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Dialogue for Rivals who are slowly becoming Friends

-> feel free to edit as you see fit.

"Glad to see that you decided to show up." "I knew you'd be bored without me here."

"Are you okay?"

"When did you stop being so awful?"

"This may not mean much to you, but I have your back."

"I don't like you, but I don't hate you either."

"So, are we friends?" "What do you think?"

"Why did we hate each other so much?"

"I mean it a lot less than I did a month ago, when I say I'm going to kill you."

"Thanks. And I actually mean it this time."

"Wait, what's wrong?"

"Are you here to make fun of me?" "No, I'm actually just here to make sure you're okay."

"I'm glad we're not at each others throats any more."

"You know, you're not so bad." "I never was."

"Aw, did you miss me?" "Absolutely not."

"If I didn't respect your mother, I would have absolutely killed you months ago."

Character A stumbles upon an old diary that reveals their secret crush on Character B, leading to a rekindling of those feelings.

During a blackout in the city, Character A and Character B, neighbors who have never spoken, find themselves bonding over candlelight, uncovering a deep attraction.

Character A and Character B, longtime coworkers, discover anonymous love notes left in their office, prompting a quest to find the secret admirer who's been revealing their hidden feelings.

While on vacation in a remote cabin, Character A and Character B are snowed in and must confront the romantic tension that's been simmering beneath their friendship.

Character A and Character B, friends who often playfully tease each other, realize that their teasing masks deeper emotions that they've both been too afraid to admit.

At a high school reunion, Character A and Character B, former classmates, share a slow dance that reignites the passion they once had but never expressed.

Character A and Character B, childhood pen pals who haven't met in person, finally arrange a face-to-face meeting and discover that their connection is more profound than they ever imagined.

After a near-death experience, Character A realizes that life is too short to hide their feelings for Character B, prompting a bold confession.

Character A starts a new job and is assigned to mentor Character B, their colleague, leading to an unexpected romantic connection.

Character A and Character B, both single parents, bond over shared experiences while attending their children's soccer games, gradually realizing their attraction to each other.

Also i find it funny how two of three my fav ships are directly diagonally opposite each other.

Unbidden, his ears started to burn—the sure sign of an epic blush. “But. Look, you don’t even know me. I don’t even know your name, for fuck’s sake.”

“It’s Arthur.”

The irony was so great he actually laughed—a hysterical, high-pitched giggle, but a laugh, nonetheless. “Oh my god, seriously?”

He could actually feel the glare over the phone. “What’s wrong with my name?”

“Nothing! It’s just. Well. I’m Merlin.”

There was silence for about three seconds. “Pull the other leg. It’s got bells on it.”

Damsel in a Phone Booth, by blackwidina 3K T+

IT’S ALMOST EXACTLY HOW I IMAGINED IT

Sherlock: *dies and comes back*

Sam Winchester: *dies and comes back*

Dean Winchester: *dies a lot and comes back*

Castiel: *dies and comes back*

Loki: *dies and comes back*

Harry Potter: *dies and comes back*

Professor X: *dies and comes back*

Buffy: *dies and comes back*

Arthur:

Merlin: …Arthur?

Merlin

and you’re just?????? but what?????????? is the point of dating someone if you don’t like them?????????????? 

okay but seriously

Merlin hesitates to answer this question for so long  

he’s visibly having some kind of intensely emotional internal struggle 

so distraught that he can’t even keep still

or control his expression for more than a moment

or meet Arthur’s eyes

he’s on the verge of tears

and avoiding giving any kind of answer for as long as possible

and we’re supposed to believe that Arthur wouldn’t seriously question this? no. i don’t believe that of him.

—at least, not of the person he could and should have been, the person we see in the best scenes of the series, the man he was destined to become. but here, with the Arthur Who Never Grows Up…

even before Arthur finishes talking it out, Merlin is damn near hyperventilating

Arthur’s sitting right there. right across from him, closely watching his face—and we see him recognize Merlin’s distress 

Originally posted by bangtangooniedeltoro

but Arthur?? just accepts his answer at face value?? not asking why this question is so hard for him, why it upsets him so much, why he’s so hesitant when he’s been quick to condemn magic in the past, why it seems so personal to him?  

i mean, Merlin has given Arthur (often unsolicited) advice regarding the fate of the kingdom again and again, without hesitation or doubt, while Arthur struggled. so what makes this any different?

Merlin grew up “knowing a sorcerer” (as far as Arthur is aware), has gone into battle against magical enemies, researched magic and magical cultures and creatures, and stood by Arthur’s side while he used magic, so he can’t think all that emotion comes from a terror of magic or its return to the kingdom. 

not to mention that Merlin hasn’t exactly shown qualms about killing or letting people die recently (*cough*Mordred*cough*Why did you spare his life??*cough*You should’ve killed him!!*cough*), not if it will protect their lives or Camelot’s people, so he probably wouldn’t be getting teary-eyed about letting one man die to “save” all of Camelot from the ~evils of magic.~

People always discuss what this scene says about Merlin—how much he’s willing to sacrifice for Arthur, how far he’ll go for the sake of their destiny.

but what does it say about Arthur that his best friend was visibly breaking down right in front of him

Arthur’s not stupid no matter how hard the writers try to make him seem like it 

if ever there was a time for Arthur to put 2 and 2 together, this would have been it 

PRECISELY. and 100% agreed about more fix-its of that scene where Arthur is the one who makes a choice. One that isn’t made for him.

There’s an awful lot of responsibility placed on Merlin to make the decision, come forward, reveal himself, when he has the most to lose by doing so: his home, his family, his friends, his entire life. Not his physical existence per se (hello, immortality), but his livelihood and everything that he’s been working for and sacrificed everything to accomplish. 

Merlin had more information than Arthur, and that’s often used as a way to put the full responsibility of the fate of magic on his shoulders. It’s up to him to show Arthur that magic can be good! He knows about their destiny and Mordred’s betrayal!! 

But if Arthur is the great man and king of prophecy, shouldn’t he be able to discover the truth on his own because of the person he is at heart? Why isn’t it Arthur’s responsibility to find the right path by following his own morality, rather than Merlin’s responsibility to tell him that magic users are people? His people, innocent people, people he has stood by and seen executed for existing, people who are hurt and scared and angry and desperate enough to lash out in the hopes that something, anything, will change?

The series gives Arthur everything he needs to ~solve the puzzle of Merlin,~ in moments like this where there’s so clearly something wrong, that doesn’t add up based on what he knows. In canon, he stays willfully blind to all of it, and he’s forgiven for ignoring what is, at times, literally waved in front of his face. Even though ignoring that means ignoring the humanity of an entire group of people, ignoring his complicity in the genocide his father led, and ignoring his responsibility to finally end it. 

The only thing Arthur had to lose from acknowledging the truth—of Merlin’s magic, of magic’s neutrality, of his father’s crimes—is his own sense of self-righteousness, which we know he’d be willing to give up in a second if it meant saving innocent people’s lives. 

He’s faced with his closest friend in obvious pain as the direct result of a question about whether to accept or deny magic’s place in the kingdom, he’s trying to make an extremely delicate choice that could save or condemn his people, he’s again confronted with the morality or immorality of his father’s beliefs and laws, and he has everything he has experienced of magic in the past, good and bad and ambivalent, including his own uses of it, to remind him that it’s more complex than the good-vs-evil situation his father led him to believe it was. 

Innocent lives, Mordred’s life, his entire kingdom is at stake. He needs to make the right choice. It’s the perfect moment for him to push forward, ask questions, and put the pieces together himself. 

Me: *comes to long and loving and detailed description of both main characters*

So, I had the amazing honor of having my Merthur fic, Damsel in a Phone Booth, translated in to Russian, here! 

First of all, they added a bit of coverart, which is just awesome. Second, I just spent the last twenty minutes plugging it into the google Russian to English translator, and I swear to god, I’ve never laughed so hard!

Just from the first paragraph, it’s a gem:

“He is idiot. Goner idiot . We had to stay with Gwen and Lance . Or take a taxi . We had not too lazy to find a power outlet and charge your foolish (useless ! ) Mobile phone. You do not need to drink “ for the road ” , although it is possible that due to the last glass of it still was paralyzed with terror.”