A/N: Hey! Sorry for such a long time between updates. I was really in the writer's block camp on this, and hope everything came out okay! I'll try to update more frequently in the future, but no promises. OCD/Perfectionism and writing do not a good pair make (: Anyway, enjoy!
Emma rolled her eyes internally at the young girl before her, a polite but distant smile plastered on her face. Mulan had been flirting with her after classes for the past month, and Emma had been doing her best to discourage it. No matter how short her answers were, or how one-sided she made the conversation, it seemed that Mulan was just not going to give up. It wasn't that the younger woman wasn't attractive – Emma couldn't deny that – but she would absolutely never think about dating one of her students. It was unprofessional, and could jeopardize the safe space she worked so hard to build in her classes.
"There's just nothing better than getting hot and sweaty on the pole. Except maybe getting hot and sweaty with another woman," Mulan simpered as she leaned further into Emma's personal space.
Jesus Christ.
Emma took a step backwards, never letting her smile reach her eyes as she tried to think of a way to neutrally respond to Mulan. "I –"
Before Emma could say anything, she heard the chime of the studio's front door opening, and she breathed a sigh of relief for the sudden excuse to gracefully exit the conversation. "I hope you have a great weekend, Mulan, see you next class! Keep up the great work!" Emma quickly sidestepped the other woman, dodging any further uncomfortable conversation.
As Emma moved towards the front door, she locked eyes with the woman in front of her, and she felt her whole world stop.
The woman was the most beautiful human Emma had ever seen. Her chocolate brown hair lay perfectly around her shoulders, framing her face. Her dark eyes held Emma's, and Emma couldn't help but notice a hint of sadness – and was that fear? – behind them. It was only when they looked at her with slight irritation that she realized she hadn't moved in way too long. Embarrassed, the blonde shook her head, noting the other woman's attire - a heavy cardigan and jeans – something that made Emma's eyebrow lift in a silent, but amused, question.
"Hi, can I help you?" Emma asked, wincing at how throaty her voice had become in the last 30 seconds.
The woman lifted her chin slightly, and Emma couldn't help but notice the fear creep back into the woman's gaze.
"I signed up for a class this evening with an Emma Swan," at the sound of her name coming out of the other woman's mouth, Emma could feel a blush rising to her cheeks unbidden, and prayed to all the deities of the world that the other woman wouldn't notice.
"Oh great, you'll be working with me this evening! It's nice to meet you, I'm Emma," the blonde extended her hand to the other woman, wincing again as her voice squeaked an octave too high to be casual.
"Regina Mills," the other woman took her hand and offering a tight smile that bordered on a grimace. "Is there a place where I might be able to change into something more appropriate? I brought several outfits, I'm afraid I'm not quite familiar with what one wears to a class like this."
"I was going to ask you about that," Emma laughed. "If you want to hang your cardigan on the rack behind you, I can take you to the changing rooms. You can wear whatever you feel most comfortable in, as long as you can move around without problem. Most girls wear yoga pants or running shorts, but we are a very accepting group. We have had some women in the past who have dealt with everything from body image issues to PTSD, so we encourage everyone to set their own boundaries, no questions asked."
Regina nodded, shrugging out of her cardigan and turning to hang it behind her. As she turned, Emma's eyes couldn't help but dart down to the other woman's ass, and Emma found herself exerting more self-control than she usually had to in order to not reach out and grab the other woman.
What the fuck, Swan? Are you fifteen again?
Before Emma could go further down a hole of self-admonishment, Regina turned expectantly, shouldering what looked to be a fairly heavy gym bag.
"Wow, you weren't kidding when you said you brought several outfits, were you?" Emma asked.
She noticed Regina stiffen slightly for a moment, a look of insecurity flashing across her face before being replaced with the same tight smile as before. "Shall we, Miss Swan?"
Emma swallowed, before silently nodding and leading the brunette to the changing room in the back of the studio. Coming to the doorway, she turned and gestured inside. "Take as much time as you need, we'll be just through that door. Make sure you pick up a yoga mat from the wall before you come in, we'll start with some stretches to warm up before we get you on the pole at all," Emma didn't wait for a response from the other woman before ducking inside the classroom.
Emma said hello to some of the familiar faces she had seen before, but her face broke out into a grin when she saw a familiar figure at the far end of the studio. She met the wolfish woman's gaze across the room.
"Heya Rubes, long time no see," Emma winked. The other woman mock stood at mock attention and saluted Emma, making the blonde roll her eyes.
"Reporting for duty, Captain Swan," the brunette said, barely containing the smile she was holding in.
Emma shuddered. "Don't ever call me that again, Red, that's so gross."
"What? You don't like being called Captain Swan?" Ruby was openly grinning at her friend's discomfort, knowing how much the name got under the blonde's skin.
"I can kick you out of here, you know that, right?" Emma grabbed a yoga mat from the stack along the wall and threw it at the other woman, who caught it deftly and stuck her tongue out playfully.
Emma turned to the sound system, plugging in her phone and queueing up the playlist she had made for the class. As the bass of Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy" thumped out of the speakers, Emma lowered the lights, letting the blue and red LEDs bathe the room in a soft glow.
It was at that moment that Regina walked through the door in a sports bra and curve-hugging leggings, whispering dangerously close to Emma as she bent over to pick up a yoga mat. Scanning the room, the brunette frowned slightly before gliding to the back of the room. Emma watched her walk away, trying to tell herself that the thumping in her chest was just the music's bass reverberating, and not her heart going into overdrive at the other woman's brief proximity.
Taking one last look around the room, and catching Ruby's knowing and amused gaze before scowling and turning the music up higher.
"Alright ladies, let's start by laying down on our mats." She called out.
This was going to be a long evening.
A/N: Alright, sorry to leave it on another cliff hanger, but I'm planning on things continuing to sit on a low simmer for a while (: We'll get some dancing and more tension next chapter, and things will start t up. Until next time, and thanks for reading!