A Complication: chapter 3
“That’s it!” He called between breaths which were coming much quicker than ever before during training. He did not have time to register his surprise; blows from the fast-flying sword were becoming much more difficult to dodge.
“Very impressive,” he continued, but he spoke to fill the void of anything but the sound of metal through the wind - the fight was much too concentrated, it didn’t feel like practice if both swordsmen were silent, and with Merlin’s sudden intensity...it didn’t feel like practice at all.
“Very good!” the gasp from Arthur began involuntarily as he narrowly missed a blow, but he managed to finish with a compliment through his teeth, not able to hide his shock. He would have to pick up his game; he was no longer duelling with the servant Merlin; the soldier was surfacing.
“I told you I’d improve with rest,” Merlin said breathlessly when he pinned Arthur into a recess in the stable wall. A dangerous move, for more than one reason. There was nothing but wood and the wizard’s body and sword around the prince; he would have to use his strength if he wanted to move, and Merlin knew Arthur would overpower him; his body was tough, and the wizard was close enough to feel the hard muscles twitching beneath him, ready to move at any second.
But that second never came.
Instead the boys stared at each other, their noses almost touching again, and there was no denying now the race in Merlin’s heartbeat. He only hoped Arthur could not feel it too - their chests were certainly close enough.
The proximity could only have lasted a second, but the wizard counted at least 20 heartbeats during that time, and at least four of these had pulsed blood violently to a body part he would lose if his thoughts were ever discovered.
This cannot be happening! Merlin’s brain racked around itself, and then a small penny dropped from somewhere on the inside. Christ, he groaned inwardly, not fully allowing the realisation to surface. He stiffened.
“Merlin?” Arthur spoke with his eyebrows both raised, and his voice almost suggestive...
“Yes..?” the reply came cautiously.
“You’re standing on my foot.”
That snapped the wizard from his trance; he backed away quickly and Arthur couldn’t hold a smile, but his expression was curious and he couldn’t hide that either. Neither of the two raised their swords again, and both tiredly, though one more so than the other, dropped their weapons.
“Shall we call it a day?” Arthur asked with his smile more exposed. Merlin nodded, and began to pack the things away, hastily avoiding eye contact with anything but the ground.
“Merlin,” the voice sounded like it had done in the dream, “you did well.”
The wizard reddened but this was one occasion where he didn’t have to hide it.
“And... who knows? With a bit more practice, I might even consent to fighting alongside you one day,” Arthur added, shaking Merlin’s shoulder lightly, though his grip was firm, and his hand warm on the cold chain metal.
The hand remained on the shoulder longer than it needed to, but Merlin refused to give way to a sudden feeling of hope. It surprised him by how quickly it came on though, and he flinched uncomfortably beneath Arthur’s grasp.
“Sire,” Gaius called in perfect timing from behind a haystack outside the stable, “your father wishes to speak to you.”
Arthur didn’t snap his hand back in embarrassment like the little voice inside Merlin’s mind was hoping - the voice he suppressed instantly - no, Arthur’s hand evenly fit back beside his waist. He nodded to Gaius and then turned to the wizard again, flashing him his best side-smile.
“You’ll get this all cleaned up, won’t you?”
“Mhmmm,” was all Merlin could murmur in reply. He stumbled for the first of what he feared would be many times in Arthur’s wake, and felt the full inconvenience of Gaius’ presence, watching him carefully. Merlin’s mind was in desperate need of sorting.
Arthur was by now out of earshot, and Merlin could still not look at anything but the wood-chipping ground, though he was aware that Gaius circled him, and he knew the eyes were probing his own.
Does he know? He thought, or am I just being paranoid? He decided to go with the latter, to plead ignorant until proven guilty. That’s what he would do. He straightened and lifted the gathered equipment onto a wheelbarrow. He stacked the few strays, and neatly arranged the load so that it would be easier to pull. Gaius watched and watched and didn’t speak a word.
Is this his plan? Merlin wondered; to trick me into speaking first and betraying myself? Well I won’t do it!
Still not a word from the old man was spoken, but he had now stopped circling and he dropped two objects into the wheelbarrow. They were Merlin’s sword and helmet.
“You missed these,” Gaius nodded to the weapons.
“Oh,” Merlin mumbled, “I didn’t realise, thank you.”
He sneaked a glance at Gaius’ expression, but the old man was watching the scenery in front of him, paying no attention to Merlin at all. It seemed he had circled only to pick up the items the wizard forgot. You paranoid moron, thought Merlin.
He relaxed visibly, picking up the handlebars of the wheelbarrow, when Gaius, apparently decided about something, added...
“Yes, you picked up all of Arthur’s things but missed your own.” He looked at the boy with one deep, lancing glance, and then changed his face and walked on ahead. Merlin’s heart altogether stopped at that moment.
“Shit.”