Jon stares at the successive messages without breathing. The first thing that hits him is an unfortunate guess this makes Martin braver than me.
In his defence he only accepted that the unfamiliar liking to look at Martin and liking being around him even when he was doing things that make Jon want to smash his own face into his desk was romantic, actually, about five minutes ago. Martin is still braver than he is.
He’s grinning in a way that would make almost everyone who knows him ask if he’s quite alright as he replies. ]
Well if you’re going to all the trouble of making and bringing a thermos I suppose it should be A Date. Officially.
[ Excuse you, Jon. Delivering the ashes of your mutual tormentor was also very romantic. He’s very much the “sweep you off your feet and run from the Eldritch horror” type of guy. Sure, Tim is the hot one, but Martin is the kind of guy to walk through hell and back. Foreshadowing.
God, he feels a bit lightheaded from the adrenaline rush of throwing away whatever chance he has of a normal working relationship with John- oh... Martin is frozen like a deer in headlights, though he does carefully touch his wrist to check his pulse. It’s hammering away, so he’s either still alive or very close to not being as such. ]
wait am i dead?
Could be dying curently.
*Currently. Ugh. Can’t type. Aforementioned dying. OH OF COURSE I CAN SPELL THAT FINE.
[ God give him a second to collect himself. His face hurts from either smiling or the violent blush that's spreading quickly. ]
Are you sure? I'd really like you to be but I don't want you to feel pressured or anything.
[ Well that’s an entire mess and Jon has to fight back the urge to say anything like ‘I’m really not worth dying over’ Not gonna get a choice in that one, buddy.
Work is going to be awkward on Monday either way because one choice is to back out and then it’ll be uncomfortable or they’re going to sort out going on a date and have to pretend nothing is going on for the sake of being professional.
Martin is giving him an out and he really doesn’t want to take it. ]
Please try not to die. I think it would be a shame if you managed to pass on before our date. Which is a date. Providing you mean it that you want to go on one.
[ If by performance reviews you mean kissing in the office and Jon bullshitting the paperwork because he hates doing it and them anyway, yeah, they’re going to be awful. ]
[ He’s ...breathing, so that’s good. Some of the fight or flight is melting from his limbs, including his fingers, which seem to be a bit steadier when they go about typing his reply. ]
Of course I mean it, Jon. I’ve only been trying for the better part of a year.
Which means I have zero excuse for being late.
[ Martin is such a liar, but it didn’t feel smart to admit to Jon that he’d been smitten from the first time they’d met. It’d been really cute to see him confused over Martin asking if he’d seen the spaniel that had snuck into the archives. Yes, Jon. A specific spaniel, not one in general. ]
What does the rest of your weekend look like?
[ Taking lunch in the boss’s office. The absolute scandal... but if it keeps Jon from skipping meals like the maniac he is, it’s a win. He deserves a raise. ]
[ A year is unexpected to say the least. Jon thought Martin was just nice, even in the face of him being decidedly not nice. He’s not used to being someone anybody would have a crush on. ]
I don’t think I have a late form for being late to a date.
[ He does have a pile of late forms on his desk that he’s been meaning to deal with for the best part of a month. That Elias somehow knows and has asked about despite them having not been correctly filed. And return to work interviews from the Prentiss Incident that he needs to spellcheck and sign and hand to HR. It’s a monumental task keeping his own work together while trying to sort through the mess his predecessor left. ]
I have some paperwork that needs finishing and if I can’t get it done on Institute time I guess it has to be done on mine instead but otherwise I am completely free.
[ Maybe stop him working at home on the weekends too. Regular meals, not working through lunch and stop taking work home. Going to sleep on time would be good too but look at him dragging Martin into insomniac time. It’s 4am. ]
no subject
Jon stares at the successive messages without breathing. The first thing that hits him is an unfortunate guess this makes Martin braver than me.
In his defence he only accepted that the unfamiliar liking to look at Martin and liking being around him even when he was doing things that make Jon want to smash his own face into his desk was romantic, actually, about five minutes ago. Martin is still braver than he is.
He’s grinning in a way that would make almost everyone who knows him ask if he’s quite alright as he replies. ]
Well if you’re going to all the trouble of making and bringing a thermos I suppose it should be A Date. Officially.
S.O.S.
God, he feels a bit lightheaded from the adrenaline rush of throwing away whatever chance he has of a normal working relationship with John- oh... Martin is frozen like a deer in headlights, though he does carefully touch his wrist to check his pulse. It’s hammering away, so he’s either still alive or very close to not being as such. ]
wait am i dead?
Could be dying curently.
*Currently. Ugh. Can’t type. Aforementioned dying. OH OF COURSE I CAN SPELL THAT FINE.
[ God give him a second to collect himself. His face hurts from either smiling or the violent blush that's spreading quickly. ]
Are you sure? I'd really like you to be but I don't want you to feel pressured or anything.
[ Oh No. The performance reviews... ]
the bluescreen is adorable
Not gonna get a choice in that one, buddy.Work is going to be awkward on Monday either way because one choice is to back out and then it’ll be uncomfortable or they’re going to sort out going on a date and have to pretend nothing is going on for the sake of being professional.
Martin is giving him an out and he really doesn’t want to take it. ]
Please try not to die. I think it would be a shame if you managed to pass on before our date. Which is a date. Providing you mean it that you want to go on one.
[ If by performance reviews you mean kissing in the office and Jon bullshitting the paperwork because he hates doing it and them anyway, yeah, they’re going to be awful. ]
they're going to be ZOMBIES
Of course I mean it, Jon. I’ve only been trying for the better part of a year.
Which means I have zero excuse for being late.
[ Martin is such a liar, but it didn’t feel smart to admit to Jon that he’d been smitten from the first time they’d met. It’d been really cute to see him confused over Martin asking if he’d seen the spaniel that had snuck into the archives. Yes, Jon. A specific spaniel, not one in general. ]
What does the rest of your weekend look like?
[ Taking lunch in the boss’s office. The absolute scandal... but if it keeps Jon from skipping meals like the maniac he is, it’s a win. He deserves a raise. ]
no subject
I don’t think I have a late form for being late to a date.
[ He does have a pile of late forms on his desk that he’s been meaning to deal with for the best part of a month. That Elias somehow knows and has asked about despite them having not been correctly filed. And return to work interviews from the Prentiss Incident that he needs to spellcheck and sign and hand to HR. It’s a monumental task keeping his own work together while trying to sort through the mess his predecessor left. ]
I have some paperwork that needs finishing and if I can’t get it done on Institute time I guess it has to be done on mine instead but otherwise I am completely free.
[ Maybe stop him working at home on the weekends too. Regular meals, not working through lunch and stop taking work home. Going to sleep on time would be good too but look at him dragging Martin into insomniac time. It’s 4am. ]