August, 2005
Merlin's only day off was a Monday, which was convenient as it was also Gwen's day off also. He wondered the two-minute walk down his road from their flat that they shared (obviously) to the small shop on the corner – Albion convenience. He opened the door to be greeted by the ding-dong of the bell that rang out throughout the shop, alerting the shopkeeper.
"Ahhh, Good morning, Mr Merlin, Sir." Merlin smiled. The shopkeeper had called him that from the very first day they met even though Merlin insisted him not to. He continued to address Gwen 'Miss Guinevere' too, and Gwen always flushed red at the name. He was an old man, the only hairs left on his head were grey, and his hips kept the old man from walking around too much, yet he always came out to greet Merlin and Guinevere.
"Good morning, Mr Smith." Merlin politely nodded at him, and began scanning for items he may need. He spotted the small pile of flowers and wondered over. He picked up some yellow tulips, and smelt them, smiling at his choice – Yellow has always been Gwen's favourite colours.
"Ahhh, special girl on the scene, Mr Merlin?" Mr Smith seemed to have a habit of doing that, speaking out of turn and appearing just at Merlin's side when he least expected it. Though used to it after a year of visiting the shop, Merlin still jumped.
"What? Oh no, they're for Gwen." Merlin smiled, pulling his wallet from his pocket and wondered slowly over to the counter to lead Mr Smith there also. Mr Smith also had a habit of forgetting Merlin's homosexuality, and insisting he and 'Miss Guinevere' belonged together. Merlin liked to end these conversations as promptly as possible, and right now could feel another one brewing.
"Ahhh, how is young Miss Guinevere?" Mr Smith asked, taking the tulips from Merlin's hands and neatly tying a red ribbon around the stalks.
"Very well, thank you." Merlin stated, bluntly yet still politely.
"Ahhh, no. Is there trouble in the Merlin-Gwen household?" Mr Smith asked, gesturing to the tulips he was now placing in a small plastic bag.
"Why would there be?"
"Flowers – an apologetic way to a young woman's heart." Mr Smith beamed as though he had discovered a secret from Merlin. Merlin laughed.
"Mr Smith, you should know by now that me and Guinevere are not an item, and in fact we both find the same gender attractive!"
Mr Smith waved his hands in front of his face bashfully, "Two lovely young people cannot be in such close proximity and…"
"How much do I owe you, Mr Smith?" Merlin smiled, politely at the old, traditional man. It was not his fault the old man believed in such fairy tale love.
"Ahhh, two pounds and fifty pence if you will please Mr Merlin, sir."
Merlin took three pound coins from his wallet and passed them over to the old man, "Keep the change."
"Ahhh, thank you Mr Merlin, sir. Send my love to Miss Guinevere, and send her your own as well!" He shouted out to Merlin as he exited the shop.
"Good bye, Mr Smith!" He bellowed back, shaking his head and laughing at the old man's innocence. Instead, he probably should have looked where he was going when he bumped into something, causing the flowers and his wallet to fall out of his hand.
"Watch it!" The angry voice caused Merlin to look up in apology, when he met a pair of striking blue eyes.
"Michael?" Merlin stepped back as the sparkling eyes he encountered a fortnight ago turned dark and angry.
"Oh, Merlin." And they turned light again, friendly and warm. "So sorry, are these yours?"
Michael knelt on his knees in front of Merlin, the sight made Merlin flush. Michael stood again, holding Gwen's tulips and his wallet in his hands, smiling.
"Yes…" Merlin's throat croaked. He coughed, clearing his throat. "Yes, yes thank you they are."
"Lucky lady." Michael smiled, his eyes catching Merlin's confused ones, "Or man, I suppose."
"Err…" Merlin wasn't quite sure what to say. Michael must have known Merlin was gay, or he wouldn't have left his number two weeks ago. Yet the flowers were not for anyone he was romantically connected to anyway, only Gwen, so why was Merlin feeling embarrassed at the thought of Michael's jealousy?
"Suppose that's why you haven't texted me or anything," Michael continued, "I'm sorry, I should have never presumed you were…" It was Michael's turn for his voice to be caught in his throat.
"I was what?" Merlin asked, knowing that Michael clearly presumed, correctly presumed, he was gay by overhearing his and Gwen's conversation at his work.
"Single."
"Oh."
"I should go."
"No."
The conversation moved so quickly that Merlin could hardly understand own thoughts.
"What?"
"Don't go. I'm not."
"Huh?" Michael smiled, putting his fiddling hands into his pockets.
"I'm, err, I'm not…single, I mean. I am single. I'm not taken. I'm…single." Merlin stuttered. Michael pointed at the flowers, questioningly. "For Gwen." Merlin answered.
"The girl in the café?"
"That's her. She's my flat mate. And friend. Best friend." Merlin realised he was being overly sloppy, and stopped his sentences.
"Ah. You live around here?" Michael rocked back and forth on his heels.
"Two minutes up the road." Michael raised his eyebrows, smiling at Merlin "Want to come over?"
"Sure." Michael smiled; turning on his heels and began walking beside Merlin back to his flat, and Merlin resisted the strange urge to slip his hand into the almost-stranger's hand.
Merlin slid the key into the door, turned it and pushed the door open, before slipping his shoes off and onto the rack, causing Michael to follow suit. He followed Merlin down the long corridor, scanning the walls with his eyes to see several photo frames pinned up to the wall. Mainly ones of Merlin and Gwen, cuddled up on the sofa, or sipping drinks out of large jugs, or piggy-backing each other. Michael laughed to himself at the thought of Merlin's innocent life, almost scoffing.
"Gwen, you're awake!" Michael heard Merlin's chirpy voice from the room at the end of the corridor, resisted from rolling his eyes and made his way along the corridor.
"Well, it is past ten in the morning, Merlin! Did you expect me to stay in bed all day?"
"Not all day! Just long enough for me to put these in a vase." Merlin pulled the tulips from behind his back and thrust them into Gwen's hands, a smile beaming on his face.
Michael once again had to resist from scoffing at the scene unfolding in front of him. 'Silly peasants.' He thought to himself. 'No clue of their destinies.'
"Oh, Merlin!" Gwen smiled, hugging Merlin one handed, "Or should I say 'Mr Merlin, sir!'" She said giggling. That was when she spotted Michael, hiding behind the wall. "You've brought a friend?" Gwen pulled from Merlin, and looked up at him, wiggling her eyebrows slightly for Merlin's eyes only.
"Oh yes," Merlin blushed, clearing his throat, and stepping aside, inviting Michael in the room. "Gwen, I don't suppose you remember Michael from a couple of weeks ago? He was a customer at work, whilst you were helping me clean…"
"Who left you the very generous tip?" Gwen raised her eyebrows at Merlin, and Merlin full well knew that Gwen was not talking of the two pounds Michael left him.
"Well, yes." Merlin scowled at her, causing her to laugh.
"Nice to meet you, Michael." She smiled at him as he bowed his head slightly.
"You too, Gwen. Merlin speaks very highly of you."
Gwen raised her eyebrows, looking between the two boys, "He's spoken of me to you, has he?"
"No-" Merlin started, before being swiftly interrupted by Michael.
"Well, between calling you his 'best friend' and buying you those beautiful flowers, I figured out how much he thinks of you. Pleasure to meet you." He eyes shone as he spoke to warmly to Gwen, and Merlin felt something tug at his heart at the sight of Gwen accepting Michael, even before Merlin got a chance to accept him himself. It was nice.
"Well…thank you for your such kind words, Michael." She blushed deeply. "I'll leave you boys alone now." She winked discreetly at Merlin, though not discreetly enough as Michael dipped his head in slight embarrassment, "I'm meeting Lance for coffee."
Merlin glared at Gwen, his back to Michael, "Coffee? Very sophisticated. Have fun." He said stiffly, gesturing for Michael to leave the room as he clipped Gwen lightly round the head. "I hate you!" He jokingly whispered at her, leaving her to just giggle at him as he followed Michael and opened the door to his own room, swiftly inviting Michael in as though to protect him from any embarrassment from Gwen.