It's late October, and the air is crisp with the scent of leaves and the faintest hint of pumpkin spice as you and Kaldur walk hand in hand through your neighborhood. The streetlights cast a warm, amber glow as you make your way toward your house, where you've promised to introduce him to all things Halloween.
Kaldur tilts his head curiously, taking in the yards decked with fake cobwebs, gravestones, and skeletons. You can see the slight confusion mixed with awe in his teal-colored eyes as he glances around at the holiday decorations. He's from Atlantis, after all, where Halloween isn't exactly celebrated. As Aqualad, he's faced down supervillains and led the Young Justice team, but this is a whole new world for him.
"Humans... celebrate death in a very different way," he murmurs, almost to himself, as he stops in front of a yard filled with zombies clawing out of the ground. "It’s fascinating."
You smile, gently squeezing his hand to pull him out of his reverie. "Halloween isn't all about death, though! It's a little creepy, sure, but it's mostly just fun. We dress up, we trick-or-treat, carve pumpkins, watch scary movies... there's even a whole tradition of haunted houses."
Kaldur turns to you, eyebrows raised. "Haunted houses?"
"Yeah, haunted houses! They're kind of like…" you pause, thinking of how to explain it. "They're places where people go to get scared. It's all fake, of course—people dress up as ghosts and monsters to try and frighten you."
Kaldur frowns, seeming both intrigued and hesitant. "You... choose to be frightened?"
"Exactly!" you laugh, and he just shakes his head, a small, affectionate smile tugging at his lips.
Arriving at your place, you lead him into the living room, which you’ve decorated with every classic Halloween element you could think of. Fake bats dangle from the ceiling, a carved jack-o'-lantern sits on the windowsill, and you've even set out some plastic spiders and a bowl of candy on the table.
Kaldur's eyes light up as he takes it all in. "It's... unique," he says, his voice soft but genuinely impressed. "Atlantis has many festivals, but nothing quite like this."
"Well, tonight you're getting the full Halloween experience." You nudge him with a playful grin. "First up—pumpkin carving."
You hand him a small, rounded pumpkin along with a carving knife, then sit beside him on the floor, guiding him as you both start on your jack-o'-lanterns. Kaldur is surprisingly meticulous, focusing intently on carving a perfect face. Every so often, he glances at you to make sure he's doing it right.
"It's not so different from some art forms in Atlantis," he says after a while, admiring the way the flickering candlelight inside his jack-o'-lantern makes it come to life. "Though it seems… temporary?"
You chuckle, setting down your own carved pumpkin. "It is. Part of the magic, I guess. Just like the holiday itself—it’s here for a little while, and then it’s gone."
He nods thoughtfully. "I think I understand. There is beauty in temporary things."
Next, you set up a spooky movie marathon. Kaldur sits close, and you wrap a blanket around the two of you as the first horror movie begins. You can feel his arm tighten around you at the tense parts, his eyes fixed on the screen with a mixture of horror and fascination. It’s adorable, really—watching him, someone so used to real danger, get absorbed in the suspense of a scary movie.
"This is... unsettling," he says quietly during a particularly scary scene, but there's a hint of excitement in his tone. "I can see why you enjoy it, though. It's thrilling in a strange way."
The final Halloween activity is the one you've been most excited to share with him: costumes. You bring out two matching costumes you picked out—a classic pair of superheroes that you knew he would appreciate. Kaldur is a bit surprised when you hand him the costume, raising an eyebrow as he holds it up, but he changes into it nonetheless.
When he steps out of the bathroom in costume, you can't help but admire him, heart fluttering as he strikes a playful pose. He's clearly a little unsure, but the soft smile on his face lets you know he’s enjoying this too.
"So, what do we do now that we’re dressed up?" he asks, looking around.
"Trick-or-treating is mostly for kids," you say, laughing, "but we could walk around the neighborhood. Plus, I have some candy we can share."
As you both wander back outside, your hands once again intertwined, Kaldur keeps glancing at you in a way that makes your heart warm. "Thank you for sharing this with me," he says, his voice sincere. "It's... comforting to experience a holiday with your loved ones in such a joyful way."
"That's one of the best parts of Halloween," you reply softly, leaning your head against his shoulder. "It’s a little spooky, a little silly, but it’s a great time to be with people you care about."
Under the moonlit sky, surrounded by the soft glow of jack-o'-lanterns and the playful shouts of trick-or-treaters, Kaldur pulls you close, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. "Then I am glad to experience it with you."
And together, you walk through the Halloween night, lost in each other's warmth, feeling like you’ve both made a new tradition to treasure.
