Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and I make absolutely no profit. This is just for fun.

A/N: Hope you enjoy this (now edited and refined) story! And yes it's Merlin/Arthur (Slashy pre-slash). Pg-15 Please comment, constructive criticism is very welcome. Set sometime during series 1. (Possibly between series 1 and 2).

Watching raindrops.

In a land of myth and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy. His name... Merlin.

Arthur sighed, gazing out of the window and watching the rain hit the glass with a sense of growing agitation; it was starting to get to him. He...liked... rain as much as the next person, but when it rained non-stop for four days it started to get tiresome. He couldn't go riding, he couldn't go hunting; even the animals seemed to be staying away from the awful weather, hiding deep in the forest.

He took a sip of his wine, goblet glinting in the light of the fire, the taste smooth on his tongue. He wasn't sure whether it was a real worry or just his imagination but he couldn't help but think there was something...odd, about it all, something unnatural. It unnerved him; the sky was much too dark for midday, dark enough to give the impression night was only an hour away.

And then there was the actual rain, falling so heavily it was hard to see anything more than three metres away clearly, drowning the crops and battering constantly against the window of his room, driving him insane. Heaven knows it wasn't healthy for him to be stuck in the castle when he could be training the knights or practising his sword skills.

And then there was Merlin –the idiot- he hadn't seen his manservant since yesterday afternoon and against all good sense Arthur was starting to worry. Despite being generally useless at everything, Merlin did normally tell him when he wasn't going to turn up for work, but then sometimes Arthur wondered if Merlin struggled to remember his own name. He turned away from the window, bored and frustrated, and decided he might as well go search for his idiotic manservant, he'd probably gotten lost somewhere or fallen asleep in the stables again, Arthur had nothing better to do.

x

He wandered slowly and unhurriedly up the steps to Gaius's study, walking straight in with only the slightest pause to wonder if he should knock or not, the old physician himself was engrossed in some great tome that looked like it had a million and one things in it the prince would never be able to wrap his head around.

Arthur was currently wondering whether he should turn back now and just wait for Merlin to show up, but he'd come this far. Arguably, the only problem he should have with Merlin's absence was the lack of clean shirts returning to his chamber, but instead he found himself missing the man's company.

Merlin was an idiot but Arthur would rather have an idiot around then someone he hated.

"Gaius." Arthur greeted the physician with his usual casualness and Gaius flinched in surprise, whirling round and knocking something from the desk, the glass phial hitting the floor in a shatter of sharp shards.

"Sire," Gaius gave a small half bow of acknowledgement 'I wasn't expecting you.'

"Sorry to disturb you Gaius, but I was looking for Merlin, he's gone and disappeared and someone needs to clean my floor...I don't suppose he's around?" His casualness was a cover for the genuine curiosity beneath it. He supposed he did worry for his manservant, just a little. Merlin was his friend, and he did care. He also knew that he shouldn't. His father would have a fit if he knew Arthur was so close to a servant, A prince didn't have a servant as his friend, that wasn't how it worked.

"Did no one tell you sire," Gaius's frown deepened. "Merlin is ill, if you wish to speak to him he's in his room, but I wouldn't advise it. His illness may be contagious.'

The physician nodded towards Merlin's door with a grave look.

Arthur blinked in surprise, of course no one had bothered to mention it to him, did everyone think he cared so little about Merlin's health (or his chamber floors for that matter – they were in desperate need of sweeping)? Perhaps it had been Gwen's job to inform him, she'd probably forgotten whilst going between her work and, most probably, helping to care for Merlin. She was a kind girl, Gwen, selfless. It was admirable, really.

"How bad is it?" Arthur turned to look at Merlin's door forehead creasing with worry. Merlin had better recover soon, he was very good at his job and good menservants' were hard to come by.

"Very, but nothing anyone else who's been out in the rain too long hasn't suffered. He has a bad fever, I'm doing some tests at the moment, but these things take time," Gaius followed Arthur's gaze. "I am sure he will be fine, sire, I wouldn't worry."

Arthur nodded.

"Well I hope it's nothing too serious." He trusted Gaius's judgement, he'd been the court physician for years and Arthur had no doubts in his ability to treat an ailment, therefore it would be of absolutely no use to check up on Merlin. He didn't particularly want to catch anything either. He sighed, said a quick goodbye to Gaius and headed towards Merlin's room with a sense of worry hanging over him like a cloud.