Winter advent 2011 - Day 6

[shutupeccles]

adventchallenge Day:       6
Title: Trivial Pursuits
Fandom: BBC Merlin, no infringement or insult intended
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin, Arthur/Percival, Gwaine/Merlin
Rated:   T              Words: 4095
Warnings: occasional coarse language, modern AU, sexual references, **adultery, break up**
Summary: Merlin and Arthur aren't precisely off the market when they hook up. So

Comments

[meatball42]

Ahhhh I want there to be more. Great story, real tough choices for everyone.

[shutupeccles]

Thanks

It's tempting, but I wouldn't know what to add without ruining it, so there won't be more

[owensheart]

GULP tough choices, great story this.

[shutupeccles]

thanks for the compliment

[archaeologist_d]

Oh, that was so sad. I liked how Percy wasn't willing to overlook something like that. Great job.

[shutupeccles]

And I'd been hoping to write happier advent stories this year, too. Ah well, twas not to be.
Thanks for commenting

[bigolarthurfan]

You really do want poor Arthur to be alone, don't you. I'm thinking of another snapshot story that had me angry at both stupid Arthur and stupid Merlin, though like that one, this much more extended one is so well written. No hopeful ending here for my man Arthur, though. Some come off better than others here, but strictly speaking I can find stupid and/or stubborn behavior in just about everyone. I'm not sure I like your Percival very well, who is very hurt but also unyielding in any willingness to listen and/or forgive. It's understandable but doesn't necessarily speak that well of him. Maybe Gwaine comes off best but even he indulges some manipulation that causes real problems and pain. This is like the dysfunctional modern AU. Can't speak for how Leon might affect things, but overall I'm not sure I'm longterm optimistic for any of these relationships, even the supposedly happy at the end Merlin/Gwaine.

[shutupeccles]

Sorry for making everything seem bleak, but that's so often the more honest outcome of infidelity. Once the challenge is over I may write the follow up, showing 5 years after everyone made their awful mistakes. My head knows it isn't all doom and gloom but that particular coda would have lessened the impact. Not everyone has the same response to an event or gets over it as quickly.

Actually, I hate Arthur ending up alone. Our hero should have the happiest ending ever after.

[bigolarthurfan]

No need to say sorry. I'm always biased in Arthur's favor, because he reminds me so much of my late beloved. He didn't get his happy ending, although we had our happy times. So perhaps Arthur is a surrogate for whom I CAN provide the happy ending. But I hope you caught that I said this was "so well written". It is certainly honest and does reflect the often sloppy, messiness of life. I always try to behave with honor, have no embarrassment using that word and hope that I live up to it most of the time. But even honorable people don't always get happy endings and I don't think much of anybody in this story was entirely honorable (although perhaps I ought to re-read before I say that categorically), which is sometimes how life really is. There's nothing wrong with showing that.

[bigolarthurfan]

Forgot to say that I do like the idea of the 5 years later sequel if you think to come back to this.