Somebody That I Used To Know (Pt. I)
Title: Somebody That I Used To Know (Pt. I)
Author: mae_marvelous
Rating: G
Fandom: Once Upon a Time
Characters: Queen Regina, Prince James (I)
Summary: It was all lingering touches, stolen glances, and hushed terms of fondness that she didn’t quite know how to reciprocate, but he took that in stride.
Notes: This drabble is part of an AU, based-on-prompts, series of fics for Once Upon a Time, but more specifically the character of Regina Mills/Evil Queen Regina and the journey to find her own happy ending.
His fingers tangled in her long dark curls, pulling her face close to him, despite the fact that he knew their time together was going to be cut short soon. It was all lingering touches, stolen glances, and hushed terms of fondness that she didn’t quite know how to reciprocate, but he took that in stride. He was fine being the one that would find her, pull her away from her straw spinning, and lay them down in the fields of grain to shower her with kisses. She was the best and only secret that he ever had, and he was just one of her many mysteries that brought him back to her each time.
“Gina.” He whispered against her cheek, his lips almost making contact, as he ran one finger down the small scar that cut through her top lip.
His voice was dripping of sweet affection, even though she still didn’t particularly care for the nickname. It was childish and perky, and cut down the name that her mother had bestowed upon her. She was named Regina to show her lineage, and the promise of her becoming queen one day, but his nickname mocked that. Perhaps if he wasn’t a prince she would make him use her actual name, but since he was a prince, she didn’t push the subject.
His lips grazed her cheek, his hot breath on her cool skin. She fluttered her eyes open then, taking in his boyish lop-sided smile and honest blue eyes. She rolled her eyes at him, blinking them back up to the midday sky, her arms still resting beneath her head. And then he chuckled, and it nearly broke her aloofness, before his lips slid across hers in a short, chaste kiss. It was over as soon as it began, just sweet lips on hers for only half a second, but then she exhaled a breath she didn’t know she was holding.
“James.” She managed, as though the word was a sigh on her lips, while his fingers continued to thread through her hair.
In all her twenty-one years of living she had never felt anything like this for another person. She was passionate about her apple tree on the edge of her father’s property, and her horse that she’d had for as long as she can remember, but never a person. Perhaps it was her mother’s voice reminding her that love was cursed to the young and Regina hadn’t been young since her mother left ten years ago. But then this man seemed to weasel his way into her life with his charming demeanour and his playful bantering and the fact that he was the hardest person to dislike she’d ever met.
At the beginning, when he would visit her in the mornings to bring her flowers or just to listen to her talk, she had wondered if her parents had ever felt like this. Grasping at memories of her mother was now like spinning straw late into the night: difficult and painful. But then she would dismiss the thought, trying not to dwell on her mother, even though she could assume that she would have approved of Regina’s prince. Sure James wasn’t a prince from the wealthiest or sought-out kingdom, but he held a title and he could make her a queen if she played her cards right.
With a sigh she rolled away from him, her back to his front, as he nuzzled into her. He often liked to play with her long hair, calling her the fairest girl in all the kingdoms. It was a silly remark from a silly boy that had only been a man for what felt like a fortnight - even though he constantly reminded her that he was only two and a half years her junior. However she secretly revelled in the moments, her cheeks flushed, as he continued to play with her dark mane, whispering sweet nothings that she didn’t think she would ever hear.
She inhaled slowly; petrified that one breath could make this whole thing crumble. She felt as though her skin was straw, and one exhale could simply blow her away. She didn’t want to change anything or ruin whatever they had, but then she constantly found herself pulling away from him, unable to show the same affection that seemed to come so naturally to him. Deep down she figured that her feelings for him were just a manifestation of her longing to prove to her mother that she would one day live up to her name. It was that thought that stopped the words from falling from her lips or the kisses to be given freely.
But then he rolled her over, capturing her face between his strong hands, making her look into his eyes. He brushed a piece of straw from her hair, tucking the strand behind an ear. Her heartbeat quickened when he placed his hand right above it, daring her to deny him again. She struggled between a smile and a frown, trying to decide what reality was, when all she heard were her father’s drunk slurring or the slam of a door the day her mother walked out on them. But he was patient, he had been patient for so long, and when he nuzzled her nose with his, she could feel herself exhale and the corners of her lips upturn.
“I have to go back.” He said breathlessly, still not able to take his hands from her face.
“I know.” She whispered, willing herself not to grow attached.
“I’ll miss you.” He pointed out with a strained chuckle.
“I know.”
“I love you.” James confessed, and Regina’s eyes only grew wider. It was the first time she had heard him utter those words or heard anyone utter those words in such a long time. Her concept of love was skewed, but she knew that he meant it in the honest way that people who were shown love say it.
“I… I love you.” Regina admitted, the words and feeling behind it still foreign.
He kissed her then, his hands cupping her face as he met their lips in a tender kiss. She responded immediately, her lips gliding against his, while she managed to place a hand on his hip to keep him close to her. Then he pulled away, his breathing heavy as he looked down at her face.
“Still the fairest I’ve ever seen.” He commented, ignoring her eye roll, and instead setting his attention to the flush on her cheeks and on her chest. “I have something for you.” He said then, before pulling a small leather sac from his pocket. He then fished in the sac until he pulled out a small silver ring with a green stone on it. “I know it isn’t much. Nothing like you deserve, but I want to make sure that you’ll remember me while I’m gone this time.” He slid the ring onto her hand then, choosing her right over her left.
“It isn’t an engagement ring, yours will be far grander than this, but it’s all I can offer for the time being. It’s a promise… It was my mother’s ring from her childhood and I don’t want anyone to have it except you.” He explained, stroking the ring on her finger.
“How long will you be gone?” She asked, knowing full well that his sword training with the knights of her village was almost complete. They maybe had a handful more visits before he would have to return to his kingdom permanently. She hadn’t been sure if he would return for her or even think about her when he was gone, but something about this ring gave her pause. Although just a hunk of metal that she could no longer afford with the debt her mother left them, it was a gesture that made her feel more secure in their relationship.
“A fortnight.” He replied, before linking his fingers between hers, and placing another sweet kiss on her forehead.
“Hopefully I won’t be married by then.” She teased, which earned her a gentle tug of her hair as he covered her lips with his once again.