I totally agree with my guest that my story is 100% character driven, as I have no sense of plot or sequence! As always, all the love.
Emma sat in the truck, waiting for her mother so she could drive her to the power company. She tapped the wheel impatiently as she watched Henry struggle to tie his shoes. The chill in the air began to drive her off the edge, but the window was broken, and the heat barely worked, so she was in for an interesting ride. If only MM would let her drive the station wagon, no one would be cold, and the world would be good. However, she was, as her mother put it 'not ready', but what she might as well have said was 'I don't trust you with my car that I have had for way too long and kept in way too good of condition.' Emma wasn't upset about it on most days, but she was feeling particularly on edge today.
After two months of staying too busy to have time to dig out that little tin, she was feeling like she could finally do it. It wasn't that she thought she had a problem, it was that everyone around her made her feel like she did. So, she took a few pills, smoked a couple of bowls, or drank a couple of beers a few times, that didn't mean that she couldn't stop? It was, to her, something to enhance the joy of living, as Lily would say, and she would have to agree. Emma could and did stop, and it was fine. If it was so fine, she thought, then why did she feel so guilty?
Emma closed her eyes and filled her lungs with the thin, cold air, just as Henry opened the cab and slid inside. "I think my fingers are going to fall off." He said, shivering.
Emma let out a shaky breath, "oh, yeah?" He nodded. "If you save 'em, they might be able to put them back on." She replied.
He laughed, "I doubt they'd work the same."
"Yeah, but at least you'd still have them, maybe even some cool scars."
Henry shook his head, "not worth it."
"Guess not."
"Is the heat even on?" He asked, shoving his hands into the vents.
Emma nodded, "it's always cold in here."
"I'm going to go get another coat." He said, opening the door, "you want one?" He asked.
Emma shook her head, "I'm fine." He nodded and slammed the door, practically sprinting into the house just as her mother slipped out the door.
"Henry!" MM yelled, her tone muffled by the glass. "Slow down!" Emma chuckled to herself as she watched the woman shuffle over to the door, motioning for Emma to roll it down.
"It doesn't work!" Emma replied as MM repeatedly rapped on the glass.
"For Heavens," she replied, yanking the door open, "I need you to go pick up Lily, I need her to watch James."
Emma squinted, "Lily? You can't find anyone else?"
MM sighed, "don't say that, please, I know, but my usual kids are out of town, or busy."
Raising a brow, Emma buckled her seat belt, "okay, I'll be back, then."
"Be safe, okay?"
Emma nodded, her foot on the brake as she waited for her mother to shut the door. She shifted the gear, looking over her shoulder and in her mirrors before backing out of the garage and into the Winter Wonderland that awaited her outside. MM was still standing in the garage, and Emma waved as she pressed the button to shut it before realizing that it wouldn't shut any how then, turning the wheel to right. Luckily for her and all the other drivers on the road, it wasn't an icy winter, it was just windy, but the sky was clear, and the snow on the ground already didn't seem to stray. Had it been icy, she and anyone with half a brain, would know that even with the snow tires that she and David had spent three hours putting on the truck last week, this truck wouldn't hang. It was just that the brakes weren't the best, and the steering locked when it skid even a little.
Emma stopped at the stop sign at the edge of her street, pulling out her phone she called Lily, turning on the speaker and leaving it on her thigh so she could keep going.
"Yo," Lily answered.
Emma took a breath, "hey, I'm on my way to come get you, please don't be drunk."
Lily laughed, "I'm not."
"My mom needs you to watch James for a couple of hours while we go to the power company."
"You don't have power? And you want me to sit in your house, without power, with a baby?"
"We have power in the living room from a generator, fuck," Emma muttered.
"What?" Lily asked.
"I missed my turn. I'll see you in a second, okay, I can't multitask like this," she replied in a clipped tone, turning her phone off and tossing it to the side. Emma took a deep breath before pulling to the left and making a U turn, which was illegal where she was, but without a car in sight, she could pretend that it never happened. Three minutes later she was honking in Lily's driveway.
Emma pulled her knees up, shivering into them for the five minutes it took her friend to come outside, dressed in sweatpants, a hoodie and some kind of giant winter coat, and a beanie doing a bad job at covering her mess of a head of hair.
"Hey," she said breathlessly, getting into the cab.
"Hey." Emma answered, moving her legs back down to the pedals.
"You okay?" Lily asked.
Emma nodded, "yeah."
They drove in comfortable silence, something that had always come easily for them. Pulling up to Emma's house, Lily looked over at her friend, "you sure you're okay?"
"Yes!" Emma answered in a clipped tone, "yes. My mom's inside, she'll show you how to work the generator."
Lily lingered a moment before hopping out the seat with her bag in hand, walking quickly inside, Henry brushing past her as she did.
"I got a coat." He said, sliding into the middle seat next to her, she could feel his body heat, and it made her feel a little better.
Emma smiled, "good."
Henry grinned, "Mom said that she's going to make you take me to GameStop to get my game." He said, "I'll even let you play with me, it's so cool, and," he began to chatter on, Emma half listening as she waited for her mother to lock the door.
"Ready?" MM asked, slipping in next to Henry. "Sorry it took me so long, I had to be very clear with Lily, it was mildly concerning how many times she asked me if she needed to change his diaper."
Emma smiled, "You wouldn't want her to anyways." She replied, her mother chuckling as she backed out of the driveway. They were on their way.
Regina was on her way home at around 3:30 that afternoon, she had gone to the water company, which, no matter how Ruby had insisted, was indeed open, and settled that mess, and she had a couch on it's way to delivery the next day. She was tired, and dirty, which made her even happier as she thought of the promise of a nice hot shower, but something compelled her keep going down the road leading home. Regina, of course, knew where she was going, but she wasn't ready to come to terms with why. She was going to talk to Emma, because it was getting ridiculous, the girl needed to understand that she was not in control of the law, or other people. No matter how hard she tried to explain that when she first told Emma that the twins would be going back to livve with their real mother, she hadn't listened.
Of course, there was nothing different from then until now except a little time, so what exactly was she expecting to be different? She didn't know, but if she were being completely honest, she was just looking for another excuse to see Emma, even dirty and hungover, she wanted to start this year off with her in it. So, she drove to the house, not too far from where she had just, just across the freeway that separated two suburbs, and hoped for the best.
As she drove, she thought of all the things Emma had said to her, that she was 'heartless' and a 'traitor', and a whole slew of different blows that Regina had tried not to listen to. Emma didn't believe her when she said that it was hard for her, but she didn't have a choice, she didn't listen when she told her that she would do anything to keep them, but this was above her, as they were not up for adoption, that they were foster children. Emma yelled that she knew that she could have, and she was right, she could have, but when the parents came through, refusing to sign the documents for Regina to legally adopt the girls, they also decided to be reevaluated to receive full custody again.
It sickened her that theses people could so easily weave in and out of these children's life, causing them so much stress and serving instability that Regina had tried so hard to create for them. It sickened her that they could so easily just give them up again, and the next time, they may not find their way to her again. When their social worker called her up, and with sadness in her voice, told Regina that they would be going to New Jersey, and that she was sorry.
"I don't understand this, I just submitted my adoption application,"
"Right, but officially, they were still foster children."
"This makes no sense," Regina said, head spinning, "you, you specifically told me that it would be no problem, a quick adoption."
"These things happen."
"They shouldn't."
Now, they were gone, and she could only hope with all she had that those people would be true to their intentions, and not only stand by the girls, but give them as good or better of a life that Regina could have. Regina twitched her nose, feeling overcome with emotions that she thought she was done with, she stretched her arms over the wheel, letting out a breath. She saw the street sign that would lead her to Emma's neighborhood, and turned her blinker on, moving out onto the street. Not too long after, she was parked in front of the house, it looked as if Mary Margret were home, that same horrible station wagon parked in the driveway. She sighed, pulling her hood up as she braced herself against the wind and cold. Regina all but ran to the door, ringing the bell six times over, opening the screen to knock loudly..
"Hold on!" A voiced yelled, "jesus." It muttered, probably thinking she couldn't hear. Regina tapped her foot, rolling her eyes, as she listened to someone struggle with locks. Soon after, Lily opened the door. "Oh."
"What're you doing here?" Lily asked, confused.
"I'm looking for Emma." Regina replied. Lily nodded, Regina shook her head, "are you going to let me in?"
"Emma's not here." Lily answered.
"Where is she?" Regina asked, just as she heard a cry from inside the house.
"No," Lily whined, "hold on," she said, running out from the door, "you can come in." She called.
Regina slipped into the house, warmer than the outside, but not too warm at all. She looked around, it was cute and homey, she smiled at the decorations, pictures of MM and David with Henry at DisneyWorld, looking like they were having more fun than him. She smiled, shutting the door and locking it behind her. She could hear Lily struggling, and a child crying, the girl trying to soothe it to no avail. Regina walked briskly into the hall where she remembered Lily going, she walked down the narrow hall, with doors on the right, and just a wall on the left before she came to a large room at the end, flooded with light.
"I'm not really great with babies." Lily said upon Regina's arrival. Regina nodded, moving closer, taking her coat off as this room was noticeably warmer than the rest of the house. "Emma's mom said she fed him and he doesn't stink, so I don't," she trailed off, handing him to Regina, who sat on her knees besides the girl.
She cradled the baby in her arms, "his name is, James, right?" Regina asked quietly. Lily nodded, "okay, James." She soothed, elevating his head as he coughed a bit. "I think he's just cold." Regina replied. "Yeah?" She asked James, her voice a whisper.
Lily walked on her knees over to a recliner and snatched a knit blanket off of it, handing it to Regina, who uttered a 'thank you' and wrapped it around the child, who's cries turned into slight babbles as she stared into Regina's eyes. Regina smiled into his eyes, swaying him as she did. It was almost like magic that she began to fall asleep.
Lily handed her a pacifier, "he likes this. Emma said purple was his favorite."
Regina took it, touching it against James' lips, who opened his mouth to take it. He happily sucked away, falling asleep with ease. Regina smiled up at Lily, motioning for her to bring over the little cradle that she was sure his mom had brought down. Regina placed him in the cradle, and he continued to sleep.
"Thank you." Lily said, watching him.
Regina nodded, "yeah." She smiled.
Lily moved to sit next to Regina, farther away from James, resting her chin on her knees. Regina glanced over at her, unsure of what to do next, she started to stand up, "no!" Lily said, grabbing her hand, "please. Will you stay?" She asked. "Please."
Regina looked around the house, frowning before nodding slowly, "okay." She replied, taking her place next to Lily, across from James, and waiting in comfortable silence for whatever were to happen next. Regina closed her eyes, resting her forehead on her knees.
"You know," Lily said, Regina inhaled and sat up.
"Yes, dear?"
"I used to think that there was something wrong with you, for," she sniveled, "for whatever you had with Emma." Regina looked away, her face flushing, and just nodded. "You're different than I thought."
Regina looked over at her, curious, "how?"
Lily shrugged, "you're like us." She made eye contact with Regina, for the first time, her eyes weren't glazed over with an aloof stare, they had heart.
"How so?"
Lily cracked her neck, "it's just a feeling."
Regina nodded, "okay." She replied, just as the house shook a bit and lights began to turn on around them.
After a trip that felt like it would never end surrounded by so much impatience it was almost contagious, Emma couldn't be happier to be on her way home. Her mother and brother were talking animatedly beside her, the radio on just loud enough for her to hear as she focused on the road. That was the thing she liked most about driving, was that she was forced to focus on her surroundings, that she didn't have to talk and it wouldn't be rude, it was just relaxing to her. Not to mention that she was pretty decent at it, as David had put it, for a first timer. Emma smiled inside as she looked over her shoulder, something that she had to be sure to do often as the truck had more blindspots than Helen Keller.
Just thirty minutes of bumper to bumper traffic later, they pulled onto their street, the lights in the driveway on. Emma smiled as Henry clapped about being powerful. Then her throat went dry, because parked on the side of her house was the black Mercedes that she would have to be blind not to recognize. Emma felt angry and excited all at once, because though she was still epically pissed at Regina, she had missed her something fierce. It was a very contradictory feeling.
"Who is that?" Henry asked?
Emma pulled into the open garage, quickly turning the engine off and all but bursting out of the car.
"Emma!" Mary Margret called, but the girl ignored her, running up the stairs and into her room. Henry gave his mother a shocked and guilty glance as if trying to cover for his sister. Mary Margret shook her head, getting out of the car, and not waiting for Henry as she rushed inside. Making her way into the living room, she saw Lily with another person, her son still asleep.
"Hey," Lily greeted, "Regina came by looking for Emma, and ended up staying with me because I suck at.. babies." Lily explained.
Mary Margret smiled and went to hug her, "oh, you should have told me you were stopping by,"
"I didn't know I was." Regina admitted pulling out of the embrace.
MM grinned, "I'll make us something to drink, cocoa?"
"Uh, coffee?" Regina asked. MM nodded, "thank you."
MM busied herself in the kitchen, smiling at James as he slept. "Emma is upstairs, Lily, if you'd like to get her." Lily shook her head, but only Regina saw.
Regina moved into the kitchen, leaning against the counter nearest Mary Margret, "I hope I didn't overstep by coming here, had I known that you weren't even home."
"Nonsense," Mary Margret mused, "really, I'm overjoyed, I was terrified leaving my baby with Lily." She said in a teasing tone, but Regina could tell she wasn't lying.
Lily scoffed, "he's alive!"
MM laughed, "would you still be so confident if Regina hadn't shown up?"
Lily hesitated, "he would have been probably alive."
MM laughed, then looked to Regina, "you didn't overstep, Regina, really." Regina smiled. "I'm not sure if Emma is going to speak to you, however."
Regina nodded, "I know."
"You can certainly try, though." She replied, placing two mugs on the counter. "Just go upstairs, it's the only door on the left side of the staircase." Regina lingered. "What's wrong?"
"Thinking." Regina replied quickly. "I don't want to go in there and say something that will only pass to anger her further."
"Regina, I can honestly tell you, that you are her favorite person to exist," she shook her head, "most of the time. Just be honest, make her listen, you'll be fine." Regina squeezed MM's shoulder as she brushed past her. "Coffee," MM said, handing her the mug. "Before you ask, no soy milk."
Regina scowled, "black it is, then. Thank you, dear."
Moving into the connecting den, she walked up the stairs, slowly as if it would make any difference as she felt like she was walking towards her impending doom, she stopped before the door she was told to be Emma's. Regina knocked quietly before trying the knob, finding it unlocked she pushed the door open, and was hit by a rush of cold air.
The room was dark aside from little twinkling lights on the ceiling, she looked around, but couldn't see anyone, so she turned and closed the door behind her. There was a dresser to her right, beneath a television that's screen was black, she placed her mug down lightly on the wood, someone the drink spilling onto her hand. She hissed, shaking her hand off, wiping it on her leg. Regina inhaled a scent of cherries, standing in the center of the room, she felt as if she were intruding on the space, Emma's space. Regina moved to the window, a soft orange glow spilling in through the pane, there was no screen, and she peaked her head out, nearly screaming when she saw Emma sitting just to the left of the window.
"Hey," Emma said quietly, knees pulled up, her hands holding each other beneath them.
Regina let out a shaky breath, "hi." She replied, moving so she could sit on the ledge opposite the girl. "Cold?" She asked.
Emma, clad only in her orange hoodie, leggings, and a beanie, shook her head. "You?"
"No." Regina replied quietly. "Emma," Regina said, Emma looked over at her, "I'm sorry."
Emma nodded, "I know."
"I don't like the way things work, and I don't always understand them," Regina rambled.
"It's fine," Emma interrupted, "you don't have to give me a speech, I," she sighed, "it's fine." The girl just looked down at her sock encased feet, wiggling her toes, before scooting over, patting the spot next to her.
Regina skeptically moved to sit next to her. Emma let out a breath, relaxing at the woman neared her. Neither said a word, just staring out into the yard they shared with a neighboring house, one that hadn't been lived in in six years, they had left behind an old broke down Volkswagen beetle, covered now mostly in snow and weeds. Emma closed her eyes before looking over at Regina, who stared down into the snow.
Emma didn't overthink her next move and she brought her hand up to Regina's cheek and pulled the brunette into her. They seemed to melt together, the awkward position they were in not stopping the passion from flowing between them. Regina slipped her hand behind Emma's back, it slipping under her jacket, the cold member falling against the warmth of her back, sending a painful shiver up it, Emma inhaled shakily, smiling into the kiss as she moved closer to Regina, pulling her in. With on her her legs over Regina's and the other under, she tried the best she could to straddle the woman, who lightly raked her nails over the expanse of her back. Emma moaned lightly into the kiss, before she began to laugh.
Emma laughed, her nose resting on Regina, as tears began to flow down her face, her eyes still closed. Regina smiled, letting out a soft chuckle. Emma pulled back, kissing her nose, her forehead, her cheeks, then her neck before laughing again. Emma inhaled the smell of Regina's perfume, she could tell that was her only shower that morning.
The wind began to pick up as dark clouds that had been resting in the East rolled in. Small flakes of snow began to fall into Regina's hair, Emma blowing them away.
"I think there's a storm coming." Emma said,
Regina nodded, "looks to be."
Downstairs, Mary Margret was bouncing James as he giggled to the swing of her hips, and Lily was fighting with Henry over Lord-knows-what.
"I'm serious, little dude, you have not lived until you've played Red Dead Redemption."
"You've can't even talk about living when you have never played Skyrim."
"Okay, no." Lily squinted at him, "I have seen Skyrim, and I make a choice not to play it." Henry opened his mouth to speak, "the gameplay graphics, suck. The storyline is confusing, at best, and the controls are idiotic and unrealistic."
"How do you know this when you've never played it?"
"Call it intuition."
"You're stupid," Henry said.
"Henry Daniel!" His mother called from the kitchen. "Say sorry."
Henry rolled his eyes, "sorry," he said loudly, "that you're stupid," he said so only Lily could hear. Lily gaped and stood up, making her way into the kitchen, grabbing a poptart and sitting down on the couch next to him. "Let's talk Left 4 Dead."
"Hate it." He said.
With a pastry hanging out of her mouth Lily slapped her thighs, "I'm done."
Regina pulled Emma back into her room, nearly tripping over a shoe in the floor, Emma pulled her to the bed, "sorry." She said. Regina didn't answer as she crawled atop Emma and kissed her as if she only had one chance. Emma, reached under Regina's shirt, pulling her down into her, wrapping her leg's around Regina's thighs. The brunette pushed her knee into Emma's core, the blonde's soft moan, never escaping her throat. The girl pushed her body downwards, hungrily trying to create friction as Regina pulled away from her, taking off her coat.
Emma pouted up at her, when Regina smiled and moved back towards her, the girl flipped their positions. Regina let out a panicked breath, and Emma's smile fell as she pulled back, sitting on her hips. "What's wrong?" She asked.
Regina closed her eyes, telling herself that she was fine, and that Emma was not here to hurt her. "I just need a moment." Emma attempted to step off the bed, but Regina gripped her hips, holding her in place, Emma squirmed and giggled, slapping her hands away.
"That tickles, stop." She said, trying to sound serious. Regina let out a throaty chuckle, then reached up to tickle Emma's ribcage, the girl violently jumped off of her, and off the bed, still laughing. "Seriously, don't mess with me. " Regina laughed, sitting up on her elbow, and just as she opened her mouth to reply,
"Emma," MM's voice came from downstairs, "are you okay?"
Emma groaned, "fine!" She yelled, louder than she needed to.
"Come downstairs." MM called.
Regina sat up, her legs dangling over the edge of the bed, Emma walked towards her and sighed. Regina pulled her into her and kissed her one last time, "let's go."
Emma nodded, checking herself in the mirror as she pulled off her beanie, "I'll meet you down there." She said, pulling her hair up into a messy ponytail.
Regina stood back a moment before Emma caught her staring and blushed, "stop," she whined.
Closing the door, Regina made her way downstairs, trying to catch up with the occurrences of the past few minutes. She had gone upstairs expecting nothing short of a screaming match, but came down feeling as though their relationship were better than ever. While she should be feeling glad, all she could feel was confused. Confused as to why, if Emma had been so angry at her, had she been so quick to forgive. Regina mulled the thought over, and while she would like to believe that Emma had just come to accept the truth, she also had to take into consideration that the girl has had a tendency to be wildly unstable in her thoughts and emotions, especially when aimed towards Regina. Regina shook her head, no, she was going to leave it alone for the night, and appreciate how she and Emma were able to finally able to have a moment to themselves. Tonight, there were no drugs, no priorities, it was just them.
Mary Margret smiled as Regina strode into the kitchen, "how'd it go?" She asked, grinning eagerly. Regina did her best not to blush, but she realized she already was.
She sighed, "we had a conversation, and I think that we're on good terms."
MM smiled, turning her attention to James, "that's good."
"Yeah," Regina let out, "I suppose I should get going soon," she admitted as Emma rounded the corner, leaning against the door next to Regina. "Hi."
"Hi," she said, turning her attention to her mother, "are you making dinner?"
MM smiled at her, "I don't know, I might."
Emma moved behind Regina, her hand on her lower back, "excuse me," she said. "We can make fried rice, or something easy."
Her mother nodded, "are you going to cook?"
Emma laughed, "no. Only if Regina helps me." She threw a pleading look over at the brunette.
"I'm a terrible cook."
"You lie!" Emma laughed.
Regina smiled. "I meant it when I said I should get going, I haven't showered in two days, and if you and I were right about the storm, Emma," Regina rambled, just as the lights flickered off, then back on again.
Emma flashed her a grin, "might be too late."
MM handed James to Emma, who took him, confused, "I need to call your father, he's probably stuck down at the station."
"Guess you're staying for dinner after all."
Regina smiled, moving to stroke James' cheek. "I do hope you still have my clothes I leant you, because I was not lying about being unclean."
Emma chuckled, "I know, and I do." Lily shuffled into the kitchen, resting her chin on Emma's shoulder. "Hey." Emma greeted, leaning her head into her friend's.
"Your little brother is a freaking twat."
Emma laughed. "That's so mean."
"I'm serious, tell me you disagree." Emma shrugged. "Exactly." She looked at Regina, "that kid needs boundaries."
"Stop talking about me!" Henry yelled from the living room.
"You're a bully!" Lily replied. "I feel threatened and offended." She hid behind Emma as Henry shuffled towards them with his fists up. Emma rest her hand on his forehead and pushed him away, Henry swinging at her arms.
"Stop!" She replied as the lights flickered off again, the wind howling as Henry squeaked and ran into Emma's arms. When the lights came back on, Emma looked down to see him with his eyes squeezed shut under her armpit. She laughed as he ran off into the den. Emma turned towards Regina smiling, "okay, I'll get you a towel, you can shower in my room."
Regina and Lily followed her up the stairs, the latter falling into Emma's bed, "oh my lord, close the window, are you a sociopath?" She asked, Emma glared at her and slammed the window shut. "Thanks, friend." She replied.
Emma moved into her bathroom, struggling to light the two little candles on the lid of the toilet, "in case the power goes out again." She said, putting them down on the counter before pulling a towel out of the closet to her left. "One? Two?" She asked.
"One." Regina replied, taking the white fluffy towel from her before closing the door a bit so Lily couldn't see and pulling Emma into a kiss.
"I can hear you!" Lily called, Regina pulled away from Emma, smiling before giving her another peck on the nose. "Gross." Lily groaned.
Emma laughed, "she's just jealous," she winked.
Regina grinned, "clearly."
"I'll leave you to it." Emma replied, closing the door before Regina could ask her to join, not that she thought the girl would say yes, with her mother being home, and the possibility times three or being caught. Regina smiled as she stripped herself of dirty clothes, eagerly stepping under the hot spray, with only the flickering lights of the pine scented candles illuminating the small bathroom. She read the labels on all Emma's shampoo products, she especially liked the cherry scented body wash. It reminded her of school, and the hand soaps they would have in the bathrooms, or cherry Kool-aid. Outside, Emma and Lily were smack talking Henry, unaware that Regina could hear almost everything they were saying. Not that they were speaking of her anyway.
Now that she had dressed, brushed her teeth, and now sat on Emma's chair with one of her hoodies on, she was feeling more like herself. It was odd for her to be sitting in the dark, with only the lights of candles that Emma had taken from the bathroom and the hallways to illuminate the room.
"We have to learn to have fun without the power," Lily said, suggesting that they do something without the use of lights of technology.
"We could play light as a feather, stiff as a board." Henry suggested. Everyone muttered a negative, "you guys suck."
Regina sat back, smiling as she felt all the love in that room. It had been so long since she'd experienced just fun, and warmth like this. She wasn't unhappy or surprised to have found it in the home of Emma Swan, with her family and her friend.
"That game is bull anyways, how do you even think it's possible to life someone with two fingers, anyways?" Lily stated, in the true downer spirit.
Henry glared at her, "it's probably just because you're fat." He countered.
Emma spit out her drink, sputtering as she laughed, "Henry!" She exclaimed. Regina smirked, she quite liked Henry, he was endearing and sarcastic, just how she liked the people she was to associate with. Lily was laughing as well, handing Emma the towel she was sitting on, having opted to take a shower after Regina. Emma grabbed it, still laughing and cleaned up her mess.
"We could play killer in the house." Regina suggested.
"She speaks!" Lily raised her hands in hallelujah. Regina raised a brow.
"What is that?" Henry asked.
Regina licked her lips, "in a nutshell, it's like hide and go seek with the lights off."
Lily clapped, "I'm down." Emma agreed.
"Who's it?" Henry asked. They all looked at each other, Lily put her finger on her nose, followed by Henry, then Regina, then Emma.
"No!" Emma exclaimed. "Wait, I want to see if Mom wants to play."
"You just don't want to be it," Henry accused.
"No," Emma struggled to stand up, taking her empty cup with her, "I seriously want her to play." She replied. Lily booed her.
With all the lights off, the house became and endless palace of too many and not enough places to hide. The rules were simple; no lights, no sounds. Mary Margret put James to sleep up in his crib, which was off limits, as well as her room. Other than that it was free reign. MM counted to 100 in her room, Lily and Henry running off to hide in different places, both upstairs. Emma took Regina's hand and led her down the steps, saying she had the perfect place. Regina felt butterflies in her stomach as she trusted Emma to lead her somewhere safe. Emma opened the door to the mudroom so silently, that if the air hadn't gotten drastically cooler, then Regina wouldn't have been the wiser. Then, they were in the garage. Emma opened her car door with care and ushered Regina inside, then after moving in beside her, closed it with care.
Hardly any time had passed before Emma was in her lap, her lips landing just the left of her own. Regina moaned into the girl, her hands easily slipping around her, her fingertips just slipping past the hem of her pants. Emma moved to push Regina's hands down, but the woman only moved them back up. With Emma back in check, Regina allowed for her tongue to meet with the girl's, who tilted her head ever so slightly in the kiss. Emma's hand met Regina's abdomen and trailed up and down the expanse of the skin, she smiled as her hand smoothed over the naked skin of her breasts, peaking over her hardened nipple. Regina moaned, her heart racing.
Emma pulled back, taking a breath, her hand falling out of Regina's top slowly, the woman exhaled. The blonde reached up and rested her hand on Regina's neck, "what happened?" She asked. Regina pursed her lips, "did I do something wrong?"
Regina inhaled, shaking her head, "no, dear, I'm just," she sighed, letting out a breathless laugh, "I'm not ready, to," she shook her head again, "I can't do this yet."
"I don't understand, we've had sex before."
"Well, I had sex with you." Regina admitted, then she sighed, grazing her finger under Emma's chin, who moved away from the touch, "Emma."
"What?"
"I need you to understand, please."
"I get it, Regina, you don't want me to have sex with you."
"No, I do, Emma, I do," Regina moved Emma's head so she would face her, "I just need time."
Emma nodded, "maybe my gross truck wasn't the best place to suggest out first actual time."
Regina chuckled, "it's not ideal." She replied, Emma slid off of her, sitting in the driver's side, leaning her head on Regina's shoulder.
"I just, need to say," Emma jerked up, "that I don't want to push you." Regina nodded, "I'm really sorry, I'm just not used to people not wanting to you know, have sex with me."
Regina felt her stomach lurch, then she whispered, "it's not,"
"No, I know, Regina, I do, I was just saying."
"Thank you," Regina answered, her eyes wandering about the dark garage for the first time.
Emma held her forearm, her fingers dancing over her sweater, "I don't mind waiting, because I care," she paused, "very much for you."
Regina grinned, pressing her lips into Emma's hair, "I know."