His soft smile fades into something resembling a frown as he considers what kind of attention all of this might attract. It's not something he'd put much thought into yet, he just hasn't had the time and his mind hasn't been as working as quickly as usual, partly from how hard he'd hit his ahead against the wall and partly because his primary concern has been with Joel's well-being. Spencer's no stranger to being in the news, to making headlines for the sorts of things nobody wants their names known for, and even though it had been much easier to handle knowing that they'd been in the papers for what had happened with Mark than for being accused of murdering his family, that doesn't ever make it any more pleasant.
He doesn't know what had been written about the lighthouse incident, had opted not to read any of the articles printed because he'd read every single one after his mother and brother had been killed and realized that no good could possibly come of it. Besides that, the local paper isn't exactly known for being unbiased, nor is any other Siren Cove publication--case in point, that odd gossip magazine that had come up with the most outlandish lies--though it's amazing how quickly he'd gone from being looked at with disgust to being looked at with pity after he'd finally left his house for the first time with his bruises and stitches and cast. It hadn't lasted long, there are absolutely still people who think he's responsible for killing his own family. "You know that like, 50% of murders are committed by someone who knew the victim, right?" is something Spencer had overheard once in the grocery store, and he'd had to struggle to bite back that the statistic is actually 54.3%, with the rate of people killed by family members is 24.8%, which the woman initially asking the question would know if she'd just down the slightest bit of fact-checking.
Spencer wonders what their neighbors might have thought about what they'd heard coming from the house, if they'd heard anything at all or had even been home yet. He's still not sure who'd dialed for the ambulances because he certainly hadn't been in the best state of mind to do it himself. He wants to say it had been Coop, but he also thinks it's quite possible that Nerium or Les could have done it, too. That defeats the point of having a guess in the first place, he supposes, but it doesn't really matter in the end because Joel's being looked after now. That's all Spencer cares about.
"She'll appreciate not having to read about it first," Spencer assures him, and it's something he can say with confidence because he thinks about doing that himself, about reading something that has to do with Joel being hurt in the paper without already knowing, and it makes him feel a bit sick to his stomach. "And I can be here or not be here when she comes to visit, whatever is going to make it easier for you, I'll do it." He'll be here if that's what Joel wants, whatever Joel wants, because his husband has been there for him practically the entire time they've known each other. Spencer had faced a demon for this man today, and it's not as if that's something he'll hang over Joel's head but the fact of the matter is, he only ever feels as safe as he does today, as happy and at peace as he does today, because Joel is with him to make Spencer feel that way.
"We're going to be okay," he continues, and its a bold promise to make but one Spencer fully intends on keeping. "Erin will understand, I know it, and she'll be able to see how hard we fought to keep you here." He hasn't done a very good job of protecting Joel from this, not really, but he knows better for the future now. He knows, as he always has, that this relationship is more important to him than anything, that it can quite literally save their lives, and he swallows hard so he can choke back a sob as he starts to tremble with the renewed realization of how close they'd come to losing each other today. Spencer lets out a deep exhale, wrapping his arm just slightly tighter around his husband and resting his chin on Joel's head. He'll never let go of this, there's nothing that could possibly make him.
no subject
He doesn't know what had been written about the lighthouse incident, had opted not to read any of the articles printed because he'd read every single one after his mother and brother had been killed and realized that no good could possibly come of it. Besides that, the local paper isn't exactly known for being unbiased, nor is any other Siren Cove publication--case in point, that odd gossip magazine that had come up with the most outlandish lies--though it's amazing how quickly he'd gone from being looked at with disgust to being looked at with pity after he'd finally left his house for the first time with his bruises and stitches and cast. It hadn't lasted long, there are absolutely still people who think he's responsible for killing his own family. "You know that like, 50% of murders are committed by someone who knew the victim, right?" is something Spencer had overheard once in the grocery store, and he'd had to struggle to bite back that the statistic is actually 54.3%, with the rate of people killed by family members is 24.8%, which the woman initially asking the question would know if she'd just down the slightest bit of fact-checking.
Spencer wonders what their neighbors might have thought about what they'd heard coming from the house, if they'd heard anything at all or had even been home yet. He's still not sure who'd dialed for the ambulances because he certainly hadn't been in the best state of mind to do it himself. He wants to say it had been Coop, but he also thinks it's quite possible that Nerium or Les could have done it, too. That defeats the point of having a guess in the first place, he supposes, but it doesn't really matter in the end because Joel's being looked after now. That's all Spencer cares about.
"She'll appreciate not having to read about it first," Spencer assures him, and it's something he can say with confidence because he thinks about doing that himself, about reading something that has to do with Joel being hurt in the paper without already knowing, and it makes him feel a bit sick to his stomach. "And I can be here or not be here when she comes to visit, whatever is going to make it easier for you, I'll do it." He'll be here if that's what Joel wants, whatever Joel wants, because his husband has been there for him practically the entire time they've known each other. Spencer had faced a demon for this man today, and it's not as if that's something he'll hang over Joel's head but the fact of the matter is, he only ever feels as safe as he does today, as happy and at peace as he does today, because Joel is with him to make Spencer feel that way.
"We're going to be okay," he continues, and its a bold promise to make but one Spencer fully intends on keeping. "Erin will understand, I know it, and she'll be able to see how hard we fought to keep you here." He hasn't done a very good job of protecting Joel from this, not really, but he knows better for the future now. He knows, as he always has, that this relationship is more important to him than anything, that it can quite literally save their lives, and he swallows hard so he can choke back a sob as he starts to tremble with the renewed realization of how close they'd come to losing each other today. Spencer lets out a deep exhale, wrapping his arm just slightly tighter around his husband and resting his chin on Joel's head. He'll never let go of this, there's nothing that could possibly make him.