fic: king of the playground
Title: King of the Playground
Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): angst, romance
Word Count: ~950
Pairing(s) / Character(s): Arthur/Merlin (Arthur/Sophia, Merlin/Will)
Warnings / Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin
Summary: In which Arthur is athletic, Merlin doesn’t know how to define his sexuality, Sophia likes water parks, and the boys live happily ever after. Obviously. (Summaries are becoming harder and harder to write, lolol!) Written for aeternitasbeach’s birthday! Her prompt was ‘competitive streak’.
Since they first met aged five years old, they have been deadly rivals.
“I bet I can run faster than you,” five-year-old Arthur says, pointing his finger challengingly at Merlin’s face. “I bet your big ears slow you down.”
Merlin’s bottom lip juts out, both stubborn and upset as he retorts, “Bet you can’t.”
They run from one end of the playground to the other, and Arthur wins their first competition by a few seconds, crowing in delight as Merlin slows to a halt beside him.
“I win!”
Merlin scowls. “I’ll beat you next time.”
*
One week later in class, Merlin makes good on his promise and bakes nicer cookies than Arthur. Merlin grins proudly as Miss Lake pats him on the head, and Arthur glowers at him from the corner of the room.
*
Over the years, they remain evenly matched. All sporty competitions are won by Arthur, and those requiring knowledge or skill by Merlin.
When Merlin is fifteen years old, Arthur bets he can get a girlfriend before him. Two days later, Merlin sees Arthur pressing Sophia to the wall of the Sports Hall, kissing her.
Merlin ignores the uncomfortable sensation in his stomach, and turns. He walks home alone.
*
“You haven’t won anything for ages, Merlin,” Arthur taunts at lunch time a few months later, after breaking up with Sophia because she’d wanted to go to Avalon Water Park, and Arthur had chosen to skateboard with Merlin instead, as they did every week. Merlin rolls his eyes and bites into his sandwich. “Who’s King of the Playground now, eh?”
“We’re almost sixteen years old, Arthur,” Merlin says, annoyed, between bites of bread and tuna. “Aren’t we too old for King of the Playground?”
“Come on, Merlin, be a sport. We’re never too old for anything.” Arthur jovially claps Merlin hard on the back, and Merlin chokes.
*
“Fine,” Merlin says the next day, eyeing Arthur wearily from the corner of his eye as they walk to school together. “I bet I can get a boyfriend before you.”
Arthur’s head snaps to him, eyes wide. “What?”
“You heard me.” Merlin’s tone of voice is confident.
Arthur narrows his eyes. “You’re on, Emrys.”
*
Merlin wins.
*
“Totally unfair,” Arthur complains, enraged. “Will’s had his eye on you for ages, you had an unfair advantage. And I can’t believe he’s gay!”
“He’s not,” Merlin says, watching Arthur with an amused expression, sprawled on his sofa. “Will’s bi, Arthur. There’s a difference.”
“What does that make you then?” Arthur challenges, looking perplexed.
Merlin stills, and he blinks. “I… don’t know.” He tone is more confused than alarmed or ashamed.
Arthur raises his arms dramatically, and drops them again. He paces closer to Merlin and bears down on his prone figure. “So are you two going out now then?”
Merlin shrugs. “I guess. Just like how you and Sophia were going out. Same thing, right?”
“Do you even like him?”
Merlin sits up and looks into Arthur’s intense stare. “Yeah,” he says softly. “He’s nice.” Then he’s standing up and swerving past Arthur, heading for the kitchen. “Drink?”
*
Merlin wins the competition for longest romantic relationship when he breaks up with Will four months later - twice as long as Arthur dated Sophia. Arthur can’t find it in him to care about losing, though, as he sits on the edge of Merlin’s bed.
“Are you okay?” he asks, concerned.
Merlin smiles at Arthur, all normal and unaffected, as he types at his computer. “Yeah, I’m fine, you prat. Like I said, it was mutual and everything. We’re still going to be friends.”
“Right. Friends.”
Merlin frowns and turns around properly on his chair to face Arthur. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Arthur stands up and heads for the door. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
Arthur is gone before Merlin can bid him goodbye.
*
“What’s wrong with you?” Merlin demands a few weeks later, frustrated and fed up.
Arthur drops his book. He stares at Merlin in the doorway of his bedroom. “How did you get in here?”
“Morgana let me in,” Merlin says testily, and closes the door. “What have I done, Arthur? Why are you avoiding me? It’s not about being King of the Playground, is it? ‘Cause I’m sure that with the next athletic event, you’ll be beating me again.”
Arthur makes a noise between a snort and a laugh, and stands up. “Don’t be an idiot, Merlin. I’m almost seventeen, I’m not that petty.”
“Aren’t you?”
“Shut up,” Arthur shoots back, grinning despite the odd look in his eye.
Merlin sighs. “Seriously then, what’s wrong with you?”
Arthur quiets. Merlin takes the opportunity to cross the room and stare down at him worriedly. He’s grown several inches in the last few months, and Arthur hates that he’s taller now. Merlin wins again.
“Arthur?”
Arthur takes a deep, shuddering breath. He opens his mouth, as though to say something, but closes it again. Eventually, he bites his lip as he raises his arm; he lets his fingers run tentatively along Merlin’s cheek.
“A-Arthur?”
Arthur’s fingers settle against Merlin’s jaw and stay there. His eyes watch the flicker of emotions in Merlin’s face, and then he feels the leaning of Merlin’s cheek into his palm.
“Merlin,” he whispers softly.
Their first kiss is slow, bumpy and almost awkward, but afterwards, they’ll always call it ‘brilliant’.
*
“Who wins, then?”
Merlin looks up at Arthur drowsily. He shuffles closer into his embrace under the bed covers, feeling their jeans slide together.
“Win what?”
“First kiss.”
Merlin chuckles and mouths his lips along Arthur’s neck, feeling him arch and breathe beneath his touch.
“Let’s call it a draw, Arthur.”
Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): angst, romance
Word Count: ~950
Pairing(s) / Character(s): Arthur/Merlin (Arthur/Sophia, Merlin/Will)
Warnings / Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin
Summary: In which Arthur is athletic, Merlin doesn’t know how to define his sexuality, Sophia likes water parks, and the boys live happily ever after. Obviously. (Summaries are becoming harder and harder to write, lolol!) Written for aeternitasbeach’s birthday! Her prompt was ‘competitive streak’.
Since they first met aged five years old, they have been deadly rivals.
“I bet I can run faster than you,” five-year-old Arthur says, pointing his finger challengingly at Merlin’s face. “I bet your big ears slow you down.”
Merlin’s bottom lip juts out, both stubborn and upset as he retorts, “Bet you can’t.”
They run from one end of the playground to the other, and Arthur wins their first competition by a few seconds, crowing in delight as Merlin slows to a halt beside him.
“I win!”
Merlin scowls. “I’ll beat you next time.”
*
One week later in class, Merlin makes good on his promise and bakes nicer cookies than Arthur. Merlin grins proudly as Miss Lake pats him on the head, and Arthur glowers at him from the corner of the room.
*
Over the years, they remain evenly matched. All sporty competitions are won by Arthur, and those requiring knowledge or skill by Merlin.
When Merlin is fifteen years old, Arthur bets he can get a girlfriend before him. Two days later, Merlin sees Arthur pressing Sophia to the wall of the Sports Hall, kissing her.
Merlin ignores the uncomfortable sensation in his stomach, and turns. He walks home alone.
*
“You haven’t won anything for ages, Merlin,” Arthur taunts at lunch time a few months later, after breaking up with Sophia because she’d wanted to go to Avalon Water Park, and Arthur had chosen to skateboard with Merlin instead, as they did every week. Merlin rolls his eyes and bites into his sandwich. “Who’s King of the Playground now, eh?”
“We’re almost sixteen years old, Arthur,” Merlin says, annoyed, between bites of bread and tuna. “Aren’t we too old for King of the Playground?”
“Come on, Merlin, be a sport. We’re never too old for anything.” Arthur jovially claps Merlin hard on the back, and Merlin chokes.
*
“Fine,” Merlin says the next day, eyeing Arthur wearily from the corner of his eye as they walk to school together. “I bet I can get a boyfriend before you.”
Arthur’s head snaps to him, eyes wide. “What?”
“You heard me.” Merlin’s tone of voice is confident.
Arthur narrows his eyes. “You’re on, Emrys.”
*
Merlin wins.
*
“Totally unfair,” Arthur complains, enraged. “Will’s had his eye on you for ages, you had an unfair advantage. And I can’t believe he’s gay!”
“He’s not,” Merlin says, watching Arthur with an amused expression, sprawled on his sofa. “Will’s bi, Arthur. There’s a difference.”
“What does that make you then?” Arthur challenges, looking perplexed.
Merlin stills, and he blinks. “I… don’t know.” He tone is more confused than alarmed or ashamed.
Arthur raises his arms dramatically, and drops them again. He paces closer to Merlin and bears down on his prone figure. “So are you two going out now then?”
Merlin shrugs. “I guess. Just like how you and Sophia were going out. Same thing, right?”
“Do you even like him?”
Merlin sits up and looks into Arthur’s intense stare. “Yeah,” he says softly. “He’s nice.” Then he’s standing up and swerving past Arthur, heading for the kitchen. “Drink?”
*
Merlin wins the competition for longest romantic relationship when he breaks up with Will four months later - twice as long as Arthur dated Sophia. Arthur can’t find it in him to care about losing, though, as he sits on the edge of Merlin’s bed.
“Are you okay?” he asks, concerned.
Merlin smiles at Arthur, all normal and unaffected, as he types at his computer. “Yeah, I’m fine, you prat. Like I said, it was mutual and everything. We’re still going to be friends.”
“Right. Friends.”
Merlin frowns and turns around properly on his chair to face Arthur. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Arthur stands up and heads for the door. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
Arthur is gone before Merlin can bid him goodbye.
*
“What’s wrong with you?” Merlin demands a few weeks later, frustrated and fed up.
Arthur drops his book. He stares at Merlin in the doorway of his bedroom. “How did you get in here?”
“Morgana let me in,” Merlin says testily, and closes the door. “What have I done, Arthur? Why are you avoiding me? It’s not about being King of the Playground, is it? ‘Cause I’m sure that with the next athletic event, you’ll be beating me again.”
Arthur makes a noise between a snort and a laugh, and stands up. “Don’t be an idiot, Merlin. I’m almost seventeen, I’m not that petty.”
“Aren’t you?”
“Shut up,” Arthur shoots back, grinning despite the odd look in his eye.
Merlin sighs. “Seriously then, what’s wrong with you?”
Arthur quiets. Merlin takes the opportunity to cross the room and stare down at him worriedly. He’s grown several inches in the last few months, and Arthur hates that he’s taller now. Merlin wins again.
“Arthur?”
Arthur takes a deep, shuddering breath. He opens his mouth, as though to say something, but closes it again. Eventually, he bites his lip as he raises his arm; he lets his fingers run tentatively along Merlin’s cheek.
“A-Arthur?”
Arthur’s fingers settle against Merlin’s jaw and stay there. His eyes watch the flicker of emotions in Merlin’s face, and then he feels the leaning of Merlin’s cheek into his palm.
“Merlin,” he whispers softly.
Their first kiss is slow, bumpy and almost awkward, but afterwards, they’ll always call it ‘brilliant’.
*
“Who wins, then?”
Merlin looks up at Arthur drowsily. He shuffles closer into his embrace under the bed covers, feeling their jeans slide together.
“Win what?”
“First kiss.”
Merlin chuckles and mouths his lips along Arthur’s neck, feeling him arch and breathe beneath his touch.
“Let’s call it a draw, Arthur.”