A Twist of Fate, Chapter 7
Title: A Twist of Fate
Author: Loopstagirl
Warnings/Summary: AU, NC-17, Merlin/Arthur
Summary: The Round Table are notorious for getting the job done and their man at the end of the night. But their latest target seems a little different, not to mention the past he shares with their leader.
A hush fell across the room, all of the men holding their breaths as they turned to face their commander. Arthur had stopped struggling against an unseen force, his breathing hitching slightly before he seemed to settle. He sagged, sinking into the bed and Merlin knew that he didn’t need to explain that he had simply fallen into a deeper sleep. As soon as Arthur calmed, the warlock felt his magic whirl around the room. It was enjoying the freedom that it had been denied, and saving Arthur had just woken it up. It wanted to be lose, wanted to protect its host, and before Merlin knew what he was doing, he could feel the gold leaking into his eyes and his hand rising slightly.
“What the hell are you doing?” Elyan asked softly, but Merlin didn’t miss the way the men were instantly back on alert. Gwaine and Leon made sure that Merlin couldn’t get to Arthur, and Percival was reaching into his pocket, no doubt for a weapon. Merlin knew that it was naive of him to think that they would have even slept unarmed with a warlock in their midst. He sighed, staring at his outstretched hand. What was he doing? He could take them down, knock them all out with one thought if he wanted to, but where would that get him? He would have to run, and knew that this team were good. Somehow, he didn’t think there would be anywhere that he could run too that would be far enough away for them not to find him. For a moment, it was as if time had frozen around him. If he tried to escape, tried to use magic, he knew that his life as he knew it was over. But could he just stay here and potentially let them do anything they wanted just to make the point that he was different? Unbidden, Arthur’s earlier promise about them not hurting him floated into his head.
“Nothing.” Merlin sighed. But the magic didn’t want to simply pull back. Instead, the warlock kept his hand up and let the power flood his senses. There was an audible gasp from somewhere, but he wasn’t sure who. Instead, he just focused on the bed and let the magic draw the covers up around the now resting commander. Thankfully, the small amount of control this had given him over not just his magic, but the whole situation made his gift calm down. It settled, almost like a cat curling up. It was still there, still ready to spring into action, but was content for now.
“Never thought I would see that.” Lancelot muttered, finally beginning to smile now that the danger seemed to have passed. Elyan watched for another moment, before disappearing back into the living room, clearly trying to make the calls that Leon had instructed him too. The rest of the group almost seemed to pair off, Leon and Gwaine were talking in hushed voices the other side of the bed and Percival murmured something to Lancelot.
Leaning against the wall, Merlin could only watch them, wondering just how deep the bond within this unit ran. There was no denying they had genuinely been scared for Arthur, and judging by the way they hadn’t yet relaxed - not that Merlin could blame them, he had said he wouldn’t be able to save the blond - knew that worry was still there. It wasn’t just a unit caring for its leader, they were friends, a type of brotherhood formed that Merlin knew he was only scratching the surface on. It both scared and awed him as he realised these men would die for one another. Who would do that for him? Will had been a good friend over the years, but would he go that far? Merlin liked to think so, but also hoped that he never had to find out.
Thinking about Will made Merlin sigh. Would his friend have noticed that he was gone yet? What would he do when Merlin didn’t answer his phone or the door? Would he call his mother? Would he call the police? Running a hand over his face, feeling exhausted, Merlin was moving before he even thought about what he was doing. He didn’t notice Leon and Gwaine glance at him anxiously as he climbed up on the bed, curling into one of the free spots that Arthur’s sprawled form had left.
“Your fault, you self-righteous prat.” He mumbled bitterly at the sleeping commander. He wasn’t able to stop himself from brushing Arthur’s hair back from his forehead though, glad that his temperature seemed normal. Not knowing what was supposed to happen now, Merlin shut his eyes, his head coming to rest on Arthur’s chest. The man’s deep and steady breathing soon lulled him into a false sense of security and he didn’t notice as he too began to drift off to sleep.
It was a loud banging noise followed by a colourful curse that woke Merlin up this time around. He jerked wildly for a moment, somehow having moved when he was asleep and managed to tangle his leg up with Arthur’s. Swearing himself, the warlock jolted as the door to the bedroom banged open and Lancelot came practically running in. Without a word, he hauled Merlin off the bed. The desperation of his actions meant that Merlin allowed himself to be moved, but still couldn’t stop a small yelp from escaping him when he stumbled.
“Sorry, sorry...” The man mumbled, steadying Merlin by the elbow and pushing him towards another door. Pulling it open, Merlin just about caught sight of the bathroom before he was pushed in. “If you value your life, stay in there and stay quiet.”
“What’s going on?”
“Gaius is here.” Merlin breathed a sigh of relief. The old man had been kind to him at the cells. Despite being unconscious when he was “saved”, Merlin had a feeling that the doctor wouldn’t have exactly tried to stop Arthur and his men, not when he considered what had been said about destiny and such like. There was something reassuringly cryptic about Gaius, something that reminded Merlin of Kilgharrah and made him feel like someone would actually understand what it was that he was caught up in. Lancelot, however, seemed to read the relief on Merlin’s face. He paused, his body blocking the way back into the bedroom, but a worried look on his face.
“He’s not alone. Uther’s here as well.” Merlin involuntary swallowed. The only time he had heard Uther being mentioned was when the unit found they couldn’t get Gaius. The reference that he was Arthur’s father already was making Merlin’s blood run cold and he wasn’t sure why.
“You don’t want him to find you. Are you going to sit here quietly or do I need to cuff you again?” It was clear that Lancelot was trying to sound threatening, but Merlin could see the way he was glancing anxiously over his shoulder as he spoke. If they wanted Merlin caught and restrained, there would be no way they would attempt to hide him. The warlock smiled.
“I’ll be good.” He promised, and watched as Lancelot almost seemed to sag in relief. The soldier smiled, and despite himself, Merlin found that he was smiling back. The man didn’t seem to be as threatening as the rest of them, as if he truly believed that what he was doing was the right thing. Considering the attitude of the whole group, Merlin knew it would have been a lot worse for him if it had been an amateur group. These men didn’t seem to have anything against magic as such, but were just doing as they were told.
He sat down heavily on the toilet seat, looking about him as he did so. He had been in here once before, but the rest of the men weren’t to know that. Considering all that was in here was signs of Arthur, he wondered whether there was another bathroom somewhere else in the flat that the rest of the men shared. This was too organised, too personal for a group of six to share. Tracing his finger along the sink, Merlin found that he was lost in thought. What kind of life was it they led, all six of them in a flat that was clearly designed for one, two at the most. Did they move around a lot, was that why they could deal with living like this? He had seen the state of the living room and the kitchen, the place was a tip. Clear signs of people that only ever stopped in for long enough to rest. This was a base, not a home.
Standing up again, he moved slowly around the room. He didn’t know what it was that he was looking for, but found that he was after something that connected him to the Arthur he had first met. The man had seemed scared, vulnerable even. Judging from what he now knew about them, Merlin wondered whether it had been a mission gone wrong, or this mysterious curse that the commander was under. He had been desperate, his movements almost clumsy and frantic. Despite now wondering whether it had just been another act to make sure that his conquest hadn’t realised who Arthur really was, Merlin couldn’t help but smirk when he thought about the coffee table in the lounge. There had been what looked like files spread over it when he had crept in, but he wondered if the rest of the men knew how literally one of their targets had been taken to pieces on that very same table. Muffling a snort of amusement, Merlin clamped a hand over his mouth as he heard voices in the room beyond.
Creeping to the door, the warlock held his breath as he inched it open slightly. By leaning against the wall, he could just about see into the room. Arthur was still on the bed, that much was apparent. He wasn’t quite sure what his magic had done, but he knew that the commander wouldn’t be stirring any time soon. He could see Leon, the man was practically standing to attention next to the bed, and there were shapes that he couldn’t quite make out by the bedroom door. He didn’t need to be able to see in order to know that it was the rest of the unit. Leaning over Arthur was an old man, and it was only as he turned to face the light slightly did the warlock realise that it was Gaius. But it was the man next to him that had Merlin’s heart beating fast. Uther. It had to be. The one who had sent the unit after him, the one who was responsible for destroying his life. Growling under his breath slightly, Merlin made to open the door further, feeling his magic rising up.
“How did you calm him?”
“Sedative, Sir.” Percival responded quietly, glancing towards the bathroom by accident as he spoke. His eyes met Merlin’s through the gap, and the warlock wasn’t sure whether anyone else saw the way he minutely shook his head. Before he could stop himself, Merlin had sighed, letting the magic die away again. What had he actually been planning to do anyway? He had got himself stuck in a corner. After swearing to Arthur that he never hurt anyone with his magic, Merlin knew that he now had to stick by that promise. If he didn’t, he had a feeling the commander wouldn’t even blink before hauling him back to the cells. And this time, there would be no rescue.
Shuddering slightly, Merlin wrapped his arms around his knees and sunk to the floor. Leaning on the wall, he continued to listen hard, trying to hear anything that might give him more of a clue of what was going on.
“Well done, it’s stabilised him. Leon, pass me his pills, I need to check the dosage. I have the same thing in liquid form, and injection of that should bring him back to us the same way the pills would.”
“Gaius, how long is he going to be like this?” Uther’s voice sent shivers down his spine. How could a man sound like he almost didn’t care what was happening to his son? Merlin knew Arthur was capable of sounding cold, but he knew that the man could also sound pleading, passionate and caring. Uther didn’t sound like he could be anything other than cold, his voice sounded almost clipped. For the first time since he had heard them talk about whether Uther would come even despite the fact that it was his son, Merlin truly believed their doubts.
“Just until the sedative wears off, Sir.”
“No, I mean... the curse. How long will he be under power?”
“He’s under no one’s power, Sir.” Merlin couldn’t help it, he had to snort at the way Gwaine had delivered those words. It seemed that he was not the only one who was not approving of the way Uther was talking. Merlin risked peering through the door again to see Percival with a faint smile on his face and Leon looking like he was trying to be disapproving, but not quite managing it.
“Watch your tongue, soldier.”
“The boy is right.” Gaius cut in, his steely look being the only thing to stop Gwaine bristling too much at being called a “boy.” “Arthur is not under anyone’s control, and as long as he remembers to take the tablets, then this shouldn’t happen again.”
“Why didn’t he take them tonight?” There was almost a collective intake of breath as the men glanced at each other. Merlin sat slowly back. He knew why. Arthur had been too busy trying to “save” him. Could it be that that was what had almost cost the blond his life?
“I am going to use the bathroom, I suggest that you have an answer by the time I get back.” Everyone was too wrapped up in their thoughts to really pay attention to what Uther had just said until he began to walk across the room.
“No, Sir!” Gwaine’s yell had Merlin jumping to his feet, pressing himself against the wall whilst frantically trying to see if there was another way out of the small room. There wasn’t, the door being the only option.
“Step aside, Soldier.”
“Why don’t you use the other one, Sir?” It was Leon’s calming voice now, and soft footsteps showed that he was moving across the room, obviously trying to step Uther. Merlin spun on the spot, dragging a hand through his hair as he realised there was nowhere for him to go. This was going to be it, they were going to catch him and send him back to that cell. Wildly, he wondered whether Gaius would be able to stop Sigan and Alvarr tearing him apart this time or whether he too would just stand by and watch.
“What are you hiding?”
“Nothing.”
“Then I am using that bathroom. Judging by the state of the flat, I am not expecting anything decent...”
“But, Sir..!” Lancelot had joined in now, and Merlin had to clap a hand over his mouth to stop him from yelling out loud in frustration. Uther couldn’t find him, not here and not now. Merlin knew that he had to get away, not just because the leader was here, but from everything. But there had been something in Arthur’s eyes when he had refused to let the warlock go, something that Merlin knew meant he wasn’t being told something. Were they not letting him go because they thought that he was potentially dangerous, but also couldn’t have it on their consciences to put him back in the cells? Or were they not letting him go because there was something else out there?
“Step aside. Now.” Merlin had heard that sort of tone before; it was the same voice Arthur had used when he had ordered his men to get the handcuffs. The warlock had seen how they had reacted, they were soldiers trained to obey commands. There was no way they were about to disobey Uther. Merlin backed himself up into the far wall, letting his power come to the surface. He wasn’t sure whether he truly heard a slight gasp from inside the room or whether he was imaging it. Even if he had heard it, Merlin had no idea what it was supposed to mean. His mind was too preoccupied by the fact that the door was beginning to open to worry about noises that he may or may not have heard.
Merlin was ready. His power was burning brightly at his fingertips and he knew this was the one chance he might have. It did go against everything he had ever tried to use his magic for, but this time, there was no choice. It was either or attack, or be dragged off, potentially to his death. He took a deep breath as he door inched open a little further.
“Ungh...” The door stopped.
“Arthur?”
Another groan, and Merlin could have almost sobbed in relief. The door didn’t move, but soft footsteps indicated that someone was walking away from it. Merlin didn’t dare move. He had backed himself into the corner of the room in a desperate attempt to save himself, but now knew that if he so much as thought as stepping forward, he would be seen. It was strange, part of him wanted to be seen, wanted to fight and escape from the men who were keeping him here. But another part wanted to make sure that Arthur was going to be okay first. It was as if there was a piece of him who had believed what the commander had said about him being safe here. If he was honest, Merlin had felt safe, safer than he had done in a long time. But he was furious at himself for feeling it. How could he feel safe with a high efficient team who had effectively kidnapped him? Sinking back down into a crouch, Merlin glared at the floor, trying to vent his frustrations this way. He was at battle with his own mind in a way he hadn’t been for years, and it was annoying him.
“Arthur, can you hear me?”
“G’us? Wha-?”
“Easy, Sir. You gave your men quite a scare there, just rest easy for a moment.
“Arthur?”
“Father?” More than anything, Merlin wished he could see what was going on in the room. Arthur had sounded cautious on finding out that his father was there, and the warlock just wished that he could see his face. Would that be the reason why Arthur seemed so afraid of being able to open up with his feelings?
“Good. Gaius, do what you must, then meet me in the car in ten minutes.” There were clipped footsteps across the room, the sound of a door opening and shutting again, and Merlin found that he was letting out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding.
“You can come out now.” Gwaine’s amused voice made Merlin cross the bathroom, practically kicking the door open the rest of the way and standing there with his arms folded. Did the man think it was funny that Merlin could have been caught? His angry protests died on his lips when he saw that Gaius was still standing there, watching him. Merlin swallowed hard, his eyes involuntarily flicking to the bedroom door. Percival saw his movement and took one step to the left, blocking the exit. Merlin scowled.
“You alright, mate?” There was a gentler tone in Gwaine’s voice this time, one that Merlin hadn’t yet heard before. It did make him wonder how much of the terror that had been racing through his veins was now showing on his face.
“Percy, you lump, move.” The voice came from behind the giant of a man, but he obliging stepped to one side. Merlin didn’t need telling twice, but ran for it. He only made it a few steps before Gwaine was on top of him.
“Get the cuffs again!” Merlin snarled, his eyes flashing. For once, he didn’t hold back, but unleashed his power, throwing Gwaine away from him and crashing him straight into Leon. Both men fell over with a yell, Gaius only just stepping out of the way. Percival immediately tensed, ready for action as Elyan seemed to dive towards a drawer, clearly indicating where they had hidden the cuffs from Uther. Lancelot, however, stepped into the room, moving closer to the golden-eyed youth.
“You don’t want to do this, Merlin.”
“Then get out of my way!” He was trying to sound intimidating, but knew that it came out as more of a frightened gasp. He couldn’t help it, everything was just beginning to catch up with him slightly. Lancelot made a slight movement with his hand, and Merlin tried to back away as he and Elyan began to approach him, the latter with cuffs in his hand once more.
“We don’t want to hurt you, Merlin, we’re trying to help.”
“By keeping me here? You can’t do this!” The power had built again and Merlin was prepared to blast the two of them across the room. He didn’t want to be good anymore, not if this was the result.
“You haven’t told him?” There was something in Gaius’ voice that made the two approaching soldiers stop, glancing guilty at each other before towards the bed. Arthur seemed to feel their stares and forced his eyes open, flushing at the look Gaius was giving him.
“He wouldn’t shut up for long enough. I had enough trouble stopping him from murdering us all-,”
Merlin snorted in disbelief.
“-, to be able to explain.” Gaius tutted disapprovingly, but there was something soft in his eyes as he looked down at Arthur’s almost collapsed form. Whatever this hex was, Merlin knew it was strong. The commander could barely even lift his head, and the warlock couldn’t help but wonder just how quickly he would have died if Merlin’s magic hadn’t reacted to it.
“Merlin, my boy, please release that power you have bubbling under the surface there, it does no good for a youth such as yourself to keep it on edge like that.” Merlin blinked in astonishment, eyebrows disappearing. But before he had even thought about what he was doing, the hold on his power began to slip and it calmed down again. He knew the moment his eyes turned back to their normal colour by the way Lancelot seemed to sag in relief.
“Now,” Gaius continued, nodding in approval, “I believe you were making some, tea, Lancelot?” The man nodded, reaching behind Percival and pulling out a tray. Merlin hadn’t even noticed him put it down when he first entered, but the rest of the men practically swarmed to it. He had to smile as Gwaine smacked Elyan’s hand out of the way and grabbed the mug the younger man had been aiming towards. Gaius rolled his eyes at them, busying himself with helping prop Arthur up before taking one of the remaining mugs.
“I didn’t know how you liked it.” Lancelot’s quiet voice made Merlin blink, and he realised that everyone in the room was staring at him. Feeling colour rush to his cheeks in a self conscious way, he tentatively took a step forward, but found that once again, his eyes were drawn to the door.
“Merlin, if you think about running for it before hearing Gaius out, I’m going to handcuff you again.” Arthur didn’t even have his eyes open as he spoke, his voice sounding hoarse, but Gwaine made no attempt to disguise the burst out laughter that seemed to almost explode from him.
“The princess is getting to know you.” He clapped Merlin on the shoulder, picked up the last mug and practically forced it into Merlin’s hands. “May as well make yourself comfy, kid, Gaius’ tales go on for an age.”
“Mind your tongue, Gwaine, or I’ll remove it.” Merlin blinked, but there was a fond smile on Gaius’ face even as Gwaine gave him a mock salute and sat down on the edge of the bed, nudging Arthur’s feet out of the way at the same time. Not knowing what else to do, Merlin tightened his grip on the mug and slid back down the wall. He couldn’t help but feel a lot safer when there was something solid behind him and he could keep at all the men in his line of vision. Percival was still blocking the door, and Merlin knew there was no way out for him. Not unless he used magic again, and if he was honest, he was too tired to do it again. The fight had practically left him, but he couldn’t help but sigh in satisfaction as he took a sip of the tea.
“Perfect,” he muttered, not realising that he was speaking out loud until he glanced up to be met with Lancelot’s beaming smile. Gwaine rolled his eyes, and Arthur finally managed to open his.
“How are your arms?” Gaius’ question made Merlin blink, realising that he had barely even felt the wounds the sorcerers had carved into him. “Gwaine told me they made quite a pretty pattern of you.”
Merlin shrugged, rolling up the sleeves of Arthur’s jacket and peering at the bandages underneath. He had bled slightly, probably not helped by the way he had been fighting, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gaius lean forward. He kept his distance though, either wanting to give the teenager some space or wary of what would happen if he got too close.
“He won’t hurt you, Gaius. He swore.” Merlin blinked. He had expected Arthur to sound scathing again, like he wasn’t sure whether to believe Merlin or not. But he had sounded frank and honest, and Gaius seemed to relax.
“I knew that he was a good boy.”
“You don’t know anything about me.” Merlin muttered, pulling the sleeves back down again. Percival almost seemed to wince, as if he was worried that his handy work would be ruined. Merlin flinched slightly, realising that being rough on his own wounds was not going to get him anywhere and shot the man an apologetic grin. He had potentially saved Merlin’s life, after all, what good was it to be hostile. “So just let me go.”
“Merlin...”
“Arthur, tell him.” There was a finality in Gaius’s voice that made everyone turn to look at Arthur. He had managed to navigate himself into a more upright position, although Merlin wondered whether anyone else could see past the brave face he was trying to pull. Probably. He had only known the commander a matter of hours, his men lived with him. Merlin got the feeling there wasn’t a lot Arthur could hide from them. But he wasn’t in the mood to question it, his mind whirring over what they were talking about.
“Tell me what?”
“Do you really think that we want you here?” Arthur said bluntly, and Merlin immediately bristled. The commander seemed to know that he was about to get yelled at again and held up a hand. “Don’t argue just for the sake of arguing Merlin, you don’t want to be here either.” His eyes glanced to Leon and Gwaine, Leon still attempting to straighten his shirt from where Merlin had sent them flying.
“Then why don’t you just let me go?” It was as if everyone else in the room had just faded out of existence as Merlin locked eyes with Arthur, his heart pounding uncomfortably fast. Maybe his earlier thoughts about something else going on were true after all?
“Merlin... we weren’t the ones to find you.” Merlin scoffed, rolling his eyes even as he took another sip of his tea.
“So what do you call the ambush behind the club then?”
“We were the ones to catch you, I’m not denying that. But we were told where to find you. Your file is out there, you can see for yourself. There is another team, known as the Trackers. They’re led by a man named Aredian.”
Gaius shuddered and Merlin frowned. The man’s reaction hadn’t been to Arthur perhaps giving away more details than he should have, but to the man himself. Leon had tensed and Elyan swallowed quietly. Whoever this man was, Merlin didn’t need to ask to know that he was not good news. If the Round Table could react like this, what chance did anyone else have?
“He can find pretty much anyone. Face it, I didn’t know about you the first time we...met. I had no idea that you are the strongest person that we have gone against.” Somehow, Merlin didn’t think that was meant as a compliment.
“If you step out of this door, he’ll find you in seconds.”
“What?!”
“And he’ll know that is was us. He’ll wipe us out for it.” Leon rested a hand on Arthur’s shoulder for a moment, clearly seeing that Arthur had gone even paler than he was before. The commander wasn’t just trying to bluff here, he seemed genuinely concerned about what would happen if his team were implicated in this. Merlin was burning to ask why they had helped him if the consequences were that bad, but held his tongue. Arthur didn’t seem to be finished.
“We can get you out though. It will take a few days, we have to make sure that we are not being watched. But you can’t go now, Merlin, or you’ll end up back in the cell faster than you can blink. And this time, there will be no rescue.”
“Scare the boy, why don’t you?” Gaius muttered, shooting Arthur a look that had the commander blushing slightly. Merlin didn’t notice though, the blood was pounding in his head as he stared at Arthur. There was someone else after him? Someone that could find him anywhere?
“Only in Camelot.” Arthur corrected, seeming to know what Merlin was thinking. “Give us a week, and we can get you out. But Merlin...”
The warlock had a feeling he wasn’t going to like this.
“... we need you to stay here for now. So please, if you stick by your promise of not hurting anyone, you can stay here, free.”
“Isn’t that a bit of a contradiction?” Merlin muttered, fingers playing with the mug.
“Fight us and we’ll just cuff you. We’re getting you out, Merlin, but I will not have you bring my team down with you.” Merlin met Arthur’s eyes at his harsh tone, but could only see the protectiveness there. Eventually, he sighed and glumly nodded.
He didn’t think he really had a choice in the matter.
http://archiveofourown.org/works/380843/chapters/622278
Author: Loopstagirl
Warnings/Summary: AU, NC-17, Merlin/Arthur
Summary: The Round Table are notorious for getting the job done and their man at the end of the night. But their latest target seems a little different, not to mention the past he shares with their leader.
A hush fell across the room, all of the men holding their breaths as they turned to face their commander. Arthur had stopped struggling against an unseen force, his breathing hitching slightly before he seemed to settle. He sagged, sinking into the bed and Merlin knew that he didn’t need to explain that he had simply fallen into a deeper sleep. As soon as Arthur calmed, the warlock felt his magic whirl around the room. It was enjoying the freedom that it had been denied, and saving Arthur had just woken it up. It wanted to be lose, wanted to protect its host, and before Merlin knew what he was doing, he could feel the gold leaking into his eyes and his hand rising slightly.
“What the hell are you doing?” Elyan asked softly, but Merlin didn’t miss the way the men were instantly back on alert. Gwaine and Leon made sure that Merlin couldn’t get to Arthur, and Percival was reaching into his pocket, no doubt for a weapon. Merlin knew that it was naive of him to think that they would have even slept unarmed with a warlock in their midst. He sighed, staring at his outstretched hand. What was he doing? He could take them down, knock them all out with one thought if he wanted to, but where would that get him? He would have to run, and knew that this team were good. Somehow, he didn’t think there would be anywhere that he could run too that would be far enough away for them not to find him. For a moment, it was as if time had frozen around him. If he tried to escape, tried to use magic, he knew that his life as he knew it was over. But could he just stay here and potentially let them do anything they wanted just to make the point that he was different? Unbidden, Arthur’s earlier promise about them not hurting him floated into his head.
“Nothing.” Merlin sighed. But the magic didn’t want to simply pull back. Instead, the warlock kept his hand up and let the power flood his senses. There was an audible gasp from somewhere, but he wasn’t sure who. Instead, he just focused on the bed and let the magic draw the covers up around the now resting commander. Thankfully, the small amount of control this had given him over not just his magic, but the whole situation made his gift calm down. It settled, almost like a cat curling up. It was still there, still ready to spring into action, but was content for now.
“Never thought I would see that.” Lancelot muttered, finally beginning to smile now that the danger seemed to have passed. Elyan watched for another moment, before disappearing back into the living room, clearly trying to make the calls that Leon had instructed him too. The rest of the group almost seemed to pair off, Leon and Gwaine were talking in hushed voices the other side of the bed and Percival murmured something to Lancelot.
Leaning against the wall, Merlin could only watch them, wondering just how deep the bond within this unit ran. There was no denying they had genuinely been scared for Arthur, and judging by the way they hadn’t yet relaxed - not that Merlin could blame them, he had said he wouldn’t be able to save the blond - knew that worry was still there. It wasn’t just a unit caring for its leader, they were friends, a type of brotherhood formed that Merlin knew he was only scratching the surface on. It both scared and awed him as he realised these men would die for one another. Who would do that for him? Will had been a good friend over the years, but would he go that far? Merlin liked to think so, but also hoped that he never had to find out.
Thinking about Will made Merlin sigh. Would his friend have noticed that he was gone yet? What would he do when Merlin didn’t answer his phone or the door? Would he call his mother? Would he call the police? Running a hand over his face, feeling exhausted, Merlin was moving before he even thought about what he was doing. He didn’t notice Leon and Gwaine glance at him anxiously as he climbed up on the bed, curling into one of the free spots that Arthur’s sprawled form had left.
“Your fault, you self-righteous prat.” He mumbled bitterly at the sleeping commander. He wasn’t able to stop himself from brushing Arthur’s hair back from his forehead though, glad that his temperature seemed normal. Not knowing what was supposed to happen now, Merlin shut his eyes, his head coming to rest on Arthur’s chest. The man’s deep and steady breathing soon lulled him into a false sense of security and he didn’t notice as he too began to drift off to sleep.
It was a loud banging noise followed by a colourful curse that woke Merlin up this time around. He jerked wildly for a moment, somehow having moved when he was asleep and managed to tangle his leg up with Arthur’s. Swearing himself, the warlock jolted as the door to the bedroom banged open and Lancelot came practically running in. Without a word, he hauled Merlin off the bed. The desperation of his actions meant that Merlin allowed himself to be moved, but still couldn’t stop a small yelp from escaping him when he stumbled.
“Sorry, sorry...” The man mumbled, steadying Merlin by the elbow and pushing him towards another door. Pulling it open, Merlin just about caught sight of the bathroom before he was pushed in. “If you value your life, stay in there and stay quiet.”
“What’s going on?”
“Gaius is here.” Merlin breathed a sigh of relief. The old man had been kind to him at the cells. Despite being unconscious when he was “saved”, Merlin had a feeling that the doctor wouldn’t have exactly tried to stop Arthur and his men, not when he considered what had been said about destiny and such like. There was something reassuringly cryptic about Gaius, something that reminded Merlin of Kilgharrah and made him feel like someone would actually understand what it was that he was caught up in. Lancelot, however, seemed to read the relief on Merlin’s face. He paused, his body blocking the way back into the bedroom, but a worried look on his face.
“He’s not alone. Uther’s here as well.” Merlin involuntary swallowed. The only time he had heard Uther being mentioned was when the unit found they couldn’t get Gaius. The reference that he was Arthur’s father already was making Merlin’s blood run cold and he wasn’t sure why.
“You don’t want him to find you. Are you going to sit here quietly or do I need to cuff you again?” It was clear that Lancelot was trying to sound threatening, but Merlin could see the way he was glancing anxiously over his shoulder as he spoke. If they wanted Merlin caught and restrained, there would be no way they would attempt to hide him. The warlock smiled.
“I’ll be good.” He promised, and watched as Lancelot almost seemed to sag in relief. The soldier smiled, and despite himself, Merlin found that he was smiling back. The man didn’t seem to be as threatening as the rest of them, as if he truly believed that what he was doing was the right thing. Considering the attitude of the whole group, Merlin knew it would have been a lot worse for him if it had been an amateur group. These men didn’t seem to have anything against magic as such, but were just doing as they were told.
He sat down heavily on the toilet seat, looking about him as he did so. He had been in here once before, but the rest of the men weren’t to know that. Considering all that was in here was signs of Arthur, he wondered whether there was another bathroom somewhere else in the flat that the rest of the men shared. This was too organised, too personal for a group of six to share. Tracing his finger along the sink, Merlin found that he was lost in thought. What kind of life was it they led, all six of them in a flat that was clearly designed for one, two at the most. Did they move around a lot, was that why they could deal with living like this? He had seen the state of the living room and the kitchen, the place was a tip. Clear signs of people that only ever stopped in for long enough to rest. This was a base, not a home.
Standing up again, he moved slowly around the room. He didn’t know what it was that he was looking for, but found that he was after something that connected him to the Arthur he had first met. The man had seemed scared, vulnerable even. Judging from what he now knew about them, Merlin wondered whether it had been a mission gone wrong, or this mysterious curse that the commander was under. He had been desperate, his movements almost clumsy and frantic. Despite now wondering whether it had just been another act to make sure that his conquest hadn’t realised who Arthur really was, Merlin couldn’t help but smirk when he thought about the coffee table in the lounge. There had been what looked like files spread over it when he had crept in, but he wondered if the rest of the men knew how literally one of their targets had been taken to pieces on that very same table. Muffling a snort of amusement, Merlin clamped a hand over his mouth as he heard voices in the room beyond.
Creeping to the door, the warlock held his breath as he inched it open slightly. By leaning against the wall, he could just about see into the room. Arthur was still on the bed, that much was apparent. He wasn’t quite sure what his magic had done, but he knew that the commander wouldn’t be stirring any time soon. He could see Leon, the man was practically standing to attention next to the bed, and there were shapes that he couldn’t quite make out by the bedroom door. He didn’t need to be able to see in order to know that it was the rest of the unit. Leaning over Arthur was an old man, and it was only as he turned to face the light slightly did the warlock realise that it was Gaius. But it was the man next to him that had Merlin’s heart beating fast. Uther. It had to be. The one who had sent the unit after him, the one who was responsible for destroying his life. Growling under his breath slightly, Merlin made to open the door further, feeling his magic rising up.
“How did you calm him?”
“Sedative, Sir.” Percival responded quietly, glancing towards the bathroom by accident as he spoke. His eyes met Merlin’s through the gap, and the warlock wasn’t sure whether anyone else saw the way he minutely shook his head. Before he could stop himself, Merlin had sighed, letting the magic die away again. What had he actually been planning to do anyway? He had got himself stuck in a corner. After swearing to Arthur that he never hurt anyone with his magic, Merlin knew that he now had to stick by that promise. If he didn’t, he had a feeling the commander wouldn’t even blink before hauling him back to the cells. And this time, there would be no rescue.
Shuddering slightly, Merlin wrapped his arms around his knees and sunk to the floor. Leaning on the wall, he continued to listen hard, trying to hear anything that might give him more of a clue of what was going on.
“Well done, it’s stabilised him. Leon, pass me his pills, I need to check the dosage. I have the same thing in liquid form, and injection of that should bring him back to us the same way the pills would.”
“Gaius, how long is he going to be like this?” Uther’s voice sent shivers down his spine. How could a man sound like he almost didn’t care what was happening to his son? Merlin knew Arthur was capable of sounding cold, but he knew that the man could also sound pleading, passionate and caring. Uther didn’t sound like he could be anything other than cold, his voice sounded almost clipped. For the first time since he had heard them talk about whether Uther would come even despite the fact that it was his son, Merlin truly believed their doubts.
“Just until the sedative wears off, Sir.”
“No, I mean... the curse. How long will he be under power?”
“He’s under no one’s power, Sir.” Merlin couldn’t help it, he had to snort at the way Gwaine had delivered those words. It seemed that he was not the only one who was not approving of the way Uther was talking. Merlin risked peering through the door again to see Percival with a faint smile on his face and Leon looking like he was trying to be disapproving, but not quite managing it.
“Watch your tongue, soldier.”
“The boy is right.” Gaius cut in, his steely look being the only thing to stop Gwaine bristling too much at being called a “boy.” “Arthur is not under anyone’s control, and as long as he remembers to take the tablets, then this shouldn’t happen again.”
“Why didn’t he take them tonight?” There was almost a collective intake of breath as the men glanced at each other. Merlin sat slowly back. He knew why. Arthur had been too busy trying to “save” him. Could it be that that was what had almost cost the blond his life?
“I am going to use the bathroom, I suggest that you have an answer by the time I get back.” Everyone was too wrapped up in their thoughts to really pay attention to what Uther had just said until he began to walk across the room.
“No, Sir!” Gwaine’s yell had Merlin jumping to his feet, pressing himself against the wall whilst frantically trying to see if there was another way out of the small room. There wasn’t, the door being the only option.
“Step aside, Soldier.”
“Why don’t you use the other one, Sir?” It was Leon’s calming voice now, and soft footsteps showed that he was moving across the room, obviously trying to step Uther. Merlin spun on the spot, dragging a hand through his hair as he realised there was nowhere for him to go. This was going to be it, they were going to catch him and send him back to that cell. Wildly, he wondered whether Gaius would be able to stop Sigan and Alvarr tearing him apart this time or whether he too would just stand by and watch.
“What are you hiding?”
“Nothing.”
“Then I am using that bathroom. Judging by the state of the flat, I am not expecting anything decent...”
“But, Sir..!” Lancelot had joined in now, and Merlin had to clap a hand over his mouth to stop him from yelling out loud in frustration. Uther couldn’t find him, not here and not now. Merlin knew that he had to get away, not just because the leader was here, but from everything. But there had been something in Arthur’s eyes when he had refused to let the warlock go, something that Merlin knew meant he wasn’t being told something. Were they not letting him go because they thought that he was potentially dangerous, but also couldn’t have it on their consciences to put him back in the cells? Or were they not letting him go because there was something else out there?
“Step aside. Now.” Merlin had heard that sort of tone before; it was the same voice Arthur had used when he had ordered his men to get the handcuffs. The warlock had seen how they had reacted, they were soldiers trained to obey commands. There was no way they were about to disobey Uther. Merlin backed himself up into the far wall, letting his power come to the surface. He wasn’t sure whether he truly heard a slight gasp from inside the room or whether he was imaging it. Even if he had heard it, Merlin had no idea what it was supposed to mean. His mind was too preoccupied by the fact that the door was beginning to open to worry about noises that he may or may not have heard.
Merlin was ready. His power was burning brightly at his fingertips and he knew this was the one chance he might have. It did go against everything he had ever tried to use his magic for, but this time, there was no choice. It was either or attack, or be dragged off, potentially to his death. He took a deep breath as he door inched open a little further.
“Ungh...” The door stopped.
“Arthur?”
Another groan, and Merlin could have almost sobbed in relief. The door didn’t move, but soft footsteps indicated that someone was walking away from it. Merlin didn’t dare move. He had backed himself into the corner of the room in a desperate attempt to save himself, but now knew that if he so much as thought as stepping forward, he would be seen. It was strange, part of him wanted to be seen, wanted to fight and escape from the men who were keeping him here. But another part wanted to make sure that Arthur was going to be okay first. It was as if there was a piece of him who had believed what the commander had said about him being safe here. If he was honest, Merlin had felt safe, safer than he had done in a long time. But he was furious at himself for feeling it. How could he feel safe with a high efficient team who had effectively kidnapped him? Sinking back down into a crouch, Merlin glared at the floor, trying to vent his frustrations this way. He was at battle with his own mind in a way he hadn’t been for years, and it was annoying him.
“Arthur, can you hear me?”
“G’us? Wha-?”
“Easy, Sir. You gave your men quite a scare there, just rest easy for a moment.
“Arthur?”
“Father?” More than anything, Merlin wished he could see what was going on in the room. Arthur had sounded cautious on finding out that his father was there, and the warlock just wished that he could see his face. Would that be the reason why Arthur seemed so afraid of being able to open up with his feelings?
“Good. Gaius, do what you must, then meet me in the car in ten minutes.” There were clipped footsteps across the room, the sound of a door opening and shutting again, and Merlin found that he was letting out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding.
“You can come out now.” Gwaine’s amused voice made Merlin cross the bathroom, practically kicking the door open the rest of the way and standing there with his arms folded. Did the man think it was funny that Merlin could have been caught? His angry protests died on his lips when he saw that Gaius was still standing there, watching him. Merlin swallowed hard, his eyes involuntarily flicking to the bedroom door. Percival saw his movement and took one step to the left, blocking the exit. Merlin scowled.
“You alright, mate?” There was a gentler tone in Gwaine’s voice this time, one that Merlin hadn’t yet heard before. It did make him wonder how much of the terror that had been racing through his veins was now showing on his face.
“Percy, you lump, move.” The voice came from behind the giant of a man, but he obliging stepped to one side. Merlin didn’t need telling twice, but ran for it. He only made it a few steps before Gwaine was on top of him.
“Get the cuffs again!” Merlin snarled, his eyes flashing. For once, he didn’t hold back, but unleashed his power, throwing Gwaine away from him and crashing him straight into Leon. Both men fell over with a yell, Gaius only just stepping out of the way. Percival immediately tensed, ready for action as Elyan seemed to dive towards a drawer, clearly indicating where they had hidden the cuffs from Uther. Lancelot, however, stepped into the room, moving closer to the golden-eyed youth.
“You don’t want to do this, Merlin.”
“Then get out of my way!” He was trying to sound intimidating, but knew that it came out as more of a frightened gasp. He couldn’t help it, everything was just beginning to catch up with him slightly. Lancelot made a slight movement with his hand, and Merlin tried to back away as he and Elyan began to approach him, the latter with cuffs in his hand once more.
“We don’t want to hurt you, Merlin, we’re trying to help.”
“By keeping me here? You can’t do this!” The power had built again and Merlin was prepared to blast the two of them across the room. He didn’t want to be good anymore, not if this was the result.
“You haven’t told him?” There was something in Gaius’ voice that made the two approaching soldiers stop, glancing guilty at each other before towards the bed. Arthur seemed to feel their stares and forced his eyes open, flushing at the look Gaius was giving him.
“He wouldn’t shut up for long enough. I had enough trouble stopping him from murdering us all-,”
Merlin snorted in disbelief.
“-, to be able to explain.” Gaius tutted disapprovingly, but there was something soft in his eyes as he looked down at Arthur’s almost collapsed form. Whatever this hex was, Merlin knew it was strong. The commander could barely even lift his head, and the warlock couldn’t help but wonder just how quickly he would have died if Merlin’s magic hadn’t reacted to it.
“Merlin, my boy, please release that power you have bubbling under the surface there, it does no good for a youth such as yourself to keep it on edge like that.” Merlin blinked in astonishment, eyebrows disappearing. But before he had even thought about what he was doing, the hold on his power began to slip and it calmed down again. He knew the moment his eyes turned back to their normal colour by the way Lancelot seemed to sag in relief.
“Now,” Gaius continued, nodding in approval, “I believe you were making some, tea, Lancelot?” The man nodded, reaching behind Percival and pulling out a tray. Merlin hadn’t even noticed him put it down when he first entered, but the rest of the men practically swarmed to it. He had to smile as Gwaine smacked Elyan’s hand out of the way and grabbed the mug the younger man had been aiming towards. Gaius rolled his eyes at them, busying himself with helping prop Arthur up before taking one of the remaining mugs.
“I didn’t know how you liked it.” Lancelot’s quiet voice made Merlin blink, and he realised that everyone in the room was staring at him. Feeling colour rush to his cheeks in a self conscious way, he tentatively took a step forward, but found that once again, his eyes were drawn to the door.
“Merlin, if you think about running for it before hearing Gaius out, I’m going to handcuff you again.” Arthur didn’t even have his eyes open as he spoke, his voice sounding hoarse, but Gwaine made no attempt to disguise the burst out laughter that seemed to almost explode from him.
“The princess is getting to know you.” He clapped Merlin on the shoulder, picked up the last mug and practically forced it into Merlin’s hands. “May as well make yourself comfy, kid, Gaius’ tales go on for an age.”
“Mind your tongue, Gwaine, or I’ll remove it.” Merlin blinked, but there was a fond smile on Gaius’ face even as Gwaine gave him a mock salute and sat down on the edge of the bed, nudging Arthur’s feet out of the way at the same time. Not knowing what else to do, Merlin tightened his grip on the mug and slid back down the wall. He couldn’t help but feel a lot safer when there was something solid behind him and he could keep at all the men in his line of vision. Percival was still blocking the door, and Merlin knew there was no way out for him. Not unless he used magic again, and if he was honest, he was too tired to do it again. The fight had practically left him, but he couldn’t help but sigh in satisfaction as he took a sip of the tea.
“Perfect,” he muttered, not realising that he was speaking out loud until he glanced up to be met with Lancelot’s beaming smile. Gwaine rolled his eyes, and Arthur finally managed to open his.
“How are your arms?” Gaius’ question made Merlin blink, realising that he had barely even felt the wounds the sorcerers had carved into him. “Gwaine told me they made quite a pretty pattern of you.”
Merlin shrugged, rolling up the sleeves of Arthur’s jacket and peering at the bandages underneath. He had bled slightly, probably not helped by the way he had been fighting, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gaius lean forward. He kept his distance though, either wanting to give the teenager some space or wary of what would happen if he got too close.
“He won’t hurt you, Gaius. He swore.” Merlin blinked. He had expected Arthur to sound scathing again, like he wasn’t sure whether to believe Merlin or not. But he had sounded frank and honest, and Gaius seemed to relax.
“I knew that he was a good boy.”
“You don’t know anything about me.” Merlin muttered, pulling the sleeves back down again. Percival almost seemed to wince, as if he was worried that his handy work would be ruined. Merlin flinched slightly, realising that being rough on his own wounds was not going to get him anywhere and shot the man an apologetic grin. He had potentially saved Merlin’s life, after all, what good was it to be hostile. “So just let me go.”
“Merlin...”
“Arthur, tell him.” There was a finality in Gaius’s voice that made everyone turn to look at Arthur. He had managed to navigate himself into a more upright position, although Merlin wondered whether anyone else could see past the brave face he was trying to pull. Probably. He had only known the commander a matter of hours, his men lived with him. Merlin got the feeling there wasn’t a lot Arthur could hide from them. But he wasn’t in the mood to question it, his mind whirring over what they were talking about.
“Tell me what?”
“Do you really think that we want you here?” Arthur said bluntly, and Merlin immediately bristled. The commander seemed to know that he was about to get yelled at again and held up a hand. “Don’t argue just for the sake of arguing Merlin, you don’t want to be here either.” His eyes glanced to Leon and Gwaine, Leon still attempting to straighten his shirt from where Merlin had sent them flying.
“Then why don’t you just let me go?” It was as if everyone else in the room had just faded out of existence as Merlin locked eyes with Arthur, his heart pounding uncomfortably fast. Maybe his earlier thoughts about something else going on were true after all?
“Merlin... we weren’t the ones to find you.” Merlin scoffed, rolling his eyes even as he took another sip of his tea.
“So what do you call the ambush behind the club then?”
“We were the ones to catch you, I’m not denying that. But we were told where to find you. Your file is out there, you can see for yourself. There is another team, known as the Trackers. They’re led by a man named Aredian.”
Gaius shuddered and Merlin frowned. The man’s reaction hadn’t been to Arthur perhaps giving away more details than he should have, but to the man himself. Leon had tensed and Elyan swallowed quietly. Whoever this man was, Merlin didn’t need to ask to know that he was not good news. If the Round Table could react like this, what chance did anyone else have?
“He can find pretty much anyone. Face it, I didn’t know about you the first time we...met. I had no idea that you are the strongest person that we have gone against.” Somehow, Merlin didn’t think that was meant as a compliment.
“If you step out of this door, he’ll find you in seconds.”
“What?!”
“And he’ll know that is was us. He’ll wipe us out for it.” Leon rested a hand on Arthur’s shoulder for a moment, clearly seeing that Arthur had gone even paler than he was before. The commander wasn’t just trying to bluff here, he seemed genuinely concerned about what would happen if his team were implicated in this. Merlin was burning to ask why they had helped him if the consequences were that bad, but held his tongue. Arthur didn’t seem to be finished.
“We can get you out though. It will take a few days, we have to make sure that we are not being watched. But you can’t go now, Merlin, or you’ll end up back in the cell faster than you can blink. And this time, there will be no rescue.”
“Scare the boy, why don’t you?” Gaius muttered, shooting Arthur a look that had the commander blushing slightly. Merlin didn’t notice though, the blood was pounding in his head as he stared at Arthur. There was someone else after him? Someone that could find him anywhere?
“Only in Camelot.” Arthur corrected, seeming to know what Merlin was thinking. “Give us a week, and we can get you out. But Merlin...”
The warlock had a feeling he wasn’t going to like this.
“... we need you to stay here for now. So please, if you stick by your promise of not hurting anyone, you can stay here, free.”
“Isn’t that a bit of a contradiction?” Merlin muttered, fingers playing with the mug.
“Fight us and we’ll just cuff you. We’re getting you out, Merlin, but I will not have you bring my team down with you.” Merlin met Arthur’s eyes at his harsh tone, but could only see the protectiveness there. Eventually, he sighed and glumly nodded.
He didn’t think he really had a choice in the matter.
http://archiveofourown.org/works/380843/chapters/622278