merlin fic; those nights belonged to us
title; those nights belonged to us
rating; pg-13
word count; 3,916
characters/pairings; merlin/arthur, gwen, morgana
spoilers/warnings; modern!au, slash, mild language
disclaimer; I do not the characters, everything is property of it's respective owners.
summary; It starts in kindergarten with a watch, Merlin's ears and a cookie.
a/n; first modern!au attempt in this fandom. a little nervous about it all so feedback would be super appreciated :)
stay up late and we'd talk all night in a dark room lit by the tv light
through all the hard times in my life those nights kept me alive
those nights belonged to us
-"Those Nights" Skillet
It had started in kindergarten.
For the most part, Merlin had been a quiet kid lurking in the shadows with his mop of dark hair and ears that stuck out sorely in a crowd of kids. He never made a show of himself and avoided drawing attention. Mostly he stuck to his colored paper, glue and scissors and the only person he wasn't too shy to talk to was Gwen.
She was kind to him and didn't make fun of his ears and he liked her. The two of them were always together, in the classroom, during lunchtime, during recess. Gwen sometimes came over to his house after school for milk and cookies and Hunith was always more than happy for the addition.
Things were simple until he showed up.
Arthur Pen-something. Merlin didn't learn how to pronounce his last name until much later. He always called him Arthur Pen.
Merlin had been in awe of him since the day he had arrived all blonde locks and cocky confidence. Arthur was taller than all the boys in class and he always had the best things whether it was his bag, shoes or the shiny watch on his small hand. And he was proud of his possessions, showing off with the air of a kid who was used to attention and enjoyed it.
It had taken weeks for Merlin to pucker up the courage to approach him. He ran up to him one day during recess and asked shyly if Arthur wanted to play ball with him and Gwen.
Arthur had looked at him all funny and said "Why would anyone want to play ball with YOU?" and had pulled his ears meanly. Merlin had stood very still, blushing fiercely and lip quivering as Arthur and the other kids laughed at him before turning on his heel and running away to hide behind the bushes where he let the tears flow down his face.
He had decided in that moment that he hated Arthur Pen.
~
Gwen told him to forget about Arthur Pen. He was a mean boy and she wouldn't want to be friends with him anyway.
Merlin would have ignored him but Arthur had taken a liking to teasing Merlin all the time. Merlin never told on him to the teacher. He wasn't a baby and he didn't want to let Arthur know how hurt he got when Arthur made fun of him.
Gwen didn't show up to school one day and Merlin had to sit alone and listen to Arthur's mocking whispers every time Ms. Berry wasn't in earshot.
He didn't go outside during recess. He told Ms. Berry he was sick and wanted to stay in the class. She agreed and so Merlin spent his break time indoors, huddled in the arts and crafts corner drawing pictures of horses and cutting out multi colored stars.
He was concentrating on not coloring out of line, tongue poking out from between his lips and brows scrunched together with concentration when he heard the whispers behind him. He turned around and saw two of the boys who were always with Arthur tip toeing across to where Arthur's bag sat on his chair.
They hadn't seemed to have noticed Merlin's presence and Merlin watched them curiously as they unzipped Arthur's bag and rummaged in it.
He saw them pull out a big bar of chocolate and the chubby boy hide it in his jacket while the other boy took out something silver and shiny from the side pocket of Arthur's bag and shove it into his sneakers. Chuckling, the two boys left and Merlin-horses and stars forgotten-stared after them in shock.
~
Arthur didn't tease him for the next three days and Merlin couldn't help but notice that the blonde boy looked a little upset and he often caught him rubbing his bare wrist. The boys from the classroom the other day snickered to each other behind Arthur's back and Merlin wanted to punch them.
Merlin pretended to be sick again and when everyone went out for recess, he snuck up to the boy's bag and searched all of the pockets until he found Arthur's watch, hidden under a pile of broken crayons.
He put the watch in his pocket and went back to his table, heart beating really fast as he waited for the kids to come back in.
Arthur looked at him meanly when Merlin approached him later that day. "What do you want, MERLIN?" he snarled and tugged at Merlin's ears.
Merlin, too scared to say anything just reached into his pocket and pulled out the watch. Arthur frowned at it for a moment before realization dawned on him and he snatched the object from Merlin's hands.
"YOU were the one who took it?!" he was so much taller than Merlin and Merlin was so scared Arthur was going to hit him and maybe even kill him that he closed his eyes and retold the story of recess a few days ago all in one nervous breath and then turned and ran away.
~
He was reading a really nice picture book, one with horses and magical kingdoms when the boy who had stolen Arthur's watch came up to him. Merlin looked around for Ms. Berry but she was helping one of the other kids with her play dough fruit figures.
"You stole my watch." the boy said, glaring at Merlin.
"It wasn't your watch, it was Arthur's." Merlin said, holding the book tightly to his chest and curling into himself.
The boy tugged the book out of Merlin's hand and ripped it in half before bending down and pulling Merlin's ears really hard.
Merlin began to cry.
Suddenly, Arthur was there and he was pushing the other boy and then they were rolling on the floor, Arthur punching every inch of the boy's writhing body while Ms. Berry rushed over to them and pulled them apart before sending them both for a time-out.
Merlin sat sniffling, watching after them.
~
Merlin sat next to Arthur during lunch time that day. Arthur had a small red bruise on his left cheek and he didn't look twice when Merlin took the chair next to him which Arthur's friend-who was no longer Arthur's friend-had used to occupy.
Arthur had a really nice green and blue lunchbox which contained a carton of juice and a packet of chips. Merlin's lunchbox was a lot less nice but it had one of his mother's delicious home made cookies.
Merlin broke the cookie in half and bit his lip before offering the other half to Arthur. The blonde boy looked at him for a minute and Merlin noticed for the first time that his eyes were bright blue and he smiled a little at him and Arthur smiled back and took the cookie.
And that was the beggining.
+++
Through the years, Arthur Pen grows up to be Arthur Pendragon-Merlin's best friend. Though the teasing doesn't stop and Arthur sill loves pulling Merlin's ears and he steals his lunches. But Merlin can call Arthur a prat to his face and Arthur always gives him the best gifts on his birthdays so it's all good.
Everyone in school knows not to mess with Merlin because then Arthur Pendragon will beat them up. Merlin tells Arthur what other kids say about him behind his back and Arthur ensures that he's the only one who has the privilege of tugging Merlin's ears.
Merlin confesses to feeling bad that Arthur has to look after him but Arthur laughs and says hey, they're best mates, that's what mates do.
~
Merlin loves Arthur's house. His bedroom is the size of Merlin's whole house and he has butlers and maids who do everything for him. Merlin calls Arthur lazy and snobbish and a prat but he secretly loves the hours he spends at Arthur's house playing video games and planning pranks on Arthur's older sister Morgana.
Arthur in retrospect says he likes Merlin's house better. Well, not his house. Arthur's always going on about how his room is tiny and smells too much like dusty old books. But he loves Hunith's cookies and one evening when they're munching on a fresh batch, sitting cross legged on the lounge floor, Arthur looks longingly at the cookie in his hand and says in a low voice; "I wish I had a mum like yours."
Merlin knows that Arthur's mother had died giving birth to him and he had never known her and Arthur always said that his father never had much time for him what with the big, important owner of Pendragon group of Industries he was and though Merlin had lost his father at a young age too at least he had Hunith who loved him and cherished him.
Merlin thinks he should have guessed sooner why Arthur liked coming to his house so much. It was because of the motherly love and affection he got from Hunith.
Merlin doesn't know what to say to comfort Arthur so he just scoots closer to his best friend and throws an arm around his shoulders.
"Well, you've got me."
+++
When they enter their O level years, everything changes.
Merlin's skinny and clumsily when he hits puberty but Arthur just goes from being the cute, adorable kid who people gushed over to a gorgeous teenager with broad shoulders and the same, charming smile who gets all the attention from the girls who giggle and whisper whenever he passes them in the corridors.
And suddenly, Friday nights are no longer game nights. Arthur calls him up to tell him he's got a date with Viviane from Biology and don't worry, we'll do game night next week.
But next week, he's got another date and the week after that and the one after that. Merlin doesn't say anything but he locks himself in his room and listens to loud music until Hunith pounds on his door and threatens to starve him for the next month if he doesn't turn the volume down.
~
It wasn't that Merlin was ignorant of Arthur's looks. He'd known from the very first day in kindergarten that Arthur was beautiful but this was drastically different.
Merlin finds himself staring at the back of Arthur's blonde head in class and wildly imagines running his fingers through it. He stares at the way Arthur's mouth moves when he chews his food and the way he licks his lips for stray cookie crumbs and something new, something dangerous and hot coils in his stomach.
They'll be doing nothing but lounging on Arthur's couch, watching telly and Arthur will yawn and stretch and Merlin will stare hungrily at the patch of skin that's exposed when Arthur's t-shirt rides a few inches up his stomach and he'll feel the strange longing to run his hands over his skin, feel the taut muscles of his stomach and chest beneath his fingertips.
That night, Merlin lies in bed, thinking of that patch of bare skin and he imagines his hands all over Arthur and the way his lips would form the perfect "O" and the sounds he'd make when Merlin would kiss him and he jerks off to the images in his head, Arthur's name slipping guiltily from his lips in a muffled cry as he reaches his release.
~
Gwen's the first to know of the new development and she listens with wide eyes when Merlin confesses how he's been feeling about his best friend lately.
"Blimely, Merlin..." she says, shaking her head. "Does Arthur know about this?"
"You think I'd tell him?" Merlin asks, taking a swing from the bottle of beer in his hand. "No way. I'd be fucked."
Gwen shrugs, "I don't know, you sound pretty fucked to me already."
Merlin glares at her as she laughs
~
"You need a date, mate." Arthur declares one day. Merlin doesn't reply and Arthur continues pressing the issue. "I could ask Sophia to fix you up with one of her friends, I'm sure someone will be stupid enough to fall for you." and he tugs Merlin's ears and Merlin pushes him away, grinning at the familiarity of the gesture.
He doesn't know why he agrees to it, but he does. Sarah is pretty and he enjoys her company but he feels like he's with Gwen all over again. She's feels like nothing more than a friend and when Arthur and Sophia start making out in front of them, Merlin clears his throat awkwardly and makes a detour for the bathroom leaving Sarah alone and not quite happy with him.
Arthur's upset when Merlin refuses to double date with them again. In fact, he refuses to go on another date at all, period.
"Come on Merlin!" Arthur exclaims but Merlin's firm on his decision and refuses flat out.
When Arthur calls the following Thursday to tell him he's taking Sophia out to dinner and he's sorry but they're just going to have to cancel their plans to marathon Star Trek, Merlin gets angry and shouts "Fuck you, Arthur! Fuck you!" before throwing his cell phone across the room.
~
Merlin's surprised when Arthur shows up at his doorstep, drenched from head to toe in rain and holding a bag of Star Trek DVD's the next evening.
"What about Sophia?" he asks as Arthur shrugs on one of Merlin's dry shirts. They're small for him and end up making the muscles in his arms and chest stand out more.
"It can wait," he says nonchalantly. "Right now, I just want to spend time with my best mate and the rest of the world can just go fuck itself, yeah?"
It takes every bone in Merlin's body not to kiss him right then and there.
~
Arthur's break up with Sophia is messy and loud and Merlin brings over a carton of beer and crisps and spends the night listening to Arthur complain about how insecure girls could be and really, he hadn't even been flirting with Morgause. She just happened to be his sister's relatively attractive friend and it was his duty as her younger brother, to make himself well acquainted with his sister's friends. Wasn't it?
Merlin laughs and tips his beer bottle towards Arthur, "Yeah Arthur, that's what it was."
Arthur twists Merlin's ears rather painfully before taking a long swing from his own bottle. "You know what?" he says a few, thoughtful moments later, words slightly slurred. "This whole dating thing really isn't working out. I need a break."
Merlin doesn't offer his comments on the subject. But his insides feel a lot lighter and he doesn't even mind that Arthur eats the last packet of crisps.
~
School eventually intervenes with their blissful days and suddenly they're spending a lot more time in the library and Arthur complains more and more about how much the smell of books makes his nose itch and looms over Merlin while he's studying and plays with his ears and Merlin bats his hand away irritably and shuts him up with the promise of helping him with his flash cards if he would just let Merlin finish his notes for his history essays.
They stay up late, chugging caffeine induced drinks and taking turns slapping each other to stay awake and they get through their exams with relatively sane minds and go out celebrating with Gwen and Morgana.
Arthur has his arm slung around Merlin's shoulder for the most part of the night and Merlin has to support his weight when Arthur gets shitface drunk and he doesn't really mind but Gwen smiles all too knowingly and Morgana eyes them suspiciously and his face suddenly feels too hot.
They're dancing together, all of them but the only person whose presence Merlin feels is Arthur who places a hand on Merlin's cheek and sways in time to the music disregarding the inappropriateness of his close proximity. Gwen and Morgana laugh at them, arms entangled as they dance together but Merlin thinks its nothing close to the intimacy of having Arthur's breath graze his face and the feel of his body pressed so close to his.
The song ends too quickly and Arthur slumps forward onto Merlin and Merlin announces that's quite enough and they should really be heading back now.
~
They're lying in Arthur's bed, listening to a random song on his iPod and sharing one pair of earphones when Arthur dozes off, head on Merlin's shoulder.
Merlin loves the way his hair brushes his neck and he leans his cheek against the softness of the top of Arthur's head and sighs contentedly. He doesn't hear the door to Arthur's bedroom open or Morgana walk in until she's clearing her throat.
He makes a move to scramble up but Morgana grins at him, pressing a finger to her lips and winking at him suggestively before she turns and leaves, the door closing with a click behind her.
Merlin slumps back and Arthur turns his face into Merlin's neck, giving a soft snore. Merlin closes his eyes and falls asleep with Arthur still leaning on him.
Come morning, he finds himself curled against a warm body and his legs tangled with another pair. He opens his eyes to Arthur's sleeping face, inches from his, calm and beautiful and Merlin reaches up mindlessly brushing back the bangs from his forehead.
Arthur shifts against him and Merlin feels his morning hard on become more pronounced. He groans.
Gwen's right, he is fucked.
~
Arthur's always had a strained relationship with his father but it becomes more and more of an issue as the year goes on.
Arthur crashes at Merlin's house more frequently and Hunith doesn't complain, thankfully and still makes the the chocolate cookies they love and Merlin sneaks in beer and once again, listens to Arthur complain about how he's too much of a disappointment to his father and how his father is expecting him to follow in his footsteps-go to Cambridge, major in Business Management and eventually take over for him at Pengdragon group of industries and how he wouldn't mind that really, but he'd much rather prefer choosing to go to Cambridge on his own and not feel like he has to go out of some obligation to his family.
"Wait, your going to Cambridge?"
Arthur nods solemnly and Merlin wraps his arm around him like he always does and Arthur mindlessly fumbles with his ears and they sit in silence, heads together and only just realizing that going to different universities would mean having to separate from each other.
~
"I don't see the problem," Gwen says over lunch the following week. "I mean, you've got excellent grades, you could probably get into any college you want."
"That's not the problem." Merlin replies miserably, "It's that I can't AFFORD to go to any college I want..."
"I thought Arthur had offered to pay-"
Merlin cuts her off with a sharp look, "Really, Gwen. You think I'd let Arthur pay my tuition fee?"
"No, sorry. You're right. Well then there's always a scholarship. Have you applied for any?"
"No," he admits slowly, the idea appealing in his head.
"Well there you go..." Gwen says smiling and sipping her lemonade.
Merlin places his hand over hers and gives it a gentle squeeze in gratitude.
~
They fill out college applications together. For good luck.
When the results come in, they both get into all the universities they applied to. Merlin only gets a scholarship for one.
It's not Cambridge.
"Well, look on the bright side," he laughs feebly trying not to show the crushing disappointment in his chest, "at least you won't have to put up with my rambling every day..."
Arthur doesn't smile.
~
Merlin wakes to a loud, consistent knocking on his bedroom door in the middle of the night and jerks up, heart pounding as he rushes to open the door.
"Arthur...what the fuck?" he says, sleepily rubbing his eyes.
Arthur shuts the door behind him and pulls Merlin over to the bed and plops him down. Merlin stares up at the blonde through squinted eyes. Arthur's hair is windswept, like he ran all the way from his house.
"Right," he says, a little breathless. "It's been decided."
"What's been decided?" Merlin asks, longing to go back to sleep.
"Since you won't accept my offer to pay your tuition fee and you didn't get a scholarship, we're going to different colleges."
Merlin stares at him blankly. "Right..." he says slowly, not sure what Arthur means by this.
"We'll get a flat that in close proximity to both and split the rent. That way, we won't have to be apart."
Oh, now he gets it. Arthur grins at him in the dark and Merlin feels the familiar urge to kiss him but instead he just smiles back at him and Arthur flops down onto the bed next to Merlin and pulls the blankets over both of them and Merlin closes his eyes contentedly and falls asleep to the feeling of Arthur's fingers tracing the outline of his ears.
~
They spend the next week looking around at flats. It's much more difficult than he'd thought. If Arthur likes the size of the bedrooms in one, Merlin hates the lighting. If Merlin thinks that this flat is reasonably cozy, Arthur declares the fittings shitty and the lounge space miniscule.
"At this rate, we'll be lucky to find a suitable broom closet before term starts..." Merlin declares after yet another unsuccessful trip.
Arthur doesn't seem bothered and says don't worry, they'll find the perfect place soon enough.
And they do. Merlin knows it's the one when they walk through the door. It's got two bedrooms and one shared bathroom but it's spacious and has big windows and great lighting and Italian fittings and Arthur loves it and grins at Merlin who grins back and Arthur turns to their agent and says yes, they'll take it right there without thinking twice.
~
Morgana and Gwen help them set things up and after days of unloading boxes and stacking shelves and closets and installing appliances, Merlin and Arthur finally move in.
Morgana brings a bottle of champagne and they order pizza and light a few candles and Arthur complains about the music being too girly and Merlin feels happier than he's been in months.
It's all too weird-the thought of living with Arthur. They've spent nights at stretch sleeping over at each others house but living together...sharing the same bathroom and possibly running into each other half naked in the morning...it's justs WEIRD.
Merlin's long since decided that he isn't going to let his feelings for Arthur get in the way of their friendship and really, living with him shouldn't be that hard should it?
He lies awake, feeling odd and uncomfortable despite the soft mattress and pillows and tosses and turns in a desperate attempt to fall asleep but fails miserably.
The bedroom door creeks open and Arthur leans against the frame clad in nothing but a pair of shorts and his hair ruffled. "Can't sleep?" Merlin shakes his head as Arthur comes over and nudges him to the other end of the bed and slides beside him under the sheets. "Me neither." he says and moves closer to Merlin and he can feel the warmth radiating from Arthur's bare chest pressed against his back and he swallows and closes his eyes, his body molding to the familiar form beside him.
Arthur tugs his ears and Merlin smiles, drowsy. "Prat." he murmurs. Arthur gives him a light kick in his shins and only tugs his ears harder before burrowing his face in Merlin's neck and promptly falling asleep.
Yes, Merlin thinks as Arthur's breathing steadies. He could get used to this.
rating; pg-13
word count; 3,916
characters/pairings; merlin/arthur, gwen, morgana
spoilers/warnings; modern!au, slash, mild language
disclaimer; I do not the characters, everything is property of it's respective owners.
summary; It starts in kindergarten with a watch, Merlin's ears and a cookie.
a/n; first modern!au attempt in this fandom. a little nervous about it all so feedback would be super appreciated :)
stay up late and we'd talk all night in a dark room lit by the tv light
through all the hard times in my life those nights kept me alive
those nights belonged to us
-"Those Nights" Skillet
It had started in kindergarten.
For the most part, Merlin had been a quiet kid lurking in the shadows with his mop of dark hair and ears that stuck out sorely in a crowd of kids. He never made a show of himself and avoided drawing attention. Mostly he stuck to his colored paper, glue and scissors and the only person he wasn't too shy to talk to was Gwen.
She was kind to him and didn't make fun of his ears and he liked her. The two of them were always together, in the classroom, during lunchtime, during recess. Gwen sometimes came over to his house after school for milk and cookies and Hunith was always more than happy for the addition.
Things were simple until he showed up.
Arthur Pen-something. Merlin didn't learn how to pronounce his last name until much later. He always called him Arthur Pen.
Merlin had been in awe of him since the day he had arrived all blonde locks and cocky confidence. Arthur was taller than all the boys in class and he always had the best things whether it was his bag, shoes or the shiny watch on his small hand. And he was proud of his possessions, showing off with the air of a kid who was used to attention and enjoyed it.
It had taken weeks for Merlin to pucker up the courage to approach him. He ran up to him one day during recess and asked shyly if Arthur wanted to play ball with him and Gwen.
Arthur had looked at him all funny and said "Why would anyone want to play ball with YOU?" and had pulled his ears meanly. Merlin had stood very still, blushing fiercely and lip quivering as Arthur and the other kids laughed at him before turning on his heel and running away to hide behind the bushes where he let the tears flow down his face.
He had decided in that moment that he hated Arthur Pen.
~
Gwen told him to forget about Arthur Pen. He was a mean boy and she wouldn't want to be friends with him anyway.
Merlin would have ignored him but Arthur had taken a liking to teasing Merlin all the time. Merlin never told on him to the teacher. He wasn't a baby and he didn't want to let Arthur know how hurt he got when Arthur made fun of him.
Gwen didn't show up to school one day and Merlin had to sit alone and listen to Arthur's mocking whispers every time Ms. Berry wasn't in earshot.
He didn't go outside during recess. He told Ms. Berry he was sick and wanted to stay in the class. She agreed and so Merlin spent his break time indoors, huddled in the arts and crafts corner drawing pictures of horses and cutting out multi colored stars.
He was concentrating on not coloring out of line, tongue poking out from between his lips and brows scrunched together with concentration when he heard the whispers behind him. He turned around and saw two of the boys who were always with Arthur tip toeing across to where Arthur's bag sat on his chair.
They hadn't seemed to have noticed Merlin's presence and Merlin watched them curiously as they unzipped Arthur's bag and rummaged in it.
He saw them pull out a big bar of chocolate and the chubby boy hide it in his jacket while the other boy took out something silver and shiny from the side pocket of Arthur's bag and shove it into his sneakers. Chuckling, the two boys left and Merlin-horses and stars forgotten-stared after them in shock.
~
Arthur didn't tease him for the next three days and Merlin couldn't help but notice that the blonde boy looked a little upset and he often caught him rubbing his bare wrist. The boys from the classroom the other day snickered to each other behind Arthur's back and Merlin wanted to punch them.
Merlin pretended to be sick again and when everyone went out for recess, he snuck up to the boy's bag and searched all of the pockets until he found Arthur's watch, hidden under a pile of broken crayons.
He put the watch in his pocket and went back to his table, heart beating really fast as he waited for the kids to come back in.
Arthur looked at him meanly when Merlin approached him later that day. "What do you want, MERLIN?" he snarled and tugged at Merlin's ears.
Merlin, too scared to say anything just reached into his pocket and pulled out the watch. Arthur frowned at it for a moment before realization dawned on him and he snatched the object from Merlin's hands.
"YOU were the one who took it?!" he was so much taller than Merlin and Merlin was so scared Arthur was going to hit him and maybe even kill him that he closed his eyes and retold the story of recess a few days ago all in one nervous breath and then turned and ran away.
~
He was reading a really nice picture book, one with horses and magical kingdoms when the boy who had stolen Arthur's watch came up to him. Merlin looked around for Ms. Berry but she was helping one of the other kids with her play dough fruit figures.
"You stole my watch." the boy said, glaring at Merlin.
"It wasn't your watch, it was Arthur's." Merlin said, holding the book tightly to his chest and curling into himself.
The boy tugged the book out of Merlin's hand and ripped it in half before bending down and pulling Merlin's ears really hard.
Merlin began to cry.
Suddenly, Arthur was there and he was pushing the other boy and then they were rolling on the floor, Arthur punching every inch of the boy's writhing body while Ms. Berry rushed over to them and pulled them apart before sending them both for a time-out.
Merlin sat sniffling, watching after them.
~
Merlin sat next to Arthur during lunch time that day. Arthur had a small red bruise on his left cheek and he didn't look twice when Merlin took the chair next to him which Arthur's friend-who was no longer Arthur's friend-had used to occupy.
Arthur had a really nice green and blue lunchbox which contained a carton of juice and a packet of chips. Merlin's lunchbox was a lot less nice but it had one of his mother's delicious home made cookies.
Merlin broke the cookie in half and bit his lip before offering the other half to Arthur. The blonde boy looked at him for a minute and Merlin noticed for the first time that his eyes were bright blue and he smiled a little at him and Arthur smiled back and took the cookie.
And that was the beggining.
+++
Through the years, Arthur Pen grows up to be Arthur Pendragon-Merlin's best friend. Though the teasing doesn't stop and Arthur sill loves pulling Merlin's ears and he steals his lunches. But Merlin can call Arthur a prat to his face and Arthur always gives him the best gifts on his birthdays so it's all good.
Everyone in school knows not to mess with Merlin because then Arthur Pendragon will beat them up. Merlin tells Arthur what other kids say about him behind his back and Arthur ensures that he's the only one who has the privilege of tugging Merlin's ears.
Merlin confesses to feeling bad that Arthur has to look after him but Arthur laughs and says hey, they're best mates, that's what mates do.
~
Merlin loves Arthur's house. His bedroom is the size of Merlin's whole house and he has butlers and maids who do everything for him. Merlin calls Arthur lazy and snobbish and a prat but he secretly loves the hours he spends at Arthur's house playing video games and planning pranks on Arthur's older sister Morgana.
Arthur in retrospect says he likes Merlin's house better. Well, not his house. Arthur's always going on about how his room is tiny and smells too much like dusty old books. But he loves Hunith's cookies and one evening when they're munching on a fresh batch, sitting cross legged on the lounge floor, Arthur looks longingly at the cookie in his hand and says in a low voice; "I wish I had a mum like yours."
Merlin knows that Arthur's mother had died giving birth to him and he had never known her and Arthur always said that his father never had much time for him what with the big, important owner of Pendragon group of Industries he was and though Merlin had lost his father at a young age too at least he had Hunith who loved him and cherished him.
Merlin thinks he should have guessed sooner why Arthur liked coming to his house so much. It was because of the motherly love and affection he got from Hunith.
Merlin doesn't know what to say to comfort Arthur so he just scoots closer to his best friend and throws an arm around his shoulders.
"Well, you've got me."
+++
When they enter their O level years, everything changes.
Merlin's skinny and clumsily when he hits puberty but Arthur just goes from being the cute, adorable kid who people gushed over to a gorgeous teenager with broad shoulders and the same, charming smile who gets all the attention from the girls who giggle and whisper whenever he passes them in the corridors.
And suddenly, Friday nights are no longer game nights. Arthur calls him up to tell him he's got a date with Viviane from Biology and don't worry, we'll do game night next week.
But next week, he's got another date and the week after that and the one after that. Merlin doesn't say anything but he locks himself in his room and listens to loud music until Hunith pounds on his door and threatens to starve him for the next month if he doesn't turn the volume down.
~
It wasn't that Merlin was ignorant of Arthur's looks. He'd known from the very first day in kindergarten that Arthur was beautiful but this was drastically different.
Merlin finds himself staring at the back of Arthur's blonde head in class and wildly imagines running his fingers through it. He stares at the way Arthur's mouth moves when he chews his food and the way he licks his lips for stray cookie crumbs and something new, something dangerous and hot coils in his stomach.
They'll be doing nothing but lounging on Arthur's couch, watching telly and Arthur will yawn and stretch and Merlin will stare hungrily at the patch of skin that's exposed when Arthur's t-shirt rides a few inches up his stomach and he'll feel the strange longing to run his hands over his skin, feel the taut muscles of his stomach and chest beneath his fingertips.
That night, Merlin lies in bed, thinking of that patch of bare skin and he imagines his hands all over Arthur and the way his lips would form the perfect "O" and the sounds he'd make when Merlin would kiss him and he jerks off to the images in his head, Arthur's name slipping guiltily from his lips in a muffled cry as he reaches his release.
~
Gwen's the first to know of the new development and she listens with wide eyes when Merlin confesses how he's been feeling about his best friend lately.
"Blimely, Merlin..." she says, shaking her head. "Does Arthur know about this?"
"You think I'd tell him?" Merlin asks, taking a swing from the bottle of beer in his hand. "No way. I'd be fucked."
Gwen shrugs, "I don't know, you sound pretty fucked to me already."
Merlin glares at her as she laughs
~
"You need a date, mate." Arthur declares one day. Merlin doesn't reply and Arthur continues pressing the issue. "I could ask Sophia to fix you up with one of her friends, I'm sure someone will be stupid enough to fall for you." and he tugs Merlin's ears and Merlin pushes him away, grinning at the familiarity of the gesture.
He doesn't know why he agrees to it, but he does. Sarah is pretty and he enjoys her company but he feels like he's with Gwen all over again. She's feels like nothing more than a friend and when Arthur and Sophia start making out in front of them, Merlin clears his throat awkwardly and makes a detour for the bathroom leaving Sarah alone and not quite happy with him.
Arthur's upset when Merlin refuses to double date with them again. In fact, he refuses to go on another date at all, period.
"Come on Merlin!" Arthur exclaims but Merlin's firm on his decision and refuses flat out.
When Arthur calls the following Thursday to tell him he's taking Sophia out to dinner and he's sorry but they're just going to have to cancel their plans to marathon Star Trek, Merlin gets angry and shouts "Fuck you, Arthur! Fuck you!" before throwing his cell phone across the room.
~
Merlin's surprised when Arthur shows up at his doorstep, drenched from head to toe in rain and holding a bag of Star Trek DVD's the next evening.
"What about Sophia?" he asks as Arthur shrugs on one of Merlin's dry shirts. They're small for him and end up making the muscles in his arms and chest stand out more.
"It can wait," he says nonchalantly. "Right now, I just want to spend time with my best mate and the rest of the world can just go fuck itself, yeah?"
It takes every bone in Merlin's body not to kiss him right then and there.
~
Arthur's break up with Sophia is messy and loud and Merlin brings over a carton of beer and crisps and spends the night listening to Arthur complain about how insecure girls could be and really, he hadn't even been flirting with Morgause. She just happened to be his sister's relatively attractive friend and it was his duty as her younger brother, to make himself well acquainted with his sister's friends. Wasn't it?
Merlin laughs and tips his beer bottle towards Arthur, "Yeah Arthur, that's what it was."
Arthur twists Merlin's ears rather painfully before taking a long swing from his own bottle. "You know what?" he says a few, thoughtful moments later, words slightly slurred. "This whole dating thing really isn't working out. I need a break."
Merlin doesn't offer his comments on the subject. But his insides feel a lot lighter and he doesn't even mind that Arthur eats the last packet of crisps.
~
School eventually intervenes with their blissful days and suddenly they're spending a lot more time in the library and Arthur complains more and more about how much the smell of books makes his nose itch and looms over Merlin while he's studying and plays with his ears and Merlin bats his hand away irritably and shuts him up with the promise of helping him with his flash cards if he would just let Merlin finish his notes for his history essays.
They stay up late, chugging caffeine induced drinks and taking turns slapping each other to stay awake and they get through their exams with relatively sane minds and go out celebrating with Gwen and Morgana.
Arthur has his arm slung around Merlin's shoulder for the most part of the night and Merlin has to support his weight when Arthur gets shitface drunk and he doesn't really mind but Gwen smiles all too knowingly and Morgana eyes them suspiciously and his face suddenly feels too hot.
They're dancing together, all of them but the only person whose presence Merlin feels is Arthur who places a hand on Merlin's cheek and sways in time to the music disregarding the inappropriateness of his close proximity. Gwen and Morgana laugh at them, arms entangled as they dance together but Merlin thinks its nothing close to the intimacy of having Arthur's breath graze his face and the feel of his body pressed so close to his.
The song ends too quickly and Arthur slumps forward onto Merlin and Merlin announces that's quite enough and they should really be heading back now.
~
They're lying in Arthur's bed, listening to a random song on his iPod and sharing one pair of earphones when Arthur dozes off, head on Merlin's shoulder.
Merlin loves the way his hair brushes his neck and he leans his cheek against the softness of the top of Arthur's head and sighs contentedly. He doesn't hear the door to Arthur's bedroom open or Morgana walk in until she's clearing her throat.
He makes a move to scramble up but Morgana grins at him, pressing a finger to her lips and winking at him suggestively before she turns and leaves, the door closing with a click behind her.
Merlin slumps back and Arthur turns his face into Merlin's neck, giving a soft snore. Merlin closes his eyes and falls asleep with Arthur still leaning on him.
Come morning, he finds himself curled against a warm body and his legs tangled with another pair. He opens his eyes to Arthur's sleeping face, inches from his, calm and beautiful and Merlin reaches up mindlessly brushing back the bangs from his forehead.
Arthur shifts against him and Merlin feels his morning hard on become more pronounced. He groans.
Gwen's right, he is fucked.
~
Arthur's always had a strained relationship with his father but it becomes more and more of an issue as the year goes on.
Arthur crashes at Merlin's house more frequently and Hunith doesn't complain, thankfully and still makes the the chocolate cookies they love and Merlin sneaks in beer and once again, listens to Arthur complain about how he's too much of a disappointment to his father and how his father is expecting him to follow in his footsteps-go to Cambridge, major in Business Management and eventually take over for him at Pengdragon group of industries and how he wouldn't mind that really, but he'd much rather prefer choosing to go to Cambridge on his own and not feel like he has to go out of some obligation to his family.
"Wait, your going to Cambridge?"
Arthur nods solemnly and Merlin wraps his arm around him like he always does and Arthur mindlessly fumbles with his ears and they sit in silence, heads together and only just realizing that going to different universities would mean having to separate from each other.
~
"I don't see the problem," Gwen says over lunch the following week. "I mean, you've got excellent grades, you could probably get into any college you want."
"That's not the problem." Merlin replies miserably, "It's that I can't AFFORD to go to any college I want..."
"I thought Arthur had offered to pay-"
Merlin cuts her off with a sharp look, "Really, Gwen. You think I'd let Arthur pay my tuition fee?"
"No, sorry. You're right. Well then there's always a scholarship. Have you applied for any?"
"No," he admits slowly, the idea appealing in his head.
"Well there you go..." Gwen says smiling and sipping her lemonade.
Merlin places his hand over hers and gives it a gentle squeeze in gratitude.
~
They fill out college applications together. For good luck.
When the results come in, they both get into all the universities they applied to. Merlin only gets a scholarship for one.
It's not Cambridge.
"Well, look on the bright side," he laughs feebly trying not to show the crushing disappointment in his chest, "at least you won't have to put up with my rambling every day..."
Arthur doesn't smile.
~
Merlin wakes to a loud, consistent knocking on his bedroom door in the middle of the night and jerks up, heart pounding as he rushes to open the door.
"Arthur...what the fuck?" he says, sleepily rubbing his eyes.
Arthur shuts the door behind him and pulls Merlin over to the bed and plops him down. Merlin stares up at the blonde through squinted eyes. Arthur's hair is windswept, like he ran all the way from his house.
"Right," he says, a little breathless. "It's been decided."
"What's been decided?" Merlin asks, longing to go back to sleep.
"Since you won't accept my offer to pay your tuition fee and you didn't get a scholarship, we're going to different colleges."
Merlin stares at him blankly. "Right..." he says slowly, not sure what Arthur means by this.
"We'll get a flat that in close proximity to both and split the rent. That way, we won't have to be apart."
Oh, now he gets it. Arthur grins at him in the dark and Merlin feels the familiar urge to kiss him but instead he just smiles back at him and Arthur flops down onto the bed next to Merlin and pulls the blankets over both of them and Merlin closes his eyes contentedly and falls asleep to the feeling of Arthur's fingers tracing the outline of his ears.
~
They spend the next week looking around at flats. It's much more difficult than he'd thought. If Arthur likes the size of the bedrooms in one, Merlin hates the lighting. If Merlin thinks that this flat is reasonably cozy, Arthur declares the fittings shitty and the lounge space miniscule.
"At this rate, we'll be lucky to find a suitable broom closet before term starts..." Merlin declares after yet another unsuccessful trip.
Arthur doesn't seem bothered and says don't worry, they'll find the perfect place soon enough.
And they do. Merlin knows it's the one when they walk through the door. It's got two bedrooms and one shared bathroom but it's spacious and has big windows and great lighting and Italian fittings and Arthur loves it and grins at Merlin who grins back and Arthur turns to their agent and says yes, they'll take it right there without thinking twice.
~
Morgana and Gwen help them set things up and after days of unloading boxes and stacking shelves and closets and installing appliances, Merlin and Arthur finally move in.
Morgana brings a bottle of champagne and they order pizza and light a few candles and Arthur complains about the music being too girly and Merlin feels happier than he's been in months.
It's all too weird-the thought of living with Arthur. They've spent nights at stretch sleeping over at each others house but living together...sharing the same bathroom and possibly running into each other half naked in the morning...it's justs WEIRD.
Merlin's long since decided that he isn't going to let his feelings for Arthur get in the way of their friendship and really, living with him shouldn't be that hard should it?
He lies awake, feeling odd and uncomfortable despite the soft mattress and pillows and tosses and turns in a desperate attempt to fall asleep but fails miserably.
The bedroom door creeks open and Arthur leans against the frame clad in nothing but a pair of shorts and his hair ruffled. "Can't sleep?" Merlin shakes his head as Arthur comes over and nudges him to the other end of the bed and slides beside him under the sheets. "Me neither." he says and moves closer to Merlin and he can feel the warmth radiating from Arthur's bare chest pressed against his back and he swallows and closes his eyes, his body molding to the familiar form beside him.
Arthur tugs his ears and Merlin smiles, drowsy. "Prat." he murmurs. Arthur gives him a light kick in his shins and only tugs his ears harder before burrowing his face in Merlin's neck and promptly falling asleep.
Yes, Merlin thinks as Arthur's breathing steadies. He could get used to this.