Merthur reincarnation idea/ snippet
Déjà-vu – the knowledge you have without knowing how you acquired it
Going to the same college as Merlin was weird. He had stumbled into Arthur and some of his friends tossing a ball around. Maybe they were a bit mean in their teasing but it hadn't been extreme yet Merlin had acted as if they were working the other first year who wanted to join the footie team to exhaustion.
They really weren't doing that.
Yet Merlin stepped up, took the ball they were playing with, and told them off.
Arthur had walked over, trying to reclaim the ball, an arrogant retort on his tongue, when blue eyes caught his and the prepared words dried up unspoken.
"Arthur. Of course I'd meet you here."
He knew he had a bit of a reputation on campus but not enough for the first semester kids to recognise him on sight.
His friends -although they suddenly felt less like friends and more like lackeys begging for Arthur's scraps, taking advantage of his position- snickered behind them.
Merlin smiled sadly. "Not yet. I'm Merlin. I think we could be friends one day, if you learn to be less of an arse."
Arthur blue screened for a second. That wasn't the expected answer. The expected answer had been a full rejection, something he could counter with words to a dialogue he already knew. But now... "Isn't that a bit of a quick judgement? Determining i'm an arse without a single conversation with me?"
Merlin had blinked at him, equally thrown off kilter for a moment.
It's how it all began, interactions that they both knew and somehow slightly subverted. Merlin studied physiotherapy and soon sat in on Arthur's football matches to help out in medical issues. Quickly his presence extended to the training as well, then celebratory pub nights, post work out fast food splurges and alike. When Merlin needed to practice techniques on people Arthur volunteered to the torture that left him sore for the rest of the day but with a clear head for his economics classes.
Merlin also made quick friends with people in other departments, Gwen who did nursing and was friends with Morgana (who talked Uther into psychology instead of suffering alongside Arthur) became a staple of the group not long after Merlin, then came Lancelot (social work), Gwaine (Marketing), Elyan (Engineering), and Percival (Teaching). They joined the football team after Merlin talked them into it, sure, they watched a few games and practices themselves but Merlin talked them into joining. Merlin also brought Leon closer to them, turning the politics student with a stick up his arse into a guy they could joke around with.
The members of the group always seemed to look up to Arthur, waiting on his judgement, but Arthur knew it was Merlin that had found them and wielded them together. Merlin was their greatest connector. Even when he tried to stand on the side, disappearing into the shadows, Arthur saw him, saw how Merlin smiled at them with a hint of sadness in his eyes.
The only thing Merlin's presence prevented were discussions about him. And everyone wanted to talk about it. In the locker rooms and on nights Merlin left early they came together and talked about it. How Merlin had found them, knew who they were without an introduction, knew how to appeal to them, how they all felt like Merlin knew them. How they all knew to trust Merlin without question.
During one of those discussions Gwen had cuddled into Lance's side. "Sometimes i'm a bit afraid of disappointing him. He... he seems to have these expectations of us, beyond how he knows us better than we know ourselves sometimes. He just... knows. He told me I should look into the political part of the nursing industry more, inform myself about the lobby and all. I did look it up but... i feel like he wants me to do more with it, more than he told me. And that's not the only thing..."
It baffled Arthur how his friends were afraid of Merlin's expectations when Arthur felt understood with Merlin for the first time in his life. Like Merlin would call him out for being an idiot but never abandon him. Like his friendship had no conditions.
And with that realization came another one. That Arthur didn't want an unconditional friendship. He wanted more.
He suppressed those thoughts of course. Merlin was his closest friend, he couldn't just risk that.
And then came the alcohol.
It was a post game party held in the small flat Arthur shared with Leon and Lance since the start of the semester. They had won without the Essetir team even having a chance.
So when Merlin and Arthur had stepped into the hallway for a moment of calm, Arthur stopped listening to Merlin talking about how annoyed he was with a tape glue, his eyes fixed on Merlin's face, taking in every detail.
"-and I swear, Arthur, the edges never stick down properly. And I can't get the clinic grade stuff for my kit because it's too expensive, but the next time Kay comes to me with knee pains I will steal from Gaius..." Merlin ranted.
Arthur knew interrupting people was rude but he was very very drunk and Merlin looked very very kissable.
"I want to do something."
Merlin giggled and Arthur felt slightly light headed with happiness.
"I need you to tell me to stop if i am crossing boundaries, because I am not sober enough to talk properly, but if I don't at least try I'll never be brave enough and... Merlin? Promise to stop me if i'm stupid?"
Arthur had come closer to Merlin without even properly realising.
Merlin swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing like an invite to bite... "I promise." His breath tickled over Arthur's skin.
And Arthur surged forward, one of his hands cradling Merlin's jaw as the other pulled his hips towards Arthur. Their lips met in a crash of urgency before softening, answering to needy pressure.
And suddely Arthur knew this was new.
It was better than this imagination.
A longing seemingly centuries old loosened in his chest.
He drew Merlin in closer, unwilling to let go, now that he could hold him, keep him.
dailybridgerton
romaincrisis
2087
dededos
