Erm okay so things get intense in this chapter, i'm going to put a TRIGGER WARNING right here for "homosexual bullying" it's not super bad or anything, but some of the words used might upset readers, so just in case, I'll throw this in there.

Merlin woke up to the sound of shouting from the kitchen. He rolled over onto his back and stretched his hands high above his head, hearing his shoulders and neck crack loudly. Surprisingly his head didn't feel clouded, his mouth wasn't dry, he wasn't hungover at all. In fact, he felt completely perfect.

"Mornin'" He mumbled, his eyes still closed.

When no response came, Merlin opened his eyes. The bed was empty, except for himself. Merlin half sat up, his eyes scanning the room desperately, hoping Arthur would suddenly appear in the corner. His perfect feeling slowly burned away.

"Arthur?"

Again, no response came. Merlin sat up fully and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He couldn't have left Merlin after last night, he wouldn't do that. Would he?

The sun shone through his small window and it glinted off something gold. Arthur's crown sat on his desk.

Merlin walked over to it quickly and picked it up, hoping there was a note underneath. When he found no note, Merlin glanced at himself in the mirror and put the crown on his head. Arthur had woken early and disappeared. He had bothered to move the crown off the floor but left no note behind. Why had he even left his crown?

He removed the crown from his head and placed it carefully on the desk.

Sighing, a mixture of frustration, confusion and hurt swirling in his chest, he pulled some pajamas on and checked his phone. No messages, no new numbers added, nothing. Merlin dropped the phone onto his bed and wandered down to the kitchen.

Scratching his head, he sat down at the counter and listened to Morgana and Lancelot bicker. Neither looked over at him as he walked in.

"I'm telling you Lancelot, I didn't eat any of your damn Cheerios!" Morgana said, gesturing angrily with her hands.

"Well someone did, and you were the first awake!" Lancelot countered.

"I wasn't the first-" Morgana stopped talking abruptly, as though noticing Merlin for the first time.

"Don't let me interrupt." Merlin mumbled, his eyes focused on his cupped hands.

"What do you mean you weren't the first? It's only us four in the flat, Morgana! Gwen was with me, Merlin only just woke up. If it wasn't you, who was it?" Lancelot complained.

"Oh for God's sakes! It wasn't me, but if it means that much to you, I will buy you a new box." Morgana said.

"Fine, I'm going back to bed." Lancelot complained.

On his way past he ruffled Merlin's hair. Merlin didn't react, he was too busy thinking about the disappearing act Arthur had done. Morgana sat down opposite him and watched him. Merlin didn't look up at her, he wasn't in the mood for a chat.

"I saw him." Morgana finally said.

"Oh." Was all Merlin could say in response.

"Did you two..."

"Does it matter?" Merlin asked, his head dropping to the counter.

The cool wood felt good on his skin. He didn't particular care what Morgana thought about him and Arthur. She was probably disgusted. Merlin shut his eyes, he felt so used and upset. Last night had clearly meant more to Merlin than it had to Arthur.

"A little bit." Morgana said, "He didn't say goodbye, did he?"

"What do you think?" Merlin mumbled into the counter.

Morgana laughed loudly, throwing her head back. Merlin wriggled slightly and adjusted his legs. Morgana was sat on his lap and had been for the past fifteen minutes, not that he minded. Just occasionally when she laughed this much, he realised how heavy she actually was.

They were sat in Arthur's flat. His flatmates were hosting a party and usually only third-years would be invited, but Morgana had the pleasure of being invited because she was his half sister. And Merlin had the pleasure of being invited because he was... One of Morgana's roommates and apparently nothing to Arthur.

Gwen and Lancelot were off in some fancy restaurant, probably sharing love-struck gazes over candlelight.

Opposite Merlin, and the reason Morgana was laughing so much, sat a man named Leon. He went to a different University but he was close friends with Arthur and his flatmates.

"There he is!" A voice shouted over the music.

The large, muscled friend of Arthur's, with close cropped hair appeared and clapped Leon on the shoulder. Leon laughed and punched the man in the arm.

"And you must be Morgana!" The man said, shaking her hand, "I'm Percival. I live with your brother."

"Half-brother." Morgana corrected.

Percival laughed. Merlin leaned around Morgana about to introduce himself.

"And you must be Merlin. I have heard a lot about you." Percival took a seat next to Leon, "A lot."

Merlin cringed and felt his cheeks go red. He moved back behind Morgana as Percival and Leon went on to talk about some sports game that happened recently. Morgana twisted round so she could see him, her eyes caught sight of something behind Merlin and immediately darkened.

"Um..." She said, "Don't look over there."

Merlin rolled his eyes, "Smooth, Morgana."

He could probably guess what – or who – was behind him right now. He couldn't bare to turn around and look. Arthur had left him. Merlin had never felt so used, so cheap.

To be honest he didn't even want to be at this stupid party, right now. But with Lancelot and Gwen on a date, Morgana didn't want to come on her own, and Merlin was a good friend. So here he was, being reminded that he was nothing more to Arthur than a night in bed.

Morgana wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her, "It's okay, Merlin. Want me to punch him in the face? Because I will."

Merlin laughed against her, wrapping his arms around her waist, "No it's okay. I'll just go get blind drunk and humiliate myself."

Morgana moved off Merlin's lap and he walked over to the drinks table. Merlin caught sight of Arthur at the other side of the room, laughing at something Gwaine was saying, with his arm around a pretty girl. The girl had light brown hair and a pretty smile.

Arthur's eyes shot over to Merlin before glancing away quickly.

Merlin felt suddenly sick, he turned away and drank from a can of beer.

The song changed and Merlin was just about to walk back to Morgana, when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Merlin turned around and saw Arthur's girlfriend looking at him expectantly.

"Merlin, right?" She asked, her voice was gentle and soft.

Merlin nodded, his eyes quickly scanning behind her for Arthur. Arthur had seemed to have disappeared, he was making a habit of that.

"I heard my boyfriend walked you home last night." The voice which had seemed gentle at first, now had an edge to it.

"Um." Merlin paused, "I wasn't well so he walked me home yeah."

The girl glanced around her, probably looking for Arthur, and took a step closer to Merlin. Merlin tensed automatically and part of him wanted to step away from her, but he didn't. He stayed still, looking her square in the eye.

"Listen. I know what you did, you little fag." Her voice was no longer soft, it was as sharp as knives, as quiet as a whisper, "And you're going to stay away from him, because you're nothing."

Merlin couldn't reply.

"He doesn't like you. Why on earth would he? Have you seen him? Have you seen yourself?" She scoffed.

Morgana appeared at Merlin's shoulder then, fury carved on her face.

"Don't talk to him like that, Kara." Morgana ordered, linking arms with Merlin.

"Oh shut up, you bitch! I'll kill you!" Kara shouted.

No one else in the party heard as the music drowned her out, but Merlin and Morgana heard and they both instinctively stepped back.

"I think we should leave." Merlin said, his voice coming out embarrassingly shaky.

"Stay the fuck away from him, Merlin." Kara growled as Merlin and Morgana walked past her.

Once outside the building Merlin leaned against the wall, letting his heartbeat return to normal. His body was still shaking and he felt betrayed by his own nerves. He shouldn't have been scared of that girl, but she had seemed so intense, so angry.

"What the hell was that about!" Merlin shouted.

"You did sleep with her boyfriend." Morgana shrugged, kicking at a stone on the ground.

"She threatened to kill you!"

"Yeah, she's always been quite psychotic."

"Well... You can't say this past week hasn't been eventful."