Mornings in Storybrooke were growing cooler due to the change from late autumn into winter but the afternoons had remained warm, if the sun was out. This particular afternoon at the park was perfect. Children were running around, playing games, squealing and laughing in delight. Parents and grandparents sat watching their loved ones or spoke amongst themselves. Even the mayor and sheriff were seated on a blanket whilst their grandchildren played hide and seek with some other children they'd just met.
Regina looked put together as always, whilst Emma was definitely sporting more casual attire; it was Sunday after all. Still, the blonde's gaze seemed to touch on everything, every few minutes or so, until Regina's hand covered her own. It seemed to signal 'relax, you're not on duty' and so, relax she did by sliding down to lay on her back.
"Lay with me," Emma stated, more than questioned.
Regina motioned to her skirt. "I'm hardly dressed for rolling around on the grass."
"Who said anything about rolling? Just lie down."
Not wanting to spoil their outing with an unnecessary argument, the mayor gracefully mirrored the sheriff's position.
After a few minutes in peaceful silence, Emma asked what Regina could see.
"Clouds? The sky?" Regina questioned, puzzled.
"Work with me here. If Robbie and Gabbie can see pictures in the clouds, so can you."
"So why not get them to join you?"
"They're busy and I asked you," Emma tilted her head to the side to look at Regina.
"We're not five."
Emma chuckled. "No, we're multiples of five. Quite a few actually. You more so with your 'stuck on ground hog day' years."
"That's enough about age, thank you." The brunette jabbed a finger into the blonde's ribs none too gently. "Now where were we. . . I see a man's face, big moustache."
The sheriff squinted up at sky as she hummed a sound of approval even though she didn't see it at all. Before she had time to find something herself, the mayor was pointing out more creatures and faces she could see amongst the fluffy, white clouds. Emma still sported a deep crease in her brow until her arm shot up, finger pointing towards a large blurry object.
"A dragon. I see a dragon."
"Yes, dear. That's Maleficent," Regina dead panned.
"Oh, hmm well I can see a boat, ship, I can see a ship," Emma spoke, still squinting at the sky.
Regina couldn't see anything remotely resembling a boat, let alone a ship.
"You can't see a thing can you?"
"Excuse me? I am Queen of this game. I can see just fine."
"I do not doubt your imagination but you're not wearing your glasses," Regina pointed out.
"Yeah, well, you want to know what I can see?" Emma tilted her head to the side again to face the woman beside her. "You."
Regina chuckled, "that was as corny as your pick up lines when asking me out. I'm close to you; of course you can see me. It's long distances you have issues with."
Emma had wondered about the dismissals over the last two years and if Regina was willingly bringing up the topic, she'd happily roll with it. She did a quick head check on their grandkids before rolling onto her side; head propped up on her hand.
"You've never agreed to going out with me."
The mayor scoffed, "with those lines, of course I didn't."
"Is that the only reason?"
"What?"
"Were the corny lines the only reason you said no?" Emma questioned softly.
"Emma." Regina pulled herself upright. "I never said no to you, I just didn't understand. I still don't understand. Why, after 20 years, do you suddenly want to date me?"
The sheriff watched as the mayor's arms wrapped around her midsection for protection. This wasn't part of her planned lazy afternoon with the grandkids; so their parents could have some alone time. No matter how much she wanted answers, to finally have this conversation, she still put Regina first. If Regina was uncomfortable or hurting, Emma would do whatever it took to return the afternoon to a light hearted atmosphere.
That plan immediately failed when she began to ramble about the fact that her want to date Regina wasn't sudden but that she'd finally run out of excuses for not asking the woman out. She couldn't blame Killian for being around; because he was long gone, on a ship, in an ocean somewhere. She couldn't blame potential and sometimes completely fictional (warped misconceptions of the blonde's brain) suitors that could have been the happy ending Regina deserved. She couldn't even blame her parents or Henry, like she had at different points over the years.
Regina just stared at her lap as Emma rambled and then switched gears; straight into asking her out again. Only this time it wasn't with an offhand, cheesy pick up line. It wasn't going to be easily forgotten and not spoken about. Unfortunately, it was a continuation of her rambling but it conveyed what she truly wanted.
"Will you go out with me? No. May I take you to dinner? On a date. A romantic date...dinner. Well maybe not romantic. I can't promise romantic but there'll be food and wine. Or no wine. We don't have to drink." Emma had now sat up as well, looking at the woman who seemed to prefer her lap instead of looking at her.
She continued.
"And then I can walk you home or maybe drive, it's getting cooler. But then I'll walk you to your door and then we'll have that awkward moment, well you won't be awkward but I will be and you know, share a kiss."
The mayor could hear the hope in the sheriff's voice but couldn't bring herself to answer or look at her. Her gaze lifted from her lap to the scene of her grandson Robert, digging in the ground with sticks along with another boy, and her granddaughter Abigail, clapping hands with a little girl as they sang. From there, it shifted to a bench where the elderly couple, Truly and Caractacus Potts, sat observing their great great grandchildren; his arm securely wrapped around her shoulders as her hand rested on his knee.
Still looking at the couple, Regina voiced the fact that she and Emma shared dinner often and wondered what the difference was or would be.
"Did you not hear the goodnight kiss part?!" Emma exclaimed; running her fingers through her slightly shorter (more manageable) hair.
"You kiss me often too." Regina murmured as she witnessed Caractacus press his lips to Truly's temple, resulting in a warm smile.
Emma glanced at the scene Regina was staring at. 'Oh,' she thought, 'that's what she wants.' The thought sat heavily in the groove about her eyebrows until it turned into determination. 'If this is it, I'll take it.'
"Gina, I kiss you like this." Emma bussed her on the cheek before using her fingers to coax the woman to turn her head.
Steady hands came to rest under either side of the woman's jaw; fingertips sliding into dark locks of hair.
"I want to kiss you like this."
She moved in slowly because regardless of this possibly being her only chance, she still wanted Regina to know she could stop it. She could say no.
The sheriff was met with lips after an almost silent "Oh" left the mayor's mouth. It was sweet until their heads tilted slightly and the mayor's tongue briefly slid into the sheriff's mouth. After a groan, the mayor found herself on her back again.
"Easy," she breathed out as she pushed the blonde back but not too far. "We're not teenagers either."
The blonde's cheeks flushed pink. "No, we're not. I'm sorry."
"I hate to ruin this further but my back just isn't enjoying all of this ground work." Regina winced at the ache in her lower back.
"Shit," Emma attempted to move quickly, ready to assist in getting Regina up, when her 'bad' knee decided to seize on her.
Regina laughed, "What a pair we make."
"Like you said, we're not teenagers." Emma gave her knee a moment before slowly rising to her feet; finally pulling Regina to her feet as well.
"Em."
"Mmm?"
"Dinner would be lovely."
"Yeah?" Emma looked up from rubbing her stiff knee.
"Yes."
"Friday?"
"Friday."
Emma's response may have been a simple "OK" but her smile said so much more.
They turned towards the loud voices telling them to come and see something.
As Emma went to walk forward, Regina brought her to a halt as she spoke whilst interlacing their fingers.
"And sheriff. . ."
Emma looked at her expectantly.
"Remember to wear your glasses when picking me up. We don't need an accident before our first date even begins."
A smile bloomed on the sheriff's face.
With a small peck, she replied, "of course, madam mayor."