Merlin's Kisses
By Unknown Book
Chapter 3: Percival
(A/N: There's a bit of a time jump in this chapter. Not a big one, but I thought I'd give you a warning.)
Percy earns his cheek kiss by bringing Merlin some flowers.
Well, that's not correct; Percy thinksthat giving Merlin flowers earned his cheek kiss. But the gentle giant's done far more for his friend in the past week.
After he and Lance visited the druids, Percival witnessed Arthur's mood take a sharp turn. No one knows how it started, but Merlin is facing the brunt of it. His chores have tripled, he's been in the stocks three times already, and Arthur does nothing but yell at him.
Percy takes up some of Merlin's work without being asked. He can see how much his friend is hurting, not just from the physical work, but from the emotional whiplash.
Merlin's just finished cleaning up from his latest "stockade escapade" when Percival enters the physician's chambers.
"Percy." Merlin sounds so defeated and distraught when he sees Percival, who's standing there with flowers. He crosses the room and simply collapses into his large friend's hold.
Percival holds him up for as long as he needs, using a gentle hand to work the knots from the servant's shoulders.
No words need to be exchanged, but sometimes it helps to hear them out loud. "He'll come around. Until then, we'll appreciate you," Percy says.
A watery, relief-filled chuckle reaches Percival's ears, followed closely by a sniffle. He feels Merlin tug on his tunic, and when he leans down, a kiss is pressed to his cheek.
When Percy finally releases him, Merlin has started smiling again, a sight Camelot hasn't seen in a while.
Percival, being the mass of love that he is, doesn't feel he's earned Merlin's kiss. All he did was bring flowers. He leaves in search of more nice things to do for Merlin, passing a transfixed Arthur on the way out.
In the days following his conversation with Percy, Merlin sees Arthur's mood do a 180° flip.
In the mornings, Arthur wakes, dresses, and leaves his chambers before Merlin arrives. For the rest of the day, he trains hard with the knights, works on paperwork, and eats his meals in near silence.
On the rare occasion that Arthur speaks to Merlin, it's kept short and quiet, with simple thanks or dismissals. That's been the extent of their interactions for three days now.
Merlin's been chasing him around, trying to goad him for answers. Arthur says nothing. Finally, Merlin snaps. He barges into Arthur's room on the third night.
"Arthur, something is wrong. You've been ignoring everyone for days now. You can't keep going on this way. First, you're angry for a whole week, and then this." Merlin uses his pause to take note of Arthur's appearance. He doesn't look well. He's barely touched his dinner, he's paler than a sheet of paper, and there are dark bags under his eyes.
Merlin approaches the table and sits next to Arthur. With a quieter tone, he tries again.
"What's going on?" Arthur remains silent and makes no eye contact with Merlin. "Please Arthur, I just want to help." Still, he's met with silence. "Did I do something wrong? I—"
"Merlin." Arthur's voice is gravelly. Merlin assumes it's from disuse but has the strangest feeling there's more behind it. Maybe sadness, or panic? "I think it's time you take a few nights off."
"I—who—you're not sacking me, are you? If I've done something wrong, I'd like to—" Arthur's quick to cut off Merlin's would-be rant.
"You've done nothing wrong. This is more for me than you, I have some thinking to do, and you—" Arthur cuts himself off; this isn't the time for teasing. He clears his throat before trying again. "I've had a difficult time thinking about this… particular subject. I just think a change of… atmosphere, could be beneficial."
Merlin doesn't like the way Arthur is talking. It's very reminiscent of how he speaks with the council or other nobles. It feels gross in a way Merlin's never considered before. He misses the familiarity.
"I'd like you to focus on your duties as the Physician's Apprentice. For the next few days, you're to steer clear of your duties as my manservant. No bringing me things, dressing me—in fact, you should probably steer clear of my quarters entirely." Arthur stands and ushers Merlin out of the room while the man remains nonplussed.
"Don't worry, in a few days, you'll be my servant again. Until then, take time off." Arthur makes sure the guards at the door are listening as he prepares to shut Merlin out. He doesn't want a repeat of Gwaine's dungeon stunt. "And Merlin, I don't want to see you near my chambers during that time. I'll let the guards know when you're welcomed back, okay? Good." He closes the door and locks it just as Merlin regains his voice.
"Bu—" Merlin's face is so close to the door that though it shut softly, it felt like it was slammed. He reached for the door handle as the lock clicked into place.
One of the guards escorts Merlin away from the room.
(A/N: Here, have 22 minutes of Merthur touching: watch?v=XAYDW_eL0lY If you'll notice, after the whole "not hug" situation, Merlin only touches Arthur out of necessity (or when he's unconscious). Arthur is the one initiating all the small touches, and it's almost like he's saying, "No wait, I've changed my mind. Come back. :" )
(A/N: LOL, I started on the first few chapters of a sequel. Y'all convinced me with all those sweet comments. XD I don't know when it'll be released, but I hope you'll like it as much as this one.)