𝗕𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗬 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗦 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗦

Happy Halloween

SONG REQUEST FOR THIS CHAPTER: PSYCHO KILLER by TALKING HEADS

1,429 Words

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE! Here'a a cute little halloween chapter because I thought I would treat you all this October.

The car hummed softly beneath us, headlights cutting through the October night as the world slipped past in orange streaks of pumpkin lights and porch lanterns. The heater whispered warmth around my legs, and beside me, James Barnes—my boyfriend, my partner in chaos—tapped his fingers on the steering wheel in rhythm to the song on the radio.

He looked ridiculous, and somehow perfect, in a full black skeleton jumpsuit that matched mine exactly—white bone prints running down his arms and legs, a faint glow-in-the-dark tint that would light up under UV. He had his hair tied back, a few strands escaping, his jaw sharp even beneath the stupid skull face paint I'd made him wear.

"You keep looking at me like that," he said, smirking, "I'm gonna think you've got a bone to pick."

I groaned. "James, no. You don't get to make skeleton puns. You made fun of me when I bought these."

He grinned wider. "I did. But now that I see you in it..." He gave me a once-over that made my cheeks flush. "I changed my mind."

"Smooth," I muttered, crossing my arms, though I couldn't stop smiling.

He laughed, the low kind of laugh that rumbled from deep in his chest. "Hey, don't tell me you're not excited. Steve said this party's supposed to be epic."

"'Epic' in Steve Rogers terms usually means... root beer and board games."

"Not tonight. Sam and Nat are in charge. There'll be actual alcohol. And Wanda's bringing her weird spooky playlist."

I grinned, leaning back in my seat. "Okay, fine. I'm excited."

We pulled up to the house—a big off-campus place decked out with string lights, plastic cobwebs, and an inflatable ghost that waved like it was possessed. Music thumped through the windows, bass so heavy it made the pavement vibrate. People in all sorts of costumes—vampires, witches, pirates—spilled across the lawn.

Bucky turned off the engine, glanced at me, and smiled. "Ready, bones?"

I gave him a playful shove. "Never say that again."

He laughed, jumping out and rushing to open my door. I took his hand as I stepped out, the cold air biting at my cheeks. His fingers were warm and rough—comforting.

Inside, the smell of popcorn, alcohol, and fake fog hit immediately. Steve, dressed as a zombie firefighter, spotted us first.

"Hey! The skeleton duo made it!" he called, waving.

Sam, wearing a vampire cape, joined in with a mock bow. "Look at these two, couple goals. Matching costumes and everything."

"Laugh it up," Bucky said, putting an arm around me. "At least we committed. You look like you found your costume in the clearance bin."

Sam gasped. "Excuse me, this cape is designer."

Natasha, dressed as a fallen angel—black wings and smoky eyeliner—appeared beside Wanda, who was in a scarlet witch outfit that was way too perfect to be improvised.

"You two look adorable," Wanda said, smiling at me. "The skeleton thing? It's kind of... cute."

"Thanks," I said, blushing a little. "It was my idea."

"Of course it was," Nat said, smirking. "Barnes here wouldn't be caught dead buying matching outfits."

Bucky held up his drink. "You're not wrong."