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merlin_holidaysTitle: The New Tutor
Recipient:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
eldee
Author:shippouzrus
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur, side Merlin/Gwaine
Word Count: 41,328
Warnings: Crude language, explicit sex, come play, bareback sex, bottom!Merlin, top!Arthur, homophobia, mild D/s
Summary: Arthur is a single father to Mordred, who happens to be a smart-ass. When Mordred needs a new tutor, Arthur finds himself suddenly attracted to the new tutor, Merlin.
Author's Notes: I must thank A. for constantly cheering me on and helping me with my writing. I also want to thank merlin_holidays for hosting this event and dealing with my tardiness. Finally, and most importantly, I must thank F. for stepping in as my beta on such short notice, and for being so flexible with me. Your comments, edits and support were absolutely invaluable to me.
I also must apologize for any spelling and grammar mistakes you may find. I hope you enjoy the story.
Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to Shine and BBC. I make no profit from this endeavor.
Part I
Merlin's muscles relaxed with a deep sigh as the students filed out of the classroom. Almost as if on cue, Merlin's phone began to vibrate in his pocket. Merlin took a second to read the name flashing on the flip phone; Gwen. "Hey." Merlin smiled as he collected his array of supplies off the teacher's desk.
"How was substituting for year eight kids?" Gwen asked brightly.
"As bad as it sounds. Why did I become certified to teach secondary school again?"
"Oh, don't be hard on yourself. You just wanted to have the option to teach secondary instead of just primary school."
"Primary school is a lot easier though," Merlin mumbled into the phone he threw his bag over his shoulder, strode out of the classroom and down the hall. "And the kids are a lot less hormonal."
Gwen let out a small laugh, earning a small grin of satisfaction from Merlin. "Anyway, I called to let you know that I'm not coming over tonight."
"Aw, why?" Merlin asked as he handed the classroom keys to the lady at the front desk, mouthing a quick 'Thank you' before heading out the main door.
"I'm going shopping with Morgana. Her meeting was canceled so her afternoon opened up."
"Fine, I see how it is. If you want to spend your Friday afternoon shopping instead of watching a movie, that's fine," Merlin teased as he traversed the London street.
"Oh shut up," Gwen laughed. "I'm going to see you tomorrow. Make sure you, Will, and Freya wake up on time. I will go to Paris without you."
"Yes, mum," Merlin replied as he walked down the stairs into the tube station. He pulled out his Oyster card. Following the mass of people, he pressed the small card against the large yellow circle to open the waist-high electronic gate. As soon as he proceeded down the escalator, he said into his mobile, "I'm about to get on the tube, I'll see you tomorrow, Gwen."
"Don't be late."
Merlin laughed quickly before replying, "We won't be late."
After a twenty-minute ride on the tube, Merlin finally exited the tube station and made his way to his apartment. Detouring into the local Eat sandwich shop, he bought a sandwich before continuing home.
Trudging up the flight of stairs in his apartment complex, Merlin cursed the broken elevator, letting out a sigh of relief as he finally reached his floor. After a moment to catch his breath, Merlin made his way down the narrow hall. As he stepped into his apartment, the first thing Merlin noticed was Will sitting on their worn-out couch, staring mindlessly at their mid-sized television with a beer in hand. "Merlin, you're home," Freya's voice demanded Merlin's attention, causing him to turn towards his other roommate with a smile.
"Finally!" Will said from his spot on the couch. "Freya decided to come home early today and has been driving me nuts! 'Will clean this, Will do that,'" Will mocked his roommate with the hand motions of a jabbering mouth.
"All you did all day was sit there and watch the telly," Freya retorted before turning to Merlin for help. Merlin held his hands up in the surrendering motion, not wanting to get involved. Freya let out a sigh of frustration before pivoting and walking towards their small kitchenette. "What time is Gwen coming over?"
"Oh, she isn't coming over tonight. Something about going shopping with Morgana."
"She is still going to Paris with us tomorrow right?" The high pitch in her voice betrayed Freya’s worry.
"Yeah. She also warned us not to be late, or else she is going to leave us behind," Merlin answered as he stood by his door. After a few seconds, Merlin took Freya's silence as satisfaction and stepped into his room, shutting the door behind him. He leaned against the bedroom door for a few seconds, taking in the sight of the two twin beds that hugged opposite walls and the layer of clothes that covered the carpet. Beyond the twin beds there were only two wardrobes, one for Will and one for him, and a long end table that stretched from one bed to the other against the far wall. Merlin stayed leaning against the door for a few moments, using the time to calm himself down after the day of hormonal eighth year students.
"Merlin!" Will's voice destroyed his small moment of tranquility. "You better not be having a wank in there!" Will added through the door.
"Will, leave him alone!" Merlin heard Freya shout; her voice revealed that she wouldn't be too surprised if he was indeed having a wank.
"I don't want him to stain my sheet," Will shouted back.
Merlin remained against the door, the tips of his ears heated with a light pink, before a sudden idea came to his head. He quickly scanned the room for one of Will's shirts, a small mischievous smile appearing as his eyes landed on one of Will's favorites. His eyes flashed gold, and the shirt developed a wet, sticky stain resembling semen. With a look of triumph, Merlin pushed off against the door and swiveled around to face it; the magically stained shirt floated in the air behind him. Suddenly, the door flew open via Merlin's magic, revealing Will standing in the narrow hall. "Hey, Will," Merlin called out.
"Finally, you're do-," Will's words stopped in his tracks as he noticed the floating, stained shirt behind Merlin. Just as he was about to say something, the shirt rocketed towards him, the stained side of the shirt hitting him square on the face. Within a split second, Will ripped the shirt off of his face and glared, his eyes alight. "You're dead, Emrys," Will announced before launching himself into the room.
"Better run, Merlin," Freya shouted from the other room nonchalantly. Merlin jumped away in laughter. Merlin leaped onto his bed and bounded towards the door, successfully dodging another one of Will's reckless lunges. Merlin flashed Will a grin of triumph and bolted into the hallway, slipping clumsily as he attempted to turn, falling flat on his face.
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At precisely 4:15 AM, the sound of buzzing faintly radiated from the two ends of the Pendragon flat, separated by a long hallway.
Arthur's eyes opened as he rolled over and smacked the offensive alarm clock. A few moments later Arthur stepped out of his room, only wearing pajama pants. As soon as he saw his son halfway down the hall rubbing sleepily at his eyes, he made his way down the nearby spiral staircase and into the downstairs corridor.
Arthur pressed the light switch; the flood of bright lights blinded him momentarily. Behind him, Mordred had already descended the stairs and progressed to the kitchen. With his eyes already adjusted to the bright lights, Mordred made his way to the refrigerator, opening the large steel door and pulling out a jar of strawberry jam. Behind him, one of the cabinet doors opened and a mid-sized frying pan floated towards the stove before suddenly stalling in the air. With the refrigerator door handle in one hand and the jar of jam in the other, Mordred stared at the stick of butter on a door shelf; the item quickly mimicked the frying pan and levitated towards the stove.
Just as the butter was leaving the refrigerator, Arthur stepped into the kitchen. He set the flame of the stove to high as he reached out to snag the floating frying pan. Meanwhile, Mordred set the jar of jam on the center island before looking around for the bacon and eggs. From his place at the stove, Arthur grabbed the floating butter and opened a large drawer, pulling out a butter knife and spatula. He set down the tray, sliced off a small chunk of butter, and tossed it into the frying pan.
With bacon and eggs in hand, Mordred made his way towards the stove as forks, knives, and spoons flew from the opened drawer to the center island. Mordred set the bacon and eggs on the counter to the right of the stove, circled around his father, and picked up the discarded butter knife. He grabbed s bag of sliced bread and packet of crumpets from the small rack next to the large toaster, pulled out two crumpets and three pieces of bread and shoved them into toaster.
Arthur let out a yawn as he stared at the bacon sizzling on the frying pan, his vision partially obscured as he tried to shake off his sleepiness. Feeling the morning chill against his torso, he crossed his arms and huddled them closer to his body.
Once the bacon was finished, Arthur cracked some eggs into the pan and set the shells aside. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the eggshells rise up off of the table and float away. Arthur heard Mordred drag his feet as he left the kitchen but soon returned with the morning newspaper.
Mordred set the plates, silverware, and napkins before removing the toast from the toaster to set them on a serving plate. He heard the sound of his father turning off the stove, prompting him to set the toast and crumpets on the center island and used his magic to pour orange juice for both of them. Finally they sat down at the center island, hunched over while staring at the food. Out of the corner of his eye, Mordred saw his father rub his eyes before finally looking at the food with the intent to eat it.
The two Pendragons began to eat their early morning breakfast. A few bites into the meal, Arthur seized the newspaper across from him and pulled out the puzzle section, handed it to Mordred, and opened to the finance section as he took another bite of his eggs. Setting down the paper, Mordred levitated a pencil from the distant kitchen counter and began working through the puzzles while biting into a piece of toast spread thickly with jam.
After a few moments, Arthur finally broke the silence with a gruff, "Morning."
"Good morning," Mordred replied; mimicking his father's actions by remaining focused on the paper during the greeting.
"Uther is going to be at the meeting today," Arthur said as he continued reading the newspaper.
"Are we still going to the Louvre?" Mordred asked.
"Yes, but, Mordred," Arthur paused as he put down the paper, causing the boy to freeze and turn. "No magic," Arthur ordered.
"Can I ever tell him?" Mordred asked.
"Probably not. You know how much he hates magic. Besides, do you even want him to know?"
"No," Mordred replied truthfully, earning a look of approval from his father.
"Then he won't find out," Arthur said before turning back to his newspaper.
After a few minutes passed between the two, Mordred broke the silence, "What if he asks about my extra school activities?"
Arthur looked up from his paper and stared at the cabinets opposite him in contemplation. "Well, you have advanced tutoring with Gwen, though I think she said something about finding you a new tutor," Arthur began to say.
"Her stuff is too easy," Mordred interrupted.
"We’ll get you a new tutor then," Arthur responded before returning to his original train of thought. "Just tell Uther that we're looking into getting you a more advanced tutor, and that you are thinking about joining football."
"Okay," Mordred replied with a shrug as he took a bite of his eggs. After he was finished chewing, he suddenly said, "I don't want to play football though."
Arthur laughed before answering. "I know, I gave up on trying to get you to play a while ago." The two ate in a comfortable silence; Mordred breezing through his puzzles while Arthur skimmed over the latest business news. It wasn't until Arthur read 4:43 AM on the digital clock that he put down his newspaper and said, "Shit, hurry up and get ready. We have to leave in fifteen minutes."
The two scarfed down their food and bolted up the stairs, leaving behind the breakfast mess for the maid.
At exactly 4:54, Mordred popped into his dad’s room sporting a fresh set of clothes, wet hair, and a backpack slung over his shoulder. "You're slow," Mordred pointed out as Arthur finished tying one shoe.
"So are you," Arthur said before continuing. "Go call the front desk and tell them to flag down a car. I want it at the door in five."
"What time does our train leave?" Mordred asked as he backed up to leave the room.
"Five thirty five," Arthur answered as he threw on a dress shirt and began to button it up.
"We're not going to make it," Mordred returned in a pessimistic voice.
"Mordred, call the front desk," Arthur said once again, this time in a much more firm tone.
With a sigh, Mordred went back to the kitchen. By time he was finished with the call, he heard his father descending the iron staircase. "They're getting us a cab."
"Alright. Do you have your passport?" Arthur asked as he set his briefcase on the counter and opened it; he checked it to make sure that he remembered his passport and the tickets.
"Yeah," Mordred answered, patting the pocket that held his passport.
"Okay, let's go then," Arthur said before shutting his brief case and walking towards the front door.
"Mr. Pendragon," a woman behind the receptionist desk called out upon seeing them. "Your car will be outside shortly."
Arthur simply flashed her a nod as he passed through the large, almost empty lobby. Once they were outside, they stood along the large circular driveway as a black taxicab sped towards them; screeching to a halt right in front of the pair.
Mordred immediately opened the cab door and climbed in, saying to the driver, "King's Cross." Arthur noticed the driver shift the car into gear, responding to the authoritative tone in Mordred’s voice.
Arthur clambered in after his son and shut the door, staring at the driver for a moment. "Go," Arthur demanded; his tone carried the mastered authoritative tone that Mordred was beginning to replicate. The driver immediately nodded with a gulp before flooring the gas pedal; the car peeled out of the circular driveway and onto Knightsbridge towards King's Cross.
Once the car arrived at the train station, Mordred climbed over his father to exit the car while Arthur placed a £20 on the little tray, saying to the driver, "Keep the change." He then swiftly exited the taxicab before the driver had a chance to respond and followed after his stampeding son. As soon as he caught up to Mordred, he glanced at his watch, 5:13.
"You're too slow," Mordred complained as they weaved through the plethora of people towards the security check-point.
"Some of us actually have to pay people after they provide a service," Arthur retorted as he fished out the tickets from his pockets and handed one to Mordred.
"You're still slow," Mordred said while slipping his ticket into the electronic reader; they quickly moved through security. Once they were through, it was time for them to go through customs. Arthur nervously checked the time, 5:26, as he stood in the queue behind his son.
Mordred tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the person in front of him to finish. Finally when the person left the little booth, Mordred stepped forward and presented his passport and ticket in the fashion that only a seasoned traveler would, causing the immigration officer behind the booth to raise his eyebrow in question. "Are you alone?" the officer asked while flipping through the passport; his face displaying shock as soon as he noticed the sheer quantity of diverse stamps that passport had.
"No, I'm on a business trip with my father," Mordred answered as he pointed to Arthur behind him, who was tapping his foot as his patience wore thin.
"How long will you be in France?" the state worker questioned as he grabbed the premade stamp.
"For today," Mordred replied, earning a nod of approval from the officer as he stamped the passport. As soon as he retrieved the passport and ticket from the worker, he stepped out of the way for his father to go through the procedure and began walking down the familiar corridors towards the Eurostar gates.
Arthur soon caught up to his son just as the ten-year-old was about to step onto the inclining moving walkway. "See, we made it," Arthur pointed out with a grin on his face.
Mordred stared up at his father with a small, amused frown, "Barely."
"Doesn't matter, just as long as we're on that train," Arthur said as he stepped off the walkway onto the train platform with his son. The two then made their way to the Business Premier car. As soon as the two boarded the train, they rushed to their designated seats; Arthur let out a sigh of relief as the conductor just came on the speakers to announce their departure. "We'll be on time next time," Arthur said to himself and to Mordred.
"That is what you say every time," Mordred pointed out as he took his window seat. Once he sat down, he felt a strange feeling of magic in his skin; he looked around in confusion, noticing how he and his father seemed to move slightly faster in comparison to the other passengers.
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"What's the hold up?" Will said from behind Merlin in the queue; standing up on his toes to see why the customs line was taking so long.
"This is what I get for waiting for you guys," Gwen mumbled as she stood behind Freya and in front of Merlin, her arms crossed in a manner that illustrated her frustration.
"Blame the boys. Merlin decided to have a lie-in this morning through the alarm and Will spent too long in front of the mirror," Freya said.
"Did not!" Will quickly snapped back, only to be drowned out by the sound of Gwen's voice.
"I thought Merlin was the gay one," Gwen thought out loud. Merlin laughed.
"The gays would be lucky to have me as one of them," Will announced as he flashed Gwen a grin. His face soon contorted to a frown as he looked down the length of the queue again. "What is taking forever?"
Freya leaned out of the line a little to observe before saying, "There is a kid by himself at the booth. Alone."
"Alone?" Merlin tried to confirm with narrowed eyebrows as he leaned out of the queue to get a better look. Just as he was able to catch a sight of the boy, the boy stepped away from the booth.
"Wait a minute," Gwen said softly as she peered over Freya's shoulder; the queue moving forward once again. "I think that's the boy I tutor," Gwen said as she caught a glimpse of the boy's and accompanying male's rapid movement.
"You mean Morgana's nephew?" Freya questioned.
"Yeah, Mordred," Gwen confirmed. A few moments of silenced passed between the four before Gwen suddenly swiveled on her feet and faced Merlin, "Oh my God, Merlin, there is something I have to talk to you about."
Merlin stared at her suspiciously as Freya stepped forward to the immigration officer, "About what?"
Gwen shifted her glance between Merlin and the booth, "I'll tell you on the train."
Merlin simply nodded as the immigration officer called out, "Next." It took another five minutes for the four to get through customs before beginning the remainder of their walk to the platform. The time on the digital clock of Gwen's mobile immediately caused the group to run as fast as they could; Merlin's glowed gold to slow down time mildly, making it seem that they were simply running fast to those around them.
The instant Merlin set foot onto the train, his eyes quickly flashed gold. He caused time to return to normal. As the voice of the conductor concluded his speech on the overhead speakers, the doors of the train car immediately sealed shut. "Never again," Freya half-shouted in irritation as the train slowly began to move out of the platform.
"We made it didn't we?" Will shot back as he followed her towards their seats.
"That isn't the point. If that kid had taken any longer, or the bus was even slightly delayed, we wouldn't have made it," Freya exclaimed. A few of the other passengers stared.
"You worry too much, Merlin would have made sure that we made it on time," Will retorted with confidence in his voice. Freya opened her mouth to say something before shutting it a few seconds after, shaking her head as she moved through the car.
"Why don’t you sit with me," Gwen whispered to Merlin, more as a statement than a question.
"Good idea," Merlin said as Gwen slid into a window seat. Merlin took the aisle seat, causing Freya and Will to stare. Merlin shrugged before saying, "We have school related stuff to talk about."
Freya let out a sigh before taking a window seat in the row in front of Gwen.
"Come on, mate, don't make me sit with her," Will said.
"Arse," Freya mumbled as Merlin shook his head.
"Just sit down, Will," Gwen ordered; Will did as he was told while mumbling under his breath.
Once the train had moved a small portion of the way towards Paris, and the feud between Will and Freya ceased, Merlin finally turned to Gwen and asked, "So, what did you want to talk about?"
Gwen's eyes immediately lit up in excitement as she turned towards Merlin and said, "Oh! You know that boy that we saw earlier? The one who was by himself at the booth?"
"Morgana's nephew, right?" Merlin said.
"Yeah, his name is Mordred," Gwen confirmed before continuing, "I've been tutoring him for the past few years now, and he is quite brilliant. He just started year six but is probably smarter than most year nine kids."
"Are you serious?" Merlin interrupted.
"Absolutely," she said with pride. He's been saying my stuff is too easy for a while now, and the areas he isn't as good in are literature and writing. I don't think I'm qualified to tutor him anymore. But you, you are certified to teach up to year thirteen. And you have your Bachelor's in Literature," Gwen explained in excitement before finally asking, "Do you want to take over tutoring for him? Arthur pays really well."
"Arthur?"
"Oh, he is Morgana's half-brother. Mordred's father. He is really good friends with Lance, I'm surprised his name has never come up. Morgana complains about him all of the time," Gwen said, surprised.
"I don't see Morgana often. Or Lance. Well, not as nearly as often as you," Merlin said suggestively while wiggling an eyebrow.
"Shut up, Merlin. At least I have a man," Gwen teased back. After a few seconds of laughter between the two, Gwen asked, "So, what do you think? About tutoring Mordred."
"I don't want to kick you out of a job," Merlin replied.
"I'll be fine, I tutor plenty of other kids, and I'll be teaching full time soon, remember?"
"As long as you're sure." Merlin received a small smile and nod from Gwen. "Alright then, I'll take the job," Merlin finally stated.
"Brilliant! I'm sure Mordred will love you. And Morgana will definitely be happy that you're taking over for me. I'll talk to Morgana about it when I see her for lunch today."
"I still can't believe you came to Paris with us only to ditch us," Merlin said.
"It's just for lunch! Besides, Will wants to see Jim Morrison's grave," Gwen replied a little too loudly; a few other passengers sent her glares of irritation. Merlin and Gwen immediately ducked their heads while trying to hold in their laugher. Finally, Gwen spoke up again in a low whisper, "I'm really glad that you're taking over for me. If Arthur approves, that is."
"You mean you haven't mentioned this to him?" Merlin questioned, feeling strangely disappointed that he might not get the job.
"Don't worry! I just told him that Mordred needs a new tutor on Thursday. He'll be too busy to find a new tutor is just two days."
"That isn't very helpful," Merlin pointed out.
"It will be fine, I promise. Once I tell Morgana, she will bug him to hire you until he finally does just to shut her up."
A few minutes of silence passed between the two; Merlin's mind was dominated by thoughts of his potential new job. Even though he hadn't even been hired yet, he was finding himself strangely attached and excited at the idea of tutoring a pupil. Suddenly, a random thought came to Merlin's head. "Wait, why would Mordred be alone? Shouldn't someone be traveling with him?"
"Oh, Arthur was there. He was the next person in line," Gwen answered. Upon seeing the confusion on Merlin's face, Gwen elaborated, "Mordred is very independent, just like pretty much everyone in that family. He does as much as he can by himself."
"So he is like a mini-Morgana, but a boy?" Merlin questioned, both fearful and intrigued at the idea.
"Kind of. He is more like his father, Arthur," Gwen answered.
"What is Arthur like?" Merlin asked.
"Arthur is well…Arthur," Gwen replied, knowing full well that her answer did nothing to satisfy Merlin's curiosity. "You'll just have to wait until you meet him. Different people see different things," Gwen finally said cryptically.
"Fine," Merlin mumbled before lying back in his seat; an unfamiliar eagerness to meet Mordred and Arthur rushing through him. For the remainder of the ride to Paris, Merlin thought only of his future job as Mordred's tutor, and his excitement for the job.
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Arthur emerged from the large, double door board room with a look of relief on his face. Mordred shot up from his seat in the lobby, his face displaying his dislike for having to wait so long for the meeting to finish. "Can we go now?" Mordred immediately asked.
"In a few minutes. One of Uther's business partners wants to meet you," Arthur said, sounding irritated.
"Ah, there he is," both Pendragons heard Uther’s voice echoing from the board room.
"Hello, Grandpa," Mordred quickly said with a feigned smile; the ten-year-old immediately straightened his posture to look as refined, yet strong as he could. Arthur frowned inwardly at the sight of his son's complete transformation as he tried to come up with an excuse to shorten the reunion.
Uther gave him a small pat on the head before turning to the man following him. "Godwyn, this is my grandson Mordred."
The elderly man leaned down with a warming smile, extending his hand towards Mordred while saying, "Hello, Mordred."
"Hello, nice to meet you," Mordred replied with a rehearsed phrase while shaking the older man's hand.
"So, Arthur," Uther began to say as he turned towards his son. "What type of extracurricular activities is Mordred doing?"
Mordred quickly took a step back so that he was closer to his father. "Mordred, why don't you tell him?" Arthur said as he looked down towards his son, giving him a reassuring smile.
Mordred nodded before turning his gaze back towards the only man who had ever intimidated him. "I've been doing a lot of after school tutoring. I just started year nine subjects, but we're going to have to find a new tutor for me. I'm also starting to play football and I want to take art classes."
"Art classes? Don't waste your time with such nonsense," Uther exclaimed in a slightly louder voice than before. Mordred went rigid so he would not visibly flinch. "The arts are for you to appreciate, not for you to partake. There is no room for art in the business world," Uther added; Arthur clenched his fist.
"I think art is a brilliant idea," the voice of Morgana cut Arthur off just as he was opening his mouth to speak. The four males quickly turned their heads as she continued to say, "After all, the love for art is not unique to Mordred in the family."
Uther's mouth went thin at the obvious reference to Arthur's deceased mother. With a laugh of amusement, Godwyn interrupted the moment of silence. "I am very impressed with your advanced tutoring, Mordred. If I recall correctly, your father was also beginning year nine subjects at age ten."
"But with a mind for art, the advanced tutoring is nothing more than a waste," Uther quickly added as he glared at both Morgana and Arthur.
Arthur quickly glanced at his watch and feigned surprise. "Unfortunately, we must leave. Mordred and I have a lunch reservation in twenty minutes, and I'm too hungry to pass up this meal."
Uther's face contorted in disappointment as he caught onto what Arthur was doing. Just before he was going to say something, Godwyn interrupted, "Well, I would not want to keep you waiting. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mordred."
Mordred simply smiled at the man as Arthur said, "It was good to see you again, Godwyn. Have a safe journey home." Arthur shook Godwyn's hand before turning to Uther, "Father."
"Arthur," Uther said with a nod before turning to Mordred, "Mordred."
Mordred once again smiled before turning around to follow his father out of the building. Behind him, Mordred could hear Morgana talking briskly with Uther and Godwyn. A small part of Mordred wanted to stay behind for his aunt, but his father's quick pace kept him from doing so. As soon as they were outside, Arthur turned towards a large garden with some benches and a water fountain; Arthur quickly took a seat on one of the benches before throwing his head back with a sigh, "Finally, it's over." Mordred laughed softly as he took a seat, prompting Arthur to look at his son. "Do you really want to take art classes?" Arthur asked.
Mordred stared at his hands for a second before looking up and answering, "Yeah."
"Then I guess I need to find you an art class to take," Arthur responded as he leaned back into the bench and stared at the water fountain.
Mordred smiled to himself at his approval before changing the subject, "Shouldn't we go to that restaurant?"
Arthur's eyebrows narrowed momentarily before realization suddenly came to him, "Oh, the lunch reservation. I just made that up so we could get out of there."
"Oh," Mordred answered, before mimicking Arthur's actions and leaning back into the bench.
"Are you hungry right now?" Arthur questioned.
"No," Mordred said while shaking his head, "I can wait a little."
"Alright, we'll go grab lunch in a bit. Just let me relax for a few minutes," Arthur said, earning a nod of understanding from Mordred.
The two sat on the bench for a couple of minutes in silence; Arthur closed his eyes to clear his brain. Suddenly, the sound of heels clicking against cement forced Arthur to open his eyes. "Morgana," Arthur said as soon as the heels were close.
"I can't believe you left me there alone with Uther, prick," Morgana said as she towered over Arthur.
"If you are going to block my view, at least block out the sun as well," Arthur said as he held up his hand to shield his eyes, emphasizing his point.
Morgana just glared at him before turning to Mordred with a bright smile, "Mordred!"
"Morgana!" Mordred greeted as he launched from the bench and hugged her.
Arthur sat in his relaxed position for about another fifteen minutes; his eyes closed and his mind clearing as he faintly heard the sound of Morgana's and Mordred's ramblings regarding magic. Finally, Mordred turned towards his father and asked, "Can we go find someplace to eat now?"
Arthur cracked open an eye and said, "Sure. Say goodbye to Morgana."
Before Mordred had a chance to say anything, Morgana quickly interjected, "If you have no place to eat, you're welcome to join Gwen and me."
"I think we'll pa-," Arthur began to say before being interrupted by Mordred.
"Can we go with them, please?" Mordred asked, obviously excited at the prospect of spending time with his aunt.
"Do you really want to?"
"Yes," Mordred replied with a nod, earning a small sigh of defeat from his father.
"Alright, lead the way," Arthur announced as he got up off of the bench and began following them, inwardly smiling at the interaction between the two. His smile soon turned to a frown as he began thinking of Mordred's lack of a second parent, and his own cluelessness as a father.
After twenty minutes, and several hunger pangs, Morgana finally stepped into a restaurant among the long chain of eating establishments, much to Mordred and Arthur's delight. It took less than thirty seconds for Morgana to weave through the restaurant to find Gwen. "Gwen, so sorry we're late," Morgana announced as she took a seat next to her.
"It's quite alright," Gwen replied before noticing Arthur and Mordred. "Oh, Arthur! You're here!"
Arthur stared at her in confusion as he took a seat across from her; Mordred took the seat next to him. "Yes, I am," Arthur said, confused.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," Gwen said jokingly.
Before Gwen had a chance to continue, Arthur instantly cut her off with a dumbfounded look. "I wasn't frightened."
"Oh, I didn't mean frightened, I meant…frightened," Gwen said the last word in a slower tone, as if it were to convey a different meaning. Arthur simply stared at her in confusion, causing Mordred to laugh under his breath.
"May I get you anything to drink?" A waiter appeared seemingly out of nowhere and asked in a thick French accent. Gwen jumped a little in shock.
"Yes, please," she immediately said to smooth over the strange air of awkwardness she created, "Any rose wine, please."
"The most expensive rose wine you have. And get her the same thing as me," Morgana demanded as she pointed to Gwen, earning a nod from the waiter and a small 'Thank You' from Gwen.
"Kir Royale," Arthur ordered as his eyes raked over the waiter. The French man gulped in obvious nervousness and interest.
"Arthur," Morgana quickly snapped as she kicked him under the table, ripping Arthur's gaze from his potential prospect. Arthur immediately glared at her as he rubbed his shin to relieve the pain.
"And for you?" The waiter quickly turned his attention to Mordred.
"I'll have an Orangina with water please," Mordred answered in fluid French; the waiter smiled in surprise.
As soon as the water left the table, Arthur stared at his son and said, "Show off." Mordred simply smirked at his father before grabbing a menu and reading through the choices; he helped both Morgana and Gwen decipher what a certain dish was whenever they stumbled over unfamiliar French words.
"So, Arthur," Gwen finally spoke up. "Remember how I mentioned finding Mordred a new tutor the last time I saw you?"
"Oh, yeah," Arthur said as he remembered the conversation. "I was going to ask you about that."
"Well, as you know, Mordred is entering year nine subjects, and I'm only certified to teach up to year six, so Mordred needs a new tutor. He has probably needed a new one for a while now, actually," Gwen began to explain.
"So, I have to find a new tutor now, I guess," Arthur mumbled out loud to himself.
"Here is the brilliant part," Gwen immediately responded. "I have a friend, Merlin, who can easily take over my place as Mordred's tutor. He is actually certified to teach up to year thirteen, and studied Literature while in University."
"Merlin?! As in Merlin Merlin?" Morgana asked, her voice beginning to carry the same tone of excitement.
"What other Merlin is there?" Gwen said with a grin before looking back at Arthur, "So, what do you think? Will you hire him?"
"I should probably meet him first," Arthur replied.
"Arthur, hire him. He is someone I trust with Mordred's education. If you're going to continue the stupid tradition of advanced tutoring for Pendragons, you might as well get someone one of us trusts," Morgana stated in her characteristic head-strong voice.
Arthur stared at Morgana in annoyance for a few seconds before turning to his son, "What do you think? Do you even want another tutor?"
Mordred shrugged as he answered, "I don't care. Maybe the stuff he teaches me won't be super easy."
"Arthur," Morgana spoke up. "All you have to do is agree to hire him. You have to find a new tutor anyway, so you might as well pick someone Gwen recommends and I trust. I'll even pick up Mordred and help them settle in on Merlin's first day."
Arthur thought over the details for a few seconds before finally sighing in defeat. "Fine. When do you think he can start, Gwen?"
Gwen's eyes lit up in enthusiasm as she answered, "I'm sure he can start Monday if you want."
"Okay, Monday it is then. Morgana, you're the one taking care of it all," Arthur directed towards her before turning back to Gwen, "And Gwen, I'm only going to pay fifty pounds an hour for now. Tell him that will have to work."
Gwen laughed under her breath, already picturing Merlin speechless at the offer of fifty pounds an hour, before replying, "That will be more than enough, Arthur."
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"You got the job," Gwen said immediately upon seeing Merlin.
"Are you serious? Just like that? He doesn't even know me," Merlin questioned in disbelief, though excitement was obvious in his voice.
Gwen grinned as she nodded. "He also said he is only going to be paying you fifty pounds an hour though."
Will let out a cat-call whistle before saying, "So Merlin, want to help a best mate out and cover more of my rent?"
"Or how about your loyal childhood friend?" Freya instantly added.
"Fifty pounds an hour?" Merlin asked in confirmation, his mind still wrapping around the idea of such high pay.
Gwen simply nodded before elaborating, "Chances are Arthur will end up paying you more. Even though he doesn't seem like it, he is very generous."
"But why would he hire me? He doesn't even know me," Merlin questioned as the four friends walked along the busy Paris street.
"It wasn't easy, but I had a little help from Morgana. We both pushed hard for Arthur to hire you, and since we trusted you, he agreed. Plus, Mordred wasn't against the idea, which is probably the main reason why he said yes," Gwen explained.
Merlin nodded with a grin on his face, silently thanking Morgana in his head. A comfortable silence settled between the four friends as they slowly made their way towards the Louvre; Merlin was in deep thought about his new job, wondering how and why he became so invested in the idea. "When do I start?" Merlin asked.
"Monday. Morgana is going to pick up Mordred from school and meet with you somewhere. She will probably call you later to decide a place. Then she'll take you back to Arthur's flat and help you get settled in," Gwen answered.
"Does Morgana always pick Mordred up? Or do I have to pick him up from school?" Merlin immediately asked, inwardly worried about the possible conflicts that would arise on days he is substituting.
"Oh, no," Gwen said, predicting some of what Merlin was thinking. "Mordred normally takes the tube home by himself. I think I said it before, Mordred is a very independent kid. He kind of has to be to survive in his family."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Gwen laughed softly under her breath before answering, "You'll find out on Monday."
"That's helpful," Merlin mumbled before once again returning into deep thought, contemplating what Gwen meant. A smile broke out on his face as he thought, and once again the feeling of excitement over his new job, and the money that came with it, washed over him.
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Mordred waited idly on the sidewalk outside of his school, staring blankly at the passing cars in front of him. He let out a small sigh before pulling out his mobile check the time; 3:43 PM. A small part of him contemplated calling his father, but suddenly the sound of a little girl's voice pulled him from this thought. "Mordred!"
Mordred slowly turned his head towards the girl, his cell phone still in hand, before replying, "Hi."
"Are you walking home with us today?" the girl asked while motioning towards a group of four kids standing off to the side.
"No," Mordred replied as he shook his head, hiding his smile of pleasure at the thought of missing the pointless conversations that his neighbors shared. Upon seeing the look of confusion on the girl's face, Mordred added, "My aunt is picking me up today."
"But it's Monday, you always walk home on Mondays," the girl said. Mordred sighed with irritation at the girl who lived two floors below his flat.
"I'm meeting my new tutor today, so my aunt is picking me up," Mordred answered.
The girl gave Mordred a weird look as she said, "Why do you always have tutors? My dad said that they are a waste of money."
"Well, my dad thinks they are good," Mordred immediately snapped back, a small part of him dreading that he was actually getting sucked into this conversation.
"My mom says that your dad hires tutors because you don't have a mom. She said that hiring tutors is what bad parents do because they can't teach kids themselves," the girl reported in a matter-of-fact voice.
Mordred's eyes narrowed at the insult of his father. "Well, my dad is smarter, younger, cooler, and richer than your dad! And your mom is a bitch!"
The girls eyes immediately widened. After a few moments of silence, the girl pointed towards Mordred and shouted, "You can't say that word! I'm going to tell my parents and you're going to get in trouble!"
"Go ahead! Your parents are scared of my dad!" Mordred shouted back uncharacteristically; the urge to use magic to propel the girl into the street was becoming more and more difficult to subdue.
"Liar! No wonder you don't have a mom!" the girl yelled back.
Just as Mordred was about to open his mouth to say something, the sound of another voice echoed in his ears. "Hey! Stop yelling at my sister!" Mordred turned towards the group of four kids only to see the little girl's older brother walk towards them.
Mordred completely ignored the boy and continued to glare at the young girl; his father's constant warning against open displays of magic was the only thing preventing him from using it on the girl. "You don't know anything about my mom!" Mordred exclaimed before opening his mouth to continue, only to be cut off once again.
"I know why you don't have a mom," the older boy said, causing Mordred to shift his glare from the young girl to her brother. "It's because your dad is a faggot cock sucker! Only reason girls are interested in him is because he has money!"
Rage suddenly surged throughout Mordred's body at the declaration; his restraint completely snapped at the insult against his father. Mordred's eyes narrowed as he began to awaken his magic, releasing the mental restraints that he and his father put so much effort into creating. Knowing that he would have to be smarter than just flinging the boy into the crowded street, Mordred instantly charged and slammed into the older boy with his shoulder, using magic to cause the boy to fly backwards on the sidewalk a lot farther than he would have normally. Mordred then honed in on the downed boy, kicking him in the hip with such force that likely matched his father's football kick at his age. "Stop!" the girl shrieked before moving towards Mordred and trying to pull him off of her brother.
"Mordred!" a firm voice cut through the air as foreign magic stilled his movements momentarily. Mordred immediately turned to glare at the source of the voice to see Morgana rushing towards him; her eyes gold in concentration as she tried to restrain him. Mordred continued to glare at his aunt before standing upright, breaking his aunt's magic hold on him with relative ease. "Come with me, now," Morgana demanded in the same authoritative tone that was customary of someone raised by a Pendragon.
Mordred's gaze shifted between his aunt and the hurt boy on the ground; the older boy staring up at Mordred with a challenging gaze, hiding the fear that was shaking through his body. With a sigh, Mordred began walking towards his aunt's car, saying, "They deserved it."
Morgana muttered a quick spell under her breath to relieve the pain from the boy on the ground before falling into step with her nephew. "I know. But you were going to go too far," Morgana answered.
"You would have done the same thing if someone was making fun of my dad," Mordred snapped back.
Morgana smiled softly before replying, "I've never had to defend your dad. He was always the one defending me."
"Then what is the difference?" Mordred questioned with a glare.
"Your dad never kicked someone when they were down," Morgana answered. Mordred slumped his shoulders.
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Merlin gaped as he stared at the stunningly large and majestic building in front of him. He then looked down at his simplistic cell phone, rereading the text message that Morgana had sent to verify the address. He then looked back up at the building, his heart racing in his chest as he looked at the building number, confirming that he was at the right place. With nervous strides, Merlin slowly began his walk up the curved driveway towards the large glass double doors.
As soon as Merlin stepped into the lobby, he felt out of place. Inside the lobby were about a dozen men dressed in fine business suits that Merlin couldn't even dream of affording. The furnishings of the room were all very modern and high end. Suddenly, a group of five kids bumped into him from behind. Merlin turned around and quickly apologized. "Get out of the way," the oldest boy of the group said; Merlin barely heard the words as he registered the slight limp that the teenage boy was walking with.
"Can I help you sir?" a female voice suddenly called out, causing Merlin to turn towards the reception desk; the scowl on her face confirmed Merlin’s fear that he was out of place.
"I'm looking for Arthur Pendragon's flat."
"Mr. Pendragon isn't in at the moment. Would you like me to leave a message?"
"I'm here to tutor his son, Mordred. His sister Morgana is expecting me."
The elderly woman gazed at Merlin for a few more seconds, as if trying to read him, before finally picking up a phone and pressing a few numbers. After a few seconds, she finally said into the mouth piece, "Good afternoon, Mr. Pendragon. I have someone in the lobby saying he is your new tutor. Your fath-." The woman quickly cut off by the inaudible voice on the other side of the phone, which Merlin was guessing was Mordred. The woman nodded a few times before hanging up the phone and returning her attention back to Merlin. "Take the lift up to the top floor. As soon as you exit the elevator, take a right."
Merlin waited a few seconds for more directions before finally asking, "How will I know which one it is?"
The woman let out a sigh before answering, "It is the only residence on the entire floor." Merlin's eyes widened a little before he nodded and made his way towards the lift. As Merlin waited outside the large, golden, metal doors of the lift, he felt the occasional pairs of eyes staring at him, obviously gauging his state of dress in comparison to all of the wealthy individuals in the room. The moment the doors opened, Merlin rushed inside the large lift and pressed the number 14--the top floor. Merlin waited patiently in the expensive lift, alternating between balancing on his toes and heels as he fumbled with his bag, nervousness once again flooding him. Finally, the doors opened to a well-lit and simple hall. Merlin stepped out of the lift and turned right to see two large double doors with wall-mounted lamps on the sides.
Merlin stopped outside of the flat for a second as he took a deep breath. Feeling more relaxed, Merlin finally pressed the little doorbell button, instantly hearing the chiming sound from within. Merlin waited for a few moments before contemplating ringing the doorbell again or not; he felt awkward waiting outside in an empty hallway. Suddenly the door opened to reveal a dark brown haired, blue-eyed boy staring directly at Merlin. "Merlin?" the boy asked as his eyes moved up and down Merlin, making Merlin feel as if he was being inspected.
"Yeah, you must be Mordred," Merlin replied.
Mordred nodded before stepping inside and motioning for Merlin to follow. As soon as the twenty-five-year-old stepped into the flat, his eyes widened as he took in the sight of the room. The floor was an expensive marble with only a couple small sitting couches and chairs for furniture. "Nice view, isn't it?" Morgana's voice suddenly echoed through the pentagon-shaped room; Merlin barely nodding as he stared out of the floor to ceiling windows that held a spectacular view over Hyde Park. "Let's go out on the balcony," Morgana said as she passed by Merlin, stepped up two marble steps and opened a sliding glass door that Merlin originally mistook for a window.
Merlin simply nodded as he followed his friend outside onto the balcony, his breath catching in his throat as he took in the even grander view of Hyde Park. "This is amazing," Merlin managed to say as his eyes swept from The Serpentine to the surprisingly visible Marble Arch.
"Yeah, this is what you get when you're as rich as Arthur. This view is pretty much wasted on him though," Morgana said with a small snicker. Merlin ignored the obvious jab at his new boss as he began to inspect the balcony itself, admiring the wood planked flooring with an uneven outer rim of sand-colored gravel and plants. Morgana noticed the look of admiration in Merlin's eyes and immediately said, "Nice, isn't it? I put a lot of work into designing it."
Merlin quickly turned towards Morgana in surprise, "You designed this? Not your brother?"
Morgana let out a laugh of amusement before answering. "Arthur? God no. He doesn't have a decorative bone in his body." Merlin nodded before he began to wonder around the large balcony. Morgana smiled and quickly grabbed his arm. "Come on, I'll give you a tour before you start working with Mordred."
Merlin smiled before saying, "Sounds good."
After a long, extensive, and awe-inducing tour of the two-story flat, Merlin finally settled down with Mordred in the large reception room. Most of their first hour was spent figuring out how far ahead of his class Mordred was, and in what areas he needed the most help. To Merlin's surprise, Mordred was a lot more proficient in writing than Gwen had let on. His attention was focused on the boy's writing sample, making mental notes to work most on Mordred's grammar, word repetition, and hand-writing. Even more surprising was Mordred's love for literature and art, especially considering his family's background in business.
What surprised Merlin the most was that Mordred would constantly get distracted during their tutoring sessions, which reminded Merlin of himself when he was younger. "You there?" Merlin asked jokingly as he waved his hands in front of Mordred's eyes; the smirk on his face displayed his amusement at the sight of Mordred spacing off in the middle of doing some math problems.
Mordred stared at Merlin with an annoyed look. "This is boring. Can't we do more art, or literature, or something?"
"We already did. Do you always get this distracted?" Merlin questioned, wondering if Mordred was anything like himself when he was a kid.
"Only when it is boring stuff," Mordred answered as he dropped his pencil and sat back on the couch. Mordred stared at the TV remote on the couch opposite of him and was just about to make the device float towards him. He suddenly remembered that Merlin was in the room next to him, and stopped the flow of magic.
Merlin's blood turned cold for a split second as he felt an unfamiliar feeling of magic, causing him to restrain his magic even more in fear that he was beginning to slip a little. The last thing he wanted was to reveal his magic to Mordred, scare the boy, and end up losing his job on the first day.
Merlin and Mordred remained silent for a few seconds, each going through their own mental procedures to keep their magic in check while trying to not look suspicious to the other. Suddenly, Morgana's voice cut through the silence. "Hey, Merlin, I have a big favor to ask you."
"What's up?" Merlin asked, his stature relaxing a little as he felt more in control of his magic.
"I hate to ask you this, but do you mind watching Mordred until Arthur comes home? Something really important came up and I don't want to drag him along with me," Morgana answered with a look of hope in her eyes.
Merlin's gaze shifted between Morgana and Mordred, unsure of how to respond to the request. "I don't know," Merlin began to say softly. "Is that a good idea? I just met Mordred."
"It will be fine, I trust you. And I'm sure Mordred won't mind, right, Mordred?" The tone of her voice left little room for argument.
Mordred simply shrugged before replying, "I don't care."
"It's settled then! I'm sure Arthur will be home soon, so it shouldn't be too long. There is plenty of food in the kitchen, or you can order take-away with Mordred. Mordred knows where the food money is," Morgana said in a rush. Merlin nodded nervously as he thought of the sudden situation he was thrown into.
Before Merlin or Mordred had time to say anything else, Morgana said a quick goodbye and rushed out of the room; the sound of the front door shutting indicated she was gone. "Want to play Wii?" Mordred asked as if the scene with Morgana hadn't just happened.
"Sure," Merlin replied; his thoughts immediately shifting from Morgana's hasty departure to the giant LCD TV that had just turned on. Merlin stared in both anticipation and envy at the giant LCD screen; his inner video game nerd slowly emerged as the Wii music began blasting through the surround-sound speakers.
Mordred smiled at Merlin as he handed him the Wiimote, saying, "What do you want to lose in first?"
Merlin returned the smile with a playful challenging look. "Youngest chooses first."
next
Recipient:
eldeeAuthor:
shippouzrusRating: NC-17
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur, side Merlin/Gwaine
Word Count: 41,328
Warnings: Crude language, explicit sex, come play, bareback sex, bottom!Merlin, top!Arthur, homophobia, mild D/s
Summary: Arthur is a single father to Mordred, who happens to be a smart-ass. When Mordred needs a new tutor, Arthur finds himself suddenly attracted to the new tutor, Merlin.
Author's Notes: I must thank A. for constantly cheering me on and helping me with my writing. I also want to thank merlin_holidays for hosting this event and dealing with my tardiness. Finally, and most importantly, I must thank F. for stepping in as my beta on such short notice, and for being so flexible with me. Your comments, edits and support were absolutely invaluable to me.
I also must apologize for any spelling and grammar mistakes you may find. I hope you enjoy the story.
Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to Shine and BBC. I make no profit from this endeavor.
Part I
Merlin's muscles relaxed with a deep sigh as the students filed out of the classroom. Almost as if on cue, Merlin's phone began to vibrate in his pocket. Merlin took a second to read the name flashing on the flip phone; Gwen. "Hey." Merlin smiled as he collected his array of supplies off the teacher's desk.
"How was substituting for year eight kids?" Gwen asked brightly.
"As bad as it sounds. Why did I become certified to teach secondary school again?"
"Oh, don't be hard on yourself. You just wanted to have the option to teach secondary instead of just primary school."
"Primary school is a lot easier though," Merlin mumbled into the phone he threw his bag over his shoulder, strode out of the classroom and down the hall. "And the kids are a lot less hormonal."
Gwen let out a small laugh, earning a small grin of satisfaction from Merlin. "Anyway, I called to let you know that I'm not coming over tonight."
"Aw, why?" Merlin asked as he handed the classroom keys to the lady at the front desk, mouthing a quick 'Thank you' before heading out the main door.
"I'm going shopping with Morgana. Her meeting was canceled so her afternoon opened up."
"Fine, I see how it is. If you want to spend your Friday afternoon shopping instead of watching a movie, that's fine," Merlin teased as he traversed the London street.
"Oh shut up," Gwen laughed. "I'm going to see you tomorrow. Make sure you, Will, and Freya wake up on time. I will go to Paris without you."
"Yes, mum," Merlin replied as he walked down the stairs into the tube station. He pulled out his Oyster card. Following the mass of people, he pressed the small card against the large yellow circle to open the waist-high electronic gate. As soon as he proceeded down the escalator, he said into his mobile, "I'm about to get on the tube, I'll see you tomorrow, Gwen."
"Don't be late."
Merlin laughed quickly before replying, "We won't be late."
After a twenty-minute ride on the tube, Merlin finally exited the tube station and made his way to his apartment. Detouring into the local Eat sandwich shop, he bought a sandwich before continuing home.
Trudging up the flight of stairs in his apartment complex, Merlin cursed the broken elevator, letting out a sigh of relief as he finally reached his floor. After a moment to catch his breath, Merlin made his way down the narrow hall. As he stepped into his apartment, the first thing Merlin noticed was Will sitting on their worn-out couch, staring mindlessly at their mid-sized television with a beer in hand. "Merlin, you're home," Freya's voice demanded Merlin's attention, causing him to turn towards his other roommate with a smile.
"Finally!" Will said from his spot on the couch. "Freya decided to come home early today and has been driving me nuts! 'Will clean this, Will do that,'" Will mocked his roommate with the hand motions of a jabbering mouth.
"All you did all day was sit there and watch the telly," Freya retorted before turning to Merlin for help. Merlin held his hands up in the surrendering motion, not wanting to get involved. Freya let out a sigh of frustration before pivoting and walking towards their small kitchenette. "What time is Gwen coming over?"
"Oh, she isn't coming over tonight. Something about going shopping with Morgana."
"She is still going to Paris with us tomorrow right?" The high pitch in her voice betrayed Freya’s worry.
"Yeah. She also warned us not to be late, or else she is going to leave us behind," Merlin answered as he stood by his door. After a few seconds, Merlin took Freya's silence as satisfaction and stepped into his room, shutting the door behind him. He leaned against the bedroom door for a few seconds, taking in the sight of the two twin beds that hugged opposite walls and the layer of clothes that covered the carpet. Beyond the twin beds there were only two wardrobes, one for Will and one for him, and a long end table that stretched from one bed to the other against the far wall. Merlin stayed leaning against the door for a few moments, using the time to calm himself down after the day of hormonal eighth year students.
"Merlin!" Will's voice destroyed his small moment of tranquility. "You better not be having a wank in there!" Will added through the door.
"Will, leave him alone!" Merlin heard Freya shout; her voice revealed that she wouldn't be too surprised if he was indeed having a wank.
"I don't want him to stain my sheet," Will shouted back.
Merlin remained against the door, the tips of his ears heated with a light pink, before a sudden idea came to his head. He quickly scanned the room for one of Will's shirts, a small mischievous smile appearing as his eyes landed on one of Will's favorites. His eyes flashed gold, and the shirt developed a wet, sticky stain resembling semen. With a look of triumph, Merlin pushed off against the door and swiveled around to face it; the magically stained shirt floated in the air behind him. Suddenly, the door flew open via Merlin's magic, revealing Will standing in the narrow hall. "Hey, Will," Merlin called out.
"Finally, you're do-," Will's words stopped in his tracks as he noticed the floating, stained shirt behind Merlin. Just as he was about to say something, the shirt rocketed towards him, the stained side of the shirt hitting him square on the face. Within a split second, Will ripped the shirt off of his face and glared, his eyes alight. "You're dead, Emrys," Will announced before launching himself into the room.
"Better run, Merlin," Freya shouted from the other room nonchalantly. Merlin jumped away in laughter. Merlin leaped onto his bed and bounded towards the door, successfully dodging another one of Will's reckless lunges. Merlin flashed Will a grin of triumph and bolted into the hallway, slipping clumsily as he attempted to turn, falling flat on his face.
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At precisely 4:15 AM, the sound of buzzing faintly radiated from the two ends of the Pendragon flat, separated by a long hallway.
Arthur's eyes opened as he rolled over and smacked the offensive alarm clock. A few moments later Arthur stepped out of his room, only wearing pajama pants. As soon as he saw his son halfway down the hall rubbing sleepily at his eyes, he made his way down the nearby spiral staircase and into the downstairs corridor.
Arthur pressed the light switch; the flood of bright lights blinded him momentarily. Behind him, Mordred had already descended the stairs and progressed to the kitchen. With his eyes already adjusted to the bright lights, Mordred made his way to the refrigerator, opening the large steel door and pulling out a jar of strawberry jam. Behind him, one of the cabinet doors opened and a mid-sized frying pan floated towards the stove before suddenly stalling in the air. With the refrigerator door handle in one hand and the jar of jam in the other, Mordred stared at the stick of butter on a door shelf; the item quickly mimicked the frying pan and levitated towards the stove.
Just as the butter was leaving the refrigerator, Arthur stepped into the kitchen. He set the flame of the stove to high as he reached out to snag the floating frying pan. Meanwhile, Mordred set the jar of jam on the center island before looking around for the bacon and eggs. From his place at the stove, Arthur grabbed the floating butter and opened a large drawer, pulling out a butter knife and spatula. He set down the tray, sliced off a small chunk of butter, and tossed it into the frying pan.
With bacon and eggs in hand, Mordred made his way towards the stove as forks, knives, and spoons flew from the opened drawer to the center island. Mordred set the bacon and eggs on the counter to the right of the stove, circled around his father, and picked up the discarded butter knife. He grabbed s bag of sliced bread and packet of crumpets from the small rack next to the large toaster, pulled out two crumpets and three pieces of bread and shoved them into toaster.
Arthur let out a yawn as he stared at the bacon sizzling on the frying pan, his vision partially obscured as he tried to shake off his sleepiness. Feeling the morning chill against his torso, he crossed his arms and huddled them closer to his body.
Once the bacon was finished, Arthur cracked some eggs into the pan and set the shells aside. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the eggshells rise up off of the table and float away. Arthur heard Mordred drag his feet as he left the kitchen but soon returned with the morning newspaper.
Mordred set the plates, silverware, and napkins before removing the toast from the toaster to set them on a serving plate. He heard the sound of his father turning off the stove, prompting him to set the toast and crumpets on the center island and used his magic to pour orange juice for both of them. Finally they sat down at the center island, hunched over while staring at the food. Out of the corner of his eye, Mordred saw his father rub his eyes before finally looking at the food with the intent to eat it.
The two Pendragons began to eat their early morning breakfast. A few bites into the meal, Arthur seized the newspaper across from him and pulled out the puzzle section, handed it to Mordred, and opened to the finance section as he took another bite of his eggs. Setting down the paper, Mordred levitated a pencil from the distant kitchen counter and began working through the puzzles while biting into a piece of toast spread thickly with jam.
After a few moments, Arthur finally broke the silence with a gruff, "Morning."
"Good morning," Mordred replied; mimicking his father's actions by remaining focused on the paper during the greeting.
"Uther is going to be at the meeting today," Arthur said as he continued reading the newspaper.
"Are we still going to the Louvre?" Mordred asked.
"Yes, but, Mordred," Arthur paused as he put down the paper, causing the boy to freeze and turn. "No magic," Arthur ordered.
"Can I ever tell him?" Mordred asked.
"Probably not. You know how much he hates magic. Besides, do you even want him to know?"
"No," Mordred replied truthfully, earning a look of approval from his father.
"Then he won't find out," Arthur said before turning back to his newspaper.
After a few minutes passed between the two, Mordred broke the silence, "What if he asks about my extra school activities?"
Arthur looked up from his paper and stared at the cabinets opposite him in contemplation. "Well, you have advanced tutoring with Gwen, though I think she said something about finding you a new tutor," Arthur began to say.
"Her stuff is too easy," Mordred interrupted.
"We’ll get you a new tutor then," Arthur responded before returning to his original train of thought. "Just tell Uther that we're looking into getting you a more advanced tutor, and that you are thinking about joining football."
"Okay," Mordred replied with a shrug as he took a bite of his eggs. After he was finished chewing, he suddenly said, "I don't want to play football though."
Arthur laughed before answering. "I know, I gave up on trying to get you to play a while ago." The two ate in a comfortable silence; Mordred breezing through his puzzles while Arthur skimmed over the latest business news. It wasn't until Arthur read 4:43 AM on the digital clock that he put down his newspaper and said, "Shit, hurry up and get ready. We have to leave in fifteen minutes."
The two scarfed down their food and bolted up the stairs, leaving behind the breakfast mess for the maid.
At exactly 4:54, Mordred popped into his dad’s room sporting a fresh set of clothes, wet hair, and a backpack slung over his shoulder. "You're slow," Mordred pointed out as Arthur finished tying one shoe.
"So are you," Arthur said before continuing. "Go call the front desk and tell them to flag down a car. I want it at the door in five."
"What time does our train leave?" Mordred asked as he backed up to leave the room.
"Five thirty five," Arthur answered as he threw on a dress shirt and began to button it up.
"We're not going to make it," Mordred returned in a pessimistic voice.
"Mordred, call the front desk," Arthur said once again, this time in a much more firm tone.
With a sigh, Mordred went back to the kitchen. By time he was finished with the call, he heard his father descending the iron staircase. "They're getting us a cab."
"Alright. Do you have your passport?" Arthur asked as he set his briefcase on the counter and opened it; he checked it to make sure that he remembered his passport and the tickets.
"Yeah," Mordred answered, patting the pocket that held his passport.
"Okay, let's go then," Arthur said before shutting his brief case and walking towards the front door.
"Mr. Pendragon," a woman behind the receptionist desk called out upon seeing them. "Your car will be outside shortly."
Arthur simply flashed her a nod as he passed through the large, almost empty lobby. Once they were outside, they stood along the large circular driveway as a black taxicab sped towards them; screeching to a halt right in front of the pair.
Mordred immediately opened the cab door and climbed in, saying to the driver, "King's Cross." Arthur noticed the driver shift the car into gear, responding to the authoritative tone in Mordred’s voice.
Arthur clambered in after his son and shut the door, staring at the driver for a moment. "Go," Arthur demanded; his tone carried the mastered authoritative tone that Mordred was beginning to replicate. The driver immediately nodded with a gulp before flooring the gas pedal; the car peeled out of the circular driveway and onto Knightsbridge towards King's Cross.
Once the car arrived at the train station, Mordred climbed over his father to exit the car while Arthur placed a £20 on the little tray, saying to the driver, "Keep the change." He then swiftly exited the taxicab before the driver had a chance to respond and followed after his stampeding son. As soon as he caught up to Mordred, he glanced at his watch, 5:13.
"You're too slow," Mordred complained as they weaved through the plethora of people towards the security check-point.
"Some of us actually have to pay people after they provide a service," Arthur retorted as he fished out the tickets from his pockets and handed one to Mordred.
"You're still slow," Mordred said while slipping his ticket into the electronic reader; they quickly moved through security. Once they were through, it was time for them to go through customs. Arthur nervously checked the time, 5:26, as he stood in the queue behind his son.
Mordred tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the person in front of him to finish. Finally when the person left the little booth, Mordred stepped forward and presented his passport and ticket in the fashion that only a seasoned traveler would, causing the immigration officer behind the booth to raise his eyebrow in question. "Are you alone?" the officer asked while flipping through the passport; his face displaying shock as soon as he noticed the sheer quantity of diverse stamps that passport had.
"No, I'm on a business trip with my father," Mordred answered as he pointed to Arthur behind him, who was tapping his foot as his patience wore thin.
"How long will you be in France?" the state worker questioned as he grabbed the premade stamp.
"For today," Mordred replied, earning a nod of approval from the officer as he stamped the passport. As soon as he retrieved the passport and ticket from the worker, he stepped out of the way for his father to go through the procedure and began walking down the familiar corridors towards the Eurostar gates.
Arthur soon caught up to his son just as the ten-year-old was about to step onto the inclining moving walkway. "See, we made it," Arthur pointed out with a grin on his face.
Mordred stared up at his father with a small, amused frown, "Barely."
"Doesn't matter, just as long as we're on that train," Arthur said as he stepped off the walkway onto the train platform with his son. The two then made their way to the Business Premier car. As soon as the two boarded the train, they rushed to their designated seats; Arthur let out a sigh of relief as the conductor just came on the speakers to announce their departure. "We'll be on time next time," Arthur said to himself and to Mordred.
"That is what you say every time," Mordred pointed out as he took his window seat. Once he sat down, he felt a strange feeling of magic in his skin; he looked around in confusion, noticing how he and his father seemed to move slightly faster in comparison to the other passengers.
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"What's the hold up?" Will said from behind Merlin in the queue; standing up on his toes to see why the customs line was taking so long.
"This is what I get for waiting for you guys," Gwen mumbled as she stood behind Freya and in front of Merlin, her arms crossed in a manner that illustrated her frustration.
"Blame the boys. Merlin decided to have a lie-in this morning through the alarm and Will spent too long in front of the mirror," Freya said.
"Did not!" Will quickly snapped back, only to be drowned out by the sound of Gwen's voice.
"I thought Merlin was the gay one," Gwen thought out loud. Merlin laughed.
"The gays would be lucky to have me as one of them," Will announced as he flashed Gwen a grin. His face soon contorted to a frown as he looked down the length of the queue again. "What is taking forever?"
Freya leaned out of the line a little to observe before saying, "There is a kid by himself at the booth. Alone."
"Alone?" Merlin tried to confirm with narrowed eyebrows as he leaned out of the queue to get a better look. Just as he was able to catch a sight of the boy, the boy stepped away from the booth.
"Wait a minute," Gwen said softly as she peered over Freya's shoulder; the queue moving forward once again. "I think that's the boy I tutor," Gwen said as she caught a glimpse of the boy's and accompanying male's rapid movement.
"You mean Morgana's nephew?" Freya questioned.
"Yeah, Mordred," Gwen confirmed. A few moments of silenced passed between the four before Gwen suddenly swiveled on her feet and faced Merlin, "Oh my God, Merlin, there is something I have to talk to you about."
Merlin stared at her suspiciously as Freya stepped forward to the immigration officer, "About what?"
Gwen shifted her glance between Merlin and the booth, "I'll tell you on the train."
Merlin simply nodded as the immigration officer called out, "Next." It took another five minutes for the four to get through customs before beginning the remainder of their walk to the platform. The time on the digital clock of Gwen's mobile immediately caused the group to run as fast as they could; Merlin's glowed gold to slow down time mildly, making it seem that they were simply running fast to those around them.
The instant Merlin set foot onto the train, his eyes quickly flashed gold. He caused time to return to normal. As the voice of the conductor concluded his speech on the overhead speakers, the doors of the train car immediately sealed shut. "Never again," Freya half-shouted in irritation as the train slowly began to move out of the platform.
"We made it didn't we?" Will shot back as he followed her towards their seats.
"That isn't the point. If that kid had taken any longer, or the bus was even slightly delayed, we wouldn't have made it," Freya exclaimed. A few of the other passengers stared.
"You worry too much, Merlin would have made sure that we made it on time," Will retorted with confidence in his voice. Freya opened her mouth to say something before shutting it a few seconds after, shaking her head as she moved through the car.
"Why don’t you sit with me," Gwen whispered to Merlin, more as a statement than a question.
"Good idea," Merlin said as Gwen slid into a window seat. Merlin took the aisle seat, causing Freya and Will to stare. Merlin shrugged before saying, "We have school related stuff to talk about."
Freya let out a sigh before taking a window seat in the row in front of Gwen.
"Come on, mate, don't make me sit with her," Will said.
"Arse," Freya mumbled as Merlin shook his head.
"Just sit down, Will," Gwen ordered; Will did as he was told while mumbling under his breath.
Once the train had moved a small portion of the way towards Paris, and the feud between Will and Freya ceased, Merlin finally turned to Gwen and asked, "So, what did you want to talk about?"
Gwen's eyes immediately lit up in excitement as she turned towards Merlin and said, "Oh! You know that boy that we saw earlier? The one who was by himself at the booth?"
"Morgana's nephew, right?" Merlin said.
"Yeah, his name is Mordred," Gwen confirmed before continuing, "I've been tutoring him for the past few years now, and he is quite brilliant. He just started year six but is probably smarter than most year nine kids."
"Are you serious?" Merlin interrupted.
"Absolutely," she said with pride. He's been saying my stuff is too easy for a while now, and the areas he isn't as good in are literature and writing. I don't think I'm qualified to tutor him anymore. But you, you are certified to teach up to year thirteen. And you have your Bachelor's in Literature," Gwen explained in excitement before finally asking, "Do you want to take over tutoring for him? Arthur pays really well."
"Arthur?"
"Oh, he is Morgana's half-brother. Mordred's father. He is really good friends with Lance, I'm surprised his name has never come up. Morgana complains about him all of the time," Gwen said, surprised.
"I don't see Morgana often. Or Lance. Well, not as nearly as often as you," Merlin said suggestively while wiggling an eyebrow.
"Shut up, Merlin. At least I have a man," Gwen teased back. After a few seconds of laughter between the two, Gwen asked, "So, what do you think? About tutoring Mordred."
"I don't want to kick you out of a job," Merlin replied.
"I'll be fine, I tutor plenty of other kids, and I'll be teaching full time soon, remember?"
"As long as you're sure." Merlin received a small smile and nod from Gwen. "Alright then, I'll take the job," Merlin finally stated.
"Brilliant! I'm sure Mordred will love you. And Morgana will definitely be happy that you're taking over for me. I'll talk to Morgana about it when I see her for lunch today."
"I still can't believe you came to Paris with us only to ditch us," Merlin said.
"It's just for lunch! Besides, Will wants to see Jim Morrison's grave," Gwen replied a little too loudly; a few other passengers sent her glares of irritation. Merlin and Gwen immediately ducked their heads while trying to hold in their laugher. Finally, Gwen spoke up again in a low whisper, "I'm really glad that you're taking over for me. If Arthur approves, that is."
"You mean you haven't mentioned this to him?" Merlin questioned, feeling strangely disappointed that he might not get the job.
"Don't worry! I just told him that Mordred needs a new tutor on Thursday. He'll be too busy to find a new tutor is just two days."
"That isn't very helpful," Merlin pointed out.
"It will be fine, I promise. Once I tell Morgana, she will bug him to hire you until he finally does just to shut her up."
A few minutes of silence passed between the two; Merlin's mind was dominated by thoughts of his potential new job. Even though he hadn't even been hired yet, he was finding himself strangely attached and excited at the idea of tutoring a pupil. Suddenly, a random thought came to Merlin's head. "Wait, why would Mordred be alone? Shouldn't someone be traveling with him?"
"Oh, Arthur was there. He was the next person in line," Gwen answered. Upon seeing the confusion on Merlin's face, Gwen elaborated, "Mordred is very independent, just like pretty much everyone in that family. He does as much as he can by himself."
"So he is like a mini-Morgana, but a boy?" Merlin questioned, both fearful and intrigued at the idea.
"Kind of. He is more like his father, Arthur," Gwen answered.
"What is Arthur like?" Merlin asked.
"Arthur is well…Arthur," Gwen replied, knowing full well that her answer did nothing to satisfy Merlin's curiosity. "You'll just have to wait until you meet him. Different people see different things," Gwen finally said cryptically.
"Fine," Merlin mumbled before lying back in his seat; an unfamiliar eagerness to meet Mordred and Arthur rushing through him. For the remainder of the ride to Paris, Merlin thought only of his future job as Mordred's tutor, and his excitement for the job.
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Arthur emerged from the large, double door board room with a look of relief on his face. Mordred shot up from his seat in the lobby, his face displaying his dislike for having to wait so long for the meeting to finish. "Can we go now?" Mordred immediately asked.
"In a few minutes. One of Uther's business partners wants to meet you," Arthur said, sounding irritated.
"Ah, there he is," both Pendragons heard Uther’s voice echoing from the board room.
"Hello, Grandpa," Mordred quickly said with a feigned smile; the ten-year-old immediately straightened his posture to look as refined, yet strong as he could. Arthur frowned inwardly at the sight of his son's complete transformation as he tried to come up with an excuse to shorten the reunion.
Uther gave him a small pat on the head before turning to the man following him. "Godwyn, this is my grandson Mordred."
The elderly man leaned down with a warming smile, extending his hand towards Mordred while saying, "Hello, Mordred."
"Hello, nice to meet you," Mordred replied with a rehearsed phrase while shaking the older man's hand.
"So, Arthur," Uther began to say as he turned towards his son. "What type of extracurricular activities is Mordred doing?"
Mordred quickly took a step back so that he was closer to his father. "Mordred, why don't you tell him?" Arthur said as he looked down towards his son, giving him a reassuring smile.
Mordred nodded before turning his gaze back towards the only man who had ever intimidated him. "I've been doing a lot of after school tutoring. I just started year nine subjects, but we're going to have to find a new tutor for me. I'm also starting to play football and I want to take art classes."
"Art classes? Don't waste your time with such nonsense," Uther exclaimed in a slightly louder voice than before. Mordred went rigid so he would not visibly flinch. "The arts are for you to appreciate, not for you to partake. There is no room for art in the business world," Uther added; Arthur clenched his fist.
"I think art is a brilliant idea," the voice of Morgana cut Arthur off just as he was opening his mouth to speak. The four males quickly turned their heads as she continued to say, "After all, the love for art is not unique to Mordred in the family."
Uther's mouth went thin at the obvious reference to Arthur's deceased mother. With a laugh of amusement, Godwyn interrupted the moment of silence. "I am very impressed with your advanced tutoring, Mordred. If I recall correctly, your father was also beginning year nine subjects at age ten."
"But with a mind for art, the advanced tutoring is nothing more than a waste," Uther quickly added as he glared at both Morgana and Arthur.
Arthur quickly glanced at his watch and feigned surprise. "Unfortunately, we must leave. Mordred and I have a lunch reservation in twenty minutes, and I'm too hungry to pass up this meal."
Uther's face contorted in disappointment as he caught onto what Arthur was doing. Just before he was going to say something, Godwyn interrupted, "Well, I would not want to keep you waiting. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mordred."
Mordred simply smiled at the man as Arthur said, "It was good to see you again, Godwyn. Have a safe journey home." Arthur shook Godwyn's hand before turning to Uther, "Father."
"Arthur," Uther said with a nod before turning to Mordred, "Mordred."
Mordred once again smiled before turning around to follow his father out of the building. Behind him, Mordred could hear Morgana talking briskly with Uther and Godwyn. A small part of Mordred wanted to stay behind for his aunt, but his father's quick pace kept him from doing so. As soon as they were outside, Arthur turned towards a large garden with some benches and a water fountain; Arthur quickly took a seat on one of the benches before throwing his head back with a sigh, "Finally, it's over." Mordred laughed softly as he took a seat, prompting Arthur to look at his son. "Do you really want to take art classes?" Arthur asked.
Mordred stared at his hands for a second before looking up and answering, "Yeah."
"Then I guess I need to find you an art class to take," Arthur responded as he leaned back into the bench and stared at the water fountain.
Mordred smiled to himself at his approval before changing the subject, "Shouldn't we go to that restaurant?"
Arthur's eyebrows narrowed momentarily before realization suddenly came to him, "Oh, the lunch reservation. I just made that up so we could get out of there."
"Oh," Mordred answered, before mimicking Arthur's actions and leaning back into the bench.
"Are you hungry right now?" Arthur questioned.
"No," Mordred said while shaking his head, "I can wait a little."
"Alright, we'll go grab lunch in a bit. Just let me relax for a few minutes," Arthur said, earning a nod of understanding from Mordred.
The two sat on the bench for a couple of minutes in silence; Arthur closed his eyes to clear his brain. Suddenly, the sound of heels clicking against cement forced Arthur to open his eyes. "Morgana," Arthur said as soon as the heels were close.
"I can't believe you left me there alone with Uther, prick," Morgana said as she towered over Arthur.
"If you are going to block my view, at least block out the sun as well," Arthur said as he held up his hand to shield his eyes, emphasizing his point.
Morgana just glared at him before turning to Mordred with a bright smile, "Mordred!"
"Morgana!" Mordred greeted as he launched from the bench and hugged her.
Arthur sat in his relaxed position for about another fifteen minutes; his eyes closed and his mind clearing as he faintly heard the sound of Morgana's and Mordred's ramblings regarding magic. Finally, Mordred turned towards his father and asked, "Can we go find someplace to eat now?"
Arthur cracked open an eye and said, "Sure. Say goodbye to Morgana."
Before Mordred had a chance to say anything, Morgana quickly interjected, "If you have no place to eat, you're welcome to join Gwen and me."
"I think we'll pa-," Arthur began to say before being interrupted by Mordred.
"Can we go with them, please?" Mordred asked, obviously excited at the prospect of spending time with his aunt.
"Do you really want to?"
"Yes," Mordred replied with a nod, earning a small sigh of defeat from his father.
"Alright, lead the way," Arthur announced as he got up off of the bench and began following them, inwardly smiling at the interaction between the two. His smile soon turned to a frown as he began thinking of Mordred's lack of a second parent, and his own cluelessness as a father.
After twenty minutes, and several hunger pangs, Morgana finally stepped into a restaurant among the long chain of eating establishments, much to Mordred and Arthur's delight. It took less than thirty seconds for Morgana to weave through the restaurant to find Gwen. "Gwen, so sorry we're late," Morgana announced as she took a seat next to her.
"It's quite alright," Gwen replied before noticing Arthur and Mordred. "Oh, Arthur! You're here!"
Arthur stared at her in confusion as he took a seat across from her; Mordred took the seat next to him. "Yes, I am," Arthur said, confused.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," Gwen said jokingly.
Before Gwen had a chance to continue, Arthur instantly cut her off with a dumbfounded look. "I wasn't frightened."
"Oh, I didn't mean frightened, I meant…frightened," Gwen said the last word in a slower tone, as if it were to convey a different meaning. Arthur simply stared at her in confusion, causing Mordred to laugh under his breath.
"May I get you anything to drink?" A waiter appeared seemingly out of nowhere and asked in a thick French accent. Gwen jumped a little in shock.
"Yes, please," she immediately said to smooth over the strange air of awkwardness she created, "Any rose wine, please."
"The most expensive rose wine you have. And get her the same thing as me," Morgana demanded as she pointed to Gwen, earning a nod from the waiter and a small 'Thank You' from Gwen.
"Kir Royale," Arthur ordered as his eyes raked over the waiter. The French man gulped in obvious nervousness and interest.
"Arthur," Morgana quickly snapped as she kicked him under the table, ripping Arthur's gaze from his potential prospect. Arthur immediately glared at her as he rubbed his shin to relieve the pain.
"And for you?" The waiter quickly turned his attention to Mordred.
"I'll have an Orangina with water please," Mordred answered in fluid French; the waiter smiled in surprise.
As soon as the water left the table, Arthur stared at his son and said, "Show off." Mordred simply smirked at his father before grabbing a menu and reading through the choices; he helped both Morgana and Gwen decipher what a certain dish was whenever they stumbled over unfamiliar French words.
"So, Arthur," Gwen finally spoke up. "Remember how I mentioned finding Mordred a new tutor the last time I saw you?"
"Oh, yeah," Arthur said as he remembered the conversation. "I was going to ask you about that."
"Well, as you know, Mordred is entering year nine subjects, and I'm only certified to teach up to year six, so Mordred needs a new tutor. He has probably needed a new one for a while now, actually," Gwen began to explain.
"So, I have to find a new tutor now, I guess," Arthur mumbled out loud to himself.
"Here is the brilliant part," Gwen immediately responded. "I have a friend, Merlin, who can easily take over my place as Mordred's tutor. He is actually certified to teach up to year thirteen, and studied Literature while in University."
"Merlin?! As in Merlin Merlin?" Morgana asked, her voice beginning to carry the same tone of excitement.
"What other Merlin is there?" Gwen said with a grin before looking back at Arthur, "So, what do you think? Will you hire him?"
"I should probably meet him first," Arthur replied.
"Arthur, hire him. He is someone I trust with Mordred's education. If you're going to continue the stupid tradition of advanced tutoring for Pendragons, you might as well get someone one of us trusts," Morgana stated in her characteristic head-strong voice.
Arthur stared at Morgana in annoyance for a few seconds before turning to his son, "What do you think? Do you even want another tutor?"
Mordred shrugged as he answered, "I don't care. Maybe the stuff he teaches me won't be super easy."
"Arthur," Morgana spoke up. "All you have to do is agree to hire him. You have to find a new tutor anyway, so you might as well pick someone Gwen recommends and I trust. I'll even pick up Mordred and help them settle in on Merlin's first day."
Arthur thought over the details for a few seconds before finally sighing in defeat. "Fine. When do you think he can start, Gwen?"
Gwen's eyes lit up in enthusiasm as she answered, "I'm sure he can start Monday if you want."
"Okay, Monday it is then. Morgana, you're the one taking care of it all," Arthur directed towards her before turning back to Gwen, "And Gwen, I'm only going to pay fifty pounds an hour for now. Tell him that will have to work."
Gwen laughed under her breath, already picturing Merlin speechless at the offer of fifty pounds an hour, before replying, "That will be more than enough, Arthur."
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"You got the job," Gwen said immediately upon seeing Merlin.
"Are you serious? Just like that? He doesn't even know me," Merlin questioned in disbelief, though excitement was obvious in his voice.
Gwen grinned as she nodded. "He also said he is only going to be paying you fifty pounds an hour though."
Will let out a cat-call whistle before saying, "So Merlin, want to help a best mate out and cover more of my rent?"
"Or how about your loyal childhood friend?" Freya instantly added.
"Fifty pounds an hour?" Merlin asked in confirmation, his mind still wrapping around the idea of such high pay.
Gwen simply nodded before elaborating, "Chances are Arthur will end up paying you more. Even though he doesn't seem like it, he is very generous."
"But why would he hire me? He doesn't even know me," Merlin questioned as the four friends walked along the busy Paris street.
"It wasn't easy, but I had a little help from Morgana. We both pushed hard for Arthur to hire you, and since we trusted you, he agreed. Plus, Mordred wasn't against the idea, which is probably the main reason why he said yes," Gwen explained.
Merlin nodded with a grin on his face, silently thanking Morgana in his head. A comfortable silence settled between the four friends as they slowly made their way towards the Louvre; Merlin was in deep thought about his new job, wondering how and why he became so invested in the idea. "When do I start?" Merlin asked.
"Monday. Morgana is going to pick up Mordred from school and meet with you somewhere. She will probably call you later to decide a place. Then she'll take you back to Arthur's flat and help you get settled in," Gwen answered.
"Does Morgana always pick Mordred up? Or do I have to pick him up from school?" Merlin immediately asked, inwardly worried about the possible conflicts that would arise on days he is substituting.
"Oh, no," Gwen said, predicting some of what Merlin was thinking. "Mordred normally takes the tube home by himself. I think I said it before, Mordred is a very independent kid. He kind of has to be to survive in his family."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Gwen laughed softly under her breath before answering, "You'll find out on Monday."
"That's helpful," Merlin mumbled before once again returning into deep thought, contemplating what Gwen meant. A smile broke out on his face as he thought, and once again the feeling of excitement over his new job, and the money that came with it, washed over him.
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Mordred waited idly on the sidewalk outside of his school, staring blankly at the passing cars in front of him. He let out a small sigh before pulling out his mobile check the time; 3:43 PM. A small part of him contemplated calling his father, but suddenly the sound of a little girl's voice pulled him from this thought. "Mordred!"
Mordred slowly turned his head towards the girl, his cell phone still in hand, before replying, "Hi."
"Are you walking home with us today?" the girl asked while motioning towards a group of four kids standing off to the side.
"No," Mordred replied as he shook his head, hiding his smile of pleasure at the thought of missing the pointless conversations that his neighbors shared. Upon seeing the look of confusion on the girl's face, Mordred added, "My aunt is picking me up today."
"But it's Monday, you always walk home on Mondays," the girl said. Mordred sighed with irritation at the girl who lived two floors below his flat.
"I'm meeting my new tutor today, so my aunt is picking me up," Mordred answered.
The girl gave Mordred a weird look as she said, "Why do you always have tutors? My dad said that they are a waste of money."
"Well, my dad thinks they are good," Mordred immediately snapped back, a small part of him dreading that he was actually getting sucked into this conversation.
"My mom says that your dad hires tutors because you don't have a mom. She said that hiring tutors is what bad parents do because they can't teach kids themselves," the girl reported in a matter-of-fact voice.
Mordred's eyes narrowed at the insult of his father. "Well, my dad is smarter, younger, cooler, and richer than your dad! And your mom is a bitch!"
The girls eyes immediately widened. After a few moments of silence, the girl pointed towards Mordred and shouted, "You can't say that word! I'm going to tell my parents and you're going to get in trouble!"
"Go ahead! Your parents are scared of my dad!" Mordred shouted back uncharacteristically; the urge to use magic to propel the girl into the street was becoming more and more difficult to subdue.
"Liar! No wonder you don't have a mom!" the girl yelled back.
Just as Mordred was about to open his mouth to say something, the sound of another voice echoed in his ears. "Hey! Stop yelling at my sister!" Mordred turned towards the group of four kids only to see the little girl's older brother walk towards them.
Mordred completely ignored the boy and continued to glare at the young girl; his father's constant warning against open displays of magic was the only thing preventing him from using it on the girl. "You don't know anything about my mom!" Mordred exclaimed before opening his mouth to continue, only to be cut off once again.
"I know why you don't have a mom," the older boy said, causing Mordred to shift his glare from the young girl to her brother. "It's because your dad is a faggot cock sucker! Only reason girls are interested in him is because he has money!"
Rage suddenly surged throughout Mordred's body at the declaration; his restraint completely snapped at the insult against his father. Mordred's eyes narrowed as he began to awaken his magic, releasing the mental restraints that he and his father put so much effort into creating. Knowing that he would have to be smarter than just flinging the boy into the crowded street, Mordred instantly charged and slammed into the older boy with his shoulder, using magic to cause the boy to fly backwards on the sidewalk a lot farther than he would have normally. Mordred then honed in on the downed boy, kicking him in the hip with such force that likely matched his father's football kick at his age. "Stop!" the girl shrieked before moving towards Mordred and trying to pull him off of her brother.
"Mordred!" a firm voice cut through the air as foreign magic stilled his movements momentarily. Mordred immediately turned to glare at the source of the voice to see Morgana rushing towards him; her eyes gold in concentration as she tried to restrain him. Mordred continued to glare at his aunt before standing upright, breaking his aunt's magic hold on him with relative ease. "Come with me, now," Morgana demanded in the same authoritative tone that was customary of someone raised by a Pendragon.
Mordred's gaze shifted between his aunt and the hurt boy on the ground; the older boy staring up at Mordred with a challenging gaze, hiding the fear that was shaking through his body. With a sigh, Mordred began walking towards his aunt's car, saying, "They deserved it."
Morgana muttered a quick spell under her breath to relieve the pain from the boy on the ground before falling into step with her nephew. "I know. But you were going to go too far," Morgana answered.
"You would have done the same thing if someone was making fun of my dad," Mordred snapped back.
Morgana smiled softly before replying, "I've never had to defend your dad. He was always the one defending me."
"Then what is the difference?" Mordred questioned with a glare.
"Your dad never kicked someone when they were down," Morgana answered. Mordred slumped his shoulders.
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Merlin gaped as he stared at the stunningly large and majestic building in front of him. He then looked down at his simplistic cell phone, rereading the text message that Morgana had sent to verify the address. He then looked back up at the building, his heart racing in his chest as he looked at the building number, confirming that he was at the right place. With nervous strides, Merlin slowly began his walk up the curved driveway towards the large glass double doors.
As soon as Merlin stepped into the lobby, he felt out of place. Inside the lobby were about a dozen men dressed in fine business suits that Merlin couldn't even dream of affording. The furnishings of the room were all very modern and high end. Suddenly, a group of five kids bumped into him from behind. Merlin turned around and quickly apologized. "Get out of the way," the oldest boy of the group said; Merlin barely heard the words as he registered the slight limp that the teenage boy was walking with.
"Can I help you sir?" a female voice suddenly called out, causing Merlin to turn towards the reception desk; the scowl on her face confirmed Merlin’s fear that he was out of place.
"I'm looking for Arthur Pendragon's flat."
"Mr. Pendragon isn't in at the moment. Would you like me to leave a message?"
"I'm here to tutor his son, Mordred. His sister Morgana is expecting me."
The elderly woman gazed at Merlin for a few more seconds, as if trying to read him, before finally picking up a phone and pressing a few numbers. After a few seconds, she finally said into the mouth piece, "Good afternoon, Mr. Pendragon. I have someone in the lobby saying he is your new tutor. Your fath-." The woman quickly cut off by the inaudible voice on the other side of the phone, which Merlin was guessing was Mordred. The woman nodded a few times before hanging up the phone and returning her attention back to Merlin. "Take the lift up to the top floor. As soon as you exit the elevator, take a right."
Merlin waited a few seconds for more directions before finally asking, "How will I know which one it is?"
The woman let out a sigh before answering, "It is the only residence on the entire floor." Merlin's eyes widened a little before he nodded and made his way towards the lift. As Merlin waited outside the large, golden, metal doors of the lift, he felt the occasional pairs of eyes staring at him, obviously gauging his state of dress in comparison to all of the wealthy individuals in the room. The moment the doors opened, Merlin rushed inside the large lift and pressed the number 14--the top floor. Merlin waited patiently in the expensive lift, alternating between balancing on his toes and heels as he fumbled with his bag, nervousness once again flooding him. Finally, the doors opened to a well-lit and simple hall. Merlin stepped out of the lift and turned right to see two large double doors with wall-mounted lamps on the sides.
Merlin stopped outside of the flat for a second as he took a deep breath. Feeling more relaxed, Merlin finally pressed the little doorbell button, instantly hearing the chiming sound from within. Merlin waited for a few moments before contemplating ringing the doorbell again or not; he felt awkward waiting outside in an empty hallway. Suddenly the door opened to reveal a dark brown haired, blue-eyed boy staring directly at Merlin. "Merlin?" the boy asked as his eyes moved up and down Merlin, making Merlin feel as if he was being inspected.
"Yeah, you must be Mordred," Merlin replied.
Mordred nodded before stepping inside and motioning for Merlin to follow. As soon as the twenty-five-year-old stepped into the flat, his eyes widened as he took in the sight of the room. The floor was an expensive marble with only a couple small sitting couches and chairs for furniture. "Nice view, isn't it?" Morgana's voice suddenly echoed through the pentagon-shaped room; Merlin barely nodding as he stared out of the floor to ceiling windows that held a spectacular view over Hyde Park. "Let's go out on the balcony," Morgana said as she passed by Merlin, stepped up two marble steps and opened a sliding glass door that Merlin originally mistook for a window.
Merlin simply nodded as he followed his friend outside onto the balcony, his breath catching in his throat as he took in the even grander view of Hyde Park. "This is amazing," Merlin managed to say as his eyes swept from The Serpentine to the surprisingly visible Marble Arch.
"Yeah, this is what you get when you're as rich as Arthur. This view is pretty much wasted on him though," Morgana said with a small snicker. Merlin ignored the obvious jab at his new boss as he began to inspect the balcony itself, admiring the wood planked flooring with an uneven outer rim of sand-colored gravel and plants. Morgana noticed the look of admiration in Merlin's eyes and immediately said, "Nice, isn't it? I put a lot of work into designing it."
Merlin quickly turned towards Morgana in surprise, "You designed this? Not your brother?"
Morgana let out a laugh of amusement before answering. "Arthur? God no. He doesn't have a decorative bone in his body." Merlin nodded before he began to wonder around the large balcony. Morgana smiled and quickly grabbed his arm. "Come on, I'll give you a tour before you start working with Mordred."
Merlin smiled before saying, "Sounds good."
After a long, extensive, and awe-inducing tour of the two-story flat, Merlin finally settled down with Mordred in the large reception room. Most of their first hour was spent figuring out how far ahead of his class Mordred was, and in what areas he needed the most help. To Merlin's surprise, Mordred was a lot more proficient in writing than Gwen had let on. His attention was focused on the boy's writing sample, making mental notes to work most on Mordred's grammar, word repetition, and hand-writing. Even more surprising was Mordred's love for literature and art, especially considering his family's background in business.
What surprised Merlin the most was that Mordred would constantly get distracted during their tutoring sessions, which reminded Merlin of himself when he was younger. "You there?" Merlin asked jokingly as he waved his hands in front of Mordred's eyes; the smirk on his face displayed his amusement at the sight of Mordred spacing off in the middle of doing some math problems.
Mordred stared at Merlin with an annoyed look. "This is boring. Can't we do more art, or literature, or something?"
"We already did. Do you always get this distracted?" Merlin questioned, wondering if Mordred was anything like himself when he was a kid.
"Only when it is boring stuff," Mordred answered as he dropped his pencil and sat back on the couch. Mordred stared at the TV remote on the couch opposite of him and was just about to make the device float towards him. He suddenly remembered that Merlin was in the room next to him, and stopped the flow of magic.
Merlin's blood turned cold for a split second as he felt an unfamiliar feeling of magic, causing him to restrain his magic even more in fear that he was beginning to slip a little. The last thing he wanted was to reveal his magic to Mordred, scare the boy, and end up losing his job on the first day.
Merlin and Mordred remained silent for a few seconds, each going through their own mental procedures to keep their magic in check while trying to not look suspicious to the other. Suddenly, Morgana's voice cut through the silence. "Hey, Merlin, I have a big favor to ask you."
"What's up?" Merlin asked, his stature relaxing a little as he felt more in control of his magic.
"I hate to ask you this, but do you mind watching Mordred until Arthur comes home? Something really important came up and I don't want to drag him along with me," Morgana answered with a look of hope in her eyes.
Merlin's gaze shifted between Morgana and Mordred, unsure of how to respond to the request. "I don't know," Merlin began to say softly. "Is that a good idea? I just met Mordred."
"It will be fine, I trust you. And I'm sure Mordred won't mind, right, Mordred?" The tone of her voice left little room for argument.
Mordred simply shrugged before replying, "I don't care."
"It's settled then! I'm sure Arthur will be home soon, so it shouldn't be too long. There is plenty of food in the kitchen, or you can order take-away with Mordred. Mordred knows where the food money is," Morgana said in a rush. Merlin nodded nervously as he thought of the sudden situation he was thrown into.
Before Merlin or Mordred had time to say anything else, Morgana said a quick goodbye and rushed out of the room; the sound of the front door shutting indicated she was gone. "Want to play Wii?" Mordred asked as if the scene with Morgana hadn't just happened.
"Sure," Merlin replied; his thoughts immediately shifting from Morgana's hasty departure to the giant LCD TV that had just turned on. Merlin stared in both anticipation and envy at the giant LCD screen; his inner video game nerd slowly emerged as the Wii music began blasting through the surround-sound speakers.
Mordred smiled at Merlin as he handed him the Wiimote, saying, "What do you want to lose in first?"
Merlin returned the smile with a playful challenging look. "Youngest chooses first."
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Date: 2011-01-09 04:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-11 08:50 pm (UTC)