Hunith's presence was enough to dissuade them from anything more than light petting beneath the blanket, but Arthur learned a very valuable lesson about light petting, about all-too-careful touches, about the deliberate slide of fingers along the thigh or the line of his cock. They were far more intoxicating than the most passionate of kisses, and just because Merlin couldn't do anything explicit didn't mean he couldn't play Arthur like a finely tuned violin. Arthur was helpless, forced to sit quietly through the hours of torture, unable to make a single sound of protest because then Hunith would suspect them. She wasn't a stupid woman—she probably already had plenty of suspicions. But Arthur didn't want to whisk away the last cobwebs of doubt and plausible deniability with an ill-timed moan.

They settled on the couch with Arthur sitting against the arm and Merlin tucked into his side, head resting on his shoulder, a blanket pulled over them. It covered Arthur's lap and most of his stomach, which meant Merlin's long, delightful fingers never ventured higher than his waist. Arthur had his arm around Merlin's shoulders, and he couldn't do anything more except trace tight circles through Merlin's shirt, hoping the heat and weight of his touch compensated for the fact that he couldn't reach bare skin.

Merlin wasn't shy, either, apparently concluding the blanket formed an impenetrable shield, and Hunith couldn't possibly see Merlin's hand moving under there. For the first thirty minutes of Scott Pilgrim, Merlin simply cupped Arthur's cock, occasionally squeezing the shaft, but otherwise not moving. Arthur's cock hardened instantly and stayed hard, eager for whatever Merlin had planned, and no amount of reason or logic could convince the flesh that Merlin didn't have anything in mind. Every second felt like a minute, and Arthur really wanted to watch the movie since he hadn't seen it before, but he simply couldn't concentrate. He didn't know who anybody was, or what they were doing, or why they were doing it.

For being such a skinny guy, Merlin was a veritable furnace. The weather had been warm, and it was probably still in the low sixties outside. They definitely didn't need a blanket, and with Merlin's body pressed into him, he was sure at least a couple degrees above 98.8 degrees. After forty-five minutes, sweat slicked the back of his neck and dampened his collar, but he would sooner pass out from heat stroke than kick the blanket off. Merlin pushed himself even closer, his palm moving in a slow circle, grinding into Arthur's throbbing cock. His pants were at least three sizes too small. Why did he have such tight, uncomfortable jeans in his wardrobe? It felt like they should have been thrown out ages ago.

Arthur gently pinched the back of Merlin's arm when the tension was too much for him to bite back. Merlin eased off, sliding his palm over Arthur's thigh, drying his palm. He idly dragged his hand up and down Arthur's leg until the temperature dropped a bit and Arthur felt the tension fading from his muscles. As soon as he relaxed, Merlin's hand found his crotch again. His dick was only half-hard until he felt the familiar pressure right on top of his shaft. The returned erection was nearly painful, his groin pulling tight, his lower stomach clenching until that dull ache filled Arthur's head.

Somehow an hour went by like this, Merlin pushing him and then backing off until he could breathe again, before Hunith excused herself from the room. Arthur wasn't entirely sure where she was going. Something about tea? Had he said he wanted tea? Had he said anything at all? He honestly couldn't remember. His mouth was useless for anything except kissing Merlin, and he barely waited until she was out of the room before Arthur caught Merlin by the throat and forced him back on the couch, slamming their mouths together. Merlin moaned and looped his arm around Arthur's neck, holding him closer as his tongue plunged between Arthur's lips.

"What are you trying to do?" Arthur said against his mouth, the words barely audible.

"I can't be this close to you and not touch you."

"Do you need to sit on the other end of the couch?" Arthur asked, only half serious.

Merlin shook his head quickly. "No. No, I'll be good. I promise."

Arthur lifted his head to study him. "I don't believe you."

"I will be." Merlin licked his lips—just to be distracting, Arthur was sure. "And if I'm not you can…punish me."

"How?"

"You tell me. It's a punishment."

"Fine." Arthur's hand went to Merlin's hip automatically, and he rocked forward, grinding his dick against Merlin's. God what were they even doing there? Arthur's truck was just outside. They could dive into the backseat and end this torture and make each other scream. "Not that I think threatening you will do any good."

"It never does."

Arthur sat up, pulling Merlin with him. They arranged themselves around each other, Arthur trying to straighten the blanket while maintaining his innocent expression. He hooked his arm around Merlin's neck and pulled his head closer.

"I need to fuck you again," Arthur breathed in his ear. "Here. My place. I don't care."

"When she goes to bed."

"I jerked off after you left this morning."

"You had the energy?"

"Mmm. I thought about fucking you into a wall. Just pounding into you until your all flushed and covered in sweat and begging for more. Once I started thinking about that, I had to jerk off."

"Arthur…"

He heard the kitchen door clicked close, which gave him just enough time to settle back against the couch and pretend he'd never been doing anything inappropriate with Hunith's only child. Merlin sank lower on the couch and stared resolutely at the television, the color high in his cheeks.

"What did I miss?" Hunith asked.

"A fight," Arthur said. He didn't really know, but it seemed like a good enough guess, given what he had noticed of the movie up to that point. He'd hoped that turning the tables on Merlin a bit would keep him from resuming his regime of torture, but that was apparently hoping for too much. As soon as Hunith was engrossed in the film again, Merlin's hand returned to Arthur's lap. This time he rested his palm on his thigh, but his fingers were still long enough to reach Arthur's cock, stroke his sac, squeeze the tender flesh along the seam of his thigh. Every muscle between his groin and his throat tightened in response to that, making it difficult to breathe like a normal person and of course Hunith knew what they were up to. Half of Arthur was more aroused than he'd ever been in his life, and half was so mortified he wanted to run away and never show his face again.

But he wasn't mortified enough to push Merlin away. Which was the easiest and most obvious solution to his problem. It never occurred to him to make Merlin stop. He wished he could unsnap his jeans, relieve the pressure, guide Merlin's hand to his exposed cock and push down until his fingers formed a hot sheath around him.

"Well, boys, I have church in the morning," Hunith announced when the movie finished. "You can help yourself to the leftover brownies. Merlin, don't forget your curfew."

"I won't, Mom," Merlin promised, the very picture of innocence. Arthur's cock twitched almost painfully. By the time she left the room, Arthur's heart was pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears. Merlin didn't move right away, his heat sinking deeper and deeper into Arthur's flesh until he was quite convinced there was a permanent imprint of Merlin burned into his ribs.

"You didn't keep your hands to yourself," Arthur said softly, his voice as tight as the muscles in his abdomen.

"I couldn't."

"You didn't even try."

"Didn't you like it?"

Arthur swallowed, trying to wet his dry throat, and tossed the blanket to the floor. He took Merlin by his upper arm and pulled him off the couch. "Get on your knees."

Merlin allowed himself to be manhandled into position between Arthur's thighs. Arthur heard the pipes running in the ceiling above them, and then the click of a door closing, and everything was quiet except for his rapidly beating heart and Merlin's ragged breath. Arthur unzipped his fly and pulled his prick out, rubbing his thumb over the head to wipe away some of the copious pre-come gathered there. Merlin stared at him with wide eyes, but didn't move, calmly waiting for Arthur's next instruction—as obvious as it probably was.

Arthur caught Merlin's wrist and held it against his head. Merlin's eyebrows quirked curiously as Arthur took his other hand and did the same thing, wrapping his fingers around both wrists and securing them in place. He gripped the base of his cock with his free hand, angling the slick flesh towards Merlin's waiting mouth, then used his hold on Merlin's head to guide him forward. Merlin looked up at him through his lashes as Arthur forced his head lower, still questioning, but not resisting. Arthur dragged the tip over Merlin's mouth, shuddering at the silky texture of his lips. His crown was sensitive after a full ninety minutes of rubbing against his rough jeans, and the first light touch nearly made him shout. He bit down hard on his tongue, stifling the sound as much as possible as Merlin parted his lips and surrounded his head.

Arthur didn't let him stop there. Keeping a half eye on the stairs where Hunith disappeared, he pulled Merlin all the way down until his nose was buried in his pubes. He held Merlin there, letting him sooth the throbbing pain away with the tip of his tongue and the tiny moans that echoed from his throat and vibrated through Arthur's flesh. When he thought he couldn't take another second of it, he pushed Merlin's head up, revealing his wet shaft an inch at a time. Merlin moaned in protest when Arthur pulled him off his cock completely, but he had no intention of depriving either one of them. He hadn't waited all day to get Merlin alone so he could be a big tease. Besides, he probably only a few precious minutes to enjoy the situation before he exploded.

Arthur didn't move, except to guide Merlin's mouth up and down his cock. He started slow, letting Merlin's throat close around his crown and his lips seal over his base for long, maddening seconds. But his earlier fantasy was still lingering in the back of his mind, his own words coming back to haunt him. What would it be like to completely unleash himself? What would it be like to lose control? To let Merlin have everything because he knew Merlin could take it? He became caught up in that thought, infected with it, and his hand and hips responded to the fantasies unreeling through him. He fucked Merlin's mouth onto his cock in faster and faster strokes, hitting the back of Merlin's throat with his head, but not staying to let the soft muscles flex around his crown.

Merlin's face turned red, as Arthur knew it would, and now it was his turn to sweat. Beads dotted his brow and rolled over his sharp cheeks, mingling with the spit and pre-come at the corners of his mouth. If he wanted Arthur to stop, he could yank away from his grip at any time, but he didn't resist for a second. He adjusted his hold, clasping Merlin's fingers in his damp hair, sliding lower on the couch, biting his lip until the hurt distracted him from the pleasure threatening to send him spiraling out of control.

Arthur didn't dare risk speaking, but if he did, he would shower Merlin with encouragement, pleas, sighs, moans. He would tell Merlin this was so fucking good and he didn't know anything could ever be as good as Merlin, and he knew he didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve anything this good, didn't deserve pleasure this intoxicating. He didn't deserve to have somebody as beautiful as Merlin looking at him with such trust even while Arthur tried to fuck his throat raw.

"Swallow it," Arthur managed to choke out just before his balls tightened. The next time he felt Merlin's throat, his come burst from him, flooding the back of Merlin's mouth. His throat worked quickly, milking Arthur of every last drop. Arthur's hand tightened around Merlin's fingers, and he realized distantly that he must have been hurting Merlin, but he couldn't loosen his hold, and he couldn't pull away. He couldn't do anything except try to catch his breath while his cock twitched, the top rubbing against Merlin's soft palate.

"It would serve you right if I just went home."

That was enough to make Merlin rip away from his grasp. "What? Why?"

"I told you to stop groping me."

"You liked it."

"That's beside the point. Do you think it was comfortable for me to have a giant erection with your mom like twenty feet away?"

"You're too uptight. You should relax."

Arthur smirked. "I'm plenty relaxed now. Thanks to you."

"There's no way I'm letting you leave."

"What are you going to do? Tie me to the bed?"

"If I have to."

Something about Merlin's tone told Arthur he wasn't joking. Not quite. He should have scoffed at the thought, not squirmed while his stomach did a weird flip-flop, rolling over and shifting into a new position.

"Do you think you could? I mean, if you had to?"

Merlin's eyes met him, and he felt a familiar rush of lust that left him as dizzy now as it had the first time Merlin looked at him like that. "Yes. I think I could. If I had to." He pushed himself to his feet, holding his hand out. Arthur took it, let Merlin pull him off the couch, pull him upstairs, pull him through the door of his room. He let Merlin pull his pants down to his ankles and his shirt overhead.

"Why do you have a giant purple owl on your bed?"

"That's Archimedes," Merlin explained.

"Why do you have a giant purple owl on your bed called Archimedes?"

"Because he cheers me up."

"Do I have to share with the bed with him right now?"

Merlin laughed. "No."

With Archimedes perched on the nearest pile of junk—which Arthur was just not going to think about—Arthur stretched out on Merlin's bed. Merlin worked quietly, gathering scarves from various places around the room like they were the prizes in a scavenger hunt. Arthur couldn't really say why he wanted this all of a sudden, but he did. The thought of being at Merlin's mercy had his dick hard again, and his orgasm, as sharp and sweet as it had been, was already a distant memory. As enthralling as it was to fantasize about drilling his cock into Merlin's willing ass, this had its own special appeal. Being at Merlin's mercy. Wanting what Merlin wanted because he had no other choice. Happily bending his will to Merlin's. Not just bending it, but handing it over to Merlin's capable hands, confident that Merlin would never make him regret it.

Merlin only found three scarves in the end. He tied loose knots around Arthur's wrist and one ankle, securing his limbs to the bed, leaving him stretched open and vulnerable. Once he finished his job, Merlin took a step back to survey his work and undress, pulling his clothes off in with a few absentminded jerks and tugs.

"What are you going to do?" Arthur asked.

"Surprise you."

"I don't even get a hint?"

Merlin grinned and then disappeared, dropping down to the filthy floor to root around under the bed. Arthur lifted his head, trying to catch sight of what he was doing, but he could only see his smooth back, the skin colored slightly by freckles sprinkled over his shoulders. Arthur automatically shifted to touch him, jerked back by the unforgiving knot. He clenched his fingers in frustration, suddenly not liking this plan at all. Yes, he did enjoy being at Merlin's mercy. But when he'd so eagerly agreed to this experiment, he'd forgotten that it meant he couldn't touch Merlin. Which was not acceptable. He basically only had one desire and purpose in life, and that was to touch Merlin as much as possible.

"Ah ha!"

"Ah ha what?"

"I found it."

"It's something good, I hope."

Merlin's head popped up and his grin stretched from ear to ear, a bottle of lube in his hand. "It's something great." He crawled onto the bed, settling over Arthur's chest, facing his feet. His cock slid against Arthur's chest, drawing a line of pre-come over his skin. He rocked back, reaching behind him to pull his cheeks apart. Arthur licked his lips at the sight of the tight pucker.

"Fuck me, Arthur. Get me good and slick."

"Okay but don't make any noise. I do not want your mother to find us like this."

"I've locked the door."

"You still have to be quiet!"

"Shh, okay, okay. I won't make a peep. I'll be quiet as a mouse."

"I'm serious, Merlin."

Merlin looked over his shoulder, eyes half closed, lips full and shining. "So am I."

Arthur didn't exactly trust Merlin not to wake the whole neighborhood, but what was he supposed to do? He wasn't exactly in the position or the mindset to deny Merlin anything, so he lifted his head and pushed his tongue against the tight muscle, nose pressing into Merlin's flesh. He turned his head slightly, tongue wiggling over the muscle, the side of his teeth scraping across Merlin's skin. Merlin whimpered and rocked back, as eager to ride Arthur's face as Arthur had been to fuck Merlin's.

He'd been right about the noise. Merlin couldn't, or wouldn't, stifle himself. Every time Arthur moved his tongue a certain way or let his teeth catch against Merlin's skin, he would damned near shout his approval. When he called out Arthur's name, Arthur turned his head and sharply nipped at his thigh.

"Be quiet."

Merlin groaned something along the lines of doing my best, but compromised by wrapping his lips around Arthur's cock. Arthur rose to meet him as much as he could, thrusting into Merlin's mouth while working his tongue into Merlin's ass. Merlin caught him by the hip and pushed him back to the mattress, holding Arthur down while he rocked his body in earnest. Pleasure clutched at Arthur, wrapping around him in a snug cocoon. He really, really hoped Hunith hadn't heard them—or by some miracle had heard but didn't care to interrupt them because he did not want this to stop. Ever. Merlin's muscles flexed and shuddered around Arthur's tongue, and his mouth was, as usual, complete bliss.

He worked his tongue in and out of Merlin until his jaw hurt and he couldn't hold his head up another moment. Then he fucked Merlin for another handful of seconds after that before finally dropping back to the pillow. Merlin pulled off his cock with a loud pop and poured a healthy amount of lube over his shaft.

"God, I'm so ready for you to fuck me. You know that feeling?"

"I know it," Arthur managed. "I know it well."

Merlin turned himself around, holding Arthur's cock at a steady angle and carefully impaling himself. His eyes fluttered shut as he sank back, his mouth falling open in a silent o as he took every inch of Arthur's length. As soon as he was fully seated, his fingers relaxed from Arthur's cock, around his sac, and sought out his hole. Arthur didn't even have the chance to catch his breath before Merlin pushed two slick digits into his passage.

"Like that?"

"Yes," Arthur gasped.

"God…Arthur…God…"

"Shh, Merlin please. Shh."

"Can't go slow. Can't."

"Don't. Do anything, Merlin. Whatever…whatever…you want."

Despite his words, he did start slow at first. Careful, like he wanted to be sure his muscles were completely stretched, fully prepared to accommodate every centimeter. Arthur held his jaw tightly closed, swallowing down every word that threatened to break free, and he could tell by the way the tendons stood out in Merlin's neck that he was doing the same. He thrust his fingers in time with his hips, down and in, up and out, over and over. It was amazing, but not enough. Arthur wanted to be spread wide and split open, full to the point of pain.

Arthur lost track of that thought when Merlin slammed down, squeezing around him like a vise. After that, Merlin wasn't moving so slow. He bounced on Arthur's dick, getting all the way to the tip before dropping down again. Every inch of friction burned through Arthur, lit him from the inside out. He kept his eyes open as much as he could, watching in utter wonder as Merlin twisted and flexed above him, thrilling at every ripple, every graceful movement of his lithe body.

"I want to touch you," Arthur moaned with genuine anguish.

"I…I know…."

"I want to stroke you. Want to make you shoot on my chest."

"I'll come in your mouth instead."

Arthur signaled his approval of that plan with a low moan. They stopped talking after that, too lost in the fog of mutual pleasure to bother with things like words. Everything they needed to communicate went beyond words, beyond sound even. Merlin held Arthur's gaze, his face an open book, every thought, every emotion, stamped across it.

"Merlin…"

"Yes, Arthur, please."

For the second time in an hour, pure bliss coalesced in Arthur, collapsed down in his chest, then exploded into a rush of sweet heat. Arthur rolled his hips, burying himself as deeply in Merlin as he could get. Merlin's hand found his cock for the first time, and he began stroking himself as Arthur's cock jerked against his walls.

"Merlin…I need…" It was greedy to ask for more while he was still breathless with his second orgasm, but Merlin had planted the thought in his head and now all he wanted was to get his mouth wrapped around Merlin's glistening cock.

"I know what you need," Merlin said, sliding up Arthur's body. Arthur obediently parted his lips, tongue darting out eagerly. Almost as soon as Merlin pushed into the welcoming heat, he flooded Arthur's mouth with hot, salty come. He pumped between Arthur's lips twice, sliding against the tender roof, pushing the liquid down Arthur's throat until he'd swallowed all of it. Long strands stuck to Merlin's crown when he pulled away, and he wiped them off on Arthur's chin before collapsing to the thin line of mattress between Arthur and the wall.

"I can't feel my fingers," Arthur murmured.

"Oh, sorry." Merlin smiled sheepishly and reached up to tug the scarves free. Arthur wiggled his foot and worked against the restraint until it slipped over his ankle and allowed him to pull free. As soon as he could move, he wrapped himself around Merlin, rolling him over to the mattress and pinning them there with his weight.

"I've got an idea for next time."

Merlin laughed. "I bet you do."

"I'll tell you about it later." Arthur nuzzled against Merlin's cheek.

"I'll wait with bated breath."

"It's a really good idea."

"Your ideas always are."

"I don't want to leave."

"I know."

Arthur sighed. "I wasn't talking about tonight."

Merlin turned his face into Arthur's neck. "I know. Don't think about it right now."

"I'm going to think about it no matter what you say."

"Think about what happens after that."

Arthur lifted his head. "What happens after it?"

"You come and find me and we live happily ever after. You can even carry me out to your car, like the end of An Officer and a Gentleman."

"I've never seen it."

"What? What? How can you…Richard Gere!"

"I don't really see the appeal."

"Because you've never seen that movie. The point is, after your three years, we can be together and nothing can stop that."

Arthur closed his eyes. "Would you wait that long?"

"Of course. Of course I'll wait."

"I'd understand if you…it's silly to think that in three years you'd never…you know."

"I don't know," Merlin said slowly. "I guess that depends on you."

"How?"

"What you want me to do."

"I…I want you to be happy. Even if that means you're with somebody else."

"Arthur, you clotpole."

"What?"

"Idiot," Merlin said, not unkindly. "Nobody else could make me happy."

"You don't know that. You can't see into the future, Merlin. You might meet somebody, or you might realize that…that I'm…"

Merlin sighed. "I can't believe you could even think something like that after what just happened."

"It's great sex, but that doesn't mean anything…"

"What?"

Arthur growled with frustration. "That came out wrong. I'm just saying…maybe this only feels great because we don't have anything to compare it to."

"It feels great because it is great. Arthur, listen, no matter how lonely I get, I'm never going to want anybody like I want you."

"I believe you. But if you do…then you shouldn't be lonely."

"Fine, Arthur Pendragon. In the very, very unlikely event that I want somebody more than you, I'll be sure to fuck his brains out. Happy?"

Arthur pouted. "No."

"You're impossible."

Arthur huffed.

"We'll be fine," Merlin murmured, running his fingers through Arthur's hair. He sounded so sure, Arthur almost had to believe him.

In the end, Arthur agreed to work with not one, not two, but three tutors. Arthur had the chance to meet them before Uther officially hired them, Gaius assuring him that if he didn't like them for whatever reason, Gaius would find replacements. Arthur didn't like them, but he agreed to work with them anyway. Uther paid them each a pretty handsome fee to spend two hours a day with Arthur, so between the three of them, he was basically attending school again. Except, he didn't get to see Merlin at all during the day, he didn't get ten minutes between classes to relax, and he barely got a decent lunch. There were no other students to distract them from Arthur's lack of attention, and they all sat a little too close, leaning over him while they discussed their topics and the test.

He hated school. There was no way around it. He hated school whether he was in a building dedicated to education or in his own home. He hated school when he was by himself and when he was in a classroom full of other slack-jawed automatons. He especially hated every second that kept him from Merlin, who never made it to Arthur's house before eight, and then he always had to leave by twelve.

Edwin showed up promptly at nine every morning. Arthur didn't mind the scar on his face—though he did spend a lot of time rather morbidly speculating about what had caused it—but the man's eyes unnerved him. They were empty. When he looked at Arthur, he could have been looking at anybody. His smiles were small and humorless, and he tended to express his approval with flat words of encouragement like, "Yes, that's it" and "Good work." Fortunately, since he tutored math and science, they rarely had reason to speak. Arthur worked out the problems in the test booklet, diligently drudging through his mathematical-related memories, and when he was done, Edwin either gave him a slight nod of approval or told him to "try again." Fortunately, Arthur had a head for numbers, so he could middle through well enough. He had no doubt he could pass this portion of the exam.

Aulfric arrived at half-past eleven, a stack of books under his arm, a vaguely disapproving frown on his face before Arthur even opened the door. Arthur disliked him on sight, the combination of his age, his heavy countenance, and all the books too much to overcome. He talked to Arthur like he barely believed Arthur was literate, he assigned too much reading, and he started every single session with a thirty-minute essay. Arthur had been tempted to forget about the reading and reduce his daily essays to blow me, but he remembered Uther's promise to kick him out and cut him off, and he thought about how Merlin managed to look encouraging and worried with a single twitch of his lips. Aulfric was a retired professor, and Arthur shuddered to think how old was too old when it came to a comfy gig like that. But he was patient, even when Arthur was feeling surly, and sometimes he told a dry little joke that made Arthur huff a laugh.

Morgause arrived after lunch three days a week. She covered a bit of the social studies section, but she mostly covered test prep. Arthur didn't really know why he needed somebody to tell him the best way to choose a multiple-choice answer—he'd been faking his way through multiple-choice questions for years—but Gaius insisted knowing how to take the test was just as important as knowing what was on the test. Arthur never argued with her, never got surly with her, never gave her any attitude at all. He wasn't even sure why she wasted time as a GED tutor when she could probably kill a man with her bare hands. On the one hand, she was worse than the most joyless of his high school teachers, strict and no-nonsense. On the other hand, he really liked her. He couldn't say why, except maybe she always had a genuine smile when she was pleased. She was the one he could have real conversations with, if he were so inclined.

"You're a smart young man," she commented while grading one of his sample tests.

"Thanks."

"Why aren't you in school?"

"I don't want to be."

"It's more fun than studying for a massive test, isn't it?"

"Not really, no. I'll be glad when it's all behind me."

"You don't plan to go to college?"

"I don't know. I've joined the Marines. I don't know what'll happen after that."

"Yeah, Gaius mentioned you'd enlisted. Sounded like a rash decision to me."

"It wasn't," Arthur muttered.

"Gaius said your father was pretty shocked."

"Oh really? What else did Gaius say? Did he tell you every detail about my life?"

Morgause glanced up, clearly unimpressed with Arthur's outburst. Her brown eyes seemed to look right through him, shrewdly taking his measure with every glance. "He told me that he thinks you deserve much better."

"Better than this?" Arthur held his hands out, gesturing at the palace that was his home. "I've got the sort of life people fantasize about."

"No, you don't," Morgause said mildly, the three words like a pinprick to Arthur's ego. He deflated and watched her grade, finger sliding down the page while she compared his answers against the key. He was getting better at the exam, somehow retaining the knowledge for more than a few seconds.

"Do you think I should go?" Arthur asked.

Morgause shrugged. "Nobody can answer that question but you, Arthur. Everybody who enlists has their own reasons. I'm not going to tell you if yours are right or wrong."

"What if I just didn't know what else to do? Is that a good reason?"

"Why didn't you know what else to do?"

"I was going to flunk out of high school, and everybody else is going to college."

"College isn't the only option available to you, Arthur. But like I said, we all have our own reasons."

"Can I ask what your reason was?"

"My parents are both in the service. I was the proverbial army brat, and I liked it. I couldn't imagine a civilian life, so I enlisted as soon as I could."

"Were your parents proud?"

"Yes. But I think my dad wanted me to be open to other options. I was honorably discharged six months ago due to shrapnel from friendly fire." Morgause recited these facts as though they belonged to somebody else, without so much as a hint of emotion. Arthur studied her profile, looking for any sign that talking about her past caused her distress, but she was very matter of fact.

"Is that why you started tutoring?"

"The pay is good and it keeps me busy. I'll start school in the fall."

"Yeah. Everybody's starting school in the fall." Arthur sighed. "How terrible is my score?"

"So far? Not terrible."

"That's good to know."

Arthur lapsed into silence, leaving her to finish the task while his mind drifted to Merlin. At least it was Friday night and Merlin would be coming over. Somehow—Arthur couldn't even guess how and he didn't ask—Merlin had convinced Hunith to lift his curfew on Friday nights. Which meant he could stay until morning, and Arthur wouldn't have time to think about this shit anymore. Merlin had mentioned going out for Mexican that night, but Arthur didn't want to leave the house. Their time was dwindling. He'd be taking the GED test in a little over a week, and then how much longer would they have together after that? A month? Maybe six weeks if they were lucky?

"Well, Arthur, if you do this well on your actual test, you'll score in the 98th percentile."

Arthur blinked. "That's…that's really good, right?"

"It's amazing. I thought you said you weren't very good at school."

"I'm not."

"This score would suggest otherwise."

Arthur shrugged. "You and Edwin and Aulfric tell me what I need to do and I do it."

"That's all school is," Morgause points out. "The teachers tell you what to do, and then test to see if you remember it."

"It's not the same."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. None of my teachers were like you, I guess."

Arthur meant it in the nicest possible way, but Morgause instantly tensed, pulling away from him. Only a few more inches separated them than before, but Arthur felt like a twenty-foot gulf had suddenly opened between them.

"Yes, well, there's only one more lesson before you take the test. So think about any questions you might have and…"

"Arthur! Where are you?"

Arthur sprang to his feet, forgetting all about Morgause's existence as soon as he heard Merlin's voice. "In here!"

Seconds later, the study door flew open and Merlin barreled in clutching a handful of envelopes. He didn't even spare a glance at Morgause before flinging his arms around Arthur's neck and kissing him with a sort of exuberant joy Arthur hadn't seen from him since Arthur announced he dropped out of school.

"I got in!"

"Where?"

"Everywhere!" Merlin announced before kissing him again. "I came over here as soon as I got the mail. They all just showed up today. Well, not all of them. But most of them. The good ones."

"Let me see." Arthur plucked the envelopes from his fingers, shuffling through them to see the school emblems for UCLA, Berkeley, UC Davis, Brown, and Harvard. Arthur's heart swelled painfully, and of course he wasn't surprised to see the proof of Merlin's brilliance and desirability, but he was still so proud. The ache in his chest only increased when he looked up into Merlin's shining eyes. "I think we should celebrate."

"You read my mind."

"It's not hard when you only have one track."

"As I was saying about next week, Arthur," Morgause cut in.

They jumped apart, Merlin's cheeks turning pink.

"Oh, sorry. Morgause, this is Merlin. Merlin, Morgause is one of my tutors."

"What's all this?" Merlin asked, gesturing at the pages covering the table.

"I took my practice test today."

"Oh? How did you do?"

"Okay," Arthur hedged. "I'll see you on Tuesday, Morgause."

"He did better than okay," Morgause said.

"Really? How much better?" Merlin looked between the tutor and Arthur. "Come on, tell me."

Morgause briefly met Arthur's gaze before smiling. "He scored in the 98th percentile."

She said it with such pride, and Merlin looked at him with such pride that Arthur couldn't help but blush. His temples throbbed and the last time he'd felt so awkward was when he tied all those damned pink balloons—which felt like it must have happened a hundred years ago.

"Arthur, that's amazing!"

"It's…well yes." He grinned. "It is pretty amazing."

"I'll just leave you boys to your celebrations," Morgause said, gathering up her books. "Don't worry about showing me out."

Arthur wasn't. It hadn't even occurred to him, and he was pulling Merlin back to him before the door closed behind her.

"She seems nice."

"I think she thinks I like her."

"Why does she think that?"

Arthur shrugged. "I told her she wasn't bad as my teachers."

"She looks like she could beat you up."

"That's kind of why I like her."

"God, Arthur, you are such a bottom."

"What? I am not."

"You are so." Merlin nudged him towards the desk, his hands going to Arthur's pants. "I'll prove it."

"Right here?"

Merlin only grinned and pulled Arthur's fly open. Arthur opened his mouth to protest, but the words were utterly forgotten by the time Merlin fisted his cock.

They were always so careful when they were at Merlin's. They locked doors. They muffled their moans, bit back their shouts, buried their faces in each other's necks to block the sound of gasps. Arthur visited once or twice a week for dinner and a movie, and they even managed to keep the groping beneath the blanket to a minimum. Arthur never tried to stay too late and went out of his way to make sure Hunith never had any evidence of what she already knew. Merlin thought Arthur's extreme anxiety was adorable, and he played along with it, even though he was sure his mother wouldn't be scandalized if she caught them holding hands. After all, Merlin spent the occasional night at Arthur's—she didn't think they were playing video games all night.

But when they were at Arthur's, it never occurred to them to lock the fucking door. They were too accustomed to having the entire house to themselves, and though Merlin was usually aware of Luann or the gardener, he rarely saw them and they never disturbed the two boys. He didn't give security a second thought before ripping Arthur's pants off and bending him over the large, mahogany desk. They pushed the books to the floor, spilled pens everywhere, knocked the phone off the hook. Arthur pressed his face to the smooth wood and reached behind with both hands to pull his cheeks apart.

If he didn't think Arthur would kill him, he'd snap a picture with his phone so he could relive the moment any time he wanted to. It was impossible to put into words how beautiful and hot Arthur looked like that, how amazing and perfect. Merlin dropped to his knees to worship him until his cock ached. He slid his hand between Arthur's thighs, stroking his cock with each flick of his tongue over the tight muscle. He smoothed his other hand up and down Arthur's back, soothing away the tremors while he used his tongue to find more ways to make Arthur shiver.

By the time he stood, his cock was slick and Arthur was jerking his hips, rutting against the desk with desperate hunger. Merlin would never get tired of the sight of this. He'd never be bored with Arthur, never take Arthur's pleasure and perfection for granted. Merlin lined his cock up with Arthur's ass, his mouth dry, his skin feeling far too tight, his hands tingling as he gripped Arthur's hips. He keened and bucked, pushing back on Merlin's cock until he was completely filled. Merlin adjusted his grip, covering Arthur's hands and bracing himself as he drove forward in short, hard thrusts. He didn't worry about hurting Arthur because he always seemed to like it when Merlin was a bit rough.

Merlin didn't hear the door open. He'd forgotten that such things even existed. He did, however, hear the startled gasp. His eyes flew open and Morgana was right there, standing within touching distance, her hand over her mouth and her blue eyes wide. Uther stood just behind her, his face thunderous. Merlin froze, his cock immediately softening, his heart pounding so hard it threatened to break free of his chest.

"Merlin, don't stop!"

"Um…"

"Merlin, what is going on?"

"On my desk, Arthur?"

Arthur jumped up, pushing Merlin away from him so quickly that he lost his footing and fell flat on his ass. His cheeks flared with heat, and now he couldn't feel his heart beating at all. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. His cock had basically shriveled up to nothing, but Morgana was still standing right there and nobody was moving and why wasn't anybody moving? Why were they all just standing there, staring at each other? Staring at him?

"Father…"

"Get dressed," Uther growled.

Merlin desperately wanted to get dressed. He didn't know why he was so terrified. His hands weren't working. They were slick with sweat and they felt swollen. Was it possible for his fingers to swell from nerves? It didn't matter. The important thing was that they were both legal and they weren't doing anything wrong and Uther could go fuck himself anyway.

Confidence buoyed by that thought, Merlin dared to lift his eyes, intending to defy Uther's rage. Except he was physically incapable of looking at Uther, which meant he could only look at Morgana, and he had no desire to do that. Arthur tossed his clothes at his head, repeating Uther's order. Flustered and feeling ill, Merlin managed to get his shirt over his head and his legs through his pants. He snuck quick glances at Arthur, trying to at least get a handle on him, but his features had hardened into an unrecognizable mask. Merlin had never seen that before, but he still understood what it was, where it came from.

"Now get out of my house," Uther said, as soon as Merlin's clothes were in place.

"Okay."

"No." Arthur stepped between Uther and Merlin. "I don't want him to go."

"Arthur, it's fine."

Arthur didn't even seem to hear him. "Merlin's my guest and…"

"Merlin Emrys? The class president?"

"How did you…oh, right, the prom." Merlin looked over Arthur's shoulder. "Thanks for that, by the way."

Uther's face turned a deeper shade of purple. Morgana moved quickly, grabbing Merlin and pulling him away from Arthur. "Come on, Merlin. We need to catch up."

"Wait, you know each other?" Arthur asked.

"Well, yeah. He was my little protégé," Morgana said, with unmistakable pride.

"Protégé?"

"I was student body president when Merlin was a freshman," Morgana explained, clearly struggling not to roll her eyes at Arthur's obliviousness. "Remember?"

"No."

"Get out!" Uther snapped, clearly tired of being ignored.

Merlin didn't want to leave Arthur, but he would rather be anywhere else in the world. Wherever Morgana was taking him, it had to be preferable to that room. He didn't breathe easily until they stepped into the cool corridor, the door shutting behind them.

"Wow. You and Arthur?"

Merlin made a small, miserable noise. As far as he knew, Arthur never intended to tell Uther about the two of them. If Arthur was closer to his father, that would have hurt Merlin's feelings, but as it was, Merlin was glad that it was just the two of them in their own little world. Arthur was happier if Uther didn't know, and that was good enough for Merlin.

"How long has that been going on?"

"Since Valentine's Day," Merlin said, smiling a little at the memory of their first date. Uther's voice boomed from the room and Merlin's smile faded. Maybe they should try to get Arthur out of there. He could start a fire in the kitchen, and then they'd all have to evacuate. And then the whole house might burn down, which would certainly make the entire situation worse.

"Come on. Arthur will want food when he's done in there."

"He will?"

"Yes. I always made him something when he'd get in fights with Uther. It'd cheer him up."

Merlin nodded, finally understanding why Arthur lost weight after Morgana graduated and moved out. He didn't eat well by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, he had terrible eating habits that caused Merlin a great deal of distress, but he also didn't eat a lot.

"Tell me everything," Morgana invited.

"I…everything?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, Merlin, but this is the most interesting thing Arthur's ever done. You know he's never shown any interest in anybody. He watches so much porn I thought he might some sort of deviant."

"You know he watches porn?"

Morgana rolled her eyes. "I lived with him until he was fifteen. I'd have to be blind, deaf, and totally stupid not to realize it."

"He thinks nobody knows."

Morgana smiled a little. "I know. He can be so dumb."

Merlin matched her smile. "I didn't know you were going to be visiting. Arthur never mentioned it."

"It was supposed to be a surprise."

Merlin shuddered. "Oh, it was. It really was."

"For what it's worth, I don't think you have anything to be ashamed of."

"Gee, thanks."

"Arthur sure looked like he was enjoying himself."

The flush had been fading from Merlin's cheeks, but now the blood raced back to his face. "Please stop talking."

"I was just trying to compliment you."

"Yes, well, thank you. Now please stop talking."

Morgana's eyes glinted with amusement, but at least she wasn't laughing at him to his face. She started pulling all sorts of wonderful things from Arthur's fridge. Food that Merlin never suspected. She had a small bundle wrapped in white paper, LAMB written across the front, carrots, potatoes, a giant onion, purple garlic, and a small yellow container full of something mysterious. Merlin didn't pay attention to her for long. His attention went to the door and his impulse to save Arthur from Uther's wrath returned tenfold. A fire would be a bad idea, but surely they could do something? Morgana must have some idea.

"Relax, Merlin. Watching the door like a dog isn't going to get Arthur in here any faster."

"What will?"

"Nothing. It's best to just wait it out."

"Arthur doesn't deserve to get in trouble," Merlin said hotly. "I don't know what Uther is saying to him in there but he doesn't deserve any of it."

"I know," Morgana said, her voice as measured as each downward stroke of the knife as she chopped the onion. "I know, Merlin, believe me. But I also know that when those two lock horns like that, it's best to be somewhere far away. Uther won't listen to reason and Arthur won't step down. So help me with these potatoes."

Merlin didn't want to help with the potatoes, but he accepted the cutting board and knife. He worked slowly and carefully, knowing he couldn't free his mind of distraction, compensating by moving like he was under water. He didn't want to slice his finger off—though that would cause about the same amount of distraction as a fire. It wouldn't hurt anybody else, and if they moved fast enough, they'd probably be able to reattach it at the ER. It wasn't the smartest plan Merlin had ever had, but it was probably the most effective.

"Are you thinking about cutting off your own finger?" Morgana asked.

"No."

"I saw you eyeing the knife."

"I was just…thinking. I don't even like the sight of blood."

"Arthur's going to be fine. They're long overdue for this talk, anyway."

"It sounds like they're long overdue for every talk. I don't even think Uther cares about him," Merlin said harshly. "How could he be such an asshole? How could he not love his own son, especially when his son is Arthur?"

"What makes you think Uther doesn't love him?"

"A loving parent would never just abandon Arthur the way he is. A loving parent wouldn't threaten to kick him out of the house, or scare him to the point that he thinks Afghanistan is a better alternative to his own home. If Uther wasn't such a…a dick…Arthur would have never enlisted. I hope he realizes that, too. I don't want Arthur to even get a scratch while he's gone, but if something happens, I hope Uther dies with the knowledge that it was his fault."

Merlin looked up as he finished his rant to see Morgana watching him with sad eyes. "Uther's made some mistakes…"

"Some? Arthur is…Arthur has so much potential and he doesn't even know it. Imagine what he'd have accomplished with any support."

"I know how bad it must look to you now. But you don't know the whole story, Merlin. Uther has made some mistakes, as I said before, but Arthur shares some of that responsibility. Uther tried for years to give Arthur what he wanted, make him happy, but Arthur…well they're both very stubborn."

"But it's not Uther's job to give Arthur things until he's happy. Maybe it is complicated. Families usually are. But that doesn't change the fact that Arthur thinks Uther is going to kick him out any day now."

"He's not going to kick his son out to the streets." Morgana sighed. "That's part of their communication problem. Uther starts bellowing things because he's trying to bully Arthur into submission, and Arthur takes every single word seriously. Uther is beside himself right now. He doesn't want Arthur to be sent to fight."

Merlin sighed. "None of us do. But Arthur's mind is made up, so I guess he'll have to get used to the idea. Especially since Arthur thinks there aren't any other options for him."

"That's why I'm here."

"Are you going to try to broker a peace agreement? Because I don't think they'll be interested, honestly."

"No, something better than that. I'm going to give Arthur an option besides getting himself shot at and potentially killed."

Merlin perked up. "Really? But…no, he's already committed to this. I don't think he'll back out now for anybody."

"Trust me, Merlin. I think I've got an offer he won't refuse."

"What is it?"

"Finish up those potatoes and I'll tell you all about it."