Here, have a very long update! I hope you like it. This one was difficult to write, and that's why it took me so long. I apologize for that. Hopefully, the rest will come along easily as we approach the end.
Thank you so much for your support and for sticking up with me so far.
In case you have ideas (things you'd like to see in this story, leave me a message or review. I might squeeze it into the storyline).
Here it goes!
-FollowThatConvoy
Chapter seventeen
Two days ago, Regina wished that the funeral was over and done with.
At the moment, she wished she could go back in time so that she didn't have to say good bye to her Dad.
Curiously, it was raining. Her father loved rainy days. And he would have loved if he knew that the whole town put their lives on hold for a moment to bid him farewell under the light rain.
She sat on the front row of chairs disposed on the lawn, Henry and her mother occupying the chairs on each side of her, the three of them holding umbrellas. Someone started to play trumpet and a sad song filled the air of the Thursday morning; tears pooled in her eyes, but it was the sight of Emma that made her let them go.
She blinked carefully, her eyes heavy with mascara, allowing thick tears to roll down her cheeks.
Emma was wearing a black suit and some sort of fedora hat with Storybrooke's coat of arms along five other officers, Sergeant Gale included, and the six of them walked down the aisle carrying Henry Mills' coffin.
Emma's smug expression was not there; the lines on her face looked harsh, and it seemed like Emma was carrying and burying her own father. After the march came to an end and all the officers halted in line, Cora Mills stood up for her speech.
Coming from her, it sounded cold and impersonal, especially to Regina, who wished she had strength to go up there and talk about her dad like he deserved. Her heart turned into a puddle when Emma took a hesitant step forward and then retreated, failing to gather the courage to say goodbye under the scrutiny of so many eyes, including Cora's narrowed ones.
She had a crumpled piece of paper in her gloved hand, and it contained words she probably scribbled with a concentrated frown, biting her lower used to do that when they did homework together. Even if she didn't stand up the podium and read it, it meant the world to Regina.
To the brunette's surprise, her son got up from his chair and walked towards Emma and the other officers. Cora scoffed something under her breath when her grandson pulled the Sheriff by the hand and made her sit on the front row with them. Uncomfortably, Emma took the chair next to him and stared longingly at Regina.
The brunette squeezed her lips into a sad smile, feeling just a little braver because of Emma Swan and her awkward silence. She knew the blonde would forget manners and restraints if Regina needed her in any way during the funeral.
As the priest made his very long sermon, she looked around. She spotted, among the large mass of black, MM and David, Katherine on the opposite row, Ruby and Granny on the back, and even Killian, who had one arm around Ruby's shoulders as both paid attention to the priest.
When that nightmare was over, the crowd slowly started to dissipate and move towards their parked vehicles. Many stayed behind a little longer to shake hands with Cora and Regina. The brunette was then pushed inside a limo that drove them to Town Hall, where a small reception was happening thanks to Katherine's efficiency.
Even Cora couldn't point a flaw about the service. Regina looked out for Emma, but the blonde had simply disappeared, and she wondered if she ever made it to Town Hall.
XXX
With her hands in her pockets, Emma took careful steps towards a small grave. She looked down at the inscription.
JAMES AND INGRID SWAN
BELOVED PARENTS
"Hey guys," she said with a forced smile, squinting at the raindrops that hit her in the face even though she had kept the hat. "She's back, mom. Like you said she would," Emma chuckled. "You were such an arrogant smart ass who knew everything, huh? Thank you for not letting me throw her letters away. Be nice to Mr. Mills up there, okay? And tell dad Killian will get his GTI to work again."
XXX
Days would come and go in a blur. After enduring press conferences that lasted an eternity, Regina realized the election was over and she had become the new Mayor.
However, her plan had backfired greatly as far as Emma was concerned. Even though the blonde had helped a lot, not only with her campaign but also with Henry, they seemed to be always so busy that time alone was limited, and that was frustrating her to no end.
It didn't help that now she saw Emma exercising every morning, all sweaty in the streets of Storybrooke, stuck in gym clothes that were more revealing than not.
What she didn't know was that Emma ran because she was desperate; otherwise she would start punching people because she was sexually frustrated.
And the cranky mood didn't stop there.
Council meetings were an absolute nightmare. Regina was always stuck between her mother and Mr. Gold, while David and Emma took the seats right in front of her. Sometimes Emma would give her a dirty wink across the table or pass her a note, just as if they were still in school; sometimes, she would naturally provoke Cora by contradicting everything she said, until the woman snapped and banned Emma from the session.
Sometimes they managed to grope each other and kiss frantically for a few minutes against Regina's car while Henry fetched his backpack inside Emma's house.
The boy was doing a nice work for a ten year old. To help Emma and his mom, he would categorically refuse to stay with Cora while Regina was at work, and that left Emma as the only person who managed to entertain him, feed him and force him to take a shower after school. By doing that, he made sure his mom would get to see Emma every day after work.
Emma noticed that becoming Mayor had hardened the brunette. She was frequently irritated and yelling at frightened people, and sometimes even Henry complained about her being too cross. As time went by, Emma felt like she was a mere voice in the back of Regina's head – a voice she never sounded too pleased to hear over the phone, especially when it regarded business.
"Tell mom that I love her, and please don't give up," Henry said, pecking her on the cheek before he climbed on the bus for his first field trip with his class. "I'll think about something on the way to the museum, Ma."
Henry's eyes went wide and he blushed. Emma knew it had slipped out, but it didn't stop her from feeling her chest inflate like a balloon. She reached out and ruffled his hair.
"I'll miss you, kid," she said with a proud smile. "Have fun and come back in one piece," then she ran towards the back of the bus to follow him as he made his way to his seat. "I… kid, I-"
She never got to finish that, because she couldn't. What the hell was she doing, saying she loved him?
Henry grinned as the bus drove away, and Emma thought he was starting to grin like she did.
She could see traces of her expression on his face more often than not, and even though it was crazy and impossible, she was happy about it. She got inside the Bug with a goofy smile and drove all the way back to the Station in excellent mood.
"What are you so giddy about?" Regina asked when she entered, placing her hands on her hips. "Does it mean you finished paperwork?"
Emma blinked in surprise. Regina never went to the Station. David looked helplessly at her, and judging by the shade of crimson on the tips of his ears, Regina had already lectured him about paperwork, too. He stood up, grabbed his coat and went out to answer his pager.
"Madam Mayor," he muttered to Regina on his way.
She was watching Emma with narrowed eyes when the blonde turned back to her. "Well?"
"Well what?"
Regina sighed in frustration, sitting on top of David's desk. Emma had to make unhuman effort to keep her eyes on her face instead of her thighs on that fucking pencil skirt.
"Was he upset that I wasn't there to say goodbye?" she asked, her voice a bit stuck with all the pride she seemed to be swallowing. "I just got rid of my mother and Katherine-"
"He was okay, Regina," Emma rolled her eyes and slumped down her chair. "It's not like he went to the Moon or anything. And he said he loves you."
Regina smiled to herself as she observed Emma go over her files like she didn't have a concern in the world.
"So, how's work? Are you busy?"
Emma didn't take her eyes off the paper. "What do you want?"
Regina slid off David's desk and sat down on top of Emma's instead.
"I hate that I have to be harsh with you in front of David," she said with a sigh of defeat. "But I am your boss, now, and it cannot look like I'm favoring you."
"You're not," Emma rolled her eyes. "Trust me."
Regina sighed, unable to hold back the grin that insisted on cracking her lips.
"Don't be like that. I've been busy, and so have you."
The blonde smirked. "You like treating me like that."
"I thought it turned you on."
"It does," Emma breathed heavily. "So please stop. We're busy."
"I'm just trying to relax a little. My office is a pandemonium. The phone won't stop ringing and Katherine panics all the time now because of the letters-"
"What letters?" Emma interrupted her with a serious frown.
"Some imbecile is trying to intimidate me by sending me letters with insults," she scoffed, massaging the back of her neck. "Katherine acts like there's a bomb inside every envelope. And my mother's being my mother. The usual. And I just wanted some, you know-"
Emma got up from her chair so that she could stand in front of the brunette. "I'm not your boy toy."
Regina hooked a manicured finger around her belt loop and pulled her closer. She could have sworn she heard Emma's erratic breathing intensify as her green eyes fell upon Regina's carmine mouth and the small lipstick detour around her scar.
"Are you saying you wouldn't love to fuck me on top of your desk? And clap a hand around my mouth so no one can hear me moan your name?"
Emma's inside turned into horny mush when her throaty voice entered her ears, her warm breath licking the sensitive spot on her neck. She grabbed the brunette around the waist and pulled her towards the adjacent locker room where she and David kept their personal belongings and exercised on rainy days.
"Since when did you turn into a manipulative bitch, Madam Mayor?" Emma grunted, claiming her way between Regina's legs and kissing her rudely against the metal lockers. That was not how Emma had idolized it, but Regina was making her life a living hell with those hissed words and that bossy attitude every time they met.
She now managed to make Emma angrier and – surprise – hornier.
"If David comes back, you'll fire him," Regina hissed against Emma's shoulder as the blonde lifted her with surprising ease on top of the sink. "And if you don't fire him-" she gasped when Emma removed her underwear and lifted her skirt "I'll fire you -"
Emma unbuckled her belt and lowered her pants down to her knees, pulling Regina against her own naked hip.
"Fire me," Emma said with a devilish smirk. "Let's see if the next Sheriff will take your bullshit like I do-"
"You're not even going to put up a fight?" Regina glared at Emma. "You don't care if I get another Sheriff?"
"You're not going to do that," the blonde snarled, pressing herself against slick, hot flesh.
Regina's answer to her cocky assumption combined with the movement was a strangled moan of surprise.
"I'm glad we settled that," Emma hissed, leaning in for another kiss, when the door burst open.
"Oh. Dear. God. My eyes!" Sergeant Gale barked. "My eyes!"
Emma pulled her pants up and turned around to cover Regina. The woman had a thick folder on her hands and she was using it to cover her eyes.
"What the fuck do you want?" Emma growled, panting.
"I came to hand the paperwork from the Fire Department," Dorothy said, sounding absolutely amused. "Katherine said I would find Miss Mills here, but I didn't… Crap! Get a room!"
"Leave it on my desk and get out!"
"The image of your ass is sewn to my brain, Swan-"
Emma turned back to Regina with her eyes narrowed. "Are you gonna fire her?"
"No," Regina chuckled. "I like the way she gets to your nerves. You look cute all angry. It turns me on."
The blonde groaned.
"Do you need extra incentive?" she whispered.
She hated that parochial town and the way everyone just burst inside any room without knocking.
Regina slid down the sink and pulled her underwear back. Emma wanted to tell her how she really felt, but she knew Regina didn't have time for that anymore.
She was the Mayor, now. She had a son. She had an evil bitch for a mother, and the few stolen minutes she got to stay with Emma, she tried to get the blonde in her pants.
Years ago, Emma would laugh at herself for wanting to talk instead of having sex, but years ago she was just an angry idiot in love.
Now, she was in love all over again. And she was falling in love with Regina's son. And she was falling in love with the idea of taking care of them both.
"Fine, you want to be respectful now," Regina said with a sigh. "How about dinner first, then?"
"You're asking me out on a date?" Emma scoffed, buckling her belt. "Do you have time for that?"
"I will make room for you in my schedule," the brunette reached out for her hand. Emma didn't look convinced, and Regina didn't blame her. "I will."
Emma's lips cracked into a weak smile. "On the meantime, feel free to come more often to the Station to yell at me."
"I will find a way to do that, too, Sheriff Swan," Regina winked, and she left the bathroom without looking back. If she looked, she would catch Emma ogling her ass.
Some things never changed.
XXX
It was late in the afternoon when the school bus turned around the corner and stopped by the school parking lot.
Regina pretty much jumped out of her Mercedes to go meet her son. She had been worried all day about him going away like that, and even though Emma had dismissed the topic, she felt guilty for not being there to say goodbye.
He came running towards her, and the minute he dove into her embrace, her world was at peace again.
"It's so good to see you, honey!" she smiled, opening the door for him. "How was your trip? Did you have fun?" Regina turned to the backseat as she took her place behind the steering wheel.
"Yeah, it was awesome. We got to see dinosaur bones! They're huge!"
"Oh I bet they were!" she nodded, loving his enthusiasm. Kids were amazing. Months ago he was acting like the Grinch because he didn't want to leave New York, and now he was just a really happy child again. "I'm so sorry I couldn't come to drop you-"
"That's okay, mom. Emma was here," he said casually, just as if he was referring to another parent. "She made sandwiches."
"Oh!" Regina nodded. "She did, huh?"
Henry looked up at last, and he met his mother's eyes through the rear view mirror. "She's awesome, mom."
She felt that old pang in her heart when she noticed a sweater poking out of his school bag. He would never agree to take one to a school trip on a sunny day if it was her telling him to. "You do like her, don't you?"
"Why wouldn't I? She let me pick everything I want when we go to the grocery store."
Regina smiled at the picture of Emma pulling the cart behind her overly excited son. "You go a lot to the grocery store with her," she pointed out.
"That's because she always buy food when I stay," Henry laughed, turning his eyes back to his comic book. "Her fridge is always empty."
Regina felt her heart sink to her stomach, and now she understood her father completely.
Back then, she was too young and too resentful to comprehend why her father helped the Swans. Emma was a bully and Regina hated her.
Now, she had a child who was in love with Emma Swan, and she could not bear the idea of him witnessing his allegedly 'friend' struggling like that to make a living. And suddenly an idea occurred to her.
"Why don't we invite Emma for dinner sometime? She's helping us a lot when she takes care of you."
Henry grinned from ear to ear. "She's gonna love it, mom!"
Regina smiled. "How can you be so sure?"
He considered her question. "She looks happy around you. Can't you tell?"
She felt the old butterflies fluttering inside her chest. She could tell, and that scared her a little. Things had gone horribly wrong the last time, and she had become guarded now, especially because of Henry.
She had been to a few dates back in New York, but it never got to the point of introducing anyone to her son.
Emma met her son first, to save his life, and he had fallen for her just like that.
It was always like that with Emma. Perfectly complicated.
And the fact that her son adored her was even more aggravating. Regina wasn't sure if she could survive another heartbreak, but she was sure she couldn't stand her son getting hurt in case things went wrong.
When they entered the mansion, Cora called them from the kitchen.
"There you are," she grinned, and to Regina's surprise, she hugged Henry. "How was your trip?"
"Um… It was nice, grandma."
"Well, that is good. To spend time with other people of your own age and… lifestyle."
Regina gritted her teeth. Aside from Town Hall business, they weren't talking much since she discovered her mother had orchestrated her humiliation and the break up with Emma when they were younger. And now her mother dared to point out Henry spent too much time with the blonde, like she was improper company.
"It's also good to have an adult supervising him when I'm working," she spat back. "It was Emma who drove him to school this morning and packed his bag with snacks and a sweater."
Cora's lips cracked into a poisonous smile. "She wouldn't have to, if you could just be responsible and married a decent man to assist you."
Regina saw Henry open his mouth to retort; she placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head 'no' just in time. He got her message, but he didn't look satisfied with his grandmother, who was watching them curiously now.
"I don't want my mom to get married, grandma," Henry said in a polite tone."I want Emma to stay with me."
Regina didn't like one bit the odd light in her mother's face. Cora sat down on a stool to face her grandson.
"You like Sheriff Swan, don't you, Henry?"
"Yes, I like her," he said. "Did you know she made dinner for me with Mrs. Nolan helping her over the phone? And she can fix VCRs."
Cora turned to Regina with a malicious glint in her eyes. "Charming, no? I'm sure those qualities would be indispensable to raise a child properly-"
"Why don't we invite her for dinner tomorrow?"
Cora and Regina snapped their necks at the same time to look at Henry, and to their surprise, he was looking at Cora.
"You want to invite Emma Swan to… eat here? With us?" she looked up at Regina on the last part.
"Yes."
Regina held her breath, anticipating an outburst of evil laughter.
She was astonished when her mother nodded at him. "Sure. Tell Sheriff Swan to be here tomorrow at seven," she looked at Regina. "You can prepare your lasagna, dear. I'm sure the Sheriff will love it."
Whatever casual conversation Henry and her mother slipped in next, Regina did not take part. Her brain was working fast, and her heart was working faster. Cora Mills never did anything without an ulterior motive, and she was terrified.
That was a bad idea.
XXX
"This is a bad idea," Emma said when Regina came to her house to pick Henry the next day. It had been the first thing Henry said when he got inside the car after school.
"I know it does." Regina sighed, staring down at her shoes. She heard Emma take a step closer.
"Are your mother okay with this?" the blonde asked hesitatingly. "Henry told me she agreed, but…"
"She did," Regina nodded. "I understand if you don't want to come. And I really don't blame you for that."
Emma watched her intently. She said she understood, but she looked blatantly disappointed. Sometimes Regina forgot to be the Mayor in front of Emma, and sometimes her walls weren't there, and Emma could read her like a book.
"Regina?"
The brunette looked up, because she could count the times Emma called her 'Regina'. Emma had a small smirk on her lips.
"I'll be there."
"You… will?"
"And miss the chance to piss off your mother? Do you even know me, Mills?"
Regina chuckled. "Please don't honk when you get there."
"Party pooper."
"Emma."
Henry hurried outside adjusting his backpack, and he patted Emma's arm. "Don't forget what I told you."
Regina frowned, and turned to the blonde when he was in the car. "What did he tell you?"
"To wash my hands before dinner, because Cora's into that stuff."
"That stuff is called basic hygiene, and it's not just my mother who's into that."
"Dweeb."
Regina grinned. "Don't be late."
Emma waved goodbye, and she felt a pang in her chest even though she would see them in two hours.
XXX
Emma's smile fell when Cora opened the door.
"Good evening, Sheriff," she said, looking down at the arrangement of red roses in Emma's hand. "You made it on time. Come in."
"Thanks," she muttered, cleaning her feet on the doormat before getting inside.
"Have a seat," the older woman pointed at the living room. "Regina will come shortly. Would you like to drink something?"
"Um… beer? Do you have… um, beer?"
"Beer it is," Cora offered a smile that didn't reach her eyes and disappeared into the kitchen. Henry sprung downstairs and plopped down on the couch next to her.
"Hey!" he grinned. "Wow," he nodded at her outfit. "You look cool when you're not being Sheriff. Mom will like it."
"Hey, kid," Emma chuckled, feeling her face turn red. She was wearing jeans and boots, and the only fancy item she found in her wardrobe was a shirt with diamond patterns that she wasn't sure if belonged to her dad or to her mom. And she had moistened her neck with a modest amount of perfume. And combed her hair.
"I think the plan is working. Mom's cooking for you. She never cooked again after we moved here."
"It would be wonderful if she kept the habit," Cora said, entering the living room with a beer in her hand. "If she got married, she could leave politics and take care of her house like I did. Don't you think, Sheriff Swan?"
"Don't I think what?"
Cora blinked. "Don't you think she should stop working like a… husband? She's never home, and it forces Henry to stay with you who, with all due respect, is not his parent."
"With all due respect, weren't you who forced her to take over as Mayor?" Emma asked politely, sipping her beer carefully.
"Still a smart mouthed kid, aren't we, Sheriff?" Cora grinned unpleasantly. "I wanted her to feel what it's like to be a single parent with a job. I was hoping she would come to her senses and find someone decent to replace her so that she could watch her son."
Emma clenched her fists with the insinuation. "My mom raised me just fine without anyone helping her, and I turned out okay. I'm cool, right?" she asked Henry, winking at the boy.
"She's very cool, grandma," he nodded, turning to Cora. "She's the coolest person in this town."
Cora offered another forced smile and stood up. "I'll go check on my daughter. Excuse me."
Emma drank furiously when she left, and her stomach boiled with anger. Her face felt hot, and she was about to apologize to Henry and leave, when Regina showed up in the doorway, clad in a gray dress and black stilettos.
Emma stood up quickly from the couch, and her impulse to run disappeared. She offered her the flowers.
"Thank you," Regina grinned, and turned to Henry. "Would you find a pot with water for them, sweetie?"
The second he left the room, her crimson lips were on Emma's, and dinner with Cora Mills started to feel just bearable, at last…
XXX
"How do you like the lasagna, Sheriff?" Cora asked.
Emma lifted her eyes from her plate, from where she was voraciously eating, and she tried to swallow everything she had on her mouth to answer.
"It's delicious," she choked.
"I can tell," the woman nodded arrogantly.
Regina didn't even pay attention to her mother. She couldn't stop watching Emma and loving her even more. No one had eaten that lasagna with so much enthusiasm before, and it was adorable.
"I'll never be happy again with frozen lasagna from a box, now," Emma added, looking briefly at Cora and then landing her green, warm eyes on Regina.
"Maybe it's time you find a husband for yourself, too. It's an incentive to learn how to cook."
"Oh, I would never do that," Emma chuckled. "We're not in the fifties anymore. Besides-"
Cora ignored her and turned to Regina, who was laughing.
"Speaking of husband, do you know who I ran into the other day? Mrs. Locksley."
Regina's smile disappeared. "Mother-"
"She said Robin's building a career in business in Los Angeles. Wouldn't it be great if we moved to the beach?"
"Mother-"
"I'm just saying, Regina. You can't be serious if you intend to settle for… Storybrooke," she said pointedly. "This town has nothing else to offer to a woman with your potential. Another slice, dear?" she turned to Emma, picking the spatula and offering another serving of lasagna.
"No, thank you," Emma muttered, avoiding her eyes as she cleaned her lips with a napkin. "Thank you for dinner, I… I think I should go, now."
"Emma…"
"Bye, kid," she smiled sadly at Henry and left the room, slamming the front door on her way out.
"Oh well, that was rude," Cora shook her head, and continued to eat as if nothing had happened. As Regina stood up too, she scoffed. "Sit down."
"Shut up, mother," she snarled, and Cora started at her, baffled. The brunette turned to Henry. "Please, go to your room, honey."
He had never seen his mother looking so mad. He was still getting to know the Mayor side of her, but she never looked like that before.
Henry didn't dare disobey her, and he had time to hear a bit of yelling before he closed the door.
XXX
Emma was on her couch, kicking her boots as far as she could without breaking anything. She dragged her cigarette deeply, filling her lungs, feeling her heart rate increase. Her hands were shaking.
She hated that woman.
God, she hated Cora Mills with every fiber of her being.
She undid the first buttons of her shirt and let her hair cascade free from the ponytail. She was tired of being humiliated by that woman. She was tired of feeling helpless when it came to the Mills.
She had to stop seeing Henry. She had to stop being delusional, thinking they were co-parenting a child that wasn't even hers. She had to stop.
She grabbed the last beer from the fridge and popped it open. Emma had time to enjoy the first sip, until she heard a door knock.
"Emma?"
The blonde rolled her eyes. She pretended she didn't hear Regina, so she plopped on the couch again and decided to wait until she gave up and left.
But Regina didn't give up. She marched inside the house angrily, and when Emma marched up to confront her, she noticed the brunette had two plates covered in tinfoil on her hands, and she recognized the smell of lasagna.
"Stop with the charity, okay? I'm not starving, no matter what your mother said to you!"
"I made it before you arrived! It's not an apology! I just wanted to thank you for taking care of my son!"
"I don't care!"
"Emma!"
"What?"
"Please tell me that you care," she whispered, and when Emma looked at her, her brown eyes were pleading. "Let's get Henry, and pack, and leave-"
Emma sighed. She walked to Regina and took the plates from her hands. She placed them carefully on her coffee table and held Regina's shoulders.
"Listen to me. We can't. You have responsibilities. You have a wonderful son who needs you. Stop running away from your mother, Regina. Fight. You did it once in high school when you dated me."
"Do you remember how well that turned out?" Regina scoffed.
"Yeah, I do! You see, I thought we had to discuss this, but what's the point? It's done. Nothing will change that. But we could… I thought we could…" Emma looked around, trying to find words to explain what they could be. And it turned out she couldn't explain without lowering her defenses even more than she could bear.
Regina walked towards Emma's old bedroom, and for a moment there was fumbling and then a snap. And then Faithfully started to play. Regina came out of the room with one arm stretched to Emma. Her dark eyes were drenched with emotions, questioning her.
The blonde sighed and took her hand.
For a moment, it was just like prom. The fish tank's lamp was on, and Emma was a little embarrassed about the mess that Henry left in her old bedroom. Sloppiness was apparently another thing she and the boy had in common.
She still sucked at dancing and she took Regina in her arms a little clumsily. The brunette pulled Emma closer and breathed "Why me?" in her ear.
Shivers ran down Emma's spine. "Why not?" she whispered back, grinning.
Regina chuckled as she retreated slightly to undo the rest of Emma's shirt. "You could have anyone you wanted."
"Can I have you?" Emma cocked one eyebrow. "'Cause I sort of want you, you know."
"Sort of?" Regina frowned in astonishment, letting go of the buttons.
"Yeah," Emma nodded, grabbing the hem of her dress. She pulled the fabric upwards. Regina didn't offer any resistance as she lifted it up to her butt cheeks and cupped them for a moment. "I sort of do."
"So you, Emma Swan, scolded me for being a chicken, and now you are dancing around the subject. How's that fair?" Regina asked, sighing with the breathtaking kiss that she got as a response.
Emma took her time undressing the Mayor. Her eyes travelled across her curves, longing for each millimeter of olive skin she didn't get to see for over a decade. She removed her underwear slowly, smiling when Regina gasped almost inaudibly.
Regina reached out for her shirt again and followed her slow pace to resume undoing the buttons. Her manicured hand traced Emma's stiff abdomen and softly landed on the flyer of her jeans, taking care of it, too, keeping her eyes on the blonde's.
Regina noticed she had become thinner over time, or perhaps taller…and maybe a little more muscular… Her memory was playing tricks on her, and if she stared into Emma's eyes too long, she could see her seventeen years old version again, even if for a few seconds…
And she felt younger, a little shaky, because it was Emma.
Again.
Again Emma, who softly pushed her into her bed.
Emma, who grinned down at her like a naughty teenager, and then became her full, adult version again when she kissed her almost into oblivion.
Regina felt her head and her body sinking into those comfortable bedsheets, letting go any concern she had on her mind, because it was Emma there, pulling her back to reality with a kiss and then making her flutter away again with her hands.
They had always been raw, clumsy, frenetic even – with their words, kisses and hands, but in that moment Emma managed to be rough and sweet at the same time. She felt more than heard when Regina had her first orgasm. The second and third ones came quickly after the first, and between cries and clenched muscles, all Emma could think was how she loved that scar on Regina's lips when she screamed her name and the way a thin line of sweat ran between her breasts.
After one hour – or maybe more – they lay together in the small bed, legs and bedsheets entangled, blonde and black hair scattered on the pillow, green and brown eyes staring at each other.
The brunette kept tracing the lines of Emma's wrist tattoo, and she could feel the small bumpy lines of her scar underneath the ink.
Regina's lazy, lipstick-free smile was gone when Emma stood up abruptly. The blonde paced a little in front of the fish tank.
"I don't… sort of want you," Emma said quietly.
Regina remained silent. She wanted that woman to sweep her off her feet, and for a moment it looked like Emma was going to leash out her frustration and resentment, to reject her. For a moment, Emma looked so serious that Regina felt more than just naked in her bed.
Her heart was about to shatter inside her chest, when Emma turned around and the words finally came out.
"I want you."
She made a pause, trying to understand if Regina's tears were from happiness or regret.
"It's okay if you don't want me back."
Regina let out a wet chuckle as relief washed over her.
Emma swallowed hard. "And I want your son, too."
A lot more tears. Her stupid heart was inflating like a balloon for Emma Swan again.
"I want the three of us, Mills."
Regina pulled Emma forcefully back to bed and climbed on top of her, grinning, leaning down for a deep kiss.
"And a home."
Regina didn't mind when Emma flipped her around and took charge again. "Okay."
"And a huge bed to fuck you, because this one is way too small-"
"I hate just how much I love you," she said against the blonde's lips. "And I could kiss those obscene lips forever."
"Um…" Emma pretended to be considering it. "I sort of could live with forever-"
"I sort of hate you a little bit. Idiot."
Emma gave her the most beautiful, shit-eating grin of the world. "I love you," she whispered. "Dweeb."
