When Arthur woke, it was in the middle of the night to a thunderstorm outside. He blinked his eyes steadily as his vision cleared.

He reached out across the sea of sheets and found them cold. He looked around the room groggily, Merlin stood at the window.

He peered through the curtains and into the city streets. The moonlight lit up his porcelain skin so he looked almost angelic.

"Are you just getting in?" Arthur asked running a hand absently across his bare chest.

When he didn't respond Arthur chuckled, Merlin could get lost for days in that head of his of Arthur let him.

The blond got to his feet and pulled up his sweat pants as he came up behind his partner.

He laid a hand to Merlin's back and rested his chin on the smaller and shoulder. It took a moment but Merlin shifted and turned his face to Arthur's cheek.

"I'm sorry I woke you." He murmured against Arthur's cheek.

"No you didnt." Arthur mumbled blinking his eye slowly. "The storm did, are you just getting home?"

Merlin nodded and reached for Arthur's hands, pulling them around his waist in a comforting embrace.

Arthur straightened up and pressed a kiss to Merlin's head "Hey, Is everything alright?"

He shook his head. "Why are people so cruel? How do they manage to judge so openly with such narrow minds?"

"Humanity can only grow in the absence of cruelty." Arthur said simply, a motto he lived by. "People are cruel because they don't know how to be kind. We can only show what we have learned, a case of circumstance."

"Always the lawyer." Merlin said softly.

Arthur kissed Merlin's cheek. "What brought this on? I'd everything ok?" Arthur asked again, we Merlin didn't respond he searched for his gaze In their reflection but he only looked away.

Something was wrong. Arthur released Merlin from his grasp. "Look at me."

He refused.

Arthur turned Merlin around but the younger just turned his face.

"Please Arthur, go to bed." Merlin pleaded.

Arthur grasped his chin and forced his eyes up. "Merlin." He gasped cupping his lovers face. He pushed away his dark curls gently and Merlin flinched.

Arthur led him to the bathroom and turned on the dim light that never stopped buzzing.

A black eye, split lip and a cut across his beck.

"Fuck!" He swore and left the bathroom.

Merlin sighed and tugged off his jacket slowly, wincing as his muscles protested.

Arthur returned with the first aid kit and wearing his glasses.

Merlin managed to get his shirt half way up before the pain became too much. "Arthur." He complained. "It hurts."

Instantly he felt strong hands guide his arms free, tossing the shirt to the floor.

"Jesup Merlin." He muttered touching a bruise on his ribs. "What happened?"

Merlin climbed onto the bathroom sink as Arthur got out an alcoholic swab. "Homophobes jumped me on my way home, took my wallet and phone."

Arthur started to clean his face gently. "You should have gone to a gas station or something, I would have picked you up."

"No point in it, I was six blocks away."

"Six blocks!" Arthur snapped angrily. "We moved here so this kind of thing would stop happening."

"Arthur." Merlin whispered kissing the man's cheek. "Things have to get better before they get worse."

"Why do you have to suffer?" Arthur said pressing his forehead to Merlin's shoulder.

"Because we must fight, when others cannot."

"I'm a lawyer Merlin, not a knight I'm battle."

"One and the same." Merlin said kissing Arthur's head as he stroked the man's hair. "As long as you're fighting for what's right people will be there to stop you. You're a gay lawyer fighting for gay rights. And you're doing a bloody good job of it. Of course people are going to lash out."

"But why you?" Arthur whispered. "Why can't they hit me instead?"

"Because the it hurts more to watch it than it does to take it." Merlin pulled Arthur's face back and smiled.

They kissed each other gently, careful to Merlin's busted lip. The moment grew warm as Merlin gripped onto Arthur's hair and Arthur pulled him forward on the counter by his hips.

Merlin's blunt nails dug into Arthur's shoulder blades. Arthur ran his hands Ho Merlin's body and he gasped.

Arthur sighed and pulled away, "you're in to much pain for this." He whispered.

"Marry me." Merlin whispered pulling Arthur's face back to his so their noses brushed against each other's.

"What?" Arthur asked like he was crazy. "I'm the reason your face is fucked to shit and you want to marry me?"

"Do you love me?" Merlin asked simply.

"Do I love you?" Arthur asked dumbly. "We've been dating for three years, I said I loved you after three months. Of course I love you."

"Then marry me Arthur, marry me and every day I live in will devote to fighting by your side."

"It's not even legal yet." Arthur said sadly.

"It's legal in other states."

"No, I met you here. I made love to you here and we will live our lives here. I will not marry in another state."

"Then we'll wait." Merlin said stroking Arthur's face.

"You would stay?" Arthur asked searching Merlin's blue eyes. "You'll stay for me?"

"Leaving was never an option." Merlin said clashing their lips together.

They fought for dominance with teeth and tongue until Arthur had Merlin shoved against the mirror of the bathroom sink and was working his way into his trousers.

For some god forsaken reason they didn't move to the bed. Instead Arthur prepped his boyfriend with the hand lotion at the sink and fucked him until they forgot which one of them proposed.

Arthur carried Merlin to their bed bridal style and laid him among the twisted sheets.

"Is that a yes?" Merlin asked as Arthur collapsed in the bed next to him, snaking an arm over Merlin's narrow hips.

"Yes, you idiot."