fic; not quite here to set you free
title; not quite here to set you free
rating; pg
word count; 643
pairing; arthur/merlin
spoilers; 3x03
warnings: arthur has prior knowledge of Merlin's magic,
summary; Arthur visits Merlin in the dungeons.
a/n; I couldn't believe that Arthur would just throw Merlin into the dungeons. This is me writing a missing scene where he DID show up...
Arthur descended the steps to the dungeons, careful not to rouse the guards. But it turned out there was no need, the three of the guards outside were sprawled across the table in front of them, fast asleep. He paused, looking upon them with discontent. For now, it was Merlin in there, but really, had been a fugitive who posed an actual threat to Camelot, was this all the resistance he was to face if he attempted to break free?
He rolled his eyes as he passed them, making a note to have them punished for their slacking off later. For now, it was just as well that they were asleep.
Merlin sat huddled in the corner of his cell but jumped up when he saw Arthur approaching. "Arthur!" he sighed, running and gripping the bars, evidently relieved. "I thought you'd never come!"
"Why wouldn't I?" Arthur asked, slightly offended. "And why the hell haven't you escaped yet? Fat good sorcerer you are!"
"Well...I didn't think you wanted me to..."
"I didn't want y-what?"
Merlin shifted nervously from one foot to another. "Today when you ordered my arrest...you...well...you looked...and then you didn't say anything in front of the King and thought...well...that-"
"That I'd let you be executed? Even after I've kept silent about your magic for over a year?" Arthur reached in through the bars and slapped Merlin across the head.
"Ow!" Merlin protested.
"Keep your voice down!" Arthur hissed, casting a quick glance at the guard slumped unconscious on the chair behind them.
"Sorry..." Merlin muttered.
Arthur's expression softened and he placed his hand over Merlin's, fingers gently prying his away from the bar and entwining loosely with his own. "As long as I have breath in my body, I will not let anything happen to you."
Merlin's eyes glossed over slightly and Arthur had to refrain himself for telling him off for being such a girl. But his own chest was constricted with emotion and he had to swallow the lump in his throat before he spoke again, voice carefully controlled.
"Oh stop acting as if you didn't know that already." he said, pulling his hand away.
Merlin smiled, eyes shining even in the dull light of the dungeon. "It's just you've never really...you know, said it in that way before."
"Yeah? Well I said it now." Merlin continued to grin widely at him as if Arthur had just proclaimed his undying love for Merlin. Which in a way, he guess he sort of had..."You said Gaius was a goblin?" he asked, trying to come back to the matter at hand.
Merlin seemed to snap back into seriousness. "Yes-well, no-he's possessed by one."
Arthur frowned, "And how did you make that happen?"
"It wasn't my fault...well..." Merlin paused, "We were chasing the goblin-trying to catch him and he probably flew into Gaius's ear or something...I don't know how..."
Arthur stared at him for a moment before sighing, "And you have no proof of this?"
"Not yet."
Arthur rubbed his face with his hands. "Alright, after you get out of here, I want you to find out how to fix this as soon as possible. This cannot go on." Merlin nodded. "Once we've proved that Gauis was being possessed, his accusations will have no value. I'll make sure you have a good head start before I sound the alarm bells but you need to be quick."
"So you're letting me out?"
Arthur grinned, "The keys to your cell are hanging there," he gestured to the guard behind them, "I trust you can manage to get those quite easily by yourself."
Merlin's face fell. "What? You came all the way down here just to tell me to get the keys and escape myself?"
Arthur just grinned at him in response and he swore he heard Merlin mutter prat darkly under his breath. "Just get the keys and start running Merlin, we haven't got all night."
rating; pg
word count; 643
pairing; arthur/merlin
spoilers; 3x03
warnings: arthur has prior knowledge of Merlin's magic,
summary; Arthur visits Merlin in the dungeons.
a/n; I couldn't believe that Arthur would just throw Merlin into the dungeons. This is me writing a missing scene where he DID show up...
Arthur descended the steps to the dungeons, careful not to rouse the guards. But it turned out there was no need, the three of the guards outside were sprawled across the table in front of them, fast asleep. He paused, looking upon them with discontent. For now, it was Merlin in there, but really, had been a fugitive who posed an actual threat to Camelot, was this all the resistance he was to face if he attempted to break free?
He rolled his eyes as he passed them, making a note to have them punished for their slacking off later. For now, it was just as well that they were asleep.
Merlin sat huddled in the corner of his cell but jumped up when he saw Arthur approaching. "Arthur!" he sighed, running and gripping the bars, evidently relieved. "I thought you'd never come!"
"Why wouldn't I?" Arthur asked, slightly offended. "And why the hell haven't you escaped yet? Fat good sorcerer you are!"
"Well...I didn't think you wanted me to..."
"I didn't want y-what?"
Merlin shifted nervously from one foot to another. "Today when you ordered my arrest...you...well...you looked...and then you didn't say anything in front of the King and thought...well...that-"
"That I'd let you be executed? Even after I've kept silent about your magic for over a year?" Arthur reached in through the bars and slapped Merlin across the head.
"Ow!" Merlin protested.
"Keep your voice down!" Arthur hissed, casting a quick glance at the guard slumped unconscious on the chair behind them.
"Sorry..." Merlin muttered.
Arthur's expression softened and he placed his hand over Merlin's, fingers gently prying his away from the bar and entwining loosely with his own. "As long as I have breath in my body, I will not let anything happen to you."
Merlin's eyes glossed over slightly and Arthur had to refrain himself for telling him off for being such a girl. But his own chest was constricted with emotion and he had to swallow the lump in his throat before he spoke again, voice carefully controlled.
"Oh stop acting as if you didn't know that already." he said, pulling his hand away.
Merlin smiled, eyes shining even in the dull light of the dungeon. "It's just you've never really...you know, said it in that way before."
"Yeah? Well I said it now." Merlin continued to grin widely at him as if Arthur had just proclaimed his undying love for Merlin. Which in a way, he guess he sort of had..."You said Gaius was a goblin?" he asked, trying to come back to the matter at hand.
Merlin seemed to snap back into seriousness. "Yes-well, no-he's possessed by one."
Arthur frowned, "And how did you make that happen?"
"It wasn't my fault...well..." Merlin paused, "We were chasing the goblin-trying to catch him and he probably flew into Gaius's ear or something...I don't know how..."
Arthur stared at him for a moment before sighing, "And you have no proof of this?"
"Not yet."
Arthur rubbed his face with his hands. "Alright, after you get out of here, I want you to find out how to fix this as soon as possible. This cannot go on." Merlin nodded. "Once we've proved that Gauis was being possessed, his accusations will have no value. I'll make sure you have a good head start before I sound the alarm bells but you need to be quick."
"So you're letting me out?"
Arthur grinned, "The keys to your cell are hanging there," he gestured to the guard behind them, "I trust you can manage to get those quite easily by yourself."
Merlin's face fell. "What? You came all the way down here just to tell me to get the keys and escape myself?"
Arthur just grinned at him in response and he swore he heard Merlin mutter prat darkly under his breath. "Just get the keys and start running Merlin, we haven't got all night."