CHAPTER 4 : THAT CHANCE ENCOUNTER

He'd been miles away fascinated by Arthur's looks; he would make an excellent photographic model. He had the looks as well as the body. He jumped when someone laid a hand on his shoulder. Gawaine said, "Good the two of you are still here…what have you been up to?"

Arthur smiled, "I've been looking at Merlin's pictures." Merlin nodded.

Gawaine said, "Let's see…" Merlin put on the lens cap and handed him the camera with the instruction not to drop it. Gawaine rested it on the table and started looking through the photos, of the one of Arthur looking directly at the lens, he said, "Shit, Arthur, you look like a male model or even better a man in love!"

Merlin turned off the camera and returned it to its case. Gawaine noticed that both of the men looked uncomfortable, so he uncharacteristically shut up.

Arthur was the first to break the silence with, "So what happened to your 'birds'? Did they fly away?"

Gawaine grinned and said sheepishly, "Obviously, we had crossed wires as neither was interested in men and just out for free drinks."

"Guess your gaydar wasn't working," said Merlin with a grin.

Arthur laughed aloud and motioned over his shoulder for the waitress who walked over and he said, "Another one for me and for Gawaine. Merlin?" Merlin shook his head. He was feeling giddy as it was and he knew that a drink would only make things worse. Arthur said, "Two whiskeys and my young friend here will have a Perrier."

Merlin smiled and said, "Thanks." For some reason he didn't feel embarrassed in front of Gawaine or Arthur not taking more alcohol.

Gawaine said after a sip, "You'd be safe, I'd have seen you home."

"I don't think so," said Arthur, "As he lives somewhere near me, I'd escort him home. That is if he needed any help."

"I can assure both of you that I am well capable of getting home by myself." He dropped his eyes and said with a grin, "However, Chaps, thanks for fighting over me."

It was at that moment that Arthur felt his heart expanding in his chest. What Merlin had said even though he didn't realise it, was close to the truth.

Drinks finished, they parted company.

-0-0-

Merlin and Arthur walked towards the Arc de Triomphe and then veered off to the left, cutting though a side street until they reached one of the streets which could be considered a spoke of the wheel around Le Place d'Etoile. They walked part of the time in companionable silence with Merlin taking photos and every now and again saying his name and as he turned to look at him the camera would whirr and he had to smile. Arthur finally said, "Do you have any siblings?"

"No!" said Merlin, "Always thought that it would have been fun to have a brother or sister but it wasn't to be so it's just me and my mother. What about you?"

"An older half sister…she's caught up in her own life but she's easy enough to get along with. She and my father make up my immediate family. Where do you live in Ireland?"

"Northern Ireland…but we now live in Wales, Swansea to be exact with my great-uncle a retired chemist called Gaius." Arthur raised his eyebrows at the name. "Yes, I know, but it's a family name, it was actually the first name of Julius Caesar. The other name for a boy in our family is Julius. Gaius was unlucky as he was the second son, he's wonderful and more like a father to me."

"So, why aren't you a Gaius or a Julius or, even a Caesar come to think of it?"

"My mother chose my name. Told me that she had a tough pregnancy and it was helped by watching a pair of merlins which hunted the hedgerows near her parents' farm, when I was safely delivered, in gratitude she named me Merlin."

"Do you have a second name?"

"No, Gaius always said I should have been called Falco Columbarius." Merlin smiled softly, "When I was little he used to call me his Little Falco." Merlin smiled again then seemed to come back to the present and said. "I can't believe I told you all that nonsense. You'll be thinking I'm a real bore."

Arthur shook his head, "Not at all, your family sounds great!" If he had to confess it, he was already taken with this man.

"So you have a second name?"

Arthur nodded saying rather formally, "Sir, allow me to present myself, Arthur Winston David Pendragon."

"Ooh Winston, I like that, our family had a bulldog called Winston. I've always liked that name and David is very regal, King David of the Israelites." Merlin turned and smiled at him and Arthur's heart gave a little flutter.

"Well, this is my street."

Looking up and seeing where he was, Merlin said, "I can go along here too."

"Do you think you will be at Jack's again soon?"

Merlin said, "Probably not until mid week."

"I'm off to Chantilly for the weekend."

"Visiting the Lessard's?"

"Yes! You've been there?"

"After my first six months here, I was invited with a couple of other young men, for a bar-b-que. I think it must have been for the bosses to meet me as the following week I was again called by the department superior who explained that his superior wanted to know if I would consider taking a month off and then returning for another six months. I needed the experience so, I accepted and…here I am…I mean, here I am at my building."

Arthur looked at the door and thought it familiar. He checked the number realising that he was standing outside his building. "Merlin, you're not going to believe it but I also live here and now, I know why that cat was so familiar. It's the concierge's, isn't it?" He reached over for Merlin's camera and Merlin set it before giving it to him, he carefully took a photo of Merlin making sure that he also got the building number in the shot.

Merlin smiled happily, he couldn't believe it Arthur and he both lived at 65 Rue Lauriston and neither knew. He wondered if he had another studio on the fifth floor. So, he said, "I'm on the fifth floor…"

"I'm on the third…why have we never bumped into each other?" Arthur said, handing him back his camera.

"Luck maybe!" Merlin said laughing.

Before Arthur could stop himself he had put his arm around Merlin's shoulders saying, "Almost flatmates!" He stopped dead; flustered, he caught his breath, backed up and said, "Sorry, that was uncalled for…"

"No offence taken…" said Merlin with a slight smile. "Building mates at any rate…" he added suddenly, feeling very relaxed with this man.

Arthur thanked his lucky stars that Merlin had taken the gaffe so well. 'Control yourself!' he thought, 'You hardly know anything about him, nevertheless you go and say a stupid thing like that.'

They walked across the black and white tiled lobby and Merlin opened the double lift doors. "I love this lift, it makes coming home so special." He turned and checked the board pushing three then after a slight hesitation five. Merlin didn't catch his eye but Arthur smiled remembering the proverb, 'Actions speak louder than words.'

Soon the upward motion ceased, Arthur slid open the inner door and reached for the outer one. He turned to Merlin grinning and said in all seriousness, "Thanks…for the lift!"

Merlin laughed, "Anytime!"

"Do you want a lift to work tomorrow? We can meet in the courtyard."

"If the weather is fine, I sort of use the morning walk to work as exercise…"

Arthur laughed, "Well, let's put it this way, if it is pouring rain, I will be in the courtyard at eight o'clock and you'd be welcome to come with me."

"Thanks, I'll take you up on that, if it's raining."

Arthur walked away as Merlin slid the doors closed. He turned the corner and heard the lift starts its climb to the fifth floor. As he put his key in the lock, he wondered who else from work lived in this building. He'd never noticed any familiar faces. Maybe the company owned the whole building. He did know that the Lessard family lived on Ave. Victor Hugo when they weren't in Chantilly as their youngest daughter Sabine attended the Sorbonne.

His apartment seemed deadly quiet after being surrounded by friends at a noisy pub. He clicked on the TV but if you had asked him what he watched, he wouldn't have been able to tell you as his mind was preoccupied. He finally turned it off and made his way to his bedroom. He folded his clothes, grabbed his Mac and got into bed, hoping that it might be raining tomorrow morning. He checked his messages and was surprised to see something from Merlin, no message just three photos, one of the cat, one of him in the firelight and the other of him on the Champs Elysèes with the floodlit Arc de Triomphe in the background. Arthur smiled fondly, he would also have liked the one that he had taken of Merlin outside. He placed his Mac on his bedside table and thought of the young man sleeping two flights above him. He dreamt of cats and fires and the huge Tricolour flown on special days in the arch of the monument…

-0-0-

Merlin reached the top floor and let himself into the corridor. It in no way resembled the hallways down below. It was narrower and less elegant with a plain green carpet and automated lights which gave you just enough time to reach the next switch before they plunged you into darkness. He figured it made sense as otherwise they would have been on twenty four seven.

He reached his door and let himself in. He was tired and carefully placed his camera on the sofa. His mind was buzzing and he smiled. He'd been in Paris for all of eight months and he had to confess that this was one of his more enjoyable evenings.

Who would have thought that Arthur and he would have got on so well and that he was in this very building only two floors below him? He took his computer and transferred his latest photos to it. He checked them out feeling happy. He chose three and sent them off to Arthur at the company address. He smiled to himself and then sent the one Arthur had taken of him in the pub as well as the one he'd taken in the street outside their building, along with the cat photo for good measure, to his mother with the message, 'Everything going well. Talk to you on Sunday…'

He threw himself back on his bed. He hadn't felt this way in a long time. He couldn't explain it just that there was something which was going to happen and he had a feeling it would be positive. He fell asleep but not before thanking God for his family and also without thinking he added good friends to that little prayer.

He dreamt, none of his often weird dreams but just of smoky colours, the green of trees, the sparkling white of distant sun speckled buildings, the red and gold of flags, a crown and himself holding a sword. He wasn't alone but he never saw the other person with him and when he awoke, he felt special, relaxed and warm. Slowly, he remembered the previous day and smiled.

Morning came with a bright sun pushing all thoughts of driving to work with Arthur out of his head. He'd probably not see him until mid week but he had enjoyed his company.

-0-0-

Arthur had kept an eye out for Merlin but hadn't seen him. On Fridays, the interns in one department or another were given a half day, Arthur asked Gawaine at lunch, if he knew which department was out. Gawaine ever discrete called out to a passing friend, "Arthur wants to know who's off early today?" Passing the news back he said, "Sorry, Arthur, it's Legal."

"What's with the sorry?" Arthur said, "I was just wondering."

Gawaine lowered his voice saying, "Arthur Pendragon, this is the first time that I have ever known you to lie so blatantly. Is a certain young Bealfeirstain on your mind?"

Arthur shook his head, "You're so full of yourself, Gawaine. Don't be stupid!"

But Gawaine was unwilling to give in when he had the upper hand, "So, did you walk him to his door?" Arthur blushed and Gawaine continued, "You did, didn't you? Did you get a kiss? He's easy on the eyes and quite appealing in a certain boyish way."

Arthur said under his breath, "If it wasn't for the fact that a brawl in the cafeteria might get back to our superiors, I would quite happily take you on right now."

"So spill it! What happened?"

"Nothing!"

"So why the blush and why the attack mode?"

"We found out we live in the same building on Lauriston. It was just a coincidence, so technically yes, we walked each other to our doors…and, Gawaine, if you tease him about it, I'm not kidding but at every possible opportunity, I'll see that your life is miserable."

Gawaine smiled, he really liked Arthur and had no intention of spoiling anything which he felt he might have with a fellow worker. "Don't worry, I'll be the epitome of diplomacy. Merlin will never learn anything of your intentions from me. Oww!"

"Sorry, was that your ankle?" said a seemingly apologetic Arthur, "I thought it was the table leg!"

Gawaine grinned maniacally and said "Touché! Go around kicking table legs often, Arthur?"

"I believe a few in my lifetime, Gawaine!" Arthur laughed aloud and said, "Come on, we have work to do not like the lucky people in the Legal department."