A/N - Here we go, two in one day as promised!

This one was Merthur slash in my head whilst I was writing it, but there is nothing overtly slashy in it so you don't have to read it like that if you don't want to...

Anyway, hope you like it.

No. 7 – I've got you / Support / Carrying

Arthur wrenched his sword back, the dead bandit's body offering no resistance to the sharp metal. The bandit fell to the floor. Arthur leant down to wipe his sword against the man's jacket, mostly cleaning it of blood.

He turned around, panting, pleased to see all of the bandits dead, or at least down. He'd taken four of them, the last one must have been defeated by Merlin –

"Merlin?" He scanned the clearing quickly. "MERLIN!"

There was a groan and Arthur hurried over, finding Merlin lying trapped beneath a particularly heavy set bandit.

"There you are!" Arthur huffed, trying not to make his relief too obvious. He put his sword down then grabbed the heavy bandit and hauled him off of Merlin. Merlin gasped and groaned again, clutching his arm to his chest.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Arthur let himself drop to his knees, one hand curling around the back of Merlin's neck.

"This branch" – Merlin patted a thick branch, strong with lots of sprouting twigs of leaves, with his uninjured arm – "fell from the tree, hit his head. Then he fell on me."

"It just fell? That's lucky."

"Well not so much, he was holding his dagger when he fell on top of me…" Merlin said, directing his gaze down to his leg. Arthur followed his gaze and swore. The bandit's dagger was buried in Merlin's thigh.

Judging from the amount of blood, it hadn't hit anything vital but it was still a nasty deep wound.

"Give me that," he said, reaching for Merlin's neckerchief. He untied it quickly and brought it down to wrap just above the wound.

"Do you have to?" Merlin whined. "That's my favourite one."

"Really?" Arthur looked at the faded red fabric. "It's so old. It's fraying at the edge."

Merlin glared at him but Arthur saved himself from the inevitable snarky retort by pulling the neckerchief tight.

"Alright, brace yourself."

Merlin gritted his teeth but it didn't stop him from screaming when Arthur pulled the dagger from his thigh. His head fell back onto the forest floor and he panted as Arthur slid the neckerchief down to cover the wound and tied it tighter.

"There, all done." Arthur put his hand behind Merlin's neck again, gently lifting him into a sitting position.

"Ow, ouch!" Merlin complained with a pout.

"Anything else?"

"Don't want to show you, you'll hurt me again," he said petulantly.

Arthur rolled his eyes then fixed Merlin with his prince stare. Merlin held his arm out, wincing as he did so. It had a deep slash across it and his wrist looked a little wonky.

"I'll have to splint it, it'll hurt."

"See, said you'd hurt me again."

"Believe me, I don't like it," Arthur said, squeezing the back of Merlin's neck, letting his fingers slide into his mussed hair.

"Go on then." Merlin took a deep breath and gritted his teeth again.

Arthur snapped a sturdy enough twig from the branch that had supposedly saved Merlin's life and splinted it against his wrist using a strip torn from the bottom of his tunic. His heart tugged at Merlin's groan of pain.

Once it was done, he shuffled around so he was closer to Merlin, pulling him against his chest and holding him, supporting his weight when Merlin sagged.

"Easy. I've got you."

He pulled his arms tighter, feeling Merlin tuck his head under his chin, his hand gripping onto Arthur's arm.

The bandit lying beside them stirred slightly; being whacked over the head by a branch hadn't been quite enough to kill him. Arthur snatched up the dagger still covered in Merlin's blood and rammed it into the side of the man's throat, all of his anger at Merlin's injuries ploughing into the stab.

"That showed him," Merlin muttered, giving Arthur that sidelong look that meant he had been a bit too fervent in his action.

"He deserved it," he growled, his finger lightly brushing the makeshift bandages over Merlin's arm and leg. Merlin just shrugged.

"How are we going to get back to Camelot?" he said instead of starting an argument. The horses had scarpered at the sounds of the fighting.

"It's not far, we'll make it. I'll carry you if I have to."

Arthur got up, carefully so as not to jostle Merlin. He picked up his sword and sheathed it. Merlin looked up at him warily when he bent to pick him up.

"Let me at least try and walk before you lug me over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes," he grumbled. He lifted his non-injured hand towards Arthur.

Arthur held Merlin's hand, and ducked down to wrap his other arm around his waist and gently hoisted him to his feet. Merlin immediately wobbled, leaning against Arthur to take the weight off of his wounded leg.

"Alright?" Arthur asked.

"Yep, just fine," Merlin bit out through clenched jaw.

Arthur supported him with an arm around his waist and Merlin's arm slung over his shoulders. He managed to limp forwards several paces then collapsed against Arthur's side, panting and gasping, tears of pain gathering in his eyes.

"I've got you," Arthur murmured again, holding Merlin steady.

Merlin groaned but took another shaky step forwards.

"Look, just let me –" Arthur leant down and wrapped his arm behind Merlin's knees, scooping him up to his chest.

Merlin huffed, pink tingeing his cheeks, but he curled his arm around the back of Arthur's neck and didn't complain. He laid his head on Arthur's shoulder, trying to catch his breath. Arthur started forwards, at a much faster pace than Merlin had managed to limp along at. Hopefully they'd get back to Camelot some time today now.

"What about the horses?" Merlin asked suddenly after they'd walked in silence for a few minutes.

"I'll send someone out to look for them, don't worry." He could send Elyan, the youngest knight had an affinity with the horses. And a whole patrol to back him up in case any of the bandits still lingered.

"As soon as we get back?" Merlin demanded, glaring up at Arthur as best as he could from his position with his head on Arthur's shoulder.

"As soon as I've got you to Gaius," he corrected, shifting his arms a little, making Merlin wince as his leg was bumped. Arthur grunted. "Uh, you weigh a tonne."

"Well I am taller than you."

"Not by much," Arthur said, screwing his nose up. He pinched Merlin's uninjured leg. "And you're so gangly."

"Oh very nice." Merlin's voice took on that affronted, sarcastic tone that meant he thought Arthur was being a prat. Arthur smirked. "Any more compliments for me, my lord?"

"Shut up," Arthur told him fondly, deliberately jostling him gently as he kept walking.