Chapter Text
Five or six years ago
People were running up and down the streets. A general sense of panic filled the air. A local drug lord plus a well known gun supplier had been shot down in the middle of the street in broad daylight. The panic was only increased by the fact that now the cartels were turning on each other, blaming each other on the deaths of not only one but two of the leading lords. The local police were very baffled. The drug lord had been gunned down, but the gun supplier had no visible wounds. The jobs were obviously done by professionals, or so the officials were claiming. The only clue that the police had came from a passer-by who claimed to have seen one lone English speaking man. No other characteristics had surfaced. So the question was who were behind these murders?
***
At the hotel, Merlin Emerson was gripping his glass of scotch. He heard the locals talk about the events of the day. His job had been on top of everyone’s lips, but as he had learned there was another player in town.
Why hadn’t Kilgharrah warned him? These were the things he was supposed to know!
He signaled to the bartender for a refill just as he saw movement to his right. A blonde man seated himself couple of chairs away from him. He looked pleasant enough, handsome, muscular, but his skin and features gave away that he wasn’t a local. He started to talk to the bartender who replied with short sentences, not interested in talking to the customers.
The blond talked fluently in the local language and Merlin had a hard time connecting his accent. The minute the man sat down, Merlin felt a surge go through his magic. It surfaced and caused Merlin to squirm in his seat. He tightened his hold on his glass up to the point he saw a crack in it. He tried to calm his magic by taking deep breaths and the bartender looked at him funnily.
Merlin heard multiple new steps in the hotel lobby. He didn’t turn around, just listened like he had no idea what was going on behind him. The police had arrived. They stopped a couple of oblivious tourists who didn’t even speak the local language. The police inquired their whereabouts at midday in rough, inaccurate English and asked if they were travelling alone. When they said they were all travelling together, the police let them go in an instant.
Merlin knew the police were coming to talk to him in a few seconds. But he didn’t panic. It was his job to get out of this kind of situation. From situation were a normal human being would crumble to the ground weeping. He always thought every possible situation before hand. The best tactic in the beginning was to pretend he didn’t understand them. He of course knew the language but it would always disturb them and it would even maybe give him a free pass. The police, two of them, came to stand next to him, the other on his right side, and the other on his left. Merlin looked at them with wide eyes and shook his head to them. It kind of worked. The officers looked at each other for help, but didn’t leave him alone. Instead they started to speak more slowly and clearly. Where had he been at noon? Was he alone? Merlin was about to start talking, in English of course to keep his cover, but then a voice behind them spoke: “He is with me.”
The police turned to the voice. The blonde man had stood up and was now standing right behind them. “He is a friend. We are on a business trip together”, he translated to the two men. The police nodded to him and left Merlin be.
“I believe I owe you a thanks”, Merlin said to the blonde man.
“It was no big of a deal. Besides they were looking for that murderer for today. You look like you would lose to a twelve year old girl. You can’t possibly have killed anybody”, the man laughed.
Merlin smirked but hid it behind his glass. If the man only knew…
“Do you always make new acquaintances by insulting them?” he asked, not at all offended. The man look startled.
“Oh my god. Did I really say that out loud?” he asked laughing a little.
“If we are speaking about impressions, you do look a little prattish”, Merlin said making the other man laugh.
“I'm Arthur”, he said offering his hand.
“Merlin. Would you like to have a drink with me?” Merlin asked.
There was something that interested him about the other man. Maybe it was the looks of him, the way he talked or the way Merlin’s magic seemed to hum in anticipation when standing anywhere near Arthur. It had been a little weird for a start. His magic had never acted that way before, but in a moment he got used to it.
They spent half of their evening talking and getting to know each other. Arthur worked as a lawyer in his father’s firm. Merlin told him that he’s working for his uncle Gaius’ magazine. That in fact he was working on a travel piece at the moment, the reason for his trip. Arthur said he was on a vacation, paid by his father as a gift for winning a big case.
They had few drinks at the hotels bar, went to eat dinner and ended up dancing together. Merlin hadn’t meant for any of it to happen. But then again it was good to let loose after a job well done. It didn’t do good to dwell in the earlier events. Even though his job included killing, it didn’t mean he had a heart of stone. The rhythm of the song was slow, very sensual. He found himself in Arthur’s arms, where the other man was holding him very close for someone who he had met just a few hours ago. But he didn’t mind it. They swayed to the beat, not minding anyone else. Merlin let Arthur’s hands roam freely, not stopping the other man, interested in seeing how far the other man was ready to go.
***
In the morning Merlin woke to the sound of gun fire. As a reflex he reached for the gun under his pillow only to find it gone. He looked around wildly before remembering that he was not in fact in his own hotel room but in Arthur’s.
He tried to locate his boxers but in vain. He settled for the blanket that he wrapped around his waist. He went to the window to see what all the commotion was about. There were people in the streets firing at each other. He recognized them from the files he had been given. All of them belonged to the cartels.
He had just sat down onto the bed when Arthur walked into the room with a breakfast tray.
“A breakfast in bed? You enjoyed it that much now did you?” Merlin teased. Arthur wiggled his eyebrows at him and seated next to him. They ate in silence, both sneaking glances at each other while the other one was not looking.
When he was done, Merlin walked back to the window to look outside where the commotion was getting louder. Arthur walked right behind him and wrapped his arms around Merlin.
“You shouldn’t be so close to the window. Those are gun shots you know.”
“Well, I can take care of myself”, Merlin said not moving. Arthur sneered and turned Merlin to face him.
Merlin looked the other man in the eyes. The look on Arthur's face was gentle and kind and Merlin thought that maybe it wasn’t just a weird coincidence that they had met.
Maybe it was something beyond that.