Disclaimer: the BBC owns Merlin and all of its plots and characters; I just like messing with them : )

I feel like I'm neglecting this story and I promise I will try harder in the future to make updates regular. Sorry.

Arthur groaned as he dismounted the horse, he'd pushed the knights and the horses to try and make sure they would get back to Camelot sooner, back to Merlin. The prince can't remember feeling the downsides to horse-riding as much as he did right now, but he couldn't help but think it was worth it to be back with Merlin. "George." Arthur said gently summoning the young stable hand over to him, the young boy was in his mid-teens and had worked around the castle for about a year now.

"Yes sire?"

"See to it that my horse is tended to and that my armour has been cleaned, the dirt and the rain did it no good and we can't have it rusting, may you please ask Alice to have the larger bath tub filled in my chambers and double my usual evening meal sent to my room, thank you George."

Arthur spoke briskly, without even glancing at the boy before striding off towards his chambers, his boots pounding the stone with punishing force. He was angry at himself; angry at himself for loving Merlin, for being unable to interact and maintain friendships with his peers and most importantly for being unable to admit to his farther that he was gay.

Arthur was in love with the gangly, broken teen and he had missed him so much, the hunting trip had been a complete waste of time and the fact that he'd left Merlin for nothing was eating away at him. He shouldn't have left, maybe if he hadn't left they wouldn't have argued, they could be lay in bed right now, wrapped around each other, arguing about who was getting up first and what they wanted for breakfast.

He knew that his farther would want to discuss the hunting trip and spend a couple of hours lecturing him about how much of a disappointment he was to him and all of Camelot in front of the entire council, but he walked right past the council chambers and the throne room, heading straight towards his rooms. He paused before the doors, nervousness creeping up on him, what if Merlin didn't want to see him? Pushing aside his insecurities he placed his hand on the doorknob and opened the door. Stepping into the room Arthur glanced around at the familiar room and looked for the brunette that had become as much a part of the room as the furniture. Hearing a small noise behind him Arthur spun around quickly, eyes searching for the cause of the disruption. He wasn't able to look far before he was ploughed into by a large, solid object that sent the prince stumbling back a couple of paces, trying to regain his balance.

It was when the solid object wrapped around him that Arthur knew it was Merlin. The teen had tightened his limbs around the prince, his legs constricting his waste and his arms wrapped around the blonde's neck in an effort to get them as close as possible as soon as possible. The brunette buried his face into the prince's neck and sobbed tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I'm so sorry Arthur, so sorry." Merlin mumbled to the prince. "Please don't leave me again, I am so sorry." Arthur wrapped his arms around the brunette, crushing the younger boy to his chest. He walked them over to one of the dining chairs where Arthur sat with Merlin on his lap, legs and arms still tightly wrapped around him. Anger and all other negative emotions that he had been harbouring the past few days had disappeared the second the boy had touched him. The prince felt content and at ease with the brunette in his arms, as if Merlin was a missing piece that he needed to be whole.

"Oh I missed you too Merlin." He said pressing his lips firmly against the young boy's temple. He pulled slightly away from Merlin and placed his hands either side of his face, allowing his eyes to evaluate every detail of his face and commit them to memory. How tired Merlin looked was the first thing that Arthur noticed, slight bags under his eyes suggested that he hadn't been sleeping well. His hair had grown ever-so-slightly; it now fell just into his eyes and looked rough and choppy, giving him a very boyish look. His eyes were the same ice blue that Arthur could remember, rimmed slightly with red from the tears but the prince couldn't help but think the boy had never looked better. Arthur's hands moved to Merlin's waist he rejoiced silently as he felt the boy's waist. Merlin had put on some weight, not a large amount but enough that he looked slightly healthier, he still needed to gain a large amount to be considered average or of perfect weight but at the moment Arthur was just pleased with the progress.

The two sat tangled together, breathing each other in for a long time, but it was Merlin who eventually got up, startling Arthur slightly.

"Where are you going?" the blonde demanded, unease and self-doubt creeping into his mind.

"You are coming with me, don't worry." The young boy replied looking uncharacteristically devious.

"Ar-th-uuuu-r." Merlin groaned as he tugged the larger man up and pulled him over to the bed. Arthur's mind automatically wondered what it would be like if Merlin was moaning his name for a different reason.

"Y-yes?" Arthur asked, clearing his throat self consciously and scratching the back of his neck with his free hand. The other was currently secured around Merlin's and he didn't think the warlock was going to let it go anytime soon.

"I haven't been able to sleep without you." He said before tugging the prince to the foot of the bed.

Merlin bent down and put his head under the end of the sheets before burrowing his way up to the head of the bed on his hands and knees. Arthur stood static at the foot of the bed apprehensively. He knew sleeping next to Merlin now would be no different to before but for some reason it felt different.

Now that he knew that he was in love with the boy he couldn't help but feel like he was taking advantage in some way.

"I need to get changed." The blonde muttered quietly before escaping behind the changing screen and stripping himself of his clothing. His nightwear was sitting, folded neatly on top of the chain in the corner and he quickly dressed before leaning his head against the cool stone of the wall and wiled his erection away.

It took him a while. He was almost certain Merlin would have already fallen asleep when he left the safety of his corner and perhaps that was why he was so shocked at what he saw when he did leave.

Merlin was stood with his back to the prince, his very naked back. Arthur knew that he was being irrational, he'd seen plenty of the knight's backs before and even some of their fronts, but he couldn't remember ever being effected this much.

Merlin's back was a flawless expanse of creamy while skin. There were scars, but only a few and even they had faded to a pale pink colour, only serving as reminders of his past. The boy's shoulder blades stood out deliciously, as did the bumps of his spine and suddenly Arthur couldn't imagine spending his time doing anything other than tasting every part of the brunette's back.

I love you, Merlin.

The words were on the edge of his tongue and he had to bite the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood to convince his heart that blurting it out most likely wasn't the best of ideas.

Arthur sighed as Merlin pulled one of his soft linen shirts over his head and turned holding his arms up, the prince loved seeing Merlin in his clothing, perhaps it was possessiveness or maybe it was just childish amusement at seeing the boy in clothes that were too big. But what ever the case Arthur knew that he would rue the day when he took Merlin to the tailors to be fitted for his own clothes.

He walked over to the boy and gingerly began to roll up the sleeve of the first arm before beginning on the second. Merlin's wrists were another part of the boy that Arthur adored they were so slight and frail looking, representing what Merlin was and is. When he was done he placed both of his hands on the boy's face and tilted his head up before placing a kiss on his forehead.

And with Arthur's silent promise of never again, they both climbed under the sheets before falling into an uneventful sleep. Merlin's head resting under the price's chin and his hand twisted in the fabric of Arthur's shirt, with a silent connotation of its own, don't leave again.

Please review.