One morning when the alarm went off Arthur kissed Merlin and attempted to untangle his self from the mess of legs and arms they always woke up in.

"Come on Merlin I need to get up, I've got to go to work." Arthur muttered.

"Stay home, I don't want you to go." Merlin pleaded.

"Sorry love, Dads away on a business trip and I've got to be there to sign a new contract." Arthur explained. He hated it when Merlin did this it made him feel so guilty. After all it was work that got them into this mess. But this was different, he was still working part time and getting paid full time wages and his father had been amazing about letting Arthur go early as well. But this was an important contract that would keep men in work.

"No can't go, want you here." Merlin cuddled in even closer.

"Just for a bit longer then I must go, I can be back by dinnertime so I won't be gone long." Arthur cuddled into Merlin for another half an hour, and then attempted to get up once more.

"No! You promised you'd say home if I need you." Merlin wined. "Stay… please"

"Sorry Merlin I really can't. I'll only be gone for three or four hours, I promise." Arthur felt really guilty, but he didn't see what else he could do, he had no choice.

"I'll ring you when I get to work, and as soon as I can after the meeting ok." he offered. "I'll ask Gwaine to ring you as well." Arthur managed to get out of bed, but received a punch in the kidneys as he sat up.

"Ouph…that hurt Merlin." He turned to his boyfriend "I've said I'm sorry, I don't know what else to do. If we don't get this contract we may have to lay some people off for a while. With the recession it's hard out there for a lot of people." He explained.

Merlin just buried his head under the covers. Arthur had a quick shower got dressed and after trying to kiss Merlin goodbye, and failing, he left. He felt really mean and hoped once Merlin woke up properly, and thought about it, he would be ok. When he got to work he tried to ring Merlin but he got no answer. He then rang Gwaine and told him what had happened, the brunette promised to ring Merlin later and if he got no answer he would email him.

Arthur got on with the meeting, even though his attention kept wandering. Once the contract was successfully signed he tried to ring home again, but no luck. Gwaine had rang to say he had spoken to Merlin at ten o'clock and he was still in a strop.

At eleven thirty Arthur left a message on the answer phone for Merlin, and then left the office and drove home. He really had a lot of work to do, but would have to try to do it from home. He was feeling increasing guilty about all the time he was having off, and wished he could put in proper hours. He would never go back to what he had done before, but it was hard living as he was. He was a proud man and it was like accepting charity from his father. To make it worse he knew times were hard in the business.

As he got to the door and went inside he called out.

"Hi love I'm home" but got no answer. That meant Merlin would be in a foul mood. Arthur walked into the bedroom to find it empty, so were all the other rooms. Merlin was missing. There was no note anywhere. By now Arthur was frantic. How could Merlin do this to him? He should never have gone in. Flash backs of the original incident went through his mind. He knew he couldn't cope if Merlin had disappeared again. He stood in the middle of the kitchen in total and utter shock. His brain just froze; he wasn't sure how long he stood there, then he heard the front door open. Arthur still didn't move he couldn't, Merlin walked into the kitchen with a carrier bag in his hand. He looked at Arthur and grinned.

" been out by myself and go a take way, surprise, sorry earlier."

Arthur snapped, and his hand came up and he slapped Merlin round the face.

"You bastard do you know how worried I was." It was the first time Arthur had ever hit his boyfriend, and as his hand hit he realised what he had done but it was too late.

Merlin stumbled back into the table and dropped the carrier bag as he grabbed out to stop himself falling. His hand went up to his face "you it me" he said as shocked as Arthur by what had happened.

They stood there for what, to both of them, seemed ages but was only about a minute. Neither of them heard the front door open nor did they hear Gwaine walk into the kitchen. He stood there looking at the scene in front of him.

"What's going on?" He asked.

Merlin didn't even turn his head "e it me" he was still in shock.

"You did what!" Gwaine demanded glaring at Arthur. He moved toward Merlin and picked the bag up off the floor, before helping Merlin to sit down. Gwaine moved toward Arthur and started to raise his fist.

"NO WAIN" Merlin shouted. "not is fault" Gwaine lowered his fist.

Gwaine turned to Merlin once more asking "What the hell's going on."

Arthur suddenly sagged and fell to his knees and started to cry.

Gwaine looked from one to the other. "Right Arthur, tell me what happened."

"I hit Merlin, oh my god I hit him." Was all he could get out.

"Yes by why, what happened?"

"I got home he wasn't here, I thought I'd lost him again…then he walked in with a take away…..he'd been out by himself and hadn't left a note, all morning I've been trying to get hold of him….Gwaine I hit…I'm so sorry Merlin" he managed to get out between sobs.

Merlin looked horrified "Oh" was all he could say. He suddenly realised what he had put Arthur though.

"That's no excuse to hit him!" Gwaine shouted at him.

"I know…..I know" Arthur pulled himself off the floor and turned and went out the door and then left the flat. Merlin went to follow his boyfriend.

"No come back!" he shouted. Gwaine grabbed his friend

"Let him go Merlin. Come here." He pulled the younger man to him and gave him a hug.

Then he looked at Merlin's face and inspected the red area where Arthur's hand had hit. Merlin's face was swelling over the area. By now Merlin was crying and he was saying Arthur's name over and over again. Gwaine took him into the bedroom and lay him down and sat with him. When Arthur didn't come back he tried to phone him, but Arthur's phone was in his jacket thrown over the chair.

Gwaine shock his head "What a mess" he said to himself. Once he had known what had happened, and also knowing how worried Arthur had been all day, he could sort of see why Arthur had snapped, he didn't excuse it however. When Arthur wasn't back an hour later, he rang Morgana and told her what had happened, promising to stay with Merlin until Arthur came back.