"Ban-chan...sometimes I wish the city had an off switch."

Midou Ban looked up from where he had been carefully tracing a pattern and smirked. "That sounds odd coming from someone so inherently electric."

Bouncing away from the window to stand at the edge of the table, Amano Ginji traced a finger in one of the many dents of the wooden top. "Well..." he started, "Everywhere I go there's bats and cats and spiders and... things that are supposed to be scary... and the background is always...black, night, not even stars. But with the city lights, it's never really dark, is it..."

Ban picked up a knife, carefully inserting it in several different places, following along the lines he had traced. "Not here, really...but the oldest Halloween legends come from a long time ago, Ginji... back in an age where they didn't even have electricity like we do now."

The unusual delight on Ban's face was very noticeable to Ginji, and as he peered over his partner's shoulder, he teased. "I thought you didn't like holidays, Ban-chan?"

"Ch..." he shrugged. "I don't, really... but this one is a little different." He would never really speak of those early years, the things he'd seen, the things he'd participated in... better left behind him... but he could at least try to fill in his clueless friend. "Let's just say I have a certain appreciation for the old legends... not all this glitzy candy, flashing lights and bloody horror movies."

Flopping down into the chair beside him, Ginji curled one hand around a half full glass of apple cider thoughtfully. "What kind of old legends? Ghost stories?"

"Not exactly." Ban set the knife down, finally reaching one hand inside the pumpkin to pop out a triangular eye he'd carved. He leaned back to admire his work and then turned to Ginji, letting the violet glasses slide down his nose just a little. "Long ago people believed there was one day out of the year when all the spirits came from their graves to walk the earth... especially spirits that weren't really at rest."

"That's kind of sad..."

Ban nodded, picking up the knife to carve the second eye. "Yeah, maybe... but it also scared people. That day was called All Hallows Eve...and for some reason or another, they started to dress up that night, hoping they'd blend in with all the spirits walking around and not be harmed. Of course, traditional things like ghosts and witches and black cats come from this... nowadays commercialism has taken over and kids want to dress up like Powerpuff Girls, Yu-Gi-Oh characters and their latest favorite pop star."

Ginji laughed softly, tugging at his hood. "Is a cow a traditional costume, Ban-chan?"

Snickering, Ban reached to pop out another eye, then started on the mouth. "I'm not really sure about that..." He was quiet for a moment, waiting for Ginji's next inevitable question. Ban was sure Ginji would never run of questions... and secretly hoped he himself would never run out of answers to them.

"What about... that?"

Turning the pumpkin so that it faced Ginji, he reached inside it again to pop out the various pieces of the mouth and nose. "Jack-o-lanterns... they used to carve turnips and potatoes and stuff, in Europe... but once people sailed to America, they realized pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve."

"But why?"

"Grab the candle," Ban pointed and Ginji scooped up the small black candle. "Black is to ward off evil spirits," Ban started, reaching into his pocket for his lighter. Giving it a flick, he lit the candle and gestured again. "Go on, shut the lights off."

Ginji jumped up, jarring the table in his excitement, and the next moment found Ban glaring at him, the innards of their pumpkin dumped into his lap. "Wai, Ban-chan!" Ginji exclaimed, reaching to try and scoop the gloppy mess back onto the paper plate.

"Baka..." Ban muttered, but he was still smiling. "Forget it, just hit the lights already."

Nodding, Ginji reached for the switch as Ban set the black candle inside the pumpkin, replacing the top carefully. He turned the pumpkin again as the lights went out, the shades over the window almost completely dimming the lights of the city. Ginji laughed in delight as the glow of the candle cast shadows across both of their faces, constantly shifting and changing.

"People placed them in windows and doorways to ward off negative spirits..." Ban murmured, stepping closer to Ginji. "Just the light of one candle..."

"But I have Ban-chan to ward off negative spirits for me," Ginji replied coyly, tilting his head just enough to make the bell on his cow pajamas ring.

Ban smirked, fisting his hand in the black and white print to drag Ginji closer to him. "Better watch out or I'll put a spell on you," he whispered once their faces were only a few inches apart, and delighted as Ginji's eyes went wide.

"B-ban-chan!" he squeaked and Ban laughed.

"Or maybe..." he started again, leaning to brush his lips against Ginji's. "If you show me a trick... I'll give you a treat."

Grinning as he watched the flames reflected in Ban's magical eyes, Ginji kissed him back, adding one last hopeful word. "Moo?"