Merlin
Elena had dragged him out of his house on Thursday morning just so he could go shopping with her and Gwen and Lance for this charity dance thing they were talking excitedly about every second of the day.
Merlin did not care about it at all, he really didn't. Right until Elena had begged him to be her date, and it had turned out, quite surprisingly that her Father was actually the one organizing and funding the whole event. He had no clue that she was ridiculously rich, she really didn't have that air about her, the air that Arthur definitely had.
Lance was attending too, except he had actually paid for his ticket. It made Merlin seem like a freeloader. The whole thing was for charity after all, and he felt bad for not contributing.
They all caught the bus to Caerleon, which, according to Gwen, was an excellent shopping scene and not far as London, and the fact that it was only a twenty minute bus ride was an added bonus.
They were going to rent tuxes for Merlin and Lance and then go dress shopping afterwards. Merlin hoped that it wasn't too pricey, because even though he didn't spend that much money, and he had a decent amount stacked up in his back account as Hunith put a fair bit of money in it every month which he never used because Gaius always seemed to give him money when he went out with his friends.
They clambered off the bus at Caerleon, which was a bigger town with a lot more shops and more modern.
"The suit place is a few minutes away." Elena said brightly, leading them down the pebble encrusted pathway and past the pretty water fountain.
"I actually love Caerleon. It's nice." Gwen grinned.
The group of four walked past the cinema, which was displaying show times for a load of different movies.
"We have to go see Perks." Elena exclaimed. "I really want to see that. The book was so good and come on guys!"
"It was a good read. I'm in." Lance replied.
"I would, but I'm sorry guys, Arthur and I were planning on seeing it together." Gwen apologized.
"So?" Elena disregarded her answer. "Ask him if he wants to join us?"
"I don't think…" Gwen said grimly.
"Ask him anyway!" Elena insisted.
"Fine!" Gwen pulled out her phone from her handbag.
After a few moments of silence, Gwen's face broke out into a smile.
"Alright. He can come. What time though?" Gwen asked.
"Ummm, tell him 7? It's three now, we have to shop, you have to shop, then we have to eat. And the movie will start then, so…" Elena said logically.
"Sounds good. But how's everyone getting home?" Lance asked.
"There are five people." Merlin pointed out.
"Arthur offered, and I'm sure he can drop us all off since he's driving here. I'll text him." Gwen suggested.
"Yeah do that." Elena agreed.
...
It took over two hours at the tux place, because the whole process was a lot more complicated than it seemed. Merlin ended up choosing plain black tuxedo jacket and trousers, with a bowtie and everything. "Bowties are cool." He had commented, and the shop assistant laughed, understanding the reference. Lance picked out a dark blue one very similar. They were asked to come on Saturday to collect them.
After they had finally finished and paid, all the shops were closing, and they managed to rush in just in time at a fancy gown shop which was still open. The dresses were over four hundred pounds each, and Gwen eyed them nervously while Elena flounced through each isle with ease.
"Gwen! They have a sale rack over here!" Elena piped up earnestly, fingering through all the different textures and fabrics.
Gwen groaned in embarrassment at her friend's loudness but was secretly relieved because she found a long black chiffon dress, with a rhinestone sash, and reasonably priced. She grabbed it and took it to the dressing rooms to try on.
Elena was the one that took the most time. She had grabbed three or four different dresses but ended up putting them back and staring at the whole shop thoughtfully.
Then finally, when the manager announced that the store would be closing in half an hour's time, Elena sighed and grabbed a one-shoulder floor length dress, it was silky and pale blue and Merlin and Lance both agreed that it would look nice on her.
"It's very pretty." Merlin commented, resting against the white pillar in the middle of the store next to Lance.
"It'll suit you," Lance said tiredly.
"I'm getting this shit." Elena concluded.
"Aren't you going to try it on?" Gwen asked.
"It'll fit me." Elena shrugged.
The two girls paid for their dresses, which were then neatly folded into posh shopping bags and handed to them carefully.
"I'm fucking hungry." Elena expressed wearily. "Let's go get some pizza."
…
"Ah, that was good," Elena burped accidently, undoing the top button of her jean shorts for public display.
"Really?" Lance asked.
"Really." Elena grinned, wiping her face with a napkin.
The waiter came up to them and took away the dirty dish and glass remains of their pizza slices and drinks.
"Right then. We'd better pay and then buy our tickets. Yeah?" Gwen laughed.
"I'm sorry for ruining your date, Gwennie." Elena commented.
"You didn't really," Gwen smiled. "I'm leaving soon anyway, and we better make use of the time we have before I'm gone for months."
"We're all going to miss you Gwen." Lance said quietly.
"Amen to that." Elena smiled.
"It's true." Merlin added.
"So, since Merlin and I haven't actually read the book yet, what's it about? I mean we've seen the trailer and stuff but it doesn't seem to give much away." Gwen said.
"La di da, it's about this boy who's a wallflower and he's really cute and stuff and he goes through some depressing shit and then-" Elena began.
"No." Lance cut her off. "Just don't, El, you're going to put them off the movie."
"Well," Elena said, offended. "Why don't you explain the film, if you're such a know-it-all?"
"Don't fight, you two," Gwen interrupted. "Anyway, the movie starts in a half hour; we should go get tickets, yeah?"
"That's a good idea." Merlin smiled. "Now where's Arthur meeting us again?"
"Just outside the cinema." Gwen confirmed.
Arthur
He was waiting impatiently outside the theatre, where many people breezed past him to inside. He held his head up high and scanned the area. Two warm hands suddenly were placed on his eyes.
"Guess who?" Gwen asked teasingly.
Arthur laughed turned Gwen around, pulling her into an embrace. Elena and Lance and Merlin were walking behind her, approaching the pair slowly. He broke apart from Gwen and began walking up to Merlin to punch him in the shoulder when he realized that none of the people here knew they were friends, so he contained himself. He smiled briefly at Merlin then looked away when he saw a flash of hurt in his eyes.
"Hey." Arthur said casually to the group.
"Let's go inside, shall we?" Lance suggested.
"How much do I owe you, love, for the ticket?" Arthur said sweetly to Gwen.
"Hush, you don't owe me anything, I don't mind paying." Gwen giggled.
"You people." Elena said pointedly to Arthur and Gwen. "Shut the fuck up. I love being single, because no-one deserves this amount of fabulous. But you're making me depressed about not having someone to pay for my shit, apart from my parents."
"I'll pay for your drink in the movie?" Merlin offered, nudging Elena.
"No it's okay," Elena declined, patting Merlin's shoulder and winking at him.
They all headed inside after that, purchasing popcorn and drinks from the sweet counter and then flashing their tickets to the employee before finding the cinema they were in.
"I'm legit, really scared." Elena confessed, sinking into one of the red plush seats. "They better fucking not screw up the book."
"I really want to read the book now." Merlin said, sitting next to her.
"I've read the reviews, and everyone has pretty much said that it's quite brilliant." Lancelot smiled.
Arthur sat down awkwardly next to Merlin, fighting the compulsion to start a conversation with him; it was so hard because the banter was so natural between them.
"So have you read the book?" Merlin asked Arthur.
"No, not me, I don't really read. I prefer films," Arthur answered politely, because Gwen was watching him like a hawk and he knew that she would bite his head off if he was rude to Merlin- which was a normal thing for him.
"Ooh what type of films, Arthur?" Gwen asked, fighting to keep the conversation going between the two of them because the screen was still black and the trailers hadn't even started yet.
Arthur raised his eyebrows at Gwen and then turned back to Merlin, the corner of his mouth twitching because Merlin already knew what type of films Arthur liked.
"Um Hitchcock, and Charlie Chaplin, I like western, sheriff and cowboy films. Anything old really." Arthur said awkwardly.
"Oh cool." Merlin nodded his head slightly.
"Arthur!" Elena suddenly barked "Can we swap?"
"Why?" Arthur answered.
"No." Elena hissed back. "I need Gwen as my cuddle buddy. This movie is sad and I need someone to hold when the onslaught of feels arrive and Merlin's all skin and bones and Lance is wearing the cologne that I don't like."
"Hey!" Lance called out from the other side of Elena.
"Really?" Arthur groaned.
"Arthur, it's best not to argue, I don't mind swapping." Gwen said generously.
"Come on Elena," Arthur insisted.
"Fuck off." Elena replied curtly.
"Fine." Arthur gave in and got up, carrying bag of M & M's.
They did the swap, and now he was wedged between Merlin and Lance.
"Guess I'm stuck with you, Prat." Merlin said silently to the other boy, and the screen finally came to life and the advertisements began.
"Great." Arthur laughed. "Idiot."
After a while, the lights slowly dimmed down, and the movie began to play. Arthur stared at Merlin, who gazing at the screen intently, a hint of sadness in his big blue eyes.
Arthur checked his wristwatch, a half an hour had past, and he movie was pretty good so far. Not at all like what he had been expecting. He felt bad for the character, Charlie, the poor guy. The American high school in this film was brutal. He turned back to glance at Merlin, wondering if he was enjoying the movie, it seemed his kind of thing anyway.
Time passed slowly, and the storyline kept getting better and better. He thought he liked the character of Patrick most of all.
And then when the film was coming to an end, and the scenes kept getting more and more intense, he didn't know exactly how it happened, but Merlin's ended up clutching his own hand underneath the drink holder in between them. They didn't talk, they didn't make a noise. Merlin's grip would become tighter whenever there was an especially emotional scene. Arthur didn't pull away, he just left it there.
Oh but it felt so right, he knew they probably would never speak of this after but he didn't want to lose the moment.