[closed: joel, dated for idk before]

[doublethepain]

Joel's going to kill him. Or at the very least, be mildly unimpressed with him.

Never mind the fact that Spencer had texted him to promise he'd be home with dinner over an hour ago, he's now arriving empty-handed and with a widespread burn across his side from the spark that had hit him on the beach. He still isn't sure what had happened or whether the woman he'd been with would be alright but right now, Spencer is selfish enough not to want to worry about that because the pain of the burn seems to getting worse by the minute.

It's not as bad as it could be, he supposes, and he's been subjected to worse before; but he can't imagine that his husband will be very much pleased with him or the situation as a whole. He should have just walked away when the woman had shouted for him to but no, of course, he'd had to get involved.

He sighs, lingering in the doorway with his key in the lock for a long moment as he reminds himself of all the reasons why this is really his own fault. He's a husband, he's going to be a father, and he's not exactly gifted with powers like a majority of this town. Spencer winces when he moves again, the stretch of his skin stinging terribly as he unlocks the door and steps inside, half expecting his husband to be standing right in the threshold with his arms crossed over his chest and a stern expression. Instead, he's greeted by a yipping Huxley and instantly, the tension in Spencer's shoulders eases as he lets out a soft laugh and kneels down to scratch at the puppy's ears.

"Joel?" he calls, gathering Huxley in his arms and letting out a grunt as he gets back to his feet. "I'm home. Please don't tell me you've already filed a missing persons report."

Comments

[doublethepain]

It shouldn't surprise him at this point that Joel would say such a thing, that his husband would be so willing as to place himself so far out of his comfort zone just because Spencer thinks it might be a good idea; and it doesn't surprise him, not really, but it floods him with guilt and affection alike because just as Joel would do anything to keep their family safe, Spencer would do anything to keep his husband from feeling that same sort of panic he'd felt on the cruise. He knows that ultimately, they can't stay here because it's uncomfortable or frightening to leave, that they have to look at the big picture when it comes to raising their family because it won't just be about them anymore. They'll have a little boy or girl to worry about, they'll be responsible for a future not their own, and if staying in Siren Cove appears to jeopardize that future in any way, they'll have no choice but to leave.

The idea of it is daunting, especially when he's spent most of his life in this house. It's the house that had been left to him, though haunted by dark memories that will never quite fade away, and he knows that others may have left it a long time ago but for Spencer, it will always be home. Siren Cove is where he'd grown up, where he'd made and lost friends, where his entire life has been changed over and over. He'd lost his family to this place but then, he'd found Joel and there's no sense in trying to compare the two but there's a very distinct part of him that understands that if he and his family hadn't moved here, his mother and brother would probably still be alive, and Spencer would never have met the love of his life.

Maybe, a small voice in the back of his head tells him, maybe he and Joel still would have met. They're meant for each other, after all, destined in some way to protect each other from the dangers of this world, to love each other so wholly and completely that it would be impossible to even consider a life without one another now that they share one. But there's no danger of losing each other, at least not to anything within their control, so Spencer decides to let himself take a step away from it, to take a deep breath and remind himself that even though it's worrying him, this isn't something they have to decide right this second. They can talk about it, just like Joel has said, and maybe they'll be talking about it on and off for a very long time but regardless of their decision, Spencer is confident that together, they'll make the right one.

The suggestion of a trip to New York makes it easier to take the rest off his mind. "A trial run," he repeats, an amused smile playing at the corners of his lips. "I think I like the sound of that. Are we actually going to leave Aoife's place at any point during this weekend getaway or is what I'm sure is very fine Coombs-worthy decor the only sight we'll be seeing?" He's teasing, of course, Spencer has never been to New York City but he's always wanted to visit the museums and the parks. His brother had gone once with his friends, and Spencer had been invited along but declined because he'd known he would be uncomfortable with anyone beyond Dane. Sometimes he regrets it, thinks that he should have taken advantage of the chance to spend more time with his brother when he could, but he can make up for it now. Leaving town isn't as difficult for him as it is for Joel, but he thinks Dane would be proud of him for going somewhere so different. It would be good for him and his husband both, he thinks.

"I'd like to go," he says, nodding slowly, glancing down at the burn only because he's noticed that it doesn't sting as terribly as it had a moment ago. "When should we schedule it? We don't have much time life before the baby, so I suppose we'd better decide quickly."

[just_another]

"I was thinking museums, Central Park, things like that, but if all you want is to spend a weekend inside that's sure to be a pretty lavish apartment, I'm sure we can arrange that, too," Joel teases with a laugh, but he ducks his head and presses a kiss against Spencer's hair, resting there for a moment. Besides the cruise, he's never really been anywhere and the thought of leaving Siren Cove for a city like New York still is a little scary, but if there's anyone he's willing to go anywhere for, it's Spencer. If there's one person in the world he knows would be able to help him through any panic he might feel, it's his husband. The fact that he has a hard time leaving town has been something that's embarrassed Joel a fair bit over the years. He's never had a wide circle of friends, but he's always found himself making excuses to stay in Siren Cove when invited elsewhere. He'd always felt stupid and childish, like there was something wrong with him that he couldn't control himself enough to get more than a few miles beyond the town borders, but he'd done a fair bit of reading over the years and he understands it isn't his fault. It isn't something necessarily within his control and while that doesn't make it less embarrassing, he isn't ashamed. Not here.

"Sooner rather than later is probably for the best," he says. "Aoife said it's open to us any time, I just have to let her know. She won't be going there herself until near the end of June and that's too close to Erin's due date for me to feel comfortable being anywhere but here. Maybe in the next few weeks? Closer to the end of May, that way I can be sure you're all healed up and ready to visit every last museum we can find."

He says museum, but the way he's smiling at Spencer makes it clear he has other ideas that he needs his husband to be healed up for. It's not that they need to go away anywhere in order to spice up their physical relationship, but Joel kind of likes the idea of spending a few night somewhere they'd never otherwise be able to afford. Some kind of special treat just for the two of them. It was incredibly kind of Aoife to offer and Joel very much wants to take her up on it. They don't need it, but he thinks they deserve it all the same. They work hard and they're good people, they deserve something nice to treat themselves with.

He shifts a little when he mentions the burn, looking down at it. The skin seems to have lost some of the redness and although it's still blistered, the fact that they've faded to an angry pink makes Joel feel a little better. It won't happen overnight, but he's confident he can heal Spencer in a few days without too much trouble and no complications.

"I think you'll be glad to know we won't have to take you to the hospital," he says. "I was worried we might have to go anyway, but it looks like the potions and the salve are doing the trick. You shouldn't have much trouble with it over the next few days." He would be sensitive and probably a little sore, but that was to be expected and Joel could help with that, too.

[doublethepain]

"I think you're likely the one who ought to be glad about that, considering I would have done nothing but adamantly refused medical attention from anyone else." Spencer's tone is light and teasing, but he knows Joel is fully aware of just how much he hates going to the hospital. Neither of them are particularly keen on it--granted, he doesn't think anyone is keen on emergency rooms--but in his case, they probably would have done quite a bit of waiting just to be told to put a weaker sort of salve on it and maybe be given something for the pain. As it is, the potions and what Joel has put on the burn just now are probably working much better and faster than any non-magical thing possibly could, and Spencer is very content with that.

Still, if Joel had insisted, Spencer would have given in eventually. It would have been with a lot of complaining and heavy sighing and eye rolling, but he would have done it because he hates that he's made his husband worry about this in the first place. He still feels foolish for involving himself in affairs that have nothing to do with him, in magic he has no defense against, but just as he and Joel both understand, there's nothing else he could have done. Spencer isn't the bleeding heart type, at least not for those who aren't especially close to him, but he'd like to believe that he's a good person. If someone is in desperate need of help, Spencer is willing to do what he can. He hadn't been of much help this time, of course, and he'd paid for that; but the only thing he regrets is making his husband concerned for his well-being, both before and after arriving back home.

"Anyway, this is better. This will get me healed up for whatever it is the museum will require of me in the city." He tilts his head back to smirk up at Joel before biting down on his lip, sitting up a little bit more with noticeably less pain than when he'd first lowered himself onto the bed, and twists just slightly so he can comfortably rest his hand on Joel's chest, fingers absently tracing small shapes. "You know what else is in New York City? FAO Schwarz. Think of all that we could ship back here for the baby."

It's only half a joke. Spencer is quite sure they have everything they need and then some, especially after all the gifts they'd received at the baby shower. The lists he and Joel had created have been checked, then checked again, and they have the most important essentials crossed off already but now, Spencer's thinking of rocking horses and star kits and elaborate sciences sets that Joel couldn't possibly say no to, even though they're not meant for newborns to use. It's best to prepared for the future, though, isn't it? A few years from now, those sets may very well be obsolete, nobody knows and then where would that leave them? Science set-less and disappointed, that's where, and so, Spencer already has his argument ready for when he's gathered several in a cart for them to buy while they're there.

"Ooh, and I've read about a literary tour that could be fun. It's practically a pub crawl but every bar is one that served as a frequent visiting place for various playwrights and novelists." He grins, arching a brow. "We could share a shot of a different whiskey at each one to make it our very own."

[just_another]

There's a moment of concern while he watches Spencer move on the bed, but it seems like the pain really has diminished and when he's comfortable again, Joel allows himself to relax, grinning up at the ceiling when Spencer mentions FAO Schwarz. Somehow he's not surprised at all that that's the store his husband chooses to focus on and he knows he's teasing, but there's also probably a bit part of him that isn't teasing either. The store would be an incredible experience and while they certainly have all their necessities, he does have to admit that there's probably one or two exceptional items they'd be able to pick up at the store that they can't find in Siren Cove. Besides, no matter what he likes to say and no matter how many things he's actually returned to the store, he really would do anything Spencer wanted him to and that includes buying their baby ridiculously extravagant things he or she won't even be able to use for several years.

He's sure there's still going to be a moment. The two of them standing in the store over something they don't need, both of them delivering their points and he's sure there will be people looking at them in amusement, somehow knowing it's almost an act, that they're doing this only because they know they've both been waiting for it. And perhaps it's silly, but he loves so much that he can predict an incident like that, he loves knowing they'll both find a weird sense of enjoyment in having an experience like that, Spencer putting things into a cart and Joel taking them back out. It's become a game more than anything and it's one he's discovered he very much loves playing.

Of course, when it comes to Spencer, Joel loves every last bit of their lives together, so it doesn't surprise him at all that this has become just one more thing to enjoy.

"I think we might be able to manage a trip there," he says, his lips twitching up into a brief smirk before Spencer mentions the literary tour and Joel's eyes grow wide. Of course New York City would have something like that, but given that he's only ever lived in small towns without much of anything, the very thought of being able to have an experience like that sends Joel's heart racing. It sounds interesting and educational and exciting in a way he expects a lot of people wouldn't necessarily understand, but of course Spencer knows about it and of course he's suggesting it and it's just one part of why Joel loves him so much. His husband knows him better than anyone else ever could and he's the only person Joel knows who would be interested in something like that. With a grin, he ducks his head and kisses Spencer once, maybe a little too hard given that he's just been injured, but he can't seem to help himself.

"How many bars is it?" he asks, nudging his nose gently against Spencer's cheek. "Just how drunk and ridiculous do you think we would be by the end of it?" But the very thought of getting to be drunk and ridiculous with his amazing husband in New York City is just one more thing Joel is finding himself very much looking forward to. They can do whatever they want there, be whoever they want. No one will know them, no one will say a word and they'll be able to spend all their time together doing exactly what they want without thinking about any responsibilities. And if one of those things is getting so drunk they have to support each other back to the apartment, then he thinks he'd like that very much.

[doublethepain]

Spencer can feel Joel's heartbeat pick up under his hand, and he has to work extra hard to keep himself from grinning too smugly because it's not as if there's anyone in this room he's trying to impress with how well he knows his husband. Much of what they've come to know about each other remains very well kept between only them, little details that others wouldn't know just by looking at them like how invested Joel gets in that dancing show or that Spencer quite likes putting on a Beyonce album to help wake him up in the morning. Their tastes can be different but at the same time, they're so accepting of each other that regardless of what their preferences may be, they're always still in sync.

He hasn't thought of that tour in ages, it's something he'd read about a few years back after he'd declined Dane's invitation to the city, and Spencer remembers the pain of regret he'd felt at not being able to do something that sounded like it would suit him so well just because he'd known his brother would be the only one willing to do it with him--and he wouldn't have wanted a pity companion. He loves his brother very much, had in life and always will in memory, but Dane hadn't been the type who'd appreciate a literary tour, which had been perfectly fine. It's one of the reasons Spencer had opted not go.

With Joel, though, he's found someone he can always count on to be willing to try these sorts of things with him. For some people, it might not seem like such an extraordinary adventure but then again, not every married couple is made up of two bookshop owners, one a former librarian. That knowledge warms him so deeply, more than he could ever really explain, and it's not just that Joel is going to be happy to go with him on this tour; it's that his husband doesn't do things with him just to humor him. It's this going to FAO Schwarz isn't just going to be enjoyable for Spencer, it's going to be enjoyable for both of them because they'll be looking at all the things they could buy just to make their child smile and that is more than enough motivation. They work well together, Spencer loves that they do, and he loves even more that what they do in New York won't be subject to any prying eyes of Siren Cove because there's nothing more he wants before the baby arrives than to have quality time with his husband without having to even think a little bit about anyone else.

They'll leave any burdens they have at the door, he decides, they won't carry any of that with them on this trip because it's a chance to connect with each other on an entirely different level. They'd gone on that cruise, yes, but it had turned out to be catastrophic and even then, a majority of the passengers had consisted of people they knew. They won't be familiar with anyone on the streets of New York and while Spencer anticipates being overwhelmed by the business of the city, he's growing ever more fond of the idea that what he and Joel get up to will truly stay between them if they so wish it.

"Only seven bars," Spencer answers, doe-eyed as he looks up at Joel. "We've shared an entire bottle before, I don't know that seven shots of whiskey will do us all too much harm." He pauses, still trying to hold back a smile. "Maybe about halfway through, we ought to start making them doubles. Visiting all those places with you and then going home a bit messy with you is already something I'm very much looking forward to doing."

[just_another]

"Ah, only seven," he says with a laugh and he can see the way Spencer is looking at him, his eyes all wide and innocent, and while Joel knows very well that he's being manipulated by that expression, he doesn't make it one bit. There's not a malicious bone in Spencer's body when it comes to the two of them and any gentle manipulating his husband might do with his eyes or his smile is done with the teasing knowledge that it's happening. And Joel has never been quite so happy to have someone give him a big, wide-eyed expression as is when Spencer does it. All it does is serve to remind him of the things his husband wants the most and there's nothing Joel wants more in the world than to give him those things.

"I think that sounds like a lot of fun," he decides, looking at Spencer fondly. "I think I'd very much like to get that drunk with you in New York, visit those bars and then stumble back to the apartment where I can debauch you in every possible way I can think of. That was always the end game, wasn't it?" He's both teasing and he isn't, and as he looks down at Spencer his expression softens into something else, something fond and happy.

Reaching up, he pushes some of Spencer's hair back, then smooths his thumb over the ridge of his cheekbone. Not a day goes by when he doesn't think of how lucky he is, but often it's because Spencer knows him so well or has done something for him that's so kind or so sweet that Joel's reminded all over again just how special their relationship is. And not a day goes by when he doesn't think of how deeply attracted he is to his husband, but moments like this still throw him off a little. Moments when he looks down at Spencer and sees his big eyes, the soft fullness of his mouth, the sharp angle of his jaw and is stunned by how absolutely beautiful this man is.

Joel has no idea how every single person in this town isn't utterly seething with jealousy every time they think that he's the one who got to marry Spencer Waters. He has no idea how anyone is ever cruel to him, how anyone could ever think poorly of him. He has no idea how the rest of the town wasn't clamouring to develop a relationship with this man, but he's extremely grateful he's the one Spencer chose. Sometimes it still floors him that he gets to do this, that he gets to come home and go to bed and wrap his arms around Spencer and hold him close.

"You are so incredibly gorgeous," he says, his smile hitching higher again when he realizes he's been quiet for a long period of time, just staring down at Spencer's face. "I mean, I know this, I see you every day and I know this, but sometimes I just look at you and I'm just... I'm blown away by you. The big puppy dog eyes you're pulling on me right now definitely help."