Paul tripped through the grand wooden archway of the training centre to see his sword skills class getting ready as usual, his own blade tied around his shoulders. He walked over to the equipment room and picked up his armour, sliding it around his forearms and tying the string to hold on the torso piece.

Glancing around the hall, he noticed a small woman sat on the floor cross-legged, facing away from him. She was hunched over with the hilt of her sword what seemed like 3 inches from her face, what the hell was she doing? Paul walked around the edges of the room and took in the rest of his class: Ted was stood with his arms crossed laughing at Bill who was fumbling with the hilt of his sword, clearly failing at a trick Ted was trying to show him. Paul looked across the room to see Alice playfully knighting Deb, planting a kiss on her forehead as the final mark of knighthood, Ziggs watching over them like an approving monarch.

"Hey-" He's finally arrived at the girl hunched over in the corner and tapped on her shoulder. "Shit!" She jolted and spun around to look at him, "Sorry, you can't scare me like that." Emma shuffled around to face Paul, who sat opposite her on a spare bench.

"You looked confused before, need any help with that sword? It looks kind of heavy..." He mumbled the last few words, trying not to offend her.

"What?" She huffed slightly, "Trust me, I'm fine." After a few seconds of Paul looking at her disbelievingly, she stood up and grabbed her sword with, what some would say, far too much confidence. "Show me some moves, why not."

He watched her stand up, she was surprisingly short, though he noticed the strength in her arms almost immediately. They stood opposite each other for a second and began the starting moves they had been taught the week before. For a second, Paul thought he saw her fumble with her sword - he'd take it easy on her.

They began, and it became evident that Paul couldn't be more wrong. She immediately flew at him and blocked all of his defences one after another after another, her energy seemed to be unlimited. Paul started to push back, but without any success. Emma spun the blade underneath him and hit his weapon out of his hand, and in the confusion of her fast movements he found himself knocked to the floor. Next thing he knew, the surprisingly small woman had her foot on his chest and the tip of the sword only inches from his face.

"Need any help with that?" She scoffed mockingly, moving the blade closer to his nose slightly.

"Okay okay okay, sorry!"

After a second, Emma stood to the side and gestured for him to get up, before putting out her right hand and lifting him back up to his feet.

"I told you I was fine-" She started before the door slammed dramatically signalling the arrival of their professor.

"Guys gals and our in-between pals! Let's stop the practice and get back to some... real fighting, shall we?" Professor Hidgens always had an air about him that said he knew more than anyone else in the room, which was probably why he became a teacher. A teacher of martial arts, to be precise. That and the undivided attention it brought to him, of course. Everyone's attentions landed on him, and he waited in the focused silence for a few moments before sauntering up to the front of the hall and speaking again.

"Today we're moving away from tricks and fancies, and onto what you all really came here for:" He placed a hand on his hips and flourished the other in the air, "Partner work!" He gestured for the class to begin pairing up.

A buzzing conversation came from the room for a moment or two, and a few people began to make their pairs through subtle looks and nods. Paul and Emma were the only two left after everyone had shuffled into groups, and so shrugged at each other and stood closer.

"Right!" Hidgens began again, "I assume you've all researched what I asked you to. Those who didn't: too bad, your partner will teach you. Go!" He waved in the air again, and the hall was filled with voices once more.

Paul turned to Emma without making eye contact, and she immediately knew what he was about to say.

"So uh, I-"

"You didn't do the work, did you?" She stared at his blank face for a second "What even is your name dude?"

"Paul. Matthews" He put his hand out for a handshake, which she blatantly refused, forcing him to bring it back, "and no I didn't learn it."

Emma rolled her eyes and swung the sword over her shoulder, thinking through the sequence and trying to figure out how to best teach the lanky man stood in front of her. Here we fucking go, she thought as she began to run him through the steps.

"Yeah, that's it Paul- hey you're finally getting it!" Emma laughed for the first time all lesson, he had been taking so long to understand the movements she expected him to just give up and leave her to it. After a moment they run through the routine from the start again, blocking the planned strikes, and dipping and striking seamlessly with each other. Though it felt like they'd only been practising for a half hour or so, Paul noticed Alice walking toward the door of the hall, and paused to talk to her.

"Alice, why are you going?" He didn't realise just how out of breath he actually was and took a second to get it back. "Is Deb staying?"

Alice turned back to him and giggled slightly, "Paul we've been here for like, 2 hours. Did you get all wrapped up and lose track of time?" She nodded her head to Emma who was turned the other way checking her phone, and Alice raised an eyebrow at Paul.

"No- Alice right get home, tell Bill I said hi?"

"'Course, see you later I guess" She threw up a peace sign and walked out through the large arch.

Turning back to Emma, Paul pretended to sneak up on her again, expecting a jokey response back- he had really enjoyed spending this time with her and felt that he was okay to repeat what went so badly when they first met.

But Emma was so engrossed in her phone that she didn't notice Paul coming up behind her, and when his hands landed on her shoulders she instinctually fell down- she wasn't sure why she did this, but whenever she was scared she always felt the need to simply drop and roll. As she dropped pulling Paul down with her, she tripped over him during the 'Roll' portion of her reaction and landed sideways across him. She paused for a moment, silent, as she realised what she had just done.

They lay silent before Paul shuffled slightly, and was met my Emma's hand resting on his shoulder. She rested above him for a second and looked into his eyes, glancing at his lips quickly pulling her eyes back to meet his. She let her eyes close and leaned down towards him leaving a gentle, yet confident kiss on his lips. Paul hesitated before kissing her back equally as soft, placing his hands around her waist. After a moment together she rested her arms over his shoulders and slowly opened her eyes, smiling contentedly.

She nodded gently and pushed herself up from the floor. Across the hall Emma reached into her locker, pulled out a large rucksack and slung it over her shoulder. She tied a thick cloak around her waist and skipped slightly towards the door. Turning to face Paul, she lifted her hand in the air and gave him a quick little salute.

"Later, Matthews."

As she walked out they both smiled to themselves, the feeling of his lips on hers still lingering on their minds.