Happy Halloween Birdie

All Hallows' Eve. Samhain. Halloween. A night that has had many names over the years. A night that symbolizes the end of summer's warmth and life, and the beginning of winter's deathly cold grip. The night of the year when creatures of the night have the most power and roam freely. So take care on this night, and wander not by yourself, for tonight of all nights is the worst night to be alone and vulnerable.

Up in the sky, thinly veiled by dark clouds, the moon cast a sickly light that drained the color out of everything it touched. Naked trees reached up, bare branches grasping out like clawed hands. Fallen leaves rasped against concrete and crackled under the feet of stray trick-or-treaters.

One small figure had broken away from the others, a little girl dressed as a witch. Her large black hat threatened to fall over her eyes, and her feet kept catching on the long hem of her dress. She shivered as the chilly wind pierced through the thin material of her costume and she clutched a cauldron shaped container of candy to her chest.

The girl's eyes flickered around the empty street and her lower lip quivered. How was she supposed to get back to Mommy now? She hadn't meant to get lost, but she had seen one of her friends on the other side of the street and had broken away from her mom to run to her. By the time she reached the other side, her friend had already moved on and it seemed that those houses were done with trick-or-treating for the night as the lights were off. So there she was, alone and scared and lost without her mom. What was it Mommy had told her she was supposed to do if she got lost? She couldn't remember.

A twig snapped behind the girl and she whirled around quickly, her breath in short quick gasps that lingered as tiny puffs of vapor in the air. There was no one there, but her tiny body was still tensed, her instincts telling her to run. Her heart beat furiously in her chest, pounding a quick tempo against her breast.

Taking deep shaky breaths, she wiped her moist hands on her dress and started walking back to a better-lit part of the street. Her footsteps seemed to echo loudly on the abandoned sidewalk, the intervals between each step growing closer together as the girl began walking more quickly, eager to get back to safety of the streetlights.

As she passed a bush, she froze when she heard it rustle. Her mind registered that it wasn't from the wind and that the rustle couldn't have come from something as small as a squirrel. The sound of heavy footsteps on the sidewalk confirmed her fears. She raised her eyes.

A tall figure grinned demonically down at her, sharp white teeth gleaming and eyes glowing blood red.

She screamed, the sound penetrating the darkness and ran, her heart in her throat. The cauldron dropped from her hands and fell on its side, spilling candies in shiny wrappers and images of ghosts and bats.

The man laughed, a rough hiss that sounded like "Kesesesese." As he stepped into the light from a street lamp, he was revealed have light, almost pure white hair and red eyes that marked him as an albino.

"GILBERT!" A voice cried angrily as the albino reached down to pick up the candy.

"What?" Gilbert said innocently as he looked back up to see another young man joining him on the sidewalk. His hair fell in blond waves to his shoulders and kind violet eyes (well, actually they were more annoyed right now) sparkled from behind a pair of glasses. A single curl stuck up from his hair and looped in front of his face.

"You just scared a little girl and stole her candy, that's what!" he frowned sternly, which seemed at odds with his soft features.

"Oh come on Matthew, you're no fun." Gilbert pouted at his boyfriend. "I was just having a little joke."

"Tell that to her." Matthew thumbed back to the lit part of the street where the little girl had found her mother and was hugging her tightly. As the two watched, they walked away and disappeared into the night.

Gilbert at least had the decency to look guilty. "Sorry, Birdie. It's just... I wanted to do SOMETHING for Halloween and everyone else was already doing stuff and I didn't feel like going trick-or-treating. But I still wanted candy."

Matthew snorted. "You scared the crap out of a little girl because you were too lazy to go trick-or-treating?"

Sensing that Matthew was in a more humorous mood, Gilbert nodded. "She had a really good stash too." Ignoring Matthew shaking his head in amused disbelief, Gilbert took the cauldron and shook all of its contents onto the ground and began picking through it.

"Let's see... lollipops, some cookies, LOTS of chocolate, gummy stuff, yucky almond bars, animal crackers, a whole candy bar, that's pretty impressive, and prunes. PRUNES? Who the hell gives prunes to trick-or-treaters?" He stuck his tongue out at the offending fruits and made a grossed-out face as Matthew chuckled.

"That's your punishment for scaring little kids on Halloween." he joked. "Karma's a bitch isn't it?"

"Hey, they've also got some maple candy in here." was Gilbert's response. He knew he had caught Matthew's attention. Maple products were his weakness. "Hmm, I wonder what I should with these. I would just hate to have them go to waste."

"Gilbert." Matthew warned. "Don't tease me."

"I could be persuaded to part with them, for a kiss or two."

"Gil..."

"You know what? I think I'll just eat them all by mys-" he was cut off by Matthew's lips on his own.

"Give me the goddamn maple candy." he growled, in a way that totally turned Gilbert on.

"Make me." As Matthew watched, Gilbert slowly unwrapped a piece of candy in the shape of a maple leaf and popped it in his mouth.

Matthew grabbed Gilbert and kissed him again, his tongue forcing entry and stealing the piece of candy from his mouth. His hands curled around Gilbert's pale locks, stopping him from pulling away. Not that the albino wanted to stop. Matthew's lips tasted like maple syrup.

After a full blown make-out session Prussia stood up.

"Let's go home. It's fucking cold out here." he said smoothly. Matthew grabbed his arm.

"I'm not letting you get away that easily. We're going back to my house. I have some Halloween beer I bought especially for you. Besides," he whispered in Gilbert's ear. "If you're cold, I can take care of that at home."

Prussia smirked and waggled his eyebrows suggestively, making Matthew smack the back of his head playfully.

"Pervert."

"You totally meant it that way. And you love me anyway, right?"

Matthew rolled his eyes. "God knows why, but I do."

"Love you too, Liebe."

"And Gilbert.

"Hmm?"

"Happy Halloween."

"Happy Halloween, Birdie."