On Monday morning, Regina stirred, gradually becoming aware of the warmth of the morning sun on her face and the softness of Emma's arm encircling her waist. She blinked her eyes open, savoring the precious moment, and gently kissed Emma's forehead. Emma, still tired, embraced Regina a little tighter as her eyes opened, and they exchanged a tender smile.
It was already five, they both knew, and soon they'd have to start their morning routines. But first, they wanted to savor the moment's tranquility, allowing the tension from the previous night to dissipate.
Emma moved away slightly, curling her body around Regina's in the process, and watched as the morning light shifted across the room. The sunshine brought out the warmth of the curtains and the deep wood of the floorboards, illuminating the large bedstead in the middle of the room.
Regina couldn't help but smile as she thought about the day before; she had gone horseback riding with Calista, and it had been a joyous occasion. Unfortunately, that joy had been quickly shattered when Emma got the news of her mother, Mary Margaret's, pregnancy. Though Emma put on a supportive smile and expressed excitement for her parents, she was devastated. Her mother had always seemed eager to replace Emma with a new baby, and the thought broke Regina's heart.
Regina had been there to comfort her love, wrapping her arms around Emma's shoulders and speaking calmly and reassuringly until the storm of emotion had passed. Sadly, even in the peacefulness of their bed, the memory of that moment still hung between them.
Emma was so thankful for Regina's love and understanding that she leaned close to kiss her, wanting to express her appreciation. She stayed there for seconds before drawing back.
"I love you," Emma murmured, and the corners of Regina's mouth turned into a soft smile.
"I love you, too," Regina whispered, her voice soft with restful contentment.
The two women embraced in passionate tenderness, the warmth of their embrace lasting until the morning birds began to sing. Regina slowly unraveled from her lover's arms and sat up, arching her back as she stretched, a knowing glint in her eye.
"We have at least an hour before we have to get up," she purred suggestively, caressing the blonde woman with a coy smile.
Emma smiled back, and her cheeks tinged with a slight blush. She leaned forward to press her lips against Regina's in a slow, passionate kiss before breaking off and moving away slightly.
"What did you have in mind?" she asked innocently, though they both knew what the other expected as an answer.
Regina's eyes narrowed suggestively as she tangled her fingers through Emma's honeyed locks and pressed a firm kiss to her lips. Before Emma could process what was happening, Regina had her pinned down onto the softness of the sheets, settling her weight on top of the blonde. The brunette caressed every inch of Emma's body with the gentlest of touches, eliciting shivers down her spine.
Emma moaned softly as Regina's lips trailed down her neck, leaving a trail of hot kisses behind. She wrapped her arms around Regina's waist, holding her close and deepening the kiss. Regina responded with vigor, her tongue battling Emma's in a passionate dance of desire.
As they kissed, their bodies moved in perfect synchronicity, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. Regina stroked Emma's hair as she felt the younger woman's hands roam over her back, tracing the contours of her body with a feather-light touch.
Emma felt herself growing wet with need as Regina's hands roamed lower, caressing the curve of her hips before slipping between her legs. Regina's fingers reached Emma's core, teasing and stroking until Emma was writhing beneath her touch.
Regina could feel Emma's arousal building beneath her fingers, and she shifted position slightly so that she could slip inside her. Emma gasped as Regina filled her, moving slowly at first before picking up speed.
Their eyes locked as they moved together in a frenzy of passion, each knowing exactly what the other wanted. They were close to the edge when Regina whispered in Emma's ear. "Let go for me," she breathed, and at that moment, everything exploded.
Emma cried out as she came hard around Regina's fingers, waves of pleasure washing over her. Regina held her tightly as she rode out the aftershocks, whispering words of love and adoration into her ear.
As they lay entwined on the bed, sated and content, Regina stroked Emma's hair, enjoying the soft puff of air against her neck.
"I love you, Emma," Regina smiled, and the only response she received was a contented purr.
Tired and satisfied, the two women eventually untangled themselves from one another before heading to the bathroom for a joint shower.
Neal Cassidy stared at Sidney Glass in disbelief. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked with a hint of desperation as he watched the other man put the newly printed copy of the Daily Mirror back on his desk.
"Extremely sure, not that it would matter if I weren't," said Sidney with a casual shrug.
"What do you mean?" Neal asked, his face pale as he tried to piece together the implications of Sidney's words.
"It means, Mr. Cassidy, that today's issue has already been printed and distributed. Most of the town will have seen it well before Granny's breakfast rush."
Neal's heart sank. He knew what was supposed to be in that day's issue, and he was certain that it would cost him dearly; one or both of his son's mothers were bound to find out if things failed to go as planned.
The morning air was crisp, and the sun began peering over the horizon as Emma and Regina stood outside Regina's house, waving Henry off to school. Calista was already gone since she had a long drive and an early flight to catch. The two women watched Henry walk away until he disappeared around the corner.
Taking a deep breath, Emma turned to Regina. "Shall we go for breakfast?" she asked.
Regina nodded, and the two set off hand-in-hand down the street. Everywhere they went, people turned to look at them and whisper behind their backs. Emma tried to ignore the stares and the murmurs, but it was hard when she felt the whole town was judging her.
The atmosphere was the same when they arrived at Granny's Diner. Everyone inside the diner stopped to stare at them as they made their way to a booth in the corner. Emma could feel the weight of their stares and whispers as she and Regina took their seats.
Once they were seated, the waitress came over and took their orders. Emma ordered apple cinnamon pancakes, and Regina asked for the same. Although the waitress smiled at them, she concentrated extra hard on her notepad as she wrote down their orders.
When the waitress left, they sat in silence for a few moments. Then, suddenly, Ruby emerged, snatching Emma out of the booth before either woman could protest.
"Ruby, what the hell?!" Emma hissed once they were in the back of the diner outside the restrooms.
"Emma, have you seen today's issue of the Mirror?" Ruby asked nervously.
Emma stared at her best friend with mild confusion.
"No, should I have?" Emma asks, unsure what the Daily Mirror has to do with her friend's strange behavior.
Ruby reached into her apron and thrust a copy of the newspaper into Emma's hands.
"We made the front page," Ruby said flatly.
When Emma finally looked at the paper, she saw that what Ruby said was true. They did, indeed, make the front page, and the headline read, The Savior Is a Two-Timing Cheat, featuring a photo of Emma and Ruby locked in a tender embrace right outside Emma's house.
"Oh fuck."