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[pratentious]

[This time, the recording starts with a long, drawn out sigh. Then, surprisingly, it's still Merlin's voice that rattles off the voicemail in tones of long-suffering.]

Hello, you've reached King Arthur Pr--Pendragon. He isn't here to answer your call because he's incredibly important and busy. If you leave a message here with me, I'll make sure he gets it because I am a good servant--and friend-- [he adds the last bit in a rush, accompanied with a thwap!, an 'ow!' and an 'I heard that,' then forces the rest of the words out through gritted teeth] and will do anything my master asks of me.

[A couple seconds pass, then Merlin speaks again, this time sounding a bit further away, like he isn't speaking into the bracelet anymore.] There, happy now? If you ask me, the other one is still better-- Shut up, Merlin. It's time to do yours next. Wait, what --

[ click! ]

Comments

[pratentious]

[ The only proper response to which, really, is for Arthur to toss his coat onto Merlin's face on his way this own bed. He sits down to pull off his boots with a huff. ]

Right, then. Out with it, what's got you sulking about this time?

[dragonspeak]

[Merlin peels the coat off his face as he sits up. Surprisingly, he doesn't say anything in response, and simply studies Arthur with a strange kind of intensity in the silence.]

[pratentious]

[ Arthur looks up once Merlin's silence carries on long enough for him to realise he's not going to answer, and that gaze stops him short, one boot still hanging from the tips of his fingers. It's been some time. He'd forgotten what it felt like, that numbing sense of dread.

He sets the boot down and sits up straight, proper. Composed. ]

What happened?

[dragonspeak]

Nothing.

[Merlin looks away, shoulders hunching inward. Then, like he can't keep it bottled up anymore, he pushes himself off the bed and pulls Arthur into a hug before the king can even object. He sighs.]

Nothing's wrong. [You're still here. For now.]

[pratentious]

[ Arthur freezes up at the sudden embrace, startled and confused. He can't just shove him away like he might any other day. Despite what he might say, something is very clearly not all right, which is nothing new to them. But this reaction - this is new. ]

Merlin?

[ It's disconcerting, to say the absolute very least. Arthur raises an uncertain hand to place on Merlin's back, half of the embrace returned. ]