Fic: Someone to fight for (2/?)
Title: Someone to fight for (2/?)
Rating: NC-17 (just to be on the safe side in future chapter, though nothing too big)
Pairing: Merthur, one-sided Lancelot/Arthur
Warning: Violence in future chapters
Summary: Modern AU. When Merlin and his friends return to the institute after the holidays, a new boy has arrived. A shy, misterious blond guy with hidden issues and an easy smile that drives Merlin crazy. Soon Lancelot will show his interest for him, but can Merlin step aside and let his best friend go for who could be the love of Merlin's life? And can Merlin help this boy with whatever seems to be killing him inside? SLASH Merthur, one-sided Lanceloot/Arthur
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this (except for the plot) and none of this has really happened (that I know off).
A/N: Ok, new chapter ;) Enjoy!
**********
CHAPTER 2
Merlin was brought back to reality from his day-dreaming by a playful nudge to his ribs by the person who was sitting next to him: lovely Arthur -how pathetic it was of him to think of the word ‘lovely’ whenever Arthur came to his mind, which was quite often?
“Welcome back” Arthur whispered jokingly, and Merlin could only smile at him. “Is everything alright?”
“Yes, yes. I just got distracted for a second” he answered, reassuringly. What was he supposed to say, that he had been thinking about him all the time? No way.
Merlin looked at his other side, to see Lancelot looking back at him and not looking the most happy he could be. Merlin knew he was trying hard to approach Arthur, had been doing it for the whole week, but the latter was not making it very easy for him. If he did it consciously or it was just chance, Merlin didn’t know. But the truth was that, somehow, Arthur always ended up next to Merlin, instead of Lancelot.
That same morning, for instance, Merlin had been the first one to arrive to class, surprisingly enough, and had sat in one of the chairs closer to the window. When Arthur had arrived next, he had just sat at his side, so when Lancelot arrived, it had been impossible for him to sit next to Arthur. Merlin had received quite a killer look from his best friend, but it hadn’t been his fault! It’s not like he had arrived earlier than usual on purpose to sit on the second to last seat on the row, knowing that Arthur usually arrived pretty soon and would pick the seat nearer to the window, was it?
“Are you daydreaming again?” a sweet voice whispered dangerously close to his ear, sending shivers all along his body. “You’ve not written a word for ages”
“I’ll try to concentrate” Merlin answered with a nervous smile.
“Don’t worry, I’ll let you copy my notes” Arthur offered sweetly, sliding his notebook nearer to Merlin so he could take a look at it. Even as he smiled gratefully at Arthur, he could feel Lancelot’s look at the back of his neck. Boy, that year was going to get difficult.
**********
“Hey, Arthur, do you want to be a part of our research group in history?” Lancelot offered kindly at the end of the day, as they were moving out of the classroom. “The four of us always work together, but the teacher said we could do a group of five, so we wouldn’t mind for you to join us. Right, boys?”
“We surely wouldn’t” Merlin answered a little too willingly, eliciting a shy smile from Arthur.
“Well, if you guys really don’t mind, it would be great” Arthur answered gratefully. “I still don’t know anybody around here and it would be difficult to find someone to work with”
“We should warn you we are not the most clever or hardworking people around here, though” Gwaine told him, only half joking, making Arthur chuckle.
“Hey!” Percival mockingly protested. “Speak for yourself! I’m not that bad!”
“Neither am I!” Lancelot intervened.
“Well, I am, I’m not going to deny it” Merlin confessed, once again bringing a smile to Arthur’s face at his raw honesty.
“Come on, you can’t be that bad” Arthur told him, nudging him playfully, spreading a warmth across Merlin’s chest that little had to do with Arthur’s compliment about his studying skills. “Although your lack of concentration I saw before doesn’t help any, I’m sure”
“Believe me, I am” Merlin responded, nodding pitifully.
“Believe me, he is” Gwaine added, jokingly.
“Well, thank you!” Merlin told him, playfully punching him in the arm.
“You’re welcome. I know what I’m talking about, I am as much of a disaster as you are”
“Yes, that’s true” Merlin answered, chuckling.
“I could help you” Arthur offered Merlin immediately. “What’s the subject you have more problems with?”
“You pick” Merlin answered, honestly.
“Well, it doesn’t matter, I can help a little with everything. I’ve always got good marks” Arthur suggested, a little too insistent.
“Wouldn’t you mind?” Merlin couldn’t believe his luck: he was going to get some much-needed help with his studies, and he was getting to spend more time with Arthur, without him being disloyal to Lancelot. “I could really use some help”
“Of course I don’t mind, it was me who suggested it, wasn’t it?” Arthur responded, chuckling.
“Am I included in that offer?” Gwaine intervened, sensing something going between those two.
“Of course” Arthur responded jovially, trying not to show how disappointed he was that it was not going to be only Merlin and him.
“Please, I’m joking” Gwaine was quick to deny. “The last thing I need is to spend more time with my head stuck in the books, it’s bad enough having to stay here all day”
“It wouldn’t hurt you to do something to improve your grades, you know” Percival intervened, obviously wanting the best for his best friend.
“It wouldn’t hurt me, you say? It surely would! I would go crazy!”
“As if you weren’t already...” Percival mumbled, getting a cuff on his head from Gwaine for good measure.
“Hey!”
“When do you want us to get started?” Arthur asked Merlin.
“Already? It’s only the first week” Lancelot intervened, not that comfortable with the idea of Arthur getting busy with someone who was not him, as that would leave him less chances to woo him.
“Well, the sooner the better, isn’t it?” Arthur answered at Lancelot, though looking at Merlin to guess his opinion in the matter. “What’s the use in postponing it, when you can be up to date from the beginning? What do you think about it, Merlin?”
“Emmm...” Merlin hesitated between his desire to begin spending time with Arthur and the guiltiness at the gaze he was receiving from Lancelot. At last, desire won. “Yeah, sure, as soon as possible makes more sense”
“Ok, so I’ll see you at the library tomorrow after school, is that alright?”
“Yes, that’s great”
“Ok, then. I’ll see you guys tomorrow then”
“Wait!” Lancelot practically shouted at his retreating back, making Arthur turn around in an instant.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing! It’s just that we were planning to go to this bar after class to have a drink, play a little pool... We do it every now and then. Would you like to join us?”
Arthur looked at his watch nervously, and the others could tell he was trying to make a decision.
“Come on” Lancelot insisted. “It’s not like you’re going to start studying today, is it?”
Arthur smiled politely at Lancelot’s attempt of humour and then relented.
“Okay. But just for a while”
“Fair enough” Lancelot answered, putting his arm around Arthur and directing him through the exit door. Was it just his imagination, Merlin thought, or Arthur was not entirely comfortable with Lancelot’s affectionate gesture?
**********
“Okay, guys, what do you want to drink?” Percival asked, offering to bring the drinks to the table. “Coke for everyone, like always?”
Everybody nodded, except for Arthur.
“Nothing for me, thanks”
“Are you sure?” Percival insisted.
“Yes, I don’t want anything” Arthur responded with a polite smile.
“Ok, then, four cokes. Would someone be as kind as to help me bring them?” Percival asked jokingly.
“I’ll help you, Percie” Gwaine offered. “And then we can play some pool. I owe you a rematch”
“You owe me? It was me who won the last time!” Percival mockingly protested.
“Was it? My memory is not that good, you know that. Especially if it’s about something I don’t want to remember” Gwaine joked back, as they moved away from the table.
After a couple of minutes, Percival and Gwaine left Merlin and Lancelot’s drinks on the table and went to the pool area, as they had agreed on. That left the other three boys on the table, something which was not entirely appealing to Lancelot.
“Merlin, didn’t you tell me you wanted to play today?” Lancelot told him pointedly, wanting Merlin to disappear to be alone with Arthur.
“Did I?” Merlin asked, pretending not to have understood what Lancelot had meant.
“Yes, back in class, remember?” Lancelot insisted.
“Oh yes, yes I did” Merlin finally relented, knowing he couldn’t pretend anymore. “But Gwaine and Percival have already started a game, I can’t play on my own, can I?”
“I’ll play with you” Arthur immediately offered, and Merlin had to suppress a smile at such a turn of events.
“I’m sure there’s no need for that” Lancelot intervened, trying everything he could to avoid Arthur’s leaving the table. “Merlin can wait for Gwaine and Percival to finish their game”
“Oh, it’s no trouble at all, I love pool. Shall we, Merl?” Arthur asked him kindly, and Merlin’s heart melted when Arthur shortened his name in such a sweet way. No nature force would have been able to stop him from standing up and following Arthur to the pool table -or anywhere he went.
“Merl?” Lancelot asked him, grabbing his sleeve to stop him, when Arthur was already out of earshot.
Merlin loved Lancelot, he was his best friend and everything, but he couldn’t help but to feel kind of resentful towards him from having taking the chance from him to discover if maybe he could have some kind of future with Arthur. So he again had to suppress a devil smile at Arthur once again preferring him over Lancelot. Maybe he couldn’t have anything with Arthur -he would never do that to Lancelot-, but nobody could stop him from enjoying what felt like small victories. So he just shrugged his shoulders, feigning both confusion and guiltiness, and followed Arthur to the pool table.
The expression Lancelot’s face was wearing was not very friendly when Percival and Gwaine came back to the table to have a drink and rest for a bit after a while.
“If looks could kill” Gwaine commented, as he and Percival sat each side of Lancelot.
“What’s wrong with you?” Percival asked, caring as always.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Lancelot answered, annoyance evident in his voice.
“Is this about Arthur? Things not working out as you had planned?” Gwaine asked kind of sarcastically.
“No, they sure aren’t. Otherwise he would be sitting here with me, not playing pool with Merlin”
“That doesn’t mean anything. Give him some time to know you. Maybe he was really in the mood for some pool” Percival tried to cheer him up.
“It doesn’t matter what I do or say, I just seem to get him away from me... and to Merlin’s arms” he only mumbled the last part to himself, not wanting to sound ridiculously jealous.
“Poor Lancelot, the new boy hasn’t fallen head over heels with him” Gwaine said sarcastically.
“You don’t have to be so pleased about it” Lancelot responded, slightly annoyed.
“It’s not that I’m pleased about your failures” Gwaine explained.
“Thank you” Lancelot sarcastically responded.
“You know what I mean. But I think it’s good for you, every now and then you need bringing down a peg or two when it comes to... how do you call it? Boy hunting?” Gwaine reprimanded him, as they all thought Lancelot sometimes was too frivolous about his conquests.
“If you think a little setback is going to change my plans... Arthur will swallow the bait sooner or later, as they all do. He’s too pretty for me to give up on him”
Meanwhile, Arthur and Merlin were having a great time at the pool area. None of them gave a damn about who would win, but both pretended to care for the sake of the game -and not to give away too much of their feelings.
“You suck at this!” Merlin joked, after a particularly big fail of his opponent.
“Please, don’t try and cushion the blow!” Arthur joked back.
“I’m just worried. If you’re that bad in everything you do, maybe I shouldn’t trust to with my studies”
“Hey, with that I’m good!”
“You said that about pool too”
“No, I didn’t!” Arthur responded with mock indignation.
“You’re right, you didn’t. I’ll have to trust your word, then” Merlin responded in a way he hoped didn’t sound too much like flirting.
“You should”
“Hey, are you sure you don’t want anything to drink?”
“Emm... no, thanks”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but... is it about money?” Merlin asked, hesitantly.
“How do you know?”
“Well, it’s happened to me too! Those guys are great, but they don’t always understand what it is to be broke all the time”
“I’m glad you understand. Sometimes it’s a little embarrassing” Arthur confessed with a little smile.
“I know. I would love to buy you something, but I don’t really have any more money” Merlin told him regretfully.
“I wouldn’t...” Arthur started, but Merlin wouldn’t even let him finish the sentence.
“But we will share mine. Do you like coke?” Merlin kindly offered.
“No, please, it’s okay”
“I asked you if you liked coke, I don’t remember asking for your opinion” Merlin joked as he stretched his arm in front of Arthur to hand him his can, eliciting a wide and fond smile on Arthur’s lips.
“Thank you” he told him gratefully.
“Us poor people have to stick together, don’t we?”
Arthur chuckled again after taking a sip and returned the can to Merlin, making sure their fingers came into contact. Merlin felt it and his eyes immediately turned to Arthur’s, trying to find out what was in Arthur’s mind. But all coherent thought left his own mind when their gazes met, and the only he could do was to smile goofily at Arthur.
“It’s my turn” he said, his eyes never leaving those of the lovely person standing in front of him.
“To what?” Arthur asked distractedly, his gaze lost in the blue depths of Merlin’s eyes.
“To pool” Merlin answered, and Arthur blinked a few times in an attempt of breaking the spell that had them so absorbed in each other.
“Of course. Come on, it’s your turn to screw it up so I can win” Arthur joked as he moved a bit away from Merlin, feigning giving him some room to play -to which Merlin could only feel deceived at not having him that near anymore.
Back on the table, the other three boys -especially Lancelot- were quite busy observing Arthur and Merlin. Although they couldn’t hear what was being said, not a gesture between the two boys went by without the other three being avid witnesses to it.
“Is it me or Merlin is getting on too well with Arthur?” Lancelot commented after the can intercourse.
“Oh come on, Lance, Merlin is just being nice. It’s hard to be the new one, he just wants to help” Percival defended Merlin, hoping he would be right in the end.
“Well, he’s supposed to be the shy one, isn’t he? It doesn’t seem to me as he has been having problems to talk to Arthur”
“Where is this going, Lance? Are you jealous?” Gwaine had never been the one to beat about the bush. “Do you think Merlin would betray you like that, and right under your nose? Give him some credit, man, he’s your best friend!”
“I know you’re right. It’s just... He’s keeping Arthur away from me, and I need him nearer than that if I want something with him”
“Lance, you’re a good person and I love you and everything, but I can’t stand you when it comes to your ‘love life’, really. Though I’m guessing love is the last thing on your mind right now”
Lancelot’s only response was to smile wickedly, and both Percival and Gwaine sighed at him.
“I hope you will treat him with respect, at least, I’m starting to like him and I think he could be a good friend” Percival intervened.
“Hey, I don’t mean to be mean to him or to send him away after we’ve had our thing! He can stay if he wants, I like him too”
“Ok, I hope you stay true to your word and I don’t have to regret helping you” Gwaine offered. “See how he’s continually moving his body to the beat of the music? I bet he loves music. Or dancing. Or both of them. Do you know what you should do? Invite him to the pub with us on Saturday. I’m sure he’ll be delighted to come. After all, he doesn’t have any friends here, right? I bet he’s dying to find something to do at the weekend”
“Hey, I think it’s a great idea. Turns out you’re not completely useless” Lancelot joked, eliciting a smile from both his friends.
“I knew you would notice sooner or later”
Merlin and Arthur chose that moment to finish their game and come back to the table, both of them smiley and happy-looking. Arthur was about to sit when something came to his mind.
“What time is it?” Arthur asked all of a sudden.
“It’s past 5:30” Percival answered, looking at his watch.
“What?” they all could see how Arthur paled at that. “I’ve got to go” he said, very quickly putting on his jacket and turning to the door. “See you tomorrow, guys, thanks for everything”
“Wait, Arthur!” Lancelot stopped him. “Don’t leave like this! We can all go and accompany each other home, like we always do”
“No, thank you, Lancelot, but I must leave now. See you” he hurriedly answered, already halfway to the door, not leaving them time to react.
“That boy sure is... strange” Lancelot commented, and Merlin somehow didn’t like it one bit.
“Why, because he’s in a hurry? It can happen to the best of us, you know” Merlin sarcastically replied.
“I know, but it’s not just that” Lancelot answered, not having taken notice of Merlin’s tone. “He seems to have some issues, doesn’t he? I mean, he never talks about himself, and it’s like he’s always nervous or uncomfortable”
Merlin had noticed that too. Apart from his immediate warmth and his friendly way in everything he said and did, which were kind of obvious, there was some hidden mistrust and vulnerability that made him build a protecting wall around himself, which apparently only Merlin could climb to see what was on the other side, but only to a certain point. Merlin realised that after a whole week, in which Arthur had practically become a part of their gang, he didn’t know anything about his life. Only that he had no money, that he had been in Camelot for less than two months and that something about being late coming back home had really scared him.
Yes, he knew all that and he realised that Arthur was probably more complicated than most people. But that didn’t mean he had to like Lancelot referring to him as ‘strange’. What the hell did he know?
“Should we get going?” Merlin offered, a little too unfriendly, just so he didn’t have to keep talking about Arthur with someone so quick to judge without having seen the whole picture.
“Yes, let’s get going, it’s pretty late, actually” Percival agreed with him, following him to the door, and finally the other two just had to oblige.
**********
Merlin was getting ready to get into bed that night, but he found he could not stop thinking about Arthur. The way he had left and the expression on his face had left him worried. If only there was a way to know he was okay... Wait a minute, of course there was! They had exchanged their mobile phones that same day, while playing pool -Arthur had asked for his with the excuse of having a way to get to him if he couldn’t make it to the library or something. He could text him! How he had not thought about it before?
He hesitated for a minute, though. Would that be interfering in Lancelot’s ground? To be honest, it was not the most common thing to start texting your best friend’s love interest, or whatever Arthur was to Lancelot. But Merlin was not really looking to make advances in Arthur right now: he only was worried about him. He only wanted to know he was okay. He was allowed to be his friend, right? Of course he had the right to do it. Just better not to say anything to Lancelot, though, in case he didn’t agree with his reasoning.
He sat on his bed and picked up his phone to start writing. Hey, mate, he started, trying to be nice without looking too fond. You left in such a hurry that I needed to check you were okay, he went on. No, way too intense for a week-long friend. He erased the sentence and tried again: You left in such a hurry that I was wondering if everything’s alright. Much better, friendly but not so obvious. And now he needed something to end the message, a change of subject to make it look like his worrying was not the only reason he had written him. Does your offer to help me after class still stands? See you tomorrow, mate. Yes, that was great. Just so Arthur would see he cared about him but nothing too intimate. Just a friend worrying about him. But not too much. Or was it...? He would better send it now, before he started regretting it.
Only a couple of minutes had passed when he received the much-expected answer. He clumsily picked up the phone from the night stand and opened the inbox, his heart beating faster when he confirmed the new message was Arthur’s.
Everything’s good, mate, thanks for asking. Of course the offer still stands, I’ll see you at the library after class tomorrow, ok? Thanks.
A goofy smile broke in Merlin’s lips at reading the message, for different reasons. The most important is that Arthur was alright, of course. The second one, he still got to study with him the next day, something that really made him very happy at the prospect of spending some time with him on their own. And the third one is that he knew his worry for Arthur had really touched him. He had thanked him. Twice. In one message. That had to mean something.
As he left his phone on the nightstand again and hid his arms under the covers against the cold temperature, he realised he should not be feeling this happy about everything that had to do with Arthur. After all, nothing could happen between them, he was out of limits for him, thanks to Lancelot.
But that night he didn’t care -he would worry about that the next day, if anything. That night he went to sleep with a smile on his face and his heart filled with the warmth of a particular blue-eyed boy that had entered his life only a week ago. And who was going to turn it upside-down.
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Rating: NC-17 (just to be on the safe side in future chapter, though nothing too big)
Pairing: Merthur, one-sided Lancelot/Arthur
Warning: Violence in future chapters
Summary: Modern AU. When Merlin and his friends return to the institute after the holidays, a new boy has arrived. A shy, misterious blond guy with hidden issues and an easy smile that drives Merlin crazy. Soon Lancelot will show his interest for him, but can Merlin step aside and let his best friend go for who could be the love of Merlin's life? And can Merlin help this boy with whatever seems to be killing him inside? SLASH Merthur, one-sided Lanceloot/Arthur
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this (except for the plot) and none of this has really happened (that I know off).
A/N: Ok, new chapter ;) Enjoy!
**********
CHAPTER 2
Merlin was brought back to reality from his day-dreaming by a playful nudge to his ribs by the person who was sitting next to him: lovely Arthur -how pathetic it was of him to think of the word ‘lovely’ whenever Arthur came to his mind, which was quite often?
“Welcome back” Arthur whispered jokingly, and Merlin could only smile at him. “Is everything alright?”
“Yes, yes. I just got distracted for a second” he answered, reassuringly. What was he supposed to say, that he had been thinking about him all the time? No way.
Merlin looked at his other side, to see Lancelot looking back at him and not looking the most happy he could be. Merlin knew he was trying hard to approach Arthur, had been doing it for the whole week, but the latter was not making it very easy for him. If he did it consciously or it was just chance, Merlin didn’t know. But the truth was that, somehow, Arthur always ended up next to Merlin, instead of Lancelot.
That same morning, for instance, Merlin had been the first one to arrive to class, surprisingly enough, and had sat in one of the chairs closer to the window. When Arthur had arrived next, he had just sat at his side, so when Lancelot arrived, it had been impossible for him to sit next to Arthur. Merlin had received quite a killer look from his best friend, but it hadn’t been his fault! It’s not like he had arrived earlier than usual on purpose to sit on the second to last seat on the row, knowing that Arthur usually arrived pretty soon and would pick the seat nearer to the window, was it?
“Are you daydreaming again?” a sweet voice whispered dangerously close to his ear, sending shivers all along his body. “You’ve not written a word for ages”
“I’ll try to concentrate” Merlin answered with a nervous smile.
“Don’t worry, I’ll let you copy my notes” Arthur offered sweetly, sliding his notebook nearer to Merlin so he could take a look at it. Even as he smiled gratefully at Arthur, he could feel Lancelot’s look at the back of his neck. Boy, that year was going to get difficult.
**********
“Hey, Arthur, do you want to be a part of our research group in history?” Lancelot offered kindly at the end of the day, as they were moving out of the classroom. “The four of us always work together, but the teacher said we could do a group of five, so we wouldn’t mind for you to join us. Right, boys?”
“We surely wouldn’t” Merlin answered a little too willingly, eliciting a shy smile from Arthur.
“Well, if you guys really don’t mind, it would be great” Arthur answered gratefully. “I still don’t know anybody around here and it would be difficult to find someone to work with”
“We should warn you we are not the most clever or hardworking people around here, though” Gwaine told him, only half joking, making Arthur chuckle.
“Hey!” Percival mockingly protested. “Speak for yourself! I’m not that bad!”
“Neither am I!” Lancelot intervened.
“Well, I am, I’m not going to deny it” Merlin confessed, once again bringing a smile to Arthur’s face at his raw honesty.
“Come on, you can’t be that bad” Arthur told him, nudging him playfully, spreading a warmth across Merlin’s chest that little had to do with Arthur’s compliment about his studying skills. “Although your lack of concentration I saw before doesn’t help any, I’m sure”
“Believe me, I am” Merlin responded, nodding pitifully.
“Believe me, he is” Gwaine added, jokingly.
“Well, thank you!” Merlin told him, playfully punching him in the arm.
“You’re welcome. I know what I’m talking about, I am as much of a disaster as you are”
“Yes, that’s true” Merlin answered, chuckling.
“I could help you” Arthur offered Merlin immediately. “What’s the subject you have more problems with?”
“You pick” Merlin answered, honestly.
“Well, it doesn’t matter, I can help a little with everything. I’ve always got good marks” Arthur suggested, a little too insistent.
“Wouldn’t you mind?” Merlin couldn’t believe his luck: he was going to get some much-needed help with his studies, and he was getting to spend more time with Arthur, without him being disloyal to Lancelot. “I could really use some help”
“Of course I don’t mind, it was me who suggested it, wasn’t it?” Arthur responded, chuckling.
“Am I included in that offer?” Gwaine intervened, sensing something going between those two.
“Of course” Arthur responded jovially, trying not to show how disappointed he was that it was not going to be only Merlin and him.
“Please, I’m joking” Gwaine was quick to deny. “The last thing I need is to spend more time with my head stuck in the books, it’s bad enough having to stay here all day”
“It wouldn’t hurt you to do something to improve your grades, you know” Percival intervened, obviously wanting the best for his best friend.
“It wouldn’t hurt me, you say? It surely would! I would go crazy!”
“As if you weren’t already...” Percival mumbled, getting a cuff on his head from Gwaine for good measure.
“Hey!”
“When do you want us to get started?” Arthur asked Merlin.
“Already? It’s only the first week” Lancelot intervened, not that comfortable with the idea of Arthur getting busy with someone who was not him, as that would leave him less chances to woo him.
“Well, the sooner the better, isn’t it?” Arthur answered at Lancelot, though looking at Merlin to guess his opinion in the matter. “What’s the use in postponing it, when you can be up to date from the beginning? What do you think about it, Merlin?”
“Emmm...” Merlin hesitated between his desire to begin spending time with Arthur and the guiltiness at the gaze he was receiving from Lancelot. At last, desire won. “Yeah, sure, as soon as possible makes more sense”
“Ok, so I’ll see you at the library tomorrow after school, is that alright?”
“Yes, that’s great”
“Ok, then. I’ll see you guys tomorrow then”
“Wait!” Lancelot practically shouted at his retreating back, making Arthur turn around in an instant.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing! It’s just that we were planning to go to this bar after class to have a drink, play a little pool... We do it every now and then. Would you like to join us?”
Arthur looked at his watch nervously, and the others could tell he was trying to make a decision.
“Come on” Lancelot insisted. “It’s not like you’re going to start studying today, is it?”
Arthur smiled politely at Lancelot’s attempt of humour and then relented.
“Okay. But just for a while”
“Fair enough” Lancelot answered, putting his arm around Arthur and directing him through the exit door. Was it just his imagination, Merlin thought, or Arthur was not entirely comfortable with Lancelot’s affectionate gesture?
**********
“Okay, guys, what do you want to drink?” Percival asked, offering to bring the drinks to the table. “Coke for everyone, like always?”
Everybody nodded, except for Arthur.
“Nothing for me, thanks”
“Are you sure?” Percival insisted.
“Yes, I don’t want anything” Arthur responded with a polite smile.
“Ok, then, four cokes. Would someone be as kind as to help me bring them?” Percival asked jokingly.
“I’ll help you, Percie” Gwaine offered. “And then we can play some pool. I owe you a rematch”
“You owe me? It was me who won the last time!” Percival mockingly protested.
“Was it? My memory is not that good, you know that. Especially if it’s about something I don’t want to remember” Gwaine joked back, as they moved away from the table.
After a couple of minutes, Percival and Gwaine left Merlin and Lancelot’s drinks on the table and went to the pool area, as they had agreed on. That left the other three boys on the table, something which was not entirely appealing to Lancelot.
“Merlin, didn’t you tell me you wanted to play today?” Lancelot told him pointedly, wanting Merlin to disappear to be alone with Arthur.
“Did I?” Merlin asked, pretending not to have understood what Lancelot had meant.
“Yes, back in class, remember?” Lancelot insisted.
“Oh yes, yes I did” Merlin finally relented, knowing he couldn’t pretend anymore. “But Gwaine and Percival have already started a game, I can’t play on my own, can I?”
“I’ll play with you” Arthur immediately offered, and Merlin had to suppress a smile at such a turn of events.
“I’m sure there’s no need for that” Lancelot intervened, trying everything he could to avoid Arthur’s leaving the table. “Merlin can wait for Gwaine and Percival to finish their game”
“Oh, it’s no trouble at all, I love pool. Shall we, Merl?” Arthur asked him kindly, and Merlin’s heart melted when Arthur shortened his name in such a sweet way. No nature force would have been able to stop him from standing up and following Arthur to the pool table -or anywhere he went.
“Merl?” Lancelot asked him, grabbing his sleeve to stop him, when Arthur was already out of earshot.
Merlin loved Lancelot, he was his best friend and everything, but he couldn’t help but to feel kind of resentful towards him from having taking the chance from him to discover if maybe he could have some kind of future with Arthur. So he again had to suppress a devil smile at Arthur once again preferring him over Lancelot. Maybe he couldn’t have anything with Arthur -he would never do that to Lancelot-, but nobody could stop him from enjoying what felt like small victories. So he just shrugged his shoulders, feigning both confusion and guiltiness, and followed Arthur to the pool table.
The expression Lancelot’s face was wearing was not very friendly when Percival and Gwaine came back to the table to have a drink and rest for a bit after a while.
“If looks could kill” Gwaine commented, as he and Percival sat each side of Lancelot.
“What’s wrong with you?” Percival asked, caring as always.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Lancelot answered, annoyance evident in his voice.
“Is this about Arthur? Things not working out as you had planned?” Gwaine asked kind of sarcastically.
“No, they sure aren’t. Otherwise he would be sitting here with me, not playing pool with Merlin”
“That doesn’t mean anything. Give him some time to know you. Maybe he was really in the mood for some pool” Percival tried to cheer him up.
“It doesn’t matter what I do or say, I just seem to get him away from me... and to Merlin’s arms” he only mumbled the last part to himself, not wanting to sound ridiculously jealous.
“Poor Lancelot, the new boy hasn’t fallen head over heels with him” Gwaine said sarcastically.
“You don’t have to be so pleased about it” Lancelot responded, slightly annoyed.
“It’s not that I’m pleased about your failures” Gwaine explained.
“Thank you” Lancelot sarcastically responded.
“You know what I mean. But I think it’s good for you, every now and then you need bringing down a peg or two when it comes to... how do you call it? Boy hunting?” Gwaine reprimanded him, as they all thought Lancelot sometimes was too frivolous about his conquests.
“If you think a little setback is going to change my plans... Arthur will swallow the bait sooner or later, as they all do. He’s too pretty for me to give up on him”
Meanwhile, Arthur and Merlin were having a great time at the pool area. None of them gave a damn about who would win, but both pretended to care for the sake of the game -and not to give away too much of their feelings.
“You suck at this!” Merlin joked, after a particularly big fail of his opponent.
“Please, don’t try and cushion the blow!” Arthur joked back.
“I’m just worried. If you’re that bad in everything you do, maybe I shouldn’t trust to with my studies”
“Hey, with that I’m good!”
“You said that about pool too”
“No, I didn’t!” Arthur responded with mock indignation.
“You’re right, you didn’t. I’ll have to trust your word, then” Merlin responded in a way he hoped didn’t sound too much like flirting.
“You should”
“Hey, are you sure you don’t want anything to drink?”
“Emm... no, thanks”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but... is it about money?” Merlin asked, hesitantly.
“How do you know?”
“Well, it’s happened to me too! Those guys are great, but they don’t always understand what it is to be broke all the time”
“I’m glad you understand. Sometimes it’s a little embarrassing” Arthur confessed with a little smile.
“I know. I would love to buy you something, but I don’t really have any more money” Merlin told him regretfully.
“I wouldn’t...” Arthur started, but Merlin wouldn’t even let him finish the sentence.
“But we will share mine. Do you like coke?” Merlin kindly offered.
“No, please, it’s okay”
“I asked you if you liked coke, I don’t remember asking for your opinion” Merlin joked as he stretched his arm in front of Arthur to hand him his can, eliciting a wide and fond smile on Arthur’s lips.
“Thank you” he told him gratefully.
“Us poor people have to stick together, don’t we?”
Arthur chuckled again after taking a sip and returned the can to Merlin, making sure their fingers came into contact. Merlin felt it and his eyes immediately turned to Arthur’s, trying to find out what was in Arthur’s mind. But all coherent thought left his own mind when their gazes met, and the only he could do was to smile goofily at Arthur.
“It’s my turn” he said, his eyes never leaving those of the lovely person standing in front of him.
“To what?” Arthur asked distractedly, his gaze lost in the blue depths of Merlin’s eyes.
“To pool” Merlin answered, and Arthur blinked a few times in an attempt of breaking the spell that had them so absorbed in each other.
“Of course. Come on, it’s your turn to screw it up so I can win” Arthur joked as he moved a bit away from Merlin, feigning giving him some room to play -to which Merlin could only feel deceived at not having him that near anymore.
Back on the table, the other three boys -especially Lancelot- were quite busy observing Arthur and Merlin. Although they couldn’t hear what was being said, not a gesture between the two boys went by without the other three being avid witnesses to it.
“Is it me or Merlin is getting on too well with Arthur?” Lancelot commented after the can intercourse.
“Oh come on, Lance, Merlin is just being nice. It’s hard to be the new one, he just wants to help” Percival defended Merlin, hoping he would be right in the end.
“Well, he’s supposed to be the shy one, isn’t he? It doesn’t seem to me as he has been having problems to talk to Arthur”
“Where is this going, Lance? Are you jealous?” Gwaine had never been the one to beat about the bush. “Do you think Merlin would betray you like that, and right under your nose? Give him some credit, man, he’s your best friend!”
“I know you’re right. It’s just... He’s keeping Arthur away from me, and I need him nearer than that if I want something with him”
“Lance, you’re a good person and I love you and everything, but I can’t stand you when it comes to your ‘love life’, really. Though I’m guessing love is the last thing on your mind right now”
Lancelot’s only response was to smile wickedly, and both Percival and Gwaine sighed at him.
“I hope you will treat him with respect, at least, I’m starting to like him and I think he could be a good friend” Percival intervened.
“Hey, I don’t mean to be mean to him or to send him away after we’ve had our thing! He can stay if he wants, I like him too”
“Ok, I hope you stay true to your word and I don’t have to regret helping you” Gwaine offered. “See how he’s continually moving his body to the beat of the music? I bet he loves music. Or dancing. Or both of them. Do you know what you should do? Invite him to the pub with us on Saturday. I’m sure he’ll be delighted to come. After all, he doesn’t have any friends here, right? I bet he’s dying to find something to do at the weekend”
“Hey, I think it’s a great idea. Turns out you’re not completely useless” Lancelot joked, eliciting a smile from both his friends.
“I knew you would notice sooner or later”
Merlin and Arthur chose that moment to finish their game and come back to the table, both of them smiley and happy-looking. Arthur was about to sit when something came to his mind.
“What time is it?” Arthur asked all of a sudden.
“It’s past 5:30” Percival answered, looking at his watch.
“What?” they all could see how Arthur paled at that. “I’ve got to go” he said, very quickly putting on his jacket and turning to the door. “See you tomorrow, guys, thanks for everything”
“Wait, Arthur!” Lancelot stopped him. “Don’t leave like this! We can all go and accompany each other home, like we always do”
“No, thank you, Lancelot, but I must leave now. See you” he hurriedly answered, already halfway to the door, not leaving them time to react.
“That boy sure is... strange” Lancelot commented, and Merlin somehow didn’t like it one bit.
“Why, because he’s in a hurry? It can happen to the best of us, you know” Merlin sarcastically replied.
“I know, but it’s not just that” Lancelot answered, not having taken notice of Merlin’s tone. “He seems to have some issues, doesn’t he? I mean, he never talks about himself, and it’s like he’s always nervous or uncomfortable”
Merlin had noticed that too. Apart from his immediate warmth and his friendly way in everything he said and did, which were kind of obvious, there was some hidden mistrust and vulnerability that made him build a protecting wall around himself, which apparently only Merlin could climb to see what was on the other side, but only to a certain point. Merlin realised that after a whole week, in which Arthur had practically become a part of their gang, he didn’t know anything about his life. Only that he had no money, that he had been in Camelot for less than two months and that something about being late coming back home had really scared him.
Yes, he knew all that and he realised that Arthur was probably more complicated than most people. But that didn’t mean he had to like Lancelot referring to him as ‘strange’. What the hell did he know?
“Should we get going?” Merlin offered, a little too unfriendly, just so he didn’t have to keep talking about Arthur with someone so quick to judge without having seen the whole picture.
“Yes, let’s get going, it’s pretty late, actually” Percival agreed with him, following him to the door, and finally the other two just had to oblige.
**********
Merlin was getting ready to get into bed that night, but he found he could not stop thinking about Arthur. The way he had left and the expression on his face had left him worried. If only there was a way to know he was okay... Wait a minute, of course there was! They had exchanged their mobile phones that same day, while playing pool -Arthur had asked for his with the excuse of having a way to get to him if he couldn’t make it to the library or something. He could text him! How he had not thought about it before?
He hesitated for a minute, though. Would that be interfering in Lancelot’s ground? To be honest, it was not the most common thing to start texting your best friend’s love interest, or whatever Arthur was to Lancelot. But Merlin was not really looking to make advances in Arthur right now: he only was worried about him. He only wanted to know he was okay. He was allowed to be his friend, right? Of course he had the right to do it. Just better not to say anything to Lancelot, though, in case he didn’t agree with his reasoning.
He sat on his bed and picked up his phone to start writing. Hey, mate, he started, trying to be nice without looking too fond. You left in such a hurry that I needed to check you were okay, he went on. No, way too intense for a week-long friend. He erased the sentence and tried again: You left in such a hurry that I was wondering if everything’s alright. Much better, friendly but not so obvious. And now he needed something to end the message, a change of subject to make it look like his worrying was not the only reason he had written him. Does your offer to help me after class still stands? See you tomorrow, mate. Yes, that was great. Just so Arthur would see he cared about him but nothing too intimate. Just a friend worrying about him. But not too much. Or was it...? He would better send it now, before he started regretting it.
Only a couple of minutes had passed when he received the much-expected answer. He clumsily picked up the phone from the night stand and opened the inbox, his heart beating faster when he confirmed the new message was Arthur’s.
Everything’s good, mate, thanks for asking. Of course the offer still stands, I’ll see you at the library after class tomorrow, ok? Thanks.
A goofy smile broke in Merlin’s lips at reading the message, for different reasons. The most important is that Arthur was alright, of course. The second one, he still got to study with him the next day, something that really made him very happy at the prospect of spending some time with him on their own. And the third one is that he knew his worry for Arthur had really touched him. He had thanked him. Twice. In one message. That had to mean something.
As he left his phone on the nightstand again and hid his arms under the covers against the cold temperature, he realised he should not be feeling this happy about everything that had to do with Arthur. After all, nothing could happen between them, he was out of limits for him, thanks to Lancelot.
But that night he didn’t care -he would worry about that the next day, if anything. That night he went to sleep with a smile on his face and his heart filled with the warmth of a particular blue-eyed boy that had entered his life only a week ago. And who was going to turn it upside-down.
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