Flashfic: Thaumaturgy (Merlin/Arthur, wing!verse AU)
Summary: Each of those who is allotted a place in the Divine Order finds his perfection in being uplifted, according to his capacity. -- Dionysius the Areopagite (AN: Wing!verse, set between Sublimity and By Means of Fire.)
Thaumaturgy
It's so not much that Arthur is looking for Merlin, but he finds him anyway by a backdoor on the industrial side of the hospital, near the delivery bays. The ground is littered with stray cigarette butts. Merlin leans against the railing, looking down at his hands, at the pavement below. In the distance ambulance sirens whine, retreating.
Arthur isn't sure when he stopped being able to walk away and he doesn't like it. He never asked for Merlin to become his problem. He never asked for any of this. But he settles next to Merlin all the same.
"For a guardian angel, you are a lot of trouble."
Merlin doesn't react, doesn't toss back one of his usual boasts or insults, hunched in on himself and totally blank.
"I cured him." He sounds so puzzled. "I thought I was doing good."
"Well, are you supposed to go around curing people?" The silence stretches out. "Merlin."
"Our commands are rather cryptic, all right?" At least Merlin looks annoyed again. "We see the Divine according to our order and brightness."
Arthur thinks oh what the hell and throws an arm around Merlin's shoulders, making him stagger a bit. "And you apparently aren't very bright."
There's a rustling of wings, the soft brush of invisible feathers. It's a little unnerving, the gentleness of that touch. Then Merlin shrugs off his arm. His hands creep back into the pockets of his hoodie. "At least I'm brighter than you are."
And for a flash Merlin shifts, changes, a light and a flame, sharp and brilliant and stretching from the roof of the sky down into the heart of the earth. For that moment, Merlin is blinding.
Arthur blinks. Merlin grins, finite and shockingly ordinary, pleased with himself. He reaches out to poke Arthur but stops halfway through the motion and shrugs instead. "You see me according to your nature, too." He looks wide-eyed and innocent and Arthur knows that must be an act. "You're human, Arthur. There's a lot you miss."
That strange blankness resurfaces behind Merlin's eyes. Involuntarily Arthur takes a step back.
Behind them is a hospital full of people who continue to die.
Thaumaturgy
It's so not much that Arthur is looking for Merlin, but he finds him anyway by a backdoor on the industrial side of the hospital, near the delivery bays. The ground is littered with stray cigarette butts. Merlin leans against the railing, looking down at his hands, at the pavement below. In the distance ambulance sirens whine, retreating.
Arthur isn't sure when he stopped being able to walk away and he doesn't like it. He never asked for Merlin to become his problem. He never asked for any of this. But he settles next to Merlin all the same.
"For a guardian angel, you are a lot of trouble."
Merlin doesn't react, doesn't toss back one of his usual boasts or insults, hunched in on himself and totally blank.
"I cured him." He sounds so puzzled. "I thought I was doing good."
"Well, are you supposed to go around curing people?" The silence stretches out. "Merlin."
"Our commands are rather cryptic, all right?" At least Merlin looks annoyed again. "We see the Divine according to our order and brightness."
Arthur thinks oh what the hell and throws an arm around Merlin's shoulders, making him stagger a bit. "And you apparently aren't very bright."
There's a rustling of wings, the soft brush of invisible feathers. It's a little unnerving, the gentleness of that touch. Then Merlin shrugs off his arm. His hands creep back into the pockets of his hoodie. "At least I'm brighter than you are."
And for a flash Merlin shifts, changes, a light and a flame, sharp and brilliant and stretching from the roof of the sky down into the heart of the earth. For that moment, Merlin is blinding.
Arthur blinks. Merlin grins, finite and shockingly ordinary, pleased with himself. He reaches out to poke Arthur but stops halfway through the motion and shrugs instead. "You see me according to your nature, too." He looks wide-eyed and innocent and Arthur knows that must be an act. "You're human, Arthur. There's a lot you miss."
That strange blankness resurfaces behind Merlin's eyes. Involuntarily Arthur takes a step back.
Behind them is a hospital full of people who continue to die.