The rest of the family dinner had gone pretty well that night. Apparently the slight knocks they made at each other and how much they teased each other was charming according to Merlin's mother. Who had pulled him aside and explained, "I had been worried you and Arthur didn't have much of a connection, but now I see you two really understand each other." And then she proceeded to cry and tell Merlin how happy she was for him, it was alarming to say the least. But at least they had done their job of convincing Hunith, who was the important one to convince. Balinor wouldn't be happy about it either way, but he would go along with whatever his wife said. In the end it was good Hunith felt this way, but Merlin supposed in the long run, when the truth came out, Hunith was going to be furious with Merlin either way. He worried about that sometimes, in a few years when they found out the truth...would they hate him?
He didn't want to dwell on it too much, because every time he did it made him sick. And today was not a day he wanted to be sick. It was a bit chilly out, but it was the annual 'cling on to summer' cook out Hunith and Balinor threw every end of summer. It was now officially October which meant several things all at once. Those light up pumpkins Merlin bought a few months ago could come out now, it was almost Halloween and Merlin and Arthur had almost been married five whole months now. That alone was probably a feat in itself, as they probably shouldn't be married in the first place. Hold the probably. The cookout was great so far. There was a breeze in the air and Hunith had set out a bunch of different kinds of salads and fruits in the back garden. Everyone was having a good time, neighbors and friends and of course family. Merlin's whole family was there, minus Gwen who was still at work, but she would be there soon.
For now, Merlin was clung onto Arthur's shoulders, digging his nails into the skin under his white shirt, as he tried desperately to stop him from kicking the ball between them. Merlin wasn't really sure how he had been talked into playing footie with Arthur and Elyan. Somehow, Arthur had just sort of asked him and didn't wait for an answer, when Merlin explained he had no idea how to play footie, Arthur made him be the goalkeeper for both he and Elayn. Which only meant Merlin had to stop the ball going into the makeshift goal post they had made. Which was just one of Hunith's tablecloths between two outdoor chairs. So, Merlin did, at whatever coast, he stopped the ball. Be it throwing himself on it, and once as Elyan tried to trick him by pointing to something behind him, laying down in front of the goal. Now, Merlin was in actual combat with Arthur, trying to stop him. He pushed and Arthur pushed back. He tried to kick the ball between them and kept missing, while Arthur tried to kick it and Merlin would stop him in various ways. Like jerking him away and another time kicking him in the shin as he went to kick. This time, thirty seconds after the shin kick, Merlin had to do something. Arthur was going to score and therefore Merlin was going to not be doing his job of not letting Arthur score. So, in a brave move, Merlin leaned forward and kissed him right on the lips.
It wasn't very much of a kiss, more so a peck if being honest. It definitely didn't violate any Gwen rules. Well, it probably did, as Merlin breathing in Arthur's genuine direction was breaking a Gwen rule. But it had stunned Arthur enough that it stopped him from kicking the ball, it stopped him from doing everything, actually. He stared at Merlin for a few seconds, mouth slightly ajar now, before he spoke. "That's a foul!" he announced, loudly. "A big, big foul!"
Merlin shrugged a shoulder and pulled a face, "No, I don't think it was..."
"Oh yeah?" retorted Arthur, with a raised eyebrow. "So, does that mean we can play dirty?"
Merlin didn't entirely know what he was agreeing to, but he nodded. "Do whatever you want, Dragon Man."
"Alright," said Arthur and when they lined up again and Arthur got the ball from Elyan pretty quickly and came barreling toward Merlin again. Merlin braced himself, ready to fight. And Merlin did block him at first, but then Arthur got close enough, the ball between them once more and Arthur just leaned forward, grabbed Merlin around the middle and threw him over his shoulder. Then, like an utter prat, proceeded to kick the ball into the goal. Elayn laughed and Merlin complained and Arthur spun him around a few times, which made Merlin complain even more and then Arthur slapped him on the ass before setting him back onto the ground.
"Hey!" warned Merlin, with a rather gay, even for his standards, finger point. Arthur only laughed at him. Merlin looked over and noticed Gwen had just came in, he hoped she hadn't noticed any of that because she was already jealous and Merlin didn't feel like explaining anything about what just happened. Merlin left the two to continue playing footie alone and headed over to greet his sister. She was hugging Hunith and making grand gestures with her hands. Merlin got close enough just as Hunith walked away. "Hi," he said behind her and she turned around. She was wearing a yellow sundress and wore her hair curly today. She looked quite pretty. But before Merlin mentioned that, Gwen was looking passed him at Arthur. "I don't think he noticed you came in."
She pursed her lips at this and looked at him now. "You look terrible."
"I was playing footie with Arthur and Elyan."
"Whose horrible idea was that?" asked Gwen now. "You're about as coordinated as a moose."
"Arthur's..." he trailed off, trying not to feel offended. Gwen didn't like Merlin as much as she used to, she would again when this was all over, Merlin had to believe. But for right now they were only as close as she let them be. Most of the time Merlin ignored it, but sometimes the jabs got to him. He didn't care that she called him a moose of course, it was more the tone of voice. She had most certainly seen Arthur lifting him and the slap on the ass. Merlin bit his lip now, in worry. "How was work...?"
"Boring," said Gwen, but her eyes were on Arthur again, watching him. Waiting for him to notice her. Merlin wondered if Arthur was avoiding 'seeing' her on purpose to not look too suspicious, he wouldn't come over to greet anyone else who had just arrived. Or maybe he really hadn't noticed her. Gwen sighed now. "One day Arthur and I will host a party like this. Our kids will be running around in the back garden and he'll grill up steaks and no one will ever remember the time you two were married..."
This struck Merlin for several reasons. One, because Gwen couldn't have children so where did these imaginary kids come from? And two, what did she think was really going to happen, that everyone was just going to forget the next how ever many years it takes for Arthur to get his papers? It also irritated him that she thought so little of Merlin to think everyone would just forget about him...about his silly mistake as if he didn't matter. As much as he had tried before not to get annoyed with her at her jabs, now he was.
"What do you think is going to happen? That everyone is just going to accept the fact that I was married to him and then you'll just get married like everything is perfect?" he retorted then and Gwen looked over at him with a glare. "They're going to be pissed when they find out, the whole family...not only at me, not only at you, but Arthur, too..."
"Why would they be mad at me and Arthur?" Gwen retorted in return. Merlin stared at her, confused, and then it hit him. Oh, he glared.
"Well, we can go about this two ways...we can tell them the truth and tell them everything,-"
"We can't do that," said Gwen then, suddenly. "If anyone finds out you two lied Arthur could still get deported."
This was true, but Merlin assumed his mother and father wouldn't go running to John K, not intentionally of course. If they said something seemed off in passing, that was one thing. But they wouldn't seek him out to spill the unlawful beans. "What do you think then?" Merlin carried on in his irritated tone. "Do you think that they will accept the fact that you two just...fell in love right under my nose? Do you want to be that girl? Who stole her brother's husband?"
"No," said Gwen, looking offended. "I would never do that!"
"So then what?" argued Merlin then, he tried to keep his voice down, so no one else could hear him but he was very angry all of a sudden. "Do you want me to just leave him, to cheat on him...to look even worse? And you were the loving hero who took him in and gave him love after I hurt him so much? You want me to say I cheated on him, don't you? You already have everyone thinking I cheated on Gwaine...it would be so easy for you to let me take the blame again. Isn't that right?" said Merlin, and when she didn't say anything to this. No denial at all, Merlin shook his head. "I'm tired of looking like the bad guy here, none of this is my fault!"
"I never said I wanted you to pretend you cheated on him!" argued Gwen back, pointing a finger at him. "Do not put words into my mouth!"
"I just...I don't know what you were ever thinking about having me do this..."
(A/N: I am back again, with a juicier update. I guess, anyway...I'm kinda obsessed with this story idea again, I just love the dynamic of the family. Like, I don't know how to explain that. I tend to write about unhappy families mostly, but like this family is pretty tight, like even though Merlin and Gwen's mother is divorced from Gwen's father, they are somehow still all very close. I just really like the basis I planted this story on, and then throwing a wrench into like a fake, secret marriage is so much fun for me...and then trying to figure out what Gwen's problem is. Anyway, enough of my rambling, I hope you enjoyed, much more to come!)
