For a long time, the brunette refrains from making a sound; simply toying with messy curls as she brushes her lips against the Sheriff's. The blonde's skin tastes of salt and iron, and it occurs to the Mayor that other than a quick change of clothes, Emma remains in much the same state as when she'd fled the mansion during the early hours of the morning.
In much the same state as when Gold had held her captive.
She frowns, pulling back to study her companion with troubled eyes, before leaning forward and placing an uncharacteristically gentle kiss on the younger woman's brow. She sighs as Emma hugs her waist tightly and speaks into tangled tresses.
"I was so worried about you..."
Her words are met with silence and she swiftly reprimands herself for speaking them aloud. She is all too aware of the fact that neither of them knows exactly what to say, and she's terrified of breaking the fragile sweetness that exists between them at this moment. As if sensing her tension, the blonde plays her fingers over expensive silk, nipping at the exposed flesh of the brunette's throat gently, causing the darker woman to let out a small moan.
Regina complies gratefully when the Sheriff tightens her grip and flips them so that she lies on her back beneath a curtain of curls; Emma's eyes dark as her hair casts her face into shadow.
The blonde works the buttons to the Mayor's shirt slowly, her gaze cast down to the task at hand. Regina watches her silently, drinking in lustful eyes, quick fingers, and dirty cheeks. Faint tear tracks remain visible - cutting a line from the younger woman's cheekbones to her jaw - and she runs a hand over rough denim gently until the Sheriff leans forward to taste exposed skin.
Arching her back, she uses her body rather than her words to convey what she needs, and she's swiftly obeyed when her bra gets pushed upwards to be replaced by warm lips. She plays her hands over the soft cotton of the blonde's hoody affectionately as her breathing becomes audible, relishing the strength that emanates from the lean muscle beneath her fingertips as she muses on the way Emma's go-to response when things get stressful is to adopt this hungrier, darker persona.
Purely sexual.
She finds she's at peace with this now; having come to realise that the younger woman's lustful approach to what she herself would have wished was a more intimate moment is no reflection on her, but simply one on the Sheriff's coping mechanisms. She is momentarily reminded of the way Emma had taken her in the jail cell upon recovering from the effects of the tainted apple pie but is able to push aside the resultant wave of unhappiness experienced up until now.
Emma knows.
Emma knows everything.
And, she may not be happy about it, may not be happy at all, but she's here. She stayed.
Regina sniffs lightly as she realises that, just as the younger woman had doubted if she was worth being found, she herself has never quite believed she was worth staying for.
I'm worth it. It's just that nobody else saw that.
But isn't that sort of the same thing?
The Sheriff stills as she senses a change in the Mayor's demeanour, pausing in the wet trail she creates down the valley between the brunette's breasts hesitantly. Letting out a low sigh, she turns her head to the side, resting her cheek against bare flesh and closing her eyes as slender arms envelop her firmly. She strokes a finger over the delicate ripple of the darker woman's ribs, adopting a small smile as her affection is met with a telling shiver. Burying her face into velvety skin, she places a hard, decidedly wet kiss just above the Mayor's heart; the gesture purposefully exaggerated and audible.
And just like that, as they both descend into laughter, each woman comes to the beautiful realisation that it might just be possible for things to be okay between them.
Glancing down at Emma as the younger woman remains face down between her breasts, Regina rolls her eyes and prods her shoulder, smiling when the Sheriff looks up at her, before adopting a tone of distaste and plucking at soft cotton.
"Is this even a woman's sweatshirt?"
"I don't know."
Emma shrugs, pushing herself up and pulling it off over her head, and the Mayor's hands find her bare stomach instinctively.
"Want to check the label?"
She challenges, and Regina shakes her head; dark coals following the course of the faded material as the Sheriff tosses it across the room. Raising a brow, the brunette studies the younger woman with a smirk as the latter looks down at her curiously.
"How does it work?"
Emma asks, and the Mayor's brow creeps a little higher as she notes the younger woman's uncharacteristically shy tone.
"How does what work?"
"Magic."
The blonde's voice is low, and she keeps her face carefully free from any expression save for mild interest. Regina swallows, not sure how best to approach such a delicate matter.
"Well... What would you like to know, dear?"
"Can you-... Will you show me?"
Studying Emma levelly as the younger woman continues to captivate her with curious green eyes, she nods, holding her hand up deliberately between them. She allows a mild tremor of force to flow through her fingers; exuding a delicate purple haze and a subtle heat. Keeping her eyes trained on Emma, she moves her glowing hand so that it hovers just shy of the blonde's bare stomach. With her blood thrumming loudly in her ears, she sees rather than hears the small noise of apprehension that comes from the woman above her, but the Sheriff doesn't flinch, and so she slowly closes the distance and presses her fingers against pale flesh.
Emma's eyes widen at this new contact, but of all the many emotions she currently feels, fear isn't one of them, and while she detests such Freudian navel-gazing - I'm just me, just Emma, who gives a flying shit? - she can't help but acknowledge the significance of this. On cue, Regina speaks up, the unusual heat coming from her hand oddly pleasant.
"This won't hurt."
She assures the blonde quietly.
"I know."
The Sheriff's voice is little more than a whisper as she remains transfixed on the hand warming her stomach, and Regina nods as though in agreement. Removing her fingers, the flesh below the younger woman's navel glows a warm red as though sunburnt. Glancing up at the blonde quickly, she wets her bottom lip before returning her attention to her hand held out between them.
The flick of her wrist is slower - less finessed - than she's capable of, but she's reluctant to make any sudden movements for fear of scaring her companion. She imagines Emma's trust will keep her in place, but she has no wish to give the younger woman any cause for alarm, whether she responds visibly or not.
"Oh!"
Regina bites back a smile at this surprised yelp, as her unseen ministrations command the button of the blonde's jeans to come swiftly undone. She slows her hand even further and watches, along with the Sheriff, as the zipper to Emma's Levi's drags slowly downward to reveal grey cotton.
"Fuck..."
The blonde mutters, capturing the Queen's gaze with stunned green eyes, her face pale but her breathing noticeably heavier. The brunette smirks, quelling the power that thrums from her fingers and reaching around with both hands to cup pert denim, threading her thumbs through the blonde's belt loops and tugging at the coarse material gently.
"Is that a request?"
She teases dangerously, and Emma snaps out of her bewildered daze abruptly; eyes flickering feverishly over the Mayor's delicate features before letting out a nervous laugh. She pushes herself up a little shakily, standing precariously over the darker woman as she balances on the soft mattress and shimmies out of her jeans; careful not to stumble and fall on top of the brunette.
Regina watches on in amusement, reaching up to catch the blonde's hip to keep her steady, before the Sheriff lowers herself back down. Emma raises her own hand up between them and flicks her wrist, adopting a grin when the darker woman raises a bemused brow.
"I was just checking."
She confides lightly, before shrugging and attacking the catch to the Mayor's pants manually. Regina shakes her head in mock despair, unclasping the blonde's bra as the latter tugs at the crisp linen that conceals her prize.
"Come on, help me out. I'm stuck doing this the normal way."
Emma urges, and the brunette lifts her hips obligingly, allowing herself a small, secretive smile as she watches the Sheriff take the time to fold the expensive fabric carefully and lean over to place it beside the bed.
Taking advantage of the blonde's position, Regina snakes her hand beneath her thigh; flipping the younger woman onto her back and pinning her down while her teeth graze pale flesh deliberately. She catches a momentary glimpse of smeared scarlet beneath Sheriff's breast and her attention flickers uneasily to the white lines that encircle slim wrists like curious bracelets. She is given little time to dwell on such things, however, as a devious hand slips between them and slides sweetly inside the lace of her underwear to cup her heat.
She reciprocates gladly, pulling aside scant cotton while nipping at the sharp line of the blonde's jaw as Emma deepens her ministrations and hisses encouragingly next to her ear. As she climbs higher and closer to the edge of pleasure, she throws all caution to the wind and allows curious heat to thrum through her busy fingers once again; moving swiftly to swallow the Sheriff's cry of surprise as the younger woman comes immediately undone beneath her.
Laughing huskily, Regina digs her nails into pale flesh as the blonde flips them clumsily; Emma's legs still trembling tellingly as she clambers breathlessly on top, her pupils blown as she watches the Mayor squeeze her own eyes shut and bite her lip as she goes over the edge.
"Fuck..."
Collapsing down onto the darker woman with a light chuckle at the winded gasp this earns her, the blonde lies with her head rested in the hollow of the Queen's shoulder as they each struggle to regulate their breathing. Closing her eyes and resting a hand on the soft flesh of the Mayor's stomach she sighs quietly
"I love you."
Regina smiles, her own eyes closed in exhaustion as she brings her arms gently around to encircle the Sheriff; wishing they could remain lying this way, but knowing that Emma needs sleep - bathing wouldn't go amiss, either - and not quite hopeful enough to believe the blonde the sort for slumbering in another's arms. Speaking into tangled curls, she runs a finger gently down the length of the younger woman's spine, causing the Sheriff to twitch.
"And I you, which is why I hope you won't take it to heart when I insist you spend a good amount of time under the shower, before getting straight back into bed... You must be exhausted!"
"Oh look, it seems I've acquired a moth-...er."
"It seems you have."
The silence is more awkward than it is tense and Regina brushes the comment off swiftly.
"You need sleep, Emma. I need sleep. As I'm sure Henry does too, but perhaps it's for the best that we sort a few things out between us while he's in your mo-... Mary Margaret's care."
"Sort things out between us how?"
The blonde tenses immediately in the Mayor's arms, and Regina sighs as she supposes that no matter what has transpired between the two of them, the subject of Henry will be one that may cause yet more discomfort. Deciding to go with what is ironically a less dangerous course for discussion, she plays with a stray curl of long hair absentmindedly as she mutters sleepily.
"Well, for one, how we plan on dealing with that despicable little imp..."