hunnyfresh - Letters from War

Her bottom lip tugged between Regina's teeth, Emma could only succumb to the pooling desire tightening in her groin as she twisted onto her back with a breathy "okay", pulling Regina flush against her, but the brunette hovered over her on an arm and soaked her in like she was the Eighth Wonder of the World. Fingers trailed lithely across Emma's bare stomach making her quiver until Regina reached her shoulder and toyed with her bra strap.

"Can I take this off?" She asked uncertainly.

"Yes," Emma said with a nod and sat up, shucking off one strap, then two, until Regina reached behind her, their eyes locked on one another, and unclasped the fabric. Her fingers trailed down to the denim at Emma's waist, repeating her question, and for a second Emma faltered.

"You don't have to."

"I want to." She took the older woman's hands in hers and led them to the button of her jeans, reassuring her with a soft kiss. "I want you."

Her jeans were undone and pulled down her legs, and with a final reassuring nod to the wide-eyed brunette, Regina carefully slid damp panties down pale legs leaving Emma just as bare as Regina.

There was a time when Emma was proud of her body, smug, in fact, of her defined muscles, strong back, and firm abs. Years ago she purposely used her tank top as a sweat towel so Regina could catch her in only a sports bra and spanks. Now, Emma suddenly felt self-conscious. The scar on the back of her calf where Nabil had burned the skin to get it to heal was a dark brown against otherwise pale skin. Her legs were bonier, and the evidence of her trauma stood out like a beacon. Emma was tempted to turn away, but she knew her back was just as bad.

"I'm not dreaming again, am I?" Regina suddenly asked as she knelt by the foot of the bed.

"You dream about this too?"

"All the time." Slowly, carefully, gauging Emma's reaction as she ascended, Regina crawled her way up and over Emma's body until she was situated between parted legs. "You're better than any dream."

Emma's breath caught in her throat, and any insecurities she had flew out the window. Every scenario Emma came up with didn't hold a candle to this, right here, right now.

Lips against lips. Breasts against breasts. Emma pulled away to stare up at the ceiling, revelling in the feeling of Regina's lips descending down her torso. Breathy gasps. Bucking hips. Emma needed more after so long apart. Her scars were the last thing on her mind as Regina's tongue tickled the coarse hairs covering her sex, the heat from her breath making her clench in want.

"Beautiful," the brunette murmured. "So beautiful."

And then Regina was on her. No barrier. No distractions. No regrets. Regina against Emma.

Emma shut her eyes and moaned. Her toes tingled and curled as Regina's mouth sucked greedily, as if Emma would disappear any moment. Bending her knees and opening herself wider, all Emma could do was give herself willingly to Regina who took worshipping to a whole new level as her fingers toyed with Emma's entrance. With a jerk of her hips, she guided Regina gloriously inside. That was all the sign she needed to continue thrusting on her own, using Emma's moans and pants as a sign to go deeper, find the source of her wetness, and god did Emma squeeze her fingers tight, keeping her there.

"Regina," Emma gasped when the brunette nibbled on the bundle of nerves that sent Emma's hips rocking. "Regina."

"I'm here," she promised. "I'm here."

That was all she needed to let go. The only coherent thought racing through her mind as the tension inside her built and exploded, sending her back arching and her hands fisted in blanket was Regina Regina Regina.

"I'm here," Regina repeated, kissing her way up Emma's sweat-slicked body.

Tears prickled at Emma's eyes, but she didn't care to wipe them away for as soon as Regina was levelled with her. She caught smudged red lips with her own, tears freely streaming down her face. It wasn't until they pulled back moments later did Emma realize that Regina's cheeks were just as damp, not from Emma, but from her own happiness as her eyes shifted wildly over Emma's face, still not sure the blonde was really in front of her.

Emma kissed her softly, tugging brown locks to the side of Regina's neck in a fist to hold her tightly as she whispered against her lips. "I'm not going anywhere."

Regina released a breathy sob. It became more than just a whimper as the brunette shook with tears, burying her face in Emma's neck and holding her just as fiercely. Their fingers found one another, lacing through the spaces until they connected instinctively, their hands squeezing in reassurance to remind the other that they were there. Together. Finally.

Emma held Regina for long minutes, their heated bodies cooling as they lay naked on top of the rumpled blankets and scattered pillows. Once intimate desire was taken care of for the time being, it gave way to more rational thought as Emma stroked up and down Regina's back, her arms tight and sure around her as she cried.

She had done this. She had made the strongest woman she ever knew choke with sobs so fierce they wracked her body. She had no choice, Emma reminded herself. If Emma hadn't have taken care of herself, the baggage she carried would have driven a wedge between them or worse. She shut her eyes. There were always choices. Maybe she really did make the wrong one.

"I'm sorry," the blonde whispered genuinely into Regina's ear as she pressed kisses along Regina's temple and hummed the one song that kept her sane as she rocked her.

Regina continued to cry, and the tear tracks staining Emma's face minutes earlier moistened again with fresh regret. Then suddenly the cries against her neck weren't a watery, mournful sob. Regina's shoulders continued to shake and Emma pulled back to see the brunette smiling, laughing like some mad woman. Cheeks were red and wet and brown eyes were red-rimmed, and god did she ever look gorgeous.

"I'm sorry." It was all Emma could think to provide, but that seemed to make the older woman laugh even harder.

"Sorry?" Regina repeated as she wiped at her eyes. With a quickness Emma hadn't anticipated, Regina clutched Emma's neck and brought their lips together in a kiss that should have been hard, but the intimacy and pure devotion pressed into it made it soft, tender, right. "You're home," she whispered. "Don't apologize for that."

They lay against one another, shimmying under the blankets to escape the chill yet refusing to have their bodies part. On their sides, they faced one another, legs tangled under the duvet and their faces a hair's breadth apart. Emma ran a toe up a smooth calf, grinning when Regina's concentration faltered as she played with the harness of the prosthetic. Silence came over them, but neither found the words to say what they were feeling. When Regina fingered the spot where the attachment met her flesh, Emma's eyes flashed worriedly before examining brown eyes to see nothing more than curiosity, wonder, and sadness. No judgment. No pity. Love at its finest. Wordlessly, Emma leaned up on her forearm and removed the harness and fiddled with the base until her hand was off, leaving the stump of her arm crooked just at the elbow.

Emma wondered if the move may have been too much as she deposited the prosthetic on the bedside table, but as soon as she settled down, Regina's hand hovered over her right arm. Painted nails raked up and down her bicep, tickling her shoulder all the way down to the bend of her elbow where it curved over. Most days Emma could still feel phantom pain in the hand that wasn't there, but right now, she could have sworn she felt Regina's thumb rubbing circles across her knuckles. Tingles shot through Emma's spine at the sensation as Regina repeated the motion up and down.

"Why didn't you call?" Regina asked in a dejected whisper, her free hand playing with a strand of yellow hair.