AN: My first attempt an asexual character, hopefully I have done asexual Merlin justice. For Sometimesilie (Serpentsign) who inspired this.
"Third door on your left Lancelot," Merlin informed the Kingsman, his eyes riveted to his screens watching the feed from the agents' glasses, looking at blueprints for the building and watching heat signals all at the same time. "The server is in there. Get me access, then get out."
He tracked the agent's progress, smiling to himself when a screen flared to life next to his main monitors, granting him access into the servers. He looked at the screens again before speaking. "Thank you Lancelot, I have the link established. Time to go. There are guards on each end of the corridor now, take the right hand ones, the exit from there is clearer."
Merlin directed the agent until he was out of the building and a few streets away, the man silent as he followed directions and removed any obstacles that were in his path.
"So how are you going to thank me?" Lancelot's voice was coy like always when he spoke and Merlin ignored it, Lancelot had two settings flirting or dead.
"I already have," Merlin replied, "there will be a car with you in 45 seconds."
Merlin watched while Lancelot got into the car then closed the feeds, allowing him to focus completely on the server. He began tearing into files with an elegant grace, finding the information that was necessary, discarding anything that was trivial, working with a single-minded intensity that would be the envy of any programmer.
Completely immersed in his work he didn't even notice when the door to his office opened and someone entered until they cleared their throat.
Lancelot was stood just inside the closed doorway, wearing a clean suit and holding a rose. Merlin blinked at the image but it didn't change, "How can I help you Lancelot?"
"I have something for you." The man replied striding closer to him.
"My USB, thank you for returning it." Merlin spoke, holding his hand out for it expectantly; it wasn't often that he managed to get his tech back in one piece. Despite the Kingsman being gentleman spies they were very careless when it came to his technology.
He accepted the USB stick then began to ignore Lancelot in favour of checking it over, to ensure it wasn't damaged and would be useable in the field again. He had almost forgotten that Lancelot was there until he spoke again.
"Merlin, I was wondering if you would accompany me for some dinner." Lancelot asked.
"I'm very busy Lancelot, I'm sure you remember your way to the kitchens by now." Merlin answered, his eyes still inspecting the technology in his hands.
Lancelot let out a small chuckle, "I know where the kitchens are. I meant dinner out in London if you are interested."
Merlin actually looked up at that point, and looked over at Lancelot, he was perhaps dressed more for an evening in town than for dinner in the kitchens. "I'm afraid not James, I am very busy. I couldn't leave the manor or this information tonight."
When Lancelot looked as though he might start to protest Merlin guided him towards the door, locking it once the man was out of the room. Lancelot was acting very peculiarly towards him recently, he must remember to bring it up with one of the others, see if they had noticed it.
Merlin hated having to go into the field, especially when it was settings like this. He didn't mind it so much if it was an infiltration mission into a building or something similar, he knew that he had all his technology and creations as a means of helping himself in such a situation. This though, he hated social gatherings with a passion, especially ones that were full of people.
He was sat at the bar, watching the room, keeping an eye on Galahad and on their mark. He was to act strictly as back up if Galahad needed it, but that didn't mean that he couldn't be gathering intelligence for himself by watching the interactions of their mark with others, and with Galahad. He watched as their mark left the group he had been socialising with heading further into the crush of people.
"He's headed your way Galahad, now is your chance." He spoke quietly into the glass of scotch that he had been nursing for the last hour or so. It wouldn't do after all for him to get drunk when he was working, not if there was even a small chance that Galahad would need his help.
His view of both Galahad and their mark was obscured moments later much to his consternation. A tallish woman dressed in a fine gown stood in front of him. From the way she held herself and from the jewellery she was wearing it was obvious to him that she was an heiress, but which one he couldn't be sure.
"Can I help you Miss?" Merlin asked, hoping that she would say no and move on, allowing him to get on with his job uninterrupted.
"I think you can," she said with a small smile playing across her lips, "I'm Carla, Carla Davenport." She shot him a look that told him that he better introduce himself as she reached out and touched his arm, "And you are?"
"James," Merlin muttered, saying the first name that came into his head, why was she touching him, "James Hart."
"Well James, I can call you James," Carla spoke, then carried on without giving him any real chance to disagree, "I have this problem that I think you can fix for me. You see, I'm here all alone and I was getting very bored going from group to group, and then I spotted you here all on your own. I was thinking you could keep me company."
Merlin looked at her blankly, he wished that she would stop rubbing his arm like that. "Someone's got an admirer." Nimue's voice sounded in his ear and he looked at the woman in front of him. He trusted Nimue's input, it was why he had left her in charge of his feeds when he had come out into the field, but he wasn't sure about her opinion this time. He often found at these events that the women were always overfriendly, it was one of the reasons he disliked coming so much.
Then again the woman had started to move her hand while waiting for a response, and as it had lowered and her fingers were now twining with his, he should probably agree with Nimue's statement. He extricated his fingers as quickly as he could, pulling his hand back to himself, and away from the heiress. He scanned the crowd quickly looking for Galahad but he couldn't see him.
"I'm sorry Miss, I'm afraid I am not looking for company." Merlin spoke quickly trying to get the rejection and everything that followed over and done with quickly so that he could find Galahad and get back to the mission.
An arm suddenly found itself around his waist and he tensed immediately, relaxing slightly when he heard Galahad's voice asking if he was ready to go. He nodded silently and he vaguely heard Galahad making their excuses and them leaving, his arm around his waist the whole time. The contact between them was dropped as soon as they were in their vehicle and Merlin let out a sigh of relief. He hated going into missions like that one, everyone was always overly touchy with him, something that he wasn't found of.
Merlin couldn't wait to get back to HQ and his office; at least his computers weren't so touchy feely with him, they at least waited for him to initiate any contact between them. Galahad wasn't too bad, he knew that in this instance the man was only trying to help him, to protect him in a way. He knew that the Kingsman was aware that he didn't like to be touched, he had noticed the other man observing him and he always tried to comply with his wishes. This time he could overlook Galahad's actions, even if he did have to examine in his own head why the other man's hold made him feel safe.
Merlin closed the door behind him with a sigh of relief, it was good to be home for a change. He had spent the last five days at Kingsman Headquarters, avoiding Lancelot and buried in work. It had become so bad that even he had began to notice Lancelot's pursuit of him, and Nimue had always said that he was practically oblivious when it came to romance, lust or sexual gratification. It was true, he could admit that, a gentleman always knew to acknowledge their weaknesses.
Lancelot's pursuit had gotten to the point where it was blindingly obvious even to Merlin that the other man wanted him, and the idea just made Merlin uncomfortable. Lancelot was a physical man, he liked the thrill of the chase and the sexual gratification that came from the surrender. Merlin wouldn't surrender though, the very idea made him feel ill. Thinking of sex with Lancelot made him want to cringe, the idea of sex with anyone really, it wasn't who Merlin was.
Unlike the Kingsman he worked with, Merlin had never really had any urge to fulfil any sexual urges, not that he had many. He had never really liked being touched and as a result knew that sex would be an uncomfortable experience for him, so he had abstained, and he was happy.
Now though he had to deal with these affections, Lancelot's for him, and his own for Galahad. He had seen the other man stepping in on his behalf just as much as Nimue had been. They were both trying to distract Lancelot for him, something that he was grateful for. He had been spending more time with Galahad as a result and his feelings for the other man were changing. They had been friends for a while now, but Merlin was beginning to feel the stirrings of affection for the Kingsman the more time they spent together.
He was interrupted from his thoughts by a knock on his front door, he made his way back to the door looking through the spy hole, surprised to see Galahad on the other side, the man must have been close behind him to be there now. He opened the door, and allowed the other man in, wondering what he wanted. It was a surprise to him that he soon found himself sat on his sofa, eating a takeaway and watching a movie with the man he had just been thinking about.
Galahad had explained that he had thought he needed to relax and unwind a little and that a night with a friend might be the answer. Merlin despite his conflicting feelings was glad that Galahad was there, and decided to show him just how thankful he was. He reached out and for the first time ever initiated contact between them, taking the other man's hand in his he squeezed it before letting it go and giving the man a small smile. The smile he received in return showed him that Galahad understood what he was trying to say. He may not be comfortable with the idea of sex, but companionship, with the right person, Merlin could come to enjoy that.