All my enemies whisper together against me;
they imagine the worst for me, saying,
8 "A vile disease has afflicted him;
he will never get up from the place where he lies."
9 Even my close friend,
someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
has turned[b] against me.
- Psalm 41:7-9
When Merlin wakes the next morning it is with a particular feeling of warmth. Turning on his side he reaches out for whatever or whomever is causing it only to grasp empty air. Bleerily he considers his options and sits up. The world spins slightly but he doesn't faint and, reassured, he proceeds to assess his location.
He's lying on a bed with a less than comfortable mattress given today's standards. He seems to be surrounded by pillows, cushioning him on all sides. They're what had probably made it so comfortably warm. His own body heat would have stayed contained throughout the night like an igloo of feathers. Next to his bed is a short nightstand with a clock/radio on it and a lamp. Across from that is another bed with the tousled hair of the sleeper poking out from the blankets. Oddly enough the person, he's assuming it's a man, doesn't have a pillow of his own. Had they all been given to him? At the foot of the other bed is a third; a pull out with a second man collapsed spread eagle across it, fast asleep.
A sudden beeping fills the air sending Merlin's heart racing until he realizes that it's the alarm. The dark haired man groans and slaps blindly at it until Merlin decides to help him out. With a touch of his magic he nudges the alarm within arms reach. Slap! The alarm cuts off mid beep and the other man finally drags himself upright.
lt's Gwaine.
His memories of the past two days rush back into place as their eyes meet and Gwaine grins cheerily.
"Merlin! You're awake!"
Merlin smiles back giddily. They're back. Everyone's back. He turns his attention back to the second man. Arthur's back.
"Oi! Princess! It's time to get up!" Arthur twitches and goes still again as if hoping they won't notice. Gwaine gestures. "Care to do the honors?" Merlin smiles softly. How could everything just go back to the way it was? It's like nothing had changed. As if they were all friends and it hadn't been fifteen hundred years waiting as he slowly forgot why he was waiting and why any of it mattered.
"Merlin?"
He starts at the sound of Arthur's voice. "Wha!? You were asleep!" he argues feebly when his eyes refocus on his King's face not twelve inches from his own.
"You've been sitting here for about ten minutes. I got up."
"Oh."
Adverting his eyes to avoid seeing the worry in Arthur's expression he soundlessly allows them to help him up but struggles when Arthur reaches for his shirt.
"I can do it myself. Unlike some people I'm fully capable of dressing myself." The familiar barb brings a smile to Arthur's face but he doesn't relent.
"At least let me help with your shirt. I don't want your- your wounds to reopen."
"But-"
Arthur catches his eye. "Merlin, I want to help you."
With that Merlin gives in and, when just raising his arms to allow Arthur to peel the old shirt off inside out causes him to cry out, he decides it was probably a good idea. Still he insists on doing the rest himself. How is he going to be of any use to Arthur if he keeps requiring his help?
OoO
On Arthur's part his only irritation is that Merlin won't let him help him more. There is no shame in needing help. It had taken him a long time to learn that lesson, a lesson he'd learnt in large part through the very man who now refuses to heed it.
Gwaine has already thrown on some clothes of his own and quickly declares that he'll bring up breakfast for the others before heading out leaving Arthur and Merlin alone.
Merlin's staring at him again but Arthur pretends to ignore it. It's scary how Merlin watches them as if they might disappear at any moment. It's scary to watch Merlin's eyes in those moments when he can see the pain and years he'd suffered through as an almost tangible presence. Most of all it's scary to think that Merlin has every motive to look at them like that because due to his hallucinations he very well might not understand that they are here to stay, Arthur especially.
So the duo sits in more or less companionable silence as Merlin flips through the TV channels sans remote without really looking at anything in particular and Arthur continues to officialize his transfer from London to Bristol. Though Uther would never admit that he remembers Camelot in this at least the father and son are in complete agreement. Kids these days grow up way too slowly. Why, if Arthur had actually been forced to wait until he was eighteen or, even worse, until he had a business degree, to start doing what he knows very well he can do without some university telling him so, he might have gone mad. But in one of the few decisions Arthur is actually thankful to his father for Uther had brought Arthur in as an intern at fourteen and had been gradually increasing Arthur's responsibilities and clearance every year since. Now, at seventeen Arthur is fully, and legally, capable of co-running one of the smaller branches under advisement from an older manager. Intellectually capable at least. It remains to been seen how the people he'll be managing will react to being directed by a minor. He's not too worried though. If his years as King had taught him anything it was to trust in his natural leadership ability. He simply has to be himself.
"Arthur?"
He looks up from his e-mail. "Yeah Merlin?"
Merlin jerks his head towards the door. "Gwaine's here. Should I get the door?"
A moment later the sound of someone gently kicking at the door confirms Merlin's words. Arthur stands. "I've got it. No sense in you tripping over your feet with our breakfast and forcing Gwaine to re-acquire it."
Merlin shrugs and Arthur grits his teeth in frustration. Every time he thinks he's getting somewhere Merlin retreats back into himself.
Gwaine slides the plates holding eggs, sausage and sliced toast onto the single desk and then gestures to Arthur to take the cups of juice and coffee held gingerly between his arm and torso. As soon as he's free of encumbrances he fishes around in his pocket, pulls out an apple and bites into it with a satisfied crunch. Flipping his other hand out towards Merlin he grins. "Ready to get some real food in you?"
Merlin takes one look at the obviously reheated-too-many-times eggs and overly greasy meat and frowns. "Sure. Where is it?"
Gwaine chuckles and grabs Merlin's arm. "C'mon. We both know you've eaten worse."
"Yeah, but that was in the fifth century." Merlin protests as Gwaine hauls him to his feet and patiently provides support as Merlin walks across the room, grabs some grub and sits down in the single chair just before Arthur can return to his seat.
"Hey!"
Merlin looks up at Arthur and smiles oddly. "Do you want your seat back?"
Knowing that Merlin isn't just teasing Arthur shakes his head exasperatedly and grabs some food of his own as well as one of the coffees before pushing the single orange juice towards the warlock.
"Drink up Merlin. The last thing we need is you fainting on us."
Obediently Merlin finishes off his meager breakfast and, too the surprise of the others, begins fiddling with the open laptop rather than going straight back to sleep. Arthur and Gwaine grin softly to each other at this clear sign of Merlin's gradual recovery.
"What exactly are you attempting to do?" Arthur asks as he leans over Merlin's shoulder.
"Just figuring out how the systems work. Last time I had access to a computer they couldn't do nearly this much."
Arthur quiets briefly at the reminder of Merlin's last ten years and then shrugs it off. If Merlin doesn't want to talk about it then he'll try not to think about it too much. He's still a bit … off, but Arthur's sure that Merlin won't try to leave them now and, for now, that's enough.
"Here. If you right click you can bring up another menu."
Gwaine watches fondly as Arthur points out various features and Merlin happily clicks around the internet. It's good for Arthur to have Merlin back. The heir would never admit it, but he's more relaxed now, more open. Gwaine had known him for almost two years this time around and during that entire time Arthur had been tense, as if constantly on the lookout for any sign of his best friend. This had made him more abrupt and though Arthur never lashed out like he had as a prince it had created the opposite effect, causing him to withdraw into silence until he could release his anger or irritation out of sight. It's only been two days since they'd found Merlin, yet it's already clear to see that Arthur doesn't feel the same need to be on constant guard.
OoO
The trio spends most of the morning lounging around while Gwaine and Merlin teach each other card games and Arthur hunts for an apartment near both his new school and his new workplace. The community college where he'll be taking several classes as well is unfortunately all the way across town but there's no helping that. He and Leon hadn't brought up transferring the knight to Bristol to Uther yet but Arthur can't see another readily feasible solution. Gwaine can hardly be expected to quit his job though Arthur knows the man would do it in a heartbeat if it were to help Merlin. None of the others are out of school yet- Arthur curses under his breath and takes a moment to watch Merlin scan his hand and lay down a nine of hearts.
"I win!"
Arthur shakes his head. "Trust you to be a cardshark at Go Fish Gwaine." He calls out eliciting laughter from the man. Merlin's torso shakes slightly and Arthur's just about to ask what's wrong when he realizes that he's laughing. Heart swelling with happiness of his own Arthur turns back to the contact list he'd pulled up.
What about Percival? Last he'd heard the man was working as a sailor, but it had been a temporary job.
"Hey Gwaine?"
Without looking up Gwaine deals the deck. "Yeah Princess?"
"Do you know if Percival is back in port?"
"Yeah. He was looking for another job in Dublin last I heard."
Arthur rolls his eyes. "And when was that?"
"Last week. I'm sure he'd be willing to come hang with Merlin if you asked though. It's the dry season for his line of work so it's not exactly like he has a whole lot going on."
A phone call and a brief explanation later and Merlin is handed the phone to his uncertain reluctance.
"Hello? Merlin?"
Merlin gives him a shaky grin despite Percival being unable to see it. "Hi Perc. Long time no see."
"It's good to have you back with us, my friend."
OoO
At night Merlin walks in mists. Cliffs loom out of the fog to swallow him whole. Figures like wraiths flicker in the corners of his vision only to vanish when he turns to face them. Up ahead black carrion birds rise and fall over a single bundle laying facedown on the indeterminable surface. Merlin runs forward with the laughter of children like hellhounds at his heels. Collapsing on his knees he rolls the figure over and cries out in naked horror.
The screams pierce his sleep leaving Merlin to scramble upright as they die off. Standing over him is his King. Sobbing with fear he throws himself into the waiting arms fleeing from the horror of the voiceless screams that had awoken him.
"-lin. Merlin. Merlin. Merlin. Merlin. Mer-"
Gradually his tremors subside and he lifts his face to meet Arthur's own.
"Merlin?"
He nods soundlessly. His throat is tight and scratchy; his face swollen with tears. Some small part of him recoils at the thought of anyone, Arthur most of all, seeing him like this but his protests are drowned out by his overwhelming need to know that Arthur is here and that everything is ok because Arthur being ok makes it so.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
He shakes his head but begins to speak anyways. "Someone was screaming." He can't think of anything else. There isn't anything else. He'd been asleep and the screams had woken him.
"Merlin." Arthur's voice is calm and still, an eye in the storm. "That was you. I heard you all the way from my room."
Oh. Merlin buries his head back into Arthur's arms unheeding of the tremors that wrack his body or of Arthur's increasingly worried attempts to snap him out of it. Hours or an eternity later he succumbs to sleep once more leaving Arthur behind to lift him back into his bed and sit there, the rest of the night, keeping watch over his friend who is almost a brother till dawn.
OoO
The next morning Arthur wakes with an ache between his shoulder blades and his head drooping over his own lap. The events of the night before strike to the forefront of his thoughts in an instant.
Merlin sleeps peacefully. The morning light stretches across his face illuminating his pale features in gold. It brings, Arthur things, a healthy glow to his pallor. Merlin shifts out of the sunlight revealing the illusion for what it is. Arthur leaves him sleep.
When Merlin joins Arthur in the kitchenette it becomes obvious that the warlock has no remembrance of the night's events. Arthur smiles as Merlin cheerily bids him good morning and assembles his breakfast without a single shadow crossing his eyes and waits until he is settled in his seat before announcing his plans.
"I've got to go in today and meet with the manager. I'd like you to stay in the apartment."
Merlin nods but Arthur can tell that the man is merely acknowledging his words not agreeing to heed them.
"I mean it Merlin. For all intents and purposes you are a wanted man. Gwaine's working on changing that but he gets us the ID's-"
"No one will see me."
The soft surety in his voice unseats Arthur's list of arguments. Merlin had been so unsettlingly complacent since they'd found him. This is the first issue Merlin has pushed back on even just to show his displeasure and Arthur's not sure he can withstand the calm plea in Merlin's eyes. Don't leave me alone. Don't make me wait for you.
"Fine. But just for today and if you so much as breathe loudly where someone might hear you then this will never happen again."
Merlin accepts the threat as he has accepted everything lately, without a protest. "Thank you Arthur."
Arthur merely bumps him lightly on the shoulder and drops his dishes in the sink to be cleaned later. Half an hour later they're pulling up to the drab grey building housing Pendragon Inc. Leaving Merlin to follow behind him he takes a deep breath. It's time for him to act like a king; someone with both authority and humility, someone who can lead, but when necessary, follow.
The manager turns out to be a mild mannered man with grey eyes the color of steel.
"You're father, pardon my saying so, is not overly found of sharing power." He explains in response to Arthur's surprise. "I would not be surprised if many of his managers were like me, skilled but," here he laughs ruefully, "honestly rather lacking in ambition. I'll be here to lend my support and guide you in whatever ways are necessary and will of course report on your choices and actions in regards to this branch to your father."
Arthur nods. "Of course. I should like to think we will work well together. Would you mind-"
He is aware of Merlin's presence the entire time. It is a shimmer in the air and a tug at the back of his mind. Many times, during his reign in Camelot he had felt a similar tug and dismissed it. Had he realized then what he knows now, that the tug has always pointed towards Merlin, he doesn't know what he would have done. It would have depended, he supposes, on when exactly the revelation had occurred. Certainly there were times, had he even suspected the magic of Emrys within his manservant he would have killed the man on the spot. The reality of that truth sits heavy within his heart. If anything can remain a secret between two souls who know each other as well as they, he hopes it can be this, that Merlin might never know the extent to which he might have been betrayed by his King.
