Chapter Sixteen

~ Vic ~

H alloween was upon them.

The Queer club had gone all out for their spot on the trick-or-treating for local kids. The theme was Pumpkin Smash. They had a six foot table with a black and orange tablecloth. Ryan, a fashion designer in the club, and Trinity, his older, awesome aunt, taught a few people to sew and they cut and stitched felt pumpkin faces onto the fabric. Vic tried to help, but sewing wasn't going to be a new hobby for them. They would stick to the word searches and Sudoku games they loved.

Another student supplied a strand of LED lights that alternated between orange and red. They even had a kiddie pool filled with water and tiny, plastic pumpkins floating. It'd taken nearly an hour to cut the holes and sand down the rough edges for them to turn it into a mimic of the child's fishing game. Each pumpkin had a tennis ball hidden inside that told them how many pieces of candy they could grab from the bowls. It was a cute idea and Vic was more than excited to watch the kids come through and play .

Callie, the president of the club and the head of the design team, proposed that they dress up as a group. Which is how they landed on Toy Story. And how Vic and Tawson were ‘roped' into being Woody and Buzz Lightyear. Callie was dressing as Bo Peep and Rachel, the VP, was going as Jesse. A few of the other members of the group said they'd stop by planned to dress – in one way or another- as the little alien characters.

It wouldn't be the first time that Vic had gone as Woody for Halloween and they were excited to bring it back in such a fun way. Plus, Buzz and Woody meant Vic and Tawson would be able to stand next to each other most of the night. It wouldn't be weird if they took photos in public.

"You are way too excited for tonight," Joe commented from the edge of Vic's bed. Vic was looking at themselves in the mirror, phone in hand to snap a picture, turning this way and that to admire themselves from all the angles. The picture was mostly of their backside. The costume was form fitting, which accentuated all of Vic's assets. They didn't bother giving the not-so-innocent look they wanted to because they never shared their faces in photos.

"Do you remember how many years I went as a Toy Story character for Halloween?"

"Oh yeah and this has nothing to do with your secret lover being your cartoon best friend all night."

Vic glared at Joe but didn't deny it. They'd been thinking the same thing. Joe laughed and stood up. Between his classes and work, he hadn't had time to join any clubs this semester. But he was still attending with Vic and already volunteered to help out if needed.

"I'm actually excited to see you two together tonight." Joe walked over to the closet and opened the door. The final touch for Vic's costume was hung safely on the door. The cowboy hat. An authentic one because no kid of Patrick Lawson's will be caught wearing a cheap hat. Their dad took them to a family friend that made hats for a living and now Vic was the proud owner of an authentic cowboy hat.

That would probably sit on a shelf or hang from a hook for who-knows-how-long. Joe went basic for tonight, minimal effort. He'd bought a Jack Skellington onesie, hood included. It was a couple of inches too long on him, but it looked comfortable. The night was supposed to be cool enough that none of them would get sweaty.

Vic moved to the small vanity next to the closet. They bought it for themselves two weeks ago. The mirror was rimmed with bright lights, the white finish practically glowing. It most likely wouldn't last long looking so clean and organized. Vic smiled down at the contents on the table. They flipped the lights on and picked up the blush palette. Tawson picked it up for them the last time he went to the store. He'd picked up both of their costumes as well. Vic smiled to themselves when they realized there was probably a reason the costume was just tight enough on them.

"What's that for?" Joe asked. He leaned against the wall next to the vanity. Vic laughed at their best friend, at the contradiction of the onesie while he wore the cowboy hat.

In all honestly, Vic was using this night to experiment a little. To try wearing a little bit of makeup for the first time. "Woody has those blushing cheeks," Vic explained. "I'm going to attempt to recreate that."

"Have you worn makeup before?" Joe asked. There was no accusation or judgement in his tone. The opposite in fact. He sounded curious.

"No," Vic said. Joe had been asking questions over the last couple weeks. His questions weren't invasive. They were genuine and were only asked to help him better understand Vic. "But I figured this was as good an excuse as any. I don't really have a big desire to wear it. I lean more toward the clothes and stuff."

"Yeah, and stuff. You could have warned me about the drawer."

Vic laughed, glancing over at their best friend. "You really need to stop trying to wear my clothes."

"You really need to get a better sense of fashion." Joe's words were sarcastic and they both laughed loudly. "That style of underwear is not flattering on me."

Vic focused back on the mirror and grabbed the brush. They'd been lost looking at the different options of makeup in the store at the local mall and went home empty handed. When they told Tawson about it, he offered to go back and grab whatever they needed. Vic thanked him and the next day, took him up on the offer. Tawson dropped it off with the costume, relaying a nice story of a sales lady that helped him pick out the right shades.

Vic hoped it would come off right. The first brush of the blush on their cheek looked too dark. Vic looked from the mirror to the brush, hitting it against the edge of the palette to tap off the extra product.

"I look like one of those creepy dolls," Vic said. "Or a clown."

"I think you just have to blend it," Joe said. Vic looked up, suspicious of how Joe knew the word. "I've had girlfriends, Vic. I've watched them put makeup on before. Here, hand over the brush. "

Vic didn't actually know much about makeup at all. So they easily spun in the vanity chair and handed the brush and blush to their best friend. Joe situated himself between Vic's knees and leaned down slightly. He was surprisingly gentle with the brush against Vic's cheek. They kept their eyes focused on their best friend's chest, feeling like looking him in the eye would make it a weird moment.

"I think that works," Joe said. "I'm just going by memory, but what do you think before I do the other?"

Vic turned to the mirror. The blush was a lot more subtle on their cheek now. They smiled, nodding. "Looks way better than I could do. Can you do the other side?"

Joe took the role seriously. Vic didn't help by laughing at his focused expression. And the fact he was still wearing the cowboy hat. "You need that little swoop thing in the front of your hair," Joe said when he stepped back and admired his work. "But other than the eye color, I say you were born to be Woody."

Vic stood up and moved to the full-length mirror. Joe handed over the hat and Vic situated it on their head. Most of their hair was covered by the hat, but they'd grab some more of the hairspray and try to do the swirl thing in the front. They had about a half hour before needing to be at the table.

"You did good on the blush." He really had. It was subtle and probably wouldn't be seen much once the sun set, but it looked good.

"Thank you, thank you. It's those computer science skills I have. All that typing and having to use my hands."

Vic rolled their eyes at the exaggeration. "You might have to help me once more getting those boots on. I think I left them in the living room. "

"Let's do this," Joe said with a smile. One that was much too excited for a simple Halloween outfit.

"Why are you so excited?" Vic asked as they walked down the hallway. The boots were worn, borrowed from Wright. They were the only ones that wore the same size shoe. Vic was okay with getting a new hat, but they didn't want to pay the money for a pair of boots they'd wear once, maybe twice. They had their work boots, but the state of them were not Woody-worthy.

"Because I'm allowed to have feelings," Joe shot back. It was playful and Vic rolled their eyes for the umpteenth time. "And you've been talking about this for over a week now. So your excitement is just rubbing off on me."

Vic went to sit down on the couch but the not-quite-jeans fabric of the pants stretched a little too much for their liking to risk it. "I'm going to kill Tawson for clearly getting a size too small."

"Does he know what size you wear?" Joe asked. He sat on the coffee table and motioned for Vic to stand in front of him. Vic balanced themselves with a hand on Joe's shoulder before lifting one foot for him to slide the boot on.

"He does," Vic said. The boots were made to be smug, which meant Vic pushed down while Joe pulled up. It took a couple of seconds, but eventually their foot went in. "He's bought me a few things."

Joe looked up at Vic from his bent-over position. He was adjusting the pant leg so it wasn't bunched up over the boot. There was a knock on the door before Joe could say anything, though. They'd left the door unlocked because Vic knew Tawson would be stopping by to get his own costume on. It was Thursday, which meant he hadn't had class so he was driving from the ranch. And for some reason, he didn't want to drive thirty minutes to the campus dressed as a space ranger.

"It's open!" Vic called out and then went back to trying to help Joe adjust the fabric. It was still just a bit twisted.

"Woah." Tawson's voice had Vic looking over their shoulder. The shocked look was almost comical. Tawson closed the door and took the handful of steps to lay his stuff on the arm rest. "What's going on here?"

"Someone decided to get their boyfriend a slutty version of Woody the Cowboy and I'm stuck helping them get into it." Joe sat up and looked between both of them. "Wait, sorry. Is boyfriend the right term?"

"Um?" Vic didn't know. They never officially said anything like that. Exclusive? Yes. Brief mentions of what they would do five years from now? Sure. But boyfriend? Partner? Neither had actually said it.

"I think partner works just fine, if it does for you?" Tawson leaned over and kissed Vic quickly. It'd taken two meetings before Tawson was comfortable even touching Vic around Joe. Joe, on the other hand, was persuaded by Tawson's cooking. "You do look amazing."

"Howdy, partner," Vic whispered with a laugh. "Did you forget every size I wear when you picked this up?"

"No." Tawson moved back to grab his outfit. "It was either this one or one that was two sizes larger, I think."

"Yeah, because he would never intentionally make you wear tight fitting clothes that he could ogle all night."

"Hey, you shut it." Joe laughed at Tawson's words. "Also, I really like the added blush."

"That would be me, so maybe you should stop being so mean." Vic switched legs and repeated the same motions as the first one. "Vic, you need to remind your lover that I'll always come first for you."

"Behave," Vic said. They looked from Joe to Tawson. "Both of you."

"That wasn't a denial!" Joe called out to Tawson's back. The door to Vic's bedroom shut without a response.

"I'm so glad you two are cool with each other," Vic said. The words were supposed to come out more playful than they did. Joe finished adjusting the second pant leg before standing up.

"Anyone that makes you as happy as you've been the past month is good in my books," Joe said. They wrapped each other in a tight hug for a long moment.

"I love you."

"I know you do," Joe whispered back. Vic laughed and the moment was broken.

Twenty minutes later, all three of them were walking toward the center of campus. The tables were spread all throughout the campus and everything looked amazing. Joe snagged pieces of candy from each table they passed, handing some off to Vic. One of the more elaborate tables had a balloon arch. They were orange, yellow, and black. Vines and darker flowers were woven between them. It looked amazing.

While Joe was talking animatedly, commenting on most of the scenery and decorations, Tawson was on Vic's other side keeping quiet. They looked over and caught his eye. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Tawson said. "Halloween isn't really my jam."

Vic reached out subtly and squeezed Tawson's hand. "We'll make it fun tonight. Plus, you're staying at my place tonight, right? Maybe Buzz and Woody could have a little fun of their own."

Tawson did look good in his costume. It wasn't near as tight as Vic's, but it still fit snug enough. He didn't have the helmet and the purple hood was hanging behind his neck. He claimed it made him look balder than he already was. But the glasses he wore made up for it. Smart, sexy Buzz. Vic was sure the kids wouldn't mind the minor absences of the details.

"You two look amazing!" Carrie called out from behind their table. The whole thing looked amazing set up. Rachel was pouring a bag of candy into one of the basic plastic pumpkin bowls. Two others, Eli and Olivia if Vic remembered correctly, were setting the pumpkins into the kiddie pool. "Oh my gosh, we need a group photo."

Carrie was wearing the Bo Peep outfit, a light blue pant suit with her blonde hair styled and a large, pink bow holding it back. She had on matching flats and the purple cape to pull it all together. Rachel was wearing the Jessie costume. She had the hat and boots, with the vest and everything. Even wearing a red wig that was braided down her back and secured with a ribbon.

"You both look fantastic as well," Vic said. "What can we do to help?"

"Everything is mostly set up," Carrie said. "We have extra bags of candy stored under the table. And it's been announced that the guests will be able to vote for their favorite table or costumes and that club will win a two hundred dollar gift certificate and a pizza party. So, make sure you really play up your characters tonight."

"Yes, ma'am." Vic saluted her. She just laughed.

But playing the characters they did. It took Tawson a couple of interactions to come out of whatever shell he was in. In the back of their mind, Vic wondered if Halloween was a touchy subject. Tawson talked about what happened to him, but never said when it happened. With that realization, Vic made a promise to themselves to give their partner better memories to remember.

Partner. The thought alone put a dopey grin on Vic's face.

Vic took a lot of pictures too. For themselves or with the kids that stopped at their table. The kids usually asked for Woody and Buzz, which meant that Vic got to stand close to Tawson time and time again. Vic helped some of the kids with the little fishing poles, cheating with some and letting them just pick one or two with their hands. They did their best to not splash the water, but the Woody costume still ended up with small wet spots mostly on their legs.

It was about two hours into the event when a little boy practically screamed and glued himself to Tawson's leg. A frantic parent came running up after him, apologizing. "No, no. It's all good," Tawson reassured. His attention turned to the little boy. He couldn't have been more than four.

"Buzz! Buzz!" The little boy danced around, all gapped toothed smile. He was also wearing a Buzz costume.

Tawson smiled and bent down to be on the same level as the little boy. "You're Buzz too."

"Yes!" The little boy was so excited his whole body was wiggling.

"He is absolutely obsessed with all things Toy Story," the lady, presumably Mom, said. "It's on a constant loop in the house. My older boy can quote it word-for-word and he passed that love to his little brother."

"Well, we should definitely get a picture with all of us, then." Rachel stood from her chair behind the table. Carrie did the same. They introduced themselves to the little boy, giving him way more candy than any little kid his age needed. "What's his name?"

"Micah," the mom said.

"Hi, Micah." Carrie knelt down and held out her hand. The little boy was holding tight to Tawson's hand. Vic caught his eye and smiled. Even from the few feet away, looking over everyone's heads, Vic could see that Tawson was finally enjoying himself. "Do you know who I am?"

"Sheep!" Micah said. "And Wood. Jess."

"Close enough," Vic said with a smile. Vic finally chanced bending over in the costume and when it held, they were all for getting down on the kids' levels. "Hi. Would you like to take a picture?"

They lined up. The little boy held his hands up for Tawson to hold him. After getting permission from Mom, Tawson lifted Micah to his hip. Vic stood next to them, wrapping their arm around Tawson's lower back. They posed for a few seconds before Micah's mom gave them the okay and thanked them for the photo. Vic slipped the kid another candy bar while he was saying goodbye to Buzz.

"That is the cutest little kid," Carrie said. "Please, someone remind me that kids cost so much money."

Rachel laughed and Vic joined in. They wanted kids one day, but like Carrie said, little ones cost money. One day, though, he'd like to adopt. Brett and Wylon had done it twice. Their little ones were growing fast and Vic loved playing with them.

"Do you have any kids, Professor?"

"Oh no," Tawson said. Vic tried not to show how much they were listening in. They pulled a new bag of candy out from under the table while they talked. "I'd like to, one day. But it's not in the cards just yet."

"What about you, Vic? Plan on any little ones?"

Vic could see in their peripheral that Tawson was watching now. He wasn't near as subtle. "Eventually," Vic answered honestly. "My sister's girlfriend has a program with this orphanage from Cali where they fly one or two kids out to the ranch and they spend the weekend there. I help out when I can and it's always fun to watch the kids experience something totally new. I think I'd like to adopt one day."

"You live on a ranch?" Rachel asked. "I guess that made the costume easy."

"Not really," Vic said with a small laugh. "I had to convince Ta- Professor Lancaster to get my costume when he got his. My dad was more than happy to take me to get a real hat, though. The boots are courtesy of my uncle."

Their conversation was interrupted by a new group of kids. Vic and Tawson continued to pose for pictures and pass out candy. Tawson seemed a lot more relaxed and helped a few of the kids with the game. He was laughing and talking with each kid and their respective adult, from barely old enough to walk to older kids on their last year or so of trick-or-treating.

Rachel and Carrie left at one point for about thirty minutes. There was a station set up with a couple of food trucks and they came back with hot dogs and a sandwich and drinks. "Y'all go take a break," Carrie said. "Vic, I think I saw your friend. Joe? He said to tell you ‘sorry not sorry' for ditching you ten minutes in."

"I love him, but the guy has the attention span of a fish. He probably ran into someone he knew." They looked over at Tawson. "I am getting kind of hungry though. Do you want to go get something? "

"Sounds good," Tawson said. "Are you sure you're okay here for a while?"

"All good. Try the chocolate bananas. They're delicious." Carrie smiled and she and Rachel turned to greet the next kid that walked up.

Vic and Tawson walked away, toward the main gate of the campus. They had the food trucks set along the U-shape driveway that led to the Welcome building. It held the student union and other departments. Vic didn't really have a reason to visit there outside of getting the badge and keys when they first moved in.

"Everything okay?" Vic asked. "I know you said Halloween isn't your favorite. It isn't because of…"

"I'm okay," Tawson said. His smile was weak at best. "I promise. I am having fun and I love seeing all the kids coming through."

"You really want to have kids some day?" Vic asked. Tawson stepped half behind them, putting a hand on Vic's lower back. The small touch reminded them of the first time Tawson had done that, months ago. Their first conversation alone. How times changed so quickly.

"I do," Tawson said. "I thought I'd have them before now, but I'm kind of glad I didn't. Which sounds terrible."

"No it doesn't," Vic said. "It wasn't meant to be and I don't mind being selfish in saying that I'm glad too. How many do you see yourself having?"

"At least two," Tawson answered easily. "You?"

Vic pretended to be thinking about it. "Forty-six."

Tawson choked on a surprise laugh. Vic joined him, patting Tawson on the back and then taking advantage of the moment and rubbing soothing circles between his shoulder blades. " I'm kidding. Two, maybe three. I'd like them to be fairly close in age though."

"Good to know," Tawson whispered. They finally made it to the food area and looked at their options. There was the basic American cuisine with hot dogs, hamburgers, fries. Another had a variety of club sandwiches and similar items. The third was selling tacos. "What are you feeling?"

"I don't care," Vic said. "Surprise me."

"I don't have my wallet," Tawson said with a scoff. "You're treating me tonight."

"Oh, that's how it is?" Vic responded. "I only have my phone so I hope they have tap to pay."

"Excuse me," someone said, tapping Vic's shoulder. They spun around to see a dad and two little kids. "Do you mind if they get a picture? They've been walking behind you talking about Toy Story for about two minutes now."

"Of course," Vic said without hesitation. Tawson smiled and they introduced themselves as their characters. That one picture turned into a small line of kids wanting pictures. They both had fun with it, too. Vic said some of the tag lines from the character and, at one point, had to make up a story that the snake in their boot was sleeping and couldn't come out. Vic even let a kid around six-years-old, dressed as a regular cowboy, wear the hat.

It took maybe ten minutes, but the parents all thanked them. One woman even commented that they made a cute couples' costume before walking away. Vic thanked them and then turned to get in one of the lines.