Chapter Text
Martin woke up to sunlight streaming in through the window. Dust particles danced in the gaps of the curtain, and the soft morning light streamed onto the floor. Martin rolled over, looking at Jon, who was still sleeping. He was facing away from Martin, quiet snores escaping his mouth.
The two men had arrived to the cottage late at night, exhausted. Neither man had wanted to sleep on the couch so they had taken their bags off and collapsed onto the creaky queen sized bed together. Martin was now wondering if that was a mistake due to the thoughts in his head. Jon’s body was warm, comforting. Martin wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around the smaller man and go back to sleep.
Instead, he got up to make some tea. He filled the kettle with tap water and waited for it to boil. He searched through the cabinets for tea, only finding a box of cheap black tea. He sighed and made a mental note to get some nice tea when he went to the store to stock up on food. He took two mugs from the cabinet, and managed to find some honey, as well. By then, the kettle had begun to boil. He poured the water into the mugs, put the teabags in, and waited.
He had nothing to do besides think, so he thought about Jon. About his long, dark hair with streaks of gray. About how pretty he looked with it up in a messy bun, tucking loose strands behind his ears when he was concentrating. Martin was infatuated with the man. He had been in love with him for so long, it just felt natural. And yet, Jon had no idea how he felt. How his heart still skipped a beat when he heard Jon say his name, or how his skin warmed when Jon touched him.
‘I’m telling him’, Martin decided. ‘I’m telling him today.’ He took the tea bag out of his mug, poured some honey into it, and stirred it around. He took a sip, grimacing at the bitterness. He really needed to remember that tea.
His thoughts were interrupted by a creak coming from the bedroom. Jon yawned as we shuffled into the kitchen, his hair a ruffled mess and his eyes still tired. Martin’s chest warmed at the sight.
“I made you some tea.” Jon smiled at him, taking the mug gratefully in his hands. “It’s bad, though.”
“Well, I wouldn’t expect any other kind of tea from Daisy.” Jon took the honey and poured in so much that Martin thought he might’ve used half the jar. Jon took Martin’s spoon and mixed it before taking a sip.
“Wow. This is fantastically horrible,” Jon said with a chuckle. Martin smiled and let out a small laugh.
“Like you said, I wouldn’t expect anything other kind of tea from Daisy.” Martin’s smile faded as he drummed his fingers against his mug. Jon took another sip before looking to Martin, a vaguely concerned look on his face.
“Something on your mind?” He asked. Martin sighed, his stomach sinking slightly. He always had trouble with expressing his feelings.
“Yeah.” He looked up at Jon for a moment before turning to the counter and gripping the edge. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. “I have feelings for you. I had a crush on you when we first met at the Institute, and that never really went away, and just got worse when I started working on your archival staff. And I never said anything cause you my BOSS, for christ’s sake-”
“Martin.” He looked up. Jon had gotten closer while he had talked, and was hardly a foot away now. Still, he took another step towards the taller man.
“There was a lot I had to process, after my coma. One of those things was you suddenly being gone. I didn’t realize how much I cared about you until I realized how much I missed you. And, well… If you’re trying to say that you love me, I love you, too.” Martin grinned, and met the other man’s eyes. Jon was smiling, too, and reached forward for a hug. Martin obliged, wrapping his arms around Jon’s waist and holding him close. Jon turned, placing his face in the crook of Martin’s neck. He rested his cheek on the tangled nest of hair and breathed in Jon’s scent.
They stayed like that for a moment before Martin pulled away, wanting to see the other man’s face. He hesitantly brought a hand up to cup Jon’s cheek, and he hummed contently, leaning into the touch. Martin’s heart skipped a beat.
“Can I kiss you?” He asked quietly. Jon’s eyes opened, and he looked up. Their eyes met, and Jon nodded. Martin leaned down, placing his lips on Jon’s. A warmth spread through Martin’s chest as Jon’s hand held the base of his skull, fingers tangled in his hair. The kiss ended far too soon, Jon leaning back to take a breath of air. Martin grinned at him, and Jon was smiling, too. He stood on his toes to lean up for another kiss. Martin’s large hands held his waist, his frame feeling so small in them. Martin could feel his hip bones, and rubbed a thumb over them. They parted again, and this time it was Martin’s doing.
“Do you wanna go back to bed?” Jon nodded and took Martin’s hand before turning to go back to the bedroom. When they laid back down in bed, Jon rested his head on Martin’s chest. His arm found its way to Jon’s lower back, and he circled the dimples on Jon’s lower back.
“You good?” He murmured. He felt Jon’s head nod on his chest before pulling the blankets up and over Jon’s shoulder. He looked up at Martin, leaning up for another kiss before laying back on his chest. Martin leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Jon’s breathing slowed and he drifted back to sleep. Martin joined soon after, the warmth pulling him into a new comfort. He cuddled into Jon as he fell asleep, and everything was perfect.