Wild Honey

Fanfiction
Title:	Wild Honey
Author(s):	Mrs Leary
Date(s):	21 April 2009
Length:	15000 words
Genre(s):	slash, crossover, AU
Fandom(s):	Merlin RPF, Island
Relationship(s):
External Links:	fic on AO3
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Wild Honey is an alternate universe, crossover, slash fanfic inspired by the Merlin RPF pairing Bradley James/Colin Morgan. The fic was written by Mrs Leary, and was first published on LiveJournal in April 2009, where it was received enthusiastically. It has since been posted to AO3.

The summary reads:

Bradley is a professional footballer who’s been outed as gay by an unscrupulous ex. His club tell him to lie low during the off-season, so he heads off to a remote Scottish island... where he meets an intriguing and beautiful young man. Which of course complicates everything.

Characters and Genre

The fic's POV character Bradley James is an alternate version of the Merlin actor, who followed his other passion into professional football (instead of acting).

His love interest is Calum MacLeod, a character from the novel Island (1999) by Jane Rogers, played by Colin Morgan in the film (2011). (Bradley/Colin is the Merlin RPF Juggernaut Ship; Mrs Leary states she wrote this fic "Because every Colin incarnation needs his very own incarnation of Bradley".)

Calum is joined by his sister Nikki Black from the novel.

Bradley's father Rupert James is inspired by the character Rupert Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The connection here is that Rupert Giles was played by Anthony Stewart Head, who later played Uther in BBC Merlin - while Bradley played Uther's son Arthur in Merlin. This connection was strengthened by Bradley declaring early on that he was a Buffy fan, and was quite starstruck at working with Anthony Head.

The story is set about two years after Island ends, which allows time for some character growth for both Calum and Nikki in between.

Reader Responses

A number of glowing comments were gratefully received on LiveJournal. One can stand in for the rest!

I waited to read this fic until I was able to read "Island". I finished the book 2 days ago and I absolutely loved it. I let in reverberate around my soul for a nice while, really letting it soak in. So now, while I'm still drenched in the salt of it I decided to read your Calum/Bradley continuation. The book was Nikki's story, this feels like Calum's story even if it's primarily told from Bradley's POV.

First and foremost let me say, I truly love your characterization here. You've kept both Nikki and Calum true to Jane Rogers' depictions while showing the growth that both have undergone since the events of the book. We get to see them both through the eyes of a stranger and I like how far they've come. Nikki's serenity is a beautiful thing to see, something so hard won. The relationship between the siblings strong and loving. Calum's matured though he still (rightfully) resents it when other's try to make decisions for him. It's so easy to marginalize people, especially loved ones when you class them as "slow" or "touched", so very easy to assume you know what's best and to ride lovingly roughshod over them. I've worked with MR/DD clients for a good portion of my career and I've seen it in action so often. Nikki allows him much more freedom than their mother ever did but even she slips here and there. I like that you've done that with her. No one's perfect and while she has grown wise, no one can avoid every misstep.

It probably doesn't need to be said but I adore this Bradley. Recognizing and accepting the challenge and the treasure that is a relationship with someone like Calum takes a rare person indeed. Bradley doesn't start out like anything particularly special but like Nikki, when faced with Calum's unique magnetism he transforms and comes out the other side someone quietly extraordinary.

The island is still with us but it too has changed as the people who live on it have. It isn't such a dark place. Its isolation more a cradle of hidden wonder than a hauntingly bleak myth of mist. It is still rare and mostly undiscovered but now it's a haven, not an exile. Beautifully done.

You did these characters, all of them- Calum, Nikki, Bradley and the Island more than merely justice; you did them a service. I thank you for it.

A number of graphics were made in response to the fic, especially wallpapers, though they are all stuck in Photobucket purgatory by now.

A podfic was recorded by eosrose, and can still be found here on audiofic.

Fan author heartofoshun took an opportunity to ask Mrs Leary, "Can you tell me something about how that concept occurred to you. These stories seem far more like original fiction than one's typical fanfiction. Do you have an opinion on that?" Mrs L's wordy response can be found in this LiveJournal post (the second question).

The enthusiastic response may well be down to Mrs Leary's liberal use of lyrics from U2's evocative album All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000). (Resistance to this album is futile.) The fic is named for the song Wild Honey.

Sequels

• All That You Can’t Leave Behind, published in May 2009. "Bradley takes Calum and Nikki home to Devon to meet his father Rupert. Calum is intrigued by the smuggling stories linked to Rupert’s house."
• Once Upon a Time..., published in July 2009. "Bradley’s loving relationship with Calum, and the growing family bonds between the two young men and Rupert and Nikki, are developing wonderfully well. But Bradley’s confidence is challenged when he fears he can’t deliver on his blithe promises to Calum about adopting a child of their own."
• And for the impurists: Wild Honey 3 - The Incest Remix, published in September 2009. (Mrs Leary shamefacedly notes, "It’s not my fault! Jane Rogers started the whole incest thing!")