Chapter 6:

Chicken Soup!

Merlin could hear the shouts before he got the key in the door, Morgana's high pitched shriek and Leon's usually quiet voice raised a few octaves. He frowned but went in anyway. Gwaine was sitting on the couch, looking at the wall –a gleeful expression on his face.

"S'happening?"

"Leon's disagreeing with his keeper!"

"I can hear that, thanks. I meant why are they in our kitchen shouting?"

"Lance asked Arthur to be his best man," Percy said, strolling in from the hall.

"And mother hen hasn't taken it well at all," Gwaine grinned.

"Ah." Merlin sat down, "So... What did his highness say?"

"He'd think about it."

"Oh! Well that's good," Merlin smiled.

"Good?" Merlin turned to see a glaring Morgana.

"Hi 'Gana!"

"What about this is good Merlin?"

Merlin had never really understood why everyone was so terrified of Morgana, now he did. She was a bloody dragon lady, scary as fuck! He expected to see smoke billowing out of her nose at any second.

"I... Eh... Just meant that... Eh... It might mean that all this is finally behind... Eh... Them." He shrank into the couch, leaning into Gwaine for protection. The git smiled wickedly and moved down the couch.

"Put it behind them?" Morgana snarled, Leon grimaced. "It is behind them! Lance is just rubbing salt on the wound now."

"Hardly."

"Excuse me?"

"Well maybe Lance just wants Arthur to be his best man..." Merlin shifted uncomfortably, "I think... I mean... I think..."

"Spit it out, man!" Gwaine smiled, Merlin glowered at him.

"I think you're overreacting," He said quickly, "I mean Arthur would have said no if he was offended or whatever by the idea. But he didn't so maybe it's ok..."

"You don't know my brother."

"I kinda do," Merlin interrupted, Gwaine whistled lowly and stood.

"Oh really?" she snarled. Gwaine grabbed his keys and motioned at Percy to get up.

"Yeah."

"No, you think you do! All you see is the pretty face, and a large bank account," she spat.

"What?" Merlin shouted, standing up.

"Morgana..." Leon said reaching for her arm.

"You lead him on and then dismiss him when it suits you – you're no better than any of the others."

"Get out!"Merlin pointed at the door trembling.

"I think you should leave Morgana," Gwaine said, opening the door.

She stormed out, Leon looking between the door and Merlin.

"She didn't mean it and I will have it out with her, don't worry but..." He looked at the door again and ran his hand through his auburn curls, "if I don't go after her... I won't get any sex for a really really really long time."

Merlin huffed out a laugh, Gwaine clapped him on the shoulder and Leon left; smiling grimly at Merlin.

"Alright mate?" Percy asked, still hovering around the door.

"Yeah," He said sitting back down.

"Well we're going to the gym, wanna come?"

Merlin shook his head.

oooOooo

The sharp knock on the door startled Merlin out of his daydream, he muted the telly and answered the door.

Arthur was standing there, looking like he wasn't sure what he was doing there.

"Hi."

"Hello Merlin. I came to see how you were," he looked around.

"I'm fine."

"Yes, well that's good... can I maybe come in?"

"Sure." Merlin stepped back and Arthur walked over to the couch, putting a paper bag on the table. Merlin stared cautiously at him but followed slowly.

"I'll... Eh... Get some spoons".

Merlin looked in the bag and snorted, pulling out a tub of Ben&Jerry's cookie dough.

"Arthur, what exactly are you doing here?" Merlin continued to look in the bag, as Arthur came back in with spoons.

"Well, I heard Morgana was a wee bit mean to you... So I came over to make sure... eh... you were ok." He looked at his feet and shuffled a little bit.

"Right," Merlin chuckled, he placed all the items in the bag on the table and then looked back at Arthur who was now sitting on the couch, looking awkward. "And what did you think was wrong with me?"

"What do you mean?" Bless him, the prat looked confused.

"Well," Merlin started, looking fondly at his boss, "you brought ice-cream, Tangled and chocolates..."

"Do you not like Disney films?"

"I do, but you are aware that I haven't just been dumped nor have I had my heart broken?"

"Yes..." Arthur said slowly.

"And that I'm not sick?"

"What?"

"You brought chicken soup."

"Yeah."

Merlin shook his head, rolling his eyes indulgently and putting a hand Arthurs shoulder.

"These are things you bring, usually a girl, when she needs cheering up cause she's upset over a guy and these..." Merlin pointed at the tubs of soup, "you bring someone when they have the flu."

"Oh..."

"So I'm curious why you brought them here?" Merlin tried not to laugh.

"Well, these are things people always bring me. I thought they were just general comfort things... I didn't realise each bloody situation had its own things."

Merlin laughed at the petulant look on Arthurs face.

"I didn't have to come, you know?"

"I know, and I'm glad you did," Merlin smiled, "put the DVD in."

When they both had settled down onto the couch, Merlin picked up a spoon and started eating his comfort soup. His smiled fondly, thinking of Arthur and his emotion fuckwitted ways.

oooOooo

Gwaine pushed Ellie into the door, crushing his lips against hers and moaning when she licked into his mouth. He fumbled with the keys, trying to get it into the lock, finally stumbling into the sitting room when the door gave way and nearly losing their footing. He kicked the door closed; never losing contact with her lips until laughter broke threw his haze of lust.

He looked up to see Arthur and Merlin on the couch, laughing at them.

"Hello," Arthur smiled, winking at Gwaine who smirked back – he stepped away from Ellie.

"Hi Ellie!" Merlin smiled brightly.

"Hi," she smiled, blushing.

"Don't let us interrupt you," Arthur waved a hand, Merlin shoved him.

"We'll just continue this in..." he waved towards the hall.

"Bedroom?" Merlin helpfully suggested, his eyes crinkling in mirth.

"Yes," Gwaine dragged Ellie away. Once the door was closed he set on her again, kissing her lips and then her jaw, biting her earlobe gently as she tried to pull his top off.

"Clothes. Off. Now." she panted against his lips and he laughed. He stepped back and pulled his top off and went to undo his belt when she fell over, attempting to pull her shoes off. He laughed and picked her up, sitting on the edge of the bed while he took care of her shoes.

He looked up the length of her body, she was leaning on her elbows looking at him. Her cheeks were flushed, hair a mess and chest heaving with her deep breaths. He quickly undid his jeans and stepped out of them, undoing the button on hers and pulling them off quickly.

As she scooted back on the bed, he grinned as he caught sight of her pick love heart underwear and kissed up her thighs. She pulled him up to her lips and his hand found her bra strap, unclasping it as he rolled them over so she could straddle his hips.

His breath caught, she was beautiful. A complete disaster she might be, but perfect to him. She leant down and kissed his neck, sucking hard on his pulse, causing him to moan. She ground herself against him, causing him to moan louder as she chuckled and then started kissing down his body, stopping to bite his nipple.

He quickly flipped them over again so he was settled between her thighs and captured her mouth again, kissing deeply. He ran his hand down her body, making her shiver from his light ticklish touch. He leaned up on his elbows briefly to pull her ridiculous, yet for some unflappable reason, sexy underwear off before settling back between her legs.

"Come on," she moaned, arching her back when he continued to just kiss her.

"Impatient," he smirked into her neck, giving it a teasing bite before sitting up on his knees.

He took his time, raking his eyes over her, chuckling at her fierce look before bending down to hook her leg over his shoulder. He leant down and kissed along the inside her of thigh, enjoying her soft gasps and trembling beneath his fingers.

He used his fingers to spread her and ran his tongue all along her cunt. She moaned deeply and started moving her hips, he smiled before concentrating on her clit, swirling his tongue around, running it over the bundle of nerves faster and faster. Loving the taste, smell and feel of Ellie under him.

She was whimpering now and grinding her hips, fucking herself on his face. He sucked sharply on her clit, pushing two fingers into her wet heat causing her to arch off the bed, screaming his name.

He pulled her legs around his waist and thrust forward, before she had time to recover.

She moaned, throwing her head back as he buried his face into her neck. She scraped her nails across his shoulder, making him groan. He grabbed her wrists and pinned then above her head, stretching her body out below him. He leant down and captured her nipple in his mouth, sucking gently. She started meeting him thrust for thrust, driving him as deep inside as he could.

Sweat was running down his back and he crashed his lips into hers, it was sloppy and uncoordinated just a tangle of breaths and tongues.

Gwaine could feel his orgasm building inside of him and he thrust harder and faster. Suddenly Ellie's body went on lock down, everything tightened – her legs around his waist, her heat around his length and she arched off the bed, head thrown back as she came for a second time. He followed her over, grunting out her name with a list of profanities.

Afterwards, they lay in a tangle of messy sheets and limbs. Sweat cooling on their skin as their hearts returned to its normal pace. He kissed her head and pulled her onto his chest, her weight a grounding comfort.

He fished a cigarette out of the packet on his night stand and lit it with his zippo. Ellie squirmed a little before sitting up and taking the lit cigarette off him, taking a drag and smiling at him. Her hair a complete mess and cheeks still flushed.

It had been two weeks now and he still couldn't get enough of her. It scared him a little, he never had a relationship that lasted more than a few fucks – apart from Arthur but that was just two friends using each other, a nice symbiotic situation, Arthur got a shag and Gwaine got to get his hands on that gorgeous body. In college it had been kind of a rite of passage to shag Arthur Pendragon. But this was different; he didn't want to lose her to someone else nor did he want it to just be casual sex – for once in his life he wanted more.

He had no idea how much time had passed but Ellie's deep, even breaths told him she was asleep and he slid out from under her. She curled onto her side and buried her head in his pillow. He smiled, pulling the covers over her.

The sitting room was dark, the only light coming from the telly. The credits rolling on whatever film the boys had been watching. Gwaine walked over to the door to find the coat he had dropped when they had come in. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he had a text.

"Can't get through to Merlin. Tell him I'm sorry –M".

Gwaine snorted, turned to the couch and froze, chuckling to himself. Merlin and Arthur were both fast asleep, curled up together. He picked up the blanket off the chair, putting it over them before turning off the telly and heading back to bed.