Caleb could hear him pacing outside the office. His slippers were padding back and forth across the large stone tiles as he cooed to the chubby brown cat that lay tangled in his arms.

"Baby" said Caleb, "Did you need something?"

Tristan pushed open the door with his foot as the restless Turkey began to squirm.

"Just put him down and come here" said Caleb, "I feel like I haven't hugged you all day."

Upon his release, Turkey cried to be picked up again, but alas, Tristan already had his hands full. Caleb had wheeled across in his chair and pulled his husband down onto his lap before he had the chance to escape.

"What do you want to ask me?" he whispered, sniffing Tristan's scent and nuzzling into his cheek.

"I want to do something... for Halloween."

"Baby. I'm not letting you watch another of those zombie movies. The last one, you stayed awake all night staring at the mirror."

"I wasn't staring into the mirror" said Tristan, "I was keeping an eye on the perimeter... just in case. I would have been happy having the cats keep watch on our behalf but you'd already banished them from the room."

"Why would you have anything to fear when I'm there?" asked Caleb.

There was a time when Caleb had been the most frightening of all. But as Tristan pinched his cheeks and squished them into a pout that he could happily kiss, he realized just how harmless his husband really was.

"And anyway, it doesn't matter" said Tristan, "I don't want to watch another scary movie. I want a party. I know people here don't really do much round this time of year, but I kind of miss the trick-or-treating, the candy, the costumes..."

The thought of Tristan dressing up elicited an immediate response from Caleb.

"Of course you should have a party. If that's what you want."

"And will you dress up if I ask you to?"

Caleb's enthusiasm for the idea began to wane at the prospect of having to actively participate. But there was very little he'd refuse if Tristan was the one to ask him.

"If that's what you want" he repeated.

Tristan happily kissed his husband and scooped Turkey up onto his lap.

"I bought costumes for the babies already but I think they've outgrown them."

"You want to bring the cats to the party?" asked Caleb, "I'll make arrangements for whichever venue you choose. I know there's an old fortress that gets rented out at new year; I think the planning team could do something with that."

"A fortress? Husband, my guestlist shouldn't be above a dozen or so. We'll have it here. No need for a team, I want to decorate myself."

Caleb was forced to admit that their apartment was probably a better size, he just wasn't sure how easy it would be to make everyone leave at the end of the night, so he could fully appreciate Tristan's costume in private.

With his husband's approval obtained, Tristan set about ordering everything he might need. Caleb offered to pay the shipping on whichever props they needed to import to the island, but Tristan was adamant that they could make do with colored lights and a smoke machine.

"Terrana can come when it's still early, I don't want to make things too scary" he'd said.

Caleb had the sneaking suspicion that the animated zombies he'd found online would only have terrified his husband, but kept the thought to himself. 

The guestlist was easy enough to put together, aside from Tibur and Millie, Fraser, Farang, and Terrana were invited, along with Stephen and Dr Terice. It was unclear whether or not Angela would accept; but as it turned out, she was missing some of the traditions she'd enjoyed in college and determined to add the party to their schedule.

"Will there be apple bobbing?" she asked, "If you use vodka instead of water, I guarantee the night gets interesting real fast. That may be the last time I saw Caleb drunk... have you seen it yet for yourself?"

It was something Tristan had yet to witness, but he was curious exactly how his husband would change after one too many drinks. As the designated driver for almost every night out, he was usually so careful when it came to alcohol.

"I'd imagine he just gets gloomy. Am I wrong?" asked Tristan.

Angela laughed at the other end of the phone.

"Maybe" she said.

The invitation was of course extended to Michael, but there was no telling whether or not he was likely to be in the country. He'd been increasing his flying hours recently, and Tibur was starting to worry that he was avoiding coming home. They'd still talk from wherever he landed, but the escalating number of flights was keeping him from the contact he so desperately craved.

"I'd have thought you'd choose a couples' costume" said Millie, when she saw the options Tibur was browsing on his phone, "Isn't that what couples do?"

"I er... I haven't heard yet" Tibur confessed, "Whether or not he can make it. It's better I just choose something for myself."

"Want to do a couple costume with me?" she offered, "I was just going to make a witches' hat, you could come as my broomstick if you want?"

"Thanks" said Tibur, "I think I'll pass this time."

"What about you, Tristan? Are you going scary or funny?"

"Um... cute I guess" he replied as he picked at the lunch that Caleb had made for him, and pushed the rice balls Millie had been eyeing in her direction. "I'm waiting on some deliveries so I won't know for sure until I've tried things on."

On the day the last of Tristan's packages arrived, Caleb was sitting eagerly on the bed as he waited for his husband to unpack them.

"Oh" said Tristan, "There's nothing here that I've ordered for you."

"I'm aware" Caleb told him, "I'm just curious to see what you bought."

The first thing Tristan pulled out was a onesie. No spandex in sight, it was a giant fluffy bat with ears on the hood and fabric wings stretching between the arms and the body. As adorable as his husband looked flapping around, it wasn't quite what Caleb had in mind.

"Won't you get too hot in that one?" he asked, "And it probably won't be all that easy to use the bathroom..."

Tristan had to agree.

"There's another one like it with a pumpkin design but it's got the same issue. Can't we just turn up the A/C if I get too hot wearing it?"

"And what if the others are dressed lightly?" asked Caleb responsibly, "We have to think of the others."

Of course Caleb himself never did. The only thing on his mind was how difficult it would be to keep the costume on and still have access to all his favorite parts of Tristan. He wasn't expecting his husband to dress indecently with so many guests around, but he was sure they could find a happy medium.

"What's that one supposed to be?" asked Caleb, as he caught sight of a checkered fabric he hoped might be a uniform.

"This one? Oh this one is fun! It's a lumberjack being carried away by an inflatable bear."

Caleb's hopes were dashed again.

"What if the babies want to sit on you and scratch it? Goose's claws have been getting long... you'd find yourself having to drag around a deflated bear all evening."

"Should I just wear something simple do you think?" asked Tristan, "I thought if I could just throw something on all in one piece then that would be easiest. My only other option was the sailor uniform I bought, but the shorts it came with are practically see-through..."

Caleb's interest was piqued.

"Why don't you try it on and show me?" he said excitedly, "I can let you know if you could get away with it. And you could always change out the shorts..."

He'd already planned to make a mess of them anyway.

"I hadn't thought of that" said Tristan, "Sailor it is then. There's a pair of white pants in the closet I've never been brave enough to wear; I'm always scared I'll dirty them. They should do, I just need to remember where I put the rest of it..."

Tristan walked off in search of the costume while Caleb waited. In vain. Although his husband found where he'd put it, he had no intention of trying it on again.

"It fit just fine last time" he said, "Now we just need to find something for you and the babies..."

What Tristan found was not approved by Caleb.

"Please Husband... At least try it on."

"Baby. When I said I was willing to wear a costume... I wasn't expecting it be something so constricting... or quite so revealing. How come you ordered onesies for yourself and this for me?"

To Tristan it had made sense that a sailor and a merman went well together. When he saw the tail and the shell-encrusted net on the model he couldn't help but feel that Caleb would wear it better. And he'd already bought a variety of fish costumes for the cats.

"I'll dress as a captain and match you, okay?"

Tristan reluctantly agreed, the thought of Caleb in uniform was almost as appealing.

Tibur had finally got hold of his own man in uniform on the other side of the world. Michael had called to let him know he'd landed safely after another longhaul flight.

"A costume party? And you're dressing up? But you still haven't worn the one I brought you."

Tibur rolled his eyes.

"Do I have to explain why again?"

Michael had meant well when he came home with a flight attendant's uniform stuffed into his flight-case. At first Tibur suspected he was having an affair; but his boyfriend quickly assured him the uniform had never been worn.

"And what? You want me to dress like whichever one of your coworkers it is that you're fantasizing about fucking?" Tibur had asked, "I'm not sure that's any better."

"Tibur. I sit in the cockpit for all those hours and you're the one I fantasize about. I daydream that you'll knock on the door and give me head as I stare out into the clouds. It's not like I want Aiden to come in and do that. Only you."

"Who the fuck is Aiden?"

"The cabin manager..."

"And is that what he wears?" asked Tibur, shaking the uniform accusingly in Michael's direction.

"Tibur, he's fifty-eight. Fuck it, even if he was twenty he still wouldn't compare to you."

The uniform had become a point of contention between them, with Tibur continuing to believe that Michael's intentions had been less than honorable when he brought it home. It remained unworn, and had not been entered into consideration when Tibur was trying to choose a costume for the party. 

"Am I going alone?" asked Tibur, "You haven't sent me an update on your schedule... I'm guessing that means you'll be away for longer this time."

Michael sighed on the other end of the line.

"I'll see what I can do" he said, "Just a few more days..."

"Okay... well get some rest. Talk to you soon."

"Is that it?" asked Michael.

The words felt like the end of something. Tibur was becoming overwhelmed by a growing fear in the pit of his stomach.

"Was there something else?"

"Yeah" said Michael, "I fucking love you."

Tibur smiled through the uneasiness.

"I fucking love you too."

In the lead up to Halloween, the little foreign supermarket saw an increase in sales. Tristan had thought to order in all kinds of candy in the hopes that the their clientele would miss the treats of home just as much as he did. It seemed the local community of foreigners were planning their own celebrations, and the candies with purple and orange wrappers were quickly disappearing from the shelves.

"So small. So why so much money?" Farang asked his wife after seeing the bill for the fun-size bars he'd ordered.

"They're festive" Fraser explained.

Farang looked at them closely.

"They're chocolate" he corrected.

"Never mind that" said Fraser, "Come and see our costumes."

Hanging from the closet door were the clothes of a knight and an angel; shimmering silver chainmail and lustrous white wings. Fraser had them made especially, and was excited to have a portrait taken wearing them that they could hang in their bedroom.

"Your's and Daddy's are so boring" said Terrana, "All gray and white. Mine is the best one."

Beside the exquisite white robes and the glimmering armor was a rather more colorful offering.

"Yes sweetheart," said Fraser, regretfully sighing that the array of charming princess dresses he'd offered her had been dismissed, all in favor of a giant rainbow snail.

"It will certainly brighten up the pictures..."