A/N: I know I said I would put this up yesterday, but the Internet at my house decided to be a little bitch and stopped working, so here you go! Hope you guys like it! Keep on favoriting, following, and reviewing!

Disclaimer: If you think I own anything here, you're wrong.

Chapter 7

Percy knocked on the door to Arthur and Merlin's flat on Friday night a week later. He didn't hear anything on the other side, but he knew Merlin was home because Arthur was at the frat house and he could see the light on under the door. Merlin never left the lights on if he wasn't home. Gripping the cool metal of the door handle, Percy turned it experimentally. It revolved easily in Percy's massive hand so that he could open the door. He entered the living room/dining room, and didn't see Merlin, so he headed back to the bedrooms.

Merlin's door was open, and Percy could see him scribbling away on his desk. Figures, Percy thought. Never seems to take a break unless forced to, does he? He knocked on the door, causing Merlin to jump and turn around, clutching a hand to his chest.

"Percy!" he exclaimed. "You scared me half to death! What are you doing here? I thought there was a party at the house tonight?"

"There is," Percy replied, a grin sliding onto his face, "and I've been ordered to take you there, using whatever means necessary."

"Oh." Merlin looked back at his desk, weighing his options in his mind. "I really should study some more..."

Suddenly Merlin felt himself being lifted into the air and tossed over a brawny shoulder like he weighed nothing at all. Percy was carrying him out of his room, and Merlin was faced with the awkward position of addressing his protests to the large man's bum.

"Put me down! I am not a child!"

Percy laughed and stopped walking as he reached the front door. "Aye, but you are not an old man, either. You should be out with us, celebrating the prime of our lives, not hiding in your room, your nose stuffed in dusty old books."

Merlin remained silent for a moment. "I really have no choice, do I?"

Merlin felt Percy's body shake with laughter again. "Why do you think they sent me?"

"Can I at least walk myself, then?"

"Do you promise not to try any funny business?"

"Cross my heart."

Percy gently set Merlin upright. "You may want to change, though. I don't think what you're wearing is exactly party attire."

Merlin looked down to see he was in an old Science Club shirt he got in high school and a pair of boxers with little four leaf clovers on them. "Yeah, that might be a good idea." He went back into his room. He entertained the thought of just locking his door to try and avoid going, but he doubted that would stop Percy if he was determined.

Half an hour later, Percy was leading Merlin through the back door to the party to avoid Merlin having to pay the cover charge. Most of the other guys in the frat didn't mind Merlin getting in free, but it always led to awkward situations if anyone overheard. It was easier to just go through the back using one of the knights' keys. Once they reached the main room, Percy looked around for the knights, Gwen, and Morgana as Merlin went to grab two beers from a nearby ice chest. He eventually spotted them and once Merlin returned, he led the shorter man over.

The group all greeted the newcomers as they walked up. Merlin noticed Lancelot had his arm around Gwen, and smiled inwardly. It was nice to see they had finally gotten together. He would ask her about it later.

"Have much trouble getting this one out into the real world?" Lancelot questioned Percy, indicating Merlin with the beer bottle in his other hand.

"Nah, after I threw him over my shoulder when he first refused, he seemed to change his mind fairly quickly." Percival was grinning at Merlin, whose face was growing red. Everyone laughed, and then a girl with brown hair in a long side braid came up behind Morgana and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Oh, hi Sefa!" Morgana turned to embrace the girl, then turned back to the group with her arm still around her friend's shoulders. "Everyone, this is Sefa. She's in my accounting class."

There was a round of generic greetings for Sefa. Then Gwaine, who was still in Party Gwaine's mindset apparently, approached the girl from across the small circle the group made and lifted her hand to his lips. "Enchante, mademoiselle." He looked back up at her as the group collectively rolled their eyes.

"Down, Gwaine." Morgana was glaring daggers at him. Gwaine simply dropped Sefa's hand, winked at her, and returned to his spot with a smirk on his face. "Since you already met Gwaine, let's introduce the rest of everyone." She went around and said each person's name in turn until she got to the end, where Merlin stood between Percy and Sefa. "And this is Merlin."

A light of recognition flashed in Sefa's eyes as she looked at Merlin. "Oh." She looked at Morgana, who gave an almost indistinguishable nod. "Oh."

Merlin suddenly felt very hot around the collar.

"I hear you're a transfer student," Sefa began, looking at Merlin with an eager look on her face.

Merlin could feel the eyes of the entire group on him. "Yes, that's right." He started scratching his palm with his fingernail.

"How are you liking it here?"

"Alright. No complaints, I guess."

"That's good. Say, do you want to go talk on the patio?"

It sounded like someone choked on their drink, but Merlin didn't look to see who it was. He felt like he was scratching a hole through his hand. "Um, no thank you. I think I'll just stay here with my friends."

Sefa's face fell, and she simply replied, "Oh, alright then. See you in class, Morgana." She turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Morgana promptly reached over and smacked Merlin.

"What was that for?" Merlin rubbed his arm where she hit him. For such an unassuming girl, that really stung. And since he bruised like a peach, it probably would leave a fairly large mark.

"Why didn't you go with her? She's a lovely girl!"

"Because he's gay," Percy answered for Merlin, taking a sip of his beer. Someone choked on their beer again, and Merlin turned to see Leon patting Elyan on the back. He looked back at Percy, slightly in shock. He hadn't told anyone here that he was gay, how did Percy know? He asked the man, who simply shrugged.

"I'm just observant." He went back to drinking his beer. Everyone was still looking at him, so he elaborated, "Whenever any of us are talking about the hot girls that came to a party, he never joins in. When Gwaine asked him who his celebrity crush was, he said Benedict Cumberbatch but you were all so drunk you thought he was joking. Not to mention, he's checked out at least three different guys since we've gotten here."

The group's jaws all dropped. They stared in silence, then Gwaine asked, "Is this why you don't talk when we're in public? You're getting dirt on all of us?"

Percy just chuckled. "Not dirt, just observations." He turned around and went off to get another beer.

Arthur, who had been shockingly silent the whole time Merlin had been there, seemed to get his wits back about him first. "And I thought Leon was the one we had to worry would figure us out by just looking at us."

Leon ducked his head, but not fast enough to hide the smirk from Arthur.

"What's that smirk about, Leon?"

The curly haired man looked back up and quietly answered, "I had...sort of...suspected it, too. I wasn't sure, just a hunch. I didn't notice everything Percy just mentioned, but Merlin was staring at de Gea when he thought no one was looking at that pick-up game a while back."

Everyone gaped again, then Gwaine asked the question everyone had been wondering since Percy had first spoken up. "Are they right, Merlin?" Everyone's eyes turned back to their newest friend.

"Half right," Merlin clarified. "Well, more than half, I guess. I call myself bi, but there's only ever been two girls I've been interested in. I like guys better."

Morgana seemed to think about it. "Ironic, isn't it? The two gay people in our group are also flatmates," she mused.

Merlin's head snapped to look at Arthur, his brow furrowed in confusion. "You're gay?"

Arthur just shrugged and turned to Gwen and asked her how her presentation in her communications class had gone. Merlin dropped the subject, but he was fairly surprised at Arthur's revelation. He had been the only gay guy in his group of friends at his old school. At least, the only openly gay one (they were all pretty much waiting for Corey to hurry up and come out). He had been slightly worried his new friends might reject him, but now he realized he had been stupid.

Percy had returned and the group had started grilling Gwen and Lancelot, and Merlin gladly joined back in. After a while, Gwaine turned to Merlin and asked him quietly enough that no one else could hear, "Merlin, doesn't your face hurt? You've been smiling for the past ten minutes."

Merlin somehow managed to smile even wider. "No, Gwaine. I feel great."