CHEERING IS THE THING OF HAPPINESS OKAY (spencer/joel)

[callmeemily]

"Yes!" It was a surprised yelp of happiness, and the Waters house - so recently only being where Spencer lived, but somehow it'd abruptly become a bustling hub of activity - smelled amazing, and the kitchen - Spencer was out this morning, and it was probably good because his kitchen? Baked goods. Baked goods everywhere, and it was hot as hell with an exhaust fan in the window and there's cookies and a cake and just now, just now Raleigh's pulling bread out of the oven and it's fine. It's not burnt, it's golden brown and when she raps on it with a spoon it sounds just right and, "Thank you god."

The radio's blaring country music, and she's barefoot in one of Spencer's old t-shirts and a pair of cut off jean shorts, her hair pulled up into a messy bun on the top of her head. She got her stitches out three days ago, and she can bake again. Everything, everything, it's coming out perfect, and she's got flour smearing her cheek and the moment someone - anyone - comes in, they're getting food. She's got a pan on the stove that's stewing apples, and dough in the fridge and honestly, right this minute? Raleigh's in heaven.

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[doublethepain]

Spencer narrows his eyes, trying to hold back the smile that threatens to play at the corners of his lips. "I'm providing the emotional support?" he asks dubiously, arching a brow and shaking his head. "I've never been very good at that, I'm afraid you'll both be in for quite a bit of disappointment." He's keeping his tone light but the evidence is here, after all, in the way he's clearly failed to make Raleigh feel like she's welcome and he remembers the silence between them the day he'd found her at the cafe that had lasted the entire cab ride. He's not good at this, he acknowledges this and knows it for a fact, and he wishes he could be better for the people he cares about but he tries. He's working on it and the reason for that is standing right beside him.

"I'll do my best, though," he continues. He's set on keeping the mood bright, even if he's rubbish at it, and reaches for another cookie to hand to Joel. His expressions softens as Raleigh tries to provide an explanation because he gets it, he really does. "It's... strange for me, too. Having people here every day who aren't my, well, you know." He shrugs a shoulder. Strange, yes, and the circumstances for Raleigh's stay could probably have been just a little less traumatic, but he's glad she's here. He's glad he can offer her this because she deserves so much better than what she's gone through in her life. "Everything you're doing has been right so-- So please don't think we don't want you around. We do, I promise we do."

[just_another]

Joel takes the cookie Spencer passes to him, then squeezes his arm gently before he lets out a soft laugh at the two of them talking about how they're not used to having people around. For a very long time, with the exception of Lara and Cosette, he hasn't so much as said two words about his personal life and now he's standing here with two people who, in the past several months, have both been told he's a witch, who have both spent more time with him than nearly anyone, and who have both been better to him than he knows he deserves.

"As the man whose reputation usually includes the words hermit and loner..." He trails off and shrugs, still smiling faintly, because he thinks they'll understand exactly what he's trying to say. Maybe it's why they've been able to find a way to open up to each other. They're all so used to being on their own, doing things without the help of others, and while Joel is completely certain it's been Spencer's influence on him that has made it easier, he thinks he'd found Spencer so easy to open up to because he'd understood. From the beginning, Spencer had understood.

"But, yes, that plan sounds good to me," he agrees before taking a bite of his cookie. "Or we could really make ourselves sick eating cookies all night, I'm not sure why everyone keeps writing off this plan as if it's not the best offer we've had."

[callmeemily]

Raleigh rolls her eyes when Spencer says he's going to disappoint them. "Shush, you," she says without even pausing, and she shakes her head. "I guess... we've all been sort of alone, for a while." She pauses when Spencer talks about how what she's been doing is right, and she hesitates before she speaks quietly. "I'll try to remember that. Okay? I... It might take a little while. For me to stop... worrying, quite so much." She doesn't have any other way to put it, besides worrying, but it seems like that applies.

She looks between them, and her lips quirk into a smile. "I mean, you could, but then you probably won't want cookies the next time I make them, and who actually wants that? I make food all the time. Every day. There will always be more." She loves this, to be honest. People liking her food.

It helped bridge the gap, she thought. It helped bridge the gap between her own awkwardness and fear, and.... the thing she knew she was good at. That she liked doing for people. She paused, and then...

"You both are the closest thing I have to family, here." She's been resolutely avoiding thinking about her family - about Tennesee; and she even refuses to Google herself because she's terrified that her mother thinks she's dead, but every day that passes it's getting hard and harder to contact them.

But she can't.

Still, that's the truth. That's the truth, that they are family. "Thank you," she finally said quietly. "Just... for existing, I guess. And everything you've done for me."

[doublethepain]

He takes a moment to gaze at Joel, the affection clearly evident in his eyes, and presses a soft kiss to his boyfriend's cheek. The hermit and the purported murderer, he thinks to himself as his mouth turns up in a wry smile. It's quite a pair they are and adding Raleigh to the mix can only make things all the more confusing to anyone who doesn't quite understand their dynamic. Spencer is fine with that, he's learned to let what other people think of him fade in importance a long time ago, and his smile becomes more genuine as he rests his head on Joel's shoulder.

"Family," he repeats, and it's more to himself at first than either of them because up until a couple months ago, his boss at the library had been the closet thing to family, to a father figure, that he'd had after his mother and brother had died. It's not just blood, he's read that and heard it countless times, but he'd never had anyone show him what that really means. He wants to shake his head when Raleigh thanks him, tell her that it's Spencer that should be thanking her and Joel for making him feel for the first time in years like he's valued, like maybe there would be more than one person in the world who mourned if he were to ever disappear.

He doesn't even know how to begin to thank either of them, though. Somewhere along the line, they'd gotten under his skin and he wouldn't have it any other way. "I feel the same way," he eventually settles on saying, and he knows that isn't enough but it's all he can come up with right now.

[just_another]

Despite the five hundred miles between them, Joel is still very close to his family, but in that moment, still caught somewhere between knowing everything is going to work out with his mother and fearing the worst, it warms his heart to hear Raleigh use the word. It's possible, he knows, to expand a family to include people he's not related to by blood, but he's never imagined himself doing it and yet here he is. Spencer hadn't been expected, exactly, but he'd made the effort. He'd gone places just to see Spencer, specifically hoping to run into him. He'd invited him on a date, he'd planned their evening with intention and while he's still surprised almost every single day by the way Spencer has changed his life, it hadn't been completely unexpected.

But he hadn't planned or accounted for Raleigh and Joel's usually so good at keeping his guard up. Something had happened with her, though, and somewhere along the way she'd gotten in without his even realizing it was happening.

"Yeah," he says in agreement to what they've both said and maybe it should be a surprise that he's able to admit that, but it feels natural. It feels like the only thing that makes sense to say and he smiles, leaning into Spencer a little before giving an exaggerated sigh. "Alright, I'll make real food for everyone when you're done in the kitchen. I promise."