Planning the date had actually been a slightly bigger deal than Emma had anticipated. The first time they hadn't exactly planned any of the encounters to a great degree, and they didn't generally spend that much time with each other after it was over. The idea of a first date with a woman you've already been intimate with was new for Emma, it wasn't like she hadn't had sex on the first date before, but not having sex on the first date when you've already had sex usually required the breaking of some portion of the time space continuum.

Which given how her life had been going for the last year seemed very possible.

But none the less, the one thing she and Regina were clear on was that tonight was not going to go beyond dinner and a movie. She had to pick up Henry from her parents that evening. Where and how to do this was also limited. Neither was terribly comfortable being seen out together, at least not in some way that didn't have the cover of dealing with Henry, and Emma was still a little jumpy about the apple turnover to go for Regina cooking.

So they'd settled on takeout Chinese, which went surprisingly well with Regina's hard cider. Emma didn't know the alcohol content, but she suspected 'high' was probably a good descriptor.

"Did you land in this world with knowing how to use chop sticks pre-programmed into the curse? Or well, anything, how did you learn how to drive?" Emma asked as they casually settled on the couch and started the DVD. She'd brought a couple of options, a chick flick romantic comedy, something smart she was sure Regina would choose, and something with a lot of explosions.

Much to her surprise the Queen had chosen giant robots fighting sea monsters. Which meant the evening showed some progress.

"I had the technical knowledge of how to drive, but not exactly the confidence. It's hard to describe and really the first few weeks behind the wheel were pretty terrifying. At least everyone else in town didn't know they were operating strange motorized carriages. But as for chop sticks, no, but 28 years of the same routine lets you learn a lot of things." Regina commented as she picked around her carton for a vegetable.

"I don't know how you didn't go crazy."

"I think it helps that I didn't start from a position of sanity." Regina tilted her head listening to the opening narration. "So these giant aliens are invading through a hole in the Pacific Ocean and humanity is fighting them with giant robots... why not just move your industrial base away from the invasion zone. What are the Atlantic nations doing?"

"Really, you are one of those people, who picks apart the strategy of fictional bad guys?"

"Being a fictional bad guy I have a vested interest," Regina said with a smile.

"Point taken," Emma raised her class and chuckled.

The geopolitical critique wasn't that bad. Emma had seen Pacific Rim before, and Regina's running commentary wasn't so much nitpicking as amused observation. And really, sometime around the Battle of Hong Kong even that stopped as Regina got more invested in the explosions and the sword wielding Jaegers. It was a nice side of Regina to see. Not the queen and not the sorceress. The inner seven year old who totally had opinions on how best to fight two raging kaiju.

"I totally never pictured this as being your kind of movie. I brought it mostly to see if you would mock me."

"I do have a 11 year old son. Besides, I told you, 28 years of boredom. I love Japanese monster movies. Give me a good rampage through Tokyo when I can't sleep any day." Regina laughed and actually leaned into Emma. She was surprised but didn't want to discourage it.

"Yes, but did you imagine yourself as the monster or the army."

"The monster of course. Who wouldn't want to stump around toy tanks. In fact Henry and I used to play Godzilla when he got toy soldiers."

Emma raised an eyebrow.

"Don't look at me like that, my dear, I've been reading comic books with him since before he could read."

"Maybe I should have brought a Marvel movie."

"Maybe you should next time."

The credits had finished, the Chinese had been mostly abandoned, and they were sitting on the couch together and Emma didn't want to leave. Regina's head was against her shoulder and for some reason it felt more intimate than all the times they'd been to bed with each other.

"I liked this," She finally said. "You want there to be a next time?"

After all, this had been an experiment. See if the two of them could manage an evening without killing each other and without Henry to keep them from killing each other.

"I think... we could try this again sometime." Regina said carefully as she sat up, and it reminded Emma of their previous thing. Moments of candor after sex that were quickly turned to cold insults as they both remembered who they were. This wasn't as bad, but it did signal an end to the evening.

Emma squeezed one of Regina's hands, "I liked this, Your Majesty. Thank you."

"It was nice to be around someone like this," Regina didn't explain. "You should probably get back before Snow decides to try and figure out where you've been."

"My mother hasn't LoJacked me." Emma said skeptically.

"Yet."

Emma shook her head. This could only ruin a good night, so she decided to cut it short before it went into the standard Snow White and the Evil Queen diatribe. Her choice for cutting it off was not the eye roll or the grumble.

The kiss that came was soft, Emma sucked on her lower lip for a moment before parting her lips with her tongue. Though it wasn't angry and possessive there was nothing chased about the kiss as they pulled each other closer and Regina began to try and assert herself in the kiss.

When they finally parted Emma could still taste the hard apple cider on the other woman's breath. "If this goes to form you are about to kick me out."

"You were leaving, but I'm not kicking you out."

"First base on the first date?"

"I rather think we're a bit further along than that baseball analogy works," Regina added with a smirk.

"True."

"Next time Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs?"

"Only if you want me to set you on fire."

"How about the Charlize Theron movie?"

"The one with the guy who plays Thor where I'm sleeping with my creepy non-existent brother?" Regina asked with disdain. "You know there are worse ways to die than fire Emma. And I know many of them."

Emma grinned. "You really did marathon them all?"

"I've seen them. And read the Grimm's version. I was never interested in eating Snow's heart or sleeping with your father if that makes you feel better."

Emma paused... "It does, but it also makes me not feel better. I think maybe I should avoid Grimm's fairy tales."

The Queen smiled, "Probably. At least Disney got your mother's fondness for small annoying animals right."

"How did this conversation start?" Emma asked somewhat disturbed.

"You started it. I'm just winning."

"Is everything a power play with you."

"Not everything."

Regina stroked Emma's cheek. "I wish you could stay. I don't want this evening to end."

"Afraid we're fuck up the second date." Emma asked quietly.

"I was sure I'd fuck up the first."

"You didn't."

"I'm glad." Regina said quietly. "Now get on going before your father figures out why the bug is parked at Granny's."

"Would you prefer I'd parked it in front of your house?"

"We could plant a neon sign in the lawn. Your mother might figure it out sooner."

Emma shook her head. Her family figuring it out was a worry for another evening.

"Good night, Regina."

"Good night, Emma."