Henry had fallen asleep about half way into the movie he'd insisted the three of them watch together. He was flopped between them now, his sleep leaden body draped heavily across the three seater sofa.

His head had dropped into Regina's lap as he'd started to doze while his feet, encased in white socks, had stretched out onto Emma.

Emma watched Regina run a hand through Henry's hair. She'd been tentative at first – afraid of waking him and also wondering if she was still afforded this motherly right. When he hadn't flinched or awoken Regina had relaxed and now the movement was fluid and calm, absent minded as she watched the rest of the film with mild interest.

Emma looked at the two of them, amazed that she was part of this cosy, domestic moment. Never in her life had she imagined that she would end up here - with a home and a family.

Feeling herself being watched, Regina pulled her eyes away from the screen - where the hero had just dropped three stories through a glass window only to roll away commando style completely unscathed. When she caught Emma openly staring in her direction, Regina raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"What?" she said, trying to infuse her voice with a royal tone. Instead her words stayed warm and low, coming from a place that was heading towards sleep.

"How come you get the cute end and I have to deal with these?" Emma teased, gesturing at Henry's feet.

"What's wrong with Henry's feet?" Regina asked playfully.

Emma rolled her eyes, enjoying the exaggerated banter that had become a staple of their relationship in the short time they'd been together. "They're feet! They're…ew."

"Very eloquent."

"Thank you. You know what I mean. They're…feet – sweaty, stinky, dirty."

"I can assure you our son's feet are none of those things. He's recently showered and I washed those socks myself."

"I guess."

"There's no need to guess dear, I'm telling you. Those are the cleanest feet in Maine."

Emma shook her head, amused.

"You don't believe me?" asked Regina challengingly.

"Oh no, I believe you," conceded Emma. "I also believe you're out of your mind."

In a wholly undignified and entirely adorable manner, Regina stuck her tongue out in Emma's direction. Emma let out a load, sputtering laugh that jostled and threatened to wake Henry. At Regina's insistent shooshing, Emma got herself under control.

"Man, you're lucky Henry's between us. If he wasn't I would have…."

"Would have what?"

"Would have taught you a lesson madam, that's what!"

Regina's eyes sparkled wickedly. "Promises, promises," she said in a throaty voice.

Emma threw a quick look at the sleeping boy in their laps and then brought her eyes back to Regina.

"Oh that's it," she warned. "Once I put him to bed you're gonna get it."

Regina stretched back in her chair in a distinctively cat like arch and let a small yawn escape. "Such assumptions. You could at least buy me dinner first," she joked.

Emma knew that it was all still part of the light hearted teasing they loved but Regina's words somehow found a mark to hit inside her.

Ever since the blow up at the apartment with her parents, Regina, Emma and Henry had been steering clear of the town and its people. Their decision had its benefits. The three of them had been given the time and space they needed to settle into their new life together, to form a routine and become comfortable in their roles.

This had happened surprisingly quickly, as though this life had already been set up and had been waiting patiently for them to find it.

But the self-imposed isolation had come with a cost. Regina and Emma, despite everything that they'd been through together, were a new couple. They should have been making out at the movies and sending each other cute messages during the day. They should have been missing each other after an hour apart and wondering when the next kiss would come.

Instead they had assembled into an immediate family. They were practically living together, raising their son and engaging in good hearted bickering whenever possible.

It had been amazing and comfortable and Emma had loved it – but what if Regina wanted more?

This was a woman who had grown up in the Enchanted Forest for god sakes! Maybe a night in front of the television didn't cut it for her. Did she expect fireworks and candles and starlight picnics? They'd never even been on a date!

Carefully repositioning Henry's legs, Emma leaned her upper body closer to Regina's.

"Hey," she began awkwardly. "Do you want to grab dinner with me tomorrow night?"

Again that smooth, dark eyebrow made itself known.

"We have dinner together every night," Regina pointed out.

"Yeah I know, I just thought we could maybe…I don't…go out or something. Like a restaurant."

"Don't you like my cooking?"

Emma squinted in confusion. "What, no. I mean yes – I love your cooking. I just thought it might be nice to go out for a change."

"Why?" Regina seemed genuinely confused.

"I don't know, to give you a break from cooking."

"I like cooking."

"I know you do; I just thought you might be getting tired of it."

"I'm not."

"And we could get a babysitter for Henry - so it'd just be the two of us."

"Well that's ridiculous. Henry needs to eat too, why shouldn't he eat with us?"

"Jesus Christ Regina - help me out here! I'm trying to ask you out on a date!"

Regina's dark eyes widened slightly. "Oh," she said softly.

Regina looked uncomfortable, shifting about in her seat and avoiding Emma's gaze. Emma waited for her to say something but she didn't. She just sat there, looking like she'd rather be anywhere else in the world.

"Unless you don't want to…?" Emma phrased the words like question, wanting to know what was going on in Regina's head.

Regina rushed to explain herself. "It isn't that!" she assured quickly. "I suppose I just assumed we were a little bit beyond the dating point."

Emma gave a sigh of relief. For a minute there she'd wondered whether Regina had been on the verge of changing her mind about them. "We are," agreed Emma. "Way beyond it. But I feel bad. I mean, you missed out on the entire wooing stage."

"The wooing stage," chuckled Regina. "And what exactly would being wooed by Emma Swan entail?"

"Oh you know, some gas station flowers, a couple of burgers on the hood of my car, us fooling around in the back seat. Romantic stuff."

"Mmmm…" Regina's pursed lips were barely holding back her smile. "I can't believe I missed out on all of that."

It was Emma's turn to stick her tongue out. She allowed herself to settle into the warmth of their affectionate argument before returning to the subject.

"I'm serious though Regina. You deserve all that nice dating stuff - and I want to give it to you."

Regina's heart swelled in a way that was painful and healing in equal parts. It'd been so long since anyone had cared about her like this, since anyone had thought she was worthy of such things.

"Thank you," she whispered gratefully.

Emma took one of her hands off Henry's legs and sought out Regina's. The brunette entwined her fingers with Emma's languidly, relishing in the skin on skin contact.

"So is that a yes then? To the date?" Emma asked.

"That is a yes," Regina confirmed.

Emma leant her upper body forward as far as it would go and angled in for a kiss. Regina met her halfway, pressing their lips gently together.

A low groan came from below them.

"Oh god, get a room will you?"

So our girls are going on a date. I wonder how the townspeople will feel about that…