[Fic] Six a.m. (PG) Merlin: A/M
Title: Six a.m.
Author: faynia
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1275
Warning: AU
Summary: Next to him a glowing clock fuzzily told Merlin it was 5:30 a.m.
A/N: A heaping pile of thanks to auroraprimavera for the quick read through.
Written for pasty_pants, who might possibly be having the worst finals week ever and really wanted Merlin/Arthur h/c AU. &hearts
No.
No.
"No," Merlin moaned, head coming down in a hard thunk against his desk.
The bed on the other side of the room creaked and groaned as its occupant rolled out of it and hit the floor. Next to him a glowing clock fuzzily told Merlin it was 5:30 a.m., and that he should have had his scrawy arse in bed nearly three hours ago.
"What are you whinging on about?"
A warm hand settled on the back of Merlin's neck, squeezing gently. Arthur's face came into view when he leaned forward over Merlin's shoulder to peer at the black computer screen. Christ, he was so fucked it wasn't funny. Merlin thought he might be crying, and well, anyone would be by this point. He buried his face in his hands and sucked in a shaky breath to try and steady himself.
"Hm." Arthur pushed the switch a series of ineffective times and then withdrew. Merlin shivered. "Let me guess, you-"
"God, don't, all right?" Merlin interrupted. The lecture was unnecessary. He knew he was an-
"Idiot," Arthur helpfully supplied, but the word was sleep slurred and as unsuccessful on Merlin as Arthur's button pushing had been on the modem.
"Thank you," he snapped. Merlin sank back on the wooden desk chair and tilted his head back to stare up at the ceiling. He trembled, yawning widely. His eyes burned from too little sleep combined with not enough coffee left in his system. Jerking, his head connected with Arthur's stomach, and he froze.
Arthur settled both hands on Merlin's shoulders, pushing his thumbs in and rolling them. "Did you save any of it?"
"Some," Merlin admitted tiredly. His eyes drifted closed as Arthur continued to work his shoulders and lower neck. "I've got...um-" Leaning forward, he rifled through various printed articles and pens until he whipped out a small stapled packet. "About half, I guess. Ten pages? It's not enough. Fuck, Arthur, it's due in four hours! My mum's going to murder me." He tensed under Arthur's fingers. "I can't fail this class again."
Arthur scoffed. "Again?"
"Uh. Yeah?" Merlin opened his eyes to search Arthur's face for some hint of mockery, but all he could find was that same sleepy scowl he'd caught when Arthur manhandled the computer. "That's what happens when you don't-"
"I know why you take classes twice, Merlin."
"Right, sorry."
An uncomfortable silence - familiar, but still bloody uncomfortable - settled between them. Merlin couldn't help but think it was mostly his fault. Arthur grabbed him under the arms and hauled him out of the chair, sending it toppling sideways, before he could let his already REM deprived mind wallow.
There were times when Arthur definitely scared him. Rugby players scared him as a rule of thumb. Usually Arthur was all right for one who was a spoiled rotten prat with daddy issues the width of the English Channel.
"Come on." Arthur released Merlin to let him stagger on feet filled with needles. "Here."
Something dark and soft hit his face. Merlin huffed quietly to himself as he slid the black hoodie on over his head, thumbs going through the holes in the bottom of the sleeves. Arthur eyed him in a typical condescending manner that sent his hands to his hair to pat it back down into tidiness. He reached for his ID and wallet.
"You won't be needing those," Arthur said, shrugging on his black jacket. Merlin noticed that, at some point, Arthur had not only managed to find his trainers but put them on without Merlin seeing him do it. He stepped into a pair of worn sandals and shrugged in the face of Arthur's disbelief. "You-Of course you're going to wear that in public. Come on then."
Merlin followed him out into the hall. "You still haven't told me where we're going. I don't suppose you want to let me in on it, are you?"
Arthur said nothing. Merlin hadn't really expected differently. He folded his arms across his chest as they climbed down the staircase from the third floor to the first and only stopped to give a half-hearted wave to the desk attendant before stepping out into the nippy May weather.
A droplet of water hit Merlin's nose and he scowled. Really? Really? He hadn't even thought that things couldn't get any worse. Arthur didn't seem to mind the impending storm as he walked briskly down the curb, kicking an empty bottle onto the dew damp grass. His blond hair stuck up in a cowlick at the base of his neck, drawing a wicked smile from Merlin. No, he wasn't going to mention it at all. Call it petty payback, but Merlin thought Arthur could afford to appear less than perfect.
Especially at 5:45 in the morning.
Why was he out again?
Arthur slowed down, spun around and began to walk backward. "Keep up, Merlin. We don't have all morning. Some of us need to go back to bed."
"I don't know why we're out here to begin with," Merlin pointed out, grumbling. He was so fucking tired it was getting to be ridiculous. Every street lamp burned a million times brighter than usual and a soft layer of haze surrounded each bulb. The sidewalk appeared to warp inward under his feet as they began to walk at a brisker rate.
Arthur seemed to take this as some sort of affront, because his answer was a short clipped, "It's necessary."
Merlin raised his hands in defeat. There was no energy in him to fight.
"Merlin."
"What?" he asked bitingly. Only the sad curl to Arthur's mouth made him want to take back the question instantly. "Christ, Arthur, just-I'm not."
"Nevermind."
Arthur glanced away, hands sliding into the pockets of his coat.
Oh.
Merlin blinked, exhaustion warring with a small point of pleasure that had him reaching into Arthur's jacket pocket and twining their fingers together. Their bodies pulled tight together and every inch of Merlin warmed with it. Arthur's stride didn't falter. Thankfully, he didn't mention what had just happened either.
Minutes passed with them walking down silent streets, huddled close together. Merlin's cheek rested on Arthur's shoulder, slowing them. It was somewhere around six when he began to realize where they were going.
A silly grin split Melin's tired face when they entered the dimmly lit coffee shop. A few patrons were scattered at the small round tables with newspapers drawn up high, but the shop, like the roads, had a quiet feel to it that came with early mornings.
Arthur ordered for him. Something large with too much sugar and cream and jolted with extra caffiene. Merlin missed the name of it. That didn't stop him from bringing the lip of the cup to his mouth and swallowing a few speedy sips the moment Arthur placed the cup in his hands. It burned like hell, but he had needed it, and his screaming throat could bugger off for all he cared in that moment.
"Thank you," Merlin murmured, leaning forward to kiss Arthur on the cheek.
"It's coffee."
"It's heavan," he countered, savoring the, well, he really couldn't make out the flavor beneath the cream and sugar, but he suspected it had to be a good one.
Arthur grunted, and for a second, Merlin thought he might be embarrassed. "It's nothing. You'll need it."
"What?" Merlin shot Arthur a suspicious glare. "Why?"
Slinging an arm around Merlin's shoulder, Arthur guided him back out onto the street. A teasing smile played along Arthur's face as they started back toward the campus.
"You have a paper we need to write."
Author: faynia
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1275
Warning: AU
Summary: Next to him a glowing clock fuzzily told Merlin it was 5:30 a.m.
A/N: A heaping pile of thanks to auroraprimavera for the quick read through.
Written for pasty_pants, who might possibly be having the worst finals week ever and really wanted Merlin/Arthur h/c AU. &hearts
No.
No.
"No," Merlin moaned, head coming down in a hard thunk against his desk.
The bed on the other side of the room creaked and groaned as its occupant rolled out of it and hit the floor. Next to him a glowing clock fuzzily told Merlin it was 5:30 a.m., and that he should have had his scrawy arse in bed nearly three hours ago.
"What are you whinging on about?"
A warm hand settled on the back of Merlin's neck, squeezing gently. Arthur's face came into view when he leaned forward over Merlin's shoulder to peer at the black computer screen. Christ, he was so fucked it wasn't funny. Merlin thought he might be crying, and well, anyone would be by this point. He buried his face in his hands and sucked in a shaky breath to try and steady himself.
"Hm." Arthur pushed the switch a series of ineffective times and then withdrew. Merlin shivered. "Let me guess, you-"
"God, don't, all right?" Merlin interrupted. The lecture was unnecessary. He knew he was an-
"Idiot," Arthur helpfully supplied, but the word was sleep slurred and as unsuccessful on Merlin as Arthur's button pushing had been on the modem.
"Thank you," he snapped. Merlin sank back on the wooden desk chair and tilted his head back to stare up at the ceiling. He trembled, yawning widely. His eyes burned from too little sleep combined with not enough coffee left in his system. Jerking, his head connected with Arthur's stomach, and he froze.
Arthur settled both hands on Merlin's shoulders, pushing his thumbs in and rolling them. "Did you save any of it?"
"Some," Merlin admitted tiredly. His eyes drifted closed as Arthur continued to work his shoulders and lower neck. "I've got...um-" Leaning forward, he rifled through various printed articles and pens until he whipped out a small stapled packet. "About half, I guess. Ten pages? It's not enough. Fuck, Arthur, it's due in four hours! My mum's going to murder me." He tensed under Arthur's fingers. "I can't fail this class again."
Arthur scoffed. "Again?"
"Uh. Yeah?" Merlin opened his eyes to search Arthur's face for some hint of mockery, but all he could find was that same sleepy scowl he'd caught when Arthur manhandled the computer. "That's what happens when you don't-"
"I know why you take classes twice, Merlin."
"Right, sorry."
An uncomfortable silence - familiar, but still bloody uncomfortable - settled between them. Merlin couldn't help but think it was mostly his fault. Arthur grabbed him under the arms and hauled him out of the chair, sending it toppling sideways, before he could let his already REM deprived mind wallow.
There were times when Arthur definitely scared him. Rugby players scared him as a rule of thumb. Usually Arthur was all right for one who was a spoiled rotten prat with daddy issues the width of the English Channel.
"Come on." Arthur released Merlin to let him stagger on feet filled with needles. "Here."
Something dark and soft hit his face. Merlin huffed quietly to himself as he slid the black hoodie on over his head, thumbs going through the holes in the bottom of the sleeves. Arthur eyed him in a typical condescending manner that sent his hands to his hair to pat it back down into tidiness. He reached for his ID and wallet.
"You won't be needing those," Arthur said, shrugging on his black jacket. Merlin noticed that, at some point, Arthur had not only managed to find his trainers but put them on without Merlin seeing him do it. He stepped into a pair of worn sandals and shrugged in the face of Arthur's disbelief. "You-Of course you're going to wear that in public. Come on then."
Merlin followed him out into the hall. "You still haven't told me where we're going. I don't suppose you want to let me in on it, are you?"
Arthur said nothing. Merlin hadn't really expected differently. He folded his arms across his chest as they climbed down the staircase from the third floor to the first and only stopped to give a half-hearted wave to the desk attendant before stepping out into the nippy May weather.
A droplet of water hit Merlin's nose and he scowled. Really? Really? He hadn't even thought that things couldn't get any worse. Arthur didn't seem to mind the impending storm as he walked briskly down the curb, kicking an empty bottle onto the dew damp grass. His blond hair stuck up in a cowlick at the base of his neck, drawing a wicked smile from Merlin. No, he wasn't going to mention it at all. Call it petty payback, but Merlin thought Arthur could afford to appear less than perfect.
Especially at 5:45 in the morning.
Why was he out again?
Arthur slowed down, spun around and began to walk backward. "Keep up, Merlin. We don't have all morning. Some of us need to go back to bed."
"I don't know why we're out here to begin with," Merlin pointed out, grumbling. He was so fucking tired it was getting to be ridiculous. Every street lamp burned a million times brighter than usual and a soft layer of haze surrounded each bulb. The sidewalk appeared to warp inward under his feet as they began to walk at a brisker rate.
Arthur seemed to take this as some sort of affront, because his answer was a short clipped, "It's necessary."
Merlin raised his hands in defeat. There was no energy in him to fight.
"Merlin."
"What?" he asked bitingly. Only the sad curl to Arthur's mouth made him want to take back the question instantly. "Christ, Arthur, just-I'm not."
"Nevermind."
Arthur glanced away, hands sliding into the pockets of his coat.
Oh.
Merlin blinked, exhaustion warring with a small point of pleasure that had him reaching into Arthur's jacket pocket and twining their fingers together. Their bodies pulled tight together and every inch of Merlin warmed with it. Arthur's stride didn't falter. Thankfully, he didn't mention what had just happened either.
Minutes passed with them walking down silent streets, huddled close together. Merlin's cheek rested on Arthur's shoulder, slowing them. It was somewhere around six when he began to realize where they were going.
A silly grin split Melin's tired face when they entered the dimmly lit coffee shop. A few patrons were scattered at the small round tables with newspapers drawn up high, but the shop, like the roads, had a quiet feel to it that came with early mornings.
Arthur ordered for him. Something large with too much sugar and cream and jolted with extra caffiene. Merlin missed the name of it. That didn't stop him from bringing the lip of the cup to his mouth and swallowing a few speedy sips the moment Arthur placed the cup in his hands. It burned like hell, but he had needed it, and his screaming throat could bugger off for all he cared in that moment.
"Thank you," Merlin murmured, leaning forward to kiss Arthur on the cheek.
"It's coffee."
"It's heavan," he countered, savoring the, well, he really couldn't make out the flavor beneath the cream and sugar, but he suspected it had to be a good one.
Arthur grunted, and for a second, Merlin thought he might be embarrassed. "It's nothing. You'll need it."
"What?" Merlin shot Arthur a suspicious glare. "Why?"
Slinging an arm around Merlin's shoulder, Arthur guided him back out onto the street. A teasing smile played along Arthur's face as they started back toward the campus.
"You have a paper we need to write."