Worry for a Warlock
Gaius is worried about Merlin, who is clearly upset but won't confide in anyone. Set in Season 2.
Disclaimer: I don't own 'Merlin'.
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Gaius was worried about his ward. He knew that the boy had a lot on his plate, what with working for Arthur, helping the physician and saving the Prince's life on a regular basis, but despite all of this, Merlin could usually be seen with a large grin stretching from ear to ear. Gaius was the only one in Camelot who knew of Merlin's secret abilities, so he was the one who Merlin confided in when his combined responsibilities became almost too much to bear. He had witnessed several occasions when Merlin had been upset, and the bright smile he loved had been temporarily removed from his features. But until now, his ward had always managed to pull himself together and move on with the smile firmly intact.
Lately, however, Gaius had seen that smile only very rarely. He knew that Merlin tried to hide his problems from Arthur, but once out of the Prince's sight his smile fell away and he allowed his shoulders to slump dejectedly, weighed down by the massive burden placed upon them. Merlin was suffering, and he no longer replied when Gaius asked him what was wrong.
He had lost weight, too – and he had been thin enough to begin with! The warlock's clothes hung loosely from his wiry frame, and Gaius thought guiltily of what Hunith would say if she could see her son now. He had to admit that at the moment, he wasn't doing a very good job of looking after the boy.
During Merlin's first few weeks as Arthur's manservant, Gaius had had to wake his ward up to prevent him being late for work. But now, Merlin rose with the sun and was often gone by the time Gaius awakened. The physician wondered uneasily if the warlock may have been avoiding him, but whenever he tried to talk to Merlin about it, the boy brushed off his concern with an 'I'm fine' and a smile which didn't reach his eyes.
Even Arthur seemed to have noticed his manservant's sudden funk. He was being almost considerate of the warlock, and had privately visited Gaius to ask if all was well with his friend (before charging the physician never to repeat their conversation to a living soul). Gaius was glad that the Prince was showing signs of caring for Merlin, but he knew that Merlin did not feel he could confide in Arthur, especially knowing as he did of the Prince's prejudice against those with magic. Gaius wished that he could help Merlin, a boy whom he had come to love as a son, but Merlin didn't seem to want help. Indeed, he seemed determined to create as much distance between himself and others as possible, as though by doing so he could protect his friends from harm. His own pain seemed to matter very little to the selfless serving boy. But those closest to him saw it and despaired, longing for the cheerful young man with his big ears and infectious grin to return.
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So… what did you think? Was it okay? Please send me a review to let me know! Also, if anybody would like to check out my multi-chapter fic, 'Past and Present Pains', please feel free to do so.
P.S. Sorry for the boring title.