Written for tumblr's SwanQueen AU Week

Archiving: Only with permission of the author
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, everything belongs to Eddy and Adam and just ugh
AU: no magic, no curse

When her phone buzzed, Regina stared at it for a while before she moved even so much as a finger. If it was that landscaping guy again, she would throw the unwelcome device out of the next window. She'd had enough for today; meeting had followed meeting, and she had barely had time to even eat. Add to that the fact that her phone hadn't stopped ringing and she was the picture perfect of a grumpy mayor.

The brunette's eyes went to the clock. It was well past her usual work hours and she was not only in a bad mood, but also quite exhausted. She glanced at her vibrating phone a last time, before she shoved it into her bag and left the office. On the way to her car, she noticed that the corridors were empty and everyone else had gone home already. Obviously other people didn't value the work they could do here. She scoffed involuntarily and then got into her car, a scowl on her face on the whole way home.

Arriving at a dark house, she became painfully aware of the fact that Henry was at school camp for the next two weeks, leaving her alone in the big empty house. Now she remembered why she put in more and more hours in the last few days. Coming home and finding an unlit porch light and silent rooms was not to her liking at all. She missed Henry. She missed having someone greet her when she arrived at home. Feeling defeated for the first time in years, she simply let her purse drop to the floor and sat down on the couch; rigidly at first, but the longer she sat in the quiet living room, the more her body slumped into the soft cushions of the furniture, until she came to lie on her back, staring at the ceiling. When she closed her eyes – just for a minute, she told herself – her body took control of her and she slowly drifted off to sleep.

"Regina? Are you home?" A voice penetrated her sleepy mind, and when she finally opened her eyes, she needed a minute until she realized where she was.
"Regina?" Kathryn. What on earth was Kathryn doing here on a …Saturday morning?
"Oh come on, I know you've been awake for hours. You won't get out of this by refusing to pick up your phone or open your door!"
"WHAT are you talking about," asked Regina when she opened the door. Still in her clothes from the day before, she looked as regal as one could in crumpled skirt and blazer, her hair ruffled and standing in all directions.
"Wow." Kathryn looked honestly taken aback for a second, but then a smile spread over the blonde's face.
"The 'freshly fucked' look really suits you, Regina, but I suggest you go and change before we're going." Pushing past the mayor despite the shocked look on her face, Kathryn made herself at home and bit a chunk off one of the apples on a nearby table.

"Go on then! We need to get going in a bit, I suggest you hurry up!"
"And where would we be going exactly?" Regina wasn't sure whether it was her sleep-addled mind or the fact that she had worked too many hours, but for the life of her she couldn't remember what Kathryn was talking about.

A raised eyebrow was all the answer she got while the blonde was munching away on her precious apples.
"I…"
"No buts this time. Seriously Regina, you need to stop resisting so much! It won't kill you to spend one evening with a stranger! You might even start to like them, who knows."
"Oh."

Kathryn's laughter was infectious despite the fact that Regina still felt as confused as when she woke up, and a tiny smile graced her lips.
"You forgot! I never expected to see the day when Regina Mills, mayor of Storybrooke, would forget something as important as this! What a glorious day it is indeed…" Looking at her, Kathryn seemed to be surprised to get no reaction at all.
"You really don't remember? A few weeks ago when Henry's school had this blind date thing going for their single parents? No? You don't remember that he put your name in the box as well? You should have gotten a letter with the time and place of your blind date, you know… Didn't you open your mail?"
"Kathryn…"
"Oh shush. Go and get dressed. I'll be waiting here, these apples are delicious."

When Regina came down the stairs she was hardly in a good mood. The first thing she had noticed when she had entered the bathroom had been the time. 2 PM. She had slept well over 12 hours on a slightly uncomfortable couch. No wonder she was in a bad mood. Not to mention that Kathryn's perky and happy attitude hadn't helped one bit. The hot water had, however.

She had thought about the blind date campaign the kids had set up, and realized that she had thrown the letter into the trash after finding out it was at a time when Henry would not be at home. She had figured he wouldn't remember the campaign, not while he was away on camp. At the time she had not in the least been willing to meet up with one of Storybrooke's boring residents, not even if her son had set it up. Now part of her regretted that decision.

"Nice. You look good. And you should, after more than two hours. … But lose the scowl."
"Hmpf."
"Oh come on Regina, smile a little! It's not gonna kill you, I promise." No matter what she did or said, Kathryn seemed determined to stay ever cheerful. The mayor tried to hide her smile, but unsuccessfully so.
"There we go. Wonderful, now we can finally get going."
"Going where?" Following Kathryn out the door, she realized that the blonde was determined to play chauffeur. She probably was afraid Regina would change her mind, and rightly so.

"Well, are you gonna be standing there all day or are you gonna get in at one point?"
"Miss…"
"Don't you dare 'Miss' me, MAYOR MILLS. Get in." She wordlessly followed the order, completely uncomfortable and anxious of what was about to come. And then she realized something:
"How do you know my blind date was set for today?"
"Ha. I know you, Regina. I knew that you would hate this idea just as much as Henry loved it. So I… Well I improvised. I asked Mary Margaret for the specifics of your date."
"And she just gave them to you?!" Incredulous, Regina's voice spiked until it disappeared completely. How could this person, this Mary Margaret, just give her personal details away?!

"Well, no… But you know, she felt kind of bad for the whole David thing… so… yeah. I kind of guilt-tripped her into it…?" A snort escaped her before she even knew what was happening. This whole thing was too ridiculous to be true.
"Of course you did. What even was I expecting?"
"Oh well you know me…"
"I believe I do actually, yes."
"So I guess you'll want to rip my throat out when I tell you that I know who you're meeting?"
"…you do?"

"Well that's the advantage of having the woman at hand who stole your husband." Kathryn chuckles and puts a comforting hand on Regina's leg.
"You'll like them. Just trust me." And surprisingly enough, the brunette does.

"So where are we exactly?"
"Excuse me, you were sitting next to me the whole time, you could have looked at the street signs, dear." Regina raised an eyebrow in surprise, Kathryn was not usually one to sass, but today it seemed like she had a jar full of remarks that left Regina speechless. If only for a moment.
"I admit, I was distracted."
"Oh, I get it. You were wondering who your blind date could be. Right?" Cocking eyebrows should be forbidden for anyone else except her, Regina wondered, because the look the blonde was giving her was rather infuriating.
"Actually yes, I have." She leaned back against the car, wondering where on earth the young woman had taken her, and as she turned around she thought she saw Miss Margaret's car disappear behind a corner. Shaking her head, she told herself she was imagining things. What would Miss Margaret be doing in this part of Storybrooke after all? Thinking of the short-haired brunette led her to think of another woman she knew. Sheriff Swan. A growl built up in her throat, and Regina was agonizingly aware that Kathryn was watching her closely, with a curious look in her eyes.

"What is it, Kathryn?"
"Nothing. I just think you'll have a wonderful evening… night… whatever."
"Whatever do you mean? I thought this was simply a dinner date?!"
"Well…" Her voice was barely above a whisper when she answered to the simple word, but even she could hear the menace in her words:
"Miss Nolan, explain yourself." For once it was the blonde's turn to look uncomfortable, and much to Regina's pleasure, she looked embarrassed and ashamed, her cheeks red with guilt.
"Well…"
"Spit it out already."

"Mary Margaret and I sort of changed the arrangements…?"
"YOU DID WHAT?!"
"Don't kill me yet, alright? I promise you, you won't regret going in there, and if you do, then… well. Then Henry has one godmother less?"
"Kathryn…"
"Just try it. For Henry." Regina's heart sagged. Of course Kathryn would hit her soft spot. She knew she would do anything as long as it made her son happy.
"Alright."

"Here's the key."
"The key?"
"There's a cabin behind this house. Just follow the path. Dinner will be delivered at eight." All of a sudden Regina was nervous. What exactly was waiting for her in said cabin? Who was waiting for her? Not knowing everything there was to know made her uncomfortable. More than she wanted to admit.
"Don't look so panicked. There are two bedrooms, so it's not like we're setting you up for anything. We just thought you'd want some quiet time for once? … Well anyway, call me tomorrow. I'll pick you up." With that, the younger woman got back into her car and drove off, leaving Regina to stand in the snow alone. 'I can do this,' she thought.

The cabin looked quite small from the outside, barely big enough to contain two bedrooms, not by Regina's standards. Well she would have to deal with whatever was to come tonight, so a small bedroom was the least of her problems at the moment. Smoke was coming out of the chimney, and the mayor smiled involuntarily. Lost in thought, she let her hand rest on the doorknob. She loved an open fire. The flickering light of the fireplace shone through the ice-covered windows, and Regina could see a figure moving behind the curtains. It was slender and not as tall as she would have expected. What if...

Suddenly the door was pulled from her hand, and warm air rushed towards her.
"Regina!" Turning away from the window towards the person in front of her, the brunette knew who she would see before she even met the green eyes of Emma Swan.
"Miss Swan." The blonde looked as startled as Regina felt. This was not what she had been expecting, and it sure as hell was not what she had wanted. She was close to turning around when she thought of Henry. She was now sure that he had put both their names in the box they had collected the names in. What were the chances of the two of them getting paired together? Close to zero. She knew that a lot of Storybrooke's parents were single, so now finding herself presented with Henry's birth mother felt like a punch in the stomach. It could have been a decently nice but boring man and the brunette would have been happier. But no, it was the obnoxious, intrusive, self-serving sheriff of Storybrooke.

"I was just about to get more firewood…" Of course she was. For the first time since looking at the blonde, Regina noticed the enormous parka the young woman was wearing, her long blonde hair hidden inside the hood of the thing.
"You better carry on then, or we will both freeze to death. Which would be a complete waste of Storybrooke's resources. It needs a mayor, after all." With that, Regina pushed past a stunned Miss Swan and into the warmth of the cabin. She heard the other woman scoffing and stomping out into the snow while slamming the door shut.

"Oh well." She decided to make herself comfortable, so she got rid of her coat and boots, putting on the slippers that were neatly stuffed into a cabinet. Sitting down in a soft looking armchair, she took in the scenery. It was small, yet homely. The fire in the fireplace crackled and filled the otherwise silent room, while Regina waited for the sheriff to return. Truly, she was of no mind to make this feel like a date, but spending time with the other woman… would maybe prove less awkward and awful than she was imagining right now. Although it was doubtful.

Just then the blonde returned, dragging snow inside and making an unusual amount of noise, even for her. She huffed and stumbled into the living room, throwing the wood onto a pile next to the chimney.
"You could make yourself useful, you know," said the blonde exasperatedly.
"And how would I do that, Miss Swan?" With her legs one over the other and her arms resting on the armchair, she knew she looked like her usual self, not like the confused and nervous child she felt like when she watched the fiery sheriff undress partially. The bulky parka came off, followed by yet another one of Miss Swan's trademark red jackets, and toned arms appeared, because – of course – the younger woman was wearing a tank top. Regina unconsciously licked her lips while transfixed by the raw beauty that was a flustered Emma Swan.

The blonde didn't seem to be aware of the mayor looking at her in a way that was much more than just fake curiosity. In fact, if Regina didn't know it better, she would say that the sheriff was being deliberately slow in her undressing, moving just enough so her best attributes were highlighted. When she stretched to hang the parka and jacket onto the nearby hanger, her tank top freed from its place in her jeans, riding up her back, exposing that stretch of skin just above her butt, forcing Regina's eyes to widen comically.

This was not going according to plan. If there had ever been a plan on her part. It had barely been five minutes, and already she was affected by the closeness of the other woman. One way or another, Henry's birth mother always had an effect on her. Today was the first time she paid any attention to more than Miss Swan's words, however. Not liking the silence that had crept up on them, Regina cleared her throat, for the first time since meeting the younger woman ignoring the need to argue and fight, but instead looking for something more… friendly to say.

"I did not expect it to be you, Miss Swan."
"Is that supposed to be your form of an apology? … Hold on, never mind. I get it." The blonde sat down right in front of her, on the coffee table; her whole body bent forward, head resting on her arms.
"I… Trust me; I didn't expect you, either. I was half expecting it to be some boring guy who talks about nothing else but machines all day or something like that, I dunno."
"Miss Swan, is that your way of saying you're glad it is me?" To her surprise, Miss Blanchard's roommate blushed and quickly hid her face behind her golden curls, mumbling something Regina couldn't quite understand.
"What were you saying?" And, getting up: "Also, Miss Swan, is there something to drink in this hellhole?"
"Ugh. I said that I could be stuck here with a lot less attractive people… And yes, there is. There's wine in the kitchen. Let me…"
"I'm getting it. You sit tight, my dear. You were, after all, accusing me of not making myself useful just moments ago." She inspected the small kitchen niche, and sure enough, there was an assortment of wines that she would not have expected Emma Swan to choose. Which she surely hadn't. This was most likely Kathryn's doing. Picking a deep red Merlot, Regina was looking through the cupboards for glasses when she felt a hand on her hip and a body invading her personal space from behind. She was about to yell at the intruder when a soft voice said:

"The wine glasses are in this one. I was here a bit early, so I snooped around for a while." Emma Swan leaned into her more, opening one of the doors and taking two glasses before her mind had even processed what was happening. She felt drunk and she hadn't even had a single sip yet.

"This is the most ridiculous game I have ever played!" Regina laughed wholeheartedly. She did hold her alcohol pretty well, but she had lost count of how many glasses she had had already. She wasn't even sure whether this was their first bottle or not.
"Well that's because you're refusing to play it correctly! You're only supposed to drink when the statement is true for you!"
"Oh?"
"Yes, I told you that earlier, did you forget?" A laughing Emma almost fell off the couch, and Regina noticed that her tank had by now completely freed itself from her jeans. The irritating woman had actually managed to make her enjoy the time they had spent together so far, but the mayor refused to admit that Kathryn had been right all along. Everything was more entertaining with alcohol. Surely the wine had played a much bigger role in her enjoying herself than the gorgeous blonde.
"So would you like to correct something here?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I just asked whether you have ever had sex with a woman and you… well, you drank."
"Oh."
"Yes, so…?"
"Alright, ask me again." Regina pulled her legs up onto the armchair, folding them neatly under her body, leaning closer to the woman on the couch, her glass of wine protectively between them on the table.

"Have you ever had sex with a woman?" Regina looked at Emma from underneath her eyelashes, knowing full well what she looked like. She didn't know what prompted her to be this flirtatious, but she let her hand drop from the armrest, coming to rest on her glass. She saw the blonde's eyes widen, staring at her fingers playing with the rim of the glass. She continued to tease the sheriff, until green eyes shifted towards her instead of her hand.
"So… you didn't…" As slowly as she dared, the mayor lifted her glass to her lips, watching the younger woman gulp in anticipation.
"…have sex with a woman then." The sip Regina had intended to take quickly turned into a series of gulps, simply because she enjoyed the shocked look on the blonde's face.

Emma Swan's voice was barely more than a squeak when she finally found it again:
"So you did."
"Why Miss Swan, is it that surprising?"
"I… Yes, I guess. I never imagined you to be the one to experiment."
"Who said I was experimenting?" The words, unfiltered, slipped past her lips too fast for her to stop them. Sure enough, the toned blonde gaped at her for a while before she caught herself, downing lots of her wine while doing so.
"I… I didn't expect that."
"I see," she said, her lips twitching in amusement. She licked her lips, trying to hide the smile that was slowly spreading there. Sure enough, the alcohol was getting to her. Hiding behind her wine, Regina asked what she had been dying to ask since she had been asked this question.
"I noticed you didn't drink, Miss Swan."

"I… well, I didn't… I mean…"
"To be quite frank, I most certainly did not expect that, my dear." Emma giggled childishly and snuggled deeper into the blanket she had thrown over herself earlier.
"Yeah well I came close to it once, but it never happened." By now the blonde was beat red, mumbling something behind the convenient flow of golden locks.
"Miss Swan…"
"Emma. My name is Emma."
"I don't think…"
"Just use my first name for once, will you?"

"Fine then, Emma. Would you care to repeat what you just mumbled into your hair curtain?"
"Ehm…" Regina had a feeling that the outcome of this night depended solely on what the younger woman would answer now, so she leaned forward, listening closely to the stuttering sheriff.

And then the doorbell rang.

They had dinner in silence, yet Regina was not ready to admit that it was indeed a pleasant one. Her gaze lingered on Emma's lips, the way they curled around her fork; or her breasts and the way they moved when the blonde breathed in. Admittedly, she was quite distracted, more so even when the younger woman leaned over and refilled her glass, babbling something while she did. The mayor hardly listened to a word she said. She was much too busy mapping every inch of the blonde's perky breasts underneath a dark tank top with her eyes.

"Are you even listening?" Snapping to attention, the older woman realized that she had become lost in her thoughts, and that the object of her… well… desire… was standing right in front of her, deliciously muscled arms crossed in front of her chest.
"You know, you could at least try and hide your staring."
"I. Was. Not. Staring."
"Oh, I'm sorry. You were merely ogling my boobs. My mistake." Regina thought she could see the hint of a smile, but she was drunk enough to just not be quite sure.

"Well Miss Swan, if you had chosen to wear something that covered more of your chest, maybe I would not stare down the front of your top so much."
"Oh, so it's my fault your eyes are practically glued to my nipples."

"Your what?!"
"Nipples. You know, these things." Regina watched Emma point at her erect nipples through the thin fabric of her top, completely horrified at where this conversation was going.
"I don't think…"
"That's right. You don't think. Cause if you did, you wouldn't be sitting there, staring at my boobs. You'd be saying something, hell, doing something even!"
"Miss Swan, I…" Before she realized where she was going, Regina found herself behind the closed door of the bathroom, her back against the wooden frame, her whole body shivering violently.

"Regina…" She heard a body slump against the door she, too, was leaning on, and the voice behind her was so close it felt like the other woman was whispering into her ears.
"I'm sorry. I completely misread your behavior and… It was a stupid move on my part. I had too much to drink and you were looking at me like that, and…"

Closing her eyes, Henry's mother tried to shut out her surroundings, focusing instead on the chaos that was raging inside of her. True enough; a part of her had been pleased when she had found Emma Swan on the other side of the cabin's door. But the other part had been annoyed, scared even. The blonde was not a person she wanted close to her heart. Shaking her head, Regina refused to accept the next thought that came to her mind. That she didn't want the sheriff close because that woman was the only one who had the power to hurt her.

A finger tapped against the door.
"Regina, please talk to me. Don't shut me out. Please…" She didn't have to see the younger woman to know that she was close to tears. Her breath was irregular and the words behind the door came out rushed and breathy. Regina had to strain to hear the next words.
"Please. Please don't hate me Regina. I can't take this animosity anymore." Her mouth opened for a response, to reassure the irritating woman behind the door, but the words failed her and nothing came out. She let her head drop against the door, sighing in exasperation. A sniffle caught her attention, and she pressed her ear against the door, listening closely. It seemed like Emma was crying.

Regina snorted. What on earth was that blonde peasant crying about? Was there any reason for her to be the one falling apart? No. This time her snort was louder, and an amused undertone wormed its way into her throat. She got up without so much as hesitating, opening the door to find a distraught Emma sitting on the floor, her head on her knees.
"Get up," she said, kicking the woman just lightly with her slipper.
"I'm just… I never wanted you to hate me, and yet I did so many things wrong when I came here. I threatened to take Henry from you and that's the last thing I want because he's obviously happy and so are you and I don't want to destroy that, I just wanted a place in his heart and then everything turned to shit when I decided to be a major bitch and go all birthmom on you just because I couldn't stand the fact that he loved you more than me and no matter what I did you were the perfect mother and he loved you and when he talked about you it was with such devotion and I just couldn't handle it, and it didn't help that whenever I saw you I had to act like a complete ass even though I wanted nothing more than to be close to you and…"

"Will you shut up already?" Big green eyes stared up at her, and Regina couldn't help but notice the perfection that was Emma Swan. The mock confidence from earlier had vanished completely, and this vulnerable woman had appeared in its stead.
"I just didn't know what to do. You were staring – or I thought you were anyway – but I guess I just saw what I wanted to see…" Slipping down next to the young blonde, Regina nodded a few times, mainly out of reflex than anything else. When her arm brushed against warm skin, she resisted the urge to slide closer, but spoke the words she had swallowed before:
"Except that you didn't."
"I didn't."
"No."

"I see." Regina watched the blonde think, until she saw realization dawning in Emma's eyes.
"So you were staring." Pushing her pride aside, Regina inclined her head 'yes' before she turned away, not wanting the other woman to see her smile.
"I was."
"Mmmmh. So it wasn't by accident you stepped right up to me when Henry got lost in that mine." Her soft 'no' had the desired effect, and blonde tresses brushed her nose when Emma turned her head towards her, their faces only inches apart.

"I…"
"Please shut up, Emma."
"Oka-," Emma's lips were soft and inviting, and Regina immediately regretted kissing her. The feeling of the other woman's lips on her own was almost more than she could bear. When a callused hand came to rest on her cheek, a gasp escaped her lungs, instantly silenced by Emma's lips. The blonde's lips moved slowly, tenderly, as if she was afraid that too much pressure would push the mayor away. Regina felt her resistance, so she let her hands travel over a surprisingly rigid body, trying to convey that she was not going anywhere. Gradually, she felt the stiff muscles relax under her hands, and she let herself enjoy the sensation of unfamiliar lips on her own. The younger woman's voice reverberated inside of her mouth when Emma sighed her name, lost in the moment. The lack of air however was becoming an issue, and Regina held back as long as she could, until finally she had to pull back and breathe. Only to dive back into the eagerly waiting lips of Emma Swan.

"Gina…," sighed the sheriff when Regina shifted her attention to the pale neck that had been presented to her. Her full lips sucked on a pulsating neck, turning the skin dark red for now, but the mayor was sure the spot would be dark purple later on.
"Don't… don't stop…"

But Regina did. Their panting filled the otherwise silent room, and it took all of her willpower to stay away from Emma's quivering lips.
"We shouldn't." Green bloodshot eyes stared at her fearfully, and when she saw the way the athletic body underneath that cursed tank top started tensing up again, she lifted her hand to brush those tasty lips with her thumb.
"You're pretty much drunk, little miss. And so am I. Or at least I'm not unaffected." And, leaning forward:
"Let's continue this tomorrow." Her hand could feel the shiver running down the blonde's body, and the eager nod she received told her everything she needed to know about where Emma stood in all of this.

"So I assume we will be going to sleep now? I must admit I'm exhausted. This day has taken its toll on me, I grant you that." A blush covered Emma's pale cheeks, but the blonde didn't hesitate, instantly going for Regina's hand when she stood up, refusing to let the bodily contact between them end. She pulled the brunette after her, towards the bedrooms, coming to a halt in front of one of the doors.
"Will you… I mean… Damn I'm drunk…"
"Well then, let's put you in bed." Regina didn't know how long she would be able to resist the innocent charm the blonde was displaying now, so she quickly pushed Emma into the room, removed her shoes and bid her goodnight in less than a minute.

"Sleep well, Miss Swan."
"Emma…"
"Emma." When she felt the name roll of her tongue, she knew that Kathryn had been right all along. The feeling that she had been trying to suppress all day, it was working its way to the surface, she could tell. It was worse even, when she looked at the already sleeping blonde. Sighing, Regina left the room, disappearing in the other bedroom.

TO BE CONTINUED.

Reviews anyone? :)