A long way to go 9/16
Title: A long way to go 9/16
Author: bunnysworld
Rating: NC-17 (not in this part, but it’ll get there)
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Spoilers: No spoilers
Warnings: modern AU, with a hint of magic
Word Count: 15.800andafew
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, the boys aren’t mine. Just took them out to play a little. I give them back unharmed - if I have to. Own nothing, no copyright infringement intended.
Summary: Arthur thinks his life is over. And then he meets Merlin.
Thanks to the wonderful tambear13 for being my cheerleader through this and for the quick beta.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Some nights, his knee hurt. It hurt so bad that he got up and tried to walk around, ending up on the couch again and again, tears in his eyes, thinking he couldn’t do without pain killers.
It usually didn’t take Merlin long to appear and to do his little tingly-trick and Arthur could go back to bed. Actually, the knee got better the moment Merlin entered the room.
And the sleepy look on the other man’s face, the hair sticking out in every direction, the shabby sweatpants and the wide t-shirts… Arthur really liked that. That and that wonderful wide smile, the twinkling blue eyes and those challenging looks he threw him when they were cooking or playing cards.
In the mornings, Arthur woke up from pleasant dreams, all of them featuring Merlin, and had to take care of the erection that came with the dreams.
So he did the only thing that came to his mind.
“Go out with me.” He said it before he could even think about it. It probably wasn’t a good idea, but he really liked spending time with Merlin and he wanted to get to know him better. Then again, Merlin had never mentioned a boyfriend, so how could he assume that Merlin liked blokes? On the other hand, he’d never mentioned a girlfriend either, so maybe…
Merlin nodded. “Yes, we’re going out today, get dressed.”
Arthur blinked. Hadn’t Merlin heard him? Or was he ignoring what he’d said on purpose? “Where are we going?”
“It’s about time that we get you out of the house and into something useful. You’re just wasting your days.”
Still standing rooted to the spot, leaned on his cane, Arthur blinked again. “What are we going to do?”
“You’ll see,” Merlin smiled, “now get ready.”
As much as Arthur nagged, Merlin just drove them and didn’t answer. He stopped in front of a group of small buildings. “We’re here.”
Arthur got out of the car and looked around. There were some children playing on a playground. What was this? A school? What was he supposed to do here?
A tall bloke came out of what seemed to be the main building. “Merlin!”
“Hi Percy, good to see you again!”
Arthur watched as they shook hands and patted shoulders, beaming widely.
The tall one turned and smiled. “And you must be Arthur.” He extended a hand, which Arthur automatically took.
“Yes.”
Merlin introduced them and then made his way into the building, animatedly talking to Percy, leaving Arthur to follow them. He still wasn’t sure where he was and what was expected of him.
There were kids everywhere. Kids of all ages. From very small ones, just above toddler-age to teenagers. This was no school, was it?
“What is this place?” He whispered to Merlin. “An orphanage?”
Percy turned. “We’re not really an orphanage. We give children a home who couldn’t stay with their parents any longer. Most of them can go see their parents when they want to, but they live here.”
“Interesting concept.” Arthur had been to those places before. For charity reasons and because it looked good when the big-ass soccer player pretended to care for those who weren’t as lucky. But he’d never stayed longer than necessary.
Merlin beamed. “Yes, it is. And you are needed here.”
“Me?” Arthur’s eyebrows shot up. “What good would I do here? I don’t know how to deal with children.”
“I’ve heard you had something to do with soccer, didn’t you?” The grin on Percy’s face showed that he knew exactly who he was dealing with.
“Had. Yes. Past tense.” Arthur’s shoulders got tight and he leaned heavily on his cane.
“Make it present tense again, Arthur. You know a thing or two about soccer and those kids need a coach.” Merlin looked at him expectantly.
“Coaching? The kids? What league do they play in?”
“None,” Percy laughed. “But they need some exercise and they love soccer. They just need someone to watch over them, to challenge them to their abilities and to show them a trick or two they can be proud of.”
“What do you mean by ‘challenge them to their abilities’?” Arthur frowned. He didn’t like the turn this conversation was taking.
“Some of our kids have their own challenges. Little Gwaine over there,” Percy pointed to the far end of the room where a little boy tried to cut something from a larger paper, his little face scrunched up in concentration, “he lost part of his arm in an accident. But that doesn’t stop him. It’s more like we have to stop him once in a while. And over there,” he gestured to a larger boy, “that’s Leon. His drunken father stepped on his leg when he was about four. His knee is of no use any more.”
Immediately Arthur felt for the boy. “You’re not telling me that those boys play soccer?”
Merlin laughed. “Oh yes, they do. You should see them”
“Merlin! MEEEEEEEEEEEERLIN!” A little blonde girl rushed in and clung to Merlin’s leg.
“Hey Sophia.” Merlin picked her up and she kissed his cheek as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “How are you today?”
“I drew a picture earlier and now we played ball.” She enthusiastically told Merlin and then peeked at Arthur. “Who’s this?” she whispered to Merlin loud enough for the adults to hear.
“That’s my friend Arthur. Arthur meet Sophia.”
Arthur smiled carefully at the girl who watched him with wide eyes and then turned back to Merlin. “He’s cute, you should keep him,” she told him in earnest, drawing chuckles from Percy and Merlin. Arthur gave a tormented smile.
“He’s a friend. Not a friend-friend.” Merlin winked at Sophia and set her down again. “I think Trina wants to show you something.” He pointed to another girl, about Sophia’s age and she ran away.
“Sophia’s our house-own match maker. At least she’s trying to be.” Percy still chuckled.
“She’s not on the soccer team, is she?”
“Oh yes, she is, you should see her play. It’s adorable.”
Arthur wasn’t sure if ‘adorable’ was an adjective he ever heard connected to playing soccer.
Merlin still grinned. “You’ll start on Monday.”
“I didn’t hear me agree to this yet.” Arthur really wasn’t sure he could do it. Yeah, these kids probably needed help. But what did he have to give them?
“Nonsense. You’ll try and we’ll see how it goes. If they don’t like you, we can still try to find something else for you to do.” Merlin nodded.
If they didn’t like him? Oh. Arthur hadn’t seen it from that perspective. Even though he knew that was just one of Merlin’s challenges, he’d make sure that those little rascals liked him!
On to part 10
Author: bunnysworld
Rating: NC-17 (not in this part, but it’ll get there)
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Spoilers: No spoilers
Warnings: modern AU, with a hint of magic
Word Count: 15.800andafew
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, the boys aren’t mine. Just took them out to play a little. I give them back unharmed - if I have to. Own nothing, no copyright infringement intended.
Summary: Arthur thinks his life is over. And then he meets Merlin.
Thanks to the wonderful tambear13 for being my cheerleader through this and for the quick beta.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Some nights, his knee hurt. It hurt so bad that he got up and tried to walk around, ending up on the couch again and again, tears in his eyes, thinking he couldn’t do without pain killers.
It usually didn’t take Merlin long to appear and to do his little tingly-trick and Arthur could go back to bed. Actually, the knee got better the moment Merlin entered the room.
And the sleepy look on the other man’s face, the hair sticking out in every direction, the shabby sweatpants and the wide t-shirts… Arthur really liked that. That and that wonderful wide smile, the twinkling blue eyes and those challenging looks he threw him when they were cooking or playing cards.
In the mornings, Arthur woke up from pleasant dreams, all of them featuring Merlin, and had to take care of the erection that came with the dreams.
So he did the only thing that came to his mind.
“Go out with me.” He said it before he could even think about it. It probably wasn’t a good idea, but he really liked spending time with Merlin and he wanted to get to know him better. Then again, Merlin had never mentioned a boyfriend, so how could he assume that Merlin liked blokes? On the other hand, he’d never mentioned a girlfriend either, so maybe…
Merlin nodded. “Yes, we’re going out today, get dressed.”
Arthur blinked. Hadn’t Merlin heard him? Or was he ignoring what he’d said on purpose? “Where are we going?”
“It’s about time that we get you out of the house and into something useful. You’re just wasting your days.”
Still standing rooted to the spot, leaned on his cane, Arthur blinked again. “What are we going to do?”
“You’ll see,” Merlin smiled, “now get ready.”
As much as Arthur nagged, Merlin just drove them and didn’t answer. He stopped in front of a group of small buildings. “We’re here.”
Arthur got out of the car and looked around. There were some children playing on a playground. What was this? A school? What was he supposed to do here?
A tall bloke came out of what seemed to be the main building. “Merlin!”
“Hi Percy, good to see you again!”
Arthur watched as they shook hands and patted shoulders, beaming widely.
The tall one turned and smiled. “And you must be Arthur.” He extended a hand, which Arthur automatically took.
“Yes.”
Merlin introduced them and then made his way into the building, animatedly talking to Percy, leaving Arthur to follow them. He still wasn’t sure where he was and what was expected of him.
There were kids everywhere. Kids of all ages. From very small ones, just above toddler-age to teenagers. This was no school, was it?
“What is this place?” He whispered to Merlin. “An orphanage?”
Percy turned. “We’re not really an orphanage. We give children a home who couldn’t stay with their parents any longer. Most of them can go see their parents when they want to, but they live here.”
“Interesting concept.” Arthur had been to those places before. For charity reasons and because it looked good when the big-ass soccer player pretended to care for those who weren’t as lucky. But he’d never stayed longer than necessary.
Merlin beamed. “Yes, it is. And you are needed here.”
“Me?” Arthur’s eyebrows shot up. “What good would I do here? I don’t know how to deal with children.”
“I’ve heard you had something to do with soccer, didn’t you?” The grin on Percy’s face showed that he knew exactly who he was dealing with.
“Had. Yes. Past tense.” Arthur’s shoulders got tight and he leaned heavily on his cane.
“Make it present tense again, Arthur. You know a thing or two about soccer and those kids need a coach.” Merlin looked at him expectantly.
“Coaching? The kids? What league do they play in?”
“None,” Percy laughed. “But they need some exercise and they love soccer. They just need someone to watch over them, to challenge them to their abilities and to show them a trick or two they can be proud of.”
“What do you mean by ‘challenge them to their abilities’?” Arthur frowned. He didn’t like the turn this conversation was taking.
“Some of our kids have their own challenges. Little Gwaine over there,” Percy pointed to the far end of the room where a little boy tried to cut something from a larger paper, his little face scrunched up in concentration, “he lost part of his arm in an accident. But that doesn’t stop him. It’s more like we have to stop him once in a while. And over there,” he gestured to a larger boy, “that’s Leon. His drunken father stepped on his leg when he was about four. His knee is of no use any more.”
Immediately Arthur felt for the boy. “You’re not telling me that those boys play soccer?”
Merlin laughed. “Oh yes, they do. You should see them”
“Merlin! MEEEEEEEEEEEERLIN!” A little blonde girl rushed in and clung to Merlin’s leg.
“Hey Sophia.” Merlin picked her up and she kissed his cheek as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “How are you today?”
“I drew a picture earlier and now we played ball.” She enthusiastically told Merlin and then peeked at Arthur. “Who’s this?” she whispered to Merlin loud enough for the adults to hear.
“That’s my friend Arthur. Arthur meet Sophia.”
Arthur smiled carefully at the girl who watched him with wide eyes and then turned back to Merlin. “He’s cute, you should keep him,” she told him in earnest, drawing chuckles from Percy and Merlin. Arthur gave a tormented smile.
“He’s a friend. Not a friend-friend.” Merlin winked at Sophia and set her down again. “I think Trina wants to show you something.” He pointed to another girl, about Sophia’s age and she ran away.
“Sophia’s our house-own match maker. At least she’s trying to be.” Percy still chuckled.
“She’s not on the soccer team, is she?”
“Oh yes, she is, you should see her play. It’s adorable.”
Arthur wasn’t sure if ‘adorable’ was an adjective he ever heard connected to playing soccer.
Merlin still grinned. “You’ll start on Monday.”
“I didn’t hear me agree to this yet.” Arthur really wasn’t sure he could do it. Yeah, these kids probably needed help. But what did he have to give them?
“Nonsense. You’ll try and we’ll see how it goes. If they don’t like you, we can still try to find something else for you to do.” Merlin nodded.
If they didn’t like him? Oh. Arthur hadn’t seen it from that perspective. Even though he knew that was just one of Merlin’s challenges, he’d make sure that those little rascals liked him!
On to part 10