The sun was just touching the rooftops when Hornet awoke. Her mind still blurred with visions from her dream, she was already dressed and in the bathroom before she realized what day it was. It was Monday, she realized. Then, like a punch in the stomach, she realized that Ida's wedding was Wednesday. She let out a very un-Hornet squeal and clapped her hands together once, letting out a sharp sound that echoed off the cool walls. Admiring her reflection one last time (she did look rather pretty in the black peasant skirt and teal top she was wearing) Hornet braided her hair, then padded downstairs barefoot, where a bowl of cereal and a pair of silver flats were waiting.

Prosper meandered downstairs a half-hour later, his brown hair mussed from a night of sleep. Being a boy, he was blearily unaware of the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt, and was dressed only in a pair of baggy navy sweatpants and a pair of socks that were well past their prime, and their mid-life crisis, if socks had one. He was in fairly good shape, and far from unattractive. This only made matters worse for Hornet when she walked straight into him on her way out of the kitchen. Neither of them had any idea of the other's presence until they crashed into one another. Hornet squealed slightly on impact and poor Prosper, in his aged socks, lost his balance and fell unceremoniously, taking an unsuspecting Hornet with him. Her glass of orange juice shattered as it hit the floor, and Hornet started her morning laying on a shirtless Prosper in a pool of juice and shattered glass.

There were some things that she noticed then. Firstly, Prosper's chest was very warm and muscular for such a thin boy. Secondly, he had very blue eyes. So blue, in fact, she nearly convinced herself there was an ocean in them. Thirdly, there was something very sharp and very painful in her hand. And although the first two discoveries were quite wonderful, it was the third she decided to attend to.

"Ouch," She said, almost surprised. Prosper seemed to come back into his senses then, and immediately got up and helped her to her feet.

"Ouch!" She proclaimed again when he took her hand to examine it. A shard of her broken glass was stuck in her palm, blood trickling out of the wound it was in.

"We'll have to wash it out…" The boy said, almost to himself. Hornet began to make her way to the sink, but he grabbed her arm. She looked at him, irritated.

"There's glass," He gestured down, "You're barefoot."

"Oh, well…" She began, but her cut her off.

"I'll carry you."

"But you're barefoot too!"

"I have socks!" And with that, he scooped her up and carried her the ten feet to the sink of Ida's luxurious kitchen.

"You could've just gotten me my shoes," She stated as Prosper put her down. He turned a violent shade of red.

"Well, you know, erm…the, uh…"

"Prop, it's fine. I'll fix my hand now, you clear up the glass," Hornet said, turning to the sink to hide her blush. Prosper cleaned away the glass, and bid her a hasty goodbye before racing back up to his room.

Hornet was surprised to find she loved Ida's bridesmaid dress choice. They were periwinkle blue with a brown sash, and below the sash they fanned out, coming to a stop a few inches above the knee. They would wear brown wedges, and have the flower of their choice braided into their hair. Although she was the maid of honor, Hornet still had to wear the dress. Ida had confronted her about being the maid of honor the night before, and Hornet hadn't hesitated to say yes. With that memory in her mind, Hornet grinned at herself in the mirror. The dress fit her perfectly, and she could hardly wait for her chance to wear it.

"Ah ah ah! No peeking!" Ida scolded Bo as they walked in, arms laden with bags. The little boy looked mildly let down that he wasn't allowed to see them yet, but soon occupied himself with skipping around chanting, "Ida's getting married!" Which later earned him a playful bop on the head with a book from Hornet at he skipped past.

That night as she lay in bed, Hornet was surrounded by fantasies of the wedding day. She would look like a dream in her blue dress with her hair up. Prosper would tell her how beautiful she looked and-wait. Prosper? She sat up. He was her friend, right? Something inside her protested the word, but she pushed it away. Yes, friends. Friends could call each other beautiful. She settled back down, the thing inside her locked safely away in her heart.

For Prosper, Tuesday was a rush of tux rentals and fittings. He trailed after Victor and Scipio as they scurried through the shop. Scipio was to be the best man, and Prosper would be sharing the honor with him. Victor had said that without them, he never would've met Ida. So Prosper stood with Scipio as he had his suit adjusted, and listened to his old friend talk.

"So, Prop, what's going on with you and Hornet?" Prosper dropped the periwinkle blue tie he'd been admiring, and turned to face the black haired young man.

"What do you mean?" The younger boy asked coyly, picking up the tie in an attempt to brush of his reaction.

"I always thought you rather fancied her…" The old Thief-Lord continued, and as his companions ears went pink, he smirked.

"Am I wrong?" He asked, hoping Prosper would admit to it. The boys eyes were downcast, and he was apparently engrossed by his fingers.

"No…you're not," He finally sighed, still not looking up. Scipio put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and chuckling.

"Hornet's a lucky girl!" This time, Prosper looked up with a lopsided grin on his face.

"You know, it's a custom for the best man and the maid of honor to dance at the reception, and you know I'm not going to," Scipio finished, and his young friend's face had cheered considerably.

When Prosper returned home with the suits in paper bags, it was Hornet's turn to be scolded, running up and trying to peep into the bags.

"No no Hornet! All in good time!" He teased. She hit him lightly, and he feigned injury. Soon, they were a mess of giggles, sitting on the floor. Soon, the giggling died down, and they went into a comfortable silence.

"It's exciting, huh. Ida and Victor getting married," Hornet said. Prosper smiled and nodded. She reached out and put her hand on his and gave it a squeeze. Then, she got up, yawned, and said a soft goodnight before sweeping upstairs.

The next day began in chaos. Bo spilled juice across his new white shirt, leaving Hornet to race out and buy a new one. The florist was an hour late, and Ida couldn't find her veil. But finally, they all made it into the dressing room, a.k.a. Ida's bedroom. The ceremony was to be in Ida's garden, and the boys dressing room was in Prosper's room, and both parties had strict orders to avoid seeing each other before the ceremony.

All the women were fussing over Ida. Her hair, her makeup, her dress! Hornet didn't know half the women there, and at thirteen, she was by far the youngest. So she stood back and struggled with her hair, until someone pinned it up for her. Turning around, she saw a smiling-eyed woman who she vaguely recognized. Her name was something like 'Reena' or 'Rain' or 'Rita'.

"Hello there. My name's Rachel!" Oh well, she'd been close.

"I'm Caterina, but people call me Hornet," She held out her hand and Rachel took it, smiling. Hornet suddenly felt accepted, and proceeded to take part in the fuss.

Hornet gasped at her reflection as Ida pinned the last white carnation into her hair. The effect was breathtaking. The young beauty looked older and taller in her new shoes. The dress fit her perfectly, and her hair was the final touch, making her look nearly ethereal. Ida took her shoulders gently.

"Prosper won't be able to take his eyes off you," She whispered. A blush rose to Hornet's cheeks, and she felt a brilliant tingling in her stomach.

Ida looked beautiful when she emerged from the dressing room and proceeded down the garden. When the music began, she glided down the aisle. Feeling someone's eyes on her, she turned to see Prosper smiling at her from behind Victor. She smiled back, and the ceremony began. It was short, and Hornet's favorite part was the vows. Then, before she knew it, it was time for dancing. Victor swept Ida onto the floor, a big patch of grass beneath a white tent. They swayed to the music, then suddenly Prosper was at Hornet's her side.

"Do you want to dance?" She blushed madly, and took his outstretched hand.

"You look beautiful," He whispered.

"Thank you. You look rather dashing yourself," Hornet whispered back, biting her lip. It was Prospers turn to blush, and his face went pink. It was really quite fairytale, for both the newly married couple, and Prosper and Hornet. As cliché as it may seem, they danced the night away.

The evening was coming to a close, and the guests were leaving, slowly but surely emptying the garden until it was just Hornet and Prosper. They sat idly by the fountain, the dark haired girl fidgeting with her dress, and her companion staring distantly into the night sky. Without thinking, the girl set her head on his shoulder. Looking down, he smiled affectionately at his companion. He dropped one arm around her shoulder and she snuggled closer. Then, without a second thought, she lifted her head and pressed her lips to his, and he reacted just as naturally. Prosper placed both arms around her, and they stayed like that for a moment before she pulled back. He smiled warmly at her, and she blushed. Wordlessly, they got up and walked hand in hand back to the house. The residents who noticed the change needed no words, they, like the young couple, just knew. Prosper and Hornet had all the time in the world to talk, but on that summer evening, they didn't need to say a word.