Oh my God, I am SO SORRY! I was thinking I didn't want to post this chapter because I haven't finished the next one and that I would post it when I'd finished the next one, but then I didn't finish the next one and didn't finish the next one and on and on and on and so I never posted this one either! Sorry sorry! I hope you all haven't lost interest in this story! I'm still working on it I swear!

I'm also working on another project, which is part of the reason why this one isn't finished yet...yea...

December, 2002

"Guh!" Merlin gasped out as his back connected with the wall of the school. He dropped to the ground and only didn't fall on his face by catching himself on his arms at the last moment.

"Take it back!" a tall brunette boy yelled.

Merlin looked up at him with sorrowful eyes but said nothing. The senior growled and grabbed Merlin by the collar of his shirt, hoisting him up off the ground. This was something else, actually. Merlin had never had a bully this tall or muscled before. The guy was like a mountain.

"I said….Take it back," he seethed quietly. "You cursed my girlfriend and I want you to take it back!"

Merlin placed his hands on the older boy's own hands and managed, "I can't take it back because I didn't do anything…."

His back connected with the wall again when the senior threw him back. He lost his footing and slipped to the ground. "Bullshit!" the other teen yelled. "You cursed her!"

Merlin coughed a few times before shaking his head and pushing himself up off the floor. The guy before him was named Harley. He was on Camelot's wrestling team: not the school, the city. Generally he was a kind, gentle individual who only used his strength in his matches and to help people, but Merlin had pissed him off by telling his girlfriend her future and it coming true.

"I warned her," Merlin corrected softly, knowing this was not what Harley wanted to hear and knowing that he was going to get hit again for his efforts, but he had to say it. "I told her to watch out because a lot of bad things were going to happen to her. I told her about the stalker. I told her how obsessive he was. I told her he was jealous and he was going to hurt her. I'm sorry she didn't listen, but there's nothing I can do about it."

As soon as the last word left his mouth, Merlin let himself go loose so that when Harley landed the punch to his face, it didn't hurt him as bad. Merlin went flying to the left after the punch to his right cheek but didn't fall down.

"Her leg is broken!" Harley shouted angrily. "She has a black eye! Her dog is dead! And he….and that bastard…..he…." Harley shut his eyes and shook his head before glaring ever more fiercely at Merlin. "And you made it happen! Because of you, Yvonne is scarred. She's hurt and so you're gonna hurt too!"

He landed a punch to Merlin's gut, then another, and Merlin felt all the air leave his lungs. A feeling washed over him, overshadowing any he was receiving from or about Harley, and Merlin frowned just before he fell down. He hit the ground hard, his head smacking against the stone of the wall before he managed to roll over and away from it. Shit that hurt!

"Hey," a cold, dangerous voice called in a quiet tone that made Harley's blood freeze in his veins. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Harley turned and saw Arthur, with two of his lackeys from the track team, standing at the corner of the building. Arthur's eyes were made of blue fire, burning and freezing those in his sight at the same time. As big as he was, Harley was frightened by that look.

"I'm taking care of some business," he managed without stuttering. His fear was still audible though. "Get lost. This doesn't concern you."

Arthur stepped closer while his lackeys stayed back. Every step he took seemed like a mortal blow. "This does concern me. You see, you're beating up my property," he began to explain with acid in his voice. "The psychic freak is mine to do with as I wish. If he gets bullied, then it's me doing the bullying." Arthur was right up next to Harley now. He was a good six inches shorter than the wrestler, and yet Harley was the one shaking in fear. "Besides, what you're doing is wrong. You'll end up killing him this way, and where's the fun in that?" Arthur adopted the creepiest grin any of those present had ever seen. "As it stands, with the mood I'm in….I suggest you run along before I do something I might regret, you bastard," he threatened smoothly, with no hint of hesitation.

Harley took a step back from Arthur, then turned his head to look at Merlin still laying on the ground. "You're lucky today, shrimp," he said, trying to sound tough still. "You better hope I don't….find you again…" And with that, he walked away as fast as a person can without full out running.

The two guys with Arthur, two freshmen under him, cautiously walked over. "Wow. I've never seen Harley scared of anyone. You're uh…really something, Arthur," one, with short blond hair, complimented nervously.

Arthur refrained from turning his icy glare on them. They'd done nothing wrong. So he kept staring at where Harley had been and tried to calm himself down. Something touched his shoe and his head snapped down to see Merlin's hand lying on top of his left foot. His eyes widened and he looked at Merlin in disbelief. There was a tiny smile on his face, amidst the dirt from the ground and the slowly forming bruise.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" the other freshmen, with longer black hair to his shoulders, yelped suddenly, kicking Merlin's wrist to knock his hand off Arthur's shoe. "Don't touch him!"

Arthur glared, but kept his eyes on Merlin instead of the idiots standing behind him. The blonde boy glared too to match. "Yea. Just because he saved your life doesn't mean we like you or anything. You're still a nobody liar."

Merlin frowned ever so slightly at them. Matthew and Gregory. Gregory was going to give up on track in his Junior year and turn to accounting. He'd be very rich, adopt two girls and one boy from an orphanage in London, but never get married. In about four months, Matthew's long hair would tip off his father about his sexuality, but his mother would defend him and, eventually, his father would accept him and he'd go on to be a great athlete in the Olympics…right alongside Arthur.

He was pulled from his visions of the future when Arthur spat on the ground near him. He didn't get hit with it, but it was the act itself that meant anything. "Vanish. Now," Arthur ordered darkly, using his still present anger at Harley to act like the bully he was meant to be when all he wanted to do was hold Merlin close to him and never let go.

Merlin used the wall to stand himself up and then hurried away before anything else happened. Arthur didn't watch him go. He was a bit too shocked by the red mark on the wall near where Merlin had been laying. Blood?

"You know, you're a great guy, Arthur," Matthew complimented genuinely, placing a hand on Arthur's left shoulder. "You'd help even a weirdo like Emrys."

Arthur looked at the hand on his shoulder and then at Matthew's face. "Thanks," he replied offhandedly before leading them both away from the area and to the gym, where they'd been headed when they heard Harley shouting, to practice. Today was the last day before everyone left for Winter Break, so they'd have to do a bit more to make up for the time they'd lose later.

…

…

"Holy crap," Arthur hissed out when Merlin answered the door the next day.

Merlin grinned a bit uncertainly. Practically the entire right side of his face was purple, black, and green from just below his eye to his chin. He had no doubt it looked worse to Arthur than it had to him that morning looking in the mirror after his shower.

"Morning," he greeted easily.

Arthur reached out to touch Merlin's face but stopped just before his fingers could touch the skin. Instead, he caressed the air just off of Merlin's face with a pained expression. "God I….I should've shown up sooner."

Merlin reached up and gently took Arthur's hand in his own. He smiled before leading Arthur inside and shutting the door behind him. Once they were both in the safety of his house, Merlin leaned his forehead on Arthur's left shoulder. "You showed up soon enough."

"But still," Arthur let out before wrapping his arms around Merlin and holding him tight. "Your face, Merlin….any harder and he may have broken your jaw," he breathed out harshly, laying his head down in the place where Merlin's shoulder and neck met.

Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur in return. "But he didn't. I knew he wouldn't. I wouldn't have let him hit me otherwise. I'm alright, really." Arthur's grip on Merlin tightened a bit and Merlin rubbed his hands up and down Arthur's back comfortingly. "No. Don't even think about it Arthur," he commanded sternly, completely opposite of his gentle actions.

"But he hurt you-!" he half-growled into Merlin's neck.

"And you saved me," Merlin reminded him. "The way you acted then…I have to admit, it made me really happy." He smiled. "You scared the pants off Harley and Greg both," he complimented. "You got revenge for me just by showing him how angry you were that he hurt me. He won't come near me again. Trust me."

Arthur loosened his hold on Merlin just enough so he could pull back and see Merlin's face. There was a cocky sort of smile on the dark haired boy's face. He grinned too for about a second and then he went pale and frowned. "You're mom is gonna murder me," he whispered, his voice fearful.

Merlin laughed. "No she won't," he assured him. "But Will might." He laughed again at Arthur's still worried look even as he scowled. When the laughter had died down a bit, Merlin leaned forward and gave Arthur a peck on the cheek, playfully. "Now come on. We'll miss our train if we don't leave now."

Arthur gave a half-hearted smile at the idea but helped Merlin get his stuff into the black car out front. Four days in Ealdor with Merlin and his mom….and Will. Let the fun begin.

…

…

It wasn't until just before the train stopped in Ealdor that Arthur realized he'd forgotten something terribly important. Merlin was resting his head on Arthur's left shoulder and Arthur had his head on Merlin's head.

"Merlin," he started simply. "How's your head?"

"Hm?" Merlin asked almost sleepily. "Oh…it's fine."

Arthur turned his head to stare at Merlin's dark hair and ghosted his fingers across it. "You sure? There was blood on the wall when you left yesterday."

Merlin nodded against his shoulder. "Yea. I mean, yea it hurt, but it was just a scratch. It wasn't anything serious. I had my uncle take a look at it yesterday when I got home. Don't worry." There was a moment of silence and then, "Nice Maserati, by the way."

"What?"

"The car you picked me up in. It's a Maserati Coupe, right?" Merlin asked as he sat up in his seat. The train was pulling into the station now. "How'd you get your license? You're only fifteen."

Arthur grinned. "Being the police chief's son has its advantages," he revealed cryptically. "I think it's my dad giving me free reign now that I'm an adult, but also a test to see if I crash it because I'm still a child."

Merlin grinned back at him. "Right," he agreed before standing up with the rest of the people and grabbing his bag. "Come on. Mom's waiting just outside."

They exited the train with about four other people heading to Ealdor or the area nearby and, as Merlin had said, Hunith was standing on the platform waiting. Her eyes lit up when she saw Arthur, with Merlin just a bit behind him coming off the train. Merlin mentally braced himself for her reaction as she hurried over to them and then stepped from behind his boyfriend to smile a greeting at his mother. She stopped just before hugging him.

"Oh my word….," she breathed out. "Merlin-" she cut herself off, covering her mouth with her hands. "What…?" Her eyes flicked to the side, where Arthur was fiddling nervously with the handle to his suitcase, but Merlin stopped her before the idea was fully formed in her head.

"It wasn't Arthur," he said to start. Hunith's eyes flicked back to Merlin. "It was this guy, this really big guy, from school. I'd warned his girlfriend of something terrible and she didn't listen so she got hurt. Harley thought I'd cursed her and he was trying to make me take it back." He gave a reassuring smile. "Actually, Arthur saved me. It was really impressive too. He showed up and started talking in this really quiet voice and Harley just froze. The guy's a mountain and Arthur still managed to scare him off," Merlin complimented, grinning happily.

Hunith looked, for the briefest of moments, like she didn't believe Merlin's story, like she thought it was all a ruse to save Arthur from Hunith's wrath. Then it was gone and she smiled in acceptance. She spread her arms and took her son into a warm, loving hug. "Well," she spoke softly into his ear. "I'm glad he saved you, then."

When Hunith pulled away, Arthur was still half-heartedly messing with the strap on his suitcase. Merlin's mother smiled, turned to the blond, and gave him a hug that matched the one she gave to Merlin perfectly.

"You're a good kid," she whispered before pulling back. Arthur blinked at her with the expression of one who wasn't quite sure what had just happened. Hunith smiled a bit more at that and then focused back on Merlin. "Come on, let's get you two boys home…and put something on that eye," she added uncertainly.

Merlin smiled a bit nervously and then both boys followed her out of the station and to her car. Hunith had kept the same car for almost eight years now. It wasn't a Maserati, but Merlin loved it all the same.

…

…

Merlin and Arthur spent the rest of that Saturday getting situated in Merlin's room and just hanging out with Hunith. They played cards for three hours (Merlin won all the games, though he claimed it had nothing to do with his ability) and then watched A Goofy Movie together in the living room on Hunith's new T.V. The T.V. had been a combined gift from everyone at her workplace after one of them, a girl named Katherine, had come to visit and noticed the ancient thing sitting in front of her couch.

Sunday saw Arthur treating Merlin to the movies. They watched Treasure Planet in the smallest theater in the building with only about twenty other people in there with them, but Merlin nearly cried at points and they shared popcorn and buncha crunch and they both cheered at the end. All in all, it was a very fulfilling outing.

On the way out of the theater, a girl Merlin went to middle school with recognized him and ran over with stars in her eyes. "Merlin!" she greeted happily. She had straight, long, dark brown hair and sparkling green eyes.

Merlin discreetly released Arthur's hand before the girl could notice. "Emma!" he responded in kind.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and laughed. "It's been so long! How have you been?" she asked, pulling back but not releasing him.

"Good," Merlin answered with a nod. "I live in Camelot after all. It's the biggest city on the east coast. It's impossible to get bored." He grinned. "And you and Rupert?"

Arthur got the impression Merlin already knew the answer before he asked, because he didn't seem surprised at all when Emma squealed, released him, and started showing off the ring on her left ring finger. "It's not an engagement ring or anything. It's actually a promise ring," she gushed as Merlin took her hand for a closer look.

It was sterling silver with a little ruby heart tilted slightly to the left and Rubert's name engraved to the right and, just below that on another band of the ring, a little sapphire heart tilted to the right with Emma's name engraved to the left.

"Wow, that's gorgeous, Emma," Merlin gushed right along with her. "So when's the wedding?"

Emma blushed, pulling her hand back to her side. "Oh come on, Merlin!" she practically whined in her embarrassment. "I just said it wasn't an engagement ring! Besides….the future is full of surprises. Who knows if Rupert and I will even stay together until graduation, huh? We're only fifteen after all…!"

Merlin smiled. "I think you'll make it," he assured her in a slightly softer voice. "And you'll get married in Grint Park where you two first met as toddlers. Then, you'll move into a little house on Angela Street and have three kids, two girls and one boy, and you'll be happy forever until you both die of old age, still as madly and passionately in love as ever."

It sounded like something a girl would tell her friend when they were making jokes about the future. It was some silly fantasy that every little girl dreamed of having one day that many never truly got. Emma would take it that way for sure. Arthur knew every word was true because he knew Merlin's gift, and that Merlin wouldn't lie about that.

Emma's blush got darker. "You really think so?" she asked almost shyly, looking at the ring on her finger. She sighed happily, just imagining it, and then looked up with a smile. "Thanks Merlin, you always know exactly what to say."

Merlin shook his head. "No. It's nothing," he dismissed. "Is Rupert meeting you here today?" He already knew the answer was-

"Yep," Emma said with a beaming smile. "We're going to see Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."

Arthur hid his snort behind his hand, but it caught Emma's attention and she finally realized there was someone else there with them.

"Oh, hello," she greeted. "Merlin, who's this?"

Merlin smiled, placing his left hand on Arthur's right shoulder. "This is Arthur. He's a friend from Camelot." Emma held out her hand. "He's visiting for Christmas."

Arthur took her hand. "It's a pleasure," he greeted with a charming smile. Emma smiled.

"Charmed," she agreed, then frowned slightly. "Your family?"

Arthur kept his smile easy going. "We don't really celebrate Christmas together. So I'm spending it with Merlin and his mother instead."

Emma nodded sagely. "Oh, yes. Good for you. Ms. Emrys is really nice. You'll have a great time, I'm sure."

"Emma!" a boy's voice called.

They all turned to see a ginger haired boy, quite fetching for his age, as he entered the lobby. Emma beamed at Merlin before running over to hug him with a loud and happy "Rupert!"

Merlin smiled softly. "They really do make a beautiful couple, don't you think?"

Arthur grinned and his voice held a bit of laughter. "Do you find that funny at all?" he asked.

"A bit ironically funny, yes," Merlin agreed with a short laugh. "And he's a red-head too." He shook his head and looked to Arthur. "Let's get back. Mom wants to decorate the house today and she needs our help."

Arthur nodded in agreement. "Sure thing." He watched as Emma and Rupert walked by, hand in hand, towards the back theater, the largest one in the whole building.

Monday, Merlin and Arthur spent in the park, people watching. Arthur asked Merlin if he would predict the futures of the kids playing on the jungle gym, and he did. One would be a lawyer and never marry. One would be a grade school teacher with four kids who took a cruise every summer with her family and wrote children's books. Two were going to amount to janitors. Both would marry and one would have a single child. The last one was going to be a game designer starting when he turned sixteen and he'd be insanely rich by the time he was thirty. He would adopt three kids from Camelot's orphanage and raise them well with his wife, whom he would meet at a gaming convention when he was twenty.

They ate lunch there and Arthur ran around the entire large park in under five minutes, so Merlin promised to make him more chocolates for the first day of school. And Valentine's Day. Forever. Merlin laughed at Arthur's childish request and gave him a kiss for his troubles.

Tuesday dawned and it was Christmas at the Emrys house.

Merlin gave his mother a set of green stone earrings that only dangled a little: just the way she liked it and in her favorite color. Arthur gave Merlin a real leather wrist band with his name "Merlin" etched into it on one side and the date they confessed liking each other on the back, against his skin: November 19th, 2001. He bought Hunith some bath products he'd seen on a talk show that were supposed to be really rejuvenating and good for your skin's health. They were expected to make you feel at least five years younger. Hunith gave Arthur the first Harry Potter book. He'd nearly burst out laughing at that and Merlin wouldn't explain why, so Hunith was lost to the humor.

Arthur got his gift from Merlin last. It was a hand-crafted, eight inch ceramic statue of a golden dragon. The eyes and the fire from its mouth were made of red quartz, but they shone like diamonds in Arthur's opinion. He nearly fainted.

"Steady," Merlin told him with a smile in his voice, placing a hand on Arthur's shoulder to keep him upright.

"Are you alright?" Hunith asked worriedly.

Arthur didn't answer. Instead, he turned to Merlin and asked, "How much did this cost?"

Merlin frowned teasingly. "You should never ask that!" he chastised lightly. "But if you must know…I got it for fourty nine ninety eight." Arthur opened his mouth to say something but Merlin cut him off. "It's nothing, Arthur. I got it for you because I wanted to, because I love you."

Hunith took the comment in stride, thinking that the casual way Merlin said it meant that he'd said it a hundred times before. Arthur stopped breathing for a full minute. By the time he'd regained his senses, Merlin was already helping Hunith to clear away the paper scraps from the ground and talking about having an early dinner before Arthur got on the train to go home. By the time he'd regained his senses, it was too late to respond and the words died painfully in his throat.

"Merlin," he breathed out, so quietly that no one heard him. Merlin paused and threw him a smile over his shoulder anyway.

…

…

"Alright," Merlin huffed out, watching as people got on the train only a half an hour after dinner that night. He looked to Arthur. "I'll see you back in Camelot on the sixth then."

Arthur nodded but said nothing. He'd been really quiet all day and Merlin knew exactly why.

"Let your dad know Roger's family is doing great, thanks for asking," he reminded. They'd used the same lie as last year. Last year, Arthur had kept to that story perfectly. This year, his father was going to ask him about it of his own volition, so Merlin was warning him.

"Merlin," Arthur spoke up suddenly and Merlin shut his mouth. "I…Every day I…I hate myself, because I have to be mean to you. I have to hurt you." He took Merlin's hands in his own and Merlin felt him shaking a bit. "I wish I could have the confidence you have when it comes to the future. I wish I could be so open about who I am and what I want….and who I care about…" The words were simple enough, but there was a great power behind them. "But I just can't. One day though…One day I'll be brave enough to say it aloud. I'll let everyone know how much I care about you."

The final warning sounded and Arthur leant in to give Merlin a quick peck on the lips before turning and walking swiftly onto the train, not giving Merlin any time to make a sound in response. Merlin held his left hand with his right gently. "I know, Arthur. Really, I do," he said to the empty air before him and the train that was now pulling out of the station. He saw Arthur's blond hair in the window a moment before the train was gone.

…

…

January sixth rolled around slower than molasses for Arthur. He spent his days going for long runs and wishing Merlin was there. He stayed in his room a lot by himself. Uther never noticed, he was too busy with work. Morgana noticed, but she didn't know how to broach the subject. Arthur wasn't technically doing anything odd so…she didn't know what to say to him.

Then it was the morning of the new school semester. Arthur was up by six thirty and slid into the kitchen about six forty-five to find Morgana humming to herself in front of the oven. He yawned and stretched.

"What's got you in such a great mood?" he asked.

Morgana shrugged. "I'm making brownies for Merlin."

"Why?" Arthur asked with a frown.

Morgana glared at him. "You may hate him, Arthur, but it's Merlin's birthday and I'm making him brownies because we're friends."

Arthur felt like a ton of bricks just hit him square in the chest. "What?" he gasped out, unable to catch his breath. It felt like the world was spinning.

"Merlin's birthday," Morgana repeated. "Actually, it was the first, but this is the first time I'll see him since then, so it amounts to the same thing. Really Arthur, I thought you would understand the significance of a fifteenth birthday. After all, you just had one a few months ago, didn't you?" she teased with a hint of bitterness.

Arthur's vision focused back on Morgana and he nodded. "Yea. No, yea. I know. If you wanna take the guy some chocolate, go right ahead. He's a lucky guy," Arthur managed to tease in the end. It made Morgana frown though.

"It's nothing like that," she corrected sternly. "You can pick on Merlin all you like at school, I won't stop you. That's Merlin's business and if he doesn't want anything done about it, then that's fine. But you won't bully me in my own house. So stuff it and get ready for school. You're driving me today."

Arthur's mind was knocked onto a different track altogether. "What? Wait, why? You have your own car."

"It's in the shop for a complete overhaul. It turns out the guy that sold it to us sold us a piece of crap Camero, so dad's suing him for the cost of the overhaul," she explained simply just before the oven beeped completion. "Ah."

Arthur's eyes snapped to the oven. Merlin's birthday. Why didn't he say anything? He hadn't said anything last year either. Why? When they said goodbye in Ealdor, or in a text message, or anything? Why couldn't they celebrate Merlin's birthday like they did Arthur's?

"I'm not hungry," Arthur let out shortly before turning and leaving the room to finish getting ready for school. He'd suddenly lost his appetite. He was such crap at this whole 'boyfriend' thing! Dammit!

…

…

Merlin slipped over to Gwen's seat that morning as soon as he walked in the door. She glanced up at him in muted confusion, which only grew to screaming confusion when he inconspicuously set a ham and cheese sandwich on her desk by leaning on it and discreetly slipping the food from his button up overshirt's inside pocket.

"Merlin…What?" Gwen managed to get out.

Merlin looked over at his seat nonchalantly and shrugged. "Morning," he greeted normally, as if she hadn't asked a question. He then tilted his head and propped it up in his right hand, successfully hiding most of his face from the view of most of the class. In a quiet voice he said, "Do me a favor and hand this to Arthur, would you?"

"What?" Gwen asked in an equally quiet voice. "Why? Why me?"

"Because Arthur didn't eat breakfast this morning and if you don't give it to him then he'll be insufferable all day. And I need you to do it because if I give it to Morgana then she'll tease him about lying about not being hungry and then he'll be insufferable anyway because he'll be irritated, and I can't do it because he won't accept food from me. He's my personal bully, remember?" he informed her calmly, still in that quiet voice.

Gwen stared long and hard at Merlin, who stared innocently and resolutely back. After a few minutes, she gave in. Merlin knew it was because she thought this was her best shot at keeping Merlin from getting bullied today and she hated being useless in that particular area of life. "Fine," she agreed in a sigh. "I'll do it."

She bent over and grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen from her backpack. Gwen quickly jotted a message down on the paper, folded it neatly, then stood from her desk. Merlin crossed his arms on the desk as she did, successfully and flawlessly hiding the sandwich from view as he watched Gwen with fake curiosity as she retrieved a small strip of tape from the dispenser on the teacher's desk. She sat down again and he moved his arms. Gwen taped the little note to the Ziploc bag the sandwich was in and then snatched the lunch item from her desk and walked swiftly to the back of the room, where Arthur was sitting, doodling in the margins of his homework.

The moment the sandwich hit his papers, Arthur's head snapped up. Merlin pulled off the perfect surprised look at Gwen's actions, so he blended in with the rest of the class's reactions. Morgana looked like she thought Gwen had lost her mind. "Enjoy," Gwen managed to say without stuttering, acutely aware of the silence in the room and everyone's eyes on her. She then turned and walked back to her desk, plopping down and leaning forward towards Merlin as if to continue their conversation.

The class immediately began to talk. Loudly. No one approached Arthur or Gwen and Merlin. They simply started gabbing about the event.

"Thanks, Gwen," Merlin said with a smile.

Gwen frowned. "Sure. But now I'm the one with the issue. Everyone'll think I like him," she groaned softly.

Merlin shook his head. "Nah, the note you wrote will soon be passed around to the entire class and it'll die within these walls," he promised.

Gwen sighed with relief a moment before Morgana practically shoved Merlin off her desk to make room for herself. "Gwen! What was that?" she asked in a harsh whisper louder than either Gwen or Merlin had previously been talking in. Gwen giggled nervously.

"He looked hungry," she said simply, keeping Merlin out of it. "But I left him a message."

Arthur's right hand dropped to his desk with a simply 'thunk' and his left hand covered his face and the huge grin there. The paper in his hands had only eight words on it, written in curly black letters of excellent penmanship.

"You are an insufferable prat, did you know?"

He caught Merlin glancing at him over Gwen's shoulder inconspicuously and nodded minutely, showing his thanks. It was only a half an hour after he said he wasn't hungry this morning and he was starving.

…

…

"Before you say anything," Merlin began when Arthur entered an empty classroom that afternoon, "I didn't tell you because I didn't think it was important."

Arthur frowned, shutting the door securely behind him. Merlin was sitting on a desk just out of view of the door's window. "Not important? Merlin, it was your birthday, and I didn't get you anything or even wish you Happy Birthday."

Merlin shrugged. "I don't need anything."

Arthur frowned deeper as he stepped over to where Merlin was seated. He stood between Merlin's legs and placed his hands gently on Merlin's shoulders, staring into his eyes. "But I do," he said softly. "I need to feel like I'm doing my part in this relationship. It always feels like I just glide by on your hard work and devotion. I need to spoil you on your birthday like you did on mine. I need to celebrate every special event with you. I need some way to show you that I care." He cast his eyes down for a moment before looking back into Merlin's eyes. "I need you to know how much you mean to me, from me. I want to do things for you."

In moments like these, Arthur took Merlin's breath away. He was so sincere, so honest, so kind. All of a sudden, Arthur's eyes opened up all of time and space to Merlin again. He felt it expanding and he knew what was coming. He was about to see the future. Before it could happen, he closed his eyes, cutting off the link, and set his head on Arthur's chest.

"Alright," he agreed softly. "I accept." He sat up straight again and smiled, making eye contact with him now that the feeling was gone. "How about you treat me to lunch at the Classic Café this Thursday after school?"

Arthur gave a small smile. "Sure thing. Our own little birthday party, complete with presents," he said.

Merlin laughed once. "Sure. Whatever you want to do, Arthur. It's your party plans. I just get to enjoy it."

Arthur smiled sweetly and leaned in to give Merlin a soft peck on the lips. "Come on. Let's get out of here and go for a walk."

"Yea."

…

…

It was March 9th and Spring Break had officially begun for Camelot High School. Pretty much every student had spoiled themselves with lavish trips all over the country and out of it. Even Morgana had gone off to some city to the south with Guinevere in tow to soak up the sun and hunt for boys. That left Arthur and Merlin virtually alone in Camelot.

They met up at ten that morning and headed to a theme park. It was called Gedref's Labyrinth and had an actual labyrinth in the center that consisted of two miles of twisting, confusing pathways. Most people came to the park to try and beat the maze. Most people failed and had to be escorted out by security with maps. And it was just this reason that brought Merlin and Arthur to the park.

After riding three roller coasters, watching a show, and eating lunch together, Arthur dragged Merlin to the entrance of the maze. "I figure, I can't get lost for long as long as I have you with me," he joked as they accepted the pagers to call for help with and walked inside. There was practically no one there because of the lack of high school students. After all, you had to be at least fifteen to go inside.

Merlin let Arthur direct them. They took a right, two lefts, two rights, back tracked and took a left, and then another right. Just as Arthur was about to go right, Merlin placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hm?" Arthur let out, turning to face his as of yet mostly quiet boyfriend. "What? Is this the wrong way?"

Merlin was looking off to the side and looked almost as if he were listening for something. "No. That's the right way. It's just…someone's lost and they dropped their pager. They're to the left."

Arthur nodded. "Right. Let's go help." He turned and went left instead.

Merlin led him, from behind, down another left and then a right. In front of them was a dead end, and a seventeen year old boy slumped against that dead end with his hands over his head and his head between his knees. "Excuse me," Merlin called out. The boy jumped noticeably and gave them a once over before fully calming down. He looked disappointed though. "Sorry, we're not security." The boy's eyes widened at the comment. How? "But if you want to come with us, I can promise you'll be out of here within the hour."

Arthur stayed quiet through the whole thing. The boy stared at them for a minute, seemed to decide going with them was better than sitting here forever, and stood up with an amazing amount of grace. He ran a hand through his brown hair, which fell neatly into his green eyes but did not hide them from view, and sighed. "Yea. I guess. Sure. Which way?" His tone of voice was defeated and yet kind.

Arthur didn't like him. He was handsome and nice and an older man. Merlin placed a hand on Lucas's shoulder and Arthur felt the beginnings of jealousy stir within him. Merlin glanced at him curiously for a moment. "It's back a few turns," he said to the boy. "My name's Merlin, by the way, and that's Arthur. What's yours?"

The boy gave Merlin a charming smile. "Lucas. Lucas Trent. It's a pleasure to meet you, Merlin and Arthur."

Arthur nodded to him but couldn't keep the frown off his face. "Let's get out of here," he said simply, turning to walk back a left, right, and a right until they were back where they'd been when Merlin noticed Lucas and then started off down the right path. Merlin and Lucas were close behind.

…

…

As Merlin had promised, it took only forty minutes for them to navigate their way to the other side of the maze. Lucas beamed when he saw the park laid out before him. "Oh my god, I thought I'd never get out…," he breathed a moment before turning and embracing Merlin tightly. "Thank you so much."

Arthur bristled. Before he could do anything, Lucas pulled back and beamed at them both. "It was nothing," Merlin insisted, "Just a good sense of direction and being in the right place at the right time."

Lucas nodded amiably. "I gotta go now. I'll never forget how you helped me though. Bye!" he waved before hurrying off.

Merlin grinned. "He wasn't kidding you know," he said to Arthur with a laugh in his voice. "He really had to 'go'. Number 1."

Arthur slid his hands into his pockets with a shrug. "Sure," he let out. Merlin frowned and looked at him innocently.

"What's with you? Ever since we met Lucas you've been….well I'm getting dark feelings from you."

"It's nothing. I'm being stupid," Arthur assured him, trying to lighten his mood. "Don't worry about it." He gave Merlin a smile. Merlin smiled unsurely back at him.

Lucas was gone and Merlin didn't seem to care. He had Merlin all to himself again. The rest of the day was going to be great! The rest of Spring Break would be just the two of them and everything was going to go perfectly!

Except that it wasn't.

I will do my utmost to post the next chapter A LOT faster than this one took to be posted! I love you all!