Disclaimer-I do not own Merlin
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Chapter 9-Black and White
At breakfast, Sophia sat beside Arthur and he slowly watched her eat. Morgana seemed astonished to see the redhead eating a healthy breakfast but she didn't comment on it.
A few tables away, Merlin was seated with Lancelot and Gwen, his blue eyes staring at Arthur's blonde head.
"Merlin's looking at you." Sophia pointed out to him as her lips quirked upwards into a smile.
"You should go over and speak to him." Morgana advised as she flicked her tongue out to catch a runaway toast crumb.
"I really don't want to." Arthur told them quietly.
"Explain." Morgana demanded knowing that something must have happened.
Letting out a sigh, Arthur leaned forwards and whispered what had happened last night and how he had kicked Merlin out of his room.
"He obviously fancies you." Morgana said.
"But he's not ready to admit it yet." Sophia added.
"Well until he does admit it I'm not having him anywhere near me." Arthur told them. "I can't just let him use me the way he does, it hurts too much."
"Would you like me to talk some sense into him?" Morgana asked as she flexed her fingers.
Knowing that Morgana's 'talks' often involved a lot of physical pain, Arthur declined the offer.
As he sat beside Gwen who was blatantly flirting with Lancelot, Merlin continued to watch Arthur. He saw him lean towards the two girls no doubt telling them about last night's events. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he munched unhappily on his jam covered toast.
Forcing his eyes away from Arthur, Merlin looked about the room and his eyes landed on Valiant. To his annoyance he saw that Valiant was watching Arthur. A peculiar feeling rattled in his stomach and Merlin didn't think it had anything to do with his slightly burnt toast. He wasn't completely sure but he had a shrewd suspicion that he was being consumed by jealousy.
"Merlin, are you alright?" Gwen asked tentatively as she saw the expression on his face.
"What the hell does he think he's doing?" Merlin asked.
"Who?" Lancelot asked as he and Gwen shared a look of confusion.
"Valiant." Merlin seethed. "He's got his filthy eyes all over Arthur."
"Aww, are you jealous?" Lancelot asked in amusement as he ruffled Merlin's hair.
Merlin glared daggers at him and Lancelot recoiled slightly then made a hasty exit.
"I'm not jealous." Merlin said to Gwen.
She rolled her chocolate coloured eyes at him as she continued to eat.
"Fine." Merlin sighed. "Maybe I'm a little bit jealous."
"Hmm." Gwen replied.
"Ok, a lot jealous." Merlin admitted folding his arms grumpily and resuming his task of glaring hatefully at Valiant. "But I don't know why."
Gwen gaped at him marveling at his idiocy.
"Do I have to spell it out for you?" She asked. "Merlin, you're hopelessly head-over-heels in love with him."
"Don't be ridiculous." Merlin scoffed. "I don't even like Valiant. He's not even good-looking."
"Not with Valiant." Gwen groaned feeling the urge to bash Merlin's head against the table. "With Arthur."
"What? I…no…you're wrong…just no." Merlin stammered.
"Merlin were you born an idiot or did it take practice?" Gwen asked him. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to sound so mean it's just that…well I don't think you're an idiot, not really…it's just that you have moments of idiocy. You and Arthur really care for each other…"
"Yeah, because we're best friends." Merlin interjected.
"Well Morgana's my best friend." Gwen told him. "And I don't sleep with her or glare at anyone who so much as looks at her."
"I'm not gay." Merlin whispered just as Helena came up behind him.
"Hello Merlin, Gwen." She greeted. "Tell me, how is life in the closet?"
"What?" Merlin asked in shock.
Helena smiled innocently at him before walking away.
"Just admit how you feel Merlin." Gwen told him. "It'll make everything so much easier."
With that said, the mocha skinned girl got up and left leaving Merlin alone with his thoughts. He stared down at his half eaten toast for a while before licking the remains of the jam off it and then dropping the toast back onto the plate. When he looked back to Arthur's table he found that it was empty.
Whirling his head around, he saw Arthur just leaving the canteen with Valiant walking by his side, the two of them talking easily like they had been life-long friends.
"You're not jealous because you like him." Merlin said to himself quietly. "You're just annoyed because that snake is taking your best friend away. Yes, that's it."
Science was unbearable that day. From the back of the classroom Merlin couldn't concentrate on a single thing Gaius said. His book was open and his pen was in his hand but the page before him was blank. All he could do was watch the interaction between Arthur and Valiant at the front of the classroom. Did the large boy really have to touch Arthur every time he spoke to him? And why was Arthur allowing the touches? Why was he laughing at everything Valiant told him? And why the hell was he blushing?
"Merlin?" Gaius asked disapprovingly. "Are you even paying attention?"
"Sorry." Merlin apologized as the eyes of his fellow students swiveled on to him, with the exception of Arthur's. "I'm not feeling…I have to go." Merlin said as he grabbed his stuff and quickly fled the classroom.
He stormed down the corridors and kicked the wall in anger as well as ripping down a poster. He threw the doors open so hard that they bashed the wall and created a tiny crack in the white paint. Outside he trudged across the muddy field muttering furiously to himself. With his bag slung over his shoulder, he passed angrily through the gates. As he walked down the street he kicked a stone and watched it bound along the pavement.
After ten minutes of furious pacing he found himself by a children's play park. At the moment it was deserted, most likely due to the undesirable weather.
Merlin jumped over the waist high fence and headed for the swing set. He dumped his bag on the floor where he could see it and then sat down glumly on the swing. With his shoes scuffling on the ground he swung himself gently relaxing somewhat as the wind whipped through his hair.
Perhaps he did love Arthur, Merlin thought. But how could he be sure? And if so, when did it happen and how had he not noticed the change in his feelings?
Hearing footsteps, Merlin turned his head to the left to see a young woman with a child who looked to be about the age of five. They entered the play area and the little boy ran around in circles with his arms spread and blowing air out of his mouth.
"Look at me mummy, I'm a dragon!" The boy called happily.
"That's lovely John." His mother replied as she sat down on a bench and watched him.
John then made his way to the slide. He climbed up before positioning himself on his bottom and sliding down. When he reached the bottom he clapped his hands together and giggled happily before running around to do it again.
After three slides, John grew tired and made his way to the swing-set. He climbed onto the swing beside Merlin and gripped the chains in his pudgy hands before swinging himself.
"I'm John the dragon." He told Merlin happily.
"Oh…that's nice." Merlin replied. "I'm Merlin."
"Merlin? That's a funny name." John told him. "What are you?"
"Excuse me?"
"Well I'm a dragon." John explained. "So what are you?"
"Oh um…a sorcerer." Merlin answered randomly.
"Mummy, mummy, this is Merlin, he's a sorcerer." John called to his mother.
"That's lovely." She replied with a smile. "He's not bothering you is he dear?" She added to Merlin.
"Not at all ma'am." Merlin said politely.
"Do you go to Camelot?" John asked with interest as he continued to swing himself.
"Yes, I do."
"What are your friends called?" John asked nosily.
"Well my best friend is named Arthur." Merlin answered. "And I also have two wonderful friends named Guinevere and Morgana."
"What are they?" John asked. "Are they sorcerers too?"
"Well Morgana is a Lady and also a seer." Merlin made up. "Guinevere is…a shy but beautiful handmaiden and Arthur…"
"What? What is he?" John asked eagerly.
Merlin thought for a moment before remembering Helena's painting of Arthur wielding a sword.
"Arthur is a prince." Merlin told him. "And a fearless swordsman."
"Wow, you're friends with a prince." John said with a note of jealousy in his voice as he brought his swinging to a stop. "Is he handsome? In my story books all the princes are handsome."
"Yeah." Merlin answered with a slight smile. "He's definitely handsome alright."
"You really care about him." John said wisely. "I can tell by the way you talk about him."
"Yes I care for him very much." Merlin admitted. "I doubt I could live without him."
"You sound like two sides of the same coin." John giggled.
"John, it's time to go." His mother told him.
"But I want to stay." John whined as his bottom lip jutted out in an adorable pout.
"John Hurt if you stay out here too long you'll catch a cold, now come on. It's time to go home." She said firmly holding her hand out to him.
"Bye bye Merlin the sorcerer." John said as he waved his hand.
"Bye John the dragon." Merlin replied as he watched the mother and son walk away.
When they were gone, he stayed where he was for a short while until the cold became too much and his bum felt numb. Hopping off the swing he picked up his bag and walked slowly back to Camelot. He slipped through the school gates and just as he entered the school building the bell rang signaling lunch.
He made his way to the canteen with the hopes of finding Gwen and persuading her to help him catch up with the science lesson he'd missed. However, when he entered the hall and snatched sight of Arthur seated next to Valiant, thoughts of catching up on his school work disappeared from his mind.
As if sensing his gaze, Arthur looked in Merlin's direction and two pairs of blue eyes latched on to one another. They stared in silence until Arthur turned his attention back to Valiant. Feeling as though a dagger had been violently thrust into his heart, Merlin turned around and left heading back to his room.
His fists were shaking with anger and a hard lump was lodged in his throat making him feel as though he was going to cry but if tears were threatening to fall he kept them at bay. He punched his mattress a couple of times before biting down into his pillow and letting out an aggravated scream.
Merlin then kicked some of the clothes and books that littered his floor to the edges of the room and created a small space on the carpet where he set up his easel. He took out some paints and dipped his brush into the yellow before getting to work.
When it was done, he stood back and looked at the still wet painting of Arthur. Even with paint and paper Arthur looked handsome. Merlin set the painting on his desk to dry before picking up a pencil and heading back to his easel.
Just before the bell rang signaling the start of the last lesson of the day, Merlin admired his completed sketch of Arthur and discovered that the blonde male looked equally appealing in black and white as he did in painted colour. Of course, nothing could beat the sight of the real thing.
As Merlin entered his history class and made his way determinedly to the seat beside Arthur he finally allowed himself to admit the truth; he did love Arthur.
To Be Continued
(If anyone feels that John was too advanced for a 5 year old, I'd like to make the point now that he is my version of the great dragon so I deliberately made him have clear and understandable speech but tried to make him childish as well, hopefully it worked)
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Love and Hugs, IceQueenRia xxx
