A/N This is just a short little drabble that I wrote while waiting for my daughter. TBH I think that I am Arthur at the moment hmmmm...interesting! I am loving the video for Katy Perry's Firework at the mo, it is such a confidence boosting, you can do this sort of video ... well it helps me anyway! :P Not sure if this is a K+ or a T? so put T to be safe.

I do not own Merlin... hell if I did then stuff Arthur he would be all mine!

Arthur sat in the bar, one elbow resting on the table holding his head up with his hand, the other absentmindedly twirling a wine glass stem.

Why cant I just be happy with what I've got? he thought to himself. Why cant I just accept the hand I've been dealt and get on with it?

Questions, endless questions, that was all that seemed to circle through his brain at the moment, questions with no real answers.

Arthur should have been happy, he had the whole package, loving wife, beautiful children, stylish home and a good job. Arthur was not happy though, he just felt a vast cavern of desolate emptiness inside him. The outside world was oblivious to this vast and gaping hole in his soul, to the outside world he was the happy smiley family man, he was very accomplished at the whole happy smiley act, even Gwen his wife was fooled, unless she was as good at acting as he was, but somehow Arthur doubted that this was the case because she wasn't very good at putting on the happy smiley good daughter in law face when Uther came to visit.

The strain of the act was starting to take its toll on Arthur now, he wasn't sure if he could keep it up any more, it had already destroyed his spirit and was starting to affect his health now, he wasn't sleeping properly, he wasn't eating properly, hell he couldn't remember the last time he actually went to bed and slept peacefully.

For the sake of his own sanity Arthur had decided that enough was enough, it was time to act, but before he did he wanted to check with someone that his actions, and the consequences that they brought would be welcome.

Had he read the signals correctly? If he had got it wrong then he would still leave Gwen, but he would give a different reason, yes she would still be hurt, but it wouldn't be so humiliating.

Arthur sat there in the bar waiting, still twirling his glass, waiting for his secretary.

How cliche! he thought I'm willing to give everything up for my secretary .

"Hi Arthur, sorry I'm late, traffic was a nightmare, did you need me for something?"

Arthur gulped his wine and looked into the blue eyes that were watching him expectantly,

"Yes ... um ... I wanted... I wondered ... um I think ... I love you."

"Oh Arthur, I love you too, you prat! I have done from the first time I laid eyes on you."

Merlin threw himself into Arthurs arms and gave Arthur a kiss that was to change his life forever.

Arthur felt his whole body relax, yes, he thought, it will be hard and people are going to be hurt, but as he twined his fingers through Merlins he knew he was doing the right thing.

A/N Why cant real men be like Merlin?