Regina Makes the First Move

“Okay, today is the day,” Mayor Regina Mills chanted repeatedly to herself as she proudly walked down Main Street.  She could have magically transported herself from City Hall to Granny’s Diner, but she felt that some time spent in the sunshine and fresh air would give her time to think of a plan.  Coming to a significant and life-altering realization just a few nights ago, had made Regina feel lighter than she had in many years.  It was as if finally admitting her true feelings to herself was like a weight lifted finally, proving that the old adage was true.  The truth shall set you free.

She took to the pavement with a hop in her step, much to the surprise of Leroy, aka Grumpy, who was just exiting the restaurant, holding the door open for her.  In ridicule, the hairy bearded dwarf snorted, “Hey there, sister.  Who buttered your muffin this morning?”

“Hello, Hobbit.  Even your lewd, infantile wise-cracks can’t bother me today.”  She studied his form from head to toe.  “You look a little taller.  What are you now?  4 feet?”

“Ha-Ha.”  He pinned a scowl at her chortling back, shook his head and sauntered down the walk, pulling his pants up by the sagging waist band while his thick-soled shoes took him leisurely down the walk.

As Regina entered into the delicious smells of frying bacon and eggs on the griddle, her brown eyes scoped the room, and when she spotted her target, she immediately zig-zagged around a few patrons in order to get to the long haired blonde in red leather who was currently piling pancakes into her mouth.

Today is the day.  Regina was going to punch fate in the mouth and ask Sheriff Emma Swan out on a date.

Standing directly behind Emma, she folded her hands in front of her and watched as the blonde paid no attention and continued to occupy herself with her rather large breakfast while scrolling news articles on her phone.  Regina patiently observed the attractive young woman, occasionally tilting her head around to try and view her actions.  The mayor thought it odd that Emma still had no idea that she was there.

Emma stuffed a bite into her mouth, set her phone on the table and peeled off her jacket, treating the mayor to the woman’s own natural, clean scent and the sight of those strong arms and shoulders clad in a grey ribbed tank top.  It was good to see Emma’s impressively toned muscles again because the older woman was sure she had not seen Emma’s scantily clothed torso since Neverland.

Suddenly Granny appeared on the other side of the counter, eyeing Regina.  “You want something?” the elderly werewolf asked as Emma’s breakfast laden fork paused half way to her mouth and those green eyes widened and stared at Granny inquisitively.

“NO…” Regina bellowed happily and the high decibel answer combined with the rather short distance between the Mayor and Sheriff, caused Emma to jump and she dropped her phone onto her plate.  “No thank you, Widow Lucas.”

“Dammit!”  Emma glowered at Regina and with two fingers held her phone up over her plate.  “Did you just poof behind me, or what?”

Regina smiled widely and sat in the stool beside the flustered blonde.  “No, I entered through the door and snuck up on you.  Really Emma, I thought you had better instincts.”

“I was distracted.”

“Obviously.  The question is in what?”

Regina made a move for Emma’s phone, thinking the least she could do was a simple cleaning spell on it, but Emma held up a hand and smirked at her as a signal to back down.

“Have you forgotten that I can do magic too really well now?  Being the Dark One had that perk at least.”

As Regina held up both hands and watched, Emma made a counter-clockwise swirling motion with her hand, and in front of Regina’s eyes, she watched in amazement as the sticky syrup on the phone dropped down to the plate, which had miraculously sparkled as if Emma was able to turn back only that one incident.  The Sheriff smugly grinned at Regina and waggled her eyebrows, a movement that the Mayor had often found adorable in recent weeks, especially accompanied by Emma’s flashing dimples.

“I’m impressed, Emma.”

With a complacent swish, Emma swept a strip of bacon off her place and threw out before crunching the meat product between her teeth, “I’ll teach it to you sometime.”

A quick nasally huff and an eye roll was dispensed from the mayor as she flagged Granny down.  “Widow Lucas.  I think I will have a coffee.”

“Coffee… and I’ll get you a plate of your usual.  Silver dollar pancakes and a fruit cup.”

“Oh, no thank you.”  Regina waved Granny’s announcement off.  “I had breakfast this morning.”

“What time was ‘at?”  The words were uttered suspiciously and Regina drew back in stupefaction at the motherly tone in the older woman’s voice.

Emma’s eyes darted artlessly between the diner owner and the mayor, sipping her coffee.

“Seven?”

“Holy crud on a cracker, Regina, that was four hours ago.  You’re too skinny.”

“I…”  The pronoun came out as more a guttural noise from Regina’s throat, but she stumble on, practically spitting the words out.  “It was a filling breakfast!”  Why was Granny trying to fatten her up?  The overwhelming concern she had received from the grey haired woman in recent months had left her dumbstruck.  Ever since they had returned from the Underworld, without Hook, tales of their adventures had gone public and Regina was seen as an even bigger hero now more than before. 

“Still, you need a little looking after from time to time.”  Granny peered over the top of her glasses at the brunette.  “What’d you eat, Regina?”

In utter befuddlement, Regina gazed at Emma who shrugged at her.  “I had oatmeal.”

“I’ve got oatmeal here too.  I can get you more in a jiffy.”

“But I take my oatmeal with fresh berries.”

“I got some blueberries and raspberries.”

Blinking in confusion and a mouth open wide, Regina said, “But I add wheat germ and flaxseed.”

“Ewww…”  This was from Emma whose lips twisted in disgust. 

“It’s good for you!”

“It’s a breakfast for a geriatric patient.”

Regina’s lips thinned out humorlessly as her eyes narrowed.  “Well, we all can’t eat like a…”  She looked at Emma’s piled plate.  “Like a linebacker for the Chicago Rams!”

“Bears.”

“Whatever.”  Regina’s pinned stare flit from the blonde to Granny.  “Really.  If you want to bring me something, a coffee would be fine.”

Both women sitting at the counter watched Granny walk away a little disquieted. 

“You know what’s happening, right?”  Emma smiled at Regina and lifted her coffee mug to her lips again.  Regina just stared at her with a crease in her forehead, leaning on her forearms.

“What?”

“Granny’s adopted you, Regina.  You’re part of the pack now.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

Emma sucked syrup off her thumb and gazed amusedly into the face of her son’s other mother, certain the woman now knew it to be true.  Regina’s eyes perused Emma’s eyes and lips, and she suddenly smiled, her mood changing into a jovial one and Emma experienced a warm ember igniting inside her.  She was glad that Regina was in a chipper mood.  Regina Mills was a very attractive, charming woman when she radiated warmth such as this.

“Emma…” Regina started a little nervously, chewing on her lip, “… I was wondering if we could have dinner together.”

The last forkful of buttery sweet breakfast disappeared into Emma’s mouth and filled her cheeks below a thoughtful furrowed forehead.  “I thought we already were,” she mumbled.  Emma was already going to Regina’s house for their weekly Wednesday dinners with Henry.  She used her fork to scrape up leftover butter and syrup on the plate and sucked it off, keeping the utensil in her mouth as she directed questioning eyes to the brunette.  “I’ve got your favorite wine and everything.”

“That is very considerate of you.”  Regina was very attentive to a space on the counter beside Emma’s plate.  “I meant in addition to our Wednesday dinner.  Perhaps on Friday evening?”

Emma smiled brightly.  “Wow!  Two evenings in a row.  I must have really grown on you, Regina.”

You have no idea.

Regina had a feeling that Emma thought that this was an innocent dinner and at the moment, she was baffled as to how to change that perception.  Scaring Emma away with blunt honesty at the moment was ill advised.  This was not the setting she wanted to divulge her deepest feelings in, however, Regina supposed that she could be a bit more specific with her intentions without giving too much away.  She caught the inside of her cheek between her back teeth and furrowed her brow.  “Emma… about Friday…”

“No need to ask me again,” Emma chuckled, holding her hands up in surrender, “If you want to cook for me twice in one week, you won’t hear any complaints from me, Regina.  I love everything you cook.”  Regina beamed at the compliment and they locked gazes.

Interrupting the feel good moment, Emma’s phone dinged with an SMS alert.  “I’ve got to get back to the station,” she grumbled and was addressing Granny as the woman stepped in front of them, slipping a cup of hot coffee in front of Regina.  “Granny,” Emma began placing money on the counter, “I’ve got to run but this should cover my breakfast…”  Emma gave Regina a dazzling dimpled grin, “…and the mayor’s coffee.”

Regina was elated by the Sheriff’s touching gesture, but Granny replied before she could mutter her thanks.  “No need.  The Mayor’s coffee’s on the house.”  Then, Granny gave Regina a stern this-is-not-up-for-discussion expression.  “As well as her blueberry scone.”

A small plate was set beside the brunette’s mug with a sizeable yet rather delicious looking triangular treat.  Regina’s eyes whipped from the free food to Granny with an agape mouth, and she watched as the old woman simply turned and walked away with a victorious swagger.  Shifting her focus to the blonde who was slipping her jacket on and smirking, Regina shivered when Emma bent and whispered in Regina’s ear, making her shiver, “Told ya.”

[X]

The rest of the week came and went without any problems.  It was business as usual at City Hall.  Regina had been anxious on Tuesday and had picked up her phone several times to call Emma to reveal her intentions for Friday night.  However, she failed to follow through, always giving in to her fear of chasing Emma away.  When she had decided she was going to reveal her feelings to Emma days ago, it was supposed to be easy to tell Emma that she was in love with her.  Now that it was time to actually do it though, Regina found the task difficult.  There were many factors to consider, like how Henry would react to it for instance. 

How would Emma react to it?  That was the more important question right now.

Regina was thankful that she need not have worried at all for Wednesday, because Emma had had quite a busy day at work so there was a lot to talk about during dinner.  Henry had also filled their conversation with his day and it was really very pleasant for the three of them to sit and spend time together.  Regina had wanted to do this every night.  It wasn’t until close to ten o’clock and Emma had been on her way out of the house that she turned and said she couldn’t wait to be back on Friday, a surprise that had clearly registered on their son’s face.  After Regina had closed the door, Henry had asked her about Friday, and she had offered a shrug and nonchalantly told him she had plans to see Emma to go over a few personal things, which wasn’t really a lie.  She had caught curiosity flit over his face but then was relieved to see him dismiss it and answer that he was glad that they were hanging out.

Now, it was Friday evening and the doorbell had just gone off signaling Emma’s arrival.  Carefully and calmly she made sure to check her reflection in the mirror before opening the door.  On her doorstep stood a very perplexed Emma Swan.

“Regina.”  With just the name as a greeting, Emma walked through the doorway and up the steps, hands on hips, as if she had something to say.  It was Regina’s turn to be confused as she fixed a worried expression at the blonde’s back.

“Emma?”

“I just got off the phone with Henry.”  Emma spun on her heel and faced Regina’s face inquisitively.  “He said he wasn’t going to be here for dinner.”

The door clicked shut and Regina inhaled slowly taking the steps up to the center of her foyer one at a time and stopping in front of the blonde who wore an expression filled with mild accusation, curiosity, and perhaps a little intrigue.  Crossing her arms, Regina confirmed with a head shake, “No.  He will not be joining us tonight.”

A moment of silence passed between them as Emma’s eyes passed over her face, searching for this evening’s purpose, since she was under the assumption that this was a family get together, and Regina forced her gaze to stay on her, even though she felt like hesitating and instead looking off to the side, downward or anywhere else.

Emma’s hands slipped into her back pockets as if the move would calm her uneasiness.  Something had begun to feel a little off about tonight when she had spoken to Henry.  She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a folded slip of paper.  “Henry wanted me to bring over his video game cheat codes.  Said Nick was coming over tomorrow and that they were close to finishing the game.”

Regina only nodded once in understanding.  Okay, this was the moment, she thought.  Just tell Emma.  Tell Emma how?  Just blurt it out?

“Regina?  He also informed me that he was spending the night away and knew that you and I were having dinner alone tonight.  He said you had something personal to talk to me about.”

“Yes,” was all Regina could manage.  She slipped passed Emma and walked over to the liquor cabinet.  “Apple cider?”

The corner of Emma’s mouth turned up and a playful light appeared in those sea green eyes.  “Interesting.”

“What?  My apple cider?”

“That you’ve offered me that drink only a handful of times before, and that I’ve gotten really good at reading you.”  She followed Regina and watched as she poured two glasses of the golden liquid.  “Out of all those times, this one is very much like the first.”  Regina held the beverage out and Emma’s fingers purposely grazed hers as she took the ornate crystal glass.  “You were hiding something then and you’re hiding something now.”

“Oh?  Is that what your Super Power is telling you?”  At Emma’s penetrating gaze, Regina snorted, sipping her cider.  “I can assure you, Emma, that this time I am not thinking of ways to get rid of you.  Quite the contrary.”

Emma’s small smile sobered and her eyes bore into Regina, demanding honesty.  “What do you mean by that?”

It was too early.  Too early in the evening for suspicion.  A tension hung heavy in the room suddenly and Regina was not sure how to respond.  What if Emma’s not interested in this?  A part of herself told her she was wrong.  She had felt the vibe between them before; had felt Emma’s eyes on her and she had detected interest in them.  Something that was contradictory to friendship.  Had she read the woman wrong?

“I made flank steak for tonight’s dinner,” she said instead, escaping toward the kitchen, “… with garlic mashed potatoes, gravy and homemade onion rings.  I know they’re your favorite.”

Regina turned and discovered that Emma had followed her quietly into the kitchen and was now standing close now, searching Regina’s eyes.  She must have read something by way of Regina’s original intent for this evening because Emma suddenly tipped the glass to her lips and downed the contents in only a few gulps leaving wetness on her lips: wetness that Regina was suddenly desperate to suck off.

The temperature in the room rose and Emma turned briefly to put her glass down.  “What did you mean, Regina?”

Exhaling a little anxiously, not realizing she was holding her breath, Regina swallowed and explained, “Ok.  You deserve the truth, and in my head I had intended to handle this much better than I am now.  I suddenly realize that I am completely out of my element here, not being one to express… my emotions.”

Emma perked up at that last word and her eyes rounded, while warmth suffused her entire being and her face emitted a healthy, radiant glow.  What was Regina about to say and why was Emma so excited about it?

The brunette seemed so agitated all of a sudden that Emma could not help but find Regina Mills completely lovable.  Lovable?

“I… you… we have known each other for a long time, Emma.”

“Uh-huh.”  Emma found herself taking a step closer, wanting to be nearer to Regina.

“We have been through a lot together and you’ve become an important part of my life.”  The mayor’s beautiful expanse of throat convulsed with a nervous gulp and Emma wondered briefly what the skin would taste like there.  Whoa!  That cider must be stronger than I remember.

Regina watched Emma nod and stare at her lips as she spoke.  She imagined she was making a mess of this.  Regina Mills did not do love confessions and she was uncertain, despite the way the younger woman was eyeballing her now, whether Emma Swan could be interested in women, let alone her.  There was a good chance this was all going to blow up in her face, and in her discomfort, Regina did what she did best.

“Stop it, Emma,” she lashed out, standing taller.

“What?”  Emma’s head jerked back, baffled.

“Stop confusing me.”

The blonde blinked.  “I’m… confusing you?”

“Ever since you came to Storybrooke quite honestly.  The way you’ve looked at me…”

“How have I looked at you?”

“Like you’ve wanted… to learn intimate things about me.  It’s very unnerving.”

A smile crept across those thin lips under sparkling green eyes that seemed to deepen a little in color within the last few minutes, which had made Regina wonder if it was a trick of the light.  “What kind of intimate things, did you think I was thinking?  Like what kind of perfume you wore?  Or how the skin over your pulse point tasted and whether I could feel it beating against the flat of my tongue if I were to put my mouth over it?”

Emma wondered what the hell she was doing.  There was an indescribable pull drawing her even closer to Regina now.  Her eyes dipped to Regina’s chest of their own accord.  “Or what color your underwear is and whether you wear them in matching sets?”

Regina raised her eyebrow first and her eyes darted downward toward their feet as if noticing the close proximity of which they stood together.  Her eyes squinted, insisting that she was reading this moment between them loud and clear.  She was still not certain whether Emma Swan was interested in women but she sure as hell was interested in Regina, the mayor was for damned sure.

She had had enough.  The Queen did not dawdle when she wanted something, and in this moment, she wanted the woman standing in front of her, all irresistible challenge in her eyes.

Downing her own drink quickly, Regina levitated her empty glass toward the kitchen sink and while Emma’s eyes followed its journey, Regina took full advantage and sandwiched Emma’s body between hers and the kitchen island.  Their bodies had touched before but under complete distress in a moment of saving one another.  Never like this.  She flattened her palms on the cool marble of the island nearly touching Emma’s hips and the blonde’s hands immediately went to Regina’s upper arms, her touch sending sparks along the skin there and Regina pressed her thighs even more into Emma’s.

“Tell me, Emma?”  Regina delivered her sexiest smirk.  “Have you ever given a thought to my underwear?”

Emma’s eyes flashed, but she remained silent.  There was no way she was admitting something like that to Regina and her mind couldn't come up with a comeback fast enough, except for, “Have you ever thought about my underwear?”  Yeah, Swan.  Smooth.  That was stupid.

Regina smiled brilliantly then, enchanting Emma and her voice was husky, potently so, as she replied, seeming to look down Emma’s blouse.  “I’ve seen you in your underwear already, dear, remember?”

Emma blinked several times, her thoughts lost in a fog that was her brain at the moment.  Oh right.  Granny’s B&B, basket of apples.  Yup.

Regina’s scent assailed her nostrils.  It was a heady combination of the woman’s individual scent and the apple cider on her breath and suddenly Emma wanted to drink the taste off Regina’s lips.  She marveled at how things had changed since she had rung Regina’s doorbell less than half an hour ago, from confusion to bafflement to desire.

There was a softening in Regina’s determined gaze and she brought a hand up to swipe Emma’s hair behind her ear.  “I’m going too fast, aren’t I?”  She pulled away only a little and Emma whimpered softly at her leave and without thinking, Emma’s bottom came off the counters edge to meet Regina’s body again.

Regina was surprised to feel Emma’s hands at her hips slowly moving toward the back of her and just a tad lower.

“Emma.”  Regina’s voice took on a breathy quality that Emma liked and she wanted to hear her name repeated that way more.  “Emma.  I want to kiss you.”

And there it was.  There was no mistaking what was happening here and Emma knew that was Regina’s way of asking for permission.  In a heartbeat, it was as if images from the past flashed through Emma’s mind.  Regina coming unbelievably close to her at the mine where Henry was trapped.  Regina tearfully promising her a happy ending before sending her and Henry off to New York.  Regina’s sorrowful look when they had returned from the Underworld unsuccessful in their plans.  Regina had displayed her unwavering loyalty and unquestionable friendship every step of the way since, and was devoted to helping Emma through her grief, along with Henry and her family.  Surprisingly, it was this woman in front of her, and many sleepless nights that were spent together talking about darkness, redemption and love lost, who was hugely responsible for getting Emma back on her feet again.

Everything happens for a reason.

That’s what David had told her just a few months after they had come home, and she believed now that her father was right. 

Emma hid a smile behind a weary sigh and looked into Regina’s eyes.  “Well, if you’re going to kiss me, I don’t want some half-assed sentimental peck.  I want you to come at me, lips hot, like you want to eat me alive, Regina.”

She watched as Regina’s brows seemed to grow heavy, forming a crinkled forehead over batting eyelashes more in befuddlement , wondering whether she had heard Emma right.

“Okay…”  Emma had stumped the poor woman and she chuckled, ready to come in and do what she did best… save the day.  She cradled the brunette’s face and began to pull her in when Regina stopped her and removed her hands.

“I think I’ve got this, Miss Swan.”  And before Emma could make a crack about the old nickname, Regina’s lips were on hers, hard and insistent, and it was Regina’s palms on her cheeks keeping her still for this dizzying assault.

A stampede of wild antelope running through the house would not have been able to tear Emma’s attention away, and she clutched tightly onto Regina’s shirt sleeves as if the woman was her anchor, keeping her alive and standing.  A whimper parted her lips and as soon as that happened, Regina dipped her tongue inside Emma’s mouth and the sensation for both of them was glorious.

This kiss was everything a kiss should be and nothing they had ever experienced with anyone else before.  It was fervent, searing, mind-blowing, and soul-imprinting.  Not since high school English class had Emma felt like a human thesaurus as adjectives describing the hotness of this kiss floated around in her brain.

With the last swipe of her tongue inside Emma’s mouth and a shaky inhale, Regina released Emma’s kiss-swollen lips.  Regina could not remember a time when she had kissed someone with such wild abandon and it was an experience she was hoping to have again soon.

Emma rocked a little as she opened her eyes and focused on Regina eyeballing her with concern.  “Emma?”  The older woman circled her arms around Emma to steady her.  “Are you okay?”

The blonde shook her head at Regina’s worried look only to clear her head of the passion filled fog that had taken over.  After nearly a minute of getting her bearings, she shot surprised eyes at Regina and joked, “Wow!  The Queen doesn’t play around.”

“No, she doesn’t,” Regina agreed with a snicker.  “Do you need to sit down, dear?”

“What?”

“Sit?”

“No!  No… I… Jesus, Regina… that was… that kiss… it made my toes curl.”

Regina grinned salaciously and quipped back, “You should see what else I can do.”

Emma paled and then blushed profusely and those adorable dimples revealed themselves in a naughty grin.  “What, like now?”  Emma could only excuse her actions by blaming the hot spike of horniness she felt all of a sudden that begged her to throw caution to the wind.  She had waited for her common sense to intervene, but hesitancy didn’t come with Regina.  She made a move to kiss the brunette again.  “Hell yes, show me.”

Regina’s laughter boomed loudly and then she shook her head with the largest grin she had worn in a while.  “Emma, we are about to embark on a new phase of our relationship and you are just too cute for words.  However, I have had some time to think about this and I know what I want.  You have just had this sprung on you.”

“Yeah,” Emma murmured and put her arms down at her sides, not trusting herself to touch Regina again.  She remembered what the woman had just said and she coaxed with a happy spread of her lips that reached her emerald eyes.  “So… what do you want, Regina?”

Regina chuckled in an I-know-exactly-what-you-are-trying-to-do way, but she owed Emma the truth.  “I want you, Emma.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”  Regina’s imitation of Emma’s informal vernacular had them both smiling.  “I have been thinking about you a lot lately.  In a more than friends capacity and would like to explore that with you.  I know it may come as a shock.”

Emma leaned against the counter, tongue in cheek and mulled the possibility over.  She cleared the kiss from her mind, the best that she could, and waited for a protest – any kind of reservation – to come up about this new turn of events and there was none.  “What about Henry?”

“Let’s take it slow.  I think you and I know one another pretty well except for some really personal things… really intimate things that we have never let ourselves discuss with each other… yet.  Well, now we can discuss them.”

Considering that, Emma moved closer, learning now that she just liked being physically close to Regina.  “So we deal with us first and then with him.”

“It seems the logical thing to do.”  Regina thought about it.  “I want to do this right, Emma.  You mean far too much to me to screw this up.”

Emma lifted a hand to scratch behind her ear.  “What if this doesn't work out?”

“We’re not thinking about that right now.  However, truth be told, I don’t see any reason why it wouldn't.  We’ve already seen the absolute worst in each other and that didn’t seem to prevent us from getting to this point.”  Regina studied Emma for a moment, noticing the blonde looking to the far side of the room deep in thought.  “I know that what I am asking may be out of the ordinary for you.”

That snapped her to attention and Emma quizzically raised her eyebrow.  “Why?  Because you’re a woman?”

“Yes.  I mean a kiss is one thing.  One can get swept up in the moment, but if you aren't attract…”

“Oh, I’m attracted to you alright.”  Emma crossed her arms and snorted.  “Ever since you came barreling down that walkway out there, braless, in that gray dress.  Your hair, your body, your tear-swollen eyes with worry for Henry.  You were a hot mess, Regina, and undoubtedly the sexiest woman I had ever seen.”

An astonished wide eyed, slack-jawed expression painted across Regina’s features and silence filled the room as she processed that.

Emma threw her own sexy smirk at the brunette and leaned forward in a tempting way.  “I have no qualms about entering into a relationship with you, physical or otherwise.”  The flirtatious way that the word physical was spoken put Regina’s mind at ease.  Emma wanted this too.

“Well…”  Regina bent forward and nipped at Emma’s lips.  “Ok then.”

Emma grabbed the front of Regina’s top, bunching it in her fingers and pulled the brunette in again, tired of Regina initiating all the kisses.  “Ok then.”  Emma crashed their lips together and softly licked at Regina’s lips, begging for entrance early.  When Regina moaned and allowed it to her, Emma employed a hand to massage the back of Regina’s head while her tongue plundered and robbed Regina of breath.

In kind, Regina responded ardently and, again, began pressing the blonde’s lithe body up against the counter and exhibited her apparent fondness for being in control, however Emma replied back in challenge for she also liked being in charge.  Emma had no doubt that when they reached that point in their relationship, they would be lucky if the whole house didn’t go up in flames.

Slipping her hands downward she fisted them just above Regina’s buttocks thinking maybe it was too soon for fondling, but when Regina’s knee brushed against her heated center, Emma couldn’t help it and squeezed Regina in both palms causing the brunette to tear her mouth away abruptly and gasp for air.

“Slow,” Regina reminded.  “We’re taking this slow.”

“If you say so,” Emma muttered humorously into dark hair since Regina rested her forehead on the Sheriff’s shoulders, seeming to catch her breath and call forth some self-restraint, which Emma found even sexier.  She liked knowing that she could make Regina lose control.

“Oh, Emma,” Regina smiled uncertainly into Emma’s face now gazing at her.  “You cannot leave this up to me alone.  I’ll have you bedded within the hour.”

Whoa!  Emma felt a tremor go through her system and she had an urge to temptingly push Regina to see if that would indeed come true.  For a second, Emma doubted she would resist it, but then she remembered the look of sincerity Regina had worn when she adamantly stated that she wanted to start this relationship off right.  The Mayor had thought this through and as much as Emma wanted to satisfy her own curiosity and quench her sudden need to be “bedded” by Regina, she was going to let the older woman take the lead on this one.

She balled her fists over Regina’s curvaceous backside, remembered the curves in her hands intimately and pulled away.  After clearing her throat, she croaked out, “So… You made onion rings?”

With a grateful grin, Regina stroked Emma’s upper arms approvingly.  “Yes.  And For dessert, I made…”

“Don’t tell me!  Something really fancy like… Baked Alaska.”

“No.”

“A fresh fruit custard tart thingy.”

Regina shook her head and before Emma could mention another guess, Regina silenced her by seizing the blonde’s lips with her own.  After Emma was good and kissed, and effectively silenced, Regina let her go.

“Chocolate pudding.  I made you a very boring, very simple chocolate pudding.”

Emma took both of Regina’s hands in hers, remembering that she had spoken of the chocolate pudding cups of her childhood on Wednesday night and how they were her absolute favorite and a rare treat.

“Regina, I think as long as you keep kissing me the way you do and feeding me chocolate, we’re going to work out just fine.”

The last thing Emma heard Regina mumble affectionately before their lips met was, “You’re an idiot, but you’re my idiot.”