Merlin downed another glass of whiskey as he waited for Gwaine to show up. Lancelot was off somewhere talking on the phone to Sarah. He looked down the bar at the couple that was wrapped around each other. They'd only met about half an hour ago; he'd watched the entire thing. The guy had walked up to the girl and told her some appalling pick up line that was so bad it had her giggling. It seemed it was so bad that its badness was what made it work. Merlin's mind had wandered to what it would be like if he were just a normal guy and Morgana was a normal girl. He thought about seeing her in a bar one night and just having to talk to her. He thought about what he would say to her, how she would blush, duck her head and tuck a piece of hair behind her ear and then smile up at him coyly. He thought about what they would talk about, he thought in another life she would have been an artist and he would have listened to her intently telling him about the latest piece she was working on. He thought about how he would have charmed and coaxed her into going home with.
That was the point where he'd ordered another drink and then another and then a chaser for that one. Some pretty girl had sidled up to him and tried to start a conversation. He'd looked at her like he'd never seen a girl before, then he remembered to be polite and smiled and told her that he had girlfriend. Was that a lie? He wouldn't exactly call Morgana his girlfriend, whatever they were was complicated but they were something. And that thought had required another drink. He'd just downed that one when Lancelot appeared beside him grinning like a fool. He guessed it was going well with Sarah. Even Lancelot had a simpler love life than he did. He signaled the bartender and ordered them both a drink, "Let's grab a table," he said as he led them over to an alcove away from the bar and tucked away from prying eyes and ears.
"So," Lancelot said as he slid into the seat opposite Merlin, "Did Morgana give you anything you could use?"
He raised his brows and smirked, he couldn't resist that one, "Yeah she gave me quite a bit."
Lancelot sighed, "I meant about Arthur and immortality. Not about…that. Which you should not have been doing in Gaius's library, his home, and his place of business. Do you have no shame, Merlin? Not to mention that location is not befitting of a lady."
"She started it, not me." He protested.
"Did she?"
"Yes. No. Yes." He shook his head, "Maybe. She was sitting there looking all kinds of irresistible. So, I didn't resist."
"Because heaven forbid you should keep your hands to yourself. She's irresistible to you yet you're still going to tell me that you need to kill her?" Lancelot asked looking thoroughly unconvinced even though they'd already had this conversation.
"Merlin's going to kill who?" Gwaine asked with a grin and pulled a chair up to the table.
"Morgana." Lancelot stated as Merlin sighed, "Though, he doesn't want me to tell you that because Merlin thinks you're with her."
"Well, I'm definitely not with her like Merlin is. Or was," Gwaine stated with his usual devilish smile. Merlin would be a liar if he said he hadn't missed it. "Thank you for that by the way, Merlin, it was delightfully entertaining watching Morgana try to explain to Gaius why his books were strewn everywhere and how it was his light bulb just spontaneously combusted."
"How did she explain that?" Lancelot was equally intrigued to see how Morgana explained that Gaius without revealing what had really been going on even though it was painfully obvious.
Gwaine chuckled, "She didn't really, just stammered and blushed spectacularly and promised Gaius she would tidy up and change the light bulb. And then he raised that brow at her and she stammered some more and promised she'd make him some muffins to make it up to him. It was absolutely delicious."
"The Lady Morgana said she'd change a light bulb?" Lancelot asked between laughs, "And that she would bake?"
"Yeah, she did it too at least the light bulb part, watched her do it. And when I left she was perched on the table in Gaius's library looking up recipes."
Merlin was about to break into their conversation when Gwaine laughed again and shot him a pointed look, "I almost forgot, Gaius wanted to put some ointment on that hickey you gave her, he thought it was some kind of rash. It was the funniest thing, I didn't think her face could get any redder and then it did!"
As entertaining as they clearly thought it was, Merlin had had enough of hearing about the levels of Morgana's embarrassment, he picked up what was left of his drink and downed it in one go and leveled Gwaine with a look, "Why are you helping Morgana, Gwaine? You know what she's doing and yet you're showing her loyalty, you and Gaius both."
Their laughter cut of abruptly and Gwaine's expression turned somber, "Don't think for a second I've forgotten what she did to me, to any of us but right now she needs someone in her corner."
"But why you?"
"I've told you. She and I have something in common."
"What could you and Morgana possibly have in common?"
Gwaine shrugged, "We're both fiercely loyal to someone."
"Who?" He felt as if Gwaine were being purposefully evasive, which he probably was.
"Can't tell you, Merlin."
"Why not?"
Gwaine sighed and ran a hand over his head, "Look, it's not that I don't want to tell you because I do, I really do but I gave Morgana my word I wouldn't tell you anything."
Lancelot leaned on the table, clearly as frustrated as Merlin was but holding it in a lot better, "We don't want to be on opposite sides to you, Gwaine. Can you tell us anything?"
Gwaine looked thoughtful, then nodded, "I can tell you that you think she's betrayed you and she has but at the same time she hasn't. You think you need to kill her, you don't, she will pay with her life but when her life ends, it won't be at your hands."
Panic crept up Merlin's spine, he felt his heart rate speed up, he didn't want anyone else laying their hands on her, if she was to die, he was going to be the one to end her life. Again.
"So," Lancelot said slowly, trying to understand, trying to decipher Gwaine's cryptic statement, "You're protecting her?"
Gwaine shook his head, "No, there's no protection for her. She's going to be hurt either way." He shot Merlin a look full of meaning and Merlin got the feeling Gwaine wasn't talking just about Morgana getting hurt physically. "Look, Merlin, we'll do our thing and you do yours and just see where it leads us all." Gwaine pushed back his chair and stood, "Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I need to go in search of a lovely lady to waste the night with." He winked at Merlin and then was walking away from the table leaving them to stare after him.
"Was it just me, or was he being particularly evasive?" Lancelot asked with a glance at Merlin. Merlin shook his head, "It wasn't just you."
"Didn't think so."
"He's right though, we need to focus on our plan. Morgana made a good suggestion, we could link my soul with Arthur's."
"Would that work? We might want to do more than one spell or have more than one element going to make sure it really sticks."
Merlin nodded, "Yeah that was what I was thinking too. I just haven't finished coming up with what else to do. Might need some more research."
Lancelot grinned, "So, another visit to Gaius's library might be in order then?"
Merlin leaned back in his chair and grinned, "Possibly."
