I don't write very often but I have just had this idea today. I love CS au's that are able to fit all the other characters in a fun way and I haven't seen (many) CS au's that takes place on a reality show so I thought I would float this idea.

So this is my Strictly Come Dancing (I suppose everywhere else it's Dancing with the stars?) au. I've got some pretty good ideas but if nobody cares I doubt I'll be able to motivate myself. Anyway, enjoy!

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Killian was trying his hardest not to be whiny about this, but really? Dancing? His career was going pretty great at the moment and he just didn't understand what this was going to achieve.

"Look, Killian, I'm not going to lie to you, you're a great actor and people love what you bring to the screen, but as a person? You don't really endear yourself to people. This show will really help people see the real you." This is why he respected Liam, his publicist, he gave it to him straight. Probably helped that he was his older brother as well.

He put the phone in the crook of his neck while he flipped his pancake over. "I just don't know Liam… I'll probably end up making an idiot out of myself." And of course that was the moment he chose to drop his pancake on the floor. He tried to pick it up with a muffled 'shit' but only seemed to make it worse. He put the remnants in the pan and left it in the sink.

"Killian? Are you listening to me?" Liam's voice was becoming strained which meant he was losing his patience with him.

"Look, I'll think about it alright?"

Liam gave an exasperated 'okay' and ended the call.

~/~

He'd been watching a few random episodes of Strictly a week and it wasn't what he expected. Of course there was dancing but these professionals were good, really good actually. The celebrities didn't look stupid, they actually looked like they could dance. These people had dedicated their lives to this and he actually had a new found respect for the dancing profession, particularly when they had to deal with people like him who had no idea what they are doing.

Some of the professionals were on every year and he slowly became accustomed to their style. A few in particular caught his eye, the brown haired beauty with the wolfish grin, Marian, the Waltz specialist and Graham, the one all the girls loved. However, one dancer stood out more than the rest: Emma Swan. She was blonde, beautiful and totally enrapturing. In the earlier series' she had this wonderful sparkle in her eye that was matched by her presence and talent. This was epitomised in the year she won with none other than Neal Cassidy, renowned soap actor.

The way they danced together was mesmerising. Week after a week you could see them growing closer and becoming better because of it. One of the weeks towards the end they did this romantic dance, all slow movements and hips (the rumba, he thinks) and it was obvious in the way they held each other that they were together. Or they were just really good actors.

The definitive answer came when they won the competition - the way he spun her and she gripped his shoulders tight... it was obvious they were an item. You could see in the way she looked at him as they lifted the glitter ball that she loved him, but the same look didn't quite reach his eyes.
That was two years ago and the series' that followed she didn't have the same passion; she was stern, professional. He could tell there was a story behind it all and he couldn't help but let that draw him to her, a certain feeling of allure that he couldn't deny. He tried to just put it down to her story and the way she glided across the floor but she was just stunning in a way that made everyone else look like they were just standing in the shadow of her beauty.

He dialed Liam's number without even realising it.

~/~

"Emmaaaaaa," Ruby had her sing-songy voice on, which could only mean one thing: boys.

"Yes miss Lucas?" She put on the same tone in a mocking fashion but she did it with a smile on her face.

Ruby rounded the back of her chair and sat across from her, a small latte with caramel syrup between her hands. She'd had the same drink since she'd known her, too stubborn to try anything new. Then again who was she to criticise stubbornness?

"Well, have you heard who is rumoured to be on the show this year?" This was Ruby's favourite part of the process, theorising and guessing about who was going to be on the show and what partner they were going to get. Even though every time she was disappointed with her pairing, it didn't stop her getting any less excited. It was kind of adorable actually.

"I have a feeling you're about to tell me." She actually had heard who had been rumoured (she'd gotten a text from Graham two days ago) but she took a sip of her drink (hot chocolate with cinnamon on top) and let Ruby have her moment.

"Okay, well there's that archer guy that everyone lovedddd at the Olympics, I think it was Robert…? No, Robin - that's it! Ummm, there's Tink that really cute singer and a couple of models that are mentioned every year. But best of all, there's Victor, you know that guy who plays that doctor on that show? I really hope I get him." Okay, she wasn't just kind of adorable, but really adorable.

"Don't get too excited Rubs, not all the rumoured celebs actually come on the show you know." She nearly rolled her eyes at the dreamy look in her eyes.

"Yeah, well you never know." She took a sip of the coffee and finally relaxed in her seat. Ruby still got the buzz from the show, Emma remembered when she was like that.

"Anybody else?"

"Actually yeah, I know someone who knows someone at one of the publicist agencies in London and apparently that Irish actor Killian Jones is thinking of coming on." And then added after a few seconds, "but that's just whispers."

Emma raised an eyebrow at the name because Killian Jones was a pretty big star, just featuring in the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie. She didn't know much about him but knew that he was famous for being an arrogant ass. She didn't vocalise her surprise, just simply said "I hate to break it to you Rubs but all of these people are just 'whispers' at the moment." She even added the air quotes with her fingers to add to the effect.
Ruby rolled her eyes. "I know that, but still, Killian Jones."

Even Emma couldn't deny that this series could end up being an…. interesting one.