Who: Merlin and Jane When: Early January Where: Her place What: Meeting the kitten and catching up Rating/Warning: Low/None Status: Complete
Merlin had been invited to Jane’s place to meet her kitten, he’d left his cat at home since he wasn’t sure exactly how old the kitten was and didn’t want to risk bringing in anything her immune system couldn’t fight off.
It had been a crazy festive period and now they were in the New Year he was looking forward to catching up with everybody and slowing down. He’d started his new job with Arthur so missed seeing Gwen and Jane at lunch.
Jane was looking forward to having Merlin round, it had been a quiet Christmas period, just her and Darcy at home pretty much with Darcy dragging her to a party or two and some fireworks which had been fun. She'd not been in to the office lately, going over some new data at home instead so she was looking forward to catching up on Merlin's gossip. She opened the door to him when he arrived and let him in with a smile and a wave. "Hey, come in, how are you?"
“Hey” he smiled, waiting until the door was closed to give her a hug, “I’m totally knackered, it feels like I haven’t stopped since Thanksgiving, but otherwise all is good. How are you? Did you have a good holiday season?”
Jane laughed as he hugged her, patted him on the back and closed the door behind them before leading him to the open plan kitchen. “I’m good thanks, it’s been a quiet one really, my aunt and uncle were visiting his sister and her family so I stayed here and worked on some new data that came in,” she told him, moving to the kettle. “You want a drink or something? Snack?”
“That doesn’t sound much different to what you do at work except maybe that you can do it in your PJ’s” he grinned teasing her a little, “Just tea would be great if you have it”
Jane chuckled as she filled the kettle with water and put it on to boil. “Well, it was different because I had turkey...maybe? And Christmas pudding?” she joked lamely.
Merlin chuckled, “Oh well that makes all the difference” he told her with a smile and a wink, “Be grateful you don’t live with a baker - you’d be as big as a house by now. I swear I’ve easily put on a couple of stone” which was a joke in itself because seriously Merlin was a skinny thing but still he had eaten a lot of food over the past week or so.
"You should have told me, I'd happily have helped!" Jane smiled. " How do you take your tea?"
“I’ll let Audrey know, we still have plenty to work through” he told her with a smile, “Milk no sugar thanks”
"Cool, that'd save us going to the shops for a while," Jane laughed. "Ok, coming right up...I'll see if I can find my teapot," she said, more to herself as she started opening cupboards to search. "So how's married life been treating you? Enjoy your first Christmas together?"
“You can make it in the cup, don’t worry if the teapot is hidden. I guess I take it for granted there’s always one around now since there is at home” Merlin grinned. “Pretty damn great actually” he grinned, “We’re looking at houses soon as we’ll need a bigger place for when we have kids and everything. Christmas was great, it was really nice - we got a bit of a thrill giving our cards to each other. As silly as it sounds” There had just been something wonderful about buying a card which read ‘To my beautiful wife’.
"Sorry, this is a coffee house mainly," Jane joked. "You guys thinking about kids already then?" Jane asked, getting up from looking in the lower cupboard, brushing off her trousers.
“I’d be more helpful but I can’t stand coffee I’m afraid” Merlin told her, “I could always magic you up one I suppose” he added thoughtfully before turning back to the question, “Yeah we are. Audrey is gonna be a fantastic mum”
“That’s all right, I know some people hate the smell, but when you pull all nighters in the lab it’s something you get used to,” she shrugged, going about making the tea. “That’s really cool, are you waiting for a bit?”
“Actually I’ve always quite liked the smell, it’s the taste I can’t stand” he winked at her. “Well umm not exactly” he said blushing a little, “We’re just letting things happen really”
Jane chuckled. “It’s an acquired taste. I’m just a caffeine fiend,” she joked, pouring the boiling water over the teabags in the cups. “Ah, I see, so when it happens it happens, eh? What would you like to have? Boy? Girl?” she asked, bringing the cups over to Merlin.
“I might get there with this new job” Merlin grinned at her, “Yep hopefully sooner rather than later. I kind of can’t wait. Well, I know you aren’t supposed to mind and I don’t really but I would quite like a little girl”
“New job? Where are you working now? Doing what?” Jane asked, not remembering him mentioning it before. She’d not been in the offices over most of December, so she hadn’t seen any changes. “Awww, I can imagine you with a little girl, riding on your shoulders through the park and being utterly wrapped around her little finger,” Jane smiled fondly at him, taking a sip from her tea.
“Oh didn’t I tell you?” Merlin said, “You’ll never believe it. Arthur turned up, like King Arthur - from my dreams. Anyway I somehow ended up interviewing with him and now I’m his new PA. He offered me an incredible working package, I couldn’t say no. Not with our plans to move and start a family” he told her before blushing at her words, “Thank you Jane, that’s very sweet of you to say”
“Seriously? King Arthur? Wow, what’s he like?” Jane asked. “Well, I’m sad that you’re not going to be there for coffee breaks anymore, but I’m glad for you, so long as you’re happy,” she smiled, then shrugged. “It’s not sweet, it’s the truth, you’re going to be a great, fun dad.”
"Arrogant, bit of a prat but he has a good heart" Merlin replied, "I think it's definitely going to be an experience. I'm sad to leave you and Gwen, but it'll give us all a reason to leave work on time and meet up" he grinned. "Well thank you, I'm glad you think so"
“Leave? ...on time? I don’t know what this is...” Jane pretended to struggle with the concept, knowing her penchant for getting carried away with her work. “Of course I think so,” Jane told him, moving to the front room to sit on the sofa, feet curled up underneath her. “You’re a great guy, smart, funny, kind, what more could a girl want from her dad? But you have to promise not to use magic on the first guys who tries to date her...scratch that, any guy that tries to date her,” she teased with a wink. “Tell me more about this Arthur then? Is he like the King of legend? Handsome? Brave? Dashing? Or more like Monty Python?”
Merlin laughed, knowing all of them had a habit of getting carried away but Jane was the worst. At least she admitted it. “Thanks, but I’m making no promises” he teased in response as he sat down too. “He’s handsome but he’s cocky and arrogant. To begin with anyway. He grows up a lot and has a good heart. Prone to bouts of pratishness at all times though” he shook his head, “It’s strange because he’s like my best friend in the dreams and dream Merlin even has a little crush on him but here I don’t know, I feel older and wiser than him somehow. Maybe because I’m so much further along in my dreams than he is and, of course, I’m happily married and thinking about kids with the love of my life”
“That must be weird, knowing the person in your dreams in real life that your dream-self has a crush on but your real-self doesn’t...if that made any sense at all,” Jane laughed. “I assume he doesn’t know...about your dream-self having a crush on him I mean, it’s not going to make things weird? Working with him?”
“Oh no not at all. He doesn’t have a clue. So he won’t ever know that part. Thankfully. I’m hoping here we’ll become good friends though. It’ll be nice to be on a more even ground - friend wise. There was always the knowledge that he was the Prince and then King and I was just a servant before. It’s all different now, even if he is my boss”
“What if he becomes more like his dream-self once he starts remembering? Coz, to be honest, his alter ego sounds like a bit of a dick,” Jane replied honestly, blowing on the liquid then taking a sip of her tea.
“To begin with he might but he is a good person so I’m hoping that’ll come through more. I guess on the plus side me being so far ahead means I’m less inclined to put up with dick behaviour. Maybe calling him on it more will help him along” Merlin grinned.
“Ooo, Assertive Merlin, I like it!” Jane grinned. “So PA work, hows it been so far?”
Merlin laughed, “Well hopefully” he was more confident now but they’d see how he handled Arthur in ‘royal’ mode. “So far so good actually. It’s different to what I’ve been doing but not in a bad way. It’s making me more organised”
Jane chuckled at that. “I imagine you have to be what with being someone else’s organiser,” she teased. “But you’re enjoying it?”
“Yeah, but it helps that I know him so well. Even if he doesn’t know that I know” Merlin shook his head at the confusing sentence. “I am, it’s challenging but fun”
“Good, I’m sad that you won’t be with us for lunch and tea breaks but I’m glad you’ve found something that works for you, with someone who obviously means a lot,” Jane smiled. “Any other revelations you want to impart?” she teased.
“Revelations?” Merlin laughed, “Not really. Anyway didn’t I come here to meet a little furry somebody? As well as catch up with you” he added.
“Nice save,” Jane gave him a suspicious glare from over the rim of her tea cup. “Yep, she was passed out on my bed just before you got here, I’ll go see if she’s awake,” Jane grinned, putting her cup down on the table and darting off to her bedroom. Finding the little kitten still curled up asleep on her bed, she stroked it’s head and spoke to her in a little, cutsey voice. “Hey there, bubbah, wanna come say hi to my friend Merlin? Oh yes,” she grinned as the kitten stretched out on her back and looked up at her. “Yes you do don’t you, come on then,” she grinned, scooping the little cat up and carrying her out to Merlin. “This is Georgie,” she grinned up at him as she entered the room, cat lying on her back in her arms and purring as she stroked the soft fur of her stomach.
“I thought so” he winked at her before she left to retrieve the kitten. “Oh, isn’t he cute” Merlin smiled, “Gwen was that little once, it seems a while ago now” he commented, reaching out to stroke the car softly.
“She’s a she, my Georgie porgie pudding and pie!” Jane replied, kissing the cat on the head. “Yours is called Gwen? How did that name come about?”
“Oh, I see. Oops, sorry Georgie” Merlin said to the cat. “Guinevere. Like from the Arthur legend” he admitted with a grin.
“That’s ok, she gets it a lot,” Jane laughed, tickling the kitten under the chin. “Gwen...Guinevere...ok, I kinda see the leap,” Jane laughed. “How old is she?”
"I imagine she does since you gave her a boys name" he teased, "Well that's the only way I know to shorten Guinevere, I mean naming her the full name would be mean" Merlin shrugged with a smile, "She's just over a year now"
“So growing up slowly?” Jane winked at him, placing the kitten on the couch next to her as she sat on the couch and picked up her tea.
“Yep” Merlin grinned, “ She’s cute though, little black ball of adorableness” Merlin had a pretty big soft spot for animals.
“We should totally do a play-date,” Jane smiled, watching the kitten washing it’s face with a paw very sweetly. “Although...would cats appreciate that sort of thing? I mean dogs would but cats?” she wondered aloud.
“Maybe less play-date and more are you worthy of my time date?” Merlin suggested, “Gwen is pretty friendly though, sometimes I think she’s more like a puppy”
Jane chuckled at that as Georgie pushed her head up against Jane’s arm to get stroked. “Georgie’s a bit more...relaxed,” she laughed as the kitten dropped onto her back beside her, purring madly and blatantly asking for strokes. “She has mad five minutes every so often where she’ll find a toy, pounce on it and run around like a mad cat, but then it’s back to snoozing, snacks and strokes,” she joked.
Merlin chuckled at the kittens antics, “They are mad things really, but we are completely their slaves. As they expect”
“There’s a reason the ancient Egyptians worshipped them,” Jane smiled as she looked down at her kitten. “I think animals are important growing up, gives kids a sense of respect and responsibility. Definitely a good choice in getting a cat before baby,” she nodded at Merlin. “And probably less likely to get allergies,” she winked.
“I agree” Merlin nodded, “I had a dog growing up and it taught me responsibility and all that sort of thing. And stopped me getting lonely too” He chuckled, “No allergies on either side as far as I’m aware” and if there was the magic would probably counteract it.
“That’s good, no spending a fortune on antihistamines,” Jane commented before looking up at him, shaking her head a little as she thought about all the changes happening in her friend’s life. “Can’t believe you’re married,” she said in amazement. “And thinking of having kids, so much has changed over the last few months.”
Merlin grinned, “I know, pretty incredible isn’t it” he nodded, “I’m just so glad I found Audrey, I’ve never been as happy as I am with her”
“I’m glad,” Jane smiled. Thinking about meeting Gabriel in the park the other day her grin deepened and her cheeks coloured as she looked down at Georgie, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. “Oh! Oh!” Merlin said pointing with a grin, “I know that look! Who is it? Tell me everything you little minx” he teased her before waiting expectantly.
“I...it’s nothing,” Jane grinned and held up a hand as if to fend him off. “It was just...just a guy I met in the park called Gabriel, we flirted a little,” she glanced up at Merlin’s face and relented. “Ok, a lot and then I gave him my number. Just waiting for him to call me now,” she shrugged, embarrassed by how much she was blushing.
“That is brilliant” Merlin grinned, “Why you didn’t tell me as soon as I got here I don’t know but at least I got it out of you in the end. So what’s he like? What did you find out about him?”
Jane blushed a brighter shade of red. “You know I’m not the sort of girl to do, yknow, ‘girl talk’,” she shrugged. “He was great. Funny, friendly and he’s got a really smart dog called Marco,” she gave a shy smile.
“I know you aren’t. Such a shame. Still Audrey and the girls will soon teach you I’m sure” he teased her. “Oh, he’s a dog person. Wonderful, he must be nice”
Jane giggled, a sound very unlike her, and put her hand over her mouth when she did. “His dog was doing tricks in the park, that’s how he caught my attention,” she told him. “He seems to be really great...now I’m just waiting for him to call...of course not getting his number could have been one of the stupidest mistakes I’ve made to date, but I can only hope,” she smiled, perhaps a little sadly.
“He’s taught his dog to do tricks - that either shows he’s clever or he does it to pick up girls” Merlin replied, “But I’m sure he’ll call you soon Jane, he’s a fool if he doesn’t”
“Oh I had no idea he was trying to pick me up, he literally had to spell it out for me,” Jane laughed, embarrassment flaming her cheeks as she admitted it. “I get so focussed on my work that I can be a bit blind to that sort of thing sometimes,” she shrugged. “I hope so, he was funny,” she smiled wistfully. “Whether he does or not though, it reminded me I have to take a bit of time and...look around every once in a while,” she told him.
"Now that does not surprise me love" he teased her, "well I think that's a good thing. It's never a bad idea to stop, look around and enjoy life once in a while"
"Absolutely! Speaking of which, another cup of tea?" Jane grinned at him, reaching for his cup. Today was one of those days to get her head out of the textbooks.