"Merlin, for god's sake, leave that book!" Gwaine scolded him for the tenth time that morning.
"Merlin"
"Merlin don't be a nerd"
"Merlin please?"
No hope.
"MERLIIIN"
Merlin put the book aside, sighed and replied back.
"What?"
"I need to talk to you about something"
"Not now"
"It's important"
"If you had let me finish the book, you would understand what important things are."
"Merlin, man, for the last time, you need to get out of this house. Grow up. You won't be able to live on your own when I'm gone. You know nothing apart from your books."
Merlin's eyes shot up to meet Gwaine's. He shuffled his hair with his hand and asked him curiously.
"You're leaving?"
"Yes, I'm leaving. Tomorrow morning. My mum's at the hospital and my sis wants me to move in with her."
Merlin remained silent for a couple of minutes, staring at the floor.
"So I'm going to be alone here?" That sounded not bad at all. Gwaine was okay but a little bit of silence and solitude would be perfect for him. Just to finish his essay, complete his experiments and
"No" Gwaine told him. "A bloke called Arthur and his sister are coming. We are meeting them today. The girl will get the flat next door, Arthur's going to share with you."
Merlin sighed. Gwaine wasn't exactly the perfect company for him but he had got used to him.
"What kind of fellow is he, Arthur?"
"I donno. Athletic. Popular."
Merlin sighed again.
"Crap. I'm never going to finish this goddamn essay."
"Take it easy, mate. You haven't even met him."
Merlin didn't reply. He shuffled his hair again and buried his nose on his book.
"When is he going to be here?"
"In a few hours." Gwaine told him.
"Just perfect" Merlin said.
Merlin was in his room when the doorbell rang so Gwaine went to open the door.
"Hello I'm Arthur" a blond tall man with blue eyes said.
"Pleased to meet you, Gwaine" Gwaine said.
"Morgana is in her room" Arthur said happily. "But she'll be here in a few minutes"
"So is this the place?"
"Yup"
"And our rooms?" Arthur said.
Gwaine started laughing.
"What's so funny?"
"Mate, you've got it wrong." Gwaine smiled. "I'm not sharing the flat with you. I'm leaving."
"Then who am I staying with?" Arthur said. He threw a glance at Merlin who appeared from the corner. He looked absolutely normal, with baggy jeans, Converse All Stars and a loose fitting maroon T-shirt, but for some reason Arthur wrinkled his nose momentarily.
"I'm staying with him?" Gwaine looked like a more pleasant alternative. Oh, the problem must have been the pile of seven large books he was carrying.
Merlin left the books and looked at Arthur.
"Am I supposed to be staying with him?"
Gwaine's eyes flickered from the one to the other.
"Ehhm, yes" he said. "Arthur, why don't you go and sort your things? I'll talk with Merlin." He tried to sooth the tense atmosphere.
Arthur laughed.
"Is your name honestly Merlin?"
He nodded.
"I have to say, it suits you well. Weird and nerdy. " he said.
Merlin raised an eyebrow.
"Well, if you had given time to read about the Arthurian legend you would know that Merlin actually saved Arthur." He snapped and turned to leave to his room. Arthur's mouth fell creating a perfect O. That was not the roommate he was expecting. He was a million times worse than his worst fears.
"…and be careful, Gwaine. I need the 0.5 ballpoint. I can't write in anything else"
Merlin was talking with Gwaine on the phone. He was at the stores and Merlin needed some stuff for his experiments. Arthur was out with a friend of his trying to get over the shock about his roommate.
The doorbell rang.
"Come in" Merlin said from inside. The door opened and closed. He did even throw a glance at the direction.
"…and please, tell the prat that I need some silence here. He can't really…"
Merlin's voice trailed off as he saw who had come through the door.
It was a girl. A woman actually. In fact, she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. She had black ebony hair, a pale complexion and the most stunning green eyes he had ever seen.
"…Merlin" Gwaine shouted from the phone.
He hung up and stood to greet her.
"You must be Morgana" he said in the most composed tone he could master.
"Indeed" she smiled. "And you are..?"
"I'm Merlin" he said and they shook hands. "I'm going to be your new neighbor."
She sighed. "Don't be so happy about it. Sharing flats with the prat is a hard business"
Merlin chuckled. The prat. He felt a kind of connection with the new girl. He was beginning to like her.
"Oh, don't worry." He said. "I'm going to have a very nice time with the prat." He smirked.
"I should hope so" she mocked a formal tone.
"So what do you do for a living?' Morgana started.
"I'm a scientist." Merlin said proudly. "I'm working on my PhD now. It's quite the handful"
"At such a young age?" she said. "You must be really, you know, brainy" she winked.
Merlin smiled.
"Brainy" he repeated. "sounds like me. Gwaine calls me a nerd at least fifty times a day. I'm beginning to get used to it."
"Oh no" Morgana said. "It's not being a nerd. You definitely aren't one. I think you are just brilliant."
A voice sounded from the hallway.
'Morgana where the hell are you?" Arthur sounded pretty angry. Oh oh Merlin thought. Why did he have to ruin the moment? His conversation with the first person that thought him normal and brilliant. Wow, he thought again and realized that the said person was now looking at him.
"This must be…" Morgana started.
"…the prat" Merlin finished the sentence for her and the two shared a knowing laugh.
"I gotta go, sorry. "she grabbed her handbag from the chair. "But we should meet again sometime, Merlin." She said. "I'd like to get to know you better" she smiled at him and left the apartment.
"I'd like that too" Merlin smiled back.
Merlin let a heavy breath out.
He had made one terrible and one wonderful first impression that day. That sounded like him. Uncharted.