Regina and Emma woke up in the same position they had fallen asleep the night before. Regina was the first to wake. When she realized she was still nestled in Emma's arms, she smiled and snuggled closer to her. Emma instinctively tightened her arms around Regina and sighed, pressing a sleepy kiss to her head.

"Good morning," Regina said softly.

Emma smiled without opening her eyes. "Good morning."

"I like sleeping with you."

Emma let out a small, tired laugh. "I do too. I love waking up with you in my arms," she mumbled.

Regina pressed a kiss to her lips, progressing slowly to deepen in. Emma melted into her as the sunlight filtered in. Regina moaned happily. "If waking up is this good after a night of just sleeping, I can only imagine…"

Emma opened one eye to look at playful smile. She chuckled and pulled her closer. "I like imagining."

Regina moved to straddle and lean over her. "Oh? Is that so?"

Emma was fully awake now as she brought her hands to move over Regina's backside, hips, and thighs. "I've dreamed about you like this."

Regina leaned close, teasing her lips with her own as she whispered. "Tell me about it."

Emma groaned as she gripped her hips and moved them against her. Regina followed her gesture, lazily grinding her hips against her as she kissed her neck. Emma bit her lip and closed her eyes tight. "Regina…"

"Yes?" Regina continued to move against her, as her hands began to slide under Emma's shirt. The trail of her fingertips left goosebumps across the savior's skin. Emma whimpered as she began to writhe beneath her.

"Regina, I'm not going to be able to take much more of this," she whined.

Regina grabbed her wrists and pinned them hard above her head. "I told you last night you were going to have regrets."

Emma groaned. "Please, Regina. I'm sorry!"

"No. You decided to provoke the queen, and now you are going to be punished."

Regina slowly lifted Emma's shirt, making her squirm even more. Slowly she trailed her tongue across her skin. When Emma's breasts were finally exposed, Regina began teasing them unmercifully with her mouth. Emma's breath was ragged as she tried to maintain control over herself. When she tried to move her hands to touch Regina, the queen quickly slapped her hand away and forcefully placed it back where it belonged. This torture was her punishment. Once she had determined Emma had been sufficiently punished, she placed a quick kiss on her lips before hopping out of bed and going into the bathroom. Emma lay there waiting until she heard the shower turn on. Growling in frustration, she rolled out of bed and got dressed. While she waited for Regina to finish her shower, she went downstairs and started to make some coffee. By the time it was ready, Regina was walking into the kitchen fresh and ready for the day. Emma handed her a cup as she glared at her. Regina smiled at her innocently as she accepted the mug.

"Thank you, Emma."

"You're evil."

Regina laughed. "You knew that going into this and you still decided to play with fire."

"Oh, we're not finished here," Emma threatened.

Regina looked at her with a mischievous smirk. "Oh, I hope not."

Emma smiled and took a sip of her coffee before she took Regina's hand. "I need to ask you something."

Regina looked at her seriously. "What is it?"

"Can I take you out on a date tomorrow night," she asked sweetly.

Regina smiled as her cheeks flushed. "Yes, of course."

Emma beamed. "Great! I need to get going so I can shower and plan for tomorrow. I'll send you the details later, ok?"

"Ok," Regina nodded as she followed Emma to the door. "You know, you still have work to do right," she teased.

Emma spun around with a smirk. "You know how to get me to focus, right?"

"Don't start," she warned.

Emma smiled and kissed her sweetly. "See you later, Madame Mayor."

Regina smiled. "Have a good day, Sheriff."

….

Emma was finally confident about the date night she had planned for Regina. The only thing she wasn't confident about was what to wear. Her bed was covered with clothes and time was running out. She growled at the mess she'd made before she used her magic to put all of it back where it belongs. It wasn't something she did often, but she didn't have time to clean again. Finally deciding on her own pair of black trousers and low-cut rose-colored top, she debated on whether her hair should be up or down. She groaned again.

"I've made enough decisions! I just want to go on this date already," she yelled at the mirror.

Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she used her magic one more time. Her hair was now pulled back halfway with accentuating braids. There was just the right texture to give her some waves. She turned her head back and forth before smiling.

"That'll do!"

Emma walked out to her car and considered her bug. She loved her car, but tonight called for the Cinderella treatment. With the flick of her wrist, her yellow Volkswagen was transformed into a newer model sleek black Mercedes. Emma smiled triumphantly. She loved classic cars as much as the next person, but she knew Regina would appreciate the comforts of this modern luxury vehicle. At the mansion, Regina was just spritzing herself with perfume when Henry called out to her. She walked into his room putting her earrings in. Henry looked at her surprised.

"Mom, you look great! Are you going somewhere?"

Regina tried to remain as casual as possible. "Thank you, Henry! I'm going out for drinks with Emma tonight. We thought it would be nice to have drinks outside the house for once."

Henry smiled. "That's awesome. I hope you guys have a good time!"

She smiled back at him. "Thank you, sweetheart. What were you calling for?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I just had some ideas for our trip, but I can tell you about it later."

Regina leaned in to kiss his forehead. "Ok. I don't know what time I'll be home, but I promise we're not going to drink and drive."

"I know, mom. Don't worry! I'll be fine here. Just enjoy yourself."

"All right, I love you," she said before kissing him on the forehead once more.

"I love you too, mom," he beamed.

The doorbell rang and it was hard for both mother and son to hide the excitement in their eyes. Regina grabbed her purse from her room as she went down to answer the door. When she did, Emma was all but subtle about the way she looked Regina over with her mouth slightly open. Regina couldn't help but smirk.

"Good evening, Miss Swan," she purred.

"You look incredible," Emma said as she let out the breath she'd been holding.

Regina smiled and ducked her head. "Thank you." She took a moment to look over her date. "You look beautiful, Emma."

Emma blushed. "It took way too long for me to figure out what to do with myself."

Regina gently caressed her cheek with the back of her hand. "I might have had a similar dilemma."

Emma looked at her surprised. "But you always look so amazing. I can't imagine you ever not knowing exactly what to wear."

Regina laughed as she blushed a little. "Emma, you've seen me so many different ways. How was I supposed to do anything special or even remotely surprising for tonight?"

"Regina, I'd want you if you showed up in a trash bag. I'm just amazed I get to go out with you."

Regina's eyes misted over. "There you go being charming…"

Emma smiled. "Sorry. It's in my genes," she said with a wink. "Are you ready to go?"

Regina took her hand and smiled. "I am."

When Emma led her to the new car, Regina looked confused. "What happened to your bug?"

"I turned my pumpkin into a carriage for the night," she said proudly. Regina was touched by the gesture as Emma opened the door for her. "Your carriage, milady."

….

Henry had been watching them from his window. The way they stood together on the front porch made it obvious to him that this was more than just drinks. Quickly, he pulled out his phone and sent a message to Snow.

They're going on a date! They didn't say it was a date, but they were all dressed up and Emma picked mom up in a fancy new car!

Henry! That's wonderful! Do you know where they're going?

Mom just said they were going out for drinks, but I think that was just a cover.

Let's hope they have a wonderful time.

Snow was a bit disappointed she couldn't help Emma get ready for their first date, but she was happy her daughter was taking steps towards her happiness.

….

Once in the car, Emma reached behind Regina's seat to pull out a single long-stemmed red rose and present it to her.

"Emma! It's beautiful. Thank you," she said as she smelled the flower. "Where are we going?"

"Dinner first," Emma explained as they drove away. Soft romantic Spanish guitar music began to play as she drove.

"You really went all out for this, didn't you?"

Emma smiled. "Anything for my queen."

Regina took a deep breath trying to keep herself from being overwhelmed by Emma's thoughtfulness. No one had ever gone to such lengths to make her feel so special. When they got to the restaurant, she was pleasantly surprised that Emma had made reservations for them at the local Italian restaurant. Once they'd ordered a bottle of wine and their food, they started to relax a bit.

"The car you chose was nice. Maybe I should upgrade mine."

"Your car is a classic! You should keep it at least for Henry. We can always get another one."

Regina smiled and sipped her wine. The smallest mention of their future together gave her butterflies. "I'm assuming we'll have to rent a car for our vacation. Maybe we can use the opportunity to try out a few different ones."

Emma smiled. "That sounds like fun!"

"I do have a confession to make," Regina said hesitantly.

Emma leaned in with interest. "Ok…"

"Do you remember when we stole that car to chase down Lilly?"

Emma looked at her, unsure of where this was going. "Yeah…"

"While grand theft auto and reckless behavior isn't something I necessarily want to replicate, I was a little…turned on watching you drive that muscle car the way you did. It was exhilarating."

Emma lit up, completely surprised. "The mayor likes fast cars, huh?"

Regina rolled her eyes a little as she smiled. "I have a feeling I'm going to regret telling you that."

Emma sat back again, very satisfied with herself as she filed that bit of information away. "What else do you like?"

Regina laughed a little. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's our first date. We know each other pretty well, but there are a lot of details I don't know about you. Like…what kind of music do you like?"

Regina smiled. "Well…I do love music in general. I suppose what I listen to the most would be music from the seventies, blues, jazz…"

Emma couldn't believe how excited and happy she felt just by learning new little details about the woman in front of her. "What's your favorite song?"

Regina sighed. "God, that's a hard question!"

Emma laughed. "You're right. That's almost impossible for anyone to answer. Tell me what your top favorite musicians are then."

Regina thought for a moment. "Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Janis Joplin, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Billy Joel…"

"I can work with that. I love seventies music too! I listen to a lot of eighties and nineties music as well. I'm more of a rock and roll kind of girl."

Regina grinned. "I can do rock music."

Emma looked at her surprised. "Really?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "I spent all that time as the Evil Queen and people are still surprised that I can be edgy."

Emma laughed. "I'm sorry. Tell me one rock song you like that you think would surprise me."

Regina laughed this time as she thought about it. "Cherry Bomb," she said with a wicked grin.

Emma's eyes widened for a moment. "Oo, ok. So, she likes Joan Jett."

"I suppose you didn't have much time with the queen, so it doesn't surprise me that you haven't realized what a…bad girl I can be…" she said flirtatiously.

Emma groaned. "Oh, I think the torture you gave me yesterday morning was enough."

Regina laughed again. "Oh, Emma, that was child's play…"

Emma shivered and cleared her throat. "Ok…what about movies?"

Regina smirked at her attempt to change the subject. "I'm not really into watching much television. When I do, I usually watch documentaries and things about travel or nature."

"Yeah, but you had to have watched things with Henry."

She nodded. "Yes, but I encouraged him to do more reading than anything else. Hence, the comic books."

"So, what kind of books do you read?"

"I love a good mystery. I'm quite a fan of Sherlock Holmes. I also like Shakespeare. Occasionally, I might enjoy a love story."

"You mean you actually read romance novels?"

"Not the trashy ones if that's what you're getting at," she said as she rolled her eyes.

Emma giggled at how quickly she was offended. "Ok! Would you be open to watching movies with me? There are some great adaptations of Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, and Shakespeare."

"Of course. I'm sure they won't be half as good as the books, but I'll try it."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Of course, you're a literary snob."

"I am not! I just happen to have good taste. You can't tell me they haven't butchered a thousand great stories with film adaptations."

"Ok, you have a point, but they aren't all bad."

"Fine. I said I'd give it a try."

Their food arrived and they took some time to enjoy it before continuing their conversation. Emma groaned with satisfaction the moment she took her first bite.

"My God, this is good. I can't believe I've never eaten here before."

Regina smiled. "This was a fabulous choice. Thank you for bringing me here, Emma."

Emma glowed at her praise. "I'm glad you like it."

"I can only imagine how incredible the food in Italy will be."

"I can't wait to be there with you."

Regina placed her hand over Emma's brushing her thumb across her hand for a moment. "Me too." After a while, it was Regina's turn to ask questions. "So, Emma…since you're such a film buff, what do you usually watch?"

"I never said I was a film buff, but I guess I like all of it except for rom coms. It just depends on what I'm in the mood for."

"Well, since you were so kind as to give me a rose tonight, what's your favorite flower?"

"I like sunflowers and daisies. They're bright and happy," she said as Regina smiled. "What about you?"

"I just assumed you knew I liked roses since you gave me one."

"It was kind of a safe bet."

"I suppose I'm a bit boring when it comes to flowers, then. I've always loved roses."

"Hey, roses are gorgeous! It suits you."

Regina was amused. She wondered what else Emma felt suited her. She wasn't prepared for her next question, though. "So, is this the first time you've ever been with another woman before?"

Regina choked a little on the sip of wine she'd been taking, and Emma felt mortified. "I'm sorry! Is that in poor taste to ask? I was just curious. I mean we both know all about Daniel, Robin, Neal, Hook…I just…"

Regina shook her head as she dabbed the corners of her mouth. "No, it's fine! You just surprised me, that's all. And no…you're not the first."

"Oh…" Emma said a bit deflated.

Regina looked worried. "You are the first woman I've dated," she said, hoping that information would make Emma feel better.

Emma gave her a soft smile. "It's ok. Can I ask who?"

Regina shifted a little uneasy in her chair before she answered. "Maleficent," she said quietly.

Emma closed her eyes and scrunched her nose. "Lilly's mom?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "She wasn't Lilly's mom then."

Emma sighed. "I know. I guess I'm still getting used to the weird, complicated relationships between everyone."

"I lived them and I'm still getting used to how things have played out. I mean, I certainly couldn't have imagined I'd end up dating Snow White's daughter."

Emma laughed. "That's a fair point."

"What about you? Have you been with any other women?"

Emma blushed as she shook her head. "You're the first. I guess that's why it was so hard for me to wrap my mind around my feelings."

"I can understand that. In the Enchanted Forest, things were much more fluid than they are in this world."

"This world can be kind of backwards about things like that. I think it's getting better though."

"It's so ridiculous. Who cares?"

Emma smiled. "If only you were the queen of this world."

Regina blushed. "I think being mayor of Storybrooke is enough."

"Hey! We could visit Buckingham Palace if you're interested in the monarchies of this world."

Regina laughed. "The monarchies of this world are a joke. They don't even rule over anything. It's all for show."

"Wow, you know more about this world than I thought."

"What else was I supposed to do for 28 years? I had to fill my time with something besides learning how to cook."

"What else don't I know about you?"

Regina thought for a moment. "Well, I picked up a few languages in the time before the curse was broken."

"A few!? How many languages do you speak?"

"Aside from English and Elvish, I speak Spanish, Italian, and French. I can understand a bit of Portuguese as well."

Emma's jaw dropped. "Holy…you're just full of surprises, aren't you? I guess that expands our vacation opportunities."

Regina smiled proudly. "After you learn Elvish, any other language becomes easy to pick up."

Emma scoffed. "Yeah, I bet. I still can't decipher any of it."

The two decided to split dessert. Once they were finished, it was time for phase two of their date night. As they left the restaurant, Regina noticed they weren't heading back towards her house.

"Where are we going now?"

"You didn't think it was over yet, did you?"

Regina smiled. "I don't know what you have planned."

"Just enjoy the ride," Emma said before she hit the gas and sped down the back roads of Storybrooke. She was extremely happy she'd chosen a sporty Mercedes after Regina's admission. The way Regina giggled nervously in the seat next to her as she rounded a turn made her heart race.

"Emma!"

With the flick of Emma's wrist, Joan Jett began blasting over the speakers as Regina tossed her head back laughing. "You're ridiculous."

Emma grinned at her. "Yeah, but you love it."

Regina leaned over and seductively ran her hand over Emma's thigh as she whispered in her ear. "Yes, I do."

Emma did what she could to focus on keeping the car on the road as Regina teased her. Thankfully, it didn't take long for them to reach Emma's house. When they pulled up outside, Regina looked at her skeptically.

"Ready for part two of date night?"

"Taking me back to your place in hopes of getting lucky?"

Emma bit her bottom lip. "I promise I'm being romantic tonight."

Regina hummed and exited the car. Butterflies filled Emma's stomach as they approached the front door. She hoped the next portion of their evening was just as successful as dinner had been. When they stepped inside, Regina gasped at the display. Emma had covered her front room with roses and candles. A warm fire was already crackling, and wine was waiting for them.

"Oh, Emma…"

"Before you ask, no, I obviously didn't leave a fire blazing in my house. I used magic for a few things tonight."

Regina shook her head as she giggled before turning to place a sweet kiss on Emma's lips. "No one has done anything this romantic for me before."

Emma smiled proudly. "I'm glad you like it. I wanted everything to be perfect."

Regina brought her hand to her cheek. "Emma, you could have just taken me to dinner, and it would have been perfect. You didn't have to go to all this trouble."

"I wanted to. I wanted this to be different and special for both of us."

Regina kissed her again. This time their kiss was slow, filled with the promise of romance. "I suppose I'm not the only one who is full of surprises."

Emma rested her forehead to hers for a moment as she caught her breath. "Let me take your coat."

Regina settled onto the couch in front of the fire while Emma put their coats away. As Regina poured a glass of wine for each of them, Emma turned on some music. The mayor offered the sheriff a glass as she sat next to her.

"Setting the mood," Regina asked teasing.

"Maybe…"

They sat in silence for a moment, enjoying their wine. Regina leaned her head back and sighed heavily. "This is nice…"

The song, "This is Always" by Irene Kral began to play. Emma set her glass on the table and stood up, offering her hand to Regina.

"Dance with me?"

Regina smiled brightly. She was completely flustered by the gesture, though she gladly accepted. Emma led her to the open floor behind the couch and pulled her close. They gently swayed to the slow music as it played. Regina's heart filled with love as she listened to the words of the song. Delicately, she brushed the tip of her nose against Emma's. As they danced, their lips remained tantalizingly close. Emma shifted from a more traditional dance position, as she placed Regina's other hand on her shoulder, and placed her own on Regina's hips. Regina looped her arms around Emma's neck moving closer. Emma's hands began to caress her back. It wasn't long before Emma was unable to resist kissing Regina any longer. They kissed each other passionately as they continued to move to the music. The song changed as they continued kissing each other deeply. They'd stopped moving with the music. Now, their hands just wouldn't stop roaming.

"Oh, Emma…" Regina sighed.

"Regina…" Emma murmured.

"Make love to me," she whispered against her lips.

Emma gazed into her eyes, making sure she'd heard her correctly. Regina kissed her again, to reassure her. Without another word, Emma took her hand and led her up the stairs to the bedroom.