Beyond My Touch - chp 27/28
“Open your mouth,” I commanded. I let a little grin tug up on the corners of my lips, though I was trying to be as serious as possible.
“Why?”
“Because I order you to.”
“Is that how things work now?”
“That’s how they’ve always worked. Now open your mouth,” I said. “Oh, and close your eyes.”
Merlin sighed but appeased me. He shut his eyes and opened his mouth, not nearly as wide as I needed him to. Still, I would take what I could get. I smiled mischievously and pressed a round ball into his lips. His mouth opened more in shock and the little brown ball slid inside. Merlin shut his mouth and opened his eyes, taking a moment to taste what I had just forced him to eat.
“Is this…?” he asked warily. I continued smiling. “Is this a chocolate covered strawberry?”
“Basically,” I said. “I found them in the store today. It’s a ball of strawberry covered in chocolate. I decided it was worth tasting, so I gave you the first one.”
“You’re such a git. What if it had been nasty?” Merlin asked, complaining but smiling as he chewed his chocolaty treat.
“Well then I would be wise enough not to eat one myself,” I said, popping one in my mouth.
“Prat.”
“Loon.”
Flash. I groaned.
“Maybe we should go to your house,” Merlin suggested.
“Yes, let’s.”
Pocketing the strawberries, I turned the car on and pulled out of Gaius’ driveway. The photographer across the street in the bushes was cursing his flash and complaining, but it didn’t matter anymore. It had been a month since my big show at the bookstore, so it wasn’t surprising that they’d found Merlin’s house. Actually, Merlin said he saw at least one photographer every other day trying to catch a glimpse of him. It annoyed me to no end, but there was no way to get a restraining order on every paparazzi in the city - ah, strike that - in the world.
“We knew this would happen,” Merlin was saying. “We’ll be fine. They can’t see in the windows of your home and we rarely stay long at mine anyway. Besides, now that we’re out, we can have fun playing dodge the paparazzi when we go out to eat.”
“I think I need to have a physician look at you. You’ve gone mental if you think that’s fun,” I said. Merlin grinned impishly.
“Oh, but it is.”
And he was right. I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun with the paparazzi than when I was spying on them. Merlin and I decided to go to the movies or to dinner and both times we staked out the front lobby, playing “I-Spy anyone with anything camera-like”. We’d hide and wait until they were distracted and then it was super sleuth moves to get to my car and then sneak away to the destination. We helped each other pick out outfits and ways to hide my visage until we got to the movies and dinner. We decided on new ways to pick on the paparazzi, like tossing little rocks at them to freak them out as a distraction.
It was even more fun when we got Gwen and Morgana into it. Morgana would pull up to the building, music blaring and Mordred singing loudly to the music. This became such a popular sight that the magazines started reporting on it instead of me. Mordred seemed to enjoy days when Morgana picked him up more than he enjoyed it when I picked him up. That was a bit disheartening, but I could live with it.
“I forgive you,” Mordred said one day out of the blue.
“I’m sorry?” I asked, packing my bag for a day on the set. Mordred stood in my bedroom doorway and shrugged.
“I forgive you for teasing me about my age last month,” he said. “Morgana says it’s childish to hold grudges too long, and I agree. I watched you hold them for my entire life.”
“Well that’s a backhanded apology. Are you suggesting I’m childish?” I slid my bag on over my head and adjusted my shirt.
“You used to be. Merlin fixed you.” Mordred leaned against the doorframe leisurely. “I liked the old you, but I like the new you even more. You should keep Merlin around forever.”
“Thank you. I’m so glad you approve,” I teased. I ruffled his hair as I passed by him and went to grab an apple on my way out the door. Mordred was at my heels the entire time, even when we got on the elevator.
“I feel I should warn you. The reporters are out front,” he said.
“Reporters? Why?” I looked down at him and realized he’d grown several inches in recent times. He was hitting puberty and growth spurts. My how the young ones grow so fast.
“Some guy on floor two threw himself out of his window. This means the paparazzi are there too. They’ll be blending in to the crowd to get a shot of you. I don’t think they realize Merlin doesn’t live here…. Why doesn’t Merlin live here?” he asked with complete innocence. I saw through that instantly.
“Because Merlin has a family,” I said, bopping him on the head. “Do you really want Gaius living in the big old house all by himself?”
“He did it just fine before Merlin moved in with him,” Mordred pointed out, rubbing his head. “Besides, he’s over here all the time anyway. You should get him to move in. You’re convincing. I bet you could do it.”
“No. Now hush, I have to devise a plan to get to my car,” I ordered. Mordred pouted but did stop talking. He busied himself with the elevator buttons, pressing each one starting with the top floor, mine, and working his way down to the lobby just as the door opened.
“Can I come with you today?” he asked, walking out with me.
“No. Morgana’s supposed to take you to the movies today.”
“But I’m with Morgana all the time. I like her, but I want to come with you. I love watching you act.”
I stopped just out of sight of the front doors and looked down at him. He was leaning and trying to see how many reporters were waiting for us. It was cute and it had been awhile since we spent any brotherly bonding time together. He had a good point.
“Alright then. Can you see a clear route?” I asked. Mordred smiled brightly and turned his praising expression up at me.
“Yeah!” he exclaimed, echoing around the lobby a bit but not disturbing the already loud banter coming from the front doors.
“Lead the way.”
I forgot how cool it was to feel so loved by a younger sibling. It was quite the honor, and I was about to be treated to a full day of it.
…. … .. .. .. …
“Hello?” I said, answering my mobile during lunch break. Mordred scampered on ahead of me to get food while I stopped, trying to get a better signal.
“Arthur, as your Father, I think I have the right to say that it’s time,” my father’s gruff voice said over the line.
“Time? Time for what?”
“I’ve scheduled an interview for you with Legends,” he said. “It’s tomorrow at three.”
“Legends? You’re kidding me right? They haven’t been interested in me since I was sixteen,” I complained. “And that was because Sophia’s dad went and drowned himself in the river. How much did you pay them for the interview?”
“Nothing. The office has been receiving phone calls non-stop for you,” he said. “Everyone wants to know about your relationship. I just feel it would be in your best interest to choose Legends.”
“Why?” I looked over at the food table. I really wanted to go eat with Mordred. I was starving!
“Because they are the most reputable, well respected magazine for actors. Because then you only have to do one interview, and everyone will know it wasn’t forged. Because then, perhaps, we can get some normalcy back into our lives,” Father’s gruff voice half-growled over the phone. I winced.
“Okay. Alright. I understand. I’ll be there. Are we doing this at their office or here at the set?” I asked, walking toward the food in a slow manner. If my father had been face to face with me it would have been a hint that this conversation was over.
“They’ll be waiting at your dressing room, so take a break around then to go see them. And be honest, Arthur… as honest as you can be while maintaining political correctness. We don’t need to know everything about your private life.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, speeding up my pace to a normal walk.
“Arthur, be serious. It’s not-,” and the line cut off. I smiled and shut the phone.
“What was that?” Mordred asked as I caught up to him at the lunch table. I shrugged and slipped my mobile into my back pocket.
“That was God telling Dad to shut up,” I said. “Now I’m hungry. Did you find anything good?”
“Leon says the sandwiches are good, but they have mustard on them, so I’m not eating them,” Mordred explained, pointing to a tray of finger sandwiches someone probably picked up at the nearest store.
“Yep. That’s my favorite brother.” I ruffled his hair and he laughed. That changed to groaning when I grabbed two sandwiches and gave one to him.
-- -- -- -- -- - ----- …. .. … .. ..
I pulled back the curtains in my room and let the growing evening lighting shine into the room. Merlin groaned and turned his head away, burrowing deep into my pillows. I couldn’t help but smile. He was so childishly cute sometimes.
“Oh the room wasn’t that dark,” I teased. I sat on the bed beside him and ran my hand down his bare back. “Come on. I have a surprise for you.”
“If it’s the sunset, we’ve already done that,” Merlin complained, curling up like the tired cat he was.
“No. Trust me, it’s better. Now get up. You look like a pathetic kitten,” I said, standing up, patting his arm, and walking away.
I heard Merlin complain about the last comment, but I was too busy flicking a match against its pack to start a light. I dragged the burning stick to a candle, watched the fire spread, and then waved the match out. By the time Merlin came over, clad in blue boxers and my top blanket, wax had already begun to drip down the side of the long, thin candle.
“Happy two months,” I said, motioning for him to take a seat. He dropped the blanket where he stood and smiled. Two months. Two months of him and his beautiful new eyes.
I had a small table set up by the window, not right up next to it but close enough. On it sat one tall candle, two small plates, and one medium sized chocolate cake - complete with three little blue flowers on top of chocolate icing. Merlin laughed as he sat down.
“Flowers?”
“Mum decorated it. I’m not that talented,” I said.
“I take it that you had a hand in making it though,” Merlin said. He smirked a bit. “You’re growing up so well.”
“Do you want me to take it away?” I asked, tugging the cake away from Merlin’s side of the table. Merlin hastily reached out and tugged it back to the center.
“No no. I want the cake.”
“Then stop teasing me.”
“I’m sorry.”
And so we sat there, dressed only in our undershorts, carving up and eating cake. My director may not approve, but I didn’t care. It wasn’t the most romantic evening ever, considering we weren’t even dressed and it was just dessert. Still, I liked it and Merlin seemed to be enjoying it. He laughed when I cut a slice and it broke in half when I tried to move it to his plate. I scowled and got him back with the cake slicer, smearing chocolate icing all over his cheek. Merlin looked like he wanted to get me back and start an icing war, but he held back his urges. How courtly of him. I still won.
“Arthur,” Merlin began, taking a bite of cake.
“Hm?” I asked, sucking the icing off my fingers so I wouldn’t make a total mess when I grabbed my fork.
“Why haven’t you asked me to move in?”
I stopped thinking about eating for about a split second, and then I took up my fork and began to dig into my cake. I shrugged.
“You’ve been talking to Mordred, haven’t you?”
“A little, but I didn’t need to talk to him to wonder. I’m over here just about every day. We do the dishes. We sleep in the same bed. We stay up late watching stupid reruns, and your mother brings us dinner all the time. But most of my things are still at Gaius’ place. I’ve just been using yours… So, what’s stopping you from asking me to move in?”
I stared at Merlin and watched him eat more cake. In some ways, it was like he was still blind. He would reach for things without looking. He would stare off into nowhere while he spoke. But he did use his eyes to cut himself some more cake, just to make sure he didn’t cut himself… Though I’m not entirely sure he could since the cake slicer was plastic. I tore my eyes away from him and down to my own cake, which was down to about a bite left.
“Cut me another piece, would you?” I asked, eating my last bit. Merlin complied and cut the piece, but I put it on my plate. Merlin was staring at me. I knew it. I could see it out of the corner of my eye.
“Arthur,” he scolded. I gave him my best innocent look.
“What?”
“You’re avoiding the question,” Merlin said, setting down his fork. He crossed his arms and stared determinedly at me.
“What? I just didn’t think you’d want to,” I said. “Gaius loves living with you, and you love living with Gaius. I didn’t want to ask you to move in and break that up.”
“How noble.” Merlin leaned back in his chair. “Don’t worry about that though. Gaius has been asking me why I haven’t packed my things for the last week or so. We could do it slowly, you know so the press won’t suspect us for bringing my things in all at once.”
“Hmm… I guess that’s the best idea… So, Merlin. Would you like to move in with me?” I asked, though that was just a formality. I grinned innocently, like it wasn’t. Merlin laughed. Score.
“I suppose I’ll have to think about it,” he said. He laughed again. “Of course I will.”
“Good, but we’ll bring it all over at once… Or… should I say ‘they’ll bring it all over at once’?” I put a new piece of cake in my mouth, the warm, chocolaty goodness making my tongue almost shove it down my throat in its eagerness to taste it. I resisted the urge to eat the cake and simply smirked impishly, waiting for Merlin to ask about my meaning.
“They?” he said, and I knew I had him. “Why would ‘they’ need to bring my things?”
“Because,” I began, swallowing my tasty treat. “You won’t be here that week. I want to take you to Paris.”
If I thought the celebratory cake made him happy, Paris nearly killed him. He beamed like the sun at the news. He had eyes with which to see the city of lights, the city of beauty, and the city I’d told him reminded me of him. Merlin was my Paris at night, flying in over the Eiffel Tower and seeing all the grounded stars. Now Merlin would be able to see it. I’d make sure our plane arrived at night, so he could see what I’d seen the day I’d sent that text to him.
We just had to wait for a break in my shooting schedule and we’d be off.
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Preview, Chapter 28 - Romance in the Air
There's something about opening up to a magazine interviewer about a secret gay relationship that just seems so…. insidious.
Legends: How long do you suspect the relationship to last?
There were roses. Lots of roses. And candles. And mood lighting. Everything caught his attention. He found so many mundane things to be beautiful. We went to the Eiffel Tower the first day, raced up the first few flights of stairs and then rested and got lunch at the buffet because it was cheaper and we could actually understand the menu.
You would have thought it was the perfect Spring day. The sun was bright and high. For once, the silly British weather system decided to be kind to someone and be beautiful for their special day.
"Don't be ridiculous. Gwen loves you too much. Besides, when has she had a chance to fall in love with someone else? You guys are never apart from each other," I pointed out.
"You know, I love you," I said as though it was something new. Merlin smiled.
"I know. I love you too."
Click HERE for Chapter 28!