Chapter 16

Arthur sat in the café he was to meet Mordred at but secretly couldn't wait till later in the evening when he and his friends go to a pub trivia with Merlin, Will and Gwen. Mostly, he couldn't wait to see Merlin again, no matter the excuse.

The past weekend had been memorable. Merlin had stayed the night and half the day on Saturday until he had to return home to take care of his mother. Through the entire time, they spent most of it in bed and watched animated movies. Some of them Merlin had never seen before which please Arthur greatly. Arthur couldn't remember when he had so much fun. They made plans for an anime marathon the next Friday before Merlin left.

Being with Merlin was different than being with Mordred. Merlin was easier to talk to and fun to be around while Mordred was a bit difficult and hard to read. The differences were obvious even a blind man could see them.

"Arthur!"

Arthur looks up from his book and smiles at the sight of Mordred. The smile instantly vanished at the distressed look on the other man's face.

"Mordred, what happened?" he asked.

"I-I just came out of my Musical Composition class," said Mordred in a choked voice. "We were supposed to write a song and present it to the class. Merlin went up before me and…"

He choked back a sob. Arthur gathered the man into his arms. Mordred had a problem with singing on stage, which he hoped to get over with his Musical Composition class. So far, Arthur had yet to hear him sing.

"He stole my song!" said Mordred. "Merlin stole my song! I don't know how but he did."

Arthur pulled back and looked at the man in shock. Merlin stole songs from Mordred? That didn't sound like the man he knew. The one time he heard Merlin sing, the man had sung from his very soul that it pulled Arthur in even if the song was in bits and pieces. There was no way he could believe that Merlin stole songs.

"I-I can't believe it," he said. "Merlin would never do that."

"He did, Arthur," said Mordred. Arthur was surprised to see tears damping the man's eyes. "He stole my song from me! And not just from me. He's been stealing from other students too. Merlin can't write a song to save his life."

Arthur sat down on the bench he had occupied not long ago and let it all sink in. Merlin stole songs. Somehow, Arthur couldn't imagine it, but Mordred looked too sincere to be lying.

"I-I can't believe it," he said raking his hair with his hand.

"I'm so sorry, Arthur," said Mordred, sitting next to Arthur and put a comforting hand on Arthur's back. "I know you like him, but I had to tell you. Listen, this was the song he stole. I recorded it."

Mordred pulled out his phone and pulled out his video ap. Pressing the file he showed Arthur the almost clear video of Merlin singing in class.

"I'd love to know just what you're thinkin'

Every little river, runnin' through your mind

You give and you take

You come and you go

You leave me here wonderin' if I'll ever know

How much you care or how much you don't

Whatever you need, whatever you want

If you're gonna be somebody's heartbreak

If you're gonna be somebody's mistake

If you're gonna be somebody's first time,

Somebody's last time, baby be mine

If you're lookin' to be somebody's 'just friends',

A little laughin', little lovin', never callin' again, that's just fine

If you're gonna be somebody's heartbreak

Be mine, yeah

Oh, be mine"

Arthur still couldn't believe it. Dropping the phone he covered his face with his hands. Mordred rubbing his back comfortingly.

"I even have the lyrics," said Mordred handing him the music sheet. They were in Mordred neat handwriting instead of Merlin's messy scrawl, the top dated.

"I don't understand," he said looking at the sheets.

He missed the gleeful sneer on Mordred's face.

XXXXXX

"Merlin, we need to tell you something," said Gwaine.

Merlin looked up from the textbook he was studying and smiled at his friend. Then he noticed Percival, Leon, Lancelot and Elyan walking up with him and he became worried.

The half weekend spent with Arthur had been the best he had in a long time. As soon as he got home he went up to his room, picked up his guitar and finished the song he wanted to present at the festival. With his newly established unemployment, he had no choice but to take up Helen Moira's offer, but he would still like to use the festival to present his songs to singers, or agents to singers.

He hadn't told Arthur about his identity of Wizard and he never planned on going to. If he could get Arthur to like his as Merlin than he'd be happier than anything in the world.

"Guys, what's wrong?" he asked bookmarking his page and turning to his friend.

"We need to tell you something," said Leon hesitantly. Merlin looked at them questioningly.

"Okay," he said. "What did you want to tell me?"

"We know you're Wizard," said Lancelot. "We know that Arthur's Excalibur and you two have been emailing and chatting with each other for half a year."

Merlin's face became bright red and he looked down. He had hoped his friends never found out that he and Arthur were talking with each other for half the school year. Between him and Arthur, they would pick Arthur every time.

"We also know that you're in love with him," said Percival. "And Arthur's in love with you."

"No," said Merlin. "He's in love with Wizard. He's not real. He's in love with a figment."

"No," said Leon. "He's real. He's you."

"Is that why you guys wanted us to hang together?" asked Merlin. "You were trying to get us together?"

The four friends looked guilty and Merlin laughed.

"All of you don't know how to play matchmaker," he said. "Well, it won't do you any good. Arthur's made it clear that he wants nothing to do with me."

"Arthur's being tricked," said Elyan. Merlin looked at him in shock.

"Tricked? By who?"

"Mordred," said Percival. Merlin turned toward him confused. "Mordred has Arthur believing he's you."

"He somehow got a lot of personal information about Arthur," said Lancelot. "And about you. He's making Arthur believe he's Wizard."

"Why are you telling me? Why not tell Arthur?"

"We wanted him to get to know you by being with you," said Gwaine. "We thought we could get him to fall in love with you again."

"It's been a month," said Merlin. "A month since I met Arthur at the benefit and you kept it to yourself?! You should have told him! What kind of friends are you to keep something like that from Arthur? You should have told him."

Merlin started packing up his books and notes and stuffed them in his rucksack.

"Merlin, what are you doing?" asked Elyan.

"What you guys are too chicken shite to do and tell Arthur the truth." Merlin shouldered his rucksack and glared at the four friends. "It'll be because of you if Arthur gets hurt."

He ran across the quad toward the library. It was nearly time for his and Arthur's tutoring session so he knew Arthur would be there. He recognized Arthur as soon as he ran up to the building.

"Arthur!" he yelled running up the stairs toward the man. "I need to tell you something."

"That's funny, Merlin," said Arthur. "I want to talk to you too."

"Listen, Arthur, about what happened…"

"I want to stop studying together."

Merlin looked at him in surprise.

"Wh-What?" he said.

"I want us to stop studying together. I can't study with someone who cheats."

"Cheats?!" said Merlin in shock. "Who the hell says I cheat? I do the work. I…" It suddenly clicked. "Mordred. Did Mordred tell you?"

"Where I heard it doesn't matter. We're through."

Arthur turned to leave but Merlin grabbed his arm.

"Arthur, stop. It's about what I have to tell you. Mordred is…"

"No more lies," said Arthur jerking his arm out of Merlin's grip. "I don't know how you got Gwaine and the others to trust you, but I'm through with your excuses. I want nothing more to do with you, so leave me alone."

He shoved Merlin away so he could run back to his car. Merlin runs after him after a few seconds of recovery.

"Arthur, wait! Arthur!" he called after the man, but the blonde got into his car and drove off. Merlin watched anxiously. He had to tell Arthur the truth, even if Arthur didn't believe him in the end. Taking out his phone, he dialed. He knew that Arthur had Bluetooth in his car and could answer the phone while driving but immediately the line went to decline. He tried again but this time the phone was off.

"Fine. If you don't want to talk to me, then how about this." Switching to text message, Merlin typed a couple lines and hit send. "Let's see him ignore that."

Pocketing his phone, he walked to the bus stop and got on the bus headed toward his house, still anxious that Arthur didn't listen to him about Mordred. He didn't know when it happened but somewhere between the emails, the get-togethers and the tutor sessions, Merlin had fallen hard for Arthur. He didn't care if Arthur never felt the same, Merlin knew he had to warn him about Mordred.

He heard a woman scream before hearing the crunch of metal against metal and his vision went head over heels. He hit his head against the opposite seat and his brain went lights out.

XXXXXX

Hours later, Arthur sat in a club with the TV silently showing the news. Not Albion. It was a club Arthur and his friends had frequented before Merlin, and right then Arthur wanted to forget everything to do with the young man. Forget the way his eyes light up when he speaks of books or sings. Forget the way he looks when he's reading with his eyes slightly glazed and biting his lower lip. The way he looks when he argues or when he's sleeping. Everything had been easier before Merlin and now Arthur didn't know what to think.

"Another, and leave the bottle," he said to the bartender. The bartender filled his glass with sparkling amber and Arthur swallowed it in one gulp.

"Arthur, there you are."

Arthur turned to see Gwaine, Percival and Lancelot walk over to him. He groaned.

"Not now," he said. "I'm not sufficiently drunk yet."

"I take it you've talked to Merlin," said Percival as all three took seats around him.

"Yeah, I spoke to Merlin," he said pouring himself another shot and drank it.

"Arthur, we're sorry," said Gwaine. "We wanted to tell you sooner…"

"Then why didn't you?" asked Arthur turning to him. "You knew all along and never told me? Some friends you are."

"Funny, that's what Merlin said," said Lancelot.

"After everything that happened, after I poured my heart out to him, this is how he repays me? I bet he was after my money all along."

"He probably was," said Gwaine. "We're just glad you learned the truth."

"I never want to see that lying bastard again," said Arthur. "I don't care if you do, Gwaine, but I don't want anything to do with him anymore."

The three friends looked at each other in confusion.

"Arthur, why would I want anything to do with Mordred?" he asked.

This time it was Arthur who looked at them in confusion.

"Mordred? I was talking about Merlin. He lied to me. Used me."

"He didn't say everything, true, but he didn't lie," said Gwaine. "He…"

"Wait a minute, Arthur," said Lancelot. "Why did you think we were talking Merlin? Mordred's the one who's been lying to you."

"No, he wasn't. He's the only one who told me the truth."

"What did he tell you?" asked Percival.

"Merlin stole music from him for their music assignment," said Arthur. "He gave me proof."

Arthur pulled out his phone and showed them the vid he had sent himself from Mordred's phone. He still couldn't believe that Merlin stole and hoped he could figure out why through the vid.

Gwaine watched vid and exclaimed.

"I shot the vid three years ago," he said.

"You did?" said Arthur.

"Yeah. Merlin was freaking out for auditioning for the spring concert and I shot the vid for him as a sort of 'You did it!' trophy thing. It was on his computer."

"But, Mordred said…"

"Arthur, Mordred doesn't go to college," said Percival. "Merlin's description of him was that he worked all day and fucked all night."

"Amply given if you ask me with how many times he's propositioned me," said Lancelot.

Arthur couldn't believe the new information he just heard. Mordred was the one who was lying? But what about all the evidence against Merlin?

"But…"

"Mordred lied to you," said Gwaine. "He's been lying to you for a month. He's not Wizard. Merlin is. That was why Merlin went to see you earlier. To tell you the truth."

Arthur shook his head in disbelief.

"No," he said.

"Has Merlin tried to contact you after you blew him off?" asked Percival.

"Yeah, but I turned my phone off after he tried calling me the first time."

"Check your phone," said Lancelot.

Arthur turned his phone back on and saw that he had several missed calls from his friends but he ignored those and looked for Merlin's name among them. Not finding one after that first time, he looked through his text messages. Again there were several from his friends but he did find one from Merlin. He opened it.

Mothers are like sunshine. When they hug you, you feel all warm and safe and you know that you're loved.

"Oh God," said Arthur.

"What is it?" asked Gwaine.

"It was something Wizard said to me at the banquet," said Arthur. "I never told Merlin anything about Wizard. How did he know unless…"

"I told you," said Gwaine. "He is Wizard."

"Why didn't he say anything?"

"Uh, guys," said Lancelot, interrupting before Gwaine could answer. "You might want to see this."

He pointed up to the television and they saw what looked to be a wreck in the middle of an intersection. Police cars and ambulances were everywhere and the night flashed blue, red and white.

"Turn it up," said Gwaine.

The bartender turned the volume up, but they still had trouble hearing over the noise of the crowd. They listened to the reporter.

"I am here at Westchester and Third where a horrible accident occurred," she said. "The driver of a semi-trailer, who we now know is known for drinking while driving, barreled into public transportation bus 1717. So far, the have been two confirmed dead and another three injured, and they are still recovering bodies."

"That's Merlin's bus," said Lancelot in shock. "The one he takes home from campus."

"It is unconfirmed where the driver of the semi was drinking or not yet, but…" There was a shout behind the reporter and she turned around to find out what was going on. She turned back to the camera. "Another body has been found. Kevin, close up."

The camera zoomed closer as a pair of firefighters hauled out a body with dark hair wearing a very familiar outfit. At the sight of the red scarf, Arthur shot out of his seat.

"Merlin!" he yelled.

TBC

-Ok, I actually had this written up weeks ago, but needed to add up to it before I posted it. I hope you liked the extra chapter and I ask you to please wait patiently for the next one.