Hello all! Welcome to the next chapter! Much longer chapter this time around! I hope you all enjoy it!
Thanks to Nini03, ForzaDelDestino and I swear I'm not crazy for reviewing last chapter!
And without further ado, here's the chapter!
Two Years, Nine Months After Meeting
"We were only going out for like eight months, but I still feel like my life is over!"
Arthur blinked slowly, his mind refusing to comprehend the situation he was in.
In a pique of drunkenness, Merlin had decided for some unfathomable reason, to drape himself across Arthur's lap. Not Gwen's lap, not Lance's, not Morgana's, but his lap! Arthur was simultaneously in heaven and hell. Heaven because it was Merlin and he was draped across his lap. Arthur couldn't emphasize that point enough. The blonde had to control the reflexive urge to stick his nose in to Merlin's neck and inhale his intoxicating scent.
Even the over coating of alcohol couldn't deter Arthur.
But it was definitely also hell because Merlin was draped across his lap and he couldn't touch him despite their close proximity, none of which was initiated by him. He kept his hands firmly pinned to his sides and thanked the gods he had been late coming to this meet up because Arthur didn't think he would have been able to control himself if he was a drunk as Merlin was right now.
He didn't really want to answer awkward questions from his friends about why he'd suddenly felt compelled to feel Merlin up let alone answer the question why he was okay with feeling another man up all of a sudden when he was strictly straight as far as his friends knew. And speaking of which, where were those 'friends' right now so to speak? Their table now lay abandoned; it was just Merlin and Arthur sitting at the table together.
Arthur was surprised that no one seemed uncomfortable with the thought of leaving the two of them alone together considering their prior history. Arthur sighed. He could really used the threat of scrutinizing eyes right now. It was getting harder and harder to resist the urge to make out with Merlin's throat because it was right there, stretched out enticingly across his right thigh, an expanse of ridiculously pale skin attached to Merlin's ridiculously cute head which was currently nodding around to some invisible beat as he stared up with glassy eyes at Arthur.
"Heeeeey Arthur, you're actually kind of cute..." Merlin giggled, blue eyes half-lidded and Arthur could almost imagine that they were come-hither eyes Merlin was making at him. He felt his heart rate sky rocket instantly in response to Merlin's comment and his less than pristine thoughts. Arthur could feel a hot flush wending its way up the back of his neck to his cheeks.
"You're drunk you stupid idiot," he bit out defensively, cursing himself for feeling so stupidly excited at Merlin's off hand comment. The brunette pouted and looked away from Arthur.
"Graugh, stupid Edwin," Merlin grumbled and pulled himself clumsily off of Arthur's lap. The blonde found himself missing the contact though he quashed those sentiments mercilessly by taking a fortifying swig of his beer.
"Edwin was a creepy jerk Merlin," Arthur found himself blurting out instead. He winced at the forwardness of the comment. He wasn't on good enough terms with Merlin to have any right to make such a comment. Merlin just began giggling. Arthur frowned.
"You're just saying that because you didn't like him."
Arthur's frown deepened.
"No, I"m saying that because he was a creepy jerk. Even Morgana and Gwen thought so too and they had lots of time to spend with Edwin to get to know him."
"Oh, so you're just following the opinion of the masses now are you?" Merlin turned a surprisingly focused gaze on him.
"Now that just makes me sound like a stupid drone," Arthur protested. "I can make my own judgements for myself thank-you very much!"
"Okay then, so what's your judgement on me then?" Merlin stared at him with a challenging light in his eyes. It was patently unfair that Merlin managed to be so alert and sharp despite how drunk Arthur knew him to be at the moment. The blonde was silent for a moment as he mulled over his answer.
"Oh judging by the long, silent pause you must think I'm a creepy jerk also," Merlin took a swig of a beer Arthur quickly recognized was his since his pint was suddenly missing from in front of him.
"Hey that's mine!" Arthur protested, hand shooting out to grab at his pint. Merlin skillfully dodged his attempted with surprising dexterity and finesse considering his drunken state.
"Answer the question Arthur," Merlin sing-songed from around Arthur's pint, his tone playful though his eyes were completely serious. Arthur huffed.
"Where is all of this coming from?" He groused, strangely reluctant to answer Merlin's question.
"It's a valid question, what do you think of me?"
"You're an idiot!" Arthur snapped, frustration and annoyance getting the better of him. Merlin's face dropped in to a frown.
"Well, no wonder—"
"But you're a nice idiot," Arthur motored on, cutting off whatever Merlin was about to say. Merlin's cheeks puffed out as he stared in confusion.
"You're intelligent and kind and care far too much about everyone else for your own good. And you're not a creep like Edwin." He cut himself off before accolades to Merlin's divine beauty began spouting off out of his mouth without his permission. That would just be embarrassing for Arthur and he was sure it would give Merlin a heart attack given his currently flabbergasted state. The other man's mouth was doing a nice impression of a dying fish on lands and his eyes were bugging out, the whites of his eyes showing.
"B-b-but you hate me!" Merlin sputtered out. "We hate each other! Well we're supposed to, you're always so mean to me!"
"We hardly talk Merlin," Arthur replied, studiously refusing to acknowledge the first year of their "acquaintanceship" where he'd used juvenile playground tactics in a misguided attempt to push Merlin away yet still keep the brunette's attention on him at the same time.
"Well that was after you were a total jerk to me!" Merlin flapped his hand about as if that would help emphasize his point.
"Well what do you think of me?" Arthur asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
"You're a prat," Merlin replied instantly. "An arrogant, self-centred prat."
Arthur sighed, regretting having ever asked.
"But," Merlin paused, eyebrows scrunched adorably. "You can be really nice when you let yourself be. Nice and pleasant. And you can be funny. Also when you let yourself be. I always wonder why you hate me so much because I actually think we could be good friends."
"I don't hate you," Arthur said softly.
"Then why are you such a special prat to me?" Merlin asked. "You're not half the prat to other people as you are to me."
No way was Arthur going to tell Merlin the actual reason behind his prattishness so he just shrugged awkwardly while scrambling for an answer.
"I... I think we just started off on the wrong foot," Arthur answered eventually. "And well I guess I was a bit immature when we met so I was a prat to you. But I promise you that I've grown up."
Merlin chuckled. "Grown up into a mature prat."
Arthur chuckled along with him. And suddenly he didn't want this to end. He didn't want this sudden warm and easy camaraderie he and Merlin were sharing to end. He didn't want to leave the bar tonight and return to being on barely speaking terms with Merlin. He just didn't want to be without Merlin. Not any more. And so he took the plunge.
"Merlin, I'm... I'm sorry for being such a prat and all that all these years. I'm not sure why I was, but I'd like for us to start again with a clean slate."
Merlin studied him from around his stolen pint glass.
"Alright," the brunette nodded. "Alright, I think we can do that."
Arthur couldn't fight back his answering smile and Merlin grinned back at him.
"To new beginnings!" Merlin toasted raising his or rather Arthur's pint glass in to the air. Beer sloshed over the side as Merlin's arm seemed to jerk involuntarily and the amber liquid welled over the side and splashed onto Merlin's face. Arthur almost cracked a rib laughing as he tried to help Merlin clean up the spilled beer though he was laughing too hard to be of much use.
"You're still sloshed," Arthur gasped. "It's a wonder we've managed to have such a sensible conversation."
"Hey!" Merlin protested. "I happen to be a very intelligible and coherent drunk. I'm just... horribly uncoordinated when smashed..."
"Will you even remember this conversation tomorrow?" Arthur spoke trying to keep his tone light while he asked the question, but he still couldn't hide his uncertainty from his face. This was progress he had just made with Merlin that he was reluctant to lose just because Merlin had been too drunk to remember it. Merlin giggled.
"Oh no, I won't forget this. I finally made friends with the Arthur Pendragon, I'm going to remember this forever. Now we need to toast this properly!" Merlin exclaimed. He paused, frowning.
"Where's your drink?"
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Idiot, you stole it."
"Well why haven't you ordered another?" Merlin squawked looking offended, even though he had been the only one to commit any sort of offense.
"You're paying for it," Arthur stated, narrowing his eyes at Merlin as he raised his hand to call a server over. Merlin squawked in protest again and they spent the rest of the night bickering good-naturedly, acting like they had been friends for years instead of like two people who had only just made a step in that direction.
Reviews and concrit are welcome! Flames will be doused with your tears when I get my hands on you!