it's that time again!

[anamuan]

Where I've hit a word-count percentage milestone so I offer you all drabbles to....bump up my wordcount some more? At any rate, tonight I hit 40% of my goal for the year, and tomorrow is April Fool's day. Neither of these things will probably have any impact on the drabble you get

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[anamuan]

Merlin flushes, probably angry--his skin is so pale and clear it lets all his emotions right through--and slouches down in his saddle, but he stops, thank God in heaven, talking.

Except he keeps up the silent treatment long after they've got a couple of rabbits and set up camp for the night, until Arthur feels like he can't say anything either because the way Merlin doesn't say anything back is too awful. It feels like he's pushing his words off a cliff and then watching them splat horribly to their deaths. It's gruesome.

Merlin doesn't even pretend he's not doing it on purpose, silently collecting firewood, and silently starting the fire. Silently cleaning and dressing one of the rabbits, and silently spitting it and silently turning it until it's cooked all the way through. Silently eating, and silently cleaning it up, and silently unrolling Arthur's bedroom for him. Silently rolling himself up into his own cloak, and silently going to sleep, where of course he's still silent, because he's sleeping. That's actually the best part of the whole evening, because then at least he's not ignoring Arthur particularly.

Arthur can't even take another whole day of it. When Arthur wakes Merlin up in the morning, poking him playfully with a stick and calling him a layabout, and Merlin still refuses to talk to him, he cuts the trip short and they go home, one dead rabbit hanging off the back of Arthur's saddle and the remains of last night's dinner rabbit rolled up somewhere in Merlin's pack.

He gives up. There's nothing he can do about the boot blacking and the jokes and the smiles, so he swallows bile and goes around in a black mood. Merlin starts actively avoiding him insofar as actually possible (probably spending even more time with Gwaine in the process), and Gwen calls him a brute and listens to his ranting even less than Morgana would have, if she weren't off somewhere plotting Camelot's demise. That thought doesn't make him feel any better, and it's a vicious cycle playing itself out in an equally vicious downward spiral.

All in all, Arthur hates his life, and he's fairly certain it's Merlin's fault.

"Just stay away from my sister, if you're going to be a pissy bitch," Sir Elyan tells him, irritably, totally ignoring Arthur's pain. "She shouldn't have to deal with you just cause she still works up in the castle. Someone's gonna get hurt, and my money's on you."

"Perhaps his Lordship should consider seeking solace of God. Meditation relieves considerable stress, I'm told," one of Arthur's older knights suggests, which, he supposes, is better than the suggestion delivered only moments later by said knight's firmest friend and inseparable companion in arms, recommending that Arthur relieve his stress between the legs of a whore.

Lancelot just looks at him with those big, earnest, brown eyes of his and says, sincerely, as he always does, "You should probably tell Merlin." Arthur doesn't even know what that's supposed to mean. Tell Merlin what?

Arthur goes out to the yard and trounces anyone who's willing to have a sparring match with him. It doesn't make him feel better, really, but it does exhaust him to the point where he just doesn't have the energy to care. And it's kind of nice, when Merlin hisses at Arthur's bruises, and gets Gauis to make him up a poultice special and berates him for doing things that get him knocked about the head for fun, even if the getting knocked about the head all the time does explain why he's a bit touched.

If Arthur doesn't snap back with any quips of his own, it's definitely just because he's so tired.

[asinful]

OMG are you kidding me! This is just so beautiful! Your Gwaine in the beginning there - he's so OC it hurts!

Especially this bit - Gwaine spends money like he's uncomfortable having it in his pockets

THAT IS GWAINE IN A NUT SHELL. Or at least how I see him in my head.

And your Arthur! jadsnhg;kjdagh;jndf;klbgjfdklbga OMFG YOUR ARTHUR. Being all possessive and upset, but still so honourable and painfully fair, giving credit where said credit is due.

And Lancelot! Lets not forget how you managed to convey Lancelot' whole character in one line.

I just loved this thing to bits!

Thanks so much for writing this! :):)

[asinful]

And when I wrote 'OC' what I actually meant was 'IC' as in 'so freaking in character I wanted to cry happy tears'! Clearly. Bed time for me it would seem... :)

[anamuan]

i am so, so pleased that you liked this! yaaaaaay! also, holy shit, it's riddled with typos D: sorry!!