Chapter 5 – "Step 5 - Regina" – Part 1

Regina's POV

It was very early in the morning, a dim light was illuminating the room and a cool breeze was flowing thought the open window. Probably it was around six o'clock, so it was just a little bit earlier than Regina's usual wake up time. She was exhausted and all she just wanted was to stay in her bed a little longer.. 'mmh.. I don't know what is the reason but I've just had the best sleep I've ever had in ages!' she thought a little lazy.

She opened slowly her eyes and she stirred.. or at least she tried to stir! The first thing Regina noticed as she began to stir awake was that she wasn't alone in her bed and not only she wasn't alone but also she became immediately acutely aware that she couldn't move as freely as any other morning. The second thing she noticed was the body pressed up against her back holding her from behind like a little koala bear with their arm slung below her breasts and they were embracing her so tightly like their life was depending on it. Who was wrapped around her? Regina's eyes got wide and an annoyed look took place on her beautiful features when realization hit her.. 'Oh no Robin, why are you here again in my bed?! We've already discussed about that and I think I was perfectly clear that we are over'. Regina tried to squirm out of the embrace.

She took this opportunity to turn over and check her suspicion about Robin being there hugging her and meanwhile thinking of a good excuse to get the man out of her bed as soon as possible. Nestled in the sheets beside her was this very comfortable, warm 'This is strange! I've never thought of Robin as comfortable or warm..' and curvy body '..curvy..?' and breasts were pressed up against her back '..breast, seriously?', but what really confused her was locks of soft long blonde hair spread across the pillow, only one person came immediately to her mind: Emma Swan.

She nearly flew off the bed in shock.

Her eyes got immediately wide and saying she was dumbfounded would be an understatement.

'Emma.. Emma Swan.. the Savior.. in my bed..?' she was bewilder. 'Seriously? This can't be real.. I guess it's just another of my dreams..'

She checked again and Emma's arm tightened its grip, 'Oh my.. she is really here!'

The Savior was in her bedroom.. in her bed.. under her cover cuddling dearly the former Evil Queen with her strong arm set firmly around her waist. 'Is this just a joke?' not that she was complying at all, but she didn't want to have her hopes up just to have them crashed a minute later.

'I'd do anything to wake up like this every morning.. but I have to face the truth and know that it's impossible. Maybe I can stay here and enjoy this a little longer.. How can I feel so safe in her arms? I feel safer here with her than what I've ever felt in my entire life.. Not even with Daniel it was like that.. How could it be? This is the woman I used to hate.. She was my enemy and she wanted to take Henry away from me.. I suppose that things really do change, don't they Miss Swan?' She chuckled, 'my former arch-enemy (and now my secret-unrequited-love) is here cuddling me and I couldn't feel saver!' She cuddle a little more.

'I don't know why we are in this position this morning.. but I just want to enjoy having her strong arms around me a little longer until she wakes up and realizes who is the person she really is embracing..' a sad sigh escaped her red lips. She knew that Emma would be disgusted as soon as she'd find out that the person she was cuddling in realty was no other one than the former Evil Queen, her family's arch-enemy, 'Maybe she is thinking I'm the pirate..', yet she really couldn't help herself to enjoy the moment a little longer because it was something she had been craving for a very long time now.

'I wonder if I really do repulse you that much Emma..?'

She sank a little bit more in Emma's embrace and took the blonde's arm slung below her breasts bringing it near her mouth and placing a soft kiss on the Savior's palm. She stayed like that for several minutes just enjoying the blonde's presence and hearing her steady heartbeat.

'I want to fix in my mind every single whisper she made.. every little movement.. every new and sweet sensation she is able to inflame in me just by holding me close. I can feel her breath tingling the back of my neck and I can't help shivering..'

'I'll stay like that until she wakes up.. Please, I just want to enjoy it as longer as possible..'

The position soothed her so much that she felt safe enough to recall the events of the previous day.

She remembered waking up very early as her usual routine and then Henry and her had decided to go and have breakfast at Granny's. 'Of course the only reason for me allowing that kind of breakfast was because Henry asked for it and I didn't want to disappoint him.. and absolutely NOT because I hoped to accidentally bump into a certain blonde sheriff'. A frustrated sigh could be heard in the room.

'But I have to say that at the end it was a very good morning; I was able to have breakfast with Henry and see her too.. and of course she was breathtaking as usual..' she curved the end of her lips at the memory, 'but then I had to ruin everything acting as my usual-self, I was nasty and run away when she was just trying to be kind with me.. I'm such an idiot sometimes!' she scolded herself.

Then she recollected the crazy conversation she had with Henry during their breakfast and her eyes got wide.

"You should just ask her out.."
"Pardon?"
"You should ask Emma out.. on a date! Erm.. I just meant that it would be cool with me, you and Ma being together!"

'I wonder - my dear Henry - what would you say now if you would catch us in this intimate embrace.. I'm sure you won't be happy to see your Ma cuddling the Evil Queen..' a heavy sadness took place in her heart, then she suddenly gasped 'Oh My God Henry, where is he now?!', she was about to pull herself out of Emma's grip and out of the bed when a rush of memories hit her..

Elsa and a very nervous Emma at her door..

The three of them in the forest near her vault doing magic lessons..

'I was really enjoying myself with them..'

Then a very furious Ingrid.. and the consequent fight..

Then she remembered the fire-shield she had built up to defend Emma.. 'ok, also for protecting Elsa but it was especially for Emma!'. She panicked recalling the ice blast that was going to hit Emma and feeling dread build in her belly she lifted herself on her elbow to turn and look at the sleeping body that was hugging her searching frantically for any injuries. Only when she found out that Emma has none and was sleeping soundly next to her, she was able to relax and she laid back in the sheriff's arms again.

'Oh my.. that ice blast could have killed her! Poofing myself in front of her was the only reasonable thing to do to protect her.. I just wanted to save her so much, I can't lose her.. I need her. Luckily at the end it worked and she didn't get injured!' a sigh of relief escaped from Regina's lips as she briefly closed her eyes and tightened her grip around the Savior's arm just as a confirmation that Emma was really fine and there with her. But then realization hit the brunette and her eyes shot open again; SHE was the one that got injured by Ingrid's ice blast!

'Oh my God.. it hit me in the chest and I remember clearly that I started freezing up! And Emma.. being the Savior she is.. because she ALWAYS has to be the hero.. did something very stupid and used that advanced spell to poof us here! Stupid Savior.. I had just saved you from Ingrid's attack and then you decided to perform such an advanced spell that could have killed you!' Regina shook her head in disagreement for such a display of.. what? Affection?! 'Was she concerned about me?!' she wondered in disbelief.

She roamed quietly her hands over her upper body searching for the parts of her body now-turned-in-solid-ice that she was sure were there, even if she couldn't sense them and everything seemed normal. She checked all her body but everything was fine, nothing in her body was frozen.. she checked her left arm and shoulder twice, but they were as their usual.. 'How could it be..?' she asked herself in denial, 'I'm sure my left arm and shoulder were frozen yesterday night! I can remember it clearly.. I couldn't move them and I was in great pain..'

In that moment other memories came to her mind..

Being laid carefully on the bed..

'SHE brought me at home.. She tried everything to make me comfortable.. was she.. concerned?'

Left arm and shoulder frozen..

Drifting continuously into unconsciousness..

'Even in that condition I was able to hear a lot of different voices around me..'

Henry..

'Oh My God! Did he see me like that..?! I don't want him to be worried..'

Ruby.. and Belle.. and also Anna and Elsa here in my bedroom..

'From the sadness in their eyes and the sweetness in their words it was clear they were all worried about me..'

A single tear fell over her check.

Robin rushed through the door heading angrily towards Emma..

'why was he here..?'

He treated her awfully telling her that it was all her fault?!

'why wasn't I awake to give him an adequate retort?'

And he mumbled something about his true love's kiss that would have saved me for sure..

'Oh yeah sure, because it's not like we have the little issue that I'm not in love with him..' she thought sarcastically, 'without this little detail set in place there is no true-love's-kiss.. therefore it means I'm doomed to become a statue of solid ice; the person I'm deeply in love with would never love me back and kiss me..'

..and then Robin was kissing me!

'I could feel his lips against mine.. his kiss was a little rough and he was so sure of himself..'She snorted.

Emma was still next to me, near the bed.. she had been there since we got home.. she never left my side.. I tried to catch her hand with mine during the kiss but I couldn't.. I was so weak that I think my hand didn't even move.. 'I wanted her comfort.. her arms wrap around me.. her lips against mine.. not his..'

Robin was kissing me and I could sense different emotions coming from her.. sadness and hope? 'How could that be? How could she feel emotions that are so different? They are totally the opposite! Really, it's so damn hard to read this woman sometimes!' A frustrated sigh escaped her lips.

'It's clear Robin's kiss didn't work.. I can remember seeing for a brief moment is overly-frustrated face when nothing happened.. And I recall that I was feeling colder and colder by each passing second during his kiss.. So how could it be that I'm fine now? It's morning.. So several hours has passed since Ingrid's curse hit me and some parts of my body were already turned in ice when I fell asleep.. By now I should already be completely frozen up just as Belle said..'

"It's all your fault Miss Swan! You took her heart away and now my true love kiss is not working!"

Regina rolled her eyes, 'that moron thought his kiss didn't work because my heart wasn't in its usual place.. And he put all the shame on Emma's shoulders, how could he?' She was furious.. 'I've already told him that I care about him.. as a friend.. but that I'm not in love with him! Was it so difficult to understand?'

"It's not like that, Emma. True love kiss works even if the two lovers are both without their hearts. It didn't work because they don't share a true love bond."

She sighed, 'luckily Belle was here and she had some magic-knowledge in her! Well done Belle.. thank you for explaining all these idiots how magic works! Oh no, after that I fell unconscious again!'

She looked again at the Savoir who was still sleeping soundly next to her with a goofy smile on her features.. 'I wonder what you are dreaming about Miss Swan..', but just the sight of the blonde relaxed there next to her was enough for making the brunette smile.

'I don't know for how long I spaced out.. but when I opened my eyes again all the others were gone and there was just Emma and me in my bedroom.. the room was pretty dark, so I guess it was in the middle of the night.. and unfortunately I recall clearly how conversation'. She felt pretty ashamed.

"Hey.."

"You idiot! Why did you do something so stupid like saving my damn life?"

"Because you are worth it.." 'Oh my.. did I really tell her that?', she blushed.

"No, I'm not! I know you did it for Henry, but for him you are much more important than me!"

"I did it not only for Henry.." 'Damn my mouth! Why couldn't I keep it close?!'

"Not only for Henry? But then why?" 'she was so confused and upset..'

"Tell me WHY Regina!"

"Because.. you set my heart on fire.." 'Oh no no NO! How could I let that slip?! Ok I was under an icy-curse but this is not an excuse! Now she is going to hate me forever! Oh no, tell me I didn't cup her cheek in my hand while telling her that? Stupid.. stupid Regina!' her eyes filled with tears.

"Quite hilarious, isn't it? The Evil Queen has a heart after all.." 'Just great! My mouth had a life on her own spilling all my secret thoughts and after all of these revelations I lost my consciousness.. again!' she sighed exasperated.

'I was still in great pain and I could feel part of my body turning in ice.. I was helpless, there was nothing I could do to stop it. But suddenly there was a light and I felt warm and loved as never before in my life and complete for the first ever and happy as I never thought I could be again'.

'That's incredible.. that warmth was melting the ice..' she was literally dumfounded at the memory.

'Then I opened my eyes and.. Oh my God.. SHE WAS KISSING ME!' She turned again to look at the Savior's pink lips putting her fingers over her own lips in disbelief, 'She kissed me.. for a brief moment her lips were on mine! And I was so knocked out that I couldn't even enjoy it..'

After some minutes realization hit Regina, only a true love's kiss could have stopped the curse. She got Robin's kiss, it didn't work and left her only colder and other part of her body were turning in solid ice. Then her Emma.. 'no, not my Emma.. only Emma!'.., Emma kissed her and she started to warm up and heal.

'Ok.. it's clear that it worked because it was a true love's kiss.. Maybe it worked just because it was a kiss from the Savior.. Because it's clear it can't be the other way.. for sure it can't be a romantic love.. I admitted to myself my feelings for her a long time ago.. But it's bluntly clear she doesn't feel the same way otherwise she would not be with the pirate. So this is the only rational explanation; her kiss worked because she is the Savior.. So Maybe due to her role she can "produce" true love's kisses just by caring for someone.. Yes it should be like that!'

"I'm-I'm-co-cold.."
"I'll keep you warm.."

'And this explain why we are here.. in my bed together.. Oh my, I was so insolent that I almost asked her!', the brunette felt so ashamed by her own actions that she didn't know how she could look the blonde in the eyes again without blushing furiously.

Stirring from behind Regina brought her alarmingly back to the present. The arm slung below her breast left her to stretch. The person behind her yawned as she began to wake.

Regina pulled herself out of bed, wrapping the sheet around her figure and clutching it to her chest.

"Miss Swan!" Regina blurted out before she could stop herself trying to sound disappointed and surprised.

Emma's eyes popped open then. She stared wild-eyed at Regina glaring over at her.

"I just wanna be your hero.."

~~~SQSQ~~~~~~~~~~~~ TO BE CONTINUED~~~~~~~~~~~~ SQSQ~~~

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