Chapter Text
As he passed the streets, the carnival was in the process of being transferred out. Large wagons were being loaded. The performers were boarding carriages while some were still out performing small tricks for the people passing by.
Merlin was one of them.
Speak of the devil, he's just meeting the whole crew, isn't he? Merlin had a fat dove by His side performing tricks. He and the dove bowed in sync, one wing extended out and the other in front of its fat belly. Okay, that dove definitely has sentience...
Merlin saw him and smiled brightly. He sent the dove over. The dove flew over and landed on Leonard's open palms. It was very fat. And very warm. Merlin theatrically acrobats over and spun in His landing, a rose appearing at His hand extending to Leonard. "Will you be my star for this performance?"
Leonard blinked. He of course caught the double meaning of it. He was skeptical of it. Should he really be part of a performance in his condition?
Catching his expression, Merlin confirmed that it's nothing demanding. And that His assistant, Mitch will help.
"...You named him Mitch?"
Merlin smiled innocently "He was already named Mitch before you. The resemblance is simply a coincidence."
"That is not a coincidence."
"What a thing to say about a dove." “So, what do you say?”
Leonard looked at Mitch. It tilts its head. Leonard wonders if it's a spirit creature. He took the rose.
"Alright, one performance." Merlin's smile became genuinely delighted.
Leonard felt awkward being center stage in front of everyone's attention. The last time that happened he did something embarrassing (grabbed merlin).
"Ladies and gentlemen," Merlin announced, turning to the gathered crowd with the warm, "Today I have a very special assistant. Please, a warm welcome for…" He gestured at Leonard with a flourish, "The most dazzling-beautiful-handsome-amazing-gorgeous-brightest star!"
The crowd laughed at the over the top introduction and clapped.
Leonard wanted to hide…
Merlin produced a card from nowhere and held it up. "Now, my distinguished assistant, can you tell me what card this is?"
"The nine of cups," Leonard said.
Merlin turned it around. It was the nine of cups.
The crowd applauded.
"Extraordinary!" Merlin said, with complete theatrical sincerity. "He has the gift! Or I have terrible sleight of hand." He looked at the crowd conspiratorially. "It's the gift. Definitely the gift."
The crowd laughed. Merlin was trying to impress Leonard. But most of Leonard's reaction was a slight surprised widening of eyes. Merlin was trying to get him to smile like the audience were. Leonard only plastered a smile to keep up appearances. Because he was standing in front of people and Merlin was clearly trying, and it would be unkind not to at least look engaged. He was still neither impressed nor laughing.
Merlin escalated. The second trick involved Leonard standing still while Merlin produced increasingly improbable things from His coat pockets. From impossibly long clothes to a live chicken, a tall wallclock, then an entire person holding a bouquet of flowers. “W-who are you??” Leonard took a step back. Only for the person to deflate like a balloon. It was very realistic balloon but the flowers were real. Leonard instinctively caught it. The crowd laughed at his reaction.
Each trick was then presented to Leonard. "What do I do with this…"
"You hold it," Merlin said. "a very important role."
"You already gave me a rose." Leonard said.
"This is a different occasion."
"What occasion?"
"The occasion of you being here." Merlin said with complete sincerity, and the crowd made aww noises
"That's very corny…"
The crowd laughed again. Several people near the front made romantic whistle sounds
Merlin turned to the crowd with a wide grin. "Is it corny?!"
Enthusiastic disagreement from the audience.
"The people have spoken!" Merlin said to Leonard.
"The people are wrong," Leonard looked away with red ears.
More laughter. The crowd had decided that Leonard was the best part of this performance, which Merlin possibly planned.
The third trick involved Mitch. There was a fancy bird show and when it ended, Mitch returned with a piece of paper. When did it even get the time to get it?
"Open it," Merlin said.
Leonard opened it.
It said: Your smile would be worth 99 thousand pounds!
He looked at Merlin and played along. “Would you really give me 99 thousand pounds if I smiled?”
Merlin theatrically froze up, scratching His cheek “Heartfelt words, heartfelt words.”
The crowd was entirely on Merlin's side at this point, several of them actively encouraging Leonard to smile, which was the kind of peer pressure Leonard found simultaneously irritating and faintly amusing.
This determined Merlin, eyes narrowing with a competitive shine.
The fourth trick was nothing short of too much. (Insert your imagination idk anymore)
"MERLIN!"
Everyone stopped to look.
The voice arrived from near the largest wagon, the carnival manager's arms gesturing with emphasis "Small performances!" He pointed at the construction Merlin had assembled around Leonard. "What is THAT?"
Merlin tilted his head "Um…Atmospheric... enhancement?"
"PACK IT UP."
The crowd laughed. Several people applauded the manager.
While that was happening, Merlin looked back at Leonard "You're not impressed." He said, low enough for only Leonard.
"I'm a senior Beyonder, I've seen considerable things. I'm not easily surprised by much anymore."
Merlin continued staring at him
"Then what would impress you?"
Leonard thought about it. Derrick winning all the games in the carnival without knowing what he was doing. The Goddess sitting in flowers. Klein giggling over a letter.
"Small things," he said. "Genuine ones."
Merlin looked at him for a moment.
Then He reached over, plucked the rose from the side plot on the ground, brushed it once with His thumb, and handed it to him.
It had become exactly the kind of rose wouldn't even be found in a market stall, imperfect, slightly asymmetrical. Merlin looked a bit unsure, maybe in His mind, Leonard deserves a perfect flower instead.
Leonard looked at it.
Then the corner of his mouth moved into a real smile, small and genuine.
Merlin looked at that small real smile with smug satisfaction, and bowed. Not the theatrical floor-sweeping version, just a simple bow of his head from a gentleman.
The crowd applauded warmly.
"Merlin!" the manager yelled again.
"Coming!"
Mitch rubbed its head on Leonard's face and chirped. He flew away catching up with Merlin.
Leonard watched them go with the small smile still on his face. The carriages were leaving. The bands and instrumental staff were playing their exit song. People cheered as the magicians inside threw confetti and rose petals, other parts of the carnival like the beast tamers and the circus crew waving goodbye.
Merlin acrobats from the window to the top of the carriage, sitting with a colorful clown and waved goodbye specifically to Leonard's direction, blowing kisses.
Leonard smiled, still holding his bouquet and waved back.
There was a flock of exotic birds with bags flying around and sprinkling specs of light everywhere. At the very lead was the fattest of them all, Mitch.
When Mitch flew above him, a yellow flower dropped and landed on him. Leonard caught it.
It was a Seville Chrysanthemum, the golden flower symbolizing happiness.
///
Leonard would have strokes of luck lasting until Monday came around and Will's blessings wore off.
15th week now. During his last check up on the 12th week, father Utravsky warned him of this week. His hormone shifts will make his body sensitive to getting sick, he will feel brief cramps sometimes. This kid is pushing against his stomach and bathroom trips have become more frequent again. It was terrible (it wasn't. It was his pregnancy brain exaggerating everything.)
He struggled to find a position in bed, moaning a complaint at the terrible ache “Nobody has to suffer like this…”
“I cannot do this. Getting out of bed is impossible. The floor is too far away. Everything hurts. I'm dying probably.” (exaggeration again). He felt lazier and he had a mental struggle just getting out of bed, especially because he's still home alone with nobody to tell him to get up.
He also could not lay down on his stomach anymore.
This was the one that genuinely bothered him. He was a stomach sleeper by long habit. Had been his entire life. The pregnancy finally won against him. The curve was simply too present now to sleep on his stomach.
He had taken to hugging the black cat instead.
News came around that angels have been moving around Backlund and the churches are worried something is up again. Leonard should also be worried, but the said angels were Klein’s colleagues and Mr.Fool's subordinates so Leonard knows the matter is in good hands.
Mr.Tower... debatable, but as long as He isn't messed with, He likely wont do anything. Mr.Tower seems to value His peace.
Leonard rolled around again, arching his back to stretch and ease the tension on his back. He finally rolled on his feet and cursed the ground for being too cold… He went downstairs for food.
He was humming in an okay mood as the water boiled. Only when he stopped humming did he realize how quiet the house is. He looked back. There was no sound besides the stove. It felt... lonely.
He had always been used to Pallez going out for time to time for long periods. Even when they used to share the same body, Pallez would often go days without speaking to sleep. He stood there just looking at the stove.
He only snapped back when the water boiled loudly. He turned it off in a hurry and blamed the hormones entirely. Also blaming Pallez, because he's suffering right now and He's out there probably fishing in a lake with Azik and possibly Will. (It was an unrealistic thought. They're probably doing something important) Leonard got irritated just thinking about it and made his breakfast with exaggerated loudness
…
Leonard went to work. It was a pretty slow day except for training new red gloves recruits. Leonard stood safely at the side instructing them. The youngsters look at him with wide eyes of admiration. Probably both from his expertise and his beauty. He has to admit, the one good thing about his hormones is that it's been making his skin brighter.
He was eyeing each of the newbies. If one of them was any good, Leonard would even take them in. However, halfway through observing he zoned out. It was too boring to watch newbies. Someone called out to him thrice before he snapped back to it. He smiled kindly at them and answered the questions, then clapping his hands for a break.
In the breakroom, Leonard overhears gossip from the more senior nighthawks "I heard there was a massive fight between angels somewhere." "W-
what? But I don't hear anyone talking about damages." "Don't fights between angels tend to be destructive?" "The battlefield was in the spirit world or a pocket dimension." "Who were involved? which angels?" "Guys, stop talking about this, doesn't this sound like something that should be classified? Get back to work if you're just going to gossip."
Leonard was disappointed he couldn't hear the rest. He pondered over who the angels could be and having a very convincing guess that it was the three angels of Mr.Fool. He hopes they're alright... He wonders who their opponent could be. He should have the clearance for the documents if the rumors about the fight were true.
He overhears the newbies talking next "Our instructor is kind of an airhead at times, no?" The person they were talking to was baffled. And so was Leonard. Do they really think a demigod in the same room, even if it's across the wide room, would not hear them? The person was pushing the one that said it out the door and Leonard could faintly hear the "Boy if you don't shut your bitchass mouth we're going to lose our jobs-"
“....”
He's going to remember that newbie.
After the break he lined up the newbies. The one that said he was an airhead had his eyes glued to the floor sweating like bullets. Possibly praying to the Goddess that he didn't hear anything earlier. Leonard's face twitched in mild irritation. But he would be immature to mind something that small so he left it at that. The end of training came around and Leonard left the underground church. On the way out his face brightened with a smile seeing Dwayne Dantes.
He walked over in large steps in barely concealed happiness "Mr.Dwayne, what are you doing here?" the underground of St Samuel cathedral is for staff and nighthawks only.
Dwayne smiled back with a hint of amusement. In His eyes, He is looking at a puppy. Or on second thought, a little wolf, since Leonard stems from the Goddess. "Im here to see a friend."
Leonard tilts his head "Me?"
"Unfortunately not, I'm seeing another friend."
Just in time, two pastors called out to Dwayne. Dwayne smiled and waved bye at Leonard before going to His other friends. Leonard looked embarrassed to have assumed.
…
He did his work like normal. except for the brief contractions that made him pause, there wasn't much to worry about. It was boring and lonely at home, so he preferred to be out and about. Of course, he isn't overworking himself like the first few months. One, he knew better than to do that now, and two, he doesn't exactly have depressive thoughts. Just the painful loneliness and exaggerated thoughts that seemed worse in his head than it really is. And he wasn't exactly putting his whole focus in work, oftentimes he gets called out slacking or dozing off. Leonard was irritated to be called out. He was in a crucial state of pregnancy, for heaven's sake. But he couldn't do anything but swallow the words.
Late into the night, Leonard was sitting in the pew just taking a quick nap while pretending to pray, also half expecting that a certain someone would appear.
A few moments later, Dwayne Dantes appeared on cue.
He settled next to Leonard and stayed silent, indulging the little game of pretend.
Leonard opened his eyes. Dwayne was looking at him warmly. "You've been coming here a lot," Dantes observed.
"So have you," Leonard said.
"I have friends here."
"As do I," Leonard said, which was true. Its not like he comes here for the sole reason for Dwayne Dantes or anything.
Dwayne looked at him sideways, an amused chuckle humming from His lips. Leonard secretly eyed Him too
‘Which is this’ He wondered.
‘Which Blessed is here’
He did not speak it.
Leonard fiddled with his hands. "There are many angels under Mr.Fool in Backlund.” He kept his eyes on his hands “Should I be worried?"
Dwayne looked at the altar. He did not directly answer the question "There are more existances in everyday places you'd never expect them to be.”
‘He doesn't want to answer…’ “Then, the fight between angels in the spirit world…”
Dwayne did not move.
Leonard paused “Were you involved?”
“I value my peace.”
“Can I take that as you weren't?”
Smile “You can take it as any form you want it to be.”
“It was Them fighting, weren't they?” Leonard asked anyway, when knowing that Dwayne would not give a direct answer. “They're trying to bring Him back, aren't They?” Leonard clutched weakly at Dwayne's sleeve.
Dantes was quiet for a moment.
"Things are moving," He said finally. its the most he'd said directly about any of it.
His hand tightens "Is Klein alright?"
Dwayne looked at him with pity. “Little Sparrow is fighting,” He took Leonard's hands to his own. “He will be alright, he's very difficult to kill.”
It wasn't the answer Leonard had asked for. Yet It was somehow exactly what he needed to hear.
Things quieted down between them. Dwayne lets go of his hands and prays.
Dwayne prayed to the Goddess in silence. After a moment He sat with Leonard for a bit. then stood up "its getting late into the night, are you not planning to get some rest?" He asked, mindful of Leonard's condition. Leonard puts on a small smile in reassurance "The house feels too quiet. I think I might sleep here tonight."
Dwayne was displeased with this answer. He took Leonard's arm without asking and made him stand up "You are carrying something of my lord. You are entitled to the best. Come with me, I have a lot of spare rooms you can choose from.”
“I wouldn't want to impose…” But the house is too quiet and Pallez is nowhere to be seen. “Alright, one night.”
Leonard can practically hear old man Pallez yelling at him at the back of his imagination. This was exactly what He told Leonard NOT to do. If old man finds out, He will be pissed. Mr.Azik, please keep Him away...
At the manor, the servants greeted both Dwayne and Leonard. They have become familiar with this particular visitor that their employer brings over from time to time. Meanwhile Leonard was embarrassed. Was he really coming here so often that the servants recognized him?
Dwayne was a very attentive host. He took Leonard to the head chef and asked him with an amused knowing smile "What do you think you're craving tonight?"
Leonard eyed the floor "Oh, it's a little strange..."
The chef was eager to serve, pumping his fist "Hit me with your best shot!"
"...watermelon sandwitch..." Leonard mumbled
The kitchen goes quiet.
Dwayne, in all His infinite experience, tilted His head in sync with the others in confusion "huh?"
"On second thought, anything fruity is fine!" Leonard waved his hands.
The chef coughed "No, it's possible, it's possible. I was not expecting watermelon sandwich"
Dwayne was laughing.
Another chef held out a notepad "It can't just be watermelon with buns, is it? Do you have a vision?"
Leonard's eyes brightened "watermelon and grilled halloumi sandwich with honey balsamic glaze topped with crispy potato.”
Dwyane looked like He understood none of that.
The chef nodded. “Alright, noted. We'll have it delivered. Anything else?”
“No thank you, I imagine it large enough to be my whole dinner.”
Dwayne laughed again as the chefs nodded and went their way.
Leonard was red “You're not very encouraging”
“I'm sorry. I must say, I would never think of watermelon sandwiches.”
Leonard crossed his arms and muttered in a low voice “Well, you've never been pregnant, have you?”
“You're right, I'm sorry.” Dwayne walked "Come now, perhaps you'll take a liking to some rooms."
//
off topic but heres my lotm personality test
I am him, and he is me.
Leonard and Amon, the two mfs i write mpreg about. Ah yes, no wonder I write them so freely.