just_another: (016)
Joel Waters-Baker ([personal profile] just_another) wrote2015-05-05 07:33 pm

[Open - Gathering - Baby Shower]

They're actually having a baby shower.

Joel is fairly certain his mother wouldn't have let them get away without something, even if he had insisted it be small and consist only of family, but for some reason he and Spencer have allowed themselves to be talked into a real shower. With invitations and food and little baby themed games to play. It's sort of strange, looking at it from his position, given that Erin is the one who's going to be giving birth and therefore is the one in the glowing pregnant woman position at this entire gathering.

She'd sweetly agreed to attend and had even whispered to Joel that she would take the brunt of the attention if she could manage it. He had whispered back that he knew they had picked her for a good reason.

But here they are. Several weeks have passed, the invitations have gone out and the decorations have been put up all over Joel and Spencer's living room. He had agreed to lift the enchantments on the house for the extent of the party, which means that anyone can open the door to their guests, they don't all have to be invited in by either Joel or Spencer, and it makes him a little nervous, but he understands the usefulness of others being able to answer the door. At least for today.

It's the decorations that keep getting to him. Sweet little ducks and zebras and monkeys, little jungle animals all over the walls. The bottle and rattle shaped cookies are pretty cute, but those aren't going to be left when the baby gets here. The animal theme, though, is fairly close to the nearly finished nursery Joel has been working on upstairs and he can't help but grin at the decorations.

Spencer, on the other hand, can't stop coming back round to the center of the living room to stare at the enormous sign that's been strung up above a table already stacked with gifts when a majority of their guests haven't even arrived yet. He'd been worried this morning that the day would overwhelm him, that knowing so many people would be coming into their home would be daunting when just a year ago, he'd never even once invited company over before meeting Joel; but so far, he feels calm, in spite of having had to watch Joel remove the enchantments that act as their security on the house. If someone wishes to crash a baby shower--which he doesn't imagine will happen anyway--then they'll have to face not only the wrath of a room that will be filled with witches and sirens, but the wrath of his mother- and sister-in-law, as well. That's not a sight Spencer thinks would be very pretty to witness.

Still, he feels light, perhaps a lingering effect of the having the chance to fall in love with Joel a second time during the spell that had taken over the town. Certainly, a great deal of his contentment has to do with the fact that he won't have to worry about losing his husband in a crowd but even beyond that, he's excited.

So much has changed in the course of the past year and weeks from now, they'll be holding their newborn in their arms for the very first time without another care in the world but for who they've been looking forward to meeting since they'd decided to take this journey together. There's something a bit strange about realizing that it's all coming to a head, that the waiting will soon be over and they'll be fathers at last, but when the first knock on the door comes, Spencer can't help but smile.

[Baby shower for Joel and Spencer's wee one. Erin, their surrogate, is present and is currently 31 weeks pregnant. If you're even a little friendly with either of them, Joel's mother sent an invitation, but the enchantments have been taken off the house for the event and so it's not an impossible party to crash. If anyone wants to crash a baby shower...]
overdrawing: (Lost boy)

[personal profile] overdrawing 2015-05-09 02:40 am (UTC)(link)
"Gabriel..." His voice is so soft that it's nearly inaudible, even as he takes the plate. "It's nice to meet you."
callmeemily: ([...] concern)

[personal profile] callmeemily 2015-05-09 06:14 am (UTC)(link)
"Is that food okay? I don't know if you're... I don't know, vegan, or anything?" She tries to smile again, not wanting to get too friendly so she doesn't scare him, but he is sitting on the couch, and she's just... worried. She's worried, and she's maybe just trying to make things a little better, if she can.
overdrawing: (Little smile)

[personal profile] overdrawing 2015-05-10 07:40 pm (UTC)(link)
"Don't think I even know what a vegan would eat," he admits, still quiet and soft but managing the tiniest of smiles for her. "So I don't think I am one."
callmeemily: ([pleased] quiet)

[personal profile] callmeemily 2015-05-13 05:23 am (UTC)(link)
She smiles back, glad that he's taking the plate, and that he'd eat. "Uh, hummus and salad and tofu, I think? I don't know. Close? I'm not a vegan, either, but I figured I'd ask."
overdrawing: (Default)

[personal profile] overdrawing 2015-05-13 06:23 am (UTC)(link)
"At least hummus isn't so bad," he says. Quietly, he plays around with the food on his plate before taking a slow bite of a carrot stick.

"I didn't mean to be so rude when they invited me in."
callmeemily: (Default)

[personal profile] callmeemily 2015-05-15 05:54 am (UTC)(link)
"Rude?" Raleigh's brows shot up. "What do you mean, rude? I'm sure you were fine." She doesn't even know what he could have done that was offensive-- not if Spencer or Joel actually let him in, and he ended up on the couch.
overdrawing: (Default)

[personal profile] overdrawing 2015-05-15 06:10 am (UTC)(link)
"Being invited in and then falling asleep like I own the place. I mean..." Gabe sighs and looks down, more than a little ashamed.

"I wasn't raised to behave like that."
callmeemily: ([...] puppy-eyed disbelief)

[personal profile] callmeemily 2015-05-15 05:38 pm (UTC)(link)
"You didn't fall asleep like you owned the place," she said gently. "You fell asleep like you were exhausted, which you are. There's nothing wrong with that, and I know that they'd rather somebody slept on their couch than not having anywhere to sleep."
overdrawing: (Default)

[personal profile] overdrawing 2015-05-15 11:13 pm (UTC)(link)
"I have a place to sleep," Gabe fibs. So what if he's run out of money for the motel? There's still the church...
callmeemily: (Default)

[personal profile] callmeemily 2015-05-16 10:47 pm (UTC)(link)
"I just meant in general," she says with a shrug. "They'd rather people slept here, if they're tired. Believe me, they don't mind. If they did, they'd say something." Whether that's actually true is debatable, but Raleigh really does want to make him feel better.
overdrawing: (Default)

[personal profile] overdrawing 2015-05-17 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
Gabe nods, though he's still uncertain, clearly wavering at the idea. "I hope that's true. I don't want to be a problem."
callmeemily: (Default)

[personal profile] callmeemily 2015-05-17 03:37 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh, honey." It's the southern hospitality part of her that says that, but she pats his arm. "You're not a problem, I promise. How long have you been in the Cove?"
overdrawing: (Find me)

[personal profile] overdrawing 2015-05-18 08:12 am (UTC)(link)
"A week." His voice goes soft again, nearly unintelligible. He makes a little shrugging gesture, indicating that he hasn't been here for a long time.