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“Just trust me,” Morgana murmured in her brother’s ear as they reached the door of the cafe, “it’ll be fun, he’s in my lectures and he’s really lovely and he really wants to meet you.” Arthur looked at his sister quizzically and then glanced back inside the cafe, feeling something akin to nerves lurch in his gut. It was taking all his willpower to not turn and run, he would never go on blind dates as a principal but Morgana was quite persuasive and well...he would feel bad leaving this guy ‘Merlin’ hanging now. Poor thing was probably bullied into it as well, maybe bullied was a bit of a strong word; Morgana just had a very special way of getting her own way. In other words, she always got her own way but he knew she only had his best interests at heart.
“Well go on Arthur, he’s waiting,” she urged with an encouraging smile; he sensed that she’d been planning this meeting for sometime. She’d always considered herself the matchmaker, ever since she set up Lance and Gwen and predicted the Gwaine and Percival thing. Maybe he should give this a chance.
“Alright, I’ll see you later,” he sighed. “I’d best not regret this.”
“You won’t,” she promised and squeezed his arm. “Now go on,” she tilted her head. Arthur gave her a pointed look before heading in.
Merlin was sat nursing a strange frappuccino-like concoction in the corner of the cafe as he gazed out of the window; the autumn breeze ruffling the leaves of the trees outside gently.
“You’re Merlin...?”
He turned at the sound of his name and the unfamiliar voice; it was a tallish man, blonde, he thought he recognised him from the university football team.
“And you are...?”
“Sorry, who are you expecting?”
“...Morgana.”
The blonde man cursed and it was almost comical, “sorry, it’s my sister, she-s-”
“Oh, you’re Morgana’s brother!” Merlin exclaimed. “Arthur, right?”
“Yes, that’s me,” he nodded, “I’m sorry...this is a...misunderstanding.”
Merlin could see that the other looked embarrassed, he gestured to the seat across from him, “please, take a seat.”
Arthur seemed to hesitate for a moment before doing so. “So Morgana’s not coming?” Merlin checked.
“No,” Arthur sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, it’s clearly not your fault,” Merlin shrugged and Arthur was surprised at how unphased he was. “You play with Gwaine on the football team, don’t you?”
“That’s right,” Arthur said, beginning to relax a little, the blush on his cheeks fading gradually. He actually took time to look at Merlin, bright eyes catching his own under a mop of dark hair. “And you do art with my sister...?”
“Yup,” Merlin took a long drink. “So was this supposed to be like a blind-date thing?”
Arthur’s blush returned, darker than before and Merlin smirked at the sight. “Something funny?” He raised a brow.
“You’re acting all...shy,” Merlin said, “and your cheeks are bright red.”
“I am not blushing,” Arthur stated and Merlin chuckled.
“I think you might be...”
“Idiot.”
“Dollophead.”
“Dollophead isn’t a word,” Arthur insisted.
“Just like this isn’t a date?” Merlin quipped.
“...What do you mean?” Arthur was confused.
“It could be a real word if you wanted it to be.” Merlin glanced up at him, smiling subtly. “Morgana has said a lot about you actually, I should have seen this coming.”
“Oh really, what’s she said?”
“That you’re arrogant, loud, rude-”
“Her opinion is biased,” Arthur interrupted.
“That’s a comfort,” Merlin smirked. “Are you going to order something...?”
“Um...” Arthur swallowed, “I’ve never been good at these coffee places.”
“Why? It’s easy, you get the one with cream and lots of it,” Merlin said.
“What?” Arthur said teasingly, “then you instagram it?”
Merlin gasped and feigned hurt, “how dare you suggest I am one of those people.”
“Well I don’t know you...”
“You should at least have more faith in your sister’s choice of friends.”
“I’d like to get to know you,” Arthur blurted out.
Merlin seemed frozen for a moment before he collected himself, “well, order a drink then.”
They talked for a long time, though to them it didn’t feel that way. It seemed they had more in common than they’d initially thought; both of them had successful fathers who spent most of their time at work, though Merlin had had his mother as well whereas Arthur had a string of nannies and tutors. Merlin had talked about the projects him and Morgana were working on in their art classes, his eyes so lit up with passion as he described it Arthur found himself somewhat enamoured by the sight and Arthur had talked about his own studies in history as well as the football, they talked a little about Gwaine and Percival as well; it turned out that Merlin knew them also if only briefly. Seemed he wasn’t the only one who hadn’t seen their relationship coming, though Merlin did say “in hindsight, it was bloody obvious.” Which was very true.
Arthur was surprised that they hadn’t met before and also, he found, disappointed. Merlin was funny and he seemed incredibly decent. Perhaps Morgana had known what she was doing all along, still he wasn’t impressed with how embarrassed she’d made him.
Soon the cafe was closing and they had to eventually say their goodbyes.
“I’ll see you at Gwaine’s brithday, won’t I?” Merlin said as he shrugged on his own jacket, wrapping a startlingly red neckerchief around his neck. Arthur had to drag his eyes away from it.
“Yes, I suppose I will,” Arthur nodded, “I’ll see you Merlin.”
“See you Arthur,” Merlin’s smile was small but warm as he headed away and Arthur found himself smiling back, feeling almost stupid; like a dollophead. He couldn’t wait for Gwaine’s birthday.