Emma hated her birthday. She was always alone. That particular morning, though, for the very first time, when she rolled over to shut off her alarm clock, another body was keeping hers warm.

"Good morning, Angel," her lover whispered, kissing her cheek. "Happy birthday, love. I have a surprise for you tonight."

"I hate surprises," Emma groaned, grabbing her pillow and covering her face with it.

Regina sat up in the bed, tossed the covers off, and straddled Emma's hips. Though it was just a playful gesture, Emma still felt pangs of desire as she felt the weight of her lover on top of her. Regina leaned in and kissed the woman's collar bone, which was exposed by her white tank top. Emma sighed into the pillow, but didn't move... at least until Regina sat up and began to tickle her sides. Emma thrashed beneath her, squirming and trying to throw her off.

"Regina!" she screamed between giggles, throwing the pillow to the floor. "Knock it off!"

But of course, Regina ignored her and continued anyway, until Emma could barely breathe from laughing.

"Alright, alright!" Emma yelled. "I give up!"

As Regina rolled off of her and flopped down beside her on the bed, Emma moved to switch their positions and straddle her. As she finally looked around, so noticed that there were balloons tied to each of the four bedposts.

"Regina!" Emma pouted. "You didn't have to do that."

"I know," she said smiling. "But you're special to me, so I wanted today to be special for you."

"Any day with you is special," Emma told her, leaning down to kiss her lips.

They smiled at each other, faces close together, until Emma went back in for another kiss, this one deeper than the first.

"Do I get birthday sex?" Emma asked hopefully, resting her hands on Regina's hips.

Her lover was only wearing panties and a T-shirt, when Emma touched her hips, she felt the lace beneath her palms and smiled.

"Please?"

Regina looked over at the clock and shook her head.

"We've gotta go! We're meeting everyone at Granny's for breakfast, remember?"

Emma sighed and rolled off of her, jerking the covers back up and snuggling into her pillow.

"You can't make me. It's my birthday. I don't have to get out of bed if I don't want to."

"Oh, yes, you do," Regina corrected, wiggling her fingers threateningly. "Or I'll tickle you again."

Emma groaned and punched the pillow, sitting up and pushing her hands through her blonde locks of hair.

"Alright," she sighed, swinging her legs out of bed. "Shower?"

Regina nodded, and they both made their way into the bathroom.

"Just a quickie?" Emma begged, but Regina shook her head again.

"Strictly business, I'm afraid," Regina said, handing her the soap.

Emma pouted for the rest of the morning, to the point where even her friends noticed.

"Emma, what's wrong?" Ruby asked.

The blonde just shook her head and lied, "Nothing. Just tired still."

But she was still sulking from the lack of sex. She scowled at Regina and crossed her arms, but her lover ignored her. It wasn't until the evening that she forgot about her grievance. They all gathered at Mary Margaret's place for a big meal and ate until they were more than full, and then, of course, had birthday cake on top of that. As customary, they all sang Emma "Happy Birthday," which she hated. Attention was never something Emma had craved. In fact, she hated having the spotlight focused on her, but her friends wouldn't seem to let it go.

"Can't this just be a normal day?" Emma had asked.

They all shook their heads and beamed at her, more than happy to be celebrating their friend on her special day. By the time everyone had left, it was one-thirty in the morning. Regina slipped into her nightgown and Emma stripped down to her underwear, and they both climbed in bed. Emma had forgotten all about the 'surprise,' but Regina hadn't. As Emma rolled over and shut off the light, she yawned and leaned back against the pillow, shutting her eyes. It wasn't until she felt two freezing cold lips against hers that her eyes shot open.

"What the hell?" she gasped. "Why are you so..."

Emma trailed off and stared at her lover, who was suddenly topless. Regina held up a piece of ice and smiled playfully.

"Did that startle you?" she giggled, kissing Emma's lips again.

The blonde shivered, and her lover took notice, licking the rest of the icy water off her lips.

"Feels weird, right?"

Emma nodded but didn't speak. Regina put the tiny piece of ice back in a plastic cup on the nightstand and slipped her hands under the woman's tank top, sliding the garment up over her head and tossing it to the floor. Emma didn't move. Regina took the piece of ice between her fingers and hovered above Emma's breasts until three drops of freezing cold water dripped directly onto one of Emma's nipples. Emma gasped and instinctively sat up, but Regina pushed her back down, straddling her hips and pinning her in place.

"Nuh-uh," she mumbled, kissing Emma, her lips still cold from the ice.

Before Emma could protest or say anything else, Regina had pulled a roll of duct tape out of the top drawer of the nightstand, grinning as she looked down at Emma.

"Oh my God," Emma blurted. "What are you doing?"

Regina stretched the tape away from the roll and tore a long piece off with her teeth, dropping the roll back onto the nightstand. Having planned her maneuver perfectly, she gripped Emma's hands together and bound them to the headboard with the tape before the woman could pull away.

"Oh, shit," Emma stammered.

Regina just laughed and kissed her lips again, returning to the cup of ice. This time, she pressed the small cube directly against her nipple, grinning as she heard the woman gasp in surprise.

"That... That actually feels... It..."

But Emma trailed off as she watched Regina press the cube of ice to her own lips next. She slid the cube back and forth a few times, making sure to wet both her upper and lower lip before dismounting Emma's hips and kneeling between her legs. She pressed her lips to Emma's stomach, making the woman shiver and giving her goosebumps.

"I know," Regina said smiling.

Her tongue slipped between her lips and drew a line from the waistband of Emma's underwear up to her navel, causing a moan to pass through the woman's lips. Emma gripped the sheets with her fists and squirmed under her lover's touch, reveling in each and every sensation. Regina put the ice back and planted cold kisses up and down her abdomen, making sure to take her time with each touch, until Emma finally couldn't stand it anymore.

"Please," Emma begged.

Emma tried to reach out for Regina and pull her closer, but with her hands bound, it was impossible. She couldn't move. But Regina obeyed, moving her lips down between Emma's legs. The chilled sensation made Emma gasp, and she couldn't suppress the moan that escaped, even though she tried. As Regina went down on her, her lips quickly warmed from the heat between Emma's thighs, and soon, Emma was moaning her name, desperately trying to tear her hands away from the headboard to grab her lover.

"Emma," Regina warned. "Be a good girl, or I'll stop."

Emma shook her head violently and thrashed under her touch.

"Don't stop," she begged. "Please don't stop."

Though Emma wouldn't stop squirming - couldn't stop squirming - Regina didn't pull away. Instead, she continued until her lover came, her muscles clenching all at once.

"Happy birthday, my love," Regina whispered, climbing back on top of Emma, who was gasping for hair, her chest heaving with each breath.