The Hard Way
Author: eurydice72
Title: The Hard Way
Rating: PG
Character/s: Arthur, Merlin
Pairing/s: Arthur/Merlin
Summary: Modern AU. Arthur tries his hand at one of the household chores.
Warnings: Pure fluff
Word Count: 693
Prompt: #534, bathe
Arthur folded his arms over his chest and leveled a hard stare at Gwaine. “I’m not going to take any of your usual funny business, do you hear me?”
His stern tone didn’t do the trick. Gwaine simply cocked his head and stared back at him.
“I mean it. Those puppy dog eyes aren’t getting you out of it this time.” Arthur pointed to the bathroom. “Go.”
Though Gwaine swiveled his head to look at the bathroom’s open door, his gaze returned almost immediately to Arthur. He blinked, but that was the extent of any movement he made.
Arthur sighed. “Fine, we’ll do this the hard way.”
His first step prompted Gwaine to take a runner for the bedroom.
“Oh, no, you don’t!”
Arthur gave chase, but by the time he got there, Gwaine was already under the dresser. Grumbling, Arthur got down on his hands and knees to drag him out. Why Merlin wouldn’t let Arthur get rid of the tallboy so they could replace it with something that sat fully on the ground and refused Gwaine another hiding place was beyond him.
“Because Merlin thinks you’re being cute when you do this,” Arthur complained. As he reached over the dust bunnies, though, Gwaine darted out again, this time making a beeline for the kitchen.
Arthur’s head sagged. When Merlin had asked for a pet, he should’ve said no. But then he’d shown Arthur the tiny pug that had been abandoned, and Arthur had fallen for those big dark eyes as hard as Merlin had. He never admitted it, though. The damn dog was spoiled enough as it was.
That was part of why Arthur had insisted on giving Gwaine his weekly bath this time. When Merlin did it, it turned into an afternoon event, as the dog zipped from room to room, doing everything he could to avoid the water. At this point, Gwaine considered it a game, so each week, it took longer and longer to catch him. Arthur was determined to nip this behavior in the bud.
He found Gwaine sitting next to his empty food bowl. Dinner was still a few hours off, but that never seemed to matter to the dog. He lived to eat, it seemed like.
That gave Arthur an idea.
Pointedly ignoring Gwaine, he marched past the dog to the cupboard where they housed all Gwaine’s supplies and took out a bag of treats. Gwaine’s ears perked up at the crinkling sound of the bag, but Arthur ignored the reaction and walked out of the kitchen. He headed straight for the bathroom.
The click of Gwaine’s nails on the kitchen tile followed after him.
Arthur knelt on the floor next to the tub. He’d already prepared the bath, so when Gwaine appeared in the doorway, Arthur held the treat bag over the water. “Only one way to get it, buster,” he said. He bit back his smile when Gwaine padded closer. Once he was within reach, Arthur scooped him up. “Now was that so hard?”
Gwaine paid no attention to him. His focus was strictly on the treat bag, even after Arthur set him in the tub. He didn’t even move when Arthur poured the water over his fur to wet him down.
That was when he got the first treat.
Nine treats later, Gwaine was wrapped in a towel, curled up on Arthur’s chest while Arthur flicked through the telly. He had just settled on an old Errol Flynn movie when Merlin came in the front door.
At the sight of the pair of them, Merlin’s brows shot up. “You’re done already?”
“Of course.” Arthur rested a possessive hand on Gwaine’s back. “All it took was showing him who’s the boss around here.”
Merlin smiled. “Well, I could’ve told him weeks ago you thought you were the boss.” He pulled out his phone. “I’ll order us Chinese for dinner. You look too cozy to disturb.”
As Merlin turned away to place their usual order, Arthur leaned down and nuzzled the side of Gwaine’s head. He pitched his voice low enough to keep Merlin from hearing him say, “I won’t tell if you won’t.”
Title: The Hard Way
Rating: PG
Character/s: Arthur, Merlin
Pairing/s: Arthur/Merlin
Summary: Modern AU. Arthur tries his hand at one of the household chores.
Warnings: Pure fluff
Word Count: 693
Prompt: #534, bathe
Arthur folded his arms over his chest and leveled a hard stare at Gwaine. “I’m not going to take any of your usual funny business, do you hear me?”
His stern tone didn’t do the trick. Gwaine simply cocked his head and stared back at him.
“I mean it. Those puppy dog eyes aren’t getting you out of it this time.” Arthur pointed to the bathroom. “Go.”
Though Gwaine swiveled his head to look at the bathroom’s open door, his gaze returned almost immediately to Arthur. He blinked, but that was the extent of any movement he made.
Arthur sighed. “Fine, we’ll do this the hard way.”
His first step prompted Gwaine to take a runner for the bedroom.
“Oh, no, you don’t!”
Arthur gave chase, but by the time he got there, Gwaine was already under the dresser. Grumbling, Arthur got down on his hands and knees to drag him out. Why Merlin wouldn’t let Arthur get rid of the tallboy so they could replace it with something that sat fully on the ground and refused Gwaine another hiding place was beyond him.
“Because Merlin thinks you’re being cute when you do this,” Arthur complained. As he reached over the dust bunnies, though, Gwaine darted out again, this time making a beeline for the kitchen.
Arthur’s head sagged. When Merlin had asked for a pet, he should’ve said no. But then he’d shown Arthur the tiny pug that had been abandoned, and Arthur had fallen for those big dark eyes as hard as Merlin had. He never admitted it, though. The damn dog was spoiled enough as it was.
That was part of why Arthur had insisted on giving Gwaine his weekly bath this time. When Merlin did it, it turned into an afternoon event, as the dog zipped from room to room, doing everything he could to avoid the water. At this point, Gwaine considered it a game, so each week, it took longer and longer to catch him. Arthur was determined to nip this behavior in the bud.
He found Gwaine sitting next to his empty food bowl. Dinner was still a few hours off, but that never seemed to matter to the dog. He lived to eat, it seemed like.
That gave Arthur an idea.
Pointedly ignoring Gwaine, he marched past the dog to the cupboard where they housed all Gwaine’s supplies and took out a bag of treats. Gwaine’s ears perked up at the crinkling sound of the bag, but Arthur ignored the reaction and walked out of the kitchen. He headed straight for the bathroom.
The click of Gwaine’s nails on the kitchen tile followed after him.
Arthur knelt on the floor next to the tub. He’d already prepared the bath, so when Gwaine appeared in the doorway, Arthur held the treat bag over the water. “Only one way to get it, buster,” he said. He bit back his smile when Gwaine padded closer. Once he was within reach, Arthur scooped him up. “Now was that so hard?”
Gwaine paid no attention to him. His focus was strictly on the treat bag, even after Arthur set him in the tub. He didn’t even move when Arthur poured the water over his fur to wet him down.
That was when he got the first treat.
Nine treats later, Gwaine was wrapped in a towel, curled up on Arthur’s chest while Arthur flicked through the telly. He had just settled on an old Errol Flynn movie when Merlin came in the front door.
At the sight of the pair of them, Merlin’s brows shot up. “You’re done already?”
“Of course.” Arthur rested a possessive hand on Gwaine’s back. “All it took was showing him who’s the boss around here.”
Merlin smiled. “Well, I could’ve told him weeks ago you thought you were the boss.” He pulled out his phone. “I’ll order us Chinese for dinner. You look too cozy to disturb.”
As Merlin turned away to place their usual order, Arthur leaned down and nuzzled the side of Gwaine’s head. He pitched his voice low enough to keep Merlin from hearing him say, “I won’t tell if you won’t.”