Chapter 2
The ringing of an alarm had woken the two form their peaceful slumber, stupid fucking alarm Jon had thought as he reached other to turn it off. He turned back around to face a smirking Martin who looked like he'd just told the funniest joke and was waiting for a reaction.
"What's got you so Cheery this dreadful London morning?" Jon smiled.
"We get to see them again Jon, Sasha and Tim" He looked so happy, happier than Jon had seen him the last few years, "I'm just happy but also nervous but also happy!"
Jon understood, He's been so stuck up and an arse back than that he never regretted anything he really did until things went to wrong to be made right. He had the chance to get close now, to understand and finally be with the people he so desperately tried to avoid. Looking in to Martin's eyes he felt a safety, a hope, a happiness he hadn't felt since the safe house.
"I'm going to get ready and we can pick something up to eat by the institute, You gonna get up?" Martin asked, struggling slightly to untangle his limbs from Jon's.
"Five more minutes" He moaned and rolled over to face away from Martin.
"Why we're feeling mighty dramatic this morning" Martin replied and by his voice he seemed to be smiling pretty hard.
"Wow, never had i thought i'd be targeted like this. Martin how could you" He turned his head to look at Martin who indeed had the biggest smile on his face.
"Fine, but if you aren't out here in five minutes I'm going to pull you out of bed myself" Martin leaned down to kiss the top of Jon's head before heading out of the room to go and get dressed.
Instead of actually waiting the five minutes like he said he would, he waited about two before he dramatically threw off the covers and approached his wardrobe dreading what he would find in there. Honestly the fact he tried so hard to be professional when half the time Tim would wear a horrid Hawaiian shirt and when they all decided to dye their hair the brightest colours you could think of, He wouldn't lie though about Martin with light pink hair hot looking adorable but he wouldn't ever need to know that. There were so many ugly coloured jumpers and ties hanging up, he knew for a fact that he would have to go for a new wardrobe as soon as he got his next pay check. He never spent much of it anyways and at least he'd have martin to stop him from making horrible decisions, he could even invite Georgie to come along. He'd pulled clothes around and tried to find something, anything that wouldn't make him feel at least the slightest bit like an old cranky librarian.
"What you looking for?" Martin had said from behind him and he jumped slightly, Martin apologised with a small smile on his face at the reaction.
"Something that wont make me look like an exhausted secondary school science teacher, any ideas?" He stated while still searching for something nice.
Martin looked through the wardrobe with Jon until he noticed something, "Hold up a sec" He said as he reached in and pulled out something.
Martin had pulled out a long, greyish green maxi skirt, Jon had forgotten he had that. He'd borrowed it from Georgie one year and has just forgotten to give it back, he could use that as an excuse to get back in touch? He took the skirt from Martin's hand feeling through the fabric that he hadn't held in a long time. He thought about it for a second, there wasn't anything in the dress code that said he couldn't wear it, he didn't really care what others thought either. He knew martin would cheer him on to wear it unless he said not to.
"You know what would go with this?" Jon asked Martin who seemed happy Jon liked his suggestion.
"Probably a nice turtleneck?" Martin smiled.
"Exactly!" Jon moved to one of the below draws and pulled out a plain black, long sleeved turtle neck. Martin gave him two big thumbs up before he took the clothes into the bathroom to get ready.`It was weird, his body now gone of worm scars, burns and knife wounds, it was quite the change but not a life changing one he's been without them for so long before he could just adjust once again. The bags that were usually prominent under his eyes had calmed down and he actually looked slightly healthier than he usually did which wasn't a big difference but a noticeable one. Once he finished getting washed and dressed he exited the bathroom looking around for Martin, he looked to have moved to the small living room.
When Martin noticed he's walked in he stared for a few seconds before giving his own round of applause for Jon, "Wow, look at you! come over here and give me a spin!" He cheered on, grabbing Jon lightly by the hand and spinning him around. The two laughed in each others embrace and while Jon had the biggest blush across his face.
"We should probably head out to the Institute now" Martin suggested grabbing his and Jon's coat while heading to the door.
"Urg, as much as i want to head back i don't know how long i can stand being in the same building as Jonah" Jon complained taking his jacket from Martins hand and throwing it on.
"If it makes you feel better, I'd gladly pour salt in his tea or i'd get Rosie to do it?" Martin smiled.
John chuckled, "Oh please do"
Thus they began their train ride, it didn't take to long but it had been a while since they had to officially had to go to work in the institute. Once out of the station they both headed to a nearby bakery Martin had recommend, they'd brought some pastries for themselves and Martin insisted on some for Tim and Sasha because 'even if they had already had breakfast they would appreciate the gesture'. They had finally began the walk to the institute when martin had brought up something.
"So a quick clarification, how are we gonna like do this? Like whats our relationship status here?" Jon looked at him strangely for a moment, " I mean, to them I've been gone for two weeks and in the two days we've not been at work us suddenly returning being so lovey dovey may be strange? Not that i find it strange!"
Jon nodded in response, "I mean i get where you're coming from but also i don't want to go back to how i treated you before Martin that was...*sigh* that just wasn't right."
"So" Martin stopped just outside the institute, grabbing both of Jon's hands and holding them, "What do we do?".
"I don't know Martin" He stood and thought about it for a second, "What about if, i made up a small lie? like i realised i was being really shitty to you and decided to talk it over with you this weekend? They think you were sick and we could always just revamp the Jane Prentiss story, we're the only two who know about it after all. That okay?"
"I think that should be fine for now, we could also just not say anything but i think they'd get a little suspicious" They both chuckled a little and than decided to enter the institute together. It had been weird entering the building again, spotting Rosie at the front desk Martin waved and she responded with a short but polite hello.
Heading into the archives was nerve racking but the two having already talked through how they were going to work through everything they had a relief wash over them, pushing through the doors and into the open office space used by the archival assistance they noticed the two who they hadn't seen in so long.
"Martin! Boss! What brings you both into the archives this late? Hugh!" Tim teased, his classic smirk as he spoke.
"Wow so being sick isn't an excuse? I'll remember that next time you come in hungover" Martin huffed in response.
"Martin, No! Boss what did you do to him! He's becoming responsible!" Tim complained leaving over the back of his chair.
"Oh no, that cant be good" Jon replied sarcastically with a smirk as he walked towards his office, behind him he could hear the sound of Tim gasping and laughing slightly.
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When martin walked over to his desk, taking off his coat and throwing it on the back of the chair, Tim rolled over on his chair and leaning on his desk. A huge cheeky smile on his face and he just sat their staring. Eventually Sasha came over greeting Martin and wondering what was up with Tim.
"Sasha if i ever knew what Tim meant when he did anything It would be so much easier to deal with him" He joked.
"Sasha! I'm just saying that doesn't Martin sound a little more like Mr. Boss man?! I think the crush is becoming more serious than we thought!" Sasha slapped his arm slightly.
"Oh hush you! but i did just see him walk past with a smile on his face, what happened?" She smiled.
"Oh~He's finally falling in love with me, I'm sorry Martin but it seems like the Stoker charm has worked once again" Tim acted.
"Oh please, you could barely charm a snake" Martin flicked his forehead before throwing the bag of pastries at the two, "I'm making tea, want some?"
"Yes please!" Sasha called after with Tim who also groaned but agreed as well, rubbing his forehead where he had been flicked just moments before.
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John sat in his office, taking it all in. On his desk sat statements 8162103 and 0051701 which he knew he needed to record but really wanted to delay it that. He sat at the desk, deciding to clean the station he had left a mess for so long. He had time to think though, soon he would have Michael show up and Melanie was supposed to be making her statement in a month. He'd have to ask the others to help with the live statements, he already had heard some of the ones martin had recorded and at the moment he and Sasha seemed like the most reliable. He would try and avoid showing off statements about the circus but also inform the others of some that may be life or death situated, he wasn't paying attention to the time that had passed so when Martin knocked on the door Jon jumped a little.
"Come in!" He called.
Martin entered the room with two cups in his hand, "Thought you could need this" he smiled.
"Ah, thank you" Martin closed the door behind him and placed the cups on the newly cleaned desk, pulling up a chair.
"You've been busy, I don't think I've ever seen you're office so clean" Martin chuckled, "It's nice".
"Yeah, i never realised there was so much space" He looked around the office, "How are things with the others?"
"Well" Martin sat up straight, "Tim said you confessed you're undying love for him"
"Oh no, Martin. I thought you'd never find out" Jon faked shock, "Will you ever forgive me"
"Oh shut up" He lightly kicked Jon's foot with a laugh."Sasha was there though, I...I can't believe we forgot what we looked like"
A look of guilt crossed Martin's face.
"Oh Martin" Jon sat on the desk in front of him, holding one of his hands while the other was running through his hair, "No-one could've known. The Not-Them knew what they were doing and managed to convince us all. We wont let than happen again, we all stick together from now on" He kissed the top of Martin's head.
"Yeah, yeah! Thanks Jon" He smiled, "Now, i can tell by the look on your face that you're over thinking things. What is it?"
Jon sighed, "So much is happening so soon, Michael is going to show up soon and so is Melanie, than the attack. I just don't know where to go from here or how to help".
Martin now took Jon's hands, "You have me now so that's something! also we know what's going to happen, i know we can do it. I won't let us fail!" The look of determination on Martin's face really calmed down Jon.
"Thank you, also! we should probably keep an eye open for worms" he suggested.
"Oh i'm way ahead of you" Martin smirked.
"What does that mean?" Martin began to leave the room, "Martin, no what do you mean!"
Martin had left though and Jon stood up, he sighed and stared at the statements on his desk. He had to record them but now he had more knowledge to make more detailed supplementals. Martin would come back in a few hours so before he started his statement work he decided to look around the room he was in, grabbing a box cutter from his draw he decided to get to work quickly on removing any eye imagery to prevent Jonah's prying eyes.