Fic: For a Taste of Freedom, Arthur/Gwen Merlin, G
Title: For a Taste of Freedom
Author: kepp0xy
Rating: G
Characters/Pairing: slight Arthur/Gwen (pre-ship), Merlin
Warning: None!
Summary: Gwen teaches Merlin a game as Arthur looks on.
Author's Notes: Written for the 100 Fantasies, hosted by camelot_love. Prompt was "playing footsie". I'm certain this fic is not exactly as the original prompter envisioned, but I hope it's to satisfaction in any case! Comments are ♥ & concrit is appreciated!
It was her laughter that drew him. Arthur had been walking back to the castle from the stables when he heard the distinct sound of Guinevere's laugh coming from the main square. He tried to ignore the pull it had on him, but when the familiar sound of Merlin's chuckles mingled with hers, he succumbed to curiosity and made his way towards the square.
"You're doing it wrong, Merlin!" she cried, laughter still thick in her tones, followed by the intriguing sounds of scuffling.
"You were teaching me, Gwen," Merlin's voice responded in mock irritation. "If I'm doing it wrong, it's my teacher's fault."
Arthur rounded the corner to find the two seated side-by-side on a bench next to a wall across from him. Their feet were tangled and their palpable eagerness reminded him of children at play. He hesitated for a moment and then leaned back against a wall to watch for just a few minutes, simply to satiate his curiosity.
"Oh, hush," Gwen said, slapping a hand to Merlin's wrist. "Now watch carefully." He crossed his arms over his chest, watching from the shadows as she taught Merlin a game Arthur was unfamiliar with. He couldn't detect a pattern, and apparently his manservant was at equal loss. "For the love of Camelot," she said finally, and Arthur felt a strange thrill at the familiarity of those words from her lips. "Children a quarter your age can get this!"
Arthur did not allow himself to feel envy very often: he had all he could need and much more on top. To envy those beneath him was wrong, disrespecting what he had and what they most assuredly wished they did too. However, possessions and position aside, Arthur had never had a free moment such as he witnessed now between the two servants. He envied them their buoyant abandon, and worse, felt guilty about it.
Arthur decided to watch for a few more minutes, in order to learn the rules of the game, but his eyes were inevitably drawn to Gwen's face, attention slipping from her instruction. He was sometimes awed by her quiet strength; regardless of all she had lost, she still laughed and played with warmth. She threw her head back with a loud laugh as Merlin muttered something likely insolent and nudged him with her shoulder. "You say that now, but when your son wants to learn it, you will be happy to teach him."
Merlin glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and Arthur recognised the false look of consternation on his face. "You think I'll have children?" Gwen looked so taken aback by the question that Arthur almost laughed and Merlin did.
"Well, I don't know. I mean, I don't see why not, but if you don't want them... It's just what people do, isn't it? They fall in love, get married, have children. Not that I think you'd just do what everyone else does, unless you wanted to." She frowned at him as he continued laughing. "Well then why did you have me teach you?"
"For fun," Merlin responded cheerfully, disentangling himself before jumping to his feet and offering her a hand for assistance. "Best get back, I'm sure Arthur's chafing that I've not cleaned his rooms yet."
She playfully stuck her nose up at his hand and stood herself, tucking her hair behind her ear. "He's not that bad, really," Gwen admonished and Arthur felt unexpectedly warmed that it sounded like something she did quite often, the defence falling from her lips as easily as her teasing tones earlier. "One day you'll quit complaining about him." She glanced at Merlin from the corner of her eyes. "At least, I desperately hope that you will."
"When he stops-
"Being a prat," she finished, rolling her eyes. "So you keep saying, and yet I haven't seen any prat-ish behaviour in months." Gwen looked briefly to the sun, releasing a soft sigh, before beginning to make her way towards the main entryway.
"You try serving him then!" Merlin grumbled as he fell into step beside her. Arthur couldn't make out her response and they soon disappeared into the shadows of the castle.
Author: kepp0xy
Rating: G
Characters/Pairing: slight Arthur/Gwen (pre-ship), Merlin
Warning: None!
Summary: Gwen teaches Merlin a game as Arthur looks on.
Author's Notes: Written for the 100 Fantasies, hosted by camelot_love. Prompt was "playing footsie". I'm certain this fic is not exactly as the original prompter envisioned, but I hope it's to satisfaction in any case! Comments are ♥ & concrit is appreciated!
It was her laughter that drew him. Arthur had been walking back to the castle from the stables when he heard the distinct sound of Guinevere's laugh coming from the main square. He tried to ignore the pull it had on him, but when the familiar sound of Merlin's chuckles mingled with hers, he succumbed to curiosity and made his way towards the square.
"You're doing it wrong, Merlin!" she cried, laughter still thick in her tones, followed by the intriguing sounds of scuffling.
"You were teaching me, Gwen," Merlin's voice responded in mock irritation. "If I'm doing it wrong, it's my teacher's fault."
Arthur rounded the corner to find the two seated side-by-side on a bench next to a wall across from him. Their feet were tangled and their palpable eagerness reminded him of children at play. He hesitated for a moment and then leaned back against a wall to watch for just a few minutes, simply to satiate his curiosity.
"Oh, hush," Gwen said, slapping a hand to Merlin's wrist. "Now watch carefully." He crossed his arms over his chest, watching from the shadows as she taught Merlin a game Arthur was unfamiliar with. He couldn't detect a pattern, and apparently his manservant was at equal loss. "For the love of Camelot," she said finally, and Arthur felt a strange thrill at the familiarity of those words from her lips. "Children a quarter your age can get this!"
Arthur did not allow himself to feel envy very often: he had all he could need and much more on top. To envy those beneath him was wrong, disrespecting what he had and what they most assuredly wished they did too. However, possessions and position aside, Arthur had never had a free moment such as he witnessed now between the two servants. He envied them their buoyant abandon, and worse, felt guilty about it.
Arthur decided to watch for a few more minutes, in order to learn the rules of the game, but his eyes were inevitably drawn to Gwen's face, attention slipping from her instruction. He was sometimes awed by her quiet strength; regardless of all she had lost, she still laughed and played with warmth. She threw her head back with a loud laugh as Merlin muttered something likely insolent and nudged him with her shoulder. "You say that now, but when your son wants to learn it, you will be happy to teach him."
Merlin glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and Arthur recognised the false look of consternation on his face. "You think I'll have children?" Gwen looked so taken aback by the question that Arthur almost laughed and Merlin did.
"Well, I don't know. I mean, I don't see why not, but if you don't want them... It's just what people do, isn't it? They fall in love, get married, have children. Not that I think you'd just do what everyone else does, unless you wanted to." She frowned at him as he continued laughing. "Well then why did you have me teach you?"
"For fun," Merlin responded cheerfully, disentangling himself before jumping to his feet and offering her a hand for assistance. "Best get back, I'm sure Arthur's chafing that I've not cleaned his rooms yet."
She playfully stuck her nose up at his hand and stood herself, tucking her hair behind her ear. "He's not that bad, really," Gwen admonished and Arthur felt unexpectedly warmed that it sounded like something she did quite often, the defence falling from her lips as easily as her teasing tones earlier. "One day you'll quit complaining about him." She glanced at Merlin from the corner of her eyes. "At least, I desperately hope that you will."
"When he stops-
"Being a prat," she finished, rolling her eyes. "So you keep saying, and yet I haven't seen any prat-ish behaviour in months." Gwen looked briefly to the sun, releasing a soft sigh, before beginning to make her way towards the main entryway.
"You try serving him then!" Merlin grumbled as he fell into step beside her. Arthur couldn't make out her response and they soon disappeared into the shadows of the castle.