Gone to the Dogs part 2
Author: archaeologist_d
Title: Gone to the Dogs - part 2
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Gaius, Uther
Warning: talk about puppies dying in the past
Summary: As far as Merlin could tell, Arthur hated dogs, refused to go near them. They were for hunting and work, never for play. That was about to change.
Word Count: 1150
Camelot_drabble Prompt: 509 in public
Author's Notes: unbetaed,
Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
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Of course, Merlin was that stupid.
Thinking all day about how awful it must be not to be able to play with a dog, never mind get licked by one or hold their wiggling bodies close, Merlin was determined to change that.
So that evening, a picnic basket full of puppies in one hand, and Arthur’s dinner tray in the other, Merlin did his usual kicking the door in, and plopping the tray down on Arthur’s table. “Dinner’s ready. I’ve finished writing your speech for tomorrow for the garland competition, and next week, Mithian is coming to visit so I’ve arranged for rooms down the hall. The maps for the western territories are finished and ready to be picked up and,” Merlin said, manhandling Arthur toward the table and sitting him down-although not without a bit of a fuss. “And I’m fine, no more bleeding. Thank you for asking.”
“I didn’t ask,” Arthur grumbled but gave an annoyed sigh and tucked in, plopping some cheese into his mouth and chewing. “What’s in the basket?”
“Oh, nothing, just something that needs to be sorted out. Nothing to worry about.” Merlin grinned, then sat down next to the fireplace.
Arthur looked at him, suspicious as anything, and not without merit. After all, Merlin tended to get into trouble a lot and more when he said it was nothing. Still, Arthur finished off the cheese and took a sip of wine before he said, “Merlin, the basket is moving.”
“Well, I promised Gaius I wouldn’t let you play with them, but I never said anything about me,” Merlin snickered a little as he pulled out the first puppy. “Aren’t they adorable?”
“Get him out of here, you complete idiot.” Arthur pushed his chair back, not getting up just yet but scowling as if he was ready to throttle Merlin.
“But look at his cute face,” Merlin giggled as the dog nipped at his fingers. With that, he put him down and pulled out the next two. The fourth one tumbled out on her own. And all of them began to scramble over Merlin’s legs, yipping and tails wagging and the little bodies all aquiver. One of them, the more adventurous one, started to scamper over toward Arthur but Merlin pulled him back, tutting at him.
“What are you doing?” Arthur was standing by his bed, staring down at Merlin and the puppies. “This is beyond anything, you buffoon. I should sack you right now.”
“Well, you aren’t playing with them, I am. So just finish your supper while I keep them from chewing on your boots.” Merlin held up the fluffy brown one, his fur a bit long and more golden than the rest. “Did you know I named them? This one’s Prince Prat or just Prat if he’s been naughty. Reminds me of you.”
Arthur was sputtering about it, glaring at Merlin as if trying to turn him into bone and ash. Merlin ignored him, putting down the brown one and picking up the little miss. “I call her Hunith because she keeps the others in line, just like my mum.” The brown and black one scampered into Merlin’s lap, making him laugh. “Yes, I know. He’s a prat and a royal one but he’s not too bad once you get past the prat part.” Petting him, letting the puppy nip at his fingers, Merlin said, “He’s Will, of course. Not one to put up with royalty.”
Looking ready to explode, Arthur shouted, “You can’t name them. They’re not pets, and they are shedding all over my rugs. And hey, Prat, stop chewing on my boot. Stop that!” Stomping over to where Prat was busy tugging on Arthur’s favourite boot, Arthur tore it out of the puppy’s mouth and held it high over his head. “No, bad dog. It’s not for chewing.”
Merlin tried not to smile. Instead, he held up the black and white puppy. “I’ve not named this one yet. I thought maybe you could?”
“I’m not named the damn dog, Merlin.” Arthur growled, still holding his boot up high.
“Well, I wouldn’t have called him Merlin but if you insist.” Merlin rubbed his nose into dog Merlin’s belly.
Arthur tossed his boot onto the bed, then stomped over to where Merlin was still laying there, puppies crawling over him. “Not Merlin, you idiot. Who calls his dog after himself?”
“Well, technically, they are your dogs so-,” Merlin gave him a grin. Little Hunith had already settled onto his lap, her brown eyes mostly closed as she gave a little sniff, and the not-Merlin-you-idiot pup snuggled next to her.
“Fine, call him Idiot then.” Arthur glowered down at Merlin. “Just get them out of here.”
“But Hunith is asleep and Idiot, too. And I think you should go get Will because he’s chewing on your other boot and Prince Prat is about to pounce on your foot.”
As he turned around, Arthur yelped, “Hey, that’s my boot. Bad dog.” But he didn’t grab onto the boot, instead picked up Will, and poked a finger into his belly. “You listen to me. I am the king and you-” Puppy Will licked at him, then began to gnaw on Arthur’s finger.
At that, Arthur got the strangest look on his face, one that Merlin had never seen before. It was half-way between bliss and terror, but a moment later, it was gone, and Arthur was breathing as if trying not to laugh. “You are well named. Will didn’t like me, either.” Tucking puppy Will into the crook of his arm, he reached down and picked up Prat, too, then carefully sat down next to Merlin.
Merlin reached over and petted Prat. Whispering so as not to wake the other puppies, Merlin said, “I think Will likes you. He usually ignores me.” Shifting a little, Merlin picked up Hunith and Idiot and put them into Arthur’s lap. They snuffled a little, then went back to sleep.
“I can’t,” Arthur started to say, then stopped. He petted the pups, let Will chew on his finger a while until the dog fell asleep, too. Prat was still awake, wiggling his little tail and sniffing at Arthur’s neck, trying to burrow into his tunic. Arthur let him.
For a long while, neither of them said anything. Merlin just watched as Arthur began to unwind, noticing the way his shoulders slumped into rest, how his hand started petting each of the puppies without even thinking about it. The warmth of their little bodies, how they wiggled even in sleep, the way they snuggled closer to Arthur was so very right.
Merlin knew it couldn’t last, that duty and destiny would certainly follow tomorrow, that there would be trouble and heartache and choices to make. But for now, he sat there and knew that his friend was happy.
And that was good enough for Merlin.
Title: Gone to the Dogs - part 2
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Gaius, Uther
Warning: talk about puppies dying in the past
Summary: As far as Merlin could tell, Arthur hated dogs, refused to go near them. They were for hunting and work, never for play. That was about to change.
Word Count: 1150
Camelot_drabble Prompt: 509 in public
Author's Notes: unbetaed,
Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
---------------------------
Of course, Merlin was that stupid.
Thinking all day about how awful it must be not to be able to play with a dog, never mind get licked by one or hold their wiggling bodies close, Merlin was determined to change that.
So that evening, a picnic basket full of puppies in one hand, and Arthur’s dinner tray in the other, Merlin did his usual kicking the door in, and plopping the tray down on Arthur’s table. “Dinner’s ready. I’ve finished writing your speech for tomorrow for the garland competition, and next week, Mithian is coming to visit so I’ve arranged for rooms down the hall. The maps for the western territories are finished and ready to be picked up and,” Merlin said, manhandling Arthur toward the table and sitting him down-although not without a bit of a fuss. “And I’m fine, no more bleeding. Thank you for asking.”
“I didn’t ask,” Arthur grumbled but gave an annoyed sigh and tucked in, plopping some cheese into his mouth and chewing. “What’s in the basket?”
“Oh, nothing, just something that needs to be sorted out. Nothing to worry about.” Merlin grinned, then sat down next to the fireplace.
Arthur looked at him, suspicious as anything, and not without merit. After all, Merlin tended to get into trouble a lot and more when he said it was nothing. Still, Arthur finished off the cheese and took a sip of wine before he said, “Merlin, the basket is moving.”
“Well, I promised Gaius I wouldn’t let you play with them, but I never said anything about me,” Merlin snickered a little as he pulled out the first puppy. “Aren’t they adorable?”
“Get him out of here, you complete idiot.” Arthur pushed his chair back, not getting up just yet but scowling as if he was ready to throttle Merlin.
“But look at his cute face,” Merlin giggled as the dog nipped at his fingers. With that, he put him down and pulled out the next two. The fourth one tumbled out on her own. And all of them began to scramble over Merlin’s legs, yipping and tails wagging and the little bodies all aquiver. One of them, the more adventurous one, started to scamper over toward Arthur but Merlin pulled him back, tutting at him.
“What are you doing?” Arthur was standing by his bed, staring down at Merlin and the puppies. “This is beyond anything, you buffoon. I should sack you right now.”
“Well, you aren’t playing with them, I am. So just finish your supper while I keep them from chewing on your boots.” Merlin held up the fluffy brown one, his fur a bit long and more golden than the rest. “Did you know I named them? This one’s Prince Prat or just Prat if he’s been naughty. Reminds me of you.”
Arthur was sputtering about it, glaring at Merlin as if trying to turn him into bone and ash. Merlin ignored him, putting down the brown one and picking up the little miss. “I call her Hunith because she keeps the others in line, just like my mum.” The brown and black one scampered into Merlin’s lap, making him laugh. “Yes, I know. He’s a prat and a royal one but he’s not too bad once you get past the prat part.” Petting him, letting the puppy nip at his fingers, Merlin said, “He’s Will, of course. Not one to put up with royalty.”
Looking ready to explode, Arthur shouted, “You can’t name them. They’re not pets, and they are shedding all over my rugs. And hey, Prat, stop chewing on my boot. Stop that!” Stomping over to where Prat was busy tugging on Arthur’s favourite boot, Arthur tore it out of the puppy’s mouth and held it high over his head. “No, bad dog. It’s not for chewing.”
Merlin tried not to smile. Instead, he held up the black and white puppy. “I’ve not named this one yet. I thought maybe you could?”
“I’m not named the damn dog, Merlin.” Arthur growled, still holding his boot up high.
“Well, I wouldn’t have called him Merlin but if you insist.” Merlin rubbed his nose into dog Merlin’s belly.
Arthur tossed his boot onto the bed, then stomped over to where Merlin was still laying there, puppies crawling over him. “Not Merlin, you idiot. Who calls his dog after himself?”
“Well, technically, they are your dogs so-,” Merlin gave him a grin. Little Hunith had already settled onto his lap, her brown eyes mostly closed as she gave a little sniff, and the not-Merlin-you-idiot pup snuggled next to her.
“Fine, call him Idiot then.” Arthur glowered down at Merlin. “Just get them out of here.”
“But Hunith is asleep and Idiot, too. And I think you should go get Will because he’s chewing on your other boot and Prince Prat is about to pounce on your foot.”
As he turned around, Arthur yelped, “Hey, that’s my boot. Bad dog.” But he didn’t grab onto the boot, instead picked up Will, and poked a finger into his belly. “You listen to me. I am the king and you-” Puppy Will licked at him, then began to gnaw on Arthur’s finger.
At that, Arthur got the strangest look on his face, one that Merlin had never seen before. It was half-way between bliss and terror, but a moment later, it was gone, and Arthur was breathing as if trying not to laugh. “You are well named. Will didn’t like me, either.” Tucking puppy Will into the crook of his arm, he reached down and picked up Prat, too, then carefully sat down next to Merlin.
Merlin reached over and petted Prat. Whispering so as not to wake the other puppies, Merlin said, “I think Will likes you. He usually ignores me.” Shifting a little, Merlin picked up Hunith and Idiot and put them into Arthur’s lap. They snuffled a little, then went back to sleep.
“I can’t,” Arthur started to say, then stopped. He petted the pups, let Will chew on his finger a while until the dog fell asleep, too. Prat was still awake, wiggling his little tail and sniffing at Arthur’s neck, trying to burrow into his tunic. Arthur let him.
For a long while, neither of them said anything. Merlin just watched as Arthur began to unwind, noticing the way his shoulders slumped into rest, how his hand started petting each of the puppies without even thinking about it. The warmth of their little bodies, how they wiggled even in sleep, the way they snuggled closer to Arthur was so very right.
Merlin knew it couldn’t last, that duty and destiny would certainly follow tomorrow, that there would be trouble and heartache and choices to make. But for now, he sat there and knew that his friend was happy.
And that was good enough for Merlin.