a/n: In response to a post on tumblr featuring Courfeyrac teaching Marius how to dance, and Zelle and Phan. Sorry for the accidental innuendos.
It had been months since Pontmercy moved in, and the boy was as distracted as ever. Now, though, it wasn't quite as melancholic. In fact, the boy seemed almost radiant with unspent but present energy. Curious as to what had changed, Courfeyrac began watching for Pontmercy's comings and goings on one night.
When midnight passed and Pontmercy hadn't returned, Courfeyrac realized the situation, a smile creeping onto his face.
It was nearly dawn by the time the ghostlike boy returned, exhausted; not exactly smiling, but still seeming to be happy. Once he saw Courfeyrac stretched in the front chair in his waistcoat, though, he became even paler, the whiteness in his face adding to the darkness of his curls. Courfeyrac's smile returned, and Pontmercy's previously neutral face frowned.
"Why are you late?" Looking back on it later, Courfeyrac would realize just how much he sounded like his own mother.
"I'm sorry, Courfeyrac, but there was a...a meeting." He was still angry, but was beginning to have a slight stutter.
Courfeyrac nodded. "A meeting. I see. I hope you aren't meaning to sell us out, seeing how Combeferre has recently acquired a new pistol for his arsenal."
Pontmercy's anger turned to fear, making it hard for Courfeyrac to keep his smile low. "Of course not!"
"Then where?" Courfeyrac lost his smile, attempting a shot at intimidation in a style mocking Enjolras'. This had never worked on others, but perhaps on Pontmercy-
"With an angel." The boy was blushing, his head managing to be red, white, and black at the same time in the rising light.
The one in the blue waistcoat smiled, understanding, nodding. "An angel? Or since you were gone until this hour, perhaps a little devil?"
Pontmercy's stutter became prominent. "No! No! An angel!" The stutter disappeared, but the anger and nervousness was still there. "An angel. She is not capable of having any properties of the devil in her, none at all." Courfeyrac just nodded again.
"Of course she isn't, pardon me. I forget that you would have separate tastes in women than me. Stop looking so shocked, that shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone."
"Courfeyac, how you talk about women is horrible. I can't imagine how any would want to be with you.
"You have obviously never heard me speak of little Jammes. The sweetest little angel by day, a ballerina. At night, though-"
"I don't want to hear it."
Courfeyac stood, placing himself in front of the slightly shorter one. "Fine, then. But she taught me one thing-don't look at me like that-that could be of use for your adventures in heaven."
Pontmercy began to blush again, though the stutter didn't return. "I believe Cosette and I will be fine without your help."
"Calm down, this doesn't have to relate to your night life. Though you could use it as a...fine. The girl just taught me how to dance."
"Oh." Pontmercy seemed relieved at first, relaxing a bit. Dancing, dancing he could do. That is, until Courfeyrac placed his hands on him. "Courfeyrac, what-"
"Relax." Courfeyrac settled his hands as a proper dance partner should. "I'll dance as the man first, with you as the woman. Then you'll have a turn at being the man. That's how the girl taught me, and that's how I'll teach you."
Pontmercy, still nervous, sighed but agreed to go along with it. Courfeyrac fixed Pontmercy's hands in the proper places.
"Now, we have no music, so we have to count out loud. Alright?"
"I have...I don't have any rhythm."
"I can tell. Just let me count, then." Courfeyrac did, as he pushed Pontmercy around the room.
"Courfeyrac, this is more like walking, not dancing."
The blue-clad man continued to move, seeming to ignore the boy's comment until suddenly, Marius found himself with one arm in the air.
"You're supposed to twirl here, mademoiselle." Courfeyrac put a slight amount of annoyance in his voice, just enough to make Marius blush some more at his mistake.
"Oh."
"Let's try this again, shall we?" Pontmercy nodded, and they did. Now that he knew what to do, this dancing business almost...fun.
"There you go! Don't trip now. Now, let's try it the other way around-you in the place you would be with your Cosette or Corset or whomever. Height might make things a little awkward for the twirls, but it's good practice if you ever find yourself dancing with a taller girl."
"Cosette isn't that tall," Marius murmured as he fumbled to get his arms into their proper place. He halted with his hands in the air, not sure of where to put them.
"It will be obvious with the lady," Courfeyrac reassured him. "Now, step."
It took a few tries, but eventually, Pontmercy seemed to become more comfortable with the dance. Pleased with his student, Courfeyac shooed him to his first real class of the morning.
That night, Marius decided to show off his newfound skill to Cosette. She seemed to enjoy it, despite being accidentally pushed against the plaster wall once.