A/N: Ayyyyyy... So it's technically Monday again, but we'll pretend it's still Sunday because I have the power and authority to do that. Also, in some parts of the country, it still is Sunday, so... To Shiphappens: It's 1:11 here in Iowa. I'm sorry I failed you. To Crazyheart101: Hey girl :) To everyone else: Let's get to reading and reviewing, yes?! YES!

(I get weird and oddly excited over the small stuff when I'm tired.)

LET'S GET TO IT!

~R

Smudging her lips against the intruding hand, Emma mumbled, "What's this?"

"This, my dear," Regina moved the hand and smiled back at the blonde, "Is your punishment. You're almost forty-five minutes late."

Emma pulled the brunette tight against her body and groaned into the brunette's shoulder, "And what a cruel punishment it is."

The blonde looked down at the stack of papers in front of her. She sighed- loudly- and looked over at the brunette sitting behind her huge mahogany desk. It was unfair how quickly Regina's pile was diminishing, while Emma's pile seemed to get bigger- or stay the same size at least.

The blonde sighed again, hoping to grab the brunette's attention. When brown eyes didn't look up to meet very bored hazel, the blonde stood and trekked her way across the room. She snuck up behind the brunette's chair and leaned down close, letting her breath wash over the professor's neck.

"What's your secret?" Emma questioned in a whisper.

"What secret, dear?" Regina let her body sink into the chair, squeezing her thighs together, and trying to not whimper at the warm air caressing her neck, and the voice whispering in her ear. Her mind briefly flashed to the shower she had taken that morning.

Checking the temperature one last time, the woman stepped into the shower and let the water cascade down onto her. The heat surrounding her body reminded her of the warm body that held her the night before as she and Emma spoke. It made her think of the strong arms that carried her to her bed.

Those arms…That strength… Emma.

She remembered how it felt to be surrounded by that muscular, yet feminine and sexy physique the blonde woman had. It was like heaven.

The brunette slipped her hands down the front of her body, missing all the spots she wanted so badly to touch. The woman had always been a tease in intimate moments, even to herself.

When she reached the apex of her thighs, the woman moved her arms upwards. Again, skipping all sensitive spots, until her soft hands had made it back up to her neck. During the next journey of warm hands over smooth, wet, olive skin, the brunette allowed herself to gently squeeze and massage her breasts. A small moan escaped her plump lips as she started to tease her own nipples, flicking and pinching the nubs.

After minutes of torture, the brunette's hands went opposite directions, one traveling upwards, the other south towards her awaiting heat.

She slipped one manicured hand into her hair, grabbing a fistfull and giving it a light tug, holding securely to the brunette locks, as the other parted her folds. Her fingers slid carefully through, and the brunette wasted no time before shoving two digits into herself.

"Emma…" she moaned lightly, not able to stop herself.

In the back of her mind, a small voice was shouting how wrong this was. She should stop, she barely knew the blonde that was causing her this much want and need. But how could it be so wrong when thinking of Emma touching her felt so right?

"Emma,' She moaned again, moving her fingers at a faster rate, tugging harder on her fistfull of hair, "take me."

"Regiiiiiinnaaaa,"the blonde was still whispering in her ear, this time dragging out the brunette's name, trying to regain her attention. "I asked you a question, professor."

The professor snapped back into reality with a small jump. She pressed her thighs together even tighter, the flashback paired with Emma's use of her job title doing nothing to help her current situation. Damn that idiotic blonde for being so….idiotic...ly sexy.

Trying to cover up her day dreaming, though she knew it would've been all too obvious to the blonde, the brunette hummed and spoke, "You'll have to repeat, dear, I don't think I heard you. After all, you were whispering."

The blonde chuckled in her ear and planted a tiny kiss on the side of the brunette's neck, "We both know damn well it wasn't my volume that distracted you."

"You know nothing, Miss Swan," the brunette replied, trying to keep the breathiness out of her voice… but damn, that woman, and damn, her lips. The brunette pushed it all aside with a, "Please, Miss Swan, ask the damn question so we can move on."

"Jeesh," the blonde let out a big breath, not missing the brunette's shudder. "Who pissed in your cheerios?"

Regina turned to the woman behind her, shock written all over her face, "Is this really your important question, Miss Swan, because I-"

The professor was stopped by Emma's laughter, wondering what in the hell the blonde found so amusing. Was this some sort of game Emma was playing? Because it wasn't funny. She didn't have time to sit around and joke about urinating in sugary breakfast foods.

"Miss Swan," the professor warned.

"Yeah, yeah, Reggie. Give me a minute," Emma couldn't help the laughter that rolled out of her in droves.

"Miss Swan, some of us have work to do."

"That was my point, Reggie."

Regina stared up at the blonde, confusion etched in her features, "What was your point?"

"My question," Emma explained, "Was 'how do you do it?' Referring to completing so much work in such a small time. It's like you cut your pile in half, and mine grew."

The professor listened to the blonde whine until she was finished. Then she reached up two hands, placing one on the Emma's neck, and tangling the other in the student's long blonde locks.

Regina pulled the woman into her, placing her lips on the shell of her ear, "You want to know my secret, dear?" The seductive Latina felt Emma's head nod through her hold on the girl's hair. "Well, I-" she paused, and blew a warm breath out over Emma's ear. "I-" another pause. "I focus on my task until it's completed."

Regina let go of the blonde a swiveled her chair back into it's correct position. Now facing the desk, she reached up to the stack of files next to her and grabbed the one on the top. She smirked, just knowing how the blonde's face would look right now: slack jawed, covered with a light blush at the arousal the brunette had caused, maybe even an impressed smirk would grace the thin, pink lips.

"Come, now, dear. We have have work to do," Regina said, a smirk playing across her own lips.

"Tease," the blonde huffed, "my girlfriend is a tease."

This time it was Regina's turn to be shocked, "Girlfriend?"

The blonde turned to face her, "Yes, Reggie. You're my girlfriend. I thought you knew this."

"I guess… I just…" the brunette stumbled over her words. "I guess that would be what we are."

"Trust me," the blonde waltzed back over to the wooden desk, "I wouldn't go through all this trouble for no one, Regina Mills. Only someone special."

Emma leaned over the desk and lightly kissed the shocked woman on the lips.

"Girlfriend…" Regina drawled, as soon as they split apart. "I like it."

The blonde smiled and started at the woman sitting in front of her, "Good. Because I like you, and I don't see that changing anytime soon."

"You like me, huh?" Regina interrogated.

"Yup," the blonde smiled and winked at her brunette counterpart.

"I guess I'll have to think up alternative forms of punishment then," the professor threatened idly.

"Does one of them include me taking you dancing next Friday night?" The blonde paused as soon as she said it. She shouldn't have asked, but it just popped into her head. She wanted so badly to see how the brunette could move that seductive body, and Emma would definitely be able to impress, considering she was no stranger to the dance floor herself.

The blonde looked over at her professor, trying to gauge the woman's reaction. So far, not so good. The brunette was staring at Emma, totally lost in thought.

That's not a no. Emma's all-too-optimistic mind reminded her.

But it's also not a yes.

"Look, Regina. You don't have to go," Emma explained. "It was just an idle thought of mine. I thought maybe you liked to dance. I mean, you definitely have the perfect body for it…. and I mean that in the most gentlewomanly way you could ever take it."

"Shut up, Miss Swan."

"Excuse me?" Emma pulled back, shocked at the brunette's answer.

"Shut up," Regina repeated. "I would love to go dancing with you next Friday night."

"Yay!" the blonde cheered. She leaned down to kiss the brunette on her soft, full lips. "I'm so excited."

"Maybe you can channel you excitement into completing some work, then, Miss Swan?" The professor joked with a smile.

"Yeah. Yeah. Whatever you say, Reggie."

It had been hours, literal hours since Emma had heard Regina's voice.

And why is that, Emma? The blonde questioned herself. Oh, yeah. You whined about doing too much work and kept spacing off to stare at the gorgeous woman in the room with you and she kicked you out. Way to go, Swan.

"Hey Rubes!" the blonde shouted, stepping into their apartment.

"Hey, white chick! What's crackalackin?" the lanky brunette asked from her perch on top of the counter.

"You do know that you are also caucasian, right?" Emma sighed in faux annoyance.

"Listen, I thought you'd respond better to me calling you white chick than pale girl," the brunette joked.

"You must be blind because I'm nowhere near as white as you are, Ruby. You glow in the dark," Emma argued, throwing up her hands.

"Yeah, yeah. Sooo…" Ruby drug out the word and wiggled her eyebrows, throwing hint after hint at her blonde roommate.

"So what, Ruby?" Emma sighed, exasperatedly. Ruby was great and all, but after Regina kicking her out, and not letting her back in following many, many attempts on the blonde's behalf, Emma didn't have enough patience to deal with her innuendos and hints.

"You never told me how the date went with Miss Mills, that's what!" Ruby shouted, excitment obvious in her eyes. "Did you guys do the forbidden tango?"

"OH MY GOD NO!" Emma shouted. "Honestly, Rubes?! I've known her for like a week. It was our first date. I came over to make dinner for her and her son. Her son, Ruby. The little four year old boy that calls her mom. Do I need to list any more reasons why that is wrong?!"

"Hey, girl, I was just asking. The old Emma didn't care about any of those things." Ruby paused, obviously contemplating something. "Okay, she would've definitely cared about the kid, but none of the other things would've mattered."

"I'm not the old Emma," Emma defended. "And I really like this woman, and there's no way in hell I am making this relationship all physical."

Ruby stared at her roommate and felt tears rising in her eyes.

"Shit, Rubes? Why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying," the brunette wiped her eyes and continued. "This bitch never cries."

The blonde in the room had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Ruby was definitely on the verge of tears, the only problem was the blonde had no idea why.

"Ruby, is it that time of the month again?" Emma tried.

"EXCUSE YOU?! Why would you even ask that right now?" The tall brunette slapped her hands down on the counter in outrage. "I'm not allowed to cry unless it's that time of the month?"

"It's not that," Emma assured. "It's just that you, like every other woman I've ever met, are more likely to get teary-eyed when it is, in fact, that time." The blonde hoped that explanation would suffice and grabbed the brunnette by the hand.

"Maybe I am." Ruby offered.

"I know, girl. I know," Emma hugged her makeshift sister and stood back, still trying not to laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

"How?"

"It's the only time you were clothes that cover more than just your lady bits," the blonde gestured at her roommate's sweatpants and tanktop. She saw the look of offence flash across Ruby's face before she heard the mumbled reply.

"You're right."

"What was that?" Emma questioned, raising a hand to the side of her head and cupping it around an ear. "I don't think I heard you."

Ruby reached up and smacked the girl on the head, opposite the side that had Emma's hand cuffed to it.

"I said," the brunette started, "you're going to find me some Ibuprofen and some chocolate, and then we're going to sit in my room while you tell me all about your date with Professor Hottie. Right?"

"Right."

Almost a full hour had passed before Emma finished her recanting of the perfect date she shared with Regina. It probably would have gone quicker, had the roommates not stopped and squealed at several moments in the story. Emma had never been one for romance, and she seriously had never been one to squeal over it, but the date was just… perfect.

"Wait, wait, wait. You carried her up the stairs?" Ruby asked, shocked.

"Yeah?" Emma answered, more as a question of confusion than an answer.

"Why didn't you just wake her up?"

"Why didn't I just….Rubes! Would you seriously have woken M&M up for a quick trip up the stairs and into bed?" the blonde questioned her best friend.

"Emma, I'm a feisty bitch. You put me in a ring with anyone and I can take 'em down in two minutes or less. I am a ball of hot, sexy fury, and I know how to use it to my advantage," Ruby explained. "I am not, however, that strong. You've seen Mary Margaret. She's tiny. I can life her during sexy times," the lengthy brunette added a playful wink, "but I could never carry her up a whole flight of stairs. Especially if she's sleeping. Sleeping people are like dead weight, right?"

"So what you're telling me is you don't understand how I'm so incredibly sexy and ripped enough to carry my smoking hot, hourglass-figured, Latina girlfriend up a flight of stairs?" Emma questioned, smirking while she bragged about her new relationship.

"Yes, Emma. That's exactly what I'm saying," Ruby's tone dripped of sarcasm while she rolled her eyes. "No. I'm just shocked you didn't wake her up is all."

"Of course I didn't wake her up. She was sleeping, Rubes," Emma explained, seeing Ruby's lack of understanding refusing to dissipate. "Look, I think we can both agree that Regina is a beautiful woman, yes?" At the nod of her roommate, Emma continued, "but you've only seen her when she's awake. She's something else when she's asleep, Rubes. She just looks so….so free and all her worries seem to drift away, and she's just so beyond gorgeous when she's that relaxed, and I just didn't want to ruin it for her. She doesn't get that during the day. She's a mom and a professor, and an administrator on top of everything. She didn't need me waking her out of obviously peaceful sleep when I could've just carried her up there myself."

"Shit, dude." Ruby exhaled.

"What?" The blonde's eyes searched her friend for whatever may be causing the brunette to react that way.

"You're so in love."

"I'm not in-"

"Shut up, Emma. You're in love."

Regina Mills stepped into her mansion and kicked off her heels. She heard tiny, running feet, and prepped herself for the impact that was going to happen in three...two... one.

"Momma!" a little voice cried out,

"Henry!" The brunette shouted back, scooping up her son and holding him on her hip as they exchanged hugs and kisses.

"I missed you today, Momma," the little boy admitted with a heart-melting smile.

"I missed you to, baby boy," Regina squeezed her son tighter, before pulling back and looking him in the eyes. "Where's grandma at, sweetheart?"

"I'm in the kitchen dear," a warm, older voice called through the house before the woman who owned said voice peeked her head around the corner. "I figured you would be tired after work, so I took the liberty of making dinner for the two of you."

"Thank you, Mother," Regina followed her older lookalike into her kitchen. "And what is it you're making?" the professor asked, sniffing the air.

"Well, dinosaur nuggets and mashed potatoes of course! Henry said he didn't get any dinosaur nuggets last night, so I promised to make them for him."

"He didn't get any dinosaur nuggets because Emma made us dinner," Regina explained. "Chicken parmesan, potatoes, and a small side of broccoli."

"Sounds like an ambitious woman," Cora offered. "Was it any good?"

"Fantastic, actually. I would say she'd almost rival us in the kitchen, but that's unfair considering she's making it into her future profession."

"So you've landed yourself a Culinary Arts student?" Cora asked.

"I haven't landed anything, Mother. We just had one very good date."

Cora smirked, "And are you planning another?"

"Yes, actually. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind taking Henry this Friday. He cannot be alone, and Emma asked to take me dancing."

"Multiple dates, and she likes to dance. You've landed yourself every Latina's dream, my dear," the eldest brunette's smile held nothing but happiness for her daughter and the woman's new relationship.

This Emma must have been something special if she was meeting Henry and allowed into Regina's home so easily. Cora raised her daughter to take necessary risks, but not to be stupid.

Cora looked at her grandson, "Henry, my love." The big, chocolate eyes snapped to attention. "Will you go play with your toys while Momma and Gramma have a little chat?"

"Yeah, Gramma."

Both women watched the boy tottle off before they locked eyes.

"So, are you going to tell me about this perfect date, or am I going to have to drag it out of you, dear?" Cora interrogated her daughter.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt you to hear about it. It truly was marvelous."

Cora pulled dinner out of the oven as Regina finished telling her story, not leaving out a single detail. The elder brunette divided the food evenly on three plates and continued to smile while she listened to her daughter.

It'd been so long since Regina had smiled like this, talked like this, lived like this. After losing Daniel and her father, Cora was afraid she'd never see such happiness in her daughter ever again. She always knew Henry would keep her smiling, keep her going, but she always worried that someday Henry would grow up and Regina would lose that happiness. Now, with Emma, she could never see that happening to her darling girl.

"She carried you up the stairs?" Cora asked, incredulously.

"Yes. She told me today that it was just easier that way, but there's no way that was easier, Mother."

"Not with your gorgeous curves, my dear," Cora teased.

Regina opened her mouth in shock, "I don't know if I should be shocked or offended right now."

"Probably both. Now go get your son, so I can eat," the elder ordered. "I can't wait forever, dear. I'm getting older."

Regina brought her son back moments later, and the three Mills sat side by side, eating their dinners. Once finished, it was time for Henry to be put to bed and Cora to leave. Regina made sure both were done in that order, sensing her mother had something to say before she left.

As the little boy's mother made her way down the steps, she witnessed her own mother struggling to get on her coat.

"Let me help you, Mother," she offered, pulling the jacket slightly to one side. "It'll be easier this way."

Cora slipped her arm through the hole, finally, and turned to look at her daughter. She cupped the younger woman's face in her hands and leaned forward, leaving a peck on the professor's forehead.

"I'm so happy you've found love again, Regina."

"Mother, it's love. I've haven't even known Emma a full week until tomorrow."

"Shut up and listen to me, dear. It's love. I see it in your eyes, I hear it in your voice. I can tell it by her actions since the two of you have met. She love you and you love her. It's love."

"But-" the younger brunette tried to protest.

"I told you to shut up, dear. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to listen to you mother, no?" Cora joked.

Regina smiled up at eyes that matched hers, "I love you, Mother."

"I love you, too, dear," she returned the sentiment with a grin. "Until Friday?"

"Until Friday."