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Damian knew that marrying a commoner implied getting acquainted with commoner traditions and habits. Loid wouldn't mind waiting in lines for Bondman events and he also didn't insist on buying more cereal boxes just because he got a figurine he already owned. But Damian indulged on him, because that's what a good father was supposed to do.
...He just didn't know why being a father also meant babysit the three extra baby devils his son was friends with. While wearing a cheap vampire costume. Because he wasn't told in advance they were going trick or treating.
(Why couldn't Loid be happy just receiving the sweets at home?)
So, now, they were at a lower class (at least for his standards) neighborhood with the kids so they could knock at every door asking for candy as if their parents were too poor to even afford that. It wasn't even applicable to Franky because Damian made sure to pay his employees well.
"Okay, kids, let's all recall the safety rules." Anya, in her Princess Honey costume that didn't have the right to be that cute, said seriously while looking down at the gremlins. "What are they?"
"No running too far ahead!" Loid, as Bondman, said confidently.
"No crossing the street without an adult." Sylvia, as a knight, said monotoned.
"No eating candy before they are checked for poison and razors." Fiona said in same mood as Sylvia, but creepier, which was kinda hilarious considering she was in a ice fairy costume.
"And no following shady strangers. We know all this stuff!" Franky, as a handmade cardboard robot, said bored and eager to get his candies.
"And finally..." Anya said completely ignoring the scruffy kid. "Walk in pairs, holding hands. Because if you get lost, then you won't be by yourself. And stay in place if you don't know where to go."
Loid grabbed Sylvia's hand before Fiona could get any ideas. Fiona frowned while looking at Franky and said:
"Mrs. Desmond, I don't want to hold this frog's hand."
"I'm not a frog!" Franky said offended.
"A toad, then." She said unmoving.
"That's the same thing!"
Sylvia rolled eyes at the boy's lack of knowledge in Amphibians.
"Fiona, you can't call your friends frogs nor toads." Damian said pinching his nose bridge. "Loid, can you go with Franky instead? Fiona can go with Sylvia."
The girl in gray hair looked up at the older almost threateningly.
"I wanted to hold Loid's hand."
"You want to hold my hand everytime, Fiona." Loid deadpanned.
"And I am not a frog, so you have no excuses." Sylvia said going out of her way to hold the girl's hand. She looked at the adults almost pleading. "Can we go now?"
"Sure, dear." Anya said forcing a smile to hide the stress Fiona Frost inflicted on her daily.
The kids took their way to the the so expected trick or treating, making sure to follow the rules as best as they could. Once they were out of ear's reach, but still on their line of vision, Damian said:
"Tell me again why do we need to wear costumes."
"Because it's fun...?" She said the obvious.
"I look ridiculous." He picked at his cape. "This outfit cost me 10$. I've never owned something so cheap."
"I know your true worth, don't worry." She said poking his cheek. "It would be more fun if you were dressed as Bondman, though."
Damian felt his cheeks burn as fuzzy memories of a castle, colorful balls and him in a Bondman mask came to mind.
"I'm never wearing a Bondman costume again."
Anya laughs heartedy as she pulls him so they keep up with the kids. Of course she would laugh when she didn't remember anything of what happened at the celebration of Loid's acceptance at Eden.
-*-
Anya had a small themed party with her colleagues at the hospital. She was allowed to bring her husband.
And of course she had a good idea of a costume.
"Why do I get the feeling that I'm looking gross." Damian said with closed eyes as Anya did his make-up.
"Because it's supposed to look gross?" She said smudging the greenish powder all over his face. "But it's looking cute, I promise."
"I'm afraid of what you consider cute." He said scrunching his nose when the brush came too close.
Truth is, he was secretly antecipating this silly party. Anya was always going to the social gatherings of the hospital on her own, so have her bringing him along made things more real on their marriage. Of course, this didn't mean this marriage was real. It was all an agreement for a greater good, obviously.
(The marriage wasn't real, but his jealousy of Ken was.)
After some time of brushes, pencils and two sticky things on his neck, Anya said proudly:
"And it's done!... Oh, I don't want you to look in the mirror yet, I want to dress up first."
"What does my costume has to do with yours?" He said frowning and looking at his arms, now a realist and sickening shade of green. Was he a zombie? Some kind of ogre? This painting on his face was itchy as hell.
"They are matching costumes, dummy." She said grabbing several bags and shutting herself in the bathroom.
And there goes another twenty minutes of him not knowing what to do.
Finally, she came out fully dressed up as... well, her usual self on a work day, as far as he knew.
Lab coat stained in grime, hair frizzy like she just tried to comb through curls and eyebags enhanced by make-up. She looked like someone who shouldn't be allowed near fire or anything sharp. But her smile was enough to lit up a whole room and warm his heart.
"You can take a look now!" She called excitedly.
As he sat up and walked to the bathroom's mirror to see his state, he had half a guess of what his costume was about, considering Anya's attire.
Damian looked into the mirror to find a half-dead being with greenish skin with patches of blue and purple here and there. There were quite realistic looking stitches near his hairline and on his neck. The sticky things were bolts. He didn't know why they weren't falling off.
He looked at Anya with a half grin.
"Dr. Frankenstein, huh? I thought this was the least likely option for a doctor."
"It's fun!" She said standing by his side, so they could both look at the infamous duo of a mad scientist and her creation. "You're a very cute monster, see?"
"I'm surprised that for someone who is so supportive of Halloween, you really just picked your work clothes as a costume."
"This is not my usual lab coat, I would never dirty that willingly." She takes one look at her wrist watch and frowns. "We're running a bit late. Quick, go dress in a worn-out suit and we're ready to go."
"I don't keep worn-out clothes, Anya.'
"Ask Jeeves for one."
"I'm not asking for Jeeves' clothes either, idiot."
In the end, he wore one of his own tailored, high quality suits that didn't fit the role at all. It was still an enjoyable party.
-*-
"This is disappointing." Anya said bored. "Rich people are disappointing."
"What did they do to you?" He asked handing the empty glass to a passing waiter.
Objectively speaking, they didn't do anything directly. The classical hotel the gala was being held was bustling with men of power and their equally stunning partners. It wasn't that different from what Damian usually made her attend.
Except that everyone had masks to go with their outfits.
"You said this would be a themed gala in which the guests would wear costumes. But they are boring." She complained. "And here I was wondering why I was forced into this dress. It's so plain and not like a Halloween costume at all. Of course, because everyone else looks just as bland."
In his personal opinion, Damian thought she was beautiful. She had a set of options to chose from and picked a black dress with laced sleeves that accentuated her curves. It was also backless, which sent so many mixed signals to him that it made him crazy. Was this her way of saying "Don't touch me"?. Maybe "Watch your back"?. Or was it her permission for him to drag a finger across her spine and watch her skin crawl like a mischievous child? There were other riskier and more secretive messages he wanted to get from that, but it was probably the alcohol's work, so he discarded it.
To complete the look, she had a black mask adorned with fake jewels that complimented her emerald eyes. He liked to think he looked good enough to be standing next to her.
"It's not very appropriate to dress so immaturely when you're attending a charity event with the most important people in the country." He said nonchalantly.
"They lack the creativity on how to spend their money." She rolled her eyes while judging the guests around her. "Next time I'm treating this as a proper Halloween party and going full spooky."
He gave a half smile.
"As long as you keep the elegance, you can do whatever."
"That's easy." She grinned. "I'll dress as your mother."
That actually made him laugh. Loud and heartedly. Anya was so taken back by how sincere it sounded, she blushed. Damian had such a pretty smile.
"There's a difference between spooky and trauma-inducing, Anya." He said recoveri g with a tear on his eye.
"I think I could pull it off perfectly." She smiled puffing her hair for the appearances. "The hairstyle, the jewellery and the picture-book gaslighting."
"We can match." He offered. "I'll grow a moustache like Father."
Her smile died in an instant, like he had just suggested changing his politics on peace with the West.
"Damian, I'm never speaking to you if you grow a moustache."
"But it´s a symbol of power and virility." He said puffing his chest in mock pride. "All the great men in the Desmond family bear a moustache which they brush every morning exactly seven times. They also wax it while singing the Ostanian anthem."
She made a gagging sound.
"Stop, I'm going to puke!" She said slapping his arm, to which he just laughed harder. "This isn't funny, I have a sensitive stomach for this kind of imagery!"
"I'm sorry." He took one look at the dancefloor, where the couples started to assemble as a new waltz would soon start to play. "Will you forgive me if I ask you for a dance?"
Anya takes one look at the waltzing guests, thinking about how it was actually romantic of Damian to offer that. Of course, it was expected of a high class couple to know how to dance and she wasn't a stranger to that. She pretended to deeply consider it.
"Maybe." She said, before raising her finger. "Promise you'll never let a rat grow on your face."
"I can do that." He shrugged with a playful grin, before offering his hand. "May I?"
If Anya had to say, she was ruining the Senator. Look at him being so childish.
She liked it better.
"With pleasure." Anya said taking his hand and together they went for another part of their play of a perfect family.
They had yet to admit the moments they weren't using masks around each other.