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Arthur breathed in once and felt the air stop in his throat, compressing against the muscles there, and choke him. Better to die here of my own volition, he thought as his heart sped up, than for my father to kill me.
His father’s secretary saw him and smiled, before noticing the strain his own smile betrayed. He stepped over to her desk and took her hands in his. She seemed to understand at once with a heavy nod and downcast eyes.
“He’s in there; working through his lunch break I think.” She said to him, bringing his hands to her lips. “We’ll miss you ‘round here, darling.”
“Thanks, Gwen. I can’t believe it’s come to this, but Morgana’s right. Don’t you ever tell her I said that though. Thank you- for everything.”
With a low sigh, she picked up the phone and dialed in to Uther. “Mr. Pendragon? Arthur is here to see you.” She flinched slightly at the loudness of his response before hanging up the phone.
“He asks that you wait here while he finishes up his, um, meeting. He says it’ll be no time at all.” She bit her lip before finishing Uther’s message. “He also asks that you make an appointment in the future”.
“that wont’ be a problem.”
The door to Uther’s office opened and a rather disheveled employee came stumbling out. She refused to look at Arthur as she walked over to Guinevere. “Mr. Pendragon asked me to reschedule for the same time Thursday.” Her voice shook and Arthur’s hands clenched. He stormed, without warning, into Uther’s office. The women’s wide eyes watched him go.
“Are you sure about that appointment, dear?” He heard Mithian ask before he let the door slam behind him.
“Would you be?”
The door closed and Arthur looked ahead of him to see his father sitting neatly behind his desk, checking emails. He gestured for Arthur to sit. Arthur ran over the bullet points in his head: the numbers and percentages, the reasons for his resignation.
It wasn’t until he saw Uther’s wide eyes, he realized he had said all of it out loud. “You will not be resigning” Uther said finally. “I need you here. This is a family matter.”
The words twisted something in Arthur painfully. At the word “family”, he nearly broke. “Father, the business can survive without me. You’ve built it well. I just don’t feel that this an atmosphere I can work in anymore.”
“Arthur, let me make myself clear. I will stop paying off your home. I will blacklist you. After all, it’s only because of me you were able to receive that degree. Why would it be fair of you to use it for one of my competitors?”
“When I said ‘opening a business, father, I meant something along the lines of a coffee shop. Morgana and I talked about it as teenagers. You know I would never betray you. I would hope for your support in this matter.”
“A coffee shop!” Uther stormed. “I did not pay for eight years of the finest education for you to throw away your degree on a worthless business venture that will likely fail! You will stay here, Arthur, you will. Or you will leave and I will not see you again.”
“Dad-“
“Arthur, you pursue this, and I’m not sure I can call you my son.”
At that line, Arthur broke. He had lost his mother only six months previously, he couldn’t lose his father too. Morgana had told him to remain strong, had told him his father would play dirty. But this? This was too much. He needed his family. After all, what was one without it? What sort of man were you if you couldn’t even exhibit the basest loyalty?
But then Guinevere stormed in and dragged him out, simply stating she’d be stepping down as well. His voice had bled through the walls and half the floor had heard his threat. Leon, Percival, and Lancelot had come in right as Gwen was pushing him into the elevator and quit as well. He teared up to see such loyalty, such that he wasn’t sure he deserved, following him down to the lobby.
“what will you all do?” Arthur asked him. “Gwen! You have a boy to think of!”
Gwen’s parents had died in a car crash a few years back, leaving her younger brother in her charge. Arthur had known it wasn’t easy on her and had recommended her for the position of Uther’s secretary since the pay was good and she had needed a job. Her parent’s life insurance paid for the early years of Elyan’s boarding school, but what was left would run out quickly now. Lance stepped up behind her, placing his head on her shoulder and his arms protectively around her waist.
“I can help” he offered, looking at the ground nervously “I have a bit of money saved up. You can move in, if you want.”
“Lance-“
“Gwen, I was going to ask soon anyway. I love you, and you’ve already taken half the closet. Not that I mind. Please move in with me?” He said into her ear, placing a kiss on her cheek. She nodded happily and spun around, kissing him passionately.
Arthur smiled. It was all pins and needles, like getting something tattooed onto you and just realizing that the ink was coming out of a sharp metal in your skin. He had barely realized they were dating, let alone dating seriously. The last months had been wrapped up in paperwork and business deals, and then the drama over his father’s propositioning of his employees. Arthur couldn’t take legal action to defend them, he looked into it in his weaker moments, without their consent and they would never. Being intimate with Uther did come with it’s rewards, no matter how aggressive Arthur had heard talk of him being. So to see that others’ lives had moved on beyond his desk was a shock to the system. But he welcomed it; his friends were all he had now and they were such good people. Well, them and Morgana, but he would never admit to her that he loved her as dearly as he did. That would only go to her head.
-
Arthur awoke to the sound of Morgana singing Christmas carols off key and the coffee machines slowly waking up. He swore the espresso machine had it out for him, but Morgana always seemed to get along with it swimmingly. Over the last months, they had used every bit of the remaining money from their mother’s estate, which had been left to them to share equally, and their savings to open up the business in the states. Coffee shops in London were popular, but the men he had corresponded with in the states lived off of it and those that had heard two Pendragons were heading the business venture were willing to invest as long as the coffee was made available to them with their secretaries getting VIP status when coming into the shop. Uther wasn’t going to start a public scandal by disowning Morgana and Arthur, though he’d lost touch with Morgana long ago and cut Arthur off, so using their name to get ahead was safe, though not way Arthur had wanted to do things. Eventually, Morgana had talked him into it by stating that they could do things on their own when the shop was up and running, but for now they had nothing so he’d better suck it up and get back to flirting with their interior decorator. Which he wasn’t doing. At all. Merlin was an idiot.
After being unemployed, the group of them plus Morgana had sat down and strategized. Morgana had a beautiful round dinner table she had refused to give up even when moving here that was popular amongst their friends for special occasions. It seated them each comfortably with room to spare and was wonderful for running numbers on what exactly being on Uther’s blacklist would cost each of them. In the end, the states had become a mass exodus. Lance and Gwen had stayed in England for the sake of Elyan, promising to look into moving to the states again after he went to uni. However, Percival, Leon, Arthur, and Morgana had nothing holding them back really. They were each adults, at least that’s what Percival and Leon told their mums after promising to visit for Christmas.
Percival and Leon soon found a flat to share and jobs only a little below what they had each had previously. The fact that Arthur’s contacts lived in New York city had benefitted them with the opportunities to find similar positions as what they previously held. Morgana and Arthur, however, found their luck running thin as the nights became as long as they numbers on their bills, even with investors. Morgana had taken over the Percy and Leon’s couch. Arthur had converted the storage room into a small living space complete with a private bathroom with Merlin’s help.
God. Merlin.
After the Morgana and Arthur had secured their first investors, Morgana had decided to hire an interior decorator and had promptly made a best friend out of him. Arthur had not been pleased at the news that a man barely out of uni was handling their future, and had made that known. The fighting hadn’t stopped since. I
“Arthur! Wake up you lazy sod!” Merlin called cheerfully, knocking on the door. Arthur rolled over and buried his face in the pillow, tuning him out. In truth, he liked Merlin. He was witty and was good at his job, though Arthur was rightfully critical at times, and might be slightly beautiful. Especially those cheekbones. Damn him.
“C’mon, Arthur, we’ve got a surprise for you” Morgana chimed in.
“Go away, harpy!” Arthur threw a coffee beans at the door from the floor by his mattress. He was surprised when he heard an ow from where the door had previously been. “Merlin! Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?”
“Possibly. Must’ve slipped my mind. Up and at ‘em! It’s a new day!”
Arthur groaned and stood, his sheet slipping from where it was tangled with his limbs. Looking at himself, he realized he’d fallen asleep still in his uniform. His laptop was now dead and sitting next to wear he’d thrown his business jacket; his shirt was wrinkled and half unbuttoned, his trousers dusty.
“Guess you don’t need me to dress you then.” Merlin finally spoke up in the silence, his eyes crinkled with worry as he looked Arthur over. When he noticed Arthur staring, looking at his unprofessional and rather ugly Christmas sweater and the way it clung to him just right and brought out his eyes, Merlin put on his best grin. “You won’t regret this.” Merlin ran out of the room and Arthur walked groggily after, glaring at Morgana as he passed her. Merlin held the door for him and Arthur nodded his thanks, taking in the daylight with about as much grace as a waking dragon.
“What? What is worth waking up at this hour of morning?”
“Arthur” Merlin said gently “look up”. Above them hung a sign that read “Camelot Coffee” in perfect style. The windows underneath had finally gotten curtains, proper curtains, and though the tables needed to be ordered and the painting needed to be finished and Merlin and Morgana still were in negotiations over themes and artwork and plants and other frivolities Arthur maintained they neither needed nor could afford, Arthur could see it all. He could see in not much longer now a proper shop with customers and investors paid off and maybe even employees if they could swing it. His friends had left England for him, given up their jobs and found new ones. His sister had pulled him out of a job that was slowly killing him and drilled common sense through his thick skull. And Merlin…Merlin had helped them more than he fully realized, with more support, love, and enthusiasm than was professional or expected. So, with every fiber of his being, he pulled the two raven haired fools into a hug.
-
After a shower, Arthur was fully awake, finishing his second cup of coffee that morning. Not long after opening the shop, Arthur and Morgana had realized that neither of them knew a thing about owning a coffee shop and so had set out with the internet and a stack of books behind them to learn how to make enough coffee to put on a proper menu. Unfortunately, Arthur was rather bad at it.
Arthur got lost as Merlin walked around supervising the workers and arranging and rearranging furniture, only jumping when the machine started hissing behind him. He heard Merlin laugh behind him. “Killy giving you trouble again?”
“Killy?”
“Yeah, I named him Kilgarrah. Morgana named his sister Aithusa. Those two over there are up for grabs though.”
“What kind of names are those? You named our coffee machines!”
“Yep” Merlin smiled “Oh, cheer up, Grinch. It’s nearly Christmas.”
“what?”
“Christmas? You know, lights, santa, trees? You have that across the pond don’t you?”
“Yeah, I guess I just didn’t realize it was this early.” Arthur’s face fell. Christmas had been strained since his mom died but he and his dad and Morgana always seemed to make it work. Until now.
“Any plans?”
“I’m sure Morgana has something or other planned. But not especially, no. How about you? Got some girlfriend waiting for you under the mistletoe?” Merlin’s eyes widened a bit and he opened his mouth to respond, but Morgana came up behind him before he could, kissing him on the cheek.
“Yes, me. Unless you have designs on that Gwaine of yours.”
“scheming to take him from me, my dear?” Merlin replied smoothly to Morgana’s raised eyebrow.
“I think I’ll pass. Leon’s been looking really good in his sweats recently and I think I’m going to see if I can get something more exciting for Christmas this year.” She winked at Merlin at Arthur’s shocked “Morgana!”
“What Arthur? Just because you haven’t made a move on Percy yet doesn’t mean we’re all so emotionally stunted.”
“Not my type” Arthur muttered.
“So what is then?” Merlin blurted out. Arthur looked at him a little surprised, and then shrugged. The fact that the word you came to the front of Arthur’s mind was being ignored as far as Arthur could manage it.
“I spoke to the contractor.” Morgana chimed in, smirking. “He said the wiring and plumbing and stuff will be done by tonight. We can get furniture in here and open on Christmas Eve, if you wouldn’t mind Merlin. We can even host a opening Christmas party!”
“I can get it done by then. If Arthur doesn’t mind me staying late a few nights?”
“Fine. You’re forgetting one thing though. You barely know how to make a latte and…Killy…refuses to let me go near him.”
“Merlin, didn’t you say Gwaine worked in a coffee shop to put him through school?” Morgana asked. “Think you could convince him to put in a favor? We could pay him in free drinks.”
“Merlin’s done enough for us already, don’t you think Morgana?” Merlin’s eyes narrowed slightly at Arthur’s words, to which Arthur just arched an eyebrow in confusion. He hated asking for help and putting people out to do it even more. The books could teach him in time, if he could just step away from the spreadsheets long enough to learn.
“I’d be happy to, Morgana.” Merlin said pointedly. “In fact, since Arthur is already staying late, Gwaine can teach Grinch here to make drinks while I finish up painting and the spatial configuration.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
Morgana looked between the two of them. “Sounds good to me”.
-
“Merlin! Good to see you!” A man with a thick Irish accent said, waltzing in a placing a rather large kiss on his cheek.
“Gwaine! Just in time. That’s the prat over there. Arthur!”
“Right here, idiot.” Arthur greeted, standing up from where he had been sitting on the floor, his back resting against the counter. “Nice to meet you, I’m Arthur.”
“Gwaine. Nice to make your acquaintance.” Gwaine held his eyes and smiled. Arthur blushed slightly.
Merlin elbowed Gwaine and glared. “I’ll be out front. Don’t do anything stupid.”
They watched him go before heading for the machines. “You know,” Arthur said, “I honestly can’t tell which one of us he’s talking to.”
The first day went well, with Arthur only spilling milk all over himself once, which was an honest improvement. The second day went less well, but Arthur was determined. He wasn’t going to fail. He was going to prove his father wrong, serve the best damn coffee to his father’s colleagues, and he was going to make something of himself. He was going to get an actual flat, maybe even a boyfriend. No reason not to anymore: his father already hated him. No, couldn’t think about that. Business takes focus. They were so close and he had ten days till Christmas. Merlin was nearly done, with only final touches to be added, including, admittedly, most of the furniture. He leaned against the counter, hanging his head resignedly. Merlin approached him hesitantly.
“hey Arthur? I think I’m going to head out.”
“right, okay. Night Merlin.”
“Can I ask you something Arthur?”
“What?”
“Why are you doing this? Morgana said you had some posh job back in England. Those suits you wear are expensive but you sleep on a mattress in the storage room.”
“My father-“ Arthur began. No, he couldn’t. Even after all this time, he couldn’t bring himself to blame his father for what happened. He had abandoned the family business after all. “Working for my father was killing me. And he wasn’t…it just wasn’t the same without my mother.”
“Morgana told me she died.”
“yeah.”
“Arthur?”
“What Merlin?”
“I’m proud of you.” Arthur looked at Merlin as Merlin slid his hand over Arthur’s and squeezed it comfortingly. They stood there for a moment, before Merlin retreated wishing each other a good night.
Before Gwaine arrived on the third day, he was determined to make an caramel latte. It was, apparently, Gwen’s favorite from her emails. And he’d have it ready for Gwaine that night if it killed him.
He took Morgana through what Gwaine and he had worked with the previous night, and she picked it up easily. After an hour, she left, having picked up a temporary job somewhere apparently, Arthur began. When Gwaine eventually arrived, there was cream in Arthur’s hair, caramel on his hands, and he didn’t even understand where the stains on his trousers came from.
“Princess! What happened?”
“You should have been around an hour ago.” Merlin murmured to Gwaine.
“Aithusa deserved it. She’s a demon.” Arthur shouted.
“Okay, Arthur. Step away from the machine. What were you trying to make?”
“Well I was trying to make a caramel latte before I-I…”
“had a row with a coffee machine”.
“She deserved it. Merlin can attest to that.”
The men looked at Merlin, who shrugged. “He may be slightly delusional. I think we should be worried.”
“Shut up, Merlin.”
“Yes, sir.” Merlin teased with a salute.
“Alright, let’s get you cleaned up and then I’ll show you everything step by step.”
“My knight in shining armor” Arthur sighed and went in the back.
“don’t you know it” Gwaine smiled. “So, Merlin, while the princess cleans up, anything I can help with?”
-
The Christmas party was going wonderfully. Everyone helped hang up posters for advertisement beforehand, even Leon and Percy, and Lance and Gwen flew in with Elyan, who was having great luck with a group of teenage girls in the corner. There were a few local journalists in the shop, even, who had heard a bit about the venture and decided to put it in the papers. Customers came and went as the party went on, but during a couple hours the shop was actually full with a long line to keep Morgana and Arthur busy behind the counter. Merlin showed up for awhile, making notes about the functionality of the space and cashing in on the free drinks Morgana had promised him and Gwaine for helping out beyond the call of duty.
Merlin had dressed up for the event, wearing tight black jeans and a blue shirt, with his sleeves rolled up. Though Merlin was lean, Arthur could see the muscle hiding under his shirt, and the way his legs looked when angled just right, as they might be around someone’s waist…
“beautiful! You’re doing great!” Gwaine’s voice came to snap him out of his daydream.
“thanks! It’s been really great of you to help out.” He offered his hand to Gwaine, who pulled him into a hug. When they finally pulled apart, he saw Merlin watching him and smiled. Merlin looked back down quickly. “Hey, Gwaine, why’d you come to the states anyway?” Arthur asked.
“Followed me heart. She broke it off not long after and then I just kind of stayed. Uni was fun here and the girls here are all hot for the accent, as I’m sure you know.”
“girls? So you and Merlin aren’t…?”
“God no! Is that why you haven’t done anything, mate? Because he’s all yours if it is.”
“No. No! Totally, not my type.”
“Sure, of course. Well if you change your mind, here’s his number.” Gwaine slid a napkin with Merlin’s number on it over the counter to Arthur.
“Right, thanks.”
As Gwaine left, Morgana sidled up close to Arthur. “You should call him” she said.
“I don’t think so.”
“Why not? It’s obvious you’ve got a bit of a crush. And Merlin’s been shooting daggers at Gwaine the entire team he was talking to you.”
Merlin was a friend. He wasn’t even that attractive – all ears and limbs and – alright he was extremely attractive but…but Arthur wasn’t his father. He wasn’t going to proposition Merlin. More than that, it was most likely Merlin wasn’t even interested. Morgana could let things get into her head sometimes, and this wouldn’t be the first time one of her ideas had gotten them into trouble. Then again, he was working happily in one of her ideas.
“I’m not like father. I’m not going to go around sleeping with my employees.”
“You’re nothing like Uther, Arthur. And god knows Merlin wouldn’t do anything he wasn’t entirely comfortable with.”
Arthur nodded and looked at Merlin. He wanted to do something, get lunch with him at the very least, but he couldn’t help but think that Merlin deserved better.
“We have his business card,” Morgana continued. “You could call his office and take him out to a thank you lunch. It’ll be less informal, but it’s a start.”
Arthur’s face lit up. A business lunch was right in his ball park. “Thanks Morgana! That’d be great.” Then he did something he’d deny for years to come; he voluntarily hugged his sister.
-
“Mr. Emrys’ office” the secretary asked.
“yes, hello, may I speak to Merlin please?”
“Mr. Emrys is not available at the moment. May I take a message?”
“Please tell him Mr. Pendragon called.”
“Alright. Have a nice day!”
“You too.”
He awoke the next morning with a missed call from Merlin on his cell.
-
“Mr. Emrys’ office.”
“Is Merlin there?”
“May I ask who’s calling?”
“Arthur Pendragon”
“Wait Merlin-! Sorry Mr. Pendragon, Mr. Emrys just left the office. I’ll let him know you called.”
“thank you.”
-
“Mr. Emrys’ office.”
“Miss, please tell me Mr. Emrys is in.”
“he is and he’s been expecting your call. I’ll patch you right in.”
“Thank god.”
“Actually my name is Freya, sir.”
“well Freya, right now I could kiss you.”
“maybe another time, Mr. Pendragon. Alright, here he is.”
“Arthur?”
“Merlin?”
“Finally! I’ve been missing you for days!”
“Is everything alright?”
“yes. Yes! I was just wondering if you wanted to have lunch sometime? To thank you for all of your help.”
“Yes! I mean, that sounds like fun. When?”
“Meet me at the shop tomorrow around noon?”
“okay see you then!”
“Bye!”
-
Arthur’s clothes lay discarded around his room before he finally settled on a sports jacket with a crisp white shirt and dark jeans. Morgana gave him a once over approval before Merlin arrived. When they got to the restaurant, Arthur did everything by the book, opening doors and complimenting Merlin when the opportunity arrived. Occasionally Merlin would blush and if that wasn’t the best thing Arthur had seen since Kilgarrah fulfilling his order, he didn’t know what was.
They talked throughout the lunch, fighting over movies and bonding over parental deaths (Merlin’s father had died when he was a child). Merlin spoke animatedly over his interior design company (got a design in business and inherited from his uncle Gaius) and lovingly about his mother. Arthur spoke a little about growing up, mostly about playing football (“it’s soccer Arthur” “That makes no sense idiot” “You’re the one that moved to America you prat”) and about Morgana’s evil pranks (“You probably started it!” “I did not Merlin!”).
At the end, Arthur walked him back to his office and Merlin kissed him on the cheek. Arthur didn’t stop smiling for days. When New Years came around, Leon and Percy offered to host it at their place, but Morgana was reluctant to let anyone near her couch so it ended up being at the shop. When Arthur admitted he hadn’t talked to Merlin since the week after Christmas, Morgana forced him to make the invite. Nervously, he picked up the phone.
“Mr. Emrys’ office.”
“Good morning, Freya. Can I leave a message for Merlin?”
“Arthur! Good to hear from you. He’s in if you want to talk to him.”
“Um-sure.”
“Alright, one moment please.”
“Arthur! I’m glad you called. I was afraid- well hi! What’s up?”
“Merlin! Hey. Um, we’re having a small New Year’s party at the shop. Would you care to join us?”
“I’d love to!
“great! Um see you there!”
“Hey Arthur?”
“yes?”
“It’s good to hear from you.”
“you too, Merlin. Bye”
“goodbye Arthur.”
-
“Merlin! Glad you came! Arthur’s just in the back getting his hair gelled or whatever. C’mon in.” Morgana kissed Merlin on the cheek, leaning over to reveal more of what little her dress hid.
“Dressed for Leon, I see.”
“Oh like you’re any better! I know that’s a new shirt Emrys!”
“Are you bothering the guests already, harpy?” Arthur yelled from the back.
“Get out here Arthur!” she called back. There was a loud bang coming from Arthur’s room. Merlin jumped forward instantly.
“I’ll go check.” He told Morgana, turning toward Arthur’s room. He stepped right in, seeing Arthur still shirtless, his jeans hanging loosely from his hips. Piles of coffee beans lay open on the floor and a desperate Arthur lay disheveled looking at them pitifully. Merlin laughed and Arthur turned to him, seeing him for the first time.
“still not knocking, are we?”
“what of it?”
“Come here and help me clean this up Merlin.”
They each knelt down, pushing piles to the side and clearing a proper pathway. At the last pile, their hands met and they looked up.
“You never called.” Merlin whispered.
“Neither did you.”
“I didn’t know if you wanted me to.”
“I- Merlin, I don’t want to push you into anything. My father did that and I just want to let you know that whatever happens it will be entirely separate from any present or future business that may occur between us.”
“what?”
“I just- I like you Merlin.”
“Not Gwaine?”
Arthur laughed. “Isn’t Gwaine straight?”
Merlin shrugged. “But still…”
“Idiot” Arthur laughed, before leaning in and kissing Merlin. It was soft at first, but then it got rougher as they each fought each other for further contact. Arthur pushed Merlin back onto a coffee bean sack and Merlin ran his hand down Arthur’s naked chest, making Arthur arch his spine and tangle his fingers through Merlin’s hair.
“I thought we weren’t supposed to do that until midnight.” Merlin said, smiling and leaning forward to lick into Arthur’s ear. Arthur growled.
“I think I know something we can do while we wait.”
-
“Hello Freya!” Arthur greeted on his and Merlin’s one year anniversary as he walked into Merlin’s office holding a bouquet of flowers. “I think you’re actually lovelier in person.” He tucked a flower behind her ear.
“And Merlin said you weren’t a flirt. You still owe me that kiss you know.” Arthur kissed her on the cheek and she giggled. Merlin appeared in the lobby of his office, arms crossed.
“cheating on me, Pendragon?”
“It’s your fault, Merlin. You should warn your customers you have a siren behind the front desk.”
“I’ll remember that.” Merlin kissed Arthur. “Ready to go?”
“After you” Arthur said, holding the door open. As they walked, his hand ghosted over his pocket, making sure the small, velvet box was still there.