Sequel to Untitled Comment Fic!
Arthur and Merlin had been dating for a tentative three weeks since their almost-disastrous first date. It was pretty okay so far. They fought more than they didn’t, but that was just part of their weird relationship.
Their dates after the mall date had been fun, too. They went bowling with Gwen and Morgana, had been to a botanical garden, an art museum and a magic show. The last one was Arthur’s idea of a joke, but really hadn’t been funny because Merlin ended up thoroughly enjoying the show of amateurs in the cramped theatre.
Now on their sixth date, they were back at the mall. Once again it was Arthur’s idea, and Merlin had complained the whole way there. But now he was sat at the table in the food court across from Arthur, both happily eating their pretzel and dip of choice and chatting about their days.
When they had finished they walked around with no particular destination in mind. They passed the electronics store that Arthur had made Merlin wait outside of on their first date and he suddenly remembered Arthur’s shadyness that day.
He tugged on Arthur’s arm to stop him, pulling him into the shop. Arthur followed Merlin obediently, only sighing a little when Merlin began to browse. Merlin was trying to think of a casual way to bring up what had happened on their first date.
He ran his fingers over a display case full of fancy ear buds, “So, remember our first date?”
“How could I forget? You were completely unbearable for most of it,” Arthur said, boredly reading the track list on some silly boy band CD.
“You’re so sweet, cheers. But I was talking about when you made me wait outside the shop when you ran in to get something. A CD. What was it?” Merlin asked, carefully avoiding eye contact but watching Arthur closely out of the corner of his eye. Arthur stiffened and cleared his throat, turning back towards the display of CDs.
“It was nothing,” Arthur said, his voice sounding tight and controlled.
“Oh? Then why did I have to wait outside, then?” Merlin asked.
“Erm. I…uh…”
“No answer? Maybe the cashier would remember. I mean, she’s the same one as last time. I wouldn’t forget a neon-green Mohawk,” Merlin said, setting the CD aside he was reading and heading towards the registers.
“Wait, Merlin!” Arthur stopped him with a hand on his elbow, jerking him back.
“Arthur? What’s wrong? If you forgot, then I should help you remember, right? What if you’ve lost it and you don’t remember what it is? I’m sure the cashier won’t mind pulling up the order,” Merlin said, sending Arthur a mischievous grin as he tugged out of Arthur’s grip and made his way over to the register before Arthur could stop him again.
He leaned on the counter towards the cashier, smiling at her what would normally be his disarmingly charming smile, but only caused her to snap her gum and ask him what he wanted. Merlin blinked, “Er yeah. I was wondering if you could pull up an order from three weeks ago for me. The name would be Pendragon. P-E-N-D-”
Arthur slapped his hand over Merlin’s mouth, then shoved him away from the counter. “Sorry about that, he’s gone a bit barmy. He’s got some kind of mental affliction which causes him to lie horribly. I’m not Pendragon, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m definitely not Pendragon.”
The cashier popped her gum again and rolled her eyes, “Well, ‘Definitely-Not-Pendragon,’ your order’s come in. Here,” she held out a CD towards Arthur, and before he could take it, Merlin snatched it up and danced out of Arthur’s reach, holding the CD up above his head, making it impossible for Arthur to snatch it back because Merlin was taller (a fact that he liked to tease Arthur about, since Arthur was always treating him like the girl in the relationship).
“It’s a gift for Morgana!” Arthur cried before Merlin even read what CD it was.
“Taylor Swift?! Really?” Merlin nearly dropped the CD, leaning against the wall to hold his stomach as he laughed, “Really Arthur?” Arthur just glared, arms crossed over his chest. He held out the CD to Arthur, just giggling a bit as Arthur paid and left the store, not even waiting for Merlin.
Merlin had to jog to catch up, and when he did he noticed Arthur entirely displeased scowl and steely resolve not to acknowledge Merlin at all.
“C’mon, Arthur. Don’t be upset. I’m not laughing at you,” Merlin soothed, or tried to, because then he was laughing again, hanging onto Arthur’s arm to stop from tripping. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he sighed when Arthur sped up, nearly toppling Merlin. “Really I am. It’s okay if you like Taylor Swift. She’s very um…talented. Very popular. It’s okay.”
Arthur just glowered and glared and maybe pouted a little. “Oh hey, look where we are!” Merlin said, stopping Arthur and turning him towards the photo booth where they shared their first kiss. “Take a picture with me?” Arthur didn’t reply, so it wasn’t a ‘no.’ Merlin pulled Arthur into the booth with him, feeding the machine the money.
The timer started, and Merlin turned to Arthur, “Say cheese!” Arthur just scowled at the camera as Merlin stuck out his tongue.
The second timer started, and Merlin tried poking Arthur in his ticklish spots to get him to at least smile a little, or else these pictures were going to be really horrible. Arthur just squirmed a little, leaning away from Merlin. Merlin huffed and the flash went off.
Struck with a sudden bout of strange brilliance, Merlin leant over, cupping his hand to Arthur’s ear, singing quietly, “It’s a love story, baby just say yes!” in his girliest, happiest voice. The countdown began. Arthur actually laughed, the kind of brilliant laughter that made Merlin’s stomach flutter and him want to kiss Arthur. The flash went off.
And then Merlin kissed Arthur. The countdown began. And maybe there was some kind of magic in this photo booth, because when the flash went off the fourth time, maybe, just maybe, they were a tiny bit in love.
Their dates after the mall date had been fun, too. They went bowling with Gwen and Morgana, had been to a botanical garden, an art museum and a magic show. The last one was Arthur’s idea of a joke, but really hadn’t been funny because Merlin ended up thoroughly enjoying the show of amateurs in the cramped theatre.
Now on their sixth date, they were back at the mall. Once again it was Arthur’s idea, and Merlin had complained the whole way there. But now he was sat at the table in the food court across from Arthur, both happily eating their pretzel and dip of choice and chatting about their days.
When they had finished they walked around with no particular destination in mind. They passed the electronics store that Arthur had made Merlin wait outside of on their first date and he suddenly remembered Arthur’s shadyness that day.
He tugged on Arthur’s arm to stop him, pulling him into the shop. Arthur followed Merlin obediently, only sighing a little when Merlin began to browse. Merlin was trying to think of a casual way to bring up what had happened on their first date.
He ran his fingers over a display case full of fancy ear buds, “So, remember our first date?”
“How could I forget? You were completely unbearable for most of it,” Arthur said, boredly reading the track list on some silly boy band CD.
“You’re so sweet, cheers. But I was talking about when you made me wait outside the shop when you ran in to get something. A CD. What was it?” Merlin asked, carefully avoiding eye contact but watching Arthur closely out of the corner of his eye. Arthur stiffened and cleared his throat, turning back towards the display of CDs.
“It was nothing,” Arthur said, his voice sounding tight and controlled.
“Oh? Then why did I have to wait outside, then?” Merlin asked.
“Erm. I…uh…”
“No answer? Maybe the cashier would remember. I mean, she’s the same one as last time. I wouldn’t forget a neon-green Mohawk,” Merlin said, setting the CD aside he was reading and heading towards the registers.
“Wait, Merlin!” Arthur stopped him with a hand on his elbow, jerking him back.
“Arthur? What’s wrong? If you forgot, then I should help you remember, right? What if you’ve lost it and you don’t remember what it is? I’m sure the cashier won’t mind pulling up the order,” Merlin said, sending Arthur a mischievous grin as he tugged out of Arthur’s grip and made his way over to the register before Arthur could stop him again.
He leaned on the counter towards the cashier, smiling at her what would normally be his disarmingly charming smile, but only caused her to snap her gum and ask him what he wanted. Merlin blinked, “Er yeah. I was wondering if you could pull up an order from three weeks ago for me. The name would be Pendragon. P-E-N-D-”
Arthur slapped his hand over Merlin’s mouth, then shoved him away from the counter. “Sorry about that, he’s gone a bit barmy. He’s got some kind of mental affliction which causes him to lie horribly. I’m not Pendragon, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m definitely not Pendragon.”
The cashier popped her gum again and rolled her eyes, “Well, ‘Definitely-Not-Pendragon,’ your order’s come in. Here,” she held out a CD towards Arthur, and before he could take it, Merlin snatched it up and danced out of Arthur’s reach, holding the CD up above his head, making it impossible for Arthur to snatch it back because Merlin was taller (a fact that he liked to tease Arthur about, since Arthur was always treating him like the girl in the relationship).
“It’s a gift for Morgana!” Arthur cried before Merlin even read what CD it was.
“Taylor Swift?! Really?” Merlin nearly dropped the CD, leaning against the wall to hold his stomach as he laughed, “Really Arthur?” Arthur just glared, arms crossed over his chest. He held out the CD to Arthur, just giggling a bit as Arthur paid and left the store, not even waiting for Merlin.
Merlin had to jog to catch up, and when he did he noticed Arthur entirely displeased scowl and steely resolve not to acknowledge Merlin at all.
“C’mon, Arthur. Don’t be upset. I’m not laughing at you,” Merlin soothed, or tried to, because then he was laughing again, hanging onto Arthur’s arm to stop from tripping. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he sighed when Arthur sped up, nearly toppling Merlin. “Really I am. It’s okay if you like Taylor Swift. She’s very um…talented. Very popular. It’s okay.”
Arthur just glowered and glared and maybe pouted a little. “Oh hey, look where we are!” Merlin said, stopping Arthur and turning him towards the photo booth where they shared their first kiss. “Take a picture with me?” Arthur didn’t reply, so it wasn’t a ‘no.’ Merlin pulled Arthur into the booth with him, feeding the machine the money.
The timer started, and Merlin turned to Arthur, “Say cheese!” Arthur just scowled at the camera as Merlin stuck out his tongue.
The second timer started, and Merlin tried poking Arthur in his ticklish spots to get him to at least smile a little, or else these pictures were going to be really horrible. Arthur just squirmed a little, leaning away from Merlin. Merlin huffed and the flash went off.
Struck with a sudden bout of strange brilliance, Merlin leant over, cupping his hand to Arthur’s ear, singing quietly, “It’s a love story, baby just say yes!” in his girliest, happiest voice. The countdown began. Arthur actually laughed, the kind of brilliant laughter that made Merlin’s stomach flutter and him want to kiss Arthur. The flash went off.
And then Merlin kissed Arthur. The countdown began. And maybe there was some kind of magic in this photo booth, because when the flash went off the fourth time, maybe, just maybe, they were a tiny bit in love.