Merlin snippet: In the Forest
Title: In the Forest
Rating: G
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 368
Summary: The boys go for a walk, and Arthur can't not tease
Notes: CAN YOU GUESS WHAT I WATCHED THIS AFTERNOON? HMM? Really, it shouldn't be that hard.
“It’s not stupid.”
“Merlin, it really is.” Arthur pulls a handful of twigs off a tree, ignoring Merlin’s mildly reproachful look. “The forest is not alive. Things live in the forest.” He snaps the twigs and lets them fall into the underbrush, like that’s the final word on the subject.
“What makes you such an expert on the forest?” Merlin asks, running his fingers over glossy green leaves, cool and smooth.
“Well, I am quite good at killing things,” Arthur says. He turns to face Merlin, holding out his arms, a shot of rich red against the lush green afternoon. His smile is smug and attractive, spreading his face and making his eyes crinkle.
Tipping his head towards Merlin and lowering his arms down Arthur raises an eyebrow and asks, “And what makes you so sure that you’re right?”
“It’s just…” Merlin shrugs, unable to articulate the faint tickle of magic that runs through this forest.
“Really, Merlin,” Arthur steps on a toadstool, and then another, casual destruction, “you talk like the forest is its own society or something.” He waves at a tree ahead of them. “Hello Tree! Hello Bush! Merlin, say hello to all the inhabitants of the forest kingdom!”
Merlin rolls his eyes while Arthur smiles and waves at the nature around them, his face over-cheerful.
“Arthur-”
Arthur points to a large brown owl dozing on a tree branch, “Oh, look, it’s Archimedes, the highly educated owl!”
“You look like you’ve gone mad.”
Arthur drops his arm and the look, and goes right back to smug. “There’s no one around to see us, and I’m merely making a point.”
Merlin follows in Arthur’s footsteps, except he tries not to stomp on things. When he speaks, his voice is almost sulky. “Just because you can’t understand something it doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”
Arthur stops, and so does Merlin. Merlin gets looked over carefully, and when Arthur has apparently decided he’s not actually offended Merlin he smiles, but this time there’s gentleness underneath. He reaches out and carefully brushes a dried leaf off Merlin’s shoulder, his thumb just skimming the collar of Merlin’s shirt.
“You’re probably right,” he says softly, and the magic fizzes under Merlin’s skin.
And now back to North and South, which is tremendously boring.
Rating: G
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 368
Summary: The boys go for a walk, and Arthur can't not tease
Notes: CAN YOU GUESS WHAT I WATCHED THIS AFTERNOON? HMM? Really, it shouldn't be that hard.
“It’s not stupid.”
“Merlin, it really is.” Arthur pulls a handful of twigs off a tree, ignoring Merlin’s mildly reproachful look. “The forest is not alive. Things live in the forest.” He snaps the twigs and lets them fall into the underbrush, like that’s the final word on the subject.
“What makes you such an expert on the forest?” Merlin asks, running his fingers over glossy green leaves, cool and smooth.
“Well, I am quite good at killing things,” Arthur says. He turns to face Merlin, holding out his arms, a shot of rich red against the lush green afternoon. His smile is smug and attractive, spreading his face and making his eyes crinkle.
Tipping his head towards Merlin and lowering his arms down Arthur raises an eyebrow and asks, “And what makes you so sure that you’re right?”
“It’s just…” Merlin shrugs, unable to articulate the faint tickle of magic that runs through this forest.
“Really, Merlin,” Arthur steps on a toadstool, and then another, casual destruction, “you talk like the forest is its own society or something.” He waves at a tree ahead of them. “Hello Tree! Hello Bush! Merlin, say hello to all the inhabitants of the forest kingdom!”
Merlin rolls his eyes while Arthur smiles and waves at the nature around them, his face over-cheerful.
“Arthur-”
Arthur points to a large brown owl dozing on a tree branch, “Oh, look, it’s Archimedes, the highly educated owl!”
“You look like you’ve gone mad.”
Arthur drops his arm and the look, and goes right back to smug. “There’s no one around to see us, and I’m merely making a point.”
Merlin follows in Arthur’s footsteps, except he tries not to stomp on things. When he speaks, his voice is almost sulky. “Just because you can’t understand something it doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”
Arthur stops, and so does Merlin. Merlin gets looked over carefully, and when Arthur has apparently decided he’s not actually offended Merlin he smiles, but this time there’s gentleness underneath. He reaches out and carefully brushes a dried leaf off Merlin’s shoulder, his thumb just skimming the collar of Merlin’s shirt.
“You’re probably right,” he says softly, and the magic fizzes under Merlin’s skin.
And now back to North and South, which is tremendously boring.