Halloween: It Starts
Yesterday, everything was normal in Amy's room. But when she opened the door today, a massive sewing machine dominated Sora's desk, and fabric and clothing were strewn over both beds, hanging from the pipes in the ceiling, and draped over her desk. Stunned, she edged back into the hallway.
Shuffling in the closet confirmed that Sora was somewhere in the chaos. "Sora?" Amy called. "Uh, what is all this?"
Sora's head popped out from behind the closet door. "Welcome back! I'm sorry about the mess, but I'm working on Halloween costumes. Don't worry, I'll clean up before bed. If something's in the way, move it, but please be careful of pins."
Amy's eyes devoured the colors, the textures, the hints of what the costumes might become. "How many are you making?" she asked, somewhat skeptically. It seemed like a lot of materials for one costume.
"I'm making mine, Matt's, Tai's, Joe's, and Mimi's. I wanted to make one for you, but Mimi said you were covered. Oh, and do you know if Izzy has black pants and a white button down shirt?"
"How are you going to do all that by Halloween?!" Just the thought of it stressed Amy out. Sora smiled and sat in front of her sewing machine.
"We went to the thrift store while you were out with Izzy yesterday- everyone I just mentioned, I mean. We bought most of the pieces there, and I'm only making adjustments or enhancements. Most of what you're seeing is material for capes."
"Capes?" Amy echoed. "I hope Tai didn't ask you to make him a Superman costume…" Sadly, it seemed like something he might do.
Sora grinned at the fabric she was positioning beneath the needle. "There are no super heroes involved, but Mimi insisted on secrecy. We're the only ones who know who's going as what. The boys weren't happy about it."
"And Izzy doesn't even know you're making him something." Amy raised a brow and crossed her arms.
Sora's smile turned rueful, almost apologetic. "Tai said he could convince Izzy to go along with his plans for Halloween."
Amy dropped her forehead into her palm, but smiled despite herself. "Izzy will be thrilled to hear that. I'll ask if he has the things you mentioned, but he'll probably catch on. He's more sharp than I am smooth."
"Don't worry." Sora turned the sewing machine on, then raised her voice to be heard over its whirring. "It's sure to be fun, no matter what."
XXX
Matt opened the door to Sora's room and recoiled as humidity and heat rolled out. "Eugh!" Tai cried, ever tactful. "Amy, what's up? It's a freaking sauna in here!"
"Sorry!" Mimi's voice called from within the room. "We need all the lights on, and everyone's been changing- Amy, stop moving!"
Squaring his shoulders, Matt braved the room. He grimaced when he discovered that the window was already open- even the October night air couldn't ameliorate the oppressive atmosphere. Sora stood in front of a dress suspended from a hanger on the ceiling pipes, inspecting the piece. She was focused, brow furrowed, lips smushed to one side. Attraction struck Matt's nervous system with an impact that shuddered outward. He wanted to press her against him, to slide his lips down the curve of her neck. He knew from experience that she would reward him with a delicious tremor and a gasp that did something wonderful to the more primal regions of his brain.
"Which of these is for me?" Tai's voice shattered those pleasant thoughts and reminded Matt that he was in a room crammed with people. He shook his head and tried to shift to a more appropriate mindset.
Amy sat on her desk chair with every light source in the room directed at her face while Mimi applied her makeup. Matt's brow shot up at Amy's outfit. She wore a tiny black dress that showed off far more of her chest than he had ever seen. If she wanted to wear it, then fine, but what if Mimi had pressured her into it? He made a mental note to ask if she was alright when they were alone.
"Holy shit, Amy!" Tai half shouted. Matt fought to keep his expression clear; he already knew where this was going. "What are you- You can't go out like that!"
Matt observed, waiting for the right moment to intercede. Amy looked great, but the low cut of the dress might exacerbate her discomfort around men. Matt would never tell a woman what to wear, but Tai...
He meant well. He really did, and Matt understood why he was concerned, given Amy's situation. That didn't make the repercussions any less unfortunate when he overstepped.
"Shoo, Tai!" Mimi cried, flapping a hand at him. "She looks amazing."
"She looks too amazing," Tai growled, crossing his arms. "What are you going to do when drunk boys stare at your chest and try to get in there?"
Straight for the heart, as usual. Matt looked at Sora, hoping a distraction might save him from laughing. Watching Tai verbally throw himself off cliffs was hilarious, even after all these years, but the cleanup was sometimes anything but.
"They won't," Mimi easily replied. "Well, yeah, they'll look- heck, I'll look- but they won't do anything."
"Are you sure?" The whining quality in Amy's voice hinted that the dress was a bad idea, as far as Matt was concerned. Maybe it was for the best that Tai said something, after all.
"They won't. Izzy will be with you! So no worries." Mimi grinned saucily and squeezed Amy's shoulders, and Amy developed a sudden fascination with the ceiling.
"Izzy?" Tai echoed. "What's he got to do with anything?"
Matt fought down a snort, then turned to Sora at the sound of her forced coughing. Matt caught her eye, grinned, and rolled his eyes. He's an idiot.
Sora tilted her head and smiled gently, as if to allow, Maybe just a little. Matt left Amy to fend for herself, which she seemed more willing to do lately, likely under Mimi's influence. The sound of Mimi and Tai arguing, with the occasional comment from Amy, faded as he approached Sora.
"Whose dress is that?" The others were distracted, so he slipped an arm around her.
She smiled, but seemed distracted. "It's not a dress. It's... Something of a modified kimono."
"Why are you nervous about it?" Matt asked, intercepting her hand as it darted over the fabric. He wound his fingers between hers, encouraging her to relax.
"Am I that obvious?" Sora asked, grinning ruefully. Matt cocked a single brow. Sora commanded more of his attention than anyone ever had, save for TK. Of course he was sensitive to her feelings.
The warmth of her smile radiated, and Matt found himself smiling back. "I see. Well, I'm worried people will have opinions about my wearing a kimono. Do you think people will see it as, I don't know, a failure to assimilate? And I'm nervous about my modifications, since the kimono is such a staple. Kimonos are restricting to wear, and I want to be comfortable at the party. This is more like a yukata with a shorter skirt."
Matt blinked, surprised by the torrent of words. Her voice was calm, but the nonstop chatter hinted at nerves. "You may be over-thinking this."
"I do have that habit…" Sora took a deep breath, then turned her back on the kimono, giving Matt her full attention.
"Don't worry. You'll look amazing in this." Sora colored, and Matt's grin shifted from reassuring to tender. He inched closer, but a shout diverted his attention.
"Joe! You have to put your costume on, wait 'till you see it- oh, but I have to finish Amy's hair- Amy, stop squirming! You'll have all night to talk to Izzy, gawd!"
Izzy and Joe stood in the doorway. Izzy's arms were crossed, and his brow furrowed over a skeptical frown, a silent yet eloquent, I have no interest in this Halloween nonsense. Then Amy swiveled her chair around and offered a smile that lit her face even more than the collection of lamps aimed at her. Izzy's arms uncrossed as they slackened. Matt followed the path of his eyes to- well, to a predictable destination.
His cues have gotten a lot more obvious lately. Something seemed to be brewing between Amy and Izzy, and Matt wasn't sure what to make of it, or if he should even speculate. Unfortunately, he was among those who thought Jerry was a good fit for her- or maybe he just wanted that to be true, for his own selfish reasons that he so miserably regretted now. And so, although he might give his opinion if asked, he would never influence someone's romantic life again.
For now, what mattered was that Amy lit up like a Christmas tree around Izzy, and that his vague hints of reciprocating were no longer vague.
"Izzy, we're gonna do Halloween stuff!" Amy chirped. "I hope you'll come!" When Izzy hesitated, Amy leaned forward and stared beseechingly up at him. Matt had no clue if the amazing view of her cleavage was intentional or not. "You will, right?"
Mimi patted her back with approval, and Matt grinned. Did Mimi coach Amy in preparation for this moment?
"I assume 'Halloween stuff' involves costumes, parties, and drinking." Izzy shifted towards the door, every inch of him screaming discomfort.
"Dude, what else? We're not trick or treating," Tai snorted. "And Amy, if you're gonna wear that, don't bend over!"
Amy huffed and straightened. "Have you forgotten Christie?" A shocked laugh popped out of Matt. Tai briefly dated Christie in high school, an intense, turbulent, and - if Tai was to be believed- highly physical relationship. Amy's outfit was conservative by Christie's standards, and Tai had no complaints back then.
Tai colored and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "That was different," he hedged. "And anyway, you didn't like her." He cleared his throat and shifted his attention to Izzy, having been utterly destroyed by Amy. "Right, uh, anyway... Here's what's happening. We're starting at a frat house to pre-game this shit. The alcohol will be cheap, but we're looking for quantity before we hit the bar. We might check out a friend's party in between."
"Enjoy yourselves," Izzy replied, turning towards the door. But he gazed over his shoulder, eyes lingering on Amy.
Joe sighed and looked away from Mimi, who was cramming a cowboy hat on his head. "I'm going. It won't kill you to come along."
Izzy seemed to crumple- he seized the door frame for support. "You- You're encouraging me to attend a string of parties, where the goal is to become dangerously inebriated and gawk at girls in, ah, sparse costumes."
"Dude, you really know how to sell something!" Tai cried, laughing. Amy snorted and held her hands out to Izzy, who stepped towards her, but hovered awkwardly just out of her reach.
Tai threw his arm around Izzy's shoulders, and Izzy's knees buckled. Izzy's polite expression was marred by the narrowing of his eyes. Matt grinned, impressed. He didn't expect Izzy to have that much rancor in him.
"Come on, Izzy." Tai thwacked his back, and Izzy swayed. "We're expanding your horizons… Think of it as an experiment. Besides, Sora made something for you! You can't waste it!"
Color rushed to Izzy's face. "I, I didn't ask- But- Why-"
Matt grinned. Poor guy's torn between wanting to be polite and being pissed by being trapped.
"I wanted everyone to have fun together," Sora said, offering that soul-soothing smile, "so I made something for you. I'm sorry I didn't ask first, but… I hope you'll accept it." Matt grinned as he watched Izzy freeze like an overtaxed computer. He understood; it was impossible not to react to Sora's aura of maturity and kindness.
Amy rolled her chair closer to Izzy, breaching the gap between them. Her hand closed around his, causing him to look down at her. "Please?" she murmured.
Izzy's expression softened almost imperceptibly. "Fine." That was all he said, and reluctantly, at that. Still, Tai gave him another too-hard clap on the back, and Amy beamed.
Sora smiled. "I'm so glad. Let's put our costumes on, alright?" She stepped to her bed, where paper shopping bags were gathered, and distributed them. She graciously received everyone's thanks, then approached Matt. "I put special effort into yours," she whispered.
Matt's eyebrow rose. Should I be flattered or concerned? He didn't know what to make of the excited, slightly devious twinkle in her eyes.
He settled on thanking her and kissing her forehead as he accepted his bag. He followed Tai into the hallway, pawing through its contents.
Once they were back in their room, he emptied the bag onto his bed. He found a long black cape lined with red on the inside and a black pair of slacks. There was also a…well, it was a white shirt with billowing sleeves and an open front, the kind of thing men wore on the covers of romance novels. He searched for some indication of what the costume was. He found a plain, featureless mask- or half of one, anyway.
He scowled at the mask, confused, until a cry of, "Hell yeah!" distracted him. Tai held up a tri-cornered hat. "I'm a pirate! I wonder what kind of booty I'll get tonight!" Matt shook his head, refusing to dignify that comment with a response. Matt turned his back as Tai stripped, then started changing, too. Maybe he'd figure it out once he had it on.
One thing, at least, was clear: Sora put a lot of effort into making this. The quality, fit, and attention to detail were stunning. To have done so much, so well, so fast… He was fiercely proud of her. He put on the rest of the costume, then lifted the mask to his face, unsure how to keep it on.
Tai wore light brown breeches and a shirt similar to Matt's, but in cream. He wore a sleeveless dark brown tunic over that. His hair was smushed down by a red headscarf beneath his hat. "What am I supposed to do with these?" Tai asked, holding out a long piece of white linen and a leather belt.
"I think the fabric goes around your waist," Matt said. "The belt… Hmm." After some consideration, he settled it over Tai's shoulder and clasped it over his chest, like a strap to secure a scabbard on his back. Then he smacked Tai with the hat and stuffed it on his head.
Tai batted him off. "What are you supposed to be, anyway? Masked romance novel guy?"
Matt frowned; so, Tai was going to be about as helpful as usual. "Not sure. Let me look." He opened his closet and stood in front of the mirror hanging from the door. The reason for Sora's teasing immediately became clear; he looked like he walked out of a romantic fantasy. He held the mask to his face, and his memory sparked.
"I think… Yeah. I'm the Phantom of the Opera." That character was shrouded in mystery, sensuality, and darkness, and possessed an alluring, hypnotic voice. Matt smirked, pleased and gratified- until Tai pushed him aside.
"Great, mystery solved. My turn!" Tai stood in front of the mirror and grinned, beaming like a little boy. Matt couldn't blame him; he looked amazing. The costume was tighter than Matt's, showcasing Tai's athletic build. And, with his hair tamed by the headscarf, he looked like a normal human being. The absence of his head bush allowed his other features to claim attention, like the sheen of gold in his brown eyes and the masculine cut of his jaw.
"Man, I had no idea Sora was this good at making clothes. You know how much a costume like this would cost? We better take her to dinner. Like, five times."
Matt nudged Tai out of the way. "Yeah. Let's finish getting ready and get back to Sora's room. I want to see what everyone else is wearing." He saw Tai roll his eyes behind his back in the mirror. Tai didn't primp as much as he did, but Matt refused to be embarrassed or apologetic about his routine. Tai prowled the room as Matt put himself together.
When Matt stepped through Sora's door, he saw Izzy holding his hands defensively in front of him as Mimi advanced, holding what looked like a bottle of liquid glitter. "Come on, Izzy!" she wheedled. "You're a vampire. You need to sparkle!"
"I'm afraid I don't follow," Izzy muttered, backing away from Mimi's hands.
"Zeus above! I envy you," Amy sighed. "He doesn't want the glitter, Mimi."
"How will anyone know he's a vampire?" Mimi demanded. "He's just wearing a cape and normal clothes." Mimi had a point; Izzy wore black slacks, a white button down shirt, and a black cape, a costume lacking in key identifiers.
"I'm sorry," Sora said, and Matt turned, eager to see her outfit, but she was obscured by the open closet door. "I thought that Izzy wouldn't be comfortable in full costume, so I went with something simple. Maybe you could use makeup to make it look like there's blood dribbling from his mouth?"
"Oh, I can be his victim!" Amy said, laughing. "You can give me bite marks." She tilted her head and pushed her hair aside, exposing the pale stretch of her neck. Izzy colored, no doubt imagining delivering that bite.
Amy seems to instinctively know how to get to him… She's never been tuned into that kind of thing before. It wasn't his business, but Matt hoped things would go well for Amy, if she really was interested in Izzy. It was about time for her to find some happiness and success in love.
"Good idea!" Mimi said encouragingly.
"I'm not going to have a say in this, am I?" Izzy sighed, but he allowed Mimi to plop him onto a desk chair. She ignored his comment, which made Matt grin.
Mimi tossed Amy the glitter bottle and said, "Rub that on your… front." She smiled saucily and shuffled through her makeup supplies for an adequate blood substitute.
Amy frowned, but turned to the wall to apply the glitter to her neck and the exposed portion of her chest. Matt cleared his throat and looked elsewhere, and his eyes fell on Joe, who sat on Amy's bed, gazing at the many stimuli in the room with glazed eyes. His costume was simple, composed of ordinary clothing. He wore a plaid shirt, jeans, a neckerchief, and a cowboy hat. Mimi wore a skimpy dress that almost looked like…
"Mimi, sorry, but.. Are you dressed as… A horse?" Matt asked. The dress fabric was patterned like an appaloosa's coat, with a tail attached to the back. She wore horse-like ears in her hair; it looked like they were glued to hair clips. She paired these with absolutely killer cowgirl boots.
"Yeah!" Mimi chirped. "I didn't see you come in! I'm the horse, and Joe's the rider!" Joe whimpered and buried his forehead in his palm, dislodging his hat in the process. Matt swallowed the choking sound working up his throat. That was some frank sexual innuendo, right there. Tai snorted and doubled over, but Matt identified the moment when he realized that he was jealous. Tai wasn't skilled at hiding the fact that he… Well, that he wanted to be in a romantic relationship, for reasons that were often physical.
"When did you get here, Matt?" Sora asked, poking her head out from behind the open closet door. Her eyes widened when she saw him.
"Sora, the craftmanship of this costume is amazing. Thank you so much." Sora stepped towards him, revealing her costume at last. Matt didn't know anything about kimonos or yukatas, but she wore something with long sleeves that crossed over itself in the front. A wide piece of fabric covered the area beneath her chest to the bottom of her waist and flared into a short skirt below that. The fabric was white with a sophisticated pattern of leaves, stems, and purple flowers.
"Oh my God, you both look so hot!" Mimi cried, her voice high with delight.
"Yes," Amy said. She sounded puzzled, but Matt didn't look away from Sora to investigate. "But why didn't you go as Christine?"
Sora blinked, then wrenched her eyes away from Matt, as though with intense effort. "Oh… I should have thought of that," she said, shifting her weight with embarrassment. "I wanted to make a kimono, though…"
"You look incredible." They weren't alone, but Matt couldn't stop himself from taking hold of Sora's hips. Although he was eager to go out with his friends, he suddenly wished that they were elsewhere…
Tai's voice, loud and irritable, cut off that pleasant train of thought. "Can we get moving before Halloween's over?"
"Hold your horses," Mimi joked, and she dabbed Izzy's face, ignoring his grimacing. The girls finished getting ready while the boys chatted, and then, finally, they were on their way. They filed out of the room, and Matt took hold of Sora's hand, ready to enjoy a night of semi-recklessness with her.
