The second time, Merlin pointed it out.
Arthur didn't notice him straight away. He had pulled in to a parking space four down from Merlin's and he had been about to cross the road to knock on the door of Gwen's house. As he turned to check the traffic, he saw the boot of Gwen's car was open and then Merlin had straightened up, holding a couple of boxes in his arms. It took him a moment to steady them, and Arthur noticed a few other things still packed in there, Merlin was clearly unloading. Very badly, Arthur noted as he tried to steady the pile in one arm and pick up a pot plant in the other.
Instead of crossing the road, Arthur walked up towards him. He hadn't seen Merlin since the party a week ago, and Morgana hadn't been helpful in giving him any information. It was the only reason he had driven over to Gwen's when Morgana demanded that he pick her up, as it was apparently on his way.
Merlin's pile wobbled and he lowered it to the edge of the boot to steady it, he shifted his grip and then lifted it again, resting it against his chest to keep it level while trying to reach out to shut the boot up with the hand holding the plant. His burden slid again and the top few items in the box shifted. Merlin tried to lean the other way to steady them.
"Oh, don't to that," he ordered the photo frame that was balanced on top, and it continued to slide. "Oh, really, please don't!" he added, his voice sounding stressed. Arthur jogged the last few paces and put his hand on the boxes to prevent their decent. Merlin jumped, the frame went over the edge.
"Shit!" Merlin swore as it fell. Arthur reached out and caught it with his other hand, thanking his quick reflexes.
"I've got it," Arthur said, holding it up for Merlin to see and then he carefully placed it on top, looking at the picture of a woman smiling brightly, her arms around Merlin. He relieved Merlin of the top box and steadied it carefully. Merlin levelled out his own box and reached into the boot and put the plant back.
"Sorry Norman, you'll have to wait."
Arthur raised his eyebrows. "You called the plant Norman?"
"Yes," Merlin said, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. He tucked a few of Norman's leaves back in and opted to pick up a black rucksack instead. He managed to sling over one slim shoulder, without losing his pile, thanks to Arthur's steadying hand again, reaching out to stop him toppling over while Merlin shrugged the strap on and he slammed the boot closed on the items still in there.
"Thanks," Merlin said. "You're quite a knight in shining armour."
Arthur grinned. "I'm not entirely sure about that, I think I might be a bit tarnished. How are you?"
He noted that the bruising had gone down, but Merlin flinched in discomfort as Arthur asked. It was clearly a subject he didn't like talking about.
"Fine," he said, and then changed the subject. "What are you doing here?"
"Picking up Morgana from Gwen's place," Arthur said. The words answered the question; the tone hinted that he was wondering the same thing about Merlin's presence.
"Oh, I'm going that way. Gwen's letting me use her spare room, just for a couple of weeks or so, to help me out."
"That's nice," Arthur said. "Well, Gwen is nice. Although she'd probably help you out for a couple of years or so if it meant getting you away from Cain. I guess."
"She said as long as I needed, I said a couple of weeks," Merlin said, stepping forward to cross the road, without really bothering to look where he was going. He was too busy talking to Arthur. Fortunately Arthur spotted the car and grabbed Merlin's collar to pull him back before he could get mown down. Merlin jumped a little as the car roared past.
"It's a road, Merlin," Arthur explained in an exaggeratedly patient voice. "These things called cars go up and down it at speed. You might want to look for them now and again."
Merlin flushed a little and checked both ways this time before heading off. Arthur released him and followed along.
"Have you got much more stuff; I can help you unload the rest of it."
"Only a suitcase and a couple more boxes, and Norman. I don't really bother with a lot of things, and the shared stuff from the flat," Merlin tailed off and looked a little embarrassed. "I didn't really like it much anyway. I'll just buy some new bits, very slowly. I'll look for somewhere to live as of tomorrow."
"I doubt Gwen will let you rush it," Arthur said.
"Will offered as well, he's got more space but I didn't fancy living near to, or technically above, work."
"It would mean less travelling. Are you full time at the bookshop?" Arthur asked. Merlin nodded.
"Not exactly a brilliant career but it does me okay, at least I like reading. What do you do?"
"This and that," Arthur said as they reached the far pavement. Merlin laughed.
"What?" Arthur asked. He stopped walking and turned to look at him.
"That sounds like a way to avoid saying you basically do nothing, or you do something that's decidedly dodgy."
"Actually neither, and perhaps sometimes both," Arthur said. Merlin grinned.
"That doesn't answer the question."
"I own a couple of businesses, help manage some others and just kind of put my hand to whatever comes up. Quite well, most of the time."
"Very entrepreneurial," Merlin said.
"Are you being facetious?" Arthur asked.
"Quite possibly," Merlin mused after a moment. Arthur couldn't think of how to retort that, and he didn't need to worry about it as Gwen opened the door.
"Hi," Merlin said, heading up the stairs, with Arthur in tow.
"Did you get everything?"
"Everything I wanted," Merlin said moving past her into the hallway. Arthur smiled at Gwen as he walked in.
"Hey, Gwen." He paused to kiss her cheek.
"About time! I called you ages ago!" Morgana moaned at him. Arthur rolled his eyes at Gwen and put the box down next to where Merlin was piling his things at the foot of the stairs. Then he straightened up and glared at Morgana.
"Firstly, I am not your personal taxi service, and second, I did warn you I was going via the club because I needed to deal with the contractors."
"I hope you did deal with them," Morgana snapped.
"Tea, anyone?" Gwen asked, Merlin smirked, looking around at all of them with baffled amusement.
"Coffee would be nice," Arthur said. "Come on Merlin, I'll help you with the rest of your stuff."
"You're supposed to be driving me home!" Morgana snapped.
"I will, once I've helped Merlin and drunk a coffee, I have been busy all day, and I've not stopped yet."
"I'm all right, it will only take me five minutes," Merlin said. Arthur grabbed him and pulled him to the door.
"And if I help it will take you less than that. Come on Merlin, it's all Morgana's fault anyway," Arthur said as he got Merlin out of the front door and escorted him across the road, holding his forearm to stop him wandering into the traffic, which Merlin was privately quite amused by.
"If she had told me how you were when I asked, I wouldn't have to waste her precious time now."
Merlin paused, looking up at Arthur in shock as he got Gwen's keys and opened the boot of her car again.
"You asked about me?"
"Don't sound so surprised, of course I did. Morgana was irritatingly unforthcoming. It was the only reason I agreed to pick her up today was so I could ask Gwen."
"And you didn't need to," Merlin said.
"Plus, being a knight in shining armour comes with responsibility."
"Including helping me move my stuff?"
Arthur shrugged and picked up the larger of the two remaining boxes, and the interestingly named Norman. Merlin took the other box and the small battered suitcase, putting it on the floor as he shut the car boot again.
I don't think that really comes with the job description," Merlin said, almost walking into the road again. Arthur shoved him back, again.
"Didn't you ever get taught road safety at school?" Arthur asked.
"Probably," Merlin said. Taking the hint as Arthur pushed him across the now empty road.
"Not very well it seems," Arthur said. "It appears my duties extend to making sure you don't end up flattened on the road. Why on earth did you call it Norman?"
For a moment Merlin was distracted by Arthur's protective tone, and then he snapped back to attention, blushing slightly as Arthur regarded him intently.
"Seemed like a good name," Merlin said, pushing the door open again and they put things down by the stairs again. Then Merlin picked up Norman and took him into the living room. Gwen appeared from the kitchen and handed Arthur his coffee. Morgana slouched in a chair looking martyred.
"Can I put Norman on the window sill, he seems to thrive better in early morning sun."
"Sure," Gwen said. She locked eyes with Arthur and mouthed 'Norman?' at him. Arthur sniggered into his coffee, and shrugged.
"He doesn't look like he's thriving," Morgana commented.
"He hasn't had much sun recently," Merlin said, crouching down to carefully position the plant. Arthur thought that Merlin probably hadn't either. Gwen put Merlin's coffee down on the table and sipped her own.
"You didn't have any problems going over there did you?" Gwen asked. "I would have come."
"No, I knew he'd be out, I left the keys on the table, with a note. A very brief one."
"If you'd needed to, you could have taken Arthur," Morgana said, giving him a daggers look to try and get him to hurry up.
"In my official capacity of course," Arthur said, ignoring her gaze.
"What?" Gwen asked, with a baffled look.
"Knight in shining armour," Arthur said. Morgana rolled her eyes.
"Oh Merlin, you didn't call him that did you? He'll be insufferable now."
"I thought I already was," Arthur said. Morgana stood up and stole Arthur's coffee cup, banging it down on the table. She grabbed his arm none too gently and hauled him up.
"Come on, or I'll be late. Some of us have things to do."
Arthur let himself be dragged out into the hallway muttering, "and the rest of us don't!" at her.
"Shut up, Arthur."
"Yes, My Lady, your carriage awaits."
Gwen and Merlin followed them to the door. Merlin looking a little surprised at the pair of them, Gwen looked as if she was entirely accustomed to hearing Arthur and Morgana go on as they were. They paused at the bottom of the small flight of steps that led to Gwen's door.
"See, you two later," Arthur said. Morgana smiled and waved.
"Gwen, I'll call you tomorrow."
"Thanks for the help," Merlin said. Arthur turned and bowed.
"It appears to be becoming my purpose in life," Arthur said, before turning and nearly stepping in front of a car. He stepped back and the driver pressed his horn as he went past. Arthur rolled his eyes and cringed inwardly as he heard Merlin's voice, full of laughter.
"It's a road Arthur, these things called cars go up and down it at speed."
Arthur turned and grinned at him, trying to control the flush on his face. Merlin laughed even more.
"Wow," Morgana said as they crossed the road. "Most people would have been knocked on their backside by now."
She turned back and looked at Gwen, who was still on the doorstep. They shared a very knowing look and a minute later both girls addressed the men they were with in very confident tones.
"He fancies you."