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gwyllionTitle: I Am Gwen (the cutest cat on the Internet!)
Author: gwylliondream
Genre: Modern au
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Rating: NC-17
Words: 58,347
Author’s Notes: I Am Gwen was written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
paperlegends and as a kinkme_merlin fill for this prompt.
Disclaimer: I did not create these characters. No disrespect intended. No profit desired, only muses.
Comments: Comments are welcome anytime! Thanks so much for reading!
“Arthur, no,” Merlin said, gripping the edge of Freya’s desk.
Arthur’s voice was shaky. “I came home, and she was gone. Her carrier is gone, too. There’s no note, no message. I just thought you should know,” Arthur said.
“Arthur,” Merlin said. His chest was tight. He couldn’t think fast enough. “Stay there. I’m… I’m on my way. I’ll be right there.”
“What’s wrong?” Gwaine asked, a look of confusion on his face as he listened to Merlin’s end of the conversation.
Merlin held a silencing hand up to Gwaine, and then raised a single finger to keep his attention.
“Merlin,” Arthur said, but he only let out a heavy sigh.
“I’ll be there in five minutes,” Merlin said, ending the call. He wasn’t going to let Arthur deal with this alone.
“What’s going on?” Gwaine asked.
“I’m not sure,” Merlin said, lowering his voice to a whisper. “But it appears the cat has been stolen.”
“Stolen?” Gwaine asked.
“Freya, I can’t make any deliveries right now,” Merlin said. “Something has come up. It’s an emergency.”
“I can make your deliveries if you need me to,” Gwaine said.
“That’s what I was hoping for,” Merlin said, patting Gwaine’s arm.
“Let me see what I have,” Merlin said. He shuffled through his messenger bag and pulled out the first half-dozen deliveries for the day.
Freya threw her hands in the air. “Why do I even bother?” she asked.
Merlin was certain that Freya was going to pound her head on her desk next, but he didn’t stick around to find out. He handed Gwaine the envelopes and headed for the garage, shouting to Leon that he needed his bike right away.
“What’s the hurry,” Leon asked. “It’s Monday morning. Our clients expect us to be late on Mondays.”
“Arthur needs me,” Merlin said, unable to keep his thoughts to himself. He pulled on his biking gloves and fastened the clip on his helmet.
“This is getting serious,” Leon said with a wink. “I hope it works out as well as last time.”
“Me too,” Merlin said. He hopped on his bike and pedaled out the door.
Rush hour traffic lined Tremont Street, the green lights changing to red before more than a few cars made it through each intersection. Merlin stood up on his pedals and pumped hard, flying past the banks and offices on State Street. A wave of guilt washed over him as he approached The Devonshire. If only he had insisted they stay at Arthur’s apartment last night, maybe Gwen would still be safe. It was his fault that Gwen had been taken. This wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t agreed to bring Arthur back to his apartment.
Merlin would never forgive himself if Arthur didn’t get Gwen back.
He skidded onto the sidewalk and lashed his bike to the light pole. Merlin headed straight for the elevators, announcing himself to the security desk as he crossed the lobby. As he rode the elevator to Arthur’s floor, he wondered if Gwen’s captor had traveled the same route. Obviously, the culprit was someone known to the building’s security force if he or she entered the building this way. He already had a good idea of who was responsible. Time stood still inside the elevator as it made its slow journey to the top of the skyscraper. Merlin tried to remain patient, knowing that Arthur would need all the calm comfort Merlin could muster.
“Arthur,” Merlin said, rushing toward him as he opened the door.
Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur and pulled him close. Arthur clung to Merlin. Merlin could feel the stiffness in his shoulders, every muscle wound tight.
“I needed to tell you,” Arthur said when they broke apart. “I’m sorry I bothered you. You’re supposed to be at work.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Merlin said, waving his hand in the air. “What’s going on?” He turned to close the apartment door. The lock and the handle appeared to be undamaged. Whoever took Gwen didn’t break in, even if they managed to get past the doorman to the building.
“It has to be Morgana,” Arthur said.
“I was thinking the same thing. You’re sure you didn’t simply misplace Gwen’s carrier? Could she be stuck somewhere? Or asleep somewhere?” Merlin asked. “I know Aithusa sometimes—”
“I’ve looked everywhere. She always comes running when I open the door,” Arthur said. “And I keep her carrier in the hall closet for when we take a trip to the vet.”
“You’ve tried calling her?” Merlin asked.
“Gwen?” Arthur asked.
“Morgana,” Merlin said.
“Oh God,” Arthur said, pinching the bridge of his nose, “I think I’m losing it.”
“Come on, let’s sit down and think this over,” Merlin said, taking his hand.
Arthur’s eyes were red and his skin was pale, lacking the healthy glow Merlin had admired less than an hour earlier. They moved toward the sofa where, on the previous visit, they had enjoyed Gwen’s company. Merlin sat first, fitting himself into the corner. He pulled Arthur down next to him, so he could embrace him while they talked.
“Yes, I called Morgana, but she doesn’t answer. I’ve left a message,” Arthur said.
Merlin stroked Arthur’s hair, massaging his head with his fingers. “What about the front desk? Maybe someone saw Morgana and can identify her?” Merlin asked. “At least that would give us a place to start looking.”
“Yes, I already asked them about it. The regular doorman didn’t see anything this morning, but there’s a different doorman on duty during the weekend. They’re going to have him call me,” Arthur said.
Merlin felt Arthur’s neck muscles relax as he moved his fingers over Arthur’s scalp. “That’s good,” Merlin said. “Surely he’d remember someone leaving the building with a cat.”
“Morgana has a key,” Arthur said, turning to face Merlin.
“That would explain how she got in,” Merlin said.
“And I’ve called the police. They took the information, but since they think it’s part of the inheritance dispute, they told me to call my lawyer. Oh, and they suggested I call the Animal Control Officer as a precaution,” Arthur said. “I still need to do that.”
“That’s great. You’ve already covered a lot of ground,” Merlin said. “I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I came over here, but you’ve made a good start.”
“I hope Morgana doesn’t hurt her,” Arthur said, tensing up again.
“No, Gwen would be of little value to her then,” Merlin said, rubbing Arthur’s back. “Here, I have an idea.”
Merlin reached into his pocket and took out his cellphone. He dialed Gwaine and waited for him to pick up.
“Hey,” Gwaine said.
Merlin held the phone away from his ear and turned on the speaker so Arthur could hear their conversation.
“Sorry about those extra stops,” Merlin said.
“No problem,” Gwaine said. “I got a nice tip from Mr. Tan. He says I’m better looking than you.”
“Very funny,” Merlin said. He could barely hear Gwaine because of the traffic. The honking horns and sirens drowned out his voice, and Merlin could have sworn he heard the air brakes of a semi, riding alongside him. “Hey, are you anywhere near the South End?”
“I’m on Columbus, heading toward Back Bay,” Gwaine said.
“That’ll work,” Merlin said to Arthur, patting his thigh. “Can you head over to Rutland? You remember delivering to Morgana Pendragon last week?”
“Of course, your Prince Charming’s sister,” Gwaine said.
Merlin blushed. “Hey man, I’ve got you on speakerphone, don’t rat me out,” Merlin said. Merlin felt Arthur’s lips curl into a smile as he nuzzled his face into the crook of his neck.
“Oops, sorry,” Gwaine laughed. “Yeah, I can head over there. You think she has the… um… thing we were talking about earlier?”
“It’s too late. The cat has already been let out of the bag,” Merlin said with a grin. “It would be worth a shot. She’s on the ground floor. Do you mind being a peeping Tom this morning?”
“I’m on my way,” said Gwaine.
“Call me when you know something,” Merlin said, ending the call.
Merlin felt Arthur’s arms tighten around him when he put the phone back in his pocket.
“Thanks,” Arthur said.
Merlin pressed a kiss to the top of Arthur’s head.
“We’ll get her back,” Merlin said.
The words were easy for Merlin to say, but he worried about making a promise that he might not be able to keep. Even if Morgana was Gwen’s captor, there was something about the ease with which she had taken Gwen from the apartment. Merlin knew Arthur and Morgana had been meeting frequently because of the fight over Uther’s estate, but he doubted Morgana would have known that Arthur would be out all last night.
Merlin ran his hands over Arthur’s back, trying to maintain the calm he had established. As much as he hated to do it, he asked, “Arthur, I’m not saying he did, but is there any chance that your uncle gave you those Sox tickets to get you out of the apartment for the night?”
Arthur shifted so Merlin could see his face. Merlin regretted the worry he had put there. It was awful enough for Arthur that his parents were gone and he had no family he could rely on for support. His sister likely stole his cat, and for another family member to be involved in deceiving Arthur as well? Merlin was afraid it would be too much for Arthur to bear.
“Do you think he might have done that?” Arthur asked.
“Well, he might not have,” Merlin said, backpedaling. “After all, you told me that your father’s friends often gave you tickets and things. Maybe it was just a coincidence.”
Arthur sighed, his breath playing softly over Merlin’s face. “It doesn’t seem like a coincidence. It might have been his plan all along. Morgana always had him wrapped around her finger. It wouldn’t have taken much for her to convince him to play along with her, especially when there was money to be made.”
“I’m so sorry,” Merlin said.
“No, I’m sorry,” Arthur said.
“You’re sorry?” Merlin asked. “Why are you sorry?”
Arthur didn’t say anything. Instead, he wriggled out of Merlin’s arms and stretched out on the sofa, his head in Merlin’s lap.
“Arthur?” Merlin asked, his hands tugging through the blonde locks of hair. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“Promise you won’t be mad at me,” Arthur said, his eyes fluttering open.
“Why would I be mad at you?” Merlin laughed, tugging his hair a little harder. He hoped that he was about to find out that this was all a big joke, that Gwen would leap out of a box at any moment and put an end to his fear that she had been kidnapped. “Arthur?”
“The tickets…” Arthur said, grabbing Merlin’s hand and placing it on his chest. “The first tickets… to the Tigers’ game…”
“I’m listening,” said Merlin, confused as to why Arthur was bringing these tickets up while Gwen was missing.
“You’re going to think I’m a jerk!” Arthur said, nudging Merlin’s half-hard cock with the back of his skull.
“I won’t!” Merlin laughed. It felt good to have Arthur’s head resting on his thighs. Arthur was sweet and vulnerable like this, vying for Merlin’s approval, something bossy Cenred never would have done with Merlin. It gave Merlin some confidence. In just a short month, Arthur had gone from an attractive, but unapproachable son of a CEO and a haughty prat, to a sweet cat-owning guy who Merlin wanted to help and protect at all costs. He only wished he could enjoy what Arthur was inadvertently doing to his cock, instead of having to comfort him in his time of distress. “Tell me what you’ve done.”
“I got those Sox-Tigers tickets on my own,” Arthur said.
“What do you mean, on your own?” Merlin asked. He wasn’t sure what Arthur was trying to tell him.
“I mean no one gave them to me,” Arthur said. “I bought them from a scalper.”
“And you told me that a friend of your father’s gave them to you?” Merlin asked.
“Yeah, but I’m telling you about it now,” Arthur said, his eyes looking up hopefully at Merlin. “I wanted to impress you. I knew you liked baseball. It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Merlin sighed. “I suppose I can think of worse things I’ve done to impress a guy,” he said, his hand patting Arthur’s chest.
“I probably wouldn’t have told you, except for you mentioning that people often gave me tickets to things. They do sometimes—don’t get me wrong,” Arthur said, looking away. “It’s just those particular tickets… I got them because I thought they’d make you want to go out with me.”
Arthur was adorable. Merlin couldn’t blame him for what he had done. He was just trying to be nice and Merlin felt special that Arthur went out of his way to get the tickets. “All right then,” Merlin said, leaning down to kiss him on the lips. “But no more fibbing just to get into my pants.”
Merlin felt Arthur’s smile against his mouth.
Just then, Arthur’s phone rang. He reached over to pick it up from the coffee table.
“Hello,” he said. Then he whispered to Merlin, “It’s my attorney.”
Arthur held the phone up so Merlin could hear, but all he could make out was a woman’s voice and the mention of Arthur and Morgana’s name occasionally interspersed with more conversation while Arthur agreed, nodded his head, and grew more agitated.
“But I’m sure she stole her,” Arthur said. And after a moment, “I’ve already called the police. Thanks.” He ended the call and dropped the phone onto the coffee table. “Thanks for nothing, I ought to have said.”
“What did she say?” Merlin asked, pulling Arthur’s head back onto his lap.
“That was Nimueh, the paralegal. She says that since Gwen belonged to my father, both Morgana and I have an equal chance of getting her in the settlement. If I truly think Gwen’s been stolen, I’m to call the police. There’s nothing they can do about it,” Arthur said. “They’re completely useless. I want my cat back!”
Merlin let his fingers sift through Arthur’s hair. He wished there was something more that he could do to help, but right now, it seemed that the only thing he could do was to comfort Arthur and help pass the time. He took a deep breath and watched Arthur’s head rise and fall with each slow inhale and exhale. After a few minutes, the LCD display on the stereo turned to 7:45 AM. Merlin’s phone vibrated in his pocket.
“Gwaine?” Merlin said, punching the button for speakerphone.
“I’ve got her,” Gwaine said.
“Morgana?” Merlin asked.
“Morgana and Gwen,” Gwaine’s words were unmistakable.
Arthur sat bolt upright and clambered over to Merlin’s side.
“Morgana has Gwen?” Arthur asked.
“When I pulled up, Morgana was leaving. She got into a taxi with Gwen in one of those cat carrying cases,” Gwaine said. It sounded like he was whispering into his cellphone, trying to keep from being overheard.
“Where are you now?” Merlin asked.
“I’m following behind them,” Gwaine said. “They’re turning right on Shawmut, but the way traffic has been, they won’t be getting anywhere fast this morning.”
“Where could she be taking Gwen?” Arthur punched the sofa cushion.
“Gwaine, any idea where they’re headed?” Merlin asked.
The sounds of the morning rush hour came through the speaker.
“Sorry, I had to stop. I’ve already had too much coffee this morning and I can’t pedal that slowly. I don’t want Morgana to see me tailing her,” Gwaine said. “I don’t know. They’re headed southwest on Shawmut. Toward Jamaica Plain, I think.”
Merlin thought for a moment. What was near Jamaica Plain?
Arthur leaned forward and cradled his head in his hands.
“Oh my God!” Merlin shouted. “I think I know where she’s going.”
Arthur turned to Merlin and opened his mouth wide with disbelief.
“Gwaine, stay with her,” Merlin said. “I’ll call you back in five.”
Merlin leapt to his feet and shoved the phone into his pocket.
“Arthur,” Merlin said, dragging Arthur out of his seat. “I should have thought of this before.”
“What, Merlin?” Arthur asked. “Where do you think Morgana is taking her?”
Merlin gripped Arthur’s shoulders. “Gwen,” Merlin said. “Where did your father get Gwen?”
Arthur scratched his head. “Well, he got her from the SPCA, of course.”
“That’s what I thought,” Merlin said. He looked at the clock. “The SPCA opens in less than fifteen minutes. We’ve got to get there before Morgana does.”
“What does the SPCA have to do with it?” Arthur asked, following Merlin to the door.
Merlin dragged Arthur into the hall and bounced on the balls of his feet while Arthur locked up.
“Gwen belongs to the SPCA. Your father was her caretaker. With his death, Gwen still belongs to the SPCA and it’s up to them to assign her a new caretaker,” Merlin said. He really needed to slow down to make Arthur understand, but as they ran down the hallway to the elevator, there was no time to spare. Merlin punched the down button and waited for the elevator doors to open.
“That’s ridiculous,” Arthur said. “Gwen was my father’s cat.”
“I know,” Merlin said. “It seems stupid, but the SPCA has their reasons for it.”
“We’ll have to hurry if we’re going to get there before Morgana,” Arthur said, when the doors opened.
They scrambled inside and began their descent to the lobby.
“I have a friend who might be able to help us at the SPCA—Gilli,” Merlin said.
“Can’t we just call him?” Arthur asked tapping his pocket for his cellphone.
“He does things by the book,” Merlin said. He knew how Gilli operated and he was a little worried about asking him for a favor. “He’s just going to tell us that we need to get there before Morgana, but I’ll call him and let him know what’s going on when we’re on our way.”
“Can you bribe him?” Arthur asked.
Merlin suddenly laughed, remembering what he learned yesterday. “As a matter of fact, he’s head over heels in love with Freya.”
“Your secretary?” Arthur asked.
“Don’t ever let her hear you call her that,” Merlin snickered. “She’s a delivery expediter.”
“Very funny. While you’re calling Gilli, I’ll call Freya,” Arthur said.
“As if she’d listen to you,” Merlin said.
“She might. Have you forgotten that she was my accomplice once before? I’ll get us a taxi,” Arthur said.
“Arthur…” Merlin started. He watched their reflection in the mirrored elevator door and remembered the time, weeks ago, when he watched the same reflection and thought it didn’t look as if they belonged together. He couldn’t have been more grateful for the time that they had spent together and that his first impression had been wrong. Merlin reached over and took Arthur’s hand. “I’m afraid there’s not enough time for a taxi.”
“Sure there is,” Arthur said, swallowing hard. “I’m going to get Gwen back.”
Merlin took a deep breath. “It’s Monday morning, in the middle of rush hour,” Merlin said. “There’s only one way to get there before the SPCA opens.”
“Magic?” Arthur asked.
“Something like that,” Merlin said with a laugh. “I’ll have to ride there.”
The elevator dropped them off in the lobby and they rushed toward the revolving doors, Merlin’s bike shoes clattering on the marble floor.
“But if you think you’ll get there before me,” Arthur said, when they stepped outside. “What about Gwen? I need to go with you.”
“Well I can’t very well let you ride on the handlebars, can I? As much as I’d like to,” Merlin said gently. “You have to trust me to do this, and you can try to get there yourself while I’m riding there, just in case....”
Arthur signaled to the doorman that he needed a taxi and waited while Merlin unlocked his bike.
“Just one more thing,” Merlin said, as he secured the chain around his waist and latched the lock. “If you get a call from the SPCA, asking if I live with you at The Devonshire… can you say that I do?”
Arthur smiled, his eyes gleaming with hope in the morning sunshine. “You can, you know,” he said. “If you really want to live with me.”
Merlin thought his heart would burst. There were a million things he’d like to do to Arthur to show him how much he loved him at this moment, but he had to rescue Gwen. “We can talk about that when I see you next,” Merlin said, hopping onto the bike. “Right now, I’m off to see a man about a cat.”
Arthur leaned in for a quick kiss as his taxi pulled up to the curb. “Good luck,” he said before he climbed into the back seat.
Merlin fastened his helmet and pulled on his shades.
“I’m going to need it,” Merlin said under his breath.
As soon as his front tire hit the street, Merlin realized that Gwaine wasn’t kidding about the traffic. It was as if there was some unwritten rule that said everyone had to make it to work on time for the Monday before Labor Day in order to get the holiday off the following week.
Merlin took a quick look around, checking for police before he pedaled into the oncoming cars on Water Street. A few turns of the crank down Washington Street and he could see the traffic moving on Tremont when he looked between the buildings as he rode past. He jumped onto School Street and barely missed being doored by an idiot who was double-parked.
He wanted to yell in frustration, but considering he was traveling against traffic, it wouldn’t be wise to call attention to himself and possibly get stopped for a traffic violation… not when Gwen’s future was a stake. At last, he turned onto Tremont and rode with the flow of traffic. He pulled out his cellphone and called Gwaine.
“What took you so long?” Gwaine asked.
“I’m on Tremont, heading past The Common, where is she?” Merlin asked as he pedaled past cars.
“They’re on Malcolm X, headed for Columbus Ave. They’re not moving fast,” Gwaine said.
“Okay, stay with them. I’m about two miles away I figure. I’m coming up on the Mass Pike now,” Merlin said. It was difficult to hear Gwaine over the horns of angry motorists and intermittent sirens of the city’s emergency vehicles. “Oh, and I think they’re headed to the SPCA on Huntington.”
“Why would Morgana be dumping Gwen at the SPCA? I thought she wanted her?” Gwaine asked.
“No, she’s not dumping her, she’s going to make her adoption official. It’s a long story. Look, if you can do it, try to keep Morgana from bringing Gwen into the shelter,” Merlin said. It was harder to explain things to Gwaine when he was out of breath and trying to pedal fast to avoid a collision.
“How am I going to do that?” Gwaine asked.
“I don’t know. It’s just a thought. Try distracting her, maybe talk with her when she gets out of the taxi,” Merlin said.
“I’ll do the best I can,” Gwaine said. “I’ll see you when you catch up.”
“Thanks,” Merlin said, ending the call.
Traffic was slow on Tremont. Merlin easily cruised past the cars while they waited in bumper-to-bumper traffic. He tried to time the lights as they turned to red, conserving his energy by pedaling hard only when it meant he’d get through the next intersection without having to stop.
When he hit the red light at Mass Ave, he called the SPCA and asked for Gilli.
“I know you’re not open yet,” Merlin said. “But this is an emergency.”
“Sure, Merlin, what’s going on?” Gilli asked.
“Remember I told you my new boyfriend had a cat that looks exactly like Gwen?” Merlin asked.
“How could I forget? You were so excited about it over the weekend,” Gilli said.
“Well, I have news for you. Are you sitting down?” Merlin asked. “The cat we know as Gwen… The Gwen… she is my boyfriend’s cat.”
“The Gwen? From the Internet?” Gilli asked.
“That’s the one,” Merlin said.
“No fucking way!” Gilli yelled. “Oh, sorry…”
Merlin could hear Gilli apologizing to his team of volunteers.
“Listen, Gilli. My boyfriend’s father adopted Gwen from the SPCA a couple years ago. His father recently passed away and now my boyfriend’s sister is trying to keep Gwen for herself,” Merlin said. He wove in and out of traffic, trying to stay ahead of the cars that were moving the fastest.
“Well, she’ll have to fill out an application if she wants to adopt a cat from us,” Gilli said.
“I know. She is going to try to adopt her right now. We can’t let that happen. Gwen belongs to Arthur. He’s done everything to care for her, but his sister wants to make Gwen into another Morris the Cat.” Merlin said. “Morgana is on her way there with Gwen now. Can you help me out?”
“I want to help you, Merlin,” Gilli said. “But if her adoption application gets approved, I really can’t stop her from adopting.”
Merlin swerved onto Columbus Ave, taking his feet off the pedals and letting the sole of his bike shoe skim the blacktop on the inside corner. He had closed the distance between The Devonshire and Gwaine’s last known location, but he still had another mile to go.
“I know that,” Merlin said. He pumped his way down Columbus Ave, keeping his eyes open for Gwaine and his bike among the pedestrians. “What about me?”
“What about you?” Gilli asked after a pause.
“Can I adopt Gwen?” Merlin asked. He gripped his handlebars tight, waiting for Gilli’s answer. “I have an application on file.”
Merlin could hear Gilli sigh over the phone. “But you can’t have a pet at your apartment,” Gilli said. “You’ve already told me that.”
“I have a new address,” Merlin said. “My boyfriend, Arthur Pendragon, can verify it.”
Merlin sped through Jackson Square and took a sharp right onto Centre Street. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears as he waited for Gilli’s response.
“Give me his number,” Gilli said.
Merlin rattled off Arthur’s cellphone number, making Gilli repeat it back to him just to make certain he had it right.
“Call him, Gilli,” Merlin said. “Call him before you unlock the shelter doors today.”
As Merlin put his phone back into his pocket, he unwittingly glanced at the time. It was 8:00 AM.
Beads of sweat broke out across Merlin’s forehead as he pedaled to the intersection with Huntington Ave. He was about a hundred feet away from MSPCA when he noticed a bicycle lying in the middle of the sidewalk outside the entrance. There were at least a few taxis in the line of traffic that crawled down the street toward the next red light. Although Merlin wished with all his might that Arthur had been in one of them, he saw no way that Arthur’s taxi could have made it through the morning traffic so quickly. He worried that Morgana may be inside one of them with Gwen.
Wondering what had become of Gwaine, Merlin pedaled as fast as he could to where the bike lay. He came to a stop beside it. It was Gwaine’s bike all right. He didn’t have to look much further to find out what was going on. There was an argument taking place somewhere behind the hedges that lined the sidewalk.
“If you come any closer, I’m calling the police,” Morgana shouted.
“Oh, come on… you don’t want that cat,” Gwaine said. “I bet you don’t even like cats.”
Merlin leapt off his bike, the metal frame skittering across the sidewalk to rest beside Gwaine’s. He plunged through the hedges and found what he was looking for when he emerged into the back parking lot.
Gwaine had Morgana cornered beside the loading dock. She was dressed in a business suit with her hair pulled into a ponytail. In one hand, she held the handle to the cat carrier, and inside the carrier, Gwen howled and clawed at the door, wanting to escape.
“Morgana, that’s not your cat!” Merlin yelled. He hated to see Gwen so distressed. For a cat who loved boxes, Gwen sure was pissed off about being in the carrier.
“I’ve been trying to tell her that for five minutes now,” Gwaine said, a look of surprise on his face when he saw Merlin.
“It may not be my cat now, but it will be mine before you see it again,” Morgana said. She took advantage of Merlin’s distraction and dove to Gwaine’s right, running alongside the building, her heels clattering on the pavement.
“Stop!” Merlin shouted giving chase with Gwaine.
Morgana’s heels were no match for the loose gravel that littered the parking lot. She slipped and stumbled forward. To Merlin, everything looked like it happened in slow motion—Morgana falling, using her hands to break her fall, and Gwen’s carrier sailing through the air.
“No!” Merlin couldn’t tell if it was Gwaine yelling, or if the shout was his own voice. He supposed it was both.
The cat carrier landed badly on a front corner, the plastic warping with the impact enough to dislodge the metal grate of the door, which settled with a clank in the parking lot. Gwen bounded into the parking lot full of cars.
“Get back here!” Morgana shouted. She pulled off her heels, staggered to her feet, and chased after Gwen, hunting down row after row for the wayward cat.
Merlin was furious at Morgana. What if Gwen took off? What if she were hit by a car? He wanted to chase after Morgana to give her a piece of his mind, but he knew that yelling and carrying on would only upset Gwen and keep her in hiding.
Morgana was already two rows away from Merlin, when Gwaine said, “I think she went this way.”
Merlin followed Gwaine down the row of cars, stopping to look beneath them to see if they could find four white paws.
Morgana had run to the opposite end of the parking lot, shouting, “Here kitty, kitty!”
Merlin walked slowly, stopping to investigate any sudden movement he caught in his peripheral vision.
“Hey, Merlin,” Gwaine said quietly from a row away. “I see her.”
Merlin was careful to avoid sudden movements that might startle Gwen. He made his way to Gwaine and peered down the length of the parking lot looking for Gwen. There she was, sitting on the pavement washing a paw, the width of a dozen cars separating them.
“Here kitty, kitty,” Morgana continued to call.
“Maybe if you go down this row, I can work my way around the next one and we’ll get her between us,” Gwaine said.
Merlin agreed with his suggestion. He moved slowly, heading down the row toward Gwen, willing for her to stay right where she sat, so he could bring her to safety.
Gwaine made his way to the next row of cars and headed in the same direction as Merlin.
“Can you see her still?” he asked.
Merlin nodded that he could.
Both men moved in Gwen’s direction with one row of cars between them. Unfortunately, Morgana caught on fast. She hurried to the row of cars that had Merlin and Gwaine’s attention.
“There you are, my little kitty,” Morgana said.
Merlin walked faster, but his heart sank as Morgana reached down to lift Gwen off the ground. Arthur was going to be so disappointed.
Just then, Gwen raised her paw and sliced her claws across Morgana’s cheek. Morgana let out a blood-curdling scream and clasped her hands to her face. It seemed that, except for Morgana’s voice, the whole city went silent.
Gwaine quickly cut across the row of cars, stopping when he reached Morgana.
Merlin got on the ground, the blacktop hard under his knees. He held out his hand and said, “Come on, Gwen… please….”
Gwen scampered out of Morgana’s reach and rubbed her face against Merlin’s hand.
“That’s a good girl,” Merlin said, scooping Gwen into his arms.
Merlin realized the danger was far from over when Morgana lunged toward him. Fortunately, Gwaine was able to keep her in check while Merlin sprinted toward the SPCA entrance with Gwen. He burst through the door and ran to the front desk. He was never so happy to see Gilli in his whole life.
“Hello, there,” Gilli said. “How can we help you today?”
Merlin placed Gwen on the counter. He could barely speak, because he was so out of breath, but he soon managed, “I’d like to adopt a cat.”
=^.^= )
“And that’s when Morgana came running through the door, demanding to adopt Gwen,” Merlin said. He let his head fall to Arthur’s shoulder as they rode back to The Devonshire in the back seat of the taxi, his bike securely stowed in the trunk.
“I wish I could have seen her face when Gilli told her that your adoption paperwork had already been approved,” Arthur said.
Merlin poked his fingers through the front grate of the carrier and stroked Gwen’s neck. She had settled down some, compared to how she had behaved with Morgana.
“It didn’t stop Morgana from trying to race through the application,” Merlin said. “She was scribbling her information down so quickly, I doubt anyone could have read her handwriting anyway.”
Arthur turned to Merlin and kissed his head.
“I don’t know whether Gilli was more excited about meeting Gwen, or having the pleasure of placing her with a true cat lover,” Arthur said.
“He would have let you adopt her if you got there in time,” Merlin said, lacing his fingers with Arthur’s. “I’m sorry it happened this way. It’s not fair to you.”
“It doesn’t bother me,” Arthur said. “I’m just happy to have her back and to know that we’ll never be parted again.”
“You won’t be,” Merlin said. “I promise you that.”
Arthur reached a hand around the back of Merlin’s neck and drew him in for a kiss. Merlin closed his eyes while Arthur teased his mouth open. He let one hand trace every muscle and contour of Arthur’s chest while the other hand stroked Gwen through the carrier door.
“Thanks for getting Gwen back for me,” Arthur said, pulling back so just their noses were touching. And then he spoke more softly so the taxi driver couldn’t hear, despite getting an eyeful in his rearview mirror, “I love you.”
Merlin grinned. “Are you sure you’re not just saying that so I’ll let you play with my cat?” he asked.
“I’d rather play with the cat’s owner,” Arthur said with a growl, leaning in for another kiss.
“That could be arranged,” Merlin said. “Freya has given me the rest of the day off.”
“Really? How did you manage that?” Arthur asked.
“It’s amazing how agreeable she can be when you give her a little power,” Merlin said.
“Let me guess—Gilli?” Arthur asked.
“Exactly,” Merlin said.
“I had to do something while I was stuck in traffic. I called Freya and told her what was going on with Gwen. She told me she’d try to convince Gilli to accept your word that you lived at The Devonshire,” Arthur said.
“She can be very persuasive,” Merlin said.
“He’s obviously very open to suggestions,” Arthur said.
Merlin stared out the window. “Don’t make me say it.”
“He’s pussy-whipped,” Arthur chuckled.
“You said it, not me,” Merlin said. He dipped his head to peer into the carrier and added, “No offense, Gwen.”
The taxi pulled up to The Devonshire having made the trip in a fraction of the time it took to drive to the SPCA in rush hour traffic. Arthur paid the fare while Merlin cradled the cat carrier as if it were something precious and fragile. The driver popped open the trunk and Arthur pulled Merlin’s bike out and set the wheels on the sidewalk.
“You know,” Arthur said when the taxi drove away. “It’s been years since I’ve tried riding one of these.”
He swung his leg over the crossbar and found a pedal with one of his feet.
Merlin closed his eyes. “I can’t bear to watch,” he said.
“I still remember how,” Arthur said confidently. “It’s like riding a bike.”
Merlin laughed. “At least use this,” he said, tossing his helmet to Arthur.
Arthur slapped the helmet onto his head and began to awkwardly pedal down the sidewalk in front of The Devonshire.
“You haven’t done up the buckle,” Merlin yelled.
Arthur managed to circle back to Merlin. “How do you even stop this thing?” he said, dragging a foot on the ground until he came to a stop.
Merlin took hold of the handlebars. “Haven’t we had enough excitement for one day?” he asked.
“Oh, no,” Arthur said, both feet solidly on the sidewalk again. “I think we’re just getting started.”
Merlin barely had time to let Gwen out of her carrier before Arthur had him pressed against the door of the apartment. Arthur’s hot breath ghosted over Merlin’s neck while he tugged at the zipper of Merlin’s Lycra shirt.
Gwen sniffled curiously at the bike that Arthur had leaned against the wall. Merlin smiled when she rubbed her face against the front tire, but he hoped she wasn’t strong enough to topple it over, as the noise would distract Arthur from what he was doing. Merlin gently shooed Gwen away with his foot and twined his fingers in Arthur’s hair, guiding his head so their mouths met, the scrape of Arthur’s cheek burning Merlin’s lips.
“You’re insatiable,” Merlin said with a hum when he pulled away.
“Are you complaining?” Arthur asked as shoved the stretchy material out of the way so he could kiss a trail across Merlin’s collarbone.
“God, no,” Merlin said, taking Arthur’s mouth again.
Merlin felt one of Arthur’s hands curl around his hip as his other hand explored the chain and lock that Merlin wore around his waist. As Arthur’s fingers skittered over each link, a vibration went straight to Merlin’s cock.
After another kiss, Merlin reached into his pocket and offered Arthur the key.
“Sexy,” Arthur said, taking the silver key and dropping to his knees.
Merlin watched Arthur through lustful eyes as he fumbled with the lock. The tiny click sounded as the lock came undone, freeing Merlin from the all too necessary tool of his trade.
Arthur held one end of the chain in each hand, pulling it taut against the small of Merlin’s back. Merlin let his head tilt back, hitting the door with a thud. A groan escaped his lips while Arthur rubbed the chain lower and lower across his ass. Despite the padding of his bike shorts, the sensation sent a spike of pleasure through Merlin. There was no turning back now, not when Arthur was happily mouthing at his cock through the thin black fabric.
Merlin felt his balls tighten and he shifted to spread his legs apart. He chanced a gaze downward and caught Arthur looking up at him, his blue eyes shining with the joy of getting Gwen back and his lips wet with spit.
Arthur let the chain drop to the floor. The sound sent Gwen scurrying away from the hallway, giving up further exploration of her master’s antics. Arthur’s hands roamed over Merlin’s thighs while his mouth applied steady pressure to Merlin’s cock. When Arthur began to peel down the bike shorts, Merlin’s knees grew weak.
“Come on,” Merlin said, clutching Arthur’s shoulders. “Let’s get horizontal before I pass out from your hotness.”
Arthur smiled and kissed his way up Merlin’s body before taking his hand and tugging him over to the sofa. To Merlin’s amusement, Gwen had settled on a cushion. She sat there preening herself, licking a paw and rubbing it over her jowls. He felt bad that she had been though an unspeakable ordeal with Morgana. Merlin sat next to her and watched her wash. It made him happy that she was back to enjoying her home and seemed none worse for wear.
Arthur petted Gwen’s head. “Hang on,” he said, crossing the room. “Let me get her a box. I hope she still loves them.”
“Of course she does. She’s only been gone for a day at most,” Merlin said as Arthur went to the kitchen for a box. “To her, it probably just seems like she’s been on a long strange trip to the vet.”
Arthur returned with a Gwen-sized box. He set in on the floor and Gwen showed an immediate interest in it, jumping off the sofa to have a look. Arthur collapsed on the sofa next to Merlin. He slung his arm over Merlin’s shoulders and they watched Gwen investigate the box by jumping inside it.
“She still loves her boxes,” Merlin said, patting Arthur’s thigh.
Arthur sighed heavily and tightened his hold on Merlin. “Now,” he said, burying his nose in the crook of space behind Merlin’s ear. “Where were we?”
Merlin leaned back, taking Arthur with him until they were a tangle of limbs stretched out on the sofa with nothing better to do than watch a cat jump in and out of a box for the rest of the day.
“I forgot to tell you,” Arthur said. He slid his hands under Merlin’s shirt and pushed it up to expose Merlin’s pale torso. “We have to stay home until the locksmith comes.”
“Oh,” Merlin gasped as Arthur pressed kisses to his belly. “You’re having the locks changed?”
It was difficult to listen to what Arthur was telling him. Merlin was too busy trying to get Arthur to pay attention to his cock which was straining uncomfortably against the fabric of his shorts.
“Yes,” Arthur said. “It’s the only sure way to keep Morgana from having access to the apartment, even though it wouldn’t do her any good to kidnap Gwen again, when she already has a legal owner.”
Merlin wanted to agree, but he could only babble incoherently as Arthur peeled his shorts lower and traced circles across the sensitive newly-exposed flesh with his tongue. Merlin lifted his hips off the sofa and shoved his shorts the rest of the way down, freeing his cock to inspire Arthur further. He reached for Arthur’s shoulders, but Arthur sat up and tugged off his shirt, dropping it on the floor with Merlin’s shorts.
In her nearby box, Gwen hunkered down as if she found something to attack. She peered over the top edge, her eyes wide.
Arthur leaned in to strip Merlin’s shirt from him. A light breeze wafted through the open window, freshening the air with a coolness that promised the end of summer and the short days of winter to come. Although the air was cool on Merlin’s skin and made him shiver, it only made him appreciate the sensuous feel of Arthur’s warm chest against his own.
Arthur held Merlin’s eyes as he went in for a feverish kiss and Merlin decided he could easily get used to this, a beautiful new apartment to live in, a gorgeous new lover to shower with affection, and a new cat who already had taken up such a big place in his heart before he even knew her.
He wanted to say something to Arthur about it. He wanted to tell him how happy he was, but when Arthur pulled away and slid between Merlin’s legs, his thoughts turned to yet more carnal desires.
“I want,” Merlin whispered, his eyes half-closed to the dizzying wave of pleasure as Arthur sucked his cock into his mouth.
Merlin moaned and twined his fingers into Arthur’s hair. He almost came apart when Arthur looked up at him while he laved attention to his swollen cock.
Arthur slowly pulled off and said, “I know what you want,” his breath warm on Merlin’s skin.
Merlin barely had time to contemplate what he meant before Arthur hooked his arms beneath Merlin’s thighs and licked a path along the crease between Merlin’s legs. Merlin let go of Arthur’s head, afraid of how much damage he might do to Arthur’s hair if he were left to his own devices. Instead he closed his eyes and gripped the sofa cushion, hoping that it could withstand mistreatment by his fingernails.
Every muscle in Merlin’s body tightened when Arthur touched his hole with the flat of his tongue. He was so aroused that he thought he might come just from that. But suddenly, he felt a sharp thump. He opened his eyes when he heard Arthur laugh a gust of breath caressing his balls.
There she was, Gwen in all her glory, perched atop Arthur’s back.
Merlin couldn’t help but smile.
“Your cat,” Arthur began, shaking his head. “Is seriously affecting my performance.”
“My cat?” Merlin asked, realizing that it was true.
“All right, then. Our cat,” Arthur replied.
=^.^= )
Epilogue — the first days of winter
Hunith was a beautiful bride.
Merlin beamed as he escorted her down the aisle of the country church, the organ music swelling with their every step. Earlier that morning, a glaze of snow had coated the rooftops of their New England town. It made Merlin’s mother fret about the road conditions and black ice that might delay their guests, but now the day’s thaw and the soft glow of candlelight only added to the warmth of the gathering of their family and closest friends.
When Merlin and Hunith arrived at the front of the chapel, Merlin kissed his mother’s cheek and clasped her hand to Iseldir’s so the ceremony could begin. Iseldir bowed his head to Merlin. Merlin nodded to the man who would make a noble substitute for the father he never knew. As long as Hunith was happy, Merlin was pleased with her decision. His duty fulfilled, Merlin stepped into place in the front row of congregants next to his beloved Arthur.
Arthur was the perfect wedding date. Merlin didn’t have many occasions to wear a tuxedo, but Arthur’s promise that he’d divest him of his bowtie as soon as the ceremony ended provided him with something to occupy his thoughts during the solemn exchange of vows. They stood and sat and rose again as the service progressed, Hunith and Iseldir pledging themselves to each other in the company of their families.
“That could be us someday,” Arthur whispered in Merlin’s his ear during a moment of transition.
Merlin blushed and fought back a smile. “Right, then,” he said, kicking Arthur’s foot.
Perhaps they’d discuss this opportunity in more detail later, like when Merlin had Arthur pressed against the closed door to their bedroom so he could show him how he really felt about spending the rest of their lives together.
Merlin slipped his hand into Arthur’s for the rest of the ceremony.
At the reception that followed, Merlin was proud to introduce Arthur as his partner to his daft Aunt Alice. She looked Arthur up and down, and Merlin was quite certain that she thought Arthur was female. She squinted curiously at his face before Arthur cleared his throat in a stern suggestion that Merlin find more sane relatives that still needed an introduction.
Uncle Bart seemed to lose all his fight when Merlin pointed out that Arthur owned fifty percent of the Ketch-All company, manufacturers of the world’s finest animal control pole. By the time Merlin dragged Arthur onto the dance floor, he was sure that Arthur had convinced Uncle Bart that he was a financial genius who would look after his nephew Merlin as if he were a well-kept housewife.
While it was true that the division of Uther’s assets allowed Arthur some financial security, he still had a job to do and a business to run. He and Morgana had split the money from the sale of the apartment and that gave Arthur enough for a substantial down-payment on a South End brownstone that he and Merlin now called home. He used what little remained to restart the video engineering business that he had left behind in New York. Merlin continued to have coffee with Gwaine every morning before they took to the streets with their deliveries.
And Gwen… she had no part in the business at all. Although Merlin and Arthur had discussed using Gwen’s status to attract new clients, they agreed that they never wanted her to have to work for even a single day of her life. Instead, they waited on her hand and foot, taking time to update her FaceBook status or upload a new video to YouTube only because nothing delighted people more than seeing Gwen jump into a box or chase a catnip mouse.
Making people happy… that seemed like an important enough job for a cat.
When the reception ended, Merlin and Arthur stayed at Hunith’s house, where they had brought Gwen for the Christmas break, despite Gwaine’s generous offer to cat sit. Gwen tolerated the two-hour car ride better than she would have being home for two weeks, even if she were visited daily by her doting cat sitter. Aithusa didn’t even mind having company as he and Gwen hid together under the bed whenever a stranger arrived. Merlin assured Aithusa that Gwen was only there temporarily while they visited, and that Aithusa’s cat door would be unlocked as soon as they returned to Boston and left him to enjoy his Connecticut hunting grounds once again.
The fair weather held for the rest of the weekend and into the following week, with only an occasional snow flurry to remind them that it was winter. By the day after Christmas, Hunith and Iseldir’s home had turned into an informal site of family feasting. Although the wedding celebration was over, the table was covered with Christmas dinner leftovers and homemade delicacies. The trash bins were stuffed to overflowing with Christmas wrap and ribbons, remnants of wedding decorations and the occasional uneaten slice of fruitcake.
A steady stream of well-wishers made their way through Hunith’s kitchen. Old friends and new neighbors were pleased to see Merlin, especially since he was accompanied by his handsome and entertaining boyfriend and their adorable Internet-famous cat. If they were lucky, Gwen would join them while they socialized, sometimes even taking a spot on their lap for a short nap or a session of fur-stroking.
It was one way to get attention while her servants were busy enjoying themselves.
Gwen was tired of her human companion and the lap she had occupied during her lengthy, spellbinding tale. She loved movement, change and challenges—she had been inert for too long now. Standing up suddenly, tail held high and whiskers quivering, she proudly stretched before jumping down to the floor in one fluid, graceful motion. Deigning to look back at the human for a moment, she said, "You seem bright enough. I’m sure you can figure out the rest of the story for yourself."
And with that, Gwen was off to explore the house and find another box to eviscerate or bag to hide in, waiting for her two favorite people to go to sleep for the night. She’d wait until they were spooned together and had finished exchanging the kisses and touches that they often did. Then, she would settle into the space behind Merlin’s knees and purr.
end
=^.^= )
Author: gwylliondream
Genre: Modern au
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Rating: NC-17
Words: 58,347
Author’s Notes: I Am Gwen was written for
paperlegends and as a kinkme_merlin fill for this prompt.Disclaimer: I did not create these characters. No disrespect intended. No profit desired, only muses.
Comments: Comments are welcome anytime! Thanks so much for reading!
“Arthur, no,” Merlin said, gripping the edge of Freya’s desk.
Arthur’s voice was shaky. “I came home, and she was gone. Her carrier is gone, too. There’s no note, no message. I just thought you should know,” Arthur said.
“Arthur,” Merlin said. His chest was tight. He couldn’t think fast enough. “Stay there. I’m… I’m on my way. I’ll be right there.”
“What’s wrong?” Gwaine asked, a look of confusion on his face as he listened to Merlin’s end of the conversation.
Merlin held a silencing hand up to Gwaine, and then raised a single finger to keep his attention.
“Merlin,” Arthur said, but he only let out a heavy sigh.
“I’ll be there in five minutes,” Merlin said, ending the call. He wasn’t going to let Arthur deal with this alone.
“What’s going on?” Gwaine asked.
“I’m not sure,” Merlin said, lowering his voice to a whisper. “But it appears the cat has been stolen.”
“Stolen?” Gwaine asked.
“Freya, I can’t make any deliveries right now,” Merlin said. “Something has come up. It’s an emergency.”
“I can make your deliveries if you need me to,” Gwaine said.
“That’s what I was hoping for,” Merlin said, patting Gwaine’s arm.
“Let me see what I have,” Merlin said. He shuffled through his messenger bag and pulled out the first half-dozen deliveries for the day.
Freya threw her hands in the air. “Why do I even bother?” she asked.
Merlin was certain that Freya was going to pound her head on her desk next, but he didn’t stick around to find out. He handed Gwaine the envelopes and headed for the garage, shouting to Leon that he needed his bike right away.
“What’s the hurry,” Leon asked. “It’s Monday morning. Our clients expect us to be late on Mondays.”
“Arthur needs me,” Merlin said, unable to keep his thoughts to himself. He pulled on his biking gloves and fastened the clip on his helmet.
“This is getting serious,” Leon said with a wink. “I hope it works out as well as last time.”
“Me too,” Merlin said. He hopped on his bike and pedaled out the door.
Rush hour traffic lined Tremont Street, the green lights changing to red before more than a few cars made it through each intersection. Merlin stood up on his pedals and pumped hard, flying past the banks and offices on State Street. A wave of guilt washed over him as he approached The Devonshire. If only he had insisted they stay at Arthur’s apartment last night, maybe Gwen would still be safe. It was his fault that Gwen had been taken. This wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t agreed to bring Arthur back to his apartment.
Merlin would never forgive himself if Arthur didn’t get Gwen back.
He skidded onto the sidewalk and lashed his bike to the light pole. Merlin headed straight for the elevators, announcing himself to the security desk as he crossed the lobby. As he rode the elevator to Arthur’s floor, he wondered if Gwen’s captor had traveled the same route. Obviously, the culprit was someone known to the building’s security force if he or she entered the building this way. He already had a good idea of who was responsible. Time stood still inside the elevator as it made its slow journey to the top of the skyscraper. Merlin tried to remain patient, knowing that Arthur would need all the calm comfort Merlin could muster.
“Arthur,” Merlin said, rushing toward him as he opened the door.
Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur and pulled him close. Arthur clung to Merlin. Merlin could feel the stiffness in his shoulders, every muscle wound tight.
“I needed to tell you,” Arthur said when they broke apart. “I’m sorry I bothered you. You’re supposed to be at work.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Merlin said, waving his hand in the air. “What’s going on?” He turned to close the apartment door. The lock and the handle appeared to be undamaged. Whoever took Gwen didn’t break in, even if they managed to get past the doorman to the building.
“It has to be Morgana,” Arthur said.
“I was thinking the same thing. You’re sure you didn’t simply misplace Gwen’s carrier? Could she be stuck somewhere? Or asleep somewhere?” Merlin asked. “I know Aithusa sometimes—”
“I’ve looked everywhere. She always comes running when I open the door,” Arthur said. “And I keep her carrier in the hall closet for when we take a trip to the vet.”
“You’ve tried calling her?” Merlin asked.
“Gwen?” Arthur asked.
“Morgana,” Merlin said.
“Oh God,” Arthur said, pinching the bridge of his nose, “I think I’m losing it.”
“Come on, let’s sit down and think this over,” Merlin said, taking his hand.
Arthur’s eyes were red and his skin was pale, lacking the healthy glow Merlin had admired less than an hour earlier. They moved toward the sofa where, on the previous visit, they had enjoyed Gwen’s company. Merlin sat first, fitting himself into the corner. He pulled Arthur down next to him, so he could embrace him while they talked.
“Yes, I called Morgana, but she doesn’t answer. I’ve left a message,” Arthur said.
Merlin stroked Arthur’s hair, massaging his head with his fingers. “What about the front desk? Maybe someone saw Morgana and can identify her?” Merlin asked. “At least that would give us a place to start looking.”
“Yes, I already asked them about it. The regular doorman didn’t see anything this morning, but there’s a different doorman on duty during the weekend. They’re going to have him call me,” Arthur said.
Merlin felt Arthur’s neck muscles relax as he moved his fingers over Arthur’s scalp. “That’s good,” Merlin said. “Surely he’d remember someone leaving the building with a cat.”
“Morgana has a key,” Arthur said, turning to face Merlin.
“That would explain how she got in,” Merlin said.
“And I’ve called the police. They took the information, but since they think it’s part of the inheritance dispute, they told me to call my lawyer. Oh, and they suggested I call the Animal Control Officer as a precaution,” Arthur said. “I still need to do that.”
“That’s great. You’ve already covered a lot of ground,” Merlin said. “I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I came over here, but you’ve made a good start.”
“I hope Morgana doesn’t hurt her,” Arthur said, tensing up again.
“No, Gwen would be of little value to her then,” Merlin said, rubbing Arthur’s back. “Here, I have an idea.”
Merlin reached into his pocket and took out his cellphone. He dialed Gwaine and waited for him to pick up.
“Hey,” Gwaine said.
Merlin held the phone away from his ear and turned on the speaker so Arthur could hear their conversation.
“Sorry about those extra stops,” Merlin said.
“No problem,” Gwaine said. “I got a nice tip from Mr. Tan. He says I’m better looking than you.”
“Very funny,” Merlin said. He could barely hear Gwaine because of the traffic. The honking horns and sirens drowned out his voice, and Merlin could have sworn he heard the air brakes of a semi, riding alongside him. “Hey, are you anywhere near the South End?”
“I’m on Columbus, heading toward Back Bay,” Gwaine said.
“That’ll work,” Merlin said to Arthur, patting his thigh. “Can you head over to Rutland? You remember delivering to Morgana Pendragon last week?”
“Of course, your Prince Charming’s sister,” Gwaine said.
Merlin blushed. “Hey man, I’ve got you on speakerphone, don’t rat me out,” Merlin said. Merlin felt Arthur’s lips curl into a smile as he nuzzled his face into the crook of his neck.
“Oops, sorry,” Gwaine laughed. “Yeah, I can head over there. You think she has the… um… thing we were talking about earlier?”
“It’s too late. The cat has already been let out of the bag,” Merlin said with a grin. “It would be worth a shot. She’s on the ground floor. Do you mind being a peeping Tom this morning?”
“I’m on my way,” said Gwaine.
“Call me when you know something,” Merlin said, ending the call.
Merlin felt Arthur’s arms tighten around him when he put the phone back in his pocket.
“Thanks,” Arthur said.
Merlin pressed a kiss to the top of Arthur’s head.
“We’ll get her back,” Merlin said.
The words were easy for Merlin to say, but he worried about making a promise that he might not be able to keep. Even if Morgana was Gwen’s captor, there was something about the ease with which she had taken Gwen from the apartment. Merlin knew Arthur and Morgana had been meeting frequently because of the fight over Uther’s estate, but he doubted Morgana would have known that Arthur would be out all last night.
Merlin ran his hands over Arthur’s back, trying to maintain the calm he had established. As much as he hated to do it, he asked, “Arthur, I’m not saying he did, but is there any chance that your uncle gave you those Sox tickets to get you out of the apartment for the night?”
Arthur shifted so Merlin could see his face. Merlin regretted the worry he had put there. It was awful enough for Arthur that his parents were gone and he had no family he could rely on for support. His sister likely stole his cat, and for another family member to be involved in deceiving Arthur as well? Merlin was afraid it would be too much for Arthur to bear.
“Do you think he might have done that?” Arthur asked.
“Well, he might not have,” Merlin said, backpedaling. “After all, you told me that your father’s friends often gave you tickets and things. Maybe it was just a coincidence.”
Arthur sighed, his breath playing softly over Merlin’s face. “It doesn’t seem like a coincidence. It might have been his plan all along. Morgana always had him wrapped around her finger. It wouldn’t have taken much for her to convince him to play along with her, especially when there was money to be made.”
“I’m so sorry,” Merlin said.
“No, I’m sorry,” Arthur said.
“You’re sorry?” Merlin asked. “Why are you sorry?”
Arthur didn’t say anything. Instead, he wriggled out of Merlin’s arms and stretched out on the sofa, his head in Merlin’s lap.
“Arthur?” Merlin asked, his hands tugging through the blonde locks of hair. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“Promise you won’t be mad at me,” Arthur said, his eyes fluttering open.
“Why would I be mad at you?” Merlin laughed, tugging his hair a little harder. He hoped that he was about to find out that this was all a big joke, that Gwen would leap out of a box at any moment and put an end to his fear that she had been kidnapped. “Arthur?”
“The tickets…” Arthur said, grabbing Merlin’s hand and placing it on his chest. “The first tickets… to the Tigers’ game…”
“I’m listening,” said Merlin, confused as to why Arthur was bringing these tickets up while Gwen was missing.
“You’re going to think I’m a jerk!” Arthur said, nudging Merlin’s half-hard cock with the back of his skull.
“I won’t!” Merlin laughed. It felt good to have Arthur’s head resting on his thighs. Arthur was sweet and vulnerable like this, vying for Merlin’s approval, something bossy Cenred never would have done with Merlin. It gave Merlin some confidence. In just a short month, Arthur had gone from an attractive, but unapproachable son of a CEO and a haughty prat, to a sweet cat-owning guy who Merlin wanted to help and protect at all costs. He only wished he could enjoy what Arthur was inadvertently doing to his cock, instead of having to comfort him in his time of distress. “Tell me what you’ve done.”
“I got those Sox-Tigers tickets on my own,” Arthur said.
“What do you mean, on your own?” Merlin asked. He wasn’t sure what Arthur was trying to tell him.
“I mean no one gave them to me,” Arthur said. “I bought them from a scalper.”
“And you told me that a friend of your father’s gave them to you?” Merlin asked.
“Yeah, but I’m telling you about it now,” Arthur said, his eyes looking up hopefully at Merlin. “I wanted to impress you. I knew you liked baseball. It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Merlin sighed. “I suppose I can think of worse things I’ve done to impress a guy,” he said, his hand patting Arthur’s chest.
“I probably wouldn’t have told you, except for you mentioning that people often gave me tickets to things. They do sometimes—don’t get me wrong,” Arthur said, looking away. “It’s just those particular tickets… I got them because I thought they’d make you want to go out with me.”
Arthur was adorable. Merlin couldn’t blame him for what he had done. He was just trying to be nice and Merlin felt special that Arthur went out of his way to get the tickets. “All right then,” Merlin said, leaning down to kiss him on the lips. “But no more fibbing just to get into my pants.”
Merlin felt Arthur’s smile against his mouth.
Just then, Arthur’s phone rang. He reached over to pick it up from the coffee table.
“Hello,” he said. Then he whispered to Merlin, “It’s my attorney.”
Arthur held the phone up so Merlin could hear, but all he could make out was a woman’s voice and the mention of Arthur and Morgana’s name occasionally interspersed with more conversation while Arthur agreed, nodded his head, and grew more agitated.
“But I’m sure she stole her,” Arthur said. And after a moment, “I’ve already called the police. Thanks.” He ended the call and dropped the phone onto the coffee table. “Thanks for nothing, I ought to have said.”
“What did she say?” Merlin asked, pulling Arthur’s head back onto his lap.
“That was Nimueh, the paralegal. She says that since Gwen belonged to my father, both Morgana and I have an equal chance of getting her in the settlement. If I truly think Gwen’s been stolen, I’m to call the police. There’s nothing they can do about it,” Arthur said. “They’re completely useless. I want my cat back!”
Merlin let his fingers sift through Arthur’s hair. He wished there was something more that he could do to help, but right now, it seemed that the only thing he could do was to comfort Arthur and help pass the time. He took a deep breath and watched Arthur’s head rise and fall with each slow inhale and exhale. After a few minutes, the LCD display on the stereo turned to 7:45 AM. Merlin’s phone vibrated in his pocket.
“Gwaine?” Merlin said, punching the button for speakerphone.
“I’ve got her,” Gwaine said.
“Morgana?” Merlin asked.
“Morgana and Gwen,” Gwaine’s words were unmistakable.
Arthur sat bolt upright and clambered over to Merlin’s side.
“Morgana has Gwen?” Arthur asked.
“When I pulled up, Morgana was leaving. She got into a taxi with Gwen in one of those cat carrying cases,” Gwaine said. It sounded like he was whispering into his cellphone, trying to keep from being overheard.
“Where are you now?” Merlin asked.
“I’m following behind them,” Gwaine said. “They’re turning right on Shawmut, but the way traffic has been, they won’t be getting anywhere fast this morning.”
“Where could she be taking Gwen?” Arthur punched the sofa cushion.
“Gwaine, any idea where they’re headed?” Merlin asked.
The sounds of the morning rush hour came through the speaker.
“Sorry, I had to stop. I’ve already had too much coffee this morning and I can’t pedal that slowly. I don’t want Morgana to see me tailing her,” Gwaine said. “I don’t know. They’re headed southwest on Shawmut. Toward Jamaica Plain, I think.”
Merlin thought for a moment. What was near Jamaica Plain?
Arthur leaned forward and cradled his head in his hands.
“Oh my God!” Merlin shouted. “I think I know where she’s going.”
Arthur turned to Merlin and opened his mouth wide with disbelief.
“Gwaine, stay with her,” Merlin said. “I’ll call you back in five.”
Merlin leapt to his feet and shoved the phone into his pocket.
“Arthur,” Merlin said, dragging Arthur out of his seat. “I should have thought of this before.”
“What, Merlin?” Arthur asked. “Where do you think Morgana is taking her?”
Merlin gripped Arthur’s shoulders. “Gwen,” Merlin said. “Where did your father get Gwen?”
Arthur scratched his head. “Well, he got her from the SPCA, of course.”
“That’s what I thought,” Merlin said. He looked at the clock. “The SPCA opens in less than fifteen minutes. We’ve got to get there before Morgana does.”
“What does the SPCA have to do with it?” Arthur asked, following Merlin to the door.
Merlin dragged Arthur into the hall and bounced on the balls of his feet while Arthur locked up.
“Gwen belongs to the SPCA. Your father was her caretaker. With his death, Gwen still belongs to the SPCA and it’s up to them to assign her a new caretaker,” Merlin said. He really needed to slow down to make Arthur understand, but as they ran down the hallway to the elevator, there was no time to spare. Merlin punched the down button and waited for the elevator doors to open.
“That’s ridiculous,” Arthur said. “Gwen was my father’s cat.”
“I know,” Merlin said. “It seems stupid, but the SPCA has their reasons for it.”
“We’ll have to hurry if we’re going to get there before Morgana,” Arthur said, when the doors opened.
They scrambled inside and began their descent to the lobby.
“I have a friend who might be able to help us at the SPCA—Gilli,” Merlin said.
“Can’t we just call him?” Arthur asked tapping his pocket for his cellphone.
“He does things by the book,” Merlin said. He knew how Gilli operated and he was a little worried about asking him for a favor. “He’s just going to tell us that we need to get there before Morgana, but I’ll call him and let him know what’s going on when we’re on our way.”
“Can you bribe him?” Arthur asked.
Merlin suddenly laughed, remembering what he learned yesterday. “As a matter of fact, he’s head over heels in love with Freya.”
“Your secretary?” Arthur asked.
“Don’t ever let her hear you call her that,” Merlin snickered. “She’s a delivery expediter.”
“Very funny. While you’re calling Gilli, I’ll call Freya,” Arthur said.
“As if she’d listen to you,” Merlin said.
“She might. Have you forgotten that she was my accomplice once before? I’ll get us a taxi,” Arthur said.
“Arthur…” Merlin started. He watched their reflection in the mirrored elevator door and remembered the time, weeks ago, when he watched the same reflection and thought it didn’t look as if they belonged together. He couldn’t have been more grateful for the time that they had spent together and that his first impression had been wrong. Merlin reached over and took Arthur’s hand. “I’m afraid there’s not enough time for a taxi.”
“Sure there is,” Arthur said, swallowing hard. “I’m going to get Gwen back.”
Merlin took a deep breath. “It’s Monday morning, in the middle of rush hour,” Merlin said. “There’s only one way to get there before the SPCA opens.”
“Magic?” Arthur asked.
“Something like that,” Merlin said with a laugh. “I’ll have to ride there.”
The elevator dropped them off in the lobby and they rushed toward the revolving doors, Merlin’s bike shoes clattering on the marble floor.
“But if you think you’ll get there before me,” Arthur said, when they stepped outside. “What about Gwen? I need to go with you.”
“Well I can’t very well let you ride on the handlebars, can I? As much as I’d like to,” Merlin said gently. “You have to trust me to do this, and you can try to get there yourself while I’m riding there, just in case....”
Arthur signaled to the doorman that he needed a taxi and waited while Merlin unlocked his bike.
“Just one more thing,” Merlin said, as he secured the chain around his waist and latched the lock. “If you get a call from the SPCA, asking if I live with you at The Devonshire… can you say that I do?”
Arthur smiled, his eyes gleaming with hope in the morning sunshine. “You can, you know,” he said. “If you really want to live with me.”
Merlin thought his heart would burst. There were a million things he’d like to do to Arthur to show him how much he loved him at this moment, but he had to rescue Gwen. “We can talk about that when I see you next,” Merlin said, hopping onto the bike. “Right now, I’m off to see a man about a cat.”
Arthur leaned in for a quick kiss as his taxi pulled up to the curb. “Good luck,” he said before he climbed into the back seat.
Merlin fastened his helmet and pulled on his shades.
“I’m going to need it,” Merlin said under his breath.
As soon as his front tire hit the street, Merlin realized that Gwaine wasn’t kidding about the traffic. It was as if there was some unwritten rule that said everyone had to make it to work on time for the Monday before Labor Day in order to get the holiday off the following week.
Merlin took a quick look around, checking for police before he pedaled into the oncoming cars on Water Street. A few turns of the crank down Washington Street and he could see the traffic moving on Tremont when he looked between the buildings as he rode past. He jumped onto School Street and barely missed being doored by an idiot who was double-parked.
He wanted to yell in frustration, but considering he was traveling against traffic, it wouldn’t be wise to call attention to himself and possibly get stopped for a traffic violation… not when Gwen’s future was a stake. At last, he turned onto Tremont and rode with the flow of traffic. He pulled out his cellphone and called Gwaine.
“What took you so long?” Gwaine asked.
“I’m on Tremont, heading past The Common, where is she?” Merlin asked as he pedaled past cars.
“They’re on Malcolm X, headed for Columbus Ave. They’re not moving fast,” Gwaine said.
“Okay, stay with them. I’m about two miles away I figure. I’m coming up on the Mass Pike now,” Merlin said. It was difficult to hear Gwaine over the horns of angry motorists and intermittent sirens of the city’s emergency vehicles. “Oh, and I think they’re headed to the SPCA on Huntington.”
“Why would Morgana be dumping Gwen at the SPCA? I thought she wanted her?” Gwaine asked.
“No, she’s not dumping her, she’s going to make her adoption official. It’s a long story. Look, if you can do it, try to keep Morgana from bringing Gwen into the shelter,” Merlin said. It was harder to explain things to Gwaine when he was out of breath and trying to pedal fast to avoid a collision.
“How am I going to do that?” Gwaine asked.
“I don’t know. It’s just a thought. Try distracting her, maybe talk with her when she gets out of the taxi,” Merlin said.
“I’ll do the best I can,” Gwaine said. “I’ll see you when you catch up.”
“Thanks,” Merlin said, ending the call.
Traffic was slow on Tremont. Merlin easily cruised past the cars while they waited in bumper-to-bumper traffic. He tried to time the lights as they turned to red, conserving his energy by pedaling hard only when it meant he’d get through the next intersection without having to stop.
When he hit the red light at Mass Ave, he called the SPCA and asked for Gilli.
“I know you’re not open yet,” Merlin said. “But this is an emergency.”
“Sure, Merlin, what’s going on?” Gilli asked.
“Remember I told you my new boyfriend had a cat that looks exactly like Gwen?” Merlin asked.
“How could I forget? You were so excited about it over the weekend,” Gilli said.
“Well, I have news for you. Are you sitting down?” Merlin asked. “The cat we know as Gwen… The Gwen… she is my boyfriend’s cat.”
“The Gwen? From the Internet?” Gilli asked.
“That’s the one,” Merlin said.
“No fucking way!” Gilli yelled. “Oh, sorry…”
Merlin could hear Gilli apologizing to his team of volunteers.
“Listen, Gilli. My boyfriend’s father adopted Gwen from the SPCA a couple years ago. His father recently passed away and now my boyfriend’s sister is trying to keep Gwen for herself,” Merlin said. He wove in and out of traffic, trying to stay ahead of the cars that were moving the fastest.
“Well, she’ll have to fill out an application if she wants to adopt a cat from us,” Gilli said.
“I know. She is going to try to adopt her right now. We can’t let that happen. Gwen belongs to Arthur. He’s done everything to care for her, but his sister wants to make Gwen into another Morris the Cat.” Merlin said. “Morgana is on her way there with Gwen now. Can you help me out?”
“I want to help you, Merlin,” Gilli said. “But if her adoption application gets approved, I really can’t stop her from adopting.”
Merlin swerved onto Columbus Ave, taking his feet off the pedals and letting the sole of his bike shoe skim the blacktop on the inside corner. He had closed the distance between The Devonshire and Gwaine’s last known location, but he still had another mile to go.
“I know that,” Merlin said. He pumped his way down Columbus Ave, keeping his eyes open for Gwaine and his bike among the pedestrians. “What about me?”
“What about you?” Gilli asked after a pause.
“Can I adopt Gwen?” Merlin asked. He gripped his handlebars tight, waiting for Gilli’s answer. “I have an application on file.”
Merlin could hear Gilli sigh over the phone. “But you can’t have a pet at your apartment,” Gilli said. “You’ve already told me that.”
“I have a new address,” Merlin said. “My boyfriend, Arthur Pendragon, can verify it.”
Merlin sped through Jackson Square and took a sharp right onto Centre Street. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears as he waited for Gilli’s response.
“Give me his number,” Gilli said.
Merlin rattled off Arthur’s cellphone number, making Gilli repeat it back to him just to make certain he had it right.
“Call him, Gilli,” Merlin said. “Call him before you unlock the shelter doors today.”
As Merlin put his phone back into his pocket, he unwittingly glanced at the time. It was 8:00 AM.
Beads of sweat broke out across Merlin’s forehead as he pedaled to the intersection with Huntington Ave. He was about a hundred feet away from MSPCA when he noticed a bicycle lying in the middle of the sidewalk outside the entrance. There were at least a few taxis in the line of traffic that crawled down the street toward the next red light. Although Merlin wished with all his might that Arthur had been in one of them, he saw no way that Arthur’s taxi could have made it through the morning traffic so quickly. He worried that Morgana may be inside one of them with Gwen.
Wondering what had become of Gwaine, Merlin pedaled as fast as he could to where the bike lay. He came to a stop beside it. It was Gwaine’s bike all right. He didn’t have to look much further to find out what was going on. There was an argument taking place somewhere behind the hedges that lined the sidewalk.
“If you come any closer, I’m calling the police,” Morgana shouted.
“Oh, come on… you don’t want that cat,” Gwaine said. “I bet you don’t even like cats.”
Merlin leapt off his bike, the metal frame skittering across the sidewalk to rest beside Gwaine’s. He plunged through the hedges and found what he was looking for when he emerged into the back parking lot.
Gwaine had Morgana cornered beside the loading dock. She was dressed in a business suit with her hair pulled into a ponytail. In one hand, she held the handle to the cat carrier, and inside the carrier, Gwen howled and clawed at the door, wanting to escape.
“Morgana, that’s not your cat!” Merlin yelled. He hated to see Gwen so distressed. For a cat who loved boxes, Gwen sure was pissed off about being in the carrier.
“I’ve been trying to tell her that for five minutes now,” Gwaine said, a look of surprise on his face when he saw Merlin.
“It may not be my cat now, but it will be mine before you see it again,” Morgana said. She took advantage of Merlin’s distraction and dove to Gwaine’s right, running alongside the building, her heels clattering on the pavement.
“Stop!” Merlin shouted giving chase with Gwaine.
Morgana’s heels were no match for the loose gravel that littered the parking lot. She slipped and stumbled forward. To Merlin, everything looked like it happened in slow motion—Morgana falling, using her hands to break her fall, and Gwen’s carrier sailing through the air.
“No!” Merlin couldn’t tell if it was Gwaine yelling, or if the shout was his own voice. He supposed it was both.
The cat carrier landed badly on a front corner, the plastic warping with the impact enough to dislodge the metal grate of the door, which settled with a clank in the parking lot. Gwen bounded into the parking lot full of cars.
“Get back here!” Morgana shouted. She pulled off her heels, staggered to her feet, and chased after Gwen, hunting down row after row for the wayward cat.
Merlin was furious at Morgana. What if Gwen took off? What if she were hit by a car? He wanted to chase after Morgana to give her a piece of his mind, but he knew that yelling and carrying on would only upset Gwen and keep her in hiding.
Morgana was already two rows away from Merlin, when Gwaine said, “I think she went this way.”
Merlin followed Gwaine down the row of cars, stopping to look beneath them to see if they could find four white paws.
Morgana had run to the opposite end of the parking lot, shouting, “Here kitty, kitty!”
Merlin walked slowly, stopping to investigate any sudden movement he caught in his peripheral vision.
“Hey, Merlin,” Gwaine said quietly from a row away. “I see her.”
Merlin was careful to avoid sudden movements that might startle Gwen. He made his way to Gwaine and peered down the length of the parking lot looking for Gwen. There she was, sitting on the pavement washing a paw, the width of a dozen cars separating them.
“Here kitty, kitty,” Morgana continued to call.
“Maybe if you go down this row, I can work my way around the next one and we’ll get her between us,” Gwaine said.
Merlin agreed with his suggestion. He moved slowly, heading down the row toward Gwen, willing for her to stay right where she sat, so he could bring her to safety.
Gwaine made his way to the next row of cars and headed in the same direction as Merlin.
“Can you see her still?” he asked.
Merlin nodded that he could.
Both men moved in Gwen’s direction with one row of cars between them. Unfortunately, Morgana caught on fast. She hurried to the row of cars that had Merlin and Gwaine’s attention.
“There you are, my little kitty,” Morgana said.
Merlin walked faster, but his heart sank as Morgana reached down to lift Gwen off the ground. Arthur was going to be so disappointed.
Just then, Gwen raised her paw and sliced her claws across Morgana’s cheek. Morgana let out a blood-curdling scream and clasped her hands to her face. It seemed that, except for Morgana’s voice, the whole city went silent.
Gwaine quickly cut across the row of cars, stopping when he reached Morgana.
Merlin got on the ground, the blacktop hard under his knees. He held out his hand and said, “Come on, Gwen… please….”
Gwen scampered out of Morgana’s reach and rubbed her face against Merlin’s hand.
“That’s a good girl,” Merlin said, scooping Gwen into his arms.
Merlin realized the danger was far from over when Morgana lunged toward him. Fortunately, Gwaine was able to keep her in check while Merlin sprinted toward the SPCA entrance with Gwen. He burst through the door and ran to the front desk. He was never so happy to see Gilli in his whole life.
“Hello, there,” Gilli said. “How can we help you today?”
Merlin placed Gwen on the counter. He could barely speak, because he was so out of breath, but he soon managed, “I’d like to adopt a cat.”
“And that’s when Morgana came running through the door, demanding to adopt Gwen,” Merlin said. He let his head fall to Arthur’s shoulder as they rode back to The Devonshire in the back seat of the taxi, his bike securely stowed in the trunk.
“I wish I could have seen her face when Gilli told her that your adoption paperwork had already been approved,” Arthur said.
Merlin poked his fingers through the front grate of the carrier and stroked Gwen’s neck. She had settled down some, compared to how she had behaved with Morgana.
“It didn’t stop Morgana from trying to race through the application,” Merlin said. “She was scribbling her information down so quickly, I doubt anyone could have read her handwriting anyway.”
Arthur turned to Merlin and kissed his head.
“I don’t know whether Gilli was more excited about meeting Gwen, or having the pleasure of placing her with a true cat lover,” Arthur said.
“He would have let you adopt her if you got there in time,” Merlin said, lacing his fingers with Arthur’s. “I’m sorry it happened this way. It’s not fair to you.”
“It doesn’t bother me,” Arthur said. “I’m just happy to have her back and to know that we’ll never be parted again.”
“You won’t be,” Merlin said. “I promise you that.”
Arthur reached a hand around the back of Merlin’s neck and drew him in for a kiss. Merlin closed his eyes while Arthur teased his mouth open. He let one hand trace every muscle and contour of Arthur’s chest while the other hand stroked Gwen through the carrier door.
“Thanks for getting Gwen back for me,” Arthur said, pulling back so just their noses were touching. And then he spoke more softly so the taxi driver couldn’t hear, despite getting an eyeful in his rearview mirror, “I love you.”
Merlin grinned. “Are you sure you’re not just saying that so I’ll let you play with my cat?” he asked.
“I’d rather play with the cat’s owner,” Arthur said with a growl, leaning in for another kiss.
“That could be arranged,” Merlin said. “Freya has given me the rest of the day off.”
“Really? How did you manage that?” Arthur asked.
“It’s amazing how agreeable she can be when you give her a little power,” Merlin said.
“Let me guess—Gilli?” Arthur asked.
“Exactly,” Merlin said.
“I had to do something while I was stuck in traffic. I called Freya and told her what was going on with Gwen. She told me she’d try to convince Gilli to accept your word that you lived at The Devonshire,” Arthur said.
“She can be very persuasive,” Merlin said.
“He’s obviously very open to suggestions,” Arthur said.
Merlin stared out the window. “Don’t make me say it.”
“He’s pussy-whipped,” Arthur chuckled.
“You said it, not me,” Merlin said. He dipped his head to peer into the carrier and added, “No offense, Gwen.”
The taxi pulled up to The Devonshire having made the trip in a fraction of the time it took to drive to the SPCA in rush hour traffic. Arthur paid the fare while Merlin cradled the cat carrier as if it were something precious and fragile. The driver popped open the trunk and Arthur pulled Merlin’s bike out and set the wheels on the sidewalk.
“You know,” Arthur said when the taxi drove away. “It’s been years since I’ve tried riding one of these.”
He swung his leg over the crossbar and found a pedal with one of his feet.
Merlin closed his eyes. “I can’t bear to watch,” he said.
“I still remember how,” Arthur said confidently. “It’s like riding a bike.”
Merlin laughed. “At least use this,” he said, tossing his helmet to Arthur.
Arthur slapped the helmet onto his head and began to awkwardly pedal down the sidewalk in front of The Devonshire.
“You haven’t done up the buckle,” Merlin yelled.
Arthur managed to circle back to Merlin. “How do you even stop this thing?” he said, dragging a foot on the ground until he came to a stop.
Merlin took hold of the handlebars. “Haven’t we had enough excitement for one day?” he asked.
“Oh, no,” Arthur said, both feet solidly on the sidewalk again. “I think we’re just getting started.”
Merlin barely had time to let Gwen out of her carrier before Arthur had him pressed against the door of the apartment. Arthur’s hot breath ghosted over Merlin’s neck while he tugged at the zipper of Merlin’s Lycra shirt.
Gwen sniffled curiously at the bike that Arthur had leaned against the wall. Merlin smiled when she rubbed her face against the front tire, but he hoped she wasn’t strong enough to topple it over, as the noise would distract Arthur from what he was doing. Merlin gently shooed Gwen away with his foot and twined his fingers in Arthur’s hair, guiding his head so their mouths met, the scrape of Arthur’s cheek burning Merlin’s lips.
“You’re insatiable,” Merlin said with a hum when he pulled away.
“Are you complaining?” Arthur asked as shoved the stretchy material out of the way so he could kiss a trail across Merlin’s collarbone.
“God, no,” Merlin said, taking Arthur’s mouth again.
Merlin felt one of Arthur’s hands curl around his hip as his other hand explored the chain and lock that Merlin wore around his waist. As Arthur’s fingers skittered over each link, a vibration went straight to Merlin’s cock.
After another kiss, Merlin reached into his pocket and offered Arthur the key.
“Sexy,” Arthur said, taking the silver key and dropping to his knees.
Merlin watched Arthur through lustful eyes as he fumbled with the lock. The tiny click sounded as the lock came undone, freeing Merlin from the all too necessary tool of his trade.
Arthur held one end of the chain in each hand, pulling it taut against the small of Merlin’s back. Merlin let his head tilt back, hitting the door with a thud. A groan escaped his lips while Arthur rubbed the chain lower and lower across his ass. Despite the padding of his bike shorts, the sensation sent a spike of pleasure through Merlin. There was no turning back now, not when Arthur was happily mouthing at his cock through the thin black fabric.
Merlin felt his balls tighten and he shifted to spread his legs apart. He chanced a gaze downward and caught Arthur looking up at him, his blue eyes shining with the joy of getting Gwen back and his lips wet with spit.
Arthur let the chain drop to the floor. The sound sent Gwen scurrying away from the hallway, giving up further exploration of her master’s antics. Arthur’s hands roamed over Merlin’s thighs while his mouth applied steady pressure to Merlin’s cock. When Arthur began to peel down the bike shorts, Merlin’s knees grew weak.
“Come on,” Merlin said, clutching Arthur’s shoulders. “Let’s get horizontal before I pass out from your hotness.”
Arthur smiled and kissed his way up Merlin’s body before taking his hand and tugging him over to the sofa. To Merlin’s amusement, Gwen had settled on a cushion. She sat there preening herself, licking a paw and rubbing it over her jowls. He felt bad that she had been though an unspeakable ordeal with Morgana. Merlin sat next to her and watched her wash. It made him happy that she was back to enjoying her home and seemed none worse for wear.
Arthur petted Gwen’s head. “Hang on,” he said, crossing the room. “Let me get her a box. I hope she still loves them.”
“Of course she does. She’s only been gone for a day at most,” Merlin said as Arthur went to the kitchen for a box. “To her, it probably just seems like she’s been on a long strange trip to the vet.”
Arthur returned with a Gwen-sized box. He set in on the floor and Gwen showed an immediate interest in it, jumping off the sofa to have a look. Arthur collapsed on the sofa next to Merlin. He slung his arm over Merlin’s shoulders and they watched Gwen investigate the box by jumping inside it.
“She still loves her boxes,” Merlin said, patting Arthur’s thigh.
Arthur sighed heavily and tightened his hold on Merlin. “Now,” he said, burying his nose in the crook of space behind Merlin’s ear. “Where were we?”
Merlin leaned back, taking Arthur with him until they were a tangle of limbs stretched out on the sofa with nothing better to do than watch a cat jump in and out of a box for the rest of the day.
“I forgot to tell you,” Arthur said. He slid his hands under Merlin’s shirt and pushed it up to expose Merlin’s pale torso. “We have to stay home until the locksmith comes.”
“Oh,” Merlin gasped as Arthur pressed kisses to his belly. “You’re having the locks changed?”
It was difficult to listen to what Arthur was telling him. Merlin was too busy trying to get Arthur to pay attention to his cock which was straining uncomfortably against the fabric of his shorts.
“Yes,” Arthur said. “It’s the only sure way to keep Morgana from having access to the apartment, even though it wouldn’t do her any good to kidnap Gwen again, when she already has a legal owner.”
Merlin wanted to agree, but he could only babble incoherently as Arthur peeled his shorts lower and traced circles across the sensitive newly-exposed flesh with his tongue. Merlin lifted his hips off the sofa and shoved his shorts the rest of the way down, freeing his cock to inspire Arthur further. He reached for Arthur’s shoulders, but Arthur sat up and tugged off his shirt, dropping it on the floor with Merlin’s shorts.
In her nearby box, Gwen hunkered down as if she found something to attack. She peered over the top edge, her eyes wide.
Arthur leaned in to strip Merlin’s shirt from him. A light breeze wafted through the open window, freshening the air with a coolness that promised the end of summer and the short days of winter to come. Although the air was cool on Merlin’s skin and made him shiver, it only made him appreciate the sensuous feel of Arthur’s warm chest against his own.
Arthur held Merlin’s eyes as he went in for a feverish kiss and Merlin decided he could easily get used to this, a beautiful new apartment to live in, a gorgeous new lover to shower with affection, and a new cat who already had taken up such a big place in his heart before he even knew her.
He wanted to say something to Arthur about it. He wanted to tell him how happy he was, but when Arthur pulled away and slid between Merlin’s legs, his thoughts turned to yet more carnal desires.
“I want,” Merlin whispered, his eyes half-closed to the dizzying wave of pleasure as Arthur sucked his cock into his mouth.
Merlin moaned and twined his fingers into Arthur’s hair. He almost came apart when Arthur looked up at him while he laved attention to his swollen cock.
Arthur slowly pulled off and said, “I know what you want,” his breath warm on Merlin’s skin.
Merlin barely had time to contemplate what he meant before Arthur hooked his arms beneath Merlin’s thighs and licked a path along the crease between Merlin’s legs. Merlin let go of Arthur’s head, afraid of how much damage he might do to Arthur’s hair if he were left to his own devices. Instead he closed his eyes and gripped the sofa cushion, hoping that it could withstand mistreatment by his fingernails.
Every muscle in Merlin’s body tightened when Arthur touched his hole with the flat of his tongue. He was so aroused that he thought he might come just from that. But suddenly, he felt a sharp thump. He opened his eyes when he heard Arthur laugh a gust of breath caressing his balls.
There she was, Gwen in all her glory, perched atop Arthur’s back.
Merlin couldn’t help but smile.
“Your cat,” Arthur began, shaking his head. “Is seriously affecting my performance.”
“My cat?” Merlin asked, realizing that it was true.
“All right, then. Our cat,” Arthur replied.
Epilogue — the first days of winter
Hunith was a beautiful bride.
Merlin beamed as he escorted her down the aisle of the country church, the organ music swelling with their every step. Earlier that morning, a glaze of snow had coated the rooftops of their New England town. It made Merlin’s mother fret about the road conditions and black ice that might delay their guests, but now the day’s thaw and the soft glow of candlelight only added to the warmth of the gathering of their family and closest friends.
When Merlin and Hunith arrived at the front of the chapel, Merlin kissed his mother’s cheek and clasped her hand to Iseldir’s so the ceremony could begin. Iseldir bowed his head to Merlin. Merlin nodded to the man who would make a noble substitute for the father he never knew. As long as Hunith was happy, Merlin was pleased with her decision. His duty fulfilled, Merlin stepped into place in the front row of congregants next to his beloved Arthur.
Arthur was the perfect wedding date. Merlin didn’t have many occasions to wear a tuxedo, but Arthur’s promise that he’d divest him of his bowtie as soon as the ceremony ended provided him with something to occupy his thoughts during the solemn exchange of vows. They stood and sat and rose again as the service progressed, Hunith and Iseldir pledging themselves to each other in the company of their families.
“That could be us someday,” Arthur whispered in Merlin’s his ear during a moment of transition.
Merlin blushed and fought back a smile. “Right, then,” he said, kicking Arthur’s foot.
Perhaps they’d discuss this opportunity in more detail later, like when Merlin had Arthur pressed against the closed door to their bedroom so he could show him how he really felt about spending the rest of their lives together.
Merlin slipped his hand into Arthur’s for the rest of the ceremony.
At the reception that followed, Merlin was proud to introduce Arthur as his partner to his daft Aunt Alice. She looked Arthur up and down, and Merlin was quite certain that she thought Arthur was female. She squinted curiously at his face before Arthur cleared his throat in a stern suggestion that Merlin find more sane relatives that still needed an introduction.
Uncle Bart seemed to lose all his fight when Merlin pointed out that Arthur owned fifty percent of the Ketch-All company, manufacturers of the world’s finest animal control pole. By the time Merlin dragged Arthur onto the dance floor, he was sure that Arthur had convinced Uncle Bart that he was a financial genius who would look after his nephew Merlin as if he were a well-kept housewife.
While it was true that the division of Uther’s assets allowed Arthur some financial security, he still had a job to do and a business to run. He and Morgana had split the money from the sale of the apartment and that gave Arthur enough for a substantial down-payment on a South End brownstone that he and Merlin now called home. He used what little remained to restart the video engineering business that he had left behind in New York. Merlin continued to have coffee with Gwaine every morning before they took to the streets with their deliveries.
And Gwen… she had no part in the business at all. Although Merlin and Arthur had discussed using Gwen’s status to attract new clients, they agreed that they never wanted her to have to work for even a single day of her life. Instead, they waited on her hand and foot, taking time to update her FaceBook status or upload a new video to YouTube only because nothing delighted people more than seeing Gwen jump into a box or chase a catnip mouse.
Making people happy… that seemed like an important enough job for a cat.
When the reception ended, Merlin and Arthur stayed at Hunith’s house, where they had brought Gwen for the Christmas break, despite Gwaine’s generous offer to cat sit. Gwen tolerated the two-hour car ride better than she would have being home for two weeks, even if she were visited daily by her doting cat sitter. Aithusa didn’t even mind having company as he and Gwen hid together under the bed whenever a stranger arrived. Merlin assured Aithusa that Gwen was only there temporarily while they visited, and that Aithusa’s cat door would be unlocked as soon as they returned to Boston and left him to enjoy his Connecticut hunting grounds once again.
The fair weather held for the rest of the weekend and into the following week, with only an occasional snow flurry to remind them that it was winter. By the day after Christmas, Hunith and Iseldir’s home had turned into an informal site of family feasting. Although the wedding celebration was over, the table was covered with Christmas dinner leftovers and homemade delicacies. The trash bins were stuffed to overflowing with Christmas wrap and ribbons, remnants of wedding decorations and the occasional uneaten slice of fruitcake.
A steady stream of well-wishers made their way through Hunith’s kitchen. Old friends and new neighbors were pleased to see Merlin, especially since he was accompanied by his handsome and entertaining boyfriend and their adorable Internet-famous cat. If they were lucky, Gwen would join them while they socialized, sometimes even taking a spot on their lap for a short nap or a session of fur-stroking.
It was one way to get attention while her servants were busy enjoying themselves.
Gwen was tired of her human companion and the lap she had occupied during her lengthy, spellbinding tale. She loved movement, change and challenges—she had been inert for too long now. Standing up suddenly, tail held high and whiskers quivering, she proudly stretched before jumping down to the floor in one fluid, graceful motion. Deigning to look back at the human for a moment, she said, "You seem bright enough. I’m sure you can figure out the rest of the story for yourself."
And with that, Gwen was off to explore the house and find another box to eviscerate or bag to hide in, waiting for her two favorite people to go to sleep for the night. She’d wait until they were spooned together and had finished exchanging the kisses and touches that they often did. Then, she would settle into the space behind Merlin’s knees and purr.
