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Oluwande has never been too much into clothes, fashion and none of that stuff. He keeps it simple, men’s clothes have always seemed boring anyway. Not that he believes that bullshit that clothes have a gender, but he doesn't think he can be that daring to wear something that makes more of a statement like Jim or Ed do.
Which is why he's not thrilled when Stede tells them about Alma’s birthday party. “ We’re doing a fairy theme! Everyone has to be in costume! Adults, kids, partners and pets!” he said. And Olu knows that all of their friends and family will comply so if Oluwande doesn't wear something that is on theme, he will be standing out like a sore thumb.
Wee John offered to have the attendees come by his studio to design the costumes, which obviously all of them agreed on because he's just an amazing designer. Always makes sure that they're happy and comfortable with whatever they end up choosing to wear.
Olu decides to bring Jim along with him to take his measures and pick what he will wear. He loves all of his partners but this situation makes him feel particularly nervous and he doesn't want that many people around. Jim will help to make him feel grounded, they always do, they're his anchor partner for a reason.
Oluwande walks through the door of the studio holding Jim's hand, they let him go for a moment to take off their sunglasses and grab him back once they're placed on the top of their curls. Jim leaves a quick peck on Oluwande's cheek and smiles softly at him, it's like they can feel how unsettled he is by all of this.
He smiles back and squeezes their hand, a silent thank you. Jim stops before they can reach the counter and looks at Oluwande with a serious expression.
“Olu, I know you have been feeling weird about this. If you don't want to wear a costume at all, we can just tell Stede to fuck off and you can wear your regular clothes.” Jim says.
Oluwande lets out a shaky breath, god he loves Jim so much and he's very grateful to have them. It never fails to amaze him, how deeply connected they are.
“Babe, it's okay. I appreciate that you're checking in but even though I’m not used to this, I do want to do it. If I don't find something I like, I'll just tell Wee John to make me a tree costume or something.” Olu laughs. He hopes that Jim can see that he's sincere, he already feels more at ease.
Jim squints their eyes but Olu can see the mischievous glint in them, they're fine.
“Alright… if at any point you just want to leave, give me a signal and we’ll get out of here.” Jim gestures at the door and smiles at Olu.
“Will do, handsome.” Oluwande teases them and smiles back.
A blush creeps up to Jim’s cheeks, which they try to cover while they silently pull Oluwande to continue walking to the counter. Jim tells the receptionist that they have an appointment and the woman kindly guides them inside.
The room is impressive, full of fabrics in many colors and textures. There are mannequins fully or half dressed in suits, shirts, skirts, some that are done and others a work in progress. It's equally stunning and intimidating.
He spots Wee John sitting in front of a sewing machine, sewing away with some bright purple fabric. Too concentrated to realize that they walked in.
Olu clears his throat and Wee John finally looks away from what looks like a dress, judging by the color he assumes it's probably for Ed.
“Hey! I’ll be with you in a second, guys. I’ll finish this and put it away so we can start.” Wee John smiles brightly at them. “You can sit over there while you wait!”
He points to a sofa in the corner of the room, where they take a seat while Oluwande plays with Jim’s hand. They use their free hand to peruse through the sketchbook that is sitting on the coffee table in front of them.
It's just a couple of minutes before Wee John’s all done and he walks towards them holding a measuring tape and a folder in his hands.
“Alright.” Wee John claps his hands, he is ready for business. He takes a couple of sheets and places them on the coffee table in front of them. “This is the board that Alma and Stede put together for the party inspo. We’ve taken the color palette into consideration for all of the costumes so far but if you want something else, we can work it out.”
He pulls his phone out and starts scrolling through some pictures of their friends wearing their costumes. There is Lucius, Pete, Frenchie, Fang and Roach.
“Here, you can see that some of these are more bold and others like Pete’s are just his usual sleeveless shirt and pants combo in a different fabric and colors. Have either of you thought of what you want?” Wee John asks, casually.
“I have!” Jim responds excitedly, pulling their own phone out of their pocket. Wee John leans in to look at the pictures, Jim shows him Peter Pan references for their costume. They are obsessed with that movie, it's so cute.
The two of them get lost in a conversation about what kind of shirt works with Jim's binder and Oluwande takes the opportunity to wander around.
He walks over to the mannequins that he had seen before, he notices that there are way more than he expected. In many body shapes and sizes too. A true statement of how inclusive fashion can be in the right hands.
Now that Oluwande is closer, a flash of orange in the back catches his attention. It's like it's calling to him.
The mannequin is wearing an incomplete skirt, the fabric is gorgeous . It looks like a combination of tulle and lace, from his very limited knowledge. It has a design of flowers and leaves stitched to it.
Oluwande can't seem to stop staring and running his hands through it. It feels very nice, soft, and full of texture. His breath caught in his throat.
There are butterflies swirling around in his stomach when the idea of wearing a dress forms in his head. He never thought he would even consider it. It's new and exciting and kind of terrifying but it also feels right . In a way that he has never felt before.
As Oluwande is immersed in his thoughts, he feels Jim’s hand gently sliding to his lower back and staying there with a comforting pressure. Jim places a soft kiss to Oluwande's shoulder.
“Hola mi amor.” Jim whispers. “You're looking at that skirt with heart eyes. You really like it, don't you?”
Olu lets out a shaky breath and nods slowly. He tries to keep the same volume, he doesn't want to burst the bubble that they created.
“I do… I never thought I would want it but- do you think I could wear a dress? I don't even know if it would look good on me but I would like to try.” He isn't brave enough to look back to seize their reaction, just yet.
Jim nuzzles on his shoulder and rests their chin there. “Of course you can, amor. I’m sure you would look great, you can even try it on and if you don't like it in the end, try something else.”
Oluwande feels warm inside. He never thought he would be loved and supported this way. Comfortable enough to try new things without being judged. He's sure about it now, he’s doing this.
“Thank you, mi vida. Let's go talk to Wee John, we’ve already spent too much time just cuddling here.” Olu giggles as he disentangles himself from Jim. He grabs their wrist and pulls them in before they can go too far. He puts his arms around them and looks into their eyes. “Te amo.”
Oluwande lets them go right after, avoiding the mannequins and walking back to the center of the work room.
Wee John has been sitting there this whole time, sketching something for Jim’s costume. He looks up when he hears Olu approaching with Jim following closely behind him.
“Hey man!” Olu says, there is so much energy inside him that he feels he might explode, in a good way. “I think I got an idea for my costume. I was, um, looking at that orange fabric that you got back there.” He points to the mannequins in the back. “And I was wondering… could that be used for a dress?”
Jim reaches him and stands next to him, wraps an arm around his waist, giving him a reassuring squeeze. His stomach does a little happy flip at the gesture.
Wee John stares at them with a surprised look on his face, which quickly turns into a warm smile. “Of course! I think I know which one you're talking about. I will go to check it out and sketch something for you.” He turns to look at Jim and gives them the sketchbook.
“Here is what I have for you Jim! Let me know if that’s okay or if you want any changes.” He says, before disappearing in the back.
Jim and Olu are discussing the details of Jim's costume, which they're very happy with, when Wee John comes back holding two big rolls of orange fabric under his right arm.
“Now we're good to go! Let's get started.” He says. He proceeds to take their measures, shows them the fabrics he will be working with. Guides them through every step of the way.
Before Oluwande knows it, he is inside the dressing room trying on the dress. Wee John said there are some details to finish but he wanted Olu to try it on to make sure it fits correctly and he is content with the results.
Oluwande can feel his heart beating harder inside of his chest, his hands trembling when he slips it up his feet, then thighs, hips, tummy, all the way to his chest. He fits his arms on the sleeves that hang low on his shoulders and finds the zipper to close it on the side. Once he is sure that everything is in place, Olu finally dares to look at his reflection in the mirror.
Oh fuck … he looks pretty. So damn pretty. The skirt of the dress is long with a slit on the left side, it feels incredibly soft on his thighs. The upper side is tighter, not quite a corset, just enough to give it shape and there is some cleavage. Which he likes… maybe too much. The thought makes him blush. The sleeves are fluffy and they go up and down when he moves his arms. He loves it, he really really does.
Losing track of time, Oluwande hears a knock on the door.
“Hey babe! Everything okay in there? Do you need help?” Jim speaks on the other side, a tinge of concern in their voice.
“All good, amor! I’ll just take it off and-”
“DON'T!” they interrupt quickly. “Can I see you first? Do you mind?”
“Sure but can you come in? I don't want to walk out for anyone else to see.” Olu knows it's dumb, it’s just them and Wee John here.
He unlocks the door and lets Jim in. They step in behind him and slide their arms around his waist. Oluwande can see Jim’s eyes trailing down his body in the mirror, glistening with a mix of fire and deep feelings. He knows that look too well.
Jim locks eyes with him in the mirror and says, “Te ves precioso, mi amor.” The emotion is clear in their words. It makes Oluwande feel overcome with the meaning behind them. The pure affection that they share.
“Gracias mi vida.” Olu says, holding back his tears. Squeezing their hands where they are resting on his belly.
When they walk out of the dressing room. Oluwande is still floating on air, feeling loved, desired and proud of himself for trying something new. Grateful to have people in his life who just make it easy.
He hands back the dress to Wee John, who is working on the last details for Jim's pants. Oluwande lets him know that it fits perfectly.
After finishing up with both of them, Wee John packs Jim and Olu’s costumes to take them home. Letting them know that they can come back if they want to make any changes later on. He will also be double checking on everyone before the party starts.
When the day arrives, Oluwande gets ready in his room with Jim’s help. He never showed Zheng and Archie his costume because he wanted it to be a surprise. It wasn't for lack of insistence though because Archie didn't stop trying to convince him to show her for a second, he even caught them trying to sneak into his closet once.
The dress is already on and he decided to wear flat shoes because heels felt like pushing it. He would like to try a pair on at some point, it's just not the occasion.
Jim is helping with his hair and make up and they are more than thrilled. Oluwande doesn't think he has even seen them so giddy. They keep smiling and dropping pecks all over his face, his shoulders, every place they can reach.
They got Olu flower clips to put in his curls, orange of course and teal to match with his earring. The make up is subtle, just a smidge of eyeshadow and glitter.
Once he is ready, Jim gives him a deep kiss and walks out of the room to gather Zheng and Archie. Oluwande did get to see their outfits so he knows that Zheng is wearing a red dress with ladybugs all over it and Archie is dressed like a bee. Which he still doesn't understand how it fits with the theme but it works for her.
Olu can't wait to see their reaction, he feels like a bride who's about to show up in front of his future spouses for the first time. And isn't that a thought to save for later.
He is smoothing the front of the skirt when he hears Jim calling for him. He walks out of the room and heads towards the living room where his partners are waiting for him.
First thing that Olu notices is that Jim is waiting ahead to film the whole thing. Then he walks into the room and he hears a double chorus of gasps and a giggle coming from behind him.
Zheng is staring at him with her mouth hanging open, she looks stunned, her eyes are big and shiny. Archie has the biggest smile that Olu has even seen on them, their eyes are also shining in the afternoon light.
Jim is the one that breaks the spell, as they ask. “What do you think, mis amores?”
Archie lets out a shriek and runs towards Oluwande to hug him. Zheng rolls her eyes and walks right behind laughing to hug him as well.
“Baby bear! You look gorgeous! You're the most beautiful person I have ever seen!” Archie says. She is practically bouncing on her feet.
“It's true, baby.” Zheng adds. “I can't believe that you didn't let us see you before.”
Jim stops the recording and Oluwande can see from the corner of his eye that they're wiping their eyes.
“I told you both that it would be worth it.” Jim says and joins their group hug. “We're very lucky to have him, aren't we?”
Zheng and Archie nod as they squeeze him again. Oluwande is about to burst from the surge of love that he is feeling, he’s the lucky one.
“I love you all but we really should get going.” Olu says. “Also if you don't stop with the mushy comments I'm going to cry and ruin my makeup.”
They all giggle and disentangle themselves, each going about picking up keys, wallets and phones before heading for the door.
“Are you ready to outshine a 10 year old birthday girl?” Jim says jokingly, extending a hand for Olu to take it.
“Sure am!” He replies, taking their hand. Feeling like a new world of possibilities is opening up in front of him.