"...I thought about it, but, uh, my plan for quitting definitely involved being supported by you for a while? And, uh, I don't... care as much as you do, I think, if I'm doing something bad by being here?"

...he doesn't want to ask how much of that is that Lev observably can't work and how much of that is the Kissing Situation. 

"It would be interesting to see if the mind control also affects you but I don't want to ask you to do that because of your mom. --Also it might also be mind controlling you into not quitting, just earlier in the process."

“I mean, maybe? I’m not sure how to distinguish mind control from just... being nervous and not being able to go through with it. Given, um. My entire personality.”

Oh no he's cute.

"Yeah, I think it's more obvious for me, since normally I can both seek out tutoring clients and dramatically quit jobs while yelling about how my boss is an asshole."

“Yeah. 

...What are you planning on doing? Given the, uh. Not being able to quit.”

"Should probably return to work before I run out of money. Should avoid Elias so I don't wind up yelling at him. --Should probably figure out if there's a way to make my next of kin not my parents."

“That’s... probably a good idea. 

...Do you want a hug? Or some tea, or—or food, or—something?”

"Hug is nice. --I want to punch Elias."

"That seems like probably a bad idea?" Hug.

Half-hysterically: "what's he going to do, fire me?"

"...I mean I mostly just don't punch people? But I guess you're not... wrong... about the consequences there? ...I guess punching people might be assault, I don't know?" So much hug.

Still kind of hysterical: "I also don't punch people! Mostly because I am less than five feet tall and don't exercise! Still really want to! Who the fuck doesn't tell people that you can't quit?"

"....................maybe he didn't know?" Lev is going to be so hugged. Maximally hugged.

"I guess that's true. I want to figure out whether he knew and then, if he knew, punch him."

(Lev's room is still incredibly messy-- he had to shove books and papers off the bed so they can sit on it-- but one thing Martin can see in the corner is a red plastic container with a transparent lid and the word SHARPS written on it in Sharpie.)

"...I guess that's fair?"

"...if I'm going to be your boss again we should probably figure out what to do about, uh, kissing. Since that is definitely considered workplace sexual harassment."

"....Yeah that makes sense! Right. No kissing. Not that we were, uh, kissing to begin with." Martin is very red.

Lev weighs sexually harassing his subordinate versus Martin's entire Martin, and says "...I'm not saying that I am unwilling to engage in workplace sexual harassment."

".....Prooooooobably you should not do workplace sexual harassment?" Martin is very unequipped to handle any part of this conversation and kind of wants to just disappear but also it is very important that he keep hugging Lev.

"But you're very cute. And I can't quit and am too much of a workaholic to date and don't particularly want to be celibate until I die. And you like me. --You can tell me to knock it off and leave you alone."

“I mean. I did think we were already dating? And I was definitely not unhappy about this? Just.” It is so convenient that Martin is already getting hugs. 

"...I can't tell what you're thinking."

“I don’t really know either? I’m just... kind of bad at talking about things. Um. Sorry. ...You don’t have to knock it off and leave me alone.”

He kisses Martin's cheek. 

Small happy-surprised noise!

...And then Martin kisses the top of Lev’s head.