A long way to go 1/?
Title: A long way to go 1/?
Author: bunnysworld
Rating: NC-17 (not in this part, but it’ll get there)
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Spoilers: No spoilers
Warnings: modern AU, with a hint of magic, drug abuse
Word Count: 15.800andsome
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, the boys aren’t mine. Just took them out to play a little. I give them back unharmed - if I have to. Own nothing, no copyright infringement intended.
Summary: Arthur thinks his life is over. And then he meets Merlin.
Thanks to the wonderful tambear13 for being my cheerleader through this and for the quick beta.
Notes Don’t know how many parts this will be posted in, but it is done and just waits on my HD to be posted, so…not really a WIP
Arthur looked around and sighed. What exactly was he doing here anyway? He was about to get up to leave when a shaggy looking young bloke came in.
“Mr. Pendragon?”
Attempting to get up, Arthur nodded. “Yes, that’s me.”
“Why don’t you stay seated?” The other gestured towards the chair and the cane that leaned against it.
Looking over some papers on a clip board, the other didn’t seem to acknowledge his existence for a while, before he looked up and smiled warmly. “So, Mr. Pendragon, why don’t you tell me exactly what happened?”
Arthur stared. For a moment he marveled at the blue eyes and the dimples that accompanied the smile. But then the question sunk in. What exactly happened? Didn’t that bloke watch TV? Read the papers? Listen to the radio? Everybody in England knew what exactly had happened, most of sports people across Europe knew, and there was a good chance that the soccer enthusiasts around the world knew that at the age of 29, Arthur Pendragon was a cripple.
“Dr. Emrys,” he started.
“No doctor. Merlin, call me Merlin.”
“You don’t watch much footie, do you?”
He almost smirked at the surprised face.
“No, I don’t see the sense in watching other people sweat.”
“Well then…I was a soccer player. Won the Champions League with my team three years ago, wore the three lions jersey…” Arthur’s voice trailed off. It was still hard to talk about this. He was used to talking to the press, but this here was different. This bloke didn’t have a clue what had happened and needed the details.
“So this is a sports injury.” Dr. Emrys…Merlin nodded.
“Kind of, yes.”
“Kind of?” Merlin made notes on his clip board.
“It was more…” Arthur didn’t want to remember that day. “…yes, a sports injury.”
“Most of everything in your knee was ripped and your leg was broken twice.” Merlin read from the notes.
“Yes.”
“And that was two years ago and you’re still having trouble with walking? Would you describe what happens when you try walking without this?” Merlin motioned to the cane.
“I can’t. I need this. My leg won’t support my weight.” Arthur frowned. Why didn’t this bloke just look at the knee and give him some meds and send him home like all the other doctors had? Then again, Morgana had said he wasn’t a doctor doctor. Just some kind of healer. One with magical hands, they said.
“And you just…I don’t know…fall over when you try?”
The frown on Arthur’s face deepened. “I haven’t tried in a while,” he admitted.
“How about…we try it then?” Merlin got up. “Walk over to the bench. Don’t worry, I’ll be with you.” He gave Arthur an encouraging nod.
Taking a deep breath, Arthur pushed himself up at the arm rests of the chair. He didn’t know what good this would do. His leg didn’t support him any more since the incident. He took a wobbly step and reached for the back of the chair. Three steps towards the bench, how was he supposed to do that without the cane that had become his constant companion? Sweat was building on his forehead before he even tried to take a step and his breath sped up a bit. And this Merlin guy didn’t do anything to help, he just leaned against the bench and waited.
Arthur took another deep breath and tried to reach the bench with his outstretched arm, but it was too far away. No way could he make that distance. And no way would he collapse onto the floor in front of this man. He bit his lower lip and - letting go of the chair - took another step. Pain flared up in his knee, he gasped and before he could fall, Merlin was at his side, wrapped an arm around his waist and helped him over to the bench.
“Alright, let’s take a look at it. Could you pull the leg of your track pants up far enough?”
That Merlin didn’t comment on the failed attempt to walk without the cane worried Arthur. Was that a good or a bad sign? He tugged the fabric up to his thigh as Merlin just pulled his sneaker and sock off.
“Lie back and relax. I’m going to take a look at your knee first. You might feel some tingling or even some warmth. If it gets too uncomfortable, let me know, okay?”
Arthur nodded and prepared himself for the procedure. Usually in this situation, his knee was bent and turned and poked at and whatever and it all hurt. But Merlin didn’t do any of these things. He just traced the scars of the surgery with the tip of his finger, which - admittedly - tickled more than anything and then put his hands on his leg, just above and below his knee. And for a moment that simple touch felt so good, relieved the pain so much, that Arthur sighed and closed his eyes. Only to gasp and stare at Merlin when flaming heat was searing through his knee.
Merlin just nodded. And then slid his hands down Arthur’s calf to his ankle where he repeated the procedure and then went on to examine the foot for a short moment. “Alright, we’re done.” He handed Arthur his sock and shoe and gave him his cane. Then he went back to the seating area and made some notes on his clip board while Arthur got dressed again and came back over.
“So?”
Looking up, Merlin smiled. “I can’t do miracles, Mr. Pendragon. But we can work on that.” He pointed to the knee with his pen. “I see potential for relief.”
Arthur had given up hoping that he’d ever be able to walk properly again. But relief sounded good. “It would be nice to cut back on the pain killers for once. Speaking of which…”
Laughing, Merlin shook his head. “You don’t need them. And I can’t prescribe them. I’m just a healer.”
“Thought so,” Arthur got up.
“I’ll see you again on Thursday, 2 pm.”
Arthur raised an eyebrow. What made this bloke so sure he’d come back? But he felt himself nodding. “Thursday…2 pm.”
Thursday, 2 pm aka Part 2
Author: bunnysworld
Rating: NC-17 (not in this part, but it’ll get there)
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Spoilers: No spoilers
Warnings: modern AU, with a hint of magic, drug abuse
Word Count: 15.800andsome
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, the boys aren’t mine. Just took them out to play a little. I give them back unharmed - if I have to. Own nothing, no copyright infringement intended.
Summary: Arthur thinks his life is over. And then he meets Merlin.
Thanks to the wonderful tambear13 for being my cheerleader through this and for the quick beta.
Notes Don’t know how many parts this will be posted in, but it is done and just waits on my HD to be posted, so…not really a WIP
Arthur looked around and sighed. What exactly was he doing here anyway? He was about to get up to leave when a shaggy looking young bloke came in.
“Mr. Pendragon?”
Attempting to get up, Arthur nodded. “Yes, that’s me.”
“Why don’t you stay seated?” The other gestured towards the chair and the cane that leaned against it.
Looking over some papers on a clip board, the other didn’t seem to acknowledge his existence for a while, before he looked up and smiled warmly. “So, Mr. Pendragon, why don’t you tell me exactly what happened?”
Arthur stared. For a moment he marveled at the blue eyes and the dimples that accompanied the smile. But then the question sunk in. What exactly happened? Didn’t that bloke watch TV? Read the papers? Listen to the radio? Everybody in England knew what exactly had happened, most of sports people across Europe knew, and there was a good chance that the soccer enthusiasts around the world knew that at the age of 29, Arthur Pendragon was a cripple.
“Dr. Emrys,” he started.
“No doctor. Merlin, call me Merlin.”
“You don’t watch much footie, do you?”
He almost smirked at the surprised face.
“No, I don’t see the sense in watching other people sweat.”
“Well then…I was a soccer player. Won the Champions League with my team three years ago, wore the three lions jersey…” Arthur’s voice trailed off. It was still hard to talk about this. He was used to talking to the press, but this here was different. This bloke didn’t have a clue what had happened and needed the details.
“So this is a sports injury.” Dr. Emrys…Merlin nodded.
“Kind of, yes.”
“Kind of?” Merlin made notes on his clip board.
“It was more…” Arthur didn’t want to remember that day. “…yes, a sports injury.”
“Most of everything in your knee was ripped and your leg was broken twice.” Merlin read from the notes.
“Yes.”
“And that was two years ago and you’re still having trouble with walking? Would you describe what happens when you try walking without this?” Merlin motioned to the cane.
“I can’t. I need this. My leg won’t support my weight.” Arthur frowned. Why didn’t this bloke just look at the knee and give him some meds and send him home like all the other doctors had? Then again, Morgana had said he wasn’t a doctor doctor. Just some kind of healer. One with magical hands, they said.
“And you just…I don’t know…fall over when you try?”
The frown on Arthur’s face deepened. “I haven’t tried in a while,” he admitted.
“How about…we try it then?” Merlin got up. “Walk over to the bench. Don’t worry, I’ll be with you.” He gave Arthur an encouraging nod.
Taking a deep breath, Arthur pushed himself up at the arm rests of the chair. He didn’t know what good this would do. His leg didn’t support him any more since the incident. He took a wobbly step and reached for the back of the chair. Three steps towards the bench, how was he supposed to do that without the cane that had become his constant companion? Sweat was building on his forehead before he even tried to take a step and his breath sped up a bit. And this Merlin guy didn’t do anything to help, he just leaned against the bench and waited.
Arthur took another deep breath and tried to reach the bench with his outstretched arm, but it was too far away. No way could he make that distance. And no way would he collapse onto the floor in front of this man. He bit his lower lip and - letting go of the chair - took another step. Pain flared up in his knee, he gasped and before he could fall, Merlin was at his side, wrapped an arm around his waist and helped him over to the bench.
“Alright, let’s take a look at it. Could you pull the leg of your track pants up far enough?”
That Merlin didn’t comment on the failed attempt to walk without the cane worried Arthur. Was that a good or a bad sign? He tugged the fabric up to his thigh as Merlin just pulled his sneaker and sock off.
“Lie back and relax. I’m going to take a look at your knee first. You might feel some tingling or even some warmth. If it gets too uncomfortable, let me know, okay?”
Arthur nodded and prepared himself for the procedure. Usually in this situation, his knee was bent and turned and poked at and whatever and it all hurt. But Merlin didn’t do any of these things. He just traced the scars of the surgery with the tip of his finger, which - admittedly - tickled more than anything and then put his hands on his leg, just above and below his knee. And for a moment that simple touch felt so good, relieved the pain so much, that Arthur sighed and closed his eyes. Only to gasp and stare at Merlin when flaming heat was searing through his knee.
Merlin just nodded. And then slid his hands down Arthur’s calf to his ankle where he repeated the procedure and then went on to examine the foot for a short moment. “Alright, we’re done.” He handed Arthur his sock and shoe and gave him his cane. Then he went back to the seating area and made some notes on his clip board while Arthur got dressed again and came back over.
“So?”
Looking up, Merlin smiled. “I can’t do miracles, Mr. Pendragon. But we can work on that.” He pointed to the knee with his pen. “I see potential for relief.”
Arthur had given up hoping that he’d ever be able to walk properly again. But relief sounded good. “It would be nice to cut back on the pain killers for once. Speaking of which…”
Laughing, Merlin shook his head. “You don’t need them. And I can’t prescribe them. I’m just a healer.”
“Thought so,” Arthur got up.
“I’ll see you again on Thursday, 2 pm.”
Arthur raised an eyebrow. What made this bloke so sure he’d come back? But he felt himself nodding. “Thursday…2 pm.”
Thursday, 2 pm aka Part 2