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A nervous flutter ran through Morgana’s stomach as she sat down at the café table across from her brother. When he’d asked her to meet him, he’d sounded a bit off, and he’d refused to elaborate about the nature of their meeting. She was half expecting an announcement that he’d received a terrible diagnosis from his doctor and only had six months to live. Well, maybe that was a bit extreme, but she hadn’t come up with anything more plausible in the few hours since he’d requested this meeting.
“Arthur,” she said, wanting to get straight to the point.
He cut her off, said, “How was your week, Morgana? Morgause hasn’t caused any more problems for you has she?” His tone was smooth and even, as though he didn’t have anything he was trying to avoid.
“She did text a few times this week, but that’s not—”
“It really is too bad. When she first found you, everyone was so excited. I guess we expected it to be like the movies or those feel-good news stories. ‘Long lost sisters reunited despite all odds.’”
“Half-sister.”
“I’m your half-brother, but you don’t go around making that distinction about me.”
She rolled her eyes at his blatant attempt to lead her off topic. “We grew up together. Morgause only sought me out because she expects me to give her money.”
Arthur shook his head in sympathy, took a bite of his tuna salad sandwich.
“But I’m sure you didn’t ask me here to talk about Morgause.”
Arthur’s chewing slowed and when he swallowed, she could see the mass of food making slow, painful progress down his throat.
“Arthur…” She reached forward to pat his hand. Maybe he was sick.
He took a sip of his water, cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and said, “Merlin and I…”
Morgana’s mind raced. How could her brother’s best friend be involved in this? Maybe they’d had a falling out. Arthur was never in a good mood when they were fighting. It had been that way since they were children.
Or maybe she was making too much of it. Maybe it was simply that they were moving out of their flat. Or perhaps Merlin was the only one moving. He was such a lovely person. Maybe some lucky woman had finally caught him. She could see where that would be unsettling for Arthur—that his best friend had found love before he had. He’d always been competitive like that.
Arthur finished his thought by saying, “We’re having sex.”
Morgana tried to keep her expression neutral. That… was not at all what she’d been expecting. And why would she? Who would ever suspect that their ostensibly straight brother was sleeping with his ostensibly straight best friend? Though now that Arthur said it, it made a certain kind of sense.
“Am I to assume from your phrasing that this wasn’t a one-time thing?”
Arthur stared at his plate. “Been going on for nearly two months now.”
He looked so solemn, Morgana couldn’t help but smile. “Arthur, I don’t see the problem.” In fact, this might be the best thing to ever happen to him.
He snapped his head up, glaring at her. She broke out into a fit of giggles.
His glare intensified. “This isn’t a laughing matter, Morgana. I think…” He lowered his voice and leaned forward. “I think we’re in love.”
She softened her expression and revised her opinion. This was definitely the best thing to ever happen to him. And yet, he was acting like it was some terrible turn of events—the end of the world.
“Well what do you expect me to do about it?”
“I need your help. I don’t know what to do.” His voice took on a pleading tone, “Morgana, what am I supposed to do?”
Morgana gave the question serious thought. Eventually, she said, “I think you should ask him to marry you.”
“Marry—? But we’re not—”
Morgana knew what he wasn’t saying. Neither of us is gay. But labels of any kind hardly seemed helpful now.
“Does the idea not appeal to you? To live with him the rest of your life?” They’d already been sharing a flat for six years, though for the last several, they could both afford to be living on their own if they really wanted. It was obvious that they liked the current arrangement. “To have him recognized by everyone as your committed partner? You said that you think you’re both in love. Do you think he’d say no? Or that you’re going to change your minds? I hope you’re not worried about what other people will think, because that’s a foolish reason to deny yourself something that would make you happy. If you’re worried about Father, I don’t think he would make much fuss.”
“Really?” Arthur sounded skeptical.
Morgana gave a little shrug. “He likes Merlin, in his own way.”
When Arthur raised an eyebrow, she revised her assessment. “Or at least, he’s used to him. He already knows that Merlin is important to you. And even if he did disapprove, wouldn’t it be worth it?”
Morgana could see him evaluating the merits of her suggestion. It seemed that he truly hadn’t considered that this path was even an option for them. As if they were somehow barred from having any sort of serious romantic relationship, purely on the basis of their dating history. He really could be so dense sometimes.
“I suppose it couldn’t hurt to ask him… See what he says.”
Morgana nodded in agreement, thinking that Arthur was suggesting a general discussion with Merlin about what they wanted from their relationship. Even with all he’d said so far, she hadn’t realized how far gone he was for his best friend until he said, “I could do it tonight actually. Merlin wants to go out for dinner. I could suggest we take a walk through the park on our way home. That’d be romantic, right?”
“Yes, but—” When she’d suggested that Arthur propose, she’d meant at some undetermined time in the future.
“Will you help me pick out a ring for him?”
He was still painfully serious, and while this seemed like a massive rush to her, she had to admit that Merlin and Arthur had been nearly inseparable since they first met more than two decades ago. With the physical side of things apparently sorted, she thought she knew Merlin well enough that she could safely predict what his answer would be. All Arthur had to do was ask for Merlin’s hand in marriage with as much sincerity as he was giving this conversation with her right now.
“Arthur, it would be my pleasure,” she said. “I know just the place to look.”
For the first time since Morgana walked into the café, Arthur looked truly happy, and when she received a call as she was getting ready for bed that night, she couldn’t say with any sincerity that she was surprised to hear the good news.