"Imagine your OTP is in an acting class together. To learn the importance of delivery of lines, they are paired up to say "I love you" in the most meaningful way they can in front of the class.
Bonus: They haven't interacted before that assignment."

From otpprompts on tumblr

Hi, all! I posted this over on Ao3, and it was pretty well received so I thought I put it over on here too

Let me know how you like it? and if you'd want to see something from me in the future-

Enjoy, and have a nice day

"I love you."

"No, that was god awful. Try again."

"I lo-"

"Try again."

"Love y-"

"You're not trying!"

"You know," Merlin snapped, "it would help it you told me what I was doing wrong!"

"Merls, mate," Gwaine smirked over a clipboard, "I'm the director here, I do what I want."

Merlin snatched the clipboard, holding it away as Gwaine tried to grab it back, "Oh, speaking of, why on earth are you in charge here?"

Gwaine tsked and threw his arm over Merlin's shoulders, "Because you two were out the day we picked groups."

"And you couldn't've taken your buddy here and found some other poor fool? I would've had no problem directing with Gwen and Lance." He sulked, glancing over to where the couple were professing their love.

"Where's the fun in that? They already love each other, there's no strife. No struggle!"

Merlin was suddenly pulled in the direction of their third group member, the one he was supposed to be exclaiming his love for.

Ah, what was his name again?

Arnold? Robert?

Handsome man, truly. The prettiest blond Merlin had seen since…well, ever. And he has the deepest blue eyes, he could stare into them all day.

And maybe, if they hadn't just been forced into one of the most awkward situation Merlin could have imagined, just maybe that confession wouldn't be so painful and fake.

He shook his head, as pretty as Arnold was, any chance they had of having a romantic first encounter was lost as soon as the project began and the names were called.

"Look, Arnold, uh," Merlin stumbled.

Arnold startled and looked back from where he had been watching in bewildered disgust as Gwen and Lance had gone from their assigned acting to making out shamelessly in front of their group's director.

"It's Arthur. My name's Arthur." He blinked slowly and scowled, "Did you call me Arnold? Nobody names their kid Arnold anymore."

Merlin scoffed, "Well, why would they when there are people as negative as you around to mock their child." He passed back the clipboard to a pouting Gwaine. "It's a perfectly good name."

"Coming from you that doesn't mean much, Martin." Arthur snarked, rolling his eyes.

Merlin tossed his hands up, "It's Merlin! And you know that." Or he should at least, since Gwaine'd introduced him like 6 times since Arthur hadn't been paying attention for the first 5.

"That's even worse!"

"What's wrong with my name?" Merlin cried, trying to shake Gwaine off his shoulders.

"Well," Arthur drawled, "It's a bird, isn't it? That's awfully effeminate for a guy, surely your mother thought it was a good idea but I can't understand how your father agreed to it."

Gwaine felt Merlin twitch under his arm, and slowly shook his head at Arthur but refused to intervene.

"I know my mother loved the name, but my father died before I was born so she didn't really get to ask his opinion on the matter." He seethed.

Arthur's scowl lost place for a second in favor of a grimace but it quickly reseated itself as he opened his mouth again-

"Okay! That's enough drama for now," Gwaine forced a laugh as he inserted himself between them.

Maybe if they can't make eye contact they can't argue.

Their professor, who had been going around from group to group and, to Arthur's delight, managed to break up Gwen and Lance's, erm, intense demonstration, made his cursory stop at them. In the midst of Merlin and Arthur's argument.

Addressing Gwaine, "Work it out, will you? They're supposed to be loving each other and while I appreciate them not repeating Miss Smith's group's display, you might want them to get along a bit better."

Gwaine scratched his neck, flushing lightly in embarrassment, looking between his two glaring partners, "Ah, yes, sir. I'll get on that."

As the professor walked away and Gwaine turned back and grabbed Arthur by the scruff, "Alright, you look, Merlin's my best friend, stop being such an ass. I know you're awkward, but are you serious right now?"

Arthur had good graces enough to look abashed, mumbling a sorry as he turned around to sit.

That didn't stop him from glaring back up at Merlin once Gwaine looked away.

Gwaine pat Merlin's arm with a sympathizing gaze, "He didn't know, okay? He's sorry, he really is and I swear he's not that much of an ass once you get to know him. He's just painfully, painfully, shy."

Merlin smirked at Arthur's indignant "Hey" from the corner, "Yeah, whatever, Gwaine. Can we get a move on?"

The directorial light was relit in Gwaine's eyes, "Of course we can!" Hauling Arthur up from his seat, "Up you get!"

He dragged Arthur to stand almost on top of Merlin's feet, and twirled his sticker cover clipboard into the air and exclaimed, "From the top! Merlin, go! With feeling, with love-"

After quickly side eyeing Gwaine for his enthusiasm, Merlin straightened, gaining an inch on Arthur, pasted a leering grin on his face and loomed over Arthur, "I looove you~"

Arthur flinched and took a step back in disgust.

"Merlin! That was positively medieval! Are you trying to scare him off or make him fall in lov-Ugh! Don't, don't look at me with that grin on your face. That's terrifying."

Merlin dropped the grin and widened his eyes, slapping a hand to his chest in offense, "What ever do you mean?"

The glare returned full force to Arthur's face, "Don't act innocent, that was monstrous."

"Who says monsters can't fall in love?" Merlin said aghast, "My mom always told me that anyone can fall in love, which is good because I have to make an asshole fall in love. If only for a minute."

Gwaine groaned, "Try and be pleasant, Merlin. For two seconds."

Smirking, Arthur turned to face their despondent director. "I think you might be asking too much of him, Gwaine. I doubt he could charm an excitable puppy, there's no way he could even come close to charming," gesturing to himself, "this."

Merlin sucked his teeth, looking over Gwaine's head as he tried to ignore Arthur's condescending arrogance.

"Mate, he's gonna take it as a challenge and you really don't want that-"

Scoffing again, Arthur boldly stepped in front of Merlin, "Please, what could the little bird possibly do?"

Gwaine groaned again from his chair seeing the heaving breath Merlin sucked in.

Oh, he's really done it, Gwaine thought, now smirking. He laughed deep in his throat remembering when the gang had been mocking the lanky boy about his lack of love life not two years past.

"Have you even kissed anyone before, Merls? Maybe I could teach you some time~" Gwaine had leered.

Ho, boy. Looking back, Gwaine had been the one who learned something from that experience.

Gwaine tried again, knowing it was already too late. Merlin was already plotting. "Really, Princess, he's good with his mouth. I wouldn't underestimate him."

Merlin broke from his brainstorming to give him a warning look.

"Or, should I say," Gwaine shrugged, grinning wildly at Merlin, "he's rather good with his tongue."

"Oh, please," Arthur twisted his head to give him an incredulous stare, gesturing back to Merlin off handedly. "Him?"

"Can't say I didn't warn you."

"I think I'll be oka-Uh, what are y-," Arthur stumbled as Merlin grabbed the hand he was gesticulating with and pulled him into Merlin's chest.

Surprisingly firm chest, not nearly as bony as he most certainly wasn't noticing when he'd first seen him.

Arthur felt his heartbeat race as Merlin's other hand reached up to cradle both of his. Merlin's head was ducked into his own chest, as if intently watching their hands fold together.

He felt lips press lightly into his knuckles, gasping at the soft touch. Arthur almost couldn't hear Gwaine cackling behind him, why, why did it feel like there was cotton in his ears.

Trying to pull himself out of Merlin's tender grip, he could feel the aborted "Oh, shut up, Gwaine" choke in his throat as Merlin finally looked up and met his eyes.

Arthur froze, feeling the air vacuum out of his lungs as he had to turn upward to look Merlin in the eyes, and oh, fuck, did he mention he loved taller guys.

How did he never notice how fantastically blue Merlin's eyes were, almost icy in their calm and focused façade. They were hooded and darkened by the terrible classroom lighting, but even the terrible lighting worked in his favor and had seemingly magically illuminated a halo around his irises. Arthur felt weak kneed, as he realized that intense gaze was laser focused on him.

Merlin's raven hair, that Arthur'd thought a purposeless mess, fell sultrily into his unfairly long eyelashes.

That, Arthur noticed in his daze, matched Merlin's long limbs and those long fingers that he could imagine being useful for more than just playing a piano.

His breath hitched as those fingers squeezed his gently, but Arthur's eye dropped to Merlin's mouth.

By the gods, his mouth.

It was the fullest he'd seen on anyone, but he can't seem to remember the name of anyone else just this moment. Arthur's gaze fixated as Merlin's tongue peeked out to wet his lips. And that lighting again, damn him, made his already perfect mouth glisten.

"Arthur…" Merlin murmured, his deep voice resonating in the scant distant between them

Nearly trembling in Merlin's hands, Arthur felt his gaze snap back up to the taller man's diamond eyes giving his full attention.

Merlin began leaning in, touching his forehead gently to Arthur's and closing his eyes slowly, "I love you."

Arthur felt his eyes widen, body frozen in shock, staring at the entrancing man in front of him.

His mouth was moving of its own accord, "I lo-"

"Alright, Merlin! I think that's enough, mate!" Gwaine, once again inserted himself. Slapping Merlin harshly on the back, effectively shredding the mood to pieces.

Arthur, still in a trance, looked over to glare at Gwaine for interrupting when he saw the cocky smirk fly onto Merlin's mouth.

Oh.

Right.

Their project.

He felt his shoulders draw up in defense and a searing hot flush run rampant across his cheeks.

The anger Gwaine caused morphed into rage at Merlin, "You-!"

Merlin met his eyes again, this time shining in mirth. He'd taken Arthur for a complete fool.

Their professor called out their dismissal from class from the front of the room and before Arthur was able to get another word in Merlin stepped up to Arthur again and lightly pat his feverish cheek, "See ya next week, love."

And promptly left the classroom.

"What on earth," Arthur started.

Gwaine walked over to Arthur, face lit with glee as he threw an arm around Arthur and led him out of class, "That was Merlin. And I warned you not to challenge him. I've been in that position and," Gwaine whistled, "that boy takes no prisoners."

Arthur continued walking down the hall to his next class, he knew he wouldn't be paying any attention anyway. He'd hardly heard Gwaine say his goodbyes when he'd delivered Arthur safely to the room.

Arthur sat and stared emptily at his desk, unable to process.

How could one man be so bewitching?

But still thinking, How can I get him to myself?