Stealing Dresses
Set during Season 5. Arthur catches Merlin looking at dresses again.
Disclaimer: I don't own 'Merlin'. If I did I would have liked Season 5 much better.
…
"Merlin."
Merlin spun around, hugging the dress to himself defensively. Arthur simply stared at him, the hint of a grin flickering about the corners of his mouth.
"I'm sure you have a very reasonable explanation for this."
"Yes." Merlin agreed. Arthur cocked an eyebrow quizzically. Merlin grinned at him hopefully, trying to look innocent.
"Which is?" Arthur pressed. Merlin's face fell.
"Erm, well… it's Gwen", he declared, with a flash of genius. Arthur's expression immediately changed to one of concern and anxiety.
"Is she alright?" he asked worriedly.
"She's fine", Merlin said, desperate to remedy his mistake. The point of bringing up Gwen was to provide a reasonable explanation for why he was looking through her dresses, not to get Arthur all concerned for no reason. "She got mud – on her dress – and asked me to fetch her another one."
"Really?" Arthur asked, his tone coloured with disbelief.
"Yes!" Merlin insisted, struggling to maintain his façade of innocent idiocy. He looked down at the dress he was holding. "This should be fine." He looked back up at Arthur, who was still staring at him strangely.
"I'd better go." Merlin turned and quickly made his way towards the door.
"Merlin!"
Merlin turned to face Arthur, an anxious expression on his face. Arthur pulled a deep blue dress from the cupboard and looked at it critically.
"Here." Arthur tossed the dress to Merlin, who deftly caught it and looked up at the King, puzzled.
"Matches your eyes", Arthur said with a grin. Cheeks burning, Merlin turned and ducked out of the room.
…
Poor Merlin is always getting teased for being like a girl! His being caught with dresses certainly doesn't help.