A/N: I'm so glad you liked the first one so I decided to try and post a one-shot every week. Thanks again, hope you'll like this one as well.
Precious moments
Feeling guilty tends to put Merlin on edge. And as Arthur looks at him with a sense of longing in his eyes, it's exactly how Merlin feels: guilty. He's been trying to ignore the look for almost an hour now, but it seems like he will get tired of it before Arthur. He's tried everything to put an end to this misery: humor, weariness, anger, magic… but there's no escaping when Arthur is bored.
Merlin gets it. Arthur is a prat, an annoying prat, but Merlin definitely understands how Arthur can get bored so often. After all, he's been a king and that had kept him busy every hour of every day for years. On his less busy days, he had spent hours out of the castle to train his knights or to go hunting. He was –still is if Merlin's trashed furniture is any indication– a warrior.
Now he is in a world that doesn't need him in that way, a world he hardly knows… And Merlin definitely understands how it must feel for someone as hyperactive as Arthur to spend more than two months locked in a small flat.
Of course, Merlin has accompanied him out quite a few times, but he can't let him out alone. Arthur is still frightened by the cars and the buses and the people. There's no order in the world outside, and it will be a very dangerous thing to let Arthur wanders off alone in the city.
Merlin has taught him how to use the TV and Arthur seemed to enjoy it at first, but after a month, he wasn't so into it anymore.
And Merlin gets that too. That explains why he's been quite patient with the prat –even if there were days when he would have gladly knock Arthur out, had he been his old-self.
Lately, it's been even harder not to lose his temper since Arthur's new obsession is to go to Merlin's workplace.
Arthur has always shown interest in Merlin's work as a teacher. Maybe because it's still a bit difficult to see Merlin as he really is and not as the idiot he had grown fond of years ago. Or maybe because it's really funny to see him nearly have a panic attack every time he brings the suggestion on the table. But what came out as a joke in the first place, has now become a serious request. Arthur is bored and could use some going out.
Besides, he would never admit it to Merlin, but Arthur is a little bit jealous of all the attention Merlin gives to the university. He's not Merlin's number one preoccupation anymore and that bothers him. A little. And this kind of thinking goes straight to the mental box of 'those precious moments with Merlin that should never ever be analyzed or evoked again'.
He gets up from the armchair and comes around the couch to position himself behind Merlin who is working on his computer. He puts his arms on the back of the couch and bends to read over Merlin's shoulders what he has been typing so frenetically on his computer –another strange device– since he's been home.
It appears to be a course on mythology and Arthur reads it for a bit before he lets out a quick chuckle. Merlin is annoyed, Arthur can feel it, but they both know he needs to take the game further for Merlin to yield. So Arthur crosses his arms and puts his chin on them so that his breath falls on Merlin's neck. Arthur has developed this technique a month ago, since he has discovered Merlin's discomfort at his closeness.
"Stop it", Merlin instantly sighs.
"Take me to your workplace", Arthur replies.
"Never", comes the usual answer.
"Why? It's not as if I was a child, I can behave."
"You almost killed a cashier at the supermarket."
"That was two months ago."
"I've been forbidden to enter four supermarkets around our place", Merlin retorts.
"Fine, you win this one", Arthur surrenders with a growl. "But I don't see why I can't come, I could be useful."
Merlin turns towards him with a smile.
"Oh, I'd like to see how", he mocks.
"That's why you need to take me with you."
"Nice try", Merlin smiles. "But the answer's still no."
"Your students would love me!"
"That's what I'm afraid of."
"You're jealous." And it's Arthur's turn to be amused.
"Am not. You'd make a mess and I'd be the one held responsible. I need this job."
"But you don't even love it!"
"It pays the bills. And before you say anything: no, I refuse to take the gold we have hidden to pay the bills."
Arthur sighs, quite annoyed. He just can't understand why Merlin prefers to live a complicate and boring life when everything could be easier.
"People would notice if we suddenly become rich." Merlin adds. "We don't want them to nose around here."
"Why?"
"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you're a breathing legend and we're supposed to have disappeared centuries ago." Merlin has never lost his love for sarcasm and Arthur secretly enjoys it, but that's another case of 'those precious moments with Merlin that should never ever be analyzed or evoked again'.
"Fine", Arthur growls. "But we don't have to tell our real names. You're using Emrys, maybe I could come up with another name too."
"You're afraid of everything outside, they'd take you for a crazy person escaped from an asylum."
Arthur mumbles something about Merlin being an ass. He's read some books and he's definitely not enjoying this comparison.
"Merlin, I've been locked up here for two bloody months, you can't expect me not to lose my mind at some point."
"I'll come up with something", Merlin sighs.
"I don't want you to come up with something, I want you to take me out of here."
"Fine, we'll dine out tonight."
Arthur abandons the fight. Because he knows he can't hope for more. In the back of his mind, he is aware that Merlin is right and he still has to adapt. But it's a long and annoying process and how can he learn if he's overprotected?
Besides, he's most definitely beyond boredom.
Arthur feels a bit remorseful. After all, he didn't have to sulk all evening when Merlin agreed to take him to one of these devilish services called a 'fast-food' last night. And maybe he shouldn't have threatened the waiter's life when the man's beeping appliance went off to warn him about the chips. And, well, maybe he should have thought twice about calling Merlin horrible names when they came back home using the appalling thing which replaced horses –he didn't catch the exact name yet.
Ok, he definitely feels guilty.
When Merlin has left the flat this morning, he was in a bad mood and didn't even stop to tell him goodbye or to give him advice on what he could be doing in his absence. Arthur knows he deserves it, he has been a real prat, as Merlin would have told him.
A knock on the door stops Arthur in his brooding. He wonders who it could possibly be since Merlin's only friends are his colleagues and Arthur is pretty sure they've never been at Merlin's place. He is tempted to go and fetch Excalibur in Merlin's room –he knows where it's hidden, he just lets Merlin think he doesn't.
However, he finally decides against it, because he remembers that Merlin has said something about people being nice and polite and not dangerous. But then when he opens the door, there's not a soul in the corridor except for a box at his feet. He hesitates for a moment, and eventually takes the box inside and closes the door behind him.
Their address is written in a corner and there are tiny holes all around the package. What surprises him the most is the presence of his name instead of Merlin's. He frowns, surprised, and decides to open.
He almost shrieks when a ball of fur jumps out of the box and runs under the coffee table.
Merlin realizes he should have warned Arthur about the cat. But how could it be a surprise if Arthur knew? He has been thinking about getting a pet for weeks. It would keep Arthur company, entertain him, and above all it would be an occasion to make him feel responsible again. He is aware of Arthur's distaste for surprise, but it seemed like a good idea when he finally asked one of his students to bring the box on their doorstep without explaining anything to Arthur.
Still, with Arthur's ability to attract troubles, Merlin can't help but feel a little worried.
That might be the reason why he decides to come home earlier than usual.
Trying to remember every prayer he has ever learnt, Merlin opens the door of their flat with apprehension. At first, he can't see anything unfamiliar since the room is empty.
He is putting down his suitcase when he hears Arthur's voice behind him.
"Really Merlin, a cat?"
Merlin offers him an apologetic grin and shrugs.
"You won't be alone anymore," he says, hopeful.
Arthur doesn't answer, just stares at him with a look Merlin can't decipher.
"Where is it?" Merlin finally asks.
"Sleeping on my bed. Follow me." Arthur invites him with a nod and Merlin obeys.
The next minute, they're side by side in the entrance, looking at the black cat asleep in the middle of the bed.
"It's cuter than it was on the photograph", Merlin says with a tentative voice.
"Does it have name?" Arthur asks without looking at his friend.
"I thought maybe you'd have an idea…"
"I said I was bored, I didn't mean you had to find me a pet."
"I had to find something."
"And a cat was the first thing that popped in your mind?" Arthur mocks.
"Actually, I thought about a horse, but we don't have enough room for that, obviously."
"Obvious…– Merlin, I thought you weren't a real idiot."
"You don't like the cat?"
"That is not the question."
"Then you do love the cat", Merlin cheers.
"You're the most infuriating human being I've ever met."
"Is that a compliment?"
Arthur growls and gives him a murderous glare but Merlin can tell he's not really mad.
"It's kind of cute, isn't it?" Merlin asks with a gesture towards the sleeping animal.
Arthur gazes at Merlin and smiles fondly despite every previous exasperation.
"Kind of cute, yes", he agrees.
Merlin turns his attention towards Arthur and grins, proud of his initiative.
"I'll put a piece of paper on the refrigerator so that every time we come up with an idea for a name we can write it down. We'll choose the best one by the end of the week."
"We're keeping the cat, then?" Arthur asks.
"You could use some company."
"I could use your company."
There's an uncomfortable silence between them and Arthur puts his sentence among the dreadfully numerous 'precious moments with Merlin that should never ever be analyzed or evoked again'.
"Maybe we should call him Merlin, then", Merlin jokes.
"Do you want it to have a miserable life?"
"I don't have a miserable life."
"Do you really want to have that conversation?"
Merlin seems to ponder for a moment, gauging if defending his life style is worth an argument with Arthur freaking stubborn Pendragon. He finally decides against it:
"You can't name him after Excalibur, or any derivative for that matter."
"You're not playing fair", Arthur whines.
"The poor thing deserves a decent name."
"Isn't it supposed to be my cat?"
"It's ours", Merlin argues.
"Does that mean I can have my bed back?"
"You can push him aside."
"I can't, it's sleeping."
"That has never bothered you when you woke me up in the middle of the night."
"That's not the same thing, you were my servant."
"That was last night", Merlin reminds him.
"Is the cat going to be yet another subject of disagreement between us?" Arthur complains.
"Fine, do whatever you want, I have copies to grade."
Arthur rolls his eyes while Merlin is leaving the room. But as soon as Merlin is out of earshot, Arthur goes and sits beside the cat to pet it softly. He will never admit it out loud, but he has been touched by Merlin's attention. It proves that Merlin can have a good idea every once in a while. And he could actually feel less lonely during Merlin's absences.
Arthur loves this new side of Merlin. He was quite fond of the idiot, but he really enjoys discovering Merlin as his friend, as an equal. He's still a bit lost when it comes to understanding why he misses him that much when he's not around, but it doesn't really matter as long as Merlin comes home at one point.
Maybe one day he'll gather up the courage to open the box of 'those precious moments with Merlin that should never ever be analyzed or evoked again' and finally understands why they both feel guilty when the other is not as happy as he should.
But he'll think about it all later; for now, he has a new furry friend to feed and a sorcerer to annoy.