Fic: Build Me A Boat That Can Carry Two (Merlin&Arthur pre-slash/friendship, PG)
Okay, so I originally wrote this on the LJ App and while it formatted beautifully and looked all nice and promising, the app wouldn't let me actually post it so I had to copy/paste it to my email and send it to myself. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THIS APP IS NOT LETTING ME POST. I HAVE INTERNET. IT IS PROPERLY FORMATTED. I'D DONE EVERYTHING RIGHT. Why you be hating'?
Anyway, this is the fic, God help us. This was the fantasy that gave me the strength to not absolutely die in class (and in-between classes) today. I typed it out to use as my test post for the app BUT SINCE THIS APP BE HATING', here, have random terrible fic.
Build Me A Boat That Can Carry Two | Merlin/Arthur pre-slash AND/OR friendship, YMMV | PG | 896
AN: This is titled "Appropriate uses of my school time" in my iPod notes.
“We’re going to have to find the shallow bit and cross there,” Merlin murmured under his breath.
“Brilliant, Merlin,” Arthur sneered, already struggling out of his armour as his servant stood there seriously contemplating the riverbed in front of them. The knights were hanging back, mostly looking on at the deceptive waterway with trepidation. “Isn’t it so- lucky- of me- to have- brought you along- Will you please!” Arthur huffed, gesturing angrily at the buckles on his back he couldn’t reach.
“Oh, right, sorry,” Merlin said, having at least the grace to color at his neglect. Once he was free of the heavy metal, Arthur began to roll his trouser legs up. “What are you doing?”
“Right over there, “ Arthur pointed, “is a relatively calm spot. It doesn’t look too deep but I’m not going to start directing my men through it until I know for certain.”
“Arthur, you can’t-” As silly as it was, Merlin still thinks about pulling Arthur out of the lake whenever Arthur gets near anything deeper than his bath. The cool fear runs through his veins now, reaching out to stop his prince before he can walk out. Merlin knows the river is calm and he can see that it is probably barely half-way up his own calves, but he doesn’t- He can’t risk it. Arthur’s face is stormy and Merlin knows it’s less about Merlin’s insubordination and a lot about Arthur still having issues with being told what he can and can’t do. The knights, at least the ones with sense, are all looking immensely interested in the pattern the branches make. The new ones, the one who don’t know how this works, are gaping openly. Merlin ignores them. “I’m coming with you.”
Arthur opened his mouth to argue but prudently decided to shut it. He nodded and waited long enough for Merlin to roll his own trouser legs and they both stepped into the current. The river, for all the huff and puff that it makes closer to the rocks, was practically lazy in this spot. Merlin let out a breath in relief and knows he worried for nothing. He looked over his shoulder to see Gwaine give him a wink. When he turned his eyes back on Arthur, he was met with a wall of water spraying on his face. “What the hell!” he sputtered as Arthur laughed.
“So very sorry, Merlin,” Arthur wheezed, not at all moved by Merlin’s frown or the fact that his fringe was now dripping pitifully down his face, nor, in fact, very sorry at all. His knights are all laughing and ribbing each other and Merlin hated them.
“Gwaine,” he called sweetly over his shoulder, a hint of mischief in his voice.
“Yes, Merlin?” his friend answered lazily from his perch on dry land.
“If I die, tell Lancelot he was always my favorite.” Arthur stared Merlin in the eye, a calculating gesture.
“Will do, friend.” Merlin launched forward, catching Arthur around the head and pushing Arthur underwater with all his might. Arthur, not to be outdone, took Merlin down with him and they both popped up, splashing and laughing.
“You’ll pay for that, Merlin.”
“Promises, promises,” Merlin taunted back, splashing Arthur across the face. “Like you’d put me in the stocks after last time.”
“You need to stop making friends with Gaius’ patients,” Arthur chuckled, pushing Merlin back under the water. “They’re so very convincing with the guilt. Now, I’ll let you up when you admit that I am vastly superior to you in every way.” Arthur let Merlin up long enough to draw a breath and smile, “can’t”, before getting pushed back under. “Whatever is stopping you?” He released his friend, not actually looking to drown him, and waited for his rejoinder.
“Mother told me not to tell lies.”
“Oh, did she now?” Arthur grabbed Merlin by the neck and gave him a noogie. They were both soaked to the bone and it hurt so much worse without the cushion of Merlin’s hair. “I suppose I’ll just have to have a talk with her.”
“She’d love that and you know it. Ow, Arthur, you’re hurting me.”
“Poor Merlin,” Arthur said, digging his knuckles in deeper. “Just admit it.”
“Ow, ow, fine,” Merlin whinged. “Prince Arthur is so vastly superior to me in some ways, most of which are not important, such as making messes and being a general pain in my ars-” Arthur threw Merlin back under water. Merlin managed to sit on the river bottom and looked up at Arthur, teasing smile in place.
“For that, you’re building our fire tonight,” Arthur smiled, extending a hand to raise his friend to his feet.
“Like I wasn’t going to, anyways.”
“Come on, then,” Arthur shouted back to the dumbfounded knights and Gwaine. “I’m not waiting all day.” He shoved Merlin’s shoulder when he turned back around.
“I’m freezing now, thank you.”
Arthur smiled wanly and stared at the sky. “I rather don’t care.” He showed this to be the lie it was when he reached up and brushed Merlin’s sopping fringe out of his eyes and clapped him on the shoulder.
“So this Lancelot thing,” Gwaine teased, “do you just like him better than Arthur or do I count in that too?”
“Shut it, Gwaine,” they said in unison.
The whole entourage made it across the river without further incident.
End
Anyway, this is the fic, God help us. This was the fantasy that gave me the strength to not absolutely die in class (and in-between classes) today. I typed it out to use as my test post for the app BUT SINCE THIS APP BE HATING', here, have random terrible fic.
Build Me A Boat That Can Carry Two | Merlin/Arthur pre-slash AND/OR friendship, YMMV | PG | 896
AN: This is titled "Appropriate uses of my school time" in my iPod notes.
“We’re going to have to find the shallow bit and cross there,” Merlin murmured under his breath.
“Brilliant, Merlin,” Arthur sneered, already struggling out of his armour as his servant stood there seriously contemplating the riverbed in front of them. The knights were hanging back, mostly looking on at the deceptive waterway with trepidation. “Isn’t it so- lucky- of me- to have- brought you along- Will you please!” Arthur huffed, gesturing angrily at the buckles on his back he couldn’t reach.
“Oh, right, sorry,” Merlin said, having at least the grace to color at his neglect. Once he was free of the heavy metal, Arthur began to roll his trouser legs up. “What are you doing?”
“Right over there, “ Arthur pointed, “is a relatively calm spot. It doesn’t look too deep but I’m not going to start directing my men through it until I know for certain.”
“Arthur, you can’t-” As silly as it was, Merlin still thinks about pulling Arthur out of the lake whenever Arthur gets near anything deeper than his bath. The cool fear runs through his veins now, reaching out to stop his prince before he can walk out. Merlin knows the river is calm and he can see that it is probably barely half-way up his own calves, but he doesn’t- He can’t risk it. Arthur’s face is stormy and Merlin knows it’s less about Merlin’s insubordination and a lot about Arthur still having issues with being told what he can and can’t do. The knights, at least the ones with sense, are all looking immensely interested in the pattern the branches make. The new ones, the one who don’t know how this works, are gaping openly. Merlin ignores them. “I’m coming with you.”
Arthur opened his mouth to argue but prudently decided to shut it. He nodded and waited long enough for Merlin to roll his own trouser legs and they both stepped into the current. The river, for all the huff and puff that it makes closer to the rocks, was practically lazy in this spot. Merlin let out a breath in relief and knows he worried for nothing. He looked over his shoulder to see Gwaine give him a wink. When he turned his eyes back on Arthur, he was met with a wall of water spraying on his face. “What the hell!” he sputtered as Arthur laughed.
“So very sorry, Merlin,” Arthur wheezed, not at all moved by Merlin’s frown or the fact that his fringe was now dripping pitifully down his face, nor, in fact, very sorry at all. His knights are all laughing and ribbing each other and Merlin hated them.
“Gwaine,” he called sweetly over his shoulder, a hint of mischief in his voice.
“Yes, Merlin?” his friend answered lazily from his perch on dry land.
“If I die, tell Lancelot he was always my favorite.” Arthur stared Merlin in the eye, a calculating gesture.
“Will do, friend.” Merlin launched forward, catching Arthur around the head and pushing Arthur underwater with all his might. Arthur, not to be outdone, took Merlin down with him and they both popped up, splashing and laughing.
“You’ll pay for that, Merlin.”
“Promises, promises,” Merlin taunted back, splashing Arthur across the face. “Like you’d put me in the stocks after last time.”
“You need to stop making friends with Gaius’ patients,” Arthur chuckled, pushing Merlin back under the water. “They’re so very convincing with the guilt. Now, I’ll let you up when you admit that I am vastly superior to you in every way.” Arthur let Merlin up long enough to draw a breath and smile, “can’t”, before getting pushed back under. “Whatever is stopping you?” He released his friend, not actually looking to drown him, and waited for his rejoinder.
“Mother told me not to tell lies.”
“Oh, did she now?” Arthur grabbed Merlin by the neck and gave him a noogie. They were both soaked to the bone and it hurt so much worse without the cushion of Merlin’s hair. “I suppose I’ll just have to have a talk with her.”
“She’d love that and you know it. Ow, Arthur, you’re hurting me.”
“Poor Merlin,” Arthur said, digging his knuckles in deeper. “Just admit it.”
“Ow, ow, fine,” Merlin whinged. “Prince Arthur is so vastly superior to me in some ways, most of which are not important, such as making messes and being a general pain in my ars-” Arthur threw Merlin back under water. Merlin managed to sit on the river bottom and looked up at Arthur, teasing smile in place.
“For that, you’re building our fire tonight,” Arthur smiled, extending a hand to raise his friend to his feet.
“Like I wasn’t going to, anyways.”
“Come on, then,” Arthur shouted back to the dumbfounded knights and Gwaine. “I’m not waiting all day.” He shoved Merlin’s shoulder when he turned back around.
“I’m freezing now, thank you.”
Arthur smiled wanly and stared at the sky. “I rather don’t care.” He showed this to be the lie it was when he reached up and brushed Merlin’s sopping fringe out of his eyes and clapped him on the shoulder.
“So this Lancelot thing,” Gwaine teased, “do you just like him better than Arthur or do I count in that too?”
“Shut it, Gwaine,” they said in unison.
The whole entourage made it across the river without further incident.
End