"Good-bye, love," Arthur muttered as he pulled away from their kiss. Merlin sighed contently, but with sadness. He wanted Arthur to stay. Merlin put on a smile, pecked his boyfriend on the cheek quick, and slipped in the open door. In a few minutes, he knew Arthur had gone.

Still feeling slightly elated about their kiss earlier (he loved kissing Arthur. He loved Arthur.), Merlin walked into the main room. Then the world turned to pain.

"Faggot," was whispered into his ear as he was held against the wall by his neck. He couldn't breathe. "You fucking little faggot."

"Ce-cenr-r-red" Merlin choked out, face turning blue and tears streaming down it.

"I always knew you were odd," his step-father growled in his ear. Cenred was drunk. Very drunk. "Never thought you preferred cocks."

"P-p-ple-"Merlin couldn't finish his plea, as he was pulled forward then thrown against the wall, cracking his head on it sharply. Cenred had not let go of his shirt. He did that a few more times.

"I'll not have a fag living under my roof." Merlin was thrown to the floor and a cracking noise followed it. Cenred stood over him, eyes menacing. "I thought I raised you right, Merly, after your whore of a mother walked out."

Merlin shouldn't have opened his mouth. "MY MOTHER WAS NOT A WHORE!"

The teenager suddenly knew nothing but pain. His chest was on fire….no, not fire. Pressure, like a sledge hammer was being delivered right to his stomach. Cenred had started stomping on him. While wearing steel-tipped heavy-duty work boots.

"YOU LITTLE COCK-SUCKER!" Cenred seemed to have lost it. He never used his boots. "YOU LITTLE GAY FUCK! DON'T TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PROSITUDE MOTHER! YOU TURNED OUT NO DIFFERENT! TELL ME, WHAT'S IT LIKE TO FUCK ARTHUR PENDRAGON? HIS FATHER ALMOST SENT ME JAIL, BECAUSE THAT BITCH TOLD! WHAT'S THE FIRST RULE, FAGGOT? WHAT IS IT?"

Merlin didn't answer, so Cenred picked him up and threw him against the wall.

"F-f-first rule," Merlin somehow managed out. "Don't tell."

Cenred picked up. "Correct. Second rule?" The man slapped the boy across the face. Hard.

"Second rule. Make excuses…." Merlin couldn't see straight and every breath pained him. This wasn't like the other times.

Cenred nodded, but glared. His breath stank of beer. "Third rule?"

"K-n-now I deserve it."

"That's right, faggot." Cenred pushed him to the floor again, this time with more vigor. "You fucking deserve every fucking thing I do to you. Why?"

"B-b-because…" Merlin was finding it harder and harder to breathe as he felt something touch his lung. He didn't even know that was possible. "I'm nothing and you took me in. Because – " he really couldn't breathe now " – 'cause I'm why you have t-t-t-trouble at w-w-work. B-b-b-b-" He stopped breathing.

"Because…." Cenred said, close to his face as he picked the boy up. "You're. A. Fucking. Little. FAGGOT!"

Again, Merlin was pressed against the wall. This time, he felt he could breathe, however painful it was, as his ribs were no longer constricting his lungs as they broke into the vital organs. Cenred then had him turned around, one of the boy's arms pressed up against his back.

"Say it, Merly." Cenred only called the boy that when he was going to be or was being beaten. "Say you're a faggot. Say you're a cock-sucker."

Merlin, however, whimpered. That was not the answer Cenred was looking for. He pushed the boy's arm further up, a sickening noise accompanying it. He was pushing Merlin's arm up further and further up his back, almost like in the game "say uncle," except this was ten times worse. Cenred was built, muscles rippling across his body. He could snap Merlin like a toothpick.

"YOU FUCKING LITTLE FAGGOT!" With that, a crack was heard and Merlin screamed in pain. His arm….his arm. It hurt. Really hurt. He really couldn't breathe now. Or see. His body was going into shock.

"Had enough, Merly? Know that I won't have a fag living under my room?"

Merlin didn't answer. He hurt too much.

"Learn your lesson?"

No answer.

"Merly, did you learn you're lesson?"

Merlin physically couldn't answer.

"DID YOU LEARN, MERLY? DO YOU UNDERSTAND, YOU COCK-SUCKER?"

Merlin still couldn't answer. He could feel the darkness calling. His head spinned, his chest hurt, the bone in his arm was dangerously poking against the skin. He wanted it to end.

Cenred pushed back on the floor. "I want you to answer me!" Merlin suddenly felt more pain as a ceramic lamp was crashed over his head. "TELL ME, MERLY, DID YOU LEARN YOUR LESSON?"

Merlin didn't answer. He'd put up with this son of a bitch ever since he was three. He had always taken the beatings silently. He never told.

"N-n-no." It was one word, but it meant so much.

"No?" Cenred stood shocked for a moment. His face turned red. "No? Merly, are you telling me 'no?'

Merlin lifted his head. His eyes screamed defiance. That was his mistake.

"Really, Merly?" Merlin heard, before he felt something wet being poured on him. He thought it was water. But why did it smell so bad?

The last thing Merlin remembered was Cenred, his face contorted in a sick satisfaction, light a match.

Merlin woke up with a gasp.

"Merlin!"

He cracked open his eyes. It was blurry at first.

"A-a-arthur?"

His vision cleared a bit and he could fully see the blonde. His hair was tussled up and his face was one big contour of worry. His eyes were blood-shot. His hand gripped Merlin's tightly. Worst of all, Arthur's face was tear streaked and pale. He looked like he just saw a ghost.

"Oh, Merlin," he sobbed. "I-I-I thought I lost you. Your h-heart even stopped."

Hand shaking slightly, he cupped Arthur's chin and forced him to look up. "Hey, it's okay. Takes a lot more to get rid of me."

Arthur smiled very weakly, but continued crying. "I thought I lost you." He bent down and pressed a kiss to Merlin's lips. "I thought I lost you." He whispered that over and over like a mantra.

"Arthur, calm down," Merlin laughed dryly, then winced as it stung his throat. His hand automatically when to his neck, finding it heavily bandaged.

"Merlin," Arthur said after he followed the raven's advice. "Merlin, how did this happen?"

Merlin thought for a moment, the memories coming back. "I was…..cooking. And my sleeve caught on fire…yeah, um…..then I…fell down the stairs?"

There was a full minute's pause before the blonde responded. "You're lying."

"No I'm not!"

"Merlin."

"Please, just don't ask!"

"Merlin. Someone did this to you." It wasn't a question. Arthur's face was grave, but Merlin could see the anger brewing in the blonde's eyes. "Who?"

Rule one: don't tell. "No one."

"Then how did this happen?"

Rule two: make excuses. "I told you already."

Arthur sighed and put his head in his hands. "Merlin." His voice was desperate. "Merlin, please. Tell me who hurt you."

"I can't-"

"Dammit, Merlin! I fucking promised to protect you, then this happens! Merlin, someone's hurt you! Just tell me!"

Merlin was a little baffled. "When did you promise to protect me?"

Arthur looked up at him, incredulous look on his face. "The first day of kindergarten."

"We were kids."

Arthur took his hands into his own. "I still meant it. Mean it. Merlin's I promised to protect you. And I promise now to always protect you. Merlin, I love you. I can't stand to see you in pain." Arthur's voice sounded so broken, so hurt. "Merlin, I can't even live without you. Please. Please, just tell me who did this to you."

Merlin closed his eyes. Do or die time. "C-Cenred."

There was a trial. Cenred was charged with child abuse, near manslaughter, and false accusations on Merlin's mother. Of course, he had framed her for something she never did and forced her away from her only son. He faced at least fifty years in prison.

Merlin went back to live with his mother, which both found rather awkward as they hadn't seen each other in many years. There were many nights Merlin spent at Arthur's.

Arthur, on the other hand, blamed himself for the whole thing. He claimed he should have seen the signs; Merlin had clearly been abused. The blonde couldn't have felt any worse, until Merlin finally screamed at him to stop moping around and get the fuck over it.

"Honestly, Arthur," Merlin mumbled in to the blonde's chest. They were in the park. Under their tree. "Just get over it. I'm fine now. And you didn't know."

Arthur sighed sadly before pressing a small kiss to the raven's head. "I can't Merlin. I promised. Look at how that turned out. You nearly – nearly-" he gulped.

Merlin moved his face up, making Arthur's heart beat a little faster with those blue orbs. "Arthur, I never expected you to keep that promise. And I'm fine."

Arthur still looked doubtful. "I should have noticed."

Merlin shook his head. "I should have told."

"Why didn't you?"

The raven sighed and closed his eyes. "C-cenred always told me I deserved it. After a while, you believe it. He has to be doing it for a reason."

Arthur's arms tightened around him. "You didn't deserve it. None of it."

The raven opened his eyes. "Thank you."

Arthur sucked in a breath. "Don't thank me for the truth."

Merlin smiled up at him. "So, now what?"

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Merlin rolled over, so his back was to Arthur's chest now. His head lay on top of his heart. "I mean, what do we do with the rest if our lives? Cenred's gone and nothing's keeping us apart. There's no secrets now. So, what do we do?"

The blonde sat up, pulling the raven with him. "We finish high school."

Merlin snorted. "Knew that."

"We go to college and live as roommates."

"How else would we live?"

"Then." Arthur said this softly. "We find jobs. After a while, we'll get married and buy a house together. Maybe we could adopt some kids." He smiled at the idea. He and Merlin together forever.

Merlin nuzzled his neck. "Marriage? Already? You sure we're ready for that?"

Arthur leant down, close to one remarkable ear. "Of course I am. I've loved you ever since we met, even if I didn't realize it. I love you and all I want to do is spent the rest of my life with you. What do you say?"

Merlin could only smile. "Yes. Yes. Was that the proposal?"

The blonde rolled his eyes, but then thought about it. "I guess it was. So you're my fiancé. And we're not even out of high school."

"I'm good with that."

"Me too."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before getting up and stretching. Immediately, Arthur bent down and kissed Merlin's visible burns on his neck. The raven had been feeling self-conscious lately, and Arthur insisted he was still looked beautiful with the raw pink flesh that the doctors had put on him. It would fade in a few months, but for now, Merlin was left feeling awkward.

"I love you," Arthur sighed as he and Merlin began to walk, bodies pressed together. The raven rested his head on the blonde's shoulder.

"I know," Merlin said, speaking softly. "And I love you too."

Arthur stopped for a moment. He held the raven at arm's length. Blue eyes met blue eyes. "Merlin, I will always protect you."

Merlin smiled. "Where'd that come from?"

Arthur sighed. "I was just…..thinking again. About what happened. I just want you to know…I'll never let anyone hurt you again."

Merlin went in for a hug. "And I'll never let anyone hurt you."

Both boys shared a kiss with their promises. They knew neither of them would hurt each other. Sure, there would be fights, some things that shouldn't have been said, but they would push through it.

Because they loved each other.

END.

A/N: Ahhhh, it's over! But wait, the companion fic will be up soon! It's going to be call "Don't Tell" and will explain alot of things from this fic. So check out my profile or put the name in the search box thingy in a few days and you'll find the first chapter!

And, yes, I am evil for the last chapter, I know. Sorry that was all I said in the author's note, but I was trying to create an air of mystery. *shrugs*

And now I would like to thank *drum roll* all the reviewers! You guys were the reason why I felt guilty while writing an essay for school instead of updating this! Purple penguins, sparkly vampires, pandas (which are just awesome on thier own), or cookies for all of you!

Well, see you in the companion fic (hopefully, I don't blame you if you don't read it).

Thanks for reading.

;)