Of course, I have a Halloween chapter. I should've planned this so that it came out on Halloween. But it's almost Thanksgiving which is basically just a Halloween post-game.
Are we getting to the point where I'm just doing daily updates? Seems like it. Please leave some comments and a vote, it truly means the world!
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There were many things that Tatum was not good at.
Patience.
Moderation.
Temperance.
But planning? Under pressure? Now that was where she shined.
It took some convincing, but she was able to get everything she needed.
First, Tatum convinced the hockey team to host the fundraiser. Luckily, it didn't take too much persuasion. They wanted to help Brady however they could. They agreed to have it at the hockey house and help plan however they could. Isaac assured her they could be in charge of decorations and alcohol. So, she considered that piece of it closed out.
Second, Tatum convinced Kinsley and Brady to work together on this. That also didn't take as much wrangling as she had anticipated. They both cared about their little brother. She was sure the two cared about each other as well, but she wasn't fighting that battle today. They both agreed to put everything else aside and get the money they needed for Jamie's surgery.
Third, Tatum convinced Doctor Porter to reserve a slot for the surgery. However, the only time she could make work was the tomorrow.
And so, it was going to be a Halloween fundraiser.
She found herself grateful that Kinsley had already taken care of their costumes, it was one more thing off her plate. Tonight, Tatum was being a witch while Kinsley was being a witch hunter. She wasn't letting Tatum just wear an ordinary witch costume, obviously. Tatum was decked out in ragged witch clothing and makeup to make her appear undead. She had a worn out looking black witch hat on her head, secured with bobby-pins. Her hair was untamed, teased to make it look like she had been in a fight. It almost looked like she had crawled her way out of the earth. Her lips were a deep scarlet red, a stark contrast to the powder on her face intended to make her paler. Her outfit was a short, corset styled dress. After it hugged her waist, it fell loosely down in rags that swished against her thighs whenever she walked. She even had a fake cut on her arm, some synthetic blood dripping down her body. Honestly, she felt hot. Her the outfit hugged her curves perfectly. She never could've imagined feeling so comfortable in an outfit like this a few years ago. But she felt like the kind of person to have all eyes on her. And honestly, she didn't hate the idea of that.
Kinsley wore a tightly-fitted black cargo style romper. The neckline dove deep down to the bottom of her chest. There was a belt around her waist, various fake weapons stowed in it. She had a bottle labeled "witch-poison" and other various protective runes all over her outfit, as to shield herself from Tatum. Her long braids were pulled back into a ponytail, swaying against her lower back. She wore platform boots that reached her knee, accentuating her long legs. She had fake blood splattered all over her, adding some to her fake knife for further effect. She looked unreal. Tatum had to give her credit where credit was due. She never missed the mark when planning their costumes.
The fundraiser portion of this came in a couple of ways. The hockey house was known for hosting one of the biggest Halloween parties on campus. The other houses who typically hosted Halloween parties had cancelled their parties in solidarity and were planning on attending. Which essentially gave them a monopoly on the parties for the night except for anyone going to the bars. To even get through the door everyone would need to pay ten dollars. After that, they were charging various amounts for drinks that they were serving. Beer was five while mixed drinks and shots were ten. Tatum hoped that it would be enough to raise what they needed.
They also added a few Halloween activities around the house and in the backyard. People could pay five dollars to get a string of small tickets to play a couple of games. There were drinking games around along with some makeshift carnival games. They had empty fall flavored nip bottles floating in a large bucket where people could "bob for apples". If they got a bottle, they would get a shot. Karaoke was set up and would cost a couple of bucks. There were dart games, some sport games... everything they could think of on a budget. Everyone who set up the games had used their own money to fund them.
Tatum also made sure to register the party with campus police. The last thing they needed was getting a noise complaint. When they registered a party, they would at least get a call giving them a warning. She also discussed everything with the neighbors to explain the situation and they assured her that they wouldn't be calling the police for any reason.
Honestly, Tatum was feeling good about all of this. She was pretty sure they could raise a decent amount of money. Between the what the Parker family had already, they were able to round up a couple thousand dollars saved up. They needed around fifteen thousand more to pay for the surgery. She was determined to make this work. They were going to make this work.
The hockey players had set up a couple of banners that had Jamie's name written all over it. They put pictures of him up in various places. Everyone had done an amazing job. Tatum was amazed by how many people stepped up to support the Parker's.
Tatum had just finished hanging up a string of bats across the stairwell when she felt someone staring at her. Turning around, she gave a small smile to the hockey player in front of her. But when she saw his costume, she absolutely beamed at him. Tatum let out a laugh, her hand going to her mouth. Composing herself, she said, "Parker, there's no way you're dressed up as a heart surgeon right now, is there?"
"Thought you'd appreciate it," Brady said with a cheeky smile. His blue scrubs were complimented by the small heart in the corner and stethoscope around his neck.
"Should've gone as a hockey player," Tatum mused to herself.
"There's always next year," he suggested with a shrug, hands going into the pockets of his scrubs.
She raised her eyebrows. "You plan on keeping me around that long?"
Brady paused for a moment, mouth opening and shutting a few times. "Well, you keep pulling off stunts like this and I might be inclined."
Tatum felt oddly touched, standing up a bit straighter. "You sure know how to flatter a girl."
She turned back to the stairs, touching up the string of bats. The floor creaked as he took a step towards her. Tatum glanced over her shoulder, looking expectantly up at Brady. She didn't miss the way his eyes scanned her body, lingering on her dress. Standing up straighter, Tatum let herself have the attention. She felt good. She didn't mind the extra set of eyes on her.
"Thank you," Brady said softly, his eyes pouring into her own in a way that made her breath hitch. "Seriously, Hartley. You don't know how much this means to me."
"Of course," she told him in a gentle voice.
"Also," Brady continued, taking a step forward and leaning down. His lips brushed against her ear and she bit back a gasp, forcing herself to stay in place. His voice was low and husky as he said, "You look fucking unreal."
Pulling away, Brady shot her an arrogant smirk at the surprised, doe-eyed look on Tatum's face. She could feel her cheeks heat up as her mouth went dry. She choked out meekly, "Thank you."
He gave her one last glance before heading over to where some of the other hockey players were preparing the drink area. Tatum blinked to snap herself out of her head, trying not to think about what just happened. She tried to convince herself that it was nothing— he was just being nice. But then Tatum racked her head for any memory of Brady just being nice... and came up short.
Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Tatum jumped as she turned around. Kinsley stood with wide eyes, an confused look on her face. Her voice was full of amusement as she quipped, "Damn, didn't think I looked that scary."
Tatum breathed out a laugh. "Well, you are a witch hunter. Just trying to get into character."
Her friend chuckled as she slung an arm around her shoulder, heading into the living room. Tatum and Kinsley made sure to get plenty photos of themselves in costume. Kinsley had made a list of poses for them to do. The girls made Isaac take all the photos of them. Normally, he would probably complain. But he seemed to be willing to do whatever either sibling asked of him tonight. Isaac bent down to the ground to get every angle he could, adjusting the lighting for whatever looked best. Isaac wore a matching doctor's costume with Brady, wearing the same set of scrubs.
"Is that enough?" Isaac asked tiredly as the two girls swiped through the dozens of photos taken.
Tatum hummed. "I can make those work."
"Yeah, you're free," Kinsley said with her eyes locked on the phone. Isaac looked incredibly relieved, heading directly towards the drink table. Tatum glanced up, noticing the hockey player that Isaac had talked with the other night standing over there. The two dove into conversation, smiles on both of their faces.
"Yo, Hartley, other Parker—"
"I detest that."
"—time for stack cup."
Tatum grabbed Kinsley's arm, dragging her over to the table. A decent crowd had started filling up the house, everyone decked out in costumes. Halloween music was pumping throughout the house and Tatum smiled. It was one of her favorite holidays, honestly. It was the one night a year that she could be anyone she wanted to be— no matter how outlandish. She didn't think she would be going out this year since her schedule typically occupied her life, but she was glad she didn't miss it.
The group played a few rounds of the game. Most people took to drinking ciders or pumpkin beers, so the cups were actually tolerable for once. It was unbelievable to see Kinsley and Brady in the same room. Even more wild to see them not screaming at the other. They were both smiling, enjoying the night. They weren't speaking to each other exactly, but it didn't seem like that was weighing over them. They both had a shared goal for the night, and things were working. They had something to smile about.
"Come on, Tatum!" Kinsley encouraged in a rushed manner. "Come on!"
Tatum squealed as she tried to bounce the ping pong into the cup. Brady was directly next to her, trying to bounce a ping pong into a considerably tall stack of cups. If she got the ball in before he did, she would win. The table was covered in various liquids, which made it harder to get the ball in. She paused for a moment before trying once more, successfully getting the ball into the cup. She threw her arms up as the crowd cheered, happy that they weren't stuck with the middle cup filled to the brim with various drinks inside.
"Ha, suck it, Parker!" Tatum cheered, throwing her arms out at him.
"All right, all right," he said easily, his voice stiff as he reached for the cup in the middle. He turned towards Tatum, shaking his head at her.
Brady smirked at her as he lifted the cup to his lips, his eyes lingering on her as he began to chug. The crowd began to chant for him to drink. There was just something about eye contact with Brady. It wasn't something that one could just break. Tatum couldn't move her eyes away from him when his gaze locked onto her. She was incapable of pulling her eyes from his. She just couldn't.
He tilted the final remains of the cup into his mouth before putting it down, wiping the side of his mouth. The rest of the group continued to cheer, but Tatum was pretty sure they were just overjoyed that they weren't the ones stuck with the drink.
After a couple of rounds, Tatum headed outside to see how things were going with some of the games. She laughed at everyone's behavior, watching happily as people seemed to enjoy the makeshift games set up. She ducked under a large skeleton, holding her hat down so it wouldn't get knocked off. The same music was pumping through some speakers outside, a couple of people singing along.
"Tatum," a voice called out. She jumped, spinning around to see who it was.
But of course, she had to wear the platform boots. The cobblestone got caught in the bottom of her shoe, sending her tumbling towards the ground. She landed with a surprised huff. The impact was harsh and she groaned a bit, mainly surprised more than anything else. Tatum instantly felt her cheeks heat up, glancing up to see who she even fell down in front of.
"You okay?" Brady asked as he crouched down in front of her instantly.
She nodded, more embarrassed than anything else. She let out a stiff chuckle, wiping her hands from the gravel. "Yeah, totally fine."
Brady glanced her over once, eyes lingering on her exposed legs. "Actually, you're bleeding."
Tatum knitted her eyebrows together, twisting her leg to get a better look. True to his word, she had scraped her leg. She hadn't even felt it. "Oh, guess I am."
"Come on, let's get you patched up," Brady said with a grunt as he pushed himself up, holding a hand out to her. Tatum look up at him unsurely before placing her hand in his. He hoisted her up, guiding her into the house.
They made their way through the crowds, turning every which way to get by everyone. They eventually reached the stairs and made their way up. Tatum began to feel a slight sting from the cut, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. They headed to the bathroom on the top floor. Tatum was surprised by how clean it was. She figured she would need to hold her breath the second she walked in, but it was actually pleasant.
Brady went through the closet, grasping onto a bucket filled with bandaids and other first aid items. Tatum raised a surprised eyebrow. He shrugged, saying, "We play hockey. We tend to keep stock of these things."
"Like you'd admit you need any of that," Tatum quipped, accepting the bucket from him. She sat down on the corner of the bathtub, pushing her hair behind her ears.
Rummaging through the bucket, she pulled out a larger bandaid along with some cream to keep it from getting infected. She heard the water running and glanced up, noticing Brady running a clean cloth under some water in the sink. He squeezed out and excess water and waltzed over to her, placing the rag down next to her. She went to pick it up, but was surprised when Brady's hand went in front of her own. Tatum paused, giving him a quizzical look.
"You always help me. Let me take a turn," Brady requested in a low voice, looking at her intently.
Tatum stared at him carefully before placing down the rag and bandages on the table. He gathered the items in his hands, bending down in front of her. Picking up the wet rag, he glanced up at her unsurely. Tatum made no move to stop him, watching him carefully. Brady tenderly began to dab the rag against her leg, slowly wiping away any traces of blood. His eyebrows knitted in focus, doing his best to be gentle.
He placed a bandage over the injured area, slowly smoothing it out. His eyes darted up to her again, saying, "Kinda always figured with you so close to the ground already, it wouldn't hurt too bad if you fell."
"You're hilarious," she shot at him in a light voice. He leaned back to grab something off the counter and her eyes caught his scrubs again, letting out a small laugh as she realized the situation. "You're taking that doctor costume way too literally right now."
Brady gave her a loose grin, packing up the first aid items. His eyes trailed back to her, his face a bit more serious. "Seriously, Hartley. I can't thank you enough for all of this."
"You don't need to thank me," Tatum said in a firm voice. "I want Jamie to be okay."
"You know," he started casually, "I've really never met anyone like you."
She lifted her eyebrows, giving him an amused smirk. "Well, aren't you lucky?"
He snorted, shaking his head. "No, I've never met anyone who cares about other people like you do."
Tatum squinted her eyes, his words not really sitting in a way that resonated with her. She wanted them to, but she just didn't feel like they belonged to her. Her voice was quiet as she said, "I don't know about that."
Brady let out a breath as he leaned against the sink, hands resting on the counter behind him. "I don't get why you think so lowly of yourself."
"I don't know," Tatum admitted with a shrug. "I guess it's just... I want to be that person. But I just feel like I'm too selfish, you know?"
"You're not selfish," Brady said instantly, a fierce look flashing through his eyes. "I mean it. I've never seen someone care like you do."
She gave him a gentle smile despite not knowing for sure if she believed him. "I appreciate that— really, I do."
He watched her with an intense look in his eyes. Brady looked at Tatum like he had never quite seen her before. And maybe he hadn't. Maybe it had taken all of this for them to truly see each other. To see that there was more than meets the eye. That Tatum wasn't just a persistent, career-obsessed, ill-tempered problem in his life. That Brady wasn't just some stuck up, arrogant, loud-mouthed hockey player she had to deal with. She saw him for more than that. But she also didn't mind those things about him.
What she had appreciated most about this situation with Brady was that he accepted her for what she was. He didn't try to change her. He didn't call her annoying like most people in her life did. Brady didn't make her feel bad about who she was. It was something that surprised her. But it genuinely seemed like he just enjoyed who she was. And to her surprise, she genuinely enjoyed who he was. That was still something she was wrapping her head around.
Brady cleared his throat, speaking up and saying, "Tatum, I—"
And then someone knocked on the door.
The two jumped, seeming to forget that there were other people in the house still. The loud music suddenly hit Tatum's ears, and reality came back to her. She stood up from the tub, smoothing her hands over her dress.
The door swung open. Kinsley. Her face fell slightly, eyes darting back and forth between the two in question. Tatum didn't miss the flash of betrayal that went through her eyes. Clearing her throat, Tatum gestured to her knee. "I fell. Needed some bandaids."
"Right," Kinsley said softly, nodding despite looking unsure. Brady looked incredibly uncomfortable, shifting strangely on his feet. After another beat of silence, she continued with, "Well, I think some of the guys were looking for you, Brady. Something about some Halloween drinking game."
Brady nodded, stealing one more glance at Tatum before heading out of the bathroom. She went to follow before Kinsley stepped in front of her. Tatum looked at her friend in question. "You okay?"
"I need you to be honest with me," Kinsley requested, her voice shaking, "and tell me what's going on with you and Brady."
Tatum's eyes widened. "Nothing! Nothing's going on us with us."
She gave her a disbelieving look. "You sure about that?"
"I—" Tatum started, cutting herself off. Truly, nothing had happened between herself and Brady. But she supposed that her relationship with the hockey player wasn't the same that it was a month ago. "Nothing is going on, I promise. But... I guess we've become friends?"
"Friends," Kinsley repeated, as if testing the word herself.
"Yeah," she confirmed lamely, struggling to find the right words. "It's just... we've been spending a lot of time together. We've become friends."
"Oh," Kinsley said, but Tatum didn't miss the look of discomfort on her face.
Tatum placed her hands on her friend's arms, looking at her intently. "But Kins, you are my best friend. I don't... I don't know what happened with you guys. But if you don't want me to be his friend, say the word, okay? I'll... I'll keep things professional."
The selfish part of Tatum was really, really hoping that Kinsley wouldn't say that was what she wanted. Because she wasn't sure if she could force herself to stop caring about Brady. Not at this point. But Kinsley was her person, she wouldn't want to betray her. She couldn't lose Kinsley.
"It's okay," Kinsley allowed softly. "Just... just don't forget about me, okay?"
"Never," Tatum swore. In that moment, she decided to do something that the two girls almost never did. She looped her arm around her friends neck and pulled her in for a hug. Kinsley sunk into her embrace, resting her chin on Tatum's shoulder.
"Love you," Kinsley murmured into the fabric of Tatum's costume.
Tatum smiled softly, holding her friend tighter. "Love you."
Tatum should feel relieved. She should be glad that she wasn't keeping anymore secrets. She had wanted to be honest with Kinsley about how things had changed with Brady. Honestly, Tatum just wasn't sure how to bring it up. She didn't want to ever hide things from her friend. But now, everything was out in the open. She wasn't hiding anything anymore.
So, why did Tatum still feel so guilty?
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Brady dressing up as a heart surgeon for Tatum, I ADORE them.
Brady telling Tatum she looks "fucking unreal" like damn even I gasped for her.
Brady being so gentle as he helped patch up Tatum they're so perfect.
And then Kinsley. My love. My Sirius Black variant. You are so loved.
And bonus for anyone who really likes the Marauders, Brady is 100% a Regulus Black variant.
I think Tatum is, in a way, a mix of James Potter and Remus Lupin? Like sort of a more morally grey James Potter who loves so deeply and will do anything for the people she cares about and is aggressively dedicated to her studies like one Remus Lupin. But she's also kinda Lily Evans if you think about it. Maybe she doesn't fit into any of them particularly perfectly, but just let me have this.
This is really only going to make sense if you've read either "All the Young Dudes" or "Crimson Rivers" ao3, not the original series, haha.