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

[ayoungboy]

"He said it was fine, but if he asks you what you're doing here three times before he remembers who you are, don't worry about it. He's a bot absent-minded." Merlin accepts the beer gratefully, cracking the top off on the foot of his bed.

[royalpratness]

"He sounds..interesting." Arthur chuckles, opening his own beer and sitting down on the edge of Merlin's bed. "Thanks again for taking me in."

[ayoungboy]

"He's a musician. I'm told they're all like that." Merlin leans back, tipping back the beer and kicking his feet up against the wall to give Arthur more room to sit. "Sure thing. I suppose we'd better get used to living with each other sooner rather than later anyway."

[royalpratness]

"Yeah, only that I hope to have a bed rather than a couch to sleep on eventually." Arthur grins over the rim of his beer bottle.

[ayoungboy]

"That's a hefty order." Merlin jokes, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. "My couch is pretty damn comfortable you know."

[royalpratness]

"It better be." Arthur teases. "Or I'll have to kick you out of your bed."

[ayoungboy]

"I'd like to see you try. I can be quite a heavy sleeper." Merlin makes a face at him.

[royalpratness]

"I'll keep that in mind." Arthur yawns, finishing his beer. "Talking about sleeping... do you mind if I turn in for the night? I'm knackered."

[ayoungboy]

"By all means," Merlin makes a grand sweeping gesture and tips back another long swallow of beer. "I'll be up a bit longer with this reading but I won't be long with the light."

[royalpratness]

"No problem." Arthur pushes himself up, pulling a towel and a pair of sweatpants from his bag. With another yawns, he disappears into the bathroom to take a quick shower.

Ten minutes later, Arthur reappears, rolling out his sleeping bag on the couch.

[ayoungboy]

Merlin is pouring over his textbook, scribbling illegible notes on a legal pad.

[royalpratness]

"Do you have a spare pillow?" Arthur asks, slipping into his sleeping bag.

[ayoungboy]

"Hm? Oh, yes, should have one on Charles' bed."

[royalpratness]

"Are you sure?" Arthur hesitates. "I don't want to steal your room mates pillows." He mostly doesn't want to make a bad impression, as he's a guest here.

[ayoungboy]

Merlin glances over at him and nods with a light smile. "I'm sure. Go ahead, Arthur."

[likespie]

Arthur gets out if his sleeping bag again, fetching the pillow from Charles' bed."I'll blame it all on you if he gets angry." He smirks, returnig to the couch.

[ayoungboy]

"He's too tired all the time to be angry," Merlin laughs a little. "I do hope you make for an engaging roommate, Arthur."

[likespie]

"I'll try my very best." Arthur makes himself comfortable, rolling onto his side to face Merlin sitting on the opposite side of the room.

[ayoungboy]

"It's kinda boring when Charles doesn't even say hello," Merlin snorts, shrugging a bit and glancing back down at his book. "And I promise I won't throw any house parties/"

[likespie]

"I promise I'll be more talkative than him." Arthur closes his eyes. "Starting in the morning."

[ayoungboy]

Merlin chuckles. "Of course. Good night Arthur."

[likespie]

"Goodnight." Arthur smiles, very glad to have gotten out of his apartment. Merlin's reading light doesn't bother him and within a few minutes, he's sound asleep.

[ayoungboy]

Merlin finishes up his notes and heads off after Arthur a few minutes later.

[royalpratness]

In the middle of the night, Arthur awakes with a start. He's covered in cold sweat, vaguely remembering a nightmare about drowning in a lake.

[ayoungboy]

Merlin is sprawled across his bed, arm and leg dangling off the edge. His covers are twisted around his body. Everything else in the room seems peaceful, normal.