Face to face
Author: digthewriter
Title: Face to face
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Morgana, Will, Gwen
Summary: Arthur confesses
Warnings: Modern AU
Word Count: 670
Prompt: 'COME AND SEE' for camelot_drabble
Author's Notes: Continuation from last week's EXPECTATIONS
When Arthur took the lift to the fifth floor of the hotel, his palms were nearly sweating. As the bell chimed and the doors opened, Merlin was waiting there for him.
His hair was still haywire as it always had been and he was wearing a loose pair of jeans with a striped shirt. He looked bloody brilliant.
Arthur had been just staring at him and the lift's doors started to close.
"Oh!" Arthur exclaimed and he stopped the doors from closing and stepped out. He ran a hand through his hair and smiled at Merlin. "Hi."
Merlin looked shellshocked. "What are you doing here?" he asked quietly albeit still sounding surprised.
"I came to see you," Arthur answered. It was the honest answer.
"Why?"
"When I got your letter, I realised I had to tell you the truth. I didn't know how to find you and I just-" The lift chimed again and the doors opened when an elderly couple walked out. They gave a curious look to Arthur and Merlin before walking away. "Can we go somewhere?"
"Yeah, this way," Merlin said and led Arthur to his hotel room.
He opened the door to the room and Merlin's bed was messy and papers were everywhere on the table and clothes on the sofa. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting company."
Arthur laughed lightly. It was the exact same Merlin from before. "Sorry to just spring up on you. I wanted to surprise you."
Merlin didn't answer, instead, he started to clean up just a little bit and Arthur took a seat on the sofa and watched him. "Gwen and I split two months after the wedding."
"I know, she told me."
"I looked everywhere for you."
Merlin stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Arthur. "I know, Will told me."
"I still love you."
"I was afraid of that," Merlin said and sat on the bed opposite Arthur; his clothes bunched up in his lap.
"I understand that you don't love me anymore-I mean that's assuming that you ever did but I just-" He took a deep sigh. "I just wanted you to know."
"You could have just called," Merlin said. "If you just wanted to let me know."
"No, I needed to come and see you," Arthur said.
"But, why?"
Arthur shrugged. The whole bit of I still love you, was why. "You deserved better than what I did to you. And, I was an arsehole. I just-I couldn't live with myself if I didn't tell you in person that letting you go was the biggest mistake of my life."
Merlin's face was impossible to read. He waited a long time before he said anything. "There are more important things in life than love, Arthur."
Arthur nodded looking at the floor. Of course, Merlin was always the sensible one. He ran a hand through his hair and looked up at Merlin. "There are more important things in life than love, and maybe one day I'll find them. I'm doing well with my company, and Morgana keeps me on my toes with her ideas and we're doing good. Maybe now, I can move on and find those things. Like you have..."
"Right," Merlin said, his face was still firm.
Eventually, Arthur stood up and made his way to the door. "I'll just go then..." He had no idea where he'd go. Maybe he could just get a room at the hotel, or maybe he should take the flight back to London. It was clear that Merlin didn't want him to be there. Wasn't it?
"Where will you go?" Merlin asked, and finally Arthur saw a bit of concern on his face.
He smiled and shrugged. "I don't want to be a bother."
"You're not...a bother, Arthur." Merlin's mobile vibrated at the same time and he looked at it and read the message.
"You're busy. You're working obviously. I'll just-"
"No. Wait," Merlin said and in two long strides, crossed the room and approached Arthur. READ THE NEXT PART: pushing his luck
Title: Face to face
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Morgana, Will, Gwen
Summary: Arthur confesses
Warnings: Modern AU
Word Count: 670
Prompt: 'COME AND SEE' for camelot_drabble
Author's Notes: Continuation from last week's EXPECTATIONS
When Arthur took the lift to the fifth floor of the hotel, his palms were nearly sweating. As the bell chimed and the doors opened, Merlin was waiting there for him.
His hair was still haywire as it always had been and he was wearing a loose pair of jeans with a striped shirt. He looked bloody brilliant.
Arthur had been just staring at him and the lift's doors started to close.
"Oh!" Arthur exclaimed and he stopped the doors from closing and stepped out. He ran a hand through his hair and smiled at Merlin. "Hi."
Merlin looked shellshocked. "What are you doing here?" he asked quietly albeit still sounding surprised.
"I came to see you," Arthur answered. It was the honest answer.
"Why?"
"When I got your letter, I realised I had to tell you the truth. I didn't know how to find you and I just-" The lift chimed again and the doors opened when an elderly couple walked out. They gave a curious look to Arthur and Merlin before walking away. "Can we go somewhere?"
"Yeah, this way," Merlin said and led Arthur to his hotel room.
He opened the door to the room and Merlin's bed was messy and papers were everywhere on the table and clothes on the sofa. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting company."
Arthur laughed lightly. It was the exact same Merlin from before. "Sorry to just spring up on you. I wanted to surprise you."
Merlin didn't answer, instead, he started to clean up just a little bit and Arthur took a seat on the sofa and watched him. "Gwen and I split two months after the wedding."
"I know, she told me."
"I looked everywhere for you."
Merlin stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Arthur. "I know, Will told me."
"I still love you."
"I was afraid of that," Merlin said and sat on the bed opposite Arthur; his clothes bunched up in his lap.
"I understand that you don't love me anymore-I mean that's assuming that you ever did but I just-" He took a deep sigh. "I just wanted you to know."
"You could have just called," Merlin said. "If you just wanted to let me know."
"No, I needed to come and see you," Arthur said.
"But, why?"
Arthur shrugged. The whole bit of I still love you, was why. "You deserved better than what I did to you. And, I was an arsehole. I just-I couldn't live with myself if I didn't tell you in person that letting you go was the biggest mistake of my life."
Merlin's face was impossible to read. He waited a long time before he said anything. "There are more important things in life than love, Arthur."
Arthur nodded looking at the floor. Of course, Merlin was always the sensible one. He ran a hand through his hair and looked up at Merlin. "There are more important things in life than love, and maybe one day I'll find them. I'm doing well with my company, and Morgana keeps me on my toes with her ideas and we're doing good. Maybe now, I can move on and find those things. Like you have..."
"Right," Merlin said, his face was still firm.
Eventually, Arthur stood up and made his way to the door. "I'll just go then..." He had no idea where he'd go. Maybe he could just get a room at the hotel, or maybe he should take the flight back to London. It was clear that Merlin didn't want him to be there. Wasn't it?
"Where will you go?" Merlin asked, and finally Arthur saw a bit of concern on his face.
He smiled and shrugged. "I don't want to be a bother."
"You're not...a bother, Arthur." Merlin's mobile vibrated at the same time and he looked at it and read the message.
"You're busy. You're working obviously. I'll just-"
"No. Wait," Merlin said and in two long strides, crossed the room and approached Arthur. READ THE NEXT PART: pushing his luck