Catfish and the Bottlemen Imagines

Halloween (Dad Van)

AN: I really wanted to write something for Halloween but I couldn't finish off any of the fics I started so I thought I'd just do a silly headcanon thing...

Happy Halloween! 👻🧛🧙‍♀️🕷️

🎃 You've always loved Halloween, and things haven't changed as you've grown up, even now you're married with your own family

🎃 Van, on the other hand, thinks it's a daft tradition. "What? You're actually expecting me to dress up in a costume? Never in a million years!"

🎃 Cue your daughter Grace making puppy dog eyes at him and pouting. "Daddy, you're no fun at all. All my friends' daddies are dressing up! We have to take photos for school and there's a competition!"

🎃 Van's ears prick up at the mention of competition. "Well we can't have someone else winning now, can we?"

🎃 Within minutes Grace has her face-paints out and you're stifling a laugh at Van's horrified reaction which he's trying his hardest to hide. "Go easy on me eh, Gracie!"

🎃 "I think I'm going to make you a vampire daddy! I think you'd look good as a vampire!"

🎃 No surprise Van does look rather good as a vampire... (maybe he can keep the fake fangs on for later)

🎃 You dress up as Dracula's bride and you keep having to swat Van away when he's pretending to bite your neck because it's so ticklish

🎃 For saying Van was grumpy about Halloween he acts like a big kid for the rest of the day

🎃 Larry comes round for pumpkin carving but you have to confiscate the carving tools as him and Van are sniggering like naughty school-kids, carving inappropriate etchings on to the pumpkins

🎃 You're not sure who's more excited about trick or treating - Van or Grace

🎃 He properly gets into character and you have to tell him to calm it down in case he frightens the little ones

🎃 Van wants to carry on even when Grace is getting tired, then he complains of a belly ache as he's eaten too many trick or treat sweeties

🎃 Grace ends up falling asleep in Van's arms on the way home but wakes up just as you're both putting her into bed

🎃 "Daddy I'm too scared to go to sleep because of all the monsters!" Van gives her a big hug. "Monsters aren't real darlin', it's all just made up stories."

🎃 "But I think there's one that lives under my bed!"

🎃 Van carries out a thorough investigation of Grace's bedroom with her, under the bed, in the wardrobe, behind the toy boxes. "What did I tell ya Gracie? There's no monsters in this house. And even if there were, I'd scare 'em all away for ya!"

🎃 "But Daddy, you're not scary!"

🎃 Van pulls his best monster face and tickles her until she's a giggling mess

🎃 "C'mon now, it's time for sleep little one..."

🎃 "Please sing me a song, it helps me go to sleep!" Van sings softly to her and strokes her hair until her eyes flutter shut and it melts your heart seeing them together like this

🎃 Drinking hot spiced apple cider together and snuggling up whilst you watch scary movies when Grace has finally fallen to sleep

🎃 "C'mon love, cuddle up to me a bit closer... I don't want you to get too scared..."

🎃 You're not scared at all but you think Van might be by the number of times he's jumped and flinched throughout the film

🎃 Trying to outdo each other, telling spooky ghost stories before you go to bed until you're both freaked out and your skin's prickling with goosebumps

🎃 "We'd better keep the hallway light on tonight... ya know, just for Gracie... in case she wakes up scared of the dark..."

🎃 You just smirk at him. "Oh, are you sure that's just for Grace, Van?"