So I decided I wanted to write some more Merdred AUs. I love this ship, so... can you really blame me?

Onwards.

Part 1

Merlin and Arthur were inseparable. They were always together, laughing and poking fun at one another, and from the way that Merlin looked at Arthur with those stars in his eyes, and with Arthur often slinging his arm around Merlin's shoulders, Mordred thought the two of them were a couple. To be honest, he was okay with that. It wasn't like he was all that close to Merlin anymore really.

Mordred was just someone Merlin once knew. Though it did kind of suck that the two of them frequented the coffee shop he worked at, but Morgause's Coffee was pretty popular with students and high school girls alike. Mordred had been flirted with more times than he could count at this point, but none of that really mattered.

Mordred had liked Merlin since he was in high school. Back then, Merlin had been a senior who lived next door and went to a miscellaneous prep school. Mordred had kind of liked how the fancy uniform had looked on Merlin. They had spoken on more than one occasion then...

"Hey, Mordred," Morgana waved brightly from the counter. Mordred walked over to her after whipping up her usual order, "Is Morgause here today?" Her green eyes shone with interest, and Mordred frowned slightly, shaking his head.

"She's busy. Gwen is covering her shift tonight," he answered, tucking his hands into his pockets as he spoke. Morgana frowned slightly into her coffee.

"That's too bad," she responded, and Mordred knew she had a long standing crush on Morgause. It just seemed like the two of them were always just missing one another. Mordred gave her an encouraging smile. The door rang, and Mordred looked up to see Gwen hurrying in.

"Sorry! I'm a little late," Gwen smiled brightly at Mordred, who shrugged slightly. Gwen grabbed an apron and clocked in quickly. She smiled at Morgana widely.

"Hi, Morgana," Gwen said as she pinned on her name tag. Morgana gave a thin smile in response, and Gwen found something to busy herself with. She was using this job to help pay for college, so she always took whatever extra shifts she could. Mordred was more of a slacker though... He envied Gwen for her ability to study hard like that.

The door chimed again, and Merlin and Arthur walked in. Arthur laughing at something Merlin said before Merlin called him a "prat". Gwen beat Mordred to the register.

"Hullo, welcome to Morgause's Coffee!" she greeted the pair in her cheerful manner. Mordred was pretty sure that Gwen had no idea that Merlin was his favorite customer. Mordred cast a wayward glance at Merlin who looked a little downcast. Mordred frowned slightly, wondering why. Then he noticed Arthur was flirting with Gwen.

"Mordred," Morgana spoke suddenly, distracting Mordred from the anger that had suddenly surged up in him, "It's none of your business." Her tone was firm, and he sighed.

"I know," Mordred responded, leaning on the counter. Morgana smiled at him sympathetically.

"Don't worry. I know how you feel," she said, and Mordred smiled because Morgana was also pining silently for the one she desired. Mordred patted her hand before moving away to start making Arthur's drink because he had finally decided to order in between all of his flirting with Guinevere, as was written nicely on her name tag.

"Here you go," Mordred said without a smile. Arthur thanked him anyway for whatever reason, in fact, he was pretty sure Arthur tipped every time he came in. Merlin met Mordred's gaze for a split moment, and Mordred was the first to look away as a blush burned across his face.

"Are you okay?" Gwen asked, leaning toward Mordred as he worked on Merlin's order, which was different from his usual. Mordred wondered for a minute why he had suddenly decided to have something different.

"Yeah," Mordred answered in a hoarse tone that made Gwen frown. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him.

"I would prefer you didn't lie to me," Gwen told Mordred sternly. He ducked his head in response, setting Merlin's drink on the counter without looking at the other until his back was turned.

"Oh," Gwen said, following Mordred's gaze. She smiled at him slightly.

"Sorry, I stole your regular, huh?" Gwen smiled at Mordred, who blushed bright red and looked away swiftly.

"Shut up," he muttered in response before busying himself with some menial task.

.

On Saturday, Arthur came in by himself and flirted with Gwen again at the counter. Mordred furrowed his brows in confusion because he was pretty sure Arthur was with Merlin... and he didn't think Arthur was a bad guy.

"Huh? Blondie's here without his trusty sidekick?" Morgause commented in surprise, "Think they might be just friends?" Mordred gave his boss a sideways glance and shrugged.

"I don't think so," Mordred responded softly. Morgause gave Mordred a kind pat on the shoulder and didn't say anything more about it. It was rare for Mordred to have such an early shift anyway. Maybe Arthur flirted with a lot of people too. He could very well be a flirtatious person.

Mordred was leaving just as Merlin arrived. He looked at Mordred in surprise, his eyes flicking down to Mordred's shirt that had a Pokémon on the front of it. He smiled slightly.

"You like Pokémon?" Merlin asked, and Mordred was taken aback for a moment before he nodded slightly. Merlin grinned, and the way his eyes crinkled into tiny crow's feet was the cutest thing. Mordred blushed then and decided he couldn't trust his voice anymore.

"Cool," Merlin continued, "Arthur doesn't really play video games, so I've been in need of a good foe." Mordred smiled slightly as Merlin dropped a question with surprising easy, "So could I get your number?"

"Y-yeah," Mordred agreed after a moment and ended up writing it down on a napkin before Merlin went to go sit with Arthur and Mordred left, the cold covering up the fact that he was actually blushing. He was incapable of refusing Merlin in any way.

.

Mordred was sitting in the middle of the floor of Merlin's shared apartment with Arthur. He noticed the two of them had separate rooms, and was sort of waiting for the proper moment to ask if Arthur and Merlin were actually dating. Maybe Morgause had been right.

However, Mordred had forgotten the intended question after a couple rounds of Mario Kart that had he and Merlin tied for first, and Merlin making the cutest noises in distress whenever he was hit with anything, especially when it was Mordred's fault.

"I think I'm going to defeat you," Mordred said suddenly with a smirk, and Merlin glared in response.

"There is no way," he replied, and Mordred grinned. Mordred did indeed beat Merlin, which ended in Merlin wrestling Mordred on the floor.

"God, Merlin! Get a room!" Arthur shouted as he walked in the door with his arm thrust over his eyes. Mordred turned bright red.

"Shut up, you mook!" Merlin responded, tossing tossing pillow at Arthur who threw it right back into Merlin's face, and Merlin started laughing hysterically as he stripped the couch of its one thousand impractical pillows. Mordred watched in awe.

"So are you two a thing, or...?" Mordred cursed his big mouth, because Merlin turned to Mordred with the most wide-eyed expression while Arthur turned various colors in distress.

"No! We're just friends," Arthur said after a long moment of coughing, and Mordred wasn't sure if he was convinced. He ducked his head in embarrassment anyway.

"Sorry," he muttered. Arthur waved a hand slightly.

"No, bro, it's fine," he said, scratching the nape of his neck lightly. Arthur decided to take his leave then, and Merlin sunk into the couch.

"Well. That just happened," was all Merlin said, and Mordred was pretty sure that Merlin had a crush on Arthur then. His heart sunk, and he looked and away from Merlin quickly.

"Yeah, sorry," Mordred responded. Merlin didn't say anything and started up another round of Mario Kart.

.

Mordred wanted to stop liking Merlin. He really did. It wasn't like Merlin was going to stop liking Arthur, so his feelings were never going to be recognized anyway, but it was impossible. Every little grin, laugh or teasing word just made Mordred like him even more. Merlin was wonderful, the greatest.

It was more than just a crush now. Mordred was in love.

Thanks for reading.

~Minatu