Emma opened the door to the pawn shop, striding inside with Regina and calling out, "Gold! Get out here, we need to talk!"
The older man stepped from the back room, raising his eyebrow. "Polite as always, sheriff," he greeted. Looking at the other woman, he nodded. "Regina."
"Rumple," Regina offered, giving her own curt nod. "We have an issue with someone coming here from the past."
"Maybe," Emma glanced at Regina. "Her past is a little bit different than yours."
"Two Reginas?" Gold asked, his eyebrows raising. "Well hopefully the town's magical defenses are in place."
Giving Emma a glare, Regina muttered, "I didn't say my past." She then looked at Gold and sighed. "This version of me, or whatever she may be, has a different horse than I did. And she's young, I haven't had exact confirmation, but I believe she's seventeen. She doesn't have magic, at least not that she can use."
"So we need to know how to send her back, or if the universe will implode if she stays," Emma summarized.
"'If she stays'?" Gold repeated, his eyes glinting speculatively.
"Yes. If it's possible, I'd like to keep her here." Regina tapped her fingertips on the counter pointedly and raised her eyebrows. "Will you be able to help us?"
"Perhaps," Gold nodded, picking up a dust rag and polishing off a teacup. "For a price."
Emma rolled her eyes, muttering, "Of course."
"Well, what is the price? Can't make an unfair deal without knowledge of both sides' requests," she said dryly.
"The price is simple," Gold stated casually, putting the rag aside and setting the cup down, chip facing outward. "Dinner with Belle."
"Oh my god," Emma muttered. "Okay, you realize it's been five years, right? She's moved on. From what I hear, she and Ruby are quite happy together. Also, speaking of Belle," here she looked at Regina, "why are we talking to Gold when most of the time we end up going to Belle for answers, anyway?"
With a side glance to Emma, Regina waved her hand towards Gold. "Because while the bookworm can look things up, I'd rather go to someone with the knowledge built in. I'd prefer to know sooner rather than later if she can stay." She gave Emma a look as though she wanted to convey her reason why without letting him in on it.
"Ah, right," Emma nodded, thinking of how Henry and Ree could barely take their eyes off each other the night before at dinner.
"So we have a deal?" Gold asked, pleased.
"We can't make a deal on someone else's behalf," Emma protested.
"What exactly are you wanting out of the dinner, anyway? I'm sure I could tie her to the chair, but if I recall correctly, you weren't fond of me the last time I held her prisoner," Regina answered.
Shooting her a glare, Gold replied, "I simply wish to have dinner with my wife."
"Ex-wife," Emma corrected.
"Do we have a deal?" he asked again, his smile more of a baring of teeth as his patience wore thin.
"Fine," Regina growled, wondering how she would make it possible. She hoped the woman's soft spot for Henry would urge her to agree.
"Excellent," Gold said happily, relaxing.
Emma shook her head slightly, looking at Regina from the corner of her eye.
"Now," Gold waved one hand with flourish, red smoke enveloping it as a book appeared in his hand. "I believe this has the answers you seek."
Huffing out an annoyed breath, Regina grabbed the book and slammed it on the counter. "If I wanted to look through a damn book, I would have gone to Belle in the first place!"
"The deal was dinner with Belle, in exchange for answers to your questions," Gold reminded. "Your answers are in this book. If you don't want to accept it…"
"No," Emma cut in, grabbing the book and Regina's arm before she did something stupid, like reach across the counter and try to strangle the Dark One. "Deal's on, we'll just take this and be going."
Regina jerked her arm out of Emma's grasp and curled her fingers into a tight fist mere inches from Gold's face. "You're lucky I've changed," she muttered, pinning him with a glare and turning to leave the shop.
"I'll expect Belle to be ready to be picked up at six," he called after them, smiling to himself and polishing the teacup again.
"Yeah, sure," Emma called over her shoulder, slamming the door behind her and eyeing Regina cautiously. "Okay, spitfire, what the hell?"
"You know he wouldn't have changed his price," she reasoned, sighing resignedly. "I'll do anything I can to make Henry happy, so we'll just have to get Belle to agree." Regina ran one hand through her hair and looked at the shop door. "You would think after so many years he would have changed already!"
Emma shrugged slightly. "You have to want to change. He still thinks he can stack the deck in his favor. C'mon, lets head to the library - talk to Belle and take a look at this thing," she indicated the book.
Regina nodded her agreement and got into the car, waiting for Emma to get in. She knew it would take persuasion, and she wasn't entirely against dragging Henry from his day with Ree to have him turn his puppy eyes on Belle if it came down to it.
When they got to the library, Belle was at the circulation desk, checking in books that had been dropped off throughout the day, and she looked up, smiling cheerfully. "Hello, Emma, Regina. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Emma shuffled awkwardly and gave Regina a look that clearly said this was her territory.
"We sort of made a deal with Gold on your behalf," Regina started, wincing at her own words. "But I can guarantee it was for a good cause."
Belle's eyes narrowed slightly, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "You made a deal with Rumple. On my behalf. What sort of deal?"
Taking the book from Emma, she set it on the counter and pushed it toward the other brunette. "We needed the answers held in this book, and dinner with you was the price."
Her mind racing, Belle asked, "Dinner with me, or dinner with just me?"
Emma suddenly grinned, nudging Regina and noting, "She's good."
Regina allowed a surprised smile. "No, he didn't say just you. Good, now he can be the one toyed with since he didn't give us exactly what we wanted."
"All right, now that that's sorted…" Belle turned the book around to face her, humming. "What answers are you looking for, exactly?" she asked as she flipped through it, scanning pages to get the gist of the information within. "This looks to be mostly about barriers between realms."
Leaning against the counter, Emma nodded. "Pretty much. Yesterday, a teenage Regina appeared. We assumed it was, y'know, Regina. From the past. Like time travel. But we found a difference between them. Ree - baby Regina, since Regina gets pissy when I call her that - had a female horse named Majesty, and Regina had a male horse named… something Spanish-sounding. So we're thinking that Ree is from a different universe, and we want to know if she can stay without screwing things up."
"We obviously know it won't mess up things here, I just don't want to set off some issue in another universe," Regina added. "So if it's at all possible, we need to know."
"Hm…" Belle continued flipping through the book, pausing occasionally to read certain parts more closely. "My instinct says that of course it will change things, just like if she'd gone through a portal to another realm in her own universe," she murmured, half to herself. "But is there some kind of balance that it will upset…? I'll have to study this some more and see what I can find." Looking up, she tilted her head at the two women. "Can I ask why you want her to stay?"
"We don't want to send her back to a life that's going to hurt her, and she and Henry are crushing pretty hard on each other," Emma answered.
Belle blinked. "Oh."
Regina nodded. "And while I don't necessarily like it, Henry wants her here, and I want him to be happy."
Giving her a pretty smile, Belle softly replied, "That's very nice of you, Regina. Give me a few hours to study this, and I should have a better idea. Perhaps you can put together a large family dinner to invite Rumple to?"
Smirking, Emma nodded. "We can do that… us, my parents, you guys… oh yeah."
"He wants you ready at six," Regina informed her with a nod. "We really appreciate this, Belle."
"Don't worry about it. We're friends and family," Belle replied, waving them off.
"We'll text with the dinner details," Emma told her, before heading back out to the car.
Regina and Emma had agreed to give Henry and Ree the news the next day after they both finished work. When she got home, Emma hadn't arrived yet, so she headed to the basement, stepping slightly heavier than normal to allow for any pulling apart that might need to happen. Much to her pleasure, she found Ree and Henry sitting beside each other on the couch, each holding a wii remote in their hands and concentrating hard on the screen in front of them, so she paused on the steps and watched them for a moment.
"Henry! I'm telling you, no dragon looks like that!" Ree exclaimed, laughing happily at the game.
"How do you know?" Henry challenged, laughing. "Have you seen a dragon?" The thought occurred to him that she actually might have, and his eyes widened. "Have you seen a dragon?" he fairly squeaked.
"Of course I have! They occasionally plague the different kingdoms until a warrior is brave enough to fight and try to kill it," she answered easily, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"That's so cool," Henry breathed, turning to press a quick kiss to her lips. As he pulled away, he noticed Regina standing on the stairs, and blushed. "Uh, hi, Mom," he greeted sheepishly.
Regina moved deeper into the room and smiled. "Hello, you two. Did you have a good day?" she asked. "I see Mario Kart was attempted."
"Yes," Ree answered, giving a smile of her own. "And I'm terrible at it."
"You've improved," Henry pointed out. "Last game, you made a full lap!"
"Out of three!" she countered, laughing easily.
"Henry's been beating me at that game since he was five, I wouldn't be too worried about how good you are, he'll still win," Regina said, remembering the day she'd brought the system home. She moved to sit on an armchair near the couch. "Emma and I have to discuss something with you two before dinner, as soon as she gets here."
"Is everything okay?" Henry asked, finally pausing the game, since neither of them were paying it much attention now.
Nodding, Regina offered him a weak smile. "We got some answers yesterday, but let's wait until Emma is here."
On cue, they heard the front door open and the heavy, shuffling steps of the blonde. "Where are you guys?" Emma called.
"Basement!" Henry hollered back, and Emma made her way down, flopping down on the couch with the teens.
"Sometimes I hate my job," she groaned, rubbing her face.
"What now?" Regina groaned. She was utterly amazed at how many inane things the people in town could manage.
Ree shifted slightly, so she could look at both women more comfortably, and the change left her back settled against Henry's shoulder and arm, making her blush in the presence of his mothers.
"Some of the younger former Lost Boys decided to relive their glory days," Emma sighed. "I spent all day chasing after delinquents with spray paint cans and baseball bats."
Henry wrapped his arm comfortably around Ree. "The Savior can't handle a few teenagers?" he teased.
Emma shot him a look, grousing, "I'm so not in the mood for lip, kid."
"Is there much damage?" Regina asked automatically. She hardly wanted to deal with fixing more property.
"Couple windows," Emma answered. "Mostly spray painted insults and 'gang tags'. I wrote a report," she added proudly. "That's why I was late."
"Look at you, only took six years as Sheriff to get you to do your job right," Regina teased.
"Not all of us had three decades of unchanging monotony to perfect our career," Emma shot back.
Henry's brow furrowed slightly, and he glanced at Ree. "Uh, Ma?"
Looking at the teens, Emma added, "Oh yeah. Did you tell them, Regina?"
Shaking her head, Regina told her she hadn't yet. "I was waiting for you."
"Do I have to go back?" Ree asked softly, hoping she wouldn't. But things in her past had proven that she didn't get her way often.
Straightening from her slouched position, Emma met Henry and Ree's gazes. "Well, we talked to Belle last night. As far as she can tell from the book we got from Gold, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to stay here."
"Really?" Henry asked excitedly, lighting up at the news.
"We cannot guarantee it, Henry, so don't get your hopes up too high," Regina answered. "There's still a possibility that however Ree got here will take her back, but as long as that doesn't happen, yes, Ree, you can stay."
Ree nearly squealed with delight upon hearing Regina's answer. "That's wonderful! Just the possibility that it can work out... thank you!"
Letting out a happy, disbelieving laugh, Henry wrapped both arms around Ree and hugged her tightly. "Do you know… Is there… I dunno, a limit? On when she can be taken back?" he asked, looking between his mothers. "Like, could she be here for years and then one day she's not?"
"The magic can only linger a week. Give it until Monday, though, and if we find she's still here come Monday night, I think it'll be safe to say it's permanent," Regina answered.
Biting his lip, Henry looked at Ree, his eyes warm and affectionate. "You get to stay," he whispered. "And after next Monday, you get to stay forever."
Emma's eyebrows rose slightly, watching the teens curiously, surprised that she wasn't disturbed by them, despite Ree's resemblance to Regina.
Ree gave Henry a wide, affectionate smile. "And I won't have to marry James. You and I could be together."
"I'm sorry- James?" Regina's interest was piqued.
Henry glanced at his mother. "Oh yeah… we forgot to tell you about that, didn't we?"
"About what, kid?" Emma asked, leaning forward.
"We found another difference. Ree is supposed to marry Prince James when he turns eighteen."
Furrowing her brow, Regina let out a soft sigh. "Well, hopefully we won't have to worry about that."
"I know I already expressed my appreciation, but it is worth noting again," Ree said, looking between both women as she found Henry's hand with her own.
"It is," Henry agreed, nodding. "Thanks, Moms. You're the best."
"We just want you to be happy, kid," Emma replied, shrugging. "And, you know, if the universe has to be rearranged to do so, well…"
"Does this mean I can move back into my room?"
Regina caught Emma's eyes quickly, rolling her lips together. "Until we figure something else out, I suppose that's fine. But Henry, I do hope I won't need to remind you of the rules."
Blushing as he thought about some of the experimenting he and Ree had done that didn't actually break the rules, but definitely bent them at odd angles. "I know, Mom," he mumbled.
"And that's my cue to run before I get roped into giving someone The Talk," Emma declared, standing. "See ya, kid, Ree. I'm right down the street if you need me."
"I'll walk you up, traitor," Regina mumbled, figuring the two teens would want an unsupervised moment of happiness at the news.
When both adults were gone, Ree turned so she was facing Henry completely, one leg brought up and bent, knee pressing to the back of the couch. "I get to stay!" she murmured cheerfully.
"You do," Henry agreed giddily. "I'm so glad. I hope the magic doesn't take you back. I don't want you to marry James."
"I suppose he's handsome enough," she teased, squeezing his hands in her own.
Henry made a face. "He's my great-uncle!" he complained, pulling on Ree's hands so she fell against him.
Laughing, she buried her face against him and kissed his neck. "I don't want to be with anyone who isn't you." It took her a moment to realize what she'd said and she tilted her face to look up at him. "I mean... not that I expect... anything."
Smiling a little shyly, Henry shrugged his shoulders and admitted, "I don't wanna be with anyone else, either."
"Good." Ree moved one hand to the back of his neck and, pulling him down to her, pressed a soft, sweet kiss to his lips.
Henry sighed happily, kissing her back gently, before pulling back and resting his forehead against hers. "I think this is the best day of my life."
Nodding, she brushed her nose lightly against his and smiled. "Me too," Ree paused, moving both her hands to his waist. "I want to celebrate without your mothers nearby. I want to kiss you without worry of being interrupted."
"We can go to the park after dinner," Henry suggested. "Or go for a drive. Whatever you want."
"Either one. Both sound lovely." She grinned then, intent on making him blush. "Or we could go for a ride on Royal. I know how much you enjoyed that."
As intended, Henry flushed bright red, mumbling that she was trouble.
"I believe you've told me that before." Ree grinned at him, eyes bright and playful. "I do want to go riding again soon, though. Your mom got me some of my own riding clothes to wear, too."
"More jeans?" Henry asked hopefully.
She shook her head. "Do you know what jodhpurs are?"
"Are they tight?" It was his only real concern.
"Oh yes," Ree answered teasingly. "They are made of cotton back home, but here your mother told me they're mostly made of something called spandex."
Henry let out a sighing groan, biting his lip and muttering, "I'm going to have to bring extra pants when we go riding."
"I think you should not bite your lip so much."
Tilting his head curiously, Henry asked, "Why?"
"If you keep biting it every time I say something you like, it won't be as soft when it's my turn," she answered, twisting her lips in a mischievous smirk.
"Jesus," Henry sighed, letting his head fall back against the couch. "You are so much trouble."
Ree moved to settle her body against his, cuddling under his arm as she lifted it and pillowing her cheek against his shoulder. "It seems as though you like trouble, Henry."
Henry grinned, shrugging the shoulder she wasn't resting on and kissing the top of her head. "It runs in my family. But you know what I like more than trouble? You."
"Such flattery." She tilted her head up, kissing the corner of his jaw. "What do you think your mother will do about where I live, should this work out that I can stay?"
"I'm not sure," Henry answered honestly. "She'd probably want you to stay here, but she's pretty obviously uncomfortable with us sleeping under the same roof."
Humming, Ree nodded against him. "To be fair, she may have reason to be."
"Well… yeah," Henry agreed. "But really, if we're going to, y'know, do stuff, it's not like it has to be at night. Obviously."
"Perhaps she just doesn't like the thought of us doing anything when she's just down the hall. I imagine she just doesn't want to think of her son doing such things, and the option of us being just rooms away from her and sneaking to be with each other just scares her."
Henry nodded, agreeing, "That could be it. Sometimes she seems pretty adverse to me growing up."
Sighing sadly, Ree moved in closer to him, bending her knees and bringing them up. "My mother would have had me wed at sixteen if she could have found an heir to the throne so readily."
Frowning, Henry tightened his hold on Ree, holding her protectively. "I'm not gonna let you go back," he declared. "I don't care if the magic tries to take you back. It's not getting you. You're staying here, where you can do what you want and be with who you want."
"Not that I don't appreciate it, because I truly do," she started, her curiosity getting the best of her. "Your mothers didn't seem too pleased with the thought of me staying, initially. Why do you think they want to make sure I get to, now?"
Flushing a little, Henry looked at the ceiling, licking his lips. "They know you make me happy," he answered softly. "And they want me to be happy."
"They're very good to you," she said, her tone matching his.
"Yeah, they are," he agreed, smiling. "They're the best. I just wish they could both find someone to make them happy."
"Why have they not? They're both beautiful, strong women, I can't imagine why they would have a hard time."
Henry shrugged. "Dunno. Ma had a boyfriend for a while, but then she broke up with him because he was an asshole, and he left town. Mom had a boyfriend, too, but… stuff got complicated, and they're not together anymore."
"It's a shame everyone can't find someone who makes them happy," Ree sighed. Any further words she was considering saying were interrupted by Regina's call from the door to the main floor, telling them to come up for dinner. Standing, Ree held her hand out to take his.
Taking Ree's hand, Henry stood as well, pecking her lips before they went upstairs and had to behave.
She returned the kiss, giving him one of her own as well and following Henry as he led her up the stairs.
After dinner was finished, Henry let Regina know that he was going to take Ree out for a drive, and after getting a stern look and a direction to drive, not park, they left the house.
As Ree rounded the car, she looked at him quizzically. "Why aren't you allowed to park?" she asked innocently.
"It's slang," Henry explained, grinning. "It means to like, have sex in the back seat."
She looked at the back seat when they were both in the car and frowned. "It's awfully small back there. Do people really do that?"
"Yep," Henry nodded. "I was conceived in the back seat of Emma's car," he told her. "And hers is smaller than mine."
Eyes widening, Ree gave out an awkward chuckle. "Does your mother think I'm so easy?"
Henry shook his head quickly. "No, of course not! She knows what you're like, she was you." Pausing, he considered that, thinking aloud, "I wonder if that means she would've… ew, no, not going there."
"It's easy to forget that she was once me. I know I don't know her very well, but she seems very strong where I am weak," Ree muttered, twisting her fingers together and pulling at them.
"Hey," Henry said softly, reaching for her hands, both to calm her, and to stop the movement that reminded him of his mother. "You're not weak, not at all. You just don't know your strength because it hasn't been tested. My mom's been through a lot. After Monday, I'll tell you about it, if you want."
Taking his hand between both of hers, Ree nodded in agreement. "I would like that." She looked of the window for a long moment, then turned back and smiled at him. "This is kind of relaxing. Just riding around."
"It really is," Henry agreed. "It's been one of my favorite things to do, since I got my license. And go up to the overlook."
"Oh? That sounds like something that involves parking, Henry," she teased, watching his face with a light smile.
Sighing in mock-exasperation, then grinning, Henry glanced over at her. "It involves bringing the car to a stop and putting it in park, yes."
Ree laughed brightly at him, squeezing his hand. "Well, I certainly won't be complaining, I'm sure."
"Okay then." Henry nodded, turning the car down a sidestreet to make his way to the bluff that overlooked the town.
"But if we get caught, you have to take the blame. We mustn't have your mother hating me." She smirked playfully, her eyes shining.
Chuckling, Henry nodded, replying, "That's fair. After all, I'm the city boy seducing the medieval girl, of course I'm to blame."
Nodding, Ree said, "Yes. I have been entirely innocent this entire time."
Snorting, Henry rolled his eyes. "Innocent. Riiiiiight."
She softened her smirk into something more tender and caressed the back of his hand with her fingertips. "I know I haven't known you long, but I do really like you, Henry. It scares me a little."
"Don't be scared." Henry pulled up to the bluff and stopped the car, then turned to look at Ree. "I like you, too. More than I thought I would, or could. More than I've liked anyone else before."
"Have you liked many girls before?" Ree asked curiously, wanting to know everything there was to know about him. Pulling off her seatbelt, she twisted to face him, giving him her full attention.
Henry shook his head, taking off his seatbelt as well. "Not many. A couple. But they don't compare to you."
Blushing, she persisted. "What were they like?"
"I dunno," Henry shrugged. "They were… girls. Pretty, nice, but not really anything special."
"What makes me so special in comparison?" Ree tilted her head in wait, her insecurities pushing themselves to the front of her mind.
"I don't know," Henry answered honestly. "You're just… you're… I don't know. I just feel this thing inside me that wants to do everything I can to make you happy."
Leaning over, she rested her head on his shoulder, hiding her face (and smile) from his view. "Okay."
Henry slid his seat back and pulled her closer, lifting her over the center console into his lap. "Will you let me make you happy, Ree?" he whispered into her hair.
She nodded and nuzzled her face against his. "I'd like that," Ree answered, just as softly as he'd spoken.
"I know that… we've only know each other a couple days," Henry said slowly, "but I think maybe I love you."
"I think I may love you, as well. I don't like to imagine my life with anyone but you. Nobody else has ever made me so happy."
"I'm glad I make you happy." Henry smiled, holding her tighter and dipping his head to catch her lips with his own.
Bending her arms at the elbows, she cupped his face and returned his kiss, moving her lips softly against his.
Henry ran his hands up and down her back as they kissed, enjoying the simplicity of the moment.
Ree pulled back slowly, her eyes moving between his and she nipped his bottom lip teasingly. When she leaned back in, she slid her tongue slowly along his upper lip.
"Mmm…" Henry smiled, flicking his tongue out against hers.
Sliding her tongue along his, she tilted her head to give them a better angle. Ree sighed softly into his mouth, trying to shift to press their bodies closer together, but the back of his seat made it awkward.
Henry let one hand fall from Ree's back, reaching blindly for the seat lever, and when he found it, they suddenly tumbled backward. "Oops," he laughed. "That was faster than I was expecting."
Ree chuckled softly, running her nose along his. "You're very cute, Henry," she murmured, kissing his cheek.
Blushing, Henry cleared his throat in an attempt to regain his composure. "Guys aren't supposed to be cute," he replied. "We're… dashing, or handsome, or… I dunno. But not cute."
Shaking her head, she brought her hands to his shirt, unbuttoning the top few buttons. "And while you are dashing and handsome, I do not care what you are or are not supposed to be. I think you're cute."
"You're lucky I think you're amazing, or I might be offended," Henry murmured with a grin, cupping her shoulders and tracing the neckline of her dress around to where the zipper was in back.
"How is it that only moments of kissing you makes my body tingle already?" Ree whispered, one hand pressed to his chest, the other curling around the back of his neck.
"Probably the same way that only moments of kissing you makes me hard already," Henry whispered back, playing with the zipper.
Blushing, as she did so often around him, she kissed him softly, then smirked. "I... like feeling you like that, against me."
"I wish I could feel it when you're aroused." Henry drew the zipper down slowly to where it ended at her tailbone. "Will you let me? Can I feel how wet you are, Ree?"
"Oh," Ree breathed. "Yes. A-as long as it won't... you know..."
"It won't." Leaving one hand splayed over her lower back, Henry brought the other to her leg, sliding up under her dress. Hesitating when his fingertips brushed the cotton on her hip, he asked, "Are you sure?"
Even if she hadn't been before, Henry's fingers being so close to where she was so sensitive would have had her agreeing anyway, so she nodded. "Yes, completely certain."
Slowly, Henry traced the line of elastic down, feeling the heat between her thighs before his fingers pressed against her through the cotton, the fabric sliding and soaking through at his touch. "Oh god," he whispered.
"Good?" she asked, breathless at his touch. Ree was aware that if her mother knew what she was doing, she would be severely punished. She also knew, however, that there was a great possibility she would never see her mother again, so she allowed herself to enjoy his hand against her.
"So good," he groaned, moving his fingers against her and focusing on what he could feel through the cotton. After a moment, he found her clit, and rubbed a circle over it, watching her face as he did.
Ree scrunched her face, letting out a low moan, thick and needy. Forcing herself to open her eyes, she looked down at him, pure pleasure filling her body.
Bringing his other hand to her cheek, Henry stroked over her lips with his thumb. "You're so beautiful." After another brief hesitation, he slipped his hand under her panties, sliding his fingers through her wet folds and circling her clit again. "Does that feel good?"
"Yes," she whimpered, her hips jerking automatically into his touch. "It feels amazing." Ree brought one hand up, holding his wrist and squeezing affectionately.
"You're so wet," Henry sighed, tracing over her, long strokes over her sex, always returning to rub her clit lightly.
Hesitating for a moment, she leaned forward and bit his lip, sucking it into her mouth, then dragging her teeth along the flesh before releasing it. "I… I want to touch you, too. I want you to feel as good as I do."
Moaning, Henry kissed her, his hand on her back pulling her closer and inadvertently rocking her against his hand. "After," he whispered. "I want to focus on you."
"Okay," Ree whispered, moving her hips slowly into his touch. "It's so wonderful, Henry… you're so wonderful."
"That's it," Henry encouraged, stroking her back as he focused his touch on her clit. "Move against me."
Listening to his encouragement, she moved her hips faster. Ree returned her hands to his shirt, undoing the rest of the buttons and tugging the fabric apart, exposing his torso to her. She curved her back, leaning down and pressing a soft, open mouthed kiss against his sternum.
Moaning quietly, Henry increased the speed of his touches, wanting and needing to feel her come against his hand.
"I don't think it's going to take me very long." Ree didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but she felt that warm, tight sensation in her belly that she felt when they were in the basement together the last time.
"That's okay," Henry nodded, looking down at her. "I want to feel it. I want to feel you let go."
She moved harder and faster, finding purchase with her palms against his chest. "Can you go a little faster? I'm… I feel close."
Rolling his lips together, Henry did as she asked, moving his fingers faster over her clit and watching her with hungry eyes.
Ree felt her body tensing and her knees squeezed tighter around him. "Henry, oh, oh," she choked out, that light, blinding feeling filling her stomach.
"That's it," Henry murmured, watching her in awe as he felt her clit pulsing against his fingertips.
She tumbled over the edge with a cry, body dropping forward, and she rested her head against Henry's shoulder. Sucking in several heavy breaths, Ree turned her head and pressed her face into his neck, kissing him.
Stilling his fingers, Henry stroked her back soothingly. "That was so hot," he breathed. "You're so beautiful, and you're even more beautiful when you come."
Ree buried her face harder against his neck, breathing him in and feeling slightly embarrassed. "You compliment me too much," she whispered. "I don't know how to respond."
"I don't compliment you enough," he countered, turning his head to kiss her temple. Gently, his drew his hand from between her thighs, inspecting his wet fingers briefly before licking them clean.
Her eyes widened at his actions and she pulled back to look at him. "What… what are you doing?"
Henry grinned, answering easily, "Tasting you. And you're delicious."
"But… why?"
"Because it's hot. Tasting your arousal. Tasting how wet I can make you? That's so sexy." Henry traced her lips with a fingertip. "Remember I said we could kiss each other between our legs? Now that I know how good you taste, I can't wait to do that."
"That seems… strange," she answered, finally shrugging and kissing his finger. "Can I touch you now?" Her words were quiet, hesitant even, but she wanted to, badly wanted to make him come as she had.
Nodding quickly, Henry breathlessly replied, "Yes, please." He felt like he was going to burst through his pants at any second, so turned on from touching and tasting her.
Ree shifted her body back so she was straddling his lower thighs, then tugged at the button on his jeans. Once it released, her hands shakily pulled at his zipper. There was no reason for her to be nervous, not really, not with Henry, but she was. Looking down at him, she smiled awkwardly. "We need to move your pants lower," she muttered.
Henry bit his lip and lifted his hips, pushing down his jeans and boxers so his erection sprang free.
She settled herself back down on his legs and took him in her hand with wide eyes. Slowly, Ree began moving her hand up and down his length, not certain how much pressure to give, so she held him loosely as she stroked.
His hips twitching up into her touch, Henry groaned, saying, "That feels good… can you… tighten your grip?"
Ree complied, squeezing her hand harder around him. Returning to stroking him, she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, then released it and asked, "Does that feel all right? Is there something else I can do better?"
"There's a… a bottle, in the glovebox," Henry pointed. "It's, um, hand lotion. Otherwise it'll start to hurt soon," he told her, looking down at her hands on him and groaning, his cock twitching.
She turned her body, reaching over for the glovebox and opening it to shuffle through the contents in search of the bottle. Finding it, Ree returned to sit comfortably on his legs. She popped the cap and poured a generous amount into her palm. Ree then returned her hand to him, stroking slowly as she watched his face. "Is that better?"
Henry groaned loudly, his eyes squeezing shut. "Oh fuck yes, so good… Ree…" Biting his lip, he tried to hold his hips still, wanting to let her explore and touch him however she wanted.
"I want you to move as you would like to," Ree murmured, looking at his eyes for only a moment before she returned to watch her own hand work at him. "Please?"
Moaning Henry nodded, opening his eyes again to watch her. "Only, only if you touch me… however you want," he managed, his hips jerking up into her touch. "I want you to do whatever you want."
"I just want to bring you pleasure. I... I'm not sure how else to," Ree answered, feeling naive.
"Ex-explore," Henry directed, breathing deeply. "Touch different places, watch how I react."
Nodding, she licked her lips and moved her hand over the top of his erection, rubbing her thumb over the tip. Ree brought her free hand to him, sliding her fingertips down the underside of his cock before she moved that hand to cup his balls.
Groaning loudly, Henry jerked into her touch, a look of bliss crossing his features.
Encouraged, she moved her hand up, squeezing the entire head of his penis in her fist, the lotion making a squishing sound as she moved her hand on him.
"Fuck!" Henry exclaimed, instinctively thrusting his hips up, wanting more tight warmth around him.
Ree bit her tongue as she watched him, suddenly understanding why he liked watching her face so much while he touched her. Moving her hand faster on him, she concentrated on the top, since he seemed to like it so much.
"Yes, Ree, fuck…" Henry's head was spinning at the sensations, and nothing he'd ever done to himself had ever felt this good.
She felt the lotion absorbing into their skin, and her hand wasn't sliding as well as it had been, so Ree paused to dump some more on her hand. Returning her hand to him, Ree squeezed him and let her fingers move over and over the rim of the head, up and down, and she closed her other hand around his balls again, squeezing them gently.
Whimpering happily, Henry looked up at Ree with hazy eyes, wanting to tell her how amazing it was, but unable to form the words.
"Will you be able to... come like this?" she asked softly, able to tell he was enjoying himself, but not sure if it was enough.
Henry nodded, but fumbled for her hand, wrapping her fingers around him and directing her in a quick rhythm over the head and top of the shaft.
Ree continued the motion and pace he showed her, stroking him and breathing heavily as she switched her gaze back and forth from his face to where she was touching him.
Panting, Henry managed to warn her, "Gonna… come."
"Please do," she whispered, wanting to see that wonderful feeling overcome him.
Henry searched reflexively for something to contain the mess, but the sensations overwhelmed him before he could grab anything, and his hips jerked wildly as he came in her hand.
Ree squealed as warm, thick, wetness filled her hand and she widened her eyes. Keeping him in her hand, she waited until he finished moving, not wanting to stop her work prematurely.
Shuddering violently, Henry reached out to still her hand, managing to get out, "Too… too much."
"Oh! I'm sorry," she answered. Blushing, Ree let go of him and looked at the mess in her hand, and the small drops spattering the wrist on her other hand where it had spilled over between her fingers. She looked down at him, then slowly brought her cleaner hand to her mouth, hesitantly licking the warm liquid, then scrunching her nose reflexively.
Henry blushed, looking away slightly and murmuring, "There's napkins in the glovebox." He knew, of course, that guys didn't taste as good as girls, but he could've done without the visual confirmation.
Ree twisted and opened the glove box once more, pulling out several napkins. She wiped her hands clean while Henry cleaned himself off, then stuffed the wet napkins inside of a dry one and put it into a cup holder. Leaning down, Ree rested her body against his once more, tilting her chin up and kissing his jaw. "I hope I was okay?" she muttered, looking up at his face.
"You were amazing," Henry whispered, wrapping his arms around her. "I've never felt anything like that before."
"I liked it," Ree said softly. "I liked bringing you pleasure."
"I like bringing you pleasure, too," Henry replied, stroking his fingers up and down her bare back. "What I feel with you… I don't understand what it is, but I don't ever want to stop feeling it."
"I feel the same way, Henry. It feels wonderful," she agreed, leaning up and looking at him. "Can I ask you about something? About what we've done together?"
Smiling, Henry brushed her hair back from her face. "Of course. You can ask me anything."
Feeling her face heat, she concentrated on looking down at his neck instead of into his eyes. "Can we... rub against each other, without our clothes, without my body being changed?"
Henry groaned loudly, not having expected that. "Yes," he rasped out, then cleared his throat. "Yes, we can. Your body will only be changed if I go inside you. Anything else is safe."
"I would like to try that sometime," Ree whispered, smiling shyly and laying back down against him. "I want to experience everything I possibly can with you."
Tangling his hands in her hair, Henry drew her into a slightly frenzied kiss.
Ree kissed him back eagerly, curling one hand around the back of his neck, the other holding the crook of his elbow. She was in no hurry to move from him, so despite her preference for the couch in comparison to the car, she remained against him, relaxing her weight on top of him.
"I like your ideas," Henry whispered into her mouth, grinning. He trailed his hands up to her shoulders, slowly pulling her dress down.
Pulling her arms back once the dress was far enough off her shoulders, she let him pull it from her and leaned back down to kiss him.
David noticed Henry's car on his late night patrol, so he parked the police cruiser behind Henry's car and got out, hoping the steamy windows were just proof of heated kisses. Walking along the driver's side, David sighed heavily and tapped the end of his flashlight against the window, unable to see inside.
Ree broke the kiss, looking at the window, then back at Henry. "What do we do? Who is that?"
"Shit," Henry hissed. "It's probably Emma. Just… just play it cool." He wrapped an arm around Ree to hold her against him, keeping her chest out of view, and hit the button to lower the window with his other hand, smiling sheepishly and preempting, "Ma, sorry, we just… Grandpa?"
Looking into the car and noticing the state of undress between the teens, David grimaced. The smell of sex hit him as he bent to look in and he pulled back quickly. "Uh..." he started, shifting awkwardly. "Two minutes and I want you out of this car, Henry."
Ree buried her face into Henry's neck, trying to hide from his grandfather. It was mortifying, having an older man see her so disheveled and partially undressed.
Henry nodded quickly, agreeing, "Okay," and putting the window back up. "I'm so sorry, Ree," he whispered. "I thought it'd be my ma, and she would've been… less… that."
"It isn't your fault," she answered, sitting up and pulled her dress back on. Moving back to the passenger seat, Ree turned her back toward him and asked him to zip her dress up. "Do you think he'll tell your mother?"
"I'm not sure." Henry zipped up her dress, then pulled his pants and boxers back up. "He might. But… we weren't breaking the rules, so…" There was another tap on the window and he grimaced. "Stay here, I'll talk to him." With a deep breath, he opened the door, stepping out to face the music.
Ree nodded as she watched him get out, sitting back against the seat and hoping it went okay.
David stood with his arms crossed as he waited for Henry to shut the car door. When he did, he grabbed the teen's arm and pulled him away from the car to stand by the cruiser. "What are you doing, Henry? That's... She's... What were you thinking?"
"Geez, Grandpa, chill!" Henry shrugged off his arm. "We were just… we were… We weren't having sex, okay? Mom said we couldn't, not until we know for sure she's not going to get pulled back to her world."
"Whatever you were or weren't doing, you realize that I thought she was your mother until I remembered Ree is here!" David said awkwardly, waving his hand at the car. "It's a little weird, kid."
"Well that's your problem, not mine!"
"How is it not your problem that you're with a girl who looks just like your mom?"
"Because she's not my mom." Henry crossed his arms over his chest, sighing. "Look, I get that they look the same. And yeah, it's kinda weird sometimes. But Ree is so different. She's… she's amazing. And I just wanna be with her all the time and make her happy. And, yeah, make out with her."
Sighing resignedly, David nodded. "And you swear you're not having sex? Because it smelled like sex."
"We didn't have sex, I swear. Just… other stuff." Henry shrugged a little sheepishly.
"Keep it that way," David answered, nodding reluctantly. "And no more parking."
"First, where else are we supposed to get time alone without the possibility of Mom walking in on us, and second, at this point, I kinda think she and I are just waiting until we know for sure she can stay. All bets are off after that."
"Behave," he answered, shrugging and shaking his head. "Your mom works plenty, take care of your... urges then." David looked toward Henry's car and shook his head. "I've noticed that if things are meant to happen, they will, despite circumstances and the like. You can't hurt her. If she was meant to be the same way your mother was, you are going to cause trouble. So you can't hurt her."
Henry frowned deeply. "I would never hurt her. She means too much to me."
"Okay. But seriously... we send kids home from here all the time. You're more creative than that. I don't want to catch you again, got it?" David softened a little. It was weird, definitely weird, but Henry did look happy.
Henry nodded. "Okay. I'll keep that in mind. And, um… you don't have to tell Mom about this… right?" he asked hopefully.
"Normally I would think she needs to know, but she doesn't need any added stress right now, so no, I won't tell her," David allowed. "But if I find you again, I won't make the same promise."
"Okay. That's fair. Thanks, Grandpa. Uh, can we go now?"
Nodding, David clapped Henry on the shoulder. "Yeah, you can go now." Then, moving around to the driver's side of the cruiser, he got in and drove away.
Sighing in relief, Henry got back in his car, leaning his head back against the headrest as his heart rate calmed.
Ree turned to him once he returned, reaching one hand to touch his arm. "Is everything okay? Was he angry?"
"No, not angry," Henry rolled his head to look at her and smiled tiredly. "He's weirded out by us, though. And he's worried I'll hurt you. But he won't tell Mom about this, and told us to find somewhere else to go."
"Oh, well I suppose that's all right," she answered softly. "And while I very much enjoyed myself, I must agree with him; the car is not my favorite place for such activities."
"It is a little cramped," Henry agreed, grinning. "Should we head back home?"
"We probably should," she sighed. "Usually I love my time to sleep, but I find I dislike how long it takes you away from me."
Biting his lip to keep in a chuckle, Henry squeezed her hand and instructed, "Put on your seatbelt, adorable princess."
"Okay, my cute prince," she shot back, tugging the belt across her body. "I'm going to have to take another shower."
"Ditto," Henry latched his belt as well and started up the car. "Grandpa won't need to tell Mom, pretty sure she'll figure it out just by the tandem bathing," he said wryly.
Ree blushed at the thought reminding her of her confusion when she thought Emma had meant for her to take a shower with Henry on her first afternoon with them. "The shower is lovely," she said, trying to keep her imagination from running wild. It was a strange feeling, wanting him so badly. She had never felt any need for such behavior before, but now that they had touched each other and pleasured each other, she found her thoughts often moved to being with Henry again.
"I read on the internet that a detachable shower head is really awesome for girls," Henry said, glancing at her. "If you hold it in a certain place." He very deliberately didn't think about the fact that the only shower in the house with a detachable head was his mother's.
Raising her eyebrows, Ree cleared her throat and looked at him questioningly. "Women... can use things to pleasure themselves?"
Henry's eyes widened at the question, reminded again that Ree was from another time and place. "Yeah. There's a lot of things for that. There are whole stores full of stuff for women."
"Oh, I see." She couldn't imagine using something, but perhaps she would try anyway, just to see. "How do you know so much about all of this? Sex and everything?"
"I read about it," Henry admitted, flushing in embarrassment. "And look at pictures and stuff. You know my computer that I showed you? There's this thing called the internet that you can use on the computer, and it has information on everything. It's not always right, though, so you have to research a lot."
Leaning toward him, Ree brushed a quick kiss on his warm cheek. "Will you show me how to research?"
"O-okay," Henry agreed, nodding. "I can do that."
"Is that okay?" she asked softly, embarrassed at his slight hesitance.
Nodding again, Henry assured her, "Yeah, it's fine. I just… was thinking about you looking up stuff like that, and… well, it's kind of hot."
"Oh. Well... it's just that you know so much more than I do." Ree moved to take his hand, squeezing his fingers with her own. "I don't want to have to stop so I can keep asking you things."
"I don't mind it when you ask me things, you know." Henry looked over at her quickly, before turning his eyes back to the road. "You can always ask me anything at any time."
Smiling affectionately, she turned to look out the windshield. "Do you think it always feels this way?"
"I hope so."
"Me too."
After spending the morning teaching Ree how to use the internet, and promising to return with lunch from Granny's, Henry left the house, making his way quickly to City Hall and knocking on his mother's office door.
"Come in," Regina called, looking up a moment later to see Henry walking in. "Henry, what are you doing here? Where's Ree?" She was surprised to see him without her, the pair practically had doey eyes glued to each other constantly, while also managing to be attached at the hip.
"She's at home, I'm just getting lunch, but I wanted to talk to you." Henry closed the door behind him and made his way to Regina's desk, sitting in front of it and clasping his hands together tightly.
"Well, as long as it isn't bad, I'm pleased. I've missed you," Regina teased. "What's on your mind?"
Chewing on his lips, Henry looked down at his hands. "Mom… how do you know when you love someone?" he asked hesitantly.
Surprised, Regina straightened in her chair and brought her hands together on top of her desk. "Well, Henry, it's different for everyone. I'm not sure I should be the one to tell you. I don't have much to say," she answered sadly.
Glancing up, Henry quietly protested, "I know that's not true. I know you were in love when you were my age."
She relented with a nod, pushing down the heavy sadness that always came when she thought of Daniel. "I was, yes. I loved Daniel very quickly. He was kind to me, gentle and caring, and it didn't matter to him who I was, or if I had a title or a terrible mother. He was much the same way with me as you are with Ree, I suppose. I knew I loved him because I was willing to do anything to be with him, risking my mother's disapproval and punishment, if she found out. I didn't care that he was a stable boy, I just wanted to be happy with him."
"I want her to be happy," Henry whispered. "Even if it's not with me. I don't want her to go back to a life she hates, a life where she has no choices. I want her to be able to decide for herself what she wants."
"Do you feel like you're in love with Ree?" she asked after a moment, already knowing the answer, but hesitant to hear it from him.
Henry was quiet for a long moment, thinking about the time he spent with the other teenager, not only intimately, but also just talking, or teaching her technology. "Yeah," he finally answered, meeting his mother's gaze. "Yeah, I think I am."
Regina hummed thoughtfully, momentarily wishing again that he was still her little boy. "I love you, Henry. And even if it scares me, if you believe you're in love with her, you probably are. There's no time limit or requirement when it comes to loving someone."
"It's only been three days," Henry pointed out. "This is crazy, isn't it?"
Giving him a sad smile, Regina nodded and chuckled. "Crazy doesn't always mean wrong," she allowed, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her desk. "She seems as smitten with you as you are with her."
"Are you okay, Mom?" Henry asked, biting his lip worriedly. "I know it, us, bother you."
"It doesn't so much anymore. It is strange to me, still, how physically like me she is and that it doesn't bother you, but if it isn't an issue for you, it shouldn't be for me." Regina gave him a smirk, happier than she'd been the moment before. "I am pleased to be reminded of how wonderful you are. You are such a good person, sweetheart, and Ree... she deserves that."
Blushing, Henry looked down again, shrugging his shoulders. "She's a good person, too. And so are you. I want you to have this feeling, too."
"I think my time has passed, but I appreciate the thought." Casually picking up a pen, she fidgeted with it between her hands. "She seems to be growing accustomed to things here pretty well... is there any chance I can convince you to teach her how to wash her own laundry?"
Henry nearly choked on his own tongue, and his cheeks flamed red. "I… I, yeah. Y-yeah, I can… do that," he managed to stutter.
"I'm not telling you that you have to leave, but you can if you don't have anything else you wanted to ask about."
"Can I just ask one more question?"
Regina nodded, looking at him attentively.
A little awkwardly, Henry asked, "Is there anybody in Storybrooke that you could see yourself being happy with?"
"Perhaps, but I don't see it happening, so there's nothing more to say about it."
Nodding slowly, his brow furrowing, Henry murmured, "Okay… okay. I'll figure it out. You deserve happiness." Then, grinning, he sprang out of his chair. "Thanks, Mom. See you after work!"
"I'll be home by five-thirty," she said, subtly warning him. "And thank you, too."
Henry waved cheerfully as he left the office, heading to Granny's to pick up fries, a burger, and a grilled cheese in his quest to introduce Ree to the Swan version of fine dining.
Ree was pacing inside of Henry's bedroom when she heard the front door open. He'd left her to look up whatever she had wanted, and while, at first, she had learned some of the things she was curious about, one site she'd clicked on, and started viewing had shot up new windows all over the screen and had her turning the computer toward the wall. Stepping out of the room, she called to him with a shaky voice.
Jerking his head up at the panic in Ree's voice, Henry ran up the stairs two at a time, bursting into his room. "Ree? What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"I was-I clicked on a link and it took me to this site," she answered, verging on tears. "I think I broke it. All these things came up and I couldn't stop it and all these... these people and they were... um... I'm so sorry, Henry," Ree stammered.
"Just, calm down," Henry soothed, leading her to his bed and directing her to sit. "I'll take care of it, okay? You couldn't have broken it, I promise." Sitting in his desk chair, he grabbed the laptop, his eyebrows shooting up at the multiple windows of porn. He let out a little chuckle and pulled up the task manager, shutting the program down entirely, then turning the computer to her. "There, see? Good as new."
Ree blushed then, covering her face in her hands. "I... I didn't mean to look at that. I... sorry," she muttered into her hands, refusing to look at him.
Henry couldn't help but laugh, setting the computer aside and tackle-hugging Ree on the bed. "It's okay, it happens to everyone. God knows I've gotten caught in my fair share of pornadoes, myself."
"It is not funny, Henry!" she whimpered. "That was horrifying! Thank gods it was you who came home and not your mother!"
"You're adorable!" he declared, kissing her soundly on the forehead, the only part of her face not covered by her hands.
Still pouting, Ree pulled her hands from her face and looked up at him. "You're lucky I like you so much. I would otherwise be tempted to be as equally mean to you."
"You can't be mean to me, I brought you lunch," Henry protested.
"I suppose I can hold off until I see if I like what you've brought. I shall give you fair warning, if I am not pleased, you will not be either," Ree teased, grinning playfully at him.
Shaking his head, Henry grabbed the bag from where he'd dropped it on his desk. "Don't worry, you'll love it. Even Mom likes fries, even though she pretends not to."
Ree tilted her head eagerly, noting that her appetite had increased without her mother's watchful eye. "Fries, hmm, that's an interesting name for food. What else did you get?"
"Hamburger and grilled cheese," Henry declared happily, sitting cross-legged next to her. "I figured we could share everything, so you get to try it all."
"What is a hamburger? At least grilled cheese sounds easy enough to figure out," Ree asked, turning her face toward him and smiling.
Opening the bag, Henry removed the paper take-out containers, popping them open. "This," he declared happily, "is a hamburger. Ground beef patty, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and Granny's secret sauce. You know how an orgasm feels? This? This is an orgasm for your mouth."
Ree raised her eyebrows and looked at the food. "Are you saying you have competition?" she teased with a laugh.
"No, no," Henry shook his head, grinning. "Foodgasms are totally separate. And sacred. Try it!" He held out the burger to Ree, waving it enticingly in front of her mouth.
Stilling his hand with her own, she leaned forward and took a small bite, allowing all the flavors to hit her tongue as she chewed. Ree hummed and nodded as she swallowed. "Yes, that's very good. Meat here tastes different."
"Really?" Henry asked curiously. "What does meat taste like there?" He took his own bite of the burger, chewing happily.
"Well... I'm not sure how to explain it. It tastes more... I don't know. It tastes cleaner, I guess," she tried, blushing at her inability to gather her thoughts.
Henry nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. There's a lot of crappy stuff about how we get our food. Here, try the grilled cheese," he pushed the container with the crispy, cheesy sandwich inside toward her.
Ree picked up one half of the sandwich, taking and bite and chewing slowly. "That's really good, too," she told him, after she swallowed. "I like the bread here."
"It's softer, right?" Henry guessed. "Like, has a smoother texture?" He grabbed the other half and took a large bite.
Nodding, she took another bite, delicate in comparison to Henry's, but bigger than her last. Ree leaned against him as she ate, reaching for the fries once her half of the sandwich was gone. "I didn't really get to eat much bread or meat back home, anyway. Or desserts."
"What on earth did you eat, then?" Henry asked, frowning and offering the burger to her again. "That's like, three-quarters of my diet."
Ree chuckled and took the burger from him. "Vegetables, fruits." Shrugging, she explained, "I was allowed stews, which had meat, but very little of it. My mother insisted that if I was fat, no one would want to marry me."
Henry let out a sputter of incredulity. "Are you serious? You're tiny! Like a little bitty pocket-girl! I could lift you with one arm!"
She laughed, turning her head and kissing his jaw. "If you said that to her, she would tell you I'm tiny because I watch what I eat, well, she does. Did, anyway. She had enough complaints about my bottom being too big, there was no chance she'd let my stomach."
"Oh my god, no," Henry shook his head. "Your ass is fucking perfect. Better than perfect."
"How is something better than perfect?" Ree grinned happily, eating another fry.
"I don't know, but it is," Henry answered, sure of himself. "It's like, if you could bottle perfection, and then add amazing and holy hell and then mix it together with magic, and that's your ass."
Ree burst into laughter, grabbing his arm with one hand. "You... are... wonderful," she choked out between her chortles.
Grinning proudly at making her laugh, Henry shrugged. "It's true, though! Your ass is perfect and magic."
"Well I happen to think you are perfect. And pretty magical, so I guess I won't discourage your thoughts."
Wrapping his arms around her, Henry flopped back on the bed, pulling her with him and rolling them over onto their sides. "I don't think you could discourage my thoughts if you tried," he said, kissing her.
Ree let out a soft chuckle against his lips, kissing him back softly. She brought one hand up, cupping his cheek and stroking her fingertips in his hair.
Henry smiled happily, turning his head to kiss her palm before pulling her closer to tuck into his body. "I love holding you."
"I feel the same way. You make me feel safe," she whispered, nuzzling her face against him.
"I'm glad." Henry kissed the top of her head and rested his chin there. "I want to keep you safe, Ree," he whispered. "I don't want anything to hurt you ever again."
Breathing him in, Ree kissed his collarbone. "This feels like love, doesn't it? I've never loved anyone before, but I imagine it feels this good."
"It does," he agreed, thinking of the conversation he'd had with his mother earlier. "I've never loved anyone before, either."
She tilted her head back, looking up and him with a sweet smile. "Good." Shifting up slightly in his hold, Ree pressed a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. "I like that you're all mine."
Smiling, Henry returned the soft kiss. "Does that mean you're mine, too?"
Ree nodded. "Of course it does. For as long as you'll have me."
Henry bit his lip to keep from suggesting forever, cuddling her closer again instead.