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After knocking at the front doors to Wayne Manor, you adjusted the animal ears on your hood. In the years prior, you had been content going as different superheroes, buying cheap costumes online. This year was different, much different.
You were a sheep.
There hadn’t been much thought behind your decision, just a singular moment whilst watching a documentary on shearing sheep that made you go “I’d like to dress up as one of those.”
Now here you were, wearing a white and woolly onesie with a sheep tail and floppy ears. You had been surprised when it arrived in the mail, the jumpsuit actually resembling the high-quality picture advertised online. It was quite comfortable, and you were certainly going to wear it outside of Halloween.
The doors opened, and there stood Alfred, dressed as himself. You were about to ask why he hadn’t dressed up when he suddenly smiled, and a pair of fangs were revealed. Why of course, he was a vampire butler.
Alfred said your name in greeting, standing aside to let you in. “Good evening. A charming choice of attire for tonight’s get-together.”
“Thank you, Alfred.” You went inside, hearing the distant music and muffled voices drifting from the main hall.
“Have fun, but do be cautious,” Alfred warned with a gentle, playful look.
You smiled at him, slightly uncertain why you would have to be cautious at the manor of all places. Maybe he was just playing into the vampire bit, you thought. “Sure, Alfred.”
Walking down the hallway, you followed the music and chatter until you reached the main room where your friends were. Your eyes landed on Stephanie and Barbara first.
Stephanie was wearing a witch costume, and Barbara was wearing a detective outfit, a brown trench coat and a detective cap. They were too deep in their conversation to have noticed your arrival.
Near the snack table was Duke, talking to Cassandra whilst she sipped at her drink. Duke was dressed in a dracula cape, wearing fake teeth featuring longer fangs than Alfred’s. It must have made speaking difficult.
Cassandra wore a onesie like you, but the animal she was dressed as was a bat. You were just about to walk over to Duke and Cassandra when a voice spoke behind you.
“What’s a tasty treat doing here?”
You tensed and turned around to see your boyfriend. To your surprise, Jason was wearing a furred onesie with wolf ears at the top of his hood.
“Jason, you scared me,” you said with a soft exhale. “You’re a wolf?”
“Yeah. And you,” he reached out and flicked the sheep ear on your hood, “are a sheep.”
“What are you trying to say?” You mused, flicking his hand away playfully.
“I’m saying that you better watch your back.” He said, then placed his hands on your shoulders and turned you around to see two more wolves. You blinked, caught off guard by seeing the exact same onesie Jason had but on Dick and Tim.
You couldn’t help but chuckle. “Why are you all wearing the same costume?”
Tim shrugged, “it was three for one.”
You made a sound of understanding. “Makes sense.”
Dick crossed the distance until he stood right before you, looming over you until the ears on his hood fell forward. “And what do we have here, Jay?”
“A sheep.” Jason murmured, his fingers tapping at your shoulders, never having left.
Dick hummed, “I thought I was imagining it. I am quite hungry.”
“You’re not the only one.” One of Jason’s hands left its place at your shoulder and tugged at your fluffy tail.
“Hey!” You let out an amused gasp and pulled your tail back, taking a step back as you watched them grin. “Are you guys going to be roleplaying the whole night or what?”
Tim nodded, “if the rest of the pack is, then I suppose I’ll also join in. I call dibs on a lamb leg.”
“Lay a single finger on her and I will rip off your tail, Drake.”
The voice of Damian abruptly cutting in made you all look towards him. He was simply dressed as himself, wearing a black fitting turtleneck and gray tailored trousers, staring holes through the heads of his brothers.
“Relax! We’re just having a little bit of fun,” Dick said and smiled, wrapping an arm around you in a side hug. “We’re all in on it, aren’t we?”
You were about to agree, when Damian crossed the distance and shoved at Dick’s shoulder insistently, making him back away with a placating gesture.
“Wolves are notoriously known to eat sheep. I do not want to see any of you within her personal space,” Damian said, then hiccuped.
A hiccup?
You took a good look at Damian’s face, and that’s when you finally noticed the color to his cheeks and ears. He was drunk, or at the very least, tipsy.
“Damian,” you began. He looked down at you. Even his eyes were slightly lidded. “I’m not actually a sheep.”
You could hear Jason snort. Damian’s eyebrows furrowed. “I know that,” he tutted, “however, you are dressed as one, and that makes you a target for these… these lowly canines.”
Tim’s eyes squinted in Damian’s direction. “I think you’ve had a little too much to drink, Damian.”
“I have not,” he argued, defensively crossing his arms before his chest. “I have merely indulged in a couple cups of fruit punch. I should be more than capable of handling the alcohol content.”
You all stared at him for a moment. Damian hiccuped again. “What? Out with it.”
Jason huffed, clearly amused. “Nothing.” He looked at you, then at Damian. “I think fluffy over here wanted some punch too. Care to get her some?”
Damian looked at you. You smiled.
“I will be right back,” he said, turning his back on you but not before giving everyone else a warning glare.
With Damian gone, Jason inched closer. “Your shepherd’s gone, sheep,” he rumbled near your ear.
Pushing him away with a smile, you stepped back with a few bounces on your heels, making your fluffy sheep ears bounce. “I’m so scared. Whatever shall I do?”
Jason pursued you, but Dick butted in and made a display of licking his teeth. “You could surrender right now, fluffball. I’ll make it quick and easy…” He held out his hands in a predatory pose, as if he were ready to pounce.
Letting out a squeak, you ran away from them, crossing the room until you stood beside Barbara and Stephanie. Your wolf pursuers had yet to follow you over.
Stephanie faced you and grinned. “There you are. I was wondering when you were coming.”
“Hi Steph, hi Babs,” you waved, sneaking a glance towards Dick, Jason, and Tim who were all standing in a circle, talking. They looked at you. You looked away. “I’m being hunted,” you confessed.
Stephanie’s eyes widened, then looked behind you. She barked out a laugh, “don’t worry, I’ll be your shepherd.”
“She already has one.” Damian made his way over to you, a cup of punch in his hand. He handed it over to you, and you took it with a quick ‘thanks.’
Barbara looked at Damian through her magnifying glass as if judging his outfit. “You don’t seem the type to be herding sheep, Damian.”
“I am now,” he said and glanced over your head, looking right at what you could only assume was Jason and co. His eyes tensed.
You sipped at your punch, expecting a fruity, sweet taste when you all of a sudden coughed. It was mighty strong. “Damian, this is like, ninety percent alcohol.” You wiped your lips.
“Nonsense.” He tore his eyes away and looked at you and the cup. He took it from your hand, taking a moderate sip of his own.
He hummed in consideration.
“Do not exaggerate. Thirty at most.”
Stephanie and Barbara chuckled, then Stephanie looked off to your side. “Hey, shepherd? I think your sheep’s in danger.”
Damian’s expression tensed as he followed Stephanie’s gaze, finding Tim standing a tad too close for his liking. ‘Too close’ being at least three meters away. Damian handed you back your cup of punch.
Tim had his hands in the low pockets of his onesie, taking a casual step forward. “What’s going on here?” He asked.
“Back away, wolf,” Damian muttered, stepping between you and Tim, “before I make a carpet out of your hide.”
“I come in peace,” Tim promised.
“Then what is your purpose in encroaching on herd territory?” He asked. “Spit it out.”
Tim smiled. For some reason, it felt eerie. “I said I specifically come in peace.” He looked over your shoulder. “Nothing about the rest of the pack.”
Before you could react, a pair of familiar, powerful arms wrapped around your torso from behind.
Dick came into view and crouched down to grab you by the ankles, lifting you off the ground with the help of who could only be Jason. “Run!” Dick yelled.
Damian’s reaction had been too slow as he reached out for you in his tipsy state, Dick and Jason already carrying you quickly away.
You had just been sheep-napped.
“Careful! I’m going to spill my drink.” You tried to keep your cup steady in the middle of the kidnapping. You didn’t want Bruce on your tail.
“I think you should worry about your own hide right now, sheep,” Jason said in a tone that could only mean he was smiling and close to laughing. Jason and Dick had successfully brought you to the kitchen, Damian following closely after you all.
“Quick! Pantry,” Dick said as he let go of your ankles and opened the door.
Jason brought you inside, Dick closing the door after the two of you and standing on guard outside of it.
The pantry was dimly lit, Jason letting go of you as soon as the door was closed.
Damian’s voice was muffled from the other side, “let her out this instant, Grayson!”
“Sorry, Dami. She’s already lamb stew,” Dick said, earning himself a muffled earful of threats towards his ‘wolf’ self.
Looking at your captor, you raised a brow at him. “What now?”
“Didn’t think that far,” Jason replied. His eyes went to the ears on the top of your hood framing your face. “You look… cute.”
You felt heat crawl up to your face at the change of topic. “Thanks. You too.”
“Oh yeah? Cute enough to eat up just like you?” He asked.
“Are you still roleplaying, Jason?” You chuckled and set your punch down on one of the many shelves, then wrapped your arms around his waist. “Was that you or the wolf saying that?”
“Both,” he murmured and hugged you back, his hands splayed on your back. “Where did you buy this? It’s so fluffy.”
“Online.” You shrugged, leaning your cheek against his chest. “I’m going to wear this beyond Halloween, so be prepared for that.”
There was a bang on the pantry door. Then another, before it finally opened, revealing Damian with an almost worried expression. He looked at the both of you.
“Hands off!” Damian demanded as he walked in.
“Calm down,” Jason said as you parted from the hug. “Where did Dick go?”
“He has been neutralized,” Damian murmured, then hiccuped.
You shared a look with Jason.
“I’m fine!” A voice from behind Damian out of sight called out. “He- he tied me up.”
“As I said, neutralized.” Damian cleared his throat. “Now stand back, canine.”
Damian looked at you, holding a hand out. “Come.”
You grabbed your cup and walked towards Damian, wondering just how drunk he was. “Alright, shepherd. Where do we go?”
Damian placed a hand on your upper back, guiding you away. “We are returning to the fruit punch bowl.”
“I think you’ve had enough, Damian,” you said as you passed Dick by on the floor. He gave you his signature smile, completely unbothered by his current situation, wrapped up in some sort of cord. Who knows where Damian had found it.
“I am not drinking any further,” he assured you. “I am only bringing you someplace safe.”
Following Damian back to where the party was being held, you could see Tim standing with Cassandra and Duke.
Damian stopped before the snack table, looking at the options before gazing at you. “Graze,” he commanded.
Your lips thinned as you tried not to laugh out loud. You had a feeling Damian in this state would not appreciate it. “I was getting hungry,” you reasoned as you took a spooky chocolate piece from the chocolate bowl and popped it in your mouth.
Damian seemed satisfied as you took another piece of chocolate, but his expression hardened once again when Dick and Jason walked back in.
“Hey again, sheep,” Jason said.
“Step back!” Damian demanded.
Smiling to yourself, you took another chocolate piece and washed it down with some strong punch. You had a feeling this would be a long night.