Work Text:
Tom did not like hair grease. That was something he’d discovered that day when he was Danny for Halloween. Becky told him she was going to be Sandy from Grease, so he’d decided to go as Danny. The stuff was getting all over his hands, and gelled black hair did not suit him as well as it did Ethan. They decided to make it all cutesy and realistic. She’d even gotten a blonde wig. She, of course, looked great blonde. She’d look great in anything to Tom. He, on the other hand, did not look so great with grease all over him. Maybe it was part of the character. Maybe it was a downright nuisance.
“Dad?” The voice of Tim, his son, came from the bathroom door.
“What’s up, bud?” He asked. “How’s the astronaut costume looking?”
“Good,” Tim said. “I was gonna ask for help with my helmet, but, uh, no offense, your hands are kinda dirty.” He looked down at his hands. “I’ll go find Becky.”
“Yeah, that might be a good idea,” Tom chuckled. “Sorry, bud.” He held up his grease-covered hands. “I could help when I’m done, though?”
“Hannah wants pictures,” Tim groaned. Hannah had dressed up as Webby. Or, as Ethan perceived her, a space spider. “I hate pictures.”
“We’ll take a couple pictures,” Tom said. “To send to Lex and Ethan. We don’t have to take many, though. Okay?” He gave him a thumbs-up. “Go find Becky to put that helmet on you. Paul and Emma are bringing their kids.” Ophelia was two and Charlie was a newborn, only four months old. From what he knew, Charlie was an angelic baby and Ophelia was a demon toddler.
“Okay,” Tim said. “You and Becky are gonna come trick or treating with us, right?”
“‘Course we are, buddy,” Tom said, going to ruffle Tim’s hair and then thinking better of it with his greasy hands. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
“Good,” Tim said, a smile spreading over his face. “Because going with just Auntie Emma would be boring .”
“Don’t let Auntie Emma hear you say that,” Tom said, winking at him. “She won’t bring you any more muffins, and we wouldn’t want that.” Tim grinned and disappeared back downstairs. Tom sighed and tried to finish his hair. He washed his hands when he was fed up and tried to get the grease off. It was gross. He hadn’t worn hair gel since high school for the most part. His wedding with Jane was the second to last time. Her funeral was the very last. He tried not to think about that. He put the jacket on and went downstairs. Hannah was sitting quietly, her headphones on. Her little spider legs stuck out her sides.
“Hey, Hannah,” Tom said, crouching down in front of her. She glanced up and pausd her music on the MP3 Becky had given her. It was one Becky had owned at some point. The music was appropriate. Some of it was even church music.
“Hi,” She said. “When are Emma and Paul coming?”
“Soon, in a little bit,” Tom said. “You excited to go trick-or-treating?”
“Yeah,” She nodded, a little more excitedly. “It’ll be really fun!” Her eyes lit up as Becky came downstairs. “Woah, Ms. Barnes…” She trailed off, smiling. He looked over at her and raised his eyebrows.
“Yeah,” Tom echoed. “Woah.” She wore a white button-down tucked into a yellow skirt that poofed out and swished around her calves. The wig was situated on her head. It was a nice wig. He immediately decided that if she ever was to dye her hair, she would need to bleach it blonde. She looked hot.
“Woah yourself,” Becky said, a smile crossing her face. She came over to wrap her arms around his neck. “You look nice, Tommy.”
“You look... wow , Beck,” Tom said. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. “Yeah, just...wow.” He leaned in to give her a kiss.
“Ew,” Tim vocalized, “ Gross .” He looked up from his phone. The little device he’d been given entering seventh grade was making him a little bitch, but Tom loved him regardless of the phone usage.
“Quiet, you,” Tom pointed a non-threatening finger at him. “Go back to looking at your phone doo-hickey.”
“Okay, Dad ,” Tim snickered, leaning back against the cushions as the doorbell rang. He hopped up and opened the door. “Auntie Emma!”
“Hey, buddy,” Emma said. “I would give you a hug, but I’ve got Lia.” She gestured to the little girl in her arms with little blonde curls and big brown eyes wearing a princess dress. Tom couldn’t tell anyone which princess it was. He didn’t know them.
“It’s okay,” Tim said. He wiggled his fingers at Ophelia. “Hi, Lia.”
“Timmy!” Ophelia reached out for him. He scooped her into his arms and held her. He was much more at ease holding a child now. When she had been born, he refused to hold her, too scared he would drop her or hurt her. A lot of coaching from Emma and Paul had helped him get over his fear, and now Ophelia practically hung off of him. Paul rolled the stroller in. Baby Charlie wore a Dumbo onesie. Tom didn’t like Paul much still, but he was willing to be less of an asshole.
“Hey, Emma,” Tom said, coming over to give her a hug. Emma was dressed like a cat, and had her hair curlier than usual. Paul had three black dots on one side of his shirt. “Hi, Paul.” He looked his costume up and down. “What’re you supposed to be?”
“Oh, Tommy, this is why you have to watch the Office with me.” Becky said with a smile, wrapping an arm around his waist. Emma’s eyes flickered down at her arm. She still didn’t adore Becky, but she could manage, just like how Tom could manage Paul. “Did you guys really do Jim and Pam?”
“Yeah,” Paul said, reddiening a bit.
“I’m surprised you got it,” Emma said honestly. “I didn’t think you were an Office type.”
“I watched it a lot when it was on at the hospital,” Becky said with a shrug. “Then, it sort of piqued my curiosity, I suppose.”
“Oh,” Emma said. “And I see you guys went with Grease.” She grinned at Tom. “Nice hair.”
“Don’t mention it,” Tom grumbled. “It took a long time.”
“I can tell,” Emma said with a snicker. “Ethan give you some pointers?”
“No, he did not,” Tom said. “We’re not gonna talk about it.” He looked down at Charlie. “Disney theme this year?”
“Yeah, kind of an accident,” Emma said with a shrug. “Lia really wanted to be a princess, and so the dumbo onesie kind of seemed like an obvious choice.”
“Which one is she?” He whispered, his voice low. Becky laughed and hit his arm very lightly.
“Belle,” she said, kissing his cheek. “She’s Belle. You know, from Beauty and the Beast.”
“Never seen it,” Tom said. “Tim was never one for princess movies.”
“Hannah has watched it a million times. The one with the guy who I always say is as strong as you. The black-haired one.” She used a scolding tone.
“No clue.” Tom shrugged. “They all kind of blur together.”
“That settles it,” Becky decided. “You and I are going to have a Disney marathon soon. The kids can watch them with us.”
“Okay,” Tom said, giving her a thumbs-up. “Should we get going?”
“No,” Hannah said. “Pictures first. Outside?”
“Outside,” Tim echoed. “It’s hot in this costume.”
Hannah led them all outside and arranged them for the photo. Ophelia stood on her little tiny feet and held Hannah’s hands.
“Ba-na-na!” She sounded out.
“Right,” Hannah said, a smile spreading across her face. “Banana. We’re gonna take pictures, okay?”
“Pitcher,” Ophelia repeated, giggling. She turned to Emma and giggled, waving at the phone camera. Hannah kindly held her hand and smiled for the camera. Paul was holding Charlie up. Charlie was giggling and Emma smiled at them both as she snapped the photo.
“It’s a really good one,” she announced. “Really good.” Tim put his helmet on with help from Becky and picked Ophelia up. Hannah was handed Charlie and she smiled softly down at the newborn.
“Hi Charlie,” she whispered. Charlie gurgled back at her, looking up at her with wide brown eyes. “You’’re cute.” She smiled down at the baby in her arms. Hannah had always been the baby. She was younger than Tim by four months. Lex and Ethan didn’t have any other siblings. She wasn’t quite used to this whole ‘having actual babies around’ thing yet. She liked Charlie, though. She liked him and Ophelia. They were quiet. Well, Charlie was. Ophelia was loud.
Charlie gurgled again, reaching up to squeeze Hannah’s finger. She let him gently squeeze her finger. He seemed to sense when it was getting too tight. He let go of her finger and Hannah handed him back to Emma.
“You’re good with him,” Emma said softly.
“Thank you,” Hannah said quietly. She adjusted her spider arms again. “He’s really cute.”
“He is, isn’t he,” Emma agreed with a smile. “Do you wanna see the photos?”
“Sure,” Hannah stood on her toes to peer at Emma’s phone. They were cute. Charlie and Ophelia were adorable. Hannah giggled at one where Charlie was picking his nose on camera. “I think Lexie and E will like them.”
“We’ll send them to them after,” Emma said with a smile. “Let’s get going, then.” She put Charlie and Ophelia back into the stroller, strapping the ever-energetic toddler in. It wasn’t even close to being dark out. That was a downside to having little cousins, Hannah guessed.
As they strolled down Summer Street, down by the playground, Hannah held Tom’s hand. The woods were scary. Webby told her to stay away from them. They were at the border of the playground that Tim liked to play baseball at with Tom on Sundays.
“What’s up, Hannah?” Tom asked softly, “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Hannah said softly. “Don’t like the woods.” She was happy when they turned onto Fourth Street to walk along the houses. She suspected it might have been Tom’s idea.
They visited houses until Ophelia got cranky because she was tired. She dragged her feet along the sidewalk when she walked and whined when Paul put her back in the stroller.
“Tired, Lia?” He asked softly. She pushed him away lightly and whined. Paul chuckled a bit.
“I’ll take that as a ‘yes,’” he decided. He turned to Emma. “I think it might be time to call it a night, huh?”
“Yeah,” Emma nodded. Charlie had been long snoozing in the stroller as they rounded back onto Mayflower Road, Tom’s street. Tim and Hannah were awake, wide awake, as they bounded up the stairs and into their shared bedroom to split their candy as all good siblings did.
Tom watched them with a fond smile as they went up.
“We’ve got some good kids, huh, Beck?” He said, elbowing her lightly.
“I think we do,” Becky smiled. “I do.” She kissed his cheek and he gently touched her cheek to move her to his lips.
“Sap,” Becky said with a chuckle, kissing him nonetheless. She kissed him again, and again, and again. “I love you for it, though.” She put a hand on his chest. “And I have to say, you do look good in this costume.”
“You look damn good in yours, Barnes,” Tom said. “Just saying, if you ever wanted to dye your hair, I think blonde is the way to go.” he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. “But I think you're beautiful no matter what you look like.”
“Keep talking like that, and we might have to take it to the bedroom,” Becky said, giving him another kiss.
“The kids are busy,” Tom said. “Just lock the door.” He kissed her again. “You up for that?”
“I’m game if you are,” Becky said, tugging him toward their bedroom.Tom grinned. It was a happy Halloween, indeed.