jonathan does stupid, reckless things all the time. nothing major, just taking things out of the oven without oven mitts, or climbing on a pile of chairs to get something off a high shelf.
whenever he does this, all of the archival staff unanimously go "JON! NO!" like they're scolding a cat. and jon would get all annoyed and say something like "The world won't end if I get a bit injured"
elias chuckles in the background. nobody seems to notice.
Headcanon: the first week or so in the Archives, Tim blasts "Closing Time" by Semisonic the last like 10 mins of the workday. Jon audibly hates it but after a while he's in his office singing along where (he thinks) no one can hear him.
Chapters: 3/4
Fandom: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Gerard Keay & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist & Tim Stoker, Martin Blackwood & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Martin Blackwood & Sasha James & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist & Tim Stoker, Sasha James & Tim Stoker, Martin Blackwood & Sasha James & Tim Stoker, Martin Blackwood & Sasha James, Sasha James & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist
Characters: Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Tim Stoker (The Magnus Archives), Sasha James, Martin Blackwood, Gerard Keay
Additional Tags: Time Travel Fix-It, Beholding Avatar Gerard Keay, Monster Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Hurt/Comfort, Eavesdropping, Asexual Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist
Summary:
"Remember when Gerard Delano was here?"
"Of course," said Tim, still confused.
"Well, they recorded their conversation for some reason, and - it was weird," said Sasha, concerned.
Tim stifled a laugh. "Sash, I don't think what Jon and Gerard get up to behind closed doors is any of our business, weird or not - "
"Tim, I'm serious," said Sasha. "They were talking about you."
Jon and Gerry reunite. Sasha, Tim, and Martin hear some things they're not supposed to hear.
👁👁👁This one is incomplete, but very enjoyable. Ends on a bit of a cliff hanger, but worth it in my opinion.👁👁👁
The book shouldn't have known. He'd never told anyone. So how had the worst moment of his childhood shown up on a library shelf with the words "In Tenebris" stamped on the spine? And since Jon's story was real, did that mean the rest of the stories were as well? And if it is all true— if there is a boy who turns to fog, arcane heists gone wrong, archivists and a ghost in star-crossed love, and a secret underground forest of roiling darkness that ties them all together— then what is waiting for Jon in the Welcoming Dark?
(A TMA Starless Sea AU, this fic alternates perspective between Jon's search for answers and the contents of the mysterious book that is changing their life)
The Welcoming Dark Chapter 1: In Tenebris 1 (Read on AO3)
This week:
An archivist and her assistant discover something lost in the woods 👀
a.n. Shoutout to @tickly-tufts for helping me figure out this fic! I definitely recommend their fic here, it’s very cute and exactly what I needed on a day where I was very tired and out of it.
--
Tim turned the cloth doll that had been left with his newest statement over in his hand with a chuckle. Now this was weird. If the statement was to be believed, it had caused some significant problems for its previous owner, causing sharp pain when it fell down some stairs, and the feeling of suffocation when he tried to wash the thing. It was concerning, sure, but Tim could never resist making a joke.
He grinned across his desk at Sasha, keeping the doll out of sight. “Hey Sash, you remind me of the babe.”
She raised an eyebrow, giving him a confused look. “What babe?”
Tim snorted into his hand. “The babe with the power.”
A grin spread across her lips. “What power?”
“The power of voodoo.” He tossed the doll over to her.
She caught it with a laugh. “Who do?”
“You do!”
“What?”
“Remind me of the babe!” He cried, dissolving into giggles along with Sasha.
When they’d recovered, she sighed. “Oh wow, this come in with a statement?”
“Yep!” He popped his lips. “Pretty standard cursed doll stuff if you ask me.”
Sasha grinned. “Don’t let Jon hear you saying that.” She joked. “Mister sceptic.”
“Oh, I know, right?!”
Sasha hummed thoughtfully. “You know, I’m pretty sure I saw one like this when I was in artefact storage.”
“Sure it’s not the same one?”
She nodded. “Yeah, that one was ripped.”
Tim grimaced. That didn’t sound pleasant. “Yikes. What happened?”
“Oh, the old owner was mostly okay… I’m pretty sure it carries feelings, but not physical effects? So it didn’t kill him, but…” She continued sifted through the papers on her desk, looking for the right one.
“Oh sure, he just felt like he was being ripped open, that’s way better.”
Sasha threw the doll at his head. “Better than actually being ripped open.”
The doll bounced off his face before he could catch it. Tim picked it up and looked at it curiously. “Makes it pretty toothless by artefact storage standards then.”
“Mm-hm!”
Tim’s face lit up. “How does it work?!”
“Aha!” Sasha held up her paper triumphantly, then registered what Tim had said. Her eyes widened. “Tim, no.”
“What? I’m just curious.” He did his best to look innocent. “And it’s not like it can actually hurt anyone, right?”
“No, it can hurt, it just can’t injure, were you listening at all?”
“Come on, just tell me! This is a safe space.”
“Stoker I do not trust you with my shampoo, why do you think-”
“What’s going on in here?”
Their playful argument stopped when a stern voice interrupted. Sasha looked over to see Jon standing in the doorway to his office, a slightly grumpy look on his face. “I could hear you two arguing through the door.”
Oh. “Sorry Jon!” She said, mollified. “Guess we have trouble keeping the peace without Martin here to moderate.”
Tim nodded, not remotely sorry. “We’ve gotten dependant on him, what with him living here now. Taken advantage. Look, I found a voodoo doll!”
Jon rolled his eyes. “Yes, well, I’m sure he’ll be back from his research soon, then he’ll be very impressed by your… toy.”
Tim and Sasha exchanged a look. “I think it’s for real, the statement’s-”
“You know how many fakes, jokers and drunks we get in here,” Jon interrupted him. “The presence of some doll means nothing, and I’ll thank you both to maintain an appropriate academic distance from the contents of the statements.”
Tim zoned out midway through his lecture. They’d all heard it before; it was like Jon thought they were idiots sometimes. He really needed to be taken down a peg. And cheer up a bit.
Oh.
Ohhhh.
Tim grinned and made eye contact with Sasha, and, when he was sure he had her attention, wiggled his fingers over the doll’s cloth stomach.
Sasha’s eyes widened, Tim could see her visibly biting down on a smile, very aware of the fact that Jon could see her expression, while Tim had his back to him. After a moment to consider, she whipped her phone out underneath her desk, quickly and efficiently typing.
A moment later Tim heard a ‘ding!’ and glanced into his pocket at his phone.
Wrap a hair around its neck three times.
Oh yeah. This was gonna be fun.
“Well!” He said, standing abruptly and walking over to Jon. “In terms of academic rigour, I reckon we should test this thing, don’t you, boss?”
Jon faltered. “I- what?”
Tim nodded, a spark in his eyes and the doll in one hand. “You don’t mind, do you Jon? Great!” Without waiting for a response, he plucked a loose hair from Jon’s head.
Jon flinched back from the sensation and the surprise, feeling something in his chest ache. “Tim?” He knew he hadn’t been the best boss, that their friendship had been suffering since the promotion, but-
He didn’t think either of them would want to hurt him.
That… well, that hurt.
Tim noticed the heartbroken look in Jon’s eyes and groaned internally. Poor bastard. He really had been beating himself up lately, hadn’t he? When was the last time they’d spent any time together outside of work? Jon was always burying himself in statements. He must have been getting lonely.
On the plus side, he knew exactly how to get rid of that sad look.
With a grin that he hoped was as much reassurance as mischief, Tim quickly wound the hair around the doll’s sewn neck and, hoping that Jon was wrong, poked it gently in the stomach.
Jon yelped, both hands coming up to cover his middle, eyes wide with confusion. “Wait, what are you-” He yelped again when Tim wiggled a finger over the doll’s stomach, clamping one hand over his mouth.
Oh no. He could definitely feel that. And it tickled.
Tim grinned, seeing Jon’s shoulder start to tremble as he wriggled that one finger like a worm. “Now tell me if you feel anything boss, I want to be thorough to know if it works.”
“T-Tim!” Jon sucked his stomach in, backed away, tried to shake off the feeling of fingers squirming over his stomach but he couldn’t escape. It tickled like crazy, and nothing he did would let him get away and at this rate Tim was going to win and he’d burst out laughing.
In the back of his mind, Jon was a little pleased that that was what Tim had been wanting to do all along. Relieved, he corrected himself, not pleased. ‘Pleased implied that he wanted this, and that just wasn’t true at all.
Jon was doubled over now, mouth clamped shut to keep from giggling. He reached weakly for Tim, forgetting that that was the hand he’d been covering his face with and now he was grinning like an idiot for all to see.
Oh well. At least he could grab the doll now, and it’d all be over.
“Hey Sash, I don’t know if this is working!” Oh no. “You mind taking a shot?”
Jon looked to her, eyes pleading, but Sasha only smiled back. She didn’t even seem mischievous; worse, she looked like she knew how much fun he was having right now. “Of course, Tim! Toss it here!”
The doll soared across the room, making Jon grunt at the impact when Sasha caught it in her hands. Two sets of eyes fixed on him with concern, so Jon gave a miniscule shake of his head which turned into a full body spasm when Sasha’s nails started poking around the doll’s torso.
She grinned evilly. “Maybe there’s an on button here somewhere?”
Her nails found the spot at the back of his ribs to one side and Jon couldn’t hold it in anymore. He squealed, twisting in a vain attempt to get away as the giggles bubbled forth from his lungs. His hands slapped wherever she tickled but it did nothing.
Tim floated back towards their desks, both him and Sasha grinning at the show. Jon was beyond cute, all giggly and flushed, batting at his own sides and trying to squirm away. “Think it’s working boss?” He called.
Jon’s knees felt weak. “No don’t!” He squeaked, trying to approach to get Sasha to stop without collapsing completely. “Sa-Sasha!”
“It’s nice to see you in such a good mood for once, Jon.” She teased, lifting the dolls arm to scratch lightly in its armpit, giggling when he burst into loud cackling, hugging himself and stumbling closer.
Jon was going to fire them both. This was torture, enduring such maddening tickling with no way to defend himself. It was also the first time he’d laughed in months, his mind supplied, though he did his best to ignore that thought. He wasn’t enjoying the fluttery sparking sensation shooting through his body and making him laugh and writhe. He wasn’t enjoying how his only two friends were paying attention to him and laughing with him for once.
That didn’t even sound convincing to himself.
Yeah, he was loving this.
“Hey Tim, go high!”
“Wha- NO!” Jon had the momentary sensation of wind blowing through his hair before that soft thump feeling indicated that the doll had once again migrated across the room. He turned to Tim, trying desperately to stop smiling. “Please?”
Tim pretended to think. Pretended not to recognise the warmth in Jon’s eyes that he hadn’t seen since he’d been promoted. “I dunno boss, I’m still not sure if this works.” He grinned wolfishly. “Tell me if you feel anything unusual, okay?” Then, without warning, squeezed the doll between thumb and middle finger, vibrating his fingertips against the front of its ribcage.
Jon shrieked; the feeling akin to being in a very ticklish, very invisible hug. His arms flew out to push the attacker away, jolting forwards and twisting before his knees gave out and he collapsed to the floor in a helplessly laughing heap, flushed deeply and pleading.
Tim and Sasha grinned. “Notice anything Jon?” Sasha asked.
He cringed in his hysterics. “Tickles!”
“Hmm, interesting.”
“Yes, quite.” Tim said in an affected accent. “I wonder what could be causing such a phenomenon.” As if he wasn’t directly causing it as he spoke.
Sasha glanced into her drawer and smirked. “Maybe the doll’s a little dusty.” She held up the old makeup brush that she used to clean off artefacts. Jon’s eyes widened and he started shaking his head frantically. “Give it here?” Sasha asked innocently.
Tim laughed. “Of course, of course.” He walked past Jon’s prone form to do so, getting a slap on the ankle in revenge.
Jon didn’t bother to stand during his brief respite. He could see well enough that he’d just fall right back over. “Wai-wait!” He coughed.
They did so, looking at him with some concern, waiting for him to call for a stop. Jon took a deep breath. “I’m going to fire you both.”
Concern turned to very evil smiles and Jon had barely had a moment of coherence to register Sasha adjusting her grip on the doll and bringing the brush up to the base of its stubby legs and, “Shit!”
Jon wailed at the feeling, gentle fibres brushing up and down his feet, even protected in his dress shoes. Up and down, even getting between his toes, making him shriek and kick, stamping his feet against the floor for lack of anything else to do. It was so soft and teasing and unbearable and it tickled, it tickled, it really tickled. “PLEASE!”
“Ohhh, please what?”
Jon wheezed. “I hate you!”
Tim winced. “Oh, strong words! Must be cos you haven’t cleaned that thing well enough Sash, pass it here.”
Jon gasped for air when the fluttery assault to his feet stopped, burying his face in the floor to hide his expression. Maybe he did love this, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t horrifically embarrassed.
Tim might have been a bit of a dick, but he could see pretty clearly that Jon was nearing the end of his rope. Giggly and blushing, definitely smiling like a loon under his mop of now dishevelled hair, every breath painted with laughter. Well. Tim could be nice as well.
He danced the brush gently around the doll’s neck and Jon squealed, his shoulders immediately coming up reflexively, and his hands clamping over his mouth trying to hold in the very squeaky giggles that now trickled from his throat.
Tim glanced over at Sasha and saw his own expression reflected in her face. The warm smile, tinged with affection. Jon was way too cute sometimes.
He crouched beside his giggling boss, pausing the torment of the doll. “Give up?”
Unable to do anything else, Jon nodded.
Tim chuckled. “Okay.” He said, brushing Jon’s hair out of his face. Yep, he was grinning like an idiot, and it was adorable.
He sat with Jon as he caught his breath, taking the time to appreciate the little dimples that formed when he smiled that widely, the crinkle to the corners of his eyes, the sparkle that couldn’t all be tears of laughter. It only took a minute for Jon to get himself under control enough to scrub the smile somewhat, glaring at Tim half-heartedly.
Tim only rolled his eyes, pushing himself to his feet and extending a hand to help Jon stand as well. “Well,” he said with a laugh. “I’m pretty sure we can file this under confirmed- hey!”
He held his arm up just in time to avoid Jon’s snatching hand and laughed. “Ooh, sneaky! Nice try.”
Jon scowled, knowing from experience that he couldn’t get his hands on the doll now that Tim was holding it so high. He crossed his arms. “Fine. It’s probably just placebo effect anyway.”
Tim and Sasha snorted in tandem. “Really?!”
“Placebo, right, sure.”
“Makes total sense.”
Jon flushed. There was no way out of this with his dignity, that ship had sailed, but denial was all that was left. “It’s the only rational explanation.” His eyes darted to the doll again, trying to figure out if he could make another grab for it.
Then he noticed the look on Sasha and Tim’s faces. And what they were looking at.
The massive shelf up against the wall. The one that was the bane of Jon’s existence because he could barely reach halfway up it. Fuck.
“Well, we should make sure it’s kept somewhere safe until we decide.” Tim said smugly.
Jon swallowed. “My- my office is perfectly safe.”
Sasha giggled. “Best to keep it out of sight Jon, to avoid any more placebo effects.”
Tim stepped towards the shelf and Jon briefly, futilely, considered if he could just run at him and wrestle the doll away. No. It wasn’t like those two needed more reason to tease him.
Jon swallowed. “Just so you know, you’re both horrible people.”
“Here, catch!” Sasha tossed the brush to Tim with a smirk. “It’ll be easier to find if we keep them together.”
“Oh, you’re so smart Sasha, of course.” Tim placed the doll on top of the shelf, then, feeling extra mischievous, propped the brush handle against the wall, resting the soft bristles against where its ribs would be.
Jon squeaked, though he did his best to hold it back. “Evil.”
Tim grinned to himself. No, he thought, this would be evil, and blowed gently at the brush, making the fibres flutter and Jon let out a delightful yelp. What good luck it was that the shelf was so close to a vent. The archives would get stuffy without it blowing fresh air down to them.
Jon froze. He could feel it, dozens of soft little bristles resting threateningly against his ribs off to one side. He forced himself to stay still as they fluttered gently in the breeze, wishing he had a snowball’s chance in hell of holding back the wobbly grin pulling across his face. He tried to avoid their eyes but couldn’t help it for a moment and found himself flushing as well. Tim and Sasha were looking at him like… well. Like they were having fun. Not even in a mean way. They looked like they’d missed him.
He’d missed them too.
“You are- the worst.” He gritted out, twisting in a vain attempt to escape.
They both laughed. It made warmth spread in Jon’s stomach. “Well, we’ve got work to be doing.” Sasha said, biting her smile down. “Unless there’s something you need?”
Tim passed him to go back to his desk. “Yeah, can I help you with something Jon?”
Jon hugged his sides and squeezed his eyes shut. How was it getting worse when nothing was happening? Just the sensation of stationary fibres against his ribs and he felt like he was crawling out of his skin. “I need new assistants.”
“Okay!” Tim’s voice carried no small amount of amusement as he sat back down.
Jon glared up at the shelf. He couldn’t reach with his arms around his sides, that was for sure, but prying them away only increased that vulnerable giggly feeling inside. He bit down on his bottom lip and reached out, hoping he could reach the edge at least.
He did not. Jon’s fingers scrabbled at the shelf below, and he let out a squeak when the brush moved, doubling back over with a bit off giggle.
Oh no.
Touching the shelf moved it, if only a tiny amount. Barely noticeable usually, but enough to shift the things on the shelf. Enough that he felt the bristles stroking across his ribs.
Tim hummed thoughtfully, pretending to ignore Jon’s plight. “Is there a bit of a breeze down here?”
Sasha nodded. “Yep, those vents can get properly strong.” She had to bite down on the inside of her lip for a moment to keep from laughing. She could see Jon squeezing his eyes shut as he hopped in place trying to reach the shelf and trying to ignore them. “It’s messed up my hair before, I can feel it brushing on my skin sometimes.”
“Wow, that sounds so sensitive.”
When Jon got this doll back, he was going to kill the both of them. They were awful, making the feeling bubbling up inside worse and worse and they didn’t even have the decency to acknowledge that that was what they were doing.
He glared at them, getting a snort out of Sasha. Sure, he could swallow his pride and ask one of them to get it for him. Despite it all, Jon knew that they’d stop this if he really asked them to. But giving up? No.
He refused.
Jon had climbed up things on many an occasion before. From all the wandering off he’d done as a child to his ongoing battle against verticality, he was quite good at it. He’d never tried to climb up a shelf while holding back a fit of giggles, but hey, there was a first time for everything.
He’d just managed to kneel on the adjacent bench when Tim let out a laugh. “Oh my god, listen to this.” His voice changed into a deeper, posher one. “Statement of Abby Blake, regarding encounters with the ghost of her childhood goldfish.”
Sasha laughed, and Jon… he couldn’t help it. Tim was teasing him, in the simplest way possible, and it was funny. He broke, letting out a small chuckle at his imitation, and then found that he couldn’t really stop. There were bristles against his ribs and his friends were there, grinning as they messed with him, and the whole situation was just silly. Jon was vaguely aware that he should probably be upset or embarrassed, but he wasn’t, in that moment.
Then heavy, careful footsteps echoed down the stairs and the embarrassment came back.
“Hey, I’m back!” Martin called. “Hope you two didn’t kill each other while I was- Jon?” He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, trying to make sense of the scene in front of him. “Um, what’s going on?”
Jon really tried to hold it all in, but Martin’s reappearance had brought with it a small gust of wind and even though it barely reached them it was enough to shift the brush fibres ever so slightly. He brought one hand to his mouth, giggling into it in that embarrassing way, clinging to the bench with his other hand to stabilise himself.
Martin looked between the three of them, Tim and Sasha grinning broadly and Jon… laughing? He was fairly certain he’d never seen him so much as smile. A small voice inside questioned whether they might be laughing at him, but he quashed it.
Tim chuckled. “We found a voodoo doll with a statement.” He said, “Jon’s just tickled pink about it, aren’t you Jon?”
Jon’s face was on fire. Did Tim really need to say that word? He couldn’t stop giggling; he was starting to feel a little light-headed from it all. He tried to push himself up to reach but found that doing so bumped the shelf again and made him double back over with laughter.
Martin was at the bench before he knew what he was doing. “Hey, careful! You could fall.” He commended himself internally for sounding so calm because good god, Jon’s laughter was endearing. And infectious.
Jon crushed his hand harder over his face, squeezing his eyes shut. A hiccup punctuated his giggles, and he made another grab for the shelf only to squeak and jump when the brush shifted again. He grabbed for the edge of the bench, found his hand gripping nothing but air and the next thing he knew there was a feeling of vertigo, a soft thump, and he suddenly felt very warm.
On finding himself with an armful of flushed, giggling archivist, Martin was somewhat surprised that his heart didn’t simply explode in his chest. Jesus, Jon really wasn’t making this crush easy on him with all of that.
He found himself smiling back at him, unable to resist the sheer cuteness of it all even if Martin did feel like he was about to expire. Jon was so squirmy that putting him down would probably just end up with him on the floor. His eyes locked with Martin’s pleadingly, and Martin chuckled. “Okay, okay, calm down.” He adjusted his hold so that he could reach up, fingers brushing cloth and earning a sharp jolt and a cackle from the man in his arms.
“AH! Martin no!”
Martin rolled his eyes, carefully retrieving the doll while doing his best to be gentle and avoid any unwanted touching. “Relax, jeez.” He couldn’t help the grin. “Here, all yours.”
Jon eyed him suspiciously, continuing to stare as he extended a hand for the doll. Huh. Jon really did have nice eyes, didn’t he?
The doll was snatched out of his hand before Martin realised what had happened. He blinked in surprise, and when Jon coughed awkwardly, he flushed. “Oh right, sorry.” He muttered, letting Jon get back to his feet.
Jon swallowed. He should probably address how nice it felt to be in Martin’s arms, but this was hardly the time or place. “Ah… thank you.” He muttered.
“No problem, boss!”
Jon glared over at them. He pointed at Tim. “Fired.”
Sasha snorted and he pointed to her. “Also fired.”
She laughed. “You can’t fire me, I’m your favourite!”
Jon paused, not sure if he would be crossing some kind of boundary, but… no. “Not anymore.” He said primly, patted Martin on the shoulder, and retreated to his office, doll in hand.
Tim and Sasha waited for the door to click shut behind him before dissolving into breathless laughter. Martin walked slowly over to his desk and collapsed into the chair, bright red and eyes wide. “Oh my god.” He whispered.
“I know!” Sasha said gleefully.
“Oh my god, guys, how- he’s so cute.”
Tim snorted.
“Why is he so cute, I don’t- is that even legal?”
That set them off again. Martin closed his eyes for a moment, committing to memory the sight of a Jon flushed and giggling in his arms, the wide smile painting his lips, the little dimples, his dishevelled hair, his glasses slid down his nose…
“You okay there, golden child?”
Martin made an indistinct whining noise and buried his face in his hands. He’d had a crush before he’d seen Jon smile, this was just unfair.
Tim chuckled. “Poor sod.”
Martin’s head fell onto his desk with a dull thunk. “Piss off.”
Sasha smiled. “If it helps… Jon really didn’t seem uncomfortable with you holding him like that.”
“Like a new bride!” Tim said with a snicker.
“Stop.”
“I’m serious!”
“Sasha I will die if you say anything else about him right now, please.”
“Okay, okay.”
On the other side of the surprisingly thick door, Jon carefully unwound his own dark hair from the doll, fascinated by the sensation of his own fingers gently pressing against his skin. The feeling faded the moment the hair was free, and he let that silly smile break through again now that no one was around to see.
He still felt giddy from all the laughing and teasing. Sure, he would need to act the part of cranky boss in front of those three, but in private he could admit to himself that it was… fun. A lot of fun. He hugged himself tightly, savouring the happiness. Tim was a monster who always seemed determined to get him to loosen up, Sasha was a menace who seemed to know exactly how to break through his façade and get a laugh, and Martin…
Martin was… nice. Warm.
The memory of being caught in his arms made Jon flush for reasons he couldn’t quite fathom. That was- well, much better than falling to the floor at least. He was surprisingly strong, and his jumper was very soft against his skin.
