Do you believe me now?

[lionandraven.livejournal.com]

Author: lionandraven
Title: Do you believe me now?
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Arthur/Merlin
Character/s: Artrhur Pendragaon, Merlin Emrys.
Summary: Arthur gets drunk and tells Merlin that he loves him.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 1063 words
Prompt: Overindulgence

“You are so pretty, Merlin. Have I ever told you that?” Arthur said as he reached out and caressed his friend’s cheek.

Merlin blushed and tried to step away from him. They were at the pub for their Friday night get together with their friends and Arthur had ended up getting seriously drunk. Merlin had never seen him like this.

“Awww…look at you blushing so prettily. Come here. Let me kiss you,” Arthur said as he grabbed Merlin and proceeded to pepper his face with kisses.

Merlin was torn between enjoying the kind of attention that he had been craving for months and feeling miserable that this was only happening because Arthur was drunk and he clearly had no idea what he was doing.

“Arthur...Arthur, stop! You’re drunk.” Merlin said as he pushed Arthur away from him.

“Why d’you push me away? I love you,” Arthur said and Merlin wanted to cry.

This was really too cruel. He’d been in love with Arthur for months, pretty much ever since they’d met and he’d never once seen any kind of interest on Arthur’s part. Arthur had been dating Mithian back then and Merlin had assumed that his friend was straight. He’d only recently discovered that Arthur was bisexual.

Arthur pulled him close and kissed him again, on the mouth this time. Merlin let himself indulge for a few seconds and then he stepped way. It took all of his will power, but he did it. Arthur whined and reached for him again, but Merlin stopped him. Arthur had no idea what he was doing and Merlin was not going to take advantage of that.

“Let’s get you home, Arthur. You’re drunk,” Merlin said as he put his arm around his friend and marched him out of the pub.

He got him into the car while gently fighting off his kisses and he somehow got him home. He unlocked the door and took Arthur to his bedroom. He took off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt. He struggled to get Arthur's hands out of his shirt while his friend tried to kiss his way up his arm. Somehow, he got Arthur to lie down. Then he took off his shoes and socks and his jeans, all the while trying to look anywhere but at the gorgeous man sprawled all over the bed.

Arthur was ridiculously beautiful. He had the kind of beauty that made people stop and stare and the man had no idea. He looked so enticing just then, lying in bed, in his underclothes, his hair all rumpled…He was staring at Merlin with a look of adoration on his face. It was all Merlin could do to keep himself from climbing into the bed and wrapping himself around Arthur. He cursed under his breath and pulled the covers over his friend…my friend. That’s all he is, he told himself firmly.

“I love you,” Arthur said again. “Why won’t you believe me?” He sounded so plaintive. It was adorable. And all sorts of painful.

Merlin wanted to throw something. He closed his eyes. He sighed. “Tell me again in the morning and I’ll believe you” he said. “I need you to sleep now, okay?”

Arthur grumbled, but he settled down to sleep. Merlin kissed him on his forehead and said, “Good night. And…uh…I love you too.” He couldn’t hold the words in any longer. Besides, he was sure that Arthur wouldn’t remember any of this in the morning, so it probably didn’t matter anyway.

He stayed for a minute, watching Arthur as he fell asleep and then he got up and went into his bedroom. He changed and got into bed, but sleep didn’t come for a good long time.

…

It was bright outside when he finally woke up. Merlin got up and stretched…and then he remembered everything that had happened the previous night and he felt like he’d just been stabbed. He wanted to go back to bed and hide under the covers. He closed his eyes and he could see the way Arthur had looked at him the previous night. He could remember every tiny detail and it was killing him.

He didn’t know how long he’d sat there holding his head in his hands. He might have stayed there like that all day, but Arthur didn’t give him that choice. He knocked on the door and said, “Merlin? Are you up? It’d let you sleep, but it is nearly 11:00.”

Merlin’s heart sank. It was just as he’d expected. Arthur didn’t remember anything.

“I...ah…I just woke up. I’m going to go take a shower.”

“Fine. But make it quick. The coffee is on and I’m making breakfast.”

“Yeah. Okay.”  

Oh dear God! Could this get any worse? Arthur was making breakfast and he would probably be all sweet and charming and utterly oblivious to Merlin’s feelings as always. I should be used to it by now, Merlin thought. But he wasn’t. And after the way he held me and kissed me last night…he told me that he loves me! I know the prat was drunk, but why would he say that of all things?

Merlin sighed and walked into his bathroom. He brushed his teeth and he showered, all in a daze. He got dressed and then he forced himself to step out of his room and go face his friend.

He walked into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. Then he joined Arthur at the dining table. He served himself the scrambled eggs and the toast and he ate in silence, trying his best not to look at the gorgeous prat in front of him.

"Are you properly awake now?" Arthur said when Merlin finally finished his breakfast and looked up.

"Yeah. Why?"

Arthur didn't reply. He stared at Merlin for a couple of minutes and then he got up and came over to the other side of the table. He cupped Merlin’s cheek and he leaned forward a bit and then he kissed him. It was a gentle kiss, just a touch of lips really, and it made Merlin feel like he was soaring. His heart was thudding and hard as he tried, he couldn't get a single word out of his mouth.

"I love you. I am wide awake and I'm sober and I'm telling you again. I love you. Do you believe me now?"