The Weekend Arrangement

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God it's early.

Jon doesn't understand why a place that deals with ghosts and spectres so regularly wants him to be at work so dreadfully early. Shouldn't they start much, much later? The researchers get to come in later, running around at night as they so often do- but the Archives? Elias expects THEM promptly at eight. Eight! It's been nearly a year since he's been promoted to Head Archivist, and he still struggles with waking this early. Though if he's being honest a lot of that also stems from his struggles to get to sleep in the first place. It's been ages since he's had more than a handful of fitful hours and Jon can feel it settling heavily in his bones.

He muffles yet another yawn as he shuffles into the breakroom. The only good thing about mornings this early is Martin. He's always in before everyone- smiling and handsome and looking for all the world as if he's never had a bout of insomnia in his life. Jon would hate him for it if his face didn't make the mornings so much more tolerable. He shakes his head trying to clear the cobwebs and drifting thoughts.

Martin isn't in the breakroom this morning though. Just Tim, looking as sour and dishevelled as Jon feels.

"Ah, Tim. I thought you and Melanie were out on a thing last night. Strange music somewhere? A spectral circus of some sort I think I saw in the statement? I assumed you'd be in later."

"You would think so, wouldn't you? No. Elias can't fully decide if I'm Research or Archives and it's killing me, Jon. You have to get him to fix this- either I don't do late nights or I don't do early mornings. This weird hybrid of both is going to drive me looney. I haven't even been home yet, for fucks sake. The Institute is already on shaky academic ground; it won't be good for our image if I snap and run through Piccadilly naked screaming about ghosts." Tim grimaces as he takes a sip of his coffee. "Coffee! Reduced to drinking coffee! All I want is a lie down and a proper cuppa but nooo... Martin isn't here to produce a decent cup of tea and Elias needs me to do paperwork. Paperwork! About a spooky circus! " Tim sneers at the whole situation, and Jon again regrets asking Tim to come with him to the Archives.

It was nice having a friend when he started this new job, but now he just feels guilty he's messed up Tim's schedule along with his own. The only thing that actually catches Jon's ear in Tim's tirade is the tidbit that Martin isn't here.

"Wait, Martin isn't here? Where is Martin?" Jon hates how eagerly he asks the question. He knows people have noticed the clumsy dance he and Martin have been doing-Tim has said as much on multiple occasions- but he doesn't actually want to advertise his desperate longing.

Tim waggles an eyebrow, leering at him knowingly. "Halloo, welcome to the conversation Jon." Tim snaps his fingers as if to wake Jon from a daze "Everything else I've said about my mental health being stolen by this place, and the lurid suggestion of my nude physique" another maddening eyebrow from Tim. "And what do you hear? Just that Martin isn't around. This miasma of yearning is getting suffocating. I know we've missed our chance at a great romance for the ages, but- honestly, will you please just ask that boy out?"

One short, chaste, awkward date almost a decade ago and Tim still likes to tease Jon. At least they'd maintained the friendship, they were good as friends- and god knows Jon doesn't have many any more.

"I am his boss Tim. Of course I want to- but I haven't. I couldn't. I shouldn't. I won't." Jon sighs heavily, it's wistful and if Tim weren't so tired he'd think it was all terribly sad and romantic.

"Sure, that is an issue, but honestly I don't think this place even has a proper HR. We study ghosts. No one is going to call you to the carpet for asking him out, Jon."