`-I don't own Merlin-

[Author's Note: I don't know where this idea came from. Either way, I hope you like the story]

To Kill the King

Tauren is a beast of a man, and until he hit Merlin in the face, Merlin had no idea he existed.

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Tauren does not always want to kill Uther. But he usually hurts Merlin in some way.

Sometimes it's unintentional, but most of the time, it's on purpose.

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The first thing he thinks when he get off the phone with his mother is why she was in town and at Tom's cafe. But then it's more focussed on finding Gwen. From what he can remember he thinks she's at a meeting with Morgana. Most likely to hold Morgana's papers and folders so nothing get misplaced. Arthur had forbidden Merlin from that job on the first day when he had almost dropped Arthur's briefcase into a tub full of water. So he heads to the sixth floor which is where most meetings are held. He has been told before not to burst in, because... something about impoliteness. Merlin hadn't been completely listening, but he had got the just of the conversation. He rushed in,towards Gwen, when someone violently turned him around and hit him in the face, hard.

This someone was Tauren, Morgana's body guard. Merlin may have heard Arthur say 'Merlin!' in that mildly annoyed/slightly worried voice he sometimes used, but his cheek hurt to much for him to acknowledge anything. Of course Gwen clouded his field of vision and he remembered why he ran into the office. He reached towards her.

"We...ow..." it hurt to move his jaw. "Have to get to the hospital. Your dad had a heart attack. We should go see him. Right?"

Gwen looked worried and scared. "How...What?"

"I, Huntih called me like three minutes ago and told me about it."

"Your mother's in town?"

Merlin rubbed his cheek and stood up. "I don't know why either. But she said he's at Philosopher's hospital, so we should go yes?"

Gwen turned to Morgana. Morgana smiled sypathetically. "Go."

Merlin and Gwen were in a taxi to the hospital before Merlin actually remembered he was hit in the face. "Sorry." Gwen said sheepishly. "If any of us would have known it was you, well... Tauren probably wouldn't have been in the room. Well, I mean he usually is in meetings, and you usually aren't. And I know why you aren't, because the whole briefcase thing, plus Uther is pretty scary. Not that you-"

Merlin cut her off by putting an hand on her knee. "Gwen, it's fine. You forget how many jocks I pissed off in my younger days. Remember the locker incident?"

"Yeah." Gwen smiled sadly. "Do you know what's going on with my father?"

"Um... no I just got a call from my mom saying he had a heart attack while he was working at the cafe."

"Oh." Gwen spent the rest of the ride staring out the window. Merlin knew it was because she would probably be tripping over her words if she tried to talk. When she was younger she used to ramble on until someone stopped her. Slowly she got better at getting to the point, and now her prattling was something of the past. Except when she got nervous. Or scared, both of which she was now.

When they got to the hospital Hunith was able to find ice for Merlin's face. According to the doctors, Tom was doing a lot better, and would probably be discharged within the next three days depending on how he was doing. That didn't matter to Gwen, who refused to leave his side. Merlin, who never really knew Tom all that well, left the women at the hospital and went back to the building. He ended up doing chores for Arthur, and still had a lot of time. Will used to tell Merlin that they should always get him upset, cause he was so much more efficient then. He found out from Gwen what she needed to do, and despite her protesting, did it for her. Morgana had come in to correct him a few times, but aside from that he was alone. When he was almost done Morgana and Arthur came in.

"We're going to go get some food to bring to Gwen at the hospital. Do you have any preferences?" Morgana says looking through her small purse for her keys.

"Oh, no. I'm not going there tonight. But I know Gwen likes Indian when she's worried. She like strong flavors to take her mind off of things."

"Thanks." Morgana said with a smile. Arthur looked like he was about to say something, but the two of them left anyway.

Later that night Merlin was working on some of his course work. His phone buzzed from a text message from Arthur. 'Can you bring me a couple sodas?' was what the screen asked of him.

Merlin lazily went to the vending machine on his floor than made his way down to Arthur's room. He opened the door to see Arthur eating some food out of a plastic container. Arthur noticed Merlin and motioned him to sit down by Arthur on the small couch. Arthur handed him a small container with plain white rice and some assorted vegetables. "I didn't think you'd want anything flavored to strongly." Arthur said with a kind smile. "Especially the way you made faces at the pesto the last time when we went out for lunch. "

Merlin laughed. "You noticed?"

"Everyone at the restaurant noticed. At certain points I thought you might cry." Arthur smirked. Merlin just nervously picked at his food. He ate a bit while Arthur a some of the strong smelling stuff he was eating. Arthur looked over at Merlin. He moved a piece of Merlin's hair away from his face. "Is something wrong?" he said in one of the kindest voices Merlin had ever heard Arthur use.

"I don't know. But... I like right now. It feels... nice." Merlin didn't really know how to explain it. He felt safe next to Arthur, feeling his left side pressed against Arthur's right on the small couch.

"Nice?" Arthur said his eyes sparkling.

"Comfortable. Safe. I think." Merlin suddenly remembered who he was. Arthur's employee. He shouldn't be nearly snuggling with him on a couch. He wasn't sure if sharing this moment with him was even professional. "Um...unless you aren't. Cause then I could move or leav-"

Arthur put a finger to Merlin's lips. "It's fine. I agree. It is... nice." Arthur's arm wrapped around Merlin's shoulder and they were brought a tiny bit closer. "I don't want you to move."

"Oh-Okay." Merlin said suddenly embarrassed about how close he was to Arthur. "I...um.. Should we... Is this...What exactly..." Merlin could get a thought or question to come out right.

Arthur pressed his lips against Merlin's quickly. "It's fine. I won't let anything happen to this, or us if you don't want it to." Arthur's arm came away from Merlin's shoulder and he focussed his attention on the food again.

"I..." Merlin didn't know how to say what he wanted to say. "I want us. Er.. I mean... I'm happy with my job, and I like the friendship we sort of have, but I wouldn't mind something more. I mean, I would like something more, but I'm content with just this. Eating on a couch. But I mean, kissing on a couch would be... Um... Does anything that I'm saying make sense? Cause I mi-"

Arthur cut him off with another kiss. This one lasted a bit longer than the first one and Merlin could taste the spices on Arthur's lips. Arthur pulled away. "I want us too." They sat on the couch close to each other while they finished their food. Arthur walked Merlin to his room and Merlin assumed he went back to his. He fell back in his bed and had nightmares about the maidservant's father being killed. There was also a part near the end of the dream where someone who looked a lot like Morgana's body guard flew some sort of magic at the person Merlin was in his dreams and Merlin woke up. He had a really bad feeling so he called his mother. It was 4:41 at night when Merlin learned that Tom had passed away. Without really being completely awake he got dressed and went to the hospital.

Gwen was somewhat hysterical when he got there. She was crying about how he was to young to die and other stuff, but talking to fast for Merlin to be able to understand. When Hunith took over for calming her down Merlin called Morgana and Arthur to tell them that they wouldn't be able to make it to work that day. Thirty minutes later Morgana and Arthur were there. Morgana helped a lot with getting Gwen to calm down. Arthur helped Merlin who hadn't even realized he was shaking. Arthur cuddled with him against a wall until he stopped. Arthur kept lightly kissing his cheek and that's when Merlin realized there was a very big bruise from Tauren's fist.

This action makes Merlin laugh. "Are you kissing it better?" he says leaning his head back against Arthur's strong shoulders.

"Maybe." Arthur lightly shrugs, but Merlin keeps his head there. "Are you okay now?"

"A lot better. Thank you."

It's a lot later in the day when everyone finally leaves the hospital. Gwen has paid vacation for the time she and Hunith are going to use for planning Tom's funeral, figuring out what to do with the cafe, and helping the workers manage Tom's cafe until they find someone to take over the manager job. Merlin will also be helping with the cafe, but only after work. Morgana have all the work they missed while at the hospital to do. Merlin had his and Gwen's work to do. He does Morgana's room first, and then Arthur's. Merlin waits around awhile, but Arthur doesn't come, so Merlin leaves. He gets back a lot later to his room than usual, but he still has time to grab his sketchbook and draw a picture of a princess and a king talking in front of a grave. He thinks it may have been from his dream last night before he falls asleep. A strange thought echos through his head and he can't remember if it's from a dream, or something he heard when he was awake. 'Bad things happen in threes.' He decided it's a messed up nightmare, and nothing to worry about.

"Anything else?"

"No...Just...Don't be a prat."

"Damn." he mused to himself. "Another one of those dreams." he got out of his bed and made his way to his kitchen to get a glass of water. This time he had been fighting with a giant angry kitten with a snake head. All because of some clumsy manservant. He hadn't told anyone about his dreams except Morgana who had strange dreams herself. Her's were always changing, from modern to the past. That would've just given him a headache. Being a prince was hard enough.

Arthur threw the plastic cup in the sink for Merlin to wash tomorrow, and climbed back into his bed.

{Author's Note: I realize this chapter is a lot shorter than my other chapters, but I have never seen the actual episode. I hope the Arthur/Merlin made up for that. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please review.}