They Say
This is my first official foray into the Merlin fandom.
Title: They Say
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Warnings: none
Disclaimer: I don't own them, royalty is out of my price range. Though maybe if Merlin was on sale...
Summary: There are rumors going around the castle.
Word Count: 903
They Say
There was a rumor going around. Merlin hears whispers as he passes through the halls, and people stop talking suddenly when he enters a room. He wished they wouldn’t, he’d like very much to know what the rumor was about.
When he’d asked Gwen, she’d just patted his shoulder and told him, “Don’t worry about such things, Merlin. People talk. In a few days they’ll be talking about something else.” Which was very nice of her to say, but didn’t actually give any hints as to what was making people stare at him from the corners of their eyes.
It had been a few days, just as Gwen had said, and people hadn’t stopped. In fact, it had only grown worse. The inhabitants of the castle seemed to have given up the pretence of behaving normally at all, and now stared and whispered openly. Though still not loud enough for him to hear. It was very frustrating.
Then Merlin noticed that he wasn’t the only one receiving this unwanted attention. He hadn’t noticed at first, too wrapped up in how everyone was staring at him, to see that everyone was also staring at Arthur. To be fair, people looked at Arthur all the time anyway, so it was hard to tell the difference.
Once he figured that out, he brought it up with Arthur in his chambers that night. “So, um, have you noticed all the people staring at you lately?”
Arthur snorted, “People always stare at me, I’m the Prince.”
“Well, yes, but a bit more than usual. They’ve been staring at me too.” Merlin tried again.
Arthur looked him up and down. “You are a bit funny looking.” He said, bringing his hand up to gesture at the side of his head, “Especially with the ears.”
Merlin touched his ears protectively, “What’s wrong with my ears?”
“Nothing.” Arthur paused. “They just, stick out a little, that’s all.”
Merlin frowned, his ears weren’t that bad. “It’s not like I can help it.”
“I know,” Arthur was sympathetic. “Now why don’t you run off to bed, and I’ll see you in the morning with my breakfast. On time.” Arthur gently nudged Merlin in the direction of the door. Merlin nodded distractedly, still touching his ears, and took a few steps away, before whirling back around.
“Very nice,” He pointed an accusing finger at Arthur. “You were trying make me forget about my question!” Arthur rolled his eyes. “Well, it obvious you know something about it now. Tell me!”
“It’s nothing; really, it will blow over in a couple of days.” Arthur shrugged dismissively.
“It must be something, people keep staring at me, and whispering, it’s creeping me out!” Merlin argued.
“Fine.” Arthur looked slightly guilty. “I may have…said something.”
“Said what?”
“I may have said, that, you weren’t bad to look at.” Arthur wasn’t looking Merlin in the face; he was staring very hard at the door behind him.
“That’s it?” Merlin was confused. “I’m not bad to look at.”
“That’s it.” Arthur confirmed.
“Why is that such a big deal?”
Arthur let out a quick sigh. “Because nothing more exciting has happened recently and people always have to talk about something.” He looked chagrined, “And I may have had the misfortune of saying it in front of certain people who have a reputation of…embellishing.”
“Embellishing.” Merlin repeated. “Embellishing how?”
Arthur squirmed, in a very regal way though. “Like, maybe, I fancy you. Or that I’ve been bedding you since your first night here.” When Merlin didn’t say anything Arthur continued, “There’s even one that says Gaius-”
“STOP!” Merlin clapped his hands over his ears. “I beg you not to finish that sentence. Leave me in blissful ignorance.”
Arthur nodded, “it got a little out of hand.”
“A little?” Merlin squeaked.
“Well, I couldn’t stop it!” Arthur defended himself. “If I acknowledge the rumors that will make people think they’re true even more!”
“I can’t believe this.” Merlin shook his head.
“I know, I’m sorry.” Arthur apologized.
“You fancy me, and the whole kingdom finds out before I do.” Merlin stepped closer to Arthur and wrapped his arms around him loosely.
“What?” Arthur looked baffled.
“You couldn’t have told me first?” Merlin smiled up at Arthur.
“Wait? You fancy me?” Arthur cautiously reciprocated Merlin’s hug, but was still tense, like he was waiting to have to let go quickly.
“I more than fancy you.” Merlin answered, and he nuzzled his face into the curve where Arthur’s shoulder met his neck. “And you know what I think?” Merlin grinned wickedly. Arthur just shook his head ‘no.’ “I think we should actually give them something to whisper about.”
Arthur started to smile. “Well, if you insist.” He started to back up toward his bed, pulling Merlin along with him.
“I do.” Merlin started kissing Arthur’s neck and undoing the laces on his shirt. “I also insist that if you decide to share any more feelings, you share them with me first.”
Arthur gripped the back of Merlin’s head and brought his face up so he could look him in the eyes. “I fancy you,” he said seriously. “Quite a lot, in fact.”
“I fancy you too.” Merlin said, then smiled. “Prat.”
“Idiot.” They kissed and laughed and fumbled their way together, and the next night the castle was buzzing with rumors and ideas as to why the Prince hadn’t left his room all day.
Title: They Say
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Warnings: none
Disclaimer: I don't own them, royalty is out of my price range. Though maybe if Merlin was on sale...
Summary: There are rumors going around the castle.
Word Count: 903
They Say
There was a rumor going around. Merlin hears whispers as he passes through the halls, and people stop talking suddenly when he enters a room. He wished they wouldn’t, he’d like very much to know what the rumor was about.
When he’d asked Gwen, she’d just patted his shoulder and told him, “Don’t worry about such things, Merlin. People talk. In a few days they’ll be talking about something else.” Which was very nice of her to say, but didn’t actually give any hints as to what was making people stare at him from the corners of their eyes.
It had been a few days, just as Gwen had said, and people hadn’t stopped. In fact, it had only grown worse. The inhabitants of the castle seemed to have given up the pretence of behaving normally at all, and now stared and whispered openly. Though still not loud enough for him to hear. It was very frustrating.
Then Merlin noticed that he wasn’t the only one receiving this unwanted attention. He hadn’t noticed at first, too wrapped up in how everyone was staring at him, to see that everyone was also staring at Arthur. To be fair, people looked at Arthur all the time anyway, so it was hard to tell the difference.
Once he figured that out, he brought it up with Arthur in his chambers that night. “So, um, have you noticed all the people staring at you lately?”
Arthur snorted, “People always stare at me, I’m the Prince.”
“Well, yes, but a bit more than usual. They’ve been staring at me too.” Merlin tried again.
Arthur looked him up and down. “You are a bit funny looking.” He said, bringing his hand up to gesture at the side of his head, “Especially with the ears.”
Merlin touched his ears protectively, “What’s wrong with my ears?”
“Nothing.” Arthur paused. “They just, stick out a little, that’s all.”
Merlin frowned, his ears weren’t that bad. “It’s not like I can help it.”
“I know,” Arthur was sympathetic. “Now why don’t you run off to bed, and I’ll see you in the morning with my breakfast. On time.” Arthur gently nudged Merlin in the direction of the door. Merlin nodded distractedly, still touching his ears, and took a few steps away, before whirling back around.
“Very nice,” He pointed an accusing finger at Arthur. “You were trying make me forget about my question!” Arthur rolled his eyes. “Well, it obvious you know something about it now. Tell me!”
“It’s nothing; really, it will blow over in a couple of days.” Arthur shrugged dismissively.
“It must be something, people keep staring at me, and whispering, it’s creeping me out!” Merlin argued.
“Fine.” Arthur looked slightly guilty. “I may have…said something.”
“Said what?”
“I may have said, that, you weren’t bad to look at.” Arthur wasn’t looking Merlin in the face; he was staring very hard at the door behind him.
“That’s it?” Merlin was confused. “I’m not bad to look at.”
“That’s it.” Arthur confirmed.
“Why is that such a big deal?”
Arthur let out a quick sigh. “Because nothing more exciting has happened recently and people always have to talk about something.” He looked chagrined, “And I may have had the misfortune of saying it in front of certain people who have a reputation of…embellishing.”
“Embellishing.” Merlin repeated. “Embellishing how?”
Arthur squirmed, in a very regal way though. “Like, maybe, I fancy you. Or that I’ve been bedding you since your first night here.” When Merlin didn’t say anything Arthur continued, “There’s even one that says Gaius-”
“STOP!” Merlin clapped his hands over his ears. “I beg you not to finish that sentence. Leave me in blissful ignorance.”
Arthur nodded, “it got a little out of hand.”
“A little?” Merlin squeaked.
“Well, I couldn’t stop it!” Arthur defended himself. “If I acknowledge the rumors that will make people think they’re true even more!”
“I can’t believe this.” Merlin shook his head.
“I know, I’m sorry.” Arthur apologized.
“You fancy me, and the whole kingdom finds out before I do.” Merlin stepped closer to Arthur and wrapped his arms around him loosely.
“What?” Arthur looked baffled.
“You couldn’t have told me first?” Merlin smiled up at Arthur.
“Wait? You fancy me?” Arthur cautiously reciprocated Merlin’s hug, but was still tense, like he was waiting to have to let go quickly.
“I more than fancy you.” Merlin answered, and he nuzzled his face into the curve where Arthur’s shoulder met his neck. “And you know what I think?” Merlin grinned wickedly. Arthur just shook his head ‘no.’ “I think we should actually give them something to whisper about.”
Arthur started to smile. “Well, if you insist.” He started to back up toward his bed, pulling Merlin along with him.
“I do.” Merlin started kissing Arthur’s neck and undoing the laces on his shirt. “I also insist that if you decide to share any more feelings, you share them with me first.”
Arthur gripped the back of Merlin’s head and brought his face up so he could look him in the eyes. “I fancy you,” he said seriously. “Quite a lot, in fact.”
“I fancy you too.” Merlin said, then smiled. “Prat.”
“Idiot.” They kissed and laughed and fumbled their way together, and the next night the castle was buzzing with rumors and ideas as to why the Prince hadn’t left his room all day.