Title : The thin line in between
Genre : Slash ( usual warning : don't like, don't read)
Pairing : Merlin and Arthur, duh! :p
Rating : I'm not exactly sure, I'll say R to be on the safe side
Summary : Arthur knows there's a thin line between dream and reality, but he's determined to make it thicker.
Disclaimer : The characters don't belong to me ( although I sometimes dream they do) , the show doesn't belong to me either. The only profit I take out of this fanfiction is the pleasure of writing.
Comment : My mother tongue is French, I've been writing in English for quite some time now but I realize that it will never be perfect. I do appreciate criticism especially if it helps me improve my English :)
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« Idiot »
« Prat »
"Do you know who you're talking to?"
"Yes, to a prat "
"Merlin"
"My lord?"
"Stop this immediately!"
"As you wish"
Merlin vehemently dropped the sword he was polishing. It hit the floor hard, leaving a big dent in the tiles of Arthur's bedroom and a very shocked expression on Arthur's face.
"What? ", screamed Arthur (not as much screaming as squealing actually). "What is the meaning of this? Merlin, have you completely lost your mind?"
He was totally paralyzed by shock.
"You told me to stop this immediately; I gathered you were speaking about the polishing"
"What?"Arthur repeated hysterically, "what?"
He couldn't find better words, and Merlin was staring at him, smirking, mocking. It was … bold, even for his unruly manservant, it was inacceptable, it was …
"MY SWORD!" he cried in a high-pitched voice, after having looked down at the iron object lying unattended on the floor.
He threw himself at Merlin's feet to pick up his favorite blade and examine it critically. It appeared unscathed but, still kneeling on the floor, Arthur looked up at Merlin with an angry gaze and yelled: "I should send you to the stocks for that!"
Merlin, still looking annoyingly smug lowered his eyes and added: "but you won't."
"I will!" the prince insisted.
"No you won't"
Merlin put his hand above the sword and whispered some gibberish. The blade rose in the air, he caught it and gave it a quick kiss. For a second, it turned a deep kind of blue; than it was back to normal and shinny as the day it was forged.
"Here you go, all better", Merlin stated looking unbelievably pleased with himself.
Arthur remained motionless, his eyeballs dangerously threatening to flee from his sockets.
"What?" Arthur finally let out again, frowning like a puzzled child. He was starting to suspect that all other words from his vocabulary had been enchanted out of his brain.
"I'll give you a reason to be incoherent", Merlin deadpanned, seemingly exasperated. He took a handful of Arthur's shirt than pulled him up and towards him into a bruising kiss.
*
Arthur woke up with a start. He felt hot, and cold, and sore. It seemed he had fallen on his back on the stone floor. He merely had the time to wonder how he'd landed there and to remember about the dream ( nightmare Arthur, nightmare! ) when his door was noisily opened.
*
Merlin had been bringing breakfast to the prince when he was faced with quite a curious sight : Arthur Pendragon, crown Prince of Camelot, was lying on the floor, only half dressed, sweating like he'd run a marathon ( or two) and looking like a sorcerer caught in flagrante delicto.
Merlin paused and looked him over quizzically.
Arthur felt a bit stupid and a lot uncomfortable so he tried to look nonchalant, as nonchalant as one can look while lying half naked on the floor.
"What are you doing down there?" Merlin eventually asked, his voice filled with perplexity (and maybe a bit of concern for his master's mental health).
"Isn't it obvious?" Arthur answered, trying to sound as self assured as he could and hoping his manservant wouldn't push the matter.
Merlin seemed to consider that for a moment than turned around to put the plate he had been holding on the table.
Arthur let out a sigh of relief, thinking the subject had been dropped, but suddenly Merlin was facing him again and saying "No really, no"
"Well, that's because you're an idiot" Arthur snarled, standing up because he didn't like the fact that he had to look up to talk to Merlin. And as a matter of a fact, he didn't want to talk to Merlin at all.
Merlin's expression was less questioning than hurt now. He had looked for the smile that usually would follow the insult but it had failed to show. Arthur seemed quite infuriated and the sorcerer had no idea what he had done to convey such a wrath.
"Did I …?" Merlin tried to ask what the problem was but Arthur had cut him off with a firm "leave me".
Merlin nodded, too surprised to say anything more. So he walked out of the room without any snappy comeback, he didn't even say a word when Arthur called after him to command him to "stay the hell out of his path today!" He just kept on walking, his feet heavy, his heart too.
TBC.