Emma's first delivery to Regina's office came sooner than she would've liked.

It's not that she didn't want to see her again. She was gorgeous, and she made Emma's heart stutter in a way she hadn't felt in a very long time. But that was exactly the problem: She was just destined to embarrass herself, she knew it. Emma had a chronic case of foot-in-mouth disease for which there was no cure.

Aurora and Belle had spent the better part of the last few days teasing her mercilessly about her first meeting with Regina. As annoyed as she was, she really couldn't blame them – she'd become a mess as soon as she'd laid eyes on Regina. Which, really, Emma thought, she couldn't be blamed for – the woman was something else to look at.

That was what Emma told herself, anyway. It made her feel just a hair better about the situation.

Aurora set out the deliveries for the day on the table in the back as usual, addresses and details neatly printed out on a list for Emma to reference. Only this time, she was hovering, waiting to see Emma's reaction as she skimmed over the list.

There, four deliveries down, the last one of the day, was Regina's name.

Emma wasn't sure whether or not to be grateful for the timeline that Aurora had outlined. At least it gave her some time to mentally prepare.

The first several deliveries passed uneventfully. One to an elderly couple's home, a couple to business addresses that she left at the front desk.

And, hey – maybe she'd get to do that with Regina. Aurora had said she liked fresh flowers for her office, right? It would only make sense to leave them with the receptionist –

But, of course, she had no such luck.

She strode up the receptionist, vase in hand, and the woman took one look at her after hearing where she was from and gestured to the elevator.

"Fifth floor, take a right." She'd then turned back to her computer, bored.

Emma swallowed, entering the elevator and pressing the little 5 with shaky hands, all the while scolding herself for being so dramatic. The elevator began to ascend, the cheery music mocking her.

It was just a delivery, after all. This was her job. This was Regina's job. Surely nothing could go that wrong in an office setting, right? All she had to do was say hi, sit the flowers down where she was told, and leave.

Right?

The fifth floor was just as opulent as the lobby had been, and seemed to be entirely designed with Regina's office in mind. There were a few other doors to Emma's left and right, but Regina's office was straight back – there was no question that it was hers, even if Emma was still too far away to read the etching on the door. It was the only one with an assistant's desk directly in front of it, and there was even an inlay on the floor that led directly back.

Emma found herself briefly questioning why a business this successful would've set up shop in Storybrooke, Maine, of all places – but hey, to each their own.

At least it meant she got to talk to Regina.

Wait.

The assistant smiled brightly at her the moment she approached, eyes dropping to the flowers before meeting Emma's once more. "Miss Swan, welcome," She said, and Emma blinked. She hadn't been expecting that. Did that mean…did that mean that Regina had mentioned her? Her suspicions were confirmed when the assistant continued, "Miss Mills has been expecting you."

"She has?" Emma asked, and the other woman's eyes flashed.

"Absolutely. She always looks forward to her flowers."

Oh.

Emma tried to tamp down the disappointment that rose in her chest at the statement. That made more sense, anyway. It had been silly of her to think Regina might have been looking forward to seeing her, too.

The assistant offered her another smile before pressing a button on her desk phone. After a moment, Emma heard Regina's voice, and it made her heart flutter all over again.

For fuck's sake. She needed to get herself under control.

"Miss Swan is here with your bouquet," The assistant informed her.

"Thank you, Bridget. Send her in, please."

There was a little click over the line and then the assistant nodded to her. "Go on ahead then."

Emma nodded, thanking her as she pushed her way into the office. She stopped in her tracks as soon as she entered.

Regina's office was the definition of luxury. Emma should have been expecting it based on the hallway alone, but…damn.

Her desk was straight back, at the center of the back wall, glass and metal framework that just screamed Regina. To Emma's right, there was a seating area with several plush couches and armchairs facing a fireplace. To the left were filing cabinets, several potted plants, and a lavish table with a decorative decanter of what was definitely alcohol.

"Hello, Miss Swan." Regina greeted her, standing from her seat at her desk to meet Emma halfway into the room. She was wearing a tight black dress today, and Emma had to actively fight to not let her eyes linger on the small slit at her thigh. "It's lovely to see you again."

Yeah, Emma was screwed.

"You too," She managed to choke out as the other woman approached her.

"I trust you found your way to my office alright?"

Emma nodded. As if the receptionist, assistant, and fucking trail inlaid into the flooring wouldn't be enough. "I did, thanks." She paused, shifting uncomfortably as Regina simply stood in front of her, a smile on her lips. "...Well. Here's the bouquet." She lifted the vase, presenting it, and Regina took it from her with amusement in her eyes.

"These are violets." Regina held the arrangement out in front of her, inspecting it.

"Yep, violets. There's...a lot of them. Aurora thought they were pretty, I guess." Emma rocked back on her heels, hands clasped in front of her as she avoided eye contact with the intimidating were at least one of the handful of flowers that she could identify. "So...do you like them, then?"

"I do." Regina set them down on one of the many decorative tables in her office. "Are you aware of the meaning that violets hold, Miss Swan?"

"Uh," Emma swallowed. "I'm not, no."

"They symbolize faith, and affection." Regina folded her hands behind her back. "But also love. Are you familiar with the poet Sappho?"

"...Yes." Check and fucking mate, Emma thought. She might as well wear a rainbow on her forehead, for fuck's sake. Although, if Regina knew her too, that had to mean –

"Good." Regina regarded her with a glint in her eye. "She would often write about violets, and about adorning her lovers with them. So much so that violets are now associated with sapphic women. That is, women who love other women." She reached out to trace the edge of the petals of a few of the flowers. "They really are quite beautiful. Tell Aurora she's outdone herself."
And, oh, if Emma thought her heart was racing before, it was a thousand times faster now. "I will, thank you." She stood there awkwardly for a moment, wondering whether or not that had been a dismissal. But then she was saved by the ringing of Regina's phone, and the other woman shot her an apologetic glance.

"I'm sorry, Emma. We'll talk next week?" She asked, and Emma nodded. She replied with a smile before answering the call and pressing the phone to her ear.

Emma took that as her signal to leave, and retreated from the office with only a slight sweat on her brow.

That could have gone worse…right?

When she returned to the shop, there was a woman she'd never seen before lounging in the back room. She was sat on the counter without a care in the world as Aurora darted circles around her, plucking bloom after bloom and arranging them into something beautiful within the vase she had set out.

"Honestly, babe, we had pork chops three nights ago. Can't you pick something new?" Aurora asked as she snagged a few white roses and added them to the arrangement.

The other woman shrugged. "You make them delicious," Was all she said, and Aurora paused her flitting to look her in the eye and shake her head.

"You're not getting out of this with flattery," She replied.

Emma cleared her throat, feeling a bit like she was intruding on something.

Aurora jumped immediately, spinning around. The woman on the counter only glanced up, a small smile gracing her lips. "Emma! You're back! How'd it go?"

"Fine, thanks," Emma said. "Are you going to introduce us?"

The woman on the counter turned that smile to Aurora, who glanced between them, eyes widening. "Oh! Of course! Emma, this is my wife, Mulan. Mulan, this is Emma. She's our new hire I told you about."

Mulan nodded, pushing off of the counter and striding over to hold a hand out to Emma. Honestly, did everyone around here shake hands? What the hell happened to a good old-fashioned nod?

Still, Emma took it. Mulan had a kind aura about her, despite the stoic impression she threw off.

"Nice to meet you, Emma."

"You too," Emma replied.

The other woman's eyes flashed, and Emma felt a sinking in the pit of her stomach. "So, I hear my wife is trying to hook you up with Regina Mills."

She felt her cheeks heat up, and, really, there was no use trying to deny it. "She is, yeah. Maybe you can talk some sense into her."

But, to her surprise, Mulan only shook her head. "I think you should go for it. Regina's a…complicated woman. She could use somebody in her life."

"Thank you," Aurora said. She took a couple steps backwards, eyeing her latest creation. "It's missing something. What do you think?" She glanced over at Mulan, who tilted her head.

"This is a romantic bouquet?"

Aurora nodded. "Romantic, but traditional."

Mulan frowned. "Do you have any gardenia in? The dark leaves would look nice. It'd fit with the theme, too. Purity and all that."

"You're a genius." Aurora planted a kiss on her wife's cheek, before darting off to pull a couple of large white blooms from one of the various buckets.

"You really know your flowers," Emma commented, and Mulan shrugged.

"Side effect of marrying a florist, I guess."

"Makes sense," Emma replied, but then she fixed her gaze onto Aurora. "You know who else really seems to know her flowers? Regina." Emma eyed the other woman, eventually asking, "You sent violets on purpose, didn't you?"

Aurora shrugged, feigning innocence. "I don't know what you mean."

"Please! Regina told me all about how women used to send them for like, gay love and all that." She shook her head, tossing her keys onto the counter. "I told you, Aurora, she's pretty. That's all."

"Pretty and single," Belle chimed in, the door thudding behind her as she blew into the back room. "And gay." After a moment, she added, "Wait, Regina said? You saw her?"

"When did you even get here?" Emma shot her daggers, and Belle grinned. "Even if she is gay, she's way out of my league. I'm not going there. End of discussion."

"Oh, not even," Aurora protested. "You saw her? Like, in her office?"

Emma eyed her, shrugging. "Yeah? So?"

"So," Aurora began, "She usually just has me drop them off with her assistant. She must have wanted to see you if you made it all the way to her office."

Aurora and Belle shared a conspiratory look, and Emma only rolled her eyes. Her heart was fluttering, though, and her palms felt clammy. So maybe Regina really had wanted to see her –

She shook her head. "Yeah, right. She probably just…" Emma trailed off, words dying in her throat as she realized she really couldn't come up with a rationalization. Mulan seemed to realize the same thing, breaking into a grin, and Emma frowned. "Whatever," She grumbled, and then left the back room to go and tend to her daily tasks.

Emma spent the better part of the next week fidgeting through her days, bouncing from task to task and trying not to think about the brunette who had captivated her every waking moment for the last week and a half. Even Ruby noticed that something was up, and when pushed hard enough Emma had spilled, telling her all about the other woman and Aurora's seemingly devious plan to set them up.

And, of course, Ruby had all but squealed, jumping up and clapping. She'd nearly begun planning their wedding on the spot.

And now, Emma had finally come in to find Regina's name on the delivery list once more. Instant panic had clutched at her ribs – panic, and then excitement, and then lust, of all things, and jesus christ, she was a grown woman. She needed to get ahold of herself.

She'd been directed up to Regina's office, the same as last time. Only, when she'd gotten inside, Regina had blown past her almost immediate.y.

"I'm so sorry, Emma, I have to deal with something real quick." Regina cast an apologetic glance over her shoulder as she rushed out of the room, looking uncharacteristically disheveled. "You can set those down on my desk. I'll be back in a moment to pay you."

"Oh — Yeah, okay," Emma nodded, and then the door was closing behind the brunette. She stood there for a moment, vase in hand, a little bit stunned.

That was the first time Regina had ever called her by her first name.

It made her heart skip a bit, and shook her head, suddenly aware of the weight of the bouquet in her arms. She set the pot gingerly down on Regina's desk. She studied the flowers that it contained – the only ones she recognized were the tiny purple blooms scattered throughout – violets, again. She made a mental note to tell Aurora off the moment she returned.

"You should ask her out, you know."

Emma jumped at the voice, whirling around to find a teenager on Regina's couch.

"Uh," she said, and the kid broke out into a grin. "What?"

"I said, you should ask her out."

Emma only stared at him, and he continued on.

"Mom's favorite flowers are roses and lilies," he informed her. "Red ones. Predictable, I know, but hey. She likes the classics. Oh, and orchids, if you really want to impress her."

"Thanks, I guess? But I'm not planning on asking her out." Hell, she'd only met the woman a week ago –

"Listen. All I'm saying is that she'd say yes if you did." He shrugged, adding, "She even told my aunt Kat about you. She called you the blonde with —"

The door opened then and Regina barreled in, looking ever so slightly disheveled as she greeted Emma with a smile. She smoothed her hands over the wrinkles in her skirt. "So sorry about that. Let me grab my wallet." She glanced between Emma and the kid as she did so. "I see you've met my son, Henry. I trust he behaved himself for you?" She cast a stern glance his way and he put on an innocent face.

"Of course, mom."

Emma rolled her eyes while Regina couldn't see, but she decided not to rat the kid out.

For now, at least.

"He was an angel," she said. "He must get his perfect manners from his mother."

Regina turned towards Emma, holding out her corporate credit card, and Henry stuck his tongue out at her behind his mother's back. Emma fought the urge to return the gesture as she took the card and swiped it through the portable reader and then held out her phone for Regina to sign.

The brunette, for her part, didn't seem to register the dialogue between the others. She only took Emma's phone from her hand, signing. She took a moment more than Emma thought she would, and Emma's heart fluttered as she saw the brunette tap at the keyboard.

"You don't have to leave a tip," she sputtered out. "I know it asks," She added, when Regina flicked an amused glance her way. "Just. You don't have to do that."

"You're kind, Emma." Regina replied, tapping at the screen a few more times and then handing it back to Emma. The screen simply read transaction completed, and Emma swallowed down her nerves. "But I want to thank you for bringing them all the way to my office. You deserve a tip. Unless you'd prefer I say thank you another way?" Regina tilted her head with the question, and Emma felt her face light up red.

"I…" She stumbled over her words, and then heard a distinct gagging noise from over in the seating area.

Regina's attention snapped over to her son. "Henry Daniel Mills, that's enough." Her voice was firm but affectionate, and Henry's head popped up over the couch again, a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Sorry, mom." She raised a brow, and Henry turned to Emma. "Sorry, Emma."

Emma nodded, at the same time as Regina said, "Thank you." She turned back to Emma, shaking her head. "Teenagers." With that she sighed, moving to admire the bouquet instead. "Well. Thank you for the delivery, Emma. These are beautiful." She reached out to caress the blooms with the tips of her fingers. "Violets again, I see."

"Violets again," Emma confirmed. "Aurora has a…sense of humor, I guess."

Regina turned to face the other woman again, a glint in her eye. She plucked one of the tall blue flowers from the bunch, stepping forward to tuck it into the fold of Emma's shirt. Emma's breathing stilled as the brunette's fingers worked deftly with the fabric, their skin briefly making contact. It was enough to make her dizzy, but it was over in seconds, and then Regina had stepped back, a mischievous smile gracing her lips.

"Do me a favor," She began, eyes flicking from the flower back to meet Emma's. "Ask Aurora about the meaning of that one when you get back."

Breathless, Emma only nodded. "Will do." They stood there for another moment, Regina watching her expectantly, and then Emma stepped back. "Right. I should be getting back then. Good to see you again." She peered over at the couch, where Henry was still watching them. "Nice to meet you, kid. Try not to give your mom too hard of a time."

"No promises," He replied, and Emma rolled her eyes, making her way out the door.

When she returned to the shop the place was empty of customers, Aurora relaxing against the counter as she filled out their supply orders for the week. Mulan was lounging in a chair behind her, coffee in hand, and she raised it to her in greeting.

"Hey, Em. I brought you one too." She gestured over to the countertop where a drink carrier was sitting, one paper cup remaining.

"Thank you," Emma smiled, shuffling over to take the drink. Mulan had given her the nickname almost immediately, and for a moment she allowed herself to soak in the warmth of having a friend that cared enough to do that, to include her in the coffee run – that was, until Aurora caught her wrist just as she reached for it and tugged her closer. "Hey, what –"

"What is in your shirt?" She asked, a mischievous glint in her eye that told Emma she knew well the answer to that question. "Did you put that there?"

Oh, boy.

Here we go, Emma thought, noting the way Mulan perked up at the question, eyes brightening in a mirror of her wife's as she caught sight of the petals. "Nothing. Regina gave it to me. As a thank you," She added lamely, knowing very well that there was no use trying to deter them, not now.

"I bet she did." Aurora smirked. "Interesting that she picked that one out of all the ones I put in that arrangement. Did she tell you what it is?"

Emma shrugged. "Lavender, right?"

Aurora shook her head. "Honestly, Emma. One of these days you're going to have to learn to differentiate. Close, but this is blue salvia. More importantly, did she tell you what it means?"

Do me a favor. Ask Aurora about the meaning of that one when you get back.

Emma sighed. "No, she didn't. She…told me to ask you, actually."

That smirk broke into a grin, and Aurora finally released her wrist, reaching instead to pluck the flower from Emma's shirt.

"Hey!" Emma protested. Not that she would admit it to Aurora, but there had been something special about the fact that Regina had put it there in the first place, something intoxicating about the way her fingers had moved over the neckline of Emma's shirt.

"Oh stop, you can have it back in a second. This," She began, holding the bloom up so that Mulan could see it. "Actually, wait. Belle, come out here! You have to see this too!" She called.

Belle popped her head out from the back a moment later. "What is it?"

Aurora waved the flower in front of her. "Regina put this in Emma's shirt. And told her to ask me what it meant."

Belle's eyes widened, glancing between Emma and the flower as she broke into a smile. "Now isn't that interesting."

Emma huffed, reaching out for the flower. Aurora ducked out of Emma's reach. "Can you just tell me what it means and give it back, please?"

"Don't worry, you can have your little gift from your girlfriend." She twirled it between her fingers. "But Emma, blue salvia means I've been thinking of you." She held the flower back out and Emma took it back immediately, tucking it back into her shirt. Aurora clapped her hands together, spinning back to her wife and Belle, squealing as if she wasn't the one who had set the arrangement up in the first place. "Isn't that just so romantic? Regina's thinking of you, Emma."

And, okay. Emma would be lying if she said she didn't really like the thought of that.

"You're blushing," Mulan chimed in, in that matter-of-fact way she had. Emma stuck her tongue out at her, reaching for her coffee. "Oh, and you're very mature."

"Thank you for the coffee," Emma replied, pulling the stopper out and taking a healthy swig of the hot liquid. It burnt her tongue, but it was a welcome distraction from the embarrassment.

Mulan smirked, and that was almost worse than Aurora's squealing. "You're welcome."

Emma pushed past them all with a roll of her eyes. "Whatever. I told you all, she's out of my league. Maybe she thinks it's Aurora who's flirting. She knows you're the one making the bouquets."

Mulan shook her head. "She's met me several times, Em. She's hitting on you."

Emma shook her head, swinging the door to the back room open as Belle snickered. As much as she loved the idea of Regina flirting with her, that would just be too good to be true. Henry's words came to mind – you should ask her out! She'd say yes – but then again, he was just a kid. A kid who probably just thought his mom was lonely. She heard Aurora's laughter behind the door, and busied herself with dethorning roses.