"It includes all my cooking," Joel says with a laugh, letting himself be led up the stairs and he's been thinking lately that he should give Spencer a key to the store and to his apartment above. He only leaves the upstairs door locked when the store is open, just in case any customers decide to wander up there and he misses them, but he likes the idea of Spencer having a way to get in even if Joel isn't around. If he needs anything or just wants to be there when Joel gets home, he should be able to, he thinks, and he knows he has a spare set of keys somewhere upstairs, probably on the pegboard by the door where he leaves his car keys the majority of the time. He makes a note to look for them later, maybe just to slip them onto Spencer's keyring when he's not looking.
When Spencer speaks, though, his smile softens a little and although he hadn't doubted him, it still feels awfully good to hear, a warmth spreading through the centre of his chest. "Good," he says and he knows it's just a single word, it's not nearly enough of a response to give Spencer in return, but it's the only one he can think of because it truly is the best thing he's ever heard. "That sounds good."
Once they're inside, Joel sets his keys down, glancing at the others hanging by the door and sure enough there's the spare set. A key for the store, for his apartment and even one for the back room downstairs. He smiles faintly to himself, already planning on finding a way to get them onto Spencer's keyring without him noticing sometime tonight.
"Sit," he says, directing Spencer to the table as he walks toward his oven. The shepherd's pie is cooling on top, still hot enough that he won't need to warm it up again and he takes two plates out of the cupboard overheard, busying himself with preparing lunch for the both of them. It still feels strange sometimes, to be taking another person into consideration when he goes about his daily routine, but he likes how it feels. It's far less lonely.
He returns to the table a few minutes later with two plates and utensils, then gets a pitcher of iced tea from the fridge, filling a glass for each of them before he sinks into his chair. "I like this," he says without thinking. "Having you here. Cooking for you. I like it."
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When Spencer speaks, though, his smile softens a little and although he hadn't doubted him, it still feels awfully good to hear, a warmth spreading through the centre of his chest. "Good," he says and he knows it's just a single word, it's not nearly enough of a response to give Spencer in return, but it's the only one he can think of because it truly is the best thing he's ever heard. "That sounds good."
Once they're inside, Joel sets his keys down, glancing at the others hanging by the door and sure enough there's the spare set. A key for the store, for his apartment and even one for the back room downstairs. He smiles faintly to himself, already planning on finding a way to get them onto Spencer's keyring without him noticing sometime tonight.
"Sit," he says, directing Spencer to the table as he walks toward his oven. The shepherd's pie is cooling on top, still hot enough that he won't need to warm it up again and he takes two plates out of the cupboard overheard, busying himself with preparing lunch for the both of them. It still feels strange sometimes, to be taking another person into consideration when he goes about his daily routine, but he likes how it feels. It's far less lonely.
He returns to the table a few minutes later with two plates and utensils, then gets a pitcher of iced tea from the fridge, filling a glass for each of them before he sinks into his chair. "I like this," he says without thinking. "Having you here. Cooking for you. I like it."