AN: There will be 6 parts to this story. Of course this is all just my imagination and nothing else.

Warnings: hurt/comfort, some angst and violence and some dub-con later on.

And this is slash, so if this offends you or is not to your liking, please don't read any further. I hope you will enjoy my story. Please let me know what you think.

Cluless

It was one of those hot days that didn't come around too often. The sky wasn't blue, it was murky, heavy with heat and there was a promise of rain to come in the air.

Merlin sniffed, catching an odd look from Arthur but he didn't care because right now, the air smelt heavenly, full of summer heat with just a dash of rain to come and if he could bottle up that smell, he would.

There was only one other seasonal smell that made him feel this deliriously happy and that was waking up on a clear winter morning with the smell of snow to come in the air. The crisp air with just a hint of snow, he didn't know how to explain it but that particular scent also made him feel happy and content.

Arthur had decided this morning that it was time again for one of his many hunting trips; privately Merlin thought that the prince needed to get a different hobby. Maybe not a different hobby, perhaps just an additional one or two that didn't involve Merlin having to run around the woods, watching Arthur kill some innocent animal.

Merlin wasn't against killing per se, he knew they had to kill to eat, he could do that too, as a matter of fact he had done it in the past, not quite as successfully as Arthur had, he wasn't good at killing but if he was hungry enough, he could manage to do what needed to be done.

However Arthur wasn't killing because they needed food, to him the hunt was a hobby, it wasn't actually the kill that got Arthur excited but the stalking around the woods and the 'hunting'.

It wasn't as if they just left the dead animal to rot afterwards, they always took it back to Camelot and then there would be a feast but it didn't change the fact that the animal hadn't been killed for food but because of a hobby.

Merlin had tried to voice his opinion on hunting once or twice but he had given up rather quickly; it was obvious that Arthur wasn't going to agree with him. Even Gaius had looked at him oddly and just said that the nobility had a different way of living so he would just have to get used to it.

Today however the heat was almost unbearable, they had been up since day break, stalking through the woods and Merlin wasn't just tired, he was sweaty and exhausted but from the flush on Arthur's face he could tell that the prince wasn't going to be done any time soon.

'Well, if he wants to go and get heat stroke he can just go ahead,' Merlin thought sourly and after some more stalking and purposefully stepping on some dry wood sticks, Merlin stopped in his tracks, eyes wide and whooped, causing Arthur to throw a rock at him to shut him up.

But Merlin dodged the rock and dashed forward, pulling his sweat soaked shirt over his head, even disposing of the scarf he always wore.

When he turned around it was the first time ever that Merlin got to see Arthur wide eyed and staring at him. Merlin frowned, unsure as to what the sudden heated look on Arthur's face meant; maybe Arthur was closer to having a heat stroke than he had previously thought.

"Come one, join me. This is fun..." Merlin pointed at the small lake behind him, the deep blue water glistening in the sunlight, promising cool delights. "We could use it to cool down a bit; you'll feel so much better afterwards..."

After another long moment where Merlin had thought Arthur had been struck mute, the prince finally spoke, the disdain in his voice had Merlin slightly flinching because for some reason, whenever Arthur used that voice, he felt as if the prince had taken a look at him and decided that Merlin was lacking in every possible way and just plain useless.

"We're on a hunt; I'm not going to strip naked and jump into the water with you."

Merlin usually overcame these bouts of feeling inadequate rather quickly, he wasn't prone to depression or feeling mopey. He was usually rather cheery by nature so his momentary feeling of inadequacy was already gone and his eyes were shining with joy when he continued to try and bait Arthur to see reason, behave like a young man for once and have some fun.

"Oh come on Arthur, you know you want to..."Merlin's voice was teasing and he pointed towards the cool water, clearly signalling that he couldn't possibly understand how anyone could choose being hot and sweaty over having a nice cool dip in a lake.

"No, Merlin, stop being so annoying."

Merlin just glared and then with a defiant look, he started to unfasten his trousers, only turning around once he was pulling them down his long, slender legs. He twisted his head so that he was looking back at Arthur, when the prince didn't seem to be moving, he just shrugged, "Suit yourself then, go get heat stroke for all I care. You know where to find me."

Then with another whoop he ran towards the water and even though it was a shock to his heated body, he just kept on running until he was deep enough to jump headfirst into the cool waves.

His back had been turned to Arthur so he had missed the odd look the prince had sent towards him, his blue eyes roaming over Merlin's naked form and he missed Arthur stalking stiffly off into the woods, continuing on his hunt.

~*~

When Merlin resurfaced from the cool water, his dark hair plastered to his forehead, water droplets running down his face, Arthur was already gone.

Merlin felt a strange pang in his heart at being left alone but then he shrugged it off and continued to swim a few rounds, enjoying the cool water on his naked body, just having fun, something he hadn't done in a long time.

He knew that what he had done wasn't proper manservant behaviour but then again, what other manservant went on hunts with his sire? Usually you were only required to tend to the sire's needs, like making sure that meals are served, that the clothes were washed and that weapons were clean and tidy.

It usually didn't require anyone to come along on hunting trips, not if they were just short outings for fun. However Arthur always insisted that he come along, pretending to be teaching Merlin when all he did was order him around and make him uncomfortable.

It wasn't that he minded, he actually liked spending time with Arthur when he wasn't in arrogant prince mode, but some times he wished that he could just be himself and no one else.

The last time he had been allowed to just 'be' was when he had been back in his home village, with his good friend Will, before his mother had sent him to Camelot.

Ever since then he hadn't only needed to hide who he really was, he had also been denied the few things he truly enjoyed just because life as a servant didn't really give him the time or the opportunity to do what he wanted.

He didn't mind looking after Arthur.

He had at first, when he had thought Arthur wasn't anything but a spoilt brat, and at times Arthur still was that person but now Merlin knew better, deep down Arthur hid a caring heart and once he was king, he would do a better job of it than his father currently was.

However that day was still a long way off and until then, Merlin's own destiny, apparently, was to be ordered around by Arthur. He often wondered if that was what the dragon had meant, and if he had, Merlin had to wonder about this whole destiny thing. Surely being one part of a coin couldn't possibly mean that he was supposed to cater to Arthur's needs and whims but if that wasn't his true destiny, then what was?

And what did it matter?

It wasn't as if he was going to be able to change what he was any time soon, he had to keep his magic hidden and while there was a slim chance that when Arthur became king he would lift the ban on magic, it wasn't guaranteed and so he might never be able to help Arthur achieve his destiny while being true to himself.

And honestly, if he wasn't Arthur's servant, what else should he be doing? Learn to be a healer like Gaius? He did care about people, he wouldn't mind working with Gaius either but he was usually too clumsy and he had no patience for mixing the potions that were required. He was pretty certain that he would be a horrible apprentice and an even worse healer in the end.

So that left him exactly where he was with no way out.

With a sigh he dove under the water again, enjoying the cool water on his heated skin, when he had to come up for air again, he realized that maybe it was time to head back to shore and dry off.

It might be better to do that before Arthur came back, not because Merlin was necessarily all that modest but he wasn't too sure if Arthur would appreciate finding Merlin butt naked.

Arthur was probably already furious with him for having left him to hunt on his own and he might end up in the stocks because of it. But if he did, he wasn't going to mind because he had enjoyed this afternoon and he was going to remember it for a long time.

The sun was low in the sky already but it was still strong enough to dry Merlin's body rather quickly. Even though he didn't relish having to wear his dirty, sweaty clothes, he still felt better than he had before. At least his body felt cool and refreshed and he didn't feel as if he was going to collapse from the heat at any moment.

He was just about done when Arthur strolled back towards him, his mighty kill over his shoulders.

Merlin's eyes widened, and then he barked out a laugh. Arthur's big kill had turned out to be a meagre little rabbit, looking more like a dead bunny than anything else.

"You caught a rabbit?" Merlin's voice was full of fun and laughter, mocking the prince for his big kill, "Oh my hero, what a big kill you made. I'm so proud of you...really..."

Merlin wasn't toppling over with laughter but he was very close.

He was in good spirits, so he was totally taken aback when Arthur's response was less than friendly. He hadn't expected Arthur to just take his taunts, it was a game between them after all. Arthur himself insulted Merlin quite frequently and in turn Merlin did something to annoy him, but it was all done in good spirits, more between friends than actually between servant and master.

"Why can't you behave like a proper servant should for once?" Arthur's mouth was tight, eyes blazing with anger and for once Merlin just shut up because there wasn't a trace of a smirk anywhere on Arthur's face. "I've never had anyone as incompetent as you as my servant and I honestly don't know why I keep you around..."

Merlin was about to point out that Arthur was 'keeping him around' because he liked him, they got on well and because Merlin had saved Arthur's life once or twice. They could trust each other and while Merlin might not be a perfect servant, he was Arthur's friend. He didn't get his chance to say those things however because Arthur just kept on talking, stalking over to Merlin so that he could shake his shoulders and then push him backwards until Merlin landed on his arse, looking up startled.

"You're a total klutz, can't do anything right, can't follow a simple order, and you're just totally hopeless. You're not good for anything."

In truth it wasn't anything Merlin hadn't heard before. At one point or another Arthur had said all those things to him, even Gaius had at some point and he was pretty sure even his mother had laughed at him at some stage for his habit of breaking things without meaning to.

But it was the way in which Arthur said these things that was different, this time Arthur really meant them. They were uttered to hurt Merlin and that was new; so was the sting he felt inside his heart.

"You don't really mean that..." Merlin's voice wasn't more than a whisper, barely audible but Arthur just raised an eye brow, picked up his fallen rabbit and started walking away, clearly expecting Merlin to just shut up and to follow him.

Which was what Merlin did in the end since there really was no other option available.

His feelings weren't hurt for long though, Merlin usually didn't hold a grudge, Arthur had probably just had a really bad day, which really wasn't Merlin's fault at all but since he couldn't lash out at anyone else, he had been the perfect target.

He hadn't really meant those words, though for the first time the prince had actually looked as if he had. Surely that couldn't be true.

Merlin might be hopeless at some things but Arthur did care for him and that was enough.

So he buried the sting in his heart and not too long later, he was smiling again, trailing after Arthur and his big hunting success: the tiny rabbit.