SANTA'S LITTLE ELF
A fic gift for Gift Challenge at merlin_land
SUMMARY: Arthur trades with Gwen in order to be Merlin's Secret Santa.
RATING: PG
WORD COUNT: ~2400
POV: Alternating Arthur and Merlin
SANTA’S LITTLE ELF
Arthur sidled up to Gwen’s office cubby during the lunch break. He had made sure that most of the office staff had gone for lunch already, knowing that Gwen often worked through lunch, preferring to nibble vegetables at her desk while answering personal emails.
“Trade you Leon for Merlin,” he offered, holding out the slip of paper on which the name “Leon” was written.
Gwen looked up at him and smiled. “Arthur,” she said with mild scolding, “that would defeat the whole purpose of picking names for the Office Secret Santa.” She narrowed her eyes playfully at him. “Besides, how do you even know I picked Merlin?”
Arthur smiled coyly at her. “I’m the copy editing supervisor,” he told her. “I know everything.” He pretended not to see Gwen’s eyes rolling. He could not tell her that he had deliberately angled a view at the slip of paper she had picked from the basket, hoping she would strike lucky by picking the folded paper with Merlin’s name on it - since hadn’t. “Come on, Gwen,” he coaxed. “I already have the perfect gift in mind for Merlin.”
Gwen raised her eyebrows in a ‘do tell’ gesture.
Arthur felt his cheeks flush, suddenly feeling self-conscious. He did have the perfect gift in mind (and Gwen did not need to know he had already purchased) for Merlin - the copy editor under his supervision at Pendragon Publishing responsible for Fic Lit. Arthur had discovered over the two years of working together that Merlin loved classic literature and dreamed of having a rare book collection. Arthur had managed to find and purchase a Bradbury and Evans 1846 edition of Charles Dickens’ The Cricket on the Hearth that would be the envy of any rare book collector. He had paid a reasonable £450 for the mint condition book and currently had it nestled in a box at his flat, waiting to be wrapped and then given.
The thing was, Arthur had spent the better part of two years crushing on Merlin, whom he supervised, from afar and so it didn’t seem appropriate to give Merlin such an extravagant gift, given their supervisor-employee relationship. They weren’t even friends really - not like he and Gwen were friends of a sort (even though she was under his supervision as copy editor for cookbooks) or the way Merlin and Gwen were friends as well as co-workers. In fact, Arthur mostly avoided interacting with Merlin, except in the context of day-to-day work. Part of the reason for that was that, while Arthur was normally gifted with smooth social skills in most situations, he quickly became flustered around Merlin, often rendered tongue-tied or speechless.
Arthur usually had to settle for sneaking glances at Merlin while he worked. As it happened, the way Arthur’s desk was placed in his office, he had a clear view of Merlin’s office cubby and of Merlin hard at work on his computer at his desk. And having the benefit of darkened windows looking into his office, Arthur could be assured that he could stare as hard and long as he wanted at the beautiful young man without being caught.
When Arthur had come across the rare Cricket book, he knew he had to get it for Merlin. And it would be much easier to give it to him under the guise of being his office Secret Santa - even if Arthur had spent almost ten times the limit set for Secret Santa gifts. But he was Arthur Pendragon, the publishing guru’s son, so he could get away with being extravagant if he wanted without too many people raising an eyebrow.
“It’s just something I can’t give to Leon,” Arthur told Gwen vaguely. She eyed him suspiciously. “It’s something only Merlin could appreciate,” he elaborated.
Gwen finally acquiesced. “I’m intrigued,” she said, handing over her slip of paper and taking the one Arthur offered. “Can’t wait to see what your gift is.” Gwen’s soft brown eyes twinkled.
Arthur blushed then scurried back to the safety of his office.
~~
“Come on, Gwen,” Merlin said, his blue eyes pleading. “I wouldn’t even know what to get him. He’s not the easiest person to buy for.”
Gwen raised her eyebrows at him.
Merlin gave her a pointed look. “See, Leon would be happy with a bottle of decent rye whisky,” he said.
“And why can’t you get something like that for him?” Gwen nudged.
“Because,” Merlin intoned, as if it were obvious. “Nothing less than a fine double-cask scotch would do for The Boss. And not only would that go over the max £40 limit on gifts but it would put me over on my Christmas spending this year, which I cannot afford.”
Gwen’s look was soft. “I’m sure he would be happy with whatever you gave him,” she said. “Remember, it’s the thought that counts, Merlin, not the gift.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Merlin scoffed. “But the thought doesn’t count if you’re giving a gift to someone who already isn’t too fond of you.”
Gwen frowned at him. “Merlin, that’s ridiculous. I don’t know why you think he doesn’t like you.”
“Gwen, he does everything he can to avoid me,” Merlin argued, “and he barely speaks to me!”
Gwen’s eyes twinkled. “Did you ever think that maybe he just gets a little flustered around you?”
Merlin snorted. “Flustered?!” he exclaimed. “It’s Arthur. Arthur Pendragon. The man is completely self-assured, arrogant and cocky. He doesn’t get flustered, Gwen. And anyway why the hell would he get flustered around me?”
Gwen tilted her head thoughtfully, looking as though she intended to argue the point some. But she said nothing.
“Pretty please?” Merlin coaxed further. “I’ll do some of your edits for a month. Really, Gwen,” he said with as much desperation as he could, “there isn’t a gift I’d be able to get for him that he’d appreciate. But you - you could make something for him and he’d love it.”
Merlin batted his best doe eyes at her.
“Fine,” Gwen snapped, snatching the paper from Merlin’s hand. “But I’m telling you, you’re going to be sorry you traded.”
Sorry? thought Merlin. Hardly.
He really didn’t know what to get Arthur. Merlin couldn’t just get him a bottle of reasonably priced liquor and be happy with that. Not only was Arthur Pendragon his supervisor, but he was the CEO’s blasted son. And, besides, (though Merlin would never admit this to Gwen), Arthur was too special for any simple Secret Santa gift.
It was true that Merlin had a crush on Arthur. And he had been nurturing that crush since about the second week after he had come to the editing department under Arthur Pendragon’s supervision as a copy editor for fiction literature. On the surface, Arthur always treated him politely and professionally but Merlin could never shake the feeling that underneath that cool, professional exterior, Arthur harboured no fondness for Merlin as a friend or as anything else.
His feeling stemmed mostly from the fact that Arthur tended to interact with him solely in the context of work. This, in itself, wouldn’t have bothered Merlin but Arthur did extend more friendly interactions with some of Merlin’s other co-workers, such as Gwen, Leon and Lance. He sometimes went to dinner with them or joined them for drinks after work. And it seemed hardly a coincidence that whenever Merlin was invited to join the group, Arthur usually declined his invitation, claiming he had ‘other plans’ or wanted to make it an early night. If that didn’t speak volumes about Arthur wanting to maintain a professional relationship with him, Merlin didn’t know what would.
It was disappointing but it hadn’t stopped Merlin from continuing to crush on Arthur. In fact, he would have to say that his crush had only deepened over the past two years rather than being quashed by the inattention. Arthur Pendragon just had a certain something that made his heart beat faster and his insides tumble precariously.
Merlin slipped the paper with Leon’s name on it into the top drawer of his desk and went back to focusing on the manuscript he had started to format edit before the afternoon break.
Leon was an easy bloke to buy a gift for and would save Merlin the trouble of having to find the perfect gift for Arthur - not to mention the embarrassment of having to actually give a gift to the man of his dreams who would never ever be attainable.
~~
Arthur did his best to hide the look of puzzlement as Gwen handed him her Secret Santa gift, offering him a crooked smile and a raised eyebrow. He tore into the package and found a red and gold scarf, which he knew Gwen must have hand-knitted.
“Oh, this is glorious,” he gushed at her, winking. He took the scarf from the box and wrapped it around his neck. “Thank you, Gwen.”
Gwen smiled at him, a sparkle of amusement in her brown eyes.
The gift-giving continued, and Arthur made sure to pay close attention to the exchange of gifts, especially interested in seeing who Leon’s gift-giver was.
It turned out to be Merlin.
Holding up the bottle of rye whisky he had received, Leon clapped Merlin on the back in thanks. Merlin laughed and mumbled something about sharing that had Leon guffawing and several others chuckling in merriment.
Hmm, thought Arthur. This was a surprise. He glanced at Gwen who simply quirked her lips and offered a shrug.
Arthur waited until all of the gifts had been passed around and people were starting to talk, snack and mingle before he approached Merlin with his gift.
“Can’t leave you out,” he said to Merlin, holding out the wrapped package to Merlin.
Merlin looked at him with surprise. “What’s this?”
“Your gift,” Arthur replied, attempting to swallow. His throat felt incredibly dry. “I’m your Secret Santa.”
“Oh,” was all Merlin said. A dusting of pink covered his exquisite cheekbones.
“Well, open it,” Arthur urged, gesturing at the gift.
Merlin looked down at the gift in his hands and swallowed hard. Arthur was his Secret Santa? What sick twist of fate had made that happen? he wondered.
His hands shook as he opened the wrapped lid of the box and revealed the treasure nestled inside. Merlin almost dropped the entire box when he saw it: A first printing edition of Dickens’ The Cricket on the Hearth. Merlin ran his hand delicately over the red ribbed cloth of the book cover, the scripted gold letters of the title, and the wonderful gilt edges of the book. He slowly and carefully opened the book to reveal the cover page. Just as he had guessed: An 1846 Bradbury and Evans first printing edition.
“Oh my God, Arthur,” Merlin expressed. “This is...this is...” He stared at the book for a long moment then handed the box back to Arthur. “This is too much,” he said. “I can’t accept it.” Merlin’s mind was still trying to process that Arthur was his Secret Santa much less that Arthur had just given him a gift that was beyond any dream he had ever had.
Arthur gently pushed the gift back into his hands. “Yes you can. Haven’t you always wanted to start a rare book collection?”
How did Arthur know that? “Yes,” Merlin said, barely above a whisper.
Arthur smiled shyly at him. “Then this is the perfect gift.”
“But it must have cost you a mint!” Merlin argued, still unable to believe he held a rare Dickens’ Cricket in his hands.
Arthur shrugged. “Not that much,” he said. “Besides, there’s nobody else here who would appreciate this and I can’t take it back so...” He looked at Merlin with intense blue eyes that glistened with fondness.
Merlin was speechless. This was so unexpected. Arthur and his looking all sweet and fond at him was so unexpected.
“I originally picked you, you know,” Merlin blurted out. He couldn’t think of anything else to say right now.
“I know.”
Merlin raised an eyebrow.
Arthur smiled. “I traded with Gwen - Leon for you, so...” He gestured with his hands, allowing Merlin to put the pieces together.
“Oh.” Merlin looked down at his feet, shuffled them, then looked up from under his eyelashes and asked, “Why would you do that?”
“Because I like you,” Arthur said, “and I wanted to get you something special for Christmas.”
“You like me?” Merlin was genuinely surprised but his heart filled with warmth nonetheless. He shook his head in wonder. “But you always seem like you’re avoiding me and hardly ever say a word to me.”
A rosy blush crept up into Arthur’s cheeks. “I get flustered around you,” he admitted.
“Really?” Gwen was actually right? Merlin thought.
Arthur nodded. “To tell you the truth, I’m flustered right now.”
Merlin thought his heart would explode from the endearing way that Arthur - Arthur Pendragon, the man of his dreams, the focus of his crush - had just confessed that Merlin made him feel flustered.
“I know the feeling,” Merlin expressed.
Arthur and Merlin were so engrossed in understanding their newly revealed feelings for each other that they barely noticed Gwen dragging an office chair over toward them. Leon gallantly helped her step up on the seat and Gwen dangled something above their heads.
It was mistletoe.
“Come on you two,” Gwen said, grinning at the pair of them. “We know this is a long time coming.”
Arthur looked at Merlin. His cheeks were flushed but there was an encouraging glint in his eyes. So, Arthur leaned in and pressed his lips to Merlin’s, taking in the soft fullness of his mouth.
It was a fantastic kiss - full of hope and wanting - and Arthur wished it would last forever. But the sharp corner of the gift box Merlin still held jabbing him in the ribs forced him to finally break the kiss and pull away, though only a mere inch or two.
He looked at Merlin, his lips still parted, his eyes glazed happily over. “Um, maybe we could continue this somewhere else?” Arthur suggested shyly.
“Yeah,” Merlin agreed, breathless.
Arthur backed Merlin all the way up into his office and closed the door behind them. As he locked lips with an eager Merlin, he was grateful - once again - for the darkened windows.
Merlin pulled his mouth away from Arthur’s briefly to say, “Thank you for the book, Arthur. It’s the best gift I’ve ever been given.” Then he fitted his mouth back to Arthur’s and kept it that way for the next hour, not willing to break apart for a second, slipping his tongue in to tangle with Arthur’s to add further intimacy.
The office party carried on outside the office without them, the sounds of laughter and cheer of their co-workers a distant pleasant hum.
THE END
SUMMARY: Arthur trades with Gwen in order to be Merlin's Secret Santa.
RATING: PG
WORD COUNT: ~2400
POV: Alternating Arthur and Merlin
SANTA’S LITTLE ELF
Arthur sidled up to Gwen’s office cubby during the lunch break. He had made sure that most of the office staff had gone for lunch already, knowing that Gwen often worked through lunch, preferring to nibble vegetables at her desk while answering personal emails.
“Trade you Leon for Merlin,” he offered, holding out the slip of paper on which the name “Leon” was written.
Gwen looked up at him and smiled. “Arthur,” she said with mild scolding, “that would defeat the whole purpose of picking names for the Office Secret Santa.” She narrowed her eyes playfully at him. “Besides, how do you even know I picked Merlin?”
Arthur smiled coyly at her. “I’m the copy editing supervisor,” he told her. “I know everything.” He pretended not to see Gwen’s eyes rolling. He could not tell her that he had deliberately angled a view at the slip of paper she had picked from the basket, hoping she would strike lucky by picking the folded paper with Merlin’s name on it - since hadn’t. “Come on, Gwen,” he coaxed. “I already have the perfect gift in mind for Merlin.”
Gwen raised her eyebrows in a ‘do tell’ gesture.
Arthur felt his cheeks flush, suddenly feeling self-conscious. He did have the perfect gift in mind (and Gwen did not need to know he had already purchased) for Merlin - the copy editor under his supervision at Pendragon Publishing responsible for Fic Lit. Arthur had discovered over the two years of working together that Merlin loved classic literature and dreamed of having a rare book collection. Arthur had managed to find and purchase a Bradbury and Evans 1846 edition of Charles Dickens’ The Cricket on the Hearth that would be the envy of any rare book collector. He had paid a reasonable £450 for the mint condition book and currently had it nestled in a box at his flat, waiting to be wrapped and then given.
The thing was, Arthur had spent the better part of two years crushing on Merlin, whom he supervised, from afar and so it didn’t seem appropriate to give Merlin such an extravagant gift, given their supervisor-employee relationship. They weren’t even friends really - not like he and Gwen were friends of a sort (even though she was under his supervision as copy editor for cookbooks) or the way Merlin and Gwen were friends as well as co-workers. In fact, Arthur mostly avoided interacting with Merlin, except in the context of day-to-day work. Part of the reason for that was that, while Arthur was normally gifted with smooth social skills in most situations, he quickly became flustered around Merlin, often rendered tongue-tied or speechless.
Arthur usually had to settle for sneaking glances at Merlin while he worked. As it happened, the way Arthur’s desk was placed in his office, he had a clear view of Merlin’s office cubby and of Merlin hard at work on his computer at his desk. And having the benefit of darkened windows looking into his office, Arthur could be assured that he could stare as hard and long as he wanted at the beautiful young man without being caught.
When Arthur had come across the rare Cricket book, he knew he had to get it for Merlin. And it would be much easier to give it to him under the guise of being his office Secret Santa - even if Arthur had spent almost ten times the limit set for Secret Santa gifts. But he was Arthur Pendragon, the publishing guru’s son, so he could get away with being extravagant if he wanted without too many people raising an eyebrow.
“It’s just something I can’t give to Leon,” Arthur told Gwen vaguely. She eyed him suspiciously. “It’s something only Merlin could appreciate,” he elaborated.
Gwen finally acquiesced. “I’m intrigued,” she said, handing over her slip of paper and taking the one Arthur offered. “Can’t wait to see what your gift is.” Gwen’s soft brown eyes twinkled.
Arthur blushed then scurried back to the safety of his office.
~~
“Come on, Gwen,” Merlin said, his blue eyes pleading. “I wouldn’t even know what to get him. He’s not the easiest person to buy for.”
Gwen raised her eyebrows at him.
Merlin gave her a pointed look. “See, Leon would be happy with a bottle of decent rye whisky,” he said.
“And why can’t you get something like that for him?” Gwen nudged.
“Because,” Merlin intoned, as if it were obvious. “Nothing less than a fine double-cask scotch would do for The Boss. And not only would that go over the max £40 limit on gifts but it would put me over on my Christmas spending this year, which I cannot afford.”
Gwen’s look was soft. “I’m sure he would be happy with whatever you gave him,” she said. “Remember, it’s the thought that counts, Merlin, not the gift.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Merlin scoffed. “But the thought doesn’t count if you’re giving a gift to someone who already isn’t too fond of you.”
Gwen frowned at him. “Merlin, that’s ridiculous. I don’t know why you think he doesn’t like you.”
“Gwen, he does everything he can to avoid me,” Merlin argued, “and he barely speaks to me!”
Gwen’s eyes twinkled. “Did you ever think that maybe he just gets a little flustered around you?”
Merlin snorted. “Flustered?!” he exclaimed. “It’s Arthur. Arthur Pendragon. The man is completely self-assured, arrogant and cocky. He doesn’t get flustered, Gwen. And anyway why the hell would he get flustered around me?”
Gwen tilted her head thoughtfully, looking as though she intended to argue the point some. But she said nothing.
“Pretty please?” Merlin coaxed further. “I’ll do some of your edits for a month. Really, Gwen,” he said with as much desperation as he could, “there isn’t a gift I’d be able to get for him that he’d appreciate. But you - you could make something for him and he’d love it.”
Merlin batted his best doe eyes at her.
“Fine,” Gwen snapped, snatching the paper from Merlin’s hand. “But I’m telling you, you’re going to be sorry you traded.”
Sorry? thought Merlin. Hardly.
He really didn’t know what to get Arthur. Merlin couldn’t just get him a bottle of reasonably priced liquor and be happy with that. Not only was Arthur Pendragon his supervisor, but he was the CEO’s blasted son. And, besides, (though Merlin would never admit this to Gwen), Arthur was too special for any simple Secret Santa gift.
It was true that Merlin had a crush on Arthur. And he had been nurturing that crush since about the second week after he had come to the editing department under Arthur Pendragon’s supervision as a copy editor for fiction literature. On the surface, Arthur always treated him politely and professionally but Merlin could never shake the feeling that underneath that cool, professional exterior, Arthur harboured no fondness for Merlin as a friend or as anything else.
His feeling stemmed mostly from the fact that Arthur tended to interact with him solely in the context of work. This, in itself, wouldn’t have bothered Merlin but Arthur did extend more friendly interactions with some of Merlin’s other co-workers, such as Gwen, Leon and Lance. He sometimes went to dinner with them or joined them for drinks after work. And it seemed hardly a coincidence that whenever Merlin was invited to join the group, Arthur usually declined his invitation, claiming he had ‘other plans’ or wanted to make it an early night. If that didn’t speak volumes about Arthur wanting to maintain a professional relationship with him, Merlin didn’t know what would.
It was disappointing but it hadn’t stopped Merlin from continuing to crush on Arthur. In fact, he would have to say that his crush had only deepened over the past two years rather than being quashed by the inattention. Arthur Pendragon just had a certain something that made his heart beat faster and his insides tumble precariously.
Merlin slipped the paper with Leon’s name on it into the top drawer of his desk and went back to focusing on the manuscript he had started to format edit before the afternoon break.
Leon was an easy bloke to buy a gift for and would save Merlin the trouble of having to find the perfect gift for Arthur - not to mention the embarrassment of having to actually give a gift to the man of his dreams who would never ever be attainable.
~~
Arthur did his best to hide the look of puzzlement as Gwen handed him her Secret Santa gift, offering him a crooked smile and a raised eyebrow. He tore into the package and found a red and gold scarf, which he knew Gwen must have hand-knitted.
“Oh, this is glorious,” he gushed at her, winking. He took the scarf from the box and wrapped it around his neck. “Thank you, Gwen.”
Gwen smiled at him, a sparkle of amusement in her brown eyes.
The gift-giving continued, and Arthur made sure to pay close attention to the exchange of gifts, especially interested in seeing who Leon’s gift-giver was.
It turned out to be Merlin.
Holding up the bottle of rye whisky he had received, Leon clapped Merlin on the back in thanks. Merlin laughed and mumbled something about sharing that had Leon guffawing and several others chuckling in merriment.
Hmm, thought Arthur. This was a surprise. He glanced at Gwen who simply quirked her lips and offered a shrug.
Arthur waited until all of the gifts had been passed around and people were starting to talk, snack and mingle before he approached Merlin with his gift.
“Can’t leave you out,” he said to Merlin, holding out the wrapped package to Merlin.
Merlin looked at him with surprise. “What’s this?”
“Your gift,” Arthur replied, attempting to swallow. His throat felt incredibly dry. “I’m your Secret Santa.”
“Oh,” was all Merlin said. A dusting of pink covered his exquisite cheekbones.
“Well, open it,” Arthur urged, gesturing at the gift.
Merlin looked down at the gift in his hands and swallowed hard. Arthur was his Secret Santa? What sick twist of fate had made that happen? he wondered.
His hands shook as he opened the wrapped lid of the box and revealed the treasure nestled inside. Merlin almost dropped the entire box when he saw it: A first printing edition of Dickens’ The Cricket on the Hearth. Merlin ran his hand delicately over the red ribbed cloth of the book cover, the scripted gold letters of the title, and the wonderful gilt edges of the book. He slowly and carefully opened the book to reveal the cover page. Just as he had guessed: An 1846 Bradbury and Evans first printing edition.
“Oh my God, Arthur,” Merlin expressed. “This is...this is...” He stared at the book for a long moment then handed the box back to Arthur. “This is too much,” he said. “I can’t accept it.” Merlin’s mind was still trying to process that Arthur was his Secret Santa much less that Arthur had just given him a gift that was beyond any dream he had ever had.
Arthur gently pushed the gift back into his hands. “Yes you can. Haven’t you always wanted to start a rare book collection?”
How did Arthur know that? “Yes,” Merlin said, barely above a whisper.
Arthur smiled shyly at him. “Then this is the perfect gift.”
“But it must have cost you a mint!” Merlin argued, still unable to believe he held a rare Dickens’ Cricket in his hands.
Arthur shrugged. “Not that much,” he said. “Besides, there’s nobody else here who would appreciate this and I can’t take it back so...” He looked at Merlin with intense blue eyes that glistened with fondness.
Merlin was speechless. This was so unexpected. Arthur and his looking all sweet and fond at him was so unexpected.
“I originally picked you, you know,” Merlin blurted out. He couldn’t think of anything else to say right now.
“I know.”
Merlin raised an eyebrow.
Arthur smiled. “I traded with Gwen - Leon for you, so...” He gestured with his hands, allowing Merlin to put the pieces together.
“Oh.” Merlin looked down at his feet, shuffled them, then looked up from under his eyelashes and asked, “Why would you do that?”
“Because I like you,” Arthur said, “and I wanted to get you something special for Christmas.”
“You like me?” Merlin was genuinely surprised but his heart filled with warmth nonetheless. He shook his head in wonder. “But you always seem like you’re avoiding me and hardly ever say a word to me.”
A rosy blush crept up into Arthur’s cheeks. “I get flustered around you,” he admitted.
“Really?” Gwen was actually right? Merlin thought.
Arthur nodded. “To tell you the truth, I’m flustered right now.”
Merlin thought his heart would explode from the endearing way that Arthur - Arthur Pendragon, the man of his dreams, the focus of his crush - had just confessed that Merlin made him feel flustered.
“I know the feeling,” Merlin expressed.
Arthur and Merlin were so engrossed in understanding their newly revealed feelings for each other that they barely noticed Gwen dragging an office chair over toward them. Leon gallantly helped her step up on the seat and Gwen dangled something above their heads.
It was mistletoe.
“Come on you two,” Gwen said, grinning at the pair of them. “We know this is a long time coming.”
Arthur looked at Merlin. His cheeks were flushed but there was an encouraging glint in his eyes. So, Arthur leaned in and pressed his lips to Merlin’s, taking in the soft fullness of his mouth.
It was a fantastic kiss - full of hope and wanting - and Arthur wished it would last forever. But the sharp corner of the gift box Merlin still held jabbing him in the ribs forced him to finally break the kiss and pull away, though only a mere inch or two.
He looked at Merlin, his lips still parted, his eyes glazed happily over. “Um, maybe we could continue this somewhere else?” Arthur suggested shyly.
“Yeah,” Merlin agreed, breathless.
Arthur backed Merlin all the way up into his office and closed the door behind them. As he locked lips with an eager Merlin, he was grateful - once again - for the darkened windows.
Merlin pulled his mouth away from Arthur’s briefly to say, “Thank you for the book, Arthur. It’s the best gift I’ve ever been given.” Then he fitted his mouth back to Arthur’s and kept it that way for the next hour, not willing to break apart for a second, slipping his tongue in to tangle with Arthur’s to add further intimacy.
The office party carried on outside the office without them, the sounds of laughter and cheer of their co-workers a distant pleasant hum.
THE END