AN: Hey guys, sorry some of these chapters may be a little slow, but I've got some more coming up which should be better. Hope you like it.
Chapter 12: Trick or Treat
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Becca said as she stooped to pick up one of her suitcases from the sidewalk where she'd placed it when they'd exited the elevator. As it was only five-thirty in the morning, she wore a pair of comfortable jeans and an over-sized sweatshirt to ward off the early morning chill.
"What?" Johnny looked innocent as he picked up another of her suitcases and they continued their walk through the airport.
"Halloween Horror Nights, are you kidding me? I get scared watching Scream, and that's the most predictable horror movie ever."
"I love Halloween," he grinned and wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "Don't you?"
"Of course I do but-" she started to continue, but he cut her off as he caught her lips with his own, silencing her. When he pulled away, his arm still around her waist, she was grinning and hissed, "I hate it when you do that. It makes me feel like agreeing to anything."
He kissed the tip of her nose as they continued to make their way through the terminal. "Don't worry. It'll be fun. I'll protect you from all the big bad monsters and creepy crawly things that go bump in the night."
She arched an eyebrow in response, "that's exactly what I need. My big, strong hero." As he laughed, she followed him and he pulled out his plane ticket, handing it to the woman behind the counter, who smiled blandly at them both. After showing both their ID and passport IDs as proof that they were who they said they were, their luggage was dumped onto the conveyor belt and disappeared. They cleared the metal detectors and stole some free seats at their gate to wait for the boarding call, which would probably be a while as all flights were delayed due to rain around the airport.
"Wanna grab a coffee?" Johnny asked, winking at her.
"Sure," she smiled and stood, following him to the coffee shop directly across from their gate. Her stomach jittered as she walked. They sat down at the counter facing their gate and sipped in silence for a few moments. She smiled at a little girl who walked past with her mother in tow, her pigtails swinging as she flounced by.
"This is the first boarding call for gate 32C flight to Orlando. Those seated in first class, those with young children, and with premium boarding passes may now board," they heard as they'd taken a few moments with their coffee. Johnny glanced over his shoulder.
"We're up," he said, indicating the line now assembling at the gate.
The plane landed in Orlando with little incident, and Becca found that she was exhausted from the flight as they dragged their bags towards the front doors of the airport. They'd already booked a hotel at the park and were flying home the day after tomorrow. All they had to do now was find their shuttle to the hotel.
Although they were going to Halloween Horror Nights, Johnny had decided he wanted to see Citywalk, which consisted mainly of clubs and tourist shops. The whole thoroughfare was decked out for Halloween and she let him win her a teddy bear wearing a pumpkin costume by demonstrating his prowess at pitching overly large softballs at weighted bottles. She carried the bear through the crowd, her hand in his. It was still warm this time of year in Orlando and she found that she was comfortable in a t-shirt and jeans as opposed to the consistently dropping temperature of New York in which she would've been wearing a sweater and probably a scarf.
It was extremely pleasant walking in the warm night air alongside him, smelling the scents of the various restaurants and vendors that populated the area, and watching children dragging exhausted parents by the arm, eager to see the next ride or spectacle. As night fell and the crowds grew more rowdy because no one under the age of twenty-one was allowed was allowed access, she felt the mild chill that fell. The excitement of impending debauchery was rising within her. Nothing excited her more than cutting lose and dancing. She could hear the live band tuning up. The entire area was about to become one giant dance club. He poked her in the stomach when she tried to tug away to wander into another tourist shop.
"Don't you think we have enough souvenirs for one night?" he asked, indicating the teddy bear she still carried.
"You can never have too many souvenirs," she grinned, They walked into a shop that was full of crystals, herbal remedies and dream catchers, ornate figurines of dragons and fairies glowed from the dusty corners of the shop, watching their youthful inhabitants.
"Oh this is beautiful," Becca breathed to herself as she carefully examined a silver ring with a green stone the color of an emerald.
"That's an exact replica of the ring worn by the countess Lucia von Bardas of Latveria. We carry some… obscure items of interest," the saleswoman said with a sheepish smile.
"Do you know who that is?" Johnny asked. He had never heard of her.
"She was the prime minister of Latveria, married to Count Otto Von Doom in the 1600s. One of the only women to hold a position of power in that time period," Becca said softly. Something about the way the stone glinted in the light made her heart beat just a little faster. It was as if she could see something moving in it, luminous in the dim light of the store.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked Johnny, turning the ring over in her hand in the light.
He smiled at her, her focus entirely on the ring.
"You're right," he grinned and then, taking the ring from the palm of her hand, slipped it on her finger. "You can never have too many souvenirs. We'll take it," he said to the saleswoman.
Becca threw her arms around him, planting a kiss on his lips. "Thank you," she laughed as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, deepening the kiss.
"We only live once," he said. "Why not enjoy it while we're here? Plus," he said, "it looks good on you. Matches your eyes perfectly. Did anyone ever tell you that you look like a cat when you're excited?" She smirked at this comment, but said nothing. She didn't mention the coincidence that she'd been studying Lucia von Bardas in her history class only the week before. Something coincidental about that gave her goosebumps but she dismissed them. It was certainly the weekend for coincidences. Eerie things always tended to happen on Halloween. Especially to her. She brightened her smile and ran her hand over his chin where stubble was starting to grow. She loved the rough texture over her fingertips and planted a kiss on his jaw line. When she pulled away, his eyes were cloudy.
"I should buy you gifts more often," he said. "I'm beginning to enjoy the rewards." When he pulled away to walk to the counter where the saleswoman waited, she smiled behind him and admired the ring. It was a beautiful ring, reproduction or not. She didn't even notice the inscription on the inside of the band of the ornate ring as she'd only glimpsed a carving, which she assumed was a dead language. Nothing unusual about that, she thought. People often inscribed sayings or protections on their jewelry in those days. The ring was crafted was an uninformed time, full of fear for evil spirits, ghosts and ghouls. She was a little more even minded and didn't take stock in silly superstitions.
"You ready?" he asked, slipping an arm around her shoulder as she still examined the ring.
"Mm hmm," she said, and slid her arm around his waist. He planted a kiss on her forehead. She dragged her eyes away and grinned up at him. "I love it," she said, "thank you."
"You're welcome," his arm pulled her closer and drifted carefully up her side, tickling. She squirmed and laughed when he pulled her in for a kiss. When she pulled away, it was to look up at the deep blue of the night sky and the first stars that were twinkling against it, as if someone had tossed perfect diamonds on a piece of velvet cloth.
"Don't see a night like this very much when we're at home," Johnny murmured in her ear. She nodded and continued to look up, oblivious to his gaze while she studied the sky, as if she were a child again, dreaming what was in the sky and wishing she could pluck one of the stars as a toy.