"You just don't want to get into such a debate with me because you know I'd win," Joel answers, still grinning as he reaches for Spencer's hand once he turns on the tree. There's a lot to do still, they've only managed the lights so far, but for some reason Joel is really pleased with their tree. Because it is theirs, that's the thing. It's something they're sharing, something they're doing for the first time together. Their tree, their Christmas, their first holiday together and Spencer is right. Next year things will already be different. They'll have a baby, they'll have an entirely different life. This is going to be the first and only Christmas they have like this and while Joel wishes he wasn't injured, he thinks they're still completely capable of making it memorable all the same. His ribs have nearly healed and his cast will only be on for another three weeks, which Joel thinks he can handle. By mid-January, they'll be completely back to normal, at least physically, and while the memories might never leave entirely, they will fade with time and Joel is eager to get back to the life he's been planning with Spencer.
Nothing can stand in their way. After everything that's happened, he truly believes that. There aren't many people in the world who could defeat a demon together in the way they did. Joel chooses not to think much about what happened to it after, at least in part because he isn't entirely sure it's gone. Not entirely. Nerium had asked for payment, he knows that, he'd heard it, and at the time he'd been willing to give her anything she asked for. A piece of his soul, if necessary, but she hadn't wanted that. Joel doesn't know what she took, but he has a feeling it was the demon. He thinks it should scare him, the thought of the demon still being somewhere in Siren Cove, but he just wants to forget about it. If Nerium has kept it, then he has to trust her to keep it away from him. Away from all of them. Eventually he'll have to ask, but he doesn't want to think about it right now.
What he needs now is just to relax. To spend time with Spencer. To forget about everything they've been through. Anyone would forgive him that need, he thinks. When the holidays are over, maybe he'll go back to Nerium and speak with her about what happened. He needs to thank her anyway, even if he suspects that she'll tell him it's not necessary. He needs to thank her for himself, so that she knows he appreciates what she did for them despite her thoughts on humans and witches together. It's important that he tell her how much it means to him.
"Not that I've ever been very good at debate," he admits, taking some ornaments out of one of the boxes and beginning to hang them on the tree. "It's not often you can win a debate if the only way you're willing to communicate with most people is by grunting or glaring at them. I think that's likely not one of the key debate skills people are expected to pick up." He really has never been particularly good at arguing. As a child, he'd been more likely to shut down than to challenge anyone; his parents, his teachers, his peers, they'd all gotten the same response when he was upset. He'd simply get extremely quiet, shut down, and pretend nothing was happening. Maybe it wasn't the healthiest response, but even now, Joel doesn't like to argue. The run in with Eli Jasper had been a little different, of course, because Spencer had been the one who had been threatened. For Spencer, Joel will do anything. For Spencer, he'll go out of his comfort zone a thousand times over if he needs to. For Spencer, he'll do any number of things he'd never think to do for himself.
no subject
Nothing can stand in their way. After everything that's happened, he truly believes that. There aren't many people in the world who could defeat a demon together in the way they did. Joel chooses not to think much about what happened to it after, at least in part because he isn't entirely sure it's gone. Not entirely. Nerium had asked for payment, he knows that, he'd heard it, and at the time he'd been willing to give her anything she asked for. A piece of his soul, if necessary, but she hadn't wanted that. Joel doesn't know what she took, but he has a feeling it was the demon. He thinks it should scare him, the thought of the demon still being somewhere in Siren Cove, but he just wants to forget about it. If Nerium has kept it, then he has to trust her to keep it away from him. Away from all of them. Eventually he'll have to ask, but he doesn't want to think about it right now.
What he needs now is just to relax. To spend time with Spencer. To forget about everything they've been through. Anyone would forgive him that need, he thinks. When the holidays are over, maybe he'll go back to Nerium and speak with her about what happened. He needs to thank her anyway, even if he suspects that she'll tell him it's not necessary. He needs to thank her for himself, so that she knows he appreciates what she did for them despite her thoughts on humans and witches together. It's important that he tell her how much it means to him.
"Not that I've ever been very good at debate," he admits, taking some ornaments out of one of the boxes and beginning to hang them on the tree. "It's not often you can win a debate if the only way you're willing to communicate with most people is by grunting or glaring at them. I think that's likely not one of the key debate skills people are expected to pick up." He really has never been particularly good at arguing. As a child, he'd been more likely to shut down than to challenge anyone; his parents, his teachers, his peers, they'd all gotten the same response when he was upset. He'd simply get extremely quiet, shut down, and pretend nothing was happening. Maybe it wasn't the healthiest response, but even now, Joel doesn't like to argue. The run in with Eli Jasper had been a little different, of course, because Spencer had been the one who had been threatened. For Spencer, Joel will do anything. For Spencer, he'll go out of his comfort zone a thousand times over if he needs to. For Spencer, he'll do any number of things he'd never think to do for himself.