Intrigued

Chapter 3

"It's cold," Emma muttered after she'd dipped her toe in the water. She didn't want to be the kind of person to complain about such things, but she couldn't help it.

Regina rolled her eyes playfully and grabbed her hand. She flinched, but forced herself not to pull back. Sudden physical contact was something she didn't think she'd ever get used to, but Regina didn't know that.

"Once you're in the water and once you've been in it for five seconds and you've adjusted to the temperature, it's really fun," Regina explained. "Ready?"

"For what?"

Before Emma knew it, Regina had started to run, pulling her along. She hadn't anticipated this at all and the water was like a million needles picking her skin, but Regina was right. After a few seconds of intensely treading water, it wasn't so cold anymore.

She dived her head under water and felt her pajamas float around her. "It's much heavier, swimming with clothes," Emma remarked and Regina nodded.

"Yes, tomorrow we're trying naked," she joked, but Emma's face burned red. "That was a joke, obviously."

"No, I get that," she said. "It's funny," she added dryly, showing the exact opposite of what she was saying. She grabbed Regina's hand, though she didn't really know why.

Now that she'd overcome the unsettling feeling of being touched by her when they ran into the water, she realized she'd actually enjoyed it. She hadn't touched another human being in quite some time. Especially not out of kindness.

"Thank you," Emma said, softly. "I know you came up with this plan, because I'm uncomfortable in a bikini. I appreciate it. Truly."

Regina smiled and let go of her hand. "Of course," she said. "I wanted to go swimming and like I told you before, I'm going to convince you to join all fun activities. Whatever it takes."

"Hmm," Emma hummed and spontaneously splashed water in Regina's face, before she swam away as fast as she could.

"You are so dead," she heard Regina say and she dived underwater, with a smile. She didn't go forward as smoothly as she would've without the clothes holding her back, but she loved feeling cold water against her body.

Her whole body was surrounded by the lake and she wondered if she could just disappear here and never come back. It seemed somewhat tempting.

When she got her head above the water, she looked around to find Regina. The girl was behind her, but before she could splash water in her face, Emma had gone underwater again.

She swam to the side of the lake and sat down on the muddy ground as she watched Regina catch up with her. She was preparing herself for a load of water to come in her face and she got it as soon as Regina was nearby enough.

"You deserved that," Regina said and chuckled softly as she sat down beside Emma. The water was low and showed small waves due to their movements. Emma splashed some water in Regina's face again, but the only response she received was a fake angry glare.

A smile formed on Regina's lips, before she turned her head away, showing Emma her perfect side profile. That was the only way Emma could describe it, because Regina's side profile was the same she'd always yearned her own profile to be. Sharp, symmetric, with no weird features.

Her eyes wandered over Regina's body and she could see through the white shirt the girl was wearing. It stuck to her body and Emma could very well tell that Regina was cold. She had a hard time not staring at her breasts, after all.

She let her gaze drift off to Regina's legs that showed a beautiful, natural tan. It was clear Regina worked out in some way, because her entire body showed muscles.