Chapter Text
Martin couldn’t sleep. How could he when he had to stay in such a spooky place? Though it was significantly better than being trapped in his flat where the door and sad wadded towels on the windows and vents were the only things between him and Prentiss’ army of worms. He could feel the creepy crawly tingles on his arms at the thought even though none of them ever touched him. The memories of the nearly two weeks imprisoned in his own home drove the promise of sleep further and further away with each passing second.
Sitting up on the creaky cot, Martin sighed and pushed back the blanket. The time on his phone showed it was just past 6 AM. The last he checked it was 3 AM and if he wasn’t going to be able to sleep any more, then he could at least get a head start on the assignments he’d been putting off.
But he really didn’t like working in the archives sometimes. Tim, Sasha, and even (especially) Jon were wonderful to work with, they were the closest things he’s had to friends in a long time and he was grateful for them. But even their company wasn’t enough to distract him from the statements on occasion. It was easy to tell which ones were fake, obviously made up or hallucinated by the statement givers while they were drunk or high. But the ones that Martin could swear were real, the ones that whenever he read them felt like a million eyes were watching his every move, made his skin crawl with anxiety.
Martin’s thumb gradually inched closer to his mouth as he stared at the papers strewn about on his desk, first resting on his lips then moving between his teeth until he caught himself and clenched his hand, bringing it to rest in his lap. His mum hated when he sucked on his thumb. Always went on long rants about how immature and unsanitary it was. Even when he’d said he washed his hands she would shoot him down and eventually he learned how to stop himself when he found himself doing it again. That’s why he had a small collection of chewy toys and necklaces to use instead. They were nice and colorful and always soothed him after especially stressful days at work.
But he didn’t have them right now. They were still in the small plastic box in his nightstand at home. He didn’t really have much time to pack stuff when he realized Prentiss and her worms were gone. Just grabbed a backpack and stuffed it with some clothes, his wallet, and his anxiety meds before he rushed out of the building and straight to the institute. He had to go to a nearby Tesco once he became aware of the fact that he was lacking in a number of toiletries and other necessities.
He really wished he had thought to grab at least one chewy necklace to use when he got really stressed and everyone had gone home for the day. Or some comfier pajamas, like the soft pajama bottoms with the pictures of puppies that he really liked. Or even his blankey because it was cold in document storage at night which made it really hard to sleep but he never really was able to sleep that well in the first place without-
Martin’s eyes widened as his blood ran cold. “W-Winnie…” No, no, nonononono. His mind raced as he made a mental check of all the things he’d packed and...no. He- he can’t believe he just left Winnie all on his own. He’s had Winnie for so long and yet he didn’t think to bring him along in his panic. Fuzzy memories of a long since dead grandmother gifting him a Winnie the Pooh stuffy, bringing his soft companion everywhere he went during his childhood, even going so far as to keep him in his backpack at uni, nights of crying his heart out into the scratchy red shirt when there was no one else to turn to flooded into Martin’s head and he let out a soft whimper. God he probably thought Martin abandoned him. He wasn’t even sure if Prentiss had really gone away and her worms could’ve gotten to him at this point. Burrowed deep into his matted fur and devoured every last inch of him until there was nothing left and it was all Martin’s fault.
“Jon, we keep telling you it’s okay for you to sleep over whenever you’re feeling… you know, small.” Tim’s voice echoed down the stairs, going completely unnoticed by Martin as he sat hunched over his desk.
“Seriously.” Sasha chimed in, “We hate the idea of you being alone while you’re in that headspace. And besides, we love spoiling you when you let us.”
Jon huffed and crossed his arms, “Alright, alright, I get it. But could you two please refrain from talking about this matter while we’re at work, I don’t want anyone overhearing anything about it. God, especially not-”
“Martin?” At the bottom of the staircase, Tim could easily see Martin looking two seconds away from a panic attack. He quickly strode across the room and kneeled down next to the man, making sure to keep his hands to himself and fight down the urge to bring him into a bone crushing hug there and then. “Martin, can you hear me? What’s wrong?”
Martin’s gaze shifted to look at Tim and the second they made eye contact, something inside Martin snapped and his quiet whimpers suddenly escalated into full blown sobs.
“Oh, Martin,” Tim’s heart winced and he swore there and then he was going after whoever or whatever did this to Martin. “What happened, Marto? Can you tell me what happened?” He hoped that Martin didn’t catch the paternal tone that he’d accidentally let slip.
“I- I didn’ mean to- l-leave him! He- Winnie, he-” Martin’s breaths came out in sharp gasps as the words tumbled clumsily out of his mouth. “Th-the worms they- *sniffle* they eated Winnie!” He emphasized the last sentence with a loud wail before pulling his legs up onto his desk chair and curled in on himself.
Tim was completely taken aback, not knowing half of what Martin just said or how to even react. He jumped when he felt a hand land on his shoulder and he turned to see Sasha kneeling next to him, her expression a mirror image to Tim’s own worried look.
“Martin, sweetie, I’m sorry for whatever happened and we’d like to help if you’d let us. Would you like for us to help?” Bless Sasha and her ability to stay calm in nearly any situation. Martin turned his head to the side and looked at them with tear filled eyes before tentatively nodding. “Okay, thank you Martin. Now do you think you could breathe for me? Deep breaths in and out like this.” She took a few exaggerated breaths and soon Martin’s hectic sobs quieted down until they somewhat shakily matched her pace.
“Very good, now do you think you could start from the beginning and tell us what’s wrong?”
Martin opened his mouth but all that came out was a hoarse whimper and he quickly clamped a hand over it. His mum didn’t like when he cried too much. Look at you, can’t even get a word out without crying. Always blubbering and complaining, she would lament You’re big enough to do things on your own so don’t come crying to me if something goes wrong. She was right though, he shouldn’t waste Sasha or Tim’s time with his whining, he could tough it out by himself.
Martin’s breathing started to pick up as he frantically shook his head. “Okay, that’s alright, love. I’m going to touch you, okay?” Sasha carefully placed her hand on top of Martin’s and was happy when he slowly uncurled his fingers, lacing them with hers. “Alright, thank you. How about I ask you a few questions then you can squeeze my hand for yes. Understand?”
Martin’s hand shook for a second before gently squeezing. “Very good, I’m just going to start with some simple questions so you can calm down. Now, can you see the pen on your desk?” Sasha pointed to the purple glitter pen that Tim had given him as a gag gift but ended up being Martin’s designated note taking pen. He squeezed her hand and she smiled, noticing the way his other hand was slowly creeping toward his face until his thumb was caught between his teeth.
“Alright, can you see the mug next to it?” She pointed at the highland cow shaped mug Martin kept constantly filled with various sweets that he snacked on throughout the day. Martin squeezed again as his thumb moved further until it was fully in his mouth, his hand bobbing as he sucked soothingly on the appendage.
“Good job, Martin. Last question. How old are you right now?” She watched as Martin released her hand and stared at his own for a few seconds, his eyes growing unfocused and hazy before holding up four fingers.
Sasha sighed deeply and looked to Tim who had his jaw clenched the whole time. “Well, looks like we might have another kid on our hands,” she said as she stood up and ran her hand through Martin’s curly hair. The action was met with an appreciative sigh as Martin closed his eyes and leaned further into the touch.
Tim barked out an exasperated laugh, “Yeah it does look like it. How did you know?”
“I just kind of had a hunch,” Sasha shrugged.
“Well, I mean at least we have experience with one of our own, right Jon?”
The two turned to see Jon still standing at the bottom of the staircase, his brows furrowed and mouth set in a deep frown. His hands gripped tight against the strap of his messenger bag and the second his friends looked at him, he blushed and pointedly looked down at the ground.
“Hey, no pouting.” Tim chastised as he walked over to Jon. “You should be happy! Now you have a little playmate!”
Jon winced at the word ‘little’ and huffed angrily. “Don’ need a playmate.”
“Hey, come on now. Give him a chance before you go on saying that,” Sasha said, making sure to keep her voice quiet, “But I think we should make sure Martin’s alright first before we jump the gun. Why don’t we all take the day off and go home, yeah?”
Jon’s eyes widened and he helplessly looked at her, “Wait, but-”
“Ah, ah, ah. No buts.” Tim said, bringing an arm around Jon’s shoulders. “Martin clearly needs the time off and you are still being a bit of a cranky baby so no work for either of you today.”
Jon crossed his arms and pouted but his shoulders sagged at the sight of how sad and worn out Martin looked. He really did deserve some time off. But as Martin leaned his body against Sasha’s side, Jon bit the inside of his cheek and looked away, “Fine. We can take the day off, let’s go.” Quickly turning on his heel, Jon marched up the stairs and out of the archives.
Tim sighed and looked to Sasha, “This is not going to be an easy day for any of us, huh?”
“Yep.” Sasha smiled as Martin nuzzled his face into her cardigan, “I think I have my hands full at the moment so could you grab Martin’s stuff and we can catch up with Mister Grumpy Pants.”
“On it,” Tim said as he pressed a quick kiss to Sasha’s cheek and jogged back into document storage. Sasha sighed and she looked down at Martin, his eyes half lidded and his head dipping down and jerking up every few seconds in a vain attempt at staying away. Someone please give her and Tim the strength to be able to deal with two adult sized toddlers today.
Gathering Martin’s pitifully small pile of personal items and loading it into the car was easy and soon the four of them were on the road, heading to Tim and Sasha’s shared flat. Traffic wasn’t too bad and Martin dozed on and off in the backseat next to Sasha while Jon road shotgun alongside Tim. But soon the sounds of constant shuffling coming from the passenger’s seat caught Tim’s attention. Glancing over during a stoplight, he caught sight of Jon squirming and messing with his seatbelt, “Hey, don’t play with that. What’s wrong, bud?”
Jon stilled his movements and huffed, “I don’t like being in the front. I wanna be in the back with Ma- uh, -ahem- I mean, I just prefer sitting in the back.”
“Aw, I’m sorry Jon but we wanted to make sure Martin would be comfortable,” Tim kept his eyes on the road while he reached over and ruffled Jon’s hair earning him a soft swat at his hand. “But don’t worry, we’ll be home soon.”
Jon sighed and spent the rest of the car ride staring out the window, watching as the tall office buildings gave way to small shops and apartment buildings until Tim and Sasha’s flat came into view.
“Alrighty, we’re home. Jon buddy, you think you can open the door for me while I grab Martin’s stuff?” Tim asked, his hand offering the keys to Jon. He knew Jon was still struggling with headspace and asking him to do simple tasks always helped ease him into it.
Jon’s eyes widened as he took the keys and he nodded eagerly, happy to help in any way he could. Tim chuckled as he watched Jon zip over to the front door, carefully selecting the right key before opening the door. He shot a quick thumbs up before popping open the trunk and gathering the worryingly light backpack full of Martin’s things. Maybe they should go out and buy some new clothes for him...and maybe a pacifier given the way he was sucking his thumb. And while they're at it they could buy a few toys for him, too. Oh and something from the nearby bakery, Martin's mood always brightened whenever Tim decided to surprise him with a pastry when they were at work. Also maybe a-
“Tim?” Sasha’s voice brought Tim out of his thoughts and he looked up to see her leading Martin to the front door, “You coming?”
“Yup, sorry!” Tim quickly closed the trunk and joined the two. They should get Martin settled first before spoiling him rotten with gifts and treats.
Once inside, Tim herded Jon to his room to get him changed into something more comfortable while Sasha led Martin over to the couch, sitting next to him once he settled. “Alright, Martin, how’re you feeling? Sleepy?” Martin’s eyelids drooped as he nodded at Sasha with his thumb still wedged in his mouth. Sasha smiled as she went to grab the blanket draped across the back of the couch when a loud grumbling stopped her. She looked over to see Martin’s cheeked blushing and his other hand self consciously moving to his stomach.
“Martin, sweetie, did you eat breakfast this morning?” Sasha was disappointed but not surprised when Martin timidly shook his head. “How about some breakfast before your nap? I can make anything you want to eat.” But Martin shook his head harder in response, drawing an exasperated sigh from Sasha. “Okay, I’ll let you nap for a bit but you need to eat later, love. Now come on, you can use my lap as a pillow if you want.”
Martin’s droopy eyes widened slightly and his gaze shifted from Sasha’s face to her lap and back, as if asking if it was really okay. “Go on, get comfortable sweetheart, I don’t mind,” she said, patting her lap for emphasis. Martin hesitated before shuffling around on the couch until he was laid on his side with his head in Sasha’s lap and she was able to feel all the nervous tension leave his body as soon as she draped a blanket over him.
Settling back, Sasha grabbed the remote off the side table and turned on the telly, flipping through the channels and eventually settling on a kid’s program where bright and colorful puppets sang about different words that began with the letter B. The show seemed to catch Martin’s attention as he began to suck on his thumb more eagerly and he relaxed further against Sasha. She chuckled and pulled her phone out, mindlessly scrolling and listening to Martin’s breathing slow until she was sure he had completely fallen asleep.
As Martin slept, the television droned on coupled with the soft sounds of Jon and Tim in the other room. By the sound of it, Sasha reckoned Jon was being fussier than usual and she was glad Tim was the one to deal with him right now.
“Mama!”
“Shhh, wait, buddy. Mama can’t play with us right now, she’s looking after Martin, remember?”
Sasha looked up from her phone and had to fight down the urge to laugh at Jon who was half dressed in a pair of pajama bottoms with a t-shirt hanging around his neck, followed by Tim stage whispering and trying to wrangle Jon back into his room. “Why don’t we go back and let Martin sleep, okay? We can play with the new toy cars we got you last week.”
Jon looked from Tim to Sasha then down to Martin, still fast asleep in Sasha’s lap and completely unaware of the ruckus going on around him. “But, I wanna play with Mama!” Jon shouted, sticking out his lower lip and crossing his arms.
“Inside voice, Jon. And we can play later, alright?” Sasha said as Martin stirred in her lap.
Jon’s eyes widened as he watched her run her hand through Martin’s hair and lulling him back to sleep. Angry tears sprung to his eyes and he abruptly turned around, grabbing on Tim’s sleeve and pulling him back to his bedroom. The sound of the door slamming and Tim scolding Jon for being too loud followed soon after and Sasha tipped her head back onto the couch.
Today was going to be a long day.