Always Be With You - Merthur

Chapter 32

Merlin pov

Merlin rolled his shoulders and took his drink from the table. A hot cup of tea. It had been a really long day with all the changes going around in not only Merlin and Arthur's lives, but the whole kingdom. Letters had been exchanged and received, questions asked and answered, rules settled, yadayadayadah. Merlin was tired and had decided to go sit on the balcony on the roof of the castle to watch the stars. 

The little lights spread over the infinite darkness in the outside sky, flickered in and out of sight. Beautiful. And very romantic according to Arthur. How far they had come from that day. When he'd first come to Camelot. When he and Arthur met.

'Hey, come on, that's enough!"

"What?"

"You've had your fun, my friend."

"Do I know you?"

"Ah," Merlin extended his hand to the blond man in attempt to be friendly. "I'm Merlin." He waited for him to shake his hand, but it was promptly ignored as the man stepped forward. "So, I don't know you." "No..." 

There was a short pause as the blond man sized him up with his mocking gaze. "Yet, you called me 'friend'?"

"That was my mistake."

"Yes, I think so." The other said nodding patronizingly. Merlin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Yeah, I'd never have a friend who could be such an ass." He turned to leave. "Or I one who could be so stupid. Tell me, Merlin," Merlin turned around at the way the man had said his name. "do you know how to walk on your knees?"

Ah, who cared. "No." 

"Shall I help you?"

He nearly laughed. "Oh, I wouldn't if I were you." That earned him a scoff. "Why?" The man spread his arms in a mocking way. "What are you going to do to me?" Merlin gave him half a smile, knowing he could throw this man on his ass if he wanted to. "You have no idea." "Be my guest!" He replied, sounding excited and amused.

"Come, on!" He added a little louder for everyone to hear when Merlin didn't move. "Come on! Come on..." He was really enjoying this. Merlin wanted to throw him into the air, but didn't, perfectly aware of how that would be received by the others. He sighed and looked away for a moment before throwing a punch.

He - not being very advanced at fighting at all - wasn't surprised when the blond man caught his arm mid air and twisted it behind his back, Merlin grunted in the sting of having his arm angled the wrong way. The other leaned in to murmer, "I'll have you thrown in jail for that." under his breath so only Merlin would hear.

Merlin scoffed, "Oh, who do you think you are, the king?"

"No, I'm his son," He said proudly. Merlin stopped struggling. "Arthur." He snarled before kicking the back of his knees, making him collapse onto the ground.

Merlin chuckled and sighed. That was embarrassing. And hilarious, looking back on it. Well, at least Gwen jumped to be his friend immediately after that and what was a better place to meet new people than on a stock? 

Gwen had basically decided she wanted to be his friend after he'd made a dumb, sarcastic joke while waiting for the next load of fruit and vegetables. Good times. Merlin sat for a while, enjoying his tea, sitting wrapped up in his cloak - actually, it was Arthur's cloak, but it wasn't like he missed it anyway - letting the warmth of the cup seep into his fingers. 

"What are you thinking about?" 

Merlin looked down and turned around to see Arthur standing in front of the door to the roof, having closed it behind him already. "Remember our first meeting?" "Of course, every detail. You?"