No one and nothing part 4C
Author: 
archaeologist_d
Title: No one and Nothing part 4c
Rating: R
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Gaius, Leon, Iseldir
Summary: Merlin saves Arthur’s life in front of the whole court and has to run for his life. But when Arthur shows up, asking for help, what was Merlin to do, say no?
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1043
Camelot Drabble Prompt: 548 Performance
Author's notes: again breaking it up into parts because it's far too long.
Disclaimer: I do not own the BBC version of Merlin; They and Shine do. I am very respectfully borrowing them with no intent to profit. No money has changed hands. No copyright infringement is intended.
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Merlin didn’t know how much more he could take, but at last, Arthur rose from the table, protesting that he was tired from the hunt.
Watching him smile as he sauntered through the crowd, saying just the right things to make the nobility laugh, it wasn’t until he escaped into the hallway, that Arthur slumped down, shuddering and covered his mouth with his hand. He was breathing hard, too, as if he’d just run for miles, but when he saw Merlin standing there, he straightened, then stomped off to his chambers.
Merlin didn’t call after him. After all, he was just a servant, and invisible. But he took a shortcut and arrived just as Arthur closed the door.
Closed doors had never stopped him before. With a whisper, he slid in, and closed it behind him.
Arthur was leaning against the fireplace, staring down into the flames, appearing to be troubled, but as he looked up, he scowled at Merlin. “I have no need of a maid. My manservant will be here soon enough. Go back to the banquet.”
Merlin stepped closer, and Arthur’s voice was sharp as he said, “Did you hear me? Or are you deaf as well as foolish? I… or are you here to offer your charms?” Arthur looked thoroughly put out. “Go back to the steward. In case you are unaware, I do not inopportune the maids nor do I wish to dally. I have my honour after all, and I do not seek to sully yours.”
“Arthur,” Merlin said, his voice low.
But Arthur just shook his head. “Get out. I will not ask again.”
“Do you often have maids trying to seduce you?” Merlin said. He knew it was a stupid thing to say but his mind was a whirl of confusion, worry, and under it all, he couldn’t believe that Arthur hadn’t already recognised him.
Blinking, scowling at Merlin, Arthur growled, “Who are you?” There was a knife in his hand, too, pointing straight at Merlin.
It was enough.
Merlin pulled off his head covering, wiping it across his face to try and remove some of the paint. “It’s me, Merlin.”
“Are you insane? Or just incredibly stupid?” Arthur didn’t sound happy to see him. But at least he put his knife down. “Anyone could have recognised you. Of all the hair-brained idiocies you’ve ever pulled, this is by far the worst.”
“I was careful. No one recognised me. In fact, no one tried to inopportune me, either,” Merlin muttered, not quite sure if he was happy or angry about it.
Arthur just stared at him. “Merlin, that is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard you say, and you’ve said a lot of stupid things. Did you want some lout to put his hand up your… skirts?” He looked as if he couldn’t believe he was saying it.
“No, but they didn’t… never mind,” Merlin grumbled, then walked over to the fireplace, facing Arthur. “I heard what you said. What the hell, you prat?”
“And did you see my father taking the bait? Now, with each prisoner, we have two days to get them out, instead of one. And he thinks it has to do with coin,” Arthur said, slumping against the mantle, folding his arms across his chest. “This is harder than I thought it would be. I feel like I’m on a knife’s-edge with every word I speak.”
“And now you know how it feels to hide behind smiles and insults,” Merlin shot back, not a little miffed that Arthur was only now realising the cost.
“Was it so terrible? To be my manservant?” Arthur frowned at him, reaching out almost as if to shake Merlin, then letting his hand drop.
“The worst.” Merlin grinned, then sobered when he saw Arthur deflating at that. “No, Arthur, no. In almost everything, I could let you see me for who I was, at least the non-magical parts. But there was so much lying, hiding what I was doing, pretending to be in the tavern when I was saving your royal backside, that sometimes I thought I’d drown in it. But I won’t lie to you. It doesn’t get any easier.”
“So I’m the weak link in all this.” Arthur nodded, sounding discouraged.
In many ways, he was, the one most likely to give something away, to make a slip when his father knew him so well. But Merlin wasn’t going to let Arthur give up or sink into despair about it all. Instead, he reached over and gave him a little shake. “No, not weak but the one most likely to be discovered. You just have to remember why you are doing this and accept that it won’t always go well.”
“How did you manage?” Arthur leaned into Merlin’s hand, almost as if he wanted comfort.
With that, he could see that Arthur needed a hug as much as anytime he’d ever known the prat, but he wasn’t sure he’d accept it. So instead, he let Arthur go, but stood close enough to knock elbows if Arthur moved just a little.
“It was my destiny and yours but more importantly, I saw a man struggling to do the right thing and loved him for it.” With that, Arthur gave him a little unsure smile, and did knock their elbows together, leaning on him as Merlin said, “How could I be anywhere else but by your side?”
“Thank you, Merlin. You… sometimes you are the wisest man I know and sometimes you are an idiot.” But he didn’t move away, just kept contact for a moment, before reaching over and ruffling Merlin’s hair.
“Just part of my charm,” Merlin said, grinning.
Arthur gave a little snort then, and finally backed off, turning serious. “Why are you here?”
“I’ve news.” Merlin knew he’d have to temper what he was going to tell Arthur, not hampering him but not telling him the full truth, either. In some ways, he was still wary. And it was more than just Merlin’s life here.
“Then tell me everything.” Arthur said, pulling Merlin down to sit at the table, looking like he was ready to listen and plot and plan.
Merlin just hoped it wasn’t the biggest mistake of his life.
archaeologist_d
Title: No one and Nothing part 4c
Rating: R
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Gaius, Leon, Iseldir
Summary: Merlin saves Arthur’s life in front of the whole court and has to run for his life. But when Arthur shows up, asking for help, what was Merlin to do, say no?
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1043
Camelot Drabble Prompt: 548 Performance
Author's notes: again breaking it up into parts because it's far too long.
Disclaimer: I do not own the BBC version of Merlin; They and Shine do. I am very respectfully borrowing them with no intent to profit. No money has changed hands. No copyright infringement is intended.
----------------------
Merlin didn’t know how much more he could take, but at last, Arthur rose from the table, protesting that he was tired from the hunt.
Watching him smile as he sauntered through the crowd, saying just the right things to make the nobility laugh, it wasn’t until he escaped into the hallway, that Arthur slumped down, shuddering and covered his mouth with his hand. He was breathing hard, too, as if he’d just run for miles, but when he saw Merlin standing there, he straightened, then stomped off to his chambers.
Merlin didn’t call after him. After all, he was just a servant, and invisible. But he took a shortcut and arrived just as Arthur closed the door.
Closed doors had never stopped him before. With a whisper, he slid in, and closed it behind him.
Arthur was leaning against the fireplace, staring down into the flames, appearing to be troubled, but as he looked up, he scowled at Merlin. “I have no need of a maid. My manservant will be here soon enough. Go back to the banquet.”
Merlin stepped closer, and Arthur’s voice was sharp as he said, “Did you hear me? Or are you deaf as well as foolish? I… or are you here to offer your charms?” Arthur looked thoroughly put out. “Go back to the steward. In case you are unaware, I do not inopportune the maids nor do I wish to dally. I have my honour after all, and I do not seek to sully yours.”
“Arthur,” Merlin said, his voice low.
But Arthur just shook his head. “Get out. I will not ask again.”
“Do you often have maids trying to seduce you?” Merlin said. He knew it was a stupid thing to say but his mind was a whirl of confusion, worry, and under it all, he couldn’t believe that Arthur hadn’t already recognised him.
Blinking, scowling at Merlin, Arthur growled, “Who are you?” There was a knife in his hand, too, pointing straight at Merlin.
It was enough.
Merlin pulled off his head covering, wiping it across his face to try and remove some of the paint. “It’s me, Merlin.”
“Are you insane? Or just incredibly stupid?” Arthur didn’t sound happy to see him. But at least he put his knife down. “Anyone could have recognised you. Of all the hair-brained idiocies you’ve ever pulled, this is by far the worst.”
“I was careful. No one recognised me. In fact, no one tried to inopportune me, either,” Merlin muttered, not quite sure if he was happy or angry about it.
Arthur just stared at him. “Merlin, that is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard you say, and you’ve said a lot of stupid things. Did you want some lout to put his hand up your… skirts?” He looked as if he couldn’t believe he was saying it.
“No, but they didn’t… never mind,” Merlin grumbled, then walked over to the fireplace, facing Arthur. “I heard what you said. What the hell, you prat?”
“And did you see my father taking the bait? Now, with each prisoner, we have two days to get them out, instead of one. And he thinks it has to do with coin,” Arthur said, slumping against the mantle, folding his arms across his chest. “This is harder than I thought it would be. I feel like I’m on a knife’s-edge with every word I speak.”
“And now you know how it feels to hide behind smiles and insults,” Merlin shot back, not a little miffed that Arthur was only now realising the cost.
“Was it so terrible? To be my manservant?” Arthur frowned at him, reaching out almost as if to shake Merlin, then letting his hand drop.
“The worst.” Merlin grinned, then sobered when he saw Arthur deflating at that. “No, Arthur, no. In almost everything, I could let you see me for who I was, at least the non-magical parts. But there was so much lying, hiding what I was doing, pretending to be in the tavern when I was saving your royal backside, that sometimes I thought I’d drown in it. But I won’t lie to you. It doesn’t get any easier.”
“So I’m the weak link in all this.” Arthur nodded, sounding discouraged.
In many ways, he was, the one most likely to give something away, to make a slip when his father knew him so well. But Merlin wasn’t going to let Arthur give up or sink into despair about it all. Instead, he reached over and gave him a little shake. “No, not weak but the one most likely to be discovered. You just have to remember why you are doing this and accept that it won’t always go well.”
“How did you manage?” Arthur leaned into Merlin’s hand, almost as if he wanted comfort.
With that, he could see that Arthur needed a hug as much as anytime he’d ever known the prat, but he wasn’t sure he’d accept it. So instead, he let Arthur go, but stood close enough to knock elbows if Arthur moved just a little.
“It was my destiny and yours but more importantly, I saw a man struggling to do the right thing and loved him for it.” With that, Arthur gave him a little unsure smile, and did knock their elbows together, leaning on him as Merlin said, “How could I be anywhere else but by your side?”
“Thank you, Merlin. You… sometimes you are the wisest man I know and sometimes you are an idiot.” But he didn’t move away, just kept contact for a moment, before reaching over and ruffling Merlin’s hair.
“Just part of my charm,” Merlin said, grinning.
Arthur gave a little snort then, and finally backed off, turning serious. “Why are you here?”
“I’ve news.” Merlin knew he’d have to temper what he was going to tell Arthur, not hampering him but not telling him the full truth, either. In some ways, he was still wary. And it was more than just Merlin’s life here.
“Then tell me everything.” Arthur said, pulling Merlin down to sit at the table, looking like he was ready to listen and plot and plan.
Merlin just hoped it wasn’t the biggest mistake of his life.