A/N: Here, have some fluff to lead up to a big update (I think we all know what, or rather who, is coming). Also, I read some reviews from the last update where people were worried about Killian coming back and harming Emma. Just want to stress that it will not happen. While he is going to show back up later on, it won't be in that capacity. Trust me. :)

The next day, Regina is visibly brighter. She is much more involved and attentive at work, and she even spares Mary Margaret a smile and nod when she bids her good morning-leaving the woman floored, because that has never in the history of their acquaintance happened. Regina tries not to let her mind wander back to the previous night for fear of losing herself in the perfection of the memory. She slips a few times while teaching but manages to catch herself before falling too far down the rabbit hole. At lunch, however, when she is seated at her desk alone, she allows herself to reminisce on what must be the best night of her life thus far.

The two women sweep out of the club, hand-in-hand. Emma has her cover back on and her duffel bag of belongings from the locker room as Regina pulls her towards the black Mercedes parked front-and-center. They both get in, and the car is started.

"Wait a minute," Emma says, gripping Regina's hand still, and the brunette's heart drops. Oh, please, don't let her start thinking clearly now. Not when Regina's skin threatens to boil off from her body temperature. "My car. I can't leave it here-I have to take Henry to school tomorrow morning and go to Granny's."

"We'll come back and get it," Regina says resolutely.

"What about Henry?" Emma inquires. "I can't leave him home alone all night long."

Regina's breath catches hopefully. "All night long?"

Smiling, Emma turns towards her in the seat. "Yes, Regina. All night long." She reaches across the console, taking her hands which had been firmly planted on the steering wheel. Gently, she brushes her lips across her knuckles and hums. "When I get the honor and privilege of sleeping with you, I want to make it last a very-" She kisses one knuckle- "very-" Another kiss- "very long time."

Regina can hardly breathe after this, much less think, so she exhales to regain herself before nodding. "Yes. You're right. Of course. We... We don't want to be too rash anyway."

"There's no need to rush," Emma agrees. "And, trust me, that isn't easy for me to say. I would love nothing more than to get underneath you right now and put my tongue between your legs." Regina whimpers at the mere thought and clenches her thighs at the flood of warmth that fills her underwear. Emma pulls her back in with another soft kiss to her hand. "I don't want to be thoughtless about this. I mean, you're not just anybody. Not just some person I want to sleep with just for the hell of it. You are someone I don't just want to fuck one night. I want a relationship with you, Regina. I want it all. Everything with you. You are so perfect to me." Regina smiles back at her. "And I want our first time together to be just as perfect. Something that we've both put a lot of care and thought into. Something where I don't have to be home by a certain hour for Henry."

"You're right," Regina nods as much as it may pain her to say. "We shouldn't rush this when we don't have to. " She smiles. "When I get to be with you, Emma, I want to be able to take my time and savor every single part of you. From top to bottom." This time it is Emma's turn to shiver and hinge her thighs together. "Maybe we could have another date soon? Maybe this weekend?"

"I'd love that," Emma nods and glances at the clock on the dash. "Y'know, it's still only one o'clock. There's still a little time to spare." She grins and already has one leg slipping over the console to the driver's seat.

Regina chuckles. "Oh, that's right. What exactly do you have in mind to do until then?"

Emma climbs over the console with none of the grace that she displays while dancing and straddles Regina as she had done in the club. Fumbling under her seat for the lever, Regina finally finds it and pushes the seat all the way back to give them both enough space.

"I might not be able to put my tongue down there yet," Emma whispers, glancing down towards Regina's lap, "but it works pretty well in other places, too." Ducking down, she kisses Regina, whose hand slip under the chiffon cover to run up her back. When she lightly drags her nails back down, no doubt leaving a trail of faint red marks, Emma gasps and arches forward. Regina grins widely at the reaction she'd been hoping for.

They made out for a solid hour. By the time they had finished, all the windows in the Mercedes were fogged up. Emma had taken another minute to remove her cover and slip her jeans and a T-shirt on over the red lace ensemble before leaving Regina with one last parting kiss. The brunette had watched her cross the parking lot quickly and clamber into her Bug with a savoring smile-the same smile that she woke up with this morning. It might have nearly killed her to let Emma walk away like that, but she knows that is far from the end.

Regina had expected to wake up that morning feeling very... unsatisfied and pent-up, but she was surprised at how loose her limbs felt. She had carried around the tension after her screw-up with Emma so heavily-not to mention the tension of simply wanting to be with blonde ever since first seeing her months ago-that just knowing they were "official" now relieved her of a mountain of stress. And they certainly were official. She didn't know for sure until she found a good morning text on her phone after getting out of the shower from Emma. As soon as she saw the notification on her phone from Emma, she practically lit up and skipped to read the message.

Good morning, beautiful! Just wanted to tell you how great last night was and that I'm looking forward to seeing you again soon. Oh, and Henry says hi, too.

Regina hadn't expected Emma to wake up with a completely changed mind about last night, but it was still good to have confirmation. The text was just too adorable with all its emojis, just so very Emma, and a warmth had bloomed in her chest upon reading it. All day long, she'd been texting intermittently with Emma, both of them reading and responding on their work breaks. It was deliciously domestic and the exact type of tooth-rotting sweetness Regina had always hoped to have in a relationship.

Emma Swan makes her really, really good in ways that no one ever has before. They might've not slept together yet, but she can put Regina on cloud nine with a simple text message. Part of this makes her a little afraid-she knows that such intense feelings of happiness can lead to just as intense feelings of loss and loneliness-but Regina chooses not to focus on the things she can't change. She decides to enjoy this. To enjoy Emma and the excitement of this new relationship and all that comes with it.

Which, she finds, includes Henry.

"So," the boy walks up to Regina's desk after the dismissal bell with a big, knowing grin, "you and my mom, huh?"

Regina's cheeks flush as she furrows her brow and feigns confusion. "What about us?"

He leans his palms on the desk and wiggles his eyebrows-and that looks a scary amount like his mother. "Oh, I think you know exactly what I mean." Her mouth opens uncertainly. Just how much did Emma tell him about what happened between them anyway? "She said you guys talked through all your crap, and now you're officially dating."

She lets out an inaudible sigh of relief. "Oh, yes, we did. I've got you to thank for that."

"Yeah, I know," he nods. "I also happen to know that you guys did a whole lot more than just talk." Regina's eyes widen, and he laughs. "I was awake when she got home. There was lipstick on her neck still."

"Oh," Regina exhales uncomfortably. "So, um, how do you... feel about that?"

"About you making out with my mom? I mean, it's gross because she's my mom, and you're my teacher, but I kind of wanted this to happen all along." Regina raises an eyebrow at him quizzically. "The moment I met you, I knew you and Ma would be perfect for each other. That's why I always talked about you to her and her to you. After you guys met, it was just a matter of waiting for you two to figure it out." He sighs exasperatedly. "And, boy, did you guys take your sweet time doing it."

Regina's jaw is on the floor as she sputters out a response. "You knew this whole time?"

"Knew that you guys had the hots for each other? Yeah. It was pretty obvious. I think we all knew."

"Who's we?"

"First, it was just me. Then, I told Ruby. Then, Violet. Ruby and Granny were running bets for how long it'd take you guys to get together. Granny said a month. Ruby said three." He giggles. "Man, she's going to be so mad when she hears about this."

"Running bets?" Regina shakes her head. "I can't believe this entire town is so privy to my private life."

"Well, you and Ma were never really good at hiding it," Henry shrugs. "Anytime you two were together, everyone could tell how much you liked each other. You'd have to blind and deaf to miss it."

"Oh," she mutters with a frown. "How lovely that everyone seemed to know before I did."

Henry grins at her. "Don't feel so bad about it. If it helps, Ma was just as slow to coming around to it as you." She can't help but smile back at him. "Speaking of, I'm going to Granny's to see her right now-want to come? I'm sure she'll be super happy to see you."

Regina rests her chin in her hands, smiling softly. "Oh? And what makes you say that?"

His eyes glitter back at her. "She always is."

Since she has no after school responsibilities that day, and all her grading can be handled later at home, Regina decides to leave with Henry. She drives them in her car, and he chatters about Violet and schoolwork and soccer.

"You haven't had any issues with Roland or the other bullies for quite some time now," Regina notes as they park in front of the diner.

"Yeah, I think getting busted before really scared them," he says. "They still like to poke fun at me sometimes, but it's nothing major, and I come right back at them. Honestly, it's kind of a weird game now where we try to one-up each other with insults and comebacks. I'm in the lead so far." He grins. "Roland's not too good with words."

Regina smirks, exiting the car. "Well, I'm happy you've worked things out. While I can't approve this verbal war, it's better than actual fighting."

He waves a hand nonchalantly. "Eh, it's not big deal. Nothing we ever say is taken to heart, and it's not super cutting. We know what subjects to stay away from. It's mostly for fun, and we end up laughing about it afterward. Like an episode of Wild 'n' Out." Regina gives him a clueless look, and he shrugs. "It's a show about celebrities roasting each other-Ma and I watch it sometimes. That's not important. What's important is I've gone longer than I have in years without getting into any kind of fights."

"And I'm very proud of you for it," Regina beams at him, throwing an arm around his shoulder and squeezing. "I knew you had it in you."

They step inside the diner together.

"Hey there, Henry, Regina," Ruby greets them with a big smile. Judging by the reception, they both know that the waitress doesn't yet know of Emma and Regina's relationship. "Fancy seeing you two here. Let me guess? You'll both have your usuals?"

"Sure," Henry nods as he and Regina walk to the front counter to sit together on the stools. "Where's Ma?"

"Dish-washing duty," Ruby answers, nodding her head towards the kitchen. "She should be done soon, though. She's been at it for a while now." She chuckles. "I'm sure she'll be in a great mood for you guys when she comes out of there. Emma just loves washing dishes."

"Alright, I've had enough! From now on, we're using paper plates and utensils!" The shout that is clearly Emma's comes through the kitchen window, and all three smirk.

"Quit complaining," Granny barks back without an ounce of sympathy. "It's not so hard."

"There were like six thousand spoons in there," Emma grumbles, moving towards the door out of the kitchen. "Do you know how annoying it is to wash a spoon? They wash you back!"

"Well, that's why I pay you the big bucks, girl."

Emma pushes open the door and steps into the front of the diner, wiping her hands on her pants and scowling. Regina can't help but grin at the sight of her. Her hair is down and disheveled as it falls down her shoulders, and the front of her black turtleneck sweater is slightly damp. On her forehead, unbeknownst to her, is a stripe of bubbles from the sink.

When Emma catches sight of Regina and Henry sitting at the bar, her expression brightens immediately.

"Hey, guys," she says as she rushes to them with a smile. "I didn't expect you both her." She tussles Henry's hair. "Hey, kid. Good day at school?"

He smiles back at her. "Yeah, Ma."

She faces Regina, still smiling as a playful flicker fills her eyes. "And hey to you as well. Good to see you again."

"You, too," Regina nods. "Rough day?"

"What makes you say that?" Reaching out with a smirk, Regina wipes off the bubbles from Emma's forehead with her finger and shows it to her. Emma frowns, cheeks warming. "Oh. Well, that's embarrassing."

"Actually, it's rather cute," Regina assures her, leaning forward. Henry is preoccupied with a book and some hot cocoa that Ruby delivered to him. "Almost as cute as finding out I'd left lipstick on your neck last night."

Emma's eyes widen. "What? He told you?"

"Of course he did," Regina says. "You find that surprising?"

"Well, no, I just..." She sighs. "It wasn't actually lipstick." Regina's brow knits in confusion, and Emma glances around to make sure no one is watching before pulling down the neck of her sweater. Regina's mouth opens at a large splotch of purple and red covering the pale skin of Emma's throat. "I didn't know it was there until Henry said something about it. I passed it off as lipstick because that felt a little inappropriate. I tried covering with makeup, but it's pretty stubborn."

"A hickey?" Regina hisses. "I can't believe it. I'm never given anyone a hickey in my life." Her initial reaction is a swell of pride, but then she looks at Emma. "I, um, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

Emma smiles back at her. "That's okay. It happens sometimes." She chews on her lower lip. "And I won't lie: having you mark me like this-it's pretty hot." Regina grins back at her as Emma begins to cover the mark back up.

She isn't quite fast enough, though.

"Oh my God!" Ruby bounds up to Emma with a wide-eyed grin before practically ripping the neck of the sweater back down. "Emma Swan, that is a bona fide hickey on your neck!"

"Will you keep it down?" Emma snaps at her, glancing back at Henry, who thankfully has put headphones in his ears as he reads. "Jesus Christ, Ruby. Do you have any concept whatsoever of privacy?"

"Nope," the brunette says gleefully. "So, spill, sis. Who bruised you up like a cantaloupe? Did you and Belle decide to start getting down after all?" She says it jokingly, but Regina can't help but react.

She snorts distastefully. "I should think not."

Then, Ruby looks between the two of them, and the puzzle pieces click in her brain. "You. You two..." She pauses, looking giddy initially before her face falls. "Shit! I knew it would happen but not this soon!" She glares at Regina. "You couldn't have waited another month? I'm out fifty bucks because of this!"

"I'll make sure to take it out of your paycheck at the end of the week," Granny chides from the kitchen, and Ruby scoffs.

"Seriously, I'm glad you two got your shit together and all," she says to Emma and Regina as she skulks off to tend to a customer, "but you're killing me here."

Emma laughs, rolling her sweater back up. "Sorry to have inconvenienced you, Rubes." She faces a smiling Regina. "So, now they all know, huh?"

"It appears so," Regina nods.

"So, that means I can do this?" Leaning across the counter, Emma kisses Regina's lips tenderly and delicately. They hold themselves back from indulging too much, reminding themselves they are in a public place.

When she pulls back, Regina is grinning from ear-to-ear. "Yes, dear, you can do that. As often as possible."

Straightening back up, Emma licks her lips a moment before blinking out of her trance. "So, we should make plans for this weekend, right? Are you free Friday night?"

"For you? Of course. I do have one stipulation, though."

"What's that?"

"I make the plans this time," Regina says. "You planned our last date, and it was wonderful. Well, before I messed it up." Emma chuckles. "You went to so much trouble to organize the perfect date, and I want to do the same for you."

"Are you going to sweep me off my feet, Ms. Mills?" Emma inquires teasingly.

Regina smiles back at her, eyes darkening a shade. "That... among other things."

Emma's cheeks turn that gorgeous shade of pink that Regina loves seeing on her so much, and the desire pooling in green eyes is evident. "Well, in that case, I'll see if Henry's up for a sleepover at Ava and Nicolas's house."

"That sounds like a good plan," Regina agrees. "How about I pick you up at seven?"

Emma swallows, and the sight of her throat contracting makes something in Regina's gut tighten. "Seven sounds amazing."

"Excellent, darling." Leaning forward, Regina grins at her. "It's a date."

"It is so a date," Emma nods emphatically. "God, now this week is going to just drag by. Saturday might as well be years away."

Regina smiles. "It will get here soon enough, I promise. In the meantime..." She kisses Emma, and, while it is still closed-mouth, it is still a considerably longer kiss. Regina is surprised at herself-she would never normally engage in such public displays of affection. But with Emma, she just can't seem to help herself.

"Gross!" Ruby calls at them. "Take your cuteness somewhere else!"

Emma pulls back, laughing. "Don't mind her-she's just mad because she worked up the balls yet to ask out the girl she likes."

"I heard that, Swan!" Ruby shouts back dramatically. "You know I'm sensitive about my lack of balls."

"We'll find 'em one of these days, Rubes," Emma says back to her before looking back at Regina, who grins at her. "As much as it pains me to say, I really do need to get back to work before Granny decides I'm expendable. I get a break in fifteen minutes, though. I could sit with you and the kid."

"I'd like that very much," Regina nods, and Emma smiles.

"Good." She leans in for another quick peck on her lips before swooping back to work. "See you in fifteen minutes!"

Regina smiles after, watching her make her rounds, and she feels lighter than ever before just being in the same room with the blonde. She immediately begins to make plans in her head for their date this Friday. It had to be perfect. Emma deserves that and so much more.