Haunted (part one)
Title: Haunted (part one)
Word Count: 3764
Rating: R (violence and Merlin tends to swear, a lot)
Disclaimer: Owned by Shine, BBC, with a nod to Tolkien. Please don’t sue me, I’m only playing!
Warnings/spoilers: loads of fluffy domestic stuff. Gruesome bits in later episodes.
Summary: Merlin, Arthur and their adopted son move into a mansion, but will the tranquillity last?
A/N: The back stories can be rather long, so I’m trying to make this semi-separate. We’ll see how it goes…
Back stories (with all the links) can be found here http://welshinnit.livejournal.com/2011/04/22/
1.
Changes, and the noise that had accompanied it, brought the long sleep to a close. Now, bright lights flittered about. The bright lights of vital, rare beings. The bright lights of souls…
* * *
Arthur drove up the long, fir lined drive and the house came into view. The blond grinned at the look of awe on Merlin’s face and he felt pleased. “Gawain and Celimdol have already moved into the gardener’s cottage you saw near the front gates,” he said as he still relished having his lover near him after weeks of being apart. “I expect Gawain’s gone to pick him up from work. They’ll be back soon.”
“It’s so big,” was all Merlin could say at first. “Petros, look, we’re here.”
The six year old with bleached blond dreadlocks snapped his laptop closed and unbuckled his seat belt as Arthur parked his range rover next to a white removal van. The boy stowed away his computer into a messenger bag too big for him. “Wicked. Arthur, where’s the computer room Morgana mentioned?”
Arthur laughed out loud and undid his own seat belt. “Through the front porch you’ll find a small door next to my office on the right. Get in the lift and press the lowest button, the one marked ‘-1’. Uncle Leon should be there trying to figure out how to set up the security cameras.”
Even before Arthur had finished speaking, the little boy, quite short for his age, had opened the door, scrambled out and ran up the steps to a large, iron-bound door that was wide open. A woman in brown overalls expertly swerved out of the boy’s way with a smile on her face. She went to the van and was handed a box by another of the all female removal team Morgana had hired. The blond turned back to his lover and saw him still looking up at the two storey mansion.
“Hey, I…” Merlin turned his head to face him and Arthur’s words faltered. There was half a smile on the teen’s lips and his deep blue eyes bore into the blond’s own. Arthur cleared his throat. “I know we haven’t discussed it…I mean us, erm moving in together and I want you to know it’s perfectly okay if you think it’s too soon. I’ll help you get a flat somewhere for you and Petros, close I hope, and don’t think this is charity ‘cause you can always pay a bit of rent if you want, and…Fuck it! Move in?”
Merlin did move in closer and kissed him on the lips. “Already had a word with Morgana outside your old place. There’s a job going at the Green Dragon, just a short train journey away to Winchmore Hill Station. Also, where Petros goes, we go. The adoption papers have both our names on them.”
Arthur grinned and then frowned. “You made me go through all that when you’ve already decided?”
It was Merlin’s time to grin. He unbuckled his seat belt, kissed the frown away, opened the car door, and then got out. Arthur got out on his side of the range rover. “It was kinda funny.”
The blond chased him all the away to the porch and through the front door. He nearly bumped into Merlin when the teen had stopped to look up in awe. Arthur joined him; Morgana had picked an awesome house for them to buy. The large hall that greeted them was open to the two floors and was dominated by a sweeping broad staircase. Arthur pointed up to the upper landing.
“Those are the guest rooms and whatever we want to make of them I suppose. To the right here is my office and our wing of Whitwood House. We’ve got our own stairs to the next floor. Morgana’s wing is to the left.”
“Wings?” Merlin whispered as he still looked around. Morgana had furnished the house in her own eclectic style of old and new, but had kept most of the paintings the building had come with. These were mostly landscapes or of long forgotten nobles in all their finery.
“Yeah. Whitwood is kinda in a U shape. You wait until you see the courtyard and the gardens beyond. Gawain’s going to have his work cut out.” Arthur put his arm around his lover’s shoulder and steered his attention to beyond the staircase at ground level. “Okay, the neutral territory as I call it. The right door leads to the telly room and is connected to the left where the kitchen is. They’re both big.”
Merlin simply nodded and gulped. “Yeah, big.”
Arthur laughed and gave him a squeeze. He then steered both of them out of the way of a box carrying woman. “Look, you explore while I unpack the last of my stuff. We’ll all meet up in the kitchen later. And keep your mobile with you; it’s the only way we can keep in contact with each other in this place.”
The art student kissed him on the cheek and brought his arm around to hug him into a deeper kiss on the lips. A polite cough prised them apart and they turned to face one of the removal woman. She wore a smile and had a clipboard.
“We’re finished here, Mister Pendragon. If you could sign this for me, we’ll be on our way.”
Arthur disentangled himself and signed the sheet. He fished out his wallet from his back jeans pocket and got out five twenties. “Thanks for all your help and have this for you and your team.”
Her smile broadened. “Thank you sir and enjoy your new home.”
As she left the building, Merlin whispered, “Yeah, home.”
The blond gave him a gentle push towards the stairs. “Go. Explore.”
Merlin took the steps two at a time and Arthur had to remind himself he had unpacking to do. He sighed happily and went back to his car to get his packing case of personal possessions. It was when he had just sliced through the masking tape with a pair of scissors that Merlin burst into his office with a grin on his face.
“Five en-suite guest bedrooms, Arthur, and they’re huge.”
“Yep and Morgana has her own three bedrooms, like us.”
Merlin’s smile broadened and he dashed off as Arthur chuckled. Within minutes his lover was back.
“She has her own kitchen and a little herb garden!” the scrawny youth panted excitedly.
Arthur laughed and nodded towards a side door. “Through there is our kitchen-stroke-sitting room. Go though the door that you’ll find, up some stairs to our bedrooms and the gallery_”
“Fucking gallery?”
“_and to the end of that is another flight of stairs to the attic. I, erm, have a present waiting for you there. I hope you like it.”
Merlin hugged him tightly again, said “I love you,” and then rushed off once more.
Arthur took out his mithril vest from the box, but then placed it on his desk without putting it away. He looked out of the French windows and took in the expanse of green and onto the grey line of the boundary wall.
“Gods, I love you to. I hope you’re happy here, Merlin. I hope we all are.”
* * *
The lift door opened and Petros stepped into a bright room filled with several computers. One screen filled the whole of the opposite wall, but it was turned off at the moment.
“Cool.”
Leon swivelled around in his chair with a smile on his face. “Hi there, little man. Come to help?”
The boy came over and jumped onto a chair. He started to work on a keyboard. “I’m not little. I’m nearly seven!”
Leon’s face became solemn, but the amusement did not leave his eyes. “I apologise.”
Petros shrugged his shoulders. “That’s cool, it’s not your fault. Grown ups can be a bit dense sometimes.” The lupine hunter barked a laugh. “Although Arthur says that I should feel sorry for you lot and have lots and lots of patience, which is okay I suppose. I should think of another name for him, seeing he is one of my adopted parents and all. ‘Arthur’ or ‘Blondie’ just doesn’t cut it, does it?”
“What about ‘Father’?” suggested Leon as he tried to follow the dread head’s fingers over the keys.
“Yeah, wicked. Daddy and Father,” he piped without looking up. “Thanks Uncle Leon. You’re pretty cool. You would be cooler if you didn’t like girls and face suck Morgana all the time. They and it are gross. There, security cameras online.”
The large screen blinked into life and was divided into various views of the mansion and the grounds. Leon sat in silence with his mouth open and Petros grinned.
“But…but Merlin said you could hardly read!”
Petros made a face. “Yeah, but I kinda sense what to do with computers and stuff. Daddy says I have to go to school in a few months. I bet that’ll suck.”
“Man, you’re brilliant. And school will be fun, what with new friends and all.”
The boy smiled once more. “Good point, Uncle Leon.”
The lupine hunter got up from his seat and made for a side door. “Look, I’ve got to go to toilet and make a cupper. Just don’t touch anything else while I’m gone, yeah? And, er, thanks.”
“No probs, dude.”
When Leon had gone, Petros turned back to the computer and started to type away. After a while he stopped and frowned. “No net here yet,” he huffed, but then noticed movement from a part of the large screen that showed the main hall. A little girl in a white smock and black boots stood facing up at the security camera. She grasped a worn teddy with one of its ears torn off.
“Wow, that’s really cool. Pity there’s no sound, we could chat or something, even though you’re a girl.”
The girl put one finger to her lips as Leon called out, “What’s that Petros?” The hunter came in and he carried a mug of coffee. The boy looked back at the screen but the girl was gone.
“Nothing, dude.” He jumped down. “Gotta go, laters.”
“Laters,” said a bemused Leon as Petros re-entered the lift.
The dread head grinned and waved as the door slid shut. Leon chuckled and waved back.
* * *
Merlin climbed the narrow staircase and opened the single door at the top. Before him he saw a long, rectangular room flooded with light from the afternoon sun. It streamed in from large skylights built into the roof. One of the comfortable armchairs from Morgana’s old house was sat in a corner next to an antique bookcase half filled with volumes on art and its history. A narrow door next to the bookcase was open and Merlin saw what looked like a dark room for photography with even another door (closed) further on.
A long radiator dominated one of the walls and was painted in a pillar box red. Merlin grinned; he could imagine Morgana having that done. Opposite were two windows that afforded a view of a field of grass, the perimeter wall and a road in the far distance. In between were the rest of the furnishings; a drawing desk and an easel. Blank canvasses of various sizes rested against any part of the wall not near the radiator.
Merlin walked over to a window and looked out. He gave a contented sigh. “I love you so much, prat,” he whispered, determined not to let the tears fall. He had done enough crying.
He finally took out his mobile and texted: Kitchen? Hungry as fuck.
Meet you there. Morg arrived. A pound for the swear jar :-)
Merlin laughed and went to leave the studio, his studio. As he opened the door to go downstairs, he heard a creak of wood behind him. He turned, but saw nothing. With a shrug he went down the dark staircase; old houses were full of noises.
* * *
“Are their any horses, Morgana?” asked Petros as they watched the credits roll to Disney’s Aladdin for a second time. He had his Spiderman pyjamas on. “Uncle Gawain said we had stables.”
“They’ve been converted into a garage, sweetheart. We’ve got lots of cars to lock up at night.” The seer sat in a brand new armchair and had the boy in her lap. She looked over at Arthur with a wicked grin. “Perhaps my little brother will get us some horses later.”
Petros sat up, excited. “Will you, Father? That’d be wicked. Uncle Celimdol said he’ll teach me and everything.”
Merlin laughed at his lover’s expense as Arthur tried to give his stepsister a glare of death while he smiled at his adopted son. “Be good at school and we’ll see.” When the dread head made a face at the mention of school, the blond laughed and quickly changed the subject from horses. “So how do you like your new home?”
“It’s really awesome. Uncle Gawain showed me where the games room is and it’s got loads of games and stuff and broadband and posters of Spiderman. You press button B in the lift, but he says I’m not to touch the bottles in the wine cellar. I won’t anyway ‘cause that stuff is stupid. And he said I’m not to go in the gym without a grown up ‘cause it’s dangerous. I told him I’m nearly seven! Mary says that’s there’re secret places we’ll go to when I explore properly.”
“Who’s Mary?” asked Merlin with a grin.
“Imaginary friend,” mouthed Morgana over the boy’s head.
“She’s cool, for a girl.” Petros yawned.
“Come on,” Arthur said as he stood and scooped up the dreadlocked little boy into his arms. “Time for teeth and then bed.”
Morgana stretched and went to sit next to Leon on the sofa. She turned off the huge television with the remote.
“Awww,” Petros whined through another yawn,” but I’m not sleepy.”
“Of course you’re not,” the blond laughed. “Now say goodnight to everyone.” Petros huffed out a sigh but said his goodnights anyway. Arthur let him kiss Merlin on the cheek and then carried him from the room.
Merlin smiled at the other two in the room. “He’s a handful, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Morgana snorted. “Arthur or Petros?” When the laughter died down she reached out and touched his knee. “We’ll all chip in. It’s the least we can do after what he did for us.”
The room fell silent as they remembered how a much older version of Petros had saved their lives in the fight against Cenred and Nimueh, which had ended in his own horrible death.
“How much do you think he remembers?” asked Leon after a few minutes had gone by.
Merlin let out a long breath. “Tarrion said that he’ll remember when he gets older. For now, he just knows that he can trust us. We’ve got a few years to go before that shit hits the fan.” He stood up and made ready to leave. It had been a long day and he knew that Arthur was tired as well, both physically and emotionally. “I better get to sleep early. Arthur wants us to visit a private school nearby and it’s going to be hell trying to dress the kid in a shirt and trousers. And persuade him to wear shoes instead of trainers.”
It was his turn to be laughed at and he good naturedly flicked them two fingers as he left to search for his lover.
* * *
“I HATE YOU AND I WON’T SAY SORRY, EVER!”
Morgana heard Petros shout and then a door slam. She sighed and put down her copy of the Times and made for the hall. Here she saw Arthur in a suite and tie, the top button of his white shirt undone and his hand over his face. When he lowered it at her approach, she saw he looked haggard.
“Didn’t go well, eh?”
“An understatement,” he said with a wan smile. “Merlin’s with him now.”
The seer hooked her arm into his. “Come on. A latte and a chat with big sis,” she said as she guided him to the neutral kitchen. Here she made two mugs and set them on the table.
“Speak,” Morgana commanded as she took a sip.
Arthur barked out a laugh. “Where do I start? Petros wanted to take his skateboard and when we said no, he didn’t speak for the whole journey there. When we got to the place, the receptionist took one look at us and went into the headmistress’ office. It was not the best interview I’ve been to.”
“What, your obvious charm didn’t work?”
Arthur gave her a glare and she smirked behind her mug. “I was very charming and Merlin looked gorgeous in his shirt and slacks, even if he was really nervous. It’s just that Miss Bumbridge started to immediately list a dress and hair code.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, ‘oh’. Petros said no grown up was going to touch his dreads and that she was an evil old bitch and that Mary didn’t like her or her cesspit of a school. Also he was not going to a school where said bitch didn’t like his dads. It went downhill from there.”
Morgana put her mug down and touched his forearm as she reached out across the wooden table. “He’ll get used to it.”
Arthur shook his head. “It gets worse. On the way back I told him off for being rude and we had a kind of fight. He and his imaginary friend now ‘hate my guts and never want to see me again’. When we got back I told him to go straight to his room, without his laptop, and to only come down when he’s ready to apologise. You heard the rest. Sis, am I another, erm, Uther?”
Morgana lightly slapped his wrist and picked up her coffee again. “You’ll never be as bad as him. I know it sucks but a telling off is part of child rearing. He’ll come round.”
As if on cue Petros, his hand in Merlin’s and his eyes to the ground, stood at the doorway. The boy mumbled something.
“Er, dude, didn’t quite hear that,” Merlin said in a sharp voice as he smiled over at the two. The smile dropped as the boy’s head came up to look at them. Morgana noticed that the young silver dragon was near to tears.
“I’m…I’m sorry Father, I really am. I’ll go to that place if you really want me to.” Arthur opened his arms and Petros ran into the embrace, tears dripping down his little cheeks. “I’m sure Mary doesn’t hate your guts and I definitely don’t. I love you and Daddy.”
Morgana was certain that her brother’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, not that he would admit to it.
“And we love you too, little man. Listen,” the blond took out a handkerchief and wiped the boy’s tears away, “you’re not going to that primary school.”
Petros sniffed. “Really?”
“Yes, really. Perhaps Daddy is right and you should go to a state school and meet lots of new friends. An all boy’s school isn’t for you.”
The little boy’s face brightened. “Can I have my laptop back now?”
Arthur stifled a grin. “No, you’ve still got to be punished for being rude to Miss Bumbridge.”
Petros put his fists on his hips and it was Morgana’s turn to stifle a grin. Merlin shook his head in disbelief at the boy’s tenacity and went to make himself a coffee.
“But she hates homo dads_”
“Petros,” Merlin warned without turning around.
“Sorry Daddy. She hates two daddies being parents, Mary said so.”
Arthur raised an eyebrow. “It’s still no excuse for being rude. Listen, you can have your laptop after lunch. Why don’t you and Mary harass Uncle Leon in the computer room until then?”
The dread head shouted out in glee and ran to the doorway that led to the hall. Here he stopped, turned around and with all seriousness said “Father, I do love you and Daddy loads and loads and loads.”
Arthur cleared his throat. “And we love you loads and loads as well. Now scoot.”
The boy grinned and shot off as Merlin sat next to his lover. “You big softy,” he said and gave him a quick kiss. Arthur smiled.
“How did you do it? I thought I wasn’t going to be on speaking terms with him for days.”
Merlin shrugged his shoulders. “I just told him that I agreed with you one hundred percent, that he had hurt you really bad and that he should be ashamed of himself.”
“Well done, both of you. It’s only the second day, though, so good luck,” Morgana laughed as she got up. “Now I’m going to finish my paper before I ring Gaius about a suitable housekeeper to hire. See you boys later.”
When they were alone, Arthur went in for another, longer kiss. They eventually stopped after long minutes and just rested their foreheads against each other. “You’re a marvel, Mister Emrys.”
“You’re not so bad yourself.”
Arthur laughed and then became embarrassed. “I’ve, er, got something to say. I was going to mention it later, at a restaurant I booked for us, but…”
Merlin looked curious and raised both eyebrows. “Out with it, Pendragon.”
The blond breathed in deeply for courage and went down on one knee. As he fumbled in his jacket pocket, Merlin gasped and whispered “Fucking hell.”
Arthur brought out a gold ring carved to look like oak leaves. “It can’t replace the one you lost, but…erm…shit. Merlin Emrys, will you marry me? I know we only met in January but you’re the one for me. We can be engaged as long as you want.”
Silent tears started to leak from Merlin’s eyes as Arthur slid the ring on his finger. The art student stood and brought Arthur up to embrace him fiercely. “And you’re the only one for me, Arthur Pendragon.”
The blond returned the hug and when it broke, their arms still around each other, he kissed his lover’s tears away. “So…that’s a yes, right?”
Merlin laughed. “Yes, you fucking blond arrogant gorgeous sexy prat.”
Arthur punched the air. “Morgana first?” he then asked quietly.
“Morgana first,” the black haired scrawny teen agreed and, still not willing to let each other go, they went to the seer’s half of Whitwood House.
Word Count: 3764
Rating: R (violence and Merlin tends to swear, a lot)
Disclaimer: Owned by Shine, BBC, with a nod to Tolkien. Please don’t sue me, I’m only playing!
Warnings/spoilers: loads of fluffy domestic stuff. Gruesome bits in later episodes.
Summary: Merlin, Arthur and their adopted son move into a mansion, but will the tranquillity last?
A/N: The back stories can be rather long, so I’m trying to make this semi-separate. We’ll see how it goes…
Back stories (with all the links) can be found here http://welshinnit.livejournal.com/2011/04/22/
1.
Changes, and the noise that had accompanied it, brought the long sleep to a close. Now, bright lights flittered about. The bright lights of vital, rare beings. The bright lights of souls…
* * *
Arthur drove up the long, fir lined drive and the house came into view. The blond grinned at the look of awe on Merlin’s face and he felt pleased. “Gawain and Celimdol have already moved into the gardener’s cottage you saw near the front gates,” he said as he still relished having his lover near him after weeks of being apart. “I expect Gawain’s gone to pick him up from work. They’ll be back soon.”
“It’s so big,” was all Merlin could say at first. “Petros, look, we’re here.”
The six year old with bleached blond dreadlocks snapped his laptop closed and unbuckled his seat belt as Arthur parked his range rover next to a white removal van. The boy stowed away his computer into a messenger bag too big for him. “Wicked. Arthur, where’s the computer room Morgana mentioned?”
Arthur laughed out loud and undid his own seat belt. “Through the front porch you’ll find a small door next to my office on the right. Get in the lift and press the lowest button, the one marked ‘-1’. Uncle Leon should be there trying to figure out how to set up the security cameras.”
Even before Arthur had finished speaking, the little boy, quite short for his age, had opened the door, scrambled out and ran up the steps to a large, iron-bound door that was wide open. A woman in brown overalls expertly swerved out of the boy’s way with a smile on her face. She went to the van and was handed a box by another of the all female removal team Morgana had hired. The blond turned back to his lover and saw him still looking up at the two storey mansion.
“Hey, I…” Merlin turned his head to face him and Arthur’s words faltered. There was half a smile on the teen’s lips and his deep blue eyes bore into the blond’s own. Arthur cleared his throat. “I know we haven’t discussed it…I mean us, erm moving in together and I want you to know it’s perfectly okay if you think it’s too soon. I’ll help you get a flat somewhere for you and Petros, close I hope, and don’t think this is charity ‘cause you can always pay a bit of rent if you want, and…Fuck it! Move in?”
Merlin did move in closer and kissed him on the lips. “Already had a word with Morgana outside your old place. There’s a job going at the Green Dragon, just a short train journey away to Winchmore Hill Station. Also, where Petros goes, we go. The adoption papers have both our names on them.”
Arthur grinned and then frowned. “You made me go through all that when you’ve already decided?”
It was Merlin’s time to grin. He unbuckled his seat belt, kissed the frown away, opened the car door, and then got out. Arthur got out on his side of the range rover. “It was kinda funny.”
The blond chased him all the away to the porch and through the front door. He nearly bumped into Merlin when the teen had stopped to look up in awe. Arthur joined him; Morgana had picked an awesome house for them to buy. The large hall that greeted them was open to the two floors and was dominated by a sweeping broad staircase. Arthur pointed up to the upper landing.
“Those are the guest rooms and whatever we want to make of them I suppose. To the right here is my office and our wing of Whitwood House. We’ve got our own stairs to the next floor. Morgana’s wing is to the left.”
“Wings?” Merlin whispered as he still looked around. Morgana had furnished the house in her own eclectic style of old and new, but had kept most of the paintings the building had come with. These were mostly landscapes or of long forgotten nobles in all their finery.
“Yeah. Whitwood is kinda in a U shape. You wait until you see the courtyard and the gardens beyond. Gawain’s going to have his work cut out.” Arthur put his arm around his lover’s shoulder and steered his attention to beyond the staircase at ground level. “Okay, the neutral territory as I call it. The right door leads to the telly room and is connected to the left where the kitchen is. They’re both big.”
Merlin simply nodded and gulped. “Yeah, big.”
Arthur laughed and gave him a squeeze. He then steered both of them out of the way of a box carrying woman. “Look, you explore while I unpack the last of my stuff. We’ll all meet up in the kitchen later. And keep your mobile with you; it’s the only way we can keep in contact with each other in this place.”
The art student kissed him on the cheek and brought his arm around to hug him into a deeper kiss on the lips. A polite cough prised them apart and they turned to face one of the removal woman. She wore a smile and had a clipboard.
“We’re finished here, Mister Pendragon. If you could sign this for me, we’ll be on our way.”
Arthur disentangled himself and signed the sheet. He fished out his wallet from his back jeans pocket and got out five twenties. “Thanks for all your help and have this for you and your team.”
Her smile broadened. “Thank you sir and enjoy your new home.”
As she left the building, Merlin whispered, “Yeah, home.”
The blond gave him a gentle push towards the stairs. “Go. Explore.”
Merlin took the steps two at a time and Arthur had to remind himself he had unpacking to do. He sighed happily and went back to his car to get his packing case of personal possessions. It was when he had just sliced through the masking tape with a pair of scissors that Merlin burst into his office with a grin on his face.
“Five en-suite guest bedrooms, Arthur, and they’re huge.”
“Yep and Morgana has her own three bedrooms, like us.”
Merlin’s smile broadened and he dashed off as Arthur chuckled. Within minutes his lover was back.
“She has her own kitchen and a little herb garden!” the scrawny youth panted excitedly.
Arthur laughed and nodded towards a side door. “Through there is our kitchen-stroke-sitting room. Go though the door that you’ll find, up some stairs to our bedrooms and the gallery_”
“Fucking gallery?”
“_and to the end of that is another flight of stairs to the attic. I, erm, have a present waiting for you there. I hope you like it.”
Merlin hugged him tightly again, said “I love you,” and then rushed off once more.
Arthur took out his mithril vest from the box, but then placed it on his desk without putting it away. He looked out of the French windows and took in the expanse of green and onto the grey line of the boundary wall.
“Gods, I love you to. I hope you’re happy here, Merlin. I hope we all are.”
* * *
The lift door opened and Petros stepped into a bright room filled with several computers. One screen filled the whole of the opposite wall, but it was turned off at the moment.
“Cool.”
Leon swivelled around in his chair with a smile on his face. “Hi there, little man. Come to help?”
The boy came over and jumped onto a chair. He started to work on a keyboard. “I’m not little. I’m nearly seven!”
Leon’s face became solemn, but the amusement did not leave his eyes. “I apologise.”
Petros shrugged his shoulders. “That’s cool, it’s not your fault. Grown ups can be a bit dense sometimes.” The lupine hunter barked a laugh. “Although Arthur says that I should feel sorry for you lot and have lots and lots of patience, which is okay I suppose. I should think of another name for him, seeing he is one of my adopted parents and all. ‘Arthur’ or ‘Blondie’ just doesn’t cut it, does it?”
“What about ‘Father’?” suggested Leon as he tried to follow the dread head’s fingers over the keys.
“Yeah, wicked. Daddy and Father,” he piped without looking up. “Thanks Uncle Leon. You’re pretty cool. You would be cooler if you didn’t like girls and face suck Morgana all the time. They and it are gross. There, security cameras online.”
The large screen blinked into life and was divided into various views of the mansion and the grounds. Leon sat in silence with his mouth open and Petros grinned.
“But…but Merlin said you could hardly read!”
Petros made a face. “Yeah, but I kinda sense what to do with computers and stuff. Daddy says I have to go to school in a few months. I bet that’ll suck.”
“Man, you’re brilliant. And school will be fun, what with new friends and all.”
The boy smiled once more. “Good point, Uncle Leon.”
The lupine hunter got up from his seat and made for a side door. “Look, I’ve got to go to toilet and make a cupper. Just don’t touch anything else while I’m gone, yeah? And, er, thanks.”
“No probs, dude.”
When Leon had gone, Petros turned back to the computer and started to type away. After a while he stopped and frowned. “No net here yet,” he huffed, but then noticed movement from a part of the large screen that showed the main hall. A little girl in a white smock and black boots stood facing up at the security camera. She grasped a worn teddy with one of its ears torn off.
“Wow, that’s really cool. Pity there’s no sound, we could chat or something, even though you’re a girl.”
The girl put one finger to her lips as Leon called out, “What’s that Petros?” The hunter came in and he carried a mug of coffee. The boy looked back at the screen but the girl was gone.
“Nothing, dude.” He jumped down. “Gotta go, laters.”
“Laters,” said a bemused Leon as Petros re-entered the lift.
The dread head grinned and waved as the door slid shut. Leon chuckled and waved back.
* * *
Merlin climbed the narrow staircase and opened the single door at the top. Before him he saw a long, rectangular room flooded with light from the afternoon sun. It streamed in from large skylights built into the roof. One of the comfortable armchairs from Morgana’s old house was sat in a corner next to an antique bookcase half filled with volumes on art and its history. A narrow door next to the bookcase was open and Merlin saw what looked like a dark room for photography with even another door (closed) further on.
A long radiator dominated one of the walls and was painted in a pillar box red. Merlin grinned; he could imagine Morgana having that done. Opposite were two windows that afforded a view of a field of grass, the perimeter wall and a road in the far distance. In between were the rest of the furnishings; a drawing desk and an easel. Blank canvasses of various sizes rested against any part of the wall not near the radiator.
Merlin walked over to a window and looked out. He gave a contented sigh. “I love you so much, prat,” he whispered, determined not to let the tears fall. He had done enough crying.
He finally took out his mobile and texted: Kitchen? Hungry as fuck.
Meet you there. Morg arrived. A pound for the swear jar :-)
Merlin laughed and went to leave the studio, his studio. As he opened the door to go downstairs, he heard a creak of wood behind him. He turned, but saw nothing. With a shrug he went down the dark staircase; old houses were full of noises.
* * *
“Are their any horses, Morgana?” asked Petros as they watched the credits roll to Disney’s Aladdin for a second time. He had his Spiderman pyjamas on. “Uncle Gawain said we had stables.”
“They’ve been converted into a garage, sweetheart. We’ve got lots of cars to lock up at night.” The seer sat in a brand new armchair and had the boy in her lap. She looked over at Arthur with a wicked grin. “Perhaps my little brother will get us some horses later.”
Petros sat up, excited. “Will you, Father? That’d be wicked. Uncle Celimdol said he’ll teach me and everything.”
Merlin laughed at his lover’s expense as Arthur tried to give his stepsister a glare of death while he smiled at his adopted son. “Be good at school and we’ll see.” When the dread head made a face at the mention of school, the blond laughed and quickly changed the subject from horses. “So how do you like your new home?”
“It’s really awesome. Uncle Gawain showed me where the games room is and it’s got loads of games and stuff and broadband and posters of Spiderman. You press button B in the lift, but he says I’m not to touch the bottles in the wine cellar. I won’t anyway ‘cause that stuff is stupid. And he said I’m not to go in the gym without a grown up ‘cause it’s dangerous. I told him I’m nearly seven! Mary says that’s there’re secret places we’ll go to when I explore properly.”
“Who’s Mary?” asked Merlin with a grin.
“Imaginary friend,” mouthed Morgana over the boy’s head.
“She’s cool, for a girl.” Petros yawned.
“Come on,” Arthur said as he stood and scooped up the dreadlocked little boy into his arms. “Time for teeth and then bed.”
Morgana stretched and went to sit next to Leon on the sofa. She turned off the huge television with the remote.
“Awww,” Petros whined through another yawn,” but I’m not sleepy.”
“Of course you’re not,” the blond laughed. “Now say goodnight to everyone.” Petros huffed out a sigh but said his goodnights anyway. Arthur let him kiss Merlin on the cheek and then carried him from the room.
Merlin smiled at the other two in the room. “He’s a handful, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Morgana snorted. “Arthur or Petros?” When the laughter died down she reached out and touched his knee. “We’ll all chip in. It’s the least we can do after what he did for us.”
The room fell silent as they remembered how a much older version of Petros had saved their lives in the fight against Cenred and Nimueh, which had ended in his own horrible death.
“How much do you think he remembers?” asked Leon after a few minutes had gone by.
Merlin let out a long breath. “Tarrion said that he’ll remember when he gets older. For now, he just knows that he can trust us. We’ve got a few years to go before that shit hits the fan.” He stood up and made ready to leave. It had been a long day and he knew that Arthur was tired as well, both physically and emotionally. “I better get to sleep early. Arthur wants us to visit a private school nearby and it’s going to be hell trying to dress the kid in a shirt and trousers. And persuade him to wear shoes instead of trainers.”
It was his turn to be laughed at and he good naturedly flicked them two fingers as he left to search for his lover.
* * *
“I HATE YOU AND I WON’T SAY SORRY, EVER!”
Morgana heard Petros shout and then a door slam. She sighed and put down her copy of the Times and made for the hall. Here she saw Arthur in a suite and tie, the top button of his white shirt undone and his hand over his face. When he lowered it at her approach, she saw he looked haggard.
“Didn’t go well, eh?”
“An understatement,” he said with a wan smile. “Merlin’s with him now.”
The seer hooked her arm into his. “Come on. A latte and a chat with big sis,” she said as she guided him to the neutral kitchen. Here she made two mugs and set them on the table.
“Speak,” Morgana commanded as she took a sip.
Arthur barked out a laugh. “Where do I start? Petros wanted to take his skateboard and when we said no, he didn’t speak for the whole journey there. When we got to the place, the receptionist took one look at us and went into the headmistress’ office. It was not the best interview I’ve been to.”
“What, your obvious charm didn’t work?”
Arthur gave her a glare and she smirked behind her mug. “I was very charming and Merlin looked gorgeous in his shirt and slacks, even if he was really nervous. It’s just that Miss Bumbridge started to immediately list a dress and hair code.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, ‘oh’. Petros said no grown up was going to touch his dreads and that she was an evil old bitch and that Mary didn’t like her or her cesspit of a school. Also he was not going to a school where said bitch didn’t like his dads. It went downhill from there.”
Morgana put her mug down and touched his forearm as she reached out across the wooden table. “He’ll get used to it.”
Arthur shook his head. “It gets worse. On the way back I told him off for being rude and we had a kind of fight. He and his imaginary friend now ‘hate my guts and never want to see me again’. When we got back I told him to go straight to his room, without his laptop, and to only come down when he’s ready to apologise. You heard the rest. Sis, am I another, erm, Uther?”
Morgana lightly slapped his wrist and picked up her coffee again. “You’ll never be as bad as him. I know it sucks but a telling off is part of child rearing. He’ll come round.”
As if on cue Petros, his hand in Merlin’s and his eyes to the ground, stood at the doorway. The boy mumbled something.
“Er, dude, didn’t quite hear that,” Merlin said in a sharp voice as he smiled over at the two. The smile dropped as the boy’s head came up to look at them. Morgana noticed that the young silver dragon was near to tears.
“I’m…I’m sorry Father, I really am. I’ll go to that place if you really want me to.” Arthur opened his arms and Petros ran into the embrace, tears dripping down his little cheeks. “I’m sure Mary doesn’t hate your guts and I definitely don’t. I love you and Daddy.”
Morgana was certain that her brother’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, not that he would admit to it.
“And we love you too, little man. Listen,” the blond took out a handkerchief and wiped the boy’s tears away, “you’re not going to that primary school.”
Petros sniffed. “Really?”
“Yes, really. Perhaps Daddy is right and you should go to a state school and meet lots of new friends. An all boy’s school isn’t for you.”
The little boy’s face brightened. “Can I have my laptop back now?”
Arthur stifled a grin. “No, you’ve still got to be punished for being rude to Miss Bumbridge.”
Petros put his fists on his hips and it was Morgana’s turn to stifle a grin. Merlin shook his head in disbelief at the boy’s tenacity and went to make himself a coffee.
“But she hates homo dads_”
“Petros,” Merlin warned without turning around.
“Sorry Daddy. She hates two daddies being parents, Mary said so.”
Arthur raised an eyebrow. “It’s still no excuse for being rude. Listen, you can have your laptop after lunch. Why don’t you and Mary harass Uncle Leon in the computer room until then?”
The dread head shouted out in glee and ran to the doorway that led to the hall. Here he stopped, turned around and with all seriousness said “Father, I do love you and Daddy loads and loads and loads.”
Arthur cleared his throat. “And we love you loads and loads as well. Now scoot.”
The boy grinned and shot off as Merlin sat next to his lover. “You big softy,” he said and gave him a quick kiss. Arthur smiled.
“How did you do it? I thought I wasn’t going to be on speaking terms with him for days.”
Merlin shrugged his shoulders. “I just told him that I agreed with you one hundred percent, that he had hurt you really bad and that he should be ashamed of himself.”
“Well done, both of you. It’s only the second day, though, so good luck,” Morgana laughed as she got up. “Now I’m going to finish my paper before I ring Gaius about a suitable housekeeper to hire. See you boys later.”
When they were alone, Arthur went in for another, longer kiss. They eventually stopped after long minutes and just rested their foreheads against each other. “You’re a marvel, Mister Emrys.”
“You’re not so bad yourself.”
Arthur laughed and then became embarrassed. “I’ve, er, got something to say. I was going to mention it later, at a restaurant I booked for us, but…”
Merlin looked curious and raised both eyebrows. “Out with it, Pendragon.”
The blond breathed in deeply for courage and went down on one knee. As he fumbled in his jacket pocket, Merlin gasped and whispered “Fucking hell.”
Arthur brought out a gold ring carved to look like oak leaves. “It can’t replace the one you lost, but…erm…shit. Merlin Emrys, will you marry me? I know we only met in January but you’re the one for me. We can be engaged as long as you want.”
Silent tears started to leak from Merlin’s eyes as Arthur slid the ring on his finger. The art student stood and brought Arthur up to embrace him fiercely. “And you’re the only one for me, Arthur Pendragon.”
The blond returned the hug and when it broke, their arms still around each other, he kissed his lover’s tears away. “So…that’s a yes, right?”
Merlin laughed. “Yes, you fucking blond arrogant gorgeous sexy prat.”
Arthur punched the air. “Morgana first?” he then asked quietly.
“Morgana first,” the black haired scrawny teen agreed and, still not willing to let each other go, they went to the seer’s half of Whitwood House.