Chapter 2! See what you think.
(-)
"So, your friends are all quite nice," Merlin said as they entered their flat.
"Told you so," Arthur said, watching Merlin relax a little. Merlin hadn't said much on the drive home. Arthur had tuned into his favorite radio station, but there was still something unspoken hanging between them. Arthur didn't know what it was.
"Am I to be a tag-along until I get my feet, or will they be my friends too?" Merlin asked. It seemed an abrupt question, especially after the long silence.
Arthur raised his eyebrows at Merlin's passive-aggressive interrogation. "Isn't that up to you?" Arthur asked.
That made Merlin smile again. "Good point. Sorry, I'm just tired."
"It's 2:30," Arthur said. Merlin had been acting extra strange since Lancelot revealed who his father was. But the most disconcerting thing about that realization was that it didn't make Arthur wary. Merlin's behavior could definitely be classified as "suspicious", but Arthur still felt inclined to trust him.
"Eh, moving is tiring. As you put it, I'm a 'scrawny little git' and all the lifting and carrying has me quite fatigued."
"Long day," Arthur agreed with a yawn. "Maybe you should invite your friend...Gwen, was it? You should invite her over."
"For what purpose?" Merlin asked skeptically. As if he couldn't tell Arthur was interested.
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Before I can know if I really fancy her, I have to get to know her, don't I?"
"Ye-es," Merlin said, drawing the word out to emphasize the obviousness of that statement. "But what will we do?"
"Oh. I thought we might watch a movie or something."
"Okay. What movie?" Merlin asked.
"Uh, Sword in the Stone?" Arthur offered. It was a stupid idea, but it was the first thought that rolled off his head.
Merlin snorted. "How about something without singing fish?"
"Would she like Twilight?" That was a chick-flic, right?
"That's too gay for me, Arthur. Besides, Gwen is very hostile towards dependent-woman stereotypes," Merlin informed him.
"Then you tell me what she would like," Arthur said with a frown. She was friends with Merlin, and she was odd, so Arthur probably wasn't going to guess what would entertain her.
"She loves V for Vendetta," Merlin said.
Arthur blinked. "I was expecting something a bit more of a chick flic." He hadn't seen the movie, but all the references he had seen had the guy in the mask. He also knew there were explosions and knife-fighting.
Rolling his eyes, Merlin said, "If you haven't noticed, Gwen isn't a weak woman. And she doesn't like oppressive regimes. The movie is well-suited to her tastes."
Arthur tilted his head, curious about that statement. "Is Gwen very political?" Oppressive regimes sounded about right when it came to describing his father's rule over Camelot. Granted, he wasn't trying to control every aspect, but magic was on lock-down, with any hint of it being destroyed. It was another reason Arthur tried to distance himself from his father. He didn't want to hate the way that man did.
Merlin looked thoughtful, like he was planning the wording of his response. It made Arthur think he was right, that Gwen perhaps was against the status quo, and Merlin wanted to protect her. He couldn't know who Arthur was, but one best be careful what they say to anyone that might be interpreted as dissent.
"She's majoring in History. And she loves nothing better than learning about bloody revolution," Merlin said after a few moments, smiling. And, yes, Arthur was certain Merlin was protecting her. Gwen didn't strike him as the kind of girl who was good at censoring her thoughts.
Merlin seemed stuck in his own head now. It made Arthur wonder how Merlin stood in opinions of his father. He and Gwen were two odd peas in a pod, so there was a good chance Merlin also wasn't a fan of Uther. Of course, any fans of Uther weren't friends of his.
"Cripes, I'm terrible with History. That eliminates any of that as a discussion topic. Although perhaps she could help me study sometime," Arthur said thoughtfully. He'd much prefer Merlin talk to him than drift in thought.
"Already plotting to rope her in?" Merlin teased, looking much more present and focused on their conversation. "I thought you weren't sure if you liked her."
"More like I need confirmation. From what I've seen and what you've said, she's exactly the kind of girl I go for," Arthur said. Of course, Arthur's relationships with women had always been a disaster. Even if it was a fantastic girl that anyone would be mad to turn down, Arthur felt a disconnect between them that would eventually spell the end of any relationship. But surely there was one girl who was the perfect fit for Arthur. So he didn't give up.
"Which of her traits line up with your preferences?" Merlin asked curiously.
"Protective, loyal, headstrong, and a capability and maybe even a penchant for violence," Arthur listed, ticking them off on his fingers. They were traits he both admired and possessed, and women who had them turned Arthur on to them better than those that didn't.
Merlin seemed to be having some internal debate, because he looked frustrated. Then he smiled, his eyes sad, and said, "I'll go call Gwen."
(-)
After Merlin got off the phone with Gwen, a fair bit longer conversation than a simple invite would require, he opened the door to his room. "She'll be here in an hour."
"From the length of your conversation, you had to do some serious convincing to get her to come, didn't you?" Arthur already felt miserable. He had made a bad impression on both her and Merlin, but Merlin seemed ready to give him another chance. He supposed that Merlin's opinion meant more than Gwen's, if for no other reason than that they had to live together.
"Not too much. She had to set the phone down for a bit, and I had to wait for her to come back," Merlin said.
"Oh," Arthur said, feeling a bit lighter. Merlin smiled at him, taking even more weight off his shoulders.
"Bad Boy" by Cascada started coming out of Arthur's pocket. He started and frowned, pulling the phone out and answering it. He headed to his own room, glaring at Merlin, who was laughing hysterically.
"Yes?"
"Arthur? How is your flatmate bonding going? You seemed to really like him." It was Lancelot.
"I do like him. He seems about the best flatmate they could have stuck me with."
There was a brief pause. "Is he single? He's highly attractive, especially that wit of his, and if he isn't seeing anyone, I'd like to ask him out sometime."
Arthur bit back jealous anger. He didn't want to date Merlin or Lancelot, so why did that idea rankle him so? "We were actually going to have a movie night. Want to come?"
"Movie night already? You two must have really bonded. I'd love to come. When should I show up?"
Arthur wasn't sure about bonding, but he could hope so. Now that he knew he definitely wanted Merlin for a flatmate, he didn't want Merlin getting annoyed with him and go looking to trade. "Bout an hour or so, I think. See you then?"
"Cheers, mate."
Merlin was still laughing when Arthur came back out of his room, tucking his phone back into his jeans' pocket and sitting on the couch. "Shut up." Arthur scowled. Surely it wasn't that bloody funny.
"Is there something you want to tell me, Arthur? Maybe something you've been denying?" Merlin asked, not completely managing to stifle his laughter.
"Look, I let my friends set their own ringtones," Arthur said. Forget about not wanting to annoy Merlin; he was going to smack the git if he didn't shut up.
"And she wants a purely physical non-platonic relationship with you?" Merlin chortled.
Arthur scowled and glared harder, but he knew a blush was creeping into his face. "He probably thought it would be funny. And apparently he was right."
Merlin started to calm as he heard the pronoun used. "That was a guy's ringtone? I'm guessing he's your bisexual friend."
"Yeah. Mind if he joins us tonight?" Arthur asked. If Merlin said he minded, he could call Lancelot back to tell him, therefore ridding himself of the inexplicable annoyance at the idea of the two of them dating.
Merlin seemed to weigh that question. "No, I don't mind," Merlin said at last.
Arthur gave Merlin a smile he didn't really feel. "Great." He got his phone out again and texted Lancelot.
"Hey, which of them is it?" Merlin asked.
Arthur's smile became a sly grin, pleased to have something to hold out on Merlin. "He's coming over in an hour, you can wait to find out."
When Merlin pouted at that, Arthur laughed. And then Merlin grinned, a devious look on his face as he pulled out his own cell. "What are you doing?" Arthur asked, already wary. However interesting it was to see Merlin be devious, Arthur knew it didn't spell anything good for him right now.
"Texting Gwen," Merlin said, his voice innocent, though his face thoroughly belied that.
"About what?"
"I'm sharing an anecdote from my day," Merlin said.
It took Arthur a second before his eyes widened, and he got off the couch and dove at Merlin. "Don't tell her about that!" Arthur protested as he struggled for the phone. It should have been easy, but though Merlin wasn't nearly as strong as Arthur, his limbs were long, and he had better flexibility. Lanky git.
"Are you ashamed of him?" Merlin asked as they struggled.
"No, but Gwen doesn't need to know that my bisexual friend finds me attractive and likes to tease me," Arthur insisted. He had Merlin against the wall now, and Merlin had his phone in his hand, stretching as high as it could go. Arthur almost had it, but he would drag Merlin to the floor and pin him if he had to.
"Parley!" Merlin blurted, looking suddenly stressed. He was blushing and breathing hard from their struggle.
Arthur paused and took a step back. "What do you want?"
"Tell me who your friend is, the one you're trying to set me up with," Merlin said.
Eyes narrowing at the mention of the blind date, Arthur said, "You want me to betray my friend's confidence." That was obviously why Merlin's interest annoyed him.
"No," Merlin said, "I want you to betray his identity, which he's going to do anyway when he shows up. I only want to know who I'm dealing with."
Arthur considered that. It was true, and he didn't want Gwen hearing about that stupid ringtone and its implications. "Lancelot," he said.
Merlin had a small pleased grin as he said, "Knew it!"
"You promise not to tell Gwen?"
"She wouldn't think less of you, but yes, I promise."
"Thank you. Bloody embarrassing, remind me to clout Lance when he gets here."
"I'll see how the night goes first," Merlin said.
An hour later, Arthur remembered on his own anyway. Lancelot arrived before Gwen did, and Arthur gave him a firm slug in the shoulder. "Ow!" Lancelot protested, "What was that for?"
"The bloody ringtone on my phone," Arthur said. Trust Lance to do something like that and not remember.
It took the git a moment to recall. "Oh, that? Well, you can be my weekend lover," Lancelot said, a teasing grin on his face.
"I'll pass," Arthur said firmly, but without real malice. He knew that Lancelot always had a thing for him, and while the friendly flirting had become fairly comfortable between the two of them, Merlin (and therefore Gwen, he reminded himself) witnessing it was not okay. "Come in, we're waiting for Merlin's girlfriend to show up."
Confusion clouded Lancelot's face as he stepped inside, and Arthur closed the door behind him. "Girlfriend? But with the bracelets and everything, I thought..."
"My mistake. His female close acquaintance," Arthur corrected.
"Ah," Lancelot said, immediate cheer and a hint of embarrassment showing on his face. Served him right.
"Everything?" Merlin asked. "What else told you I was gay?" He kept the inquiry light and his face neutral. He seemed to be using this to feel Lancelot out.
"Um, well, you're very slender and the way you move..." Lancelot started, but trailed off. "Call it gaydar," he said at last.
"Fair enough," Merlin said, giving him a smile. "Just curious. I don't suppose Arthur was one of the things that told you I was gay, was he?"
Arthur was standing right beside them! He could speak for himself, but they were flirtatiously talking about him like he wasn't right there!
Stifling his own grin, Lancelot feigned thought. "It might have come up at some point, I can't remember." Then he considered something for real. "Did Arthur tell you about me?"
Lancelot knew he hated being talked about. He knew it. But he was perfectly happy to exclude Arthur from the conversation like Arthur wasn't there.
"Non-specifically. I knew it was one of the three of you at lunch. I had to use some friendly blackmail to get your name, and he relinquished it only after I pointed out that you were coming here, so I'd find out anyway." Merlin shrugged. "He's loyal."
"And while he's tried to be polite, he feels the need to remind you that he is standing right here!" Arthur growled. His anger was boiling over, the shame that he always felt being talked about, and the uncomfortable idea that Lancelot and Merlin liked talking about him in front of or behind his back.
Lancelot saw what was happening, and why. "Arthur, can I talk to you for a minute? In private?" he asked carefully.
Arthur nodded and turned towards his room. Lancelot gave Merlin a "one minute" finger, and followed Arthur, closing the door behind them. Arthur slumped on the edge of his bed, trying to breathe deeply and calm down.
"Arthur, you know you can trust me. I would never betray you, especially not about that." "That" being the biggest issue between the two of them. Which was Lancelot's fault, and he knew it. Arthur still wasn't certain that some of his trust issues didn't come from that incident. He forgave Lancelot but found it impossible to forget.
"You're making me regret trying to set you two up. If you're going to be discussing me and exchanging information now, how much worse will it be if you two get involved?" Arthur asked, his voice distant. He didn't need his new flatmate to know all his secrets. The darkest parts of Arthur would no doubt send Merlin running.
"You know me better than that. And if Merlin started trying to use me for information, you know I'd completely forget him, never speak to him again. And we don't even know if he is interested in me. You need to calm down, Arthur. I won't betray your trust," Lancelot said, and the last statement was quiet and sincere. Lancelot was always sincere. Noble bastard.
There was a long pause between them. "Okay." Arthur exhaled shakily and got up.
A couple of steps later, Arthur was opening his door, and Merlin settled back onto the couch like he'd been trying to listen in from there. "Are we making popcorn?" Merlin asked, obviously wanting to cover the awkwardness.
Lancelot gave him a grateful grin and said, "I think I'm hungrier than popcorn. I vote pizza."
"But then we have to wage war about toppings," Merlin complained, rolling his eyes.
"Ha, I'd overpower you both easily," Arthur scoffed, starting to feel more like himself.
"That sounds like a challenge," Lancelot said, quirking an eyebrow at Merlin.
"Hey, don't look at me, I'm sure he could take me," Merlin said, shrugging. "I vote pepperoni-mushroom."
"Supreme is the only way to go," Arthur argued.
Lancelot was about to reply when there was a knock on the door. Arthur went to open the door, and moved aside to let Gwen in. "What are we fighting about?" Gwen asked, taking in the subtly-veiled tense atmosphere.
"Pizza toppings," Merlin promptly informed her. He was grinning at her, and he pulled himself off of his back and hugged his knees, legs still dangling off the arm of the couch. "Hi, Gwen."
Gwen rolled her eyes. "Pepperoni-mushroom, of course."
"Hey!" Arthur protested, "Why are you taking his side?"
Giving Arthur a look that plainly stated that she thought he was an idiot, Gwen said, "I've known him for years. That's the only kind of pizza Merlin eats."
"Really?" Arthur asked, glancing over at Merlin. From hugging his knees, Merlin had retreated to hiding behind them, only his eyes showing. It was rather adorable. From being outspoken and clever to being shy and uncertain, Merlin had a range of facets to his personality. He was quite fascinating.
Gwen sighed. "Don't be silly, Merlin, lots of people are picky eaters."
Merlin reluctantly pulled his face up, a light blush on his cheeks. "Yeah, that's the kind of pizza I eat."
"I've heard of this crazy thing pizza places do now where they don't limit your order to one pizza," Lancelot put in, seeing Merlin's discomfort. "Believe it or not, they'll let you order all kinds of pizzas, at the same time."
Gwen grinned and nodded, "True, there are four of us. Three of which are men."
Arthur looked between himself, Lancelot, and Merlin, feigning very casual surprise. "Really? I hadn't noticed."
"I find it hard not to," Gwen replied, and she was eying Lancelot as she spoke.
That was what Arthur got for trying to be funny. Merlin said, "So, a pepperoni-mushroom, a supreme, and at least one more, right?"
"Meat lovers?" Lancelot suggested. Arthur refrained from making a joke. While Lancelot would take it in stride, he was less sure about Merlin's and especially Gwen's amusement at it.
"That sounds good," Arthur nodded. He pulled his cell phone out and walked away from them to order the pizzas.
It took him a minute or two to place the order and give the address for delivery, and in that time, something had happened.
"Merlin!" Gwen scowled at Merlin and quickly searched for something non-lethal to throw at him. There was a box of tissues on an end table. She took them and tossed them at him, trying to hide her blush and embarrassment.
Merlin shielded his face, and the box bounced off his arms. "You did!" he protested.
"What did I miss?" Arthur asked, looking between Merlin and Gwen.
"Merlin trying to provoke me," Gwen said shortly. "Although I thought he had learned by now that that isn't wise."
"I thought you had learned that I'm often unwise," Merlin retorted. "Shall I tell them about your 'My Little Pony' collection?"
"Should I mention the security blanket you slept with until you were twelve?" Gwen shot back, eyes narrowed.
What the hell had Arthur just walked in on?
"Touché," Merlin said. "Truce?"
Gwen rolled her eyes. "Fine. When it comes to who has more dirt on who, I come out on top, and an easy victory like that is boring."
Now that they had settled matters, they noticed the ill-stifled laughter coming from Arthur and Lancelot. "Can I ask what kind of blanket?" Arthur wondered, trying to hold back the full force of his amusement. He wasn't sure how sensitive an issue this was for Merlin, but it was really hard not to laugh.
"We called truce, ask him," Gwen said, washing her hands of the matter.
Both Lancelot and Arthur looked at Merlin expectantly. He sighed. "It was a large print of Snow White and her Prince Charming."
"A pale short-black-haired girl dancing with a handsome guy. That's telling," Arthur said. He was thoughtful now, with only faint traces of amusement remaining on his face. Gwen had said 'until he was twelve', but that wasn't when you started needing a security blanket. Merlin had gotten that early and hung onto it as long as he could.
Merlin blushed at Arthur's observation. Arthur considered that Merlin was probably an odd duck his whole life. And, obviously, even as a child he showed homosexual inclinations. Merlin would have been bullied a lot, Arthur decided. Tormented enough, perhaps, to have nightmares and be unable to sleep. That would be when someone had the solution of a security blanket.
"I think it's kinda cute," Lancelot said, a small smile on his face, not entirely of amusement.
"It's adorable. Merlin is looking for his prince," Arthur teased. But, however teasing he sounded, he also believed that a young Merlin curling under a Disney princess blanket to feel safe was positively adorable.
Merlin blushed deeper and scowled furiously at Arthur. He looked like he was contemplating doing something unpleasant to Arthur, which made Arthur wonder what kind of things Merlin might decide to do. Gwen must have seen where Merlin's thoughts were, because she said, "Shame that Camelot is out of princes, then." She poked Arthur's chest. "All they have left, apparently, is prats."
"I don't know, Lancelot is fairly princely, and he's here in Camelot," Arthur said, pretending to study his friend. "Yes, actually, he's very noble, isn't he? Quite chivalrous, too."
"That's why I obviously wasn't referring to Lancelot," Gwen said lightly.
Arthur's mouth twisted in a frown. That's what he got for using humor off the top of his head. He was sabotaging himself, and Gwen pointedly turned her back on Arthur to talk to Lancelot.
This was maddening. His best friend was there, and the only person he felt was on his side was Merlin. Well, sort of on his side. At least not actively sabotaging Arthur's attempts at happiness.
Arthur considered Merlin, legs dangling off the arm of the couch, arms wrapped around his knees as he watched the three of them. Merlin was cheeky, shy, secretive, witty, kind, and adorable. And despite being very strange, Arthur found it hard not to trust him. If Arthur had to live with a stranger, he doubted he'd find anyone more suitable than Merlin.
Merlin caught his gaze and gave him a small smile, looked at Gwen and Lancelot, back to Arthur, and rolled his eyes. It made Arthur feel better, warm inside. Yes, Merlin was the one.
(-)
Second chapter done. Next chapter is their movie night. I hope this has pleased you. I love reviews if you have something to say. Oh, I think someone said they wanted to read this one more than Escaping Classification. That's cool, and that works, but Arthur is kept in the dark about a lot of things, so you'll know more about what's actually happening if you read Escaping Classification. Gay mages have all the fun.
Or, if you are referring to the quality of writing, I will point out that I started Escaping Classification in 2011 before I went to university to get my bachelor's degree in Creative Writing. So, yes, later chapters of Escaping Classification are much better written than the beginning, and Escaping Reason has the same benefits of experience and education, writing-wise.