According to Arthur
I sat in my room and thought about my best mate and boyfriend Arthur Pendragon. Typical of us we had had a fight and unlike usual I had slapped him and stormed out. Yes I was a small guy and Arthur was all muscles but I was enraged, once again Arthur had ranted on how useless I was and that I was the reason we had so many problems. I would usually call up one of my other friends, Gwen, Lance, Gwaine or (if I was desperate) even Morgana, but today wasn't like usual, today I sat alone. I didn't want to talk with Gwen or Lance or Gwaine. I just wanted to cry but I had cried myself out already.
So there I sat curled up in a ball when my mobile rang. I answered it without checking the caller ID. "Hello?" I asked voice cracked and hoarse from crying.
"Merlin?" A voice crackled on the other end. It was Lance.
"Hey," I said sniffing.
"What's wrong mate?" Lance asked and there was a shout from the background and the phone was wrenched out of Lance's hand.
"Hey mate, what's up with you and the Princess?" It was Gwaine.
"Nothing, I swear," I said.
"You are such a liar," Gwaine said. "I can tell when there's something wrong. Tell us what's wrong." When Gwaine said this he wasn't demanding like Arthur, he didn't command me like I was his property.
"It's Arthur again. We got in a fight and it ended badly," I said.
"Your fights always end badly," Lance broke in. I assumed I was on speaker now.
"Not like this," I said, "I've never slapped him and then left in a great rage. W-we've n-never a-actually h-hit each o-other. I-I d-don't kn-know what t-to d-do!" I wailed loudly. Gwaine and Lance shushed me from the other end of the telephone.
"Gwaine and I will be right over Merlin," Lance said and the line went dead. I climbed on top of my bed and grabbed all the sheets and comforter off the bed. I took the chairs from the kitchen and dragged all of it to the nook by the window where I liked to read and type. I set up the chairs and threw the sheets over them. I laid down the comforter and wrapped myself in it with my mobile nearby. I sat until there was a knock at the door. It was our special knock, two taps a pause and then a tap.
I got up and dragged the comforter behind me. I opened the door and there stood Lance and Gwaine. I walked and plopped back into my little sanctuary. I curled up and waved for them to sit down too. They crawled through the entrance and they sat waiting for me to do something. I sighed and explained everything.
"Don't listen to him mate," Gwaine said. "I can tell you that if he truly believes all that he doesn't know you. You're beautiful, incredible, and if you weren't taken I would ask you out myself. Right Lance?"
"Yeah mate!" Lance agreed. "Except, you know, Gwen and everything."
"Thanks," I sniffed. "If only I could get Arthur to understand."
"I have an idea how to get through to him!" Gwaine said and divulged his plan.
~About A Day Later~
I heard the phone ringing and answered it happily not checking who it was. "Hello?"
"Merlin? Uh, it's Arthur." I froze. It was Arthur, we hadn't spoken since I had posted and emailed that video to him.
"H-hey," I said and sat on the floor pulling my knees to my chest.
"Hey. I think we need to talk," he said. "I need to talk to you, in person."
"O-oh, you can c-come over to my p-place," I said. Whenever someone said 'I think we need to talk', nothing went right.
"See you in a minute." The line went dead and I took a deep breath. Soon after there was a knock on the door.
"Come on in!" I said and jumped to my feet. Arthur walked in, hands in pockets.
"I saw the video," he said going straight to the point.
"You were supposed to," I said edgily. I planted my hands on my hips and leaned to one side.
"What's with the attitude?" Arthur asked.
"Why make a video like that for no reason?" I asked. "I wanted to tell you how I felt but obviously it doesn't matter how I feel."
"Merlin, that song doesn't represent us at all!" He yelled.
"Listen closely," I said. I unplugged the headphones from my iPod and played According to You. He listened intently. When it finished I looked him in the eye. "You always tell me how I'm an idiot and how stupid I am but you never tell me anything good about me!" I felt all of my anger pouring out of me. "You tell me all those things that are in that song but all of them are you! You PRAT! That's what you are a PRAT! And I love you anyway!" My chest was heaving when I was finished.
"I love you too Merlin. I want to make things better, please," Arthur pleaded quietly. "I never meant nay of those things. You can be ditzy and you can be really weird but I love you." Arthur came up and hugged me tightly. I pulled him back and gave him a little kiss.
"I'm sorry," I said.
"Me too."