Merlin slunk into a pub near the dorms, thanking his lucky stars that he was one of the few students old enough to actually get served. Sitting on a stool, he motioned for the barman to pass him a pint. Catching the well aimed glass that slid across the bench, Merlin downed half of it in one go. Staring morosely into the bottom of the glass, he sighed loudly.
"Penny for your thoughts?" A deep voice made him jump. Looking up, he saw the old barman watching him with a strange glint in his eye.
Merlin sighed once again and suddenly began to babble about his life, Freya and Arthur to the bemused barman. Merlin paused, mortified at how easily he had spilt his guts to a random stranger, yet still found himself wanting to be polite, "Hi, I'm Merlin" he introduced himself belatedly. The barman chuckled and poured Merlin another drink.
"Kilgarrah, but everyone calls me Kil" he smiled.
Merlin raised his glass in a semi toast and drank it all in one swift gulp. Kil raised an eyebrow at Merlin's action and leant forward intrigued.
"So, young Merlin, tell me how you feel about er... Freya?" He asked interestedly.
Merlin sighed again."I don't know" he hiccupped, "I really like her y'know? Maybe even loved...but for some reason I'm not as cut up as you would expect me to be..." Kilgarrah motioned for him to continue, his eyes twinkling with an annoying Dumbledore-esque glint. "It's just that...when she died... I was just angry. I was angry at her for telling me, but I was angry at myself for not being able to save her, for being asleep in her last moments"
"Understan-"
"And then! When I got back to the dorm all I could think about was myself, and how everyone always leaves me! I didn't even think about Freya's family, I was just being really fucking selfish!"
Kil nodded slowly. "I see. Well young one, it seems as though she wasn't your destiny. Your destiny is waiting for you. For without the other half, one can never truly be whole." He said cryptically.
Merlin blinked owlishly at him. Maybe he was a lightweight, and was completely and utterly smashed, but then again he'd had more than three pints when he and Will had gone through a 'rebellious' phase back when they were sixteen. So no, that couldn't be it. Maybe he had passed out and was having the oddest dream ever -
"You're not dreaming Merlin." Kil said amusedly.
Merlin blushed. "Right. Well. I have no clue what you just meant, so I'm just going to have another pint. Thanks"
Kil laughed loudly as he continued to ply Merlin with alcohol until he had gotten sufficiently drunk.
"Hey - hic - has anyone ever - hic - told you - hic - that you look like John Hurt?" Merlin burst into raucous giggles and almost fell off his stool, only to find a warm hand gripping his elbow, keeping him off the ground.
"Thanks a lot Kil" a voice sighed from above Merlin's head. "He's gonna hate you tomorrow"
"Somehow I think he'll be back" kil grinned in a positively creepy way.
Merlin twisted himself around, so that he was staring at the person holding him up. He giggled. "Hi Lance!" He cried like a five year old. Lance looked down at now upside down Merlin and smiled fondly. Although they had only really spoken in their Biology class, he felt a strange surge of affection for the clumsy boy. He didn't know much about merlin but he was a Knight, and he took the noble and protective role very seriously. So with a smile, he helped Merlin stumble out of the pub and started to walk him back to the dorms.
"Gwen's lucky to have you" Merlin blurted out randomly. "Oooo a lamppost! Lampposts are really fun to swing round, don't you think? It's like flying!" With that, Merlin launched himself at the pole and started to swing around it with, Lance had to admit, the grace of a pole dancer, not that he'd ever seen one...
Merlin stopped suddenly. "Let's make fireworks!"
Lance frowned, "But we don't have any."
Merlin beckoned him closer. "Ssssshhhhhh I has ma - magics powersss" he slurred into Lance's ear.
Lance nodded, playing along. "Of course you do Mer-"
Merlin stuck out his palm and his eyes flashed gold. Lance's eyes widened comically as he sat down on the floor and stared in awe at the multitude of colours flashing from Merlin's hand. Merlin laughed joyfully before promptly passing out on top of Lance.
"Woah." Was all Lance could say as Merlin snored loudly against his chest.

When Merlin woke up, it was to an agonising headache that he swiftly utilised as a deterrent from dwelling upon his nightmares. Dismissing the flashing eyes and whispered words that didn't sound English at all, disregarding dead eyes that gazed up at him that he thought were Freya's before he realised it was a man, a man whispering his name-

"Merlin?"

Fuck. No, he didn't want to see Arthur, he didn't want to speak to him or acknowledge him for a while - he just didn't want to be around him. With a broken sigh that escaped through quivering lips, Merlin shook his head slowly and burrowed into his pillows.

"All right, listen, just drink this water. We couldn't find any pain killers," Arthur said quietly, unusually mindful of Merlin's headache, and so Merlin's confusion prompted him to raise his head and glance up to find Arthur hovering a few feet away from him. As soon as he looked at him, Arthur averted his gaze. "Gwaine suggested beer," he said with a derisive snort, rubbing his palms against his jeans. "If you don't stay sober, you won't know you've got a headache, he said." He shook his head, grimacing. "Don't know how I'm friends with the idiot."

"Gwaine's a nice guy," Merlin said hoarsely after a pause. He wasn't sure if he should say it since he and Gwaine weren't really friends as much as acquaintances, but Gwaine had always been cordial towards him and got Jake to back off.

Arthur frowned at that and Merlin looked away, drinking the water instead of looking at Arthur, but when he looked up through his lashes Arthur looked more thoughtful than anything.

He always seemed to frown when he thought. Merlin always wanted to say it was because he lacked the brain capacity to do it, but really, it was kind of-

"He's a complete twat," said Arthur, sniffing decisively and rubbing his nose before standing. "We've got canoeing today," he said, obstinately not looking down at Merlin, who inwardly cursed whatever deity may exist. "So get ready, we've got to meet at the river." With a stiff nod, Arthur yanked on a hoodie and left from the cabin, the door slamming behind him and making Merlin's head implode.

What a wanker.

Holding back the urge to vomit-preferably in Arthur's bed-Merlin hauled himself out of bed, washed quickly, and threw on the warmest clothes he had, which were still threadbare and thin. Had to do, though, even if Arthur took the piss out of him. Because Arthur was just-

-just outside the door.

Merlin blinked owlishly when he left to find Arthur leaning against the wall, arms folded, before standing as if at attention in the military when Merlin existed. "Er..."

"I thought we could walk together," Arthur said flippantly, looking bored despite his tense shoulders. "You'd probably get lost, otherwise."

Merlin raised a brow. That was probably true, but Arthur wouldn't know that. He did dread the map-reading exercise they'd face tomorrow, but right now he was just hoping nobody would drown while canoeing. He briefly entertained a mental escapade of saving Arthur's stupid arse, only realising he'd been chortling when Arthur smirked at him.

"Yeah. Uh, sure. I wouldn't get lost though, but okay. Sure," he stuttered, stumbling over his words, and felt strangely light when Arthur laughed.

Stupid Arthur.