camelot_drabble

Author: archaeologist_d
Title: Mischief - part 12 - magic, smagic
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Morgana
Summary: Arthur isn’t exactly happy that he might lose his cat.
Word Count: 505
Camelot_drabble Prompt 481: Change my mind
Author's Notes: unbetaed, more adventures with Merlin the cat.
Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.

Two chapters were posted on AO3 since the last Camelot drabbles posts about this story so here are the links. You should read them before reading this one. https://archiveofourown.org/works/34749160/chapters/87217126 - Chapter 10: Acceptance, maybe

https://archiveofourown.org/works/34749160/chapters/87352276 - Chapter 11: Arthur's annoying sister

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Arthur didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t wrap his head around the idea that his tiny, adorable, annoying cat was a man. Even if he accepted that magic was a thing and, fuck wasn’t that messing with his head big time, that Merlin was actually human and trapped inside a kitten, it was just too much.

Grabbing the whiskey and pouring himself another big one, he gulped at it as Morgana said, “That complicates things.”

As if he didn’t already know that. Taking another gulp, he glanced down at Merlin who was sitting there staring up at him with those meltingly cute eyes. The alcohol kicking in, Arthur said, “Yeah, complicated. But… fuck that. I don’t want to know what things are getting complicated. I get that my cat can type, that he can float things in the air. I don’t want to believe it, but I will because I saw it with my own eyes.” He sat back down at the table, blinking at his empty glass but before he could pour more into it, Morgana reached over and pulled the whiskey out of reach. Damn her. “But he’s… my cat. I don’t want to lose him. What if…?”

Merlin hopped over, jumping into Arthur’s lap, and rubbed his face against Arthur’s chin. Looking down into that precious face, Arthur said, “You are the first thing that ever was entirely my own. That you loved me even when I forgot to feed you.”

Pulling back, Merlin growled a little. Arthur scowled at him, pointing one finger at Merlin, then bopping him on the nose. “It was that one time, and I gave you double to make up for it so don’t give me that.”

There was grumbling in there somewhere, almost as if Merlin were arguing with him again, but the cat stopped when Arthur began petting Merlin again. “I never forgot again so forgive me if I don’t feel all that guilty about it.”

Truth was that Arthur always felt guilty afterwards and now Merlin got only the best treats.

Rolling her eyes, Morgana said, “We can talk about Merlin’s meal schedule later.” She slid into the chair, then leaning back a little, crossing her arms across her chest as if annoyed with him, and said, “You are ignoring the issues at hand. It’s not that Merlin doesn’t deserve to be changed back but how to do it.”

“I don’t know. How would I know any of this? You’re the witch in the family. I just have a mangy cat insisting that he’s a man. And if he turns back,” Arthur stopped when Merlin hissed at him, his gleaming eyes narrowed as if Arthur had just threatened to murder him, then said, “Okay, okay, when he turns back, he won’t want to stay with me. Me, the stuffy boring old accountant. I’ll… be in a flat full of abandoned cat toys.”

Morgana’s face softened. “I’m sure he’ll come to visit you, won’t you, Merlin?”

Rubbing his whiskered face into Arthur’s neck, Merlin purred.