Nate's New Perspectives: Birthday Bonus (Pt. 1) (Patreon)

Hey folks, this story is part one of a two-parter that I wrote for my good friend Soul Controller in celebration of his birthday on December 4th. Part two will be posted in a couple days!

It wasn’t uncommon for Nate to experience a chaotic mix of emotions in the week leading up to his birthday each year, but this year things seemed extra precarious. While he tried his best to remain optimistic, the truth was that his time as a twenty-four year old had been fraught with assorted stresses and bitter disappointments. Not only had his retail job somehow managed to become even more infuriating due to the presence of a new manager but he also found himself getting continually dragged back into family dramas that he thought he’d left behind after moving out of his home state. Although he didn’t like to be a defeatist, Nate was miserably aware that he had fallen into a rut and as such, he wasn’t sure just how up to celebrating he even was.

All that being said, discovering that his boyfriend hadn’t even bothered to plan anything in recognition of his birthday sent Nate into something of a fury. While his boyfriend was usually rather attentive and their relationship was one of the most positive aspects of Nate’s life, this oversight felt like a punch right in the gut. To make matters worse, when his boyfriend had phoned around to try and make a booking at a selection of their favorite local restaurants, nobody had any free tables. Despite not wanting to make a big fuss out of his birthday, the thought of spending it in the apartment they shared with his boyfriend’s older brother and having takeout for dinner was incredibly depressing.

With this disheartening vision occupying the forefront of his mind, Nate actually found himself entertaining an idea that his boyfriend had thrown out as a joke - namely going to the costume party that his brother was planning to attend on the night of Nate’s birthday. While Nate had never exactly gotten along with his boyfriend’s brother (thanks mostly to the ex-jock’s slobbish manner and obnoxiously straight attitudes), getting dressed up in a costume, having a few drinks and listening to music seemed like a more enjoyable night than staying home. He didn’t exactly have high hopes for the crowd that his boyfriend’s brother hung around with - probably more rednecks who had peaked in high school just like him - but it might at least make for a funny story that Nate could share with his internet penpals. Me and my boyfriend hanging out with a bunch of straight meatheads and blonde bimbos, what could possibly go wrong?

To his surprise, there hadn’t been any objections about Nate and his boyfriend tagging along to the costume party but they’d been informed that it was of vital importance that they stuck to the theme: the career you wanted when you were five years old. The revelation that there was a theme in the first place and that it was apparently being stringently enforced made Nate laugh. That seemed more like the behavior of a bunch of overzealous teenagers rather than fully grown adults but hey, what else could be expected from the kind of crowd who referred to high school as their glory days?

As he cast his mind back to his childhood, it didn’t take Nate long to recall what his dream career had been back in 2002. Given he had been in a household where the Jurassic Park trilogy was regularly on repeat, it was hardly surprising that Nate had become obsessed with dinosaurs and had started to insist that when he grew up he was going to be a paleontologist like Dr Alan Grant, the protagonist of his favorite movie. Although he’d given up on that plan by the time he was eight (the realization that he’d be mostly working in scorching conditions in the desert had definitely played a part in that, because Nate really didn’t enjoy being under oppressive heat), it seemed like an easy enough costume to pull together without much difficulty. He wasn’t sure how movie literate the crowd at the party would be but if anybody recognised him as basically doing an Alan Grant cosplay then it might make for a decent icebreaker. As a fairly socially anxious person when he was around strangers, Nate was thankful for anything that might make the experience run a little smoother and he was keeping his fingers crossed that his costume would do that!

Rather than shopping online for the various pieces he’d need for his outfit, Nate elected to follow the advice of his boyfriend’s brother and check out the year-round costume store that had recently opened in the next town over. Originally his boyfriend had agreed to come along with him but he’d been called in for an emergency cover shift at work so Nate was forced to go it alone. Truthfully he wasn’t too sorry about that though as it meant that he could perhaps purchase a second costume that he might be able to use in the privacy of their bedroom. While he and his boyfriend didn’t do too much roleplaying, it was always something Nate had been quietly interested in and the prospect of bringing that desire into fruition was an exciting one. Maybe that could be how they celebrated his twenty-fifth birthday?

The store itself was rather nondescript from the exterior, featuring gold lettering on a black banner with its name - Cavanaugh Costumes - and a window display of three mannequins, each wearing a different ensemble. Upon glancing at the storefront for a few moments, Nate gently pushed open the door and stepped inside. He was immediately greeted by the sound of lo-fi music playing through the store’s speakers and a pleasant smell that reminded him vaguely of a bonfire on a summer night. What struck Nate most about the interior of the establishment was how much bigger it was than it had appeared to be from the outside. The various rows of costumes and props seemed to go on forever! There was so much to see that Nate didn’t know where to start, at least not until the clearing of a throat drew his attention away from the costumes and towards the person who had somehow appeared at his side without his notice.

Upon inspecting this new arrival, Nate was quick to notice that the older man (perhaps in his late thirties or early forties) was conventionally attractive, with the kind of good looks that one might expect from the leading man in a Hallmark movie. His short dark hair was complemented by light stubble and a pair of piercing blue eyes, while his white shirt was stretched over what appeared to be a decently muscular torso. While Nate preferred his men to be a little less generic looking, he certainly wasn’t complaining about sharing his immediate personal space with a good looking man, especially one who wore such a kind and welcoming smile. 

“Welcome to Cavanaugh Costumes!” the man greeted in a rich Canadian accent, his wide smile exposing two rows of bright white teeth. “My name’s Luke and I’m here to assist you with everything you might need today. What about yourself: what should I call you and what are you looking for?”

Considering he worked in retail himself, Nate knew all too well when an employee was putting on a show for the customer’s benefit while secretly loathing every moment of it, but this didn’t seem to be it. Luke seemed genuinely enthused by the prospect of helping Nate pick out a costume and that in itself was rather startling. “Oh, I’m Nate and I’m just looking for something for a costume party I’m going to later tonight,” the younger man replied, blushing ever so slightly as he clasped the man’s extended hand and shook it. Luke’s grip was incredibly firm around Nate’s and the resulting handshake was unsurprisingly strong and substantial as a result. “The theme is careers we wanted when we were younger and I thought being a paleontologist would be cool… kind of a niche costume, I know. Do you think you have anything like that?”

“I’m sure we do,” Luke replied instantly, his tone remaining incredibly charming. “Please, follow me.” The older man began to walk between two shelving units that each contained variations upon a general costume concept. As they walked, Nate was quick to take notice of attires that were of the standard affair - police officers, firefighters, doctors - as well as some that were a little more niche, such as hockey players, medieval era executioners and even tentacle monsters. He also caught sight of some that were clearly supposed to embody famous fictional characters like Indiana Jones or Princess Leia, giving him hope that he might find something for Dr Alan Grant. He’d even settle for the protagonist of the Jurassic World trilogy, Owen Grady, if only because Chris Pratt was hot.

To Nate’s great surprise, Luke suddenly halted between a selection of costumes, none of which seemed to fit his request. “Is there a problem?” he asked meekly, watching as the other man glanced between the costumes on either side before fixing his gaze back on the customer. A shiver ran down Nate’s spine as Luke looked him up from head to toe and then smiled. The younger man felt compelled to glance over his shoulder and discovered in amazement that he could no longer see the front of the store even though it didn’t feel like they had been walking for all that long! How is that even possible?

“I think I’ve found the perfect match for you,” Luke exclaimed proudly, reaching up to the shelf and removing a hanger that contained the assorted garments making up a soldier costume. Nate stared at the camouflage pants and jacket for a few seconds before quickly shaking his head. In what world was this a ‘perfect match’ for Nate? He was pretty much a pacifist and had never once wanted to be a soldier, not even as a child, so it wouldn’t fit the party’s theme at all. Besides, it wasn’t even remotely close to the suggestion he’d given Luke back at the front of the store! Had the man just completely ignored him in favor of trying to shill him something that was probably much more expensive? Nate could see that there were a pair of authentic-looking leather boots underneath where the costume had been hanging, as well as a bag of accessories including a belt and a pair of sunglasses. How much would those additions raise the price?

“I- I’m really sorry, Luke, but this isn’t really what I was looking for,” Nate replied timidly. Being more of a sensitive individual than a confrontational one, he always felt somewhat awkward when having to disagree with someone, especially when they were polite and cordial. “I wanted something that could work as a paleontologist or-- or anything Jurassic Park inspired, if that’s possible. I don’t think a soldier’s really for me, sorry.”

This refusal caused the older man to frown and lightly shake his head. “Of course, of course. How about you at least try it on though?” Luke encouraged. “You might never know what other purpose you might find for it.” That added comment felt much more weighted than it perhaps appeared on the surface, so much so that Nate found himself thinking back to his earlier considerations of picking up something to help him and his boyfriend spice things up a little. For a fleeting moment Nate even considered the prospect that Luke had read his mind but he quickly dismissed the notion for being too absurd to possibly be true. This wasn’t one of the fantasy or sci-fi books that Nate had read growing up, this was reality and their reality was admittedly incredibly mundane.

“I- I don’t know, I really don’t think it would suit me,” Nate protested weakly, although he found himself accepting the hanger of clothes as Luke thrust it towards him. Now that he was closer to the jacket, the newly twenty-five year old was able to see the sizing on the label - a large - and that only furthered his reluctance. “I think it’s going to be too small for me,” he expressed. Nate had developed something of a thicker build in his adult years and deliberately wore XLs and even 2XLs to avoid discomfort. If he was to give into the other man’s attempts to pressure him and actually try the costume on, he’d look totally realistic!

“Do it for me?” Luke asked, collecting the boots and bag of accessories from the shelves underneath where the costume had been hanging. As the man returned to his full height, he was once again wearing a charming smile and there was an earnestness in his bright blue eyes that forced Nate’s resolve to crumble. Upon the customer’s nod of confirmation, Luke pumped his fist in the air in celebration. “Right this way then, Nate. Trust me, you aren’t going to regret this!” He began leading the customer to the end of that row of costumes which took several minutes, during which Luke asked various questions about Nate’s life and work. Once at the end of the row, they then took a left turn and continued on before finally stopping in front of a singular dressing room.

As they walked, Nate had tried his best to map out his surroundings but it was nigh on impossible for him to keep up. He was absolutely certain that there was something very strange about the store, as it simply couldn’t match up to the size of the exterior. How the hell is that even possible though? Nate mused on this concept for a few moments before his attention was caught by Luke once again clearing his throat and then waving him towards the open dressing room. The man had already placed the boots and the bag of accessories inside, as well as taking the costume from Nate’s now empty hands (when had he done that?) and hanging it up inside the small square room.

“If you have any issues, do feel free to let me know, but I’m not anticipating that to be the case,” Luke offered in somewhat cryptic fashion as he placed a hand on the small of Nate’s back and not so subtly guided him into the dressing room. “Trust me, this is going to be a perfect fit for you!” Nate wished he had the same confidence - truthfully he was dreading what he would end up seeing in the mirror once it was all on!

After closing the door to the dressing room behind him, the anxious twenty-five year old let out a long sigh. His eyes lingered on the camouflage jacket and although he had severe doubts that it would look any good on him, he admired how authentic the garment appeared to be. “This can only end well,” Nate sarcastically muttered to himself as he removed the jacket, pants and t-shirt from the hanger. Following that, he stripped down until he was in nothing beyond his boxers and socks. The store’s air conditioning was a little cooler than Nate would have liked, prompting him to shiver and hurry to get the costume garments onto his body just for a little bit of much needed warmth.

The sooner I show Mr Pretty out there how terrible I’ll look in this, the sooner he can find me a costume I actually want, Nate thought to himself as he squeezed the camo pants up over his thick thighs and then took the belt out of the accessories bag. Considering the tightness of the pants around his waist, Nate possibly didn’t need the belt at all but it didn’t seem right to leave any part of the costume behind. That said, he had been less nervous about the pants than he had been about the garments for his upper half. The softness around his stomach and the broadness of his shoulders meant that it was difficult for the young man to find clothes that didn’t look unflattering on him and he had minimal hopes for the pickle green tee that he was currently holding in his hands. Sure enough, the item was tight around both his broad chest and bulging stomach and only just managed to fit over his gut. This is ridiculous! Nate thought to himself miserable.

Now hurrying to complete the look and get the whole ordeal over and done with, Nate pulled on the jacket and was surprised by just how light it felt on his body, like it was more of an over-shirt than a jacket. Still deliberately facing away from the mirror, the man quickly began to button the front up. The sleeves of the item were rolled all the way up, although Nate’s thick but weak arms hardly made for an impressive sight. Considering he hadn’t seen the inside of the gym since his college days, Nate had already known that he didn’t have the strength and muscular size in order to look like a convincing soldier, but seeing just how lacking his arms were when clad in the soldier costume was mildly embarrassing. If anything, it actually made him want to sign up for a gym membership, although Nate’s anxiety meant he’d probably never actually use it, for fear of embarrassing himself in front of guys that were not only twice the size of him but also three times as strong!

The final part of the costume that needed to be added to the ensemble were the boots. As he reached down to loosen the laces and give himself some space to slide his feet into them, Nate’s nose was overwhelmed by a pungent smell of leather and an overpowering male musk. It was enough to make his head spin and he almost lost his balance, although he was able to steady himself at the last moment. Has somebody else been wearing these? The mere thought made Nate’s stomach turn. Such a strong stench surely couldn’t come from being tried on just once or twice, these had to have been worn with some level of consistency and recently too! Nate was in half a mind to burst out of the dressing room and angrily demand an answer from Luke but just as he was contemplating it, he heard the other man’s voice calling to him from the other side of the door: “Don’t forget to put the boots on!” Even though every part of Nate’s mind was revolted by the idea of following this instruction, he felt bizarrely compelled to do as he was told and his body seemed to operate on autopilot as he undid the laces and placed his feet into each of the boots. Just like the other items that made up the costume, the shoes were much too large to be a perfect fit for Nate and he was certain that if he attempted to walk any sort of distance in them then they would flop around mercilessly, even with the laces tied as tight as they would be. Look at me in my flop era, the young man thought sardonically as he rose back to his full height and sighed once more.

With every part of the costume now adorning his body, there was nothing left for Nate to do other than turn and finally face the mirror. Just as he’d anticipated, he looked rather ridiculous given how large the items of clothing were upon him, as well as just how generally unsuited his softer facial features were for a position that was by nature incredibly aggressive. “Yeah, I’m sorry dude but this really isn’t-- ugh! Fuck, what was that?!” Nate had been in the middle of calling through the closed door when a sudden cramping pain shot through his lower gut, forcing him to keel forwards slightly. What he had been too preoccupied to notice was that the words after his grunt of pain and surprise had emerged at a whole octave lower than his typical speaking voice.

After taking a few moments to steady his breathing, Nate stretched back up to his full height and once again came face to face with his reflection. Bizarrely though, there seemed to be something different about the image before him, although Nate couldn’t place it at first. It took a few seconds for the realization to manifest but when it did, the young man was propelled into a state of severe confusion. The t-shirt and jacket were no longer being stretched out across the slight gut that the young man had always felt somewhat self conscious about and waistline also bizarrely appeared to be slimmer. How was that possible though? Body weight didn’t just disappear like that, but when Nate pressed a hand to his stomach, he was unable to deny it: his midsection was now totally flat! A laugh of sheer delirium burst out of him. What in the hell was going on?

To be continued...