Behind Closed Doors (Merthur AU)

Chapter 8

Warning:

Slight mentions of sexual situations.

The next morning, Merlin woke up relatively early and got himself ready for school. He hummed quietly to himself as he showered and pulled on a normal t-shirt and pants. He looked over himself in the mirror as he brushed his teeth and noticed a dark purple mark on his neck. Merlin ran a finger over it as the color changed a little before going back to its original color; it was definitely a hickey. He laughed quietly to himself and shook his head. Merlin didn't care if other people saw it; he knew they wouldn't know who it was from. He walked down the stairs and grabbed his bag, before he headed out the door and towards the school. Merlin was in good spirits because of how well last night went. He spent the whole walk daydreaming about Arthur.

Arthur woke up a bit earlier than usual. He felt slightly tired so he skipped his morning jog and didn't exercise the night before because of his date, but he was more than okay with that. He got ready for his day and pulled on some dark blue slacks and a white button up. He pulled on a blazer as well and fixed up his hair. After double checking himself in the mirror, he made his way to the school.

Once Arthur arrived, he did his usual routine of getting everything ready for the day. He pulled out his notebook and he read the things Merlin had left the day before, smiling. He was startled when there was a knock on his door and he glanced up, seeing Mr. Head standing in his doorway. He immediately felt busted and guilty.

"Mr. Head, good morning."

"Morning, Mr. James. I hope you're doing well. I just came to tell you I need your assistance in something," Mr. Head said. Arthur nodded silently, waiting for him to continue.

Just then, Merlin stepped into the classroom, nearly freezing in his place as he saw the principal speaking to Arthur. He quickly glanced to Arthur before returning his gaze to Mr. Head and put on a wide smile. "Good morning, Mr. Head." Merlin looked to Arthur. "Mr. James." He gave a short nod and walked over to his seat and sat down.

Arthur quickly looked to Merlin as he walked in and Mr. Head gave Merlin a slow nod. They both greeted him and watched him sit down before Mr. Head returned to his conversation with Arthur.

Merlin set down his phone and watched as it lit up, a picture of Arthur's face shining brightly on his screen. His eyes widened and he quickly turned his phone over, hoping Mr. Head didn't notice. Merlin quickly busied himself and grabbed his books, setting them onto his desk.

Mr. Head cleared his throat to break the momentary silence. "I need you to chaperone our camping trip in a few weeks. I heard you're also an expert in science, weirdly enough. We have four spots open for any students that need extra credit," he explained as Arthur nodded.

"Yeah, I'd love to. I'll let my students know."

Mr. Head nodded and thanked Arthur, but he glanced to Merlin once more before turning to Arthur again. "Does he always get here early?" He asked in a hushed tone.

Arthur, once again, nodded. "since my first day here," he said and the principal gave a simple "hmm" before walking out of the room.

Merlin overheard their whole conversation and he bit back a smile, raising his eyebrows. That could be fun. He looked up and caught Mr. Head's gaze. He stayed silent as he watched him leave. He kept his eyes on the door for a moment before looking to Arthur.

"You're going to let me go, right?" Merlin asked softly with a smile on his lips. He didn't move to get up and greet Arthur like he normally would; not with he close encounter from the principal. He maintained his distance and just gazed at Arthur. "I'll need the extra credit for this class, anyway."