I don't own Merlin sadly, it belongs to the BBC.
This is a birthday story for FOREVERCULLEN and is therefore dedicated to her, hope you enjoy your story and your day xx
Summary: When Arthur meets Merlin and falls hard for him he finds himself living a double life and is coping with it until Merlin decides to surprise him at an event...
This will have three chapters, a chapter a day :)
Warnings: malexmale, mpreg at the end, AU. Rated 'M' for swear words
I apologise in advance for any mistakes I may have made
Merlin was sat at home flicking through the channels on the telly, there was nothing on, his thoughts went to Arthur who was at an event tonight, he had told Merlin he didn't want to go and wanted to spend the night with him, looking over his shoulder he saw his suit and tie hung up on the outside of his wardrobe, he had gotten it out telling Arthur he will accompany him but Arthur told him he would just be bored.
Merlin stood up and started to strip, he wouldn't be bored if Arthur was there, he smiled as he started to change into his suit, imagining the look of surprise on Arthur's face when he turned up.
Just under an hour later Merlin walked into a room and found it full of people in suits and dresses, all talking, some dancing, Merlin searched for Arthur but couldn't find him, while walking and looking he bumped into a man. "Sorry." he said, looking at the man he saw it was Uther Pendragon he had bumped into, Arthur had told Merlin Uther didn't know about him liking men as the less his father knew the less grief and earache he would get, he wouldn't let on who he was, he would just say he is a friend of his. "Excuse me, can you tell me where Arthur is please?"
Uther looked Merlin up and down. "Friend of his?"
"Yes."
"He is over there with his wife and daughter."
Merlin turned to where Uther was pointing and felt his mouth go dry. Arthur was stood holding a little girl aged no more than four, dancing and a woman by their side, smiling and laughing along with Arthur as the little girl laughed. "Wife and daughter?" he choked.
"Yes, married for nearly six years," Uther said and walked away.
Merlin was lost in staring at how happy the three of them looked, he only moved away quickly when he saw Arthur start to turn, he ran from the room and and hid in the nearest office he could find which happened to be Arthur's. He leaned back against the door and furiously wiped away the tears that spilt from his eyes, how could he have been so stupid! No wonder he never went to Arthur's place, he couldn't with his wife and daughter being there.
All Merlin could see when he closed his eyes were Arthur and his wife and daughter, Arthur playing happy families, Arthur playing him along, Arthur lying to him, an anger built up in Merlin and his magic burst from him sending the room into a mess, desk had been turned, computer now broke and on the floor filing cabinets now laying on the floor, pictures on Arthur's desk scattered about, Merlin was panting, his magic still crackling around him.
Lancelot walked over to Arthur and smiled at Gwen before addressing his friend. "Arthur I just heard a loud crash come from your office, I tried to get in but the door is locked."
"Most likely one of the filing cabinets, one of them is rather old." he said and excused himself and headed to his office.
He put his key in the lock and froze when he heard a cackling noise, he had only heard that once before, when Merlin got upset, quickly turning the key he opened his office door and saw Merlin standing in the middle of his now ruined office, his clenched fists at his side, Arthur quickly closed his door and hurried over to Merlin, "Merlin stop!" he said as he lifted his hands to place on Merlin's upper arms.
Merlin blinked when he heard his name and frowned when he saw Arthur in front of him reaching out to him, he backed away before the blond could touch him.
"Merlin? What has got you upset like this for your magic to do this."
"You!"
"Me?"
"Don't play innocent, I saw you out there with your wife and daughter."
"No Merlin it's not-"
"Don't you dare tell me it is not what it looks like, your father told me, you have been married for nearly six years now. I'm leaving."
"Okay, go home and calm down and I will get away as soon as I can."
"No Arthur, I am leaving you."
"No. Merlin you can't, I can't lose you."
"Too late, you have lost me."
"Merlin please at least let me explain, it really isn't how it looks."
"Are you or are you not married?"
"Yes."
"And do you or do you not go home every night to that woman and little girl?"
"Yes but-"
"Then it is how it looks! Stay out of my life Arthur." Merlin snapped and left before Arthur could answer.
It was two weeks later and Merlin dragged himself out of his bed to a constant banging on the door. "I told you to leave me alone Arthur, I don't want to see you anymore!"
"It isn't Arthur." came a female voice.
Merlin froze, he didn't know that voice. "Give me a second!" he said and hurried over to the mirror and using his magic his hair now looked neat and tidy, the circles under his eyes had gone and the smell he had created for wallowing and not showering had gone and he answered the door only to wish he hadn't as standing there was Gwen and her daughter.
"Well I must say you look better than Arthur, but I'm guessing it took you so long to answer the door because you used your special talent to make yourself presentable."
"You know who I am?"
"Of course I know who you are, Arthur never shuts up about you, he has never been so happy as when he was with you."
"How can you not be mad at him? He cheated on you with another person, and not just anyone, a bloke."
Gwen sighed. "Can we come in please? I don't want to explain in a doorway."
Merlin sighed and nodded and let the woman and her daughter in, Gwen sat down and opened her bag and took out an Ipad and turned it on. "You never did give Arthur a chance to explain did you, and I bet since that day it has been going over and over in your head."
"That's true." Merlin whispered.
Gwen nodded. "Kayla come here sweetheart."
The little girl who seemed to be staring at Merlin in awe looked at her mummy and went and stood by her. "Games mummy?"
"Not yet sweetheart, I want you to help me, help this man here." Gwen said as she laid the Ipad flat on the table for all of them to see.
"Oo picture time!" Kayla beamed.
Gwen tapped on a folder and a picture of a laughing Arthur filled the screen. "Who is that baby girl?"
"Uncle Arthur!" she laughed and looked at Merlin. "Uncle Arthur funny."
Gwen slid her finger across the screen and a man with short dark hair and a beaming smile appeared, Merlin recognised him at the party two weeks back.
"Daddy!" Kayla squealed.
Gwen took the pictures off and put a game on and handed it to her daughter who went to sit and play.
"I don't understand, Uther said you are Arthur's wife."
"I am."
"And that Kayla is Arthur's daughter."
"As far as Uther knows she is." Gwen sighed. "Arthur is and always has been gay Merlin, he never had a relationship last, and then you came along and I have never seen him so happy. Uther had pressured Arthur into a married life, he didn't then he lost everything, his money, job and home. I have known Arthur for about ten years now. He came to me after the fight with Uther and was scared. Me I was a waitress doing two jobs trying to make ends meet. We talked long into the night and came up with a plan. We are only married on paper, we don't even share a bedroom, I sleep with Lancelot, Kayla's daddy every night, me and Lancelot liked each other but were shy when the idea came about, Lancelot helped us, as Arthur's best man."
"Lancelot lives with you and Arthur then?"
"Yes. Of course when I got pregnant with Kayla Uther was over the moon, daft fool."
"But why didn't he tell me?"
"Scared Merlin, he fell for you and fell hard, he was scared of losing you ."
"But not doing so he has."
"Has he Merlin? Arthur didn't cheat on you, never did, all he did was not tell you, he didn't lie, he just decided not to tell you and only because he didn't w-"
"Want to lose me I know."
Gwen scooted closer to Merlin and placed her hand on Merlin's. "Has he lost you?"
"Where is he?"
Gwen smiled. "Kayla darling, how do you feel about tricking Uther some more?"
Kayla giggled.
After Gwen and her daughter left after planning what they were to do Merlin stripped and went to shower, to make himself look presentable all the while thinking of Arthur, he had only just met Gwen but he could just picture her along with the help of Lancelot shoving the blond into the shower ordering him to wash and make himself look presentable.
Merlin pulled up outside a big house and looked up at it, as far as Uther was concerned Lancelot lived with them only temporarily at first but then became permanent, Uther argued against it at first but soon shut up when Arthur lied telling his father that Lancelot was gay.
Uther looked up when his son entered the room. "Well I must say you are looking better, honestly Arthur, how you have been these last few weeks anyone would think your one true love had left you, Gwen was just telling me about her brother coming to visit and will be staying for a while."
Arthur looked at Gwen. "Elyan?"
"No my other brother who couldn't make it to our wedding due to cruising around the world at the time, I have invited him to come and live with us, you are alright with that aren't you?"
"Of course." Arthur was confused, Gwen only had one brother.
Just then the doorbell rang and Gwen stood up. "That will be him, go and answer door Arthur and be nice, he is my brother."
Arthur opened the front door and felt his heart in his throat when he saw Merlin standing there, suitcase by his side and a shy smile on his face. "Merlin?"
"Is your father still here?"
"Yes."
"Then be careful what you call me when he is around."
Before Arthur could answer Merlin picked his suitcase and hurried on in, "living room here?"
Merlin walked into the living room and was pulled into a hug by Gwen. "Oh it has been so long! You are never leaving again." she laughed.
"Hold on." Uther said standing up, "He is your brother?"
Gwen smiled. "He was adopted Uther, we have known each other since we were four, at the age of ten his parents were killed, my mum and dad adopted him, he has been my brother ever since."
"Oh I see." Uther nodded as he looked at Merlin. "I saw you at the get together you were asking for Arthur."
"Yes I wanted to know who my sister had married. I was shocked as I didn't even know about my niece, didn't even know she existed."
Just then Lancelot walked in with Kayla who beamed when she saw Arthur, she was sad that her uncle Arthur had been sad, but seeing him now looking at Merlin he looked happy, now she got to trick silly Uther again and also her Uncle Arthur. She ran towards Arthur with her arms up. "Uncle Arthur!" she squealed.
Arthur looked panicked and before he could say anything Merlin laughed and picked Kayla up. "Hey baby girl, nice to meet you again."
Uther frowned and looked at Gwen. "Your husband and brother have the same name."
Gwen laughed. "They do and it might seem confusing but we will get used to it won't we." she smiled as Merlin handed Kayla over to Arthur who buried her face in the blond's neck and started to giggle.
"Well I am off, will leave you to let your brother settle in Gwen, no doubt you have a lot to catch up on." Uther said and let himself out.
Kayla still with Arthur looked at Merlin. "We tricked silly Uther Uncle Merlin."
Merlin laughed, "we sure did."
Arthur handed Kayla over to Lancelot. "Okay you go to daddy, me and Merlin are going to talk."
"Yes." Merlin smiled, accepting Arthur's hand, "both of us have a some explaining to do."
What do you think?
Chapter three up tomorrow :)
Review? x