Thank you so much for the first reviews.

Let's see how I am getting on with keeping ahead of myself. This is obviously chapter 2 and I have written nothing... Tomorrow is going have to be a day.

Anyway, so this is set back when they were kids. I have kinda worked it all out. So for this chapter, Merlin is 11, Arthur 12, Morgana 13 and Gwen is 14 (But Gwen and Morgana are in the same year at school. In Britain, the oldest in the school year is born in Septemeber and the youngest of the following August. If that makes sense what so ever. And Merlin has just sort of started secondary school. He has been there for like a few months.).

Don't worry, my love, we're learning to love
But it's hard when you're young

Chapter 2

2006

Merlin knew from the beginning that he had no chance. He knew that Will would eventually catch him looking but for that moment he could just be some eleven-year-old boy who liked to fantasies about the rich girl. She would never notice him. It was fine. He was safe.

"Mate, we have spoken about this."

Merlin turned to Will. "I know. The only way that I am going to get Morgana Pendragon to notice me is going to the super posh private school that she goes to, whose fees are double what our mums bring in a year. I can dream though, can't I? I mean we are on the other side of the road. We are in the safe zone."

"That is a bit more than dreaming."

Merlin did feel lucky just to know which one Morgana Pendragon was.

He always thought that it was weird that a private school and a comprehensive would be placed so close together but it was London, there wasn't a lot of places to build a building. So the very new comprehensive had to be placed near the age-old private school. There were technically two bus stops for the two schools to get, and the private school got priority. The 'top' bus stop was for all the rich posh kids, while the 'bottom' bus stop was for the poor kids. That was just the way it was. If the bus was full, it was for the poor kids to wait for the next one or to just walk home.

Merlin was more than glad that every day, after school, he had to walk into his little part of London to help out at his uncle's coffee shop.

He knew that it was his imagination but Merlin was sure that, on that particular day, Morgana had seen him and looked over at him. If only he was so lucky.

Merlin knew what his uncle was going to say to him before he even said it. It had been a common thing ever since his teachers had decided to give him harder work.

"Shouldn't you be studying rather than helping me out?"

"Gaius, I keep telling you. I really don't mind. You need help and mum would help you out if she wasn't working three other jobs as well."

He looked up from the table that he was wiping down to see his uncle staring down at him with one eyebrow raised.

"You have a future ahead of you. You are obviously clever and you can do anything that you want to do. If you really want some extra money, maybe you should try tutoring rather than cleaning down dirty tables in some run down coffee shop."

Merlin knew that would be the end of the conversation for the moment. If anything, he knew that his uncle wasn't wrong. Maybe he could go down that route.

It was widely known that Uther Pendragon was the biggest contributor to Camelot Prep, the posh private school, and it was also widely known that his son, Arthur, was the footballing hero of Camelot Prep. Merlin had heard rumours that people paid for the privilege to be bullied by him. Merlin did not think that people were telling him right. Definitely after one incident.

Once they found out that their usual route into town had been blocked due to overdue work on the path, Will had about going to super long route just so they didn't have to pass all the Camelot Prep students on their way into town. Merlin, on the other hand, didn't want to walk half an hour out of his way and told Will that they would just walk on the side of the bus stops. They hadn't even reached the top of the hill when they were shouted at.

"Where do you think you are going? Your bus stop is down there."

Other abuse was thrown at them. Merlin just couldn't believe that these people could potentially be the next leaders of the country. Although with the recent politics, he could see why they were like it. The rich looked after the rich and the poor get a little help. It was more if you were doing just alright that you seemed to have the bad deal.

Merlin would have just taken it if he hadn't had a really bad day. All he wanted to do was get to his uncle's and just forget about what had happened at school.

"We aren't catching the bus." He shouted just as they reached the top.

A few of them were taken aback that the comp boy had just shouted back at them. Merlin sort of knew the importance of just finding the most direct route through them all. He watched as Will had a slightly easier time of it. He was sure that he got out of it fine while they seemed to just make Merlin's life difficult, especially when he was tripped up by someone. He just felt the books in his hands scatter as he hit the floor. He managed to get himself up before anyone started to hit or kick him and started in his task of picking up his books.

"Advance Maths and Physics. Boys, we have a massive nerd here."

Merlin turned to see the blond haired boy and hoped that he wasn't who he thought he was. Anyone but Arthur Pendragon. Merlin watched as he pulled the arm with the books in by his head and put out his other arm. The last thing Merlin could do was lost those books. He couldn't afford to replace them. He was glad when Morgana walked up and pulled the books from his hands and hit him on the head with them.

"Can you not be an idiot?"

"Morgana."

"Arthur where else is the poor boy meant to walk. Just because you haven't got your kicks today, doesn't mean that you can take it out on poor..."

Merlin couldn't believe that she had just turned to him. Morgana had actually noticed him.

"Merlin. My name is Merlin."

She smiled at him and it took everything for him not to melt on the spot. "On poor Merlin. Find someone else."

Morgana handed him the two books and her friend had picked up the rest of the papers that had fallen out.

"Thank you." He said before making a sharp exit.

Gaius had asked him questions but like everything, he felt like he could tell him the truth. The problem was, like everything, Gaius knew Uther and he didn't feel comfortable saying that one of his uncle's friend's son's friends tripped him up and the son almost threw his books in a bush if it wasn't for his sister. He just blamed it on his clumsiness. It was easier that way.

The door of the shop was heavy and even on the best days, it slammed shut, signally that there was a customer. Merlin was glad that his uncle didn't jump out of his seat. There was someone at the counter to serve them. It was more when a very familiar voice called out for Gaius that Merlin realised that he was still not safe from Arthur.

Merlin watched his uncle leave him while he spoke to Arthur.

"Arthur, my boy, what can I do for you?"

"I… I have this piece of science homework that I really just… don't get. The teacher explained it to me in three different ways and it just isn't going in. She is going to do a test tomorrow and she said that if anyone got below a certain score then they would have to come back after school. I have training after school. I can't miss it."

If what happened between them earlier hadn't happened, then Merlin would have probably felt sorry for Arthur. It wasn't fair that the more traditional subjects were always pushed on students that talents lied somewhere else. Merlin knew that he just got maths which made understanding science easier.

"I thought you had someone helping you with this."

"It… didn't work out. Father was furious that he got him kicked out the school for whatever reason. He does pay for his schooling as he does for Gwen. Although I don't understand why Morgana needs Gwen. It isn't like she is struggling with English, or Maths, or any of the science or any subject to that matter."

If anything, Merlin had guessed Gaius' next words. He wanted them to stop him from saying them but didn't know how to.

"Why don't I introduce you to my nephew? I believe he is in the year below you but he is doing work for the year above him, which would be your year. I am sure he will help you out."

Merlin had stood up and got to the door, hoping that Arthur wouldn't see him.

"Gaius." He half whispered.

"You!" Arthur said.

Merlin knew that he had been seen and came out of the office. "I'm the nephew."

He knew that Gaius would want an explanation behind his behaviour but he knew that he could give that later. Arthur seemed to be pondering over what had been suggested to him.

"Father has said how he hasn't seen you in a while. You still don't open on a Sunday do you?"

"Only during the winter."

"Why don't you come over for lunch on Sunday? Bring your nephew and I will mention it to my father. I am sure that we could come to some arrangement."

Merlin had no idea what the arrangement would be but he was certain that his life had just changed forever.