The reason they did not clean out the third bedroom that weekend happened on Saturday evening, late, almost midnight. And alright, neither of them really had an excuse as to why they hadn't started that afternoon, but whatever. Merlin had just been heading up to bed when his phone rang. Merlin paused, mid stairs and looked at the ID. It was Elyan. No one had really heard from Elyan since he had left for his trip, off and on Jen could be heard complaining about him and his 'childish ways' but nothing much else had been said and neither Merlin nor Gwen had talked to him. However, Merlin was getting a little worried now, that he was calling. Merlin just felt like something was the matter.

"Hello?" he quickly answered, feeling high levels of stress wash over him suddenly.

"I need you to come pick me up," said Elyan without saying hello, Merlin's stress did not go down at all at these words. "I wrecked her car, she's pissed...got Triple A for her car coming, but won't come pick me up."

Merlin didn't finish going up the stairs. Instead, he turned around and headed back down. "Where are you at?"

"Torquay...Devon," said Elyan and Merlin suddenly wanted to hit him.

"Are you kidding me?" he complained. "That's nearly a four hour drive!"

"I was having a holiday, it isn't my fault I wrecked...well, someone wrecked me," said Elayn, annoyed. "Are you coming? Gwen already sent me to voicemail, Merlin, come on..."

"I'm on my way, let me get ready...I have to tell Arthur I'm going, I'll call you in the car," Merlin told him. "Don't do anything else stupid, alright?"

"I'll do my best..."

Elyan hung up and Merlin walked right back into the sitting room, where Arthur and Gwen were sitting. Arthur looked up at him, confused. "I thought you were going to bed?" he asked, Gwen looked over then, looking a little disappointed he had come back. Merlin didn't take offence to that, honestly.

"I have to drive all the way to Devon to pick up my idiot, definitely not blood related brother," Merlin explained, mostly to Arthur, because he knew Gwen couldn't care less. She would probably get excited that he was leaving. She could be even louder during sex. "He wrecked Jen's car, so she's mad and now he needs someone to go get him...I'm probably not going to get back until the morning, so don't worry."

"Elyan is so stupid," said Gwen, ignoring everything else. She rolled her eyes. "I don't think he will ever learn..."

Arthur was looking concerned though. "Is he alright?"

"I think so..." Merlin shrugged. Arthur suddenly got up from the sofa now though, letting Gwen's hand fall from his thigh in the process

"I don't think you should go alone, that's a long drive...it's nearly midnight, Merlin," he said.

"Well I have to go, he's my brother," said Merlin and Arthur didn't seem to care all too much about the reason why.

"I know that, you still shouldn't go alone."

"No one else can go with him," said Gwen now, standing up, too. "He has to go get him...he doesn't have any choices."

"I'll go with you," said Arthur. "I'll drive...I'm a better driver anyway."

"You are not a better driver!" retorted Merlin.

"You can't go, Arthur, are you out of your mind?" said Gwen, but she went ignored.

"I am a better driver," retorted Arthur back. "Why do you think I always drive when we go places?"

"Because you're controlling...-"

"Arthur!" complained Gwen then, so loudly it startled both of them and they looked over at her. "I'm serious, you can't go...what about me? We were spending the night together."

Merlin rolled his eyes, because they spent almost every night together. Arthur seemed to think much the same. "As we do most nights, I'll be back by tomorrow morning...we can spend the whole day together then," he said and she continued to look annoyed still. "I don't think it's a good idea for Merlin to drive. You don't want a second brother in a wreck, do you?"

Gwen huffed, "If he is dumb enough to get into an accident, then he probably deserves it."

Arthur glared at her then. "Never say someone deserves to be in a wreck, Guinevere, not ever again, do you understand me?"

"Don't you dare reprimand me, Arthur Pendragon!" She retorted back. "You're the one running off into the night with some boy!"

"He's your brother!" Arthur got a little angry back, his voice raised just ever so much. She looked even more offended now. "I'm not even running off. You can come too, if you'd like."

Merlin would have to reconsider going himself, if she was going. But Gwen turned her nose up at the idea. "I wouldn't dare dream of it," she said, in a very snotty tone. "Have fun without me!"

And then she was marching from the sitting room, like she always did when she was pissed off, like an utter bitch. Merlin looked at Arthur and Arthur looked back, they didn't say anything for about thirty seconds, and then Arthur carried on as if his girlfriend had not just stormed out in an angry fashion. "...we ought to take my car."

Merlin shrugged with a shake of the head. "Listen, if it's going to cause a fight, I'll really be fine...I don't need-"

"Merlin, shut up," retorted Arthur. "I'm going with you, that is the end of it."

"But what about Gwen?"

"She'll be fine," said Arthur, in a pointed tone. Merlin sighed, kind of annoyed. Not because he didn't want Arthur to go, but because he knew Gwen was going to be unbelievably annoying about it for several days to come and he didn't think he, Merlin, could take that. But either way, ten minutes later Merlin sat in Artur's car, waiting for him to come out, about five more minutes after this, and one scream and door in the face later, Arthur got into the car, trying to appear unbothered by this even though he clearly was, and they were off. For a good long while, Merlin wasn't sure how long, but when he looked at the clock it was already after one, they hadn't talked. Other than when he had called Elyan and got his exact location to put into Arthur's phone. Other than that, nothing. Merlin didn't know what to say, which was odd because normally he had no issue talking to Arthur, conversation flowed between them rather easily. Though, Merlin knew there was a lot hanging between them right now, mostly Gwen to be frank, but other things, too. Things Merlin didn't want to talk about at all, let alone in the isolation of the highway in the middle of the night.

"Can I at least put on music or something?" he asked, suddenly, as if they had some sort of none-verbal agreement that they weren't going to talk. Arthur glanced over at him briefly. "If not, I'm going to fall asleep...I'm so bored."

Arthur huffed, not annoyed or anything, but just because apparently he thought Merlin was silly. "You can go to sleep if you'd like...I'll wake you when we're close."

"And miss the view?" offered Merlin, gesturing to the pitch blackness outside, even though Arthur wasn't looking at him. "No."

"Put on music then..."

Merlin didn't hesitate to lean over and pick up Arthur's phone from the middle console, as it was plugged into the car to keep charge. His phone on the other hand, had about five percent, so it was really living on a prayer. Merlin scanned through the music service Arthur had on his phone and didn't find anything he was interested in, so he looked over at Arthur again. "Any suggestions?"

"I don't really care..."

Arthur wasn't big on music, of course he liked music but he didn't care about it, so Merlin had expected that answer. But politeness made him had to ask anyway. He played a few boring songs, songs he thought Arthur might like, but then continued scrolling through the different playlists. "Oh...Little Mix," Merlin's gay heart couldn't dare pass it up and he pressed on the bands name, a familiar song filled the speakers of Arthur's car now. Merlin, feeling impowered, snapped his fingers and bobbed his head to the beat. "We wanna celebrate like we in the club every day...Got all my friends here with me...And I don't need ya, I don't need ya..."

Arthur looked over at him once more, eyebrow raised. "...really?" Merlin smirked over to him, nodding. He could see him rolling his eyes as he looked back at the road. "It's official, you are the gayest person I've ever met..."

"Is that bad?" questioned Merlin.

"No," said Arthur, and Merlin wasn't entirely sure he was telling the truth.

"You have to remember...I grew up with Little Mix," said Merlin, as that song ended and another song from the band began. Merlin wasn't going to change the playlist either. "When I was a kid Gwen used to drive me around and they would play on the radio, she'd turn it up really loud...it was fun, they bring back good memories. I don't know how that makes me gayer than I already was..."

"It doesn't," said Arthur, but his voice sounded strange and Merlin looked over at him, not sure what for or what to say. "I just...sometimes forget how young you are."

Merlin paused, not the song, but his thought process, that wasn't entirely what he thought Arthur was going to say. "I'm sorry..." said Merlin, looking away from Arthur, they never normally brought up their age difference...well actually, they never normally brought up anything. But it was just yet another thing to remember as to why, if this were a real relationship, it couldn't actually work. The conversation died after this, not that it was much of one anyway and Merlin continued playing songs, but strayed away from Little Mix. His heart wasn't really in the music anymore, he just felt tired and kind of sick...and a little bit like crying. He wasn't sure why.

Eventually Merlin was slumping in the passenger side seat, half falling asleep, as Elton John songs lolled him into a stupor. Now, if Arthur wanted to talk about being gay over music someone likes...he at least had a case with Elton John, he was a Rocketman and still standing...and, Merlin was half asleep so he couldn't remember any other songs by this man. His eyes were closed now, as the road and music put him to sleep ever so slowly, and then he was feeling something on his right knee, almost thigh and his eyes peaked open to see Arthur's hand there. If Merlin was more awake he would make comments about needing to keep both hands on the wheel, but he couldn't find the energy for that, so instead he just put his hand over Arthur's and closed his eyes again.

(A/N: Did I mean not to update for almost an entire month? No...but did it happen? Yes, and I am sorry about that, I am just super busy right now with work and school, I took on more classes this semester and work always sucks, but I'm gonna try to update at least once a week, that's at least something. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!)