Camelot Drabble Prompt bingo 512: Singin' in the Rain
Merlin Bingo M2115: A1 Slow Dancing
Author's notes: I thought of Merlin humming the Welsh version of Sleep my babe.
Disclaimer: I do not own the BBC version of Merlin; They and Shine do. I am very respectfully borrowing them with no intent to profit. No money has changed hands. No copyright infringement is intended.
It was a dark and stormy night.
Merlin glared at the screen. That was terribly clichéd and as unoriginal as anything he'd ever written. Never mind that outside the wind was howling, the rain clattering hard against the window, lightning flashes igniting the sky, and his boyfriend was late.
His boyfriend.
The very idea made him smile, Not that the posh git was perfect, although that body of Arthur's made Merlin hard just thinking about him, but while he was arrogant and sometimes thoughtless as hell, he was also caring and sweet when he thought no one would notice.
Merlin noticed a lot.
But he was also late, and Merlin was beginning to worry. Arthur out in a thunderstorm was a very bad idea. Arthur hated storms, hated the sound and the flash, and sometimes Merlin wondered why but didn't press the matter, not when Arthur scowled at him for asking.
He tried not to think about Arthur out in the tempest, trying to focus on writing the damned story he'd need for creative writing class tomorrow, but there was another brilliant burst of light, closer this time, and the window shaking with the sound.
Looking out to see if maybe the lightning had hit something nearby, instead, at the end of the street, he spotted Arthur huddled under a store awning. The rain was sheeting down, and Arthur had gone without an umbrella.
Trying to remain calm, thinking that Arthur was just there to wait out the rain, suddenly, there was another bright flash, a crackling boom, and even from far away, Merlin could see Arthur's body go rigid with fear.
Shit.
Grabbing his coat and an umbrella, Merlin rushed down the stairs and into the street. Ignoring that his trousers were getting soaked, his feet squelching as his shoes filled with water, it only took a few moments—an eternity really— to reach Arthur.
Even in the dim light, Merlin could see that Arthur was white as a shroud, pushing up against the doorway as if trying to melt into it or maybe force it open.
Merlin didn't even think, just pulled Arthur into his arms and held on tight. He could feel Arthur shivering with cold or fear, his entire body stiff, and as Merlin stood there, he could feel his own shirt growing wet. Arthur must have been drenched all this time.
Normally, he would have tried to get Arthur to run for it. It wasn't that far to the flat and they were already both dripping, but Arthur seemed unable to move, even with Merlin's coaxing.
"There's a hot bath waiting, and I'll make cocoa or maybe something stronger, if you like?" Merlin said, but Arthur just gripped him tighter. So, Merlin started to babble a bit, thinking that maybe just the sound of his voice would do the trick. "I'm working on that story for class, and I started with 'it was a dark and stormy night', can you believe it? I probably should have saved it or printed it out, just in case we lose power but it's only one sentence and—."
Another brilliant burst of light, a roaring boom somewhere nearby, and Arthur whimpered a little. Merlin pulled him tighter, then not knowing what else to do, began to hum a lullaby, one his mum always used whenever Merlin was upset. He knew he'd get mocked for it when Arthur was himself again, but he didn't care.
When Arthur didn't shove him away, Merlin began to rock a little in time to the music, hoping to get Arthur to focus on something other than the storm. It helped that the rain seemed more a soft tap-tap on the awning overhead, the thunder not quite so loud, as the tempest began to move away.
Still, Merlin didn't let go, just continued to sing, soft and gentle against Arthur's ear, and swayed under the shop sign, dancing as the rain turned into mist.
It took a while but finally Arthur seemed to relax just a little, his death-grip turning into an embrace. They just stood there, shuffling their feet round and round on the tiny landing, until finally Merlin stopped singing and let go.
"You okay?" Merlin murmured.
Arthur took a deep breath and let it out. "I suppose Hunith used to sing it to you, that song."
"Yeah, it always made me feel better," Merlin said, then nodded toward their flat. "You ready to go back?"
Nodding, looking a little sheepish, Arthur said, 'Merlin, I have to apologise. You shouldn't have to get all wet because of me and my… umm failings."
Walking side by side, Merlin nudged him with one shoulder, then barely avoided a puddle when Arthur pushed back. "I'll always be there for you, you know. And those aren't failings to me." Merlin said, more gently, "Do you want to talk about it? The storm, I mean?"
Arthur shook his head. "No, not really, but maybe someday." Merlin tried not to be disappointed, but Arthur's secrets were his own and Merlin vowed to be patient. Arthur said, "I think it's finally stopping. You said something about hot cocoa or maybe something stronger."
As they climbed the stairs and entered the flat, tossing aside his wet coat and useless umbrella, Merlin said, "Well, I've gin and vodka and I think my mum left me some whiskey for my last birthday, but I think a hot bath might be a better idea. You look chilled to the bone."
Now that the storm was over, Arthur seemed his old self. Nodding toward the bathroom, waggling his eyebrows a bit, he said, "We both are. So how about we take a bath… together and see where it takes us?"
Merlin was never going to turn down Arthur naked in a bathtub. Pulling at his wet t-shirt, toeing off his sodden trainers, ignoring the computer screen with its stupid clichéd words on it, Merlin grinned. "I'll race you."
"I'll get there first," Arthur said, tossing his wet coat—the cheat— to Merlin and scrambled toward the tub.
Merlin took one last look at the computer screen, then ran to catch up.
His assignment could wait until morning.
Merlin was about to get shagged. In a bathtub. By Arthur.
Screw 'a dark and stormy night'.
This was much, much better.