Author's Note: Written for Golden Queen week to fill the prompt "realizing they're meant to be together". Although the idea itself is simple, figuring out exactly what I wanted to do with this piece took a little time. Thankfully, my muses cooperated and I'm pleased with the end result, even if it did take me a while to get it to flow the way I wished.

Facing the Future

Regina Mills had reached the point in her life where she realized that love – not the saccharine, idealistic "true love" of fairytales but real, all-encompassing, often complicated love – was not a lightning strike.

Instead: it was a slow, steady, and at times terrifying climb towards the person that was your equal.

She wasn't even certain if she could even classify what she and Rumpelstiltskin had together as love yet.

Fate had drawn them together from the start, when she had accepted him as her mentor and he had begun teaching her all he knew of magic. That had evolved over their many years of knowing each other into respect, rivalry and then by an odd series of circumstances: friendship.

It had not been either of their intentions for that friendship to turn into something more.

Their relationship had begun its turn when, one day, he'd finally worked up the nerve to ask her out for coffee.

That had led to quiet, intimate dinners and an occasional movie, with the promise that it would remain casual for as long as she wanted.

Then sex had entered the equation, and she'd expected that to change things drastically; but it hadn't. Instead, their dynamic shifted to something even more comfortable than before.

They had neared almost a year together when she suggested that he move in, and had braced herself for inevitable rejection only to be floored when he agreed.

She had not brought up labels or even trying to quantify their relationship. All that really mattered was that he was around, and they enjoyed each other's company enough for it to work.

Still: she found herself wondering just what they were together.

One fall evening, she finally decided to voice her thoughts while they sat, curled up under some blankets, only half-watching a horror movie on the flat-screen TV in front of them.

So as not to startle him completely, Regina inched closer to Rumpelstiltskin and rested her head against his shoulder.

His arm draped over her by instinct and he pressed a brief kiss to her temple. "You cold?"

"A little," she confessed, snuggling up to him and toying with the soft fabric of his gray sweater. "Rumpel…can I ask you something?"

"What about?" he looked over at her, his amber-eyes glinting curiously.

"I was just thinking: we've been involved for a few years now and we've never really discussed it."

He blinked in her direction for a few moments before reaching over her to grab the remote that had been tossed carelessly onto the couch.

He turned the TV off with a decisive click, and then focused his attention back on her. "What did you wish to discuss, angel?"

Her heart fluttered at the affectionate nick-name he'd given her not long after they'd started dating.

"What are we, Rumpel? Is this serious between us, or are we having fun until we get tired of each other or…" she trailed off, her eyes darting away from his so he wouldn't see the tears beginning to form.

Dammit! I promised myself I wouldn't get emotional. She thought, biting her lower lip now that her worst fear was finally out in the open.

"Regina…darling, look at me," Rumpelstiltskin's voice was a gentle murmur.

She took a deep breath and then did so.

His expression was serious, but tender as he took her hands within his and brought them up to his lips.

Careful, sweet kisses were pressed to her fingertips before he caught her eyes again. "I've been hesitant to bring this up myself because we've both been hurt in our pasts. That's the last thing I want, you know, Gin…to hurt you. I think part of me realized a long time ago that I love you, but my own stubbornness kept on getting in the way."

Regina exhaled, relief flooding her system. "I love you too. I think I always have but, like you, I kept on convincing myself that it couldn't happen."

"Look at the pair we make," he chuckled, pressing another kiss to the inside of her wrist, where he knew the skin was quite sensitive. "It takes dating for three years and moving in together before we even utter the word love."

She gasped softly when he purposely dragged his tongue along her flesh. "Yeah, we can be real idiots at times."

"Agreed," his tone lowered, dropping an octave before he glanced at her.

Whether he moved, or she did, it was impossible to tell nor did it matter: in the next instant, they were locked in a passionate kiss.

A pleased moan escaped Regina when Rumpelstiltskin dragged her forward so she could straddle his lap, his lips straying from her own to dart quick kisses along the shape of her jaw while his clever hands found their way underneath her tee-shirt to caress over her stomach.

She retaliated by tugging insistently at his sweater, prompting him to pull back long enough for her to yank it over his head, her own shirt following seconds later.

They met in another kiss while he unclasped her bra, and she hastily cast the garment aside so they could continue the task of undressing each other.

It was not long before they were both completely naked and entwined together as they sank back on the couch.

They took their time: hands and lips well-versed with each other worshipping over every inch of bare skin they could. With their feelings completely out in the open, the intimacy that was normally easy and languid between them turned far deeper and intense, and the pair quickly found themselves lost to their desire.

Regina's head fell back, a startled sound emerging as Rumpelstiltskin bit sharply at the junction between her neck and shoulder. Her hips arched towards his in an invitation he wasted no time in taking, and once they were joined: she framed his face between her hands and held his gaze.

They made love that way – eyes locked, hearts beating in tandem as they began to move, quickly gaining a perfect symmetry.

She locked her legs around his waist, her fingers moving up to weave into his hair, hypnotized by the raw emotion she observed in his eyes.

His touch skimmed over the curve of her hip, his mouth claiming hers once more as he adjusted his angle and buried deeper.

Instinct kicked in: Regina scratching her nails down Rumpelstiltskin's back hard enough to draw blood as waves of perfect heat consumed them both until there was nothing left to do, but give in and fall.

She watched him sleep, noting privately that he looked so much younger as he dozed: his handsome features content and without the cares that he tended to carry during the day.

Regina reached out to brush an errant strand of hair away from his forehead. He had grown his hair out again after a brief change to a shorter style, and while she had liked the way that looked, she had always preferred longer locks on him. Perhaps it was because it reminded her of how he had looked when they had first met; though he no longer harbored the golden-scaled skin.

Her touch caused him to stir, blinking his eyes open slowly before yawning and drawing her close to him. "Can't sleep? We moved to the bed to be more comfortable, you know."

She shook her head, chuckling as she brushed her lips against his collarbone and slung a leg over his hip. "It's not the bed."

He crossed an arm over her waist and searched her gaze with his own. "Then what's keeping you awake?"

"Excitement, maybe? Because tomorrow, when we get up, things will be different…a good kind of different, but still: different. Does that even make sense?"

"It does, and we'll explore what that means…later," he promised, leaning in to kiss her languidly.

"Mmm," she nodded, responding enthusiastically to the embrace, squealing when he twisted and pinned her beneath his welcome weight.

She happily allowed him to sweep her away, secure in the knowledge that their future: whatever it held, would be faced together.

The End