Title: Four Years Ago (A Love Story)
Author: bleedforyou1
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Rating: PG
Summary: "So how did you and your boyfriend meet?"
Word count: 481
Contains: Modern!AU, Fluff
Note: Based on this :)

"So, how did you and your boyfriend meet?" Gwen asked, and already her soft voice and kind eyes gave Merlin the impression that she was a good soul- someone he'd like to be friends with.

They were sitting in the middle of the biggest cafeteria on campus, both freshman and both not really knowing many people at their new uni, nervous but excited about this new step in their lives.

Merlin blushed. The story of how he and his boyfriend had met and fallen in love was always a subject of dear importance to him and he always felt slightly shaky with the affection, even if Arthur was nowhere to be seen in that moment.

Arthur was actually standing in line, getting Merlin and himself some food, while Merlin had been delegated the task of finding somewhere to sit. He had finally found an empty small table in the corner, and he and Gwen had reached it at the same time. Seeing her nervous smile, he had been the gentleman his mother had raised and asked her to sit with him and his boyfriend. She had accepted, the anxiousness in her eyes disappearing while a fondness entered them.

"Well..." Merlin murmured, never quite knowing how to start but recalling it all as if it were yesterday. "We were in the same class when we were fourteen, and I got teased a lot because of, um, my ears and my clothes, stuff like that. They all called me names and this one group in particular was nasty. But there was this boy in that group that never teased me, and one day after class, we ended up talking... we had a lot in common, liked the same games and books, and he was actually quite kind unlike his friends. I started liking him a lot, and his crooked teeth and blue eyes helped."

"Aww," Gwen cooed softly and rested her chin in her hand while eating her chips. "Go on!"

Merlin chuckled and he felt his voice go even more soft at the memory, his heart stuttering and his hands shaking slightly as he remembered that day. "Then one day, the group was being extra horrid and I looked towards the boy, and all of his friends started yelling 'he doesn't like you! He'd never be friends with such an ugly kid, go tell him, Arthur!' and then... Then he came over and kissed me and told me I was perfect. We've been together ever since then."

"Four years now, love," Arthur said softly into Merlin's ear as he sat down next to him.

Gwen let out another soft exclamation, and while Arthur introduced himself to the girl, Merlin felt the familiar warmth and comfort that always curled around his heart when Arthur was there. Like he'd always be perfect for Arthur, and Merlin didn't care what anyone else thought anymore.