ayoungboy | Spellbound

This week has been fucking exhausting. He'd been consuling all week and dealing with a threat over in Norway. Somebody trying to brew mind control potions, again. Why couldn't everybody just get along and stop fussing? He's finally back home, in England, heading up the wizarding council while they go over worldwide news, and he gets an invite - no, it isn't that. It's more of a demand, from King Pendragon.

He's a bit tired, really, and didn't feel like dealing with it. "Not now, thank you. Politely decline, for me?" He told the runner. "Send him some magical candy."

He just wanted to go home and finish his book, thank you. He didn't ask for these powers, but if he took a holiday the world would flip out. People held him in high regard for some reason - he wasn't that wise, or old. He was just a young man trying to do right. Yet somehow the King was demanding his presence.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

royalpratness

"Again Merlin, I'm the King. I can't just casually walk into a coffee shop. Whenever I meet someone new, it's carefully planned beforehand. So unless you can think of a better coverstory..."

From:

ayoungboy

"You snuck out. You snuck out just to walk about like a normal person, and I bumped into you and spilled coffee all over you. I insisted we go clean it up and we hit it off."

From:

royalpratness

Arthur chuckles, glancing over his shoulder, seeing the girls leave the restaurant. "That sounds like it's been taken straight out of a rom-com. It might work."

From:

ayoungboy

"The public loves that sort of thing. They'll eat it up." Merlin smiles, chewing thoughtfully on the pizza. "Ask them not to bother me. Say you'd rather not make me uncomfortable. I'm sure they don't want to drive your 'boyfriend' away."

From:

royalpratness

"I should tell them that you're a doctor or some other kind of 'noble' profession." Arthur pours Merlin some more wine.

From:

ayoungboy

"Oh no. Make it fairytale, Arthur. Make me a regular person." Merlin thanks him for the wine, washing down the pizza. "Like Cinderella. They won't even question it."

From:

royalpratness

"A commoner, huh? Working class." He grins, refilling his own glass. "I like the way you think."

From:

ayoungboy

Merlin laughs and grabs another slice of pizza. "Aye, well. It's inspirational. They love a good love story."

From:

royalpratness

"They do. We just have to be careful that it won't outshine our attempts to legalise magic."

From:

ayoungboy

Merlin laughs as if Arthur's said the funniest thing he's ever heard. "I'm hardly something to look at, Arthur. It'll be in and out of the papers within a week."

From:

royalpratness

"Are you insulting my choice in partners, Merlin?" It's true, Merlin isn't what you might want to call 'Hollywood pretty' but he does have very handsome features.

From:

ayoungboy

Merlin snorts wryly. "You didn't choose me, Arthur. You haven't actually asked me out on a proper date then, have you? Thought this was a cover story."

From:

royalpratness

"Details." Arthur rolls his eyes. "Do you think it'd chose you for my cover story if I thought you're hideous?"

From:

ayoungboy

Merlin snorts and shrugs. "Aye, but you wouldn't choose me in real life either. Hideous or not." He knows he's average, possibly even a little less than. He doesn't need Arthur to lie and tell him he isn't.

From:

royalpratness

"What makes you say that? Because you're a warlock?" Arthur leans back in his chair, looking questioningly at Merlin.

From:

ayoungboy

"No. I mean, there is that, the whole prosecuting me bit, but you seem to be getting over that quite well." Merlin takes a drink of wine. "I'm not handsome, certainly nothing a King such as yourself would take a second glance at, magic or not."

From:

royalpratness

"Do you think I'm that shallow?" Arthur grins. "Besides, with a good hair cut,you'd do just fine."

From:

ayoungboy

"Everybody's exactly that shallow." Merlin points out seriously. "Yeah? I did it myself." Not like he has the resources to get it done.

From:

royalpratness

"I can tell." Arthur teases, reaching over the table to tug on stray strand of Merlin's hair.

From:

ayoungboy

Merlin stares at him uncomprehendingly as he tugs on his hair. Arthur can't seriously expect him to believe the prince would have even given him the time of day if he was looking to actually date someone.