Let's Dance

by She's a Star

Disclaimer: Moulin Rouge belongs to Baz Luhrmann

A/N: This is my first attempt at a somewhat non-depressing MR fanfiction. I was watching the Moulin Rouge DVD, and on the second disc there were little clips from either a make-up test or cut scene of Christian and Satine dancing around in an empty Moulin Rouge. For some reason, I just loved it, so I decided to write a fic about it :) It's pretty fluffy, but oh well...that was my intention :) Enjoy!

~*~


The Moulin Rouge, when empty, was a completely different place.
Every step Satine took echoed loudly on the smooth wooden floors, and each time she inhaled it filled the whole giant room with noise.
It was barely six in the morning, and normally Satine wouldn't even dream of being up so early. However, Harold had informed her that the Duke was going to "surprise" her there that morning with flowers and breakfast.
Satine shuddered at the very thought of him...she didn't like the Duke. Besides the fact that he was repulsive, stupid, and had a voice that made her skin crawl and ears ring, there was just...something about him that made her uncomfortable.
She couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't just a naive idiot who would believe anything you told him.
"There's a power in you that scares me..."
Satine's words from a few weeks before popped into her mind.
It was true.
She hadn't known it then.
Despite the countless amount of feet that danced across it each evening into the wee hours of the morning, the floor was still so glossy that Satine could make out her reflection in it. Her hair was curled and half of it teased carefully on top of her head, the other half falling to her shoulders. Her dress was a black velvet and revealed her shoulders.
"Diamonds," she sang softly to herself. Her voice echoed through the empty dance hall. "Diamonds...square cut or pear shaped these rocks won't lose their shape..."
"Diamonds," a voice cut her off behind her. "Are a girl's best friend!"
Satine gasped and turned around, hand to her heart, to see Christian standing there, beaming at her.
"Oh, it's you," she said, relieved. "You mustn't scare me like that."
"Sorry," he said, smiling at her. Satine couldn't hold back the smile that automatically began to form around the corners of her lips.
"I heard Harold say the Duke was going to be here," Christian said. "So I thought I'd play the chivalrous knight and come save you."
"If only," Satine sighed wistfully.
Christian checked his watch, then announced, "We still have fifteen minutes until the Duke comes..." He struck a dramatic pose, then said with an exaggeratedly stuffy accent, "Shall we dance, Mademoiselle?"
Satine laughed, then replied, "I don't dance."
Christian raised an eyebrow at her skeptically. "Oh, yes, how silly of me...of COURSE you don't dance. You only do every night."
"That's not ME dancing," Satine replied. "That's....her."
"Her?" Christian questioned.
"The Sparkling Diamond," Satine explained.
"Ahhh, I see," Christian said, his voice full of amusement. "Well...if you don't mind, I could attempt to teach you."
"I suppose there's no harm in trying," Satine replied, taking his hand. Christian spun her around the dance hall, his moves swift and flawless.
"It seems that someone has some hidden dancing talents," Satine said teasingly.
"You did not know?" Christian asked, adding an over exaggerated accent to his voice that sounded remarkably like the Argentinean's. "I may sing like an angel, but I dance like a devil."
Satine laughed as Christian rolled his eyes back into his head and pretended to pass out.
"Well," Satine began. "Dancing isn't dancing without music, so can you use both of your amazing talents at the same time?"
"But of course," Christian replied, smiling, then started to sing. "My gift is my song...and this one's for you."
Smiling, Satine joined him. "And you can tell everybody that this is your song. It may be quite simple, but now that it's done..."
She broke away from him and spun a few times, stopping with her back leaning on one of the mirrored columns that supported the upper floor of the hall.
"I hope you don't mind," Christian sang, a smile on his face as he slowly walked towards her. "I hope you don't mind that I put down in words..."
"How wonderful life is," Satine joined him once more. "Now you're in the world."
Christian stopped in front of her, his face only inches from her own, and grew quiet. His eyes stared intently into hers, and Satine felt the world seem to stop. Nothing else was happening...everything was put on pause...everything but them...
He leaned closer...closer...kissed her gently on the cheek, then fixed his mouth in front of her ear.
"It's a little bit funn-ay," he warbled, his voice horribly off-key. "This feeling insiiiide..."
Satine burst out laughing at his dead-on impression of the Duke. Christian looked at her expectantly, his face twitching as if the blood vessels were all about to explode and lips curled, as though he'd just taken a sip of sour milk.
"You're...insane..." Satine managed to force the words out of her mouth between giggles.
"Thank you, thank you," Christian said with a gallant bow. "I'll be here all week."
"Something to look forward to," Satine replied laughingly, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Isn't it?" Christian replied, then kissed her softly.
"Mmm-hmm," Satine murmured back, then pressed her lips against his.
Fireworks seemed to erupt all around them, just as they always did whenever she kissed him. She let herself momentarily forget the fact that the Duke would be there any minute, that she basically belonged to that wretched man, and that kissing Christian was the last thing she should be doing at that moment...
She was just a girl, kissing the man that she loved. There was nothing wrong with it...they were meant to be together, after all...nothing could ever tear them apart...nothing except-
"Good morning, my sweet!"
Satine and Christian pulled away from one another quick as lightning, and Satine licked her finger and attempted to wipe off some of the lipstick that had gotten onto Christian's mouth while Christian piled one of Satine's curls that had fallen out of place back on top of her head.
The Duke appeared, holding a huge bouquet of white and pink roses that completely covered his face. Satine immediately stood up straighter and put her hands on her hips.
"Oh, good morning, dear Duke," Satine replied, her light, airy 'Sparkling Diamond' voice taking over her normal tone at once. "The writer was just telling me about one of the new scenes he's finished."
"Oh, really," the Duke sneered, looking at Christian with an expression of obvious dislike.
Christian nodded vigorously, licking his still slightly-red lips.
The Duke turned to Satine, his face contorted into a hideous smile.
"For my Sparkling Diamond," he announced, handing her the flowers.
"Oh, thank you, sweet Duke," Satine said softly, raising the flowers to her nose and inhaling the almost sickeningly sweet fragrance.
"Anything for you, my sweet," the Duke replied with another grin exposing his crooked, yellowing teeth. Christian, who stood behind the Duke, began to twist his face and mouth the words "It's a little bit funny".
Satine laughed before she could stop herself, but quickly covered it with a cough. The Duke looked at her suspiciously, then turned to eye Christian, who immediately returned to a normal expression and looked at the Duke innocently.
"You...writer...must you be here all day?" the Duke snapped. "This was SUPPOSED to be a PRIVATE breakfast."
"No, of course not," Christian said quickly. "I'll leave you two alone. Good day, Mademoiselle Satine..." He paused, then added "Duke" with the slightest trace of hatred in his tone.
"Au revoir," Satine replied, then blew him an exaggerated kiss when the Duke turned away from her.
Christian smiled at her, then turned and walked out into the sunny garden.
The Duke stared after him, his expression one of disgust.
"I don't like that writer," he declared. "Talented, I suppose...but he looks at you strangely." The Duke laughed shortly, then took Satine's hand in his own and kissed it, his mustache scratchy against her skin. Satine resisted the urge to gag. "It's almost as if he believes he has a chance with you."
The Duke laughed again, and Satine immediately joined him.
As the Duke's lips began to make their way up Satine's arm, she thought dryly, He has a lot more of a chance than you do.
"I like him," Satine replied softly.
The Duke immediately ceased kissing her and looked at her suspiciously.
"Oh?" he asked.
Satine laughed airily and waved her hand as to dismiss her words. "Oh, nothing funny."
The Duke was still eyeing her quizzically.
"I just like..."
His eyes.
His smile.
Being in his arms.
Kissing him.
Loving him.
"...talent."




A/N 2 : Well, Christian's kinda goofy in here, but oh well...I like him like that :) And I had to borrow a few of the Argentinean's lines. *hehe* Now review, but be nice-I *am* a sensitive soul, after all :D