This Is Halloween
A/N: So it's Halloween. I'm living in Australia at the moment. They don't celebrate Halloween here. How depressing :(
The title can be any of the multiple versions of "This is Halloween" by various artists- your choice! :) Oh, and for the sake of the story, Ryan is away or at work or something and Jones is still hung up on Lux, not Tasha!
"So... you've really never been trick or treating?"
"Nope."
"Wait, you've never been trick or treating?"
Lux watched as Baze entered the loft, obviously having caught the end part of the conversation she was having with Jones.
Lux smirked slightly as they stared back at her, matching looks of disbelief on their faces as she shook her head. "I grew up in foster care. Most years I was at Sunnyvale for Halloween, and there weren't enough adults to take us all trick or treating so we didn't really celebrate it. I mean, they had a lame bowl of candy in the office and if we wanted, we could trick or treat there, but I never really saw the point of it."
"The point of it?"
"The point of it is you get free candy-"
"Not to mention the costumes-"
"And t-peeing houses-"
"Best food of the year-"
"Haunted attractions-"
"And the poetry-"
That stopped Baze before he could say anything else, and he turned to Jones, both Lux and Baze looking at the blonde confused. "Poetry? What does poetry have to do with Halloween?"
Jones frowned as if it was obvious. "Edgar Allen Poe, the master of horror literature."
Baze looked at him in disbelief for a few moments, not knowing how to respond. Lux simply smirked, slightly amused at the both of them. "Anyway... You've really never done Halloween before?"
Lux shrugged slightly, shaking her head.
"So let's do it then."
Both Lux and Baze turned to Jones, confused. "What?"
"Halloween. Let's do it. All of it. Trick or treating, pumpkin carving, haunted houses, let's do it."
Lux laughed slightly before realizing he was serious, and looked up to Baze only to realize he was considering it as well. "You're serious?"
"Why not?" Jones shrugged, smiling at her. "It's never too late to start and every kid has to experience at least one Halloween."
"I'm in."
Lux looked up at Baze, not sure whether to be amused or embarrassed. "You're also 32."
"Hey." Baze nudged her jokingly. "And in your mom's words, I'm also an over-grown man-child."
Lux rolled her eyes, not sure what else to do. She'd be lying if she said she didn't want to. "But aren't you meant to dress up for these things? It's almost four on Halloween night. What costume store would have costumes this late?"
By five, they were at Cate's, costumes and pumpkins in hand. Lux would be lying if she said she wasn't even a little excited.
"What are you doing?" Cate asked, both confused and amused as she walked into the house and made her way into the kitchen.
Lux looked up and smiled. "Pumpkin carving."
"Yeah," Baze turned his pumpkin around to face Cate, Cate rolling her eyes jokingly at the childish display. "Lux has never been trick or treating."
"You've never been trick or treating?"
Baze and Jones stifled a laugh as Cate's shocked expression matched theirs only hours earlier. Lux, however, rolled her eyes, pretending she didn't care despite feeling slightly embarrassed. "It's not that big of a deal." She shrugged off.
"It's a huge deal."
"Yeah, it's basically a childhood right."
Lux couldn't help but feel a little angry and even more embarrassed at her parent's statements. "Well I never really had a normal childhood so I guess I didn't have the same rights as the other kids."
An awkward silence overcame the room, and Jones awkwardly cleared his throat, finishing off his pumpkin before turning it around to face Lux, smirking as he cleared the tension. "It's never too late to start."
"You're going trick or treating?"
Lux, Baze and Jones all exchanged knowing glances, Lux smiling as she got up, left the room and came back a second later with a covered costume in her arms. "Yep, and we got you a costume as well."
"I cannot believe you convinced me to do this."
Baze smirked as Cate fumbled with her costume, enjoying watching the small brunette embarrassed. "We didn't convince you to do anything. You wanted to come."
"You picked my costume." Cate shot back, glaring at him.
Baze held up his hands in faux defeat, smirking. "Hey, nobody forced you to wear it, and it's not my fault they only had a few costumes left."
"I'm a freaking cowgirl!" Cate grumbled frustrated, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting as Baze, Lux and Jones laughed.
They stopped in front of a house, ignoring the strange glances they were getting from younger kids and other parents.
"So you ready for your first trick or treat?"
Cate and Baze watched the interaction between Jones and Lux curiously as Lux nodded and they made their way to the front door.
"Trick or treat!"
Lux and Jones both rang out as the front door opened. The old man smiled at the both of them, winking at Jones before turning his attention to Lux. So maybe Jones had pulled a few strings with his neighbors to get them to humor Lux. Lux wouldn't know any differently, and he wanted her first Halloween experience to be as memorable as it could be.
"And what do we have here?" He smiled. "Let me guess... Little Red Riding Hood and the big bad wolf?"
Lux smiled and nodded, not sure what she was supposed to do. The man seemed to sense her nervousness and placed a handful of candy in her carry bag. "Here you go. Happy Halloween."
"Thank you."
They made their way back to Cate and Baze, the adults smiling at Lux almost proudly. "What'd you get?"
Lux couldn't hide her smile if she tried and she opened her bag, showing them proudly. By the time they had finished the neighborhood, Lux was beaming with her bag full of candy, and Jones was pretty sure he had exercised every favor and more that he was owed by his neighbors.
"So what next?" Lux grinned excitedly like a little kid, looking between Jones and her dad expectantly. They smirked at each other, leading the way without a word.
"Nu uh." Cate shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest firmly. "There is no way I'm going in there."
"Cate, come on. You can't do Halloween without visiting a haunted house."
Cate shook her head, ignoring Baze's argument. "No way." She repeated.
"You're scared." Lux realized, laughing as Cate blushed.
"It's a legitimate fear!" Cate defended, blushing as Baze and Jones laughed as well. "There is nothing normal about covering your house in skeletons and coffins and fake body parts, and then inviting random strangers inside."
"Cate, it's Halloween."
Cate nodded, glaring slightly at Baze. "Uh huh. And I've avoided haunted houses for 32 years, I'm not about to start now."
Baze laughed, going behind Cate and placing his hands on her shoulders, mocking her slightly. "Okay, you wait here while we adults go check it out."
"Adults?" Cate smirked, raising an eyebrow. "You're wearing a pirate costume."
Baze swung an arm around Lux's shoulder and headed inside with her and Jones, poking his tongue out at Cate jokingly.
They entered the house and looked around, jumping and laughing at the random "scary" pop-ups and effects. After a few minutes, the lights went dark and the house went silent, Baze and Jones included.
"Baze?" Lux looked around nervously, suddenly finding herself on edge by their sudden disappearance. "Jones?"
She was expecting it, but that didn't stop Lux from screaming as Baze and Jones both jumped out of their hiding spots with a yell the second the lights came back on. Lux clutched her chest, calming herself before hitting Baze annoyed. "Not funny!"
Both Baze and Jones laughed, Jones nudging her jokingly. "It kind of was."
Lux glared at the both of them, slightly annoyed but mainly embarrassed. They finished off the house and went back outside to meet Cate, amused to find her visibly relax when they emerged.
"Are you ready to head home yet?" Cate asked, looking between the other three and earning nods in response.
They walked the short distance back to Cate's place, Cate and Baze making comfortable conversation as they gave Lux and Jones some privacy a few steps ahead.
"This was a really great idea, Baze." Cate smiled, nodding her head toward Lux. "I don't think I've ever seen Lux so excited."
"It wasn't all me." Baze smirked, signaling to Jones. "Little dude spent half an hour making calls while we were in the costume store. It wasn't just a coincidence that none of the houses they trick or treated frowned upon two teenagers and their parents dressing up and asking for free candy."
Cate smiled, both she and Baze watching the interaction between Lux and Jones curiously. They weren't surprised when both Lux and Jones stayed out on the porch when they arrived back at Cate's.
"I'm just going to say goodbye."
Cate and Baze smiled and nodded, Baze smirking knowingly at Jones causing both teenagers to blush slightly.
Lux waited until they were inside before turning to Jones, suddenly nervous. "I had fun tonight. Thank you."
"No problem." Jones was clearly nervous as well. "Your parents are pretty chill."
Lux laughed. "Even if they did basically chaperone us the entire night."
"Do we need chaperoning?" Jones raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly as he shifted a little closer to Lux.
Lux did the same, moving closer as Jones dipped his head slowly. "You tell me."
Jones dipped down to kiss Lux gently; Lux immediately leaning into the touch. After a few moments, they pulled back, both blushing slightly but neither even attempting to hide their grins.
"Guess I'll see you Monday?"
Lux nodded, smiling and waving a small goodbye as Jones headed to his car.
Baze and Cate collapsed on the couch the second they got in the house, looking at each other; surprisingly there was no tension or awkwardness between them.
"Admit it." Baze nudged Cate gently, smirking. "You had fun. Costume and all."
Cate reluctantly gave in, sighing. "Okay... I admit it. Tonight was fun."
Baze smirked, nudging Cate knowingly as they waited for Lux to come join them. Lux entered the house a few moments later and sighed happily as she collapsed on the couch between her parents.
"Is Jones gone?" Cate asked, both she and Baze smirking knowingly.
Lux blushed slightly, avoiding her parents gazes. "Yep."
"So how was your first Halloween, kiddo?"
Lux sighed happily, leaning back on the couch. "Amazing."
Baze and Cate both laughed, Baze grabbing the remote off of the coffee table and flipping on the TV. "Well no Halloween is complete without a horror movie."
"Uh..." Cate went to protest but stopped when Lux and Baze both pouted pathetically. She couldn't hide her amusement and stood up, walking into the kitchen. "I'll make the popcorn."
Lux and Baze both smirked as Cate gave in, settling back into the couch as they waited for Cate to come join them; Lux snuggling up in between her parents as the movie started.
