Merlin Fanfiction: Rainy Monday, Part 2
Title: Rainy Monday
Author: drjenny88
Warnings: Slash
Rating: NC-17/R for the whole fic; PG-13 for part 2.
Characters/Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Summary: In part 2, Merlin's rain has not gone unnoticed; Arthur tries to a) work through his thoughts, and b) help.
Disclaimer: The Merlin characters belong to the BBC. All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement is intended. Inspiration comes partly from the song 'Rainy Monday' by Shiny Toy Guns.
Word Count: 3091
Author’s Note: Please read and review.
Part Two
Within two hours, the rain had stopped, quite as suddenly as it had appeared. Arthur remained in his room, spending minutes at a time looking out of the window before crossing to the bed, running a hand out as though to touch the sheets but stopping just short of contact. He found it difficult to comprehend what had happened; Arthur had never expected Merlin to respond to him, not really. But respond he had, and what had followed had been good and exciting and unimaginably right.
Arthur could understand that, could recognise that somehow he had affected Merlin as effectively as Merlin had had an impact on him; they had both changed since coming to know one another. Arthur had never experienced the phenomenon of another person changing him through the process of simply existing; he could not have accepted the idea if it had been anyone but Merlin.
Merlin’s reaction afterwards did not appear to lend itself to this idea, however. His words were still, hours later, reverberating around Arthur’s mind: “Friends. This can’t happen again, Arthur.” The other boy had been so angry; Arthur had never seen him that way before, not like that. It had reminded him of the time Merlin had burst into the meeting room, protesting Gwen’s innocence, claiming himself to be the sorcerer. On that occasion, Arthur had intervened, managing to save the boy from his own stupidity; it was quite one thing to be noble, to protect your friends, he had told Merlin afterwards, but quite another to join them in their suffering, especially needlessly.
“There’s no way Merlin is a wizard!” Arthur had professed at the time.
That rain, he thought now. That rain started when Merlin got really angry, when those red spots appeared high on his cheekbones and his eyes… Arthur left the thought unfinished, images coming to him in a rush now, a flood of memories and realisation.
A flash of gold as ropes tangled themselves around his feet; Merlin the only one to be unaffected by Lady Helen’s singing, saving him from the witch; Merlin recognising the magic in Valiant’s shield; several instances of hastily dropped objects as he, Arthur, had entered Gaius’ workroom; two golden orbs in the darkness and a barely-there whisper of incomprehensible words as his torch had shot fire at the Afanc, seemingly of its own accord; and an almost-glimpse of a battered book beneath a sheet in Merlin’s room.
Suddenly, it all made sense; Merlin was a wizard.
Arthur had grown up believing magic to be one of the most terrible evils. He knew that his father had experienced some of the damages magic could cause, although not the details, and he knew that countless numbers of people had been corrupted by magic, learning their skills in order to gain power. Somehow, this knowledge, ingrained in him since birth, didn’t parry with his knowledge of Merlin; this boy had called him up on his bad behaviour on his very first day in Camelot, had constantly fought to protect those he cared about, even to the point of putting himself at risk. Arthur had never known Merlin to act in a way that put anyone else in danger; he’d put himself in danger on several occasions to save Arthur’s life, even before the two of them had been master and servant, let alone friends.
As far as Arthur could tell, there were only two options: either his father was wrong and magic wasn’t always bad, or he was wrong about Merlin and magic could never be good.
~*~
“So,” Gaius began. “Are you going to tell me what’s happened?”
Merlin looked up; he had calmed significantly since he’d burst into the workroom, but his eyes were still slightly red-rimmed and he appeared somewhat diminished.
“Arthur knows,” he said quietly. “He must have worked it out by now; he knows.”
“Oh, Merlin, what have you done now?”
“I- and Arthur- we- but then- and I made it rain.”
“You made it rain. Of course you did,” Gaius let out a long-suffering sigh. “And I assume that’s the reason you rushed into your room, is it? You were looking in the book for a way to stop it?”
Merlin nodded.
“And did you?”
“Did I what?”
“Stop it, Merlin. Did you stop it?”
“Oh. Yes.”
“Well, it’s not all bad news then. Are you sure Arthur knows you can do magic?” Gaius asked.
“He must do,” Merlin replied. “It was only raining over his room.”
Gaius suppressed a smile. “You are powerful, Merlin, and more so every day. But you must learn to control your talents.”
“I can control them!” Merlin exclaimed. “It’s Arthur! He’s so-” Merlin cut himself off, pushing his frustration aside; his cup promptly slid across the table and fell to the ground with a clatter.
“Exemplary control,” said Gaius, sardonically.
There was a brief silence between them, neither awkward nor companionable.
“What happened with Arthur, Merlin?”
“I, uh, don’t really think that’s important,” Merlin hedged.
“You don’t think it’s important?” came a voice from the doorway, incredulous.
Merlin turned; it was Arthur, of course.
~*~
Merlin’s eyes met his own, and Arthur tried to ignore the impulse to cross the room and kiss him. Instead, he directed his attention to the cup on the floor and the books that had yet to be returned to their shelves, reaffirming his suspicions.
“I think you and I need to talk, don’t we, Merlin?” he said.
Merlin swallowed, his pupils dilating slightly.
“I- I guess we should,” he said.
Arthur turned to Gaius, about to dismiss him from the room.
“He can stay,” Merlin said quickly.
“There are some things I have to say that it might be better for others not to hear,” Arthur replied. “I’m sure that concept won’t be entirely new to you.”
Merlin flinched at the bitterness in the prince’s voice. He stood up very quickly and stepped towards Arthur, that golden light beginning to shine in his eyes; the chair he had so recently vacated toppled over.
Arthur cursed inwardly, berating Merlin his foolishness, his naivety, his lack of control over his emotions.
If Gaius saw that, even I won’t be able to save Merlin, he thought. He’s known my father for so long; he’s sure to tell him everything… Merlin will be killed!
Arthur’s gaze immediately went to Gaius’ face; not the slightest trace of emotion showed there, and Arthur realised that the Court Physician wasn’t surprised at all by Merlin’s abilities. It seemed that Gaius already knew of Merlin’s magic and had kept it to himself; Arthur recognised that it was likely Gaius’ influence that had thus far prevented Merlin’s secret being found out. Obviously the boy would never have stood a chance alone.
He realised Merlin was still staring at him, although his eyes had returned to their natural shade.
“Go on, then,” Merlin said. “Arrest me.”
“Arrest you?” Arthur asked, confused.
“You know, don’t you? That I can do magic.”
“Yes,” said Arthur. “I know. But I’m not here to arrest you.”
~*~
“I’m not here to arrest you,” Arthur said.
Merlin hated Arthur sometimes. Somehow, just when Merlin thought he understood the young prince, just when he thought he could anticipate Arthur’s reactions, Arthur did something to throw him off completely, forcing Merlin to have to make entirely new conclusions.
“You’re not?” Merlin asked warily.
“Merlin, you have managed to worm your way into my life in a way that no one ever has before; do you seriously think I treat all my servants the way I treat you? Of course I don’t! There’s always been something about you, something that made me take notice when there was no reason to. You’re a wonder, I’ve said that much before.”
“You said,” Merlin exclaimed. “That the wonder was that I was such an idiot!”
Arthur looked suitably contrite. “I did. I shouldn’t have said that. There are deeper wonders about you than your idiocy.”
Merlin glanced at Gaius.
This is the closest to an apology I’m ever going to get from him, he thought.
“Alright,” he said. “Why are you here?”
For the first time, Arthur looked completely taken aback, as though he had no more idea why he had come than Merlin did. Merlin said nothing, simply waiting for the other boy to formulate his reply.
~*~
I’m here for you, Arthur thought. I’m here for you, Merlin, just as you’ve been there for me for weeks, months, without me even truly realising it.
“I came to tell you that your secret is safe with me,” he said. “If my father ever finds out, it won’t be from me.”
“You must be extremely careful, your highness,” Gaius said, his voice low and even. “Even the slightest slip of the tongue could give Merlin away. If your father gets even the smallest hint that there is a sorcerer in our midst…”
“I am not a fool, Gaius. I know how my father would react,” Arthur snapped.
“Of course. It is only that-” Gaius seemed to hesitate, and then ploughed on regardless. “Merlin’s life - his safety - depends on this.”
“I would never do anything to put Merlin’s safety at risk.”
Merlin visibly started at his words, his expression one of unadulterated surprise.
“I would still like to speak with you privately, Merlin,” Arthur said.
“I have patients to check in with, anyway,” said Gaius, pocketing a few of the vials on the table and leaving the room.
Arthur crossed the room and closed the door, minimising the chances they had of being overheard.
“Magic,” he said, shaking his head slowly. “You can do magic.”
“Yes,” Merlin replied, watching him steadily.
“Where did you learn it?”
“I didn’t,” Merlin said, evidently prepared for this. “I’ve always been able to do it.”
“All of it? You’ve been making it rain when you’re upset all your life and no one’s noticed?”
Merlin flushed slightly. “No,” he said, the faint traces of a smile showing on his face. “I’ve always been able to do some of it, though; whenever I’ve felt something particularly strongly. It’s like- bursts of magic used to come out of me when my emotions were stronger.”
Arthur noted Merlin’s use of the phrase ‘used to’.
“You can control it now?” he asked.
“Mostly,” said Merlin. The other boy hesitated, then: “This isn’t what you wanted to talk about, Arthur.”
“I can’t just pretend what happened between us earlier meant nothing,” Arthur said. “It did.”
“It did to me, too.”
“Then why did you react like that? Why did you say it couldn’t happen again, that it was a mistake?”
“Because of this,” Merlin said, and restored Gaius’ books to their shelves with a wave of his hand. “Because this gift could get me killed, and if we’re together and someone finds out, it could get us both killed.”
“Then-” Arthur hesitated. “You do care about me. You want to protect me.”
“I have to protect you, whether I care or not! It’s my destiny; whatever my feelings are, I have to protect you. I don’t have a choice!”
“Right. Destiny.” Arthur’s eyes hardened, becoming the eyes of a warrior, the eyes of the king he would one day become.
“No, I didn’t mean it like that!” Merlin cried. “I do care, of course I care, how could I not? But it doesn’t change my destiny - our destiny, really.”
Arthur’s anger began to abate at Merlin’s words, his shoulders visibly relaxing, the tension leaving his face. He understood what Merlin was trying to say; it intrigued him.
“What do you mean ‘our destiny’?”
~*~
It had taken almost half an hour for Merlin to explain about the Dragon, kept shackled in a cavern beneath the castle, and his words of prophecy, his insistence that Arthur would one day be a great king - but only with Merlin’s help.
“Of course I’ll be a great king,” Arthur had said. “Even without your help.”
Merlin had been reminded of the arrogant bully Arthur had been when he had arrived in Camelot. He grinned widely.
“If you say so, sire.”
“I think we’re past that now, Merlin,” said Arthur. “What else did the Dragon say?”
“That we’re two halves of a coin.”
“I hope you told it I was the brighter side.”
Merlin laughed aloud.
“What’s funny about that?” Arthur asked, slightly huffily.
“Nothing,” Merlin said quickly.
We’re so similar, Merlin thought. How did I never see that before?
Moments later, the door came crashing open as Gaius burst into the room.
~*~
“Gaius!” exclaimed Merlin. “What’s happened?”
“Your father,” he said, looking at Arthur. “I overheard him talking to some of the soldiers; that rain didn’t go unnoticed. He’s looking for magic again.”
Arthur’s expression became immediately serious. His father was extremely unreasonable when it came to magic; he became obsessive with its discovery to the point where it was extraordinarily difficult to divert him.
“I’ll talk to him,” he said, and left the room without so much as a backwards glance.
He strode through the hallways, heading for the throne room, where his father always went when he had much on his mind. He was long practiced in compartmentalising his thoughts and did so now, knowing that if he allowed his worry for Merlin to take over, he would certainly stand no chance in making his father see sense. In time, he would have to convince Merlin to learn more control over his own emotions; he couldn’t expect his father to overlook unusual occurrences all the time.
Uther was in the throne room, just as Arthur had suspected.
“Father,” he said, announcing his presence.
“Arthur,” replied Uther curtly, distracted.
“I hear you’re looking for magic in the castle.”
“There are reports of rain this afternoon.”
“What of that?”
“You know perfectly well that today has been a fine day. The skies have been clear; there has been no rain sighted anywhere else.”
“Anywhere else?” asked Arthur, thinking quickly. “Where was the rain spotted?”
“Over your room, Arthur! It is clearly a plot to harm you, to damage the kingdom and my reign; you are my only heir!” Uther fumed.
“I am fine, father. You see yourself that I am.”
“It is not a question of whether you are well, surely you see that? Rain on a clear day is evidently an omen of some kind.”
“An omen? I doubt that. I have seen clouds today, father; they would account for the rain. I am sure others would have seen them too. Send for the Lady Morgana’s maidservant, Guinevere; I recall seeing her in the courtyard earlier today and she could confirm the presence of clouds.”
“You are certain of this?” Uther asked, turning to look at his son for the first time.
“Quite certain,” Arthur replied, hoping Uther would take his word for it, or that Gwen would corroborate his story if she was summoned to the room.
~*~
“The book, Merlin, is it hidden?”
Merlin nodded. “It’s in my room,” he said.
“You’d better hope it isn’t found; I imagine the Guard will be searching the castle again.”
“It won’t be found.” Merlin wasn’t as careless as he had once been, and now ensured the book was hidden under the loose floorboard in his room whenever he had finished looking through it.
I hope Arthur comes up with something, Merlin thought frantically, pacing around the small room.
The sound of footsteps came from the corridor; Merlin fought to control the magic that threatened to spill out of him, forcing his breathing to come deep and slow, actively calming himself. He walked into Gaius’ workbench and staggered backwards.
“Ouch,” he muttered, rubbing his hip.
Gaius was looking at him sternly. “You are going to have to be a little more inconspicuous, Merlin,” he said.
~*~
Uther had called off the Guard, Arthur having successfully convinced him that the day hadn’t been entirely clear. Arthur still wasn’t entirely sure what had convinced Uther, but he was grateful for it.
He headed back to Gaius’ chambers, where he knew Merlin would be waiting. Pushing the door open without knocking, he walked into the room.
“And?” asked Gaius immediately.
Arthur looked at him incredulously. “Do you think I’d be here if my father hadn’t changed his mind?”
Gaius turned away, returning to the book he’d been writing in.
“Merlin, come with me,” Arthur said.
The other boy looked at him quizzically, but got to his feet and followed the prince from the room.
Together, they walked along the hallway, making their way towards Arthur’s room.
“I want to know more about you,” Arthur said. “About what you can do.”
Merlin smiled. “What do you want to know?”
~*~
“Can you make my bed, then?” Arthur asked, reclining in a chair with a casual grace that Merlin never could have achieved, every inch the young prince.
He grinned, flicking his hand at the bed; the sheets pulled themselves taut, arranging themselves neatly on the bed.
“Can you bring my food over here?”
Merlin levitated the tray, moving it across the room and hovering it in front of Arthur. Arthur reached forward and took a sip from his goblet, then picked up a sandwich.
“You can put it back now,” he said.
Merlin complied, still smiling. It was good to have someone to show off to, after so long of having nothing but reprimands for using his magic; he was tired of hiding it, and he now had Arthur, of all people, to share his powers with. It was a thought that needed no completion.
“What are you smiling about, Merlin?”
“I was thinking about how nice it is not to have to keep this to myself all the time,” he replied.
“Come here,” said Arthur imperiously.
Merlin walked slowly towards the boy who had first been no more than an irritation to him but had soon become so much more: his master, his friend, his lover.
Arthur reached up and pulled Merlin down into his lap, bending his head towards the other boy and kissing him thoroughly. Merlin revelled in the feeling of Arthur’s lips on his, that skilful tongue seeking entry into his mouth; Merlin parted his lips, allowing Arthur’s tongue to explore his mouth, meeting it with his own. The kiss grew deeper, hungrier, the two boys battling to conquer one another’s mouths.
Arthur pulled away; Merlin groaned in frustration.
“The dragon was right,” Arthur said.
“Shut up, Arthur,” smiled Merlin, leaning up to kiss him again.
They stayed that way for some time, the future king and his protector.