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Regina settles back against Maleficent and closes her eyes—the leaves are changing and the air is cool, and they’re cuddled up together beneath a blanket in the hammock in Regina’s yard. A smile stretches onto her lips as Mal’s long fingers trail up and down the length of her arm, humming as she sighs contently. She never thought that she could feel this way again—never thought that her battered heart could mend again or that someone else would be there to pick up the pieces and wipe away her tears—and she most certainly never thought she’d find herself feeling the ways she did—so comfortable in her own skin, at peace with who she was and where she belonged in this world, happy and content.
It had been a long, slow road—a road filled with more twists and bends than either of them cared for—but nonetheless, they’d somehow survived it and somehow it had lead them back to the start, allowing them the chance to try again, allowing them the opportunity to finally get it right.
And now, here they were, together.
Only a few days after Robin left for New York to start a new life with Marian and their son, Maleficent had shown up at her doorstep with a bottle of wine and a soft smile. Regina had tried in vain to turn her away—but she should have know her attempts would be futile—she never could say no to those sparkling blue eyes.
“Oh, Regina, relax,” she’d cooed as she’d reached out and gave her hand a little squeeze. “Just a little wine, to take your mind off of things.”
“I don’t know,” she’d hedged.
“It’s perfectly innocent,” Mal insisted. “After all, we are old friends.”
She’d let out a little laugh at the understatement, but nonetheless, a small smile crept onto her lips—it was the first time she’d truly smiled in days. And before she could say anymore, Henry came bounding down the stairs. Maleficent had subtly let go of her hand as Henry asked if he should set a third place at the table. Regina looked between them as Mal’s eyebrow arched and she’d nodded, and told Henry to set the extra place.
Regina draws Mal’s hand to her lips and presses a kiss to the back of her hand, pulling Mal’s arms tighter around her. It had been so easy to fall back into old patterns—and so easy to right the wrongs of their complicated past. There was a comfort and an ease between them, yet still something new and exciting because even though they’d been together before, they hadn’t really been together—not like this, not without self-imposed barriers and societal expectations, without curses looming and darkness creeping in—they’d never truly been allowed to be themselves, even when it’d just been the two of them.
“Are you cold? We could go inside…”
“No…” Regina replies, smiling as Maleficent bends and brushes her lips against the crook of her neck. Her lips are warm and soft, such a contrast to the cool, fall air. “I want to stay right here,” she adds, turning her face up to look at Maleficent, watching as a smile tugs across her lips, causing that soft and now familiar flutter…
She’d become a regular dinner guest, always showing up with a bottle of wine and a sweet, yet sultry smile—and what had started as one friend showing up to comfort another friend, turned into something else. And though Regina was reluctant to admit what that something else was, she made no effort to stop it.
Henry was with Emma and they had the house to themselves. Regina had made a pasta dish—bow tie noodles and a pesto cream sauce—and they’d finished the entire bottle of Shiraz that Mal had brought to go with it. As they cleared the table, they’d opened a second bottle, both had reached for it at the same time. Their hands had touched and a shock pulsed through her. Regina’s heart began to beat faster as her eyes fell to their touching hands, and slowly, almost reluctantly, she’d pulled away.
Mal had smiled, then—her blue eyes sweet and understanding—and she’d told her she’d grab fresh glasses. Regina had nodded just barely, as she reached for the corkscrew and as Maleficent returned, holding two long stemmed glasses between her fingers. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Maleficent’s hand grazed the small of her back—and then, it was done. They’d retreated into the living room and sat on opposite ends of the couch, their feet curled beneath them as the fire crackled and popped, warming the space on a cool winter night, as they talked and laughed, reminisced and even dared to hope.
“You know, until you came out here, I’d planned on spending the afternoon raking leaves. I had a whole to-do list of things that I am now actively not doing.”
“Why bother?” Mal asks, a little bit of a laugh behind her words. “More will fall soon enough.”
“That’s not the point.”
“You could just…magically sweep them away.”
“And that would be cheating.”
This time, Mal actually laughs and once more, Regina finds herself bringing the back of her hand to her lips and pressing a soft kiss to her skin. “I don’t see why it matters.”
“I don’t know,” Regina muses, still holding onto her hand. “I like doing it the…old-fashioned way.”
“You always did have a penchant for the hard way,” Mal teases as Regina rolls her eyes. “And if it’s really bothering you,” she continues, again pressing her lips into the crook of Regina’s neck, “You could always go do that…”
“I can’t, actually…”
“No?”
“No,” Regina says, tilting her head to the side, allowing Mal more access to her. “Because I am actually incapable of getting up right now.” At that, Mal laughs out, and then drags her lips up the length of Regina’s neck, her tongue swirling around her earlobe. “And even if I could…you’re making it impossible to want to.”
Light touches turned into longer lasting ones. They didn’t really talk about, they just let it happen—enjoying it in the moment and enjoying it for what it was. Winter had turned to a cool and rainy spring, and soft droplets of rain were falling outside, tapping on the window panes as Maleficent lit a fire at the hearth and Regina poured the wine. Henry was upstairs, working on a science project and they’d both deemed the roads too slick for safe travel—completely and willfully ignoring the fact that both of them could easily transport themselves to wherever they wanted to be without the assistance of a vehicle or the need for safe roads.
Regina watched as Mal stoked the flame from her perch on the edge of the coffee table. She was wearing a tight charcoal pencil skirt and a cranberry colored blouse and her blonde locks were curled and pinned in a low bun. Regina’s lip caught between her teeth as she took a breath before joining Mal on the coffee table. She handed her a glass of wine and set her own down behind them, suddenly unable to look away when Mal’s gaze caught her own.
Her mouth was dry, but she felt so calm and relaxed as she’d leaned in and brushed her lips over Mal’s. It took only a moment for Mal to respond, sliding closer and pressing in the rest of the way, sliding her tongue over Regina’s bottom lip. And then, a moment later, the wine was entirely forgotten…
A light breeze sweeps through the yard and Maleficent pulls the blanket tighter around them. Regina cuddles back, nuzzling her cheek against Mal’s shoulder. It amazes her, really, how easy this is—how safe and content she feels in this moment. She’s completely unguarded and completely happy—happy to just be.
“We should do this more often,” Mal murmurs.
“Do what? We’re not doing anything.”
“Exactly—we should do nothing more often.” Regina grins as Maleficent’s hand slips between the blanket and glides across her cable-knit sweater, her finger tips pressing just enough to push up the fabric and just enough to send a light tingling sensation across Regina’s skin in anticipation of more. But her fingers don’t go any further than that, instead resting against the soft fabric of her sweater.
Regina twists herself around and the hammock begins to sway as Mal’s hands slip around her waist. Regina pushes herself up and drops a quick kiss over Mal’s lips, smiling and then leaning in to do it again. Mal smiles against her lips and catches Regina’s lips between hers. The back of Regina’s fingers brush lightly, back and forth, against Mal’s cheek as they fall into a languidly unrushed kiss.
She’s first to pull away, grinning as Maleficent lets out a little whimper at the loss of contact. She licks her lips and continues to stroke her fingers lightly over Mal’s cheek, completely lost in her soft gaze and so glad that they’ve gotten here, gotten to this point.
Regina’s breath had caught in her chest, as Maleficent pushed her back against the edge of the counter. Instinctively, Regina’s hands slipped over Mal’s shoulders, linking around her neck, and she’d leaned up onto the tips of her toes, as Mal’s fingers tangled in her hair—she’d been waiting all night for this.
They’d spent night at Granny’s, celebrating the Charming’s anniversary and eating cake, making small talk and insisting that they’re ‘just friends’ and that nothing was going on. It wasn’t that they didn’t want anyone to know, it was just that were enjoying it being just the two of them—just the two of them in their own little world—and there was also something exciting about it being their little secret.
Mal’s hand slipped lower, finding the small of her back and drawing her nearer pressing into the thin fabric of her camisole…
And then the back door opened and Henry’s voice called out to her and they pushed away—but not in enough time. Henry stood there with wide eyes and a gaping mouth, and Regina’s cheeks had flushed. She knew that her lipstick was smudged and her Mal was still standing far too close to deny that anything had been going on.
“I thought…you were staying with…”
“I was—I mean—I am,” Henry had stammered. “But I forgot my math book.”
“Math book?”
“Yes because someone decided to sign me up for summer school,” Henry sighs as his eyes meet his mother’s.
“Oh…right…”
“So, um…I’ll just go grab it.”
“Henry,” Regina had said, her voice flustered, as Henry started toward the stairs. “I think we should…talk about…”
“Mom, it’s okay,” he’d replied as he turned to face her, a small smile edging onto his lips. “I’ve known about you two for awhile. You’re like…the worst liar ever.”
“Oh…”
“But…I’m happy for you—really happy for you.” He’d glanced quickly to Mal and then back to Regina, and again offered a warm smile before retreating up the stairs in search of his text book.
Regina waited until he was at the top of the stairs before she’d turned back to Maleficent with wide eyes. Mal shook her head and took a step in, pulling Regina into a tight embrace. She kissed her forehead and laughed a little—and then, Regina laughed, too. Perhaps they hadn’t been as coy and careful as they’d thought they’d been…
Mal’s long fingers reach out and tuck a few straying strands of hair behind Regina’s ear. She smiles and lets her fingers linger—and Regina’s lip catches between her teeth as watches the way Maleficent is looking at her and considers the way that it makes her feel. It shouldn’t surprise her, not anymore, not after the last year, but it does.
She hasn’t said it—she hasn’t yet verbalized the way she feels, taking for granted that Mal just knows. And when Mal looks at her the way that she does, she thinks she might be right—and usually, that unspoken understanding is enough. This time, their relationship had unfolded so slowly and they’d taken each day at a time, allowing themselves to enjoy it, relishing in each and every cautious step that they’d taken together. It’s not that she doesn’t want to say it—she does and she’s lost count of the number of times she nearly said it, nearly let the words slip from her lips and then decided that it wasn’t quite the right time. But then, for her, it never seemed to be the right time, as life had taught her that opening up and allowing herself to believe in love always marks the beginning of the end. So, usually, whenever she feels those three little words willing themselves out, she pushed them back and reminded herself that happiness and love aren’t meant for someone like her.
Mal’s knees draw up and she pulls the thick knit blanket up over Regina’s back as the wind blows through, sweeping leaves across the yard. “You look like you’re a million miles away.” Her fingers continue to stroke gently and a smile twists onto her lips, “Come back to me.”
Regina laughs and rolls off of Maleficent, cuddling into her side, “I was just…thinking.”
“Oh,” Mal replies, grinning as Regina presses a kiss to her jaw. “Do tell.”
“It was nothing, it was just…” Her breath catches as Mal rolls onto her side, facing her as the hammock again begins to sway because of the movement, and she kisses the bridge of her nose. Regina feels her cheeks flush a bit and she can’t help but cuddle closer as the wind, again, sweeps through and sends a shiver down her spine.
“Tell me…”
“I was just thinking that you are…more the exception than the rule,” Regina says as a careful smile forms on her lips as Mal’s fingers stroke lightly over her hip beneath the blanket. “And I was just thinking that…I love you.”
For a moment, Mal’s fingers stop—she’s perfectly still and Regina feels her heart beat slow—but it only lasts a minute before Mal’s lips push against hers, offering her a soft, sweet kiss in return. Regina’s cheeks flush as Mal pulls back and finds her blue eyes glittered with tears. There’s a hint of a smile on her lips—she’s one of the few people in any world who know just how difficult that was for Regina to say, and even more difficult for her to actually believe. In all the years they’d spent in their on-again, off-again relationship and in all the times they’d come together only to be pulled apart and come together all over again, Regina had never come close to uttering those words. She’d always kept that part of herself guarded, never quite willing to fully remove the mask she wore in order to protect herself.
“And I love you,” she murmurs quietly. “I always have.”
“I know,” Regina says, the confidence and conviction in her voice surprising even her. “Thank you for…being patient.”
Maleficent sighs and leans in, kissing her again—they both know patient is an understatement and only they truly know just the amount of loss and heartache they’d each endured in order to get to this moment. “Regina,” Mal murmurs as she drops a kiss to her forehead and smile curls onto her lips, “I always knew you’d be worth it.”
Regina shivers as another gust of wind sweeps through the yard, swirling leaves up around them as Mal laughs out. Regina feels her cheeks flush and her brow furrows slightly as Mal leans in, but not for a kiss. Instead she reaches past her, her long fingers twisting into her hair.
“There’s a leaf in your hair,” Mal laughs, slowly withdraws a deep red leaf from her dark hair and holds up between them. Regina blinks as Mal twists the stem of the leaf between her fingers—and then, Regina laughs, too. Her arm stretches over Mal’s shoulder as she draws her in closer, cuddling in as Mal pulls the blanket up around them and tucks her chin over the top of Regina’s head and draws her knee up over Regina’s hip, cocooning her in the warm security of love as they laugh together.