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Lafayette’s favorite holiday was Halloween. As a child, he enjoyed dressing in the costumes. He and his cousins would dress in group costumes, all of them complementing each other. As an adult, however, his favorite thing was passing the candy out to the neighborhood children. He adored seeing their costumes and how cute they were. His most favorite were the children that incorporated warmth into their costumes. Ingenuity at its finest.
This year, his friends Hercules and John had come over to watch Halloween movies, while he distributed the candy. They had deliberated for several weeks over which films before finally deciding on “child friendly” films, just in case. Each person brought a different childhood film. John brought Halloweentown, Hercules provided Hocus Pocus, and Lafayette scrounged out his copy of The Little Vampire.
“Which one first?”
“Should we rock-paper-scissors for it?” Hercules and John grinned at each other, and began the tournament scoresheet.
“Here’s the deal. Two rounds. Herc v Laf, me v Herc, Laf v me. Whoever loses both their rounds has to sit out the second tier. Winner’s movie goes first.” With that, the tournament began.
Eventually the bracket came to John versus Lafayette, and Lafayette took a swift victory.
“The Little Vampire!” John slumped in defeat and Hercules went to set up the movie. John trekked into the kitchen, shoulders slumped, to make popcorn and get drinks. Lafayette, dressed in a Care Bear onesie, answered the door for the first set of trick-or-treaters.
Several more groups of children came around before the Herc and John prepared the film, Lafayette answering the door each time.
Lafayette yawned widely. They had already finished the first two movies and were now watching Hocus Pocus. Laf thanked his lucky stars for the well timed knock on the door. Yes, most people adored Hocus Pocus, it was a cult classic. Laf just couldn’t get into it, possibly because he hadn’t seen it until John insisted upon it a few years ago.
Laf approached the door, candy bowl in hand and a welcoming smile on his face, ready to greet the cacophonous children no doubt on the other side of the door. When he opened the door, however, an empty porch was the only thing that greeted him. That, and a bat to the face.
Laf screamed, slamming the door shut and throwing his arms wildly to remove the bat. Candy scattered across the ground.
Hercules and John came rushing into the entryway.
“What the hell?”
“Get it off, get itoff getitoff!”
“Stand still!”
“How!? How do you expect me to stand still with this thing on me?” Lafayette continued to freak out, even as Hercules placed hands on his shoulders to prevent him from moving. John reached forward to pull the bat from Lafayette’s face when the bat flew away and further into the house.
Lafayette and John shouted simultaneously, both unprepared for the bat to move.
“It’s in my house.” Laf mumbled, breathless. “Why is it in my house?”
“We should,” Hercules paused, “probably try to find it? Maybe?”
John nodded, still panting from the shock. “Yeah, yeah. Good idea.”
They moved to find the small intruder. Laf refused to allow them to split up.
They eventually found the creature in the kitchen, lounging in a fruit bowl. When the bat saw them, it seemed to wave at them. Laf blinked at the inexplicable action.
Fruit clutched in its mouth, the tiny bat approached Lafayette again, setting down on his head. Lafayette’s face scrunched in fear until he heard John snickering.
“What,” he began breathlessly, “is it doing?”
“It’s like, made a home in your hair and is munching on the fig.” Hercules struggled to keep from laughing as Laf shivered as juice dripped onto his head.
John breathed a huffy chuckle, “I think it claimed you. You’re their person now.”
A little over an hour later, John and Hercules said their goodbyes, leaving Lafayette dozing on the couch, little bat friend asleep in his hair.
When Laf blinked his eyes open, it was well past midnight. He stood, stretching his tense muscles, sore from napping on the couch, and made his way to the kitchen.
Lafayette dragged a cup from the cabinet and pressed it against the water dispenser, leaning heavily against the fridge. He blinked lazily and murmured a greeting at the tiny figure sitting on the island counter.
“Who the hell are you?” Laf was wide awake and covered in water, having splashed his water everywhere when he noticed the company.
The person was petite, with olive-toned skin, big brown eyes, long, lustrous hair, and two pointed ears. Ears that reminded Lafayette of his new bat friend. His guest continued munching on a piece of fruit and raised a hand in greeting. Belatedly, Lafayette realized the person was naked.
“Hi, did you know you’ve got the best fruit bowl in the neighborhood? Like, seriously. The Adams’ down the street? They only have crab-apples. Like, who even likes those? Yuck.” Lafayette continued to gape at the creature in front of him. He was cute, for sure, but that didn’t shadow the feelings of bewilderment.
“Okay. Again, I repeat: who are you, how did you get in my house, and what are you doing here?” Lafayette was totally not panicking.
The bat-boy lifted his hand and ticked a finger for each answer. “Name’s Alexander, you let me in, and having a snack.” He took one last bite from the fruit in his hand, clearing the flesh from the pit, and began licking his hand clean, small tongue peeking out.
Lafayette watched, transfixed.
“Wait, hold on. I did not let you in.” Alexander paused in his cleaning and looked at the other, exasperated.
“Okay, seriously? I thought you were the smart one.” Suddenly, where once there was a human figure, a tiny bat sat. The little animal scuttled back to the fruit bowl and pulled out a plum. Laf grabbed the piece of fruit from the bat. Nerves had him clenching around the plum, squeezing too hard, juice and pulp drenching his hand.
He let out a noise of annoyance and trashed the ruined fruit. Choosing to ignore his new house guest for a moment, he turned to the sink and moved to wash his hands. Lafayette paused, however, when a distressed noise reached his ears.
The bat, Alexander, landed haphazardly on the counter next to the sink. He bounced up and down, arms raised, asking for Laf’s hand. Once in his grasp, the little animal licked at the sweetness covering Lafayette’s hand.
Lafayette gulped, confused by his reaction. “Okay, I’m going to need you to stop that.” The bat paused, making eye contact, before changing back to his more human form.
“Oh? Why?” The other gave a mischievous grin, fangs glinting from the light overhead, still clutching at the larger man’s hand. The taller man swallowed hard as the shape shifter resumed his licking. “Does it bother you?”
Lafayette pulled his hand away, “Okay, why don’t you have another piece of fruit. How about grapes? I think I have grapes in the fridge.” He breathed slowly, attempting to control his racing heart. These were inappropriate thoughts to have in a Care Bear costume. Laf pulled the door to the refrigerator open and bent to search for the aforementioned treat. A body pressed up behind him.
“I’d much rather have you for a snack.” Teeth grazed over his neck, and he quickly snatched a mango from the shelf, stood, and shut the door, startling the person behind him.
Alexander squealed in excitement when he noticed the mango, expression shifting from disgruntled to elated. The Frenchman noticed the shift in behavior and teasingly lifted the mango out of Alexander’s reach. Alexander shifted and flew to perch on the hand, sinking his fangs through the flesh of the fruit.
Lafayette grimaced and lowered his arm and stared at the bat. “How old are you, anyway?” The other swapped again to his human form, mango held up to his mouth, slurping greedily. He gestured vaguely in response to the question.
“Bats don’t really keep track. I think I’m two, maybe three years old.” Lafayette gaped. That made no sense. “My species reaches maturity around two years. My human form follows suit, aging relative to my bat form. I’ll probably look like this for seventeen years and then get old. Maybe. It also depends on how long I spend as a human. If I stay human, I’ll age like a human.” Alex continued to enjoy his mango while explaining himself.
“Your species? You mean there’s more of you?”
“Again, I thought you were the smart one. How do you expect I was born? I just appeared one day like the platypus?”
“Like the- what?” Lafayette tried to rein in the conversation and convince the other to leave. “Your family must miss you then. When do you need to be back?”
“Oh, uh, my parents won’t be missing me.”
“Surely they will. You are their child.”
“They won’t. Can I just have another piece of fruit? Please? Besides, bats don’t really keep to familial bonds.”
“I really think you ought to be getting home, not more fruit. At least call your family and let the-”
“I don’t have a family! My mother’s dead. My father abandoned me. And my brother left as soon as he found his mate! I’m alone, okay? I sneak into houses for a warm place to sleep cause I have no home. I gorge myself on store fresh fruit cause I don’t understand how to use money! I’m alone.” The shorter person sniffled, chest heaving from his rant. He wiped furiously at his eyes. “I’m sorry. Thank you for your hospitality. I best be on my way.” He turned and disposed of what was left of the mango.
He approached the front door, intent on escape.
“Wait.” Lafayette closed a hand on the other’s wrist. “I’m sorry. I was being insensitive to you and your situation. Please, let’s share another piece of fruit while we discuss the matter of you boarding here.”
Alexander sniffled again, turning and peering up at the concerned features of the other. Laf felt his heart loosen a bit.
“You’re offering me a place to stay?”
Rather than respond, Lafayette held out his hand, offering it to the shifter. “Come, I think I have some clothes that may fit you from when my sister was last here.”
Alexander smiled, grateful, and grasped Lafayette’s hand firmly.
“Thanks.”