Author's Note- First of all, Happy Halloween everybody! This is the second piece I have to offer this year. Unlike my first, The Animal, this one is mostly fluff and supposed to make you warm and fuzzy inside. So, if you're looking for a more horrific fic, this isn't for you.

I ended up doing this in between classes, so I apologize for the shortness and the OOCness. However, I'm fairly happy with it considering.

Disclaimer: Outlaw Star and Characters belong to Takehiko Ito.


Trick? Or Treat?

Melfina wasn't a party girl. Her idea of fun revolved around a small, usually quiet, social gathering of her closest friends in one area, laughing and enjoying each other's company perhaps even sharing a meal…Not the disaster she was currently engaged in.

After discovering that her boyfriend would be forced to spend Halloween night out of town, her friends were quick to jump on the chance to drag her along on one of their crazed, drunken tours of the town. She didn't mind, in truth, but as their intoxication levels rose, so did her anxiety. At each new place they visited, they threw themselves on the first available man in the vicinity, they nearly allowed themselves to be carted off by several unsavory individuals, and then, they agreed to attend this party while not know who was throwing it or where it was being hosted. Even with Melfina as the epitome of reason, neither woman heeded her apprehensions.

Melfina sighed. She often wondered how she allowed herself to be put into these situations. All her friends had to do was bat their eye lashes and throw a few crocodile tears her way and she was putty in their hands. I need to grow a backbone, she thought, squinting in an attempt to spot either of her friends. Neither Suzuka nor Aisha could be seen in the crowd of people having separated the moment they arrived. Melfina, however, didn't move too far from the exit and stationed herself up against the wall, a chaperone to her friends' merriment.

The volume of the erratic music vibrated the walls and threatened to topple over any piece of furniture still standing, not to mention burst poor Melfina's ear drums. The dance floor was packed with people bumping and grinding into each other without a care for who their dance partner was. Scantily clad women sauntered through the halls with men on their arms and immature men ran after one another playing ghoulish tricks on the unsuspecting bystander. Laughter echoed through the house, over the ruckus of the speakers. Everything was right in the world of the party-goer.

Melfina's gaze continuously swept over the crowd of people, but one person in particular caught her attention. A man dressed in a Victorian style suit stood across from her on the other side of the crowd. This man's costume, complete with a pocket watch, walking stick, and top hat, looked authentic and gave off the appearance that he had just stepped out of a painting. In addition, compared to the other ridiculous, quirky concepts that surrounded him, it made him stick out like a sore thumb.

Melfina's cheeks flushed a deep scarlet when she realized that while she was looking over the man's costume, he was taking his own inventory of her as well. She diverted her gaze instantly, finding the floor far more interesting in that moment. A few moments passed, before the curiosity the man sparked raised its head once more. As discreetly as possible, Melfina inclined her head to view the unknown man only to discover his disappearance. She searched the crowd, but he wasn't there. I wonder who he was…she thought, recalling the white mask that covered the entirety of his face.

It wasn't long before the image of the Victorian man escaped her and her attentions were turned, forcibly, elsewhere. Having to fend off and escape several drunken would-be suitors, Melfina was forced to enter the dense crowd of gyrating bodies trying to get to the sliding glass door to the patio outside. She tried to find Aisha or Suzuka on her trek through, but still neither were anywhere to be seen. An agitated sigh passed her lips, but found her irritation and tension waning as the chilled winter air outside offered her some solace. After closing the door behind her, the music was reduced to a dull roar and her need for space lessened.

A hand wove itself around the slender woman's waist and pulled her flush against a hard chest, expelling a gasp of surprise from Melfina.

"Hey!" she cried, attempting to pry the arm from her body as the other fully encased her in the man's embrace. "Let me go!"

Rather than offer a reply, the man gave a small squeeze and pulled her more fully against him. He lifted her a few inches from the ground and began to carry her off into the well maintained backyard garden. Melfina struggled in the man's grasp, but her attempts proved futile. Her screams went unheard over the pounding of the music inside and no one appeared to be outside with them.

The entire time, the man holding her captive didn't utter a word or even flinch at her kicks and punches. Before too long, he deposited her on the ground which she backed away as quickly as possible, into a wall of shrubbery. She pressed herself as close to the plants as possible, unable to get away, but froze seeing the man in the Victorian costume.

"What do you want?" she muttered, feeling her heart beat hasten in her chest.

"You," he replied, the mask concealing the man's true voice. He advanced on the scared woman, so close that there was only an inch between their faces and they were pressed together from their knees to their chests. He ran his hand from her collar bone to her cheek and smoothed his thumb across her cheek bone. "You're so beautiful," he whispered.

"Please, leave me alone," she said, feeling tears prick at her eyes. The man froze, retreating only a little. "You think I would hurt you, my angel?"

The nickname gave Melfina pause and had her turning her attentions on the masked man. "What?" she questioned. The man started chuckling as he swept a hand over his head, sending the top hat and black wig to the ground, and revealing long, teal locks. Next, he removed the mask to reveal not some aggressive assailant, but her Harry.

A moment passed for Melfina's mind to comprehend the events of the evening and her eyes lit up with anger. "Harry!" she shouted, slapping the chuckling man half-heartedly on the chest. The rare display of humor nearly had Melfina forgiving him on the spot, but she wouldn't be a push over. "How could you?"

Harry calmed himself and let the mask fall through his fingers as he embraced the seething woman. Melfina crossed her arms to maintain distance between them, but that only made him hold her tighter. "Don't be so livid. It's Halloween after all."

Melfina averted her gaze, not wanting to give in to him so easily, but she found her will deteriorating. "I thought you and Ron had to go out of town…"

"Plans changed last minute." He nuzzled into Melfina's turned cheek and placed a few kisses on her cheek bone and down her jaw.

Melfina sighed and Harry smirked. She could never stay mad at him for long. "How did you know where I was?" she asked, unfolding her arms and let the teal-haired man hug her more fully and wrapped her own arms around his neck.

"I called Suzuka," he said, a sense of finality in his words. He hadn't tracked her down to play a game of twenty questions. Harry placed several more kisses on her forehead, temple and her nose before he leaned in. "Trick? Or treat?"

"I think I deserve a treat," she whispered, pulling the man closer.

"As you wish, angel," he said, claiming the woman's lips passionately. His hands roamed over the expanse of her back before one settled on the small of her back and the other fisted in Melfina's dark, disheveled mane, inclining her head to better the kiss. When they parted, both were panting heavily, but didn't pull away from each other. Harry rested his forehead against Melfina's and closed his eyes in contentment.

"Mine," he whispered.

Melfina chuckled lightly and smiled up at the possessive man. "Yours."

"Happy Halloween, my angel."

"Happy Halloween, Harry."


End Note- So? Whatcha think? Any comments to help me improve?