Merthur One-shots

Would You Believe Me

Tears were threatening to spill, and Merlin couldn’t have that, so instead he threw back the curtains and shouted at Arthur. “What happened?”

Arthur’s sleepy face flinched away from the sudden sunlight. But when he blinked awake his eyes locked on Merlin. “What happened?” He repeated irritated. “I’ve had to make do without a servant, that’s what’s happened.”

Now in the sunlight the whole room looked worse. Merlin tried to imagine how long it was going to take to get everything back in order. His body protested the very thought of it. “I wasn’t gone for that long.”

“Without my permission!” Arthur berated him.

To think like ten seconds ago, Merlin had been thinking how much he secretly loved this prat. Damn, had he really just admitted that to himself. He shouldn’t even be thinking such ridiculous things. Arthur had no right. He had no idea what he’d been through, yesterday or the years before that in order to protect him. “What if I was dying?”

“I wouldn’t be complaining!” Arthur put no real emotion into the statement. He plopped back onto his pillows and stared straight at Merlin. “But you’re not, so where the hell have you been.”

Merlin opened his mouth to give some lie to explain away his disappearance. It would have been one of a hundred lies he’d told Arthur before. Only as he stared into Arthur’s heavenly blue eyes something else came out. “I was dying.”

Even having said that, he expected Arthur to laugh in his face or yell at him for being dramatic. When had Arthur ever believed a word he said anyway.

That was why Merlin nearly fell backwards when Arthur launched from the bed straight towards him. “What the hell do you mean you were dying?”

The question was so unexpected Merlin just stared dumbly at him rather than answer. When he realized Arthur wasn’t playing it off like usual, he tried to regroup himself. “It’s nothing. Forget it.” Merlin leaned down to pick up something off the floor, but his vision blacked out for a second.

“Merlin!” It was only the third time Arthur called his name that Merlin was fully aware of everything around him again. He was laying on his side on the floor with Arthur’s worried face an inch in front of him. “What happened?”

“Sorry, guess I’m dizzier than I thought.” Merlin said. He tried to sit up.

“That’s not what I—” Arthur reached out to help him and pressed against one of his bruises causing Merlin to groan in pain. “Merlin?” Now he was fumbling for the bottom of Merlin’s tunic. His muddled brain couldn’t figure out why until he had it half over his head. “My god! Who the hell did this to you? Why didn’t you say anything?”

God, he’d really fucked up here. Arthur wasn’t supposed to know he’d been hurt. Arthur wasn’t supposed to be asking questions he couldn’t answer. They had more important matters to attend. Maybe he could distract him.

“I’m fine, Arthur. Just leave it. You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you. There are more important things for you to be worrying about right now.”

“No!” It was rare that Arthur pulled his full prince tone on him. The one that gave no room for argument. “I’m calling Gaius. You’re hurt and nothing is more important than that right now. You’re not getting out of talking about this.”