"You don't have to say you love me...
I just wanna tell you something...
lately you've been on my mind..."

Merlin finished the song and then went to sit down, this was the second take, because they always did two takes. The first was with the guitar, sitting or standing in a circle, and the second was a sort of singing to the camera or dancing situation. Well, dancing in Merlin's opinion, which was moving his arms around gayly while he sang. It seemed to be a good formula so far. Both the dancing and the videos. This was his managers idea, every week they posted a new video on YouTube of one of Merlin's song's acoustic, it was a way for his name to continue getting out there even after his album released. Merlin came into the studio to record these a few times a week, this time Gwaine had come with him, this song was a good song to have a werido, longhaired guy dancing in the background and every time Gwaine showed up in one of the videos people seemed to like it. Today he had been over-dramatically singing to the camera and Merlin made sure to tell the girls who edit the videos to keep that in. At this point Gwaine was part of Merlin's brand, which suited Merlin just fine. He was the supportive boyfriend.

After Merlin had been sat awhile and all the rest of the band had left, not being needed anymore since they weren't recording another song today, it was just him and Gwaine, they had very little alone time anymore, so it was nice just to sit with him. Gwaine was on his phone and was smiling down at the screen. Merlin wasn't the jealous time, at least not normally...he used to be, it was kind of a hard habit to break at the beginning of their relationship, but now he thought nothing of the giggling Gwaine was doing at his phone, even if he did think he was being strange, it was Gwaine after all. And this only lasted a few seconds before Gwaine shoved his phone into Merlin's face for him to see the screen himself.

"Uncle G sent pictures of the doggo," said Gwaine, and Merlin laughed more so at Gwaine's wording, rather than the pictures, but looking at said pictures Merlin smiled. Uncle G, better known as Merlin's Great Uncle Gaius, on his mother's side, which was about the only good thing she had ever given Merlin. He was a sweet old man who took care of Merlin's dog since Merlin was way too busy to look after him properly anymore. Luckily in the last couple of years Gaius had moved from the Ukraine to England, so that way Dragoon and his uncle could be visited a little more often. Sadly Gwaine visited them more than Merlin did anymore, but Merlin had just been really busy this last year. He tried not to regret that, but it wasn't because he didn't want to be around, he was just making a future for him...and Gwaine. Gwaine had finally been able to quit his job a few months ago, being able to afford to live just off of the money Merlin made from his music, Gwaine didn't seem to mind this either, he said he really fit into the role of being the 'Year-Round Groupie,' Merlin didn't care either way as long as Gwaine was happy. "Look," said Gwaine after another second or two of Merlin looking at Dragoon's white, furry face and very pink tongue. Gwaine took away the phone and flicked through a few more pictures. "He's wearing a Batman cape, bless'em!"

A moment or two later the door to the studio room opened and in walked John, that would be Merlin's producer and manager, unlike most managers people talk about, he was actually a really nice and decent person. He wanted Merlin to succeed and has been pushing him since day one. Merlin had to take pause and be thankful for all of the good people he had circled himself with, he loved them all so much, but then a fleeting thought of the Pendragon's creeped in while thinking these nice thoughts and he wanted to puke a little. Every single time. So, he pushed these thoughts from his mind, as John walked deeper into the room. Behind him was rather tall, muscly man with very little hair on his head.

"This is Percy," said John, because both Merlin and Gwaine were both looking at this burley man now. "I have hired him to be your bodyguard."

Percy did a little wave, which didn't seem like something someone meant to protect you would do, and then Merlin stood up, to take his hand. That's when Gwaine started talking again. "I don't know if you know this, John, but I guard his body..." he said, Merlin rolled his eyes at this and sighed, offering his hand to Percy. "I kinda own it...it's mine."

"You wanna protect him from hoards of screaming girls?" offered John.

"Nah...I'll let them get him, it's just nature, they want a piece," said Gwaine smugly. "He's cute, they're not wrong..."

"I don't like this conversation," remarked Merlin as he stopped shaking Percy's hand and smiled at him. "It's nice to meet you."

"You as well," said Percy and Merlin took pause, his voice did not sound at all threatening, yet his body-size and narrowed eyes looked very much like he could kill you in moments, and Merlin had no doubt that he probably could, he was really the walking definition of a catfish.

Later that afternoon Merlin really had to reflect on the complete 360 his life turned in, on a near constant basis anymore. Because a few hours ago he was doing what he loved doing, being around people he loved, relishing in this new life he had created for himself, and then all of a sudden a few hours later he was yanked back, back into the void, where he is seventeen years old again and sitting at that damn dark brown table, in a room that didn't make any sense because you could see upstairs. Why could you see upstairs? Why was he sitting in the Pendragon's dining room at all?! It's because he had no will of his own, to say no. The problem is, is he cared about Morgana, so if she would only pull herself away from this family, and stopped trying to create a bond between these people and Merlin, because it was never going to happen, if she did stop this, everything would be so much better. She alone was the tiniest of threads keeping him here, break that thread and he would be gone forever once again. It was a family dinner, as they did apparently every Sunday, the whole family. When Merlin agreed he hadn't thought about it, or what that meant. As Morgana pleaded with him to please come because he was apart of this family, which was utter bullshit, and she followed that up with that she needed him there, which was also not true. She didn't need him, but the idea was sweet enough. Either way, if this was a family dinner didn't that mean the whole Family, as in the WHOLE family would be there? Once again Merlin had to sit there in fear that he would see Arthur, he just couldn't do that. He had tried to ask Morgana once he had arrived and been ushered into the dining room, but she seemed to completely ignore him, purposefully.

Uther had yet to join them, actually the only other person at the table was Leon, Morgana and Hunith continued running back and forth bringing out food and fighting over if family dinner's required the good china, Hunith seemed to think it did. When Morgana came back in the next time she was carrying a bowl of rolls, and was on the phone. She was yelling as she set the bowl down, "No...I don't care...No, that is absolutely ridiculous, Arthur...-"Merlin's stomach almost fell out of his ass at these words, but he tried not to show it. "You're being a child...you both are. You could...no, in fact you should. For everything? Oh cute...well, aren't you a world class piece of shit, really...and you have a son? Are you going to teach him that?!...Wow...well, then maybe I won't invite YOU to my wedding, moron!"

Merlin watched her with utter alarm and a bit of wonder, but not that good type of wonder, a way more dreading type, like whatever they were talking about on the phone was going to kill him. His eyes traveled away from her, as if he might be embarrassed or something, even though he wasn't even having the conversation, his eyes landed on Leon and he was nodding, with a grin. "Loving this family...can't wait to join in...being called names on the phone, what a delight..."

"No...no," Morgana said then, as she switched hands holding the phone and for a second Merlin thought she was talking to Leon, but then she put the phone back to her ear and yelled, "Fuck you! You are a child and you just can't admit it when you're wrong. Grow up, you have a kid!" And then she hung up and then suddenly, apparently, realized where she was. She took in a sharp breath, trying to look unphased by her phone call. "Arthur isn't coming to dinner" She cleared her throat sharply after these words, then added, "...because he's a donkey."

(A/N: Hi, I haven't updated this in forever, nor any story for that matter, but I had this chapter and I saw a few people comment on this story, so I figured why not post it? There is honestly no telling when it will be updated again, I have no more chapters after this written, well...half of 5, I guess. Maybe I will pick it up again? Maybe, who knows, stranger things have happened. I probably will soon in the future here, I do think about this story a lot tbh. But for now enjoy this little update.)