RATING: Big fat M (ye be warned!)
GENRE: Modern AU, romance, slash
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

WARNINGS: Underage - depending on where you're from (Merlin's 17), explicit sexitimes, SLASH, general drunkeness

SUMMARY: When Arthur finds out that his one-night stand is only 17 years old, he does everything in his power to forget about it. But unfortunately, Merlin has other ideas, and just will not leave him alone.

A/N This is Merlin does Queer as Folk. There are a lot of similarities, but I certainly didn't follow the plots or characters completely. I just wanted a puppy-dog innocent!Merlin and a longsuffering!Arthur and couldn't help but make parallels to Brian/Justin XD

NOTE: The age of consent for sex in England is 16 (I don't know whether it's different everywhere else?) so Arthur is only over exaggerating when he fears that he'll be sent to jail, because Merlin is technically of age.

But the legal drinking age is 18, so when Merlin goes out to drink, he is actually underage.


Puppy-dog Persistance
(1/3)

Arthur carefully sipped at his pint and scanned Camelot's bar, eyes skimming each customer and mentally marking them out of ten. It was a habit he never admitted to - fearing people would find him shallow, something that was only partly true - but it was something he simply couldn't stop himself from doing nevertheless; people rarely met his somewhat impossible standards, so he found it was often better to grade them first.

"What are you looking for?" said his friend Leon from beside him, eyebrows raised expectantly.

Arthur glanced over some sort of bodybuilder with no shirt on, a pale dark-haired man, and someone with an afro so big it blocked the two people behind him, before shrugging. "What does it look like?" he asked, gulping down half his pint in one shallow. "A man."

Leon gave him a small smile and shook his head. "A man as in someone you're going to regret sleeping with the morning after, or an actual boyfriend?"

"A boyfriend," Arthur replied defensively, lips curving into an irritated little frown, catching the insinuation behind his friend's words. "It's not my fault there's never anybody I like enough to date."

"It's because you're picky," Leon pointed out, ignoring Arthur's death glare of doom. He swirled his drink around his glass and took a sip. "And probably have commitment phobia."

Arthur opened his mouth and grunted. "I do not have commitment phobia!" he cried, crossing his arms and ordering a tequila shot. He really didn't want to go into his various - and rather extensive - personal issues. Camelot Gay Club was really not the place. "And I'm not picky - exactly. I just have -"

"High expectations," Leon finished, smirking behind the rim of his pint glass, obviously amused that he was getting his friend in all of a dither. "Expectations that nobody can meet."

Arthur resented that. People could reach his expectations! He'd have no problem getting committed to Johnny Depp or Justin Timberlake, only he'd heard they weren't available. Or gay.

"People can meet them!" he argued, eyebrows creasing, already feeling as though he was fighting a losing battle.

"Really, 'cause that guy has been staring at you for over an hour and you've barely given him a second glance," Leon muttered, nodding his head over to the other side of the bar and waggling his eyebrows.

Arthur frowned and turned his head, glancing up from under his eyelashes in a way that he hoped was subtle, trying to identify who his friend was referring to. He immediately clapped eyes on a pale young man with messy black and bright blue eyes, all sharp cheekbones and oversized ears. Sort of cute, in a bizarre sort of way, and he was definitely interested in Arthur. He caught his gaze almost instantly and beamed, managing to look both shy and unashamed all at once. Weird.

The blond smiled back despite himself, the grin strangely contagious, and threw Leon a triumphant glance. "I'm going to speak to him," he announced, sounding quite proud of himself. "That's definitely giving him more than a second glance."

"Guaranteed you'll find something wrong with him in less than five minutes," Leon said, as though issuing some sort of challenge. It made Arthur grit his teeth, because he just hated it when he felt as though he had something to prove.

"Oh, you just watch," he muttered, "and you will see."

Giving his friend a small wave of farewell, Arthur crossed the bar and took a seat beside the dark-haired stranger, whose eyes were gleaming in amazement. He licked his lips and scanned Arthur carefully, taking in the features of his face and the lines of his clothes. He looked weirdly anxious, but eager, expression shining in the flashing lights.

"Hi," he mouthed, giving his fingers a small waggle in a way that Arthur found quite cute. "I'm Merlin."

"Arthur," the blond replied, nodding his head. "Nice to meet you. Would you like a drink?"

Merlin beamed so bright it made Arthur blink in bemusement. "That would be great."

Oh, Merlin was going to be so easy.


Two hours later they were tumbling back into Arthur's apartment, both drunk, woozy, and a little bit eager.

Merlin tangled his hands into Arthur's hair, tugging on the strands, and thrust his tongue deeper into his lover's mouth, sloppy and wet, but completely obscene. His elbows - jutting and painful - stuck into Arthur's sides before the blond finally managed to wrestle them into submission, pinning them to Merlin's sides in a gesture of dominance.

When they finally came up for air a minute later, Merlin's hair was mussed, his eyes wild, and his cheeks were flushed. He clutched onto Arthur's shirt as though unable to let him go, and scanned the spacious apartment, mouth opening into a silent 'oh!'

"Your place is amazing," Merlin breathed, an inane grin stretching wide across his face. He took in the leather sofas, wide-screen TV, and stainless steel kitchen with a look of wonder, both bright and infectious.

Arthur laughed. "How about you check out the bedroom?" he whispered against Merlin's lips, feeling the dizzying effects of alcohol making his head spin.

Merlin's eyes flicked over his face and he let out a breath, Adam's apple bobbing incessantly. After a moment he nodded his head and gripped Arthur's hand, allowing him to lead him into his room, to his comfy King-sized bed. They collapsed on its surface - the blond on top, naturally - and began a nasty stripping of clothing, Arthur pulling off his own shirt and jeans, before turning his attention to a glassy-eyed Merlin.

His skimmed his hands down a pale torso, stomach quivering, and palmed at the dark-haired man through his jeans, enticing a long shaky moan. Merlin was gazing up at him, bright eyed and shallow breathed, bringing up a hesitant hand to glide over the skin of Arthur's collarbone, fingering at the bone. His hands wandered the plains of Arthur's back, the muscles of his chest, and the flat of his stomach, caressing with an unexpected tenderness, eyes watching his own movement with a glazed wonderment.

He planted wet kisses across Arthur's shoulders, pulling the blond closer, and allowed him to wriggle off his jeans, a blush spreading from his cheeks all the way down to his stomach.

Arthur grinned.

"You're a shy one?" Arthur asked, raising his eyebrows and watching the guy blush even deeper. "I wasn't expected that - not with the way you were flirting with me at Camelot."

"Flirting with you?" Merlin breathed, shaking his head a bit and frowning in confusion, eyes wide. He paused, faking thoughtfulness, before giving Arthur a cheeky little smile. "Was that before or after you came over to me?"

The blond made a pretend-horrified face. "You were making eyes at me across the bar!" he pointed out, squeezing the dark-haired man in the side.

Merlin let out a strange little giggle and wriggled under Arthur's grasp, lips quirking. "Oh, so you did notice?" he gasped, spreading his hands down Arthur's back until they reached his ass, squeezing softly. "I thought I was doing it wrong."

"No," Arthur replied, sucking against the dark-haired man's jaw and peppering kisses down his throat. He caressed the skin around the man's boxers, stroking at the inside of his thighs, and enticed his legs open. "I just needed a push in the right direction."

Merlin flung back his head and said nothing, breathing ragged and thighs quivering. He pushed his hips up against Arthur's hands and wriggled deliciously, attempting to gain friction for his aching cock. Grinning, Arthur answered his silent plea and kicked off his own bottoms, before hooking his fingers in the waistband of Merlin's boxers and dragging them downwards. The dark-haired man flushed even darker and bit his lip, eyelashes fluttering.

Arthur shuffled down and lapped at his stomach, feeling it jump, as he caressed the skin around the other man's cock, including his thighs, hips and navel. Merlin was arching upwards - utterly unable to stop himself - and begging for the touch, sweat shining on his brow. He was practically mewing, the sounds vibrating from the back of his throat, and let out a high-pitched cry when Arthur gave up his teasing and engulfed his throbbing cock deep into his mouth, bobbing up and down with an agonizingly slow rhythm.

The blond licked up his shaft, fingering his balls, and hollowed his cheeks, sucking hungrily as Merlin gasped in pleasure, fingers clenching at the sheets. Arthur moved up and down, slow at first, tonguing the head, before lowering himself completely, Merlin's dick sliding all the way down his throat, until his lips could feel the brush of the man's dark pubic hair.

Merlin groaned, loud and unstrained, hips bucking, and fucked himself into Arthur's mouth, unable to resist the hot, wet heat. He arched his back, begged incoherently, and writhed beneath Arthur's touch, looking as though he was seconds away from coming undone, in a loud and rather messy manner.

Unable to laugh in triumph for obvious reasons, the blond circled his hands around the man's thighs, stroking at the damp skin and finding his entrance, which he caressed with a slow and pointed finger.

Merlin let out a gasp, eyes widening, and managed to lift his head enough to gasp, "What are you doing?"

Arthur released the man's leaking red cock for a moment, sliding his finger into the tight ring of muscle, and pumped it quickly. "What does it look like?"

Merlin jerked with the sensation, looking panicked, and let out a strangled cry. "I - I've never done that before," he admitted hesitatingly, face flushing a deep red, unable to stop himself from fucking himself down on Arthur's finger as the man froze, utterly bemused.

"You're - you're a virgin?" the blond hissed, unable to believe it. How on earth could Merlin be a virgin? He was gorgeous, in a bizarre sort of way. "How old are you?"

Merlin panted, face shining with sweat and said, "Twenty. I just haven't…"

Arthur watched him carefully, his own arousal throbbing and painful, before he resumed his ministrations, twisting his finger and enticing a moan. "Do you want to?" he breathed, because he knew he had to ask - he had to make sure it was what Merlin wanted, no matter his age.

The dark-haired man rolled his eyes in a sarcastic sort of way and shoved himself down onto Arthur's hand. "What do you think?" he gasped.

Needing no more prompting, the blond added another finger and scissor-ed them apart, watching Merlin's ass part to accommodate them. He leaned over to his bedside table, scrabbled for condoms and lube, before pulling them out victoriously, coating his fingers in the thick wet substance and using it to press in another finger, smiling in triumph as Merlin back arched tantalisingly, revealing acres of pale moist flesh.

He twisted his fingers, watching them disappear into the tight hot hole, and gave Merlin's throbbing red cock a swift strong stroke. The dark-haired man let out a throaty groan and cried, "Arthur! Please - please - fuck me," in a croaky broken voice, looking as though he was in serious danger of passing out.

Unable to resist for a moment longer - his own cock heavy and hard against his stomach - Arthur withdrew his hand slowly, revelling in Merlin's pathetic little whine as he collapsed back against the sheets, breathless and boneless, in an endearing sort of way. Arthur smiled and put the condom on with a slightly trembling hand, dizzy with arousal, before leaning himself down against Merlin's quivering form, coating him with his firm warm body.

"You want this?" he checked, looking directly into Merlin's bright glazed eyes.

The dark-haired man nodded violently, licking his lips, and muttered, "So much."

Smiling in what he hoped was a reassuring way, Arthur grasped at Merlin's legs and heaved them over his shoulders, his hands firm and controlling on the other man's skin. He kissed Merlin softly on the lips, slowly and languidly, hoping to distract him as he angled his ass upwards, pressing his leaking erection against the man's shiny open entrance.

He looked Merlin directly in the eye and thrust his hips forwards, sliding his cock into the glorious heat in one smooth slick motion.

Merlin gasped, eyes widening, and let out a straggled little noise, a fiery red flush high on his cheeks.

"Wait," Arthur whispered, holding still as Merlin jerked slightly, his internal muscles fluttering around his cock. "It gets better."

The dark-haired man nodded, looking strangely trusting, and pushed up his head to capture Arthur's lips in another kiss, his warm breath puffing against his lover's mouth.

They kissed slowly for a moment, tongue against tongue, hot, filthy and wet, before the blond began to move, drawing out and thrusting back in, feeling Merlin gasp down his throat. He moved jerkily, thrusting his hips in a somewhat haphazard rhythm, feeling the dark-haired man become loose and pliant beneath him, sweat sliding down his forehead.

They rocked against each other, panting against each other's lips, Arthur vaguely thinking, He's a quick learner, as release built quickly on them both.

Merlin was moaning, neck arched, back bowed, and clasping at Arthur's arms, in a pathetic attempt to keep himself grounded. His ass kept clenching on Arthur's cock, making him see stars, and realising he wasn't going to last a whole lot longer, the blond brought his hand to Merlin's leaking erection, angry and red, and gave it one swift tug.

Merlin screamed, jerking upwards, and came between their stomachs, causing Arthur to follow him instantly to orgasm, cock exploding and muscles spasming.

He let down a long drawn out moan and collapsed, Merlin's body motionless beneath him.

Best hook-up ever, he decided. Leon was a genius.


Arthur grumbled quietly the next morning and flipped himself over on his stomach, a pale skinny arm heavy on his waist. He blinked his eyes open, wincing from the morning light, and felt his head swim in confusion.

A shrill beeping was buzzing from his beside table, a screeching sound that echoed through his aching skull, pounding on the inside of his brain with alarming intensity. He lurched upwards, feeling dizzy, but reached over to an unfamiliar vibrating mobile phone, the word 'Mum' flashing incessantly across it's screen.

Blinking bemusedly, Arthur checked and rechecked the number, utterly bewildered; considering his mother had died in childbirth, the likelihood of her calling him was very small indeed.

He glanced quickly to his side, taking in the sprawled body of last night's hook-up, pale and lithe over his bed and opened his mouth in realisation, suddenly recognising that the phone didn't belong to him. He gave the snoozing man - Merlin, if he remembered correctly? - a quick kick in the shin, and thrust the still ringing mobile into his sleepy grasp, muttering, "You're mum's calling," as Merlin jerked awake.

The man, looking drowsy and thoroughly fucked, stared at him for a moment before the words registered, quickly leaping out the bed and taking Arthur's duvet with him. He scrambled into the hallway, wrapping the sheets around himself shyly and ignoring Arthur's indigent "HEY!" before he flipped open his phone and muttered, "Mum, hi!"

The blond - sat naked and chilly on an empty bed - stared at Merlin's back for a long moment, brow furrowing, as he watched the other man converse with his mother. He rubbed at his aching head, casting his mind back to the night before, and blinked as Merlin's words, "I've never done that," echoed repeatedly through his mind.

Merlin had been a virgin. And his mother was calling him. At nine in the fucking morning.

Something was definitely not right.

Arthur was still trying to piece together why he felt so uneasy when Merlin hung up the phone, bidding his mum farewell, and plodded back into the room. He glanced at the blond, smiled widely, face flushing, and said, "I've got to go, but - but I'd really like to see you again." He bit his lip nervously, looking up at Arthur from under fluttering eyelashes, cheeks shining hopefully.

The blond blinked, captured momentarily by the utter adorableness that was the expression on Merlin's face, before he frowned, scanning the dark-haired man's face calculatingly. There was a long pause - in which Merlin was beginning to look increasingly uncertain and embarrassed - until Arthur asked musingly, "How old are you?"

Merlin looked shocked for a moment, then recomposed himself, letting out a shaky laugh. "I told you last night, remember?"

Arthur did remember, but in the cold light of morning, the alcohol almost gone from his system, Merlin's answer was looking increasingly unlikely. He looked quite old, for his long lanky face, but his face was naive and trusting - shining with innocence.

"I'm twenty," Merlin said again, scrabbling into his clothes and avoiding looking Arthur directly in the eye.

The blond watched him for a moment, taking in soft white skin and a fiery red blush, as something heavy and uneasy settled on his stomach. "Are you really twenty?" he asked, unconcerned with his own nakedness as Merlin looked at him with a somewhat glazed expression, eyes wide and round. "And think very carefully before you answer me."

"Twenty?" Merlin blinked, looking up from Arthur's chest to locate his face, and nodded. "Oh yes, definitely."

Arthur inclined his head in quiet consideration and attempted to look nonchalant. "So you're in uni?"

"Uhm-hmm." Merlin nodded enthusiastically - a little too enthusiastically for Arthur's liking.

"What do you study?" he asked, cocking his head to the side curiously and crossing his arms.

"Um," Merlin began, scratching his chin. He looked away for a moment, before glancing back up from beneath his eyelashes and licking his lips nervously. "Uh…maths."

"Really?" Arthur asked, wracking his brain. He was a businessmen, who had studied economics, and knew a little about Maths himself. If Merlin thought he could outsmart him, he had another thing coming. "Then what is Dirac's delta function, and how is it used?

Merlin's eyes boggled, and he opened his mouth, attempting to answer, before he shut it again. "I - uh - I'm -"

"You've never even heard of it, have you?" Arthur interrupted, cutting Merlin off before something completely stupid dropped out his mouth. He brought his hand to his face and groaned, an utterly terrifying thought suddenly occurring to him. "God, please tell me you're over 18." He let out a ragged breath. "Please tell me your not still in school."

Silence.

Arthur gaped. "Fuck - fuck - fuck!" he gasped, closing his eyes in an attempt to ignore Merlin's guilt-stricken face. "I am going to be arrested! I'm going to fucking be arrested, put on paedophile lists, and become the prison bitch. Fuck - fuck - fuck."

"You won't be arrested!" Merlin exclaimed, looking panicked now. "I'm seventeen!"

If it was possible, Arthur's eyes widened even further; they were in serious danger of dropping out his head. "Seventeen?! Are you kidding me right now?" He waved his arms around wildly, but even then, it could not suitably express his outrage. "Seventeen?"

"What's the matter?" Merlin asked, shrugging his shoulders and nibbling his lip. "You're not that much older than me. You're no older than your mid-twenties."

Arthur's eyes narrowed and he pitched forwards, breath fanning threateningly across the other man's - boy's! - face. "I'm twenty-four, Merlin," he hissed, as the dark-haired man toppled backwards. "I've graduated uni and have got a job! You on the other hand, have barely hit puberty!"

"Hey!" Merlin exclaimed, recomposing himself in time to look insulted.

Arthur shook his head, now throbbing pointedly, and waved an arm towards the door, at a complete loss about what else to do. "You need to leave," he muttered, ignoring the way Merlin's face instantly dropped out the corner of his eye.

God, he really was nothing but a little boy!

"What?" Merlin mouthed, lips curling into an upset little frown. He twiddled his thumbs, looked down at his hands, and spoke to the floor. "I wanted to - maybe - I don't know - go out sometime."

Like another punch in the gut, Arthur reeled back in surprise. "Are you actually serious?" he asked, sounding disbelieving. "You can't honestly think I'm going to date you?"

Merlin looked up, eyes wide and earnest. "Why not? You said you liked me - and I thought, well, the sex was good. I liked it." He took in a breath, his face flushing, and became unable to meet Arthur's eye. "I mean, if it wasn't good for you, I can get better - we could practise."

Arthur closed his eyes, attempting not to hyperventilate. "No, Merlin, we will not be practising anything," he hissed, clutching his head. "The sex was fine - it was good - but you are seventeen! It would never work."

"But -" the dark-haired man began, looking strangely insistent.

"No buts, Merlin," Arthur cut off, before he could get even more worked up. He walked to the door and opened it, suppressing the surge of guilt at the sight of Merlin's quivering lip. It wasn't his fault - the dark-haired man should have been honest with him! "Please leave now."

Merlin stared at him for a long moment, looking hurt, before he scuttled to the exit, clutching his belongings to his chest and blinking rapidly. He gave Arthur one last pleading look over his shoulder, until the blond stalked to the door and slammed it shut behind him, burying his head in his hands in complete horror.

It was all Leon's fault, really.


Arthur didn't see Merlin again for two weeks. He'd almost forgotten the whole incident (despite the persistent images of Merlin's fluttering eyelashes) and was beginning to feel comfortable going to Camelot again, figuring he must have dodged the preverbal bullet.

But of course, life is never that kind.

He was puffing on a cigarette outside of the club, hunched from the icy wind, when somebody popped up beside him, lips stretched into a wide broad smile.

"Merlin!" Arthur gasped, jerking back in surprise and clutching at his chest. "Do not do that!"

The dark-haired man grinned, hair in complete disarray around his head and eyes shining mischievously - a complete turn-around from the last time Arthur had seen him, fleeing his apartment upset and dejected. "Hello," he said, raising in eyebrows in quiet expectation. He leant sideways against the alley wall, only inches from Arthur's arm, and scanned Arthur's face closely.

"God, Merlin. What are you doing here?" the blond exclaimed, looking down sadly at the cigarette he'd squashed between his fingers. Fuck. "You're underage, remember?"

Merlin ignored him. "So you come here to pick up men, then?" he asked, in a tone that suggested indifference. But his eyebrows were creased, his lips pursed, and something angry was gleaming in his eyes. It was a look Arthur didn't appreciate! Merlin had no right to feel angry; he was a one night stand that should never have happened, not his boyfriend!

"How would you know what I come here for?" he questioned, feeling slightly defensive. Why was he bothering to answer himself to Merlin?

"I've been watching you - flirting and dancing with guys," Merlin replied, no longer able to keep the jealousy from his voice. He pouted, eyes sad, but raised his shoulders, attempting to shrug it off. "And I've asked about you. Everyone in here knows who you are, and most of them want to sleep with you. Quite a lot of them have."

Arthur opened his mouth to retort, but had no idea what to say, so allowed Merlin to continue, feeling strangely discomfited. Was Merlin stalking him?

"I mean - I didn't think you were like that," the dark-haired man admitted, voice becoming smaller the longer that he talked. He looked down at the ground, face flushing, and was suddenly unable to meet Arthur's eyes. "You seemed nice. I guess finding out I was really young was just a good way of shrugging me off the morning after."

Arthur was rapidly beginning to feel quite resentful. "Just because I hook-up with people sometimes, does not make me a bad person," he argued, flattening his cigarette against the wall with far more force than was strictly necessary; he hated people making assumptions about him. "And I shrugged you off, because yes, you are too young."

"So if I wasn't," Merlin asked, looking up from under his eyelashes in a way that was sickeningly coy, "would you date me?"

"Moot point." Arthur banged his head back against the brick wall, somewhat hoping that he'd manage to knock himself out and not have to finish such a ridiculous conversation, but he only succeeded in making himself see stars.

God, he was never hooking up with anyone who looked a day under the age of twenty-five, ever again.

"Just hypothetically?" Merlin pressed, blue eyes wide and insistent.

"I don't know!" Arthur exclaimed, throwing up his arms, feeling exasperated. "I don't really know you, Merlin."

The dark-haired man shuffled closer, biting his lip, until he was pressed up against Arthur's side. "You could get to know me," he whispered, breath fanning across Arthur's neck in a way that was definitely not arousing.

The blond closed his eyes, sighed loudly, and pointedly moved away. "No, Merlin," he said tiredly, scrubbing at his forehead with the palm of his hand. He suddenly had a pounding headache. "You're sweet and everything - if not slightly stalkerish - but too young. I'm sure you can find someone nice your own age."

Merlin stared at him sadly for a long moment, lip quivering, and moved slowly away, as though reluctant to admit defeat. "Fine," he said, sounding stronger than the blond had expected. "Fine."

He turned on a heel and marched away, appearing angry, but Arthur caught the sound of a loud sniff before Merlin disappeared round the corner, heading straight back towards the club.

Arthur sighed. Good god, he hoped he hadn't made Merlin cry. The kid was cute, and didn't deserve to be hurt, but he was just a kid. Eager, naïve, and completely clueless.

He had a lot to learn.


After smoking almost his whole pack of cigarettes, Arthur slunk back into Camelot about an hour later, feeling a little bit miserable. He found Leon sat at the bar and plonked down next to him, ordering a couple of shots from the bartender.

"What's wrong?" his friend asked immediately, taking in his despondent expression. "You've been gone ages. I thought you'd copped off without telling me."

Arthur let out a short laugh and downed his drinks. "I would never do that to you," he placated, giving his friend a firm pat on the back.

"I find that hard to believe," Leon retorted, with a raised brow. He sipped at his own drink before continuing, looking at Arthur with an expectant expression. "So, what happened?"

The blond frowned down at his empty glasses, and hailed the bartender, eager for another tequila shot. "I think I made someone cry," he explained flatly, almost unable to believe it. He hadn't made someone cry - outside of work, obviously - since he'd chopped the head off Morgana's favourite Barbie. "And I actually feel quite bad."

"You made someone cry?" Leon repeated, blinking in surprise. "Who?"

"Remember the guy I left with the other night," Arthur replied, shaking his head. "Him."

Leon blinked, looked startled, then frowned at something just over Arthur's shoulder. "You mean him?" he muttered, stabbing a finger onto the dance floor, eyebrows raised.

Arthur spun around in his seat, suitably bewildered, and immediately spotted Merlin on the opposite side of the room, dancing with a stranger. His head was tilted back, exposing a long pale throat, and the man behind him was grinding Merlin's hips back against what was undoubtedly an erection, looking disturbingly lecherous.

"God," Arthur exclaimed, slightly alarmed and more than a little exasperated, "I said someone his own age! That guy's even older than I am!"

"What, twenty-five?" Leon grinned, snorting into his drink.

"No," Arthur muttered, glaring. "Like thirty. And Merlin's seventeen."

"Well, the guy doesn't seem to care," his friend pointed out, watching the thirty-year old slip a hand under Merlin's shirt. "Nope, definitely not."

"Lord," Arthur breathed, looking skyward and turning back to the bar. "I hope the idiot knows what he's doing."

Leon shrugged his shoulders and ordered them another round, patting his friend reassuringly on the back. They talked in low voices for a small while, with Arthur deliberately not turning around and Leon deliberately not mentioning it, when suddenly, something caught his friend's eye.

"Um, Arthur," said Leon, interrupting one of Arthur's empathetic rants about his father. "I think Merlin might need help."

The blond blinked blearily before the words registered, twisting in his seat to locate his one-night stand, struggling against his dance partner. The man was attempting to place sloppy wet kisses down Merlin's throat, but the dark-haired man was pulling away, trying to wriggle free of his grasp.

Arthur sighed.

Climbing quickly to his feet, he made it across the dance-floor in less than a micro-second, quickly gripping onto Merlin's hand and pulling him away. The dark-haired man stumbled, undoubtedly surprised, before he caught sight of Arthur's face and entwined their fingers together, breathing a noticeable sigh of relief.

"Excuse me!" said the thirty-year old, looking incredulous. "He was dancing with me."

"And he's my boyfriend," Arthur replied, knowing it would instantly diffuse an argument; the guy wouldn't bother arguing with him if he knew Merlin was already taken.

Merlin beamed, looking annoyingly pleased, and the blond couldn't help but glare at him out the corner of his eye, feeling irritated. He wasn't some sort of knight in shining armour, and he shouldn't have to deal with Merlin's problems.

"Oh," said the man, raising his eyebrows in a bewildered manner. He looked between them, glancing down at their linked fingers, before grumbling, "You should keep a better eye on him then." He turned, gave Merlin a disgusted look, and disappeared back into the crowd, causing the dark-haired man's shoulders to sag in relief.

"Thanks!" he breathed, as Arthur attempted to detangle their hands.

"Hmm," the blond muttered, feeling disgruntled and slight put upon. "No problem."

"See," Merlin exclaimed, beaming so widely Arthur could see the back of his mouth, "you do like me. Enough to come to my aid, anyway."

The blond scowled and folded his arms, jaw clenching. "I just don't want anyone to be harassed in the middle of the dance-floor," he defended, silently cursing his protective streak. He couldn't help but want to save people, it was an ingrained characteristic! It had nothing to do with Merlin. At all.

But the dark-haired man was obviously in a world of his own; he carried on grinning inanely, as though he hadn't just been molested in the middle of a night-club, and determinedly ignored Arthur's less-than-pleased expression. "I mean, you wouldn't have saved me if you didn't care about me," he continued, eyes sparkling.

"Well, someone has to save you from your own stupidity," Arthur replied, rolling his eyes in utter defeat. There was just no point in arguing - Merlin wasn't even listening!

"You'll come to like me, Arthur, you just wait," the dark-haired man predicted, giving the blond a shimmering smile before turning on a heel and flouncing away, arms swinging wildly.

Arthur could do nothing but groan in complete dismay. He had a feeling that wasn't going to be the last he saw of Merlin.

TBC...


A/N This is planned to be a three-parter atm, and I'm very sorry about the horrific title. But I hope you appriciated slightly besotted Merlin and old&wise (except not really) Arthur! If you want me to continue, please R&R! :)