recordingends | Open Post

"As safe as anywhere else," he answers from where he's sitting on the plaid couch. It's garish, possibly forty or fifty years old, but oddly comfortable. "Are you alright down there, Martin?"

Jon wonders if he should be concerned, but Martin doesn't look like he's having a panic attack.

"I'm all right."

He glances to where Jon had settled onto the couch, smiling softly, glad if, for the moment, they were safe. It might not be for a long time but it was something.

"It's not bad down here, you know. The ceiling is quite nice." He jokes with a laugh.

Jon gives Martin a long look, but then a small smile flickers across his face. With a long-suffering sigh, Jon eases off of the couch and settles down on the floor next to Martin. He folds his hands over his stomach and looks up at the ceiling.

"Is that... water damage?"

He didn't think he'd actually do it but here was Jon, on the floor with him. Martin laughs a bit, settling into a sigh as he goes back into staring at the ceiling.

"Maybe. It could just be old water damage. Roofing didn't look too shabby when we got here."

"Mm. Are we going to stay down here long?" he asks as he lolls his head to look at Martin. The little smile appears again and his look softens as when he meets Martin's gaze. Maybe they are on the floor of a little cottage in the middle of nowhere, Scotland... but Jon realizes he's rather happy to be here.

"Maybe. Depends on when we get hungry I suppose." Martin can't help but catch his eye, a sudden wry smile on his lips. "Did we elope?

The audacity of asking so out of the blue! But! But it was quite funny, and he knows he's going to love the look on Jon's face. It's such a ridiculous notion but here they were, far away from everything, together in a cottage...

It was nice. Maybe they could make the best of it until they were found.

Jon rolls his eyes and gives Martin a small nudge with his elbow.

"I think eloping still involves a marriage," he points out, though he feels his face getting hot even as he says it. Jon's never been very good talking about relationships, and apparently that isn't going to change. "And would you really elope to Scotland?"

"I mean-- We're here aren't we?" He chuckles, not able to stop at this point. "We could just walk down to the courthouse. Do you think they'd marry a couple of blokes on the run from the law."

It's silly. It's ridiculous, but Martin couldn't imagine a conversation like this with anyone else.

"Where would you elope to?"

"I don't know," he says as he looks at the ceiling again, still quietly flustered. "I never thought of getting married, never mind eloping."

He hadn't really thought of dating again after Georgie. Nothing serious, anyway. Jon tries not to get nervous wondering what Martin's expectations are. Maybe it won't matter. They can just... figure everything out as they go along. But their first real moment together was in the Lonely, for heaven's sake. This trip feels like an excuse to get to know each other better. Or to--to really embrace and settle into... dating.

Jon's quite nervous that Martin will come to his senses.

"You're not alone, you know. The not thinking you're ever going to get married." Martin reaches out to brush his hand along Jon's.

Maybe talking about marriage right out the gate was not the BEST idea, but it was certainly a funny thought. He adores Jon, in a way he can't express but with enjoying his dry humor and how much he puts into protecting others. The fact that Jon came for him in the Lonley, risking his own life just... what words could convey that emotion? Relived? Grateful? Loved?

Loved. It was dangerous, given what he knows about his mother but... he could hope. He could dare to hope that this could work and that one day shit wouldn't hit the fan for a moment.

"Different question then." He decides to change the subject. "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you?"

"Oh, I don't know. I did a lot of traveling before... well. After the whole Leitner thing."

But eh supposes most of that traveling had relatively little to do with enjoyment and everything to do with a mad quest to follow Gertrude's breadcrumbs. Jon looks up at the ceiling and seems to consider.

"I don't know... someplace warm, maybe? I don't know about a beach, all that sand. Somewhere... quiet. Like this. But with less plaid."

That isn't really an answer, is it? Jon's realizing he's not very good at this kind of thing.

"Someplace warm." That is the perfect amount of detail. "I'll keep that in mind."

Because maybe, maybe one day they could take that trip. Someplace quiet and warm, and far, far away from the Institute.

"You don't think about this much do you?"

"No, not really," he admits. "I've had other things on my mind the past few years," he says with a wry look.

And Jon doesn't dare think that he'll be able to follow through on even his vague ideas for a while yet. But they have this. A little cottage tucked away in Scotland for... however long. Together. Jon lets one hand slide off his stomach and tentatively laces his fingers with Martin's.

This is-- this is nice. Being able to hold his hands with Jon was beyond what he could have thought. Allowing to just be was almost too much for him. Martin wondered when it was going to end. He never thought Jon would even spare him a second glance.

"Oh? Am I one of those things?" He lightly teases back, enjoying the wry look on Jon's face.

"Maybe." Jon looks at Martin again and lightly squeezes his hand. "You know, I'm very impressed you aren't making tea yet."

He supposes they should actually get some more supplies, but he'll be shocked if Martin hasn't brought tea with him.

"Oh. The tea is coming." He assures. "I'm just enjoying this."

The floor, holding Jon's hand, relaxing and taking in the moment. It's not like they've had much time after..well after escaping the Lonely.

"Do you want tea?"

Jon isn't sure what he wants. He likes this.

Tentatively, he turns toward Martin. He lets go of Martin's hand in favor of tucking between his arm and his side, trying this out. It's nice. It doesn't usually occur to him to seek this kind of thing out, and he hasn't really had anyone he's wanted it from in ages.

"Not just yet, I think."

Martin is shocked, just for a second, just for a second, and just wraps his arm around Jon with a gentle smile. The world could wait while he just...holds Jon. He glances at the ceiling, taking a slow, deep breath.

Screw the world. He could die happy like this.

"So we're on the run, but I think we could turn this into a holiday! See what's around here and what to do..."

Jon tenses just for a moment when Martin's arm wraps around him. But he relaxes by degrees and finally closes his eyes, head against Martin's shoulder as he settles into the gentle hold. It's nice.

"I think our options are limited to going for walks and looking at cows," he muses. "I don't think Daisy is the type to keep books around."

"She probably has a book!" Or two!

Who was he kidding? They were more likely to find a cache of weapons hidden in a secret compartment than a book. Daisy was a little predictable he guessed.

"The cows are pretty cool, Jon."

"They're cows, Martin." Even though his eyes are closed, his tone absolutely suggests that he's rolling them. Jon sighs softly and, after a moment, drapes his arm across Martin's chest. This is nice. And it makes Jon realize, very suddenly, how tired he is.

He hasn't had a good night's sleep in--a long time. He doesn't really anticipate having any while they're hiding away in this cabin, but maybe he could nap like this one day. Especially if there are any books for Martin to read.

"Yeah and?" How dare you, Jon Sims, the cows are going to be offended. The audacity.

He carefully rubs his fingers into Jon's back, massaging in slow, small circles. The act of idleness is enticing, of actually giving in and relaxing whether it's on the floor of this cottage or off someplace warm.

"You could sleep you know." Martin holds him close, glancing down at him. "Maybe not on the floor but...you could get some rest."

"Mmm," he hums quietly in answer, mostly noncommittal. Martin isn't wrong, he could try to sleep. But that would mean giving up what he has right now, and now that Jon is here, he isn't sure he wants to move. Even if they are on the floor.

But maybe Martin won't want to stay like this.

Slowly, reluctantly, Jon pushes himself to sit up and runs a hand through his hair. It's come loose from whatever he was using to hold it back. "I might try laying down," he says after a moment. "You don't mind?"

"Of course not."

He thinks about it for a moment, following in suit as he sits up and stretches his arms with a groan. It's been years since he laid on the floor and maybe. Maybe that was a bad idea.

"Though, I was uh...thinking... maybe I could join you?" It's nervous, a quiet question, not wanting to push boundaries but a suggestion since they were already comfortable on the floor why not be comfortable in the bed?

Jon actually feels his face getting warm in the face of the question. But he manages to nod his head before he summons his voice.

"Yes. Yes, I think--I think I'd like that."

He looks at Martin, meets his gaze and holds it for a moment. Something in him softens. Yes, he does want to lay in bed with Martin. Jon gets up carefully and offers Martin his hands to steady him on his way up.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject