I Am Legal || Merlin

one

third person - merlin

Merlin didn't mind hunting. Sure, he wasn't the biggest fan, but he understood it had to be done. Arthur always said Merlin made a lot of noise and fell over on purpose just to scare the animals away. Merlin was just too clumsy for his own good.

"God, Merlin, there goes another pheasant. At this rate we'll return with only two rabbits," Arthur said, shaking the two dead rabbits slightly. Merlin just made a face. It wasn't his fault he was carrying enough equipment for three men when only one man was using them.

"What do you have against hunting, anyway?" Arthur tiptoed through the forest, the sky becoming darker with every passing minute.

"Nothing, you know that," Merlin insisted. He glanced around with a frown. "Shouldn't we be heading back? It'll be completely dark in less than two hours."

"Soon." Arthur crouched down low, his weapon at the ready. He beckoned Merlin closer. "Just need to get some more animals."

A little over an hour later, Arthur was satisfied with his catchings, and Merlin was satisfied to stop crouching.

They made it back to the clearing where they had tied up their horses. Normally, they wouldn't bring horses onto a hunting trip but Arthur said he, deep down, felt "success coming from somewhere and hunting was the only thing left to do. Horses are a necessity!"

Of course, Arthur was close to wrong. While he had managed to find an adequate, some would say successful, amount of meat, he failed to time the departure correctly.

Merlin grumbled as he collected firewood. Of course, he thought, of course Arthur wouldn't listen.

Merlin shook his head when he reentered camp. Arthur was sat on a log, his bedroll still tucked away. He was munching on an apple.

A fond smile spread across Merlin's face as he took a second to look over the prince. The light was fading quick, but Merlin could still see how perfect Arthur was. From his hair to his eyes to his legs. There wasn't a flaw about how Arthur looked.

Deciding to end his ogling session, Merlin walked into the clearing, stumbling over a root. Arthur laughed as some of the wood tumbled from Merlin's arm.

"I'd say you have two left feet, Merlin, but even that seems too good for you."

Merlin just rolled his eyes before starting a fire. He then laid out Arthur's bedroll, putting it right next to his own. When tending to the horses was done, Merlin grabbed himself a small snack, which was acting as his dinner, and sat next to Arthur.

"Told you we should have left sooner."

"Yeah, yeah."

"I mean, if only you listened. Then we wouldn't be sleeping outside."

"God, Merlin, you're such a girl!" Merlin huffed a laugh before staring at the fire. He liked the crackling noise and the warm glow it casted over Arthur's face.

Now, with Arthur on his mind, Merlin looked over to him. He was staring into the fire while twirling the apple core between his fingers. The fire illuminated Arthur's face. Just from staring at Arthur, Merlin could see how the flames shifted in the wind.

There was something so appealing about Arthur to Merlin. He didn't know what it was. A part of him feared it was just Arthur as a whole. He feared that maybe Arthur was so appealing because Merlin liked him. Maybe Merlin liked Arthur how he had liked a young brunette, Freya, all those years ago.

But Merlin couldn't. There was no way Merlin had feelings for that royal arse. Absolutely no way.

"Why are you staring at me?" Arthur asked, his attention now on Merlin.

"Oh, I- uh- I wasn't," Merlin stammered, looking away. "Just lost in thought."

"Okay, about what?" Arthur turned so his whole body was facing Merlin, log between his legs.

Merlin's head snapped up, his eyes locking with Arthur's. "About?" He questioned. Arthur just raised an eyebrow.

Pull it together, Merlin shouted at himself. There was no need to get so weird.

"You're acting strange, and that's saying something. Just tell me what was on your mind."

"I can't."

"Oh, come on! Now you've got me curious. You have to tell," Arthur pushed. He looked so curious and excited like Merlin was going to tell him some life changing or embarrassing story.

"I-," Merlin stopped. He couldn't tell Arthur what he was thinking. He'd be executed for breaking the law.

Homosexuality was illegal. Anyone caught practicing homosexuality was burned, beheaded, or drowned. Merlin didn't want that. He especially didn't want Arthur to be the one to turn him in.

Or kill him.

Shaking his head, Merlin pushed that thought away. Arthur was his friend. His friend. Nothing more.

"-can't say." He once again made eye contact with Arthur, seeing some sort of disappointment there. He and Arthur just stared at each other. Neither made an effort to break the contact.

Merlin almost did. He felt like he was being picked apart piece by piece by Arthur. The way the prince just stared, not moving. It made Merlin feel fidgety which he showed by twisting his thumbs round and toeing his boots into the ground.

Arthur broke the eye contact to glance at Merlin's hands and feet. He looked back up with a slight raise of a brow. "Can I...," he trailed off, his voice soft and inviting.

"Sure," Merlin replied, not understanding what Arthur was implying. For all he knew, Arthur was about to throw him in the fire.

Merlin almost reeled back when Arthur brought his hand up to cup his jaw, Arthur's other resting on his knee. Calming himself, he watched as Arthur leaned in, slowly closing the gap between them.

Merlin's eyes slipped shut. He let out a breath through his nose and turned his head slightly. It all felt so right. Arthur's hands on his body and lips on his.

The kiss was soft, gentle, and didn't last too long. They pulled apart just slightly, lips still grazing. Merlin let his eyes flutter open to see Arthur's still closed, a blissful look on his face. He closed his eyes again as they leaned in for another quick peck, a quiet calm surrounding them.

Then, all the sudden, Arthur stood up looking dejected. He glanced down at Merlin and shoved past him to get to his bedroll. Merlin watched as Arthur moved his bedroll to the other side of the fire and away from his own.

"Arthur-."

"Goodnight, Merlin."

There was no movement for a few minutes. Arthur laying on his bedroll facing away from the camp. Merlin staring at Arthur's back, a dumbstruck expression on his face.

Merlin eventually came to his senses and pushed himself up. He went to his bedroll with a frown and tried to make sense of what just happened.

Was that a one-time thing?

More importantly,

was Arthur going to tell?