The Night We Met- Modern Merthur (Arthur returns)

Chapter 5

The bar was full that night, as always. The three of them went up to the bartender to get some drinks, they were dressed much more formally than they were before. "Three martinis with vodka," Merlin told the man behind the bench. He began to make their drinks.

"What's a martini and what's vodka?

"Martini is the name of a drink and vodka is an alcohol." Merlin pulled his phone out of his jeans pocket and took a picture of the knights. "Arthur and Leon's first time in a bar," he grinned. The bartender put forth three 'v' shaped cocktail glasses, inside the foggy liquid was a stick of green olives. They picked up their glasses and clinked them together.

"To Gwaine," Arthur lifted his glass.

"To Gwaine," repeated Leon. Merlin also repeated 'Gwaine', but his came out as more of a question.

"Yes, Merlin, Gwaine." Arthur gave him a look.

"No," Merlin was frowning at something further away, "I see Gwaine over there. I might be hallucinating."

"No, I see him too," Leon confirmed.

"All three of us can't be having the same hallucination together," Arthur put his drink down, and went towards the man in question. Gwaine was in full armour, sword at his side. He was having a disagreement with the bartender, who was desperately trying to reason with him.

"What do you mean no mead?" Gwaine fumed, "I asked for a tankard of mead, you don't have that, and you don't have ale either." The woman he was yelling at seemed to have nothing in reply. She had dealt with a lot of drunkards in her life, but never one dressed as a knight and asking for mediaeval drinks. She was getting ready to call security.

"Hi, sorry, he's with us. We'll get him off your hands," Merlin told the bartender as Leon and Arthur talked to Gwaine. She gave him a relieved look.

"Arthur? Leon? Merlin? What the hell is going on?" Gwaine lit up with recognition, "this tavern doesn't even have mead. Where are we? Why are you all dressed like the lunatics here?"

"Gwaine, you died and now you've come back to life. There's more, but we'll explain soon," Arthur told him.

"Am I a ghost? Are we in hell? I knew I wouldn't go to heaven," he rambled.

Ignoring his question Leon said, "how'd you get here?"

"I woke up in a forest, walked down a mountain and then came into this town where everyone is dressed weirdly and looks at me like I'm the weird one. I need a drink," he complained.

"We need to get you out of here," Merlin muttered, then looked back at the bartender, "could I have a beer, thanks."

Gwaine caught sight of a group of women walking together, one of them was wearing a tight black mini dress which was low cut on her chest and barely reached her mid thighs. He wolf-whistled. "Damn, is that allowed, Pretty girl?"

"Excuse me?" She looked into his face with a daring look.

"It's like you've come out here wearing your nightdress, a lot is showing," Gwaine continued, not realising the danger he was in.

The girl's friend scoffed, "the audacity."

Merlin came into the scene interrupting, "ignore him, he's drunk. I apologise."

Gwaine would've been fine if he hadn't decided to speak up, "actually, I haven't had a drop to drink, Merlin. I'm not even slightly drunk." The girl Gwaine had called out to came forward and pulled her hand back, slapping him hard across the face. She turned back with a flip of her blonde hair and walked away. Gwaine held his cheek in his hand.