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The first time Merlin is convinced to step outside of his apartment into the icy tundra that is Denver, Colorado, it is because Lancelot has promised him coffee and apple cider at ‘The Weathervane Cafe’. He is bundled up in many layers, finished with a scarf and gloves.
Lancelot was waiting outside, standing next to his blue suburban, dressed in a thin light green sweater. Upon seeing Merlin, a smile lit up his face and he waved at the man, who scowled as he headed over.
“You better have the heat on in that old thing,” was the first thing out of Merlin’s mouth, wrapping his scarf, a red one, tighter around his neck as a shiver racked his body.
“You ever hear the phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’?” Lancelot responded back with, rolling his eyes as he opened the passenger door for Merlin. “Wrap that scarf any tighter, you’ll cause yourself to asphyxiate.”
“Have you seen me? I'm all skin and bones, I have no way of maintaining body heat!” Merlin exclaimed as he climbed into his seat, sighing gratefully as the warmth seeped into his bones.
“It’s not even that cold out, but I can concede with you,” Lancelot put his seatbelt on, Merlin doing the same, before pulling out onto the road. “That is why I am taking you out to this cafe, remember?”
“Yes, yes, it makes me question my sanity on how I let you convince me to go out in this weather,” Merlin turned the radio on as a way to signal an end to the conversation before looking out the window at all the orange and yellow leaves that lay upon the frosted green earth, or what still held on to the tree they grew from. But with this wind, it didn’t look like they’d last much longer.
When the two men reached their destination, Lancelot pulled up to the curb- the only spot for parking. Merlin heaved a sigh and took off his seatbelt but made no reach for the door, which Lancelot took note of immediately.
“Oh, don't be so sad. I heard Gwaine took up a job here,” this was said in the hopes to cheer up his friend.
“Isn't that like his fifth job this month?” It evidently did not work. “Sorry, this cold weather has just been getting to me.”
Lancelot just shook his head with a fond smile on his face, “I had no clue, Merls. You ready?”
Merlin nodded and, together, the men left the warmth of the car to escape into the cold air.
….
When they entered the cafe, a soft bell rang above them, alerting the other customers and employees of their arrival. They waited in line and, from the line, they noticed a certain man winking at every lady, and some men, in the cafe shop.
Heck, he probably even wrote his number on their receipts.
Reaching the counter, Merlin had his order on the tip of his tongue, already thought through and practiced. “I’ll take a medium hot latte with a shot of hazelnut and lavender with a double shot of espresso. Add a hot apple cider to that, too, please.”
“Oooh,” Gwaine wiggled his eyebrows, “since when did you start using your manners, Merls?”
“Oh, hush,” Merlin rolled his eyes, elbowing Lancelot in the side when he heard the man laugh. “Don’t you start, too.”
“Hey! I would advise you against injuring my beloved,” Gwaine glared lightly at Merlin before he batted his eyelashes at Lancelot, who in turn made kissy faces at Gwaine. Merlin bemoaned his single-ness in that moment.
“Did you at least get my order down?” Merlin asked, attempting to salvage some of his ego.
“Yes, Merls. Now, what would you like to order, my Lancey-Poo?” Gwaine focused all of his attention- which was saying something- on Lancelot, a droopy, love-sick puppy look on his face.
“Just a hot apple cider, as well. Thank you, love,” Lancelot grinned, but was soon reduced to a blushing mess when Gwaine reached over the counter to kiss his cheek.
“Already done and on the way, love ,” Gwaine winked before putting the order in the register, a smug smirk taking over his features.
“Alright, love birds, stop making me feel extra single on this cold season that would be better spent curled up next to someone. How much do I owe you?” Merlin pulled out his wallet, looking at Gwaine for an answer.
“Not this time, Merls. My treat, I’ll pay. Besides, don’t forget you have until winter to really warm up with someone!” Gwaine laughed, taking out his card and tapping it onto his screen. Almost immediately after, a receipt started printing.
Gwaine pulled the receipt off and handed it over, Merlin grabbing it from him. “Your drinks will be brought out soon, if you would just stand over there.” He gestured to a spot not too far off to the side of the counter; a sign hung above that area, reading ‘ Pick-Up Station .’
“Right, see you and thanks again!” Merlin dragged Lancelot over to the station, out of the waiting line. He tapped his foot lightly against the wooden floors as he waited for a few minutes before a woman, dark hair wrapped up in a hair net, came out and set three drinks on the marble surface.
“A medium latte with hazel and lavender and a shot of double espresso and two apple ciders?” Her tone came out bored, and so Merlin just nodded as he awkwardly thanked her, grabbing the drinks.
Lancelot led the way to a table near the front windows, sitting down in the seat that faced the outside.
Merlin took the remaining seat, handing Lancelot his drink once he was as comfortable as he could be. He started on his hot latte while Lancelot sipped lightly on his apple cider, wrapping one hand through the mug handle and around the body.
“You know-” “If he-”
Lancelot and Merlin spoke at the same time, looking at each other before going into a giggle fit. They both regained their composure after a moment and Merlin gestured for Lancelot to go first.
Lancelot opened his mouth to say Merlin should go first, but he knew it would be a losing game and sighed. “You know- I’ve already forgotten what I was about to say.”
Merlin eyed him suspiciously, but did not call him out on his bluff. “If Gwaine keeps up with this behaviour, I’d have to bet he’ll lose his job by the week due to complaints about harassment.”
“One, I never knew you to take up betting and two, it’s Wednesday. You wanna risk that?” Lancelot raised an eyebrow at Merlin, lips twitching as he refrained from smiling.
“I only bet when I know I have a winning chance and, if you look around, you’ll see all the wary looks your little boyfriend is getting from the women,” Merlin smirked and, sure enough, when Lancelot glanced around the little cafe, he saw what Merlin was talking about.
“I’ll talk to him about that, I need the two of us to have a stable income of money if we’re ever going to save up enough for an apartment.” Lancelot shook his head, sipping at his drink again.
“I had no idea, if you ever need any mone-”
Just at that moment, a tall man with broad shoulders and gold-like hair stepped into the cafe, the bell ringing above him just like it had for every other customer.
Except this one was different.
Different because Merlin knew exactly who this man was.
“Oh my God- Hide me! That’s my boss!” Merlin whisper-shouted, hand coming up to hide his face from view. Inside his chest, his heart pounded.
“Alright my little social butterfly, I- wait. . .” a smirk blossomed across the other man’s face. “Did you just say your boss ? The prat of a boss that you work for?” Lancelot said rather loudly, projecting his voice.
The little shit.
Those who heard ‘subtly’ dropped their conversations, turning an ear over to their table to hear more of the tea.
“Could you be any louder?” Merlin sunk further into his chair, sending a glare at the eavesdroppers, effectively getting them to mind their own business. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the only one that didn’t hear Lancelot was the man of subject. The clotpole. “Jesus, just because you don’t work for him anymore, doesn't mean you don't know him.”
Lancelot shrugged, looking around the cafe casually. “He seemed perfectly nice and charming when I worked under him.”
“And how long was that for? I’ve worked for the prat for like four to five years now!” Merlin grouched back. In his eyes, Lancelot had gotten off easy when they only fired him for not having a legit resume after a week.
“You and Gwen still gossip with George?” Lancelot appeared unbothered by Merlin’s words when something caught his attention. “Actually, hold that thought, I wanna hear this.”
Merlin was about to ask what ‘this’ was when Lancelot turned around in his seat to face the counter.
The same counter where Gwaine was taking Arthur Pendragon’s order.
“Oh, dear God.” Merlin was stuck between the urge of wanting to cover his face again and not being able to look away from the sight.
….
At the counter with Gwaine, he eyed his customer, looking him up and down, and wrinkled his nose palpably. The man reeked of richness with his combed back hair, thin black framed glasses, beige-ish turtleneck underneath a black blazer.
A glint entered Gwaine’s eyes and he leaned casually on the counter, a lazy smirk visible on his face as he addressed his newest customer. “Why hello there, Princess. How can I help you today?”
An affronted look crossed Arthur’s face at being addressed in such a way. “Excuse me?”
“You’re excused. Now, what would you like to order, Princess? For the chilly season we have a special of hot apple cider for five bucks, would you like that with something to eat?” Gwaine brushed over his casual disrespect, blinking boredly at Arthur, smirk dropping.
“You’re obviously new. I’m a regular at this cafe,” Arthur started to puff up his chest in a show of pride and-
“Alright, ‘Mr. Regular,’ you’ve got a line behind you, so if you could hurry it up. . .” Gwaine let his sentence trail off, leaving the rest for Arthur to fill in. He lifted himself off the counter, ready to take the man’s order.
“I- ugh!” Arthur raised a hand to run through his hair but, at the last second, pulled it away, a gold wrist watch glinting from the overhead lights. Unable to show his frustration any other way, he simply glared at Gwaine. Even though Gwaine couldn’t see the man’s other hand, he was sure that it was clenched at his side.
The thought was enough to bring the smirk right back on his face, knowing he’d won.
“I’ll have a Yerba Matte with a breakfast sandwich- gluten-free bread and no cheese. To go,” Arthur looked to his left, away from Gwaine so he didn’t have to see that smug look on his face.
“Cool, that will be $8.29. Are you paying with cash or card?” Gwaine held his hand out, expecting a card as the payment form.
He was not disappointed when Arthur pulled out a platinum card, placing it in Gwaine’s palm. Arthur sensed his amusement and glared harder at the man.
“Thank you, Princess. Here’s your receipt, your order will be ready over there,” Gwaine pointed to the pick-up station, handing Arthur his receipt with his other hand.
With a final glare, Arthur made his way over to the station, smoothing out his blazer with one hand as he waited for his order.
….
“. . .You may not be so off point with that bet of yours. You’re the only one I’ve known to endure the wrath of Arthur Pendragon and survive it and you work for him,” Lancelot shook his head as he turned around to face Merlin once more. “At least I have a job with a future foreseen.”
“Yeah, as a bank teller. You know, if you ever need any help with money, I’d gladly give you it. Anything to get rid of the money that prat gives me,” Merlin gave a shudder, as if the thought of Arthur’s money disgusted him.
“Merlin- It is the law for him to pay his employees and besides, you need to save it for yourself and your mother,” Lancelot frowned, unwilling to just accept Merlin’s money.
“Yeah, yeah. I know, but I have a second job working nights at the bar. It pays enough after a while. Besides, Father and Uther are still close friends and, with one word from Father, Uther would pay all of Mother’s medical bills. But he won’t,” Merlin picked up his apple cider, having finished his coffee already.
“Your father is a kind man, he wouldn’t take advantage of his friends. And neither will I,” Lancelot nodded, both to himself and Merlin.
Merlin picked up Lancelot’s hand with his own, face completely serious. “Lance, you are the kindest, noblest, honest, and most trust-worthy man I have ever met. If I gave you money, it would be of my own volition, not because you coerced me into doing it. Okay?”
Lancelot nodded and so Merlin was convinced he’d worked his magic for now. “Anyway, there’s nothing wrong with a friend helping out a friend.”
Lancelot said something in response to that, but all Merlin heard was a buzzing in his ears because, right then, Arthur walked past, cup and paper bag in hand.
And he waved.
Waved!
At him ! Merlin!
Then Arthur was out the door and Merlin was oh so glad because he couldn’t bare to have his boss see him, face red and heart racing, at a cafe. In October. Out of office.
“Oh my God.”
“I second that. You have it down bad, ” Lancelot whistled, covering his mouth so Merlin didn’t see him smiling.
Maybe Merlin would have someone to keep him warm in the upcoming winter. It would just take a little pushing from Gwen and him.