Yay! Lovely reviews, lovely people! Much more than I'd hoped! I might not update for a while after this as I need to get back to my other story! So, this is Chapter 2 and I hope you like it!

"You thought I was gay?" Morgana laughs at Gwaine, many hours (and drinks) later.

"And then I spat my drink out everywhere, including on myself, and how to go and put my shirt on inside out!" Merlin tells her, between the laughter.

"Oh, hey, look. We're the lasts ones here." Gwaine says. He's right, the pub is completely empty besides them.

"Oh God," Merlin sniggers. "What time is it?"

"I have no idea!" Gwaine has had far too many drinks for one night.

Morgana giggles. "I think we scared everyone off."

"Well, you don't scare me," the barmaid says from behind them, they had completely forgotten she was in there with them. It seems Gwaine has taken the full force of the woman's sudden appearance and jumps about 2 feet in the air, banging his knee on the table. More laughter rings out around the room.

"Go on," the waitress says, trying to hurry them on their way. "We were supposed to close 10 minutes ago."

Morgana grabs her coat from the back of her chair and they head out of the door, her troubles with Alvarr almost forgotten. Almost. They step out into the cool, winter breeze, which refreshes her warm face. The trio walk to the end of the road, until it splits into two. It is dark, with only the dim glow of the streetlights to guide them.

"See ya later!" Gwaine calls, heading down the opposite road to them.

"Are you sure you can walk, Gwaine?" Merlin yells to his friend as he stumbles over the pavement. His friend grins at him as he steadies himself.

"Bye Gwaine!" Morgana waves at him.

"Adios! Bonjour! Whatever they say!" He says, attempting a Spanish and a French accent of some sort, at the same time. She laughs openly and turns back to Merlin as they walk. She entwines their hands again as soon as Gwaine is out of sight. Twice in one night? He can barely believe his luck.

"I like Gwaine," she says thoughtfully, after a few seconds.

"Me too."

"Hey, sweetheart!" A slurred voice comes from around the corner and Morgana visibly cringes. Alvarr staggers into view, swinging a bottle of alcohol around. Merlin grips her hand tighter.

"Do you want to go another way?" He whispers as Alvarr approaches them.

"No, it's okay. We can-"

"Morgana!" Her boyfriend sways towards. "Did I miss the party?"

"Only by a few hours," she mutters, then louder so that he can hear. "You're drunk." She can smell the drink on his breath from a metre away.

"Well, when you put it like that, darling." He looks down at their joined hands. His eyes narrow. "You made a friend."

"Look, Alvarr, he's just-"

"Just what?" He smashes the bottle on the floor in anger, shards of glass flying everywhere. Morgana flinches and Merlin drags her behind him to protect her.

"Leave her alone." He says calmly.

"Or what?" Alvarr shouts, pushing Merlin backwards in the chest. "What you gonna do, big man?"

Morgana peers over Merlin's shoulder. "Alvarr, please." She whispers.

"Please what? How long has this been going on, eh? How long have you been seeing him?"

"I only met him tonight, Alvarr! We're just friends for God's sake!" She is desperate for him to understand. He doesn't.

"A likely story!" Alvarr laughs in her face. "So what? You just happened to meet him in a pub and now you're holding hands? Just friends, you say."

"Just back off, okay? Merlin steps forward and Morgana can't decide if he's trying to be brave or completely stupid. It is all a blur after that. Alvarr's fist collides with Merlin's jaw and he is sent sprawling to the floor, his lip cut and bleeding. She screams for Gwaine and 20 seconds later he comes bounding around the corner, ready to fight.

He pulls her out of the man's reach and helps Merlin to his feet. Gwaine turns to the thuggish man, who instictively takes a step back from his presence. "I don't know who the hell you are," he growls at him. "But you'd better not come near or hurt them again."

Morgana hopes Alvarr will actually use his brain for once, and decide not to take on the two grown men in front of him, especially in this drunken state. Alvarr grits his teeth and slowly walks away and she breathes out for what seems like the first time in 2 minutes. Morgana hugs the two men, but hugs Merlin tighter, trying to make out how bad the punch was in the low light.

"I think we all need to go home," Gwaine sighs. "We ought to get that cut cleaned up."

The three sit in Merlin's kitchen, with Morgana and Merlin sitting at the table and Gwaine clattering around behind them, trying to put three cups of tea together. Morgana dabs at Merlin's bloodied lip with a wet tea-towel and apologises every time he winces.

"I'm so sorry," she sighs.

"I've already told you. It doesn't hurt that much."

"No, I meant about Alvarr in general. He just gets angry when he's drunk."

"And violent."

"Yeah."

A clanking comes from behind them.

"I found the mugs,"Gwaine grins sheepishly. They'd forgotten he was even in the room with them.

"Try and find one that isn't in a thousand pieces," Merlin advises him and Morgana giggles. Her face turns serious again.

"I really am sorry, you know. You've been punched in the face and probably made an enemy in one night."

"I made a friend, though."

She smiles. "Yeah, I guess you did."

"Aw, you two just kiss already!" Gwaine interupts them in a girly voice.

Merlin clears his throat and Morgana blushes and stands up quickly.

"Anyway," she says, "I really should be getting back. Alvarr will probably be wondering where I am."

"Won't he be angry?" Merlin frowns.

"He'll have calmed down by now," she lies.

"You've got my phone number, haven't you?"

"Yes. You gave it to me earlier."

"Okay, good. Just ring me if you need anything." He reassures her.

"Guess I'll be having two cups of tea then?" Gwaine chuckles.

"Oh. I'm sorry Gwaine. I just really need to get home."

"Nah, it's okay, I like tea. But to make up for it, you have to give me a kiss."

She stares at him. His face creases into laughter. Merlin breathes a sigh of relief.

"Oh, you!" She smacks his shoulder and pulls him in for a hug. "Thank you for helping earlier. I don't know what I'd have done without you."

"Screamed a bit louder, probably."

She smiles and then turns to hug Merlin. "I'm so sorry about your lip,"she whispers to him.

"It's okay. It's not your fault."

"But I feel like-"

He brings a finger to her lips and shushes her. She laughs before heading out to the front door.

"I'll see myself out."

"You sure?" Merlin asks.

"Yeah. I'll see you soon."

"Okay." He nods.

"And I'm sorry for-"

"Just go!" Merlin laughs.

She unlocks the door, her cold hands fumbling with the key before she can slot it in. She walks into the house and it's pitch black apart from the glare of the TV which guides her into the living room. She walks over to the sofa to find Alvarr asleep on it, the images from the TV flickering over his horrible face. A half-empty bottle of lager stands on the coffee table. Where the hell is he getting all these drinks from? He's got even less money than her, for goodness sake.

She sighs and takes the bottle and empties the remains down the sink. Morgana wishes she could do this with Alvarr too, just pour him down the sink or flush him down the toilet. Out of her life. She knows that will never happen. She can't get rid oof him that easily.

She walks back into the living room and picks up the remote, ready to switch off whatever stupid show her worthless boyfriend was watching before he fell asleep. She turns back to him to find his eyes wide open and staring right at her. She lets out a yelp of surpise and he grabs hold of her wrist, pulling her down to his level.

His voice is a dangerous whisper. "That man. I don't want you to see him again."

"You can't tell me what to do Alvarr." She tells him, trying to wrench herself out of his grip.

He gives her wrist a sharp twist and she lets out a small cry of pain.

"I can and I will. You are not to see him again. Either of them. Do you understand?"

"Yes." She whispers.

"I can't hear you."

"YES!" She shouts at him. "Now let go."

He does as she says and she runs upstairs to their bed. Not bothering to undress, she dives under the covers, wishing she was at Merlin's house with a nice, hot cup of tea.

A little insight into Alvarr and Morgana's relationship...

Do you think he's too evil, because I'm not sure? I kind of based him on Haymitch from the hunger games (they look quite similar?) I don't know.

Um. Thank you for all the amazing reviews - not what I was expecting! If you have the time and can be bothered, please give me some feedback, good or bad, and how you think I can improve it.

Now back to writing my other fic... (This is so exhausting.)