Hi again! In this story is a lot (at least I hope so) Merlin and Arthur bromance. And it is written for our amazing Colin Morgan. Because he's got birthday today :) So happy birthday Colin! :D You're amazing!

Hope you all will like it, and sorry for any grammar mistakes-I'm not native speaker. Unfortunately...
Wish Colin a good luck, and sing "You're the voice try and understand it!"
Enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: I still don't own (and seems I never will) the amazing and magical tv show Merlin... :(

Story: Rainy Apologies
By: Mischel


Arthur couldn't bear it anymore. He tried everything. Really everything. He sat on his chair and tried to focus just on the plate with food on his table, some servant gave him. Some other servant than Merlin. His Merlin.

He tried to pace across his chambers, lay in his bed, eat, and tidy even. But nothing helped him, and he was still thinking about his useless, but loyal servant and friend Merlin. That idiot was standing uder the king's window the last thirty minutes, and looking up at him. Right at him, waiting. He knew Arthur sees him. But he was too afraid to come to him. So he just stood there, and was looking up at his window. And it was pouring rain out there. He had to be soaking wet now. Arthur sighed. He didn't want Merlin to catch a cold. He wasn't cruel. As his father sometimes was.

And it was already night and Merlin was standing there just with his thin tunic and that jacket, covering his back and arms. But that wasn't enough. It wasn't enough at all. The boy was so skinny, that Arthur sometimes mused, how can he be even alive. And Gods, it was freezing out there. He had to be shivering so much. Poor Merlin. Arthur walked slowly to the window and looked down, through the wet glass.

No. He didn't walk away. He was still standing there. Wet, and cold and shivering. Idiot, Arthur thought. And everything just because of that stupid quarrel. Yes, he and Merlin had a quarrel. And Arthur was sorry about that. And Merlin apparently too. But that wasn't just banter, as always. This quarrel was really a big quarrel. And I mean really, really big quarrel. The biggest they have ever had. They were shouting at each other words, that they wouldn't even think about to say during the day. Arthur almost fired him! When they finally stopped, and it was really long from the beggining of the quarrel, Merlin simply walked out from Arthur's chambers and closed the door loudly after him.

When he left, everything seemed to be silent. There was no talking in the hall to Arthur's chambers. Not even a sound of someone walking there. And then, Arthur finally realized how much alone he felt without Merlin. How lonely it was, to not hear Merlin's voice, to not see his stupid grin across his whole face, to not even see him smiling somewhere secretly, when he somehow insulted Arthur. When he thought Arthur didn't see him, but Arthur did. He always did.

And the worst thing of all was, that he didn't even remember why were they arguing. And, as he realized, he somehow needed to have Merlin beside him. He couldn't actually hate him. He was always his best friend.

So no. Arthur couldn't let Merlin stand there, in soaking wet clothes, shivering from the cold, almost freezing rain. Arthur hit his forehead with his palm. He was so stupid. How could he even let Merlin stand there? He immediately opened his doors and ran out for Merlin. Ran as fast as he could, even on the stairs. He didn't stop, until he was on the stairs out of the castle.

When he reached there, and ran out, Merlin turned to him. Arthur's eyes widened. The boy looked worse than he thought. He was all soaking wet, the clothes already heavy and waterlogged, and the water was dropping from everywhere of his body. From his hair, big ears, nose, and already blue lips, hands and clothes. He looked horrible. His shoulders were shaking and Arthur wasn't sure if it was from the cold, or if Merlin was crying.

He recovered from his momentary state of complete surprise, and ran even faster to his poor servant. Merlin's hands were trembling as he tried to reach them towards Arthur. When was Arthur by him, he immediately hugged him firmly, trying to give him at least a bit from his heat. Merlin sobbed and looked at Arthur. He tried to speak:

"A-A Ar-thur, I-I'mmm s-so s-sor-rry..." In that moment it occurred to Arthur. He was crying. He was really sorry because of the quarrel, that it made him cry, and come here to ask for forgiveness. Arthur's eyes filled with tears.

"Shh..." Arthur silenced him with a finger on his lips, and took Merlin's hand to lead him into the castle. When they finally reached Arthur's chambers, Arthur closed his doors, and put more wood into the fire. He needed to warm Merlin somehow and quickly. He ran to his wardrobe and put out some of his old t-shirts and trousers. Then he led Merlin behind his changing screen and took off his wet and cold jacket. He threw it on the floor, not caring about it anymore.

Merlin was still badly shivering, and Arthur bit his lip. It was all his fault. He never should have let Merlin stand out there in the freezing and raining weather. He took Merlin's t-shirt off and gave him his own, dry towel. Merlin took it and dried himself a bit, his lips and ears were however still a bit blue. Arthur gave him his own, red t-shirt and trousers and left him there.

He came to the fireplace, and put there even more wood, in desperate urge to make it there more warm. And to let the warmth spread into the whole room, even there, where was Merlin now. Arthur looked there, and noticed, Merlin was already dressed in his clothes, still a bit shivering. Arthur immediately came to him, and led him towards the fireplace, where he sat him on the dry pelts, as close as possible to the fire, without burning him whole.

He sat on the floor next to him and in one second he found himself in a tigh embrace. Merlin hugged him with every remaining strength he had, sobbing and shivering, with a head buried into Arthur's strong shoulder, and cold hands against his back.

"I'm so-so sor-rry Ar-Arthur." Merlin sobbed into Arthur's shoulder. "I d-didn't mean an-anything I-I said..."

"It's alright Merlin," Arthur whispered into Merlin's now pink again, but still cold ear and put his hand on his black hair. "I know you didn't, and nor me. Merlin I am really, really sorry..." Arthur put his other hand on Merlin's trembling back, and tightened the hug. They were friends after all, and even when he is a king, and Merlin is his servant, they needed to hug sometimes. Everyone sometimes needs a hug. And so needed Merlin and Arthur.

They were sitting there, on the pelts, still hugging each other, when Arthur realized Merlin fell asleep. He wasn't that cold as before. And it seemed he didn't get much rest. He, as Arthur, was thinking about their previous quarrel, and realizing that he was sorry about that.

Arthur was sitting there for awhile, comfortably hugging his sleeping best friend. It was a deep in the night, one hour after the midnight perhaps and as Arthur realized, he was, tired too. Carefully, to not wake Merlin, he pulled away and stood up. Then he took Merlin's wet clothes, and put them in front of the fire, to let them dry. Now he saw, that Merlin didn't have much clothing. He had trousers, his tunic, belt and jacket with his neckerchief, and that was all. He had to be freezing out there in the rain.

When he was finished, he once again put more wood into the fire, to keep it burn, during the night. Then he turned back to sleeping Merlin. When he saw his sleeping face, he had to smile. Merlin looked so innocent and natural, when he was sleeping. Arthur sighed. His sleeping servant, more best friend than a servant, was lying on his floor, in front of the fire, in his own clothes, that were much bigger than him. Merlin was really too thin. Does he ever eat? Arthur will have to give him longer breaks for food, and secretly watch him, if he was really eating and not doing anything else.

But despite this fact, Merlin looked quite adorable, when he was sleeping. Arthur smiled again, and then knelt beside Merlin. He put one his arm under Merlin's head, his second hand under Merlin's knees, and lifted him up. Then he carefully came to his bed, where he placed Merlin on one side, and covered him with his blanket. Arthur glanced once more on his peacefully sleeping friend, before he dressed into his dry night clothes, and laid on the other side of his bed, falling asleep with a smile on his lips.


Hope you all liked it! :D