(Hope I won't disappoint) Warning: Distrust of a disabled person.
It doesn’t stop, of course. Before the week was over the space around the Merman had been filled with water and seaweed and some fish friends to for play with while he waits for Arthur to fall asleep so he can pop into a dream or two and 'play' some more.
Wonder if this is how Beliebers feel?
Thankfully it is not an all consuming obsession. Arthur is doing well, if you ignore the sketchbook dedicated to his mystery saviour. There are no side-affects according to the doctors. He is more focused and perhaps a bit wiser. Again - if you ignore the sketchbook.
The gang still know how to party. But they look after each other better. Elena has stopped bursting into tears and hugging after too much wine. It is hard to keep a grudge against either of them. Arthur is not too sure he would have noticed if someone else had fallen in. It’s all fun and games until someone has to be rescued by Merpeople.
Anyhow, he promised he would meet Lance at the gym. Arthur is spending more time there these days. So much that his father has started seasoning his usual alcohol and damaged reputation speech with the danger of steroids. Lance had fallen head of heels for a girl who goes there and he does his best to drag someone along with him so he doesn’t seem completely stalker-ish. Percy works there, so he is likely to already be there. He was there so often and kept bouncing up to help the many lost souls who couldn’t get figure out the machines, so they hired him. Gave him a lifeguard course too. Girls love that kind of thing it seems. Gwaine has started to go there regularly too. He nearly went into a depression when Lance beat him at arm wrestling.
The woman responsible for the health boost among them is called Gwen. When she is not down by the pool, she is using one of the treadmills or machines by the large windows wall overlooking the pool. She is fit and focused and pretty, if you like that sort of thing. Long curls and a sweet smile. She's helping some guy in a wheelchair, Lance explained. When he is done swimming, she comes running. Lance thinks it is sweet. Arthur is not so sure. If the guy can swim around for ages then he's probably not all that wheelchair bound. Freaking freeloader. He’s probably trying to get her in pants by playing needy and weak. She likes Lance though, even Gwaine's charm had little to no effect. So Arthur encourages their other mates to distract her from the window and try to make her talk to Lance instead.
Arthur had made a little game of it. While Lance and Gwen flirt and giggle and bench press or whatever, Arthur jogs or keeps training as long as the guy far below keeps swimming. He has learned to pace himself because the guy has quite the stamina. Nothing ails him in the water it seems, swim cap and goggles like he's a pro. But clearly getting into the chair is soooo difficult. No, Arthur’s not buying it. Not for a second.
Percy has taken to lend the guy a hand. It’s sort of his job, so that’s understandable. Lance swears he is a fun guy, but he is lost in La-la Love Land and can’t be held accountable for his actions. But Elena has joined them for coffee and seems quite taken with him. Arthur feels protective of her, she is his third cousin after all. He had better keep an eye on things. What kind of name is Emrys anyway?
Weeks ticks by and Arthur's secret plan is working, at least partially. Gwen is totally on to the good part of his plan. She smiles and sometimes winks at him when he strolls into the gym and not long after just happens to choose a machine by the window.
Sometimes she would linger beside him, cheerfully explaining about the different strokes Emrys was using and what techniques he was practising and Arthur dutifully nodded and acted polite yet moderately interested. Now he can briefly update her on what he’s been doing while she was away. She seems to enjoy that.
There is often that nagging feeling of being a two-faced asshole when she shows him this much trust and all the while he’s planning to stab her best friend in the back at first opportunity. Arthur would have felt better if he could see any proof of foul play, but of course the guy knows he's being watched here and Arthur did not intend to start properly stalking the guy. Gwen finds it a lot easier to take her eyes of him and instead gaze lovingly at Lance, and that is what he had hoped to achieve.
At least all this working out is good for him. But it also gives him time to think and that is not always the best thing considering where his thoughts usually wander. The Merman has started sneaking into Arthur’s notebooks in class when he's loosing focus. Thank God he's not been discovered. Watching all that swimming probably isn’t the best thing to do when you are already a bit over obsessed with water dwelling fantasy men.
He is a little bit jealous though. Elena and Percy had slowly - or finally, depending who you ask - found each other as well and Gwaine had a new girl in or about to fall into his arms at any given time it seemed. All Arthur had was a drunken memory and a life long lesson of not settling for second best.
Arthur might have been able to hang out with his mates more often than he let on, but Emrys was often there and the prospect of being paired up with that guy while the others were being cute and couple-y was not too appealing. Good thing Emrys seemd to have other things to do on the weekends. Bigger fish to fry, perhaps.
Emrys is also not around when Gwen’s overprotective brother, Elyan, is introduced to gang. They try to hold Gwaine on a tight leash and to force Percy to wear sleeves for once. And Arthur is asked to not be an aloof prat for once, as if he ever was! But all goes well. Even Gwaine has plans for the future, and Arthur turned out to be a rare ally in supporting the Camelot Knights rather than the Avalon Avengers. Now Elyan hangs out more with them than Gwen does. Elyan doesn't talk about Emrys. Or Memrys, as Gwen sometimes say, like she temporally forgets his name.
It's a grand night, Arthur thinks. For once they are all together in their favourite spot, the one which combines the best beer and the most important matches on big screen. It doesn't get any better than this! They're having a great time, he's got a good buzz going. Suddenly it's just him and Gwen and there's that awkward feeling of sitting right next to someone you don't really talk to outside your regular surroundings. His mind is completely blank and then something goes very wrong.
- Were's your pool boy today then?
She suddenly looks guilty, and Arthur mentally kicks himself for so, so many reasons. -Um, he might be with his mate Will. From the tone in her voice Arthur would wager that was a lie.
-This club has a lot of stairs and the toilets are barely accessible for anyone, let alone with a chair or crutches so... you know.
Arthur doesn't know, but he nods either way.
-He’s too kind for his own good, she continues, her voice slightly slurred.
-Always saying I should go and have fun, and not to worry about him. Saying he shouldn’t drink and drive anyway.
She laughs briefly, but with an air of sadness. Or maybe bitterness. When Arthur looks confused she mimes rolling the wheels of a wheelchair.
-Oh, right!
That was a bit funny actually and he smiles. She lights up a bit.
-He loves to swim. His mom used to say he was half fish! Does his leg good, too. They say he won’t be able to use it, but he keeps training. He has to pay for nearly everything himself now. Apparently it’s cheaper for them if he just sits and wither away rather than trying to get back on his feet. It’s bloody fucked up is what it is! He's working so hard and it's just... It's not fair.
She's about to cry! Guilt, anger and now crying! He gulps down some beer in order to have something to do rather than say. He may be gay, but Pendragon blood and feelings just don't mix. She doesn't seem to notice.
-Bu' he's a good man, Arthur. He is great. I just get a bit carried away. He'd be SO mortified right now! Haha! It's a shame you haven't met him yet! He'd be the first to tell you how sappy I am!
Arthur didn't think that was a shame at all, but halfsmiles into his glass before he puts it down. Girls are nuts. She wipes a finger under her eye. Luckily Elena arrives repeating “Oh my God oh my God of my God!”, wide eyed with sensation and her arms flailing.
Gwen lights up at the prospect of sharing high pitched girl talk and Arthur finds this to be a good time to go take a piss and reminds himself not to return to the table. Perhaps if he had he might have picked up on a growing conspiracy.
(NC-17, but that is probably me being overly cautious. Small update, hoping there'll be more soon. No beta as usual. Tropes Bingo fill: Magical creatures)
Gwen was right about the toilets being inaccessible, especially if you had a buzz going. There were too many steps up and down to make good sense. He had the way memorized though, avoiding the known troubled areas and feeling oddly smug about it. He chose a booth to get his business done. He rarely had any trouble with people, but it was a sportsbar and not everybody was entirely comfortable with peeing next to the Gay Guy.
Perhaps it would be nice though if someone... Maybe he wouldn't be pathetic enough to fantasise about fairytale... haha, tail... creatures. He joins the others again. He acts laid back with his smile firmly in place. And if his eyes strayed a bit when he noticed pale skin or dark hair... well, nobody could know the real reason.
…
Arthur jumped as his phone buzzed. He dropped the pencil and sat up as if he was a kid with his hand in the cookie jar and was expecting a scolding. The Merman lookes up at him with a lewd look in his eyes and even more plumper lips than in the other version. Arthur scolds himself instead.
Watching a documentary on dolphins had seemed like a harmless thing to do.
He had joined Morgana on the sofa, both hung over and drowsy, skipping channels and settling for some funny videos of pets. When that was followed by a documentary about dolphins they simply didn’t care enough to change channels. It seemed harmless enough.
Except it appears that dolphins are not just cute rescuers of people in distress, they are also horny buggers and frustrated teens travel in packs and shag whatever they come across. And this information it seems Arthur’s fucked up brain happily transferred to Mermen, since they logically are mammals too, leaving Arthur exhausted, frustrated and more than a little worried about his mental health. But mostly sad that this was the most action he was getting.
He reached for his phone hoping for reality to come reclaim it's rightful place in Arthur's life.
He blamed his odd mood on being hung over, which his mates readily accepted with teasing and jabs. He started working on his upper body with Percy on the ready to correct and guide. Gwaine was unstoppable in talking about yesterday, while Lance and Gwen were doing some mating dance assisted by skipping ropes and hand weights. Arthur's concentration wasn't too good. He stayed with it for an hour, but things might actually get fairly dangerous if he didn't mind his actions and Percy would bear the blame if Arthur hurt himself.
Percy loved working here, Arthur didn't want to risk that. Running seemed to be a fairly straightforward thing to do. Percy rolled his eyes at that, and clapped a large, heavy hand on his shoulder before he left Arthur to find someone else in dire need of a personal trainer.
Unfortunately he had forgotten to bring music, but the rhythmic sound of his feet and his breath burning did the trick anyway. He could see himself in the glass, concentrated and maybe a bit manic. He even forgot to look down at the pool, the swimmer didn't even cross his mind once. Whatever scams he might be pulling didn't matter.
He noticed Gwen choosing the machine next to him and they ran together for a while. Gwen's pace was smoother and more elegant. She was happy, she had a boyfriend and could get sex whenever she wanted. While he had nearly died and been saved by something that wasn't real, and all could do was hope to run himself to exhaustion. Maybe then he could sleep just one night, one blessed night, without dying, being saved and then abandoned.
“So, um, Arthur? I have this friend...”
“Uh...Huh?” He blinks at her, torn from his focus.
She smiles and laughs as if she is feeling guilty. He slows down the speed so he can hear her better and maybe have some spare air to answer. He's never been mr Sensitive, but it's obvious she had something to say,
“I um know this guy, who's really cool and I think he'd be right up your alley!” She gasped and blushed, and Arthur laughed out loud. Sweet, gentle Gwen and her accidental potty mouth. Arthur slowed down to a light jog so he could laugh without risking serious injury.
“I am shocked. Does Lance know you spend time thinking about people being up my alley?”
She has tears in her eyes from laughing.
“Oh God. That came out so wrong. Oh dear... No, but he's.. is... smart and funny, honest, decent and he's very easy on the eyes. My friend. Not Lance.”
Arthur faked a shocked gasp, and she swatted him on the arm.
“Now you're just being mean. I am trying to set you up with a friend of mine! And he's great! And I thought perhaps I could introduce you two, you know; unless you are seeing someone?”
“Only in my dreams,” Arthur didn't say. Instead he said: “Sure.”
Gwen laughed again, she seemed to be both relieved and confused, but Arthur had never been good with this emotion stuff.
“Great! So I'll text you, or something?” “Yeah, Ok.”
The jogged a bit more in silence, but Arthur felt lighter than he had in a long time. This was so normal, so ordinary. A date, a normal, ordinary date which caused normal, ordinary nervous jitters from thoughts of maybes and could-bes.
And just when his world was starting to look brighter, someone was selling dolphin tails by the exit.
Arthur stopped dead in his tracks, but was quickly pushed forward by people bumping into him. His mind had been playing him some mean tricks, but he was not the only one seeing this. There had to be a logical answer to this. He moved slowly closer.
“It's a good fin, as good as new,” he heard the seller say. “Me mate's really particular with his things. It's a bargain!”
The seller looked to be around the same age as Arthur. The would-be buyer was making a point out of checking the object thoroughly, turning it around in his hands and frowning. Arthur nearly laughed out loud, suddenly wondering if it would have been better if he had been hallucinating. It was clearly not a real dolphin tail, because really, that would have been weird and probably illegal. This was clearly a form of duck feet or swim flippers, only both feet would be together in one flipper and it was shaped like a tail fin. A sleek, black tail fin.
Arthur had migrated so close he could have reached out and touched it. The two men looked at him with questioning look.
“You’re here about the fin?”
“I'll double what he's offering.»
It took a second to realize he had just said that. Luckily it took the guys just as long to comprehend what he had just said.
The buyer - Arthur didn’t like him, being all handy on Arthur’s fin - glared at him. “Dude, that's more than it's worth.”
“Oi! This is in prime condition! You just checked, so you know!”
“He's just pushing the price, bet he's a mate of yours!”
“He's not! Look at the posh git! Uh, no offence.”
Arthur raised his arms in a disarming gesture. “None taken.”
The buyer huffed and slapped the fin into Arthur's chest. “I'll be here till he coughs up the money.”
Arthur gave his rival a benign nod, and turned towards the seller. “What was the price again?”
The losing party left as Arthur easily produced the money. The seller looked very pleased and shook Arthur’s hand.
“So you’re into freediving then?”
Oh crap. Small talk. Arthur wrecked his brain for a quick answer. Freediving. That’s like pearl divers and such do, wasn’t it?
“Thinking about it.” At least it wasn’t a lie. “You?”
“Nah, I’m all about footie. But me mate is. The local diving club does both scuba and freediving trips and such.”
“Oh do they? I might look into that.”
….if the rumours of my epic swim skills weren’t 80% fictional.
“There’s a brochure among the rest in the bag, got all the contact details and such.”
He seemed pleased as he put the money in his pocket and made sure everything was neatly wrapped. But when Arthur was ready to go he gave the bag with the fin a last mournful look.
“He fucking loved that thing.”
Arthur felt a rush of guilt he couldn’t quite place and they parted with a nod and a short wave.
He brought the fin home, narrowly escaping his father as he smuggled it to his room. It was a 'mono fin', apparently, and was available in many shapes and colours. If he had searched for mermaid tails or something online he would have surely found one. Strange though that he should practically run into this one, which shape and colour slotted perfectly into his murky memories and elaborate dreams.
He sat on the bed with the fin laying in front of him. It was cool and rubbery to the touch.
So.
Freediving. Diving without any equipment. Mono fin. Often used when free diving. Makes you look like a fish.
It does not make you appear out of nowhere to save a man from drowning. It does not make you disappear again after the deed is done.
He rubbed his face. This is what caused him to dream about mermen in the first place.
That and a lovely face.
At least he could be fairly certain the man had truly excised, even if he didn't want to be known. There was some comfort there. He put the fin under the bed and tried to think of other things.
Gwen helped. Bless. He got a text from her about meeting her and her ‘up Arthur’s alley’ friend for coffee. He had to smile, she certainly didn’t waste any time. He hoped it wasn’t just an attempt to merger Lance’s friends with hers.
At night the merman seemed to sprout legs when convenient, holding him tight. But it felt like there was someone on land calling for him.
Arthur woke up, and immediately decided to put the fin out of his mind from now on. It had happened, it was a secret for whatever reason, but he was alive and kicking and he had a coffee date! Even Uther commented on his good mood and Morgana gave him a suspicious look, wondering what he was up to.
He redressed five times and finally decided to look absolutely normal. He was tired of keeping up an appearance and trying to act better and stronger than he was. He just wanted to be Arthur, inside and outside. He wondered who Gwen had found to be a good match for him. At least it would give an indication to what impression she had of him.
He didn’t quite register the wheelchair by the door until afterwards. He spotted Gwen’s bouncy curls in a booth at the far end. She looked up and waved him over. Across the table from her with his back turned was someone with dark hair. Coming closer he sees a pair of crutches leaned against the table. His mood plummets. She was setting him up with her scamming poolboy. He had assumed they would meet eventually, but a date? Even when he's keeping his expectations to a bare minimum he still can't catch a break. He came up to the table, his trademark confident - and not at all smug, no matter what Gwaine said- smile in place.
“The legendary Emrys, I presume?”
Before the words were done travelling past his lips he found he desperately wanted the reply to be “No, you must have me confused with someone else.”
Gwen’s friend turned his head to look up at him, his upper body pivoting slightly towards him. A swimmer’s body, strong, wearing a casual t-shirt and dark jeans. This was Emrys. Memrys, as Gwen sometimes said. Everybody’s favorite crippled. Great swimmer, not so good on land. Crutches. Wheelchair. Two legs. No tail.
Arthur’s merman.
At least he was not alone in being a bit shell chocked. In the corner of his eye he saw Gwen looking far too pleased, counting her victory or enjoying the carnage.
Emrys seems to find some words and a shaky smile. “Arthur Pendragon.” The words ‘so we meet again’ hangs ominous, but unsaid, between them. Gwen collects her bag from the seat and the leaps to her feet to make room for Arthur where she had been sitting.
“I ordered latte, I don’t know what you wanted, I can get something else-” “No, no, latte is fine, thank you.”
He sits down face to face with his secret rescuer/wank fantasy/nemesis. She sits down, blocking his exit. Emrys can’t run. Maybe Arthur is projecting a bit, but it looks as Emrys is looking for an exit too. He sips his cappuccino, licks his lips and Arthur makes himself look away and focus on Gwen’s words instead.
“As you know,” Gwen says to Emrys. “Arthur’s been helping me keep tabs on your progress.”
Emrys smirks. “Helping you get in Lance’s pants, you mean?”
Gwen blushes and murmurs scandalized, “Merlin!” Then she winces and says sorry. Merlin shrugs and something is going on there, but Arthur’s mind is reeling. Becauce…
“Merlin?”
Merman. Merlin. It can’t be.
“Yeah, my first name is Merlin,” Emr.. Merlin says in an exasperated tone, like it’s an often repeated speech. “Merlin like-“
“The sea. Mere. Mare.” Merlin’s eyebrows shoot upwards. Gwen’s jaw drops before she can stop herself. Shit. Arthur mentally kicks himself, again. “Or the wizard.” He adds hurriedly. “Magic spells and… such.”
Merlin nods, like Arthur made an interesting point in a discussion. “And there’s the bird too.”
“Yes… Thank you, Merlin. That’s very helpful.”
“Oh don’t mention it. Anytime.” Merlin flicks his hand.
They squint their eyes at each other. Then there’s a moment where they realize how close to the un-mentionable subject they are. That’s when Gwen starts fussing with her bag, pretending to get a text and claiming she forgot she was supposed to be meeting Elena and rushing out of the coffee shop.
Arthur oddly feels more trapped now than when Gwen was there. Arthur fiddles with the spoon in his tall latte glass. Merlin plays with a napkin.
“How you’ve been?” “Why did you leave?”
They speak at the same time and then go mute.
Merlin crunches up the napkin and throws it on the table. Throwing his towel in the ring. “I wasn’t supposed to be there.”
Warning: Distrust of a disabled person.
It doesn’t stop, of course. Before the week was over the space around the Merman had been filled with water and seaweed and some fish friends to for play with while he waits for Arthur to fall asleep so he can pop into a dream or two and 'play' some more.
Wonder if this is how Beliebers feel?
Thankfully it is not an all consuming obsession. Arthur is doing well, if you ignore the sketchbook dedicated to his mystery saviour. There are no side-affects according to the doctors. He is more focused and perhaps a bit wiser. Again - if you ignore the sketchbook.
The gang still know how to party. But they look after each other better. Elena has stopped bursting into tears and hugging after too much wine. It is hard to keep a grudge against either of them. Arthur is not too sure he would have noticed if someone else had fallen in. It’s all fun and games until someone has to be rescued by Merpeople.
Anyhow, he promised he would meet Lance at the gym. Arthur is spending more time there these days. So much that his father has started seasoning his usual alcohol and damaged reputation speech with the danger of steroids. Lance had fallen head of heels for a girl who goes there and he does his best to drag someone along with him so he doesn’t seem completely stalker-ish. Percy works there, so he is likely to already be there. He was there so often and kept bouncing up to help the many lost souls who couldn’t get figure out the machines, so they hired him. Gave him a lifeguard course too. Girls love that kind of thing it seems. Gwaine has started to go there regularly too. He nearly went into a depression when Lance beat him at arm wrestling.
The woman responsible for the health boost among them is called Gwen. When she is not down by the pool, she is using one of the treadmills or machines by the large windows wall overlooking the pool. She is fit and focused and pretty, if you like that sort of thing. Long curls and a sweet smile. She's helping some guy in a wheelchair, Lance explained. When he is done swimming, she comes running. Lance thinks it is sweet. Arthur is not so sure. If the guy can swim around for ages then he's probably not all that wheelchair bound. Freaking freeloader. He’s probably trying to get her in pants by playing needy and weak. She likes Lance though, even Gwaine's charm had little to no effect. So Arthur encourages their other mates to distract her from the window and try to make her talk to Lance instead.
Arthur had made a little game of it. While Lance and Gwen flirt and giggle and bench press or whatever, Arthur jogs or keeps training as long as the guy far below keeps swimming. He has learned to pace himself because the guy has quite the stamina. Nothing ails him in the water it seems, swim cap and goggles like he's a pro. But clearly getting into the chair is soooo difficult. No, Arthur’s not buying it. Not for a second.
Percy has taken to lend the guy a hand. It’s sort of his job, so that’s understandable. Lance swears he is a fun guy, but he is lost in La-la Love Land and can’t be held accountable for his actions. But Elena has joined them for coffee and seems quite taken with him. Arthur feels protective of her, she is his third cousin after all. He had better keep an eye on things. What kind of name is Emrys anyway?
Reply
Reply
Reply
Sometimes she would linger beside him, cheerfully explaining about the different strokes Emrys was using and what techniques he was practising and Arthur dutifully nodded and acted polite yet moderately interested. Now he can briefly update her on what he’s been doing while she was away. She seems to enjoy that.
There is often that nagging feeling of being a two-faced asshole when she shows him this much trust and all the while he’s planning to stab her best friend in the back at first opportunity. Arthur would have felt better if he could see any proof of foul play, but of course the guy knows he's being watched here and Arthur did not intend to start properly stalking the guy. Gwen finds it a lot easier to take her eyes of him and instead gaze lovingly at Lance, and that is what he had hoped to achieve.
At least all this working out is good for him. But it also gives him time to think and that is not always the best thing considering where his thoughts usually wander. The Merman has started sneaking into Arthur’s notebooks in class when he's loosing focus. Thank God he's not been discovered. Watching all that swimming probably isn’t the best thing to do when you are already a bit over obsessed with water dwelling fantasy men.
He is a little bit jealous though. Elena and Percy had slowly - or finally, depending who you ask - found each other as well and Gwaine had a new girl in or about to fall into his arms at any given time it seemed. All Arthur had was a drunken memory and a life long lesson of not settling for second best.
Arthur might have been able to hang out with his mates more often than he let on, but Emrys was often there and the prospect of being paired up with that guy while the others were being cute and couple-y was not too appealing. Good thing Emrys seemd to have other things to do on the weekends. Bigger fish to fry, perhaps.
Emrys is also not around when Gwen’s overprotective brother, Elyan, is introduced to gang. They try to hold Gwaine on a tight leash and to force Percy to wear sleeves for once. And Arthur is asked to not be an aloof prat for once, as if he ever was! But all goes well. Even Gwaine has plans for the future, and Arthur turned out to be a rare ally in supporting the Camelot Knights rather than the Avalon Avengers. Now Elyan hangs out more with them than Gwen does. Elyan doesn't talk about Emrys. Or Memrys, as Gwen sometimes say, like she temporally forgets his name.
Reply
- Were's your pool boy today then?
She suddenly looks guilty, and Arthur mentally kicks himself for so, so many reasons.
-Um, he might be with his mate Will.
From the tone in her voice Arthur would wager that was a lie.
-This club has a lot of stairs and the toilets are barely accessible for anyone, let alone with a chair or crutches so... you know.
Arthur doesn't know, but he nods either way.
-He’s too kind for his own good, she continues, her voice slightly slurred.
-Always saying I should go and have fun, and not to worry about him. Saying he shouldn’t drink and drive anyway.
She laughs briefly, but with an air of sadness. Or maybe bitterness. When Arthur looks confused she mimes rolling the wheels of a wheelchair.
-Oh, right!
That was a bit funny actually and he smiles. She lights up a bit.
-He loves to swim. His mom used to say he was half fish! Does his leg good, too. They say he won’t be able to use it, but he keeps training. He has to pay for nearly everything himself now. Apparently it’s cheaper for them if he just sits and wither away rather than trying to get back on his feet. It’s bloody fucked up is what it is! He's working so hard and it's just... It's not fair.
She's about to cry! Guilt, anger and now crying! He gulps down some beer in order to have something to do rather than say. He may be gay, but Pendragon blood and feelings just don't mix. She doesn't seem to notice.
-Bu' he's a good man, Arthur. He is great. I just get a bit carried away. He'd be SO mortified right now! Haha! It's a shame you haven't met him yet! He'd be the first to tell you how sappy I am!
Arthur didn't think that was a shame at all, but halfsmiles into his glass before he puts it down. Girls are nuts. She wipes a finger under her eye. Luckily Elena arrives repeating “Oh my God oh my God of my God!”, wide eyed with sensation and her arms flailing.
Gwen lights up at the prospect of sharing high pitched girl talk and Arthur finds this to be a good time to go take a piss and reminds himself not to return to the table. Perhaps if he had he might have picked up on a growing conspiracy.
Reply
Tropes Bingo fill: Magical creatures)
Gwen was right about the toilets being inaccessible, especially if you had a buzz going. There were too many steps up and down to make good sense. He had the way memorized though, avoiding the known troubled areas and feeling oddly smug about it. He chose a booth to get his business done. He rarely had any trouble with people, but it was a sportsbar and not everybody was entirely comfortable with peeing next to the Gay Guy.
Perhaps it would be nice though if someone... Maybe he wouldn't be pathetic enough to fantasise about fairytale... haha, tail... creatures. He joins the others again. He acts laid back with his smile firmly in place. And if his eyes strayed a bit when he noticed pale skin or dark hair... well, nobody could know the real reason.
…
Arthur jumped as his phone buzzed. He dropped the pencil and sat up as if he was a kid with his hand in the cookie jar and was expecting a scolding. The Merman lookes up at him with a lewd look in his eyes and even more plumper lips than in the other version. Arthur scolds himself instead.
Watching a documentary on dolphins had seemed like a harmless thing to do.
He had joined Morgana on the sofa, both hung over and drowsy, skipping channels and settling for some funny videos of pets. When that was followed by a documentary about dolphins they simply didn’t care enough to change channels. It seemed harmless enough.
Except it appears that dolphins are not just cute rescuers of people in distress, they are also horny buggers and frustrated teens travel in packs and shag whatever they come across. And this information it seems Arthur’s fucked up brain happily transferred to Mermen, since they logically are mammals too, leaving Arthur exhausted, frustrated and more than a little worried about his mental health. But mostly sad that this was the most action he was getting.
He reached for his phone hoping for reality to come reclaim it's rightful place in Arthur's life.
«We're going to the gym.»
Close enough.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Percy loved working here, Arthur didn't want to risk that. Running seemed to be a fairly straightforward thing to do. Percy rolled his eyes at that, and clapped a large, heavy hand on his shoulder before he left Arthur to find someone else in dire need of a personal trainer.
Unfortunately he had forgotten to bring music, but the rhythmic sound of his feet and his breath burning did the trick anyway. He could see himself in the glass, concentrated and maybe a bit manic. He even forgot to look down at the pool, the swimmer didn't even cross his mind once. Whatever scams he might be pulling didn't matter.
He noticed Gwen choosing the machine next to him and they ran together for a while. Gwen's pace was smoother and more elegant. She was happy, she had a boyfriend and could get sex whenever she wanted. While he had nearly died and been saved by something that wasn't real, and all could do was hope to run himself to exhaustion. Maybe then he could sleep just one night, one blessed night, without dying, being saved and then abandoned.
“So, um, Arthur? I have this friend...”
“Uh...Huh?”
He blinks at her, torn from his focus.
She smiles and laughs as if she is feeling guilty. He slows down the speed so he can hear her better and maybe have some spare air to answer. He's never been mr Sensitive, but it's obvious she had something to say,
“I um know this guy, who's really cool and I think he'd be right up your alley!”
She gasped and blushed, and Arthur laughed out loud.
Sweet, gentle Gwen and her accidental potty mouth. Arthur slowed down to a light jog so he could laugh without risking serious injury.
“I am shocked. Does Lance know you spend time thinking about people being up my alley?”
She has tears in her eyes from laughing.
“Oh God. That came out so wrong. Oh dear... No, but he's.. is... smart and funny, honest, decent and he's very easy on the eyes. My friend. Not Lance.”
Arthur faked a shocked gasp, and she swatted him on the arm.
“Now you're just being mean. I am trying to set you up with a friend of mine! And he's great! And I thought perhaps I could introduce you two, you know; unless you are seeing someone?”
“Only in my dreams,” Arthur didn't say. Instead he said: “Sure.”
Gwen laughed again, she seemed to be both relieved and confused, but Arthur had never been good with this emotion stuff.
“Great! So I'll text you, or something?”
“Yeah, Ok.”
The jogged a bit more in silence, but Arthur felt lighter than he had in a long time. This was so normal, so ordinary. A date, a normal, ordinary date which caused normal, ordinary nervous jitters from thoughts of maybes and could-bes.
And just when his world was starting to look brighter, someone was selling dolphin tails by the exit.
Reply
Reply
Reply
“It's a good fin, as good as new,” he heard the seller say. “Me mate's really particular with his things. It's a bargain!”
The seller looked to be around the same age as Arthur. The would-be buyer was making a point out of checking the object thoroughly, turning it around in his hands and frowning. Arthur nearly laughed out loud, suddenly wondering if it would have been better if he had been hallucinating. It was clearly not a real dolphin tail, because really, that would have been weird and probably illegal. This was clearly a form of duck feet or swim flippers, only both feet would be together in one flipper and it was shaped like a tail fin. A sleek, black tail fin.
Arthur had migrated so close he could have reached out and touched it. The two men looked at him with questioning look.
“You’re here about the fin?”
“I'll double what he's offering.»
It took a second to realize he had just said that. Luckily it took the guys just as long to comprehend what he had just said.
The buyer - Arthur didn’t like him, being all handy on Arthur’s fin - glared at him.
“Dude, that's more than it's worth.”
“Oi! This is in prime condition! You just checked, so you know!”
“He's just pushing the price, bet he's a mate of yours!”
“He's not! Look at the posh git! Uh, no offence.”
Arthur raised his arms in a disarming gesture.
“None taken.”
The buyer huffed and slapped the fin into Arthur's chest.
“I'll be here till he coughs up the money.”
Arthur gave his rival a benign nod, and turned towards the seller.
“What was the price again?”
The losing party left as Arthur easily produced the money. The seller looked very pleased and shook Arthur’s hand.
“So you’re into freediving then?”
Oh crap. Small talk. Arthur wrecked his brain for a quick answer. Freediving. That’s like pearl divers and such do, wasn’t it?
“Thinking about it.”
At least it wasn’t a lie.
“You?”
“Nah, I’m all about footie. But me mate is. The local diving club does both scuba and freediving trips and such.”
“Oh do they? I might look into that.”
….if the rumours of my epic swim skills weren’t 80% fictional.
“There’s a brochure among the rest in the bag, got all the contact details and such.”
He seemed pleased as he put the money in his pocket and made sure everything was neatly wrapped. But when Arthur was ready to go he gave the bag with the fin a last mournful look.
“He fucking loved that thing.”
Arthur felt a rush of guilt he couldn’t quite place and they parted with a nod and a short wave.
He brought the fin home, narrowly escaping his father as he smuggled it to his room. It was a 'mono fin', apparently, and was available in many shapes and colours. If he had searched for mermaid tails or something online he would have surely found one. Strange though that he should practically run into this one, which shape and colour slotted perfectly into his murky memories and elaborate dreams.
He sat on the bed with the fin laying in front of him. It was cool and rubbery to the touch.
So.
Freediving. Diving without any equipment.
Mono fin. Often used when free diving. Makes you look like a fish.
It does not make you appear out of nowhere to save a man from drowning.
It does not make you disappear again after the deed is done.
He rubbed his face. This is what caused him to dream about mermen in the first place.
That and a lovely face.
At least he could be fairly certain the man had truly excised, even if he didn't want to be known. There was some comfort there. He put the fin under the bed and tried to think of other things.
Gwen helped. Bless. He got a text from her about meeting her and her ‘up Arthur’s alley’ friend for coffee. He had to smile, she certainly didn’t waste any time. He hoped it wasn’t just an attempt to merger Lance’s friends with hers.
At night the merman seemed to sprout legs when convenient, holding him tight. But it felt like there was someone on land calling for him.
Reply
He redressed five times and finally decided to look absolutely normal. He was tired of keeping up an appearance and trying to act better and stronger than he was. He just wanted to be Arthur, inside and outside. He wondered who Gwen had found to be a good match for him. At least it would give an indication to what impression she had of him.
He didn’t quite register the wheelchair by the door until afterwards. He spotted Gwen’s bouncy curls in a booth at the far end. She looked up and waved him over. Across the table from her with his back turned was someone with dark hair. Coming closer he sees a pair of crutches leaned against the table. His mood plummets. She was setting him up with her scamming poolboy. He had assumed they would meet eventually, but a date? Even when he's keeping his expectations to a bare minimum he still can't catch a break. He came up to the table, his trademark confident - and not at all smug, no matter what Gwaine said- smile in place.
“The legendary Emrys, I presume?”
Before the words were done travelling past his lips he found he desperately wanted the reply to be “No, you must have me confused with someone else.”
Gwen’s friend turned his head to look up at him, his upper body pivoting slightly towards him. A swimmer’s body, strong, wearing a casual t-shirt and dark jeans. This was Emrys. Memrys, as Gwen sometimes said. Everybody’s favorite crippled. Great swimmer, not so good on land. Crutches. Wheelchair. Two legs. No tail.
Arthur’s merman.
At least he was not alone in being a bit shell chocked. In the corner of his eye he saw Gwen looking far too pleased, counting her victory or enjoying the carnage.
Emrys seems to find some words and a shaky smile.
“Arthur Pendragon.”
The words ‘so we meet again’ hangs ominous, but unsaid, between them. Gwen collects her bag from the seat and the leaps to her feet to make room for Arthur where she had been sitting.
“I ordered latte, I don’t know what you wanted, I can get something else-”
“No, no, latte is fine, thank you.”
He sits down face to face with his secret rescuer/wank fantasy/nemesis. She sits down, blocking his exit. Emrys can’t run. Maybe Arthur is projecting a bit, but it looks as Emrys is looking for an exit too. He sips his cappuccino, licks his lips and Arthur makes himself look away and focus on Gwen’s words instead.
“As you know,” Gwen says to Emrys. “Arthur’s been helping me keep tabs on your progress.”
Emrys smirks. “Helping you get in Lance’s pants, you mean?”
Gwen blushes and murmurs scandalized, “Merlin!” Then she winces and says sorry. Merlin shrugs and something is going on there, but Arthur’s mind is reeling. Becauce…
“Merlin?”
Merman. Merlin. It can’t be.
“Yeah, my first name is Merlin,” Emr.. Merlin says in an exasperated tone, like it’s an often repeated speech. “Merlin like-“
“The sea. Mere. Mare.” Merlin’s eyebrows shoot upwards. Gwen’s jaw drops before she can stop herself. Shit. Arthur mentally kicks himself, again. “Or the wizard.” He adds hurriedly. “Magic spells and… such.”
Merlin nods, like Arthur made an interesting point in a discussion.
“And there’s the bird too.”
“Yes… Thank you, Merlin. That’s very helpful.”
“Oh don’t mention it. Anytime.” Merlin flicks his hand.
They squint their eyes at each other. Then there’s a moment where they realize how close to the un-mentionable subject they are. That’s when Gwen starts fussing with her bag, pretending to get a text and claiming she forgot she was supposed to be meeting Elena and rushing out of the coffee shop.
Arthur oddly feels more trapped now than when Gwen was there. Arthur fiddles with the spoon in his tall latte glass. Merlin plays with a napkin.
“How you’ve been?”
“Why did you leave?”
They speak at the same time and then go mute.
Merlin crunches up the napkin and throws it on the table. Throwing his towel in the ring.
“I wasn’t supposed to be there.”
Arthur snaps in reply. “Neither was I.”
Reply
Leave a comment