happiness is a warm puppy [open to all]

[doublethepain]

He's definitely come down with something.

It's hardly cause for panic, really, just a bit of congestion; some coughing that he thinks he's done a fair job of keeping under wraps; maybe a slightly sore throat, a few pressure headaches here and there, a case of the chills; but he's fine, Spencer is sure of it. He's fine because he's got a ring on his finger and a puppy at the end of his leash, so there's nothing at all in his life that he can complain about right now.

John had most generously given him half a day off--"a wedding gift from me to you" is how his boss had put it--so Spencer had stopped back at home to get Huxley before heading in some direction or another, he hadn't really had a plan. It's not very surprising that his feet seem to take him in the direction of Crossroads, as they so often do, but a part of him hopes that he'll run into some people he knows on the way there. He has news, after all, and he's not one to call up all his friends--not that it would take long, he muses--to share even the most exciting parts of his life, but he does want people to know.

He's happy, happier than he's ever been and not just since his mother and Dane had died. He has so much to be thankful for, so much to come to look forward to, and he can't remember the last time he'd felt so optimistic about his future. He smiles to himself as he watches Huxley sniff at the grass on the sidewalk before the puppy scrambles to meet a pair of feet that's headed their way, jumping up on his hind legs to paw at the stranger. Spencer's smile doesn't fade as he lifts his head to look at the other person; in fact, it only grows wider.

"You're in for it now," he says, a teasing edge to his tone. "Huxley seems to grow attached to people far too quickly for his own good."




[OOC: Spencer's a little under the weather right now because I am, too but he's in an excellent mood so it would be a great time to say hello, whether your character has already met him or not :) Find him walking his and Joel's new puppy Huxley or catch him wherever is convenient for your character to be. As long as that place allows dogs.]

Comments

[aoife_coombs]

"Oh, Oh, he works in the library. No wonder I don't know him, I never go there."

Except that time when she found Isaiah there. Isaiah. Aoife feels like she can jump out of her skin and flutter away and hugs herself to prevent that from happening. "That's sweet of you, Joel. But as long as you're happy and he's happy, there's no need for anything else to be on your mind. Right?"

[just_another]

"We are happy. But I'd still like my friends to know him," he says, one corner of his mouth lifting into a faint smile. "I don't have a whole lot of those." Which is something he's perfectly content with. He's never needed a large group of friends around him and being close to just a few people has always made him more comfortable than the idea of having to engage in large social gatherings. But Aoife is one of the few people he considers himself close to and he thinks Spencer will quite like her.

"How have you been?" he asks, closing the lid of his laptop. The books can wait, especially since he's really only looking at the possibility of renovations.

[aoife_coombs]

Aoife blushes, too brightly for him calling her a friend (she's close to getting used to that), but for the show of interest. It's not a good idea to share, because surely he will pick it all apart and show her where she went wrong with Isaiah. But she hasn't told anyone yet and Amelie isn't reachable so maybe..

"I live with my cousin now. We covered the Coombs family house in spells and wards to keep the media out. It was quite a thrill." Aoife breathes out through her nose. "And I went to a dinner party. Made it rain, but only outside."

[just_another]

"It must be a pain, dealing with the media right now," he says, wishing that wasn't the case. He knows what people are saying around town, he knows who they're blaming for the cruise ship and he has no idea what is or isn't true, but he does know, regardless of what her mother may have done, it certainly isn't Aoife's fault. Or the fault of her sisters.

Of course, Joel has never particularly liked the media in this town.

"I wish they would leave you all alone," he says, shaking his head. "So you made it rain at a party."

[aoife_coombs]

"Oh, yes. In a way. I think they consider me the boring dolt so I'm not bothered that much but it isn't fair to the others."

She sighs, pulls a piece of hair back behind her ear. "But yes, I agree on your wish."

"Hm-hm. Things got emotional and I drank too much. Hereby a warning to never let me drink anything. It messes up things."

[just_another]

He still wishes she wouldn't say such things about herself and he looks over with a faint, exasperated smile as he shakes his head. Aoife has a lot more to offer than he thinks she realizes and if he were better at speaking from his heart, he thinks he might try harder to build her up, make her see herself in a better light, but he knows he isn't very good at that.

"Things got emotional in what way?" he asks curiously. "Good or bad?"

[aoife_coombs]

"Um."

She feels her cheeks heat up again, the blush rise with doubts about Isaiah and what they did.

"I kissed someone out of frustration and it turned into something elsd and now I'm just nervous all the time about everything. More than usual, anyway. And mostly involving him."

[just_another]

Joel honestly isn't sure what to say to that, mostly because he feels like Aoife is trusting him with information that he doesn't think she has trusted most people with and he wants to respond in a way that doesn't make her feel like that trust has been misplaced. "What do you mean it turned into something else?" Whoever it is that she kissed, she certainly seems to like him, if the blush in her cheeks is anything to go by. Joel thinks it must be, because he remembers quite well how often he had blushed when he and Spencer had first begun their relationship. Even now, given the right incentive, he finds his face feeling awfully warm.

[aoife_coombs]

She bites her lip.

"He didn't run. He doesn't think it's a stupid idea and - well I made him soaking wet because I rained over him so I invited him over to the family manor ..we did nothing though, of course not. I don't like that st-"

Aoife feels herself become lightheaded. "It's been a while. Since I couldn't keep my emotions in control, they were always been connected to my magic and I feel miserable about it. But the eh - kissing thing as well. It's not that important, you just asked how I've been. And maybe to not invite me to a dinner party any time soon."

[just_another]

"Well, I can't imagine you'll spend much time kissing anyone at one of my dinner parties, unless you have intentions toward Spencer I'm unaware of," he says with a faint smile. Dinner parties aren't exactly his style anyway, so that's hardly something she has to worry about.

"But this guy... you like him?" he asks curiously. She says she doesn't like that stuff -- at least, that's what he thinks she'd been about to say -- but he leaves that alone for now.

[aoife_coombs]

"I did that once. We had an amazing time and he gave me the best tips about clothing but -" She looks at him. "Dating a gay man, I mean. Not Spencer. I never met Spencer. I don't have any intentions towards him. At all. Ever."

She shifts her eyes to her feet. 'Are you going to go on a Honeymoon?"

[just_another]

"We spent a week away after the wedding," he says. "It was nice." Then he smiles again and says, "If you don't want me to pry, I won't, but... if you want to talk to someone about what happened..." He trails off and shrugs. "I hope you know by now that you can trust me."

He doubts he'll be able to give her any good advice when his own romantic life had been utterly hopeless until Spencer, but he can listen.

[aoife_coombs]

"I really don't know. I think that's my biggest problem right now. Usually if there's a guy I just follow him a bit until I'm bored and I dump him."

Aoife sighs. "But we've been fighting and squabbling and he just keeps pushing to show myself but he's also funny and sweet and there's just something - he makes me feel something? And that's new. That's weird."

"What, no advice from mister Baker?", she smiles. "Or what, wait, are you carrying Spencer's name now? Or both?"

[just_another]

"Waters-Baker," he admits with a small smile, because even just that, the fact that they're sharing a name now, it makes him feel warm inside.

"And I'm not sure what kind of advice I'd be able to give you," he says. "Before Spencer I had one girlfriend and two very brief encounters that meant next to nothing before an eight year dry spell, so I'm probably not the best person to give advice."

[aoife_coombs]

"I will find my way. I always do, in a way. And maybe - it will probably just die off anyway, I don't have much to off- and he will want things and .."

Shee waves it away. "It's not important. I'm happy that you're so happy, Joel."

[just_another]

There's a lot left unsaid under everything she doesn't quite allow to come out and Joel watches her carefully for a moment. "Thank you," he says. "And I'm sorry if this is inappropriate for me to say, I'm sorry if it sounds cruel, but I'm very glad your mother is gone. I think... I hope maybe without her around you'll... I just think her presence doesn't benefit you in any way."

It isn't fair that she has to think poorly of herself, that she thinks she doesn't have anything to offer. He hopes, for Aoife's sake if nothing else, that Violet Coombs stays away.

[aoife_coombs]

Her jaw drops.

"Eh. Alright. I didn't know that you had any .. I didn't know that you ever met her? Or you must have been talking to Moira. My oldest sister. She and our mother didn't - never connected. I'm not - I understand, though. I think I understand."

[just_another]

"No," he says. "I haven't been talking to anyone but you." And while she's only mentioned her mother in passing, it's enough combined with the things she's said about herself that Joel has made the connection. "I think she's told you things about yourself for so long that you believe them, but she's... she's wrong."

He feels like he's overstepped so many boundaries right now, but he can't help himself. He can't just let Aoife think she has nothing to offer another person.

[aoife_coombs]

"Ah. Aha. Well, no-one ever talked to me about her like that. Or, not in my face, not in such clear words."

Aoife did not see this coming. "Well, it seems like she put half of Siren Cove on a cruise to hell, so I don't think you're very wrong in thinking she has some bad ideas. She was - she wasn't so angry when my father was around, though. Not that I can remember."

[just_another]

The cruise had been awful, but it isn't even that Joel is talking about. He wishes there was a way for him to tell Aoife what he means without feeling like he's saying too much, but he's never been very good at this sort of thing.

"Did your father... did he die?" he asks. "Or did he leave?" He feels like he's prying, but he's curious. The loss of a loved one can do strange things to a person.

[aoife_coombs]

"He did."

There's no need to share Moira's words and accusations and how true they might well be. Aoife is pretty sure that Joel will never meet her mother, but she knows it will reflect badly on her anyway.

"He was the bright sun of our house, I think. We all revolved around him, he was wonderful." And I miss him so much. She grimaces before getting her face under control again. "It's not fair that he passed so early."

[just_another]

"I'm sorry," he says, his voice gentle. He can't imagine what he might have done had his father died when he was young. Even now, even though they're miles away, he relies heavily on his parents in a lot of ways and he loves them so much. He can't even begin to think of what life would be like without them. "That's a hard thing to go through."

[aoife_coombs]

"It is." Her vision is blurred by tears and she knows it isn't fine to cry in public but with everything going on and Aoife just wants someone to say things will be okay, no matter what she'll do.

"Sorry."

[just_another]

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Joel says and he hesitates before gently laying one hand on Aoife's shoulder. This is just one more thing he's never been very good at. It's taken getting comfortable with Spencer to make it easier for him to touch other people, but even now he still hesitates and feels awkward. He can't just leave her sitting here, though, not after he's been the one to bring it up. He squeezes her shoulder carefully before shifting on the bench until he's sitting next to her, his arm loosely draped around her shoulders.

[aoife_coombs]

"I'm s- I'm fine, I'm fine

Aoife pulls out a handkerchief and gently wipes her eyes. "You absolutely don't need a crying woman on your door step. It might be bad PR", she adds with a little smile.

His arm around her almost makes her start again, but she bites her lip hard enough to prevent that. "Thank you."