I Really Like You
Leon/Gwaine. Sequel to 'Once In A Lifetime'. Leon's thoughts of his partner's arrangement with Merlin and Arthur and he sees the pictures that he asked for.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Gwaine eyed the outside of the restaurant with worry and interest. The bright sign that read 'Eimerll's' told him in was in the right place. After 28 years of living in this city, he had never visited this part of it; had never heard of a place called 'Eimerll's'. As he glanced at the menu, out of habit his eyes drawing to the prices, he understood why. How could Leon afford this place on a cop's salary? He wondered. Before he entered, he swallowed nervously and fixed his tie (it was the only one he owned, along with the suit). Slowly pushing past the door, he paused to scan the tables and smiled slightly in relief when he saw his curly haired date, sat somewhere near the back. The concierge opened his mouth to begin to recite his specialised script and Gwaine quickly pointed out who he was meeting, hurrying past the man in case he tried to engage him in a conversation.
Gwaine approached the velvet covered table in the restaurant, smiling widely at his date for the evening. Leon, who had been absentmindedly straightening the silverware, looked up and smiled in greeting. The brunet dropped into the seat and sighed, looking apologetic as he wiggled in his seat to get comfortable on the plush cushion.
"Sorry I'm late. I left Merlin's later than I expected and then I couldn't find this place – did you know I didn't even know this place existed?"
Leon shook his head. "No, it's no problem. I was early anyway," he hesitated for a moment, "How are Arthur and Merlin?"
"Good, good," he nodded, "They asked if you wanted to come to dinner on Sunday. Merlin's cooking, so we may be poisoned, but Arthur promised to make sure the foods edible. So, um, do you…do you want to go? I'd like for you all to meet."
Leon's smile widened. "Of course, I'd love to go. Um, should I eat before I go?"
Gwaine laughed. "No, really, it's not as bad as I've made it out to be. His cooking just needs…an acquiredtaste, if you know what I mean." He hesitated for a moment, an uneasy look on his face, before he leant over the table, lowering his voice just in case it was overheard, "You don't have to if you don't want to. I know…this whole thing must be unusual for you – it was for me to be honest – so I understand if it would make you, I don't know, uncomfortable to meet them…"
"Really, I would love to meet them," Leon assured, taking his partner's hand gently.
Gwaine stared down at their entwined hands with a sort of contented smile, his eyes light. He shook his head slowly and met Leon's gaze. "You can't be alright with this…"
He tilted his head, confused. "Why not?"
"Because you'd be too perfect," Gwaine answered as if it were obvious. He laughed quietly and shook his head, "No one could be that understanding about their boyfriend having a threesome with his friends…"
To anyone else, the whole thing would be…strange, to say the least. It wouldn't be something that you just accepted and moved on from. But, then again, Leon wasn't exactly 'anyone else'. He was a lot more relaxed, mellower than most people on the police force. He understood that in the modern world people needed to do different things. The arrangement between Gwaine, Arthur and Merlin had started months before he came along, and if would probably continue once he was gone (god forbid). He may be Gwaine's partner but he'd only been around for a couple of months now. He didn't think he had any power to force Gwaine to stop if he didn't want to. He'd arrested a lot of people who had that kind of God Complex and, unlike them; he wanted his relationship with Gwaine to last a long time.
At first, he would admit, he was a bit…awkward he supposed about the announcement. It wasn't often he was told that the man he was dating at the moment was involved in some kind of casual threesome with his two close friends. But Gwaine had been so nervous about telling him this, hadn't given him a chance to process the first comment before he had burst into this rambling of positive points that came out of the arrangement. He told him that it helped him get out of the rut he was in – his apparent long term crush on Merlin (whom he hadn't had the pleasure of meeting yet) and how it had made him want a real, trusting relationship. He couldn't really argue with that. Instead he laughed loudly, cutting off the nervous talk, and made some comment about wanting photos – If he was honest, he wasn't sure whether he was joking or not. Seeing his partner, pleasured and brought to the point of release, by another person was not something he had ever really thought about before, but now that he had, he had to admit he wouldn't be averse to seeing the exchange.
He wanted Gwaine to be happy, at any means. He was happy to date him – to fall in love him, which he was sure he had already done – but he did have one doubt plaguing his thoughts, like a black cloud: would he be able to handle it if they became serious and it continued?
"Well, I admit I wasn't completely okay with it, if you know what I mean," Leon confessed, bowing his head slightly as he spoke, "but that was my first instinct. I'm not used to…sharing I guess. It doesn't matter though. I'm not going to ask you to stop if it's what you really want; I'm not going to force you. Maybe, in the future, if we're still together then – and I hope we are – it could maybe become a less than weekly thing. But we've only know each other for a short amount of time, and I really like you, whatever you bring with you. I want to be with you, even though my boyfriend is having a threesome with his two friends – whom I do want to me, because they're important to you, even without the benefits in your relationship."
Gwaine cracked a smile, squeezing the hand in return. Shifting his chair, he moved closer to his date. Pausing to lick his lips quickly, he leant in and pressed a kiss to his lips. It was firm and, for the most part, chaste because they were in a public place and he wasn't ready to give the rich patrons of the expensive restaurant a show. He pulled away slightly and bit his bottom lip through a grin.
"I really like you too," he whispered teasingly.