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Everyone told Merlin that getting a new puppy to help keep his old dog company when he was gone at work would be an amazing idea.
“Aithusa! Aithusa, come back!” Merlin cried out frantically as he ran down the street in pursuit of his new challenge.
It would be so much fun! They had told him. It would be the best decision he made all year!
Merlin, racing down the crowded street, was beginning to question the sanity of his friends and family. He’d gotten a puppy, alright, but she was…definitely something. His eyes widened when he spotted a big blur of white fur in the distance, and he sped up.
“Aithusa!” he called out again as he closed in.
So close, he was so close. Just a little further and—
It was just his luck when, instead of catching his pup, he ran straight into another man, sending himself and the man stumbling backwards. Merlin, clumsy as ever, managed to trip over his own foot and land on the pavement.
“Oh, crap! I’m so sorry, I didn't—my dog—” Merlin stammered as he scrambled to his feet, now flustered on top of panicked from losing his new puppy.
The man just blinked a few times, staring at Merlin incredulously. Merlin would be lying if he said he wasn’t enchanted by his disbelieving, cerulean eyes.
“Right…” he finally spoke, hesitating a moment before pointing behind himself, “Ah, the dog went that way, I think. Admittedly was a bit of a…blur.”
Merlin let out a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. She was probably way off by now…
“Dammit,” he swore, dropping his hands to his sides. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the man was staring at him with what looked vaguely like concern. He put on a smile. “Thanks—uh, sorry again for running into you!”
He nodded and turned to head off, only to stop when the unfairly attractive man placed a hand on his shoulder. Merlin blinked and looked back at him with wide eyes.
“Wait. I’ll help you find her,” he offered, giving Merlin a crooked grin.
And honestly, that smile was a hazard to Merlin’s cardiac health.
“Thank you,” Merlin said, sincere.
“It’s nothing, come on, I think she went this way.” The man started down the street, holding Merlin’s wrist tight but not painfully so. Merlin, on the other hand, just let himself be dragged. “I’m Arthur, by the way.”
Arthur. Merlin sighed as he let the name echo through his thoughts.
“I’m Merlin,” he quickly replied.
“Your dog’s Aithusa?” When Merlin nodded, finally catching up to walk quickly next to Arthur, he chuckled quietly. “That’s an…interesting name.”
“You should hear my other dog’s name,” Merlin snorted. Then, after a pause, “Kilgharrah.”
This time Arthur let out a loud laugh, shaking his head. “Kilgharrah?”
“He was my dad’s,” Merlin explained, lips quirked up in an amused smile. “I didn’t name him. I did name Aithusa, though. Just got her this week actually.”
A blur of white zoomed by and Merlin let out a startled shout. “There! She just went that way!”
Arthur tugged Merlin down the road in the direction of Aithusa, his hand slipping down to Merlin’s hand sometime in the process of them turning the corner. Merlin glanced down to their hands briefly before looking ahead again, ignoring the flush on his face as he laced their fingers.
Call it instinct. It felt right, though. Merlin tried not to think too deeply about that.
“Where the hell—how does such a big dog disappear so fast?” Arthur exclaimed, slowing to a stop when they lost sight of Aithusa again. He pulled his hand back, running it through his hair. It looked perfect even messed up.
Oh, he should not be thinking of a stranger like he was.
Merlin groaned. “It’s a skill.”
“Thank you for helping me catch her,” Merlin sighed as he sat down on the bench at the dog park.
Aithusa ran free amongst the other dogs, happy and energetic and loud. Merlin had no idea how she still had the energy to run and play. He, for one, was exhausted. Arthur sat beside him, appearing similarly exhausted, but smiling, nonetheless.
“It was nothing,” he hummed, “my day’s been rather boring anyway.”
“Surely you had more important things to do than help a stranger catch his dog, though,” Merlin said with a chuckle.
Arthur shrugged, scooted over on the bench. Closer to Merlin. “I wouldn’t say you’re much of a stranger anymore,” he told him, “Your name is Merlin, you have two dogs with strange names, and you have a certain proclivity for losing one of them.”
“Hey! This was my first time!”
“Of many, I’m sure.”
“You are a prat,” Merlin laughed, shaking his head. “Aithusa is just…very agile for such a big dog. Slipped right out of her harness.”
As if she knew they were talking about her, Aithusa abruptly stopped and looked over at them. Then, slowly and deliberately, she flopped into a puddle of mud beside her. Merlin swore under his breath. Arthur, on the other hand, laughed loud and unrestrained.
“What is she?”
“A challenge,” Merlin snorted. When Arthur only raised an eyebrow at him, he ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. “I have no idea. Got her from a shelter, she was—well, I found her just in time.”
“Mm, I see…” Arthur nodded slowly, his eyes on Aithusa. She rolled around a bit in the mud, before leaping up to chase a young Labrador. “She is an energetic one.”
“I may need a smaller harness,” said Merlin, sighing.
There was a small pause, a moment of silence between the two as the lab tackled Aithusa and rolled around with her, both of them barking loudly. Then, Arthur sighed loudly and leaned forward. Merlin started slightly when a hand rested on his knee.
He looked at Arthur, eyes widening a fraction. “How about I take you…to the supply store say,” Arthur paused, hesitance in his voice, “ten, tomorrow morning…? We could maybe get lunch after, catch a movie?”
Merlin inhaled sharply, surprised by the offer. “I…” he trailed off, taking a deep breath. Arthur watched him with a hopeful look in his eyes. Gods, he was gorgeous, nice [though, still a bit of a prat], funny [kind of], built like a god. Merlin gave an infinitesimal shake of his head and cracked a grin. “How do I know this isn’t just some ploy to get me alone and kill me?”
“Now, hold on,” Arthur huffed, visibly fighting a grin. “What are you trying to imply?”
“Oh, I’m not implying it, I’m saying rather blatantly,” Merlin shot back, fighting a grin of his own, “how do I know you’re not a killer?”
Arthur lifted his hand form Merlin’s knee and waved a finger in his face threateningly. “If you keep pushing me, I may just become one.”
It was the emptiest empty threat Merlin had ever heard. He couldn’t help the laugh that tore from his throat.
“Right, alright, yes,” Merlin finally agreed, nodding. “Yes, I’d—that sounds lovely.”
Arthur’s shoulders slumped in relief and Merlin smiled. “Great! It’s a—it’s a date, then.” He froze, winced. “It is a…?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’d like it to be a date,” Merlin assured him.
Arthur relaxed again, sighing. He shoved a hand into his pocket and dug out his phone. He tapped it on and typed in his passcode at lightning speed before passing it into Merlin’s hands. Merlin blinked twice and stared down at it.
“Put your number in, can’t pick you up if I can’t call you to get your address,” Arthur explained.
Merlin’s mouth formed a small ‘oh’ and he quickly made to add his contact in the phone. He fumbled slightly, faltering when he got to the name portion of the contact. He debated adding in some witty or funny pseudonym. In the end, he just settled for Merlin with the Dog.
He quickly shot himself a text so he could add the contact later.
“Thanks,” Arthur hummed as Merlin handed his phone back. “Ten in the morning?”
“Ten in the morning.”
Arthur flashed Merlin a grin, charming and bright, before pushing himself to his feet. “I should get back to work—think I’ve…overextended my lunch break.”
“I should get that one home, anyway.” Merlin nodded towards Aithusa, who had finally laid down. Panting and worn out. Finally. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Arthur.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow… Merlin.”