The Secrecy of a Star (Part 4)
Author: fractionallyfox
Title: The Secrecy of a Star (Part 4)
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Gwaine/Leon
Character/s: Gwaine, Morgana, Leon
Summary: Morgana and Gwaine discuss post-date procedures.
Warnings: Modern AU
Word Count: 1,076
Prompt: #265: Honor
Author's Notes: Follows Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
Gwaine hummed an unknown tune to himself as he made his way around the kitchen.
He opened cabinets and drawers, trying to reacquaint himself with the items he needed. Coffee was definitely on the menu and Gwaine had a fancy espresso machine that had sat languid for too long. He’d bought the machine himself but he was usually too lazy or running too late to make his coffee at home instead of picking it up along the way.
This morning, however, he felt like giving it a go.
He’d found the coffee grounds and started his first attempt at a shot by the time Morgana let herself in.
“Is that coffee?” she asked, pausing ever so slightly in her stride to the kitchen island.
“Espresso,” Gwaine confirmed, staring down at the rich caffeinated liquid dripping into a cup.
Morgana noted the distinction and set her bag down on the island. “If you haven’t burnt it, I’ll have a shot. With a little milk, please.”
Gwaine went to check if he had milk in while Morgana consulted her mobile.
“How was your date?”
Between her cool questioning and her focus on her screen, Gwaine couldn’t tell whether she was asking for personal or professional reasons. He didn’t need to decide how to answer; the sound of water running in the shower caught both of their attentions and provided the answer Morgana was looking for.
“I see,” she said as Gwaine smiled, setting down a mug too large for her espresso shot with a little milk. Morgana watched Gwaine as we moved to start another brew. “Did you ask him to sign the nondisclosure agreement?”
Gwaine’s smile fell away. He kept his back to Morgana, prioritizing tamping down the coffee grounds as his more important task.
“Gwaine?”
It required a lot of focus to set the proper water temperature.
“Gwaine, did you ask him to sign-“
“No.”
“Is there a reason?”
Gwaine shrugged, going for casual. “I didn’t have the paperwork.”
“Ah. There’s a simple fix to that.”
Gwaine turned away from the tantalizing smell of coffee to see Morgana reach into her bag and pull out a copy of the nondisclosure agreement. She folded back the pages to the signature line and slid it and one of her overpriced pens across the island.
“You walk around with copies of that in your bag?” Gwaine asked. His kitchen felt tainted. The sight of the legalese was marring the smell of coffee.
“It’s my job to manage you and your career and sometime that requires having easy access to an NDA.” Morgana took a sip of her coffee as Gwaine nudged at the document with a spoon. “This is actually very good.”
“I don’t want to give him this.”
“You should,” Morgana said, her eyes falling to her mobile again. “In fact, you should’ve had him sign it last night.”
Gwaine rolled his eyes. “Right, because that’s something that always happens in the heat of the moment. Lose your kit, find the condoms, sign the NDA.”
Morgana set her mug down. “Gwaine, we had this document drawn up to avoid another incident-“
“I know.”
“Where someone could use their access to you to-“
“I know, Morgana.” Gwaine sighed, turning back to the espresso machine. He made his own drink with less finesse, pouring the espresso, some milk, honey, and chocolate powder into a cup with little regard to measurements. He took a pleasure-less sip. “You don’t need to remind me of why the NDA exists. But it doesn’t change that I don’t want to give it to him.”
“We have to do what’s smart.”
“We don’t need...” Gwaine struggled to reconcile what had happened with what he wanted to believe would never happen. “Leon wouldn’t do that. He’s too good, he has too much honor.”
Morgana looked at him from across the island. “It’s not my intention to argue this man’s credibility with you. Ultimately, this is your call. I’m not going to force you to do anything but in my personal opinion, I think you should have him sign it.”
“I’ll think about it,” Gwaine said after a long, tense minute.
“That’s all I ask.” Morgana stood in one graceful motion, slipping her bag onto her arm as she scrolled through whatever was on her screen. “Your phone interview with Rolling Stone was cancelled so the only item on schedule today is that Percy’s coming over to do a final fitting for the gala. He’ll be here at two. Please don’t eat with the suit on.”
Gwaine nodded. “Two o’clock, ruin suit. Got it.”
“Thank you for the coffee,” Morgana said from the front door. “Don’t lose my pen.”
Gwaine looked down at the nondisclosure agreement in distaste. Nothing would ever be normal again. He couldn’t even have a shag without-
“Is that coffee?”
Leon approached slowly from the bathroom wearing the same clothes he was wearing last night. His damp hair curled behind his ears and Gwaine knew he must smell of his shampoo. The thought made Gwaine smile.
“Yeah,” he said, waving Leon over. “Espresso. You want some?”
Leon padded barefoot into the kitchen. “Yes, please.”
“Coming right up!” Gwaine poured out the coffee grounds and began tamping them down. “You’ll have to tell me how you like it,” he said, glancing over his shoulder at Leon. “Or I could try and take a guess. I seemed to do pretty good at that last night.”
He winked just to see Leon blush and was spoiled by the color that warmed Leon’s face. He focused his attention on Leon once the drip had started, moving in close as he pressed Leon against the island.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked, pressing a kiss to Leon’s jaw.
“Yes. Your bed is very comfortable.”
Gwaine nuzzled against Leon’s neck. “That the only reason?”
“The only one I can say while you have company.”
“Morgana’s gone,” Gwaine said with a grin. “Did…you hear us talking?”
“Only voices, none of the conversation.” Leon seemed unsure as he looked to Gwaine. “Was it important? I really didn’t hear-“
Gwaine leaned up to kiss Leon gently. “It wasn’t important,” he said, trying to reassure Leon that he’d done nothing wrong. “Not at all.”
He kissed Leon again, slowly and deliberately, to distract Leon from him pushing the nondisclosure agreement off the island until he could shred it later.
“Now, since we are alone, tell me all the other reasons you slept so well.”
Title: The Secrecy of a Star (Part 4)
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Gwaine/Leon
Character/s: Gwaine, Morgana, Leon
Summary: Morgana and Gwaine discuss post-date procedures.
Warnings: Modern AU
Word Count: 1,076
Prompt: #265: Honor
Author's Notes: Follows Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
Gwaine hummed an unknown tune to himself as he made his way around the kitchen.
He opened cabinets and drawers, trying to reacquaint himself with the items he needed. Coffee was definitely on the menu and Gwaine had a fancy espresso machine that had sat languid for too long. He’d bought the machine himself but he was usually too lazy or running too late to make his coffee at home instead of picking it up along the way.
This morning, however, he felt like giving it a go.
He’d found the coffee grounds and started his first attempt at a shot by the time Morgana let herself in.
“Is that coffee?” she asked, pausing ever so slightly in her stride to the kitchen island.
“Espresso,” Gwaine confirmed, staring down at the rich caffeinated liquid dripping into a cup.
Morgana noted the distinction and set her bag down on the island. “If you haven’t burnt it, I’ll have a shot. With a little milk, please.”
Gwaine went to check if he had milk in while Morgana consulted her mobile.
“How was your date?”
Between her cool questioning and her focus on her screen, Gwaine couldn’t tell whether she was asking for personal or professional reasons. He didn’t need to decide how to answer; the sound of water running in the shower caught both of their attentions and provided the answer Morgana was looking for.
“I see,” she said as Gwaine smiled, setting down a mug too large for her espresso shot with a little milk. Morgana watched Gwaine as we moved to start another brew. “Did you ask him to sign the nondisclosure agreement?”
Gwaine’s smile fell away. He kept his back to Morgana, prioritizing tamping down the coffee grounds as his more important task.
“Gwaine?”
It required a lot of focus to set the proper water temperature.
“Gwaine, did you ask him to sign-“
“No.”
“Is there a reason?”
Gwaine shrugged, going for casual. “I didn’t have the paperwork.”
“Ah. There’s a simple fix to that.”
Gwaine turned away from the tantalizing smell of coffee to see Morgana reach into her bag and pull out a copy of the nondisclosure agreement. She folded back the pages to the signature line and slid it and one of her overpriced pens across the island.
“You walk around with copies of that in your bag?” Gwaine asked. His kitchen felt tainted. The sight of the legalese was marring the smell of coffee.
“It’s my job to manage you and your career and sometime that requires having easy access to an NDA.” Morgana took a sip of her coffee as Gwaine nudged at the document with a spoon. “This is actually very good.”
“I don’t want to give him this.”
“You should,” Morgana said, her eyes falling to her mobile again. “In fact, you should’ve had him sign it last night.”
Gwaine rolled his eyes. “Right, because that’s something that always happens in the heat of the moment. Lose your kit, find the condoms, sign the NDA.”
Morgana set her mug down. “Gwaine, we had this document drawn up to avoid another incident-“
“I know.”
“Where someone could use their access to you to-“
“I know, Morgana.” Gwaine sighed, turning back to the espresso machine. He made his own drink with less finesse, pouring the espresso, some milk, honey, and chocolate powder into a cup with little regard to measurements. He took a pleasure-less sip. “You don’t need to remind me of why the NDA exists. But it doesn’t change that I don’t want to give it to him.”
“We have to do what’s smart.”
“We don’t need...” Gwaine struggled to reconcile what had happened with what he wanted to believe would never happen. “Leon wouldn’t do that. He’s too good, he has too much honor.”
Morgana looked at him from across the island. “It’s not my intention to argue this man’s credibility with you. Ultimately, this is your call. I’m not going to force you to do anything but in my personal opinion, I think you should have him sign it.”
“I’ll think about it,” Gwaine said after a long, tense minute.
“That’s all I ask.” Morgana stood in one graceful motion, slipping her bag onto her arm as she scrolled through whatever was on her screen. “Your phone interview with Rolling Stone was cancelled so the only item on schedule today is that Percy’s coming over to do a final fitting for the gala. He’ll be here at two. Please don’t eat with the suit on.”
Gwaine nodded. “Two o’clock, ruin suit. Got it.”
“Thank you for the coffee,” Morgana said from the front door. “Don’t lose my pen.”
Gwaine looked down at the nondisclosure agreement in distaste. Nothing would ever be normal again. He couldn’t even have a shag without-
“Is that coffee?”
Leon approached slowly from the bathroom wearing the same clothes he was wearing last night. His damp hair curled behind his ears and Gwaine knew he must smell of his shampoo. The thought made Gwaine smile.
“Yeah,” he said, waving Leon over. “Espresso. You want some?”
Leon padded barefoot into the kitchen. “Yes, please.”
“Coming right up!” Gwaine poured out the coffee grounds and began tamping them down. “You’ll have to tell me how you like it,” he said, glancing over his shoulder at Leon. “Or I could try and take a guess. I seemed to do pretty good at that last night.”
He winked just to see Leon blush and was spoiled by the color that warmed Leon’s face. He focused his attention on Leon once the drip had started, moving in close as he pressed Leon against the island.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked, pressing a kiss to Leon’s jaw.
“Yes. Your bed is very comfortable.”
Gwaine nuzzled against Leon’s neck. “That the only reason?”
“The only one I can say while you have company.”
“Morgana’s gone,” Gwaine said with a grin. “Did…you hear us talking?”
“Only voices, none of the conversation.” Leon seemed unsure as he looked to Gwaine. “Was it important? I really didn’t hear-“
Gwaine leaned up to kiss Leon gently. “It wasn’t important,” he said, trying to reassure Leon that he’d done nothing wrong. “Not at all.”
He kissed Leon again, slowly and deliberately, to distract Leon from him pushing the nondisclosure agreement off the island until he could shred it later.
“Now, since we are alone, tell me all the other reasons you slept so well.”