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It was Halloween, a frost chill cutting through the air as the sun stood steady in the fall sky, the ground asleep with a blanket of frost, waiting for spring. The bright blue sky overlooked the small town, a few clouds stopping by to check things out before floating on their way. It was a beautiful day. Of course, none of that matters. It’s Halloween. No one holds a Halloween party in the middle of the day. Let’s skip to nighttime.
“I bet you ten dollars I can do a body shot off my own ass!”
Let’s go back to daytime. Daytime was better. Yup. The cold afternoon air leaked into the early evening, the horizon melting into purples and yellows as our couple prepared for their upcoming party. Everything was ready, the fake webbing hanging out of the gutters, the giant spider fastened to the porch light. Fareeha’s brilliantly carved pumpkin masterpieces, their designs swirling and intermixing in a display of true genius. Angela’s pumpkin, the knives sticking out of its flesh more than likely to give at least one trick-or-treater a puncture wound. As Angela always said, it wasn’t Halloween without one or two violated health regulations. Everything was ready for the best holiday of the year.
Angela was more pumped than ever, double-checking the geometric patterns of the fake skeletons hanging from the walls as she finished putting on her Halloween costume. She had received a witch outfit in the mail, it had seemed Mr. Wilhelm’s co-worker at the courthouse had too much free time on his hands, and Angela was rocking it. Although it revealed her thighs enough to make her daughter incredibly disappointed, Fareeha had suffered six nosebleeds in the last eleven minutes. Ten outta ten. Mercy finished adjusting her bosom just as Fareeha descended the staircase, wearing a costume of her own.
“I still think this is a bit much.” The security guard lightly touched the cat ears affixed to her hair, the bell hanging from her neck jingling as she moved.
“Compared to me? You look adorable!” Angela wrapped her arms around her wife, feeling Pharah’s tail as she went. “Not to mention soft .”
Fareeha blushed. “Cut it out!” Batting her wife’s hands away, Fareeha covered her ears, embarrassed. “Geez…”
“Hey, sweetheart. Can you do the cat pose?”
“I….what?” Pharah recoiled, flustered.
“You know, the one Hana showed us. With the fists. Do it for me~” Fareeha trembled before slowly raising her hands, sticking her hip out as she cocked her wrists.
“N-nyan…..” Pharah winced as she was engulfed in a brief flash of light, Angela smiling, a camera in her hands.
“Thanks, sweetheart.”
“...Did you just..” Fareeha slowed lowered her hands in shame, her face achieving a new level of purple as Mercy skipped out of the room.
As the sun sunk further towards the horizon, a white subaru was the first to pull into the driveway. Ana and Reinhardt. Angela held the sides of her head as she watched them make their way to the front door, already on her third mug of coffee-wine.
“Babe, it’s really not going to be that bad. You always seem to get along well with my mother whenever you two hang out, I don’t understand your weird stigma against her.” Fareeha shook her head, the embodiment of perfect logic as she prematurely opened the front door for her mother, pretending she wasn’t embarrassed as she had to wait a solid five seconds before the two made it inside.
“Where is my granddaughter?!”
“Hello, friends! How are you all on this wunderbar day?!” The greetings covered up the sound of footsteps as D.va dived down the staircase, heading straight into her Grandmother’s arms.
“Grandma!! Didja bring me anything?!” Hana gave her grandmother the best puppy eyes she could muster as Angela greeted her drinking buddy, offering a mug of coffee and alcohol.
“Angela! How have you been since we last talked? I assume Dieter is healthier than ever!?” Reinhardt gave his friend a hearty slap on the back before downing his drink, slamming it on the kitchen table as if he was at a bar. Fareeha stood by, hands behind her back as she awkwardly waited for someone to talk to.
“Here, Grandma bought this just for you. Don’t tell your mother~” Ana grinned as she snuck a piece of caramel into Hana’s hands; the teen greedily stuffing it in her pocket before rewarding her grandma with a warm hug.
“Thanks, Grandma!”
“Reinhardt, you old bastard! How drunk did you get before coming here, huh? The night is still young!”
“Oh, relax, Angela! You’re so delicate about things, until you’ve had a bit to drink yourself!” Fareeha continued to rock back and forth on her heels, not sure what to do as the rambunctious laughter and conversation grew louder and louder. A few seconds later and the doorbell interrupted the party, everyone pausing to look at the source. The front door. Fancy that.
“I didn’t know you were inviting anyone else, darling! Is it a work friend?” Ana looked genuinely curious as Fareeha opened the front door, the timid form of Lucio taking a step inside, his baggy clothes a bit of out place.
“Uh….Good evening.”
“Lucio! You made it!” Hana broke away from her conversation with Ana to hop towards her friend, giving him a big hug as Fareeha closed the door, curious. No one had really gotten a close look at Hana’s mysterious friend, but he seemed polite enough.
“Hey, dude. Urg.” Lucio grimaced slightly as Hana attempted to break his back, making him gasp before she let go.
“How’re you doing, man?! Glad you could be here. How’s your Halloween going?!”
“Haha...yeah..about that…” The musician gingerly raised his right hand, crimson running down his forearm. A gash seeped on the back of his palm. “Do you some band-aids? I caught myself on one of the pumpkins out there.” The poor guy looked like he was about to cry. Pharah could only shoot Mercy a disappointed look before they rushed him to the bathroom.
“Ja. That should do. Tell me if you feel any pain.” Angela double checked the bandaging as Lucio nodded, trembling as he gripped the mug of hot chocolate and booze Mercy had shoved into his hands during the procedure. The tan bandages fit snuggly around the musician's hand, some of Angela’s patented healing balm treating the wound, among other things.
“Thanks, ma’am. Sorry about this.” Lucio apologized for the fourteenth time as he followed the doctor back downstairs, Hana sitting nervously at the kitchen table while Reinhardt and Ana shared glasses of wine, talking about the weather.
“Is he okay?!” Hana jolted up from her seat, startling everyone, especially Lucio. He managed a small smile, rubbing his neck apologetically. Angela stepped in front of him, talking.
“He’ll be fine. Who do you think I am? Even if he slashed his neck on that pumpkin he would be okay.” Fareeha tried not to snicker as she watched the blood run from Lucio’s face, Hana not skipping a beat as she nodded understandably, motioning that she would now like to take back custody of her friend.
“So, Fareeha, darling. What are your plans for dinner? Not that wine isn’t too bad by itself~” Ana laughed, thumping her fist on her boyfriend’s chest flirtatiously.
“Uhhhh... I believe Angela was planning on making mummy dogs. Wasn’t that right, babe?” Fareeha tried to snag her wife’s attention, the doctor preoccupied with watching how Hana fawned over her fallen friend.
“Huh? Oh, those things. Can you put them in the oven for me, sweetheart? There’s a tray of them in the fridge.” Pharah nodded, heading to the fridge. Fifteen seconds later and the oven was on, the hot dogs cooking in their doughy cacoons.
“We always called them pigs in the blanket when I was a lad!” Reinhardt watched the mummy dogs through the oven window, incapable of speaking without an exclamation point. The others politely nodded and otherwise disregarded the nostalgic but pointless statement, except for Ana.
“Speaking of blankets, You and I should get under some after this party is over~” Ana whispered into the ear of her beloved. Unfortunately, as a ex-military sniper, years of work had rendered Ana a bit soft in the ears. Everyone stared at her in horror, mouths agape. Except Mercy. She was taking the opportunity to squeeze her wife’s rear.
“Grandma, no.” Hana protested with a horrified grin on her face, covering Lucio’s ears. “There’s children here!”
“I’m older than you?” Lucio raised his brow, looking legitimately confused.
“You can shut up.” Hana gripped the poor guy’s head tighter as Fareeha took Angela aside, concerned.
“Babe, things are starting to get out of control. I need you to stop grabbing my….ass.” Angela huffed as she let go, looking hurt.
“Whose mom’s fault is it, anyway? Calm her down. Ask her to play cards.” Fareeha stared at her wife like she had just exiled her to Alcatraz. A stern look from the doctor and Pharah swallowed her protests, pursing her lips as she walked to her mother.
“Uh, hey mom?”
“Yes, darling?” Ana swirled her wine, obviously a little bored as her boyfriend continued to watch the cooking hot dogs with avid interest. Most people would get tired. Not Reinhardt Wilhelm. What a goddamn brilliant legend.
“Do you want to play some cards? Not a Halloween party without a few games, amiright?”
Hana glared at her mother, cheeks puffed in frustration as the six of them all sat at the kitchen table, a slow game of Mexican Train underway.
“This isn’t even cards!” The gamer slammed a domino on the table, irritated. Lucio gave her one of his award-winning smiles, trying to defuse the situation.
“I think Mexican Train is fun, you just gotta enjoy it. Isn’t that right, ma’am?” The musician looked at Angela, who was busy daydreaming out the open window. Fareeha could tell he was trying his best to get on her good side, probably out of fear. But who could blame him, honestly.
“And I think I win!” Reinhardt laughed cheerily as his final domino clacked on the table, getting ready to celebrate before Ana interrupted him.
“If you let me win I’ll make it worth your while, darling.” Ana cooed as Reinhardt slowly retrieved his domino. Fareeha stared at the floor, wishing she was deaf. Fortunately, the oven let out a sharp ding.
“Oh! Food’s done! Why don’t we wrap this up and get some food, huh?!” Pharah waved her hands encouragingly, everyone standing up along with her, save for the old couple. And Lucio.
“Oh thank god.” Hana tossed her dominos on the table, following Fareeha to the oven.
“I was actually having fun…” Lucio mumbled to himself, almost inaudible.
“Babe? Could you get the punch bowl out?” Fareeha snapped her wife out of her daydream as she set the tray of mummy dogs on the stove. Angela nodded, pulling herself out a stupor to grab a plastic bowl from the cabinet, getting the punch together.
“I must say, your cooking is just as good as when you were a kid.” Ana relaxed in her chair as she tossed a mummy dog in her mouth, Angela furrowed her brow, pausing from pouring vodka in the punch bowl to figure out if that was an insult or not.
“I love it!” Reinhardt laughed, trying to stuff as many as possible in his mouth, the table spread with bowls of snacks and candy.
“Are you and your friend going treating or treating, darling?” Ana looked at the two youngsters, going to make damn sure her granddaughter got candy down her gullet no matter what.
“How old do you think we are? Give me a break.” Hana smirked, arms crossed.
“I went trick or treating until I was twenty.” Angela looked genuinely confused at her daughter, the last of the alcohol dripping from her empty bottle. Hana pursed her lips, pausing a moment before heading for the coat rack.
“Fuck it. C’mon Lucio, let’s get some shit.” Hana kicked on her shoes, Lucio grinning as he revealed the pillowcase he had been hiding behind his back.
“You kids be safe! Don’t touch Angela’s pumpkin!” Fareeha called after the grown ass children, the knives stuck in Mercy’s pumpkin beginning to rust.
“.....I take offense to that.” Said the person who felt no remorse for giving Lucio a mild flesh wound. “Now, then, who says we get this party started?!” Everyone watched the doctor from the kitchen table, silently starting a game of poker as they snacked on Halloween treats. “I bet you ten dollars I can do a body shot off my own ass!”
“Fold.” Ana slapped her cards down on the table before turning to her daughter-in-law. “I want to see this.”
“...” Angela hesitated before slowly sitting down at the table, dealing herself a hand. “Whose turn is it?” Fareeha smiled as the card game dragged on through the evening, everyone enjoying their fill of Halloween themed foods, the porch light staying turned off as everyone divided the candy amongst themselves. Before anyone realized, it was already two a.m.
“Oh dearie me it’s already two a.m.” Ana stood up as she looked at her watch. “C’mon darling we should get going.”
“But I’m winning!” Reinhardt looked at his hand optimistically, a mountain of chips surrounding his spot at the table.
“Thanks for having us over, darling! Thanks for the food, tell Hana to come by sometime!” Ana dragged Reinhardt to the doorway, putting on her coat before opening the door to the dark Halloween night.
“Alright, thanks for coming by! Have a good evening!” Pharah got up to show her mother out, Angela taking the opportunity to look at Ana’s hand. It was trash. The front door shut. “Uggh. I’m so tired. Can we go to bed?”
“Hana’s not home yet.” Mercy spoke with a tinge of concern as she started cleaning up the kitchen table.
“Babe, I doubt she’s going to be home tonight. Let’s not worry about that.” The bell around Fareeha’s neck jingled as she took a step upstairs, prompting Angela to quickly follow her to the bedroom. The Halloween party had gone off without a hitch, and as Angela stared into her wife’s eyes she knew that there was nowhere she’d rather be. In line with Halloween tradition a wolf howled somewhere in the distance, the full moon shining brightly in the midnight sky as Fareeha and Angela slowed drifted to sleep. Angela forced Fareeha to wear the cat ears for the next few days, drooling over the picture she had taken in her free time.