"Come on, you look fine," Arthur told Merlin, standing behind him in the bathroom. "You've been wearing my clothes all the time."
"Yeah, a tee shirt and trousers, but this?" Merlin turned around, wearing one of Arthur's nice dress shirts and over jacket. "I look like I've not eaten in a year!"
"I hate to break it to you, mate, but it always looks like you haven't eaten in a year," Arthur told him. "You have to be the skinniest person I've ever met."
"I've told you, food has no appeal to me," Merlin said, turning back to the mirror in the bathroom and sighing.
"And I've told you, you tell me that one more time and I'll punch you in the nose!"
"If you lived as long as I have, food wouldn't matter to you either," Merlin said, looking in the mirror and playing with his eyes lids, just like Pepper does sometimes, checking for crows-feet and whatever else. Arthur grinned at this.
"Yes, Yoda," he said, turning to leave the bathroom. He hit the lights off on his way out and heard a displeased Merlin grumble. "Late we are, party, quickly we may go, Jedi!"
Merlin immerged from the bathroom, looking about ready to strike Arthur in his own nose. Arthur laughed, picking up his evening jacket. Merlin stomped but of the bedroom then and Arthur shook his head, making sure he had his keys and wallet, before turning off the lights in the bedroom. He headed out to the living room and saw Merlin sitting on the couch, cuddling Mr. Noodles.
"What are you doing?" Arthur asked, Merlin looked up and shrugged. "You're getting hair all over my jacket, come on!"
"But Mr. Noodles doesn't feel well, he needs me," Merlin tried but Arthur would have none of it. He marched over to Merlin, pulled Noodles from Merlin's arms, and set him on the sofa. Only then, to pull Merlin up and dust the kitty hairs from the jacket.
"Let's go!"
"Yes, mother" Merlin remarked and Arthur tired to ignore this, as they headed to the door."But Arthur, how can you leave that poor cat alone when he's sick?" Merlin asked, as Arthur opened the back door and all but pushed Merlin outside. "What if he dies?!"
"Then we'll get a new cat, come on!"
Merlin pouted all the way to the car and once he got into the car and as they drove down the street. He only stopped pouting when, at a stop sign; Arthur reached across and slapped him in the face. (Lightly.) He looked offended then, looking over at Arthur, with his mouth hung open in distaste.
"What the hell was that for?"
"Stop pouting!" Arthur told him. "You're going to have fun!"
"Doubt that."
"Merlin…" Arthur rolled his eyes. "This will be good for you; you need to be around people more."
"I'm around you all the time," Merlin tried, smirking at Arthur.
"I mean normal people, not people that…"
"Are dead kings?"
"I'm not-"
"You are!"
"I'm not having this conversation again now, all I want is for you to have some fun," Arthur said, getting on the highway. "Can you do that for me, please?"
"No."
"Well, at least you're honest."
Greg lived in a few towns over, it wasn't as nice of a town as Arthur lived in (at least in Arthur's opinion,) and it took a bit of time to get there. Arthur drove down the highway and it was rather quiet in the car. He glanced over at Merlin and he was pouting again. Arthur rolled his eyes, looking back at the road.
"You know, Merlin," Arthur said. "For someone who's over a thousand years old, you're quite the child."
"It's part of my charm," Merlin said. Arthur rolled his eyes again.
After driving in silence for another ten minutes, Arthur turned off the highway, down a few streets until they came to a stop in front of a big house. With high pillars and white, marble steps that could only really be seen in the daytime. Currently, loud music was being played and even in the car (with it still running,) it could be heard.
"Great, I've waited a thousand years for this," Arthur could hear Merlin mumbling. "To go to frat party, this is great…"
Arthur laughed, "It's going to be fun, I promise you."
"You've promised me a lot of things."
"No, I haven't…"
"Just forget it, let's go to the hell party," Merlin got out of the car then, fixing his jacket as he did. Arthur got out on his side too and looked around, there wasn't that many cars outside, meaning, there was plenty of party still to be had. He led the way up the driveway and to the front door. Where, before he could even knock, it was wrenched open.
"Man!" one of Arthur's friends, Jared, shouted, pulling Arthur into a bro-hug. "Who's the angry bloke?" Arthur turned back to Merlin and saw him cross-armed and pouty. "Seems bitchy."
"That's Merlin," Arthur explained. "He's not exactly thrilled about being here."
"Why not?" Jared asked, a bit drunkenly. "Greg throws slamming parties!"
"Merlin isn't the party kind; he's the sit at home kind."
Jared nodded, side-glancing back at Merlin like he was a disease, Arthur glanced at Merlin, who looked as if he wanted to punch Arthur in the nose again.
"Hey, we'll see ya, mate," Arthur told his friend, patting Jared on the back, before steering Merlin deeper into the house. "I said Greg has great food, let's check out the snacks."
"I'd rather check out the exit."
"That would be counterproductive..." Arthur trailed off as they reached a table full of different mini hotdogs and sausages, plates of cheese and chips. Arthur had praised Greg for his food and he didn't disappoint in his snack quest.
"What makes you say that?" Merlin was asking, picking up a tiny corndog. "I could just go take a nap in the car and when you're too drunk to see, I'll drive us home."
"I won't get drunk," Arthur informed. "I just come to come."
"Good to know…"
"HEEEEEY, GUUUYS, YOU MADE IT!" came a loud voice then; Greg came into view and slung an arm over Merlin's shoulders. Merlin looked alarmed. "I didn't think you guys would show," he said, almost whispering in Merlin's ear, as he laid his head on his shoulder. "This guy…"
Arthur laughed, as he watched Greg patting Merlin's chest. Merlin still looked alarmed. Greg was always very chummy and hands-on, but he seemed to be a bit extra hands-on with Merlin. Arthur had seen Greg get chummy like this before...he frowned at the thought.
"How have you been?" Greg was asking Merlin, running a unstable hand down Merlin's front. Arthur's eyes narrowed, judgingly looking upon Greg. But it went unnoticed.
"I've been..." Merlin trailed off, looking back at Arthur for help. But what could Arthur do? He just stood there, glaring at Greg.
"Come with me," Greg was saying, and then was dragging Merlin away before Arthur could stop it. Merlin was looking back at him for help again, but Arthur didn't know what to do. There was a point between bro's stuff and stomping after someone for stealing their person away. But Merlin wasn't Arthur's person, a person is someone you love or are dating, Merlin was just some guy, and Arthur wasn't gay. There was a line, between being a concerned friend and getting accused of something else. Arthur had a reputation, a girlfriend, (she was his person,) , he didn't need accused of such things and he knew Greg, he knew Greg very well. Even if he was all the things he was calling Arthur, he would still tell anyone and everyone who would listen. So, instead of doing anything at all, Arthur just watched Merlin disappear behind a wall. As he, Arthur, toyed with a chip in his hand.
(A/N: First this chapter and the next chapter were one chapter, but it was like 3,764 words, that's longer than my first chapter of this story, that's not so good, so I split it up. It gives it the edge I think, like...What's going to happen now? Also, chips, are called crisps in England, but I'm not a brit and I didn't want to call it that. So if you are British, feel free to think Arthur is holding a fry and if you are from anywhere else, it's a chip! I'm not exactly happy with how the end of this chapter turned out, I had updated it since writing it and not exactly thrilled with the last paragraph.)