Boys Just Wanna Have Fun, Part 3/3
<< Part 2
When they finally got home Arthur ushered him to the kitchen, sat him down and started wandering about the kitchen, trying to pretend like he was cooking.
"Just heat up some canned soup, already, I know you're a terrible cook," Merlin said, rolling his eyes. He knew Arthur meant well, but sometimes...
Arthur sighed and nodded, and made soup, and some toast, and they ate in comfortable silence, Merlin focused on being able to eat by himself. Apart from a few stray drops, he managed.
"I'll deal with the dishes," Arthur said, as was their routine. Merlin cooked, Arthur washed up.
"But you-"
"I'll do the washing up," Arthur said. "Later. Right now, let's get you a bath."
Any other time, Merlin would've complained about Arthur treating him like a child, running his bath, using twice the bubble bath thing as necessary, and making sure the softest flannel washcloth he had was ready.
But in light of what happened, Merlin rather enjoyed the pampering, so after taking the pain-pills prescribed by Gaius, he let Arthur undress him, (though he made sure to at least pull Arthur out of his shirt); and let Arthur lift him up and set him into the bath; and let Arthur wash him carefully, the meds taking away the crawling feeling of Arthur seeing him like this. Merlin could already anticipate the long lecture he’d get about this from Gaius (or even the hospital’s resident psychiatrist, Drake Kilgarragh, who Merlin would no doubt have to see at some point), but this was Arthur - Merlin couldn’t be arsed to get over this the proper way, not now. And he refused to let Arthur end up in a category of his brain anywhere close to Eddie’s.
As he was toweled dry in obnoxiously luxurious towels, he couldn't help but remember why having a rich boyfriend was great - no matter what Will had ever said.
"I called your mother," Arthur said, as he dressed Merlin. "She'll be coming this weekend."
"What?!" Merlin said. "You...I…"
"She deserves to know," Arthur said.
“She’s my mother!” Merlin snapped, looking away at the taken-aback expression on Arthur’s face. “You should have let me call her.”
“When were you planning to?” Arthur asked. “I know you, Merlin. You don’t like letting people know when something’s wrong. It took you two weeks to tell me when Will had died! When would you have told her about this?”
Merlin just glared. “She’s my mum. It’s not up to you to call her.”
Arthur sighed. “I’m sorry, just - she needed to know. Now. And you wouldn’t have.”
"It still wasn’t up to you," Merlin said, before sighing as the fight drained out of him. He didn’t want to deal with this, not now. He was still tired and just wanted to forget all about this. "Just - as soon as she gets overbearing, I'm calling Gwen for a ride and dumping her on you."
Arthur smiled, relieved, and pulled Merlin close. "Fair enough."
They wandered over to the couch, and Merlin smiled as he saw his feast of junk food laid out on the coffee table.
Arthur wrapped him up in his big, fluffy blanket, and settled him down on the couch. He put the DVD in the player, and joined Merlin on the couch, wrapping his arms around him.
"Come on, then, your stupid American show awaits you," Arthur said.
Merlin raised a speculative and slightly disbelieving eyebrow at Arthur.
"...I have the week off!"
That only seemed to make Merlin raise his eyebrow higher.
Arthur sighed, reached into his pocket, and revealed his BlackBerry, his business page already open.
Merlin grinned. "I know you, you daft little-"
"Do not finish that sentence," Arthur said. "Or I will not be responsible for Gwen and Morgana getting their hands on the photos of you working as a Christmas Elf in a shopping mall."
Merlin just smiled, stuck out his tongue, then turned to the television screen to watch the show.
~*~
Arthur woke up with a frown, wondering what exactly had woken him up.
Turning his head, then freezing, he saw what.
The blankets were askew as Merlin tossed and turned in his sleep.
“No," Merlin whimpered. "Please...don't!"
It broke Arthur's heart to see Merlin begging the air above him for mercy.
"Merlin," he said quietly.
He touched Merlin, who shrank away.
Just a nightmare, just a nightmare...
He gripped Merlin's shoulder, and shook him awake.
"Ah!" Merlin flailed as he kicked Arthur away, backing away on the couch, wild eyes searching for an enemy no longer there.
"Merlin," Arthur said softly. "You're safe, now, you're home."
Breathing heavily, there was a pause, before Merlin said, "A-Arthur?"
"Home now, remember?" Arthur said, calmly. "You're safe, you're fine - no one is hurting you."
Merlin nodded shakily, before launching himself at Arthur, wrapping his arms around him.
Arthur embraced Merlin, too, cradling his head as he sobbed into Arthur's shoulder, face buried below the crook of his neck.
"I - we were talking - he was nice - I said no! I s-said no, Arthur, I kept saying no, he didn't, he didn't care, he didn't listen, and it hurt, it hurt it hurt ithurtithurt-"
Arthur shut his eyes, feeling the rage and fury rise at the words Merlin used to describe what happened.
"-wanted it to stop, just stop, and I'm sorry, Arthur, so sorry-"
"Shh..." Arthur shushed him. "It's not your fault."
He felt Merlin nod against his chest.
It was a long time that they sat there, Arthur staring at the TV screensaver, their half-finished junk-feast, the moonlight reflecting over the city through the windows.
Merlin quieted down, outright sobbing turning into quiet crying and trembling in Arthur's arms.
Soon after, Merlin was asleep again.
Arthur didn't move, holding Merlin protectively and rocking back and forth a little bit, stroking Merlin's head, arms, and back in comfort for his sleep.
When it seemed Merlin's sleep would remain peaceful, Arthur gently laid him back down, his own sleep a lost cause as he draped Merlin over his lap, keeping him close in case the nightmares started again.
He pulled out his phone, ignoring the little voices in his head that sounded oddly like Gwen and Merlin about excessive work, and blinked in surprise at the e-mail he saw from his father.
He opened it and read it.
Then read it again.
~*~
There were times when Arthur truly despised his father, hated him, wished his father were anyone but Uther Pendragon.
This was not one of those times.
As he typed out a "Thank you, Father" note, he was fairly certain his dad was brilliant.
He reconsidered his note, deleted it, and rewrote, Thanks, Dad. Very much. then hit SEND.
Not surprisingly, only a few minutes later, he got a note back from his father.
You're welcome. Good luck.
Yes, for once, he was convinced he had the best damn dad in the world.
~*~
Merlin awoke to the smells of pancakes, bacon, sausages, and eggs emanating from the kitchen.
Knowing Arthur, he was immediately suspicious.
Then he saw several take-away boxes littering the counter, and eased.
Arthur smiled when he looked over and saw Merlin pushing himself up. "Morning!"
Merlin nodded with a small smile, blushing at the memory of last night.
"Sorry about...well, turning into a complete and utter wreck on you-"
"Don't apologize for that," Arthur said immediately, voice firm and brooking no argument. "You needed it. You feel better, don't you?" he prodded, as if he were the doctor.
Merlin's smile grew, and he nodded. He hated that the attack was still following him and that he’d bawled his eyes out like a baby, but he did feel better.
Arthur helped him up and they sat down at the table, where Arthur served them both a breakfast which was sure to satisfy all their needs and give them obesity in the process.
Or, well, he tried, anyway - Merlin ended up fixing the plates and cutlery, and he made and poured the coffee before Arthur could botch it up beyond repair. But the effort was nice.
"I make great coffee, you know!"
Merlin rolled his eyes. "Mmhmm...you keep thinking that."
Arthur huffed but argued no more.
Merlin sat back down, lathered his pancake in syrup, and grinned in messy delight when he speared and ate some cancer-inducing bacon.
Arthur smiled fondly at him the whole time.
Merlin smiled back, feeling really, truly good for the first time in days.
"You're brilliant," Merlin said, wiggling some of the bacon in his face. "King Arthur type; knight in shining armour and all that…I knew there was a reason I liked you."
Arthur's smile grew sad. "If I were-"
"You said so yourself, you got Ed Myrddin off me," Merlin said. "I count that as saving me."
"Too little, too late," Arthur said, voice almost cracking as his gaze fell forlornly.
"It could've gone much worse from there," Merlin said. "You saved me.” He knew that would stick in Arthur’s head. Eventually. Someday. Probably…maybe. “Now shush and eat your stupid portable heart attack."
Arthur rolled his eyes and listened, biting into his pancake ravenously. Merlin could still see the guilt in him, but it was a nice try at trying to pretend otherwise, so he just let Arthur have at it.
Yes, Merlin knew, there was a reason he loved Arthur so much.
~*~
Merlin had, in his childhood, developed a habit of laying down a blanket and pillow on the floor and lounging in the sunlight when he could.
Arthur usually called him daft, or likened him to a child, or a kitten. Merlin would stick out his tongue, grab another pillow, and make Arthur join him.
It was while they were lounging later that morning that Arthur brought it up.
"I got an e-mail from my father last night," Arthur said. "He's gotten us some of the best sexual assault prosecutors in the country for your case, yours and on behalf of all the other victims of Myrddin in the area."
Merlin, who had spent a better part of an hour stretching languidly - "Really, Merlin, are you sure you're not a cat?" "Shut up, you know you like it." - stilled, suddenly, before curling into himself sharply.
Arthur pulled Merlin close to him, making him stretch out again, sunlight hitting as much skin as possible.
"I..." Merlin seemed hesitant.
Arthur leaned over and kissed the top of Merlin's head.
"It's okay - we have a week or so until we would need to talk to them," Arthur said reassuringly. "As far as I can tell, the lawyers are already working on the case, and so far, they're focused on gathering as much data on Myrddin and the other cases and charges against him as possible. It will be a little while, so, for now, you can rest and focus on getting better."
Merlin nodded; turning and pressing his face to Arthur's chest again.
His breath hitched, and a moment later, he was trembling.
Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin and whispered in his ear. "I've got you, Merlin - you're safe now, I promise. I'm right here, forever, okay?"
As Merlin wrapped his arms and legs around Arthur's outstretched form, he mumbled, "Promise?"
Arthur grinned. "We live together. We share socks…and toothbrushes. And you have my old BlackBerry and I have your old alarm clock, and your picture is sitting on my desk at work, and my coffee mug is the one you gave me. You're stuck with me now, Merlin Emrys."
Arthur could feel Merlin grin against his neck.
"Good," Merlin said. "I knew there was a reason I kept you."
Arthur rolled his eyes, pulled Merlin even tighter to him, and said, "You keep saying that."
"I will."
And he watched in peace as Merlin settled his head on his chest.
They had a long way to go, but today, they were going to lay in the sun and sleep.
~Fin~
Well, this officially made out to be my 21st kinkme_merlin fill. Considering the legal drinking age where I live is 21, it seems oddly appropriate.
Notes about the Fic:
Roofies traditionally refer to flunitrazepam, more commonly known as Rohypnol. I used alprazolam, which has many similar properties to flunitrazepam, but they're not quite the same. I chose to use it as its pharmeceutical properties were easier to work into my story line, and it is also more commercially available, and associated with more emergency room visits than "roofies".
Do not take any medical advice in this fic seriously. Seriously. Medical TV shows with actual doctors on hand during the script writing process make mistakes - I used Wikipedia.
Notes about Rape, In Fic and Out: (with lots of links to sites concerning sexual assault, so be warned, heavy sexual assault triggers on all of them)
1.) Despite what Merlin said in a fairly politically incorrect moment, rape is something that happens to call genders and to people of all ages - it can happen to anyone.
2.) What Arthur did right there, calling Hunith and telling her without asking Merlin's permission? Very bad idea. I did this because it fit Arthur's character, but please, do not do this in real life! A sexual assault survivor has just had one of their most basic and fundamental choices taken away from them, and the best way to help them on the road to recovery is to give their choices back to them - especially on matters relating to their assault.
More information about sexual assault can be found here at Understanding survivors of rape, with an overview at the Women's Health resource, and more details can be found at the NCVC, which also offers information on male rape. Information on returning to sex after sexual assault can be found here, and here is a list of things not to say to sexual assault survivors and tips on how to help support them. Here are some more do's and don'ts, and general advice on how to support a rape victim can be found here at eHow Family, with more specific advice at the Women's Justice Center. Here are some myths about male rape, and more help and information concerning male rape can be found here at Hope For Healing.
~*~
It's been a while since I've posted a one-shot, so please comment and let me know what you think of the story! Remember, comments are ♥! (And all comments are ♥'d :D)
When they finally got home Arthur ushered him to the kitchen, sat him down and started wandering about the kitchen, trying to pretend like he was cooking.
"Just heat up some canned soup, already, I know you're a terrible cook," Merlin said, rolling his eyes. He knew Arthur meant well, but sometimes...
Arthur sighed and nodded, and made soup, and some toast, and they ate in comfortable silence, Merlin focused on being able to eat by himself. Apart from a few stray drops, he managed.
"I'll deal with the dishes," Arthur said, as was their routine. Merlin cooked, Arthur washed up.
"But you-"
"I'll do the washing up," Arthur said. "Later. Right now, let's get you a bath."
Any other time, Merlin would've complained about Arthur treating him like a child, running his bath, using twice the bubble bath thing as necessary, and making sure the softest flannel washcloth he had was ready.
But in light of what happened, Merlin rather enjoyed the pampering, so after taking the pain-pills prescribed by Gaius, he let Arthur undress him, (though he made sure to at least pull Arthur out of his shirt); and let Arthur lift him up and set him into the bath; and let Arthur wash him carefully, the meds taking away the crawling feeling of Arthur seeing him like this. Merlin could already anticipate the long lecture he’d get about this from Gaius (or even the hospital’s resident psychiatrist, Drake Kilgarragh, who Merlin would no doubt have to see at some point), but this was Arthur - Merlin couldn’t be arsed to get over this the proper way, not now. And he refused to let Arthur end up in a category of his brain anywhere close to Eddie’s.
As he was toweled dry in obnoxiously luxurious towels, he couldn't help but remember why having a rich boyfriend was great - no matter what Will had ever said.
"I called your mother," Arthur said, as he dressed Merlin. "She'll be coming this weekend."
"What?!" Merlin said. "You...I…"
"She deserves to know," Arthur said.
“She’s my mother!” Merlin snapped, looking away at the taken-aback expression on Arthur’s face. “You should have let me call her.”
“When were you planning to?” Arthur asked. “I know you, Merlin. You don’t like letting people know when something’s wrong. It took you two weeks to tell me when Will had died! When would you have told her about this?”
Merlin just glared. “She’s my mum. It’s not up to you to call her.”
Arthur sighed. “I’m sorry, just - she needed to know. Now. And you wouldn’t have.”
"It still wasn’t up to you," Merlin said, before sighing as the fight drained out of him. He didn’t want to deal with this, not now. He was still tired and just wanted to forget all about this. "Just - as soon as she gets overbearing, I'm calling Gwen for a ride and dumping her on you."
Arthur smiled, relieved, and pulled Merlin close. "Fair enough."
They wandered over to the couch, and Merlin smiled as he saw his feast of junk food laid out on the coffee table.
Arthur wrapped him up in his big, fluffy blanket, and settled him down on the couch. He put the DVD in the player, and joined Merlin on the couch, wrapping his arms around him.
"Come on, then, your stupid American show awaits you," Arthur said.
Merlin raised a speculative and slightly disbelieving eyebrow at Arthur.
"...I have the week off!"
That only seemed to make Merlin raise his eyebrow higher.
Arthur sighed, reached into his pocket, and revealed his BlackBerry, his business page already open.
Merlin grinned. "I know you, you daft little-"
"Do not finish that sentence," Arthur said. "Or I will not be responsible for Gwen and Morgana getting their hands on the photos of you working as a Christmas Elf in a shopping mall."
Merlin just smiled, stuck out his tongue, then turned to the television screen to watch the show.
~*~
Arthur woke up with a frown, wondering what exactly had woken him up.
Turning his head, then freezing, he saw what.
The blankets were askew as Merlin tossed and turned in his sleep.
“No," Merlin whimpered. "Please...don't!"
It broke Arthur's heart to see Merlin begging the air above him for mercy.
"Merlin," he said quietly.
He touched Merlin, who shrank away.
Just a nightmare, just a nightmare...
He gripped Merlin's shoulder, and shook him awake.
"Ah!" Merlin flailed as he kicked Arthur away, backing away on the couch, wild eyes searching for an enemy no longer there.
"Merlin," Arthur said softly. "You're safe, now, you're home."
Breathing heavily, there was a pause, before Merlin said, "A-Arthur?"
"Home now, remember?" Arthur said, calmly. "You're safe, you're fine - no one is hurting you."
Merlin nodded shakily, before launching himself at Arthur, wrapping his arms around him.
Arthur embraced Merlin, too, cradling his head as he sobbed into Arthur's shoulder, face buried below the crook of his neck.
"I - we were talking - he was nice - I said no! I s-said no, Arthur, I kept saying no, he didn't, he didn't care, he didn't listen, and it hurt, it hurt it hurt ithurtithurt-"
Arthur shut his eyes, feeling the rage and fury rise at the words Merlin used to describe what happened.
"-wanted it to stop, just stop, and I'm sorry, Arthur, so sorry-"
"Shh..." Arthur shushed him. "It's not your fault."
He felt Merlin nod against his chest.
It was a long time that they sat there, Arthur staring at the TV screensaver, their half-finished junk-feast, the moonlight reflecting over the city through the windows.
Merlin quieted down, outright sobbing turning into quiet crying and trembling in Arthur's arms.
Soon after, Merlin was asleep again.
Arthur didn't move, holding Merlin protectively and rocking back and forth a little bit, stroking Merlin's head, arms, and back in comfort for his sleep.
When it seemed Merlin's sleep would remain peaceful, Arthur gently laid him back down, his own sleep a lost cause as he draped Merlin over his lap, keeping him close in case the nightmares started again.
He pulled out his phone, ignoring the little voices in his head that sounded oddly like Gwen and Merlin about excessive work, and blinked in surprise at the e-mail he saw from his father.
He opened it and read it.
Then read it again.
~*~
There were times when Arthur truly despised his father, hated him, wished his father were anyone but Uther Pendragon.
This was not one of those times.
As he typed out a "Thank you, Father" note, he was fairly certain his dad was brilliant.
He reconsidered his note, deleted it, and rewrote, Thanks, Dad. Very much. then hit SEND.
Not surprisingly, only a few minutes later, he got a note back from his father.
You're welcome. Good luck.
Yes, for once, he was convinced he had the best damn dad in the world.
~*~
Merlin awoke to the smells of pancakes, bacon, sausages, and eggs emanating from the kitchen.
Knowing Arthur, he was immediately suspicious.
Then he saw several take-away boxes littering the counter, and eased.
Arthur smiled when he looked over and saw Merlin pushing himself up. "Morning!"
Merlin nodded with a small smile, blushing at the memory of last night.
"Sorry about...well, turning into a complete and utter wreck on you-"
"Don't apologize for that," Arthur said immediately, voice firm and brooking no argument. "You needed it. You feel better, don't you?" he prodded, as if he were the doctor.
Merlin's smile grew, and he nodded. He hated that the attack was still following him and that he’d bawled his eyes out like a baby, but he did feel better.
Arthur helped him up and they sat down at the table, where Arthur served them both a breakfast which was sure to satisfy all their needs and give them obesity in the process.
Or, well, he tried, anyway - Merlin ended up fixing the plates and cutlery, and he made and poured the coffee before Arthur could botch it up beyond repair. But the effort was nice.
"I make great coffee, you know!"
Merlin rolled his eyes. "Mmhmm...you keep thinking that."
Arthur huffed but argued no more.
Merlin sat back down, lathered his pancake in syrup, and grinned in messy delight when he speared and ate some cancer-inducing bacon.
Arthur smiled fondly at him the whole time.
Merlin smiled back, feeling really, truly good for the first time in days.
"You're brilliant," Merlin said, wiggling some of the bacon in his face. "King Arthur type; knight in shining armour and all that…I knew there was a reason I liked you."
Arthur's smile grew sad. "If I were-"
"You said so yourself, you got Ed Myrddin off me," Merlin said. "I count that as saving me."
"Too little, too late," Arthur said, voice almost cracking as his gaze fell forlornly.
"It could've gone much worse from there," Merlin said. "You saved me.” He knew that would stick in Arthur’s head. Eventually. Someday. Probably…maybe. “Now shush and eat your stupid portable heart attack."
Arthur rolled his eyes and listened, biting into his pancake ravenously. Merlin could still see the guilt in him, but it was a nice try at trying to pretend otherwise, so he just let Arthur have at it.
Yes, Merlin knew, there was a reason he loved Arthur so much.
~*~
Merlin had, in his childhood, developed a habit of laying down a blanket and pillow on the floor and lounging in the sunlight when he could.
Arthur usually called him daft, or likened him to a child, or a kitten. Merlin would stick out his tongue, grab another pillow, and make Arthur join him.
It was while they were lounging later that morning that Arthur brought it up.
"I got an e-mail from my father last night," Arthur said. "He's gotten us some of the best sexual assault prosecutors in the country for your case, yours and on behalf of all the other victims of Myrddin in the area."
Merlin, who had spent a better part of an hour stretching languidly - "Really, Merlin, are you sure you're not a cat?" "Shut up, you know you like it." - stilled, suddenly, before curling into himself sharply.
Arthur pulled Merlin close to him, making him stretch out again, sunlight hitting as much skin as possible.
"I..." Merlin seemed hesitant.
Arthur leaned over and kissed the top of Merlin's head.
"It's okay - we have a week or so until we would need to talk to them," Arthur said reassuringly. "As far as I can tell, the lawyers are already working on the case, and so far, they're focused on gathering as much data on Myrddin and the other cases and charges against him as possible. It will be a little while, so, for now, you can rest and focus on getting better."
Merlin nodded; turning and pressing his face to Arthur's chest again.
His breath hitched, and a moment later, he was trembling.
Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin and whispered in his ear. "I've got you, Merlin - you're safe now, I promise. I'm right here, forever, okay?"
As Merlin wrapped his arms and legs around Arthur's outstretched form, he mumbled, "Promise?"
Arthur grinned. "We live together. We share socks…and toothbrushes. And you have my old BlackBerry and I have your old alarm clock, and your picture is sitting on my desk at work, and my coffee mug is the one you gave me. You're stuck with me now, Merlin Emrys."
Arthur could feel Merlin grin against his neck.
"Good," Merlin said. "I knew there was a reason I kept you."
Arthur rolled his eyes, pulled Merlin even tighter to him, and said, "You keep saying that."
"I will."
And he watched in peace as Merlin settled his head on his chest.
They had a long way to go, but today, they were going to lay in the sun and sleep.
~Fin~
Well, this officially made out to be my 21st kinkme_merlin fill. Considering the legal drinking age where I live is 21, it seems oddly appropriate.
Notes about the Fic:
Roofies traditionally refer to flunitrazepam, more commonly known as Rohypnol. I used alprazolam, which has many similar properties to flunitrazepam, but they're not quite the same. I chose to use it as its pharmeceutical properties were easier to work into my story line, and it is also more commercially available, and associated with more emergency room visits than "roofies".
Do not take any medical advice in this fic seriously. Seriously. Medical TV shows with actual doctors on hand during the script writing process make mistakes - I used Wikipedia.
Notes about Rape, In Fic and Out: (with lots of links to sites concerning sexual assault, so be warned, heavy sexual assault triggers on all of them)
1.) Despite what Merlin said in a fairly politically incorrect moment, rape is something that happens to call genders and to people of all ages - it can happen to anyone.
2.) What Arthur did right there, calling Hunith and telling her without asking Merlin's permission? Very bad idea. I did this because it fit Arthur's character, but please, do not do this in real life! A sexual assault survivor has just had one of their most basic and fundamental choices taken away from them, and the best way to help them on the road to recovery is to give their choices back to them - especially on matters relating to their assault.
More information about sexual assault can be found here at Understanding survivors of rape, with an overview at the Women's Health resource, and more details can be found at the NCVC, which also offers information on male rape. Information on returning to sex after sexual assault can be found here, and here is a list of things not to say to sexual assault survivors and tips on how to help support them. Here are some more do's and don'ts, and general advice on how to support a rape victim can be found here at eHow Family, with more specific advice at the Women's Justice Center. Here are some myths about male rape, and more help and information concerning male rape can be found here at Hope For Healing.
~*~
It's been a while since I've posted a one-shot, so please comment and let me know what you think of the story! Remember, comments are ♥! (And all comments are ♥'d :D)