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Jon was crying. He did not know if the well of grief and futile rage inside him was his own or simply a by-product of listening to the tape, but it didn't matter. It was still real enough to bring him to tears.
Of course, displaying impeccable timing, Martin chose that moment to peek around the door.
"Jon, have you seen - oh. Oh, Jon, are you alright?"
Jon stood abruptly and walked to where Martin hovered in the door, pulling him into a wordless hug. He buried his face in the other man's shoulder as Martin's hands rose to pat him awkwardly on the back.
"Jon?"
Jon's words were muffled as he spoke into Martin's shoulder. "I- I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to go through that."
"Oh. So you- you listened to the tape, then?"
"Yes. I'm... Martin, I-"
Martin sighed. "It's alright, Jon. I knew what was coming, I was prepared."
Jon released the hug, pulling back far enough to cup Martin's face between his hands. Martin's eyes widened, and Jon held the eye contact, trying to impart the depth of feeling behind his words.
"That doesn't make it alright, Martin. You shouldn't have had to see that. No one should have to see something like that. And... and awareness of the problem doesn't make the way I've treated you alright, either."
"Jon..."
"I- I'm not good at this sort of thing, Martin, I, I just-"
He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Martin's, his eyes sliding shut.
"I just wish I could show you what I see when I look at you."
Martin's breath caught. "And wh- what do you see?"
"I see you, Martin. You."
"O- oh?"
"And I am terribly fond of what I see."
This time it was Martin who pulled back, far enough to look Jon in the eye while still keeping his arms around him.
"R- really? Jon, I-"
He looked so hopeful, so open. So vulnerable. Jon lifted a hand from Martin's cheek to push a curl of hair back from his forehead, marveling at the softness.
"Really, Martin. You are... you mean more to me than I have the ability to put into words." He laughed at that, a bit ruefully, and made to step back - he had severely invaded Martin's space, after all - but was prevented from doing so by the tightening of the arms still around his waist as Martin pulled him back into a tight hug.
After a minute he pulled back slightly to whisper into Jon's ear. "I- if that's true, I'd... I'd really like to kiss you right now, Jon. If you don't mind?"
Jon smiled as he turned his face to Martin's. "At this point I might be rather disappointed if you didn't."
It was a gentle kiss. Just the barest brush of lips against lips, but for Jon it meant the world. It meant that despite everything, Martin still saw the best in him, and he was giving him a chance to do better. To be better.
Martin sighed against his lips as the kiss broke, and Jon wondered what it had meant to him. Then Martin smiled, radiant as the sun, and Jon had his answer. The world, indeed.