Warning: Violence, threatening.

When Merlin caught sight of Gwaine standing in the middle of the examination room, he had to summon all his willpower to not attack, and probably kill, Gwaine right there on the spot for what he had done to Arthur and indirectly is still doing to him.

But he was starting to realize that he was at work right now, and how much he wanted to bash Gwaine's face in, he just couldn't. He had taken an oath (something he quite regretted right this moment) about helping every person that was in need for help, and injuring a person was quite the contrary to that oath. He really needed to keep reminding himself to keep his work and private life separated.

But that didn't meant that he was joyful to help this particular person. In fact, he ignored Gwaine for the most of two full minutes, instead keeping himself occupied with reading the chart that was lying on one of the nearby cabinets. His nerves and anger came to a short standstill and he could focus on work again. He just needed to keep a bit of psychological distance.

As he started to flick through the pages of the chart, he wasn't aware of how Gwaine's eyes were following his every movement. And it might be better, because his focus might be broken with that once again.

Merlin found the right page and read the cause of why Gwaine was here in the first place; hand injury due to a motorcycle accident.

With a deep breath through his nose, Merlin closed the chart and looked up. He saw Gwaine staring at him with dark eyes filled with an emotion he couldn't quite place. He didn't dwell on thinking about what kind of emotion it could be for long, he just wanted to treat Gwaine and get him out of there as soon as possible.

He took some of that psychological distance by calling Gwaine at his last name.

"Mister Lotsson, please take a seat on the table and tell me what happened?" Merlin said, motioning his hand to the examination table while he himself started to disinfect his hands. He was rubbing the alcohol into his hands with his back towards Gwaine. He had thought that Gwaine would be sitting on the table by now, but by the time he turned around, he found Gwaine just a mere feet away from him, almost crowding him against the walls.

He could only stare at Gwaine and a long moment of awkward silence followed. That was, until Gwaine opened his mouth and said something unrelated to his injury.

"Stay away from Arthur."

It was the tone that Gwaine used that was sending shivers along Merlin's spine and could barely hold himself together and not shrink away from it. Gwaine's voice was just so cold and dark, and to be frank, it matched his glowering eyes perfectly.

And then it all suddenly clicked in Merlin's mind. Merlin knew what the unknown emotion in Gwaine's eyes was; possession.

After all this time, Gwaine must be still thinking that he had any chance with Arthur, but he couldn't be any farther from the truth.

Gwaine took a step forwards and Merlin darted round the man with agile. He wouldn't let Gwaine of all people have the upper hand of him, but he also knew he was at a major disadvantage; physical wise. He had a toned body, but it was nothing compared to Gwaine's and Gwaine could crush him just like that. He needed to be careful with what he would say.

He squared his shoulders and puffed out his chest, he would show Gwaine that in no means Gwaine would be the alpha male in this situation and he would not let this man control his life, and certainly not control who he could or in this case couldn't love.

"I will not, Gwaine. I know what you did to him and I will not let you ruin his life even more."

Gwaine turned to him slow and with a small smug grin tugging on the corner of his lips. He took a few steps towards Merlin, who simultaneously took the same amount steps back. That was, until his back hit the large medicine cabinet. A small amount of fear sparked through him.

"I don't warn anymore Merlin." Gwaine put his uninjured hand on the cabinet, next to Merlin's head. " My patience is running low, so I say it one last time. Stay away from Arthur or pay the consequences."

"He doesn't want you Gwaine." Merlin not yet yelled. He was very aware of Gwaine's hand just inches away from his face, but he wouldn't let that hold him. "When are you finally going understand that?" Merlin really tried to reason with the man, but it seemed to have little influence. Clearly Gwaine was still living in some kind of fantasy world where he thought that Arthur would actually go back to him. Arthur would never do that.

Gwaine dragged his hand closer to his face at an agonizing slow pace.

"Gwaine, stop this!" Merlin tried to slip away from Gwaine, but he wasn't able to. His back was pressed against the large medicine cabinet and there was a wall right next to him. He couldn't go the other way, because Gwaine was blocking it with his body. He was well and truly trapped and he did began to feel nervous now.

Gwaine took a large step forward, pinning Merlin even more between his body and the cabinet behind Merlin. His uninjured hand gingerly reached for Merlin's neck, and Merlin tried to flinch away from the touch, but there was just too little space to move. Gwaine grabbed Merlin's chin between his fingers and forcefully turned Merlin's head towards him, forcing Merlin to look at him.

"Arthur will be mine again, and I won't let a prick like yourself come between us." Gwaine snarled. "You're driving a wedge between us. That's just something I can't let happen. This is the last chance I give to walk away from it all." Gwaine let go of Merlin's chin with a push, resulting in Merlin's head colliding with the hard cabinet behind him and he winced.

It took him a moment to clear his vision and saw that Gwaine had taken some distance from him. He could breathe a little better again.

He wasn't however planning in letting Gwaine be the one what he should do. Especially not when it was concerning Arthur. "Gwaine, do you hear what you're saying? Arthur will never, I repeat never go back to you. Not after what you did. God, are you really that delusional? If so, than let me tell you that you're in the wrong hospital." Merlin couldn't help to let a smug smile past his lips when he saw that Gwaine was actually contemplating his word.

Gwaine was staring at the floor, his eyes going from right to left like he was repeating Merlin's words over and over in his head. Merlin thought he had come through to the man, but nothing less was true. Gwaine suddenly charged at him, hands out and wrapping quickly around Merlin's throat, pressing him against the medicine cabinet once more but now also hefting him up until his toes were barely able to reach the floor. It seemed that Gwaine's injured hand suddenly became a lot less injured.

Gwaine wasn't particularly tall, compared to himself, but he had the strength and Merlin could already feel the air being knocked out of him.

Merlin's survival mode kicked in and he started to wrap his hands around Gwaine's wrist, and trying in all his might to let Gwaine loosen his grip, but it was hard to concentrate or use so much strength when it became harder to breathe with every second that passed by.

As a last resort he started to slap and punch Gwaine's arms, but it was futile and spots were already trying to invade his vision.

Gwaine smirked the whole time, he had Merlin where he wanted him. He was sure that this would send a clear message to him. He let his grip on Merlin's neck go and Merlin instantly slumped down to the floor on hands and knees, gasping for air. His breathing sounded like wheezing and his throat was burning.

Gwaine squatted down and just savoured the sight in front of him for nearly thirty seconds before bending a bit more forwards to say softly, "This was nothing compared what I will do to you when you don't stay away from Arthur."

Merlin snapped his head to the side to look angrily into the eyes of Gwaine. He was still catching his breath, but managed to say, "What would that be…" He paused to cough and to suck in a deep breath of air. "… Will you rape me too?" He knew he was mocking Gwaine, but he really didn't care right this second.

He then coughed again, his throat still burning terribly. He tried to breathe slowly, needing to have his breathing under control rather quickly.

Gwaine stood up from his squat with narrowed eyes and looked down once more to, in his eyes, the pathetic figure on the ground. He kicked Merlin hard into his stomach before walking away. "See for yourself." Gwaine said with the door in his hand and then walked off like nothing had happened.

Merlin was wheezing even more now. He had finally made some progress with regaining control when Gwaine kicked him, hard, and he was back at square one. He lied on the ground, curled up into a ball and his arms tightly wrapped around his stomach and some ribs. He definitely felt Gwaine's foot connect with one of his ribs.

~oOoOo~

Merlin had great trouble with getting his breathing under control, every time he breathed in too deep it felt like he was being kicked all over again and now he was certain that one of his ribs was caught at Gwaine's kick. Merlin tried to inhale and exhale a few more times, before having the courage to trying to sit up. He managed to lift his head, but when he tried to move his s arm a radiation of pain shot through him. He gave up after a few futile tries and placed his head down on the ground. Help would come sooner or later.

He must've dozed off, because he soon jolted awake when he heard the door open. He wasn't aware of the time and he didn't know how long he had been lying there. For a second he was afraid that it was Gwaine again, coming back to finish what he started, but he could heave a sigh of relieve when he saw that it was Gwen entering.

She wasn't even paying attention, she only looked down at the chart while saying, "Merlin, I saw your patient leaving and I came to tell you that Doctor Robinson is asking if you would like to– Oh my god, what happened?" Gwen looked up midsentence and only then she saw her colleague and friend lying on the floor, clearly in pain. She placed the chart down on the cabinet and made her way to Merlin. She knelt down at his and her hands hovered over his body.

"Stay still, I call your father." She stood up and already had the receiver in her hands, her finger faintly shaking as she pressed the digits of Balinor's phone.

"I wasn't... going to… move." Merlin gritted through his teeth, curling even tighter into himself. He remained as still as possible, making a last effort to get the last bit of short and fast breaths under control.

He did try to stop Gwen from calling his father and call another doctor instead, but it was already too late. Gwen was already talking on the phone with his father.

"Doctor Emrys. Oh my god, doctor Emrys!" Gwen yet yelled through the phone. Merlin shook his head on how worked up Gwen became from all of this, he's sure it's all looking more serious than it actually is. He could feel himself getting more calm already, give it a few more minutes and he would be as good as new. He could hear the frantic explanation Gwen was giving his father and he groaned softly. Now his father would be all worried for nothing

"It's your son, he's on the ground and in pain and… oh my god, please hurry. We're in examination room three."