People seemed to forget that just because Arthur was quiet and kept to himself it didn't mean he was deaf. He could hear everybody perfectly well. He knew when they were talking about him, when they were sliding their eyes sideways and muttering things under his breath, asking what he was doing there. Arthur couldn't have been more conspicuous if he tried, resolutely filling those damned balloons and making his clumsy fingers negotiate the string until it formed a knot that would hold. Then he bundled them together in groups of twelve because Merlin never told him what to do with the damned things, and the whole time he could feel people staring at him.

Being near Merlin was nice. Until Merlin had gone over to the corner with Gwen and started whispering about him. He knew they were whispering about him because neither of them could stop looking at him. He tried to concentrate on the stupid string, but they were just on the other side of the gym and he could feel the weight of their eyes. Then Merlin exclaimed "Are you kidding me?" like Gwen had said the most ridiculous thing ever. Arthur was just paranoid enough to suspect it had something to do with him and Merlin's weird attempt at setting the two of them up. Merlin wasn't very perceptive if he thought that would ever work out. Gwen clearly had something for Lance.

Arthur was too sore and exhausted to fuck around with dinner when he finally got home, so he grabbed two packages of ramen and ate them dry while checking out his favorite sites for the most recent updates. When the pain in his leg became so unbearable even the porn couldn't hold his attention, he took two of his vicodin and crashed. His sleep was deep enough to cover the relentless throbbing, and his dreams were like watercolors behind his eyes, images fading together and then washing away, leaving impressions but no concrete shapes.

He would have been happy to stay caught up in that dream world for the entire morning, but some cheerful sound drilled into his brain until he sat up and shouted for Cedred to answer the damned door. Arthur shouted twice more before he remembered that all the servants had the weekend off and Arthur had the entire house to himself. The doorbell continued, chiming the same notes again and again and again. He burrowed under his pillows and tried to wait it out, but after about a half minute Arthur decided that was a stupid plan.

Arthur didn't bother to put on anything over his boxers. If somebody wanted to bug him on a Saturday morning, they could just deal with the view. It took him three attempts to balance on his crutches, and at least he'd had the forethought to move into a bedroom on the ground floor after getting his cast. The journey to the front door was only about a third as horrible as it could have been.

By the time he reached the door, the doorbell had stopped and the knocking had started. Arthur didn't know what the fuck that was supposed to accomplish. Did the idiot think that if Arthur couldn't hear the bell, he'd be in a position to hear the door? Why didn't the asshole draw the obvious conclusion that the house's occupant was either gone or sleeping in? It was probably some douchebag salesman, and in that case, Arthur intended to give the jerk a very big piece of his mind.

Arthur yanked the door open and was greeted with a fucking giant bouquet of pink balloons. Arthur stared, open mouthed, as they swayed against each other in the breeze, gently dancing and knocking together.

"Is this some sort of joke?"

Merlin's head suddenly poked out from the bundle of balloons, and his grin stretched from ear to ear. "It's me!"

Arthur jerked back. "What? What the fuck are…?"

"I'm sorry." The grin faded slightly, became more concerned. "Did I wake you? I thought you'd be up by now."

"What time is it?"

"Eight," Merlin said brightly. "I still had all these balloons left over from last night and I thought 'well, maybe Arthur would like them.'"

"Why would you think that?"

Merlin faltered a little. "Because everybody like balloons?"

Perhaps, but surely not these balloons. They were pink. Very pink. Like Piglet dipped in Pepto-Bismol. Arthur decided to change the subject. "Why did you think I'd be up at eight?"

"Oh! Because I'm usually up by six."

"Don't you sleep in like a normal person?"

Merlin blinked. "Well, yeah. During the week I'm up at five."

"What?"

Merlin's smile disappeared completely, and he leaned forward with obvious concern. "Are you sure you're all right? You must still be half-asleep."

"I'm perfectly awake," Arthur snapped. "Well…some coffee would probably help."

"I thought so," Merlin said, moving his hand from behind his back to reveal the most beautiful thing Arthur had ever seen.

"Oh thank god. Wait. Why are there four cups?"

Merlin shrugged. "In case it's a two-cup morning."

"I love the way you think."

"There's a Starbucks on the corner. I get a special Merlin discount because I'm there so much. I've even been known to ditch third period if it's a three-cup morning."

Arthur grinned and pushed open the door wider. "Come in."

"I don't know if the balloons will fit through the door."

"Well you can't leave them out front. You'll embarrass me in front of the whole neighborhood."

"They really are hideous by the harsh light of day," Merlin mused, tugging the strings behind him as he entered. "They weren't so bad in the gym with low, flashing lights."

"I bet the stoners got a real kick out of them."

"They're usually the ones who enjoy them the most. They'd probably be crushed if we skipped over them." Merlin said it with such perfect sincerity that Arthur couldn't tell if he was joking. Not until the grin broke out again. "I'll just leave these by the door."

"Thanks. I don't think I can look at them anymore."

"Keep saying things like that and I'll think you don't like my gift."

"I love your coffee."

By the time they reached the den where Arthur spent the vast majority of his life, it struck him that Merlin Emrys was in his house. Which was really no reason to get a sudden attack of butterflies right below his heart, or suddenly have sweaty palms. He moved to wipe his hands off on his pants and that's when he realized he wasn't wearing any pants.

His blush was immediate and life-threatening. It spread from his chest (Arthur was sure his nipples felt hot) to the roots of his hair. His palms tingled. His scalp tingled. He wanted the ground to open him up and swallow him whole and hold him into the cool earth until his skin didn't feel like it was literally scalded and about to peel off his flesh.

"I'm just gonna go get dressed," Arthur muttered. "Makeyourselfcomfortable."

Arthur didn't wait for a response before he limped to his room, moving too slow, his heart thundering in his ears the whole way.

Merlin was in love. He felt terrible for being so shallow, but the plain fact of it was, he'd never loved anything like he loved Arthur Pendragon. Did he make it a habit out of walking around the house in his underwear? Did he do it so routinely that he utterly forgot to dress himself before opening the door and was it possible to take advantage of that fact? Could he think of a different reason to bring him around Arthur's house every single morning? Coffee seemed to be the way to Arthur's heart. Merlin could ply him with coffee until they were both nervous wrecks. Nervous, half-naked (God willing) wrecks.

Arthur returned ten minutes later in sweats red and gold sweats—go Knights!—and a white T-shirt. If Arthur had to get dressed, Merlin approved of this choice. The T-shirt was especially flattering.

"So do you live here by yourself or what?"

"There are usually servants but…"

"Servants?"

"Yeah."

"You have servants."

"Um, yeah. Who else would do the work?"

"You."

"I have far too much to do."

Merlin looked around the room, taking in the four game consoles, the Blu-Ray player, the various iPod accessories (was that iPad case?), and the two computers. "I see. What about your parents?"

"My dad has work."

Arthur didn't elaborate, and Merlin decided he didn't need more of an explanation. "What's your favorite console? I have an Xbox, though I think I'll get a Wii for Christmas."

Arthur shrugged. "The Xbox is good. I like to play Call of Duty and World at War. You play those?"

"Oh yeah," Merlin shamelessly lied, "I love them. Especially the one that was just released. So, I…actually came over to ask you something. I can't stay too long. I'm on my way to the animal shelter."

"Why? Are you getting a dog or something?"

"No, I volunteer there on Saturdays."

"Of course you do," Arthur said under his breath.

"It's fun. I just spend all morning playing with the dogs. If I could get paid to do it, I'd probably be a high school dropout."

"You play with the dogs?"

"Yeah. Or pet the cats. Sometimes I help people choose a pet." Merlin shrugged. "It's fun. A nice way to relax at the end of the week. You should try it sometime."

"I don't know. Aren't you afraid the dogs will bite you or something?"

"I wasn't before." Merlin took a sip of his coffee and grimaced. Not enough sugar, but he wasn't about to ask Arthur if he could go find any. He needed to do what he went there to do and go about his day before he forgot he was supposed to leave. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

"What?"

"Are you busy tonight? I know it's Valentine's Day and this is crazy short notice. But I have these tickets for a concert…"

"You're asking me to go to a concert with you?"

"Yeah, I won these tickets and nobody can go with me because they all have dates, and I thought maybe…since you saved my life and…I mean I've known you since Kindergarten but we don't really know each other and we're seniors, so there's no time like the present. And I'll…just stop talking now."

Arthur was staring at him like he'd grown a second head, and why did he have to be obnoxiously good looking and make Merlin so self-conscious? He'd never been self-conscious like this in his life, and his wardrobe for Midsummer had barely covered anything at all.

"Sure, that sounds like fun."

"Really? Great! What kind of music do you like?"

Arthur's lips quirked. "Does it really matter at this point?"

"No, I suppose not."

"I like anything I don't have to dance to."

"Because of your leg?"

"Because I don't like dancing."

"Is that why you never go to the school dances?"

Arthur shrugged. "Do you want me to meet you at the venue or what?"

"No, no reason for both of us to pay a million dollars for parking. I'll pick you up." Like this is a real date. Oh fuck, is this a real date? Would he agree to it if he thought it was? Maybe I shouldn't have offered to pick him up.

"What time?"

"Six?"

"I'll be ready."

"Great. Awesome. I'll just show myself out and I'll see you tonight. At six." Merlin nearly knocked over his coffee in an uncharacteristic display of clumsiness, and he was sure his arms had suddenly spouted an extra six inches. He felt like one of those inflatable tube men he always saw dancing and bending in car lots. One that was painted the most garish, eye-assaulting shade of orange.

"I'll walk you out," Arthur offered.

"You don't have to do that. Oh, but how is your leg? I didn't do you any permanent damage, did I?" Merlin chewed the bottom of his lip, concern welling up. "Did I?"

"Not that I can tell. I feel perfectly fine this morning."

"Really?"

"Yeah, mostly. I'm sure they won't have to amputate."

"If they do amputate, I'll pay for your wooden leg."

"Wooden? I'd insist on titanium."

"They make you pay for titanium these days, don't they?"

"As far as I know."

Merlin raised his hands. "I'm flat broke. I could only afford a peg leg. But to make it up to you, I'd throw in an eye patch."

"I don't want to be a pirate."

"You'd be a hot pirate."

Arthur's eyebrow plucked with surprise, and Merlin knew he needed to get out of there before he made the situation worse.

"But I'm sure it won't come to that. So I'll just be on my way. And I'll see you tonight."

Arthur laughed, the sound surprisingly throaty. "Until then."

Merlin felt hot and flushed and strangely romantic when he passed through the foyer. He plucked one balloon from the bunch and left the rest floating there beside Arthur's door.

Arthur liked his music fast, loud enough to hurt his ears, and without any discernible lyrics. He listened to a lot of thrash metal when he was working out or his dad was home and Arthur wanted to drown out the sound of his movies. Not that he had any reason to think Uther could hear them from the other side of the house, but Arthur figured he'd rather be safe than sorry. He never listened to music just because he enjoyed it, only when he preferred sound to silence, a driving bass line to his own heartbeat. He didn't go to many concerts. He didn't know what to expect from this one. He spent two hours floundering around his room, trying to dress in something appropriate, trying to tame his hair, cursing his stupid cast, and periodically freaking out.

Merlin rang the bell promptly at six and Arthur forced himself to wait a full minute before he opened the door because he didn't want Merlin to know that he'd been waiting at the door for the previous thirty. Merlin wore skinny jeans and a black Pixies T-shirt. He'd teased his hair into peaks, and he wore a leather bracelet Arthur had never noticed before. He stared at it for a little too long, then stared a little longer at the inside of Merlin's wrist.

"I hope you're hungry," Merlin greeted.

"Why?"

"I'm going to take you to dinner."

"I…did you mention that earlier today?"

"No. Do you not want to eat? We don't have to."

Arthur's stomach growled, reminding him that he'd been too distracted to eat anything at all that day. Even if he had a full stomach, he'd never, ever turn down food. He once told Uther that he wasn't in the mood for anymore fries, and Uther had been ready to take him to the ER over it.

"I'm always hungry."

"Me too. Gwen thinks I ate my weight every day. But I'm a growing boy."

"That's what I tell Uther when he bitches about the grocery bill."

"Uther? Your dad? Is he around tonight?"

"Um, no. He won't be home until next week probably."

"You don't know?"

Arthur shrugged. "I probably won't even be around when he gets in, and he spends most of his time at his office when he's in town."

"Don't you…doesn't that bother you?"

"Why should it? I have the whole house to myself, I do what I want, go where I want. It works for me."

Merlin didn't look entirely sold on the awesomeness of Arthur's life, but he was too distracted by something over Arthur's shoulder to press the matter.

"You still have the balloons!"

"Oh, yeah, well, I didn't really have a chance to throw them out. Busy day, you know." Arthur didn't mention that he did have the time to move half of them to the den, and maybe one had followed him into his bedroom while he was getting ready for the concert(date).

"You like them."

"No, I don't. They're hideous. I can't believe you paid money for them."

"If you can't embrace pink on Valentine's Day, then when can you?"

"You could possibly not embrace pink," Arthur suggested.

Merlin made a snorty-snuffy sound like that was the most ridiculous thing he ever heard. Arthur locked the door behind him and carefully made his way down the walk. Merlin stuck close to his side, and Arthur could sense that Merlin wanted to offer to help. It drove Arthur crazy that people thought just because he was on crutches, he was some sort of invalid.

"Do you like Antonio's?"

"The pizza place? Yeah, it's not bad."

"I thought we could go there. It's the least romantic place I can think of and I thought since it's Valentine's Day and this isn't…a candlelit dinner might be…not good."

Arthur balanced on one leg and pushed the crutches into the backseat before maneuvering himself into the passenger seat. "Pizza's great."

If it were left up to Arthur, the entire ride to Antonio's would be stiff with silence. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to Merlin, but his tongue was paralyzed and his brain kept going back to football plays and World War II strategies, and neither subject seemed appropriate for a Valentine's Day outing-that-wasn't-a-date-but-sure-felt-like-one. Fortunately, Merlin was more than comfortable carrying the conversation, sometimes playing both roles and answering his own questions while he sped along at about one hundred words per minutes.

Since Arthur couldn't hope to keep up with the conversation, he distracted himself by watching Merlin from the corner of his eye. He had enough practice that he could do it without giving himself away. Street lights rolled over Merlin's face while they drove, his features hidden and then sharply accented against the winter night in regular intervals. That pumpkin smell was stronger in his car, buried in the upholstery and clinging to Arthur's skin. It was far from unpleasant. Arthur wanted to bury his face in Merlin's neck and inhale, wanted to investigate until he found the source and then cover himself in it.

Merlin turned to look at him, making eye contact without warning and startling Arthur out of his deep thoughts. "So I'll understand if you don't want to help because it's not your normal thing. But I promise, there won't be pink balloons. Well, there will be. There will probably be a lot of pink balloons, to be honest. But you won't be in charge of them."

Help with what? Another dance? Probably, if there were balloons involved. Merlin turned his attention back to the road, but as soon as he stopped at a light, he was looking at Arthur again with hopeful expectation. Arthur forgot his resolve to never help with another dance.

"Sure, no problem. Just tell me where and when you need me."

"Really? God, that's great. Where have you been all of my life?"

Waiting for you to notice me. "In the remedial classes."

"Why do you even take those classes?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know you don't need remedial history. You knew more about it than Mr. Neff did."

Arthur frowned. "I hated that guy."

"I remember. I don't think I ever saw anybody turn that shade of purple before."

Arthur laughed. "I really thought he was going to hit me."

"He probably thought you would have hit him back."

"Nah, I just would have had my dad make his life a living hell."

"But still. You should have taken AP History this year. I know you could pass the test, and then you'd have your history credit out of the way."

"I'm not good at writing essays. Plus, I don't even know if I'll go to college. I haven't decided. I guess I'll have to wait to see if I got accepted anywhere."

"Oh."

"Where are you thinking about going?"

"I don't know. I applied to lots of different places. The big ones because my mom wanted me to. You know, Harvard and Yale and Brown and stuff. But I'm thinking I want to stick closer to home. I'll just have to see who wants me, I guess."

"Any place that doesn't want you isn't worth your time anyway," Arthur said, unable to think of a single reason why the universities wouldn't be fighting to get Merlin in their doors.

"Thanks. So you know where the GLBT resource center is, right?"

"What?"

"The GLBT center? For the queer prom."

The what? Did Arthur just agree to do something for the queer prom? What the hell was the queer prom? The high school had a GLBT resource center? Arthur felt like he'd suddenly been thrown into the deep end of the pool, cast and all, and the water was burning his eyes and stinging his sinuses.

"You should probably pick me up if it's not too much trouble."

"No problem at all. But if I'm being too pushy, you know, you could tell me to back off. Sometimes I get like that. Gwen says I can be a bit of a bully."

Considering Arthur hadn't heard ninety-five percent of what Merlin said, he couldn't make a judgment call either way.

"Not that I think anybody could bully you into doing something you didn't want to do."

You'd probably be surprised at what you could get me to do. "You never mentioned who we were seeing tonight."

"Oh, sorry. Franz Ferdinand. Do you like them?"

"Love them," Arthur said enthusiastically, wondering if he would even recognize any songs.

It turned out that Arthur knew nothing about Franz Ferdinand and Merlin really, really loved them.

Arthur managed to find a chair against the wall, but it was general admission and the club was packed. Arthur didn't catch the name of the opening act, but they got the crowd worked up to a mass of sweaty, writhing bodies. Merlin stuck near him for the set, standing in place and wiggling in the most startlingly wonderful way. It was all in the hips. Arthur felt comfortable staring a bit more openly, and stare he did until his cock started to harden and he shifted away self-consciously.

"They were really good," Merlin shouted over the applause as the band left the stage. "I think I'll buy their album."

Arthur nodded, his ears ringing. Somehow, even more people elbowed their way to the main floor, and the crowd began to swell until there wasn't a space of standing room.

"I wonder if this place is up to code," Arthur muttered.

"What?"

"Because of all the people. Do you think they're over capacity?"

"I don't know. Probably not?"

"I'm just saying I don't want to die in here."

Merlin tilted his head. "Well, it probably won't come to that."

"I just meant there are a lot of people here. Franz…um…Ferdinand is pretty popular."

"Yeah." Merlin was looking at him even more strangely. "They are."

Arthur felt a strange suction in his chest and looked away, hoping he'd be saved by the lowering of the house lights. If the band took the stage right that second, Arthur would become their most ardent supporter and buy every single one of their albums on iTunes and CD.

"I'm gonna get a Coke. Do you want one?"

"Yeah, thanks."

As soon as Merlin disappeared into the crown, Arthur eyed the exit and wondered about making his escape. He thought he could probably make it to the door if he just tucked his crutches under one arm and hopped like his ass was on fire. Once he made it out the door, he could call a cab and be home before Merlin even realized he was gone.

Arthur rejected the thought quickly. He didn't run away from things, even if he made an ass out of himself. Mostly. Starting now, which was as good a time as any.

The lights went down while Arthur was still congratulating himself on his show of bravery. Merlin still wasn't back, and Arthur rose off his stool a little, trying to catch his goofy head among the rest of the normal ones. Then the band emerged from the side of the stage and everybody went fucking wild. Arthur had never heard anything like it. Not even after a big win had excited the crowd this much. Arthur's blood warmed, and he straightened more, absently resting weight against the bottom of his enclosed foot. The music crashed around him until his teeth vibrated and his finger was absently twitching to the beat.

The floodlights on the stage swung outward, shining on the crowd, bathing them in crisp, white light. Arthur spotted Merlin in that split second, somewhere towards the middle of the crowd, a giant smile on his face, teeth as bright as his hair was dark. The image of him dancing burned in Arthur's retina, and did it look like Merlin was dancing with somebody familiar? Some hippy dippy girl with long wavy hair and hemp bracelets and long skirts that fanned around her long legs. He'd seen her around the shop room because she took classes like basket-weaving and scrapbooking.

Freya.

Merlin was very eagerly dancing with Freya, and Arthur didn't have a perfect view of him, but he was sure Merlin's hands were empty. Which meant he never made it to the bar. He hadn't been going after drinks at all. And the worst part was, Arthur couldn't even legitimately upset. Because they were just there as friends, and no guy would be upset if his buddy found an interested girl.

Arthur slumped back against the wall. He hated Franz Ferdinand. He hated concerts, and dancing, and people. He especially hated people. Why did Merlin always make him feel this way? Nobody on the planet made Arthur feel so utterly miserable just by being himself.

If he didn't have his cast, he would slam his way through the crowd, knocking people in the back and elbowing them aside to get to Merlin. Then he would…do something great. Something so irresistible, Merlin forgot all about whats-her-name.

"Arthur. Arthur! Oh my god, I'm so sorry. Here, I got you two cokes in case you were extra thirsty from the wait." Merlin thrust both cups under Arthur's nose. "I was on my way to the bar, but then I ran into Freya and then the show started and I just wanted to have one dance, but then they just kept playing and I lost track of time. Here, take them."

Arthur obediently took the cups, trying to sort through the whirlwind of Merlin's explanation. It was difficult to hear him because the crowd was roaring and clapping for an encore, but Merlin had never looked so sincere.

"It's okay," Arthur shouted back. "I've just been enjoying the music."

Merlin beamed at him. "I'll send you the albums if you want. I wish you could have been dancing with us. I know you said you don't like dancing, but you would have liked this. It felt great."

"I…"

The shouting and stomping increased in volume, alerting Merlin to what was happening on the stage behind him. He spun around just as a catchy riff started and when he looked back to Arthur, his face was alight with excitement.

"Come on, you have to dance to this one."

"My cast…"

"Dance with me. It's all in the hips anyway."

So sexy, you're sexy, come and dance with me Michael.

Arthur caught sight of Freya over Merlin's shoulder. She was moving like a shark through the mass, and Merlin was clearly her prey. Arthur's eyes narrowed. Who did she think she was? Why did she get to hot Merlin's attentions all night? What a hussy, throwing herself at him like that. Well, Arthur wasn't going to stand for it. He carefully placed the cups beneath his stool and leaned the crutches against it.

"Okay. You show me what to do."

Arthur had never danced in public, but he knew how to use his body. He had perfect control of it, and even during the awkwardness of his adolescence, he could never be described as clumsy. Even with the heavy cast wrapped around his leg, he found it easy to follow Merlin's lead. He noticed Freya noticing them, stopping short as she watched the two of them dancing so close together.

Sticky hair, sticky hips, stubble on my sticky lips.

There were too many bodies in that room, and the air was thick with sweat and pheromones. Arthur's hair quickly stuck to his scalp, and now he was close enough to see that Merlin was similarly drenched. What would it be like to peel that damp T-shirt from his skin and absorb some of that heat with his mouth? Oh, he could do so many things to Merlin. He knew so many things and he would be happy to show Merlin every one. Their thighs touched, then their hips. Arthur took a half-step forward and then another, allowing his groin to grind against Merlin's bony hip. His eyes rolled up at the pressure, and it seemed like the tempo changed. The song might have changed. The music might have stopped for all Arthur cared.

Freya began dancing near them, but of the two boys, Arthur seemed to be the one paying her the most attention. He was hyper aware of her, and he constantly checked Merlin's line of sight to make sure that he wasn't staring at her the whole time. But he never was, and Arthur's anxiety gradually reduced until he was too caught up in Merlin to care about the ones who might be vying for his attention.

The band played a second encore, and by the time they actually left the stage for good, Arthur's clothes were soaked through with sweat, his leg was throbbing, and his cock was so engorged he thought he might actually pass out from all the blood rushing away from his head. Freya moved closer to Merlin, and Arthur decided the best defense was a strong offense. He took Merlin by the arm and pulled him closer, murmuring "My leg is killing me. Do you think you could help me out?"

It was underhanded. It definitely wasn't fair play. It might have even been cheating, but Arthur didn't care because it worked. Merlin immediately pulled Arthur's arm over his shoulder and pulled him into Merlin's skinny body.

"Here, just let me support your weight. Are you okay? Oh, I shouldn't have made you dance with me. I'm really not trying to get your leg amputated."

"Merlin, I'm fine. It's fine. I had a lot of fun."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You're a good teacher."

"You're good at moving your hips."

"Merlin, I…" I want to pull you into the nearest dark corner and rut against your thigh until I come. I promise it won't take long. "I need some air."

"We'll go out the fire exit."

Arthur nodded and let Merlin pull him through the crowd until they reached the side door with a warning on it that an alarm would sound. Merlin pushed it open and was answered by silence. It slammed behind them, and Arthur realized there were alone, breathless. Merlin was slick and squirmy against him, and Arthur acted without thinking, nearly blinded by his need to just be closer. He turned his body enough to back Merlin against the brick wall, trapping him there and eyeing his wet skin hungrily.

"Arthur?"

Arthur didn't know if he should blame the fresh, cool air going to his head, or the fact that Merlin had spent the past thirty minutes rubbing against him. He tilted his head and nuzzled his mouth against Merlin's jaw, hoping praying please don't let me be wrong about this, please, pleasepleaseplease. Merlin didn't jerk away from him, and Arthur began to think that yeah, yeah, he could do this. Especially after he shifted his hips forward and felt the actual, undeniable evidence of Merlin's arousal.

"Oh God, Merlin…"

"Kiss me, Arthur. Please kiss me."

Arthur had three kisses under his belt, all of them with girls, and none of them even close enough to prepare him for this. They both moved their heads at the same time, knocking their noses together. Arthur decided to just go for it and sealed his mouth over Merlin's like a vacuum hose. He knew he was doing it, but he couldn't help himself. Merlin made an awkward sort of protest and pulled his head away.

"I'm sorry," Arthur said in a rush. "I can do better. Let me try again."

"Here, let me." Merlin held the back of Arthur's head and tentatively touched their lips again. He remained still for a long moment, and Arthur realized one of them had to move or do something. He licked Merlin's bottom lip, and the other boy jolted, lips pressing more firmly to Arthur's as he responded in kind. They teased each other lightly, their tongues darting forward to sample the salty-sweetness of each other's mouths before shyly retreating again. Arthur had never experienced anything so utterly perfect in every way.

Arthur rocked against him without thought or any specific intent. Merlin rocked back, like they were dancing. Merlin's jeans were tight, and his cock was outlined in sharp relief, the ridge more than evident pressed against Arthur's inner thigh. What would Merlin do if Arthur shoved his hand down his pants and palmed his stiff flesh? Arthur couldn't risk anything like that in public, but the more he tasted of Merlin's mouth, the more he felt like he could do anything.

Arthur had been on edge before they ever stepped out of the club, but being that close to Merlin, dipping his tongue between Merlin's lips again and again, was just too much to ignore. The pleasure stabbed at him in sharp spikes until he felt broken and desperate. It didn't feel like the pleasant ache he got from watching his movies. This was agonizing and so much deeper. The pain seemed to be coming from the very core of him, radiating into every cell in his body.

"Merlin…oh…" Arthur stiffened and gasped, his body shuddering as his cock twitched, soaking his boxers with warm come. Merlin echoed him, fingers digging into his shoulders and eyes rolling back as he reached his peak and rode out his pleasure.

"I think Arthur's gay."

Gwen's face lit up. "So the date went well?"

Merlin tapped his pencil against his physics book and wondered, not for the first time, whatever possessed him to take AP physics as his elective. He was going to ruin his GPA, and for what? Because Dr. Gaius had goaded him into it and made Merlin think he had something to prove, but he definitely wasn't going to pass the test. And now that he had Arthur to think about, he'd be lucky if he even passed the class. He was staring at the distinct possibility of destroying his perfect 4.0 and all he could really think about was kissing Arthur.

"I…I don't know. I accidentally abandoned him during the show because I started dancing with Freya."

Gwen made a face. "Really?"

"Yeah, and man, he looked pissed when I got back to him. I felt so terrible."

"Worse than when you almost killed him?"

"Yeah, actually. But he also looked really hot, so I tried to get him to dance."

"But he has a cast."

"I know he has a cast. Are you going to let me finish this story?"

"Oh, yes, of course. Go on."

"Thank you. So I didn't think he would but then he did, and it was…I don't get why he doesn't like to dance."

"I think you just liked him rubbing against you."

"Gwen."

Gwen pressed her lips together and mimed zipping them before tossing the imaginary key over her shoulder.

"So we danced for both encores, and he was really, really getting into it, you know? Then he said he needed some air, so we went out that fire exit they keep open for smokers." Merlin paused, debating if he should tell Gwen the whole story. He always told Gwen everything. She was like his diary, except unlike a journal, she gave him advice and supportive hugs. But he'd never had to tell her anything like this. She was already leaning so far forward that she was practically lying on the table, and her eyes seemed to be warning him that he better not leave out of any of the details. "He sorta pushed me against the wall and then he…kissed my jaw."

"Oh my god!"

"Shh! Jesus, Gwen, you're going to get us kicked out of the library."

"Sorry, sorry, but that's totally hot. It was hot, right?"

"I felt like everything inside me was melting," Merlin admitted. "Up til that moment, it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. So I…practically begged him to kiss me."

"Oh my god!" Gwen whispered, though it still sounded more like a shout. Merlin looked around the library to see if anybody was shooting death glares at them and sank lower in his chair. "Was he good?"

"Honestly? Not really. It felt like he was trying to suck my face off my face."

Gwen's face fell. "Oh."

"But then I kissed him and that was…" Merlin paused, overwhelmed by the task of finding the right adjectives for Arthur's mouth. "Amazing. Perfect."

Gwen collapsed onto the desk in a fake swoon. "That's so romantic. It sounds like you had the perfect Valentine's Day."

"Well…almost."

"Why? What happened?"

Merlin's cheeks flooded with heat. "You know when you and Lance are making out?"

It was Gwen's turn to blush. "Merlin."

"Look, if you get to hear about me and Arthur, then I get to talk about you and Lance. Besides, everybody knows you two are sucking face. Why don't you just date?"

"It's not that easy…"

"Whatever." Merlin wasn't impressed with Gwen's protests, especially since she had the implicit support of everybody. "Anyway, so when you and Lance are making out, does he ever…has he ever…just…finished?"

"Finished what?"

"Come on, Gwen. You know what I mean. While you're kissing and not touching him or anything, just kissing, has he ever…come in his pants?"

Gwen's eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "Are you shitting me?"

"Gwen! Language."

"Sorry, sorry."

"You've been better about that lately," Merlin said encouragingly.

"I would normally put a quarter in my swearing jar, but I think that was the only appropriate response. So…did he really?"

"Yeah. We…we both did."

"Oh. Well. That's good, right, that you both had a good time?"

"I don't know. I'd say yes except Arthur didn't say another word to me for the rest of the night. Not until I dropped him off and he said, and I quote, 'good night.'"

Merlin hit his forehead against the thick physics book he'd probably never open again. "I know. I keep wondering if I did something wrong or if he's just the king of mixed signals."

"It really doesn't sound like you've done anything wrong. It sounds like you did everything right. Did you see him this morning?"

"No. I…well, I almost saw him. But then I ducked into the music room."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I didn't know what to say to him! Sorry for ruining your pants?"

"It's a start."

"I wonder if they make a card for something like that."

"No, but oh! There's one of those machines that make personalized cards at Wal-Mart. You could use that."

Merlin lifted his head long enough to glare. "I wasn't serious."

"Sorry."
Merlin huffed and dropped his head again. The textbook was smooth and cool against his overheated skin, but it wasn't enough to distract him from the memory of Arthur's hot mouth. If the blond walked into the library right then, Merlin would kiss him again. Merlin would kiss him anywhere, any time. Just thinking about it made his cock twitch. It occurred to him that if he wasn't careful, he'd have a repeat of seventh grade aka The Worst Year In the History of the World. Merlin's hormones had been out of control, and he spent every day randomly popping boners and trying to hide them by never leaving his desk and carrying his books in front of him. Merlin did not want to go through that again. Though it wouldn't be quite the same. Maybe if he could just stop thinking about Arthur…

Yeah, that wasn't going to happen.

"Are you going to try to talk to him, though?"

"I don't know. Maybe I should wait for him to talk to me."

"What if he's waiting for you to talk to him?"

"Why would he be doing that?"

"Well, who came first?"

"The chicken," Merlin deadpanned.

"What?"

"Arthur. Arthur did."

"Maybe he thinks he did something wrong."

"Oh."

"Invite him to come with us tomorrow night. Arthur might like free climbing, and he might feel more comfortable if it's not a date."

"Saturday wasn't a date, either." Merlin frowned. "I think. Though he did look really nice, and we had dinner first, and then we both got off. Maybe that is a date. Maybe I should look on the Internet. Somebody's got to have a date checklist."

"Most people aren't so socially retarded they don't know when they're on a date, Merlin."

"You just want to invite Arthur so I'm not the awkward third wheel while you and Lance make googly eyes at each other."

"We do not make googly eyes. Ask Arthur at lunch."

"No. No. I'll ask him, but this is the sort of thing that needs to wait until after school. If I ask him before that, I'll be too distracted for the rest of the day, and we have a test in English this afternoon."

"Why aren't you studying for that?"

"We're just writing an essay on The Metamorphosis. I'm good with Kafka. Just not while I'm obsessing over Arthur."

"When's your physics test?"

Merlin pushed the book away from him. "Tomorrow. I'm doomed. Seriously, Gwen, I'm totally fucked."

"You owe me a dollar."

"I didn't make you pay for saying shitting."

"You're not doomed. Why don't you ask Dr. Gaius for help?"

"He won't help me cheat. I already checked."

"He might tutor you."

Merlin thought about Gaius calling him a stupid boy for a whole hour while Merlin struggled through his homework problems and shuddered. "No, I'm sure the situation isn't that dire yet."

"It probably won't even matter if you don't get an A. It's not like Harvard will say 'Well we did want you, Mr. Emrys, but you got a B in physics.'"

"Ha, like Harvard would ever say anything about wanting me."

"What are you going to do when every single school you applied to accepts you? Do you have a game plan for that?"

"No, because it won't happen."

"Wanna bet?"

"Sure. Regular stakes?"

Gwen extended her hand. "Same as always."

Merlin clasped her fingers. "You're on."

Gwen grinned and shook his hand, then pushed the physics book back across the table. "You should at least pretend you're studying."

"I think I should probably just study."

"No, we need to figure out what you're going to say to Arthur."

Merlin groaned and flipped his book open to chapter eleven.

"Mr. Pendragon. Mr. Pendragon. Mr. Pendragon!"

Arthur jerked into an upright position, blinking rapidly at the very angry geology teacher who was now towering over him. He wiped his hand over his face to clean off the drool, and felt an imprint on his cheek from the edge of his textbook.

"Thank you for joining us, Mr. Pendragon. Now do you think you could open your book to the proper page?"

"What's the proper page?"

"Two. Eight. Six."

Arthur fumbled with the pages until he had the right one. Chapter Twelve: Plate tectonics. Arthur hated geology. He only took it because he needed a science credit and it seemed easier than biology or chemistry. But all they ever talked about was rocks. Rocks didn't do anything.

"What do you want me to do?" Arthur asked, looking from the page to Mr. Barker and back again.

"Read it."

"You woke me up so I could read this out loud? Why didn't you just do it? Or better yet, close the book for once. Or don't you know this stuff without looking?"

Mr. Barker had a fat face that always turned red when he was angry, and fat lips that would tremble like he was about to cry. Arthur couldn't help himself. A part of him did want to see if he could make the man cry before graduation.

"Mr. Pendragon, I have had quite enough of your attitude."

"If you don't like my attitude, don't wake me up."

"My classroom is not a sleep center for reprobates like you."

Arthur glanced around at the other reprobates and jocks, half of whom were staring intently at their phones. The other half seemed barely aware that there was even a disruption in the classroom, if their slack faces and half-closed eyes were anything to go by.

"Yeah, I wouldn't be so sure about that."

"Mr. Pendragon…"

"Why do you keep calling me that? Did you forget my first name? It's Arthur."

"Go to the office."

"What am I supposed to do there?"

"I don't care!" Mr. Barker exploded, his lips absolutely quaking with rage. "Just get out of my classroom. When you can treat me, your classmates, and this class with a bit of respect, you may return."

"Sounds like a good deal to me," Arthur announced, standing and collecting his things. There were a few snickers from behind him. "You know, you shouldn't let yourself get so angry. It's not good for your blood pressure."

"Out!"

Arthur was snickering himself by the time he stepped into the silent hallway. One of the vice-principals would probably stick him in the nurse's office as a short-term in school suspension until the final bell rang. He could stretch out on the cot, close his eyes, and think about Merlin. His favorite, and essentially only pastime, since Saturday night when Merlin dropped him off and Arthur had been literally struck dumb with…with everything. His brain had simply disengaged, shutting down for the night and no doubt leaving Merlin with the impression that Arthur was a giant fucking idiot. With a hair-trigger.

His book bag hit the crutches with every step, creating a steady thump-thump-thump that echoed off the bare floors and lockers. The kids on clean-up duty ignored him when he passed by, sullenly collecting litter from beneath the lockers and emptying garbage bags, their hair caught up in nets and their hands in latex gloves. The hall monitors had threatened Arthur more than once, but he would sooner go home in the middle of the day and risk the wrath of his father than clean up other people's garbage. Gretchen, the head monitor, must have sensed that she wouldn't win the fight with Arthur because she generally left him alone.

Ms. Meredith looked up from her computer as he banged into the office. "What are you doing here, Pendragon?"

"Barker said I should come down here. So here I am. Who'll be seeing me today?"

"Everybody's in a meeting. Except…" She pointed down the narrow corridor to the principal's office. "Dr. Gaius will be more than happy to visit with you."

Arthur's heart sank as he realized his gambit hadn't paid off. "Really?"

"Really." Her hand poised over the phone. "Should I announce you're presence, or do you want to surprise him?"

"I'll surprise him," Arthur muttered, wishing he could just teleport himself back to geology. He trudged down the hall, dragging his feet, absently brushing his shoulder against the wall. Mondays were never great, but this was turning from bad to worse. Gaius probably wouldn't even let him go home at 3:30.

"Merlin, I don't care how much you want to get out of the test, I can't help you."

Arthur stopped short, but it felt like all his internal organs kept moving another foot before slamming back into their rightful places.

"I'm not trying to get out of the test, Gaius. I'm just…"

"Whining?"

"No," Merlin said sulkily. Arthur could imagine him slumped in one of Gaius's uncomfortable chairs, arms crossed, pink mouth pulled into a sad frown. "I'm not whining. I'm freaking out."

"Merlin, not everything in this world is going to come easy for you. It's best that you learn that lesson now while you're in high school and not later when it really counts."

"I don't think everything in this world should come easy. It's not like I haven't been studying. That's all I did on Sunday."

"This isn't your first physics test, is it? How did you do on those?"

"Okay, I guess. But this is different. It feels like everything is pressing down all at once."

"That's life."

"But it wasn't this hard before," Merlin whined.

"No, I imagine it wasn't. But things aren't going to get easier, you know."

"Thanks, Gaius. That's a really great pep talk."

"Merlin, what's really bothering you?"

Arthur caught his breath. Something was bothering Merlin? Merlin had insecurities and problems like everybody else? Mr. 4.0 was nervous about a test? Arthur was so boggled by the revelation that he didn't have time to wonder why Merlin went to the principal of all people with his physics problems.

"Nothing."

"Come now, Merlin. You can't fool me. You can fool everybody else, but I know when something's bothering you."

Arthur could feel his hopes foolishly rising. Could it be possible that maybe Arthur himself was…

"It's my mom."

"The last I heard she was still in full remission."

"She is."

"Then what's wrong?"

"She wants me to go to the east coast for school. She thinks I'm going to get into Harvard, and she's been helping me with scholarships and stuff to help with the tuition."

"And you think you won't be accepted."

"No, I think my chances are good," Merlin admitted softly. Arthur leaned forward, trying to catch the low syllables. "But I…"

Arthur's crutch chose that moment to slide out from under him, and he could do nothing but crash to the ground. He put his hand out in time to stop his face from meeting the floor, but that was about all he managed. Merlin was at his side before Arthur could catch his breath or gather his dignity.

"Arthur Pendragon! What are you doing lurking outside my door?"

"Can't you give him the third degree after you've made sure he's okay?" Merlin took Arthur by the shoulder and gently pushed him onto his side, forcing Arthur to look at him. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. I think somebody spilled water or something on the floor."

"Does your leg hurt?"

Arthur sighed. Of course his leg hurt, and Arthur was humiliated enough that he wanted to lash out and make somebody else burn with shame. But Merlin's blue eyes soothed that impulse even as they caused other problems inside of him.

"I'll be okay."

"Come on." Gaius took Arthur's arm with surprisingly strength and helped him to his feet. "Up you go."

Merlin was already collecting Arthur's crutches. He passed them over with a small, shy smile that Arthur couldn't help but return.

"Now, what are you doing here? Don't you belong in Mr. Barker's geology class right now?"

"Yeah, I…" Arthur averted his eyes, wishing he didn't have to confess in front of Merlin. "Might have fallen asleep. But it was only for a few minutes, and he didn't need to send me down here."

"And there's no chance you got smart with him?" Gaius asked with a knowing expression.

"A small one."

"Yes, why am I not surprised? Merlin, what are you staring at?"

"Nothing, sir."

"Get to class. You've been loitering in my office long enough."

"But class is almost over."

"Yes, and you've missed most of it, haven't you? Get moving."

Merlin ducked his head, exposing the long, thin line of his neck. It looked like a perfect fit for Arthur's mouth. He gave himself a quick shake—Merlin did look appealing but Arthur was beginning to wonder about his apparent desire to eat the other boy. If Merlin knew how much time Arthur thought about how he would taste and the texture of his skin against his teeth, he'd be really creeped out.

"Fine, fine, I'm going."

"Good. I'm tired of looking at you."

Merlin grinned cheekily and stole one of the chocolates from Ms. Meredith's desk. Arthur had been a regular visitor to the school office, and he'd never dared anything that bold.

"Well, Arthur, what am I going to do with you?"

Arthur shrugged. "I was just tired."

"That's not what I meant and you know it. Arthur, you can't spend your entire senior year sitting in the nurse's office. You know what your father would think of that."

"You're not going to bring him into this, are you?"

"He's your father. It's my job to bring him into it. That's what they pay me for."

"You don't have to. I'll be better, I promise."

"You've been promising me that since you were a freshman."

"I know, but…he's already worried enough about me. This will just upset him, and he's in the middle of a big takeover right now."

"Then you better make sure you don't give me a reason to call him."

"I won't. You won't see me again."

"Good boy. Now, I heard that you signed up to help with the dance last Friday. That's good. It's never too late to start showing some initiative, Arthur."

"I'm helping Merlin with the queer prom, too," Arthur said, eager for something besides a scolding.

"Really? How did your father react to that?"

Arthur chewed his bottom lip. "He doesn't know yet."

"Ah. Well, I'm sure it'll be fine. But…don't let him discourage you, Arthur. You're old enough now to start having your own opinions and making your own choices. Understand me?"

"Yeah, yeah, I think so."

"Good. Now go on. The bell is going to ring in ten minutes anyway, and I've got a faculty meeting to prepare for."

Arthur was careful not to grin until the office door shut behind him.

Merlin had every intention of going to class like Gaius ordered, but he never agreed to go quickly. He stopped outside the office door to eat his candy, took his time to find a bin for the wrapper, picked up another piece of garbage on his way and circled back to dispose of it, got a drink from the fountain, and straightened just in time to see Arthur smile to himself like the cat who caught the canary.

"What are you grinning about?"

Arthur jumped a little, but covered his surprise with a smile. "I thought you went back to class."

"Nope. I waited for you."

"Gaius could have kept me until after school."

"I know, but I'm good at lurking around. Not as good as you, though."

Arthur cleared his throat. "Yes, well, like I said. There was water on the floor."

"Right."

"Did you wait around just to bust my chops?"

"No, that's just an added bonus," Merlin said, a laugh in his throat. "I actually wanted to talk to you. Me and Gwen and Lance go free-climbing once a month and…wait you wouldn't want to do that. You have a cast. Which she knew. Why would she suggest that, unless…" Merlin narrowed his eyes. "She tricked me. Oh that little hussy. I can't believe she did that."

"What are you talking about?" Arthur drawled.

"Nothing. It doesn't matter. Do you want to go out tomorrow night?" Merlin blurted, equal parts surprised and pleased by his own boldness. He usually blurted whatever was foremost on his mind, so it wasn't quite a huge accomplishment, but it was definitely a step above hiding (or ducking out of sight just to get his thoughts in order as the case may be).

"Out?" Arthur blinked. "Like on a date?"

"Ye-es."

"You know, Merlin, you never cease to surprise me."

"Do you like surprises?"

"I do now. Do you…I know you probably have like a million things to do this afternoon and probably another dance to plan, but do you want to come over and play some Xbox?"

Merlin really, really, really, really really hoped that was code for make out on the couch. If he did have anything else to do with his time, he couldn't remember what it was. The need to kiss Arthur consumed his entire being. Plus, he didn't know how to play any of the games Arthur liked, so if they weren't going to kiss, Merlin would probably embarrass himself terribly.

"No, I don't have any other plans. That sounds great."

"Good. Did you drive?"

"Not today. Gwen gave me a ride. How do you drive with that cast?"

"It's not easy, but my car is an automatic, so I make do. I sort of have to if I want to get to school. It's not like I can walk the whole way."

"You could join the school's carpooling program. You get cafeteria points if you do."

"Cafeteria points? Really? That's what you're using to sell me on this?"

"I'll bring you coffee on the mornings I drive."

"But I'll be stuck after school those days, won't I? I mean, aren't you like, always here?"

"Yeah, but there's another way of looking at that."

"What?"

"You'd be stuck here with me."

"Good work, Merlin. You found an argument almost as compelling as cafeteria points."

Merlin laughed. "I shouldn't have to incentivize this program, you know. You're supposed to just want to reduce your carbon footprint and live green and save the earth and all that."

"How much difference could that possibly make?"

"I think we can all make a difference. Especially somebody like you."

"Somebody like me?"

"Yeah."

"What does that even mean? What's so special about somebody like me?"

"Oh, I don't know, Arthur. Maybe the fact that you're a natural leader, you're gorgeous, you're smart, you've got enough money you could actually do something…" Merlin had more to say, but he lost momentum at the increasingly bewildered look on Arthur's face. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, it's just…do you really think that about me?"

"Yeah," Merlin said slowly. Sometimes, he didn't know what to make of Arthur. It was strange to know somebody so well on one level—Arthur had always been in his life after all—but at the same time not know him at all. Merlin was flummoxed and intrigued and a whole host of other emotions he didn't understand.

"How do I sign up for the carpool?"

"You don't have to if you don't want the inconvenience."

"No, I want to. I guess I don't need that whole SUV to myself."

Merlin leaned into Arthur's space, drawn to him like metal shavings to a magnet. Arthur chose that moment to turn slightly, and that's how their lips nearly met under the flag pole. Merlin wasn't even sure how or why they stopped walking.

"Merlin."

"Yes?"

Arthur swallowed. "You never answered my question."

"Ms. Meredith has a sign-up sheet on her desk."

"I'll stop by the office in the morning then."

"Arthur? That bell is going to ring in five minutes, and unless you want like a thousand witnesses, we've got to get moving."

"Good idea. Come on."

Arthur could actually move pretty fast on his crutches when properly motivated. Merlin had to walk at a brisk pace to keep up, marveling that he was the reason Arthur was in such a big hurry. He wanted to be alone with Merlin so they could…well what couldn't they do? The rush of hormones shut down all non-essential brain functions until he felt like nothing more than a walking hard-on. He didn't have the time or energy to be nervous or reasonable or anything else that might make him hesitate.

They were just pulling out of the parking lot when Arthur broke the increasingly significant silence. "How come you're so friendly with Gaius?"

"Because he's my friend."

"You're friends with the principal? You know how weird that sounds?"

"He's a family friend," Merlin amended. "He and my dad worked together."

"Your dad worked at the high school?"

"No, they worked together in a research laboratory. He is an actual doctor, you know."

"I figured he had some bullshit degree in education or something."

"No, he has an actual medical degree."

"Then why on earth is he a principal of all things? Oh my god, why would anybody choose to stay in high school forever?"

"I asked him that once. He told me he liked it. That he felt like he was doing some good in the world."

"I think being a doctor is doing plenty of good in the world. So since he's known you since birth, does that mean you get special treatment?"

Merlin snorted. "I wish. It means when I fuck up, he gets to yell at me extra. He even yelled at me before I ever got to high school."

"Yelled at you, Merlin?"

"It's like he's yelling when he's disappointed in me. He might as well be."

Merlin drummed his fingers on his knee, and it wasn't long before Arthur was doing the same against the steering wheel, matching Merlin's rhythm. Smiling slightly, Merlin quickened the tempo. Arthur mimicked him.

"You really could fit a lot of people in here, though. I bet we could most of the track and field team. We're all pretty skinny."

"With their muddy shoes?" Arthur looked a little green at the thought.

"You play football. I bet you have muddy shoes all the time."

"That's different. And also, I don't track mud into Excal—"

"What? What was that?"

"Nothing."

"No, you were saying something. Was it a name? Did you name your car?"

"No," Arthur said tightly. "I did not."

"You did."

"No. Shut up."

"Were you going to say Excalibur? Did you name your car Excalibur?"

"I really love this truck, okay?"

"What's so special about it?"

"Nothing."

"Come on." He touched Arthur's arm, fingers lingering. "You can tell me. Then I'll tell you something about myself if you want."

"It's not a big deal, Merlin. It's just…a stupid inside joke. My dad picked it out with me on my sixteenth birthday. I thought he was in India, but he came home early so we could go buy this…and well, I told you, it's stupid."

"It doesn't sound stupid to me," Merlin said. He knew Arthur wasn't so indifferent to his father's absences. Only now that he did know that, he kind of wish he didn't. He hated Uther Pendragon for it. He'd never formally met the man, but Merlin had a few memories of him going to school functions and even speaking at the junior high once. Merlin also remembered when Arthur's mom died. They'd been in the second grade, and the teachers thought it best to assemble all of the kids to explain what happened and answer any questions they might have had. They meant questions about death. Merlin had asked who would hug Arthur now his mother was gone.