Chapter Text
“So, Jon, I was thinking.”
“Yes, dear?”
“What do you think about getting married?”
“I’d love to, Martin, but don’t you think it’s too early?”
“Well, I’d like o think that going through an entire apocalypse where time doesn’t work more than makes up for that.”
“Yes, I suppose you’re right. Let’s get married, Martin.”
It happened after Jon took one of his rare lunch breaks. Well, it is more like he found out then, and he will later find out that the event had happened a bit less than a month ago. But the point is, Jon found out after lunch. He was walking back to his desk in the research department with his friends just a few steps behind him. His friends, Tim and Sasha, were conversing behind him though what about Jon couldn’t tell you. Probably just some office gossip about one thing or another; he wasn't paying much attention.
But all conversation stopped when they saw Elias at Jon's desk.
"Ah, Jonathan, there you are," Elias smiled," I was just looking for you."
"Mr. Bouchard, as to what do I owe the pleasure," Jon asked, doing his best to hide his grimace. No one in the Magnus Institute particularly likes Elias, but he's their employer, so they put on pleasantries. Elias's smile widens, and Jon gets an intense feeling of being watched. Probably just Tim and Sasha and a few other nosey researchers.
"Why, I was just returning this to you." Elias made no move to show Jon whatever 'this' was. "You have seemed to have dropped it. It looks to be quite expensive and important." Jon started racking his brain over whatever it was Elias was talking about. Jon doesn’t own many things that are important to him. And he certainly wouldn't bring any of them to work. "Why, you have even gotten it engraved; that must have cost a pretty penny." Jon was now totally lost. He doesn't own anything engraved and was about to say as much when Elias took Jon's left hand and covered it with both hands. As Jon made a mental note to wash his own hands after this encounter, he felt something other than Elias's hands. It was light, cold, smooth, and circular.
"Let me also be the first to say congratulations. It's always good news to hear when a member of staff gets married." What? "And to our library's own Martin Blackwood, or I guess now Blackwood-Sims." Who? Oh, and what? "I had no idea you two even knew each other, much less were in a relationship." Neither did Jon. "I'm guessing you two didn't want any of the drama that comes with workplace relationships, but you should know, Jonathan, that there is paperwork that comes with that sort of thing. I'll have Rosie print it out and leave it at your desk for you two to sign tomorrow. I must get going now; I have work to do. Congratulations once again, Mr. Sims-Blackwood." And with one pat on his hand, Elias left, leaving Jon completely confused.
Jon looked down at his to see a wedding band in the middle of his palm. Elias had said something about it being engraved, so Jon picked it up and inspected it. On the inside of the ring, it says, "Wherever you go, I go.” Jon was completely bewildered.
"Jon," Tim gasps, "I feel betrayed! How could you hide this from me." Jon turned around, and god, the whole of research was looking at him right now and saw that Tim had dramatically put his hand over his heart.
"Well- I, uh..." Jon couldn't get any words out. He knew what he wanted to say, but he just couldn't get any words out.
Sasha elbowed Tim and then smiled at Jon. "Congratulations Jon, we are so happy for you!"
And that opened the floodgates.
Suddenly everyone in research was coming over to give their congratulations and best wishes and when was their honeymoon and- oh gods this was all too much for him. Someone had suggested drinks to celebrate, and somehow, that was what distracted everyone enough for Jon to slip out.
In the hallway, he could breathe; he could think. Jon goes over everything he knows about the situation. One: Elias and everyone else think he's married when he's not. Two: they think he's married to someone whose name is Martin Blackwood. Three: Martin works in the library. Four: he has Martin's husband's ring. Yes, that must be it. Whenever this man dropped his ring, he had been near Jon, and Elias assumed it was his. Jon should get this to Martin so he can get it to his husband. Yes, he should do that. With that decided Jon turns to go to the library. However, Jon made a small pit stop at the restroom to wash his hands and the ring of Elias's germs.
On his way there, he passed a very flustered man.
When Jon entered the library, he looked at the staff, trying to figure out who could be Martin. He wanted to make this as least awkward as possible. Sadly Jon is Jon and is not at people, so he can't tell who's most likely to be named Martin just by looking at them. He quietly makes his way to the front desk and asks for Martin Blackwood.
"Martin? Did you know he got married? I can't believe that boy didn't tell us; he knows we love to hear about this kind of thing over tea. And to find this out because of Elias," the old lady went off.
"Yes, yes, ma'am. Look, I just need to talk with him. Privately."
"Oh, of course. He just went to visit his husband in research." Ah, Jon must've just missed him. "If you could give me your name, I could phone them and ask to send him back."
"That won't be necessary." Jon turned around to leave, only to bump into someone. The same man he passed in the hallway.
"Oh, Martin, this man was just asking for you." Martin Blackwood, apparently. Finally.
Martin started stumbling out apologies, but he went quiet as soon as Jon grabbed his wrist. All Jon says is a quick “We need to talk,” before pulling Martin out of the library. Tim, who had walked Martin back to the library and had gone unnoticed by Jon, took this opportunity to gossip with the old lady at the front desk. He had talked with Martin on their way there, after all.
Jon dragged Martin into the one place he knew no one would be in. It's a breakroom on the second floor of the building. It's a breakroom on the second floor of the building. None of the snacks in the vending machine here are any good, there is a creepy giant portrait of Jonah Magnus, and it's one of those paintings where the eyes follow you everywhere. And that's not to mention the couch with a mysterious stain and a terrible smell. So yeah, they do not need to worry about anyone walking in on them. A blissful blind spot from the prying eyes of the institute, some say. Except for the fact, one still feels watched here even if they're completely alone. Jon didn't know why he brought them here. The whole situation felt like a private matter, he guessed.
Jon does one precautionary sweep just to double-check no one is coming before he turns to face Martin. Jon opened his mouth to speak, but Martin went first, "You're Jonathan Sims, right?" Jon nods. "Okay, good, I just- Elias, uh... I think your husband dropped this." And then Jon started to feel a sense of dread. Martin shows Jon a wedding ring that looks almost the same as the one in Jon's hand, the only difference being that it's a bit bigger. "And I think Elias must've thought I was him for some reason. Congratulations, by the way," he ended with a smile.
Martin holds the ring he has out for Jon to take it. Jon just looked at it.
"I'm not married."
Matin's face fell. Jon started to explain his side of the story, and while he did Martin's previously flushed face went pale. Apparently, his side was quite similar. They both agreed that this was a mistake on Elias's part and went to inform him of it. Jon couldn't deny he wasn't a bit excited to see Elias's face when he realized this.
But Jon doesn't get to see his face twist in a mixture of mortification and confusion. No after they explain the situation to him Elias just smiled at them.
Elias just smiled and said, "In hindsight, it was rude of me to out you two like that, and I'm truly sorry about that, but there's no need to lie. Besides, I checked to confirm my eyes weren't deceiving me."
"Checked?" Jon asked.
"Yes, I looked up your marriage certificate. Here, I should still have the tab open." Elias clicked his mouse a few times before his smug smile (because it wasn't just a smile, it was smug) grew big, and he turned his monitor to face Jon and Martin. "There you go."
There on the screen was a marriage certificate with their names on it.
Jon's brain decided that it was not real. It has to be fake or forged or something.
Jon doesn't know how the rest of the conversation went, but he knows that he and Martin exchanged numbers after Elias's office. They then went their separate ways.
When Jon got back to research, he was able to talk himself out of celebratory drinks by saying something about how he and Martin wanted a private event for a good reason. He didn't know what compelled him to lie about it. He could've just said Elias made a mistake, but he didn't. He just killed a spider that got on his desk and drowned himself in work while, for once being acutely aware of the time.
Jon left on time that day.
As soon as he got to his flat, he got out his laptop, went to the GRO website, and found the marriage certificate. His marriage certificate. It was the same one Elias had shown him.
It was real.
Jon started looking into an annulment.