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Percival was the first to fly out to Las Vegas. The lucky bastard.
Gwaine thought ‘team missions’ were poorly named because there was a big chunk of time where the team wasn’t actually together. Yeah, sure they worked as a team but separately. See? It was a poor choice of words.
The reason they worked separately (but together) was pretty obvious. They couldn’t all arrive at the assigned location on the same day, at the same time, and say “Hey! How ya doin’? You don’t happen to know where the criminals are, do ya?” That would raise all kinds of questions which was a big No-No in the spy world.
So Percival went to Las Vegas first and Gwaine was a little (okay, a lot) miffed. He knew Gaius hadn’t sent him out so early in advance because the Director knew exactly what Gwaine would have done if he was sent before anyone else. Gwaine thought he could have behaved himself and when he said so, not a single person on the team believed him. What a bunch of jerks.
Percival was hired at a nightclub in Las Vegas, called The Rising Sun, as a bouncer. He fit the part well, with his height and broad stature he could intimidate half of Las Vegas with a flex of his bicep (and that included the Sharks). Gwaine would know; he’d ogled Percival’s manly biceps in a completely platonic way many times before. The owner of the nightclub was a British man by the name of Olaf. In Gwaine’s opinion it took them way too long to find him, but you know, it’s Sin City and some people took the whole ‘What happens here, stays here’ phrase a little too seriously. Olaf kept himself hidden easily in America, but now that they knew where he was, it was only a matter of sending in the ground team.
Emrys and King’s team just so happened to be Britain’s best ground team and Gwaine was happy to say he was a part of it (to anyone that was allowed to know about Emrys and King’s team, that is. You can’t go spilling spy secrets everywhere, you know. That’s also a big No-No. There’s a lot of No-No’s in the spy world, actually. Gwaine might write a How To Be A Spy book when he retires.)
Elena and Elyan went next. They were hired as servers, sharing a comfortable apartment just outside the Vegas strip. It was only after they had completely settled in, a full month later did Gwaine get to go to Las Vegas. He was paired with Merlin for the mission and he had been so focused on the mission and Las Vegas that he hadn’t even thought about how Merlin was usually paired with Arthur. But oh, he was noticing it now.
“Bunk beds.” Merlin said as he entered their room.
Yes, room, as in the singular and only bedroom in the tiny flat. They had a postage stamp sized apartment that only had one bedroom, one bathroom, and one miniature kitchen. And in that bedroom there was only enough space for a bunk bed.
“It’s a fucking bunk bed.”
Hindsight was twenty-twenty, and Gwaine was seeing clearly now. It hadn’t been that long since Merlin and Arthur had (finally) gotten their acts together and did the hanky-panky. Gwaine was sure there were more heart-felt confessions of love to go along with the (finally) getting together, but fuck-it if Gwaine knew what there was to confess. He had just been amazed that they hadn’t known they were in love with each other, let alone the fact that they hadn’t done anything about it yet.
“Do you know who sleeps in bunk beds? Ten year olds who don’t know any better and university students who can’t afford any better.”
But Merlin and Arthur (finally) got together about six months ago (as far as the team knew). Leon had discovered the two of them in Arthur’s office (though Leon wouldn’t say what they were doing, just that he had caught them together and he figured that they were ‘romantically involved.’ Leon’s words, not Gwaine’s.) Merlin and Arthur announced their relationship to the team later that day, making the whole thing official. Elyan shook Merlin’s hand. Elena high-fived Arthur. Leon blushed. Gwaine wolf-whistled. Percy cried. It was all very emotional.
“Who puts a child to sleep seven feet in the air? It’s a fucking death trap!”
And that was why Gwaine should have known that Merlin going to Las Vegas a full month before Arthur was A Very Bad Thing. Merlin and Arthur hadn’t spent time apart since becoming partners and definitely not since they were together-together. Not to mention that Arthur’s cover (a playboy spoiled brat who was partying in Vegas for two weeks on Daddy’s credit card) wasn’t supposed to know anyone in the States, which meant he wasn’t allowed to contact Merlin for any reason whatsoever.
And now Gwaine was sharing a bunk bed with a sexually and emotionally frustrated assassin-spy whose boyfriend was traipsing around Sin City.
Gwaine was so dead.
~~~
Elena decided that if Merlin hadn’t become a spy he would have been a very good bartender. He looked very good in all black (which seemed to be the required dress-code for all bartenders) and he had a very good memory (which was important for remembering the long list of drinks and to whom to hand them out). The night was still young and he must have made over three hundred drinks already. Her head was spinning with drink names, plus the other job she needed to do. Being a spy, that is.
She picked up the tray of drinks and thanked Merlin (his cover name was ‘Melvin’ which must have been a good laugh for Gaius back home. Or maybe The Dragon made it up and had a good evil chuckle about it). Then she served the drinks, trying her best not to spill too many. She wasn’t sure how she managed to get the serving job or how she was a spy sometimes, but she was known to be good at her job. The spy job, that is, not the server job. She was still crap at that one.
As she dropped off the drinks she made note of who was at each table, who paid for whom, who visited on which nights, and who was with whom on each night if it differed. Most club goers weren’t the type of people Elena was keeping track of. There were people she saw once (tourists), some people she saw frequently (locals), and then there were The Others.
It was the team’s job to keep track of The Others. Some came in every single night, no matter what. Some only came in once a week, but they never failed to show. They didn’t come into The Rising Sun on a schedule and never together, but they did frequent it. They didn’t dance much and their drink bill was suspiciously small. It was more than likely that these were the ones connected to Olaf. They would be the ones to lead the team to him.
Tonight was different though. Tonight was the beginning of the finale. They had been working on this mission for a long time (Percy, the first to arrive, had been in Vegas for three months) but tonight Arthur and Leon arrived in Nevada. Arthur’s cover (the spoiled son of a wealthy Englishman) was here in Las Vegas for two weeks with his friend (Leon’s cover) to explore the City of Sin. Two weeks to finish the mission and it was crunch time.
That, of course, was what Elena was thinking about. Calculating who was where and when, but every time she looked over at Merlin she remembered what he must be thinking about. He hadn’t seen Arthur since he left HQ a month ago and now he wasn’t allowed to acknowledge Arthur unless he went up to the bar and ordered a drink. As of right now, Arthur and Leon were in Vegas but they hadn’t arrived at The Rising Sun yet.
But Elena had other things to worry about; like how Vivian had yet to arrive at her usual table.
She was one of The Others who frequented The Rising Sun every week. Normally she would have pegged Vivian as a local party girl, but Vivian had her own table reserved every Friday and Saturday night. That told Elena that she had connections. Elena wasn’t a tactician. No, she collected intelligence and reported back, but even she could see that Vivian might be more than she appeared.
Someone bumped into Elena. “Excuse me.” She said with a smile, trying very hard not to spill the single drink on her tray. She had been known to do it before.
“Hey, Goldie. Get me a drink? It’s gettin’ crowded in here.”
Normally Elena would have been annoyed at the person’s rudeness, but surprisingly this was welcomed. The man who had bumped into Elena was none other than Gwaine. He was dressed in his usual club attire (looking every bit his code name ‘Rogue’ in black trousers and an opened shirt). Somehow he had managed to get hired as an undercover dancer by The Rising Sun, to ensure nothing untoward happened when no one was watching. Elena was amazed that Gwaine of all people was the one policing the club. She suspected he would normally be the one avoiding the undercover dancers.
Gwaine had used her code name: Goldie Locks. It was simple enough no one would notice it, but it signaled to her something was happening. Gwaine had said it was getting crowded, but it was hardly the usual Friday night crowd. She scanned the club, making sure to act nonchalant. Her eyes landed on a pair, blond hair and curly ginger. Bingo.
She turned back to Gwaine, “Sure is getting crowded. You better get that drink yourself.” She smiled and went off to serve the single drink on her tray. Gwaine was already headed toward the bar, no complaint about Elena not getting his drink. Gwaine wasn’t going for a drink; he was going to tell Merlin that Arthur had arrived. She wondered if Merlin had already noticed.
When she went back to the bar Merlin was acting perfectly like Melvin the bartender, but she could see he was just the slightest bit on edge.
Elyan came up beside her and handed her a drink to serve, “Vivian’s arrived.”
“And she brought company.” Merlin nodded his head to Vivian’s usual booth.
Elena turned around to see that not only had Vivian arrived with her usual group, but Arthur and Leon were also sitting with her. Elena’s eyes widened and she turned back to gape at Merlin and Elyan. She wondered how Arthur had managed to meet up with Vivian before he even entered the club. Surely he had received reports that the team had collected so far, but he hadn’t even been at the club yet. Merlin looked like he was desperately trying not to kill something, his muscles tight as he held a beer glass under the tap. She wondered what Emrys knew that she didn’t.
Elyan watched Merlin warily, “Er…Crystal?” he turned to Elena, using her cover’s name. “I think you should serve ‘em.”
Elena jumped a little and nodded. “Right! Yes, be right back.” She hoped Merlin could make it an entire two weeks without killing anyone. She prayed for Gwaine and that bunk bed. The bunk bed hadn’t done anything wrong.
She made her way to Vivian’s booth and greeted the group. She knew each and every person in the group: what they ordered, who was close to Vivian and who was on her bad list. It was like watching American reality TV, but it was essential to their mission. She cataloged who was there without even acknowledging that she recognized any of them.
Arthur was sitting casually, his arms resting across the back of the booth, his posture lazy and obnoxious. He was laughing with the group as if he hadn’t just met them. He pulled on Vivian’s hair a little and said something next to her ear. She laughed and Arthur looked pleased. Arthur was very good at what he did. There was a reason he was one of the best spies Britain had to offer. And right now he was playing spoiled brat so well even Elena wanted to slap him.
She took everyone’s orders. Leon was acting less obnoxious as Arthur, but in comparison to his usual personality, it was off the charts. He ordered a simple beer. When Arthur ordered, his posh English accent was thicker than normal and he criticized American beer for a good minute before ordering a beer.
“Where you from?” Elena asked the pair, careful to stick to her American accent. Everyone but Arthur and Leon were using American accents, but sometimes she felt like the only one who could pass easily as an American was Merlin. The man could do any accent and she could believe he was a native.
“England, love.” Arthur smirked at her and looked every bit the proud Englishman. He was definitely playing up the accent. She wondered if that was because that was something a posh git would do to pick up girls in America. She wouldn’t doubt it; his arm was still curled around Vivian. It made her skin crawl and she suddenly felt very bad for Merlin.
“Oh how cool!” Elena said. “I always wanted to go to England. How long are you staying in Vegas?”
“Two weeks.” Arthur turned to the group and they all laughed at some joke Elena hadn’t picked up on. “And father wonders what business I have in Nevada.” The group laughed again. Someone made a joke about the kind of business Arthur would be involved in while he was in Las Vegas and everyone made complimenting rude jokes and gestures.
Elena made some kind of comment like ‘That’s nice’ but she was already retreating back to the bar. She huffed as she leaned against the bar, and tried to remember that Arthur wasn’t actually that much of a dick.
She gave the order to Merlin trying to give him a sympathetic smile without being too obvious. He gave her a small nod and made the drinks. He was halfway through the order when she saw him look up at Vivian’s table. He accidently smashed a glass on the counter.
Another bartender looked at him, “Jesus, Melvin, what’s with you? That’s the third glass tonight. Get your shit together.”
Merlin tore his eyes away from the table and made some reply as he picked up the broken glass. Elena desperately wanted to know what Merlin had seen but she didn’t want to turn around and reveal why Merlin had been so distracted.
When Elena went back to the booth Vivian was practically draped over Arthur. She wondered what Arthur was actually thinking under his cover’s mask of delight. Beside the fact that Arthur was completely, 100%, never-looking-at-anyone-ever-again desperately in love with Merlin, she knew that Arthur was gay and having Vivian so flirty must be more than a little uncomfortable.
She dropped off the drinks and went back to her routine: focusing on drink orders, who was at the club, and watching Vivian closely. By the end of the night, nothing out of the ordinary had happened as far as she could see. Besides Arthur and Leon’s arrival at The Rising Sun, the night went smoothly.
Well. Except…Merlin broke five glasses in total that night. Elena sent good thoughts to Gwaine and hoped he wouldn’t be dead by the end of the mission.
~~~
“I used to be independent, you know that?”
Gwaine sighed. How could one of the best spies in Britain be a complete lightweight? He didn’t understand it. Being a spy required a lot of alcohol consumption and still being able to function. Merlin was supposed to be a good spy, not the type to get drunk off his ass after a couple drinks. At least they were just in their flat. Merlin was on the top bunk while Gwaine sat on the bottom.
“I could go for a-a…really-really long time without anyone. Anyone.” Merlin took another swig from the vodka bottle. Gwaine was regretting giving Merlin that bottle. He had thought getting Merlin spectacularly drunk after seeing Arthur flirt with Vivian would have been a good idea. He thought Merlin was going to go off on a rant about Arthur’s flirtations, or curse Vivian and her prettiness. He would even have thought that Merlin would start complaining about how much he missed Arthur and would go on a tangent about Arthur’s bum. Alas, none of these topics came up, much to Gwaine’s surprise.
“I was a lone wolf.” Merlin slurred. “Don’t need nobody.”
Gwaine tried not to roll his eyes. He really did feel bad for Merlin. He did. Truly. Gwaine was a romantic and he could sympathize with Merlin, who hadn’t seen his true love for a month only to see said true love curled up with someone else. But after spending a month with a grumpy party-pooper, Gwaine was a little less sympathetic. In the last month Merlin had been pinning for Arthur and now that he was here? Seeing Arthur had obviously sprung the leek of emotions Merlin had been bottling up.
“Come on, mate. You know Arthur loves you.” Gwaine said, taking the bottle out of Merlin’s hand. Merlin’s arm was slung over the edge of the bunk with the bottle hovering above Gwaine’s head.
“Oh I know he does.” Merlin grumbled as the bottle was taken from him. “That bastard.” Merlin’s voice was muffled as he pressed his face into a pillow. Gwaine thought he heard “He shouldn’t” but he refused to think Merlin would think such a thing.
“I know you miss him, but seeing him must have been nice, right?”
“No” Merlin groaned and tried to reach for the bottle again. Gwaine held it out of his reach. “You’re not listening. I don’t need Arthur.”
Gwaine needed more alcohol if he was going to understand this. “Mate, you can’t live without Arthur. I would know. I had to live with your pining-ass for a month.”
“I’m not pining! I don’t need him!” Merlin succeeded in grabbing the vodka bottle and took another drink. “I used to not need anyone. No one! Not a single person!” Merlin banged his arm against the bunk bed, but it sounded like it hurt him more than the poor bunk bed. “Now I can’t go a day without thinking about him. It’s stupid! I’m an assassin. I kill people, I don’t need people.” Merlin took a deep swig from the vodka bottle and looked far more like a sad kitten than a cold-hearted killer.
“Merlin, maybe you didn’t use to have people around you, I don’t know. But you definitely need people.” Gwaine took the bottle back. “You need Arthur, and that’s okay Merlin. It’s okay to trust him.”
“But…”
Gwaine knew where Merlin was coming from. In all his drunkenness, there was sound logic. Merlin was scared because he had given the entirety of his trust to Arthur. As a spy (or an assassin) one never put their trust in anyone. That was also a big No-No in the book of How To Be A Spy, one that Gwaine didn’t like at all. Not one bit. He didn’t know about Merlin’s past, but he hated the fact that Merlin thought he couldn’t trust anyone. He hated that Merlin thought he would have to be alone for the rest of his life. People like Merlin, who had a big heart and tried to protect their friends even at a cost to themselves, deserved to trust and to love. Merlin deserved to be happy, and so did Arthur.
Gwaine stood up in order to properly look at Merlin’s pouting face. “It’s okay, Merlin. You need people. People like me and Percy and Elena and the rest of us. You don’t have to be a lone wolf or whatever the hell you were saying. We’re here for you too. And so is Arthur.”
Merlin looked up at Gwaine for so long that Gwaine was beginning to think the vodka had taken too much of his brain function for proper thinking, but then his lip quivered and he made a sad sound in the back of his throat.
“Merlin? Are you-Are you crying?” Merlin had his face pressed to the side of the bunk bed, his blue eyes shining with tears.
Merlin’s voice wavered, “I wanna give you a hug but I’m stuck in this death trap.”
Gwaine couldn’t help but laugh, “I’ll give you a hug in the morning. You’ll need one with the hangover you’re bound to have.”
Merlin smiled and squeezed his hand. “You’re a star.”
Gwaine snorted, pushing Merlin’s arm into the bed. “I’m never giving you alcohol ever again.”
Merlin whined but he nodded his head in agreement.
In the morning Merlin did indeed have a terrible hangover. But before he even went to the medicine cabinet or had a glass of water, he went over to Gwaine and gave him a long hug.
~~~
In the last two weeks of the mission the team had collected several pieces of intelligence which were essential to completing the mission.
They discovered that Vivian was Olaf’s daughter, which was why she had a reserved table every Friday and Saturday night at The Rising Sun. The best way to get to Olaf would be through Vivian and the best way to get to Vivian would be through Arthur. She was obviously smitten with Arthur’s cover, giving him leverage to figure out how to get to Olaf. All the team had to do was collect damning evidence and they were home free. The capture team could come in after they had left, pick up Olaf, and the case would be closed.
It was the team’s last day to finish the mission. For Leon, it was a very simple task to finish. He and Arthur would be with Vivian in order to keep up appearances. The last thing they needed was for Vivian to tip off her Dad that something suspicious was happening. Best case scenario: Olaf would never figure out that the team had been in Las Vegas until the capture team arrived. This mission was about damning Olaf, not capturing him. In Leon’s opinion it was much harder to collect intelligence without being caught rather than just capturing the target.
In the last two weeks Arthur had gone to Vivian’s home several times, setting bugs and cameras when he could. Vivian hadn’t a clue that Arthur had visited her home with the intention of bugging it and Arthur hadn’t even come across Olaf in the time he had been there. It hadn’t been encouraging but Arthur was confident the bugs would catch something on Olaf.
Currently, the entire team was where they had been for the entire mission: The Rising Sun. Merlin was making drinks behind the bar. Percival was monitoring the line into the club from outside. Elena was serving drinks. Gwaine was dancing as he stealthy kept teenagers from taking drugs. Arthur and Leon were at Vivian’s booth, pretending to celebrate their last night in Las Vegas. Everyone was in their usual spot. All except Elyan.
He had taken the night off. As one of the many servers in the Rising Sun, his absence wouldn’t be noted (in comparison, Arthur’s absence would have been too damning.) Elyan was at Olaf’s house, collecting the bugs that Arthur had placed. Only Leon had an earpiece on tonight, since no one in Vivian’s group would notice it on him. Arthur never liked not knowing what was going on with his team, but they couldn’t take the chance of Vivian noticing the small earpiece on Arthur.
It was taking longer than usual, which was worrying Leon. But as one of the best stealth agents, Leon trusted Elyan to get in and out without any problems. Elyan couldn’t talk to Leon as he worked because he would give his position away, but the silence was maddening. Arthur was tense too. Leon could see it even underneath his relaxed façade. If Leon was honest, Arthur had been tense for the last six weeks.
When word came in that Arthur was supposed to get information out of Vivian through himself (basically flirt his way into intelligence) Arthur had been irritable. Before, he would have taken the orders without thought, but that was before. Now he had Merlin.
The past six weeks, Arthur had been going insane and Leon wasn’t sure if it was because Merlin wasn’t his partner or if it was because he had to flirt with Vivian. A combination of both, Leon decided. Arthur had been short-tempered, finicky, and tense until finally Leon snapped. He told Arthur that he needed to just chill. Leon didn’t think he’d ever told someone to chill in his entire life. Somewhere in his rant he called Arthur an ass, which was also a first.
He felt bad about it and apologized, but Arthur looked like he got the message loud and clear. He waved Leon’s apologies away and looked much better than he had before. Apparently Merlin’s tactic of insulting Arthur really did work.
“Knight, this is Hound.” Elyan’s voice said through the earpiece. Leon excused himself from the group and went to the restroom.
“Hound, this is Knight. Have you got it?”
“That and more.” Elyan sounded pleased, and Leon felt himself relax like he always did after a mission. “The man was in a meeting while I was there. I know for damned sure we got something.”
“Good. All Clear?” Knight asked, the confirmation needed to make the mission complete.
“All Clear. Over and out.”
Leon returned from the restroom and Arthur’s eyes were already on him. Leon made a signal, subtle enough not to seem odd in the club but clear enough for Arthur. All clear.
Arthur smiled and Leon saw the complete break in character before he turned back to his cover.
~~~
Vivian thought Arthur seemed pretty sad for someone who was supposed to be celebrating. She supposed his last day in Vegas would make him sad, but he was supposed to be making the best of his last few hours of freedom before he had to go back to England. He kept staring at the bar with a forlorn look. She thought that drinking a ton of alcohol might have been the whole point of Vegas, but more like fun-drinking rather than drown-in-your-sorrows-drinking. Arthur was just moping.
“What’s with you?” She put her hand on his shoulder, trying to get him to lean towards her. “You’re supposed to be happy. It’s your last bash before going home.”
When he looked at her he looked more distressed than happy. She squeezed his hand as it lay on the table. “What’s the matter?”
“Don’t know.” Arthur said, like he knew exactly what was wrong.
“Come on. You can tell me. It’ll make you feel better.”
He bit his lip, studying her for a moment before sighing. “I don’t know. You know how people go to Vegas to be someone else?”
“Forget their cares.” Vivian replied, “Yeah.”
“I feel like I was the same. I didn’t do anything I wouldn’t do at home.”
Vivian laughed, “You don’t have to change your identity to visit Vegas. You can just have a good time.”
Arthur still looked frustrated. His lips pouted and he was playing with the beer glasses on the table. “I feel like I never let loose.”
“You’re not going to get a tattoo or something crazy on your last night, are you?”
Arthur laughed and shook his head. “No, I don’t think a tattoo is going to help.”
“You’re not really making sense, Arthur.”
“I can’t stop…” He looked over at the bar. She looked at the glasses on the table and wondered how many beers Arthur had actually had. She hadn’t been counting but he might be a little bit drunker than she originally thought. But it was his last night, he was allowed to wake up the next morning and not remember the night before.
“Arthur I don’t think you drink too much. Partying once a week, especially on vacation, is hardly alcoholism.”
“Wait, what?” His brows pinched together and he looked at her and then back at the bar. “No! No, that’s not what I meant. I mean…” Arthur lowered his voice. “Promise not to say anything?” His eyes went over to Leon, his friend from back home.
She pretended to zip her lips and throw away the key. “Cross my heart.”
Arthur nodded and lowered his voice, “See that bartender?” Arthur pointed to the bar where a tall pale brunet was making a cocktail behind the bar.
“Yeah?” She said, not sure where this was going.
“I…I um…” If the light wasn’t so dark in The Rising Sun she would have thought Arthur blushed. “I can’t stop thinking about him.”
“You can’t stop…?”
Arthur definitely blushed this time. “As in…” He made a vague gesture.
“As in…?” She repeated.
“As in sexually” Arthur snapped and looked around like someone might have heard him over the loud music. “I can’t stop thinking about him.” He whispered.
“Oh my god.” She stared at Arthur, his wide eyes filled with distress. “You think you’re gay.” She couldn’t believe it! Arthur had been flirting with her for two weeks and now he was saying that he might be gay! Was she his beard?
“Sh!” He swatted at her, flicking his eyes over her shoulder to where the rest of the group was sitting. “I don’t know! I just…I want to try it out. Is that so bad?”
“You want to hook up with him?” She gasped, putting a hand to her heart. Arthur had only just admitted he liked a man, now he was just going to go off and hook up with some bartender? He might have been drunker than she thought.
“Do you think he’s gay?” Arthur asked hopefully.
“What? I don’t know!” She was started to feel annoyed. She had thought Arthur liked her, not some bartender.
“Do you think I should ask him back to my place? Do you think he’d say yes?” Arthur asked as he flattened his hair as if he was actually nervous to talk to the bartender. He hadn’t even looked nervous when Vivian tried to seduce him and now he was losing his shit over this guy!
“I think you’re drunk.” She said with a raised brow to his empty glasses.
“Oh come on Viv.” He rolled his eyes. “I’ve been thinking about this since I was thirteen, I hardly think I was drunk for that long.”
She gaped at him. When he realized what he said he covered his mouth and looked away. He was having a gay crisis. Great! She was his beard. At least Arthur thought she was pretty enough to be a beard. Well that was a positive note.
“Look, are you going to help me pick him up or are you just going to just sit there?” Arthur asked haughtily.
She crossed her arms and didn’t say anything, knowing he would get the message.
“Fine.” He stood up and went to the bar. She lasted all of thirty seconds before she had to know what was going on. She went to the bar and stood next to Arthur. The bartender hadn’t looked at them yet, still making a drink for someone else.
The bartender looked over at them and Arthur stiffened. “Oh god.” he breathed. “What do I say?”
Vivian rolled her eyes. She motioned to the bartender and he made his way over to them. “He’ll have an appletini.” She firmly pointed to Arthur.
Arthur made an indignant squawk. “I will not-! Ow!” She stepped on his toe with her high heel.
“An appletini, sir?” The bartender asked, looking at Arthur with an amused expression. “You don’t look the type.”
“Oh, I am.” Arthur said, staring daggers at Vivian for a second before turning back to the bartender. “Very into appletinis. Drink them all the time. Fabulous.”
“Right.” The bartender gave Arthur a concerned look before he went to grab a bottle off a shelf.
“Damn it, Arthur. If you want my help you’re going to have to do better than this. Where’s all your suave from before? You were flirting with me just fine.”
“He just- He makes me feel like an idiot! It’s like I can’t think.”
Vivian watched the way Arthur looked at the bartender and she wondered if maybe he wasn’t just in some kind of experimenting mood. He was practically giving the bartender puppy-dog eyes with hearts hovering above his head. How had she not seen that?
The bartender returned with a bottle in hand and started to make the drink.
“It’s busy tonight.” Arthur said, making small talk sound minuscule. “When do you get off?” Vivian sighed at Arthur’s crassness. She had thought Englishmen were polite and smooth, but apparently men were the same everywhere.
The bartender raised a brow. “Who wants to know?”
“Um…” Arthur scrambled with something to say and Vivian interjected for him.
“What’s your name, again? I see you all the time but we’ve never met.”
“Melvin.” The bartender smiled.
“Melvin?” Arthur said with a slightly disgusted tone. She elbowed him and he jerked away in surprise.
“Well what’s your name, your majesty?” Melvin said with a sarcastic roll of his eyes.
“Arthur.”
“Ah, so I am in the presence of royalty.” He made a fake bow. “King Arthur, your majesty. Here is your appletini.” With a grand gesture, he set down Arthur’s appletini.
Vivian thought the bartender seemed like a jerk, but when she looked at Arthur he was smiling like Melvin was holding the key to his heart. She would never understand men.
“So tell me Melvin.” Arthur said, putting on a charming smile. “Can you skip off for the night? I’ve got a very nice flat.”
Vivian watched as the bartender studied Arthur. She would hardly have been persuaded with such a suggestion, but not everyone had her high standards.
“Maybe.” Melvin leaned forward, so that he was closer to Arthur. “You’re going to have to do better than that though to persuade me.”
“Come here.” Arthur leaned forward and curled his finger for Melvin to lean closer. She watched the bartender’s face as Arthur whispered in his ear. She had no idea what he said but Melvin’s face went slack and his cheeks turned pink. She really wanted to know what Arthur could have possibly said to make a seasoned bartender look so flustered.
When Melvin leaned away and nodded his head. “Yeah…okay. Yeah.” He made a gesture behind him. “Give me ten minutes, I gotta-” He made a vague gesture and ran off.
Arthur turned to her and gave her a winning smile. He picked up his appletini, raised it like it was a trophy, and knocked it back in one go.
~~~
Merlin tripped over himself five times as he got his stuff from the back room. Elena caught him and asked him what he was doing.
“It’s the last day.” Merlin whined. He was aware that she was looking at him as if he was pathetic but he didn’t care. Technically, if they were caught, even after they collected intelligence on Olaf, they would tip off Olaf and ruin the entire thing. But Arthur had created a plausible way for the two of them to meet and he wasn’t going to back out now. It was his last night as Melvin the bartender and he could skip off early. He needed to see Arthur and he didn’t care if they were close to finishing the mission. He needed to see Arthur now.
He had to take a full minute to focus on being Melvin before going back to the bar.
Arthur was still with Vivian, waiting at the bar. “You ready to go, your majesty?”
Arthur turned around and flashed a smile at him. The smile sent gooseflesh all over his body, as if Arthur hadn’t been giving him that smile for ages. “Yeah.” Arthur turned to Vivian. “Thanks, Viv. It was lovely. Maybe I’ll see you before I leave.”
Vivian was pouting and Merlin only felt a little bad for her. Arthur had been leading her on, but it was only Arthur’s amazing acting that made it seem like he was at all interested. Arthur was gay as hell, Merlin was surprised anyone thought he was straight. Plus, Arthur really did hate appletinis. He ranted about them for a good hour once.
Arthur took his hand and they were out of The Rising Sun before Merlin even had time to reconsider.
“Car?”
“Taxi” Merlin breathed and flagged down the nearest cab. They tumbled in and Arthur gave his address. They didn’t speak but Arthur was holding onto his hand for dear life.
Merlin’s mind was filled with the way Arthur had leaned forward across the bar. His lips had skimmed over Merlin’s ear, so much closer than he had ever been in six weeks. Merlin was surprised he hadn’t grab Arthur and made a scene out of both of them.
“I miss you so much, Merlin.” Arthur had breathed into his ear, his voice sounding like the real Arthur and not the spoiled brat he was playing. “Come on, love. Let’s go.”
Merlin’s knees had almost given out.
Arthur threw the American money at the driver and they ran up to his flat. Arthur pulled him inside and locked the door. There was a pause and they were both holding their breath, finally away from everyone. They were only a foot apart.
Arthur made the signal to check for bugs, a pained expression on his face. Merlin let out his breath, but nodded anyways. They checked their jackets and pockets for bugs before they moved onto the flat. Merlin was reluctant to putting his energy anywhere except to kissing Arthur. Once the entire flat was cleared they were standing in Arthur’s large living room, far apart and feeling miles away.
Arthur made the signal for all clear.
It felt like eternity as Merlin took long steps toward Arthur. Arthur didn’t move an inch as Merlin melted into him, one hand cradling Arthur’s head and the other wrapping around his back. He nuzzled Arthur’s cheek, his lips skimming his jaw. Arthur wrapped his arms completely around Merlin, making it feel like Merlin was taking shelter from the cold in Arthur’s embrace. He felt warm and content, finally relaxing for the first time in six weeks.
“I missed you.” Merlin whispered, trying to get even closer to Arthur.
Any other time Arthur might have made a joke, told Merlin he was an idiot, but now he was pressing his lips to Merlin’s hair.
“It’s only been a week since I last saw you.” Arthur sounded like he was trying to be condescending, but his tone fell flat.
“You know it hasn’t.” Merlin demanded. He may have seen Arthur across The Rising Sun, but he hadn’t been with Arthur for over six weeks and he missed him desperately.
“Gwaine was convinced I just needed a good shag.” Merlin laughed when Arthur growled and gripped Merlin’s hips tightly. “From you, cabbagehead.”
Arthur kissed him slowly, like he was dragging it out for six weeks to make up for the time apart. When they pulled apart, Merlin hummed happily.
“But…and don’t take this the wrong way,” Merlin smiled, “But when I thought about you, I wasn’t even thinking about sex.”
“Why thank you, Merlin. Now that I know that you think I’m crap in bed, shall I take you to the bedroom and prove you wrong?”
Merlin snorted as Arthur dragged him to the bedroom. “That’s not what I meant” Arthur pulled off both their shirts and Merlin tugged them close so that their chests pressed together. “I mean…I missed having you there. Just being by my side would have been enough.”
Arthur kissed him, cupping his jaw, tender and loving. Merlin felt his heart hitch in his chest.
“I know what you mean.” Arthur whispered as he moved Merlin down onto the bed.
“I thought I was going to murder Gwaine.” Merlin admitted. Arthur was pulling off his shoes and socks, doing the same to himself.
Arthur laughed, his eyes bright with mirth. “Bunk beds too much for you?”
Merlin propped himself onto his elbows, “Do not speak to me about bunk beds, Arthur Pendragon. Gwaine had to send me out for asparagus to get me to stop ranting about those death traps.”
Arthur settled next to him on the bed, “Death traps?” he asked.
“Death traps.” Merlin groaned.
Arthur unbuckled Merlin’s trousers. “Asparagus?” He was laughing, which was completely not the correct thing to be doing while taking off Merlin’s trousers.
“Asparagus.” Merlin lamented, not caring that Arthur was making fun of him because his trousers and pants were suddenly on the floor and so were Arthur’s, and he didn’t give a damn about bunk beds as long as he never saw one ever again.
Arthur settled on Merlin’s hips, laying kisses on his lips and jaw. “If it makes you feel better.” Arthur whispered as he ran his fingers down Merlin’s sides, making gooseflesh rise up. “A large flat is much worse than a small one.”
“Now that is a complete lie.” Merlin pushed Arthur so that he was lying next to him instead of on top of him. He pulled him close, interlocking their legs and rocking their hips. His hands ran patterns and his nails left indents along Arthur’s skin.
“No.” Arthur breathed along Merlin’s ear as he kissed his way down his neck. “You’re not here to make it feel like home. It’s empty without you.”
Merlin laughed. He laughed so long that Arthur slapped him. “Ow!”
Arthur amended it with several kisses down his chest.
“Well, at least I’m not the only one being sentimental.” Merlin rolled and put Arthur underneath him. “And Gwaine said I was pining.” Merlin scoffed.
Arthur’s hands ran down Merlin’s sides, to his hips, settling on his ass. “Pining?” he asked.
“I wasn’t pining.” Merlin complained. He reached into Arthur’s bedside table and pointed at Arthur with the lube, “I was irritated.”
Arthur took the lube from Merlin’s hand. “Well you’re not the only one. Leon said that I was being an ass.”
“Leon said that?” Merlin asked. If Leon was irritated then Arthur must have been completely mad. Leon only got angry when things were really bad.
“I may have been a little annoying.” Arthur huffed. Merlin rolled his eyes and kissed him, trying to make Arthur forget about everything, just for the moment. Arthur had the best intentions and always wanted to do the right thing. It could drive anyone crazy.
Arthur started working Merlin open, one hand on his hip, two fingers inside him. Merlin had to focus on not coming apart right then and there, his hips rocking down onto Arthur’s fingers. A space of time later, Arthur was kissing his temple and Merlin was able to focus on more than just Arthur’s fingers. Arthur slid his fingers out and Merlin keened for a moment before Arthur slid inside of him.
Merlin pressed kisses along Arthur’s chest, his heart swelling. “God Arthur,” he sighed, pressing his thumb to Arthur’s lower lip for a moment, it was red and swollen. “I missed you so much. I was craving burnt scrambled eggs.” Merlin moaned as Arthur hit that certain spot, making his hips stutter.
“Why the hell,” Arthur’s breathing was erratic as Merlin moved “were you craving,” He took another breath, “burnt scrambled eggs?”
Merlin could feel his flush deepen and he had to bury his face into Arthur’s neck so he wouldn’t see. “Because after a mission you make breakfast and you always burn the eggs.”
Arthur gasped and Merlin wasn’t sure if it was his words or the way Merlin was moving above him. “Jesus.” Arthur breathed, “You were pining.”
“I wasn’t pining.” Merlin gasped, his fingers dragging red marks across Arthur’s sides.
“You’re right.” Arthur said as he thrust up, “You can’t pine over something you already have.”
Merlin tried to laugh, but all that came out was something between a sigh and a whimper. Merlin rocked his hips, aware of the way Arthur was watching him intently, his hands all over Merlin’s back.
“I-“ Merlin breath caught as Arthur took him in hand, matching Merlin’s movements. “love you. So much. I never want to be separated again. Please don’t-”
“I won’t. Never.” Arthur’s voice sounded wrecked as he fell apart, his hand and hips erratic. Merlin’s thighs quaked as he rocked down, pressing kisses all over Arthur’s skin. It only took a final thrust before Merlin was coming too.
Merlin dropped onto Arthur, feeling lightheaded and dazedly happy. Arthur panted as he traced patterns onto Merlin’s back. Still catching his breath Arthur firmly said, “I’m not agreeing to another mission where they separate us again.”
“Agreed.” Merlin sighed as he moved off Arthur so that he was curled next to him. Arthur wrapped Merlin in his arms, pressing into Merlin’s neck. Merlin was already falling asleep, finally feeling content with Arthur next to him.
“Merlin?” Arthur whispered.
“Hm?”
“I love you.”
His eyes still closed, Merlin smiled and pressed closer. “Love you too, you soppy idiot.”
~~~
Merlin woke up the next morning to the smell of burnt scrambled eggs.
He groaned and called out “I’m not eating those nasty things, you prat.”
“You said you were craving them!” Arthur called back, his voice obviously filled with mischief, as he knew exactly what he was doing.
Merlin pulled on a pair of flannels from Arthur’s drawer and walked into the kitchen which was now Arthur’s disaster zone. Currently, Arthur was making toast (to make up for the burnt eggs).
“You try so hard to be domestic.” Merlin said as he came up behind Arthur and kissed his cheek.
“Well according to everyone on the team we’re an old married couple.” Arthur replied, turning around to properly kiss Merlin good morning.
“Speaking of the team,” Merlin said as he pulled away, “The mission’s complete right? I figured since last night…”
“Yes. Leon gave me the all clear. Elyan has the intelligence.”
“Perfect.” Merlin hummed and went back to kissing Arthur. “So, Mr. Appletini-”
Arthur groaned, “I drank that filthy drink for you, are you happy?”
“Yes.” Merlin grinned smugly. “Did Vivian really believe you were straight? How was having your first gay crisis? Did I woo you into gayness?”
“Shut up, Melvin.”
Merlin wrinkled his nose, “I swear to God, whoever made that cover was having a good laugh.”
“It certainly made me laugh.”
Arthur grinned and Merlin smacked the side of his head just for good measure.
They ate their breakfast, Merlin slyly linking their ankles together under the table. Arthur kicked Merlin’s shin before resting his calf next to Merlin’s.
“You burnt the eggs.” Merlin complained as they put the dishes into the sink (where they may or may not ever get washed).
“Why don’t you make breakfast?” Arthur asked pointedly. “What happened to domestic life? You never make me breakfast in bed.”
“Because I was sleeping.”
“Excuses.” Arthur shook his head, pulling Merlin into his arms.
“Just because everyone says were an old married couple doesn’t mean we have to make each other blackened eggs.”
“We should get married.”
Merlin snorted. “According to Gwaine we’re worse than married. Whatever he hell that means.”
Arthur was still watching him, his lips tight and his brows drawn together, and Merlin suddenly felt like he had missed something.
“If we could…” Arthur asked cautiously, “If we weren’t in this occupation. Would you want to get married?”
“What?” Merlin suddenly felt the air rush out of him. “You’re being serious.”
“No” Arthur rolled his eyes with huff, “I thought I’d just lay out my heart for shits and giggles.”
“Arthur.” Merlin’s hands rested on Arthur’s bare chest, feeling his heartbeat quicken.
“I want to know.” Arthur whispered. “Would you? If it was possible for us to do something as stupid as settle down and get married, as crazy as that seems, would you want to?”
“I never even…” Merlin thought of his childhood after his parents died. He thought of how he had been trained to think that he would probably die before he saw middle-age. He never thought he would have found someone like Arthur who he trusted so completely. “I never could think like that, Arthur.”
“It’s a ‘what if’ question, Merlin. It’s hypothetical.”
“I don’t think we could ever settle down.” He felt Arthur stiffen under his hands, “No, listen Arthur.” Merlin pressed his hands to Arthur’s chest more firmly “Arthur, we’re two adrenaline junkies who couldn’t fit into civilian life even if we tried. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want to marry you. I would still want to be with you; adventuring all over the world just with you.”
Arthur’s smile grew slowly until it was a huge grin across his face.
“So hypothetically speaking.” Arthur said, pulling away from Merlin. “If I got down on one knee, like this.” He took Merlin’s hands and knelt on one knee in front of him. “And I said something like ‘Merlin, to me you are the most important person in the world. I can’t go a single day without thinking about you. I love you and want you to be by my side every day til the day I die. Will you marry me?’” Arthur took a breath his eyes bright, still wary but incredibly happy. “What would you say?”
“I’d say,” Merlin took a breath, “‘Of course I’ll marry you, clotpole.’”
~~~
The morning after the end of the mission Gwaine woke up alone in the tiny flat. It was the first time in six weeks and he was extremely happy for Merlin. And Gwaine was happy he was going to get away from the damned bunk bed. They had one full day before they had to fly back to England in the morning and Gwaine was looking forward to it.
knock-knock-knock
Someone at your door on the morning after a mission was never a good sign. Gwaine padded over to the front door and opened it.
There was a woman in a suit wearing sunglasses at his front door. “Rogue? She asked.
“Er…” He wasn’t sure if he should answer her or attack her. He’d gotten missions in weird ways before, but never this way. “Yes?”
She pulled out a manila envelope that had a bright red stamp on the top that said “Top Secret.” In all Gwaine’s years of being a spy he had never gotten a mission in this way. It was just too Hollywood. This was definitely not in his book of How To Be A Spy.
“Thanks?” He took the envelope and eyed her suspiciously. “That it?”
“You have until nine o’clock this evening to complete your mission, should you choose to accept it.”
“Mission Impossible? Really?”
“Good luck, 007.”
“Really?” If James Bond was involved he was starting to get worried.
“Look, man. I’m just the delivery girl.” She pretended to salute and walked down the hallway until Gwaine couldn’t see her anymore.
He eyed the envelope warily as he closed the door and walked to the kitchen. He set it down. He thought that maybe he should check for explosives but…
“Fuck it.”
Gwaine ripped open the envelope and dumped the contents onto the kitchen table. It had a single sheet of paper. Nothing else was in the envelope (he even checked for secret pockets). He picked up the paper and read the mission.
Agent: ‘Rogue’
Targets: Arthur and Merlin
Mission: Shotgun Wedding
Cover: Most Ridiculous Costume Possible (we leave it to your better judgment)
You have until nine o’clock this evening to meet your team at The Chapel. Good Luck.
This message will self-destruct never. Don’t get a paper cut.
Gwaine laughed. He laughed so hard he had to sit down. Then he looked back at the sheet of paper, saw the words ‘Shotgun Wedding’ and he laughed some more. His lungs and stomach hurt by the time he finally laughed his fill.
It wasn’t that he was laughing because it was funny, though it far past hysterical. He was laughing because he was so incredibly happy for them. Those idiots were finally throwing caution to the wind and getting married. He grabbed the piece of paper and ran into the bedroom to get dressed. He had a ridiculous costume to go buy.
~~~
Gwaine arrived at The Chapel at exactly nine o’clock. Before going in though, he had to adjust his bellbottoms and sideburns. He was confident to say that his costume was properly ridiculous and a classic. He was very proud of himself. That is, until he saw Leon.
“Damn it! That’s brilliant mate.”
Leon laughed as he shook Gwaine’s hand. Well, Gwaine shook Leon’s flipper, because Leon was wearing a penguin suit. He wore a top hat and a monocle along with a bow tie, but he was still in a penguin suit, as in the flightless bird. And he had orange dress shoes. Gwaine was impressed.
“Thought I’d dress up for the occasion.” Leon said with a serious tone. Gwaine would have never guessed Leon would have bested him in ridiculous costumes.
“Elvis!” Elena came up behind him and tackled him into a full body hug. She was dressed in a blindingly sparkly fairy costume (wings included). She had enough glitter on her eyes to allow her stand to in for a sparkler. “They’re getting married! WOOHOO!” Gwaine agreed with her and started badly singing Can’t Help Falling in Love which somehow transitioned into Viva Las Vegas.
Percy walked in next, dressed as Cupid. He wore a pink toga and gladiator sandals. He even had a small crossbow with a single arrow, the head of which was shaped like a heart.
Gwaine eyed the weapon carefully. “Mate, that’s a real crossbow.”
“I know.” Percy smiled and Gwaine wasn’t sure if he should laugh or back away slowly.
Last, but not least, was Elyan. He was dressed as Batman and Gwaine was extremely jealous he hadn’t thought of that. It was a really nice costume too, like Christian Bale and not Adam West.
The priest came in next. He took one look at the group and nodded his head. “You must be the Merlin and Arthur wedding.”
The entire team broke out into cheers and the priest only ushered them into a chapel with a smile. They all settled into the front pews and only a minute later did the music start. Music started playing, upbeat and fun. (No matter where we go, ah, ah ah, Or even if we don’t, ah ah ah, And even if they try, ah ah ah, They’ll never take my body from your side. Love don’t die!)
The doors to the Chapel opened and Arthur appeared. He was in the most ridiculous Prince Charming outfit Gwaine had ever seen. His crown looked like it came from Burger King, and Gwaine wouldn’t put past Merlin and Arthur to have gone to Burger King to pick one up. His suit had huge red and gold shoulder puffs and his legs were covered in red tights. Gwaine wolf whistled. Arthur strolled down the aisle like he owned it and then stood at the altar.
Then Merlin appeared. Gwaine couldn’t help the laugh that burst out of his mouth. Merlin was dressed in all white. He had on white high top converses, but that was where the normalcy ended. He was wearing a white beaded dress, styled in 1920s fashion, with a big bow on his hip. He had a white headband with a huge feather attached to the side. Merlin’s grin was so wide he almost looked mad, but he was laughing and glowing. He sashayed down the aisle and everyone hooted. Gwaine wolf whistled again.
Gwaine looked back to Arthur, expecting to see him laughing but he wasn’t. He had a small content smile that looked just as wonderfully happy as Merlin’s huge grin. As cliché as it sounded, he was looking at Merlin as if he was his whole world.
Elena leaned over to him. “You know that phrase ‘incandescently happy?’”
Gwaine looked at her for a moment and then to where Merlin was greeting Arthur at the altar. They looked like a firework show of happiness.
“Yeah.” Gwaine had to agree. He was a romantic at heart after all.
Arthur took Merlin’s hands. “You look absolutely ridiculous.” Arthur said fondly.
“Thank you” Merlin said proudly. “And you look like a clotpole.”
Arthur did grin this time. They both looked like a soppy mess.
The priest began the ceremony. Elena was already trying not to ruin her glittery makeup by the time Merlin and Arthur got to the vows. (“El, it’s been two minutes.” “Shut up, I love weddings.” “True that. Pass me the tissues” “Here you go, you romantic sod.”)
“Merlin and Arthur have decided to recite their own vows.” The priest said and stepped back to let the couple proceed.
“I guess I’ll go first.” Arthur said, taking out a piece of paper which had been tucked in one of his shoulder puffs.
“Merlin.” He looked up from his paper. “The first time I met you…you called me a prat and I refused to work with you. Gaius said it would be good for my ego. But God, it was good for so much more.”
“Damn it El, give me back the tissues.”
“Shut up, Batman.”
Arthur was barely looking at the paper as he spoke, his eyes transfixed on Merlin’s face. “I know we argue a lot. I know I yell at you when you mess up and I call you names far too often.” Merlin was still smiling like these were sweet nothings. “But I also know that we argue because we love each other. I know that I yell at you because I want to keep you safe and losing you scares me more than bullets and knives. And I call you names because sometimes- the way I love you, it’s too much and calling you my idiot helps.”
“It’s so sweet I want to shoot him with the crossbow.” Percival sniffed. Gwaine patted his arm and passed him the tissues.
Arthur put the paper away, barely having used it in the first place. “So from this day forward until the day I die, I make these vows to you, Merlin. I vow to make you burnt scrambled eggs. I vow to yell at you when you mess up. I vow to call you an idiot when you’re being one.” Arthur looked down and Gwaine thought he might have seen Arthur take a steadying breathe. “But I also vow this. I vow to keep you safe. I vow to be your reassurance; to hold you when you break. I vow to always be by your side.”
Merlin looked like he couldn’t decide if he wanted to grin widely or sob madly. Gwaine wasn’t surprised; everyone except the couple had tissues in their hands. Even Leon (who would later claim that he had taken the monocle off because it made his eyes water. What a liar).
The priest held a pillow out to Arthur, from which Arthur pulled a ring. “With this ring, I thee wed.” Arthur said, slipping the ring onto Merlin’s finger.
“Arthur.” Merlin whispered, barely audible even from the first pew. Gwaine wasn’t sure what made him sound so surprised as Merlin looked at the ring. From where he was, Gwaine could see the gold and silver reflect in the light, and he wondered if this was the first time Merlin had seen it. By the look on his face, it was.
“It’s yours Merlin. She would have wanted you to have it.”
Ah. Gwaine understood. It must have been Arthur’s mother’s ring. Igraine’s possessions were one of the few material objects that meant anything to Arthur.
Merlin had to take moment before he went on to say his own vows. God knew the entire team had to take a moment.
Merlin looked shy as he started. “I didn’t write down any vows. For several reasons, the first of which was that I have no place to put them in a dress.” There was a pause as Arthur laughed and Gwaine snickered loudly to Elena, who smacked him.
“The second of which was because…Well. Today, when we sat down to write our vows, with probably too much celebration champagne in our system, I couldn’t think of a damned thing that didn’t sound like I was spewing things everyone said at weddings. But I did come up with a couple things.”
Merlin looked out at the pews only for a second, barely taking his eyes off Arthur.
“I’ve never dreamt about my wedding day, and it wasn’t because I didn’t care, it was because I never thought I’d get married. I never thought I’d have friends like this, who would show up at a wedding in the most ridiculous costumes just because I asked them to. And I definitely never thought I’d trust someone the way I trust you, Arthur.”
Gwaine’s heart tugged as he remembered that night two weeks ago in that damned bunk bed. He remembered how he encouraged Merlin to let go and trust Arthur. He was happy he had helped, even just a little. He was quite proud of himself, actually.
“So from this day forward until the day I die, I make these vows to you, Arthur.” Merlin visibly squeezed Arthur’s hands. “I vow to be as messy as possible so I cover our entire flat with things. I vow to deflate your big head by relentlessly teasing you. I vow to make up names to call you for every situation.”
Merlin took a breath, “But I also vow this. I vow to protect you, no matter what the cost. I vow to keep you standing when you think you can’t bear it a moment longer. I vow to always be by your side.”
Arthur mouthed something to Merlin, who smiled back. Something about olive juice.
Merlin took a ring from the pillow and slipped it onto Arthur’s finger. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
The priest stepped forward. “I have officiated many weddings. I have heard drunken vows and I have heard poetic vows. I have seen people who have been together for years and finally make the next step. And I have seen others who have only just begun their journey together.”
The priest gestured to the couple in front of him. “As much as the both of you have made an effort to disguise this wedding as humorous, I also see beneath the jokes and fun costumes. I see two men who are prepared for an adventure together through life and love. So it is with great pleasure that I say this to those who bear witness to the marriage of Merlin and Arthur: By the authority vested in me by the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you married.” The priest stepped back with a meaningful nod, “You may now kiss. Have at it.”
There was a pause, barely a moment, and then Arthur was being dipped and thoroughly snogged, one arm out in surprise and the other around Merlin’s neck. The team was on their feet, clapping and shouting loud enough for an entire stadium. Merlin pulled Arthur back upright only for Arthur to lift him up and kiss his new husband deeply. Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur’s neck, letting himself be swept off his feet, and kissed his husband enthusiastically.
Gwaine, ever quick, pulled out the bags of confetti he had stuffed in his Elvis suit and started throwing it, giving the other bag to Percival. Teenage Dream started playing as Merlin and Arthur pulled apart and Gwaine wanted to laugh at the absurd sweetness of it. The confetti flew around the newly wedded couple, looking like they had no clue it was all over them and sticking in their hair. They took each other’s hand as they ran out of the Chapel, Merlin tripping over his own legs and Arthur keeping him upright.
~~~
“What the hell do you mean you don’t know where they are?”
Gaius looked around at the team. These were professional liars. So when everyone on the team said: “I honestly don’t have a clue.” He knew they could at least come up with a better lie.
Gaius sighed. “Look. I’m not going to do anything drastic like call Uther or Kilgharrah. Just tell me where they went.”
Gaius looked to Leon, the most responsible of the team.
Leon shrugged. He shrugged like he was clueless.
“You can’t seriously be telling me no one on this team knows where my two best agents went.” Gaius carefully looked at everyone in the room, watching for any tells. They all looked innocent. If anything they looked guilty for not knowing.
Gaius sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “What was the last thing they said before they disappeared? Was there any clue to where they might have gone?”
No one on the team would look at him. There was something they weren’t telling him.
“For the love of God.” Gaius sighed, “Gwaine, please tell me you at least have something to say.”
“Well…Honestly sir. We were pissed drunk. I don’t remember anything after the reception. I mean, what’s a shotgun wedding without a ton of liquor? And I mean Merlin was in a dress, so I didn’t recognize him when they snuck out.”
“A shotgun what!?” Gaius heard his voice escalated to a shout.
“Er…” Gwaine sunk in his seat.
“I regret asking.” Gaius sighed. A honeymoon. Merlin and Arthur had dropped off the face of the Earth to go on a honeymoon. Gaius stood up from his seat. “When they return, tell them to report to me.”
The team looked wary and Gaius had to soother their thoughts. “So I can give them my well wishes.” Gaius sighed and left the room.