Hair splitting 9/11
Author: bunnysworld
Title: Hair Splitting 9/11
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s): Merlin/Arthur
Summary: It’s not all rainbows and flowers
Warnings: Fluffy drama?
Word Count: 6885 overall
Beta: Thanks to issy5209 for the great job!
Notes: This is the sequel to Hair. And it’s all k_nightfox’s fault who nagged me long enough to write it. And she bribed me with cookies, too. Oh, and the title is her fault, too. *nodnods*
Merlin tried to live his life the way before Arthur, but he was fooling himself if he said it worked. He didn’t live. He functioned. And that Arthur didn’t give up sending flowers and other things, along with messages on voicemail and texts didn’t help either. He woke up, went to work, came back home, took care of his dogs and went to sleep.
There were only Miracle and Magic left and even though there were people who wanted to adopt them and give them good homes, Merlin refused to give them away. They were his family now. Who needed Arthur anyway?
And he didn’t have too much time to dwell on it, the opening of the next Avalon salon was just around the corner. So he stayed up late, went to the place to inspect the remodeling, held job interviews and tried to shove that little nagging voice in his head and that big aching hole in his heart aside.
When the big opening night approached, all the other salons were closed early, so the employees could attend the opening if they wanted and Merlin knew everyone would be there. Freya had taken the dogs home where the dogsitter waited and Leon put the finishing touches to Merlin’s hair in the office of the new facility.
“Thanks, Leon.”
“Oh, don’t think about it. I’ll just slip into something more comfortable and I’m ready to go, too.”
Merlin smiled. ‘Something more comfortable’ could mean anything with Leon, from tiny shorts to plateau boots to a little black dress. And he managed to make all of it look good, very queenly, but good. As he gathered his things, Leon showed up again, to Merlin’s surprise in a well-fitting suit and only just a hint of eyeliner. He came over, straightened Merlin’s bowtie and put a little smooch on Merlin’s temple.
“Now go out there, open the new place and rock the show.”
“I don’t really feel like it, Leon.” Merlin sighed.
Leon patted his cheek. “I know. But I also know you can do it.”
As Merlin turned and took a deep breath before he reached for the door, Leon gave his butt an affectionate slap that made Merlin chuckle.
The evening was a success. Merlin held a little speech and everybody had a good time with champagne and finger food. Lots of people came to congratulate him on the new store and even more just left some flowers and cards with nice messages. Leon and Freya, who looked beautiful in her short dark red dress, kept close all evening long and Merlin was thankful for that. He’d had quite a bit of distraction, but something was missing. And Merlin knew exactly what that was.
After the last of the guests had cleared out and Merlin had locked the place up, he loosened his bowtie and shrugged his jacket off.
“Go home, Merlin, we’ll take care of cleaning up.” Freya put her hand on his arm.
Leon had already started to collect empty glasses.
Shaking his head, Merlin smiled at her. “No, you two go home, I’ll take care of this.”
But they refused and they had prepared the room for the first customers the next day in no time.
“Where do you want this to go?” Freya held a huge bunch of roses and Merlin stopped in his tracks.
“Who is it from?”
“I don’t know, it was over there.” She pointed. “I can’t remember anyone bringing it…but there’s a card!” She plucked it out and held it out to Merlin.
Merlin took it with trembling fingers. He had a pretty good idea who these expensive flowers might be from, even though he had no idea who he’d managed to sneak them in without being seen.
Merlin,
Congratulations on the new Avalon.
I know you will be great there, too.
Miss you,
A.
Leon handed him another glass of champagne when he saw Merlin paling. “From him?”
Sitting down in a chair, Merlin downed the champagne. “Yeah.”
Freya picked the card up off the floor. “You know,” she ran her hand through Merlin’s hair, “I think you should talk to him again.”
“It didn’t work. You know he wants it to be like before.” Merlin had told them about the phone call one night when they’d gone out for cocktails after work.
“Maybe he has changed his mind?” Leon provided another glass of champagne, but Merlin just stared at it.
“He doesn’t say so. But if he’s been here, someone would have seen him tonight, right?”
“I believe the flowers were brought with another delivery.” Freya held the phone out to Merlin. “Why don’t you give him a call?”
It hurt. It hurt so much. He wanted to share this evening with Arthur. But maybe it was better this way. He deserved better than being the dirty little secret. He deserved a man who wasn’t ashamed of his sexuality. He deserved someone who whole-heartedly answered the question with ‘yes, this is Merlin, my partner’. So he swallowed hard and shook his head. “No. It’s over. Let’s go home.”
Title: Hair Splitting 9/11
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s): Merlin/Arthur
Summary: It’s not all rainbows and flowers
Warnings: Fluffy drama?
Word Count: 6885 overall
Beta: Thanks to issy5209 for the great job!
Notes: This is the sequel to Hair. And it’s all k_nightfox’s fault who nagged me long enough to write it. And she bribed me with cookies, too. Oh, and the title is her fault, too. *nodnods*
Merlin tried to live his life the way before Arthur, but he was fooling himself if he said it worked. He didn’t live. He functioned. And that Arthur didn’t give up sending flowers and other things, along with messages on voicemail and texts didn’t help either. He woke up, went to work, came back home, took care of his dogs and went to sleep.
There were only Miracle and Magic left and even though there were people who wanted to adopt them and give them good homes, Merlin refused to give them away. They were his family now. Who needed Arthur anyway?
And he didn’t have too much time to dwell on it, the opening of the next Avalon salon was just around the corner. So he stayed up late, went to the place to inspect the remodeling, held job interviews and tried to shove that little nagging voice in his head and that big aching hole in his heart aside.
When the big opening night approached, all the other salons were closed early, so the employees could attend the opening if they wanted and Merlin knew everyone would be there. Freya had taken the dogs home where the dogsitter waited and Leon put the finishing touches to Merlin’s hair in the office of the new facility.
“Thanks, Leon.”
“Oh, don’t think about it. I’ll just slip into something more comfortable and I’m ready to go, too.”
Merlin smiled. ‘Something more comfortable’ could mean anything with Leon, from tiny shorts to plateau boots to a little black dress. And he managed to make all of it look good, very queenly, but good. As he gathered his things, Leon showed up again, to Merlin’s surprise in a well-fitting suit and only just a hint of eyeliner. He came over, straightened Merlin’s bowtie and put a little smooch on Merlin’s temple.
“Now go out there, open the new place and rock the show.”
“I don’t really feel like it, Leon.” Merlin sighed.
Leon patted his cheek. “I know. But I also know you can do it.”
As Merlin turned and took a deep breath before he reached for the door, Leon gave his butt an affectionate slap that made Merlin chuckle.
The evening was a success. Merlin held a little speech and everybody had a good time with champagne and finger food. Lots of people came to congratulate him on the new store and even more just left some flowers and cards with nice messages. Leon and Freya, who looked beautiful in her short dark red dress, kept close all evening long and Merlin was thankful for that. He’d had quite a bit of distraction, but something was missing. And Merlin knew exactly what that was.
After the last of the guests had cleared out and Merlin had locked the place up, he loosened his bowtie and shrugged his jacket off.
“Go home, Merlin, we’ll take care of cleaning up.” Freya put her hand on his arm.
Leon had already started to collect empty glasses.
Shaking his head, Merlin smiled at her. “No, you two go home, I’ll take care of this.”
But they refused and they had prepared the room for the first customers the next day in no time.
“Where do you want this to go?” Freya held a huge bunch of roses and Merlin stopped in his tracks.
“Who is it from?”
“I don’t know, it was over there.” She pointed. “I can’t remember anyone bringing it…but there’s a card!” She plucked it out and held it out to Merlin.
Merlin took it with trembling fingers. He had a pretty good idea who these expensive flowers might be from, even though he had no idea who he’d managed to sneak them in without being seen.
Merlin,
Congratulations on the new Avalon.
I know you will be great there, too.
Miss you,
A.
Leon handed him another glass of champagne when he saw Merlin paling. “From him?”
Sitting down in a chair, Merlin downed the champagne. “Yeah.”
Freya picked the card up off the floor. “You know,” she ran her hand through Merlin’s hair, “I think you should talk to him again.”
“It didn’t work. You know he wants it to be like before.” Merlin had told them about the phone call one night when they’d gone out for cocktails after work.
“Maybe he has changed his mind?” Leon provided another glass of champagne, but Merlin just stared at it.
“He doesn’t say so. But if he’s been here, someone would have seen him tonight, right?”
“I believe the flowers were brought with another delivery.” Freya held the phone out to Merlin. “Why don’t you give him a call?”
It hurt. It hurt so much. He wanted to share this evening with Arthur. But maybe it was better this way. He deserved better than being the dirty little secret. He deserved a man who wasn’t ashamed of his sexuality. He deserved someone who whole-heartedly answered the question with ‘yes, this is Merlin, my partner’. So he swallowed hard and shook his head. “No. It’s over. Let’s go home.”