Finally ending her work day, Emma falls back against the elevator wall. Just before the doors close, a male coworker, Braden, jumps in.
"Hey, Em," he says with far too much enthusiasm for Emma.
"Ma," she corrects.
"So, what are you doing after work?"
"Same thing I do every day after work."
He puts his hands in his jacket pocket and smiles. "Oh and what's that?"
Emma tries not to roll her eyes. "Go home. Turn on trashy television. Pretend like I have any clue how to help my son with his homework."
"Well, how about we mix it up?"
The elevator doors open on the bottom floor, and Emma steps right past him. She sighs when she realizes he's following her.
He nudges her arm. "What do you think? We can, you know, make it a date."
"A date?"
Emma spins around to see Regina standing next to her. "Regina, hi. What are you doing here?"
Regina raises her eyebrow and scans over Braden. "I thought you would like someone to walk you home, but I fear I've interrupted a date."
"What?" Emma glances back at Braden and laughs unintentionally. "Oh, no, there's no date."
Regina watches the disappointment on his face. "Does he know that?"
Emma looks between them both before turning to Braden. "Look, Braden, I really appreciate the invite, but I'm going to have to decline."
"Can I at least ask why?"
Emma shifts uncomfortably. "I'm just simply not interested."
"And otherwise involved," Regina adds, stepping forward and looping her arm through Emma's.
Braden looks quickly between the two women. "You two are together?"
"Yes," Regina states firmly and raises an eyebrow, daring Braden to challenge.
He backs up a couple of steps. "Alright, I apologize then. I didn't realize. See you tomorrow, Em."
"Ma!" Emma shouts at his back. She grunts and lightly removes Regina's arm from hers. "Thanks, but that really wasn't necessary."
"Were you planning on going out with him?"
"Of course not, Regina. But you didn't have to lie to him."
Regina watches her. "I suppose I may have acted a bit brashly. The idea of you going on a date with someone other than me was displeasing."
Emma holds the door for Regina to exit. "Why shouldn't I be able to date someone else? We aren't in a relationship."
Regina stops. "I suppose I have no right to ask you to be exclusive, but I was under the impression that you would be."
Emma shrugs and walks down the sidewalk.
Picking up her pace a bit, Regina steps in front of Emma to stop her. "Why are you being so cold right now? What could I have possibly done while you were at work?"
"I guess I've had a lot of time to think while staring at my stupid computer all day."
"Okay, and what did that thinking accomplish?"
Emma stares at Regina. "That I don't know how long I can really wait for you to just break my heart."
Regina throws up her hands. "I'm sorry you have an undying need for instant gratification, but good grief Emma, at least give me a day. We've hardly been together since we talked."
"Do you want to be in a relationship with me?" Emma asks, trying to mask the desperation in her tone.
"Would it be easier on you if I just said yes?"
"It would be easier on me if you meant it." Emma tries to step past Regina, but she is stopped.
"You know what I want, Emma? I want you to sweep me off my feet. I want you to take me out for other people to see. I want you to be excited to have me at your side. And I want to know what it feels like to fall in love with Emma Swan. Please give me that chance."
Emma nods slowly.
Regina leans up and kisses the corner of Emma's lips. "Tonight, after a lengthy discussion with that boy of ours, you and I will go out together. Take me wherever you want to go, even if I'll hate it, as long as it will make you happy."
Emma smiles and nods more assuredly. "That sounds like a good plan to me."
Regina takes Emma's arm and turns to move down the sidewalk again. "Good. Now let's go. Henry's waiting at the apartment for us."
"Just one more thing," Emma says, stopping Regina and spinning her back around. She wraps her arms around Regina's waist and ducks her head to kiss her lips.
Regina wraps her hands around Emma's neck, and Emma's eyes widen as Regina pulls their bodies tighter together. She smiles into the kiss then lays her forehead against Regina's. "I could get used to this," she whispers.
Regina kisses her lips softly before responding, "As could I."
In the kitchen, Regina, wearing a gray dress, makes Henry dinner while he plays a video game. Emma comes out of her room in a dress as well.
She steps up beside Regina in the kitchen. "Hope this is better."
Regina turns and slowly grazes her eyes over Emma. She puts her hand on Emma's stomach and leans forward. "This will certainly do, my love." She kisses Emma but frowns when Emma suddenly pulls back.
"No. Don't do that." Emma steps back, flustered.
Henry pauses his video game and stands to watch them.
Regina reaches out but stops when Emma shakes her head. "Don't do what?"
Emma puts her head in her hands and groans before clearing her throat and straightening back up. "I really really can't do a pet name from you right now, Regina. That feels way too good, and it's not real."
Regina clenches her fists. "I can't tell you I love, which I do. I can't lean on your arm and claim you as mine, though I think we'd both like that. And I can't call you an endearing name, which feels real to me. Is there anything else I can't do?"
Emma rubs her arms and swallows thickly. "No?" Regina stares at her. She drops her arms. "I don't know, Regina. This is ridiculously hard and painful."
"I'm trying, Emma! I am trying so hard to be what you need me to be."
"Just be you!"
Regina steps forward. "I am. This is me." Emma rolls her eyes and turns her head. "Look at me." She waits until she catches Emma's eyes. "I love you whether you like it or not."
"And I am in love with you whether you like it or not."
"I like it. In fact, I love that you're in love with me. I want that too."
Emma shakes her head. "You can't just wish for love to happen, Regina. If it's not there, it's not."
"But I don't know that it's not. I'm trying to figure out how I feel, and you're only throwing up road blocks. No, I don't have answers waiting for you, but I would like the opportunity to try. Can we please try to have a relationship like normal adults?"
"Regina, there has never been anything normal between us."
Regina shakes her head and turns back to the stove. "If it's not worth trying, just say so and I will stop. I will leave you be, and we will return to a not-so-normal relationship as friends."
Emma tries to take Regina's arm to get her attention, but Regina pulls away from her grasp. "It is worth trying. You are worth trying for. I didn't mean to make you feel like you weren't. I'm sorry."
Regina just shakes her head. Emma looks at Henry who is glaring at her, his controller still in his hand. She shrugs weakly at him, and he points at Regina's back, gesturing for her to try again.
Emma takes a deep breath and turns back to Regina. She takes Regina's hand, not letting her pull away this time. Once Regina turns to her, she says, "Regina, I love you too. I love having you on my arm, and it feels amazing to hear you call me your love or anything you want to call me aside from Miss Swan. I'm sorry I'm being bad at this. My heart hurts, a whole lot, every time I look at you and think that there's about a fifty-fifty chance I'll never get to be with you."
Regina drops her head. "I don't want your heart to hurt, Emma."
"I know, but that's probably not going to change anytime soon, so let's just work through it-" she raises Regina's chin, "-together."
Regina pecks Emma's cheek. "Okay." After a deep breath, she plates Henry's food and sets it at the counter. "Henry," she calls to him.
"Yeah?" he responds timidly.
"Sit. Eat. Discuss."
He pouts. "I was hoping Ma would mess up enough that you would just forget."
"I don't think I could mess up that bad, kid," Emma laughs.
Regina raises an eyebrow. "Don't be so sure."
Henry tosses down his controller and drags his feet to the bar to drop in a seat.
"Good dramatic start, kid," Emma teases.
He throws his head back. "Ugh, let's just get this over with."