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DISCLAIMER: I WISH I own Merlin as well as two crossover characters from the Big Bang Theory: Sheldon Lee Cooper and Amy Farrah Fowler.
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CHAPTER VII: Conflicting Emotions
IMPERIAL COLLEGE
PRESENT DAY
Merlin, Lance, and two of other friends were peacefully having lunch at a relatively hidden balcony roof. Merlin was having fried chicken for lunch and she liked to eat it bare-handed. She was too indulged in eating that she did not notice her friends watching her.
"Don't you think something is especially unusual with Merlin today?" Sheldon commented in his usual accented tone, before adding with blunt distaste. "You know, aside from that hideous eating habits of hers."
Sheldon was a germ-o-phobic, and if he wasn't friends with Merlin he would've stabbed her with his invisible light-saber.
"I agree with you there, Sheldon. She has become more… aesthetically pleasing to look at. Which is odd since she isn't wearing those bothersome tools called 'make-up' and –yes—not to mention her current uncomfortable eating habits." Amy added getting Merlin to flinch for a moment but then shrugged the comments off.
She was in too much of a good mood to mind, thanks to a certain actor who didn't forget to deliver her a box of her favorite brand of chocolate a little earlier that day. That hearty laugh of his when he found out about what really happened with the Gwen thing...
He was jealous and the thought made her feel elated.
"Ah… I've read a term the masses use somewhere…" Sheldon said as he looked down to make his pondering pose. He and Amy had agreed to do research on less-intellectual people they collectively call the 'masses'. When he finally recalled about a millisecond later he automatically held out a finger to gesture it.
"They call it 'blooming'. The term they adopted to refer to a female – or even nowadays albeit rarely, to males as well- who expresses qualities aesthetically pleasing usually because she/he is under an emotion named 'love'." He stated. It was all so mechanical and it got Merlin to gag her precious food involuntarily. Lancelot just looked at them for a moment but resumed eating grimly.
"Analyzing the time-frame. It should be sometime between Friday night and Saturday afternoon." Amy declared making Merlin's eyes widen in shock.
"How'd you—"
"That's classified information, Merlin. We're can only tell outsiders once we have already published our research work."
"Hey!" She exclaimed demanding an explanation.
"Only 5 minutes before classes start." Lance intervened and initiated the cleaning. Everyone stared at him for an instant and then decided to do what they were told to. Amy and Sheldon's class were in another building so they decided to go one after them; leaving the other two do the rest of the cleaning, unsurprisingly… since Sheldon forgot his gloves.
"Lance?" Merlin whispered at her friend who had been especially quiet the past few hours. "I'm really sorry I wasn't able to come last Saturday. I promise I'll come in this one…" She muttered. There was so much that happened the previous week-end that she knew she would not be in the state to interact with anyone non-Camelot related.
"It's fine. You called much earlier to inform me anyway. It's not like I have the right to interfere on your date or something." He uttered under his breath. She felt annoyance in his tone that made her extremely guilty – and perplexed at the final comment. She was not in a date that weekend. She and Bradley only so far called each other or he went to her house for a short visit.
"I was not in a date, Lance."
"Weren't you?" He asked—almost stoically—but the sardonic tone in his voice was unmistakable. Merlin felt annoyed - did he look at her that way? As someone who would blow her friends for a date?
She gathered as much composure as she could muster before speaking. "You're jumping into conclusions Lance."
"Ah..." He voiced out, turning away, and not sounding convinced at all. This made her frown.
"What's wrong with you?"
"What do you think?"
"Do you think I'm the type of person that would cancel an important appointment to a friend for a date?"
This made him stop and stare at her, suddenly very unsure of himself. But whichever it is, Merlin thought it hurt and she was seriously offended.
"And to think you're an aspiring scientist—" She mumbled referring to him assuming things so quickly but then cut herself off. It was rude, very rude, especially since it aimed at Lance's capacity as a scientist.
"I'm sorry I—"
"It's fine. You're right." He muttered and turned his back at her. "Let's go. We'll be late."
Merlin wanted so badly to interrogate him, and then apologize but the urgent tone in his voice made sure she feel too bad to even think of trying. In the end, she just nodded reluctantly and followed his footsteps.
...
*A few hours later*
Lance did not avoid her, but the tension between them was obvious. She decided to give him space for a few subjects but she couldn't take the suspense any longer—and so she decided to approach him. "Lance?"
"Are you still not talking to me?"
"I never really stopped talking to you…"
"Lance…"
"Merlin."
"I'm still going to your place this Saturday, right?" She asked so hopefully that Lance was forced to hide his smile.
"Won't your boyfriend dislike that?" He replied, not particularly expecting that they are actually dating. He just assumed—or convinced himself—that it was just some sort of shallow crush on Merlin's part.
"I don't think so… I'm just going to see your shop and family, after all. I don't know why he would dislike that…"
He flinched. "You are dating?"
She gaped at him. She wanted to say it wasn't that exactly, but at the same time it would be a lie to say she wasn't going out with anyone. It was all very vague so she decided not to explain. But still. "W-What's with that reaction? Didn't you just say – "
"Y-You're right. I'm sorry, I'm… just not feeling well today."
"Oh… You should've stayed home… You're illness might get worse." She said, misunderstanding his statement.
"I guess…" He muttered miserably. He immediately composed himself and looked at the girl. It was no use confusing her, he knew. She seemed happy anyway—he simply couldn't tell her that his slowly intensifying crush on her suddenly transformed into something impossibly deeper overnight.
How the heck was that even possible?
He had no idea how that happened but it meant, in any case, that he was not ready to hang out with her anytime soon. He'd need some time to get a hold of himself and decided to cancel their appointment. But in the end, he wasn't able to do so. Not with that anxious expression she was making...
"Fine…Let's see each other this Saturday then?" He reluctantly offered, but Merlin beamed anyway.
"Okay!"
MITCHELL RESIDENCE
After getting ready for bed, her phone rang. She knew who the caller was both because of the ringtone, but also because it had become quite the routine for them. "Hello Miss-most-famous-wizard-in-the-world." He hummed, and it was very uncharacteristic.
"What's with you?"
"I had a dream during my mid-shooting break."
"And…?"
"What do you remember between the time after the Alfanc and before the I saved your life with the Morpheus incident?"
"Not much…" She replied, also because she has yet to dream about this Morpheus incident. Maybe she'll dream it tonight or… he was just making it up?
"I thought so. You were asleep the whole time. I was the one working my ass off."
"Hey! Don't talk as if I didn't save your life countless time before. I did way more of the heroics."
"Really?"
"I suppose... I couldn't even count how many times I saved your life until the plague." She answered proudly.
"Darn." He said monotonously. Merlin could only smile.
"What were you planning?"
"I was going to ask you on a date this Saturday as payment. But, apparently, you paid it off already..."
Her back straightened up at this. "Continue."
"I needed a break, it would be nice if I spend it with the reincarnation of the most famous wizard in the world." He said in a way that he was so obviously expecting her to agree with the date anyway. Merlin winced at the implications, she really did want to agree but Lance was her important friend – she couldn't cancel on him again.
"Can't any other day that is not Saturday be fine?" She mumbled under her breath. Silence ensued for several seconds until Bradley broke it.
"…how come?"
" I had a previous engagement with a friend. It was supposed to be last Saturday... but I had to cancel because of all the confusion, so…" She paused, hoping she didn't disappoint him as much as she feared.
Thankfully, he wasn't.
"I see… I'll open up my Sunday afternoon, then?" He said, with a tone that's created a mental image of him and his planner. Merlin's teasing side suddenly came over.
"I never said I'd go on the date, you know…"
"…"
"Haha. I'm kidding. Thanks… for adjusting, of course." She smiled, just before a yawn came over.
"Goodnight, Merlin."
She smirked. "Night... See you this Sunday, then."
CAMELOT
PRINCE'S QUARTERS
5TH C.A.D
Merlin frowned at Arthur's more-obvious-than-usual annoyance towards her. Their little chats (bickering included) were minimized, and he always vocally pushed her away.
"Don't come too close. You smell." He stated when she was arranging his vest. She smelled herself when he was looking and her eyes twitched. She never wore – and never will wear – perfumes but she knew she did not smell bad. Had he become so haughty as to categorize people without expensive perfume as bloody smelly?
After she arranged everything that he would need for the day, she decided to take her leave.
"I'll leave you then." She muttered somewhat bitterly making her mentally slap herself. She shouldn't really care.
"Wait!" Arthur shouted and she turned around, unsure what exactly she was hoping for...
"Is there anything else, sire?" She asked under her breath, sounding cynical as she pushed sense of hope away. She was surprised with the sudden sad expression he let out for a moment and opened his mouth to say something, but he shook his head. Merlin flinched when he suddenly turned back to his arrogant self.
"Hurry, my nose can only take so much." He replied getting her to frown deeply.
"As you wish." She whispered, stomped away... and banged the door.
'What a prat.'
…
Arthur punched the door angrily in a vain attempt to calm himself. What was he supposed to do? He definitely couldn't have these feelings towards a mere servant let alone a fellow man. His father would die if he heard of this.
But now that he didn't see Merlin for two whole days because he needed to rest, the longing he felt for the boy was all but unmistakable. Morgana was right. He was falling for Merlin.
And that was definitely unacceptable.
A few days passed since then, and inside the palace's hall—confusion ensued. It was supposed to be a peaceful feast with a former enemy. But it turned to the worst,
A meeting of two kings—for a peace treaty—caused the opposite of its purpose, in a blink of an eye.
Arthur wanted to kill that other King, Bayard. He wanted to strangle him—no torturing him first would be better. If anything was worse than torture than Arthur would go with that.
He wanted to do so, so badly, not for attempting to kill him – but for getting his Merlin into such a state. If Merlin didn't look so pale, he swore that his sword would be through that bastard's body by now.
"Gaius. How is he?" He asked with as much dignity and composure as he could muster—which, sad to say, was not much. A little more and he would be squeaking.
Merlin had drunk his cup of wine from Bayard, trying to prove it was poison. Oh, he did prove it alright—at the cost of his own life.
"This is bad. Very bad…" The physician muttered anxiously as he examined the unmoving boy worriedly. He did not like what he was seeing.
"Take him to my quarters." He ordered Gwen and the prince sternly. And they followed without question.
…
Arthur could not help but let out a very temporary smile as he carried Merlin on his arm. It was weird. He was so light… and soft.
He shook his head. Merlin's insanity must be rubbing off to him.
Then, Images abruptly flashed through his brain. He saw Merlin frowning at him—but healthy. Merlin looking as if he wanted to strangle him – but still looking healthy. And Merlin smiling with that pretty smile of his… looking like the most beautiful thi—
"Pervert." Merlin's voice said inside his head. He whipped his head down and looked hopefully at the figure he was carrying, but he was not moving. A huge lump of disappointment hit him and his grip onto the boy tightened involuntarily.
'You better remain alive, you idiot.'
.
.
END OF CHAPTER
Coming soon:
CHAPTER VIII: Denials and Admittances
Arthur's still fighting himself, but there will be some changes.
REPLIES TO ANGELS
Princess Falling Star- lolz. I don't mind rambling at all ,you know. And as for the Nimueh thing, I invented an answer to that. It wasn't much but i'll reveal it in several chapters^^ thanks for the comment~!
cheekysorcerer - Thank you for the review! I suppose there will be more of that arthur thing later. XD
Thieving Cat - Nope. No one has told me that... yet. XD Thanks for the comment~!
Imaginex01- Thanks for the review~! And poor Arthur is not going to know for quite some time. Yes, I can be sadistic. XD
Natasha Ivashkov - Thank you for the comment and I'm so sorry for not being able to give what you asked...
SherlockedHomes- Thank you so much for the review~! Sorry I wasn't able to add another chap earlier...
HopeCohen - Thanks for the comment~! And here it is^^
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