Emma yelled out, clearly in pain and out of breath.
Regina responded by pumping her arms and legs faster. She checked over her shoulder and there was Emma: twenty paces back, sucking wind as they ran together. When Emma noticed that Regina was watching she steeled her expression and picked up the pace, despite digging her hand into her side as if she was fighting a cramp off.
Regina laughed inwardly at the younger woman's struggle, but she also sympathized. It wasn't really fair to Emma. Regina started a daily jogging regiment when the curse first started thirty some years ago, and Emma had started the couch to 5k program yesterday.
Emma was self- purportedly not a morning person by any stretch of the definition, and the only thing she would get out of bed for was a bear claw and a hot coffee. Regina couldn't believe the blonde agreed when she had insisted they complete their jogs in the pre-dawn hours when things were quiet and still.
She must be dying, Regina mused as she thought back on how Emma had asked her about starting up as running buddies. During their near daily shared lunches Emma had brought up the fact that she hadn't done anything physical with another person for a very long time. The way she worded it caused Regina to raise her eyebrows and nod suggestively, and then Emma blushed and backtracked until she stammered out she meant exercise.
"Hey, I think the sun is coming up on the beach," Emma panted, coming to a full stop and putting her hands on her knees, doubling over and trying to keep her lungs from bursting. "I need a little break, let's watch the sunrise over the water."
Stopping, Regina turned around and looked at the other woman. Her chin was lifted, mouth open, and her forehead crinkled as she caught her breath. The striation of her shoulder muscles was visible on her flushed red skin from all the blood and heat pumping through. Regina's attention was caught by the silver necklace hanging from Emma's neck and glinting in the soft morning light.
Her skin was shining from sweat, and her grey tank was sweat darkened in front. The top gaped open and her full cleavage was on display encased by her sports bra, which made Regina swallow hard. Her nipples were standing in plush relief from the exertion of exercise, and Regina forced herself to look away.
"Let's just run a little farther up the beach," Regina muttered, motioning with her head as she turned and started jogging away. Her mind was still stuck on tight, toned muscles and plump, soft curves so she didn't notice a half buried stone on Maine's rocky coastline. Her foot caught on it and she tripped hard, stumbled from the momentum, and fell into the rough sand.
"Oh, shit!" Emma was at her side in an instant, checking her over and kneeling in the sand next to her. The pain clouded Regina's mind as it radiated out and up from her ankle. She felt Emma grab her shoulders and make her focus on her. "Can you move it?"
Regina gritted her teeth and winced as she tried to rotate her foot. The motion was severely restricted as a new shot of pain hit her. She didn't say anything, just looked up at Emma with an expression of worry and closed her eyes.
It was just her luck. Thirty years without so much as a shin splint and the one day she goes running and gets distracted by Emma she injures herself.
"Here, stay still," Emma placed her hand over the ankle and concentrated on summoning her magic. Regina felt momentary warmth envelop her foot and then nothing.
"Huh, I think I depleted my glucose stores, my magic isn't really working. "
"You should have eaten that protein bar before we went out, like I offered," Regina tried to sass her, but the pain and direness of the situation had let the air out of her sails.
"I didn't know you were planning on running a marathon," Emma replied with a grumble, sitting up on her knees in front of Regina to think. Regina watched as she brought the hem of her tank up to her face and wiped the sweat from her brow, exposing her sculpted tan stomach in the process, which offered another delightful distraction for Regina from the pain of her ankle.
"I thought you were in better shape," Regina supplied, and really she had based her assumption on Emma's lean muscles; she looked like she could run for days.
"I do resistance training, but cardio? All I do is dance around my bedroom to music on occasion, it's a lot different than full on distance running," Emma shrugged and Regina nodded in understanding.
Emma moved to Regina's side and started to lift up under her arms, "Come on, let's get you up and see if you can put any weight on your foot."
Regina didn't want to move due to the pain, but Emma was pulling her to her feet, and she had no choice but to lean heavily against her due to her lack of balance. She tried to stand, but the pain was searing and caused her to gasp even with the tiniest pressure. "Alright, can you poof home?"
Regina shifted her eyes, embarrassed, "No…not yet."
"Should have eaten that protein bar?" Emma asked with amusement, and Regina just glared at her knowing she was right. Then Emma lowered her back down to the sand, and sat next to her closely. "We might as well take a minute to enjoy the sunrise."
Regina took a breath, her ankle was throbbing but as long as she didn't put pressure on it, it felt okay. She leaned back on her hands, and let Emma gently lift her foot over her lap. "I think you're supposed to elevate it."
The vibrant pinks and orange of light streamed through the fluffy silver clouds and the bright pink sun started to crest above the horizon, reflecting on the blue water. It was beautiful, and Emma was absently massaging Regina's calf through her running tights. The action combined with the sunrise made her forget all about her ankle.
"I think I can carry you home…" Emma offered casually.
"How? By throwing me over your shoulder?" Regina asked indignantly, but the thought of Emma lifting her up and holding her around the back of her thighs with those muscular arms while Regina dangled over her back and held onto her hips stole her breath away. She cleared her throat and shifted uncomfortably from the eroticism of the thought, but Emma took it differently.
"Okay, so you don't want me to try that, but you can't walk and neither of us have the energy to heal you with magic…and we left our phones at your place," Emma talked through the situation as she was trying to figure out what their options were.
The sun had risen higher, the light now full and casting bright colors to fall on the beach and illuminate Emma's skin before Regina's eyes. "I know a way of making your magic work, but it's—you're probably not interested."
"What?" Emma leaned over to Regina, and she drank in the sight of concerned and curious sea green eyes. Her gaze flickered down to Emma's lips, and then back up to her eyes. It was well known in the Enchanted forest that the power of emotion ruled magic, and the seeming physical toll was really only a mental fatigue.
"Do you trust me?" She asked with pleading eyes.
"Yes," Emma didn't waver.
"Give me a kiss," Regina stated seriously, her voice becoming low and soft. She expected Emma to laugh at her, or to leave her stranded and hurt on the beach at dawn. She had prepared herself mentally for rejection in the span of a second.
But Emma didn't even hesitate. She didn't second guess, or ask why. She elegantly lifted her fingers to stroke Regina's jaw and brought her mouth to cover hers. Soft and dry at first, but always confident, Regina pressed forward into the kiss and parted her lips slightly, spreading Emma's too; the taste of her mouth was sweet and sensitive. The kissed enlivened and renewed Regina, and without breaking apart, she felt Emma's other hand ghost over her ankle and the healing warmth spread throughout her body just like the beautiful light of the rising sun and didn't stop.
When they finally broke apart to check in with one another, Regina was surprised to see Emma smile so bright, her eyes were full of energy and delight. "Feel better?"
"Much," Regina replied, checking that the pain in her ankle was relieved, and knowing her body was now positively on fire for want of Emma's touch. She stroked Emma's shoulders and down, trailing her finger over hard biceps and then a line across the protrusion of her collar bone before surging forward and capturing her in another heated kiss that left them both breathless and in need.
Emma sat back from the kiss, her smile growing into a grin. She hopped to her feet, and offered Regina her hand. She took it and allowed herself to be pulled up, testing out the weight bearing capability of her newly healed ankle. Emma observed thoughtfully, looking pleased with her work and the turn of events.
She issued a challenge: "Race you home?"
"You're on," Regina laughed as she gave Emma a light shove and took off back up the length of the beach, feeling the heating sun and enjoying the freedom of the run as she listened in amusement to Emma yell 'no fair' from behind.