"How can you not know?"
"I don't fancy anyone at school like that. I like them, sure, but I've never felt the same sort of connection for them that my si…other people seem to."
Emma looked curious, "have you thought about kissing girls before? Or kissing boys? Both?"
Regina shrugged, "I just assumed…"
"So you've never kissed anyone?"
Regina shook her head, blushing as she looked away from Emma. God, this was so embarrassing. Her mom was kinda strict, so she'd always assumed she'd been put off the idea of dating knowing the reaction she'd get from bringing someone home. Now she was standing opposite Emma and she was starting to feel curious about what it would be like to move a little closer, to see what kissing Emma would feel like.
"My mom would definitely flip out…" she began, but Emma's new smile distracted her.
Regina felt like a deer caught in headlights. Was this really happening?
"Ask me your questions, get to know me, then I'll ask you again."
"Huh?"
"You said before you'd kiss anyone you had to get to know them. How many answers will it take? We've probably got time for about seven, if you don't mind long answers. Then once you've finished, I'll ask you if I can kiss you and if you turn me down again that'll be it."
"Emma…"
"Questions only," Emma turned her palms towards Regina, "I'm ready."
The first question popped out of her mouth without her thinking. After that she was a little more cautious. She varied her questions from personal ones to lighter subjects like her favourite music. Regina debated throwing in a question about Killian's feelings for Zelena, but wasn't sure that it was the right time.
"Final question," Emma told her, having counted down on her fingers.
Regina shrugged, "I can't think of anything else right now."
"Game's not over until you do," Emma teased.
"Fine," Regina sighed, "…when is your birthday?"
"Two months, four days away. Now it's my turn to ask a question."
Before Emma could move towards Regina, they heard the front door open downstairs and Mary Margaret's voice called up the stairs to let Emma know she was home. Emma swore.
"Language," Regina automatically corrected her.
Emma just grinned, "maybe I should only swear in Spanish?"
Regina smiled back. When Mary Margaret made no attempt to climb the stairs, she stepped towards Emma, leaning in as close as she dared.
"Aren't you forgetting something?"
Emma blinked, eyes widening as she realised what Regina meant, "uh…"
"Or was it all a tease?"
"No…I…"
"Do you still want to kiss me?"
Emma nodded. She closed the distance between them, taking the time to place one hand on Regina's hip, the other on her shoulder. It seemed too soon for the skin-to-skin contact of putting her hands on Regina's neck or cheek. Slowly she tilted her head to the side, just enough so their noses wouldn't bump together, and gently kissed Regina the way Ellie had first kissed her.
When she pulled back, Emma saw Regina smile. She couldn't help smiling back at her.
"So…" Emma began.
"That was…"
Emma waited. Regina didn't seem to know how to finish the sentence.
"First kisses can do that," Emma supplied, "leave you a little dazed, speechless, whatever."
Regina laughed, "not something I'm used to."
"That didn't last long."
"I liked it."
Raising an eyebrow, Emma studied the other girl in front of her, "the kiss, or the feeling lost for words?"
Regina reached out and lightly nudged Emma with a closed fist that barely produced a reaction in the blonde, "you know what I mean."
"Just checking."
Regina sighed, suddenly realising that she really did like the kiss. It was going to make everything so complicated.
"Uh oh, that's not a good look," Emma eyed her warily. "What's wrong?"
"What do I do now?"
"Huh?"
"About this, about everything. Should I tell my parents, my friends… and what if…. I don't know how they'll react. Zelena and I used to tell each other everything, but lately…"
"Okay, slow down. You've kissed one girl, me," Emma smiled as she pointed to herself, "but there's no countdown for telling anyone. Take some time, work out how you feel about it, everyone else can wait."
"Did you hide being attracted to other girls at your last school?"
"I hid it from almost everyone. Of course, I didn't really have anyone to tell, and it's not like I was attracted to every girl I met, so…"
"Oh, I didn't mean…"
"It's okay," Emma reassured her, "you'll figure it out."
"So, was the kiss just an experiment?" Regina crossed her arms, "to prove your theory about me?"
"If I say no…?"
Regina smiled at her. Emma felt as if her heart skipped a beat and bit at her bottom lip nervously. Feeling braver, Regina stepped forwards. Rather than kiss Emma again, she allowed the tips of their noses to touch, staring into her eyes and placing a hand on Emma's shoulder.
"Emma," the voice was Mary Margaret's and was followed by a knock on the door.
A panicked look crossed both girls faces and they quickly jumped apart.
"Yes?" Emma's voice came out a little strangely, but her foster mother didn't seem to notice.
"Can I come in?"
Emma blinked and realised Regina had backed away to her previous seat, "Uh… of course."
"I've put dinner on, I thought you might like…" Mary Margaret's voice trailed off as she noticed Emma's guest. "Regina? Regina Mills?"
"Spanish project," Emma blurted out.
"Miss Blanchard," Regina rose from her seat and held out her hand to her ex-school teacher, the way her mother had taught her.
Mary Margaret waved off her hand with a smile, "you're not at school now, there's no need to be so formal. How have you been? Are you and Emma in the same class? What a small world."
"I'm in the year below, but we have Spanish together."
"Regina's been put ahead in Spanish and the teacher paired us for this project," Emma babbled on, "there was something happening at the library so we came back here to get started. Is that okay?"
"Of course, no need to ask permission. Would you like to stay for dinner Regina?"
"No, I should get home," Regina glanced at her phone, "looks like my mother's wondering where I am."
"Well you're welcome back anytime."
"Thank you. We'll talk more tomorrow, Emma?"
"Yeah…" was all that Emma could manage.
Regina grabbed her things and thanked Mary Margaret again, before heading home. She rang her sisters cell first, hoping to see why her mother had called, and tried to put what had just happened out of her mind. Now was not the time to be distracted. At least studying was a good excuse to be late home, and she had Mary Margaret as a witness that she had gone there to study.
Regina blushed as she remembered her first kiss with Emma. She wasn't smiling a few moments later when her sister explained why her mother had been calling.
