Well, I can't quit writing, so here's to hoping you're still reading. (: Oh, rating will probably change within the next few chapters, btw.
"Why'd you do it?" David decided to ask after they walked for nearly the entire afternoon in silence, only stealing an occasional glance at the Mayor who seemed to be feeling more like the Evil Queen than the Regina he'd come to know.
"Do what?" She looked over at him, noticing how he'd undone a few buttons on his shirt and rolled up his sleeves due to the physical activity. Her eyes wandered down his shoulders to his biceps before she averted her gaze, realizing she was gawking after a moment. Was she really checking him out? Must be something in Oz's godforsaken water, she frowned as her eyes flitted to the river beside them.
"Volunteer to travel realms and save Robin's baby. I mean, you're not together anymore and it's his child," David shrugged and closed some of the distance between their trails, pulling branches and briers out of her way.
"Call it a side effect of this good hero crap you and your daughter are always spouting off about," Regina deadpanned with a roll of her eyes, wiping some sweat from her brow as they continued their hike, now encountering bigger rocks and mounds to climb over. "Besides if I didn't I'd just feel guilty for getting Robin involved with my crazy family and it sure as hell isn't that poor child's fault who her mother is."
David accepted the explanation, though he couldn't ignore the small part of him that felt it may have to do with Regina still wanting to be with Robin. If that was the reason, it really didn't set well with him that Regina would put herself in danger for a man who didn't deserve her. "You're a good person, you know?"
She scoffed, "Is that why the entire town was ready to burn me at the stake this morning for a crime I didn't commit? You know if I hadn't volunteered to save Robin's baby I'd just have looked guilty; they'd be putting me through Storybrooke's own version of the Salem witch trials by now." She threw a smirk at him over her shoulder as she made her way through the forest, "I'm not a good person, David. I've done horrible things, things that those people will never forget or forgive me for. I may be doing good now, but you know the worst part?"
"What's that?" He saw her shoulders tense through the fitted cap-sleeve shirt she wore that was now extra clingy thanks to the heat and physical activity.
"Part of me was kind of happy Zelena and the baby were gone," She said without looking back at him and he noticed her paced picked up a little, her anger and guilt no doubt giving her a little boost of energy. "Tell me, does a good person feel like that?"
"I think every person has feelings like that," David shrugged, noticing her head begin to turn to look at him before she caught herself and kept looking forward, "I think anyone who's been in love or had their heartbroken or lost someone they love has felt things like that. It's only human."
"Maybe I'm not human," She muttered, tucking a strand of damp hair behind her ear.
"You most definitely are," David chuckled, not taking her moody statement seriously knowing how tired and miserable they both felt, "Which is why we should find a place to stay for the night, the sun will be setting soon and we need rest."
She felt his hand press to her lower back as she slowed, biting her lip quickly at the combination of his kind words and the physical contact. "Alright Charming, you've spent more time in the forest than I have. Where's a good place?"
He chuckled near her ear at how she was too tired to argue about continuing but not tired enough to agree to rest without sassing him a little, "How about those rocks over there? Do they look regal enough for you, Your Majesty?" He asked playfully.
She eyed the rock ledge overlaying two smaller boulders, creating a small cave-like covering in front of the river. "That'll do," She nodded once, motioning for him to go first, allowing her eyes to wander over his figure when he began bending to grab sticks and fallen limbs for a fire on his way. His movements were the perfect combination of masculinity and stealth while balancing footsteps on the rocks in the shallow part of the river crossing, arms full of firewood. She let out a breath before following, finding her footing on the same rocks a few steps behind him as they crossed to the small cave on the other side.
David squatted near the outer edge of the cave covering, stacking the sticks and breaking the limbs into smaller pieces with an easy bend of his wrists. "Oh please, keep your hands back Boy Scout," She rolled her eyes when he grabbed two rocks and began trying to flint the fire.
He watched as she crouched down and became dangerously aware of the her toned body with one glance at her perfectly shaped thighs. She stretched her wrist, wringing it out in a circular motion a couple of times before positioning it palm up near the kindling. A small flame ignited, not like the usual boisterous ones she produced, but enough to light the fire before it went out, "There, save you a couple hours of rubbing sticks and stones together," She gave him a smirk and patted his upper arm before she straightened up to go over to the creek.
"I thought your magic was acclimating?" He grinned a little as he watched her, allowing himself to sit down and scoot back against one of the rocks to rest his back. He stretched his legs, his eyes following her every movement as she slipped off those undoubtedly uncomfortable heeled boots and stepped into the water.
"It is," She let her eyes close for a moment after reaching down and pulling the bottom of her pants up her legs a little to keep them dry, enjoying the way the water cooled her entire body just by running over her aching feet, "As it does I get it back, little by little. By the time we reach Zelena's it should be back to normal."
"Do you have enough to magic us one of Granny's burgers?" He joked and felt great satisfaction in the way she eyed him while trying to fight her mouth from turning up in a grin. "Or better yet, some of her fries?" He added with a sly smirk before laughing at the look on her face.
"You're lucky I don't have all my magic right now," She shook her head, suppressing a chuckle of her own before coming over to their small shelter carrying her boots that she discarded at the entrance before sitting down beside him. The quarters were small but big enough for the both of them to sit and sleep if they did so close together.
"So, did you think of a plan while you gave me the silent treatment this afternoon?" He asked casually, resting his head back against the rock. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she tucked her knees against her chest and wrapped her arms around them and he realized just how much shorter she was than him without her heels on.
"Zelena's unpredictable, so we could have the best plan and it could still fall through," She let out a sigh, "But I thought we'd try to get as close as possible, try and find a servant entrance or secret passage into the place and find the baby. Well, one of us find the baby and one search Zelena's personal quarters for any of those goddamn magic beans that might be left so she can't follow us back. We'll make quick work of it and then meet up at our entry point, I'll transport us a good ways away and we'll activate this." She pulled out the magic bean that she'd put in her pocket before jumping into the portal.
"You don't think she'll notice her baby being gone? Or us snooping around in her room?" David eyed her skeptically.
Regina rolled her eyes as if his questions weren't valid, "Aren't you supposed to be brave and valiant? Look, this mission is a little more play-it-by-ear than most. Which is exactly why I didn't want company," She turned her head and gave him a glare.
"I'm sorry I said anything," He held up his hands in mock innocence, "I just wanted to help you, Regina. You didn't create this problem and you shouldn't have to fight it by yourself."
"But did it have to be you?" Regina groaned, her head falling back against the rock in exasperation, "I mean I've pretty much ruined your life in every way possible and here you are, jumping through realms to help me. Me, the one who made your life hell for years."
"Our time as enemies in the Enchanted Forest is in the past, as well as any of the animosity in Storybrooke. We've been over this Regina, you're not all bad and just because I'm a hero doesn't mean I'm all good. There's potential for both in all of us and you've more than redeemed yourself," David turned his head to watch her more blatantly.
"I tried to kill you," She said, tilting her head up to look at him frankly, perking an eyebrow.
"I tried to kill you," He retorted, lifting his hands closer to their small fire at the temperature dropping due to the sun going down.
"I destroyed your family, I took your wife from you," She replied and her voice was dangerously low and gravelly, her words making him drop his hands from the fire.
"You think that's your fault?" David frowned when she turned her head in the opposite direction, seeing her troubling her bottom lip, "Regina." He said gently, reaching out and cupping her chin in his hands, making her turn back to him slowly.
Her dark eyes were brimming with tears and her throat struggled to keep it at bay. He could see the guilt and anguish battling within her, making him frown deeper, "I had no idea you were blaming yourself this whole time or I would've spoken to you sooner. You were saving my daughter's life and you even tried to keep Snow away, but she wouldn't listen. I even saw you rush to her and nearly drain your magic completely fighting Cora's force." He swallowed hard at emotion welling in him with the memory of that night.
"I spent so many years hating her, blaming her and coming after the two of you. And just when we had all reached a good point, I put her in danger again...cost her her life," She looked into his eyes but this time it was more pleading, as if she was hoping he wouldn't doubt her honesty, "I would've never intentionally hurt her David, not at that point. Not after how far we'd all come."
"Regina, I know," He shook his head once, keeping his hand on her chin as his thumb runs over her cheek slowly swiping the tear that rolled down it, "I know you loved her deep down. She told me about how good you were to her when she was a little girl, before everything happened."
Regina laughed, more bitter than humorously, "She said I was good to her?"
"She said that you were as kind to her as you could be during that time," He dropped his hand from her chin and instead ran it behind her back, pulling her under his arm. He felt her stiffen for a few moments before relaxing against him, keeping her head bowed so he couldn't see her face, "She said looking back she could tell you were heart broken and miserable, but you always kept up a good front for her and tried to be as motherly as possible…even though you were only a kid yourself."
"I tried," She rasped before swallowing down a choked sob, relieved that it didn't make any noise. "I really did. I tried to make the best of it when I married Leopold, I wanted to be a good stepmother and wife. But as the years went on Leopold's interest in me faded as quickly as it began, and he never quit fawning over his daughter or talking about his late wife. I watched him praise Snow and even though I didn't love him I was jealous, jealous that she had a father that would move mountains for her and a kingdom that adored her. She was loved, and I was in the shadows. She got everything after she had taken everything from me. I went mad…"
David bit his lip as he absentmindedly stroked his thumb over her arm in a soothing pattern, holding her against him as she spoke. He heard the regret, anger, and sadness tumbling out of her and was shocked at how honest she was being with him. Though he knew she had to be exhausted, the journey had started this morning and throughout they never stopped to eat or rest until now, so he chalked up her unusual openness to being tired. "She understood, Regina. I promise you, she did. Please stop blaming yourself for what happened in the end."
She lifted her gaze from her lap and looked at him again with wide brown eyes that held so much sadness it made his chest constrict. He'd never seen such expressive eyes; eyes filled with so much heartbreak and loss that you could almost feel it yourself. His eyes traveled down to her lips, resting on the scar that gave him a burning urge to kiss her. To cup her face and kiss away those tears and sadness and hold her close until the weight was lifted. He shook away the thought at the fact that they'd just discussed his late wife and instead took off his flannel, leaving only his white shirt underneath as he rolled the button up into a makeshift pillow and placed it on the ground, "Lay down, get some sleep."
She looked at his shirt on the ground before leaning down to spread it out a little flatter in order to make room for both of their heads, giving him a nod before laying down on her side and glancing up at him. He gave her a brief smile at the sharing gesture, noting how sorely he'd misjudged her in the past. She was angry and bitter and jealous but she was also kind and giving and softhearted. David laid down beside her, the small confines of their shelter not giving him any other option than his front to be pressed against her back. He held in a breath at her round bottom pressing against the crotch of his jeans, unable to ignore the desire growing in him for the once Evil Queen.
"Goodnight, Regina," He spoke close to her ear, his breath tickling her hair against her face and she shivered. He willed his eyes shut, trying to concentrate on anything other than her tempting, warm body being so close to his.
"Goodnight, David," She replied, hoping the low and warm tone of her voice didn't give her away. She knew she was stiff with vulnerability, but she couldn't relax this close to him, not until a few minutes passed and his body drew her in magnetically. She found herself curved into his warmth comfortably with the sound of his slow breaths letting her know he was asleep. This certainly wasn't an aspect of her journey to Oz that she'd bargained for.
Regina stirred in her sleep, her eyes fluttering open as she found herself in the warm embrace of one still slumbering Prince. His left arm was draped over her side and hand curled under her, right below her breast on her ribs. She felt his breath against the back of her neck in her hair, her back flush against his front and her bottom pressed tightly into the curve of his body. She felt her face turn red at the realization that he wasn't awake, but something of his certainly was. The revelation sparked an ache in her lower body and a panic in her chest at the need she felt for him. How could she have let herself start thinking of David in this way?
A sudden movement in the trees outside of their shelter broke her from her thoughts, her eyes shifting to the treetops in search, "David," She shook his arm with her hand, trying to wake him. He groaned instead, letting out an 'mmmm' as he pressed the hard bulge in his jeans more firmly into her bottom in his sleep, arm tightening around her middle.
She gasped a little, half caused by him and half by the sudden spotting of what was making the noise. "David!" She shook him more violently as she sat up, keeping an eye on the flying monkey perched in a branch not far from them, watching them with demonic eyes.
"What is it?" He shook his head quickly running a hand over his face as he tried to figure out what was going on, following the tilt of Regina's head to look up into the trees himself as the monkey leapt from the branch and started its descent towards them, "Shit."
Regina, still sitting in front of him, stretched out her arm in an attempt to spur a fireball from her palm at the beast nearing them, "Damn it!" She hissed, shaking her hand at the sparks and faltering flame that appeared. "David, I can't!"
He sensed her urgency, knew she needed time to work up enough magic to scare off the beast as he quickly pulled her to him, tucking her head into his chest as he rolled them across their rock shelter just in time to keep her from the swooping beast, hearing it screech in irritation as it missed them and flew higher into the air. "Remind me to get my sword next time we go on an adventure," David quipped, seeing her finally get her fire burning in her palm as the beast swung back down, shooting the fire in its direction and making it shriek in pain. "That was one of Zelena's monkeys, wasn't it?" He asked after it flew out of view, catching his breath as he helped her sit up from their tangled position on the ground.
"Yes, let's hope it dies of it's injuries before it gets back to inform her," She frowned, holding her wrist and wincing slightly, "Either way we should get going, the longer we wait the more of a chance she has of finding out we're here."
"Does that hurt you, to use your magic before it's ready?" He frowned, noticing the way she was gingerly working her wrist that she'd just procured the fireball from.
She watched David reach for her hand, taking it into his larger ones as he ran a massaging thumb over her wrist joint. "Just…just a little...more of a strain than anything," She managed to get out, swallowing hard at the emotions running through her at such a simple gesture. He was gentle and concerned, and suddenly it didn't make her roll her eyes in the way that it used to. He was truly a good man, kind to the Evil Queen even when no one was around to watch him. He was genuine.
He glanced up after a few moments of massaging her wrist and hand, admiring the delicate and feminine shape of it, a stark contrast to the raw damage it could do with a flick, "Better?" He smiled gently, seeing the emotions welling at her surface again. He noticed how she took the tenderness to heart and it bothered him to think that she'd been denied it so long. Sure, Robin had been kind to her in the beginning, but had she ever had anyone be gentle with her that hadn't ended up hurting her in the end? Had she ever felt true generosity or warmth, without hidden intent or ulterior motives?
"Better," She swallowed the lump in her throat and gave him a small but genuine smile, holding his gaze for a long moment before nodding once, "We should get going."
"Of course," David agreed quickly, standing up from the ground before reaching out to help her up. Relief flooded him as she stood and started walking ahead of him across the rock path to the other side of the river where the path was clearer. Relief that they were back on their journey and not in that moment. Relief that he hadn't kissed her like he'd wanted to. Relief that there probably wouldn't be another calm moment from here on out to tempt him to again.