for epistemological

[corkscrewed]

[ further continued from this thread. ]

[ things are, for a few more days, pretty good. they make progress. they make tentative plans. martin spends a lot of time with jon, wrapped around him when they sleep, and they never manage to quite finish the movie.

so, yes: things are pretty great, until suddenly they aren't anymore.

it's a strain to hold out hope with both tim and daisy gone, with jon in the hospital, but he does because he has no choice. the circumstances are less than ideal when he finally meets georgie, but she seems to understand the situation by the look on martin's face when she comes into the hospital room with her coffee. she usually brings two coffees from that point on.

so he clings to hope, because he has to, and when that finally starts to fray? peter is there. peter, who promises him that he can help. that with jon gone - and jon is gone, he says with gentle urgency - that others are going to need to step up. that martin will, because that's the only way to keep everyone safe. sure, it won't be easy at first, but it will get easier, and he'll barely notice the difference. that concessions need to be made.

so martin agrees to those concessions, and georgie starts spending more time at the hospital, to pick up the slack that martin leaves.

and then jon wakes up. don't, peter tells him. if you want this to work, you can't. it'll be easier if you don't think about it.

it works for a while, too. not that it's gotten easier at all like peter promised (and he has, quietly, sent georgie a single message to ask if he's okay, because that's all he needs to make it), but because martin is stubborn. because he's this far in, and if he can be the one to keep everyone safe, then he will.

it's working well enough until the evening jon's office door opens, and martin swears under his breath. the expression jon will catch on him is surprise, panic, before it's carefully arranged into something more neutral. busted. ]

Comments

[corkscrewed]

You're strangely sentimental.

[ but martin will lean in to kiss him again, slowly, lingering. ]

[epistemological]

[ And Jon will take his damn time in the kiss before letting him go.]

Altissima quaeque flumina minimo sono labi.

[corkscrewed]

[ he's pulling away, looking startled and maybe a little concerned. ]

Jon--?

[epistemological]

[ He looks startled as well, then confused, and finally slightly annoyed, his nose scrunching up. ]

It's Latin, Martin, a rather well-known phrase: 'still waters run deep'.

[corkscrewed]

[ he relaxes visibly. ]

You can't just come at me with surprise latin, Jon, it'll scare me.

[epistemological]

[ He snorts at that.]

It's Latin. What's so frightening about Latin?

[corkscrewed]

[ martin gives him a deadpan look. ] Buffy taught me to never speak Latin in front of books.

[epistemological]

There's no books in here.

[ He glances over at his bedstand. Then back.]

Also, who's 'Buffy'?

[corkscrewed]

--Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Jon. Have you never seen it?

[epistemological]

[ He's just going to keep blinking at you, Martin.]

Let's put that down for a 'no'.

[corkscrewed]

[ he flusters just slightly, looking oddly embarrassed. ] Of course not. What do you want to eat?

[ martin will pause and kiss him again. ]

[epistemological]

You'll have to show it to me.

[ Though there's just a little bit of skepticism given the title.]

Whatever's easiest. Maybe toast and fruit?

[corkscrewed]

Do you have any here, or do I need to go out?

[ he's so reluctant. ]

[epistemological]

[ He considers that for a moment.]

...think I've got toast and butter. Possibly some eggs.

[corkscrewed]

Great. Back soon.

[ it'll be about twenty minutes later that martin returns with toast and tea and scrambled eggs, climbing back into bed with him. ]

[epistemological]

[ He greets him with a kiss and once the food is on the dresser, tugs him properly on top of him for another, slightly firmer kiss.]

[corkscrewed]

[ martin smiles at that, pressing a firmer kiss right against his mouth. he rests his weight carefully on top of jon's. ]

It's just breakfast, darling.

[epistemological]

You're here.

[ He gets another kiss for that.]

I'm allowed to be pleased about that.

[corkscrewed]

Well-

[ a longer, slightly deeper kiss. ]

- you didn't let me go.

[epistemological]

[ This time, his voice is just as firm... but much much gentler.]

Never.

[corkscrewed]

[ martin snorts before he can help it, kissing softly at his cheek. ]

Your food is getting cold.

[epistemological]

It’s funny to me that you think I’ve ever had a hot meal. [One more kiss.] Given your experience.

[But he will reach over to get the plate.]

[corkscrewed]

[ martin will smile slightly, but he doesn't actually get off of him. ]

Maybe you should change that. Might make all the difference.

[epistemological]

The difference in what, exactly?

[ Martin is getting nuzzled. Will he ever survive this inhuman assault? ]

[corkscrewed]

Couldn't tell you.

[ it's stupid, he knows, pretending that everything is going to be fine, that things are just going to be okay now. it's hard to remember that with jon nuzzling him. ]

I want a backrub, too, after we eat.