A/N: Inspired by my most recent horror movie marathon and my girlfriend, who suggest the costume idea. Also, I just finished this right now, so no betaing has done. All mistakes are mine! Happy Halloween!
"I'm telling you, this is going to be great." Chloe adjusts her chosen outfit as she addresses the closed door of one of the costume shop's changing rooms. "It's a good idea."
"You're only saying that because you came up with it." Beca's voice is slightly muffled through the wood, but Chloe hears her fine.
"I didn't hear you offering up any suggestions." Chloe hears a dull thud and a muttered curse and doesn't even try to hide her smile. Beca can't see her anyway.
"Stop smiling," Beca gripes, pulling a laugh from Chloe, then continues. "I didn't suggest anything because I didn't want to do this in the first place."
"The Bellas are hosting a Halloween party, Beca. You can't not dress up! You'd look ridiculous." Chloe hears the latch unlock on the opposite side of the door, the hinges of which creak in a manner that seems entirely too appropriate as Beca pulls it open.
"More ridiculous than this?" Beca asks, only walking part way out so as it avoid the eyes of others. She's looking down at herself, taking in lower portion of the cheaply made, cream-coloured wedding dress and lifting the skirt so she can see the battered black boots she's wearing.
"You…" Chloe trails off, drawing Beca's attention toward her, and Beca rolls her eyes when she sees where Chloe's are focused.
"That's not where my eyes are, Chlo," she chides, resisting the urge to tug the front of the dress up.
"I'm not aiming for your eyes, Becs." Chloe remains unfazed. "You look hot."
"You're just saying that because, like, all of my boobs are out." Beca does have a point. The wedding dress is exceeding low cut at the front, showing off an ample amount of cleavage. It's almost obscene. Maybe it is, Beca thinks, and she hastily grabs both sides of the leather jacket she's wearing overtop the dress, bringing them together.
Chloe sighs heavily at the development.
"I'm saying it," she starts, batting at Beca's hands until they are reluctantly dropped. "Because it's the truth." Chloe fiddles with Beca's collar, then reajusts the jacket for a reason Beca can't ascertain. "But it's not like the boobs take away from that." Chloe takes a step back and gives Beca a thorough once over. She assures the less than certain brunette that everything will be complete, even better, once Chloe has access to her make-up kit later.
Beca smiles through gritted teeth.
"How come I have to be Slutsy-McGee?" Beca gestures to Chloe's costume. "At least you get to walk around in something comfortable."
"Because you're the badass in this relationship," Chloe says without missing a beat and Beca's sure she's just pandering to her ego now, but it's working, so whatever. "Also, I'm the redhead."
"I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not blonde," Beca points out. Chloe just shrugs and tells her that's what wigs are for. Beca doesn't feel like informing her that there are plenty of red wigs to go around. This was Chloe's idea anyway, Beca's just along for the ride.
"What about me? How do I look?" Chloe turns on the spot, allowing Beca to assess her costume. She looks pretty adorable in a pair of tattered blue overalls and a long sleeved shirt that's striped varying shades of red, blue and green.
Chloe only has one of the straps done up, so the bib folds at the corner and covers up some of the red letters adorning the front pocket. She can just make out the last three letters of the word 'guys'. She's also wearing a pair of red sneakers she'd borrowed from Ashley and thank god she'd had them because Chloe was on the verge of a meltdown after searching everywhere for a pair and coming up empty. She had even bought some white laces to go with them.
"I still need about two hours to put my face on, but it's good, right?" Chloe reaches into one of the overall pockets and pulls out a plastic knife, posing with it. Beca lets out a chuckle and bobs her head, appraisingly.
"You look awesome. Really." She sticks her hands in her jacket pockets to stop them from fidgeting. "You'd give the real thing a run for his money." Chloe beams.
"You're sure you're okay with this?" Chloe asks after a moment and Beca spends a few seconds looking at her before nodding again.
"Yeah." It comes out a little breathless but she flashes Chloe a smile that she hopes is as reassuring as she wants it to be. "It'll be great."
Chloe wasn't kidding about the two hour thing, but Beca can't exactly fault her for taking that long when she finally reveals herself. It must take a lot of time and effort to apply that many stitched up slashes to a person's face. Not to mention the way she's managed to style her hair, sweeping it up and back from one side of her head and wrapping what looks like actual electrical tape to a few strands before pinning them in place, making it look like they've been ripped off and tacked back on.
"Holy shit," Beca blurts upon seeing her, pulling a laugh from Chloe as she closes her bedroom door behind her. "I feel kinda outdone now, dude."
Beca's wearing exactly what she'd been wearing earlier, only now she's sporting a platinum blonde wig, dotted-on beauty mark, and a meticulously drawn on tattoo above her right breast. Well, it's more on it, rather than above it, and Chloe had taken great care when applying it. It's a simple heart with a knife handle sticking out of the right hump and Chloe's name written in pretty cursive over the top of it. She's also wearing more eye makeup than teenage Beca would, which is saying something.
Chloe's gone so far as to muddy up the laces on her shoes and make the overalls look like they've been through a fire.
"Oh, please. We both look awesome and you look hotter than hell." Chloe says it so casually. Beca can feel her blush. "Ready to go?"
"I think so, yeah." Beca doesn't sound sure and so Chloe asks her again whether or not she's certain she wants to do this. Once again, Beca insists she is.
And so they descend the stairs and leave the house - the other Bellas having vacated nearly an hour ago - and decided to take the path to the Trebles house rather than go through the bush as usual.
There are people in costume everywhere. On the lawn, on the sidewalk in front of the house, and then so many more inside. Chloe takes Beca by the hand and leads her through the throng of bodies, winding in and out until she manages to find the other Bellas. Stacie, Amy, Cynthia-Rose, Jessica and Ashley had decided to band together and go as the Spice Girls. Lilly appears to be dressed as Martha Stewart, which is oddly terrifying.
Stacie seems them first, squealing and waving, and getting the attention of the other girls.
"You guys look dope." Cynthia Rose announces, adjusting the ginger wig on her head as she sips from her red plastic cup through a straw. "Who are you supposed to be?"
"Chucky and Tiffany, duh." Stacie rolls her eyes. She's wearing a little black dress and stiletto heels. "So awesome, guys."
"I didn't know you were doing a… what's the costume equivalent of a duet?" Ashley pipes up and Jessica offers a suggestion that she happily takes. "Tandem tricking! Yes. That."
"Prozzies," Amy says, in that way that makes it sound like she's trying to mutter it under her breath but the words are spoken far too loudly for that. She's also dressed as Scary Spice. And doesn't look half bad in the appropriate wig and leopard print.
"Actually," Chloe ventures, glancing sidelong at Beca who inclines her head almost imperceptibly. "It's more of a couple's costume thing." And she gives Beca's hand a squeeze.
Then, they both get to watch the pennies drop as each woman realises what exactly is being said.
Ashley and Jessica applaud. Cynthia Rose fist-bumps Beca. Lilly blinks and Stacie screams.
Amy tells them all that they owe her fifty bucks.
Chloe and Beca smile like idiots and spend the rest of the evening dancing with their friends, with each other, and trying desperately to keep Amy away from the gelatin eyeballs.