Boy in the bubble (Modern Merthur AU) (Discontinued)

Chapter one

Disclaimer: I do not agree with or accept any homophobic remarks used in this story! They are there for content reasons only!

"Gaius! I'm home!" Merlin called through the small house. "Gaius?" He called again after no reply.

"Merlin, my dear boy, how was school?" The old man said wearily as he trotted towards the young lad.

Merlin shrugged his response, yet again unable to get the words out that it had not been a good day. Some days it was a lot easier to say it hadn't been because he would have physical evidence, that it had not been a good day, scarring his body.

"Oh Merlin, not again?" Merlin smiled sadly and that gave Gaius all the answers he needed.

"It's fine. I'm fine. I'm used to it." He smiles again.

"It's not something a person should have to get used to Merlin..." The old mentor replied dryly.

"Yet here I am."

"Yes, well." He sighed, "I have something for you that may make your day a bit better." Gaius said, cocking an eyebrow.

Merlin hoped with every part of him that it wasn't another job offer somewhere else. This school was his third in a year and in every single one he prayed it would be different but it never was. Merlin had been beaten, tormented, punched, kicked, called names, received thousands of homophobic comments and had bump ins with kids that resulted in multiple hospital visits, and this school was no different. He was so sick of being the new kid.

"Come on my boy, in here." Gaius motioned towards their living room.

Merlin shot him a quizzical look as he pushed open the door. It was very rare he received anything nice, he and Gaius struggled with money so gifts were very uncommon, even very few on Christmases and birthdays, although Merlin didn't mind, even with the lack of presents given, those certain days of the year where his favourite. Gaius made sure that they were spent doing entertaining things that took ones mind of the difference in Merlin's life to a lot of other sixteen year olds.

The lights were off and the curtains were closed when the door swung open, making it impossible to see anything but silhouettes, Merlin squinted in the dark to try and make certain things out before he gave up and walked over to turn the lights on.

When his eyes adjusted to the new lighting he was awestruck.

"Hello Merlin..."

Stood in the centre of the small room smiling was Merlin's mother. For the past eight years Merlin had been living with Gaius as his mother did various jobs around the world and this was the first time Merlin had seen her in eight months.

"Mum?" He breathed, not quite believing she was standing before him, "what are you doing here?" He smiled.

"I have come home to see my son, now are you just going to stand there or are you going to come and hug me?" She laughed.

Merlin hurtled the couch, using his arm as leverage against the firm back, and swung his arms around his mothers neck.

"Oh I've missed you Merlin..." she said softly after a beat.

Dinner that night was lively, the small family even treated themselves to the rare takeaway as celebration of Hunith's return.

"Where have you been this time?" His eyes burned with curiosity.

"All over. I've been to Africa, America, oh it was absolutely gorgeous in Brazil Merlin, I went to... Japan and France in the summer and then I came back here after I visited Switzerland a few weeks ago."