A/N I know, I know this is quite remarkably late. I assure you that I have lots and lots of very good and entirely invalid excuses but I doubt you care so to, the story.
PS. But at least it's longer than the last one.
Warning for language, not much but anyway.
Merlin had never felt so horrible. There was something very inappropriate happening inside of his head, something including very loud drilling, some monkeys, and trepak lots and lots of trepak, possibly with high heels. Merlin really, really did not want know what could taste as bad as his mouth did. Not to mention that he felt like he had been run over by a hockey team with remarkably sharp skates.
All in all he felt exactly like a young man who drunk himself in the state of passing out for the first time. Not that he hadn't been drunk before, just never quite so severely.
With a loud groan Merlin heaved himself in a sitting position only now noticing that apart from shoes he was wearing the same clothes he wore last night. Slowly memories of last night started to seep through the haziness currently occupying his brains.
His memories up to the car ride was relatively clear, the memory of Freya making him blush fiercely and frankly feel quite a bit embarrassed, but he quite frankly couldn't remember much of how he had come to make it to his bed. A sudden flash of clarity made Merlin's face to burn in crimson.
He remembered climbing the stairs practically hanging from Gaius and a bit later falling into oblivion at the door of his room. How the old man had managed to get his unconscious form to the bed was completely over the comprehension of Merlin.
He really didn't want to get out of his room and face Gaius. He couldn't believe that he had gotten so drunk that his seventy-year-old uncle with a bad back had to drag him to his bed after less than a week since moving in with him. Gaius really must've started to hate Merlin already.
Suddenly he also remembered that he had muted his phone after Gaius had tried to call him and he hadn't found the nerve to answer it and thought of checking if he had gotten any important texts or calls.
Fuck. He had nearly 50 missed calls and over hundred messages from Gaius. Reluctantly Merlin started to scroll trough the messages. The first ones were relatively calm: inquiring Merlin's whereabouts and when was he planning on getting home. Then they got clearly frustrated demanding why he didn't pick up and finally panicked, pleading Merlin to answer, to give any sing of being safe and alive.
The last message was sent a bit before three o'clock in the morning and Merlin felt an other pang of guilt realizing that Gaius had waited him up, judging from the tone of his messages too worried to go to sleep. Yup, Gaius totally hated him.
Gathering what little courage he had, Merlin emerged from his room and walked to kitchen. Gaius was there sitting by the kitchen table doing some paperwork as he always did when he didn't have a patient. When he noticed Merlin he slowly stood up.
"Merlin, my boy, I wondered when you would get up. Don't look, don't smell just take it down on one." He said gently while giving Merlin a glass of some vile looking liquid.
Merlin looked at the glass for a doubting second before drowning the content. Though it tasted even worse than his mouth, if possible, it actually made him feel a bit better.
And sick at the same time. Gaius was walking slowly and with a slight limp, his hand went frequently to support his obviously painful lower back and he was looking tired and worn from worrying and looking after Merlin, and still he had bothered to make something to ease his hangover. He was a horrible person and he didn't deserve this.
With a heavy sigh Merlin dropped at the chair opposite Gaius, who was once again sitting at the table. "I'm sorry Gaius, I shouldn't have gone without telling you, or at all really. And you probably hate me now and want me to just fuck of so I think I'll just go and pack my things and..."
"Merlin calm down!" Gaius interrupted Merlin's almost hysteric mumbling. "My dear boy, I do hope that you would have talked with me or at least answered my calls, and make no mistake I am angry at you for letting me wait here worried sick for no good reason and you are grounded for time being and maybe a bit beyond, but I most certainly don't hate you. And I'm not sending you back after the first time everything doesn't go according to plan. That wouldn't make your mother think too highly of me, would it?"
At this Gaius gave a small chuckle which Merlin accompanied with a wry smile."Though I do wish you would refrain from using undignified vocabulary under my roof." Gaius added half seriously.
"I promise that I'll never do this again, never, no matter what." Merlin promised solemnly.
Gaius answered him with nothing but a small, a bit sad looking smile and started to make him breakfast.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Next Monday at school was a bit awkward, at least to Merlin, everyone else seemed to act as if nothing had happened. And maybe nothing had, after all it wasn't very uncommon for seventeen-year-old students to have parties.
But even so Merlin couldn't help to feel a bit mortified when looking at a guy he had been singing something silly with, even though he didn't know his name. Or the girl whose name he knew but couldn't remember and who had been declaring her undying love for him before throwing up all over herself.
The one Merlin dreaded most was however meeting with Freya. Merlin really liked her and he was frankly quite ashamed of what he had done to her in the parties. Not just that, Freya had been the first person Merlin had met at the school of Camelot, and Merlin had already started to think that they might one day have something serious.
But this wasn't the right order to do things, even though Merlin wasn't always eager to listen his mother this was something he agreed with her. So, a rather nervous Merlin walked towards the math class.
"Hello, Merlin! Still having a headache?" Freya greeted the subdued Merlin with a smile.
"Hi Freya. I'm fine. Did you manage these homework, frankly I didn't get much sense to them?" Merlin answered trying to change the subject most eloquently.
"Merlin, now I know for certain that something is wrong. Out with it or do I have to claw it out of you?" Freya said with an expression that was hid her smile very well.
Merlin couldn't help but answering Her smile, this was why Freya was so awesome, from the outside she looked like a shy a bit weird girl but if you just bothered to scrap away a little of the surface there was a witty and passionate woman with amazingly strange sense of humor. But still, he couldn't shake of the feeling that he had wronged her.
"No really, I'm fine. It's just that I like you and I want to have something with you, but we only met a week ago and what we did last weekend... This just isn't the right order to do this."His eyes were cast down and he talked so quietly Freya had to strain his hearing.
"Was it really so bad you wished we hadn't done it?" Freya asked, now looking hurt and angry.
Merlin looked shocked, that hadn't been what he meant not at all. Though now that he thought of what he had said he could see why Freya had misunderstood. Why, why he had to be as clumsy with words as he was with his legs.
"No! It's not that. I... I liked that," Merlin could feel his face getting flustered as he stammered, "I liked what you did...we did. And I like you, I really do. I just can't help feeling that I've taken an advantage...of you."
At this point Merlin was as red as a beetroot and they were getting some curious glances from their fellow students, luckily their teacher was late. But Freya was smiling once again.
"I admit that I was drunk, but if my memory serves me correctly there were two of us in that bed. And if someone was taking advantage it was me, I practically dragged you to that bed room." She said grinning to Merlin who looked a bit less mortified.
"And anyway, who cares did we do it in the right order, I like you and you like me and we both liked doing it. So, who is to say that this wasn't just the right order for us. Right birdie!"Now Freya was grinning in a rather suggestive manner.
Freya was so awesome! At that moment Merlin might have done something he would later regret bitterly if their maths teacher hadn't walked in to save him.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
After that, the rest of the day was a bliss. Merlin just wasn't able to stop smiling, Freya wasn't disgusted of him, she had even said that she liked him, that she wanted to have more with him.
Before lunch he had had the PE lesson. That was where he had first met Gwain and his little gang, Lancelot and Percival. He had been grouped up with them on his first day when they had been playing floor ball.
They had immediately adopted the social and easy-to-like new guy and Merlin was thanking his lucky stars, not that he he'd any, he wasn't that wired, of that that teacher had put him in their team. Of course there were other people on their team as well, but while by no means hostile they didn't show any particular interested to get to know him, so Merlin didn't pay much attention to them either.
Merlin enjoyed playing football good enough. He wasn't particularly good at it, he didn't exactly excel in any sport involving balls and teams, way too many moving things you can stumble on, run into or get hit by, but he always played with true passion and gave his all and honestly liked sports. In addition their team was great, no one was too serious of the game, yet everyone was really playing.
Only weird thing was that Merlin noticed a vaguely familiar blond head in the other team. It was Arthur, the same one whose parties Merlin had been in. He was sure if it, yet he could have sworn he hadn't been in same PE lessons last week.
It was of course possible that he just hadn't noticed him, but now Merlin seemed to be quite unable to not to see Arthur. When ever Merlin had the ball it was Arthur who came to take it away from it, and he got the ball every time, the blond boy was obviously quite good at football, or the he just didn't have two left feet. Though Merlin was pretty sure it was the former as Arthur made most of the whole game's goals. He played like a real footballer.
And he definitely looked for the part. He was very muscular, not in that body builder type of way, but more in lean athletic way. Bit like Gwain, Lance and Percy, though he had found that perfect balance being clearly stronger than the first two and yet more agile than Percy. All in all he had the look Apollon would envy.
Nothing like skinny, awkward and clumsy Merlin. Somehow his presence awoke the body issues Merlin had thought he had long since buried. Without exchanging a word Merlin decided that he would be quite well off never exchanging one with Arthur Pendragon.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
But even Arthur The Pratishly Perfect Pendragon couldn't bring Merlin's mood done on this day lovelier than any other. All thoughts of the Golden Boy were forgotten once Merlin saw Freya in school canteen.
He rushed through the food line to get the sat next to her. A bit too fast, in fact as he tripped on a wayward chair and nearly spilled all of his water on top of Freya, luckily she had fast reflexes and she dodged the mini rain that splashed on her chair and the table instead.
Once again Merlin's face burned in crimson, but Freya just laughed and started to clean the water with her napkin. Merlin quickly started to help her but they didn't manage to do much other than push the water around the chair with their soaked napkins. So they very sneakily changed the chair so Freya once again had a dry chair and some unfortunate soul would sit on the wet one, not suspecting anything amiss before feeling the tell tale coolness that glued their trousers on their backside.
Then they finally managed to start the actual eating bit. They talked a lot , thus eating slowly, deciding to meet the next day in the evening to go first to eat and then in the cinema. Their very first official dates.
The only thing not perfect was that Gwain and the lot went to another table. Though Lance's girl friend Gwen was there so maybe it wasn't unforgivable.
It was the one fracture in his paradise that his other friends didn't to go too well together with Freya. They thought her rather weird, it wasn't malicious, but they had no idea what to talk with her. It didn't help that when ever they came over Freya went completely silent, not saying much and talking so silently it was difficult to hear.
But no matter he would find a way to unite all of his friends. He had time.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Rest of the school wasn't anything special and at 4.15 p.m. Merlin opened the door of Gaius' home, and his nowadays.
"Gaius, I'm home!" He yelled from the door and made his way up stairs to dump his bag there.
"Oh, hello Merlin, nice to see you back. It's no hurry but when you have the chance could you come to help me at the office." Gaius answered in equally loud tones.
Despite his careless words the old doctor sounded strained and a bit breathless, so Merlin just threw his bag in his room and ran to his uncle's office.
The office was the most sacred of Gaius' home. It was were he received his patients, made his diagnosis and his reaches as well as most of his paper work. The room was rarely neat or polished but in a very unorganized way it had a logic and it was never exactly messy and most definitely not dirty.
And that hat was why Merlin was so shocked when he opened the door and saw the floor filled with papers, ... and various other nick knacks, all in disarray. Then he saw the obvious source of the mess and all concerns of the state of room disappeared.
There was a large top cabinet in the room and now in front of it, balanced on a tiny kitchen stool was Gaius. He was desperately trying to keep a large carbon box from falling on his head. For a reason unknown he had apparently tried to get something out of the cabin and caused an avalanche of stuff instead. It was Ito know how long Gaius had been pinned under the box, but his arms were shaking and he had started to pant, so his rescue should take place at soonest possible convenience.
After a second of mutely staring at the sight Merlin snapped himself back at the moment and rushed in the room eager to help. But then he realized that he had no idea how to start.
"Gaius, what happened? How can I help? Should I fetch some other stool and take your place or something..." Merlin trailed off, still at lost.
"Ah, Merlin! I think I ..." Gaius started turning his head to see the young man. But the slight movement was enough to tip his fragile balance and the old man's reply was cut of by him stating to fall backwards.
For a heartbeat it looked like a slow motion, Gaius' grip on the box slipping, the man himself tilting back. Then everything sprang to motion. There wasn't time for much but Merlin managed to shove his uncle in so he didn't fall on the cold, hard floor but on relatively soft couch next to him.
It was still by no means comfortable or enjoyable but at least it prevented further injuries. Well kind of.
Gaius fell with an oomph as the impact knocked the air out of his lungs. He didn't obviously land neatly in the middle of the couch but sort of side ways so his torso was half on the couch, half on the arm rest and his feet had collided with the floor.
Merlin was at his side in an instant.
"Are you alright Gaius? Any injuries? Should I call the ambulance?" Merlin rambled worriedly as he tried to get Gaius more comfortable.
Gaius, still too dazed to do much else than gasp for breath just shock his head feebly and breathed out a quiet "thank you Merlin". Merlin waved of the thanks and hoped the answer was for the last two of his questions.
After a moment to gather himself Gaius made an attempt to sit up, groaning loudly. Merlin helped his uncle in a proper sitting position relived that there was no immediate threat.
"Anything broken?" He checked nevertheless as Gaius seemed quite content not to move any further.
"No, no, I'm fine. Just got a bit of a scare. A minute to collect myself and I'll be fine." Gaius answered much more calmly though still rather breathlessly.
"What happened? Merlin asked, suddenly curious now that his worry had diminished.
"I needed a file of an old patient to compare his symptoms' to ones of my current patient's. The file needed was too high for me to reach properly and foolishly I tried to just grab it. By doing so I caused this havoc I and was forced to stay there keeping that box from crushing me." Gaius explained looking a bit sheepish but otherwise continuously better.
"Now help me up, will you. I truly need a large cup of strong tea." He added taking the hand Merlin offered and stood up stiffly, unable to stifle a few winces as he straitened his back.
"Are you sure you shouldn't go and see a doctor? It was quite a fall even with a soft landing." Merlin asked when they started to make their way towards the kitchen. He knew he was being a bit repetitive with his questions, but he was genuinely worried of his uncles well being. It couldn't be too healthy for him to bee falling around like that.
"Honestly Merlin I'm not such a feeble old man you seem to take me for. I'm doctor enough myself to know that it'll be a pain to try to get out of bed tomorrow and activities requiring reaching and climbing are off for the time being, but excluding rather colourful bruises I'm not injured." The elderly doctor answered emphasizing his point with very vigorous and not feeble tea making.
"Though I wouldn't call that landing soft" he muttered under his breath putting a cup in front of Merlin and sitting down with a hiss.
Noticing that Merlin was about to say something Gaius lifted his finger to silence him and continued, "But that was by no means your fault and I thank you for your quick thinking. You might have saved my life, my good boy"
Merlin was awfully embarrassed of the Gaius' words, he was much more used at being reprimand. To avoid answering the compliment he nearly chocked to his too hot and too strong tea.
Gaius just smiled a little and changed the subject. "How was the school today?"
Suddenly Merlin remembered the awesome day he had had, temporarily swept away by the other incidents. However he wasn't quite sure if there was much he could or even wanted to share with his uncle.
So he just gave a noncommittal shrug and said: "Normal, pretty OK. Yours?"
"You mean before I decided to take that little climb? I'm afraid it was just as plain as yours. The last one, the one I needed the file for was a bit more interesting though." Gaius said and sipped his tea with a content sigh. Then something seemed to occur to him.
"Oh, and an old friend of my called he is going to come for a visit with his son tomorrow."
Merlin's blood ran cold. Gaius would expect him to be here to greet the guests, but Merlin couldn't ditch Freya. He was already going through all pretexts to skip it when Gaius exclaimed.
"No, no. Today is Monday, isn't it. They are coming on Wednesday, the day after tomorrow."
Merlin gave a sigh of relief, he didn't particularly want to lie Gaius. Maybe it would even be nice to meet a friend of Gaius, and perhaps his son would be around his age so they wouldn't need to just listen two old man all evening.
"Who they are? Not that I'm likely to know them but it would be nice to know their names when they come." Merlin asked already more interested now it didn't threaten his own plans
"Yes of course! My friend's name is Uther and you might even know the boy, he's at your school. He is Arthur, Arthur Pendragon. He's a good boy, my godson actually."
Damn it! Of course it wouldn't be nice.
A/N For all you who don't know, trepak is a type of Russian dancing. You can find pretty good examples from YouTube if interested.