Dinner for Royals

ONCE UPON A TIME-fanfic. They've been to the movies and now Regina wants to ask Emma out to dinner.
(EMMA/REGINA, SWANQUEEN)

This is the second in a small series of short Swanqueen stories with the name "Royal" in it.

Read Dinner for Royals

Disclaimer: As in the first story, Regina, Emma, Henry and everyone else in “Once Upon A Time” all belong to a bunch of people, among them probably ABC and Disney if I understand it all correctly. Either way they are not mine, and I’m just borrowing them for a little bit of Swanqueen.


This is the sequel to “Royal Movie Night”.
A small note of interest (perhaps): in my stories Regina drives a four-door Mercedes sedan rather than a two-door sports model of the same.
Also, as I write these stories I’ve only watched the first 11 episodes, and yes, Vanessa Devin and her restaurant is something I made up. I’m sure it is pretty obvious why though.






Dinner for Royals
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by Carola “Ryûchan” Eriksson




The day after their trip to the movies Emma saw neither Regina nor Henry. Henry was in school, of course, but unfortunately Emma had work to do and couldn’t casually be around either as he got there or when school let out for the day, and he did not drop by at any point during the day to see her.

Emma chose to see this as a good sign, that perhaps he was a little more comfortable around his mother and did not feel the need to run away as soon as Regina’s back was turned to find Emma and plot Operation Cobra. It would have been nice to have some confirmation though.

A bit more disconcerting was the complete and utter absence of irate or at least somewhat snarky Mayors dropping in on Emma in her office or other random places to accuse her of not working. Although she would never say so to Regina, all those casual visits had made Emma wonder just what exactly the good Mayor herself considered to be working for those hard-earned tax dollars, since Regina had the time to stalk Emma at any odd hour during the workday. Because she had oddly enough come to enjoy the visits and the verbal sparring, as long as it did not turn to acidic, she opted not to rock the boat and risk having Regina refrain from showing up to add some variety to what was usually a rather monotone job. Storybrooke was not exactly a hive of scum and villainy, after all.

So no Regina for a whole day made Emma very nervous. Had she gone too far? Had she pushed the prickly woman to a point where Regina decided that no contact was the better course of action? By the end of her shift a permanent frown had taken up residence on Emma’s features, and she had been bouncing her little red rubber ball a bit too aggressively – her in-office entertainment for those dull Regina-less hours – causing even Leroy to comment.

At home Mary Margaret had been concerned, as evidenced by the cup of hot cocoa that found its way into Emma’s hands fairly quickly, and the sweet but absentminded little gesture where Mary Margaret stroked a wayward lock of hair out of Emma’s eyes as she sat down next to her to talk.

It happened a little more frequently lately, these tiny maternal gestures from Mary Margaret that the other woman seemed unaware of but that Emma was very conscious of. She didn’t say anything about it though, as embarrassing as it was all things considered, there was this tiny part of Emma that was that lonely and abandoned child longing for a mother’s love, that soaked up these moments. As long as Mary Margaret was unaware of what she was doing, Emma would fight down the blush and just allow it. It was probably just some habit from being a teacher of young children on Mary Margaret’s part, really, no need to go reading into it further.

They had both been a bit too awkward to really talk about what was bothering Emma though. The previous evening, when Emma had come home after an outing which Mary Margaret was well aware of were with Regina and Henry, wearing a clear imprint of lipstick on her cheek, had been embarrassing for both of them.

All of a sudden Mary Margaret had grabbed Emma’s face and turned her to the side, staring at her with huge, almost bulging eyes. “E-emma? What...” Was all she had managed to choke out before Emma realized what had caught her attention, and, unfortunately, blushed rather badly. She had reached up to wipe at her cheek immediately, but it was too late.

“Lipstick?” A part of Emma had been amazed that Mary Margaret’s voice could hit such shrill tones. “Regina’s lipstick? Emma, what is going on?”

From her reaction you would think Emma had come home revealing she had been kissed by a tiger or a venomous snake, but Emma hadn’t quite been in the place to appreciate the humour in her situation as it happened. She had been shuffling her feet in embarrassment, glancing at Mary Margaret in worry over how the other woman reacted. It was something of an eye-opener that Mary Margaret’s opinion of her mattered that much.

“She was just saying thank you.” Emma had muttered, not exactly being the most eloquent she had ever been and generally feeling like a teenager again.

“Regina said thank you? With her lips?” Mary Margaret had still held onto Emma’s face, and for some reason Emma had not even thought to dislodge her. “Regina Mills, the Mayor of Storybrooke... that Regina? She kissed you?”

Something of Emma’s normal attitude had reasserted itself then, and she had smirked slightly at her friend. “That’s the only Regina I know.” She had told Mary Margaret blithely. “In fact, that’s the only Regina you know.”

It wasn’t too much of an assumption on Emma’s part to say that, in fact Emma reminded herself once again to ask Regina at some point if there had been a massive gas leak or a chemical spill of some kind in Storybrooke before Regina became Mayor, because clearly something had badly affected the memory of just about everybody in town at a certain point in the past. She had been meaning to bring it up with Regina because Emma figured she would be the only person to actually know, but she was always sidetracked whenever in the other woman’s presence.

The attitude change had done the trick, and Mary Margaret had let go of Emma’s face to giggle and blush a little, looking a good deal more like her usual self. She then handed Emma a handkerchief, whisked apparently out of nowhere, and looked on with obvious affection and concern as Emma wiped at her cheek. “Oh Emma. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

Emma had followed her impulse for once at that, and gently enveloped the smaller woman in a hug. Mary Margaret had hugged back, and it had felt nice, nice enough that Emma had admitted in a quiet tone that she really didn’t. “I haven’t a clue, Mary Margaret.” She muttered over the other woman’s shoulder. “But we have Henry together, and underneath all that defensiveness I really rather like Regina. She and I aren’t that dissimilar, you know?”

She’d hesitated before continuing in a voice she cursed herself for because it made her sound so young and confused. “It isn’t bad, is it? To want to be a part of their lives?”

“Of course not, sweetie.” Mary Margaret had reassured, letting Emma go so that she could pet her hair instead. Both the tone of voice used and the suspicious sheen of tears in her eyes revealed how emotional the topic had become. “Of course it isn’t.”

There was a flash of determination in Mary Margaret’s eyes before she urged them both to get ready for bed that had Emma a bit worried that the usually so timid teacher would actually confront Storybrooke’s Mayor and give her a lecture in treating Emma right. Although the thought was equal parts amusing and amazing, Emma decided that she would keep an eye on Mary Margaret for a while, just to make sure she didn’t get herself into trouble on Emma’s account.

------------------------

The second day after the family outing had Emma plan ways of bumping into Henry, determined if not a little bit desperate to find out how things were with both her son and his other mother. She never got the chance to implement any of the half thought-out plans though.

Storybrooke’s Mayor came sweeping into the Sheriff’s office as if she owned it, nothing unusual there, but there was a distinctive lack of biting commentary to go along with it. That was pretty much unheard of, and to make things even more eerie, Regina seemed to be avoiding eye contact. To properly intimidate someone and verbally rip them to shreds, eye contact, a complete disregard for personal space or tact were all clearly required, as Emma had learned from earlier confrontations, and this time Regina did not seem to consider either of these things.

It didn’t really occur to Emma that the big, beaming smile she sported upon seeing the other woman might have something to do with the unusual behaviour.

“Regina.” Emma exclaimed happily and jumped up to perch at the edge of her desk, mutely offering Regina the chair she’d just vacated. “How nice to see you.”

Regina’s eyes darted to Emma’s face at that, her expression fairly incredulous, before darting away. The chair was ignored. “Sheriff... no, miss Swan...”

“Oh,” Emma said, her enthusiasm fading a little. “Is this an official visit?”

Dark brown eyes looked at her strangely again, before Regina actually sighed.

“No, dear.” A smirk twitched at Regina’s lips, but it seemed more amused than anything else. However whether it was with Emma or Regina herself was anybody’s guess. “This isn’t an official visit.” She cleared her throat delicately and strayed to the other side of the desk, one gloved hand lightly trailing the edge.

“Oh?” Emma turned to continue watching her, pleased again. “In that case, what can I do for you Regina?”

“I was... wondering...” Regina continued with some difficulty, even frowning a little when the words seemed to take a bit too long to move past her lips. “if you would care to... join Henry and I for dinner. This evening?”

“I’d love to!” Emma exclaimed and jumped down from the desk. She knew she was a bit too eager but couldn’t quite stop herself. “When and where? Or, that’s right, I promised to take you out, so we could do that if you’d rather?”

Then she frowned and put a hand up to her chin, thinking. “Huh. As much as I like Granny’s it isn’t quite the type of place I’d take someone to, not to mention that I’m not sure what they have on the menu for dinner. But what else is there in Storybrooke?”

A quiet chuckle from Regina interrupted Emma’s musing out loud.

“Contrary to what you might believe, dear, Granny does not own monopoly on the small businesses in town. There are other venues, I assure you... even a restaurant that is well worth a visit when you are in the mood for fine dining.”

Emma smiled sheepishly and scratched a bit at the back of her head. “Really? Yeah, I guess I haven’t checked out any other food place yet. When I’m not eating with Mary Margaret I just go over to Granny’s.”

“In no small measure due to the waitress there, I presume.” Regina muttered somewhat under her breath, and if Emma had been a bit less awkward and inclined to study her own boots at that moment, she would have recognized the narrowing and the flashing of dark eyes as a dangerous sign.

“You mean Ruby? Huh, well, I suppose so?” A little confused as to what the question really was, Emma answered while still trying to figure it out. She was somewhat distracted by the slight twitching in one elegant eyebrow though. “Its kind of nice to go where everybody knows you, where people will stop to chat, and where the waitress knows what your usual order is.”

Something subtly shifted in Regina’s expression, and she turned to slowly saunter towards Emma, her fingers still lightly tracing the desk. Emma found herself desperately hoping that the desk would, for once, actually be clean. She did not want to imagine Regina’s reaction if she left the room to find that the fingers of her undoubtedly expensive black gloves where covered in dust.

“Pray tell,” The Mayor of Storybrooke purred slowly with a touch of suggestiveness that made Emma swallow hard as her throat suddenly went dry. “what is your usual order... Emma?”

The gloved hand continued its journey and as Regina spoke it moved from the desk to the arm of Emma’s red leather jacket, coming to a halt high upon a lapel when Emma’s name was spoken.

“Hot chocolate with cinnamon?” Emma’s voice squeaked a little, to her embarrassment. Her wide eyes locked with brown ones and something happened.

Realization.

They were standing far too close, staring deeply into each other’s eyes, with Regina’s hand pressed against Emma’s upper chest. There had been flirtation just now, in the words spoken and in how Regina acted, and they both seemed equally stunned by that.

There was a tremor, though Emma couldn’t say whether it came from Regina or herself, and a tilting. A leaning in, a drowning in those dark eyes. Emma felt the faintest of breaths ghost over her lips, and then...

A door slammed elsewhere in the building.

Emma and Regina flew apart, almost to opposite ends of the room, and Regina spun around so that her back was facing Emma’s way. Someone called out for the Sheriff, and heavy footsteps made their way towards the office.

“It appears that you have some business to attend to.” Regina told the air over her shoulder while aiming for the door herself. “I shall leave you too it then, Sheriff.”

“Regina!” Emma gasped, raising her hand as if she could reach for the other woman. “What about...”

Regina stopped with one hand on the handle. She glanced over her shoulder at Emma, and even in that partial profile it was plain to see that Regina was rattled. A faint blush dusted her cheeks and there was something almost frightened in her eyes.

Then their eyes met and something in Regina’s softened, grew warmer.

“Tonight, at the Crown and Trident. I’ll make the reservations and text you the time and place to meet.” One of Regina’s brows rose teasingly as the faintest trace of a smirk returned to her lips. “I trust you can find your way there...” Her voice dropped in tone into something purring and rather seductive on the last word, almost despite herself it seemed. “...Sheriff.”

With that Regina disappeared, leaving Emma to stare transfixed at the door in her wake.

------------------------

When Emma had, in an utterly failed attempt at being casual, told Mary Margaret where and with whom she was to have dinner, the brunette had paled and almost choked on her own tongue. Once the bout of sudden coughing was done, Mary Margaret had stared at Emma for a long moment with an intensity that had Emma squirming uncomfortably before she let up.

After Mary Margaret was told exactly when this dinner was to take place, the timid schoolteacher was replaced by a squeaking and squealing whirlwind. She almost yanked Emma’s arm off, or so the blonde thought, in first charging what passed as Emma’s wardrobe and then her own. Emma was very confused, and said so.

“The Crown and Trident isn’t just any old restaurant, Emma.” The breathless Mary Margaret informed her, a strange sheen to her eyes as she rifled through her clothes and threw several items onto her bed. “You might not think it, considering Storybrooke is such a small place, but that restaurant is really high end. The Mayor goes there for all her fancy dinner meetings, but most of us ordinary folks only ever go there for special occasions.” Emma dodged a pair of pants flying past as Mary Margaret dug deeper into her closet. “I’ve only ever been there once...” She stopped and gave Emma another curiously sparkling look. “Their seafood is to die for!”

“Anyway, although they don’t officially have a dress code, well, people have been known to be refused to eat there if they’re not up to standards, so to speak.” Another, slightly more evaluating look at Emma. “Don’t worry though, I’ll come up with something.” Before Emma was about to ask just exactly what that meant, Mary Margaret shooed her out of the room. “What are you standing around for? Hurry, go shower and get ready! I’ll get the clothes sorted, now go!”

And while grumping quietly to herself that she did know how to dress herself, and that she could dress up if she wanted to – well maybe not, most of her clothes weren’t actually in Storybrooke yet – Emma obeyed. If nothing else letting Mary Margaret put together her outfit and fix up her hair and makeup seemed to have worked well last time. Emma had faith in the other woman’s skills.

When she entered the restaurant, for a moment a bit stunned that this was still Storybrooke, Emma felt slightly less confident, and regretted that Mary Margaret had rather meagre means to work with. She still didn’t know which of them actually owned the pair of black slacks she was wearing, and felt that she would have been a lot more comfortable in the shirt she’d once, if indirectly, filched from Regina. Still, Mary Margaret had done wonders with her beat-up old dress shirt, and the black blazer Emma had borrowed was actually quite stylish in her opinion. She was rather glad Mary Margaret had convinced her it wasn’t okay to simply show up in her jeans and the brown leather jacket though.

She was barely through the door when she was asked to give her name, and once she had the scrawny but impeccably dressed man in front of her was quickly replaced by a mountain of a woman whose almost white hair stood in startling contrast to her flawless black tuxedo. She was swiftly ushered to a somewhat secluded table where Regina and Henry waited for her.

Until that moment Emma had been unsure whether Henry would be there or not, and how she would react if he hadn’t been.

The little boy flew up from the table to barrel into her almost as soon as he saw her, but even so Emma did not miss that both of the faces that turned her way when she approached had lit up at the sight of her. It made Emma’s heart beat a bit faster in her chest, and brought a big, uncontrollable smile to her lips.

“Hey kiddo.” She told her son and hugged him back, relishing for that brief moment in the feel of his tiny body in her arms. Every hug she had the fortune to receive was such a gift, and something she not that long ago would never have thought she could have. Then she let him go and looked at the person watching them both from the other side of the table. “Regina.” She never noticed it herself, how her voice and her expression both turned a touch more tender as she greeted the other woman.

Regina, however, did, and melted a little further. “Henry, let Emma sit down now. We’re here to have dinner, remember?”

He obeyed, still smiling happily, and sat down, not really noticing or at least not finding anything to object about how his mothers were lost staring warmly at one another. The tall woman standing next to the table, completely forgotten by all three, certainly did notice the loving looks however, and broke out in an amused smile.

“Madame Mayor,” The woman spoke up with a voice unfortunately made for booming no matter how hard the speaker tried to modulate it, making Emma jump in surprise. “do you and your... companions wish to order,” The polite smile twitched into a smirk briefly, as Regina had stated it was a family dinner. “or shall I return later?”

The usually unflappable Mayor of Storybrooke looked a bit bashful for the briefest of moments before she rallied and settled on an expression of amused superiority. “Thank you, Vanessa. Emma, may I introduce you to Vanessa Devin, the proprietor of this fine establishment?” Emma goggled slightly up at the impossibly tall woman, wishing for a moment that she had remained standing. Sitting down she felt like she was the size of Henry. “Vanessa, this is Emma Swan.”

“Co-owner, madame, please. Let us not break my poor brother’s heart by forgetting him.” Vanessa boomed and smiled, inclining her white head at Emma in a surprisingly regal-looking gesture. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sheriff Swan. I have of course heard much about you.”

“Likewise, um, Vanessa?” A quick glance at Regina as she hesitated gave Emma an encouraging look, and a subtle gesture to go on. “While I haven’t had the pleasure of coming here before, I have been told by a very reliable source that the seafood here is to die for. So I know I’m in for a rare treat.”

Apparently this was the right thing to say, as the giant woman beamed happily and nodded several times. “Good! Good!” Vanessa once again spoke just a touch too loudly for her own establishment and turned towards Regina. “Shall I leave you to consider the menu, or do you wish to order the usual?”

Regina rather pointedly confiscated the only menu at the table from in front of Emma and handed it to Vanessa. “The usual, please. You never disappoint.” She shared a smile with Vanessa before the tall woman inclined her head and disappeared, presumably to the kitchen to inform the chef of whatever Regina had just ordered for the three of them.

“Impressive woman.” Emma muttered quietly at Regina, still feeling a bit short. “Don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that tall before.”

“Vanessa is really nice.” Henry informed her, apparently not even slightly intimidated. “She always gives me extra dessert. And it is cool how she dyes her hair white.”

“Yes...” Regina murmured discreetly, not entirely managing to hide her amusement at Emma’s reaction. “Vanessa is nice, but often misunderstood. People tend to be intimidated by her and her brother.” Regina’s eyes met Emma’s with a slight warning. “She is not a woman to cross, however.” She turned to Henry with a fond look. “And it is ‘bleaches’, Henry. Vanessa bleaches her hair white.”

Emma absorbed the information and nodded to show that she understood the warning. She couldn’t imagine why she’d ever do anything to offend the restauranter, but then again this was Storybrooke. Anything and everything could happen, and apparently there were more potentially dangerous people here than she had initially thought.

“Out of curiosity, what did we just order?” Emma asked playfully, not willing to linger on such thoughts when she was finally with Regina and their son. “Incidentally, I think I was supposed to take you out, not the other way around.”

That earned her a smile from Regina and a little giggle from Henry.

“It depends. We just ordered the best full course menu the kitchen can come up with today, and that rarely repeats. It never fails to be perfectly delicious however, so unless you have any dietary compunctions I doubt you will be disappointed.” Regina eyed Emma a little and then leaned forward slightly to continue in a conspiratorial tone directed at both Emma and their son. “I only ever order from the menu here if I am on official business and really do not care for the company I am forced to keep.”

There was another little giggle from the boy and an amused snort from Emma in reply to that, and for a moment both women were content to just bask in this little moment of shared and familial warmth.

“Well,” Emma said after a moment, a smile still lingering on her lips. “I have no food allergies and I’m willing to try just about anything once.” Regina smirked a little more at that but Emma leaned over towards Henry and ignored her. “I’ve even eaten snails, eugh.” She pretended to shudder in disgust to amuse the boy.

“Indeed? I trust you refer to escargot and not some juvenile attempt at ingesting the garden variety?” Regina hummed teasingly but also filed the information away for later. No food allergies, and a willingness to try anything once? How promising.

Emma smiled wryly. “Yeah, escargot. The garden snails have been safe from me so far in my life, not that it hasn’t been touch and go once or twice. And contrary to what certain people think of me, I’m not entirely unfamiliar with fine dining or dressing up.” Her lips twitched a little. “Boston is just a little bit bigger than Storybrooke, actually.”

Regina took a small sip of water and eyed Emma. “Mary Margaret?” The question was simple, and neutral.

“Yeah.” Emma sighed a little, but it was an amused and affectionate sound somehow. “She’s the one that told me about the seafood. She almost salivated talking about the one time she’s been here, so I’m thinking it will be impressive.”

“I see.” Regina had suspected as much, she doubted very much Ruby would sing praises for this place, if indeed the scantily clad young woman had ever been allowed in. “And did Mary Margaret... dress you again?” Once again there was a strange glint in Regina’s eyes that Emma missed.

“Oh yeah.” Emma chuckled a little. “What you see before you is the result of Mary Margaret’s hard work and our combined wardrobes. I actually don’t know which one of us owns these pants.” She shook her head. “Not sure if I should be insulted that she thinks I’m incapable of dressing up on my own, but then again its true that I don’t have much clothes here yet.”

“My... compliments to Mary Margaret then.” Regina murmured while her eyes passed over every visible bit of Emma Swan slowly enough to make Emma’s ears burn. “You look quite striking tonight.”

Feeling just a bit shy and awkward, as well as sending a thankful thought to Mary Margaret, Emma returned the slow inspection. She hadn’t dared to let herself look too closely before, because even though Regina’s discreetly shimmering grey dress was modest, showing not a hint of cleavage, the banding covering her shoulders but leaving her arms bare and otherwise being a simple, slim design, the way the brunette wore it with effortless elegance did funny things to Emma’s insides. “And you look... stunningly beautiful, Regina.”

Black eyes locked with green, and the intensity of them had Emma’s breath hitch. It was undoubtedly dangerous how one look from Regina could make her mind go blank, and make Emma aware of nothing but that ache inside.

“Yeah mom, you look beautiful!” Henry’s cheerful voice cut the moment and caused both of his mothers to blush slightly and look at anything but one another. Too young to notice he just beamed at them as Regina thanked him for the compliment.

Struggling for a good long while to find something to talk about, something safe preferably, Emma finally recalled what she had been talking about before she had gotten sidetracked by Regina’s looks. “Speaking of clothes, the lease on my apartment is coming up soon. I’ll have to go to Boston sometime next week or the week after that.”

Noticing how the happy smile was quickly replaced by a wide-eyed and worried look on her son’s face, Emma blinked and reached out to take his hand, reassuring him. “No kiddo, I’m not leaving town for more than a day, then I’ll be right back.” She looked over at Regina, but to her surprise the other woman was watching her with a worried expression as well. “I just need to get my stuff into storage and to sign some things.”

“I’m going to take the opportunity to bring more of my clothes back here with me while I’m there.” She frowned a little, trying to figure out the logistics of that. She didn’t have much, certainly, but it would still be a hard if not impossible task for her bug. “Regina, do you think it would be possible for me to borrow the sheriff’s car for the day? Naturally I’d be paying for the gas and all myself.”

Regina watched her silently for a moment, in an evaluating way that made Emma feel as if the other woman was considering whether or not Emma would in fact skip town. “I think,” Regina said eventually, her words a bit slower than usual. “that perhaps it would be best if you take my car. It would be safer.”

“You’re not leaving?” Henry asked, needing more reassurance. Emma smiled and gave him a sideways hug.

“No honey, I’m not leaving. I just need to settle things in Boston and get some of my stuff. Can’t rely on Mary Margaret’s wardrobe all the time, right?”

“And if she does not return while in possession of my car she knows she’ll be wanted by the police for theft.” Regina added calmly in an odd sort of reassurance for her son.

Normally Emma would have bristled at the implied threat, but she had gotten to know Regina better lately and realized that this was Regina’s way of making sure Emma would not disappear from their lives. The fact that Regina had gone from wanting to get Emma out of town in any way possible to going out of her way to come up with, frankly rather silly, ways to make sure she stayed meant a lot. Regina wanting Emma to stick around meant a lot. Emma grinned at Regina as she straightened in her chair.

“If you’re only going to be gone for a day, can I come?” Eager again now that his worries had been cleared, Henry spoke fast. “And why don’t you bring your stuff here? Get it into storage here in Storybrooke?”

“No kiddo, it’ll be a long, exhausting day, and you’ve got school.” She smiled at him and had to keep herself from ruffling his hair. “And as for putting my things into storage here...” Emma sighed a bit and looked at Regina. “It’d take a day or two at the most, and then there would be a very localized but thorough fire.”

Regina looked startled and just a little upset at that. “I hope you are not suggesting that I...”

Emma interrupted her by reaching over to take one of Regina’s hands into her own. “No.” She said calmly and with conviction. “Not you, Regina. But there are others in this town that’d love to rip through my things in the hopes of finding something, anything they could use.” She wondered if Regina was aware of how her fingers curled up to lightly hold Emma’s hand in place, but either way it was nice. “A fire or an explosion would pretty much be a given.”

Despite the fact that she would have been perfectly happy to continue sitting there holding Regina’s hand, Emma was forced to let go as waiters finally came to serve them the first set of dishes.

------------------------

When they finally made their way out of the restaurant it was later than either had expected. The food had, much as Regina and Mary Margaret both had suggested, been spectacular, and in their reluctance to end the very pleasant evening both women had lingered, long enough in fact that Henry had managed to sneak himself a small second dessert. They could only drag it out for so long however, and full and content they eventually had to venture into the cooling evening air.

Emma regretted that they both had driven to the restaurant, wishing she could have stolen a few more moments with Regina and their son by walking them home, but not even in Storybrooke could one walk everywhere. She had to settle for walking them to their car.

“I wish you could come home with us.” Henry said as he hugged Emma tight. She hugged him back but didn’t say anything as she wasn’t sure just what she could say. As absurd as it seemed all things considered, Emma really wanted to go home with them. But it wasn’t a reasonable request to make on her part, and it wasn’t her call.

“It’s late, Henry.” Regina told her son gently, but shifted her focus to Emma as she continued, something a little bashful in her voice. “Perhaps Emma would like to join us for dinner the day after tomorrow, though? At home?”

“Yes!” The boy didn’t wait for Emma’s answer, he lit up at the prospect and hugged her once more before charging Regina, giving her a hug as well. “Thanks mom!”

The smile on Regina’s face as she hugged her son back was beautiful and loving, and brought a lump to Emma’s throat. She ran her hand through Henry’s hair before letting him go. “Why don’t you go get into the car while I speak to Emma?”

With a smile and an obedient nod the boy did as told, leaving his mothers to a brief moment of somewhat private conversation.

It took Regina a moment to find her voice, but Emma was too mesmerized with how the wind blew a lock of hair to cross Regina’s face, and the curiously feminine little gesture that pulled it back in place, to notice. “So...” Regina asked somewhat awkwardly. “you did not answer. Will you come over for dinner on Sunday?”

“I’d love to, Regina.” Without really meaning to Emma took a step closer. “If I’m not imposing?”

Regina smiled, far more confident now. “Of course not. But beware...” She added playfully. “I will be cooking.”

“That sounds really great.” Without really noticing it Emma had reached out and taken Regina’s hand. “Should I bring anything?”

“Just yourself.” The happy smile directed her way did strange things to Emma’s heart, and it was amazing that Regina would look so pleased that Emma had said yes to the invitation.

Grabbing hold of her guts with both hands, Emma took the final step to get in close to Regina. She smiled at her, perhaps a bit more tenderly than Emma herself was even aware of, causing Regina’s eyes to widen, and brought her free hand up to Regina’s face.

“Thank you so much for tonight, Regina.” She said quietly, her voice warm. “I had a wonderful time.”

And then Emma Swan leaned in and pressed her lips to Regina’s cheek, dangerously close to the corner of her mouth.

She held the kiss for a moment longer than what was entirely appropriate, before finally letting Regina go and stepping back. With her heart thundering in her ears and an embarrassed heat spreading slowly to her cheeks, made all the worse as Emma caught sight of Henry grinning widely at his mothers from inside the car, Emma smiled sheepishly and scratched at her neck.

In a gesture similar to the one Emma herself had made when the situation was the other way around, Regina reached up to touch at her cheek. She looked shy, and longing, as those dark eyes came back up to meet Emma’s again. The slow, lopsided smile appearing reassured Emma that she had not gone too far.

“Goodnight, Emma.” Regina purred, and then quickly walked over to get into her car.

“Goodnight Regina.” Emma managed before Regina closed her door, unaware of just how lovestruck she sounded. Regina heard it however, and flushed as their son giggled and waved his own goodbye to Emma.

A little embarrassed now at her rather bold move, Emma quickly trotted off to find her yellow bug. As she got behind the wheel and started the car she was touched and a bit charmed to see that Regina had waited for her to get safely inside the car, and gotten the car started, before she drove off herself. It was thoughtful, even if Emma was a woman who could take care of herself, not to mention that she was actually the law in this little town.

Thoughtful, and sweet.

And it almost made Mary Margaret faint when Emma told her about it.