Fridays are usually busy for Emma. It's not that she has much to do but with a town as predictable as Storybrooke, it was busy. By 10am, she was swamped with incident reports to fill out. She sat at her desk and signed the eighth report, cursing Snow for not being able to talk to Grumpy about his behavior. 7 out of the 12 reports regarded the dwarf and his short temper.

She shifted her gaze to her phone. Unable to resist the temptation, she picked it up and found Regina's contact.

Ready for our date? - Em

She set it down and smiled to herself. It was a simple text yet she still felt butterflies. She hadn't planned much, or rather, she hadn't planned at all. Regina convinced her that since she took a step in trusting her, then Emma should let her do the date planning.

It's still early, dear. Come over for lunch? - Regina

Emma had no control over the date at all. She tried asking and was hit with the 'you'll see when you see'. Emma checked her phone and glanced up at the time, she decided to give herself 2 hours more to complete paperwork then head to Regina's office.

The second hand of the clock appeared to have frozen, in Emma's mind. It was almost 12 but time took, well, it's time. She filed the reports and grabbed her jacket.

Before entering the Mayor's office, Emma knocked lightly on the door. Regina was too engrossed, with the spreadsheets infront of her, to notice the blonde walking in. Emma cleared her throat. "Miss Swan," Regina greeted. Emma gave her a stern look. "Emma," she corrected herself. "Your mother," Regina walked to the office door and shut it, "Is infuriating. She was supposed to meet me at 2pm, but instead of that important meeting, she waltzed in 20 minutes ago with reports I've asked her to submit last week."

Emma took a seat in the swivel chair and started spinning. "My deadline for this is in an hour," Regina picked up the file to show Emma, "If I don't submit it, the city wouldn't get enough stock for bare necessities for the next year," Regina huffed and sat back at her desk. "Wait, I thought you had a little magic storeroom with an endless amount of groceries?" Emma pulled her legs up onto the chair.

Regina eyed her, indicating her annoyance with the blondes choice of actions. "Legs down, Emma," she scolded. "When I cursed everyone, I had enough stock. But ever since you broke the curse, things changed in more ways than you can imagine. I have to place an order, temporarily open the town line to outsiders so they can deliver, wipe their memory of the town, and alter their memories so we don't raise suspician," Regina explained.

Emma hadn't dropped her legs from the chair, but wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin on her knees. "How can I help?" She asked the brunette after the woman was calm enough. Regina's face softened, "For starters, you can find someone else to give me the report. Don't know what possessed Snow to ask for me to allow her do this when she's incapable."

Regina massaged her forehead, "What's worse is that I don't know what possessed me to allow it."

Satisfied that she will be able to assist, Emma got off the chair and walked around to Regina. She smiled down at her and leaned to kiss her forehead, "On it. But does this mean we can't have our date?" The queen sadly nodded, "Not until this is resolved, no. It's Friday, I'll be lucky if our suppliers even answer the phone."

Emma didn't respond immediately, she turned away and headed out the office, "See you around!"

Regina smiled to herself, proud that she could keep Emma busy for a while. The restaurant she booked out had a flooding issue. She got her full refund but was now in a predicament.

"For once, your incompetence benefits me," She said to herself, regarding Snow. Giving Emma a task as such would only keep her busy for so long.

Regina tapped at the keys on her laptop.

'First date ideas'

'How to impress on the first datw'

She rolled her eyes at the screen as the search engine corrected 'date' and spat out a list of things that were common sense and just not good enough. Shutting the laptop down, Regina decided on taking matters into her own hands. She hastily tied her hair back and poured herself one of her home made ciders before retiring to her chair once again.

"Knock knock," Regina's secretary announced her presence. "For the last time, dear. If you're gonna knock, there's no need to say the darn word," she raised an eyebrow, "Come in."

"Apologies for the interruption, Mayor Mills. There's a delivery for you out front, can I send it in?"

Regina nodded, not saying another word. The secretary, hand still on the doorknob, yelled out, "You can bring it in here." Regina rolled her eyes, "What did I tell you about yelling?" She scowled at the woman, who stepped out the office door to allow the delivery guys in.

"Leroy?" Regina stood from her couch and made her way to him, surprised to see the dwarf. "Oh goody, you've got a delivery," he stated, unenthusiastically. He presented her delivery with jazz hands and wheeled it in. The cart was more than half of his height. The only confirmation that Regina had that it was, in fact, a cart, was the barely visible wheels. "12 dozens," Leroy eyed the fresh red roses, "Plus one," he handed her a single stemmed rose with a note attached to it.

"Someone's got the hots for ya," Leroy smirked and whispered under his breath. "Excuse me?" Regina knitted her eyebrows together. Leroy hesitantly looked around the room before deciding not to say anything. He gave Regina a blank stare and eventually did the jazz hands again then left, closing the door behind him.

Regina wheeled the cart to the middle of the office and opened the card attached to the single rose.

Your move

- Em xx

The brunette smirked at the note. A flood of memories washed through her. She remembered the banter between herself and Emma when the blonde first came to Storybrooke. When they'd piss of the other, ending it with a simple 'Your move'

Regina waved her hand, enveloping the cart with purple smoke and transporting it to her home office.

Regina sat at her desk. Unsure of what just happened, she studied the letter again. Two words, yet it held so much of meaning behind it.

Her mind drifted to the night she found out about Emma and Graham.

"She did what?" Regina asked her mirror, she stood infront of it, glass of wine in her hand. She didn't care about Graham as much as she should and it worried her. "She kissed Graham," The mirror responded, distorting the truth. Regina gripped the mirror off her bedroom wall and threw it on the ground, shattering it.

Thinking back, it wasn't her jealousy of Graham kissing Emma, but of Emma kissing back. She was relieved that the blonde had cleared that up. Regina still held the note in her hand, tracing over the words. She looked at her wrist watch - 14:43. If she wanted to get started on the date, she'd have to leave the office now.

She left to the store to pick up a few things before stopping at Henry's school. "Is Mary-Margaret busy with a class?" Regina asked at the reception. Before the lady could respond, Snow walked around the corner. "Regina, what are you doing here? Is everything okay?" She closed the folder she was reading through and walked to the queen. "Yes, everything is fine. Would you be able to watch Henry? I'll pick him up on Sunday." Snow nodded, "Yeah, sure. You don't look too good, are you sure things are okay?" "I've got a lot of work to do this evening, that's all," she smiled and left after thanking the woman.

Regina poofed herself to the mansion and started getting ready for the evening. While setting her hair, she sent Emma a message stating that she should be able to pick her up at 5pm.

She slipped on her heels and took one last look in the mirror. Regina locked the house and got into her car. She could feel her hands sweating around the steering wheel, unable to keep the nervousness at bay.

After half an hour of driving, she finally reached the top of Storybrooke. It was now 16h15. She poofed a Lapa and fairy lights just before the edge of the cliff. She emptied her car, pulling out massive pillows and two blankets.

Once she was done, it looked like a scene out of a movie. Wine glasses were set up on the big blanket along with two bottles of wine. On one side of the pillows laid the snacks. The cheese platter was set up between the fruit platter and the chip 'n dip platter. To the right she laid bite sized sandwiches, mini burgers, and chicken wings with small garlic rolls.

She took a step back, looking at what final touches needed to be done. Regina remembered the juke box and flicked her wrist, it appeared out of nowhere, in purple smoke, and took its place on the side of the lapa. Before heading to the car, she scolded herself for also forgetting to set up the board games. She immediately waved her hand again, setting up a small collection next to the juke box.

"And, done," she smiled to herself. All that was left to do was pick up Emma. She turned up the radio to help her focus on something other than the feeling of the butterflies within.

She stepped up to the porch and knocked softly on the door. "Mayor Mills," Killian answered the door. She gave her a smug look before closing the door behind him and stepping towards her, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Where's Emma?" Regina tried to push past him. He ignored her and knelt his arm on the door frame. She gritted her teeth, "Move aside, Hook," Regina pulled up her hand to push him away with magic. Killian grabbed her wrist and clasped the binding bracket onto it. "Or what? Will you magically force me to? I'd like to see you try."

Killian was instantly thrown across the porch and onto the lawn in front. He took a while to comprehend what had happened but could see Emma rushing to Regina's side.

"Really Swan? The evil Queen over the pirate?" He asked, attempting to find his footing once again. Emma removed the clasp from Regina's wrist and gently rubbed over the skin.

"You're a moron, Hook." Emma motioned towards him, lifting Killian in the air and strangling him. She could feel her energy draining but was too angry to give a damn. Regina watched as Emma's eyes turned darker by the second. She immediately took over, strangling Killian mid-air with one hand and pulling Emma behind her with the other. "Thanks," Emma mumbled out. Emma felt herself become dizzy, her mouth and chin felt wet. She placed her fingers on the wet spot then looked at Regina in shock, "Blood?" She questioned. "Yes, sweetheart. Your nose is bleeding," Regina said calmly. She suspended her hold on Killian after he passed out.

Regina turned to face Emma, waving her hand across the girl to heal her. "What did I say about controlling your emotions, dear?" She hugged Emma, rubbing her hands up and down the girls back. "He- he just frustrates me," Emma said in a shaky voice. The queen soothed her and told her to wait inside.

Regina walked down the stairs and nudged Killians body with the foot of her shoe. "What do you want?" She asked him. He lay on his back, defeated. "I just want my things," he stated. She waved her hand towards the house and all of his belongings came flying out, hitting him in the process. "If I see you again, you're a dead man. This isn't an idle threat, Hook. If you know what's best for you, you'll stay away." She folded her arms across her chest. He nodded and started picking his things from the lawn.

"I'll be down in a minute," Emma yelled once she heard Regina's footsteps. "Honey, we don't have to have our date this evening. After what just happened, I think you need some time to process."

"You're right, we don't have to. But, I want to," Emma studied Regina, taking in what the woman wore so she could decide on what she'd wear. "You look beautiful, by the way," Emma pulled Regina closer, kissing her cheek. The woman wore black heels paired with bootleg pants and a red front tied top. Emma decided to wear her grey V-neck top that she tucked into her denim skinny jeans. When Regina saw Emma deciding on shoes, she waved her hand and changed her own pair. "I meant to do that earlier," Regina said, now wearing a pair of black ankle boots. Emma chose the same, the only difference being that hers had a buckle on the sides.

"This is a long drive, Regina. Where are we headed?" Emma asked, becoming antsy in the passenger seat. "Somewhere," Regina smiled back. "Huh, never would've guessed," Emma playfully rolled her eyes.

By the time the duo got to the lapa set up, at was 7pm. Regina had blind folded the blonde, which took a lot of convincing. "You ready, Emma?" Regina opened the passenger side and gently guided Emma out the car to face the lapa. "I've been ready since-" Emma started. Regina didn't wait for her to complete her sentence, she undid the blindfold and the savior froze.

"Regina," she whispered, "This is breathtaking."

Regina held her hand and led her to the lapa. "You didn't have to prepare so much," Emma spoke again. "I know, I wanted this evening to be perfect," Regina gestured for Emma to get comfortable. Emma removed her shoes and sat crossed legged against the pillows, Regina followed.

"I don't mean to make this about him, but what happened?" Regina asked, opening the bottle of wine and pouring it for herself and Emma. She handed Emma the glass and placed the bottle and her glass on the side of her, next to the cheese platter. Regina then grabbed one of the large blankets and covered herself, leaving enough for Emma to get under.

Emma brought the rim of the glass to her lips and took a sip, "I was getting ready for the date and he barged in, dude broke down my back door," Emma downed the rest of her drink. "Easy does it. We don't want to tumble into Storybrooke," Regina placed her hand over Emma's thigh, feeling the soft blanket against her palm. Emma tipped her glass towards Regina, wordlessly asking for a refill. Regina filled it and sipped on her own wine, "Well, if he does show up again - Please call me? You're using a lot of your energy and it's tiring you out. Besides that, your emotions need to be controlled."

"It's not that I can't control it," Emma responded, "I can. I have no feelings for him."

"Try this," Regina set her glass aside and faced Emma. She crossed her legs and held out her hands, palm up, for Emma to hold. Emma followed suit and placed her hands in Regina's.

"Close your eyes," Regina instructed. Emma closed her eyes. "Now, I want you to pay attention to my breathing," she stated.

Emma opened her eyes, "I can't hear or see you breathing with my eyes closed." "Okay," Regina gently pulled the girls hand and placed it on her chest. The brunette then intertwined her fingers into Emma's.

"Better?" Regina asked. Emma nodded and closed her eyes. She concentrated on Regina's breathing, feeling her chest heave. Soon, their breathing was synchronized. "Think of your favorite flower," Regina stated softly. Emma thought of lavender.

"Think about the petals, it's scent, the stem."

Regina squeezed Emma's hand, "Will it into your hand."

Emma opened her eyes and saw the flower on Regina's head. "Close enough," Regina laughed, let go of the hand she was holding and picked the flower off her head. "This is basic magic, dear. I know that you've done multiple conjuring spells but," she paused, still feeling Emma's hand in her chest. Emma didn't move. Regina wasn't sure if it was deliberate or the other woman just forgot about it, but she continued, "When you feel like burning someone to ashes, think about what makes you smile and let it distract you."

Emma's eyes drifted from Regina's lips to her breasts, pausing when she landed on them. She caught herself, before she thought Regina saw her, and cleared her throat. "Thanks, Regina."

The brunette did notice, but chose not to comment on it. Instead, she shifted back to her original spot and gripped onto the neck of her wine glass. "Cheese?" Regina asked. She handed the platter over to Emma and the blonde took a piece.

After much conversation and eating, Emma and Regina managed to finish their wine and poof themselves another two bottles. "I was thinking of selling the house," Emma finally said. She slid closer to Regina, resting her head against the brunettes shoulder. Regina subconsciously wrapped her arm around Emma's body. "Why?" "It's got too much of Hook memories in it. I'm not sure which part of Storybrooke yet, but I definitely need to get out of there."

"Consider selling to your parents. Neal's not getting any younger," Regina added. Emma hummed. Regina looked down at Emma, seeing the girls eyes wide, "What's on your mind?" Regina tilted her head. Emma looked straight ahead at the view before them, "This town has so much of detail," she moved forward, placing her hand directly behind her and leaning on it.

Emma shifted closer again, her gaze sweeping over the landscape Regina had meticulously crafted. "It's like every street, every building has a story of its own." She smiled, remembering how each element reflected Reginas personality and choices. "It's impressive how you managed to blend everything together. It's not just a town, it feels like a living, breathing part of who you are."

Regina glanced at her, a hint of pride in her eyes. "Thank you, Emma. I wanted it to be perfect."

"Perfect? You nailed it. It's beautiful, just like you." Emmas words lingered, a soft blush creeping onto her cheeks.

Emma leaned back, taking in the view that stretched before them—the rolling hills, the familiar buildings of Storybrooke, and the warmth of the setting sun casting a golden hue over everything. It felt peaceful, almost surreal.

"You really thought of everything," Emma continued, glancing sideways at Regina. "The food, the setting, even the music. It's like you knew exactly what would make this perfect for us."

Regina smiled, a softness in her expression that Emma had, since recently, become familiar with. "I wanted to create a moment we'd both remember. After everything we've been through, I thought it was time we celebrated-" she paused, "Us."

The air between them felt charged, an unspoken acknowledgment of how far they'd come. Emmas heart raced as she watched Regina, the way her eyes sparkled with determination and warmth. She felt an urge to bridge the gap between them, to close the space that had always existed—until now.

"Regina," Emma began, her voice barely above a whisper, "I know we've had our ups and downs, but I've never felt this way about anyone. Not ever. You've changed everything for me."

Reginas gaze intensified, and Emma could see the flicker of hope and vulnerability in her eyes. "I feel the same, Emma. I didn't expect to let someone in, but, you make it easy. You make me want to be better."

Emmas breath caught in her throat as she leaned closer. "What if we took that leap? Just us, no walls, no barriers?"

Reginas heart raced, and she felt the weight of Emmas words settle over her like a warm embrace. It was a leap she'd been ready to take, and now, facing Emma, it felt right.

"Together?" Regina asked softly, a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"Always," Emma replied, her voice steady despite the fluttering in her chest.

As if drawn by an invisible force, they moved closer, the world around them fading into the background. Emmas hand found Reginas, fingers intertwining naturally, as if they were meant to fit together. Their breaths mingled, and Emma could feel the warmth radiating from Reginas skin.

With their faces inches apart, time seemed to stand still. Emma could see the way Reginas eyes flickered with uncertainty, but also with a deep-seated longing that mirrored her own.

"Can I—?" Emma hesitated, searching Reginas gaze for any hint of hesitation. Regina nodded, her breath shaky but resolute.

Emma closed the distance, her heart pounding as their lips met in a gentle kiss, tentative at first but quickly deepening as they both surrendered to the moment. It was a kiss filled with promise, a blend of relief and excitement, as if all the barriers between them had finally crumbled.

When they pulled back, both breathless, Emma couldn't help but smile. "Wow."

Regina chuckled softly, her cheeks flushed. "Wow indeed."

"Guess we really are making our own story," Emma said, a playful grin spreading across her face. "Together," Regina echoed, squeezing Emmas hand tightly.

As they lingered in the afterglow of their kiss, Regina took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart. "I should probably take you home now," she said reluctantly, though the thought of leaving this moment felt bittersweet.

Emma nodded, though she hesitated. "Can you stay with me just a little longer? I mean, it's still early and I'd love to at least finish what's left of the wine." Emma asked, using the wine as an excuse to spend more time with the brunette. Regina smiled, her heart warming at Emma's request. "Of course. I'd like that."

They packed up the remnants of their picnic. The rest of the night was filled with laughter, the duo reminisced about their adventures and the days they used to fire at each other.

Once Regina noticed Emmas eyes slowly dragging her into a slumber, Regina suggested they did actually leave. She drove them back to Emma's house, the atmosphere in the car electric with unspoken feelings.

When they arrived, Emma turned to Regina, her expression serious. "About Henry… I've been thinking a lot about how this will affect him."

Regina looked at her, sensing the weight of the conversation. "I've thought about it too. He's always wanted us to be happy. I think he'll be supportive, especially if we show him how much we care."

"Right," Emma said, chewing lightly at her bottom lip. "I just want him to know he's still our priority. We can't forget how much he's been through."

"Absolutely, dear," Regina agreed, her hand gently resting on Emmas knee. "We'll include him in this. He deserves to see us as a family."

Emma smiled at that, warmth spreading in her chest. "I love that idea. It's about time we showed him what a real family looks like."

They exchanged a knowing glance, the bond between them solidifying further. Regina leaned in, her voice soft. "I know we can make this work."

Emma reached for Reginas hand, intertwining their fingers. Feeling a rush of courage, Emma leaned in closer, brushing her lips against Reginas again. This time, the kiss was more fervent, a promise sealed between them. It was a vow that they would navigate this new chapter together, facing whatever challenges lay ahead.

As they pulled away, Regina smiled, her eyes sparkling. "I think this night has turned out much better than I expected."

Emma laughed softly. "Yeah, definitely. You really know how to impress."

"Just wait until you see what I have planned for our next date," Regina teased, a playful glint in her eye.

"No, dude. It's my turn next," Emma replied playfully.

"Dude?" Regina raised an eyebrow. "Habit, although, Would you prefer it if I called you baby?" Emma smirked. Regina's cheeks were almost crimson, she refused to respond. "I'll take that as a 'yes', baby."

With a final lingering gaze, Regina got out the car, ready to leave but reluctant to go. Emma walked around to the driver's side and pecked Regina's lips.

"Goodnight, Emma. I'll see you soon?"

"Definitely. I'm already looking forward to it," Emma said, her heart racing.

Regina got into her car, "Oh, and Emma?" She got the blondes attention and dug through her glove compartment to find an envelope. She handed it to Emma, smirked and glanced back one last time before driving away. Emma watched until the taillights faded. She opened the envelope.

Your Move

- Baby xx

P.S. You're that predictable