just a very short update before work. This will have to be in 2 parts this chapter because I am soooo late! Didn't want to leave you guys hanging on that awful terribly written last update. Sorry. Emma is stupid!

The next morning, Emma felt pretty awful about just leaving in the middle of the night and debated messaging Regina to apologise. She decided against it and instead did what she said she would do. After all, a bet was a bet she reasoned. She drove herself to the dance academy and sheepishly walked into Regina's contemporary class.

"Hey."

"Hey." Regina responded a little too dryly. She had not been at all surprised to find Emma had gone that morning but she was surprised she showed up for the class that she hated so much.

Emma's felt that pang in her chest again. She didn't like Regina being cold with her but she couldn't blame her really. She had issues and she wished she could work through them and get on with being happy but every time she had tried that in the past, she ended up hurt. It was her defense mechanism. Not that she'd even considered sticking around for a relationship before. Not since she was 17.

The studio was still empty. "About me leaving last night, I am sorry." Emma began.

Regina forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "It's fine." She had had the worst morning ever and it was not something she was proud of. She'd never felt so disappointed in her life or so completely weak and she hated it. She hated the fact that she had said things wouldn't be awkward on her part but they obviously were.

Emma sighed. She hadn't factored into her reasoning how much more or was hurting her right now to see this woman clearly upset because of something she herself had done. "It's not fine. Regina, I really, really like you. I don't know what I'm doing here. Last night was the best night of my life and I panicked."

Regina swallowed hard as Emma apologised and explained her actions. It was also the best night of her life until she'd left. She wasn't sure how she was feeling. She'd spent the whole morning trying to tell herself it was just two adults having some fun and that her mind was playing tricks on her because of the amazing sex. But now, now Emma was stood in front of her again and saying these things, something inside her was aching. She wanted to tell her to get out of the studio and never come back. She wanted to rip her own heart out so that she couldn't feel anything for this woman. The words that actually came out surprised her.

"I think I really like you too."

A group of students walked in and she busied herself with the stereo. Emma stood there shocked by the words and the effect they were having on her own heart. What was wrong with her? Why was she trying to run away from something when it was so good? Maybe she could try this. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as she had imagined it in her head.

The music started and Regina instructed the girls through the warm up. Emma stood as close as she could get to the instructor bending and stretching. She smiled apologetically at her as they made eye contact through the mirror. Regina smiled back with a pained expression.

The contomparary warm up was a little different to what Emma was used to. Regina instructed the girls to lie on their backs with one leg bent and the other extended up in the air. She walked around the room correcting and lengthening the stretch, leaving Emma for last. She gently placed a hand on her knee and straightened her leg then with the other, applied pressure to the back of her ankle, pushing it further towards her head and held it there.

"That's so painful!" Emma complained and a tear trickled down the side of her cheek at the stretch.

"It will be at first." Regina said apologetically as she stood over the blonde and pushed a little harder. "It won't cause any lasting damage but it will hurt in the morning."

Emma wasn't sure if Regina was talking about the stretch or last night. "Is it worth it?"

Regina smiled. "That depends on what you want to achieve. Flexibility is useful, wouldn't you say?" She pushed the leg slightly lower and her hair fell around her face reminding Emma of their encounter the previous night.

"Yeah.. ghaa! I'm not known for my flexibility. But I really wanna work on that." She reached a hand up and placed it gently over the one Regina was currently using to torture her. It was a small gesture and her words did not go unnoticed. Regina placed a gentle kiss to her fingers as she released the stretch and before standing back up straight.

"Maybe we both should work on that." Regina said and helped Emma back up to her feet.

Emma was about to say something else but Regina was turning to the rest of the class.

"Ok girls pair up, we are going to work on mirroring. Miss Swan, will you be my partner? I mean.. for the class!" Regina blushed as she realised what her words had sounded like. Emma grinned broadly.

"Are you sure I'm ready? I mean, I've only been to a couple of...classes." Regina rolled her eyes at the blonde's use of words. Emma blushed. "I'd love to be your partner, Regina. Just, forgive me if I mess up in the beginning."

Regina knew exactly what the blonde was saying and her stomach filled with butterflies. Maybe they could try this. "I'm sure we will both mess up. I'm more of a solo performer myself."

Emma was grinning from ear to ear. "Really? So no ex dance partners I should be worrying about living up to?"

Regina laughed loudly causing the other girls in the room to look up to see what their teacher was doing. She began dancing and Emma copied the movements.
"None you need to worry about, no."