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“Hi everyone.” Brooke is lying on a white sofa. He’s wearing a blue t-shirt, blonde curls collected on top of his head. “Hi Mexico, hi Brazil.” Brooke’s eyes follow the stream, as he’s reading comments. “Hey Italy.”
Suddenly, one of Brooke’s eyebrows raises, a surprised expression on his face. “It’s correct that I’m not home.” Brooke waits a beat. “Oh god, did you guys realise because of the couch?” Brooke sits up, a laugh falling from his lips. “Shit.”
Brooke shuffles a little, now leaning against the white cushions. “I’m not in L.A, I’m in New York. Vanjie and I are doing the Halloween Ball at the Big Apple Circus tomorrow together with Shangela and Aquaria.”
Brooke puts one arm over his head, stretching out. “Yes, yes, I know I’ve said that I don’t like Halloween.” Brooke chuckles. “And I actually stand by that, but who doesn’t like money?” Brooke reads the chat.
“I’m obviously joking.” Brooke rolls his eyes, a small smile still on his lips. “But seriously, as a drag queen. What do you want me to do for halloween? Put a costume on my costume? I have something cool planned,” Brooke smirks. “Of course I have, I’m dating Jose, and he’d never allow me to show up in something that wasn’t at least a contender for coolest costume.” Brooke rolls his eyes.
The chat continues, a lot of messages popping up one after the other.
“Where Vanjie is?” Brooke smiles. “I’ll have to ask the tracking device.” Brooke laughs at his own joke.
///
The energy at the Big Apple Circus was sizzling, Vanjie putting the finishing touches on her makeup.
When Vanjie had been approached by Jason if she wanted to participate in their Halloween bash, she had yelped with joy.
Vanjie had never done anything with a circus before, had never seen any of their shows, but she had followed Big Apple on Instagram immediately, their diverse cast of performers lighting a fire in Vanjie’s heart.
There was one problem however. Voss wanted to book both of them, wanted the Branjie name on the poster. Brooke was a holiday hater, Halloween as well as Christmas top contenders for the time of year that he disliked the most, but Voss had been clever in asking Kings and Queens, the easiest way to Brooke always going through Vanjie.
It had taken about three weeks to wear Brooke down, her boyfriend at first saying that he didn’t have time, the excuse shot down almost instantly since Steve had joined the cause, Brooke’s work schedule glaringly empty at the end of october.
Then came the talks of how Brooke didn’t like Halloween, which Vanjie countered with the fact that Brooke didn’t like anything, and that that wasn’t an excuse to say no, Brooke sulking for a few days before he gave it up, Vanjie’s stamp of holiday hater a very fair one.
Brooke’s last attempt had been that he didn’t need the money, that they were both more than financially secure, the last ditch effort squashed when Vanjie had shown Brooke all the fun they could have with the talents at the circus.
///
“There is my favorite couple!” Shangela films up a stairwell, to where Vanjie is standing, Starbucks coffee in hand. She’s wearing a denim jumpsuit, her tan legs out, a short, black wig gently touching her shoulders.
“Hey bitch!” Vanjie smiles, waving with her little hand.
“We’re all going to the meet and greet, right Jon?!” Shangela yells to Jon who’s standing on the next stairs up in his black t-shirt. Jon swings his arm.
“Let’s go!” Jon laughs, walking up the stairs.
“Brooke, you too!” Shangela moves her phone so Brooke is in frame, the blonde leaning against the wall next to Vanjie. Brooke is in a short blonde bob wig. Brooke is wearing black suit pants, and a black suit jacket, a white top underneath that gently rests on the swell of her breasts.
“We’re waiting for you.” Brooke smiles, her red lips touching the rim of her cup as she takes a sip of her Starbucks coffee.
“Come on!” Vanjie yells, her hoarse voice echoing in the hallway. “We waiting for your pimp ass!”
“Oh so you coming for a bitch now?”
Brooke pushes out from the white wall, her heel hitting the floor. “I’m just proud of the fact that Vanj isn’t the last one out.”
“The fuck you say?” Vanjie jumped after, the camera cutting to Shangelas face just as Vanjie falls into step with Brooke. Shangela is dressed as a tiger, her face painted like an animal.
“Happy Halloween y’all!” Shangela smiles as she walks up the stairs. She turns the camera, filming Vanjie from behind, the camera catching under her skirt.
“Wooops.” Shangela chuckles, and Brooke looks over her shoulder, seeing the camera, which results in her gently grabbing the edge of Vanjie’s denim skirt, holding down the fabric to cover her ass as they walk up the stairs, Brooke’s own ass looking tight under the black pants.
///
“Are you done?” Brooke looked over at Vanjie, who was looking absolutely stunning, her cup clutched in her hand.
The meet and greet for the Halloween Ball was going to be a quick affair, nothing like the big productions they always went through on Werq the World, all four of them meeting the VIP ticket holders at once.
The set was absolutely gorgeous, Brooke growing more and more grateful to Vanjie for talking her into the production when she saw how much work everyone had put into it, the circus performances sweethearts one and all.
“Gimme a sec.” Vanjie held up a nail, putting the cup to her lips to empty it, her entire face pulling itself together in a grimace as the taste hit her tongue.
“Told you that you wouldn’t like it.” Brooke smirked, Vanjie’s face filling her with impish pleasure. Brooke had known from the instant that Vanjie asked for the Halloween special, that she’d hate the coffee since Brooke had actually read the fine print on the website, the Halloween flavor an orange blended coffee, and Vanjie hated orange, unless it was juice.
“I liked it just fine bitch.”
Brooke raised an eyebrow, taking the cup from Vanjie. Under normal circumstances, Vanjie would have taken one sip of whatever concoction she had ordered, before switching it with Brooke, making her stuck with whatever bad decision Vanjie had made. This time, however, Brooke had asked the assistant who had gone on the coffee run for an extra vanilla latte, which Vanjie had taken as a mortal offense, Brooke’s apparently unforgivable transgression causing Vanjie to finish every last drop of her first coffee.
“Sure.” Brooke smirked, Vanjie clearly lying through her teeth, but if there was one thing her boyfriend never did, it was back down, no matter how stupid the argument was.
///
Aquaria starts her video in a dark backstage hallway.
“Biiiiitch! Watch out I gotta duck!” Aquaria laughs. She’s totally unrecognisable, a duck mask covering her entire face. Vanjie pops into the background, a smile on her face.
“Hey!”
“Quack!” Aquaria turns her head, and Vanjie kisses her beak, a bit of brown lipstick smearing on the yellow plastic.
“Oop!” Aquaria yelps, a laugh coming from her. “Look, we’re in love!” Aquaria shakes her beak, showing it off to the camera.
“It was only a peck!” Vanjie laughs, throwing hands at the camera.
“Brooke, you better watch you,” Aquaria chuckles. “I’m coming for your man!”
“As if!” Vanjie smiles brightly, the mood between the two friends loud and funny. “Ain’t no one prying my ass off of that tree trunk of sexy.” Vanjie wiggles her brows, and the video ends.
///
“Move a bit to the left.”
Brooke snorted, doing as Jon said. Jon was one of her favorite Voss employees, but the manager insisted on taking good pictures of them, which was often annoying in the moment, though Brooke always appreciated it after the event.
“Here?”
“Perfect.” Jon gave a thumbs up, holding Brooke’s phone up as Brooke posed. Her and Jacklyn had made her Ringleader costume together. Brooke was wearing a black bodystocking that was decorated with gold embellishments, garters holding her thigh high boots up, the black velvet also decorated with gold. Her red, yellow and blue jacket had a train behind it, a claps in the middle holding it on her body as it showed off her chest and curves. Brooke was wearing one of her favorite blonde wigs, a black top hat balancing on her head.
///
“Shit, it’s chilly in here.” Vanjie quickly rubbed her chest in gold glitter. It was a Fenty product, and she had been gifted it by Rihanna herself, Vanjie screaming so loud she had nearly popped a blood vessel when the package arrived.
Well you ain’t wearing much baby girl.” Shangela smiled, the other queen almost ready to host the show.
Vanjie had brainstormed her outfit with Cazias, the two of them laughing themselves silly as they had designer her costume, their ideas growing bigger and bigger and more and more genderfucky, Vanjie ending up in a pair of rainbow chaps, a bedazzled thong that cupped her junk, a corset and big fluffy clouds of feathers.
“It’s Halloween.” Vanjie smiled, shaking her head to get rid of the excess glitter. “It’s now or never.”
///
“Hey Papi.”
Brooke smiled as Vanjie came backstage, her boyfriend slightly sweaty, her face bright and lively, Vanjie practically glowing with the joy of a great performance. Brooke had watched from backstage, Vanjie sex on legs as she had taken the stage with her number, the dancers and everyone working together to deliver the absolute explosion of energy and intensity Vanjie was known for.
“Hey.” Vanjie smirked. “What a pretty thing like you doing back here?” She held up her hand, twirling the air where her moustache would be if it hadn’t been painted on.
“Waiting for you?” Brooke tried to keep her composure, tried to play the game, but she couldn’t, her face breaking into a laugh. “Sorry- Fuck- Sorry-”
“No!” Vanjie hit her chest, which only made Brooke laugh harder. “It Halloween, we supposed to play spoopy oopy games.”
“Spoppoy oopy?” Brooke raised a brow, small chuckles still coming from her.
“I wanted to seduce your ass.”
“Well, you know what they say.” Brooke smirked, flattered by Vanjie’s attention. “When you fail.” She reached out, touching Vanjie’s hips, pulling her boyfriend against her body. “Try and try again.”
///
“Are you sure this is the right place Shangie?” Brooke had only half followed where the taxi had taken them, concentrating very hard when she was sitting next to Vanjie, Vanjie naked leg bumping into her on every turn of the car.
Brooke had originally intended to only do the booking at the Big Apple Circus, going out to the clubs on Halloween night pretty much a slice of her own personal version of hell since the race chasers and crazy fangirls acted even more intense and insane on a Halloween night, may of them apparently thinking that the holiday was an excuse for them to act however they wanted.
“Absolutely! Everything is fine and dandy girl, trust and believe.”
Vanjie didn’t share Brooke’s plans at all, her boyfriend happily booking herself for an extra gig with Shangela uptown, and while Brooke would normally have been completely cool with Vanjie going out on her own, it had been impossible to actually leave when she had seen what Vanjie intended to wear to the club.
Vanjie had left her chaps behind, her boyfriend going out into New York's nightlife in nothing but a thong, a corset and two giant pom pom sleeves.
“If you say so.” Brooke leaned back in her seat, Vanjie instantly curling up against her, Vanjie humming with a great buzz, Shangela and Vanjie knocking back vodka shots together before they had left the circus.
///
“Hold on.” Vanjie is live on her phone, a random street in New York in the background. “Uh!” Vanjie gets distracted, her eyes locked on a window display. “We are festive. Look at the pumpkins.” Vanjie walks a bit. “I was always team New York!” Vanjie rubs her nose, and she’s clearly cold. “Brooke used to live here.”
“Hi.” Brooke smiles, popping into the side of the screen.
“We love coming here, it one of our favorite places to visit.” Vanjie looks up at Brooke.
“It’s nice to be able to visit New York so regularly.” Brooke nods. “We’ve been here for a few days and-”
The wind picks up, and Vanjie shivers.“Fuuuuck.”
Brooke laughs. “Watch out baby.”
“It’s windy! Booties are shaking, nipples is hanging!” Vanjie laughs, covering her chest. They walk for a bit.
“The car has dropped us off at the wrong location.” Vanjie sighs.
“That’s New York.” Brooke agrees.
“You heard it here first.” Vanjie smiles. “Even those natives can’t find their way.”
Brooke shrugs, the two of them walking.
“Urgh this is all so confusing.” Vanjie looks around. “How you supposed not to get lost?!”
“Well most people.” Brooke pops into the screen, hovering over Vanjie’s shoulder. “Uses their phones to go on google maps, instead of live streaming on Instagram.”
Vanjie’s mouth hangs open. “Bitch! How come you ain’t googling then?”
“Because I left my phone with Cazias like an idiot.” Brooke smiles, kissing Vanjie’s cheek.
“Uff it’s really freezing.” Vanjie covers herself in her pom pom. Brooke rolls her eyes.
“I told you you needed to wear more.”
“Who are you? My mama?”
“The one who has to take care of your whiny ass if you get sick.” Brooke smiles. “Give me your pom poms.”
“Nu uh! They my only defense! These and those shots of vodka! We protecting against the cold Titantic style”
“Here.” Brooke tugs on her sleeve, pulling off her red bedazzled jacket.
“What you doing!” Vanjie complains. “You gonna freeze.”
“I’m Canadian.” Brooke puts the jacket over Vanjie’s shoulders. “I’ll live.”
Vanjie pulls it around her, a shy and grateful look in her eyes. “You better take care you ain’t winning the competition.”
Brooke laughs, Vanjie’s pom poms looking strange with her costume.
“Girls!” Shangela yells. “I think I found the club!”
“Oh, so we close?”
“Just don’t get wet.”
“What? Ew!” Vanjie looks down, a surprised expression on her face. “Shit!”
“You gotta jump!” Shangela calls.
“Fuck!” Vanjie jumps, her camera shaking. She turns around, flipping the view to Brooke who’s standing on the other side of a puddle, only in her bodystocking and her tights, the gold embellishments glinting in the light. Brooke jumps, and Vanjie yells in excitement.
“Bitch I was scared you wouldn’t make it!”
“It’s a puddle baby.”
“Safety first!” Vanjie holds up a finger, Brooke smiles.
“Shit-“ Vanjie covers her head. “If it starts raining for reals, we screwed.”
“I’m sure we’ll find the club-“
“We have to find my friends!” Shangela chimes in.
“Well I ain’t got the map sis.”
“You could end the live.”
“How else they gonna know that my booty is out? It cold as shit here.”
Brooke laughs. “Are you sure you only had shots?”
“And a little more.”
“A lot more?”
“A whole lot more.” Vanjie snickers. “You gotta get in the spirit.” Vanjie takes another step. “My feet are hurting.”
“Give me your phone.”
“Why?”
“Cause I’m figuring out where we’re going before you injure yourself.”
///
Brooke emptied her beer, a smile playing on her lips as she watched the stage from the bar. Vanjie was doing her number, her boyfriend dancing, everyone looking at her, money flying around her as the people of New York tipped her.
Vanjie had insisted on getting their picture taken, Vanjie uploading it to Instagram as she dunked back shots, everyone and their mother giving Vanjie free drinks, the public adoring the other queen in a way that Brooke deeply admired.
///
“Baaaaaaaabe.” Vanjie looked around outside, Brooke standing against a wall, a cigarette between her lips, a group of costumed strangers standing around her, Vanjie not recognising a single one.
“Hey Papi.” Brooke dropped her cigarette, stepping on it, the expression on her face telling Vanjie that she was expecting a talking to, but Vanjie didn’t care. She was drunk and giggly and happy, the Halloween night so much fun.
“I met Jesus.” Vanjie put her arms around Brooke, cuddling underneath her jacket.
“.... What?” Brooke touched Vanjie’s hip, holding her still.
“On the stairs,” Vanjie nodded. “We was standing in line for the bathroom.”
Brooke laughed, and Vanjie was reminded of how gorgeous Brooke was, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement.
“So what are the plans now that you’ve met Jesus?” Brooke tightened her grip slightly, shielding Vanjie from the cold.
“Take me home?”
///
“Achoo” Vanjie sniffled, his nose running, his head so heavy she could barely open her eyes.
They had come home from the gig last night, Brooke running him a hot bath, Vanjie falling asleep cuddled up in Brooke’s arms, but come morning, Vanjie had woken up to a nose that was completely stuffed.
“I told you you’d get sick.”
Brooke sat down, the couch moving and Vanjie groaned.
“Bitch you shouldave stopped me then.”
“I tried.” Brooke chuckled, a cold washcloth pressed against his forehead. “You’re not exactly easy to stop when you have a plan.”
Vanjie huffed, but he allowed Brooke to pull him closer, his head settling in Brooke’s lap. They were supposed to fly back that morning, but Brooke had changed their flights, Vanjie hating it in the moment, but as his head had grown heavier and heavier, he had come to appreciate the gesture.
“Fuck…” Vanjie whined, turning so his face was pressed against Brooke’s stomach. “I didn’t even seduce you or nothing, and I wasn't even wearing no pants!"
“Not really.” Brooke chuckled, and Vanjie closed his eyes, his cheeks growing hot with embarrassment. He had picked his costume specifically to taunt Brooke, had picked it to seduce him and tease him, but he had failed at it completely, getting too drunk to finish what he had started.
“But it doesn’t matter.” Vanjie felt Brooke’s hand in his hair, Brooke gently running his fingers through it.
“It matters.”
“It doesn’t.” Brooke leaned down, “I don’t care about being seduced, because I love you.” Brooke kissed Vanjie’s warm forehead. “And that’s so much better.”
Vanjie smiled, closing his eyes, a heat that had nothing to do with his fever burning in his belly, warm delight and love settling over him.