Prompt 3: Haunted House

He closes his eyes tight, nose wrinkling as he brings a hand to his face before then sighing heavily into it. Tonight, couldn’t have gone any worse, he doesn’t think, and if it could have, well he doesn’t even want to think about that concept.
“You’re going to have to go locate him, you were the one all excited and dragged us here even after he stated his apprehension.” He states firmly while stepping aside to let someone pass. “We’ll meet back up out the front, no point dragging them back in here, to no doubt flee again. Not to mention we're blocking the through way.” His points made by another group of people trying to get past them, accidently shouldering him into the cobwebs smothered wall behind him, oh that will take forever to get out of his fur.
“But, Abner.”
“No, buts Varen!” He interrupts the other, “I said this would happen, they said this would happen; but nooo, you still had to drag him along to this stupid haunted house. Your fault, you find him.”
With that and a flick of his tail Abner carefully shoved his way past Varen who’s left faintly a gasp at his partner. That is until he realises how right he is, and heads off in the vague direction that poor Divine had fled, he didn’t think the boy would seriously react that violently to a haunted house. 

*** A few hours earlier ***

Abner’s minding his own business, mindlessly humming to whatever that stupid tune is, he heard it on the radio last week and since then he’s just been unable to get it out of his head. His tail swooshes slightly behind him, along to that stupid tune as he goes about his activities. It’s the first proper Halloween they’ve all spent together, past the chaotic first one when Divine arrived, and just a few weeks prior to this day the young lad spoke up that he adores the holiday but had never been able to do anything to celebrate it, and that was something Abner wished to change. Autumn being his time of year after all.
The only problem with this admission in the house is Varen, the older man obsessed with all thing horror, which is the only part Divine does not like in the slightest. The words Haunted House. They have been thrown around a lot recently. Abner, he’s neutral on them, he thinks as he leans up on his toes to hang another garland of paper bats; they’re not the scariest thing to him, rather a fun thrill. If Varen suggest the two of them go on some sort of faux romantic haunted house trip, he’s good with it, may be if he acts frightened enough, he’d get a bit more personal attention. But no, the problem is Varen keeps mention the family, and that firmly includes Divine now. Yeah, as much as Abner adores that they are now firmly a family, he wishes it didn’t mean it right now.
Abner's thoughts turn back to decorating as he steps off the stool he was so precariously balanced on and instead goes to decorating the windowsill. Unpacking the cute little haunted house decoration that he’s had since he was young, this is the type Divine does like. As he goes to pulling out all the little figures, checking them for damage before then carefully setting them up in the ensemble, he doesn’t hear the light footsteps and defiantly doesn’t see Divine enter the room, Maxie just behind him. It’s not until Abner has place every tiny spook and trick or treater and he turns to ensure he’s gotten them all out of the box, that he spots Divine.
“Oh, hello love, do you want to help, I saved a couple of decorations for you to put up if you want.”
Divine nods enthusiastically, his tail tip flicking a little manically behind him.
“You mean it, I get to help?” the way he says it breaks Abner's heart just a little bit. He doesn’t even register until he's done it, as he crosses the room and pulls Divine into a slight hug.
“Of course, I do.” The rest of his sentence is left unsaid as many things can when it comes to Abner. He runs a gentle hand over Divine's arm before then heading into the kitchen to prepare dinner for when Varen returns home.

Abner has just shoved the food in the oven, a simple but good meal, warm for the now chilling autumn evenings. When Varen walks into the room, he hasn’t taken any note of the front door opening but it clearly must have, and a kiss is pressed to Abner’s cheek, it takes him a split second to process it before a warm smile then spreads across his face.
“We’ve missed you today, love.” Then he pauses, a rather suspicious grin is spread across Varen’s face and a slight feeling of dread builds up in Abner’s gut.
Varen doesn’t say anything else until the three gather in the kitchen to eat. Divine talking half a dozen words a second about something that Abner’s trying to pay attention to, but it does get a little difficult with the speed they’re going at. Once however, they’ve stopped to gulp down some food it’s Varen's turn to talk.
“So, I’ve got a surprise for my perfect Halloween loving family, my favourite haunted house company has set one up near us. It’s just 10 minutes away, their opening nights and I got us opening tickets.” He seems so proud of himself and Divine goes almost sheet white as they look nervously at Abner who raises his eyes at Varen. “Now I know you're nervous Divine, but this is perfect family bonding! And you don’t know how sought after these tickets are, I can’t quite believe I got some!” if it was any other situation, Abner thinks, he’s find Varen’s excitement breath taking.
“But, they’re scary Var, I don’t think I’ll go, I can just stay here and look after Maxie!” Divine says, voice quivering despite his attempted bravery. Varen just laughs softly.
“Oh come on Divine, you’ll be fine, you know it’s all fake and me and Abner will be there to protect you. Besides I have three tickets and who else could I take such short notice?” Divine swallows nervously, shuffling closer to Abner subtly in his chair and he places a hand on Divine's back. Showing the young man he’ll support him whatever decision he makes in the matter. “Plus, I know there’s a little gift shop at the end, including the most adorable little monster plushies.”

Divine’s ears flick at the mention of plushies, they’re an avid collector and especially won’t pass up on Halloween themed ones. “Only if I can have a plushie.”
Varen grins, “I’ll buy you one of each monster" 

*** A few hours later ***

They only get as far as the third room, Divine has turned all flitty in Abner’s hand, holding it tight as he jumps and flinched at everything. He wants to stick it out though, not only for the prize but also because Abner asked if they were sure just before they entered and they said he was, and he doesn’t want to let Abner down. He barely noticed the tears currently dripping down his cheeks as he bites back a snivel, he feels like a stupid little child and he isn’t anymore!
Then the fatal moment happens.
They turn a corner and out leaps a rather tall ampha, neon paint mimicking some kind of blood covering his chest, decaying tail flicks from behind him as he snarls at the group. Abner flinched sideways into Varen, knocking both their balance and Divine let’s out a scream, his hand yanks from Abner's and despite his better judgment he runs. Tears streaming his face, hands shaking and breathing heavy.
The scare actor keys onto the events first, “shit” and then Abner who goes pale as he realises Divine is nowhere near them anymore, let alone holding his hand. Varen turns pale, he didn’t expect Divine to get so afraid that he’d run, and the guilt he’s now weighed down with chills him to the bone as the actor disappears and Abner falls into a lecture. He tries to argue back but he knows that he’s the one in the wrong, because of course he is, no haunted house is better than his family's wellbeing. Abner dips back to leave through the entrance as Varen heads further in, muttering prayers that Divine hasn’t gotten stuck somewhere and is currently freaking out.
Guilt fills him over fear from the haunted house, ignoring the scare actors, asking a couple if there’s any chance, they’ve seen the terrified boy and he doesn’t even think about the interactive sections he passes. Never before has he felt so afraid in a haunted house, and the house has nothing to do with it. He pales as he realises, he’s found the exit but still no sign of Divine, he can only hope that maybe he made it all the way through from the speed he was going, and that he’s with Abner.
He pushes the door open, batting the cobwebs away with annoyance and then he breaths again, he didn’t realise he was holding his breath, as he spots Divine in the middle of the little shop, pile of plushies in hand as more seem to be given to him. Varen picks up pace, Divine seems to be okay, tear stained and puffy-eyed but breathing normal.
“Divine, thank gods you’re okay.” It’s now Varen realises he’s crying as the young man turns to see him, tail wagging happily as he registers his friend.
“Var!” he panics for a second, arms full of plushies before they then drop them and tackle Varen into a hug. He can be heard snuffling again and Varen will ignore the fact that he is also snuffling back at him.
“I’m so sorry, I was stupid and knew you wouldn’t like this. I just wanted the family to enjoy something, and I guess a haunted house wasn’t the best thing. Next time, I’ll only bring Abner and I’ll set you and Maxie up with the best movie night you’ve ever thought of.” He pulls back slightly, hands on Divine’s shoulders and searches his eyes for signs of panic.
“I forgive you Var,” then he glances back at the plushies. “but I might need a bigger bribe.”
Varen can’t help but let out a laugh, it seems to mostly have been a laugh of relief but also happiness, he’s so glad that they’re able to joke about it already.
“You know what yeah, I owe you so many plushies for this, and no doubts one for Abner, though I doubt it will get me off of the sofa.” He smiles softly and Divine wags and goes back to the plushie pile.
Varen then notices the other person in the room, well the other one that isn’t one of the specific shop workers, it seems to be the same scare actor from before, the one who caused this mess. Well, he didn’t, he just did his job, it was Varen’s own fault for causing this mess, the blame can’t be passed off onto another. This other steps back towards Divine and leans down to whisper something, Varen can’t catch a single work of it, but it causes his tail to sway furiously with excitement, before he then veers away from the pile and waves Varen over, the actor picking up the other pile and taking them over to the till.
“I, what?” Varen stammers slightly in confusion, watching the other man.
“Don’t worry about it, here’s the plushies.” He points excitedly at the larger of the three sizes of the plushies, the size, Varen notes, wasn’t in the previous pile. Though he doesn’t care too much, he owes the boy four large plushies, so he grabs one of each and an extra vampire bat for Abner.
Varen doesn’t even bother to question the other eight plushies that are added to the pile after he’s paid, in the smaller and medium sizes, he’s not paying for them after all.
“Now, let’s go show Abner I’ve found you alive.”