#2 – The fan

''Oh, come on, Robert...I can't wear this!'' John looked at his best friend in disgust.

''What's wrong with it?'' Robert asked from inside the bathroom, where he was putting his costume on.

''What's wrong with it? Are you kidding me? I'm not going to wear tights!''

Robert and Cora were throwing a big British historical film themed Halloween party at their place, and with John too busy at work to spend time finding an appropriate costume, Robert had offered to get him one.

''For your information, they're called hose, and that's what men wore during the Elizabethan era,'' Robert replied, finally emerging from the bathroom fully dressed in his costume. ''What do you think? Pretty sharp, wouldn't you say?'' he said proudly.

''Oh, my god!'' John looked him over from head to toe and made a face. ''There is absolutely no chance that I'm wearing this tonight.'' He sat down, staring at Robert, who still appeared very pleased with himself and his outfit. He was wearing a stiff white ruff around his neck and a pale gold and red doublet over a white shirt. But what really made John roll his eyes was a pair of mid-thigh length breeches in the same gold and red, and a pair of white hose bridging the gap between the breeches and his long-toe block shoes.

''Stop whinging and try it on,'' Robert said, admiring himself in the mirror as he placed a funny little hat on his head. ''I got us cloaks, too.''

''Look, Rob - I appreciate your picking something up for me.'' John stood up and shook his head. ''But I just can't wear this.'' There was no way he was going to be seen in public in that ridiculous outfit.

''So what are you going to wear?''

''I have no idea, but I'll think of something.''

''You do know the party is tonight, right? What are the chances that you can get anything else at such short notice?'' Robert grinned at him, guessing that in the end, John would likely be forced to give in and wear the Elizabethan costume.

''I said that I'll think of something.''

''Good luck with that.''

''Thank you. And you can keep these tights of yours.'' John took a step toward him and tossed the pair he had been holding over Robert's shoulder before walking out of the bedroom.

''They're hose!'' Robert shouted at John's retreating figure.

''Tights!'' John yelled back from the bottom of the stairs, as he made his way to the front door. Robert just shook his head and laughed.

xXx

''I can't believe you're making me wear this!'' Anna said to Mary, walking into the ballroom full of guests dressed in different period costumes. The whole Crawley family was dressed in "Shakespeare in Love" themed outfits, so Anna had really had little choice when Mary offered her the dress originally meant for her youngest sister. Sybil and her new boyfriend Tom had decided to skip the Halloween party and go to Thailand for the month.

''Oh, Anna, you look beautiful!'' Mary exclaimed. She took her hand and dragged her toward the bar where Matthew was waiting, dressed in a silly outfit very similar to the one his father-in-law was wearing.

''Mary, slow down!'' Anna hissed, doing her best to keep up, while also trying not to step on or trip over her dress. She was wearing a simple high-waisted red gown, which draped fluidly down her slim form. It really wasn't that bad, but the corset she was wearing was making it hard for her to breathe easily.

''I think I'm going to faint,'' she gasped, when they finally reached Matthew.

''Here, take my fan,'' Mary said, beginning to run out of patience with her friend. She loved her dearly, but Anna could not seem to stop complaining about her corset.

''Can I get you a drink?'' Matthew offered, despite looking as annoyed about his outfit as Anna felt.

''Just some water, please,'' Anna begged, waving the fan near her flushed face as quickly as she was able. The room was full of people dancing and having a good time, but her costume was making her feel the effects of the heat and stuffiness even more than she might ordinarily.

''Here you go.''

''Thank you,'' Anna replied gratefully, taking the glass of water and downing in it a few desperate gulps.

''Anna, Mary!'' Cora's voice made them turn around. ''I was wondering when you two would arrive.''

''Hello, Mama,'' Mary leaned closer and gave her a peck on the cheek. ''Sorry we're late, but someone wouldn't stop complaining about her dress,'' she added, nodding toward Anna with a smirk.

''Mary!'' Anna nudged her, giggling.

''Is it the corset?'' Cora laughed.

''Yes,'' Anna admitted, relieved that someone understood. It might make her waist look slimmer and her bust more prominent, but wearing it was a nightmare.

''Well, at least you don't have to wear this idiotic ruff around your neck! I don't know why I let Robert talk me into this ridiculous outfit. I am an American, after all. I should have dressed as a flapper - that would have been much more comfortable!''

''Well, Mama, I don't think…'' Mary began, when they suddenly heard Robert's raised voice making its way toward them.

''What the hell were you thinking?! Is that dirt on your face?!'' they heard him exclaim.

''Well, you did say we could wear anything from any British period film!'' John's voice responded with a chuckle.

''But did you really have to go with the whole Braveheart thing?!''

''Well, I am half Scottish, so why not?!''

''Cora, look at him! Just look at him!'' Robert finally reached them, walking up to his wife and pointing to John, who was following his friend with a big grin on his face. ''He looks ridiculous!''

''Oh, my god!'' Anna whispered. John was wearing a white sleeveless shirt and not a staid modern tailored kilt, but a Braveheart-style belted plaid wrapped around his waist and falling just above his knees, the remaining fabric draped over his left shoulder. His knee-high dark boots were the perfect finishing touch. Forget about Mel Gibson...John was gorgeous!

''Well, he looks better than the two of us do,'' Matthew ventured, but quickly regretted it when Robert turned to him, shock written all over his face. ''What?!''

''Robert, come on...let's dance.'' Cora took him by the hand and pulled him onto the dance floor before he could say anything further, leaving Mary, Matthew, Anna, and John alone by the bar.

''Let's join them,'' Mary said to Matthew quickly, well aware that Anna had had a big crush on John since the two women had been in their early twenties. Before disappearing onto the dance floor with Matthew, Mary winked at Anna, whispering ''Good luck!'' Anna's cheeks flushed.

''So, what do you think?'' John turned to her. ''Is it really that bad?''

''Umm...'' Anna bit her lip, staring at him, unable to respond. Her mind seemed able to think about just one thing – did he or didn't he have his boxers on under that costume?

Maybe Mary thought she only had a crush, but Anna knew it was more than that. She had fallen in love with John years ago, long before she had even spoken to the man. There was something about him that made her knees feel weak every single time she rested her eyes on him.

''You look very nice,'' she finally managed to say.

''I do, don't I?'' He grinned at her. They had become true friends over the years, and had supported each other through the last years of his unhappy marriage and through several rocky relationships of hers. She had always been there for him when he needed her, and the same could be said about him. And now with his divorce finally over, she knew she was free to make a move on him if she chose to, but she hadn't.

''Is that really dirt?'' she asked playfully, placing her hand on his muddy upper arm, savouring the feeling of his firm bicep and lightly stroking his skin without realizing it.

''It is,'' he laughed, jovially trying to mask his heightened awareness of her touch. But his manner quickly turned serious when he saw her face drain of colour.

''Anna, are you OK?''

Maybe it was because she was wearing such a tight corset, or maybe it was the fact that he was looking so devastatingly handsome, but Anna suddenly realized that she was having trouble breathing.

''I think I need some fresh air,'' she whispered.

''Come on, let's get away from this crowd.'' John was by her side immediately, slipping his arm gently around her waist, and guiding her out of the ballroom. He helped her upstairs to the guest room where he was staying overnight, and out onto the little private balcony. ''Better?'' he asked, when the cold October air hit their faces.

''No, not really,'' she exhaled, clutching her chest and fanning herself once again, trying to take in more air. "Maybe the costume is too tight?"

He could see that she was getting paler by the minute, and realizing that the fresh air wasn't going to help, he pulled her back into his room and stepped behind her.

''How in the world does this work?'' he asked, staring at the intricate laces fastening the back of the dress, with no clue how to loosen them.

''John...!'' Her weak, frightened gasp threw him into a panic.

''Hold on!'' he replied, pulling the traditional black knife out of his boot, and without thinking twice he started cutting the laces, in hopes of getting her out of the dress before she fainted. His relief at having cut the laces of her dress was short-lived. He peeled open the back of her dress, only to be faced with another set of laces holding her corset tight. John immediately began cutting those, as well.

''Better?'' he asked just a few seconds later, when the blade of the knife cut through the last silky lace of the corset, leaving her standing before him with her back completely exposed.

''Yes, yes!'' she exclaimed, inhaling deeply.

''Come on, sit down,'' he said, and helped her sit on his bed, before going to the bathroom to get her some water. ''Here.''

Thanking him, she took a sip and when she was finally breathing normally again, she turned and stared at him. He looked so handsome in his costume, she thought to herself, her dark gaze drifting first to his open shirt collar and then to his lips.

''Are you sure you're all right?'' he asked again, unable to read the unfamiliar expression in her eyes. But before he could inquire further, she had let Mary's fan fall to the floor and was leaning closer to him.

''An-…'' he managed to choke out, just before she touched her soft lips to his. He moaned into her mouth as their lips crushed together and her tongue slid in to meet his. Suddenly they couldn't get enough of each other, and before they knew it, John was partially on top of her, his hands roaming all over the soft skin of her back and sliding under the open fabric at the back of her dress.

He couldn't believe that he finally had her in his embrace, after so many years of just looking from afar and dreaming. He had loved her for so long, loved her the same way she loved him, even though he hadn't been aware of her feelings. The fact that he felt so unworthy of her had kept him from doing anything more than pining over her.

''Are you sure?'' he whispered, when he felt her hands slipping tentatively under the hem of his plaid.

''You don't want to?'' she said breathlessly. She knew she was walking on thin ice here, but hoped he wouldn't push her away, praying he felt the same as she did.

Looking deeply into her eyes, he could see that she really wanted this. She wanted him, the same way he wanted her, and he knew that he could never say no to anything she asked of him.

''You have no idea,'' he rasped, his eyes dark with need. Crushing his lips on hers once again, he helped her out of her gown, and before she knew it, she got the answer to her earlier question – no, he was not wearing a single thing under his costume.

BETA! ANNAMBATES! :D THANK YOU! :)

and THANK YOU for reading! :D