The Latest Disaster
Nov. 19th, 2020 12:24 pmMain Points:
Merlin AU
Chapter Summary: Merlin's tired of things going wrong.
Word Count: 370
Rating: T
It wasn’t that hard, once he remembered, to realize who Merlin was. Who else dares argue with him, believe in him despite all evidence to the contrary, push him to do better without platitudes, just sincere friendship, growl like an angry mother bear mother and, if necessary, lash out anytime he’s hurt, fix him with blood and sweat and magic and miracles? Of course, Bones tends to blame him, too, whenever he gets hurt, despite whether or not it actually is his fault, but he gets testy at everybody for that sort of thing, and if Jim ever stopped looking out for crew as family, well, he wouldn’t be the same Captain [King] that Merlin or Bones would follow. And maybe it’s messed up, but that kind of ‘the universe isn’t allowed to take you away from me and by the way neither are you, you goddamn idiot’ is actually kind of…touching? Reassuring? It’s true he hasn’t had the most normal of childhood experiences, in either lifetime, and so maybe his vision of love is a little skewed. (Yeah, yeah, maybe if you talk to most people, it’s a lot skewed, but that’s beside the point.)
The point is, Bones is loyal. He works miracles. And it doesn’t matter who you are, what rank or authority or anything else you have; if he thinks you’re wrong he’ll do what he thinks is right and say whatever it is he has to say.
To thrive, to be the good Captain he knows he can be, he needs Merlin at his side.
( knightly loyalty )
She’d known, even without her dreams, that it was only a matter of time, really, before Arthur pulled her aside. “This has got to stop,” she states flatly, and the tone of his voice makes her laugh.
“Jealous?” Morgana asks, enjoying the look on Arthur’s face.
“If this is some sort of misguided ‘I’m monopolizing your servant’s time in retaliation for mine’ pettiness, it’s hardly in good taste, Morgana.” The conversation really is quite amusing. “Merlin is…fragile, and you playing with his heart…I’m not going to have a broken servant because you’re bored.”
She smirks. “Merlin can take care of himself. He’s been doing that while you weren’t looking for quite some time, you know.”
He folds his arms, and it’s only the impulse to not look like a complete child in front of her that stops him from stamping his foot. “Just…leave Merlin alone, Morgana,” he growls, and stomps off.
He really is jealous, more than would be warranted for just a servant or a friend, and certainly more than is deserved, considering there’s no way she could pry him away from the prince, but now that she’s feeling much more in control, much more herself, it’s back to her favorite pastime of tormenting Arthur. He deserves that much, after her saving his life several times since she’d learnt.
There’s visitors and a big banquet, and Merlin’s kept running around on his feet until he practically collapses with exhaustion, and it’s Morgana who notices what look like little fire trails in the garden. She looks for Merlin but manages not to find him, and convinces herself it’s not real until she wakes, screaming, and runs to find him. It’s lucky that Gaius is kept busy elsewhere, gathering herbs for one of the older knights who will be visiting, and she catches Merlin just as he crawls, sleepy-eyed, out of bed. It lets her speak of her dream without having to try to hide anything from Gaius, who probably knows her better than even Uther, and as if by magic his eyes suddenly sharpen, all sleep forgotten, as he makes her the usual sleeping draught and listens to her story.
It’s somewhat addicting to be listened to, for once, to not be ignored because she’s a woman or it’s just some silly dream, and from the look on Merlin’s face, sometimes, he agrees. He wants to talk to someone about it all. That look isn’t not here, now. He’s all intense concentration, trying to figure out how to protect Arthur, and she earns a slightly distracted smile as she agrees to keep an eye open and see if she can spot anything else, especially about the visitors. “If you can help in any other way, I’ll tell you,” he promises as he shoos her out, and true to his word, he does, and as usual the sorcerer is unmasked and there’s a chase across the city. It’s exhilarating, and Merlin doesn’t complain about her carrying the sword, and he gives her a smile and a thumb’s up and ducks into an alleyway when they hear the guards coming so there are no awkward questions about why the two of them had been chasing a notorious sorcerer instead of all the knights of the kingdoms.
From the displeased way Arthur narrows his eyes when Merlin joins them casually, he might not have been fooled, but no one else seems to suspect her newfound role in saving the kingdom, more than just the heroic, silly chase in a confining dress. There’s even an (annoying) joke about making her a knight if she’d been born a different sex, but instead of imagining setting him alight Morgana manages to just roll her eyes instead.