Chapter 2 - Afterparty
Chapter 2 – Afterparty
“The dragon flew off and it seems likely he will never come back”, Arthur murmured, walking nervously in a circle in his room, “I don't understand why”
He stopped and looked at the ceiling, “Why the hell did it spare me and ran off?”
A knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts, “Come in”
Nothing happened, the door did not open.
“I said, come in!”, Arthur said almost yelling.
The door opened slowly and Merlin stepped hesitantly into the prince's room. For a brief moment both of them stood there in silence, trying not to look at each other.
“Erm”, Merlin broke the ice, “The dragon's gone”
“Oh”, Arthur said surprised, “yeah”. The second Merlin had entered his room Arthur's mind had lost all sense of reality and what just had happened. He could only think of one thing – the kiss, no two things, the kiss and Merlin.
He looked at the other boy and their eyes locked for a split second.
“About”, Arthur began, “you know”
Merlin did not look at him and fixed his shoes, as if he had never seen them before.
“Well, it never happened”
As he said that he got a surprised look of the other boy, “What? What did never happen?”
“The kiss!”, Arthur shouted and fondled embarrassed at his belt, “You idiot, what else is there to talk about?”
“Oh”, Merlin said and breathed out, “that”
“What else could it be?”, he said angrily.
“N... nothing worth talking about, of course”, Merlin stuttered, “So, what was this whole... kiss thing?”
Arthur was astonished, he had never expected Merlin to be this flat about this kind of matter. Of course, the prince was more than experienced in this field but he had hoped for at least some embarrassment from the other party. However Merlin seemed rather untouched by the fact he had been kissed and on top of that by another man.
“You don't care, do you?”, Arthur asked irritated,
“Well, should I?”, Merlin answered honestly.
This boy is hopeless, the prince thought and sat down on a chair, “And here I was fretting over nothing”
“So it was nothing?”
Arthur looked up and found a nervous Merlin standing right in front of him, “I mean, it didn't mean anything, because you're the Prince and I'm just a servant and what's more I'm a man and...”
“You did think about it”
“At least when I had the time to”, Merlin flashed his broad smile, that Arthur was so much in love with.
“I love your smile”, he muttered unconsciously and made Merlin blush from his left to his right ear.
“What?”, he asked nervously and took a step backwards.
Arthur stood, “Did I say that out loud?”
“Yes, you did”
“Didn't mean to”, Arthur said blushing and walked to the window, “Well, it's true anyway”
“What do you mean?”, Merlin asked hesitantly.
Arthur spun around and faced Merlin confidently, “I love you”
“Er, me too”, the black haired boy answered and grinned nervously, “We are friends, right?”
It was like a arrow right trough his heart, that broke it in two.
He looked at his friend, hurt and yet smiling, “Yes, we are friends, I suppose”
Merlin nodded, “If that's all, can I leave?”
“Yes, please do so”, Arthur did not mean to kick him out, but he needed him gone for at least some time, until his heart had recovered from the shock and he could stand side by side with him again.
“Good night”, Merlin whispered as he left and shut the door quietly.
Arthur walked to his bed, let himself fall down into the sheets and punched his fists into the pillows.
How could one be as stupid as his manservant. Friends had been great for some time, but now he wanted more than that. He needed more, even so he knew exactly he couldn't have it. It was frustrating for him, the prince of Camelot, defeated by love.
*
Merlin walked fast through the castle, almost running towards his own room. He did not even stop as Gwen called out for him. In his and Gaius' rooms he headed right to his bed and fell onto it and started crying. His sobbing must have been loud enough to get Gaius' attention who had walked into the room a moment after Merlin.
“What's wrong, Merlin?”, he asked carefully.
The boy did not answer.
“Tell me about it”, Gaius insisted and sat down at the edge of Merlin's bed, “is it about the dragon? No one blames you...”
“It's not about the stupid dragon”, Merlin shouted, “Who cares for that right now?”
Gaius watched him surprised, “Then what is it?”
“As if I could tell you”, Merlin cried and rubbed some of his tears with his bedsheets away.
“Well, I know you are a sorcerer, what else could there be, that is more difficult to tell someone?”
“Something, that's even more dangerous and will get me definitely hanged if Uther finds out about”
Gaius eyed him suspiciously, “You mean, like releasing the dragon?”
“No”, Merlin exclaimed, “It has nothing to do with the dragon. Well, in some way it has. The stupid dragon made it even more complicated”
“Why won't you tell me about it”, Gaius said softly.
“I can't”, Merlin sobbed, “It's impossible, I'm sorry”
Gaius sighed, “Alright, but you know. If you change your mind and need someone to talk I'm right here”
“Thanks”
*
When Gaius looked after Merlin later this night, the boy had stopped sobbing and was sound asleep. He must have cried himself to sleep, the physician thought and pulled Merlin's blanked over his shoulders. The old man watched the young boy sleeping for a moment.
As he was about to leave, he heard him whispering in his dreams and turned around to grip it, “Arthur...”
Gaius smiled, he was always thinking of the prince first.
“... love you...”, Merlin added almost not hear able.
Gaius' eyes widened, for a second he stood there frozen, then he faced the door of Merlin's room again and left, he must have misheard. Who knows what the boy was dreaming about, and he did not want to know.
*
He could not sleep. It was impossible for him right now. Therefore the proud prince of Camelot decided to have a walk in the middle of the night through the castle. Once he stood in the empty hallways, no candles lit, only the one in his hands giving a little light, he took a deep breath of the cold air that was hovering in the old building. Due to the dragon incident there were no guards at his door, they were all busy elsewhere. He was thankful for that for he did not want to be seen in the state he was in right now.
Arthur had made some steps without heading anywhere when he made up his mind and decided to drop by Gaius' chambers. He must had something that would help him getting to sleep and maybe he could catch a glimpse of Merlin's cute sleeping face. That was not a good idea.
As he knocked softly at the door, he was surprised to find the old man still awake, even though already dressed for the night.
“Sire?”, Gaius' looked at him astonished, “What do you need at that time of the night?”
“Sleeping drafts, of course”, he said briskly and walked in.
“Wait a moment”
“Can I ask you, why are you still awake?”, Arthur set down on a stool at the table, which was covered in opened books.
“Well, Merlin had some trouble sleeping too and I was looking after him and wanted to wait until he fell asleep”
Arthur looked at the old man in surprise, “He couldn't sleep?”
“Yes, sire. Something must have happened. When he came back he was all tears”, Gaius gave him a small ampule.
“He was crying?”, Arthur did not take it and stood up.
“Yes, but he wouldn't tell me why”
Arthur spun around, watching the door that led to Merlin's room. Then he took the sleeping draft from Gaius and took it in one gulp down.
“Wait, Sire. You shouldn't take it here. It's really fast working and you”
“I'll sleep in Merlin's room”
Gaius wanted to interfere, but let it go, as the blond boy was already inside Merlin's room and about to close the door.
“Good night, Gaius”, Arthur said and shut the door.
“Good night, Sire”, Gaius sighed and sat down on his bed, “What a strange day”
