The Wanderer
by BynWho
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfic for entertainment purposes only. All characters and plots from the BBC show Merlin belong to the BBC. All other characters and plots belong to BynWho. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Marian accompanies Gwaine and Percival to the tavern for some fun until a stranger becomes too friendly with Marian resulting in a bar brawl.
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Drinking, Gambling, and a Brawl
Gwaine opened his eyes at the soft knock on his door. Rain and thunder outside had made it practically impossible to hear, and the fire had died down to a few burning embers, giving the room a soft glow. There was another soft knock, so he got out of bed, double-checked that he was wearing trousers—but forgetting to grab his tunic—and then went to see who was at his door.
Marian was in his doorway looking like she was on the verge of tears. "It's run away!"
"Marian?"
"It's run away, Gwaine!"
"What's run away?"
"My bedchamber!"
He blinked, not believing what he'd just heard. He reached around and put his hand on her back to usher her in. She stumbled as she walked past the threshold and placed a steadying hand on his chest.
"You're naked."
"No, I have my trousers on—Are you drunk?"
"Maybe. I don't know."
He sat her down on one of the chairs to keep her steady and then lit a candle. When he was done, he crouched in front of her and held her hands, a concerned look on his face. "Did someone do this to you?"
Marian looked at him in confusion. "Do what?"
"Get you drunk. Was it someone at the tavern?"
"Oh! That! No. No one did this."
He stood and looked down at her, frowning. "Don't take offense, beautiful, but it's hard for me to believe you got drunk by yourself on purpose."
She stood and fell right back down in the chair. "It wasn't on purpose, Gwaine. And I wasn't alone." Giggles bubbled up, making her giddy. "I explained to Sir Gwaine in the rain in vain." Her giggle turned into a hiccup. "Oops."
Trying not to laugh, he sat in the chair beside her, waiting for her hiccups to die down.
"Gwaine. That's a funny name, isn't it?"
He raised his eyebrows at her. "How so?"
"Well, it rhymes with plain and you're not plain, are you?"
"Am I not?
"Yes. Wait, no. I mean, yes, you're not plain, and no, you aren't not not plain. Not at all," she slurred as she sat forward, beckoning him closer. When he leaned in, she poked him. "You're very handsome, of which I'm sure you're very much aware."
Chuckling, Gwaine pulled her finger from his chest and held her hand. "Marian, why are you drunk? What happened?"
"Audrey."
"The cook?"
She nodded her head. "Yeah, she.. uh, she's gone. For now. Her daughter is having a daughter. Or a son. I don't know. Why don't I know? I feel like this is something I should know."
"The cook's daughter is having a baby? What does that have to do with—"
"A party."
"A party?"
"Yup."
"You're not making much sense, love."
"Oh! Well, the kitchen maids haven't had time off in a while. So I went to the tavern and bought ale. A big thing of it," she said as she held her arms out to show the size of the barrel and wobbled. He grabbed her arm and pushed her back into the chair. "I mean, it wasn't as big as the kegs they used to have at the frat parties when I was in college, but it did its job."
"I only understood about half of what you said."
"The ale. I bought it."
"And you took it to a party with the kitchen maids."
"Yup," she said, this time popping the p. "I think I had too much to drink."
"I have to agree. Now, what was this about your bedchamber running away?"
Marian's face fell. "It did?"
Gwaine sighed and helped her stand. "You can stay here tonight."
"Until it comes back?"
"Until it comes back."
Marian's smile was bright as she hugged him. "Thank you, Gwaine. You're always so good to me."
"Well, you make it easy." He went to the bed to straighten the blanket and fluff the pillows. "Now, time for bed." When he turned to bring her over, she was untying her corset, her dress in a heap on the floor next to her. "What the hell are you doing? I meant bed as in sleep!"
"I know," she said as she dropped her corset with only her chemise covering her. She walked past him, patting him on the top of his head. "I can't sleep in a corset, can I?"
Gwaine looked to the heavens and sighed. It was a test. It had to be. The universe must hate him. He tucked her in and went to the other side, pulling the covers back up.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm going to lie down."
She rolled over and flipped the blanket on his side back down. "Get in. You can't sleep on top. It's cold."
He looked between her and the bed. Marian was barely dressed, and she had practically no inhibitions. While he was mostly confident he could control himself, there was no way he could control her. And with the way his trousers were tightening, it was a recipe for disaster. No, it absolutely wasn't a good idea. "I'll relight the fire," he said, turning to the fireplace.
"Don't be silly, Gwaine. Just get in. I won't bite. I promise."
"Yeah, well, I might," he muttered as he climbed in and pulled the blanket up.
She scooted closer to him and threw her arm over his chest. "See? Everything's fine."
His heartbeat picked up as she nuzzled into his side. Her chemise did nothing to keep the heat of her body from warming him. It felt like every soft bit of her was touching him. God, it was torture.
"G'night, Gwaine."
"Goodnight, Marian."
"Gwaine?"
"Yeah?"
"Sweet dreams."
He blew out a breath, the hair over his eye fluttering to the side. Yup. Torture.
Gwaine walked back into his chamber and grinned. The soft snores coming from Marian quickly turned into one loud snort that could've woken the dead. He chuckled as he set the tray on the table beside the bed and crouched next to her. She lay sprawled on her stomach, the blanket long forgotten. Her hair covered most of the pillow that her face was buried in.
"Marian," he said, shaking her shoulder. "Wake up, love."
"Mmph. Go away."
Gwaine brushed the hair from her face. "Sweetheart, you need to wake up."
"Ugh." Marian lifted her head from the pillow, deep lines covering her pink face. Wiping the drool from her mouth, she looked around with bleary eyes. "Where the fuck am I?"
"My chamber," he said as he sat on the bed and smiled at her. "Or, more accurately, you're in my bed."
"What?" She sat up slowly. "Oh damn." Wincing, she rubbed her temples.
"It come back to you yet?"
"Yeah, I remember. For the most part. Shit, I'm so sorry."
He picked up a cup. "It's alright, sweetheart. I'm just glad you made it here rather than walking around all night trying to find your chamber." Marian gagged when he handed it to her. "Gaius's potion. Drink up."
She downed it in one go and shoved it back in his hand. "Did I say anything… you know… embarrassing?"
"Well, said you wanted to be a fishmonger down at the Port of Gedref and marry an old, fat fisherman."
"I what?" Marian shouted, immediately regretting it. "I what?" she asked, her voice softer.
"Then you said you'd changed your mind and instead, you told me about your undying love for me and suggested we should run away to Mercia tomorrow and have a hundred babies. You were quite insistent that we start for a family right away."
She covered her face with her hands. "Oh god, I didn't, did I?"
He chuckled and pulled her hands away. "No, you didn't."
She looked at him, first in shock and then indignantly. "You ass," she said as she playfully smacked his arm. Just then, her stomach growled.
He held out a piece of dry toast. "Here, eat this." Gwaine stood while she nibbled her very dry, very plain breakfast, and he picked up her dress and corset. He dropped her dress onto the bed but held her corset up in front of him. "This, though, was quite the surprise."
Furiously blushing, she snatched it from his hands. "You certainly had your hands full, didn't you?"
He wagged his eyebrows. "If I did, you'd be the first to know it, love." Her head shot up. "Kidding. I'm kidding. You were fine."
"Thank you for taking care of me. I feel like I keep fucking up and you always have to fix it."
"What are friends for?" he asked, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. The tension when he brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek was nearly unbearable.
Her breath caught at his touch. "Gwaine, what are you doing to me?" she asked with her voice practically a whisper.
He swallowed hard, then picked up the cup and tray. "I'll take this back down to the kitchens. Give you time to get dressed."
With a small smile on her face, she picked up her clothes. Before she got out of bed, he turned at the door. "Marian?"
"Yeah?"
"What's a frat party?"
After a long, hard day of training, Gwaine and Percival headed to the Rising Sun Tavern to blow off some steam. The ale would relax their overworked muscles while the gambling would provide some much-needed entertainment. After they cleaned up, they met by the entrance of the citadel and, as they were walking down to the tavern, they ran into Marian.
"Good evening, Gwaine, Percival!" she called to them, practically beaming.
"Hello, beautiful!" Gwaine said. Everything about his demeanor changed. His exhaustion disappeared and his eyes lit up at the sight of her.
"Evening, Marian," Percival replied, trying very hard to suppress the overwhelming urge to tease them both. A blind man could see how much those lovesick idiots belong together.
"We're going to the tavern for some ale and to see if we can't relieve some snooty noble of their purse. Want to come?" Gwaine asked as he bounced on the balls of his feet.
Marian stepped between them and wound her arms through theirs. "Sure. Why not?" A small smile swept over her face.
Marian and Gwaine were standing across from one another, each with a determined look on their face. He narrowed his eyes and placed his hands on the table. Leaning in close, he dared her through gritted teeth. "Go ahead, healer. Do your worst."
She scoffed at his confidence. The knight had no idea what was in store for him—the pain he would feel when it was all over. She placed her hands on the table, the tips of their fingers lightly touching, and leaned in, her face inches from his. "You'd better watch your mouth, knight. Those are fightin' words."
The tension was palpable. The surrounding crowd waited with bated breath. Gwaine rose and smirked at her, crossing his arms over his chest. The challenge had been issued, and she had accepted. Marian shook her hands and brought them to her mouth to blow into them. Her hands parted, and as two small blocks fell to the table, she called out. "Seven!"
The dice rolled across the table, one landing with five dots on top and the other with two dots. The crowd erupted in loud cheers, with the men patting Marian on the back and raising her hands in celebration.
Gwaine grinned at her as he handed over the last of his gold coins. "Fair is fair, beautiful. You've bested me."
"Not so cocky now, are you, Sir Gwaine?" she laughed.
She walked over to him and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "Come, let me buy you some ale. In fact, the next round is on me!" she yelled to the innkeeper as she gestured to the whole room.
"Now that's a cause for celebration!" Gwaine exclaimed happily as he picked her up and spun her around. Instead of letting her go, he carried her over to a table and dropped her to her feet.
Gwaine, Marian, and Percival sat at the table, undisturbed by the riotous laughter and drunken singing surrounding them. After they had finished their ale, Gwaine turned to her. "So, how did you do it? Magic?"
"A lady never tells."
"Are you a psychic, then?"
Marian rolled her eyes. "Yes, Gwaine. I'm a psychic."
Percival's eyes grew wide.
She pressed her index fingers to her temples and closed her eyes. "I predict that you, Sir Gwaine, will drink yourself into a stupor and, thinking you've followed a buxom beauty to her bed, will wake up hungover in the stables on the morrow!"
Percival busted out laughing while Gwaine simply smiled.
"Fair enough, love. But please don't resign me to a night with a mare. I've only eyes for one buxom beauty."
"I bet you say that to all the girls." Marian stood. "Another round, gents? I've recently come into some wealth," she said as she shook Gwaine's lost purse, coins tinkling, "and I'm feeling generous."
They nodded as she left to go to the bar to order more ale.
"You've not told her, have you?" Percival asked.
The sway of Marian's hips captured Gwaine's attention. "Told her what, Perce?"
"That you love her, you dollophead."
Gwaine chuckled and turned his attention back to Percival. "You've been around Merlin too long. But no, not in so many words."
"Well, why not?"
"I guess I'm afraid. What if she doesn't feel the same? What if I lose her entirely? I love her more than anything, Perce. I've never loved like this before, and it frightens me."
Percival clapped Gwaine on the back. "I guess you'll just have to take the risk, brave Sir Gwaine," he laughed.
Gwaine looked over at the bar and saw Marian talking with a man. He narrowed his eyes as he tried to remember if he had seen him before. The smarmy-looking stranger looked like he was up to no good. His hackles stood when Marian laughed at something the man said. He wasn't the jealous type, and there was no understanding between them, but Gwaine found he hated that man. He usually brought out her beautiful, song-like laugh. And here this other man was… was he touching her arm?
Gwaine growled under his breath and made to stand, but Percival put a firm hand on his shoulder and pushed him back into his seat.
"What do you think you're going to do, Gwaine? She isn't your sweetheart, and she wouldn't appreciate your jealousy."
"You're right, you're right."
Gwaine reached out to stop a passing barmaid and nodded toward Marian. "Who is that man over there?"
"Him? That's William the Bold." The older woman sighed and looked dreamily at William. "He's the bravest and most handsome man in all the five kingdoms. He slew the griffin that had been terrorizing Camelot many years ago."
Gwaine and Percival shared an amused look. "Did he, now?"
William was a fraud, of course. Lancelot was the knight who defeated the griffin. Gwaine let her have her fantasy and kept quiet.
"He did! And it's even said that he saved King Arthur in a melee once! It was Prince Arthur then, of course. And even though he had been unfairly banished from the kingdom by Uther, he risked his life to expose two thugs that were using magic to try to kill the prince," she said as she smiled at him and walked away.
"What?" Gwaine asked, his voice raised. That was a step too far. "I—"
Percival shook his head and put a hand on Gwaine's arm to stop him.
Gwaine glared at the charlatan, chatting up his healer. "That was me," he pouted. "William the Bold," he scoffed. "More like William the Liar. William the Bastard. William the…" he stopped when he saw William grab Marian by the arms and thrust his mouth onto hers. "William the Dead Man!"
He stood so fast that his chair tumbled to the floor. He started over to the bar, but before he could get there, Marian tore herself from William's grasp and punched him hard in the face. Caught off guard, William stumbled back and fell into a table behind him, knocking the flagon of ale over and onto the lap of a rather large, brutish man. Gwaine looked on with pride as Marian shook her pained hand and yelled at William. "You motherfucker!"
The brutish man lifted William by his collar and drew his fist back to punch, but several large men who had entered with William were scattered around the tavern and stood, ready to fight.
Gwaine smirked. Adrenaline pumped into his bloodstream, and his skin prickled in anticipation. This is what he lived for—the fight. The odds of getting out of the tavern without a black eye were slim to none. And he liked those kinds of odds. He jumped over the empty chair in front of him and threw a punch at one of William's men.
Suddenly, the entire tavern erupted in chaos. Chairs were thrown, and crockery was broken. Percival fought off two men at once while Gwaine tried to fight his way over to Marian.
William had snuck up behind her and grabbed her around her waist, lifting her from the ground. She kicked and screamed, making it difficult for him to keep his hold on her. She threw her head back, and connecting with his face, broke his nose with her skull.
"You bitch!" he screamed as he dropped her.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, she grabbed the nearest bar stool and swung it at him, breaking it into several pieces as it made contact with his head and knocking him out on the floor.
Gwaine reached Marian and pulled her out into the chilly night air. They ran down the street, only stopping once they were too far to hear the brawl. He bent over and rested his hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath.
"Shouldn't we go back and help Percival?" Marian panted.
"Nah," Gwaine said. "He's been itching for a fight lately. Best to let him have his fun."
"That doesn't sound like Percival. That sounds more like you." Marian laughed and wobbled on her feet. She would have fallen over had Gwaine not caught her.
"You alright?"
"Yeah, I guess that little head-butt move finally caught up with me."
She winced when Gwaine ran his hand to the back of her head to feel her scalp for injury. "There's no blood, but you've got a hell of a knot forming. Come on, beautiful. Let's get you home."
Marian wound her arm around his, and they started toward the citadel.
"Did you know that man was taking credit for things you knights have done?"
"I heard. Only an insecure man would feel the need to brag to a beautiful woman," he glanced at Marian. "Especially if he's lying to get her into his bed."
Marian couldn't help herself and burst into laughter. "You think that's what he was trying to do? Bed me? Whatever for?"
He stopped and looked at her, confused. "You're asking me why he would want to bed you? Marian, have you not looked in a mirror?"
Now it was her turn to look confused. "You… you really think I'm beautiful?"
He opened his mouth to reply, but the words eluded him. He thought she was heavenly and told her daily. It broke his heart that she didn't see it in herself. He loved her for her mind and her feisty personality, but he had to admit, her beauty was what first drew him to her. Instead of saying how he felt, he just nodded.
"Oh. I… I thought this whole time that you've been calling me beautiful as a joke. I had no idea."
"Marian, how is that a joke? Do you think I'm cruel?"
"No, of course not. But… Well, it's like how one would call Percival Tiny or William back there a genius." Marian couldn't look at him. "I mean, I know I'm not ugly or anything—I do have some self-esteem. I just don't think I warrant that kind of attention."
He looked at her softly. The woman truly didn't know how beautiful she was. He brushed a lock of her hair back from her face. "Marian…" I love you.
Before he could continue, Percival came barreling down the street in a hurry, nose bloodied and one eye swollen. "They're coming this way! You'd better hide!" he yelled before darting between two of the wooden buildings.
Gwaine and Marian ran to the opposite side of the street and ducked down behind one of the market stalls to wait for the men to pass.
"He went this way!" they heard one of them shout.
A rush of footfalls went by and sounded like they were headed away from the citadel. When Gwaine no longer heard anyone out in the street, he stretched up to look over the stall.
"They're gone," he said before they both erupted into a fit of laughter.
Once they had calmed, he stood and held his hand out for her, helping her from the ground. They started back to the citadel and to her chamber, laughing about their close call the entire way.
When they reached her chamber door, she turned to him and gave him a smile that would outshine the sun. "Thank you for rescuing me once again, Gwaine. My knight in shining armor."
"Will you be alright?"
She shuddered. "I think so."
"What's wrong, love?"
"I can still feel his disgusting mouth on me and it's creeping me out."
Gwaine smiled warmly at her. There was no way he would let her go to sleep thinking of William the Idiot. He reached up and placed his palms on either side of her face, his fingers winding through her hair. He leaned in close, his nose brushing against hers and his breath tickling her lips.
"May I?"
Marian nodded ever so slightly before he touched her lips with his, moving his mouth softly and slowly over hers. Breathing deeply, she took in his scent. The tenderness of his kiss made Marian's body warm all over. So much love and care nearly made her heart swell right out of her chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck to keep from drowning in her desire for him. Though their previous kisses had been in subterfuge, caused by sorcery, or because of fear, this kiss—which was no less passionate—meant even more to her. It was lovely and honest, showing her how much care Gwaine felt for her.
After a few moments of loving kisses, Gwaine pulled away and grinned at her. With rosy cheeks and swollen lips, he thought her the loveliest he'd ever seen. "Better?"
Marian couldn't speak, so she nodded, still in the fog of the kiss.
When she finally opened her eyes, Gwaine brought her bruised knuckles to his lips, kissing them tenderly. I love you. Gwaine leaned down to her ear, his lips brushing her warm skin. "Sweet dreams, beautiful." He kissed her temple and stood straight.
Marian looked at him, grinning like a lovesick fool. "G'night," she slurred.
He left her at her door to go to his chamber. Always leave her wanting more, he thought, smiling.
In a trance, Marian smiled as she entered her chamber, her heart soaring to unimaginable heights.
Still on a high from his kiss with Marian the night before, Gwaine practically floated away from his chamber. eager to start the day. A voice echoed down the corridor from the physician's chambers as Gwaine climbed the stairs. It was loud, and the words were clear.
"Good morning, beau-ti-fuul! I know it's gonna be a good morning, beau-ti-fuul!"
He smiled. Marian was singing.
"When you're waking up with me, it's gonna be a good morning, beau-ti-fuul!"
He was taken aback by what he saw when he looked into the chambers. Marian was dancing and twirling around the room with rags in her hands, and with each pass of a table or shelf, she swiped dust and twirled away.
"La la la, la la la!"
Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned against the door frame and just watched. She hopped to a stool, and when she sat, she spun around, her feet kicking in the air. Lucky for him, she didn't seem to notice he was standing there.
"And as I'm going through my day, nothing can take this smile from my face. Whether the sunshine or whether the rain. I can weather any weather with you. Smiling you, perfect you, babe."
He grinned when she danced into the sunbeam shining through the window. Her honey hair shined and her skin glowed.
Gwaine's heart skipped a beat.
Marian was perfectly angelic.
"Good morning, beau-ti-fuul! I know it's gonna be a good morning, beau-ti-fuul! When you're waking up with me, it's gonna be a good morning beau-ti-fuul!"
Not wanting to break the spell she cast on his heart, he quietly lifted himself from the door frame and turned back down the corridor, her voice following him until it was too soft to make out the words.
"This feeling like I'm dreaming. It's a dream come true when I wake up with you. La la la, la la la!"
Gwaine was walking on clouds.
Good Morning Beautiful written by Zack Kyle and Todd Cerney, performed by Luke McMaster and Jim Brickman.
