magog_83

My second Halloween fic! This time my favourite pairing of all, Merlin and Arthur, and this is only a little modern AU scene (all of 735 words).

I hope everyone has had a great day, whether you're celebrating Halloween or not <3

Once again, thanks to

a8c_sock for the kick I needed to stop worrying and post this one.

Arthur felt like an idiot, and he sure as hell knew he looked like one too. Where on earth was Merlin? A group of teenagers walked past, dressed in outlandish costumes and Arthur tried for cool and nonchalant by getting out his phone and pretending to text. Of course looking cool and nonchalant with your phone was considerably undermined when you had to flick your waist-length black velvet cloak (with scarlet lining) out of the way to even reach it.

This had been a stupid idea. He blamed Merlin, if he hadn’t bet he would have a better costume than Arthur, Arthur wouldn’t even have bothered dressing up at all. But he had, and worse still he’d let Morgana of all people choose his outfit, which meant he was loitering in town on a Saturday night looking like a socially inept Bela Lugosi with an iphone.

The sound of running feet drew his attention from his 22nd game of Angry Birds and he looked up and almost sagged with relief when he spied Merlin hurrying towards him, already gasping out apologies. “Sorry, sorry, it ended up taking longer than I thought.” He had a rucksack slung over one shoulder, doubtless containing his work suit as he’d come straight from the office. He came to a halt and took a moment to get his breath back before he finally leaned in to kiss Arthur in greeting.

“Have you been waiting long?”

That was entirely beside the point as far as Arthur was concerned.

“Where’s your costume?”

Merlin blinked at him. “What?”

“This is a Halloween party you idiot, you’re supposed to be in costume!” As far as Arthur could tell, Merlin’s scruffy grey coat and jeans had certainly not come from Daring Dressers, Morgana’s costume supplier of choice.

Merlin looked wounded. “This is my costume.” He pulled open his coat with a showy gesture to reveal an old t-shirt with a large splodge of something red on the front. If that was an actual Halloween costume, Arthur was Robert Pattinson.

“What the hell is that supposed to be?” he demanded, pulling Merlin to one side out of the way of a crowd of rampaging zombies heading to the McDonalds by the tube station.

“I’m a ghost,” Merlin said, as though Arthur was the idiot here.

Arthur gave him a withering look. It was one of the few looks that was probably enhanced by a velvet cloak and pointy collar. “Shouldn’t you be wearing a sheet.”

“You living and your stereotypes. I am the spirit of one who was wretchedly and horribly killed.”

“In a rogue ketchup incident?” said Arthur sarcastically, poking Merlin in the chest and getting what was unmistakably tomato ketchup all over his finger.

Merlin batted his hand away. “Do not mock the tragic circumstances of my passing.”

“You bet me you would have the better costume!”

“As if you were going to dress up any other way.” Merlin reached up to straighten Arthur’s collar a little. “Besides you bet you’d have the better costume and you have. Doesn’t it feel special to be a winner?”

Arthur opened his mouth and then closed it again. He felt like somewhere along the line, he’d been tricked.

“Are we going in then?” said Merlin brightly, when he’d quite finished tweaking Arthur’s costume. He was peering through the windows of the bar where Morgana’s party was clearly already underway.

Arthur shifted, trying not to look as uncomfortable as he felt, though pretending anything was pointless with Merlin. “I should never have let you talk me into this, I feel like an idiot.”

“Well I think you look hot,” said Merlin, stoutly.

“I look stupid.”

“Stupidly hot, then.” Arthur tried to ignore the way Merlin moved to rest his chin on Arthur’s shoulder, looking at him with big eyes. He lasted about ten seconds –clearly he really was one of those rubbish Twilight vampires.

“Fine, but if anyone laughs we are leaving!”

Merlin grinned and kissed him on the cheek. Arthur just humphed. “You owe me for this.”

“Do you want to bite my neck?”

“No.”

“Lick it?”

“No!”

“I’ll let you climb through my bedroom window and ravish me later.”

Arthur yanked open the door to the bar, practically shoving Merlin through. “I share your bedroom, Merlin, it’s not like I need to climb the trellis.”

Merlin twisted around to grin at him. “I can lock you out first for authenticity”

“You’re ridiculous”

“Do not speak ill of the dead.”

The End :D