Chapter Text
It was a crisp and insignificant Monday morning. The new year had just begun and today marked the first day of the second semester in the small town where Merlin resided. Merlin, himself, was fast asleep in his bed, unaware of the events that were going to unfold in the day ahead of him.
Merlin's alarm soon went off, jolting him upright in his bed. Once he calmed down, he reached over to his phone and shut off his persistent alarm. He let out a low groan and rubbed his face a bit to try and wake himself up more. A sigh escaped him, as he squinted around the room.
"I guess I have no choice but to get up, huh?" Merlin muttered to himself, before getting up from the bed and stumbling to the bathroom. His house was fairly small, with only two bedrooms and a bathroom. His room was located upstairs, while his mother stayed in the bigger room downstairs. Merlin flicked on the bathroom light and caught a glimpse of his bed head in the mirror above the sink. He was quick to look away, focusing his attention on the shower. He turned the knob, not allowing the water to get very hot; dropping his clothing to the floor, he stepped into the shower, shivering slightly.
He was quick to bathe himself, not wanting to waste unnecessary water. His mother had a very inconsistent flow of money for bills, so he learned to try and cut back on most things. After a mere ten minutes, he shut the water off and grabbed a towel, quickly drying his hair. He hummed to himself, walking over to the sink. He wrapped the towel around his waist and quickly brushed his teeth.
Merlin ran a hand through his damp hair, exiting the bathroom back to his bedroom. He walked to his dresser and pulled it open; the older dresser squeaked in protest as he did so. He pulled out a simple white tee and some dark skinny jeans, slipping the outfit on easily. Merlin faced his long mirror after he changed and fussed with his dark hair. He messed with it, trying to make it look less flat.
Merlin then grabbed himself a hoodie and pulled it on but didn't zip it up. He put on shoes and, once satisfied with his look, grabbed his book bag. He slung it over his right shoulder, walking out and down the stairs. He made it down where his mother called goodbye to him and he made his way out.
Merlin lived relatively close to the school, so he almost always walked the few blocks. He put his earbuds in and blared his music with a slight smile on his lips. He was feeling better than normal. He looked around as most people tended to avoid him, but that's how he preferred it. He stepped into the school building and made his way straight to first period, which was English Literature.
On the other side of town was Arthur. At around the same time Merlin was getting ready, his own alarm had woken him up, as well. Arthur let it ring for a minute or two before he rubbed his face and yawned. He shut off the alarm before sitting up and turning on the bedside lamp. Arthur stretched, hearing his bones pop a little. He looked at the time and figured he had enough to shower, get ready, and possibly have breakfast, as well. He had worked out the night before so he deemed a morning run wasn't necessary.
Arthur got off of the bed and turned on the bedroom light, before heading down the stairs to start up his coffee. While he let it brew, he quickly showered. It was his first day teaching at a new school, so he was feeling rather nervous; he wasn't sure how the students would be, but that wasn't anything new to him.
Once he was well dried up, Arthur got dressed in black jeans with brown boots and a black shirt. He pulled a blazer-like jacket on top and fixed his blonde hair in a mirror. He thought he looked decent enough but not too professional for his first day. He made sure everything was in order before he grabbed himself a snack for breakfast and prepared himself a coffee to go. He walked out to his car, quickly making his way to the school.
Arthur shortly arrived and he walked to the front office, meeting with the principal, Uther Head, to make sure everything was in order for his new room. He was handed the keys to the room and he headed down the hallway and to the classroom. He unlocked the room, turning the lights on. He set his cup down on his desk and dug through his bag to look for expo markers. Arthur had his back towards the door, so he didn't notice when Merlin entered the classroom, being the first one there.
Merlin let his gaze fall on the man bent over in front of him, rifling through his bag. His eyebrows shot up, curiously, as his eyes trailed over Arthur's body slowly. He stayed quiet for a moment before he finally walked over to the stranger.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" He questioned with a hint of tease in his voice, "a cute new face?" Merlin's grin widened from ear to ear. "This class just got exciting."
Arthur stopped fumbling in his bag as he heard a voice from behind him. He straightened up, turning to meet the much shorter, young man who spoke. He furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms before speaking, "and you are?" He asked, his British accent very noticeable. Merlin's eyes continued to wander over Arthur's body before he met his gaze once Arthur spoke. A wide smile played on Merlin's lips.
"Merlin Reynolds," he responded, quickly. A playful hum was heard before he spoke again. "I didn't know we were getting someone new. And I certainly didn't know they'd be as cute as you." Merlin chuckled softly. "What's your name?"
Merlin leaned against a desk, casually, as he waited for Arthur's answer. He wasn't hiding his flirtatious nature; Merlin normally didn't care if someone was straight or not. He flirted with nearly everyone and he genuinely found Arthur attractive. Merlin was known for his mischief and acting out, but, of course, Arthur had yet to discover that.
Arthur watched Merlin and he nodded, slowly, as he smiled at him. "You'll learn my name later, I promise." Arthur was very aware that Merlin was going to be one of his students but that didn't stop him from wanting to embarrass him, so he made no attempts to stop the flirting.
Merlin's eyebrows raised as he heard Arthur's vague answer. "How mysterious." He chuckled, softly, as he continued to watch Arthur.
It was obvious that Merlin didn't think that Arthur was a teacher, but a student. Part of Arthur wished that he was warned of some of the students exhibiting this type of behavior so he could've been better prepared; maybe even dressed more professionally to not pass off as a student.
"So, where do you plan on sitting?" Arthur asked, not having looked at the seating chart yet. "I'd suggest the middle row. I feel you're a little reckless and someone needs to keep an eye on you."
"Normally, I sit in the front of the class. The teacher has a hard time not staring at me. But I'm sure if it's your eyes watching me, I can behave a little." Merlin's smile widened even more before he licked his lips gently. "Or maybe not," he added on, suggestively, after a small pause. Arthur had now piqued Merlin's interest as most people shut down his flirtatious attempts rather quickly.
Arthur chuckled and shook his head as he heard the student speak so carelessly. It wasn't quite unusual to have a student flirt with him, but unique in the sense that Merlin was another male. Normally, it was all girls that try and gain his attention.
"Is this why the last teacher left? Did you cause too much trouble and drama?" Arthur inquired as he gave Merlin a curious glance, wondering how he would respond. He didn't doubt, based on what he already saw, that Merlin would've taken things too far and could've caused a good deal of mischief.
Merlin's eyebrows raised a bit in surprise; the question had thrown him off. He looked to Arthur for a long moment. He tried to contain his boiling questions and shrug off his new suspicions. Merlin's bottom lip then jutted out in an exaggerated pout. "Awe, Mr. Kelly left? He was really fun to tease, too." Merlin's expression changed to a smile. "If you're suggesting it was my fault he left, I won't deny your accusation but poor of you to assume when you don't know me."
Arthur kept his eyes on Merlin as he spoke, studying his movements carefully, but the boy just didn't seem to budge. He couldn't entirely read Merlin in the moment, not yet, anyway. "I am not suggesting anything, I'm asking," he clarified. "I believe there's a difference there. And you're right, I don't know you. Just as you don't know me." He smiled a bit at the younger man in front of him. Merlin's eyes stayed focused on Arthur as he tried desperately to figure him out. Was Arthur really the new teacher? Merlin let out a sigh as he decided to be upfront about it.
"Are you Mr. Kelly's replacement?" He blurted, curiously. "Because you can't be, you don't look any older than I am." Merlin watched Arthur for a long moment, waiting for his answer.
When Merlin asked his question, Arthur thought about answering truthfully but, in the moment, another teacher walked into the room. "Mr. James! Good morning to you. I just came to wish you luck on your first day." The other teacher then took Arthur's hand and gave it a firm shake. Merlin's gaze had now turned to the teacher who entered the room, but Merlin seemed very unamused. He rolled his eyes as the two interacted.
"Thank you, I do hope it'll go well." Arthur smiled widely in response and turned to face Merlin. "Mr. Reynolds, could you, please, take a seat? I'm sure the rest of your classmates will be here, shortly."
Merlin turned his attention back to Arthur when he heard his last name and he gave him a bit of a sneer. "Oh, please, Mr. Reynolds is my father." Sarcasm dripped through Merlin's voice as any hint of playfulness now dissipated. He tilted his head slightly at Arthur's request before shrugging. "Alright, fine." He stood up and walked behind the teacher's desk, sitting his bottom firmly in the teacher's chair. He propped his feet on the desk allowing his gaze to nearly seethe through Arthur - almost as if to ask him what he was going to do about it. He was letting Arthur know that he had zero authority over what Merlin did.
Arthur watched Merlin as he walked in the opposite direction than he was hoping. He arched an eyebrow at Merlin's obvious stubbornness. He, momentarily, turned to the other teacher and smiled, before he walked over to Merlin in his chair. He knew full well he couldn't hit a student, but he did have the authority to do what he needed to make him behave.
"Look, Merlin," Arthur put heavy emphasis on his name, "it is my first day as your teacher, but that does not give you the right to treat me like all the others. I will not let you disrupt my class and continue to disrespect me. Trust me, every other teacher may have kept their mouths closed, but I won't hesitate for a moment to do what I can to make you see that." Arthur leaned down, resting both of his hands on the arms of the chair. "My classroom, my rules. And if you don't follow them, I will gladly kick you out the whole semester and watch you fail and not graduate. I'm sure it's terribly fun repeating senior year until I allow you to pass the class. So how about that?" As he spoke, his accent seemed to grow thicker, as he had grown a bit impatient with the student in front of him.
Merlin looked up and watched Arthur with pure amusement in his eyes. It wasn't the first time someone attempted to discipline him, but this was certainly the most interesting reaction he's gotten. His lips curled into a grin as he leaned in closer to Arthur.
"If that means I get to see you every year until I pass, then it's worth it." Merlin kept his eyes on Arthur knowing he was beginning to push his buttons; he raised his eyebrows a bit in bemusement. "If you think I'm going to listen to a man who looks my age, then you're mistaken. You're too cute to take seriously, Mr. James." Merlin put extra emphasis on Arthur's name. "But you will make this year interesting, I think."
Merlin gently pushed Arthur back as he stood up from the chair, inches away from him. He looked Arthur up and down for a long moment, refusing to step away from him just yet. At this point, he didn't even notice the other teacher in the room, nor did he care.
Arthur had remained quiet as Merlin spoke, but his annoyance just heightened with the disrespect dripping in Merlin's voice and words. "I don't believe your parents ever taught you any manners and that is such a sad life. Not to be rude in any way, Mr. Reynolds, but your parents - or, whatever guardian you have in your life - did a poor job with you. I feel sympathy for them. For you." Arthur's voice remained quiet but it didn't cause his words to be any less painful. Arthur then stepped away from Merlin and rolled the chair back to its proper place.
Merlin's gaze stayed on Arthur for a long time, as his expression slowly changed. Arthur's words really did hit him hard, but Merlin wasn't going to show any weakness. "I don't need pity from a man like you," he spat out, before walking to his desk. Merlin's seat was in the front row, right in front of the teacher's desk; this was so the previous teacher could keep a close eye on Merlin and all his shenanigans.
Just as Merlin sat down, the bell rang and students started wandering in one by one. A few of them glanced in Arthur's direction but most of them didn't say much. A few polite students said "good morning" as they walked passed and others just quietly walked to their desks. Arthur turned to the other teacher that had greeted him and he apologized for how he handled the situation, knowing he could've done differently. The other teacher didn't seem fazed by the situation and he shook his head. It almost seemed as if he knew that a similar situation was going to play out. He then bid farewell and good luck to Arthur before leaving the classroom.
Arthur took a few seconds to collect himself, grabbing his coffee and drinking the now room temperature liquid. Merlin glanced up at Arthur before he rolled his eyes and grabbed a pencil from his bag. Merlin absentmindedly started to scribble in the corner of his desk, not caring to really pay attention in class. English wasn't one of his better subjects. Arthur looked around the classroom at the relatively quiet students and he turned and walked to the white board behind him with one of the markers he had gotten from his bag earlier. He wrote his name and the class name on the board before setting the marker down. A few students spoke among themselves as others watched Arthur as he turned to face the class once more.
"Alright, settle down and good morning to all of you. My name is Arthur James, but you all can and will address me as Mr. James." He gave them a small smile. Merlin raised his eyebrows as he heard Arthur's full name. The moment the words left his lips, the girls in the classroom grew excited.
"He's British, dear Lord, have mercy," a girl behind Merlin whispered to her friend. Merlin glanced behind him and he rolled his eyes as the girls nearly fangirled; but, he had to admit, Arthur's accent did make him a good bit hotter.
"I would like to welcome you all to English Literature 103. I know this class is mandatory and it is meant to be harder than 01 and 02, but I will try my hardest to make it easier for you lot and help you as much as I can." Arthur walked in front of his desk and leaned against it to assume a more casual position. "So, before we start off, do you guys have any questions for me regarding the class?"
Merlin straightened up a bit and smirked when he heard Arthur's question. Without raising his hand, he called out, "are you offering personal tutoring at your house at all, Arthur? I'd love to sign up for that." Merlin let out a chuckle as he watched Arthur. He wanted to make this man squirm under him; see how far he could go before he broke.
Arthur turned to Merlin and he gripped the desk a bit as Merlin spoke. Some girls giggled and others stayed silent just watching the scene unfold in front of them. Arthur then plastered a smile on his lips and crossed his arms over his chest. "I will be offering tutoring but only here at school, in public, surrounded by witnesses to your misbehavior, Mr. Reynolds." Arthur's smile became a bit tighter. "As I had mentioned earlier, respect is very much appreciated."
Arthur then turned his attention to the rest of the class as he continued, "and as for you all, I hope you do not follow on the same footsteps as Mr. Reynolds, for it is very disturbing and unprofessional behavior. To those who giggled, I hope this is the last time you follow such childish behavior. I will not hesitate giving out detention and extra work assignments and raising the percentage your final will be worth." He warned them all before turning back to Merlin. "I had warned you earlier today, but I do not wish to cause any more of a disruption with you during my class." Merlin rolled his eyes in response to Arthur but didn't say anything.
Arthur stood up straight as he looked away. "And with that being said, let's go ahead and get started." He grabbed some papers and began handing them out. "This is just a little introduction page. I would like to get to know all my students for the rest of the year. Each one of your desks has a number assigned to it, for my memory. Next to your name, please put your desk number." Arthur explained his instructions as he walked down the aisles handing each student their own paper. "This should not take long. I'll give you all about ten minutes, maybe less if you continue talking."
Merlin looked up when Arthur placed the paper on his desk. He then stared down at the paper for a long moment; part of him wanted to rip it in half just to see what Arthur would do, but he refrained from it. Instead, Merlin grabbed his pencil and proceeded to fill out the paper. He grinned a bit to himself as he wrote his phone number down on the sheet instead of his desk number and then put flirtatious, sexual answers for most of the questions. The next segment was about interests and Merlin shamelessly described Arthur for most of the questions.
Arthur looked around the room as he saw the students fill the paper out at their own pace. He smiled a bit and walked back to his desk, sitting down on the chair. Arthur opened up his laptop and picked up his coffee to take a sip of it; he did some quick work on the laptop and he shot Mr. Head an email. He wanted to know why he wasn't warned ahead of time about Merlin's reckless behavior.
Merlin finished his paper quickly and he looked up seeing Arthur on his laptop. He grinned a bit to himself before getting up and setting the paper on Arthur's desk. He peered at Arthur as he walked back to his desk, sitting down and keeping his eyes glued to Arthur. Arthur looked up when Merlin placed the paper on the desk and he watched him walk back to his desk, full of suspicion. Even after Merlin took a seat, he kept his gaze on him. After a moment, he picked up the paper, quickly reading it over; he wasn't surprised at most of the stuff Merlin wrote down.
Arthur smiled to himself and he set the paper back down on his desk, continuing what he was working on. Shortly enough, everyone started finishing up and handing in their papers. Once everyone was done, Arthur started calling out names to make sure everyone was finish, skipping Merlin as he didn't fill out his information properly on the sheet and he didn't wish to give him more attention. He finished up and then went on to explain the materials every student was going to need for the class, including the books they would need for the rest of the year.
"I have bought myself some copies and whoever needs one, please come up after class and sign this page." Arthur set down a clipboard on his desk that had a sign up sheet on it. "That way I will know who got which book assigned if it ends up getting damaged or something similar. I, also, made sure the library ordered some more copies if you kids don't wish to buy it, but it will be limited. And I believe that's all I have for you kids today. Please, stay in your seats and speak amongst yourselves quietly while we wait for the bell."
Merlin sighed a bit to himself as he listened to Arthur and he sat back in his seat. He grew antsy very quickly and his foot started to tap. He glanced repetitively at the clock, growing more and more agitated with having to wait. Merlin knew no one was going to talk to him, people didn't have the balls to do so and he preferred it that way. He eventually looked up at Arthur and just watched him on his laptop. He didn't care if all his staring made Arthur uncomfortable.
Arthur was looking up various outfits and bags online, trying to find stuff that would make him look more professional. He didn't want to continue to be mistaken for a student when he was really the teacher; anything to prevent another incident like what happened with Merlin.
Merlin fiddled with his pencil as he watched Arthur before he broke it, partially on purpose. He used it as an excuse to get up and walk over to Arthur's desk, where the trash can was. Arthur's eyes shot up when he heard Merlin get up and he watched him, curiously. Merlin stole a peek at Arthur's laptop and he raised his eyebrows. "What are you doing?" He asked, being rather nosy. He was bored and couldn't stand sitting around any longer.
Arthur raised a brow to Merlin's question and responded, "that's my business. Go back to your seat." He spoke quietly, not being harsh with Merlin. He didn't have a reason to be as Merlin wasn't technically doing anything wrong.
Merlin shook his head, quickly, in response. "No, it's boring." He spoke quietly, looking over at Arthur's stuff. He then turned his gaze back to Arthur and pointed at an outfit on the screen. "I think you'd look good in that." His voice was rather serious without a hint of tease. Arthur followed Merlin's finger and looked at the outfit he pointed at. He let out a soft hum as he thought over the choice. He did like the color scheme of the outfit and he thought about actually purchasing it for a minute, but shook his head. Why was he planning on buying an outfit Merlin would just tease him in?
"I think I should go for a fashion you would not like." He said as he looked to Merlin.
Merlin raised his eyebrows at Arthur's response and he laughed a bit. "I'll probably like you in anything, so good luck. But I'm surprised you're clothing shopping during school hours." Merlin leaned against Arthur's desk, casually. A couple of the other students were looking at Merlin, figuring he was up to no good but no one said anything; not yet. They all wanted to see if the new teacher was good enough to handle a student like Merlin.
Arthur raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. "I'm not shopping, I'm looking." Arthur caught a few of the students staring and he hardened his gaze on Merlin. "Merlin, go sit down. Talk to your classmates. Class is almost over," Arthur said as he took a sip of his coffee.
Merlin's eyebrows furrowed as he noticed the slight mood shift from Arthur. He frowned a bit, speaking a bit louder, "how annoying. Whatever, I'm leaving anyway." Merlin straightened up and he walked to his desk, grabbing his book bag. "See you later, Arthur." He walked right out of the classroom without even a glance back. Arthur watched Merlin and he grew even more annoyed. What was with this kid?
"No matter how hard you try, you'll never change his behavior," one of the students spoke up and Arthur turned his attention to them.
"Pardon me?" He asked, incredulously.
"He's always been like that. We've been in the same school with him since elementary and, once that boy hit puberty and knew what sex was, nobody was able to control him. He's gotten in so much trouble. Teachers can't even handle him."
"There was a rumor he managed to sleep with one of them and the teacher got fired," another kid chimed in, confirming what the previous student was saying.
"Alright, alright," Arthur said, a bit annoyed at the students. "That is enough. I do not care about his past life and mistakes. He is still one of your classmates and, although he might be disrespectful, that doesn't give all of you the right to talk of him and rumors. Rumors are lies. Remember not to believe them. They always change and they lead to something that isn't true. They tend to get one too many people in trouble."
The bell then rang and Arthur stood, walking to the door and holding it open. "Please, try and have your books by tomorrow and, those that want to borrow one of mine, go sign the sheet on my desk." He gave everyone a smile and told everyone as they left to have a good day. He then kept the door propped open as he walked to his desk to wait for his next class. He sighed as he just realized how weird his first class went.
Arthur didn't see Merlin around the rest of the day. Merlin has proceeded to just skip the rest of his classes, not caring enough to go to them; he stayed on school grounds, though. He had gotten fairly good at dodging security in the halls during class time and he knew multiple hiding spots to hang out as the day passed.
The last bell finally rang and Merlin made his way straight to Arthur's classroom. In all seriousness, Merlin knew his family wouldn't be able to afford getting book materials for Arthur's class, so he needed to sign up for them. He walked right into the classroom and set his bag down by the door, gazing at Arthur, curiously.
Arthur had made sure to assign different books to different classes so he wouldn't have to purchase too many copies of the same books. He read over the sign up sheet as he heard someone walk into the room. He met Merlin's eyes and remained seated as he spoke, "Merlin. What can I help you with?"
A playful grin found its way onto Merlin's lips. "There's a lot of things you could help me with." He then raised his eyebrows a bit towards Arthur. "But not much you would help me with, I'm afraid." Arthur's face almost immediately showed his annoyance as he listened to Merlin's flirting, but kept his eyes on Merlin as he walked over. "I need to sign up for books if you want me to do any of your assignments." Merlin spoke bluntly while he leaned over Arthur's desk.
Arthur raised an eyebrow and shook his head, slightly. "I had mentioned to sign up for books at the end of your class. I suggest you go check the library," Arthur said, with a small smile, though he would probably end up letting Merlin borrow a book, either way.
Merlin let out a loud laugh and shook his head. "You think the library would lend me a book? Not even if I was screwing the librarian would they let me check a book out of that place." Merlin kept his gaze on Arthur as he paused for a moment. A wide smirk stretched across his features. "You know, my question about a personal tutor is still up for grabs, too. Can't have me failing, now." His voice remained teasing as he spoke.
Arthur let out a sigh as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't you get tired of being so disrespectful?" He asked, in all seriousness. From hearing the other students talk about Merlin, he was now very curious about his story, but he knew he couldn't exactly bother him about it, yet. He just wanted to get to know him more as a student and, possibly, help him.
Merlin tilted his head a bit at his question. "No, not really," he answered with a shrug. "It makes school a lot easier to manage." Merlin pulled back from Arthur's desk only to sit on a desk in front of it. "Plus, it's fun watching the teachers squirm when they don't know how to handle me." He gave Arthur a bit of a grin.
Arthur stayed silent while Merlin spoke. He made sure to keep his voice soft, being fully aware that the door was still wide open; Arthur didn't feel like getting in trouble for one uneducated student. "Don't you ever stop to think how they feel?" He inquired, quietly. "I'm not encouraging any type of behavior or actions, but they are human beings just trying to get their work done and I bet it's hard for them when you're just being a little bratty student."
Merlin watched Arthur for a moment and his expression grew amused when he heard Arthur call him bratty. "Some people like bratty little students." He couldn't help himself from commenting. He paused a bit, glancing around the room before settling his gaze back on Arthur. His face clearly showed no remorse. "Why should I care how they feel?" He asked before looking away again. "'Cause I really don't."
Merlin watched the door for a second before he looked back to Arthur. He didn't know why Arthur was talking to him in such a calm manner and it genuinely confused him. "I'm sorry you sympathize with a bunch of shit head teachers." He said, impulsively, feeling the need to insult Arthur, because he was making him a bit uncomfortable. Arthur's eyebrows shot up when he heard the comment Merlin made.
"Well, if that's your way of calling me a shit head teacher, then I'm sorry you feel that way about us. We all studied the same thing to make sure we can provide the best for our students and if you feel we've failed, please, tell me so I can improve myself in making it a better learning experience for you."
Arthur stood up and headed towards the classroom door, gesturing to Merlin that it was time he left. He didn't know why he wanted to keep talking to Merlin; well, no, he did. He really wanted to crack him and get to know him. Why was he like this? Was there more than just a flirty, hormonal, teenage boy? Arthur was very much hooked on the idea but he also knew he couldn't give Merlin the wrong idea.
Merlin listened to Arthur, quietly, before he looked at him a bit skeptically. "Fine, I won't hesitate to point out your flaws next time, then. In front of the whole class." Merlin stood up, but he didn't walk to the door. "But the first thing could be when a student comes in needing source material because they can't afford it, you shouldn't deny them just because you don't like them."
Merlin proceeded to walk over to Arthur's desk, starting to mess with is stuff; he sat in Arthur's chair once again. "Second of all, what if I actually do need help? Shame on you, teacher boy." Merlin opened up a few of Arthur's desk drawers and went through them. At this point, he was just trying to get a reaction out of Arthur, so he allowed his impulsiveness to take over.
Arthur listened to every word Merlin said, silently, before letting out a soft sigh. He knew he was making a huge mistake but he couldn't help himself. He may have studied English and education but he had, also, studied psychology. So Arthur impulsively walked over to his desk and began gathering up his stuff. Merlin kept a curious gaze on Arthur as he did so. It was unusual that he hadn't gotten into any significant trouble, yet. Arthur didn't speak to Merlin as he closed his laptop and packed it up. He continued cleaning up, packing up his bag as he went along. Merlin furrowed his eyebrows, half expecting Arthur to just leave him there, alone.
Arthur threw the bag over his shoulder and he glanced over at Merlin. "I'm assuming you're here so late because you don't have a way home. Almost everyone should be gone by now. How about I offer you a ride?"
Merlin's eyebrows raised so high, he thought they were going to fly off. It took him a long moment to actually process what Arthur had suggested and he spun around in his chair before facing Arthur again. "Fine," he finally responded, standing up. "Not that I really want to go home, but I can't resist such a sweet offer." Arthur rolled his eyes a bit at Merlin's comment, but continued walking to the door. Merlin was quick to pick up his bag and follow after Arthur.
Arthur shut off the classroom lights and locked the doors behind them as they left. They both walked out of the building together, towards the parking lot. Arthur walked Merlin over to his car, which was a black Honda Civic of 2019. He unlocked the car and, quickly, glanced around to make sure no one was around as Merlin got into the car. He walked to the driver's seat, getting in after Merlin.
"Where am I driving you to?" Arthur asked, turning his car on and putting it in drive.
Merlin pulled on his seatbelt, smirking slightly before responding, "how about your place? Or I'm down for anywhere, really." He let out a little laugh. "I'm not overly picky." Merlin looked over at Arthur with a small grin. He really didn't feel like going home just yet and it was fun teasing Arthur. Merlin didn't know how far was too far, but he didn't really care, either. Arthur's reactions to Merlin is what kept Merlin so interested and he didn't mind being around him so much. Arthur didn't react, though.
Arthur knew that was what Merlin wanted from him so he didn't give him the satisfaction, but he was curious as to why he wouldn't give him an address. Was Merlin scared of something? Arthur's eyebrows furrowed a bit in thought, as he drove out of the parking lot. He allowed the music to play softly in the car, breaking any silence between them. Arthur stopped at a red light and he glanced over at Merlin.
"Seriously, where do you live? Or I could take you to a friend." Arthur was growing a bit more persistent, not wanting to drive around aimlessly.
Merlin let out a short laugh, shaking his head a bit. "I'm sorry, do I come off as someone who has many friends? Some people at school might find me funny, but none of them actually wish to hang out with me." He then shrugged a bit. "As for my house, it's within walking distance, so I don't need to tell you." Merlin was now a bit annoyed that his earlier comment didn't get a reaction that he would've liked. He looked out the window for a minute.
Arthur stayed quiet as Merlin spoke and he paused for a bit. "Maybe you would have more friends if you were more respectful." He pointed out quietly.
Merlin's gaze snapped back over to Arthur and he raised his eyebrows a bit at his comment. He then decided to just be blunt about his thoughts. "You do want to fuck, don't you? That's why you're being so nice." He wasn't flirting anymore; Merlin was being very serious, showing that he genuinely thought that was what Arthur was doing. "You can drop the act, it's getting old." Arthur's grip tighten on the steering wheel as he heard Merlin's crude words. Deep down, he knew it was a mistake to even try with Merlin. He turned the car around and drove back towards the direction of the school.
"Merlin, I genuinely think people would like you more if you had any decency." Arthur wasn't really upset, but annoyed that he had tried his best and it got nowhere.
"Decency gets you nowhere," Merlin spat out, but his voice was quiet as he said it. He arched his eyebrows as he realized where they were headed. Merlin's gaze seared through Arthur, but he didn't say anything until they arrived at the parking lot. "Thanks for nothing." Merlin stepped out of the car and slammed it shut before Arthur could really get a word out.
"Merlin-" Arthur was cut off by the door and he shook his head, watching Merlin walk away. "Jesus..." Arthur said softly to himself. He wasn't trying to be rude to Merlin; he just wanted to help him out, but he didn't enjoy getting disrespected in his own car. Arthur shook his head and just drove off.
Merlin, on the other hand, was seething. He was beyond annoyed with how Arthur was acting and it was almost like he couldn't get a proper read on him. Merlin put his headphones in and blared music, just wanting to escape reality for a moment. He made it home and, when he walked in, it was very quiet. He knew it was because his mother was passed out somewhere. Ever since the incident with his father, Merlin's mother had taken a turn for the worse and relied on alcohol to get her through life.
As things stood, now, they were in a ridiculous amount of debt; any day, they could lose their house. Merlin didn't even bother looking for his mother, instead, he just walked to his bedroom. He reached over and flicked the light switch, but nothing happened. Merlin flicked it once more and sighed loudly. "Great, the power's off." Merlin pulled off his shoes and he flopped onto his bed, staring at his phone. His thoughts swarmed with the events that happened today as he tried to come to terms with how he felt about Arthur. Arthur was annoying to him but he couldn't help but want to stick around him. He rolled his eyes a bit. "I bet he doesn't have power problems.." He muttered to himself, softly.
After what had happened with Merlin, Arthur went straight back home and felt a wave of mental exhaustion hit him. Merlin was really exhausting to try and figure out. Arthur changed into comfortable clothing and sat at his dining room table, finishing up his lesson plans. He ran a hand through his hair, successfully messing it up. He had to figure out how he was going to deal with Merlin. He let out a long sigh and closed his laptop as it grew late. He would figure it out tomorrow, maybe. He walked to his bedroom and got into his bed. He looked up at the ceiling for a long time as his thoughts and solutions played through his mind. He turned over and sighed. "May tomorrow be a better day." He whispered to himself before falling asleep.
~6860 words~