First thing in the morning was a meeting with a client – pants, now, that was a business that Arthur truly understood, as long as it meant pulling them off, or, at least, using them to allure someone sexually, regardless of their preferences. This was the exact reason his team had been handled that campaign, their client clearly was having some trouble into selling themselves to a generation that had seen everything before they even left puberty.
What really called his attention, though, was that one of the client's representatives seemed to not have seen enough of him. He gave his best charming smile, and gave the whole presentation – all the talk about how it had to move away from obvious sex to a slow seduction – while watching the man squirm. He knew exactly what he was doing, especially when he turned to give some of his most heartbreaking smiles to the other people watching the presentation, all while his eyes dared him to question why he wasn't the receiver of such smiles.
He really liked this game.
When the coffee-end begun, he saw the man leaving for the bathroom – doubtlessly needing some serious relieve. He gave everyone a smile, and followed. He heard his phone ringing and answered it with a smile.
"His name is Evan" said his PA's voice on the other side of the call, and he smiled.
"Thank you, Enmyria, but the information wasn't necessary" he said, without turning back.
"He's married. And has kids" she said, teasing. God, she was a wanker.
"Aren't they all?"
He could hear her laugh as he opened the bathroom door.
"Don't worry, the matter is at hands" he said, reassuring.
"I'll try and drag this as long as I can. Good luck!"
"I don't need it" he replied, turning the cellphone off. Evan was taking a piss in the urinal, and he easily took his side to do the same. He didn't bother being subtle when he actually checked him out, and could have laughed out loud when the guy squirmed not to make it clear that he was doing the same.
The man washed his hands slowly and deliberately, and Arthur stared at him through the mirror as he did so. He splashed water in their image before ending, and the way Evan looked at him made it clear that he had won this bet.
It took them less than 5 seconds after that to be locked up inside one of the stalls.
"I don't kiss" said Evan, just above a whisper, groping at Arthur's ass.
"Yeah, right" he answered, laughing, and kissed him full in the mouth before proceeding to kneel Evan in front of him, his pants undone, and ready to have the time of his life.
Such a fine morning.
[hr][/hr]
Merlin couldn't avoid watching as a handsome bloke showed up in the supermarket – he looked amazing, and was as gay as a maypole, so maybe, just maybe, he would have a lucky meeting. He followed him through the aisles of products until the man stopped – only to be greeted by another man, who swung his arm around his hips, possessively. Merlin could literally feel his heart deflating, but it was exactly this moment that Mary chose to catch his eye. She moved her hand up and down, kind of dancing around while gesturing the two blokes, repeating their movements. Merlin couldn't avoid laughing – she was amazing. Mary had already stopped when they turned around, only to face Merlin with a look of disappointment and anger. He had no doubt they had recognized him from Albion Street – unfortunately, most people remembered such a ridiculous set of ears.
Some days nothing seemed to work as it should. They probably thought he was endorsing someone making fun out of their sexuality, but Mary always decided to imitate some costumer when she saw he was looking a bit down – it had nothing to do with them being gay or whatever. It was just her way of cheering him up. Yet, their look of betrayal had stung even deeper than the idea that he would never meet a man that wasn't either taken or a twat.
He came back to his job, not really paying attention as he walked around, trying to erase from his mind the look the guys had given him, when he was surprised by a sudden blond appearance in front of him. He moved back, his arms flailing and knocking a number of milk cans down while the woman stared at him in disgust.
The noise made every head turn to them, and he was glad that he was the supervisor – he just gestured the staff back to their jobs, and soon enough the costumers were back to their shopping while Morgause just stood there, waiting for him to finish picking up the things he had dropped.
"You do realize this is ridiculous, right?" she asked as he put the last can back into place.
"Everyone was watching" he replied, nervously.
"If they hadn't hit the floor, they wouldn't be" was the answer, and the picked one of the cans. "And I know for a fact that this is very beneath you."
He crossed his arms, looking at her.
"Yeah, and you also know that I've spent my whole life being reminded to use my hands. What are you doing here? Why aren't you around your wife at the hospital?"
Morgause stared deeply at him, that way only she could do and that was so unnerving.
"Elena is fine" she replied, before moving on. "Where did Arthur pick that kid?"
"Mordred?" Merlin asked, feeling worse by the second, "just out of the club. I can't believe you came all the way here just to ask me about Arthur's hook ups."
He walked away, but Morgause wasn't the kind of person that could be walked from. She was by his side in a few seconds.
"I can't believe you didn't sense him" she said, raising her eyebrow.
He looked at her, annoyed.
"You're not telling me… that from all the men in Albion Street, he managed to get himself one of us? Again?"
"He's not one of us, not yet" Morgause said, shrugging. "But it is there, the potential – or the car crash waiting to happen."
Merlin snorted at that.
"With that name and his taste for man, I'll bet on the second."
Morgause looked at him knowingly, but he refused to let it get to him.
"We should help him" she said, softly.
"No way" was Merlin's immediate answer. "I am not running around trying to find some chicken that Arthur picked up and made literally starry eyed. He really asked Arthur when he was seeing him again, that's just asking for a stalker, and then giving him the tools to be even more of a stalker."
She shrugged again, teasing.
"Cedric made it."
"Cedric developed a second personality and begun wearing leather and feathers in the same outfits" corrected Merlin, half annoyed and half amused by the memory. "Thank God he moved away."
"I hear he's called Sigan now" said Morgause, smirking. Cedric had been an unending amount of problem to them, but it had also taught them a lot, one being that Arthur seemed to be some sort of magnet for magical gay men that hadn't yet waken to their powers, and other that they could totally lose it if their first got in contact with it was after being shoved out by Arthur in the morning. "And you don't know it, maybe he already knew about it before."
He sighed, when Morgause set her sights on new apprentices, there was nothing that one could do to stop her. All he could do was hope that he was already one of Alice's children, the only other magical help group in town.
"He studies in Stonedown", he answered, wearily. "That's all I know."
She gave him one of her rare smiles – and they did freak him out much more than the smirks, really, there was nothing that could be scarier than Morgause's smiles – and left without another word. It wasn't that Merlin didn't like Morgause; they just disagreed a lot about almost everything. He had no idea how she and Elena had ever gotten together, and he honestly rather not know, because Elena was the sweetest person that Merlin had ever met, while Morgause… She was scary enough to make Arthur's older sister look tame, even though Morgana was a harpy. He would have to talk to her about this Mordred kid, surely Morgana wouldn't want them to take on tutoring another of Arthur's crazy boys – or maybe she would side with Morgause, Morgana did like a challenge.
He was still thinking about Mordred when Mary came around him again.
"Do you know this new girl? Gwen Smith?" she asked, looking annoyed. Gwen was a new employee, and was arranging the paper towels in the other end of the aisle.
"Yeah?" he said, wondering what was going on. Mary was the biggest gossip he had ever met, including all the gay man and fag hags he had ever known, and that was saying something.
"I can't stand her. She acts like she owns the place. I said, there's no King Arthur for you here, my love, and the shop doesn't go that way."
Gwen seemed to know she was the subject of the conversation, and looked to them, her eyes worried.
"Oh, I don't think so" he said, looking at the woman. She seemed sweet, as much as Elena did, although they were completely different. Gwen was graceful while Elena was clumsy, and Gwen was all dark curls and chocolate eyes while Elena was a blue eyed blond – they just exhaled the same type of kindness. "I think she's really nice."
"Ooh, I knew it" said Mary, suddenly excited. "She likes you too! Now, drinks after work, on the pub across the street, you can't miss it, and brush your teeth boy!"
Merlin could have laughed if it wasn't the most ridiculous ironic thing that no one seemed to notice that he was gay. Not that he had come out in work, he hadn't, but it had never mattered until now, he was trapped in a meeting to set him up with a girl. And, although he had told Arthur that in his state of desperation he would react to a girl, he had no wish to put that to the test. Still, he couldn't say no – he couldn't just turn to them after all those years and say "oh, yeah, I'm gay". They would feel cheated and betrayed, and he really needed his staff to work with him, he couldn't risk their disapproval – specially not after they had mutinied against one of the previous supervisor because he nagged on Merlin and caused his sacking before putting their good word for Merlin to be considered for the job.
It was just drinks, he could make it.
[hr][/hr]
Mordred was by one of the school stairs when Freya met him. She didn't say anything – they weren't known for talking. He was watching as one of the boys – Gilli – bragged about what he had done with his date the previous evening.
"She's with George, she'd never look at him" commented Freya after a while.
Mordred tilted his head, still staring.
"I'd give him one" he said, finally.
"What?" said Freya, a bit lost.
"I would" he repeated. "I'd give him one."
She considered at him for a few seconds before looking away.
"What?"
"You never said" she said, shrugging.
"I just did" he answered, annoyed.
They stood in silence for a few seconds, and he finally spoke again.
"Met his guy yesterday, Arthur Pendragon. We shagged until six in the morning."
"No way" she said, looking at him with her eyes wide. "Well, that explains the comments about you and a fag car."
Mordred smirked, and she smiled.
"I'd give him one too" she said, finally. "Except I don't have one to give."
This finally made Mordred laugh, and she joined, and they came back together for class.
It hadn't hurt, he could do this. With Freya by his side, he felt much more confident when it came to facing the unknown – or the already known that he wasn't really sure how to deal with.
[hr][/hr]
"I can't avoid it" said Merlin's voice in the speaker. "I'm going in."
"You are a twat" said Arthur, laughing. "They are setting you up, and you know it."
"But I can't just let them down. Let's choose a safe word, as soon as I say it, you come and get me. Think of a word!"
"Twilight" said Arthur, grinning.
Merlin laughed out loud.
"Shut up! How am I supposed to put 'Twilight' into a conversation without outing myself?"
Arthur chuckled, and he could pretty much see Merlin, in his work suit that made him look as if he had stolen his dad clothes, walking with his long limbs into some pub.
"Now, I can't solve everything Merlin." He said, grinning to his mental image. "Just don't go."
"Ok. That's it. I'm going in. Wish me luck."
Arthur couldn't avoid the curiosity.
"What is it like?"
"Everything we've been told is true!" whispered Merlin on the phone. "Well, it doesn't have flock wallpaper. But the people! They are talking in sentences with no punch-line! And they don't even care!"
Arthur laughed out loud.
"Get away!" he said to his friend. "This is dangerous, they will get you!"
"And the loo!" exclaimed Merlin on the other side. "They have toilets no one had ever made sex in!"
Arthur doubted that very much from what he knew about straight blokes, but he couldn't stop himself from teasing Merlin.
"I'm sorry, Merlin. It was a pleasure knowing you. We'll have a vigil in your memory – I'll light some candles and play American Pie."
Merlin laughed, nervous.
"I've changed my mind! Twilight! Twilight!"
Arthur chuckled, looking outside. Morgause was striding towards the car.
"Tough, the baby is here"
"This is the punishment for my sins" moaned Merlin, and Arthur laughed again as he finished the call.
Morgause opened the door to let Sophia and Vivian inside.
"Hello daddy!" said Vivian, amused.
"Hello" he answered, just mildly annoyed.
The two blond girls sat down, while Morgause stood in the outside.
"Why it took you so long? Those women who snatch babies take 30 seconds to leave!" he complained, but Morgause didn't even bother answering him, and he soon knew why. Elena was out, her hair pulled in a loose braid, her large clothes floating around as she held the baby in her arms. She was smiling – for whom it was hard to say, but she seemed so content that Arthur felt something inside him melt (not that he would ever admit it).
She walked towards them and sat herself in the back seat, baby in her arms, and Morgause took the seat beside him. One of the nurses was watching them, and for the first time, Arthur noticed that everyone around was blond and pale, and they must really look like a family from the outside. Something inside him got annoyed at the thought.
"Now, for once, drive safely" said Morgause, sternly. "You don't cut corners, you don't start a race, and you don't take your eyes off the road because some pretty boy passed by."
He rolled his eyes at this.
"You think I'm such a twat" he complained, and turned the car on. Of course, it meant that the radio turned itself on, the music pounding loudly and the baby started to cry immediately. He turned it off, chuckling, but Morgause looked as if she would kill him with her eyes alone – and he knew better than to voice this thought out loud.
The best option left for him was drive – and safely, as she said, if he wanted to make out of this alive.