bunnysworldTitle: The Oath
Rating: R
Pairing(s): Merlin/Arthur
Summary: Merlin is stupid enough to remind Arthur of something he swore years ago
Warnings: none
Word Count: 753
Prompt: oath
Author's Notes: Sorry, this isn’t betaed and I wrote it under a bit of pressure. See for yourself…
Merlin chuckled when he finally got his breath back.
“What’s so funny, Emrys?” Arthur still sounded as if he’d just finished running a marathon.
“Do I still have to keep to the oath?”
Arthur rolled to his side and looked at Merlin, a frown on his face. “What oath?”
“The one you made me swear when we were thirteen.” Merlin smiled.
“Remind me?”
“When I caught you snogging Owaine in that hallway and you made me swear that I’d never tell anyone that you like boys?”
Arthur groaned and rolled onto his back.
The smile slid off Merlin’s face. “I wasn’t the one who yelled my name loud enough to wake up the house last night, you know. Maybe it’s time that you finally come clear.” Why had he even addressed the stupid oath from all those years ago? “It’s not like they don’t suspect it anyway.”
Merlin kicked the duvet from where it had tangled on his feet and sat up.
“They do, don’t they?” Arthur sighed.
Biting his lower lip to keep the tears he felt prickling in his eyes at bay, Merlin reached for his jeans. He had been dumb enough to think they had something going. That he probably was the one Arthur would like enough to forget his fears and to face the world with as who and what he was. He must have been mistaken.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“What does it look like?” Merlin pulled his jeans up and looked around for his t-shirt. “I’m leaving.”
“I don’t…what’s wrong?” Arthur jumped out of bed, came over and grabbed Merlin by the wrist. “Look at me.”
Merlin turned around, but didn’t look at Arthur.
“What’s the matter, Merlin? This started out as…I don’t know…fun and…maybe more…I thought…but now…” Arthur sounded utterly confused.
Lifting his eyes, Merlin swallowed. “It’s…I don’t know if I can do this, Arthur.”
“What? We just did it. Three times. And it was wonderful, even though I won’t be able to sit for days. I…I hoped we…”
Merlin sighed and sat down at the edge of the bed. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it. I ruined it all.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The oath. I swore that I’d never tell anyone that you’re into men. You’ve kept it a secret all these years and now…I’m not sure if I can do it this way.” Merlin worried his lower lip and looked at Arthur.
Instead of a frown or a headshake, Arthur’s face showed…what exactly? Did he really look hopeful?
“Merlin, I…you didn’t ruin anything. Forget the stupid oath. We were thirteen, come on. I was scared, I didn’t know what to do with my feelings.”
“And you know it now?” Merlin swallowed.
Arthur nodded. “I don’t care what people think any longer.” He reached out and cupped Merlin’s cheek to make him look at him. “Do you really think I would have let you do what you did last night if I cared what people think about me?”
“So it’s perfectly okay for you if I go out there and tell everyone?” Merlin’s heart was beating up in his throat. What where they talking about? He probably should get away from here to get his confused head and his whirling emotions back under control and see that Arthur liked what he was doing with him in bed, but would never want it to go further.
Shaking his head, Arthur looked at him uncertainly. “You know what I care about?”
“No, what?” So that was it, Arthur was sending him away and it stung a lot more than Merlin had thought it would.
“You, coming back under the covers with me now, so I could scream your name a bit more and if we ever decide to get up again, we could go out there and tell them together?”
Blinking, Merlin threw Arthur a look. “You mean…?”
“Yes, you moron. Do I really have to ask?”
Merlin dropped his t-shirt that he was still holding and turned to Arthur as Arthur’s hand slid down to his neck, caressing his jawline with his thumb. “Ask what?”
Groaning, Arthur pulled Merlin’s face close. “If you want to be my boyfriend. Official and everything. Going through all that nasty coming-out stuff with me, kicking my arse should I try to back out and just being there and loving me as I love you?”
“You…you love me?” Merlin whispered against Arthur’s lips.
“Yeah,” Arthur whispered back before he kissed Merlin and they both sank back onto the bed.