Title: Costumed

Author: Joy

Rating: PG, I guess

Disclaimer: Not mine. Property of Ms. Martin and Scholastic, although the boys might need a scrubbing when they go back. )

Pairing: Byron/Jeff Summary: Halloween brings more surprises than just candy.

Notes: The WTFOMG!Bunny is responsible for this. Although I might also want to blame it on Sting's "Roxanne". Totally unbeta-ed. & yes, it will probably have a sequel, before you ask.


"Tell me again that this is a good idea."

Byron leaned into the bathroom mirror, giving himself a pep talk while he shaved. Each time he rinsed the blade, he took a deep breath and whispered reassurance.

"Of course he'll like it."

He turned around, flipped on the shower, and stepped in, shivering as the steam prickled the hair on his arms. One hand snuck out from behind the curtain, reaching for the can of shaving cream and razor. Almost fifteen minutes passed before he muttered defeat.

Pushing back the curtain, Byron leaned down into a shopping bag by the towel rack and retrieved a bright pink bottle. He sighed and shook his head as he disappeared back into the shower.

An hour later, he stood in front of the mirror, inspecting his skin. He couldn't stop touching himself-when his bare skin brushed against something, heat curled up in his gut and he had to exhale and balance against something. His knees quivered as the towel slipped along the back of his thigh.

He started pulling more things out of the shopping bag. The underwear felt several sizes too small, but with a bit of adjustment, he managed to reduce the tightness in front. The fishnets eluded him for a bit before he realized he had to sit down to put them on. He winced as his weight put further pressure on already nervous flesh.

"God, girls are so... fragile," he sighed.

With trepidation, his gaze swept up to a garment bag hanging from the back of the door. He swallowed nervously, then grabbed the bag and unzipped it, shoving his arms through the sleeves and yanking down, not sparing a glance to the mirror until he had zipped up the back of the dress.

He turned slowly, staring at his reflection in astonishment. A girl stood in his place; a rather lanky girl, with chopped dark hair and wondering eyes. The red dress gave a faint shimmer as he breathed. The stockings curved around the muscles in his legs and made him itch slightly.

He leaned up close to the glass, fogging it with his words. "You look hot."

He rummaged through the makeup in the bag, picking up items and looking at them. Finally, he realized he wasn't going to pull this off without help. At this point, he was kind of glad that his brothers had chosen to leave for the Halloween party early.

He peeked through the bathroom door, barely cracking it open. Giggling could be heard from Mallory and Vanessa's bedroom. Byron hoped that Mallory had already gone to her club's trick-or-treating outing, and that the giggles were just Vanessa.

"Vanessa?" he called nervously, his fingers drumming on the edge of the door.

A hula dancer with dark hair stepped out of her room, holding the cordless phone to one ear. "Byron? I thought you went with... Oh, Char, I'll call you back."

Byron stuck his head out, but only his head. "I need... help."

Vanessa's face displayed total shock. "Help?"

"With my costume. With um... makeup." Byron sighed, "You can't laugh."

She shook her head, forcing the bathroom door open. "I won't... Oh my God. Byron."

He collapsed on the toilet seat, hand running through his hair. "I-It's not a big deal or anything, I'll do it myself."

Vanessa crept to his side, kneeling. Her attitude had changed from disbelief to compassion. "Is this... Is this for Jeff?"

He jerked uncomfortably, wincing as the fishnets went one way and the underwear the other. "How do you know about that?"

In answer, she had mascara and eyeliner in hand, pushing his hand aside. "Shush. And don't move. Close your eyes."

Byron resisted the urge to twitch as his face was subtly muted and blended with powders, creams and pencil. It tickled slightly, like the cool air on his legs, but it didn't give him shivers quite the same way.

Vanessa smiled brightly at him as she held out the mirror for him to inspect her handiwork. He gasped as the girl in the reflection stared at him from under dark lashes and rum-bruised lips.

"Um... wow."

She leaned back on the counter, nodding in agreement. "Can't even tell you've got identical brothers now."

A raised eyebrow was all it took to change the subject. "So, are you going to a party or anything, 'Nessa?"

"Nah, Char and I are passing out candy and spending the whole night on the phone."

Byron smiled, liking the way it looked in the mirror. "Then I guess I'd better go, before Jeff thinks I forgot to pick him up."

"Don't forget your purse!" They cracked up laughing at that, and then Byron scrambled down the hall to get the crimson heels stored in the back of the coat closet.

Driving proved to be an obstacle, until he took the shoes off and drove in his stocking feet. Also, he kept peeking at himself in the rear view mirror, not quite confident that the face winking back at him was really him.

He mounted the Schaefer-Spiers' porch steps with agility. All those late nights sneaking downstairs to practice in the heels had paid off. He shifted his purse up onto a shoulder and rang the bell, only half-confident.

Jeff's mom opened the door, candy bucket in hand. She blinked in confusion, looking Byron up and down before her mouth fell open in amazement.

"Byron... is that you?"

"Yeah," he replied with a shaky laugh. "Vanessa did my makeup."

She smiled, shaking her head. "I'm sure your sisters loved that. Come on, have a seat in the living room. Jeff's going as... a zombie, I think."

Byron followed her into the living room, perching on the sofa near the stairs.

"Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeff! Byron's here!"

Byron's heart fluttered and tightened inside the form-fitting dress. This was the big moment, and he hadn't run all the possibilities through his head before Jeff appeared around the corner, flesh dripping off his face and his neck smeared in fake blood.

"Oh, hey..." Jeff's face stretched out even more grotesquely. He leaned up close to Byron, his breath hot as he whispered, "Fuck, Byron. What the... just... fuck."

Byron's head was a swimming mess, unable to clear itself, but he managed to whisper back, "Say fuck again and we will be."

"Oh God." Jeff had to sit down on the couch to keep from falling over. "Maybe we shouldn't go to that party. Your brothers would freak."

Before Byron had a chance to answer, Mrs. Spier popped out of nowhere with a camera and snapped a picture. Jeff was on his feet, shouting.

"Get out of here, Mom!"

Byron pulled him back down. "Let her take pictures. It'll probably be the only time she sees her son with a girl." Jeff smiled wryly back and yanked Byron up.

"Byron says he wants pictures of us."

Mrs. Spier flushed, but nodded, guiding them over to the fireplace and taking a few more shots before the doorbell rang and she had to go out with the treat bucket. Standing at the door were a large group of children, flanked by Jessi and... Mallory. Jeff and Byron had no chance to dart out of vision before Mallory locked eyes with her brother and squinted quizzically.

The door shut and Mrs. Spier went back to the kitchen. Byron and Jeff stood,hands gripped together before they made a shocked dash upstairs.

Mallory leaned over the children's heads to whisper to her best friend. "I think that was Byron. Holding Jeff's hand." She sounded absolutely horrified.

Jessi's face cracked into a grin. "They say it runs in families, Mal." And she winked.