Behind Closed Doors (Merthur AU)

Chapter 15

Once Arthur had gotten back to his place, he immediately made phone calls to check all of his reservations and looked through his bank accounts making sure everything was tallied and accounted for. After all that was finished, he grabbed himself a small suitcase and started to pack his clothes and other necessities for the weekend. Merlin, on the other hand, didn't really know what he needed to pack. He didn't know what Arthur had in mind and that worried him slightly. He didn't want to be under or overdressed for anything.

He packed a few pairs of underwear and a few different kinds of outfits. He ended up packing Arthur's hoodie as well, in case he got a bit cold. Merlin was excited, he could feel the bubbles of excitement in his stomach as his mind wandered to the weekend. A whole weekend with his boyfriend sounded like a dream come l set the bag aside for tomorrow and he stripped out of his jeans, staying in Arthur's long sleeve so he could sleep. He climbed into bed and plugged his phone in, scrolling aimlessly until he could find himself to fall asleep.

Arthur made sure everything was in order before he started his own nightly routine. He headed back to his room and got in bed, finding sleep fairly quickly. He dreamed of the weekend and woke up the next morning in high spirits. He let himself sleep in, knowing he needed the rest for the long drive after work. When his alarm went off, he quickly got ready in some casual clothes and made himself some breakfast.

He packed up his car for the weekend, planning to leave as soon as he could after the school day. He made sure he had a full tank of gas before he went off to the school. Merlin woke up and just dressed in comfortable attire for the day, jeans and a T-shirt. He let his packed bag in the living room, so when Arthur picked him up he'd have it ready already. He walked to school and let the day start like any other day.

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The day passed by quickly for the two lovebirds and Arthur texted Merlin to remind him that he would be at his house in about fifteen minutes. Merlin made his way home immediately after school and saw Arthur's text. He smiled and responded about how excited he was, grabbing his stuff from inside the living room and moving to sit on the porch instead. Arthur cleaned up his classroom and made sure everything was in order before locking up and walking out to his car. He saw the text from Merlin and he smiled, but didn't respond.

Arthur quickly left and drove off to Merlin's place smiling as he saw him sitting on his porch steps. The reality of the weekend finally set in and Arthur was ecstatic that he was able to make it happen. He made sure the car wasn't turned off or locked as he stepped out of the car with his sunglasses on, walking over to Merlin.

"Ready?" He asked him as he grabbed Merlin's bag and gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead.

Merlin was quick to nod. "I am. Beyond ready actually." He laughed a bit and took Arthur's free hand, walking to the car.

Arthur opened the car door for Merlin and put his stuff into the back seat. He closed Merlin's door for him and got in on the driver's side. "It's gonna be a couple of hours. If you feel tired, just get some sleep." He grabbed his hand and kissed the back of it gently.

Merlin nodded as they started the drive. "Okay, are you going to be alright driving that long?" He leaned back in the seat, getting himself comfortable. He looked over to Arthur, watching him with a smile plastered on his lips. The weekend hadn't even really started and he already knew it was going to be a great one.

"It's only three hours. Don't worry, love." Arthur let the music play quietly in the car.

Merlin tried his best to keep Arthur occupied, but about halfway into the drive, Merlin felt his eyes grow heavy with sleep. Merlin fell asleep against the chair and snored softly, his head dropping to rest against Arthur's arm. As they went over a small bump, it woke Merlin up from his hour long nap and he blinked over at Arthur. He rubbed his eyes and stretched, yawning.