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: Both Marian and Gwaine have been thrown into 2018 and she takes pleasure in Gwaine's reaction to the modern world. Finally able to love each other, things get hot and heavy until tragedy strikes.
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Back to the Future
With incredible luck, Marian and Gwaine had landed just outside of the city where she lived. She was excited to show Gwaine all the tourist spots, and the hidden jewels in the city. But first, she needed to see if she could get back into her apartment.
"Hey, would it be too much trouble to just drop us off at the next street?"
"Sure thing, darlin'!"
Unable to help it, she giggled at Gwaine's scowl every time the driver called her darlin'.
"Don't keep lookin' like that. I ain't trying to poach your pretty little lady," the driver said, grinning at Gwaine. "Though if I were about twenty years younger, I'd give you a run for your money."
"I doubt it," Gwaine muttered, and, to keep from clobbering the old man, he looked straight ahead as the truck came to a stop.
"Here you are," the driver said. "And little lady…" Marian turned to him as Gwaine was following her out of the cab. "Don't let this fella bother you none. He seems kinda moody."
She grinned. "I'll keep that in mind."
"I'm not moody," Gwaine said as they left the truck and walked down the street.
"No, of course not," she teased.
"He was too familiar with you."
"I didn't take you for the jealous type, Sir Gwaine."
"I'm not jealous."
Amused, she attempted to stifle her laughter. "You have much more to offer a woman than he does."
"More years ahead of me, for one."
"Access to a bath."
"Manners."
"Manners? I seem to remember you making fun of me when we first met."
He frowned. "I wasn't making fun of you, Marian. I was flirting."
Now she really did lose the battle to hold in her laughter. "That was flirting? Thank god you got better at it!"
Gwaine chuckled with her. "You enjoyed it, though. Several times I rendered you unable to breathe."
She blushed. "I… well, maybe I recall being attracted to you even when you were bad at flirting. And…"
"And?"
"Perhaps I wanted to rip your clothes off and ravish you, but it would have been awkward with Gaius or Merlin there."
"I certainly wouldn't have complained." His smile could have outshined the sun. He held her hand as they walked, feeling on top of the world.
The sun was setting when they arrived at a row of brick townhouses. They stopped at the first door, her door. Nine years had passed since she had been pulled to Camelot, but had time kept up here in the future? Was it really nine years later? The grassy brown doormat with a black monogrammed R sat in front of the door. "Surely not," she said, lifting the mat to find the hidden key beneath it. "Well," she said as she pushed the key into the lock. "Here goes nothing." She turned it with a loud click and the door swung open.
"This is where you live?" Gwaine asked as they stepped into the warm room.
"Yeah…" she said as she let go of his hand. "Ha! That's my lamp on the table."
Gwaine jumped when she turned it on.
"It's okay. It's that technology I was telling you about."
He put his hand near the bulb. "It's not hot. Shouldn't it be hot, or is there no flame?"
"No flame. It can get hot but not as much as fire," she said, flipping switches and turning on lamps as she walked throughout the apartment. "All of my things are still here. I guess it hasn't been nine years then."
As Marian walked through the living area, marveling at how nothing had changed. The light in the kitchen kept going on and off and on and off and on and off. "What are you doing?" she laughed as she stuck her head in the kitchen.
Gwaine stood by the light switch, flipping it up and down. "Magic apparently," he said, grinning.
She shook her head as she finished turning on the lights and walked back to him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she buried her face in his chest. "I can't believe we're really here."
Gwaine held her close and placed a kiss on top of her head. "Does that please you?"
"As long as you're with me, I don't care where I am."
"So we can be together? I can spend my life loving you and you loving me?"
In response, Marian raised up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. It was soft and sweet at first, but as the kiss went on, Gwaine grew passionate and a bit handsy. He pushed her back into the wall and lifted her skirt as he pulled one of her legs up against his hip. His hands roamed everywhere, from holding her ass to cupping her breasts and everywhere in between. She moaned when he nibbled down her neck and she squealed when he grazed his teeth where her neck and shoulder met.
"That tickles!"
"Good," he said as he smiled against her skin. "I may tickle you in other places, too." As if to illustrate his point, he thrust his hips.
"Mmm, yes please."
All of a sudden, her stomach growled. "Ignore it," she said while rolling her hips into him.
"Oh god, Marian…"
Her stomach growled louder.
"Don't pay any attention to it."
Gwaine chuckled. "I think we best take care of it before doing anything else." He dropped her leg when his stomach growled too. "We'll need the energy, anyway."
Marian blushed as she led him back to the kitchen.
Gwaine smirked at her. Supper wasn't the only thing he'd be feasting on that night.
"I hope I have something edible. There's no telling how fresh everything is." Marian opened the refrigerator and frowned.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing is spoiled."
"That's supposed to be a good thing, isn't it?" Gwaine's concern shifted to curiosity as he held his hands up to the interior of the fridge.
She went to the kitchen table and opened her laptop. The screen was black, but the charger was plugged in. "Great. This is going to take forever to come up," she said as she pushed the power button.
"Are you sure this isn't magic, beautiful? There's light and cool air inside this food box."
"You should open the top door." She waited and waited for her laptop to come on and groaned, finally remembering how lousy she was at maintaining her tech.
Gwaine shouted when he stuck his hand in the freezer and picked up a piece of ice. "Jesus!"
"What did you just say?" Marian asked, smiling.
"I've heard you say that before. It's something said in your time, correct?"
"Very much so. I'm just surprised you used it correctly."
The welcome music played from the laptop's small speakers. Finally, the damn thing was on.
Gwaine was tossing ice cubes between his hands behind her as she leaned down to the computer screen.
"This can't be right. Gwaine, come look at this!"
Startled, he dropped the ice cubes on the floor, and, making sure she wasn't looking, he kicked them under the fridge so she need never know. "What is that?" he asked as he came up behind her.
She pointed to the top of the screen. "See that there? That's the date. That's today's date."
He squinted his eyes. "Ten, funny leaning line, thirty, funny leaning line, two-thousand and eighteen? I don't understand it."
"It means it's October thirtieth in the year two-thousand and eighteen. The day Nimueh pulled me to Camelot."
Putting his hand on her shoulder, he frowned. "So, that means according to your time, you have aged nine years while not a day has gone by here? Is that good?"
"A very good thing. A lucky one too. It means we get to eat."
"Great! I'm starving!"
After they ate, Marian showed Gwaine around, taking extra time in the bathroom to explain the facilities. "Just press this lever, and it all goes away. No emptying a pot or anything," she told him as she pointed to the lever on the toilet.
She tore off a piece of soft toilet paper and handed it to him. "This is for… erm… wiping anything that needs wiping," she said, thoroughly embarrassed.
Gwaine took the piece and rubbed it between his fingers. "This is much softer than our bog paper or, heaven forbid, tree bark," he said, shuddering at the thought.
"When you're finished with it, you throw it in the bowl before pushing the lever."
Marian walked over to the sink and turned the taps. "And turn these to get hot and cold water. The soap is in this," she pointed to the hand soap on the sink counter, "just press down, and the liquid will come out."
He nodded to her. "Mind if I try? Call of nature and all," he said, grinning.
Chuckling, Marian excused herself and closed the door, hurrying back into the living room to give him some privacy. A moment later, she heard the toilet flush.
"HOLY HELL!" Gwaine cried out.
She laughed when she heard him trying to deal with the sink. "Everything go okay?"
"That was… surprising, to say the least," he said as he left the bathroom. He went across the hall to the only bedroom and looked around, smirking at the single queen-sized bed.
"Marian, love." She turned to him just as he stuck his head into the hallway. "There's naught but one bed," he said, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.
"That's very true." She brushed the back of her hand against her brow and started to fall back into him, appearing to swoon. "What is an innocent maiden to do?"
Gwaine put his hands on her hips, drawing her close and placing small kisses along her jaw and down her neck. "As a noble knight, I must protect her reputation." He slid his hands up to her breasts and palmed them.
"And if I don't care about my reputation?" she asked huskily and then turned around to press her lips against his.
He smiled against her as he spoke. "Then I guess I have a duty to take the lady to her bed."
Marian grinned as she pulled herself from his arms and went to her chest of drawers. If she remembered correctly, she had a sexy silk nightgown that she'd bought for herself after she'd moved. It was short with a plunging neckline, perfect for seducing handsome medieval knights.
"Let me go change first, loverboy," she smirked at him. As she went out of the door and to the bathroom, she called over her shoulder. "Go ahead and get comfortable!"
As she shut the bathroom door, Gwaine sat on the bed to pull his boots and socks off. He then went to her full-length mirror to look at his reflection as he smoothed down his hair and checked his breath. Comfortable, she had said. Removing his belt, Gwaine shrugged as he reached for the hem of his tunic and pulled it over his head, dropping both to the floor.
Watching his reflection, he shifted to get a different view of his body. He was fit and muscled, scars from battle covering his taut skin. He lifted his arms and sniffed, making sure he wasn't too musky, and then he pulled the waistband of his trousers out and looked inside, double-checking that everything had made the journey through time in one piece.
Turning around, he looked at his backside, hoping it was nice enough for Marian to appreciate it. He'd never had the luxury of a full mirror, so seeing all of himself at once was a new and pleasing experience. He flexed his muscles, watching as his buttocks tensed, and then relaxed from beneath the fabric of his trousers. The muscles in his back rippled as he moved. He turned around and flexed his chest and arm muscles, watching the shadows move along with him.
Very nice, he thought, grinning. Surely this is what women liked, wasn't it? A strong man who could protect them? Muscles that you could see but not so big you couldn't move? It was what Marian liked… he hoped.
Satisfied that his appearance was alluring enough for his beautiful healer, Gwaine went to the bed and lay down. It was the most comfortable bed he had ever been in. It was firm, but still very supple. He dropped his head down to the pillow and moaned as the softness enveloped him. It was like lying on a cloud. How anyone could go back to the hard scratchy mattresses of Camelot after sleeping on this, he'd never know.
Marian stepped out of the bathroom a few moments later, her silk nightgown gliding over her smooth skin. The hem reached the middle of her thighs, and though the top was a little tighter than she remembered, the neckline dipped down to the bottom of her breasts. She walked into the bedroom and ran her hand up the doorframe, popping her hip out just a bit.
"I'm ready for bed, Gwaine," she purred. The only reply she got was his soft snores.
Chuckling, she went to the bed to get him situated. Having fallen asleep on top of the comforter, he was bound to get cold, so she pulled a throw blanket from the end of the bed up to cover him. Walking to the other side, she sighed. Marian climbed in under the comforter and scooted up against him, wrapping her arm around his waist. She supposed he was drained from their journey and realized that she, too, was exhausted. She laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes, letting sleep take her.
Marian had a vague awareness of Gwaine's body curled against her back and his warm hand spread across her belly. She smiled when she felt him stir, but she didn't move, letting him believe she was still asleep. His hand flexed, and she felt him gasp before he pulled her even closer. She decided to test the waters and wiggled her ass ever so lightly.
Gwaine's breath hitched as he hardened against her. Her gown was so very thin that it felt like she wasn't wearing anything at all. His hand traced the curve of her breast. A small moan bubbled up when he realized the material didn't completely cover her chest—instead, he felt her nipple peek out from behind the silk. Her hair had moved away from her beautifully smooth neck, so of course, he had to take the opportunity to trail small kisses down her shoulder to her neck. When he reached her ear, he gently brushed her hair away and nuzzled the tip.
Marian turned her head to look at him, smiling. "Good morning, loverboy."
"You've been awake this whole time, haven't you?"
Laughing, she nodded. "Sorry, you were just so insistent." She moved her backside against his hardness. "I didn't want to disturb you."
Gwaine threw the comforter off of her and turned her onto her back. "The only thing that disturbs me is not taking you here and now," he said as he hovered over her.
"I find that disturbing as well," she said as she lifted her head to capture his mouth with hers.
She tangled her hands in his hair, and when he ran his fingers down to her hip, she gasped. Gwaine climbed between her legs, feeling the softness of her thighs as he explored under her gown.
Just then, his stomach growled with a rumble, and Marian couldn't help the giggle that escaped, breaking the mood. He sat up, irritated at his traitorous body, but smiled down at her, nonetheless. "I can't win, can I?"
"We have plenty of time, my darling knight. So, let's quiet down that stomach," Marian said, climbing out of bed.
Gwaine wagged his eyebrows. "You know the best way to quiet me down is—"
A pillow hit him in the face and he fell over.
"To hit you with a pillow?"
Growling, Gwaine launched himself from the bed and caught her from behind. "That's no way to behave, my lady."
"Stop!" she laughed. "That tickles!" She wiggled from his grip.
"That's the point!" He went for her sides again, but she was able to push him back down to the mattress. Out of breath, she climbed onto the bed and straddled him, trailing small, lingering kisses up his neck. When she reached his ear, she gently bit down on his lobe and tugged, causing a low guttural moan to escape him.
He grabbed onto her backside to rock her hips over his growing need, but his stomach growled even louder.
Marian chuckled and got off his lap. "Let's take care of this first."
"Dammit. The one time I don't want to eat and my stomach won't shut up."
They got up and went to the bathroom so she could explain the shower.
"Turn those until the water feels warm enough. Use this," she said, picking up the bottle of shampoo to show him, "in your hair and this," she put the shampoo down and showed him the body wash, "everywhere else." Then she turned to the sink and opened one of the drawers beneath. Pulling out a new toothbrush, she opened the plastic and pulled the brush out, handing it to him.
"Use this on your teeth in place of birch sticks." She reached behind her and picked up the tube of toothpaste lying on the counter. "And just a small amount of this, rather than chalk. Just make sure you spit it all out and don't swallow it."
He laid the toothbrush and toothpaste back onto the countertop.
"What are you going to do while I'm naked in the hot water?" he asked, sliding his hands around her waist, down to her ass, and pulling her close.
Lifting on her toes, Marian gave him a quick peck on the nose. "I'll be making breakfast for a very hungry knight."
Gwaine pouted as she turned and left the room. His stomach gave one last call for food. "Traitor," he said as he shut the door.
When he had finished with his shower, Gwaine put his tunic and trousers back on and went in search of Marian. Finding her in the kitchen, dressed in a long robe, and humming to herself, he leaned on the doorway and grinned. His mouth watered, but he didn't know if it was from the smell of breakfast or the tempting vixen cooking it. "My god, Marian, you are entirely too beautiful for words."
She jumped a little and then smiled while looking back at him over her shoulder. "You flatter me, Sir Gwaine."
He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "That smells delicious. What is it?"
"This," she said, pulling his hands from her and picking up the pan, "is an omelet." She slid the folded egg dish onto a plate and handed it to him. "You start while I cook mine."
Gwaine kissed the side of her head and then took the plate over to the kitchen table to sit down. He cut down on the omelet with his fork and melted cheese and grilled vegetables poured out of the side. Gwaine took one bite and his eyes rolled back before he closed them in delight. "Mmm… This is very good, sweetheart!"
"You like it?"
"Delicious!" he said with his mouth full of another bite. He was half done when Marian brought her breakfast to the table and sat down.
"I was afraid I'd forgotten how to cook. It's been a while," she laughed, bringing the first bite up to her mouth.
"No, love, you definitely remembered how to cook."
"Well, omelets are easy. It'll take a while for me to remember how to cook much else."
They ate in silence for a few minutes, both enjoying the hot meal. When they had finished, Marian took the plates and set them in the sink to deal with later. She poured two mugs of coffee and sat back down at the table with Gwaine. He took a sip of the coffee and smiled at her over the mug. Marian tried to smile back, but it came off more as a grimace. Her heart raced in her chest as she thought of the conversation she didn't want to have, but desperately needed.
"What's wrong, beautiful?"
She set her mug down and sighed. "I think…" she began, her voice cracking. "I think we need to talk about how we left things over the last few months."
"Alright. Where do you want to start?"
"Do you still want me? Not just to bed, but do you want to be with me?"
He sighed and smiled softly at her. "Marian, I've always loved you. From the moment you came barging into my life, quite literally," he chuckled, "you captured my heart. With every argument we had, I fell further in love with you. You never let me get away with arrogance or stupidity—you've held me to a higher standard. You made me want to be a better person. I definitely want to be with you, love. I always have."
He held her hand in his, his thumb traced circles around her knuckles. "I wanted to be the man you needed me to be, the man you deserve." He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry that I failed and regret that we grew apart. I was afraid and foolish."
"You didn't fail, Gwaine. No matter what has happened, you've always been a good man. I was stupid and selfish."
"You aren't stupid, Marian."
"No, running away was stupid. I regret it. I thought I was saving you, but I only put us both in danger."
"Then you must never do anything like that again. I understand your reasoning and I can't say that I wouldn't have done the same. I'm sorry for my part in it. We need to work out problems together and we must promise each other to not let that ever happen again. I can't lose you, Marian. There have already been more close calls than I care to think about."
"I promise I won't." This time, her smile was genuine. "You know, having you here is weird."
Gwaine frowned. "Do you not want me here?"
"Of course I do. I just meant… You have to understand, I spent my life before Camelot fantasizing about you."
He leaned onto the table and put his chin on his hands, grinning like an idiot. "Fantasizing, did you say?"
She rolled her eyes. "Not like that. Well, like that, but different."
"You're not making sense," he said, still grinning.
"Remember when I told you about my childhood, how I used to pretend to be a princess, and how you would save me from dragons and villains? I also pretended that we had married and had children. I was Lady Marian in the court of Camelot and my husband was the fiercest knight in the kingdom."
He wagged his eyebrows at her. "Marriage and kids, you say?"
"I was a child, Gwaine! I wasn't thinking about that!" she said as she smacked his arm playfully. "It's just weird that here you are, in my time, and we're playing house."
He sat up but still looked amused. "I bet it was nothing like how we met, though. Were you irrationally angry at your make-believe knight?"
"That's another thing I regret. Jesus, I'm really getting kicked when I'm down, huh?"
"I was teasing you, sweetheart."
"Okay, then let's start over," she said as she stood. "Hi, I'm Marian. Pleased to meet you." She stuck out her hand for Gwaine to shake, but instead, he stood and held her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles.
"Hello, Marian."
He moved her arm to kiss her wrist, and she gasped at the electricity between them.
"I'm…"
He leaned to her to kiss her jaw.
"Gwaine."
He kissed the top of her ear. Delectable chills spread all over her.
"The pleasure…"
He kissed the side of her neck.
"Is all mine."
As his nose brushed against hers, he took her mouth and moved his lips slowly, torturingly, deliciously. When he broke the kiss, he stood back to watch as a blush crept over her face and neck.
She touched her burning cheek with the back of her hand. "I've never kissed someone I've only just met, you know."
"What about William?"
She tilted her head in confusion. "Who?"
"William the Idiot."
"Oh, that. If I remember correctly, my dear Gwaine, he kissed me."
He turned his attention back to kissing her neck.
She drew a quick breath when she felt him nibble at her skin. "And you started a tavern brawl over it."
He kissed down to her shoulder and pushed the robe to the side so he could get to more of her skin. "Ah, you aren't remembering correctly, beautiful," he said against her shoulder. "You're the one who threw the first punch."
Marian moaned when he bit and then soothed with his tongue. "You're right." As pleasurable as his kisses were, and as much as she wanted him to bend her over the table and ravish her, she pushed him back when she saw the time on the clock. "We'll need to continue this tonight. There's a lot to do today."
Gwaine's brow furrowed. "Like what?"
"I need to shower." She put her finger on his lips when he opened his mouth to say something she was sure was indecent and thrilling. "And then I need to take you shopping."
"For what?" he asked from behind her finger.
"Clothes. As fucking hot as you look, you should probably have modern clothes." She looked him up and down, her eyes devouring him. "I really can't wait to see you in jeans and a tee."
He may not know what she meant, but he knew that look of lust and desire. He was about to make a move when she picked up a book from the table.
"You should look at this while I shower," she said as she handed him a book on the Arthurian legends. "It's about Camelot. Sort of."
"Am I in here?"
She grinned and nodded, then left for the shower. He would freak out when he read that Morgause was his mother and Arthur his uncle.
"So, what do you think?" Marian asked as she spun. The shirt and short skirt she had picked out weren't risque for the twenty-first century, but she doubted Gwaine had ever seen a woman dressed in so little to go out in public.
He swallowed hard. "I, uh…"
She raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to find his brain, which had obviously taken a quick trip down south. "You what?"
"I… yeah."
She walked over to him and ran her hands up his chest to wrap her arms around his neck. "You're going to have to get used to this, my darling knight. No one wears as much clothing as they do in Camelot if they can help it."
He grinned and wrapped her in his arms. "I wouldn't mind seeing you with less on."
"I bet," Marian said, laughing. "Oh, here. I already ordered a ride to go shopping, so you can play with this until it gets here." She handed him her cell phone. "Just tap this with your finger and it will make a picture for you."
He looked like a kid at Christmas. "Like this?" Unfortunately for Marian, he had just taken a picture down her shirt.
She moved his arm up. "Point it what you want to make a picture of and then press the circle."
"I did," he said, wagging his eyebrows.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," she said, rolling her eyes. "By the way, what did you think of the book?"
Gwaine unintentionally took a picture up his own nose when he turned the phone around. "I can see why you were upset about that green armor." The flash went off when he took a picture of Marian in a shadow. "What the hell was that?"
She chuckled. "It lights up the area you're trying to take a picture of if it's too dark."
"It knows how to do that? Are you sure this isn't magic?"
"Just wait until tomorrow. You're going to love what I have planned."
"Will I?" he said, smirking.
Marian rolled her eyes.
"By the way, why did you keep telling me it wasn't your story to tell?" he asked. "You're in the book, love."
Frowning, she picked it up. "Where?"
"My wedding story. Dame Ragnelle. Is that not you?"
"Well, my name is Marian, not Rag…"
He raised his eyebrows. "Marian Ragnell?"
"I… Oh my god! You're right! I'm an idiot!"
Gwaine grinned at her and took a quick picture of her face when she had her realization. She was about to hug him, but the rideshare arrived, so they slid into the car instead.
Once they arrived, she had him in the men's section and trying on clothes in no time.
"Here, try these," Marian said as she handed a couple of pairs of jeans to him.
"I don't understand how this thing works," he said as he fingered the zipper.
"Just hold on to this part and pull it up or push it down."
A grin broke over his face. "Maybe you can come and show me."
She laughed as she pushed him toward the changing room. "Another time, loverboy."
After a couple of minutes and a few expletives, he emerged from the room in a tight black tee and ass-hugging jeans. He spread his arms and spun for her. "How do I look?" His face fell when she didn't reply. "Marian?"
She stood there, biting her lower lip with lust written on her face. "Goddamn, Gwaine."
"Is it that bad?" he asked, misinterpreting her expression.
She dragged her eyes down his body, trying to ignore the need to squeeze her thighs together. "No, not at all. You look…"
"Are you alright?"
"Oh yeah. I've never been so attracted to someone as I am right now."
Pleased with her reaction, he stood in front of her and looked down into her hungry eyes.
Oh fuck. That smolder. She lost her breath when he bent to her ear and spoke in a low and needy tone. "We can always go home now and come back when I've finished with you."
Her knees went weak, and she held onto his arms to keep from melting into a pool of overwhelmingly horny goo. "No," she said softly. "We need to get this done."
When he moved back, he cupped her cheek and smiled softly. "As you wish."
That all but undid her.
"I, uh… I need to get you some underwear. Stay here and try on anything else you want, and I'll be right back."
She found packs of boxer briefs and couldn't decide between two brands. She held them up and looked at one and then the other. "I guess it won't matter much. His ass is gonna look good in either." She shrugged, and after picking out a few more colors, she went back to the changing rooms to find him. But her heart dropped to her stomach when she got there.
"You should try this one. The color would look soooo good on you," a young sales associate purred as she held up a shirt to Gwaine's chest.
He awkwardly took the offered shirt. "Thank you but I—"
"You could be a model," she said, her voice tinged with a sickeningly sweet laugh. "This color really brings out your…" She looked him up and down and licked her lip, nearly devouring him. "…eyes."
Marian's annoyance shifted to amusement as she watched Gwaine look around, obviously trying to find a way to get away from the overly eager sales associate. She thought about watching him squirm just a little more, but in the end, she had pity on him and walked up for the rescue.
"I found these for you, my love," she said, approaching Gwaine from the side and pretending she didn't see the associate who was close to fondling her darling knight.
He turned to her, desperate to get away. "Marian, sweetheart!"
She handed him the underwear and wrapped her arm through his, laying her head on his shoulder. "Oh, hi," she said to the associate as she gave her a possessive back off, bitch, he's mine look and took the shirt from her, grinning. "That shirt would look perfect, don't you think, sweetheart? I think it would bring out your eyes."
The sales associate's face turned sour, and she walked away.
"Thank you, beautiful," he said, picking up the clothes they decided to purchase. "Are all the women in your time like that?"
"Like what?"
"Irritatingly forward."
Marian laughed. "Might I remind you that you got the same attention in Camelot?"
"I did, didn't I?" he said as he smirked at her.
She rolled her eyes and led him to the cashier. "Calm down, loverboy. You're spoken for."
"My heart only belongs to you, beautiful."
A soft smile crossed her face as she watched him watching her. He loved her. The look on his face showed his feelings for her, and that was all that mattered. He only had eyes for her and it showed. Finally, her life was coming together. Finally, she was genuinely happy.
"Let's buy these so we can go home and eat."
"You truly know a way to a man's heart," he said as his stomach growled.
The smoke alarm was blaring, louder and shriller than anything Gwaine had ever heard before. "What is that?" he yelled over the noise as he put his hands over his ears.
Marian yelled back to him as she waved a magazine in front of the alarm. "The fucking smoke alarm!"
When it finally quieted, she ran to the oven and opened it, a wave of eye-watering smoke whirling in the air. He looked over her shoulder as she pulled the casserole dish from the oven and set it on the counter.
"Is it supposed to be that done?"
The charcoal mound that was supposed to be a roasted chicken mocked her. "No, I guess I don't remember how to cook after all," she said, sighing as her shoulders fell. "We'll just have to figure something else out."
"What about those egg things from this morning? It was the most delicious meal I've ever had."
She smiled softly at his effort to keep her spirits up. "Perfect."
After they finished eating, she went to the other room and brought out a paper bag. "Today is Halloween and you, my darling knight, are about to be in for a treat!"
He looked inside the bag and frowned, confused at the shiny cloth and what looked like chainmail inside. "What's Hallow-een?"
She grinned. "It's what Samhain has become. Children and grown-ups dress in costumes and the children go door-to-door for treats."
He shook his head, not understanding.
Marian reached into the bag and held up the shiny fabric. "You dress up as something you aren't. Like dressing up as a witch."
"But you are a witch, love."
"Okay, bad example," she laughed. "You can dress up as a ghost or a king or a monster. Then the children visit in their costumes, and you give them sweets while telling them how scary or how cute they are."
Gwaine's eyebrows rose, clearly excited. "You mean to tell me there's food involved?"
Nodding, Marian reached into the bottom of the bag and pulled out a small square object, holding it out for him to take. It was shiny and mostly brown. In big blue letters, it said Snickers.
He picked it up and after he sniffed, he touched it to his tongue and made a face. "I hate to break it to you, beautiful, but this has no taste. Children really want this sort of thing?"
She chuckled and took the square back. Ripping the wrapper, she pulled out the candy and showed it to him. "This, my love, is candy. It's covered in chocolate. Wars have been fought over chocolate. Your mouth will thank you."
Smirking, he opened his mouth for her to pop the square onto his tongue. When he brought the candy into his mouth, chewing slowly, his eyes widened in surprise. "This…" he tried, the sticky caramel nearly gluing his teeth together. "Mmm, this is very sweet! And a little salty." He swallowed and smiled brightly at her. "I like it!"
Marian laughed. "Right, so we need to get ready and dress in our costumes." She rummaged in the bag and pulled out a shirt, trousers, a crown, and chainmail. "You get to be King Arthur!"
"Hilarious," he said, cocking an eyebrow at her.
"It's your chance to be a king. Go try it on!"
He took the costume and went into the bedroom to change.
"The sword is on the bed. You do know how to use a sword, don't you?"
Gwaine poked his head out of the door. "You think you're so funny."
After a few minutes, she heard a loud sigh.
"Marian, love. I don't think this armor will protect me. It seems to be made from soft metal that isn't metal."
"It's not real, it's a costume."
"Ah. And there seems to be a problem with the sword."
She stepped into the room to see what had happened. Gwaine was standing before her, dressed in fake chainmail and looking ever so dashing. He held the sword up with the blade pointed at his gut and pushed it into himself. The sword bent, causing no damage.
"Let me guess, not a real sword?" he asked dryly.
She shook her head, unable to contain her laughter. "It's for children, Gwaine. You wouldn't give a child a real sword, would you?"
"I had a real sword," he mumbled as he turned to pick up the plastic crown and set it on top of his head. "What do you think?"
Marian walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, lifting herself on her toes to kiss him. "Very royal." She stepped back. "I have to get ready now, so shoo!" she said as she pushed him to the door.
He closed the door behind him and went in search of more candy. A few minutes later, the door to the bedroom opened, and Marian stepped out. His eyes widened when he saw her. "What the hell are you supposed to be?"
Marian wore a shiny blue robe with giant stars printed on it. The robe was oversized and looked like something Gaius would have worn, and she had a matching pointed hat on her head. Her hair was long and stringy and white, and on her face sat a long, white beard. "I'm Merlin."
Gwaine doubled over in laughter, having never seen a woman with a beard before. He calmed but started back up again as he thought of the noblewomen of Camelot dressed in beards. "You're joking!"
"No, I'm serious!" she said, with her hands on her hips. "What's so funny?"
"A woman with a beard!" he howled. "And I think you're a few hundred years too old to be Merlin, sweetheart."
She crossed her arms and pursed her lips. "Gwaine, even you've seen him with a white beard."
"Merlin? When?"
"Well, when he failed to save Uther's life. And I believe one time you ran into him on patrol. Got knocked around a bit?"
"That wasn't… it couldn't…" Gwaine's good humor faded as he remembered how the old sorcerer insulted them and, using his magic had easily bested them. "That bastard! I injured my head, not to mention my pride!"
She went up to him and rubbed his arms soothingly. "Yes, but it gave you an excuse to come see me," she said with a sly look in her eye.
He looked at her and burst into more fits of laughter. "Please tell me that thing will come off your face. Please, love, tell me it isn't a real beard!"
She yanked the beard from her face and glared at him. The beard, held on with elastic, popped back onto her face as she let go. "Of course it's fake."
"Well, thank God for that!"
He pulled the beard down and kissed her, still chuckling.
The neighborhood quickly filled with children in costumes and anxious parents, who were herding groups from one home to another for treats. Gwaine enjoyed answering the door and seeing the children's costumes. Some children dressed up as things he recognized, such as dragons, puppy dogs, and princesses. However, there were others that he didn't understand.
One little girl in particular proudly displayed the S on her chest as she stood in front of him. Her shirt was bright blue, and her short, ruffled skirt was a metallic red. Gwaine asked her who she was, and she rose to her entire three and a half feet, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm Supergirl! Duh!"
He chuckled at her and reached into his bowl for several pieces of candy, crouching down to her level. "Well, you're the best Supergirl I ever saw," he said as he dropped the pieces into her plastic pumpkin.
As the night wore on, Marian grew more and more sleepy, until finally, she let Gwaine take over all the candy duties. She took off her hat, wig, and beard and settled on the couch for a quick nap.
After all the candy was gone and the front door was shut, Gwaine discovered her fast asleep on the couch. He smiled and picked her up, carrying her into the bedroom. Pulling down the comforter, he kept her standing as he removed the rest of her costume, leaving her in a camisole and cotton sleep shorts. He tucked her in and changed into sleep trousers. Climbing into bed next to her, he placed a light kiss on her brow before settling in. As he drifted off to sleep, he grinned. He rather liked Halloween.
The next morning, Marian woke up before Gwaine. Her heart skipped as she watched his bare chest rising and falling as he slept soundly, and she scooted closer to him to wrap her arm around his torso. Still asleep, he gathered her in his arms and pulled her up against his side.
She took the opportunity to trail soft kisses from his neck over to his shoulder. When she reached his collarbone, she bit down softly, causing him to suck in a sharp breath. Marian slid her leg up his body, resting where the bulge expanded in his sleep trousers, and pulled herself across him, straddling him.
Gwaine woke up when she moved her lips over his and grinned against her mouth. With his fingers clinging to her round hips, he ran his tongue across her bottom lip, pushing inside of her mouth.
His heart sped as she rolled her hips over him. He wanted her more than anything at that moment, wanted to take her while she took him. The sweet act of making love could wait because, quite honestly, he wanted to fuck her senseless. Never in his life has his cock been so hard and so needy. Unable to stop himself, he sat up and guided her hips to fit closer on his erection.
Thrills of electric sex coursed through Marian when she dragged herself across his arousal, pressing against her clitoris. She rocked faster and faster, building up to a frenzy, and moaned as his hand slipped beneath her camisole, inching up the warm, bare skin to cup her breast. The need was too much. She craved him, needed him inside of her. God, she thought she'd die if he didn't thrust himself into her, and soon. Nothing else in the world mattered but their physical need.
Gwaine drew in a sharp breath when she reached in front of him, her fingers brushing over the crown of his cock as she untied the drawstring of his sleep trousers. She was almost there, almost beneath the waistband, to release him. Soon, she would slide herself onto his arousal and mercifully put an end to the sweet, sweet torture. Almost there…
Ding dong!
The doorbell rang.
"Ignore it," Marian said as she reached his erection.
Ding dong!
"Miss Ragnell?" came a loud voice. "It's me, Ethel! Your neighbor!"
Marian stopped and withdrew her hand from him. "Fuck," she said, panting as she rested her forehead against his, looking into his dark, feral eyes. "She's elderly. I'd better go see if she's okay." She climbed from Gwaine's lap, kissing him as she stood. "I'll be right back."
She leaned over to kiss him and sucked his pouting bottom lip into her mouth before standing to leave. Reluctantly, she pulled her robe on and went to see what her neighbor wanted.
Marian stood on her porch stoop, wrapped in her robe, and listened to her elderly neighbor babble on and on about last night's trick-or-treaters, gossip about the other neighbors, the weather… pretty much anything and everything. She didn't want to be rude—well, maybe she did a little—but she desperately wanted to get back to Gwaine. Fate, on the other hand, had different plans.
Finally satisfied that she'd told Marian all of her news, Ethel bade her goodbye and went back into her own apartment and her own little world. Marian walked back to the bedroom, untying her robe as her arousal began to soak her underwear, but she was disappointed to find he was no longer in bed and the bathroom door was shut. All she wanted was to have sex with Gwaine, but they seemed to be cock-blocked every time they got close. He was in the shower, though. Naked. Probably still as turned on as she was. A wicked grin spread across her face as she decided to go in and join him.
Gwaine was just stepping out of the shower when the door opened. "Marian! He hurriedly grabbed his towel and covered his manhood.
"Sorry," she said, turning from him with a smirk. "But it's not like I've never seen you naked before."
"Yes, but there's a time and place for it. I don't particularly want you to watch me dry my balls." He secured the towel around his waist. "You can turn around now."
Although his lower half was covered, she still had an up close and personal view of his chest. Biting her lower lip, her eyebrow arched as she stared at him, imagining all of the things she wanted to do to him and where she wanted to do them.
"Was your neighbor alright?"
She snapped out of her dirty, indecent thoughts. "Huh? Oh, yeah, she's fine. She tends to talk a lot, and usually, it's about nothing."
"I noticed," he chuckled. "Your turn." He walked past her and into the bedroom to dress.
She shook her head at his back. He hadn't even considered jumping back in the shower with her, had he?
Fucking chivalry. She closed the door and undressed to take her shower.
Gwaine was sitting on the couch, seemingly immersed in a book, when Marian came into the living room. With wide eyes and eyebrows high on his forehead, his face was beet red. The man looked like he was on fire. She took a peek at the book cover. The Joy of Sex.
Giggling, she sat down close to him and looked at the page he was reading. Of course, it had to be the one on cunnilingus, complete with pictures. "Gwaine, you okay?"
"I… uh…" He couldn't take his eyes off the book. "This is very thorough, love."
She leaned over and nuzzled his ear with her nose. "Mmhmm"
"Does everyone… is this—" He stopped when he felt her kiss below his ear, and he cleared his throat, trying to remember what he was going to ask. "Is this…" He swallowed hard. "Is this normal for… books… in…" He shut the book and pushed her to her back on the couch, climbing between her legs.
"I have lots of books on sex if that's what you mean." She held her breath when he bent lower and swept his lips over hers.
"God, Marian. What you do to me," he said against her mouth before kissing her.
When he moved over to her jaw, she moaned. "What do I do to you?"
"Remember Lord Bertilak's castle, when you were clinging to my bare chest as you slept in my arms? Kissing me soft and sweet," he said as his nose brushed against her neck, his breath warming her cool skin. "And so many times you touched me or kissed me, even though we knew it could go nowhere."
"Mmm… Gwaine…"
He slid his hand up to her thigh, pushing her dress with it. "That dress you wore for Rodor's farewell feast." His thumb moved to the soft skin of her inner thigh. "To feel that much of your skin. It nearly killed me, Marian." Nibbling down to her shoulder, he started to make his way to the swell of her breasts. "And just this morning, rocking your hips against my hard cock… Your breasts soft, nipples hardening in the palms of my hand…" he said, his voice caressing her very being. "So close, I could have just slipped inside of you, with you wet and ready… I could swear you were going to ride me fast and hard…"
She felt as if she would burst into flames. "Oh god, Gwaine."
"Innocent maidens don't do what you do, beautiful."
"Never said I was an innocent maiden."
"Good, because you can't do to innocent maidens what I'm going to do to you."
With her heart pounding and her sex throbbing, she arched her back into him, egging him on. A deep, guttural moan escaped him when she rolled her hips up against his erection. This was it, the moment she'd dreamt of ever since they first met. All of the nights touching herself and thinking of him would be nothing compared to having him on her, over her, inside her.
He grinned when his hand went further between her legs and met her soaked panties. Just as he hooked a finger around the elastic, desperate to get to her bare labia, the doorbell rang, and there was a loud pounding on the front door. Disappointed, Gwaine pulled his hand from beneath her dress and sat up.
Confused, she nearly cried at the loss of connection. "Wha—?"
The bell rang again.
"Who the hell could that be?" he asked, angry that once again they were interrupted.
Marian stood. "I have no idea. Goddammit," she cursed under her breath.
She stomped to the front door and threw it open. "What?" she yelled at the man standing on her porch. Joey, the ex, the pig, the stupid motherfucker that wasn't supposed to know where she lived. "Oh, fuck! No, go away!" She went to close the door, but he pushed it open again.
"What? You got nothing nice to say?"
"No, I don't, Joey. How did you find me, anyway?"
He leaned against the door jamb. "You look fat," he said, ignoring her question. His eyes roamed down her body and back up to her face. "Damn, babe, did you gain weight?"
Of course, her weight was what he had noticed had changed about her. Not that she looked older, but that she wasn't skin and bones. In addition to the visible changes, she had transformed in many other ways, too. She was happy, confident, and independent. She wouldn't put up with his shit.
Marian's mouth dropped. "Excuse me? No, I've gained muscle because I'm not starving myself anymore. I'm healthy, thank you very much."
"No, babe, you're fat. Don't worry, I'll get you back down to where you were."
"Fuck you! All you ever did to me was make me believe I was fat. I had no self-esteem because of you. I like who I am now."
He continued to ignore her protests and grabbed her arm. "I'm taking you home," he said as he pulled her.
Marian tried to wrench her arm free. "I'm not going anywhere with you, asshole! Let go of me!"
"Is there a problem here?" Gwaine asked as he walked up behind her, his face dark and dangerous.
Joey hesitated as Gwaine appeared, and Marian was able to pull her arm from his grasp.
"Who the fuck is this? You cheating on me?"
"We aren't together, asshole. I left you, remember?" She sighed as Joey didn't back down and her shoulders fell in resignation. "Gwaine, Joey. Joey, Gwaine," she introduced them, annoyed.
Gwaine smirked. "Ah, the boyfriend."
"Ex," Marian added quickly. "Ex-boyfriend."
Joey ignored her and straightened to increase his height and look menacing. It didn't work. "Yeah, what's it to you? Who the fuck are you to her?"
Gwaine knew of the pain Marian's ex had put her through. He wanted to punch the man until his face was unrecognizable, but for Marian's sake, he would settle for words rather than fists. "I'm the husband." And thus began the pissing contest. One that Gwaine would, of course, easily win.
Joey's face reddened in anger and he stepped closer to Marian. "The fuck you are! What the hell did you do, Marian? Marry the first asshole you met when you got here?"
"We've been in love for years, actually," Gwaine said as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her up to his side. He kissed the top of her head and grinned the widest and most satisfied grin that ever was. "You know how it is, don't you, Joey? A voluptuous beauty like this, with sexy curves and a sharp wit as well? Can't keep my hands off her!"
Joey grabbed Marian's arm again and tried to pull her away from Gwaine. "We're done playing games, you fucking whore! You're coming home with me!"
Gwaine sighed. "You're going to regret calling her a whore."
"What's it to you, fucker? You gonna stand up for your ugly, fat whore of a wife now?" Joey spat out as he pulled her harder.
Gwaine looked at Marian, her face contorted in rage and removed his hand from her waist. Having been intimately acquainted with her temper, he gave the other man a shit-eating grin.
"It's not me you have to worry about, mate."
"What?" Joey asked, confused.
As soon as Joey turned his head to look at Marian, her fist swung at his face. Gwaine winced at the sound of Joey's nose cracking.
Eyes watering and nose bleeding, Joey let go of her arm and held his face in his hands. "You stupid bitch!"
Gwaine grabbed the back of his shirt. "As I said, it's not me you have to worry about." He grunted as he pushed Joey off the porch and away from the building. He followed Marian into the house and shut the door, locking it behind him. "You used to live with that horse's ass?"
"I was a different person, then. You wouldn't have liked me," Marian replied, shaking her bruised hand. Her anger hadn't subsided, despite the satisfying crack Joey's nose made as she broke it. She stormed off to the kitchen to take care of her hand.
Gwaine went after her, and leaning in the doorway, he watched her pull a towel from a drawer. "I don't know, beautiful. I really like the feisty side of you," he grinned at her.
She opened the freezer door and pulled out an ice tray. "I wasn't…" she tried twisting it to pop the ice out but was having difficulty. "…feisty!" she grunted. Ice popped out of the tray and flew onto the countertop and the floor. "Fuck. I let him control me, Gwaine. I was pathetic."
He walked to her and picked up the ice, putting it in the towel. "Here, allow me," he said as he took her hurt hand in his and held the ice bundle to her knuckles. "It sounds like you didn't love yourself. That's not pathetic, Marian. It just makes me sad."
She watched as he brought his lips down to kiss her pained knuckles. "Being in Camelot changed me," she said softly.
He placed the bundle back on her hand and smiled at her. "It did me as well. At least a certain lovely healer changed me anyway," he said as he held her hand.
The look he was giving her differed from any other. It was as if he was thanking her, but was unable to say it. What he didn't understand was that she never would have been who she was, as strong as she was without him. She didn't need thanks, instead, she had everything should could ever want. She had his love.
She grinned back at him. "I'll have to be sure to thank Gaius, should we ever meet again."
"Definitely not Gaius."
That goddamn smolder melted her. She didn't resist when he stepped forward, backing her against the counter. He left her breathless. "No? Merlin, then?"
Gwaine slowly shook his head and smiled softly as he held her head, his fingers through her hair. "You changed me, love," he said before he bent down and kissed her softly.
Suddenly, the alarm on her phone went off, reminding her that it was time to leave if they were going to be on time for what she'd planned. "Well, shit," Marian said, pulling back and turning off the alarm. "I had a few surprises planned."
"It's alright, love. We can come back to this," he told her, grinning.
Marian was bursting with so much excitement about her plans for Gwaine that she could hardly sit still in the car.
"What's a move-ee? Are we going on a journey or walking around?"
"It's like a picture, but it moves and you can hear them talking." When the rideshare driver looked at her in the rearview mirror with an arched eyebrow, she shrugged. "He's from out of town."
"So," Gwaine said, frowning. "You can hear their conversations?"
"Sort of. A better way to explain it would be to imagine your favorite book."
"Bernard the Brave."
"Yes, that one. And then imagine people acting it out."
"Like a play?"
"Exactly, like a—wait, you know about plays?"
Gwaine chuckled. "I may be feral, sweetheart, but not ignorant."
She took his hand and held it in her lap. "You're not feral or ignorant, Gwaine. I just didn't realize that there were plays that far back—" She looked at the driver arching his eyebrow. "Er, that far back in your country. That is far away. Far, far away."
Smiling at her, Gwaine shook his head. "You're saying it's a play."
"Yes, but the people… oh, never mind. You'll see."
"What's the play called?"
"Star Wars."
"Let me guess, a war in the stars?"
"Yup."
When they got to the theater, Marian bought their tickets and stopped by the concession stand to buy popcorn and drinks.
"Wait," Gwaine said as she was handing her card to the cashier. "What about candy?" he asked, pointing to the selection under the glass. "Do they have any like what we had yesterday?"
She looked over at him. He looked like a kid in a candy store, which was pretty close to the truth. There were too many options for her to choose from. Of course, there was chocolate, but there was also a delightful assortment of other sweets, like Twizzlers or gummies. "Fuck it," she said to the cashier. "Give us one of everything."
"Everything?" the cashier asked.
She gave him her card. "Everything."
When they sat down in the theater, Gwaine munched on the popcorn while deciding which candy he'd like to try first. "Wafs anemnanem?" he asked with his mouth full of popcorn.
"What?"
"Sorry," he said as he swallowed. "What's an em and em?"
"It's chocolate covered in a sugar coating. You'll like it."
He opened the box and sniffed before pouring some M&M's into his mouth. "Difs goo."
She laughed. "I'm going to assume you said it's good?"
He nodded and reached for the box of Reese's Pieces, but stopped when Marian laid her hand on his arm.
"Better save some for later. It's a marathon, so we'll see three plays while we're here."
Gwaine was thoroughly enthralled by A New Hope. His eyes were wide as he watched the Millennium Falcon evade the tie fighters and cheered when Luke destroyed the Death Star. His excitement about the story was adorable, and Marian figured she watched him more than the movie itself.
After it ended, they got up to stretch their legs and relieve themselves. She went to the concessions to refill their popcorn and drinks as Gwaine went back to the theater to claim their seats for The Empire Strikes Back.
He was more affected by the tragic love story than Marian would have thought. As Han rushed up to Leia, kissing her for the last time before being frozen in carbonite, Marian looked over at Gwaine as tears welled in his eyes. He looked upset through the rest of the movie and when it ended, he stood without a word and walked out of the theater before the lights even came on.
"Gwaine?" Marian called after him as she got up and followed him into the hall.
He abruptly turned and grabbed her hand, pulling her into a darkened alcove and pushing her up against the wall, kissing her desperately. Though she was enjoying the kiss, she was concerned about his reaction to the movie. When he pulled back, he leaned his forehead to hers and tried to catch his breath. "I can't imagine what the princess felt when Han was turned to stone. I can't imagine what it would feel like to be parted from you forever. My heart would break and I would die, Marian."
She lifted her head and kissed his brow. "You'll never have to find that out, my darling knight, because I'm not going anywhere."
He looked at her for a long moment and then gently kissed her, taking her breath away.
After they parted, she grabbed his hand and led him back to their seats. "Come on, you'll like the last movie."
Marian was right. Gwaine was on the edge of his seat the entire time during Return of the Jedi. He felt elated when the lovers were reunited and overjoyed with all the lightsaber battles, which brought back memories of home. He even forgot to finish off all the candy.
The weather was lovely, and the sunset was beautiful, so Marian suggested they forgo the car ride. Instead, they walked to the restaurant, holding hands. Gwaine was delighted as she explained the things around them. Some buildings were as tall as the palace in Camelot but looked as if they were made entirely of glass. There were cars and people everywhere. He couldn't help but be amused when a woman with a bright pink mohawk rolled by on her skates.
Once they reached the restaurant, the hostess seated them in a corner with plenty of privacy. The table had a white cloth and there was a lit candle in the middle. After handing them menus, the server removed the extra chairs. She ordered a glass of wine for herself and an apple ale for Gwaine before she set to explain the dishes to him.
There were no pictures of the food and all of the dishes were foreign to him. In the end, though, she ordered filet mignons with caprese asparagus. When Gwaine had finished his ale, she asked the server for a stout beer for him to try, and, as expected, he liked both. Done with their meal, she called the server over and requested an item on the dessert menu, making sure he couldn't hear. When it came, the server placed the dessert on the table between them and laid two forks on the plate.
"What is it?" Gwaine asked, looking at it curiously.
Marian grinned. She knew how much Gwaine liked apple dishes—he was infamous in the kitchen for sneaking in and pilfering bites of apple pastries and pies, so Audrey always made extra. But this dessert would be a complete surprise to him. She didn't know of anyone in Camelot who knew how to make the dessert literally from his dreams.
"It's a cheesecake."
"Cake? It looks more like a pie."
"Just try it, you goof. I promise you'll love it."
Gwaine dipped his fork into the end of the slice, and as he brought it up to his nose, he sniffed it before placing the bite in his mouth. He closed his lips around it, pulled the utensil from his mouth, and rolled the creamy dessert around on his tongue. His eyes rolled back in ecstasy as he swallowed the heavenly concoction. When he realized what the dessert tasted of, his eyes popped open and widened in surprise.
"It… it's a cheese that tastes of apple pie! Ha! You remembered my dream!"
She nodded, her grin spreading from ear to ear. he dropped the fork onto the plate and reached over to her, pulling her face toward his to kiss her. When he released her mouth, he turned, looking at the other patrons of the restaurant who were staring at them. "Sorry," he said, smiling and waving at them in embarrassment.
Marian opened her eyes and grabbed him for another kiss. She didn't care what anyone else thought. Let them look. She was kissing the love of her life, who just happened to taste of apples.
"It's so beautiful tonight. We should walk home," Marian said as she grabbed Gwaine's hand and strolled down the sidewalk.
He looked over and his heart skipped a beat at the sight of her in the moonlight. "Thank you, Marian. This has been such a wonderful day."
"I'm glad you liked the movies. They were always my favorite."
"I can see why," he said, glancing at her. "A lot about you suddenly makes more sense."
"Oh?"
"You're a lot like Princess Leia, love. Beautiful, headstrong, caring, in love with a scoundrel…"
Marian laughed. "Definitely in love with a scoundrel."
"Did you ever miss it? Home, I mean?"
"Sometimes. I didn't really miss any people, but I missed knowing how things work. At first, I always felt like an outsider. And a bit of an idiot."
"I can't imagine you ever seeming like an idiot."
She knew how Gwaine felt—confused and out of place. But he had something that she didn't when she was in Camelot. He had someone who understood both worlds. He had her. "You know, that's the same moon, Gwaine," she said as they looked up at the sky. "It's the same moon we sat under in Camelot." She turned her gaze back to him and smiled softly. "It helped me to remember that when I was missing home."
"Thank you, beautiful. You always know what to say. I love being here with you, but when I think that we'll probably never see our friends again, it hurts."
She laid her head on his shoulder as they kept walking. "We'll find a way to make this work," she promised him. "No matter where we are or what year it is."
They walked a little further, Marian thinking about everything she would give up just to return to his time with him. No, it was their time. She now felt out of place in the modern world. Camelot was her home. At least she had Gwaine, though. She could survive anything if he was with her.
"Gwaine," Marian stopped walking and turned to face him, her expression unreadable. "I want to go to bed."
His face fell. It had been a busy day, and frankly, he was tired as well, but he'd hoped it could last a little longer. Pushing his disappointment back, he squeezed her hand. "Of course, beautiful. I didn't realize you were so tired."
Marian smirked at him. "No, Gwaine," she said as she dropped his hand and placed hers on his chest, pressing herself into him. "I said bed, not sleep."
"Oh." His eyes widened in realization. "Oh!" he said as he stepped back and began patting down his leather jacket and jeans frantically.
"What are you doing?" she laughed.
"Quick, where is that glass thing?"
Marian arched her eyebrow and smiled. "My phone? In your left jacket pocket."
He pulled the phone out and clumsily thrust it at her. "Summon us a ride!"
"You in a hurry for something, loverboy?"
"Marian," Gwaine growled. Instead of finishing his thought, he cupped the back of her head and pulled her closer, capturing her mouth with his. After he had thoroughly kissed her, he let her go. "A big damn hurry!"
Marian used the app on her phone to order a rideshare. As they waited for the driver to arrive, Gwaine held her, his arms wrapped around her as he pulled her against him, nuzzling her neck and kissing her skin.
Wanting more, she turned around and backed them to a bench on the sidewalk, pushing him down and climbing onto his lap. Straddling him, she tried to remain as decent as she could—they were in public after all—but he worked her dress up her thighs, exposing her skin.
Gwaine moaned when she rocked her hips. They were so far into their own little world that they didn't notice when a car pulled up beside them until the driver honked the horn.
"Ragnell?" the driver asked them.
"Yes, sorry! Yes," Marian said as she got off Gwaine's lap and pulled him up with her. She opened the back door, and they climbed in.
"This the address? 276 Camelot Lane?" the driver asked, holding up his phone with her address pulled up.
Marian nodded. "Yes, thank you." She smiled over at Gwaine, his amusement at her address written all over his face.
"Camelot?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she climbed onto his lap and started to kiss his neck. "Shut up and kiss me."
He slipped a hand beneath her dress, and groped her flesh, settling her on his arousal. While holding onto her hip and setting the pace as she rocked against him, he cupped her breast with his other hand and kissed down her throat.
The driver, an older man, tried to keep his eyes on the road instead of his rearview mirror. It was proving very difficult, as Gwaine and Marian had become rather hot and heavy.
All together too quick and not quick enough, they had arrived at their destination.
"Ahem!"
Marian and Gwaine parted and looked at the driver.
"Sorry, to… uh… interrupt, but we're here," he said awkwardly.
They looked out of the side window and, sure enough, there was Marian's home.
She gave the driver an apologetic smile, reached into Gwaine's jacket pocket for her keys, and exited the car. Gwaine smirked at the older man.
"Uh… wow… good luck, man. She's… uh… Whew!" the driver said as he cleared his throat.
"Thanks," Gwaine chuckled and was pretty damn smug about it.
Marian was fumbling with her keys when Gwaine made it to the door. With her hands shaking, she kept trying to put the wrong key into the keyhole. He didn't make it any easier when he stepped up behind her, placing his hands on her hips and brushing up against her. Though, he nearly had a heart attack when she dropped the keyring and bent to pick it up, her ass pushing hard against his groin. When she stood, he leaned over and bit at the exposed skin on her neck. And as he wrapped his hands around her belly, pressing her back, he worked the skirt of her dress up her thighs and inched his hand underneath to her hip.
Marian blew out her breath in frustration. "The sooner I can open the door, the sooner we can—"
He grinned against her skin and took the keys from her. Jamming key after key into the keyhole, he finally found the correct one and unlocked the door. Pushing her inside, he followed and slammed the door shut with his foot.
The driver looked on as the young couple tried to get into the house. After they had shut the door, he turned the air conditioner on and pointed the cool air toward him. He glanced at the clock. Two more hours, then he could go home to his Maude. He hoped beyond hope that she was still awake and in the mood when he got there.
They barely made it through the front door when Gwaine pushed Marian against the wall, nuzzling her neck. She threw her head back, giving him more access as he kissed and nibbled up to her earlobe.
"I love your scent," he said against her skin.
Marian pulled back. "I have a scent?"
He briefly grazed his lips against hers. Lifting her leg, he wrapped it around his hip and pushed her skirt up.
Marian shivered when his hand brushed over her inner thigh.
"You do." He moved his thumb against the gusset of her panties, and moving the dainty cloth to the side, he caressed her labia before delving his thumb between them. He smiled when he felt how wet she had become. "It's…" he took a deep breath, "intoxicating."
He gently pressed the pad of his thumb on her clitoris and rubbed around it in circles, feeling need and wanting as it became engorged.
Marian threw her head back and panted. "Gw-Gwaine…" she called out breathlessly, her eyes rolling back as her lids closed. "Oh, god…" She rocked her hips in time with the motion of his thumb, clinging to his shoulders.
As his trousers grew tighter, Gwaine eased his hand from her. Marian opened her eyes, watching him in confusion as he backed away and lifted his wet thumb to his mouth, sucking it in and moaning in pleasure. "And it's delicious…" he said in a low, husky voice.
Her lips parted as she let out a deep breath. Suddenly, she went into a frenzy, kissing him hard. He lifted her, and as she wrapped her other leg around him, he walked them to the bedroom. When they got to the bed, he let her slide down his body to stand.
First, his jacket was discarded, and then she pulled his tight tee shirt up his body and over his chest. When she went for the button on his jeans, he stopped her and turned her around. The fabric of her dress was so soft and thin enough to feel the warmth of her skin beneath. He delicately gathered her hair to the side and bent to kiss the back of her neck. He smiled when she gasped.
"Gwaine…" her voice was barely above a whisper.
The small button above the zipper of her dress was almost too tiny for his large fingers, but he eventually was able to get it undone. He took hold of the delicate zip and pulled it down, opening the back of her dress. With his heart hammering in his chest and his hands shaking, Gwaine slipped his fingers beneath the shoulders of her dress and delicately guided it to slip off and pool on the floor.
Marian shivered at the sudden cool air on her skin. She hardly felt Gwaine's fingers as he brushed them back up her bare arms and pulled them behind her and around his neck. The way he'd positioned her forced her back to arch, putting her breasts on display.
Goose bumps rose when he trailed a hand down her side and over to her belly, resting just above her lacy panties. He pulled her back to him and she sighed in contentment as she felt his hard muscles press against her soft body. She could feel his breath on her ear when he lowered his head to speak.
"You look bewitching, Marian," he said, kissing below her ear. "And your underthings are making me want to rip them from your body and do very naughty things to you."
Her breath shook when she tried to speak. "Wh-what things?"
"First, I want to touch every inch of your skin."
She laid her head on his shoulder and moaned when he fingered the side of her neck. "And then?"
"Then I want to suck your nipples into my mouth and when they're hard, I'll lick you from your breasts down to your sex…"
She drew in a sharp breath when he massaged her breast and lowered his other hand to cup her vulva.
"I want to softly press my tongue against your clitoris and gently suck."
"Oh god…"
"Then, my fingers will enter you…" To demonstrate, his middle and ring fingers pressed against the panties covering her vagina in a slow rhythm. "I want you to roll your hips against my mouth until you come."
"Gwaine, please…"
"After you've come on my mouth, I'll lap up your deliciously sweet arousal."
"Gwaine, I need—" she stopped speaking when the heel of his palm pressed against her, causing her clitoris to throb.
"I won't be done with you, though. I'll climb between your thighs and make my way back up your body as I kiss and nibble your warm skin before I slide my cock into you."
He slowly turned her around. The look in his eyes was predatory like he was ready to pounce.
"Gwaine, I need you to fuck me."
"Oh, I will, sweetheart. I'm going to make you come all night long before I take my release."
Marian reached into the waistband of his jeans, pulling him against her, and unbuckled his belt. Without breaking eye contact, she bit her lip as she unbuttoned his jeans and pulled the zipper down, and then she slipped her hand between the denim and his boxer briefs, cupping his hard erection and heavy balls.
Gwaine moaned at the pressure of her hand on his manhood, and after he pushed his jeans the rest of the way down, he stepped out of them, pulling his shoes off in the process. He yearned to put his mouth on the hard nipples he saw through her lacy bra. Licking his lips, he reached out to touch her breast but stopped when he felt something pull through his gut. His brow furrowed. He recognized that feeling. That horrible fucking feeling. Looking at Marian in horror, he tried to grab her hand. "Marian! I love—"
He disappeared.
Marian stood there as a cool breeze blew through her bedroom. Electricity crackled, and a low rumbling filled the air. She couldn't move. Surely he hadn't… no… he had. Gwaine had been pulled through time. She threw herself to the floor where he had been, the hair on her arms and neck standing up. And she did the only thing she could do.
She wailed.
"GWAINE! OH GOD! NO!"
She scratched at the carpet as if she could dig through it and find him. She looked around the room in tears, willing her mind to have been playing tricks on her.
"Gwaine!"
She crumpled on the floor, not wanting to believe he was gone, that he had gone back to Camelot. Away from her. Alone. He was gone forever.
"No! This can't be happening!"
Her tears wouldn't stop. She screamed and sobbed and called his name. Finding his shirt on the floor, she cradled it to her chest. "This can't be happening." It was still warm and smelled of him. Goddamn fucking leather and musk. Pulling it over her head and her arms through the sleeves, she curled in on herself and wept for love lost.
Gwaine landed in a forest on his knees and screamed. He screamed from the pain of traveling through time and the pain of being torn from Marian. As the rain poured, he lifted his head to the sky and cried out until his heart and soul were ripped in two. Like Orpheus of old, Gwaine filled the highs of heaven with the moans of his lament.
He didn't know where he was or if he was in any danger, nor did he care. He and Marian had finally, finally, come together. His heart had healed. He belonged to her, and she belonged to him. He felt complete and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, holding her, caressing her, kissing her. And Fate, the spirits, God… he didn't know who was to blame, but he had been snatched away from the only person he ever loved.
As he lay on the ground, near-naked and sobbing in the rain, two figures came up to him. Percival and Elyan. Percival bent down to check Gwaine's pulse, but he didn't respond to the touch. "Elyan, he's alive!"
"Barely, it looks like. Let's get him to Gaius."
"What the hell is he doing out here?"
Elyan shook his head. "And where is Marian?"
Percival lifted Gwaine and carried him over to a horse, laying him on his stomach across the front. After securing him to the saddle, Elyan jumped on behind him and took the reins. Gwaine was barely aware enough to register that they were riding back to Camelot.
The rain continued to pour as they reached the citadel. When they entered the stone courtyard, Percival dismounted and pulled Gwaine from Elyan's horse, carrying him to the physician's chambers.
"What happened?" Gaius asked when the door burst open and Percival carried Gwaine through.
"We don't know," he said as he laid Gwaine on the cot.
Gaius examined him as Merlin found a couple of blankets.
"We were on patrol in the Darkling Woods," Percival said.
"There was the most haunting scream that rang out. I… I've never heard anything like it," Elyan said as he shivered at the memory. "We followed it, and when we got there, Gwaine was on the ground."
"He's been missing for nearly a week. Do you think he can tell us where he's been? Maybe what happened to Marian?" Percival asked.
Gaius looked over Gwaine. Several possibilities existed to explain their absence, but he strongly suspected they had traveled in time. "That will depend on how much he remembers. Right now, he needs rest. Thank you for bringing him here promptly. I'll let you know when he wakes."
The knights nodded and left Gaius to his work.
Merlin stoked the fire and set a kettle on to boil. "Gaius, do you think—?"
Knowing what he was thinking, Gaius answered before Merlin could finish. "I do. I think Nimueh's spell finally ended, and that Gwaine was caught up in it. It seems that being sent to their own times is the end of it all."
Gwaine stirred, his eyes fluttering open. His head ached like he'd been kicked by a horse, and he groaned as he tried to sit up. Merlin rushed to his side and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"You should rest, Gwaine." He unfolded another blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders.
Gwaine tried to stand but fell back down to the cot. "No, I must find Marian. I need to… She's… Marian's…" He couldn't finish, breaking down in tears.
Gaius and Merlin shared a concerned look. The two times Merlin had seen Gwaine cry were when they thought Marian was dying. But there was no magic to fix this. No dragon to help. Nothing to do but comfort a broken man.
"She's gone back home," Gwaine said softly. "We were… I was… She loves me," he said as he looked up at them. "Merlin, magic brought her here once. Can it again? Or send me back there?" he asked with desperation in his voice.
Merlin shook his head, struggling to hold back tears. "I don't know of any spell that can do that. I'm so sorry."
Gwaine's face morphed from despair to anger. "What is the point," he stood abruptly, "of all these books?" He walked over to the shelves that housed Gaius's ancient tomes. "What is the point of all this," he yelled as he swept his arm across a shelf, sending the books flying to the floor, "if she can't be brought back?"
"Gwaine, we understand how you feel—" Gaius started.
Gwaine's voice cracked when he screamed at them. "YOU DON'T! HOW CAN YOU? I LOVE HER AND SHE'S GONE!"
He picked up a glass jar and threw it across the room. It shattered against the wall, its unknown potion oozing to the floor. Breathless, Gwaine picked up another jar and slung it against the wall while screaming in anger and frustration. He grabbed the side of one of the tables and flipped it on its side, bottles and bowls crashing on the stone floor. Spent, he slumped to the floor and held his head in his hands.
"She's the other half of my heart. I can't exist without her."
Merlin knelt down in front of him and laid his hands on his shaking shoulders. Gwaine looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes.
"Gwaine, I swear to you that I will find a way to reunite you with Marian. I will do everything in my power." When Gwaine nodded, Merlin continued. "Let's get you to your chambers and into some warm clothes," he said as he helped Gwaine stand.
Gwaine looked around at the destruction his grief had wrought. "I'm sorry, Gaius. Let me—"
"It's nothing, Gwaine. We'll clear this. You need to rest."
When Gwaine and Merlin left the chambers, Gaius turned his eyes heavenwards.
"Please let Merlin find the right spell," he said to no one in particular. "I don't think my heart can take any more anguish." He looked at the broken glass and potions on the floor. "Neither can my supplies," he added as he shook his head.