I looked down at my drink and sighed. I was at my favourite bar, sitting at a table hidden at the back.

I really hope Merlin doesn't notice and gears up for my intervention, I thought nervously. However, I knew it was a lost case. Merlin is the smartest person I've known in my life, she will notice that the reason why I am not waiting for her in our usual place -on a stool at the bar- and that I am wearing my 'serious' face is because we are going to talk about... that.

"Gwaine!" the cheerful voice of my dear friend brought me back from my depressed thoughts, I raised to great her.

How does Arthur do this all the time? I complained internally. It's stressful to be so serious and sad all the time, I am not built for this. Being a goofball and a drunkard... well, for that I am your man. But not for an intervention! What am I going to do?!

"So... you and Arthur? How did that happen?" I asked instead, running away from my problems like a coward.

God damn it! Why did I have to do this? Lancelot should be here, he was her ex-fiancé! I screamed in my head.

"I wish I knew" she snorted, shaking her head in amusement "We met by casualty, we bumped into each other in a parking lot and he offered me a ride. I would have said no, I try not to get very close with strangers... you being the exception, and I still blame my drunk state of that night as the cause of our night romance" I placed a hand on my heart and theatrically acted as I was wounded by her words, but I knew she was just teasing me "But I knew who he was, Uther was going to present us that same night so I accepted. At the beginning he acted smitten by me, he tried to get me to go out with him... but, I was just another pretty face on his list. I didn't want to go out with someone who would only ask me out because I am cute, also I didn't want to make things with Uther awkward. However, soon after my rejection he began showing his true colours, but also acting as an asshole... more than usual" she added looking at my incredulous expression "He was rude, humiliated me as much as he could, paraded his conquest of the day in front of me as if I meant nothing, went to my café with his pals and told them all about his amazing night, knowing perfectly that I was listening to them. He was the worst bloody nightmare. And I still don't know why did he do that!".

"Then, what changed?" I asked curiously, trying to refrain my desire to go to my friend's house and beat the crap out of him for hurting Merlin "And for why he did all that, it's easy: he was jealous of you and Uther".

"Me and Uther?" she repeated, paling when she understood what I meant "Why the bloody hell would he think I was dating his father?!".

"Look at it like this, Arthur has always been trying to gain his father praise and approval. He did everything Uther asked, and more. But never nothing was enough, cause there was always a hole in his heart... a hole only Arthur's mom could fill. Then you enter the picture, all smiles and positivism. You made Uther see his mistakes and change, something that not even his own children could do in decades. Not only you have this maternal glow around you, a loving woman who takes care of those surround her and feeds them her special carrot cake, that curiously is the same one Uther's wife used to do. He's always in your café and buys you expensive gifts, make the maths Merlin. Arthur blinded by jealousy slashed out and acted as an asshole... more than usual" she snorted when I threw her own words at her "You and I know that Uther doesn't desire you like that... but other might confuse his intentions".

"Now I get it, it juts never occurred to me... Uther and I? Don't make me laugh!" she said.

"Don't change the subject and tell me what changed between both of you" I insisted, it was good to be back to old times... but I knew things will change soon when I confess why was she truly here for. However, I a still grateful for these minutes of peace and normality with my friend.

"Two months after we met I was leaving the café very late, Arthur was waiting for me and offered me a ride. I wanted to yell at him and ask him why in heel would I want to leave with him after how he treated me. But it reminded me of how we met, and even after everything he put me through I was able to see good in him as I did with his father. But instead of just consider him as family... I got trapped, and fell for him. So, I accepted. When we got to my apartment we ended up fighting, one thing led to the other and we had hate sex... not the best way to start a relationship. The morning after he was very angry, cursing himself for being the same as Lancelot and laying with a taken woman. I stopped him and told him that I wasn't dating anyone. He looked blankly at me, before taking me in his arms again and ravishing me" she stopped and looked thoughtful "Now that I think about it, he asked me not to tell Uther about us. Now I get why" she chuckled amusedly "I will get this misunderstanding straight first thing in the morning".

"You do that" I said, taking a sip from my drink.

"In the meanwhile, why don't we address the real issue you cited me for" she demanded, making me almost spit my drink. I ended up coughing when it got in the wrong pipe "I also have to thank you for not telling Arthur about... my condition".

"You need help Merlin" I told her seriously "Both Lancelot and I are very worried about you, when will you have a bad day? When will it be too much fro you and you'll finally cut deep enough to kill yourself?" she flinched at my crude words, and I felt as an asshole but she needed to hear this. It was for her own good "I know you've been through a lot, you had to step up as an adult when you shouldn't have. Your childhood left a lot to desire. Working the way you did through college... it was admirable. Not only did you raise your family's café from the ashes as a phoenix, to be the success that it is now. But you also where able to move your mother to a better apartment and pay for her cancer treatments and her medicine... but I also know that even though now the café factures enough for you to open another one if you wish, it didn't at the beginning" I saw her froze at my words, knowing that I had figure her secret out "I am no stupid man Merlin. The way you are always moping in self-loathing when you drink, or the way you scoff when I talk so highly of you... as if you didn't deserved it, as if you were disgusted with yourself. I didn't figure it out, until two night ago when Lancelot started talking about you. And how your mother always loved him because he stopped you from going out every night, till unholy hours... you used to sell your body to pay your mother's treatments, didn't you?" I asked softly.

That's everything it took for her to break, she cried while begging me desperately not to tell anyone, especially her mom, Arthur and Lancelot "You don't understand!" she exclaimed, lowly cause we didn't want anyone to hear, when she finally had calmed down a bit "I had to do it, or else my mother would have never lived through her illness...".

"I understand" I cut her off "You are still the same Merlin I've always known: strong, independent, beautiful and kind. You are still the person I admire, you are a survivor" I assured her "However, you still need help. I know a very good facility, you won't need to stay there but please at least go and have sessions with one of their psychologists" I was the one to beg this time.

"I can't afford it Gwaine! The café is doing pretty well, but my mother's medicine still costs a fortune and as you so clearly pointed I can open a new café, something that I am already doing. Now that I am outside of college and have much more free time I thought of opening a café in a more family neighbourhood, so I can see people enjoy the food and have a good time. You know how much I love that, but with the one I have ninety-five percent of the people that comes want their food or/and drink to take so they can go back to their jobs. So I already spent a lot of my savings, opening a new one" she explained, looking at her hands on her lap sadly.

"I'll pay it for you, and I know what you'll say: 'I can accept that!', 'I can take care of myself!'. Look, I'll pay it for you now and when your new café rocks it as the first one you can pay me back. And then when you rule the world with your carrot cake you will have to remember that I helped you" she laughed, for the first time since she came into the bar.

"Rule the world ah?" she said to herself as she laid her head on my shoulder "Ok, help me out now and when the world is mine I'll spare you" she told me, making me laugh.

However, when I stopped I questioned if she was joking or did she really decided to conquer the world. You can never know with her. Also, the fact that she could easily do it if she puts her mind to it, it's kind of scary. I sighed and shrugged, Well world good luck...