Merlin×Arthur One Shot

History or Just a Story?

"Now Arthur," Merlin said in a calm, even voice. "I told you that no good would come to you reading that book." 

Arthur stood up from the dining room table abruptly, causing the wooden chair he was sitting on to fall to the floor with a loud bang. "Just calm down, Arthur."

"what do you mean calm down, merlin? This," Arthur yelled as he jabbed an accusing finger at the book laying on the table in front of him. "Is nothing like what really happened! How dare they? Who do they think they are? Taking our history, our lives and warping the information so it fits what they want it to be. How dare they speak of Gwenevere like that. This is just some, some story."

"Arthur," Merlin premated him, "Don't say that, you know that Camelot, you, me, Gwen, the knights are not just some fairytale."

"Of course I know that, Merlin." Arthur scoffed. "But that is exactly what people think we are, a fairytale written to tale to children when going to bed at night." Arthur yelled, then he added so quietly that merlin almost didn't hear it, "Nobody believes that any of this really happened." 

Arthur was still standing with his finger pointed at the book, his chest was Heaving as if he had just ran a marathon. His face contorted in anger. Merlin didn't blame him, most of the retellings of their lives were highly offensive. Especially when they spoke of Gwen. 

"Arthur," Merlin said calmly as he took a step toward his king. "This story," He began placing his hand on the book. His eyebrows were furrowed as if he was having difficulty explaining something. "This story is humanity's way of remembering."

Merlin looked up at Arthur when he heard the scoff, Arthur wasn't getting it. "I'm not doing a very good job at explaining..." Merlin admitted cuffing the back of his neck with one hand as the other still rested on the leather cover of the book.

"Stories are just memories that have been forgotten. " He searched Arthur's eyes trying to see if he was getting his point across to the stubborn man.

Arthur's face relaxed into a partly deflated partly relieved face. "Yeah?" He asked.

Merlin nodded in reassurance. "Yeah."

The smile that broke out across the king's face was contagious. Merlin couldn't help but grin back. On a wim, Merlin decided to divulge and give into his urge to envelope Arthur into a hug. An urge that had been biting at him ever since they had desperately embraced each other at the lake the night Arthur returned.

For a moment Arthur froze and didn't return the hug. Merlin's mind had a fraction of a second to panic, what if Arthur didn't reciprocate his feelings? Not that he was sure himself what his feelings were. Right before Merlin was about to pull back and make up some lame excuse for his actions he felt Arthur's strong arms wrap around his slim back, hugging him back in a way that was somehow both strong and gentle.

After a long, comfortable silence were Arthur and Merlin just held each other, reveling in the fact that they were both happy, safe, alive and together, Arthur asked with a bewildered shake of his head and a small chuckle. "How did you become so wise?" he pulled back enough to look into the warlock's face, but his hand slid down and remained gripping his forearms.

Merlin gave a nonchalant shrug and answered cheekily "I've done a lot of reading."

Arthur laughed "not to mention you've had a lot of practice as well?"

Merlin grinned and shrugged again "I suppose one could say that." They stood there smiling for a moment while they gripped each other's arms until Arthur cleared his throat awkwardly and they both released their grips and took a step back.

They both avoided eye contact as they stood in the awkward silence. Merlin's mind was reeling, what was wrong with him? Why did he feel so empty without Arthur's touch on him and why did he suddenly have the urge to kiss the living daylights out of his best friend?

"Well I think I'm going to go to bed now." Arthur said without looking at Merlin. He turned to go to the room he was sleeping in before Merlin could offer a reply.

"yeah , bed." Merlin agreed in a mumble as Arthur closed the bedroom door. HIS bedroom door. He thought begrudgingly as he walked over to the couch where he had been sleeping for the last month. "We can't have his royal pratniss sleeping on the sofa now can we?" he asked the cat laying at his feet as he settled down into the too soft cushions and drifted off to sleep.  

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Thanks for reading :) 

I know I just posted a story, but I have finals next week :( So obviously the mature adult college student thing to do was to write a fanfiction one shot in order to put off studying right? right? Oh well, I still have all weekend. Wish me luck!  

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Ps. Let me know if you see any mistakes so I can fix them :)