Notes: Just a tiny one tonight, more tomorrow to make up for my absence this week :)
X 9 X
Merlin knew getting married would change things. He knew it would mean that they would be inseparable in people's minds, Merlin-and-Morgana, buy one and get the other chucked in for free whether or not you wanted both. He knew Morgana would start signing things as Morgana Emrys, even if that knowledge surprised him at first because he'd've thought she was the type to keep her own name. He knew that they'd get some kind of tax credit, that he'd have to declare his marital status when filling in some forms, that when he introduced Morgana to people as his wife, they'd blink at him in surprise but, for the most part, be too polite to comment on how utterly out of his league she is. He knew things would be different.
He never realised Arthur would hate him for it, though.
X
It's not obvious at first, mostly because they're on their honeymoon and, apart from a quick text to let everyone know that they've got there safely, he hasn't contacted home, and home has returned the favour by leaving the pair of them to enjoy their newly-wedded bliss in peace. Merlin spends mornings dragging Morgana around museums and galleries, trying not to say I told you not to wear those heels whenever she complains about her feet hurting; in return, she doesn't laugh at his afternoons full of put-upon sighs as he follows her from one shop to another, weighed down with her many purchases.
In the evenings, they go back to their hotel room, sometimes stopping for dinner on the way. If not, Merlin leaves Morgana to call for room service while he sets the hot tub in their ridiculously enormous bathroom running, and after that point the only thing on his mind is his wife.
He's happy, so happy that he can hardly believe it's going to last, but even if it's only for the moment, that surely has to be good enough.
X
It is with great reluctance that Arthur answers his mobile when Gwaine calls him on Friday, but then since Gwaine has been his main source of both companionship and alcohol over the fortnight his sister and Merlin have been away, he feels obliged to do so. He doesn't feel obliged to be polite, but then he's yet to encounter any good deed that would make him consider it absolutely necessary to be polite to Gwaine.
"What?" he says, gruff, trying to ignore how much he sounds like his father.
"Good evening, sunshine," Gwaine answers, stupidly bright, unpleasantly cheery. "Just letting you know that I can't make our little margarita and moping session this evening."
"Oh," Arthur says, and it's a bad state of mind to be in when that news actually makes him feel worse. Though, actually... "I know I've not really been sober lately, but I think I'd remember if I'd had margaritas."
"Alliteration, alchy," Gwaine says, and Arthur resists the urge to make a quip about how that's an impressively big word for him. "Look, though, we're making welcome home banners for Merlin and Morgana, so that we can meet them at the airport tomorrow. I offered to invite you, figured it'd save you the trouble of coming up with an excuse if it was me."
"Oh," Arthur says again. "Thanks, I guess."
"Welcome, princess," Gwaine drawls, and it's an even sorrier state of affairs that the nickname doesn't bother him anymore. "I'll pop by tomorrow evening, if you want?"
"Whatever," Arthur answers, then hangs up, safe in the knowledge that Gwaine knows him well enough to take that as a yes.
X
It's not obvious when they're away, but as soon as Merlin gets back, he notices.
Arthur isn't at the airport with everyone else to greet them, nor does he appear at the restaurant they all go to for lunch. He's not at Gwen and Lancelot's welcome home supper, nor does he leave a note apologising for his absence the way Gwaine does.
He doesn't pick up when Merlin calls to say hello when they get home. He doesn't pick up on Sunday, when Merlin tries to set up a time for him to give Arthur the gift they bought on the trip, a replica of a sword belonging to one hugely famous emperor or another and a complete bitch to get through airport security.
He's not in his office when Merlin goes by on Monday, and he's still not there on Tuesday. On Wednesday, when Merlin doesn't get the chance to go over there, his emails bounce back, and Merlin tries to tell himself it must be an IT fault rather than because Arthur is blocking him.
Thursday evening, he stands on Arthur's doorstep for half an hour, watching the closed curtains twitch and then swearing at the locked door until one of the neighbours calls the police on him, and it is only because of who Morgana is that he doesn't actually end up under arrest.
Friday night, Morgana calls him out on his being "a grumpy, irritable git, as bad as Arthur, honestly," then demands that he explain why. Merlin does, feeling awful, like he's done something unforgivable, and when he's done Morgana apologises, hugs him, then gets down on her knees and does her best to make good on her promise to make him forget about it.
"I love you," he says after, kissing the taste of himself from her mouth, then following as she leads him to their bedroom and proceeds to make him forget about it all over again.
"I love you," he says, and resolves to give Arthur another week, maybe two, to come to terms with this huge change in all of their lives, this change that Merlin doesn't even think he would have made if he'd known Arthur would hate him for it.
He'll give Arthur another week, maybe two, and then he'll consider starting to pester him again.