Chasing Pavements

Disclaimer: I do not in any way own the series Merlin or any of its characters.

Chapter 2 – Day Dreamer

Merlin looked through the figures on his ledger as he sipped his afternoon tea. He was seated in the kitchen of the apartment they had rented at the Mill Inn. Merlin chuckled to himself as he recalled the look on Arthur's face when he first entered the apartment. He knew the other man had most likely been expecting an over the top hotel suite in the heart of town; but Merlin thought that a more calming setting would be precisely the change of pace Arthur needed.

The apartment had a small kitchen, a living room fitted with two sofas, a tiny dining table, and two bedrooms, one with a queen-sized bed and the other with two twins. The kitchen walls were partially covered with green tiling, and had unpainted wooden cabinets, that gave the room a homelike feel. The living room was decorated in neutral colors, with the off-white walls complimenting the beige leather sofas.

As Merlin finished his tea he realized that the apartment had been fairly quiet all day. Arthur had only called for him a few times, which was odd. Having worked for the prince for over 4 years, Merlin had grown accustomed to constantly being pulled away from important tasks in order to assist Arthur with various trivial issues.

Arthur, he realized, had been distracted and uncharacteristically quiet over the last couple of days.

There was definitely something amiss.

Merlin stood up and walked into the living room, where he found Arthur absent mindedly watching television. He sat down on the other sofa, and dropped his ledger on the coffee table. "What is it?" He suddenly asked.

"What?"

"What are you so preoccupied with? Clearly it must be something good, because it's been able to hold your full attention for days now?

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me. Come on, out with it."

"Merlin, I believe you sometimes forget who you're speaking to." Arthur's words held a small warning within them.

"You've had your head in the clouds all day. And don't even try to deny it, because I can tell." Merlin was clearly unfazed by the prince's tone. Merlin paused a moment before continuing. "You've had this draft smile on your face since we got here."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Of course this was a lie. Arthur knew exactly what Merlin was referring to. Since yesterday, thoughts of warm smiles and hot chocolate had filled his mind.

Merlin just stared at him and waited. Arthur sighed before answering. "I met a woman yesterday."

Merlin had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. "And?"

"And nothing. I went to a café and met a young woman."

"That's what's been occupying your thoughts? A woman in a café?" His words were laced with suspicion. He just hoped Arthur hadn't done anything foolish. Immediately his mind leaped to possible damage control tactics. He would first have to find this girl. No, he would first need to know what happened. "What happened between you two? Did she know who you were? And might I add that this walk to the café was not part of that day's itinerary."

"Nothing happened. And for the millionth time, you are not my keeper."

Merlin simply ignored his later statement. "What do you mean nothing happened? Clearly something must have occurred."

"I almost took her hot chocolate." When Merlin gave him a strange look, Arthur added, "I thought it was mine." As he retold the story, a wistful smile slowly developed on his face. "Nothing major transpired … it was just … I don't know. There was something about her. She had this smile that was sweet but mysterious, and these expressive deep brown eyes."

It took Merlin a second to snap out of crisis control mode, and back into friend/assistant mode.

He stared at Arthur for a moment before responding. "You're smitten with her," he said with astonishment in his voice.

"What? No. Don't be ridiculous. I hardly know her. As a matter of fact, I don't know her at all."

"Doesn't change the fact that you're smitten with her." Merlin flashed him a cheeky grin. "So when are you planning on ringing her?"

"I didn't get her number."

"Okay, then what's her name?"

Arthur hesitated before answering. "I didn't quite get her name either."

"Wait, so you've been completely off your trolley about a woman who you have no means of contacting, and whose name you don't even know?"

"Well, when you say it like that, does it sound a bit …" Arthur struggled to find the right word.

"Barmy?"

"I was going to say odd."

"Barmy works better." He smiled.

"Careful Merlin, unemployment might be in your near future."

"True, but first you'll have to find someone mad enough to work for you."

TBC

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