Merlin RPF: 'Lucky'
It was warm and Bradley could see Colin sitting in the shade under a large tree, fiddling with something that Bradley couldn’t identify, his script lying forgotten (for now) on his lap.
After all the accidents he’d had recently, as soon as he wasn’t filming he had been ushered into a safe spot where everyone could keep an eye on him. Bradley found himself crossing the field they were filming in that day and sitting down beside Colin, leaning against the gnarled trunk of the aging tree.
“What are you doing Morgan?” Bradley asked and Colin rolled his eyes.
“Well, as you might have noticed I am sitting in the shade, because this way, that lot,” he nodded to where a few crew and cast members were sitting out in the field, enjoying the sun, “can keep an eye on me and also, because I will be beaten if I get tanned, yeah?”
Bradley nodded - the poor bugger probably would be beaten. No sun for Colin.
“Well obviously, but you’re not reading for once - porn or script or books or otherwise. What exactly is so fascinating?”
“I enjoy how you arrange reading material in the order of importance it has to you” Colin said, but he grinned and held out what he had been fiddling with. It was a chain of clover, all - from what Bradley could see - with four leaves, made in much the same was daisy chains were. Not that he knew how daisy chains were made, of course.
“How on earth did you find so many with four leaves?”
Colin shrugged, his eyes disappearing into his crooked smile which Bradley found himself returning almost unconsciously.
“Luck?”
~
It was a short while later and Colin had finished making his chain of clover, eventually tying it off into a bracelet as a voice called for him on set.
“Here” he said, passing it to Bradley with a wink as he stood up. “You need all the luck you can get with that mug of yours.”
Bradley craned his neck upwards and stuck out his tongue, but took the offered jewellery anyway.
“I’ll have you know that I am extremely lucky.”
“I’m sure you are Bradley.” Colin said as he began to walk backwards towards the set.
“You don’t believe me, do you?” Bradley called, and Colin shrugged, throwing up his arms.
“Guess you’ll just have ta prove me wrong, won’t ya?” Colin winked, before running off to set.
Bradley sat in silence, ignoring his blushing cheeks as he tried to figure out just what Colin had meant by that.
~
It was lunch time and Bradley was sitting at their usual table, halfway into his dessert when Colin finally came back from getting changed out of his Merlin gear. Bradley could see him walking towards the food trailer, dark skinny jeans and green t-shirt on that said something he couldn’t make out. As he walked over, Colin passed one of the make-up girls, who looked at his top, laughed with him and gave him a kiss on the check.
Bradley choked on his cake, spluttering and hastily taking a sip of his drink as Colin sat down in front of him, the strange kissing-occurrence definitely not leaving Bradley’s chest constricting, even if just a little. Colin raised an eyebrow as he spread his arms, letting Bradley read his shirt clearly.
“Kiss me, I’m Irish.” Bradley dutifully read out, and Colin grinned bashfully.
“Katie made me wear it. She’s got one too, but she’s going ta wear it tonigh’ at the pub.”
“The pub?”
Colin gave him a sad look.
“Yes Bradley, the pub. It is St Patrick’s day after all.”
Bradley quickly shoved a spoonful of cake in his mouth, and nodded.
“Right! The pub! Irish drinking and stuff.”
Or, that was what he meant to say, but it came out more like “Rfghht. Da pud! Iwisffj dwingin an stff” as he managed to spray cake crumbs over the tablecloth.
Colin rolled his eyes and Bradley was about to swallow his mouthful when Katie came up and plonked herself down next to Colin.
“Nice shirt” she grinned, before leaning forward and giving Colin a quick kiss. Bradley started choking again and Katie pulled back quickly, sending a sly look at Bradley before digging into her own meal.
And if Bradley spent the rest of the day glaring at the people who went up and gave Colin a kiss, well. Fine. Colin could just be Irish, see if Bradley cared. It didn’t stop him throwing his spoon at Katie once Colin had left though.
~
He wasn’t sulking.
Bradley James does not sulk.
“Bradley come on, it’ll be fun!” Colin’s voice came from the hallway.
“No, you guys go on ahead.” He called out, before turning back into his pillow.
He heard someone stop outside his room, and Katie’s murmured ‘What’s wrong?’
That was Colin’s tired sigh.
“I don’ know. He’s been like this since lunch. He doesn’ want ta come.”
“Don’t worry Colin, he’s coming with us.”
“No, I’m not Katie” Bradley called out and she suddenly appeared in the doorway, eyes narrowed.
“Bradley James get off o’ that bed and stop being such an arse!” she said dangerously, before shutting the door with a snap.
Bradley scoffed. She couldn’t tell him what to do.
“Now!”
He ended up going to the pub.
~
It was nearing ten o’clock, and they were just leaving the pub. Katie and Angel had decided to stay a bit longer, because Katie was gathering some attention from the locals with her ‘Kiss me I’m Irish’ top and the shyer boys had no trouble talking to Angel - needless to say the girls were having more fun than Bradley and Colin.
“Remind me again why we went to the pub?” Bradley asked, and Colin winced.
“Because we were meant to be celebrating St Patrick’s day.”
“Then why are both of us disgustingly sober?”
“Because we have ta be up at five tomorrow mornin’.”
“Ah, of course.”
They were silent for a while as they walked back to the hotel they were staying in. It was a brisk night, but warm enough with all their layers and Bradley admitted that it could have been a worse evening. It was almost nice, walking with Colin through the deserted streets, the only light being supplied by the old-style French lampposts at the street corners and the stars above-
Bradley cut himself off, blushing.
He really needed to stop thinking things like that.
“So have you had a good St Patrick’s day?” he found himself asking, no doubt distracting himself from where his previous train of thought had been headed.
Colin nodded. “It’s been alright, I guess. Clover chains, a beer at the pub, a ‘Kiss me I’m Irish shirt’ tha’ didn’t work as I’d planned.”
Bradley laughed, suppressing the bitter edge to it.
“You seemed to be getting plenty of action.”
Colin shrugged, keeping his gaze straight ahead.
“No’ from the right person.”
Bradley’s heart clenched sickeningly and he refused to name the sensation.
“Did Angel not give you a smooch then?”
“No, she did.”
“Well then what are you- wait, what do you mean planned?”
Colin ducked his head, cheeks flushing slightly as Bradley stared incredulously.
“Are you trying to hook up with someone Colin?”
Colin turned his head and grinned crookedly.
“Maybe. Why?” he grinned at Bradley before crossing the street, Bradley jogging slightly to catch up.
“Because-” he said, falling back into step with the Irishman. “Because I think that’s bloody cowardly! If you want to snog someone, then do it - you shouldn’t pin your hopes on some stupid shirt.”
Colin paused, looking at him from under his eyelashes, almost contemplatively.
“You know Bradley, you’re right.”
And then all of a sudden Colin was right there, his face barely an inch from Bradley’s own and something was just beginning to click in his mind but then-
Colin moved his head closer, his lips pressing gently against Bradley’s and sucking on his bottom lip as he wrapped his arms around him, one hand coming to rest in his hair and one on his shoulder. Bradley’s hands found Colin’s shoulders and he froze for a moment, his stomach flooding with a heat that he had begun to attribute to the gangly Irishman kissing him. But before he had finally allowed himself to relax and actually return the kiss, Colin was pulling back, shoulders stiffening under Bradley’s hands, eyes downcast.
“I’m sorry,” Colin said hoarsely, before hiding his head in Bradley’s neck. “I jus’ - I’ve wanted this for so long” he paused and hesitantly placed a kiss to Bradley’s throat, making him shiver “and you stare at me but you don’ do anything and Christ Bradley do you even know how frustrating tha’ is?” a nip with his teeth, then Colin’s tongue soothing it with a heated lick, “And Katie promised that you felt the same and that the shirt would work and you were sulking all day but you still didn’t do anything and I hinted and flirted and I tried to tell you, I tried, but I just couldn’t because you obviously don’ want me, but you’re too nice, even now you’re not pushing me away, God Bradley jus’ push me away or somethin’! Please, because I won’ stop otherwise and I know you don’ want this so jus’-” his voice wavered and Bradley took the chance to interrupt, his heart thudding loudly in his ears.
“Colin”
The Irishman pulled back immediately, looking up with apologetic eyes, his dark lashes incredibly long and slightly wet with suppressed tears.
“I’m sorry Bradley, I jus’-”
“Colin? Shut up.”
And Bradley pulled Colin’s head back to his, smashing their lips together with a clack of teeth, one arm reaching around Colin’s waist to pull them flush against each other, making them both moan at the sudden friction. Colin gasped and Bradley’s tongue swept into his mouth, wet and hot and messy and exactly what Colin had been wanting, had been dreaming of for the last, god - - forever. He moaned again, his tongue meeting Bradley’s as the kiss became more heated, teeth biting and tugging on lips, Bradley’s hands cupping his arse and pulling him closer to grind together and Fuck that felt incredible and-
They finally broke apart with a gasp, the need for air too great to continue. They were silent in the deserted street, breathing in each other’s air as each starred at the other, trying to gauge just what would happen next.
Bradley, as always, was the one to break the silence.
He huffed out a laugh and shook his head, before pressing a chaste kiss to Colin’s lips, sweet and light and full of promises that he hadn’t acknowledged he’d wanted to make.
“You’re daft, you know that?”
“How am I daft?” Colin asked, though he wasn’t really paying attention, Bradley’s swollen lips distracting him almost as much as the tingling throughout his body.
“How could you think I wouldn’t want to be with you?”
Colin shrugged.
“I just - why would you? You could have your pick, men and women alike -why would you pick me?”
Bradley’s hand curled around his, linking their fingers as he said teasingly,
“How could I resist that brogue of yours?”
Colin grinned crookedly, finally feeling like himself, just a hundred times more with his hand in Bradley’s. He raised an eyebrow, nudging Bradley in the ribs gently as they continued down the street.
“So you’re only with me because I’m Irish? Katie’s Irish.”
Bradley seemed to consider this for a moment, before shaking his head, sending Colin a coy smile as he pulled him towards their hotel.
“I suppose there are other things I like about you. Just you.”
“Such as?” Colin laughed as they hurried up to the steps at the entrance to the building.
“I like your dark humour and your ginger racism, although I can’t say I agree with it. I like how you’re allergic to everything and then decide to go and throw out something you can eat because it used to be a living thing. I like your ears, and your eyes and your weird ability to make everyone including me love you and want to do anything to make you happy.”
Colin gaped.
“So... everthin’ then?” he joked, voice hoarse.
Bradley stopped and spun around, catching Colin in his arms to give him another kiss.
“Everything,” Bradley confirmed, voice low and sincere when he pulled back and Colin laughed, giddy and lightheaded as they ran through the hotel.
“What are the chances of that?”
Bradley grinned back at him, blue eyes sparkling.
“You’re just lucky, I guess.”
And as Bradley unlocked the door to his room, his sleeve rode up and Colin caught a glimpse of green around his wrist. He grinned down at the clover-bracelet.
Lucky indeed.