Chapter 15
When he was little, Julian never got to enjoy Halloween. He figured it was too late now, but Danny's excitement was infectious. The path to the house was lined with jack o'lanterns they planned to light when they left to go trick or treating. That time couldn't come soon enough for Danny. In his costume since lunch, he kept asking, "Is it time yet?"
While Julian was busy with his own work, Rob was taking care of getting the house ready for the Halloween dinner. He was in the living room right now. Up on a ladder, Rob was hanging tiny pumpkin lights over the living room windows. Danny was watching with a happy smile on his face and keeping Lenny out of the way.
Julian had a few things to finish up in the office, but he stopped in the doorway and just watched Rob. Whatever he did, Rob had a way of making Julian want to stare at him like he couldn't get his fill.
"How does it look?" Rob asked, stepping down from the ladder and turning the lights on.
Julian was about to answer, but Rob wasn't asking him. He hadn't even noticed Julian lurking there.
"It's good," Danny chirped and his approval was all that mattered.
"Today is going to be fun, right?" Rob told him.
"Trick or treat!" Danny said standing up in his yellow and black superhero bee costume with its striped cape that matched Lenny's.
"Uh oh. Now I have to give you candy or you'll play a trick on me," Rob said and Danny giggled.
God, watching them together was the sweetest thing. Julian didn't want to tear himself away, but he did want to do his work now and free up his schedule for this evening.
A while later, Julian was in his office when he heard Rico's noisy arrival.
"Look at you, super bee! But where's Danny?" Rico was asking as he went into the library. That's where Rob was hanging some more pumpkin lights.
"It's me, I'm Danny," Danny told him and Julian smiled to himself.
After a moment, Rico was convinced. "It is you! Wow, you must be so strong now. And Lenny is a sidekick bee. I have a surprise. You get to see it later. Wait here with Lenny, OK."
A few seconds later, Rico was coming into Julian's office carrying two big boxes. Rob was right behind him. Eyeing Rico as he set the boxes on his desk, Julian wondered if they held the surprise. "Are those decorations?" he asked.
"You wish," Rico told him enigmatically.
"So what are they?" Julian asked him.
"Don't ask, just run," Rob advised.
"Like I'd let you," Rico said and opened the boxes. Inside them were two costumes. Two truly horrible costumes. As Rico lifted the brown one, Julian saw it was Count Chocula. The other one was a pink monstrosity that Rob identified as Franken Berry.
"Those are not for us," Rob said in a horrified voice though the costumes were clearly adult sized.
"They're mostly for Danny," Rico said then he smiled meanly. "But I plan to enjoy them too. Now suit up."
"You don't really expect us to wear these," Julian said as Rico pushed the Count Chocula costume toward him.
"For Danny, I do." Rico leaned over his desk to stare him down. "I know your weakness."
He wasn't wrong about that. Danny would be thrilled with these costumes, so Julian couldn't say no. But he was planning to let Rob off the hook.
"I'm going to go home and get ready, you put those on," Rico ordered them then he was out the door. Julian could hear him telling Danny to wait and they would be out there soon to show him the surprise.
Well after Rico left, Rob was still glaring after him. "I did say these guys need to make their own fun, but this is going too far."
"You don't have to wear that," Julian told him with a laugh.
Rob frowned at him. "Are you going to wear yours?"
"For Danny," was all Julian said.
