troubled teachers

Chapter 16

"Oh, Emma. I'm sorry! I wasn't laughing at you."

"Yes you were," Emma retorted.

"Ok, yes I was. But you just looked so cute and nervous! You looked like a teenager about to kiss their crush for the first time. It was adorable," Regina chuckled again and Emma frowned further. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you, Emma. Please, come here to me."

"No," Emma huffed.

Regina laughed again, deposited her cup on the table besides Emma's and in one fluid movement, swung her leg over Emma's lap and straddled the blonde. Wide green eyes stared from the breasts which had appeared in front of her up to the smirking face above her.

"Fine," Regina all but purred. "I'll come to you."

This kiss had none of the softness of the previous night. Regina tilted Emma's head back as her hands wrapped around the nape of her neck, her lips pressing firmly to the paler set below her before they opened, trapping one of Emma's between her own. The blonde's hands, once again, flew to her hips, pulling Regina closer to the slender body beneath her as their mouths moved. Sucking on Emma's lip, Regina used her tongue to trace the seem of the younger woman's mouth, teasing it open with the tip. Emma whimpered when Regina's tongue slid smoothly into her own mouth and the brunette couldn't hold back her own groan when she tasted the blonde for the first time. Their tongues met, hot slippery muscles which caressed and danced around each other until Regina's retreated, followed at once by Emma's, into the coffee-tasting mouth. Emma had always liked coffee but now, when it was mixed with the essence of Regina, she thought it was the most divine thing in the world.

Regina's hands toyed with the soft hair at the base of Emma's skull whilst their tongues continued to duel, chasing each other between their mouths as they took turns dominating the kiss. Emma's fingertips dug deliciously into Regina's ass when sharp teeth nibbled her lip, the pain soothed away immediately by a tongue. Regina rocked her hips forwards, her pelvis brushing against Emma's stomach. The heat between her legs coiled tighter.

It was Emma who broke the kiss, pulling away breathless and red-cheeked but smiling broadly. Regina grinned back, her arms now looped around Emma's neck as she settled a little further back in the blonde's lap.

"Well, you certainly don't kiss like a teenager," Regina said.

"I should hope not!" Emma laughed.

Regina leaned back down and placed another short kiss to Emma's slightly swollen lips. "You're very good."

"I know," Emma replied.

"And modest."

Emma laughed and squeezed her hands, still resting on Regina's ass. The brunette raised an eyebrow.

"So ... what does this mean?" Regina asked.

"I think it means I need to take you out for dinner," Emma replied.

"Like a date?"

"Like a date."

"But we've had dinner together countless times," Regina frowned.

"Yes, but none of them have been dates," Emma pointed out. "Well, maybe in hindsight they were but we were both completely oblivious to that fact."

"You really want to take me out on a date?" Regina asked.

"I really do," Emma nodded. "I think what I've come to realise is that whatever is between us is far deeper and far more intense and intimate than either of us realised. I know it's not even been twelve hours since our first kiss and this is all very new and a little bit scary but whatever this is, it's right. So I want to treat it, and you, with respect. Which means that I am going to take you out, wine and dine you, and if I'm lucky, I may get a goodnight kiss at the end of the night."

Regina smirked and glanced down between their bodies, a few inches all that separated them and her ass resting on Emma's thighs.

"Yeah, ok," Emma acquiesced. "What I'm trying to say is I want to take this slow. It's new to both of us and I don't think rushing into anything would be a good idea. I mean, it's not even been three months since you and Robin -,"

She stopped talking as soon as she felt Regina's whole body stiffen. The brunette climbed off Emma and walked quickly from the room.

"Fuck," Emma murmured.

She drained her cold tea, picked up the two dirty mugs and headed for the kitchen. Regina wasn't there so Emma climbed upstairs. Knocking on Regina's bedroom door, Emma heard movement from behind the wood but not permission to enter.

"Regina, I'm sorry," Emma said, leaning against the wall outside. "I didn't mean to upset you by mentioning Robin. I just wanted to make sure you knew that I'm aware you might not be ready for anything quite yet. You need time and space and I want to give you that. I want you to know I'm ok with waiting as long as you need, until you're ready. Because as much as you try to deny it, what happened to you is going to take a long time to get past. You're going to struggle to trust people, to get close to people, to -,"

The door flew open and Regina stormed out into the hallway, rounding on Emma as soon as she saw her.

"Googling abuse victims again I see," she said, her face livid with rage. Emma shrank away, unwilling to say another word in case it got her into even more trouble. "I know Robin fucked me up, Emma. I know he broke me. I know I'll never be that person I was before, the one Daniel loved. I'm different now, damaged. I get that and I don't need you reminding me of it. And you think I struggle to trust people? I trusted you, didn't I? I got close to you, told you my secrets, confided in you. That wasn't a struggle. That was the thing that got me through all this. You were the person who got me through all this. I thought you were different to everyone else, Emma. I thought you didn't see me as an abuse victim. I thought you saw me for me. Regina. Your friend. Not a woman who was raped over and over and over -,"

Regina collapsed onto the floor, her body shaking with the force of her crying. Emma dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around the distraught woman and was just a little relieved when Regina clung to her, fingers curling into the back of Emma's jumper as she sobbed. At least the brunette was accepting Emma's comfort.

"I do see you, Regina," Emma assured when the trembling had stopped several minutes later. "I see my best friend, my intelligent, talented colleague. I see an inspirational woman who amazes me every day with how strong she is. You're not broken, Regina. You're healing. And that's ok, that's natural. Robin didn't break you, Regina. No one can break Regina Mills. But you and I both know that what has happened will take time to come to terms with. There's no denying that. All I'm saying," Emma said, tilting Regina's head gently upwards as she spoke, "is that I will be there with you every step of the way, in any capacity you want. As your friend, as your confidant, as anything and anyone you need me to be."

"I need you," Regina said in a hoarse whisper. "I just need you, Emma."

A/N: they're getting there!