Merlin was stood outside the 'Camelot Inn' in the pouring down rain. His collar on his long overcoat was turned up to avoid getting wet and he mentally cursed himself for not bringing an umbrella, running his hand through his damp hair to try and shake off the water.
"See you later Merlin!" Gwaine shouted as he and Lancelot left the pub. Gwaine staggering from side to side and his nose gone bright red from all the alcohol he had been consuming earlier that evening.
Lancelot shook his head fondly before looking at Merlin, feeling slightly concerned towards his friend as he knew the streets this time of night would not be safe. "Do you want a lift home? I'm already dropping Gwaine off."
"It's fine." Merlin gave him a reassuring smile. "Honestly. I've got a cab coming up in five minutes."
"All right. Hey, same time next week yeah?" Lancelot slapped Merlin on the arm playfully before giving him a wink and heading off after Gwaine who had wondered off further down the street, muttering to himself.
Merlin grinned. "Yeah. Next time-you're the one paying!" He laughed as Lancelot pulled a childish face at him before running after Gwaine.
Merlin shook his head, chuckling softly before wrapping his arms around his chest to try and stop himself from shivering. He sincerely hoped that the cab wouldn't be too long for he did not want to come down with a bug, or worse, a cold for he had clients that he needed to look after.
He looked up to see a pair of headlights coming his way and he squinted his eyes to try and see if it was his cab and he saw a taxi logo and he held out his arm to indicate to the cab that he was the one that needed the lift before quickly stepping way of reach of the puddle as the cab pulled over, not wanting to be splashed at or ruin his outfit.
He was about to walk over to his cab when someone brushed past against him, early knocking him to the ground and Merlin threw the person a dirty look. "Hey! Watch it!"
"Sorry!" The voice yelled back before stepping into Merlin's cab and Merlin realized what he was doing and he quickly ran over to the cab, not wanting the rude asshole to get away with his outrageous behaviour.
"That's my cab!" Merlin shouted angrily, all ready feeling a huge dislike for the man in front of him.
The taxi driver rolled down his window, looking up at them. "Which one of you is Merlin Emrys?"
"I am." Both Merlin and the stranger replied and they both stopped getting into the back of the cab and glared at each other.
"Look, you both can't possibly be the same guy. Either one of you get in or you both get in or I'm going." The taxi driver snapped, feeling very much annoyed.
Merlin was tired. He was cold and wet and he couldn't stop shivering. He just wanted to go back to his nice warm apartment without any trouble where he could be away from the rest of the world. "Fine." He snapped, opening the car door. "I'm Merlin Emrys and this dollophead can take the ride with me." He got in, slamming the car door behind him and the stranger got in, sitting opposite him.
Merlin studied the rude stranger and he had to admit, the stranger had a rather handsome appearance about him with his messy blonde hair and shiny blue eyes that Merlin could see in the dark.
"Where too Mr Emrys?" The taxi driver asked and Merlin blinked, finding himself staring at the man opposite him longer than necessary and he quickly gave the driver his address.
"I'm Arthur." Arthur introduced himself and he gave Merlin a curt nod, clasping his hands together and leaning forwards casually.
Merlin couldn't believe it. Arthur had the nerve to start a so called friendly conversation after his rude behaviour? Did this man not know how to apologize? "Merlin. I'm Merlin."
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Yes, I gathered that. Funny, you don't live too far away from where I live. How come I've never seen you around before?"
"I'm not a very outgoing person." Merlin replied, leaning back into his seat. "I only go to the Camelot inn on a Saturday night because my friends threatened me that if I don't go out; they'll take the booze over to my apartment and get drunk there."
"Arthur chuckled. "You don't look like a person that goes drinking."
"How d'you know? You don't know me." Merlin told him icily before he sighed. "You're right. I don't drink. I see what alcohol does to you and I find it extremely damaging." He looked at Arthur curiously. "How about you?"
"I'm pretty reasonable with my drinking habits even if my father doesn't approve." He scoffed. "Which makes him a hypocrite because he used to be a heavy drinker when..." He looked slightly pensive, glancing through the windows and watching the houses and scenery passing by before turning his head slightly to look at Merlin. "When my mother died a few years ago."
Suddenly, the taxi lurched forwards harshly, causing Arthur to fall out of his seat and into Merlin's embrace, both staring at each other in surprise. Their lips barely touching each other's and Merlin could feel Arthur's breath on his lips, giving him a pleasant feeling.
"Sorry!" The taxi driver piped up apologetically. "I stalled and pressed on my break too harshly. My bad." He turned the car back on again and carried on driving.
"You-er...you can get off me now." Merlin replied, slightly lost for words as he looked at Arthur up close. Taking in every detail.
Arthur cleared his throat nervously before sitting back in his chair. "Yeah, sorry." He rubbed the back of his head, feeling slightly foolish at himself.
"So..." Merlin began, not liking the silence that fell between them. "How come you were a rude asshole to me back thee and claiming that you were me?"
"Yeah...about that. I was in a hurry to get away from someone I knew back at the pub."
"Oh? And that caused you to behave like an asshole to me did it?"
"Look, I'm not normally that rude." Arthur protested and Merlin raised an eyebrow at him, looking highly unamused and Arthur puffed, folding his arms in a sulky manner. "All right. I can be rude at times but if you knew the person I was trying to run away from you'll understand."
"Okay then. Tell me. Help me to understand why that caused you to be so rude."
"When I was born, my father made a promise to another family to betrothed me to their daughter with a business in status just like ours. Our families are trying to arrange the wedding and honeymoon but the thing is...I don't even love her."
"What's her name?" Merlin asked, feeling forever grateful towards his parents that they allow him to marry whoever he wanted to marry. If Merlin wanted to marry someone, he wanted it to be out of love, not by force and certainly not for other people's gain.
"Mithian. Her name is Mithian." Arthur gave a dramatic sigh. "Don't get me wrong; she's a wonderful person and bloody brilliant with a cross-bow but she's not the one. Do you get me?"
Merlin nodded in understanding. He would of hated it to marry someone he didn't love and spend the rest of his life with them. He would of thought this type of marriage proposals would have stopped centuries back but apparently not amongst the very rich. "So you're running away from Mithian because you're scared of hurting her feelings. I get it. But Arthur, running away from all your problems doesn't mean it's going going to solve itself out. It's only going to make things worse not only for you, but for others as well. You have to tell her how you feel otherwise you are going to end up feeling very unhappy for the rest of your life."
"Are you always this wise Merlin?" Arthur asked, smiling faintly.
Merlin shrugged. "A lot of people do confide in me. That and I am an actual therapist so it is in the job description." He gave him a wry smile.
The taxi began to pull over outside Merlin's apartment and Merlin handed him the money and he nodded towards Arthur before stepping out of the cab. "It was nice knowing you. Next time; try and not be such a cabbage-head will you?"
Arthur gave a good hearted laugh. "I'll try not too." He watched Merlin walk a few feet away before he stuck his head out of the cab door. "Wait!" Merlin stopped and looked back towards the cab. "How can I find you again?"
Merlin smirked. "You know where I live. You'll find me. Besides, London is one of those cities everyone meets everyone sooner or later. You'll never know, it might be sooner." He turned round and walked back to his apartment, keeping his head low as to try and avoid the rain as much as possible.
Arthur watched him go, admiring the way Merlin walked. Arthur knew that the moment he met Merlin; he had met someone remarkable. Someone with a special quality that he just couldn't put his finger in place and he closed the cab door, watching Merlin unlocking the door with his key through the window. He saw something in Merlin that he didn't see in anybody else. Not even Mithian but yet, Arthur couldn't figure out what.
"Where too sir?" The taxi driver asked as Arthur made his way over to the seat Merlin was in, inhaling his scent.
Arthur got out his phone, making a note of Merlin's address. "Home." Arthur replied, giving one last glance at Merlin's apartment. "Home is where I want to go to." He hoped he got to see Merlin sooner rather than later.