The Stables, Thursday Morning

[bitchprince]

So, there had been... talking, all around. This week.

And then there had been thinking.

Some would say that Arthur thinking quite like that would be a stellarly bad idea.

Either way, it led to him, in the stables, with a puppy and a few horses. And a manservant. "We need to talk," he said.

Arthur did not know the significance of that line in this time and culture, no.

[[ thread with Arthur locked to that guy, but open if anyone needs to use the stables for something else. the fact that they had a Conversation and Arthur passed out is FB; the rest is NFB ]]

Comments

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin paused in the middle of grooming one of the horses they brought with them.

"...we do?"

He knew that was bad despite not being in the right culture for it.

[bitchprince]

"We do," Arthur affirmed. Somewhat awkwardly. "I... spoke to Francine."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Yes, Merlin listened to radio. He was aware.

Merlin focused on the horse's neck, brushing over the short hair there firmly. "Did you."

[bitchprince]

"She says she has no feelings for Katina."

Listen, talking about feelings was a little weird, this way. Kind of very awkward.

"But she appears to be all right. Now." Sort of.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"I know, Arthur. We do speak from time to time."

[bitchprince]

"Right."

Well, that took care of the easy part.

He rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not going to ask you to leave her," he said. "Or... do anything, right now."

He had no bloody clue what compelled him to add an emphasis on that 'right now' part.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin gripped the comb tighter, staring hard at the horse. He idly rubbed the mare's neck, just listening for a moment.

"You talked with her about this?"

[bitchprince]

"Sort of," Arthur admitted, sheepishly. At least, he thought they had. There'd been a great deal of crying. "Just because I lo-- like you doesn't mean it's, you know."

Morgana was right. He was the crappest at this ever.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Right." Merlin hadn't the faintest, but he was almost certain this was a gentle sort of rejection. Arthur had... an odd sort of honor.

[bitchprince]

Maybe if you came from a peasant village...

"She's happy with you," he said, "And you're happy with her, so."

He'd be happy with that. (He was going to eat that after this weekend. Eat it with a nice chianti)

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin paused in his work, risking a glancing over at him. "Right."

[bitchprince]

He exhaled.

"When we get back to Camelot," he started, on a whim. ...Stupid. Bad line of conversation. Very stupid.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin turned to face him in earnest now. "Yes?"

[bitchprince]

"It might be," he continued.

If he had any ending for that sentence, it wasn't coming, as he was going towards the floor at quite a speed.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Arthur!" Merlin dropped the comb, moving forward to... poorly support him. Until there was a flash of gold, of course.

[bitchprince]

Whatever he was seeing was fairly clear, awash in something horrid and grey and -- isn't dawn yet, but who cares anymore? -- have to get up and check on the patrols -- Merlin's room, looking empty of everything, stripped bare --

On the outside, though, Arthur was mostly a limp, dead weight being supported by a scrawny magician and his glowy golden eyes.

At least he was still obviously sleep-breathing.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Arthur?!" Merlin shook him once to see if that would wake him before lowered him to the rather dirty floor of the stall.

[bitchprince]

Arthur would be upset about his hair when he woke up.

Really. Sort of.

He stayed like that for a little while, sprawled across the floor of the stables. Brynmor trotted up to see what was up.

He was dreaming. For a dream, it was entirely too ordinary, though. Just the room, the smell of it, the way the window seemed to have been adjusted to allow for more light, a pale of water in front of him and a quiet sense of desperation he couldn't quite trace down to a source.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Bryn." Merlin waved his hand at her, trying to shoo the puppy off. "Don't--" Eeew. "--Don't lick him."

He pushed the dog again, reaching for Arthur's throat to count his heart beat.

[bitchprince]

Bryn made a spirited attempt to lean over his shoulder anyway, to get closer.

Arthur's heartbeat... was regular, for someone asleep.

He was washing his hands in a pale of water, and trying not to look over his shoulder again - what was significant about his shoulder? What was it anyway?

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Arthur, wake up." Don't sound so nervous, Merlin. It was just sleep.

[bitchprince]

Abandoning the room... He was wandering up to the rooftop now, preoccupied. Something... Rose? Someone named Rose-- he was looking over his shoulder because she said that Merlin-- and there were tomatoes up on the roof.

It was probably entirely too long for Merlin's nerves before Arthur actually stirred, his head full of rooftop babbling about spaghetti and an unsettling sense of everything being wrong.

His eyes weren't open, but his arm was shifting.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Arthur." Broken record, Merlin. He shook Arthur's shoulder harder, focusing too much on his breathing. "Wake up."

[bitchprince]

Another eternity until his eyes flew open, big and alert, and he shot up.

Interestingly enough, he did not say 'What'.

He grabbed Merlin and tugged him in for a hug.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

That was... new.

"Arthur?"

[bitchprince]

His breathing had picked up; now it was starting to die down again, as grief that wasn't his own slowly, slowly slipped away from his consciousness. "What," Arthur finally started. He hadn't let go yet.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin shot him a look of 'You're asking me?'

He patted Arthur's back slightly, not exactly sure of the proper behavior here. And then, after serious thought, hugged him back. Awkwardly, but with fervour. "What is happening?"

[bitchprince]

"Something went wrong," he muttered. He wasn't admitting about wanting to smell anything, thank you.

Maybe in a few minutes he'd catch on he was clinging to someone for dear life, but as it stood, he slid his arms around Merlin's waist and kept to it. "I don't know-- I wasn't. I mean, it wasn't me-- Rose?"

He didn't know anyone named Rose.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"...Rose?" There was a Rose around school, if radio was to be believed.

[bitchprince]

"I saw her!" he said, staring at the wall over Merlin's shoulder. "On the roof. Talking about tomatoes."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Tomatoes," Merlin repeated slowly. "You worried me."

Of course it was something utterly silly. This damn island.

"Um... you're still hugging me," Merlin pointed out helpfully.

[bitchprince]

Yes. Very helpful.

As it laid to Arthur detaching somewhat suddenly. Sort of. There was still a lot of touching involved. "I was aware of that," he muttered, still not up to his usual level of insult.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"You passed out again." Stern Gaius look for you, Arthur.

[bitchprince]

"I noticed that," Arthur shot back. He'd finally acquired enough sanity and shaken off enough-- despair was the best word for it-- to start attempting to get up.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin held out a hand for him, still giving him a look. "now will you go to the clinic?"

[bitchprince]

"Sir Minsc can't teach class tomorrow," Arthur answered. Yes, that was an answer. "I have to be there."

He struggled up onto his feet.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"No, you don't."

[bitchprince]

"I do," he returned. See? He was getting up off his own strength. He could do that.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Arthur."

[bitchprince]

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Tag along, will you?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"You shouldn't go."

[bitchprince]

"I'll do this," Arthur repeated, glancing at him, "And then I'll go to the clinic. How's that?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin made a frustrated noise. "You need to go now. This is the second time it's happened."

[bitchprince]

"I'll just stay in bed until it's time," Arthur said, brushing past him. Not that he was eager for something to do. Really.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin watched him go, not about to be happy with this. "As you wish, sire."

[bitchprince]

Arthur came to a pause a few steps further down the line, and cast a look over his shoulder. "In your room," he said, "Might as well take the chance to get away from Leto."

Which had nothing to do with staying close to Merlin. Noooothing.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"I'll air out Cal's bed," Merlin replied, picking up the horse comb.