Merlin had raked every leaf in sight and had just got out of his shower, when his mobile rang. Thinking it might be Will calling during their lunch period, Merlin picked up without hesitation.
"Hullo Will."
"Will? Cheating on me already, are we?"
Merlin held the mobile away from his ear in disgust. Of course it would be this tosser calling him.
"Merlin, dear, I hope you realize that I'm a very serious monogamist and I shan't take kindly to being tossed aside just like that. How's the lip?"
Merlin rolled his eyes as he walked to his room for some semblance of privacy.
"It's fine, I put steak on it and I'd rather be shot in the face than date a great big prat like you. And Will is my best mate and whom you share English and Math with," Merlin retorted as he sat down at his desk and turned his computer on.
"Oi! Have some respect! A prat is the last thing we Pendragons are! And what kind of person puts steak on their wounds? I'm fine, thank you for not asking"
"Oh, Pendragon, you say? Then I apologize most profusely. I didn't realize you were a royal prat. What are you, sixtieth in line for the throne? And I didn't ask because you obviously got the best medical treatment available to man. Royal prats such as yourself need that sort of thing," Merlin said mockingly.
Arthur chuckled despite himself. Merlin scrunched his nose in confusion and surprise.
"Did you just-,"
"Come now, Merlin, we all slip up, don't be rude. Ahem, so how're we going to do this thing?" Arthur asked, changing the topic.
Merlin drummed his fingers against his desk, something he always did whenever he was in deep thought.
"Hmm, well we could always Skype and practice our scene like that. Have you any idea what scene you'd prefer to do?" Merlin asked thoughtfully as he opened his email and started absentmindedly deleting emails from colleges he'd never even heard of.
"Ugh, I'd have to Skype you? Talking to you via mobile is vile enough as it is and now I'd have to see your face? I'm starting to wonder if I really do need this project grade," Arthur said sarcastically as he made himself comfortable on his own bed.
Merlin scoffed in fake disbelief.
"Ouch, what a low blow," Merlin said, his sarcasm so incessant it was basically daring Arthur to outdo him.
"Love, you haven't felt my low blow," Arthur said in an entirely uncalled for husky voice.
Involuntarily, his body shivered at that voice. Merlin sat there flabbergasted. He kept opening his mouth to say something back, say something witty but no sound came forth. Arthur grinned like a madman as he pressed a bag of ice to his eye. Merlin decided the best course of action was to completely disregard the comment.
"So um, I think it best that we do the first scene; the confrontation between Mercutio and Tybalt? It's only fitting seeing as how the first thing we ever did when we met was insult and then viciously attack each other."
"And clearly I won," Arthur said, quirking a brow even though Merlin couldn't see.
Merlin rolled his eyes as he leaned back in his desk chair.
"Listen here, clotpole, we both need this grade, so be serious."
"Okay-okay," Arthur said into the mobile as he stared at his ceiling.
"So as fitting as the scene between Mercutio and Tybalt would be, I'd rather do the scene where Benvolio consoles the broken hearted Romeo who is honestly just whining. No doubt, you would best play Romeo seeing as how you both share that trait. It would be a realistic performance because you've obviously gotten your heart broken countless of times," Arthur said with a smirk.
Merlin was well aware Arthur couldn't see him but he still sneered at the insult.
"You really are quite the prat."
"So you've reminded me incessantly during the duration of this conversation. Haven't you any new insults?" Arthur asked, knowing full well how annoyed Merlin felt on the other line.
"Then I guess this conversation is over."
And with that, Merlin hung up and threw the mobile at his bed. He was beyond irritated and he didn't quite know why. Merlin had faced many annoying arseholes but Arthur was something entirely different.
Entirely refreshing, a voice in his head said unhelpfully. He ignored this voice and continued to check his inbox.
Arthur on the other hand, laid in his bed smiling to himself. He'd stare at the mobile and smile to himself in amusement. He tried to be bothered by Merlin's obvious over reaction but truth be told, he found it all rather…cute.
That snapped him out of whatever that was. There was nothing cute about Merlin and that was the end of that. He pressed the ice down a bit more firmly, as if the ice could stop him from over thinking things. It did not but the slumber he fell in did.