Title: Vaguely Meddling
Rating: FRC
Length: 2810 words
Genre: Romance, Fluff
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Warnings: Knights who are more than a little OOC
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Spoilers: None
Summary: They aren't doing anything wrong, they're simply protecting Arthur by making sure that this Merlin is worth it all. Honest.
A/N: Happy Birthday eosrose! *Throws confetti* I only just saw your prompt so this is my rushed, un-beta'ed gift to you, I hope you have a wonderful year ahead of you. And, thanks to needed_beauty for creating the title when I was lacking the creativity. Any and all mistakes are mine.
Leaving a comment here: ansera. livejournal. com/45118. html#cutid1
I would be very pleased.
Vaguely, Ewan wonders if Merlin thinks they're blind or deaf or just fools. He watches the boy fumble with the weapons, watches Arthur roll his eyes and snap something while still helping him, watches the other men watch them while the two remain blissfully oblivious.
He snorted, and felt a sword nudge him lightly on the shoulder.
Percival was staring at him. "Stop staring at them, you're only drawing more attention to them."
"I think they're doing that without my help," Ewan said snidely, although he turned away. He raised his sword and there was a glint, the sun reflected on metal, and Percival's sword met his own in a mock battle.
"You'll be speaking to the boy later, then?" Percival refused to call Merlin by his name; Ewan thought that it was because it made things too real for him. He nodded, and Percival used the moment to bring his sword down towards his chest, and Ewan stepped back as he defended himself.
"As soon as he's alone somewhere I'll-"
Arthur was waving a hand and Merlin was running towards the stables, presumably to do fulfil some other ridiculous order that Arthur said for his own entertainment.
A sword was carefully held at the veins of his neck. Ewan frowned. "You took advantage of a moment of distraction."
Percival shrugged. "Yes."
Ewan sighed and nodded towards the stables, and as soon as Percy's gaze shifted he knocked the sword out of the other man's hand and ran.
Merlin looked up from where he was trying to reach the rope that hung too high on the wall when he entered the stables. "Uh- hi," he said awkwardly, hunching as Ewan walked towards him. Ewan smiled politely and loomed over Merlin –he was taller than all of the other Knights, with the possible exception of Percy who was the same height but had an authorial presence that he couldn't compete with—and grabbed the rope, handing it towards Merlin. Merlin looked at it with a slightly stupefied expression, taking it when Ewan's expression grew annoyed. "Thanks," he said.
Ewan shrugged. "You're welcome." He leaned against the wall and stared at Merlin, who shuffled his feet and stared back. Ewan scrutinized his features; he could see what Arthur saw. Not that he felt any of- ithat/i. He could just see the attraction.
"You're staring," Merlin said pointedly, and Ewan didn't stop.
Merlin sighed. "Is there a reason for your watching me for the past few days?"
Ewan nodded.
"And, are you going to tell me why?" Merlin asked.
Ewan shook his head.
Merlin's eyes narrowed. "You know, if you're thinking about using me to get to Arthur or using sorcery or anything-"
"Whoa there, horsey," Ewan said, surprised. "I would never hurt Arthur," and he meant it. Arthur was his Prince, his King; he could never hurt him or any of the other Knights. "Why would you even think about sorcery?"
Merlin flushed. "It wouldn't be the first time," he muttered darkly.
Ewan smirked, "That's true. Arthur has a habit of attracting all wrong sorts of attention. He tends to give attention to all the wrong sorts of people too." He said it candidly, but he thought that Merlin might have understood the underlying message anyway.
Merlin glared at him. "I would never hurt Arthur."
Or maybe he didn't. Ewan sighed. "I guessed that much."
"Then can I pass through or am I going to have to wait the entire day?" Merlin bit out.
Ewan's brow rose, and Merlin walked pass him stiffly, head held high.
He stared at the empty doorway for a moment, and then grinned. "Arthur's not that stupid after all."
2.
Owain was next to go because he had actually spoken to Merlin before, and politely too, and they were –if not friends—at least acquaintances. When Owain had asked Ewan how his own meeting had gone, he had only shrugged and said, "He's safe," and Owain did not question him further.
"Where are you meeting him?" Percival questioned sharply.
"Well, knowing Arthur, he'll be sending the man to the kitchen to get a new plate of food-" Percival frowned.
"Arthur is not that spoiled to send back good food."
"Since I poured extra salt in it earlier, it's not good," Owain grinned, ducking as Percival's hand moved to hit his head. "I know, waste of good food, but it's worth it, right? Finding out if the kid's worth Arthur."
Even Percival did not argue the point.
"I will leave now," Owain announced, but Percival was back to his work and ignoring his retreat. Owain shook his head with a smile, bounding down the steps towards the kitchen. "My lady," Owain bows dramatically as he passes Ragnall, the young servant girl that Gawain had been eyeing over the past few days. She blushes prettily and curtsies before running away.
His laughter following the incident made him miss the body rushing out of the corridor with a tray-full of food. It clattered to the floor, and Owain winced at the noise. He looked up at familiar blue eyes, now clouded with misery at the yelling that waited, and smiled apologetically.
"Sorry," he said sincerely, he hadn't meant to hit the boy, just talk to him.
He bent to pick up the tray and Merlin seemed to come to his senses. "No, no, don't worry, I'll take care of it. It wasn't going to be eaten anyway, some people are just too picky for their own good," Merlin grumbled.
Owain laughed. "Arthur causing trouble again?"
Merlin looked up, eyes large and innocent. "Sire? He could never."
Owain laughed louder.
Merlin smiled, crinkling the skin around his eyes. Owain looked at him for a moment, and perhaps it was the warmth of the summer night, or the setting sun, or the crescent shape appearing in the sky, or the scent of freshness from the new soil, or any other reason that made little sense outside of that moment, but Owain thought that it would be very easy to love Merlin.
"You care greatly for Arthur," Owain said suddenly, and Merlin nodded without hesitating.
"He is our Prince, and our future King, it is my duty and honour to serve him," he recited, and Owain felt like pointing out that Arthur wasn't Merlin's Prince, and definitely not his future King, and that Merlin should stop serving Arthur because he wouldn't get anything from the experience, he wouldn't earn anything with Arthur because, while Owain loved Arthur like a brother, the man could be an utter prat if he tried. And, it seemed that whenever he was with Merlin, he was trying hard.
There was a length of silence, and they both turned at the sound of footsteps.
Arthur frowned at the sight of them.
"Merlin, why haven't you gotten me my food?" he noticed the mess on the floor and groaned. "You are the most incompetent servant I have ever had to endure, Merlin," he complained, without once suggesting that Merlin be replaced. "Why are you helping him Owain?" Arthur said, "Merlin can handle this himself, or, at least, he should be able to," Arthur said icily.
Merlin straightened. "Of course, Sire, I'll have your food brought to you-"
"Forget it," Arthur snapped, "I've lost my appetite. Don't forget, we have to be up early tomorrow for training with the new Knights," he said to both of them, and they nodded, Owain still crouched on the floor. "You still have to polish my armour," he reminded Merlin, and Owain got the sense that he didn't want to leave them alone. He didn't move, and Arthur sighed softly before walking back to his room.
"Jealous man, our Prince is," he murmured.
"Sorry?" Merlin frowned.
"Nothing," he smiled. "I'm going to see Percival and remind him about training." Merlin did not let his scepticism show on his face, good actor, since they both knew that Percival never forgot anything. He still remembered that joke Owain had pulled when they were still naive Knights in training. "I will see you tomorrow morning," he said, standing and turning away.
He smiled at Lady Morgawse, wondering what she would think of a relationship between a master and his servant, not sure whether he was considering Gawain and Ragnall –as a mother, she would oppose—or Arthur and Merlin. As citizens, everyone would oppose.
3.
Percival was next, because he was insistent and it was difficult to argue with the man. He contorted their words and made them sound strange and, well, contorted. Owain hadn't even bothered, Ewan had tried for a few minutes, and Leon lasted the longest and even managed to draw out a compromise: only a maximum of five minutes of speech between them.
Percival had nodded, and then left the room.
He found Merlin in Arthur's room, making his bed. "Merlin," Percival greeted formally, resisting the urge to say, "Boy."
Merlin looked surprised to see him. As he should be. "Arthur's in-"
"I know. I did not come to speak to Arthur."
Merlin put down the pillows that he had been fluffing. He didn't seem too shocked that Percival had come to speak to him, though. A minute passed in silence. "Weather's horrible these days, Arthur's been soaking his sheets because of the heat."
Percival blinked. "Are you attempting to make conversation with me?"
"No, I'm failing," Merlin said, he smiled.
Percival blinked again. "Are you attempting to joke?"
Merlin grimaced. "Not anymore."
Percival shook his head. He only had two more minutes. "I would just like to inform you that Arthur helped me through several trying times in my life," he stiffened as he spoke of his life. He had been planning this particular speech throughout the week, practising in front of the mirror. "When my father passed away, it was Arthur who brought me to the castle; it was he who fought with me because I needed somebody to throw my frustrations at. It was Arthur, and his family, who adopted me into theirs and nothing changed after I was knighted, even though Arthur had not been since he's several years younger than me."
He took in a deep breath, not looking Merlin in the eyes. "He is much like a brother of my blood, Merlin, and I am hoping that you see the significance of our relationship. As he protected me then, I am equally protective of him now."
His back straightened. "I will not allow Arthur to be hurt, not by you or anyone else, regardless of any... feelings he might retain for you."
Merlin was gnawing at his lower lip with his teeth. "I told you I wouldn't hurt Arthur." He hadn't actually told Percival, he'd told Ewan, but he seemed to know that the messages would be relayed through the chain. "I don't intend to break my word. I swear."
Percival sighed, the breath leaving him at once. "On?" he asked, more weary than anything.
Merlin stared at him, and Percival stared right back.
"I swear on Arthur."
And they both knew he wouldn't break that promise.
4.
Gawain had requested to speak to Merlin next, but that was, they both knew, because Leon wanted to be last to speak to him, so it wasn't any honest choice. "Gawain," Ewan had said, and Owain had interrupted.
"Don't act like you usually do, please."
"You will ruin any credibility that the Knights have managed to salvage from the last time you opened your mouth to one of the commoners," Percival snapped, not nearly as kind as Owain with his words.
"What he means," Leon stepped in, the voice of reason and calm amongst them, "is that you need to be careful of the ground you tread. If our findings are right-"
"They are," Ewan confirmed.
Leon continued smoothly. "Then Arthur cares about this Merlin quite a bit, which means that if Merlin relays anything that you say that might not be too," he paused, "tactful, I do not believe that our Prince will be pleased."
"Which means that he'll kick up a fuss and treat us slaves for a long time," Owain translated. "It'll be like going back to training, except worse, because he'll be pissed iwith/i us instead of, well, pissed with us, but against others."
Percival muttered something about a gift of eloquence and Owain glared at him.
"I'll be fine," Gawain said, raising his hands in a peace gesture. "I swear, I won't say anything too offensive." He grinned easily, the same grin he'd given the servants as a child to be treated extra food after dinnertime, the same grin he gave the servants now but for completely different types of treats.
Percival groaned. "You're going to be the death of us."
"Where're you meeting Merlin?" Leon shifted the subject matter.
Gawain blinked. "What do you mean? I asked him to come here after he was done with his duties."
Leon's eyes widened. "But that's right about-"
A knock at the door.
"Now," he ended slowly.
He looked around the room, at the five of them sprawled in Percival's room as they often were, and sighed. This, admittedly, did seem suspicious –while it was common enough to find Ewan and Owain together, or even Percival and himself, with Gawain tagging along with anyone available, they were never seen together out of the training grounds.
"Unless the boy's an utter fool, he would have figured out what we're doing by this hour," Percival said, gesturing towards the door as he straightened and said, "Enter," in a voice that sometimes seemed to emanate more authority than even the King's.
Merlin entered uncertainly, eyes flickering between all of them, resting on Leon a moment longer than the others, than on Percival even longer, before deciding on Gawain. "You asked to see me?"
"Yeah," Gawain grinned, moving forward to sling his arm around Merlin's shoulders. He waggled his brows. "So, is Arthur the lady in your little tryst?"
Percival's head thudded against the wooden table.
5.
"I apologise for Gawain's words, they were completely uncalled for," Leon said sincerely, and Merlin winced, hearing the shouting coming from inside Percival's room –one voice distinctly louder and clearer than others, and Merlin hadn't even realised that a Knight like Percival would know that manner curses or methods of torture. "We only ever meant to-"
"Torment me? Question me? Force me to prove my worthiness for Arthur? Making my life with Arthur harder than it has been in a long while? Any or all of the above?" Merlin offered.
Leon smiled sheepishly, ducking his head slightly. "I guess we were slightly-"
"Intrusive? Interfering? Meddling old ladies?" Merlin grinned at the last.
"Well, yes, except we are far from ladies," Leon pointed out. Then he looked around, and seeing that the halls were empty, he leaned forward and lowered his voice. "Most people would not accept this form of a... coupling, but, all of us- Arthur isn't just someone, he's isomeone/i," he stressed.
"I know," Merlin said, soft.
"I don't think you do, you know that whatever it is that you have, Arthur will need an heir for his throne, and a wife to bear this heir, and that while having affairs is common within the kingdom, you will never be able to-"
"Arthur went through all of this before he let me kiss him," Merlin said, shrugging casually.
Leon's surprise showed at the blatant words. While he trusted in Arthur completely, he still was not entirely comfortable with the idea of him and Merlin together, or any two men together at all. "Well, he would, he's a responsible young man."
"He is, and he's not going to stop being him just because of our," Merlin faltered.
Leon softened.
"We will not reveal your secret to anyone, of that you can be sure," Leon said. "Even Gawain knows how to shut up if he needs to."
Merlin smiled brightly, reflecting all the brightness of the summer. "I, no, we appreciate that."
Leon nodded, and that was that. For now, at least. When other problems arose, he would deal with them as well. For some reason, he did not think that Merlin and Arthur would be able to hide their relationship for long. Not when Arthur walked around with a skip in his step like a girl with her first love, or when Merlin's eyes shone until they were practically golden like the sun at some points.
"I have to complete my duties," Merlin said, turning away. Leon's brow rose, since Merlin was only to visit once he completed all of his duties, before realising that Arthur might be concerned with his long absence.
Leon gave a brisk nod himself, once more the Knight.
Then, Merlin turned around, as though only just remembering something. "And, tell Gawain that the answer's a yes."
Leon blushed.