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21 April 2012 @ 07:40 pm
Flour, Water, Yeast, and Salt  
Author: min7girl
Title:Flour, Water, Yeast, and Salt
Rating:G
Pairing/s:Arthur/Merlin
Character/s:Arthur, Merlin, Gwen
Summary:Merlin's life in under a thousand words is calm and zen like except for one thing.
Warnings:Tis Fluffy with a moment of 'Oh No!'?
Word Count:936
Prompt:Scar
Author's Notes:Was supposed to be only the first section with them as kids but something took a turn in my head.




Flour, water, yeast and salt. Flour, water, yeast and salt. Merlin worked at his mother's bakery making bread. Flour water, yeast and salt were really all anyone needed to make bread. and Merlin knew this at the very advanced age of seven. This year since he was tall enough now and old enough he was allowed to help prepare the rolls. He still wasn't allowed near the ovens or the hots pans yet, but he was old enough now to be trusted to hand make the french rolls. He had practiced it for many many years(or at least has many as a seven year old could practice something), and was really good at it now.

Besides, with his help, his mother could take larger orders from customers. Which meant more money for the store, which meant maybe he might get that used PSP from the game shop down the street. All Merlin had to do was come in after school and make rolls.

The trick of making rolls is to get into a rhythm, a pattern of repetition. Cut the dough with the dull bench knife(which really wasn't a knife, and more of a rectangular hard plastic thing), then put the cut piece on the scale. Add more or less so that each roll would be the same size, and then use his hands to shape them. Over and over in a pattern.

It was easy in such a pattern to let thoughts drift to other things, like school or Merlin's pet frogs. Did he need to changed the water today or tomorrow? It was while having such ponderings that he felt a set of eyes on him. The space he worked in was small and off in the corner of the bakery. It was closed off from the customer area, but a large bay window was all that separated Merlin from anyone who was interested in buying the bread.

Normally if anyone was interested it was a mother or father with a small child. At least smaller than Merlin, because apparently bigger kids were too cool to come to bakeries and stare in windows. That was until Merlin spotted the eyes that were watching him today. Actually it was really hard not to notice since the boy in question was definitely Merlin's age and currently had his face smashed up against the glass making a disturbing face. Merlin jumped at the sight and nicked himself with the plastic knife. Nothing dangerous or scar worthy but it pinched. "Stupid Prat." Merlin muttered to himself, and did his best to ignore the idiot making faces at him behind the glass.

It wasn't enough the boy picked on him in school but now having found out where Merlin work, Arthur Pendragon, HAD to come all the way from his posh home with one of his governesses every day.

______________

Being 15 meant Merlin was now responsible for the ovens. It was hard work and it meant he sweat a lot next to the stone hearth used for their bread, but again if he worked hard he might be able to afford that used car down the street. The one with the sign in the window for the last 3 months.

About half way through his first shift as a full fledged baker, the chime of the front door let him know a customer was there. His mom was out for supplies so he would have to cover the counter as well. He dusted himself off with a towel quickly, washed his hands again, and went to the front of the store.

Gwen was standing there hair everywhere and out of breath. She grabbed Merlin by the arm screaming something about Arthur being hurt. Merlin wanted to laugh at her. Arthur could never be hurt. This was the boy who stayed up every friday night watching bad horror movies before running drills in practice on Saturday. This was the boy who came out at school assembly after taking a punch for kissing Merlin on the cheek(Merlin thought he was teasing).

Arthur did not get hurt! Gwen had it wrong!


______________



Flour, water, yeast, salt. He liked it. And so when offered the bakery at the advanced age of 24, his mom comfortably retired knowing her son was happy.

The place always seemed to suit him. He would get into these zones of zen tranquility where nothing and everything seemed to matter. His bones and muscles liked the ache of the long day too. Besides something about it was consistent in its simplicity. He could always count on those basic ingredients providing him with perfect bread. The hearth's warmth would always fight off any chill in his body and the uniquely beautiful face pressed to the glass as Merlin made rolls every afternoon would be that of his husband Arthur.

"Stupid Prat!" Merlin held up his barely pink finger to the glass in accusation, like he did every day, but the hard plastic knife never left a scar, not even a scratch.

"Don't be such a girl!"

_____________


Arthur's idea of fun now was traveling the world tasting bread. "Let's stop at this one."

"Arthur! That's not my shop! You can't go pressing your old wrinkly face to windows!" Merlin was retired, and handed off the bakery to Morgana's daughter who seemed to like it better than his and Arthur's son.

"Shut up Merlin! I can do what I want."

"You're going to scare them!"

"Don't be such a jealous girl, I'll still peek at you tonight." Arthur stuck out his tongue at Merlin. Some things never changed.




 
 
 
Terrifyingly Friendly: m/a stairsjelazakazone on April 22nd, 2012 12:34 am (UTC)
Very sweet. I especially liked how Arthur got hit for kissing Merlin on the cheek:D
min7girl: merthurmin7girl on April 22nd, 2012 12:44 am (UTC)
Thank you!!!!

Arthur kept teasing, so Merlin didn't know if he was playing and taking advantage, so yeah. I liked Arthur's resolution to the problem. :)

Yenny: Arthur GIFyenny2206 on April 22nd, 2012 01:36 am (UTC)
Lol, I love it! So adorable.
min7girl: merthurmin7girl on April 22nd, 2012 11:26 am (UTC)
Thank you very much!!!
alby_mangroves: Bradley kissing Colinalby_mangroves on April 22nd, 2012 02:18 am (UTC)
NAWW!! I love it. I love Merlin as a baker, and HUSBANDS. <3
min7girl: merthurmin7girl on April 22nd, 2012 11:27 am (UTC)
Merlin and Arthur will always be husbands in my opinion.
alby_mangrovesalby_mangroves on April 22nd, 2012 11:30 am (UTC)
Your opinion is correct on all counts :D
min7girl: merthurmin7girl on April 22nd, 2012 11:35 am (UTC)
Merthur forever! Cheers and love!
Deborah Henning-Huff: Fluffy Cutehogwartsvixxxen on April 22nd, 2012 04:42 am (UTC)
♥ Awww this was too cute I enjoyed this.
min7girl: merthurmin7girl on April 22nd, 2012 11:28 am (UTC)
Thank you! They felt cute while I wrote them. :)
Deborah Henning-Huff: Merlin/Arthur Lookhogwartsvixxxen on April 23rd, 2012 04:31 am (UTC)
♥ It reads like it was fun to write :)
you light the skyms_notebook on April 22nd, 2012 06:21 am (UTC)
Oh my gosh, the image of little Arthur pressing his face against the window staring at his crush Merlin and teasing him... all the way to older Arthur teasing Merlin for being jealous about him staring at different bread shops... VERY sweet. I love it. How everything just fits together in a cute zen like fashion. Awesome drabble!
min7girl: merthurmin7girl on April 22nd, 2012 11:29 am (UTC)
It was the image of Arthur's face against the glass of the shop that got my brain spinning this story. I couldn't stop giggling. :)

Thank you!!!
Neyahneyah444 on April 22nd, 2012 09:53 am (UTC)
This is just lovely! They are so cute together.
min7girl: merthurmin7girl on April 22nd, 2012 11:36 am (UTC)
Thank you!!!!
(ノ⊙ω⊙)ノ~『✧~~✧』fuckyeah on April 22nd, 2012 11:13 am (UTC)
*flails* Gah, I love this! Arthur pressing his face up to the window makes me giggle so much! So cute!
min7girl: merthurmin7girl on April 22nd, 2012 11:37 am (UTC)
The pressing of little Arthur's face to glass still gives me giggle fits :)

Thank you!!!
where it is always midnight at the oasis: Arthur/Merlin - Arthur&Merlinwaltzing_mice on April 23rd, 2012 10:09 pm (UTC)
Aw, very sweet.
min7girl: merthurmin7girl on April 24th, 2012 12:15 am (UTC)
Thank you!
archaeologist_d: Merlin heroic Arthurarchaeologist_d on April 25th, 2012 11:56 am (UTC)
That was cute. I liked how Arthur never stopped looking through bakery windows.
min7girl: merthurmin7girl on April 25th, 2012 12:48 pm (UTC)
Thankyou! He did have a thing for baked goods and Merlin :)

owensheart: Merlin/Arthurowensheart on May 6th, 2012 06:27 pm (UTC)
This was such a beautiful look at thier lives together.
min7girl: merthurmin7girl on May 6th, 2012 06:56 pm (UTC)
Thank you!
HermitKnut: Merthurhermitknut on May 7th, 2012 11:03 am (UTC)
Heehee, this is adorable :) Love the idea of Merlin as a baker.

HK
min7girl: merthurmin7girl on May 7th, 2012 11:17 am (UTC)
Thank you for the love!!
imvusimvus on May 10th, 2012 02:41 am (UTC)
I love how you call this a drabble but it told a whole life time of this couple. Starting sweet and ending just as sweet, with Arthur being his cute and bratty, childlike self. :)
min7girl: merthurmin7girl on May 10th, 2012 08:15 pm (UTC)
I have a tendency to think men and women dont loose certain traits with age. 5 or 65 Arthur is Arthur. :)

Thanks for the love!
bumerbmwbumerbmw on May 21st, 2012 12:48 pm (UTC)
aww such an adorable drabble!
min7girl: merthurmin7girl on May 23rd, 2012 01:12 pm (UTC)
Thank you for the lovely comment!!