It happens so quickly, so swiftly, that Spencer barely has time to process that it'd happened at all. He has no idea what had been said between Roman and Davin during the short time he'd stepped away; the only thing he knows is that he's now standing in a puddle of the coffee he'd spilled at the sight of Davin's bloodied, prone form, and it isn't until he hears Roman's fingers snapping at him that he looks back up with wide, dazed eyes.
He wants to say something, wants to do something, wants to run until he gets to Joel or James Thornton or absolutely anyone who could help right now, but he finds himself frozen to the spot, struck by memories he's fought so hard to let fade over the past year. But he's back there now, back in the library with Mark Fuller, and the wrench on the car is that broken glass of whiskey that Spencer can hear shattering against his own head all over again. He's trembling, he realizes, overcome with terrors of past and present, and he has no idea what he should do.
"Spencer. I'm going to need you to focus, alright, there's a new Outlander on at eight and if I miss it, I swear to god, I'm definitely taking it out on your little buddy here."
The sheer brazenness of Roman's tone is what shocks Spencer back to reality and suddenly, he's taking a ragged breath, as if he'd forgotten how to breathe in those short moments of losing himself in memories of what Mark had done to him. Spencer isn't the one who's bleeding this time, though, it's Davin, and he won't do anything that would risk getting his friend hurt any more. He has no idea why this is happening, what Roman's plan is, who the actual target is; but as Roman comes round the car and smiles as he opens his jacket to reveal the grip of a pistol, Spencer feels his heart sink.
There is no escaping this, he thinks, the choice is clear.
"I'm going to need your help, okay? You get his feet, we're going to throw him in the trunk. But hey, you get shotgun, so we'll have a good time."
Spencer doesn't say a single word, which doesn't seem to bother Roman very much, and he can feel the hot tears that have been welling in his eyes begin to spill down his cheeks the second the trunk is closed over Davin's still body because for the first time, Spencer considers the possibility that Roman might have hit his friend hard enough to kill him.
"Roman," he finally murmurs, throat dry and the name practically fading at the tip of his tongue. "Roman, you don't have to go through with this. Whatever you want, we can talk about it. Figure out a different way to get it to you."
"Sorry, Spence, there is no other way. The books you gave me were very clear about that so just trust me." He claps a hand down on Spencer's shoulder, making him flinch. "You cooperate, and I won't hurt him again. You don't? Well..." Roman stretches his arm out to grab the wrench from the Jetta, shrugging a shoulder as he waves it between them. "I can't say that either of you will make it out of this remembering your own names. So okay! Ready to go for a ride? Other side's unlocked."
It's almost worse that Roman is so casual. Mark had been dangerous, yes, but at least he'd played the part of a villain. Roman speaks to him as if they're friends and with a smile on his face, and Spencer finds it somehow more unsettling.
The realization hits him then that his husband expects him to be gone for most of the day, and Davin had mentioned a date with James tonight but that's a few hours away yet. They could be anywhere by then without anyone knowing to go look for them until it's too late. As Roman slips into the driver's seat--without waiting for Spencer to enter the car at that, apparently merely assuming that he wouldn't dare do anything else--Spencer wipes at his cheek with the back of his palm before squaring his shoulders and nodding slightly to himself as if for motivation as he makes his decision.
He needs to leave something behind, something that will make Joel understand--because Joel will come looking for him, Spencer knows that for a fact--that he and Davin hadn't simply gone out somewhere without telling anyone. There's droplets of blood on the ground, the spilled coffee, but there needs to be no doubt that they'd been taken so that Joel find a way to get to him faster. So he twists his wedding band off his finger, heart lurching in his chest because he hasn't taken it off once since Joel had slipped it on at their wedding, and clears his throat as it drops to the ground with a soft clink.
"I don't have all day," Roman calls impatiently, glaring at him expectantly before slamming his driver door and as Spencer climbs into the passenger side, the only thing he can think is that he hopes he'll still be given the chance to live long enough to see his baby born.
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He wants to say something, wants to do something, wants to run until he gets to Joel or James Thornton or absolutely anyone who could help right now, but he finds himself frozen to the spot, struck by memories he's fought so hard to let fade over the past year. But he's back there now, back in the library with Mark Fuller, and the wrench on the car is that broken glass of whiskey that Spencer can hear shattering against his own head all over again. He's trembling, he realizes, overcome with terrors of past and present, and he has no idea what he should do.
"Spencer. I'm going to need you to focus, alright, there's a new Outlander on at eight and if I miss it, I swear to god, I'm definitely taking it out on your little buddy here."
The sheer brazenness of Roman's tone is what shocks Spencer back to reality and suddenly, he's taking a ragged breath, as if he'd forgotten how to breathe in those short moments of losing himself in memories of what Mark had done to him. Spencer isn't the one who's bleeding this time, though, it's Davin, and he won't do anything that would risk getting his friend hurt any more. He has no idea why this is happening, what Roman's plan is, who the actual target is; but as Roman comes round the car and smiles as he opens his jacket to reveal the grip of a pistol, Spencer feels his heart sink.
There is no escaping this, he thinks, the choice is clear.
"I'm going to need your help, okay? You get his feet, we're going to throw him in the trunk. But hey, you get shotgun, so we'll have a good time."
Spencer doesn't say a single word, which doesn't seem to bother Roman very much, and he can feel the hot tears that have been welling in his eyes begin to spill down his cheeks the second the trunk is closed over Davin's still body because for the first time, Spencer considers the possibility that Roman might have hit his friend hard enough to kill him.
"Roman," he finally murmurs, throat dry and the name practically fading at the tip of his tongue. "Roman, you don't have to go through with this. Whatever you want, we can talk about it. Figure out a different way to get it to you."
"Sorry, Spence, there is no other way. The books you gave me were very clear about that so just trust me." He claps a hand down on Spencer's shoulder, making him flinch. "You cooperate, and I won't hurt him again. You don't? Well..." Roman stretches his arm out to grab the wrench from the Jetta, shrugging a shoulder as he waves it between them. "I can't say that either of you will make it out of this remembering your own names. So okay! Ready to go for a ride? Other side's unlocked."
It's almost worse that Roman is so casual. Mark had been dangerous, yes, but at least he'd played the part of a villain. Roman speaks to him as if they're friends and with a smile on his face, and Spencer finds it somehow more unsettling.
The realization hits him then that his husband expects him to be gone for most of the day, and Davin had mentioned a date with James tonight but that's a few hours away yet. They could be anywhere by then without anyone knowing to go look for them until it's too late. As Roman slips into the driver's seat--without waiting for Spencer to enter the car at that, apparently merely assuming that he wouldn't dare do anything else--Spencer wipes at his cheek with the back of his palm before squaring his shoulders and nodding slightly to himself as if for motivation as he makes his decision.
He needs to leave something behind, something that will make Joel understand--because Joel will come looking for him, Spencer knows that for a fact--that he and Davin hadn't simply gone out somewhere without telling anyone. There's droplets of blood on the ground, the spilled coffee, but there needs to be no doubt that they'd been taken so that Joel find a way to get to him faster. So he twists his wedding band off his finger, heart lurching in his chest because he hasn't taken it off once since Joel had slipped it on at their wedding, and clears his throat as it drops to the ground with a soft clink.
"I don't have all day," Roman calls impatiently, glaring at him expectantly before slamming his driver door and as Spencer climbs into the passenger side, the only thing he can think is that he hopes he'll still be given the chance to live long enough to see his baby born.