Merlin's Birthday Party, Part Four
Title: Merlin's Birthday Party, Part Four
Author: digthewriter
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Morgana, Gwaine
Warnings: Modern!AU. Pining. Angst.
Word Count: 980
Prompt: "Unrequited Love" for camelot_drabble
Author's Notes: Unbetaed. / PART ONE / PART TWO / PART THREE
Summary: With everyone around them, it's hard for Merlin to get a read on Arthur
The party was in full swing. Everyone was either on time or early. Merlin figured his friends knew he wasn't so crazy about Valentine's Day and they didn't want to give him any reason to cancel the party.
The entire time while they were in the room, Merlin looked at Arthur and caught him staring at Merlin. Unlike the last times, now, Arthur didn't look away and Merlin's heart beat faster. The reality of what they'd done hung between the two of them as a giant fire breathing dragon no one else could see. He knew that it wasn't unrequited love anymore, yet, he was apprehensive.
Arthur smiled at Merlin, and then got back to the conversation with whomever he was talking to. Merlin did the same.
Eventually, Merlin walked up to Arthur while he was in the middle of a talk and Arthur would place his arm around Merlin. It was a friendly gesture. It was a friendly gesture to the rest of the room because they didn't know what he and Arthur had done. After a few minutes, Merlin pulled off and went to talk to Gwen as she called for him.
Then, when Merlin would be in the midst of a heated argument with Gwaine and Arthur would come and place his hand on Merlin's shoulder. This game of back and forth between the two of them while they entertained the guests continued throughout the party and Merlin had no idea if anyone could tell things were different now. They were different now.
Everything seemed to be going okay until the dancing started. Gwaine dimmed the lights in the sitting room and Morgana and Leon hit the dance floor first, close and intimate. She'd been stringing him along for years now and Leon was just a complete sucker for Morgana it was pathetic and endearing at the same time.
Merlin was so glad Arthur wasn't like that. Or maybe he was, he'd have no clue. They never talked about what they were like as lovers. They had just been friends. Until now.
After a few more people were on the dance floor, Arthur pulled Merlin in. "Hey, let's dance," he said as he wrapped his arms around Merlin's waist and pulled him close.
Suddenly, the song changed and then it was a slow ballad. Merlin had no idea who it was that'd prepared the music for the night but he was sure they'd had it in for him.
Arthur rested his head on Merlin's shoulder and they moved together. It was ridiculously nerve-wracking. He felt a few eyes on him but he didn't want to pull away. Arthur was being all-romantic like a boyfriend. The room was dark so Merlin was glad people couldn't see his expression. He was sure it was somewhere between delight and pure panic.
"What are you doing?" he whispered to Arthur who raised his head and looked at him.
"Dancing with you."
"We've never danced like this before."
Arthur chuckled before he leaned in to whisper in Merlin's ear, "There are a lot of things we did today we haven't done before."
Merlin began to ask, "What does it mean?"
"So did the two of you actually take my advice?" Morgana cut in a moment later and Merlin and Arthur pushed off each other. He looked at Arthur for a quick second, who looked embarrassed.
"What advice?" Merlin asked.
"That you should just be each other's date," Morgana said, waving her hand in the air. "You two make the best looking couple here, anyway."
"It's just a dance," Merlin said, before he turned around and walked away.
He didn't get away far enough when Arthur placed a hand on his shoulder and turned him around. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing," Merlin said. He didn't know how to have this conversation at a party full of people.
"I thought you were...okay with what we did," Arthur whispered and pulled Merlin into the kitchen corner. The drinks were on the other side so he knew no one was going to listen to them or hang around in that corner.
"I...I don't know..."
"I thought you loved me?" Arthur asked, and he looked so innocent in that moment it nearly broke Merlin's heart. Here he was worried about himself when he should have realised Arthur was going through something too. Arthur had felt the same way as Merlin, so naturally, he would be just as apprehensive.
"I do. You know that," Merlin said, looking everywhere but at Arthur.
"And what we did-"
"Is everything all right here?" Percy walked in next to them and tapped both Merlin and Arthur on their back. "Why do the two of you look so serious?"
Merlin quickly turned his gaze from Arthur to Percy and realised his friend was very drunk. He wouldn't have noticed anything more weird than the two of them looking serious. "Fine," he said dryly.
"Can't get a fucking minute," Arthur mumbled and walked out of the kitchen.
"What did I do?" Percy asked, looking confused and slightly guilty. He pouted and looked at Merlin with his puppy dog eyes and Merlin nearly melted in front of him.
"Nothing. It's not you, mate. Say, did you ask Gwaine to dance with you yet?" He teased Percy hoping to lighten the mood.
Percy blushed and his head hung low. "No," he said.
"Come on, do it. I'm sure he's waiting for you. It's Valentine's Day after all."
Percy nodded reluctantly and he and Merlin walked out of the kitchen together. He watched as Percy walked up to Gwaine and slowly, they started to move together. Then, Merlin turned his attention to the rest of the room searching for Arthur but he couldn't find him anywhere.
Finally, Merlin went into his bedroom and opened the door. Arthur was sitting on the bed, staring at his mobile.
Author: digthewriter
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Morgana, Gwaine
Warnings: Modern!AU. Pining. Angst.
Word Count: 980
Prompt: "Unrequited Love" for camelot_drabble
Author's Notes: Unbetaed. / PART ONE / PART TWO / PART THREE
Summary: With everyone around them, it's hard for Merlin to get a read on Arthur
The party was in full swing. Everyone was either on time or early. Merlin figured his friends knew he wasn't so crazy about Valentine's Day and they didn't want to give him any reason to cancel the party.
The entire time while they were in the room, Merlin looked at Arthur and caught him staring at Merlin. Unlike the last times, now, Arthur didn't look away and Merlin's heart beat faster. The reality of what they'd done hung between the two of them as a giant fire breathing dragon no one else could see. He knew that it wasn't unrequited love anymore, yet, he was apprehensive.
Arthur smiled at Merlin, and then got back to the conversation with whomever he was talking to. Merlin did the same.
Eventually, Merlin walked up to Arthur while he was in the middle of a talk and Arthur would place his arm around Merlin. It was a friendly gesture. It was a friendly gesture to the rest of the room because they didn't know what he and Arthur had done. After a few minutes, Merlin pulled off and went to talk to Gwen as she called for him.
Then, when Merlin would be in the midst of a heated argument with Gwaine and Arthur would come and place his hand on Merlin's shoulder. This game of back and forth between the two of them while they entertained the guests continued throughout the party and Merlin had no idea if anyone could tell things were different now. They were different now.
Everything seemed to be going okay until the dancing started. Gwaine dimmed the lights in the sitting room and Morgana and Leon hit the dance floor first, close and intimate. She'd been stringing him along for years now and Leon was just a complete sucker for Morgana it was pathetic and endearing at the same time.
Merlin was so glad Arthur wasn't like that. Or maybe he was, he'd have no clue. They never talked about what they were like as lovers. They had just been friends. Until now.
After a few more people were on the dance floor, Arthur pulled Merlin in. "Hey, let's dance," he said as he wrapped his arms around Merlin's waist and pulled him close.
Suddenly, the song changed and then it was a slow ballad. Merlin had no idea who it was that'd prepared the music for the night but he was sure they'd had it in for him.
Arthur rested his head on Merlin's shoulder and they moved together. It was ridiculously nerve-wracking. He felt a few eyes on him but he didn't want to pull away. Arthur was being all-romantic like a boyfriend. The room was dark so Merlin was glad people couldn't see his expression. He was sure it was somewhere between delight and pure panic.
"What are you doing?" he whispered to Arthur who raised his head and looked at him.
"Dancing with you."
"We've never danced like this before."
Arthur chuckled before he leaned in to whisper in Merlin's ear, "There are a lot of things we did today we haven't done before."
Merlin began to ask, "What does it mean?"
"So did the two of you actually take my advice?" Morgana cut in a moment later and Merlin and Arthur pushed off each other. He looked at Arthur for a quick second, who looked embarrassed.
"What advice?" Merlin asked.
"That you should just be each other's date," Morgana said, waving her hand in the air. "You two make the best looking couple here, anyway."
"It's just a dance," Merlin said, before he turned around and walked away.
He didn't get away far enough when Arthur placed a hand on his shoulder and turned him around. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing," Merlin said. He didn't know how to have this conversation at a party full of people.
"I thought you were...okay with what we did," Arthur whispered and pulled Merlin into the kitchen corner. The drinks were on the other side so he knew no one was going to listen to them or hang around in that corner.
"I...I don't know..."
"I thought you loved me?" Arthur asked, and he looked so innocent in that moment it nearly broke Merlin's heart. Here he was worried about himself when he should have realised Arthur was going through something too. Arthur had felt the same way as Merlin, so naturally, he would be just as apprehensive.
"I do. You know that," Merlin said, looking everywhere but at Arthur.
"And what we did-"
"Is everything all right here?" Percy walked in next to them and tapped both Merlin and Arthur on their back. "Why do the two of you look so serious?"
Merlin quickly turned his gaze from Arthur to Percy and realised his friend was very drunk. He wouldn't have noticed anything more weird than the two of them looking serious. "Fine," he said dryly.
"Can't get a fucking minute," Arthur mumbled and walked out of the kitchen.
"What did I do?" Percy asked, looking confused and slightly guilty. He pouted and looked at Merlin with his puppy dog eyes and Merlin nearly melted in front of him.
"Nothing. It's not you, mate. Say, did you ask Gwaine to dance with you yet?" He teased Percy hoping to lighten the mood.
Percy blushed and his head hung low. "No," he said.
"Come on, do it. I'm sure he's waiting for you. It's Valentine's Day after all."
Percy nodded reluctantly and he and Merlin walked out of the kitchen together. He watched as Percy walked up to Gwaine and slowly, they started to move together. Then, Merlin turned his attention to the rest of the room searching for Arthur but he couldn't find him anywhere.
Finally, Merlin went into his bedroom and opened the door. Arthur was sitting on the bed, staring at his mobile.