Don't Go (BBC Merlin Fan Fiction)

Chapter five

  Soon Saturday came and Arthur found himself walking into Food for Thought, wearing a plaid shirt and some dark blue jeans. 

  "Will it just be you here tonight, sir?" A waitress greeted Arthur.

  "Actually, I'm here to join a group of about...nine people, including me," Arthur replied.

  The waitresses face dropped, "Oh. They're over there. I'm sure you won't have any trouble finding them," She then handed Arthur a menu and started to tend to her tables.

  It didn't take Arthur very long to find out why the waitress spoke of his friends in what seemed like an ill manner. He spotted the large group sitting in a long booth seat surrounding a table. There were also chairs on the other side of the table for those who couldn't fit into the booth. Everyone was talking quite loudly and laughed when a joke popper up. It seemed as if they all got along, and that pleased Arthur.

  "Hey Arthur!" Lance greeted his friend, and everyone else from the table looked up at him.

  "Ah, so you've finally arrived," Morgana said.

  "There's nothing wrong with being fashionably late," Arthur curtly said.

  "Arthur, there's some room over here to sit down at," Gwen said, resulting in those to her left to get up and move so he could sit. Arthur found himself sandwiched between Gwen and Merlin.

  Conversation around the table continued and pretty soon drinks were delivered, ranging from ice water, soda, and even alcohol. People were doodling on the large sheet that covered the table and Arthur noticed that Merlin, who was unusually silent, was drawing a dragon on the tabletop with crayons. 

  "You seem to like dragons," Arthur pointed out.

  Merlin looked at Arthur through his long eyelashes with a smile planted on his face, "They've always fascinated me somehow," He said.

  Arthur took his eyes off of Merlin's sharp cheekbones and looked down at his drawing. "Well you obviously should have a kingdom for the dragon to terrorize. Even the average idiot knows that, Merlin." He then grabbed a black crayon and doodle a few towers surrounding a castle. 

  "If you have all the knowledge, then you should know that Dragons do in fact breath fire," Merlin grabbed an orange crayon and drew fire coming from the dragon's mouth, "And that they definitely like to burn prattish men like you to the ground."

  Arthur tried to ignore the way their arms brushed against each other as they drew silly pictures, "Except there would be a knight in shining armor, with a sword in his hand in able to defeat the dragon," This knight was drawn with a red crayon. 

  Merlin grabbed a blue crayon, "That knight is no match for a creature like a Dragon. You'd need some sort of sorcerer t make the Dragon leave with magic."

  "But magic is banned in this particular kingdom," Arthur pointed out.

  "The knight wouldn't be able to see the sorcerer perform his duties due to the townsfolk fleeing away, blocking his sight, "Merlin drew a bunch of stick figures in front of Arthur's poorly drawn knight, "This knight will soon realize who this sorcerer is and will thank him, anyways."

  The space that Arthur and Merlin had to drawn in was now filled with doodles, and there was no more room for them to draw anymore.

  "What a story," Gwaine said.

  Arthur looked up in surprise, remembering his friends that were surrounding him. A few moments ago it seemed as if there were only Merlin and Arthur, no one else. Only now he saw as everyone gave the two an odd look.

  "If I were part of that kingdom," Elyan said, "i'd be one of the best knights of them all!"

  Laughter erupted from Gwaine, "Are you kidding me, mate? You'd have to try to beat me first."

  "Except I'd be the king's first knight. The most trustworthy, too," Leon said, who received a kiss on the cheek from Morgana.

  "I just think it'd be fun to be a knight," Lance took a drink of his soda, "You're treated with good respect, and you get to help the townsfolk."

  "Not to mention getting all the ladies!" Gwaine said, "But you'd probably be one of those good knights, with that attitude going on." Elena, who sat next to Gwaine, smiled up at him. 

  "This is all very touching," Arthur proceeded to stand up, "But I'm going outside for a little air."

  "I'll keep you company, Arthur," Morgana got up and followed Arthur outside.

  A chill in the air bit at Arthur's face, but he welcomed the slight cold. Fall was always his favorite season. Morgana, who stood beside him, lit a cigarette, even though she knows it's bad for her. 

  "Arthur, I must ask you a question," Morgana said.

  "Shoot."

  "Is there something going on between you and Merlin?" 

  Arthur coked on thin air, his eyes wide. "No! We're just friends, that's all." Though Arthur would like to become more, he'd admitted to himself.

  "Are you really that oblivious? Come on, Arthur. The whole table thought there was something going on, with the way you two interacted with each other."

  "Then you guys have it all wrong. Just friends, like I said."

  "Whatever floats your boat, Arty."

  "Will you stop calling me that?"

  "Of course, Arthur," Morgana stubbed out her cigarette, "Lets go back inside."

****

  When Arthur and Morgana got back to the table, Merlin appeared to be blushing furiously. Gwaine was clapping Merlin's back with laughter, everyone else chuckling along as well. Arthur wasn't sure what the joke was, but he smile anyways, getting back into his spot next to Merlin. 

  The whole group talked and ate and laughed and doodled until the bill came. It was paid in all separate ways, and everybody stood up, ready to say goodbye. In all, Arthur had a great time, especially with a group of friends as big as this one.

  Just as everybody was walking away from the table to leave, Arthur noticed Merlin gripping the table. He was as white as a sheet, and Arthur suddenly realized why Merlin was acting odd that night, remembering his terminal cancer.

  "Merlin, are you okay?" Arthur asked, gingerly putting his hand to Merlin's shoulder.

  Merlin shook his as a few coughs rattled his body, and he drew in quick breaths afterwards. In a split second Arthur watched as Merlin's body slumped foreword--he was obviously blacked out.

  Arthur quickly took hold of Merlin, worried about his friend. Everyone else was deeply worried too, including the employees. This probably doesn't happen often.

  "Don't worry guys, I'll take Merlin to the hospital. After all, he was switched to be my patient a few days ago," Arthur bent down to grab the back of Merlin's knee's, and then moved his arms so Merlin's head rested on Arthur's shoulder.

  Arthur then quickly walked out of the restaurant, placed Merlin in the passenger seat of his car, and started the engine. He quickly drove the the hospital, desperately hoping that Merlin was going to be alright.