A/N: I like to know how many people are reading my new chapters, and right now, the story stats are not working. So, I'm hoping you will review after you've read, if it's not too much trouble. That way I can keep track of this chapter's stats. Enjoy!
Chapter 8
There wasn't enough cold water in the world.
Not after last night's encounter with Regina.
Since leaving the Mayor's house, Emma's mind had slowly transformed into a library of memory and sensation. Endless volumes of looks, touches, seductive grins, gentle shoves, and everything else derived from the previous night's happenings kept flashing through the blonde's head. Pages of recollection consumed her mind, preventing her from doing anything productive.
Emma leaned back in her chair, gripped its arms, and inhaled deeply. She was back in the Mayor's kitchen, against the counter. Regina's lips danced from her jaw to her mouth, whispering promises of things to come, and nothing but a thin skirt and tight jeans separated them from a night of tangled sheets and struggles for dominance.
"Emma, are you ill?" asked a concerned Graham.
She jolted upright in her seat, eyes opening wide.
"Son of a bitch," she thought as she was pulled out of her daydream and back to reality.
"God, yeah," she said, a bit too enthusiastically.
"I mean, yes. I'm fine. Totally fine. I just didn't sleep that well last night. But I'm not sick, or anything. Sorry for being a little out of it," she explained while composing herself.
Graham stood still, looking at Emma strangely.
"Uhh, did I grow a third eye in the middle of my forehead or something?" she asked.
"Not that I noticed. You've just been acting strange all morning. You've had your eyes closed so tight, I thought you may be having migraines. You're positive you're alright?" the sheriff pressed.
"Yes," she said firmly with a downward nod and a reassuring smile.
"Good. Well, would you mind going up front and grabbing the mail, then? You may want to stop by the coffee pot first, though, Emma. Wouldn't want you nodding off and running into a file cabinet," said a teasing Graham.
"Hardy, har, har," said the blonde sarcastically as she made her way to the office's lobby. She spotted the stack of mail on the counter and began sorting through it.
"Okay, what do we have here?" said Emma quietly. "Complaint, bill, paychecks – wonderful, a letter from the mayor's office, bill, bill… wait."
She shuffled back to a small envelope addressed to 'Ms. Emma Swan'.
From the Mayor's office.
Emma's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Anything coming from the town should be addressed to the department, not her personally.
She surveyed the room, finding it empty. She then opened the envelope.
…
"Deputy Swan,
Every year, I host an event for the town's employees to show them Storybrooke's appreciation of their service and hard work. You, as deputy, are cordially invited to attend. The party will be held at my home, Friday evening at 7pm. The dress is formal, and I expect the festivities will conclude by midnight.
If you're so inclined, I'd like for you to stay late, so that I can show you my own, personal appreciation of your contributions to the town. I do hope you'll accept my offer. Think about it for a bit, and inform me of your decision over lunch. I'll be at the café at 2pm, expecting you. This, however, is not an invitation or a request.
Sincerely,
Regina
…
The deputy loved the strength of Regina's confidence. It even manifested in a hand-written note. The boldness of the Mayor's invitation took Emma back to the previous night.
"We're just warming up, don't you think?" said the memory, as lips grazed her jawline.
Emma swallowed hard and enjoyed the electricity running through her body. If a mere memory could arouse her this much, she couldn't imagine what her personal after-party may do to her.
The blonde looked back at the envelope, noticing that it had not been postmarked. It must have been hand-delivered. She glanced at the clock and noted the time: 1:30pm. Regina must have just dropped it off on her way to the café.
Emma walked back to the department's main room and handed the remaining mail to Graham.
"You mind if I take lunch now?" she asked nonchalantly, trying to hide her excitement. "I want to grab a coffee and come back to life."
"Of course, Emma, that's fine. But may I warn you? Regina usually takes lunch around 2pm at the café. Unless you want fireworks, you may want to try elsewhere," he offered.
Fireworks sounded delicious.
"You know what? I have a feeling the Mayor and I can work things out. In fact, I hope she is there. I'm sure I can smooth things over," Emma said with a smirk.
Graham raised his eyebrows in doubt. "Fine, but this time, remember to duck," he laughed in a half-joking manner.
"You're just a real comedian, aren't ya?" said Emma as she grabbed her jacket from the back of her chair and turned to leave.
"Hey, I always have a backup plan. I won't be Sheriff forever," he replied as she left the room.
Emma had grown very fond of Graham after their night in the graveyard. She really couldn't imagine a better work environment, especially now that both of her bosses had taken a liking to her. The blonde's hands went to her pockets upon a certain thought.
How would Graham react to her budding relationship with Regina? She had absolutely no clue, and it was unsettling. Both her job as deputy and her relationship with Graham were important to her… why was she just now thinking about this? And was there really any point? There was no way in hell she was going to let this anxiety take precedent over her feelings for Regina. Never before had she felt so strongly about someone, and the more she thought about the Mayor, the more she found herself considering permanency in a place – a complete anomaly in her life. She never stayed put more than a couple of years, and had always avoided anything with strings that could bind her to a place. But here she was, trading scissors for a badge.
And Regina didn't come along with mere strings. She brought chains with her, and Emma was practically running toward them. She knew there was the possibility of something special developing here in Storybrooke, and it scared the shit out of her. Falling was a scary thing, and either way she was spiraling downward. She would either end up … God, she could hardly contemplate the words… falling in love… or falling from grace. For the first time she was taking the chance that she would be abandoned, all in hopes that she would be taken in by Regina. She couldn't run from that possibility, and she couldn't let fear keep her from giving this woman and her son everything she had.
She reached down to her hip and let her fingers dance across the metal clipped there.
Permanency. Possibility.
A leaf skirted across the sidewalk in front of the deputy, scratching its edges along the pavement, breaking the silence around her. Emma put her hands in her pockets and remembered the day she ran into the Mayor outside of Mary Margaret's apartment. It had been a quiet day, then, too. Regina had stood a mere foot in front of her, insulting her and squeezing her heart with a fistful of hateful words. And on a quiet night shortly after, Emma had returned the favor, getting a punch in the face in return. Their relationship had been so volatile, and it made Emma nervous. What was she getting herself into?
"My god, Swan. Just stop expecting the worst for a second, will ya?" thought Emma, as she approached the café. Her heart began beating twice as quickly as it had been at the station, and her light cardio had nothing to do with it. She was about to walk in and face the woman who could either squeeze the life out of her or give her life new meaning.
"Oh, I'm fucked," thought Emma, opening the door. She was now completely and totally aware that she was falling for Regina Mills, which meant there were no walls left for protection.
This could hurt like hell. On the other hand, it could be the best feeling in the world.
Emma scanned the café for the Mayor. Ruby called out from the bar.
"Emma she's in the back room, just go on back there." Emma hadn't known there even was a back room here, but headed toward the door to which Ruby had motioned. She stepped into a room that Emma realized was probably used for private functions. It was rather large and nicely appointed, tables along the room's edges and a large open space in the middle.
"Deputy, how nice of you to meet me," said the most seductive voice Emma had ever heard.
Emma looked to her left and saw Regina at a table, legs crossed, hands in her lap. She stared up with her brown eyes with a look that said, "I know what you're thinking."
"Madam Mayor," said Emma professionally, unsure how to address the brunette in a public place. She glanced to her left and right to determine just how alone they were.
"Close the door," Regina said in a tone that made clear it was an instruction and not a request. Her eyes remained on Emma.
Emma did as she was told and turned back toward Regina, who had, in the seconds it took the blonde to close the door, stood and walked up to the deputy. Emma could smell her clean and fresh perfume, and it intoxicated her.
Had she even left the station? Was this another daydream? Emma put her fingers inside Regina's waistband and pulled her flush against her.
No, this was real.
Regina was surprised by Emma's assertiveness. She couldn't stifle a groan as their bodies made contact. She stared into the green eyes in front of her and then looked down at Emma's hands.
"I take it you accept the invitation, then?" asked a confident and now smirking Mayor. She used every bit of willpower available to resist backing Emma against the wall.
"I'll be at the party," Emma said in a voice slightly louder than a whisper. "But I'm still undecided about afterwards," she added, walking backwards until she reached the wall, pulling Regina with her. Normally, Regina would have been turned off by an attempt at dominance, but there was something so arousing about the blonde taking control. The mayor's mind flashed back to the graveyard. As if on cue, Emma spun around slowly, pressing Regina against the wall. The brunette was overcome with physical and emotional feeling. The contact that gave her solace weeks ago was repeating itself, but this time, it was free of animosity and frustration and was, instead, full of reciprocal longing. Regina's eyes fluttered and then narrowed. She raised one eyebrow, and said, "I'm sure I can persuade you to accept…" she began, clearly unfinished with her statement.
The brunette reached down to her waistband and removed one of Emma's hands. Regina stared intensely at Emma and slowly brought the blonde's right hand to her lips.
…"my invitation," she concluded, her lips speaking the words as they ran across Emma's right index finger.
Emma could not breathe. She could only stare as Regina used her finger to outline her lower lip. Regina was confidence in human form as she watched Emma become helpless under her ministrations. She then dragged Emma's finger down her chin, to her neck, to the top buttons of her dress shirt, which sat right at her cleavage.
"Just think, Miss Swan. Free food, free alcohol, good company…" she guided Emma's hand down the silky fabric, over her breasts and lower, down her taut abdomen. She turned the blonde's hand so that her fingers were pointing toward the floor and pressed inward, so that Emma's hand was now inside the top of her dress pants.
"And you can get all the practice you want saying my name," she said slowly, leaning in to kiss Emma's mouth while pulling the blonde's hand out of her trousers. Emma almost collapsed and she was sure she had turned purple by now. She let herself fall into Regina, her mouth moving against the Mayor's red lipstick. Regina grabbed Emma's lower back and allowed Emma to press her against the wooden wall. They kissed for a full minute, alternating from soft and gentle to harder, bruising kisses, and then back again. Emma tried to memorize Regina's smell and the texture of her lipstick. Regina focused on the taste of the blonde's lips and the taut muscles underneath her hands.
The opening of the door prompted a halt in their exchange. Emma looked toward the door and jumped a bit.
"I remember asking that we not be interrupted," said Regina, her eyes focused away from the door and on Emma. She only turned to the entrant after finishing her comment.
Ruby closed her wide-open mouth under Regina's glare, but despite her greatest efforts, she couldn't hide a surprised smile.
"Oh, goodness, I am SO sorry," she said. "I just needed to get some stock, and I forgot. I didn't expect…" she shook her head in disbelief, a smile still decorating her face.
Emma looked from Ruby to Regina, unsure what reaction she'd find on the brunette's face.
The Mayor used her right index finger to wipe away just a small bit of lipstick that had smudged during her session with Emma, and exhaled.
"I'm glad you're amused," Regina said, in an almost threatening manner.
"Not amused… just… surprised. I mean, I think it's hot," she said, in her usual flirtatious manner. "To each their own," she finished, winking.
Regina was impressed that Ruby had not been intimidated. Perhaps it really wasn't that big of a deal after all. She relaxed a bit, reminding herself that the waitress had probably hooked up with every young resident of Storybrooke, including the female residents, and that her awareness of this… incident… posed no threat to either herself or Emma.
"Yes, quite," said the Mayor. "I would appreciate it, though, if you would exercise some discretion over this… situation. I try to keep my personal life out of my professional life, I'm sure you understand," she elaborated.
"Oh yeah, totally. I mean, like I said, it's not a big deal… I think it's pretty awesome," Ruby said, making obvious her approval.
Emma was still shocked and was finding it hard to process the situation. Up to now, no one knew of her relationship with the town's leader. She assumed if things progressed, it would become public knowledge at some point, but that point would be decided by her and Regina.
Or, Regina.
Now, Regina had no control over it, regardless of what promises Ruby made. She had no idea how Regina would act, and she had no idea if there would be a community backlash over it, were it to get out.
To Emma's surprise, a smile crept up Regina's face. She turned to the blonde. "Miss Swan, don't forget our conversation." She turned back to Ruby and continued, "You, too," pointing a finger almost playfully in the redhead's direction. Almost.
The Mayor abruptly left the room, leaving a shocked Emma and Ruby staring at each other. Emma's hands went to her pockets.
"Should I expect a lynch mob or anything if this gets out?" asked Emma in a half-joking manner.
Ruby folded her arms and scoffed. "Please. You think you two are the first in Storybrooke? No one here cares, really. We're all just looking for our own happy endings, whatever, or whoever they are. If someone finds happiness, it gives the rest of us hope," she said, trailing off at the end of her sentence. She continued, "Don't worry. You guys are fine. But seriously… you can trust me. My lips are," she pulled an invisible zipper across her lipstick-coated lips, "completely sealed."
Emma nodded. "Thanks, Ruby. So much," she said, as she walked toward the door.
"Deputy Swan," called Ruby, right before Emma left the room. "Stop worrying, and just… go for it," she said with a reassuring smile.
Emma inhaled and exhaled, thinking.
"I will," she responded.
"Hey, Ruby, where can I get a really hot dress?"
Ruby laughed. "Come on, let's talk," she said, as she walked Emma back to the café bar.