Sorry about the wait you guys! I've just been being lazy ;) I hope you enjoy it!
He woke up slow, enjoying the way the early morning sun warmed his skin. When he opened his eyes he was warmed from the inside with a special sensation that could only be called...adoration...not love. No...no not love. But perhaps...no not love. He pushed the ridiculous idea to the side and allowed himself to forget everything just as he did the night before. He could remember later.
She laid close to him on her side so she was facing him. Her head rested on his right arm while her left hand was slipped beneath his arm and her right rested over it, sleepily holding him in place. One leg was against his while the other was gently bent so it could tangle between his comfortably. So soft and gentle she appeared to be in her sleep.
A smile had already formed on his face without his knowledge and when he slid his left hand up it grew all the wider. His hand slid over soft chilled skin rather that expensive fabric and upon closer inspection he found his hand to be underneath her shirt that she had left unbuttoned during the night. He found himself to be wearing similar attire; jeans and his buttoned shirt left open to the cool night air as well.
Gently and slowly he pulled her closer to him, smiling all the more when in her sleep she took a deep breath and nuzzled her face into his bare chest. It was suddenly even harder to believe that she was responsible for the deaths of entire villages. He didn't like to believe it either.
After a long enjoyed silence he was brought from his thoughts by her voice.
"I don't want to stop pretending," she whispered.
How perfectly worded it was. Pretending. "Are we pretending?" He questioned quietly and waited attentively for her reply.
She frowned softly and tilted her head so it pushed heavier in to his arm as she kept her eyes on his stomach as her fingers traced soft invisible patterns over his skin, "...are we not?"
"...not entirely I don't think," he answered quietly and allowed his fingertips to softly play over her bare side, smiling when she shivered a little after he touched a particularly sensitive spot. She hummed quietly, thoughtful and doubtful while her fingers continued to shoot warmth through his body and he closed his eyes and nuzzled his face in to her dark hair with a quiet satisfied sigh. He was drowsy and wonderfully so, his entire body relaxed and comfortable with Regina's body warming his in time with the sun.
Silence enveloped them again but it was the most comforting silence she had listened to in a long time. She allowed her eyes to fall shut once more and pulled herself closer to him so the chilled skin of their fronts was pressed together and she could feel his muscles move with every slow relaxed breath. She had forgotten how wonderful it was to have this, to have someone, even if they were just pretending. Pretending that everything was fine, that nothing was out of the ordinary, that they would be able to keep the quiet and tender air around them forever. Pretending that the Evil Queen and Prince Charming did not just sleep with each other.
It had to be asked, she wished it didn't, she wished time could be frozen once more and she could live in this moment forever but time was never on her side, "now what?"
He did not open his eyes, he didn't move at all and instead remained still and relaxed as he simply savoured the early morning bliss he had found himself in with Regina of all people. "I don't know," he whispered simply and took a deep breath, smiling just a little when her scent filled his nose, "I should probably be regretting last night..."
Regina's voice was kept to a painfully neutral whisper, "yes you probably should be."
"But I'm not," he whispered thoughtfully, his thumb moving back and forth over her side, following the lines of her ribs. She tilted her head back from his chest and kept it rested on his arm as she looked him in the eye and he found himself smiling gently as he studied her. She didn't smile for she was doubtful, nervous, confused, and untrusting, but her eyes were softened with the hope that he was telling the truth and that he did not regret her. She was absolutely stunning when she was vulnerable and as he lifted his hand from her side and to her face to tuck dark strands of her hair behind her ear he shook his head and whispered, "I don't want to lose what we've gained."
"Neither do I," she whispered timidly and held his soft stare with pinpoint focus.
He lost himself in her eyes for a little while, the dark brown as intense as ever but rather than that murderous or angry intensity it was an interesting balance of a gentle will to allow her childlike innocence she had buried to shine through and throw herself in to his arms as well as her wary, beaten down adult experience telling her not to be foolish for situations such as these had only hurt her. It wasn't like he could say he wouldn't hurt her, he didn't want to but he couldn't say that he wouldn't. He didn't know himself if he would or wouldn't.
Before he even realized he was doing he had moved closer and parted her lips with his in a soft kiss, the hand that had pushed back the hair from her face now holding the back of her neck. She tensed at the contact and her hand laid flat on his stomach almost hard enough to be determined as a push away but he did not tense, he did not panic and pull away and instead moved his thumb over the corner of her jaw tenderly coaxing her to kiss him back. He shouldn't, he should have stopped while he was ahead, he shouldn't have started at all because he was a man who listened to his heart and his heart went mad at the mere thought of kissing her or touching her.
His mind had touched on the question if he would still feel that same raging fire burn throughout his body if he were to kiss her now and that it wasn't just a one night thing that would disappear forever. He supposed that his subconscious carried out the rest of the question and moved him so he could get the answer and when Regina allowed for herself to be coaxed and her flat hand moved and curled one finger at a time around the dark fabric of his open shirt as she relaxed into him and slowly pulled herself flush against him, he got his answer.
Even with their slow and soft pace the kiss was no less passionate and no less intense. He didn't know a kiss could feel like this, like his heart leapt out of his chest and his entire world turned upside down as her breath took his away. She gave him something he never even knew he missed and it was absolutely thrilling. It was also a problem.
She let her heart go to him with the promise to herself that it would be only for this one kiss, this one time, and then she would cage it once more. There was no harm right? And it felt so good, so nice to have him hold her close and kiss her like he could actually love her. She stomped down the wonderful flutter in her chest because she knew it was false hope for something she could never have. She loved how he made her feel though. She loved being kissed like she was the only one that mattered to him.
He pulled away slowly and kept his forehead resting against hers and his thumb moving over her jaw and cheekbone while the other held her close around her back. A troubled expression twisted his mouth and it had her frowning just a little as she closed her eyes again and nuzzled her head against his a little more and stayed there for a little while before moving her arms to wrap around his neck so she could pull herself up. His arms hugged her close around her middle while she buried her face in to his neck and shoulder and he rested his head on top of the side of hers.
Silence enveloped them once again, a troubled silence but a wonderful silence all the same. "We should probably get to the beanstalk," she whispered in to his neck and felt him nod a little.
"I know," he didn't want to let to of her though. So he didn't and she didn't let him go either. He didn't know what to do.
...
"I like you."
Regina laughed quietly and continued ahead of him, "well given our activity last night I should certainly hope so."
David laughed and shook his head, "that's not what I meant, I mean well yes that was fantastic and amazing and so, so hot," he closed his eyes and hummed a little as he followed her, listening to her laugh a little before he continued, "I meant that I actually like you, you're a great person."
Regina looked over her shoulder with a doubtful eyebrow raised, "you think so?"
He nodded and she raised both eyebrows before turning her head back straight to watch where she was leading them, "I do! Sure you're a little messed up inside your head there but who isn't?"
"Uh, you?" She quipped with a charming smile thrown over her shoulder and dropped her eyes down to his feet with a low rumbled laugh when he stumbled over nothing but his own feet.
David cleared his throat to find it had instantly gone dry at the sight before him as she slowly straightened her neck to watch where she was going, "right," he drew out the word, suddenly aware that he may have fallen for her a little harder than he had thought that morning. The married man who has fallen head over heels for a woman he couldn't stand only a week ago doesn't have anything a little off kilter in his head. He chuckled uneasily and then stopped dead along with his heart, "did I say that out loud?"
"What? That you're falling hopelessly in love with me like a fool?" She teased with an amused rock of her head and a soft chuckle. When she was met with silence she stopped walking and looked over her shoulder with a worried expression and found him standing a few strides away from her with practically no blood in his face, "no," she shook her head and kept her voice down, "no you didn't say a thing," she reassured slowly and added a silent nervous question to the end of her sentence and waited for him to reassure her and calm her racing heart.
"Good," he whispered with a tense nod of his head and his eyes focused hard on her own, "just checking."
"Good," she whispered in return and slowly began walking again but kept her eyes on his as she did.
He waited until she began walking at her normal place once again and nervously glanced over her shoulder once more before he cleared his throat and walked after her. "What I was saying was that I don't have any friends, I mean allies sure but not so much friends," he shrugged and she listened intently ahead of him, "you're kind of a kick ass friend."
Regina furrowed her brow and pointed to her chest as she looked over her shoulder, continuing to walk, "me?"
"Yeah! You're ridiculously smart, super friendly when you're not working through your raging temper, you are surprisingly easy to get along with, very strong, funny, and not to mention incredibly beautiful," he smiled and his heart skipped in his chest when she bowed her head with a smile she tried to hide as she straightened her neck to look back ahead of her, "I am quite happy to call you a friend."
"Well thank you," she smiled to herself, slightly despising the way her mouth curled into such a childish grin at his claim, "you're not so bad yourself Charming," she shot a smile over her shoulder, "I suppose I wouldn't mind calling you a friend either, can't say I've ever had a proper friend aside from Daniel."
"I really want to kiss you right now," he confessed with a low groan to his tone and then shook his head with an uneasy laugh when her smile faltered a little, "wow I really lose my filter when I look at you."
She recovered quickly but the shiver that shot straight down her spine and the warmth that grew in her belly had the quietest of moans vibrating deep in her throat and she was only relieved that he didn't hear it. She wanted to march up to him and pull him down in to a kiss by the opening of his leather jacket and let his hands roam over her body once more, "well there is no time for that dear. As for your filter I'm sure you'll be able to sort that out by the time we reach the top of the stalk."
Following her gaze as she turned her head he found the beanstalk and could only shake his head at the fact that he did not see the giant plant before despite it being practically right in front of him for the sole reason that Regina was walking ahead of him. "This...I hate this. I hate this a lot," he sighed as he looked up only to find no end.
"You ready?"
"Absolutely not."
Regina chuckled quietly and enchanted his jacket with a simple touch so he could climb unharmed, "you'll be fine. It's just a beanstalk."
"A very, very, very, very, very tall beanstalk."
"I can still go by myself."
"No," he shook his head at her gentle offer and exhaled slowly as he rubbed his hands over his face and held them in his hair, "gotta get something on video for Henry right?"
"Right," she smiled and stepped forward, slipping her fingers into his front pocket to take his phone and rising on her toes to keep her mouth a risky distance away from his as she turned her head to his ear and whispered slowly, "who knows, you may even get that kiss at the top."
...
"Hello Henry! Sorry for the delay, we had to take a detour to the beanstalk but we are an hour up the climb and David is absolutely hysterical right now," she laughed and turned the phone around to focus on David clinging to the stalk.
"I hate you so much!"
"You're doing great!"
"Shut up Regina I'm gonna fall!"
"Don't look down!" She teased with a laugh and shook her head at him when he couldn't help but look down beneath his arm.
"Oh god! That's really high! Like really high! Regina!"
"Yes darling?" She chuckled and he groaned as he pulled himself higher.
"Don't 'darling' me right now sweetheart," he retorted sarcastically and listened to her laugh, "this is so far from funny!"
"It's absolutely hilarious," she chuckled and made herself comfortable by tangling her leg in to one of the thick vines spiralling the beanstalk so she had the use of both her hands.
David looked up at her to find her practically hanging off the side, "don't do that Regina! You're scaring the hell out of me! Hold on to something!"
"I'm perfectly alright David," she assured with a laugh and watched him struggle his way up higher. "Even Prince Charming gets scared Henry. I do hope you never let him forget that," she quipped and David laughed loudly, slowly, and very sarcastically.
"You just wait until I figure out what it is that scares the hell out of you," he clenched his jaw as he pulled himself higher, "spiders?"
"Nope."
"Mice?"
"Not at all."
"Rainbows?" Regina pushed her head back in a laugh, a laugh that had him chuckling a little as he continued higher, "butterflies? Kittens? Glitter?"
"You're going to have to try a little harder than that Charming," she laughed and shook her head.
David smiled and gripped the beanstalk tightly with both hands as he made himself as comfortable as possible next to Regina, "no I know exactly what terrifies you to your very core," he smiled and she lifted her eyebrows with a doubtful tilt of her head.
"Oh do you now?"
He nodded and touched her chest with his fingertips, "love," he offered simply and withdrew his hand with a small smile that saddened a little when she remained silent. "Scared of gaining it, scared of losing it..." He cocked his head slightly and she remained still and silent, not even blinking, "correct?"
She held his gentle stare and after a long moment's pause she whispered nervously, "correct."
...
Regina took a flying leap of the very tip of the beanstalk and ran forward with her arms outstretched to catch her balance when she landed on the ground of the floating home of the giant. She rolled her shoulders and shook out her arms, taking a deep breath laced with a laugh before turning around to find David getting ready to jump. She lifted the phone from her blazer pocket and started a new video, "come on David. It's not as bad as it looks."
"Shut up," he whispered loudly, copying her volume so as not to disturb the giant, "you're smaller than me!"
"So?"
"So you don't fall as fast and therefore get more horizontal airtime!"
"Oh my god," she laughed and ran a hand through her hair.
"Don't mock me! It makes sense!"
"Just jump! It's getting late and I don't particularly want to climb down in the dark if the giant doesn't take too kindly to us," she breathed out a quiet laugh when his eyes went wide.
"I'm not climbing down this thing in the dark! Are you fu-"
"Language!" She snapped with an amused laugh and a nod to the phone, "there will be others listening."
"As soon as that video is over!" He warned with a point toward the phone and Regina only laughed. "Okay," he huffed and readied himself for the leap, "okay, okay, okay, okay," with one last quick exhale he jumped and landed safely on the ground, stumbling to catch his balance just as Regina had. "Oh ground!" He rejoiced and dropped down to his knees and then on to his hands, listening to Regina's footsteps come closer as he laid down, "I'm just gonna lay here for a minute...or ten."
"Oh come now Charming," she poked his arm with the toe of her boot and laughed quietly as he kept his face hidden, "quit your shaking and let's find the compass," she only received a groan in response and she poked him again, "get up."
"Alright alright," he mumbled and took a deep breath before slowly pushing himself up to his feet.
"Very good," she chuckled and smiled brilliantly at him as she ended the video but before she had the chance to give him back his phone he had her firmly pulled against him and caught in a kiss. She hadn't forgotten about her offer but she had hoped that by some miracle he had. Practically all protests were forgotten however when his hands tangled in her hair and he swivelled his head before deepening the kiss to earn himself a long purr of a moan from herself.
"This can't be wrong," he whispered against her parted lips before kissing her again and kissing her hard.
"It is very wrong," she whispered quickly before she pulled him back to her by the collar of his leather jacket. It was a mistake, they both knew quite well that it was a huge mistake but they found that, like a drug, it was very difficult to quit and unlike said drug perhaps it was exactly what the other needed.
"You know what I think?"
"Hmm?" She hummed the question against his mouth, her mind foggy with lust to say the least.
"We should play this out and see what happens," he whispered against her mouth before diving for her neck and getting a bit of a high off the strangled pleasured whimper leaving her parted lips.
"Okay," she responded automatically but his words didn't form entirely in her mind until moments after his teeth nipped at her neck and his mouth found hers once again. "Wait, what!?" They broke the kiss and stared at one another with heaving chests and their faces mere inches apart. Her brow was knitted together in confusion and her eyes were slightly squinted as her breaths entered and left through parted lips while he simply looked shocked at his words and was thinking them through for the first time himself.
After a tense few seconds of silence David opened his mouth a little more to say something he wasn't quite sure but was saved from having to do so by the loud vibrating footsteps of a walking giant and they both snapped their heads to the approaching sound.