Modern Merlin & Arthur

Chapter 4

"Really?" Arthur gasped.
"Yeah, why?" Merlin looked up at Arthur, sprawled out on the couch.
"I still haven't gotten a call!"
"You are very persistent to leave, aren't you?" Merlin knocked the plate off the couch, and it landed on the floor with a clatter, making Arthur jump.
"I'm sorry, I just want to know if they can fix my heating. It is the middle of November, it is very cold in my flat."
"No, it's fine. Maybe if they can't fix it-" Merlin started.
"They can fix it...I think." Arthur interrupted, looking a bit worried. Merlin laughed as he picked up the plate, walking back to the kitchen. He set the dirty dish at the bar in the small area.
"Why are you laughing?" Arthur scowled.
"Because, you're so worried about your heating, it's quite funny. No, it's not funny. It's hilarious."
"Merlin, this is no laughing matter."
"Sorry, sorry. So, uh, how was breakfast?" Merlin changed the subject, turning over the thought of Arthur staying in his flat for the holidays in his mind. He didn't think it was such a bad idea.
"It was excellent! I can't cook more than uh, something from a can. At the most, I can make...casserole." Arthur admitted, furrowing his eyebrows at the fact that he could barely make toast, why was he telling him he could cook casserole.
"Oh, thank you. When I was younger, my mum got very ill, and I had to do a whole lot for her."
"Speaking of which, how old are you?" Arthur lifted his toes from underneath the borrowed sweatpants hem.
"Well, I'm only twenty-five. I just got out of college a year and a half ago, from Camelot Community College. I was also taking a whole lot of online courses, which now that I realize I didn't exactly need. Like physical education and Sex-Ed. How about you?" Merlin blushed, noticing he didn't have to tell Arthur about all that stuff.
"Twenty-six." he said with a smirk, crossing his arms around his torso.
"That's good, I suppose. Are you seeing anyone right now?" Merlin blurted out.
"Um, no, not really."
"Oh shit! Sorry, I just-sometimes my mind is just-ugh!" Merlin closed his eyes, and smacked his forehead with his palm, muttering under his breath.
"No, sorry, it's fine. I actually was wondering the same thing." Arthur concluded, reaching out his arms to...stop him, he supposed. He put his hand on Merlin's shoulder, making him relax a little. Merlin smiled.
"No, I'm not. I suppose you were just wondering, huh. No suggestive comments?" Merlin raised an eyebrow and cocked his head.
"Well, I don't really have any innuendos planned for this situation. So, about that...areyouactuallystraight?"
"Sorry, what?"
"Are you actually straight?" Arthur pursed his lips, waiting for a response. Merlin laughed loudly, causing Arthur to look extremely surprised, and took his hand off his shoulder.
"Did I give you the impression that I liked girls? I-I swooned over Draco while we were watching the movie! I can't b-believe it!" he said through laughter.
"I was going to say something about the looks you gave the Telly whenever he showed up."
"Oh my god, Arthur." Merlin unconsciously ran a hand through his hair.
"If it makes any difference, I'm not straight either. I did show up to your flat without pants."
"Of course! Did you want to give your flat a ring? Maybe, see if they'll be done?"
"Now you're as eager for me to leave as I was."
"Sorry! A minute ago you wanted to leave."
"Uh, sure. If it's no bother." Merlin got the phone from its receiver and put it in Arthur's outstretched hand.
"Thank you." he said as he punched in the seven-digit number. He held it to his ear as he waited for someone to pick up. After the fifth ring, the answering machine picked up. Arthur hung up, hiding his happiness.
"Dammit." Arthur smiled, handing the phone back to Merlin, who put it back.
"No answer then? Well, do you have to go to work?" Merlin asked.
"No, I'm off today. Speaking of which, where do you work?"
"Oh, I work down at the outlet mall service desk. I have to file reports and answer customer calls and such. The pay is good, except the work is grueling and tedious." Merlin leaned against the kitchen counter coolly as he spoke.
"Ah. I work at the courthouse actually." Arthur laughed, crossing his arms around his chest.
"Are you going to sue my ass for lending you the wrong color sweatpants or is that color sufficient?" Merlin joked, becoming more comfortable with Arthur every second he spent with him.
"This color will suffice, I suppose. But no, I'm a lawyer so I don't work at the courthouse, I work for individuals who go to the cou-"
"Yes. I understand what a lawyer is." Merlin cut through his words, grinning.
"Did you just interrupt me? I can sue you for that!"
"Oh really? Would you be that much of a, uh...a clot-pole?"
"What did you call me?" Arthur faked a serious look, the corners of his lips turning up in a smirk.
"A clot-pole. You're also a dollop-head." Merlin began thinking of names to call Arthur.
"Define dollop head." he said with a smile up to his ears.
"Two words?"
"Yeah. Whatever it takes."
"Arthur Pendragon."
"Oh, really?"
"Really-" Merlin couldn't do anything, for Arthur held him in a headlock, rubbing the top of his head with a knuckle.
"No! Stop! I take it back!" Merlin shouted, pushing against Arthur's chest.
"Do you?" Arthur pulled his head closer to his body.
"Yes! Sincerely!" Arthur let go of Merlin, who brushed down the hair Arthur had mussed up. He scowled at him, flattening his fringe.
"I don't really take it back." Merlin said smugly.
"You...clot-pole." Arthur cocked his head as he shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Hey, that's my line."
"I already filed a copyright form for the word. It's mine, sorry."
"You managed to do that in the tens seconds?"
"I can do many things in ten seconds." Arthur made a crude gesture, making Merlin blush bright pink.
"Uhm, I'd like to see you try." Merlin said, squinting his eyes as if he didn't believe him.
"Are you coming on to me already?"
"You were the one who did the," he made the gesture Arthur had, "thing!"
"Yeah, that's because I was flirting with you!" Merlin noticed Arthur's cheeks redden slightly.
"Jesus, Arthur. If you wanted to flirt with me you could have just done this." Merlin leaned forward and pressed his lips to Arthur's.
"Oh, um, sorry. I just-you sort of...affect my brain. In the good way, I mean. It was just-" Merlin stuttered when they drew apart.
"No, it was...perfectly okay." Arthur had a dazed look in his eyes as he spoke, and paid close attention to Merlin's mouth when he talked.
"I kind of had like a déjà vu moment. As if we had done that before?" Merlin thought aloud.
"Yeah, me too. A little bit."
"But we've never...have we? Was I drunk? Dammit, I was probably drunk."
"What? I don't believe we have ever kissed." Arthur said, blinking his eyes like he was trying to wake up from a dream.
"No, my friend Will, he said I had sex with a bloke from the building while I was drunk. I don't know if I believe him though, but..." Merlin trailed off his sentence in thought.
"Uh, we haven't. I don't drink. I haven't drank alcohol in the past...three years. I hate it in fact."
"Okay. Good. Well, I didn't mean that it was good in the way that I haven't had sex with you, I mean-oh god, I don't know." Merlin rolled his eyes.
"Do you have a bathroom I can use?" Arthur wanted a break from the conversation, just to get his thoughts together.
"Uh, yeah. It's right there." Merlin pointed past the kitchen and to an ajar door. Arthur thanked him, and stalked to it, closing the door behind him. He looked in the mirror and sighed.
"Fuck me. Fuck my incompetence with flirting." Arthur muttered under his breath as he washed his hands on impulse. He rubbed his face with his wet hands in attempt to stop blushing.
"He's hot, why am I complaining? I got him to kiss me. Well, he put his lips on mine. I don't really know what specifies what a kiss is. Maybe with tongue? Dammit, I don't know. But, at least he isn't not attracted to me. I don't know why he would be. For fucks sake, I wear Star Trek socks. But we have known each other for maybe six hours? Kinda shifty. Well, not really. He kissed me. I'd rather just sit on the couch together and run my fingers through his hair. No, maybe I'd rather kiss him. No, I don't know." Arthur had a tendency to talk to himself when he's alone, which he was doing now.