Coming out of my cage
And I've been doing just fine
Chapter 12
"So, Alvarr."
"What about him?" Morgana asked.
"He is your boyfriend and I am pretty sure that he only came over to us because he was looking for trouble."
"Didn't really help when you and your knights all stood up?"
"Look, we did that to stop Alvarr and so that Merlin… Merlin felt like he wasn't on his own. I don't know what my best friend is thinking. I can only guess that he is going through the same emotions that he did eight years ago. I am trying to protect everyone else as much as I am trying to protect him."
Arthur knew that he had said a little too much and was grateful when Morgana didn't ask anything about it.
"I found Merlin on Instagram. It was no biggie, I was finding you all. The friends that I had left behind. The friends that I hadn't said goodbye to. I started to talk to Merlin. I had to know whether he… I had to let him know that I was coming back. I know that I left but as I have said to you many times since I came back, I am in a different mindset. I didn't expect everything to be the same way that it was when I left. There was one person that I had to tell that I was coming back and that was Merlin." She sighed. "He is still the one person that I need to talk to. Properly about what happened."
"How does this tie in with Alvarr though?"
"Alvarr… is a little… protective. He gets jealous easily. He saw that I followed you and I said that you were my brother, Gwen I said was my best friend. Merlin… I couldn't tell him the truth about Merlin. I told him that Merlin was your best friend. There was no way that Alvarr would be civil if he knew Merlin was my ex. Although he seems to know without me even telling him."
"And the kiss..."
"The kiss was just showing everyone there that I was his. He would probably brand me if he could. I know I am not painting him in the best light and there is a reason for that. Get inside Merlin's head. He needs to be careful. He doesn't really know who he is dealing with."
"And you do?"
"Arthur, I know Alvarr won't hurt me. Merlin… well, I know that he will definitely hurt Merlin. No matter how much I ask him to just let him be."
Merlin knew that he shouldn't have taken the shortcut. He had dropped the company car off in the nice part of London, where Uther kept all of the cars, and he was heading to Arthur's flat, in the nice part of London. But he knew that there were always rough parts of London, usually sandwiched between two nice parts. He should have stayed in the well-lit areas. He should have used the tube. But he wanted to get to his friend's faster and he wanted to save money. He couldn't afford to borrow any more money. He had to live on what he was given after he had paid off part of his debt.
The last person he wanted to see was Alvarr. He could feel his anger start to build up again and he had been able to place why he felt so angry. Morgana had told Merlin that she wasn't good enough for him, Merlin was more than prepared to tell Alvarr that he wasn't good enough for Morgana. Or it was because of what he had been asked to do.
Flicking the collar of his coat up, he hoped that he wouldn't be seen from the other side of the road.
If only he had been that lucky.
"Where are you going, Merlin the wizard?" Alvarr said as he stepped in front of Merlin
"Home. Not that it is anything to do with you."
Merlin tried to sidestep around him but Alvarr pushed him back.
"Not so fast. I might have a little job for you. I hear you are running around after Uther Pendragon."
"Look, I don't think I will be the right person for the job. I am too busy being Arthur's PA. It is a hard job. Plus I wouldn't be the right person for the job."
Alvarr laughed. "I don't really think you have much of a choice."
Merlin looked over his shoulder slightly. There were two guys now behind him and a third to his right side. With the wall to his left, he was stuck.
"I would pay you better."
"It isn't about the money. I like my job. There is this thing called job satisfaction."
"Let me ask you a question, Merlin. Do you think that Morgana is hot?"
There was just the way that he asked the question. Merlin knew it was a trap. He was damned if he said that he did think that she was hot but he was damned if he didn't. It was the reaction that Alvarr wanted.
"I know it has been a while since you last saw her. Has she got better with age? Would you like a night with her? I have taught her a lot. You could finally let loose some of your..."
"I am not falling for it Alvarr. I am not interested in Morgana in that way. And for the record. You might not think or like to think that we had sex when we were younger but I was her second."
There was a circle of laughter and Merlin had some feeling that he had done what Alvarr wanted him to do.
"I really, really don't think you are telling the truth." He paused for a moment. "Grab him, boys. I think he needs to be taught a lesson."
The two guys behind Merlin placed one of their hands on either shoulder and pulled him backwards before getting their arms over his shoulder and under his armpit. He wished that he had started to struggle earlier as he was dragged towards the alley behind him.