Forge

[servant]

"Hello? I don't have to polish this thing, do I?"

Comments

[king]

I'm well aware, Merlin.

[ He sighs, discontent. Normally he'd jump at the chance to humiliate Merlin a little, but right now he just wants him present and close. ]

All right. You have to ask Morgana if you can borrow one of her dresses, and if she'll help you find one that fits. And you can't tell her it's a dare.

[servant]

...You can't be serious.

[king]

Well, my last dare wasn't very good.

[servant]

Arthur, do you know Morgana will do if I ask her to help me find a dress?

She will help me find a dress. And probably make me go shopping with her for matching jewelry and things!

[king]

Should have just taken your clothes off, Merlin.

Don't worry, I'm sure you'll look lovely.

[servant]

I'm not poking holes in my ears. And I'm not wearing anything too short or low-cut. Or shaving my legs again.

[king]

I rather liked it when you did, though. They were all soft.

[servant]

No. Forget it. Absolutely not.

[...]

Maybe we should think of another game before I end up in braids.

[king]

I'll let you off the dress-wearing hook if I'm allowed to refrain from humiliating myself before a commanding officer.

[servant]

You're such an arse! You arranged that entire dare just to get out of your own!

[For a moment, things feel almost normal. Merlin almost expects to look over and see Arthur: head thrown back as he laughs, hands halfway raised to block a pillow.]

[And then he remembers.]

It hurts all the time without you.

[king]

[ Arthur is laughing, because it isn't quite true — more like he'd managed to create a win-win situation. And then Merlin's voice goes small and hurt and Arthur can see his face fall in his mind's eye. His laughter stops abruptly. ]

I'm right here, darling.

[ But he's not. It's just a Forge, and miles between them. Arthur rubs over his face, tired. ]

Tell me how I can make it better.

[servant]

Let me storm the island and break you out?

[He's joking. Sort of. But still glad that the walls of Arthur's chambers have been proven to be soundproof.]

I just miss your smug face and your big rough hands and your snoring - gods, I even miss your snoring.

[king]

I'll snore as much as you like when I'm out.

[ And he will get out. He's certain to be acquitted, certain, because he's going to try so very hard. This stent has done him a world of good in that it's shown him just how painful time in Themis was, the hours stretched into days. He will walk out a free man, and then he can get back to making Merlin's life simultaneously miserable and wonderful. ]

I miss you too. In every possible way. But we'll see each other again soon.

[servant]

Good, because I think we're both going to need a nice long nap.

[And Merlin thinks he could sleep, even with Arthur's snoring. He feels his fatigue acutely, worn down physically and otherwise.]

I don't suppose there's any way of carving out initials in that cell.

[king]

I don't think I'd want to.

[servant]

Or you could always carve out Gwaine's forge number.

['For a good time, call:']

or i could learn to read...

[king]

[ Arthur snorts quietly. ]

And how is Gwaine? You're not living at his house again, are you?

[ Not that he'd be. Jealous. Or anything. ]

i will read to you

[servant]

No. I've stayed here. Smells like you.

[It comes out without a second thought or regret.]

Besides, who knows how many more nights I'll be able to sleep here, what with the house hunting when you get out.

but will that go any better?

[king]

[ Smells like you. That Arthur is jealous of too, since his cell doesn't have any particular smell to it at all, and he longs for one of Merlin's scarves, his pillow, a shirt, anything. But he won't ask. ]

That reminds me. D'you think if you use magic to pretend that last place we looked at is haunted, they'll put the price down?

u n s u r e

[servant]

[Merlin laughs at that, almost giggling at the thought of Arthur askign him to use his magic for mischief.]

Uhm....it's worth a try?

Did you like that one?

[king]

I did. Bit big for just the three of us, but there's always someone needing a house.

[ And he badly wants to ask Giles. Even though he's not actually Arthur's father. And Verity, even though he's not actually Merlin's mother. ]

[servant]

You're a king, you should have a castle.

We'll go back and look at it again once you're free. And if things just happen to float off the shelves...

[king]

I'll be suitably offended by all the funny business going on in our future home.

[ Those last three words suddenly make the prison cell a lot less important, and his heart warms. ]

[servant]

And we can start moving in the next day.

[The smile is clear in his voice.]

It's amazing what we can accomplish when we put our heads together.