Merlin sat in his room for the next hour and a half pissed, he kept looking at his watch though, because he knew these people would be arriving soon. But he didn't care, he wasn't going to be helping Gwen anymore. To say he was upset was an understatement, Merlin was fuming. He was enraged and even after an entire hour he was still angry, but now he was regretful. He regretted tossing his ring, because he didn't trust Gwen with it and no matter what she said about it, it was still important. At least to him, anyway. She would probably throw it away and say she had lost it or she didn't know where Merlin had thrown it, even though he knows she did, hell she would even know she did, she would probably gloat when Arthur wasn't around about how she got rid of Merlin's ring, whatever it may be to hurt Merlin in any way she could. Merlin, at this point, just needed to accept that, but it was hard. It was hard to realize that the person Merlin had grown up as a constant support and as someone who he looked up to, could turn so easily on him and stab him in the back, it was hard for him to wrap his head around it, even if he knew he ought to give up hope and stop caring. There was a knock at the door suddenly and Merlin swore if it was Gwen he was going to slap her right here and now, he would take going to jail, but it wasn't Gwen. The person didn't wait for him to answer it, probably because he knew Merlin wasn't going to, and Arthur just walked in anyway.
"Don't make up excuses for her, I'm not helping her," said Merlin, matter-of-fact.
"I'm not making up-"
"I hope one of her friends chokes on a chicken," Merlin continued, angrily cutting Arthur off, because he knew Arthur was here to try and coax Merlin downstairs and that wasn't going to work. Arthur paused in his trying to cut Merlin off as well and he grinned.
"That's a bit much," he commented. "On a chicken, really...?"
"I could say on a dick, but-"
"Alright, that's enough of that...-"
"-I'd get that reaction, because people tend to think I'm a child or something, because I don't pay rent or because I'm useless-"
"I don't think you're a child!"
Merlin paused in his irritated rambling and glared at Arthur. He still hadn't stood up and he hoped he looked threatening now, with his corked eyebrow and angry lips formed into a scowl. "And?" he retorted. "What's your point?" Arthur just looked at him, so Merlin continued on. "That's the love of your life down there acting like a psychotic bitch all the time and you're the one pretending it's fine!"
"She's not the love of my life...for God sake, Merlin...can you stop fussing at me! I didn't come up here to argue with you!" Arthur argued, but Merlin didn't care.
"Well, she damn well better be because I'm not putting up with this bullshit for some passing fancy!" Merlin continued to argue, because if Arthur claimed he wasn't here to argue and then proceeded to argue, Merlin would carry on happily. "And what do you mean fussing? Are you ninety-three now? Fussing, I am fucking done with this, Arthur!"
Arthur didn't retort, or make a comeback, he only put his face in his hands and sighed heavily into them. "...I don't know what you want me to do," he said and he sounded tired. Merlin didn't want him to do anything, he really didn't. There was nothing for Arthur to do. He let go of his face then, and then took a few steps closer to Merlin. "I don't want to come between you and your sister..."
Merlin paused at these words and licked his lips in thought, Arthur had told him that before, and of course he didn't want to, but it had already happened a very long time ago. The very moment they had said I Do it had already happened, it happened the moment Gwen realized she wouldn't be able to have complete control of this situation and it drove her mad. Merlin chose not to say anything, because there was nothing to say, all of the damage had already been done and they both knew that. Instead of speaking anymore, Arthur shoved his right hand into his pocket and pulled something from it, a rather long golden chain, and at the end of it was Merlin's wedding ring. He let the chain dangle from his pointer finger while Merlin stared at it. "What...?"
"So you can wear it without her seeing it, obviously?" said Arthur in such a tarty tone that it made Merlin almost want to be mad at him, which he had never actually been, mad at him, by the way. It was obvious Arthur had thought this was quite clever and it was rather nice, but Merlin refused to smile at the idea, even if his face wanted to.
"She didn't hide it?" he questioned instead and Arthur shrugged.
"She thinks it's in a pot on top of the fridge, she doesn't know I saw her put it there..." Arthur smirked. "I won't say anything if you don't. Don't think she planned on you having it back. However...we're still married so I still require you to wear it"
"Oh, you require it, huh?" retorted Merlin, but this time it was much more playfully than before. "And what if I don't care what you want?"
"That wouldn't be surprising with you" said Arthur, but he took the chain in both hands now and leaned forward, draping it over Merlin's head. The ring fell right at the center of Merlin's chest and swung there, but he chose to ignore that and instead give Arthur a dirty look. Whom, ignored said dirty look and instead, yanked Merlin by the elbow, to stand up. And once Merlin did stand up they kind of just stood there for a second, staring at each other. The dirty look playing on Merlin's face faded and then Arthur let go of his elbow and leaned forward. Wrapping his arms around Merlin's waist and pulled him into a hug. "I really am sorry, Merlin."
Merlin knew this, he knew he was sorry, but he didn't say anything to this either, partly because the breath had just been knocked out of him, not only from the swiftness and the crushing-ness of the hug, but because Arthur offering him any form of affection always kind of threw him off. Not because Arthur was mean or anything, he wasn't. But, they just really didn't do that. However, not for a single millisecond did Merlin not enjoy the hug and take full advantage of it. He wrapped his own arms around Arthur and buried his face into Arthur's shoulder. Arthur took this as acceptance of the hug, and probably of his apology, and rubbed gentle circles into Merlin's back. They stayed like this for a moment or so, until Arthur broke away and gestured towards the door. Merlin had known this was coming ,too. He had known he was being bamboozled by a hug, but he still agreed to go anyway.
(A/N: I know I took a bit to update this, like a week, but I didn't actually have anything written for the next few chapters. I actually wrote most of this story several months ago and the thing I would do then is kinda just write whatever idea I had at the time and I really wrote from varying times, so yeah...It might take a bit longer for updates for the next few chapters, hopefully not tho. Either way, hope you enjoyed!)