Fate/Stay BERSERK

Ch 10

"Ah, good to see you unarmed." Arthur smiled as Guts approached him with Merlin floating behind him with a goofy smile. The stronghold had fallen to Arthur's forces rather quickly after Guts infiltrated and opened the gates.

"Yeah." He groaned. "We have this one to thank for me not being blown to pieces."

"As I said before: you can pay me back by giving me a bath." Merlin giggled, twirling a finger in Guts's hair. Arthur chuckled as Guts rolled his eyes.

"I wished you'd agreed to let Mordred stay with me." Arthur spoke as the men began gathering the bodies into piles. "I'm positive that if he saw how much trust I place in you, he would learn to respect you as well."

Guts chuckled, looking behind him and and past Merlin, seeing Mordred leaning against a wall, not from being tired, but to calm down after the excitement. Guts turned back to Arthur with a small smile. "Yeah, but I thought it best he gets real training on the battlefield. Let's him take his anger out on the enemy."

"Alright," Arthur spoke back up, taking off his helmet and holding it against his side, letting Guts see his quizzical face. "But what if Mordred gets injured."

"He won't." Guts responded. "I might hate the bastard but I promised you and your sister that I'd watch over him. I'll be close to him and make sure he doesn't get too hurt."

Arthur couldn't help but chuckle at Guts's response, despite feeling that same pain in his chest. "Well, if there's anyone I trust to look after a member of my family, it's you Guts."

"Well that's hurtful!" Kay chuckled as he passed by with a torch, throwing it on a pile of dead saxons. It wasn't cruel, just tradition to burn corpses if you couldn't provide a burial. Kay walked past them again. "I've been you're brother since you were born!"

Guts chuckled as Arthur rolled his eyes at Kay's taunting. "Just be sure to stay near Mordred." Arthur started. "I'd hate to see Morgan devastated over the loss of her son."

"Pfft!" Guts smiled before pulling Arthur into a headlock. The Future king yelped from the sudden grab as Guts's muscular arm wrapped around his throat and pulling him close. Arthur tried to escape once he felt Guts's knuckles on his head.
"Relax! This is me we're talking about. I've got your asshole of a nephew's back!"

.
.
.

"It's odd, isn't it?"

Mordred jumped, looking behind him and seeing Merlin there floating with a smile.
"W- but- how did you?!"

"Relax~" Merlin said, patting Mordred's helmet. "I've noticed you watching Those two's conversation for quite some time. Got something you want to say? I promise not to tell."

Mordred stared at the flower mage before turning to look at the pair, Arthur struggling to get out of the headlock Guts has him in. He could easily do so with the unnatural strength he possesses, but acted like a child.

"I just don't understand." Mordred spoke, making sure no one could eavesdrop. "Arthur is the Future king. He should have the strongest, experienced, most well known warriors in the kingdom to fight by his side against Vortigern's tyranny." Mordred spoke calmly. He wouldn't talk about how he feels to anyone, but his mother insisted that he listen to Merlin.
"Yet my uncle, the incarnation of the red dragon, doesn't do that. Instead, he chooses a commoner to lead the most important parts of an operation. Why?"

Merlin smirked before shrugging her shoulders. "Who knows? But you must know that in a war to take back a kingdom can brew distrust. Guts was the first person to be recruited by our dear king. Unlike other men who can be corrupted by coin or having their status raised to a noble in exchange for betraying Arthur, Guts is unaffected."

They watched as Arthur broke out of Guts's head lock and started scolding him with the pouty face of a child. Guts laughed only for Arthur to BONK his head with Caliburn's scabbard.

"Guts is different." Merlin spoke. "The only thing he knows is living by the sword, testing his skills to see if he could live to see another day. That's why Arthur trusts him."
Merlin paused, letting her words sink into Mordred's head before continuing. "Or it could be the differences they have that makes them such good friends. Going from their fighting styles to their personal appearances."

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Later that night.
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Arthur sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he walked through the camp. Leondegrance has done nothing but compliment him for his strategy at taking the stronghold. Merlin had sent a message to Morgan too send some troops towards the stronghold, not wanting Vortigern to recapture the vantage point.

As he was walking back, Arthur realized he had nothing to do. Having about an hour or two of free time left to himself. He thought about continuing the book he's been reading, a classic romance novel with a happy ending. But he was mentally exhausted to read, exhausted from hearing the praises from Leondegrance and worrying about Guts-!

"That's it!" He cheered to himself. Changing his course through the camp trails, he started making his way to Guts's tent. Guts always had something interesting to say, things not a lot of people would say. He would provide as a clever distraction for Arthur till he needed sleep.

"Hmm?" Arthur stopped and looked over at a food stand with some boar meat on it. 'He probably hasn't eaten dinner yet.' He thought to himself. Guts usually took care of his men, his sword, and then himself. Arthur smiled, taking a plate and putting three of the biggest slices on before continuing his path. As he arrived at the tent, a rather plain and small one but still rather big, he reached for the tent flap."Guts?"

"Yeah?" The flap opened and Guts stood there. Arthur looked past him and saw Merlin sitting on his bed, pulling up her leggings with a smile on her face, her hair wet.

"Uh-oh!" Arthur took a step back, looking up at Guts just now noticing his shirt and face were wet as well. "I-is this a bad time?"

"Not at all." Guts said before looking back at Merlin. "She was just leaving!"

"Fufu~ so cruel!" Merlin said before disappearing, her flowers falling all over his bed. Guts growled at that.

"Sorry 'bout that." Guts said. "Merlin wanted me too give her a bath. Come in."

Arthur walked in and took a seat beside the small table. Unlike Arthur, who had dressers filled with books, scrolls, and outfits that were required when meeting nobles, Guts had very little in his tent. His only possession being the makeshift bed on the ground, his sword, and his armor that laid scattered on the ground.

"This is for you." Arthur pushed the plate over to Guts as he sat down across from him. Guts nodded and grabbed a piece, biting into it and ripping it off as he chewed.

"Thanks." Guts said between bites. "So what is it?"

"Huh?" The question caught Arthur off guard. Guts finished the piece of meat before speaking again.

"You only come to my tent when you wish to tell me a battle strategy." Guts smiled, making Arthur fidget in place. "Unless you want to talk about something else?"

"No." Arthur smiled, leaning back into the chair. "Well yes actually. But I need you to agree no matter what you think." Arthur chuckled.

"Alright, go ahead." Guts chuckled.

End.

Sorry for the short. Just needed to speed some things up.