I Live for Glitter, Not You

[Tristan Collins]

For the second year in a row, Tristan had a date to the yule ball. This time it wasn't a pretty girl, but a cute guy on his arm. Kauri looked more adorable than anything else, but Tristan still enjoyed that he had asked him to be his date. Smiling at him as he linked arms with him, Tristan led the younger boy into the great hall. He really hoped people from the paper were around, he wanted to be on a list with yule ball couples if they were making one again. Or maybe at least mentioned in an article about it. "Sorry to be cheesy." He said softly as he unlinked arms with Kauri and raised his hand to kiss it. "But you look really good tonight." It was always a gamble to know how far he could go with compliments, but he had a feeling Kauri would appreciate gestures like this more than some others he knew. He hoped so, at least. "Since you graced me with your company tonight, I'll let you lead the evening." he said with a smile, though he had no such intention. "You can choose what we do first, I mean." He brushed some hair off the other boy's forehead and smiled shyly. "Though I do hope to dance with you at some point."

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Kauri still couldn't quite believe his luck. Going to the Yule Ball like this, with a real date felt so different to going with April as friends. He felt much more serious and mature, like one of the older students he had always giggled at as a child. He was a teenager now though, and he was here, at the Yule Ball, arm in arm with his boyfriend, something he had never expected to have, but Tristan was so nice, and really handsome, and it was always fun to be around him. He watched, unable to suppress a wide smile, as Tristan kissed his hand, and a shiver went through him. This was so exciting! A real, actual date! "Thanks." He beamed, squeezing Tristan's hand slightly. "You look really good too. Super handsome." Handsome felt like the right, mature thing to say. When Tristan said he would let Kauri lead the evening he paused for a moment, looking around. It was hard to know what to do first. He was relieved when Tristan recommended dancing, nodding enthusiastically. "Let's dance first, then!" He said happily. Kauri couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to dance with Tristan. He seemed so certain in everything he did, he must be an excellent dancer. And maybe they would slowdance! Kauri had never slowdanced before, but the thought of dancing so close with Tristan put a little flutter in his heart.

 

[Tristan Collins]

It pleased Tristan to see how excited Kauri was, though he did wish the boy would tone it down just a little. He was a little younger, but not that much. There was no need for him to act too excited about this, even if it was flattering. Still, he squeezed his hand back and smiled gratefully at the boy's compliment. "Super handsome, hmm? I'll have to write that down to remember being called something so super sweet." He teased gently. "Dancing seems like an excellent idea." He added with a nod and another grin, pretending not to realize it had been more his own suggestion than Kauri's one. Even though he had said to the younger boy that he could lead the evening, Tristan was the one that lead him to the dance floor and took the lead in the dance. He mostly copied what the other students were doing, holding Kauri somewhat close and moving slowly to the music with him. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Kauri laughed happily, glad that Tristan appreciated his compliment. Tristan was so good at making Kauri feel happy and good about himself, and Kauri wanted to be able to do the same for the other boy. It still felt so thrilling to be liked by someone so suave and kind. He didn't understand how April could be so frustratingly distrustful of someone who seemed only ever to say and do nice things. When Tristan started leading him out to the dance floor, Kauri looked around, feeling like a million bucks. They were surrounded by other people dancing and having fun on dates, and now they could do the same. When Tristan took hold of him Kauri returned all of his attention to the older boy though, smiling up at him warmly. "Yeah!" He said happily in response to Tristan's question, though he kept his tone softer than usual, feeling like dancing so close was a low voices kind of occasion. "This is so nice. I'm really glad you asked me."

 

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan had to admit Kauri's laugh was pretty cute. It could very well have been the first thing he noticed about the boy, he seemed to have no shame in laughing frequently. It was also nice that Kauri let Tristan lead him and set the tone of their date tonight. Tristan was sure he had asked the right person to the ball, even if they weren't turning heads in envy or anything as far as he could see. He was happy he wasn't alone, and Kauri was really cute. It was very flattering to see his adoring eyes, and Tristan gave him a smile as they he said he was glad he'd asked him. "I agree, I'm glad I asked you too. You're a wonderful date." Tristan said, turning them around slowly as they danced. "Your friend didn't seem pleased, though. I hope I didn't offend her." A slight frown appeared on his face, as he made sure to seem concerned about it.

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Everything was going right for Kauri tonight. He was so happy to be here, with Tristan, dancing surrounded by all the other couples. It felt like a while new world, and he couldn't be more excited. He beamed happily, looking up at Tristan. "Well, so are you." He said happily. "This is really nice." Kauri tensed a little when Tristan mentioned April, sighing. "It's fine. She was being so weird, I dunno what her problem is. She's not usually like that at all." He sighed, resisting the urge to look around and see if he could spot April. "It doesn't matter though." He said instead, smiling. "I'm here with you, that's what matters."

 

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan was glad the other boy was enjoying himself and seemed to appreciate every compliment he paid him. He smiled, leading the dance and grinning when Kauri said it was really nice. He made sure to look appropriately concerned when he talked about his friend, but was happy to move along when Kauri steered the conversation away from the subject again. "I trust you about that, maybe she was just having a bad day." He said soothingly. Then he latched onto the boy's last statement. "That is what matters, I'm happy we're here together." He said. One of his hands moved up to cup Kauri's cheek. "Can I kiss you, Kauri?" He asked. He already leaned closer before the boy responded, but saw him nod. That was all he needed, before Kauri could vocalise his agreement he was already pressing his lips against the younger boy's. Smiling slightly as he imagined people turning their heads to look in their direction.


((godmod approved))

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Kauri was relieved that Tristan didn't seem to hold the odd encounter against April. Fighting or not, she was still his best friend, and he hoped to introduce her and Tristan properly once they made up. Surely it had just been a bad day, she would come around and they could all be friends once she did. Kauri beamed when Tristan said he was happy, leaning in slightly to the hand on his cheek. "I'm happy too." He said warmly, heart thumping a little with how close they were. Was Tristan about to kiss him? Before Kauri could wonder too much Tristan asked outright and he nodded nervously, opening his mouth to say yes, but there were already lips on his, and all of Kauri's thoughts flew right out the window. Kissing wasn't anything like he had thought it would be, he could feel the slight scratch of Tristan's stubble, and realised that up this close the other boy smelled really nice, like expensive cologne. He leaned closer, letting Tristan control the kiss, trying to copy his movements. After a while though Kauri's jaw started to hurt and he pulled back, grinning nervously. "Wow." He said happily, looking Tristan in the eye. As far as first kisses went, Kauri was sure that had to be one of the best anyone had ever had.

 

[Tristan Collins]

Kauri was only the second person Tristan had ever kissed, and he was glad he did. The kiss was nice and gentle and he managed to get lost in it for a little while. Kauri was a lot shorter than Vivian was, and there was no brush of his long hair against the side of his face. Despite the differences, he really enjoyed the kiss. The smile on Tristan's face as it broke wasn't fake in the slightest, and he slowly moved his hand away from his face again. Kauri really was cute, and the way he said wow after the kiss made Tristan laugh a little. "Wow indeed." He said softly, tilting his head to the side slightly with a smirk on his face. "Bears repeating at some point in the future, I think. Don't you agree?" A part of him wanted to kiss the boy again right here and now, but he also had to keep his mind on what others would think. One kiss was cute, but he didn't want to overdo it. "Perhaps later, after the party."

 

[Jessica Matthews]

Jessica had been looking forward to the Yule Ball for a while now - practically all semester, in fact. It remained the highlight of her year and she still held fond memories of the last two times she had attended the event, even though the first year she'd been woefully unprepared in the dress department and had no one to attend with. This year, however, was looking to be the best yet – she and October weren't attending the ball as a dating couple, but she would still get to spend the evening accompanying and dancing alongside a wonderful person... which was enough, in Jessica's eyes. October looked amazing in her dress, too, and Jessica had already told her friend so out in the Entrance Hall, but she still couldn't help feeling slightly jealous. She didn't resent the other girl for it, of course, she just didn't think it was ever something she would be able to pull off herself, unfortunately.

Trying to act as if she looked just as good as October out on the dance floor, though she knew the other girl had her beat there as well, Jessica ducked out of the way of someone swaying too close to her in their enthusiasm - and unfortunately straight back into the path of whoever had been dancing behind her. The residual bumping of bodies was only slight, but she immediately swung around to discover who she had been pushed into and decide whether apologies would be necessary... which annoyingly, took a little longer to decide than she'd have liked. Jessica had seen Tristan with his date earlier in the evening, but had decided to ignore the both of them in favour of focusing all of her attention on her own night at the dance, and October of course. "Oops, sorry," she said to the boy she now recognised from a few of her classes, conjuring a quick smile for him that looked suitably apologetic. "I was trying to - oh, hello Tristan. It's nice to see you again." Her smile remained fixed in place, but looking at both boys' faces her eyes narrowed. Had they just been... kissing? Well, it was nice Tristan had found someone he wanted to do that with, he'd certainly never seemed interested in kissing her. Turning as if to dismiss the two of them, Jessica switched her attention to October, who had been left slightly out of the loop in this new development of their night. "I went with Tristan last year," she explained to the older girl in more hushed tones - tones that could still clearly be heard by both boys. "I'm so pleased he found someone that would agree to going with him tonight, I would have felt terrible turning up with you if he'd had no one."

 

[October Alcott]

It was a relief to October, actually having someone to attend the ball with this year. She had never had a proper date before, and even if she and Jessica were just here as friends, it felt much better to walk in arm in arm with someone. Jessica's dress was beautiful, and October could tell they made quite the pair. The fact that the other girl had made her own dress only made it more impressive - October couldn't imagine how much work it must have taken, and the effort had certainly paid off. The evening so far had been a delight... they had talked, snacked, and danced, and everything felt just as it should.

October didn't think much of it when Jessica accidentally bumped into someone while they were dancing. All of October's attention had been on her date, making sure the evening was perfect for both of them. The people around them hardly mattered. October wouldn't have noticed at all if Jessica hadn't turned around to apologise. It took her a moment to even recognise Tristan, surprised to see him here with a boy who must be younger. It was even more of a surprise to hear that Jessica recognised him, and she raised an eyebrow curiously. "Hello Tristan." She said curtly, then paused to listen to Jessica's explanation. Ah. That was it. She couldn't help but wonder how they would have met in the first place, but left her curiosity on the back burner. October's friendship with Tristan was entirely built on a foundation of oneupmanship, and if he had some history with Jessica, that was only more reason to remind the boy that she was better than him, not only in academics, but being Jessica's date to the Yule Ball. Smiling slyly, October slid an arm around Jessica's waist and leaned against her slightly. "So nice to see you here, Tristan." She said, a hint of taunting in her voice. "I wouldn't have expected you to attend this sort of event."

 

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan was interested in seeing Kauri's response to his words, hoping the boy would agree with him. But before he could hear what Kauri might say, when another body bumped into him. Slightly annoyed, he looked over his shoulder to see Jessica. The first thought that went through his mind was that she had obviously bumped into him on purpose, jealous of the date he had brought to the dance instead of her. But then he saw who she was with and his mouth nearly dropped open. October Alcott looked fantastic. He'd already known she was probably the prettiest girl in their year, but this just confirmed it for him. It took him a moment to focus on Jessica's words. The blonde wasn't looking bad herself, but October was clearly stealing the show. "Don't worry, I barely felt it." He said with a small smile. His smile wavered as he heard Jessica tell October they went together last year. He hadn't even known the two were friends, so this was an unexpected turn of events. He let go of Kauri, frowning slightly. Jessica's words made it sound like he had to beg Kauri to come with him, but that wasn't true at all. Defending that point would just sound pathetic, however, especially as that conversation wasn't outwardly meant for his ears. His eyebrow raised slightly at October's words, and his mouth turned up again in a slight smile. The two had something of a competition going on between them, and it seemed like October hadn't forgotten. "It's nice to see you as well, you look nice." He said, even though it was the understatement of the century. "Really? Then you must not have noticed me. I usually go to events like this, and usually not alone." With that, he glanced at Jessica and gave her a small, dismissive smile. "Enjoy your night, ladies." His voice was pleasant enough, but he couldn't help feel some annoyance. He should have asked October, not Kauri. As sweet as the boy was, he really would have made a splash with her on his arm. He knew it wasn't true, but a part of him wondered if Jessica somehow knew he had considered it and scooped her up to taunt him. Perhaps that was also why they 'accidentally' bumped into him. All he could do was hope Jessica wouldn't turn October against him completely. He hadn't treated her that badly, just ended things when they needed to be ended. Surely, Jessica was mature enough to see it that way too.

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Everything about tonight felt like a dream to Kauri. Tristan's compliments, dancing, kissing... it was all a big fairytale, and he couldn't figure out what the best part was. And now Tristan was talking about wanting to kiss him again! Kauri started to nod, a small thrill running through him at the thought, when before he could respond properly a girl had bumped right into them. Kauri was annoyed for a moment, until he recognised the girl from a couple of his classes. The pretty older girl she was with wasn't familiar, but Tristan clearly seemed to recognise her. "Hi Jessica!" Kauri said happily to his classmate, giving her a friendly wave. He didn't quite catch what the girls were whispering about, but it was clear that they were all friends with Tristan, and he smiled happily. "Your dresses are so nice!" He added happily, before Tristan said they should enjoy their night. He was sad to be saying goodbye so soon after they started talking, but Kauri couldn't exactly say no to more time with Tristan. "It was nice to see you!" He added with a cheerful smile, before turning his attention back to Tristan.

 

[Jessica Matthews]

Although Jessica was a little surprised to feel October's arm snake its way around her waist, she read the tone in her friend's voice immediately and with a shameless internal smirk she mirrored the action to bring her own arm around October's waist as well, the smile on her face seemingly innocent. She would have never indulged in this sort of thing on her own in front of the other girl, but October didn't seem a total stranger to Tristan - nor a particularly favourable friend. Jessica didn't know what exactly the relationship between them was, but for now she was happy pettily reveling in how much better she thought her date this year was than Tristan - among other things, she was sure October would never wear the same suit to two dances in a row if she were so inclined to that kind of outfit. Although Jessica listened patiently to both boys, giving the one in her own year a greeting and cheery thanks for the compliment to her dress, she couldn't resist drawing their conversation out a little longer now that she knew October also seemed to be on a similar page to her regarding the subject of Tristan.

As the boys seemed to try and bid them goodbye, Jessica threw out the verbal equivalent of wedging her foot in the path of a closing door, pitching her tone in polite condemnation at his opinionable rudeness. "Oh, but Tristan, you never introduced us to your date, for October's sake," she added quickly, the pause barely evident. It wouldn't do to let the boy know she didn't remember his name, particularly as he had clearly known hers. "It seems to be a habit of yours to keep quiet about your friends - you never did mention Vivian again after I met him last year... How is he?" This was all said with a sunny smile, but she was sure Tristan would recognise the needling underneath. Even something as small as being told barely anything about the other people he spent time with made Jessica feel deliciously pleasant in subtly sniping at the older boy - she didn't really care about the strange boy she hadn't seen since, of course, he was just the only other person Tristan knew that wasn't standing in the immediate vicinity that Jessica could think of.