All Emma had wanted was a drink. One drink. It seemed like she couldn't even have that much anymore without getting into some sort of trouble.

The Sheriff's station had been swarmed that day, overrun with angry citizens demanding to know why it was taking so long to get the streets cleaned up after the massive storm they had been hit with. There was only so much Emma could do on her own; she was only one person. She had taken on the task of cleaning up debris herself, but hadn't made it very far before realizing she was going to need a volunteer team. For such a small town that was so determined to complain about the unkempt state of their streets, Storybrooke didn't seem to be so willing to help clean them; the team she had managed to gather was small, and they still hadn't made that much headway by the end of the day. Not like they were going to, if Emma had to keep excusing herself back to the station to field angry complaints about tree limbs in people's yards.

Emma was supposed to spend her evening at Regina's mansion, but that plan had quickly been ruined by how late she had been kept at the station. The brunette had sounded none too pleased in her response text to Emma's cancellation; the blonde had a feeling she wouldn't be getting another invite any time soon. Regina didn't take well to not getting her way when she wanted it. And her way was Emma Swan in her bed every Thursday night while Henry was having game night with Archie, finding every way she possibly could to remind the sheriff that, despite their outward appearance of beginning to work more cohesively together, Regina still held the upper hand.

Emma found she couldn't much complain when that upper hand was thrust so deep into her core that she was practically screaming.

When Emma had finally made it out of the station, she had found herself with enough time before The Rabbit Hole closed to stop in for a severely needed drink. The throbbing in her temples was begging for some kind of relief that was only ever found in a tall glass of whiskey (though she would slam the door in your face if you ever tried to call her an alcoholic), and her nerves were so far beyond shot that she was almost glad that she didn't have to see Regina that night. It wasn't like they were best friends, but Emma liked to try to keep the peace between them for the sake of her shaking orgasms.

But, of course, a drink had also brought along someone intent on drinking with her. On any normal day, Emma liked Ruby; the two were friends, and that was how it stayed. She was pretty well aware of Ruby's slut side when the girl had one too many drinks, but never in her life did Emma ever think that Ruby would be turning that side in her direction. It was a little humiliating – though she couldn't figure out if it was for her or for Ruby – when the waitress was suddenly pressed to Emma's side and whispering in her ear about how much her curiosity was killing her when it came to what Emma's tongue would feel like in places that the blonde hadn't touched on anyone but Regina in the past year at least. And trying to be nice when politely refusing the come on apparently wasn't working all that well.

It was around the point that Ruby had tried to sit in her lap that Emma realized she was in deep trouble. No sooner had Ruby's small frame connected with Emma's leg, the blonde making an attempt at shoving her off, did a cold voice ring out from behind them, making Emma freeze where she was and silently pray that she was hearing things.

"Miss Lucas, perhaps you should teach yourself a lesson on marking what isn't yours before someone else does it for you."

The speed with which Ruby sprung up off of Emma was incredible. Whipping around in her chair, Emma silently cursed when she saw Regina Mills herself, arms folded and looking…angry? Emma wasn't even sure that was the word. Livid, maybe. Like she was ready to inflict some kind of pain upon someone, and the blonde had a dark feeling that she was going to be on the blunt end of that. Then again, the way she was looking at Ruby as the younger girl tried to stammer out a confused greeting made Emma fear a little for the waitress more than herself.

At the point that Regina no longer found interest in Ruby or her drunken stuttering, dark eyes turned on Emma. The blonde could only bite her lip gently in what she hoped was confused relief to see her. It didn't seem to be working; when Regina spoke, the deadly edge was still in her tone.

"Since when," Regina said slowly, taking a step forward as her arms uncrossed to swing threateningly at her sides. "Did the duties of my Sheriff involve acting as a grinding post for the local whore?"

Ouch. If Emma had at all recovered from the shock of seeing Regina in The Rabbit Hole, she would have defended her friend's honor a little better than she did.

"It doesn't," Emma replied calmly. "I got off work forty minutes ago. And I didn't exactly ask for her to be climbing all over me." As much as she hated to admit it, there was only one woman in that room that Emma had no objections to climbing all over her, and Regina Mills didn't climb all over anyone.

"You got off work forty minutes ago," Regina said, her voice still slow and dangerous, her eyes still dark and haunting. "And yet you're here…with a drink, and entertaining another, instead of in my bed, where you belong." The look of disgust that Regina swept along Emma's form caused Emma to scoff quietly to herself. "How foolish of me to think you would come over if you got off before one in the morning."

It was a foolish thought, but Emma would never say that out loud to Regina. What had the woman honestly expected? If there was one thing Emma was, it was respectful, and she wasn't going to just show up on Regina as late as it was and expect their plans to be kept in place. It was rude, and it wasn't like they didn't have next week. But the look in Regina's eyes said that the Mayor had been expecting her anyway, and that Emma was just expected to know this without being told. It really did drive Emma Swan fucking nuts when Regina pulled this kind of game on her.

"I'm pretty sure I'm entitled to come out for a drink," Emma pointed out as she picked up her whiskey glass. "I texted you earlier to cancel. That usually means I'm not showing up." Okay, so she was being a smart ass. But did Regina really lack that kind of common sense?

"And now I see why," Regina replied, her gaze flitting to Ruby, who had quickly moved on to the next solitary person at the bar. After a long, distasteful look, Regina's gaze turned back on Emma, stone cold and swimming with something Emma couldn't quite place. "Getting bored, are we?"

What the hell was that supposed to mean? Emma thought as she frowned at Regina. There were a lot of things Emma was bored with, sure. This stupid job, this stupid town…even with someone to sleep with every week, Emma was almost positive that she wouldn't have even still been here had it not been for Henry. As she took a moment to study the woman in front of her, Emma tried her best to read that look in her eyes; the one that definitely spoke of anger, but even more so of…self doubt? The realization set in, and both of Emma's brows shot so far up into her hairline, she almost made her headache worse.

"Are you jealous?" Emma asked incredulously. "Of something that isn't even happening?" Ruby may have had the guts to try and sit on her that night, but it hadn't happened before, and Emma was going to make damn sure it didn't happen again. But hell, even if it did, the blonde wasn't exactly sure why it would be any of Regina's business. They hadn't exactly claimed themselves exclusive. Though the way they both managed to come apart around each other probably spoke for that matter, if she were being honest.

"Don't flatter yourself, Miss Swan," Regina snapped, taking a step back almost defensively. "I was just unaware that my company was suddenly unsatisfying, so much that you would ditch our plans to seek out that of another." Another step was taken back. "I do hope you've been enjoying yourself with a whore."

Regina was gone before Emma got the opportunity to even get up and follow after her. Irritation prickled at every nerve in Emma's body. Seriously? Of all things, Emma had never really pinned Regina as a drama queen when it came to whom she was sleeping with. And certainly not one that was suddenly outwardly possessive. Ignoring the confused looks of those around her, Emma threw down money for her drink and left the bar, looking around for a long moment. Regina was nowhere to be found, and neither was her car. Typical.

The entire drive back to the apartment Emma shared with Mary Margaret Blanchard was spent being thoroughly pissed off at herself for even considering still going to Regina's. The mayor had waltzed in and practically treated Emma like property, and there was still this stupid, niggling feeling of guilt in the back of her brain that wouldn't leave her alone. Why the hell should Emma have felt guilty? Regina didn't really appreciate Emma showing up to her place in a bad mood. If anything, Emma was sparing the brunette from mood swings and difficulty focusing. Sure, her little…thing…with Regina was stress relief, but Emma could justify this as an exception. It was more than just stress.

Besides, it wasn't like they were together. It wasn't like Emma was obligated to be at the beck and call of Regina Mills. And work happened to be a little more important than a booty call (something she had spent all night reminding herself, because God, if she hadn't been throbbing all day in anticipation...). So what if they spent every week together? So what if Emma had stayed the night last time?

The blonde had barely pulled into the parking lot at home before she was turning around and heading towards Mifflin Street. Emma didn't owe Regina shit, but she was going to be considerate enough to give her an explanation. Because that was just the kind of person Emma was.

'Let me in.'

The response to her text message took a little longer than expected. Emma didn't really like having to lean against her car, looking around like some sort of creep as she hovered across the street from Regina's house. She practically jabbed the button to open the return message with relief, though her jaw clenched when she read the single word on the screen.

'No.'

Well. It was going to be like that, then.

'Let me in, or I'm climbing the side of the house. I'd prefer the option that won't wake Henry.'

The response was a little faster this time, though no less irritating.

'I prefer the option that opens opportunity for your first flying lesson.'

How Emma ended up sleeping with such a bitch, she would never understand. With a heavy sigh of annoyance, Emma crossed the street, circling the house quietly as she cased the outer walls. It wasn't going to be easy, but it was possible to climb up to Regina's window – she had crawled out of it enough times to know this. But up was a little more dangerous than down, and if she had known she was going to be playing ninja, she would have worn different boots. Phone still in hand, Emma sent a reply, and then looked up at the window in question.

'I'm outside your window. Last chance.'

'If you climb my house, Miss Swan, so help me…'

'Then open the door.'

'No.'

"Suit yourself," Emma muttered out loud, looking at the single word for a moment before shoving the phone into her jacket pocket. Taking a deep breath, she braced her hands on the gutter that ran up the building, then hoisted herself onto the gate looking thing that she had never really learned the name of, but always relied on to keep her from busting her ass on Thursday nights. Up was definitely trickier than down; a couple of times, Emma was convinced she saw her life flash before her eyes as she swayed backwards a little. She was more than halfway up when she heard Regina's bedroom window open.

"For Christ's sake…"

Emma was honestly a little surprised when Regina let her in instead of pushing her off of the windowsill. The look on her face was murderous, but she had apparently found it in herself to spare Emma of that particular urge. Breathing heavily, the blonde clutched at the wall for a moment, silently thanking her stars that she was even still alive before turning to face the woman she had pretty much just risked her life to see. Regina hadn't gotten out of her clothes yet; she was still wearing her waist length black coat, which meant she hadn't even thought about changing yet. Which also meant that she was upset, because it was one of the very few times the woman stayed dressed this late at night.

"So how about the next time you want to show up on me and throw around accusations, you actually stick around to see what's really going on?" Emma said as she moved further into the room, away from the window. She didn't appreciate the type of treatment Regina seemed so ready and willing to give her; they may have been fuck buddies, but Emma didn't intend on letting that be an excuse for Regina to start acting like some betrayed housewife that had just been cheated on. Even if Emma did feel a little bad for choosing to go out instead of seeing if Regina was still up for their plans, it just wasn't an excuse. It wasn't.

"Sorry, Miss Swan, but I'm really not in the mood to hear your excuses tonight." Regina's reply was sharp, but not as sharp as it could have been. If anything, it sounded like she had put just enough effort in to sound like she wanted Emma to leave her alone, and to be convincing enough that Emma would know she was mad. Unfortunately for her, Emma had been spending enough time around the Mayor lately to read right through that little mask. Emma was almost positive that she was one of the few, save for maybe Henry, that could read Regina the way she could. Not a lot of people seemed to understand her, or even try to. Once Emma had started trying, she began to notice the little things that made Regina look a lot different.

She almost wished that she couldn't see all of those things, because the more human Regina started looking to Emma, the more the blonde found herself wishing things were different.

"You don't get to start a fight, and then not let me retaliate," Emma said, coming to a stop in front of Regina and folding her arms. "You wanna tell me what was about back there?"

"You mean my anger at our plans being cancelled so you could go drown yourself in a drink?"

"More like, your total jealousy over the fact that Ruby tried sitting in my lap, and then making it out to be more than it was."

A heavy scoff of amusement and disbelief escaped Regina, and she ran her eyes over Emma's body. "You think I'm jealous of a bitch?" she all but snarled. "Please. She's a downgrade. I was expecting a little more out of you after managing to remain in my bed for as long as you did."

There was a lot of anger there, and Emma could feel it. She was still confused, however; what the hell was even going on here? Emma knew Regina was upset, she just couldn't figure out about what. The jealousy remark was really the only thing she had to cling to. The sheriff knew jealousy when she saw it. And better yet, she always knew when Regina was lying, and the brunette may as well have been clenching her teeth together as she spoke. She had turned away and made her way towards the closet, jerking off the leather coat and reaching for a hanger. Emma waited until the garment was put away before speaking.

"Are you scared?"

There was a noticeable shift in Regina's posture; her spine became more rigid, and her fingers slowly clenched into the palms of her hands. There was only a brief pause before she turned her head slightly. "What could I possibly have to be afraid of?"

"Abandonment," Emma replied, moving forward slowly. "You've finally found something routine again, something that makes sense to you, and thinking you saw it shift somewhere else freaked you out. You've been expecting things to change, and you thought they did. So you got scared and lashed out, and – "

Emma's words were suddenly cut off with a loud grunt as lips slammed ungracefully into her own, sucking the breath right out of her in their intensity. She wasn't sure why she was kissing back – to make Regina feel better, maybe, or maybe herself. Or maybe it was a reaction to the fingers that had tightly gripped her long hair and yanked her closer until their bodies pressed together and she could feel Regina's breasts pressing to hers. It wasn't important, because the only thing that suddenly seemed to matter was that Regina wasn't close enough, and she was seeking to rectify that with one hand at the back of her neck, the other gripping her waist as she pulled her deeper into the kiss and held on to keep herself grounded.

The kiss lasted a long time, longer than Emma expected. Regina was brutal, her lips forcing themselves as the dominant ones, her tongue prying Emma's mouth open to shove it into the warm heat and explore. Emma had to clamp down on Regina's tongue and suck hard to keep the moan building in her throat at bay, though Regina didn't seem to have the same desire to restrain herself; Emma heard the low noise building within the brunette, and she knew Regina hated her for bringing it out of her so quickly.

The kiss ended with a loud pop, caused by Regina yanking her tongue free and drawing her lips back just slightly. They both breathed heavier than either was comfortable with, and Regina's grip on Emma's hair seemed to tighten tenfold. While Emma wanted to be annoyed, all she felt was aroused; heat pooled between her thighs as Regina's fingers jerked on her blonde locks, catching her lips again for another loud but brief kiss before growling against her lips, "Perhaps you need a reminder of who you belong to."

Oh Jesus, Emma thought to herself, knowing she should be infuriated that Regina would ever think she had any kind of claim over her, but really just wanting the woman to follow through on that claim. Despite this, Emma wasn't exactly easy; easier for Regina than others, maybe, but even the Mayor had to work for it sometimes. Emma's other hand locked around Regina's hip opposite the one she already had hold of, and with a hard shove, she slammed Regina's back to the wall by the bedroom door. She could tell the wind had knocked from Regina's body in the way the woman's gasp was cut short, and the choked noise mixed with shock and arousal that followed. If Emma hadn't been trying to prove a point, she may have let Regina catch her breath. Instead, she leaned forward, grabbing onto Regina's lower lip hard with her teeth and pulling; releasing only to suck roughly on the quickly bruising lip. "Or maybe you need a reminder that not everyone is going to put someone else above you," Emma breathed when she finally let go.

Emma only registered the surprised and slightly guarded look on Regina's face long enough to make sure she had heard her. Leaning down, Emma let her hands slide down to Regina's thighs, gripping tight before jerking them forward; bringing Regina's entire body off of the floor and hoisting her up the wall. A shocked noise ripped from the brunette, her hands scrambling against the wall, but Emma stepped forward to ensure the woman wasn't going anywhere, using her grip to pull Regina's legs around her body, where they clamped tight on instinct.

"Miss Swan," Regina warned, squirming slightly to get down, trying to move one thigh to press a foot back to the ground. Emma had her tight, however, making sure there was no way in hell she was moving without falling right on her ass. It would have infuriated Regina if the blonde wasn't suddenly pressing to her, the planes of her stomach coming into contact with her embarrassingly hot core, her nails dragging up her thighs so her fingers could start pulling at the black shirt she had tucked into black pants earlier that day.

"You're not looking any weaker to me by letting me be the one holding you up against a wall, you know," Emma said pointedly as she tried to work the shirt free. When it snagged on Regina's pants button, Emma snarled. "Why the fuck couldn't you wear a skirt?"

Despite the look of hesitance in Regina's eyes, a smirk graced her full, red lips at Emma's annoyance. "Why on Earth would I make it easy for you?" she asked, her tone full of challenge that Emma was more than happy to accept. In one quick motion, the button was ripped from Regina's pants, the shirt pulled free and shoved at to get up her torso. Regina took the hint, her hands leaving the wall to grab at the ends of her shirt to pull over her head and toss aside. Black lace covering full breasts met Emma's gaze, and the blonde wasted no time in closing her lips around a covered nipple and letting her tongue circle the fabric; soaking it through and making Regina squirm against the wall as her fingers buried themselves into Emma's hair once more. The pleasured shudders rolling through her only increased when Emma started thrusting against her, rubbing herself against her core, flattening herself as efficiently as possible against her body.

"Oh," came the small noise from Regina, a cross between a whisper and a breathy moan. "fuck."

Emma loved it when Regina swore like that. She would never admit it, but she was pretty sure she made it clear in the way that she increased the ministration of whatever it was she was doing that caused Regina to slip in the first place. Her teeth nipped at the nipple she had been focused on, one hand braced on her hip as the other lifted to grasp the opposite breast, squeezing and rolling it as her teeth continued a pattern. She thrust herself more firmly against Regina's body, reveling in the high level of heat she could feel through the woman's pants, and smirking against the nipple in her teeth's captive when Regina's hand started pulling at the zipper of her own pants. Grabbing hold of it with the hand that was previously at Regina's hip, Emma slammed it to the wall, her head lifting to bite down into Regina's lower lip again.

"Nuh uh," she hissed, a particularly harsh thrust dealt upon her core as punishment. "That's my job."

Anger flared in Regina's gaze, but Emma didn't give her time to let the feeling settle. Her hand left the woman's breast, slipping down again so her arm could wrap fully around Regina's waist, and Emma could pull her off of the wall completely. Three steps backwards, and Emma turned, tossing Regina onto the bed. Protest died on the brunette's lips when Emma was on top of her, straddling her waist and pressing down against her; Regina could feel heat radiating from Emma's core, and it was enough to have Regina's hands grabbing at the blonde's hips and pulling her hard against her.

Emma let herself go for a moment, grinding herself against Regina's waist with soft pants of pleasure as she leaned forward, her hands braced on the mattress on either side of Regina's head. She hadn't forgotten her original intent, however; her hips lifted after a moment, away from Regina's body, and Emma's hand slid down her bare stomach, nails grazing the planes slowly, causing Regina to hiss. Pants and panties both came off when Emma tugged, impatient all of the sudden to get to what she really wanted; and oh, God, it was so beyond worth it, because Regina was absolutely dripping. Tugging her own lower lip between her front teeth, Emma gazed at the almost totally naked body beneath her, wondering not for the first time how the hell she had managed to get someone who looked this good to sleep with her. Regina was gorgeous; there was a scar here and there, sure, but Emma found those more beautiful than anything else. It always amazed her to watch them stretch and clench whenever Regina's body was close to climax.

It took her a moment to realize that her own center was throbbing and hot with desire. When she did, though, Emma didn't give it a second thought; her hips lifted further, and she pushed her own jeans and panties down her legs, kicking them off the side of the bed and onto the floor. Regina was practically writhing beneath her already, desperate to be touched and relieved of the throbbing ache between her thighs. Emma knew that she had a lot of nerve trying out this position, as intimate as it was, but she honestly didn't care; they both needed a release, and Emma was more than willing to listen to Regina bitch later about how this meant absolutely nothing, and she only enjoyed it so much because she had been wound up enough to not care. She could already see the panic rising in Regina's gaze as Emma shifted herself to straddle one toned thigh, then pulled the other one around her waist.

"What are you doing?" Regina demanded, pushing herself onto her elbows.

"Shut up," Emma replied, shifting one more time before pressing her drenched core to the one below it. Any and all protest was cut off by the heavy moans of both women, and Regina collapsed back onto the bed, her hips lifting of their own accord in an attempt to press more firmly to Emma. If she wasn't so lost in her own ripples of pleasure, Emma would have been smug at the fact that she had managed to make Regina Mills incoherent enough not to argue.

"Oh fuck," Regina moaned as Emma's hips slowly started moving, their cores sliding against each other at an agonizing pace that lit Regina's entire body on fire. She could hear Emma moaning above her, and it just made everything that much more intense; she had a weakness for the woman's moans, though it was one thing she would never admit. Fingers gripped at Emma's jacket tightly, yanking the sheriff down for a deep kiss, one that had them both moaning again as their tongues met at the same time as Emma pressed down more firmly with her hips.

"Get this hideous thing off," Regina growled against Emma's lips as her hands disappeared into the jacket, pushing it down Emma's arms. Emma didn't argue, shrugging out of the red leather completely and tossing it away, quickening the thrust of her hips downwards when she felt Regina's hands travel up her shirt to grip her breasts and squeeze. Her brain was short circuiting; all she could think to do was slow her hips suddenly, and then roll them down at the same slow pace, ripping into her bottom lip to stifle a loud moan when their clits brushed against each other and caused her body to shudder.

Regina felt like she was going to explode. Never in her life had she ever let anyone get her in a position like this; it was too intimate, too real. But the way Emma worked her hips against hers drove her mad, and she knew for a fact that if this were anyone else, it wouldn't feel half as good as it was feeling right in that moment. Regina's hips rocked upwards, rewarded with another press of her wet clit to Emma's, and a harsh whine ripped from the brunette's throat.

But she couldn't finish like this. She wouldn't let herself.

"Emma," Regina panted, pulling on the blonde's shirt to get her attention. Emma's lips returned to hers for a long kiss, one that left Regina whimpering, her hips rocking up quicker against Emma's. "Emma, I…no…"

"What?" Emma asked, a frown pulling her brows as she pulled away to look down at Regina. The brunette shook her head, her hand slipping to the back of Emma's neck to pull her down; lips pressing to her ear as she purred into it.

"I want you to come for me, and then I want you to fuck me."

Emma's hips jerked harshly, a sound close to a mewl leaving her lips at the sound of Regina's seductive voice in her ear. God, she was so close. She couldn't quite wrap her head around why Regina wanted her to finish first; the whole point was for both of them to get their release. It didn't seem to make much of a difference, however, because Regina was pushing and rocking against her, still muttering in her ear as she ground against Emma's clit with abandon.

"Come for me, Emma. Now."

That was all it took. Emma's body went rigid above Regina's, a harsh cry sounding into her shoulder, and her entire vision whited out on her for a minute as her walls clenched and heat consumed her lower abdomen. It was in that moment that Regina wondered why the hell she thought she was going to be able to last through this; the sight of Emma tensing and jerking against her was too much, and Regina was following right behind her seconds later, crying out into the darkened room as wet heat spilled from her. The two moved in unison for several long moments, drawing each other out as best as possible, before Emma finally collapsed on top of Regina's body, and Regina went still beneath her.

The silence that followed was deafening. Emma could hear Regina's erratic heartbeat, almost matching her own, though the blonde knew that Regina's was more than just the thrill of an orgasm. She had tried to get Emma to finish first, and then bring her off a different way; it suddenly made sense to Emma now. It was too intimate for Regina, so she had tried to find a way out of finishing in that position. Because finishing in that position meant way more to the brunette than she was ready to acknowledge.

Regina had been still beneath Emma for a long time. Lifting her head, Emma looked down at her, gaze tracing her face. Her eyes were shut, features twisted in humiliation, and she looked ready to cry. Slowly, Emma leaned down, pressing soft kisses along the woman's bottom lip until brown, confused eyes opened to look at her. Emma lifted to look at her, and she waited; she knew Regina would speak when she felt like it, and she wasn't disappointed.

"You'll leave one day."

Well. That hadn't been what Emma expected, but okay.

"I'm not going anywhere," Emma said softly, one hand coming up to rest on Regina's jaw. "We got ourselves into this, so I'm here to stick it out."

"What is 'this'?" Regina asked, and Emma half smiled. She wished she had the answer, but she didn't.

"I don't know," she said. "But is it really all that bad to want to figure it out?"

Real fear crept into Regina's gaze, and Emma found that she couldn't stand looking at it. She kissed her until Regina's lips softened and her hand started stroking Emma's back, a sense of relaxation settling around the both of them. When Emma broke the kiss, she smiled softly, almost sadly, and hesitantly nuzzled her nose to Regina's. The shock that radiated through the woman beneath her was palpable.

"You're all wet," Emma murmured after a few moments, her hips rocking once against Regina's again. She could feel the slickness coating both of their thighs; they had definitely made a mess. Regina's chest constricted with the breath she took, and before Emma realized what was happening, she had been flipped underneath her with Regina's hips rocking down into hers. Teeth tugged at her earlobe, and Emma whimpered; the noise lifted into a moan when Regina spoke into her ear.

"You are mine," Regina hissed.

Emma knew that the claim of ownership was the closest Emma would get to an admittance that Regina wanted her around. For now, at least.

Emma found herself surprisingly alright with that.