Merlin was just about to start work and he was expecting things to be really busy, he loved his job and wouldn't change it for the world. He was an Executive chef working in a top restaurant, that had a good reputation and a regular cliental. He was young to hold such a post, but he was recognised as having an almost magical talent in the kitchen. The only problem with the job was the hours; especially when his days off were always Monday and Tuesday, and he worked five till midnight five days a week and Friday and Sunday lunchtimes. It didn't give him much chance of meeting the partner off his dreams. There was the other problem of course, he was incredibly shy. Once he got to know people he was fine but it was always a long process for him. Working back of house didn't help either he didn't even get to see the customers.
To cap it all he wasn't that pleased with his appearance, being very slender and with large ears that he thought were enough to put anyone off. His friends all laughed at him saying he was a real looker, but he couldn't see it himself. He was too much like a twink for his liking. Why couldn't he have classical good looks like Lance, the Maître D, all the women loved him? No he was doomed to be alone unless he got himself a cat. Merlin envied Lance who was very much in love with his wife Gwen, who was one of the waitresses. Even Will who was one of the chefs had a new girlfriend every week and more of a life than him. In fact as Will often pointed out to Merlin, even Gilli the pot washer had a more exciting love life than Merlin. Once Merlin was your friend, you had a friend for life and he was very loyal and would do anything to help them.
The other side of town a group of men were also preparing for their shift. They too worked shifts, but theirs were more flexible. They were also lucky enough to have a job were getting partners wasn't so much of a problem, in as much as they were highly visible to the general public. They were the sort of guys that Merlin would love to meet, unless it was in a professional capacity, as they were fireman. The team consisted of five men, the crew officer, driver and three fire-fighters, they had all been together for several years and were a good friends as well as working together. Arthur Pendragon was the officer, Leon Knight, Arthur's second in command and the eldest at thirty three, Gwaine Green was an Irishman with a wicked sense of humour, Percy Amesbury, the tallest of the men and Eylan Smith the driver.
They were set for another busy day; it was their first day shift after their four days off. They would be on duty for the next ten and a half hours. They did two day shifts, followed by two thirteen and a half hour night shifts, before having another four days off. They worked hard and played hard, mostly together; they all loved their football, and regularly met up in the evenings for a meal or to go to the pub. Leon was the only married one in the group; he was married to Arthur's half sister Morgana. Percy was living with Mithian and Elyan was going steady with Freya, Gwaine and Arthur however were still footloose and fancy free.
Two jobs far apart, yet the two groups of people were destined to be drawn together with consequences neither of them would have imagined.