[Fic] Every Beginning Is A Sequel...After All [Part One]
Title: Every Beginning Is A Sequel...After All
Author: unbidden_truth
Film Prompt: When Harry Met Sally
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur background Gwen/Lance; brief Arthur/Vivian, Arthur/Sophia, Arthur/Gwen, Arthur/Owain, Merlin/Gwaine, and Merlin/Mordred
Rating: R
Warnings: language
Summary: The first time Merlin met Arthur was somewhere up in the rugged wilderness of northern Scotland. Predictably Merlin, half-lost and blinded by the fog had stumbled into him and predictably, Arthur had been a bit of a prat. It hadn’t been exactly the most auspicious beginning to a love story. When Harry Met Sally AU. Written for reel_merlin 2013.
A/N: Title's from "Love At First Sight" by Wislawa Szymborska. A couple of lines from Walt Whitman's "Out of the Rolling Ocean the Crowd' is quoted. There's also a nod to Bastille's "Laughter Lines." This is more inspired per say then a direct adaptation of When Harry Met Sally, however there are a couple of scenes that hark back to the original film. Also there's a bit more pining and schmoop.
You can also read this on AO3 (which is what I'd advise, the formatting on LJ is kind of all over the place)
~*~
Whenever anyone would ask them how they had first met, Merlin and Arthur would share a rueful smile. Arthur would say it was love at first sight. And Merlin would reply that it was more falling in love each time they met over the years. Their friends who had known them since the very beginning would say that wasn’t exactly true. That the two of them had hated each other at the beginning and somewhere between when Gwen married Lance and Gwaine had married Elena that had changed.
The truth was probably closer to a mix of all three.
2002
Merlin mutters a curse as he half-stumbles on yet another rock. Freya and Will had left him when he was trying to tie his trainers, and now more than an hour later he still can't find them. And the dense fog wasn't helping. He barely could see more than half a meter in front of him and he wasn't exactly sure if he still was on the hiking trail. And of course, his mobile doesn’t get a signal up here. Between the fog and his rather weak sense of direction, Merlin was lost.
When Will had suggested that they go camping as their last holiday before starting uni, it had seemed like a great idea. They all were going their separate ways with Will staying in Wales, Freya moving to London and Merlin off to St. Andrews. It was their last hurrah before they went off to become adults as Merlin’s mum would say as she washed dishes looking at him fondly.
And for the most part, the road trip up to Scotland, the pub crawling and taking pictures around the base of Ben Nevis had been wonderful. Until Will suggested they should hike part of the Great Glen Way before camping for the night.
As Merlin strains his eyes to see in front of him, he wonders irritably at his own idiocy. He knows he was rather rubbish with the whole camping thing and he doesn’t know why he agreed to it in the first place.
So when he stumbles into someone a few minutes later, he's relieved. He’s steadies himself against the warm-solid-arm, the person’s muscles tensing under the palm of his hand.
The relief is short-lived as whoever he's run into says, irritation evident in their voice, “Watch where you're going.”
It takes a few seconds for Merlin to make out his face. The bloke he's run into is attractive with blond hair and blue eyes. But his features are marred by the scowl he’s giving Merlin.
“Sorry, it was an accident.”
“Right. Well next time watch where you're going.”
As he starts to walking away, Merlin panics, “Wait! I’m lost.”
The boy turns to look at him, “And you want me to what? Guide you back to camp?”
His voice is condescending and Merlin half-wants to punch him in the face for being a prat. But he has no other choice. Merlin’s trying to figure out what to say that won’t be offensive, but the boy huffs loudly, before sharply gesturing, “Fine, but you better keep up.”
As Merlin follows him, the boy keeps glancing back at him, and Merlin wonders at his frown. He couldn’t tell whether he was checking to see if Merlin was still following him or was seeing if he had finally lost Merlin somewhere along the trail.
~*~
Freya pulls him into a fierce hug when they reach the camp site. “I thought we had lost you. Will was about to call the park ranger's office to see if we need to send a search party for you.”
Will shuffles around a bit, looking shameful,”We really thought you were behind us.”
Merlin looks at the two distressed faces peering back at him and sighs, “It’s okay. I got lost but I managed to find you two in one piece so that's what matters right?”
Somehow Will has met the boy’s--Arthur's friends, who are camping for the same reasons as they are and they all decide that they should combine their camping party. The rest of Arthur's friends are great. Leon and Percy are laidback and then there's Morgana, his sister and Mithian. And then there's his girlfriend, something with a V.
Somebody, and Merlin wants to blame Will, decides that they should play spin the bottle. “Come on Merls, it’ll be fun.”
Merlin doesn't want to but Will blackmails him into playing. He knew he shouldn’t have skipped school that one day.
Merlin looks around the circle, palms sweaty. He hasn’t come out to anyone outside of his mum, Will and Freya and briefly he worries if somehow rest of the group will guess.. But even more so He doesn't want to lose his first kiss this way. Though if he were more honest, he would admit he doesn't want to start uni without any experience either.
To his horror, when it's his turn it lands on Arthur. He expects Arthur to refuse and his own lips start forming the words “no” when he sees the challenging smirk on Arthur's face.
Irritated, Merlin smirks back even though he's panicking. He could feel the nervous butterflies dancing in his stomach, his palms getting sweaty and weakly, Merlin wonders if he was going to puke. The smirk on Arthur's face falls for a moment as uncertainty and something else flashes across his face. If Merlin had been crazy, he would have said Arthur had looked vulnerable for a second, before he's reaching across the circle amongst the catcalls as he pulls Merlin towards him.
Their faces smash awkwardly, Arthur's lips catching against his cheeks, his stubble leaving a burn in its wake before he finds Merlin's mouth to press a kiss. Merlin mind blanks as he feels Arthur’s lips against his own before he starts pulling away. But Arthur tugs him back, causing Merlin to half sprawl against him. This time his hand cradling Merlin's face carefully, fingertips warm, before pressing his lips against Merlin's more firmly. And then there's a wet pressure against his lips. Tongue, Merlin thinks with a sharp inhale, his lips giving away to Arthur's tongue.
It’s hesitant as it runs along Merlin’s, but after the shock wears off, Merlin grasps onto the thin cotton of Arthur’s shirt, fisting it in his hands as he runs his tongue against Arthur, inexperience giving way to heat and the low curl of want in his belly. Arthur matches him with each lick, sucking on Merlin’s lower lip before slipping his tongue again.
It’s not until his lungs are burning that they pull apart. Arthur’s lips are swollen and he’s breathing heavily as he eyes Merlin in a shock realization.
Merlin averts his eyes, his lips ached but it was a pleasant sort of ache. He feels too tight in his skin as he sits back down beside Freya.
The kiss is all he thinks about for rest of the night as he carefully avoids Arthur.
The next day as they part ways, Merlin feels his eyes draw to Arthur, but Arthur is busy with Veronica?Victoria? Vivian? Whatever her name was that Merlin hadn’t paid attention was wrapped to his side. But as he turns to leave, he catches Arthur's eyes who seem to consider him before he's pulled away. As they head back to the car, Merlin's angry at himself for still remembering how that kiss felt.
Part Two
Author: unbidden_truth
Film Prompt: When Harry Met Sally
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur background Gwen/Lance; brief Arthur/Vivian, Arthur/Sophia, Arthur/Gwen, Arthur/Owain, Merlin/Gwaine, and Merlin/Mordred
Rating: R
Warnings: language
Summary: The first time Merlin met Arthur was somewhere up in the rugged wilderness of northern Scotland. Predictably Merlin, half-lost and blinded by the fog had stumbled into him and predictably, Arthur had been a bit of a prat. It hadn’t been exactly the most auspicious beginning to a love story. When Harry Met Sally AU. Written for reel_merlin 2013.
A/N: Title's from "Love At First Sight" by Wislawa Szymborska. A couple of lines from Walt Whitman's "Out of the Rolling Ocean the Crowd' is quoted. There's also a nod to Bastille's "Laughter Lines." This is more inspired per say then a direct adaptation of When Harry Met Sally, however there are a couple of scenes that hark back to the original film. Also there's a bit more pining and schmoop.
You can also read this on AO3 (which is what I'd advise, the formatting on LJ is kind of all over the place)
~*~
Whenever anyone would ask them how they had first met, Merlin and Arthur would share a rueful smile. Arthur would say it was love at first sight. And Merlin would reply that it was more falling in love each time they met over the years. Their friends who had known them since the very beginning would say that wasn’t exactly true. That the two of them had hated each other at the beginning and somewhere between when Gwen married Lance and Gwaine had married Elena that had changed.
The truth was probably closer to a mix of all three.
2002
Merlin mutters a curse as he half-stumbles on yet another rock. Freya and Will had left him when he was trying to tie his trainers, and now more than an hour later he still can't find them. And the dense fog wasn't helping. He barely could see more than half a meter in front of him and he wasn't exactly sure if he still was on the hiking trail. And of course, his mobile doesn’t get a signal up here. Between the fog and his rather weak sense of direction, Merlin was lost.
When Will had suggested that they go camping as their last holiday before starting uni, it had seemed like a great idea. They all were going their separate ways with Will staying in Wales, Freya moving to London and Merlin off to St. Andrews. It was their last hurrah before they went off to become adults as Merlin’s mum would say as she washed dishes looking at him fondly.
And for the most part, the road trip up to Scotland, the pub crawling and taking pictures around the base of Ben Nevis had been wonderful. Until Will suggested they should hike part of the Great Glen Way before camping for the night.
As Merlin strains his eyes to see in front of him, he wonders irritably at his own idiocy. He knows he was rather rubbish with the whole camping thing and he doesn’t know why he agreed to it in the first place.
So when he stumbles into someone a few minutes later, he's relieved. He’s steadies himself against the warm-solid-arm, the person’s muscles tensing under the palm of his hand.
The relief is short-lived as whoever he's run into says, irritation evident in their voice, “Watch where you're going.”
It takes a few seconds for Merlin to make out his face. The bloke he's run into is attractive with blond hair and blue eyes. But his features are marred by the scowl he’s giving Merlin.
“Sorry, it was an accident.”
“Right. Well next time watch where you're going.”
As he starts to walking away, Merlin panics, “Wait! I’m lost.”
The boy turns to look at him, “And you want me to what? Guide you back to camp?”
His voice is condescending and Merlin half-wants to punch him in the face for being a prat. But he has no other choice. Merlin’s trying to figure out what to say that won’t be offensive, but the boy huffs loudly, before sharply gesturing, “Fine, but you better keep up.”
As Merlin follows him, the boy keeps glancing back at him, and Merlin wonders at his frown. He couldn’t tell whether he was checking to see if Merlin was still following him or was seeing if he had finally lost Merlin somewhere along the trail.
~*~
Freya pulls him into a fierce hug when they reach the camp site. “I thought we had lost you. Will was about to call the park ranger's office to see if we need to send a search party for you.”
Will shuffles around a bit, looking shameful,”We really thought you were behind us.”
Merlin looks at the two distressed faces peering back at him and sighs, “It’s okay. I got lost but I managed to find you two in one piece so that's what matters right?”
Somehow Will has met the boy’s--Arthur's friends, who are camping for the same reasons as they are and they all decide that they should combine their camping party. The rest of Arthur's friends are great. Leon and Percy are laidback and then there's Morgana, his sister and Mithian. And then there's his girlfriend, something with a V.
Somebody, and Merlin wants to blame Will, decides that they should play spin the bottle. “Come on Merls, it’ll be fun.”
Merlin doesn't want to but Will blackmails him into playing. He knew he shouldn’t have skipped school that one day.
Merlin looks around the circle, palms sweaty. He hasn’t come out to anyone outside of his mum, Will and Freya and briefly he worries if somehow rest of the group will guess.. But even more so He doesn't want to lose his first kiss this way. Though if he were more honest, he would admit he doesn't want to start uni without any experience either.
To his horror, when it's his turn it lands on Arthur. He expects Arthur to refuse and his own lips start forming the words “no” when he sees the challenging smirk on Arthur's face.
Irritated, Merlin smirks back even though he's panicking. He could feel the nervous butterflies dancing in his stomach, his palms getting sweaty and weakly, Merlin wonders if he was going to puke. The smirk on Arthur's face falls for a moment as uncertainty and something else flashes across his face. If Merlin had been crazy, he would have said Arthur had looked vulnerable for a second, before he's reaching across the circle amongst the catcalls as he pulls Merlin towards him.
Their faces smash awkwardly, Arthur's lips catching against his cheeks, his stubble leaving a burn in its wake before he finds Merlin's mouth to press a kiss. Merlin mind blanks as he feels Arthur’s lips against his own before he starts pulling away. But Arthur tugs him back, causing Merlin to half sprawl against him. This time his hand cradling Merlin's face carefully, fingertips warm, before pressing his lips against Merlin's more firmly. And then there's a wet pressure against his lips. Tongue, Merlin thinks with a sharp inhale, his lips giving away to Arthur's tongue.
It’s hesitant as it runs along Merlin’s, but after the shock wears off, Merlin grasps onto the thin cotton of Arthur’s shirt, fisting it in his hands as he runs his tongue against Arthur, inexperience giving way to heat and the low curl of want in his belly. Arthur matches him with each lick, sucking on Merlin’s lower lip before slipping his tongue again.
It’s not until his lungs are burning that they pull apart. Arthur’s lips are swollen and he’s breathing heavily as he eyes Merlin in a shock realization.
Merlin averts his eyes, his lips ached but it was a pleasant sort of ache. He feels too tight in his skin as he sits back down beside Freya.
The kiss is all he thinks about for rest of the night as he carefully avoids Arthur.
The next day as they part ways, Merlin feels his eyes draw to Arthur, but Arthur is busy with Veronica?Victoria? Vivian? Whatever her name was that Merlin hadn’t paid attention was wrapped to his side. But as he turns to leave, he catches Arthur's eyes who seem to consider him before he's pulled away. As they head back to the car, Merlin's angry at himself for still remembering how that kiss felt.
Part Two