This is my first attempt at fanfic so go easy on me please! I would love it if you could R&R after! The story's based on something that happened to me recently if it seems a bit random. Enjoy!
Merlin rolled his eyes as he heard Valiant's dulcet tones drift down the school bus. Every day on the way back from Camelot High, Valiant would find another kid to bully for the half an hour journey. Of course, it wasn't just Valiant, there was the whole group to put up with, all of the rich kids banded together to form the 'popular group' with Arthur Pendragon as its leader. Still though, everyone knew that Valiant was the worst, especially as he had Edwin and Cendred at his beck and call.
Merlin had been lucky concerning Valiant. The four of them hadn't paid a moment's notice to Merlin since he'd transferred; something Merlin had been sure would have caused him trouble. But no, they just seemed to brush by him as though he wasn't there. Merlin figured his magic might have a part in that.
He was snapped out of his musings by the raised voice of Valiant who seemed to be getting increasingly irritated at the lack of response he was receiving from his victim. Merlin turned round in his seat to see whom Valiant was bothering and sighed, a frown creasing his features. Gilly.
He liked Gilly, he was his lab partner and although they were no means friends, they were pleasant acquaintances and Merlin was sure they were becoming friends. Slowly, he admits, but they were getting there all the same. This is why he just couldn't sit there and watch as Valiant repeatedly pushed Gilly so that his head would hit the window. Glancing at the other three of the group Merlin wasn't surprised to see Edwin and Cendred laughing openly, calling taunts and insults to egg Valiant on. He was surprised to see that Arthur looked quite angry about the whole thing; a frown similar to Merlin's creasing his forehead and his eyes flickering between Valiant and Gilly, as though deciding when would be the best moment to jump in and break it up. Merlin stared at Arthur longer than he planned to, trying to figure out his reactions, when Valiant's words penetrated his thoughts.
"Look at me you faggot! You know what you are? You're a filthy queer. No wonder you have no friends, no one likes you, you disgusting cock sucker!"
Merlin blinked a couple of times in shock, Valiant was never usually this vindictive, but then his shock gave way and anger boiled through his veins. He didn't know whether Gilly was gay, but that wasn't the point, he couldn't just sit here and let this happen when Gilly wasn't even trying to defend himself. Before he knew it Merlin had moved closer to the two of them and said, "Why don't you keep your fucking opinions to yourself, otherwise I'll shove your head up your arse so you can eat the shit that comes out of your mouth."
Both Valiant and Gilly turned towards him, the first looking furious and the latter looking somewhat hopeful at the intervention. Edwin and Cendred sat behind Valiant looking lost for words if their open mouths were anything to go by. Arthur however, turned his face away from the group with a small smile. Valiant laughed nastily looking Merlin up and down, "Oooooh, no one asked for your opinion, so butt out".
"No one asked for yours either." Merlin replied calmly, staring Valiant in the eyes, "so why don't you just shut up and leave Gilly alone."
"Why do you care big ears? You're not his friend, the queer doesn't have any."
"His name is Gilly," Merlin ground out.
"Like I fucking care!" A thought then seemed to occur to Valiant and he looked at Merlin with something close to amusement in his eyes, "Is he your boyfriend? Are you a queer too ugly?"
Merlin wasn't ashamed of his sexuality, but he was wary of other people's opinions, it had been the reason he transferred from his old school in Ealdor. Now that he was living with his Uncle Gaius, Merlin hadn't had to worry about people staring at him in the street or throwing bricks through the window, because no one knew that he was gay. He wasn't going to deny his sexuality, but he wasn't going to admit it either, so Merlin opted for the next best thing and said nothing. Valiant it seemed, had interpreted his silence correctly.
"You are, aren't you? You're a little dirty cock whore! You know what people like you are, you're freaks of nature, you don't deserve to be alive because you shouldn't exist! I bet all you want to do is suck every cock you come in contact with, don't you, because that's what people like you live for. You probably have to hold yourself back from trying to suck my cock, but you'll just have to dream about it. As if I'd even let you touch me, you might infect me with your disease..."
Merlin had heard enough. His magic was swirling underneath his skin and his blood was pounding in his ears, if he didn't calm down he'd lose control and then everything would be even worse. Instead Merlin moved towards Valiant, who had scrambled backwards in an effort to keep a distance between them, until they were close enough for it to be uncomfortable.
"Sorry to break it to you, but you're not my type. I don't go for guys with small dicks." Merlin said and as he moved away his eyes automatically moved to Arthur, who was looking at Merlin with open curiosity and... something else.
Before he could figure out what it was that he could see on Arthur's face, he saw a fist coming towards him belonging to a very red faced and angry looking Valiant. His magic itched to jump to his defence but he pushed it down, knowing it wouldn't help his predicament and he closed his eyes waiting for the blow.
It never came. Instead a rich, deep voice said "That's enough Valiant," with a finality in it that made Merlin's stomach flutter, "he may be an idiot, but he's a brave one."
Merlin opened his eyes indignantly and found himself looking at the blue eyed, blonde haired Arthur Pendragon, wearing his trademark crooked smile, that did nothing to still the fluttering in Merlin's stomach. Neither did it help that Arthur was still staring at him with that look. Amongst his scattered thoughts Merlin heard himself say, "I have a name you know!"
"Oh, really?" Arthur sounded amused, "do tell".
"My name's Merlin," he replied, only a small amount of resignation noticeable. Not only did his mother lumber him with a ridiculous name, but now he'd told the most popular person in school without even thinking about it.
But then Arthur laughed, a full bellied, joyful laugh and Merlin couldn't care less about the probable teasing, because he'd made Arthur laugh and that was wonderful. An answering grin spread across his face, his stomach fluttered and his magic reached out to the person in front of him that was making Merlin's head a jumbled mess of mushy thoughts. With some difficulty Merlin came back to himself and reined his magic in, despite its attempts to touch Arthur. Once Arthur had finished laughing he looked at Merlin, eyes bright and Merlin wasn't responsible for the little squeak he made when Arthur's hand rested on his shoulder.
"It seems I've found myself a personal wizard or at least someone who will do as I order them to considering we're Arthur and Merlin," Arthur commented.
The sentence took a couple of seconds to process in Merlin's brain which was trying to decide the exact colour blue of Arthur's eyes, but when it did he shrugged off Arthur's hand in a angry gesture.
"I don't know who you think you are Arthur Pendragon, but I can assure you that you haven't found a personal wizard or a slave, because I would not like to spend any amount of time with someone who is such a complete and utter prat!"
"Merlin..."
Even though hearing his name roll off Arthur's tongue in his deep voice did funny things to Merlin's stomach again, he didn't let it show and stalked back down the bus to his things, sat down on the seat and stuck his headphones in. He didn't allow himself to turn around and look back at the group to see what they were doing, though he did turn to offer Gilly a small smile and received a blinding grin in return, leaving no doubt that the two of them were now firm friends. Merlin smiled and he certainly didn't glance at Arthur to see if he was looking at him.
When the bus stopped at the second to last drop off point Merlin's thoughts were interrupted by his headphones being pulled out of his ears by a hand that looked suspiciously like... Arthur bent down so his face was a similar distance away as Merlin and Valiant's had been earlier on and Merlin felt his heart speed up from the close proximity. Arthur's eyes roamed his face quickly and then he smiled a full blown smile and Merlin swore he felt his heart falter briefly.
"There's something about you Merlin," Arthur declared, "and I have a feeling that we'll be seeing a lot more of one another."
With that he carried on down the aisle and off the bus, pausing once to look back and smile again at Merlin. As the bus pulled away Merlin smiled a small smile of his owned and put his headphones back in.
Yes, he agreed, he had a feeling they'd be seeing a lot more of one another.
Shall I carry this on or leave it as a one shot?