Costumes and Second Chances

"Now for the ladies, forty-two, forty-four, and one-oh-six, please join us." Mike looked out to see both Anna and her witch friend coming to the stage. "How about we get a round of applause for our winners?" The ballroom erupted in adulation. Everyone on the stage genuinely had a shot at the prize. The other two men's costumes were more traditional but finely completed. The zombified flesh of Frankenstein's monster, replete with puckered scars where cadavers were sowed together, was terrific. The costume itself was less spectacular, but that makeup could easily win. The other had an intricate witch hunter garb; only a few pieces looked store-bought and not hand-hewn.

On the women's side, Esmeralda and Anna looked fantastic. The third woman looked to be an angel, with a set of gossamer and feathered wings. Her shining platinum blonde hair worked well with the look. "It was a close one folks, only three votes separated first from second. forty-two and sixty-three, please step forward to receive your prize."

Mike smiled from beneath his war helm as he stepped forward; a broad smile was firmly placed on Anna's beatific face. He accepted an envelope and gave each judge on the stage a fist bump, a relic that survived the pandemic. Mike found himself standing next to Anna at the end of the stage. "Congratulations, I knew you would win when I first saw you." He stuck out his hand to shake hers. Anna stepped closer to him, eschewing the hand; instead, she pulled him into an embrace and kissed him passionately in front of all the gathered people. "Wow..." Was all he could manage when she broke the embrace, he stared slack-jawed. There was something about those lips; a powerful yet scattered memory told him he had kissed those lips before. The scent of her lingered in his nostrils; he knew this woman sometime before Deborah.

"You are the Prince," She shrugged and walked away, leaving him stunned on the stage. She didn't break eye contact with him, a seductive smile on her face.

"Care to join us going to the haunted house and a bonfire?" The elven woman slid up to him and whispered in his ear. "I promise you'll have fun. Meet us where we ran into you earlier if your game, Jan." She didn't wait for a reply as she brushed past him and glided off following Anna.

Mike might have stood agog for several more seconds if Jason did not call out for him at the front of the stage. "Nice win, bro."

"Here, this prize money belongs to Michelle and not me." He thrust out the envelope.

"Nah, we'll split it," Michelle argued. "You did model it for me; you deserve at least half."

"We're headed home. Are you going along, or do you have other plans?"

"I have been asked to go to a haunted house then a bonfire," Mike said proudly.

"Oh, the infamous bonfire," Jason said with a blush. "Michelle and I went the last couple of years. You'll have fun." He held out a backpack. "You'll need this. Condoms are in the front pocket if you need them."

"Don't worry about the munchkins; Jace and I will take care of them tonight. He's going to need the practice."

"Ah, but those two sleep through the night," Mike said with a smile.

"Try to be yourself some too, don't let her get to know only the prince; you're a good guy," Jason stated with earnest sincerity.

Ellie -- A little earlier

Ellie was having a really great time with the prince. He was gorgeous and had a sharp wit to him. She would have liked to spend all evening getting to know him, even if Heather was not allowing them to use their real names. Her friends forced them to move on. Cheryl warned not to go with the first thing that she saw.

She wanted to go talk to him again, at least exchange phone numbers so they could text. Cheryl and Heather insisted on keeping with the mood of the mystery of the evening. As they conversed with other friends and tried to light schmooze the judges, she couldn't help finding Jan's eyes. He smiled and returned a wave each time. There were other guys her age at the party, some of them were cute, but none of them filled out a costume like Jan. Most were dullards when it came to a conversation or displayed a prominent ring on their left hands.

There was something about the prince. Ellie felt like she had known him for some time; conversation and laughter had flowed easily. His stormy blue eyes peeking through his exquisitely produced battle helm felt like they were trying to discern her soul.

"You can't just go after the first one, you see," Heather told her as they moved between groups of revelers. "Don't seem too needy, or you might scare him away."

"But I like that one." She subtly pointed toward Jan as his back was turned.

"You have seen who he's been talking to all night." Cheryl crept beside her, pointing at the darkened booth in the back corner of the ballroom. Michelle, her rival from a decade ago, had her head leaned on a tall man, occasionally stealing a kiss.

"That's Michelle." She fiddled with her roundel, ensuring that her small purse was still secured and hidden behind the painted metal of the shield. It gave her something to do with her anxious energy. "She made his costume."

"Uh-huh"

"That doesn't matter; Michelle was a great competitor who deserved to win."

"Good, just checking on you."

They continued their rounds as an hour ticked by. "I am going to invite him out with us. You two want to go to a haunted house after this?"

"Sure," Heather said with a knowing grin. "Let me ask for you."

"Why? I'm a big girl; I can handle rejection."

"He's not going to say no. Don't think I haven't seen how you two keep waving at each other like lovesick teenagers." Heather's eyebrow arched. "Let's have some fun with this. Can I be your attendant?"

"This a game for you?"

"Always, and I usually win."

Heather started to move toward the table with Michelle and her beau when the announcement of the top three costumes in both the divisions were called to the stage. Ellie was surprised that Cheryl was chosen instead of Heather. She did make a convincing witch, but her ensemble was mainly repurposed store-bought items. The other winner for the ladies was an angelic figure, complete with platinum blonde hair and a plethora of cleavage.

Ellie's heart beat faster on stage, not just from the wanting to win, but from the proximity of Prince Jan; a daydream invaded her mind, kissing Jan up on the platform. They would be unable to control themselves. Uncaring for the audience, She would pull off his shorts. A firm push would have him sprawled on the stage, monster cock instantly erect. Ellie's panties would join him on stage. Finally, she would straddle him, riding until they were both satisfied. Four and a half years without cock was too long.

She almost missed her number being called as a winner; the vivid fantasy had her practically dripping with excitement. She collected her prize envelope and waited at the end of the line of judges. The prince offered a hand of congratulations. Ellie bypassed it; portions of the fantasy were unachievable, but she could collect her kiss. There was just a little difficulty getting around his battle helm, but when their lips met, there was a spark. She had to break the smooch before she was ready, slightly concerned that any more may make her fantasy unavoidable.

"Wow..." Jan stammered out. There was something familiar about that kiss, but she couldn't quite parse it.

"You are the prince." Was her only reply as she slunk away, a smile on her face.

Heather delivered her message and then joined the other two at the bar where they had begun the night. Ellie sipped another merlot. "Well, is he coming?"

"He will be later." Heather's words dripped with innuendo. "I didn't let him answer, but he'll be here. Just give him a minute."

"You didn't let him answer?"

"It's all part of the game, El, and I play it well."

Sure enough, a couple minutes later, Prince Jan appeared at the bar with a backpack in hand. "Hey, I heard something about a haunted house?" He looked a little uncomfortable, like he was afraid of a sudden revocation of the offer.

"Oh, yes. And a bonfire, if you play nice." Heather said seductively.

Ellie hopped off her barstool and stood close to Jan, pulling him in for another kiss. The world fell away for a moment as they pulled into an embrace. His muscles felt better than they looked; those strong arms clutched her close. She could feel the hardening of a very large cock beneath his loincloth. Her vagina was similarly excited; she needed to have that penis tonight.

"Unless we need to get you two a room," Cheryl said as they parted.

"Later," Ellie said as a promise. Prince Jan was looking at her with those piercing blue eyes with what she thought was awe. "If you're a good boy." She added a giggle at the end to leave him guessing. She took his hand and led him out into the night toward the haunted house among the fall-flavored carnival. The night air was warm for late October, but still, there was an enchanting cool bite to the atmosphere. What Ellie had intended to be a way to spur on her prince ended up being their hands clasped with one another as they walked together. Again, she felt a familiarity and comfort with him that seemed beyond a chance to meet with a handsome man at a Halloween party.

There was quite the line at the haunted house. Heather started to get antsy as the line slowed like she wanted to be somewhere else desperately. Conversation flowed between the group; Jan seemed like a ready addition to the pack. Ellie wondered if he would get along with Juan, or more importantly, if he wanted to be in a relationship with a ready-made family. He had to be okay with children if this would be more than a one-night roll in the hay. Perhaps literally if they hung around the fall fest too long. Ellie tried to broach more personal subject matter, but Heather or Cheryl would wrangle the conversation back to something safer every time.

It was hard to miss her and her prince hanging on each other, except when he went and picked up snacks for the four of them or either had to attend to the facilities. When she got a little cold, he pulled a hoody out of his bag; even if it was the rival college to her own, it felt warm, and she was thankful for it. Her cloak looked a little funny, poking through the orange color of the sweatshirt.

The haunted house was excellent; jump scares abounded through the structure. She leaped into the prince's arms a few times. Ellie thought it was cute that he did the same more than once. The only hang-up was a section that they had to crawl through. If it had been a dark tunnel, it would have been one thing, but it was well lit for safety. Ellie knew her short skirt would be pretty revealing to anyone going behind her. Prince Jan volunteered to go first so that the girls would retain their modesty. Before he could enter the tunnel, Heather swooped in first. Ellie had to follow behind, else she would reveal her lack of undergarments to the good prince.

Once in the tunnel, it was plain to see that Heather's dress was as short as she feared. The lighting was far brighter than she thought; Heather's pussy seemed to be spotlighted. Judging from the swollen labium and abundant moisture, Heather was enjoying the thrill. The passage was blessedly narrow, so Jan behind her shouldn't be able to catch a peek at her friend's womanhood. Ellie's red thong, however, was on full display. When the path widened and curved slightly, she paused to let Heather get a little bit of a lead. She looked back at the prince who met her eyes immediately; he was grinning like a fool, leaving her little doubt that he was enjoying the view.

Heather was giggling when they got out of the obstacle. "Enjoy the show?" Heather asked before Jan and Cheryl emerged.

"I think Jan did." Ellie smiled back.

"You like him?"

"Can't you tell?"

"Good, you really need a partner at the bonfire to get the whole experience." Ellie was dreading and anticipating the coming event in equal measure. Cheryl had been dropping hints of what would be entailed.

Jan scrambled out of the tunnel but remained seated, legs in front of him. "Give me a minute," he said.

"A little crawling tucker you out?" Cheryl teased as she emerged next.

"It's not that; something else made standing difficult." His eyes pivoted to Ellie's

"Well, you better hurry; another group is right behind us." Heather gave him a Chesire grin.

"Sorry," He said with a blush, eyes averted from the three as he stood. The loincloth he wore atop tight shorts did little to conceal his enormous erection; he kept his hands blocking his crotch. Ellie grabbed one of his hands and pulled him into a darkening portion of the house, just in time for a blade-less chainsaw to rev up and come through the wall. The small group ran screaming and cackling loudly in equal measure. Jan's hand never left the grasp of her own, which made her smile more than anything else experienced this evening.

When they got out of the attraction, Cheryl bid them adieu and hopped in a rideshare back to join Juan and pick up her kids. Heather collected them in her SUV; she and Jan sat in the backseat, nestled into his arms. They must have driven fifteen minutes outside of town and down unmarked roads. She didn't hear a peep of complaint from the prince, seemingly just happy to be around them. A large fire blazed with revelers dancing and cavorting around the conflagration in the middle of a farmer's field. Ellie thought it looked a little like the pagan rituals that her grandparents would tell her about to spook her in her youth.

Parking amongst a surprisingly packed field and stepping back into the cool bite of the night air was exciting. The expanse was cordoned off with only one entrance. One of the two guards lent credence to the pagan feel, dressed in black robes. The opposite woman was dressed in a simple skirt and jacket, checking IDs. "Is it your first bonfire?"

Heather shook her head. "No, I'll be paying anyway." She showed her ID to the woman, who checked it thoroughly before giving her a flashing wristband. He looked up with a curious knowing smile before showing Heather something secretive on her device. Heather just gave her a slight nod.

"What about these two? Is this their first bonfire?"

"It is hers; I don't know about him." Heather had taken complete control answering for them.

Ellie shuffled over, pulling her ID from the back of her re-attached roundel.

"It is my first as well," Jan shuffled through his backpack for his ID and received a flashing accessory as well.

"Has she informed you of the price?" The authoritative voice boomed out.

"Not yet," Heather stated as she reached back and unzipped her dress. Allowing gravity to disrobe her. In the pale moonlight, her friend stood utterly naked. "You have to be naked when you enter the circle for the first time. Unless you two want to walk home." In the light of the fire and a couple of lanterns, Ellie could see that Heather had changed her silver barbells to orange and black for the holiday.

Ellie's heart raced; a month ago, she would have run screaming into the night rather than disrobe. She turned and studied Jan, his battle helmet still in place. "I'm game if you are." He nodded dumbly, his eyes still on her instead of her beautiful naked friend. "Good, help me with my corset?" He nodded again, this time with a smile. "Can I keep my shield? it has my purse in it." She got a nod from the man in charge and waited for Jan to untie her. His skilled hands made short work of the garment, and she lifted it off herself. After a loosening of her belt, her skirt fell to the ground. She didn't pause in her skivvies, keeping the momentum going before she chickened out. Moments later, she stood naked save for her thigh highs and boots. She quickly put the roundel back on and proudly looked back at Jan. She smiled; Ellie liked the way he was looking at her. "Do you keep our clothes?" She said to the workers without moving her gaze.

"Yeah, there's a number on your wristband. We do clothes checks for you." The woman who took her ID gave her a wink.

The night air was heated by the raging fire, enveloping her nude form like a warm hug. Jan's eyes kept roaming up and down, taking her in. Ellie gave him a turnaround like she had for Heather earlier. Her best friend's eyes sparkling as she gave Ellie a delighted nod. Heather stood taller and more confident since she had shed her cotton carapace, like a brilliant butterfly emerging from a cocoon. Ellie was sure that she would still be here naked with Heather if they had not run into Jan. Perhaps they would end up in one another's arms.

"I do believe that it is your turn now, prince," Ellie said as seductively as she could manage.

"Yeah, sorry, you are just so gorgeous." From the look in his eyes, these weren't mere words; he believed every letter. He wasn't just trying to get her in bed; there was something more. That gaze, holding her in awe, seemed so familiar. "Can I keep the backpack?"

"Of course." The woman who took IDs said her eyes were fixed on the prince, as were Heather's and now her own. The robed man's eyes kept bouncing between herself and Heather.

"No time like the present." Without taking off his helmet, he lifted off the chest piece. Jan had removed his helm in the car, but it had been too dark to get a good look at the man. She watched as he untied the drawstring around his waist. The costume fell to the ground leaving him in only a pair of red briefs. The more she saw his tall form with a long torso and powerful legs, the more Ellie liked. He pushed his briefs down his legs and let them fall. His cock was long, thick, and circumcised; even as it hung limply between his legs, his pubic hair was present but trimmed short. Ellie had no doubt that she would be trying that out before the end of the night. It might be recency bias by she couldn't remember seeing a more beautiful specimen of a man.

The prince gave his audience a spin; his tight ass was the icing on the cake. Ellie couldn't help ogling the man; her gaze traveling up and down him was only stopped when he unclasped his helmet. Once off, the dots in her mind finally connected all the familiarity; she was staring at a face she hadn't seen in half her life. Yes, he was older and looked like he broke his nose at some point in his life, but it was unmistakably him. That first real burst of attraction, when it was something more than pure lust, her first love. "Mike?" She closed the gap between them and pulled him into a hug, nudity forgotten.

"Hey, Ellie." He smiled as his strong arms pulled her closer. The warmth of his body and the staccato beat of his heart was exhilarating.

"You knew?"

Mike -- A little earlier

He only debated for moments at a strange elven woman's invitation, the anxious part of his mind trying to yell loudly in his head. Be the prince. He told himself and strode purposefully toward the bar at the back of the room. Three lovely women were sipping wine and deep in discussion. All three had their own beauty, but only one had him in her thrall. What are you doing? Questioned the nagging anxiety in his brain. Fortunately, she didn't give him a chance to panic and flee. Anna rushed into his arms and pulled him into another kiss.

Something in his mind clicked; he knew this passion. Her kissing was more focused and practiced than seventeen years ago, but those soft lips were unmistakable. Mike had been with a handful of women in his life; only two had this kind of pull on him. One got away before something special could really begin; the other, he married. Ellie! All the anxiety drained from him. He was further thrilled when she grabbed his hand and pulled him out into the night. Does she know? He opened his mouth to say something more than once, but one of her friends would change the topic each time.