A little sad. But soon we will get to the good stuff.

"What?" Merlin stuttered his eyes wide with shock. Arthur shuffled a little and redirected his eye sight. Morgana laughed and grabbed her brothers arm along with Merlin and dragged them back to the house. When they reached to house, Arthur ran to his room to change.

"What do you guys think of our house?" Uther asked, flipping the burger on the grill. Merlin offered a fake smile and said,

"It is beautiful." Merlin had always hated people with a lot of money, wasting it away. By the time they were about to eat, Arthur reappeared, dry and dressed in a red tee shirt and jeans. Merlin still thought he was the most stunning creature alive. He pulled out his chair and grabbed a burger and began devouring it as though he had never eaten before. Uther gave his son a disapproving look.

"Arthur, wait until all the family is seated." Uther scolded. Merlin huffed a little, thinking about what his own father would say.

Merlin plopped down in the chair across from Arthur and cocked an eyebrow at him as he shoveled food in his mouth when Uther wasn't looking. Finally the others were seated and eating. Merlin stared at the food on his plate and shuffled it around, Hunith looked at her son with worried eyes.

"So, Arthur you are on the football team?" Hunith asked. Arthur nodded.

"Yeah, I'm quarter-back for for Camelot High." Uther smiled proudly at his son before Morgana interrupted.

"Yeah, he likes being squished between all of those guys." Arthur sent her a glare as he felt a blush creeping up his neck. Merlin could feel his mothers eyes on him. He nudged Arthur under the table so he would look up.

"Arthur, don't be ashamed of being gay. It is who you are; not a choice you made. If you like men so be it. I won't judge and no one else should." Merlin told Arthur, his pride for his sexuality showing through all of the dark layers Merlin had hidden.

Arthur smiled at him a little, trying not to show the gratitude that he felt. Uther looked between the boys, his bushy eyebrows raised. He rolled his eyes, knowing Merlin would be one of the last guys Arthur would go for. He knew Arthur, and the emo boy just wasn't him. Arthur found him self intereged with the other boy. When diner finished, the families moved into the den. Uther sat in his large recliner, Hunith next to him on the couch. Morgana was sitting next to Hunith and Merlin and Arthur occupied the two bean bags on the floor. As the hours rolled on Uther and Hunith retired to their room. Around 11 o'clock Morgana could feel herself slipping away to dreamland and went to bed herself. That left Arthur and Merlin alone, tired of the silence Arthur asked,

"So where is your dad?" A pained looked crossed Merlin's face and he simply said,

"Ah, he is gone." Merlin found himself lost in the memories of his father, Balinor.

"You stupid like playing with boys? That is wrong." Balinor struck his 14 year old son, who was caught at school kissing a senior boy, Cenred. Balinor looked down with disgust at the son he never wanted. Hunith sobbed in the corned, pressing a cloth over the spot where Balinor had smashed a bottle on her head.

"Stay here you whore." Balinor knocked Hunith against the book case and the stone horse fell onto her head. Balinors evil eyes turned to his crying son. He grabbed Merlin by the hair and dragged him into the boys bedroom. The frail boy was shoved up against one of his walls and his father cowered over him. Merlin shied away was his father breath, it reeked of alcohol.

"Take off your clothes." Balinor began to undo his belt.

"Sir-" Merlin began only to be struck by Balinor. His face stung, he could feel his eye swelling.

"Shut up and do as you are told." Merlin feared his father to much to protest. Balinor spent the rest of the night deflowering his son. They bruises healed but the memories never left Merlin's head. He never told Hunith what had happened that night, but Balinor would continue to do it until Hunith snuck her and her son away.

Arthur took one look at the shaking boy in front of him and reached out to comfort him. Merlin pulled away, hugging himself tightly. Merlins memories had only just begun. The horrors would continue, if he could confide in someone.

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