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“How is the follow up for the Goodall case going?” Jon asks, venturing into the bullpen of the office with a couple files in his arms, “I have yet to receive any documents for it.”
Sasha hums and stops typing, “We’re actually… having some trouble with it.”
“Oh?”
“Well, I did my interview with him and he told us to find the book he talked about in his statement at the library a couple blocks from his house but when we went and asked about it, we were told that we couldn’t access the book, so we’re trying to figure out how to get it.”
“What do you mean you can’t access the book?” Jon pushes, raising an eyebrow.
Sasha throws her hair over her shoulder, “Apparently the library has like a restricted section that only certain people can go into and it’s in there but we don’t have access to the restricted section. Tim tried his usual flirting method but none of the librarians budged, we aren’t able to find any way to get in there since it isn’t electronically locked and neither of us can lock pick-”
“Which would be unwise either way, you’d be caught in any number of ways.”
“And that, and I can’t get into their system because it’s practically ancient.” Sasha sums up, having been counting points out on her fingers.
She lowers her hands and Tim picks up for her, “What we’re saying is, we might actually need your help with this.”
“Out of curiosity,” Jon hums, “may I ask what library it is?”
“The Bethnal Green Library.”
The head archivist nods, “Then I’ll help you with it, is it alright if we leave after lunch?”
“You’re ready to leave that soon?” Tim asks, furrowing his brows, “Don’t you need some time to figure out what you’re going to do?”
“I happen to go to that library often,” Jon informs, messing with the cuffs of his button up, “And a train going that direction comes by at 1:36.” His assistants agree and Jon pushes on to document storage so he can put away the files in his hands.
A couple hours later, after lunch, the three of them head out of the Institute and hop onto the train. Jon is silent for their thirty minute ride and he’s silent for the couple minute walk they have to get into the building itself.
That is, until Sasha finally asks when they’re nearing the doors, “You said you come here a lot?”
“Yes, it’s the closest academic library to my flat.” He nods to the person in the entryway and continues walking in, “I do spend quite a bit of time here.”
“So do you have access to the restricted section?” Tim asks, trying--and failing--to lower his voice.
“In a way.” His cane quietly clicks against the checkered floor to the front desk.
There are two people sitting there--who both glare at Tim behind him--but the lady sitting there smiles at him, “Hello Jon, what can I do for you?”
“Is Martin here?”
She checks something behind the desk before turning back to him and nodding, “Yeah, did you want me to go grab him quickly.”
“Yes please, if you don’t mind.”
“I’ll be right back then.” Jon nods and moves to the side silently. Sasha and Tim stand beside him and none of them talk, instead just watch people go and check out books with the guy sitting at the desk.
“Who’s Martin?” Tim asks eventually, leaning over Jon’s shoulder, “What is he gonna do to help us?”
Jon hums, “You’ll see.”
Sasha snorts quietly, “Maybe we should’ve gone to you the minute that a library was involved. Of course you’d have access to restricted sections in libraries.”
“Only really this one, this is the library that I like so it’s the one that I go to.” His tone is final and Tim and Sasha take the hint and start talking between the two of them while they’re waiting.
A couple minutes later a pale, larger man walks up to them--he’s about as tall as Tim, maybe a bit shorter--with a big smile on his face. He pulls Jon into a quick hug before pulling back and gazing over the two archivists, “Hi Jon, is this Tim and Sasha?”
“Yes, it is.” Jon nods, “We’re here for a follow up.”
The man--presumably Martin as he came back with the woman that Jon talked to--nods, “Did you need a book or something?”
“Yes, however, we need to get into the restricted section.”
Martin’s mouth forms an ‘o’ shape before he nods and starts walking off, gesturing for the three of them to follow him, “Am I able to ask why you need back there? I do have to log that you went in.”
“It’s the Goodall case I told you about. The one that I had to read since it wouldn’t record.” He’s keeping pace with the taller man, Tim and Sasha having no choice but to trail behind them in the limited space between shelves.
Martin hums and nods, “Oh, so the book was in here?”
“That’s what he told Sasha.”
“Well, then take as long as you need.” The taller man cheers, “But, on the topic of books, we just got in the book that you’ve been looking for, the one talking about the fears and their avatars. Did you want me to check it out for you while you’re in there?”
“That would be nice, thank you.”
“Of course.” They near a wooden door hiding in the corner of the library and Martin pulls out a keychain from his pocket, opening the series of locks that they have. He pulls the heavy-looking door open and jerks his chin to the inside, “Go on in, there’s only like two other people in there right now.”
“Thank you, Martin.” Jon says and, to the complete shock of Tim and Sasha, he smiles up at the taller man.
Martin’s eyes flit between the head archivist and his assistants before Jon nods minutely and Martin leans down to the press a kiss to his lips, “No problem. You know the rules.”
“Of course I do.” Jon nods before he steps away from the taller man and walks into the area with Sasha and Tim following him dumbfoundedly. The door swings shut behind them and they can hear Martin relocking it. Jon leads them further into the area, which is much more cluttered and claustrophobic than the rest of the library, before he turns to his archivists, “Well, this is organized much like most libraries so… go and find your book, I’m not fully sure what you’re looking for.”
Sasha shakes her head and decides that it’s not the time to grill her boss about this Martin fellow, “Yeah, uhm…” she looks around for a couple minutes before glancing down at the file in her hands, flipping through a couple papers, “It’s over this way.” She starts walking and the two guys follow her through the shelves as she glances at numbers on the spines of the books. Eventually, she’s able to find the book and she grabs it quickly, “Alright, let’s get out of here.”
“I can check it out since I have a card here.” Jon informs her, taking the book from her when she offers it out to him. He guides his assistants out of the restricted section and back through the library to the front desk once again, where Martin has replaced the guy that was sitting there previously.
Martin smiles when he sees them, “C’mere Jon.” Jon nods and walks towards him, placing the book in the hole of the barrier, alongside his library card. Martin takes it and types a couple things into the computer. He runs the spine of the book over a metal box in a drawer in front of him and takes an old date stamp that he dabs onto an ink pad to stamp the card in the front of the book. After he finishes it, he grabs a book from the rolling metal bookshelf behind him to stack on top of it. He slides both of the books and the card through the hole.
Jon takes the stack gratefully, “Thank you Martin.” He slides the books into his messenger bag.
“No problem. I’ll see you at home?”
“Of course.” Jon offers the man yet another smile. He turns on his heels and gestures for the other two to follow him. Once again, the walk to their station is quiet and Jon checks his watch once they’re waiting for it to come around.
While they’re waiting, the two archivists with him decide that they can’t keep their silence any longer. Tim speaks up, “So, who was that ‘Martin’ man we’ve just met?”
“Why does it matter?”
“Why does it matter?” Tim mocks, furrowing his brows and leaning into his boss’ space, “Why does it matter that we just saw you, Jonathan Sims, the most stoic man alive, smile at and kiss someone who looked like the human incarnate of sunshine and rainbows?”
Jon rolls his eyes, “That was my boyfriend.”
“You’re what?” Sasha says, voice a bit louder than expected. It makes Jon jump and a couple people around them glare at her. She gives a placating look before turning back to the shorter, “How long have you two been dating?”
“Our two year anniversary is coming up in August.” Jon says, tilting his chin up just a bit but not looking at her, “I know you two have gotten it in your minds that I’m miserable and alone when I’m not at work, but I do happen to have a life.”
“Did you start going to the library because he worked there?”
“No, I met him because I’ve been going to the library.” Jon checks his watch again, tapping his foot quietly, “He started working there a couple years ago and we started talking about the books that I was checking out. That eventually turned into us talking about our lives then it turned into him asking me out on a date.”
“That’s cute.” Sasha smiles.
“Why haven’t you ever told us about him?” Tim asks. Jon hums but doesn’t answer since their train rolls into the station.
They step on and Sasha and Tim stand while a young man offers his seat to Jon, who takes it gratefully, “I have no reason to tell you about my love life. We’re in a workplace setting most of the time that I see you.”
“Keyword being ’most.’” Tim stresses, “You’ve been going out drinking with us again.”
“And,” Sasha adds, “If it’ll be two years in August, then you started dating him before you got the promotion.”
“You literally live with him for God’s sake!” Tim says, raising his voice a bit and throwing out his arms. He gets ignored.
“I don’t see any reason I should’ve told you anything along the lines of me living with someone.” Jon raises an eyebrow.
“Still.” Tim pouts, crossing his arms.
Sasha laughs, “You should invite him to one of our pub nights.”
“I’ll think about it.” Jon shrugs. The three of them remain in silence for the rest of the train ride, hopping off and getting into the Institute as fast as possible. Once they’re in the archives, Jon pulls the book from his bag and hands it off to Sasha, “Here it is. I doubt it’s going to take that long, but it will be due a month from now.”
“I’m sure Martin can just excuse lateness if we don’t get it done in time.” Tim snarks, though it’s light-hearted.
“That may be,” Jon hums, standing just outside his door, “But that’s not why I would like it to be back on time. I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’m strict on deadlines by now, Timothy.”
Sasha rolls her eyes, “I’ll have it done by the end of the week.”
“Good.” Then he walks into his office and shuts his door, leaving Sasha and Tim reeling from their day’s realization.