Shall We Dance

Shall we dance?
On a bright cloud of music shall we fly?
Shall we dance?
Shall we then say "Goodnight" and mean "Goodbye"?
Or perchance,
When the last little star has left the sky,
Shall we still be together
With our arms around each other
And shall you be my new romance?
On the clear understanding
That this kind of thing can happen,
Shall we dance?
Shall we dance?
Shall we Dance?
-Shall We Dance, The King and I

watch?v=ZdfAM4L6ceg

Cupid waved Jack off and smiled widely as Tooth fluttered down to join him, hovering so she could look him in the eye.

He was one of the few spirits strong enough to gain power from human's belief in him while managing to maintain he preferred form. If he hadn't, he would have been stuck as a tiny, chubby baby with wings, which could have been hilarious but, knowing Cupid, probably would have ended disturbingly.

His only concession to the popular image of him was to go bare save for a white cloth wrapped around his waist and bandolier holding his preferred weapon of the moment, along with the tiny wings that looked as though they should never be able to bear a fraction of his weight.

Silent for the moment, they watched Jack join a group of seasonal spirits, unnamed but for the ones they chose themselves, flighty and sometimes unpredictable. They, at least, didn't scorn Jack's company before he became a Guardian – but they were also too busy to talk and too unpredictable to approach most of the time.

"So, you've finally made a move to snatch up that boy," Cupid commented, and Tooth's wings nearly stalled before he continued. "He needs it, and better you four than some of the dark spirits we're seeing around. A few more years alone and even someone as good–hearted as Jackie-boy might be tempted."

Tooth nearly indulged in a relieved sigh. If anyone would be able to figure out what she was feeling toward Jack, it was Cupid. Her wings fluttered faster as his words penetrated, bringing her closer.

"What do you mean, dark spirits?" she asked, her entourage of fairies stilling and clustering closer to hear.

Cupid smirked, holding out a hand for a few of the fairies to land on and rest their wings. "Bunnymund may know the meaning of the word 'subtlety', but he seems to have forgotten how it works, especially around 'safe' spirits. Everyone in this room knows he's looking for something. A little looking around and you peel back the covers to see all these dark fae suddenly running around, almost as bad as the Dark Ages."

"Do you have any idea what they're up to?" she asked, not surprised when he shook his head.

"Whatever they're doing, if there's some master plan behind it all they're keeping it close," he said apologetically. "Mostly they're just acting like they're testing the bonds keeping them from doing whatever they want. They feel like proper fae, though. Gentry, Good Folk, whole nine yards. The fertility symbol should check that," he added with a wink. Tooth bit back a giggle. Cupid's casual attitude toward sexuality tended to irritate Bunny, and Cupid liked to exaggerate it for that reason alone.

"I'll bring it up with him," Tooth promised. Cupid hummed, glancing across the room again, a mischievous smile crossing his face.

Tooth eyed him, inching away as her fairies chittered among themselves. Before she could get far there was a large arm over her shoulders, carefully not fouling her wings.

"So, I hear you've heard about our little club," he said confidentially. Tooth fought back a sudden and irrational blush, disguising it with a little cough.

"I had no idea you were a member," she said instead as Cupid laughed.

"A polka, can't remember the year offhand," he said cheerfully. "Of course, I ambushed him rather than the other way around. I think I got extra points for that later, I'm not sure. The question at hand is..." he moved his arm to hold her shoulders, looking meaningfully into her eyes, "why haven't you made a move yet?"

Tooth thought several of her fairies might faint. She refused to let herself blush, feigning ignorance. "I didn't leave my palace for over four hundred years, and the girls only started taking over operations a few months ago. I didn't have time for dancing."

Cupid groaned, throwing his hands into the air in exaggerated exasperation. "Your mother just doesn't get it at all, does she?" he demanded of the Baby Teeth, some of whom were giggling while a few looked as confused as Tooth was pretending to be. "It's couples like you that make my job so difficult. Then again, what's life without a little challenge."

Tooth crossed her arms, flitting a little away from Cupid, unsure if she should be angry or amused. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," she said, affecting her best 'offended Queen' stance. "We were talking about dancing."

"There's dancing and then there's dancing," Cupid fired back, obviously enjoying himself. "And the second takes far more time and effort, but it's my specialty, and much more rewarding in the long run. So...when are you going to ask Jackie-boy to dance?"

Suddenly flustered, Tooth flailed, barely able to keep herself from flailing so much Jack would look over at them. "Jack...I...He..." Abruptly she slumped, only just hovering. "It's just a crush. I'll get over it."

"And how many times do I hear that?" Cupid said, almost muttering to himself. "Toothie, I know the difference between crush and love, who better?" He slung his arm back over Tooth's shoulder, gesturing toward the oblivious Jack. "Love, she is fragile, unless grown and tended into something well fed and strong. A good, strong love won't care that you're feathered or he is coated in frost, but if you let those little worries stop you from trying you'll never know. Now get out there and dance," he said with a smirk, suddenly giving Tooth a shove.

Cupid was stronger than most would expect, and Tooth was caught off guard, shooting across the room and into Jack's side.

They tumbled, Jack stumbling and catching them with a brilliant grin, making Tooth almost forget to give Cupid a glare. Almost.

Cupid, the traitor, just grinned brightly and Phil, the accomplice, had to be in on it as the music switched into a waltz.

...well, screw it. She wanted to tease Jack, may as well take Cupid's advice.

She grabbed Jack's hand, yanking him close and swirling into a dance. He laughed, joining in with a will and beaming as he swung them around the room, both light enough on their feet that their connection to the floor was tenuous at best, leaving the floor completely more than once.

He spun her out in a twirl, and as she came back in Tooth made her move. Jack thought they were dancing as friends, but as she spun back in Tooth stepped closer, wrapping her arm around his waist and pressing against his chest.

She felt him gulp, breath stuttering, and hid her smile, rubbing her cheek against his hoodie clad chest to feel the frost crisp against her cheek, the muscles of his chest firmer than they looked under the concealing hoodie.

His hand hesitated, and she felt it twitch before it settled against the small of her back, reassuringly cool and strong, and she returned the gesture to feel his breath stutter again.

Maybe she had more of a chance at this then she'd thought.

A/N: And Tooth kicks things off! I'm finding myself surprisingly enjoying Cupid. I apparently have too many projects at the moment, which makes for slow work. Still playing catch-up over here.