I wrote a short fic inspired by @chalroeâs comic about Jon telling Martin âI love youâ and how long it took Martin to get used to hearing it
Accidental Confessions
The first time Jon told Martin he loved him, it slipped out on accident. Â Heâd had this grand declaration all planned out in his mind, he was going to make Martin his favorite pie, the whole thing. Â Instead, when Martin handed him a cup of tea, instead of saying âthank you,â he replied,
âI love you.â
Which promptly caused Martin to drop said cup of tea before Jon had a full grasp on it, and sent it falling to the floor and shattering all over the place.
âIâm sorry.â
âIâm sorry, let me-â
âNo, I got it-â
Together, they cleaned up the mess, but Martinâs cheeks didnât lose their bright red color the entire time, and his smile was brighter than ever before when he handed Jon a replacement cup.
This time, Jon got his words right, and left it with âthank you.â
Of course, after such a casual admission, his grandiose plan wasnât quite on the cards anymore. Â He still made Martin his favorite pie though; just because he didnât have to eat normal food anymore didnât mean he couldnât surprise Martin with nice things. Â Besides, he didnât want his mediocre cooking skills to be completely forgotten, and baking was relaxing when he wasnât accidentally setting off the smoke alarm.Â
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The second time Jon told Martin âI love youâ was when they were stood at the edge of a pasture, looking at some particularly fluffy cows. Â Martin was giving each of them a name, but Jon could barely look away from Martin and the light in his eyes.
âWhat do you think? Â I think that one is definitely a Bert.â
Jon laughed. Â âI agree, but I wonder what Bert thinks about his new name.â
Martin looked back at the pasture, cupped his hands around his mouth, and called, âHey, Bert!â
The cow immediately turned to look at them and gave an affirmative moo in response.
âI knew it!â Â Martin raised his hands above his head in celebration.
Jon saw the look of exuberance on Martinâs face, and the words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself.
âI love you so much.â
Martin still had a foot perched on the fence and, at Jonâs words, he slipped and practically smashed completely into the rail.
âAre you alright?  Iâm sorryâŠâ
âIâm fine,â Martin said quietly even as Jon helped him right himself, hands still gently holding onto him. Â Both of their faces were bright red, though whether that was from the wind or the situation, neither would admit. Â And Bert, ever the good cow, let out a series of loud moos that caused both Jon and Martin to laugh again, arms wrapped around each other as they made their way home.Â
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The third time Jon said I love you was when he had sat down for a statement and Martin was off to the shops.
âGot everything you need?â Â Martin asked while standing in the open doorway, having turned back one last time to check on Jon.
âI think so. Â Thank you.â
âIâll be back in a little bit. Â Enjoy.â
âHave a good time. Â I love you.â
Martin buried his face in both his hands while giggling to himself. Â When he emerged from his impromptu cocoon, his face was again completely flushed.
âStop it,â he groaned jokingly while still laughing and smiling. Â âNow Iâm not going to be able to stop grinning the whole time Iâm down there, and everybody is going to ask me whatâs going on.â
âI donât think thatâs the most horrible thing,â Jon said. Â Martinâs glee was contagious, and Jon couldnât help but smile too, even though heâd barely even registered that those words had crossed his lips.
âMaybe not. Â Anyway, Iâm going now. Â For real.â Â Martin inched out the door, turned back to give Jon one last look and smile, then left for the shops.
If the smile on his face when he got back was any indication, he really hadnât stopped grinning the entire trip.
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The fourth time, Jon had his head rested on Martinâs shoulder, a book in each of their laps, as a small fire crackled before them. Â There was nothing to distract them or torment them, just the peace of being together.
âI love you, Martin,â Jon said quietly.
Martin immediately smiled, but the blush in his cheeks was less than before and he didnât drop anything or break out into an embarrassed laughing fit. Â Instead, he pressed a slow kiss to the top of Jonâs head and said nothing.
It was Jonâs turn to blush uncontrollably, and he snuggled a little closer to Martinâs side. Â Then, he chuckled, âWhat, no reaction this time? Â I guess the honeymoon phase is over.â
Martin laughed and set his book to the side.  âI donât think Iâm ever going to get used to hearing that,â he admitted, shifting so that he could face Jon, even if he still rarely looked him in the eye.  âI just⊠every time you say it⊠Listen, I spent a long time pining after you, thinking that my feelings would never be reciprocated.  The first times you⊠said it, it felt like it was still a wish, something Iâd cooked up in a daydream.  But the more you tell me, the more it feels real.  That this-â he reached out and gently took one of Jonâs hands in his own â-is all real.  And I think that realization is hitting me now.  Every time you say it, it makes me think I actually deserve this.â
âOf course you deserve it,â Jon insisted, squeezing Martinâs hand tightly.
Martin looked to the side and let out a small sigh, then turned back to Jon and leaned forward to kiss him. Â âI love you too, you know.â
At those words, it was Jonâs turn to drop the book still sat on his leg in shock as he stuttered. Â The blush in his cheeks deepened and his mouth opened several times as he searched for words.
âWhat?â  Martin gasped, laughing, âThatâs a surprise?  As if you didnât already know.  I said as much in the Lonely, plus so many tapesâŠâ
âYouâve never said it directly, though,â Jon replied, still spluttering. Â âAnd in the Lonely, it was past tense, you loved me, not current!â Â He paused and chuckled to himself, replaying the feeling of Martinâs lips on his. Â âAnd here I was afraid I was coming on too strong.â
âJon, weâve been cuddled up together for the past two hours. Â We share a bed. Â If you were worried about coming on too strong, you mightâve wanted to think about that sooner.â
As they both thought it all over, they couldnât keep from laughing again and leaning in toward each other until it was natural as anything for their lips to meet and bridge the distance between them. Â No matter the words they spoke aloud, the way they kissed said it all.
âMaybe I never told you before, not really,â Martin breathed, âbut I love you. Â I love you, Jon.â
Jon bit his lip and grinned. Â âI love you, too. Â Now itâs my turn to be shocked and baffled at hearing that.â
âMeans Iâm going to have to say it a lot more,â Martin teased. Â âYouâre adorable when youâre confused.â
âOh, come nowâŠâ
âItâs one of the many things I love about you.â
Jon blushed and looked away again, then decided the easiest way to handle it all was to pull Martin in for another kiss, leaning into him and wrapping his arms around him.
As right as it felt to confess their feelings, as natural as it was to be wrapped up in each other, there was no way either would ever get truly accustomed to the reality of their situation. Â It was real. Â They were together and, at least for the moment, they were safe â and that was all that mattered.
hiii i just wanted to say again how much i love your art! đđ like you always put so many details in there, i could stare at it forever and like the variations in clothes and colors its never ever boring and idk whatever the opposite of same face syndrom is - you have it, all your faces always look so different and have such unique shapes in them im đł big art inspo...
CHARLIE. I LOVE BEING PERCIEVED BY YOU... sometimes i forget that weâre in each otherâs internet spheres socially speaking and itâs always a shock when i remember because you have always been such a HUGE inspiration to me. i am sending you the largest internet hug
D for any of your fics, F and T? love your writing!!
Thank you. Your art inspires me!!
D: Is there a song or a playlist to associate with [insert fic]?
I think about Jon in Monster of Magnus Manor and listen to Stray Italian Greyhound and sob. That song emotionally assassinates me whenever my shuffle spits it out. I mean?? I just settled into the glass half empty / Made myself at home / I just stopped believing in happy endings / But you had to come along didnât you / Tear down the doors, throw open windows / Oh if you knew just what a fool you have made me. Thatâs it!!! Thatâs the bitch!!!!
F: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes youâve written and explain why youâre proud of it.
Iâm gonna cheat a little and instead of a dialogue scene, Iâm gonna pick a piece of character introspection because that shitâs my jam, specifically this Jon POV scene from my the loneliness never left me,
It had been ⊠God, almost one month since theyâd arrived at Daisyâs cabin, hadnât it? One month since Martin decided that heâd weed the garden if Jon dusted the attic, switching when Jon had found the first of the spiders. One month of toiling over shopping list after shopping list before making their weekly twenty-minute trek to the mart, only to forget something anyway. One month since Martin had taken his hand, even though their arms were full of groceries. Kissed his cheek when Jon had burnt their pasta sauce. Reached for him under the bed covers, holding him as Jon struggled to breathe through his sobbing, until they both drifted away again.
Aahhhh, I love how this turned how so much, and I definitely think this sort of thing is where my writing is strongest; characters doing mundane things but god theyâre just so in love about it! I could write characters being soft and domestic all day (also the little detail of Jon started dusting the attic but found spiders and freaked out so Martin did it instead djgdfg THEM!!)
T: Any fandom tropes you canât stand?
I donât think I have anything Iâm super dead set against against (outside of like sexual kinks and stuff), like Iâll try anything once. I generally donât prefer things like A/B/O and mpreg, but even then, I remember this one Sh*rlock fic that was honestly really compelling, like it dove into the politics of what a world like that would really mean for someone who was an omega and the oppression theyâd face and how they struggled through that system. Absolutely fascinating, and great world building to boot, one of the only 300k fics I stuck with til the end.
hey, just wanted to tell you that i love your art of jon dressed up fancy so so much!!!! (this might be a bit of a weird compliment also but i dont see a lot of art of him in gnc clothing with short hair? idk i really like that, its such a cute look!)