I don't own OUAT. Once again, I wrote something and only posted it on Tumblr. I thought it would be fun to also post this here. Could be a one-shot, could be multiple chapters ( but I have lots of stuff to do right now, so I am not promising regular updates)

Her hair was like the hay Rocante ate, but then more golden, more rare and beautiful. And her eyes always seemed slightly mischievous in a way that made her blush faintly as well as making her feel like she was in the sky and dropping down.

Oh she knew it wasn't lady-like, that it was stupid in the most dangerous way – you don't need love dear, don't be foolish – for so many reasons not least – You have no idea what I have endured to give you this life! And you will NOT ruin this, you spoiled little girl – that she wasn't supposed to be so drawn to a girl that didn't have the money and power her mother wanted her to have. But-

Mal made her feel unguarded, safe, comfortable – all things she could never feel around her mother or the power-hungry members of the court. She felt like she could strip herself bare (figuratively) and Mal would accept and perhaps even like all her parts. How could she ever say no to something like that?

Right now, she and Mal were in the stables. She was brushing Rocante while Mal kept being a distraction by standing very close to her and kissing her on her cheek/ her shoulder/ her hands even. Mal took Regina's hand and kissed her knuckles, then intertwined their hands.

" Mal. I need to brush Rocante" she said in a fake exasperated tone, secretly loving that Mal did things like holding her hand.

" We will do it together" Mal decided, bringing Regina's hand back to Rocante's fur and starting to brush.

" You look wonderful riding him" she whispered in Regina's ear and Regina felt her face heat up. She bit her lip and turned her head to give Mal a look under lowered lashes. " You ought not to say such things".

" Why ever not? It is true". " It is not proper" Regina nearly mumbled, don't mumble dear always enunciate but caught herself.

Mal chuckled. " Wonderful. That is exactly what I like".

"Mal.." Regina sighed, going for exasperated-why – am- putting-up-with- this that turned in an oh-that-feels-goood- kind of moan when Mal kissed and bit and sucked her neck . She gasped, pulled her hand free from Mal's, bend to get the horse brush that had now fallen on the ground.

Two seconds later, Mal had pushed her gently, fallen on her own knees and was hovering over Regina with a big smirk. " Hi".

" Get off me".

" Technically, I am not on you. I am more over you really".

Regina imitated the haughty, condescending look all the nobility around her were so good at. " It does not matter whether you are on or over me , because – Maleficent.. " the sternness in her voice evaporated when Maleficent kissed her cheek. She tried that look one more time, but her eyes failed when Maleficent kissed her on the lips so softly that it was hardly a touch at all, more like her lips were being caressed by Maleficent's hot breath.

She sighed. " You are impossible".

" Mh. I cannot help it, when you are slipping in your persona, I just have to get you out" she said.

" Persona?".

Maleficent pulled back a little bit, leaned on her elbows and stroked Regina's hair. Then she sharpened her voice and threw Regina a cold and bored look. " I could not care less about any of you, you are all pathetic".

She kissed Regina softly again, not long enough for Regina to even respond. " You don't have to be like that around me. Not when we are alone".

Regina bit her lip. " I should never have to be like that around you – it is not really what I think like, or what I feel but- " .

" I understand. I knew what I was getting myself into. I work for your mother, remember?".

" Well you don't seem to be doing a lot of working .. ".

" Of course not, I have better, more beautiful things to do".

" Maleficent!" Regina gasped.

Maleficent tried her best innocent look, but the smirk kind of ruined it" I was not suggesting anything improper, merely that there are more important things than whatever slight terrors I am supposed to be doing".

" Your work ethic is horrid, truly" Regina said, but she sounded distracted. Her eyes were on Mal's eyes that were shining with happiness (oh how she loved those eyes and that she could make them shine like that) before sliding down to Mal's lips. This time it was Regina who kissed Mal.

They lay tangled amidst the straw for lazy, languid moments, the afternoon sun making Mal's hair shine like gold. They took very short breaks to breathe, then kissed again. Kiss. Breathing. Kiss. Breathing. Repeatrepeatrepeatrepeat.

Finally, Mal rolled off Regina and just lay next to her while holding her hand. Regina sighed. " I look positively horrendous, don't I?".

Mal laughed. " you look lovely, beautifully disheveled and flushed". She picked a piece of straw from Regina's hair. " you look a lot happier like this".

" Filthy and with straw in my hair?".

"No. Without a mother constant whispering in your ear what to do".

Maleficent stood up and offered Regina her hand, pulling her up. Regina let go of Maleficent's hand and started brushing Rocante again, after picking up the horse brush. Maleficent stood behind her and started removing the bits of straw from Regina's tangled hair.

" What time does your mother expect you back?".

" In an hour. There is a delegation coming". Regina sighed, and Maleficent felt slightly nauseous at how exhausted and hopeless Regina appeared to her. Sometimes she really wanted to hurt Cora (but then again, Regina's heart was too big to not love Cora and hurting Cora would mean hurting Regina) even if she couldn't.

She rubbed Regina's tense shoulders for a while, the knots slowly loosening as she worked on them while Regina finished brushing the horse. When Regina's shoulders no longer felt like marble, Maleficent sat back down on the layer of straw covering the ground.

She studied Regina's gently hands brushing the horse, listened to her voice as she complimented Rocante, watched her arms as she left to get a bucket of water ( Mal would offer to help, but she knew from past experience that Regina preferred doing those things herself). She just watched and watched while Regina made the mundane look interesting.

Regina had a way of doing that, of keeping Mal interested even when she was doing something tedious.

The hour quickly passed, too quickly. They kept giving each other a 'last, last kiss' and finally managed to part. They would meet again in a few days, on their spots.

A few days later, way too early, seriously wth everyone should still be sleeping

Regina stormed into Maleficent dingy chamber like a tornado, slamming the door as though she was trying to break it. Mal woke with a start, shooting upright and confused at the loud sounds and the deep growling voice and- " Regina?"

Mal jumped out of her bed, stalking over to the pacing and (trembling? ) woman in the middle of her room. She gently touched her arm, halted her and opened her own slightly. Regina immediately sunk into the embrace and Mal felt her heart jump into her throat and choked a little as she felt that Regina was trembling like there was an earthquake happening inside her and breathing like there wasn't enough oxygen.

" Regina?" she repeated, a little louder, more urgent. Regina pulled back a little. Her eyes were frantic, her pupils swallowing most of the brown and making her look like a hunted animal. Maleficent felt like stabbing someone.

" The delegation.. the king was there and his daughter. She fell from her horse. Well, nearly. I – I saved her – ". Regina choked a little on her words as her eyes filled with tears. " the king proposed".

" What".

" My mother's work, of course. I don't know how exactly, but you know how manipulative is".

" What did you do?".

Regina started breathing even faster, making sounds that someone being choked might make. Maleficent quickly pulled her back into the embrace and soothingly stroked her back. " I am here. You are not alone. Whatever happens, I will help".

As soon as Regina calmed down a little, she pushed out " She will hurt you".

" I am not that easily hurt. I withstand your sarcasm after all". Maleficent attempted to joke.

" You don't know how bad it is, Mal". Regina struggled visibly. Mal had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with how difficult Regina found it to acknowledge her mother was bad news ( as in the-plague-is-coming kind of bad news).

She waited patiently till Regina managed to say "I do not have the slightest inclination what she will do, but she won't shy away from using anything to keep us apart".

Maleficent used her thumbs to wipe away the few tears that were falling. " She won't succeed". Regina shuddered. " You don't – ".

" No, I don't. But I do know that I am not going to abandon you. " Mal- ". " No. There are no arguments that will sway me. I am not going to leave you ".

Regina dug her nails into Mal's shoulder blades and kissed her desperately. " I love you" she whispered when she pulled back.

" I love you too". Mal gave Regina one last kiss. " Can you saddle Rocante while I get some extra supplies?

Regina visibly tried to pull herself together. " What do you mean 'extra'".

Mal sauntered over to her bed and retrieved a satchel from beneath it. She showed it to Regina with a satisfied smirk. " I always come prepared".

Regina rolled her eyes, then smiled. " No, you don't. You are never prepared".

" While I would love to show you just how prepared I can be, we don't really have the time for any of this. Shall we meet at the stable in an hour?".

Regina nodded. She hugged Mal one last time, inhaled deeply. Mal hugged her back really tightly, but careful that it was not tight enough to truly hurt. She kissed Regina's cheek one last time, then opened the door and slipped outside as soon as she was certain that no one saw. Regina left shortly after her.

Neither noticed the woman hidden in the shadows, her mouth a thin line as she muttered 'that ungrateful girl…'.

Probably one hour later. They are no watches. How tf do you tell time

Maleficent picked up Regina and spun her, Regina laughing while at the same time protesting. "Set me down!".

Maleficent hugged her once, then put her down. " Did anyone see you?".

" You don't think I would be as 'calm' as I am right now if that was the case, do you?".

" I suppose not. Are you cold are just shaken up? Because I have a blanket- " Maleficent opened the satchel , but Regina halted her. " Just nerves and slight terror. But.. thank you".

The two were still smiling at each other, fingers entwined and leaning towards each other when the doors slammed open.

" Mother NO!" Regina yelled as Cora waved her hand and Maleficent flew through the air and hit her head against the opposite wall. She tried to move towards Maleficent but she couldn't move, like there was a wall as well as her feet being chained and- " Mother, no" Regina repeated, horror-struck as Cora stalked towards where Maleficent lay , blinking furiously to clear the spots in her vision.

" I have slaved all my life, given up love and dreams, all so you could have everything I never could and this is how you repay me". She grabbed a fistful of Maleficent's hair and yanked her head up. Maleficent glowered at her, though Regina also saw a hint of fear there. My mother collects hearts. My mother makes people vanish. My mother has magic that hurts like the sun somehow being pushed into your veins. Maleficent knew just how dangerous Cora was.

" You would give yourself to some worthless, filthy- ".

" Do not call her that!" Regina said, her voice shrill and angry.

Cora merely smiled. " I am just calling the beast by its name".

Maleficent tried to pull her hair free. Cora just hold on even tighter, smiling. " Don't even think about it. You will never get the chance to ruin my daughter's future again".

Regina paled. " No! Mother, please".

" Do not beg Regina, queens never beg. They demand ". And Cora made another hand motion , stepped back and watched as Maleficent let out a pained groan. Regina screamed when Maleficent's back bend and her eyes rolled until all Regina could see was their whites. She tried once again to step forward, but there was still that barrier.

" MALEFICENT" she screamed, pushing against the barrier she couldn't see but felt every time she came too close. Maleficent's body started to shake, her eyes were still rolled back, she paled and sweated and then-

Regina staggered back and covered her mouth when Maleficent started to scream. Then the sounds could be heard. Like trees snapping or- oh gods. Her bones were breaking.

Regina screamed and pleaded and cursed as Maleficent shook and shrieked and clawed at her own skin. " NO mother stop it I won't run ever again I PROMISE ".

Maleficent's skin seemed to fall off and then immediately be replaced by black- scales? She clutched her head, bit her tongue but still shrieked when two curling horns pushed out. Her body started to swell. Her back bend again and she panted and groaned and howled when her back was torn open so two wings could come out of it.

Regina raged and tried to keep the sobbing to a minimum- love is weakness and do not ever cry dearest because it is inane and weak and makes you look uglier too- but mostly felt so horrible that she felt like her emotions were shutting down just because she couldn't handle it.

Finally, it stopped. Maleficent lay on the ground, curled up on herself.

As Cora snapped her fingers, Regina stormed forward screaming Maleficent name. The barrier had disappeared, so Regina reached Maleficent and dropped down next to her. " Mal.." she whispered. She didn't hesitate to lay a hand on the scales , stroked them.

" Mal, wake up please" she implored. Slowly, Mal's eyes opened. They were blurry and confused but at least they opened. Regina kept stroking Mal, trying to make her stop shudder slightly.

" Oh darling, foolish girl. You would still choose her ? She is a beast, nothing more".

" Turn her back". " No".

" Turn. Her. BACK" Regina actually managed to scream at her mother, despite the terror and ever-present need for love.

Cora rolled her eyes. " Do not scream, it is very unbecoming. And I am doing this for your own good Regina. You will be a queen".

Regina sunk into the straw " I don't want to be a queen".

" Don't be stupid, girl. You will be grateful one day. You wouldn't have had a future with her. She would have held you back. You would have resented her".

Regina shook her head. Glowered at her mother. "No. We would have been happy".

" Nonsense. Now stand up and get back to your chambers". " No!".

Cora narrowed her eyes, raised her hand. Regina felt terrified but raised her head with defiance. That all vanished when Cora pointed at Maleficent. " No! Haven't you hurt her enough? ".

" That all depends on you. If you go with me, she will be free to go. But if you are foolish enough to stay..". Cora left the threat hanging in the air, forcing Regina to think about what she would do.

Regina only need five seconds to decide.

" I will come with you. After you have changed her back".

" I never said anything about turning her back . No, I don't want you to be tempted again. Maybe I will keep her as a pe-".

" At least set her free" Regina pleaded, voice broken.

And thus on an afternoon when the moon was full and the sky clear, a dark and enormous silhouette flew through the sky. At the ground, a girl and a woman watched it. The girl looked defeated and heartbroken but somewhere in the background of those eyes, there was also hatred and anger whenever she snuck glances at the woman holding on to her arm . When they couldn't see the creature anymore, the girl was pulled inside roughly.

The girl never saw the return of the dragon, how it flew around the house a few times and then disappeared into the nearby forest.