Chemistry - part 4
Author: archaeologist_d
Title: Chemistry part 4
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur
Summary: The scrawny kid knew more about chemistry than Arthur did. Who knew he’d fall in love with the idiot?
Warnings: none,
Word Count: 1120
Camelot Drabble Prompt bingo 512: beloved
Author’s Notes: definitely multi-chaptered
Disclaimer: I do not own the BBC version of Merlin; They and Shine do. I am very respectfully borrowing them with no intent to profit. No money has changed hands. No copyright infringement is intended.
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In the end, Merlin shooed him into the tiny bathroom, told him to clean up and he’d find something for him to wear in the meantime. Arthur wanted answers but dried salt was never his favourite thing. He was still shivering a little with the cold, so he took a quick shower with a handheld showerhead, then dressed in time-worn clothes.
When he walked into the small lounge, Arthur’s own clothes drying by the fire, Merlin was there, staring down into the flames.
He didn’t say anything, just glanced at Arthur, and then back down at the crackling blaze.
It would seem that it was up to Arthur to find out the truth, to question his once lover about why he had abandoned Arthur. Deep down, it still hurt, even after all those years.
Finally, Arthur walked over to Merlin and stood there, arms crossed, scowling at him. “I should thank you for the help but… why, Merlin, why did you leave?” Even to his ears, it sounded like whining, like begging, and Arthur hated that. When Merlin didn’t answer, just looked down at the fire, blinking for all the world as if holding back tears, Arthur grew angrier. How dare Merlin play the innocent victim here. “Well, at least you didn’t walk away this time, Merlin.”
“I didn’t walk away last time, Arthur. I ran as far and as fast as I could. Once you saw… what you saw, I couldn’t stay,” Merlin whispered.
“What did I see that was so terrible?” Arthur snapped, confused and furious. “That you would leave without a word, make me search for you for months? It’s no excuse, no matter what you think I saw. You should have said good-bye at least.”
Biting at his lip, looking at Arthur and then away again, Merlin said, “I thought about it. But I could never say no to you, even… well, it’s better this way. You got on with your life and I’m not… in it.” He looked up at that, his face full of longing.
How dare Merlin pretend that he cared. “You fucking arsehole, you make me think you loved me and that’s all you have to say? At least, I should know the truth for once,” Arthur said, moving closer to Merlin, glaring into eyes he once dreamed about.
At that, Merlin frowned, looking at first unsure, then his face hardened. Behind him, the fire suddenly flared, throwing Merlin’s face into shadow, but there was gold lingering there in his eyes. Obviously, a trick of the firelight.
With every word, Merlin was growing more and more agitated. “And what truth is that? That I have magic, that I can turn lead into gold, that I’ve finally, finally found someone to love and know that I can never be with him?”
“Wait, what? That doesn’t make sense.” It was all a ruse. No way that Merlin could turn lead into gold. Alchemy was a ridiculous invention of the past and Merlin talking about it just muddied things. And telling Arthur he had magic? Did he think Arthur was so in love with him that he’d just accept lies like that?
Then Merlin doubled down, making things worse. “I have magic, Arthur.”
Pointing a finger at him, as furious as he had ever been, Arthur snarled, “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Stepping back, waving his hands as if he were a mad thing, Merlin said, “See, even now, you don’t believe me.” When Arthur just glared at him, Merlin seemed to deflate, shrinking back into himself. Folded his arms tight against his chest, he muttered, “It was better this way. It would have only ended badly. Better that you find someone that could be your partner in all things. I would only complicate your life.”
Arthur wanted to wrap him up in his arms and never let go. Arthur wanted to shake him and demand that he stop being such a git.
“Shouldn’t I have some say in this? Instead of you just up and disappearing? I searched for you for months.” Watching Merlin flinch at that, Arthur said, “I think you were too scared to deal with it all, and instead of facing me and talking about it, in your head, you made up some ridiculous foolishness about magic to use as an excuse to run away.”
Merlin gaped at him, then snarled, “Did you think that my magic was just a trick? That it’s a stupid ruse to keep you at bay? That I’m lying about my gifts?”
Reaching out, Merlin grabbed Arthur’s arms and began to shake him, rough and passionate, growing more and more agitated as he said, “I have powers beyond anything you can imagine. And that makes me a target, for those unscrupulous enough to use me, including the government and the rich bastards who pull their strings. I’ve been hiding for as long as I can remember. And if you stayed with me, you could never be a doctor. You would always be on the run. How could I bear to see you that unhappy?”
With Merlin touching him, his hands hot on Arthur’s skin, it only reminded Arthur of other times, of Merlin crying out in ecstasy, of shared pleasure and shared laughter, of all that he’d tried to forget in the years since he had seen Merlin last.
Arthur wanted to shout that it didn’t matter as long as they were together, to throw Merlin down onto the floor and ravish him, to make him beg for more, to never let him go.
Instead, Arthur jerked out of Merlin’s grip, shouting, “You’re making this up,” When Merlin’s face crumbled into resignation, Arthur wanted to hurt him as much as he’d been hurt.
“How could you lie to me like this? Did you think I’d just accept some stupid story about magic? There is no such thing. If you wanted to get rid of me, at least give me the courtesy of telling me the truth, that you tired of me, that I wasn’t enough for you and your ancient manuscripts and hallucinogenic plants. That you wanted someone else,” Arthur snarled.
Merlin stared at him for the longest time, then gave a little sigh, resignation and grief in his eyes. Finally, he said, “Arthur, I never wanted anyone else but you.” Looking away, into the blaze, the fire flaring again even though there was no wood in the fireplace, Merlin said, soft and low, “Your clothes are dry. I think it’s time for you to go.”
Arthur didn’t remember much after that. There was mist and longing, and when he looked up, he was standing by the side of a stream, and only the howling wind for company.
Title: Chemistry part 4
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur
Summary: The scrawny kid knew more about chemistry than Arthur did. Who knew he’d fall in love with the idiot?
Warnings: none,
Word Count: 1120
Camelot Drabble Prompt bingo 512: beloved
Author’s Notes: definitely multi-chaptered
Disclaimer: I do not own the BBC version of Merlin; They and Shine do. I am very respectfully borrowing them with no intent to profit. No money has changed hands. No copyright infringement is intended.
---------------------
In the end, Merlin shooed him into the tiny bathroom, told him to clean up and he’d find something for him to wear in the meantime. Arthur wanted answers but dried salt was never his favourite thing. He was still shivering a little with the cold, so he took a quick shower with a handheld showerhead, then dressed in time-worn clothes.
When he walked into the small lounge, Arthur’s own clothes drying by the fire, Merlin was there, staring down into the flames.
He didn’t say anything, just glanced at Arthur, and then back down at the crackling blaze.
It would seem that it was up to Arthur to find out the truth, to question his once lover about why he had abandoned Arthur. Deep down, it still hurt, even after all those years.
Finally, Arthur walked over to Merlin and stood there, arms crossed, scowling at him. “I should thank you for the help but… why, Merlin, why did you leave?” Even to his ears, it sounded like whining, like begging, and Arthur hated that. When Merlin didn’t answer, just looked down at the fire, blinking for all the world as if holding back tears, Arthur grew angrier. How dare Merlin play the innocent victim here. “Well, at least you didn’t walk away this time, Merlin.”
“I didn’t walk away last time, Arthur. I ran as far and as fast as I could. Once you saw… what you saw, I couldn’t stay,” Merlin whispered.
“What did I see that was so terrible?” Arthur snapped, confused and furious. “That you would leave without a word, make me search for you for months? It’s no excuse, no matter what you think I saw. You should have said good-bye at least.”
Biting at his lip, looking at Arthur and then away again, Merlin said, “I thought about it. But I could never say no to you, even… well, it’s better this way. You got on with your life and I’m not… in it.” He looked up at that, his face full of longing.
How dare Merlin pretend that he cared. “You fucking arsehole, you make me think you loved me and that’s all you have to say? At least, I should know the truth for once,” Arthur said, moving closer to Merlin, glaring into eyes he once dreamed about.
At that, Merlin frowned, looking at first unsure, then his face hardened. Behind him, the fire suddenly flared, throwing Merlin’s face into shadow, but there was gold lingering there in his eyes. Obviously, a trick of the firelight.
With every word, Merlin was growing more and more agitated. “And what truth is that? That I have magic, that I can turn lead into gold, that I’ve finally, finally found someone to love and know that I can never be with him?”
“Wait, what? That doesn’t make sense.” It was all a ruse. No way that Merlin could turn lead into gold. Alchemy was a ridiculous invention of the past and Merlin talking about it just muddied things. And telling Arthur he had magic? Did he think Arthur was so in love with him that he’d just accept lies like that?
Then Merlin doubled down, making things worse. “I have magic, Arthur.”
Pointing a finger at him, as furious as he had ever been, Arthur snarled, “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Stepping back, waving his hands as if he were a mad thing, Merlin said, “See, even now, you don’t believe me.” When Arthur just glared at him, Merlin seemed to deflate, shrinking back into himself. Folded his arms tight against his chest, he muttered, “It was better this way. It would have only ended badly. Better that you find someone that could be your partner in all things. I would only complicate your life.”
Arthur wanted to wrap him up in his arms and never let go. Arthur wanted to shake him and demand that he stop being such a git.
“Shouldn’t I have some say in this? Instead of you just up and disappearing? I searched for you for months.” Watching Merlin flinch at that, Arthur said, “I think you were too scared to deal with it all, and instead of facing me and talking about it, in your head, you made up some ridiculous foolishness about magic to use as an excuse to run away.”
Merlin gaped at him, then snarled, “Did you think that my magic was just a trick? That it’s a stupid ruse to keep you at bay? That I’m lying about my gifts?”
Reaching out, Merlin grabbed Arthur’s arms and began to shake him, rough and passionate, growing more and more agitated as he said, “I have powers beyond anything you can imagine. And that makes me a target, for those unscrupulous enough to use me, including the government and the rich bastards who pull their strings. I’ve been hiding for as long as I can remember. And if you stayed with me, you could never be a doctor. You would always be on the run. How could I bear to see you that unhappy?”
With Merlin touching him, his hands hot on Arthur’s skin, it only reminded Arthur of other times, of Merlin crying out in ecstasy, of shared pleasure and shared laughter, of all that he’d tried to forget in the years since he had seen Merlin last.
Arthur wanted to shout that it didn’t matter as long as they were together, to throw Merlin down onto the floor and ravish him, to make him beg for more, to never let him go.
Instead, Arthur jerked out of Merlin’s grip, shouting, “You’re making this up,” When Merlin’s face crumbled into resignation, Arthur wanted to hurt him as much as he’d been hurt.
“How could you lie to me like this? Did you think I’d just accept some stupid story about magic? There is no such thing. If you wanted to get rid of me, at least give me the courtesy of telling me the truth, that you tired of me, that I wasn’t enough for you and your ancient manuscripts and hallucinogenic plants. That you wanted someone else,” Arthur snarled.
Merlin stared at him for the longest time, then gave a little sigh, resignation and grief in his eyes. Finally, he said, “Arthur, I never wanted anyone else but you.” Looking away, into the blaze, the fire flaring again even though there was no wood in the fireplace, Merlin said, soft and low, “Your clothes are dry. I think it’s time for you to go.”
Arthur didn’t remember much after that. There was mist and longing, and when he looked up, he was standing by the side of a stream, and only the howling wind for company.