Pulling up into the shadow of the mansion, Emma turns to the brunette with a frown when she remains sat in the sticky discomfort of the bug; the day unseasonably warm and the air-con broken.
"Aren't you getting out?"
"Aren't you coming in?"
Regina counters simply, waiting for the younger woman to switch off the ignition.
"I can... Won't Sydney-"
"-Never mind about Sydney, the man's a mess. Besides, I suppose I better run the fact that he'll be in charge of Henry by him, so-"
"-Hey, woah, wait! I thought I told you the kid was going to stay with Mary Margaret while we were away?"
"My dear, you tell me all sorts of things to which I pay little attention."
"Regina! That wasn't the deal! I thought we agreed? I made it clear that you weren't coming with me unless Henry stays with my-... My mom."
Rolling her eyes at the blonde's flustered griping, the Mayor turns in her seat to study her loftily.
"And just how do you suppose you would stop me from coming along, Sheriff?"
"I-... Well, I guess I can't physically stop you, but it's still pretty shitty of you to go back on your word like that..."
"I never once gave you my word. You told me that it was settled, and I failed to rectify you on the matter in front of Gold."
"Ugh, Regina!"
"Ugh, Emma!"
"... Seriously? You're going with mimicry?"
"Well, you make it so easy, dear."
Chuckling as the blonde lets out a low groan of frustration, Regina narrows her eyes when pale fingers flick at her thigh.
"Why don't we just ask Henry what he'd rather?"
Emma suggests silkily.
"Because we both know what his answer will be."
"Exactly! See, it is settled!"
Rolling her eyes as the Sheriff kills the engine and exits the car, the brunette slips free from her side, regarding the blonde irritably over the yellow roof of the bug.
"This isn't over, Miss Swan."
She warns.
"Really? Sure feels like it's over. We've stopped talking about it, and I'm walking away."
The Sheriff shrugs, turning heel and stalking off. Sighing as she glares moodily at golden curls catching the winter sunlight, Regina slams the door of the car and follows the blonde up the front steps. Pushing fussily past Emma to slide her key into the lock, her anger dissipates ever so slightly when a hand slips momentarily to rest at her waist; the gesture unmistakably amiable and reminiscent of the warm affection in which the blonde so often pretends to be lacking.
"Your Majesty... Miss Swan."
Sydney greets them uncertainly, and Regina frowns; not liking the drop in temperature evident in his tone as he regards the Sheriff.
And not altogether keen on the fact that I should feel so ridiculously protective of the woman. I doubt she even noticed.
"Sydney."
She replies as she ushers them into the living room, watching as the blonde veers off towards the sofa where Henry sits reading and flops down next to him. Turning to the reporter, she explains the basics of their current situation; informing him that she and the Sheriff are going to be heading out of town for a few days and that, while her son is to spend the respective time with the schoolteacher, she is relying on him to keep an eye on things.
"You're leaving Henry with her?... Regina-"
"-Your Majesty, Mr Glass... And yes. Apparently so."
Frowning in confusion as the brunette mutters these last words with an irritable glance towards the young woman sprawled out inappropriately on his Mayor's immaculate furniture, Sydney keeps his thoughts to himself. The Swan woman's current display of slobbish behaviour irks him terribly given the calibre of the company she's fortunate enough to be keeping, but he knows better than to raise an issue that Regina herself seems willing to let slide.
"Your Majesty."
He bows his head obediently.
"That will be all for now, Sydney."
Shooing the reporter from the room and out into the hallway, Regina waits as he shuffles back into his spotless work shoes. She can make out the low murmur of the blonde as she chats to Henry, and from the occasional inquisitive quip voiced in return, she imagines Emma is explaining their imminent absence. She is once more struck by the curious notion that despite her irritation at the blonde's insistence on leaving Henry in her mother's care, she's okay with Emma taking it upon herself to talk to Henry. Bidding Sydney a curt farewell, she makes her way back into the living room and stands in the doorway; listening in on the Sheriff's conversation with the boy thoughtfully.
"Were you planning on helping at all?"
The brunette demands irritably, casting a bemused scowl over her shoulder at the Sheriff who lies lazily on the plush covers of her bed. The venom in her tone earns her little fear, however. In fact, on the contrary, the blonde proceeds to grin cattily as she twists a strand of hair repeatedly around her index finger.
"You really want me going through your stuff, Madame Mayor?"
Emma asks in a falsely innocent tone.
"You don't have to go through it, but you could at least move out of the way so that I can lay things out."
Regina replies moodily. Casting her gaze coolly down to the vast expanse of mattress available at her side, Emma raises a brow with a smirk as she watches the brunette continue to fuss with the garments spilling out of her dresser. She decides to keep the fact that, in doing so, Regina sways her linen-clad behind in a most pleasing manner to herself.
"Regina, we're going away for a couple of days. Just chuck some extra underwear in your bag and be done with it."
The blonde sighs when she bores of the silence. Rising slowly to study the blonde in the mirror resting atop heavy mahogany, the Mayor rolls her eyes and admonishes the reflected Sheriff disdainfully.
"I have a slightly more refined sense of self-worth than you do, dear."
She scoffs, before, struck by the memory of Emma's recent admission about how she used to see herself while lying in much the same position as she lies now, she frowns, deciding to follow up her comment with some simple teasing in order to take the sting out of her words.
"I'm not what you would call a 'dirty girl', Sheriff."
She admits wryly, and Emma chuckles appreciatively with her tongue caught between her teeth as she watches the darker woman go back to work.
Well, as she watches the darker woman's ass as she goes back to work.
"Would that imply that you think I am, Madame Mayor?"
She asks silkily.
Rolling her eyes irritably - not a woman to take kindly to being repeatedly distracted from the task at hand - the brunette turns to face the younger woman once again, caught out by the husky quality of the Sheriff's query. Dark eyes flashing as she finds impish green, she recognises the twin spots of colour pinpricking high cheekbones and the mischievous pull to the blonde's lips easily and stalks towards the bed with the pretence of using its surface to lay out the sweater held in her hand.
"There's very little thinking to it, Miss Swan."
She smirks.
"Oh?"
Emma raises a brow, and the brunette's breath catches in her throat as she watches the younger woman pull her bottom lip between her teeth while running her hand down the flat plane of her stomach until her fingers rest suggestively over rough denim.
"What are you doing, dear?"
She demands.
Airy. Arrogant. Bored.
"Hmm, I guess I'm initiating a little pants-off dance-off..."
The blonde shrugs, and the Mayor loses her battle with nonchalance as husky laughter rolls prettily off her tongue and she shakes her head with a sigh.
"Oh, Miss Swan... Your sexual advances continue to be so subtle and romantic."
"If you wanted romance, you settled for the wrong person."
Emma warns, turning her attention back to the fingers working the button of her jeans before raising her gaze to meet the Queen's as warm hands cover her own.
"Oh, I think I'll stick with what I have..."
Regina smiles. Climbing easily up onto the bed and straddling sharp hips, she nips at the blonde's smirk bossily, pushing the younger woman hard against the headboard; soft pillows framing golden tresses like a halo.
"And don't call it settling. That's not what it is."
She scolds, before her lips leave the Sheriff's to begin a hot trail down her throat; Emma reciprocating by slipping her hand down to the clasp of linen dress pants and fiddling them skilfully open.
"Fine, you picked the wrong person to fall madly, head over heels in lust with-"
"-Love with!"
"... No lust?"
The blonde's playful teasing is replaced by a low gasp as perfect teeth nip her collarbone in reprimand. Turning her head to the side to allow better access as the Mayor continues her ministrations ever lower, she dips her fingers inside wet silk; the angle a little difficult to work with, but the hitch to the brunette's breathing is enough to have her continuing her exploration eagerly.
"We need to hurry up, dear. You still need to go home and p-ah-pack..."
Regina hisses.
"It'll only take me five minutes."
"Mm. How cocky of you..."
Laughing at the darker woman's insinuation, Emma rolls them swiftly; baring down on the brunette with an evil smirk as she continues working her fingers inside quickly dampening lingerie.
"To pack, Madame Mayor. This won't take nearly as long."
Opening her mouth to offer a disdainful quip in return, Regina lets out a choked cry as skilled fingers pick up a cruel pace and her vision becomes obstructed by a mess of cornsilk as the Sheriff trails her tongue down her throat. Squirming in an attempt to both increase the pleasure offered by the blonde and escape so that she might at least remove her clothes, the Mayor eventually gives up in order to respond wantonly as the younger woman's free hand finds her hair and pushes it back as she claims scarlet lips dominantly.
Slipping the fingers of her left hand into pale tresses to keep the Sheriff in position, Regina lets the right slide beneath flimsy cotton to find taut muscle before trailing up to find the pleasant weight of globed flesh encased in cheap lace. Growling in response, the blonde increases the force being played out between quivering legs; using her palm to brush against the sweet spot where the Mayor needs it most.
Chuckling as the brunette's kiss becomes tellingly clumsy and laced with soft moans, Emma slows the delicious torture of her fingers, allowing tense thighs to relax and panted breathing to become slightly more regular.
"Told you."
She grins.
"Oh, hush."
Regina snaps.
"Mm, you're welcome, and all that."
Rolling off of the brunette, Emma climbs down from the bed and does her jeans back up, smirking at the disappointed frown she receives in response.
"You were right, we need to get a move on if we want to sort things out with Mary Margaret. You'll just have to admire my lady parts later."
She shrugs. Rolling her eyes with a low breath of laughter, Regina sighs, fussing her hair back into subordination.
"Miss Swan, if you imagine we'll performing a repeat act of recent activities in that woman's house, you're-"
"-Of course not!"
"But then-"
"-Last I checked I had a car in which the seats can be put down."
"You want to do this in your car?!"
"Why not? You said it yourself... I'm a dirty girl."