Chapter Text
When Merlin first met Arthur, he did not mean to flirt. But then his destiny inevitably unfurled before him.
“Hey. That’s enough.”, Merlin said.
Mistake number 1: Not keeping his mouth shut.
“What??” The blonde spat.
“You’ve had your fun, my friend.”
The prat strutted forward. “Do I know you?”
And that’s how it started. With argument and jibes and throwing around harsh retorts. But somewhere along the line, and Merlin has no idea exactly where, the conversation became unbelievably flirty.
“Tell me, Merlin.”, the blonde said, smirking. “Do you know how to walk on your knees?”
Now if that was not suggestive, Merlin didn’t know what was.
“No.”
“Would you like me to help you?”
Merlin was tempted to say something equally flirty like ‘Yes, please!’, but then he remembered that this was the same man who was throwing knives at an innocent bloke for a target.
“I wouldn’t if I were you.”, Merlin said.
“Why?”, the prat scoffed. “ What are you going to do to me?”
Once again, extremely inappropriate replies formed in Merlin's head, but he settled for something just mildly inappropriate. “You have no idea.”
“Be my guest! Come on. Come on!” He drawled. “Come on!”
Mistake number 2: Fighting (and flirting) with a guy whom Merlin didn't even know. Turned out the prat was a prince.
Within just a few hours of being in Camelot, Merlin had successfully landed himself in jail.
◇◇◇
Merlin’s second meeting with Arthur didn’t go that well, either.
After the prat said, “I could take you apart with one blow.”, and Merlin replied, “I could take you apart with less than that.”, they started fighting.
‘Fighting’, as in chasing each other around, swinging a mace in one hand, and saying seductive things like "Do you want to give up?” and “You’re in trouble now. . .”
By the end of their ‘fight', Merlin was lying on his back on the ground, panting, with the prince towering over him, smirking in pride of having asserted his dominance.
But when the guards pulled up Merlin and tried to drag him away, Arthur stopped them and said that even though Merlin was an idiot, he was a brave one. (Merlin took that as a compliment.)
“There’s something about you, Merlin. . .”, Arthur said. “I just can’t put my finger on it.”
Merlin didn’t know which one the Prince had sensed . . . His magic, or his homosexuality. Neither bode well for him.
◇◇◇
The conversation with the ‘Great Dragon' only complicated things even more.
It had said that Arthur was Merlin’s destiny. That they were two sides of the same coin. That they complete each other.
Now, all this sounded really romantic, like it was straight out of a love story. But instead of a Prince Charming, there was a Prince Prat, and instead of a Snow White, there was a sassy warlock.
Merlin didn’t see how he could ever choose to serve such a clot-pole, like it said in his destiny. But the surprises of the day were not yet over.
◇◇◇
Mistake number 3: Saving Arthur’s royal ass from a murderous witch's dagger.
“You saved my boy’s life.”, The King said. "A debt must be repaid.”
“Oh, well. . .”, Merlin began, but Uther cut him off.
“Don’t be so modest. You shall be rewarded.”
“No, honestly, you don’t have to, Your Highness.”
“No, absolutely!”
Now, Merlin was really expecting some damn good reward. So what the King said next crushed all his hopes.
“You shall be awarded with a position in the royal household. You shall be Prince Arthur’s manservant.”
“Father!”, Arthur protested, but it was said and done. Merlin had already made the three biggest mistakes of his life, and now he had fallen into a ditch from which climbing out was nearly impossible.
The blonde turned to him, glaring. He grabbed Merlin’s arm roughly, pulled him close and growled into his ear, sending shivers down his spine. “Brace yourself, Merlin, because from now on, I’m going to make your life a living hell.”
Oh boy. . .