The first time she attended Anna's Zumba class at her college's rec center, she stood way in the back.
Although a confident dancer, Elsa had come alone and was too timid to make much of a nuisance of herself - at first.
Elsa remembered that first Zumba class well. The music was already pumping as she walked in, the instructor bouncing about the shiny floors of the fitness room, smiling jovially, her red hair catching in the mirrors that encased the room. She couldn't help but smile back at the instructor's energy. When class started, however, she forgot everything - where she was, who she was with… everything but the music.
The second week of class, Anna beamed when Elsa stepped in, eyes sweeping excitedly over her capri leggings, loose shirt, and untidy bun. She took her place in the front row this time, just to Anna's left. It was easier to see from there anyway. The only problem with this proximity was that sometimes their eyes would meet briefly as they danced and Elsa would look away hastily, intimidated.
By the sixth week of the semester, Elsa had all of Anna's choreography memorized. This meant that she didn't need to look at Anna at all as they danced and subsequently didn't need to worry herself about meeting the instructor's gaze. This didn't stop Elsa, however, from using the pretense of staring herself down in the mirror to watch Anna's lithe figure make the necessary provocative movements that Zumba was famous for out of the corner of her eye.
Sometime near the end of October, Anna had a feminine emergency in the middle of class and had to duck out to the bathroom (during a particularly strenous routine to "Timber"), leaving Elsa in charge of leading the others in the dance until she returned. Anna had apparently noticed that the blonde knew the routines by heart and it marked the first time that the instructor had entreated Elsa outside of the customary greeting upon entrance to the glossy fitness room. After the cool down that day, Anna stopped Elsa as she picked up her water bottle from the floor, preparing to depart. She was grateful and kind. "You could teach my class for me!" she said, laughing.
The week after this was the first time Elsa really looked at Anna as they danced. The choreography came so naturally now to Elsa that her mind wandered mercilessly. She found herself noticing the sheen of sweat on Anna's collarbones and had the sudden desire to lick them.
With November came even more change. First, Anna found and added her on Facebook, to her surprise and utmost delight. Then they began to message each other and then this turned quickly into texting. The weeks came and went and for Elsa, Zumba was the highlight of every one. They began after every Zumba class to walk out together. For a while they would only leave the fitness room chatting, then say goodbye at the grim doors to the outside world. But then, Anna, as a personal trainer, started to show Elsa around the rest of the gym after Zumba, coaching her on weights or squats. Sometimes Anna would run laps on the track upstairs and Elsa would watch and wave from the elliptical she was half-heartedly pumping. Though running was not her thing, she would put up with anything for Anna, for she enjoyed watching the redhead get in the zone. Eventually they did begin to leave the gym together. The hour or two spent at the rec center did not seem to be enough time to be with each other anymore. They would now go grab food after Zumba or take turns offering up their apartments to study side-by-side on a couch, elbows brushing one another, steaming mugs of tea at their feet.
In December, after the last Zumba class of the semester, Anna peered out of the great rec center windows as her class meandered about her, grabbing their possessions and heading out the door. Upon seeing that it was snowing, she grabbed Elsa's hand affectionately and giving her a peck on the cheek said, "do you want to build a snowman?"
A/N: I just had a lot of feelings after Zumba today. I may or may not be in love with my own redheaded instructor... who happens to play Anna for a company that sends Disney princesses to little girls' birthday parties. I also may or may not be shirking my essay-writing responsibility, not to mention am neglecting a certain other pirate!au... it's whatever. It happens.