The air was sweet and cool as the spring winds whipped around Merlin and Gwen as they walked the normal scenic route to their school. Gwen was messing with her brown bag with an owl on it and throwing out muffled curses here and there, her black hair was pulled back into a high bun that only seemed to make her capris and pink tee-shirt all the more elegant. Merlin ziped up his own jacket and looked at Gwen in amusement while taking a bite of his Hershey bar.

"What in the world are you fussing about now, Gwen?" he asked his friend as she threw the closing over her bag and crossed her arm, staring straight ahead with a frown.

"Nothing except that I can't believe that you made that bet with Arthur, Merlin. Honestly you two are always at each other throats. Why is it so important who he likes?"

Merlin ate another piece of the bar and then offered the rest to Gwen who rolled her eyes at Merlin's eating choices so early in the morning. Merlin shrugged and crumpled the wrapper in his pocket and adjusted his backpack to by higher on his shoulder, "Because have you seen the way he has made a fool of himself lately? He's like a man on drugs, Gwen, I mean he's always got this far away look, he trips over himself sometimes in the middle of nowhere I want to know who damn well makes him like this because I have to give them props." He then smiled, " plus I want to figure out why he just won't tell me."

Gwen stopped on the sidewalk and put a lose strand of hair behind her ear and looked at Merlin who too stopped, " What if there's a reason he doesn't want you to know, Merlin, what if the person is…."

"You know who the person is, Gwen?" Merlin leapt at her and grabbed her arm, a wide smile on his face; yes he was going to win.

Arthur had been friends with Merlin in Primary school but also with Gwen a little bit before he met Arthur. They were in Preschool together and all the way through 6th grade where Merlin met them. Arthur was close to Gwen, was the first to know about his little preference in love and might know who the lucky person was. What if the person was, in fact, Gwen?

Merlin licked his lips and looked to her and wondered how he would feel about that, him and Gwen. He thought about his own feeling but quickly pushed them away once more like he always did. "You aren't the girl are you, Gwen?"

Gwen eyes flattered and then went wide while her mouth made an 'o' and laughed, " No…no it's not me Merlin. Trust me. And before you ask I am not sure who he likes, if he likes anyone, but I have an idea and no I won't tell you."

Merlin bit his lip and made his eyes wide, the puppy dog look Arthur called it, " Why not?"

'Cause," was all she said. Merlin heard the bell ring in the distance and he looked at Gwen before they broke out into a fast speed run to school.

Merlin pushed through the jumble of people and went into his English class room and into the back of the room and plopped down in the wooden seat. There was something about the class he loved so much about. He wasn't sure if it was the fact he could see outside and watch the big willow in the front of the` school change through the year or maybe it was the fact he could be himself in here and write and write to his heart existence. He heard a thump and looked up to see Arthur falling through the door and trying to push his way through the people just like Merlin had. He growled at some girls, cheerleaders with their plastic noses, who tried to grab at him and they rolled their eyes and giggled. Merlin felt like throwing up and imagined once again stringing them from the tree and watching them swing back and forth. Hehe!

"Hey, Merlin," Arthur said as he pulled out a seat from a nearby desk and swung it around to face Merlin, " I thought you weren't going to make it this morning. You and Gwen looked like birds flapping in the wind."

Merlin stuck his tongue out at the other boy and pulled his textbox out, " So I asked Gwen who she thinks you might be in love with," he said.

He saw Arthur freeze in shooting a paper ball in the waste basket. He looked over at Merlin and Merlin saw him worry his bottom lip, " Oh, you did…did she tell you because merlin you after understand that i-"

"She didn't tell me, but it must be big if you're worried about it. Come on just tell me. I mean it can't be that bad," Said Merlin.

"I am not worried and it's not bad, just…" he didn't get to finish as the teacher came into the room and called the class to order and Arthur took his seat in the front of the room. Merlin watched him pull out his pen, paper, and his book from his bag and run a hand through his hair in the way Merlin always found so calming in a way. He glanced back at Merlin and Merlin saw him smile before he looked away.

Merlin looked down at his notebook and began to take notes but when he heard some rude comment he looked up to see Freya, the shy, black haired girl with big glasses coming into the room, her jeans a little too long and her sweater tore in some places. Merlin wished he could hit some of the guys who made some rude comments and cat called her.

"Hey, Lake Girl, kiss any fish lately?" Valiant called to her and the girl glanced at him before taking her seat next to Arthur, her checks burning.

Freya was called Lake Girl because her and her parents lived on a house boat and ran a little cheap tour venue in the dock in their little town. They didn't make too much money and were a well fare family of the town because of it. No one cared so much because Freya was a sweet and lovely girl in her own way who loved to read. But some people were asses.

"Hey, Val?" said Arthur turning to look at him, a not so nice smile on his face, " why don't you shut the hell up before I throw you in the lake and let the fish take a bite out of you."

"Oooh," valiant said, " nice come back stupid. Whatever. Keep the fish girl safe for now lover boy."

Merlin saw Arthur flip him the bird and the teacher acted like nothing happened but sent Valiant a glare and told him to shut up. Merlin saw Arthur reach over and put a hand on Freya's arm and she smiled at him before blushing and looking away. Arthur whispered something to her and she laughed before settling into her book. Arthur watched her for a few more seconds before he too opened his book.

Merlin then smiled because he had it, he did. It was so obvious. Arthur liked Freya. It made sense because he always helped her, made her smile, and talked to her and walked with her sometimes after school. Yes, he knew.

Merlin jumped up and down on his feet. He was in the parking lot waiting for Arthur who was about done with football practice and would meet him here as always. Merlin had not told Arthur what he thought when they met up for lunch because he had to make sure first so he watched and waited. Arthur even invited Freya to eat lunch with them again today as he always did and she finally accepted and it made Arthur smile so much the rest of the day.

Merlin thought back for a second to how, as Arthur had hugged Freya goodbye, he wished it was himself that made Arthur smile like so but he knew it would never be as he had told himself time and time again even if the thought hurt. He had just sighed and looked up at the gathering of clouds when Arthur walked out from the building and caught sight of him.

He met him half way and smiled before they started to walk to their usual hang out spot, a little ice-cream shop in the middle of town.

"So how was practice?" Merlin asked him and Arthur shrugged and scratched his arm, " It was okay. We might be ready for the playoffs before the big game next week."

Merlin bumped him in the shoulder and said at Arthur's unbelieving tone, " Aw come on you guys will do just fine, Arthur, I mean you're like….like a bear. Yhea!"

Arthur swung his arm around Merlin's shoulders, " A bear? Where in the world do you come up with this stuff?"

"Internet," smirked Merlin but then shook his head, " but really when you play you are like a bear. See you do this thing where you growl and bare your arms like this," he moved away from Arthur and bared his arm as if ready to tackle someone and growled and Arthur laughed so hard he stumbled. Merlin pouted at his best friend, " well fine then. It's better then looking like Valiant when he plays, he looks like he's about to take a shit or something."

"yhea he does don't he!" said Arthur before replacing his arm around Merlin and Merlin leaned against him and yawned, not realizing what he was really doing.

After a few seconds Merlin said softly, " So I might have found out who you like Arthur. It's so obvious."

They reached the shop and Merlin and Arthur walked into the shop and waved the owner as Arthur pulled them over to their table and ordered their orders. "So who do you think it is?"

Merlin opened his mouth but then saw the door in the shop open and in come Freya, but she looked so different. She had her hair in a soft tie, her shorts were snug against her legs, and her shirt was a camie top with a jacket. She looked, Merlin thought, hot. He looked to Arthur who also saw her and he smiled before he waved her over. Oh, so they had a date.

"Hey, Arthur," she said and sat down and looked at Merlin shyly, "hello Merlin."

"hi, Freya, so I guess I should leave then. You could have told me Arthur," he rolled his eyes sky ward, " I knew it….I won…."

"What you on about, Merlin?" said Arthur and pulled him down before he could leave and Merlin shook his head and Freya looked at them both as if they were a match of some sort.

"Well are you two not on a…." he looked at Freya who was looking at him and her eyes twinkled and Merlin coughed, " so Freya how are you?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow and looked at Merlin then Freya who chuckled and he looked back at Merlin the situation dawning on him, he hit Merlin on the head. " Sorry Freya but you see Merlin here betted that he could guess who I like, which is none of his business, and I guess he got the wrong ideal about me and you…not that I wouldn't date you, but…you know…."

Merlin thought it funny that he wasn't the only one embarrassed. Freya looked up to get their orders from the serving boy who brought them over and passed them out, she smiled and took a bite before she spoke, " 'It is okay Arthur, but you're not my type to tell you the truth," Arthur smiled and shook his head," and I can see why Merlin would think something with how close we are being friends and all. "

She looked up at Merlin and winked at him before she stood up, " no I'm here to meet my cousin, Will so I will see you guys later."

Merlin watched her leave and looked at Arthur who was blinking at him and Freya as she left.

He shook his head and said at Merlin, " Well that was embarrassing, Merlin, good God put her on the spot like that. Oh, and two more guess left just give up all ready."

Merlin glared at him and told him he would be back in a second and left to where he saw Freya had gone. She was outside on the stone steps he walked over to her. "Freya," she looked up at him and he sat down with her.

"Look I sorry for back there, it was rude of me and I probably embarrassed you and Arthur… you see we have this bet and well I just thought…."

"It's fine and really it's kinda funny because I know who Arthur might like, yes it's plain to see now than before." She looked up at Merlin, " don't worry Merlin your secret is safe with me but I hope you guess the right person soon because you would be surprise what ending might be. "

Merlin look up at her, " I don't have a secret Freya ."

She stood up and waved to a young man across the streets, she looked back at Merlin, " Don't be afraid, Merlin. Just go for it…..be happy."

Merlin went back inside and sat down across from Arthur who was drinking his shake and he thought how it could be obvious to everyone when he himself didn't know who had caught Arthur's heart. Arthur flicked the straw wrapper at him and Merlin smiled as his heart thumped with what he knew could never be because Merlin was just too scared….yes to scared and too jealous of what Arthur might have with someone else and never feel for him.

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