CHAPTER 6 : WORRIES ALLEVIATED

Merlin became mellower as the evening progressed. He was very relaxed using Leon as a backrest. Arthur had to smile but he wished that it had been him that Merlin was leaning against. The two of them obviously had history together and Merlin suddenly said in front of everyone, "I'm going to miss your visits."

"It'll just be a little while until I get settled, anyway you can stay with me when you visit your Mum and Gaius."

"I know but it's not the same as having you here."

Arthur paid more attention to the conversation than he should have and he realised that Gawaine was watching him. He turned to him and half smiled shrugging his shoulders. Gawaine said, "This will be the last round…" He grinned, nudged Arthur back into the present by saying, "Arthur's paying!"

Leaning back in his chair, Arthur got the waitresses attention. "Same all around, please."

Leon put his hand over Merlin's tumbler and shook his head. Merlin saw him and said, "Leon, I'm quite capable of deshiding if I should order nuver drink."

"Not in the state you are now. To this point you're funny and capable of walking, however one more and I'm going to be dragging a stumbling drunk back to the flat! Don't want a repeat of Cannes, do we?"

Arthur raised his eyebrows as Leon said to the whole table, "Years ago, we went to Cannes together and I don't know how much wine we'd drunk but Merlin here, was having a great time. Suddenly, he disappeared. I had no idea how long he'd been gone and panicked. He'd amassed quite a following of young and not so young women that evening and I realised that they were still around but he was gone. I found out that he had decided to go swimming with one of the older women. I was furious…I caught up to them as they were getting into her Porsche and grabbed hold of his arm and pants, pulling him out of the car. It became a pantomime routine and he kept jumping away and dodging me and laughing. He'd stop grin and then take off again. I remember yelling at him, 'This is not funny!' and he answered, 'It is to me!' and dodged once again out of my grasp.

"By then we were on the promenade. The Porsche had gone screaming by us and he stupidly jumped down onto the beach, I followed and couldn't believe it as he had headed for the sea. I had visions of losing him in the Mediterranean and dashed after him. He was up to his thighs in the surf and I managed to grab him using a rugby tackle. Needless to say, we both ended up soaking. I was furious my good sweater ruined and he was still playing silly beggars. So, Merlin…I think that you have had your last drink for the night."

Merlin looked at him with a shy grin and said, "You're no fun! I'm going to sit with Arthur." He then proceeded to crawl over Leon but lost his balance and ended up sitting on his knees. Leon slipped his arm around his waist and hung on tightly. Merlin gave up and started to giggle and shoved his captor who promptly shoved back until he got a headlock on him.

Arthur watched his hopes being dashed further as Leon whispered something in Merlin's ear and he stopped fighting just resting comfortably back against him. Arthur's heart filled with longing for the same familiarity which would light up Merlin's face so spectacularly. He watched Leon; Merlin at that moment turned and looked at Arthur with a shy smile followed by a look of apology as if saying 'I tried to get to you…!'

Soon Leon and Merlin both dissolved into laughter as did everyone except Arthur.

Even Gawaine was amused this was a side of Merlin which he hadn't seen and found it amusing. "Go for it Merlin!" he encouraged before turning to Arthur and seeing the look on his face, he stopped.

Drinks finished, they parted company. Merlin telling Leon that he also had to take care of Arthur as he'd also been drinking and lived in his building.

"He might have been but he can hold his drinks better than you. Why were you drinking so much?"

"I wasn't someone kept filling my tumbler with whiskey when I wasn't looking."

Arthur laughed saying, "I've not known him long but he usually paces himself better than this."

"He's a flyweight," said Leon, "A real flyweight but he's fun, doesn't have a nasty bone in his body, truthful and trustworthy, a good friend." He turned to Merlin and pulled him away from the kerb saying, "…and cute to boot!"

Merlin took umbrage to that, "I'm right here you know…your Mum wouldn't like you talking about me like that to a stranger."

"But, I didn't say anything bad and it's only Arthur."

"You did! Men are not cute, kittens and baby efe…lunts are cute."

Leon laughed and threw his arm around Merlin's shoulders, "Sorry, chap, whether you like it or not you're cute!" He turned to Arthur and said, "Isn't he?"

Arthur blushed slightly before agreeing with Leon saying, "Yes!" and turning to Merlin said, "Very cute!"

"I don't like you any more Arthur, you hurt my ceilings!"

Leon and Arthur burst out laughing. He really was cute regardless of what he insisted and Arthur realised that he was losing more and more of his heart to Merlin. He really liked him and he knew that if Merlin and Leon hadn't been an item he would have escalated the friendship hoping that it might grow into something more permanent.

Merlin was once again quiet just walking between the two of them under his own steam. Arthur decided to be candid so he said. "How long have you and Merlin known each other, Leon?"

"I started tutoring him in math when he was twelve. His uncle and my parents are friends. I'm the youngest in the family and my closest brother is sixteen years my senior. My father often says that I was a blessed afterthought. Our family just sort of took to him and we included him on holidays, Cannes for example. My father is an avid photographer and Merlin and he had something in common. We've been friends ever since." He glanced at Merlin who was not paying any attention to them, now back to trying to walk along the kerbstones. "I'm going to miss my visits here as he sort of gets under one's skin and when you're with him the days are brighter."

Arthur nodded absentmindedly and then blushed when he realised that Leon was looking at him. He decided to take the plunge and said, "Leon, I hope you don't mind my asking but how long have you two been an item?"

Leon spun around smiling, "Sorry if I gave you that impression, Arthur, he's just a kid brother as far as I am concerning. Mind you, I probably like him better than I would have if he had been my sibling…if anyone hurt him, I'd kill them…well you know what I mean. He's innocent and sometimes too trusting for his own good but he always seems to rise to the top as my mother would say. He's also brilliant and I know he's going to do very well in whatever profession he decides to follow."

Arthur could feel his mind lighten and his heart seemed larger. Leon wasn't a threat, if anything he could be an ally. He smiled softly and said half to himself , "I'd never hurt him, Leon."

Turning a corner Leon grabbed for Merlin who was wandering on ahead. "He's young and easily gets out of control," he confided to Arthur, with an affectionate smile on his face. "One day, when he was a kid, he was so involved with the swans on the river that he went missing. Panic ensued and he was found at dawn near the swans' pond with a pitchfork and he told his mother that during the night, he had been helping the swans defend their eggs.

"I think it was when I heard that tale that I decided that the kid was a keeper. I'd known lots of kids growing up but he and I thought alike. Not that I would have ever got up in the middle of the night to protect swans," he confided with a smile.

They stopped at the green door and dragging Merlin after them crossed the courtyard and entered the lobby. Arthur thought with a laugh, 'I like this chap and think I'd be quite happy to be his friend too.'

As Arthur left Merlin and Leon in the lift, Leon said, "I'll not see you again until I return to Paris. Take good care of him. He's well worth any effort that it might entail…also Good Luck!"

"Yes, Good Luck, Arthur!" echoed Merlin as he grinned, the conversation having been completely beyond his understanding.

Arthur stood watching the lift leave for the fifth floor but not before hearing a puzzled Merlin ask, "Leon, why does Arthur need good luck?"

He heard Leon answer, "Don't worry, I'm sure he'll let you know one day."

-0-0-

As Leon got ready for bed he smiled at Merlin trying in vain to get one of his shoes off. Leon gave him a hand with the shoe and also his sweater and pants. As he tucked him into bed a voice said, "Did you like him, Leon?"

"Who?"

"Arthur of course! …I do, I can hardly bear to take my eyes off him and my hearts does somersaults when he comes into the room. Am I in love? You know better about those things…yes, I think I must be because all I really want to do is be with him and I think…" he yawned, mumbled and fell silent.

Leon climbed onto the sofa and pulled up the blanket. He said quietly to nobody in particular, "Yes, I do like him and yes…I think, dear Merlin, you might be falling in love."

-0-0-

Nothing much changed after Leon's visit except that when the group was together Arthur usually sat next to Merlin and if either of them arrived late, the others would move over so they could sit together. Merlin seemed to be a good influence on Arthur as certainly his alcohol consumption went down. Gawaine however didn't disappoint the pub's owner as he was consuming as much as ever.

IntVest gave its employees a few extra days off at Christmas enabling many of them to get home. Arthur's father had arranged for Arthur to be home to attend Pen-D's AGM. The company jet would be at his disposal so not wanting to travel alone he offered rides to whoever was going to the UK.

Gawaine already had a Paris Dublin flight booked so he had to refuse, regretfully on his part when he heard it would have been open-bar the whole trip. Lance, Tom and Merlin took up the offer and set out for London City Airport which was close to the company's headquarters. Uther had arranged for a driver to take them to whichever station was needed for them to catch a train home.

Merlin sat beside Arthur on the nine o'clock flight and when Lance and Tom went up into the cockpit mid-flight. Merlin said, "Arthur, I think I'm going to miss you this Christmas."

Arthur turned and for the first time took his hand and held it saying, "I'm going to miss you too. However, remember you have my number so we can talk…that is if you want to." The others were then coming back and Arthur really only had time to rub his thumb along Merlin's before letting go of his hand and picking up his coffee. Merlin slid his arm along the arm rest so that it touched Arthur's and smiled to himself. Arthur could still feel the warmth from Merlin's hand and his heart was warmed by it.

Apart from that, the flight was uneventful. They gave each other masculine pats on the back as they parted. Merlin turned once to look at Arthur as a chauffeur held another car door for him. They dropped Tom off at Euston and soon Lance and Merlin were at Paddington getting the London Swansea train which stopped at Bristol Temple Meads for Lance with Merlin travelling another one and a half hours to Swansea. They had decided on the flight that they would all meet at St. Pancras and take the Eurostar back to Paris together in the New Year.

Gaius was at the station waiting for him. Merlin was thrilled to be back in Wales. He had a certain affinity for the place which he could not explain but when he had first moved there, he had felt at home and the feeling had persisted. Once in the car, he handed his great uncle the duty free whiskey he had got for him. Gaius smiled saying, "Thanks, but you didn't have to waste your hard earned money on me, but it's a lovely gift and much appreciated. You're looking wonderful. Didn't think that I would ever say it but Paris has done you proud!"

Merlin grinned Paris and maybe the friendship of a certain Arthur Pendragon of London. He laughed, "I've made some good friends and some of them can actually cook! But I really missed Mam and you…are we eating your turkey or did you again chicken out…excuse the pun, when the time came to kill it?" Gaius nodded and Merlin continued, "He's going to be so old by the time you get up the courage that he'll taste like dried out leather."

"Maybe, but he does have his uses as he's a great watch dog and the laying hens are safe from the foxes when he is around."

Merlin laughed; Yule as Gaius called his turkey was at least four years old now and Merlin and his Mam knew deep down that they would never have him served up to them with stuffing and sprouts as Gaius was too kind hearted. He'd not been worth killing weight wise that first Christmas and the local farmer had given him to Gaius in return for his kindness to his wife. The arrangement had been that the following year, Yule would return to the farm for the farmer to do the dastardly deed but it had never happened as Gaius was loathe to put him in the car for a one-way trip. It had become a joke in the family and every year a nice plump carcass arrived from the farmer usually with a little note, 'Yule's great-great-great-nephew! Enjoy!' Merlin loved Gaius all the more for sticking to his guns.

Hunith was waiting at the door when the car arrived in the drive. Merlin jumped out and ran at her lifting her up and swinging her around. He really loved her. She had been his mainstay during their lonely and difficult years in N.I. and he would always love her for what she had sacrificed to get him where he was today.

"Mam, you're looking more beautiful than ever!"

"Go away with you, Son. I'm well past beautiful…"

"Not in my eyes…" insisted her son, giving her a peck on the cheek while she ruffled his hair. It was so good to have him home.

Gaius put Merlin's bags in the hall and smiled at his family, his niece and his grand-nephew. He knew that he was blessed…