A/N: Today's theme is well placed in regards to the development of this story – smut.
Tip 6: Different Opportunities
"Sometimes, you just have to shut up and kiss the girl."
-Ruby Lucas
Regina yawned sleepily as she started to wake, her body languidly stretching as the remnants of a great dream faded from her mind. She purred a little when she felt the soft warmth at her back, one long arm casually draped above her hip. For the first time in a considerable amount of time, she didn't feel the aphotic mood her mornings were usually accompanied by.
It had been a very long time since she'd woken up with someone in her bed. After her divorce from Leo, it had taken a few years for her to develop an interest in sex again. Even then, she'd carefully chosen potential partners.
She fondly recalled one intense weekend with a woman she'd met through work. Elizabeth had only been in Storybrooke for a few weeks, but their one weekend together had been wholly satisfying and just what Regina had needed at the time. It had been infinitely more satisfying than the brief fling she and Sheriff Humbert had indulged in a few months after the fact.
A low sound, not too dissimilar from a growl, sounded behind her and her body shook with laughter.
Ruby shifted forward, still half asleep, and placed a gentle kiss against the satin fabric covering Regina's shoulder. "S'kay babe, back to sleep."
Regina's brows hiked up at the nearly incoherent mumble. "Babe?" her voice was coarse from sleep.
Grey-blue eyes shot open and Ruby stiffened when she realized just who she was wrapped around. Her face was on fire as she tried to ignore the arousal from the proximity of their bodies and Regina's very appealing morning-voice. She started to slide her arm away from around the petite waist, only for Regina to take a firm hold of the appendage.
The older woman rolled over to face Ruby, smirk on her face. "What poor taste! In bed with me and dreaming about another woman. I bet you didn't even remember it was me." She clucked her tongue chidingly. "Makes me wonder how often you go to bed with strange women Miss Lucas."
Ruby's face felt like it would melt off from the heat of her continued blush, not wanting to explain that she had, in fact, been having a dream about Regina. She cleared her throat. "I think Mary Margaret has given you bad ideas about me. I'm not a slut! The thing with the professor kind of just built up and happened! She wasn't even my professor any more at the time."
Regina immediately softened, sensing an edge of discomfort in Ruby. Her eyes trailed over her friend's lovely sleep-drunk features. There were some red lines across the younger woman's face from her pillow and her hair was incredibly tangled. She found the sight endearing. "I know you're not a slut, I just wanted to tease you."
She stretched again, another yawn escaping at the maneuver.
The lanky brunette closed her eyes to try and conceal the need she felt as Regina's body rubbed innocently against hers. Waking up with her friend was definitely not safe until she got a hold of her feelings. She quickly retrieved her arm before she could be stopped again.
"I feel so lazy," Regina admitted. "I think we should skip our run today."
"We could do that." She eyed her companion carefully. "Since it's a Sunday, why don't we go all out lazy? Let's just stay in our pajamas and watch Netflix or something."
A feigned gasp escaped Regina at the suggestion. "Stay in our pajamas all day? You wild woman, you," she murmured in a scandalized voice.
Ruby shot her a playful week. "By now you know almost all of my wild secrets anyway."
"Almost all you say?" A sly look encompassed the older woman's face. "I'll learn them all some day. Now, we can be lazy, but I refuse to be a slob. I'm going to go brush my teeth and shower. Since I spent the night with you, I'm sure you can handle breakfast."
A choked laugh escaped Ruby at the reference. "I need to wash up too, but I'll still cook breakfast. See you downstairs in a bit?"
"Indeed." Regina shot the taller woman a small smile as she rose up from the bed.
A snort escaped Ruby as she looked at something on her phone some time later.
"Anything particularly amusing, dear?" Regina inquired curiously as she walked in to the living room with a refreshed bowl of popcorn, taking her seat next to Ruby on her overstuffed couch.
"James texted me to let me know he's staying an extra day because M&M is miserably hungover and he doesn't want to leave her," she snickered.
Regina chortled, "She's really such a lightweight. I'm not certain why she drank so much. She usually only has a glass or two of my cider."
"I'm pretty sure she regrets it all now." She checked her phone again as it chirped. A loud guffaw escaped her. "She's swearing off anything apple-related for the immediate future. She's certain she was poisoned."
"Ah, well I'm sure she won't be interested in the apple pie I was planning on baking tomorrow then. Pity," she related with an utterly amused expression on her face.
Regina shifted a little, careful not to spill the popcorn situated in the small space between her and Ruby. "Have you decided what you want to watch?"
"Not really," Ruby admitted. "I was still decompressing from that last ep of Criminal Minds. I was thinking we could chill for a bit and then pick out something lighthearted."
"That sounds fine." They both relaxed back into the couch, and Regina didn't comment when Ruby's long legs stretched out to rest on the coffee table. "You know," she pondered out loud, "I was surprised when you revealed Belle had a crush on Mayor Gold. Not unlike Mary Margaret, I thought you and she had something going on." She watched the younger woman carefully from underneath her lashes.
Ruby tried to conceal her discomfort on the topic, and Regina didn't miss her light blush. Her dark eyes narrowed. "There was something, wasn't there?"
"Uh," Ruby's hands fidgeted in her lap nervously.
A smooth, tan hand reached over to settle over the nervous movements. "You don't have to tell me, but I am curious."
More fidgeting occurred under Regina's warm hand. "We might have...made out a bit one night."
Regina inhaled sharply at the admission, not quite certain how she felt about it. "Do tell," she encouraged with an odd note to her voice as she pulled her hand back.
Ruby glanced at her curiously and licked her lips. "It was after last time she and I went out to the Rabbit Hole, actually. We both had a very good time, and we went to hang out at her place after. We got to talking about our impossible crushes and then somehow we started talking about firsts. She admitted she'd never kissed a girl and...I don't know it just kind of happened."
Regina crossed her legs as she pensively considered Ruby's words. She wondered if Ruby intended on pursuing a relationship with Belle, and tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach at the thought. Her mind caught on something else Ruby had said. "Your impossible crushes? Are you still carrying a torch for your professor?"
A pale hand flicked up to cover Ruby's mouth as she tried to cover a burst of nervous laughter. "No, no. The thing with my professor was just one of those special things that can't really last." She cut herself off anxiously, afraid she would blurt out the truth in a most embarrassing fashion.
The wheels in Regina's mind turned and her brows furrowed as she tried to discern what Ruby wasn't saying. "So what crush were you referring to?"
Ruby's lips parted and twitched in an effort to try and come up with a reasonable answer, but in her panic her mind blanked out. "No reason to talk about it, I'm working through it slowly."
Unbidden, Regina's jaw clenched a little at Ruby's evasion. She didn't think Ruby would still keep something as trivial as a crush secret from her, not after all the time they'd spent together talking. Especially not after last night. Her face became shuttered. She wasn't sure why she wanted to know so much or why the younger woman's secrecy pained her so.
Steel-blue eyes observed the shifting emotions on her face, and Ruby berated herself internally. She took a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. "It's you."
The words were low and shaky, and Regina's breath stilled as they registered in her mind. Her gaze darted to Ruby's face as her breathing resumed erratically. "Me? But I'm..." She blinked in a daze as a warm tingling sensation spread through her.
Ruby opened her eyes, a rueful smile on her face as she looked at Regina. "Incredible; sassy, sweet, thoughtful, and gorgeous." Her head shook as she shrugged. "I've been drawn to you from the start."
Regina's mind stuttered over the sincere words, and she licked her lips. "I was going to say much older than you."
A cautious smile overtook Ruby's face, her blue eyes twinkling. "Not that much older than me." Her expression became a little pained. "I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. I do very much enjoy being your friend, and I'm doing my best to get over it. Just, please can we ignore it?" Her voice held a tinge of desperate pleading.
"I'm sorry Ruby, that's not possible."
Ruby felt the sting of rejection and tears, and she forcefully grabbed the bowl of popcorn from between them and stood. She swiftly headed toward the kitchen, desperate for a little space to get control of the moisture that threatened to fall.
"Ruby, wait." The voice trailed behind her, and she knew Regina had followed her.
She bowed her head and set the popcorn down on the counter. She couldn't speak, afraid she would lose control and break apart at the seams.
A hand settled on her shoulder, and she attempted to shrug it off.
"Ruby, please," Regina's voice was soft and urgent.
She shook her head, long tresses doing a good job of hiding her face.
Regina mentally braced herself and dropped her hand from the normally strong shoulder. "I was jealous when you told me you kissed Belle. I've been jealous of her for a while. I was so relieved when you revealed her feelings about Mayor Gold."
Her admissions lingered heavily in the air. Ruby's eyes were wide, and she turned to face the shorter woman. Regina had her gaze averted to the side, one hand protectively clasping her forearm and partially covering her stomach.
Words failed Ruby at the sight, and she let instinct take over. One step had her in Regina's personal space, their bodies brushing lightly.
Regina's arms dropped to her sides as she looked up at Ruby, the open invitation on her face breathtaking.
Ruby smiled as she brought her hands up to cup the soft cheeks, and she leaned down slowly to brush the first, light kiss across the lips that had been distracting her all summer. Their lips slid together euphorically, and Ruby felt the rush of affection and lust spread through her body in a tangled mix.
She pulled back after a few moments, her eyes intently searching Regina's face. "Are you okay?" her breaths caressed the quivering lips in front of her.
"Oh yes," Regina murmured in a deeply alluring voice. Her hands moved around Ruby's back as she stepped ever closer, bringing their bodies tightly pressed together.
Ruby felt the hot breath from Regina's parted lips just a moment before the shorter woman pressed their lips together again in a fiery, open mouthed kiss. A tongue teasingly swiped between the crevasse of her own parted lips, and she groaned as she tried to catch the wicked flesh with her own.
An unrivaled desire encompassed them as their mouths engaged in an intimate approximation of other equally intimate activities.
Regina pressed closer and closer until Ruby was firmly settled against the counter behind her. The older woman adjusted her stance so their thighs interlaced and pushed tightly against throbbing cores.
Ruby groaned at the contact, breaking away from the kiss with a gasp. "Regina," she croaked, "this is moving quickly."
"Yes," Regina replied, before pressing her mouth back to Ruby's.
The lanky brunette felt light-headed and dizzy as the sensations overwhelmed her, especially the gentle bucking of Regina's hips against her thigh.
She pulled away again after a few more extended kisses. "Regina. Bed."
Regina panted, her pupils dilated and a dazed expression on her face. "I don't think I can walk," she admitted breathlessly.
Ruby growled at the admission, her nostrils flaring as a primal urge threatened to overwhelm her. She gritted her teeth and shook her head. "The first time we make love is not going to be in the kitchen." She squatted slightly, bringing her hands to the flesh of Regina's thighs a little under her derriere.
The lanky form straightened, and Regina gasped in surprise at the rippling capability of the long arms. Her legs moved to wrap around Ruby's hips in surprise, and her arms followed suit around a slender neck. Ruby gave her a small smirk.
Regina wasn't certain if it was adrenaline, arousal, or a combination of the two, but she wasn't about to complain about the sudden show of strength. She felt her underwear dampen, certain that her silver pajama bottoms were soaked through and not caring in the least.
Ruby began to move carefully, distracted at both the feel of Regina wrapped around her so completely and an eager anticipation of getting explore every inch of the delectable woman. Her long legs destroyed the distance to the stairs, and she let momentum propel them up the stairs at a quickened pace. Regina's head had settled against her shoulder, the full lips seductively trailing over a long, pale neck.
By the time they had reached Regina's bedroom, Ruby was taut and quivering from the self control it had taken not to stop and press Regina up against the first flat surface to ravish her. She immediately made her way to the bed, where Regina dropped unsteadily onto her feet just moments before she was pressed back and onto the welcoming mattress.
The younger woman remained standing, chest heaving with passion. Their gazes connected yet again, and Ruby began to carefully tug her clothes off.
Regina clenched the covers below her as the smooth, unblemished skin was revealed to her ravenous eyes. Ruby finished and moved to join Regina on the bed, a sock-covered foot stopping her movements. She gave Regina a confused look, but the older woman only smirked in response.
Slowly Regina began removing her own clothes, taking her time to unbutton every button on her top before letting her bare torso peek through. The sound of the satin rubbing sensually against Regina's skin and the fabric of the bed covers, in combination with the slow reveal, had Ruby completely enthralled.
Olive hands trailed over tan skin erotically as Regina teased herself for the focused blue gaze. She allowed the last article of clothing to drop over the edge of the bed before she scooted back and beckoned Ruby over with a crooked index finger.
Ruby didn't hesitate to crawl onto the bed, her muscles tight with suppressed arousal and the tension that accompanied it. She positioned herself carefully on her hands and knees over the supine woman, carefully keeping their bodies from touching, her hair hanging down in a curtain around them. Regina's eyes were slits as she admired the impressive form above her, anticipation keeping her pulse thready and her womanhood overflowing with want.
The first contact of skin on skin made Ruby groan and Regina gasp, both turning into a series of moans as they slid completely together. "Shit," Ruby exhaled as she settled and realized the heady influx of lust was far beyond anything she'd experienced before.
Regina bucked up against her, and she hurriedly brought their mouths together. They maneuvered so their cores pressed tightly together, Regina's legs falling open wide with her ankles hooking low behind Ruby's knees to allow for greater contact.
Ruby's arms were braced on either side of Regina just under her shoulders; Regina's hands had found her way to her hair, sweeping it up and back as her fingers clenched against Ruby's head. Their kisses were wet and sloppy as the slow grinding grew into wild thrusts, and Ruby knew she wouldn't last much longer.
She tore her mouth away for a moment, pressing her lips against the flushed skin of Regina's cheek. "I've wanted this for so long," she growled, "I want you to come with me Regina."
Regina's hips jerked, and her hands forcefully pulled at Ruby's head until their lips met again. As Ruby's body stiffened with the oblivion of orgasm, Regina let out a strangled moan as she, too, exploded into nothing and was reassembled in the lingering embrace and persistent lips of the woman above her.
They panted as their bodies slowed, riding the lingering crest of sensations. Ruby nuzzled against the soft skin of Regina's neck. There had been little proper foreplay, but she was certain Regina didn't regret it. Ruby certainly didn't. She was inordinately glad her self restraint had allowed them to make it to the bedroom; the feeling of tumbling into ecstasy completely bare and pressed into each other would be something she could never forget.
She shifted so their vulvae weren't pressed so tightly together, wanting to start a nice, slow exploration of Regina like she'd dreamed about that very morning. She eased her weight to the left so she could press opened mouthed kisses to delicate skin and trail her slender fingers over the contoured landscape that was Regina.
Regina began to shift restlessly at the contact, unused to being passive. She gasped as Ruby's focus shifted hungrily to her torso, mouth and teeth nipping softly at the undersides of her breasts as nails lightly scratched against the hard peaks of her nipples.
She began to grow overwhelmed at the sensations, and pressure grew low in her abdomen. She pressed gently against Ruby's shoulders, and the younger woman instantly pulled back.
Ruby gave her a concerned look, "Too much?"
A small smile tugged at Regina's lips. "A little, but not in the way you think." She pulled her lower lip into her mouth as her eyes caressed Ruby's features. "I'd like to do something for you."
The younger woman's heartbeat accelerated at the words, and she cleared her throat. "What would you like to do?"
Regina leaned forward to bite playfully at Ruby's lower lip. "Tell me something you've fantasized about," she murmured, their lips delicately touching as she spoke.
Ruby's mind jumbled as she tried to focus on one such fantasy. She swallowed hard. "I uh," she took a deep breath and pulled back so she could watch Regina's expression as she spoke. "I've thought about you on top of me...in my mouth. I want to see you over me as you lose control," she admitted with a low groan.
Their breaths mingled for a moment, before a wicked smile grew on Regina's face. "You should scoot up a little closer to the headboard dear, and get on your back for me."
The words coursed through Ruby's veins like electricity and she jerkily moved to follow the directions. A few moments were spared to shift pillows and adjust positions before Regina carefully pulled Ruby's hair up and away so her weight wouldn't settle on it.
Ruby's chest heaved in anticipation as Regina pressed a kiss to her lips before moving to straddle her face. She couldn't wait with her fantasy so close to being reality, and she stretched her neck painfully to take that first long lick at the enticing sight.
Regina gasped, and lowered herself fully, careful not to put too much of her weight down as she leaned forward toward the headboard where her hands firmly gripped the wood. A low moan started deep in her chest as Ruby explored and teased, and Regina bucked and rolled her hips at the riot of sensations.
Long arms wrapped around her thighs to make maneuvering easier and to help support Regina more.
A hand dropped from the headboard to weave through dark brown locks as Ruby suckled softly at Regina's clit, the petite woman jerking roughly at the sensation.
Regina felt delirious with want as her arousal mounted higher and higher, feeling she would erupt violently at any moment.
Ruby felt the change in the motions, and pulled her mouth away to slide her tongue as deep into Regina as her mouth would allow, one of her arms reaching around so her fingertips could lightly brush against the sensitive nub.
She groaned as she felt Regina's walls clenching around her tongue, her eyes glued to the figure above her. A guttural sound escaped the woman on top, accompanied by a surge of moisture at Ruby's mouth . She energetically thrust her tongue until she felt Regina slow. She carefully licked and sucked at sensitive flesh, not wanting to miss any more of the dripping arousal than that which had already slid down the skin of her chin and neck.
Regina panted and slowly pulled away so she could collapse in a boneless heap next to Ruby. "It's been a very long time since I've done anything like that," she breathed as she felt the muscles in her thighs, legs, and abdomen quivering slightly with the strain of the maintained position while she was so tense.
"You've done that before?" the surprise in Ruby's voice was evident.
"Not quite," Regina chuckled, and her gaze was smoky as she took in the mess on Ruby's face. She brought a mussed sheet over to wipe carefully at the wetness. She'd have to wash the bedding anyway by the time they were done, and didn't mind in the least.
She scooted closer to Ruby, half on top of the younger woman as she leaned down to nibble at the flawless skin of her jaw and neck. Her nostrils flared as she inhaled her scent mingling with Ruby's. "I do like that," she purred. Her eyes flicked up. "It's a good thing we didn't go on our run today. You'll need your stamina, Miss Lucas."
Ruby grasped desperately at the blankets as Regina's mouth made a slow descent down her torso. Her last coherent thought for the next several hours was that she would gladly sacrifice their daily runs for more days like these.
They stumbled downstairs eventually later that evening when hunger persisted, and Regina agreed that pizza seemed like a grand idea. Ruby had pulled on her tank and flannel pajama bottoms again, though Regina had only bothered to pull on a long, loose t-shirt that barely went to mid-thigh and a fresh pair of panties.
Ruby was distracted by that fact the entire time Regina was on the phone ordering their food. She stepped up behind the shorter woman, wrapping her arms tenderly around the gentle curve of Regina's belly and burying her nose into the side of her neck and inhaling deeply.
She could hear the sudden smile in Regina's voice as she concluded the call. Regina turned in her loose embrace, the smile now clearly visible. Soft hands trailed up the black straps of Ruby's tank top to caress tenderly at the creamy shoulders. Their heads ducked together as they enjoyed a full-body hug.
"Regina, should we talk about this?" Ruby questioned worriedly with her nose pressed lightly against Regina's.
"Do we have to?" came the worried response as Regina pulled her head away to look into blue eyes.
"Well, I would like to know what you want here." She waited silently for Regina's response.
"Would it be too much to ask if I just wanted to enjoy the time before you have to go back?" Regina tilted her head, a small pained smile on her face.
"I can go along with that, if that's what you really want." Ruby visibly hesitated, "As long as you agree to talk with me about it before I leave. I really...you're an amazing woman Regina."
She didn't want to say too much and make the older woman more uncomfortable, but at the same time she didn't want to Regina to think that she was only interested in her for sex.
Regina debated internally. It wouldn't be fair to Ruby if she said no, and Regina couldn't deny that they had a special bond. With the crazy attraction they had for each other in the mix, they had the basis for something much more than a temporary fling. She just wasn't sure she was ready to try for something more. A week would give her time, but she wanted to be honest with Ruby.
"We can speak about it before you go, but you need to understand now that I might still not want to consider pursuing a relationship then either." Her words were solemn and resolute. Ruby's shoulders slumped, and Regina brought her arms up to cup the beautiful face in both hands.
"Ruby, if that happens it's not going to be because of you. It will be because I'm just too terrified of trying again. I've been horribly hurt and nearly destroyed, the thought of trying again is so incredibly daunting. Please understand."
The younger woman sighed, a bittersweet smile on her face. "I do understand that. You shared so much with me last night. I won't lie, I hope at the end of the week that you decide you want more. I won't pressure you though, I promise. We'll just enjoy every day. No matter what happens, I don't want to lose you entirely. If you decide we can only be friends, I'll respect that."
Ruby stopped herself from saying more, already afraid that Regina was overwhelmed.
Regina pulled their heads together, their noses brushing. "Thank you. Ruby, I do care about you so much. I don't want to hurt you, I'm just not very good at love."
She leaned up to slide their lips together in a tender kiss, her thumbs brushing over high cheekbones.
"I think you're better at it than you realize," Ruby murmured before leaning in for another kiss. They were lost in each other for some time, their kisses slow and explorative. They only stopped when the doorbell interrupted them.
They looked at each other in confusion for a moment, before Regina's face cleared. "The pizza, let me just get my purse."
She was halted by a hand on her arm. "Regina," Ruby was clearly trying to withhold laughter, "If you answer the door like that, you're going to give the driver a heart attack."
Regina flushed lightly when she looked down and realized Ruby was right.
Ruby flashed her a wolfish grin and stalked off to find her own wallet. She returned with the pizza a few minutes later, grin still in place. It widened just a little when she saw Regina perched on a stool, legs crossed primly and facing toward the kitchen entrance.
She walked straight toward the seated woman, stopping when her pajama clad legs brushed bare ones. Carefully, she reached out to set the pizza down on the left side of the counter . Her eyes were glued to the sultry look Regina was giving her.
A bare foot nudged against the cotton of her pant leg, and a moment later Regina uncrossed her legs and reached her hands out to settle on Ruby's hips. She gently tugged her forward, spreading her thighs so Ruby could step closer. She bit her bottom lip when Ruby's pale hands settled just above her knees and started to slide up under the hem of the shirt she was wearing.
She purred in appreciation when Ruby's hands settled low on her back, half covering the curve of her ass. She leaned forward to nibble at Ruby's smirk, only to gasp when she was pulled forward to the edge of the stool by strong hands.
"Are you hungry?" Ruby's voice was a low and raspy growl.
Regina's chest heaved at their close proximity. Her erect nipples barely brushed against the body before her, and she knew Ruby's words had just increased the dampness between her legs.
"Not for food," she admitted before wrapping her legs around Ruby to tug her intimately in against her womanhood.
Ruby groaned at the heat that seemed to burn low at the juncture of Regina's thighs. The sensation of longing seared her as she pushed her hips in tighter still as arousal blazed wantonly between them.
Her hands massaged at firm globes and she leaned down to hungrily suck and nibble at Regina's jawline and trail down a soft neck.
Regina's back arched, her breasts pushing fully into Ruby's torso as the standing woman's white teeth grazed over the sensitive skin where Regina's neck and shoulder met.
Ruby slid her right hand up to offer more support, and she panted a little. Sliding her hand up the silky skin of the feminine dip of a woman's lower back was still one of the most sensual feelings she'd ever experienced, and the usual euphoria she felt was multiplied a hundredfold as she realized this feminine curve belonged to Regina.
"I could spend hours just worshiping your skin," she whispered against Regina's neck.
"Ruby," Regina moaned in response, completely lost in a haze of lust. She moved her hands up to tangle in loose mahogany waves. She urgently tugged to bring Ruby's lips back up to her own.
She pulled and pulled until she was leaning back against the counter, disregarding the discomfort of the counter edge digging into her lower back. Her hands moved to shift under Ruby's tank top, and had it pulled off a moment later with the taller woman's assistance.
Lightly tanned hands instantly moved to cup and caress at the small, but sensitive bits of flesh. She pinched lightly at a nipple, smirking and biting playfully when Ruby groaned at the sensation.
A growl sounded again in Ruby's throat, and a moment later Regina was grasping at strong shoulders in surprise as she was hefted to settle on the counter. Her panties were insistently pulled down and left dangling around one ankle as Ruby insistently pushed into her.
"Ruby!" was the only coherent word she got out as the woman in question started to thrust deliberately slow and deep, rotating her wrist with every push and pull.
She hooked her ankles behind Ruby's lower back, trying to pull her ever closer and deeper. Ruby smiled against her neck and sucked at the spot on Regina's shoulder that drove the woman mad every time.
Regina's mouth opened wide in a soundless scream, her whole body arched as she clenched around persistent fingers that only stopped when her muscles eased around them some moments later. As Ruby cautiously pulled out, an overwhelming need to connect hit her.
She panted and pulled Ruby's head up to bring their mouths together again, their tender exchange soothing and igniting a new fire all at once.
"Ruby," she whispered breathily between a set of kisses. There was a deep ache in her every time the younger woman pulled away for much needed breath, and Regina was scared that she might know exactly what it was.
Their foreheads rested together, and when Ruby pulled back, the tenderness in the steel-blue eyes made the pain in her chest loosen. There was never anything to fear with this woman, and she silently accepted that fact as their lips met again.
"I feel like I could kiss you forever," she admitted as they parted again for breath.
Her eyes were closed, but she could feel Ruby's soft lips quirk up into a smile. "I certainly wouldn't mind."
"I might," Mary Margaret claimed loudly from behind them, disbelief and shock straining her voice.
Ruby stiffened and turned, keeping her body protectively in front of Regina, uncaring about her own bare torso.
"Mary!" Regina was clearly as surprised as anyone else in the room.
"With my step-mom Ruby, really? My step-mom?!" Mary Margaret shouted furiously.
Regina's head ducked down into Ruby's back at the combination of the hated title and sheer embarrassment.
Ruby stood proudly, not ashamed in the least. "She hasn't been your step-mom for years, and I don't think she likes it when you call her that. I would think you would know better by now."
"Really, that's what you want to talk about when I come home hungover and find you half naked in the kitchen with the only woman I've ever thought of as my mother?" Mary Margaret hadn't calmed down at all. "I knew you could charm nearly anyone out of their panties, but have you no shame?"
Regina stiffened at the words, and a jolt of insecurity hit her. Ruby felt her tension and cursed internally. "If you respect Regina at all, would you please step out for a few moments so we can get decent?"
Mary Margaret opened her mouth as if to argue, and then snapped her teeth together. They heard the sounds of her stomping up the stairs a moment later.
Ruby immediately turned to face Regina, a desperate look on her face. "Regina, I already told you I'm not a slut. I don't go around seducing women. I care about you so much." Her voice cracked when she said related the last fact.
The older woman had her arms pulled protectively around herself. Her head shook. "I-I don't know Ruby. I don't think I can talk about this right now." Her voice trembled, and Ruby could see her hands shaking.
The young woman took a deep breath, and then another. She stepped forward to hug Regina, not caring that Regina was stiff. She brushed a kiss to her forehead. "You're actually only the third person I've ever been with. The flirting thing is an act...I've just never corrected M&M when she thought I'd been 'with' someone." Regina relaxed into the familiar embrace, eased by the honest words.
"Tell me what you want me to do Regina, and I'll do it," Ruby earnestly whispered into her ear.
Part of Regina just wanted to stay where she was forever; the comfort she felt in Ruby's long arms was tangible and settled into the deepest parts of her that needed it. She sighed and pulled back after a few heartbeats. Her eyes searched the earnest gaze in front of her and she nodded to herself.
"Ruby, I care about you too, but right now I think it's best if you go stay at the Bed and Breakfast." When a sheen of moisture glistened on the gray-blue eyes, she was quick to add more. "I'm not rejecting you. I need time to figure out...this, and handle Mary Margaret."
She reached a warm hand up to cup at Ruby's pale cheek when the first tear dropped. "I'll be running on our usual path in the morning, I hope to see you there."
Ruby nodded vigorously, too afraid to speak around the lump in her throat.
"Don't look so sad," Regina's voice wavered, more than a little affected by Ruby's shattered expression.
Ruby nodded again and ducked her head, trying to get ahold of herself.
Regina broke and pulled Ruby's head up to brush kisses all over her face. "This isn't goodbye."
As Ruby gathered her things and walked out of the house, she kept repeating Regina's words in her head over and over again. She needed to believe them.