Always Maybe

The Lunchroom

Arthur didn't talk to Merlin on Monday at school. Merlin came in with a smile on his face and a blush painting his cheeks, eager to show Gwaine and Lance that he had finally won his prize, but when he got to his locker, Arthur wasn't there. When he went to his classes with Arthur, Arthur sat with his other friends and glared at Merlin occasionally like he was loser. By the time lunch rolled around, Merlin wanted to cry. He wondered why Arthur had led him on to just turn him off? Why would someone do that to someone else they supposedly liked?

"You look down, Merlin," Gwaine observed as they sat down in the cafeteria. 

Merlin shrugged and looked down at his food. He'd hardly gotten anything to eat. 

"What's wrong, mate?" Lance asked as he nudged Merlin's shoulder. 

"Arthur," Merlin sighed. "We hung out this weekend and now he's avoiding me."

Lance and Gwaine raised their eyebrows at each other and smiled.

"What did you do during this hang out?" Lance asked.

"Did you snog him?" Gwaine asked eagerly. Lance glared at him, but Gwaine was feeling untouchable.

"A bit," Merlin admitted.

Gwaine high-fived him.

"And he's ignoring you?" Lance asked.

Merlin nodded.

Just then, Arthur Pendragon strutted across the cafeteria with Gwen at his side. This pissed Merlin off, but he wasn't about to do anything about it. He didn't want to make a scene. 

"Go talk to him," Lancelot suggested.

Merlin's eyes widened.

"Are you serious?" he asked.

Lancelot nodded, and Gwaine smiled in approval. Merlin rolled up his sleeves and walked over to Arthur, feeling like he was on top of the world. Arthur and his posse stopped walking to stare at Merlin and wonder why he was coming. 

"Hey, Arthur? Are you ignoring me?" Merlin asked.

Arthur looked taken aback.

"Can I talk to you later?" he asked.

Merlin looked back to his friends and shook his head. "No," he said, "I want to talk right now."

"There's nothing to talk about," Arthur hissed.

Merlin threw his hands on his hips. "Oh, really? Do I embarrass you or something? Are you too afraid to tell your mates what happened this weekend?"

Arthur's cheeks reddened, and Gwen looked suspiciously between the two boys. Half the cafeteria was listening at this point.

"Merlin, I said we'll talk later," Arthur said through gritted teeth.

"Whatever. You know what this means? This means that everything you said was a lie. That everything that happened was made up so you could get off. I hate you, Arthur Pendragon. And I'm not someone you want as your enemy."

Merlin started to storm off, but then Arthur grabbed his wrist before he could get very far.

"Merlin," he begged, "please. Not here."

"I knew you didn't like me. I knew it was just a hoax," Merlin snapped. 

He tried to get out of Arthur's grasp but he was too strong.

"You want me to prove it to you? Prove that I like you?" Arthur asked quickly.

He kissed Merlin roughly on the lips and the whole cafeteria gasped in horror, shock, and admiration.

"There. I did it. Are you happy?"

But Merlin could hardly hear him over the cries of Gwen as she ran out of the cafeteria bawling her eyes out. Arthur gave Merlin one last glare before he sprinted after her.