A/N: After having this half-written doc floating around on my laptop, I've finally gotten round to finishing it. It's in a drabble-esque format, and I'll be posting two at a time every other day (or at least, that's the plan). Hope you enjoy!
Warnings: Professor!Arthur and student!Merlin relationship, future tense (if you're bothered by that), philosophy talk, boy-on-boy sexin', and a hell of a lot of references to the gloriousness of Merlin's mouth (just because it's completely UNF). Unbeta'd except for a friend who read it and squealed a lot and possibly laid on the floor for a few minutes for unknown reasons.
Disclaimer: I own my own fantasies and a laptop, nothing more.
They will meet in the non-fiction section at Foyles.
Arthur will smile at the dark-haired boy, because his thin, too-long arms are weighed down by the works of Hume and Rousseau and Golding, and no one should be able to look so incredibly serious and comical at the same time. He will watch as the youth, with clumsy, loping strides, wanders off toward the cafe, and he will follow him with his eyes, smiling to himself.
The boy will pile himself and his books into an overstuffed chair and tuck his legs underneath him, eyes going bluer and bluer the more he reads, and Arthur will leave, the boy a pleasant, idle memory already edged aside by other thoughts. It will be easy to forget him.
They will meet again on a street just past the market, and the boy's arms will be overflowing with books once more, cheeks pink from the wind and lips chapped. His black hair will stick to his forehead and his eyes will snap blue and clear, and Arthur will be enchanted.
The boy will stumble, legs tripping and bending in ways they shouldn't, and he will land with a muffled squeak on the pavement amidst his books. Arthur will try to keep from laughing, but he won't succeed, and the boy will look at him strangely as Arthur gathers up the volumes and helps him to his feet, chuckling to himself. He will walk on, and the boy will frown a little, gaze lingering too long on tousled blond hair and shoulders covered in faded blue wool, before going on his way.