"Did you know about that?" Emma asks her as they're leaving the movie theater.
"Not really," Regina answers, guessing what Emma refers to. The movie they just watched had a rather explicit sex scene – between two women. "The trailer implied something would happen between them, but I didn't know it would be like that."
They continue their stroll towards their house. Per Henry's suggestion, Emma moved in a few weeks ago. She mentioned in passing that the house she owned didn't really feel like a home, and Henry had said it, just like that: "Why don't you move in with us, Ma?"
Emma had looked to her – for guidance on how to tell their son no – but Regina had agreed with Henry, welcoming Emma into their home.
Now, Emma looks to her again, something hesitant in her eyes, as she says, "You knew. Okay."
Regina feels the need to specify even more. "Well," she says, "I didn't know they'd show quite as much, I thought it was a romance."
Emma lets out a short "Heh… he," and Regina wonders. Wonders, once again, about Emma.
An icy feeling creeps down her spine as another thought occurs to her: "Did it bother you?" she asks, before she can think too much about it. Emma had shifted around quite a bit in her seat as the scene played out in front of them. Regina had put it down to uncomfortableness, perhaps about sex, perhaps about the situation, but maybe… "I hadn't thought you a homophobe."
"WHAT!?" Emma gasps, then stops and meets Regina's eyes, Emma's own widened and almost desperate. "I'm not! I'm really, really not. I mean I'm–"
Regina has stopped walking too, willing Emma to continue that sentence with the power of her mind.
Emma doesn't.
"Well, good," Regina says.
They start walking again, side by side, the conversation hanging in the air. "I–" Emma says.
It's quiet for so long that Regina says, "Yes?"
"Nothing."
"Hm."
"Okay Regina, I'm only telling you this because I can't have you think I'm a homophobe. Uh– the scene threw me off because I wasn't expecting it, and wasn't prepared for… my reaction."
She stops talking, and Regina gently prods, "Your reaction?"
"I was turned on!" Emma blurts out. "And not like 'oh this is kinda nice' but you know really turned on, to the point where my jeans got, um… very uncomfortable. Not much breathing room there, so to speak. That's why I was shifting around in my seat."
Regina stops again. And stares. And stares.
Emma's wringing her hands together, her facial expression awkward but earnest.
Regina bursts into laughter.
She's relieved in a way she hadn't expected, her laugh ringing loud and decidedly un-queenly, and Emma looks at her, a hesitant smile slowly finding its way to her face. Regina tries to calm her breathing but accidentally snorts instead, making Emma laugh too. "You probably really want to get home and change, don't you?" she manages through bouts of laughter, wiping away a stray tear from her eye.
"Yeah, kinda," Emma admits, meeting her eyes and smiling.
"Okay then," Regina says, speeding up her steps. As Emma follows, half a step behind her, Regina adds, looking straight ahead, "And I agree, it was hot."
o–O–o
"Hi moms!" Henry yells from upstairs as they step through the front door.
"Hi kid!" Emma yells back.
Regina exhales. Leaving Henry by himself makes her uneasy, but she knows she needs to give him space sometimes. They've spoken about it – Emma and she – and decided that a few hours now and then is good for him… with everyone's cellphones on and at hand, and not past nine pm. Checking her watch, it's 8:30, and as Emma goes for a shower, Regina goes to say hello to their son.
His smile always makes her smile, so it's with a smile on her face Regina goes back downstairs. Henry's given her a re-telling of a story he read while they were gone, adding his own thoughts on it, and she treasures the gift.
Regina washes her hands and begins preparing some hot drinks. Turning on the radio, she moves around to the music as she brings three mugs to the table, along with ingredients they can all use to make sandwiches.
Looking relaxed and with a spring in her step, Emma enters the kitchen shortly thereafter, Henry in tow, and they all sit down to eat.
"How was the movie?" Henry asks, buttering his bread.
Regina says, "Emma certainly enjoyed it," and winks at her. She is pleased when Emma reacts with a sputter and stare, and adds in a kinder voice, "I did as well. Parts of it really spoke to me."
She meets Emma's eyes, and Emma is looking back at her. A glimmer of hope dances around in Regina's chest with the knowledge that Emma is possibly, probably, definitely into women.
She's aware of Henry chewing – his sandwich gone in two bites – and looking at them, studying them, as she looks at Emma.
"Okay. I don't know what's going on here," Henry says after a few moments of silent contemplation, "but I'm going to go read in bed."
They both turn to him, hugging him goodnight, before settling back at the table, each with their hands around a warm mug.
"So," Emma says, "can I ask you why you picked that movie?"
"I thought it seemed good," Regina answers. Emma eyes her carefully, which makes her continue, "There aren't too many movies about queer women, and it caught my attention. Since I'm bisexual."
Emma smiles. "Good," she says.
"Good?" Regina echoes.
"Mhm," Emma hums, lowering her eyes, still smiling.
o–O–o
The next evening, Emma gets to choose what they watch. The smell of popcorn fills the air and Regina licks her lips as Emma sits down beside her on the couch. Emma's grinning, a huge bowl in her arms.
This time, they're at home, Henry safely upstairs with his homework (and his own bowl of popcorn), leaving Emma free to pick anything she wants to watch, since last night was Regina's pick.
Curiously waiting to find out what Emma's chosen, Regina peers at her from her couch-corner while smoothing out the blanket she's got draped over her shoulders. Judging by Emma's grin it's either going to be really good, or really bad.
As it turns out, the movie isn't terrible. It's not especially good either – what it is though, is gay.
About halfway through, Regina points it out. "You got a taste for more?" she says.
"Sure did," Emma answers playfully. Then she shakes herself and lowers her voice, "I knew now, that it'd be okay with you."
Regina breathes deeply at the admission, then covers Emma's hand with her own and gives it a squeeze.
They turn back to the TV.
A few minutes pass, then Regina says, "You know I've raised Henry–" She pauses, mulling on how to proceed, and Emma smiles at her, nodding. "–I've made sure he's considering this," she makes a sweeping gesture towards the TV, "perfectly normal."
She catches a hint of lip wobble in Emma's smile as she nods again, before fixing her gaze on the screen.
o–O–o
"A TV show tonight?" Regina asks, the following day.
"Yeah," Henry answers as he plops down between them, wiggling his body around until he finds a cozy position with his shoulder touching Emma's and his knees resting against Regina's thigh.
A show about private investigators pops up as a recommendation, and Regina suggests it. Emma likes crime and mystery shows. As a bonus, the two women on the cover picture are both very attractive – Regina's wishing they'll get together even before she's met their characters.
As soon as she has though, it's clear that at least one of them – the brunette – is gay. Sitting back, Regina is enjoying that fact immensely, when a man appears on screen. He starts flirting with the woman, and Regina snaps, "Can't you tell she's a lesbian!?"
Henry laughs lightly at her annoyance. "Even I could see that," he says.
"I bet the writers are gonna make her kiss him anyways," Emma grouches from her corner.
Regina says, "If they do, I'm going to ignore it in favor of pretending she asks out the blonde."
"Me too," Henry agrees.
o–O–o
"I had a bit of a crush on her as a teenager," Emma comments casually.
It's movie night again, and Henry's making them watch a Disney film. Esmeralda is dancing on the TV screen, and Emma continues, "There was a copy of this movie in one of my group homes. The younger kids watched it all the time."
This might be Emma's coming out to Henry, Regina realizes. Checking her face, Emma's not as calm as she's trying to appear, but the tension in her jaws eases some as Henry says, "Cool, she's great."
"Wait–" Emma says then, "you don't know her in real life, do you?"
"No," Henry answers, looking to Regina.
"I've never met her," she says. "But she might be out there."
Smiling in secret at her reference, Regina watches Emma's contemplative face. After all this time, Emma is still taken aback when she finds out people are real.
It might be Regina's own imagination playing a trick on her, but she's almost certain Emma's gaze falls to her lips before she turns away.
o–O–o
"I came out to my parents," Emma tells her a few days later.
They are making a fruit salad to eat by the TV, Emma peeling the citrus fruits and Regina cleaning the berries. It's Friday, Henry has left for a game night with friends, and there's a benefit concert on.
Regina says, "Oh?" in a careful tone of voice, one eyebrow raised. "How did it go?"
"Okay, I think," Emma answers. "They were definitely more surprised than they should have been, staring and rambling and trying to act normal–" she takes a breath, "–but I think it'll be okay. Mom liked seven different 'Love is Love' pages on facebook about an hour later."
This night, Emma sits down a bit closer to her than usual. Regina doesn't mention it, but is happily letting their thighs touch.
As one of the performers is singing a particularly lovely, serene song, Emma leans against her side, and Regina turns a bit towards her so that Emma can rest her head on her shoulder.
She doesn't decide to do it, but after a few minutes, Regina is running her fingers through Emma's hair. Emma is relaxing even more, letting out a low, satisfied hum.
o–O–o
That hum stays with Regina. She's thinking about it the following day as she dresses for the evening in soft house-pants and a large knitted sweater. Henry is staying the night at the Charming household, leaving her alone with Emma again. And tonight that feels like–
She might have made a rather daring movie choice.
"I knew about it this time," Regina says, as the women on the screen in front of them engage in a heated make-out session, clearly on their way to have sex.
"You did?" Emma questions, turning towards her, large eyes meeting Regina's.
"I did," Regina confirms. "Wore the pants to handle my reaction to it well, too." Her tone is plain, but she knows she's got a glimmer in her eye, a smirk on her face.
Emma gapes. "You're–?" she says, her eyes briefly flickering down to the spot between Regina's legs.
"Mm," Regina nods.
Emma kisses her.
It takes Regina by surprise—even though she planned, hoped, for it. Through her astonishment, she eagerly kisses back.
Emma's hand is cupping her cheek, stroking it lightly as she leans forward.
When Emma pulls back, eyes wide, mouth open, they stare at each other and breathe, before they come together again. Emma swings a leg over both of Regina's, straddling her as she cups her face with both hands now, their mouths meeting and moving against each other, movie forgotten.
o–O–o
A dreamy smile rests upon Regina's face the next morning as she's making breakfast. She and Emma made out until the credits rolled, then they went to bed – separately – after agreeing that next time, they'd call movie night a date.