bunnysworldTitle: The new guy
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s): Merlin/Arthur
Warnings: none
Word Count: 665
Prompt: Potential
Summary: Why did Morgana leave it to him to pick out the new dancers for their strip club?
Notes: Sorry, once again not beta’d. I know, I'm late! But I had to spend my time in London seeing Colin in his play. So I hope I'm forgiven.
Arthur sighed. Wasn’t Morgana supposed to do this? Why did he have to sit here and watch the new guys, most of them totally inexperienced and some of them probably even underage? He looked at his clipboard with the applications and circled the birthdate of this bloke. He’d need to check it again. A scandal had shaken the town when the children of financial mogul Uther Pendragon opened a club that featured male exotic dancers and if Arthur were honest, they had done it just to get back at their father after a huge fall-out. Running a club turned out to be something he was good at, though, and who was he to deny he liked looking at all the fit men around him. Casting the new ones just wasn’t part of his job but Morgana had some appointment or other and had left him with the task.
The next one was definitely a no as the guy fidgeted around on stage and couldn’t even take his t-shirt off in a fashion that was in any way appealing. Arthur gave him another minute but it didn’t get better, so he told him that they’d call him and crossed his application.
With only one applicant left, Arthur leaned back in his chair and sipped his water. This would be over quickly and he could finally turn his attention back to his usual tasks.
When the bloke stepped on stage, Arthur nearly choked on his water. Damn, he was gorgeous. Maybe not the usual type they had on stage and nothing like Percy, the star of the club, but he definitely had potential with his long slender limbs, mop of dark hair, shy smile and the looks of an overgrown schoolboy. If he could move, they could work with all that.
“Hi.”
The dark voice ran down Arthur’s spine and he needed to clear his throat before he spoke. “Hi…eh…” Checking the application sheet quickly, he found the name. „Hi, Merlin.“
„Do you want me to…“ The bloke pointed at his clothes.
Chuckling, Arthur sat a bit straighter in his chair. “That’s what we’re here for, isn’t it? Have you chosen your music?” That they gave the new ones a few songs to choose from had turned out to be a good idea. Before, it had been a bit more difficult to compare performances and guys who couldn’t think of music had stood about on stage all awkwardly.
“Yes, I have.”
Percy in the background started the music and Arthur held his breath. This guy kind of just undressed but it was the most mesmerizing thing Arthur had ever seen. He was eager to see each new part of skin revealed and made a little sound when the man turned around and bent over to take his jeans off. Arthur knew he was lost when Merlin reached for the pole and started to work with that. It was clear that he wasn’t a pro and he didn’t have a real performance, but he could move to the music and with a bit of training, he would draw a certain clientele to the club.
“That’s enough, thank you.” Arthur hoped that nobody heard the tremble in his voice.
“Oh.” The guy stood about for a second, a disappointed look on his face, before he started picking up his clothes.
“When can you start training?”
Merlin had just pulled his jeans up and Arthur almost held his breath as it looked as if the unbuttoned garment would slide down the slender hips any second. “What?”
“When can you start?”
Percy had made his way over and nodded. “You need a bit of training, but else…”
A blinding smile showed on Merlin’s face that shot straight down to Arthur’s groin. Carefully he got up. “You got the job. Be here tomorrow morning at 10. Percy will show you what to do.” Of course he would be there, too. It was too dangerous to leave Percy alone with the new guy.