Alec had never been one for parties and was fairly certain he would never be. Lots of people, loud music, forced small talk... It all grated at his ever-dwindling patience and only furthered his introverted nature. His first - and last - real party experience had been at a wedding, back when he was sixteen. He could very vividly recall the state of mind-numbing boredom he had found himself in. If he remembered correctly he’d spent the whole time sitting somewhere by himself, people-watching. Parties just weren’t his thing.

Then there was you — Alec’s complete opposite when it came to socialising. Far more extroverted, though that wasn’t exactly an Olympic feat when compared to Alec. The man was practically allergic to fun. This year, you had your heart set on a Halloween party. You'd been hounding him about it for months, and after what felt like a relentless campaign of pleading and puppy eyes, Alec finally caved. Begrudgingly.

Now, with only a couple of hours left before guests arrived, the two of you were in a mad dash to get the house ready. Alec was helping you string up decorations you’d grabbed from Poundland. Plastic spiders, fake cobwebs — the whole tacky, spooky kit. You were fussing over a cobweb, trying to get it just right on the table, while Alec fiddled with a plastic spider.

“How’s this look?” you asked, stepping back to assess your handiwork.

Alec glanced at it, placing a spider into the web. “Looks terrifying,” he said in the most dry tone he could manage. Well, wasn’t he just a bundle of fun?