Kurt pulled his hand away from Blaine's heavily made up face and brushed his – borrowed – eyeshadow brush off on a piece of paper towel. Blaine wiggled his face, testing out his new features, and grimaced. He had to suck it up though, because Kurt's costume was way more uncomfortable and he was acting like a trooper.

"Keep that look, it's quite becoming on your new face," said boyfriend was now teasing Blaine, a manic glint in his eye that was usually reserved for discounted Alexander McQueen finds and Glee solos.

"This had better be worth it," Blaine said with no malice behind his words, "You know I would only do this for you right?"

Kurt grinned and tried to lean in for a kiss. He laughed when Blaine squirmed away from him and settled for a kiss on the forehead – God, when did Blaine become so dramatic? - and added, "Don't worry, it will be."

XX

"Hey Kurt! Blaine! Are you guys ready yet?" Finn shouted, cupping his hands against his mouth to make his voice boom louder. He turned away from the stairs to loom lovingly over Rachel, "We are so going to win 'Best Costume.'"

Rachel looked up into Finn's eyes and smiled. She twirled her lasso, the golden cuffs on her wrists glinting in the light of the front hall. She had convinced Finn to dress up in a couple's costume with her; he had been skeptical until she had reassured him that he would make an awesome Superman to her stunning Wonder Woman. Movement at the top of the stairs caught her eye and Rachel gasped. Finn's face dropped into concern.

"Rach, what's wr- Ho-lee shit!" Finn jumped backward from the zombies descending the stairs, pushing Rachel behind him protectively.

With his pale skin and haunted, dark lidded eyes, Kurt was terrifying. His clothes were tattered and bloody (and when did he get such nice abs) The worst part was the makeup he had done around his mouth; Kurt had applied liquid latex around his mouth and painted it to look like torn skin, then he painted everything below his lips red and black. It looked like he was missing the lower portion of his mouth. A pearly piece of blood dripped from his chin to splatter on his once white t-shirt.

Blaine was just as gruesome with a dripping red crater where his right eye had been. His other eye was painted with a convincing bruise that played up the ripped liquid latex flesh that circled along his cheekbone and over his eyebrow.

"Kurt!" Rachel squealed, "That's positively terrifying! Is that why you borrowed by makeup brushes?"

Kurt grinned, the look was garish with his bleeding jaw. Finn groaned and closed his eyes, "Gross dude."

"Don't call me 'dude'," Kurt growled, hunching one shoulder and reaching out a clawed hand towards his stepbrother, "Or I'll eat you."

Finn jumped away from Kurt, making gagging noises as Kurt gurgled and hissed like a zombie from a horror movie. Blaine and Rachel, who had become very close considering they were dating brothers and did a play together, were leaning against each other laughing as Kurt chased Finn around the living room.

"You kids taking off soon?" Burt wandered in, adjusting the cap of his Frankenstein costume, "Looking good son, did you do something different with your hair?"

"Har har," Kurt straightened up and rolled his eyes at his father. He tossed his car keys to Finn, "C'mon Mr. Kent or we'll be late to Santana's party."

XX

Santana's party was as expected: A cornucopia of sweat, heavy bass music, and alcohol. The furniture in the living room of her parent's expansive house had been pushed up against the walls to create a makeshift dance floor. Artie was DJ-ing and spinning beats that drove the partiers crazy. Brittany and Mike were rocking out in the center of the madness; Brittany was dressed as some sort of tulle, sparkly wisp of a costume that barely left anything to the imagination, and Mike was dressed as a devil in fitted black pants, black feathered wings and devil horns.

Tina was on the edge of the dancefloor, dressed as an angel in white satin, talking to Quinn, who was made up as a Disney princess in a flowing, fitted gown. Puck and Sam were doing shots with some Cheerios in the kitchen, dressed as Ghostbusters, complete with backpacks full of something dubious, if the sloshing sound were any indication.

"You're driving Finn!" Kurt grinned mischievously, grabbing Blaine's hand. Finn rolled his eyes (something he had clearly picked up from living with Kurt) and waved Kurt and Blaine off. Kurt bounced them over to the counter and leaned over Puck's shoulder. They saw when Puck first noticed Kurt in his periphery because he immediately paled and jumped back, knocking into Sam.

"What the hell!" Puck cried out as Sam steadied him while trying to hide his laughter.

"Hi Puck," Kurt crooned in a throaty rasp, baring his teeth in a pseudo-grin.

"Oh my God Kurt, that's so creepy!" Sam finally let out a full laugh, but he cut off with a strangled noise when he caught sight of Blaine, "Augh, that's just gross!"

"I like it," a familiar, dreamy voice sounded from behind them, "They're the perfect disguise for the upcoming apothecary."

"Thanks Boo," Kurt slung an arm around Brittany's shoulders. Blaine wrapped an arm around her other side, "Britt? What are you exactly?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she blinked at him, "I'm the silver lining."

And it was true. Her shimmery tulle seemed to resemble mist, or perhaps a cloud, and there around her trim waist was a shimmery piece of silver ribbon. The boys laughed and Puck began pouring another round of shots.

"All right," Sam raised his shot glass – fashioned out of a cough syrup measuring cup, "To Britt, I think we all can agree that she wins best costume."

They raised their shot glasses. The rhythm of the bass continued to beat throughout the house, counting down the hours of the night.