Regina sits at a table by herself in a Mexican restaurant, absentmindedly swirling her wine glass.

Emma comes back to the table and kisses her on the temple. She shakes her head at the wine glass. "That's not what I meant when I said order yourself a margarita."

Regina smiles up at her and sips her wine. "Where did you disappear to?"

With a smile, Emma pulls a rose out from behind her back and makes a grand gesture of handing it to Regina.

Regina's smile broadens as she takes the rose. She hooks her finger in Emma's necklace and pulls her down for a kiss. "Thank you, my-" She clears her throat quietly and just smiles.

Emma sits down across from her. "You can say it if you want."

"No," Regina shakes her head. "I can't keep hurting you with every tiny thing I do."

Emma furrows her brow. "That's a little extreme, Regina."

Regina sighs. "I'm sorry. You're right." She looks around the small restaurant. "This is nice."

"Henry and I come here a lot. He practices his Spanish on the waiters."

"Oh? Is he any good?"

"No," Emma laughs. "He's terrible."

"That's disappointing."

Emma shrugs. "I'm sure I don't contribute much. He asks for help with his homework and I just stare at it like it's- well, like it's another language."

Regina rolls her eyes. "I'll help him over the summer."

"You know Spanish?"

"I have many hidden talents, dear." She smirks over her wine glass before taking a sip.

Emma crosses her legs and taps Regina's foot playfully. "I'm excited to learn about all of your talents."

"I'm sure you are." Regina sees a line forming along the window and leans to look outside. "Surely they are not waiting for this establishment."

Emma turns and checks the line of young men and women in clubbing attire. "Um, no. They are lining up for the club next door."

"A club?"

She turns back and can't determine what the look on Regina's face is. "What are you thinking?"

"I've never been to a club."

"There was a brief moment where I was going to feign shock, but I just can't. It's for dancing and drinking way too many shots or whatever junk desperate men buy at the bar for you."

Regina's eyes light up. "Let's go."

"No," Emma laughs. "No."

"Why not?"

"Which part of what I described appealed to you?"

Regina leans forward. "I would like to dance with you, Emma."

"I am thirty-seven years old, Regina."

Regina glares and she crosses her arms. "Then what exactly are you implying about my age?"

Emma shakes her head quickly. "Nothing. I promise. It's just that you go to clubs when you're twenty, not forty."

"So I'm too old to go to dancing now?"

"Not what I'm saying. There are plenty of places to go dancing that are not clubs."

Regina sips at her wine, her glare still firm. "And if I tell you I want to go anyways?"

Emma sighs. "Then I will take you, but I won't be happy be about it."

Regina smiles wickedly. "I can live with that."

With blatant disdain on her face, Emma leads Regina through the packed club full of twenty somethings.

She leans down in Regina's ear. "You know we're the oldest ones here, right?"

Regina pats her arm. "You're insecurities are showing, dear."

Emma rolls her eyes. "If I have to be here, I should at least get to drink."

Stopping them, Regina turns Emma to look at her. "I don't have a problem with you drinking, Emma. I have a problem with you drowning your emotions and finding comfort in booze rather than yourself or others."

Emma nods. "I understand. I can respect that. So, aside from a strong desire to not be surrounded by all of these hormone-fueled mongrels-"

"Good word choice."

"Thank you. I feel fine and would just like to have a few drinks to loosen up."

"You don't need my permission."

"But I want you to be comfortable with my choices."

Regina kisses Emma then nods to the bar. "Buy me something."

"Heck no. I'm not buying you anything."

"Excuse me?"

Emma smiles and gestures to the men looking at them. "Desperate men, remember?"

Regina rolls her eyes. "Emma Swan, I am not flirting with random men all night to get free drinks." She steps past Emma. "I'll buy."

As soon as she steps up to the bar, the bartender slides her two drinks. "From the guys in the corner," he says as he walks off to the next customer.

Emma reaches over her and takes the drinks. "See?" She raises the drinks to the men in the corner and flashes them a smile. "All you have to do is be polite. Is that too much to ask?"

Regina glances at the men staring at them then back at Emma. "Very possibly, yes."

"Come on," Emma says, dragging Regina behind her.

Once they are out of sight from the men at the bar, Emma hands Regina the drink. Regina sighs then takes the drink, sipping it generously.

Emma raises her eyebrows. "Is this a race?"

"Trying to forget the way they looked at us."

Emma shrugs. "You get used to it, especially in a big city."

"I'd rather not."

"Don't worry," Emma says, pulling Regina flush against her with one arm. "I won't let them do anything to you."

"Always the hero," Regina teases. She pulls away to finish her drink then turns to set it down on a table.

She gasps when Emma suddenly flushes against her. Emma runs her hand down Regina's side then sets her hand flat against her stomach, pulling Regina's ass in tight against her. Regina lets her head fall back on Emma's shoulder, just reveling in the feeling of being so close, before she finally starts listening to the music.

Emma smiles when she feels Regina slowly start to sway her hips. She looks down Regina's body, watching and feeling her press back into Emma, and bites hard on her bottom lip. She sets her glass down as well, and when she turns back, Regina wraps her fingers in her hair and pulls her down into a kiss that quickly escalates beyond any of their other kisses.

Dropping her hand from Emma's hair, Regina turns to face Emma. She moans when their breasts press into each other. One of Emma's hands lightly presses into the skin just above Regina's ass while the other runs through her hair.

Regina opens her mouth, and Emma immediately begins exploring her mouth, loving the feeling of Regina's tongue against her own. Regina leans forward, flexing a thigh into Emma's core, and Emma can't muffle her moan.

Suddenly they are pulled apart from each other causing Emma to growl audibly. "What the hell, ladies?" one of the guys from the bar says, he and his buddy eyeballing them.

Regina rips her arm from the shorter man's grasp and moves closer to Emma.

Emma steps forward, inches from the man's face. "Is there a problem?" she hisses through clenched teeth.

"We buy you drinks, and you run off together?"

"Looks like it, bucko. Now, you and your little friend can go. Thanks for the drink." She pats him twice on the chest, hard.

"Let's just go, Emma," Regina says, taking Emma's arm and turning away from the men.

The shorter man grabs Regina's arm again, and before she even has a chance to respond, the man is splayed on the ground from Emma's fist to his face.

The other man moves toward Emma, but Regina throws Emma's drink in his face, stopping him in his tracks as he yells and rubs at his eyes.

Emma raises her fist again, but Regina gets in front of her and pushes her toward the exit. "We're leaving," Regina states firmly.

Once outside, Emma punches the wall. Regina rushes forward and grabs her hand. "Emma. Stop."

Emma slumps against the wall. "I'm sorry. I should have just bought you a damn drink."

"Yes, you should have, but that doesn't really matter anymore." She kisses Emma's cracked knuckles. "Thank you for protecting me."

Emma rolls her eyes. "I never should have put you in that position."

Regina shakes her head. "It's not your fault. I made you bring me here."

Emma nods. "You're right. This is your fault." She laughs when Regina swats her arm.

Regina steps forward and walks her fingers up Emma's chest. "It wasn't all bad though."

"No, it certainly wasn't." She captures Regina's lips in a hard kiss.

"Take me home," Regina whispers into Emma's mouth.

Emma nods and quickly pushes off the wall, taking Regina's hand and hurrying down the sidewalk.