Destiny my love, Destiny and Doughnuts!

Chapter 1:

Destiny my love, Destiny and Doughnuts!

"Arthur... Please don't..." He stops and takes a deep breath, his hand on the door and his bag over his shoulder. He turns and looks at his half-sister, giving her a half smile.

Emotion is not an acceptable trait in the Pendragon household, and Arthur prides himself on keeping his in check. Growing up with a father like Uther Pendragon taught him well. His tight expression and rigid posture doesn't fool Morgana for one second.

"Call when you land?" She says softly, scared to raise her voice in the stillness of the apartment.

He nods once and then he is gone, the door closing slowly behind. Morgana puts her phone to her ear with a shaking hand.

"Hello?"

"He's gone," she says simply.

"I'll be right there," Leon says and hangs up.

oooOooo

Two months later:

Flatmate wanted!

Male/female doesn't matter as long as they possesses the ability to look after themselves and on occasion others. Must be non homophobic, employed, enjoy washing dishes and ok with alcohol and late nights. Apply in person, between 12 noon -2pm Friday, Saturday or Sunday – must bring gift!

Merlin looked at his watch, it was one thirty on Friday afternoon. He smiled, jotted down the address on a pink post-it, threw a quid to the sleepy man behind the counter, and walked out into the blistering cold of the busy London street.

The tube was full of loud, rowdy teenagers – looking forward to their weekend of freedom. He missed the quiet of Elador and after two weeks living in a hostel, looking for a place to live, he started to think he had made a mistake moving to the big smoke. His mum constantly told him to come home, he'd always have a job at the local library but he felt that he had a destiny and it was here in the city that he would uncover it.

This was the tenth apartment he had looked at; all the others within his price range were small, poky and dingy. This place looked promising; he knocked on the door and listened to somebody shouting. He grimaced – maybe this wasn't his future home; he was formulating an apology about being at the wrong door when it swung open to reveal a beautiful man with flowing brown hair and stumble gracing a chiselled jaw.

"How're ya?" the man asked with a lovely, slightly cheeky smile in an Irish accent.

"H... Hi!" Merlin squeaked, "I'm em... here about the room...?"

"Oh yeah?" the man asked scratching his jaw; he looked Merlin up and down.

"I brought doughnuts!" He held the bag of Tesco jam doughnuts out.

"Good man! Come on in," the man held the door open and gestured into the flat.

Merlin scuttled past. "I'm Gwaine," he said as he walked across the room towards the kitchen.

"Merlin," as he followed the man, definitely not looking at his shapely arse.

"Merlin? Really?" Gwaine chuckled as he switched on the kettle.

"Go on – I'm sure you can't say anything I haven't heard before."

"No doubt, doesn't mean I won't try my best, so do you have a job? It's a must, you're going to have to pay a third of the bills and rent."

"Yeah, I haven't started yet but I have one, starting on Monday in a coffee shop."

"Good man, milk? Sugar?" Gwaine gestured at the counter.

"Milk, no sugar thanks," Gwaine handed him a cup and put a cigarette in his mouth, Merlin couldn't help but stare as he took the first drag.

"How do you feel about gays?"

"Love them, wouldn't get any if I didn't," he grinned, Gwaine laughed.

"Excellent – now let's have a doughnut and then I'll show you your room," he ripped open the red packet.

"My room?"

"Well I just assumed since you were here, you brought a gift and said something about a room that you wanted it..?" He looked at Merlin like he was soft in the head.

"Oh God yeah I want it, I just didn't expect it to be that easy..."

"Well," Gwaine said clapping him on the back, "I'm pretty easy," he gave a roguish wink, "and I like you – I'm sure Percy will too. We'll find out tonight at the pub."

Gwaine lead the way, down a narrow hall and passed two closed doors. He stopped and gestured at another door which turned out to be a bathroom. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, waving Merlin into a room.

The room was large, nice double bed but a horrible orange colour with blue trimmings.

"You can redecorate, we did it up for Lance as a joke – these are his colours."

"Good!"

"Baby boy!" Gwaine roared into his phone, "pub tonight – you better be there! Got our new flat mate, says he loves the gym!" He winked at Merlin, before disappearing down the hall.

Merlin laughed, shaking his head, maybe he'd found what he was looking for.

oooOooo

The pub, Merlin didn't have a choice about – as soon as he got back from the hostel with his bags he was pulled down the road to "The Great Dragon", a pint of beer shoved into his hand and an arm around his shoulder guiding him to a table at the back.

"My good people," Gwaine shouted, five heads swivelled to look at them, "meet Merlin!" he clapped the biggest man Merlin had ever seen, on the shoulder "our new flat-mate". The man smiled and pulled Merlin into a hug.

"I'm Percy," he shouted over the noise of the pub, crippling Merlin in his strong grip.

"Nice to meet you," Merlin shouted back.

He smiled at the others as Percy slid down the bench to let him sit down.

The others; Morgana a fiercely beautiful woman with a wicked tongue, Leon her other half – a big friendly giant, Gwen a sweet girl with a lovely smile and Lance.

"I hear it's your room I have," Merlin said across the table.

"Yeah, you're gonna love it there," he smiled, his arm around Gwen.

"As soon as I paint that room," they all laughed, "how come you moved out?"

"Moved in with Gwen," he smiled and kissed her nose.

"How lovely," Merlin thought looking at them, and then suddenly the atmosphere changed.

"You mind?" Morgana snapped, glaring at them. Leon tensed, but put a hand on her shoulder, Gwaine stared at his pint and Percy looked out across the pub. Gwen blushed and Lance took his arm away from her, going rigid.

"I'm going to the bar, anyone want anything?" Morgana stood and stalked off before anyone answered.

Gwen got up and followed her to the bar, Merlin subtly watched as the two talked.

Gwen was gesturing a lot and Morgana only glancing at her every so often. Nobody at the table was looking at Lance. Finally Morgana put her hand on Gwen's shoulder and Gwen threw her arms around her. Merlin quickly turned back to the table and started talking to Gwaine. The girls came back, Gwen's eyes looked red and she and Lance left soon after.

oooOooo

Three hours later Merlin stumbled down the road flanked by his new house mates. They eventually got the door open and Merlin collapsed on the sofa. He was jerked out of his drunken thoughts by Gwaine's legs landing on his lap. Percy put three cups of tea on the table and sat down with a groan. They sipped their tea in silence for a while, Merlin musing about the night's events. Gwaine nudged him with his foot.

"So... good night?"

"Great – they're all lovely," Merlin slurred, nearly dropping his cup, "my new family."

Percy laughed, taking the cup from Merlin.