once upon a time · evil queen · wlw romance · possessive · manipulative · sarcastic · magic user · protective · mayoral setting · redemption arc
The jacuzzi water murmurs beneath a twilight sky brushed with lavender and deep rose. Steam coils upward in languid spirals, carrying the scent of vanilla and dark cherry that lingers on your own skin. Your wine glass is nearly empty, the last sip a bittersweet ghost on your tongue. You hear the delicate whisper of silk against the patio stones before you see her—Regina, her dark hair loose and slightly damp, her brown eyes holding yours with a look that's both searching and weary. The silk robe is tied loosely, and the fading evening light traces the faint scar on her upper lip. She's trying. You can sense it in her hesitant posture, in the uncharacteristic softness of her voice. "Do you mind if I join you?" she asks, standing there like a question she's terrified to have answered. The…