Archive of Our Own

“Hey, Gwen! How’s it?”

The high-pitched squeal coming through Merlin’s cell was more prominent than the unintelligible gibberish down the line and he almost threw his phone across the room.

“Gwen!” He yelped, “Are you trying to blow my ears?”

“Sorry!” Gwen, his best friend-turned-manager, hiccupped as she regained her breath from the prolonged scream that had Merlin’s singer instincts cringing, “I just- Oh, God, Merlin, I’ve got the perfect gig for you.”

“A gig?” Merlin repeated, righting himself on his living room sofa. It was much too squishy and old to accommodate his easily thrown-out back. He could probably afford a new one, but then again….as long as the sofa was still standing, why throw it out?

“A gig,” Gwen said again. “A young, up-and-coming artist named Arthur Pendragon. He’s looking to professionally record a single.”

Merlin fluffed a pillow behind his back and tried to get comfortable. “And what’s so special about this ‘Arthur Pendragon?’” The name sounded posh. And pretentious. Poshly pretentious.

“Oh, he’s gorgeous, Merlin.”

If Merlin were drinking anything, he would have spat it out. Unfortunately, he was instead in the middle of swallowing and ended up choking on his own spit. “He’s what?” Merlin wheezed between gags.

“Absolutely gorgeous, Merlin,” Gwen repeated dreamily. Merlin could hear typing noises coming through the phone. “When you’ve quite finished dying, I’ve sent you links to his Youtube channel and Instagram. I recommend his cover of ‘Fly Me To the Moon’ to get your feet wet and then scroll through his most recent posts. I’m telling you, Merlin, he looks like a Greek god.”

Merlin rolled his eyes and cleared his throat, shoving things around on his coffee table in search of his laptop. “Gwen, darling, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but I think you’ve forgotten what I actually do for a career.”

“Of course I haven’t, Merlin. Why do you think I’m trying to set you up with a singer?”

“Gwen!”

“I’m serious!”

“And I’m serious! I only back some of the best artists out there. What’s the point if he’s got a good face but a bad voice?”

In the time span between her next words, Merlin could only assume Gwen was rolling her eyes. “Because he not only has a ‘good face,’ as you so eloquently put it, but the voice of an angel. Just–just listen to it, Merlin. I’m going to see what times he’s looking at and see if I can book a recording studio. And I’m not taking no for an answer!” With that, she hung up.

Merlin scowled down at his blank laptop screen as his phone turned off. Gwen had been his oldest friend since he moved to London from Ireland. They’d gone to uni together, shared a flat, and then decided to work together as Gwen managed Merlin’s career as a professional backup vocalist. And, admittedly, Gwen was incredible at her job. She’d taken Merlin from a wannabe singer-songwriter to one of the most sought-after backup vocalists this side of Europe. He’d had hundreds of gigs so far and each one had proved fruitful for both him and the artist. Now, he was comfortably living in London in a nice flat all to himself. Only, now that Gwen had a boyfriend, she was making it her mission to get Merlin one, too.

There were three emails from Gwen, each of them consisting of links. The first was Arthur Pendragon’s website where he mentioned he was in search of a backing vocalist, and then below were his manager’s contacts. The second and third were the social media pages Gwen had mentioned. Begrudgingly following her suggestions, Merlin clicked to the Youtube page and-

His jaw dropped. Holy cow. Gwen was right.

The video was grainy because of Merlin’s subpar internet connection, but from what he could tell, Arthur did look like a Greek god. He had shiny blonde hair, a chiseled jawline, and his arms clutching his guitar were easily the size of Merlin’s head. His crimson shirt fit snugly around his spectacularly muscled form, and in the background of his video, Merlin could see multiple different instruments, including a drum set, another guitar, and a couple of ukuleles, all of which he was dying to see Arthur play. And oh, God, he hadn’t even started the video yet.

Figuring he was much too attracted to this man before he’d so much as heard him sing, Merlin extricated himself from his couch and grabbed a glass of water before settling down again to watch.

The video was a short three minutes, so Merlin braced himself for a quick deep-dive into the world of Arthur Pendragon and hoped this gorgeous man wouldn’t make his insides flip themselves inside out from the trauma of hearing a poor singing voice. Feeling much like he was about to rip off a Band-Aid, he hit play.

His rhythm was good, Merlin would give him that. He picked a few strings on his guitar, and then, in a rumbling baritone voice, he sang out the first few lyrics of “Fly Me to the Moon.”

It was like an angel’s voice, Merlin realized, all but dead to the world as every fiber of his being focused in on the way Arthur smiled gently down at his hands, the way his voice echoed in Merlin’s very soul, the way his hands didn’t stutter once as he expertly picked out a transition from the verse to the chorus-

Another minute of listening and Merlin’s brain finally decided to kick in. He paused the video and started over from the beginning, snapping in time with Arthur’s strumming. When Arthur started singing again, Merlin joined him, jumping up to a high harmony to mirror his melody, and found with absolute delight that their voices blended perfectly together. He jumped back to melody and tried to match Arthur’s tone, giddy with excitement when his more classically trained voice completed Arthur’s indie style in a way that made his heart sing.

Jumping for his phone, he texted Gwen.

Merlin: What time can we meet?

Not a moment later, he received a text in return.

Gwennie: I knew it! Be ready by nine Friday morning. I contacted Arthur’s manager and he sent the sheet music over for review. do. not. be. late.

Merlin threw his phone to the table and opened the link to Arthur’s Instagram, fully ready to accept his new status as “serial internet stalker.”

~

Come Friday morning, Merlin was practically sweating as he got ready. He drank some tea, steamed his voice, warmed up, ran through the piece one more time on piano, and only barely had time to throw some snacks and his laptop in a bag before rushing out the door, hair still as much a mess as ever and blue sweater askew.

It wasn’t a long ride to the recording studio, so he did a few scales in the car in hopes that maybe his body would calm the heck down and maybe stop trying to vibrate out of his seat with nervous energy. Realistically, he was meeting a total stranger. He had no right to be this excited. On top of that, he didn’t even know if Arthur was gay. He’d stalked all of his social media profiles and not once was Arthur in a photo with a partner. Either Arthur was just petty about content with exes, or he wasn’t much for dating right now.

The recording studio was in a busy part of town, so Merlin tugged his jacket on and braced himself for the nippy London weather as he walked the short distance over. He’d recorded here before and was already looking for familiar faces when he stepped inside. He found one, by means of Gwen who had come for moral support and also just to look at Arthur (Merlin had called her a creep and reminded her she had a boyfriend but Gwen insisted she was merely observing).

“Merlin!” Gwen jumped up from the couch she was sitting on and tugged him into a tight hug. “How are you doing?”

“Erm, fine? I think?”

Gwen rolled her eyes. “Arthur isn’t here yet. Why don’t you get some tea from the back and I’ll wait up here for him?”

Merlin was torn. He wanted to be here when Arthur showed up to introduce himself (and also maybe fate would be nice to him and they could have some sort of “love at first sight” connection) but he also thought that if he didn’t do something right now he would slide right out of his skin and melt from nervous energy.

“Yeah. Tea sounds good.”

It took a minute to figure out how to work the kettle, but soon he had some herbal tea steeping in a foam cup and walked out to go complain to Gwen about the inconvenience of it when he saw...him. At least six feet tall and so, so, so much more handsome in person.

Merlin’s mouth felt dry as he approached them, and he almost tripped when Arthur’s gorgeous, sky blue eyes landed on him. He held out a shaking hand to greet him but instantly froze up when Arthur turned fully away from Gwen (who had been trying to carry on small-talk), looked Merlin up and down, and sneered. “You’re the great back-up vocalist I’ve heard so much about?”

It would have been a compliment regarding Merlin’s reputation if Arthur hadn’t said it with so much disgust. Merlin’s jaw dropped and he snatched his hand back. “Oi! What on earth are you on about?”

Arthur’s lips curled in a grimace that Merlin wanted to punch right off his beautiful face. “I’ll admit, I was expecting more.”

Merlin gaped at the sheer audacity of this man. He had absolutely no right to walk in here and insult him like that. “I’ll have you know I’m the most sought-after back-up singer in Europe and I’m doing you a favor, so you can take your entitled arse out the door or be grateful I even bothered to show up today.”

Arthur looked mildly surprised for a moment before he stalked towards Merlin, who held his chin up in defiance. “Bold statement from a man I hired.”

“Even bolder from an amateur musician,” Merlin fired back.

Arthur’s eyes narrowed and he reached forward as if he was going to grab a handful of Merlin’s sweater but then there were hands on both of their chests and each of them was shoved backward. Arthur exclaimed in surprise and rounded on their interloper, while Merlin stumbled back and ended up falling into a chair. The man in question was none other than Percy, co-owner of the recording studio and part-time producer with his business partner, Gwaine. He was glaring at Arthur as Merlin brushed himself off and Merlin didn’t think he’d ever been happier to see the gentle giant.

“Percy!” he grinned, knowing relief was seeping through his voice. “How’ve you been?”

Percy didn’t reply to his question and instead asked quietly, “Are you alright?”

“Pushed me into a chair, mate, I’ve been better,” Merlin said and Percy sighed in relief.

“Right, well,” he cast a wary look at Arthur before turning to Merlin, “If you two will be alright, Gwaine and I are ready for you in the booth.”

Merlin followed Percy without hesitation, only after shooting a venomous glare at Arthur who returned it with vigor.

The studio was a place of Merlin’s uni days; he’d met Gwaine and Percy back then and they’d become easy friends. Merlin stopped by often enough that they got to know each other quickly, and gladly helped Merlin produce some early singles before he knew he wanted to become a backing vocalist. The familiar soundproofed walls welcomed him as he expertly navigated the sea of cables on the floor of the sound booth and then plopped down in a chair.

Through the glass, Merlin could see Arthur setting up his acoustic guitar with a pickup, digging around on the floor for the cable as Gwaine coached him through the basics. It reminded Merlin of his first time in the studio when he’d walked in, sat down, and been talked through the entire process like a child. Well, he was a child, but that’s beside the point.

Anyway, this time it was also different because as much as Merlin could see Arthur was a quick study, he was impatient with all of Gwaine’s instructions and getting more and more frustrated.

“Oi, Arthur, mate, calm down before you break my speaker,” Gwaine called, looking mildly amused. Arthur shot him a glare and proceeded to adjust the monitor as Gwaine instructed.

While Arthur ran through a couple of warm-ups during soundcheck, Merlin slouched down into his chair and was absolutely not sulking. He was absolutely not mourning the fact that the most gorgeous man on earth was a stuck-up prat who’d insulted Merlin before he’d even spoken one word. And he was absolutely not still drooling over Arthur’s toned figure, no sir.

It hurt a little bit that fate decided to be so cruel to him. Here was this wonderful, perfect man that was practically untouchable, unless Merlin felt like having his appearance absolutely abhorred again. He wanted a boyfriend. No, he needed a boyfriend. He hadn’t dated since high school since he’d been so busy trying to make ends meet and was missing the companionship that came with dating. Also, the idea of cuddling someone and waking up to someone and kissing someone and loving someone….That made his romantic heart sing just a little brighter.

“Merlin, you’re up.”

“Mm?”

Percy stared at him curiously and it was maybe ten seconds later when Merlin realized it was his turn to sing. “Oh!” he said, eloquently, “Oh, right, yeah.”

He chugged some water on his way into the studio, ran a scale just to make sure his voice didn’t sound strangled, and waited for Arthur to vacate his spot at the microphone. The blonde stared at him with an unreadable expression as he packed up his guitar with practiced ease and then shouldered past into the sound booth. Merlin wanted to be petty and trip him but his shoulder was still tingling from their brief brush even as he sat down and his heart fluttered obnoxiously.

Merlin’s part took much longer than Arthur’s since he recorded six different harmony parts, twice each for effect, a backing melody, and some weird riff that Gwaine said would sound nice and actually did. By the end of it, his throat was sore and he grabbed for his water desperately.

He loitered in front of the microphone before resigning himself to being in Arthur’s immediate presence again and ducked into the sound booth. Arthur hadn’t spoken a word to him since earlier, and they sat in awkward silence now that they had an audience to prevent any more insults from flying.

“Good work today, gents,” Gwaine said cheerily as he removed his headphones, “I’ll do some touch-ups after my next client leaves and send you the finished file.” He cast a strangely insightful eye between the two of them before turning his equipment off and glancing pointedly at Arthur. “You two sound mighty good together. May wanna consider hiring him again.”

And then he grabbed Percy by the arm and literally pulled him from the sound booth, leaving Merlin and Arthur completely alone.

Merlin wanted to insult him. He wanted to look Arthur right in his gorgeous blue eyes and call him the most stuck-up brat he’s ever met and that he’d be happy to never have to see him again.

But the truth was, he did want to see him again. There was an inexplicable pull between them like they were north and south poles drawn toward each other by a magnetic force, so starkly opposite that they couldn't help but complete each other.

Apparently, Arthur felt the same way because when he opened his mouth, Merlin bracing for an insult, he said, stilted and uncomfortable, “There’s something about you, Merlin,” and then he shook his head, grabbed his guitar, and walked right out of the studio.

~

Merlin had barely dragged himself into his flat when his phone started ringing and he could just feel in his soul that it was Gwen.

“Yes?” he asked tiredly as he rummaged around his cupboard for a teabag.

“Merlin!” came the shriek, “Why did Arthur just walk right out? And why did you just walk right out? Merlin, I was waiting for you to come back for half an hour but you never did! Where did you go?”

“Home,” he said simply, starting the kettle. “Arthur is a right prat and I guess I pissed him off enough that he didn’t want to speak to me after we finished.”

Gwen made a strange sucking noise that Merlin guessed might have been her sucking in air through pursed lips. Then she said, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For getting you that job. I really thought you two might have something and he seemed just your type–”

Merlin had to chuckle at that. “Gwen, it’s not your fault he’s an idiot.”

“Yes, but I could have talked with him via email or something; there must have been some way to prevent you from being–from being attacked like that!”

“Gwen!” Merlin snorted, laughing now, “I’m fine, honest! He’s just one more idiot in a world of them. I’ll manage.”

There was silence as Gwen mulled over his words and then finally she said, “If you're sure….”

“Positive. Now go hang out with Lance, or something. You do realize you have your own love life to care about, right?”

“Of course. Thanks, Merlin.”

The phone clicked off and Merlin’s smile instantly dropped.

He said it himself: Arthur was one idiot in a whole world of idiots, so why could Merlin not stop thinking about him?

Maybe he was tired, he decided, taking his unintentionally bitter tea to his room and changing into pajamas. An early rest couldn’t hurt, and tomorrow he’d forget all about Arthur.

~

Merlin woke up thinking about stupid blonde hair and stupid blue eyes.

He slapped a hand to his face to see if maybe he could forcibly clear his thoughts, but it proved fruitless and only landed him a lovely headache.

It was three in the morning, so he made some instant ramen and clicked on the television, mindlessly watching some game show.

There were few people he cared about in this world: his mother, first and foremost; Gwen; his uncle, Gaius; and then of course his childhood friends, Will and Freya. Oh, and Gwaine and Percy, if he was feeling generous. Other than them, he didn’t have a huge social group. He didn’t hang out with strangers at clubs or go on dates or have a boyfriend who took him to clubs or on dates. He met people because he was getting paid to sing for them and then as soon as the job was over, he never spoke to them again – hardly ever thought about them again.

But here he was, the morning after a gig, and the only thing on his mind was how he could see Arthur again. Maybe there was more to him than meets the eye. Maybe he’d been having a bad day. Maybe...Maybe Merlin did actually do something wrong and all of this was some giant misunderstanding?

He rubbed his eyes and inhaled the last of his noodles before shuffling back to bed.

There had to be some way to forget about Arthur, or else Merlin may very well lose his mind.

~

A month later Gwen texted him with one of the most cryptic messages Merlin had ever received.

Gwennie: Café, 9, corner table

Merlin shot back a series of question marks but received no reply. He then called twice and texted once more just to be safe and no answer was forthcoming. Frowning and hoping he actually understood the message, he grabbed his coat and headed to the cafe they used for studying during their time in uni. They came here every now and then for a chat over a coffee, mostly about Merlin’s career, but Merlin had been doing well and didn’t see the need for this sudden rendezvous. Then again, Gwen usually had fun surprises up her sleeve, so he found himself smiling as he pushed open the café door at ten past nine.

The smile dropped immediately when there, in the corner, was Arthur Pendragon, clutching a cup of coffee like a lifeline and scrolling through his phone.

Confusion and a generous helping of annoyance wormed its way into Merlin’s chest as he quickly debated his options and then stalked over to the table, making eye contact with Arthur when he was just a few feet away.

Arthur glanced up at him but instead of greeting Merlin like a normal person, he frowned and said sharply, “What are you doing here?”

“What are you doing here?” Merlin snapped.

Arthur’s gaze hardened. “Gwen asked me to meet her here. She said it was important.”

Merlin blinked. “You’re here for Gwen?”

“She’s been trying to meet up with me for a while now. I’m guessing it’s about you.” Arthur said as if that explained everything and leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. Unfortunately, that only served to highlight his incredible muscles and Merlin had to count the leaves on a nearby hanging plant before he could reply.

“And here I thought she’d dropped it,” He grumbled and then dug in his pocket for his phone.

Merlin: Wth??? Where are you?

Gwen: Something came up, sorry!

Merlin: Gwen i swear

Merlin: Gwen????

Praying for strength, Merlin looked up from his phone to find Arthur watching him with a raised eyebrow. “Gwen’s apparently busy, but if I didn’t know better, I’d say she’s not.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“She never intended to come. She just wanted us to be here.”

“Oh. Why?”

Merlin had a sinking suspicion as to why. “Nothing important.”

Arthur drummed his hands on the table looking genuinely at a loss for what to do. “Right.” He glanced around a bit before looking back up at Merlin still standing at the table. A moment passed and then, with a surprisingly teasing smirk, he said, “Do I need to pull out your chair for you?”

“You–What?”

Instead of replying, Arthur stood up, walked around to the other side of the small table, and pulled out the other chair before shoving Merlin into it. “You looked like you were about to fall over,” he explained and asked, “What do you drink?”

Merlin’s brain short-circuited. Since when did this become a date? Was Arthur messing with him? What the heck was happening? Like the idiot he was, he asked, “Is this a date now?” and then slapped a hand over his mouth.

But Arthur was having the time of his life, apparently, and just gave him a small smirk. “Your drink order, Merlin?”

“Just an Earl Grey,” he said in a small voice and watched dumbly as Arthur actually properly smiled and then went to go order him the tea. He returned with a steaming paper cup and set it in front of Merlin before plopping down into his chair with a grunt. Feeling maybe like he had missed something, Merlin reached for the cup with unsure hands. “Why–” he licked his very dry lips, “I thought you hated me?”

Arthur sent him a confused look over the top of his coffee. “I don’t hate you.”

“You insulted me the minute we met! And, what, you’re in love with me now?” The second the words were out of his mouth, Merlin immediately regretted them and stared wide-eyed at the man across from him.

To Merlin’s surprise, Arthur’s cheeks turned a gentle shade of pink and he felt his own lips part a little in surprise. “I’m not in love with you,” Arthur huffed petulantly, “but I think we got off on the wrong foot as a result of my own bad day. Consider this me making amends.”

“Oh,” Merlin said quietly. Then, “You don’t seem like the type of person to apologize so easily.”

Arthur’s eyes narrowed. “Careful; you’re pushing it.”

Somehow, Arthur’s reaction lifted Merlin’s uneasiness and he smiled, feeling like maybe their prior repartee had the potential to be something more lighthearted and teasing. “Are you gonna take back my tea, then?” he clicked his tongue, “And here I thought you cared.”

The small twitch to the blonde man’s lips belied the glare he sent Merlin’s way. “Just when I was beginning to think you weren’t an idiot,”

“I am not!” Merlin said indignantly, “You bought me a tea, so maybe you’re the idiot.”

“Yes, because that makes total sense.”

“It would make sense if you weren't an idiot.”

“What did I say about pushing it?”

“Right. You’re still an idiot, though.”

~

Because Merlin hadn't actually had much planned for the day apart from running some errands, he was perfectly willing to spend as much time with Arthur as possible. He was also pleasantly surprised by just how much they had in common.

Arthur came from a wealthy family but had broken away from them in order to pursue his own dreams after university. A classic tale, but nonetheless just the kind of backstory that would rocket him to fame in no time: not to mention his added talent and good looks.

Merlin had also left his family to pursue a singing career, except he still kept in close contact with his mother and uncle in Ireland. They were his biggest supporters and he owed them everything for getting him to where he was now.

Arthur also had a few strange obsessions, such as 80s pop music, cheesy fantasy romance novels, and working out for an absurd amount of time. All of this he divulged only after Merlin practically took a crowbar to his jaw (“Tell me something other people don’t know about you.” “Not in a hundred years.” “Good luck with your next single, then.” “...Fine.”) over their second cups of tea and coffee. Merlin may have had years of professional experience under his belt, but Arthur’s self-taught perspective was enlightening and reminded Merlin of his early years. His younger self ten years ago would have been just as eager to get any foothold in the professional world as Arthur was now, and he was actually very glad he was able to give him what he hadn't had provided back then.

“Listen, I know things started out, well, not like this, but….” Arthur paused to swirl his coffee around in his cup before looking cautiously back up at Merlin. “I think I would actually really enjoy working with you again. Properly, this time. I have a new album coming up; eight songs, everything is written, but I just need a backup vocalist.”

“Of course you do,” Merlin said brightly and Arthur looked at him strangely. “Sorry, continue.”

“Right, well, I’ve been talking to my manager and a few producers, and also everyone thinks you’re the perfect person for the job considering how well my last single did.” Arthur blurted all at once.

Merlin blinked. “Really?”

“It took off, all thanks to you.”

“No, not all me,” Merlin quickly corrected him, “I think you doubt your capabilities as an artist. You’re fantastic and the publicity you got was well-deserved; it wasn’t just my doing.”

Arthur flushed at the praise. “Maybe, but that’s not to say the next big thing we work on won’t be excellent.”

“Wow, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you're trying to spend more time with me.”

A swift kick aimed for his shin made Merlin wince. “Will you shut up? I’m trying to get you a job.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t injure the people you’re trying to hire?” Merlin snapped, rubbing his leg.

“Don’t be a baby, Merlin,” Arthur said with a small smile.

Merlin’s phone suddenly rang and he shot Arthur one last glare before picking it up. “‘Lo?”

“Merlin! How are you doing?” came Gwen’s cheery voice and Merlin instantly scowled.

“Cut the crap, Gwen. What am I doing here?”

There was silence on the other end for a minute, interspersed by what was either giggling, quiet conversation, or a bit of both, and then: “Sorry, bad reception. What did you say?”

Merlin scowled some more and when he glanced up, Arthur was looking at him in concern. He waved him off. “Gwen, I have a busy schedule, you know. I’m flattered you’re trying, but maybe give me a heads up next time?”

The sucking air sound again. “All right, all right. Sorry, Merlin.” Then, “Are you on a date with him now?”

“Bye, Gwen!” Merlin all but screamed into the phone and then hurriedly scrambled to end the call.

“You and Gwen seem close,” Arthur commented after a minute of Merlin pressing his face into his hands and wondering what would happen if he blocked Gwen for a few days. No, she would absolutely hunt him down and demand an answer. That wouldn't work.

“Mm?”

“You and Gwen,” Arthur repeated, slower this time, “Are you–?”

“Oh, no!” Merlin blurted, dropping his hands, “No, she’s a friend from my uni days. We’ve known each other ages.”

“Right,” Arthur said with a nod, as if reassuring himself, then he added with a smirk, “I’ll bet she knows loads of embarrassing stories about you.”

Merlin’s jaw dropped. Oh, no no no, Gwen and Arthur were never meeting again, not on his life. Gwen had way too many stories of his that would ruin his chances with Arthur in a heartbeat. “Absolutely not. I’m not allowing you within ten feet of her.”

Arthur just grinned and slyly held up his phone. “I have her number,”

Merlin cursed internally. Would it be too much to ask Gwen to change her number?

He opened his mouth, ready to plead and potentially bribe Arthur into not ever contacting Gwen, when the phone in his hand began to ring and Merlin wished that whatever gods were up there would make up their minds as to whether or not they were going to ruin his day.

Arthur took one look at the number and his eyes lit up. “That’s my manager! He’ll have news on my album’s timeline.” he glanced sorrowfully at the table and then up at Merlin. “I promised I’d meet up with him in person to discuss details....”

Merlin couldn’t help the way he knew his smile faltered, but the way Arthur looked so apologetic to leave made his heart flutter just a little bit. “Go on then. Don’t worry, that’s more important than sitting here chatting with me.” Arthur opened his mouth undoubtedly to argue but Merlin stopped him with a raised hand. “Honest. It’s fine. Maybe….we can do this again?”

At that, Arthur smiled so widely Merlin might have thought he’d just won the lottery. “Yeah, Friday okay? Ten, same place?”

“Sounds perfect.”

You’re perfect.

~

Merlin was in the strangest limbo between Cloud Nine and “what on earth just happened” when he stumbled into his apartment with no real recollection of getting there. His mind was too focused on the fact that he’d just had tea with Arthur “Greek god” Pendragon and was well on his way to scoring a second date and a gig in the next week or two.

Gwen called him about half an hour into his seventeenth ever rewatch of the first episode of Sherlock and he numbly picked up the phone, having not really been paying attention to the screen at all.

“Merlin!” she shrieked and Merlin was getting very tired of hearing his name said that way.

“What?”

“Why do I have you down to record with Arthur again on Thursday and what’s this about him being unable to move it to Friday in case Thursday doesn't work?”

Merlin almost swallowed his tongue. “Fluke?”

“Don’t lie to me! He’s asked you to record with him before your date on Friday, hasn't he?”

Merlin was torn between asking how she knew that and correcting the fact that it was actually him who asked Arthur out. Instead, he settled on, “It’s not actually a date–”

“It so is! I knew it! If I’m not your maiden of honor in your wedding–”

“Gwen, we haven't even had a proper date yet! I don’t even know if he agreed because it’s a date or because he just wants to talk about his new album!”

Gwen paused in her delighted laughter on the other end. “You asked him out?”

“I did,” Merlin replied hesitantly.

“‘He’s just one idiot in a world of idiots,’ he says. Lies, all of it.”

“To be fair, I called him an idiot to his face, as well.”

“Why?”

“Because he is an idiot?”

“A gorgeous idiot with the voice of an angel?”

“Shut up, Gwen.”

“You’re welcome, Merlin.”

~

When Merlin arrived at the studio on Thursday, he was all nerves once again, but this time they stemmed from a place of excitement. Now that he knew Arthur wasn't actually the world’s biggest jerk, he was thrilled to just be around him and see what he was actually like to record with.

It was quiet inside save for the dull thrum of a bass and guitar playing in harmony in another room. Curiously, Merlin followed his ears and entered the studio next door to the one he and Arthur had used last time, only to find the atmosphere was totally different. Arthur himself was mindlessly playing his acoustic guitar and chatting with Gwen while Gwaine jammed out on a gorgeous red bass next to him. Percy was sitting in the sound booth sipping coffee and absently fiddling with buttons and dials to mess with the sounds projecting from the monitors.

Arthur saw him first and grinned, causing Merlin to almost trip on the rug when his bright blue eyes locked onto Merlin’s own. He set his guitar down and stood up to greet him. “Hey, Merlin. Gwen here was just telling me all about you.”

Merlin was immediately reminded of their last conversation and felt his ears burn as he snuck a glare at Gwen. She only smiled encouragingly at him. “Good things, I hope?”

Arthur then smirked, almost devilishly, and Merlin felt his heart pull some funny gymnastics and then skip off in the general direction of his stomach. “If you consider the story of your uni audition a ‘good thing.’”

Merlin gawked at Gwen and decided that maybe he would simply evaporate. That would be for the best, right? No one would notice.

“Gwen!” he yelped, “Seriously?”

“He was asking about your history, Merlin! Besides, that’s the best one!”

“And the most embarrassing…” Merlin whined into his hand. He’d hoped that day full of various failures was forever out of his memory.

“You tell him stories, then. Dare you to find one more interesting.” Gwen grinned and then winked before running off to go get tea and biscuits from the back room.

Merlin scowled at her retreating figure. “Sorry, she’s just trying to be supportive,” he said to Arthur, “That was probably the worst day of my life, though.”

Arthur had the audacity to laugh and Merlin wanted to slap him for it or maybe kiss him because it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever heard.

“No worries. I’m sure I could think of a story of my own that’s just as embarrassing.”

“I doubt it,” Merlin grumbled and pathetically gestured to the room as a whole. “Shall we get started now?”

Arthur nodded and sat back down, pulling his guitar into his lap. Merlin went ahead and got comfortable in the sound booth, leaving Arthur to his own devices so he could get set up – and also so Merlin could have an excuse to retreat before he imploded.

He watched Arthur through the soundproof glass as the blonde laughed with Gwaine and began tuning by ear. He seemed in his element, being around other musicians and performing in front of them. As he fiddled with dials on the soundboard just out of Percy’s periphery, Merlin was finding it very hard to keep himself distracted enough to not stare at Arthur.

Apparently done jamming out on his own, Gwaine propped his bass up in the corner and, with a hearty slap to Arthur’s back, shoved his way into the sound booth.

“Merls! How ya been, mate?” Gwaine grinned, tugging Merlin into a rough hug-handshake that had him flailing out of his seat.

“Fine, thanks,” Merlin said, smoothing his hair down after Gwaine gave it an affectionate ruffle. He then turned and took his own seat, cracking his knuckles before flicking on and off switches and dials.

“Arthur, mate, can you hear me?”

Arthur gave a thumbs up, guitar pick between his teeth as he looked around for the aux cord.

“Plug in and we’ll do a soundcheck for guitar first, and then move on to vocals. How many vocal tracks were you thinking?”

To Merlin’s surprise, Arthur glanced up at him in question, locking eyes through the glass. Gwaine turned to him with a smirk. “Merlin’s call, aye?”

Merlin felt himself flushing but bit out, “Shouldn’t need any more than five for me.”

There was a moment of silent contemplation on Gwaine’s part, but then he turned to Percival, shrugged, and resumed his work.

After checking instruments and mics, Merlin could finally hear Arthur’s beautifully smooth voice through the speaker next to him. Curse him for not paying attention last time. He’d heard many voices in his lifetime, but something about Arthur’s tone was richer and warmer than any instrument or voice he’d ever heard. He was definitely a baritone, but there were times during the mic check when he reached a delicate tenor note while doing a scale, or flipped into a rumbling bass voice to hit a low note. Merlin was entirely unprepared for those and thought he might just fall off his stool.

He must have been too focused on imagining what kinds of songs would sound good with Arthur’s register because before he knew it, Arthur moved onto the guitar part. It should have been unexciting, but Merlin was fascinated by his sure hands and enraptured by the gentle nodding of his head as he listened to the metronome through the headphones.

And then it was Merlin’s turn.

The headphones were still warm as Merlin slipped them on and he was shocked to find that his hands and knees were shaking. Lord help him.

Arthur was watching him curiously from the sound booth but that did absolutely nothing to calm the belated nerves that were rolling over him. In fact, it only made it worse. He reached for his water and chugged the rest of it in a desperate attempt to distract himself. He was a professional singer. A professional performer. A professional musician. He’d sung solos on some of the largest stages in the country, performed as a backup vocalist for some of the greatest artists in history, and here he was, quaking in his boots at the thought of singing in front of this man.

Gwen had wanted him to get a boyfriend right? Well, heaven help him because if he didn’t know any better, he’d say he had the biggest, most massive, fattest crush on one Arthur Pendragon.

Oh, he was so royally screwed.

~

The actual recording process was awful. Merlin’s voice shook like he’d never heard it before, and every time Arthur locked eyes with him, he felt his face flush and he lost his place. He nearly sent the sheet music flying off the stand as he flipped a page, and multiple times had to catch himself before he simply fell over from wobbly knees.

Somehow, he managed to make it through the first two harmonies and produce something he couldn’t say he was proud of but wasn’t exactly mad about. He wanted to impress Arthur, dangit, but he was acting like a lovestruck teen when, really, he should have been the confident one in this situation. This was his living! If he couldn’t perform one song, maybe he should just quit the industry and become a baker out in the country. Somewhere away from men with golden hair and gorgeous blue eyes, if he had to choose.

Arthur found him outside during the break in their session, where Merlin was wallowing in self-deprecation. Already, Merlin felt his cheeks burning in shame and as soon as Arthur was close enough, he said, “I’m so sorry.”

Arthur paused in zipping up his coat and looked at Merlin curiously. “What for?”

Merlin huffed, his breath coming out in a little puff of white into the London air. “For....that. I know I could do so much better and I understand if you don't want to pay me, but God, I feel like such an idiot that I’m supposed to know what I’m doing and I come in here and ruin your chances of making this album-”

Merlin was interrupted by a loud laugh and he started, looking sideways at his companion who was now doubled over in hysterics.

“Arthur?” he said in concern, watching dumbly as Arthur looked up, locked eyes with him again, and then burst out laughing once more.

“Oi!” Merlin said, starting to feel a little miffed, “I know I’m funny but I don't appreciate not being in on the joke.”

Arthur wiped a tear with a gloved hand and turned to face him, little laughs bubbling up every now and then. “I’m sorry,” he said finally, “It’s just that...I suppose I never expected you to be the nervous one, especially after last time. Your manager, Gwen, sent me your resume to review before I booked you and you just seemed like such a talented, big-shot individual, and I was worried I wouldn't be up to your standards. But here you are, apologizing to me for being human.” He shook his head with another laugh, “I should have listened better to Gwen’s stories. I thought she was exaggerating about how clumsy and normal of a person you are.”

Merlin felt decidedly wrong-footed at the confession and blinked down at the pavement. He wasn’t aware he had that much of a reputation to the point that people considered him untouchable and distant, but from Arthur, it was just weird.

“So….you’re not going to like….hit me or anything?”

Arthur made a face. “When have I ever hit you?”

“You were gonna punch me in the face the first time we met!” Merlin squawked in disbelief.

“Oh. Right. Sorry about that.”

“Yeah,” Merlin mumbled and shook his head. Then a thought occurred to him. “Why did you try to punch me? Obviously, that’s not you, considering we’re just chilling – literally – like two blokes normally would when they don’t hate each other.”

Arthur scoffed. “Yes, because I don’t actually hate you, Merlin.” He let out a heavy sigh and Merlin could hear him fiddling with his phone in his pocket repeatedly. “My father contacted me after three years. He was….disappointed. Angry. Well–” a wry laugh escaped his lips, puffing white in the cool air, “–he threatened to disown me if I didn’t change professions. Not like that isn’t what I wanted, anyway.”

“God,” Merlin breathed, “I’m so sorry.”

Arthur shrugged but it looked weak to Merlin. “I was just so bitter about it. About him, about how awful of a parent he was, and…” he winced like he was bracing for something physically painful, “I took it out on you because you were the first person I saw after the phone call.”

Something about Arthur’s genuinely apologetic expression made Merlin take sympathy on him; this stranger who he’d met a mere three times now had already imprinted on his heart like a stamp and he was powerless to do anything but smile and take his hand.

“No hard feelings,” Merlin said, trying desperately to ignore the way Arthur’s eyes widened as he glanced down at their clasped hands, “Besides: you’re going to buy me tea again tomorrow.”

Arthur scoffed. “Now, hang on; you asked me to tea.”

“Right, and you’re apologizing to me,” Merlin grinned, swinging their hands just a tad. Arthur’s left hand was rough, he realized, fingers covered in calluses from years of guitar playing.

“And tea is the way to the great Merlin Emrys’ heart?”

“It could be. If you wanted to get to my heart, I mean.”

This time, Arthur laughed lightly, a gentle thing that shook Merlin through his hand still clutched in the blonde’s. “Your flirting is almost as ridiculous as you are,” Arthur said fondly, looking at Merlin sideways.

“Oi! ‘M not ridiculous,” he mumbled.

“Really? So you weren't totally flustered today in the studio?”

“You were watching me!”

“I might have done.”

“And you were making me nervous!”

“Was I?”

“Yes!”

“Like I said: ridiculous.”

Merlin shuffled his boot on the pavement, aware of the eyes of passersby, and felt his face flushing at the fact that they were still holding hands. Arthur didn't seem to mind as he nodded to some of them and gently stroked a thumb over Merlin’s hand. Merlin was so focused on the comfort radiating from Arthur that he almost didn't hear Gwaine approach them.

“Oi! You two coming back in? Perce and I are re– Oh, my bad!”

Merlin snapped out of his reverie and jerked his body around to glance at Gwaine, unintentionally slipping his hand out of Arthur’s. The man didn’t comment, only wiggled his eyebrows at Gwaine, who snorted and shook his head in reply.

“No worries, Gwaine.” Arthur turned to Merlin with a little smirk. “Ready to try again?”

Oh, that smile would be the death of him. “‘Course.”

And as they entered the studio again, Merlin felt his heart fluttering. Tomorrow they would be getting tea together but after that? Once the album was out of the way, who’s to say they couldn’t collaborate on something more intimate? Merlin could already think of multiple songs he’d like to duet with Arthur.

Heart full, Merlin grabbed for Arthur’s hand again. This time, he didn't look down at the action, only smiled into Merlin’s eyes.

“Shall we sing?”

“We shall.”