Chapter 3.

Regina had her arms wrapped tightly around Emma as the two curled up on the couch, watching some mindless television. She rested her chin on the blonde's shoulder, her eyes glazing over and her mind wandering as she stared at the television without really seeing it.
Regina was jerked out of her thoughts as Emma laughed loudly next to her, at something Regina had clearly missed on the television. She looked across at the still smiling Emma next to her, and bit her lip down before she chuckled. Emma looked across at her.
"That was a delayed reaction," she noted, tilting her head.
Regina shrugged, "I was laughing at you, not the television."
Emma pouted, "Why, what did I do?"
Jeez, just when Regina thought the blonde couldn't be anymore adorable, she had to pull that face, Regina thought, "You just look cute when you laugh like that," she said quietly.
Emma blushed; she should have been used to the older woman's compliments now, but her low voice sent tingles down her spine, "Thank you," she mumbled, staring into Regina's chocolate-brown eyes.
Regina stared right back for a moment before she broke eye contact and looked down at Emma's left hand resting on the couch cushion. She could actually feel her breath caught in her chest and cursed herself; why was she so nervy around the younger woman? She held all the cards, hell she held this woman's heart.
With a slow and unsteady hand, she covered the distance between them on the couch and brushed her fingers against Emma's hand, before covering it with her own and forcing herself to look up at the younger woman. Emma smiled and squeezed Regina's fingers gently as she shuffled closer to the older woman.
"I've been waiting for a sign," Emma whispered.
Regina frowned, "What do you – "
Emma didn't let her finish as she pressed her lips onto Regina's and put a hand on to her cheek, staying like that for the longest moment, but it felt all too quick when she ran out of breath and pulled away, seeing the watery eyes of Regina staring at her.
"Hey, what's wrong? Don't cry," Emma whispered, running her thumb over the single tear that had escaped the other woman's eye.
Regina gritted her teeth, annoyed at herself, "I'm sorry," she mumbled; the truth was, it was nothing like she had imagined, but so much more and she didn't know if she could deal with feeling so much…emotion. This wasn't how it was meant to work; this was meant to be easy, Emma was meant to keep her company on dark nights, it wasn't meant to be so…real. Especially when it wasn't, Regina thought to herself angrily, the only reason Emma was here was because Regina had her heart locked away under an enchantment. The question was, was that enough for Regina?

Then Emma whispered something in her ear that Regina didn't even hear before she pressed her lips to the brunette's again, this time nibbling on her bottom lip until she opened her mouth and their tongue's had their first dance together. Regina felt dizzy with aching; she hadn't been so…intimate with anyone, physically or emotionally for such a long time, this was too much, she thought. She'd made a mistake, she was better off alone… But then she felt Emma's hand on her waist push her down gently and the blonde climbed on top of her, their bodies entangled, burying her face in the older woman's neck as she began to nip and suck and graze her teeth gently over smooth skin as Regina sighed, leaning her head back granting further access as she failed to hold back a moan. Just once, she thought, then I'll discard this stupid failure of an experiment. I'm better off alone. What was she even thinking? She'd dealt with loneliness for this long, she was Regina, the evil queen, she didn't need… she didn't need anyone. So why did she have this ache in her chest and to her very core when the blonde moved her hands onto Regina's bare stomach, quickly followed by her lips. This had turned into something she never meant it to be; this woman was bringing up feelings in her she thought she would never feel again, feelings that she never wanted to feel again. But, maybe, maybe that was what she had wanted all along? She was driving herself crazy.
"Hey," Emma interrupted her thoughts, withdrawing her lips for a moment and replacing them with her hands on her stomach.
Regina blinked and looked down at her, expressionless, "What is it?" she asked, stupidly.
"Stop thinking so much," the blonde whispered, a smile playing on her lips.
"Sorry," Regina found herself mumbling.
Emma shrugged, grinning, "It's okay. You're so stuck in your own head," she paused, nibbling on her lip, "Why don't you let me distract you?"
Regina put a hand on Emma's cheek but the younger woman smiled and removed it, kissing her hand gently. She paused and moved her hands to the hem of her own shirt and pulled it off over head. Regina blinked quickly and her hand, as if moving of it's own free will moved to the other woman's collarbone as she trailed it down slowly, her eyes following her hand. In a sudden motion, she put a hand in Emma's hair and pulled her down on top of her before quickly flipping their positions and immersing herself in the blonde woman's body, finally able to cease the thoughts ricocheting around her head.