Ryan Spence - 8.47 PM
OK, I know you're going to laugh, but... did you and the tech nerd hook up?

Taking a seat at the table the waiter leads them to, Regina contemplates the text sent to the blonde's phone feeling torn between amusement and panic.

Oh, god... We did...

Looking back up at the younger woman uncertainly, she considers familiar features with a sense of appreciative confusion before Emma's cell chimes again.

Ryan Spence - 8.49 PM
Kidding!

Pulling a nonplussed expression, she hands the blonde back her phone and watches her check Ryan's message with a raised brow and small shake of her head.

"I told you to tell him why you wanted to leave."

She scolds.

"There was nothing to gain from doing that... Well, apart from avoiding awkward texts."

"There was nothing to lose, either."

Regina counters, deeming the Sheriff's reluctance to make waves both boring in this instance where fun could have been had, and arbitrary given that she's about to return to Storybrooke. Seemingly understanding her reasoning, Emma sighs

"It would have sounded like a dig at him, which there's no need for."

"Ugh. You're too nice."

The brunette disdains.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but did you just call me 'nice'?"

"Apparently so, but I didn't mean it in a good way."

The darker woman mutters, ignoring the blonde's quiet laughter as she accepts a menu handed to her and orders them a bottle of wine.

"What will happen?"

Emma asks as she reads the mains.

"... When?"

Regina responds, her tone guarded as she tries to discern the context behind the Sheriff's question.

Later? Tonight? We-

"-When we leave and go home. We'll just suddenly cease to exist as far as the outside world sees it."

"I suppose you will. Still, you've done so before."

"Well, yeah, but that was just me... My finances were all anyone would have taken notice of before, so I closed down my accounts as and when I could. Now, Henry's enrolled in school, and I know his friends' parents."

"So, pull him out."

"But-"

"-I think you might be overestimating your importance, dear. You've only been here a year. It's not wild to suggest you might move on."

"I guess... And I was more worried about the kid's importance to others than mine. I learned the last time that I can basically disappear and no one other than my bank will give a crap."

The blonde muses sullenly, and the Mayor considers her pensively before calling her out

"Mm. Well. Having suffered the burden of knowing you for a while now, I have no reason to doubt the response - or lack thereof - was well-deserved."

"Hey..."

"Am I wrong?"

"... Shut up."

The Sheriff mutters, nodding her thanks when the waiter returns with their wine. Sampling the small amount he pours into her glass, she watches Regina do the same while making a silent bet with herself on whether the darker woman will find something to complain about and let her mask slip.

When she doesn't, she can't decide if she's disappointed or relieved.

Placing her order, she returns her attention to the Queen and asks awkwardly

"So... How are things?"

"Oh god."

"What?"

"Since when do you talk to me like that?"

"I haven't talked to you at all for almost a year!"

"You-"

"-And if you're going to start bitching about me doing things I haven't done before, I'm not sure my asking you how you're doing is the place to start, Your Majesty."

"I-... Fine. I'm fine. Things have been stressful, convoluted, and messy, just as they always seem to be ever since you arrived in my town and ruined it. Still, I suppose I've grown used to having to babysit you during our brushes with villains, curses and the rest, so your absence offered a silver lining to my displeasure."

"Mm. You missed me."

"Never."

Regina lies, staring the younger woman down while the blonde narrows her eyes with a sceptic smirk. Taking a sip of her wine without offering reprieve, she waits for Emma to lower her attention to the pristine white of the tablecloth before musing

"You never ask me how things are."

"That's because, usually, I already know. We all do. You're many things, Your Highness, but subtle isn't one of them."

"I-"

"-And I don't think it was a crazy question given how things were headed when Henry and I last saw you."

"It wasn't. My issue lies more with the way you asked it."

"Yeah, well, you're always going to take issue with that, though, aren't you?"

"I-"

"-Or at least, you'll always pretend to."

The blonde shrugs, raising a brow as she challenges the Mayor silently as their food gets served.

"Thank you."

Regina dismisses the waiter, ignoring the younger woman's baiting amusement in favour of contemplating her meal. The presentation is a grand step up from any offered in town, save for her own, and she suffers the familiar flicker of irritation she's come to associate with Emma doing something right.

Although, I'm beginning to suspect that annoyance stems more from how it makes me feel... Others pleased me because I told them to. At least, that was the way for a long time. Miss Swan does it only when she wants to, and the fact that she feels inclined to do so at all has always made me feel just a little bit-

"-Good?"

The Sheriff interrupts her train of thought as she savours a mouthful.

"Passable."

She replies, before coming clean with a small dig at Granny.

"It's amazing what a difference fresh tomatoes can make."

"Yeah. I like this place. Henry less so, but that's probably because of the fresh vegetables."

"Ugh... He was raised better than that."

"He's been picky ever since I've known him. That's not on me."

"I know, which is very irritating."

Regina sighs, before turning the younger woman's question back on her.

"So? What have you been up to while leaving the heavy lifting to the rest of us?"

"You guys all said-"

"-Is everything alright with your meal?"

The waiter interrupts, earning himself a distracted nod from the blonde which lends the Mayor a smirk.

"I forgot how defensive you are, dear. It's very unbecoming."

Regina goads silkily, before thinning her lips and swallowing bitter olive when the younger woman bites back easily

"It's 'unbecoming'? You sound like your mother."

"... I do not."

"Mm, whatever you say."

"I-"

"-But, I haven't been up to anything much. This morning, before you showed up, my biggest concern was the slowly escalating feud I have with my downstairs neighbour, but that seems kind of arbitrary now."

"Hm. What did you do?"

"Why do you presume it's my fault?"

"I've met you before."

"Yeah, well, you're hardly the most reliable source of impartial judgment, though, are you, Your Highness? I can never do anything right according to you... Well... Actually..."

"... The shuddering of the desk was far from ideal."

The Mayor murmurs; playing along with her cheeks flushing guiltily, but she takes care to keep her expression suitably superior and unimpressed.

"That's okay, my furniture at home is pretty sturdy."

Emma replies, meeting the brunette's loaded study with a suggestive twitch of her lips.

"... Good for you, Miss Swan, but I'm not sure testing it out with any further madness is wise..."

"Then, why are you here?"

"I-"

"-I thought we agreed we were well beyond hope of playing things safe? Who cares what's wise?... Unless you don't want to, which is something else entirely."

"... Well, obviously, I do."

Regina hisses; unsettled by just how much truth lies in this statement, and she offers the blonde a warning look when the latter grins wickedly.

"Good."

"... Good."

"But answer something for me, as we're sort of on the topic... You claimed to have no interest in me before what happened tonight-"

"-I 'claimed' nothing, Saviour. I was telling the truth."

"Huh... Then, why have you spent so much of our relationship flirting with me?"