I'm not here looking for absolution

[ayoungboy]

Merlin had been trying to ignore it for quite a while. People weren't supposed to stick with you like this, were they? You met them, you made acquaintances, and unless they became your friends, you forgot them. Right? Right.

So why the hell was he still thinking about the blond boy in 232?

Merlin groaned and buried his face in his pillow. He met him at the dorm mixer maybe a month and a half ago, and he still couldn't get that stupid face out of his head. Sure, he was attractive - but that wasn't even what was bugging him. It's one thing to drool over a hot guy, but another entirely to be infuriated as you try to remember where in the hell you know him from.

Because he did. He knew Arthur, somehow, some way. And they'd spoken for maybe 5 minutes tops.

Merlin was going crazy.

When he walks down to the washing machines that tuesday, he almost does a 180 and leaves the way he came. Naturally, Arthur was standing there next to the only open machine. Of course.

Comments

[royalpratness]

"Lucky you." Arthur leans back in his chair. "I could get my own place, but I don't really want to live by myself. It gets boring." And lonely but that, Arthur doesn't say out loud.

[ayoungboy]

"I was thinking about it." Merlin says, tilting his head back. "But I'd need a flatmate. Don't have enough on my own."

[royalpratness]

"If your current roommate is alright, why not stay there?" Unless Merlin wants to escape the 70s charme of the university accommodation.

[ayoungboy]

"We get along, yeah, but I miss having a home, you know? The dorms are...not exactly homey. The bed isn't very comfortable and space is small." Merlin shrugs. "And we have bloody popcorn ceilings."

[royalpratness]

Arthur chuckles. "The beds are bloody terrible, yeah." He looks Merlin up and down. "We could go looking for a flat. I'll go mad if I have to stay at the dorm all semester."

[ayoungboy]

Merlin glances at Arthur and smiles. "I'd be up for that. You don't have any weird sock collections or anything? You're normal?"

[royalpratness]

"You'll have to find out." Arthur grins up at him. "No weird sock collection though, no."

[ayoungboy]

"I'd rather socks than used gum." Merlin wrinkles his nose playfully.

[royalpratness]

"No used gum either." Arthur grins. "What about you? Are you one of those types who throws a house party every other night?"

[ayoungboy]

"God no. Have to have a lot of friends for that." Merlin laughs softly. "I'm fairly quiet, I'd say. Bit of an insomniac at times, but I try not to disturb anyone."

[royalpratness]

"Quiet and not disturbing anyone... I think we have a deal." Arthur opens his newspaper again, looking for the section with the apartment listings.

[ayoungboy]

Merlin laughs and nods, taking a sip of his coffee. "That's alright with me."

[royalpratness]

Arthur angles the newspaper so that Merlin can read the advertisements. They both decide that it should be reasonably close to the university, not too small and not too pricey. The pick out for ads and agree to call them up the following day.

[ayoungboy]

Merlin shows up at Arthur's dorm room later the next day. "The lady's offering a showing this weekend for the one I called about."

[royalpratness]

"That sounds great." Arthur gestures for Merlin to come in. He's just gotten out of the shower, only wearing a pair of sweatpants, toweling his hair dry.

[ayoungboy]

Merlin tries to keep his eyes away from Arthur's chest, fixed firmly on his face. But he did have a lovely chest.

"You're free? I'll call her back and let her know."

[royalpratness]

"Yeah, I'm free." He picks up a shirt from his bed, putting it on. "That was the one with two bathrooms?"

[ayoungboy]

"Yup. Good space, not too far from campus. I'll call her back." Merlin smiles, a little excited. "Did you hear from the other one?"

[royalpratness]

"Yeah, just a few hours ago but they said it's already taken." Arthur rakes a hand through his hair. "Do you want a cup of tea?"

[ayoungboy]

"I'd love one." Merlin nods appreciatively. "Well, if we don't like this one, we can just watch the market for new listings, yeah? There's no real rush."

[royalpratness]

"Oh there is plenty of rush." Arthur frowns. "I just had to clean up the whole flat after one of my flatmate's parties."

[ayoungboy]

"He did what now?" Merlin blinks in surprise. He didn't think Arthur's roommate was that obnoxious.

[royalpratness]

"Threw a party for about fifty of his 'closest friends'." Arthur scoffs.

[ayoungboy]

[ooc: Sorry love, been getting ready for a big presentation and falling asleep at 8:30 every night T_T ]

"You're kidding." It's clear from Arthur's tone that he isn't. "That's - wow. Wow."

[royalpratness]

[not a problem! :) ]

"Yeah, that's why I'm somewhat desperate to get out of here as soon as possible." Arthur sits down on the edge of a kitchen chair. "I've considering checking into a hotel until we've found something suitable."