Maybe Arthur will be ok with getting a dog?
Yes, there will be mistakes, grammar or others, Sorry for that :)
Also I do not own Merlin or any of the characters there, this amazing piece of art belongs to BBC ;)
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Merlin holding a cardboard box slowly opened the door into their apartment and peeked inside.
"Good, Arthur is not at home yet" he thought with a relief about the absence of his boyfriend and closed the door behind him.
He walked over to a sofa and put the box on it, carefully took the lid off it.
A golden retriever puppy was immediately trying to get out of the box.
"Hello" Merlin said quietly and picked up the pup.
No, he was not sure how Arthur will react to this little cutie, but... its technically Arthur's fault that Merlin found him.
Arthur was suppose to pick up his boyfriend, but in the last minute something in work got in the way, so Arthur could not do it. Therefor Merlin had to walk home, not that he minded, and on his way home he came across with a cardboard box on the corner of the street with a single puppy in it, and what was Merlin suppose to do? Just leave him there? No thanks.
"You're home buddy, don't worry you will be happy here, promise" Merlin said to the puppy, and the pup made a cute high pitched bark and licked Merlin's face, which made Merlin giggle. Merlin put the puppy down and the pup immediately began to explore his new home.
Merlin went to the kitchen and put two bowls on the floor by the counter, one with water and the other with a little bit of food he had found in the fridge.
"We have to do some shopping for you, proper food for a starter... then some toys, and other things" Merlin said while putting the leftovers in the bowl.
He straightened up and looked around. The place was quiet... too quiet consider that there is a puppy somewhere.
"Hello?" He asked, hoping that the pup will make some noise
"Come on little one, where are you?" He asked again and went to look for him
Merlin's mother instincts were already kicking in, and he was imagining all the things that could happened to his new little responsibility.
Luckily he had found the puppy in no time, playing on the floor with a paper ball that was next the trash bin, because Merlin missed when he was tossing the paper in it.
"Aww... look at you, playing and all, not destroying anything, good boy" Merlin said happily, and the puppy responded with a quick cute bark, and then went back to playing with the paper ball.
"Don't worry, me and Arthur will get you a proper toys, ok?" Merlin assured him.
"Arthur..." Merlin thought, and realized that he still has no idea how Arthur will react to the puppy, or how Merlin should even announce it actually.
"Maybe better if I told him before he sees him? That might be better" Merlin was mumbling his strategy.
"What do you think buddy?" Merlin asked the puppy, but the pup was fully occupied with that sneaky little ball. Merlin just laughed at that.
"Ok then, you would have to hide some..." Merlin wanted to share the strategy with the puppy, but a clinking of the keys outside of the doors interrupted him.
"Oh no..." Merlin mumbled and quickly, but carefully picked up the puppy and carried him back in the box on the sofa.
"You have to be quiet, ok? Please, for me?" Merlin asked the puppy, while putting the lid back on the box. In the next moment Arthur opened the door and walked in.
"Hey Arthur" Merlin greet him and stood in front of the box, hiding it from Arthur for now.
"Hey, sorry... today was a busy day and then my father wanted to go thought the preparation for the next meeting so..." Arthur started to explaining while taking off the jacket.
"Don't worry about it" Merlin smiled
Arthur looked at him and smiled at his boyfriend
"I actually believed that I will make it... well I would if dad didn't want to..." Arthur started
"Really Arthur, nothing had happened" Merlin assured him and Arthur smiled at him again.
"Arthur... I should probably tell you something" Merlin started, knowing that the sooner the better.
"What? Don't tell me that you got lost on your way home again?" Arthur asked
"Hey! That happened just once long time ago and only because we just moved here, so you could stop bringing it up thank you very much" Merlin defended himself, and yes that call to Arthur he had to make was not the most dignified moment in his life, but it was ages ago but Arthur doesn't seem to forget that anytime soon.
"Merlin, I am never letting this thing go, surely you have to know that" Arthur chucked, and Merlin rolled his eyes
"But if you managed to find our home without finding yourself on the other side of the town first, what do you need to tell me than?" Arthur asked amused by the "fuck you glare" that Merlin made.
"I need to tell you that..." Merlin began when he suppressed the desire to come up with some creative nicknames for his currently slightly annoying boyfriend. But a quiet yelp coming from behind him interrupted him.
Arthur's eyes widen in shock and disbelief.
"Merlin... "
"Yes Arthur?"
"What was that?"
"What do you mean?"
"Merlin!"
"It was just... ehm... me?"
"You?!"
"Yeah"
"Merlin I know the sounds you make, from the really cute ones to the hot ones to the very annoying ones. This one was not you by any chance"
"Annoying ones? What are the annoying ones?"
"You trying to lie about the dog you brought in our house for example"
"Ehm..."
"Merlin! You can't just make this decision without telling me about it"
"But he was all alone in that box"
"Merlin... what box?"
"It's actually kinda your fault that I found it"
"What? How is it my fault?!"
"I found the box on my way home... so technically it's kinda your fault because if I was not walking home I would not find the box, so it's really a good thing that I was walking home and did find him actually because..."
"Merlin... dog is... a big responsibility and..."
"It's two of us, we will be ok"
"We didn't even agree that we will keep him yet Merlin" Arthur said and passed by Merlin to get to the box on the sofa
"Merlin, really, dog needs a lot of attention, a lot of care, and I am not sure that we can... oh my god Merlin, that's the cutest thing I've ever seen" Arthur was trying to reason with Merlin, but then he opened the box and the puppy looked up at him
Merlin knowing that the puppy is not leaving their house, grinned
The puppy made another cute bark and tried to get out of the box. Arthur immediately took the puppy in his arms and sat down on the sofa. Merlin walked over to them and squatted in front of Arthur, so he could pet the puppy just like Arthur was doing.
"How could he be in the box Merlin and no one took him?" Arthur asked
"No idea honey" Merlin agreed
"I am sorry for... making this decision without you" Merlin mumbled actually felling little bit guilty. This is something that should be discussed among the partners.
"Yeah, don't worry Merls" Arthur said quietly because the puppy was starting to fall a sleep on Arthur's lap. The puppy made a big adorable yawn and laid in the comfy ball.
Arthur and Merlin quietly laughed at that and kept gently petting the now sleeping puppy
"I am so fucked Merls" Arthur announced
"What do you mean?" Merlin asked while straightening up and sitting down on the sofa next to Arthur
"You and this puppy are gonna be the death of me because of your adorableness" Arthur said seriously and Merlin laughed, but tried not to be too loud because he didn't want to wake up the pup.
"Hopefully you will somehow survive" Merlin said and gave Arthur a quick peck on his cheek
"Puppy... Arthur we should come up with a name for him" Merlin realized
"You're right" Arthur nodded
"Any ideas?" he asked
"Ehm... Snoopy?" Merlin suggested almost seriously.
"You're lucky that I know you're joking" Arthur mumbled
"How about Monty? Arthur suggested
"Monty?" Merlin repeated
"Maybe not" Arthur said, changing his mind
"Hartley?" Arthur tried.
"Hartley... it sounds good" Merlin said.
The puppy slowly opened his eyes, clearly having enough of sleeping for now.
"How do you like Hartley, little one?" Merlin asked when he noticed that the puppy is not sleeping anymore.
The puppy started to enthusiastically barking
"I think he likes it" Merlin laughed and Arthur joined him
"Cool... hey Hartley, welcome to the family" Arthur said and helped Hartley down from the sofa because he was in the mood for another exploring
Once Arthur had his lap free, he pulled Merlin on it and kissed him
"I am glad you are happy about Hartley" Merlin mumbled
"I just have a thing for cuties, that's all" Arthur shrugged his shoulders and Merlin laughed.
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