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Only tangentially related to the prompt: travel. I went extremely small–just a few steps.
“No, wait,” Emma said, putting a hand out to stop Regina from stepping into the house.
“What is it?”
Emma frowned at the doorway. “Don’t you feel that?”
Regina put a hand out and pushed. There was something there, a resistance of some kind. “I don’t believe it,” she muttered.
“You don’t believe a powerful sorcerer would place a protective spell around his house?” Emma said lightly, although she was still frowning in concentration as she moved her hand across the doorway.
“No, I don’t believe that you, the woman who rushes into danger without a plan at least ninety percent of the time, is the same woman who can detect a magical trap six hundred feet away.” This wasn’t the first time Emma had kept them from disaster by sensing a trap. She seemed to have a gift for it.
Emma shrugged. “These kinds of things just feel wrong.”
Regina sighed. “Fine. What is it?”
Emma pulled her hand back a fraction of an inch and then knelt in the doorway, her expression clearing as she looked down at the ground. “Ah,” she said. “It’s on the floor. Light magic. I think…” she trailed off and then stepped through the doorway.
“Emma!” Regina said.
Emma turned around with a grin. “Yeah, okay. It’s set up to react to dark magic only. I’m fine.”
“Great. Just… try explaining first next time, okay?”
“Why, were you worried?” Emma teased.
Regina glared at her and started to take a step–
“No!” Emma wasn’t smiling anymore. “You definitely can’t step on that floor. I’ll have to do this alone.”
Regina crossed her arms. “I am not going to let you wander through a sorcerer’s house by yourself. You’ll probably touch everything and end up cursed or something.”
“I will not!” Emma protested. She moved further inside out of Regina’s sight, her footsteps moving away. “Probably not, anyway. I’ve gotten better… oh!”
“Emma?” Regina said, craning her neck.
“No, it’s fine. Actually, this is good.” She came back to the doorway and stepped through. “The spell ends right where the hallway starts.” She looked Regina up and down in a focused way that made her more than a little nervous. “Yeah, it’ll work.”
“What will wo–” Regina yelped as Emma bent, swept an arm under her legs and pulled and she was suddenly in Emma’s arms.
“Hold on,” Emma said, and, not giving Regina any time to react or figure out what the hell she thought she was doing, stepped across the threshold and into the house while Regina grabbed for something to hold onto–which happened to be Emma’s neck.
The moment they were inside, Regina felt the press of magic against them and she tightened her grip. The house almost felt alive; it was definitely examining them, and she was sure her mixed magic would be found wanting.
“Easy, there,” Emma murmured, and Regina turned her head to find Emma’s face inches away from her own. Emma winced. “I’m not going to drop you and I’d like my hair still on my head, thank you.”
Regina loosened her grip just a bit. “You could have warned me.”
“Nah, you just would’ve argued with me,” Emma said, which was true and not the point.
The magic in the house was all light magic but it felt cloying, like someone had stuffed the air full of it and left no room to breathe. Emma didn’t seem to notice, was focused on moving them across the room with deliberate but unhurried steps, her own scent a pleasant distraction from the almost-smell of magic. Regina found she had no fear Emma would drop her, which was a nice surprise.
Maybe it shouldn’t have been. She’d seen Emma’s arms.
Regina felt the difference when Emma finally stepped into the hallway. The crushing sensation was still there, but muted, and Regina took a deep breath, just now thinking about the picture that they must make. She stiffened a little.
Emma glanced at her. “You okay?”
Regina nodded. “You can put me down now.”
Emma grinned. “Are you sure? I could just carry you around like this. Keep my hands occupied while we search.”
“You might have something there,” Regina managed, “but I prefer to move under my own power, thank you.”
“So polite today,” Emma said. She shifted and Regina’s legs slid to the ground, Emma keeping her arms around Regina’s torso to steady her, Regina uncomfortably aware of every point of contact.
Regina stepped to the side, wondering if she was just imagining Emma’s hand lingering just a moment too long. She shook her head. Now was not the time.
“Let’s get this show on the road,” Emma said, echoing Regina’s own sentiment.
“Yes. The sooner we search, the sooner we can get out of here,” Regina said. “Definitely not my kind of place.”
Emma laughed and gestured toward the back of the house. “After you.”
“No, wait,” Emma said, putting a hand out to stop Regina from stepping into the house.
“What is it?”
Emma frowned at the doorway. “Don’t you feel that?”
Regina put a hand out and pushed. There was something there, a resistance of some kind. “I don’t believe it,” she muttered.
“You don’t believe a powerful sorcerer would place a protective spell around his house?” Emma said lightly, although she was still frowning in concentration as she moved her hand across the doorway.
“No, I don’t believe that you, the woman who rushes into danger without a plan at least ninety percent of the time, is the same woman who can detect a magical trap six hundred feet away.” This wasn’t the first time Emma had kept them from disaster by sensing a trap. She seemed to have a gift for it.
Emma shrugged. “These kinds of things just feel wrong.”
Regina sighed. “Fine. What is it?”
Emma pulled her hand back a fraction of an inch and then knelt in the doorway, her expression clearing as she looked down at the ground. “Ah,” she said. “It’s on the floor. Light magic. I think…” she trailed off and then stepped through the doorway.
“Emma!” Regina said.
Emma turned around with a grin. “Yeah, okay. It’s set up to react to dark magic only. I’m fine.”
“Great. Just… try explaining first next time, okay?”
“Why, were you worried?” Emma teased.
Regina glared at her and started to take a step–
“No!” Emma wasn’t smiling anymore. “You definitely can’t step on that floor. I’ll have to do this alone.”
Regina crossed her arms. “I am not going to let you wander through a sorcerer’s house by yourself. You’ll probably touch everything and end up cursed or something.”
“I will not!” Emma protested. She moved further inside out of Regina’s sight, her footsteps moving away. “Probably not, anyway. I’ve gotten better… oh!”
“Emma?” Regina said, craning her neck.
“No, it’s fine. Actually, this is good.” She came back to the doorway and stepped through. “The spell ends right where the hallway starts.” She looked Regina up and down in a focused way that made her more than a little nervous. “Yeah, it’ll work.”
“What will wo–” Regina yelped as Emma bent, swept an arm under her legs and pulled and she was suddenly in Emma’s arms.
“Hold on,” Emma said, and, not giving Regina any time to react or figure out what the hell she thought she was doing, stepped across the threshold and into the house while Regina grabbed for something to hold onto–which happened to be Emma’s neck.
The moment they were inside, Regina felt the press of magic against them and she tightened her grip. The house almost felt alive; it was definitely examining them, and she was sure her mixed magic would be found wanting.
“Easy, there,” Emma murmured, and Regina turned her head to find Emma’s face inches away from her own. Emma winced. “I’m not going to drop you and I’d like my hair still on my head, thank you.”
Regina loosened her grip just a bit. “You could have warned me.”
“Nah, you just would’ve argued with me,” Emma said, which was true and not the point.
The magic in the house was all light magic but it felt cloying, like someone had stuffed the air full of it and left no room to breathe. Emma didn’t seem to notice, was focused on moving them across the room with deliberate but unhurried steps, her own scent a pleasant distraction from the almost-smell of magic. Regina found she had no fear Emma would drop her, which was a nice surprise.
Maybe it shouldn’t have been. She’d seen Emma’s arms.
Regina felt the difference when Emma finally stepped into the hallway. The crushing sensation was still there, but muted, and Regina took a deep breath, just now thinking about the picture that they must make. She stiffened a little.
Emma glanced at her. “You okay?”
Regina nodded. “You can put me down now.”
Emma grinned. “Are you sure? I could just carry you around like this. Keep my hands occupied while we search.”
“You might have something there,” Regina managed, “but I prefer to move under my own power, thank you.”
“So polite today,” Emma said. She shifted and Regina’s legs slid to the ground, Emma keeping her arms around Regina’s torso to steady her, Regina uncomfortably aware of every point of contact.
Regina stepped to the side, wondering if she was just imagining Emma’s hand lingering just a moment too long. She shook her head. Now was not the time.
“Let’s get this show on the road,” Emma said, echoing Regina’s own sentiment.
“Yes. The sooner we search, the sooner we can get out of here,” Regina said. “Definitely not my kind of place.”
Emma laughed and gestured toward the back of the house. “After you.”
