Title: Learning Curve

Rating: M

Genre: splice of life, romance, angst, slash

Pairing: Merthur, Lancelot/Gwen, Morgana/Leon

Summary: Arthur Pendragon was a normal stuck-up spoiled rich brat. Because of this he felt he has privileges above his classmates. But when his father learns about his failing grades he hires tutor after tutor to help his son pass his classes, tutors Arthur ignores or pays to do the work for him. Until he meets Merlin Emrys. Merlin is unlike the tutors Arthur had to deal with so far. He's untouched by bribes and Arthur's spoiledness. Add to the fact that he works in his father's hotel means he can't get away from him, and maybe he doesn't want to.

Merlin works in Camelot Hotel and plays in a band every Friday. His life revolved around the lyrics that made up his life. Then he's forced to tutor Arthur Pendragon, the last person he wanted to see in the world. Dodging Arthur's fanclub and an unwanted suitor he tries to keep his head on his shoulders while trying to not fall for Arthur.

Chapter 1

"Men are pig-headed insensitive jerks!"

Merlin looked up at one of his best friends as she walked into his room. Guinevere Smith stomped around his room like a raging tiger. Strands of her curly brown hair hung loose around her and her fists her clenched in front of her.

"Uh, I'm sorry," he said uncertain.

"Why do I let myself get pulled in like this?" she asked, almost to herself. "It's the same thing every time. Just once, I'd like for something in my life to go right when it comes to men!"

"Am I part of that equation?"

She smiled at him reassuringly.

"Never in a million years, Merlin," she said.

Merlin smiled back and set his guitar down. No way was he going to write a score with her on the rampage, but emotional Gwen was a ton of inspiration on his part. She led a much more exciting life than he did.

"Tell me about it," he said.

Exasperated, and finally exhausted from her anger, she flopped down on Merlin's bed.

"I was going to see Richard…"

"Uh oh, that doesn't start well," said Merlin. Richard was Gwen's boyfriend of six months. Merlin met him a couple of times and didn't like the guy. Maybe it was because he gave Merlin heated looks every time Gwen talked to him, or maybe it was because Merlin caught him eyeing every pretty girl in the room. Either way, Merlin thought him a jerk.

"I was going to surprise him because he's been working so hard on his drama exams," said Gwen. "I came with his favorite pastries and everything. I walked in and found the house empty, which was strange because he said he would be home studying all day but…"

"But?" asked Merlin after a long pause.

"I heard a noise upstairs and followed it to his bedroom, and found them!"

"Them?"

"Richard and Morguase! Doing the bedroom mamba!"

Merlin gaped at her. He knew Richard was a douche, but he didn't expect for him to flat out cheat on Gwen.

"Oh God, Gwen, sorry doesn't even cut it," he said.

She waved him off.

"I knew what he was like but I didn't want to see it. I'm a sucker for hot guys in jockey uniforms."

"Apparently so is Morgause," said Merlin under his breath.

"And his acting was flawless! He would definitely win an Oscar if he ever became an actor."

"What do you mean if?"

"Please, like a guy like that's ever going to be an actor. His routine is good, but his morals are a lot of trash. How he got into Avalonis beyond me."

Merlin smiled at his friend. Both Merlin and Gwen were students of Avalon College, Merlin in music and Gwen in fashion design. Their other friend Will was also in the college but studying to be a computer graphics designer. All three had been friends since middle school and despite their academic differences they had remained friends.

"Who died?" asked Will Farmer walking into Merlin's room and sat on Merlin's chair, his chest resting on the back.

"Richard cheated on Gwen with Morgause," said Merlin filling his friend in.

"Shit, Gwen, that sucks," said Will in shock looking at her. She just shrugged.

"No loss," she said. "He wasn't even that good. Merlin could have given him some pointers."

"Not in a million years," said Merlin as both his friends laughed.

"You want us to beat him up?" asked Will.

Gwen shook her head.

"No, I'm fine," said Gwen. She turned to the door. "Well, we better get to class, now that our ride's here."

Merlin and Will turned to look at each other. They would plan their own version of revenge on Richard later without Gwen knowing. Merlin jumped off his bed, put his guitar in a case, grabbed his backpack and ran after his friends as they walked out. They crowded into Will's beat up pickup and drove to Avalon. During the rive they sang along with the stereo and laughed at every wrong note.

They pulled up to the campus parking lot and got out.

"Meet for lunch," asked Merlin.

"Of course," said Gwen and she turned to Will. "Merida coming?"

"Yes, she has some genius ideas for this computer program that can…"

"Save it, Will," said Merlin laughing. "You know we can never understand all that gobbily-goop."

"I've tried to explain it to you," said Will crossing his arms.

"And we've told you we can't understand a word you're saying," said Gwen and gave him a one armed hug. "Still love you through."

"Yeah, yeah," said Will dismissive but with a smile.

Will and Gwen used to date in high school and everyone thought they would be getting married, but they broke it off near the end of senior year and remained friends. It surprised everyone, but not Merlin. He could tell that their relationship would never go past friendship but he never pushed them to break up. He let them make that discovery on their own.

"Well, see you at lunch," said Merlin. He leaned over and kissed Gwen on the cheek. "Stay strong, girl."

"I will," said Gwen.

They separated and went to their different classes. On Mondays, Merlin mostly had literature classes. Professor Gaius was a great teacher that Merlin loved to learn from. He didn't drone on and on about the subject but encouraged the students to immerse themselves in it. Merlin learned a lot from him in just half a semester.

The only bad part about the class was Arthur Pendragon, Avalon College's most popular male student. Unlike Merlin and his friends who got in on scholarship and had to keep at least an A minus on test scores, Arthur's father paid his son's way through by donating a wing to the school. Captain of the college's varsity soccer team, he was going for a business major so it surprised everyone that he was minoring in literature.

Merlin sat in a seat that wasn't in the back but not near the front either. As much as he liked Gaius' class, he didn't want to be made into a teacher's pet. He looked around to see most of the students talking, or texting on their smart phones or socializing on their iPads or laptops. Merlin just pulled out a book and started reading. Some would say Le Morte d'Arthur was too hard of a read, but Merlin found it a very good one. Sir Thomas Malory's views of Camelot were almost the forerunner of all Arthurian legend. Everything used nowadays was in some part inspired by this book.

The door opened and Merlin looked up in time to see Arthur walk in with all the swagger of a spoiled rich kid. He was flanked by his two friends and fellow soccer players, Lancelot and Gwaine. Merlin actually liked Gwaine and Lancelot a bit. They weren't bad guys. Just hung out with the wrong crowd.

Merlin tried to not admire the way Arthur looked. He had to admit the man was a very good specimen of manhood. His arms were definably muscled. Not built like a body builder or a wrestler, but in an athletic kind of way. His blonde hair was actually wavy and his eyes were a clear sky blue.

Okay, so Merlin may have a tiny crush on the guy. What self-acclaimed homosexual male wouldn't. The guy was a walking Adonis. Most of the female population, and some of the men, lusted after him.

Merlin wasn't stupid like some of Arthur's admirers. Arthur was as straight as they came and was going out with one of the hottest women on campus. Sophia Cooper. Every guy and some of the girls, wanted to go out with her. She hung out with a group of the most gorgeous, and snobbiest girls, on campus. Her best friend was Vivian Thibodaux. Everyone knew that Vivian had a massive crush on Arthur and was just looking for the perfect opportunity to squeeze between the ideal couple.

The door opened again and everyone turned to see Gaius walk in, an old crack leather satchel under his arm. Unlike some of the professors at Avalon College who wore freshly ironed black designer suits, Gaius always looked like he threw something on. Today it was a blue button down shirt and blue jeans and he wore black loafers. Merlin didn't know of anyone who wore loafers. He guessed they were comfortable. He closed his book and placed it back in his backpack before taking out his text book.

"Everyone, turn to page 130 and we'll discuss the fascinating history of Edger Allen Poe…"

For the next two hours Merlin listened and wrote notes as the rest of the students around him meandered in their chairs. Only two other people were actually trying to hear what Gaius was saying.

Merlin glanced down at Arthur. The young man was texting on his phone as his two friends wrestled with each other in their chairs. Shaking his head, he went back to his text book. Why was he even in college if he cared nothing for learning anything?

Class ended and Merlin went to his second morning class. At lunch, he met up with Gwen and Will at the quad and they sat down in the shade of a tree to eat.

"God, I hate Professor Nimueh," said Gwen. "She's so…urgh!"

"That's descriptive," said Merlin chuckling.

"She gave us a project. We're supposed to design a costume for a renaissance fantasy. She wants us to think 'outside the box'. How the hell am I supposed to do that?! How many ways are there to design a fifth century ball gown?"

"You'll figure it you," said Will. "And it will be awesome."

"Yeah, it will be," said Gwen grinning.

"Have you seen Richard today?" asked Merlin as he ate his sandwich.

"No, and I'm hoping to not ever see him again."

"Does he even know you saw him?" asked Will.

"No, but he will soon enough."

Will and Merlin looked at each other with a grin as Gwen at her salad. Richard would pay for hurting their friend.

The form of revenge came later in the day. Flyers fell from the college roof, each plastered with Richard's face and the words; Looking for a good time? Give me a call. It included Richard's phone number. It also included a resume with numbers of every girl he had slept with, some of them while dating Gwen. By the time school ended all three were grinning as Richard tried to save his dignity.

Merlin had also written the evasive lyrics he needed for the score he was working on. The lyrics, along with the score, made for a pretty good song and he couldn't wait to apply it, but he needed to go to his job.

Merlin worked in the illustrious Camelot hotel and restaurant. He worked as a waiter and a bellhop. Depending on the generosity of the clients, he may get a five dollar tip, if he was lucky.

One of the people he worked with was Mordred le Fey. He was also on the soccer team with Arthur and his group of muscle bound jockeys, and he gave Merlin the creeps. Everywhere Merlin went, Mordred seemed to pop up. And the eyes he gave Merlin, like he was stripping Merlin with his gaze alone, made Merlin hightail it in the other direction.

Today he was a bellhop. He carried luggage up and down stairs as clients checked in or checked out, and the whole time avoided Mordred as he did.

"Mordred alert," said Anna, one of the maids as Merlin pushes a tray of leftover dinner dishes for the hotel guests in the kitchen. Most of the hotel staff knew how Mordred crept Merlin out and tried to give him warning, and some didn't care.

"Thanks, Anna," said Merlin and hurried out before Mordred caught sight of him, but not fast enough.

"Hello, Merlin," said Mordred, freezing Merlin in place. Merlin turned and gave him a not so friendly smile.

"Hello, Mordred," he said. "Torture any small animals lately?"

Mordred chuckled.

"Merlin, your humor escapes me," he said. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact." It was only his homework, but Mordred didn't need to know that.

"Perhaps I can come along."

"Afraid not, private party. Excuse me."

He walked toward the hallway. A hand grabbed his elbow and he turned to see Mordred looking at him in a predatory way.

"One day, you won't say no to me," he said.

"Is that a threat, le Fey? Cause then I can write you up for harassment. Now let go of my arm."

"As if I'm afraid of the sorry excuse this hotel calls management. The Pendragons stay up in their ivory towers, not a care in the world, and leave the little things to us common folk. Do you think they care if the maid got harassed by a busboy? It'll just ruin their perfect day."

Merlin knew Mordred was right, but he doesn't voice it. And he was never more grateful to the cook when she yelled out Mordred's order and he walked off rather than get in trouble.

Merlin ran out of the kitchen as fast as he could.

TBC

This is my first Merlin fic and I'm actually kind of excited about it. I have a lot of other story ideas to sift through so I hope you like this one while I sort out my overactive brain. Promise to update as soon as I can. Reviews are like chocolate!