He was early, almost three hours before his shift normally ended due to a gas leak in the building, way earlier then Merlin was expecting him.
Gwaine was there when Arthur got home from work.
He was early, almost three hours before his shift normally ended due to a gas leak in the building, way earlier then Merlin was expecting him.
Gwaine was longing on their couch, all six foot of his lean, toned body stretched across the black leather as if he owned the place; as if he'd been the one who'd spent a week going from store to store until Merlin found the 'perfect' sofa, as if he was the one who'd worked his butt off to give Merlin everything he wanted.
The rage was red hot in his chest and it burned, burned stronger than Arthur was man enough to admit.
Merlin strolled in from the kitchen two icy beers in one hand, a bowl of nachos in the other and the brightest, warmest smile Arthur had seen in months on his beautiful face.
Directed at Gwaine, always at Gwaine.
He giggled unabashedly as Gwaine tugged at the over sized shirt Merlin was wearing over just his boxers, pulling him into his lap before running long fingers down Merlins sides tickling him until he was red in the face and panting before pressing the softest of kisses to his nose.
There was that grin again; pure, exuberant, heartbreaking.
Arthur stood silently in the doorway, a ghost in his own home, watching the love of his life snuggle into the arms of another man, as if they were the two that had been together for years, as if Gwaine was the one with an engagment ring hidden in his sock drawer waiting for the perfect moment.
His brief case hit the carpet with a dull thud causing two sets of shining eyes to finally notice him. Arthur didnt even notice, couldnt see past the state of undress the happy couple were currently in.
"Shit! oh my god! Arthur what are you doing home!" Merlin shrieked, rolling off of the couch dragging the blanket off with him to tie around his slender waist.
Gwaines eyes were bugging out of his head, panic stricken, darting from door to door for the closest exit.
Arthur couldnt breathe, the black hole in his chest was trying to collapse his body from the inside out. His knees were no longer in any condition to be holding his weight plus the weight of his heart, heavy as a lead ball, pushing him down to the carpeted floor.
"I should probably..."
"Oh dear lord Gwaine get out! NOW!" Gwaine nodded awkwardly, motioning to his shirt that Merlin was currently wearing, getting nothing more than a dirty look in reply before practically running for the back door, shirt and shoeless. Merlin was at Arthurs side in an instant, kneeling in front of the broken man.
"Shit! Arthur, baby talk to me, are you okay? you need to breathe! Come on say something? please? Or can you at least look at me?" the words were non stop as he soothed Arthur golden hair out of his face and ran a comforting arm up and down Arthurs back.
It was a good five minutes until Arthur managed to raise his head, steely blue eyes meeting aqua. Merlins eyes used to be the most beautiful thing in the world, Arthur could stare at them for days. Now all he wanted to do was look away. The thought made his stomach lurch.
"Baby? Are you okay? It wasnt what it looked like i swear! We were just watching the game and we, errr, we got hot and it was just brotherly bonding y'know? You're just overreacting honey, i promise."
The last time Merlin had promised Arthur something they'd ended up lost, mapless and miles away from civilization, granted, Mexico had been the best holiday of his life; just like a honeymoon, full of drinks and laughter and soft, soft sheets. Merlin had promised he knew the way to some beautiful ruins just off of the coast, he'd lied then too.
Arthur choked around his next breath, "Get out."
Blue eyes widened almost comically, " Wha, what do you mean, get out? Arthur we were just messing about it was nothing, okay? Just, let me clean up the mess, you go have a shower and i'll make us something to eat and we can forget this massive misunderstanding, yeah?" Merlin was smiling softly but his eyes were nervous as he smoothed over Arthurs cheekbones with his thumbs. "I even got the new X-Men on dvd today so we can watch that, i know you've been dying to see it and..."
"Merlin, get out."
His words were dagger sharp as he pushed Merlin away from him so he could stand up. Confusion twisted the younger mans face as he stared up at his boyfriend, doe eyed, scared.
"I dont understand i thought?"
Arthur couldnt bare another word, he was suddenly so unbelievably tired.
"WHAT ARENT YOU GRASPING HERE! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! NOW!" he pretty much roared, the words ripping at his heart as Merlin sat scrawled on the floor at his feet, looking young and lost and above all else shocked.
"Baby, calm down, it's Gwaine. He's like my brother, you know that..."
Arthur's fist smashing into the wall made Merlin scramble to his feet, a shocked gasp escaping his throat as the framed photo of them cracked and fell, glass and drywall littering the carpet around him.
"STOP LYING! For once in your life just stop! Every word that comes out of you mouth is a LIE! You've been fucking Gwaine for months! I KNOW MERLIN! The charade is up! You've broken my heart now get the fuck out of MY house!"
"H...How do you?"
"Oh for gods sake Merlin, you stink of his aftershave and those cheap cigarettes he smokes, on three seperate occasions you've come home wearing someone elses clothes! You never wanna sleep with me because you're already getting it from someone else!" Arthurs fist recurled at his sides and he had to take a deep, deep breath before he could speak around the lump in his throat. "Just, please Merlin, leave, you can come get your stuff while im at work tomorrow but just... Just go, its better for the both of us."
Merlin didnt move, just kept staring, his gaze shifting from the broken photo frame to the hole Arthur had just added to their, his, living room wall.
"Yeah, Im gonna go shower, just," He paused pinching the bridge of his nose, wincing when his hand throbbed, "be gone by the time i'm out."
One last pleading look at Merlin and then he was gone.
Merlin slumped to his knees as he listened to the slow footsteps up the stairs, the debris of his perfect life skattered around him, the truth hit him like a freight train.
'Shit.
What have I done?'
