There For Me | Merthur

Anger

"Where have you been?", Arthur demands, eyes narrowing from where he sits at the dining table in his room.

He's seething, as Merlin shift his weight where he stands across him.

"I'm sorry, sire, I can explain."

"Explain how you went missing for 3 days?! Where the hell were you?!", Arthur barely keeps his place, refusing to stand and show how genuinely worried he was.

He wanted to settle for anger.

Merlin just stares at him, the reluctance in his eyes evident. And that just made him angrier. What is so important, that Merlin has to lie to him about his whereabouts? He could die and Arthur wouldn't even know!

"Well?", he pressed, hoping the pressure would finally push Merlin to be honest with him. But the older looked at him with poorly masked pain in his eyes and Arthur couldn't stay angry for long.

He covered his face with his hands, propping himself on the table.

"I'm sorry.", Merlin mumbles, lowering his head.

Arthur sighs, tears of pure frustration flooding his vision. He is tired, so tired. The air of uncertainty around them is suffocating. The unspoken care and the worry and the lies. It's all becoming too much.

He wants Merlin to be honest with him. Whatever the truth is, he wants to hear it. But Merlin never allows him that. He never allows the small distance to close between them.

And neither does Arthur.

So, it's both their fault then.

Just as Merlin turns, ready to retreat back to his room for the night, Arthur stands, "Wait."

Merlin stops, not daring to glance behind him.

And then, Arthur pulls him into a hug.

It's warm.

"Arthur?"

"Don't ever scare me like that again."

"I'll try."