A minor problem
pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: R
Spoilers: No spoilers
Summary: Contemporary Au! After getting considerably drunk one night, Merlin wakes up to find himself in a rather attractive stranger's bed. Makig a very hasty exit before he woke up, Merlin grabbed the wrong pair of trousers and now the stranger is determined to get them back.
A/N: Originally, i had said that this would be in two parts. But because i got such a good response for this on livejournal and on . I may extend it to be three parts. It's up to you guys!
After Morgana had dropped him off at his apartment with a sordid wink and a little wave, Merlin attempted to drown himself in the shower. His flatmates were still sleeping off the effects of the alcohol (Will was crashed out face-first in a trash can and Lancelot and Gwen were entwined on the couch, her face planted in his arm pit).
He was immensely grateful that they weren't awake to barrage him with question after question of where he had scampered off too. If Gwen had told Morgana, then it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the rest of them knew about his sordid one-night stand with Mr. Tall-blonde-and-very-handsome.
He scrubbed his skin to a rosy pink, trying to not scream like a wussy girl when he caught sight of bruises that looked suspiciously like finger prints on his hips and teeth marks on the side of his neck and collarbone. If he didn't think too much about it, then perhaps it would all go away…
Right, and now Merlin was an Ostrich trying to bury its head in the sand.
Stepping out of the shower, Merlin proceeded to quickly towel himself off, climb into a clean pair of pyjamas and try to sleep the day away. Good plan.
It was barely a half an hour after Merlin had drifted off to sleep that his mobile phone went off. Stirring, he rolled over with a groan and attempted to find his phone without having to open his eyes. Until he realized that he left it in the pocket of Mr. Tall-Blonde-and-very-handsome's trousers and couldn't be bothered to get up. The chirping of his phone cut off and silence reigned supreme before it began to ring again.
Growling, Merlin got up and grabbed his phone before falling back on the bed. The caller id came up with a phone number he didn't recognise. Frowning, he flipped his phone open and raised it to his ear. "Hello?"
"It's not nice to steal people's things." The deep voice on the other end of line said.
Merlin blinked up at the ceiling, trying to figure out who was on the other end of the line. "What?" he asked.
"I said it's not nice to steal other people's things." The voice had a hint of teasing to it. "Especially when you steal someone's trousers."
Merlin felt his heart plummet into the bottom of his stomach and his breath came out in a strangled gasp. "I—How did you get this number?"
The phone crackled and Merlin guessed that the guy was talking to him on the phone outside. He could hear cars rushing past on the road. "You gave me your number last night."
Merlin frowned. "You mean I was able to tell you a eleven digit number in my inebriated state?" He could barely remember his number when he was sober!
"Mmmm," The amusement was almost tangible across the line. "Actually you wrote it on my hip. With the pen between your teeth."
" I did no such thing!" He yelped.
"Oh yes you did. Right before you gave me the best blow-job i have ever had."
"Oh my god," Merlin groaned in burning shame. "Do not tell me i acutally did that."
There was an uncomfortable silence on the other end. "Are you telling me you don't remember it?"
Merlin swallowed around the lump in his throat. "I was wasted."
"I did notice, thank you. I was too." The teasing in his voice had disappeared and replaced with a slight edge to it. "So, can I get my trousers back now?"
Merlin wasn't really sure what had just happened, but it made him squirm uncomfortably. "I, um. Yes. Yes, of course you can. Listen, I didn't steal them on purpose or anything-"
"You were in that much of a hurry to get out." The other grumbled and Merlin had the distinct image of the guy pouting indignantly. "I get it."
"No, it wasn't like that. Exactly. It's-"
"Well, I have to admit I haven't ever been the one left looking like a complete idiot. It kinda sucks, actually."
Merlin was beginning to feel awful. Well, awful in the sense that it has nothing to do with alcohol.
The guy sighed on the other end of the line. "Can you at least remember where I live?"
Merlin felt panic rise up. "What? Why?"
"To give me my trousers back, you prat."
"Oh. Right. Of course." He felt like a grade one asshole. "Yeah, I remember it. I'll be over later today."
"I have lectures until five today so come round after five thirty."
Merlin frowned. "I can't just… you know, drop them off now?"
"Not unless you want to be harassed by my flatmates."
Oh. "Oh. Okay."
Another uncomfortable silence. "See you around, then."
"Yeah. See you around."
After all that, Merlin realised he didn't know the other guy's name.
Merlin ran a hand through his hair as he stared at the apartment building. His other hand clenched around his bag that had the trousers in. Maybe he could quickly ring the doorbell, place the trousers outside and leg it.
He sighed dejectedly. Come on, Merlin. Don't be a bloody coward. With a little shake, he headed through the doors and up the stairwell.
Knocking on the door, Merlin shifted from foot to foot as he waited. The door opened after what had felt like forever and there stood the blonde guy.
Merlin blinked. His little speech had flow out of the proverbial window as soon as his eyes landed on the guy's face. Merlin knew he was handsome, but he hadn't expected him to be drop dead gorgeous. "Hello." Merlin gave a little jaunty wave.
"Hi." He said with a formal nod.
"I brought your trousers back." Merlin said unnecessarily as he pulled them out of his bag and held them up. "I even washed them for you."
The blonde raised an eyebrow and took them from him. "Thanks." They stood at the threshold of the apartment in another awkward silence. They seemed to be happening a lot lately.
Merlin felt like he couldn't take it anymore.
"Look, I'm sorry about this morning on the phone. Whatever I said to piss you off…I'm sorry. But I'm not used to this. Any of it. I don't go out and get drunk and end up in some random guy's bed. That isn't me at all. By your comment earlier it sounds like you're sued to the one-night stand variety. Maybe its karma biting you in the ass for abandoning your affairs in the morning-"
The blonde scowled.
"-And that is so beside the point. What I'm trying to say is that….that I don't know what to do. I mean I don't even know your name but I have already slept with you. In other circumstances I would probably like to get to know you more instead of looking at you and feeling the strange urge to blush like a girl and run away. More than get to know you, actually." Merlin said rather uncomfortably.
The blonde just stared at him, eyes wide and too shocked to speak.
Merlin felt rather disappointed. "Right then. I best be off. To crawl in a hole somewhere and all that. Bye then."
Merlin would never admit that he legged it all the way back to campus.
A week later
Merlin was slumped on his bench outside the University's restaurant and nursing his chicken salad when the blonde dropped onto the bench next to him, expression wary. "I thought you were being a bastard." He stated plainly.
Merlin refrained from protesting. "Not intentionally."
The blonde made a face. "I didn't realise that you hadn't done it before. A one-night stand, I mean. I just thought…"
"That I did it a lot and left you when I got what I wanted." Merlin finished for him.
"Well, yes." He said uncomfortably.
Merlin shook his head. "I'm not that type of person. I have no idea what came over me to…" Merlin flapped his hand between them sheepishly. "You know."
A smirk graced the blonde's face. "It must be my magnetic sex appeal. Makes people do stupid things."
Merlin smiled and looked away. He could see that as being a plausible explanation, even if it was said as a joke.
The guy blew out a breath, but he sounded amused, not exasperated. He nudged Merlin with his elbow, and Merlin blinked and focused on the guy's outstretched hand. "Arthur."
Merlin took it and shook. "Merlin."
Arthur smiled for the first time and it nearly took his breath away. Arthur scratched the back of his neck in which Merlin was sure was a nervous gesture. "They have a movie night on at the Student Union. Something to do with the Knights of Camelot and all that. I thought that-uh- if you weren't doing anything, that you would like to go with me?"
Merlin's heart fluttered and he grinned. "I'd like that."
-The End?-
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