|Two Worlds Apart|

Chapter Twenty Two•

Arthur walked out of the house and slammed the door shut. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it with the lighter. But as he walked down the street, he was shot-

24 hours earlier:

"Let's get back before we get lost at sea." Merlin laughed.

The two started rowing back towards the dock. Arthur felt free, he'd expressed how he felt, he knew what he was feeling was okay, and that no one could take that away from him. But he was still scared, what about when he got back to Camelot?

As they got back, a man was yelling at them. "That was my boat. You idiots."

"How dare you speak to us like that, I challenge you sir." Arthur spat.

The man dodged Arthur up and pushed him. Arthur pushed back.

"Merlin, my sword."

Merlin looked around and shrugged.

"Different age, Arthur."

Arthur raised his brows and squared up to the man. "Maybe next time. You're not worth it." Arthur said with a salty face.

Merlin and Arthur began to walk home, slumping and fretting as they were bored and tired.

They stopped in the corner shop in hope for a drink and maybe a bite to eat. Merlin and Arthur separated in the shop as it was only small and walked around slowly. "Want some magic sticks?" The man at the counter smirked to Merlin. Merlin looked around for Arthur and nodded.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked the man.

"Cigars boy, don't be stupid."

Merlin had no clue, but decided to buy anyway.

The man passed Merlin some cigars and a lighter and charged him £25. Merlin gave him £50. Money was worth nothing to Merlin and Arthur as they had no clue about currency in this age at all. They were learning how to make of it. The man gave him money back, and Merlin was confused, but took it anyway.

"What's that Merlin?" Arthur asked as he turned the corner.

"Nothing." Merlin said as he put the buys into his pockets. Arthur raised his brow at Merlin and placed two Cadbury chocolate bars and a packet of ready salted crisps onto the counter.
After paying they left, and Arthur passed a bar to Merlin.

"Oh, thanks." Merlin smiled.

"Put the grin away, you're lucky I'm giving you my food." Arthur laughed. Merlin smirked.

Merlin reached for the book the great dragon gave them when they first came into this age, he wanted to know what he'd just brought.

He sighed, realising it actually wasn't magic.

"Here, want one?" Merlin offered, handing Arthur a cigarette. Arthur popped it into his mouth as Merlin lit the end.

"It tastes vile, but I like it." Arthur said, taking another drag.

"Try." Arthur insisted, putting it to Merlin's mouth. Merlin inhaled and began coughing instantly.

"Don't be such a girl, Merlin."

Merlin mimicked him as they began to walk again thinking Arthur wouldn't see; he was wrong. Arthur shoved Merlin into the bushes and burst out into laughter as Merlin climbed out covered in leafs.

Arthur stared at Merlin and the laughter stopped.

"What?" Merlin said, he didn't like that look.

"Don't. Move." Arthur said, raising his hand. Merlin couldn't deny he was freaking out.

"HiYa!" Arthur shouted as he karate chopped Merlin's shoulder. A spider trickled down his arm, obviously Arthur didn't get it in time.
Merlin jumped up and down and took his shirt off and shook his body like jelly as he knew what it was.

"Disgusting." Merlin said, turning up his nose. Arthur was crying with laughter, in fact he was on the floor clutching his stomach. Merlin furrowed his brows as he saw the man from earlier next to the shop staring at them.

"Come on Arthur, lets get back to Giuas."

Arthur stood up and brushed himself off still in fits of laughter. Merlin sighed and dragged him along.

"Merlin, I wonder if we can use one of those beasts to get us around." Arthur said as he watched all the cars go past.

"I think it's called a car."

"Alright, smart ass."

-

They finally got home and Giuas was severely ill. It had only been a few hours since his return and he already looked as if he'd been ill for days.

"Merlin. You need to accept your love." Giuas coughed, obviously sleep talking.

"I don't know what to do! We already have." Merlin cried, clutching at his hair. He paced around the room as tears started to fill his eyes.

"Merlin, don't cry. Come here." Arthur said, he grabbed Merlin's arm and pulled him in for a hug.

"We accept it, so why won't Giuas get better." Merlin sniffed, embarrassed that he was crying into Arthur.

Arthur smelled his hair as he was a little taller than Merlin. It smelled of apples from the Alberto Balsam shampoo he'd clearly used. Arthur smiled. He'd told Merlin not to use the strawberry one, so he'd used Apple. Cute.

"Arthur, what if the acceptance isn't wanting to go home?"

"What do you mean?" Arthur frowned.

"Well, we're free here, we can do what we please without judgment."

"No, Merlin. I want to go home. I need to."

"So it's your fault Giuas is dying."

"How dare you!" Arthur said, clearly getting mad.

"How dare you!" Merlin snapped back, it was the first time he'd spoken to the king in such a way. Arthur huffed and grabbed the packet of cigarettes from the side and walked out of the house.

He slammed the door shut. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it with the lighter, but as soon as he walked down the street, he was shot-

Merlin came barging out after Arthur and saw him led on the floor bleeding out.

"Arthur!" Merlin yelled. He started to panic and hold down on Arthur's wound. He was shot in the stomach. It was the man who had previously had an argument with him.

Luckily for Merlin, someone in a near house saw what happened and called the ambulance, otherwise, Merlin wouldn't of known what to do.