Chapter Text
Arthur stared down the page in front of him, knowing something was wrong, but not quite sure what. He was midway through the novel and there was something nagging at him about the scene he’d just read. Since it wouldn't come to him, he went back to the beginning and skimmed through until it finally struck it him what was wrong.
“The timeline doesn't match up!” He exclaimed loudly to his empty office.
Arthur made note of the consistency error and kept reading, making corrections to the text as he went. He worked for another hour before his assistant Elena knocked on the door to his office and barged in before he could tell her to come in.
“If you don't leave now, you'll be late for dinner with Lance and Gwen,” Elena said, not bothering with a greeting.
Arthur yawned and started to organize his desk, too drained to comment on his assistant’s lack of manners. “Where are we meeting again?”
“That fancy Italian place where Lance originally wanted to propose.” Elena answered, rubbing her pregnant stomach absentmindedly.
Arthur rolled his eyes. “You mean Giovanni’s?”
“Yeah, that place!” Elena confirmed with a nod of her head
Arthur put the thick stack of papers into his messenger bag before standing up and slinging it over his body. Elena walked with him instead of going over to help Kelsey finish her work as she usually did meaning she had something to tell him.
He listened patiently as she repeated office gossip, knowing she’d get to what she needed to say eventually. It wasn't until they were alone in the elevator that she stopped gossiping.
“Your father made an appointment to meet with you next Wednesday,” Elena said.
Arthur stiffened. “Do you know what he wants?”
“He wouldn't say.” Elena tried to offer him a reassuring smile, but it came out as a grimace.
Arthur sighed. “Well, if he doesn't keep me too long, do you want to have lunch after?”
“Sure!”
The doors opened and Arthur kissed her cheek before stepping off.
It was never fun when his father scheduled a meeting with Elena instead of going directly to him and asking to go to lunch.
What could he possibly want?
Arthur was happy to listen to Guinevere and Lance talk about their day respectively as he ate his Alfredo. He was starving and exhausted from work so they could not let him say a word all night and Arthur wouldn't mind one bit.
Though things took an unxpected turn when he was about halfway finished with his food.
“Arthur, you know we wouldn't ask you for something unless it was really important,” Gwen started and Arthur paused with his fork in midair to look at her,”and I know what we’re asking is a lot, but we don't know who else to turn to.”
Arthur put his fork down and straightened in his seat. “What exactly are you asking?”
Gwen looked at Lancelot for reassurance before she turned back to Arthur. “Our friend, Merlin, has had a tough couple of months and we’re really worried about him.”
“He lost his mom, his best friend, his girlfriend all in the same night and he’s been so torn up that he lost his job.” Lancelot added.
Arthur frowned. “That's awful!”
Arthur couldn't fathom how much it must have hurt to lose three people all at once. He had only ever lost his mother and he hadn't been old enough to really process grief.
I don't think I could survive losing Uther, Morgana and Leon in one fell swoop.
“It is,” agreed Lance, squeezing Gwen’s hand.
“So, what do you need from me?” Arthur asked.
If it was a job or a loan he would say yes immediately purely out of the need he had to help others.
Gwen and Lance shared a look, as if trying to decide who would answer until finally, Gwen met his eyes and said, “Well, you see, Merlin’s apartment building is getting torn down and originally he was going to move to London with his girlfriend, but then the accident happened and now he doesn't have anywhere to go. So we were hoping you’d let him take the spare room at yours?"
Arthur stared at her in surprise. “I barely know the man and you want me to let him move in?”
“Um.....yes?” Gwen replied hesitantly.
“Why can't he live with you?” Arthur asked.
“Elyan’s back.”
“Right,” he said. "Its about time he reappears."
“Will you please let Merlin live with you?” Gwen asked hopefully.
Arthur opened his mouth to refuse, but then he saw the way Lance was looking at him, up through his lashes with wide, pleading eyes. “No, don't you dare look at me like that! Gwe - no not you too!”
Guinevere was giving him her best puppy eyes as well. “Please, Arthur? It's just until he gets back on his feet.”
“We wouldn't ask this of you unless we had no other choice,” Lance reiterated.
Arthur had never been able to say no those damn eyes. “Does he really have nowhere else to go?”
Gwen shook her head as Lance started pouting, completing the pathetic pleading puppy look he was going for.
Arthur narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms as he considered letting Merlin move in.
The action did nothing to keep him from giving in to the pathetic looking eyes staring at him.
“Fine,” he conceeded eventually,”but only if I don’t have to help him move in.”
Gwen got up to pull him into a crushing hug. “Thank you so much. Arthur, I can’t tell you how much this means to us!”
“You're - “ Lance was suddenly hugging him too, making it hard to breathe, “you're….wel...come," he choked out.
After they finally stopped thanking him and sat back down, Gwen turned deadly serious as Arthur picked up his fork again.
I'm not gonna like this.
“There’s something you should know about Merlin,” Gwen said.
“And of course you waited until after I agreed to tell me,” Arthur muttered, putting his fork down again.
Gwen ignored him. “As you can imagine, Merlin’s having a rough go of things and he’s not been acting like himself.”
“You said you were worried about him,” Arthur said. “He’s not on drugs, is he?”
“No, but we do think he’s depressed,” Gwen explained.
“All he's done since the funeral is lay about the house half naked and watch Netflix. He barely eats, barely talks, forgets to shower and sleeps all the time.” Lance interjected.
"So we just ask that you make sure he eats something and that maybe you give him a nudge to shower once in awhile," Gwen said.
“I think I can handle that,” Arthur decided.
“Just try not to upset him.” Lance said. “He can be a bit impulsive sometimes.”
Arthur swallowed as a question he didn't want to ask popped into his head. “He’s not….You don't think he’d off himself, do you?”
Gwen shook her head. “No, but he can be a bit stubborn and might do something Arthur-level stupid."
Arthur scowled, but wasn't able to get out his scathing comeback when he registered how sad and worried she looked - how they both looked.
"I won't upset him," he promised instead.
At 3AM, Arthur found himself sitting on his guest bed, sipping Apple juice and surveying the room. It looked mostly clean, but Arthur suspected he would have to dust it and wash the bed set before Merlin moved in.
Gwen had told him that they would move Merlin in on Tuesday while he was at work so they wouldn't disturb him with all the noise or the mess.
It had occured to him after dinner that Merlin really didn't have anywhere else to go. Gwaine and Elena wouldn't have room once the baby came, Leon and Percival's flat was barely enough to accommodate them, let alone another person and apparently Elyan was back in Gwen's life and taking up the spare room at her's and Lance's. Living with someone outside their group of friends wasn't an option either. Gwen had told him that Merlin had never met his extended family and he had never met his father so he was all alone family wise.
He didn't really know much about Merlin since he had gotten a promotion around the time the other man had found his way into their group of friends. Uther had upped his workload and Arthur had found it hard to hangout with all of his friends at once like he used to. Suddenly it was a lunch here with Elena and Gwaine, or a night at the pub with Percy or Leon or a dinner with Lance and Gwen, but never any group gatherings.
Arthur had seen countless pictures of the other man over the years, but he’d only actually seen Merlin in person twice and neither of those times were recent so it felt like he was trying to remember someone he hadn't actually met.
All he really knew about Merlin besides what he learned tonight was that their mutual friends seemed fiercely protective of him and always seemed to have an air of fondness about them as they told stories of him. Well, he was also seventy percent sure Merlin had dated Percival, but all that really told him was that he had good taste in men, which wasn't particularly helpful.
He can't be too bad though, can he?
Arthur didn't know what to expect from Merlin, he just hoped he would be able to handle whatever changes his new roommate brought.