Happy Merlin Holidays, eldee! (2/4)

[merlin-hols.livejournal.com]

**

Arthur let out a sigh of exhaustion as he walked through the lobby of his residence building. He took a quick glance at his wrist watch, ignoring the greeting from the receptionist. It was 11:23 PM. As he waited for the lift, he thought back to the many parenting books he had read and the constant stressing of a structured environment. "Damn it," Arthur mumbled out loud as he pounded the solid metal door with his fist, knowing full well that being home at a decent hour was part of a structured environment.

As soon as he was in the lift and pressed the button for his floor, Arthur rested his ahead against the wall of the lift, softly mumbling to himself in frustration. When the lift doors opened, Arthur stepped out into the hall and made his way towards his flat, pulling out his keys and opening the door. Knowing full well that Mordred was asleep and a deep sleeper, Arthur called out, "Morgana?"

As he shut the door, Arthur heard the sound of frantic rustling form the reception room. As soon as he stepped into the reception room, Arthur stopped in his tracks at the sight of a tall, dark haired man staring back at him in nervousness. The two stared at each other for an untraceable amount of time; Arthur's eyes scanned the short hair, blue eyes, high cheek bones, and skinny frame of the man.

Merlin's nervousness intensified as he took in the sight of the blond haired, broad shouldered, almost too-perfect man opposite of him. "Do I know you?" Arthur finally spoke up, causing Merlin to get lost in the strength of his voice.

After a minute of silence, Merlin finally spoke up. "Sorry, I, uh, I'm Merlin."

"Mordred's new tutor?" Arthur quickly asked, earning a nod from Merlin. A smile finally appeared on Arthur's face, causing him to relax as well. "I wasn't expecting you to stay this late. But how was your first day?" Arthur asked as he stepped towards him and set down his jacket and briefcase on the leather couch.

"Good. I spent the day figuring out how far along Mordred was," Merlin answered. "I'll get going now. When should I come over next?"

Arthur looked at Merlin in confusion, his need for sleep obviously hampering his ability to think, before finally saying, "What did Morgana say?"

"She didn't say anything. She kind of left in a hurry though," Merlin said.

"She what?" Arthur asked, his voice low in disbelief.

"She left a while ago. When she left she told me you were going to be home soon."

"What the hell, really?" Arthur said as he glanced at Merlin with a shifty look. Without waiting for a response, he quickly pivoted on his feet and strode off towards Mordred's room.

Merlin quickly followed Arthur with narrowed eyes, insulted by the sense of distrust that radiated from him. He stood with his arms crossed as Arthur peeked inside Mordred's room and let out a visible sigh of relief. "What? You don't trust me? I’m a certified school teacher and I went out of my way to stay until you deigned to waltz in close to midnight, and this is the thanks I get?" he spat.

"Well, you won't have to worry about it happening again. Your services are no longer required," Arthur said, completely dismissing his words.

"You're sacking me? Even though it was Morgana who ditched me like that?"

"Yes," Arthur said as he snatched his wallet from his pocket and fished out a £100 bill before handing it to him. "This is for today."

Merlin stared at the bill, dumbfounded, before grabbing the £100 note mumbling, "Arse." He collected his things and left the flat, slamming the front door shut behind him. As he waited outside for the lift, he couldn’t help admire Arthur's protective nature, though Arthur was far from perfect.

**

Arthur sat in his office, tapping his fingers on his desk as he waited through the ringing tone in his blue tooth head set. "Arthur," Morgana said through the head set; her voice barely audible over the loud talking in the background.

"Morgana. it seems you left my son alone with a complete stranger," Arthur stated, emphasizing the word 'alone'. Suddenly, the loud noise in the background began to fade from the headset, indicating that Morgana had taken the conversation to someplace more private.

"I know what you are going to say, Arthur, so don't bother. You are making a big deal out of nothing. I trust Merlin with Mordred. You know I would never do anything to put Mordred in harm's way," Morgana said in a calm, yet firm tone.

"Well I don't trust him, Morgana. I hadn't even met the guy yet, and you are already throwing my son at him! I only hired him because I listened to you and Gwen, not because I had any knowledge of him before-hand," Arthur said, the volume of his voice growing.

"What was he going to do, Arthur? You saw him! He is about as harmful as a rabbit! Besides, if he tried anything, Mordred could easily protect himself," Morgana shouted back.

"Mordred shouldn't have to!" Arthur quickly snapped back before continuing. "It is my job to protect him! If only I ha-."

"It's my job too!" Morgana quickly interrupted her brother. "You are too over-protective, Arthur! Do you know what your son did after school today? He attacked kids because they were talking shit about you! Mordred is beginning to follow your example."

"Don't compare my situation with Mordred's, Morgana," Arthur demanded, immediately silencing whatever it was Morgana was going to say. "You know I'm not over-protective of Mordred. I just don't want him left alone with someone I don't know," Arthur said firmly.

There was a brief silence before Morgana answered. "You're over-reacting. When you asked for my help to raise Mordred, I thought that meant that you trusted me. You need to stop this protective rampage of yours."

"This protective rampage of mine is the only thing that kept Uther from finding out about your magic when we were growing up! You know exactly what would have happened had Uther found out you had magic," Arthur snapped back, resulting in a subtle sigh of defeat from Morgana. "My protective rampage is also what kept other kids from finding out that you were actually the little witch girl that they called you. Not that I have to mention it, but my protective rampage is also what stopped all of the shit you got after you slept with half of the bloke population in sixth form! Don't tell me not to be protective of my son when you are the reason I had to start my protective rampage to begin with!" Arthur shouted through the phone, emphasizing the words 'protective rampage' with a sarcastic tone.

There were a few moments of silence between them, most of which Arthur spent trying to collect himself, before Morgana finally said in an overly sweet tone, "I won't leave Mordred alone with Merlin again. Or anyone you do not know."

"Well, you won't have to worry about leaving him with Merlin anymore," Arthur stated without really thinking as he quickly wrote a note to himself to find a new tutor.

"Why? What happened?" Morgana asked suspiciously.

"I fired him. I need to find a new tutor now," Arthur said nonchalantly.

Arthur could hear Morgana's mouth open then close again through the phone; he let out a small sigh of relief at the indication that she wasn't going to fight him again. "Do whatever you need to do, Arthur. I'm going to go now. Go to sleep," Morgana said with obvious restraint.

"I won't be in the office tomorrow. Goodnight," Arthur said.

"Goodnight," Morgana replied. Arthur simply grunted before hanging up the phone and leaning back in his chair. His thoughts immediately traveled back to Merlin; a large part of him telling him to call Merlin and apologize. Arthur just shook his head and headed towards his room, desperate not to bring any thoughts of Merlin into his sleep.

**

As soon as Merlin stepped into his small, cramped flat, he couldn't help but compare it to the grand flat that the prat Arthur lived in. Along his trip home, Merlin had concocted a healthy list of nouns to describe the man, favoring the words arse, prat, clotpole, and dollophead. "Merlin!" Freya's voice ripped through the air, pulling Merlin out of his Arthur-dominated thoughts.

"Hey," Merlin said with a fake smile, though he knew where the conversation was heading before it even began.

"How was it?!" Freya asked, causing Merlin to give himself a mental score point.

"I got fired," Merlin said as he sat down next to his friend on the worn-out sofa.

"What?! Why?" Freya asked.

"Morgana left me alone with Mordred. So when Arthur came home and found out I was alone with him, he fired me," Merlin answered as he replayed the scene in his mind, and the quick downfall from perfect-Arthur to arse-Arthur.

"I'm really sorry. I know how much you were looking forward to this job. This Arthur sounds like an arse," Freya said as she gave him a hug.

Merlin smiled weakly at her before saying, "I can't really blame him though. He was just watching out for his son."

Freya nodded in agreement. Suddenly, a grin appeared on her face as she asked, "So, are the rumors true?"

"What rumors?" Merlin said with curiosity.

"That Arthur Pendragon is drop-dead gorgeous," Freya quickly stated with the tone of a gossiping fifteen-year-old. Merlin was at first taken aback, but then his face immediately flushed as he began to think of Arthur's physical appeal. "Oh my god! You think he is hot, don't you?"

"Shut up," Merlin quickly retorted in embarrassment.

"I guess it must be true if he slept with Lancelot," Freya stated, smiling inwardly the instant she recognized the look of interest in Merlin's eyes.

"So what? I've slept with Lancelot," Merlin replied with a blush, remembering the awkward night a few years back that emphasized his inexperience with sex; the condition had hardly improved since then.

"And we know how well that turned out," Freya said with a smirk before continuing, "but based off of what I heard, Lancelot bottomed when he slept with Arthur." Merlin's eyes widened at the thought of Lancelot being anything other than a top. "You look interested," Freya quickly added with a wiggling eyebrow, causing Merlin to blush.

"Shut up. I'm going to bed," Merlin said as he got up and made his way towards his shared bedroom with Will. Just as he was about to disappear into the room, Merlin flashed Freya a friendly, tired smile, indicating he was just tired.

"Good night, Merlin. Sweet dreams," Freya said. Merlin sent Freya one last playful glare before walking into his room and shutting the door; he was careful not to make any noises that would wake Will.

"Better not keep me awake with those toys of yours, no matter how hot you think this Arthur is," Will mumbled. Merlin jumped in surprise.

Merlin blushed as he thought of the small shoe box under his bed, beating himself up as he thought back to the day when he had left the shoe box out in the open for Will to discover. "Shut up, Will," Merlin replied before grabbing one of the discarded shirts littering the floor and throwing it at him.

When Will didn't respond a few moments later, Merlin quickly changed into his sleeping clothes and lay down in his bed. As much as he tried not to, Merlin couldn't help but think of his day with Mordred as he fell asleep; more importantly, he couldn't help but think of the prat named Arthur.

**

Upon returning home from school the next day, Mordred was surprised to find his father's office door open; his father sitting behind his desk typing furiously on his laptop. "Why are you home?" Mordred questioned as he stepped into the office and took a seat across from his father, throwing his backpack on the floor in the process.

Arthur eyed the discarded backpack for a moment, knowing that he should say something about it but simply not caring enough to listen to parenting books. "Stayed home from work to find you a new tutor," Arthur answered his son with hints of frustration in his voice due to his lack of success.

"A new tutor? What happened to Merlin?" Mordred instantly asked in a worried tone; Arthur was surprised.

"I fired him last night. I was not comfortable with the idea of him watching you while Morgana was gone."

"I think you should rehire him," Mordred said in a firm Pendragon voice, throwing Arthur off once again.

Arthur raised his eyebrow at his son out of curiosity and amusement before asking, "Why should I do that?"

"I like him," Mordred answered as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"Anything else?" Arthur asked.

"He is a good tutor. His stuff wasn't as easy as Gwen's, and he likes art and literature like I do. And he isn't mad when I get distracted," Mordred replied; the subtle hints of enjoyment in Mordred's voice surprised Arthur.

"I don't know," Arthur said in an unsure voice.

"I promise I won't use magic around him, or anyone else who doesn't know," Mordred said, trying to convince him to rehire Merlin.

"You really liked him that much just after one day?" Arthur asked as he let out a small sigh of defeat.

Mordred nodded with excitement that Arthur rarely saw as he said, "He is fun."

"Fine, I'll call him and ask." When it became obvious after a few moments that Mordred was not going to leave until Arthur called, he picked up his phone and began dialing Merlin's number, referring back to the small sticky note that Gwen had given him with Merlin's contact information.

"Hello?" Arthur heard Merlin pick up through the phone. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words were caught in his throat; apologies were an unfamiliar concept to a Pendragon. "Hello?" Merlin said again through the mobile as Mordred gave his father a curious stare.

"Hi," Arthur managed to say, mentally punching himself for the pathetic greeting.

There was a pause for a split second before Merlin spoke up, "Who is this?"

"Arthur," Arthur answered as he stared at the snickering face of his son.

"I should hang up on you right now for being such an arse," Merlin stated.

Arthur took a deep breath before replying, "I know."

Another pause emerged before Merlin asked, "Is that it?"

Arthur cleared his throat. "Will you resume tutoring Mordred?" Arthur silently prayed that his swift change of subject would deter Merlin from the apology that he was expecting.

"Apologize," Mordred whispered as he stared at his father in amusement, enjoying the way he was squirming under the looming words.

"Why would I do that? So you can show me how much you don't trust me by sacking me again?" Merlin said.

"I'll pay you one-hundred pounds an hour," Arthur quickly said, confident that his offer of money would settle the problem like it always had before.

Arthur smirked to himself in victory as he heard Merlin gasp for air. After a few more moments, Merlin finally answered, "No."

Arthur's shoulders sagged as his eyes widened; Mordred's smirking increasing as amusement spread across his face. "What will it take to get you back?" Arthur questioned in a pleading voice.

"Tell me what you did was wrong and apologize," Merlin demanded.

"Are you serious? That is all you want?" Arthur asked with dread laced in his voice.

"Well, and the one-hundred pounds an hour," Merlin said; the amusement was no longer lost on Arthur.

"You're enjoying this too much," Arthur pointed out; Mordred tilted his head in curiosity. He'd never before seen Arthur act this way regarding a business deal.

"You're going along with it. I thought Pendragons were supposed to be a lot more firm on their stance?" Merlin replied in partial contemplation.

Arthur threw his head back with a groan before blurting out, "There is just something about you, Merlin. I can't quite put my finger on it."

Arthur's eyes widened in disbelief at his own words as Merlin laughed. "Then I think you know what you have to do," Merlin said with a softer tone than before.

Arthur took a deep breath to mentally collect himself while his son watched him in fascination. "I'm sorry that I didn't trust you, and blamed you for the situation even though it was obviously Morgana's fault. And I apologize for sacking you unfairly, even though you had done nothing wrong," Arthur struggled to say; the words of apology almost got caught in his throat a couple of times.

"Apology accepted. And I'll even only charge you seventy-five pounds an hour," Merlin said with a beaming voice, causing Arthur to form a mental image of the smiling idiot.

"Good. Be here around the same time tomorrow. We'll work out the details then," Arthur replied as he saw a smile once again appear on Mordred's face.

"Bye, Arthur," Merlin said teasingly.

"Bye," Arthur said in a rush before ending the call. After mentally wrapping his head around the entire conversation, still in disbelief with how some of it turned out, Arthur finally directed his attention towards his son. "There, happy?" Arthur questioned.

"As a clam," Mordred said with a smirk before getting up and picking up his backpack.

As he exited the office, he couldn't help but think about his father's conversation with Merlin, unused to seeing his father anything but firm with anyone except him. Just as he crossed the threshold into his room, a fact finally dawned upon him; his father liked Merlin too, at least more than he said. With a devious smirk on his lips, Mordred propelled himself onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling; his mind running a million miles an hour, wondering if Merlin liked his father too.

**

Merlin arrived at the Pendragon flat with a grin on his face, more excited to see Mordred and Arthur than for the actual money. After ringing the flat doorbell, Merlin waited patiently until the door opened to reveal Arthur dressed in business attire. "Hey," Merlin greeted with a smile.

"Hi," Arthur said nervously before he stepped out of the way for Merlin to walk inside, shutting the door behind him. "Mordred is watching the telly," Arthur reported as he pointed towards the large reception room.

Merlin nodded but remained in his place, asking, "Why are you home?"

"I do live here you know," Arthur answered in a matter-of-fact tone, his eyes narrowing as if he were trying to determine Merlin's IQ.

"That's not what I meant," Merlin quickly returned before looking down and scratching his head; his face contorting in concentration as he tried to place his thoughts. "I meant I'm surprised to see you here. I thought you would be at work."

Arthur stared at Merlin's features for a split second, causing his face to soften before saying, "I worked from home today."

Merlin's head cocked to the side as he examined Arthur's state of dress before replying, "In dress clothes?"

Arthur stared at Merlin for a moment before retorting, "Go tutor my son like I'm paying you to do."

"Yes, sire," Merlin said with a laugh and a slight bow, earning him a stare with a cross between irritated and insulted.

Once Merlin walked past him towards the reception room, Arthur couldn't remove the ingrained image of Merlin's face while laughing from his mind; the prominent high cheekbones, the large, bright smile, and the way Merlin's eyes narrowed. Shaking his head, Arthur glanced at Merlin one last time before making his way towards the stairs to escape to his office.

As Merlin stepped into the reception room, his laughter had died down, but the afterglow smile still remained. Upon taking a seat next to the distracted ten-year-old, Merlin couldn't help but wonder what it'd be like to get to know Arthur better. Shaking his head to rid himself of those thoughts, Merlin began looking through Mordred's homework, not thinking about how attractive Arthur looked in a business suit.

Mordred tried to look focused on the TV as Merlin sat down next to him, taking in the bright smile and the look of contemplation on Merlin's face. "You make up with my dad?" Mordred asked as he pretended to keep his eyes on the TV screen.

"Yeah. Now what do you need to do for math homework?" Merlin said while shuffling through Mordred's pile of papers.

"Do you like him?" Mordred asked.

Merlin thought on the question for a few seconds before a smile once again returned to his face. "Yeah, I like him. He is just a little bit of a prat."

Mordred nodded in satisfaction as he finally turned off the TV with the remote and turned towards his mess of papers.

**

Merlin's feet were heavy as he stumbled down the hallway towards his flat; his eyes were half closed from exhaustion while his arms dangled to his side, barely able to hold onto his bag full of tutoring and teacher supplies. Once Merlin stepped into his flat, he couldn't help but compare it to the large flat that he had been spending so much time at over the past month. "Oh, you're up," Merlin said as soon as he saw Will sitting on the couch watching TV.

"And you're home late," Will reported as he motioned for Merlin to sit down next to him.

Merlin cracked a small smile before taking a seat. "Yeah, I was tutoring."

"At twelve-thirty at night?" Will pointed towards the small clock above the television.

"No, we stopped around seven-thirty," Merlin replied without thinking.

"So what did you do there for five hours?" Will questioned further, this time a little louder than before.

Merlin stared at Will in confusion before answering, "I ate dinner with them, and then Arthur and I talked after Mordred went to bed."

"You know you've been doing that every day for the past two weeks," Will stated while his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Merlin laid his head back on the couch to look up at the ceiling and think. "Oh, I guess I have been," he finally conceded before a grin appeared on his face. The grin quickly faded upon seeing the serious look Will was giving him.

"Does he pay you to stay behind and keep him company or something?" Will asked.

"No," Merlin answered with his eyes narrowed in confusion. "I stay behind because I want to. Why does it even matter?"

"I just think it's strange that you stay behind after work to talk to your boss," Will said, pausing only for a moment before continuing, "You like him or something, don't you?"

"What?! Arthur?! No! Of course not!" Merlin snapped back. "Just because he is slightly good looking, is fun to talk to, has a good sense of humor, is a dedicated father, is fit, has a really charitable side, makes the greatest facial expressions, and makes me feel comfortable does not mean that I like him! I may be gay, but that doesn't mean I'm attracted to every bloke like him," Merlin elaborated rapidly with a constant stream of thought, not even bothering to think about what he was saying.

Will stared at Merlin with scrunched eyebrows and a strange look. "So you're saying you do not like Arthur even after all of those reasons why you would like him?"

Merlin thought about Will's words for a second before answering, "Yes."

"Liar!" Will shouted as he pointed accusingly at him.

Merlin groaned before getting up and saying, "Shut up." His eyes glowed gold. All of the cushions, pillows, and blankets in the room levitated from their places and piled on top of Will, burying him.

"No magic!" Will protested loudly as Merlin entered their shared bedroom; he fell asleep the instant he collapsed onto his bed.

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The next day, Merlin found himself in a familiar routine at the Pendragon flat. As soon as he arrived, Mordred would open the door to let him in and the two would begin a subject. After one subject was complete, they would take a break to eat or play some video games before continuing on to another subject. The breaks in between each subject helped address Mordred's ADD while allowing Merlin to simply enjoy his time.

When Arthur would come home from work, usually around seven-thirty, Mordred would dictate what the three were going to eat for dinner; Arthur and Merlin simply followed along because they didn't see the point in arguing. "I want Italian," Mordred reported this evening, causing Merlin to snap out of his reverie.

"I'm glad to see that you have graced us with your attention," Arthur said from across the reception room. Merlin looked up at Arthur in surprise.

"When did you get home?" Merlin questioned in disbelief that he hadn't noticed Arthur’s return.

Arthur stared at Merlin in confusion as he poured himself a drink from the mini-bar on the side of the room. "Are you completely daft or something?"

"I think I've been spending too much time with you," Merlin said with a small smile; he enjoyed the moments of banter he had with Arthur.

"Merlin, remember what I told you about trying to be clever?" Arthur replied as he took a sip of his dark drink; Merlin concluded that it was most likely an expensive wine.

"Don't?" Merlin said in a fake innocent voice.

"Exactly," Arthur said as he raised his glass towards Merlin before taking another drink.

"Are you two done?" Mordred questioned, his eyes revealing that he was completely disinterested in the banter exchanged between the two.

"Yes, we're done," Arthur answered before continuing. "So Italian. You joining us, Merlin?"

"Don't I always?" Merlin said with a smile. Arthur shrugged before making his way out.

After a relatively uneventful, yet delicious Italian dinner, Merlin once again found himself sitting in the reception room next to Arthur; Mordred dead asleep upstairs. The two sat in comfortable silence as they watched the television, occasionally taking sips of their vintage Pétrus wine. "You are such a lightweight, Merlin," Arthur teased after observing the redness of Merlin's face and ears.

"I'm just not fat," Merlin stated as his reason for his low tolerance before taking another sip.

"Are you saying I'm fat?" Arthur asked, offended by the accusation.

"You're definitely bigger than me," Merlin said as he couldn't help but admire the broadness of Arthur's shoulders.

Arthur stared at Merlin for a few seconds with a look that Merlin could only identify as shocked. "This is all muscle Merlin. I am perfectly fit, I could probably bend you over with ease," Arthur said, the alcohol in his system compromising his ability to choose words.

"Please do," Merlin whispered without thinking. Arthur’s eyes widened in what was probably shock, and Merlin imagined that the expression was mirrored on his own face. The two continued to stare at each other for an unknown amount of time, both of them desperately trying not to visualize what he had said.

"I should probably get going," Merlin broke the silence as he tried to get up, wobbling a little as a surge of heat rushed to his head. Arthur immediately stood up and steadied Merlin as he mentally kicked himself for making the situation awkward.

"You don't have to . . ." Arthur said softly.

Merlin turned towards him and smiled. "It's getting late. I have to substitute tomorrow so I need to get some rest."

"You're not going home like that. You can barely stand," Arthur stated; the authoritative tone in his voice masking his concern, but with little success.

Merlin felt his heart flutter for a second before he suppressed the feeling. Merlin fought the urge to ask if Arthur was worried about him, instead saying, "I'll be fine. The tube is still running so I'll get home fast."

"And get mugged, raped, or killed in the process?" Arthur asked. Merlin inwardly grinned to himself even more as he noticed the subtle flashes of worry across Arthur's face.

"Nothing will happen," Merlin said before attempting to walk towards the front door, swaying slightly as alcohol once again rushed to his head.

"If you're so desperate to go home, fine," Arthur finally gave up before grabbing Merlin's almost forgotten bag and handing it to him.

"Oops," Merlin said with a laugh. Arthur rang the receptionist, and told her to flag down a cab to take Merlin home. "You don't have to do that. I can go home just fine," Merlin mumbled as Arthur walked him towards the door.

"Well, at least you will get home even faster now," Arthur said.

Merlin's head cocked to the side as Arthur's words processed in his head. "You're smart," Merlin said. Arthur laughed as the two waited for the lift.

"I know," Arthur answered while the large steel doors opened. By then, Merlin had been able to stand on his own, though he still swayed from time to time. The two stepped into the lift and waited in a comfortable silence on the ride down.

Once they arrived in the lobby, the receptionist immediately jumped from her seat and said, "Your car is waiting for you in the driveway, Mr. Pendragon."

Arthur simply nodded while Merlin shouted out, "Thank you." The receptionist shook her head at Merlin's drunken state. "I don't think she likes me," Merlin said as he walked with Arthur towards the main doors.

"Don't worry about her. It doesn't matter if she likes you or not," Arthur said.

As soon as the two were outside, the doorman opened the cab door. Merlin nodded his thanks before stumbling into the cab and telling the driver where to go. Arthur pulled out a £50 note from his wallet and handed it to the driver, saying, "Keep the change."

Merlin looked up at Arthur through the open door from his seat in the taxi. "You're a lot nicer than you let on," Merlin reported with a teasing look before closing the door.

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That Friday after tutoring, Merlin stayed behind for a small gathering upon Arthur's relentless insistence. To Merlin's surprise, Arthur's little gathering consisted of three other blokes; Lancelot, Leon, and Gwaine. Morgana and Gwen also joined the group while Mordred occasionally made an appearance to grab some food or ask his father something. "Merlin, are you spacing off again?" Arthur said jokingly from his seat on a barstool in the kitchen.

"Leave him alone, Arthur, you've been picking on the poor guy all day." Gwaine came to Merlin's defense as he threw an arm around Merlin's shoulder. Merlin stiffened under Gwaine's touch; a part of him wanted to duck away from the man while the other was content underneath the muscled arm.

Arthur let out a small laugh as he stared at the arm around Merlin's shoulder, "Don't scare off another one of my employees, Gwaine."

Merlin shoulders sagged at the word employee. "I need some fresh air," Merlin said as he slipped out from under Gwaine's arm, grabbed his glass of wine, and made his way towards the balcony.

When Arthur saw Merlin leave, he immediately began to wonder if what he had said was the reason for Merlin's sudden change in mood. A large part of him wanted to follow Merlin out to the balcony and apologize, while the Pendragon side of him told him it was weak and unnecessary. Arthur began to bounce his leg as he pretended to listen to whatever Leon was talking about, his mind racing to figure out what the best thing to do was. Just as he was about to get up to go speak to Merlin, Arthur saw Gwaine shake his head at him before exiting the kitchen, obviously to follow Merlin. Arthur's shoulders sagged slightly in defeat, the action going unnoticed by the other occupants in the room, before he put on his usual smile and resumed listening to Leon.

Merlin crossed his arms on the balcony railing and leaned over to rest his head on the limbs; his eyes focused on the darkness of Hyde Park. He couldn't help but think about what Arthur had said, wondering if he was just an employee to him, even though the two spent far more time as friends than employer and employee. He spent the next minute or so trying to convince himself that he didn't care, although a small part of him knew that it wasn't true. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Merlin saw Gwaine walk up next to him and lean on the railing. "Nice night," Gwaine said after a few moments of silence.

Merlin smiled to himself at the clichéd situation that was beginning to unfold. "Yeah, it is."

There was another silence that passed between the two before Gwaine spoke up, "Don't pay attention to what Arthur said. It takes a while for him to admit that someone is his friend."

Merlin continued to stare at the darkness of Hyde Park before saying, "He doesn't have to be such an ass about it."

"That is what happens when you're Arthur Pendragon. You may look like you've been sculpted by the gods, but you have the common sense of a fish," Gwaine stated as he cast Merlin a sideways glance.

Merlin immediately had to stop himself from thinking about Arthur's physical features, no matter how true Gwaine's words were. "Yeah, I guess," Merlin finally mumbled in response.

"So you agree with me?" Gwaine asked.

Merlin looked at him in confusion. "Agree with what?"

"That Arthur is attractive?" Gwaine answered as he looked straight at Merlin as if to try and read him.

"That isn't what you said," Merlin said, trying to dodge the question that was looming just ahead, and the answer that he knew he was going to give without trying to.

"Do you think so though?" Gwaine questioned with a look of amusement on his face.

Merlin squirmed inwardly under Gwaine's stare. "Yes," Merlin finally admitted as he looked down.

Gwaine laughed in amusement before looking out towards the view of London. Again, a few moments of silence passed before he spoke up again, "Do you want to go out sometime?"

Merlin's eyes widened, caught off guard by the question. "I don't know," Merlin said with uncertainty before continuing. "We just met, and we don't know each other that well.

"Isn't that what a date is for though? To get to know each other?" Gwaine replied with a smile. Merlin nodded as he searched his head for an excuse; the feelings of awkwardness and nervousness beginning to take hold. Upon noticing the slightly paranoid look on his face, Gwaine quickly said, "Here, how about I give you my number and you let me know."

Merlin watched in surprise as Gwaine fished out a business card from his wallet and handed it to him. As Merlin took the card and put it into his pocket, he couldn't help but smile. "Alright," Merlin finally said, causing Gwaine to smile as well.

Arthur couldn't help but notice the way Merlin and Gwaine were more comfortable around each other upon their return. "Arthur, you there?" Morgana asked.

"Yeah," Arthur answered as he continued to stare at Merlin and Gwaine.

After pouring himself another drink, Merlin looked towards Arthur and saw him staring; the two locked eyes for a few moments before Arthur turned away. Merlin frowned as he stuffed his hand into his pocket and felt around for Gwaine's card. With one last look at Arthur, Merlin promised himself that he was going to talk to Freya for advice first.

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"And you didn't say yes?!" Freya shouted in disbelief.

"No," Merlin mumbled, his head bowed down in shame the more he thought about the situation and the reasons he had to say yes.

Ferya threw her hands up in the air with a dramatic sigh before pacing around in a complete circle. "You know that you haven't been on a date in over two years, right?" Ferya asked, earning a reluctant nod from Merlin. "And when was the last time you took a bloke to bed? Longer than I can remember," Freya added.

"That isn't my fault. How am I supposed to bring someone back home if Will is three feet away snoring?" Merlin replied.

"Are you saying I cock-block you? You probably do it to me more! Without the whole cock part," Will retorted.

"So he pussy-blocks you?" Freya asked with amusement in her voice.

"Exactly. I can't get it on if Merlin is sleeping in the bed next to me," Will answered.

"I'm not the reason why you can't bring girls back into your bed," Merlin mumbled under his breath. Freya let out a laugh while Will scowled.

"Shut up, Emrys. We both know I have more game than you," Will responded to boost his own pride.

"This is getting us nowhere," Freya interjected; Merlin closed his mouth. "The point is, Merlin, you need to go out on a date. The last time you had a proper boyfriend was when we were in University."

Merlin hung his head in defeat. "I know."

"Then call him and tell him you're interested," Freya demanded as she crossed her arms.

"Right now?! It's almost one in the morning. He is probably asleep by now," Merlin said; caught off guard by Freya's demand.

"He doesn't sound like the type of guy who would go to sleep this early. And you just saw him and he was probably wide awake. So yes, right now," Freya responded with a tone that reminded Merlin of his mother.

"Fine," Merlin mumbled before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his mobile and Gwaine's card. Merlin slowly began dialing Gwaine's number, his hands shaking slightly with nervousness. "What am I going to say?" Merlin stopped dialing.

"Just tell him you want to go out sometime," Freya answered in her characteristic comforting voice, recognizing that this was not his strongest area of social interaction.

With a nod, Merlin finished dialing the number, took a deep breath, and pressed the 'Send' button. After bringing the mobile to his ear, he began fidgeting as the ring sounded over and over; time seeming as if it was standing still. Suddenly, the dial tone ended with the sound of rustling before Gwaine's voice said, "Hello?"

Merlin's eyes widened as he recognized the signs of sleep in the Gwaine's voice. "Oh shit, were you sleeping?"

"Merlin?" Gwaine asked through the phone as his voice lost some of the hints of sleep.

"Yeah, I'm sorry for calling so late. I didn't think you would be asleep. I can call back another time if you want," Merlin said rapidly without taking a breath.

Gwaine laughed through the phone, and Merlin lost some of his nervousness. "No, it's fine."

An awkward silence passed between the two. Freya and Will stared at Merlin with confused eyes, obviously wondering why Merlin was not saying anything. "Tell him," Freya whispered loudly.

"What was that?" Gwaine asked; the sleep in his voice was less prevalent than before.

"Nothing," Merlin quickly replied, creating another moment of awkward silence. After a few more dramatic motions from Freya, Merlin finally managed to say, "Yes."

"Yes?" Yes what?" Gwaine asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Yes, I want to go out with you," Merlin said quickly, his eyes widening in surprise that he actually was able to ask although he was extreme uncomfortable with the entire situation. Merlin couldn't help but smile at the look of relief that washed over Freya's face.

"I'm glad to hear that. Do you tutor this Friday?" Gwaine responded with some excitement in his voice.

"Yeah," Merlin answered.

"What time do you usually stop?" Gwaine asked.

"Arthur usually comes home around seven on Fridays. I can meet you after then if you want," Merlin replied, mentally punching himself for being so nervous about the entire situation.

"How about I meet you at Arthur's around seven then?"

"Alright," Merlin answered, unsure of what else to say.

"I'll see you on Friday then," Gwaine said with a yawn.

"It should be fun," Merlin replied before suddenly adding, "I'm sorry for waking you up."

Gwaine let out a laugh; Merlin's nerves settled a little. "Trust me, I'm glad that you woke me up."

Merlin said his good byes and hung up with a smile.

"So this Friday?" Freya asked with an excited look on her face.

"Yeah, he is going to meet me at Arthur's," Merlin said, still dazed that he actually had a date. Merlin leaned his head back and tried to think of the last time he had a real date. When no recent memories came to mind, he could help but sigh and say, "It really has been a long time since I've last been out."

"Well, you're getting out now. And if this Gwaine is as good looking as you say he is, then maybe you'll end up scoring Friday," Will spoke up from his place next to Merlin, obviously trying to show some support. "Just remember, don't bring him back here. I don't want to wake up to the sound of two blokes going at it."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Merlin said, smirking.

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Merlin fidgeted anxiously as he sat in Arthur's reception room, staring at the floor while the sound of the television filled the room. Merlin took a quick glance at his cell phone, reading 6:44 PM; his mind wandered with thoughts of how the date would go, what would come of it, but most importantly, what would Arthur think? "You're nervous," Mordred's voice ripped Merlin out of his thoughts, causing him to turn. Merlin gulped slightly without thinking as he saw the analytical look on Mordred's face.

"Just a little bit," Merlin replied, unsure of what the boy would think regarding him going out on a date with one of Arthur's friends.

Mordred stared at him with an unreadable expression, though the sideways glances at the television hinted to Merlin that he was conflicted between asking more questions and continuing to watch his show. "Why?" Mordred finally asked after a few moments of internal debate.

"Nothing," Merlin responded, earning a look of disappointment from Mordred.

"You're lying," Mordred replied before turning his attention back towards the television, leaving Merlin with his thoughts. Merlin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, when suddenly his magic began to erupt inside of him. His eyes shot open in shock and fear as he felt magic course through his veins and pool his brain, as if to defend against some sort of invader. Merlin took a deep breath to try and collect himself as he took note of the faint foreign magic that seemed to combat his own. After a few seconds, the sensation diminished into nothing; Merlin's magic receded as the foreign feeling disappeared.

Merlin glanced at Mordred and saw him still focused on the television. "Calm down, Merlin," he mumbled to himself as part of a ritual whenever his magic went out of control.

"You're talking to yourself," Mordred pointed out, though his voice told Merlin that he wasn't all that interested in why anymore.

Merlin simply laughed before returning his thoughts to his outburst of magic and how it tended to happen during times of great stress. Merlin thought to himself in confusion, wondering why his magic reacted the way it did even though he didn't feel stressed, just nervous. He then thought about the way his magic felt foreign to him, forcing him to wonder if nervousness produced a different reaction magically then stress. Before he had time to continue thinking, the sound of the front door opening pulled him back to reality.

"I guess Arthur is home," Merlin said to Mordred, though he still remained focused on the television. With a small laugh, Merlin got up off of the couch and followed the sound of Arthur's rustling to the kitchen. As soon as he entered the room, he was greeted by a surprisingly gleeful Arthur. "You're really happy."

Arthur turned towards Merlin and grinned, "A business deal that I've been working on for months finally closed today."

"Congratulations," Merlin responded with an enthusiasm that surprised himself.

"We should celebrate," Arthur said with a grin, causing Merlin's heart to drop as Arthur continued, "There is this French place in Covent Garden. L’Atelier de something. Mordred knows how to say it."

"L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon," Mordred corrected as he walked into the kitchen, and Merlin jumped in surprise. "Are we going there for dinner tonight?" he asked as he climbed up the center island to sit; his legs kicked as they dangled from the counter.

"Unless you'd rather go someplace else, Merlin," Arthur responded as he looked straight at him.

"I, uh," Merlin began to say, struggling under the gaze of both Arthur and Mordred. "I have a date tonight."

Arthur expression immediately turned to one of confusion and surprise while Mordred stared at Merlin is disbelief. "With who?" Arthur finally asked.

Before Merlin had the chance to respond, the sound of the doorbell echoed through the room. Merlin's eyes widened in panic the instant the sound invaded his ears, his mind running through all of the possible scenarios that could result from who was at the door. Arthur stared at Merlin for a split second longer before making his way through the kitchen and towards the front door.

Arthur finally opened the door to see Gwaine standing on the other side. "Gwaine," Arthur said in surprise. "What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you."

"I'm actually here to see Merlin," Gwaine replied with a smile on his face as he looked past Arthur's shoulder directly at Merlin, giving him a small nod.

"Merlin?" Arthur responded, confused, before he turned around to look at Merlin and then back at his Gwaine. Suddenly, Arthur's eyes widened as realization dawned upon him. "This is who you're going on a date with? My friend?" Arthur stared at Merlin.

Merlin nodded; an awkward silence passed between the two before Gwaine spoke up. "We should probably get going."

"Yeah," Merlin said as he inwardly thanked Gwaine for the escape from Arthur's hardened stare. "I'll see you on Monday?" Merlin turned what would normally be a statement into a question, subtly trying to make sure that Arthur wasn't going to sack him again.

Arthur nodded his head as he processed the idea of Merlin dating Gwaine; Merlin smiled as if he could literally see the cogs in Arthur's head turning. "Yeah," Arthur said, before a tiny half smile appeared on his face. "See you Monday."

"Have fun," Mordred called.

"Bye, guys," Merlin said with a small wave before following Gwaine towards the lifts. Gwaine talked casually as the two waited for the lift, though the only sound Merlin could hear was the sound of the front door of Arthur's flat closing. As the two stepped inside the lift, Merlin couldn’t help but recall the surprised look on Arthur's face, mixed with what also seemed like hurt.

"Is everything okay?" Gwaine asked.

"Yeah, everything is fine," Merlin said with a small smile, trying to convince himself that his words were true.

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Mordred watched Merlin and Gwaine wait for the lift as his father shut the flat door; the whole scene that just played out explained Merlin's earlier nervousness. "There is something weird about Merlin," Mordred said as soon as the door was shut.

"You don't have to tell me," Arthur said with a knowing look.

"I mean, I couldn't hear his thoughts," Mordred elaborated, earning a disapproving look from his father.

Arthur stared at Mordred for a few seconds, trying to determine if he had to lecture his son about the use of magic again. Realizing that he wasn't in the mood to listen to parenting books, Arthur bypassed the lecture and said, "That doesn't mean much. You can't hear my thoughts."

"You were the only one, now there is Merlin. I can read what everyone else is thinking though," Mordred persisted, obviously not accepting the fact that there was someone else his magic did not work fully on.

"Don't worry about it. There probably wasn't much to hear in that head of his anyway. Not a lot of thought going on up there," Arthur joked, pulling a small laugh from Mordred.

"Can we still go to L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon?" Mordred changed the subject; satisfied with his father's response for the time being.

"Yeah, now go get dressed," Arthur said as he lightly pushed Mordred towards the stairs, prompting him to run ahead of his father a few paces. He then suddenly turned around and stared at his father in deep concentration, focusing his magic to root his father in place.

Arthur tried to take a step forward; his eyes widening in shock when he felt his right foot stop in mid air, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground. Mordred erupted in laughter while his magic dissipated at the sight of his father falling forward; he was unable to help himself from leaning over and clenching his stomach as his laughter intensified. Slowly, Mordred began to back up as his father pushed himself up off the ground. "You're dead," Arthur stated with a playful glare and a mischievous grin, prompting Mordred to pivot on his feet and bolt up the stairs with his father in pursuit.

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Merlin woke up the next morning to the sound of hushed voices in the distance. As sleep slowly drained from him, he couldn't help but shiver slightly as the morning chill kissed his naked arms, shoulders, and upper chest. Merlin lay on his side, sleep barely allowing the mental capacity to wonder why he was so close to the edge of his bed. As he rolled over to lie on his back, his right shoulder fell on top of another warm body; the contact drained the rest of the sleep from him.

"Crap," Merlin muttered to himself as he carefully slipped out of the bed with the hope to not wake Gwaine.

After a few moments of trying to creep around the room to find some clothes, Merlin finally managed to dress in some pajama pants and a T-shirt without waking Gwaine. As quietly as he could, Merlin snuck out of his bedroom and shut the door. The instant Merlin turned around, he was face to face with both Freya and Will. He let out a small yelp. "What are you two doing?!"

"Well, after you kicked me out last night to defile our room, I want to know what happened," Will said.

Merlin blushed as he began to recall his late night activities. His blush soon spread to his ears as embarrassment kicked in as he thought back to his clumsiness when it came to undressing, the awkwardness he felt when Gwaine went down on him because of his limited ability to reciprocate, and his general lack of stamina. "That bad?" Ferya asked in a tone that revealed she was afraid to ask.

Merlin threw his head back in a groan before dragging his feet to the couch and falling on it; his friends immediately took a seat on both sides of him. "It was just awkward," Merlin finally answered as he tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

"Give me details. How bad?" Freya asked with a concerned look on her face.

"No, don't. I don't need to hear about your sex life, no matter how pathetic it might be," Will said. Freya sent him a dirty look.

Merlin turned to Will and smirked before saying, "Well, I kind of had trouble getting out of my clothes."

"Not listening, not listening," Will chanted over and over as he plugged his ears with his fingers.

"Ignore him. What else happened?" Freya pressed on.

Merlin sighed, part of him wanting to not talk about the whole event, but knew that Freya was going to pull it out of him anyway. "It was just awkward. I don't know how to explain it. When he was sucking me off, I felt weird."

"You felt weird when you had a hot guy like Gwaine sucking your cock?" Freya asked bluntly as Will continued his chanting in the background.

Merlin stared in disbelief at Freya's wording of the question before finally elaborating, "Yeah, pretty much. He kept trying to do fancy positions and stuff, but I didn't know what to do or really like them. He tried to hide it after every time I asked to stop doing something fancy, but I was able to tell he was disappointed. So when we got to the actual sex, I just felt even more inexperienced and wasn't really into it."

"How about him?" Freya questioned.

Merlin shrugged as he replied, "I think he liked it. He was ready to go a couple more rounds, so I had to say I was too tired." Freya frowned before leaning over to hug him. "The worst part was, I couldn't help but think about Arthur and what he would think," Merlin finally admitted with a tone of frustration before adding, "The whole night was like that actually."

"Was the date that bad that you ended up thinking about Arthur?" Freya asked.

"It wasn't bad. I know Gwaine was worrying about the same thing as me. We kind of just dropped it on Arthur last night," Merlin said as he thought back to the way Arthur seemed almost hurt.

"Okay, tell me about the date then," Freya said as she tried to change the topic.

"Well, after we left Arthur's we walked to a small pub that Gwaine said he liked. I remember him saying something about not liking fancy places even though he could afford them. We talked for a little bit, which went well. But I kept thinking about Arthur and the way he reacted when he found out, so when I finally told Gwaine, he said he was thinking the same thing. So we decided to order a couple drinks. Then we somehow ended up here. I kicked Will out of the room, and then, well, you know," Merlin explained as images of the evening flashed through his mind.

Freya stared at him pointedly, "So Arthur was pretty much on your mind the whole time." She then turned towards Will to contemplate whether or not to stop his chanting before shrugging it off and turning back towards Merlin.

Merlin frowned as he thought about Freya's question, knowing instantly what she was trying to insinuate. "It's not like that. He was just really excited last night and then we kind of threw this at him," Merlin said, ignoring the little voice in his head that was telling him Freya was onto something.

Freya looked at Merlin, unconvinced, before saying, "Alright. Do you think you're going on a second date?"

"I hope we are," Gwaine's voice suddenly ripped through the room, causing the three to turn towards him. Will's chanting stopping as he dropped his hands from his ears. Merlin's eyes immediately widened with a blush as he stared at Gwaine's almost naked body. Merlin flashed Gwaine a nervous smile. Gwaine returned the smile briefly. "I should probably get going."

"Do you want some breakfast?" Freya asked; Merlin flashed her a confused look.

"I'll have to pass, but thank you," Gwaine said with a smile before slipping back into the bedroom.

"How the hell can you not enjoy sex with that?!" Freya whispered loudly. "Do you know what I would do to have that man hot and sweaty and on top of me?" Freya asked, obviously a little envious of Merlin.

Merlin shrugged before saying without thinking, "Arthur would look better." Merlin's eyes widened at his own slip up; Freya smirked.

"I thought you two were done talking about sex with guys?" Will interjected. Freya flashed him a look that told him to shut up. Will then held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, fine. I still don’t understand why you would want to sleep with him over me."

"It's simple, Will. He has biceps and abs. You, well, don't," Freya said before turning back towards the now blushing Merlin. "As for you, are you imagining Arthur on top of you? Hot and sweaty from sex?"

Merlin's eyes immediately widened as he spat out, "W-What? Of course not! Arthur and sex? Not in a million years!" Suddenly, images of Arthur above him, hair dampened and skin damp with sweat, glistening in the light, flashed vividly before his eyes. He then felt a familiar stirring in his sleeping pants.

"I knew it!" both Freya and Will shouted simultaneously as they pointed at his obvious growing erection.

Before Merlin had a chance to say anything, Gwaine appeared; Merlin wondered how much he had heard. "Gwaine," Merlin said. Both Will and Freya turned towards the now dressed man. Feeling an awkward silence settle in, Merlin said, "Have you been standing there and listening in or something?"

Gwaine laughed. "No, but something tells me I should have."

"Maybe," Merlin said, unsure of what else to add.

A few moments of silence passed before Gwaine finally said, "I should probably get going now." Merlin nodded and he walked Gwaine to the door. Once the door was open and Gwaine was halfway outside of the flat, he leaned in to give Merlin a kiss, stopping himself half way without reason. "Maybe we can go out again sometime," Gwaine said.

Merlin smiled at him and said, half-jokingly, "I think that can work."

With a nod, Gwaine exited the flat and disappeared down the hall. Once the door was shut, Merlin leaned against it and sighed. "Why are all of the perfect guys gay?" Freya complained. Merlin laughed as he couldn't help but think of a certain perfect guy.

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