Arthur let out a strangled gasp as he regained consciousness, his pillow soaked with sweat and blond tendrils sticking to his forehead as he sat up and let the bed sheets pool around his waist, trying to forget the image that was still so vivid in his mind, his hands rubbing down his face. "Christ," he muttered in his darkened room. There was no screaming now, only the sound of his heavy breathing and sheets rubbing against one another as he shifted them off and removed himself from the bed, grabbing his acoustic and heading out into the living room like always did when this happened.
...
Merlin sat on his bed with his back against the wall and his red, swollen eyes glued to the telly that never played anything good this time of morning, mostly just infomercials and reruns of crappy shows that never aired during the day, he knew from years of experience. Finally he heard it, the muffled sound of guitar strings, and a smile came to his face as his eyes skimmed slowly over to the clock that read 2:13 am. He'd grown accustomed to his neighbours guitar practice, usually beginning between 2-3 in the morning, now he expected it, welcomed it, because it was the only thing that relaxed him enough to actually sleep. Merlin used the remote to click off the telly before he pulled back his comforter and laid down, listening to the low hum of words he could never understand, as his eyelids slid closed and he fell asleep with the hint of a smile etched on his face.
...
"Boy, don't you look like crap." Morgana commented on her brother's current distressful look as they sat in the little cafe for their regular Saturday morning breakfast. "Thanks Morgana, I hadn't noticed that this morning when I looked in the mirror." he replied Sarcastically as he brought his cup of coffee to his lips, hoping the caffeinated beverage would boost some of his energy level so he could make it through the day. "Still having nightmares, I take it?" she asked him over her cup of tea.
He knew where this conversation was going by now, it was always the same with her. "Don't even start." he mumbled tiredly while playing with the ring on his finger in boredom as she cocked her head to the side. "I just think you should see a doctor. There' no harm-"
"Drop it Morgana, I already told you there's going to be nothing they can do about it." he interrupted her only for her to role eyes. "You never know unless you try," she retorted as she leaned back in her chair. "Anyway, where are you guys playing at tonight?"
He let out a puff of breath through pursed lips. "The Olde Squire, I believe." he told her as the waitress arrived with their plates of food and set them down in front of them.
"Oh! Gwaine works there." Morgana perked up at the thought but the mention of the handsome man making Arthur roll his shoulders back as if they could some how roll the effect that very name had on him right off. "You're terrible." Arthur muttered as he picked up his fork and began to poke at his eggs. "What? Do you want me to apologize for him being straight and attracted to me?" she said with a smile as she picked up one of the grapes from her plate and popped it in her mouth.
"Of course not," Arthur replied before bringing his eyes up to hers, an annoyed look in them. " I want you to shut up."
...
"You're coming out tonight, right?" Gwaine asked as he poked his head out from around the kitchen corner and looked at the back of Merlin, elbow propped up on the kitchen table with his laptop in front of him.
"I already came out years ago." Merlin replied with a tired chuckle as he waited for Gwaine to catch on to the joke, then he heard him snort and what he presumed was his hand banging on the kitchen counter. "Now that was a good one mate," he said coming up behind the younger man and placing his hands on his shoulders, "but you really should come to the pub tonight, I'm working and supposedly there's going to be a half decent band playing for once."
Merlin never took his eyes off the screen, his recent romance novel nearly finished but his mind going blank on the ending. "You know I can't, I have a deadline in just a week and for some reason I can't fathom this out," he said as he clicked the mouse in frustration. "Have you ever heard the expression 'all work no play make's Merlin a dull boy?'" Gwaine asked as he used his fingers to show Merlin where the quotations where suppose to be. "I have actually, I've only seen The Shining about 50 times at 3 in the morning." Merlin nearly snapped as his frustration grew deeper by the moment.
"Jesus, what crawled up your arse this morning?" Gwaine mumbled as he went back into Merlin's kitchen to resume his search for food and beer. "Sadly nothing because if it did I'd be in a better mood." Merlin spat back with a grimace before a smirk came to his face. He was on point with his comebacks this morning. Finally Gwaine emerged from the kitchen with a beer in one hand and a sandwich in the other as he joined his friend at the table.
"You wanna know what I think?" he asked Merlin with his mouth full. "Not really but I have a feeling you're going to tell me anyway." he replied as he began to re-read the last few sentences he'd written in hopes of getting some sort of idea going. "I think you should come out and meet some people, put yourself out there instead of hiding away in your room writing non-stop about love you've barely ever experienced for yourself." Gwaine said and Merlin shot him a glare. "What do you know of my love life?"
"That it doesn't exist at this point." he stated bluntly and Merlin rolled his eyes as a sour look came over his face. "Just come out, drinks will be on the house, and I promise you'll have a good time." Gwaine tried to convince him. The guy barely left his apartment, apart from the time he had to do the shopping or errands or run to Pendragon Publisher's inc. to hand in his latest book which, Gwaine had to hand it to him, were quite good. With a sigh Merlin dropped his hurting head into his hands. "Fine, I'll go. I hardly anticipate I'll make any more progress on this tonight anyway." he said as he closed the screen to his laptop and pushed it away, Gwaine smiling at him as he chewed.
...
The lights in the bar dimmed so that only the stage was lit up as Knights of Albion took their places, Arthur at the mic, Elyan on Bass, Leon with the lead guitar and Percival at the drums. Morgana took a table nearest the bar with Gwen joining her, her eyes continually stealing glances at Gwaine over her shoulder, but his attention seemed transfixed on the dark hair man at the bar who looked uncomfortable in his surroundings, his eyes darting from place to place as he took it all in.
"Alright ladies and gentlemen, let's get this party started then." Arthur said into the mic and capturing the attention of the packed bar. Gwaine was impressed by the turnout of people, most standing because all the tables and bar stools had been filled. Merlin concentrated on the blond beauty up on stage. He gripped the acoustic firmly before his fingers made work of the strings.
"I awoke only to find my lungs empty." his voice rang throughout the pub and vibrated in Merlin's chest, his heartbeat moving at the speed of a bullet train as he watched his lips form every word, every syllable and the way his voice controlled the heavenly sounds they made. His voice wasn't as deep as one would expect like his normal tone of speaking, but Merlin had a sudden onset of Deja vu as he listened to the melody floating all around him, the feeling emanating from his bones as he tried to pinpoint exactly where he could have heard that melody before.
"Merlin you alright?" he jumped and turned to see Gwaine had returned far quicker than he imagines considering all the patrons and drink orders going on. "Fine...just...get me a gin and tonic." he said hoping the drink would somehow diminish his feeling of anxiety and put his mind to rest before he got cranky from his lack of sleeping habits and the toll it was beginning to play on his mind and body. He jumped again when a woman suddenly appeared behind him, dark hair and blue eyes enshrouded with dark make-up.
"Hi, didn't mean to startle you," she chuckled before holding out her hand to him. "Morgana." he took her outstretched hand and gave it one good shake, hoping she didn't feel the ways his had trembled in hers. "I'm Mer-"
"One gin and tonic." Gwaine interrupted him as he placed the tall glass in front of him. "Hey Morgana." he said with a smile as his eyes trailed over to her and he smiled. Merlin grabbed the glass and lifted it to his lips in a hurry, chugging it's contents as the two began to flirt incessantly in front of him, something he wished Gwaine would stop doing when he was around. "And where are my manners?Morgana this is-" he finally said drawing his attention back to Merlin who had his glass fully tilted in the air as the last remnants passed through his lips, a little dribbling down his chin.
He placed the glass down and slide it back to Gwaine, "More." he requested and Gwaine took the glass as he eyed Merlin. "Fine, but don't drink so quick you'll make yourself sick." he told him as he took off farther down the row. "Anyway, I'm Merlin." he said and she nodded at him with a smile. "Merlin, I think I've heard that name before." she said trying to rack her brain as to where she could possibly have heard such an unusual name. "Perhaps you've read one of my books." he said taking a blind shot but she looked thoughtful for a moment.
"You know I might have, I did inherit Pendragon publishing after all." she said and watched his face fall and pale before a his brows raised in realization of who she was. "Merlin here is a fantastic writer, in fact, he's in the middle of writing something right now, something that will appeal to your more...homosexual client base." Gwaine interjected as he slide the glass in front of them both and leaned on the counter between the two. Morgana's cheek flushed pink as she accepted the drink she didn't even ask for and took a swig of it, shaking her head at the potency of liquor Gwaine had mixed in it.
"So you have experience with Homosexual relations or is this just something new you're trying?" she asked him and before Merlin could even think of what he was going to say Gwaine had opened his mouth and spoke for him. "Merlin is gay, very gay, in fact, I convinced him to come out to try and meet some new people." he said slapping his friend on the shoulder who only folded his arms up onto the counter and dropped his head in them, wishing he could bury himself within them and disappear. "Jesus Gwaine, you're embarrassing him." Morgana scolded him with a small smile as she lightly smacked his arm with the back of her hand.
"I'm going to go find a table." Merlin said getting up and storming away from his overly blabberous friend. "Do you mind if I sit here?" he asked the woman sitting next to the vacated seat. Her brown eyes trailed to him and then behind him where Morgana sat flirty with Gwaine before she nodded at him with a smile. "I'm Gwen." she said and he introduced himself before sitting and once again turning his eyes on the band.
"Someone come and, someone come and save my life, maybe I'll sleep when I am dead," the words spoke to Merlin on a deep level as that familiar calming tune rung in his ears and then it struck him. Last night his neighbour strummed that exact tune that Merlin listened to muffled through his walls and fell into the first deep slumber he's had in years. Who ever he was, Merlin had to get to know him.