Note: This is my first fanfic, so I'm really sorry if it's awful! I don't own Merlin or any of the characters!
Another drink was exactly what he needed, or so Leon told him. The blond at the guys was giving him her best flirty looks.
Sorry, love. Unless there's a dick under that stupidly small dress, you're not my type
Percy clapped him on the back, handing him a shot of god knows what. He took it gratefully, enjoying the burn down his throat, enjoying the after effect. How many of these had he had now? 5? 6? He didn't know, or care. As long as it got him drunk enough to forget Merlin, he'd drink 1000.
Merlin, with his strange sense of humor and goofy smile, and that thing he did with his tongue. Merlin, who he'd threatened to 'beat the smug smile' out of the first time they'd met. He'd been in love ever since he'd grinned even wider, winked, and remarked that he'd probably rather enjoy that.
That was 5 years ago, though. Now, Arthur was sleeping on Leons sofa.
Just for the night mate, maybe two. Just until I get my crap back from Merlin, I'll get back on feet, you'll see.
He couldn't believe they were throwing five years away over a stupid argument, a stupid argument over fucking work.
Merlin had commented one too many times about how much time he spent at the office. And, looking back, he had a point. He knew his father was ill, he knew it would be a matter of months before he'd officially take over the business, but he wasn't prepared. Not in the slightest. So, to make up for all the time he'd taken off while his father was ill, he'd stayed late at the office every night, going in on weekends. Even on the odd day off he'd get to spend with Merlin, he'd been called in.
Merlin had finally had enough when they'd gone out for dinner last night, something they never did anymore. It was nice. They were drinking, and laughing, and talking about the good old times, about they're old friends, about their new friends, about the future, when Arthurs phone had rang. Merlin had told him...practically begged him not to answer it.
Its work, I have to! They wouldn't call me at this hour unless it's important!
As it happened, it was important. One of the servers had crashed and he'd had to gone down there right away to help sort it out.
So, he payed the bill in a rush, not bothering with the change. He'd got a taxi to work, and Merlin got a taxi home.
It was gone 3am when he got home; Merlin was sitting on the sofa, bottle of Jack Daniels on the floor, eyes red and sore from crying.
You can't expect me not to go into work, Merlin; it's my business, my father's business! If it crashes, we crash.
He'd argued his case before Merlin could even open his mouth. But Merlin didn't even fight back, not at first. He'd just sighed and said "How can you be so smart about some things, and so stupid about other things"
"I don't know what you mean" Arthur said slowly, something about his eyes, they were sad, so sad. He hated being the reason Merlin was so damn sad. He wanted to hug him and kiss him until he smiled again; he was so fucking beautiful when he smiled.
"We have crashed, before tonight, when was the last time we spoke, I mean properly. Sometimes we don't even cross paths and we live in the same apartment! We share the same room! I go to sleep and you're not home yet, I get up and you've already gone to work, with nothing but a shitty note!" Merlin had begun to raise his voice, and that was rare. Arthur could count on one hand the amount of times he'd ever raised his voice in the 5 years he'd known him.
"Merlin, I know its bad know, but it'll get better, you'll see!"
"But it won't" Merlin argued "It won't get better, you'll spend more and more time at the bloody office, and I'll stay at home, cling filming the meals you never made it home for a leaving them in the fridge with a note so you can eat when you finally get home at stupid o'clock! And I don't want to be one of those couples. I want to be with you, not waiting around for you to get 10 minutes to talk to me before going to the office again!"
"This business is my life! It's everything to me! Why can't you see that?" Arthur had shouted, a lot louder then he thought he ever could shout at Merlin.
"So what am I to you? You care about your father's business more then you care about me"
"That's not true and you know it!" But even he could hear the lie in his voice. He'd not had the best relationship with his father when he was alive; he only wanted to make him proud. And now that he was gone, he wanted to do his father proud, that business was Uthers life, it had come before him and Morgana sometimes, and Arthur understood that now. The business had come before Merlin sometime, most times, really. But he wasn't going to admit that.
"Yes, it is! You'd rather give your office a ring than me!"
With that, Arthur had stormed out, slamming the door behind him. That was how he'd ended up at Leons door at 4am. That was how he'd ended up at a club that was much too loud and rowdy for his liking, with his mates pouring shot after shot down his throat, hoping he'd lighten the fuck up and just tell them what went on with him and Merlin already.
2 beers, 3 shots and whatever that green stuff in the test tube was later, he was fucked. He admitted it, he was pissed, and all he wanted to do was go back to Merlin.
Leon and Percy ushered him out the bar, towards a taxi. Without a second thought, he told the driver the address to Merlin's apartment. He wanted to see him, he wanted to apologize.
His head was fuzzy, and the inside of the taxi was spinning at very odd angles, but somehow, he managed to give the right amount of change to the taxi driver. He stood outside the pristine apartments, and looked up to his window. Fuck knows where his keys were, he didn't bother picking them up when he stormed out. The lights were out, and so they should be, it was 3:30 in the morning. Picking up a stone, he threw it at the window.
Even pissed out his mind, he could still throw better then Merlin.
"Merlin!" He called out, throwing another stone at the window. The light came on, but Merlin didn't come to the window. He threw yet another stone.
"Come on Merlin, you need a reason to smile you grumpy git"
The window opened, and there was Merlin, half asleep, half naked, and as beautiful as ever. Sometimes, Arthur's thoughts really disgusted him; he could be a soppy twat when he wanted to be.
"What do you want, Arthur?" Merlin shouted down, his voice husky from sleep.
"To see you, to tell you that you were right, I did put work before you, I was a twat! I was turning into my father, and that is something I never want to do! I want you back in my life, I want to go to bed at the same time as you, eat with you, and wake up with you beside you! That's all I ever wanted since the day I met you! Please don't throw this away over a stupid argument, just give me another chance, I love you, I really do! And I'll prove it to you, for the rest of our lives"
Merlin laughed then, really laughed. In a way that lit up his face, hell it lit up the whole street. Arthur couldn't tell whether it was a good or a bad thing.
"I believe you" he shouted down to him "But why didn't you come up here and tell me, instead of giving the neighbours a show?"
He realised he was being very loud, but he didn't care.
"I never thought of it" He called back
"No wonder you spent so much time at the office, you obviously couldn't work out how to use the door"
"Does this mean you'll take me back?" He was hopeful; his sober self would have told him off for being so openly hopeful, for showing his weakness. But right now, he didn't give a fuck.
"Come up here and tell you"
That was how he'd got Merlin back. Through a drunken confession, and a snog he wouldn't forget. He'd woken up tangled with Merlin, His hair a mess, and happier then he'd ever been.
"Morning" Merlin smiled at him, rubbing his cock against Arthurs.
They spent the whole day in bed, Arthur switched off his phone, with the promise of a day to themselves. He'd phoned Gwaine and told him that he was in charge Monday; he'd be back Tuesday at 9, if Gwaine had managed not to burn the place down.
He'd never been more in love than that day, they talked for hours on end, had mind blowing sex, teased and touched each other, just enjoyed a couple of days together, and life had never been better.