ext_162038 (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
ekishou.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
camelot_drabble2013-09-23 10:34 pm
ekishou.livejournal.com) wrote in camelot_drabble2013-09-23 10:34 pm
Entry tags:
Something About You
Author: ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ekishou
Title: Something About You
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Arthur/Merlin
Character/s: Arthur, Merlin
Summary: There's a reason Arthur goes to the Camelot Coffee located across the street from St. Mary's hospital, and it's not the quality of the coffee or the service.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 861
Prompt: Nervous
Author's Notes:
It seems rather appropriate that this week's prompt is "nervous", since that's exactly how I feel about writing and posting something in the Merlin fandom for the first time. I've written a companion piece from Merlin's POV, but it's not quite ready for posting yet. :)
Thank you tofuckyeah for the excellent and thorough beta, rocknvaughn for solving my title dilemma, and k_nightfox for encouraging me when I was ready to scrap this and start over.
Arthur knows of three Camelot Coffees between his flat and his office at Pendragon & Gorlois, and of these, the one located across the street from St. Mary's Hospital is certainly the least conveniently located. He would never have stopped there had he not encountered an unusual traffic fuckup of epic proportions one day, necessitating a detour from his usual route. That explains the first time he visited, but now there is another reason he goes out of his way to stop there every morning on his way to work, and it’s not the quality of the coffee or the service.
The real reason walks in the door every morning at half seven. White earbuds rest inside his ears, and when he reaches the front of the line he deftly plucks one out with long, slim fingers before placing his order. He never fails to have a friendly smile for the barista, along with a generous tip. His tousled dark hair is always on the right side of the line between “I just rolled out of bed after having fantastic sex” and “I don’t own a brush.”
Arthur imagines that if he had a single poetic bone in his body (he doesn’t) he might compose a sonnet to the deep blue of the man’s eyes, or an ode to his sharp cheekbones and perfect lips. The man is too bloody gorgeous; he’s exactly Arthur’s type, and this is getting ridiculous.
For six months Arthur has been seeing Tall, Lean and Gorgeous order coffee (black, two sugars and a blueberry scone on Fridays), and for six months he has failed to approach him even once. This has never been a problem for him before. Arthur doesn’t believe in false modesty. He knows he is uncommonly attractive, and he has always easily charmed men and women alike into drinks and dates and long nights in his expensive, tastefully decorated flat in Canary Wharf. There’s something about this man – Arthur can’t quite put his finger on it – and somehow he knows the usual approach won’t work with him. For the first time in his life, Arthur Pendragon is nervous about asking someone out.
Arthur spends all weekend convincing himself that wanking himself raw imagining Coffee Shop Guy’s lips wrapped around his cock is not a viable long-term plan (pleasurable though it may be) and decides that Monday is the day. He will simply walk up to the man, introduce himself, and ask him out for coffee.
Except he might already have coffee. Scratch that. Arthur will just have to introduce himself the old-fashioned way and say…what? What will he say? What is it about this man that robs him of all sense and reason? Arthur realizes he’s overthinking it and tries to go back to more enjoyable thoughts.
Monday arrives as it always does, and Arthur walks into Camelot Coffee at precisely seven AM. It is much busier than usual, and Gwen-the-Barista gives him a harried smile when she hands over his customary caffè macchiato.
“What’s with the crowd this morning?” He asks as he drops his change into the tip jar. She acknowledges his contribution with a more genuine smile before replying. “Some kind of medical conference at St. Mary’s, I think.”
“The Society of British Neurological Surgeons,” says someone behind him.
Arthur turns and very narrowly stops himself from gaping, because the person who spoke is none other than the man he’s been positively stupid over for the past six months. This ongoing stupidity is surely to blame for the next words out of Arthur’s mouth. “You don’t mean to tell me that you’re a neurosurgeon?”
“Foundation Doctor, actually. Year 2.” The man cocks his head and looks at Arthur curiously. “Is there something in particular about me that screams ‘this man is most certainly not qualified to perform complex surgery on my brain’ that I should know about? Because I haven’t picked a specialty yet.”
“Not at all,” Arthur replies smoothly. He rapidly considers how he might be able to salvage this conversation, and steps closer with a smile on his face. “I just thought you looked a little young for an advanced specialty. I meant no offense. I’m Arthur, by the way.” He holds out his hand, and he certainly does not feel a little tightening in his chest when the other man shakes it with a bemused expression.
“Merlin. And none taken.”
Merlin’s eyes crinkle around the corners when he smiles, and the feeling in his chest that Arthur can no longer deny is growing stronger. It’s really the oddest feeling, he thinks, and Merlin is looking at him with concern in his eyes that are so damn blue.
And then the memories hit.
Many different versions of Merlin flash before Arthur's eyes, but no matter the variation in hairstyle or clothing the ardor in his gaze remains unchanged. Their eyes lock; Arthur's fingers clamp down reflexively on Merlin's and he is overwhelmed by the intensity of the memories. A fierce, wild joy overtakes him as he suddenly feels a sense of completeness he never knew he was missing.
“Merlin,” he finally breathes out. “What took you so long?”
Edited to correct my tag fail. My apologies!
ekishouTitle: Something About You
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Arthur/Merlin
Character/s: Arthur, Merlin
Summary: There's a reason Arthur goes to the Camelot Coffee located across the street from St. Mary's hospital, and it's not the quality of the coffee or the service.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 861
Prompt: Nervous
Author's Notes:
It seems rather appropriate that this week's prompt is "nervous", since that's exactly how I feel about writing and posting something in the Merlin fandom for the first time. I've written a companion piece from Merlin's POV, but it's not quite ready for posting yet. :)
Thank you to
fuckyeah for the excellent and thorough beta, rocknvaughn for solving my title dilemma, and k_nightfox for encouraging me when I was ready to scrap this and start over. Arthur knows of three Camelot Coffees between his flat and his office at Pendragon & Gorlois, and of these, the one located across the street from St. Mary's Hospital is certainly the least conveniently located. He would never have stopped there had he not encountered an unusual traffic fuckup of epic proportions one day, necessitating a detour from his usual route. That explains the first time he visited, but now there is another reason he goes out of his way to stop there every morning on his way to work, and it’s not the quality of the coffee or the service.
The real reason walks in the door every morning at half seven. White earbuds rest inside his ears, and when he reaches the front of the line he deftly plucks one out with long, slim fingers before placing his order. He never fails to have a friendly smile for the barista, along with a generous tip. His tousled dark hair is always on the right side of the line between “I just rolled out of bed after having fantastic sex” and “I don’t own a brush.”
Arthur imagines that if he had a single poetic bone in his body (he doesn’t) he might compose a sonnet to the deep blue of the man’s eyes, or an ode to his sharp cheekbones and perfect lips. The man is too bloody gorgeous; he’s exactly Arthur’s type, and this is getting ridiculous.
For six months Arthur has been seeing Tall, Lean and Gorgeous order coffee (black, two sugars and a blueberry scone on Fridays), and for six months he has failed to approach him even once. This has never been a problem for him before. Arthur doesn’t believe in false modesty. He knows he is uncommonly attractive, and he has always easily charmed men and women alike into drinks and dates and long nights in his expensive, tastefully decorated flat in Canary Wharf. There’s something about this man – Arthur can’t quite put his finger on it – and somehow he knows the usual approach won’t work with him. For the first time in his life, Arthur Pendragon is nervous about asking someone out.
Arthur spends all weekend convincing himself that wanking himself raw imagining Coffee Shop Guy’s lips wrapped around his cock is not a viable long-term plan (pleasurable though it may be) and decides that Monday is the day. He will simply walk up to the man, introduce himself, and ask him out for coffee.
Except he might already have coffee. Scratch that. Arthur will just have to introduce himself the old-fashioned way and say…what? What will he say? What is it about this man that robs him of all sense and reason? Arthur realizes he’s overthinking it and tries to go back to more enjoyable thoughts.
Monday arrives as it always does, and Arthur walks into Camelot Coffee at precisely seven AM. It is much busier than usual, and Gwen-the-Barista gives him a harried smile when she hands over his customary caffè macchiato.
“What’s with the crowd this morning?” He asks as he drops his change into the tip jar. She acknowledges his contribution with a more genuine smile before replying. “Some kind of medical conference at St. Mary’s, I think.”
“The Society of British Neurological Surgeons,” says someone behind him.
Arthur turns and very narrowly stops himself from gaping, because the person who spoke is none other than the man he’s been positively stupid over for the past six months. This ongoing stupidity is surely to blame for the next words out of Arthur’s mouth. “You don’t mean to tell me that you’re a neurosurgeon?”
“Foundation Doctor, actually. Year 2.” The man cocks his head and looks at Arthur curiously. “Is there something in particular about me that screams ‘this man is most certainly not qualified to perform complex surgery on my brain’ that I should know about? Because I haven’t picked a specialty yet.”
“Not at all,” Arthur replies smoothly. He rapidly considers how he might be able to salvage this conversation, and steps closer with a smile on his face. “I just thought you looked a little young for an advanced specialty. I meant no offense. I’m Arthur, by the way.” He holds out his hand, and he certainly does not feel a little tightening in his chest when the other man shakes it with a bemused expression.
“Merlin. And none taken.”
Merlin’s eyes crinkle around the corners when he smiles, and the feeling in his chest that Arthur can no longer deny is growing stronger. It’s really the oddest feeling, he thinks, and Merlin is looking at him with concern in his eyes that are so damn blue.
And then the memories hit.
Many different versions of Merlin flash before Arthur's eyes, but no matter the variation in hairstyle or clothing the ardor in his gaze remains unchanged. Their eyes lock; Arthur's fingers clamp down reflexively on Merlin's and he is overwhelmed by the intensity of the memories. A fierce, wild joy overtakes him as he suddenly feels a sense of completeness he never knew he was missing.
“Merlin,” he finally breathes out. “What took you so long?”
Edited to correct my tag fail. My apologies!
no subject
His uncharacteristic nervousness when it came to Merlin was actually endearing, and Merlin, when they finally did meet, was much more gracious than Arthur was during their first meeting.
I absolutely loved the ending. How very Arthur to blame Merlin (even in jest) for taking so long, when it was Arthur that couldn't approach him for six months! Hee!
This was a GREAT first entry and I hope we will see many more fics from you! (Am chomping at the bit to read that companion piece! I have the feeling that Merlin did know about their history beforehand...am I right?)
no subject
And you're right about the companion piece. ^_~
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
His tousled dark hair is always on the right side of the line between “I just rolled out of bed after having fantastic sex” and “I don’t own a brush.”
...I shall be taking this image to work with me today, thank you.
no subject
no subject
Congratulations on your first Merlin work!! Welcome to the fandom, I sincerely hope you stay awhile :D
no subject
I'm not sure I'll finish editing the companion piece before the deadline here but I'll get it posted somewhere when I do!
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
This lovely image gave me a grin: His tousled dark hair is always on the right side of the line between “I just rolled out of bed after having fantastic sex” and “I don’t own a brush.”
no subject
Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
no subject
The first part was great! But the end is even better!
no subject
no subject
Also, hee, doctor!Merlin! With a bit of sass! :D
no subject
BTW, something about your icon is just mesmerizing to me. @_@
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
Loved the ending, that last line of Arthur's is just spot on, he hasn't changed a bit! :)
no subject