Winter in the north east was always brutal. By the time December rolled around there was ice, or snow, or a combination of the two. And yet there was a kind of beauty to this brutality, the way that icicles lined the roof and window edges, the way that everything would almost freeze in the face of ice, and of course the way the snow fell.
Snow, in its own way and if it wanted to, was the most beautiful. When the wind was just right it would pick up the falling snow and together create swirls in the skin and it would be a while until the snow even touched the ground. On its own the snow would fall with grace, fluttering gentle to the ground in silence.
Mary Margaret witnessed one of these gentler snow falls as she was coming down from the pleasurable high that Cora brought her. The snowflakes danced and swirled, either it be on its own partner or alone, their shadows dancing across the stark white material of the hotel room curtains.
"What are you thinking about?" The English teacher turned her head to look at her lover. Lover, the word was so foreign to her and yet so familiar. She knew that if she dare say the word it would buzz on her lips much like a hum would. That word also stirred up a bubble of doubt and sadness in the lower reigns of her stomach. Was that all they would ever be, lovers?
A soft faint sensation of fingertips ever so purposefully gliding across the smooth, and kind of clammy, skin of her bicep to the crease of her elbow made Mary Margaret look at the woman next to her.
Cora really was a thing of beauty. Rather she was in or out of clothes, Cora naturally demanded attention. Even now wearing nothing but a pair of black lace tanga panties that had memorized Mary Margaret the second they were exposed when the headmistress' curve hugging dress fell from her body. The lace curved and molded over Cora's round hip and finely shaped rear end. Cora's skin was a shade that was between pale and a light tan, with the areas like her face and forearms being slightly darker than the rest of her body.
What enraptured Mary Margaret were Cora's breast. The head mistress' breast were round and firm with these dusty brown nipples that had just the right amount of natural perk in them. Of all her time with Cora, never had she wanted, oh so desperately want to, touch any part of the woman's naked skin. She was, at this moment, quite content in being the one who was being touched, to let Cora have complete freedom of her body, of her pleasure.
"Nothing in particular." Mary Margaret finally said in an almost faint whisper.
"Oh? I could have sworn I saw those light green eyes of yours flicker as though you were thinking. I was begging to think I hadn't done my job correctly." Cora moved from where she was on her side, almost hovering over Mary Margaret, to on her back, placing the arm that was trapped beneath her to under the pillow that her head was currently resting on, effectively exposing more of her beast to the one that was admiring them the most.
With her angle and the way that Cora rearranged herself gave Mary Margaret the perfect advantage to analyze the new way that Cora's breast fell on her chest. The way the breast created an almost perfectly smooth semi-circle. The way the mound slowly rose and fell with every breath that Cora took, that taunting dusky nipple teasing her as it moved ever so slightly up and down.
With shaky movements Mary Margaret slowly turned herself so that she was tilted in just the right way, placing all of her upper body weight on the shoulder that was pressed into the mattress, making the space between her and Cora's torso that much smaller. Cora's skin was intoxicating even with the musky scent of sweet. She watched as the skin twitched a little and tiny goose bumps that just barely reached the surface from when her hot breath caressed it. Cora's breathing hitched just a little which caused Mary Margaret's shoulders to tighten just for a moment before relaxing.
With every breath that she took Mary Margaret's lips seem to be getting closer and closer, until the thin layer of her lips tasted the thin layer of salt flavor that was left behind when the sweat that once clung to the headmistress' skin evaporated away. It was just a simple graze and yet the taste exploded in Mary Margaret's mouth as though she took a chunk or bite of Cora's skin instead of the simple feather light touch.
Cora, on her part, gave no indication that she felt Mary Margaret's lips on her skin, no matter how light the touch was. There was no sharp intake of breath or moan, there was nothing. On that same note, Cora also did not make any indication of disapproval or displeasure that the touch happen. The headmistress remained silent.
The headmistress' silence did nothing for her confidence, it did not waver it nor did it boost it. Out of anything it gave her the freedom to explore her new desires, the ones, if she was completely honest with herself, that have been brewing, forming, shaping, since she started to see Cora in private.
So she kissed the headmistress again, and again, and again. Her kisses becoming a little deeper, adding a little something extra, like touching the top of her teeth to the flushed skin, a flick of her tongue, lingering of either her bottom or upper lip. Her kisses were mainly placed on the skin that was in the direct line of her own lips, at the pace of three breaths. One breathe, two breath, three, kiss. And repeat.
And all the while Cora remained silent.
With one last kiss Mary Margaret moved away from Cora, turning so that her back was to Cora, going over in her mind what had happened earlier in the day before she found herself here...
Earlier that day
Christmas was an all but painful reminder to Mary Margaret. She wanted to give her girls the best Christmas that she could afford, but that was easier said than done. For as much as her girls could be loud and rowdy, they were also closed off. More than anything did she want to say that she knew them the best, like how a mother knew her own children, but there was so much that she didn't know, crucial things. Things that could help her in finding great Christmas presents for the girls.
Currently she was putting her Christmas shopping and planning to the side in favor of helping Cora plan out the Winter Break filed trip, sending the appropriate forms to the students' families to sign and details surrounding the trip. The only person that she told she was going to be at the Mills house was Emma who lit up with the news and as quickly as she could called Regina. It pained Mary Margaret to watch the blonde search the entire apartment before calling the dark brunette, Mary Margaret just didn't see the danger in playing chess with Regina.
In fact, Mary Margaret started to see a positive change in Emma ever since she started playing chess with Regina. The blonde seemed to be happier, lighter. At breakfast she wouldn't stop smiling into her bowl of fruit loops like it was the most charming thing in the world. Ruby, who was staying them while Mrs. Lucas was on what Ruby described as her grandmother's 'biannual cross bowing target fest', made a snarky commit on Emma falling in love with her breakfast. That snapped Emma back to reality and her smile was replaced with a neutral expression, which earned Ruby a swift kick to the shin, apparently by Mulan since that was who Ruby glared at afterword even if the Chinese girl gave no indication that she was the culprit.
After breakfast everyone went their separate ways; Mulan and Emma to their place of work, Ruby to the library, and Tink to where ever it was she disappeared to the majority of the day, and Mary Margaret made her way to Cora's.
Regina was the one who answered the door to let her in. The class president was indifferent about seeing her and the older one, Zelena, was nowhere in sight. Regina mumbled something about her mother being in her office before heading out herself, not saying where she was going. Then again, Regina was not her responsibility. Mary Margaret did report to Cora on her youngest daughter vague whereabouts, though the headmistress seemed less than interested in where her youngest daughter ran off to.
Mary Margaret took her mind off of things by doing the tasks that were set before her.
"Is there something on your mind Mary Margaret?" The English teacher looked at the older woman who was in her office chair, currently turned so that Cora was facing her and her elbow on the edge of the desk. Mary Margaret gave her a tight smile and tucked a stray strain of black hair behind her ear.
"Not really."
"I think there is, because normally you're happier than this. You know that you can tell me anything Mary Margaret."
"I do, it's just that it really isn't something that I shouldn't be worried about and yet I am." Mary Margaret started to run her fingers along the edge of the envelopes that she was in charge of placing the address' on. Cora got up from the chair, the heels of her stilettos clicking the few paces it took to reach where Mary Margaret was still on the far end of the couch.
"Look at me Mary Margaret." The short hair woman tilted her head so that her eyes met Cora's. "I find that when something is bothering you it is important and if something is bothering you I would like to help you with it."
"I want to give the girls a good Christmas but I cannot think to get them anything that would actually constitute as a Christmas present. I guess this just proves to shows me that I don't know the girls as well as I thought I do." For a minute Cora looked away, the arch of her left eyebrow twitching a little. Then the smile came, something that was just on the edge of being a smirk and there was a gleam in those chocolate brown eyes.
"I think I might know a solution to your problem." Cora stated before crossing back to her desk. "For now I want you to go back to your apartment and pack anything that you may need for a two day trip."
"Why?" Cora didn't answer her just gave her this look that said 'trust me'. Mary Margaret nodded and collected her things to go back to the apartment all the while thinking about what the girls might possible need if she was going away.
Unknowing to them Regina and Emma were currently caring out their set chess time, with the same board, in the exact same spot. Both teens were gone from this world, completely oblivious to nothing but the chess board in front of them and each other. Emma was in full blown chess mode, emerald green eyes peering over the edges of the elevated chess board, which was exactly what Regina wanted to see, it meant that she was in for a challenge.
Currently it was Emma's move and just as she had picked up her remaining bishop, the back door slammed, startling her and making Emma not only to bump into the table but to also drop her bishop in the process. The dropping of the bishop caused a game of dominos with chess pieces, and knocking of the table made a majority of the fallen pieces, from both the captured and active, to fall to the floor. Emma began to panic and started scrambling to pick up the chess pieces that now littered the table and floor, which brought out the blonde's natural magnet for calamity in the fact that she forgot how close her head was to the table, and the next disaster was Emma's forehead hitting the edge of Cora's dining room table.
"Owie!" Regina immediately rushed to the blonde's side when Emma's head made a great deal of contact with the table. Tears formed in Emma's big emerald green eyes, and with the way she was sitting on the floor cross legged and a chess piece clenched in her first for dear life, it was like as though she was six instead of sixteen. Regina brought Emma's face into her hands to look to see if there was any damage done to the blonde's head, the area was already starting to do turn yellow.
Emma, personally, was burning up on the inside for two reasons: 1) Regina's hands were on her face, Regina touching her period was enough to make her flush, and 2) because she was acting like a baby. It was one thing for her to hit her head, that was nothing new for her, but it was another to do so and then have someone like Regina Mills fawn over you like a child.
"I'm going to get you some ice." Emma opened her mouth to protest, she didn't want Regina troubling herself to get her something that Emma was more than capable of getting, but the dark brunette was already out of sight and ear shot range. While Regina was getting her the ice, Emma worked on picking up the scattered chess pieces and making sure that all 32 were present and accounted for. "Here you go Emma." The class president handed her a small plastic bag filled with ice.
"Thank you, Regina." Emma took the bag and placed it on her forehead, wincing a little when the cold plastic touched her hot tender skin. For a second, and not a moment more, Emma swore that Regina smiled at her, and it was a smile that Emma had never seen the class president give before. As quick as that smile was it was quick to leave, in fact any and all traces of care and happiness that Regina might have had went away and her face went dark. Regina's eyebrows scrunched together, her lips spread to form a sneer, and those bright ember eyes that she had dark to almost black.
"What the hell were you thinking!?" At first Emma thought that Regina was yelling at her and just as she was going to apologize, it was when that she figured out who the real target for Regina's anger was. Zelena, who was on the stairs in hopes of a hasty retreat, was now the center of Regina's wrath.
Automatically Emma could tell that there was something off about Regina's elder sister. While Zelena didn't have the same hardness as Regina, Zelena still held her own power but it was more relaxed and on a different frequency than Regina's. Like night and day the Mills sisters couldn't be any different, unlike Regina who was all politics and proper, Zelena was more relaxed and though she wasn't a slob, she didn't carry herself the same way the Regina did, it was more like an air of flamboyance and seduction than grace.
Right now Zelena was anything but flamboyant, her shoulders were slumped and by the way that her head was slightly tilted to one side Emma could tell that Zelena had some sort of pain in her neck. Zelena's light blue eyes looked cloudy and they were blood shot, the veins creating an almost spider web like effect.
"Why are you yelling at me? It's not like I took your little puppy dogs head and smashed it into the table. That is completely on her."
"You might as well have. If you hadn't slammed that door then you wouldn't have spooked her and cause this." Regina waved her hand over to where Emma was sitting with the ice pack pressed to her forehead.
"Fine, blame me. I don't care. Just do me a favor and do so silently, I can already feel the headache start to form." Zelena closed her eyes, a little tighter than normal, and rubbed small circles on the side of her temple.
"Good, Zelena your home." Zelena flinched a little and climbed down the two steps that she managed to get before her sister started to yell at her to let her mother pass by. In each of the headmistress' fist was a small black suitcase.
"Are you going somewhere Mother?" Cora placed one suitcase at Zelena's feet, who looked at it as though it was a foreign object.
"Yes, and so are you." The headmistress placed the second next to her youngest, which was when she noticed Emma who was pressing the bag of ice to her forehead. "What happened to Ms. Swan?"
"Zelena." Regina said in a calculated sneer. She then looked at the suitcase her mother gave her and then at her mother, who was getting their coats from the closet. "What is going on Mother?"
"I'll explain later, for now put your coat on, and if you have anything to say do it while walking. That goes the same for you Ms. Swan." Emma jumped in her seat, dropping the ice pack in the process, up until that moment she had been ignored, and to be addressed by Cora herself would make anyone want to jump out of their skin.
When everyone had their coats on, Cora pushed a sequence of numbers onto the alarm key pad and locked the front door to the town house, still not saying anything on what was going on.
Where they wounded up wasn't something that was a cause for concern, after all it was where Emma lived. Emma started to thank Cora for walking her home and to Regina for the ice pack but before she could Cora asked her to let them. At first Emma was hesitant, other than her and Mary Margaret, Emma's roommates were not exactly the Mills' biggest fans. However, despite wanting to keep the peace between her and her roommates, Emma agreed to let the Mills' in but not without announcing their arrival.
Ruby and Tink went into defensive mode, back straight and eyes hard, ready to protect their ground. What was odd was that Tink wasn't glaring at Regina like Ruby was but at Zelena, and there was more of a threatening air to the dirty blonde. Mulan was indifferent, which was the attitude that she took up on almost everything, but she did do was watch Tink's reaction to Zelena very closely.
Mary Margaret was in the kitchen, surrounded by pots and pans in varying degrees of radiating heat, the one bad thing about the apartment was its ability to trap and hold in heat, making the apartment a little stuffier and a little muggy. To Cora it didn't matter, she ignored all those pots and pans and possibly deadly tension between her children and Mary Margaret's girls, all that mattered was Mary Margaret. Cora said something in Mary Margaret's ear and the teacher responded by pointing the spoon that she was using. Cora responded by going over to Mary Margaret's bed which was in the free area next to the stairs and picking up the tote bag that was on the bed.
"Would someone please explain to me what is going on here?" Ruby, who was sitting on one of counter top chairs, was the first to break, looking between Mary Margaret and Cora for an answer.
"I think we are all on the same page here. Mother, why are we in this hovel?" The last word passed the class president's lips in a taste of disapproval, even as she made her was to their freezer to get more ice for Emma's rapidly melting ice pack.
"Well, I'm oh so sorry that our home doesn't satisfy your high standards your majesty."
"Ruby." The red streaked brunette snapped her jaw shut at Mary Margaret's disapproval, she wasn't yelled at, Mary Margaret never yelled, but her tone would say all that needed to be said.
"Now that everything is in order I believe it's time to say what is going on. Mary Margaret and I are going to Boston for the next two nights, and while we're away Zelena, I am placing you in charge."
"You're doing what!?" And there is was, the back lash, with each girl expressing her contempt.
"You cannot be serious in leaving Zelena in charge? She didn't even have to touch her and look what she did to Emma!" Regina waved her hand at Emma icing the now blue and purple bruise that ran across her forehead.
"I told you she was dangerous." Tink didn't even try to hide her contempt, she made sure that her voice was hearable and clear.
"Tink, that was mean." The dark blonde didn't care, she just rolled her brown eyes and did the same thing that she had been doing since elder Mills sister walked into the apartment; glare at her like there was no tomorrow.
"I think I have made myself very clear. Now, while we're away please try not to kill each other." With that Cora escorted Mary Margaret out of the apartment, the white door shutting behind them, cutting them off from the five teenager and college student that was on the other side. Before Mary Margaret could voice any protest Cora swooped her away and into her Benz to start the drive to Boston.
Inside the apartment it was deathly still, no one said a word or made any kind of movement. Everyone looked at one another, trying to see if someone had a reasonable explanation as to what just happened.
"What the fuck?" Everyone looked at Ruby, not in shock of what she said, but because no one could have said it any better.
It was late when Cora's Benz crossed into the city limits of Boston, too late to do anything other than to take a night cap once they checked in to their hotel room.
After placing the tray from their room service outside their door, Mary Margaret felt Cora wrapping her arms around her waist from behind and started to kiss the back of her neck. The top of Cora's breast were pressed against her shoulder blades, the weight of the mounds shifting as Cora moved down or to the side. Lost in the sensation she didn't notice Cora's hands playing with the hem of her shirt, slipping underneath to start a thoughtless but calculated dance. The headmistress didn't cup or group her breast but played with them, adding just the right amount of pressure with her finger tips so that Mary Margaret could feel the stimulation from both the material of her bra rubbing against her skin and Cora's skillful fingertips. All in all it made Mary Margaret a giant puddle, limp and ready for whatever Cora had planned for her.
Her top and bra were quickly removed in one great move, her pants didn't go as quietly, but that was only because her arousal was already coating her inner thighs and making the material stick to her skin. Her arousal was lapped up by Cora, the headmistress' tongue and lips were gentle and yet oh so cruel as they only took in what had flowed down from the source, where she knew more pleasure and want lied.
After taking what she wanted from Mary Margaret's thighs, Cora withdrew completely from where she placed Mary Margaret quivering on the bed, she was afraid that the young woman might fall off since she was shaking so much and so close to the edge. Mary Margaret looked at her, pale green eyes big and shiny, and Cora knew that the one thing that Mary Margaret wanted to do was to hide, hide her vulnerability, hide the fact that she wanted, needed, to be touched. And Cora couldn't think of a reason to deny her.
Slowly, Cora unzipped the zipper of her dark blue dress, the article of clothing falling off her body with a few shimmies of her hips. The next thing to go was her black lace bra, once the bra straps touched the crock of her elbow she cared less where it landed on the floor.
There was a change in Mary Margaret when more of her body was exposed, pale green eyes roaming over every inch of Cora's skin, paying more attention to what was new than the old. The way that Mary Margaret watched her was as though she was taking in a new layer, replacing or adding what she saw with her past memories. Though Cora relish the attention, she didn't give Mary Margaret much time to take in her body before Cora invaded the teacher's personal space.
In Cora's opinion this was the best kind of position, where you can establish your dominance but still be open, a silent message to your partner that they have the privilege to touch you. Another reason was that you had nowhere else to look than at your partner, either in the eye or their body, there was just no escaping it. What made it ideal for a person like Mary Margaret was the fact that all she had to do was make a move and she would touch her. Move her hand right hand and she would either be scaling her outer thigh or her side, or the side of her breast. Move her left arm and she would be touching her right arm, or push it more into her side. Raise her left knee and she would be rubbing against her thigh. Raise her right knee and she would be rubbing against her own dripping sex. Arch her back like she was doing as Cora teased her opening and their breast will touch, nipples rubbing and scraping against the other.
The only problem was that other than the arching of her back Mary Margaret did not touch her. The back arching she didn't have control over and while Cora did enjoy the sensation of Mary Margaret's powdery pink nipples against her own, she still wanted more, but this process was delicate. She feared that she might have gone a little overboard at the townhouse to cause Mary Margaret's melt down.
So after bringing Mary Margaret to a mind shattering orgasm she rolled off the younger woman to the free space on the bed to give her same breathing room. And even though she act like she didn't notice, she was very much aware of what was happening, she wanted to see what Mary Margaret would do on her own and that would tell her how to move forward the next time.
The Boston morning felt bleak and grey, or at least that was how Mary Margaret felt. Maybe it was because of the heavy industry or the fact that Boston was a harbor city. Or maybe it was her. Either way Mary Margaret just felt heavy and a sadness that clung to her skin like silly putty. Cora came out of the bathroom dressed in form fitting top in a deep red color and black pants that couldn't be called slacks or exercise pants.
"The bathrooms yours." She stood in from of the mirror that was in front of the bed, running the round brush she had in her hand to curl the ends of her hair. "Did you want to go out for breakfast or do you just want to order room service?"
"I don't care which, whatever you want." Cora looked at her, placing the brush on the dresser, raising one sculpted eyebrow. "What?"
"Nothing of importance I guess. By the way," Mary Margaret looked at her from where she was getting some clothes that she placed in the tote bag that she packed, Cora was up before her and left the hotel bathrobe draped across one of the rooms two chairs to put on if she wanted it. "Which one of us is calling your apartment? I know you must be itching to check in."
"Let me shower and I'll call while we're heading out or waiting for room service, which ever one you have decided on."
"Very well." And for a moment there was that old Mary Margaret smile before the teacher disappeared into the bathroom. Apparently what brought Mary Margaret back to normalcy was going back into her role as guardian, something that Cora wasn't too surprised about. No matter, it made Mary Margaret happy so it made Cora happy for her and she got finished getting ready with a place already in mind.
"What exactly happen?... Is Emma okay? Was she hurt too badly?... That was completely uncalled for Tink and you know it... No buts, there is absolutely no reason for you to be acting like this. But either than that is everything okay?... That's good to hear. Now behave and get along okay? That goes for the others all right?... If there's an emergency call this number okay? Either than that I'll see you guys tomorrow. Bye now." She hung up and gave the cell phone back to Cora, finishing the remainder of her coffee that was in the white ceramic cup in front of her. This was the second time that Mary Margaret called the apartment, after the first call was dropped when she entered the hotels elevator before someone could answer. She tried again at the small café that Cora took them to, it was one of Cora's favorite places in Boston.
"What happened to Ms. Swan this time?"
"She fell down our stairs." Cora's brown eyes widen and her lips parted a little.
"Is she all right?"
"I assume so, Tink said that when she reached the bottom she just laid there for a second before getting up and running out the door. I think that we forgot to fully explain to Zelena her duties." Cora's eyebrow's scrunched together in confusion.
"What duties?"
"You know, making sure that Emma and Mulan are up at an appropriate time so that they have enough time to have breakfast and get to their jobs on time. Making sure that they all go to bed at an appropriate hour. Making sure that everyone gets a good meal. Confirming where everyone is going and establishing a return time. To make sure that everyone gets along and to defuse tension. Also-"
"Stop!" Mary Margaret stopped mid-sentence at Cora's up risen hand and sharp voice. "Maybe it's just me but I don't think that much care goes into looking after five fully functioning teenagers."
"Not when you know what trouble four out of the five can get into than extra caution must be taken."
"What trouble can they get into in the middle of winter in a town like Storybrooke?"
"Falling down a flight of stairs."
"That is one example with one girl. Not to mention that fact that Emma seems to have a higher accident prone tendency than normal."
"Mood swings, you know what happened to Emma after the fire but it is not just her but Tink as well."
"Having mood swings is just a side effect of being a teenager, it comes with the package."
"That may be true but I like to give my girls guidance, to give them limits so that they know where they can and cannot go."
"Again I ask why?"
"To keep them safe." Cora sighed and slumped her shoulder in defeat.
"I don't quite understand your way of thinking but if it works for you and your girls than who am I to judge."
"Here here. So, where to next?"
Mary Margaret now understood the reason as to why Cora brought her to Boston. The entire city was abuzz for the holidays, decorated in white and multi-color strands of light and large pieces of garland and holly and people. It cleared up a little and Boston wasn't as heavily covered in snow as Storybrooke, and since it was a larger city they could clear the snow better, packing them in larger piles than just pushing the snow to clear the sidewalks. Holiday or not, Boston just offered more options shopping wise than Storybrooke, something that Mary Margaret mentally slapped herself for not thinking it sooner.
Where Cora took her was a large open market like shopping center with the trees wrapped up in Christmas lights. It didn't surprise Mary Margaret on the amount of people walking in every which way even for a week day, something just didn't change no matter where you went. Wanting a life line and because of a fear of getting lost, she took hold of Cora's hand, their fingers intertwining, which just made her grip that much stronger.
Cora for her part didn't mind, even with gloves she got cold much to quickly for her liking, she just wiggled her fingers to tell Mary Margaret to ease her grip, that she wasn't going anywhere, and that she was cutting the circulation off to her fingers.
Together, hand in hand, they toured the market place with Mary Margaret doing the majority of the looking. Occasionally Mary Margaret would stop and stare at a window display for a minute or two with her thinking face on. Their pace was slow, if the several complaints from the people behind them were anything to go by, but none of that mattered to Mary Margaret, her focus was sole on her girls and her private mission.
There was one shop that caught Mary Margaret's attention after about fifteen minutes of looking. It was a puzzle store, which Cora found odd, but something must have caught Mary Margaret's attention if she turned to her asking if they could go in, looking at her with that sad puppy dog expression and big pale green eyes. All that Cora could do was smile and give her permission with a side nod of her head. Mary Margaret was fully in charge, clearly knowing where she wanted to go and that was when Cora now understood what caught Mary Margaret's attention.
Chess, the one thing that each woman had an indirect connection to, and it was just Mary Margaret's luck that she found probably one of the hand full stores in Boston to have an actual section of their store dedicated to anything and everything chess related. Cora watched from the side lines as Mary Margaret carefully scanned each and every single shelf, for what was anyone's guess but Cora had an idea that it was something for Emma. Mary Margaret's face lit up in the face of victory, a new chess set that was not only portable but magnetic as well, which made it perfect for someone like Emma Swan.
Other than Emma, Mary Margaret walked away with gifts for two of her girls, reducing her list in half. By the time the sun set Mary Margaret had everything she wanted plus a little more, saying that they were group gifts and some stocking stuffers. To celebrate Cora took the teacher out to dinner at a restaurant that was within walking distance of the hotel. All throughout dinner Mary Margaret was nothing but a bundle of ecstatic nerves, she wouldn't stop smiling or moving, and her voice had this lightness to it, almost going up an octave.
When Cora came out of the bathroom after showering and her naked body she found Mary Margaret already splayed out on the bed with her arms underneath her head and legs bent at the knee with the top one being just below the one underneath. While she was in the bathroom Mary Margaret had changed into a white night shirt that left most of her legs exposed. That smile was still on her face even as she was looking at nothing in particular. Cora joined her, sitting in the free space at the edge of the bed so that she can both look at and touch the short hair woman's foreleg, which Cora dragged her fingertips across.
"I want to ask you something Mary Margaret." Mary Margaret hummed, her eyes closed form the soothing sensation of Cora's fingertips. "Why did you stop?"
"Stop what?"
"Touching me." Mary Margaret's eyes snapped open and the bliss and joy that was on her face was washed away as her face went pale.
"I-you-I'm sorry!" Cora just smiled at the frazzled woman and brought a hand to her cheek in a form of comfort.
"If anyone should apologize it should be me. I thought that by acting asleep you would feel confident enough to explore but I guess it had the opposite effect."
"Why did you think that?" Cora beaconed for her so that they were face to face, the open space between them less.
"I do not want you to think any less of me but there is not right way to say this. I admit that in the past I chose my partners for very specific purposes, to satisfy a need that I might have at that moment. You are different Mary Margaret because you go beyond what I want, and have done so with just a batter of your eyelashes. I did what I did because I want you to be more comfortable with yourself, more confidant, because even though I cannot say what lies ahead of us I want to do anything that I can so that you have confidence to go out into the world and find someone you can be truly happy with." There was a sad sort of smile on Mary Margaret's lips and she nuzzled Cora's cheek, lips touching the smooth skin.
"Why not with you?"
"Because I'm a cynical old bat that cannot seem to keep the people that I care about close."
"Then let's see where this takes us." They kissed, slow and soft, with no real rhythm or interval, going back and forth on who captured whose lips between their own.
After that they just laid with each other, with Mary Margaret pressed against Cora and arms and legs wrapped tight around the older woman's torso and legs, as though Cora would disappear from her. Even though it was uncomfortable for Cora she did not try to fight it or break away, even as Mary Margaret drifted off to sleep. Before she did one of Mary Margaret's hands had snuck into Cora's robe to trace random patters on the older woman's bare torso. It was soothing and if she was honest it tickled a little, but it was enough for Cora to relax and start the process in going to sleep.
The wind howled, it shook the trees and picked up loose particles of snow as Cora and Mary Margaret drove north to Storybrooke after their mini vacation to Boston. The wind followed them as they entered Mary Margaret's apartment, the door closing almost on its own. It was early and everyone was still asleep.
Zelena was in Mary Margaret's bed, tangled in the teachers white sheets, copper hair splayed out on the pillows, and mouth open, she emanated a slight snore. She was jostled awake when one, then two, then three of Mary Margaret's clocks started to sound. She cursed and looked around at Mary Margaret's small collection of clocks to find out which ones were emitting the sounds.
"You might want to try the ones in the middle." Mary Margaret decided to give the girl a helping hand and turn the clocks off, getting the right ones the first time and with ease.
"Who the bloody hell has this many clocks and why are they all sounding?"
"Normally I just have one but I set up multiple so Emma and Mulan know that it is time to wake up."
"And you couldn't move them upstairs? Do you have any idea what it's like waking up every morning to that?"
"Zelena." Zelena sighed in relief when she saw her mother who was leaning against a wall.
"Thank god you're back, you have no idea what it was like watching them!" She sneered and pointed to the area above her.
"I'm sure it wasn't that bad Zelena."
"Speaking of, what did happen while we were away?" Zelena looked at Mary Margaret as she made her way into the kitchen, setting up for breakfast as though nothing had happen, when the exact opposite was true. A better question for Zelena would be where did she begin?
I know that it has been a while since I lat updated but school does take priority, not to mention that I have been going back and making changes to the previous chapters, not big changes just small ones. Let me know what you think, and I will tell you which chapter have been updated if you wanted to take a look at them. Chapters one through 15 have been updated.
Food for thought plasmare la neve means shaping the snow