"Everything ok, Belle?" Ruby asked, noticing her friend was a bit flushed a she rushed into the diner.

Belle quickly sat down, joining her friends at the large table at Granny's.

"Sorry, I'm late for lunch. I got distracted….reading."

"Again? Anything good? I could use a good book recommendation," Emma jumped in, hoping to find out what had Belle all flustered.

Belle flushed an even deeper shade of red, "I, uh….um, well…"

Ruby's eyes grew wide and she damn near lunged across the table at Belle. "Oh my god, it's a trashy romance novel, isn't it?!"

Emma, Tink, and Mulan giggled, but Regina just rolled her eyes.

"You're all such juveniles," the mayor chided.

"Don't tell me, Regina! You read smut, too?" Ruby teased.

"Come on, who doesn't in this boring-ass town?" Mulan piped up and everyone turned to her, looking shocked.

"Ok, ok, to be fair, I totally do," Ruby flipped her hair over her shoulder, pulling the attention off of Mulan, who suddenly looked unsure about sharing with the group, "but I didn't expect it from the shy librarian!"

"Why? I read everything. But this book…"

"What are you reading, Belle?" There was no mocking tone in Emma's voice. She was genuinely curious.

"fftsssdssgry"

"What?" Ruby was halfway across the table again, attempting to make out what the suddenly super shy librarian just said.

Tink blanched. "Did you just say Fifty Shades of Grey?"

The table went silent and all eyes turned to Belle, waiting for an answer. The only answer came in the form of her face going impossibly redder and her suddenly finding a spot on the floor insanely interesting.

"Hey, Belle, it's cool, I've read it," Emma shrugged.

"Me, too," came a chorus around the table.

"You- you all have?" She looked up to see everyone looking around and each other nodding and not particularly shocked.

"If you ask me, it was hot as hell," Ruby grinned.

"Ooh yeah, that Christian Grey, he could tie me up any day. Did you see the movie?" Tink fanned herself.

"I had a hard time getting around the writing, but yes, generally, I thought the sex was intense," said Mulan.

"I don't know," Emma shrugged, "if he wasn't rich, would it have been as hot?"

"Is this you saying you're not into the whole BDSM thing?" Ruby directed at Emma.

"Well, I didn't say that," she grinned.

"So you are?" Tink prodded.

"I'm just saying I don't think it was a particularly accurate representation of the lifestyle."

"And how would you know?"

Emma shrugged and smiled, "I've read about it here and there."

Ruby threw a fry at her and grinned, "Well, accurate or not, it was hot as fuck. I'd let someone tie me up and do terrible things to me." Most of the group chimed in, agreeing with her. Even Belle sheepishly admitted to fantasizing about it.

Emma listened to the group discuss the terrible, in her humble opinion, book. She wasn't active in the lifestyle, but knew enough about it to know that the book wasn't accurate. And she was definitely interested in BDSM. She was very interested. There was just no one in this tiny town to experiment with. While the rest of the ladies chattered away about handcuffs and blindfolds, she couldn't help but notice the normally opinionated mayor stay uncharacteristically silent. She watched Regina watch the group with what appeared to be disdain on her face.

The bell above the door chimed and Snow walked in, waving at the group, making a bee line for the table.

"Snow, what did you think of Fifty Shades?" Ruby yelled across the diner.

Her eyes lit up and just as she opened her mouth, Emma jumped up.

"This is my cue to go. Love you, Mom, but I don't need to hear your thoughts on S&M. I have work to do anyway or my boss is going to kill me." She shot a wink at Regina. They were friends now. Good friends, actually. The entire town had been pretty boring for months and everyone settled into what they figured was a close to normal as they were ever going to get. The big group of them got together for lunch more often than not. They occasionally even went out drinking and dancing. Emma and Regina were closer than anyone else in the group partially due to their working relationship, partially because of Henry, and partially due to their unique history.

"I should go, too. Ladies, it was enlightening as always." Regina stood, grabbing her jacket and purse, following Emma out of the diner.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Emma leaned back at her desk, crushing the hell out of some candy on her phone. It buzzed in her hand and a text notification showed up on the screen.

Regina: Working hard?

Emma: Always

Regina: Bullshit

Emma: What can I do for you, Madam Mayor?

Regina: We were supposed to discuss plans for your birthday party today at lunch, but everyone got a little sidetracked.

Emma: That we did. Idk. I'm in for whatever.

Regina: Anything?

Emma: Ok, don't throw me a 50 shades party.

Regina: I refuse to think what that would even entail.

Emma took the opening in the conversation, hoping she could pump the mayor for a little information.

Emma: I noticed you were quiet during the discussion. Not your cup of tea?

Regina: That book? No. Not my cup of tea.

Emma: I sense a 'but'

Regina: Like you, I don't think it's particularly….accurate.

Emma's heart was racing. Just the idea of having this conversation with Regina was making her stomach tense deliciously.

Emma: Oh? So you have some experience?

Regina: I could ask the same of you.

Emma: Not much, no. But I know enough to know the book is basically bullshit.

Regina: Agreed. It frightens me to think people out there will mimic this behavior.

Emma: Do you think anyone we know will?

Regina: Oh I'm sure. They all seemed really interested. I just hope they look into the lifestyle more and realize it's so much more than what's depicted in pop culture.

Emma: Oh?

Regina: It's more than the whips and chains. It's a power exchange based on trust. Personally, it's much hotter when it's a subtle, simple act.

Emma: Such as?

Regina: Oh I don't know. Training someone to wear something specific, bring coffee or food, or run certain errands

Emma: But how would they be trained?

Regina: Rewards and punishment

Emma: I get that. If I go down that road, I think I'd want something more sustainable like that. I think the whips n chains would get exhausting day in and day out. Not that they wouldn't have their place

Regina: So you've considered it?

Emma: You obviously have. So do you? Have experience, I mean.

She held her breath waiting for a response. They're relationship was definitely more than friendly, but nothing had ever happened. There was tension and looks and occasional flirting, but nothing that Emma could even perceive as an opening for something more. Every sense tingled right now. This was probably nothing more than friends bullshitting, but the idea of it thrilled her.

Regina: I do

Fuck, Emma squirmed in her seat.

Emma: Aren't we full of surprises, Regina

Regina: After this conversation I could say the same about you

Emma: Well, we've covered a lot of topics over the years, yet bedroom preferences has never come up.

Mostly because Emma was pretty sure she couldn't talk to the object of her sexual fantasies without spontaneously combusting.

Regina: I guess it was bound to come up eventually.

Emma: Ok, so I have to ask….top or bottom

She was instantly nervous. Is that something they could ask each other?

Regina: What do you think?

Her mind raced as she bit her lip. How should she answer this? Anytime she would let her mind go there, Regina always topped her. It was rough and intense. But this was reality and even if she was a top, Emma couldn't give in that easily.

Emma: That's a tough one. You do like to be in control, but I could see you wanting to give that up a little. I think you'd make a hell of a power bottom, Regina.

Regina: It's too bad we aren't actually on the phone right now so you could hear that cackle. It's rare that I actually laugh out loud from a text

Emma: I hit the nail on the head, didn't I?!

Regina: Hardly. You?

Again, Emma squirmed. This is going father than she thought it would. It was definitely exciting, but answering this seemed like it would take their relationship to another place. Or had that already happened?

Emma: Being tied

Regina: Hmm. Interesting

Emma was seriously hot and bothered now. She could almost hear the hum of approval from the mayor. Her fingers were flying across the letters and the send button was pressed before she even realized what she had done. Dropping her phone on the desk, she covered her face and groaned. Well, if they hadn't crossed a line before, she certainly had now. She picked her phone back up and started at the blank space beneath her last text. Regina was silent. Shit. What had she done?

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Regina stared at the phone. How the hell was she supposed to answer her?

Emma: Why, Regina? Want to tie me up?

All of the answers that immediately came to mind died on her fingertips before she started typing.

-More than anything

-Be at my house in 10 minutes

-You couldn't handle me, Sheriff, but I'd love to see you try

She had to handle this delicately. Maybe Emma was just kidding. Maybe she wasn't. Especially if she wasn't, she needed to make sure she kept control of the situation. When everyone started discussing that blasted book at the diner, Regina grew annoyed and bored of lonely housewife banter of a subject they clearly knew nothing about. Emma's response intrigued her, but she thought it best to remain a silent observer. Now that she knew Emma was not only interested, but possibly a willing submissive, her mind swam with recent fantasies of having a certain blonde savior at her mercy.

Regina: You have no idea what you are asking, Emma.

There. That will give her an out. They can pretend they never even discussed this and go back to….

Her phone dinged before she could finish her thought.

Emma: Yes, I think I do, Regina

Regina stared, all of the blood in her body rushing straight to her core. Emma was serious. They could do this.

Regina: Is that what you want?

Emma: Yes