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[youjustgot]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, MERLIN. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 135.18.129.14 *** Merlin has joined 135.18.129.14 <merlinofcourse> ⌁˚⊹ You have reached Prince Merlin ⊹˚⌁ <merlinofcourse> I know how to use computers now~

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[youjustgot]

[Hanging out with Beat always brightens Merlin's mood. He's the kind of guy who has accepted that Merlin is just...kind of the way that he is...and can ignore his brattiness enough to still have a good time. Merlin, in turn, can settle the hell down and eventually have a good time himself. All that's left is a fun night of hot dogs and magic pins, what more could anyone ask for?

But unlike Beat, Merlin isn't nocturnal, and eventually he needs to go back to get some sleep. No one wants to deal with a crabby prince in the morning-

Whoops, spoke too soon. Seeing Maya waiting by the door, Merlin can only assume the worst.]

Great, what did I do now?

[missleadingquestions]

[Oh! Maya's attention snaps to Merlin, her glowing eyes kind of like an animal's in the night.]

Ah— hey!

[Maya frowns immediately— but no, takes a breath, shuts her eyes tight, and breathes out.]

....I was waiting so I could apologize.

[youjustgot]

...........................Oh!

[Merlin stiffens, his fingers twiddling against his legs as his eyes dart off to the side. Well!!

This is embarrassing.]

I...knew that! I knew that! ...apologize away!

[missleadingquestions]

[Another sigh, and Maya rolls her eyes.

Looking back down into the water, she gestures with her arm for him to come sit with her.]

Can you just— listen to me, for a second?

[youjustgot]

[Merlin gives a sigh of his own, but in the end reluctantly sits down next to her.]

Fine, but only for a second. I am exhausted and filled with just...so many hot dogs right now. Like, the amount of hot dogs one man can safely consume? Exceeded that. Many mistakes were made tonight.

[missleadingquestions]

There's not enough room in you for all those dogs...

[She kicks her legs, far too short to reach the water at this time of day especially, and sighs.]

I— kind of went too far tonight. I didn't mean—

[She stops herself, scrunching her nose;]

No, like, it's not like you're—

How do I say—

[Her face flattens, and she shakes her head.]

Let me start over.

[And, facing him;]

Merlin, I'm really sorry I made you feel bad tonight. Some of the stuff you were saying made me feel— weird, and. Then I wasn't cool about it.

[youjustgot]

I actually have a second stomach entirely for hot dogs.

[And definitely not his young man metabolism that will someday slow down and his horrible habits will come back to haunt him. It's a second stomach.

As Maya attempts her apology, Merlin kicks his legs opposite in the rhythm of her own. ...He knows that he's tired, any meaningful reply he could come up with instead gets drowned by his mind urging him to find his bed already.]

Um, sure! Apology accepted. Was that...it?

[missleadingquestions]

Well— yeah, um—

No, but—

[He's tired. She can tell. She should let him go, but—]

Those things Beat said before you... went to go get dogs, that's not... actually how I feel.

[youjustgot]

[A hand washes over Merlin's eyes, rubbing softly in an attempt to keep his eyes open. He sighs again, knowing very well what he's about to ask will only lengthen this conversation.]

And how do you really feel?

[missleadingquestions]

[Maya looks at him for a moment, and sighs a little herself.]

...Merlin, you're like, a really good guy. You're, like, adorable, even before you were a nymph, and you're— super cool!

And you're a wizard, and a hero...

...And I'm not.

[She sighs.]

I'm not inviting you to anything. Like, you wouldn't even like that, anyway.

[And, with her brows knit, she urges;]

And I'm not telling you to be over Snow, either. Or, move past it or focus on now or— anything like that.

I— Beat really means well! But— I'm not saying that at all!

[youjustgot]

[Merlin quietly nods.

He nods, twiddles his fingers together, bobbing his head along with her sentences before finally:]



Which Beat thing are we talking about, exactly?

[missleadingquestions]

Um— the part about...

Um, I mean— didn't it kind of seem like he was saying I want you to date me and Hanna?

[youjustgot]

Listen, keep this between us, but I understand, like...half of what Beat's saying most of the time. Not that there's anything wrong with that! I've lived with three whole Italians, and that's just as hard, if not more difficult. I am GREAT at getting the gist of things, but-

[Wait.

So, then...he didn't get the gist of THAT and Merlin now realizes that Maya's just confessed something a lot heavier than he first realized. He bites his lip before he can babble anything more, trapping his thoughts behind a tight seal of anxiety.

It's true then... That alternate universe Hanna was closer than he realized. Someway, somehow, Maya and Hanna don't see anything wrong with including him in their relationship. Hanna's weird, pushy behavior for that second kiss only cements it... Without even trying, he's Merlin'd an entire couple.

And just as there's a universe where they've fallen for him, that means there's a version of him who's accepted the arrangement. He wonders then...how different could he possibly be from this Merlin...

With yet another sigh, Merlin begins to pick himself up, patting Maya's shoulder as the nymph makes it onto his feet. Maybe he's just too damn tired, but all he can really do is chuckle about the whole thing.]



Just give me a little more time.

[He's.........not saying no.]

[missleadingquestions]

[Maya stares for a second, almost letting Merlin get up, blubbering a confused—]

Bwh—

Huh!?

[What?

What?? What is he saying there? She just said—

She grabs Merlin's arm, tugging him back down, and—]

You're doing it again!

[Doing what??]

[youjustgot]

[Merlin stands helplessly as Maya grabs his arm, groaning as he throws his head back dramatically.]

Let me sleeeeeeeeep.

[missleadingquestions]

Are you actually gonna listen to what I'm saying in the morning?

[youjustgot]

I don't know, are you going to remember if you keep dreaming about me~?

[missleadingquestions]

[Maya pouts the biggest pout she can manage, and—

lets go of his arm, turning back to look at the water.]

...Fine.