Hey pals, this took a while-sorry! I hope everyone who celebrates it had a great Christmas and new year! I have a GCSE Biology exam tomorrow so I had better dash but thank you for baring with me on this, means a lot:)
By the time they were both sixteen, Merlin and Arthur could finish each others' sentences and imitate each others' voices perfectly for the register when either one wanted to skip a class. For Merlin this was P.E and for Arthur, Maths. Both had changed considerably since their younger years.
Merlin was fond of his overly large 'hipster glasses' as Arthur called them. The difference, Merlin pointed out, between himself and hipsters was that he actually needed the eye-wear and it wasn't just there for fashion purposes. He grew much taller and became lanky and handsome in the way a jumpy thoroughbred in the starting gates is. He was studious and rarely seen at school without a textbook or two in his arms. He was what the girls called 'adorkarble' with a wide grin and bright blue eyes.
Arthur had changed too. He was almost as tall as Merlin but he was much more muscular with broad shoulders and large biceps. Academic, though not as academic as Merlin, he more than made up for it on the sporting field. He was captain of the rugby team and had been requested to try out for the England under 18s polo team in the September they both turned sixteen. This had made the girls swoon. Always, he had giggled when Merlin was, understandably, nervous of riding one of Arthur's flighty polo ponies and had lent him his short (13.2hh) old cobby pony Henry to gain confidence. Merlin looked funny with his legs dangling past Henry's well stuffed tummy. Often, on one of their rides together Arthur and his pony would suddenly take off at break-neck speed leaving Merlin hanging on for dear life as Henry followed suit. Arthur never, ever wore a helmet unless he had to and, in the summer, when he and Merlin were riding through the villages surrounding the Pendragon estate he would ride topless. His tanned, toned body sent girls (and sometimes guys) into fits. His white breeches and long brown boots contrasted with his skin, he had perfect manners, hair and teeth, was incredibly charming and had a very posh, very English accent. He was, in short, a 'ladies man'.
Despite all this, Arthur never had a girlfriend. He spent all his time with Merlin, his horses, playing rugby or drawing.
Merlin guessed he never had time for things so trivial as girlfriends.
Arthur was sat at his huge oak desk, drawing. He sat back for a moment and admired his artwork. It was a boy in red and gold polo colours astride a glossy black mount. He had raven hair, blue-gold eyes and high cheekbones. 'There's something familiar about him' pondered the blond, leaning back with his hands behind his head pouting and frowning. Then he realized. 'Oh shit. Merlin! Bloody Merlin!' Reaching out to crumple the drawing in embarrassment he stopped and studied the drawing more closely. He had given the boy big muscles and a pouty, open mouthed smirk with one eyebrow raised. He looked, in a nutshell, flirtatious. The eyes had a certain 'cometh-hither' look in them. 'Come hither I shall' giggled Arthur internally. 'Oh fuck, oh no, no, no.' He stuffed the drawing into a drawer in his desk then smacked his head on the hard oak surface. The lump would be there for days and when Merlin asked he said, "oh, I got into a rough rook at rugby".
'no, no, no.'