nonstop (merthur AU)

twenty five

'arthurrrrrrrrrr!' merlin called with arms outstretched

arthur raised his eyebrows slightly and shut the door behind him, closing out the background noise the hallways provided

merlin frowned as arthur ignored his arms and sat down on the side of the bed

'i don't get it!' merlin complained loudly

'what don't you get?' arthur asked, straightening the bed cover instinctively

'one day you call me love and hold my hand but then the next your just plainly smiling and minding your own damn business!' he huffed

arthur almost choked, he hadn't even had time to say a proper hello yet

'you even kissed me arthur! and i don't know why because we act like it never fucking happened and im sick of it!'

a lightbulb finally flicked on in arthurs head

'pain meds' he blurted out

'what?' merlin said, an exaggerated confused expression on his face

'did they just finish some tests?' arthur asked, motioning to the hall where the nurses are

the smaller boy nodded, still frowning

'shouldn't we talk about this when you're fully yourself?' arthur smiled gently

'i am myself!'

'merlin, you are so zazzed right now it's not even funny'

little did arthur know, merlin knew exactly what to do to get what he wanted

'but' merlin sniffed, quietly 'i want to talk about it now'

arthur sighed and moved closer to merlin, one arm going up to push his black hair from his forehead

'i really like you, arthur' merlin said hesitantly 'and it's taken me so long to admit it to myself'

arthur looked at the boy directly in the eyes and felt the biggest rush of butterflies he thought was possible

'i am gay' merlin breathed 'i think i've always known, but you, you helped me fully realise it'

arthur noticed merlins hands were shaking

arthur could do nothing but smile, at the beginning of the month he knew almost nothing about the shy, black haired boy. merlin was just another pretty face he saw at school

it has taken him so long to even get merlin to call him his friend, and now here he was telling him (what arthur seemed to think was) the hardest thing to admit to anyone.

'can you please... say something' merlin asked, chewing his lip nervously

'the pain medication seems to have worn off'

'oh'

arthur turned slightly around so he was fully facing the boy he cared for so much

'merlin emyrs ambrosius-'

'how the fuck did you find out what my middle name is?' merlin asked, pushing the older boy playfully

'shut up, im trying to be romantic!' arthur laughed and then composed himself 'merlin emyrs ambrosius, i really like you too'

'you make everything so quiet in my head'

'oh'

'i love the quiet'

merlin smiled shyly as arthur smiled with his entire face

'i really want to kiss you right now' arthur said and merlin rolled his eyes

'then do it you fuc-'

he was interrupted, yet again, by arthurs soft lips colliding with his own. this time for more than a split second

when they finally broke apart, merlin was the first to speak up

'okay, but you really need to let me finish my sentences before you kiss me'