Jane and the Dragon and all associated characters belong to Martin Baynton and Weta.

"I don't know why I'm here," Gunther grumbled.

"Because I'm your tutor and this is your assignment," Jane told him firmly, biting down on a smile as he huffed impatiently.

She was beginning to learn that the Blackbird was all pout and no peck, although his precious ego would be bruised if she said so out loud. Instead she opted to smooth his ruffled feathers.

"I'm glad you could come," she told him. "And I know Drake is relieved, too!"

They both glanced at the nervous set designer as he fiddled with his tie. He was rather over-dressed for an evening of clubbing with friends, but Jane supposed that had something to do with the last member of their party, who was yet to arrive.

"The sooner Pepper gets here the sooner we can leave them to it," said Gunther, rather unsympathetic to his friend's nerves.

Gunther was dressed more casually, in a deep grey button-up shirt and black jeans, his hair tussled just so. Jane had to admit he looked pretty good, and she wasn't the only one to think so, although the admiring glances from other club patrons seemed to be escaping his notice. Jane supposed he was used to being stared at, although they were currently leaning against a bar and not on stage, and the flashing lights of the club were less than effective spotlights. The dim lighting still had a flattering effect on his brooding countenance, much to Jane's irritation.

She tugged at the sleeve of her off-the-shoulder green dress and wished that Pepper would hurry up. Jane knew she was lucky that her friend was coming at all, given the last-minute invitation. Jane had organised the evening out that afternoon after learning that Theodore was focusing on the corps de ballet the next day and so she and Gunther would have no training obligations.

"Here," Gunther was saying, handing Drake a drink. "Have this."

The two dancers watched in both amusement and disbelief as Drake took the cup in a shaking hand and sculled the contents, coughing as he finished.

Gunther was giving him a firm thump on the back when Pepper arrived at last, breathless and stunning in a sparkling lavender dress, her hair arranged artfully atop her head.

"You look lovely, Petal," she said, greeting Jane with a side-hug.

"You look gorgeous," Jane told her in response. "I wish my hair was so well behaved!"

"I did my best considering the short notice," said Pepper, a touch reproachfully. "Are you going to tell me what this is all about?"

Jane stepped aside and allowed Pepper to see her other two companions. The costume designer's jaw dropped.

"You're here with Gunther?" She gasped.

"We're just here to train," said Jane dismissively. "You are here with Drake."

Pepper's eyes, now fully adjusted to the dark interior, focused on her crush.

"Jane-!" She began, but was cut off when the redhead gave her a firm push in his direction, the sudden movement catching his attention.

"P-P-Pepper!" Drake squeaked.

"Hello, Drake," Pepper replied softly, and both of them blushed madly.

"Aren't they cute?" Jane whispered to Gunther.

"Adorable," replied Gunther with a roll of his eyes. "Can I go home now?"

"Of course not!" Said Jane impatiently. "We actually have tomorrow off, and we are making the most of tonight."

"This is not my idea of a good time, Jane," he told her flatly.

"That's because you don't know how to have a good time, and it is my job to remind you," Jane pointed out. "C'mon!" She grabbed his hand and began pulling him towards the dance floor. "Time to warm up."

"What? Jane, no way!" Gunther protested, planting his feet firmly on the floor and stopping Jane short. "I can't dance like that."

Jane rounded on him. "We have a deal, Gunther! I have been following your instructions to the letter and now it's your turn."

Gunther grit his teeth before sighing in defeat. "Fine. But I will find a way to incorporate public humiliation into your training." He threatened.

Jane simply smiled victoriously and resumed tugging him along behind her.

"Do you know why I choose this club?" She called over her shoulder as they pushed through the crush of bodies. "Drake knows the DJ, and he's going to play some special requests tonight!"

She giggled as Gunther groaned in anticipatory dread.

"What was the point of this, again?" Gunther asked wearily as they were pushed about by the other dancers on the floor.

"Just relax, Gunther!" Jane groaned. "Honestly, do you even know how?"

"Not in here," Gunther gave her a pointed look.

"Okay, fine, give it one more song and if you're still not feeling it we'll go get a drink," she promised. "Have you really never done this before?"

"At what point in my training schedule would I have made space for jumping up and down with a group of strangers? Ugh, none of whom have any amount of coordination!" He added as two very tipsy girls bumped into him. "If I get injured you are explaining it to Theodore."

"If you'd just relax a bit you'd find it much easier to go with the flow," Jane told him, taking his hands in hers and shaking his arms in an attempt to loosen them up. They remained rigid until Jane glared at him, at which point he bent his elbows.

"Oh my goodness," Jane laughed in frustration. "If you're not going to try then there's no point to any of this!"

"I truly do not understand what you want from me," said Gunther miserably, and Jane could see he meant it.

"Okay, okay," she said, calming down. "Here."

She placed his arms over her shoulders and put hers around his waist, pulling him closer to her.

"Forget the other people. Listen to the music and move with it. You don't have to jump up and down, just move." She instructed.

He did as she ordered, moving stiffly from side to side in their limited space.

"Okay, good," said Jane encouragingly. She began tapping the beat of the music against his back with one hand as they shuffled together. "Now feel it, Gunther. Your body wants to dance, so just let it."

"Is there a routine?" He asked hopefully.

"No Gunther," Jane tried to keep the amusement from her voice. "We're doing this freestyle."

She felt his sigh as his chest pressed against hers but continued to move in sync with him, refusing to give up.

"Feel the beat, Gunther," she said, moving her hand to his chest and continuing to tap the rhythm against him. "You were made for this." She added encouragingly, meeting his eyes. "Trust me."

"Fine," he replied, sighing again before closing his eyes.

His cheeks were flushed and there was a light sheen of sweat on his forehead from the heat of the crowd around them. This flustered look was new to Jane and, if she was honest with herself, disarming and a little endearing.

They continued to move in simple steps, Jane's hand tapping out the rhythm while Gunther kept his eyes closed. Gradually his knees began to soften and the hard lines of his danseur's posture eased into a more comfortable embrace.

They began stepping forwards and back into a lazy rumba-like motion, with Jane continuing to echo Gunther's steps and count the beat against his chest. She could feel his heartbeat easing as he relaxed and focused on the music and movement, but Jane wasn't sure hers was responding in the same way.

She had been in his arms countless times already, as they were practicing together almost daily, but it was never anything like this. He was open to her at last, allowing her past his perfect façade and revealing the flawed man within. There was an inherent intimacy to what they were doing that Jane felt could easily overwhelm her. Instead she focused on keeping her breathing even, and on their movement.

They were not dancing to the music as such- an upbeat, poppy tune that Jane was barely hearing any more, but to the underlying beat. No doubt to any observer they looked completely out of place slow dancing in the midst of a throng of clubbers, but Jane was thrilled. It was progress, actual progress! She gave Gunther an encouraging squeeze with the arm that remained around his waist and an acknowledging hum rumbled through his chest and against her hand, quickening her pulse.

Gunther danced on, unaware as Jane turned her face from his to hide her own blush.

She was beginning to feel like a schoolgirl at her first dance, and it didn't help when she caught sight of Pepper smirking at her through the crowd.

Gunther released his hold on Jane and took her hand instead, stepping away from her before drawing her back towards him. They repeated this a few times, separating and coming together again like beginners in a ballroom class, but the simplicity of the motions made it no less thrilling when Gunther met her gaze and then spun her once under his arm.

Jane could feel the grin on her face and didn't even try to fight it as he pulled her back in and held her again. They were dancing, actually, finally dancing.

She glanced up and saw the tiniest of smiles on Gunther's face.

At last.

The music began to transition from one song to another and Gunther faltered at the new beat. Jane was ready to curse the bad timing when she recognised the new song, and clapped her hands with glee instead.

"This is one of mine!" She crowed.

"You're kidding," replied Gunther. "How embarrassing."

"Hey, this is a great song, and we are dancing to it," said Jane, poking him in the chest as Whitney Houston's I Wanna Dance With Somebody began vibrating through the speakers.

"We may be the only ones," Gunther pointed out as many of the younger patrons exited the floor, confusion on their faces.

"More room for us," shrugged Jane, unperturbed.

They were not the only ones left, with many recognising the tune and bouncing excitedly, but Jane had enough room around her now to step several paces away from Gunther and then pirouette quickly back towards him. She brought her feet neatly into the third position and smiled smugly at him, issuing a challenge.

Gunther's eyebrows shot up when he realised what she was wanting.

"I can't dance ballet to . . . this," he protested.

"Oh dear, the great Blackbird is undone by a tiny bit of contemporary music. How very tragic." Jane pouted tauntingly before pirouetting away again, one arm extended, gauntlet thrown.

Her smirk exploded into a grin as she felt him catch her wrist, and then she was being drawn backwards until her back met his chest.

"I never said that," he said, lips at her ear.

Jane shivered lightly as she was swept, off-guard, into a messy fish dive.

"Tsk, tsk, what sloppy technique," Gunther taunted, smiling smugly as he placed her back on the floor.

"I have a new teacher for that," she assured him, before twisting out of his grasp. "He told me he's quite good, but I'm waiting for him to prove it." She added, teasing him mercilessly now.

She struck a pose, one arm extended above her head, the other out towards him, and watched in amusement as Gunther battled with his pride.

His pride won, naturally.

He took her hand and his own pose, glowering at her. Jane winked back in response, revelling in her victory.

Then they began dancing, traditional ballet moves transforming into an irreverent pas de deux come cheesy dance movie routine. People began moving aside as the pair made use of the floor, some even stopping their own dancing to watch.

Exhilarated, Jane threw her arms wide as Gunther's hands found her waist and he took her sailing over the floor. His jeans and street shoes were limiting his movement and forcing him to adjust, strict training and muscle memory yielding to a more casual style of motion.

He placed Jane back on the floor and spun her to face him, before dancing her ballroom-style back to their starting point. When they arrived he dipped her low, making her laugh.

He was putting on a show now -well they both were- as performers tended to do; but Jane suspected, and even dared to hope, that he was enjoying it.

The song began to draw to a close and Gunther stepped back several paces, before nodding at Jane, laying down his own challenge.

She understood his meaning instantly and drew in a sharp breath. They had practiced it so many times in the controlled conditions of the studio, but this was a very different scenario.

"Trust me," he mouthed the words to her and Jane drew in another breath before nodding.

She took off running towards him, jumping as she drew near and he caught her, using her momentum and lifting her easily over his head. He held her high for a full, slow spin before lowering her gently to stand in front of him.

The music transitioned to a new song and people clapped, some even patting them on the back as the dance floor filled and bodies jostled around them once more, but Jane's attention was occupied by Gunther.

His smile, to be exact.

It was radiant, and it was focused on her.

"Thank you," he said eventually, before cupping her cheek and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Any time," replied Jane, unsure what else to say.

"Now can we please get out of here?"

Jane laughed, and allowed him to lead her from the floor.

They found Pepper and Drake huddled together over Drake's sketchpad as they made their way to the door.

Pepper was blushing prettily over something Drake had drawn, and Jane paused to squeeze her shoulder in parting. The costume designer's eyebrows shot up in surprise as she took in Gunther holding tightly to Jane's other hand, but Jane couldn't find it in her to be embarrassed. Perhaps later, but right now she was riding high.

Gunther lead her out of the club then and into the cool night air. He released a sigh of relief and ran his free hand through his hair, tousling it just so, before turning to look at Jane. He was still smiling.

"Now what?" she asked, beginning to feel the chill.

"I have a key to the school," he replied. "We could go practice, if you wanted?"

Jane returned his smile with one of her own.

"Sure," she said.

After all, dancing was their life.

It's probably pretty clear by now but I am definitely not a dancer! I hope you enjoyed this little piece of trash, I had fun writing it.