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[corkscrewed]

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[epistemological]

[ There's a hollow laugh.]

Oh no, the stupid one is me.

[corkscrewed]

They were from Basira. I- you couldn't have known.

[ god. dammit. ]

'Happy birthday, Jon! The world is ending.'

[epistemological]

If I couldn't have known, you couldn't have known.

[ But then he hears the joke and-]

...who told you?

[corkscrewed]

I- you just told me?

[ he's misunderstanding the question. ]

Jon?

[epistemological]

[ He blinks for a moment before waving that off.]

No, not about- yes, it's important of course, but I was asking about-

Who told you about my birthday?

[corkscrewed]

Oh, uh. It was - on your chart? In the hospital?

[ A VERY OBVIOUS LIE ]

[epistemological]

Martin.

[corkscrewed]

Jon, you just told me that your ritual happened, and-

[ he exhales a long, anxious sigh. ]

-- I had access to all employee records when I started working for Peter.

[epistemological]

[ Martin, really? Trying to use the end of the world to get away with lying to your boyfriend...

He lets out a huff and a looks over at Martin.]

...he really did just drop the whole thing on you.

[ Beat. ]

You could have just asked me, you know.

[corkscrewed]

[ he's still a little bit gutted from the news. things had been so good. they'd been peaceful.

his voice is a little small. ]

I wasn't looking for your birthday. But you weren't waking up. And I just wanted to - know more about you. It's stupid. It doesn't matter.

[epistemological]

[ Jon had been trying to move things along, because- because focusing on it, settling into it, it was a bad idea. He couldn't. He wanted to fall over and die when he thought about it too much and that just... it wasn't an option.

Instead, he walks over and then carefully, gently, pulls Martin against him.]

I'm awake now. And... it does matter. You matter. We... matter. And I am going to fix this. I am.

[corkscrewed]

[ martin is still for a moment, before he leans in, winding his arms around jon in turn. as numb as he is right now, there's no mistaking the protectiveness of it. ]

We are. I'm here. I'm - there. I'm going to help.

[epistemological]

You will.

[ He looks up and over at Martin.]

You always help, though.

[corkscrewed]

D'say I've always been much better at running away. [ an exhale. his fingers are searching jon's back, as if looking for any kind of injury he may have sustained. ]

[epistemological]

You say that as if I don't run away. Or hide. Usually, I hide.

[corkscrewed]

[ martin presses his face into the crown of jon's head and snorts. ]

Liar. Liar. You're the bravest man I know.

[epistemological]

[ Oh he stays close, but he can't help a snort.]

I'm-

[ He pauses and changes tacks.]

Fine. Then the 'bravest man you know' is telling you that running is one of his major tactics.

[corkscrewed]

Venturing down into the tunnels by yourself. Breaking into the wax museum. Diving into the coffin. Chasing me into the Lonely. Should I keep going?

[epistemological]

Running and hiding from the worms. Running away from the Not!Sasha. Running away from Leitner's body.

Should I keep going?

[corkscrewed]

I- guess not.

[ he falls quiet for a moment, obviously struggling, before- ]

-- are things going to be alright, Jon?

[epistemological]

[ He has an immediate answer. but that immediate answer has to be -]

Yes.

Yes, we're going to- I'm going to fix it. W-with a deal here o-or back at home or somehow. Somehow, I'm going to fix it. It is going to be all right.