Arthur was sitting with his two friends when he walked in. Arthur cursed the planet he lived on. Why oh why did he have to go to the same school as Arthur? With his skinny body and his big eyes and huge ears. Why would Arthur be feeling this way about him? The boy was a mess! Look at him standing , facing Arthur as if to tease with his looks.

And then there were those glasses! Black huge glasses that covered half his face, yet looked so cute with his sea-blue colored eyes. Arthur seriously felt bad when the boy ended up tripping and dropping his entire lunch, earning laughs from the whole school. Including Arthur's friends, who banged and the table and yelled as if falling was the funniest thing to happen to a person.

With his anger and annoyance, Arthur couldn't help it. He stood up confusing his friends, and when he walked over to the boy.

Merlin was smart, he knew that, but the whole school knowing it wasn't a very good thing. Especially when for the third time that week someone decided it was funny to stick out their foot and trip him.

Again.

Now, if Merlin was any other kid, he wouldn't mind. But when your family could barely afford the food they have and someone forces you to drop the whole thing, well, you seriously want to cry your heart out. Especially when it might be the only meal you get all day.

But what good would that do? They would just make more fun of you than they already did. He thought as he sat up on his knees. But it didn't stop him from blinking and making tears slide down his pale cheeks.

He picked up his sandwich and tried brushing off the dirt from the floor. He could hear the laughter that he nearly everyday tried to erase from his mind. But it was no use. He sighed and let the sandwich roll off his hand and back on the floor. He stood there, just staring at the food that had no hope. The sandwich that soaked with the fallen milk.

And where the hell did his glasses go!

Merlin felt around on the floor with his hands but felt nothing but spilled food.

"Looking for these?"

Merlin froze on the spot and looked up to the blurry figure in front of him. He rubbed his eyes then squinted. It helped a little, he could see a head... Merlin reached out his hand and felt the person lay the glasses in his palm.

"Thanks." Merlin said as he brought the glasses to his face. When he did, he quickly found himself gasping. It couldn't be.

"Are you ok?" Arthur Pendragon, the rich cat of the school was kneeling down and helping him clean up the mess. "Some people are so ignorant." Arthur said low.

Merlin looked around the lunch room to see everybody looking, then he looked back at the blond who stood up with the tray in his hand. Merlin stood up too. He reached out for his tray. "Thank you." He said low.

Arthur pulled the tray away with a look on his face. That look made Merlin think. Ah! Here it goes. You should have known better to think he would help you. "Please give me my lunch so I can eat in peace." Merlin said low, as he stared at the floor.

"You're not really going to eat this are you?"

Merlin bit his bottom lip and lightly shrugged. "I brought it."

Arthur frowned. "Why don't you just buy a new one?"

"I... don't have money, that's why I brought my lunch."

Arthur gave a small laugh. "Come on, you don't have $5.00?"

Merlin looked down ashamed. Figures a rich boy wouldn't know any better when they saw the poor kid walking around school.

Arthur's smile faded to a frown again. He sighed then nodded. "Come on." He breathed as he walked passed Merlin. The boy watched confused for a moment before following the blond. He froze when he saw Arthur throw his food in the trash. He stood with his mouth open and watched as the blond walked to the lunch trays and grabbed one.

"Well, come on."

"I don't have any money, I already told you that."

"Just get over here."

Merlin gulped then made his way over.

"Grab what you want." The blond said.

Merlin eyed him. This had to be a trick. He knew it. Arthur would put the food on the tray and the moment they got to the paying line, he would run and leave Merlin in the hands of the evil lunch lady.

Merlin's thoughts were proven wrong when Arthur pulled out his wallet. So Merlin slowly reached out his hand and grabbed a chicken sandwich, fries, salad and a juice. The food came out to exactly $5... that was before Arthur added the 2 slices of chocolate cake. After that, it came out to $9. After Arthur payed he handed Merlin the change. $1.

Merlin shook his head. "You don't have to-"

"Just take it. Buy a cake tomorrow."

Merlin wanted to protest again, but who would say no to chocolate cake? So he nodded and grabbed the dollar. "Thank you." He said low.

Arthur nodded then gestured towards one of the tables, just as Merlin lifted his foot to walk, another person thought it'd be funny to stick out their foot. Only this time, Arthur pulled Merlin back and brought his own foot on top of the one sticking out from under the table.

Painful yells filled the room making everyone stare. "Please! Please get off!"

"Say your sorry."

"I'm sorry!"

"No, say it like you mean it." Arthur said with narrowed brows.

"Oooo, ho, ho! I'm sorry!"

Merlin stared wide-eyed as the biggest jock in school stood moaning and holding his foot.

"Remember that next time." Arthur hissed then walked Merlin over to the table.

Merlin eyed everyone as he sat at the table and Arthur sat next to him. When they were finally seated, Merlin stood staring at his food, unsure if while he was eating Arthur would stick a fry up his nose.

Arthur reached out and grabbed one of the fries and ate it, so Merlin decided to also. Before he knew it, they were both eating out of the same tray.
During this time Merlin had come to one conclusion, Arthur was beautiful. Why hadn't he noticed before...well, he never looked the blond in the face before. That's kind of hard to do when you're a nothing and the sexiest boy in school in the biggest somebody.

"So where do you live?"

Merlin froze at the question. "Why..."

Arthur shrugged. "Maybe I could walk you home."

Merlin looked the blond in the eye. "Why would you do that?"

Arthur gave a small chuckle.

"What's so funny?"

Arthur laughed and shook his head. "I don't know. I just do that. Don't you?" He looked at Merlin who stood with an emotion-less expression. The blond cleared his throat. "Ok... Do you ever laugh?"

Merlin shrugged and took a drink of his juice.

Arthur stared for a moment before he smile. "You want to hear a joke?"

Merlin stuck another fry in his mouth and nodded. "A man walks into a bar and says ouch." Arthur laughed, but Merlin just stared as he chewed his food.

"What's so funny about that?"

Arthur's smile faded. Maybe he said it wrong... Then the blond smiled again. "Do you like any TV shows?"

Merlin shook his head. "I don't want TV. The last TV show I watched, I dreamt Cookie Monster stole all the cookies." Merlin suddenly frowned. Should he have said that...?

Arthur then smirked. "Cookie Monster eh? That reminds me, if Cookie Monster calls for me tell him I'm not talking to him until he gets out of rehab."

Merlin, who had just drank juice, scoffed, making the drink go through his nose. Once he wiped his nose, he burst out laughing and after two hiccups, Merlin made a noice that Arthur would never forget.

He snorted, then laughed, then snorted again. The boy suddenly brought his hand to his mouth and blushed deep red. "...Sorry..."

Arthur only smiled. "Don't be. I think it's cute."

Merlin removed his hand from his mouth and stared at Arthur again. The boy sighed. "You know, the three years we've gone to this school, I never once heard you laugh."

Merlin shrugged with one shoulder. "Well, a person can't laugh with themselves, can they?" He said matter of factly. Then Arthur did something that sent shivers down Merlin's spine, he brought his hand up and over Merlin's the entwined their fingers.

"Well, don't stop laughing. It's adorable." The blond said low.

Merlin bit his bottom lip then reached out and bit his sandwich, anything to keep him from blushing again.

Arthur chuckled again. "You are too cute when you blush."

Damn...

"So... can I walk you home today?"

Merlin looked towards Arthur and couldn't help a small smile from escaping his lips, and he nodded. "Yeah."

"Good. Because I was going to even if you said no. Anything to get your number."

Merlin laughed again, this time not stopping his snorting.

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