AN: Hey Guys! Here is another story from myself and FanofRandomThings. Feel free to check out our other stories on her account if you like this one!
Hope you guys enjoy this little one shot about Colin and Bradley and Merlin and Arthur...
Story: I'm Cold
Filming on location was always fun, unless of course they were filming in the garlic patches, but today Colin had a complaint that he simply refused to stop talking about. At least, it seemed to Bradley that's how the conversation kept turning.
"It's a nice day," Bradley would comment.
"Yeah, except for the freezing wind," Colin would reply.
"I'm glad we're filming on location rather than on a set."
"Yeah, except on set they have heaters."
"We get to chase around near the stream!"
"The water will be ice cold, don't you think?"
Bradley was getting fairly fed up with the whole thing.
"It's only for a day or two!" He exclaimed, "Just make sure you get everything right the first time, then we won't have to stay here for too long. Also moving around will help you warm up."
"I know my lines," Colin replied, shivering. "Besides, I thought you thought it was a wonderful day."
"It is, but we wouldn't want poor little Colin to freeze to death." Bradley said, "Katie might kill me!"
"So would the fans!" Colin grinned. "Fifty thousand fans, all worried! So long as they're not real fans like we use on set to make wind and make it ever colder than it already is, I'll be fine. How are you not wearing a coat? I'm freezing!"
"I do not know what this cold you speak of is," Bradley feigned innocence for a moment before adding. "Anyways, chain mail is really warm so I am actually quite cozy."
He laughed, "You are far too skinny anyways. I don't understand how you are ever warm."
Colin suddenly got a far away look on his face, a slight smile tipping up the corners of his mouth, and he proceeded to ignore Bradley's sudden chatter as a thought came to mind.
MMM
"Are you ready to move on with the patrol, Merlin?"
Merlin looked up from the stream where he was filling canteens. It was a chilly autumn day, and Merlin shivered as a bit of wind blew through the tree.
"Sure," he stood up. "Anything to get moving, I'm freezing!"
"You are always cold!" Arthur complained. "Not enough meat on your bones. Maybe if you bothered to eat once in a while, you'd help yourself out."
"At least I fit all my belts!" Merlin grinned, dodging away from Arthur. "Brrr, aren't you cold? Why are we on this patrol anyway? Why can't we just go inside?"
"Merlin, you didn't have to come on this patrol." Arthur said, "But you choose to anyway and now we are going to continue. The sooner we get underway the sooner you can warm up and it will be over with."
"Well I certainly won't hinder us!" Merlin told Arthur.
"Oh yes you will." Arthur retorted, "Knowing you, you will trip over a root or rock and fall. Or fall off you horse and roll down a hill. There is no end to how you could hinder us."
"I'm not that clumsy," Merlin frowned. "Especially not when I'm freezing and just want to go home!"
"Well we wouldn't want you to freeze, would we Merlin?" Arthur asked, "I'm sure Gwaine wouldn't be too pleased if I let you get hurt, neither would Guinevere."
"Nor would Gaius, or Lancelot, or Percival, or Elyan, I've got a lot of fans, you know."
"Oh really, Merlin." Arthur said, "I suppose it would be the worst thing I could do to let you get hurt if it meant I might have a rebellion on my hands if I did."
"Well, it's your choice, but I rather think you'd prefer to avoid a civil war, wouldn't you? Oh, I'm freezing! Why aren't you even wearing a coat or something? Just decided to act tough while in reality you're probably just as freezing as I am?"
"You would probably be surprised to know, chain mail is actually quite warm. Besides, I have a lot of padding underneath all this." Arthur told his servant. "It is quite warm."
Merlin burst out laughing.
"Padding? That's for sure! I haven't been stealing as many sausages recently, so the padding has probably been building up! Might need to make you a new hole in your belt soon!"
"Merlin..." Arthur warned his servant. "Shut up."
"I thought it was a nice way to pass the time since you claim it's a great day for a scouting adventure. Didn't you want to talk on this nice day?" Merlin grinned, though Arthur simply gave him a dark look. "Oh fine, I'll be quiet, wouldn't want to start the power of suggestion and make you feel cold, despite all of your... Padding," Merlin laughed.
"Merlin, I told you to be quiet. Now shut up before I take away your jacket." Arthur threatened.
"You wouldn't!" Merlin gasped.
"I can and I will." Arthur told him. "Don't make me."
"I thought you wanted to escape having a civil war?" Merlin raised an eyebrow, before he leaped away from Arthur.
"You think you are any difficulty for me to handle?" Arthur sounded incredulous. "I could take you down with one hand tied behind my back."
"I could take you down with both hands tied behind my back!" Merlin declared. "Sometimes you can be such an underachiever, Arthur."
"I could take you down blindfolded with both hands behind my back and my feet tied!" Arthur exclaimed, "You really aren't much of a challenge."
Merlin frowned and shook his head in a mix between mock and real aggravation. Arthur stepped forward and promptly tripped over a stick that had not seemed to be there before, and Merlin burst out laughing.
"If you could walk two feet without tripping, I might believe you," Merlin snickered. "And you say I'm clumsy!"
"I am not clumsy." Arthur said, pushing himself to his feet only to trip once more, falling on his face.
"Oh no, not at all. The forest is clearly just out to get you. Terrible, these trees these days. No respect for royalty or anything!"
"Merlin," Arthur ground out, very close to launching himself at his servant and dumping him in the river.
"What? Just trying to pass the time and ignore the cold. Aren't you cold? All you have is chainmail after all!"
Arthur grabbed Merlin by the jacket and pushed him into the river the boy had just been filling their canteens from.
"Hey!" Merlin shouted.
"Are you ready to be quiet now?" Arthur asked his dripping wet manservant, who was shivering even harder now.
"I don't particularly know how that's supposed to make me be quiet! Now I'm even colder!" Merlin shivered.
"Well, you aren't exactly quiet at any given time so I thought maybe the shock would cause you to be quiet if only for a moment." Arthur admitted. "But it didn't work. Obviously."
"Obviously," Merlin replied. "Could you please give me a hand? My legs feel like they just turned into blocks of ice!"
Arthur sighed and walked over and hauled Merlin out of the water, grabbing his arm when he stumbled.
Merlin grinned and locked eyes with Arthur before he shoved him in the river.
"Since you're never cold, I'm sure you won't mind!" Merlin smiled. After a moment, however, he frowned. "Sorry, here, I'll help you up, for real. You have to admit you had it coming!"
Arthur glared at him and brushed aside the hand that Merlin reached down.
"I'm fine." He growled, then he straightened up. "I don't know why you think this is cold. I'm fine." He was shivering slightly as he said this, but his pride wouldn't let him admit he was cold.
"Sure you are," Merlin chuckled. "Can we head back now?"
"Fine!" Arthur threw his hands up in the air as if it was the last thing he wanted to do, but he started walking back towards the castle. "Let's go!"
"You really did having coming, prat," Merlin hurried to catch up with him. "Dolluphead."
"Idiot." Arthur the proceeded to ignore him the rest of the way as they walked back to Camelot.
"You know, I'm still cold," Merlin added, and Arthur chased him the rest of the way back, Merlin grinning up at a flag with the Pendragon crest.
MMM
"Colin?"
Colin was shaken from his stupor and glanced over.
"What?" He asked.
"You okay?" Bradley asked, "You aren't, like, actually going to freeze or something, right?"
"Hope not!" Colin replied.
"What were you thinking about? You zoned out for a couple of minutes there." Bradley sounded worried, way more worried then Arthur would ever be.
"Oh," Colin laughed slightly. "Just a memory of... An old friend."
"What was his name?" Bradley asked curiously.
"It's ironic. Arthur, actually. Funny, isn't it?" Colin smiled.
"That's interesting," Bradley said before he stood up. "Well it looks like they are almost ready for me, you coming?"
"Course!" Colin smiled. "Couldn't let a scene be filmed without me! People might notice what a prat you are."
"Oi!" Bradley exclaimed. "I'll get you for that! I'm not a prat!"
"Must be or you couldn't play one so well on screen," Colin laughed. "As they say, it takes one to know one! Or in this case play one!"
Bradley turned and looked threateningly at the river near the set, "Do you want me to throw you in?"
"The makeup and costume department would hate you," Colin replied.
"It would be worth it." Bradley said, smiling mischievously at Colin as though he were seriously considering it.
"Not if I push you in first!" Colin laughed. Bradley suddenly seemed to slip on his own accord and he plunged into the river.
"What the..." Bradley yelped, hand flailing as he scrambled to get out of the cold water.
Colin yelped as he too suddenly slipped on the smooth riverbed and he found himself sitting in the freezing water. Moments later, a
few members of the crew ran up in horror.
"Oh, poor Colin!" One declared.
"Are you okay Colin?" Asked another as they grouped around the younger man.
"What about me?" Bradley asked still sitting in the water watching as Colin was helped out and given a towel.
"Here," someone shoved a towel at Bradley before the crew grouped around Colin again. "Poor Colin! Are you okay?"
"I'm rather cold," Colin admitted, grinning inconspicuously at Bradley.
Bradley sighed and slowly got up, playfully glaring at Colin who always got all the attention.
"Why do they pay so much attention to you?" He hissed as he walked by, patting himself dry on the towel.
"Because I'm just poor little Colin!" Colin replied cheekily. "I'm too skinny and all that."
"What you are is apparently the damsel in distress." Bradley replied, "And a girl's petticoat." He continued.
"And how many times do I save you within the course of this series?" Colin raised an eyebrow.
"Um..." There was a pause as Bradley tried to count. "About twice an episode around average with a total of... Twenty two episodes per season at three season so far... That would be, a hundred and thirty two times? And we still have a couple of seasons to go, so a lot."
"You see?" Colin grinned. "A lot! Who's the damsel in distress really?"
"You see that is the difference between you and me, I'm not a damsel. You are."
"So you, the mighty King Arthur, are being saved by a girl?" Colin asked, grinning.
Bradley thought about that for a moment trying to think of a way out of that one.
"You know, sometimes you really are intolerable," he said at last, to which Colin simply grinned.
"We'll get to get you in new costumes," one crew member spoke up with a sigh. "Head back to the trailers."
"Alright," Bradley says "Let's go, we wouldn't want to keep everyone waiting."
"True," Colin nodded, turning toward the trailers. "You know... I'm still cold."
Before another crew member could shout out about 'poor Colin', Arthur ran after his friend, who laughed and raced toward the trailers, grinning at the Pendragon crest which was painted along the side of one. Some things never change.
