GAME, SET,...MATCH?: Part 2
Summary: In which tennis hottie Ajay Pendragon absolutely does not lust after cute and barely legal ball boy Merlin Emrys at the London Olympics.
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur, Morgana/Lancelot
Rating: PG
Warnings: Age difference (Merlin is 16; Arthur is 24)
Word Count: 12k
Written for: merlinolympics
PART 1
**
Merlin was surprised when Ajay Pendragon suddenly appeared on the path next to him. It wasn’t unsual for tennis players to mill about the Wimbledon grounds freely but this was the Olympics and Henman Hill was alight with fans. Ajay would be lucky if he wasn’t recognized within thirty seconds and the shrill squeeing started.
“Are you stalking me?” Merlin teased boldly.
“Are you going for a high-voltage caffeine fix?” Ajay returned, smiling.
Merlin laughed. “Yeah, just ran my arse off at a Women’s Singles Match and need some java to kick-start my energy again.” He turned toward Ajay. “You want anything?”
Ajay shook his head and then moved off to the side as Merlin queued for caffeine. Merlin ordered one of Lavazza’s specialties - iced latte in a take-out cup, and then he and Ajay continued along the path toward the Pavilion, surprisingly catching only a few starstruck glances from fans in the crowd who obviously recognized the tennis player.
They walked around the Pavilion in the direction of the practice courts, following a path lined with a few teak pergolas sheltering benches, where the crowd lessened in number until they were practically the only people on the path. Merlin drank his latte, basking in the fact that he was walking alongside Ajay Pendragon.
“So Merlin...” Ajay finally said, running a hand across the back of his neck. They had stopped on the path near one of the pergolas. “Look, I was wondering...,”Ajay continued, “I mean, how...”. Ajay sighed and Merlin raised an eyebrow at him. The man seemed to be struggling with his words. “How,” he began again then, “Oh, fiddlefudgenuggets! I’m just going to come out and ask you,” he apparently decided and looked Merlin squarely in the eyes. “How old are you?”
The question came as a surprise. Merlin supposed he was expecting Ajay to ask him something more - well, he didn’t know what, but it wasn’t this. “Sixteen,” he replied.
Ajay puffed out a breath. “Sixteen. Okay. Good,” he returned, nodding. “Lance says I’m not a pervert then.”
“What?”
“You’re sixteen,” Ajay said, as though whatever he was saying made sense.
“Yeah,” Merlin confirmed, allowing himself a grin. “I turned sixteen three days ago. On the day of the Opening Ceremonies.”
Ajay Pendragon stared at him for a moment. “You just turned sixteen?” he asked, eyes wide, his mouth hanging open in a ridiculously adorable O.
“Um, yeah,” he replied slowly, not sure what the big deal was. The average ball kid was sixteen, although there were ball runners serving at the Olympics ranging in age from fourteen to eighteen.
Ajay huffed out another breath then began sucking in air and letting it out in rapid succession. He put a hand to his hip and bent over slightly, as though trying to catch his breath.
“Are you hyperventilating?” Merlin asked, staring at Ajay’s bizarre behaviour with both shock and concern.
“No. Yes. Kind of,” Ajay answered, straightening up, attempting to get his erratic breathing under control.
“Uh, why?”
“Because you just turned sixteeen,” Ajay said, throwing his hands up for emphasis.
Merlin couldn’t hold in the chuckle that had risen along with his building hysteria. “Okay. And why is turning sixteen making you hyperventilate?” He knew he was obviously missing something, but fuck if he knew what it was.
“Because four days ago, you were fifteen,” was Ajay’s reply. It didn’t help Merlin any.
“Yeah...”
“And fifteen makes me a pervert.”
“W-what?” Merlin still couldn’t make any sense out of what Ajay was saying. Fifteen. Sixteen. Pervert. Oh. Oh. Oh?
**
Ajay raised his eyebrows at Merlin as dawning (but confused) realization seemed to set in. “Fancying a ‘just turned sixteen’ year old may be considered a tad bit perverted,” he explained, grimacing slightly at the use of any word containing ‘pervert’ in it.
“Fancying?”
“Yes, Merlin,” Ajay said, amused by how incredulous the boy looked. He clearly had no idea of how charmingly alluring he was. “Fancying. As in ‘want to kiss you very badly but fear it’s considered perving because you’ve only been legal for three days ’,” he expanded further, taking delight in the way Merlin’s blue eyes grew wide, his pupils dilating. Fiddlesticks. The boy was making it difficult for Ajay not to fall hard.
**
Merlin stared at the tennis player that featured in his deepest fantasies. Ajay Pendragon wanted to kiss him?
“Sixteen is sixteen,” he said, his mind muddled with teenage lust. “Whether for three days or three hundred da--”
Ajay grabbed the front of his shirt and backed him up against the teak pergola. His warm, dry lips met Merlin’s, sending Merlin’s mind into a tailspin. He had kissed a boy or two in his teenaged life but this was Ajay fucking Pendragon. Merlin barely managed to prevent his weakened knees from giving out and making him slide down the pergola helplessly.
Ajay let go of Merlin’s shirt and stepped back, blowing out a heavy breath. “Sorry about that,” Ajay apologized, fingers raking shakily through his hair. “I shouldn’t have--”
“-No!” Merlin said, trying to come down from the incredible high that had nothing to do with the latte he had been drinking. Only now did he notice that he had let the cup drop to the ground when Ajay had kissed him. He picked it up and looked around for a rubbish bin. “It’s okay. I mean, I-I didn’t really...mind.” He felt the blush start to spread across his cheekbones and added, “Kinda liked it, actually.” Merlin grinned then hiccupped, certain he was on the verge of hysteria.
Ajay chuckled. “Me too,” he said, smiling. He looked at Merlin with a degree of seriousness. “I just don’t want you to think I make a habit of kissing ball boys outside the Aorangi practice courts.”
Merlin nodded, unsure of what he should say. He hoped that he had been an exception, that Ajay Pendragon had kissed him because he fancied Merlin, despite the fact that Merlin was only a ball runner and sixteen. Well, Ajay had said as much, hadn’t he? Still, it was hard not to feel a little insecure. This was Ajay Pendragon, renowned tennis champion, after all.
To make up for his “taking advantage” (Ajay’s words, definitely not Merlin’s), Ajay invited him to a late lunch in the restaurant of the Millennium Building. Merlin not only accepted the invite but truly enjoyed his lunch, feeling quite giddy at being able to spend time with Ajay Pendragon while taking in the various sights of the All England Lawn and Tennis Club. Afterwards, Ajay attended the match in which Merlin was running base, giving Merlin a thumbs up each time he fed the players a ball, gave them a towel, or fetched them water. He was positively ridiculous and Merlin thought he’d never be able to stop grinning.
Since it turned out Merlin wasn’t ball running for Ajay’s 7:30 doubles match, Ajay took it upon himself to invite Merlin to watch the game as his personal guest. Merlin cheered uproariously when Ajay and Lance du Lac won the match against Israel’s Sigan and Tauren in two hard-won sets, putting them victoriously through to the Quarter Finals.
By the time he caught the train to South Kensington to return to his room at the hostel, Merlin was so high on the rollercoaster of ecstasy that he nearly missed his stop.
SIGAN/TAUREN 5-7 | 5-7 PENDRAGON/DU LAC
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Ajay spent the afternoon before the Quarter Finals Doubles match hitting some balls with Lance on No. 3 Court (which had been designated a practice court during the Olympics) and thinking about Merlin.
There was no denying it. Ajay was smitten with the boy.
Every time Ajay caught sight of Merlin, his heart beat faster, his breathing became unsteady, his tongue got knotted, and it was impossible to keep the stupid-looking grin from spreading across his face. Ajay felt like a bloody schoolgirl with a crush.
He bounced on his feet through practice, high on feelings. The way Lance kept grinning at him as they hit balls back and forth, Ajay was sure his friend thought he was love-drunk. Ajay decided that just maybe he was.
Later, Ajay Pendragon and Lance du Lac continued on the path to Men’s Doubles Olympic glory by winning the Quarter Finals match against Spain’s Alvarez and Helios with two solid sets.
PENDRAGON/DU LAC 6-3 | 6-4 ALVAREZ/HELIOS
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
PENDRAGON 6-4 | 6-4 KING
No. 3 Court
Ajay had somehow persuaded Merlin to join him on No. 3 Court Wednesday afternoon after Merlin had completed all of his ball running duties. Ajay had won his Third Round match against Cenred King, pushing him through to the Singles Quarter-Finals, moving him closer to winning Gold.
“Come on,” Ajay had coaxed, dancing around Merlin with energetic excitement. “You can help me work off some of this nervous energy.”
Merlin knew he was a mediocre tennis player, getting the chance to play on the Mercia courts only every once in a while. He certainly wasn’t near the calibre of Ajay Pendragon or any other tennis player that had earned a spot at the Olympics . Still, he found it a thrill to be hitting balls with Ajay on the grass court, just goofing around, having fun.
Ajay was laughing and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself. Merlin supposed that, without the pressure of having to perform to win a match, Ajay could relax and just enjoy playing. He made mistakes he never would have made in a competitive game, erupting into uproarious laughter each time he made one. It was infectious and Merlin soon found himself grinning and laughing too.
**
It turned out Merlin was a pretty decent player. He scoffed at Ajay and rolled his eyes when Ajay made the comment, but he could tell Merlin was secretly pleased.
Ajay thought the boy looked rather fine on the court, especially using one of Ajay’s Prince rackets, which Merlin seemed to be holding onto like it was a rare treasure. His serve was strong, his play-through fair, and his backhand wicked. Already twice, Ajay had to work really hard to return the backhanded hit from Merlin.
It was one of those fantastically delivered backhands that Ajay was scrambling to return now. Laughing amiably, he moved backwards, reaching with his racket to catch the ball, unmindful of his form and technique. He managed to strike the ball with his racket but his haphazard movement threw off his balance, Ajay’s right foot tripping over his left, causing his ankle to turn.
He tumbled and hit the court turf, swearing. He rolled to sit up, grabbing for his ankle. Merlin was already at his side, his eyes wide and his face pale.
“Fuck, Ajay,” the boy expressed. “Did you turn it?”
Ajay bit his bottom lip and nodded. He could feel his ankle already beginning to throb. He gestured toward his bag at the sideline. “Get my cell phone,” he told Merlin. “Morgana’s on speed dial.”
**
No. 3 Court, Locker Room
It had taken less than ten minutes for Morgana to show up, Lance du Lac in tow. Merlin looked on anxiously as Ajay’s medic-sister initially assessed the sprain, then finally asking Lance and Merlin to help Ajay up and into the locker room.
There, they were met by Uther Pendragon, who insisted his daughter provide him with her assessment of Ajay’s injury.
“It’s a Grade 2 sprain,” Morgana told him, giving a quick glance to her brother. “There’s already considerable swelling and bruising. It needs to be elevated, iced and compressed. I’d recommend getting an air splint on it as soon as possible.”
Uther Pendragon nodded. He turned from his daughter and faced his son. Merlin could sense the impending doom hanging heavy in the air. He suddenly felt like an outsider infringing on the privacy of the Pendragon clan. He retreated further back into the locker room, looking for a way to escape gracefully.
**
“You will forfeit your remaining singles and doubles matches,” Uther told him decisively.
“No!” Ajay argued, suddenly angry. “Look, I know I don’t have a chance in the Singles Quarter Finals with this ankle. But Lance and I are still in the running for a medal if we make it through the Doubles Semi-Finals,” he told his father. It was down to four doubles teams now. The winners of each Semi-Final match would go on to compete for Gold and Silver. The losers would compete for Bronze. “But only if I play,” he emphasized. “If we forfeit, we lose that chance completely.”
“You cannot risk further injury, Arthur,” Uther insisted. “It could hurt your long-run career.”
Ajay knew his father was simply being rational but he didn’t care. He was tired of his father always making decisions for him. Ajay was a grown man capable of deciding what he wanted. And he wanted the chance to achieve medal victory, despite the setback of an injury. His anger only festered when he saw Uther cast an accusing glance at Merlin, who was hanging back in the shadows trying his best to go unnoticed, before leaving dismissively, certain that his command would be carried out.
Uther Pendragon’s departure left silence in its wake. Morgana wordlessly tended to Ajay’s ankle while Lance looked on with concern and Merlin slunk morosely against a wall. When Ajay couldn’t stand it anymore, he piped up. “I don’t care what my father says,” he told them. “We’re playing in that Semi-Finals match tomorrow.”
“Ajay--” Lance said.
“Listen, even if we lose the match tomorrow,” he reasoned, “we still have a shot at Bronze.” Lance gave him a doubtful look and Ajay could tell from the expression on Morgana’s face that she was on Lance’s side. “I can do this, Lance,” Ajay appealed. “We can do this.”
Thursday, August 2, 2012
SEMI-FINALS Men’s Doubles
As could have been predicted, Ajay’s sprained ankle was the major handicap in the Doubles Semi-Finals match against the Bryan brothers of Team USA. Valiante and King ended up not fairing any better against Llodra and Tsonga of Team France but it was a much harder fought defeat.
BRYAN/BRYAN 6-2 | 6-2 PENDRAGON/DU LAC
VALIANTE/KING 3-6 | 6-4 | 16-18 LLODRA/TSONGA
But even losing their Semi-Finals match, there was still a chance Ajay Pendragon and Lance du Lac would end up going home with a medal.
Olympic Village, Heritage Block One, Building One, Floor Seven, Apartment 25
Ajay had thought about whether it would have been better to go to where Merlin was staying instead of the Village, but Merlin had said he was sharing a small hostel room with a friend in South Kensington, which didn’t exactly afford much privacy, and with Ajay’s injured ankle... Besides, with the boast that “What happens in the Village stays in the Village”, his footy player apartment mates at The Globe most of the time, and Lance having opted to stay in Morgana’s room at Cannizaro for the night, Ajay figured it was probably best to bring Merlin to his current accommodations for privacy’s sake - not that Ajay had any lecherous designs on the boy that would require any kind of privacy.
Ajay did somehow manage to get Merlin into the Village as his guest using the excuse that his personal sports medic had instructed that Ajay be attended to by her young ‘assistant-in-training’. Which was true, more or less.
After some doubting eyebrow raises and a call to Morgana for confirmation (Ajay could practically hear the amusement in his sister’s voice through the line as she gave ‘confirmation’ of her instructions and knew he’d be getting a text from her just as soon as he was in his rooms), and Merlin’s passport had been submitted, checked and verified, Ajay was finally allowed, with Merlin’s dutiful assistance, to take the lift to the seventh floor. Whoever said the Village was a hedonistic free-for-all with lax security obviously didn’t know what they were talking about.
Inside the apartment, Ajay gestured his grand tour of the lounge area. Then he moved to the blue sofa, casting the decorative pillows aside, and flopped down, propping his foot up onto the coffee table. “Go ahead and check out the rest,” he told Merlin, removing the air splint ankle brace Morgana had insisted he wear. He slipped a pink pillow under his foot and moulded the ice pack to his ankle.
Merlin dropped his backpack next to the sofa then went off to take the self-tour of the apartment. He returned to the lounge five minutes later with comment. “Gotta be pretty secure in your masculinity to live here, huh? With all these bright blues, greens, and pinks. At least the bathroom’s mostly white.”
Ajay tilted his head back and laughed. Gwaine Knight had made a similar remark on the first day they had all arrived. “Most of the athletes here probably don’t take much notice,” he said. “I’m sure they’re too busy getting up to other things.”
He watched as Merlin pursed his luscious, pink lips, his eyes seeming to narrow. “My friend Wills says staying in the Village is like one big Bonk Fest,” he said, his tone conveying a mixture of disapproval, curiosity and, rather surprisingly, jealousy. Ajay found it incredibly endearing.
He chuckled and the scowl Merlin was trying to keep off his face deepened. Did the boy really imagine Ajay was part of some Bonkathon with his fellow world athletes?
“The only one doing any bonking is my room-slash-teammate and doubles partner,” Ajay reassured him. “And, yes, he’s bonking my sister.” He watched Merlin’s eyebrows shoot up. “But not in there,” he told the boy, jerking his thumb in the direction of the shared bedroom. “Trust me, there is nothing more embarrassing than catching your sister enthusiastically riding your best mate.”
This did the trick to pull a grin from Merlin and Ajay revelled in the way it lit up the boy’s face, showcasing crinkly eyes and - bloody fudge - dimples. He patted the seat cushion beside him. “Come here,” he commanded gently.
Merlin did come but he didn’t take the proffered seat. Instead, Ajay found himself with a lap full of Merlin, as the boy climbed on top of his lap and straddled him. Merlin grinned mischievously at him, his face - and lips - barely an inch away from Ajay’s. Ajay felt his heart thump and his cock twitch.
Before he could make comment, Merlin closed the meagre distance between them, fitting his mouth against Ajay’s, kissing him wetly, poking his tongue at the seam of Ajay’s mouth to gain entrance. Ajay parted his lips to let him in, and Merlin slid his tongue alongside his, tentatively exploring.
Ajay let Merlin explore with his tongue and lips. When Merlin finally pulled back to catch his breath, Ajay couldn’t help but notice the boy looked positively wrecked - bow lips kiss-swollen, blue eyes lust-glazed, prominent cheekbones dusted pink, ragged breaths well...ragged.
“I want you,” Merlin said and Ajay’s body shuddered in betrayal. What this boy did to him. “I want to kiss you. Touch you.” He licked his lips and swallowed, the Adam’s Apple on that long, pale neck bobbing enticingly. “Suck you.”
Bloody fiddlefudge.
Ajay wanted nothing more than to give into temptation and bed this boy. But he needed to play it very carefully. Merlin was of legal age, yes, but he was still young. Sixteen young. And Ajay did not feel right messing with the kid’s hormonal-induced emotions, purely to satisfy his own desire and craving. Especially when there was every possibility that what Merlin was feeling for him was simply heightened ‘hero worship’ amped up by teenaged lust.
So when Merlin leaned forward to retake his mouth, Ajay lifted the boy up from his lap and settled him back a bit, ignoring the look of hurt that flashed in those blue eyes.
“Just kissing,” Ajay told him in the sternest voice he could conjure, intent on setting the ground rules. Merlin needed boundaries. And so did Ajay.
“Okay,” Merlin capitulated but looked disappointed. He slotted his mouth against Ajay’s and began kissing anew.
They kissed and kissed. Ajay had slid his leg and foot down from the table in order to settle Merlin more securely onto his lap, the swelling of his ankle and the ice pack forgotten as their tongues danced a delicious tango.
Ajay’s dick was hard and he was certain Merlin’s was also. But he refused to let them gain relief by engaging in anything other than kissing. At one point, Merlin pushed his hips forward, grinding into him. Despite the pleasure that came with the friction created by the joining of their erections, Ajay growled a warning, “Merlin!”
Merlin retreated but it didn’t stop him from trying to grind into him another two times.
They were so engrossed in kissing that they didn’t hear the footy players let themselves into the apartment until Knight exclaimed, “Ho!”, causing Merlin to scramble back on Ajay’s lap, nearly falling to the floor.
“Don’t mind us,” the fit footballer said, grinning in a way that made Ajay feel like a lecher. “Just passing through. By all means, carry on.”
Not even attempting to hide their smirks, the two footy players ambled their way across the lounge to Room A.
The appearance of the footballers made Ajay wonder what time it must be. He glanced at his watch. Eleven-thirty. Early for Gwaine and Percy to be turning in but late for Merlin to still be at his apartment in the Village.
“It’s late,” he told Merlin, who was still seated on his lap. “I’ll call you a cab.”
The boy pouted and Ajay nearly lost his mind. “Can’t I stay here tonight?” Merlin asked coyly.
“I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” Ajay told him. The pout continued and Ajay found himself staring at Merlin’s lips. It was so not fair.
“I don’t ball run a match until noon,” Merlin reasoned with obvious intent to persuade. “And there’s no doubles match scheduled for tomorrow. And you told security that I’d be helping you with your ankle...”
“Merlin...”
“I promise I’ll be good,” the boy said, licking his lips in a way that suggested he’d be anything but.
In the end, though, Ajay gave in - either too tired to argue about it or too lust-addled to resist. After giving Merlin a clean pair of his sleep pants and changing into his own pair, and arguing over where Merlin should sleep (Lance’s vacant bed was the most logical place, although the sofa in the lounge was probably safer), somehow Ajay found himself sharing his single bed with his teenaged guest.
It was a miracle that either one of them fell asleep with their limbs tangled awkwardly and so much unresolved sexual tension hanging in the air. But they were both sound asleep and snoring exactly three and a half minutes after Ajay covered them with the colourful sports duvet.
Friday, August 3, 2012
When Merlin woke, it took him a few moments to remember where he was. Olympic Village, Floor Seven, Apartment 25, Room B - Ajay’s room. He scrubbed a hand over his face.
Will certainly would be proud. Merlin had spent the night in Ajay Pendragon’s room (and bed) in the notorious Athletes Village. Not that anything had happened between them. Certainly, no sex had happened. Merlin hadn’t even seen any Olympic-themed or -coloured condoms about. Just kissing had happened. That was all Ajay had let him do.
Still, Merlin felt the twinge of shame. He had taken advantage of Ajay, by coaxing him into kissing then to let him stay the night and then letting Merlin into his bed. Ajay had been tired and hurt, and was popping painkillers. He had just lost all hope of winning a medal in the Men’s Singles and was desparately trying to hold onto the chance at Bronze in the Men’s Doubles. Merlin never should have let teenaged lust and desire get the better of him, initiating the kissing - the brilliant kissing, mind - that had lasted several fantastic hours.
But he was a boy in love. And boys in love did stupid things.
He could hear the murmur of voices beyond the closed door of the bedroom. Ajay, obviously, as Merlin had woken up in the small bed alone, and probably one or both of the footballers. Merlin really did not want to call attention to his having stayed the night in Ajay’s room, not in front of Knight or Strong (he remembered their smirks when they had come upon Merlin in Ajay’s lap, lips locked and tongues tangled), but he had to pee. Badly.
So he pushed back the Olympic duvet and climbed out of bed, pulling the bedroom door open quietly. He barely gave a glance to the lounge as he made a dart for the bathroom.
Merlin closed the bathroom door and leaned back against it. His glance had registered two figures in the lounge: Ajay, who was sat back on the sofa and wouldn’t have seen him and Uther Pendragon, Ajay’s father. Merlin knew Ajay’s father had seen him as he had made the quick dash from Ajay’s room to the bathroom. There had been no mistaking the hard anger in those eyes when Merlin had briefly caught the man’s glance.
Fuck.
Merlin waited for as long as possible before coming out of the bathroom, hoping that the silence now coming from the lounge meant that Ajay’s father had left.
“I’m sorry,” Merlin said, coming to stand at the end of the sofa.
Ajay looked up, surprised, then his brows furrowed. “For what?”
For throwing myself at you and then pissing your father off with my face, he wanted to say but instead he said, “For making you sprain your ankle and causing you to lose the chance of winning a gold medal.” Now that he had said it out loud, Merlin figured Uther Pendragon had reason to despise him.
Ajay pulled himself up off the sofa and ambled over to Merlin. He lifted his hand and gently ran his knuckles over Merlin’s cheekbone. “It’s not your fault, Merlin,” he said softly. “These things happen. Look what happened to Nadal. He missed the whole thing because of a stupid knee injury!” He gave Merlin a smile. “I made it through the Singles Third Round and Lance and I still have the chance to capture Bronze. Whatever happens, I’m thrilled to have made it this far.”
“Even if you don’t win a medal?”
“Even if I don’t win a medal.”
Merlin must not have seemed convinced because Ajay suddenly leaned his head in and touched his lips to Merlin’s, kissing him softly. Merlin felt his heart constrict then swell.
Ajay grinned as he pulled back. “Now let’s get you showered and into a cab on your way to the All England Club,” he said. “You’ve got ball boy duties to perform.”
“What about you?” Merlin asked.
“I have been ordered by Morgana and my father to do nothing today except keeping my foot elevated and applying ice for twenty on and off.”
“Lucky you,” Merlin commented.
“Hmm, yes,” said Ajay. He grabbed Merlin’s shoulders, turned him toward the bathroom, and prodded him forward. “Now off you go,” he said fondly, giving Merlin’s behind a gentle tap.
Merlin did what he was told.
“And just so you know?” Merlin heard Ajay say before closing the bathroom door behind him. “You snore like a bear and hog all the covers.”
Merlin snorted a laugh and grinned.
The Dragon’s Breath Youth Hostel, Room 12
Will was sprawled on the bottom bunk when Merlin finally returned.
“Merlin, you dog!” Will verbally accosted, giving Merlin a look of impressed admiration. “You totally did the nasty with him, didn’t you?”
Merlin rolled his eyes. “For fuck sakes, Will, I did not do the ‘nasty’ with him!” Really, ‘doing the nasty’ was such a ridiculous euphemism for having sex. Only Will used words like that.
Will raised an eyebrow. “How come?” he wanted to know. “The tennis hottie banging someone else?”
And words like “banging”. Merlin rolled his eyes again.
“No, he’s not banging someone else -,” he told Will, “-well, at least I don’t think he is...” Oh God, thought Merlin, was Ajay banging someone else? He covered his face with his hands, suddenly feeling stupid. Of course. Just because Merlin thought he knew everything about Ajay Pendragon and was not aware the tennis player had a significant other, didn’t mean Ajay didn’t have one - some treasured girlfriend or boyfriend - that he kept private about.
Merlin groaned.
“Look, mate, I was only teasing,” Will said, having tuned into where Merlin’s thoughts had obviously headed.
“No, Will,” he said, now feeling miserable. “You’re probably right.” Merlin blew out a sigh. “I’m so stupid. Here I am all kinds of in love with Ajay Pendragon and all I am to him is probably some quick, fleeting distraction.” That was probably why Ajay had only let Merlin kiss him, he decided. Kissing was pretty low on the cheating scale, wasn’t it?
Will tried to cheer him up by suggesting they go to the pub across the street from the hostel and try to get served but Merlin, claiming exhaustion, told Will he just wanted to go to bed.
Once settled into the top bunk, Merlin glanced at the time on his iPhone and suddenly realized that he hadn’t gotten a text from Ajay all day. (They had echanged numbers the day they had lunched at the Millennium and had been texting back and forth the past couple of days.) Merlin frowned, his suspicions rising, his mood plummeting further.
Feeling rather testy, he shoved the phone under the thin mattress of the bed so as not to be tempted to send Ajay some sappy lovesick text wishing him a goodnight.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
BRONZE MEDAL MATCH Men’s Doubles, Valiante/King vs Pendragon/du Lac, Centre Court
This was it, thought Ajay. His and Lance’s chance to leave the London Olympics with a medal.
Really, there was no pressure. His father had only impressed upon him the foolhardiness of his decision to continue playing in the Doubles with a sprained ankle, risking more serious injury that would likely have detrimental effects on his long-term tennis career. But he had also impressed upon Ajay that winning a medal, even bronze, in London would do much to carry on the Pendragon legacy that had started with his mother, who had been a talented, up and rising tennis star before Ajay had been born. Ajay also knew that Lance would support any decision he made, but this was Lance’s chance at Olympic glory too and Ajay did not want to disappoint him. He did not want to disappoint Morgana either, who had supported Ajay and his sports career his entire life. And there was Merlin - the ball boy who was probably Ajay’s biggest fan and whom Ajay desparately wanted to impress. He couldn’t let Merlin down.
So yeah, absolutely no pressue.
But Merlin was here at least, running ball for the match. And somehow that calmed Ajay and made him feel more confident. He could do this.
The first game of the first set was just about to get underway when Ajay noticed his father at the sideline, in discussion with the head umpire. What the bloody fiddlesticks was going on?
He ambled his way over, careful not to put too much pressure on his ankle. Morgana had wrapped it tightly and it felt reasonably good, but Ajay did not want to push it. They had twelve games to win.
“What’s going on?” he asked, a pointed look directed at his father.
“I am requesting that the boy be replaced,” his father replied, waving his arm at Merlin.
“What? Why?”
Uther levelled him with a gaze that Ajay knew was meant to convey a message. “I am afraid he is too much of a distraction.”
Too much of a distraction? Ajay couldn’t believe it. His father was attempting to have Merlin ejected because he thought the ball boy was a distraction Ajay couldn’t afford in this match?
Ajay gave Merlin, who looked pale and was obviously upset, a sympathetic look. It wasn’t the boy’s fault that Ajay’s father was a controlling, meddlesome brute. Surely, the ump would recognize that and deny the request. Really, who had ball boys removed before the match had even begun?
But apparently the umpire saw wisdom in the request and sided with Uther Pendragon. To Ajay’s surprise (and no doubt Merlin’s), he indicated that Merlin was dismissed and called for a ball runner to replace him.
**
Merlin couldn’t believe this was happening. Uther Pendragon was having him dismissed from the match and replaced by another ball runner, a boy named George. It wasn’t fair. This was the only medal match Merlin was going to get to serve in. And Ajay and Lance were playing for Bronze! Now he was being asked to leave Centre Court and wouldn’t even get to watch the match.
Morgana Pendragon was suddenly beside him, linking an arm through his. “It’s okay, Merlin,” she said, smiling sweetly at her father. “You can be part of Team Pendragon today.” Uther Pendragon narrowed his eyes at his daughter, setting his mouth in a hard, grim line. Ignoring her father entirely, Morgana pulled Merlin beyond the boundary of the sideline to the area designated for medical personnel.
The match was called to start.
“Your father hates me,” said Merlin miserably to Morgana, flicking a glance at Uther Pendragon, who had settled in his prime front row seat, his eyes fixed on the court.
“My father is a pompous arse who seems to forget that my brother is a big boy,” Morgana returned.
Merlin grinned, impressed by her boldness in talking about her father’s shortcomings. If he didn’t already have a crush on Ajay Pendragon, Merlin might have developed one on Morgana Pendragon.
Lance and Ajay managed to take the first set, the needed six games to four. The second set, however, went less smoothly. It was obvious Ajay was hurting, his ankle becoming weaker as the match played on. Valiante and King were doing a good job of zeroing in on the pair’s weakness and, despite some fantastically impressive plays by Lance du Lac, the team from Italy took the second set, six games to three.
This meant Pendragon and du Lac had just one more shot at capturing Bronze.
They were down the first two games in the third set when Ajay, trying to return a difficult shot played by King, put too much pressure on his foot, causing his ankle to give out, making him miss the play, stumble, and land on the court.
A whistle blew and Morgana jumped up, racing onto the court toward Ajay, dragging a befuddled and worried Merlin along with her.
“Look,” said Lance, crouching down next to his doubles partner. “We don’t have to do this, Ajay. It’s not worth risking long-term injury to your ankle. If we need to forfeit, I’m okay with that.”
Ajay was shaking his head. “I’m not giving up, Lance. I came to play, remember? No matter what, I’m going to see this through.” He turned his attention to Morgana. “It just needs to be wrapped a little tighter,” he instructed.
Morgana worked on winding the tensor bandage around her brother’s ankle more snugly while Lance waited, hands on hips, to give the officials the go-ahead to continue the match. Merlin sat next to and facing Ajay on the turf, hovering, resisting the urge to cover Ajay’s hand supportively with his own.
Needless to say, Merlin was caught completely by surprise when Ajay put a hand to the back of his neck, pulling his head forward, and kissed him. Right there on Centre Court. During the Bronze Medal Match. In front of 15,000 people. Including Uther Pendragon.
Ajay moved his mouth from Merlin’s lips to his ear and whispered, “I needed that.” Merlin could feel the warmth of Ajay’s smile at his temple. “I’m okay now,” he announced, not taking his eyes off Merlin. He gave Merlin a wink as he hauled himself up. “Time to win this thing.”
Ajay was true to his word. After the two-game setback, they played their way to the six game win needed to clinch the set. The crowd erupted into cheers, Morgana gathered Merlin to her ample bosom in a vice-grip, and Lance and Ajay gave hearty double fist-pumps.
Ajay Pendragon and Lance du Lac had done it. They had beaten Italy’s Valiante and King to capture Bronze.
VALIANTE/KING 4-6 | 6-3 | 2-6 PENDRAGON/DU LAC
“So what now?” Merlin asked. “Off to Disneyland?”
Ajay chuckled. “No,” he said, giving Merlin a coy smile. “After I sit back and enjoy Week Two of the Olympics and start the physio on my ankle Morgana has already prescribed for me, I think I’m going to head to a little town called Ealdor.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Ajay replied. “I hear the people there think tennis is a posh sport.” He grinned at Merlin. “Besides, there’s a really cute ball boy there I want to spend some time getting to know better.”
“Will there be kissing?” Merlin asked.
Ajay nodded. “A lot of kissing.”
Merlin reached out and fingered the bronze medal hanging around Ajay’s neck playfully. “Suppose we can get started on that ahead of time?” he asked boldly.
Ajay tilted his head and smiled. “I suppose we can,” he replied, already ducking his head in to kiss the boy.
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur, Morgana/Lancelot
Rating: PG
Warnings: Age difference (Merlin is 16; Arthur is 24)
Word Count: 12k
Written for: merlinolympics
PART 1
**
Merlin was surprised when Ajay Pendragon suddenly appeared on the path next to him. It wasn’t unsual for tennis players to mill about the Wimbledon grounds freely but this was the Olympics and Henman Hill was alight with fans. Ajay would be lucky if he wasn’t recognized within thirty seconds and the shrill squeeing started.
“Are you stalking me?” Merlin teased boldly.
“Are you going for a high-voltage caffeine fix?” Ajay returned, smiling.
Merlin laughed. “Yeah, just ran my arse off at a Women’s Singles Match and need some java to kick-start my energy again.” He turned toward Ajay. “You want anything?”
Ajay shook his head and then moved off to the side as Merlin queued for caffeine. Merlin ordered one of Lavazza’s specialties - iced latte in a take-out cup, and then he and Ajay continued along the path toward the Pavilion, surprisingly catching only a few starstruck glances from fans in the crowd who obviously recognized the tennis player.
They walked around the Pavilion in the direction of the practice courts, following a path lined with a few teak pergolas sheltering benches, where the crowd lessened in number until they were practically the only people on the path. Merlin drank his latte, basking in the fact that he was walking alongside Ajay Pendragon.
“So Merlin...” Ajay finally said, running a hand across the back of his neck. They had stopped on the path near one of the pergolas. “Look, I was wondering...,”Ajay continued, “I mean, how...”. Ajay sighed and Merlin raised an eyebrow at him. The man seemed to be struggling with his words. “How,” he began again then, “Oh, fiddlefudgenuggets! I’m just going to come out and ask you,” he apparently decided and looked Merlin squarely in the eyes. “How old are you?”
The question came as a surprise. Merlin supposed he was expecting Ajay to ask him something more - well, he didn’t know what, but it wasn’t this. “Sixteen,” he replied.
Ajay puffed out a breath. “Sixteen. Okay. Good,” he returned, nodding. “Lance says I’m not a pervert then.”
“What?”
“You’re sixteen,” Ajay said, as though whatever he was saying made sense.
“Yeah,” Merlin confirmed, allowing himself a grin. “I turned sixteen three days ago. On the day of the Opening Ceremonies.”
Ajay Pendragon stared at him for a moment. “You just turned sixteen?” he asked, eyes wide, his mouth hanging open in a ridiculously adorable O.
“Um, yeah,” he replied slowly, not sure what the big deal was. The average ball kid was sixteen, although there were ball runners serving at the Olympics ranging in age from fourteen to eighteen.
Ajay huffed out another breath then began sucking in air and letting it out in rapid succession. He put a hand to his hip and bent over slightly, as though trying to catch his breath.
“Are you hyperventilating?” Merlin asked, staring at Ajay’s bizarre behaviour with both shock and concern.
“No. Yes. Kind of,” Ajay answered, straightening up, attempting to get his erratic breathing under control.
“Uh, why?”
“Because you just turned sixteeen,” Ajay said, throwing his hands up for emphasis.
Merlin couldn’t hold in the chuckle that had risen along with his building hysteria. “Okay. And why is turning sixteen making you hyperventilate?” He knew he was obviously missing something, but fuck if he knew what it was.
“Because four days ago, you were fifteen,” was Ajay’s reply. It didn’t help Merlin any.
“Yeah...”
“And fifteen makes me a pervert.”
“W-what?” Merlin still couldn’t make any sense out of what Ajay was saying. Fifteen. Sixteen. Pervert. Oh. Oh. Oh?
**
Ajay raised his eyebrows at Merlin as dawning (but confused) realization seemed to set in. “Fancying a ‘just turned sixteen’ year old may be considered a tad bit perverted,” he explained, grimacing slightly at the use of any word containing ‘pervert’ in it.
“Fancying?”
“Yes, Merlin,” Ajay said, amused by how incredulous the boy looked. He clearly had no idea of how charmingly alluring he was. “Fancying. As in ‘want to kiss you very badly but fear it’s considered perving because you’ve only been legal for three days ’,” he expanded further, taking delight in the way Merlin’s blue eyes grew wide, his pupils dilating. Fiddlesticks. The boy was making it difficult for Ajay not to fall hard.
**
Merlin stared at the tennis player that featured in his deepest fantasies. Ajay Pendragon wanted to kiss him?
“Sixteen is sixteen,” he said, his mind muddled with teenage lust. “Whether for three days or three hundred da--”
Ajay grabbed the front of his shirt and backed him up against the teak pergola. His warm, dry lips met Merlin’s, sending Merlin’s mind into a tailspin. He had kissed a boy or two in his teenaged life but this was Ajay fucking Pendragon. Merlin barely managed to prevent his weakened knees from giving out and making him slide down the pergola helplessly.
Ajay let go of Merlin’s shirt and stepped back, blowing out a heavy breath. “Sorry about that,” Ajay apologized, fingers raking shakily through his hair. “I shouldn’t have--”
“-No!” Merlin said, trying to come down from the incredible high that had nothing to do with the latte he had been drinking. Only now did he notice that he had let the cup drop to the ground when Ajay had kissed him. He picked it up and looked around for a rubbish bin. “It’s okay. I mean, I-I didn’t really...mind.” He felt the blush start to spread across his cheekbones and added, “Kinda liked it, actually.” Merlin grinned then hiccupped, certain he was on the verge of hysteria.
Ajay chuckled. “Me too,” he said, smiling. He looked at Merlin with a degree of seriousness. “I just don’t want you to think I make a habit of kissing ball boys outside the Aorangi practice courts.”
Merlin nodded, unsure of what he should say. He hoped that he had been an exception, that Ajay Pendragon had kissed him because he fancied Merlin, despite the fact that Merlin was only a ball runner and sixteen. Well, Ajay had said as much, hadn’t he? Still, it was hard not to feel a little insecure. This was Ajay Pendragon, renowned tennis champion, after all.
To make up for his “taking advantage” (Ajay’s words, definitely not Merlin’s), Ajay invited him to a late lunch in the restaurant of the Millennium Building. Merlin not only accepted the invite but truly enjoyed his lunch, feeling quite giddy at being able to spend time with Ajay Pendragon while taking in the various sights of the All England Lawn and Tennis Club. Afterwards, Ajay attended the match in which Merlin was running base, giving Merlin a thumbs up each time he fed the players a ball, gave them a towel, or fetched them water. He was positively ridiculous and Merlin thought he’d never be able to stop grinning.
Since it turned out Merlin wasn’t ball running for Ajay’s 7:30 doubles match, Ajay took it upon himself to invite Merlin to watch the game as his personal guest. Merlin cheered uproariously when Ajay and Lance du Lac won the match against Israel’s Sigan and Tauren in two hard-won sets, putting them victoriously through to the Quarter Finals.
By the time he caught the train to South Kensington to return to his room at the hostel, Merlin was so high on the rollercoaster of ecstasy that he nearly missed his stop.
SIGAN/TAUREN 5-7 | 5-7 PENDRAGON/DU LAC
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Ajay spent the afternoon before the Quarter Finals Doubles match hitting some balls with Lance on No. 3 Court (which had been designated a practice court during the Olympics) and thinking about Merlin.
There was no denying it. Ajay was smitten with the boy.
Every time Ajay caught sight of Merlin, his heart beat faster, his breathing became unsteady, his tongue got knotted, and it was impossible to keep the stupid-looking grin from spreading across his face. Ajay felt like a bloody schoolgirl with a crush.
He bounced on his feet through practice, high on feelings. The way Lance kept grinning at him as they hit balls back and forth, Ajay was sure his friend thought he was love-drunk. Ajay decided that just maybe he was.
Later, Ajay Pendragon and Lance du Lac continued on the path to Men’s Doubles Olympic glory by winning the Quarter Finals match against Spain’s Alvarez and Helios with two solid sets.
PENDRAGON/DU LAC 6-3 | 6-4 ALVAREZ/HELIOS
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
PENDRAGON 6-4 | 6-4 KING
No. 3 Court
Ajay had somehow persuaded Merlin to join him on No. 3 Court Wednesday afternoon after Merlin had completed all of his ball running duties. Ajay had won his Third Round match against Cenred King, pushing him through to the Singles Quarter-Finals, moving him closer to winning Gold.
“Come on,” Ajay had coaxed, dancing around Merlin with energetic excitement. “You can help me work off some of this nervous energy.”
Merlin knew he was a mediocre tennis player, getting the chance to play on the Mercia courts only every once in a while. He certainly wasn’t near the calibre of Ajay Pendragon or any other tennis player that had earned a spot at the Olympics . Still, he found it a thrill to be hitting balls with Ajay on the grass court, just goofing around, having fun.
Ajay was laughing and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself. Merlin supposed that, without the pressure of having to perform to win a match, Ajay could relax and just enjoy playing. He made mistakes he never would have made in a competitive game, erupting into uproarious laughter each time he made one. It was infectious and Merlin soon found himself grinning and laughing too.
**
It turned out Merlin was a pretty decent player. He scoffed at Ajay and rolled his eyes when Ajay made the comment, but he could tell Merlin was secretly pleased.
Ajay thought the boy looked rather fine on the court, especially using one of Ajay’s Prince rackets, which Merlin seemed to be holding onto like it was a rare treasure. His serve was strong, his play-through fair, and his backhand wicked. Already twice, Ajay had to work really hard to return the backhanded hit from Merlin.
It was one of those fantastically delivered backhands that Ajay was scrambling to return now. Laughing amiably, he moved backwards, reaching with his racket to catch the ball, unmindful of his form and technique. He managed to strike the ball with his racket but his haphazard movement threw off his balance, Ajay’s right foot tripping over his left, causing his ankle to turn.
He tumbled and hit the court turf, swearing. He rolled to sit up, grabbing for his ankle. Merlin was already at his side, his eyes wide and his face pale.
“Fuck, Ajay,” the boy expressed. “Did you turn it?”
Ajay bit his bottom lip and nodded. He could feel his ankle already beginning to throb. He gestured toward his bag at the sideline. “Get my cell phone,” he told Merlin. “Morgana’s on speed dial.”
**
No. 3 Court, Locker Room
It had taken less than ten minutes for Morgana to show up, Lance du Lac in tow. Merlin looked on anxiously as Ajay’s medic-sister initially assessed the sprain, then finally asking Lance and Merlin to help Ajay up and into the locker room.
There, they were met by Uther Pendragon, who insisted his daughter provide him with her assessment of Ajay’s injury.
“It’s a Grade 2 sprain,” Morgana told him, giving a quick glance to her brother. “There’s already considerable swelling and bruising. It needs to be elevated, iced and compressed. I’d recommend getting an air splint on it as soon as possible.”
Uther Pendragon nodded. He turned from his daughter and faced his son. Merlin could sense the impending doom hanging heavy in the air. He suddenly felt like an outsider infringing on the privacy of the Pendragon clan. He retreated further back into the locker room, looking for a way to escape gracefully.
**
“You will forfeit your remaining singles and doubles matches,” Uther told him decisively.
“No!” Ajay argued, suddenly angry. “Look, I know I don’t have a chance in the Singles Quarter Finals with this ankle. But Lance and I are still in the running for a medal if we make it through the Doubles Semi-Finals,” he told his father. It was down to four doubles teams now. The winners of each Semi-Final match would go on to compete for Gold and Silver. The losers would compete for Bronze. “But only if I play,” he emphasized. “If we forfeit, we lose that chance completely.”
“You cannot risk further injury, Arthur,” Uther insisted. “It could hurt your long-run career.”
Ajay knew his father was simply being rational but he didn’t care. He was tired of his father always making decisions for him. Ajay was a grown man capable of deciding what he wanted. And he wanted the chance to achieve medal victory, despite the setback of an injury. His anger only festered when he saw Uther cast an accusing glance at Merlin, who was hanging back in the shadows trying his best to go unnoticed, before leaving dismissively, certain that his command would be carried out.
Uther Pendragon’s departure left silence in its wake. Morgana wordlessly tended to Ajay’s ankle while Lance looked on with concern and Merlin slunk morosely against a wall. When Ajay couldn’t stand it anymore, he piped up. “I don’t care what my father says,” he told them. “We’re playing in that Semi-Finals match tomorrow.”
“Ajay--” Lance said.
“Listen, even if we lose the match tomorrow,” he reasoned, “we still have a shot at Bronze.” Lance gave him a doubtful look and Ajay could tell from the expression on Morgana’s face that she was on Lance’s side. “I can do this, Lance,” Ajay appealed. “We can do this.”
Thursday, August 2, 2012
SEMI-FINALS Men’s Doubles
As could have been predicted, Ajay’s sprained ankle was the major handicap in the Doubles Semi-Finals match against the Bryan brothers of Team USA. Valiante and King ended up not fairing any better against Llodra and Tsonga of Team France but it was a much harder fought defeat.
BRYAN/BRYAN 6-2 | 6-2 PENDRAGON/DU LAC
VALIANTE/KING 3-6 | 6-4 | 16-18 LLODRA/TSONGA
But even losing their Semi-Finals match, there was still a chance Ajay Pendragon and Lance du Lac would end up going home with a medal.
Olympic Village, Heritage Block One, Building One, Floor Seven, Apartment 25
Ajay had thought about whether it would have been better to go to where Merlin was staying instead of the Village, but Merlin had said he was sharing a small hostel room with a friend in South Kensington, which didn’t exactly afford much privacy, and with Ajay’s injured ankle... Besides, with the boast that “What happens in the Village stays in the Village”, his footy player apartment mates at The Globe most of the time, and Lance having opted to stay in Morgana’s room at Cannizaro for the night, Ajay figured it was probably best to bring Merlin to his current accommodations for privacy’s sake - not that Ajay had any lecherous designs on the boy that would require any kind of privacy.
Ajay did somehow manage to get Merlin into the Village as his guest using the excuse that his personal sports medic had instructed that Ajay be attended to by her young ‘assistant-in-training’. Which was true, more or less.
After some doubting eyebrow raises and a call to Morgana for confirmation (Ajay could practically hear the amusement in his sister’s voice through the line as she gave ‘confirmation’ of her instructions and knew he’d be getting a text from her just as soon as he was in his rooms), and Merlin’s passport had been submitted, checked and verified, Ajay was finally allowed, with Merlin’s dutiful assistance, to take the lift to the seventh floor. Whoever said the Village was a hedonistic free-for-all with lax security obviously didn’t know what they were talking about.
Inside the apartment, Ajay gestured his grand tour of the lounge area. Then he moved to the blue sofa, casting the decorative pillows aside, and flopped down, propping his foot up onto the coffee table. “Go ahead and check out the rest,” he told Merlin, removing the air splint ankle brace Morgana had insisted he wear. He slipped a pink pillow under his foot and moulded the ice pack to his ankle.
Merlin dropped his backpack next to the sofa then went off to take the self-tour of the apartment. He returned to the lounge five minutes later with comment. “Gotta be pretty secure in your masculinity to live here, huh? With all these bright blues, greens, and pinks. At least the bathroom’s mostly white.”
Ajay tilted his head back and laughed. Gwaine Knight had made a similar remark on the first day they had all arrived. “Most of the athletes here probably don’t take much notice,” he said. “I’m sure they’re too busy getting up to other things.”
He watched as Merlin pursed his luscious, pink lips, his eyes seeming to narrow. “My friend Wills says staying in the Village is like one big Bonk Fest,” he said, his tone conveying a mixture of disapproval, curiosity and, rather surprisingly, jealousy. Ajay found it incredibly endearing.
He chuckled and the scowl Merlin was trying to keep off his face deepened. Did the boy really imagine Ajay was part of some Bonkathon with his fellow world athletes?
“The only one doing any bonking is my room-slash-teammate and doubles partner,” Ajay reassured him. “And, yes, he’s bonking my sister.” He watched Merlin’s eyebrows shoot up. “But not in there,” he told the boy, jerking his thumb in the direction of the shared bedroom. “Trust me, there is nothing more embarrassing than catching your sister enthusiastically riding your best mate.”
This did the trick to pull a grin from Merlin and Ajay revelled in the way it lit up the boy’s face, showcasing crinkly eyes and - bloody fudge - dimples. He patted the seat cushion beside him. “Come here,” he commanded gently.
Merlin did come but he didn’t take the proffered seat. Instead, Ajay found himself with a lap full of Merlin, as the boy climbed on top of his lap and straddled him. Merlin grinned mischievously at him, his face - and lips - barely an inch away from Ajay’s. Ajay felt his heart thump and his cock twitch.
Before he could make comment, Merlin closed the meagre distance between them, fitting his mouth against Ajay’s, kissing him wetly, poking his tongue at the seam of Ajay’s mouth to gain entrance. Ajay parted his lips to let him in, and Merlin slid his tongue alongside his, tentatively exploring.
Ajay let Merlin explore with his tongue and lips. When Merlin finally pulled back to catch his breath, Ajay couldn’t help but notice the boy looked positively wrecked - bow lips kiss-swollen, blue eyes lust-glazed, prominent cheekbones dusted pink, ragged breaths well...ragged.
“I want you,” Merlin said and Ajay’s body shuddered in betrayal. What this boy did to him. “I want to kiss you. Touch you.” He licked his lips and swallowed, the Adam’s Apple on that long, pale neck bobbing enticingly. “Suck you.”
Bloody fiddlefudge.
Ajay wanted nothing more than to give into temptation and bed this boy. But he needed to play it very carefully. Merlin was of legal age, yes, but he was still young. Sixteen young. And Ajay did not feel right messing with the kid’s hormonal-induced emotions, purely to satisfy his own desire and craving. Especially when there was every possibility that what Merlin was feeling for him was simply heightened ‘hero worship’ amped up by teenaged lust.
So when Merlin leaned forward to retake his mouth, Ajay lifted the boy up from his lap and settled him back a bit, ignoring the look of hurt that flashed in those blue eyes.
“Just kissing,” Ajay told him in the sternest voice he could conjure, intent on setting the ground rules. Merlin needed boundaries. And so did Ajay.
“Okay,” Merlin capitulated but looked disappointed. He slotted his mouth against Ajay’s and began kissing anew.
They kissed and kissed. Ajay had slid his leg and foot down from the table in order to settle Merlin more securely onto his lap, the swelling of his ankle and the ice pack forgotten as their tongues danced a delicious tango.
Ajay’s dick was hard and he was certain Merlin’s was also. But he refused to let them gain relief by engaging in anything other than kissing. At one point, Merlin pushed his hips forward, grinding into him. Despite the pleasure that came with the friction created by the joining of their erections, Ajay growled a warning, “Merlin!”
Merlin retreated but it didn’t stop him from trying to grind into him another two times.
They were so engrossed in kissing that they didn’t hear the footy players let themselves into the apartment until Knight exclaimed, “Ho!”, causing Merlin to scramble back on Ajay’s lap, nearly falling to the floor.
“Don’t mind us,” the fit footballer said, grinning in a way that made Ajay feel like a lecher. “Just passing through. By all means, carry on.”
Not even attempting to hide their smirks, the two footy players ambled their way across the lounge to Room A.
The appearance of the footballers made Ajay wonder what time it must be. He glanced at his watch. Eleven-thirty. Early for Gwaine and Percy to be turning in but late for Merlin to still be at his apartment in the Village.
“It’s late,” he told Merlin, who was still seated on his lap. “I’ll call you a cab.”
The boy pouted and Ajay nearly lost his mind. “Can’t I stay here tonight?” Merlin asked coyly.
“I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” Ajay told him. The pout continued and Ajay found himself staring at Merlin’s lips. It was so not fair.
“I don’t ball run a match until noon,” Merlin reasoned with obvious intent to persuade. “And there’s no doubles match scheduled for tomorrow. And you told security that I’d be helping you with your ankle...”
“Merlin...”
“I promise I’ll be good,” the boy said, licking his lips in a way that suggested he’d be anything but.
In the end, though, Ajay gave in - either too tired to argue about it or too lust-addled to resist. After giving Merlin a clean pair of his sleep pants and changing into his own pair, and arguing over where Merlin should sleep (Lance’s vacant bed was the most logical place, although the sofa in the lounge was probably safer), somehow Ajay found himself sharing his single bed with his teenaged guest.
It was a miracle that either one of them fell asleep with their limbs tangled awkwardly and so much unresolved sexual tension hanging in the air. But they were both sound asleep and snoring exactly three and a half minutes after Ajay covered them with the colourful sports duvet.
Friday, August 3, 2012
When Merlin woke, it took him a few moments to remember where he was. Olympic Village, Floor Seven, Apartment 25, Room B - Ajay’s room. He scrubbed a hand over his face.
Will certainly would be proud. Merlin had spent the night in Ajay Pendragon’s room (and bed) in the notorious Athletes Village. Not that anything had happened between them. Certainly, no sex had happened. Merlin hadn’t even seen any Olympic-themed or -coloured condoms about. Just kissing had happened. That was all Ajay had let him do.
Still, Merlin felt the twinge of shame. He had taken advantage of Ajay, by coaxing him into kissing then to let him stay the night and then letting Merlin into his bed. Ajay had been tired and hurt, and was popping painkillers. He had just lost all hope of winning a medal in the Men’s Singles and was desparately trying to hold onto the chance at Bronze in the Men’s Doubles. Merlin never should have let teenaged lust and desire get the better of him, initiating the kissing - the brilliant kissing, mind - that had lasted several fantastic hours.
But he was a boy in love. And boys in love did stupid things.
He could hear the murmur of voices beyond the closed door of the bedroom. Ajay, obviously, as Merlin had woken up in the small bed alone, and probably one or both of the footballers. Merlin really did not want to call attention to his having stayed the night in Ajay’s room, not in front of Knight or Strong (he remembered their smirks when they had come upon Merlin in Ajay’s lap, lips locked and tongues tangled), but he had to pee. Badly.
So he pushed back the Olympic duvet and climbed out of bed, pulling the bedroom door open quietly. He barely gave a glance to the lounge as he made a dart for the bathroom.
Merlin closed the bathroom door and leaned back against it. His glance had registered two figures in the lounge: Ajay, who was sat back on the sofa and wouldn’t have seen him and Uther Pendragon, Ajay’s father. Merlin knew Ajay’s father had seen him as he had made the quick dash from Ajay’s room to the bathroom. There had been no mistaking the hard anger in those eyes when Merlin had briefly caught the man’s glance.
Fuck.
Merlin waited for as long as possible before coming out of the bathroom, hoping that the silence now coming from the lounge meant that Ajay’s father had left.
“I’m sorry,” Merlin said, coming to stand at the end of the sofa.
Ajay looked up, surprised, then his brows furrowed. “For what?”
For throwing myself at you and then pissing your father off with my face, he wanted to say but instead he said, “For making you sprain your ankle and causing you to lose the chance of winning a gold medal.” Now that he had said it out loud, Merlin figured Uther Pendragon had reason to despise him.
Ajay pulled himself up off the sofa and ambled over to Merlin. He lifted his hand and gently ran his knuckles over Merlin’s cheekbone. “It’s not your fault, Merlin,” he said softly. “These things happen. Look what happened to Nadal. He missed the whole thing because of a stupid knee injury!” He gave Merlin a smile. “I made it through the Singles Third Round and Lance and I still have the chance to capture Bronze. Whatever happens, I’m thrilled to have made it this far.”
“Even if you don’t win a medal?”
“Even if I don’t win a medal.”
Merlin must not have seemed convinced because Ajay suddenly leaned his head in and touched his lips to Merlin’s, kissing him softly. Merlin felt his heart constrict then swell.
Ajay grinned as he pulled back. “Now let’s get you showered and into a cab on your way to the All England Club,” he said. “You’ve got ball boy duties to perform.”
“What about you?” Merlin asked.
“I have been ordered by Morgana and my father to do nothing today except keeping my foot elevated and applying ice for twenty on and off.”
“Lucky you,” Merlin commented.
“Hmm, yes,” said Ajay. He grabbed Merlin’s shoulders, turned him toward the bathroom, and prodded him forward. “Now off you go,” he said fondly, giving Merlin’s behind a gentle tap.
Merlin did what he was told.
“And just so you know?” Merlin heard Ajay say before closing the bathroom door behind him. “You snore like a bear and hog all the covers.”
Merlin snorted a laugh and grinned.
The Dragon’s Breath Youth Hostel, Room 12
Will was sprawled on the bottom bunk when Merlin finally returned.
“Merlin, you dog!” Will verbally accosted, giving Merlin a look of impressed admiration. “You totally did the nasty with him, didn’t you?”
Merlin rolled his eyes. “For fuck sakes, Will, I did not do the ‘nasty’ with him!” Really, ‘doing the nasty’ was such a ridiculous euphemism for having sex. Only Will used words like that.
Will raised an eyebrow. “How come?” he wanted to know. “The tennis hottie banging someone else?”
And words like “banging”. Merlin rolled his eyes again.
“No, he’s not banging someone else -,” he told Will, “-well, at least I don’t think he is...” Oh God, thought Merlin, was Ajay banging someone else? He covered his face with his hands, suddenly feeling stupid. Of course. Just because Merlin thought he knew everything about Ajay Pendragon and was not aware the tennis player had a significant other, didn’t mean Ajay didn’t have one - some treasured girlfriend or boyfriend - that he kept private about.
Merlin groaned.
“Look, mate, I was only teasing,” Will said, having tuned into where Merlin’s thoughts had obviously headed.
“No, Will,” he said, now feeling miserable. “You’re probably right.” Merlin blew out a sigh. “I’m so stupid. Here I am all kinds of in love with Ajay Pendragon and all I am to him is probably some quick, fleeting distraction.” That was probably why Ajay had only let Merlin kiss him, he decided. Kissing was pretty low on the cheating scale, wasn’t it?
Will tried to cheer him up by suggesting they go to the pub across the street from the hostel and try to get served but Merlin, claiming exhaustion, told Will he just wanted to go to bed.
Once settled into the top bunk, Merlin glanced at the time on his iPhone and suddenly realized that he hadn’t gotten a text from Ajay all day. (They had echanged numbers the day they had lunched at the Millennium and had been texting back and forth the past couple of days.) Merlin frowned, his suspicions rising, his mood plummeting further.
Feeling rather testy, he shoved the phone under the thin mattress of the bed so as not to be tempted to send Ajay some sappy lovesick text wishing him a goodnight.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
BRONZE MEDAL MATCH Men’s Doubles, Valiante/King vs Pendragon/du Lac, Centre Court
This was it, thought Ajay. His and Lance’s chance to leave the London Olympics with a medal.
Really, there was no pressure. His father had only impressed upon him the foolhardiness of his decision to continue playing in the Doubles with a sprained ankle, risking more serious injury that would likely have detrimental effects on his long-term tennis career. But he had also impressed upon Ajay that winning a medal, even bronze, in London would do much to carry on the Pendragon legacy that had started with his mother, who had been a talented, up and rising tennis star before Ajay had been born. Ajay also knew that Lance would support any decision he made, but this was Lance’s chance at Olympic glory too and Ajay did not want to disappoint him. He did not want to disappoint Morgana either, who had supported Ajay and his sports career his entire life. And there was Merlin - the ball boy who was probably Ajay’s biggest fan and whom Ajay desparately wanted to impress. He couldn’t let Merlin down.
So yeah, absolutely no pressue.
But Merlin was here at least, running ball for the match. And somehow that calmed Ajay and made him feel more confident. He could do this.
The first game of the first set was just about to get underway when Ajay noticed his father at the sideline, in discussion with the head umpire. What the bloody fiddlesticks was going on?
He ambled his way over, careful not to put too much pressure on his ankle. Morgana had wrapped it tightly and it felt reasonably good, but Ajay did not want to push it. They had twelve games to win.
“What’s going on?” he asked, a pointed look directed at his father.
“I am requesting that the boy be replaced,” his father replied, waving his arm at Merlin.
“What? Why?”
Uther levelled him with a gaze that Ajay knew was meant to convey a message. “I am afraid he is too much of a distraction.”
Too much of a distraction? Ajay couldn’t believe it. His father was attempting to have Merlin ejected because he thought the ball boy was a distraction Ajay couldn’t afford in this match?
Ajay gave Merlin, who looked pale and was obviously upset, a sympathetic look. It wasn’t the boy’s fault that Ajay’s father was a controlling, meddlesome brute. Surely, the ump would recognize that and deny the request. Really, who had ball boys removed before the match had even begun?
But apparently the umpire saw wisdom in the request and sided with Uther Pendragon. To Ajay’s surprise (and no doubt Merlin’s), he indicated that Merlin was dismissed and called for a ball runner to replace him.
**
Merlin couldn’t believe this was happening. Uther Pendragon was having him dismissed from the match and replaced by another ball runner, a boy named George. It wasn’t fair. This was the only medal match Merlin was going to get to serve in. And Ajay and Lance were playing for Bronze! Now he was being asked to leave Centre Court and wouldn’t even get to watch the match.
Morgana Pendragon was suddenly beside him, linking an arm through his. “It’s okay, Merlin,” she said, smiling sweetly at her father. “You can be part of Team Pendragon today.” Uther Pendragon narrowed his eyes at his daughter, setting his mouth in a hard, grim line. Ignoring her father entirely, Morgana pulled Merlin beyond the boundary of the sideline to the area designated for medical personnel.
The match was called to start.
“Your father hates me,” said Merlin miserably to Morgana, flicking a glance at Uther Pendragon, who had settled in his prime front row seat, his eyes fixed on the court.
“My father is a pompous arse who seems to forget that my brother is a big boy,” Morgana returned.
Merlin grinned, impressed by her boldness in talking about her father’s shortcomings. If he didn’t already have a crush on Ajay Pendragon, Merlin might have developed one on Morgana Pendragon.
Lance and Ajay managed to take the first set, the needed six games to four. The second set, however, went less smoothly. It was obvious Ajay was hurting, his ankle becoming weaker as the match played on. Valiante and King were doing a good job of zeroing in on the pair’s weakness and, despite some fantastically impressive plays by Lance du Lac, the team from Italy took the second set, six games to three.
This meant Pendragon and du Lac had just one more shot at capturing Bronze.
They were down the first two games in the third set when Ajay, trying to return a difficult shot played by King, put too much pressure on his foot, causing his ankle to give out, making him miss the play, stumble, and land on the court.
A whistle blew and Morgana jumped up, racing onto the court toward Ajay, dragging a befuddled and worried Merlin along with her.
“Look,” said Lance, crouching down next to his doubles partner. “We don’t have to do this, Ajay. It’s not worth risking long-term injury to your ankle. If we need to forfeit, I’m okay with that.”
Ajay was shaking his head. “I’m not giving up, Lance. I came to play, remember? No matter what, I’m going to see this through.” He turned his attention to Morgana. “It just needs to be wrapped a little tighter,” he instructed.
Morgana worked on winding the tensor bandage around her brother’s ankle more snugly while Lance waited, hands on hips, to give the officials the go-ahead to continue the match. Merlin sat next to and facing Ajay on the turf, hovering, resisting the urge to cover Ajay’s hand supportively with his own.
Needless to say, Merlin was caught completely by surprise when Ajay put a hand to the back of his neck, pulling his head forward, and kissed him. Right there on Centre Court. During the Bronze Medal Match. In front of 15,000 people. Including Uther Pendragon.
Ajay moved his mouth from Merlin’s lips to his ear and whispered, “I needed that.” Merlin could feel the warmth of Ajay’s smile at his temple. “I’m okay now,” he announced, not taking his eyes off Merlin. He gave Merlin a wink as he hauled himself up. “Time to win this thing.”
Ajay was true to his word. After the two-game setback, they played their way to the six game win needed to clinch the set. The crowd erupted into cheers, Morgana gathered Merlin to her ample bosom in a vice-grip, and Lance and Ajay gave hearty double fist-pumps.
Ajay Pendragon and Lance du Lac had done it. They had beaten Italy’s Valiante and King to capture Bronze.
VALIANTE/KING 4-6 | 6-3 | 2-6 PENDRAGON/DU LAC
“So what now?” Merlin asked. “Off to Disneyland?”
Ajay chuckled. “No,” he said, giving Merlin a coy smile. “After I sit back and enjoy Week Two of the Olympics and start the physio on my ankle Morgana has already prescribed for me, I think I’m going to head to a little town called Ealdor.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Ajay replied. “I hear the people there think tennis is a posh sport.” He grinned at Merlin. “Besides, there’s a really cute ball boy there I want to spend some time getting to know better.”
“Will there be kissing?” Merlin asked.
Ajay nodded. “A lot of kissing.”
Merlin reached out and fingered the bronze medal hanging around Ajay’s neck playfully. “Suppose we can get started on that ahead of time?” he asked boldly.
Ajay tilted his head and smiled. “I suppose we can,” he replied, already ducking his head in to kiss the boy.