As far as receptions go, this wasn't much of one. But it was alright, all the same. There were endless amounts of food on the counters in the kitchen and from the living room, soft jazz music filled in the places between chattering. Almost all of the neighbors had shown up and even some of Merlin's expended family. Like Gaius, his great uncle on his mum's side. Everyone seemed to be very happy to be there, everyone said how pleased they were that Merlin had found love and blah, blah blah. It was all rubbish, because Merlin was sure they were talking shit behind his back, that's what families and friends were good at. Judging. More than once he had caught a few cousins staring and whispering to each other. So what if Arthur was older than him? So what if they hadn't been 'dating' that long? That was no ones business. But Merlin chose not to get annoyed about this, at least out loud, and instead sat in the living room, looking out of the front window. He had stayed there a long time probably a good hour or so by himself, he didn't know where his new husband was...probably with his girlfriend somewhere and Merlin was fine with that. He needed time to be alone, which is why he wished his mother never forced them to have this party. He felt this even stronger after he noticed the old, beat up green car park outside, on the other side of the street, and the familiar shaggy, black hair, accompanied by the pinball tallness of his boyfriend. Merlin felt his stomach flip.
Why was Gwaine here?! That was the last thing Merlin needed, was his ex at his wedding. Who invited him, why? Merlin was already blaming his mother before the man had even walked inside, and when he had walked inside, Merlin hid behind the book case his father had built in the sitting room a few years ago, and waited for him to go passed, into the kitchen. He couldn't deal with Gwaine, not today. He loved Gwaine, he did, he loved going over to his house once in awhile and getting pissed senseless, but there was a time and place for Gwaine and this wasn't it. Merlin probably wouldn't feel this way if it wasn't for the fact that he was supposed to have cheated on Gwaine...which didn't make any sense, Merlin was no cheater and everyone knew this. But it was still what everyone believed now. He only hoped no one said anything...
"You cheated on me, eh?" said Gwaine, after being there about twenty minutes. Merlin didn't look at him when he walked into the sitting room. He only looked at his warm beer, that he had barely been drinking this whole party and sighed, closing his eyes. "I should've known...you took me dumping you too well."
"Because I knew you were in love with Percy!" said Merlin and Gwaine took a few steps deeper into the room and raised a thick eyebrow at him.
"So cheat on me for it?"
"You were cheating on me first..." complained Merlin, Gwaine's face was ridden with hurt and Merlin hated this, he really did. "I didn't want you to find out like this...I don't know who invited you."
This seemed to hurt Gwaine more and Merlin wanted to throw himself off of a very tall building. "Your sister did...I didn't know I was unwanted."
"You're not, I just-" said Merlin, but then he stopped and glared. "Wait, Gwen invited you?"
"Yeah," retorted Gwaine darkly but Merlin glared deeper now too, but not at him.
"Who told you about me and Arthur?"
"It's your wedding?" offered Gwaine in return.
"So, you just assumed I cheated...?"
"Oh no...you're mum told me that."
"Why the fuck would my mum tell you that?" argued Merlin.
"She thought I knew."
Merlin let out a huff of air, feeling his chest tighten for the second time today, but this time it was with anger. What the fuck were his mother and sister playing at? Why would they do this? First of all, more importantly than anything else, Gwen knew this all wasn't true. So, why did she let this lie linger so much? Merlin was pissed, and not in the drunk way either, he was livid. It must have shown on his face too, because Gwaine stared at him and then Arthur walked in, out of no where, looking alarmed.
"What's happened, who is this?"
Merlin tried to let go of some of his anger, enough to at least speak, but he couldn't. "I'm the bloke you two-timed on," said Gwaine then, turning around to size Arthur up. Arthur, bless him, only stare back, blue eyes wide like saucers and shook his head.
"Oh for fuck's sake..." he complained, looking over Gwaine's head at Merlin, his eyes, not as wide now filled with something that looked like an apology. It wasn't his fault though.
"Ay, wait...Arthur...you're the bloke he always bitched about, you were his boss...the one that threw coffee in his face!" said Gwaine then and Arthur's eyes narrowed entirely, and he glared at him.
"Yeah, what of it?"
"You married him?!" Gwaine whipped around and stared at Merlin. "Are you in-fucking-sane? All you did was say how much you hated him?"
"Listen, Mate, you weren't invited alright? So before you start judging anyone, you might wanna bugger off," retorted Arthur then. "We don't want any trouble here, but I'll be happy to make some if I have to."
"I was invited...Mate," said Gwaine now, and Merlin knew that voice, this was the voice he used before he got into bar fights. Merlin dodged around an obviously hurt and angry Gwaine and grabbed hold of Arthur's hand and dragged him out. "Yeah, have your twink save you.."
Merlin had to shove Arthur in the shoulder, so he didn't walk back into the sitting room as Gwaine called after them. But Merlin refused to be angry at Gwaine, even for the comment, because this wasn't his fault, he was hurt. Instead, Merlin didn't let go of Arthur, only dragged him along, through the kitchen and then out to the back garden, where Gwen was standing with her father, Tom.
"Gwen...a word...now," said Merlin, and with his other hand, he grabbed her and took her further into the backyard. Once they were far away from the other guests, he rounded on her. "Why the fuck did you invite Gwaine, my ex...I supposedly cheated on according to you, why are you fucking doing this to me?"
Gwen stared at him for a long time, breaking only for a second, to look for help from Arthur. But when she didn't get it, she turned back to Merlin and pouted. "I just wanted someone you knew to come...I was trying to be nice. All the rest of your friends are rubbish, Merlin. I thought you would like the company."
"I'm meant to be his company!" argued Arthur and her eyes landed on him again, but this time with an offended look.
"Yes," she retorted, pointedly. "But not really."
"I just don't get it, are you trying to make me look awful, do you want my whole life to be ruined?" said Merlin now and her offended look at Arthur washed away into that of a near panic. "I'm doing this for you and you're not making it very easy for me."
"I'm sorry, Merlin," she said now. "I didn't know it would bother you so much...he doesn't have to know you cheated on him."
"Oh, but he already does!" argued Merlin, he didn't like how she said that. He hadn't ever actually cheated, did she forget that? "Mum told him!"
Gwen gasped. "Oh no!"
"Oh yeah..."
"I'm so sorry, Merlin!" she said now, near tears. "I never thought she would say anything...I'll go talk to her!"
"What's the point now?" asked Merlin and she stopped and turned back toward him, frowning and biting her lip. "He already knows, he's pissed and I'm pretty sure he wants to kick Arthur's ass...and you know how he is, once he wants to kick someone's ass...he just does it."
"I'm not afraid of this little punk-" Merlin looked over at Arthur with a raised eyebrow and Arthur stopped talking for a second, looking back at him. "You expect me to be afraid? I've wrestled bigger alligators than him."
"...I don't want to know what that means," said Merlin, looking away from Arthur then. But thinking, really, they were married now and yet he knew next to nothing about Arthur.
"I can't believe she told him!" complained Gwen now. "What an absolute rotten bitch!"
"It was a lesson of some kind, I'm sure..."said Merlin. "You know how mum is..."
"Still!" said Gwen and then shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose there is nothing we can do about it now though, we might as well enjoy the party while it's still going. Arthur, come get a drink with me."
Arthur hesitated for a moment and then gave Merin a look, one that Merlin really didn't understand. But either way, the two walked off together, leaving Merlin there, alone. So, nothing unusual really.
(A/N: I didn't try to take so long of a break from posting. I wanted this all to be posted by the start of 2021 but I worked everyday until Christmas, was way too tired on Christmas to even function and then worked every day since Christmas. Trying to balance writing stuff, working a fulltime job and now my college will be starting up again next week...I don't even know, it's hard. I think I am going to become a weekend updater. Or at least try my best. I will try to finish this story this weekend though. I want the full thing posted. I hope you enjoy!)