Pairing: SnowQueen

Rated: K+/T

#tryingtobefriendsbututterlyfailing #OITNB #Vauseman #lesbianRegina

Thunder and Lightning

"I'm so glad you decided to spend the day with me."

"Well, your incessant pestering made me rethink my decision," Regina good-naturedly glared at a grinning Snow, rolling her eyes for added effect. "Though I still don't get the reason why we're doing this?"

Snow smiled, briefly touching her hand to Regina's arm. "I felt we needed to spend some time together. Alone. Without Henry, Emma or David. Just the two of us."

"And why is that?" Regina raised a brow.

"Because I think that we should talk, Regina," Snow looked thoughtful. "We have continously hurt each other over the years and I'm not only talking about our time in the Enchanted Forest. We've only recently started to form… some sort of 'friendship'? And I'd like to work on that. We are family, Regina, and I want us to act and feel like one." Snow held up a hand when Regina seemingly opened her mouth to protest. "I know. It'll take time. Weeks, months, maybe even years. But I'd like us to try. You're important to me, no matter what you might think."

"I-"

"No, I don't want to hear your protest or your mockery. Just this once, can you-"

"Let me speak, would you?" Regina looked more than a little irritated now. "You have to stop believing the worst of me, you know. If you want this to work. I wasn't going to protest. I just wanted to tell you that I agree."

"You- … you do?"

"I do. But don't think you don't still get on my nerves with your rainbows and unicorn stickers."

Snow chuckled. "I'll try to remember."

"So, pray tell me, what are we going to do today?"

Snow beamed at her former stepmother, taking her hand and eagerly pulling her into Regina's sparsely used living room. "I thought you'd never ask."

XxxxxxxxxX

Several hours later, it was already late into the afternoon, Snow and Regina were sitting next to each other on the couch, watching their seventh episode of Orange is the new Black. The teacher had wanted to check out the show everyone was raving about for a while now and she'd been surprised that so far, both she and Regina really were enjoying it. Even though Regina's main amusement seemed to stem from watching her blush whenever there was a rather revealing sex scene which happened to be the case almost every episode. One would think one would get used to it after a while but every time Nicky and Lorna humped each other in a shower stall or behind the altar, she felt the blood rush into her pale cheeks, no doubt tinting them a bright red. And each time that happened, she found a smirking Regina staring back at her.

"We really should stop watching," Snow stated when the credits rolled down the screen at the end of episode eight.

"I agree," Regina replied without taking her eyes from the screen as the title song started once more.

"We should use the time to …talk."

"We should."

"Why then does it feel like such a burden to press that tiny red button?" Snow held up the remote control, looking helplessly at Regina.

"I'll do it," Regina confidently said, taking the remote from Snow's hand, her own fingers now hovering over the power button. The title song ended and the promising title 'Fucksgiving' appeared in bolt letters. Regina sighed, staring at the red button with frustration.

"I think we're addicted," Snow whispered, pointing at the tv. "I've heard of this happening but-"

"I think you may be right," Regina chuckled, throwing the remote control onto the armchair closest to the couch. "We'll watch this one – then we'll stop. And talk?"

Snow eagerly nodded.

"I have a feeling that Alex and Piper will get back together in this one," Regina voiced her suspicion. "It'll be a nice place to stop."

The two women watched as Piper was locked away in solitary, how Healy revealed himself to be the ass they'd suspected he was, how dumb Larry wasn't able to visit his fiancée and finally, how Piper pounced on Alex as soon as she got back out, the two of them passionately making love to each other. Both Regina and Snow had flushed cheeks and goofy smiles as they finally turned the tv off after seeing the former lovers reunite.

"Well, that was… intense," Snow nervously giggled. She'd never felt as aroused by a sex scene in a movie or show before. This though… well, it left her rather breathless. And wanton.

Regina raised a brow at the younger woman and smirked at the darkness in her eyes. Passion. Lust.

Innocent little Snow White was aroused by a hot lesbian sex scene. Who would've thought…

"You've never had sex with a woman, have you?"

"I uh," Snow's blush turned even darker. "I uhm. I haven't. Never been kissed by one either. Charming was my first. And my only actually."

"Your only?" Regina seemed genuinely surprised. She'd heard rumors of a more physical relationship between Snow and the wolf but apparently they were just that – rumors. "Oh dear," Regina laughed. "You don't know what you're missing."

"Have you? Slept with a woman, I mean?"

"I have. Several actually. Remember your old maid's daughter?"

Snow gasped. "You mean Sarah? Johanna's daughter?" She vividly remembered Johanna's daughter, a terribly shy but beautiful young woman with flaming red hair and pale blue eyes.

"One and the same. Then there was of course Maleficent. We had an… 'affair' for seven long years."

"But why didn't I-"

"Know?" Regina successfully guessed at Snow's question. "I was careful. Back in our land, I probably would've been burned if anyone found out about my preference."

"But Daniel-"

"I loved him, yes. I loved him at a time when I was still unsure of myself. He was easy to fall in love with, the first person to ever really show me kindness."

"So you are-"

"Gay? Yes dear, I suppose that's what I am."

Silence fell over the room.

"Does it bother you?"

"No, no not at all," Snow hurried to reassure Regina, a frown on her face. "It's just… now I feel even more guilty about forcing you into my father's arms."

"Well dont," Regina smiled at the younger woman sitting next to her. "The past is just that, the past. It still hurts, yes. But I am glad everything happened as it did or I wouldn't have Henry. He's worth-" Regina stopped in the middle of her sentence, flinching as thunder loudly rumbled outside.

"Regina, are you-"

A lightning bolt parted the dark sky and Snow observed how Regina's long fingers tightly clutched at the couch cushions, her eyes wide.

"You aren't afraid of thunder storms, are you?"

"No, of course-" The loud crescendo of thunder followed after the lightning bolt and Regina practically jumped off the couch. "I uh- I might be…" she sheepishly admitted, looking down at her hands in embarrassment.

"Come here," Snow merely said, her voice soft and not at all mocking the queen for her fear, her 'weakness'. Her arms were wide open, beckoning Regina to seek protection, but the proud woman was eyeing at them skeptically. However, she leapt into them with a shriek as soon as another loud rumble disrupted the silence of the evening.

"You know, if I would've known about this back in the Enchanted Forest, things could've been so much easier-"

"Shut up," Regina grumbled, tightly holding onto Snow.

"I'm only joking. I wouldn't have used it against you. Not even back then."

"You've always been too good for your own sake," Regina mumbled, her fingers uncomfortably digging into Snow's back when the angry sound of thunder could be heard once more.

"So, we never had this talk I mentioned," Snow started, gently running her right hand over Regina's back in a comforting pattern.

"I suppose we didn't," Regina replied, her voice slightly muffled from being pressed so closey against Snow's body as well as the feelings her gentle touch created. "Talk away."

"I…" Snow resolutely shook her head, cradling Regina's face with her left hand. "Gods. Regina – I don't want to talk."

And that being said, Snow White hungrily latched her lips onto the Evil Queen's, kissing her with fervor and passion but also an underlying softness. It surprised both of them – and at the same time didn't at all – when Regina kissed her back with equal need, soon snaking her tongue into the younger woman's mouth, burying her hands in her short black hair. The kiss was messy and left them both longing for more. Each time one kiss ended, they gasped for breath, finding each other's gaze; and their lips connected again and again, drawn to each other like powerful magnets.

When they finally pulled apart, they knew they couldn't just put this aside as a brief lapse of judgement. They probably would've done exactly that if they'd kissed only once and briefly.

They looked into the other's eyes, breathing hard and cheeks flushed.

"Look," Regina eventually said, glad the worst of the thunderstorm seemed to be over. She needed a level head for this. "If you want to forget about this, I swear no one will ever know it happened. You were merely curious and-"

"But we will know what happened. I will. I don't think I could ever forget about this. Nor do I want to." Snow's words rang true, painfully so. "I- this has nothing to do with simple curiosity," she let Regina know, reaching for her hand and entwining their fingers. It was almost horrifying how perfect they fit together.

"What are you saying?" Regina asked against hope, looking down at their joined hands.

"I am saying that I am willing to try this," she gestured between them. "It means I am willing to risk everything for you. For the possibility of there being an 'us'." – "It is a possibility, right?"

"There is if you want it to be."

"I do," Snow decided with finality, a smile slowly spreading on her face. They were really doing this. "So…"

"So?"

"Kiss me again, will you?"

AN: I posted a WickedQueen shot just before this one. Don't accidentally miss it.