Keeping to my promise of more regular updates, here's the latest! When I started with this chapter, I intended for it to be fluff galore, but somehow I ended up with smut...Still not sure I'm entirely happy with how it ended up, but my muse is giving me no inspiration for making any changes!

Regina woke early the next morning, but didn't move. She was content to lay exactly where she was, now the little spoon to Emma's big spoon where they must have moved in the night. The feel of the younger girl's skin against her own was deliciously comforting. There was nothing unnatural about it, she smiled to herself as she remained safely cocooned in the blonde's arms.

She could hear Mary-Margaret bustling around downstairs, presumably getting ready to head out to school. School, the same place she should probably be getting ready for. The place her mother would no doubt find her... Not wanting to deal with such thoughts, she pulled Emma's arms tighter around her, finding peace as the younger girl unconsciously nuzzled the back of her neck. Closing her eyes, she continued to listen to the sounds from downstairs, already deciding she wasn't going anywhere that day. Her mother would no doubt notice her absence from the house soon, and she wasn't about to provide her with an easy means of finding her by going to school.

She was roused from her thoughts by a soft knock at the door. "Emma? Regina?"

Nudging the blonde awake, Regina pulled the covers up high. "Mary-Margaret's at the door."

"M&M?" questioned Emma's sleepy voice. "Come in," she called, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

The pixie haired woman nervously entered the room, purposely keeping her eyes high, letting her gaze wander no lower than the girls' faces. "Morning. Emma, I already called the school, they know you're not coming in. Regina...I didn't want to speak for you, but if you'd like I can call now? I know you had a pretty rough night last night, and whatever I can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you, Miss Blanchard," smiled the brunette. "And thank you for letting my stay. It really means a lot."

"I just think it's sad that your mother refuses to see how happy you two are together," she sighed. "Anyway, last night's supper is in the fridge if you want it, otherwise, feel free to help yourself to whatever you can find. I'll see you guys later. And if I see your mother, I'll tell her I haven't seen you," she added with a smile before slipping from the room.

As soon as her foster mother had left the room, Emma let herself fall back onto the bed, tugging Regina down with her. "How are you this morning?"

"Better," replied Regina, easily fitting her body against the blonde's. "Thank you for last night. For understanding."

Emma offered her a sleepy smile. "You don't have to thank me, Ri. I'm just glad you came to me."

"I just wish she'd understand," sighed the brunette. "That she'd see that there's nothing unnatural about it. That you make me happy. Isn't that what a mother is supposed to want for their child?"

"Give her time," Emma tried to reason, even although she thought that no amount of time would chance Cora's mind. "Let her calm down."

Regina simply snorted at the notion that her mother would be calming down any time soon. Any time at all, really. "Still, I suppose the up side of it all is I get to stay with you for a while."

"Definitely an up side," grinned Emma. She leaned her head up to press a sound kiss to the brunette's lips, moaning when it was quickly deepened as the older girl moved to straddle her hips. Regina, for having been somewhat of a late bloomer sexually, had gone from shy and nervous to being unbearably teasing and sexy. Emma had been privileged to see the transformation and development, enjoying each and every moment. She didn't think it would ever stop taking her breath away when she looked up to see Regina over her like this. Their tongues continued to duel as hands explored, but keeping to somewhat safe territory, Emma enjoying the brunette's lightly muscled shoulders and smooth back.

Hearing the front door slam closed, however, Regina smirked evilly as her hand instantly found Emma's wet heat, two fingers sliding easily inside. It had been the noise she had been waiting for, so she could enjoy the loud moan that always fell from the blonde's lips as Regina's fingers first slipped inside her. Feeling Emma shudder beneath her, she easily braced her hand with her hips, as she knew Emma liked, her thrusts slow and deep. Leaning up, her teeth tugging lightly at the blonde's lower lip as she did so, she watched Emma throw her head back, her hands finding purchase on Regina's hips.

"Fuck," panted the blonde, as Regina's thrusts became quicker. How the older girl had gone from sexual student to absolute master in such a short time amazed her, but she did love reaping the benefits of it. She could already feel her walls beginning to tighten around talented fingers as she was pushed to the edge. Forcing her eyes open, she moaned at the sight of Regina biting her lower lip as she continued to thrust into her. Her breathing was irregular, coming in short gasps, as she was taken to the edge. When Regina's thumb found her clit, it was the final push she needed, coming around the brunette's fingers with a strangled shout of her name.

Her hands firmly on Regina's hips, she took a few moments to try and catch her breath, before roughly pushing the brunette onto the bed, settling on top of her. She could already tell from the way Regina had been with her what the girl needed. This morning wasn't about being gentle and loving. That's what the holding of last night had been. Now, she was looking to feel. She wanted to be taken, to be possessed until she was unable to think. Looking down into pleading brunette's eyes, she paused on leaning down to kiss her. There was a look on Regina's face she rarely seen.

"Please."

"Regina..."

"Emma, please," repeated the brunette. Holding the blonde's emerald gaze, she spoke. "Use it, and fuck me."

Emma knew exactly what Regina was referring to; her purple strap on. It was something the brunette had been curious about, blushing admitting to thinking about it, early in their relationship. After a conversation that had left them both blushing, Regina had admitted that she thought she might like it, shyly asking Emma whether she had tried it. In the spirit of being truthful, Emma had admitted in return that she had slept with both guys and girls, but found she had a definite taste for the latter. She did say, however, that she would be far from adverse from the idea of trying out the idea with the brunette. Hence the reason, though not entirely sure why at the time, seeing as their love life hardly needed any spicing up, Emma had discretely ordered one. She had finally plucked up the courage to show it to the brunette some weeks later. Intrigued as to what it would feel like, Regina had immediately wanted to try it. Alone in the house that night, Emma had agreed. That was the night Emma realised just how much her girlfriend loved it when she picked her up and threw her around. It had been both thrilling and unexpected to discover the different side to her lover. Moving to acquiesce with Regina's wishes, Emma moved off of the bed to retrieve the item and quickly put it on. Turning back to the brunette, she found her kneeling on the edge of the bed. "Are you sure?" As much as Emma knew they both had a proclivity for rather rough sex at times, she wanted to make sure that it was what Regina wanted, especially today, after all she had been through the night before.

In answer, Regina reached out and grabbed the blonde by harness around her hips, the tip of the purple appendage brushing against her bare entrance. "Fuck me."

It was all the permission Emma needed. Moving quickly, she hoisted the brunette up, toned legs wrapping automatically around her hips. As the brunette wrapped her around the blonde's neck, Emma was able to remove one hand from her hips to position the strap on against Regina's opening. With both hands back in place Emma walked them both back towards the wall, watching as Regina's lips curled in a smirk. Leaning in to kiss the brunette, Emma swallowed the moans that left her mouth as she pressed Regina to the wall, surging her hips forward to enter her fully. She started slow, her strokes deep.

"Harder," hissed Regina.

Smirking, as the arms around her neck tightened in anticipation, Emma answered the wishes of her princess, driving into her hard and fast. Had Mary-Margaret been home she would be in no doubt as to what was happening between the pair. Between their moans and the rhythmic sound of their hips coming together against the wall it was impossible not to be. Feeling the brunette claw at her back, Emma knew she was close, ignoring her protesting muscles as she kept up her pace, slowing only when Regina came with a growl, gripping her shoulders tightly. Holding her tightly, Emma backed them up from the wall, keeping the strap on buried deep in her lover. She lowered herself onto the bed, leaning up on her elbows, Regina shakily settling above her, a smile on her face. Seeing Regina regain her composure a little, Emma experimentally began to thrust her hips ever so slightly. Brown eyes widened as they met her own, a matching devious smirk on Regina's face.

Their morning had finally ended with Emma practically carrying the brunette to the shower, where the gentler side of their dynamic re-emerged as they cleaned and massaged tired muscles. Dressing, but neglecting to dry their hair, the pair then took up residence on the sofa downstairs, nibbling at the cold supper plates Mary-Margaret had left in the fridge the night before.

"She'll come looking for me, you know," said Regina.

Emma shrugged. "She'll have to go through me first. I mean it, Regina," she added when the brunette raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "She can be the big powerful Mayor all she wants, but she's not taking you away from me, not when I know what she thinks about all of this." She shuffled along the couch, tugging the brunette into her arms. "I know I'm not ideal in a lot of ways, but I care, Regina."

Smiling, the brunette snuggled further into Emma's arms; her place of choice over the past couple of days. "You're ideal to me," she said quietly. No one else had ever been everything she had ever needed. Only Emma had that power. She understood her, and all the little, and quite probably annoying things that made her who she was. More than that, she loved her regardless.

"High praise indeed," smiled Emma as they tried to settle back into the movie.