Hunith looks like an angry thunder cloud when she arrives to fetch Merlin and Arthur. Her face darkens even further when she sees the pair of them. Arthur is swollen and bruised all over, and Merlin didn't exactly get away from his attack on Bruce unscathed.

"Who did this to you?" she demands.

"Bruce, but he's being punished," Merlin says. "Mr Grenter caught him."

"If there's anything left of him," Arthur says, stifling a laugh. "I had no idea your son was such a badass, Hunith."

Her eyes soften. "Only for people he loves very much."

Merlin ducks his head, embarrassed, but Arthur smiles widely. As though he needs any more reassurance that Merlin loves him.

Hunith gets both of them cleaned up and orders Arthur straight to bed. Arthur refuses to go if Merlin doesn't come with him. Though he makes a big joke of it, Merlin can see that Arthur is still shaken by today and needs the comfort that he can only accept from Merlin, the care that he has never gotten from anyone else.

So Merlin takes the ice pack from his mother and goes upstairs with Arthur, forcing him to lie on the bed with an ice pack on his ribs. Merlin curls up at Arthur's side, wrapping his arms around the other boy as gently as he can.

When they wake up the next morning, the ice pack is squashed between them – and not remotely icy anymore, either. Arthur has turned in his sleep and is clinging to Merlin as usual. Merlin is starting to get used to waking up with severe pins and needles in his hands. He smiles fondly at Arthur, who has Merlin's wrists in a strangle grip so that he couldn't take move his arms from their current position around Arthur's body if he wanted to.

"Arthur, wake up," he whispers.

Arthur jerks slightly, but calms as he always does when he realises Merlin is still there. "It's not school time yet," he complains, glancing at the clock.

"No, but I need to pee, and you're holding me hostage," Merlin points out.

"Sorry," Arthur mumbles, embarrassed. "You can just pull free, you know."

"And have you wake up in a panic? I've tried, Arthur, you get frantic whenever I try to move away. Hey, I'm not complaining," he says, seeing the look on Arthur's face. "I like it. I know you think it's just you who needs me, but I need you too, Arthur. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Arthur's worried expression melts into a grin and he leans over Merlin's body, kissing him.

"Arthur, I really need to pee!"

"Right, sorry," he laughs, rolling off Merlin. Merlin shoots him a speculative glance as he crawls out of bed and makes for the bathroom. Arthur seems freer than usual, happier. Merlin smiles to himself and hurries back to Arthur after going to the bathroom, eager to snatch a few more minutes in bed.

They walk into Camelot High defiantly holding hands. Bruce and his cronies glare at them, but don't move. Arthur glares at them as he and Merlin walk past, no trace of apprehension in his face. Merlin rolls his eyes. Sure, incredible hulk and gang of followers want to bash your skull in – no problem. When it comes to talking about your feelings, though… he pulls tighter on Arthur's hand, wanting to get him past the group before there's some kind of incident.

Gwen is there to meet them, horrified and angry at what happened to Arthur. She herds Arthur around like a mother hen, shooting angry glares at anyone who so much as looks at him wrong. Merlin really loves Gwen, sometimes.

As weeks pass, things fall into a pattern. Arthur starts hanging out with Merlin's group of friends. He and Lancelot get on like a house on fire and Arthur encourages Lancelot to ask Gwen out – she's over the moon when he does and says yes at once.

Will doesn't like Arthur at first, but seems to warm to him after a while – if only because he realises that if given a choice, Merlin would choose Arthur without hesitation.

They don't hear from Uther, which is both a relief and a sadness. Though Arthur is certainly much happier staying with Merlin, it's horrible to see evidence every day in Uther's silence of how little he really cares for his son.

As their final exams draw closer, they all have to think about what universities they want to go to. Merlin watches Arthur get steadily quieter and more withdrawn for a few days before speaking to him.

"Ok, Arthur, what's wrong?" he asks.

"Nothing," Arthur says, not meeting his eyes.

"Oh no." Merlin takes Arthur's face in his hands, forcing Arthur to look at him. "You don't get to do this anymore. You don't get to go all silent and suffer alone. I'm here for you, alright? But I can't read your mind. There's something wrong and you're going to tell me what."

"Merlin…"

"Arthur," he says more gently. "I get that it's hard for you to talk about your feelings, but you need to make an effort for me, ok? I love you. Whatever you say, it'll be alright."

Arthur takes a deep breath and places his hands on Merlin's waist, seemingly to centre himself.

"I'm worried about university."

Merlin waits, but nothing else seems to be forthcoming. "Right, you want me to play the guessing game," he says, rolling his eyes. "Come, sit down – this could take a while."

Arthur laughs at Merlin's exasperation, but Merlin can see that he's sincerely grateful. Arthur's spent so many years building up walls around himself, it's very hard for him to break through. Merlin tries to guess, to make it easier for him, but his skills as a mind-reader are not really up to scratch.

"Ok," Merlin says once they are sitting on the couch together. He tugs Arthur so that his back is against Merlin's chest and holds him tightly, helping him to feel just that little bit more secure. "Are you worried you won't get the right grades? Because that's rubbish, Arthur – you're really smart, you'll definitely –"

"No, it's not that."

"Alright… then are you worried about Uther not wanting to pay for it? I know you're not close, but if he says no, we can both get jobs."

"I know. I'm not worried about that."

"Um… come on, give me a hint, Arthur."

Arthur just presses his shoulders into Merlin, hunching his body inwards. Merlin squeezes him tightly and tries to think of something else. "Are you scared that the people there will be like Bruce and his gang? I really don't think they will, people are much more open –"

"No."

"Really, Arthur, I'm dying here. Help?" Merlin laughs as he speaks, trying to lighten the atmosphere for Arthur.

Knowing that there's no other option now, Arthur starts to speak in that familiar way – the way that makes it sound as if he's having to drag the words out with some kind of heavy power tool.

"I… staying with you… it's been great. I – I don't – I can't – if we have to be apart… without you, I –"

Merlin laughs as he gets what Arthur is trying to say. "You're worried we'll be in separate dorms? Arthur, of course we'll request the same room! And if they don't give it to us, we'll get a place of our own."

"What if we're not at the same university?" Arthur asks quietly. "What if we're not even in the same country?"

Merlin sits up straighter and pulls Arthur around to face him. "Let me get this straight. You thought that I'd just go buggering off to a university where you weren't?"

"Um…"

Merlin makes a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sigh of exasperation. "Arthur, I couldn't get through one day without seeing you – separate countries, indeed! You're daft, you know."

Arthur's whole body relaxes against him. "I didn't realise…" he says.

"Well from now on, please realise this: I have never lied to you, Arthur. I am not going to leave you, not for anything. Please get that through your thick skull."

Arthur turns and wraps his arms around Merlin. "I love you," he mutters, his face pressed up against Merlin's shoulder. "How is this so easy for you? Everything comes so naturally to you… I really envy it, actually."

"We've had very different lives, Arthur," Merlin says gently. "I know how hard it is for you to be close to anyone else emotionally, but you're getting much better with me. In time, you'll be much better with other people, too."

"You really think so?"

"I know so," Merlin says, kissing the top of his head.

Arthur isn't happy with this and leans up to press their lips together. He makes a strangled sound into Merlin's mouth and leans over him, rubbing their bodies together.

"Merlin… I want…"

Merlin looks into Arthur's wide eyes. It's something they've been considering for a while. They've done stuff – quite a lot of stuff – but never gone all the way. Everything is ready – lube and condoms upstairs. "Are you sure?" Merlin asks.

"Yes," Arthur whispers, his breath hitching.

"Ok, then. Come on."

Merlin takes Arthur's hand and leads him upstairs, pausing every few seconds to press him up against the wall and kiss until they are both breathless. They've already agreed – Merlin has done this before, so he'll be the one to take matters into his own hands; all Arthur will have to do is lie back.

Merlin knows this will be a challenge – Arthur has huge problems surrendering himself to people, and while he has gotten better at the emotional side, he's had very little practice with making himself this physically vulnerable. When Merlin suggested Arthur top, though, Arthur balked, panicking about not knowing what he's doing.

Merlin pulls Arthur's shirt over his head, his fingers greedily seeking the bare skin. Arthur undoes Merlin's buttons and soon they are both naked. Merlin gently urges Arthur towards the bed and waits for him to lie down before joining him. Arthur has that deer-in-the-headlights expression again, the one that is so endearingly familiar to Merlin, so he takes it slow.

Lying on his side next to Arthur, he entwines his fingers in the other's hair and they kiss, their breath hot and fast, greedy hands touching and probing at each other's backs and necks. Finally, Arthur is whimpering for more and Merlin obliges.

His hands flutter down, using a light touch that drives Arthur mad. After weeks of spending nights with Arthur, Merlin knows how to reduce him to a shivering, moaning wreck. Arthur arches up when Merlin's fingers brush his nipples and Merlin lets his mouth trail down, encircling the left nipple, letting his teeth gently graze against it.

Arthur bucks upwards and Merlin gasps as their erections bump together. His hands roam down Arthur's sides as the two of them quiver with want. Merlin looks to Arthur's erection – bright red and swollen, standing proudly to attention.

He leans down with a wicked grin, teasing with light almost-touches until Arthur is whining again. "Please, Merlin," he groans. Merlin just chuckles evilly and starts to lick Arthur's inner thighs. Arthur moves his hands down to try to touch himself, sure he is going to explode if he doesn't, but Merlin traps his hands, pulling them up above his head.

"See that headboard? I want you to hold it," he says to Arthur. "If you let go of the headboard, I'm going to stop."

Arthur groans again, if anything more turned on than ever by the stipulation. He grips the wood as if his life depends on it, writhing beneath Merlin, almost sobbing in relief when Merlin finally touches his weeping erection. Arthur's hands clench and unclench convulsively as Merlin strokes him, pushing the foreskin back a little more with each movement.

Merlin flicks his tongue out, wanting to taste Arthur and moaning in ecstasy when he does. He moves away again, his hands going further back, reaching for Arthur's waiting hole. Merlin grabs the lube and wets his fingers with swift, practiced movements. Slowly, he edges on inside Arthur.

Arthur hisses and Merlin stills his finger. "Are you ok?" he asks.

"Yes," Arthur gasps.

Merlin wiggles his finger until it brushes over Arthur's spot and Arthur arches up, groaning, begging for more. Merlin continues to move his finger and soon slides another in. One of Arthur's hands comes down to touch his neglected, aching erection, and Merlin immediately pulls out and bats him away.

Arthur whines at the loss, begging with his eyes for more. "What did I say about the headboard, Arthur?" Merlin says softly.

Arthur's hands are back on the headboard faster than blinking and he moans in bliss when Merlin's fingers enter him once more. It isn't long before Merlin has Arthur at the moaning-wreck stage, and he isn't that far behind. He takes his hands away and quickly puts on a condom, coming back to press his straining erection against Arthur's now-open hole.

"Are you sure, Arthur?" he asks, giving him one last chance to back out.

"Do it," Arthur breathes, a giddy smile on his face. His hands clench on the headboard, but there is no fear in his face. Surrendering himself completely to Merlin, he just lets himself feel.

Merlin pushes in very slowly, pausing when Arthur hisses in pain. Merlin stays where he is, kissing Arthur and fingering his nipples until Arthur is panting again. "I'm going to move again now, alright?"

"Yes, alright," Arthur gasps, wanting it.

Merlin goes agonisingly slowly, loathe to cause Arthur any pain. As Arthur gets used to the sensation, though, any pain is washed away and he is soon bucking his hips up to meet Merlin. Merlin takes Arthur's feet and places them on his shoulders, angling himself so that he hits Arthur's spot every time.

Arthur yells his name, his head flicking from side to side on the pillow, barely aware of anything except Merlin. Merlin takes Arthur's erection in his hands and doesn't even have time to stroke it before Arthur is coming, slicking them both in thick white fluid.

With a strangled yell, Merlin thrusts once, twice more into Arthur before collapsing heavily on top of him. The two boys lie panting for a minute before Merlin gently pulls out, wrapping his arms around Arthur. Arthur presses into him, but not as hard as he usually does, not as desperate and scared.

"How was it?" Merlin asks tentatively.

"It was… it was bloody brilliant," Arthur says, displaying the same new confidence that Merlin has seen in him more often recently, so real compared to the show he put on when he first came to school. "I love you," he says, kissing Merlin's sweaty lips.

"As I love you," Merlin says. "Never doubt that."

Merlin realises that all this time he's thought of Arthur as a black hole, drawing him in in ever increasing spirals. He was wrong. Arthur is the sun, and with him, Merlin is helplessly spiralling into happiness.

To be continued

End of part 1 – part 2 coming soon! Please remember to review :)