So in the end I couldn't resist writing a sequel to Delayed for a Little While and while I know I originally said it was just going to be more PWP I couldn't help but write an actual story for these two detailing their actual relationship (because let's face it, it's more than just sex sometimes) which is how this came to be. It's not my best, considering it's been a few months since I've written for Merlin or any fandom really, so bear with me as you read.

As always, feedback is loved and appreciated and all mistakes are mine and mine alone.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Truth Be Told

I.

It's nearly three months after the incident in the elevator when Percy peeks around the corner of Merlin's desk and says,

"Pendragon needs you upstairs ASAP."

He knows it probably raises a few eyebrows, when he stands from his chair and wordlessly moves to the elevator, not even bothering to ask Percy why he was needed or mutter something about Arthur being a prat, but Merlin forces himself not to look back as he enters the elevator and stabs the button for the top floor, breathing a sigh of relief when the doors close.

When the elevator finally opens up to Arthur's floor nearly a minute later Merlin feels his stomach begin to knot, shoves his sweaty hands deep into the pockets of his khakis as he smiles at Vivian when he stops in front of her desk. She smiles back, waving him towards Arthur's office without a word, but before he can muster the courage to open the door he finds himself stopping, drawing in a few deep breaths before rapping his knuckles against the glass and walking in.

He finds Arthur standing by the floor length window, London stretched out below in a sea of people and cars. When he hears Merlin's footsteps he turns, a half smile gracing his face when he sees the dark haired man standing in the doorway.

"Ah, there you are," he says, moving away from the window and towards the raven haired man standing in the middle of his office. "I was beginning to think the elevator stalled again."

His tone is teasing and Merlin knows he's relishing in the blush that's crawling up his cheeks at the mention of that day, loves that he can entice a reaction like that with just a few simple words. Cursing the red hot heat that's exploded across his face Merlin shakes his head, something that sounds suspiciously like 'stupid prat' escaping his lips before he can no longer take it and he launches himself towards the blond, their lips crushing against each other as his fists the expensive material of Arthur's jacket.

It doesn't take long for Arthur to react; he leans into the kiss eagerly as he wraps an arm around Merlin's waist and pulls him closer, wants to feel his body flush against his own. There's a tiny whimper that comes from Merlin when Arthur's teeth catch his bottom lip and he takes advantage of his open lips, snaking his tongue inside and exploring the depths of Merlin's mouth and absolutely losing himself in the little noises the man is making.

While things had been slightly awkward immediately follow the events that happened in the elevator Merlin found the attraction he felt towards Arthur was something he couldn't deny and when the corporate boss had asked him to dinner (followed by a lovely and proper shagging session he might add) Merlin found there was much more to the man than he originally thought.

His tough exterior was, for the most part, a façade Arthur felt was necessary after years standing in his father's shadow to prepare for the day he would run Pendragon Inc. on his own. He thought that through short tempers and idle threats his employees would respect him but over time he'd found his father's ways were flawed but that change was hard.

Needless to say, the Arthur Pendragon Merlin knew was far from the Arthur Pendragon known around the office and Merlin could proudly say he was one of the few who knew the truth. His Arthur was sweet at times, forgetful of the little things like running the wash and turning on the coffee machine in the morning. He laughed at the cheesy sitcoms on the telly and enjoyed days when he and Merlin would lounge on the couch and he'd convince Merlin to read aloud from whatever novel was occupying him that day.

But still, despite the wonderful yet awkward start they had, both boys decided it would be best to keep their relationship under wraps for a while. Arthur, because of the impending wrath his father would surely unleash when he found out and Merlin because he didn't even want to think of the way everyone downstairs would look at him if they found the one man he couldn't stand was the one man he was shagging nearly every night.

So they made a deal that, until they were both absolutely comfortable with the idea of everyone knowing, they would keep it a secret.

If only it was that easy.

Not long after Merlin practically tackles Arthur in his office he finds himself pressed up against the edge of his desk, Arthur's hands gripping desperately at the hem of his shirt, wanting nothing more than to desperately rip it off. He's about to demand that Arthur just get it over with, that no one will know if they get it over with quickly, when there's a sudden knock on Arthur's door and he feels himself being pushed away as he nearly topples over the desk and to the floor.

He manages to stand though, just as Arthur commands whoever is on the other side to come in and they both nearly collapse in relief when they see it's only Leon. The shaggy blond enters with a smile but he freezes halfway to Arthur's desk when he sees Merlin there, running a frantic hand through his disheveled hair as drops into the chair and stares blankly at Arthur's computer.

"Uh…" he stumbles over his words, obviously shocked to see the two men in the same room without a hint of an argument in the air, and Arthur fold his arms across his chest in obvious annoyance.

"Did you need something, Leon?"

"Uh, yes sir. These forms need your signature before they can be faxed over. Gwaine was supposed to get it done this morning but he was…indisposed I guess you could say."

"And why does that not surprise me?" Arthur asks through an eye roll, grabs the papers from Leon's outstretched hand and scribbles his signature across the bottom.

When he hands them back Leon doesn't leave immediately, lingers in the doorway instead with his eyes glued on Merlin and notes the way he flicks his eyes nervously towards Arthur before his fingers come up and prod at his swollen lips.

"Is there anything else you need, Leon?"

He quickly snaps his head up at the sound of Arthur's voice, recognizing the agitation hidden within and he shakes his head a bit too quickly.

"Uh, no sir. I'll just get these faxed over now."

He's out the door before Arthur can utter a simple thank you.

Once he's gone and the door shuts behind him Merlin looks at Arthur.

"Do you think he…?"

"No," Arthur shakes his head. "No I don't think so. Leon is a good friend and a reliable employee but he is also one of the most unassuming human beings I have ever met."

Merlin sighs, relief flooding his veins.

"Well thank God for that."

II.

Nearly a week after the kiss in the office, Merlin gets an email inviting him to dinner at Arthur's flat.

At first he thinks it's strange the invite comes in the form of an email and not the texts or flirty phone calls he's so used to but he shakes off the curiosity by reminding himself his boyfriend was the head of his own company and communicated by email at least ninety percent of the time and instead shows up outside his flat at the designated time wearing a dark grey jumper and the dark jeans that Arthur said made his ass look 'absolutely fucking amazing.'

For some reason he always finds himself a bit nervous before an actual date with Arthur, more than likely stemming from the fact that they were good at casual sex and kissing but the more intimate things, like talking and opening up in general were still a bit of a task for them. Especially Arthur.

Which is probably why, by the time Merlin manages to knock on the door, he's bouncing nervously on the balls of his feet as he tries to decide if he should leave the top two buttons of his shirt undone or not (Arthur's not the only one who likes to tease).

He's halfway through adjusting his shirt (he actually wants this to be a date, not a hot fuck with dinner on the side) when he hears someone rushing towards the door; only, when it does swing open, Merlin finds himself gaping in horror at Morgana Pendragon, whose raking her eyes over him in judgment as he fights to breathe.

Finally, after nearly thirty solid seconds of staring, she says,

"You must be Merlin," and opens the door a little more, ushering him in where he finds himself staring at at least a hundred people who are currently crowding Arthur's hallway and sitting room.

Merlin feels the blush instantly creep up the back of his neck as he realizes it isn't going to be just him and Arthur tonight and it takes nearly all of his self-control not to hightail it back to his own flat and hide in his bed for the next week.

Forcing himself to keep calm he steps all the way through the door, smiles at Morgana when she offers to lead him to Arthur as he secretly thinks of at least a dozen different ways to kill the prat for failing to reveal all the details about this so called dinner.

Said prat is standing in the living room with Leon when Morgana points him out, dressed in a light blue button down that clings to his chiseled muscles and nearly makes Merlin turn into a puddle on the floor. He's laughing at something Leon says when he spots Merlin across the way, his smile magnifying as he excuses himself and walks straight towards him.

"Well fancy seeing you here," he teases, mouth much too close to Merlin's ear. He smells faintly of alcohol and aftershave, the scent tickling Merlin's nose as he inhales it deeply and god, he can feel his legs turning into a quivering mess.

Merlin manages to shake himself out of his stupor, remembering he's still supposed to be pissed, and narrows his eyes at Arthur whose mouth was still incredibly close to Merlin's.

"You could have told me this was a party," he hisses, not wanting to be overheard by anyone close by who would undoubtedly relay the information to Morgana or (god forbid) Gwaine.

Arthur's eyes flick up to Merlin's, a confused sea of blue scouring his face before realization dawns on him and he sighs, rubbing a hand across his face.

"You thought this was dinner between the two of us didn't you?"

Merlin glares.

"Well yeah, Arthur. All your email said was that I should come to dinner at your place tonight. You failed to mention there would be a hundred other people here as well."

Arthur releases another sigh, folds his arms across his chest and after a moment nudges a sulking Merlin with his elbow as he continues to brood.

"Come on Merlin, don't pout. Have a drink, meet some of my friends. Then, when they leave, it can just be the two of us."

Merlin opens his mouth to protest, despite the undying urge to get Arthur alone, but before he can say a word Arthur is suddenly jerked back and Merlin peers around his boyfriend to stare at Gwaine, grinning like a maniac as he holds up a full bottle of tequila.

Great.

It's nearly an hour later and Merlin's pressed firmly between two of Arthur's extremely drunk employees, wishing his gaze could burn a hole through the blonde's head as he glares at him across the room.

When Gwaine had brought out the tequila Merlin knew things were only going to go downhill and right now he was wallowing pitifully in his correct assumptions, wondering if it would just be better to leave before he saw a side of Arthur that would only serve to embarrass them both.

Pushing himself off the couch, straightening his clothes as he did, Merlin decides he's just about had enough and stocks towards Arthur who was downing his umpteenth shot of the night. As he approaches the blond he lurches forward, grabbing onto the front of Merlin's shirt to steady himself.

Unlike earlier he now reeks of booze, his lids half shut against the haze the alcohol has cast over him. Merlin struggles beneath his lover's weight, trying to hold him up as Gwaine and Leon cackle behind him. He nearly yelps when he feels one of Arthur's hands leave his shirt, moving up to cup his face instead and god Merlin feels blush exploding across his face and bleeding down the back of his neck, refusing to look up at Arthur's friends.

The blond was wasted, monumentally so, and even though his words were slurred Merlin could make out vague phrases like 'you're gorgeous' and 'just want to kiss you' and Merlin's almost sure Leon's eyes are about to bug out of his head while Gwaine's jaw is halfway to the floor. It's moments like this that remind Merlin why he used to hate Arthur. When he wasn't being gorgeous and successful he was completely useless.

Maneuvering Arthur so one of his arms was slung around Merlin's shoulders he looks up at the men in front of him, giving a forced laugh that sounded flat as he shakes his head at Arthur.

"Congratulations Gwaine, looks like you finally found the prat's limit. Let's just hope he doesn't remember any of this in the morning or he'll probably take my head off with a letter opener."

Before either of them can reply Merlin's already steered Arthur away, directing them towards the hallway he knows leads to the bedroom. He's thankful when he can hear Morgana in the background, announcing the party is wrapping up and everyone has had enough to drink.

Nudging the door open with his hip Merlin pulls a stumbling Arthur into the bedroom, managing to get him to the bed before allowing the blond to collapse onto it, giggling (Arthur will deny he ever giggled) up at the ceiling as Merlin removed his shoes and socks, pulling back the comforter before leaning down to press a feather like kiss to his now sleeping boyfriend.

He contemplates staying but with Morgana more than likely sticking around for a while he decides against it, knowing hung over Arthur was especially unpleasant to deal with in the mornings and he'll be better off getting a full night's sleep in his own bed before facing the man's wrath the next morning.

So instead Merlin moves towards the door, giving Arthur one last glance before flicking off the light and muttering under his breath.

"That was an incredibly close one. Stupid prat."

III.

When they near the eighth month mark in their relationship Arthur decides to take Merlin to dinner.

While they've gone on plenty of dates during the course of their relationship Arthur's noticed Merlin isn't exactly fond of the same extravagant venues he was accustomed to. Merlin tells him it's habit, he never had nice things like Arthur growing up and the thought of someone splurging on him was a bit foreign.

And of course Arthur never pushes it, opting for more low key locations or simply ordering in even though Merlin always manages to make a mess on his rug when they eat in front of the telly, spilling lo Mein noodles off his chopsticks or accidentally dropping the slice of pizza he's trying to maneuver to his mouth.

But tonight, well tonight Arthur decides to put his foot down and he leaves a note on the night stand when before he leaves to get ready that morning, telling Merlin to be ready by seven and dress nicely. He's prepared for a fight, or childish whining, really he's prepared for everything except the sight of his boyfriend dressed in the brand name button up he'd bought him a few months ago, hair combed back and looking absolutely ravishing (while still managing to be insanely adorable, he might add) when he answers the door.

He drives them to the restaurant in what he wishes was silence but Merlin's known for his ability to chatter aimlessly about nearly everything and despite the constant talking Arthur finds he can't help the smile that tugs at his lips when he looks over and sees Merlin talking animatedly, his hands lifting from his lap and gesturing every few seconds.

By the time they make it there Arthur's ready to rip the shirt off Merlin's torso and devour him right here.

But, of course, he knows Merlin will protest ("I didn't dress up for nothing," he'll say) and he manages to control himself long enough to get out and open Merlin's door for him, smirking at the glare he's given before he presses a firm kiss to Merlin's lips.

"I really hope you enjoy this," he says and Merlin gives him that goofy grin of his in response.

"I know I will."

Dinner goes fantastic, to say the least, and by the time the bill is being dropped off Arthur feels like he's in complete euphoria. The food was fantastic, the wine exquisite, and he's spent a blissful night with Merlin after a completely hellish work week.

He's busy scribbling his name on the bottom of the check and digging his card out of his wallet when he hears a familiar voice calling his name, dread creeping up on him faster than he thought possible.

"Are you deaf Pendragon or are you just pretending you don't know me?" Gwaine laughs, walking up to their table with that cocky swagger women seemed to eat up.

He fights a groan and flashes a weak smile at his friend and coworker, vaguely taking notice of the blonde woman attached to his arm. He's dressed similarly to Merlin but his clothes are a bit more rumpled and his hair looks like he's just finished shagging (when Arthur thinks about it, it's a strong possibility) and Arthur groans because of course Gwaine would be here tonight.

He hands off the check to the waitress when she comes back by, looks back up and notices the way Gwaine's eyes flick from him to Merlin and he suddenly realizes they're about to be caught and he was going to have to face not only the wrath of his father but the wrath of Merlin as well.

He has to think of something.

"So," Gwaine finally says, returning his mischievous gaze to Arthur. "What are the two of you doing here together?"

His brow wags suggestively and his date giggles behind her hand, nearly eliciting a snarl from Arthur while Merlin just looks mortified. Arthur tugs at his tie and puts on his best business face, prays Gwaine is as dumb as he sometimes appears.

"Well I've decided to upgrade the technology on our floor and was busy convincing Merlin here to install it for us since he seems to be so good at it. Lucky for us he agreed just before you interrupted."

It's a jab meant to deter the brunette but of course, it falls on deaf ears and Gwaine chatters for at least another five minutes before his date whispers something in his ear and he suddenly announces they have somewhere else to be, leaving a relieved Arthur to fall back against his chair with a sigh.

"Well that was nearly a disaster." He says, looking up at Merlin and instantly feeling uncomfortable when he sees the frown etched on the dark haired man's face.

"What?" he questions, not liking the way Merlin's arms fold across his chest as he glares.

"You do realize you now have to buy those new computers right?"

Arthur rolls his eyes. "Yes Merlin, I do and while it's not ideal it's hardly the end of the world."

Merlin continues to look pissed. "And you do realize that I now have to install them right? For every office on that floor?"

Arthur swallows thickly at that, a nervous smile painting its way onto his face.

"Oh."

Merlin scoffs. "Yeah, you stupid prat. You know someday I'm going to end up murdering you in your sleep."

"No you won't."

"And why's that?"

"You'd miss the sex too much."

IV.

Merlin hates when Arthur has to attend corporate events.

More so, Merlin hates when Arthur talks him into attending corporate events with him.

He's not exactly sure how Arthur does it but sometimes he thinks it has something to do with the kisses pressed to sensitive spot below his ear or the way Arthur turns his bright cerulean eyes in Merlin's direction before the dark haired man has no choice but to cave.

"You know I absolutely hate you sometimes," he says through a sip of champagne, trying not to groan in pleasure as the crisp liquid bubbled across his tongue.

Arthur mostly ignores his jibes and complaints, keeping his eyes on either the dance floor or his father but occasionally he cracks a smile at Merlin's childlike behavior and it takes all his self-control not to wrap an arm around his waist and pull him close.

When he sees his father has just started a conversation with a man from another corporation they occasionally had done business with a few times he leans over and whispers in Merlin's ear.

"Follow me; I know where we can have a bit of alone time."

And it's all he needs to say because as soon as he takes those first few steps towards the door leading to the hall Merlin is right there, so close Arthur can feel the warmth of his breath on his neck. He guides them through the winding halls of the building, years of attending parties exactly like this practically instilling a mental map in his brain.

There's a closet just a few doors down from the restrooms where he remembers sneaking around with a girl named Mithian when he was barely nineteen. It wasn't ideal but it was private and no one was the wiser when they had emerged breathless with that glazed look in their eyes.

He stops in front of the door and whirls around, grabbing the front of Merlin's tux and eliciting a yelp as he yanks him forward, kissing him hard as he blindly gropes for the door handle, opening the closet and pulling them both inside.

It's dark and the slightest bit cramped but he's able to push Merlin against the back wall as he nips at his lips, fingers unbuttoning his trousers in a frenzy and it's not long before he has Merlin biting at his neck to muffle the shout trying to rip its way from his throat. When they finish and Arthur is able to clean up the mess he finds himself lost in the look of ecstasy that was still on Merlin's face, the post coital glow gorgeous even in the crappy lighting of the closet.

He kisses him one more time, hoping it's enough to keep himself at bay until he can get them back home, before they exit the tiny room as Arthur checks to make sure that his clothes are still mostly intact. He glances up at Merlin then, a question hanging precariously from his lips where it dies in an instant when he sees his sister approaching them, the fabric of her emerald dress dragging across the ground as she looks at them wide eyed.

"I was wondering where you wandered off to," she says, voice uneven and full of something Arthur can't name. Either way he knows it's not good.

"So," she says, picking at one of her finely manicured nails, "what were the two of you doing in the closet?" she nods to the room they had stumbled out of moments before, eyes glowing wickedly and Arthur is sure this is where they get caught.

But, before he can open his mouth and give her his pitiful confession, Merlin jumps forward with a smirk that rivals Morganas on his face.

"Well you see Arthur's had his eye on this girl for most of the night you see and he's real nervous about asking her to dance so I took him aside to give him a little advice."

Arthur can feel himself gaping but the shock of what's just come out of Merlin's mouth is too much for him to handle and he finds his face is practically frozen, especially when Morgana blinks at Merlin a few times before simply asking,

"And which girl seems to have captured my dear brother's attention?"

Merlin smiles. "I didn't quite catch her name but she's wearing a red dress, has brown hair done up in curls?"

Morgana beams. "Sophia? Arthur why didn't you tell me you fancied her, you know I could have introduced you two."

And then Morgana's grabbing him by the hand, dragging him away from a giggling Merlin who looks so damn pleased with himself that Arthur is almost positive he's going to strangle him later.

And, while they're secret is once again safe, it does not get Merlin off the hook for making Arthur spend the whole night dancing with the most horrible girl he's ever met in his life while his idiot of a boyfriend smirks from the other side of the room.

V.

It's a lazy Saturday, nearly a year into the relationship, when Arthur wakes up with a sinking suspicion that something is going to happen that day.

What, he isn't sure, but he knows that whatever it is, it isn't going to be good.

He toys with the idea of telling Merlin as he lies on his back in bed, his lover still sleeping soundly beside him, but in the end he keeps it to himself, knowing his boyfriend would more than likely tease him rather than seriously read into said feeling.

So instead he goes on about his day, thankful it's the weekend and he and Merlin are spending it together (work has been absolute hell the past month and Arthur can count the number of nights he's actually been able to spend with his boyfriend on one hand).

After Merlin wakes and Arthur is able to ignore the niggling voice in the back of his mind, they take a quick (not really) morning shower ("oh come on Merlin, aren't you always going on about conserving water or something like that?") before eating breakfast in front of a Doctor Who marathon.

Merlin decides to take a nap after that despite Arthur's protests but when the blond realizes his attempts to talk Merlin into 'doing the chores' (which roughly translates into, shagging on every flat surface they can find and calling it dusting) are futile, he settles back into the couch with a grumble and pulls his computer into his lap.

At least reading through Leon's extensive (and extremely boring) reports is enough to vanquish the irritating bulge in his pants and by the time Arthur is done reading through them all (he nearly joins Merlin for nap less than ten minutes into the first one) he realizes it's already been a few hours since Merlin had retired to the bedroom and he shakes his head in mock irritation.

Merlin would sleep for days if Arthur allowed it.

Deciding to take pity on his obviously exhausted boyfriend he opts for tidying up a bit, somewhat shocked (not really) to see how messy his flat has become since Merlin all but moved in. he's just finished unloading the dishwasher when there's a sharp knock on his door, one that has him freezing in mid stride on his way to the cabinet and he nearly drops the coffee mug in his hands when he hears the unmistakable voice of his father asking, "Arthur, are you in?" and he's almost sure he's going to be sick.

But, before he can, because of course that would just make things worse, he hears a terrified gasp from behind and turns to see Merlin standing there with a look of horror on his face.

"Is that...?"

Arthur nods, unable to form actual words as he racks his brain for a solution to their possibly life altering problem while Merlin is still frozen with panic. There are only so many excuses Uther Pendragon would actually buy and only so many Arthur can actually pull off on such short notice.

He should play sick, he thinks, knowing his father wasn't too experienced when it came to caring for his sick children. Or maybe he can fake a work emergency, text Leon and bribe him with the promise of a date with Morgana if he calls him in to the office this very instant.

Or maybe-

"Arthur?"

Oh god. There was literally no way out of this.

They were doomed.

Uther was going to kill him and Merlin was going to run and god this was it.

And Arthur has no choice, he knows, so he looks back at Merlin with eyes that beg for forgiveness as he moves towards his front door, throwing it open and giving his father an over exaggerated smile.

"Father!" he greets with what is probably too much enthusiasm, "I wasn't expecting to see you this weekend. Is something the matter at the office? Are you and Katrina having a spat?"

Uther pushes his way inside the flat and it's obvious to Arthur he's a little pissed about standing in the hallway for nearly five minutes, because he ends up answering Arthur's questions with a sharp shake of the head as he peels off his coat and hangs it on the rack.

"No, nothing like that. I was simply in the neighborhood and I-"

Uther stops short when he sees Merlin standing beside Arthur's counter, looking very much like a deer caught in the headlights as the elder Pendragon scrutinizes him through narrowed eyes. The blood is roaring loudly in Arthur's ears as he gauges his father's reaction and prays Merlin doesn't open his big mouth and screw everything up before Arthur can at least attempt to prevent world war three from partaking in his sitting room.

But it's easier said than done when the man who's been sharing Arthur's bed (and consequently overtaking his heart at the same time) and his father are currently partaking in a staring match right before his eyes and Arthur is ready to wave the white flag when suddenly and idea pops into his head.

And, he has to admit, it is a rather brilliant one.

Well, maybe not from Merlin's perspective but Arthur will find a way to smooth things after they manage to get his father the hell out of his flat and back to the other side of town. Right now though, he has no choice, and right after praying for forgiveness a thousand times over he looks back at his boyfriend with an apologetic grimace before…

"Ah Merlin, please come meet my father."

He darts forward and pulls the raven haired man to the counter (thanking every god out there that the idiot was dressed in something other than Arthur's shirt from yesterday) before looking back at Uther, who was looking extremely confused and a tiny bit annoyed.

"Father, this is Merlin. He's my new help."

For a moment there is nothing but silence following his words, both men looking similarly stunned (Merlin more so, although his look was also mixed with one that was absolutely murderous) as they stared at each other before looking back at Arthur.

Uther is the first one to break the silence.

"Good for you, my boy. You've been working hard lately; I think it's wonderful you've finally hired someone to help out around here."

Arthur murmurs in agreement, trying to prevent his gaze from flicking over to Merlin's right now because he is absolutely terrified to see the expression on his face. So instead he quickly twists open his beer, draining half off it almost instantly before looking at his father.

"It's getting late you know, we should probably head to dinner before Katrina starts wondering where you are."

Uther laughs and when he looks over at Merlin Arthur knows this is not going to end well. "Nonsense Arthur. Why, now that you've hired someone to help out around here, we can simply dine in instead."

Nope, not well at all.

It takes nearly an hour of listening to Merlin swear and make an absolute mess of Arthur's kitchen before he comes to the dining room with two steaming plates of something Arthur is sure used to be chicken. His boyfriend sets them done with an angry thump, a dish towel thrown over his shoulder and a smear of something Arthur can't identify on his right cheek as he says,

"Dinner is served." With just a hint of too much sarcasm, although Arthur doesn't fault him

He looks exhausted and pissed and Arthur begins to feel guilty; so while his father is busy staring at his meal, Arthur takes the opportunity to mouth a silent 'I'm sorry, I love you' to him, only to be given one of the coldest glares he's ever received before Merlin heads back to the kitchen.

Once he's gone Arthur turns his attention to the food, grimacing at the sight of it blackened on his plate next to a mushy pile of vegetables that was were going to haunt his nightmares. He dares look up at his father next who's poking the chicken breast experimentally with his fork.

"You'll have to forgive Merlin," Arthur finds himself saying, "We're working on his cooking skills."

He watches Uther take a daring bite of his meal, eyes screwing shut as he forces himself to swallow it before washing it down with half his glass of wine.

"Seems you have a long way to go."

Arthur fakes a laugh, forcing down a mouthful of chicken he nearly spits across the room (in that moment Arthur vows that Merlin is getting some serious cooking lessons for dinner) just before Merlin comes in with a bottle of wine and immediately begins filling their glasses.

Uther is still poking at the majority of his meal, not even noticing when Merlin comes over to refresh his glass and 'accidentally' (Arthur doesn't believe it an accident at all) spills it on the table and his father's lap.

There's a bit of commotion after that, Merlin scrambling to fetch a towel that Uther angrily snatches out of his hand before Merlin scrambles back to the kitchen (and Arthur would swear the man was smiling wickedly).

Uther looks at him as he attempts to dry his pants, voice thick with irritation.

"Does he have some sort of mental affliction?"

All Arthur does is sigh.

Dinner is over fairly quickly after that, Arthur apologizing over and over as his father shrugs on his coat and promises they'll eat out next time before finally disappearing out the door.

As soon as he's gone Arthur turns to Merlin.

"Merlin, I am so-"

But Merlin's already walking away and the sound of the bedroom door slamming tells Arthur he should probably make himself comfortable on the couch.

Needless to say, Arthur goes to bed very hungry and very horny that night.

+1

Arthur's not sure how it turned into this but the more he thinks about, the angrier he gets.

He's such a fucking prick sometimes and god if he loses Merlin because of this he doesn't know if he'll ever forgive himself. Angrily pacing his office he runs his hands through his honey colored hair, tugs on the ends out of pure frustration and lets out a growl that emanates from deep in his chest.

He and Merlin have had fights before but none of them have ever been as bad as this. Most of the time they were about ridiculous things, like 'I thought you were supposed to do the wash' or 'it's not my fault the customer was an arsehole so don't take it out on me' but this time it's different and Arthur doesn't think he'll ever forget the look of hurt that flashed across Merlin's face when the argument had come to a head nearly three nights ago.

"You know sometimes I really fucking hate you," Merlin spat, long, slender fingers curled around the edge of the marble counter top as he fumed.

"Yeah? Well than maybe you should just go then," Arthur fired back, nearly regretting the words as soon as they flew from his mouth.

It had been quiet after that, Merlin letting out a tiny gasp as he straightened up and looked right at Arthur.

"You don't mean that."

It left Merlin's lips as a broken whisper, one that nearly broke Arthur's heart because of course he didn't mean it but the anger was flowing so freely through his veins, blurring his vision with red rage and he found the only thing he could say was,

"Yeah Merlin, I think I do."

He doesn't remember much after that or even what the fight was originally about, just that the front door had slammed shut and when Arthur looked up Merlin was gone and Arthur's chest felt like it was weighed down with steel as he fought to breathe.

Merlin hadn't returned any of his calls that night, nor answered any of his texts and Arthur took the hint, allowing his boyfriend to stew for the night. He had planned on talking to Merlin at work the next day, faking some sort of technical problem before requesting Merlin come fix it so they were stuck in his office and Merlin would have to listen to him, but when he'd called down to IT Percy had told him Merlin hadn't come in that day.

Arthur had written it off though, Merlin was probably just taking a little extra time to blow off some steam and Arthur had decided to give him until the next day before he really started to worry. Of course, despite that he'd tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep after becoming so accustomed to Merlin occupying the other side of his bed.

After a relatively sleepless night he'd come into work moody and exhausted this morning and he didn't even think of calling downstairs and having Merlin sent up. They were going to work things out now before Arthur completely lost his mind.

He ignores Vivian's stare as he finally comes out of his office, his tense shoulders and angry stride telling everyone he walks past that he is not to be bothered as he marches up to the elevator and stab the button with a terrifying amount of force, stomping inside before he can hear whatever joke is bubbling on the tip of Gwaine's tongue as the doors close.

When the doors open and reveal the IT department Arthur pauses, chewing at his bottom lip when he realizes he's no earthly idea where Merlin's desk is and he looks around helplessly as people begin to stare.

He's nearly ready to high tail it back upstairs when he (thankfully) spots Percy sitting inside the break room, surveying Arthur with interest as the blond weaves his way through a throng of people. He has to hold back a groan, when upon entering the room, he also spots Will, an extremely annoying git (who also happens to be one of Merlin's good friends, which means Arthur always has to be at least somewhat humane to him) who's glaring at the blond with more hatred than Arthur thought possible.

Arthur pushes that aside though, unable to worry himself with the idiot because right now the only thing he can think of is Merlin and he turns to Percy with a look on his face that tells the gentle giant he means business.

"I need to speak to Merlin," he says, trying so very hard to sound like the corporate boss he is, only to fail when the words come from his mouth tinged with worry.

Percy looks suspicious, bordering on upset (although Arthur has no godly idea why) while Will just looks pissed as he spits out,

"Merlin came in this morning and handed in his resignation. Didn't say why or nothin' just that he couldn't work here anymore; no one's seen him since."

As Will's words spin dizzyingly in Arthur's head he finds himself unable to properly breathe, feeling as if his heart was going to burst from his chest as he looks at the pair in front of him and unleashes a whirlwind of questions like 'Where did he go? When did he leave? Did anyone think to ask him anything?' until Will finally snaps.

"Why do you even care Pendragon? You're nothin' but a prat to him and now that he's not around to do what you need him to you're suddenly worried."

Arthur looks at Will before turning the glare on Percy, knowing he could play the 'I'm the boss card' he knows there's no way it will work on Percy, let alone will. He's too close to Merlin to care about Arthur's hollow threats (despite the ungodly amount of annoyance they're causing, they're too good at their jobs and Arthur knows he'd never fire them).

So instead Arthur sighs, wonders why his chest feels so tight all of a sudden and dammit he just wants to know where Merlin is. And so, despite the fear clutching at his stomach and the irrational panic spreading through his veins he looks at Percy and Will (and damn, he'd sweat the larger man already knew) and says,

"I need to see him alright? I need to talk to him and tell him I'm sorry for being such in insensitive jackass all the time and I didn't really mean any of the stupid things I said and I don't want him to go because I love him. I love the bloody tosser even though he absolutely infuriates me sometimes and I just…I need to find him, please."

And now he's teetering on the edge, feeling like he's about to lose his mind because who knows where Merlin is now and the two dolts in front of him were being no help at all. But the desperation must shine in his eyes because suddenly Percy's standing, moving towards a discarded pad of paper on the counter and scribbling down something Arthur can't see while Will is still glued to his seat, jaw halfway to the floor.

Arthur resists the urge to roll his eyes at the brunette; instead looking at the scrap of paper in Percy's outstretched hand.

"It's his mum's address," Percy finally says, his voice a low but oddly soothing grumble. "He said something about spending a few days there to clear his mind."

Arthur takes it tentatively, feeling the flimsy material wrinkle between his fingers as he runs them over the indentions, memorizing the street name before looking back up at Percy with a look of gratitude.

"Go," the taller man demands, "he's not going to wait forever."

And then Arthur's running, not caring that he still has more than half a work day left and when his father catches wind of this he'll almost surely be fired. All he can think about is getting in his car and driving straight to Merlin.

And that's exactly what he does.

He gets there by midday, parked in the drive because he can't actually bring himself to get out of the car. What if his mum didn't let him in? What if she did and Merlin refused to see him? What if he couldn't get the words to come out even when he was looking right at him?

A dozen different scenarios play in Arthur's head but in the end, the thought of going home without Merlin because he was too much of a coward is enough to finally make him get out of the car and he finds himself standing at the front door as it swings open and reveals a woman who looks so much like Merlin it nearly hurts to look.

She looks nearly startled at the sight of the blond man on her doorstep but the suspicion quickly fades away and is replaced with a strained but warm smile.

"You must be Arthur," she says, "I was wondering when you'd get here."

She's ushering him inside almost instantly after that, pointing down a tiny hallway, telling him Merlin will be in there and to take as much time as he needs.

She disappears into the kitchen before Arthur can even open his mouth to thank her.

Following her directions he walks up to the door, considers knocking but ultimately decides against it and instead eases it open, spotting Merlin sprawled out on his bed with an arm thrown over his face.

"Mum, I've told you I'm not hungry. Just leave me be please."

Arthur nearly laughs at the way Merlin sounds like a whiny teenager, softly closing the door behind him before walking up the bed.

"It's not your mum," he finally says, watching Merlin shoot upright at the sound of his voice before glowering in his direction.

"What are you doing here?" he demands, the venom in his voice making Arthur flinch as he sits down on the edge of the bed.

"I'm here to apologize," he tells him, voice lowered to a whisper. "I didn't mean any of the things I said that night. I was tired and upset and I took it out on you because I'm an ass. And I don't blame you if you won't forgive me, because I'm not even sure I would forgive me. But I had to let you know I was sorry and all I want is for you to come home."

The silence coming from Merlin is deafening, nearly has Arthur ready to stand up and walk out because he's not sure if he can bear to listen to the rejection. But then he looks up and there's this small smile on Merlin's face, lighting up his eyes in a way Arthur hasn't seen in far too long. And then Merlin's kissing him, grabbing desperately onto his suit jacket and pulling him close until their foreheads are pressed firmly together and Arthur thinks it may be the best kiss he's ever had.

Merlin pulls away first, when the need for fresh oxygen is too much, and Arthur is left panting, grinning up at Merlin who looks so incredibly relieved and happy that Arthur could nearly cry (he doesn't though, because as he's told Merlin many times, Pendragon's do not cry).

Of course the smile slowly begins to slip off his face when he remembers exactly what happened at the office before he drove all this way to bring his lover home and he looks up at Merlin nervously.

"Merlin, just so you're prepared for what may happen tomorrow at work, I may have accidentally told Percy and Will about…well about us. And as you know, Will just so happens to have the biggest mouth in the whole building."

"You did what?"

"Well it's hardly my fault. Honestly Merlin you have some of the most useless friends in the entire world."

Merlin rolls his eyes but can't hide his smile.

"You're such a clotpole sometimes."