The Weekend Arrangement

The Secrets that Bind Us

Things were tense, and the atmosphere wary in the office. The effect of the shocking intrusion on Jon had sent ripples of unease through the small staff, and the Archives felt stuck under an uncomfortable, nervous energy.

Jon seemed better- slightly more calm waking with Martin on Tuesday, but the morning was awkward as they tried to figure out how to navigate getting ready on a weekday together. It had been complicated further by trying to work out how to stagger their arrivals at the Institute to not raise suspicions. Jon had spent most of the time formulating different routes and various surreptitious ways of approaching the building and it seemed to Martin like he was trying to not talk about the events of the previous day as much as anything else.

Martin had eventually quieted his anxiety with another cup of tea and a small, sweet kiss telling Jon I'll just leave here a bit before you, no need to over complicate things, love.

It was the first time either had ever attempted to use a pet name- and where Michael calling Jon 'babe' made him feel small and patronised; being called 'love' by Martin felt right and comfortable- like slipping on a well worn jumper-and Jon had let that bolster him for the upcoming day .

Now, ever since then, leaving the Institute and knowing Jon was going home alone left Martin with a deep sense of unease and dread. Underneath that trepidation ran a core of anger he didn't even really know he had.

By Thursday things were starting to return to a semblance of normal, if guardedly quiet. Sasha was out on follow up business all day, and Tim was grousing about some cross referencing the research department had asked him to do. Jon came in looking haggard and over tired and Martin had been worried about him since he arrived. If he were being honest, he's been worried about him since Monday.

Finally Tim cleared out of the archives; all Martin needed was a chance to go check on Jon, make sure he's all right. At first Martin can't even see Jon, he's hunched and drawn up into a tight ball with his head resting on his desk- he looks terrible and Martin feels another rush of worry for him.

"Jon, love- go lie down on the cot. You look like you're about to die at your desk. Are you still not sleeping?"

Jon lifts his head to look at him, bleary and unfocused but still smiles when he meets Martin's eyes.

"I, I had a bad night. Couldn't sleep at all. I kept getting up to check the windows and doors. Every creak- every tap. I never quite felt safe. It's harder without you there." He sounds so weary and it breaks Martin's heart to hear Jon this tired.

He cups Jon's face in his hands and presses a kiss to his forehead.

"Jon- you can always call me. It doesn't matter how late it is- I'll stay on the phone with you, or come over if I can. If it's bad- if you feel unsafe you can always call me. And- I'm going to double check all of those locks this weekend- okay? For lunch today, I brought you a sandwich- I thought we could figure out dinner for Saturday; but I'll sit with you while you try and catch a nap instead. You have to get some sleep."

"Just sit?" Even under his exhaustion there's a suggestive note in Jon's voice, an invitation for more over the lunch hour.

"Hmm." Martin looks like he's thinking it over. "I'll see if I can't be more persuasive in you getting some rest, but Tim has been in and out of the office all morning, so we can't do anything until he leaves for lunch. Can you make it til lunch?"

Jon looks up at him with the softest, most grateful expression Martin has ever seen as he stretches his face out of the hands gently holding his face to catch Martin's mouth for a kiss.