Merlin glowered down at the receptionist in Arthur's office. She had rung up to him and then glanced at Merlin warily.

"If he's being arsy you can tell him I am coming straight up there whatever he bloody well says."

The receptionist didn't seem entirely sure of how to translate that to Arthur in a tactful way, and Merlin's voice was loud enough that Arthur heard it anyway. The receptionist thankfully didn't have to do any more. Leon appeared at Merlin's side and took the phone off the poor girl.

"Merlin's right, you're arsy; I'm bringing him up and you can sort this out."

"Sort what out?" Merlin snapped as Leon handed the phone back to the girl and took Merlin's arm. "Has Arthur had lunch?"

"Not a clue, I haven't seen him since the meeting this morning, but probably not. Feed him and deal with him. What's his problem anyway?"

"He doesn't fucking listen to me, that's the bloody problem," Merlin said as he was delivered to Arthur's door. He opened it, slammed it on Leon and turned to glare at Arthur.

"Hello," Merlin said. "I brought lunch."

"I'm not hungry."

"I am, and Leon said you have probably not eaten so you can fucking well eat something, and stop being such an arse."

"Can I now?"

"Yes," Merlin said in a slightly calmer tone. He dumped his bag on the floor, and put the carrier bag of food on the chair and started to sift through it. "I know why you are pissed off, although why you take it out on me and not your father I have no clue. But if you stopped being so self involved and...actually...listen...to...me," Merlin emphasized the last three words by slamming food containers onto the desk in time to them.

"You might actually know I refused your father's commission!"

That said, Merlin went back to sorting out the lunch. Arthur glared at him a moment and then asked.

"Why? The money would have been good."

"Well, unlike you, clearly; my life does not revolve around money. I don't need your father's money, our friendship is more important, which is what I said to him."

Arthur had clearly not heard this information, he looked up at Merlin with wide, shocked, and slightly disbelieving eyes. Merlin glowered back at him, and after a second the disbelief faded. Arthur sat back, and pouted.

"Don't pull that face at me," Merlin snapped at him, moving the carrier bag off the seat and sitting down in it. He started opening up the packets of sandwiches, putting a prawn mayonnaise one in front of Arthur. Looking a little sulky Arthur started to extract it from the packet.

"Thanks."

Merlin concentrated on his own sandwich for a moment before opening a juice carton.

"Do you want juice or coffee?" Merlin asked Arthur.

"Coffee," Arthur said. Then added, "please," when Merlin gave him a steady look.

"I'll get it," Merlin said picking up Arthur's mug to top it up at the coffee machine in the kitchen. As he stepped out of the door he ran into Leon, obviously lingering in the corridor.

"Okay?" Leon asked.

"Pulling a three year old pouting face, but at least I got my point across. So maybe by the time I return with his coffee he will be less of an arse."

"At least he's not reached bell-end status!" Leon said loudly, through the door, to Arthur. There was a clunk as something hit the back of the door, pushing it closed a fraction further. Merlin rolled his eyes and went to get coffee. When he came back, Leon was gone and Arthur looked fractionally less antagonistic, as he ate his sandwich.

"You were close to being a bell-end," Merlin informed him primly as he put the coffee down on the desk. He sat down again and drank some of his juice, before he eased his sandwich out of the packet.

"Close but not," Arthur said.

"Only just," Merlin said. "Did you really think I would do something that upsets you so much?"

Arthur picked at the crust of his sandwich. "No, and I'm sorry for being... arsy. It's just..."

"What?" Merlin asked as Arthur paused. But he didn't probe further. This was clearly, Merlin worked out, an issue between Arthur and his father, about his mother. Merlin knew Arthur had lost her when he was born, but so had Uther. Several questions ran through Merlin's head, but he chose not to pry, especially since Arthur seemed to be waiting for him to ask further, and then get annoyed with him. Or, as he watched Arthur's face, it was such a hard subject to talk about, he needed guidance to do it.

"Is this about your mother?"

"It's like my father doesn't want to associate me with her."

Merlin raised his eyebrows. "Does he talk about her?"

"Not to me. It's almost as if she doesn't exist."

"But he must miss her," Merlin reasoned.

"And I don't," Arthur rumbled.

"In a different way," Merlin said. "I never said you didn't, but he knew her differently, and when he started to talk I shut the conversation down, because I'm not blind Arthur, I know he doesn't talk to you about her."

"What did he say to you?"

"That her hair was blond, a little darker than yours and that her eyes were the same colour, that's when I ended the conversation and told him I couldn't do what he wanted, because I already knew he didn't talk to you about her, and that's personal information."

"I have seen photographs of my mother, I do know what she looks like."

"But I didn't want to go further, because it made me uncomfortable, and you being a bell-end for two weeks didn't help very much."

"You said I wasn't a bell-end."

"Borderline, Arthur, very borderline. Whatever issues you have with your father do not bring them to me or into our friendship, if you had paid attention you would have found I didn't."

"Yes, I know. Gwaine read me a riot act."

"Oh, so you listen to Gwaine and not me! He never told me."

"Gwaine loves you, he will never show that side of you to himself to you under any circumstances, 'cos he won't want you to see it. I wouldn't want you to see it, so I didn't tell you either."

"Does he think it would scare me?"

"No, he just doesn't want you to see him like that, but he's not nice."

"Well, good for him if he was telling you that you were behaving like an arse, but not so because it's over losing your mother, and it's quite clear that your father has never talked about her enough to you for you to feel that you know her."

"I do!"

"Are you imagining someone you know or thinking of someone you imagine. I do it. It's hard to work out which you are doing sometimes."

"With who?"

"My father. He left before I was born. My mum talked about him all the time. As if she wanted me to know how good he was, how nice he was to her before all the shit went down that wasn't his fault, because he was wrongly accused and there was no one to defend him. And no, you can't... Leon's doing it."

"Why him?"

"Because he's not one of my best friends. And not the issue you should focus on there; self-absorbed Arthur."

"I am not self-absorbed."

"Not always, but everyone is a bit. You have to be, you have to sometimes have your own interests at heart."

"Okay," Arthur said, not quite understanding what Merlin meant. "You never told me about your father."

"I haven't told you much about my mother either, and she's the parent I have know for my entire life."

"I've never met her."

"No, you could come for Sunday lunch one weekend if you like. I always go, or I do now since my divorce."

"Did she like Cenred?"

"At first. He was charming. He is charming, when he wants to be. In fact, until I told her to truth about what was going on she just thought it was a normal breakup. She's a fan of yours though."

"Really?"

"I told her about all the legal stuff you did for me. I also told her you were hetro, so no chance of romance."

"Have you told her about Gwaine?"

"He has come for Sunday lunch a few times, brings wine, always does washing up and tells her I am the love of his life, and it wasn't the drugs talking when he told her the first time, even though he was on painkillers for his leg."

"Does your mum like him?"

"I think so. I just think she worries I might be on the rebound, which I don't think I am any more."

"So are you dating Gwaine?"

"No, I'm quite happy with things as they are. Although I sort of worry I might be leading him along without meaning to."

"No, you're not."

"He said that," Merlin said, sipping his juice.

"If you are straight with him about how you are feeling, you can't go too wrong."

"I know, so I am doing. It's quite refreshing."

"Not so with Cenred?"

"No. Did you and Sofia talk about things, like emotional stuff."

"When I was with her, I would have said yes. Now, I'm not so sure. We had good times, she is a nice girl. I met her through her father being in business with mine."

"So it was almost a match because of that."

"I guess. We played tennis together, and went riding. We actually had a lot in common, but I think her father was also hoping that it might give him access to some of the funds. I know she got a sports car and a champion show jumping horse when she broke up with me."

"Which could be interpreted either way, daddy wanted to make up for it, or used that to break up with you because she knew there were no funds coming."

"She'd have to wait until my father's will, and even then, he's tangled it up so I can't just take the money, never mind my wife."

"I think he has you best interests at heart in that respect," Merlin concluded. "Any woman that cares about your money above you isn't worth it. I suppose it would make her and any kids you have feel more secure, as long as they could live happily but just wanting access to it, why would you need that?"

"Merlin, you are aware you are turning into the perfect partner for me."

Merlin fluttered his eyelashes. "You'll have to alter your sexuality, and then duel Gwaine for my hand."

"What are you living in the 17th, or 18th century?"

"I'm old fashioned," Merlin said. Arthur grinned.

"So Gwaine is going to have to go down on one knee to propose?"

"He already has, I think he was kidding," Merlin said with a frown.

"Actually, I would think so, he knows your feelings on the subject after Cenred."

"It's not that I'd never to do again. Just not at the moment. I'd date someone for longer, for a start."

"He knows that."

"Yes, he does." Merlin said with a grin. Then turned as he heard a knock at the door and it opened, with Leon putting his head through.

"Is it safe now?"

"Yes, Arthur is no longer arsy," Merlin said.

"And didn't turn into a bell-end then."

"That was touch and go, but I think we are safe now."

"Thank you, Merlin."

Merlin turned a wide eyed gaze on Arthur.

"You are welcome, Arthur."

"So when is the unveiling?" Leon asked Merlin. Arthur frowned.

"What unveiling?"

"Your fault for being arsy," Merlin said. "Friday, that is our pub night, and perfectly planned for Friday the 13th."

"Cool, I'll let Mithian know," Leon said, heading out again.

"Your mural?"

"And the pictures," Merlin said. "What do you think I have been doing for the last two weeks. I haven't been pining over you, I'll have you know. Hello!" Merlin added as his phone vibrated and he answered it.

"Yes, he's fine, do you want to talk to him." Merlin raised his eyebrows in the pause. "Gwaine, at some point I am going to wash your mouth out with soap!"

Arthur stuck his tongue out, which made Merlin laugh, looking bright and happy. He knew he had been arsy about the whole thing, and he had reacted badly. And it wasn't Merlin's fault. And his feelings about his mother was not the whole reason that Arthur had the hump, and Gwaine had hit that nail perfectly on the head during his rant when he had yelled.

"Your father is not trying to take Merlin off you!"

"Earth to Arthur!" Merlin yelled at him now.

Arthur blinked and snapped back to attention. Merlin was eyeing him with amusement.

"Sorry," Arthur said. Merlin picked up his mug and waved it under his nose.

"More coffee?"

"Yes, thank you Merlin."

Merlin grinned and went off to get a refill.