Have you been bad? (Arthur)

[Merlin]

It was more than an hour since the school had closed, and unsurprisingly everybody else had already left. Mature and responsible as the teachers were, they were still mostly teenagers or young adults, and they had better things to do with their time than sit in all evening marking tests. They'd do that later, in the same frenzied rush that all their students were finishing their homework.

Merlin, on the other hand, very often had to be dragged from his office, he spent so much time working - most of it on records and files that he really didn't need, given the lack of a power higher than himself, but he felt they were important and would come in useful, so he filled them out and kept them in filing cabinets.

On top of everything, he had a burning desire to spread his knowledge, perhaps because of some kind of destiny, perhaps simply a desire driven by the knowledge of who he once was (a conclusion easy to discern as soon as he'd started putting the pieces together), so as well as running the school, he also held a small class to teach the finer arts of magic to those wanting to learn.

It was this that he was working on so late, tucked away in his office scribbling out a lesson plan for the following week, so absorbed that he didn't even look up when there was a knock on the door, and simply called out "Who is it?"

[Arthur]

It wasn’t easy being the Sherriff, or commander of the guard, or the chief, or the commissioner, or whatever it was he had decided he should be called this week. They hadn’t really settled on a name for him yet and really that was probably the best way. His job seemed to change all the time it could hardly fall under a title. Mostly he was in charge of the security of the town, making sure that all the laws were upheld and sorting out any disagreements or arguments that erupted there. Not to mention keeping at bay any of the possible invasions from the outside world. He also saw to the trade, the goods that passed in and out of the town of Myth, their liaisons with other surrounding areas.

In truth there was a very good title for what he was, sadly it just so happened to be the one thing he was running from so had decided to ignore it.

However as of this time he had decided he was off duty and thus had made his routine walk around to the school to drag Merlin out of his office. One last job before he went home. It wasn’t an easy task but he was always successful one way or another. The knock had merely been a warning that he had been coming in anyway and before Merlin’s reply his hand was already turning the handle and he himself was striding into the room.

“It’s the sheriff,” he said holding his hand out in the shape of a gun, “we want you to come out with your hands up. Right now.”

[Merlin]

"Oh, sheriff today is it?" Merlin asked distractedly, finishing up his sentence before looking up with a slightly sleepy smile, leaning back in his chair he lifted his arms.

"I'm gay." He announced with a casual grin before dropping his arms back down and looking mock-thoughtful "But is it coming out if you already know?"

Pulling the lesson plan back towards him, he leant over it again.
"I'm almost done, I'll be home as soon as I've finished this off, and made sure all the records are straight and just checked and filed the detention reports."

[Arthur]

Arthur rolled his eyes at the boys reply which was a much better reaction than the one he had when the boy actually did come out. At least he wasn’t walking away, or running off on a hunting trip to avoid it anymore. In fact, he had gotten so good he could even make jokes about it, although he never knew when he had gone too far so was a little tentative to do so.

“I meant out of this dreary office, but you know, good to know, I’m glad you’re happy,” he said and grinned.

Flopping into the chair in front of the desk he said, “And yes, it’s Sherriff today. Had to sort out two brawling idiots down on weavers lane.”

Looking at his watch he continued, “And no. You’ll be out of here in the next ten minutes, even if I have to carry you. So work fast.”

[Merlin]

"Arthur," Merlin began, in the long-suffering tone of one who has had this argument many times, and still firmly believes themselves to be right "You're not the only one of us with a job to do, I need to get this finished, and you know I can't get it done at home." mostly because Arthur himself wasn't inclined to give Merlin the quiet calm he preferred for doing the work, deeming it too boring.

Merlin was just one of those people that never realised they were overworked, even if they kept going whilst telling someone with less of a workload to relax and take some time off so they didn't stress themselves out.

[Arthur]

“See that’s the thing about jobs,” said Arthur putting his feet up on the desk and swinging back on the chair, “there’s this whole working hours thing, and everyone has a set period of time that they work. Now a normal person is maybe 8 or 7 hours a day. Doctors and Policemen and people working in unethical factories are maybe a little more. But Merlin, given the opportunity and leeway you would work the full 24!”

Shaking his head he said, “I cant allow you to do that. You see, that’s my job. Dealing with the idiots.”

[Merlin]

"Being a prat, you mean?" Merlin teased, the effect somewhat ruined, despite the levity of his tone, by the fact that he didn't look up from his paper as he said it. "I just... it takes a lot of work to run a school, especially when almost everybody involved doesn't really know what they're doing, I'm just trying to make it as smooth as possible, all those kids that find their way here, everything is so different for them, they need some stability."

And that was the problem, really, because Merlin would do pretty much anything if it meant he could help someone else who needed it, so a little bit of extra work, in his opinion, was a small price to pay to make someone else's life a bit better.
It was his own life that he often forgot about.

[Arthur]

The man was going to kill himself with all this paperwork. Arthur was going to come in one day and find him crushed under a stack of paper and folders that had fallen on top of him. Or maybe hunched over the table, wasting away to nothing because he had forgotten to eat because someone else’s life being made easier was so much more important. There was just no knocking any sense into the man either, for a very intelligent person he could be a real idiot at times.

“Look, Oh Captain my Captain, these kids are fine, you’re doing a great job here. It’s time to give your self a pat on the back and call it night,” he said dropping his feet to the ground and giving him one of his ‘I’m being serious’ looks, “besides we made it here ok. We survived with a lot less.”

[Merlin]

"...We were different." Merlin said after a moment "We had you, you were far too stubborn to let a silly thing like your entire world changing bother you." He allowed a small smile to creep onto his face.
"Some of these kids though, they're just scared by it." He turned serious again, shrugging slightly.

Calling it a night was sounding increasingly tempting though... He looked down at the lesson plan, he'd pretty much finished it really, and he still had another day to get it done. Putting down his pen, he considered Arthur's words - and the fact that the other man probably wouldn't rest until he'd gotten his way.

"Well I suppose the files will be in order, I did them yesterday... but I really should look at the detention reports..."

[Arthur]

Arthur tried not to let that compliment (because that’s how he took it) from going to his head, it wasn’t easy. There was that other feeling as well as smugness that seemed to rise in his chest not necessarily at the compliment, but at who was giving it. He thought it best not to explore just what that meant and said, “And I’m still here, so if they’re still scared then just send them over here and I’ll talk some encouragement to them. I’ve got all the speeches written down.”

And now it was more about Merlin. Now it really was the children, those poor kids that had probably only been having a laugh forced to do detention? No he couldn’t allow that, “Look…what am I going to have to do to make you come home right now? I’ll do anything. Just leave the detention papers.”

…he really should have considered that proposal before saying it out loud.

[Merlin]

"You'd probably terrify them even more." He remarked dryly, though not entirely truthfully, there were plenty of kids that would probably be boosted by one of Arthur's inspiring speeches, they all probably looked up to him, not knowing what a prat he really was. Some of them probably would be a little intimidated though.

He at least had the good grace to only raise an amused eyebrow at the offer, while he knew they were in a place where they could joke about these things, Merlin knew that Arthur was still just the tiniest bit uncomfortable with Merlin's love for him, so he tried to keep them from going too far.

"Are you that desperate to be fed?" He joked instead.

[Arthur]

“Kids love me,” said Arthur pouting a bit, “and I’m great with children. I’ll take them to where all the armour is, let them play around with the swords and stuff and-ok I wouldn’t actually do that…maybe.”

Sighing he said, “You know, I don’t always rely on you to make my meals. I can actually work a cooker you know. One of the many skills I’ve learned since coming here…and also you don’t have too, I picked something up on the way here. So come on, grab your coat and lets go. You‘ve pulled.”

[Merlin]

"You know, I think that's the reason that kids only ever seem to get drawn here around puberty, because whatever force is in charge knows that you couldn't be trusted with anybody younger."
He was mostly joking though, he actually thought Arthur would do very well with kids - as long as they weren't too shy, and as long as there was somebody around to reign him in when he went a little too far.
He steadfastly ignored the part of his brain that added 'someone like me' and provided him with an adorable - and improbable - mental image of them having a sweet little family together.

"Dragging me out of work with nothing but altruistic intentions? I'm shocked." He teased, sticking his tongue out. He did seem to finally accept defeat, however, as he tucked the lesson plan into his desk drawer and stood up.

[Arthur]

“Yes! Success! Arthur wins again!” he said standing up and grinning happily, “you know this would all go a lot faster if you just agreed with me the moment I come in. Seriously, the wasted time we put in to these little arguments could be better used to enlighten our minds.”

Reaching in to his pockets he pulled out two DVD’s and said, “So what’s it going to be? Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 3 or Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith?”

[Merlin]

Enlighten their minds? Merlin was quite sure that Arthur had no such intentions - a surety that was confirmed when he pulled out the DVDs.

"You know," he sighed "I developed that way to the outer world for trade and supplies, not so that you could pester me into enchanting a DVD player to work and then buying up every bit of nerdery you can find whenever you make a trip out there."
As usual with his scolding of Arthur, however, the tone wasn't particularly serious.