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The Savior is stunning.
It isn’t just her features that appeal to Regina or the way her hair tumbles over her shoulders in loose waves, bouncing around with every step she takes.
It's not just the way she her green eyes change color with her mood, going from sparkling emerald when she is happy to a lighter hue of jade when she is annoyed. And of course, Regina’s personal favorite: deep forest green when she is aroused.
It isn’t just the tight muscles of her abdomen or the way her arms ripple with power when she does a set of pull ups on the bar hanging on the bedroom closet, grinning impishly at Regina as Regina pretends not to watch.
No, what she finds truly appealing is the way her face lights up in a genuine smile when she is happy to see someone she loves.
The way her eyes sparkle with mischief when she is teasing Regina.
The way she bites her lip in concentration when she is filling out those reports she hates so much.
But what Regina loves most of all is her girlfriend’s skin.
Smooth and soft to the touch.
Responsive to the point of breaking out in goosebumps when Regina runs her fingers across it.
Dotted with scars and badges of honor from carrying Henry and all the times she put herself in harm’s way to protect someone in trouble.
Pale to the extent of almost being translucent. One of Regina’s favorite activities is to mark up that beautiful blank canvas with nibbles and light scratches.
But her absolute favorite thing in the world is seeing Emma blush.
It doesn’t happen often. Emma is far too confident and sure of herself to blush due to feeling out of place. But pay her a compliment she doesn’t think she deserves, and her skin lights up with the sweetest tinge of pink that makes Regina tingle with pleasure.
That is her goal tonight.
To turn her girlfriend into a blushing, squirming mess on their bed before finally giving in to the impulse to smother her with so much love that Emma forgets every bad thing that has ever happened to her.
“Beautiful,” she murmurs, letting her eyes scan the expanse of Emma’s body. As if on cue, Emma ducks her head so Regina cannot see the blush that lights up her skin.
“Hardly,” she mumbles.
Regina chuckles. “You don’t think so? Let me see if I can change your mind.”
Emma’s eyes raise up to meet hers, and Regina can hardly breathe because of the intense need to kiss her. It isn’t time yet, though.
“Where shall I start?” she wonders, walking over to tug on the restraints that are holding her lover in place. Emma follows her with her eyes as she strolls up and down the side of the bed, coming to a halt right at the midpoint, hands poised above her stomach. She runs her hands lightly over Emma’s abdomen, smiling to herself when Emma shivers and goosebumps follow every inch of space her hands touch.
“You enjoy that, don’t you?”
Emma ducks her head again, but not before she catches a glimpse of the blush that lights up her cheeks again. This inability of her girlfriend to admit it when she is having a good time is at once endearing and heartbreaking. It is almost as if she doesn’t believe she is worthy of enjoying herself as much she clearly does when she is trapped and squirming under Regina’s touch.
“It’s ok to admit it,” she says softly. Emma shakes her head, a soft sound escaping her lips. It is a cross between a sigh and a moan; a sound of pure pleasure that sends chills up Regina’s spine. She alone can draw this sound from this perfect creature.
It is a power more intoxicating than anything she has experienced before.
“I could make you admit it, you know,” she says, running her hands up Emma’s ribs lightly. Emma’s squirms become a bit more desperate and soft giggles start to drop from her lips. “I could run my fingers here and tell you what a ticklish little thing you are and refuse to stop until you tell me how much you like this.”
Her fingers hit the top of Emma’s ribs and she digs them in slightly, drawing sharper laughter from her Savior. “Hehehehhehehe hehehehehehe, hahahaha.”
“Shall I do that?” she asks, digging a bit harder and wiggling just a bit faster. “Should I tickle all of your weak spots until you give me what I am looking for?” Emma’s laughter is a nonstop fountain now, but she doesn’t ask for it to stop. Just squirms and thrashes around under the Queen’s hands, shaking her head against both the sensations and Regina’s questions.
“Heeeheheheheheh!!! Heehheheheheheheee!”
“Tell me,” Regina whispers. Her hands drag up Emma’s ribs and pause for a moment when they reach her armpits. Emma shudders but doesn’t speak. “You can’t hold it in forever, you know. You’re too ticklish for that.” She creeps her fingers up higher, resting them on the very bottom of Emma’s armpit. Emma whines when she bends down to gently run her tongue around one of her nipples, hands never moving from their spots on her armpits. She flexes her fingers slowly, drumming them softly on the soft skin she loves so much.
“It’s one of my favorite things about you. So strong to the rest of the world and so helpless when I tickle you.” Emma whimpers when she drums a little faster, stroking her fingers inside the stretched out hollow under Emma’s restrained arms. “It’s ok to tell me you like it too.”
Emma’s face is fire engine red by now and she bites her lip, another whine escaping from deep within her. “I can’t,” she says.
“Why not?” she asks, switching from the soft drumming to running her fingers gently up and down Emma’s armpits. Emma pulls on the restraints, trying to lower her arms, even though she knows it won’t help her at all.
“Dohohohon’t ,” she begs. “Plehehehehase hehehehe dohohon’t”
“Don’t what? Tickle you? But I love tickling you.”
Emma’s face turns redder every with every word that comes out of the Queen’s mouth. Regina picks up the pace of her fingers, wiggling them softly under Emma’s arms. “You’re pretty amazing, you know?” She ignores Emma’s increasingly desperate laughter and thrashing.
“HAHAHAHAHA!!!! PLEAHEAHAESE!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!”
“If it were me getting this treatment on one of the most ticklish spots on my body, I would say anything to make it stop. And you are so much more ticklish than me.”
“NnnnhAHAHAHAHA!!! Ihihihit tickles sohoho bad HAHAHAHAHA!!!”
Regina freezes momentarily, both to allow Emma to catch her breath for a second and in surprise at what had Emma had just said. Her heart swells a bit with pride, but she doesn’t allow it show on her face.
“Do you want me to stop?”
“Nohohohoho!!”
“No? You don’t want me to stop?” She tickles relentlessly, watching the love of her life jump and thrash and not get anywhere at all for her efforts.
“HAHAHAHAHA!!! Nohohohoho!!!”
“Then you admit it? You like this?”
“Yehehehehs HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!”
“You do?”
“Yehehes!!! I lihihke HAHAHAHAH like it!!!”
She doesn’t stop completely, knowing that would be a disappointment, but she moves her hands back to the top of Emma’s ribcage and resumes stroking softly. She keeps her fingers moving quickly enough to keep the Savior from coming down from her high completely while still allowing the intense laughter to slow down.
“Good girl.”
The blush on Emma’s face had begun to recede a bit, but it returns in full force, and she instantly drops her eyes to the blanket. Regina watches her closely.
“It’s ok to admit you like that too, you know,” she says quietly.
Emma is still unable to meet her gaze. “Yeah? You don’t think it’s weird?”
Her heart melts a little. “There is nothing in this world that turns me on more than the idea of you trying to be a good girl for me.”
At last Emma looks up. “Really?”
“Really. The notion that you think I am worthy of trying to please….Emma, it takes my breath away.”
She had no intention of admitting that and she can feel her own cheeks heat up, but she tells herself it will be ok.
It’s Emma, after all.
It’s Emma and her heart is safe with her.
Emma jerks her head towards her restraints and pulls at her arms. “Would you mind?”
Grateful for the chance to step behind Emma’s head for a moment, she unties the ropes and comes back to the bed to sit beside her girlfriend. Emma cups her cheek, and she feels her face heat up again. To take the attention away from her blush, she leans in to the kiss the Savior, letting her eyes drift shut when she feels Emma respond and deepen the kiss. After a moment, they both pull away, breathing hard.
They lay back on the bed, holding each other, Regina’s hands skimming down the length of Emma’s spine. Emma sighs with contentment. “You ever wonder how we got so lucky?”
Honestly, it is a question she asks herself every day. She hardly deserves to be this happy, but she is not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. “I think I would rather focus on spending the rest of my life enjoying it.”
“Yeah,” Emma says, stroking her face again. “Me too.”