„OI!", Arthur look up from the book he was momentarily studying, firstly, because no one had ever called „oi" after him since primary school – because really, who would and could ever mess with him? - and secondly, because he could obviously be the only person this was dedicated to, as the library he was currently standing in was eerily empty. Well, empty of people, but the lack of them was compensated with a sheer unbearable amount of books, stapled and stocked in shelves so high, he wasn't sure whether they were meeting and merging together somewhere up in the air or he just couldn't see the ceiling. To be honest, since he entered this small door in a small, colourful street in the middle of London, to climb down weeny winding corkscrew stairs and end up in a quiet hall put full with lots and loads of ridiculously vertiginous racks with books and no transparent system they were sorted after, he felt a bit like stuck in the Disney movie "The Beauty and the Beast", and was just waiting for a gorgeous creature like Belle to show up around the corner. "What do you think you're doing?"

Instead he saw a slender figure appearing on the top of travelling ladder racing towards him. Slightly startled he dropped the book he was going through and jumped out of the way as the ladder came to a sudden stop inches from his toes and a young man with dark curly hair and impressive big ears hurriedly climbed down the stairs, fetched the book and glared at him with his big blue eyes. Arthur raised his hands. "Sorry.", he mumbled. He wasn't used to apologise. "Didn't mean to interrupt or, or..." "How many books have you taken?" "Uh... one." Arthur scratched the back of his head. "Oh, thank god, otherwise you could have spoiled the order!" The scrawny young man – he was younger than Arthur, so much was secure, he just couldn't tell how much – flicked hectically through the sites and placed the book back at it's former spot. "Yeah... the order..." Arthur couldn't suppress a cough. He was brought up to act polite, but Arthur thought the term "order" for this collection of randomly stacked books a little ridiculous. The librarian (?) rose an eyebrow at him, then shook his head, smiled but looked away, and asked: "I'm Merlin. Can I help you?"

Arthur gave a quick nod and peeled a little note from his pocket. "Err, my father said this library would belong to an old friend of his", he eyed Merlin suspiciously without him noticing, "and that he would own a few books which aren't to be receivable around Britain any more, and I was sent to fetch them, because I would need them for my, err, studies."

Arthur hardly believed he would need any of this utterly ancient, nearly falling-apart tomes for his degree in economics, but his father had insisted he would pay this place a visit.

Merlin nervously took the note and tried to decipher Arthur's illegible dreadful scrawl. "Who's your father then?", he asked as he signified Arthur with a gesture to follow him.

"Uther Pendragon, if that means something to you..."

Merlin's eyebrows shot-up right under his small fringe. "So you're Arthur then?", he smiled.

"Yes...", answered Arthur, irritated. He wasn't prepared to be recognised in a place like this, more so by a person he had never even seen before and was highly unlikely to have heard of him. Merlin didn't seem like the person to read economical magazines or the "Financial Times" and would therefore know about the family empire "Pendragon Corporation" his father had built over the years and Arthur was destined to get on with. Or this was again one of the ventures prepared bis his father – he had sent him there, at last – who had just forgotten to tell him eventually, as usual, much to Arthur's discomfort. He didn't like being the only oblivious person to everything that was going on.

Anyway, Merlin's face brightened and he added: "Then we must head this way. Gaius was going on about you being likely to turn up here one day for ages, and now that you've come, he might as well instruct you himself."

"Instruct me?", Arthur asked, and now it was his turn to shoot his eyebrows up. What was meant by all of this? What should he be instructed to? And why did Merlin just deliberately drop his note on the floor?

Unfortunately, Arthur was the only oblivious to what was going on. Again.

Merlin pulled him towards a creaky wooden door – Arthur wondered whether there was anything down here which was not at least medieval, or just not made of wood – banged and crowed "Gaius? Arthur's here!" but didn't bother waiting for an answer and just flopped in.

Hesitant, Arthur entered the... bureau, you may call it, right behind. Or let's say the room with several desks of various design, stacked with paper and alchemistic material, plus one with a computer that looked like it belonged to an entire other century, let alone world. It might as all have been a typewriter, Arthur wasn't sure if he could tell properly through the books and mugs stapled all around it.

At one of the desks right in the corner of his eye rose an even older – if that was still possible – elder from his seat and eyed him suspiciously from top to toe, until he finally widened his arms and exclaimed: "Arthur! So good old Uther finally decided to sent you here. Well, welcome then!", and pulled him into a hug. Arthur had never seen this man in his whole life, and still he seemed to be quite close to his father. Arthur couldn't remember one of his father's friends – if there was even one person you could call that – who would refer to him as "good old Uther". And he was hugging him right now. Arthur clapped the old man on the back. "Well, yes. I shall collect some books he insisted I'd need for my..." "Ohh, yes, that can wait." Gaius winked at him conspiratorially and Arthur couldn't get rid of the feeling he was missing a point. A huge, massive big point.

"So... What am I to do here?" Wrong question. Terribly wrong question.

"Well, as fas as I'm informed you ought to work here for a full of four weeks to gain some experience in 'common work', if I'm quoting your father right."

Now it was Arthur's turn to blink. But not in the least conspiratorially. He should work? In an unknown library under the streets of London, where never ever anybody showed up save for a geeky boy with a dinky grin and an elder man who looked like he might as well lived there. If he'd sawn this scene in a film, he probably would have laughed at the look of his face right now, but given the circumstances, he wasn't sure of it's appropriation and was rather frightened the old man could be serious. Because though he greeted him so heartily, he really didn't looked like somebody you'd mess with. Or who messed with others.

"Work? Here? I mean..." The idea hadn't hit his system quite yet. If this wasn't a joke, then... "I, I mean... what am I even supposed to do here?"

"Oh, there's plenty to do in a library, you wouldn't consider. But for one point, now is not the time for that. You will begin tomorrow..."

Gaius' last sentence accelerated Arthur's thoughts 'til they hit a very dead end. This conversation was heading in a really wrong direction, because he hadn't even tried to take it as a joke. Damnit.

"But this can't be right! Either you're mistaking me - " "But you are Arthur Pendragon, Uther Pendragon's son and heir to 'Pendragon Corporation', living in Camelot Gardens, street..."

Creepy old man, stop him.

"Okay, so you may not have mistaken me, but either way, I can't work here. I've got to study, I will have exams in a few months, and if I don't excel them, I'm not sure if my father'd let me continuing his work."

Gaius smiled knowingly. It was always the same with the youngsters."He severely insisted on you working here, he said you being able to respect simple work is far more important to him than any exam or degree you might take. He said he had to work for all of his goals, and now he's afraid of you getting your head stuck to far up because you knew all along you'd be leader of "Pendragon Corporation" one day, if only you'd accomplish his goals. And now he's afraid they were too small, and you wouldn't be able to understand how easy your way of life is in comparison to others', who might work harder than you just to have something to eat everyday. But that's just my guess, he could also have completely different reasons of sending you here."

"But...But I know this! I know I've had fairly good luck with my family and standards, but please, working here? What for? This work hasn't got anything to do with my later duties and I have courses to attend to tomorrow! I...", would have got on with his tirade, hadn't Gaius just said: "As does Merlin. And you see, he still manages to show up here."

Arthur glared at Merlin who was currently examining an old book with a magnifier, as if he were to blame for the obvious injustice he was thrown in. Merlin just smiled back and shrugged slightly, as if to say: "I'm sorry, mate, I know this sucks. But this can be fun, you know?" Arthur sighed exasperated and turned back to Gaius. "When do I have to show up? I need to know if I can manage it with my courses." Whoa. Why did I accepted my destiny that fast? That's creepy. I don't want to show up anyhwere. I won't... Arthur's thoughts lost themselves.

"I don't care when you show up, I just want you to work five hours a day, not more, not less, and between 9 am and 10 pm, you're completely free to start and end any time, if you just got your five hours at the end of the day." Gaius smiled assuringly and Arthur smiled back, a little stiff at last, but a smile at least. "Well. Thanks.", he managed, before he turned towards the door, nodded at Merlin and emerged back into the library.

One second later he stuck his head back to the office and asked: "And, uh... The books were just an excuse to drag me here right? I don't actually have to take anything with me, do I?"

Gaius pointed with his index finger at him.

"Smart lad. Very well done."

Arthur nodded and made sure to leave as quick as possible.

"To be able to respect 'common work'? Really? Where does that even come from?"

Over the last half hour Arthur had thoroughly ruffled his hair within an heated argument between him and his Father on the phone. "I study, I've gone through a buck load of work experiences, I already know every little office boy by first and surname, I try to read the paper as often as possible and have attended to some meetings in your place, why don't you think this is enough? Why do I have to "work" in a bloody library to be able to do your job? What's the point? And who is this Gaius? You never mentioned him before!" Uther sighed for what felt like the thousand time. "Arthur. Gaius is an old friend of mine, we met at said library when I was a young and inquisitive student. He was the first real friend I've known in all my life, and the last one to stay and be sure of as such after I made it to success. It's hard to know right from wrong in this world, Arthur. You may have experienced..." "Yes, father, please don't dwell on you insecurities, I want to know why. I have. To work. There." Arthur was exasperated and played with the thought of just not going.

"Because I. Say. So.", his father seemed exasperated as well, "And you better do your best at it, because you are very well informed that I even have contacts to your professors! And I know you want to work for "Pendragon Corporation", it is the legend you grow up to and the destiny you'd like to fulfil when the time has come."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Could you sound any more pathetic?"

"You will work at Gaius' library, four week from tomorrow, no arguing. Have I made myself clear? Yes? Yes."

And with that, the line was broken and left a dishevelled Arthur on the couch, ruffling his hair because he had no clue how to actually manage it.

It's not that Arthur even wanted, or liked to study. At high school, everybody started to question what they wanted to do with their lives and picked their uni courses after these choices, but for Arthur it had been very clear – like it always had been – that he would work, that he would have to want to work at "Pendragon Corporations", and that his father would know very well where to study what would be best. So he completely left that decision to him and concentrated on... other things. Football with his friends. Video Games. Booze. Girls. Well, Boys too. The list could continue a while, so let's just say "the finer things in life, when you don't have to worry about eventual homework".

So when he actually went to college, he first went to live there, but as soon as he recognised he didn't liked it even the tiniest bit – or he didn't liked his roomie the tiniest bit (or he him, where was the difference?) - he moved to his own flat as fast as possible. It was sort of a birthday present. Uther never made bones about how he proud he was of his only son, and that he would do anything to make him happy.

That was one of the points Arthur couldn't understand when he entered the small door to the library right after lunch the next day. His courses had been in the morning, and usually he would have a nice footie match with his friends that would lead to some ale in his favourite pub right now, but no. He climbed down the same corkscrew stairs and nearly fell of this time.

"Yup, the steps aren't made for human feet at all. But I promise, you'll get used to it.", said the nearest stack of books to him. Arthur blinked in confusion. Statistics today had been exhausting, but he hadn't known quite how exhausted he really was. Then he realised the legs beneath the stack and retained some books of it's top so Merlin's grin and his could show up instead.

"Thanks mate", he managed and dropped the stack at the end of the next shelf row, so Arthur did the same. Then Merlin began sorting them and suggested: "You may say hello to Gaius, he'll give you something to do. Doesn't seem like, but there's plenty, believe me."

Arthur nodded and headed to the office of doom. (That's how he decided to call it in the future.) He didn't know why or how, but he felt that he liked Merlin. Okay, the only interaction they had yet, was some yelling about books and some small talk about stairs, but Merlin didn't seem to be as boring as his job at all. Quite the contrary, there was something about him Arthur longed to know better, but couldn't really say what it was. Tricky situation.

Gaius greeted him sincere like the day before and then ordered him at a desk to sort some books. Arthur raised a brow – he didn't saw any kind of order yesterday – but started to sort them by the surname of the author nevertheless. Now and then Merlin would drop in to take some of the sorted books, but never without a comment like "You're doing great, keep on.", muttered under his breath so that only Arthur could hear it. He wasn't sure if it was sarcasm or some funny sort of comfort Merlin liked to give, but it made Arthur smile nonetheless and he began to wish for some work to do together with Merlin, to may be able to chat to him properly.

When he finished sorting the books, Merlin just dropped in to collect them and Gaius cut in: "Merlin, would you be so nice to take Arthur with you and show him how to sort the books into the shelves?"

"Yes sir!", Merlin stated and waved Arthur with him. I'm not a retard, I should be able to sort books into shelves... Well, if I could finally detect a proper system of sorting, that is., Arthur thought to himself as he followed Merlin through endless rows of shelves until Merlin stopped and handed him some books. "Here... flip them open on page thirty and tell me the fifth word."

Arthur blinked a few times. He slowly got the feeling he blinked more often in the last two days than in his entire life before. "I shall... What?"

Merlin sighed but grinned at him. "Oh, don't get mad. But the system they're sorted after is rather different from the systems you may know. You know we could sort them by the name of the author, or by the title, or then year of publication, or even colour, but, well... That's boring. So I decided to sort them by certain words on certain sites. See, for this shelf it's page 30 word five, for the shelf in front of it it's page 30 word four, and behind it's page 30 word six. Get the idea? I thought so. Well..."

Arthur shook his head. Violently shook his had. The little nerd in front of him may looked cute when he explained something, but that didn't made what he explained any more sensible.

"Okay. Now you look at me like I'm mad. Which, I promise, I'm not. It's just..."

"You got a bit over-creative about organizing books?", Arthur offered, "Yeah, probably. And you really wonder why you don't get any customers?"

Merlin smiled. "Ohh, that's not important, the government usually pays for libraries, and if that doesn't do it from time to time, we still got your dad."

"So you're telling me that my dad is actually sort of paying your salary?"

Merlin shrugged, likely ignoring the fact that Arthur's eyes currently tried to emerge form his head.

"Wel... yes? Is that a problem?" And he smiled to Arthur so whimsically and apologising at the same time, Arthur was certain he'd never seen anything like it before. Which was highly unlikely, because even Arthur stopped counting the girls hitting on him. Wait, was Merlin trying to hit on him? No, no context. Well. Was there?

"No, no, why should it be? It's his money, after all, and if he likes to pay for...", he made a certain gesturewith his hand and then placed it assuringly on Merlin's shoulder, "... weirdly sorted libraries then it's all...fine." He squeezed a little.

Then their eyes met and they burst into laughter.

When his breath steadied again, he leant against a shelf and asked "No, but for real this time, do you honestly sort the books like that?"

Merlin blushed a little. "Uhm... maybe?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "You know, when the answers yes, you may dare to say so as well. Heck, it doesn't matter how you sort it, does it? Who would ever read this books, really?" He grabbed the first on the staple. "Mandragoras and the finer arts to analyse them.", he chuckled, "I wonder how the old professors reading this look like. Probably all old and hunched and with white beards flowing all around, which are long enough for them to throw over their shoulders and wrap them five times around their waist or so. Which is actually...", he stopped rambling as he noticed Merlin's blush deepen. "Oh please, Merlin, don't tell me you..." "It's actually quite interesting, and my chemistry tutor practically insisted on it and..."

Merlin avoided his surprised glance when he snapped after the book, bur Arthur pulled it away.

"Oh, come on, give it to me.", Merlin whined. "So little nerdy Merlin can further study boring old sciences in the library of dodgyness?", Arthur pouted, "Nah, I don't think so. I think he has to fetch it first."

And with that, they started what should be storied later as "The Great Library Race of utter Childishness", which wound up in Arthur barging into a shelf and therefore triggering an unhealthy amount of books to drop on his head. Which looks a lot more fun in films and series than it is experiencing in reality. Merlin rushed the last few steps he had to catch Arthur eventually – he had just been to fast for him – towards him. "Are you al right?" He knelt down beside his head. "Ahwnnn.", was the only noise that leaked from Arthur's mouth as he tried to sit himself up. "Hey, careful there!", smoothed Merlin and guided his head against the next shelf so Arthur could sit properly. Arthur pressed his heel of the hand against his eyes and moaned a bit more. This head hurt really bad. "Oh, no, please, stay conscious!", begged Merlin, took his hand away and lightly stroked his head. Much to Arthur's surprise, the headache and the tipsy-drowsy feeling gradually oozed out of his brain and he was able to open his eyes again. Merlin's face was only inches away, wearing a worried expression and examining his eyes slowly.

"Is it better? Arthur? Can you hear me?" Arthur could feel Merlin's breath on his lips and chin as he spoke, and how the light moisture of his breath settled down there. When was the last time somebody had been that close to him? Arthur couldn't remember. And when he blinked in those big baby-blues, he wasn't sure he ever wanted to.

"Oh shit, you've got a concussion! I better get Gaius, he'll know what to do with you." Merlin started to press himself up in an upright position again, when Arthur's hand shot up like on reflex and firmly grabbed his forearms.

"No, it's al right. I'm... I'm okay, just a bit dizzy, that's all. I don't want you to get into trouble, it's still my fault after all."

Merlin gave him a look of such an intensity, that seemed to scream "No it isn't in the slightest! If only you'd know..." until Arthur blinked a few times more and managed to get up again. Merlin still eyed him suspiciously as if he was likely to pass out every second and hit the rack again.

"Soo... Who's to sort this mess now?", he asked and pointed towards the bunch of books spread across the floor and look suggestively at Merlin.

"Ohh, no, that's totally your job. You're able to stand, you're able to sort." Merlin clapped him on the shoulder. Arthur groaned a little and when he leant down to grab the first book, Merlin whispered in his ear: "When you're ready tomorrow and a little less concussed, I'll show you a way more fun activity to do down here."

And with a wink he was gone to his own book pile.