31 oct 2025 trick or treating
“But muuuuuum! If I wear a coat, no one can see my cool costume!” The whining is accentuated by a fit of squirming limbs as the small boy attempts to flee.
“Well, I’d rather you be boring than dead.” Jane’s cool manner seems to reflect the slight chill in the air outside.
“He won’t die just from walking with no coat.” A blasé voice comes out of thin air, a slender girl appearing on the staircase.
“Yeah mum, listen to Tori.” Oliver beams a smile up at his sister, not noticing the tense look between the two women.
“Just last Halloween there was a little boy who forgot to wear a coat, he fell in the river and drowned.”
Oliver’s wide eyes somehow look bigger as his curiosity grows. “What river?”
“Those subjects seem unrelated in causality–” Tori overlaps in her usual deadpan.
Jane sighs in frustration, tossing the dark blue parka to the girl on the stairs. “Fine. Just make sure he puts it on once it’s dark.”
“We won’t be out late, anyway. Charlie’s got that party to go to tonight.” Tori gingerly perches on the bottom step as her mother exits toward the kitchen.
The small boy, with his dark gangly hair falling every which way, is too busy admiring his costume in the hallway mirror to pay much mind. He puffs out his chest, giggling at his newfound “muscles.” Gently tracing the white star in the center, he bounces on the balls of his feet. Oliver loves Captain America, he’s his favorite superhero for so many reasons. Charlie doesn’t get to read to him as much anymore, but when he does, Oliver always asks for the Captain America comics. And sometimes when he’s been especially good in school, Charlie’s boyfriend Nick will lift him up onto his shoulders and run with him, while they listen to the Captain America theme song. Even if he hasn’t been good in school, Nick and Charlie still let Olly pretend he’s a superhero.
He really likes Nick. He loves Charlie, and he knows that Charlie loves Nick. And Nick loves Charlie. And, Oliver hopes, he loves him too. Not in the same way as Charlie, but in a way that’s just as important.
Olly thinks, for a moment, that maybe that’s what love is. Letting someone be your superhero, even when they don’t quite deserve it.
He hears a door open on the floor above and feels his feet race out from under him as he scampers towards the noise.
“You’re finally ready! Let’s go get candy!” He stumbles up the stairs, losing his footing near the top step as he feels a set of strong arms lifting him into the air. His cheeks ache just a bit from the smile spreading across his face, but he doesn’t care.
The foyer fills with raucous laughter as Olly “flies” down the stairs. Nick carefully sets him on the step next to Tori, smiling almost as wide.
Oliver gazes up at Nick and Charlie in awe. “Wow! Your costumes look so cool!” Charlie looks just like he came out of the Spider-Man comics, the thin material fits him perfectly. Nick’s costume isn’t as easily recognizable, a simple purple blouse and denim skirt. Oliver doesn’t say that though, he knows Nick worked hard on it.
“Olly, you look so strong!” Charlie beams, playfully ruffling his already disheveled hair.
“Yeah, I have big muscles just like Nick!” Oliver joyously tosses his arms out, so eager to be dressed up he almost forgets the real purpose of the holiday (candy, obviously).
“Olly,” Charlie crouches and whispers to the small boy, a mockingly serious tone in his voice. “There’s something very important we need to do before we leave.”
“What is it?!” Practically vibrating with anticipation, he scans the older boy’s face.
“Well, Captain America needs to protect the citizens of the world.”
He nods enthusiastically. “I can do that!”
“We know you can. We think you might need some help, so…” Charlie reaches into his Halloween bag and pulls out a perfect red and white shield.
“A shield!” Oliver eagerly runs his hands over the large plastic circle, white circles and star painted precisely.
“Do you like it?”
“I love it! Thank you so much!” Gently receiving the shield into his small hands, he feels invincible.
A soft knock at the door startles him. Tori gracefully jumps off the stairs and slides across the floor, turning the handle and yanking the door open.
“Michael!” Oliver runs to meet the tall boy outside, pushing past his sister and almost knocking them both over. Michael doesn’t respond much to the hug, he never does, but Olly knows he enjoys the sentiment.
“Hello, Oliver. Happy Halloween.” When Oliver releases him, Michael steps to the side, joining Tori by the coat rack.
“What’s your costume?” Oliver scans his eyes over the unusual outfit. Michael wears a large glove on one hand, gripping a wire mask in the other. His typical jumper is adorned with numbers cut from neon yellow poster paper.
“Oh, I’m a catch 22.” Tori snorts a short laugh, pinching the bridge of her nose.
Oliver tilts his head in confusion, not sure what to make of it. He’s never sure what to make of Michael, and he quite likes that. “Okay! It looks really cool.”
“Tori, where’s your costume? You said you were dressing up too.” Charlie gestures at his sister’s evident lack of festivity.
“This is my costume.” Tori blinks, face blank, shrugging in her typical jeans and patterned jumper. “I’m a homicidal maniac. They look just like everyone else.” Michael watches her face closely as she speaks. Oliver looks between the two of them, a part of him thinking about how Tori never seems to realize just how dearly Michael looks at her. He hopes she does realize. Everyone ought to have someone to look at them like that.
“Well, I guess we’re all ready then.”
“Not quite.”
The kids turn around to see Jane and Julio in the hallway, phone cameras ready. Oliver’s smile is huge as he rushes from pose to pose. When the cameras finally stop flashing, the adults pull all the kids into a tight hug.
“Be safe out there.” Jane whispers, gently rubbing Charlie’s back, squeezing Oliver’s hand.
“We will!”
“Love you, bye!”