Part 13: link

    Noises outside the bedroom door wake them. Morgana is home. Gwen just gives an exasperated sigh and cuddles back into Arthur’s arms, unconcerned. Arthur lays awake, refusing to go back to sleep until he knows that they are veilig from an attempted intrusion. He stares at the ceiling. I don’t hear any talking; her friend must not have come in with her. Bathroom door? Yes, running water. And that’s the toilet. Please, please, please. Good. I’m sure that was her door. Thank God.
    He looks down to see Gwen looking up at him, watching him, highly amused.
    “You were worried,” she says, smirking.
    “Okay, yes, I was. That would have been fourteen different shades of awkward.”
    “You don’t like Morgana?” she’s teasing him now.
    “I like her fine, but that doesn’t mean I’m interested in her knickers. of their contents.”
    Gwen laughs at this. Then she muses, “Most of the time men are falling all over themselves to get her attention and I fall to the wingman’s responsibility. So this is quite a change for me. She is generally meer charismatic than I am.”
    “When I saw u in the club on Friday, I didn’t even notice she was there until Merlin pointed her out.”
    “Really?”
    “Yes, really. She is beautiful, yes, but to me she’s nothing meer than a thousand other pretty faces. You, on the other hand, are simply exquisite. Fascinating. Unique. Gorgeous.”
    “Stop,” she protests, unaccustomed to such praise. He presses his lips together, exaggeratedly demonstrating his compliance to her request. She smacks his shoulder lightly and he leans down to kiss her. He intends it to be a small and simple kiss, but it starts to linger and intensify, until they are groping at each other again. He pushes his hips vooruit, voorwaarts and she feels his arousal, and they end up making love again in the middle of the night, quietly, gently, sweetly.

    Arthur opens his eyes and looks around. Something is different. He knows exactly where he is, that’s not the problem. His arms are empty. He looks and sees no sign of her.
    Eight fifty-one. She probably had to go to work, he thinks, frowning. He sits up and listens. No sound. Either Morgana is asleep of she is gone as well. He turns to exit the bed and sees that blasted beer staring at him, holding a folded piece of paper with his name on it. He rolls his eyes and takes the paper, which feels curiously heavy, and opens it.
    I tried to wake you, but u were out cold. Had to go to work. Help yourself to anything u need, and please lock up when u leave. M is at work as well. Love you, G. There is a key taped to the paper.
    He smiles and gets up, padding naked down the hall to the bathroom. He uses the toilet, and sees there is a fresh towel folded on the vanity with a new toothbrush, red, sitting on top, boven of it. He chuckles and turns on the shower.
    Now clean, he returns to her room to put his clothes back on. Then he makes her bed, replacing the beer on the sprei, coverlet where he found it last night. He takes one last look around her room, making sure everything is in order, and then he wanders out to the kitchen, key in his pocket.
    He pokes around a bit and finds a box of cereal and a bowl. He would normally take it to the living room and flip on the television, but as this isn’t his home, he eats at the table, idly flipping through a ladies’ fashion magazine addressed to Morgana. He looks at his phone. One missed call. Merlin called while he was in the shower, so Arthur rings him back while he finishes the cereal.
    “Are u STILL with her?” Merlin accuses immediately.
    “Sort of. I’m at her flat, but she’s gone to work. I didn’t get to see her this morning before she left.”
    “Aw, poor baby,” he pokes.
    “Yeah, I heard your datum was stellar last night,” Arthur decides to avoid defense and switch to offense.
    “She’s too much for me, mate,” he admits.
    “Yeah, we kind of got that impression.”
    “What did she say?”
    “She zei that while u were really sweet and cute (blech), there was no spark.”
    “None. Apparently she only likes me when she’s drunk. And who needs that?”
    “Don’t feel special, from what Gwen tells me she likes everybody when she’s drunk.”
    “Oh?”
    “Yeah. I guess she’s felt up Gwen at least once in the past.”
    Merlin must have been eating breakfast as well, because he is suddenly choking on something. When he recovers, he says, “Well, that’s a headache I don’t need.”
    “Too true.”
    “We still doing lunch today, of are u going to toss me for her?”
    “No, we had plans already. I do need to stop door the bibliotheek for a minuut to return her key. Could we do that when we’re out?”
    “Sure. I wouldn’t mind checking out a book of two, honestly. Could do with a good read.”
    “Really? Do u even have a bibliotheek card?”
    “Have had one for years. Why, don’t you?”
    “I do now.”
    Merlin laughs. “Pick u up at twelve thirty, then.”
    “’Bye.” Arthur hangs up. He drinks the melk from the bowl, then takes it to the sink and washes it. There are a couple other dishes sitting there, so he washes those as well, leaving them in the rack to dry. Then he takes a banaan from a bunch he sees sitting on the counter and makes his way to the door and his car.

    Arthur drives home, changes his clothes and sends Gwen a text: Having lunch with Merlin today but will stop in.
    The two men have burgers for lunch, and Merlin mentions Gwen’s key.
    “Are u sure she wants the key back?”
    “What?”
    “The key she left you. Are u sure she wants it back? I mean, she made sure u had a toothbrush there to use, and u stal hers, right? What if she wants u to have a key to her place? It would be really fast for normal people, but it’s becoming clear that the two of u are not normal.”
    “Hmm. The thought crossed my mind, but I’m not sure what to do. I don’t want to assume that it’s mine, because what if it’s her only key and then I’ve taken it? She won’t be able to get in. But will I look like an idiot if I try to give it back to her and she intended for me to have it?”
    “Do u have an extra key to your place?”
    “No, u have it.”
    “Oh, that’s right.” Arthur had gegeven it to him in case of emergency. He also had Merlin’s spare.
    “Tell u what: why don’t we stop at the hardware store before we go to the bibliotheek and get one made. Then you’re prepared if she wants u to keep it.”
    “Good idea.” Arthur takes a drink and wipes his face.

    They saunter in to the bibliotheek an uur later, and thankfully Gwen is just walking up behind the desk. She had been out in the stacks, shelving. She smiles when she sees them, and walks around to the front of the bureau to greet them. She first kisses Arthur, who wraps his arms around her for a hug as well, then she greets Merlin with a kiss on the cheek.
    “How was your lunch?” she asks them.
    “Good. We had a nice manly lunch of giant hamburgers and greasy chips,” Arthur tells her.
    “Lovely. I had a salad,” she laughs.
    “Gwen,” Arthur starts, trying to choose his words carefully.
    “That key was for you,” she says. Merlin looks at her, bewildered.
    “She does that all the time,” Arthur tells him.
    “I realized I hadn’t made it clear in my note. It’s yours.”
    Arthur pulls the key he just had made from his pocket and puts it in her hand. “Now we’re even,” he tells her with a grin.
    She rolls her eyes, but smiles and says, “You didn’t have to give me a key to your place just because I gave u one to mine.”
    “Yes, I did,” he argues.
    “Yeah, he kind of did,” Merlin agrees. “He’s funny that way.”
    Gwen laughs again, then says, “Where are u two off to now?”
    “Actually, we’re going to look for something good to read,” Arthur tells her. “What can u recommend?”
    “Ah. Come with me,” she leads them back to the stacks.

    Merlin chooses three books, Arthur decides to start with just one. Gwen checks them out, noting Merlin’s worn card. “Hasn’t been used in a while, I see,” she mentions when she scans it.
    “Yes, well, I never thought much about coming to a bibliotheek once I was done with school.”
    “I hope that will change,” she says, smiling as she hands him his card back.
    Gwen hops up, leaning across the bureau to kiss Arthur, much to everyone’s surprise. Especially Vivian’s. She has been watching from behind the bureau since they returned with their books, glowering. She doesn’t even try to charm Arthur’s friend, figuring he was a hopeless case. He’s too skinny and has big ears, anyway. Bet he’s gay, too, she thinks bitterly.
    “Come over after work?” Arthur asks her.
    “Absolutely,” she tells him, and he puts his hand to her cheek for a seconde before they leave.

Part 15: link