Late Night Interruptions
Author: digthewriter
Title: Late night interruptions
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Will
Summary: Will shows up. That's always fun.
Warnings: Previous Will/Merlin
Word Count: 1000
Prompt: "for an hour" for camelot_drabble
Author's Notes: This is CHAPTER 11 of the series: A last chance. READ FROM CHAPTER ONE (on LJ) - the next chapter is linked at the bottom of each chapter for easy reading or catch up on AO3 [Unbetaed]
1. a last chance
2. not leaving it to chance
3. chances are...
4. expectations
5. face to face
6. pushing his luck
7. writing letters back home
8. making new friends
9. confessing again
10. sleep
Arthur had been asleep only for an hour when the pounding on the door woke him up. He felt Merlin move, and immediately went to grab him by the arm.
“Just go back to bed, I’ll see who it is.”
Arthur turned over to his side and closed his eyes. He didn’t sleep though. He wanted to know who it was that was banging on the door of the hotel room so loudly. Who had let this person up from the lobby?
“What are you doing here?” Merlin said when he opened the door.
There was a long beat of silence.
“I thought you said he slept on the sofa.”
Will’s voice. It has to be. It’d been years since Arthur had heard it, but he knew that voice anywhere. It’d haunted his dreams as Will was always the one who told him Arthur didn’t deserve Merlin.
“It’s a new development,” Merlin said, and from Arthur could gather, they were still standing by the door. Merlin’s voice was hushed but Will’s was not.
“Fucking him already?”
“Keep in down!” Merlin snapped.
“Invite me in.”
Arthur finally got up and went to the door. Will watched him as he approached as Merlin had no idea.
“Merlin,” Arthur said placing his hand on Merlin’s shoulder. “Hi there, Will. Do you want to come inside?”
“You speak as though you own the fucking room. I know you’re just staying here for free,” Will said with the harshest tone possible.
“I have a room,” Arthur said.
“What?” Merlin asked.
“After the second day, I got my own room, but I haven’t used it. It was just in case I made you uncomfortable, I could crash there. But, I’ve wanted to stay here…”
“Obviously,” Will said.
Will pushed his way in and Merlin followed him as Arthur closed the door. He was trying to stay calm. He was trying to think that Will only had good things in mind; he only cared about Merlin. Too much maybe and that’s why he’d just showed up.
“I-” Will began to speak but he only crashed on the sofa and started to sob. “I thought after all this time you’d see it. You’d see me.” Merlin immediately went to Will’s side and placed an arm around his shoulder. Arthur had no idea why the man was sobbing.
“Will-”
“The way we were…I thought that meant something,” Will said and Arthur finally understood.
Will was in love with Merlin. Of course, he was. He’d always been. But…was there more? Had they slept together?
“It was a mistake. I thought you’d agreed-”
“I never agreed to that. I thought I was there to comfort you and that you’d see that I’d always be there. Not that he’d come back and everything…it’s all ruined now.”
“Will…” Merlin got to his knees in front of Will so they could be face to face. “I love you. I always will… but not like that. You know that I can’t. You’re my friend. You’re the best thing ever but…”
Arthur stood in the back, as silent as he could. This was a moment between Will and Merlin, and he didn’t want to be there…ruining it. He started to move out of the way, maybe he could go to the loo and just hide there until this was all over. It felt like a bad dream.
Merlin had had sex with Will. Will thought it meant more. Arthur was the one who’d created all of this drama.
“We can talk in the morning.” Arthur heard Merlin speak and he turned around to look at them. “Arthur, can I use the spare room for…”
Arthur was waiting for it. Merlin was going to kick him out. Will was going to take his place.
“Sure,” Arthur said, before Merlin could finish the sentence.
“Great. Do you have the key? I’ll show Will to the room.”
“Oh,” Arthur said, trying to hide his surprise. “Are you sure you don’t need more time to talk and-”
“No. We will talk in the morning. It’s a good thing I don’t have to work tomorrow. We can all catch up on breakfast.”
Arthur fetched the keys from his coat and handed it to Merlin. A moment later, Merlin and Will were out of the door and ten minutes later, Merlin was back. Arthur was sat up on the sofa, stunned in silence.
Merlin looked at Arthur and he looked conflicted. “Now you know,” he said.
“That you had sex with Will?” Arthur asked and Merlin hesitantly nodded. “It’s not my business.”
“For fuck’s sake, Arthur. That means nothing to you?”
“Did you do it so it would mean something to me?” Arthur asked, confused. He stood up and closed the distance between him and Merlin. “If you’re asking me whether it bothers me, then yes, it bothers me a whole lot. I never want you and Will alone in a room ever again. But, if Gwen and I can moved past it, then Will and I can move past it. I want to be with you and the only thing matters is who you want to be with? Me or Will.”
“What if I don’t want to be with either one of you?” Merlin asked.
“Then, that’s your decision. I’ve told you before, if you want me here, I’m here. If you want me gone…well, it’ll hurt like hell and I don’t think I could ever get over it, but I’ll go.” Merlin opened his mouth to say something but Arthur placed his fingers on Merlin’s lips. “No. I don’t want to go. I want to stay. With you. But I just want you to know that I will do whatever you want because the only person here that matters to me, is you.”
“I want you…to stay.”
“Good, then that’s settled. Let’s go back to bed.” Arthur leaned in and nuzzled against Merlin’s ear before he added, “I miss the warmth of your body.” NEXT PART HERE
Title: Late night interruptions
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Will
Summary: Will shows up. That's always fun.
Warnings: Previous Will/Merlin
Word Count: 1000
Prompt: "for an hour" for camelot_drabble
Author's Notes: This is CHAPTER 11 of the series: A last chance. READ FROM CHAPTER ONE (on LJ) - the next chapter is linked at the bottom of each chapter for easy reading or catch up on AO3 [Unbetaed]
1. a last chance
2. not leaving it to chance
3. chances are...
4. expectations
5. face to face
6. pushing his luck
7. writing letters back home
8. making new friends
9. confessing again
10. sleep
Arthur had been asleep only for an hour when the pounding on the door woke him up. He felt Merlin move, and immediately went to grab him by the arm.
“Just go back to bed, I’ll see who it is.”
Arthur turned over to his side and closed his eyes. He didn’t sleep though. He wanted to know who it was that was banging on the door of the hotel room so loudly. Who had let this person up from the lobby?
“What are you doing here?” Merlin said when he opened the door.
There was a long beat of silence.
“I thought you said he slept on the sofa.”
Will’s voice. It has to be. It’d been years since Arthur had heard it, but he knew that voice anywhere. It’d haunted his dreams as Will was always the one who told him Arthur didn’t deserve Merlin.
“It’s a new development,” Merlin said, and from Arthur could gather, they were still standing by the door. Merlin’s voice was hushed but Will’s was not.
“Fucking him already?”
“Keep in down!” Merlin snapped.
“Invite me in.”
Arthur finally got up and went to the door. Will watched him as he approached as Merlin had no idea.
“Merlin,” Arthur said placing his hand on Merlin’s shoulder. “Hi there, Will. Do you want to come inside?”
“You speak as though you own the fucking room. I know you’re just staying here for free,” Will said with the harshest tone possible.
“I have a room,” Arthur said.
“What?” Merlin asked.
“After the second day, I got my own room, but I haven’t used it. It was just in case I made you uncomfortable, I could crash there. But, I’ve wanted to stay here…”
“Obviously,” Will said.
Will pushed his way in and Merlin followed him as Arthur closed the door. He was trying to stay calm. He was trying to think that Will only had good things in mind; he only cared about Merlin. Too much maybe and that’s why he’d just showed up.
“I-” Will began to speak but he only crashed on the sofa and started to sob. “I thought after all this time you’d see it. You’d see me.” Merlin immediately went to Will’s side and placed an arm around his shoulder. Arthur had no idea why the man was sobbing.
“Will-”
“The way we were…I thought that meant something,” Will said and Arthur finally understood.
Will was in love with Merlin. Of course, he was. He’d always been. But…was there more? Had they slept together?
“It was a mistake. I thought you’d agreed-”
“I never agreed to that. I thought I was there to comfort you and that you’d see that I’d always be there. Not that he’d come back and everything…it’s all ruined now.”
“Will…” Merlin got to his knees in front of Will so they could be face to face. “I love you. I always will… but not like that. You know that I can’t. You’re my friend. You’re the best thing ever but…”
Arthur stood in the back, as silent as he could. This was a moment between Will and Merlin, and he didn’t want to be there…ruining it. He started to move out of the way, maybe he could go to the loo and just hide there until this was all over. It felt like a bad dream.
Merlin had had sex with Will. Will thought it meant more. Arthur was the one who’d created all of this drama.
“We can talk in the morning.” Arthur heard Merlin speak and he turned around to look at them. “Arthur, can I use the spare room for…”
Arthur was waiting for it. Merlin was going to kick him out. Will was going to take his place.
“Sure,” Arthur said, before Merlin could finish the sentence.
“Great. Do you have the key? I’ll show Will to the room.”
“Oh,” Arthur said, trying to hide his surprise. “Are you sure you don’t need more time to talk and-”
“No. We will talk in the morning. It’s a good thing I don’t have to work tomorrow. We can all catch up on breakfast.”
Arthur fetched the keys from his coat and handed it to Merlin. A moment later, Merlin and Will were out of the door and ten minutes later, Merlin was back. Arthur was sat up on the sofa, stunned in silence.
Merlin looked at Arthur and he looked conflicted. “Now you know,” he said.
“That you had sex with Will?” Arthur asked and Merlin hesitantly nodded. “It’s not my business.”
“For fuck’s sake, Arthur. That means nothing to you?”
“Did you do it so it would mean something to me?” Arthur asked, confused. He stood up and closed the distance between him and Merlin. “If you’re asking me whether it bothers me, then yes, it bothers me a whole lot. I never want you and Will alone in a room ever again. But, if Gwen and I can moved past it, then Will and I can move past it. I want to be with you and the only thing matters is who you want to be with? Me or Will.”
“What if I don’t want to be with either one of you?” Merlin asked.
“Then, that’s your decision. I’ve told you before, if you want me here, I’m here. If you want me gone…well, it’ll hurt like hell and I don’t think I could ever get over it, but I’ll go.” Merlin opened his mouth to say something but Arthur placed his fingers on Merlin’s lips. “No. I don’t want to go. I want to stay. With you. But I just want you to know that I will do whatever you want because the only person here that matters to me, is you.”
“I want you…to stay.”
“Good, then that’s settled. Let’s go back to bed.” Arthur leaned in and nuzzled against Merlin’s ear before he added, “I miss the warmth of your body.” NEXT PART HERE