#s1 polycule

some hugs for the archive staff 

based of this thread 

‹ 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖆 𝖉𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖐 𝖎𝖓 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉 ›

𝘸𝘤.  𝟣𝟦𝟥𝟩  𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘴.  𝗉𝗈𝗅𝗒𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗌, 𝖽𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀, 𝗉𝗋𝖾-𝗋𝖾𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉, 𝖿𝗅𝗎𝖿𝖿

𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺.

𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝟰:𝟯𝟳 𝗽.𝗺.

𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴

𝟰:𝟯𝟴 𝗽.𝗺.

𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘶𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨

𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝟰:𝟯𝟴 𝗽.𝗺.  

𝘪 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘩𝘰𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵

𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝟰:𝟯𝟴 𝗽.𝗺.  

𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘩𝘩𝘩𝘩 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦, 𝘺𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴

𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦.  𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗌𝗎𝖽𝖽𝖾𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝖻𝖾𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝗂 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝖽𝖾𝖺𝖽𝗅𝗂𝗇𝖾𝗌 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝖻𝖾 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗎𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾. (𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗎𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒)

𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝖺𝗅𝗌𝗈 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗎𝗆𝗆𝖾𝗋 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗌 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇𝗍, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗁𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗐𝗈 𝗉𝗂𝖾𝖼𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗀𝗈 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗂𝗍 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾.

@summer-in-the-archives-event​

𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 | 𝗮𝗼𝟯

the hot one 4:32 p.m.

heeeeeeeeyyyyy~

the best one 4:33 p.m.

oh no

4:33 p.m.

what is it tim

the hot one 4:33 p.m.

you know what we haven’t done in a while?

the cute one 4:34 p.m.

Gotten rid of you?

the best one 4:34 p.m.

oof

the hot one 4:34 p.m.

firstly that’s deeply offensive boss

4:35 p.m.

secondly no

4:35 p.m.

we haven’t gone out for drinks in a while

the cute one 4:35 p.m.

Imagine that I’m groaning at you.

the hot one 4:35 p.m.

oh I definitely can ;)

the cute one 4:36 p.m.

Now imagine I’m sighing. Really, Tim?

the pretty one 4:36 p.m.

to be fair you walked right into that one Jon

the hot one 4:37 p.m.

yeah ya did

4:37 p.m.

anyway who wants to go out for drinks

4:38 p.m.

ill buy the first round and maybe convince martin to drink something

the best one 4:38 p.m.

i told you i don’t drink alcohol right

the hot one 4:38 p.m.

yeahhhh but im sure they have one of those really fruity drinks that you’d like, yknow the pineapple ones or the mango ones

the best one 4:39 p.m.

aren’t those more alcoholic?

the hot one 4:39 p.m.

maybe, who knows, not me. do you want to come or not?

the pretty one 4:40 p.m.

i’m in

the best one 4:40 p.m.

fine

the hot one 4:40 p.m.

jon?

the cute one 4:42 p.m.

Fine.

the hot one 4:43 p.m.

sweet

4:43 p.m.

carpooling in an hour, im driving

Sasha and Jon are already in the car when Tim pulls up in front of Martin’s flat. He goes quickly out, joining them and sliding into the seat on the other side from Jon.

He pointedly tries not to notice the way Jon has done his hair, pulled back in a half-ponytail like a crown around his head, the gray streaking through the dark brown like highlights. And he’s wearing a black button-down shirt with black skinny jeans - it’s unfairly hot, and Martin stares out the window to hide the flush on his face.

He hopes he doesn’t get drunk tonight and do something stupid, like tell Jon he likes him. Or that he’s attracted to him - really, who wouldn’t be, with that outfit on-

“Martin? Martin!”

His gaze snaps to Tim, who’s stopped at a red light and is looking back at him. He raises an eyebrow when Martin meets his eyes.

“Are you with us?” he asks, a little teasingly.

Martin feels his cheeks flush more and he nods, quickly looking back out the window. He can practically feel Tim’s eyebrows raise higher, but he resolutely doesn’t look back, and eventually the car starts moving again and Tim’s eyes are back on the road.

Martin sighs, relaxing. The car is quiet for a bit, sitting in comfortable silence as they drive, and then Sasha speaks up.

“So, what are we going to get Martin to drink?”

“Nothing,” Martin replies, before Tim can open his mouth. Sasha laughs, and Tim only shakes his head.

“Come on, try one of the fruity ones? It’ll be like you,” Tim says, laughter teasing the edges of his words. Martin thinks he can see him smirking, and he wonders amusedly why he ever became friends with Tim.

Martin feels himself flush a brighter red than he thinks he’s ever been capable of, and he opens his mouth for several moments silently before words come out.

“I- just because I’m- that, doesn’t mean I’ll like it!” he says, but he can’t hide the smile as Tim and Sasha only laugh from where they sit in the front seat.

As Martin looks over, even Jon’s mouth is curled into a small smile, his hands rubbing against each other where he stares down at them in his lap. “Jon!” Martin says, betrayed, and fights a laugh as Jon’s eyes snap up to him, wide and surprised. “You’re laughing too?”

It takes a moment, and then Jon’s face softens into warm amusement. His voice is quiet, as if he’s hesitant to make a joke- “I mean, he’s right, isn’t he?”

Martin’s mouth opens. Sasha turns back in the seat, and the car is silent for a good several seconds before Tim bursts out laughing. Sasha follows, and Jon’s smirk widens.

Martin buries his face in his hands, cheeks flaming red. “Christ, I hate you all,” he says.

“Nope, you love us,” Tim fires back, teasing all the way, and Martin groans dramatically.

“Unfortunately for you,” Jon says- and that sets Tim off into another round of laughter.

Sasha laughs. “Jon, did you just roast all of us at once?”

Jon meets her eyes and shrugs. “I am capable of making a joke, you know.”

“No shit,” Tim says, still laughing quietly.

Jon raises an eyebrow at the back of Tim’s seat. “Tim, you’ve known me for four years - why are you surprised?”

“Well, boss, you’ve never made a joke in front of all three of us. Hell, I don’t even think you’ve smiled in front of all three of us,” Tim says.

Jon looks down at his hands. “Tonight feels good,” he says quietly.

The car is silent for several long moments until Tim speaks up again, breaking the tension. “Oh, I do apologize for insinuating you’d have to admit you have feelings, Jon,” he teases, smirking, almost immediately lightening the mood.

Jon looks up, and Martin watches his face soften, eyes rolling before he looks out the window again. “Shut up, Tim.”

“Never,” Tim shoots back, and Martin watches Jon’s mouth flicker in a fond smile as he looks at the city pass outside.

The rest of the car ride passes in silence - well, silence from them. Tim doesn’t hesitate to put on music, and he and Sasha sing happily in the front seats while Martin and Jon are quiet in the back. It’s a comfortable quiet, Martin thinks. Jon has that look on his face like he’s fondly irritated, especially when Tim reaches a very high note purposefully very badly. They all know Tim can sing - he’s only singing badly right now to put that look on Jon’s face.

Once they get into the bar, Tim picks their table first, spotting it almost immediately. Sasha seems to have the same sense, because she follows Tim too, leaving Martin and Jon to follow the both of them last.

Martin never quite knows what to do with himself in bars. He’s been to a few by virtue of Tim and various other Institute workers in the time he’s been there, since it’s really been his only job, and the only time he’s had people near him with the sort of dynamic needed to go out to bars together, but he’s never invited anyone himself. They’re just not his scene, he thinks - he never drinks anything when he’s there either, not liking the thought of losing his faculties in such a way. Plus, beer never really appealed to him.

He takes the last seat next to Jon in the booth, and almost immediately Tim slides a drink menu over to him. The first title Martin sees is “COCKTAILS” in big, bold capitals across the top, and he flicks his eyes up to Tim.

Tim grins. “Try one? Just one?”

Martin raises an eyebrow. “Isn’t there more alcohol in these drinks than regular beer, Tim?”

“That’s why you only get one,” Tim says. Martin gives a dubious glance at the menu.

“Actually, cocktails have 12% alcohol content,” Jon pipes up, without looking up from the menu. “Beer has any range from 5% to 14%, and the most alcoholic drink is a rum.”

Tim gestures at Jon. “See, there you go. You’ll be fine, Martin.”

Martin still looks dubious. “Maybe later.”

Tim shrugs. “You’re driving us home tonight then.” He grins and puts an arm around Sasha. “We’re not staying sober.”

Sasha laughs and leans against him. “Nope, I plan on getting very drunk with all of you.”

Jon looks up. “I won’t be getting drunk.”

Tim rolls his eyes. “Oh, you will. I’m going to get you both at least a little tipsy.” He points his finger at both Jon and Martin in turn, sternly.

Jon scoffs, and Martin laughs. “Sure, Tim.”

“You deserve the experience!”