Joel can't help but grin when Spencer's cheeks flush and he's given a startled look. It's not as if he's never been attracted to anyone else, but there's never been a single person whose features have come together as to be so utterly striking as Joel finds Spencer. Even in a moment like this, when he looks more startled than anything, there's just something about his expression that makes Joel feel warm inside, like he's been given something special. And he has, he supposes. He and Spencer have a solid, dependable relationship, one that works on trust and respect and understanding, but there are certainly days when he feels like he's been given a great gift. When someone has just walked up to him, presented him with Spencer, and it's turned out to be the best thing anyone could ever give him. It doesn't work like that, he can't compare his husband to a present someone has given him, not when the two of them struggled to find each other in their own ways, but he just feels so damn lucky every single day. If anyone has given him something special, it's Spencer. He's given Joel his love and his trust, he's given him more than Joel could have ever hoped to receive and he reaches across the table when Spencer looks at him and squeezes his hand as he gives him a happy, reassuring smile. Neither of them like the attention, but he thinks it's perfectly understandable that Spencer attracts it wherever he goes.
They're reminded they have five more bars even as Joel orders their shots of whiskey and he raises his eyebrows at what's said about Dylan Thomas dying of alcohol poisoning in this very bar. That's definitely not something Joel wants to have happen to either of them, but he thinks they'll both be okay. They might not be particularly heavy drinkers, but they're both well versed enough in the consumption of whiskey that he thinks they know their own limits. They've decided to have a shot at each bar, but Joel thinks if either of them reach a point where they feel like they can't drink anymore, they'll know it. Neither of them is prone to doing something just because they think they're supposed to and Joel knows if there's anyone who isn't going to judge him one way or the other, it's the man he's here with.
"No dying of alcohol poisoning," he says when their shots are delivered, lifting his glass toward Spencer's with a grin. Perhaps not the most creative toast to be making, but maybe the most fitting for this bar in particular. There's five more shots, five more toasts to go, and he can't make each and every one perfect. Especially when he's never been good at them to begin with, just one more thing he knows Spencer will forgive him. There's a good number of things Joel has never been particularly good at, but with Spencer he tries so much harder than he's ever cared to try with anyone before. And he's never been made to feel stupid because something might make him feel awkward, which makes it easier for him to try harder. They're just good together in every possible way and Joel knows this isn't exactly the best time for him to get excessively emotional, so he just wrinkles his nose slightly and takes his shot.
All without being able to take his eyes off Spencer.
It seems like no time at all before Casey is calling for their attention again and Joel knows it's not very charitable, but he's grateful Shelly's husband has seemed to keep her entertained at this bar. She was very nice, but he knows there's only so much of a person like that he can handle and he thinks what he needs is to get just a little bit more drunk before he's expected to spend much more time with anyone besides his husband. This is their trip, after all.
"Alright, so the next bar we'll be hitting up is Pete's Tavern," Casey announces. "This one is a bit of a walk, so it'll give you guys a chance to burn off the alcohol I see you've been quite enthusiastically putting back. If anyone feels themselves getting hungry or feeling a little dehydrated, we're guaranteed to run across about three dozen food trucks between here and there, so feel free to grab my attention and make a quick stop if you need to. I want to make sure everyone makes it through to the end of this. So pay up, tip your server appropriately and let's get going."
Joel stretches as he climbs out of the booth, then offers Spencer his hand to join him. "I'm really glad we had something to eat before we started this or I think I might already be feeling it a little," he says, still smiling. And while he's not drunk, not even a little, he does feel incredibly good. It's just such a nice feeling to be here with Spencer, away from everything back home, away from all their responsibilities and all the awful things that had just happened that they've left behind. He knows they can't forget, not entirely, he knows it's the sort of thing that's still going to follow them, but he also thinks they've done a really good job at leaving it behind for now. They've decided to make this trip something special, a good memory for them to take with them for the rest of their lives, and no one is going to take that from them.
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They're reminded they have five more bars even as Joel orders their shots of whiskey and he raises his eyebrows at what's said about Dylan Thomas dying of alcohol poisoning in this very bar. That's definitely not something Joel wants to have happen to either of them, but he thinks they'll both be okay. They might not be particularly heavy drinkers, but they're both well versed enough in the consumption of whiskey that he thinks they know their own limits. They've decided to have a shot at each bar, but Joel thinks if either of them reach a point where they feel like they can't drink anymore, they'll know it. Neither of them is prone to doing something just because they think they're supposed to and Joel knows if there's anyone who isn't going to judge him one way or the other, it's the man he's here with.
"No dying of alcohol poisoning," he says when their shots are delivered, lifting his glass toward Spencer's with a grin. Perhaps not the most creative toast to be making, but maybe the most fitting for this bar in particular. There's five more shots, five more toasts to go, and he can't make each and every one perfect. Especially when he's never been good at them to begin with, just one more thing he knows Spencer will forgive him. There's a good number of things Joel has never been particularly good at, but with Spencer he tries so much harder than he's ever cared to try with anyone before. And he's never been made to feel stupid because something might make him feel awkward, which makes it easier for him to try harder. They're just good together in every possible way and Joel knows this isn't exactly the best time for him to get excessively emotional, so he just wrinkles his nose slightly and takes his shot.
All without being able to take his eyes off Spencer.
It seems like no time at all before Casey is calling for their attention again and Joel knows it's not very charitable, but he's grateful Shelly's husband has seemed to keep her entertained at this bar. She was very nice, but he knows there's only so much of a person like that he can handle and he thinks what he needs is to get just a little bit more drunk before he's expected to spend much more time with anyone besides his husband. This is their trip, after all.
"Alright, so the next bar we'll be hitting up is Pete's Tavern," Casey announces. "This one is a bit of a walk, so it'll give you guys a chance to burn off the alcohol I see you've been quite enthusiastically putting back. If anyone feels themselves getting hungry or feeling a little dehydrated, we're guaranteed to run across about three dozen food trucks between here and there, so feel free to grab my attention and make a quick stop if you need to. I want to make sure everyone makes it through to the end of this. So pay up, tip your server appropriately and let's get going."
Joel stretches as he climbs out of the booth, then offers Spencer his hand to join him. "I'm really glad we had something to eat before we started this or I think I might already be feeling it a little," he says, still smiling. And while he's not drunk, not even a little, he does feel incredibly good. It's just such a nice feeling to be here with Spencer, away from everything back home, away from all their responsibilities and all the awful things that had just happened that they've left behind. He knows they can't forget, not entirely, he knows it's the sort of thing that's still going to follow them, but he also thinks they've done a really good job at leaving it behind for now. They've decided to make this trip something special, a good memory for them to take with them for the rest of their lives, and no one is going to take that from them.