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Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Swearing, mentions of sex
Word count: 1635
Summary: The first time they broke up, no one took it seriously. The second time was a little more serious, but not by much. The third time, everyone thought it was over. Modern AU.
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, the BBC does.
A/N: Written for a prompt ["The first time they broke up, no one took it seriously. The second time, it was a little more serious, but not by much. The third time, everyone thought it was over."] over at the Tumblr Merlin Kink Meme
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The first time they broke up, no one took it seriously. They’d been dating for exactly two weeks, they said – which everyone else took to mean the first time that Merlin actually agreed to go out on a date with Arthur, as opposed to the first time Arthur attempted to crudely proposition Merlin in a club.
There was a lot of screaming and throwing things – Gwen had been about to go visit Merlin, but had stopped when she heard the yelling, and had almost been trampled by Arthur when he came storming out – and a not very well thought out breakup.
(“It’s over, Arthur!” Merlin had screamed at Arthur’s retreating back.
“Good!” Arthur had shouted back at him.)
Lance had bet it’d only last a week. (“They’re both too stupid to realize that they fancy each other madly.”)
Gwen refused to bet, but they all knew she was going for anywhere from one day to four. (“They’re both going to know that they miss each other too much. They’ll never last as long as a whole week apart.”)
Morgana said three days. (“I think they’d have realized it the moment the words were out of their mouths, but they’re both too stubborn to admit that they were wrong.”)
Predictably, Morgana was right, and Lance regretfully handed over twenty quid. It had actually been Arthur that went back to Merlin, and apologized in the only way Arthur could – in a very emotionally stunted, angry, frustrated way, with some really fantastic make-up sex on the side.
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The second time was a little more serious, but not by much. There was actually less mindless yelling, and more cutting remarks and hurtful comments. It was a little unexpected; they fought all the time, but they’d managed to make it to a whole year, but then again, there was only so much that Merlin could be expected to take.
(“When are you going to tell your father that your sexuality is not some phase that you’ll get over? When will you actually admit to him that you are gay and that you have a boyfriend, Arthur?”
“Merlin, I just need time. You don’t understand. My father isn’t like your mother. It’s not as easy as you think it is.”
“Time? Arthur, it’s been a whole year!
You have had enough time. Don’t call me again until you’ve told your father about me and you. The truth.”
“Merlin, what...are you breaking up with me? Fuck, Merlin, don’t do this.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m breaking up with you. See you when you’ve told your father that you’re gay.”)
It lasted a week this time. Even though it took a little while, nobody actually believed that Arthur wouldn’t tell his father. One of Arthur’s priorities in life was to not disappoint Uther, but everyone could see how being with Merlin had changed Arthur.
Arthur went back to Merlin’s flat the evening that Arthur had done it, and Merlin let him in.
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The third time, everyone thought it was over.
It was a longstanding argument, and Merlin’s patience had been wearing thin for a long time. It felt like nothing had changed at all, despite how much Merlin had influenced Arthur over the three years that they’d been together.. Arthur still had every single one of his commitment issues.
(“It’s been three years, and it’s not like we’ve ever really taken things ‘slow’ before. Half my stuff is at your place anyway, and you keep your stuff here as well. I’m just saying, we may as well move in together. We’re practically living together anyway.”
“Merlin, I just think it’s important to have our own spaces, you know? If you’re having trouble with your rent, I can give you some money to help out.”
“I do not want to move in with you because I’m having money trouble! And I don’t want charity, Arthur, you know I hate that. You don’t need to offer me money because of your commitment issues.”
“I don’t have commitment issues! I just don’t think I’m ready, Merlin.”
“Are you ever going to be ready? Is there even any point in me hanging around anymore? Or are we just going to stay like this forever, until you get tired of me?”
“Don’t talk like that, Merlin. I’m not going to get tired of you. Please, can we just talk about this when I get back from work?” )
Later that day, Arthur let himself into Merlin’s little apartment with his key, and the first thing he finds is a stack of boxes in the hallway, with Merlin standing behind them.
(“What the fuck, Merlin?”
“I let myself into your apartment today and got all my stuff. If you find anything else, you can mail it to me or give it to Gwen or Lance or Morgana to give to me.”
“Merlin...”)
Merlin stepped around the boxes and stood in front of Arthur, taking his clenched fist and opening it. With his other hand, Merlin yanked hard on the chain around his own neck and dropped the broken chain and the key that was on it into Arthur’s palm, closing Arthur’s hand around it.
Arthur stared at Merlin for a minute, hoping that this isn’t what it was, but Merlin just stared back until Arthur reached into his pocket and gave Merlin back his house key.
Leaning in, Merlin kissed Arthur on the lips, briefly and chastely. Arthur kissed back hard, trying to get into Merlin’s mouth, but Merlin pulled away.
(“Fuck, Arthur, I wish I didn’t have to do this.”
“Then don’t.”)
Merlin shook his head sadly, then stepped back over the boxes and walked away, leaving Arthur standing in the hallway of Merlin’s apartment alone.
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Arthur figured out somewhere around the one-year mark of his relationship with Merlin that he would never want to be with anyone else ever again. It wasn’t until a year after that that he admitted it to someone, and that someone was Morgana.
(“You’ll have to fight to keep him, Arthur.”
“I will.”
“I hope so.”)
Morgana had looked at him with her pale eyes, something in them that Arthur wasn’t sure of, but he was sure that he would fight.
He wasn’t wrong. He did fight, every time. It just took him a while sometimes.
After the third time, it took Arthur two months. He didn’t see Merlin or speak to him at all during those two months, and a good three weeks of those two months had been spent wallowing, until at last, Gwen of all people, snapped him out of it.
(“Arthur Pendragon, you will stop being absolutely ridiculous right this instant! Did I see you in this state when I left you? No, I did not, and I don’t expect this to be any different. You are a grown man, Arthur, not a heartbroken thirteen-year-old girl.”
“It’s not the same, Gwen. You left me because you fell in love with Lance. I ruined the best relationship of my life.”
“It is not ruined, you idiot. Not yet, at least. Merlin broke up with you for a reason. Fix it! It’s not over until you give up, and that is exactly what you are doing! You cannot spend the rest of your life miserable, Arthur. Not to mention how shattered Merlin is.”
“He’s the one that ended it.”
“Doesn’t mean he wanted to. You’re both idiots. Come on, Arthur. Do something about it.”)
Arthur did do something about it, but first he spent a long time thinking about it, consulting his friends about it, and then planning it.
Gwen was the first person he told; he thought she should be the first to know, because it was thanks to her that he’d gotten up and tried to fix everything. (“Oh my god, Arthur! That is amazing! I am so glad you decided to do this. I think it’s great. He will love it. He does love you, after all.”)
Lance was the next to know, because he’d just come home after Arthur had told Gwen and run in, worried that something was wrong because Gwen was screaming. (“Good on you, mate. I can see why Gwen was shrieking about it; it’s great news.”)
Morgana had a much more mild reaction than Gwen had, but Arthur could tell that she was extremely pleased. (“Good, you finally got around to doing it. Do call once you’ve made up for all the sex you’ve missed.”)
It still took him another week after he’d told his friends what he was planning until he actually got the courage to do it. He would sit in his room and pull out the box and hold the ring, slip it onto his own finger, polish it, admire the extraordinary handiwork of Gwen’s father, until the day he steeled himself and finally decided to do it.
He didn’t really have a plan on how exactly to do it; it made him a little nervous, but he was just going to wing it. There wasn’t much point in trying to plan it anyway. It was impossible to plan everything out when Merlin was involved, because he just swept through and made a beautiful, amazing mess of everything.
Arthur stood in front of Merlin’s door for ten minute before finally raising his hand to knock on the door, and when Merlin opened it, Arthur couldn’t speak at all.
(“Arthur? What are you doing here?”)
Arthur fumbled around in his pocket, grasping the box tightly in his hand, staring into those blue eyes he hadn’t seen for months.
(“God, Merlin, I missed you.”
“Doesn’t explain why you’re here, Arthur.”)
Merlin’s eyes widened as Arthur drew out the box and opened it.
(“Fuck, Arthur, is that...?”
“Yeah, yeah, it is, Merlin – please, will you marry me?”
“Oh fuck, Arthur...yes, yes.”)
