Comfort (All Too Familiar, 14)
Author: digthewriter
Title: Comfort
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur
Summary: Being in Merlin's arms was so familiar and yet so strange at the same time.
Warnings: Modern!AU. Angst. Divorce/Getting back-together fic. Pining.
Word Count: 1110
Prompt: "Family Dinner" for camelot_drabble
Author's Notes: Part 14 of the "divorce!fic" | All my thanks to schweet_heart for the beta. Gods, this woman is magic.
Catch up here: 1. All too familiar 2. Leaving the past in the past 3. That Familiar Feeling
4. We laugh and we cry (And we break) 5. Busy was always better. 6. The need to stop the hurt
7. Despite our estrangement 8. And you would smile, and that would be enough 9. We Have To Win
10. The Calm Before The Storm 11. A Glimpse 12. The First Time 13. Risking It All
Being in Merlin's arms was so familiar and yet so strange at the same time. It was as if no time had passed at all, and Arthur was able to kiss him back, mould Merlin against his body in all the familiar ways - still, there was a part of him that knew this was too good to be true. They couldn't just go back to way they were. Too much time had passed, too many feelings were hurt, too many things were left unsaid.
His relationship with Merlin had been nothing like his relationship with his family. Arthur could have a row with his family and then gather around for family dinner pretending it was all good. He never treated Merlin like that, and he wasn't about to start.
Shut up, and keep kissing him, his brain was shouting.
Arthur opened himself up for Merlin, parting his lips, and Merlin slid his tongue inside. It'd been so long... too long since they'd done this. Arthur had never thought that they'd do this again.
He could feel himself spiralling down a hole he wouldn't be able to get out of, yet not stopping himself. Willingly walking into the trap that would shatter him forever. This time when Merlin broke his heart, Arthur didn't know if he could put himself back together again.
"Arthur..." Merlin moaned against his lips, his hips grinding against Arthur's, and even if they were slightly off in a dark corner of the street, they were still in a public place.
"You'll be late for your dinner," Arthur said, pulling away, before his mouth found his favourite spot on Merlin's neck and started to suck.
"You're a fucking prat," Merlin said, arching into him, his fingers digging into Arthur's shoulders.
"Come with me," Arthur said.
"Where?" asked Merlin.
"The Strand's just around the corner..."
"Arthur..." The hesitation in Merlin's voice was obvious, and Arthur kissed Merlin again. He wasn't going to take no for an answer. He wasn't going to let go of Merlin. Not tonight.
"You can text him while I check in. Tell him you had an emergency," Arthur said, rubbing the palm of his hand against Merlin's groin. Merlin was hard, his tight jeans giving everything away. "Please...."
Merlin groaned at the request. "This is a bad idea."
"Probably. But we're going to a hotel. It doesn't have to-I mean-it's not our place, right? No awkward morning afters. You can leave whenever you want to. Just say..."
"Say what?" Merlin asked, his lips against Arthur's as he mumbled the words.
"Say you'll come with me. Just come with me." Arthur wasn't above begging. Now that he'd had a taste of Merlin after such a long time, he wasn't ready to let go. He wasn't going to just let him walk into a restaurant and have dinner with another man. Merlin was his.
At least, for tonight.
"Let me..." Merlin whispered, his hands reaching under Arthur's shirt as he let out a slow moan. "I'll meet you there. In the lobby. Five minutes. Ten tops. I don't want to stand him up like that. He's my friend."
Arthur's grip on Merlin was tight as he pulled Merlin close to him. His hands squeezed Merlin's hips before they reached up to cup Merlin's face. "You promise?"
"I do," Merlin said, wincing at his words.
"Yeah..." Arthur said bitterly. He let go of Merlin and took a step back. "Ten minutes."
Merlin nodded, visibly relaxing. "I'll be there."
0-0-0
Arthur checked in for the night, accepting whatever room the hotel had available for him. By the time he turned around, he found Merlin walking in through the front door, eyes searching. When their eyes met, he smiled at Arthur, and Arthur gave a curt nod before heading over to the lifts.
"You came," he said when Merlin followed him into the lift, and Arthur pressed the button for the fifth floor.
"I told you I would," Merlin replied.
"How did Charles take it?"
"He was annoyed," Merlin said. "Told me to fuck off and that I could have just sent him a text message, and not make him look like such a fool."
Arthur shook his head. The man really was the biggest drama queen Arthur had ever come across.
"I want you to know..." Merlin said softly, and then paused for a long time. They reached their floor and Arthur stepped out of the lift. Merlin followed him. "I never believed that whatever Morgana said to me was how you felt. I knew it wasn't. I never...I was...insecure."
Arthur's heart pounded in his chest. He reached in his pocket for the key card and opened the door to the hotel room, gesturing for Merlin to enter first.
Merlin looked around a released a low whistle. "It was always champagne and luxury suites with you."
Arthur didn't reply. He closed the door behind him, putting on the DO NOT DISTURB sign, and reached for the small fridge in the corner. He brought out the small bottle of champagne bottle the hotel had provided, as if proving Merlin's point, and picked up the two glasses.
He perched himself against the small table in the corner of the room. "Will you make an exception for tonight?" Arthur asked, opening the bottle and pouring the drink in two glasses. Merlin didn't drink on the nights he worked, and he especially didn't drink when he had an art showing, unless there were special circumstances.
"What's the occasion?" Merlin said in a teasing tone, before he picked up the glass Arthur offered.
"This might be the last time I can afford a luxury suite," he said with a sardonic smile.
"Why's that?" Merlin asked, clinking his glass with Arthur's before taking a sip.
"I'm quitting."
"You're what?" Merlin asked, eyes wide.
"My job. The company. Father's company. I'll be submitting my resignation shortly."
"Arthur, you-"
"I don't really want to talk about that right now, if that's okay?" Arthur said, finishing his drink and then grabbing the bottle to refill his glass.
Merlin placed his hand on Arthur's wrist, pushing his hand down, stopping him from pouring the drink. Arthur looked into Merlin's eyes and couldn't read what Merlin was trying to tell him. He placed the glass down on the table, not taking his eyes away from Merlin, and Merlin finished his drink in one swallow.
Arthur stood up when Merlin cupped the back of Arthur's neck and ran his fingers through Arthur's hair. Merlin started to walk back as Arthur took his steps forward, and before they knew it, they were making their way to the bed. Read Next Part: Decisions
Title: Comfort
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur
Summary: Being in Merlin's arms was so familiar and yet so strange at the same time.
Warnings: Modern!AU. Angst. Divorce/Getting back-together fic. Pining.
Word Count: 1110
Prompt: "Family Dinner" for camelot_drabble
Author's Notes: Part 14 of the "divorce!fic" | All my thanks to schweet_heart for the beta. Gods, this woman is magic.
Catch up here: 1. All too familiar 2. Leaving the past in the past 3. That Familiar Feeling
4. We laugh and we cry (And we break) 5. Busy was always better. 6. The need to stop the hurt
7. Despite our estrangement 8. And you would smile, and that would be enough 9. We Have To Win
10. The Calm Before The Storm 11. A Glimpse 12. The First Time 13. Risking It All
Being in Merlin's arms was so familiar and yet so strange at the same time. It was as if no time had passed at all, and Arthur was able to kiss him back, mould Merlin against his body in all the familiar ways - still, there was a part of him that knew this was too good to be true. They couldn't just go back to way they were. Too much time had passed, too many feelings were hurt, too many things were left unsaid.
His relationship with Merlin had been nothing like his relationship with his family. Arthur could have a row with his family and then gather around for family dinner pretending it was all good. He never treated Merlin like that, and he wasn't about to start.
Shut up, and keep kissing him, his brain was shouting.
Arthur opened himself up for Merlin, parting his lips, and Merlin slid his tongue inside. It'd been so long... too long since they'd done this. Arthur had never thought that they'd do this again.
He could feel himself spiralling down a hole he wouldn't be able to get out of, yet not stopping himself. Willingly walking into the trap that would shatter him forever. This time when Merlin broke his heart, Arthur didn't know if he could put himself back together again.
"Arthur..." Merlin moaned against his lips, his hips grinding against Arthur's, and even if they were slightly off in a dark corner of the street, they were still in a public place.
"You'll be late for your dinner," Arthur said, pulling away, before his mouth found his favourite spot on Merlin's neck and started to suck.
"You're a fucking prat," Merlin said, arching into him, his fingers digging into Arthur's shoulders.
"Come with me," Arthur said.
"Where?" asked Merlin.
"The Strand's just around the corner..."
"Arthur..." The hesitation in Merlin's voice was obvious, and Arthur kissed Merlin again. He wasn't going to take no for an answer. He wasn't going to let go of Merlin. Not tonight.
"You can text him while I check in. Tell him you had an emergency," Arthur said, rubbing the palm of his hand against Merlin's groin. Merlin was hard, his tight jeans giving everything away. "Please...."
Merlin groaned at the request. "This is a bad idea."
"Probably. But we're going to a hotel. It doesn't have to-I mean-it's not our place, right? No awkward morning afters. You can leave whenever you want to. Just say..."
"Say what?" Merlin asked, his lips against Arthur's as he mumbled the words.
"Say you'll come with me. Just come with me." Arthur wasn't above begging. Now that he'd had a taste of Merlin after such a long time, he wasn't ready to let go. He wasn't going to just let him walk into a restaurant and have dinner with another man. Merlin was his.
At least, for tonight.
"Let me..." Merlin whispered, his hands reaching under Arthur's shirt as he let out a slow moan. "I'll meet you there. In the lobby. Five minutes. Ten tops. I don't want to stand him up like that. He's my friend."
Arthur's grip on Merlin was tight as he pulled Merlin close to him. His hands squeezed Merlin's hips before they reached up to cup Merlin's face. "You promise?"
"I do," Merlin said, wincing at his words.
"Yeah..." Arthur said bitterly. He let go of Merlin and took a step back. "Ten minutes."
Merlin nodded, visibly relaxing. "I'll be there."
0-0-0
Arthur checked in for the night, accepting whatever room the hotel had available for him. By the time he turned around, he found Merlin walking in through the front door, eyes searching. When their eyes met, he smiled at Arthur, and Arthur gave a curt nod before heading over to the lifts.
"You came," he said when Merlin followed him into the lift, and Arthur pressed the button for the fifth floor.
"I told you I would," Merlin replied.
"How did Charles take it?"
"He was annoyed," Merlin said. "Told me to fuck off and that I could have just sent him a text message, and not make him look like such a fool."
Arthur shook his head. The man really was the biggest drama queen Arthur had ever come across.
"I want you to know..." Merlin said softly, and then paused for a long time. They reached their floor and Arthur stepped out of the lift. Merlin followed him. "I never believed that whatever Morgana said to me was how you felt. I knew it wasn't. I never...I was...insecure."
Arthur's heart pounded in his chest. He reached in his pocket for the key card and opened the door to the hotel room, gesturing for Merlin to enter first.
Merlin looked around a released a low whistle. "It was always champagne and luxury suites with you."
Arthur didn't reply. He closed the door behind him, putting on the DO NOT DISTURB sign, and reached for the small fridge in the corner. He brought out the small bottle of champagne bottle the hotel had provided, as if proving Merlin's point, and picked up the two glasses.
He perched himself against the small table in the corner of the room. "Will you make an exception for tonight?" Arthur asked, opening the bottle and pouring the drink in two glasses. Merlin didn't drink on the nights he worked, and he especially didn't drink when he had an art showing, unless there were special circumstances.
"What's the occasion?" Merlin said in a teasing tone, before he picked up the glass Arthur offered.
"This might be the last time I can afford a luxury suite," he said with a sardonic smile.
"Why's that?" Merlin asked, clinking his glass with Arthur's before taking a sip.
"I'm quitting."
"You're what?" Merlin asked, eyes wide.
"My job. The company. Father's company. I'll be submitting my resignation shortly."
"Arthur, you-"
"I don't really want to talk about that right now, if that's okay?" Arthur said, finishing his drink and then grabbing the bottle to refill his glass.
Merlin placed his hand on Arthur's wrist, pushing his hand down, stopping him from pouring the drink. Arthur looked into Merlin's eyes and couldn't read what Merlin was trying to tell him. He placed the glass down on the table, not taking his eyes away from Merlin, and Merlin finished his drink in one swallow.
Arthur stood up when Merlin cupped the back of Arthur's neck and ran his fingers through Arthur's hair. Merlin started to walk back as Arthur took his steps forward, and before they knew it, they were making their way to the bed. Read Next Part: Decisions