Leon Knightley and the Bad Son - Merlin fanfic
Leon knew that by now he shouldn’t be shocked by anything Gwaine did. But the man had forgotten his own mother’s birthday. That was a bit much, even for Gwaine. And now Gwaine was trying to rope him into taking part in a farce that was ridiculous, even by Gwaine’s standards.
“Please! You don’t know what Mum’s like!”
Leon shrugged. “She’s always really nice to me.”
“That’s because you’re Mr Perfect. She’ll disown me again.”
“Again?” Leon wasn’t sure why he sounded surprised, but Gwaine wasn’t listening.
“She’ll guilt-trip me for months. All year probably. Next year, when I remember her birthday, she’ll bring it up again.”
“Perhaps you’ll forget next year too,” Leon put in helpfully, admiring the large bouquet of flowers he’d thoughtfully bought for Gwaine’s mother.
“I won’t. You know when it is now, you’ll remind me.”
Leon was very good at remembering things like that. He kept an electronic calendar, it worked very well. “It’s a presumption on your part that I’ll still be putting up with you in a year’s time.”
Gwaine ignored that, and Leon knew that was probably because Gwaine damn well knew that Leon would still be around next year, and probably all the years after. Quite why was still something Leon was trying to work out for himself. “My mother, Leon. Think of her sad and dejected face…”
“I’ve bought her flowers, she’ll be happy with me.”
Gwaine looked at them hopefully. “Can we say they’re from both of us?”
“Absolutely not. Get your own flowers.”
“But this is your fault!”
Leon wasn’t quite sure how Gwaine forgetting his mother’s birthday was Leon’s fault. Especially as Leon had told Gwaine weeks ago that they should take her out to dinner today, which should have been reminder enough. “How?” he asked. “I booked the table, I bought flowers, I told you to invite her today! I assumed you’d know why!”
“But her birthday was yesterday.” Gwaine had only remembered when he had seen Leon’s flowers, and even then only when he’d asked why Leon had bought them. “I didn’t even ring her. I’ve got no card, no present… I can say the dinner is a present, right?”
Leon thought about it. “It’s a start. If you pay for me as well, I’ll let you share my flowers.”
“No way. That place costs a fortune.”
“You’re rich, you’ve got a fortune!”
“It’s all tied up in stately home preservation. No, I’m going with my plan.” He lifted the little mirror he had been using, and peered into it.
Leon gave a heavy sigh. “You have not got amnesia, Gwaine. Forget it. It won’t work.”
Gwaine dabbed at his forehead with the makeup sponge he’d begged from Gwen. There was a vaguely convincing bruise developing, with the help of some of Gwen’s unwanted makeup.
“It’ll work,” he assured Leon. “You’ll see. I’m a fine actor, should have been on the stage.”
Behind Gwaine’s back, Leon rolled his eyes but didn’t dignify the ridiculous boast with a comment. This was going to be a disaster, he just knew it.
---
Mrs Greene arrived right on time. It was one of the many, many things Leon liked about her. Gwaine had accused him of particularly liking her because she was the Dowager Duchess of Gloucester. Gwaine was mostly wrong, although it did further endear her to Leon. He also liked that she was always stylish and smart, never late, and never, ever put up with any crap from Gwaine.
“Boys…” she kissed both of them, frowning at the bruise on Gwaine’s forehead. He’d overdone it a little, Leon thought. He quickly handed over the bouquet.
“For you. Happy birthday for yesterday.”
“From both of us,” Gwaine put in quickly.
Right. “Gwaine’s treating us all to dinner,” Leon told her. “Isn’t that nice of him?”
“Very,” Mrs Greene agreed. “Though, when I rang the restaurant to warn them I have a nut allergy, the reservation was in your name. And now flowers! I don’t think Gwaine’s ever bought me flowers. Do you know, when he didn’t ring or anything yesterday, I thought he’d forgotten!”
“Well, it’s funny you should say that…” Gwaine began.
Leon gaped at him. Surely he wasn’t going to try it when he’d so obviously been rumbled? But Gwaine was pointing at the fake bruise on his forehead.
“I tripped over, hit my head…”
“I was wondering what that was,” Mrs Greene said. She was looking concerned. Almost, Leon thought, overly concerned. “It looks awful.”
Gwaine nodded, putting on a pained expression and sitting down on the edge of the bed. “It still hurts. The doctor says I have mild amnesia…”
He was going to try it. Leon groaned inwardly.
“Amnesia…” Mrs Greene repeated. “Darling, that’s terrible. Poor you!”
Gwaine nodded bravely. “I know. It’s why I didn’t call yesterday. I’d temporarily forgotten your birthday. But I’m a lot better now. I think I can still take you out to dinner.”
“Probably best if you don’t have any wine,” Leon put in helpfully. “Not good for amnesia.”
Gwaine shot him a quick glare then returned to trying to look… well, Leon thought he was looking a bit pathetic really.
“Wine’s probably okay…”
“Oh no, we can’t have you risking it. Here, let me take a look at it for you,” Gwaine’s mother insisted. And before Gwaine could stop her, she had a tissue out and was wiping the ‘bruise’ away. “There. Much better.” She dropped the make-up stained tissue in Gwaine’s lap. Gwaine just looked at it and at her.
“Ah…”
“Yes. Ah. Now what was that about paying for my dinner? And Leon’s too, as I suspect he’s the only one who did remember…”
Yes, Leon liked Mrs Greene a lot.
---
“It was your fault,” Gwaine grumbled as they returned to their room many hours later. “If you’d bought a card and let me sign it…”
Full of a very tasty and very expensive dinner that he hadn’t had to pay for, Leon just smiled.
“Please! You don’t know what Mum’s like!”
Leon shrugged. “She’s always really nice to me.”
“That’s because you’re Mr Perfect. She’ll disown me again.”
“Again?” Leon wasn’t sure why he sounded surprised, but Gwaine wasn’t listening.
“She’ll guilt-trip me for months. All year probably. Next year, when I remember her birthday, she’ll bring it up again.”
“Perhaps you’ll forget next year too,” Leon put in helpfully, admiring the large bouquet of flowers he’d thoughtfully bought for Gwaine’s mother.
“I won’t. You know when it is now, you’ll remind me.”
Leon was very good at remembering things like that. He kept an electronic calendar, it worked very well. “It’s a presumption on your part that I’ll still be putting up with you in a year’s time.”
Gwaine ignored that, and Leon knew that was probably because Gwaine damn well knew that Leon would still be around next year, and probably all the years after. Quite why was still something Leon was trying to work out for himself. “My mother, Leon. Think of her sad and dejected face…”
“I’ve bought her flowers, she’ll be happy with me.”
Gwaine looked at them hopefully. “Can we say they’re from both of us?”
“Absolutely not. Get your own flowers.”
“But this is your fault!”
Leon wasn’t quite sure how Gwaine forgetting his mother’s birthday was Leon’s fault. Especially as Leon had told Gwaine weeks ago that they should take her out to dinner today, which should have been reminder enough. “How?” he asked. “I booked the table, I bought flowers, I told you to invite her today! I assumed you’d know why!”
“But her birthday was yesterday.” Gwaine had only remembered when he had seen Leon’s flowers, and even then only when he’d asked why Leon had bought them. “I didn’t even ring her. I’ve got no card, no present… I can say the dinner is a present, right?”
Leon thought about it. “It’s a start. If you pay for me as well, I’ll let you share my flowers.”
“No way. That place costs a fortune.”
“You’re rich, you’ve got a fortune!”
“It’s all tied up in stately home preservation. No, I’m going with my plan.” He lifted the little mirror he had been using, and peered into it.
Leon gave a heavy sigh. “You have not got amnesia, Gwaine. Forget it. It won’t work.”
Gwaine dabbed at his forehead with the makeup sponge he’d begged from Gwen. There was a vaguely convincing bruise developing, with the help of some of Gwen’s unwanted makeup.
“It’ll work,” he assured Leon. “You’ll see. I’m a fine actor, should have been on the stage.”
Behind Gwaine’s back, Leon rolled his eyes but didn’t dignify the ridiculous boast with a comment. This was going to be a disaster, he just knew it.
---
Mrs Greene arrived right on time. It was one of the many, many things Leon liked about her. Gwaine had accused him of particularly liking her because she was the Dowager Duchess of Gloucester. Gwaine was mostly wrong, although it did further endear her to Leon. He also liked that she was always stylish and smart, never late, and never, ever put up with any crap from Gwaine.
“Boys…” she kissed both of them, frowning at the bruise on Gwaine’s forehead. He’d overdone it a little, Leon thought. He quickly handed over the bouquet.
“For you. Happy birthday for yesterday.”
“From both of us,” Gwaine put in quickly.
Right. “Gwaine’s treating us all to dinner,” Leon told her. “Isn’t that nice of him?”
“Very,” Mrs Greene agreed. “Though, when I rang the restaurant to warn them I have a nut allergy, the reservation was in your name. And now flowers! I don’t think Gwaine’s ever bought me flowers. Do you know, when he didn’t ring or anything yesterday, I thought he’d forgotten!”
“Well, it’s funny you should say that…” Gwaine began.
Leon gaped at him. Surely he wasn’t going to try it when he’d so obviously been rumbled? But Gwaine was pointing at the fake bruise on his forehead.
“I tripped over, hit my head…”
“I was wondering what that was,” Mrs Greene said. She was looking concerned. Almost, Leon thought, overly concerned. “It looks awful.”
Gwaine nodded, putting on a pained expression and sitting down on the edge of the bed. “It still hurts. The doctor says I have mild amnesia…”
He was going to try it. Leon groaned inwardly.
“Amnesia…” Mrs Greene repeated. “Darling, that’s terrible. Poor you!”
Gwaine nodded bravely. “I know. It’s why I didn’t call yesterday. I’d temporarily forgotten your birthday. But I’m a lot better now. I think I can still take you out to dinner.”
“Probably best if you don’t have any wine,” Leon put in helpfully. “Not good for amnesia.”
Gwaine shot him a quick glare then returned to trying to look… well, Leon thought he was looking a bit pathetic really.
“Wine’s probably okay…”
“Oh no, we can’t have you risking it. Here, let me take a look at it for you,” Gwaine’s mother insisted. And before Gwaine could stop her, she had a tissue out and was wiping the ‘bruise’ away. “There. Much better.” She dropped the make-up stained tissue in Gwaine’s lap. Gwaine just looked at it and at her.
“Ah…”
“Yes. Ah. Now what was that about paying for my dinner? And Leon’s too, as I suspect he’s the only one who did remember…”
Yes, Leon liked Mrs Greene a lot.
---
“It was your fault,” Gwaine grumbled as they returned to their room many hours later. “If you’d bought a card and let me sign it…”
Full of a very tasty and very expensive dinner that he hadn’t had to pay for, Leon just smiled.