lofi_charm | INBOX: Pumpkin Hollow

"It is! I've only been a few times." He fails to mention that a few of those occasions were for less-than-savoury reasons. "There's a few decent drinks, though! We've got a menu and everything."

Finally sitting back down (no knee impact this time!), he skims the single menu they'd been offered, tracking down the portion with the beverage options. There's a few classics: ale, mead, champagne, beer, but with a few cocktails of varied strange names beneath them. Among them are such notable titles such as Alligator Princess, Swan's Throat Lozenge, Serranai's Spit, Last Will and Testament, Blanket Hornpipe, and Aster's Garters. Good luck ordering any of these with a straight face.

Jon taps one in particular. "I've only ever tried the... er. Knickerbockers one, but it's lovely. Lemon juice and a bit of rind, raspberry syrup, rum, and curaçao over ice. I think you'd enjoy it."

Martin can't help but giggle at the drink menu. "These are amazing." He shakes his head, still grinning. "And you know what? I think I will try that one. Even if I think they're naming them stuff like this just to get us to say these ridiculous words."

"Oh, I'm positive they are. At least they had a bit more mercy with the food?" Jon jokes. There's still some unusually-named dishes, but it seems less strange intentionally, and more in that they're trying a few experimental options. New crowds meant new ideas to work with, it seems.

It doesn't take long for their waiter to make a return, and with drinks (and a small fried appetizer, Jon finally settled on) to get started with, things settle into an easy, comfortable pace, despite the excited energy that lies underneath. It still feels so shockingly normal compared to everything else they've been through, and quite frankly, it almost leaves Jon reeling.

"So, how have things been?" Jon finally breaks the short beat of silence after the waiter is off with the order. "I'm sorry I've been out of contact for longer than expected with everything, I'd meant to call sooner. Time got away from me, there for a while."

"Oh, fine. I talked to Laios about everything, he sends his blessing. I'm still going to try and help him figure out his dating situation, though. I promised, and he needs the moral support." Unable to help a chuckle at the strangeness of all that, Martin sips at his drink. Jon was right about it, it's great!

"I--- assume things went okay with Neil?"

"Well, I'll have to let him know I appreciate that, when next I see him." God, what a weird situation. It doesn't help that Laios is always so pleased to see him. This town and the people in it never stop from being so incredibly bizarre.

"Things with Neil went... okay."

Jon taps his fingers, a bit awkwardly, and takes a sip of his own drink.

"He was entirely fine with it. Honestly, it seemed like he was anticipating it." Which made it so much worse, Jon doesn't add. "He needs his time, which is completely understandable, but he'd like to stay friends, so things are still a bit uneasy but alright on that front."

"That's fair," Martin agrees quietly. He doesn't love that Jon wants to stay friends with the man, but that's not his place to decide. So he doesn't remark on it. He trusts Jon. "I'm sorry you had to do that. But... I-I hope you--- don't regret it?" The question is soft and hopeful.

"Of course not!" Jon seems surprised at the notion all on it's own, setting his glass aside. "I mean, God, it'd need to happen eventually. Apparently it was getting... obvious. I also wouldn't want to--- lead him on, you know?"

A beat, a hesitant moment passing, before Jon offers his hand across the table gently.

"I'm here because I want to be, Martin. I don't regret doing what I needed to in order to make that happen."

Martin holds up his hands in mock defense. "I just was making sure! This is--- all of this is kind of a lot, you know? I--- I never thought I had---- even the shadow of a chance with you, Jon." Deflating a little, his hands fold under the table. "I, ah. I don't know why you'd... leave someone like him for me, honestly."

When Martin deflates, Jon's shoulders sink a mere few centimeters, and he pulls back that hand of his, letting his elbow linger on the table.

"It's funny, I... from my end, at least, I don't see why I wouldn't," Jon gives a short, quiet laugh. "I've got a number of reasons, I could surely go down the list, but... I--- I do hope I've made my seriousness about this clear? If I haven't, I'm sorry---"

"No, no, you have, I just don't--- uh. Get it. But I guess I don't need to? I guess I-I'm just nervous, like it's all going to end up being fake, or you're going to realize you didn't--- that you weren't so sure about this after all. It's surreal, to be here with you like this," Martin explains, worrying his hands. "Just trying to find my own footing, you know? But I shouldn't make that your problem."

Jon listens, quietly, and mulls all that over. It's hard to hear, but everything does feel so new still, doesn't it? He wishes, now more than ever, that he was better at communicating his feelings. Something as simple as 'I do feel that way, and I just need you to believe me' doesn't carry weight here, not with that racing mind Martin's clearly so prone to.

Even if his words aren't exactly skilled, it's still worth trying.

"I'm completely sure about it," Jon starts, quiet and sincere. "The more time we've spent together, and the more time I've gotten to--- actually know you, instead of just trying to escape whatever latest thing wants us dead, the more I've realized that... I don't know. It's hard to explain. I don't want to disparage against Neil, or anything in our relationship, it was all perfectly fine, but I didn't..."

He struggles with his words for a moment, letting out a breath.

"Martin, I don't think I've ever had anyone care about me as deeply as you do," He finally manages, trying not to feel a little pathetic at the notion. That fills in an unfortunate blank about his and Neil's relationship that he doesn't even want to admit, himself. "I don't often give people the chance to care about me. I often don't want them to. But... for all the trouble I gave you, you did, and--- I cared about you. Very much. After all the time we spent together, it got harder for me to imagine not having you in my life. As soon as you arrived on the island... all that came back to me, and then I got a chance to get to know you without the pressure of the Institute hanging over us. I mean, I already told you a great deal of it when we were ghosts, but. Everything that got put on on hold from life came to me all at once, and..."

Jon lets out an embarrassed huff of a laugh.

"I think I'd already been well on my way to falling in love, but there was finally the time and the place to cement it."

Continuing to worry his hands on the table, Martin listens quietly to everything Jon says, blinking away tears. Christ, you really don't get this kind of emotional honesty from Jon often, do you? And all of it just to prove that he really does love Martin.

Swallowing roughly, Martin reaches out to take Jon's hand.

"Thank you," he murmurs. "I love you, Jon. A-and it's--- it's taking a while for it to sink in, for it to feel real, and I know I'm being insecure right now, but. But I believe you. And I'm really, really excited to be here with you. On a date! A real date."

Thank goodness that went over well - there's a palpable relief that comes with him managing to get his point across. Honestly, he should probably thank Zelda for helping him get a decent head on his shoulders over the last year, or else he'd likely have completely and utterly botched all of this.

"That's alright, Martin. I know it's... all fairly sudden," He cracks a small, embarrassed grin, and allows his hand to be taken. "But we're on a real date! I haven't been on a date in... Christ. Years, I think."

"I know!" Laughing off the stress comes blessedly easily. "It feels so normal, doesn't it? I, ah. I guess this makes it official, huh? We're---- we're dating?"

"If you'll have me, of course? Then yes, absolutely," Jon plays coy, but can't help but look entirely delighted about it.

"I do believe I will!" Martin is eager to agree, beaming. He seems pleased with himself. "I have a boyfriend now." He puffs up a little.

That gets a laugh out of Jon, purely and genuinely delighted. "And we've already crossed the threshold of saying I love you to each other and everything. We're making incredible progress, all things considered!"

Martin laughs as well, Jon's joy proving infectious. "We did! One of the bigger relationship milestones, already out of the way! One less thing to stress about later," he agrees. "Seriously, though, I--- I'm happy, Jon. Really happy. And I'm sorry if my fretting made you doubt that. I'm glad to be here." Martin gives Jon's hand a squeeze.

After a pause, he flushes lightly. "Do... do you think they'd let me play the piano?"

Jon squeezes his hand back, and before he can go to speak, Jon lifts his brows, following Martin's attention to the piano. There's a moment where those gears turn in his head, before his smile softens from all that delight to something smaller, but playful and so very excited.

"I think they just might. Would you like me to ask?"

Martin looks over at it, thinking for a moment. "...Would you?"

"One moment, I'll see what I can manage."

With a small pat to the hand he released, a short gesture of "be right back", Jon is up and across the dining room, over to the elegant bar along the wall. For a minute or so, he chats with the older fellow behind the bar; he's clearly in a great mood, considering he even shares a laugh with him. After that, he gestures to the piano, and brightens when the bartender replies.

Only a moment later, Jon lifts his hand to catch Martin's attention, before waving him over, clearly keen to meet him at the piano's bench with the go-ahead granted.

INBOX: Pumpkin Hollow

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