RPF: "Questing"

[cyus]

Title: Questing
Pairing/Characters: Merlin RPF, BJ/CM/Eoin M
Rating: PG
Length: 5500 words
Summary: Filming on location in Caerphilly Castle. Well. Waiting to film on location in Caerphilly Castle, but the sun's out and no-one will notice if they vanish for half an hour, right?
Notes: Beta'd by misswinterhill and paragraphs.




"Now you've gone and done it, Colin." Bradley threw up his hands and rocked back in his chair, chainmail clinking when it caught on the chair. "Wait for it, it's going to start pissing down any moment now because you had to open your gob."

"Shut it," Colin replied, pitching a wadded up, slightly soaked paper towel in Bradley's general direction. He missed by an arm's length when Bradley ducked the shot, and had to squint into the sun as Bradley picked the paper towel off the grass and wiped it over his neck.

"What?"

"Nothing," Colin said, laughing at Bradley's narrowed eyes.

Bradley cocked his head, then pulled his arm back and fired the soggy paper towel mess back at Colin. Colin tried to scramble from his chair and all but toppled over with it, glaring at Bradley from his vantage point of belly-down in the grass over Bradley's all out laughter, head thrown back, before he gave in to a chuckle.

Boots moved into Colin's field of vision and a hand picked up the soggy towel with index finger and thumb, studying it.

"It's my token for Colin the princess," Bradley said, stepping closer, and Colin craned his head up to look at Eoin's bemused expression and Bradley's smug one, kicking at Bradley's calf. Bradley side-stepped it with a grin.

"Come on up then, mate." Eoin reached down a hand and Colin grasped it, letting himself be pulled to his feet.

"That here, that's a true knight," Colin said, glaring at Bradley before quirking into a half a smile as he turned to Eoin. "They nearly done setting up in there, then?" He nodded at the main building of the castle where the crew had been messing with the lights set-up for the next scene for near half an hour. Shooting on location was its own kind of challenge with narrower spaces, but Colin wasn't complaining when it meant being out and about for a while.

"It'll be a while. Something burned through."

"Merlin's magic destroyed the lightsss," Bradley hissed into Colin's ear.

Colin swatted at him and rolled his eyes at Eoin. "Ignore him, he's been out of his cage for too long."

Eoin looked from Colin, half-quizzically, to Bradley and back to Colin. "Okay," he said eventually, smile a little unsure.

"Only enjoying the sun, mate," Bradley said, voice back to normal as he set Colin's chair back up and sprawled in it, legs splayed, letting his head drop back and his eyes close to allow the sun to play over his face.

Colin smiled in what he hoped was a yeah, I know gesture when Eoin's gaze visibly touched on every angle and curve of Bradley's face, travelling down his body, the armour-induced bulge to his stomach, and down his thighs to his boots. Eoin raised an eyebrow at Colin. Colin shrugged.

"What are you two doing there, huh? I can see it all," Bradley said, eyes still closed.

"Nothing," Colin replied, voice bright, as he hooked his foot around Bradley's ankle, attempting to tip him, but Bradley's hand shot down as he leaned forward and grabbed Colin's knee to arrest any movement.

"Nice try, pal," Bradley said, face on height with Colin's chest and shaded from the sun by Colin. Colin couldn't resist pushing just a little closer and avoided looking at Eoin as much as he avoided drawing his fingers through Bradley's hair, but he stayed locked in the moment, Bradley's thumb brushing back and forth slowly across the side of his knee. Bradley's eyes flickered a little, lips curling up, as he held Colin's gaze.

"Right," Eoin said into the moment and cleared his throat.

Colin put his hand to the side of Bradley's face and pushed him back, laughing, and Bradley fell back, chuckling to himself before he glanced up at Eoin. The sun played over his Arthur hair. "Colin here wants to sneak out into town and get a Subway," he said, glancing briefly at Colin, before looking back at Eoin. "Would you join us on that quest? Since we're in such a questing mood today."

"Questing beast," Colin muttered and hid it behind a fake cough.

"Shush," Bradley cut him off before focusing back on Eoin. "What say you, guest star of honour?"

Eoin glanced at Colin. "In those..." He gestured at Bradley's costume, then at Colin's and his own. "You're mad."

"Au contraire," Bradley posited and pointed at Colin. "Blameur la magician."

Colin shrugged in reply to Eoin's questioning glance and shared a grin with Bradley, who slowly turned to look over his shoulder towards the entrance of the castle building that had a few of the crew milling about, going about their business.

"Make a break for it now?" Bradley said in a low, conspiratorial tone. He gestured to the exit past the souvenir shop on the opposite side of the courtyard. "Through there. In three, two, one and..."

Colin took off at a jog after Bradley and looked over his shoulder for Eoin. Eoin hesitated, glancing towards the building they were filming in, back at them and ran after them, laughter bubbling from his throat as he caught up with Colin and they both pushed past Bradley who was struggling with his clinking chain mail.

"You're so slow," Colin taunted as he brushed past Bradley, shoulderchecking him a bit, making Bradley stumble, and was the first into the souvenir shop, Eoin on his heels.

"You-" Bradley panted, inhaled sharply, then exhaled when he came in behind them. "You're so getting it for that." He jabbed his index finger at Colin's chest. "And you," Bradley added, transferring his gaze to Eoin.

"He's petrified," Colin said for Eoin, absently, laughing at Bradley's eyeroll, as he went to look around the shop. "Oh they have swords!" Colin said, running his fingers over a pink foam handle of one, pulling it from the container to point it at Bradley, then at Eoin.

Bradley cocked his head, paused a beat and then said, "You're funny," in indulging deadpan as he walked past Colin for the exit. Colin laughed out loud, then glanced at the two women at the gift shop check out who were watching them in their strange little costumes upending their workplace. "Er, sorry," he muttered, ducking his head as he trudged out of the shop after the other two.

"I'm going to petition for Merlin to get a sword," Colin said as he caught up to Bradley, walking on the left of him across the drawbridge as Eoin was walking on the right.

"I'm going to petition for Arthur to get magic-" Bradley stopped in his tracks, looked at Eoin. "No wait, I'd hate to look as stupid as Merlin with his magic hands, isn't that right, Colin?"

"He's jealous," Colin said with a slow shake of his head, equally addressing Eoin with mock severity by craning his head around Bradley's chest as if he wasn't there. "It's so sad, I know, I've been trying to cheer him up, alas..."

"Alas..." Bradley repeated and gave a formal nod to a few passers-by. "Freedom. The sun's determined to end me today." He jiggled at his costume.

"It's what he does all day long," Colin said to Eoin around Bradley between them. "He complains all the time."

"Magic me cool, Merlin." Bradley shifted closer to Colin, chainmail brushing against Colin's thigh.

Colin stared levelly back at Bradley, gaze slipping from Bradley's eyes to his lips much too fast. "There's not enough spells, sire," he drawled, grinning when Bradley gave a barking laugh.

"As we are on our quest," Bradley began, marching from the drawbridge towards the small street into the village.

"The quest, right." Eoin nodded, letting himself fall behind Bradley and walk on the other side of Colin, leaving him between them. "For food."

"Yes. It's instrumental to remain incognito," Bradley continued, inclining his head to a boy on a bike pedaling past him.

"Right-" Eoin shot Colin a look that spelled help me out here, mate as much as it did how did I end up here?.

Colin shook his head, pressing his lips together to keep from laughing.

"You're both mad," Eoin murmured, jostling Colin with his shoulder with a grin, Colin jostling him back.

They wouldn't have done it a year ago, but filming turned you a bit mad, playing with swords and running around killing things from the legends. Both Bradley and he broke under the schedule at least once during filming and did something spectacularly idiotic when filming camp became too much like a school trip to bear, like going out in Pendragon gold on red with chainmail and the neckerchief get up.

Caerphilly looked on with confusion as the three of them walked up the main street, Subway firm in their sights.

"You're moving to London, then?" Colin asked Eoin, narrowly avoiding running into a gothy teenager who stared at him with WTF in her eyes. "Er, hi," he said to her, but she was already walking off.

"No luck with the ladies, this one," Bradley said, slinging an arm around Colin's shoulder. Colin shoved at his hip in retaliation and Bradley half-collapsed in theatrical pain.

"Planning to," Eoin replied. "I've been avoiding it for a bit, and between Dublin and LA, it just didn't seem necessary so far. You're in London?"

"Vauxhall. He's in Southwark," Colin replied for Bradley who was catching up with them again. "Not that we see our places that often what with all this. What changed your mind about London?"

Eoin shrugged. "I was thinking about looking back into theatre there, maybe, do something different for a while."

"Cool."

"You're Merlin!" a child said to Colin in the middle of the pavement, the Subway shop just across the street. Colin threw Bradley a helpless glance.

Bradley only held up his hands. "I was warning you about staying inconspicuous, Merlin. Tsk." Bradley shook his head and caught Eoin's gaze. "He never listens."

"Hi there," Colin said to the kid, nodding at its mum as he knelt down and shook the kid's hand.

"Do magic."

"Ah-" It was hardly the first time he'd been caught out by a kid, but every single time Bradley was sniggering in the background, arms crossed in front of his chest with those gloves and the chain mail and Colin flushing red as he tried to talk his way out of it. "Ah, you see, er,-"

"Merlin has to save his powers so he can help Prince Arthur but-" Eoin knelt down next to Colin, reached out for the kid's head and when he pulled his hand back he held a wrapped sweet between index and middle finger that he held out to the kid. "There you go."

The kid smiled broadly at Colin and Eoin, taking the sweet, unwrapping it and pushing it in its mouth, then turned on Bradley. "Where is your sword?"

"I, ah, left it at the castle because there are no bad people to fight in Caerphilly." Bradley nodded gravely at the kid, the kid nodded gravely back, took its mum's hand and pulled her away.

"Smooth," Colin commented to Bradley.

"Always prepared, Morgan, to breach unknown territories." He nodded at Eoin. "Neat one. What do you think, how long do we have before they send out scouting parties?" He pushed the door to the Subway shop open, nodding at the girl behind the counter and the two blokes eating their sandwiches at a table. "I'm starving. I'm so going for the twelve inch." He waggled his eyebrows at Colin.

"Ah, pity I'll have to settle for six," Colin gave back, smirking.

Bradley and Colin turned to look at Eoin as one.

"Ah..."

"Both maybe?" Bradley said, almost as an aside as he moved to order.

They grabbed a table in the corner of the shop, all three unwrapping their sandwiches, Bradley taking off his leather gloves as he sat across from Eoin and Colin.

"And Anthony said, you met him right?" Bradley bit into his sandwich, chewed and swallowed then continued. "Anthony said how he was very pleased indeed with this new hair colour and walked around the set for half the day with that bright green in his hair before they fixed him up right."

"He's a good sport," Colin added, picking the olives out from his sandwich with his fingers to eat separately, before putting the sandwich back together.

"Three years in and I'm still not sure how he manages to be that strange," Bradley said to Eoin after they'd both watched Colin's sandwich adventure.

"It's a unique talent, keeps you on your toes."

"Yeah. It is at that." Bradley bit off another chunk. "I saw you in the Tudors the other night. Katie showed me."

"Ah." Eoin grinned around his food, jiggling his knee under the table where it bumped into Colin's.

Colin glanced sideways, managed a moment of conversation with Bradley while Eoin was focused on chewing, and then left his knee there, pressed to Eoin's, feeling the warmth of his body seep through the layers of fabric.

"She didn't show me," Colin said, shrugging.

"That's because she doesn't like you, Colin. No one likes you, Colin." Bradley reached over and poked at Colin's sub, until Colin swatted his hand away.

"I like you," Eoin said even before Colin managed to turn the mournful and looking for comfort look at Eoin.

"Oh now he'll make you sign his Best Friends Forever book. What are your favourite bands?, What's your favourite film?, What do you like to do in your free time?."

The toes of Bradley's boot rubbed along the inside of Colin's ankle, but when Colin shot Bradley a look, he got only a blank face in reply. He lifted an eyebrow at Bradley, and the corner of Bradley's lip twitched. They had to work on this secret language sometime, it was a bit rubbish, but Bradley drew his foot back, and Colin shifted, giving Eoin some space, too.

"I'd love to see some of your films," Bradley said, then cussed as mayonnaise spilled over his chainmail. He dabbed at it with a napkin. "You just finished one?"

"Horror film, we just moved into post production trying to keep our finances together." Eoin grinned, played with his sandwich, then bit into it as he glanced first at Bradley then at Colin. "I'm not sure you'd be interested, really-"

"No, it's cool," Colin threw in and tossed his own napkins in Bradley's general direction. Bradley took them, wiping at the metal. "We don't get out much, here."

"They're going to offer you to do an episode of Merlin next."

Eoin laughed, lettuce spraying before he could get his hand in front of his mouth. Bradley's eyebrow went up. "No, mate, that's not going to happen, but it's interesting watching them do it."

"The way they abuse us, you mean." Bradley shoved the rest of his sandwich squarely into his mouth, and Colin had a hard time keeping his eyes off that, lips stretched around bread, and Bradley grinned, knowing exactly what he was doing.

"It's good to have you here," Colin said, glancing at Eoin with a smile. "Er, well, what with the questing."

"The trio is complete," Bradley said. "At least you get to be heroic while I'm knocked out. Again."

"Well," Colin sat back in his chair. "Really, I'm heroic. Gwaine's only eyecandy."

Bradley coughed. "You're all tough, aren't you, Colin? All heroic, eh?" He smirked, and Colin very carefully didn't look at Eoin.

Colin squares his shoulders. "I'm-"

"You're wearing chain mail," a bloke said from the counter of the shop.

Bradley turned, looked down himself, and rubbed at the mayonnaise crust he'd left on it. "So I am, mate. Cheers, yeah?" The bloke shook his head, confused, while Bradley had already turned back around. "Peasants. No respect."

"About as much respect as servants," Eoin said around the last bite of his sandwich, voice low.

"That's exactly right!" Bradley pointed his finger at him. "You hear that, Merlin? He has it pegged."

"Whatever," Colin said, grinning at the table top as he wadded up the paper into a tight ball.

Eoin let out a laugh but only shook his head when Colin glanced over, not elaborating on his amusement.

Colin shifted on his chair, sprawling a bit as he watched the sun crawl across the grimy floor towards their table. The shop was bustling, and a few people whispered as they looked at their group, shaking their heads. A few girls giggled but none of them approached them, and it was nice, being out of the cage for a few moments. Bradley was scratching his thumb along the edge of the table, picking at the plastic. Colin didn't need to ask to know that he was feeling the same reluctance to head back.

"You must be losing a stone every week in that," Eoin said, breaking their silence. He nodded at Bradley.

"Not the way he eats," Colin said, carefully clipping his words and smiling at Bradley's open mouth of outrage.

"As you can see, I'm liking it enough to pop down to the shops in it." Bradley stretched, making metal rustle across his chest. His foot found Colin's ankle again as a tired blink of the eyes did, and Colin gave him a tap to the ankle back.

"Let's head back over then?" Colin said after they'd all three of them stared into nothing and tried not to fall asleep.

"Who put you in charge?" Bradley narrowed his eyes.

"Fairies."

Bradley leaned forward, fixing Colin with a hard stare. "And why would they do that?"

"I'm their King. I promised I wouldn't chop their heads off and give them a national holiday."

"When?"

"March 29th."

"March 29th is National Fairy Day," Bradley stated.

"Yup."

Colin stood and crammed his wadded paper ball into the rubbish.

"And how would they celebrate, National Fairy Day, those Fairies?"

"They put on heels and fiery wigs. Fire on heels, they like that."

"Rrrright." Bradley stood up, looked at Eoin, lips pursed and shook his head. "That's why we don't let him talk, usually, and keep him in chains at night. Isn't that right, Colin?"

Colin nodded faux demurely with wide eyes he fixed on Eoin.

"What colour are their heels?" Eoin asked instead of acknowledging Bradley, and fell into step next to Colin as they walked out of the shop back down the street, winding around a handful of tourists and the one or two people actually living in the village.

"Pink. With bows," Colin replied earnestly, keeping in a huffed laugh at Bradley's groan and clink behind them.

The castle loomed in front of them when they reached the end of the road, coming out of nowhere, with the broken tower at the corner closest to them. Families with kids were walking on the path around it, a few of them feeding ducks in the moat.

"It's wild to think it was real," Eoin said, sucking in a breath and holding it, as he looked at the castle.

"Bit magic, huh?" Colin said, shifting close enough that he felt Eoin's exhale.

Eoin looked at him, lips quirking and searching his eyes, as if he was waiting for the punchline, but when Colin just kept his gaze level, he shrugged. "Maybe?" he said, looking from Colin to Bradley, and gave Bradley a shrug.

"When men were still men and fought with their swords, more like," Bradley said, cracking into the moment. It made Eoin smile and eased something in Colin a little.

"Their six inch-"

"Don't!" Bradley tapped his index finger, gloved in leather again, to Colin's sternum.

Colin smiled back amiably.

"Are you doing the scene with Donald now or are you doing that-" Bradley asked as he fell into step next to Colin, sidestepping a mum with a pram with a polite nod to her incredulous face.

"No, they pushed that to tomorrow, I think. It's you up first, and then we're doing our thing and you wake up? Is it that one?"

"They showed me a sketch of the...the things this morning. Were you there? They're looking good."

"As they try to kill Arthur," Eoin said, glancing around Colin at Bradley. "Before Gwaine saves the day."

Bradley huffed, eyes narrowing.

"Before Merlin does," Colin said.

"With a lot of CGI."

Colin turned his head towards Bradley and kept his eyes narrowed when Bradley didn't seem overly fazed by the close scrutiny.

Bradley stopped, considering Colin. "You really are waiting for them to give you a sword for more than polishing, don't-"

Eoin coughed, hiding a laugh.

"He's been begging ever since they let him have one for two minutes." Bradley shook his head. "But he's just not tough enough."

"It's all CGI," Eoin agreed, nodding sadly. "I hear you, mate." He clasped Bradley's shoulder as they both stood and regarded Colin, touching thigh to thigh and hip to hip.

Colin pulled a face. "Bullies, the both of you." He gave Bradley a tight-lipped expression, tried anyway, if only to keep from smiling. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I can take on both of you and your..." He trailed off.

"...swords?" Bradley provided.

Eoin gave a bark of laughter.

Colin waved them away. "I could, but you're too scared." He walked ahead of them onto the bridge back to the entrance of the castle. "Shaking in your boots," he added with a glance over his shoulder back at Eoin and Bradley standing side by side, eyebrows raised as they looked at each other then at Colin, Eoin's lips twitching into a smile. Colin mock sighed and shook his head. "So here I am, indulging you."

"Oh my god, you're actually gagging for a duel," Bradley said after a beat, a laugh in his voice and a bit of acted incredulity.

"I wasn't supposed to share this, but," Colin nodded gravely, "they've only not given me a sword because they know I could beat you both with one arm tied behind my back. Yup." He gave them a tight-lipped nod, trying to keep his laughter from bubbling from his throat. "I know the truth is hard to swallow..." Colin bit back a laugh. "I've been trying, especially for you since you're still sort of new," he nodded at Eoin, "but it's the truth. Sorry. Honest."

Bradley marched towards him, trying on his all out menacing Arthur posture, and Colin took a few steps backwards, laughing as he half stumbled.

"You're just asking for it now," Bradley said, tapping at Colin's chest as he loomed. The sun glinted through his hair as he leaned forward close enough to breathe into Colin's space. Colin's eyes twitched towards Eoin a few paces behind Bradley, then back to Bradley. Bradley smiled, softened to something entirely unacted and all Bradley. "You're so obvious," he breathed into Colin's ear, fingertips finding Colin's hip to keep him steady before he pulled back again, brushing his lips over Colin's cheek, unseen.

Colin smacked Bradley's chest. "Ow," he managed as he looked from his hand to Bradley's chainmail, laughing.

"Hopeless," Bradley said as he walked past Colin, voice back to playful, and caught Eoin's eyes again. "The boy's hopeless."

"They gave him a show," Eoin replied back as they stepped into the gift shop to walk enter the castle proper again. He turned around to look at Colin, giving him the you're okay look, and Colin waved him off with a barely contained laugh.

"Yeah. That!" Bradley gave a wave to the women in the shop.

Colin rolled his eyes and pushed past the two of them, ignoring Bradley's "Whu?", got some pound notes out of his wallet as he walked to the container with the foam swords, pulled one out, not the pink one, of course, and took it up to the gift shop check out.

"What are you doing, Colin?" Bradley asked from the exit, head cocked, tone tinged with a hint of exasperation, the fond kind, while Eoin looked on.

"Buying a sword? Bradley?" Colin replied, pocketing the change, and picked the sword up by its handle, swishing it around in the shop a bit, then walked past Bradley and Eoin towards the bridge to the main part of the castle, not giving them another look.

"You're going to go begging to Julian now, to put in your big, neon blue sword, aren't you?" Bradley called. "Oh please, Julian, please? I'm so jealous of Bradley with his big sword that-"

Colin swivelled around, sword levelled at both Bradley and Eoin on the bridge. He stood his ground when they advanced until Bradley stepped up to the point of the sword pointing at his chest. He quirked an eyebrow at Eoin, half nodded towards Colin and mouthed, "tough," and pretended to be scared. Eoin laughed, reached out and flicked his fingers at the foam sword. It wobbled.

Colin widened his eyes, looking at the wobbling sword, Eoin's mock innocent expression, then lifted the sword and poked it at Eoin's chest.

"Tsk, now you've done it, Colin," Bradley said from the side, and Colin laughed when he had to scramble backwards as Eoin lunged forward, trying to make a grab for both sword and Colin, but Colin had already danced away, getting in another hit to Eoin's arm in the process, before he turned on his heels and ran for the entrance of the building and through into the inner courtyard, Eoin on his heels and Bradley shouting encouragement.

Colin jumped over a few boxes of filming equipment, dodged a few of the crew.

"That's not duelling," Bradley shouted, "that's running away, Colin."

Colin gave a laugh as he nearly ran over one of the catering folks and whacked someone in the side with his sword but he made it through the building at the other end of the courtyard and around the back, before he turned, facing Eoin who'd slowed to a walk, advancing now as he breathed out hard.

Colin lifted his sword up as he took a few steps backwards, circling around, until the outer low wall of the castle was just a few steps behind him. His laughter came out with his shaky exhales. Bradley stepped out from the building behind Eoin, walking closer slowly.

"Oh, he's stopped running," Bradley said.

"But he hasn't started fighting yet," Eoin replied, showing his bare hands. "A bit unfair, don't you think?" he called to Colin. "Me without a sword and you so... mightily done up."

Eoin's hair was falling into his face and he pushed it back, eyes twinkling as he approached, arms up and ready to pounce. Colin wavered his sword in Eoin's general direction.

"Where's your army of fairies?" Bradley said, circling around behind Eoin and cutting off Colin's escape to the side. "Not here to save their King?" They both advanced slowly and Colin had to back away further into the corner, pointing the sword at one, then at the other.

Bradley took a lunge forward, making Colin jump back and half stumble and end up a lot closer to Eoin.

"Two against one is hardly fair," Colin called, then launched an attack on Eoin who took a few dancing steps back.

"All's fair. So what about that magic now?" Bradley called, pulling on the bottom of his chainmail as he stalked closer.

"Sword," Colin said and pointed at it.

"Fear," Bradley gave back and pointed at his face, pulling a wide-eyed expression of terror, before he dropped it. "Come on, Colin, you're just going to stand there and wait for us to corner you?" They both took a step closer, squinting into the sun behind Colin.

Eoin arched his eyebrow, spreading his arms in go on then, and Colin charged at him, sword outstretched. For Bradley's sake he was trying to put in a few of the choreographed moves, but when the foam first connected with Eoin's shoulder and Eoin tried to reach for him, choreography flew ever so slightly out of the window. He managed to keep a firm grip on the sword, swinging it at Eoin from the left then the right, turning once when Eoin ducked and the momentum propelled him about.

Colin jumped back after the first course of attack, breathing hard.

"Are you sure you don't want to use magic?" Eoin said, pushing up the sleeves of his shirt, then put his hands on his thighs, leaning forward as he watched Colin.

Colin bounced on the balls of his feet, glancing at Bradley.

"Is that all? Julian's never going to put it in like that," Bradley shook his head. "I can't believe you spent a fiver on that and now fail so badly, Colin."

Colin shook his head, pointed at Bradley, while not letting Eoin out of his sight. "There's a plan," he said.

"Sorry, still can't see the fairies."

While Colin was still trying to think of a comeback that wasn't gay, Eoin had moved closer and pounced. Colin scrambled back amidst Bradley's laughter from the sidelines, trying to bring up the sword between him and Eoin, but squashed between bodies, the blue foam didn't much cooperate, and Eoin's tackle caught Colin around the hips, dragging them both to the ground.

"Ooh, grass stains. Costume will break you," Bradley commented.

Eoin had broken Colin's fall with his shoulder, but rolled him on his back. Colin pushed at Eoin's chest on top of him, trying to escape the hands that were grappling for his wrists, and he wasn't above trying to bring his knee up to Eoin's privates, before Eoin shifted and pinned Colin's thighs.

"You didn't pass stage combat, did you, Colin?" Bradley said as he crouched by his head, looking upside down at Colin, waving.

Colin had to give up his grip on the sword that slid to the side, and Eoin got a good hold of his wrists and pushed them above Colin's head. Colin squirmed underneath Eoin's weight, managing to dislodge a foot from where Eoin had found grip on the groundand only succeeded in making Eoin crash fully on top of him. He tried to breathe through the laughter.

"Strength," Eoin said, expression entirely too smug as he grinned down at Merlin, breath warm on the crook of Colin's neck.

"Yup, afraid magic is no good now. And oh see, no fairy kingdom to save you either, Colin." Bradley shook his head, lips tight. "Nope, sorry, he beat you fair and square."

"Never," Colin said and tried to push Eoin off. "I'm the Fairy King!"

A beat of harsh breathing and no words, until Bradley broke down laughing as Colin did, going slack underneath Eoin, with all the comebacks Bradley was thinking in his head and the exhilaration of the moment.

Eoin joined into the laughter, swatting at Colin's chest as he rolled off him and lay beside him in the grass, the sun shining down on their faces, with Bradley kneeling behind them. Colin grappled for his sword and lifted it to the air, pointing it at the sun, then shook his head, still grinning, as he dropped it back down to his thigh and turned his head to look at Eoin.

"That means I won," Colin said, earnestly, right arm still above his head where Eoin had pressed it. He shifted up a bit as he kissed Eoin on the lips, basking in the warmth of the sun and moment, chest still bubbling with laughter. He pushed onto his side, looking down at Eoin, then glancing up at Bradley, before kissing Eoin again. "It's a law. I always win," he said as he dropped to lie back again.

"In Fairy Kingdom," Bradley said, and after quirking an eyebrow at Colin, he pitched himself forward to bury both Colin and Eoin underneath his bulk and costume, limbs scrambling, hands pinching and pulling, and laughter forced out with breath until they'd arranged themselves again. Bradley grabbed for Colin's sword and lifted it above his head. "You'll find I'm King, really," he said and smirked down at Colin and Eoin.

"It's Prince, I believe," Eoin replied as he shifted up and pressed a kiss to the line of Bradley's jaw, laughing when Colin started laughing at Bradley's face of disdain.

Colin shifted underneath Bradley, trying to make all three of them more comfortable, but Bradley didn't budge much, so he contented with resting a hand on the back of Bradley's thigh and picking at the bottom of Eoin's costume jacket with the other, blinking into the sun.

"I get to be unconscious in ten," Bradley said, chin resting on Colin's shoulder. "Joy."

"Oh you're loving it," Colin said. "Gwaine and Merlin will protect you."

Bradley laughed. "Yeah, I've seen how that works with your swordplay, Merlin."

Colin glanced at Eoin and shrugged, grinning in reply to Eoin's grin. "Doesn't know a good thing when he sees it," he said and pinched the back of Bradley's thigh, making him squirm. "You're heavy," he added and pushed at Bradley until he rolled off to lie beside Colin, leg still thrown over Colin's.

"See, he bullies me all the time," Bradley said, looking at Eoin over Colin, faking the upset in his best Colin voice. "He's impossible."

"Magic," Eoin and Colin said at the same time, then started laughing.