alx_diamondTitle: Lube-A-Lot
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Arthur, Merlin
Summary: Merlin, the cute boy from his lit class, was smirking at him. More specifically, smirking at his shirt with “Lube-A-Lot” written across the chest in large blue letters.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 300
Prompt: #280: wlm-300
Author's Notes: This is actually the name of an oil change place in my neck of the woods. How could I not?
Arthur tried not to wear his work outfit in public, but his jacket had disappeared from the break room (and if Cornelius thought Arthur hadn’t noticed it go missing right before he left, the little creep had another thing coming). So, faced with the choice between going to the store in the bright yellow shirt and having nothing for dinner because he’d put off shopping for the week, he went with not starving.
The grocery store was halfway between the shop and his apartment, and he’d already stayed late with the last customer who pulled in two minutes before close, so going home to change was out of the question. Praying he wouldn’t run into anyone he knew, he slouched through the automatic doors and made a beeline for the deli. Normally he tried to cook for himself, but he just couldn’t wait that long for something substantial.
His exhaustion meant that he forgot to check ahead before stomping up to the pre-made foods and considering his options, so he looked up from the case into the face of the other reason he avoided the deli counter. Merlin, the cute boy from his lit class, was smirking at him. More specifically, smirking at his shirt with “Lube-A-Lot” written across the chest in large blue letters.
“Hey, Arthur. Just come from work?”
“Yeah, yeah.” His face felt warm, but he refused to show weakness by looking away. “Go on, say it.”
“What?”
Merlin looked sincerely confused, but that wasn’t an unusual expression for him, so Arthur rolled his eyes and said, “The lube joke. Just get it over with, I’ve heard them all before and I’m kind of in a hurry.”
“Nah.” Merlin grinned that stupid grin that always made Arthur’s chest flutter. “I like a man who’s good with lube.”