DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of Merlin, or indeed, Cruel Intentions

WARNINGS: Explicit sex from the outset, SLASH, language, and douchebags everywhere

SUMMARY: Arthur and Morgana rule the school of St David's, taking what they want through seduction & manipulation. But things don't go quite to plan when a bet sets Merlin Emrys into Arthur's sights. Modern AU, SLASH

A/N Any mistakes are mine I haven't spotted in the reread

Chapter 3 - Keep Your Friends Close...

Arthur felt like throwing himself out a window.

He was quite literally sat in his worst nightmare.

He looked about the room, taking in the spotty and pale faces staring back at him, and couldn't have felt any more out of place if he tried.

It was his first Celibacy Club meeting, and the members had not exactly welcomed him with open arms. The bravest of the lot were staring at him in unabashed astonishment, clearly wondering if he'd wandered out of football practise and into the wrong classroom. The others looked disconcerted by his presence and kept throwing him uncertain glances when they thought he wasn't looking, as though terrified of him. Ok, so they weren't the type of people he'd ever been particularly kind to before, but he was hardly going to attack them. He was a prick, but he wasn't a criminal. He wasn't going to bite... Much.

So far, they had exchanged greetings, and now they were sat in a circle - similar to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting - sharing their temptations with the group. And the brave stories of how they had overcome them.

Arthur sat in stunned silence, unsure of whether to laugh or simply cry - wondering, faintly, how he was going to survive an hour of such torture. He was going to need a very long drink after the session. Of straight whiskey.

"Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Liam," said Merlin, startling Arthur out of his reverie, now that the story of one of the pimply kids sat a few seats away was complete. Arthur had blanked most of it out, but from what he could gather, it had been a painful tale of how Liam had overcome the temptation of his Art teacher's curves through the power of prayer.

"So," Merlin continued, looking round at the group, "Is there anybody else that would like to speak?"

There was a moment of silence, while Merlin accessed each member - until his eyes fell upon Arthur, bright and knowing. He smiled, and suddenly Arthur knew what was going to happen before it did. He recoiled slightly in his chair, his brain supplying a simple: Fuck no.

"Arthur," Merlin said, in a sickeningly pleased voice, "Would you like to share a few words?"

The group turned to stare at him, unblinkingly, as the silence in the room stretched for an uncomfortable minute - cold and unwelcoming.

Now Arthur wasn't one to be easily intimidated, but he was beginning to feel awkward under the weight of their suspicious gazes. Annoyed that he had so obviously been put on the spot, and unused to anyone challenging him, he was unable to suppress the glare he threw at Merlin as he replied stonily, "Not really."

"Please," Merlin hissed, attempting to sound pleasant through his now gritted teeth, "I insist. Why don't you tell us why you decided to join?" His tone left little room for argument.

Arthur clenched his jaw, feeling strangely cornered; but never one to back down to a challenge, he rose to his feet, drawing all the eyes in the room onto him. He could do this. So what if it hadn't been part of the plan - he could improvise. He was nothing if not convincing, and it could be the opportunity to prove to Merlin he was truly dedicated to the Celibacy Club.

Which was a lie, but Arthur did not care for details.

"Well," he began, clearing his throat and straightening his shoulders, "First I'd like to thank everyone for having me, and for welcoming me to the Celibacy Club." He was unable to dispel the faintly sarcastic tone in his voice, as they continued to eye him warily. "As you've all mentioned today, I've joined the Celibacy Club for help and support in the face of temptation. I've learned a lot so far and I can't wait to continue."

Arthur had never spewed so much shit in his life, even when he went out clubbing and convinced hapless girls that he was a self-made multi-millionaire.

"I have a question," said one of the braver girls at the front. She was pale and red-headed, not really his type, but not hideous either. "How come he's allowed to join?"

There was something accusing in her tone and Merlin's brows furrowed. Arthur opened his mouth, ready to retort, because he could see where it was heading, but Merlin beat him to it.

"What do you mean?"

Throwing Arthur a terrified glance, she said uncomfortably, "Well, he's clearly not a virgin..."

Arthur had spent years building his reputation as the school's most eligible bachelor, basking in the glory and infamy it had brought him, but he hadn't foreseen that it would come back to bite him in the ass in quite such a manner. He needed to convince Merlin he was nothing but misunderstood, and reminders of his past were decidedly not helping - not if the look of disdain on Merlin's face was anything to go by.

"How do you know?!" Arthur challenged, pretending to be affronted. Ok, he wasn't a virgin (far from it), but that was utterly besides the point. People were always very quick to assume things about him without no evidence besides the rumours he had built around himself - some of which were true, some of which were not.

As Lance would say, he only had himself to blame.

"Umm," stuttered the girl, taken aback by the offense in Arthur's voice; she had evidently not expected him to contradict her. "Everyone knows. There's been stories -"

Not wishing to go into into details, and frighten Merlin further, Arthur snapped: "Have you slept with me?"

Face flushing, and looking alarmed at the very thought, the girl stuttered, "N-no."

"Well then, unless you have a first-hand account, I don't think you're in a position to tell me who I have and have not slept with," Arthur said curtly, leaving no room for argument. The girl quelled slightly under his burning gaze, and ducked her head in defeat - the other students watched in fascination, besides Merlin, who wore nothing but a frown.

Realising he had not won anymore friends with his denials, and that most did not believe him anyway, Arthur sighed. Who knew talking to a load of nerds would be so much work?

"Look," he said levelly, his tone softer now, "I'm not going to pretend to be completely innocent, because I think you've all heard enough to know I'm not. But rumours are nothing if not exaggerated and I would like you to get to know me a bit before judging me."

The last thing Arthur wanted to do was get to know them (Merlin exempted), but he was committed now. There was no avoiding it; they had been more suspicious of him than he thought. He'd been forced to improvise.

"I want to turn over a new leaf, and I think joining this club is the first step towards doing that," he finished, privately pleased with his little speech. Merlin looked less frosty now, more thoughtful, and even raised a soft smile at Arthur's words; the others looked slightly awestruck, as though they couldn't quite believe what they were hearing.

Arthur felt as though he should probably win an Oscar he was so convincing.

"Thanks for sharing that with us, Arthur," Merlin said, taking control of the group once more. "Honesty and openness is always welcome here."

Trying hard to suppress a beam, Arthur simply nodded wisely.

Arthur was stretched out on the grass of the campus football pitch, basking in the afternoon sun and attempting to touch up his tan. He had discarded his tie, rolled up his sleeves, and unbuttoned his shirt - exposing his already bronzed skin to the rays.

Lance was sat beside him, picking at the grass and watching the other students mill past, his gaze fixed on one student in particular: of course, it had to be Gwen.

She was stood on the other side of the pitch, talking with Morgana, wearing her new school uniform proudly, now she had officially become a student.

Lance watched her for a long time, clearly admiring, and normally Arthur would tease him mercilessly - but at the moment he felt lazy and content and really couldn't be bothered. He shut his eyes, dozing slightly, until Lance asked, in a curious voice, "Don't you think Gwen is really pretty?"

Arthur blinked back to attention, shielding his eyes from the sun, and took a glance in the girls direction.

Gwen was laughing, her dark curls bouncing in the breeze, her eyes dark and kind. Yes, she was pretty. But Morgana beside her was something else entirely. She was far more striking, in his opinion - dark hair, pale skin, and bright eyes - but he was hardly going to admit that to someone so utterly besotted.

Instead, he mumbled, in a pacifying tone, "Yeah, I s'pose. She's cute."

Lance seemed to find the answer satisfactory, because he said nothing in return, to which Arthur was grateful. He really wasn't in the mood to listen to his not-friend wax lyrical about Gwen.

He stretched slightly, like a cat basking in the warmth, when something else caught his eye.

Making his way across the field was Merlin, clutching at a handful of books (obviously on his way to the library) and squinting slightly in the sun. His hair was messy - strands sticking out in opposite directions - and he was still fully clothed, not having shed so much as his tie in the stifling heat. Arthur was feeling sweaty just looking at him.

He spotted Arthur when he was no less that 10 feet away, and looked for a moment like he wasn't sure what to do. He paused, as though contemplating turning around and going a different way, before steeling himself. He set his shoulders, obviously attempting to look casual, and swept past Arthur and Lance determinedly.

Arthur, trying desperately not to laugh, chose to take pity on him, and gave a casual greeting of, "Hey."

Merlin, looking astonished that Arthur had so much as addressed him (he had never before), stammered, "H-hey," in return and dashed off, moving twice as quickly as he had been before.

Arthur chuckled in amusement.

Ok, so he hadn't exactly slept with Merlin yet, but there was definitely progress. Merlin, at the very least, was attracted to him, he could feel it.

"What was that about?" said Lance, startling Arthur out of his reverie; he had almost forgotten he was there.

"Oh nothing," replied Arthur breezily, hoping Lance would leave it at that.

Of course, he didn't. "So... what's going on with you?" Lance asked, fixing Arthur with his most penetrating stare. Arthur jutted out his chin on instinct, refusing to quell under the scrutiny. "Percival told Leon, who told Gawain, who told me, you've joined the Celibacy Club."

Arthur jerked in his head, in a quick sign of confirmation, and said, quite simply, "Yes."

There was a pause, in which Lance stared at his friend pointedly, before he exclaimed, "Are you going to elaborate on that?"

The blond gave a half-assed shrug, mostly because he knew his offhandedness would annoy Lance further. "Not really," he replied, uncaring, flashing a brief, cheeky - and somewhat mocking - smile.

Lance shook his head in frustration, dark hair glinting with the movement. Although he did not know the specifics of Arthur's plan, he seemed to realise there was one. "Jesus, Arthur," he snapped, sounding irritated. "Please just stop with the games." He flapped his arms around a bit, apparently unable to voice his frustration. "These are people's lives, you know!"

Arthur rolled his eyes, because honestly, did he look like an idiot? He had heard it all before. "Oh, blah, blah, blah," he replied, waving a casual and dismissive hand and shutting his eyes again. "Get a life will you, Lance?"

Lance sighed, and turned to look back over the pitch, where Gwen was still conversing with an increasingly bored Morgana. "I really hope you know what you're doing," he said quietly. So quietly Arthur had to strain to hear him. "Messing with these people, it's going to come back to bite you, Arthur, just wait and see."

"So," Morgana said, in her most silky tone, as she glided up behind him that evening, "The whole school is alight with the buzz of your new celibacy."

Arthur glanced up from where he was attempting to make spaghetti in the 'family' kitchen, squinting at the instructions in one of the housekeepers cookbooks, and said, "I'm not surprised. I bet the whole school is in mourning, thinking I'm off the market."

Morgana rolled her eyes pointedly, and swept curls of dark hair off her shoulder. She was wearing a small tank-top and black leggings, which clung to her body in all the right ways; Arthur might have been more interested in admiring her, if it wasn't for the bubbling pan that was sending pasta water sloshing all over the stove. He swore.

"Yes, I'm sure," Morgana replied, in a dry tone, attempting to draw his attention back to her. She tapped a thoughtful finger against her chin. "You know there's a major flaw in your so-called brilliant plan."

That certainly got Arthur's attention. He plonked down the cookbook and ignored the warning hissings of the pan. "Which is?"

"Claiming your celibate now means you have to stay celibate," she informed him, sounding more pleased than he had ever heard her. "If Merlin finds out you're screwing half the school while claiming to be a born again virgin, he'll never speak to you again."

Arthur rolled his eyes, unimpressed, and turned back to his steaming spagetti, which was now spitting hot water over his arms. He tugged sadly at the wet sleeves of his Armani shirt. "Oh please."

"It's true," Morgana continued, in gleeful tone. "Your conquests never stay quiet for long, Arthur - mostly because you can never keep your gob shut."

Did she think he was a complete idiot? Of course he wasn't going to go around bragging about his conquests while trying to nail Merlin. He wasn't the most subtle of people, admittedly, but he was nothing if not cunning.

He turned the water down on the stove, cursing, and gave the spagetti an experimental stir. It seemed to have congealed together at the bottom of the pan.

"Well, so what," he snapped, annoyed for reasons unknown, "I'll be fucking Merlin soon, so I won't be celibate for long."

Morgana cocked her head. "Or you can fuck Gwen now," she suggested, in a coaxing voice. She lent forwards bearing the top of her cleavage, and while usually Arthur would stare in appreciation - now the gesture only annoyed him. "I bet she'd never tell."

Giving up on ever rescuing the spagetti, he picked up the pan and dumped it in the sink, he stomach rumbling in protest. It looked as though was going to have to order a take-away, as usual, and the thought made him angrier than it should.

"Still trying to get revenge on Gwen?" he snapped, in a nasty voice. "Still bitter, I see."

Morgana laughed, but it was cold and unfeeling. "Oh, fuck you!" she hissed.

"Don't worry, Morgana, you soon will be."

"How are you enjoying Celibacy Club then?" Merlin asked, upon their third meeting. He was packing up his things at the end of the latest session, and so Arthur lingered, waiting for the rest of the students to file out.

Arthur had settled in well. Although most of the club were still too intimidated to dare speak to him, most looked as though they were no longer terrified to be in his presence. Merlin had stopped attempting to put him on the spot, hoping to catch him out, and he found that most of the time he could daydream about ass and tits in silence without being disturbed.

Merlin for the first time was even attempting to talk to him, rather than the other way around; Arthur considered it great progress.

"Well," he replied, with a beam. He packed his bag and tossed his head full of hair, "It's been interesting."

"Yes, you've certainly caused a stir," Merlin admitted, his eyebrows slightly raised. He looked as though he was attempting to look disapproving, but there was a smile tugging at the corner of his lips; he glanced away.

Arthur laughed, low and chilly, and said honestly, "I often do."

Merlin muttered something along the lines of, "I can believe that," under his breath, and turned to leave,

"So," Arthur said suddenly, attempting to drag the conversation out for as long as possible, before Merlin could make a break for the door. He took in a long breath, scrambling for something to say - something that wouldn't insult him - and finally settled on, "You set up the Celibacy Club, didn't you?"

Merlin froze, blinking slightly in surprise, clearly wondering why Arthur was even interested. "Yes, a couple of years ago," he replied, shifting his back from one shoulder to another; it was a strange gesture, almost uncomfortable, a stark cry from the Merlin who had told him where to go upon their first meeting. Arthur wondered why. This Merlin seemed shy, no longer angry, no longer insulting.

Arthur wouldn't go as far as to say Merlin liked him - not yet - but there was no longer any distain in his tone. Merlin looked confused now on how to deal with him.

"Why did you set it up?" Arthur asked, and was surprised to find he was genuinely interested. He, personally, as a hot-blooded teenager, could not think of anything worse than self-imposed celibacy. "I mean, you're a cute guy." Merlin flushed, and his gaze skittered away in embarrassment; Arthur found he could not suppress a smile - pleased to find Merlin was not so immune to compliments as he had first thought. He pressed on. "You're clever and kind. I'm sure you could have had your pick of girlfriends."

"Boyfriends," Merlin muttered, in a small voice. Then louder, "Boyfriends."

Although it was something Arthur already suspected, he was pleased to have it confirmed. Even more pleased that Merlin Merlin was the one to confirm it.

"Ok, boyfriends then..."

Merlin shrugged noncommittally, but he was no longer looking Arthur in the eye. "Just because I'm a guy, why does it mean I can't wait for a person I love?"

The confession was so raw and heartfelt, for a moment Arthur was unsure on how to reply. Usually, had someone said something similar, he simply would have laughed. But from the honest and sincere look on Merlin's face, Arthur found laughter dying in his throat.

Attempting to lighten the atmosphere (as it was even making him uncomfortable), he said instead, in a playful voice, "Aww, Merlin, despite all your bite you're a big romantic at heart."

Merlin scoffed as this, face brightening, but he seemed to get some of his spark back. "I'm actually quite sweet, if you can believe it," he said, glancing up from beneath very long lashes, "You just bring out the worst in me."

Arthur threw back his head and laughed, pleased to see Merlin's gaze fall on the arc of his neck. "Oh don't worry, I have that effect on everyone."

Merlin raised his eyebrows, and said, in a suitably sarcastic tone, "I can't imagine why."

TBC...

A/N Hopefully this chapter gave a lot more insight into the characters... At least hints that there's more going on with them than just being douchebags.

Thanks for all of your reviews for the last chapters, I know it can take me a while to update but I work long hours and have limited time for writing. Updates will happen, but they won't be the quickest.

Please R&R! :)