Alex considered for a moment. "Yeah, if it works, I'd rather have my own space, even if it's little and all. Sometimes I can't stand the sound of somebody else, you know?" He realised that both of the jobs he'd chosen/been assigned were solitary positions, working odd hours and late nights in the greenhouse, or brewing potions in the dungeons where everyone else was focused on a different task and idle chatter wasn't encouraged or welcomed.
Thank the fates, because Alex was pants at idle chatter anyway.
He leaned into the halfway hug, then snorted softly. "Oh yeah. Frozen blanket of ice is so much better than wet snow. Bring on the fur!" He shook his head and unfolded his long legs from under the bench. "You're a tool, Jamie, you know it?"
Alex dug into his pocket for a hairtie and slipped it around his wrist, then looked toward the door. "Guess I'm off to the greenhouse. There's a hundred and twelve seedlings that want replanting." He shot James a grin. "If you're bored, I've got extra gloves..."