[Dahliental ~ Carnival!] The night is here and the day is gone ~ [ZoZar]

Warm fuzzies and fuzzy warms.

Prosper had lipstick kisses on his cheeks and an empty glass in his hands and he was surrounded by people. He didn’t mind. The boy waved a few large bubbles out of the way of his face, grinning at them all. It was speech time! They were all here for his party, so he didn’t mind putting them through a few little speeches. The boy’s mid wandered a little as one of his friends gave a short, impromptu speech full of jokes. This was exactly what he’d been hoping for. Everything was perfect. Perfect. There had already been enough unexpected hook ups and stolen kisses for this party to be talked about for months, if not the entire year. If not years, he thought happily. Prosper was still in a bit of a daze about it all, and he was a lot more drunk now that the party had been going on for a while.

He smirked through the jokes, and interjected quite a few times with some quips of his own, much to the crowd’s amusement. There was a large crowd around him, but naturally there were plenty of people who weren’t. Some people were still dancing, even though the music had been turned down a little for speeches. His mother made a speech and so did a couple of his friends. Lots of embarrassing stories were told and he laughed along with everyone else, enjoying being the total center of attention. He couldn’t wipe the goofy grin off of his face at all. The curly-haired boy hugged his mum tightly after she finished her speech, not really embarrassed at all about doing it in front of everyone.

So what if he was a mummy’s boy? He loved his mum. She was much more exciting than his dad, and also much more exciting than anyone else’s mums! Ha. He had the superior mother, and everyone in the crowd was missing out. Prosper smirked at them all, smug in this knowledge. The boy wondered why alcohol made his thoughts so silly, but he didn’t wonder it for long. Were the speeches over now? Prosper stared around with a polite smile, but Adrien’s voice called out; “Zara!”. Prosper searched the colourfully dressed crowd for her pretty little face. Pretty long legs, he reflected dimly. Not that he’d ever go there. He couldn’t see her, but a few people shouted out her name and Prosper’s grin widened as they broke out into a cheer when she appeared beside him. “Your turn to compliment me,” he told her loudly, and quite a few people laughed at his silly joke.

The alcohol floating around everywhere had resulted in a rowdy crowd, but they were surprisingly respectful at the same time. His friends and family had shouted out funny comments at apt moments to make everyone laugh, but it hadn't gotten too inappropriate. Prosper didn't really care either way though, he was distracted by... everything. Tonight was his night. It was Prosper!day today. He was on a blurry, drunken high and didn't really think he'd come down from it. He was the king of the castle.

She wasn't drunk.

Her body was a temple and Zara Rousseau was not drunk. She was tipsy. Merry. It was just easier to keep drinking. There were a variety of drinks on trays, all of them alcoholic. It was too much of a hassle to ask for juice or water. Who drank water at a fabulous party anyway?

The party was great. The people were happy and friendly, there had been no trouble at all and everyone had gone all out. People from Beauxbatons, friends and family of Prosper's that she recognised. It was sort of impossible not to, they'd drown up together after all. Zara had been quite the social butterfly tonight. She'd gone from group to group, sharing hugs and kisses and playing carnival games. She'd won a large stuffed tiger and she was currently holding it. She'd called it Marvin.

The vast majority of the guests had congregated and out came the speeches. Not wanting to interrupt, the short blonde was at the front of the crowd and next to Zoé. "Hey," she said with a grin to her brunette friend, over the moon that she'd decided to stop fighting her and wear the corset. Who knew she had such a pretty little waist? She wasn't going to lie, she had serious boob envy. Zoé had been attracting male attention all night and she was pleased. It was part of her carefully constructed master plan. It was sort of working? Kind of. She didn't know. It was a work in progress.

"I've barely seen you all night," she told her friend, raising her voice a little over all the good-natured laughter and cheers. "Are you enjoying yourself?" She asked with a smile. Her plan of seducing Diederik had died a death. She was sort of hoping that he'd see her risqué outfit, be overcome with desire and snog her face off underneath the fairy lights but no. Of course not.

So there she was. At the front of a gathering with a large stuffed tiger under her right arm and a half full glass of champagne in her left hand. Champagne was good stuff, she could get used to it for sure. It was fruity and full of delicate little bubbles. She took another small sip, feeling her head go a little woozy but pleasantly so. It was nice. She felt relaxed as she watched Prosper embrace his mother and she felt herself smile. She really hoped the older boy had fun tonight. He deserved it.

Hang on. People were calling her name. Her slender eyebrows came down in a rush to furrow, her pretty facial features creasing in confusion. That was Adrien. Why was he calling her? Blinking three times in rapid succession, she raised her glass to signal where she was. Then it became a chant. "Oh!" Zara exclaimed, her alcohol soaked brain finally clicking into gear. "I'm on. Hold Marvin," with that, she thrust the tiger at Zoé before waving to her waiting public and weaving in and out of the various people, others applauding her, some turning to watch her. She wasn't used to improvisation. This was not her thing.

Upon reaching him, she rolled her big blue eyes. "Like there was anything else I could ever say about you," she drawled, slipping past him to stand at the front of the gathering. "Well!" She began with a grin as she looked over at her best friend. "This is quite a shindig," she joked, purposefully down playing the insane surroundings as a few people laughed. "What can I say about Prosper?" Zara said as she grinned. "We've been friends for years, I know all his little secrets," she said with a chuckle, a few people yelled that she should spill them. She pooh-poohed it with a wave of her hand "Gentlemen, please. There are children present. But he did suck his thumb until he was twelve years old and stuff his leotard with socks in an attempt to impress the chicas. " There was a roar of laughter.

Zara turned to her friend with a warm smile. "Prosper is…lovely," she settled on. "He's kind, he's smart, not that smart," she added with a roll of her eyes. "He did always say he dreamt of running away to join the circus," she went on to say, all eyes on her and she could feel his father's panic start to rise from across the room. "Did you see that really hot acrobat?" She blabbed. "You know, the blonde one? Does anyone know his name?" She asked the crowd. "Because I'd like to get to know him a little better. Anyway," Zara said as she flapped her hands again, some of her champagne spilling on the floor.

"I'm not a great public speaker," she admitted with an embarrassed smile. "But I honestly can't think of anyone who deserves this entire night more than my best friend over here," she said as she turned to her friend with another grin. "Happy Birthday, Prosper," she said warmly. "And here's too many more happy returns. To the ring master!" Zara called out as she raised her glass. As she did so, Adrien wheeled in Prosper's birthday cake, allowing her to slip her finger and thumb into her mouth to whistle loudly and take a step back, attempting to make her way back to Zoé.

Zoé took a sip of her drink and wrinkled her nose. It was too warm. White wine was supposed to be cold and this one wasn't cold. If it had been red wine… Okay. But white… Just no. The girl looked around and when she saw that no one was paying attention to her, she quickly mutter "Garth." and three ice cubes fell into her wine glass. She waited a few seconds to let them melt a little before she tried it again. Better.

The elemental felt a little tipsy but she was far from being drunk. Sometimes she was really thankful that her parents were so liberal. She'd been allowed to try wine a while ago, even before her 17th birthday last year, because they had always said it would be better if she was drunk when they were close than when she was alone somewhere. It had been clever, really. Zoé knew how much wine she could drink, surprisingly quite a lot for her small and light figure, and so far everything was just fine. The glass was getting cold now as well and she pressed it against her reddened cheek.

It was warm here. Not actually hot, she still felt mostly comfortable, but definitely warm. There were people everywhere, talking, laughing and she had already seen a few year mates making out. It seemed to be normal, though. It was a party after all, wasn't it? She could have done without the fire twirlers - no surprise there - but other than that Prosper's party was perfect. The food was great, the drinks were (mostly) great and the artists were absolutely amazing. Prosper's mum seemed to have given her best to make this day unforgettable.

There was only one person missing but the Papillonlisse tried not to think about him too much. She didn't want anyone to ask why she was pulling a face. They'd probably see each other soon again anyway and now was not the time to be mopey.

Some random guy made a compliment and handed her a red rose but before she could say anything, he was gone again. She put it in her hair and turned around to look for one of her friends. This wasn't the first random incident with a guy tonight and as far as she knew it was all the fault of Zara's corset. The shoes were even worse, though. The brunette envied girls like Luciana who seemed to be perfectly fine with heels that could be used as a weapon but her feet hurt. Without thinking much about it, Zoé slipped out of her killer shoes and the feeling of her bare feet on the grass was amazing. Fortune tellers were often barefoot anyway, right? She was just adding the right touch to her costume.

The speeches began and Zo felt extremely happy for her friend. Prosper was great and he deserved all of this. Maybe everything was a little over the top but even that fit him. If this whole event hadn't been that spectacular, she would have been surprised. People were making jokes, told embarrassing stories - some of them were actually quite funny, she should remember them - and Zoé couldn't help it, she had to smile when he hugged his mother in front of everyone.

Zara was next to her and the brunette smiled fondly at her best friend. It was obvious that the blonde was a little tipsy but everyone seemed to be a bit tipsy by now. The pink drinks were just too good to resist. "And I've barely seen you. So many people. I think I still haven't talked to all our friends from school." Zoé had talked to Luuk, she missed him already, to her cousins and to other people she knew from school but she could still spot at least half a dozen people in the crowd she hadn't talked to yet. "I am. How can anyone not enjoy this?" The ice elemental laughed and gestured at the spectacle around them.

Apparently the speeches weren't over yet. Adrien was calling Zara's name and other people chimed in. Marvin? Oh right. Zoé closed her slender arm around the tiger and watched her friend move towards Prosper. Her speech was lovely. The blonde didn't seem to be nervous at all - maybe her friend was a bit less sober than she had thought she was - and Prosper had to be quite proud of her. Zo raised her glass with all the others before she took another sip of her wine, waiting for Zara to come back and get Marvin.

Silly Zara was being silly. A smirk appeared on his face immediately as she started talking. Why had they drifted apart again? He wasn’t sure. Now that they were close again, he couldn’t imagine what it had been like without her as his best friend. His eyes scanned the crowd and he shot Zoé a wink. Prosper was not sober, and his environment was cot conducive to unhappy feelings. No. The boy turned his attention up to the sky momentarily, appreciating the stars up above the bubbles and a couple of stray balloons floating far away.

His attention snapped back to his blonde as she accused him of a few misdemeanours. It was true that she’d known all of his secrets when he was a little boy, but Prosper had never really had many secrets. He still didn’t have many. The boy’s outlined grey eyes scanned the crowd again and he found Zoé. No secrets, huh? “I did not suck my thumb,” he protested with a serious, challenging frown. His gaze returned to his blonde friend. The boy maintained this expression for a second before a slow, devilish grin spread across his features as he did not deny the other accusation. Someone called this out and there was another roar of laughter. Prosper grinned. Silly Prosper being silly.

She gave him a few more compliments and he felt a surge of love for his friend. She was going to get a big hug after this too. “Antonio,” he told her loudly, answering her question and knowing exactly which acrobat she meant. The boy leant in quickly and whispered, “Diederik,” cheekily in her ear and pulled back with a sneaky grin. Drunk Prosper and drunk Zara were mischievous, he could tell. Even in his inebriated state, Prosper was aware that he was sneaky. Zara toasted his birthday and everyone cheered again. The boy took the opportunity to grab his blonde friend and give her a quick, tight squeeze. It was a warm embrace. “Thanks, Zar,” he told her, grinning again as she went back to Zoé.

Was that the last speech? Did anyone else want to make one? Nope? Prosper’s attention was drawn over to Adrien, who seemed to be carrying a small circus tent model. He blinked. Oh! It was a cake? Damn, his mother was good. He searched for her in the crowd, but there were too many costumes for him to find her straight away. A part of him wished she hadn’t worn something so tight, because a few of his friends had commented that his mum was hot and he didn’t know how he felt about that, but she did look pretty good for her age. Eh. The cake came over and someone magically lit the sparkly candles on top. A few people started singing Happy Birthday and soon enough, lots of others joined in too. When it was done, the boy blew out his candles.

Now then, she didn't have to be a detective to see what or who he was looking at. Zara kept quiet, offering a polite smile as she saw his eyes stray. Prosper was drunk or well on his way to getting there. Had he been sober, she was so sure he would have been a bit more careful and deliberate. This felt weird. It was like she was playing gooseberry in a relationship that didn't really exist. Perhaps she was making too much out of it. Maybe it was all this alcohol filled pink fizzy drinks she'd been slurping all night. Her mother was going to be maaaad.

Zara snorted softly, grinning broadly. She had to admit, having a hundred or so sets of eyes on her was thoroughly exhilarating. Really, she was getting such a buzz. She wasn't a speech giver but everyone was laughing, no one had booed her off yet and no one had thrown anything at her.

"Antonio!" The short blonde repeated as Prosper said his name, lifting a hand and waving at the blonde boy who turned. "Lovely, lovely Antonio," she sighed, offering the waiter a crooked grin. He really was the subject of school girl fantasy. She wondered what his abs felt like up close. Baby soft, she imagined. She bet he smelt faintly of sandalwood and manliness. "Could you stay there?" She called to the shirtless waiter, a few people laughing but she was deadly serious. "Because I'd actually really, really like to lick you if that's okay."

As Prosper leant in to whisper something, she brushed back a stray blonde curl, her top hat shifting a little to rest at a wonky angle. Diederik? Ha. Dierderik. She hadn't seen him all night. "Not interested," she whispered back softly. She didn't mean her, she meant him. Prosper's friend wasn't interested in her. She didn't know why. She was wearing practically nothing but feathers and sequins and still nothing. Zara was young. She was too young to be chasing someone who didn't care. Antonio might care. Antonio might care a lot. She grinned at the waiter, wiggling her fingers at him flirtatiously.

The hug came as a pleasant surprise. The ballerina squeezed her friend softly before taking a step back, offering him a bright and sunny smile. "My pleasure." She left before the cake came and wobbled back to Zoé, reaching out to take back her stuffed tiger and snuggle him into her chest.

"Bonkers, right?" the blonde asked her brunette friend with a broad grin as she mentioned the sheer amount of people present tonight. Crazy. Biting her lip, she turned to Zoé and surveyed her closely. Properly. She tilted her head, her mini top hat wobbling in protest. She frowned suddenly and for no apparent reason as she blinked placidly. "I do love you, you know," she told Zoé honestly. She didn't know why but she felt like she needed to tell her that. The other girl seemed happy lately and she was glad but she couldn't help but feel like she was neglecting her.

She felt guilty. Guilty because she knew Zoé hadn't been able to talk to her about the whole Matthieu and Prosper fight. Guilty that they shared a dorm and she'd decided to suffer all alone. The alcohol was, funnily enough, making her think clearer. Everything sort of hit her at once.

"Like properly," Zara babbled with wide eyes. "And if you need anything, anything," she slurred, pointing Marvin at her friend. "You come straight to me, yeah?" She asked before she giggled, eyes wide and alight as she grinned before stepping over to her friend and wrapping her arms around Zoé's neck in a rather clumsy but affectionate cuddle. Yup. She was totally sloshed.

"What did you get him for his birthday?" Zara asked as she tilted her head again gently. "And I told you your boobs look fantastic," she said proudly as she looked smug. "You need to stop fighting me all the time," she concluded fondly before her eyes dropped to Zoé's feet as she gasped. "Where are your shoes?" The ballerina demanded, eyes wide as she flicked them back up to the petite brunette's face. "Did you ditch them?" She asked quickly, internally freaking out. "But you looked so good in heels!" Zara lamented, smacking her forehead with her left hand as her shoulders slumped in defeat before people started singing.

"Make a wish, Prosper!" The blonde yelled once everyone was finished singing as he blew out her candles, slamming Marvin's paws together to make it look like the  stuffed tiger was applauding like everyone else. Wait. "What did you wish for?" She called out, interested before turning back to Zoé. "What do you think he wished for? A bigger trouser snake?" She enquired crassly, referring to earlier on when she revealed that Prosper used to stuff his leotard as a little boy. Growing impatient, Zara stomped her foot. "Tell us! Tell us!"

Zoé caught Prosper looking at her every now and then during Zara's speech and she smiled each time. She was glad that he seemed so happy and his happiness was contagious. Maybe it was also the wine that made her smile. The brunette didn't know but she also didn't care.

She had noticed the lipstick marks on his cheeks and the constant attention he was getting from beautiful girls and she was relieved that he had moved on. Maybe they could really be friends again without her wondering each time they met if he still had a crush on her. Zoé hadn't wanted to feel uncomfortable in his presence during the last few weeks at school but somehow she had; at least a little. Hurting him was nothing she wanted to do ever again. Even though she wasn't in love with him, the elemental loved Prosper enough to want the best for him and that wasn't her.

"Totally bonkers." The Papillonlisse laughed and handed Zara her tiger. "Your speech was great by the way. I didn't know you were that good at talking in front of a crowd. He can be lucky to consider you his best friend." The girl offered her friend a wide smile, meaning every word she said. Suddenly the blonde's expression changed and her words surprised the elemental. Not because she thought Zara didn't mean them but because she hadn't given her a reason to say it. It was completely out of the blue. Well, it seemed as if her friend belonged to the group of people who became really affectionate when they were inebriated. It was cute, that was for sure.

"I know," she replied honestly, smiling some more. "And I love you too. I hope you know that as well." Okay. Maybe the girl was drunk. Zara continued to babble and her eyes were unnaturally wide. Merlin. She'd definitely regret it tomorrow. While the ballerina seemed perfectly fine now, Zoé suspected that she would have the biggest headache tomorrow. Maybe she should start filling water into her friend's glass. "I will. Of course I will," the Papillonlisse muttered against her friend's shoulder while she was being pulled close for a hug.

Huh? The sudden change of topic surprised her once more but Zoé was kind of happy about it. While she loved her friend dearly, it was slowly becoming awkward. The people closest to them were already looking. "I made a little figure that looks like him out of everlasting ice. At least I hope it looks like him. It's nothing special but I thought he might like it." She shrugged, hoping that he hadn't broken it yet. "What about you?" Since Zara knew him so well she probably had the perfect gift. By now she felt a little silly that she had made something for him - didn't only children make something for their friends? - but there was nothing she could do about it. She had already given it to him.

"Zara," the girl huffed, blushing a little. Two guys were openly staring at her now and she didn't like it one bit. The girl crossed her arms in front of her chest but let them fall down again as soon as she saw that it only made things worse. "The shoes are in my bag. I'm sorry but they were killing me." She smiled apologetically at her friend before she continued. "I might put them on again later?" She wouldn't but Zara didn't need to know that. The blonde would probably forget about it anyway. If not now then surely after she'd go to Antonio. The guy really was handsome; she couldn't blame her.

People started singing and Zoé chimed in, focussing on Prosper again. He blew out the candles and everyone started clapping at once. Zoé winced a little, she had never been a friend of loud noises, but clapped her small hands together just like everyone else around her. Even Marvin. "I don't know," the elemental replied, giggling a little at Zara's comment. "I think right now he has everything he could ever wish for, don't you agree?" The French girl started stomping her foot and Zo smiled at her fondly. She was really adorable when she was drunk.

The boy rolled his shoulders back a couple of times and stretched his arms above his head. Chatter was breaking out in the crowd now. He was standing near one of the magical fire-pits and it was quite warm, especially with everyone crowded around like they were. Zara had assured him that his eyeliner was waterproof and would stay flawless all night. He didn’t know much about make-up, but he was feeling a little sweaty in all of his layers and hoped that she was right. Absent-mindedly, Prosper shrugged off his long red jacket. There were whistles and cheers from the crowd and a cheeky grin lit up his face as he started undoing the buttons on his white under shirt. 

The ruffles were annoying him. So Prosper made a little show of taking his shirt off, sliding it off of his toned arms slowly and waving it around his head. They chered. He threw it into the crowd. The boy laughed at his own stupid behaviour, just like a lot of the crowd members were doing. There were a lot more cheers and calls for a strip tease, and the crowd collectively made noises of disappointment as he shrugged his red coat back on over his now bare chest. The boy had never had body image issues, and he wasn’t about to start now. He laughed loudly. When everyone sung, Prosper waved his hands like a conductor and clapped with the others. He held his arms out, clapping the crowd as if he were on stage and directing applause towards the pit band.

Lots of candles on his cake, huh. When he was done, everyone erupted into cheers. Zoé and Zara were near the front of the little space he was in, and he noticed the brunette wince a little. It was all too noisy and warm and busy for her, he thought vaguely. His party was over the top and she was out of place. Maybe he was too over the top for her too, and that was why she didn’t love him. The boy glanced away. Oopsie, he didn’t want to think about that now. Silly Prosper, he chided himself gently. Prosper almost chuckled at his own thought processes. He realised that the blonde was yelling at him and he shook his head. She was a nut.

He pointed at Zara as if he were casting a spell without a wand and snapped his attention intensely to her. “It’s a secret!” he yelled seriously. Really, he hadn’t wished for anything. Oops. A bunch of people laughed and he grinned at the attention they were giving him. His mother was waving a knife at him to cut the cake, but Zara was stamping her foot still, so he brushed her off for a second, paying attention to his blonde friend instead. The seventeen year old imitated her, stamping his foot and whining “Noo-o-o-o!” He over played it it as if he were a petulant child. He was mocking her. The crowd loved it. Everyone was laughing, he and his mother included. Prosper stopped. He was grinning.

“You wanna know?” he asked after a moment. The boy scanned the crowd as shouts of “Tell us!” rang out. He giggled like a child and ducked as a few of his male cousins chucked handfuls of popcorn at him. “Okay okay!” he cried in defeat, holding his hands in front of his face. When they stopped, he straightened up. The boy was still laughing, but now he had to think of something to wish for really quick. What would be a good wish? Money? Escape? Travel? In his head, the boy was center stage. This was all a big production, and his banter with the crowd was just interaction with the audience. He had the starring role. What could he wish for? What did the lead actor need? He scanned the impatient crowd, and naturally his eyes were draw to Zoé’s again. Huh. The boy dropped his gaze to the ground in thought and then he returned his attention to the crowd. They were yelling at him again, and he waved a hand over his head to shush them. He had to think of something quick.

When they were quiet enough for his liking, the boy leant forward a little as if he were about to tell them something important. The boy raised a hand to his face, speaking behind his fingers with excitement, like he was telling them a secret. His voice was conspiratorial as he said cheekily, “I wished for a kiss. From a pretty girl.” He straightened up, scanning their costumed faces with a cheeky smirk on his face. The boy swayed slightly. He’d definitely had too much to drink. The crowd cheered like he'd made some kind of fantastic joke, and he wasn't really sure why. It was Zara who'd started the heckling and demand to know what he'd wished for, and he wondered if the crowd would want her to come over and kiss him herself.

"Well what can I say?" Zara purred. "I do have a flair for the dramatic," she announced proudly, stooping into a low bow with a flourish. Yeah, she really was drunk. And when she was drunk, she professed her love to everyone. Earlier on, she told the lady who was handing out mini burgers that she loved her, too. The poor woman seemed to panic and scuttle off pretty sharpish. That was faintly disappointing.

"Really?" The short blonde girl gushed, eyes wider still and plump scarlet lips parted slightly in shock. Zoé had made Prosper an ever lasting ice figurine? Goodness gracious. She said she didn't love him but what sort of friend put all that time and effort into such a thoughtful gift? "Oh my God," she whispered, frowning deeply as she looked at the brunette. Zara was clearly troubled. The boys who looked over at them went unannounced. How had Prosper reacted to such a gift? That was beautiful and special and personal and it hit her like a truck; no one would ever do something like that for her.

She swallowed quickly. What had she gotten him? "Oh," she said before she waved her free hand. "Theatre tickets," she revealed. "Lame but he's so impossible to buy for, you know? It's frustrating." She didn't want to talk about her gift, she wanted to talk about Zoé's. Her big blue eyes drifted over to Prosper and she frowned again. It must be hard to be so close and not get what he wanted.

Zara let out a groan and rolled her eyes as Prosper began to strip. She made a show of gagging as the clothing came off. She'd seen it all before. When training for ballet, no one really wore shirts. Speaking of shirts, the one he had removed came hurtling towards her and it hit her directly in the face. Charming. The crowd wolf whistled and cheered as Zara neatly plucked the ruffled white shirt from her head and hastily lobbed it over and away from her, much the same as she did when she caught the bouquet at her cousin's wedding over the summer. Those things were cursed. Of course they were cursed. Hello? No boyfriend.

"Cover yourself up!" The short blonde yelled before following it up with, "There's no such things are secrets!" There really weren't. Secrets were pointless, so were lies. Everyone found those things out anyway. It was just undue hassle.

Turning her attention back to Zoé, she rolled her eyes as she commented on her heels and messed with her corset, forcing her to flail her slender arms at her impatiently. "Stop fussing," she whispered harshly. "Stop. You look gorgeous and you really should wear those heels. They're not even that big," she admitted. "I had taller ones you could have borrowed." Zoé really did look absolutely stunning tonight and she was faintly jealous of all the appreciative looks boys were throwing her. It wasn't true; blondes clearly did not have more fun.

Zara was surprised but amused when there was a chant going on. She turned to look at Prosper, a decidedly smug expression on her face as she arched an eyebrow. "The people have spoken!" She called out. She figured he'd wished for a holiday. That weekend in Paris was glorious but it wasn't really enough. Not enough to quell Prosper's spirit for adventure at any rate.

….oh.

A kiss. He wanted a kiss. The crowed seemed to enjoy that and she felt a hundred sets of eyes swivel to focus directly on her. Zara blinked. Well, no to that.

Right now he has everything he could ever wish for.

Well now. This fell into best friend duties, didn't it? No one else had gotten the ulterior motive but she had. Surreptitiously, she dropped Marvin to the floor and took a quick step backwards. Zoé wasn't wearing heels. She moved a little to position herself behind her friend, her hands resting on the small of her back and without warning, she gave the brunette a hard, swift shove towards Prosper before hastily backing up and away before Zoé realised it was her. Zara Rousseau; match maker extraordinaire.

"Mhmm. Really." Zara's already big blue eyes got even wider and the elemental didn't know what to say. "You… I can make one for you as well? It really was no big deal and it was fun. I had to practice anyway…" Merlin. Why did her friend have to react like that? As far as she knew, Prosper hadn't even looked at it yet. He probably got so many amazing presents that he thought hers was completely lame. Maybe it wasn't even looking like him. It had probably been only her imagination. "Theatre tickets are great. Will you be going…" with him? she had wanted to ask but got interrupted by the crowd around her.

Okay. She wasn't drunk enough. She definitely wasn't drunk enough for all the madness that was surrounding her. The screams and shouts were making her ears ring and it was too warm. While it had been okay a few minutes ago, it was definitely too warm now. People were coming closer and closer, excited to catch a look at the birthday boy and his cake. The girl brushed her hair over one shoulder, hoping that it would help her cooling down a little. With some whispered words she also lowered the temperature around her a tiny little bit but it didn't help much. It needed to be at least a few degrees colder but she didn't want people to notice. At least she wasn't wearing much. Thanks Zara.

Everything was just a big show and absolutely everyone seemed to enjoy it. The cheers got louder when Prosper began to take his shirt off, apparently feeling the heat as well, and Zoé winced again when someone started yelling right next to her. She should have asked someone to use a spell on her earlier so that it wouldn't be so loud but it was too late now. This would probably be over soon and then she could walk to a quiet corner, drink her wine and talk to someone. She just had to survive a few more minutes. Should be possible.

His shirt landed in her friend's face and even though Zo felt sorry for Zara, she had to laugh a little. If she could somehow ignore the noise, everything would be fine. This whole thing was great and absolutely entertaining but it was just a bit… too much. She would die if all the attention was directed at her.

Prosper started mocking the blonde and everything seemed as if they had rehearsed it. She doubted that was the case but they worked so well together and the crowd seemed to love them both. He finally seemed to reveal what he had wished for and she had to admit that she was curious. What more could he want? This party was perfect. At least it had to be perfect in his eyes. Just what… oh.

The crowd cheered again, even louder this time, she hadn't thought it possible, and all eyes fell on them. Or well. Not on them but on Zara. The blonde would surely make a show out of it as well and everyone would be happy. Zoé wanted to give her friend an encouraging look but the girl wasn't next to her anymore. Before she could turn around, the brunette felt hands on the small of her back and after a swift shove she stumbled a few steps towards Prosper, bumping into him. Again.

One minute she'd been standing in the crowd, completely unnoticed and now she was right in front of the birthday boy and she could feel all eyes on her.

Zoé panicked.

She couldn't think straight. The elemental wanted to morph, to run away, to be anywhere else but here but she couldn't move. She couldn't do anything. Not while all the people were looking at her and screaming. Some had even started to shout her name. The girl felt like a deer caught in the headlights. What was she supposed to do now? Everyone demanded a kiss but that was impossible. She couldn't just kiss him. Not after everything that had happened between them. Maybe Prosper wouldn't remember it tomorrow but she would and so many others would as well. People would talk, the whole school would probably talk about this and she couldn't let this happen.

And then… oh no. No, no, no. All of a sudden it hit her like a truck. Séverin wasn't here. He wouldn't know what had happened. All he would probably hear was that his girlfriend had kissed Prosper Lachapelle. In front of everyone. At the biggest event of the year. Why was this happening? Why wasn't he here tonight?

The girl couldn't help it. Her eyes were slowly filling with tears but she forced herself not to blink. She couldn't let them fall down her face. No one should see that she was absolutely terrified. Zoé had never meant to destroy Prosper's party but right now she felt as if she was doing exactly that. The boy was still standing right in front of her and she looked up at him, her lips forming the words I'm sorry. If he was still sober enough to read her face, he should be able to read just one word. Help.

Oh shit.

As soon as she'd shoved Zoé unceremoniously forward, she regretted it. Instantly. As usual, Zara's meddling had not paid off. When would she learn? Honestly, she should have kissed Prosper herself. Yeah it'd be weird, awkward and kind of like kidding her non-existent brother but she should have.

Or maybe Luciana should have. If the scary brunette was nearer, she would have shoved her instead. It was a knee-jerk reaction. Prosper hadn't said anything but she wasn't that stupid; he wanted Zoé. So badly it hurt. He might think he was playing it cool, that he was flirting but she caught his not so subtle glances. She'd seen the way he looked at her when she showed up, all colourful and sexy and suddenly, suddenly she'd never felt so utterly alone.

Prosper was going through absolute Hell but he was in love. Any love was good love, she'd been told by a crazy aunt once when she was little. She swallowed. Her alcohol induced fog was starting to clear as she watched the scene. Zoé. Poor lovely sweet and kind Zoé and she'd effectively thrown her to the wolves.

The crowd was raucous and loud, cheering and laughing as they spilt alcohol everywhere. She'd never once thought her brunette friend might be uncomfortable. That it was too loud or to close or too sticky for her. Of course she hadn't. Zara Rousseau never thought of anyone but herself.

She reached out for Zoé, her fingertips brushing the silk scarf she had tied around her waist. It was okay. She could laugh it off. She didn't really want to kiss Prosper but she might have to.

She had to fix this and fast.

"Kiss him on the cheek, Zo!" Zara called as she flapped Marvin at her, shooting her a meaningful glance as she jabbed her finger at Prosper. People behind her booed, clearly they wanted a full on snog. "Oh piss off, you bunch of sex-mad monkeys," she snarled, flapping her free hand at them to try and get them to shush. It was just a kiss on the cheek. A kiss on the cheek was nothing. It was how you greeted a parent or a friend. If she kissed his cheek, it was still a kiss. Prosper got what he wanted and Zoé could escape. Perfect.

Zoé came stumbling into the space in front of the crowd, and Prosper felt his previously steady heartbeat hitch. She fell into him for the second time that night, and Prosper caught her. His eyes widened slightly in the dim light. God, she was stunning. But no. It couldn’t… No? Stupid. No. He knew it. She hadn’t just stepped out, she’d been pushed. The look of terror on her face said it all, and Prosper felt his heart plummet into his stomach region. Huh. Depressing. He’d spent the last few weeks trying not to think about her, and without her freakin’ beautiful little smile and gorgeous eyes, he’d… well, not succeeded exactly, because the girl still crossed his mind every day, but improved. Improved would definitely be a better way to describe it. Sure, the improving might have involved other girls and distractions, but for a little while there, he’d thought he might be okay. Maybe this whole obsession could blow over. Maybe… Then again, no. She was perfect.

He knew she was there accidentally. He could see it in her eyes. Knowing that it was an accident, but could probably be interpreted otherwise – as the cheering and whistling crowd evidenced – burned in a whole other way. I burn, I pine, I perish, his mind threw at him. The quote seemed pretty apt right now. Fire, everywhere. And she wouldn’t like that at all. He couldn’t think clearly, and all he was registering right now was Zoé. He might have been a huge romantic, but he’d never understood the whole crowd-fading-into-the-distance thing. It made total sense now. Wow. The boy blinked in surprise as they locked eyes. He was totally uncertain about how she was about to react. Merlin, was she about to cry? He raised his eyebrows, surprised. He knew that Zoé wasn’t like a lot of his other female friends. The curly haired boy was sure that Zara would have made some spectacle about it and then kissed him if she’d been pushed in front of everyone. He felt like Lucia would have too. Most of them would have, he thought vaguely. But Zoé was almost crying at the prospect of it.

Stomp on my heart, he thought wistfully.

Prosper turned his focus back to the crowd, wiping the slightly dazed expression off of his face and replacing it with another foolish smile. He showed teeth. Really, he was quite gone. Silly, inebriated thoughts pushed through his drunken haze, but for the most part he couldn’t think straight. A girl yelled out from the back that she’d kiss him if Zoé didn’t want to, and his foolish smirk turned into a devilish grin. He was all cheek and no class. The problem was still there, but it was his birthday. It wasn’t fair that he should have to deal with this problem, he thought. If Zoé wasn’t even going to give him a little peck for his birthday, then she should step off the stage. Even as these words flashed through his head, though, he rejected them vehemently. Zoé… well he couldn’t blame her for anything. He adored her. She was his little snowflake, perfect in every way, and he didn’t want her to be upset. If he made her upset then maybe they should just stop being friends. This thought sent a shock of panic up his spine. His head was like a bag of cats. Crazy cats, clawing around to get out.

Okay. Stupid. Whatever.

Their hesitation was obvious, because someone yelled out that she could just kiss him on the cheek. There we go, he thought distantly, perfect solution!. The crowd booed this at first, and there were disappointed "awwww"s, but when it was obvious that there was no snogging going on here, they started cheering for it. Kiss him on the cheek!. The sentence was picked up and repeated. They wanted a real kiss, but a cheek one would do. Ha, ha. Okay. Prosper glanced at Zoé without dropping his smirk, but he was sure she could see that little bit of hesitation in his eyes. The boy shrugged in a what-do-you-think kind of way and tapped his cheek with an index finger. She looked relieved, and he knew that she would do it. That’s nice, he supposed vaguely. At least the idea of kissing him on the cheek wasn’t so horrible that she was brought to tears. The girl moved closer and his gaze dropped from her face right down to her bare feet. She was so beautiful. He selfishly drank in the sight of her and wasn’t subtle at all. The boy swayed to the side, but made sure he didn't fall over. He presented the side of his face for her.

Prosper felt like he wasn’t in control of his actions. On one hand, it was all happening in slow motion. Was that normal? Merlin, he just wanted to get his hands all over her beautiful body and cherish her for the rest of his life. Was that too much to ask? He laughed at this internally. Yes, obviously, a voice somewhere in the depths of his mind answered. Prosper was unsteady. Prosper was silly. Prosper was drunk. She moved in to kiss his cheek and he felt his heartbeat speed up. The crowd spurred him on with their cheers and whistles and laughter. He was centre stage, and, as usual, the attention went straight to his head. Here he was, at his birthday party, surrounded by adoring fans and Zoé was crying at the prospect of kissing him. On one hand, Prosper couldn’t miss the humour. The ridiculousness of it all. His amused smirk said it all. On the other hand, however, it fucking burned. He wanted what he wanted. So when Zoé’s lips were inches away from his cheek, Prosper made a snap decision. Fuck it. The teenager turned and ducked his head slightly, closed his eyes and let her kiss him, pressing his lips against hers. Huh. Soft lips.

Uh-oh.

He didn't get it.

Prosper was looking at her, staring even, and she could see that he didn't understand. Or maybe he didn't want to understand, she didn't know. Yes. He was handsome, lovely and she knew that so many girls had to envy her right now but for Merlin's sake, she didn't love him and she couldn't do this. He knew it. Zoé had thought that this was over, that he had finally moved on but she could see in his face that he hadn't. The alcohol was clearly not helping here. She was so close to him that she could even smell it in his breath.

Zoé heard people yelling she should finally kiss him, others offered to take her place if she didn't want to and then she also heard a single suggestion that made her heartbeat slow down a little again. Had it been Zara's voice? She didn't know. Everything happened way too fast. The brunette still felt completely uncomfortable in front of all these people and she wanted to get out of here but maybe it would be over soon. She could do it. A kiss on the cheek wasn't too bad. The crowd wouldn't be satisfied but she didn't care. For once she didn't care what other people wanted. At all.

Her friend was smirking and once again he looked his his usual self, the dazed expression was gone. Just a kiss on the cheek and then she could hide in the crowd again. Zoé tried to breathe normally and to blend out all the loud cheers around her. She moved even closer and there was almost no space between them now. The elemental closed her eyes and raised her head a little, her lips almost inches away from his face. Zo could smell his aftershave, mixed with perfume, sweat and even smoke from all the fire that was around and she remembered her first kiss and how different everything had been.

She was expecting to meet the slightly rough skin of his cheek but then her lips touched something a lot softer. Something that was definitely not his cheek. Zoé's dark brown eyes snapped open and she couldn't even hear the people surrounding them. The world stood completely still. For a second her mind was completely blank but then she realized what was just happening and it felt as if waves of ice cold water were crashing into her.

No.

He had not just done that. No. Please, no. But he had. Prosper's lips were pressed against hers and never in her life had something felt so wrong. So completely and utterly wrong. She had to stop this. Now.

Zoé pulled away as fast as she could and the palm of her hand collided with Prosper's cheek. The sound of it made her wince. This was a nightmare, could only be one. The only difference was that she wasn't sleeping. She wouldn't wake up soon, realizing that it hadn't actually happened. Because it had. Did he think it was fun to humiliate her in front of everyone? Was he hurting her on purpose just because she had rejected him? Was this his way of getting revenge? Because if he had wanted to hurt her, he'd succeeded. Zoé's dark brown eyes were wide open and her whole body was shaking. She couldn't believe what she had just done, she had never ever hit someone, but her body had reacted on instinct.

She wanted to scream at him but all that left her lips was a single pained word. "Why?"

But she didn't even want to hear his answer. The girl felt angry, betrayed, even sick and her head was filled with just one thought. Run. She had to get away, get away from the boy she had thought was her friend. Zoé turned on the spot and started running. She bumped into guest after guest but the elemental didn't even notice. Now that the biggest shock was over, her eyes started to fill with tears again and this time they she didn't hold them back. She heard people call her name but didn't care. She wouldn't stop now. Couldn't. Not until she was alone. A sob escaped her lips and the brunette balled her small hands into fists, her nails cutting into the soft flesh of her palms.

It wasn't even the fact that she had been humiliated in front of everyone that hurt so much, even though it still made her cheeks feel as if they were on fire. It was more the betrayal she felt that made her whole body ache. And the fact that she had just lost a friend. Maybe forever.

Prosper had always been a stupid, impulsive boy.

Merlin, he was an idiot.

And he knew it.

That didn’t change anything right now though. He felt like his thoughts were a little behind the action. His alertness lagged against the real time. Somewhere, he was aware of the fact that this was a really, really bad idea. But when he kissed her – or when they kissed – there wasn’t anything else in the world that mattered. It was a horribly romantic thing to think, and very cliché, but Prosper could be intensely single-minded when he wanted to be. Clichés were cliché for a reason, too. Everything disappeared, and his daze was injected with a heavy dose of elation. Somewhere, the crowd cheered and clapped. He didn’t know where to put his hands (in her hair? He wanted to grab her waist), but her lips were exactly as soft as he’d imagined. One perfect moment. Perfect.

And then came the inevitable crash. Had he expected her to pull back? Well, he certainly wasn’t surprised when she did. He wasn’t even shocked when she slapped him. Okay, he thought, staring at the ground, he was a little stunned at how hard she could hit, but he could barely feel it right now. “Ouch,” he commented, in surprise more than anything. Everyone was laughing and cheering and he didn’t know what to do. Laugh with them? The good-humoured boy knew that they weren’t really laughing at him. They were cheering on his antics and laughing at the result. They loved it. Prosper wasn’t embarrassed about kissing her in front of everyone, either. And being rejected wasn’t shameful.

The boy snapped his attention back to the girl in front of him. He didn’t know how to behave. Sheepish? Amused? They were on stage in front of everyone, and a part of him was compelled to perform. Oh, but she was shaking. Prosper didn’t react. He didn’t know how to react. Oh. She was freaking out. He blinked. Uh-oh. A part of him rewound everything that had just happened and played it quickly over again. The crowd had demanded and he’d delivered. It was his birthday. Zara had pushed Zoé out and he’d kissed her. There was a little shock in his expression now. Guilt was swelling up inside him. She’d been about to cry, he thought vaguely. The elemental didn’t look much better right now. Prosper felt the pressure to do something from the crowd. Some kind of reaction. He didn’t know. They were all watching.

“Zo…” She cut him off with a word. Why. Why. The word hit him out of nowhere, and the most irrational yet totally uncontrollable emotional reaction rushed to his defence. It combatted the guilt. She wanted to know why? His eyebrows came together in an incredulous frown. Why, like he’d just done something completely horrific and unspeakable. It was just a stupid kiss! Prosper realised with a shock that he was angry. Why, why, why. Just a stupid, fun kiss. For his birthday. At his party. They were just mucking around – it wasn’t like he’d assaulted her or anything! It was her tone that really did it though. All hurt and pained like she’d found her boyfriend cheating on her with another girl or something. All accusatory and wounded and betrayed. His heart was still pounding from the kiss itself and the crowd was still cheering. They didn’t know. They were oblivious spectators.

He suddenly felt like he was very alone.

“Why?” he repeated incredulously, squinting his eyes a little as if she was the thickest person he’d ever talked to. Why had he kissed her? Hello, she was beautiful. She looked amazing. She was a lovely person. It was his party and it wasn’t a huge demand. Why was she freaking out? She knew how he felt about her. “Why” was just about the stupidest question he’d ever heard. It was the stupidest thing that had ever come out of her mouth. “Are you blind?” he asked, not really sure if he was alluding to the way that she looked tonight or the feelings that he’d had for almost a year now. Both, he decided. It was half compliment, half accusation. He was angry with her for asking stupid questions. He was angry with himself, because a part of him was fighting against the anger. Merlin, couldn’t he even get mad at her? He couldn’t even think a bad thought about the girl without wanting to drown himself.

The alcohol in his system fuelled his defensiveness. She was already turning. Everyone was still cheering. Prosper wanted to go after her. To get mad, make some kind of demands. But he just stayed where he was, swaying a little in his inebriation. It was loud and crowded and he reached out for her as she left, but missed. He couldn’t hear himself think. “Because I love you,” he said, but he didn’t think anyone – even Zoé – had heard. Maybe he hadn’t even said it out loud, and had just thought it instead. He wasn’t sure. She disappeared into the mass of bodies and he watched the space where she disappeared. After a moment he turned sheepishly back to the crowd. Smile, he thought vaguely.

A part of him was still angry. He didn’t know what to do. It had all happened in a second though, and he doubted that any of the crowd had seen any of the real stuff happening. The people at the front blocked everyone else's view. Everyone was drunk. Pale hands clasped his own and pushed a knife handle into his palms. It was cake-cutting time, apparently. Prosper was in a bit of a daze that had a lot to do with the alcohol he’d had. Zoé was in his head. Why, she’d asked. Because I love you, he thought, and now you know.

Crapola.

This was bad. Really bad. Horror movie bad. They were too far away, there were too many people and it was all her fault. It was totally and utterly her doing. She thought she'd fixed it by yelling out for poor Zoé to kiss his cheek but no, this alcohol fuelled crowd was getting more and more aggressive. Fixed to the spot, she swallowed as her heart dropped. Zoé, sweet, adorable, darling Zoé was succumbing to peer pressure that she'd created.

Zara chewed on her lower lip as she bounced on her heels, clasping her hands together and rubbing her palms nervously. She was anxious. Anxious for this spectacle to be over. She could kiss his cheek and then they could wander off somewhere else but no.

From her vantage point, Prosper had turned his head and forced Zoé to kiss him. "Oh Prosper, what are you doing?" The short blonde whispered with large eyes as the crowd around her erupted. People clapped and Zara was shoved as some party goers surged forward, causing her to wobble. What was this? A seventeenth birthday party or a rock concert mosh pit? "Zoé!" She called out, reaching out a hand to try and grab her smaller friend to whisk her out of there as fast as she could.

Everything else seemed to happen in slow motion. She heard the unmistakable slap of skin on skin. Zara gasped, her left hand flying to her mouth. Had she just whacked him? She winced and inhaled, feeling sorry for Prosper's cheek and also Zoé. Had kissing him really been so bad? It was a peck. There weren't any tongues involved. The touch had been brief. Zara stared in silence. Why was Zoé so against this? From what her best friend had told her, she'd rejected him but she thought they were getting on great.

Unless.

Zoé wasn't being entirely truthful to her. Was she seeing someone else? "Zoé!" Zara yelled as the brunette tried to bolt, turning to face her as her hands reached out in vain as they tried to grab a hold of her. She was bouncing from person to person like a pinball machine. Merlin's balls.

Aware of the crowd, Zara strode forward and picked up a knife from the table and stepped into action to get everyone's attention. Cake cutting time! She walked over to Prosper and pressed the knife into his hand and leant in close. "Are you fucking kidding me?" She hissed low, her eyes narrowed swiftly, debating on whether or not she should disembowel him. That'd be theatrical. She sighed heavily. It wasn't Prosper's fault. He was impulsive and passionate and Zoé looked beautiful tonight.

Before giving him a chance to react, she closed the gap and kissed his cheek before squeezing his hand softly, turning and stepping off the stage with a wave. Like a meerkat, Zara scanned the people, twisting and turning through the crowd until she escaped the tent and was able to get outside and catch a breath.

She panted, looking around swiftly, the ends of her hair whipping her cheek as she turned her head wildly. How hard was it to find an upset brunette dressed as a fortune teller? "Zo?" She asked into the darkness. Oh this was friggin' stupid now. She let out a sigh and slammed the heel of her hand against her forehead, pitching forward with a groan. Blarg. Pfft, thespians. Really.

Zoé was obviously overreacting. Prosper repeated this to himself silently as he flashed the crowd another sheepish grin. It was just a dumb, birthday kiss. Any other girl here tonight – even one that wasn’t attracted to him in the slightest – would have laughed it off. Even if they slapped him first, they would have seen the humour in it all and laughed at the drunk, cheeky boy and his drunk, cheeky antics. Seriously. What the hell was wrong with her? Why did she have to overreact to everything? It had been like this when he’d asked her out too. She’d almost cried, which had only made it infinitely more embarrassing for him to think about. Even thinking about it right now made him want to shrivel up and squeeze his eyes shut, tight. A number of the girls around him now would be happy to have him. Prosper would have much preferred if she’d just told him “no thanks” with a bit of a shrug. Sure, he’d have been hurt still, but it wouldn’t have filled him with the horror he’d felt at hurting her so badly.

Same thing again tonight, in Prosper’s reckoning.

He was drunk. Really, truly drunk. The newly seventeen year old almost dropped the knife out of his hands when Zara gave it to him, but her words made him raise his eyebrows in disbelief. Really? His best friend was on her side? Wow. Zara should have pushed herself out in front of the crowd instead, obviously. He knew without a doubt that she’d have kissed him. She probably would have wiped her lips with the back of her hand afterward and made some spectacle about how terrible he was at kissing, or at how disgusting it was to kiss someone who was like a brother. Honestly, he felt a little hurt that she wasn’t taking “his side” here, but he didn’t have much time to feel like that before the blonde leant in and kissed him swiftly on the cheek. He was holding the knife at an awkward angle, but managed to shoot her a confused and sad kind of smile before she disappeared into the crowd again.

Prosper’s eyes found his cake and he started cutting hefty sized pieces until his older brother appeared beside him to take the sharp object out of his decidedly clumsy hands. His darkly outlined grey eyes scanned the crowd quickly, but there was no trace of his blonde best friend or… her. Zoé was gone. Prosper didn’t know what to do. This whole thing was a mess of colour and smoke and sparkles and dimly-lit areas. It was so busy. There was no way that he’d be able to find them… if he wanted to. This was ridiculous. It was his seventeenth, and he should be having fun. Maybe he’d go looking for another girl who might actually want him. Had he seen Lucia a moment ago? Skipping the cake, Prosper swiped a glass of wine from a passing waiter and scanned the crowd around him again. It was his party. If he stood still for long enough someone would probably approach him. The seventeen year old sighed, and then steeled himself to down his drink. He might as well get completely smashed, then go looking for a distraction. Maybe it would help.