Sephiroth blinked as Cloud squinted into the mirror, painting on his nose. He smiled at the way his lover had to keep pausing because the sensation of the paint made his nose twitch.
"You make a good cat..."
Cloud turned and smiled, clip on ears nested in his spiky blond hair, tail weaving behind him.
"Thank you... you make a good grim reaper..." Sephiroth smiled shyly from under the cowl.
"It's not too much?" the older man asked, plucking nervously at his robe.
"No, Halloween's about being scary. Anyway, you look so nervous and wellmeaning you'll probably be deluged in small children wanting hugs." Cloud replied with a laugh.
Sephiroth blinked innocently "But it's ok?"
Cloud embraced him and kissed him softly "It's fine... I promise, you look perfect..." the blonde man began rummaging in a cupboard, retrieving brightly coloured packets full of sugar packed sweets and enough E-numbers to send a whole playground of children high. "You light the pumpkin..." he called over his shoulder, and Sephiroth nodded.
The General picked up the Jack O' Lantern they had carved together the night before, and set it in the window sill, lifting the top out and lighting the candle, replacing the top and smiling to see the reflection glittering in the window.
When he turned back, Cloud embraced him once more. Just as their lips met, the first knock sounded at the door, and the evening's first cries of "Trick or Treat!" rang out through the air.
Sephiroth couldn't help it, and as he helped hand out the candy, his lips curved up in a smile which stayed on his face all night. Just because Halloween was supposed to be scary, didn't mean it couldn't be fun.
When it got to about nine o' clock and the trickle had slowed a little, Cloud blew the lantern out. Sephiroth blinked "Isn't that the sign that we have candy to give out?"
Cloud nodded "Yes it is, but we have something else to do now..."
Sephiroth's brow furrowed slightly, but he put down the bowl still half full of brightly wrapped sweets and followed Cloud out into the street.
The yellow-haired man handed the taller SOLDIER a bucket shaped like a pumpkin and beamed "Come on, we're going trick or treating!"
"I thought you said that was only something children did..."
"It is, but you've never been, so I spoke to a few people and now we are going!"
Sephiroth beamed even wider than when he'd been distributing sweets. He hadn't had much sugar in his life, but he'd liked what he'd tried.
Cloud led Sephiroth up the path to a house with spiderwebs draped over the porch. He knocked and the door creaked open ominously, creepy organ music echoing tinnily out from the dimly lit hallway. Genesis stood there, silhoutted in the doorway, lurid red plastic horns on his head, a tail attached to the back of a red leather bodysuit sticking out behind him, and a trident in one hand. He winked at Cloud, who squealed
"Trick or Treat!"
Angeal emerged, wearing a toga and looking slightly less than enthusiastic about it. He was carrying a bowl of plastic wrapped pure sugar, and Cloud grabbed a handful to drop in his bucket, Sephiroth tentatively following suit. He made a mental note to write his two friends a thank you note for helping him experience Halloween.
The door of the next house Cloud led him towards flew open before they got anywhere near it, and a Frankenstein's puppy zoomed out and glomped the General, knocking him to the floor. Cloud rolled his eyes and helped Sephiroth up when Zack finally moved away.
Zack cleared his throat and tried to look intimidating, tail wagging frantically behind him.
"If you want your treats, you have to face the challenge of the grave!" he sounded like he was following a supposedly creepy script, but was definitely overenthusiastic, rather taking away from the scariness of the idea.
Cloud grinned "What do we have to do?"
Zack beamed "Follow me!"
The two others followed the puppy around the side of the house, to a mocked up grave.
"Reach in, if you dare... who knows whether you'll get a treat or a bone..."
Cloud knelt and put his hand in first, pulling out a handful of chocolate eyeballs. Sephiroth bit his lip and took his turn, jumping a little as he felt something cool and gelatinous against his hand. He pulled out some jelly worms and smiled, putting them in his bucket. When he stood again he dusted off the front of his robes and hugged Cloud close, whispering
"Thank you... this was the best Halloween ever..."