Merlinfic: The Bus Stop 12/??
Author: destiny_chicken
Title: A Tough Match
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Arthur/Merlin
Character/s: Arthur, Merlin, Leon, Lance, Gwaine
Summary: Arthur and his mates from Camelot Consulting take on the team from Essetir in football and Arthur has a surprise visitor.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 1150 this chapter
Author's Notes Thank you to inspired_being for beta'ing my story.
Title: A Tough Match
Summary: Arthur and his mates from Camelot Consulting take on the team from Essetir in football and Arthur has a surprise visitor.
Arthur was in a good mood on Sunday. The date with Merlin had exceeded his expectations, especially Merlin's response to his kiss in the car. Wanting to keep Merlin’s rule about taking it slowly, he decided a chaste kiss would be appropriate but Merlin turned it into something very sexy.
After lunch, he gathered his football gear and headed to the park down the street. Most of the players on the Camelot Knights F.C. team worked for Camelot Consulting, or were their friends. His mates, Gwaine and Lance, were already there and stretching to warm up. Arthur joined them.
"Who are we playing today?" Arthur asked as he stretched out his hamstrings.
"The team from Essetir. You'll remember them from last year. That trash-talking player Cedric is on their team," Gwaine said with a scowl. He flipped his mane of long hair to the side before declaring, "He won't get under my skin this year, no matter whatever he says."
"It isn't Cedric that worries me, but that defender Muirden. Edward Muirden," interjected Lance. "When he fouls, he intends to injury his opponent, so be careful, lads."
Leon, Elyan and the rest of the team ambled in from the car park just as several cars pulled up and unloaded the team from Essetir. There were cat calls, whistles and name calling. Leon cautioned, "Just ignore them. Don't give them the satisfaction of seeing it affect you." He was pointedly looking at Gwaine, who in their last meeting had a mutual shouting and pushing match with Cedric. Both players had been red-carded and ejected from the game.
The two teams were similar in skill level, so the play was competitive. Leon scored first, after a pinpoint pass from Arthur. But Essetir answered it through a penalty kick that stretched Percy out, only to have it graze his fingertips and still land in the back of the net. When they stopped for halftime, the score was 1-1.
Something caught Arthur's eye as he downed an energy drink. One of the people standing around watching the match looked familiar. He had a lean build with a shock of black hair falling in his eyes. It couldn't be Merlin--what would he be doing here? But it looked like Merlin. Oh God, he had it bad: he was seeing Merlin everywhere.
Just to be sure, he walked closer to the man under the pretext of throwing away his energy drink bottle. He still looked exactly like Merlin.
"You do know that's recyclable, don't you?" the man said with a cheeky grin. He sounded like Merlin too.
"Uh, yes, I guess so." Being this close, Arthur was now convinced he wasn't seeing and hearing things. "Merlin, what are you doing here?"
"Other than directing you to recycle more, you mean?" he smirked. "I didn't have much to do today, so thought I'd come watch you play this game you are so passionate about."
Arthur was dumbfounded. Merlin had come on his own to watch Arthur play? "That's great. I thought you didn't like football. Are you enjoying it? Essetir is a tough opponent for us."
"I'm enjoying watching you," Merlin said shyly, looking at Arthur from under his long eyelashes. Arthur was captivated and found himself remembering the taste of that mouth.
"Oi, Arthur! Ready to go?" shouted Leon from across the pitch.
Arthur turned to Leon, answering, "Be there in a sec." To Merlin he said, "I've got to get back. Would you like to join us for a pint at the pub afterwards?"
Merlin shook his head. "No, too many people from work. I think it's too soon for us to go public at work. You go and have a good time."
Arthur felt a surge of disappointment. Was this another one of Merlin's rules? "Well, I'll see you tomorrow morning." He trotted back across the pitch towards Leon and the team, but turned once to give Merlin a little wave.
"Arthur, is that Merlin, your P.A.?" asked Leon.
"Yes. I mentioned we were playing today and he stopped by."
~~~
The second half proved to be just as difficult as the first half, but more intense. Cedric didn’t stop taunting Gwaine over his skill as a footballer, his looks and his parentage. So far, Gwaine had done nothing more than direct wicked glares Cedric's way. Finally, Arthur saw an opening in the defense and he attacked with the ball. His feet deftly dribbled the ball as he ran and dodged the first defender. He almost made it past Edward, but the defender hooked Arthur's shin and torqued it sideways. Arthur yelped as he felt a sharp pain in his knee and he crumpled to the ground.
Play was halted by the referee who immediately raised his hand with the red card pointing at Edward. The medic came at a run to where Arthur still lay on the ground, grabbing at his left knee. After a quick examination, he called for Gwaine and Lance who were closest to help Arthur off the pitch. They each took an arm over their shoulder, supporting Arthur so the injured knee bore no weight at all.
Meanwhile, Leon made ready to take the penalty kick as the Essetir wall lined up to defend. Cedric was on the line and shouted, "You'll fall apart now your pretty boy captain is out of the game. That pouf couldn't take playing with real men!"
Gwaine took two steps toward Cedric before Lance restrained him, fiercely whispering in his ear, "Ignore him. The way to get back at them is to win the match!" Gwaine muttered his concurrence and took his position for the penalty kick. Leon was able to send the ball to the far left corner of the goal when the Essetir goalie guessed wrong. The score was Camelot 2, Essetir 1.
~~~
Merlin felt his stomach churn when he saw Arthur go down. He worked his way around the pitch until he was behind the Knights' bench. The medic was just finishing the wrap holding an ice bag on Arthur's knee. "Arthur, are you OK?" Merlin shouted.
Arthur's face lit up when he saw it was Merlin asking. "He thinks it's just a sprained ligament, but I have to go to the A&E to be sure."
As much as Merlin wanted to go to hospital with Arthur, he told himself that would be just as revealing as going to the pub would have been. While the date last night went well, it was too soon to let everyone know about their budding relationship. He still had some lingering doubts about how this would all play out at work. So best he let Arthur's mates take him to have his knee checked out.
Despite fierce competitive play, including more fouls by both sides, there were no more injuries or goals. The match ended with Camelot winning, 2 to 1.