Summery: ~DirtyDancing!AU~ During a family vacation at an upscale resort, Enjolras finds himself immersed in the lives of the resort's vivacious entertainment staff and unwillingly accepts to be the solution to their poverty problems. E/È

"The night we met I knew I needed you so

And if I had the chance I'd never let you go

Oh won't you say you love me

I'll make you so proud of me

We'll make them turn their heads, every place we go."

-The Ronettes, Be My Baby

Enjolras' senses were overcame with a lustful, tobacco filled scent as he entered the cramped room. His eyes slightly watered and he had to balance the watermelon he was carrying under one of his arms for a moment while he wiped his watering eyes.

Once they were cleared and the smoke separated for a moment, Enjolras became rigid and increasingly uncomfortable as he surveyed the scene around him.

The room was filled with people. Paired off into dancing partners, some of the same gender and some of opposite, these couples were hardly doing what Enjolras would call dancing.

Their bodies were practically molded to each other. The women's skirts were being yanked and tugged to their torsos, exposing the shiny, sweaty flesh of their thighs and occasional peaks of their under clothing. Enjolras couldn't tear his eyes away from the dancers. Their groins were practically attached with the way they were in constant contact.

Azelma jerked her head to the side and shouted over the music.

"This way!" Enjolras snapped out of his little daze and followed Azelma to the side of the room, slightly away from the dancers and towards a little kitchen area.

"Over on that tables is just fine." Azelma shouted to Enjolras again as she placed her watermelon on the wooden table which she was referring too. Enjorlas did as he was told and turned to face the dancers once again, leaning his backside on the wooden table and supporting his weight with his arms. Azelma continued with her preparations.

Enjolras leaned over to Azelma and asked "Where'd they learn to do that?"

Azelma looked at the dancers and laughed. "Where?" She shrugged. "I don't really know. Kids were doing it back home, in their basements. It just find of made it's way to the resort through the staff."

Enjolras nodded and remained silent. He had been aware of some kids from school doing stuff like this, but he never made it a point to actually witness or take part of it.

Azelma leaned on the table next to Enjolras, examining her nails as she spoke.

"Could you imagine this kind of dancing on the main floor? With all those families fox-trotting? Management would have to close the place down."

Enjolras nodded again, completely understanding what the girl was saying. The resort was known as wholesome and family-oriented. Innocence was nowhere to be found in the dancing they were doing here.

The door slammed open and loud hoots and hollers erupted from the entrance of the room where Enjolras was just moments ago. It took him a moment of maneuvering his head, but he finally caught sight of the cause of the commotion.

It was the couple from the resort's public dance floor.

He had seem them earlier in the night, on the main floor at the lodge, while Enjolras was conversing politely with the other guests of the resort with his family. The dance couple had started slowly, waiting for the guests to move out of the way and form a circle of space around them. They had danced a rather respectable tango, slightly scandalous, but that was credit to it's country of origin.

Apparently their performance was an advertisement for lessons which the visitor's could sign up for during their stay.

Enjolras had been rather unimpressed with their blatant parade of talent, to say the least.

The brunette couple greeted everyone around them with smiles and laughter. The needle started up on another track and the girl nearly shrieked, grabbed at her partners shoulders and instantly turned him to face her. The boy's arms instinctively wrapped around her small waist and brought their hips closer together.

They danced and thrashed their heads along with the time of the upbeat and movement provoking sounds that blared from the speakers.

As Enjolras watched them, an unsettling feeling spiked in his being. The girl was entrancing, somehow more so than when he first saw her. Her skin gleamed with the slightest traces of sweat, making her almost shine in the small light that graced the room.

He forced his eyes away from the display of pure sexuality. He was about to turn his back to the whole room when Azelma addressed him with a smirk.

"That's my sister, Eponine." Azelma must have seen who caught Enjolras' attention. "She's the reason I have this job. Wonderful girl. Trust me, I'm not biased."

Enjolras cracked a smirk as he folded his arms. His eyes strayed back to observing the couple. The girl who's name was Eponine's hair was let loose and wild, taking on a different look than what she had only moments before.

She was grinning and smiling and laughing with the not-so-gentleman that she danced with. Her long arms wrapped around his shoulders and neck. His stature was just a head taller than her's, which seemed to give their posture the perfect contours for the movements they were making.

"They look great together." Enjolras surprised himself by stating this rather obvious fact.

Azelma shrugged and smiled. "Yeah, it's a shame. With physical chemistry like that, you'd think they were a couple, huh?"

Enjolras turned his head to look at the small girl with a confused expression. "Are you saying they aren't?" Azelma nodded.

"Not since we were children." Enjolras didn't say anything due to the fact that he really had nothing to say. He supposed that whatever the relationship was between those two was none of his business.

The song ended with another one following it quickly. The girl, Eponine, and her dance partner eased out of their embrace and sauntered over to Azelma and Enjolras.

Eponine took a quick glance at the blond boy and asked her sister. "What's he doing here?" Her tone was low and serious, as if Enjolras' presence would destroy the peace of the room.

Azelma shrugged. "He saw me struggling with the produce."

Eponine raised a brow at the blond, her brunette partner grabbed a bottle and took a swig of it, relaxed next to Azelma.

Enjolras tensed. "I carried a watermelon."

Eponine's expression softened and she nodded. She turned back to her partner, conversing with him quietly.

I carried a watermelon? Enjolras almost shrunk into himself. He normally was never so tongue tied around anybody.

Eponine suddenly approached him, lightly grasping his forearm and pulling him forward.

"What was your name, again?"

"Enjolras." he answered.

"Nice name." She continued to talk as she pulled him into the crowd. He glanced back at Azelma, who was smirking wickedly at them as they entered the crowd.

"Uh..thanks." Enjolras was flustered. There was no use in hiding it.

"You ever danced before?" She eased closer, placing his hands around her waist and sneaking her hands onto his shoulders.

They were in the middle of the crowd. Every being in Enjolras' body was telling him to up and leave. He didn't want to do this. There was nothing enjoyable about this to him. It was a waste of time and energy. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to turn away from Eponine. Especially since she was so close. His pulse quickened and his entire body seemed to go paralyzed.

Oh right, she had asked him something.

"Not..exactly, no." He muttered as she started swaying. Eponine smirked, but tried to hide it. She brought one hand down from his shoulder to place it on his hips, provoking it to move in time with her's.

"You just have to move your hips. It should come pretty natural."

Enjolras' movements were stiff and technical. He felt awkward and uncomfortable. In any other situation he would have turned right on his heel and left, but then again, there was something inside Enjolras that needed to please this girl.

"Here, kind of like this." Eponine's pelvic movements became more aggressive, raggedly dragging his hips into her's.

Enjolras instantly recognized the burning feeling in his lower stomach. Every logical reason suddenly came flooding into his mind, telling him to excuse himself from this waste of time. He had better things to during his vacation, right?

But something was practically gripping him by his spine, holding him in that spot.

"Now you've got it.." Eponine encouraged with a light smile on her mouth.

He felt his ears go warm.

The song ended and just like that, Eponine gave him a salute as she disappeared into the crowd. She left Enjolras feeling conflicted, slightly aroused and foolish all at once.

"No." Enjolras stated firmly, not even caring to look Azelma in the face, but continuing to carry on with helping Azelma transfer soda crates from one pallet to the next.

It was the very next morning. Enjolras had lost interest in whatever morning activities his family were up to and had decided to go for a stroll around the resort forest trails, where he, yet again, found Azelma doing handy work all by herself. He had taken over the task without needing to be asked.

"Aw, come on! It would really save our butts, kid! Why not just do everyone a favor and sub for Grantaire?" Azelma was practically pleading with the boy. He shook his head again. "No way."

Enjolras carefully placed a pallet down. He turned to go fetch another, but Azelma stood herself in his way, hands on her hips. "Listen," Her tone became low, as if she was about to reveal a great secret. "I saw you dancing with Eponine the other night. Admit it, you got into it.." Her tone lightened and she shrugged. "Just let us polish you up with some technique and you won't make a fool of yourself."

"Give it a chance, will you?"

Enjolras turned to the new comer. It was Eponine's dance partner from the night before.

Grantaire, Enjolras had learned, was his name. Grantaire came to the soda pallet, lifting it up and spoke to Enjolras as he carried it.

"I have an interview with a talent manager from California on the day of the performance." The brunette's voice was throaty and deep, his eyes tired.

"It's a really simple mambo, Eponine knows the steps like the back of her hand. And I can teach you the lead steps." He grunted as he set his pallet down. Enjolras followed suit, still listening.

"This interview, it's a big deal."

Grantaire stopped his work to face Enjolras square in the eye. "If the hotel doesn't get a dance, I'm out of the job."

Guilt seeped up through Enjolras' back. He knew how hard the upperclass could be to those of lower statues. If the entertainment couldn't do their job, the resort management would have no problem firing them.

Enjolras pursed his lips. He thought it over, and over and over….

"I'm a terrible dancer." he mumbled.

Grantaire's eyes lit up. "You'll learn."

The first lesson was a disaster. Enjolras and Eponine were at each others throats within the first thirty minutes. Their fiery tempers and passionate views quickly conflicted with one another.

Enjolras had stormed out of the practice space prematurely, leaving Eponine glaring at Grantaire with an irritated silence.

Grantaire spoke with both of them, separately. Pleading for the other to suck up their pride and let this work.

After a large amount of guilt-tripping, they both agreed.

The next lesson was slightly stiff, both wanting so much to throttle the other, but Grantaire was quickly there to diffuse any sparks that flew.

By the fourth lesson it was finally starting to make sense. Enjolras' feet stopped tripping over themselves and his timing was almost perfect. His frame and structure were improving at such a fast rate that even he had to give Eponine credit for the amazing progress he had made during their rehearsals.

Grantaire was constantly there, directing and giving as many points from the male point of view as he could. Which was surprisingly helpful and somehow reassured Enjolras' confidence in his masculinity. Somehow knowing that Grantaire knew the exact moves he was learning assured him that dancing wasn't such a prissy pants pastime like he originally thought it was.

Enjorlas shook his head. "There's no way I'm getting on that."

Eponine raised her eyebrows as she slowly came towards Enjolras from her spot on the large tree log.

"Afraid, are we?" She asked with a jesting accusation.

The day was bright and sunny. It was the girl's idea to practice outside of the studio. Enjolras didn't really care where they rehearsed, just as long as it would get done and over with.

Eponine's idea of getting away from the studio meant going deep into the woods surrounding the resort. Enjolras was practically lost if he was left to his own devices in the lush green enviorment. He wasn't much of the nature type to walk in the forest and instantly know which type of log was able to support a fully grown man and petite woman.

"Not afraid, just intelligent." Enjolras folded his arms and planted his feet firmly on the soft dirt ground as if mentally rooting himself there.

"Come on, Enjy. This is the perfect way to learn balance." Eponine out stretched the width of her arms and her feet curved around the log. She started moving her body in tune with her humming and beckoned Enjolras towards her.

He raised an eyebrow and, not for the first time, questioned the entire thing all together.

A soft pout came over Eponine's face and she let her sharp shoulders sag somewhat.

"You promised R…."

It wasn't so much as her mentioning his agreement than it was her annoying puppy dog look that made Enjolras roll his eyes and straightened up slightly.

"Alright, alright…goodness woman." He muttered as he cautiously took a tenetive step onto the rough bark of the log. He looked down at the small rushing pond beneath them. The somewhat long fall was steep enough for him to second guess his decisions.

"Hey, look at me." Eponine guessed where his thoughts were going and tried to distract him. Enjolras looked up with uncertainty. But the moment he spot her concerned face, his worries were lifted almost instantly.

Eponine saw that he was willing. So she continued. "Keep looking at my face, alright?"

The blond eased his arms out and nodded. His mouth tightened into a hard line as a sign of his concentration. He took another step. And another. As he started a third, his body started leaning to his left more than was necessary.

Eponine crouched, trying to hold out her arms to him and made a slight squealing sound, anticipating his fall.

"Just a little to the left, Enj. And just look at me and focus on my voice."

Her voice was probably the last thing he was focusing on. He regained his balance and let out a sigh of relief in time with Eponine's.

"See? It's not so hard."

Enjolras didn't realize he was actually standing in front of Eponine until he felt her soft breath on his collar bone. Eponine cleared her throat and held out her arms in position. The blond shook his shoulders out slightly and raised his arms, connecting with hers.

"Alright," she said "And now, we dance."

They sat safely at the edge of the pond, taking a ten minute break.

Eponine sat cross legged, looking up into the clear sky with a clear admiration.

Enjolras finally spoke. "How did you learn to do all this?" He had been wondering for a long while now.

"What, dancing? Or balancing on logs?"

Enjolras scoffed and took a sip from his water bottle before answering. "Dancing." He clarified.

"I've been doing it since I was pretty young. It was the only physical activity I actually enjoyed doing. Last summer I was a part of a theater group. Our only theatre had just shut down and we were all dead out of work.

A few guys came and found us al and offered us work. Teaching us certain dance steps and how to teach them. Breaking them down and simplifying them for people to learn. Pretty much recruiting people for the resort job."

She took a long swig from her water bottle before answering.

"It's not very glamorous, but it pays."

"Shit, shit, shit." Enjorlas paced the small dressing room. Grantaire sat on a fold out chair in the corner, nursing a beer bottle as he watched Enjolras go back and forth.

"Maybe run through it by yourself?" Grantaire suggested. The blond ran a shaky hand through his curly hair. "No, no. I can barely remember it without Eponine. It wouldn't do any good." Enjolras' voice wavered. He didn't understand.

He had spoken and successfully ran numerous after school program seminars and debates. Why was this so frightening? No one was going to die if this became a tragedy.

This couldn't possibly be so bad. Worst case scenario, Enjolras would miss one tinsy step and get off rhythm. Or…accidentally trip Eponine and send her flying into the audience, resulting in possible injury or maim of both her and whatever bystander she happens to fall on.

Okay, maybe this train of thought wasn't helping.

Grantaire gently set his bottle of alcohol down. "Hey, calm down. It's going to be great. You'll be great." A gleam of admiration flashed in his eyes. "You've excelled faster than any student I've had. Be sure and confident, or else they'll see right through you."

Enjolras nodded and let out a short exhale of breath. "You're right" he said. The blond relaxed almost immediately. Though little tension remained, he was able to sit himself down on another metal fold out chair beside his impromptu dance teacher.

Grantaire picked up his bottle and took anther sip. After which he offered it to Enjolras. Who, surprisingly, accepted the bottle and lifted the bottle to his lips. It wasn't the first time Enjolras tasted alcohol. He was a responsible person, he had seen first hand how the bottle could ruin the best of men. The bitter taste, he could never get used to, but he welcomed the fiery spike that the burning liquid sent down his throat.

"You know, you're really saving my ass by doing this." Grantaire stared at his empty hands. His expression stoic and almost unreadable.

"What's so important about meeting up with this person?" Enjolras' curiosity got the better of him. Grantaire's gleaming eyes locked on the blond. His spoke with a serious tone.

"If I can talk to this guy, he'll help me land a job in the city. Free housing, amazing pay and doing what I love to do. But on my time and my say." Grantaire turned away and ran an anxious hand through his locks. "I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand."

Enjolras stared off, handing the bottle back to it's owner. They were silent for a moment.

Finally Grantaire stood and sighed. "Alright, Apollo. Show time."

The performance at the neighboring hotel was mediocre at best. Enjolras had lost count of time, but Eponine was quick to bring him back up to speed.

They sat in a content and comfortable silence as Eponine drove them back to the resort.

When they arrived back at the resort late into the night, Grantaire was missing

He was locked in his room. Enjolras had to bust the door down.

They found the brunette in a mess of blankets and beer bottles, a belt wrapped around his bicep and vomit spilled across the floor.

Enjolras had ran to the guest rooms without a explaining his intentions to Eponine, who had fell to her knees next to Grantaire, trying to awake him.

He woke his grandfather with urgent words, calling for his medical assistance.

They rushed back to the staff dorms together. His grandfather in a sleepy daze, but serious with intent.

Crowds of staff were spilling into Grantaire's room, observing Eponine as she cried in despair over her dance partner. No one seemed to know what to do to help them, so they sat and watched.

Enjolras had to clear them out, his grandfather barking orders at the staff, telling them to give the sick boy space.

As his grandfather finally made it to Grantaire's side, Enjolras ushered the staff away, telling them sternly to go back to bed.

They all settled into the porch of Grantaire's room. The doctor inside and quiet with him.

Eponine was white as a sheet and Enjolras felt compelled to do something, but he was in shock himself. Everyone was quiet. the deep, uneasy atmosphere was almost palpable.

After what seemed like an eternity, the doctor came out. Everyone practically rushed inside, hoping to see Grantaire. The doctor continued his way off the porch.

Eponine had tried to stop him, to give him her thanks, but he merely brushed her off like some vermin on his jacket.

Enjolras went back with his grandfather without a word.

Later that night, Enjolras knocked softly on the aged door. He looked over his shoulder, surveying the outskirt roads leading to the staff's living quarters. It was dark and empty, all the staff had probably gone back to their rooms. The tall student heard soft footfalls coming closer to the door and the click of the door handle turn.

Eponine's large eyes widened as she peered up at Enjolras. The boy suddenly felt rather awkward under her gaze and rubbed the back of his neck. He muttered a soft "Hi.." after a silent moment passed. Eponine's face warmed and she gave a soft smile. "Hey." She said.

"May I…um…come in?" Enjolras couldn't understand why he was getting so flushed all of a sudden. They weren't even touching or remotely close physically to being the distance they were at while learning and performing the mambo.

The girl nodded and opened the door while stepping back, letting Enjolras into her room. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the room's dark atmosphere. A single paper lantern was lit in the high corner of the large room. A large bed with a white sheet and comforter lazily strewn about the mattress. A single chair was stationed next to wooden nightstand. Gentle music was playing softly from the turntable sitting on the stand.

Enjolras turned back to Eponine and he took notice of her attire. A loose black sleeveless shirt hung from her torso, revealing a somewhat modest white breast undergarment underneath. High waisted dark shorts curved at her hips, hugging them closing. Her toned legs and feet were bare.

A pile of laundry was laying on the single chair in the room. Eponine quickly took it and tossed it to the floor on the other side of her bed. "Please, have a seat." She said as she gestured to the now empty chair.

Enjolras exhaled as he sat down. The weight of the day finally settled over his bones as he relaxed into the chair.

Eponine sat on the edge of her bed and hugged her shoulders, arching her neck to the side and producing a loud and sudden crack. Enjolras looked up at her and met her raised eyebrow.

Ah, yes. Enjolras thought. I came here to say something….

"Listen, Eponine. I came here to apologize for the way my grandfather treated you."

Eponine shook her head and said, "No, please. What he did was amazing. None of us in the staff could have ever helped Grantaire the way he did."

Enjolras sensed a quiver in her voice. "But it was unacceptabl-" She cut him off.

"Enj, really it's okay." Eponine's expression became sullen and tired, expressing an opinion that she accepted with a passionless demeanor. "People treat me like I'm nothing simply because I am. I am nothing." She looked at the floor and seemed to close in on herself.

"Last year I was living on the streets, barely able to stay alive. Now, I'm teaching dance and these disgusting older men are forcing hundred dollar bills on me. I was surviving off of nothing and I could be there again just like that." She spoke as if admitting this would disgust Enjolras to the point of leaving.

Instead, he leaned forward, taking hold of her rough hands into his own. "Eponine, don't say that. You are everything." Enjolras refused to meet her gaze, flushing at the statement he just made. He trudged on. "You are the spirit of this place. Spending time with you and learning what you've taught me…There's a fire in you. A beautiful, strong fire that doesn't survive off of nothing." He was silent. She took this moment to interject.

"I've never met anyone like you. You think like you know you can make the world better."

Enjolras scoffed. "I'm not like you. I'm not brave. I ran to my dad the minute I knew we were in trouble."

"It took a lot of courage to go to him!" Eponine's tone was steady and sure, causing Enjolras to finally look up at her face. "It's like you're not afraid of anything."

He practically drowned in her emotional expression. It seemed like tears were threatening to escape her sullen eyes.

He swallowed and scoffed. "Eponine, I went to him because I was afraid. I was scared of what happened to Grantaire and how I basically enabled what happened to him. I'm scared of who I am and what I might become. I'm scared right now that after I leave this goddamn resort that I won't, ever in my whole life, feel the same passion and drive that I feel, whenever I'm with you."

Eponine was quiet and simply looked at him. The room was still and the music stopped. Enjolras' words hung in the air, echoing again and again in his mind. Her wrist turned in his hand and he loosened his grip, anticipating the moment that she would pull her hands away from his, but it never came. She simply turned it to interlace her fingers with his and a small smile played on her lips as she did so.

The turntable's needle started up again. A slow beat filled the room with a vibrant melody and soft sound. Enjolras slowly stood up, pulling Eponine to stand with him.

He brought her hand up and pressed his lips onto her knuckles. Her eyelashes fluttered with a soft exhale as she watched their intertwined hands.

"Eponine."

He said her name with such reverence, she wouldn't have heard it if it wasn't for their short distance.

She looked up at him, her eyes searching his features. "Dance with me."

Eponine titled her head and her smile grew. "What? Here?"

Enjolras gave a slight nod and a smile grew in his eyes. A light giggle erupted from her throat. "Ah, but I thought you despised dancing."

He sighed as he let go of her hands to encircle his arms around her torso. He felt her body relax of it's built up tension from the night's stress and she leaned into him.

Enjolras spoke softly into her ear, "I guess it's grown on me."

He pressed her closer, gripping her waist as he brought their cores together. A sudden heat came over them. The music didn't leave Enjolras so awkward and motionless as it did the first time he danced with Eponine. He was much more experienced with moving in tune with the beat. He now understood how important it was to not think when letting the music push and pull the limbs in the current of the sounds. His lessons with Eponine tuned his body into a wordless creature of physical signals and responses. Without saying a word they came to a mutual understanding of their undeniable affections

He gently pushed his leg between her's as he swayed. Her small hands trailed up his shoulders to the back of his neck,

The atmosphere changed so quickly that none of them seemed to notice the slowly building urgency in their movements. Eponine slowly brought her lips to his throat and pressed soft kisses on his warm flesh. She felt his pulse quicken under soft touches and observed him as he closed his eyes.

She slowly pulled him down with her onto her bed. The sweet darkness and warm music overcame them as they succumbed to their desire for one another.

A/N Wooowwza's I am rusty. This is the first fanfic I've written in a looong time. I looked over this a good amount of times for grammatical and spelling errors, but there's always something I never catch... Onto Part 2!

Reviews are appreciated!