The Jack of Hearts Meets His Match, for aeris444
Title: The Jack of Hearts Meets His Match
Recipient: aeris444
Author: lawgoddess
Rating: R
Pairing/s: Merlin/Gwaine, past Merlin/Arthur
Summary: A young window decorator wanders into Gwaine and Percival's auto repair business, and leaves with Gwaine's heart.
Warnings: None, unless you need to watch your blood sugar level.
Word Count:4734
Author's Notes: aeriss 444, I hope you enjoy this! Thank you for being flexible about your pairings. I did include Percival as a character. I tried to do justice to your prompts, and include your likes. There are a couple of geeky references in there. It was fun to write Gwaine; I have missed that guy! Merry Christmas!
Thank you to my friend gwyllion for an efficient beta and for finding all those extra spaces! And thank you to the mods for running this festival and for your clear and calm direction.
Disclaimer:Merlin is owned by the BBC and Shine. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Don't send us to the dungeons.
The engine was dead, to begin with. There was no doubt whatever, about that.
Gwaine Finn had a big grin on his face. There was nothing he liked better than a challenge, and the vintage TR-7 that had been towed to his shop definitely looked like it would be a good one.
The car belonged to the local lifestyle entrepreneur Morgana Pendragon, and was her pride and joy. She could afford to pay top dollar, too.
Triumphs were notorious for needing a lot of tinkering, and tinkering with cars was what Gwaine did best.
Well, fucking was what Gwaine did best, but tinkering with cars was a close second.
Gwaine and his business partner Percival Poe had started GP Auto Repair five years ago on Main Street in the picture-perfect village of Albion, and business was good. They were both highly sought after mechanics, and most of Gwaine’s customers swore he was a magician under the hood.
Their experience in the village was generally good. It had been important to both of them that they not give in to small-town prejudice against gays and lesbians, and their business sign proudly featured a rainbow flag.
It had taken a while to get the business going, but once the word got out about the quality of their work they never lacked for customers. They found Albion a welcoming place to put down roots.
The location of the shop was convenient for village life. There was an amazing coffee shop and cafe owned by the delightful Elena just a block away, and their local pub, The Dragon’s Call, offered food, drink, and socialization. They had a good set of friends, couples and singles. The group called themselves the Late Knights, and met as a group several times a week for drinks and dinners and games.
Perce had happily settled into domestic life with the local doctor, Elyan Smith, and Gwaine suspected they would be getting married one of these days.
As for Gwaine, a small town didn’t really provide the opportunities for the one-night stands and quick affairs that he specialized in. The first couple of years he and Perce had been in Albion, Gwaine had gone to London three or four times a year to scratch the itch, but he seldom went anymore. It just wasn’t as much fun as it used to be, and seeing Perce and Elyan so happy made him realize that it just might be time to settle down.
He was deep in concentration, and elbow- deep in grease, when he heard the front bell ring. He looked around for Perce, but there was no sign of him, so he had to be on break. Probably getting coffee at Elena’s.
They were not in a position to turn away customers, so he sighed, grabbed a rag to wipe off some of the black from his hands, and headed to the front.
His automatic “How can I help you?” was a bit curt, but when he saw the person standing at the counter he stopped in his tracks. He registered that the young man at the counter was a real looker, tall and thin, with jet-black hair, smooth white skin, and sparkling blue eyes. He was wearing baggy jeans, a dark sweater, and a bright red scarf around his neck.
A Santa hat was the final touch.
Gwaine’s only coherent thought was, what a pity those jeans are so loose.
Momentarily dazed, Gwaine tried to listen to what this unexpected customer was saying.
The young man was extending his hand, saying “Good morning, I’m Merlin Emrys and I’m a jack- of- all- trades, but at the moment I’m doing holiday window displays to brighten up Albion. Would you like to hear about my services?”
He hesitated at the end, dropping his hand and looking uncertain because Gwaine was not reciprocating.
Gwaine pulled himself together and turned on the charm. “Sorry, lad, but my hands are too dirty to touch a vision such as yourself.” And he turned on his full wattage smile, which worked on both men and women.
Merlin smiled back, and it was the brightest sight Gwaine had seen on this dark and dreary winter day.
Sounding more confident, Merlin continued, “Have you seen the windows at Elena’s? And the interior? I did those.”
Gwaine could hear himself amping up the Irish lilt in his voice as he answered, I have seen them, my partner and I are regulars at Elena’s. They’re fine, it really brightened the place up.”
After replaying those sentences in his mind, Gwaine quickly added, “My business partner, not..not.. the other kind.”
Gwaine’s internal critic responded, Smooth, real smooth, you feckless idiot.
Merlin laughed, and suddenly Gwaine felt like everything was going to be all right, one way or the other.
He hesitated about the decorations, though.
“Tell you what, lad, I’m sure you would do a fine job, but auto repair shops don’t generally get done up for the holidays. At least, not that I have ever seen.”
Merlin’s face fell a little, and Gwaine quickly added, “But I guess it would be nice to brighten things up a bit.”
They both looked around at the shabby, dimly lit waiting area, observing the cheap chairs and their cracked vinyl coverings, and the dingy beige walls and dirty floor. The place had formerly been a small auto showroom, so it had large plate glass windows facing the street. The windows were currently a yellowish-gray from dust and grime, as well as smoke from the days when auto mechanics still smoked on the job.
Gwaine had never thought much about the decor in the front of the shop. As long as he had enough business, he thought it didn’t matter. But maybe putting a fresh front on things would make GP Auto Repair stand out, and the local business association would be pleased. They were always stopping by with suggestions, and Gwaine wanted to stay on their good side.
Merlin’s voice interrupted Gwaine’s musings.
“Would it be okay if I looked around, maybe took some measurements? I could work up an estimate and drop it off tomorrow. “
Tomorrow. What a delightful word! He could see Merlin tomorrow.
Gwaine said , “I’ll leave you to it then,” and returned to the back of the shop. They were heavily booked that day, and he needed to get a move on.
He could hear Merlin moving around the front, but couldn’t see him from the repair bay. He wished that he could stop and chat with the beautiful stranger. But he had promised Morgana that he would have her precious car back by the end of the week, and he kept his commitments. To customers, and in his personal life.
Merlin didn’t come to the repair bays, but left with a loud and cheery, “See you tomorrow!”
“I sure hope so,” Gwaine muttered into the air.
*****
The next morning Gwaine dressed with extra care, and after brushing his freshly-shampooed hair, tossed his head to make sure the swoosh was working correctly. He wore his most flattering jeans, even though he knew he would be putting on a coverall in the shop.
He finished off with a couple of drops of Drakkar Noir. He knew it was considered a bit dated, but it had always worked for him.
He walked the few blocks from his flat to the shop with a definite spring in his step.
Perce was leaning over the counter, a cup of Elena’s coffee in one hand and the Albion Herald in the other. He looked Gwaine up and down, sniffed the air, and said sarcastically, “Mating season?”
“Never you mind,” Gwaine answered haughtily.
About eleven o’clock, the bell on the front door rang and Merlin walked in. And if Gwaine had chosen that morning to do paperwork, it certainly wasn’t because he was hoping to see Merlin first thing.
Yeah , right.
“Good morning, Mr. Dameron,” Merlin said cheerfully.
Jesus, how old does he think I am? “Gwaine, please.”
“I did the proposal for you,” Merlin responded. “Do you want me to just leave it until you have time to look at it?”
“No, no, I have a bit of free time this morning. I’ll have to work late on Morgana’s car tonight, but I don’t mind.”
Merlin beamed, “Great!”
“Why don’t we take the plans over to Elena’s, we could have a coffee and spread them out?”
“Okay!”
Is he always this enthusiastic? Does he ever stop smiling? Is he this enthusiastic in bed? Does he smile in bed? Could I wipe that smile off his face and make him scream?
The best jeans were getting a bit tight in the crotch, so Gwaine stopped that train of thought, using his tried and true boner killer, imagining old Gaius the pharmacist in the shower.
It worked, and they walked companionably to the coffee shop.
*****
The decorating plans Merlin drew up were festive and detailed, and the price quote was less than Gwaine had expected. They shook hands on the deal, and agreed that Merlin would start the next day.
Gwaine learned that Merlin had recently moved to Albion with his mother and his cousin Will. Will was looking for work, and Merlin was doing the holiday decorations and other odd jobs as he worked on setting up a computer repair and graphic design business.
Merlin talked openly and earnestly about his life, while Gwaine mostly listened, leaning back in his chair with a half-smile on his face. Gwaine noted with approval that there was no mention of a significant other.
They spent a pleasant hour at the coffee shop. Elena came over to talk to them, with flour on her apron and the red bow in her hair askew, but as adorable as always. Other regulars stopped in, too. Of course, they all knew Gwaine, but most of them seemed to know Merlin, too, which seemed a bit odd since he had only been in town for two weeks.
Elyan waved at them from the counter, Mithian spent five minutes complimenting Merlin on the way he had decorated her law office, and Daegel had the nerve to start flirting with Merlin. Gwaine frowned at him until he left.
As they parted ways, Merlin told Gwaine, “You smell so good! Is that Drakkar Noir?”
Gwaine puffed up a bit as he answered, “It is.”
Merlin nodded, “I thought so. My Da used to wear it when I was little.”
Well, that was just fucking perfect. Nothing better than reminding the object of your affections (and lust) of his father.
*****
Merlin showed up at GP Auto Repair bright and early the next morning, his arms full of cleaning equipment, mops, and squeegees.
Gwaine raised a questioning eyebrow, and Merlin shrugged and said, “No sense in decorating dirty windows.”
Gwaine couldn’t argue with that.
Much as he would have liked to, Gwaine was too busy to watch Merlin work. He even had to work through lunch, eating a sandwich Elena had delivered with one hand and making adjustments on an engine with the other.
So when he came out to the front at five o’clock, he was amazed at the transformation Merlin had created.
Not only had the windows and floors been scrubbed, but Merlin had found some white paint somewhere in the cleaning closet and had applied a fresh coat to the walls. The whole room sparkled.
Gwaine froze in his tracks. “Lad, it’s wonderful. But I didn’t pay you enough to include cleaning and painting.”
Merlin turned a delightful shade of pink and looked down, but when he raised his eyes to Gwaine’s again he was smiling. “I don’t mind. I like to help out, and like I said this morning, you have to have a clean canvas to start with. Besides, we’re friends, right? And friends help each other out,”
The boy was so appealing, standing with his chin up a bit, daring Gwaine to contradict him. It was all Gwaine could do to stop himself from crossing the room and folding Merlin into a passionate embrace.
But he knew it was too soon, so he grinned and answered, “Yes, we’re friends.”
And hoping to be a lot more than friends.
*****
The plan was for Merlin to come back and do the actual decorating the next day, and Gwaine could hardly sleep from the excitement of seeing Merlin again.
He had a good wank, fantasizing about what it would feel like to have Merlin spreadeagled beneath him, his smooth white skin available for licking and sucking and biting and….Sweet Jesus. I haven’t come that hard in years.
But even in post-orgasmic bliss, Gwaine kept thinking about how bright and charming Merlin was, and how much he wanted the lad in his life.
*****
Perce and Gwaine had known each other for fifteen years, and were fast friends. They had met in their mechanics’ training program, and liked each other so much that when they were ready to move on from working for other people, they knew they would start their own business.
Perce had always been quiet and thoughtful, a man of few words with those he didn’t know well. He had always been much more of a homebody than Gwaine. Gwaine was genuinely happy that Perce had found someone to settle down with, even as he teased him about rose-covered cottages and puppies by the fireside.
Contrary to stereotypes about men not sharing things with each other, Gwaine and Percival could talk about anything. In fact, their friend Kara said their gossiping put any lady’s sewing circle to shame.
They could spend all day chatting about little things as they worked slide by side, or about big things, like Gwaine’s troubled past before becoming a mechanic, or Perce’s desire to become a father.
So on the second day Merlin was scheduled to come and work in the shop, Perce handed Gwaine a mug of coffee and said, “We need to talk about Merlin.”
Gwaine tried to tamp down his defensiveness. “What about him?”
“From what I hear around Elena’s, he’s made a big impression for someone who has only been here a couple of months. Seems like half the town is in love with him, and the other half wants to take him home and feed him. You need to be careful.”
Gwaine looked Perce straight in the eye and said, “I’m always careful. You know that.” And it was true, he always kept his liaisons light and easy, choosing partners who played the game the same way he did.
But if he was honest with himself, he knew that Merlin was not like the dozens of others he had shared a bed with over the years. He was younger than Gwaine’s usual friends with benefits, for one thing.
Perce tried one more time. “I’ve seen the way you look at him. Something is different. And you need to remember that he’s just a kid. If you break his heart, you may become a pariah here, and that would be bad for business.”
Gwaine bit back the retort that came to his lips, that he didn’t give a flying fuck about the business if he could have Merlin even once. But he knew that Perce had a point, if things went south and the town turned on him, Perce would have to choose between staying in Albion with Elyan, or starting up a new business somewhere else with Gwaine.
He didn’t want to put his best friend in that position.
So he just said quietly, “I have no intention of breaking his heart.”
Just then the bell on the door rang, and Merlin came in, still wearing the red scarf, dark shirt, and Santa hat.
How many of those hideous neck things does he have? He really shouldn’t be covering up his pretty neck, Gwaine thought.
Merlin looked between the two of them in confusion, and finally asked, “Whose heart is getting broken?”
“Nobody’s, lad,” Gwaine answered, “Nobody’s heart is getting broken.”
He gave Merlin his best smile and turned toward the work area.
*****
Merlin asked Perce and Gwaine to stay out of the reception area until it was finished. They could hear him softly singing Christmas carols as he worked, and the faint “fa la la la las” and “pa rump a pum pums” that floated into the back were just too cute for words.
Finally, about three in the afternoon, he invited them to come and look.
It was gorgeous.
Merlin had gone with a silver and white theme for Elena’s business, and a natural look with burlap and dried fruit and greens for Mithian, but GP Auto Repair was resplendent in red and gold.
Two large fresh wreaths were in the front windows, with huge red and gold bows, and the front counter was draped with the same ribbon. Merlin had used red velvet, silky gold fabric, and garlands of dried cranberries and oranges.
There was even a red and gold tartan hung on the wall, with a beribboned fake gold sword in the center.
“A sword, lad?” Gwaine asked.
Merlin shrugged. “It just felt right. I don’t know why.”
“Nothing says the holidays like swordplay, I guess,” Gwaine laughed. “You did a great job, Merlin.”
Perce had been gazing around silently, but finally he said, “This is amazing. It looks like a ballroom. A ballroom in a castle.”
The words triggered something in Gwaine’s brain, and he felt a bit dizzy. He closed his eyes and reached for the write-up counter to steady himself.
A great hall. Candles. Stone walls. A huge fireplace hung with holly. Music, maybe pipers and fiddlers? Laughing and dancing. And Merlin. Merlin was there, joining hands with him and laughing as they whirled around the room.
But something was wrong. Merlin was not his. A blonde man with a silver circlet on his head watched them with hungry eyes as they danced, and Gwaine knew that in this world, Merlin was pledged to the other man. It was sad, so sad…
Perce caught him just before he hit the floor.
*****
When he came to, he was lying on the floor with somebody’s jacket rolled up as a pillow under his head. There were three faces close to him, Merlin’s, Perce’s, and Elyan’s.
He tried to sit up, but Elyan stopped him with a firm hand to his chest.
“Just give it a minute, yeah? You were out for a good five minutes.”
Gwaine shot Perce a dirty look, and said, “There was really no need to call your boyfriend. I’m fine. “
“Oh, shut up. You were barely breathing, and we couldn’t rouse you. You’re lucky Elyan’s office is so close, or I would have called 999.”
They finally let Gwaine get up, and he sat patiently as Elyan shone a light in his eyes and performed a quick exam with some basic neurological tests. Elyan finally said, “Your vital signs are good, but I recommend you make an appointment with me sometime in the next week. I want some blood tests, maybe a CT scan of your brain.”
“Oh, come on, Doc. You know I’m as healthy as a horse.” Gwaine hated the idea of more poking and prodding over something as stupid as a fainting spell.
“Well, healthy horses on the cusp of middle age don’t just faint for no reason,” Elyan retorted.
“Cusp of middle age?” Gwaine sputtered, but Elyan was still talking.
“You need to go home and lie down, take the rest of the day off. If you feel like you’re going to pass out again, call me right away.”
Gwaine started to protest, but Perce was standing in front of the work area with his arms crossed and an expression that meant business on his face.
“I’m driving you home, and you are going to follow the doctor’s orders.”
Gwaine was about to protest that his flat was only a few blocks away, and he could walk, thank you very much, but he realized that he really wasn’t actually feeling all that great. Maybe lying down for a bit wasn’t a terrible idea after all.
His mind was made up when he saw Merlin putting on his jacket and the Santa Claus hat. “I’m coming with you. Make sure you get settled okay. “
He put in a token protest, but Merlin was determined, so within a few minutes Elyan took his leave, Percival pulled his van up to the curb, and Merlin hustled Gwaine into the back seat, fussing at him like a hen with one chick.
*****
Gwaine unlocked the door to his flat, and Merlin followed him in. He tried to see the place with Merlin’s eyes.
It was clean and tidy, if a bit Spartan. Gwaine was pretty faithful about housework, but because he never really felt like he belonged anywhere, he never did much in the way of decorating.
Not like Elyan and Perce, whose place looked like it should be in Ideal Home. As he recalled, choosing a paint color for their kitchen had taken three weeks, several dozen paint chips, and five test swatches.
His place was utilitarian, but drab. Not good enough for Merlin.
Merlin looked around briefly, but he was focussed on Gwaine’s needs.
“Okay,” he said briskly. “Off with those jeans.”
Gwaine was not so sick that he couldn’t raise an eyebrow and smirk at that, but Merlin looked heavenward and said, “You can’t have a proper lie-down in heavy jeans. Get into some pajama pants or something, you idiot.”
Gwaine stepped into his bedroom and complied, choosing his oldest, softest sleep pants. He didn’t look for a shirt. The room was warm, and he liked being shirtless.
He was sliding into the bed when Merlin came back. Merlin had somehow found an ancient hot water bottle Gwaine didn’t even know he had, and he placed it carefully at the foot of the bed. Then he tucked the blankets around Gwaine and promised, “I’ll be here when you wake up.”
*****
Merlin kept his word. In fact, when Gwaine woke up several hours later, Merlin was lying next to him, although he was on the top of the covers, which was disappointing.
Carefully shifting in the bed to avoid waking Merlin, Gwaine took stock of his surroundings.
He didn’t know how Merlin had done it, but the whole place seemed different. There was a small candle burning in a saucer on the dresser, and the air smelled like fresh pine boughs with a hint of cinnamon.
Merlin must have been digging through the closets, because there was a pillow on the bedside chair, and a soft red blanket at the foot of the bed. It had been a gift from one of the girls a few years ago, and Gwaine had thought it too nice to use in a bachelor pad. He had some vague idea of re-gifting it but never got around to it.
He was touched that Merlin did not think it was too nice to use on him.
The hallway light gave the small room a soft glow, and Gwaine looked more closely at Merlin. His long black lashes lay fetchingly against his soft skin, and the light made his cheekbones kick off in a way that Gwaine really liked.
Gwaine continued studying him silently, and eventually Merlin opened his eyes and studied him back. After several minutes that felt like eternity, he said softly, “If you’re going to look at me like that, you may as well kiss me.”
So Gwaine did.
*****
They spent the whole night in bed, with brief breaks to forage for food.
Merlin turned out to be a strict taskmaster, or as Gwaine put it, topped from the bottom. He flatly refused to engage in penetrative sex until Gwaine had the medical exam Elyan had recommended.
But they found plenty of fun things to do with lips and fingers and tongue and teeth. In fact, it was the most magical night Gwaine had ever had.
Their sex had a sweet, wistful quality. Gwaine could still remember the vision in the shop clearly, and was aware that in some life somewhere he had loved Merlin and not won him.
But it made him all the more determined to keep him in this life.
*****
Every year Elena closed the cafe early on Christmas Eve so the Late Knights could have their holiday gathering. But she was too kind to exclude anyone, so she also issued an open invitation to all of her customers. Everyone from teenagers to septuagenarians stopped by for a glass of punch and some snacks.
Around nine P.M., just as everyone was wondering where Gwaine was, the man himself walked in, hand-in-hand with Merlin.
There was a lot of whistling and catcalling, and an “I told you so” from Perce to Elena, but once the hubbub died down and the handshakes and slaps on the back were over, they were allowed to have their drinks in peace.
The evening wore down, and soon the Late Knights were sitting at Elena’s biggest table, the round one in the corner.
Gwaine looked around the table at all the people he loved.
There was Perce, strong and loyal, with Elyan, who had become one of Gwaine’s closest friends for his own sake, not just for Perce’s. There were the beautiful women of Albion:
Mithian, whose gentle facade hid the fact that she would ruthlessly advocate for her clients in court. Elena, as bright and cheerful as the sun, with her goofy outfits and her open heart. Morgana, the unofficial leader of both the town and their group.
Morgana’s husband Leon was there, smiling softly at her the way he always did. Morgana’s passionate nature was balanced by Leon’s calm competence, and they were one of the happiest couples Gwaine knew.
There were others, too. Daegel and Sophia and Kara and Mordred and Nimueh and Gilli and Owain. They had all made a place in their hearts for Gwaine, and he had done the same for them.
They were his family of choice.
At around ten p.m., Morgana rose and said, “I have an announcement. My brother Arthur has bought a place here, and will be moving here next month.”
Elyan also rose, somewhat less steadily than Morgana had, and said, “I have an announcement too. My sister Gwen has bought a place here, and will be moving here next month.”
Morgana finished, “And they are arriving tonight, with their partner Lancelot. The three of them are in a loving polyamorous relationship, and anyone who can’t be a grown up about it will answer to me.”
And Elyan said firmly, “And anyone who says a word against my sister will answer to me.”
Right on cue, the door to Elena’s opened and three people entered the room. One very handsome blonde man, who Gwaine recognized as the man from his vision. A dark-haired man, even handsomer than the blonde one.
And a radiant woman with dark curly hair and a sweet face, who was clearly Elyan’s sister.
There was a commotion as the Morgana and Elyan rushed to greet them, and eventually there were introductions that led to Arthur standing in front of Merlin and Gwaine, giving each a firm handshake. “Arthur Pendragon. Morgana has told me a lot about you, Gwaine. And I hope to get to know you as well, Merlin.”
Gwaine looked between Arthur and Merlin, and saw no glimmer of recognition. Whatever had happened when he passed out, it appeared to be limited to Gwaine alone.
Gwaine took Arthur’s hand again, and said, “Welcome. I am sure you and Gwen and Lance will fit right in.”
*****
On Christmas morning, Gwaine knelt before Merlin and made promises. He promised to love and cherish him, to see that he never wanted for anything, to be faithful in body and spirit, and to love him forever.
Six months later, he repeated those promises in front of their friends and Merlin’s family, and Merlin gave him promises in return.
Gwaine never had another vision.
He had always been a lucky man.
But he knew that in this life, right here and right now with Merlin at his side, he was the luckiest man of all.
Recipient: aeris444
Author: lawgoddess
Rating: R
Pairing/s: Merlin/Gwaine, past Merlin/Arthur
Summary: A young window decorator wanders into Gwaine and Percival's auto repair business, and leaves with Gwaine's heart.
Warnings: None, unless you need to watch your blood sugar level.
Word Count:4734
Author's Notes: aeriss 444, I hope you enjoy this! Thank you for being flexible about your pairings. I did include Percival as a character. I tried to do justice to your prompts, and include your likes. There are a couple of geeky references in there. It was fun to write Gwaine; I have missed that guy! Merry Christmas!
Thank you to my friend gwyllion for an efficient beta and for finding all those extra spaces! And thank you to the mods for running this festival and for your clear and calm direction.
Disclaimer:Merlin is owned by the BBC and Shine. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Don't send us to the dungeons.
The engine was dead, to begin with. There was no doubt whatever, about that.
Gwaine Finn had a big grin on his face. There was nothing he liked better than a challenge, and the vintage TR-7 that had been towed to his shop definitely looked like it would be a good one.
The car belonged to the local lifestyle entrepreneur Morgana Pendragon, and was her pride and joy. She could afford to pay top dollar, too.
Triumphs were notorious for needing a lot of tinkering, and tinkering with cars was what Gwaine did best.
Well, fucking was what Gwaine did best, but tinkering with cars was a close second.
Gwaine and his business partner Percival Poe had started GP Auto Repair five years ago on Main Street in the picture-perfect village of Albion, and business was good. They were both highly sought after mechanics, and most of Gwaine’s customers swore he was a magician under the hood.
Their experience in the village was generally good. It had been important to both of them that they not give in to small-town prejudice against gays and lesbians, and their business sign proudly featured a rainbow flag.
It had taken a while to get the business going, but once the word got out about the quality of their work they never lacked for customers. They found Albion a welcoming place to put down roots.
The location of the shop was convenient for village life. There was an amazing coffee shop and cafe owned by the delightful Elena just a block away, and their local pub, The Dragon’s Call, offered food, drink, and socialization. They had a good set of friends, couples and singles. The group called themselves the Late Knights, and met as a group several times a week for drinks and dinners and games.
Perce had happily settled into domestic life with the local doctor, Elyan Smith, and Gwaine suspected they would be getting married one of these days.
As for Gwaine, a small town didn’t really provide the opportunities for the one-night stands and quick affairs that he specialized in. The first couple of years he and Perce had been in Albion, Gwaine had gone to London three or four times a year to scratch the itch, but he seldom went anymore. It just wasn’t as much fun as it used to be, and seeing Perce and Elyan so happy made him realize that it just might be time to settle down.
He was deep in concentration, and elbow- deep in grease, when he heard the front bell ring. He looked around for Perce, but there was no sign of him, so he had to be on break. Probably getting coffee at Elena’s.
They were not in a position to turn away customers, so he sighed, grabbed a rag to wipe off some of the black from his hands, and headed to the front.
His automatic “How can I help you?” was a bit curt, but when he saw the person standing at the counter he stopped in his tracks. He registered that the young man at the counter was a real looker, tall and thin, with jet-black hair, smooth white skin, and sparkling blue eyes. He was wearing baggy jeans, a dark sweater, and a bright red scarf around his neck.
A Santa hat was the final touch.
Gwaine’s only coherent thought was, what a pity those jeans are so loose.
Momentarily dazed, Gwaine tried to listen to what this unexpected customer was saying.
The young man was extending his hand, saying “Good morning, I’m Merlin Emrys and I’m a jack- of- all- trades, but at the moment I’m doing holiday window displays to brighten up Albion. Would you like to hear about my services?”
He hesitated at the end, dropping his hand and looking uncertain because Gwaine was not reciprocating.
Gwaine pulled himself together and turned on the charm. “Sorry, lad, but my hands are too dirty to touch a vision such as yourself.” And he turned on his full wattage smile, which worked on both men and women.
Merlin smiled back, and it was the brightest sight Gwaine had seen on this dark and dreary winter day.
Sounding more confident, Merlin continued, “Have you seen the windows at Elena’s? And the interior? I did those.”
Gwaine could hear himself amping up the Irish lilt in his voice as he answered, I have seen them, my partner and I are regulars at Elena’s. They’re fine, it really brightened the place up.”
After replaying those sentences in his mind, Gwaine quickly added, “My business partner, not..not.. the other kind.”
Gwaine’s internal critic responded, Smooth, real smooth, you feckless idiot.
Merlin laughed, and suddenly Gwaine felt like everything was going to be all right, one way or the other.
He hesitated about the decorations, though.
“Tell you what, lad, I’m sure you would do a fine job, but auto repair shops don’t generally get done up for the holidays. At least, not that I have ever seen.”
Merlin’s face fell a little, and Gwaine quickly added, “But I guess it would be nice to brighten things up a bit.”
They both looked around at the shabby, dimly lit waiting area, observing the cheap chairs and their cracked vinyl coverings, and the dingy beige walls and dirty floor. The place had formerly been a small auto showroom, so it had large plate glass windows facing the street. The windows were currently a yellowish-gray from dust and grime, as well as smoke from the days when auto mechanics still smoked on the job.
Gwaine had never thought much about the decor in the front of the shop. As long as he had enough business, he thought it didn’t matter. But maybe putting a fresh front on things would make GP Auto Repair stand out, and the local business association would be pleased. They were always stopping by with suggestions, and Gwaine wanted to stay on their good side.
Merlin’s voice interrupted Gwaine’s musings.
“Would it be okay if I looked around, maybe took some measurements? I could work up an estimate and drop it off tomorrow. “
Tomorrow. What a delightful word! He could see Merlin tomorrow.
Gwaine said , “I’ll leave you to it then,” and returned to the back of the shop. They were heavily booked that day, and he needed to get a move on.
He could hear Merlin moving around the front, but couldn’t see him from the repair bay. He wished that he could stop and chat with the beautiful stranger. But he had promised Morgana that he would have her precious car back by the end of the week, and he kept his commitments. To customers, and in his personal life.
Merlin didn’t come to the repair bays, but left with a loud and cheery, “See you tomorrow!”
“I sure hope so,” Gwaine muttered into the air.
*****
The next morning Gwaine dressed with extra care, and after brushing his freshly-shampooed hair, tossed his head to make sure the swoosh was working correctly. He wore his most flattering jeans, even though he knew he would be putting on a coverall in the shop.
He finished off with a couple of drops of Drakkar Noir. He knew it was considered a bit dated, but it had always worked for him.
He walked the few blocks from his flat to the shop with a definite spring in his step.
Perce was leaning over the counter, a cup of Elena’s coffee in one hand and the Albion Herald in the other. He looked Gwaine up and down, sniffed the air, and said sarcastically, “Mating season?”
“Never you mind,” Gwaine answered haughtily.
About eleven o’clock, the bell on the front door rang and Merlin walked in. And if Gwaine had chosen that morning to do paperwork, it certainly wasn’t because he was hoping to see Merlin first thing.
Yeah , right.
“Good morning, Mr. Dameron,” Merlin said cheerfully.
Jesus, how old does he think I am? “Gwaine, please.”
“I did the proposal for you,” Merlin responded. “Do you want me to just leave it until you have time to look at it?”
“No, no, I have a bit of free time this morning. I’ll have to work late on Morgana’s car tonight, but I don’t mind.”
Merlin beamed, “Great!”
“Why don’t we take the plans over to Elena’s, we could have a coffee and spread them out?”
“Okay!”
Is he always this enthusiastic? Does he ever stop smiling? Is he this enthusiastic in bed? Does he smile in bed? Could I wipe that smile off his face and make him scream?
The best jeans were getting a bit tight in the crotch, so Gwaine stopped that train of thought, using his tried and true boner killer, imagining old Gaius the pharmacist in the shower.
It worked, and they walked companionably to the coffee shop.
*****
The decorating plans Merlin drew up were festive and detailed, and the price quote was less than Gwaine had expected. They shook hands on the deal, and agreed that Merlin would start the next day.
Gwaine learned that Merlin had recently moved to Albion with his mother and his cousin Will. Will was looking for work, and Merlin was doing the holiday decorations and other odd jobs as he worked on setting up a computer repair and graphic design business.
Merlin talked openly and earnestly about his life, while Gwaine mostly listened, leaning back in his chair with a half-smile on his face. Gwaine noted with approval that there was no mention of a significant other.
They spent a pleasant hour at the coffee shop. Elena came over to talk to them, with flour on her apron and the red bow in her hair askew, but as adorable as always. Other regulars stopped in, too. Of course, they all knew Gwaine, but most of them seemed to know Merlin, too, which seemed a bit odd since he had only been in town for two weeks.
Elyan waved at them from the counter, Mithian spent five minutes complimenting Merlin on the way he had decorated her law office, and Daegel had the nerve to start flirting with Merlin. Gwaine frowned at him until he left.
As they parted ways, Merlin told Gwaine, “You smell so good! Is that Drakkar Noir?”
Gwaine puffed up a bit as he answered, “It is.”
Merlin nodded, “I thought so. My Da used to wear it when I was little.”
Well, that was just fucking perfect. Nothing better than reminding the object of your affections (and lust) of his father.
*****
Merlin showed up at GP Auto Repair bright and early the next morning, his arms full of cleaning equipment, mops, and squeegees.
Gwaine raised a questioning eyebrow, and Merlin shrugged and said, “No sense in decorating dirty windows.”
Gwaine couldn’t argue with that.
Much as he would have liked to, Gwaine was too busy to watch Merlin work. He even had to work through lunch, eating a sandwich Elena had delivered with one hand and making adjustments on an engine with the other.
So when he came out to the front at five o’clock, he was amazed at the transformation Merlin had created.
Not only had the windows and floors been scrubbed, but Merlin had found some white paint somewhere in the cleaning closet and had applied a fresh coat to the walls. The whole room sparkled.
Gwaine froze in his tracks. “Lad, it’s wonderful. But I didn’t pay you enough to include cleaning and painting.”
Merlin turned a delightful shade of pink and looked down, but when he raised his eyes to Gwaine’s again he was smiling. “I don’t mind. I like to help out, and like I said this morning, you have to have a clean canvas to start with. Besides, we’re friends, right? And friends help each other out,”
The boy was so appealing, standing with his chin up a bit, daring Gwaine to contradict him. It was all Gwaine could do to stop himself from crossing the room and folding Merlin into a passionate embrace.
But he knew it was too soon, so he grinned and answered, “Yes, we’re friends.”
And hoping to be a lot more than friends.
*****
The plan was for Merlin to come back and do the actual decorating the next day, and Gwaine could hardly sleep from the excitement of seeing Merlin again.
He had a good wank, fantasizing about what it would feel like to have Merlin spreadeagled beneath him, his smooth white skin available for licking and sucking and biting and….Sweet Jesus. I haven’t come that hard in years.
But even in post-orgasmic bliss, Gwaine kept thinking about how bright and charming Merlin was, and how much he wanted the lad in his life.
*****
Perce and Gwaine had known each other for fifteen years, and were fast friends. They had met in their mechanics’ training program, and liked each other so much that when they were ready to move on from working for other people, they knew they would start their own business.
Perce had always been quiet and thoughtful, a man of few words with those he didn’t know well. He had always been much more of a homebody than Gwaine. Gwaine was genuinely happy that Perce had found someone to settle down with, even as he teased him about rose-covered cottages and puppies by the fireside.
Contrary to stereotypes about men not sharing things with each other, Gwaine and Percival could talk about anything. In fact, their friend Kara said their gossiping put any lady’s sewing circle to shame.
They could spend all day chatting about little things as they worked slide by side, or about big things, like Gwaine’s troubled past before becoming a mechanic, or Perce’s desire to become a father.
So on the second day Merlin was scheduled to come and work in the shop, Perce handed Gwaine a mug of coffee and said, “We need to talk about Merlin.”
Gwaine tried to tamp down his defensiveness. “What about him?”
“From what I hear around Elena’s, he’s made a big impression for someone who has only been here a couple of months. Seems like half the town is in love with him, and the other half wants to take him home and feed him. You need to be careful.”
Gwaine looked Perce straight in the eye and said, “I’m always careful. You know that.” And it was true, he always kept his liaisons light and easy, choosing partners who played the game the same way he did.
But if he was honest with himself, he knew that Merlin was not like the dozens of others he had shared a bed with over the years. He was younger than Gwaine’s usual friends with benefits, for one thing.
Perce tried one more time. “I’ve seen the way you look at him. Something is different. And you need to remember that he’s just a kid. If you break his heart, you may become a pariah here, and that would be bad for business.”
Gwaine bit back the retort that came to his lips, that he didn’t give a flying fuck about the business if he could have Merlin even once. But he knew that Perce had a point, if things went south and the town turned on him, Perce would have to choose between staying in Albion with Elyan, or starting up a new business somewhere else with Gwaine.
He didn’t want to put his best friend in that position.
So he just said quietly, “I have no intention of breaking his heart.”
Just then the bell on the door rang, and Merlin came in, still wearing the red scarf, dark shirt, and Santa hat.
How many of those hideous neck things does he have? He really shouldn’t be covering up his pretty neck, Gwaine thought.
Merlin looked between the two of them in confusion, and finally asked, “Whose heart is getting broken?”
“Nobody’s, lad,” Gwaine answered, “Nobody’s heart is getting broken.”
He gave Merlin his best smile and turned toward the work area.
*****
Merlin asked Perce and Gwaine to stay out of the reception area until it was finished. They could hear him softly singing Christmas carols as he worked, and the faint “fa la la la las” and “pa rump a pum pums” that floated into the back were just too cute for words.
Finally, about three in the afternoon, he invited them to come and look.
It was gorgeous.
Merlin had gone with a silver and white theme for Elena’s business, and a natural look with burlap and dried fruit and greens for Mithian, but GP Auto Repair was resplendent in red and gold.
Two large fresh wreaths were in the front windows, with huge red and gold bows, and the front counter was draped with the same ribbon. Merlin had used red velvet, silky gold fabric, and garlands of dried cranberries and oranges.
There was even a red and gold tartan hung on the wall, with a beribboned fake gold sword in the center.
“A sword, lad?” Gwaine asked.
Merlin shrugged. “It just felt right. I don’t know why.”
“Nothing says the holidays like swordplay, I guess,” Gwaine laughed. “You did a great job, Merlin.”
Perce had been gazing around silently, but finally he said, “This is amazing. It looks like a ballroom. A ballroom in a castle.”
The words triggered something in Gwaine’s brain, and he felt a bit dizzy. He closed his eyes and reached for the write-up counter to steady himself.
A great hall. Candles. Stone walls. A huge fireplace hung with holly. Music, maybe pipers and fiddlers? Laughing and dancing. And Merlin. Merlin was there, joining hands with him and laughing as they whirled around the room.
But something was wrong. Merlin was not his. A blonde man with a silver circlet on his head watched them with hungry eyes as they danced, and Gwaine knew that in this world, Merlin was pledged to the other man. It was sad, so sad…
Perce caught him just before he hit the floor.
*****
When he came to, he was lying on the floor with somebody’s jacket rolled up as a pillow under his head. There were three faces close to him, Merlin’s, Perce’s, and Elyan’s.
He tried to sit up, but Elyan stopped him with a firm hand to his chest.
“Just give it a minute, yeah? You were out for a good five minutes.”
Gwaine shot Perce a dirty look, and said, “There was really no need to call your boyfriend. I’m fine. “
“Oh, shut up. You were barely breathing, and we couldn’t rouse you. You’re lucky Elyan’s office is so close, or I would have called 999.”
They finally let Gwaine get up, and he sat patiently as Elyan shone a light in his eyes and performed a quick exam with some basic neurological tests. Elyan finally said, “Your vital signs are good, but I recommend you make an appointment with me sometime in the next week. I want some blood tests, maybe a CT scan of your brain.”
“Oh, come on, Doc. You know I’m as healthy as a horse.” Gwaine hated the idea of more poking and prodding over something as stupid as a fainting spell.
“Well, healthy horses on the cusp of middle age don’t just faint for no reason,” Elyan retorted.
“Cusp of middle age?” Gwaine sputtered, but Elyan was still talking.
“You need to go home and lie down, take the rest of the day off. If you feel like you’re going to pass out again, call me right away.”
Gwaine started to protest, but Perce was standing in front of the work area with his arms crossed and an expression that meant business on his face.
“I’m driving you home, and you are going to follow the doctor’s orders.”
Gwaine was about to protest that his flat was only a few blocks away, and he could walk, thank you very much, but he realized that he really wasn’t actually feeling all that great. Maybe lying down for a bit wasn’t a terrible idea after all.
His mind was made up when he saw Merlin putting on his jacket and the Santa Claus hat. “I’m coming with you. Make sure you get settled okay. “
He put in a token protest, but Merlin was determined, so within a few minutes Elyan took his leave, Percival pulled his van up to the curb, and Merlin hustled Gwaine into the back seat, fussing at him like a hen with one chick.
*****
Gwaine unlocked the door to his flat, and Merlin followed him in. He tried to see the place with Merlin’s eyes.
It was clean and tidy, if a bit Spartan. Gwaine was pretty faithful about housework, but because he never really felt like he belonged anywhere, he never did much in the way of decorating.
Not like Elyan and Perce, whose place looked like it should be in Ideal Home. As he recalled, choosing a paint color for their kitchen had taken three weeks, several dozen paint chips, and five test swatches.
His place was utilitarian, but drab. Not good enough for Merlin.
Merlin looked around briefly, but he was focussed on Gwaine’s needs.
“Okay,” he said briskly. “Off with those jeans.”
Gwaine was not so sick that he couldn’t raise an eyebrow and smirk at that, but Merlin looked heavenward and said, “You can’t have a proper lie-down in heavy jeans. Get into some pajama pants or something, you idiot.”
Gwaine stepped into his bedroom and complied, choosing his oldest, softest sleep pants. He didn’t look for a shirt. The room was warm, and he liked being shirtless.
He was sliding into the bed when Merlin came back. Merlin had somehow found an ancient hot water bottle Gwaine didn’t even know he had, and he placed it carefully at the foot of the bed. Then he tucked the blankets around Gwaine and promised, “I’ll be here when you wake up.”
*****
Merlin kept his word. In fact, when Gwaine woke up several hours later, Merlin was lying next to him, although he was on the top of the covers, which was disappointing.
Carefully shifting in the bed to avoid waking Merlin, Gwaine took stock of his surroundings.
He didn’t know how Merlin had done it, but the whole place seemed different. There was a small candle burning in a saucer on the dresser, and the air smelled like fresh pine boughs with a hint of cinnamon.
Merlin must have been digging through the closets, because there was a pillow on the bedside chair, and a soft red blanket at the foot of the bed. It had been a gift from one of the girls a few years ago, and Gwaine had thought it too nice to use in a bachelor pad. He had some vague idea of re-gifting it but never got around to it.
He was touched that Merlin did not think it was too nice to use on him.
The hallway light gave the small room a soft glow, and Gwaine looked more closely at Merlin. His long black lashes lay fetchingly against his soft skin, and the light made his cheekbones kick off in a way that Gwaine really liked.
Gwaine continued studying him silently, and eventually Merlin opened his eyes and studied him back. After several minutes that felt like eternity, he said softly, “If you’re going to look at me like that, you may as well kiss me.”
So Gwaine did.
*****
They spent the whole night in bed, with brief breaks to forage for food.
Merlin turned out to be a strict taskmaster, or as Gwaine put it, topped from the bottom. He flatly refused to engage in penetrative sex until Gwaine had the medical exam Elyan had recommended.
But they found plenty of fun things to do with lips and fingers and tongue and teeth. In fact, it was the most magical night Gwaine had ever had.
Their sex had a sweet, wistful quality. Gwaine could still remember the vision in the shop clearly, and was aware that in some life somewhere he had loved Merlin and not won him.
But it made him all the more determined to keep him in this life.
*****
Every year Elena closed the cafe early on Christmas Eve so the Late Knights could have their holiday gathering. But she was too kind to exclude anyone, so she also issued an open invitation to all of her customers. Everyone from teenagers to septuagenarians stopped by for a glass of punch and some snacks.
Around nine P.M., just as everyone was wondering where Gwaine was, the man himself walked in, hand-in-hand with Merlin.
There was a lot of whistling and catcalling, and an “I told you so” from Perce to Elena, but once the hubbub died down and the handshakes and slaps on the back were over, they were allowed to have their drinks in peace.
The evening wore down, and soon the Late Knights were sitting at Elena’s biggest table, the round one in the corner.
Gwaine looked around the table at all the people he loved.
There was Perce, strong and loyal, with Elyan, who had become one of Gwaine’s closest friends for his own sake, not just for Perce’s. There were the beautiful women of Albion:
Mithian, whose gentle facade hid the fact that she would ruthlessly advocate for her clients in court. Elena, as bright and cheerful as the sun, with her goofy outfits and her open heart. Morgana, the unofficial leader of both the town and their group.
Morgana’s husband Leon was there, smiling softly at her the way he always did. Morgana’s passionate nature was balanced by Leon’s calm competence, and they were one of the happiest couples Gwaine knew.
There were others, too. Daegel and Sophia and Kara and Mordred and Nimueh and Gilli and Owain. They had all made a place in their hearts for Gwaine, and he had done the same for them.
They were his family of choice.
At around ten p.m., Morgana rose and said, “I have an announcement. My brother Arthur has bought a place here, and will be moving here next month.”
Elyan also rose, somewhat less steadily than Morgana had, and said, “I have an announcement too. My sister Gwen has bought a place here, and will be moving here next month.”
Morgana finished, “And they are arriving tonight, with their partner Lancelot. The three of them are in a loving polyamorous relationship, and anyone who can’t be a grown up about it will answer to me.”
And Elyan said firmly, “And anyone who says a word against my sister will answer to me.”
Right on cue, the door to Elena’s opened and three people entered the room. One very handsome blonde man, who Gwaine recognized as the man from his vision. A dark-haired man, even handsomer than the blonde one.
And a radiant woman with dark curly hair and a sweet face, who was clearly Elyan’s sister.
There was a commotion as the Morgana and Elyan rushed to greet them, and eventually there were introductions that led to Arthur standing in front of Merlin and Gwaine, giving each a firm handshake. “Arthur Pendragon. Morgana has told me a lot about you, Gwaine. And I hope to get to know you as well, Merlin.”
Gwaine looked between Arthur and Merlin, and saw no glimmer of recognition. Whatever had happened when he passed out, it appeared to be limited to Gwaine alone.
Gwaine took Arthur’s hand again, and said, “Welcome. I am sure you and Gwen and Lance will fit right in.”
*****
On Christmas morning, Gwaine knelt before Merlin and made promises. He promised to love and cherish him, to see that he never wanted for anything, to be faithful in body and spirit, and to love him forever.
Six months later, he repeated those promises in front of their friends and Merlin’s family, and Merlin gave him promises in return.
Gwaine never had another vision.
He had always been a lucky man.
But he knew that in this life, right here and right now with Merlin at his side, he was the luckiest man of all.