fifty-fifty.dreamwidth.org (fifty-fifty.dreamwidth.org) wrote in camelot_drabble,
fifty-fifty.dreamwidth.org
fifty-fifty.dreamwidth.org
camelot_drabble

Clouds and Silverlinings - Chapter 2

Author: fifty-fifty.dreamwidth.org
Title: Clouds and Silverlinings – Chapter 2
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur, Elena/Gwaine
Character/s: Arthur, Gwaine, Merlin
Summary:
Warnings: None
Word Count: 750
Prompt: #282 – 750 Words Exactly
Author's Notes: Continuing on from last week’s Victorian AU fic, Clouds and Silverlinings



As the night went on and Arthur sulked around in the refreshment room, he started to fret. What on Earth had he been thinking? How could he have given into such perverse urges? With such a man too. It was unnatural, he knew this. Merlin did not even have the redeeming factor of being a man of society - which was on occasion, was overlooked - rather than permitted. His father would be horrified that he had even associated himself with such a man, let alone had kissed him. ‘We are Pendragons, Arthur. We do not associate with the working class. Do you wish to ruin this family and have us cast out from society? Your poor sainted Mother! I am glad she is not here to see you sully the family name in such a fashion.’ He could all too well imagine his fathers displeasure. And if he knew Arthur’s darkest secret, that he often entertained such unnatural desires in the privacy of his own room; well that would be the end of him. In his fathers eyes he would cease to exist.

"So Arthur," came a voice, interrupting his thoughts. "Why the long face? You look like mothers latest prize horse!"

Arthur glanced over at Gwaine and hastily straightened out his face to a haughty put-upon sneer, silently cursing himself for wearing his emotions so plainly. "Hello, Gwaine."

Gwaine grinned at him, in his usual carefree way. “If you’ve had enough of the lemonade, come along with me to the drawing room and have a port and cigar with the others,” he said trying to tempt him.

Arthur looked down at his long since empty glass. Perhaps Port would be just the thing to make him forget the combination of soft, glossy black hair, plump, reddened lips and startlingly blue eyes.

“If I must,” he proclaimed with a sigh.

“Oh you must, Arthur. Come, I can tell you all about Miss Gawant! I met her some weeks ago and I really do think that she might be the one. Mother does keep worrying me about settling down and take a wife.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow with surprise. He had honestly thought that Gwaine was going end up a life-long bachelor. In fact, given the fact that he never intended to marry and keep a woman, he had been depending on Gwaine to keep him company as one by one the rest of the men their age dropped out of fashionable society. Perhaps one day, he might have even confessed his penchant for men to him. This Miss Gawant had certainly piqued his interest.

He placed the cup down and smiled at him. “Yes, you must tell me all about the lady who has finally tamed the wild, fun-loving Earl of Orkney.”

Gwaine bellowed with laughter, patted him on the shoulder and lead him off to the drawing room.

***

After many hours of conversation, good cigars and glasses of Port later, the ball was finally over and the house became quiet, Arthur took his leave. Gwaine had offered him use of a bedroom over in the mostly disused south wing of the house, in order to avoid a carriage ride home in the cold and wet. He stumbled down the corridor and placed his hand against the wall for a moment to steady himself. Perhaps that last glass of wine had been a mistake. A step too far. He could not remember ever having been as inebriated as this before. Staying for the night had definitely been the right choice.

He snickered to himself and felt for the handle of the door next to him and let himself in. A lone candle still burned and the fire was banked behind the grate. Arthur grinned inanely and let his coat fall from his arms and clumsily undid the buttons of his waistcoat and shirt, also abandoning them to the floor. He frowned as he tried to focus on his hands and wondered where he might have left his gloves. His trousers, fell to the floor when he undid them and he stumbled as he pulled off his shoes and socks. The room was cosy and warm, despite the weather outside and so he unbuttoned his drawers and discarded them too.

Now completely nude, he stretched and yawned before crawling under the bedclothes, unbeknownst to him, a dark haired head lay on the pillow next to him, dead to the world and Arthur himself found himself drifting rapidly off to sleep.

Tags: *c:fifty-fifty, c:arthur, c:elena, c:gwaine, c:merlin, p:arthur/merlin, p:elena/gwaine, pt 282:wlm-750, rating:pg-13, type:drabble
Subscribe

  • Not What You Think

    Author: ajsrandom Title: Not What You Think Rating: G Pairing/s: none Character/s: Arthur, Merlin, the Knights Summary: Arthur…

  • One Prison is much like another – part 51B

    Author: archaeologist_d Title: One Prison is much like another – part 51B Rating: PG-13 Pairing/s: none Character/s: Merlin, Morgana,…

  • Imbolc

    Author: gilli_ann Title: Imbolc Rating: G Characters: Morgana,Gwen Summary: On the feast day of Imbolc, Gwen finds signs that…

  • Post a new comment

    Error

    Anonymous comments are disabled in this journal

    default userpic

    Your reply will be screened

  • 7 comments