"Arthur, you've taken on dragons and Questing Beasts and potential brides and God only knows what else. What's the problem with this?"
"It’s weird."
"So?"
"So I don't want to do it."
“Oh, come on.”
“You can’t make me.”
“Don’t be such a dollop-head.”
“Merlin, sometimes I think you forget who I am.”
“No, I don’t. You’re a prat. And a dollop-head.”
“You’re not making me want to do this any more, you know.”
Merlin put on his best pouting face. “You promised.”
Arthur looked distinctly nauseous. “Yes, well, I’m having second thoughts.”
“Look, it’s really quite simple. One arm here, the other goes there, and what do you know? It’s a hug!”
“It’s not the mechanics I’m having trouble with, it’s…” Arthur trailed off and waved his hand vaguely in Merlin’s direction. Merlin made a face.
“What, am I really that repulsive?” he asked.
“You are rather sweaty at the moment, yes.”
Merlin rolled his eyes. “Come on, one hug. Just to prove to Gwen that I did it.”
“Remind me again why you took this bet?”
“For pride. And such. I don’t actually remember, but she was goading me and one thing led to another and then we were betting on who could hug you first, so…”
“You are, the both of you, absolutely bizarre, do you know that?”
“Oh, shut-up and hug me.”
“Merlin…”
“Hug me.”
“Merlin, I…”
“Hug me hug me hug me hug me hug me –”
“Oh, for the love of –”
Strong hands fisted into Merlin’s tunic and tugged him close, and then Arthur’s arms were at his back and blond hair was tickling his face and they were hugging. Merlin froze for a second, hardly able to believe it, but then he slid his hands around Arthur and curled his fingers into the back of the prince’s red tunic and leaned into the embrace.
It was odd. Merlin had touched this tunic so many times before, had washed it and mended it and tossed it to Arthur from across the room when the prince was too lazy to grab it himself, but he had never before noticed how soft and warm the fabric was, nor how pleasant it smelled. He was hardly daring to breathe as it was, but when he did manage to inhale he caught a scent of clean laundry and something darker, something rougher, something… Arthur. It made him a little dizzy.
“Are you satisfied now?” Arthur grumbled, and this close Merlin could almost feel his voice.
“I think so,” he said, and then Arthur pulled away. Merlin thought he glimpsed an unfamiliar emotion in those blue eyes for just one second, but then they narrowed dangerously and Arthur was pointing a finger at him.
“No one hears of this,” he said, and then paused before adding, “except Gwen.”
Merlin nodded and smiled. Arthur huffed out an exasperated breath and turned away, running a hand through his hair.
“Thank you!” Merlin called after him, and only received a hand-wave in reply.
- - -
My essay is glaring at me from another tab right now but I simply could not resist this prompt. I'm calling it therapeutic. It was totally worth it.
Merlin -- Arthur/Merlin -- Just One Hug
"Arthur, you've taken on dragons and Questing Beasts and potential brides and God only knows what else. What's the problem with this?"
"It’s weird."
"So?"
"So I don't want to do it."
“Oh, come on.”
“You can’t make me.”
“Don’t be such a dollop-head.”
“Merlin, sometimes I think you forget who I am.”
“No, I don’t. You’re a prat. And a dollop-head.”
“You’re not making me want to do this any more, you know.”
Merlin put on his best pouting face. “You promised.”
Arthur looked distinctly nauseous. “Yes, well, I’m having second thoughts.”
“Look, it’s really quite simple. One arm here, the other goes there, and what do you know? It’s a hug!”
“It’s not the mechanics I’m having trouble with, it’s…” Arthur trailed off and waved his hand vaguely in Merlin’s direction. Merlin made a face.
“What, am I really that repulsive?” he asked.
“You are rather sweaty at the moment, yes.”
Merlin rolled his eyes. “Come on, one hug. Just to prove to Gwen that I did it.”
“Remind me again why you took this bet?”
“For pride. And such. I don’t actually remember, but she was goading me and one thing led to another and then we were betting on who could hug you first, so…”
“You are, the both of you, absolutely bizarre, do you know that?”
“Oh, shut-up and hug me.”
“Merlin…”
“Hug me.”
“Merlin, I…”
“Hug me hug me hug me hug me hug me –”
“Oh, for the love of –”
Strong hands fisted into Merlin’s tunic and tugged him close, and then Arthur’s arms were at his back and blond hair was tickling his face and they were hugging. Merlin froze for a second, hardly able to believe it, but then he slid his hands around Arthur and curled his fingers into the back of the prince’s red tunic and leaned into the embrace.
It was odd. Merlin had touched this tunic so many times before, had washed it and mended it and tossed it to Arthur from across the room when the prince was too lazy to grab it himself, but he had never before noticed how soft and warm the fabric was, nor how pleasant it smelled. He was hardly daring to breathe as it was, but when he did manage to inhale he caught a scent of clean laundry and something darker, something rougher, something… Arthur. It made him a little dizzy.
“Are you satisfied now?” Arthur grumbled, and this close Merlin could almost feel his voice.
“I think so,” he said, and then Arthur pulled away. Merlin thought he glimpsed an unfamiliar emotion in those blue eyes for just one second, but then they narrowed dangerously and Arthur was pointing a finger at him.
“No one hears of this,” he said, and then paused before adding, “except Gwen.”
Merlin nodded and smiled. Arthur huffed out an exasperated breath and turned away, running a hand through his hair.
“Thank you!” Merlin called after him, and only received a hand-wave in reply.
- - -
My essay is glaring at me from another tab right now but I simply could not resist this prompt. I'm calling it therapeutic. It was totally worth it.