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VIII
From Arthur
To Morgana
Object :
Please
Arthur looked at his screen; he had tried several things. 'Forgive me' 'I'm sorry' 'I miss you'. Only this single word 'please' seemed to express exactly how he felt at the moment. He played with the punctuation. Question mark was ridiculous. One single point was arrogant. Ellipses were desperate and out of question. Nothing at all was the best he could come up with. He was pathetic; not even a complete sentence and no mark at all… Just lame.
The previous day, he had taken the mug she had used in the cupboard. After looking at it for a couple of minutes, he had violently smashed it on the floor in frustration. He missed her. He had for a while, now. But having her around had completely blow up his balance. He could still sense her print around him. This was insufferable. He pressed the send button before he regretted it.
Arthur pushed his chair from the desk and groaned when the movement launched vibrations up to his wounded shoulder. He was weary. The Museum was not at all happy about the bad publicity and questioned his security procedures. She was gone. He had lost several good men to a neighbouring construction site because of the holding for investigation. She would never accept to forgive him. His stakeholders were talking delays and additional costs. Morgana was far away, out of his reach. He ruffled his head, rubbing his hand over his face and sighed.
The bip of incoming email forced him to focus on his computer again.
From Morgana
Automatic reply
I'm currently out the office. For emergency, please contact…
Arthur smiled to his fate, and began laughing out loud. He really was doomed.
"I'm glad you finally learn how to entertain yourself without me, but what's so funny?" asked Merlin, handing him his lunch pack.
"I am."
"Really?"
Arthur made a face at him, and opened his sandwich. Merlin sighed.
"You know, I'm getting tired of sandwiches and I miss my own bed. Friday is a holiday. What about we head back home this week-end?"
"And you'll abandon me to the wolves?"
Both men turned to the door at the same time. Merlin jumped on his feet to hug her. She looked tired; her vivid green eyes were shadowed by the manifest signs of bad sleeping. But she was smiling, apparently very pleased with herself. Arthur retort died in his throat under her stare. She was watching him above Merlin shoulder. He wished he could read the radiant stare fixed on him. Unsettled, he retreated behind banalities.
"Coffee?"
"In a new mug, Merlin teased, Arthur kind of smashed the old one…"
Morgana pushed Merlin hands away and approached Arthur. Her gaze was concerned, suspicious and surprised at the same time. What she seemed to find into him, he didn't have a clue, but her grin turned a bit devilish and he suddenly felt very very exposed. He took one step back. Brashness took over.
"You forgot to deactivate your out-of-the-office automatic reply."
"No, I didn't. I AM out of the office."
Arthur took another step back and collided with his desk. He would never survive this. He held up his hands, defeated.
"Morgana, I don't want to fight… Last time, Gwen swore to kill me."
She laughed, delicious sound.
"Then pray she doesn't remember that…"
At the same moment, a storm of curly spring hair, delight smiles and flying bows invaded the room.
"Merlin!!"
Gwen threw herself at the young man and kissed him, before moving to Arthur. He brushed her cheek swiftly. Morgana and Guinevere?... God, he clearly was not to live another day.
Arthur reaction surprised her. He was almost happy to see her. Well, maybe relieved. And embarrassed. Out of curiousity, she checked her inbox. His message was the last entry. She did not open it. She'd read it later, when no one would witness her reaction. Gwen was already explaining about their new lead.
"Godefroi, that's your old librarian, isn't it?"
"Yes, Merlin, that's him. When he suggested the statue may be a representation of King Arthur himself, Morgana figured that maybe the tomb is inside the chapel."
"So you want to explore it."
Arthur was tampering a pen on a thick folder, staring at the hypnotic movement. Gwen shot a glare to him, for his tone was half-hearted. Surprisingly, Morgana was the one to play peace keeper.
"If you authorize it, of course… Imagine if we found anything!..."
He looked up, uncertain.
"Do you realize that our thieves knew exactly where to look? It might be dangerous…"
"Oh, come on Arthur! We had about 30 men here, and every single one knew where the stone was stored… It's not conspiracy it's just a petty theft. Let's do this!"
As always, Merlin was ready to run the field without a second thought about the risks. Morgana smiled. What a strange pair they made, the taciturn prudent guy and the enthusiastic merry one.
Arthur was looking at her now, smoothing his beard and the moustache over his mouth. She glanced away, failing to ignore the sparks the image shot into her stomach. He had the most beautiful mouth…
"Fine. But none of you stays alone in there."
"Thank you, Arthur."
She beamed at him and he nodded with a slow smile of his own. Gwen and Merlin exchanged a wink and a knowing grin.
"So, where do you start?"
