Old Habits
Author: digthewriter
Title: Old habits
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Will
Summary: The night at Todd's party continues.
Warnings: Modern!AU. Angst. Drama.
Word Count: 835
Prompt: "Dancing" for camelot_drabble
Author's Notes: Unbetaed. Chapter 16, continuing the story "A Last Chance" (ao3 link). (Chapter 15: Distracting Will here)
As the night went on, Todd's flat only got more crowded. Arthur hadn't known this many people in a lifetime as Todd had known almost every single person in his home. It also amazed him at how good Todd was at playing host. He greeted almost all of his friends, but still managed to have conversations with the ones that were already there.
He'd even designated one of his guest rooms as the "entertainment" room where there was a bloke had set up his iPod and speakers and a few people were dancing.
In order to avoid the crowd, Merlin had managed to pull Arthur and Will to the dancefloor.
To say that it was awkward, was an understatement. Will kept looking around the room to avoid eye-contact with Arthur, and Arthur wondered how long it'd be until Todd would come back and rescue them.
He didn't have to wait long, though. Two songs later, Todd was in the room with his arms around Merlin's shoulder as he joined their little group and started dancing. A few moments after that, he'd pulled Will aside to dance with him alone.
"Wow. Todd really seems to like Will a lot," Merlin said.
"Yeah," Arthur said, agreeing. He'd asked Todd for the favour of distracting Will, but with the way he saw Todd acting around him, he wondered how much of it was an act, and how much was, in fact, genuine interest. "But you know how Todd is," Arthur said looking away from them and at Merlin, "He's interested in everyone."
"You didn't have anything to do with this, did you?" Merlin asked; he'd stopped dancing and stood still in the middle of the floor, staring at Arthur.
"I--uh--" Arthur thought about changing the topic, deviating from the question, or simply lying, but he didn't want to do that. Not with Merlin. He took in a deep breath, and told Merlin the truth. "I called Todd this morning asking him if he would...distract Will. I said that he was your friend, and he was here because he was kind of in love with you and since I'm also in love with you...it was all fucked up. He told me that he was having a party tonight and thought it'd be a good idea for Will to see that there were plenty of other opportunities out there. Maybe have a fling in Canada before going back to Camelot."
"This is always just a game to you, isn't it?" Merlin said in a low tone, perhaps so no one around them could hear him, and turned around to leave the room.
Arthur rushed after him.
"Is everything okay?" Will came out of nowhere and grabbed Arthur's elbow.
"Yeah. Merlin just needs some air. I'm going to go see if he's all right."
"I'll come with you," Will said.
"No." Arthur turned around and placed a hand on Will's chest. "It's my fuck up. Can I go and fix it, please? Why don't you..." He gestured towards Todd who was standing by the speakers looking at them intently.
"I'm not here for--"
"Will," Arthur said firmly and Will scowled at him.
"It's fine."
Both Will and Arthur turned to look and Merlin was standing by the entrance of the room. He didn't look completely pissed off so Arthur softly sighed with relief.
Arthur was about to say something to Merlin, apologise perhaps, or ask him if they could go outside to talk when a rush of people flooded through the door, pushing past them, and Merlin nearly toppled over towards Arthur. Arthur steadied him with a tight hold and Merlin looked up at him, smiling.
"Are you cross with me?" Arthur asked, more mouthing the words than actually saying it.
Merlin shook his head. "No, I just--"
"I was such an arsehole, wasn't I?" Arthur asked, crestfallen. It was just like him, his old self rather, who would play round about games to get what he wanted. This time, he wanted to keep Will away from Merlin, even if he was certain that Merlin didn't see Will like that. Especially since last night and this morning when he and Merlin had been together.
"I guess some things will never change," Merlin said, looking disappointed.
"Except I promise to never lie to you. Never play any games that hurt you, Merlin," Arthur said.
"Merlin, are you okay?" Will asked, as he came by Merlin's side and glowered at Arthur.
Merlin laughed lightly. "Just fine, Will." He was going to say something else but Todd came around them and grabbed both Will, and Merlin's shoulder.
"Is this a party or a funeral?" Todd asked, pulling them to the dancefloor. "Come on, boys. The night's still young."
A moment later, Arthur, Merlin, and Will, along with some other people stood in a circle as Todd danced in the middle. And just like that, all the tension seemed to leave the room, and Arthur was glad that Merlin was having fun again. next part
Title: Old habits
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Will
Summary: The night at Todd's party continues.
Warnings: Modern!AU. Angst. Drama.
Word Count: 835
Prompt: "Dancing" for camelot_drabble
Author's Notes: Unbetaed. Chapter 16, continuing the story "A Last Chance" (ao3 link). (Chapter 15: Distracting Will here)
As the night went on, Todd's flat only got more crowded. Arthur hadn't known this many people in a lifetime as Todd had known almost every single person in his home. It also amazed him at how good Todd was at playing host. He greeted almost all of his friends, but still managed to have conversations with the ones that were already there.
He'd even designated one of his guest rooms as the "entertainment" room where there was a bloke had set up his iPod and speakers and a few people were dancing.
In order to avoid the crowd, Merlin had managed to pull Arthur and Will to the dancefloor.
To say that it was awkward, was an understatement. Will kept looking around the room to avoid eye-contact with Arthur, and Arthur wondered how long it'd be until Todd would come back and rescue them.
He didn't have to wait long, though. Two songs later, Todd was in the room with his arms around Merlin's shoulder as he joined their little group and started dancing. A few moments after that, he'd pulled Will aside to dance with him alone.
"Wow. Todd really seems to like Will a lot," Merlin said.
"Yeah," Arthur said, agreeing. He'd asked Todd for the favour of distracting Will, but with the way he saw Todd acting around him, he wondered how much of it was an act, and how much was, in fact, genuine interest. "But you know how Todd is," Arthur said looking away from them and at Merlin, "He's interested in everyone."
"You didn't have anything to do with this, did you?" Merlin asked; he'd stopped dancing and stood still in the middle of the floor, staring at Arthur.
"I--uh--" Arthur thought about changing the topic, deviating from the question, or simply lying, but he didn't want to do that. Not with Merlin. He took in a deep breath, and told Merlin the truth. "I called Todd this morning asking him if he would...distract Will. I said that he was your friend, and he was here because he was kind of in love with you and since I'm also in love with you...it was all fucked up. He told me that he was having a party tonight and thought it'd be a good idea for Will to see that there were plenty of other opportunities out there. Maybe have a fling in Canada before going back to Camelot."
"This is always just a game to you, isn't it?" Merlin said in a low tone, perhaps so no one around them could hear him, and turned around to leave the room.
Arthur rushed after him.
"Is everything okay?" Will came out of nowhere and grabbed Arthur's elbow.
"Yeah. Merlin just needs some air. I'm going to go see if he's all right."
"I'll come with you," Will said.
"No." Arthur turned around and placed a hand on Will's chest. "It's my fuck up. Can I go and fix it, please? Why don't you..." He gestured towards Todd who was standing by the speakers looking at them intently.
"I'm not here for--"
"Will," Arthur said firmly and Will scowled at him.
"It's fine."
Both Will and Arthur turned to look and Merlin was standing by the entrance of the room. He didn't look completely pissed off so Arthur softly sighed with relief.
Arthur was about to say something to Merlin, apologise perhaps, or ask him if they could go outside to talk when a rush of people flooded through the door, pushing past them, and Merlin nearly toppled over towards Arthur. Arthur steadied him with a tight hold and Merlin looked up at him, smiling.
"Are you cross with me?" Arthur asked, more mouthing the words than actually saying it.
Merlin shook his head. "No, I just--"
"I was such an arsehole, wasn't I?" Arthur asked, crestfallen. It was just like him, his old self rather, who would play round about games to get what he wanted. This time, he wanted to keep Will away from Merlin, even if he was certain that Merlin didn't see Will like that. Especially since last night and this morning when he and Merlin had been together.
"I guess some things will never change," Merlin said, looking disappointed.
"Except I promise to never lie to you. Never play any games that hurt you, Merlin," Arthur said.
"Merlin, are you okay?" Will asked, as he came by Merlin's side and glowered at Arthur.
Merlin laughed lightly. "Just fine, Will." He was going to say something else but Todd came around them and grabbed both Will, and Merlin's shoulder.
"Is this a party or a funeral?" Todd asked, pulling them to the dancefloor. "Come on, boys. The night's still young."
A moment later, Arthur, Merlin, and Will, along with some other people stood in a circle as Todd danced in the middle. And just like that, all the tension seemed to leave the room, and Arthur was glad that Merlin was having fun again. next part