# Halloween Heartbreak

Title: Halloween Heartbreak
Status: Complete
Characters: Anon, Fang, Naser, Trish, Reed
Rating: SFW
Classification: One Shot
Author: Anonymous
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The train groaned into life, the half-empty cars shuddering as the great steel snake continued its lonely journey through the night. A number of departures remained on the platform, watching the train as it rolled past the loney station on the outskirts of Volcaldera Bluffs. One such departure, his heavy pack slung over his shoulder, remained on the platform until the train vanished from sight, ignoring the stares from the other, more scaly, individuals.
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Sighing, Anon peeled his eyes away from his train, joining the crowd as they made their way to the exit. His heavy pack cut into his shoulder; week’s worth of laundry stuffed into an old duffel. He was grateful to Sam and Ripley for letting him do as much laundry as he could during these brief returns to Volcaldera, grateful that they allowed him to save a few quarters, quarters which inevitably went to fund these little train rides home. And he did think of it as home, in a way. Even though he had only lived here for a few months, and had been away for even less, Anon still felt like this was where he belonged.
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The parking lot of the train station was sparse, this late at night. Squinting in the low light, Anon scanned the few remaining cars, searching for the familiar sight of the Nas-Car. Fang had texted while Anon was on the train, letting him know that Naser would be coming to pick him up. She was still stuck at home, setting up the halloween party with her parents. Finally, Anon spotted what he was looking for: A beat up old sports car sitting on the edge of the parking lot. Adjusting his strap, Anon began his walk over, waving as the car’s headlights flashed at him halfway there.
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Fang… It had only been a few months since Anon had seen her, a few months since he had left for college. Fang had remained in Volcaldera, finalizing things before she, too, started her higher education. Anon still thought on her words, the ones promising they would be together again, eventually. A break, but not a break-up, that’s what she called it. Did she still feel the same?
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“‘Sup, Anon, good to see you man!” Naser cried from the front seat, eagerly waving towards Anon as he walked into the pools of light cast from the car’s headlights. Anon returned the younger ptero’s smile, tossing his pack in the back seat before sliding into the passenger seat.
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“Yeah man, good to see you...too…” Anon’s voice trailed off as he got a good look at Naser for the first time. Gone were Naser’s usual ostentatious clothing, replaced instead by what Anon assumed was intended to be a humorous halloween costume. A leopard-print shawl crossed Naser’s chest, matching the pattern on his kilt. Frowning, Anon buckled up as Naser shifted the car into drive. “Seriously? A caveman outfit?”
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“What? You don’t like it?” Naser shot Anon what was probably supposed to be an innocent smile, eyes brimming with innocence. “It’s supposed to be based on actual human clothing from your cave days. It’s accurate!”
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“You don’t see anything wrong with that? Besides, where’s your costume?”
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“I’ll get changed at the party. Well, at least you don’t have a club, I guess.”
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“Of course not,” Naser snorted, getting the Nas-Car on the open road and planting his foot hard down. “I’m not that insensitive, Anon.” The two of them sat in silence as Naser navigated through the late night traffic, dodging and weaving around cars going half their speed at most.
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“Didn’t fit in the trunk, did it?”
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“Nah, too big.”
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“Fuck you, Naser.”
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Naser gave Anon another smile, his eyes flashing with genuine mirth this time.
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“Good to have you back, man.”
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***
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The Nas-Car crunched over the gravel of the drive, much too soon for Anon’s liking. He tried telling himself the butterflies in his stomach were from Naser’s exuberant driving style, but in his heart he knew he was just nervous to see Fang again. This could very well be the last time he saw her for years…
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“And you really can’t make it back anymore?” Naser keyed the engine off, sliding out into the brisk night air a few seconds before Anon. Their conversation had turned to the topic of Anon’s visits back to Volcaldera, about how his mounting class schedule made coming back home for a handful of days at a time difficult.
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“I don’t want to say never, but it’s not looking good. If I have any hopes of making it through my classes, I’ve got to really hit the books.”
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Anon walked in step with Naser, watching gulmy as the younger ptero frowned and crossed his arms over his bare chest. Anon risked a glance towards the house, Fang’s house, trying desperately to not notice that her light was on. The house was decked out for the holidays, cheap Halloween decorations littering the lawn and fake spiderwebs strung up in the windows.
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Shrugging, Naser made it to the front door ahead of Anon, turning back and giving his old friend a sad smile. “It sure was a lot easier back in Volcano High, huh?”
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“Easy for you to say, you weren’t the one getting doxxed by an angry trigga’.” Anon was happy to linger out on the porch; he wasn’t sure if he could bear to see Fang again, just to tell her they had to be apart for real. Quietly, the two of them watched a gaggle of children head up to the house across the street, intent on their search for candy. “How’s Naomi, by the way?”
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Anon regretted his words even as they were leaving his mouth. He could see Naser cringe at mention of Naomi’s name, could see the younger man’s shoulders slump, his wings go limp.
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“We, uh… We broke up. About a week ago.”
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“Ah, I, um... “ Anon fiddled with the keys in his pocket for a few seconds, searching for something to say. “Sorry, Naser, really I am,” he settled on at last, trying his best to not let his hatred of Naomi bleed into his words. Sure, she was a pain in the ass, but she was still Naser’s girlfriend, in the end.
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Naser finally managed to meet Anon’s eyes, a sad smile forcing itself onto his lips. “It’s okay. She said she was just too busy with college stuff.” Sighing heavily, Naser stared up at the sky, watching as the first few stars of the night twinkled into life. “Truth be told, I don’t know if she ever was planning on staying with me, after she graduated.”
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“Damn, that’s cold.”
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“Yeah. But, I mean, at least we had a good time while we lasted...” Naser let his voice trail off, shivering as a late October gust cut across the porch. Anon was once again aware that his ptero friend was wearing little more than a racist strip of fabric. Casting his arm across Naser’s shoulders, Anon steered the depressed dino to the door, all the while steeling nerves of his own.
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“Hey, Naser, let’s head inside. I’m sure I can think of a thing or two to say about Naomi that’ll cheer you up.”
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“T-thanks.” Naser glanced sideways at Anon for a second, eyes thoughtful. “Am I gonna’ have to say the same thing about Fang after this trip?”
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“...”
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***
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The inside of the house was dim, lit only by the pulsating strobe of a black light. There were also far too many people for Anon’s liking, forcing him to cower in the entryway to avoid the mass of party guests. Fang had mentioned that a lot of Naser’s friends were coming over to this thing, but Anon had no idea there would be this many.... Naser left him at the door, heading inside to grab him a drink, stopping every few feet to acknowledge a greeting or to decline a shot. Trying to not think too much about what was about to happen, Anon watched Naser go, reminding himself how popular the guy actually was. ‘Must be nice, to have so many friends,’ Anon thought to himself, slowly scanning the crowded house for a few select people. ‘I wonder if any of mine are here…’
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“Wait, is that… Broooooo, it is!”
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A familiar voice pulled Anon’s eyes to the corner of the living room, where the furniture had been pushed back to make a space for the assembled guests to dance. Shouldering his way through the crowd was Reed, dressed in what appeared to be an old bathrobe and matching pajama pants.
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“Anon, good to see you man!” Reed pulled Anon into a tight hug, the wafting smell of various drugs and substances immediately marking Reed out to anyone within a fifty-foot radius. “Dude, it’s been toooooo long, bro!”
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“Yeah, likewise bro. So what are you, ‘The Dino’, or something?” Anon gestured to Reed’s clothes as the pink raptor stared at him, unknowing. “You know, the clothes?”
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“What? Oh. Oh! Nah bro, I just woke up.”
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“He’s never going to get into college if he keeps this up.” Another voice from behind interrupted Reed and Anon’s reunion. Turning, Anon was met with a familiar set of horns, this time sporting black cat ears. Glancing much further down, the rest of Trish honed into view, her traditional yellow hoodie traded tonight for a black latex suit and matching whip.
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“Hey, Trish, nice to see you. Got a side gig as a dominatrix, I see?”
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“Nahhh, bro, she’s not from the Matrix, she’s Catwoman!”
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Rolling her eyes, Trish socked Reed in the shoulder, causing the already unstable raptor to go cascading back into the crowd. The diminutive triceratops reached up to hug Anon, the two one-time enemies having long since buried the hatchet. “Nice to see you too, Anon. You learnin’ to tell jokes at college, huh?”
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“Yeah, really make the best of my scholarship.” Anon returned Trish’s hug, mindful to not think too much about how… tight that catsuit really was. “Is, um… I mean, is she-”
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“Fang’s upstairs getting ready, dude.” Trish’s eyes narrowed behind her back domino mask, a wry smile crossing her face. “Try to save some time to say hello to Rosa and Stella too, alright Anon?” Leaving Anon sputtering in the doorway, Trish collected the now-prone Reed from the floor, hauling him upright before dragging him out onto the dance floor.
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Upstairs, huh… Taking one more deep breath to quiet the thoughts racing through his mind, Anon hefted the heavy pack on his shoulders before beginning his ascent.
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He just hoped this was the only baggage he was going to come away with tonight…
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***
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The door to Fang’s room stood like an impassabile barrier to Anon. He had been here dozens, maybe even a hundred times, from clandestine nighttime meetings unbeknownst to Sam and Ripley to more conventional visits during the day. Every time prior, Anon had always had a thrill of joy when seeing Fang’s perpetually closed door. But now, it was herald of dread.
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Anon didn’t bother to knock as he slide inside her room, going instead for a surprise approach. “Fang? Fang, it’s me! You in here?” Confused, Anon checked the seemingly empty room, marveling at how similar it seemed: The carelessly discarded clothing littering the floor, the same three guitars hung up on the walls, the picture of the two of them by the bed. Everything in its place, except for the woman he loved. Taking another step into the room, Anon let his luggage hit the floor, bending down to pick up something from the floor. A half-eaten dinonuggie?
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“Gotcha!” A voice from the shadows behind him, coupled with two sets of talons settling around his neck, made Anon leap into the air.
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“WHOARAPTORJESUS!”
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Spinning around quickly, Anon noticed for the first time Fang, hidden behind the door to her room. She was laughing uproariously, holding her sides to keep them from splitting. She was dressed in a heavy tan jacket, the material shredded and worn, pulled over her usual halter top and black jeans. An old hocky goalie’s mask hung from her neck, dangling there with the amber pendant she never dared take off.
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“Hahaha, damn dweeb, I didn’t know you could jump that high!”
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“For fuck’s sake, Fang, you scared the shit outta’ me!”
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“Isn’t that what Halloween is for, dweeb?” Fang slide up to Anon, wrapping her arms around his back and pulling him in tight. It was more than just a hug between two young lovers; it was a hug that spoke volumes about their time apart, long and lingering as the two halves became whole once more. After a long while, Fang pulled back, giving Anon a warm smile, the corners of her brilliant amber eyes crinkling. Anon could taste her cigarettes on his lips. “I missed you, Anon.”
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“I missed you too, Fang.”
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“Is, uh this your costume dweeb?” Fang held Anon at arm’s length, getting a good look at his crumpled clothing. He had managed to upgrade his wardrobe somewhat during his time at college, but never quite managed to move past the ‘jacket and t-shirt’ combo. “The only one you’re gonna’ scare in that is Mom, once she has to wash it.”
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“Nah, I’ve got it over there,” Anon replied, nodding towards his overstuffed bag. “Along with about every other piece of dirty clothing I own. Seriously, six quarters for a load of laundry?! Who do they think I am, Rockefeller?”
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“Well, get changed, dweeb, I wanna’ hit the party before all the punch is gone.”
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Now seated on Fang’s bed, something in her voice made Anon pause mid-way in the process of pulling his jacket off. Fang was favoring him with a mischievous grin, one pale eyebrow cocked, and arms crossed beneath her breasts.
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“What did Reed do this time?”
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“Let’s just say that…” Fang sauntered over to Anon, helping him to pull the jacket as she sat down on his lap, legs either side of his waist. “You,” she said, punctuating her words by poking Anon in the chest with one finger, “should not drink the punch.” Anon’s shit joined his jacket on the ground, followed quickly by his belt. “Although you may like what happens to me.”
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***
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Some time later (but not too long, Anon hadn’t seen Fang in a long time), the two of them extracted themselves from Fang’s room, heading back down to rejoin the party. Anon now sported a costume of his own: A blue jacket over yellow shirt, a wild mess of a wig hanging from his bald head. While not great, it still wasn’t as bad as the Netstix adaptation.
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“Fang…” Anon felt the words choke in his mouth, but he had to go one, he couldn’t let them lie there anymore. “Fang, I can’t keep coming back like this.”
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Fang pulled her head off his shoulder, and even in the gloom of the dance floor, he could see her eyes search his face for any sign of a joke. “W-what do you mean?”
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“Fang, when you said you wanted a break, we both agreed not to do the long-distance thing. Well, if I have any shot of graduating on time, I’ve gotta’ stay there, stay at school.” They were still slowly rotating, feet shuffling in time to the 80’s love ballad pouring our from the living room stereo. “I can’t keep taking these weekend trips back to Volcaldera.”
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“So, what does this mean…” Fang’s brow furrowed, and Anon could see a dangerous glint flash in her eyes for a second before she softened. “Am I really not going to see you again for years?”
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“I guess so…” Anon felt sick, hearing Fang say those words. The idea of not seeing her for even a few months made him want to drop out, but to not see Fang for years? It was almost too much to bear. “Didn’t you say you had plans of your own? That you wanted to do some self-reflecting?” Fang was silent for a long time, spinning in time with the music, hands clasped together behind Anon’s back, just studying his face. After a while, she buried her face in his chest, and Anon could feel those hands pull him in a little bit tighter. When she did speak, it was muffled by his chest, barely audible over the music.
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“I…I did, and I do. But the thought of not seeing you, even once or twice a year is…” Fang’s voice faltered, and for the first time Anon could her the sobs she was trying to overcome. “Anon, the times when I’m with you, even if it’s just a few hours, it makes me know everything is going to be okay.” Fang withdrew her head from Anon’s chest, looking up at him with teary eyes. “Everything’s going to be okay, right Anon?”
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Anon pulled Fang closer, pressing her against him as he stroked her hair, murmuring soothing words into the still-fragile woman he fell in love with.
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“Everything is going to work out okay, Fang.”