Costume Shop: Two-For-One Special (Original)

 

 

 Lucas walked through the old costume shop, black curly hair a mess, ignoring the smell of stale cigars and scented pine, eyes scanning the English and Spanish labels. His best friend Ali was tragically talking the poor shop owner’s ear off. Mr. Kumar had certainly warned Lucas’ dad his son could talk a mile a minute when excited. However, Mr. Hernandez was currently outside, visible though the display window trying to purchase produce from a fruit stand.
 
What was a cure for a fight? Better question: What was the cure for a dumb fight? One that started from a minor disagreement and spiral out of control. Who said the first wrong thing, who kept it going? It all blended together. None of it mattered. Lucas was mad. Ali was mad. They were avoiding each other. This was Mr. Hernandez's solution. Time alone together to pick something out.
 
The floor creaked under Lucas' foot. The place looked polished, but no way it was structurally sound. Didn’t matter, Lucas wasn’t there to inspect, only browse. Halloween was coming soon and neither Lucas nor Ali had a costume. 
 
They hadn't planned it that way, there were just a lot of other things to do, like the concert they attended last night. Lucas’ Dad was kind enough to drive them over a few cities so they could scream their little voice out, but the drive back had to be done the next day. The argument started at the hotel's breakfast table before they even hit the road.
 
Cutting through some towns, Mr. Hernandez was the one to see the shop first and ask if the boys wanted to stop in. Well, why not? They were going to need costumes eventually. Either that or Mrs. Hernandez would get the lamest and cheapest fits from Party City. No way Lucas was letting that happen again. 
 
If Ali and he were going to go trick-or-treating, and tackle haunted houses, they need fun costumes. Lucas wished his friend was walking through the store with him and not talking to the man that looked like Santa Claus on a diet. They were a team; they should be picking out outfits together. And the outfits the store had weren't bad either. Lucas had expected old-timey stuff, but some of the clothes were quite modern. The store went further back than he realized. Every time he thought it would end there was just more. Pretty fun for him, it was like discovering a secret level in a game.
 
Eventually though Lucas discovered, he and Ali weren’t the only ones in the store, jolting a bit when he spotted a young man cataloging costumes. Lucas had just turned into a back aisle, and a black guy was there squatted down, dressed in a white polo and khaki pants. The young man was stacked, his arms filled the short sleeves well, and his chest was highly visible. Then the stranger looked up and greeted Lucas with a smile. “Oh hi!” He had perfect teeth that almost sparkled, only challenged by the earring in his right ear. “I’m Daniel, the Store Manager.”
 
“Manager but isn’t…” Lucas motioned back to the old guy.
 
“That’s the Owner. He’s not usually here.” Daniel stopped for a moment listening to the conversation from the front, then continued, “I’m glad he is though, sorry to say it, but your friend talks a lot.” the young man joked in a way that Lucas knew he had no ill-will towards Ali. “So that’s what I’m doing back here: Hiding, while the boss man handles that.” Then Daniel stood up, and it was like his body kept going. Dude must have been like 6’ 2”. Daniel was awesome, Lucas had definitely gotten the better of the two workers.
 
“Uh, can you help me pick out a costume?” Lucas asked just before Daniel could turn and walk away. 
 
Daniel turned back with a sigh, “I can walk around with you, but I can’t pick out a costume for you. Also, it’s against store policy.” 
 
The ‘also’ Daniel threw in there sounded awkward. Why not just say he wasn’t allowed to? The way he phrased it made it seem like he was incapable of doing it. Lucas brushed it off his mind when Daniel started walking though the shop pointing out the kinds of costumes.  The Classics: vampires, witches, ghosts, zombies. The Professions: firemen, electrician, plumber, lumber jack. The Movies: self-explanatory.
 
“I’m actually looking for something Ali and I can both wear, like a set.”
 
“Like a Salt and Pepper costume?” Daniel arched an eyebrow. Lucas winced internally, had he said something uncool? Then Daniel's face turned into a grin looking around, “I’m sure we have that around here somewhere.” Then his voice went quieter, “And if you really want it. I’m sure it’ll be here soon.” Lucas didn't ask for elaboration. Reason had gone out the window when staring at Daniel. Crushes were dangerous.
 
Daniel then looked back down to Lucas, tilting his head, “Shouldn’t you be asking your friend what he wants to wear? I mean if it’s for the both of you, wouldn’t it be more fun to do together?” 
 
Lucas shoved his hands in his pockets, turning his head away. 
 
“Okay,” Daniel raised his hands, “Just something to think about. Let’s keep going.” He turned back. Lucas wondered how often the older male went to the gym; Daniel’s shirt was perfectly spread across his back. Was it possible he could get a costume that made him look like…that? They moved further back. More colorful costumes. Lucas’s hand slid along the fabrics, testing their quality, examining a few. He lifted up a princess dress, underneath a grotesque clown mask and fit greeted him, and he jumped back immediately dropping the dress. Felt like those empty sockets were locked on him.
 
Despite that oddness nothing in the store truly grabbed his attention.
 
“And then we have the TV section,” Daniel pointed to Dinosaurs and Robots suits from old shows. A Scooby Doo outfit. Then there were very cheap looking, but familiar, mouse and bunny costumes side by side that he could have said a lot about but decided to keep his mouth shut. Though the costumes here were more recognizable they weren’t exactly appealing. 
 
Daniel kept going, “Costumes by era it is.”
 
As Lucas went to follow, a package plopped off the shelf, right at his foot. He bent down seeing a muscle suit of some kind of blue…something. 

“Oh, that’s not really a costume for 2, but if you want it.” Daniel said happily.
 
“No, it just fell off the shelf. I don’t even know what this is…” His voice trailed off, swallowed into the store as he placed the package up at eye level.
 
Daniel crossed his arms looking at Lucas questioningly, “You don’t know Power Rangers? Are you messing with me? I’m not that old and there’s one like every other year.”
 
Lucas stared at Daneil like he was talking a different language. “Power…what?” He looked at the package again: A man in a costume as inexpensive as the entire TV section. “Is this for babies or something, never heard of it.”
 
“Oh, come on.” Daniel said exasperated. “It’s morphing time!” Doing a weird body pose. 
 
“Do you mean, ‘it’s Morbbing time’?” Lucas corrected.
 
“Where do you think the meme came from?’ Daniel got back to a normal stance. “Mighty Morphin was all the rage in the 90’s.”
 
“Ohhh,” Lucas over-emphasized the words, “So last century?”  He teased.
Something in Daniel must have broken as his mouth dropped open. “I can’t believe this.” He facepalmed. “The costumes are aging me.” Then he looked back at Lucas. “Okay. Let's get you rung up.”
 
“I don’t want this; it just fell off the shelf.” Lucas added.
 
“And yet you haven’t put it back.” Daniel gave a knowing look. It was a good point. Lucas wasn't putting it away even after Daniel called it out. Why? Lucas didn’t even know the character. Also, the size read: XXL. What was he going to do with that? On the other hand, he really didn’t want to put it back. 
 
Daniel just tossed out, “Hey, if you didn’t want it. It wouldn’t have fallen.” A sentence that made no sense unless one believed the universe was orchestrating events. Lucas was NOT one of those people and let the information go in one ear out the other. He was much more invested in why he couldn’t let the ridiculous outfit go; it wasn't even his size. At least there was a real simple charm about it. He would get it.
 
Following Daniel back to the front, didn't take any time at all. The store had fewer aisles than Lucas initially thought. Lucas looked up at the ceiling. A respectable length that didn’t actually go back endlessly. “Weird.” was all he muttered, clutching his package tighter.
 
“Hey old man, we got a customer who’d like to buy something.” Daniel hitched a finger to Lucas behind him as the store owner turned from Ali. 
 
The ancient looking white guy, who was already smiling from Ali’s conversation, grinned even wider when he saw Lucas with an outfit. He clapped his hands together, as he walked over to the register. “It’s always my favorite to see what everyone picks out.” he said to Daniel now behind the counter with him.
 
Lucas walked up to Ali who avoided his gaze. “I... got a costume.”
 
“I can see that.” Ali said curtly. His hair was dark combed perfectly. His entire outfit was put together better than Lucas’. “Shouldn’t we have picked something out together?”
 
“I mean yeah, but you were ignoring me.” Lucas said. “So, you could talk to the old guy.” he whispered, pissed.
 
Ali rolled his eyes, “I wasn't ignoring you. Did it ever occur to you, I wanted to talk to the man, and it had nothing to do with you? Besides you didn't even say, ‘Hey I found something, or let’s check back here.”
 
Lucas had a wave of embarrassment flood over him, but he couldn't just concede. “You could have noticed what I was doing. Was I just supposed to wait for you?”
 
“Fine, I’ll go look for something myself!” Ali yelled.
“Actually,” The Store Owner cut in, leaning over the counter. Daniel stood behind him rubbing the back of his ear awkwardly, like he wasn’t watching two boys fighting. “This is the great news, that costume you picked out was made for two people.’
 
Was the old man senile? Lucas looked down at the solo adult man on the package. “I don’t think that is true.” He replied
 
“Oh, but it is! It’s a special deal today. Two for One!” Then he pointed to Lucas and Ali. “You two in ONE of these,” He tapped at the package.
 
Daniel leaned over, “Sir, I think you mean Two in one, a costume made for two people?”
 
“Yes, yes that two. This is so exciting.” The old man nodded. “Any other regular joe would have cocked up a silly horse, and someone would be the ass, but this?” Lucas handed over the costume to ring up as the old man continued talking to Daniel. “This is called having imagination, what better way to bring friends together than getting close?” 
 
“I guess, with this though?” Even Daniel seemed unsure, flipping it over. Inspecting the packaging.
 
Then out of nowhere, Lucas and Ali were leaving the shop, the Store Owner and Daniel waving to them. What was odd was that Lucas didn’t remember paying for the costume. His dad was only now walking up to them with bags in his hand. Ali also looked at him weird. They were both confused. The ride back home in the back seat was silent. At least there was no underlying anger. The two were too busy raking their brains over that final interaction.
 
They drove into the city as Lucas held the package. How exactly were two people going to get into it? There was a tap on his leg, Ali making the first move to reconcile, “When we get to your home want to try it on?” Not a true make up, but it was a start.
 
“Definitely.” Lucas smiled.
 
The car pulled into Lucas’ neighborhood; houses were already decked out for Halloween. Once they parked the boys launched towards the brownstone home not offering to help Mr. Hernandez with his fruit purchase. They raced to Lucas’ room pulling on the other in efforts to bust through the door first. Lucas’ ended up crashing onto his bed, face planting in the pillow, package still in hand. He flipped around to see Ali panting, hands on his hips, but a smile on his face.
 
“You got lucky.”
 
“Whatever you say, slow poke.” Lucas smiled back. He kicked off his shoes, crossing his legs on the bed. The costume lay in front of him as Ali removed his shoes to crawl on the bed as well. The two sat across from each other, eyes on the ridiculous getup, like it was a Ouija board.
 
“So how do you think we do this?” Ali held on to his ankles, toes curling in his socks. “One arm each or do we stack, like kids in a trench coat?”
 
Lucas was lost; he flipped the package around. No instructions, or pictures for directions. Only the suit and them. “I guess we put it on.” His breathing hitched. The words tingled on the tip of his tongue as they left his mouth. He ripped the plastic open and as the costume spilled out, the temperature in the room shifted. 

"What's this for, a whole football team? It's big as a tent." Ali lifted it up with his fingers, fanning himself with his free hand. Lucas noticed a shift in Ali's eyes. Confusion to curiosity. 

A heat flash overtook Lucas. He shuffled off his clothes until he was down to his underwear. By the time he looked up, Ali was also stepping out of his jeans, other clothes discarded on the floor. The two met each other’s gazes, in nothing, but their boxer briefs. Lucas in a deep blue, Ali in a light purple.
 
No time to think about it because their heads snapped to the costume laying on the bed abandoned. They scrambled for it. Lucas had no idea why he was grabbing or pushing against Ali. One thing was clear: He needed to shove his body into the padded top of the suit and force his feet into the long pants, but Ali was making it impossible.
 
“Stop pushing!” Lucas said.
 
“You stop; I grabbed it first.” Ali stated. Technically true, but annoying. The Indian boy then flicked Lucas’ ear.
 
“Yeah, but it’s my room,” Lucas went with the first BS excuse he could then poked his friend in the shoulder.  Hands went flying not in fist but jabs, pokes, and shoves until the two tripped over each other, crashing to the floor.
 
“See what you did, you’re going to rip it.”
 
“Me?” Lucas rolled his eyes. They both wanted to wear the oversized costume first, but it was clear they were never going to fit into it. “Wait,” An idea popped into his head, “Maybe you were right let’s trench coat it. That way we both still technically get to wear it first.”
 
Ali sided eyed him, “How do I know you won’t try to wear the suit for yourself, the moment I get out of it?”
 
Sighing, Lucas pulled his body out of the suit, “Is this fair?” He waited until Ali nodded. Can I climb on your shoulders?”
 
Ali looked at Lucas then at the upper half of the suit, laying limp, sucking his teeth “I have to be on the bottom?”
 
“Hey, I climbed out first, but if you want to—
 
“No, No. “Ali nodded. “You’re right, come on get up here.” He crouched down, giving access to his back. Lucas went and grabbed the helmet, plopping it on, mostly to hide his eager smile from his best friend. Being bigger did pay off sometimes. As he climbed on Ali’s shoulder’s, Lucas used his arms to put on the padded upper half. Once standing, they both had to awkwardly zipper up the back, then the costume was complete.
 
“Woah,” Lucas said flexing in his bedroom mirror. "We look awesome. Can you walk forward some?”
 
“Uh, okay?” Ali cautiously took small steps. “At least tell me what it looks like? Smells like balls down here.”
 
“So, we're like this giant blue guy.”
 
“Yeah, no duh Lucas, I meant other than that.” Ali’s head poked from the padded abdominals. 
 
“We’d look better if you stopped squirming, you’re stretching it.” Lucas complained. 
 
“Dude, it’s not exactly easy to breathe in this. I’m not so sure the store owner knew what he was talking about with this being for 2. Also jack ass, your crotch is literally on my neck right now.” 
 
Lucas watched the head below complain. Annoyed, he took a hand and pushed the protrusion back in, overpowering the resistance.  Strange heat erupted from the suit. A glow pierced through the fabric. Both of their bodies outlined: They were the source. Pressure pressed Lucas’ head as the helmet melded to the suit.
 
"I…I feel weird." Ali stated. Lucas hand accidentally pressed in more on the padding, then he felt Ali’s head give way like…mush? The costume extended, stretching out as if pulled by taffy to swallow Lucas’ hands and Ali’s feet. There was not a single visible part of their flesh. The plastic helmet turned into the same soft material as the suit. Meanwhile, inside, Lucas felt his best friend in the world completely melt. Going from one moment of having someone propping him up to an amorphous blob of light holding Ali’s shape. Lucas couldn't process it because the suit was doing the same to him as well. His body was glowing so bright as it lost its fidelity.  
 
Then, Lucas became thoughts and feelings floating before being ushered down by the suit. Two separate forms collapsed upon each other, then began to intertwine. For Lucas the experience was like diving straight into Ali’s opening arms and falling inside him. Ali had fully encompassed him in an embrace more intimate than a hug. Everywhere Lucas turned there was more of Ali. As for Ali, he got the sensation of being propelled upwards, cramming deep into Lucas. He had, in essence, stuffed Lucas to the brim with his entire existence and Lucas had done the same to him.
 
When exactly did Lucas realize, he had sensed Ali’s thoughts and Ali had sensed his? That his best friend's mind and his own had no separation. They had connected. Emotions and thoughts tangling together. There were no secrets they could hide from each other as they were made to expect the full breadth of the other person. Their stupid argument even played back. Ali thinking Lucas wasn’t taking him seriously, Lucas not backing down. They felt the other person’s feelings as their own. Understanding beyond the humanely possible.
 
Then Lucas and Ali were gone. Their consciousnesses ceased as they coalesced into a new singular existence.
 
The costume, under its own direction, manipulated the light within. Unseen, flesh mixed and bonded, congealing into a larger form. Spines stacked and doubled in size as bones and nerves were melded into larger forms underneath. Limbs lengthened adding mass, palms and soles extending. Muscles became unified and kept coming in. Soft breaths of separate lungs, integrated into one, as a powerful chest developed pecs that rapidly swelled into a titanic force. The body followed the blueprints, sculpting the definition the new form needed across all its features. The height reached 6’2”. A tall beefy body loaded up with repurposed parts. shoulder width, arms, and legs only served to make the body look even larger. When the head arose, an amalgamation of refined features, short dark wavy hair spilled from his head, as matching black felt became his body hair.
 
Finally, the last glow of the white form extinguished and there was just a man remaining.
 
Opening his eyes, the man saw the outside world with a blurred vision…before realizing he still had the helmet on. “Dummy.” A voice stated jokingly. The man tried to take off the helmet, only to end up pulling it down. There was no more plastic, only a unified Lycra suit. He was confused. Not just about that, everything felt so unfamiliar in new. Turning his head, he could have sworn he heard Ali a moment ago. No, he heard Lucas. 
 
Wait, he was Lucas.
 
No, he was Ali. 
 
He pulled the suit further down to his mid-section, finding nothing but a thick set of abs waiting for him. No other person in the suit. Just Him.

"Uh, Ali?" The man whispered low to his torso where his friend should have been. His pecs flexed in response. He paused, then said, "Lucas?" His chest pumped again. 
 
The man took a deep exhale, processing he was both Lucas and Ali and yet someone else. The voice he heard was his inner voice, giving him shit. It sounded like a friend, so naturally he thought it was his best friend. Upon standing up the world tilted as he rose high off the ground, and the sheer size of his body shocked him. He was heavy and his feet thudded onto the floor when he tried to correct his stance.
 
He was moving mostly by faith as he could barely see past his chest. Twin slabs of brown beef that jutted from his body. Pulling the Lycra from his lower half, he saw a large bulge that sat in a rich shade of indigo boxer briefs, a mixture of Lucas’ and Ali’s. There was a twitch from that region. Catching sight of himself, in Lucas’ mirror he made a muscle. A large bicep rose to the occasion, a vein running over it. The man traced it with his fingers. “Sweet.” He let out.
 
His head jutted up from the silky tone that emerged from his own vocal cords. That was his voice? How’d it get so deep? Then again, looking at himself in the mirror, he was way older than the boys, but hopefully not as old as their dads. He combed through his dark hair. No trace of gray anywhere. Then he moved to the hair on his chest. More than a tuft, it was a proper dusting, covering everything but the mahogany-colored nipples. “This is crazy, right?” he turned similar to how Lucas would have, expecting Ali to be at his side. However, he wasn't Lucas and Ali couldn’t answer; Ali was a part of him.
 
Looking back to the mirror, he studied his enormity. He filled up the space where two young men used to compete to see their reflections. How the hell had it happened? Lucas and Ali crashing on top of each other and becoming a larger man. He’d have to think of a solution preferably before Lucas’ dad came to check on them. At least the man would be able to think without the boys bickering.
 
 He paused. 
 
There was no arguing in his head. No disgruntled feelings. Without even actively realizing it, Lucas and Ali had made up. Then his thoughts flashed back to the store owner. Had that been the plan all along to get them to stop fighting by making them one guy?
 
Shaking his head, the man went to remove the costume, turning his neck. “Holy fuck!” The words fell from his mouth as he spotted his dump trunk of an ass. A curvature demonstrated perfectly by the Lycra’s skintight grip. Hell, he could even see boxer briefs through it; they were stretched so taut. He flexed and watched his glutes move to his rhythm. Real without a doubt. 
 
His fingers grazed the zipper. A chill traveled through his body. What would happen to him if he got out of the suit. Would he be stuck that way, or would he turn back to the people he was composed of. Did he even want that? The two had finally made up in him, but he wasn’t just them he was his own person what was his say in it?

Then again, he didn't have to take the outfit fully off. He pulled the suit down until it was at his knees. The two friends had not returned. His eyes locked on to his monstrous quads. Massive brown hamhocks that'd make a Thanksgiving turkey jealous. Then there was his underwear, unified into one pair. Gripping at the waist band, he slid it down. black pubes, then a juicy dark brown cock came barreling out. The shaft was tinted darker than his body. Twice as thick and twice as long at to what either of his components had. The tip, a big mushroom head with a large vein along the side.

The man stared dumb founded. He thought penises that big only existed on porn stars. The mirror called for his attention again. He turned his head and upon seeing himself, watched as precum dripped into his underwear. His cock wasn't even hard yet, hanging down soft and heavy, but it started to get there. A twist to the side and he could see his bare ass cheeks. He gave it a shake. It jiggled and wobbled. Not just muscle a whole goddamn bakery. That made his cock shoot right up.

Was it Lucas or Ali, making him so self interested? Or was it his own desire of expression? Did it matter? What he wanted to do was grab his cock. So that's exactly what he did. His grip was strong but his cock's throb was stronger. A moan escaped his lips. Warm to the touch. Beast handling some might call it, and his dick was a dragon.  

He gave it a stroke, felt like touching a stranger's cock. Lucas touching Ali. Ali touching Lucas. The man learning about himself. His free hand went lower and explored his balls. Overfilled tangerines that hung low. The combined and increased production, marking him every bit the staple of testosterone he appeared to be. His stroking got faster as he muttered out both his components names. They were making each other feel good; making him feel good. His strong visage deteriorated as he whimpered out their names, the pleasure building. 

No fighting.

No yelling.

Only pleasure. 

Best friends and their big heavy cock. The man was practically drooling, as his own body, dick, and ass  flashed in his head. He was gay as hell. The boys would have to talk that one out later. For now the man was ready to spill their seed—his seed. His cock erupted with long thick ropes shooting to the mirror and sliding down. It kept firing as he thrusted his hips, draining himself. 30 long seconds of splatter after splatter. He stumbled back, bare as on Lucas' bed as the mattress groaned with his weight. "Fuck," he put a hand on his forehead, catching his breath, "I come like a power washer."  A slight smirk was on his lips as he leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees.
 
The door swung open as Mr. Hernandez poked his head inside, "Hey can you keep it down, you can wake the dead with the way you're moving.”  His eyes were locked right onto the new man’s form. The man was frozen solid, caught mostly nude, his cum plastered across the room. Then Mr. Hernandez snapped his fingers, “Lucali, you hear me?”
 
“Oh yeah dad…Mr. Hernandez.” The merged man smiled awkwardly. His cock throbbed as a extra ooze of cum gathered at the tip.
 
“Good,” Mr. Hernandez smiled and shut the door. He said nothing of the stranger in his son’s room.
 
“Guess that means I’m good, but still.” The man turned back to the costume around his legs and with a deep breath, pulled it off his feet. 
 
Lucas and Ali hit the floor, separated once more.
 
“Boys!” Mr. Hernandez yelled.
 
“Sorry,” they said in unison.
 
—
 
When Halloween arrived there was only one costume that was worn all day and well into the night.
 
Lucas and Ali wouldn't be found except in the vestiges of the man strutting around. A Saturday morning and the two had squeezed themselves into a perfect form. Arguments were a thing of the past when they could mind meld and, quite literally, see the world from someone else's point of view.
 
They never did find that costume shop again, driving through the town. It had vanished into thin air. Lucali wasn’t that concerned, he was sure his two halves had got what they needed.  Better communications skills. Not to mention a smoking hot bod to go with it.