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Emma threw the door of Mary Margaret’s van open and all but jumped out, pausing a moment to finally stretch and pop her joints. They’d spent over an hour in the car, and while that wasn’t exactly a long trip, she was already feeling stiff. Besides, she’d spent the entire trip shoulder to shoulder with Regina, and that alone was enough to take it out of her.
Regina followed behind her, brushing against the blonde as she found her footing. She didn’t move once she did, shooting Emma a sour glance as she took in the mossy clearing. “Well, this is going to be fun, isn’t it?”
Emma fought the urge to smile. “Hey, you didn’t have to come.” She paused, studying the other woman. Regina’s frustration was written in the crease of her brows. She had spent the entire drive up pestering Emma about one thing or another, and yet — “I’m glad you did, though.” Emma found that she meant it, to her own surprise.
“I’m here for Henry,” was all Regina said in reply, but the frown on her lips eased.
“Well everyone, welcome to the camping ground!” Mary Margaret held her arms out, displaying the scene before them with pride.
Emma smiled, taking in the scenery as her mother flourished. It was your basic woodsy grounds, she thought -- a large grassy area for pitching tents, a firepit, and a concrete structure housing a shower and toilet to the side. Definitely not luxurious, but not too rustic, she noted: at least they had some semblance of plumbing.
“It’s lovely,” Regina sounded from beside the blonde. The enthusiasm in her voice was forced, likely for Henry’s sake rather than Mary Margaret’s. Emma could tell that she didn’t really want to be here, but Henry did, and she knew his other mother would do anything to make him happy.
“Isn’t it?” Mary Margaret agreed, taking no note of the strain in Regina’s voice. “Well, what do you guys want to do for the rest of the evening? There’s still a few hours of light.”
Silence followed. Emma sighed. “Why don’t we just eat something and go to sleep? I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m exhausted.”
A murmur of agreement passed through the others -- David and Regina and even Henry. The drive may have been short, but they’d spent the whole day packing and making arrangements, and that in and of itself had been tiring.
Mary Margaret turned back towards them, a frown on her lips. “Well, I suppose. Alright, then.” She popped the trunk of her van, and David helped her to pull out the tents. “We’ve got three of these. David and I will share one, and the other two…” She trailed off, turning towards the others. “Who wants to share?”
Henry wrinkled his nose immediately, piping up for the first time since they’d left the car. “I’m not sharing a tent with one of my moms. I’m way too old for that.” He turned towards his mothers. “I’ll take the smallest tent. You two can share the other one.”
Emma shifted uncomfortably, feeling Regina stiffen beside her. “I guess that would be fine.” She shrugged when Regina turned towards her, expression unreadable. “It’s just a couple nights. We’re both adults. We can make that work.” She stuffed her hands into her back pockets, avoiding the brunette’s gaze.
“You guys are friends now, right? No big deal,” Henry shrugged.
Friends wasn’t quite the right term, Emma thought. They were...no longer hostile? She recalled all the snippy comments and insults that the brunette still liked to throw her way. The fact that said comments made her heart stutter in ways she was entirely unwilling to address was beside the point. Emma was sure that was all one-sided, and despite what she hoped for, they still had a long way to go before they could really be called friends .
“No big deal,” Regina echoed, forcing a smile onto her face, though Emma could hear the strain in her voice. She tried not to be offended.
“Right. No big deal.” Emma followed.
“Oh, good!” Mary Margaret beamed, oblivious to the sudden tension between the other two women. “It’s settled then. Henry, David, will you get the tents set up?”
“You got it.” David took the packed tents from her in one swoop, gesturing for Henry to follow him.
It wasn’t too long before they had them pitched, and Mary Margaret had a small fire going in the pit.
“Reminds you of the old days, doesn’t it, Regina?” She grinned at the brunette, who scoffed.
“You’ll recall that I never lived in the woods like an animal, unlike some of you.”
“And you’ll recall that you were the reason for that,” Mary Margaret shot back, but her tone was still good-natured, and the smile was still firmly present.
A smile twitched at the corners of Regina’s lips at that, just barely, and she took a seat on one of the log benches surrounding the firepit. “Yes, well. I’m sorry for that.”
“I know,” Mary Margaret responded simply.
Emma shifted, feeling like she was intruding on something. She stepped backwards, intending to make her way towards David and Henry, who were attempting to get the portable fridge -- also borrowed from the neighbors -- going so that their food wouldn’t spoil.
“Where are you going?” Mary Margaret noticed instantly, of course, and Emma was left stumbling over her words.
“Just...to check on the boys, I guess. You guys seemed like you were having...a moment, or something. I didn’t want to intrude.”
Regina shook her head. “We are most certainly not having a moment .” She patted the space next to her on the log. “Sit.”
Emma blinked at the demand, not moving. Sit. Next to her?
She wanted Emma to sit next to her?
Regina raised a brow. “Don’t leave me alone with your mother, Emma.”
“I wouldn’t do that to you.”
Emma made her way over to the bench as Mary Margaret chimed in with mock-offense, “That’s mean, Emma.”
Regina laughed, more genuine than she’d heard from the brunette in a long time, and Emma tried not to dwell on how much she enjoyed the sound. Swallowing, she sat at the opposite edge of the log from the other woman, far too conscious of their proximity and not wanting to make Regina uncomfortable. It was ridiculous, really -- they’d spent an hour shoulder to shoulder on the way up here, and they weren’t exactly known for keeping personal space when they got into one of their heated arguments. But still, this felt different. Regina was relaxed -- easygoing, even. They were getting along, and Emma’s heart was fluttering in her chest each time Regina looked at her, and suddenly it all felt fragile . As if their skin brushing would shatter it all, and they’d be back at one another’s throats.
Regina peered at the space between them.
She looked up, meeting Emma’s eyes for a brief moment, and Emma realized the smile had disappeared.
Fuck.
She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out -- not with her mother there, chattering away like nothing had happened. And what would she say, anyway? Nothing had happened. Not unless --
Nope. She was not going to go there.
“Who’s ready for some food?” David trudged over, interrupting whatever his wife had been rambling about, arms full of burger meat and toppings. Henry trailed behind him, plates, cups, and beverages in hand.
“Oh, me!” Mary Margaret chimed. “We had a grill for the fire somewhere…”
It wasn’t long before they’d all been fed, and David was telling some ghost story that even Henry was rolling his eyes at. Emma peered around at the circle -- eyes were beginning to droop, her own included. The sun had gone down, and there was a chill settling in the air. Regina had barely spoken to her, though she hadn’t swapped seats.
She was warming her hands over the fire, and Emma found herself thinking about the handful of times she’d seen Regina light a fireball of her own. It was her go-to, or so Emma had heard from those that had known her back in the Enchanted Forest. It was fitting, she thought -- Yes, Regina was explosive, easily lit, but she was also warm, underneath that shell. The glow from the fire lit her golden, chocolate eyes and hair catching the flickering light. The scar on her lip was especially noticeable in this light -- not that Emma was looking at her lips --
And Regina had caught her. She was regarding her with one brow raised, a question in her eyes.
Emma looked away, interrupting David’s tale. “I, uh, think I’m going to turn in.”
Sleepy murmurs of agreement sounded around the circle, and David conceded with only a little disappointment.
Emma didn’t stick around for the rest of them to stand, opting instead to call a goodnight to her parents and give Henry a kiss on the forehead. With that she headed into her tent -- their tent -- and quickly stripped off her jeans and t shirt for a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. She had just crawled into her sleeping bag when Regina unzipped the door. She hovered over her suitcase for a moment, and Emma covered her eyes with her hands.
“Don’t worry, I’m not looking. You can change.”
Reigna didn’t respond, and Emma flipped onto her side, back to the other woman. She heard some shuffling as the other woman changed and then crawled into her own sleeping bag. Once she was certain the brunette was in her own bedding, she rolled back onto her back and risked a glance. Regina was laying on her side, back to Emma, at the edge of the tent.
“Did I do something to upset you?” Emma asked, fingers worrying at the edge of her blanket. Things had been going fairly smoothly between them, all things considered, and she didn’t want to ruin that. For Henry’s sake, of course -- the last thing he needed was his mothers fighting on his family vacation.
For Henry. Right.
Regina gave a heavy sigh. “No, Miss Swan, you haven’t done anything to upset me. Just go to sleep, alright?”
“Alright,” Emma agreed, though she shifted uneasily. There was an edge to the other woman’s voice. She was lying. Swallowing, Emma resolved herself to sleep. Regina was stubborn, and the likelihood of her sharing anything further was slim at best.
Sleep was easier said than done.
Despite her heavy eyelids, she was still lying awake a half hour later.
The temperature had dropped about 20 degrees after the sun had set, and though Emma was getting by with just a slight chill, she could see Regina shaking in her sleeping bag beside her. She frowned, deciding to take the risk.
“Regina,” she began, and the other woman didn’t respond. “Regina,” she tried again, and this time the brunette turned towards her.
“What?”
“You’re freezing.”
Regina rolled her eyes at that, flipping over so her back was to Emma once more. “Thank you for the observation, Sherlock.”
Emma fought the urge to roll her eyes herself. “Regina, please.” She drew in a deep breath, bracing herself for the inevitable rejection she was about to face. Still, she had to offer, right? “You’re shaking. Just...come here.”
“And just what are you going to do about it? Set me on fire?”
Okay, Emma did roll her eyes at that. “For fuck’s sake, Regina. I don’t know why you’re mad at me, but would you set it aside and come over here already? You’re not going to get any sleep like that.”
“Why do you care?”
“Because I care about you ,” Emma snapped. Regina rolled over at that, turning to peer at the blonde over her shoulder. Emma felt her chest tighten, the reality of the admission weighing heavily between them. When Regina didn’t respond, she added lightly, “Anyway, I’m not trying to deal with you when you’re sleep deprived. You’re bad enough on your own. So will you just let me zip our sleeping bags together?”
Regina regarded her for another moment. “Miss Swan, are you asking me to cuddle?”
Emma’s heart fluttered again. “You wish,” she shot back, ignoring the tiny amused glint in the brunette’s eye. “I’m asking you to let me share my body heat.”
There was another pause while she considered, but eventually Regina gave a curt nod and stood without a word. She stepped back as Emma followed suit and made quick work of the sleeping bags, unzipping them and joining them into one. She grabbed their pillows and placed them on either side before standing back to survey her work.
“There,” She decided with a nod. “That’ll work.” She looked expectantly at Regina, who’d folded her arms around herself against the cold. With one last reluctant glance, the brunette made her way back and slipped inside. Emma followed, fluffing her pillow and making herself comfortable on her back.
After several minutes she turned onto her side.
Regina was still keeping her distance, back to the blonde, and though she wasn’t shaking quite as dramatically as before Emma could still feel her shivering.
“Jesus Christ,” Emma muttered, shifting herself closer to the brunette. She wrapped one arm around the other woman, drawing her closer as she attempted to rub some warmth back into the skin of her arm.
“What are you doing?” Regina breathed, voice tight.
“Warming you up.” They weren’t cuddling, not exactly. Emma was sure to keep a few inches between them, but they were close enough now that they could share body heat, the blankets between them no longer a divide resting on the ground. “You’re too goddamn stubborn for your own good, you know that?”
To Emma’s surprise, that earned her a laugh, even if it was just a small one. “If you only knew.” She sighed, pausing before speaking again, voice barely a whisper. “I’m not mad at you, Emma.”
A weight lifted from Emma’s chest, though she didn’t want to think about why it mattered so much to her. “Okay,” Was all she responded with, letting her heavy eyes flutter closed and sleep finally take her.
Emma awoke with someone curled against her. It had been so long since she’d shared her bed with anyone, and the feeling of having another wrapped in her arms was all but intoxicating. Who—
She blinked, remembering where she was. Remembering who she’d gone to bed with.
Regina was still asleep, the gentle sound of her breathing just audible over the hum of the crickets outside. It was still dark in the tent, no sun shining through thin fabric, and Emma could barely make out the outline of the other woman. She felt her before she saw her, anyway.
Every inch of the brunette’s body was pressed flush against Emma’s.
Sometime during the night Regina had shifted back against her. Emma’s arm was still wrapped around her, and Regina clutched it to her chest with both of her own. Emma could feel the beat of her heart through the thin fabric of her t-shirt, beating soft and steady against her fingertips. Their legs were tangled together, and Emma tried not to think about the fact that Regina’s thighs — among other things - were currently pressed to her own.
She slowed her breathing, not wanting to wake the other woman. The soft scent Regina’s shampoo washed over her as she did. And god, Emma would give anything to wake up like this every morning.
Or — Night.Whatever.
That line of thinking only led to disappointment, anyway, she scolded herself.
She drew one last deep breath, taking the risk of tightening her grip on the other woman ever so slightly. Regina gave a soft hum at the motion, curling her fingers around Emma’s hand on her chest.
Emma felt her heart stutter. It was just a reflex, she reasoned. Muscle memory, of course. Regina was reacting to the feeling of being held, much like Emma had when she’d first awoken. Nothing more than that. Certainly nothing to do with the fact that it was Emma holding her.
“ Emma. ”
She froze in place.
Her name had come out quiet, just a mumble, but Regina had said it all the same. In her sleep. Barely audible. Reverent, like it was something to be savored, as she wrapped her fingers around Emma’s own.
Fuck.
Emma Swan was screwed. Fully, absolutely, wholly screwed.
Her breath came shaky now, and she fought to steady it because fuck if she was going to give this up. With her heart thudding in her chest she relaxed against the pillow, trying to etch the feeling of Regina’s hand around her own, of her body pressed flush to her in her mind. Every detail -- the curve of her back, the way her leg hooked around Emma’s, the scent of her shampoo --
God damn it.
She was so entirely gone for this woman, and it was distinctly harder to ignore in the dark, without the barrier of snippy conversation and their family between them, with her silky hair tickling Emma’s shoulder and her heart thrumming gently beneath Emma’s palm.
She hated her. Was supposed to hate her. Regina pissed her off, pushed her to a breaking point daily --
Except no, she didn’t. Not anymore.
You guys are friends now, right?
God damn it.
Somewhere along the line Emma’s feelings had softened from rage into fondness. Contempt -- albeit with an undercurrent of desire -- had become affection, as grudging as she was to admit it. And now here she was, with this impossible woman curled in her arms, intoxicated by the smell of her shampoo of all things. By her bare skin, gliding over Emma’s thigh with every slight movement. And the worst part was it was by accident. A product of circumstance that she wasn’t ever likely to manage to replicate once they got back home. If Regina had any idea the position they were in, she’d probably kick Emma out of the tent, cold be damned.
With a sigh she resolved herself to just enjoy it while it lasted. She had tonight, at least, and if she was really lucky, maybe the next too. And with that she closed her eyes, the beat of the other woman’s heart beneath her fingertips lulling her back to sleep.
When Emma awoke again the spot next to her was empty, the sleeping bag gone cold. She sat up and rubbed at her eyes. The sun was shining bright through the feeble tent walls this time, and she had a feeling Regina had probably fled outside the moment she awoke. She could hear her voice from outside, followed by laughs from David and Henry, and something chastising from Mary Margaret. Was everyone awake but her?
With a sigh she stood and unzipped the tent door.
“Goodmorning, sleepy head,” Mary Margaret called the moment she emerged. She was bent over the campfire, a huge portable grill table positioned over the top where she was stirring around country potatoes, bacon, and eggs. “We thought you were going to be out forever. I was this close to asking Regina if she’d put you under a sleeping curse.”
Her tone was light, but Regina still scowled from her seat on one of the logs surrounding the fire. She was still wearing the sweats and t-shirt she’d worn to bed, face free of makeup and as much of her short hair as she could pull back tied into a ponytail. Henry was sitting next to her, and he leaned over to bump her shoulder with his own, and the scowl disappeared.
“What time is it?” Emma asked, peering up at the sky. The sun was definitely above the horizon, but it was still hanging fairly low.
“Almost 7!” Mary Margaret announced cheerily, and Henry sent her a sympathetic glance. “The rest of us have been up for an hour now. You must have slept really well.”
“Must have,” Emma murmured. She couldn’t help it, she glanced towards Regina -- met her eyes -- and the other woman looked away, a barely discernible flush creeping up her cheeks.
Well, fuck.
Regina clearly remembered that they’d been cuddling. Had they stayed curled together all night? Had she woken up, as Emma had, with their legs tangled and the brunette clutching Emma’s hand to her chest?
“Well, good.” Mary Margaret’s words broke Emma out of her thoughts. “You’ll need it, we’ve got a big day ahead of us!”
“Right,” Emma replied, tearing her gaze away from Regina, who was still refusing to look at her, and turning back towards her mother. “Why’s that?”
Mary Margaret stared at her with wide eyes. “For kayaking, of course! Don’t you remember? We planned this all out weeks ago!”
“Of course,” Emma echoed.
She did remember -- kind of. It had been herself, Mary Margaret, and Regina, sat at the bar of her mother’s loft. Mary Margaret had strewn campground pamphlets and notebooks across the counter, meticulously planning every detail of the trip. Regina had been paying attention, either voicing her disapproval at each of Mary Margaret’s choices or suggesting her own ideas. Mostly pertaining to Henry -- he’d enjoy this, he’d hate that. And Emma had appreciated it, really, because she hadn’t really been listening. She’d really been more focused on Regina -- the way she faked scorn as she spoke to the pixie-haired woman, but her eyes -- her eyes always gave her away. There had been a glint, a spark in the amber each time the other woman spoke that betrayed her carefully obscured affection.
“We can borrow tents from the Hargroves next door. They go camping all the time. They only have a few, so we’ll have to figure out sleeping arrangements, but that shouldn’t be a big deal.”
And Emma had nodded her agreement, because that had sounded fine, especially when Regina had caught her staring, and a tiny smirk was pulling at the corner of her lips --
Well, as it turned out, it had been a big deal.
“Paddling up that river is going to take a lot out of you, kid.”
David broke Emma out of her thoughts once more, and she turned to see him scooping food off the grill on to heavy paper plates. He passed the first one to Henry, who nodded sagely.
“I can do it,” He insisted.
“Of course you can.” Regina replied, nodding when David handed her the next plate of food. “Thank you.”
Emma was next, and she settled on the log to the left of Regina’s, so that they were close even if they weren’t on the same one. Regina didn’t acknowledge their proximity, opting to ignore the blonde and focus only on her food and the others.
That was fine, Emma told herself. Fine. She shovelled her breakfast down in record time, excusing herself to go change before anyone else had even finished their food.
She was just tying off her bathing suit top as Regina slipped in through the door.
“Oh -- Sorry.” She ducked her head and moved to leave the tent, but Emma stopped her.
“It’s fine. I’m done.” She pulled a tank top and a pair of gym shorts over her swimsuit, and when she looked back up Regina was still standing at the far corner, eyes trained on the ground. Part of her wanted to ask about the night, about the morning, but the more reasonable part of her knew that would only end in disaster.
And maybe ruin her chances of a repeat.
And god , did she want a repeat.
“Emma, Regina, we’re going down to the water! Meet us there!” David’s voice sounded from outside the tent, making Emma jump and pulling her out of her thoughts.
“Coming,” She called after him, making her way towards the door.
But then Regina caught her wrist in her hand. Emma met her eyes, surprised. The brunette didn’t speak right away, opting instead to drop her hand, leaving Emma longing for the contact.
“Yeah?” Emma prompted, voice just a little bit breathless.
“Emma, I…” Regina frowned, swallowed. “Thank you. For last night. For keeping me warm.”
Oh. So she was going to bring it up. Okay. That worked.
“...Of course,” was all Emma could think to say. What else could she reply with? Hey, Regina, did you wake up with your thighs wrapped around mine? Did you like it?
Did you like it enough to repeat it?
“Right,” Regina finally continued, breaking eye contact and ducking away towards her suitcase. “I’m going to change now.”
“Right,” Emma echoed, leaving the tent and zipping the door behind her.
Her heart was thudding in her chest again, and she was certain her cheeks had taken on a distinct shade of pink. Shaking her head to clear it, she headed over towards the chest that contained the various river supplies and pulled out two life jackets labeled with what she assumed to be a chest measurement range that covered the both of them. She wasn’t about to ask Regina that question -- she’d pushed her limits enough for one morning.
The tent’s zipper sounded behind her and then Regina appeared, and Emma fought to keep her gaze from lingering over the brunette’s tight tank and shorts combo.
“How deep is the river?” Regina asked, peering over Emma’s shoulder into the trees with concern knitting her brow.
Emma shrugged. “Not sure, why?”
“I don’t know how to swim.”
Emma’s brow shot up at that. “You don’t know how to swim?”
Regina scowled. “I never had a reason to learn.”
“Well, here.” Emma offered one of the jackets to the other woman. “Put this on and it won’t matter. It’ll keep you above water.”
“I know what a life jacket is, Miss Swan. I’ve just never worn one.” Regina scowled, but she took it, albeit with some reluctance. She held it out in front of her, studying the foam contraption with suspicion. “This thing will really keep me from drowning?”
“If you wear it correctly.” Emma nodded. “Put it on. I’ll tighten it for you.”
The brunette frowned. “It’s hideous.”
Emma laughed at that. “Yeah, but it’ll keep you afloat if you go overboard. Come on.”
With one last huff Regina pulled on the neon yellow jacket, zipping it up her front. Without hesitation Emma moved to buckle and adjust the thing, trying to ignore the thudding in her chest as she made quick work of the straps.
“There,” she concluded, stepping back out of the brunette’s personal space.
“Right.” Regina breathed. After a moment she glanced down. “It’s horrid.”
“I know.” Emma shrugged her own jacket on, a matching shade of yellow, earning a small smile from the brunette. “At least we’ll be horrid together.”
With that they made their way down to the river, Regina with half a smile on her lips and Emma with her head ducked so the other woman couldn’t see the flush on her cheeks. The dirt path soon turned to a gravelly sand, and the underbrush dispersed. They turned the corner and there was the rest of their family, each in their own hideous neoprene jackets, bent over colorful kayaks as they prepared them.
“Hey moms, there you are!” Henry beamed at them. “I was about to come looking for you. What took you so long?”
“Nothing, Henry. I just needed help with the life jacket.” Regina replied. “We’re ready now.”
“Well, good! We’re all ready to go here! David and I are going to take the yellow one, so the other two are still up for grabs.” Mary Margaret waved at the kayaks they’d assembled on the bank.
“Three’s the lucky number, huh?” Emma muttered, more to herself than anyone. Three kayaks were lined up in front of them, two 2-seaters and one single.
Because, of course there were. Three tents, three kayaks. The universe was just trying to kill her.
Mary Margaret caught the comment. “It was what they had. We borrowed them from --”
“From the neighbors. Yeah, I know.” Emma made a mental note to make things hard on the Hargroves when they got back home.
Or should she be thanking them?
The previous night flashed through her mind once again, the memory of Regina’s heartbeat beneath her fingertips sending yet another flush through her cheeks. She swallowed against the sudden dryness of her mouth.
“Right.” She dragged one of the two-seaters to the edge of the river. She looked up, meeting Regina’s eyes. “Henry’s going to want his own,” She said by way of explanation.
Regina only nodded.
“Good! That’s settled!” Mary Margaret clapped her hands together, ushering them all into their respective boats and ensuring that they all set off okay.
Emma clambered into the front seat of the kayak -- front seat did more work, as she was told, and she claimed it without much protest from Regina. And then they were pushing off, gliding over the water with ease.
The river was placid, easy to navigate, and Emma paddled them out to the center. It was nice to work her muscles after a night spent on the hard ground -- having Regina curled against her had made it all worth it, but it still felt nice to stretch everything out.
Regina, for her part, was sitting behind Emma, paddle balanced across the frame of the kayak and completely dry. She seemed perfectly content to let Emma do the work -- and for once, Emma wasn’t complaining. She chimed in with a snarky comment here and there each time the blonde managed to splash her on the backstroke, but Emma didn’t mind. The quips made her smile -- they reminded her of when they’d first met. Besides, if she listened closely enough, there wasn’t any venom behind them.
“You keep getting me wet,” Regina grumbled, and Emma fought the urge to smile. She turned towards the other woman, squinting against the bright sun reflecting off the water.
“Do I?”
Regina only rolled her eyes, though Emma didn’t miss the redness in her cheeks. “You know what I mean, Emma. Don’t you think you can paddle without splashing me?”
Emma shrugged. “If it’s that big of a deal, then you can do your fair share of the work.” The comment earned her an indignant scoff.
“I can paddle,” Regina insisted from behind her, and out of the corner of her eye Emma saw her pick up the paddle and tuck it into the water. It didn’t have much effect on their trajectory, as Emma thought.
Still. “Alright. Go for it,” Emma replied, pulling her own paddle out of the water and resting it across the boat as Regina had a moment ago.
The brunette dragged her paddle through the water, rough and fast. And then again, on the same side. They spun a little, but nothing else happened, and Regina let out a murmur of frustration.
“Can I show you?” Emma asked, twisting around as best she could without throwing them off balance.
Regina hesitated, but then nodded, setting her paddle down across her lap. “Yes.”
“See those black marks on the paddles? Put your hands on those, towards the outer edges. It’ll put more force behind your strokes.” She held her own paddle up to demonstrate, Regina mimicking her movements behind her. “And then make sure the fin of the paddle is mostly in the water. Long drags will move us more. Alternate the sides or we’ll turn.”
Regina did as Emma said, holding the paddle properly and pulling one long drag through the water. The motion caused them to glide forward, and she heard the brunette let out a soft laugh.
“Hey, there we go.”
Regina moved again to the other side, and then the other, shifting her weight as she paddled to put more force behind them. It worked, and they were moving faster, but the boat began to rock as she threw her weight behind each stroke.
“Hey, woah, careful, you’re going to --”
Tip us . Emma finished the sentence in her mind as they went overboard. Cold water surrounded her as they landed in the river, the boat knocking against her shoulder. Somewhere along the way she registered Regina shouting.
She reached out for the brunette, gripping her forearms as they steadied. “We’re okay, Regina, we’re okay. You just tipped us. It’s fine. We’re okay.”
Regina sought her out, wrapping her hands around Emma’s upper arms with wide eyes.
“Easy there. We’re fine. We’re, uh, probably not going to make it back onto the boat out here, though. Let’s get back to the bank.”
“Are you okay, moms?” Henry shouted, and Emma did her best to make the nod obvious across the distance.
“We’re good, kid! We just tipped!”
“Okay!” Came Henry’s response.
Emma turned back towards the other woman. “I’ll swim us back, okay?”
Regina nodded, and when Emma put the kayak’s lead in her hand and wrapped an arm around her waist she didn’t protest, letting the life jacket keep her afloat and Emma guide her as she swam them both to shore with their boat in tow. It wasn’t that deep, and soon their feet hit sand. Regina stumbled onto land the moment they reached it, beaching the kayak behind her. Emma turned to regard her, running her hands over Regina’s forearms to disperse some of the river water.
“You okay?” She asked, and Regina nodded, though her body was already beginning to shake. Frowning, Emma turned back towards their family, still out on the water. “We’re going to head back to camp,” She called.
“Are you sure?” Came the reply -- David. “Are you guys okay? Do you want us to come with?”
Emma shook her head. “We’re good. You guys keep going. We’re just going to go warm up.”
“Alright,” Mary Margaret added. “If you need us we’ll be here.”
“Okay!” Emma called, before turning back to Regina and placing a tentative hand on her upper arm. “Let’s get back to camp,” She added, lowering her volume.
“Thank you,” Regina murmured, reminiscent of earlier. She leaned into the blonde’s touch, this time unmistakeable. Her own hand moved to rest over Emma’s, just briefly, fingertips ghosting over her skin before she dropped it again.
Emma kept her eyes straight ahead. “Of course,” Was all she said. She guided the other woman back to camp without another word.
The moment they reached the grounds proper, Emma shrugged out of her life jacket and tossed it to the side. It landed in the dirt, but she paid it no mind. She began to strip out of her soaked clothing. Her shirt and then shorts landed on top of the jacket in a haphazard pile, leaving her in only her bikini, her skin exposed to the balmy summer air.
Frowning, she observed the brunette, who had her arms crossed over her chest as she shook. “You should really take your clothes off.”
“Excuse me?”
“Not like that, Regina.” Emma rolled her eyes, deciding not to think about the fact that the implication had her own heart thudding in her chest. “You’re shivering. How are you always cold?” Regina didn’t reply, so Emma continued, “You need to get those wet clothes off you. I’ll try and start a fire.” The other woman didn’t move. “Or keep freezing. Your choice. But, at least take your life jacket off.”
The brunette frowned before doing as Emma suggested, unbuckling and unzipping the flotation device before tossing it to meet Emma’s on the ground. That was all she removed, though. Emma roleld her eyes, disappearing into the tent to change into a comfortable, and most importantly, dry tank and shorts. When she reappeared, Regina was still standing out in the clearing, nose wrinkled.
“I really miss my bathtub right now.”
Emma raised a brow, gesturing towards the concrete structure to their left. “You could always use the shower in there.”
The brunette scowled at that. “Disgusting.” With that she turned away from Emma, pulling off her outerwear and leaving her in her bathing suit as well.
Emma tried not to stare as the other woman made her way into their tent. Shaking her head, she made her way over to the firepit and busied herself with trying to strike up a flame. It couldn’t be that hard, right? She’d watched her mother do it the night before -- rub some sticks together until you got a spark, then feed that into some dry stuff until you got a proper flame. Only it was easier observed than done, and Emma was left with nothing but some charred-smelling bark by the time Regina returned.
“You’re not very good at that,” The brunette remarked. The comment had been critical, but her tone, for once, was gentle.
Emma glanced up. Regina had changed into a pair of soft shorts and a sweatshirt, and she tried not to marvel at the sight of the other woman in such casual clothing. She’d seen her in it yesterday, of course -- but after years of only mayoral suit sets it was a shock each time.
“Hey, I’m trying.” She frowned, turning her attention back to the failed fire starter in her hands. “Would it have killed them to bring some matches? Or a lighter?”
Regina hummed her agreement. “Nostalgia for your mother, I suppose.”
Emma snorted. “Some things were better left to the enchanted forest.” She rocked back on her heels, plopping down onto one of the logs. “I do wish I had my magic right about now, though.”
“Fireballs are quite a bit more efficient.”
With that she made her way over to the log, sitting a foot or so away from Emma. She seemed to deliberate for a moment, eyes trained on her hands, which were clasped in her lap. Eventually she stood, moving to sit back down so that she was shoulder to shoulder with the blonde and pressing their thighs together lightly. Emma’s heart stuttered at the contact, and she looked up in surprise.
Regina was watching her, hands still wrung together and arms tucked into her chest. “I’m still cold,” she said by way of explanation. “...I can move, if…”
Emma shook her head, and she noticed that the other woman was shaking again, just a little. “No, it’s fine. Of course it’s fine.” She wrapped an arm around Regina’s shoulder, pulling her closer and rubbing her hand over her arm to warm her up. “You’re like a human ice box.” The brunette leaned into her further, practically resting on Emma’s shoulder now.
“And you’re like a human space heater.”
Emma smiled. “Why’d you drop a town into the middle of Maine if you’re so cold all the time? Why not, like, South Carolina or something?”
“I didn’t write the curse.”
“Who did, then?”
“Gold. Matter of fact, that was probably on purpose. Just one more way to get his revenge on me.” She laughed. “It’s not so bad, though. I woke up in Storybrooke to a whole closet of designer coats.”
“But nothing casual enough for camping, huh?”
“Just this sweatshirt.” She shrugged. “And you.”
Emma glanced back up to see that Regina had turned towards her again, a small smile on her lips. Their faces were only a few inches apart now. If she wanted to, she could lean in and kiss her — and fuck, she wanted to. But she also didn’t want to cross any boundaries; didn’t want to scare the other woman off.
And so she settled for returning the smile. Settled for drinking in the brunette’s features, when she was so uncharacteristically relaxed — happy, even.
And so, so close.
Regina’s face was free of makeup again today, and it made her look...softer, almost. More approachable for sure. The arch of her brow was lighter, her eyes brighter. And her hair — her hair was drying in wild curls around her face, framing it in a halo of chocolate. Almost black, but not quite.
“You’re staring,” Regina whispered, her voice laced with amusement.
“Sorry,” Emma replied, returning the smile. “I just...didn’t know you had curly hair.” She lifted the hand on the other woman’s shoulder to run her fingers through the ends.
“Yes.” Regina paused. “I usually straighten it.”
“Why?”
“I’m...not sure. Mother always said it looked messy, I suppose.”
“Well, she was wrong,” Emma insisted, surprised by the insistence in her own voice. “I mean…” she trailed off, and Regina quirked a brow, that tiny, amused smile creeping up at the corners.
“Yes?”
“You look beautiful.”
Regina ducked her head, but she couldn’t hide the way the tiny smile had broken into a grin, her cheeks turning an endearing shade of pink. “Yes, well.” She untangled her hands from one another and rested one on Emma’s knee. “You’re not so bad yourself, Swan.”
And Emma was grinning back, and the hand on her knee was hot despite the shivering, and god did she want to kiss the smile right off her lips. Her arm was still around Regina’s shoulder, and she trailed her fingers over it, nevermind the fact that the brunette was wrapped in a thick sweatshirt. She glanced over at Emma’s hand, worrying her lower lip between her teeth, and then she turned towards the blonde. And fuck, this was going to happen, she was going to kiss her. She was. Her heart thudded in her chest. She lifted her other hand to Regina’s cheek and the other woman turned toward her, eyes wide. Regina drew in a shaky breath, but she didn’t move. Emma leaned forward, just slightly --
“Moms, I -- oh.”
They jumped apart, Regina springing to her feet and Emma dropping forward to pretend she was still trying to set a fire. Of course, it was no use -- Henry stood at the edge of camp with brows raised, a look on his face not unlike one Regina had shot Emma on the many occasions she’d caught her goofing off in the station, mixed with Emma’s signature shit-eating grin.
“Hi, moms.”
Yeah, he was their kid.
“Henry!” Regina greeted him, just a little too loud and a bit too high pitched to be casual. “Did you have fun?”
He nodded, visibly stifling the grin and failing. “Uh-huh.”
“Henry caught the biggest bass I’ve ever seen!” David called, appearing from around the treeline to give the kid a heavy pat on the back. “Kid’s a natural.”
There was a moment of silence in which Henry met Emma’s eyes, and she shot him a look, silently willing him not to mention the scene he’d stumbled into. The last thing she needed was her parents to find out that she -- well.
Henry shot her a wink -- or his best effort at a wink, rather -- and turned towards David. “Thanks, grandpa,” he replied, and Emma let out a breath of relief.
“It really was impressive!” Mary Margaret appeared then, making her way past the boys and into the camp. “I wish you two had been there to see it!”
“I’m sure you’ll catch even more tomorrow,” Regina replied, directed at Henry, who nodded.
“Yep. Grandpa said there’s a pier not too far from here where the fish like to hang out.”
“Sounds lovely.”
“Emma, are you having trouble with that?” Mary Margaret frowned, brow knitting as she set her bag of kayaking supplies down beside her and David’s tent.
Emma glanced down, remembering she’d been pretending to set the fire. Henry chuckled, and she shot him a glare before turning back to her mother. “Uh...yeah. I’m not too good at it,” She added lamely. She sat there, cheeks still burning and the charred wood leaving soot marks on her hands.
Mary Margaret shook her head, dropping to her knees beside her daughter and taking the tools from her hands. “Honestly, Emma, every woman should know how to start a fire on her own. It’s a fundamental skill.”
With that, she launched into a demonstration, and Emma wasn’t sure what was worse: survivalist lessons with her mother, getting interrupted by their son of all people, or the fact that she hadn’t even gotten to make her move.
Definitely the latter.
She blew out a breath of air, forcing herself to focus on her mother’s instructions.
The rest of the day passed fairly normally -- they had lunch by the river, and lounged by the water until dinner around the campfire. The sun had long dipped behind the horizon. Emma had successfully started their fire at Henry’s insistence -- under Mary Margaret’s supervision, of course -- and David had broken out the supplies for s’mores.
Emma’s skin was coated in a greasy layer of bug spray, and the wind blew the smoke her way every few minutes, but she was content. She had a metal poker in hand, a marshmallow on the end, and she was seated between her two favorite people.
And, she realized, romantic feelings even set aside, Regina really was one of her favorite people.
She turned to regard the other woman. The firelight danced over Regina’s cheeks, catching her brown eyes and the hard lines of her jaw. She had her own poker in hand, marshmallow held carefully over the flames. Concentration drew her features in as she turned the sweet carefully, ensuring that it toasted evenly, and Emma couldn’t help but smile.
Regina turned then, eyes widening as she caught Emma staring. She returned the smile, though, and Emma felt her heart flutter. The brunette’s concentration was broken, though, and her marshmallow dipped into the fire, setting alight in a matter of seconds.
“Oh!” She pulled it out, blowing on it to put out the fire.
“It’s okay, mom.” Henry laughed. “They’re good burnt.”
Regina frowned at the blackened marshmallow as if it had personally offended her.
Emma stifled a laugh. “Here,” She said, placing her own poker with her perfectly toasted marshmallow into Regina’s hand and taking the burnt one from her.
The brunette only stared at her. “You’re not going to eat that, are you?”
“Like the kid said, they’re good burnt.” Emma took in the brunette’s horrified look, offering her a smile before peeling the burnt skin off the sweet, tossing the blackened sugar off into the bushes. She squished it between a graham cracker and chocolate. “There. Good as new. That one’s yours,” She added, motioning to the one she’d toasted. Regina still hadn’t moved after taking it.
Regina regarded her for another moment, brows knit ever so slightly. “Thank you.”
Emma smiled around a bite of s’more. Regina didn’t move, and so she set her own aside, grabbing another set of crackers and chocolate. She took the marshmallow back from the other woman, making her her own s’more and handing it back to her.
“Thank you,” Regina echoed, a bit incredulous, as she took the sweet from Emma’s hands and bit into it.
“Welcome.” Emma offered her a crooked smile.
“Alright, get a room, you guys,” Henry cracked, leaning forward and breaking their line of sight as he held his own marshmallow over the fire. “You’re so gross.”
Emma stifled a laugh, momentarily forgetting her parents across the fire. “Shut up, kid.” She laughed good naturedly, and Henry laughed too. Even Regina cracked a smile.
And then Emma looked up, and David locked eyes with her, one brow raised. Emma shrugged, and he shook his head, turning back to his own s’more. Mary Margaret, for her part, seemed oblivious.
They made a few more s’mores before Mary Margaret announced she was going to bed, and the rest of them followed.
Regina made it into the tent first.
Emma walked in behind her, catching her stripping off her bra and leaving her torso bare, back to Emma. She didn’t move to cover herself -- not that Emma could see anything from her angle, anyway. She tugged a tank top on and turned, meeting Emma’s eyes for only a moment before moving to slide inside the sleeping bags. They were still zipped together, and she took the same spot she had the night before.
She peered up at Emma from her position on the ground, one brow raised. “Well?”
Emma sighed and then followed suit, stripping off her bra without removing her shirt and tossing it into the corner. She discarded her shorts, leaving her in only a tank and underwear. Finally she slipped into the sleeping bag, fluffing her pillow and settling in, and she felt the other woman relax beside her.
Emma, on the other hand, was having difficulty getting her heart to stop pounding.
Regina was so close, so, so close, and Emma had almost kissed her earlier.
Regina had put her hand on her knee.
Regina had allowed herself to be pulled close, much like the night before, when she’d curled against Emma, whose name had escaped her lips in a wistful sigh.
Emma swallowed, turning onto her side and tentatively reaching for the other woman. She was laying on her back, and Emma’s reach landed at her shoulder. The brunette reached up, pulling her hand down and clutching it over her chest. Emma could feel Regina’s heart beating beneath her palm, much like the night before, only this time they were both awake. This time, they were both fully aware of what was happening. This time --
Regina turned, bring them face to face, bodies flush against one another, and--
And she kissed her.
She pressed her lips to Emma’s without hesitation, slinging a leg around Emma’s thigh. Emma responded immediately, barely registering what was happening before she pulled the other woman close, one hand sliding up to tangle in her dark mess of curls. She turned them so that she was on her back, Regina on top of her, bracing her forearms against the ground on either side of Emma’s head as she kissed her.
“Emma,” She whispered, breaking the kiss for just a moment before the blonde captured her lips once more.
Emma whispered Regina’s name back, and the brunette kissed her harder, lifting one arm off the ground to trail a hand across her collarbone and twist into her hair. Emma let her hands wander, wrapping around Regina’s waist and then drift up her back, trail up her torso to cup her breast --
Regina reached up to grasp her wrist and Emma frowned, thinking for a moment that she’d gone too far — but then the other woman guided her hand down. Her heart stuttered as she realized what was happening.
“Regina…” She whispered. “Are you sure?”
But the other woman nodded, bending to kiss her, hard . “Yes,” She whispered, against Emma’s lips.
They didn’t get much sleep that night, but when they finally drifted off, curled against one another against the bite of the cold, it was with a hum of contentment.
When Emma awoke, the sleeping bag beside her was empty. She frowned, feeling only cold when she reached out. With a sigh she pushed herself up, reminding herself that Regina woke early most mornings, and that it probably wasn’t her running away from the previous night. She unzipped the tent and peered out into the bright clearing. The sun was well past the horizon this time, birds singing in the trees above.
“Goodmorning, sleepyhead,” Mary Margaret chimed from across the fire, reminiscent of the morning before. “Did you sleep well?”
Emma nodded, but she was peering around, trying to spot Regina. She found her already fully dressed, sat on one of the log benches next to their son and enjoying her breakfast. The brunette met her eyes and her cheeks flushed red as she offered her a smile.
Emma sighed a breath of relief, the tension in her chest easing all at once. They were going to be fine.
“Great, thanks,” Emma finally replied, and she meant it.
Henry rolled his eyes. “Alright, that’s enough. So, the pier?”