Thanks for the comments.

-0-

Arthur glared at the yellow pay phone that had been wheeled into his cubicle by a smiley faced nurse as though it was to blame for Arthur ringing his wife and a strange, obviously stoned, man answering. Sophia obviously wasn't worrying about where he had been these last few days! Arthur had told her he wanted a divorce, and he really did – really– but a small part of him had hoped that she might have cared enough to try to fight for him, or to care when he disappeared for several days!

The doctor had told him that they wouldn't release him from hospital without someone coming to collect him because he had hit his head. Miraculously, after his tumble in front of that car, a bump on the head was his only injury as the car had only just been pulling away from the curb and wasn't going very fast.

At least he had his identity back. The name Lance had never suited him. He was Arthur Pendragon. He'd been given a shot at being someone else for a few days and although he'd never felt right in the guise of Lancelot DuLac, he'd been free of the shackles of his miserable life – unhappy marriage, a job he hated, suppressed sexuality.

It wasn't funny how he'd instinctively known that he preferred men when his old life had been locked away in his mind. With no expectations upon his shoulders he had been able to be himself – the real person he could've been – and it had been fantastic.

He preferred men.

He preferred Merlin.

Reaching over to the spiral jacket that was hanging over the back of the chair next to the bed he dug into the pocket and produced the business card with Merlin's number on it. What was he going to tell him? He wasn't Lancelot! That van wasn't his. He'd been following Lance and had ended up living in Merlin's flat – and Merlin had taken him in, Arthur Pendragon, a total stranger.

He hovered his fingers over the keypad, suddenly uncertain – Merlin was attracted to him, Arthur was more than certain of it, but last night he'd changed and had withdrawn into himself following what had been for Arthur a perfect date; Merlin had obviously not felt the same.

He needed Merlin now though – someone had to come and collect him from the hospital. Morgana would come…but Arthur couldn't face her at the moment. He just wanted Merlin.

-0-

Merlin was babbling he knew it. Sitting in the back of a taxi with Lance so close, his nerves got the better of him – and when had that happened? It seemed that the more time he spent with this man in his life, the more pathetic he became. He'd barely gotten any work done today, his mind going over everything that had happened since Lance had literally fallen at his feet a few days ago.

Something didn't add up, yet for all of his magical ability, Merlin had no idea what. "…hitting yourself on the head twice in a week – are you usually this accident prone? No – scratch that – you wouldn't know would you when you've lost your memory." Instinctively he reached out and closed his hand over Lance's. "I nearly had a heart attack when you said you were at the hospital, I had to get a cab because my hands were shaking too much to drive."

"Merlin – there's something I need to tell you," Lance started, but Merlin wasn't really listening as the taxi pulled up at his building. He released Lance's hand and thrust a twenty at the cabbie before opening the door.

"What were you doing, that you would walk in front of a car anyway?" Merlin asked as they climbed the outside stairs.

"That woman who was eyeing me up-"

Merlin's chest tightened at the mention of Lance's admirer, and a moment later he noticed that the door was open. "Shit – tell me I locked the door!" he exclaimed and Lance's voice died away as he came to stand at Merlin's side.

Together the two of them stared at the door as though it was an animate object and it might swing wide open for them of its own accord.

"I know I locked it," Merlin said, and he had – he had a key – but he always used his magic to do it automatically as he left the building, and tonight had been no different.

He pushed the door with the heel of his palm and it creaked open ominously. Merlin stepped inside, Lance close behind him.

"Fuck," he said, feeling sick as he took in the state of his home. Everything he owned had been torn upside down – all of his clothes, CDs, DVDs, books – everything– was scattered across the floor. "Oh God, my jewellery!" He ran, skipping over items strewn on the floor to his work bench. Everything was up-ended and scattered across the surface – but even though this was all valuable gold and other metals – it was dumped in a mess, but they hadn't taken it.

Merlin felt it then, a tingle of magic. Someone had opened his safe with magic – that was the only way to open it. Someone who had scanned all of his possessions and not found what they were looking for. He was torn between relief and disgust.

"Oh my God," Lance said from behind him and Merlin turned to face him. "Merlin-"

"I don't think they've taken anything, which makes no sense whatsoever." The gold was the most valuable possession he owned, and that belonged to his business as an asset.

"This is my fault," Lance said, raking a hand through his hair and offering Merlin an. "It has to be her. I knew that there was more to it than trying to get into my pants-"

"What-?" Merlin stared incredulously at the man who had been a complete stranger to him less than a week earlier. "Who do you mean – 'she'?"

"That woman I told you about, the one who kept staring at me. She followed me tonight – that's how I ended up in the path of a car. She said I had something she wanted."

"Do you have any idea what? Are you in trouble, Lance?" Merlin took a step closer, a combination of anger and worry spurring him on. "Oh God, have you even lost your memory at all – have you been playing me for somewhere to hide from whatever it is?" All Merlin could think in that moment as 'please say no' – because even though Lance wasn't his to worry about, that didn't mean that he wouldn't.

"No – I'm not – look, Merlin – I'll leave. I'll help you tidy up this mess and then I'll go; I'll sleep in the van or-" His face was ashen, and Merlin didn't miss the way his voice cracked as he backed towards the door.

"No – please – stay," Merlin said gently, he reached out and took his hand. "I'll lock the door and we'll put something up against it; we'll be safe here tonight. There's no way I'm letting you go out there when some crazy woman is after you." Some crazy magical woman.

Merlin found he was in a dilemma now. He could wave a hand and the room would return to its former state, everything slotting into place easily; but that would give away his magic to his guest, and even though he still felt as though he could trust Lance he was reluctant. It usually took him years to let people in on the secret.

"If you're sure?" Lance stepped closer, staring right into Merlin's eyes, his gaze flicking briefly to Merlin's lips before returning to stare into the depths of his soul. "Merlin-"

Merlin couldn't say who made the first move, all he knew is that their lips had met, and that the world was spinning as he was pressed forcefully into the wall and a pair of smooth lips were parting his, and a hot tongue was entwining with his own – and God, he'd never felt so turned on, never wanted anyone as much as he wanted this man in this moment.

Somehow they stumbled away from the wall, both of them leading the other towards the bed, clothing being discarded as they went; t-shirts hitting the floor, shoes toed to one side until Lance was backed against the bed with nowhere to escape to.

Merlin looked at Lance through his lashes, any thoughts that this shouldn't happen firmly blocked away in the back of his head and replaced with an overwhelming feeling of rightness at what was about to happen.

Two pairs of blue eyes clashed and time seemed to come to a crashing halt.

Merlin slowly lifted a hand and ran his thumb over soft pouting lips. A warm pink tongue snuck out and tasted the tip. Merlin groaned and replaced his thumb with his mouth.

-0-

Arthur let instinct rule him. He'd never done this before with another man. Placing his hands on Merlin's hips he turned them both until it was Merlin with his back to the bed, pushing him down onto it and before Merlin could move Arthur's shaking fingers were on the buttons of Merlin's jeans, popping the top one and tugging, pulling them swiftly over long pale thighs and chucking them to one side. He followed with Merlin's boxers, staring greedily as his thick erect cock sprang free.

Something primal stirred inside Arthur. God but he wanted to taste Merlin; so he did, he bent his head and tentatively tasted the drop of precome on the tip of his cock, instantly feeling bolder and swirling his tongue around the head, feeling the blood rushing to his own already painful arousal as Merlin groaned and bucked his hips into Arthur's mouth. "Yes," Merlin said. "I want you. "

Arthur added pressure with his tongue and suppressed the urge to smile around Merlin's cock as he Merlin's whimpers increased in volume and a long fingered hand clamped into his hair. Arthur looked up, along the long length of Merlin's naked body, over his concave stomach, his dark pink nipples, his prominent collar bone – his eyes finding Merlin's as he stared down at Arthur with darkened eyes and laboured breathing.

Arthur thought he might die if he didn't fuck him; after tonight he might not get another chance. He ignored the stabbing in his heart as that thought crossed his mind and releasing Merlin's cock he said, "Back up."

Merlin did as he was bid, into the middle of the bed. He watched as Arthur followed, straddling him, resting his palms on Merlin's ribs, both thumbs sneaking outwards to rub erect nipples, eliciting a breathy gasp from Merlin.

"Need you now," Merlin said, bucking his hips up under Arthur, their cocks rubbing together teasingly. "Lube's in the drawer."

Arthur scooted over to the bedside drawer and had the tube and a condom in his hand before he even realised he'd moved, returning to part Merlin's thighs. He dropped the condom beside him on the bed and popped the lid on the tube, coating his fingers.

Merlin squirmed when Arthur's finger traced his entrance, laughing and muttering, "'S cold," and opening his thighs wider. "Mmm, 's good too."

Arthur slipped his finger inside, not sure how he knew that this was what he should do, but knowing that it was felt good, and Merlin's reaction was one of joy not pain, so Arthur pushed further. With his second hand he ran the pad of his thumb over the tip of Merlin's cock. He wanted to make Merlin scream, wanted to make him his.

"More," Merlin begged. "I can take it."

Arthur added another finger, scissored and curled. "Like this?"

"God, yes." Merlin put his hands under his knees and lifted his legs. "Do it."

Arthur hesitated, wanting nothing more than to plunge his cock into Merlin and force an orgasm from him that was so mind blowing that Merlin would never want anyone else. He just didn't want to hurt him.

"Do it," Merlin said again. "I want you." His legs wrapped around Arthur and that was his tipping point. His fingers were out, the condom was on and Merlin was rearranging himself onto his knees, resting on his elbows and offering Arthur his arse. Arthur nearly came from the sight of him.

Following his instincts Arthur clamped his shaking hands in a vice like grip on Merlin's hips and pushed slowly into him, and once there, he leant forward and placed a kiss on Merlin's spine and whispered, "Is this okay?"

"It's bloody fantastic," Merlin replied. "Now, fuck me, I won't break."

Arthur moved, and it was the most amazing feeling; Merlin's scent, being inside him, the feel of his skin beneath his fingers, the pounding in his chest… He wasn't going to last long. He reached underneath and closed his palm around Merlin's erection and tried to stroke him in time with his own movements. He hoped it was good for Merlin, "Do you like that?" he managed and received a groan in response. Arthur sped up his pace, determined that he wouldn't come before Merlin did, but he was so so close. A euphoric feeling was stealing its way through his bloodstream, taking over everything; he was going to come, he was going to come, he was going to – When it happened, Arthur's vision blurred and he exploded into Merlin with the fiercest orgasm he'd ever had. How could he have lived so long without knowing this feeling?

"Merlin, Merlin – God," he heart himself mumbling, his hand still around Merlin's cock. He hadn't succeeding in getting Merlin to come first, which was a disappointment. Arthur gently pulled out and fell onto his back, awed. "Come here," he said to Merlin, watching him through narrowed eyes as he straddled Arthur's hips. Without breaking eye contact, Arthur wrapped his hand around Merlin's cock and stroked. He used his other hand to tease Merlin's balls, knowing that was something he'd like if positions were reversed.

Merlin tipped his head back, closing his eyes, and with a low groan, came all over Arthur's chest. As his orgasm subsided, he leant forward and kissed Arthur, one hand brushing sweaty tendrils of hair off his face. "Wow," he said.

-0-

As they curled together and allowed sleep to find them, Merlin knew he was utterly screwed. Best friend's boyfriend or not, Merlin wasn't letting this one go. He'd never felt like this before…so right.

He could only hope that when Lance's memories returned, the newer ones he'd created with Merlin would win.

-0-

Arthur propped himself up on his elbow and stared at Merlin as he slept. He'd just fucked a guy; he'd just fucked Merlin. He'd never known anything like it; he felt wonderfully sore in the oddest of places, but Merlin had been perfect. He'd always known he preferred men, but when your father is Uther Pendragon – Arthur hadn't had a chance to explore anything before he'd been marching down the aisle with Sophia on his arm. Uther had been so pleased and so proud that Arthur was marrying the daughter of his oldest friend, and with him being so ill...

He'd always done everything to please his father and never to please himself; something that Morgana berated him for frequently and to which he normally replied that he was happy as he was.

A few days in the company of a skinny young man named Merlin Emrys and Arthur's life had changed forever.

He'd been trying to tell Merlin the truth about who he was last night but this had happened. He wanted it to happen again, and not just once. Looking at Merlin felt like home.

As he watched Merlin stirred and his lashes fluttered as he opened his eyes and slowly focussed on Arthur. "Morning," Arthur said softly and raised a hand to brush the stray hairs out of Merlin's eyes. Merlin grinned back and Arthur couldn't help dipping his head to brush his lips over Merlin's.

It wasn't morning, well it was, but the time was only about 3am and the light illuminating Merlin's face came from the moonlight outside and the ever present London street lighting.

Arthur ghosted his lips along Merlin's exposed collarbone, nibbling the soft skin there, loving Merlin's boneless response and low whimpers. Arthur could get used to this; but he had to tell Merlin the truth.

"Merlin," Arthur pulled back and sat back on his haunches, taking one of Merlin's hands. "I'm not Lancelot."

Merlin's lips quirked. "I never call you that, prat" he protested, pulling Arthur's hand guiding his fingers to his mouth where there was a flash of pink tongue that wetted the tips. "It's my turn to fuck you." Merlin lifted his head slightly and sucked on Arthur's fingers in earnest and sparks of pure need shot straight to his cock. He'd never done that before, and the thought of doing it with Merlin…all thoughts of telling him who he really was vanished and were replaced by a burning compulsion to have Merlin bury himself inside him.

"Geez, Merlin-"

Merlin swirled his tongue over the underside of Arthur's fingers, and before Arthur's head caught up with his body, he had pulled his hand back, straddled Merlin and was using the same hand to stroke Merlin's already rigidly hard cock.

-0-

Lance woke up with a stiff neck from the awkward angle in which he had lay down before falling asleep. Awkwardly he sat up and saw that Morgana was curled in a small ball at the other end of the ginormous sofa, her face relaxed in slumber.

They hadn't exactly been very successful in their quest to find Arthur Pendragon and by default, Lance's van. Perhaps now would be a good time to explore the house again – there had to be something he had missed in his earlier search.

He almost didn't see the laptop in the study for a second time. He had thought it odd that a study would have no computer, but given the size of the house and the ridiculous number of rooms, he'd concluded at the time that there was probably an office tucked away with a computer in – and then of course Morgana had returned and had been side-tracked with one of Percy's joints and that had been the end of all rational thought for that evening.

The laptop was tucked out of sight behind a cushion on the large comfortable looking armchair in the corner of the room. Lance picked it up and placed it on his lap and settled back for an amateur attempt at hacking – but this turned out to be unnecessary as it didn't appear to have password protection.

A webpage was still open, and in the middle of the page was the advert from the other day, 'Desperately Seeking Lancelot'. With a frown, Lance clicked on another open tab to find it was a blog of some kind on something called livejournal. The journal bore the title, 'More to life than this'.

Lance scanned the page, and started to read. 'She's looking for him again. I wonder why they don't use phones like most modern couples would. Their using the personals to communicate fascinates me. Who is Lancelot? Who is Guinevere? Can that be their real names? What are they to each other? Are they real; maybe it's a code for members of the secret service to meet up and pass along information? If I've guessed that correctly will I be arrested?

I'm going to go there tomorrow. The writer in me needs to know who they are. They're meeting at Camden Lock; I can blend in there. I just want to see them. I think they're in love. I want to see what that looks like on the faces of people who don't belong in my social sphere, in a world where people fall in love because they can and don't settle for duty. I want to see what I can never have.'

Lance sat back with a sigh and said, "Poor bastard." His heart ached for the man who had written those words. He searched the page for a user name and found it at the top of the page and under the icon of a sword in a stone – knightarthur. Well, at least that solved one mystery and answered the dilemma of how to find him again – if he'd left his wife as Morgana had told him he had, and if he was licking his wounds somewhere – Lance was pretty sure he'd still be checking these personal ads and returning to this blog at some point.

Lance returned to the personals page and with a few clicks had placed the following:

Desperately seeking Stranger seeking Lancelot
Regarding key.
Meet me on Saturday night.
Café Bar, Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, 7.30pm.
Be there.

Satisfied, he snapped shut the computer and went to tell Morgana his news.

"Oh thank God," she said when he told her as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Lance was willing to bet she'd never appeared before anyone else looking that dishevelled in her life. Her hair was wild, her pupils dilated and her cheeks creased from the pattern on the cushion. She looked a lot less scary like that. "I just hope it works."

So did Lance. He missed his van. It was more than just transport; it was his home and it was all he had. He wanted it back. Morgana muttered something about coffee and cereal and headed to the kitchen; Lance flopped back on the sofa and hit the on button on the remote. The huge flat screen TV flickered to life and the newsreader was launched into a report about a stolen historical artefact.

Lance gasped and hastily paused the picture and called for Morgana. "I think we've got a bigger problem," he said, nodding at the TV.

Morgana glanced at the screen and said, "The Crystal of Neahtid allegedly resurfacing after being missing for centuries only to be immediately stolen? That's old news now, and it's probably just a hoax anyway, if the thing ever really existed."

"No – I mean this," he pressed rewind and paused it when a picture of a white haired woman flashed up on the screen. "I bought a crystal pendant off her on Saturday and then she dropped dead less than an hour afterwards!"

Morgana shook her head. "I don't see-"

"Look-" Lance fast-forward again, realising he perhaps wasn't being as clear as he could be. "Her daughter is a suspect in the theft of the crystal! See that blonde woman there – I saw her as I left the fayre, I held open the door for her and she didn't thank me – I remember her because I can't abide rudeness!"

"She's wanted for questioning for the other woman's death. Oh - oh– the daughter as fencing the crystal to her?" Morgana guessed, her brows drawing together in puzzlement. "What does this have to do with Arthur?"

"According to this report she was spotted at Camden Lock on Tuesday."

Morgana shot him a confused look.

"I was supposed to meet the 'stranger' – Arthur – at Camden Lock on Tuesday. It can't be coincidence, can it?"

"What would she want with you?"

"What if the woman gave me the wrong crystal? The daughter wasn't there when I went back after my talk…"

"So youhave got the Crystal of Neahtid?" Morgana's eyes shone in excitement and Lance had a suspicion that she had forgotten the whole point of the conversation.

"No – it was in the pocket of the jacket that Arthur has bought."

Realisation dawned. Morgana sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh, Arthur, what have you got yourself mixed up in?"

-0-

Merlin couldn't help a lazy smile when Lance dropped a quick kiss on his lips and said, "I need a shower." He watched as he grabbed some clothes and made his way to the bathroom before disappearing inside. Merlin sank back against his pillows and closed his eyes, the absence of the warm body against his feeding the cold guilt that now threatened to engulf him.

He'd slept with his best friend's boyfriend. That wasn't like him, he didn't do things like that, but – but– with Lance he hadn't been able to resist any longer. His blood and his magic sang for him and the pull had been too great. From what he could see – and feel – Lance felt the same; but was that just the Lance who didn't have his memories? What would happen when it all came back to him and he remembered how much he loved Gwen?

Oh God, had Merlin taken advantage of him?

Before the theory had time to develop, there was a knock at the fire escape door followed by an impatient sounding, horribly familiar voice, "Merlin? Are you there?"

Gwen. Her timing could only have been worse if she'd arrived whilst they were actually fucking.

Merlin glanced at the bathroom door and back to the door. Getting out of bed he yanked on a pair of boxers off the floor and waved a hand to unlock it and called, "Come in, it's open!"

Gwen's head peered around the door before her body followed. "Didn't wake you up did I?" she asked with a rueful smile that Merlin forced himself to return. "When I couldn't get hold of you for so long I got worried about Lance – we drove all night to get back as soon as we could after the last gig. God, Merlin, what's happened here?"

"You look well," he evaded, scanning the floor for his jeans, horribly aware that there were bound to be bruises forming on his hipbones from the almost death grip he'd been held in earlier as Lance-

"I don't know how I can look 'well', I've been worried sick about Lance! He can be a bit of a trouble magnet because he's just so nice." She scanned the room as though that would make Lance magically appear. "Is he here? I saw his van outside and he wasn't in it."

"Um – yeah – he's here. Look, Gwen, about that – about Lance – we – I-" Merlin's tongue seemed to double in size as he tried to tell her. He knew he'd done her wrong, but he wasn't a dishonest person, so of course he was going to tell her what had happened and face the consequences.

He had to face the fact that he might lose Gwen over this, he deserved to, but he wasn't going to give up Lance without a fight. The way he felt about that man after just a few days far outweighed how he'd felt about anyone else – ever. Waking up curled against that strong body with blond hair tickling his skin was so perfect. His heart knew it, and so did his magic.

There was a crash from the direction of the bathroom. "Lance?" Merlin called. "Are you alright?"

He ran to the bathroom doorway, closely followed by Gwen to find the bathroom window wide open and no sign of Lance. Merlin's heart sank – he'd probably heard him and Gwen talking and decided that he didn't want to be caught in the middle.

"Where's he gone?" Gwen asked in confusion as she stared at the open window. She flicked her worried gaze at Merlin. "Is there something I should know?"

Merlin nodded and said, "Just let me straighten up the flat and we'll take a walk to Elena's, yeah?"

If Gwen had been about to protest, her words stuck in her throat when Merlin clicked his fingers and the ransacked mess that had been ignored in the wake of what had happened next began to right itself. Gwen, one of the few who knew about Merlin's magic, watched with a mixture of agitation and fascination.

Merlin was not looking forward to this conversation.

-0-

Arthur sat in the park staring at the ducks on the lake. After climbing out of the window he'd come here, not really knowing where else to go. He wasn't even sure he knew why he'd run like that. All he knew was that someone had come to the door and that someone had turned out to be the mysterious Gwen, who had come for her Lance, only hewasn't Lance, he was Arthur Pendragon.

Merlin deserved better than him, a man who had married for duty and suppressed who he really was. Arthur needed to sort out this mess that was his life before he could go back and claim Merlin – before he could go back as Arthur Pendragon and see if he was someone that Merlin would want, and not someone living under the persona of another.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there staring blankly at nothing much, but eventually his stomach began to protest at the lack of sustenance and his head began to ache from lack of caffeine. He had no money and no way of getting home or anywhere at all without it. He just hoped that Viv was in a good mood and wouldn't mind him using the one of the office computers at the theatre.

It would probably take him the best part of an hour to walk there; he'd better get a move on.

-0-

"I can't believe this, Merlin," Gwen said sadly, and Merlin squirmed under her accusing gaze. "You're my best friend!"

"I tried to fight the attraction, Gwen, I really did," Merlin offered in his defence, knowing it was a weak argument. "I'm sorry."

Gwen's expression softened and she reached out to place her hand over Merlin's. "I know you wouldn't deliberately hurt me. Neither would Lance. He must really have fallen for you. It's just-" she hesitated and bit her lip.

"Just what, Gwen?"

"It's just – your version of Lance is the amnesiac; how are we going to know how he really feels until he gets his memory back? I mean – he's not really cheated on me when he doesn't remember me, has he?"

Merlin's heart clenched. Gwen was right; this was something he'd already considered. Now neither of them knew where they stood, and Lance had disappeared, probably confused. His van was still parked at Merlin's.

"I hope he's alright and that woman who was following him has realised he has nothing she wants now," Merlin said.

"What woman?" Gwen demanded.

They had a lot of catching up to do, Merlin concluded, his mind racing. Gwen hadn't punched him, that was good, but she clearly hoped that Lance would recover his memories and chalk up his time with Merlin as a blip; and could Merlin blame her? He was equally desperate for the opposite to occur.

"Hey, Gwen – good to see you back," Elena said, appearing at their table with an order pad and a smile. "I finally met your Lance the other day when Merlin brought him in. He's a good looking fella!" She tapped her pen on the order pad and looked expectantly at Merlin, who immediately reeled off his order even though his appetite had gone.

What if Lance didn't pick him?

Gwen followed suit with her order and Elena wrote it down and said, "Who's 'the stranger' though, Gwen? I think it's so exciting that you two communicate through the personals!"

"Oh, well, we don't really know who that is," Gwen said, shooting a probing look at Merlin who shook his head back. He had totally forgotten that the ad from 'the stranger' had been the reason Gwen had sent him to find Lance the other day in the first place.

"Well, whoever it is, there's an ad in the personals today that says 'Desperately Seeking Stranger seeking Lancelot' – have you seen it?"

With that bombshell dropped and without waiting for a reply she ambled off, tucking her pen behind her ear as she went to hand in their order.

Merlin and Gwen both looked at each other and said in unison, "What fucking stranger?"

-0-

Arthur had a change of plans after seeing the ad in the personals – he'd only checked on spec as he logged into his internet banking to arrange to collect some money from a nearby branch without his ID – it was only because of his name and the amount of money in his account that the transaction was agreed. He was the stranger, and someone was looking for him – he was going to be here tonight at half nine working his shift. Of course, this bar job was a job he no longer needed now that he had his identity back. He had a job running a multi-billion dollar company. A job he fully intended to take a sabbatical from once this mess was sorted out; Geoffrey would be only too happy to take the reins from him if he asked.

The only person likely to care that he had been missing for nearly a week would be Morgana, and Arthur knew he ought to call her and tell her he was okay, but he just wanted to get the evening out of the way first before he made contact with his real life and properly assumed the identity of Arthur Pendragon again. If he didn't call Morgana he could pretend for a little while that his name was Lancelot and he was a free man.

A man who was free to love whoever he wanted. He wanted to love Merlin.

Anyway, the only person who would place an ad like that had to the real Lancelot. Arthur had possession of his van and presumably the poor bloke had been worrying over its whereabouts. Arthur might shudder at the thought of living in a van, but it was clear that the vehicle meant a lot to Lancelot, it was obvious how much the owner loved and cared for it.

All Arthur had to do was wait. He checked his watch and figured he had about five hours before he had to take his identity back and face the world as Arthur Pendragon again. For the first time in his life, he truly recognised the lead that sank to the pit of his stomach for what it was: frustration.

-0-

"This had better work," Morgana sniffed as she followed Lance up the steps to the theatre. "This isn't the sort of place I normally frequent."

Knowing that she couldn't see him, Lance rolled his eyes. The Royal Court Theatre Café Bar was very nice, in his opinion, and should not be looked down upon because the serving staff did not wear supercilious expressions on their faces when they met a member of the general public who only paid basic rate tax.

"I hardly think advertising to meet at the Savoy would be appropriate," Lance fired back and, because he was a gentleman at heart, he held open the glass door for her. He could hardly believe that this was the same woman who had fallen asleep on her brother's sofa last night, stoned out of her mind.

He watched as Morgana glanced around her as they went down the internal stairs to the bar, "It looks okay I suppose, if a little crowded."

The two of them surveyed the heaving throng of patrons in the bar below. "It's the pre-theatre crowd," Lance decided, remembering Percy complaining about peaks and troughs when he had worked here. "I think there's a show at eight and most of these should leave then. Any sign of Arthur?"

Morgana sighed, her gaze softening at the mention of her brother. Lance concluded that he was her Achilles heel. She clearly loved him very much. "No, but I see Leon over there," she pointed at the far corner of the seating area at a broad shaggy blond haired man who was looking around him hopefully whilst a red haired woman sitting opposite him inspected her nails and gave off an air of wanting to be anywhere but there. "Oh God – he's brought Sophia!"

"Who – Arthur's wife?" Lance supposed she must have cut short her stay at the spa.

"Ugh," Morgana huffed. "I suppose we'd better go and rescue him."

None of them noticed the tall blonde woman hovering near a pillar at the bottom of the stairs, her eyes firmly fixed on the door behind the bar.

-0-

"So, Lance has been working here, huh?" Gwen had descended the stairs in front of Merlin and was looking around, as was Merlin, for a sign of Lance. "I was hoping he might want to settle down and get a job that doesn't involve him travelling and living in his van. I was hoping he would move into mine and-" Her eyes met Merlin's and she stopped talking before casting her eyes down to study her feet.

Merlin's gut twisted with guilt. Gwen had asked him to do her a favour and he had betrayed their friendship by falling in love with her boyfriend and by seducing him.

"Gwen, I'm sorry-"

She held out a hand, and Merlin stalled. "I don't blame you, Merlin. If Lance chooses you then I'll try to be happy for you both."

Merlin didn't know how to respond to that, because the selfish side of him wanted Lance all to himself, but the other part of him, the friend with a conscience wanted Gwen to be happy. They fell into a hug, and over Gwen's shoulder Merlin caught sight of Lance coming out of the door behind the bar, rubbing his hands on a towel and scanning the crowd with anxious eyes.

When his eyes lighted on Merlin he stilled and for a moment Merlin thought he was going to smile, but instead, he nodded and moved to serve a customer. Merlin swallowed, hard, and savouring a final glance at the man he'd come to feel so much for whilst he was still just his before pulling out of Gwen's embrace and saying, "There he is." He tipped his head towards the bar.

"Where?" Gwen asked as her eyes scanned the people in the direction Merlin was indicating.

"There," Merlin tipped his head again, not wanting to point. "Serving at the bar."

There was no one else serving at the bar at that moment.

"I don't know where you mean," Gwen said, confused. "I can't see Lance. There's only that blond bloke serving at the minute."

"But…that's Lance."

"No, I've never seen him before in my life," she replied. "Are you winding me up, Merlin? Now really isn't the time for jokes."

"Um, no, that's Lance," he said, staring over to the bar, mesmerised by Lance's Adam's apple as he made small talk with his customer. "You know, tallish, blond, bloody gorgeous."

"Merlin, that – is – not – Lance."

"But-" Merlin managed to drag his eyes off La- the blond man behind the bar and give Gwen his full attention. "That's the man who was at Camden Lock in the spiral jacket and-" If that wasn't Lance then who the hell was he? Merlin's stomach churned and he had to clamp a hand over his mouth for a moment as he was certain his lunch was coming back to greet him.

"Hang on, there's Lance over there!" Gwen said her expression brighter now that it was apparent that her Lance had not cheated on her with her best friend. She pointed towards the far corner where a good looking dark haired man was deep in conversation with a very attractive slender brunette and tall blond man who was looking adoringly at her. Beside them at the table sat a pouting redhead, scrolling through her iPhone and ignoring the others. Gwen's smile faded as soon as it arrived. "Who is that he's with?"

Merlin dutifully murmured something about the brunette seeming to be 'with' the blond, but his mind was racing down other paths.

If that was Lance – who was the man he had he fallen for?

-0-

Arthur saw Merlin and enjoyed a moment of pure panic. What the hell was he doing there? Arthur was here to meet Lancelot and clear up this whole bloody mess, and now Merlinwas here to distract him.

He'd planned on sorting this mess out before he went to see Merlin again. He hoped that Merlin would want Arthur Pendragon when he realised that was who he had had in his bed. Merlin was vibrant and exciting, he created art with his hands; Arthur worked in an office. Merlin's lifestyle was the complete opposite to Arthur's.

Sometimes Arthur thought that he had skipped from early twenties to middle-aged overnight.

Arthur had felt more at home in Merlin's sparsely furnished loft than he had for the past few years in the house he shared with Sophia. Merlin felt like home, and Arthur had only known him a few days. He wanted those few days to become weeks, months, years; he wanted always.

The crowd in the bar began to thin as people started to gradually trickle upstairs to the evening performance, and as the room cleared Arthur felt the lead in his stomach twist as he saw his persistent stalker from the other night leaning against one of the pillars watching him intently. Great. Just what he needed, first Merlin, now Morgause. He glanced over to where Merlin had been a minute or two earlier and found that spot empty. A quick scan of the room revealed Merlin and his female companion arriving at a table in the corner and – oh fuck – Lancelot, Morgana, Leon and - bloody hell – Sophia!

It went from bad to worse.

Could this go any more wrong? What were his sister and his best friend doing here, and why had they brought his soon to be ex-wife? Not that Sophia seemed interested in the proceedings as she faffed around with her ever present iPhone, the tips of her fake nails almost glowing in the dark under the bar's lighting.

Time seemed to slip into slow motion; Merlin and the woman he'd been embracing – Arthur presumed it had to be the elusive Gwen – reached the corner table, and before the two parties could notice one another, Morgause lurched forwards at him, taking him completely by surprise and making a grab for the cord he was wearing around his neck containing the crystal that Arthur had forgotten he was wearing until it burned his neck at the force in which she yanked at it.

The cord did not yield, and Arthur couldn't help it when he loudly exclaimed, "Hey!" He almost fell backwards as he pushed his hands on the bar for leverage. "What the-"

"What do you think you're playing at?" Gwaine's angry voice from beside him was a lot louder than Arthur's had been, and if everyone in the room hadn't already been staring in shock at the proceedings, then they would be now. Morgause lurched again, this time her eyes glowed gold and the cord snapped into her grasp.

Vivian had grabbed the soda gun and she aimed it at Morgause, but it hit fresh air as she had already disappeared into the thinning crowd, the main prize of Lancelot's crystal curled in her greedy hand. "Someone stop her!" Vivian shouted, still aiming the gun into mid-air.

Arthur had time to process the looks of surprise on Merlin and Morgana's faces before he made the decision that no one stole from him, even if the item in question wasn't his in the first place, he had responsibility for it because it had fallen into his hands for safekeeping. With a speed he hadn't known he possessed, he took off up the stairs after Morgause.

-0-

"What the hell?" Gwen exclaimed with wide eyes as they watched the commotion unfold.

"That's my Lance," Merlin said proudly, and took off towards the stairs to follow him, not caring if he was called Lancelot or Rumplestiltskin; Shakespeare had got that thing about names exactly right – that was still his blond in pursuit of a madwoman.

Merlin wasn't certain, but it seemed as though the thief had snatched the crystal that 'Lance' had been wearing around his neck for safekeeping since finding it in his coat pocket the other day.

The man that Merlin now knew to be the actual Lance followed close behind him. Instead of fleeing out of the front doors, the assailant had entered the office behind the front ticket desk, probably thwarted by the sheer numbers of people heading upstairs for the performance. Merlin noticed her disappearing inside and whatever-his-real-name-was following closely behind.

He cast a glance at Lance that said, 'What are you waiting for?' and the two of them nodded at one another before following.

They burst into the small office in tandem like superheroes spoiling for a fight. Merlin's eyes were immediately drawn to his Rumplestiltskin, who had his strong arms wrapped around the waist if the woman from behind as she flailed and struggled to get away, "Get your hands off me you great lump!" she shouted, trying desperately to land a punch behind here. "I'm only claiming what's mine!"

"By ripping it from my neck?"

"I tried playing nice!"

They spun then, facing the Merlin and Lance who were stood gaping in the doorway. Merlin's jaw dropped when he saw who she was. "Morgause?"

Morgause stopped struggling. "Merlin?" she said, her voice heavy with shock. She snapped her head round. "Would you let go of me?"

The arms holding her in place fell to their owner's side and she staggered forwards, her usually pristine blonde curls falling over her face for her to angrily brush aside.

"You know this woman?"

Merlin's eyes met the blue eyes for a moment before he forced himself to look back at Morgause. "You could say that," he admitted. "Morgause is my half-sister."

"Admitting a family connection now are you, after all these years of pretending that I don't exist?" Morgause folded her arms in front of her chest and glared at Merlin as though he was a schoolboy who'd been caught cheating on his exam.

"You tried to steal from me," he said carefully, not wanting to admit the extent of what she had done in front of an audience. She had actually tried to steal his magic. She had some of her own, but her power was more in the sphere of party tricks than anything useful. Merlin, on the other hand, could've taken over the world with his power had he been so inclined, and his father's first born knew that. "What do you want with the crystal?" Merlin nodded in the direction of the pendant dangling from the cord between her fingers.

"It's the Crystal of Neahtid," Lance announced. "She's already killed for it once!"

Morgause ignored his outburst, preferring to glare menacingly at Merlin. "Merlin, Merlin, Merlin, you disappoint me if you honestly don't know that this is the Crystal of Neahtid! Once I get this around my neck then neither you nor anyone else will be able to stop me from taking what is rightfully mine…"

Merlin rolled his eyes. Morgause was a real comedy villain. "Morgause, you disappoint me if you think that is the crystal of anything other than 'Merlin'. I've put the real thing somewhere very very safe; somewhere you will never find it. That is merely a replica I cooked up by my own hand as soon as I realised what treasure had literally fallen at my feet when blondie here entered my life," Merlin nodded towards the man he'd shared a bed with the previous night. "Any feeling you get from it is simply the residue from its creation."

Merlin was annoyed with himself that he hadn't realised what that the infamous crystal was when he'd had it in his hand the other day; it was an extremely dangerous magical weapon that Morgause could not be allowed to harness.

Morgause's eyes narrowed. "You're lying." She lifted the cord and began to slide it around her neck. Merlin flicked a warning glance at his blond who was standing silently to one side, his eyes focussed on Merlin as if he'd never seen him before, and another at Lance, hoping they would understand that she needed stopping, and fast. His bluff would only last as long as the cord stayed away from her neck.

Merlin's eyes flashed gold as he reached out with his magic to the crystal and snared it in a magical bubble. "No you don't you-" Morgause began, reaching out and grabbing Merlin's t-shirt around the collar to yank him forwards. The words died in her throat as Lance hit her over the head with a vase off the desk and her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell to the floor unconscious. Merlin's magic took hold of the crystal and floated it into his palm and he pushed it into the safety of his jeans pocket.

Lance stared down at his handy work before turning to face his audience with a beaming grin. "I always wanted to do that, I mean – it always works in the movies." He held his hand out to the blond. "You must be Arthur? I'm Lancelot."

Arthur. The name suited him far better than Lance.

Arthur glanced at Merlin quickly as if looking for a reaction, but Merlin's surprise over this man not being Lance was old news. Arthur turned back to Lance and said, "Pleased to meet you, I'm Arthur Pendragon." The eyes were back on Merlin.

Merlin tried not to react to that name. Arthur Pendragon.The only son of deceased billionaire Uther Pendragon, and the current CEO of Pendragon Corporation. Merlin wasn't impressed by money, but just – Arthur could probably pay off the national debt and not notice that the money had gone.

Lance, oblivious to the sudden tension, said, "She called you Merlin," he said and the three of them stared in unison at the prone figure of Morgause as she lay on the floor at their feet. "Would you be Gwen's Merlin by any chance?"

Merlin couldn't help but smile at Lance, there was something about him that could draw a smile from the most miserable of people. "That's me. It's nice to finally meet you – I've heard a lot about you." Which made it all the more amazing that he'd ever even believed that Arthur was Lance! They were nothing alike. He turned to Arthur, unable to keep the accusation from his voice when he asked, "When did you get your memory back?"

Arthur flushed. "When I woke up at the hospital yesterday, I tried to tell you-"

The door burst open and four people piled in. Gwen took one look at the unconscious woman on the floor and flung herself into Lance's arms. The brunette they'd seen Lance with earlier was next, catching sight of Arthur and saying, "Oh thank God," and stepping over Morgause to hug him tight. "Don't ever do that to me again," she chided, her cheek pressed into his chest.

"Yeah, mate, I never knew your sister hada heart until now," said shaggy beard.

The fourth person stood in the doorway, one finger twirling a lone red curl that had fallen loose from her chignon. All eyes turned to her, and realising this she pouted and stepped forwards. "Arthur, honey, I was sooo worried! How could you just run off like that? You know how I fret when we're apart." She sidled over to him and pressed her gloss covered lips to his cheek. "I know we had a little teeny argument, but I'm still your wife."

Merlin heard his own gasp at her words. Wife. Oh God, Arthur was married. This was worse than when he'd thought he'd fallen for Gwen's boyfriend!

"Excuse me," he said, back towards the door. "I'm going to go and head off any security that might be lurking outside – can someone call the police? We don't have long; Morgause will be back with us soon. I've got to get this crystal as far away from her as possible; there will be no looking into the future tonight." The crystal was rumoured to have great powers – seeing into the future and mind control of others being just a couple of them.

Merlin didn't care that most of what he had just said would make no sense to anyone other than Gwen. He just needed to get out of there and away from the married man he had handed his heart to on a platter.

He couldn't look at Arthur as he turned to leave. He might never get to look at him again.

-0-

"Get the hell off me!" Arthur spat, shoving Sophia unceremoniously away from him. "I said I wanted a divorce and I wasn't joking – what are you even doing here?"

"Heforced me to come," Sophia spat, pointing at Leon with her thumb.

"I wouldn't have if I'd known Arthur had actually left you for good!" Leon elbowed Arthur good naturedly in the side. "Finally come to your senses huh?"

Arthur forced a smile and fixed his gaze on the door, hoping it would open any moment and Merlin would come back. "You could say that."

-0-

"How did Morgause almost get her hands Crystal of Neahtid?" Merlin asked Gaius, over a pot of tea. "The damned thing has been missing for centuries; it finally turns up and then stolen straight away! She killed someone to get her hands on it!" Admittedly the police were only pressing manslaughter charges because the crystal thief's mother had hit her head on the corner of a shelf during a struggle with Morgause and died as a result. They had not been able to prove intent. Still – when Merlin thought about what could have happened to Arthur…

Morgause was currently languishing on remand at Her Majesty's pleasure following her arrest at the theatre the other night. The crystal was safely locked away and destined for a high security home in the bowels of some government facility or other.

"Who knows what goes on in that woman's head, Merlin?" Gaius sighed and took a sip of his tea. "It's all about the power for her, look what she tried to do to you, not that it would've worked mind – your magic belongs inside you and would've broken her apart trying to get back. Others have made similar attempts on people like you and died trying."

"Hmm," Merlin responded, his mind slipping to Arthur Pendragon for the umpteenth time since he'd last seen him as he'd been answering the police questions at the theatre. Married. The mild rejection he'd felt when Nim had left him paled into utter insignificance compared to this.

Arthur had slept with him after getting his memory back. Had he been using Merlin to get back at his wife? A get out of jail free card to be played in the event of a temporary break-up? Merlin didn't want to think about it, but of course, that meant he could think about nothing else.

"Merlin, what is the matter with you? Are you still smarting over Morgause?"

"God no, I got over her betrayal years ago and it's not like we were ever close."

"Then, my boy, what is wrong?"

"Nothing, Gaius," Merlin lied. "It's just the inevitable crash after all the excitement."

Gaius raised an eyebrow but said nothing further.

-0-

Lance hadn't expected that he'd like Morgana as much as he did, or that Gwen would form an instant bond with her and that they'd start planning a 'girl's night out' for the two of them and Gwen's friend Elena.

He was also surprised by his own instant rapport with Arthur. Their experiences of the last week or so bound them together somehow, and Lance had a feeling that he and Arthur were going to be very good friends.

This made Lance want to help him out; the man was even more miserable that Morgana had told him he had been during what she was already referring to as 'the Sophia years'.

Arthur had already been to see a solicitor about a divorce, and Sophia was manically backtracking and trying to make up with Arthur when she had been reminded by Morgana that one of the many forms she had signed prior to her marriage to Arthur had been a watertight pre-nup that meant she only got out of the marriage what she put in, which based on her track record of failed businesses, was nothing.

Lance mightn't always be the most astute of people, but it was clear to him that Arthur was pining for Merlin. Merlin had not made contact with Arthur; Arthur had not made contact with Merlin. Lance hadn't met Merlin again since Saturday night, but Gwen had, and her report was that Merlin was wallowing without Arthur.

This would not do.

-0-

"He won't want to see me," Arthur protested when he realised where he'd been lured to. The sign above the door stating, 'Spitalfields Market' gave the game away somewhat. From their rooftop conversations Arthur knew that Merlin's stall here was his most successful, and on the last Sunday of every month he staffed it himself.

"Stop making assumptions," Morgana said, looping one arm through his, the other through Leon's and lead them both into the busy market. "I know for a fact that he's moping after you, and now Gwen's told him you're not going to be married for much longer neither of you has an excuse."

Arthur felt sick. He couldn't remember being this nervous since – well ever really. Gwen, Lance, and Morgana – what if they were wrong? What if Merlin didn't want anything to do with him? Arthur had lied by omission when he'd failed to tell Merlin who he really was that night.

"Arthur, do you want to go back to that miserable half-life you were living before this happened?"

Arthur dropped his head. He never wanted to be that person again. Losing his memory had been the making of him. Meeting Merlin had shown him what love could be like. Even if Merlin rejected him, he couldn't simply sit back and not try.

"Alright, alright. Where is he?"

Morgana grinned happily and pulled him into a hug. "I knew you'd make the right decision," she said. "I knew it."

Leon patted him on the back and said, "Nice one mate."

-0-

Merlin's heart wasn't in it this week. Usually he enjoyed his Sundays at the market, but this time he felt flat and all he wanted to do was go home and work, not that manning the stall wasn't work, but to Merlin this was a necessary evil – the making and creating of the jewellery was where all the effort went and was what he loved doing.

Gwen and Lance had offered to come along and help out; Gwen often worked his stalls for him as the money supplemented her income, but today her excuse was that Lance had decided to stick around in London and needed a job – and as Cedric had handed in his notice as one of Merlin's regular workers there was a gap to be filled. It wasn't the kind of job that required Lance's time every day – he could still write his books and head off for a few days in his van.

It seemed that Merlin had a new employee.

As usual, the crowd around his stall was three deep, and it took Merlin a while to notice the blond head push his way through from the back and stand in the middle of the stall, his eyes fixed on Merlin.

"Arthur."

"Merlin."

They stared silently at one another, the crowd fading away as everything narrowed down to this, the pounding of his heart and Arthur.

Arthur's sister appeared at his side and elbowed him in the ribs.

"I - I never meant to deceive you," Arthur said finally. "I just wanted you so much that I was afraid to spoil it. My marriage was over long before I met you."

Merlin searched Arthur's face and saw the hope he had been wishing for.

"I wanted you too," he said, suddenly uncomfortably aware that the crowd around the stall had stopped browsing and were staring at them both. He found that he didn't care enough to rein himself in. "I want to give this a try, what do you think?"

Merlin blinked in surprise when Arthur disappeared from view, only to gasp as he appeared from under the table, on his knees. Staring up at Merlin with a smirk he held out his hand and Merlin pulled him to his feet, even though he knew Arthur was more than capable of doing it himself.

Arthur tipped his head and pressed his lips against Merlin's before pulling back and saying, "So, you're a little bit magic."

Merlin nodded, sliding his hands over Arthur's hipbones and around his back to pull him closer. He licked his lips and said, "So are you."

Their lips met again and the small crowd gather cheered and Merlin saw the man he now knew to be Leon punch the air and holler, "Woooot!" before he closed his eyes and sank into Arthur.

-0-

Lance winked at Morgana from his position on the selling side of Merlin's stall and turned to Gwen.

"If I asked you to marry me now," he said quietly, "Would you mind that all the attention isn't on us?"

"No," Gwen said, wide eyed. "I'd only mind if you didn't ask."

Lance dropped to one knee.

-0-

The End