September 2005

For the next two weeks, Merlin had been accidently bumping into Michael in the strangest places. First of course at the corner shop, which was in itself strange, as Merlin had never seen Michael before he had been in the café, especially not around Merlin's part of town.

However now Merlin was seeing Michael everywhere. Just two days after meeting him outside the shop, Merlin had bumped into him once again in the local bookstore. They had gone for coffee together, and then ended up walking back to Merlin's flat once again. They watched a film, before Michael reluctantly left.

Whenever Merlin was working he always came into the café, each time acting surprised to see Merlin working on the days he went in, and Merlin was beginning to think that he hadn't "accidently" bumped into Michael at all, and that Michael seemed to be planning these encounters. As strange as it may be, however, Merlin didn't seem to mind.

"It's slightly strange though."

Merlin rolled his eyes, as he mixed his sugar into his porridge. Gwen was standing at the sink with her back to Merlin, washing up her own breakfast bowl. Merlin could imagine the look on her face though.

"What is?" He asked innocently, though he knew what she was talking about and he simply wanted to avoid the conversation.

"You, bumping into Michael all of the time when before you hadn't ever seen him."

Merlin shrugged, forgetting Gwen couldn't see him. "Perhaps I wasn't looking."

Gwen turned round at this, one eyebrow raised. She wiped her hands on a tea cloth and folded her arms. "I never had you down to be such a romantic."

"Romantic? What do you mean by that?" Merlin leant back in his chair, mirroring the image of Gwen folding her arms.

"I mean, even if you were to be looking, what would you have even been looking for?"

Merlin shrugged again. Picking up his spoon and eating his porridge again. "A friend, maybe." His mouth full, he gulped down a glass of water.

"A friend?" Gwen frowned. "Am I not enough?"

Merlin chuckled, pushing his chair back and standing up, walking over to Gwen with his breakfast bowl in one hand and proceeding to cup her face with the other.

"Of course you are, which is exactly why I wasn't looking in the first place." He winked at her, putting his bowl into the sink of water.

"You charmer." She smiled, whipping the tea cloth at the bags of his legs. Merlin turned to shout friendly abuse at her when he'd seen that her face had almost instantly fell from a smile.

"Hey?" He walked slowly over to her and put a simple arm around her shoulder. "What's up with you today?" Gwen only shrugged. "Are you jealous? Worried that Michael's going to take your place?"

She elbowed him in the ribs lightly, causing him to flinch. "No, it's not that."

"Good, because that's never going to happen." Then, after a pause, "what is it?"

She took a deep breath, and sighed. "I just think Michael's got a bit more than friendship on his mind when it concerns you."

Merlin blushed, and smiled slightly, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe I have, as well." Gwen turned to him quickly.

"Have you slept with him!?"

Merlin almost leapt back, "What!? No! We haven't even as much as held hands, Guinevere!" Gwen sighed.

"Sorry. Checking. I just don't want to see you hurt." She murmured, and Merlin suddenly realised what exactly she was talking about. "You're different, Merlin." She confirmed his thoughts. He tightened his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a full hug.

"I know."

"Please don't tell him. Michael I mean, about you."

Merlin shook his head, but felt himself thinking the exact opposite and he felt worried. He hadn't even considered keeping his secret a, well, secret from Michael. He would have told him anything about himself if he had asked. That thought scared Merlin very much.

"I won't, Gwen." He pulled away from the hug, and placed a small kiss on her forehead. "Tell you what, put your bowl back, I'll do the washing up this morning."

She smiled at him, "you," she poked his nose, "have to get to work."

He laughed, "you didn't think I meant that I'd do it manually, did you?" He winked at her, and whispered a small incantation and watched as the dishes and clothes wiped together effortlessly and cleaned themselves.

"Merlin!" Gwen stood, arms folded. "Gaius said you mustn't use your magic for petty chores!"

"Gaius isn't here! And anyway, he meant at work, where I might be seen!" Gwen just rolled her eyes and checked her watch and tapped at it with one finger.

"Talking of work, you should get going." She smiled, "let's see if you can go eight hours washing up without magic, shall we?"

Merlin had been at work for over seven of his eight hours, and had found him-self wondering where Michael was. He felt annoyed with himself, it wasn't as if Michael had planned with him to come and see him at work, but it had happened every shift Merlin had had for the past two weeks – Merlin just expected it.

"Something on your mind, Merlin?" Merlin turned to see his boss and tutor, Gaius, staring at him with one eyebrow raised. He stood with his arms folded and Merlin was reminded of Gwen earlier that morning.

"Nothing."

Gaius raised both eyebrows and walked slowly past Merlin, taking a grinder from the coffee machine and rinsing it. Merlin moved to the bins and began emptying them.

"That young boy hasn't been in today." Gaius mused. Merlin felt him self froze for a second, before continuing to empty a bin, and replace the full bag with an empty one. Gaius continued to press the subject. "What was his name, again?"

"Michael." Merlin answered, slightly too quickly for his own liking. He turned his head slowly to look at Gaius who once again had an eyebrow raised.

"Oh yes, of course. Young Michael."

"He's not that young. My age." Merlin retreated, feeling his cheeks begin to flush red.

"I know, I know." Gaius stated, "19 is a young age, Merlin. A young age to be shouldering certain…worries, responsibilities."

Merlin turned to face the older man. "What's your point?"

"Michael seems very… keen for you."

The fact that Merlin was gay was a fact known to Gaius. Gaius had been a friend of Merlin's parents when they both died when Merlin was only young. He took Merlin in, cared for him, and helped him to hide his magic from the others – he was the best man for the job, really. When Merlin turned 18 and wanted to leave home, Gaius helped him look for a flat to share with Gwen, and found them one on the same street in which he lived, just a small walk away from the café. Having known Merlin all his life, Gaius, along with Gwen, was naturally the first person Merlin told about his sexuality. It didn't bother Gaius one bit.

Merlin wasn't sure what to say, "Really?" He asked.

Gaius laughed, clapping Merlin on the shoulder, "You know he does!" Merlin just nodded shyly. "Just…be careful, Merlin. You're-"

"Different?" Merlin smiled at Gaius, "I had this same talk with Gwen this morning."

"Ah."

"I won't tell him." He paused. "I won't ever tell any one."

"I know you won't, you may be stupid sometimes Merlin, but I have faith that you're not a complete idiot."

Merlin scoffed, "Wow… thank you Gaius!" he said, causing both he and Gaius to fall into laughter.

"I just mean, you may not tell him, but he may find out another way – accidently, perhaps." Merlin nodded, understanding Gaius' concern. There have been many incidents where Merlin has had to quickly come up with silly excuses for things where magic had been concerned. Countless times where Merlin had disagreed with a date Gwen had invited round for the evening, and the date's glass had shattered in their hand due to Merlin's anger. Or, also the times where Merlin has had to 'stop time' because Gwen was about to spill a glass of red wine over herself in public in that new white dress that she loved.

"I'll be careful. It's just, there's something about him, you know?" Gaius nodded stiffly, but Merlin continued. "It's just, we're only friends right, but I have the urge to just reach out and hold his hand?"

"Merlin…"

"Something about him just pulls me towards him, physically pulls me towards him,"

"Er, Merlin I think-"

"And sometimes I even forget that Gwen is in the room when he is there and talking to me, and I can't even hear what she's saying, because he is there."

Gaius coughed loudly, causing Merlin to look up at him and also towards the front counter where Michael stood, looking down at his hands, red faintly rolling across his cheeks. "Oh." Merlin stuttered, not exactly knowing where to look.

"You can go, if you wish Merlin. " Gaius nodded at him, knowingly, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Oh, I didn't mean to intrude…" Michael mumbled, silently.

"Merlin, go. I can finish up here."

Merlin's faced pulled into a wide smile, "You sure, Gaius?" Gaius just nodded and that was all it took for Merlin to pull his apron off and throw it over the counter. "See you tomorrow, yeah?" Gaius nodded once again, as he watched, with one eyebrow raised, Merlin almost bound out of the café with the curious stranger who named himself Michael.

Merlin wondered up his road with Michael, their hands bumping against each other causing a thick tension between them.

"Mer-"

"Mich-"

They stuttered at the same time, stopping in their tracks and laughed nervously. "You go." Merlin said, smiling at Michael.

Michael shrugged, "okay." He laughed. "I just…I don't know how to ask this." His eyes were watching the floor nervously, and Merlin could have sworn that they shone so bright.

"Ask…ask what?" Merlin tried to stop himself from smiling. Michael looked up and straight into Merlin's eyes, and Merlin felt himself pause in every way. He was transfixed. He couldn't move. His heartbeat was stuttering along with his breath.

"I want to reach out and hold your hand, too." Michael held his hand out, and Merlin automatically took it, not sensing himself move. It was so natural. The moment their hands clasped together, Merlin felt something rush through his veins, he could feel his magic glow inside of him, and he just put it down to happiness – it couldn't have been anything else but happiness that caused that automatic rush, right?