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The beginnings of a migraine were creeping through Arthur’s skull signalling his need for caffeine. The latest shitstorm of a board meeting had him sitting through six men arguing like children in business suits with him as their stern set babysitter. It wasn’t even noon yet and he was ready to let the business fall into itself. Fucking hell.
The snow was coming down heavily but, thankfully, the diner he frequented was only a block down from the building.
The bell clinked, he placed his order at the bar and took his regular seat in the corner booth with the window to his right. Across from him, the snow was falling behind the glass in a soothing scene, allowing him to think on his life choices and wonder, maybe I am overworking myself, until it was blocked by a small child climbing into a booth, two ahead.
He huffed and turned to the side window to continue his snow watching until his neck started to twinge. When he turned back a thin man in an oversized coat had sat across from the girl but she stayed in Arthur’s line of sight. He tried his best to look above her small head to keep up his contemplation but the damned girl kept staring at him.
The thing that caught him was that she had the most astonishing blue eyes he’d ever seen, round as saucers and fixed right on him. The man across from her said something and reached to her affectionately-her father most likely, they had the same dark wavy hair-which grabbed her attention and she smiled sweetly, replying to whatever it was he’d asked and Arthur was allowed respite from being silently interrogated.
And then she was staring again.
Arthur is a businessman. He could stare down the richest men in the city and not bat an eyelash. He was known for being hard on his clients and never backing down, one to tear a man down with just a look. But this child. This small-maybe eight or nine year old-girl with inky black hair and piercing blue eyes was making him fidget in his seat. It was a little unnerving.
There were sights to look at just outside the window, the snow was coating every surface of the city in a blanket of soft white wool but this child seemed intent on unsettling Arthur. And then she slowly scrunched up her face, her large eyes narrowing, mouth puckering while her father was turned, giving the waitress his order. She bared her teeth to which she seemed to be missing one and Arthur was appalled. How dare she. Her ruddy cheeks from the cold puffed out when she closed her mouth and crossed her eyes.
Arthur was not a child. No. He would not allow this but his caffeine free-the waitress seemed to be taking extra long it seemed-and migraine muddled brain wasn’t exactly thinking clearly. He furrowed his eyebrows when she made a particularly inventive way to pig up her nose and pull her lower eyelids down at the same time. Arthur pinched his face and stuck his tongue out at her briefly before looking away. He waited and glanced back to the girl smirking at him like she’d just gotten away with eating the last piece of cake. Shit.
Arthur was about to bite his thumb at her, of all things, when his coffee finally arrived. A thank you and a nod and Arthur temporarily forgot about the small child. In his peripheral vision he could see her reflection in the glass window and she was staring again, only averting her gaze to say something to her father. Arthur turned back and looked her straight in the eyes and did what he thought he’d never do again in his life and stuck his thumb on his nose and wiggled his fingers in the air.
Thankfully, the shop was empty, save the three of them and the staff but as soon as Arthur’s fingers went down he felt a deep pink embarrassment and glared at his coffee. This child was ridiculous. How could she invoke such petulant childishness in him, a grown and serious man with very grown and serious things and a grown and serious job in his very grown and serious life? How?
He could see the girl suppressing a giggle before blowing a raspberry at him. He thought it was the least inventive come back he’d ever seen but, then again, she was a child.
Head tilted at his best impression of a bratty child, nose scrunched up like someone shat in his coffee and eyes crossed attempting to merge, Arthur threw his best raspberry yet.
And the father turned around.
Arthur snapped back and schooled his features to a wide-eyed stare into the depths of his coffee when he heard a deep laugh. He dared a glance up to see the father’s shoulders hunched over laughing and the girl was laughing as well, unsuccessfully covering her mouth.
A sharp rage and embarrassment flooded Arthur and he stood and marched right over to their table. His anger disappeared immediately when he realized he wasn’t exactly justified.
“I, um, I’m sorry?” He wasn’t sure if he was apologizing to the child for making faces at her, being caught for doing so or stomping over to their table.
“It’s alright. She does that sometimes. I’m sorry we interrupted your breakfast.” The man smiled widely up at Arthur. He had the same bright blue eyes as the girl and rather large ears. His clothes seemed to engulf him and a large red scarf made his head look suspended above it. Fuck, he’s cute.
“That’s-uh-fine. I was just having coffee anyway…” Arthur suddenly felt awkward for even coming over but the man scooted out of the booth and reached out to shake Arthur’s hand.
“I’m Merlin, by the way. She’s Andolin, or Andy. Would you like to sit with us? You look a bit lonely back there.” Merlin’s warm smile was melting away any guards Arthur had up to strangers. There was something about him that was just so welcoming and comfortable.
“Arthur.” He took Merlin’s hand in a light grip. His long fingers were slightly rough. “Sure, why not. I could use the company.”
Andy squealed and bounced a bit in her seat. “I like your thcauf.” Her missing tooth giving her a lisp that didn’t seem to bother her in the least.
“T-Thank you. I’ll just…” Arthur pointed to his table and headed to grab his coffee. When he was coming back, he wasn’t sure where to sit. He didn’t want to assume anything or come off as some creeper and sit next to the girl automatically. But when he arrived he saw Andy pop up from under the table next to Merlin.
The leather squeaked awkwardly when Arthur sat in the empty booth and Merlin smiled to himself. Andy wiggled in her seat and looked expectantly at Arthur.
"Tho what do you do?” She asked. Merlin blushed and looked up from his downward gaze.
“Um, I’m the CEO for Pendragon Enterprises.” Merlin choked and looked up quickly.
“P-Pendragon Enterprises?”
“Daddy hateth Pendragon Enterpritheth!” Andy was smiling and didn’t seem to understand the sudden tension.
“I-I don’t hate Pendragon Enterprises-”
“But thath what you thaid, daddy, I remember.”
“It’s okay, really. I’m actually new to the position and am making many, many changes to the way we’ve been working. Hopefully, you won’t hate us when I’m done with it.” His father had, unfortunately, ran the company with an iron fist and held policies many people didn’t find ethical. It was no wonder he was found poisoned in his own home and his newest mistress sitting at his kitchen table waiting to be caught. It was all rather dramatic but Arthur knew it was coming.
“Well, you seem like a good guy. I mean, aside from making faces at small children and all.” Merlin chuckled and Andy pulled her mouth wide open with two fingers making Arthur smile and stuck his tongue out at her.
“Shouldn’t you be in school?”
“It’s Saturday.” Merlin muttered.
“Oh…”
“Yeah, we come here in the afternoons normally but we decided on breakfast out today. It was her birthday yesterday.” Merlin beamed at his little girl and Arthur couldn’t help but feel the warmth in that. He’d never considered children in his life but seeing them reminded him of his affectionless youth.
“How old are you now?”
“Eight! I juth tharted the fourth grade and daddy thaid if I get good gradth he’d get me a thword!” Arthur raised his eyebrows and looked to Merlin who was blushing and staring at Andy like she’d just said he wore women’s underwear or something.
“A wooden one.” Merlin amended. “She’s very fascinated with knights and the middle ages. Always wanted a sword and all that.”
“Well, that’s very brave of you but you know knights were very honorable people. Always putting themselves on the line for their kingdom. Remember that.” Andy beamed back at him and Arthur couldn’t help but smile back. “I think you’d make a wonderful knight.” Arthur had no idea where that came from but it felt like the right thing to say. Merlin smiled at him and visibly swallowed. Arthur watched his adam’s apple bob and looked back at Andy who was staring at them intently.
“I think daddy liketh you.”
“Andy-”
“Mum wath the only woman for him, he thaid, but thereth a knight in thining armor out there for him.” Merlin was red faced and practically panicking when he looked back at Arthur.
“I’m sorry sh-”
“It’s alright. You don’t need to apologize for anything. Kids say all sorts of things.”
“Well, she’s not wrong just-” Merlin turned to Andy. “You don’t say those sorts of things to out loud, dear.” Andy looked at Merlin from under her eyelashes, pouting like he’d stolen her candy.
“Thorry, daddy.” Merlin sighed and looked to Arthur. There was a pause and Andy looked between the two expectantly.
“It’s okay, dear.” Merlin open and closed his mouth, trying to decide if he should or shouldn’t say before deciding. “Her mother passed away four years ago.”
“I’m so sorry.” Merlin nodded and Arthur wished he could say more but he knew nothing of Merlin or his family.
“She was sick. We were prepared. Well, as prepared as you can be for your loved one’s death.” He chuckled dryly and petted Andy’s hair. “We’ve adjusted. It’s just been hard.”
Arthur didn’t know what compelled him but he reached out and barely touched Merlin’s hand on the table. He thought of his own mother and how hard that loss had hit his emotionally constipated father. Arthur couldn’t imagine what it did to Merlin and Andy with how close they seemed.
Merlin sniffed and curled a finger along Arthur’s. “I’m sorry, we shouldn’t bother you with our problems.”
“No, no, it doesn’t bother me. You’re a lovely family, even if it’s just the two of you. I can see you care for each other, truly. Not all families are that fortunate.” He refrained from divulging his own family problems and instead asked about what Merlin does.
The subject change came welcoming and apparently, Merlin’s a carpenter. Arthur was surprised at the questions he never thought he’d have for someone in that profession and Andy was very interested in telling him about the wooden shield Merlin had made her on her fifth birthday.
Before he knew it, Arthur’d run past his lunch break. It was past noon and his companions didn’t seem to notice either. Merlin checked his watch and realized what time it was. “Oh no, it’s getting late. You’ve got fencing in an hour!” He bolted up and Andy whined.
“But daaaad! I wanna thtay with Awthur!”
“Darling, we can’t stay here all day. I’m sure Arthur has things he needs to get back to and we need to get you to Mrs. Du Lac’s before we get charged the late arrival fees.”
“Wait, Mrs. Du Lac? That wouldn’t happen to be Gwen, by any chance, would it?”
“Guinevere, yeah, she’s been teaching Andy since she was six.” Arthur smiled and realized how small a world it really was.
“I’m friends with her husband, Lance. We’ve known each other for ages. That’s-well that’s just an interesting coincidence.”
“Yeah.” Merlin smiled warmly and Arthur coudn’t help but smile back. “Um, it was nice meeting you, Arthur.” He reached his hand out for a shake when Arthur stood. His hand was warm, like he remembered and Arthur really didn’t want to let him go.
“Likewise, and it was lovely meeting you, young lady.” Arthur held his hand out to Andy who took it enthusiastically.
“I’m thorry I made fatheth at you, Awthur. You looked like you needed a laugh.”
“Thank you. I did.” Merlin was watching them and Arthur cleared his throat. He didn’t know how she did it but Andy managed to melt his heart just a little in the few hours they’d known each other and suddenly, Arthur had the thought that, having a child might not be so bad of an idea.
Arthur watched them leave and he sat back down in the booth. Merlin was handsome, smart and a loving father. Andy was intelligent and skilled and well-mannered, aside from her rude face making but that didn’t bother Arthur. If she hadn’t done it he would never have had such a pleasant lunch and wouldn’t have met Merlin.
He couldn’t seem to place his finger on it but there was something about Merlin. Aside from his appearance, those cheekbones, lips and ears that made him want to worship his face for hours, but his personality. He was warm and playful which was the opposite of Arthur but it seemed to work well with him.
Arthur sat, swirling the last vestiges of coffee in his cup when he heard the door clink open and Andy came running in.
“Here.” She handed him a piece of paper and found a phone number in it with Merlin scratched in at the top. “Daddy really liketh you.”
Arthur looked up at the glass and saw Merlin with his hands tucked into his coat pockets, kicking at snow on the ground. “Tell your daddy I really like him too and you’re not so bad yourself.” She crinkled her nose up at him and skipped away with a giggle.
He looked out at the snow, watching Merlin and Andy retreat down the street to their car and the thought that he really liked the idea of a family took him by surprise but not in a bad way.