just_another | [closed

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davin

[closed - Davin]

It's hard leaving Spencer.

Joel knows they need to get back into a routine, he knows they can't always be beside each other, but he also knows Spencer doesn't want to be alone yet. More than that, he also doesn't want to leave Spencer alone, not after being without him for days, but they can't spend every single minute of every single day together. Slowly they need to adjust, they need to go back to their lives, and Spencer managed just fine without him the day before, so Joel knows he can do this, too. It makes his stomach clench uncomfortably, but he kisses Spencer goodbye, tells him he won't be long, then sets out for Davin's place.

This is important, too. Spencer isn't the only one dealing with the aftermath of what happened and Joel hopes this is going to go a long way toward helping Davin feel safe again. Putting the wards on Spencer's house after Mark had taken him had helped a lot, he knows that, and while it had still taken time for him to feel comfortable going back into the library, they'd gotten there, too.

Everything takes time. The good and the bad. But if Joel can do something to help speed along parts of it, then he's going to do those things without question. Which is why he has a small bag filled with the things he needs; a soft grey crystal Davin can easily fit on a window sill somewhere, four candles to be burned at the four points of the compass, a small bag filled with ingredients he's already mixed.

And a witch bottle. He knows it isn't the same as a ward, he knows it won't be nearly as effective, but Joel's always had a witch bottle in his home and in his business and there's something strangely comforting about it, so he's made one for Davin, too.

Carefully he adjusts the bag once he arrives at Davin's, then knocks softly, shifting back and forth on his feet as he waits.

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Davin is so incredibly done with this cast. He hates not being able to use his dominant hand, and he between it and his ribs he can never seem to get comfortable. And James is out, which means that he also can't get warm. He's taken so many showers, after wrapping his damn cast up in plastic of course, but he's still shivering more than not. It's psychological, he's sure, but he doesn't quite know what to do other than wait for it to pass.

He's just getting out of the shower and dressed in sweats and a henley when he hears the knock on the door, and he freezes for just a moment before he remembers that Joel was going to come over. He scrubs at his hair with his towel and comes over to open the door with his left hand, holding his other down at his side.

"Joel, hey," Davin says quietly, opening the door just enough for Joel to slip through before he closes it again. He tosses the towel over the back of a chair and heads for the kitchen. His famous hot cocoa is simmering on the stove and he pours himself another mug. This has always been what he's made when he's feeling down, ever since he perfected the recipe, and he's pretty much running on the stuff lately. "D'ya want some hot cocoa?"

"Sure. Thank you," Joel says, because it smells amazing and while he's fairly warm given the temperature outside, he doesn't think a mug of hot cocoa is going to make him too warm. There's a part of him that accepts, too, because he doesn't want to draw attention to the fact that he knows just how cold Davin is feeling. Spencer has been the same, shivering off and on even when the house is warm enough, curling closer to Joel every time they're in bed. It'll pass for them both, he's sure of that, but in the meantime he doesn't see any point making either of them feel self-conscious about it.

"It smells incredible, do you make it from scratch?" he asks as he sets his bag down and begins to go through the items he's brought. Davin knows why he's here and Joel is going to make sure he does this well. If he can help at all, if he can help give Davin some peace of mind that's what he wants. He's good at wards and protection and he doesn't know if he's better than anyone else in Siren Cove, he's never really cared about comparisons, hasn't been public about his abilities long enough to have really compared notes, but he does know he's good. And he can do that for Davin.

"Is James at work?" he asks, setting out the crystal and the candles.

"I do," Davin replies, smiling a little. "It's sort of my own cheer up potion, no magic involved."

He pours Joel his own mug, topping it with whipped cream and nutmeg, and then slides it across the counter as he takes a stool. His eyes linger curiously on each new object that Joel sets out, and he nods while lifting his mug to take a sip. "Yeah, he went in t'check on some stuff."

Davin leans forward, wincing at the pressure on his ribs, and lets his fingers linger over the crystal. "Thanks for doin' this, by the way." He looks up at Joel with a wry smile. "Are ya borrowin' the baby's mobile? I can make the both of ya some charms of your own, if ya want."

The cocoa really does taste as good as it smells and Joel makes a pleased face down at the mug after his first sip, then nod as he sets it aside. "That might be nice, actually. We have anise seed, which has generally worked in the past and it's still doing its job on me, but I think... I think it might be good for Spencer to have something a little stronger." The anise seed is really only worth so much. Joel doesn't think people become immune to it over time, but he has a feeling its perhaps not as effective on stronger nightmares, the ones that seem to come through no matter what people try. A charm from Davin might be just the thing to ensure Spencer gets a full night of sleep. Rest isn't the only thing that's going to help him heal, but it's certainly important.

"And I don't mind," he adds, looking up with a smile. "Anything to help. Especially when it's something I know I'm good at." The library still has a protective ward over it, the one Joel quickly cast the very day he and Spencer had met, when it had seemed like the entire building might be in danger of coming down around them due to the Hydra. "It's simple enough, too, though I do need you to supply me with some salt."

It's always better if the salt comes from the residence under protection, but Joel has brought everything else and he brings out the small bag of ingredients, then gets up to get a bowl. Filling it with water, he returns to the table and empties the bag into the bowl, letting it sit for the time being.

He smiles faintly when it seems that Joel enjoys his cocoa. Not many people have tried it, because Davin usually only makes it when he's feeling really down, and until somewhat recently he usually always spent those times alone. When Joel says that he needs salt, Davin nods and carefully slides off of the stool. "Gimme a sec."

His magical supplies are in a small wooden chest in his bedroom and he goes to retrieve it, coming back into the kitchen with it under the arm with the cast. There's a salt shaker on the counter and Davin grabs it, sliding it across to Joel and setting the chest down. Once he's seated back on the stool he opens the box and takes out a square of scrap metal, then lines up the ingredients he needs for the aisling milis. The scent of lavender rises up to mix with the nutmeg and cocoa, and that, along with the presence of Joel, makes him relax slightly.

"This is kinda cool, doin' magic together. I've only ever done it with my gran." He laughs a little and pulls the piece of metal over, looking down at it and lifting it into the air with his magic, spinning it around a few times before splitting it at the corners and making it fold in on itself, forming into a star. His hands are resting on the counter and he keeps his eyes on the metal hovering in the air, and his voice is casual as he speaks. "She really likes ya, by the way."

"Yeah, it is," Joel says, looking up at Davin with a small smile. "I've only ever really done this with my mother." And with Spencer, but that had resulted in a very different end than it ever will with anyone else and it's one of those things Joel very much likes to keep to himself. It isn't as if he's particularly open about his private life with Spencer for the most part, but that day, that first time, that's only for them. It's something special, something meaningful, and Joel holds onto it close to his heart.

Reaching for the salt, he dumps some into the mixture he's made and swirls it together carefully. It has to sit for awhile, the herbs need to soak up the water, and once it's a little thicker he'll rub it against Davin's front door. For now, though, he takes a compass out of the pocket, then walks around the apartment, putting the candles at the four points.

"I liked her, too," he says once he's seated again, his hands wrapped around his mug. "I was sort of panicked and probably wasn't the best conversationalist, but I did really like speaking with her. She's very matter-of-fact. It helped calm me down." And it made it easier for him to do the things that needed to be done.

"Is this somethin' ya can teach me t'do myself? I can't do it on the whole shop, obviously, but I'd like t'do it on my office," Davin says thoughtfully, watching as Joel moves around his apartment. "An' James' place, if he'll let me."

Joel sits back down and Davin smirks to himself as he puts together his own potion, crushing herbs in his mortar and pestle. It's slower going with his left hand, but he gets it done. "Yeah, she's good at that. She said t'pass along her thanks an' that ya can call her anytime."

Davin mixes all his ingredients together to form a paste, and then bites his lip as he looks up at Joel. "Uh, is this ward gonna be strong enough t'keep Nerium away?"

"Yeah, I can teach you," Joel says, his smile growing at the thought. He's never had much opportunity to teach anyone how to make potions or charms, but he's learned from his mother and she's by far the best witch he knows, and the prospect of being able to pass on her knowledge pleases him.

He's never had anyone ask him to teach them before, but the smile he's wearing fades when Davin asks about Nerium. He's still stung by the conversation they had, still bothered by her response.

"Yeah," he says. "Especially now that her magic seems to be reduced. But why would she want to break in?"

"Thanks, I'd like that," Davin says with a smile. He always loves learning more about magic, and he finds himself excited by the prospect. He takes a paintbrush out of the chest and swirls it around in the paste, looking up at Joel thoughtfully.

"Her magic's reduced?" Davin shrugs and swallows hard, calling the metal star over so that it lands gently in his palm. "I broke her spell, killed her dragon an' all that. Didn't die when she wanted me too. So I jus' thought she might try t'come finish the job."

A few weeks ago Joel would have said that Nerium wouldn't have wanted him to die, but now he isn't so sure. And it still makes him so damn sad in a way he doesn't understand. She's strange, certainly, but she had helped him and he had been so sure they were getting to be friends, something he still thinks she sorely needs, but now everything is different. He doesn't know anything about her and he doesn't understand anything either.

"Well, she won't be able to come in unless you invite her," he says, taking a lighter out of his pocket and then he reaches for the crystal and pushes it across the table to Davin. "Come with me. I need to light the candles and I need you to hold that over each flame. Is it just you that should be able to invite people in?" The ward on his house includes him and Spencer, but no one else and he likes it that way. He doesn't know if Davin wants James to be able to invite people in as well.

"You can name anyone else you want," he explains. "And you'll only need to invite them in once before they're allowed to come in whenever they like. Sort of like a vampire. If you invite someone in and want to revoke the invitation we'll have to do a fresh ward, but it isn't hard." He's lighting the candles as he speaks, then steps back into the centre of the room and nods for Davin to go ahead.

Davin leaves the paintbrush in his potion and gets up, grabbing the crystal in his left hand and following Joel over, looking at him thoughtfully. James and Mira each have a key to his place, which is supposes is similar to them being able to invite people inside, but Davin bites his lip and shakes his head. He trusts Mira and James with his life, but this is his sanctuary. It's where he needs to feel most safe.

"Just me," he says quietly. When Joel is finished with the candles, Davin goes over to hold the crystal over each flame, waiting for Joel's cue before moving onto the next. When he's done, he joins Joel back in the center of the room and smiles at him. "So are ya grandfathered in 'cause ya were in here when the ward was set?"

"No," he says with a soft laugh. "No, once I'm out of here I'm out until you invite me in again if you choose to." He doesn't want to assume anything, he knows how important it is to feel safe after something awful happens. It's the very reason he's had such difficulty leaving town for such a long time. Siren Cove is Joel's security blanket.

"Blow out the candles now," he instructs. "And the crystal should be left on a windowsill somewhere. Easily accessible, but not extremely obvious. It doesn't need to be hidden, but it's better if all sorts of people aren't handling it."

Then he returns to the table, stirs the mixture he's made and wrinkles his nose slightly. "Now I have to rub this over the threshold of your door. It won't smell particularly nice, but that'll fade in a few hours."

Davin nods and bends down to blow out each candle, and then looks around while holding the crystal to his chest. His entertainment center overlaps his window just a bit and he goes over to pull back the blinds to slide the crystak just behind it, tucking it out of sight.

"Noted," Davin says, following Joel over to the door and watching as Joel applies the potion. Part of him wants to make some joke about checking out his ass, but it feels like too serious of a moment, and Davin hasn't really been in too much of a joking mood. He just waits for him to stand then nods. "Okay, good. Now get out."

At Joel's look, Davin rolls his eyes and laughs a little, lightly pushing Joel's shoulder to nudge him out the door. "So I can invite ya back in, loser. You're always welcome here."

Edited 2015-06-01 06:50 (UTC)

The mixture smells about as awful as Joel expected and he lets out a slight huff of laughter when Davin all but pushes him out the door in order to invite him back in. It's a little formal, he knows that, but it's a good, strong ward and it's always worked for Joel.

"I left my stuff in there, so you better not leave me out here," he says when he's on the other side of the barrier. Before Davin can invite him back in, though, he raises his hand and presses it against the open door so he can see how it works.

Joel's hand stops before it crosses into Davin's home. His skin presses up against the barrier and from the other side it looks like he's pressing his hand up against a pane of glass. "See?" he says. "Nothing gets in unless you say so."

The stuff does stink, but Davin is willing to deal with it as long as it works. His eyes widen slightly when Joel presses his hand against the ward, and he brings his own up to press against Joel's. He feels foolish instantly, because obviously he can't feel the ward and he just ends up pushing Joel's hand back towards him, cheeks a little pink as he chuckles. "That's amazin', man. Come on in, Joel."

He waits for Joel to step through what was once a solid barrier, and he feels good. He feels safe. There's a massive weight lifted off of his shoulders and Davin finds himself wanting to hug Joel, but he just reaches out with his good hand and squeezes his shoulder, nodding with his eyes shining with gratitude.

"Thank you. I feel a lot better." Davin lets out a huge breath and smiles, then gestures for Joel to follow him back over to the counter. "Alright, my turn."

He finishes painting the sigil onto the back of the star and then holds it in his palm, reciting the spell from memory, ancient Gaelic rolling easily off of his tongue. The sigil glows purple and then fades, becoming nearly invisible against the steel. To finish it off, he punches a hole in the tip of the star and then hands it over to Joel with a small smile. "There ya are. Just hang it near your bed an' the both of ya will be protected."

Joel watches Davin work with fascination and while he's seen other witches work before, for most of his life that's been limited to his family. Finally being out in the open about what he can do has changed a lot about his life, but this is by far one of the best things about it. Being able to watch other witches work is so interesting to him, seeing what they can do that he can't.

"Thanks," he says when Davin hands him the star and he turns it over in his hands to look at it, studying the shape and the place where the sigil has faded into the metal. "Spencer will be happy with this, too."

He hates that his husband has nightmares about the things that have happened to him and all he can do is hope this makes their nights a little easier. "I wonder if he'll want to bring it with us to New York."

"It'll work wherever ya take it," Davin assures him, smiling as he watches Joel inspect it and feeling glad that he can help in some way. "He mentioned that the two o' ya were goin'. Have extra fun for me, aye? I've always wanted t'go."

He pulls over his hot cocoa, though it's cooled quite a bit, and takes a long sip. "I think me an' James were gonna get outta town for a bit too. I've never really been on a real vacation, y'know. Aside from Ireland, o' course."

"We'll bring you back a tiny Empire State Building," Joel promises with a grin. "I've never really been anywhere either. I moved here from New Brunswick, but I haven't really left Siren Cove since I came here. Except for that ill-fated cruise, which ended terribly, but that was also when Spencer and I decided to get married, so it really wasn't all bad."

The memory of that night is one of his favourites. The quiet evening spent in that hot tub while most of the rest of the cruise had been attending a grand ball. Officially asking Spencer to marry him. There's not much better than that.

"I'll find a place o' honor for it," Davin promises with a laugh, and then scrunches his up his nose at the mention of the cruise. "Yeah, I'm not all that sorry I missed out on that one."

In that moment, he can't even remember why he didn't go. Something had come up, or maybe he was simply too busy. It wasn't long after he was put in charge of the shop, after all. But he's heard the stories, and that's more than enough for him. He does smile at the mention of their engagement. It's not like they weren't headed down that road anyway, but he's glad something good could come out of that cruise.

"He told me we could go wherever I want," Davin says thoughtfully, "but I don't know where to pick. Someplace warm that's not super crowded is all I want."

Joel thinks about it for a moment and then shakes his head. "I'd make the worst travel agent," he says. "Isn't the French Riviera supposed to be warm? Although it's also probably fairly crowded, so forget it, that's a bad suggestion."

Anywhere warm he can think of probably has a crowd. People who live in cold parts of the world and want to escape to somewhere warm.

"I guess it depends on how much money he's willing to spend," he says a moment later. "Even the most crowded places in the world are bound to have somewhere quiet if you have enough money." Which he himself certainly doesn't. He knows he and Spencer are doing just fine between the bookstore and the money Spencer has in his savings, but Joel has been relatively poor his whole life and even now it's hard for him to imagine spending a lot of money on anything. Even shopping for the baby has been a bit of a struggle for him as he tries to get over the need to hold onto every last penny he's earned.

"Right? He's the rich, well-traveled one. Why should I have to pick?" He laughs and shakes his head, then nods a bit when Joel mentions the money. He grew up not really having any, and now he has a decent enough (for him) income, he's never been an extravagant person. It's not often that he treats himself, but he thinks maybe that he's overdue. He deserves it this time.

"Well, he better not be expectin' t'pay for the whole thing, or he'll have a very pissy Irishman on his hands," Davin says with a smile, and then he shrugs as he carefully starts to replace all his herbs and ingredients back into their proper places. "I was thinkin' St. Bart's, maybe. They have private cabanas ya can rent, an' it seems nice."

He starts placing everything back into the wooden chest and looks over at Joel, smiling at the way he's holding the charm. "When are the two o' ya takin' off?"

Joel had felt the same way at first when he and Spencer had begun sharing expenses. There had been a lot of money in Spencer's bank account for reasons Joel wishes he'd never had to experience, but he'd spent such a long time struggling that it had felt weird to accept the money from Spencer. That had been the reason for their first and really their only fight, and Joel still feels a little guilty for the way he had bristled when Spencer had helped him to buy the building that houses the book store.

He knows now how stupid that was of him. He knows Spencer had only ever wanted to help him and that feeling like it was charity had been ridiculous. Being in a relationship means sharing things and he's long since accepted that sometimes he needs help.

"Friday morning," he says. "And we'll be back Monday afternoon. It's only two full days, but given that we're planning on a literary bar tour on Saturday, I think Sunday might be spent recovering from our hangovers."

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[closed - Davin]

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