Disclaimer: Merlin isn't mine in any way, shape, form or just format. It all belongs to those brilliant Julian guys and the BBC and whoever else it actually belongs to.

A/N: So this is the first in a series of one-shot/short fics I came up with the other night. Main points to make, one: this is a Modern AU. Not your thing? don't read it, if you do I take no responsibility if you don't like it. two: Niamh is pronounced Neev so anyone who says I spelt Nimueh wrong will be told to shut up. Three: this story is not slash, you can read it that way if you want but it doesn't really matter. Also I think it's only fair you know that the Sparks series will eventually become slash. You can enjoy the first few stories which are 100% straight but don't say you weren't warned if you don't like that sort of thing. I only have 5 maybe 6 fics set out atm but if there are any particular things you'd like to see let me know and I'll see what I can do. Also, virtual cookies to anyone who spots Kilgharrah in this fic :) (now you're all going to see it aren't you?) Please let me know what you think and whether it's worth continuing. l-h

Additional A/N: the second story in the Sparks-verse, Shattered has now been published. check it out on my profile

Sparks-Verse One

Just A Spark

Leaving application for accommodation until the last minute meant that even with the brilliant influence of his father, Arthur ended up living in university-provided accommodation nearly six miles away from where his lectures were which could be a bit of a bitch in the morning but he could deal. Gwaine, Lance and Leon only lived across the road from the lecture halls so Arthur was stuck on his own for an hour and a half crossing the city on buses.

For the first week it had been horrendously boring, even with all the city's shops to browse as he passed through. The city was a strange place. He'd visited once or twice, usually while avoiding tending business with his father down in London, but everything was still stupidly new to him. It was quite by chance that he'd come across the small coffee shop, hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the main street that led through the city centre, tucked down one of the many side streets that lined the city.

It had been threatening rain all day and was just beginning to get bad when he stepped off the first bus. Unwilling to entertain the prospect of covering the last three miles in the pissing rain that was surely only moments away, he rushed down the nearest back street and pushed open the first door he was able to find and was rather grateful to find it to be a small, independent coffee shop.

The place wasn't very big, only just having enough room for the five small tables and the accompanying chairs to squeeze in before the counter that stretched along the far wall, piled as it was with cellophane-covered confectionery. Hanging from the white walls were several unusual portraits, each framed with a thick darkened wood frame.

On the whole, the place was a bit…odd, not to mention empty. That was with the exception of the two businesswomen sat at the table in the corner by the window, each cradling a small, steaming plastic cup from which they occasionally supped. Talking in hushed voices, they threw occasional and excited glances over to the coffee machine that took up about half of the counter before looking away with high-pitched giggles.

…Strange women.

Turning back to the counter, he caught a flash of dark hair disappearing behind the giant machine and winced as the women shrieked with another giggle.

Raising an eyebrow at the women as he closed the door behind him, he wondered if maybe he should have gone for the second door when a cheery, yet quiet voice brought his attention back to the counter. "Oh!"

Turning, Arthur saw a slight boy emerge from behind the machine, clutching a washcloth and some random part that he was midway through cleaning, his pale skin seeming almost white against his dark raven hair.

Coughing as Arthur walked over, the boy placed the items in his hand to the side, picking up a pen and small notepad ready to take this new customer's order. "Sorry, I…well…" More shrieking pierced the air and Arthur saw the boy wince reaching to wipe a hand over his eyes.

The women were halfway out the door, and one of them with smooth skin and long dark hair was waving over to them, one foot out the door. "Bye, Merlin."

The voice that answered was, if possible, quieter than before. "See ya."

Arthur watched them go before turning to the table they'd been sat at. Both their cups were still there, one of them nearly falling over as it unsuccessfully hid a five-pound note that the dark-haired woman must have left as a rather generous tip.

Rounding on the boy behind the counter again, Arthur wondered if there was any way of talking without spooking the boy some more as he looked nothing short of terrified. Thinking to risk it, he nodded towards the doorway. "Friend of yours?"

"What Niamh?" The boy, Merlin, smiled. "No, she's just a customer. Comes in most days. Gary says there's a very good reason but I don't get it."

"Gary?"

"My boss. Speaking of." Raising his pad up again, the boy gave a terribly cheesy smile. "What can I get you?"

"Just a coffee. Thanks." He watched as Merlin scribbled furiously on his pad in a near unintelligible scrawl. "You have to write it down?"

"Trust me," he tore the sheet from the pad and walked behind the machine with it, "it's for the best."

"What? Not able to work the machine and remember the order at the same time?"

Merlin laughed, looking up at him with a confidence that Arthur wouldn't have thought the boy could possibly possess. "If you only knew."

The coffee was warm and delicious, roasted using a super special secret recipe that Gary would apparently kill Merlin for revealing so Arthur was best off not asking as it was worth so much more than Merlin's job. Something he had been most emphatic about as he had cleared the table the women had used.

It hadn't been long before Merlin pointed out that the rain had pretty much stopped, if Arthur was interested. And surprisingly, even though the place was small, the décor was strange and the place was hidden, Arthur found he was somewhat reluctant to leave. Still, he had readings and work to get to and Merlin, bless him, looked halfway between confused and ill-at-ease with the stranger before him, so Arthur thanked him for the coffee before making for the door, off-handedly mentioning that he might return at some point.

"Feel free to come back anytime." With a nod and a half-hearted promise Arthur passed through the door and left.

Seeing yet another one-time customer pass through the door, Merlin's smile fell and he sighed. "I'm certainly not going anywhere fast."

Arthur hadn't actually intended to go back to that obscure place. It wasn't necessarily his intention to avoid it but he had no intention of purposely returning. Still, all through his lecture the next day, he'd found himself distracted. Confused, as it was, by a certain action he'd seen in the shop.

That five pound note, the one purposefully left there by that girl, Niamh. The obvious intention for it was to go into the pocket of Merlin, specifically for him to use as he wanted but Arthur had quite clearly seen the boy purposefully place the fiver into the till. The gesture seemed second nature to the boy as he gave the gesture no real importance or apparent thought and Arthur just didn't understand. Most people, himself included, would just pocket the cash, screw the till, but Merlin…

There was something about that boy. Arthur couldn't put his finger on it but there was definitely something about him.

And so Arthur found himself going back, not just once but several times until, around a month later, you could walk in there most any afternoon and find him throwing sharp banter with the dark-haired barista who had slowly become used to having this regular and was defending himself against the blond man's quips with equally insulting throwbacks.

It was around another three weeks before Gwaine, Lance and Leon joined Arthur, curious to meet this fabled coffee boy who was able to match wits with their formally arrogant friend. Each of them took to him almost instantly, even if Merlin was a bit shaken by sudden new faces coming into his life.

And so, the coffee shop became almost like a meeting place for the four students, perfectly located halfway between Arthur and the others. It also allowed Merlin regular company on otherwise uneventful shifts as well as regular income for the shop as they always bought drinks.

That is how this all begins.

University was a godsend.

Arthur Pendragon was free to do as he saw fit, not having to answer to the people who wished to paint him as his father's son. Out on the city streets he wasn't the son of Uther Pendragon who was the owner of the country's most successful broadcast company and all round media mogul. He was Arthur, student and ordinary guy extraordinaire.

Two or three nights a week he'd be out on the High Street, drinking and dancing the night away as though there was no tomorrow. Assignments? Pfft! Unimportant, I mean they were always completed and handed in on time but all that really mattered was that he had a good time with his friends.

Tonight wasn't any different.

The club they were in wasn't anything special, somewhere they reserved for when they couldn't be bothered to make a big night out of it. It seemed fitting as Lance and Leon couldn't be there, the former visiting family and the latter buried under a mountain of work, so for all intents and purposes it was only the two of them.

Of course Gwaine was where he always was, right in the middle of the throng that pulsed out on the dance floor, beer clutched in one hand and the other most likely on some poor girl's arse. Not that anyone he ever got friendly with ever complained…well, except that one girl who'd given him a good smack for his troubles but sometimes you just had to admire the guy's persistence.

Actually, I sorta lied; it wasn't just Arthur and Gwaine out for a good time tonight.

It had taken a while but Merlin had at long last agreed to join them on a night out and with a bit of gentle, if somewhat misguided, encouragement from Gwaine had already downed a considerable amount of alcohol. Even now he had a beer in his hand while the other was shakily bracing him against one of the pillars at the side of the main crowd of dancers.

Yet another girl was slowly grinding closer and closer to Merlin who was looking increasingly worried and closer to delirium and Arthur couldn't help but laugh at the boy's blatant discomfort. Somehow, and Arthur didn't know how, Merlin gave out some sort of dance-with-me vibe that far too many girls seemed to find irresistible though it was obvious that the prospect of such intimacy with strange women left the guy fairly shaken.

Smiling as he turned to order his drink, Arthur soon heard a muted thud and a collective drawn-out cry of 'Oh!' from the crowd that rose above the music and struggled not to roll his eyes as he turned to look at the expected chaos. Sure enough, Merlin had somehow lost his grip on the sturdy, immovable concrete column that had been supporting him and was now laid face down on the floor with a large group clamouring around him, hooting.

Throwing a glance towards Gwaine he saw the rowdy man was otherwise preoccupied with a beautiful young girl, and so it fell to Arthur to fight through the crowd and drag the boy up from his unintentional planking position. Merlin's head rolled backwards, his mouth seemingly stuck in a stupid grin as his arm was pulled round Arthur's shoulder. The blond nearly had to tear the half-empty bottle from the boy's tightly clasped fingers before placing it in the hand of the nearest dancer.

"Here, have a free beer."

"Uh! Bu-!" Merlin protested trying to reach across him and take it back. "Mine!" Arthur ignored the whine shoving away the desperate alcohol-seeking arms and giving him a stern glare.

It took a great deal of shoving and a good deal of supporting Merlin perhaps more than should be considered healthy, but eventually the two of them broke free of the amassed onlookers and Arthur guided the coffee boy outside, so they could both get some air.

Gwaine gave an almighty whoop as they passed and raised a hand which Arthur caught in a half-hearted high-five while Merlin echoed the man's cry.

Thankfully, they'd managed to pick one of the few clubs that actually had seats outside and Arthur steered Merlin purposefully onto the wooden bench, holding him up until he could sit in the space next to him. Sure enough, as soon as Arthur took his hand from Merlin's back, the boy just fell sideways, landing in Arthur's lap before twisting until he was facing upwards.

A remarkably girlish giggle bubbled out the raven-haired boy's lips as he stared up through unfazed yet drowsy eyes at the blond above him. "Hello."

"Hello, Merlin." The boy closed his eyes grinning like a loon but made no move to extract himself from Arthur's lap and so the blond laughed. "How's the weather down there?"

He sighed contentedly. "Surprisingly comfy."

"Surprisingly?" Merlin hummed a complacent confirmation, keeping his eyes closed. "How so?"

Somehow the boy managed a half-shrug without falling out of Arthur's lap. "Always thought it'd be bony."

A smug grin pulled at Arthur's lips, aware from the dreamy look on Merlin's face that the boy was pretty unaware of what he was saying and it was difficult not to laugh at the younger man's pure inebriated obliviousness. "Think about my lap often?"

"Sometimes." Then the smile on Merlin's face disappeared, quickly becoming a frown and he continued in a hushed voice. "But don't tell Arthur, he'll only be a prat about it."

To say he was confused was a mild understatement and Arthur threw a cautionary glance at the people gathered nearby in case Merlin was possibly addressing them. Then he got a whiff of his friend's breath as he let out a deep sigh and choking, Arthur clasped a hand to his mouth.

"Dear God, Merlin!" The last person Arthur had come across smelling this much of alcohol, they'd been asking for money. "How much have you had to drink?"

"I dunno." As Merlin shrugged again the movement caused him to slide partially out of the blonde's lap but he seemed wholly unconcerned. "A few?"

"Few what?" Arthur took his hand away from his mouth and reached across, fingers curling round his friend's shoulder and tried to heave the boy away from an imminent meeting with the wet floor. "Hundred? I mean, seriously!"

Groaning, Merlin reached a hand up to cradle the side of his head, face tightened in mild pain and confusion. "S'Gwaine's fault…beer…"

"I see." He made a mental note to have a go at Gwaine later about not giving young coffee boys an uncontrolled amount of alcohol before turning his attention back to the boy in his lap.

In all the time he'd known the coffee boy, Arthur had never really seen him anywhere other than behind that counter, quietly and diligently serving people day in and day out. The boy was naturally quiet around the customers, barely saying more than two words to anyone. Even his boss who only ever ventured out of the back office to shout at Merlin if he messed up, which was more often than would normally be acceptable if he'd worked anywhere else.

To think, all it had taken was a large quantity of alcohol to turn the quiet coffee boy into the smiling fool who was still comfortably laid out on his lap. "Merlin."

"Uhm-hmm"

"You're still in my lap."

"I know." He shifted slightly. "Comfy."

"Merlin, look at me."

Another heavy sigh blasted another wave of stale, alcohol-laden breath into Arthur's face and he choked again, holding back the urge to wretch. Then, a reluctant Merlin opened his clouded eyes to glare up at the man above him. "What?"

"Okay, no more beer for you."

Merlin groaned, rolling his eyes. "But beer is nice."

"Merlin!" The boy's blue eyes glared up at him again, his gaze screeching defiance but Arthur held it unwilling to let him win and as intended the boy crumpled.

"Fine, fine. No more beer." Placing a hand one Arthur's furthest shoulder Merlin heaved himself up, obviously deeming that no beer meant no lap either. "Party pooper."

"I'm sure you'll thank me tomorrow." Arthur laughed, reaching over with a hand to ruffle his friend's raven hair which Merlin feebly tried to bat away. "We've got another hour. Think you're up to some more dancing?"

Merlin drowsily rubbed an arm across his eyes. "What song's playing?"

Arthur listened carefully, the beats and shouting voices from inside making a song he recognised but only from hearing it in other clubs. "No idea."

He watched Merlin contemplate the pros and cons of the decision before shrugging with a tired smile. "Why not?"

The next morning, Merlin had woken with a dry mouth and an extreme headache that pounded heavily against the inside of his skull. Trying to go through the events of the previous night in his head, he realised that a large portion was…not missing exactly but not entirely there…blurred was probably the best description.

Dribs and drabs pushed forward as he laid there; mainly flashes, shouts and loud music as well as several instances of Gwaine constantly placing drink after drink into his hands which certainly went some way to explaining the pounding assault on his brain.

"Here."

Cracking open an eye, he saw a glass of water held out to him by a hand and didn't hesitate before sitting up, throwing back the blanket that was covering him and taking the drink. Looking up as he drank it, he saw Arthur was stood there in a comfortable shirt and pair of shorts with a glass of his own in the other hand.

Lowering his glass, Merlin looked up at the blond in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here, idiot." Arthur rolled his eyes as he turned away, moving to sit on the floor a short way off.

Looking around, Merlin saw he wasn't in his bedroom as he'd first thought. Rather, he was laid on what felt like a carpet-covered concrete floor in a large but wholly unfamiliar room. An entire wall was shrouded by curtains that were drawn closed while at either end of the room there were circles of cushioned-chairs that all slotted together to create mini-sofas.

Carefully placing the glass down, Merlin reached up to rub his eyes again. "Where am I?"

"Common room. My accommodation. I would've sent you home in a cab but you were practically unconscious when we left and I don't know where you live."

Merlin groaned. He hadn't been home? His uncle was going to kill him.

"You alright?"

Merlin peered across at Arthur through slightly shaking fingers. "I am never going out with you guys again."

"Drink, Merlin." Arthur laughed at his friend's obvious discomfort. "It'll help."

Ignoring the suggestion, Merlin reached down into his trouser pocket, as he was still fully dressed, and pulled out his phone. Groaning, he replaced it before slowly getting to his feet and stretching. "I am so dead."

"Chill out, Merlin."

Merlin shook his head. "I missed my shift. Gary is going to murder me." He reached up to rub his eyes again. "Then I'll go home and my uncle will kill me."

"Well I missed my lecture if that makes you feel better."

"You know what? It really doesn't."

"Merlin!" His head snapped up, looking over to Arthur who was now standing, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Give me twenty minutes. Then you can freak out, okay?"

"What are you planning to do?"

Arthur just reached out with a finger which he pointed at the blanket Merlin had left on the floor. "Sit, drink, chill." Reluctantly, complying with the first two, Merlin watched Arthur walk to the door. "Twenty minutes." Once the blond left, Merlin watched through the glass as his friend got into the lift opposite and the doors closed behind him.

Twenty minutes later, Gwaine had arrived sitting with Merlin in the common room while they waited for Arthur to return out those metal doors.

"I hate you right now." Merlin was intently watching the lift, annoyed by the apparently unshakable grin that sat on Gwaine's face. "You do know that, right?"

It was with a hearty guffaw that Gwaine responded. "As I recall, you had a good time."

"Yes, well I don't recall. Your fault." He saw the dark haired man shaking his head as Arthur finally emerged, properly dressed and beckoning them to follow him outside.

Their first stop, it appeared, was the coffee shop and sure enough, the second Merlin stepped through the door Gary was shouting at him from across the counter. Things about trust, about commitment to a job, about reliability and Gary's voice, which had always been a booming sound at normal level, cut harshly into his head, worsening his still majorly bad headache.

Closing his eyes, Merlin reached up to cradle the side of his head, convinced that any minute now Gary would say those terrible words he'd dreaded since his first day. 'You're fired!'

Before those words had a chance to be said though, Merlin felt a gentle squeeze on each of his shoulders. Turning, he saw the two men responsible for this current tirade; Arthur on his left and Gwaine on his right.

Arthur patted the shoulder he had a hold of before striding forward and beginning to explain what had happened. Gwaine stepped forth shortly after emphasising that it was his forcing of alcohol on the boy that had led to his oversleeping.

Merlin wasn't really listening, his focus entirely on Gary as he listened to the two guys, both of whom he surely recognised as regulars. Once they were done, Gary nodded slowly, looking to both of them before pointing and speaking directly at Merlin.

"Two o'clock. Tomorrow. No excuses." Merlin nodded enthusiastically, still slightly in shock as Gwaine grabbed his elbow and steered him outside, Arthur right behind them.

"One down."

Merlin kept trying to convince the two of them that his uncle could probably be satiated over the phone but Gwaine joked that he might worry the boy had been kidnapped by the two of them while Arthur was insistent that they could only avoid this happening again if they actually knew where to send him next time.

Reluctantly, he'd walked them to where he lived with his Uncle Gaius, just outside of the main city centre.

Unsuccessfully swallowing his fear, Merlin used his key to let himself in and heard footsteps crossing the sitting room before his elderly uncle appeared in the archway that led there.

"Merlin, where on earth have you been?" Merlin winced at the shout, taking an unintentional step back and slamming into someone's front. "Oh. Who's this?"

"This is Gwaine and that's Arthur." Throwing a glance over his shoulder, Merlin indicated the two men behind him as he introduced them. "Guys, this…this is my uncle Gaius."

Arthur nodded respectably as Gaius raised an eyebrow, taking in the trio stood before him. Merlin struggled to hold his guardian's gaze, horrendously tempted to just bail and make a run for it but was held in place by Gwaine, who now had a supportive hand on his right shoulder.

"Really sorry, Gaius." Merlin muttered, still avoiding eye contact but feeling Gaius' gaze turn on him.

"Why don't you go change?" Gaius indicated to the room behind him. "We'll be in the sitting room."

Grateful for the excuse to escape the heavy awkwardness that was sitting on the air, Merlin all but ran to his room and tore his shirt off, quickly pulling on a clean one that he'd taken from his drawers. As he continued to change Merlin took a moment to consider his headache that still raged quite fiercely, and quietly hoped that if he left it long enough he would not have to watch Gaius react to whatever it was the two men were telling him.

Unfortunately he quickly became bored and realised that in his room or in the sitting room, Gaius was still going to be pissed and he tentatively stepped out ready to face the hangman's noose if that was what awaited him.

"…gave him some water. He started to panic before I could do anything else."

Gaius nodded at Arthur's words, a slight frown pulling at his mouth. "Certainly sounds like Merlin."

"What sounds like me?" All eyes turned to him and he absent-mindedly pulled at the hem of his shirt. "What?"

"Join me in the kitchen, Merlin?" A horrendous sense of dread overcame Merlin at those words, which wasn't helped by the continued glaring of Arthur and Gwaine and the raised eyebrow of his uncle.

"Sure."

Trying to ignore the highly unwanted attention, Merlin crossed the room and passed through the door that led to their kitchen. Moments later, the door was closed and Merlin turned to face his fate.

"You stupid boy." Gaius reached up and smacked him harshly round the head, instantly worsening his headache. "You didn't even think to call?"

"I'm sorry!" Merlin cradled his head. Of course, Gaius had to smack it, didn't he? It wasn't bad enough that he was going to be shouted at and that he'd missed his shift and he didn't remember most of the previous night. No Gaius had to hit him. "I didn't- I'm- I'm sorry!"

Gaius glared at him continuously, the whole while Merlin said nothing, fairly certain he'd only worsen the situation if he did. Gradually the glare softened and Gaius moved towards the side and began going about making drinks while Merlin stood frozen to the spot.

"I'm sorry, Gaius." He reached a hand up to his sore head, once again cradling it in a feeble attempt to ease the pain. "But trust me when I say I'm not going to do it again in a hurry."

Gaius paused, turning to look the boy up and down. "I'm just glad you're alright. At least you were having some fun and had someone keeping an eye on you."

Merlin's brow furrowed in confusion. "I thought you were mad."

"My boy, of course I'm mad." His look softened once again and Merlin felt the panic in his chest ease a bit. "But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pleased to know you're doing something other than working for once."

"What?"

With a sigh, Gaius took one of Merlin's hands patting it gently. "Merlin, you do realise that you sometimes work nearly 49 hours a week? And that you do little else?" Merlin paused. He did work a lot, but there wasn't much else for him to do…well, except lately…

"Here. For those boys." Gaius handed him two mugs of steaming tea before turning Merlin around and pushing him back towards the sitting room. "Try not to lose them, Merlin."

As he entered the room to see Arthur and Gwaine deep in some discussion and spread across most of the sofa, Merlin thought of all that they'd done for him today and grinned.

Not if I can help it.

It wasn't until around two hours into his shift the next day, whilst he was making some poor soul a hot chocolate that Merlin remembered a certain conversation he'd had from the surprising comfort of a blond prat's lap. The sudden shock, which was a mild way of putting it, caused him to jump, accidentally spraying scalding hot water all up his right arm.

"Shit. Shit!" Leaping away, he allowed the rest of the water just to fall down into the under tray, instinctively cradling his arm while the customer, confused by the sudden reaction, asked if he was okay.

Reassuring the customer that he was indeed alright and ignoring the burning throb along his arm, Merlin had but one thought in his mind.

I'm going to kill Gwaine.