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The last three months of the year are always the craziest. Back to back shopping, back to back holidays, back to back food. Back to back, everything was so much. So much of it that you’d think it would make your head spin. Either way, this was the time of year where Rory Wilson usually tried to use her plan to survive the holidays.
Even though she wasn’t in California this year, she would rather live in New Orleans instead of being close to Los Angeles. The only things she missed in California were the beach she grew up with and the family she was still close with. She usually reserved her time around December to visit her family for the holidays.
But in October, that was spent in New Orleans—the city that takes Halloween to the next level.
When it came to Halloween, she never optimally picked the option of going out in costume and drinking. She opted for a glass of wine, lounging with her own favorite candy that she kept for herself, and marathoning scary movies with her boyfriend. The couple did have a soft spot for kids, though, especially the ones within her apartment building. They made sure to have candy available to the kids who knocked on their door, looking pretty cool in their creative costumes. One year, Alastor was so impressed that he even offered one of the jumbo packs of candy so the kid could show off to his friends.
Rory still wondered how he managed to bring a bag of candy like that home without her knowing, especially with her working from home. Oh well, that wasn’t the pressing situation at hand.
Rory knew Alastor as her opposite "parter-in-crime" (as he called her fondly), who thrived on attention and being the social butterfly. With his job at the radio station, his electric personality was hard to ignore. Lord knows it drew her into him, even though he wasn’t her usual type. Everything about them was an amalgamation of walking contradictions. That was their normal, and they were content. However, the blonde knew that it wasn’t good to keep going through the same routine.
So, taking a leap, Rory did something spontaneous. Alastor got invited to his work’s Halloween costume party, and they weren’t backing out this time. Rory was going to support him and take the plunge into socializing with people.
It was going to be a challenge, but she was willing to do it, especially for that dazzling smile she loved. One night didn’t hurt.
So now, here they were. finishing up the last few minute touches with her Sally costume from the night before Christmas. The fullest extent she would go out with a costume would be putting in temporary red hair dye as the part for Sally’s hair. (Plus, she always wanted to go redhead for a day). The body paint would be too much to handle, so she decided to do the face paint of the few sewn together pieces to make her appear more with doll-like features. She threw on stockings that had etchings of the sewn effect for her legs and added fingerless elbow-length gloves to add the same aesthetic. The blonde topped it off with her favorite plain black choker, showing off her neck.
When she told her mom (or to be technically accurate, stepmom) about the party, Leah was over the moon. Even though she and Rory were not related by blood, Leah always treated her like one of her own children. She was a part of their family dynamic, or the "wolf pack," as they jokingly put it, and it felt wonderful. Even with her having enough money to just buy a costume, she stepped in to where she personally sewed a dress that showed off Rory’s full figure wonderfully. It wasn’t often you saw plus-size costumes that worked well since they tend to be one size fits all.
Rory couldn’t be more grateful to her mom and her family for helping her, even though she tried not to ask for it.
And with Alastor as part of her family, despite their unorthodox meeting, it felt right.
And speaking of the man, he was the one who notified her of their little "situation".
"DARLING!" She heard him from the living room, with their bedroom door open. "Are you almost finished yet?"
"I’m almost there, sweetie." Rory answered back, trying to finish one last bit of lipstick. "How long do we have until we need to leave?"
"About half an hour." Alastor replied, his footsteps coming closer to the bedroom as he walked in. In the corner of her vision, she saw a tall and lean figure in white and black. He definitely fit the body type of Jack Skellington, that was for sure.
Her eyes followed him in the mirror as he went to gather his keys before he caught her gaze. For once, he was quiet. His beautiful dark brown eyes went wide, seeing his girlfriend’s appearance in the mirror. Her green eyes followed him as he walked towards her, towering over her before he bent down to hug her from behind. Whoa, he was in a really good mood if he was initiating touch first. She could feel his heartbeat repeating against her back with his nose digging into her hair. He inhaled softly, almost inhaling her like a drug. She always smelled sweet, like vanilla and wild berries.
"Wow, sweetheart. You look positively smashing."
Rory shrugged but returned his affection, snuggling back against him. "You don’t look so bad yourself, bone daddy."
"Oh Lord, you’re going to go down that road, huh?" Alastor rolled his eyes at his now red-headed girlfriend.
"Just for tonight while you’re dressed like a sexy skeleton." She reminded him, turning her head to kiss his cheek before breaking his hold over her.
"You’re the only one. I will let you slide calling me that term." He grumbled as he strolled over to the side of the bed to finish putting on his shoes with his keys in hand.
A small silence fell over them, making Rory concerned with the rare, not so happy look in his features. There were always two signs that something was wrong with Alastor: no smiles and silence. And the man wasn’t that much of a fan of that.
"Al, it’s not like I call you that in bed," she gently teased him, watching him blush a little bit.
"Darling..." he said in a faux dangerous tone. It was harmless, but Rory knew she was towing the line.
She closed her eyes, letting out a sigh, but she relented. "Okay, I’ll stop. No more games."
His easy smile returned, his voice dropping lower from his usual excited tone. "Thank you…"
The fake redhead headed over to him, running her fingers through his hair, reassuring him. "You’re welcome, love. Don’t be afraid to tell me if you need me to back off a bit, okay?"
He didn’t speak up again. No smile. Just silence. Something was eating him.
"Al, are you okay?" She asked. "Did I do something wrong? If I did, I apologize. I can leave you-"
"No," he explained firmly, holding onto her hand in a strong grip, almost as if squeezing it so she could somehow feel how he felt. "I want you here more than anything. I want you to enjoy yourself and what we have. I want…do you enjoy us?"
"I do, Al."
It was rare for her to see Alastor like this. That dazzling white smile was always his armor. It was his defense mechanism to make sure no one could see the cracks. He was familiar with keeping a front with people, so Rory didn’t push him when it came to his past. He told her in his own time, just like with her. Both of them were scarred, but in different ways.
At first glance, Alastor’s electric and social butterfly personality fit every detail of the charismatic stereotype. His voice attracted and pleased the masses who listened. Even she would admit that she thought it would be possible to have an attraction to just his voice alone. But underneath the glamour and the smile, there were some demons that haunted him. There was a different way that his brain functioned from the rest of the crowd. However, he masked it so well that it’s truly hard to see that he was like the average person.
And the chance of vultures picking on your weakness was a true fear for him. He worked so hard to make it despite the cards he had been given.
"I know…" his once confident voice fell off the bandwagon. "Sometimes I wonder if you can have someone better... without all of my issues."
Hearing him speak these doubts made Rory’s heart crack. He didn’t deserve to be saying such things.
"Oh, Ally." The special nickname for him slipped from her, but it was too late. He had his reasons why he preferred her to call her "Al", but he needed to know that she loved him. He didn’t deserve to sell himself so short. "There’s no way in hell I have ever thought those things about you. I enjoy you and everything you are."
A small part of his smile returned, so that gave her hope. She was on the right track.
"How so?"
"Let me see, hmmm. You’re so passionate about everything that you do, especially with your job. You go into this lovestruck trance as you tell me every little bit about your day." Rory explained, a soft smile gracing her features. "You’re creative with the music, always searching for something new that could be a good mix for the playlist for the day. You give fresh new talent a chance or you even bring back the classics to remind us how great music began."
The blush on his cheeks was too damn adorable. "Stop it…"
"I’m not finished," she reminded him gently. She came to sit by his side now and gave him a little bit of space just in case he needed some room to breathe and think things over. "You ready now?"
"Of course, darling."
"Thank you," she said gratefully. "You’re curious about the world around you, even though you definitely have your opinions about things. You don’t care what other people think, especially about you and your jokes, which are still kind of corny to me."
"Oh, don’t deny it." He goaded her, and finally some part of his spark was coming back. "You love my jokes."
"I love you, goofball. There’s a difference, but hey. Anyway, to continue, you keep me on my toes, including your friends who care for you. Despite things sometimes, and knowing how it can be to let people in, you care about people. Especially those in your circle. I should know, I appreciate being one of them."
Hearing the words, hearing it from her, sent a strong relief to his heart and brain that he didn’t expect. Believe it or not, his anxiety (more like demons) ate him alive. He would wrack his brain with the anxiety of making a mistake with his quirky outbursts, wondering if he was too loud, or didn’t mean to say what he should have kept to himself. The list went on and on. He took on a lot on his plate, trying to function within this society and with the extra burden of his skin color too. It didn’t matter if his skin was lighter than most, but he still got hit with the stigma of being a colored person. It was too easy for people to assume he was mentally retarded or just plain stupid.
Oh, but he showed them in the end. In his mind, those who had bullied him and doubted him thought he wouldn’t amount to anything. In his dark mind, they deserved worse. Oh, he had those dark thoughts multiple times. However, it was the blend of knowing that karma had a way of working things out and knowing he had the support behind him that pushed him to move on. He was successful. Alastor gained everything those fools lost that life could give.
He allowed himself the moment to rub it in their faces. Then he moved on to enjoy the fruits of his labor.
However, it meant he kept a castle wall between himself and others. He would never underestimate anyone again. Through the passage of time, if it proved that the people he knew were trustworthy, he would let them in. And not many people were let in after his mother passed away. She fought the doctors and "so-called specialists" who wanted to label him as mentally retarded and put him in a special class. No, he was just as intelligent as all the other kids. Collette Guidry fought tooth and nail for her son, especially to get him away from his drunk father, but it paid off.
And now, in the present, this quiet soul yet kind soul of a woman understood his quirks and eccentricities. And, she stood in his circle too. The closest to his heart.
"There’s one special thing you need to know in case you ever have doubts again."
"And what would that be, dear?"
"Are you okay with me touching you right now?" She quickly asked before making any moves.
"Yes, I give you permission."
Scooting closer to him, one of her soft hands entangled themselves with his, meshing their fingers together. Alastor’s heart skipped a beat as she brought her soft red lips towards his own, tenderly pressing until he felt his lips move against her. For a moment, everything felt right. For a moment, there was nothing else, but them.
She ended the kiss, leaving both wayward souls feeling a little breathless. "You always pushed me out of my comfort zone, showing me there is more to the world than my own backyard. Ally…you being you is what made me fall for you in the first place."
His eyes widened like saucer plates. Rory couldn’t help, but arch an eyebrow at him.
"Al, are you okay?" She asked with concern. "You’re making me worried."
It wasn’t as if she just confessed her feelings for the first time. They got over that hurdle over a year ago.
He seemed to have snapped from his mental spell. He blinked his beautiful brown eyes back towards her green ones, and the light returned to his eyes. His spark, his confidence, was back.
Now, taking her face into his hands, he eagerly kissed her with as much passion as he could give. The passion fueled the kiss, and soon both of them were just letting their bodies take over. It was all instinct. Rory didn’t care about her facial makeup now or how she kicked off her shoes. Alastor didn’t give a damn about how her hands messed up his hair.
Who gave a damn about anything again?
They fell back onto the covers of the bed, with Alastor hovering over her. Soon enough, he broke the kiss this time. "Does it look like you need to worry about me?"
As far as this goes, Rory allowed him to initiate these intimate moments. They were few, which she understood as she got deeper into it with him. It didn’t bother her if sex didn’t come to the table all the time. In fact, she preferred it to be honest. It kept the relationship honest and allowed them to connect over their mutual interests and the foundation of their strange friendship.
"No, Ally," she answered. "All I need to know is where you are going to take this."
He pondered for a moment, audibly thinking to himself. "Hmmm, maybe nah, you would probably be mad. You already went through all this trouble."
"Spit it out, Al." Rory said, giggling. "I’m pretty sure it’s not a big deal."
"I’m pretty tired, sweetheart. Would you mind if we just had a night in?" He asked, his contagious smile hard to ignore. "We would be in the real spirit of things. We’re already in costume!"
"And we could watch the entire series of Halloween all in one night and stay up late?" The temporary redhead suggested.
Alastor’s smile truly widened into a Cheshire Cat grin. "Oh darling, you know my heart too well!"
"I know you well enough." And to be completely honest, she’s not the kind of lady to turn down a night in with just her and her best friend. "Let me get up, sweetie. I need to get more comfortable if we’re staying in."
"Before you do anything, darling, stay here." He commanded her urgently. "I’ll be right back."
He sprang out of the bed and out of the bedroom in a black and white flash. Rory didn’t understand what was happening until he came back into the bedroom - with the most adorable cat ever!
"OH MY GOD!" A true squeal came out of her throat. "You dressed up Luna as Zero from the movie!"
Alastor couldn’t help but be proud of his latest attempt. "We wouldn’t be complete without the final part of the trio, even though she is dressed as a dog."
"Hey! I know you don’t like dogs, but at least make an exception for an animated one, okay. He didn’t harm you." Besides, she had a plush animal of the same character. She couldn’t have a real dog in the house with Alastor’s fear of dogs, which she understood. That’s where their cat, Luna, comes in.
"Look, she’s going to make it complete either way. She's much better than a regular dog."
"Don’t let my family hear you say that. You know how they are with their pets, love." She warned him playfully, showing her teeth in an almost evil smile, holding the box set of Halloween DVD’s in her hands. "Either way, Al, are you ready for the night of blood and screams or what?"
"Always ready, sweetheart." Alastor purred to her as he kissed her forehead, depositing their ghost-clad cat onto the bed. "Let the night of mayhem begin."
FUN FACTS:
1) The title is inspired by the ending scene in The Nightmare Before Christmas with Jack and Sally.
2) Guidry (French origin), a common last name, meaning "to hunt". (This is Alastor’s last name in the human universe and the original safety net canon as a demon).