Wintry Calm (so in love with the wrong world) 10/13

[ceeebee]

They ended up on the sofa, kissing lazily with Arthur's fingers making lines up the tendons of Merlin's neck. The younger man was pushing back, his tongue learning Arthur's mouth with an efficiency that might have been off-putting in the way it reminded the blond of Merlin's past profession, if it wasn't for how Merlin kept shuddering from arousal, small gasps escaping every few seconds.

After a while, Arthur's hands slid down Merlin's back, making their way over the knobs of his spine at leisure and pulling back ever so slightly to give the other room to explore Arthur's chest with quick fingers. He groaned slightly when they tugged at some of the fair hair on his torso before travelling lower to swirl around his belly button, pressing lightly in all the ticklish places.

Eventually, Arthur trapped Merlin's hand with his own and pulled, guiding him until he was straddling his lap. The other man's eyes were dark when he surveyed Arthur, his lashes casting long black shadows across his face and over his lips. Arthur couldn't help but stretch, craning his neck until Merlin realised what he wanted and leaned forwards eagerly, so Arthur could attempt to lick the darkness away from his soft red lips.

At this, Merlin shifted slightly, and Arthur noticed the way he was rocking against his thigh, his face flushed with want.

"Fuck," Arthur breathed before pressing the heel of his palm against Merlin's clothed erection. At this, the younger man hissed, suddenly lifting his hips so that he could shimmy out of his boxers. Next thing Arthur knew, he had a lap full of completely naked Merlin, complete with foppish hair hanging low over his brow and wriggling toes.

"I kind of always thought," the boy whispered as his fingers tangled with the hair at the blond's nape, "that our first time would be in a bed."

"Oh?" Arthur nosed along Merlin's neck-finding in an instant that he really fucking loved Merlin's neck-and then began to suck at the skin there, his teeth scraping ever so slightly. "Is that all you imagined?"

"No..." Merlin's voice was strangled, and he let out a shaky gasp when Arthur pulled away, lips glistening. "Sometimes...sometimes we weren't anywhere near a bed. We'd both be naked and...holy shit, your cock." His eyes went almost comically round when the other freed his dick from his boxers with a quick tug of fabric. It curled up hard against his stomach, and when Merlin moved closer, it brushed with his, and the friction was like static between their bodies.

"Tell me then," Arthur murmured, wrapping his hand around both their cocks and flicking his thumb over the head of Merlin's so that he whimpered. "We'd be naked and...what?"

Merlin shook his head, taking hold of Arthur's shoulders and moving up, trying to fuck into the blond's hand. "I'd suck you off," he panted fervently, his lips by Arthur's ear now so he could hear the uneven breathing-feel the slickness of that breath on his skin.

Arthur shuddered then clung to Merlin's thin frame, his hands moving to wind around his middle and hold him close as he attempted to stand. At first, Merlin keened at the loss of attention to his dick, but when he realised what Arthur was trying to do, he slid from the other's lap and stood up. Arthur rose in front of him, thanking him with a long, searing kiss that left him literally weak at the knees, to the point where he felt his legs trembling with the effort to stay upright, until he understood that Arthur had no intention of releasing the hold he had around his waist.

He let out a small sigh and sank against the older man, allowing him to support him as he leant over to fiddle with something on the side of the sofa.

"Arthur?" Merlin frowned, "What are you-oh." Arthur moved back, pulling Merlin with him as the sofa unfolded, turning into a plush double bed right before their eyes.

The blond smirked in satisfaction at Merlin's awe before sitting him down on the edge of the bed and lowering himself to his knees in front of him.

His first, wild thought was that maybe Arthur had dropped something, and now he was on his knees to find it because surely there wasn't any other explanation. But the latter didn't appear to be searching for anything, or if he was, he had found it and 'it'was Merlin's hard on.

Arthur's thumbs rubbed circles into Merlin's hipbones before moving to the outsides of his thighs, caressing the flesh there at the same time as he mouthed at Merlin's knees-hot kisses pressed straight against his skin. Merlin writhed for a moment, uncomprehending until he found his legs beginning to fall apart under Arthur's ministrations, giving him space to move forwards and in between them.

"I said that I always imagined me sucking y-"

Arthur looked up at Merlin from beneath pale eyelashes, watching curiously as he stopped talking, stunned at the sight of him from this angle. "Please don't tell me you're complaining," was all he said before leaning forwards to lap teasingly at Merlin's inner thigh.

"No, 'm not," he gasped, his hands suddenly fisting in Arthur's hair. "Don't stop."

The other's laugh was breathy, and it almost sounded as though he was losing a bit of control when he finally brought the tip of Merlin's cock into his mouth, immediately licking away the precome. Merlin barely made a sound, although Arthur felt his legs tense considerably either side. He slowly sunk further, bringing Merlin deeper into his mouth at the same time as rubbing the boy's flank-a silent request for him to relax and to trust Arthur.

After a few moments, he did so and his grip in the blond hair loosened ever so slightly. Then, his hips jerked forwards hard, seemingly without his permission, and Arthur pulled off with his eyes watering.

"Bit of warning, love," he murmured, wondering whether Merlin felt the same thrill in his stomach at hearing the endearment as Arthur felt saying it.

"Sorry..." Merlin had his eyes squeezed shut like he was afraid to look at the man on his knees in front of him. "Sorry, sorry-"

"Hey," Arthur pressed a warm kiss to the very base of Merlin's cock, drawing back to the tip by running his tongue along the vein. "It's fine." And he waited for Merlin to open his eyes before swallowing him down, making sure the younger man was watching as he took him all the way, relaxing his throat until Merlin was hitting the back with each uncontrollable thrust.

Arthur wondered, as he felt Merlin coming undone above him and inside him, when someone had last done this for Merlin. Whether anyone had, or if all the relationships the dark haired man had over the Wall had been purely for business.

With this thought in mind, he encouraged Merlin with a moan to fuck his mouth, not caring when tears gathered at the corners of his eyes from the strain and when it became hard to breathe. Merlin's fingers pulled sharply at Arthur's hair when he came with a shout, slumping forwards so that he was almost curled around the blond, who didn't draw away until his throat was thick with Merlin's taste.

The kiss they shared after that was filthy, and the older man dominated Merlin's mouth, licking his way in and smearing the other's tongue with his own come. Merlin was flushed and sweaty when he dragged Arthur up so they were both on the bed together, unable to get enough of each other and of the slide of skin on skin as their chests clashed and fingers locked.

Merlin could still feel Arthur's erection, ridged against him, and he reached for it.

"I want you to fuck me," he whispered, hand hard around Arthur's dick, eyes heavy lidded and longing.

Arthur paused, contemplating and trying his hardest to put the other's needs first. It wasn't as difficult as he would have expected it to be, and he found his own desires easily falling back to second place.

"Are you sure you're ready?" he asked, caressing the side of Merlin's face and sliding his leg between his as they lay side by side.

Merlin nodded with a gasp. "Yes, yes, Arthur."

Still, the older man was hesitant as he looked at him, pliant and hungry for something other than the food he was so fond of stuffing himself with. Not that Arthur would have it any other way.

"Wait," he instructed all of a sudden, getting off the bed and making his way to the door.

Merlin sat up at once. "Where are you going?" His head was cocked the side, and he looked ready to throw himself across the room.

"I just need to get a few things from the bathroom," he explained a little awkwardly. Merlin made a soft noise of understanding and crawled back until he was nestled in a corner of the bed.

"Be quick," He whispered, eyes bright as his fingers clutched at Arthur's blanket. The blond merely nodded, his pulse quickening to a roar, before leaving and taking the stairs at a run.

***

Merlin sighed at the feeling of sofa cushions against his bare skin-where they pressed against his back, he could still feel Arthur's touch. Everywhere his fingers had brushed tingled like someone had splattered candle wax over his skin.

He thought of how Arthur had been looking at him, in a way no one else had before: not like he was just something to be used, but something to be adored. Arthur had given him a fucking blow job.

Merlin groaned and his cock twitched as he relived it, looking down and imagining how Arthur's head had bobbed back and forth, the muscles in his neck and shoulders flexing as his lips stretched wide around Merlin.

By the time Arthur got back, he was stretched out on the bed, one hand fisted around his cock while the other was pressed against his mouth. He didn't see the older man walk in but felt him climb onto the sofa-bed and let out a soft gasp when he gently touched his forehead.

Merlin's eyes, which had been tightly shut, flew open in surprise, and he groaned when Arthur prised his other hand away from his body.

"I'll make it worth it," he promised, his smile slightly tremulous with uncharacteristic nerves when he ripped open the condom packet that he had gotten from the bathroom. Merlin watched as Arthur rolled it on, taking his time to make sure it was secure and trying to take even breaths.

"Hurry." His voice was so quiet at that point that Arthur almost missed it, but he sped up a little, biting the cap off the lube and squeezing it into his palm.

He couldn't quite get over how perfect Merlin had looked when he'd entered the room, his back slightly arched as his cock hardened for the second time between his fingers. "I want to do this properly," he whispered as he reached down to slick himself up, "This is as much for you as it is for me, Merlin."

The younger man's gaze looked bemused, as if he wasn't quite sure what to do with that statement, but then he nodded slowly. "I know," he murmured, although it didn't quite sound like the truth. Arthur sighed and leant forwards to kiss Merlin, mumbling when they broke apart with both panting.

"I hope you do."

After that, he made sure his fingers were coated generously with the lube, and he was moving to skate his fingers towards Merlin's entrance, when the dark haired boy scrambled to move onto all fours, arse in the air.

Arthur blinked in surprise, kneeling up straight to drape himself over Merlin's back with one hand playing with the boy's nipples as he asked, "You prefer this position?"

Merlin shrugged. "Haven't tried any others," he admitted in a whisper, voice hitching when the blond's nails dug slightly into his skin.

Arthur hesitated, inhaling deeply before kissing the back of Merlin's neck and then making his way down his curved back to the top of his cleft. The younger man canted his hips once without meaning to before forcing himself to stop with a gasp.

"It's okay," Arthur breathed, his tongue dipping hotly into the crack and teeth nipping at his flesh. "Just want you to feel good."

"Why?" Merlin breathed, his voice sounding almost unbearably lost, and it made Arthur want to hit something that he even had to ask.

"Because I care about you," he told him, the words breaking even as he said them. "I mean...fuck, Merlin, you mean everything to me. Just please, tell me what you want."

For a second there was silence, and Arthur thought Merlin might not reply, but that was when he heard:

"I want to see you. Your face-I want to see it when you..."

He stopped talking when Arthur's hand flattened securely over his belly before pulling him up so that the blond's chest was pressed against his back. Then he was being turned around, fingers steady and sure as they handled him, moving deftly over his ribs and arms until they were nose to nose and forehead to forehead.

"Like this?" Arthur's breath ghosted over Merlin's lips, and he couldn't reply except to stare. The older man's face was blurred like this because of how very close they were now. Merlin couldn't make out whose body was whose, and the air mingled, shared between their mouths. In the end, he simply nodded, overcome by their proximity and their combined warmth.

Arthur was exceedingly gentle to start with, somehow managing to get his hands between them to push against Merlin's chest and get him to lie back on the bed, all long lines of alabaster skin in the snow-flecked moonlight.

He took his time, roving Merlin's body like it was a map of all the places he'd ever wanted to go; like he was one of those white sheets of paper Arthur had become so accustomed to seeing in the younger man's hands or sticking out of his pocket, waiting to be written on.

Waiting to be taken over.

He licked at every crevice-the hollows at his throat and shoulder blades, the dips around his hipbones-and kissed all the blank spaces between the bones under his skin and the veins running up his wrists.

Then he pushed Merlin's legs, bending them and taking his hands to make him hold them up at the knees, spread wide and wanting. For an instant, Merlin's fingers went white from how hard he was clutching at his own legs, eyes round with uncertainty.

Arthur circled his entrance with a single finger, wishing he knew what to say so that Merlin knew he was going to do everything to make this perfect. In the end though, after slipping the tip of his finger past that hot ring of muscle, feeling it give way beneath his touch, Merlin's ambiguity seemed to vanish as he pushed down.

"More," he urged, hands slipping so that his feet slammed flat on the bed as he groaned. "I can take more."

Arthur grunted and nodded, moving so he was directly between the boy's legs, working his finger in to the knuckle, and then adding another. Merlin's hips rolled as the blond got into the rhythm of finger fucking him, crooking his fingers as he searched for that space...

He knew he had found it when the younger man let out a soft mewl, face shining with sweat with his eyes trained on Arthur's face, never wavering once to look anywhere else. He pressed again, harder, pumping in and out with sure thrusts, thinking that he might be able to come from just watching Merlin fall apart.

"Now," Merlin suddenly gasped, catching Arthur's wrist and stopping him from pushing back. "Don't...can't wait anymore-" he swallowed, his whole body trembling with effort or need or something, and Arthur could feel himself slipping-realising that there was nothing he wouldn't give to this boy.

He withdrew his hand completely, reminding himself that this was what Merlin wanted when he whimpered, toes curling into the mattress.

Arthur could barely keep his own hands steady as he lined himself up, strung so tight from not coming-from staving off until the other man was completely ready-that he felt hot and cold all over. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this thoroughly aroused, like if he didn't get inside Merlin right fucking now, he would die.

It took the younger man reaching up towards Arthur for him to finally thrust forwards, sinking inside with a groan that came from the very bottom of his gut. As he sank deeper, Merlin was able to reach his face, light fingers hovering over his skin and dusting over the bridge of his nose.

"Merlin, Merlin, Merlinmerlinmerlinmerlin..." somewhere along the line where their bodies met, his name had become Arthur's breath-he couldn't exhale without it leaving him, feeling like it was filling him up even as the other boy tightened around him.

They rocked to the brink, and Arthur wondered whether it was Merlin's intent to simply keep them there, right at the very top without ever spiralling back. It was ecstasy as the older man had never known it: writhing and firm and so damn good.

After a few moments of hard bliss, Merlin lifted his legs to wrap them around Arthur's waist, urging the blond to pull him up until he was on his lap, hands tight on his broad shoulders. Then, every movement was making Merlin's eyes slide shut, his forehead falling into the crook of Arthur's neck as he wriggled, bringing the blond to the very edge with every hot clench of his arse around his dick.

They both came at the same moment when Arthur dragged a blunt thumbnail up the underside of Merlin's rigid cock and he yelled, biting at the meaty part of the older man's shoulder. It was the feeling of his teeth and tongue, on top of the heady sensation of being inside him that made lights burst white in front of Arthur's eyes.

When it was over, the older man didn't pull out straight away, instead manoeuvring them both so that they were lying down, pressed together for one delicious minute, before Merlin mumbled against his skin:

"Sticky."

And Arthur laughed, rolling his eyes and muttering, "Way to ruin a moment," before slipping from the other's body and sliding off the condom to lob it into the bin across the room, making a mental note to get rid of it properly at some point tomorrow.

For now though, he used the blanket to wipe come from Merlin's stomach and both their hands, pressing kisses to every spot after he cleaned it, until he could hear the boy's breathing beginning to even out as he slid into a state of sated exhaustion.

Arthur cradled him close, running a hand through his dark hair over and over so that he could feel the movement sinking into his arm like a memory-a motion he'd never forget.

"I-" Merlin yawned, "Arthur?"

"Yeah?" he whispered, moving so that his lips brushed across Merlin's jaw.

There was a short pause. "Y'know that I...I mean...you know I like really...I love you."

Arthur watched as the younger man's blue eyes darted up to his and away again. "I figured," he murmured back, only teasing a little. Then he realised that Merlin was waiting, his fingers clenching and unclenching as his body went tense against Arthur's. "I love you too, of course," he murmured, briskly, like it was obvious-which, to anyone but Merlin, it bloody well was. "Even when you're being an idiot," he added as an afterthought, just so the younger man could be sure who had spoken.

"'Specially when 'm being an idiot," Merlin corrected, even though his mind was all fuzzy from bliss and tiredness, and he wasn't quite sure if his words were making sense anymore.

"Yes." Arthur smiled fondly, tightening his hold on him. "Especially."



Morgana found them in the morning, wrapped around each other, Merlin's mouth against Arthur's chest as he slept, twitching slightly as he dreamt but with a smile on his face.

The older man's arms were secure as they held him, fingers splayed over his shoulder blades. She decided against waking them, and when Gwen joined her and pulled her close so that they could kiss, pressed up against the doorframe, it dawned on her how perfect this arrangement was.

"They're good for each other," Gwen murmured, although she was chewing her lip when her eyes fell on Arthur.

"If he hurts him-" Morgana began, but then Merlin made a small noise in his sleep and they watched as the blond seemed to instinctively curl tighter around him, nosing along his jaw and making soothing noises at the back of his throat. The rest of Morgana's words died in her mouth, and she shrugged with a sigh.

Gwen smiled and buried her face in her shoulder. "We've all got each other now," she chuckled softly, her breath tickling Morgana's neck.

Morgana's own breath stuttered slightly at that, and she squeezed Gwen tightly, as if enough contact would override the guilt she felt whenever she thought of why she had come here in the first place.

I'll never hurt any of them, she thought, because then we'll all end up damaged.

***

The penalty for crossing from the Light side of the Wall without a Pass was imprisonment. On the other hand though, the punishment for crossing from the Dark side was death-these were facts that Lance was well aware of as he stumbled through the court houses, refusing to lower his head as the Authorities looked him in the eye and passed judgement.

Still, it was something of a shock to his system when they announced it to the room, the occupants of which seemed more bored than anything. Bored, while Lance was sentenced and then escorted from the room, flanked by bigger men whose grips on his arms were like metal vices.

The judge's words still pounded through his head as they walked him down dank prison corridors:

"Do you know why we enforce this law, uh-"

"Lancelot."

"Do you?"

"Not really."

And the man's fingers had tightened over the wooden ledge before him, as he lifted himself out of his seat to glare at Lance with yellowing eyes.

"It is to stop filth migrating and infecting the pure-to stop sorcerers and thieves and murderers. Do you think we should just allow these people to cross without having earned a Pass first?"

"No."

"No. Which is why the wilddeoren will be having you. Take him away."

Lance couldn't help but twist his arms fruitlessly, trying to free them as his mind played one word over and over and over: wilddeoren.

He had heard of such creatures from his father and from books at school, but never had he actually seen one up close, despite rumours that some ran wild this side of the Wall. He knew what they were though, and he knew from pictures what they looked like-great hairless monsters with pink skin stretched tight over their rats' bodies. They had teeth as long as the bones in Lance's legs, made to pierce and crush until their victims were unrecognisable.

Lance was certain that it wasn't usual to be executed in such a way, when it was for the crime he had committed. The only reasoning he could come up with was that it had been a slow week and that the wilddeoren were hungry.

"Wait," he suddenly spoke, struggling as the guards propelled him towards an empty cell. "When am I to be-?"

"Dawn," one man grunted before he could finish his question, shortly before throwing him inside. Lance stood helplessly as they locked the barred door and left him alone in the darkness.

The cell was completely empty-devoid of bed-board or pail, so he had to settle with curling up with his arms around his knees and his back to the wall, eyes peeled for any signs of rats scuttling in the gloom. He wasn't sure why he cared though, and when he did see one scampering across the floor, he did nothing but watch it go, envying its freedom.

It was impossible to sleep. Impossible to even shut his eyes for more than a few seconds at a time because every time he did, he thought he heard or felt something and ended up twitching uncontrollably with his hands repeatedly slapping at his legs and the back of his neck, when he thought something had touched him there.

He wondered how other men and women managed to survive days in such conditions...years even. Thinking about it, Lance almost thought the death penalty was kinder. Not that he was going to die. Dying really wasn't an option at that point-he had set out to find Gwen, and that's exactly what he'd do, even if it meant escaping some human-flesh-eating vermin along the way. He only wished he hadn't gotten caught in the first place: it only wasted time.

***

Merlin woke to the feeling of Arthur's hand rubbing up and down his side, from his thigh up to his underarm and back again. He made a small contented noise at the back of his throat and pressed a little closer to the other, urging him with a snuffle and a kiss to his chin to continue.

Arthur chuckled at the chin-kiss and carried on rubbing.

"It's almost midday," he informed the younger man, "You've definitely missed the start of your lesson."

"Saturday," Merlin mumbled as a helpful reminder before pressing his fists to his eyes, "No lessons on Saturday. Only food and telly."

Arthur rolled his eyes, and carefully-reluctantly, unwillingly-extracted himself from the boy's clinging limbs. "You are not staying and bed and eating all day," he sighed as he got to his feet with a stretch. Merlin's eyes were glassy as they followed the movement, and he licked his dry lips before saying,

"I know! I'm going to have to move around a bit for the TV, aren't I?"

The blond looked over his shoulder to catch Merlin's playful grin before walking around the sofa-bed and giving the boy a harmless swat on the arse. "Get that lazy backside out of bed-the mail'll be here in a sec."

Merlin poked out his tongue and dragged himself to the edge of the mattress before rolling ninja-style onto the floor. Arthur groaned exasperatedly to cover up his laugh but was then silenced and taken by surprise when the other sprang to his feet and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"I'll get it!"

***

Merlin was very fond of mail. He liked the flat white envelopes with their cutting corners and neatly pressed stamps-not least because they often bore Arthur's striking profile, outlined with gold. He liked the way the address was written and the sound of the paper tearing as he pulled it open, the sight of the letter inside peeking out.

Now he crouched down to sort through everything on the doorstep, flicking idly over bills and advertisements until there was a rattling noise, and he looked up just in time to get a face full of newspaper.

Then he made a sort of noise that sounded very much like an oof, sprawling backwards onto his bum with a scowl before snatching up the paper. He had forgotten Arthur had it delivered on a Saturday and that, annoyingly, it always arrived a little later than everything else.

"You all right, Merlin?" the blond's concerned voice resounded, floating from the living room.

"Yeah!" he shouted back before returning to the paper in his hand, absentmindedly rubbing his forehead where it had struck him with the other. "Woah..." he muttered softly, both in awe and in complete fear at the same time.

The headline was fat and black and easy to read, but old habits die hard, and Merlin didn't even glance at the words. His eyes instead flew straight to the photo, which was only slightly grainy and bearing a horribly familiar picture.

He had seen wilddeoren before-smaller than the couple depicted-in the streets on the other side of the Wall. They used to scare Freya whenever she was in human form, but when she changed, Merlin would watch as she chased them away, long bald tails trailing behind them in the grime. He knew that they were bred by the Authorities to be used as a form of corporal punishment, and they were what Merlin had feared for Will until Morgana read on the posters that he was to be hanged.

It had been a relief. A relief that a boy was going to be killed by the rope rather than slimy, infected jaws.

Merlin's mouth was dry as his fingers traced the image, pressing around the shape of the monstrous creatures and then sliding over to the other figure in the picture: a person.

It was obvious now that the whole thing was illustrating an execution, with the two wilddeoren bearing their teeth at a man with dark hair that hung in waves past his ears. He looked poised to jump and to run, like he was ready to tear away and not look back.

Merlin stared at the photo for a few seconds, his breath speeding up slightly as he tried not to imagine the feel of all those teeth sinking into his flesh and splintering his bones. Then, he dragged his eyes away to study the headline, forehead creased as he read the statement in bold aloud:

WILDDEOREN GO HUNGRY AS PRISONER ESCAPES

He struggled with the first word for a moment, but after that they spilled easily from his lips, making a wonderful sense. He quickly searched the page until he spotted the footnote: Read the full story on page 17.

With that, the boy flicked through quickly, fingers numb as he searched for the right page. When he finally located it however, he was brought up short by the solid blocks of black text and swallowed, feeling sweat beginning to bead on his forehead. He suddenly and inexplicably missed the feel of Arthur pressed against his side.

"Merlin?"

In that instant, he jumped, the newspaper almost slipping from his grasp as he heard Arthur kneel down beside him, like he had read his thoughts from the other room.

"You okay? Only you're being even slower than usual..." His voice trailed off when he began reading the paper over Merlin's shoulder. "Shit."

"What?" the younger man asked concernedly, twisting around to catch Arthur's now horrified expression. "I haven't read it-what does it say? Arthur?"

The blond ran a hand through his hair before getting clumsily to his feet and mumbling, "I've got to go into work...they'll probably call for me in a sec anyway."

"Why?" Merlin blinked up at him, bemused. "What's wrong?"

Arthur looked reluctant for a moment, fingers moving to rub exasperatedly at his eyes. "It said someone tried to jump the Wall without a Pass, so he was arrested. He somehow escaped the Wilddeoren, and they've promised a reward to anyone who can bring him in."

The boy on the floor frowned, his grip on the paper tightening. "Is he dangerous?"

"I doubt it." Arthur was already heading upstairs, and Merlin scrambled to his feet to follow.

"Then what are you doing?" He stumbled after the older man, watching when they reached his bedroom as he pulled his uniform from the wardrobe.

"He needs to be brought in-he broke the law, Merlin."

"So did I!" Merlin exclaimed, feeling faintly sick as Arthur began to pull on clothes. "Arthur, that could've been me-"

"I don't want to arrest him," Arthur cut in, brushing past the younger man as he headed back onto the landing. "But everyone's going to be searching for him, and they won't care about hurting him in order to get that reward. It'd be better for him if I or one of the other Knights caught him first."

"No." At this, Merlin ran around so that he was blocking the way downstairs. "You can't just...you've got to give him time to escape. Please, Arthur. I don't know who he is, but no one deserves that." He shook the paper in his fist with disgust.

The blond hesitated with his hand resting tensely on the banister, inches from being able to push Merlin aside and run to the front door.

"If I find him, I'll help him," he finally said before leaning forwards to press a chaste kiss to Merlin's lips, "and I'll be back for dinner."

Before he could say anything in response, Arthur was hurrying to the door, answering his phone as he went.

"Yeah, I did see it...Leon, listen..."

Merlin sighed as the other man left the house, letting in a sharp winter wind before slamming the door behind him.

Not long after, Gwen wandered out into the hallway, frowning at where Arthur had just left. "What was that about?" she asked, tentatively shifting her gaze towards Merlin.

The dark haired boy slowly shook his head as he walked over and dropped the newspaper from above into her outstretched hands "A prisoner escaped from over the Wall," he replied, reluctant to say anything more. At that moment, he felt slightly drained.

Gwen stared down at the paper, looking at the photograph of the man, who seemed oddly familiar in the black and white print. "Oh," she muttered, eyebrows pulling together as she contemplated the image. "Who-"

"Gwen?" Morgana stepped out to join her, tying up her hair as she walked to her side. "Are we going running this morning?"

Suddenly Gwen looked up, distractedly folding the paper in her hands. "Yes," she replied, nodding with a slight smile, "of course. Is that all right, Merlin?" she asked, her head tilting back so she could look up at him.

"Sure," he smiled, "go ahead. I've got...things..." He gestured vaguely at nothing in particular, "to do."

Morgana looked a little guilty and opened her mouth like she was about to suggest that they didn't go running after all and stayed to keep him company, but he shot her down before she even started.

"Go, honestly. I'll be fine! I'll see you later when you get back."

Within ten minutes the pair of them had left the house, and Merlin was curled back up on the sofa-bed, his hands fisted in the duvet and his face buried in Arthur's pillow, breathing in the smell of the other man and bathing in the morning gold, streaming through the window.

***

The stitch in Lance's side was like a thorn beneath his skin: it twisted sharply with every step he took but was nothing compared to the slicing pain in his shoulder, where a chunk had been torn by teeth with flat, sharp edges.

He let out a short, strangled cry as he stumbled across the driveway of the little house, his vision blurred as blood soaked through his ripped shirt. He felt woozy, and the floor refused to stay still beneath his feet. It felt like a miracle when he reached the front door, and his hand blessedly managed to form a fist before he slammed it against the wood...

One, two, three-

It swung open without so much as a creak, oiled hinges allowing it to glide inwards until it was wide open all the way: trusting.

For a single, awful second though, Lance was terrified he was at the wrong house.

"Fuck."

The boy on the doorstep definitely was not Arthur, and Lance thought he was going to throw up as the single second of doubt stretched into something unmanageable. "Are you all right?" he started to ask but then saw the terrible wound on the other's shoulder and inhaled sharply. "Jesus Christ, get in here." And he was reaching for him, wrapping slender fingers around his upper arms and leading him inside. "Are you here for Arthur, or Gwen? They're both out, they-"

"Gwen," Lance choked, leaning heavily on the stranger and feeling him wince when they both heard the blood gurgling in his throat. "She lives here?"

"Yes!" At this point, the boy was tugging him into a living room and pushing him into a chair. "Yes, Gwen lives here. And so does Arthur-Arthur Pendragon. Listen, I'm going to find you some bandages or something, Jesus, hang on."

Lance was seized by panic as he watched the young man with his pale skin and black hair begin to move away, his wide blue eyes terrified as he tore them from the other's mangled arm.

"No," Lance gasped, reaching out and grabbing the hem of his shirt. "No, no time."

"What the fuck do you mean? Hey, listen, if I don't find you something to stop that blood, chances are you're going to d-"

"Arthur's in danger. She's going to kill him," Lance said it as quickly as he could, not knowing who this boy was and whether he cared, only trying to get his message through his tightly gritted teeth before it exploded inside him.

In an instant, the boy stopped moving-every inch of his being now looked petrified, like someone had swapped him for an ornate, ivory carving.

"You're the one from the paper," he spoke at last, weakly. His legs were trembling, and Lance wondered whether he would fall.

"My name is Lancelot," he breathed, voice scratching and fingers scrabbling at the wound in his arm. "I have come to warn you-"

"I am Merlin," the dark haired boy replied and slipped onto the sofa beside him, long limbs folding in a strange elegance as he brought his knees up to his chin. "Who wants to kill Arthur?"

***

Merlin hadn't recognised him as the escaped prisoner to start with. At first, all he had seen was a wound-the red gash hanging open over the man's shoulder, with the flesh bursting free and bleeding down his arm.

After getting the man inside and sat down though, he realised who it was, and it had occurred to him that maybe he ought to ring Arthur to tell him that there was no point searching because the man had turned up on his doorstep all by himself. But then Lancelot had spoken and something inside Merlin froze, making it impossible to move or even to think.

She's going to kill him.

He sat beside him now, his heart thrumming in his chest as things clicked together in his mind before he wanted them to: before he had been given all the facts.

Lancelot's eyes were glassy, and his forehead slick with sweat when he spoke. "Not Gwen," he croaked, hands trembling as he pushed them through his matted hair. "There's another girl here-black hair, pretty?"

"Yes." Merlin's voice was a whisper, and he couldn't bring his eyes away from Lancelot's face. It was a good face. A brilliant face, even, and the only flaws in his appearance were the bloody wound and how sickly pale his skin was at that moment.

"I saw..." Lancelot took a painful, struggling breath. "Her on the other...the other side of the Wall. Talking. A blond woman-beautiful blond woman, talking about killing Arthur."

Morgause.

Merlin knew he was shaking as he pictured her. He felt like his body had been spiked with electricity and now it was zinging through his veins, leaving him sore and breathless. "Why are you telling me this?" he hissed, "Why do you care about Arthur?"

"Don't..." Lance gasped, eyes pleading. "Don't care about Arthur-care about Gwen. I love her."

The younger man sat frozen for a moment. "You love Gwen..." he murmured.

"Yes." Lancelot's breathing was ragged. "Yes and if the girl kills Arthur...Gwen loves Arthur. I don't want Gwen hurt. You have to warn him."

'Why can't you warn him?' was what Merlin wanted to ask, but he could tell that by looking at Lancelot, he might not even be alive by the time Arthur got home. Instead he uttered faintly:

"Gwen loves the girl. She broke up with Arthur-she loves Morgana."

For an instant, Lancelot looked confused, hands twisting agitatedly. "But..." He shook his head then sighed heavily. "So there is no way for this to end happily."

Merlin wasn't sure how to answer, but he could easily follow the other man's train of thought:

If Morgana lived, she would kill Arthur.

To save Arthur, Morgana might have to die.

But Merlin was in no way prepared to believe that Morgana had any such plans. Although, why would this man lie? And how else would he know about Morgause?

"You need to tell me who you are," Merlin spoke evenly, taking one of Lancelot's hands and moving it to press over his shoulder. "Hold your hand there-to stop the blood a little."

Lancelot clamped his fingers around the wound and breathed deeply. "I come from over the Wall. But I went to school with Gwen...it's complicated." He shook his head, looking like the movement cost him an inhuman amount of energy. By the time he was looking towards Merlin again, he appeared dizzy and drained.

"Can't you stay here till the others get home? Let me fix up your arm and you can speak to Ar-"

"No." Suddenly Lance was on his feet and swaying. "I cannot see Arthur-he doesn't like me. I have to leave."

"But-"

"I'm sorry, I must leave. Thank you, Merlin. Please keep Gwen safe."

"You don't even know who I am!" the dark haired boy protested, also getting to his feet. "What if I can't keep her safe? You don't know Morgana either-she would never hurt Arthur, she-"

He hadn't finished his sentence when the memory hit him so hard that he stumbled:

She isn't all that you think she is.

"Shit," he breathed, eyes wide as he looked at Lancelot "Shit."

It took perhaps five, painstaking minutes to get Lancelot to the front door.

"Are you sure you can't stay?" Merlin asked for the fiftieth time, "Arthur won't mind, he-"

"I do not want to see him," Lancelot spoke firmly, "or her. I just can't." He was shaking his head, as if thinking about Gwen was causing him physical pain. Or that could have just been the effect of the actual pain he was experiencing.

"Okay," Merlin murmured as he pulled open the front door.

The older man stepped out into the snow, his arms wrapped around himself. Merlin watched as a drop of blood trickled to the end of his elbow and then splattered onto the ice. "You will protect her?" Lancelot inquired, looking back over his shoulder, and Merlin felt a little breathless.

"I'll try," he promised, terrified by the weight of his words.

Lancelot didn't say anymore, and the boy watched as he staggered across the driveway, over the road and out of sight.

Part 11