Coming Home

Chapter 4

"Mer-linnn. Is this really necessary?" I sighed. I had spent the last two hours showing Arthur how to work the kitchen appliances. Mainly the microwave. 

"Yes, you clot pole. When I get home from work I expect the house in one piece, not burned to the ground or scattered across the forest."

"The microwave's not gonna burn the house down."

"No, but if you put the wrong items in it you could blow up the microwave. The oven could set the house on fire."

"WHAT?" I snickered at his response. "Why would you keep something like that in here?!"

"So I can heat up food without turning the oven on?"

"But what about magic?" I stiffened. I had suppressed my magic for years. The pain that had come with it was, in a way, just another way to punish myself. There were people who hadn't deserved to die because they had tried to keep my secret. I had stood, frozen in fear during the war, unable to do anything as men around me died because I didn't do anything. What was the point of having magic if I couldn't help to save just one of those boys?

"Well, if I'm not here, you need to be able to use it."

"But why would you have it?" I ignored him and continued to explain how to work the microwave.

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Arthur pretended not to notice as Merlin stiffened. 'There's something wrong. I would've thought Merlin would want to talk about magic. I want to learn about it but he's shutting down. What happened to him?'

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Arthur had finally gotten the basics of the appliances and was now helping me in the kitchen. 

"Merlin, aren't you hungry?"

"What? Oh. I guess a little bit."

"I'm starving."

"Alright. I'll show you how to cook. You're gonna have to feed yourself while I'm at work." I lead him over to the pantry and open the door.

"Anything that's in a box or can is generally something that's simple to make. Read the labels. Some of these are ingredients and not an actual meal."

"Okay, okay. Sheesh. You act like I'm gonna eat" Arthur looked around before grabbing a can, "just plain tomato sauce."

"You've gotten in enough trouble for me to worry," I retorted back.

I grabbed a packet of ramen and walked over to the stove.

"Alright Arthur. Let's get started." I grabbed a pot and handed it to him.

"Fill this pot up with water and then put it on the stove to boil."

"Why am I doing all of this?"

"Because I need to know you won't burn the house down trying to feed yourself." We waited a few minutes for the water to boil.

"Now, open up the spice packet and pour it in the water."

Arthur opened up the spice packet and the powder burst out of it.

"Oh my god. What the hell?"

"You might want to use scissors next time or move the spice to one side of the packet."

"You could have warned me."

"But where's the fun in that?" I shrugged.

"Mer-lin. Come onnn. What's next?"

"Take out the noodles and put them in the water."

He dropped the block of curly noodles into the pot with a splash.

"Oi! Watch it Arthur! You don't want to splash the water everywhere."

"Okay." He was oddly submissive. There was no snarky retort. Just submission.

We waited until the noodles were done before I grabbed two dishes and some forks. I dished out the noodles and handed it to Arthur.

We ate as Arthur asked questions at a mile a minute. I answered most of them. Some hit too close to home for me to answer honestly.

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Arthur wandered around the town with me. I had suggested he get a job. Just a small one to help him adjust to the nuances of the modern city.

"What if you worked at the gym?" I suggested. 

"What's a gym?"

It's like a place where you can train and exercise," I responded  

He thought for a moment before nodding his approval. We walked into the gym and I helped him apply for a job before we headed home.