It was that time of year again: pumpkins were on every doorstep, fake cobwebs hung in shop windows, and the air carried the scent of burning leaves and wood smoke. Halloween was always a big deal, but this year felt different. More thrilling. Y/N had always loved the spooky season, but this time there was an extra layer of excitement. This year, they were going to spend Halloween with Roy Harper.
Roy had been in Y/N’s life for a while now, his sarcastic charm hiding a soft side that only few got to see. Their relationship had deepened over time, evolving from casual banter and playful flirting into something real, something that mattered. And Halloween, as Roy had once confessed, was his favourite time of year. “I like the tricks,” he had said with that smirk that made Y/N’s heart skip a beat. “But the treats aren’t so bad either.”
This year, they’d decided to take on the ultimate Halloween challenge: a haunted house. Not just any haunted house, though. The Dreadnought Mansion was legendary, and known for being the scariest haunted attraction in the city. Every year, they hired professional actors to play monsters, ghosts, and serial killers, all for the sole purpose of scaring people out of their minds.
Y/N wasn’t easily scared, but they had heard the stories. Grown men had run out of the mansion in tears, screaming their lungs out while their friends laughed hysterically. The actors at Dreadnought Mansion were notorious for pushing boundaries, making the experience feel dangerously real. Some even whispered that a few of them had gone too far, but Y/N didn’t buy it. It was all in good fun, right?
The night of Halloween was cold but not unpleasant, with a crisp autumn chill in the air as Y/N and Roy pulled up to the mansion. The full moon hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the towering house, which looked like something out of a gothic novel. Its blackened windows, crumbling stone façade, and iron gates hinted at something both eerie and alluring.
“You ready for this?” Roy asked with a playful grin, sliding his arm around Y/N’s waist as they approached the entrance. His red hair glowed in the moonlight, making him look every bit the devilish rogue he pretended to be.
Y/N glanced up at the mansion, feeling a flutter of excitement mixed with just a hint of nervousness. “I was born ready.”
“That’s my girl,” Roy said, planting a quick kiss on Y/N’s temple before they joined the line of people waiting to enter.
The front of the mansion was lit up with flickering lanterns, giving it an even more ominous look. Fake gravestones littered the front yard, some half-dug, as though someone—or something—had just crawled out of the ground. A creepy soundtrack played over hidden speakers, featuring the occasional distant scream, rattling chains, and ominous whispers. Y/N couldn’t help but shiver, though whether it was from the cold or the atmosphere, they weren’t sure.
As they waited, Roy kept up a steady stream of conversation, teasing Y/N about the different costumes people were wearing. A group of teenagers dressed as zombies walked by, and Roy couldn’t resist.
“Man, if that’s what zombies look like, the apocalypse is gonna be a cakewalk.”
Y/N laughed, nudging him playfully. “Come on, Harper. Don’t pretend like you wouldn’t be the first one to get bitten because you were too busy making fun of them.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Me? Please. I’d be the one leading the survivors, making all the important decisions.”
“Oh? You’d be the leader?”
“Of course,” Roy said, grinning confidently. “And you’d be my second-in-command.”
Y/N gave him a look, fighting back a smile. “Uh-huh. Just keep telling yourself that.”
