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Description
"Come on, run! We want some moving target practice."

Merlin frowned. He knew what it was like to be teased, bullied, persecuted. It was why he had left Ealdor, to escape it all; he should have known you cannot run away from the evil in man's heart. It was horrible for him, and he would refuse to walk by and allow it to happen to another, especially when he had the power to stop it. Not that he could use it of course.

"Hey come on that's enough." He gave a half laugh in the hope to keep this light and friendly. The bully seemed genuinely shocked at his intervention.

"What?" A flash of blonde hair swooshed up and the bully turned to look at Merlin. The first thing Merlin noticed was his eyes; a shockingly clear blue that was assessing him with such intensity that words failed him. He looked strong, he had just thown that weapon into the target with great precision to be fair, and Merlin could see the muscle tucked beneath the thin cloth the bully was wearing. And then there was the face itself, strong jawline, pink lips, and crooked smile. This man was, in basic terms, hot.

"You've had your fun my friend," Merlin squinted, unsure if the light that hurt his eyes was from the sun or the radiating beauty of this man.

The bully stepped towards Merlin, tilting his head to the side in a bemused expression.

"Do I know you?"

"I'm Merlin."

"So I don't know you."

That wasn't the response he was expecting.

"No," he said carefully.

"Yet you called me friend."

Oh the gorgeous prat was just being patronising now. Well excuse me for trying to be nice, Merlin thought.

"That was my mistake."

"I think so."

"Yeah," Merlin sighed, why did the hot ones have to be so nasty? He couldn't stand this sort of priggishness and after his life in Ealdor there was no way in hell he was going to let this pass. "I'd never have a friend who could be such an ass."

"Or one who could be so stupid. Merlin," did it have to be sexy when he said his name? "do you know how to walk on your knees?"

Hundreds of images flooded Merlin's mind, not all of them appropriate when one was trying to teach someone a lesson. He pushed them aside and stood his ground.

"I wouldn't if I were you."

"What are you going to do?" the bully laughed. Merlin gritted his teeth.

"You have no idea." It frustated him so much that he could not threaten him openly. If he could just reach out and use his magic to snatch a sword on one of the stands behind him it would have been enough to send this guy and his followers running. But no. Magic was outlawed and it would surely cost him his life.

This meant, of course, that this bully had no idea of Merlin's power, and so only saw an empty threat.

"Be my guest," he taunted, making beckoning gestures with his hands. "Come on. Come on. Come on!"

Merlin knew he shouldn't have, but clearly someone needed to teach this guy a lesson, and with magic being outlawed he could not use it, so he did the next best thing; he threw a punch.

Or at least he tried to. For as the moment his fist was in the air it was blocked and he found himself twisted round in a rather uncomfortable position with the bully pressed up against his back. It should not have been so arousing.

"I'll throw you in jail for that," the bully grunted in Merlin's ear. His breath made the skin it brushed against tingle.

"Who do you think you are, the king?"

"No." Thank god for small mercies, thought Merlin. "I'm his son, Arthur."

Oh fuck.

Description
"Come on, run! We want some moving target practice."

Merlin frowned. He knew what it was like to be teased, bullied, persecuted. It was why he had left Ealdor, to escape it all; he should have known you cannot run away from the evil in man's heart. It was horrible for him, and he would refuse to walk by and allow it to happen to another, especially when he had the power to stop it. Not that he could use it of course.

"Hey come on that's enough." He gave a half laugh in the hope to keep this light and friendly. The bully seemed genuinely shocked at his intervention.

"What?" A flash of blonde hair swooshed up and the bully turned to look at Merlin. The first thing Merlin noticed was his eyes; a shockingly clear blue that was assessing him with such intensity that words failed him. He looked strong, he had just thown that weapon into the target with great precision to be fair, and Merlin could see the muscle tucked beneath the thin cloth the bully was wearing. And then there was the face itself, strong jawline, pink lips, and crooked smile. This man was, in basic terms, hot.

"You've had your fun my friend," Merlin squinted, unsure if the light that hurt his eyes was from the sun or the radiating beauty of this man.

The bully stepped towards Merlin, tilting his head to the side in a bemused expression.

"Do I know you?"

"I'm Merlin."

"So I don't know you."

That wasn't the response he was expecting.

"No," he said carefully.

"Yet you called me friend."

Oh the gorgeous prat was just being patronising now. Well excuse me for trying to be nice, Merlin thought.

"That was my mistake."

"I think so."

"Yeah," Merlin sighed, why did the hot ones have to be so nasty? He couldn't stand this sort of priggishness and after his life in Ealdor there was no way in hell he was going to let this pass. "I'd never have a friend who could be such an ass."

"Or one who could be so stupid. Merlin," did it have to be sexy when he said his name? "do you know how to walk on your knees?"

Hundreds of images flooded Merlin's mind, not all of them appropriate when one was trying to teach someone a lesson. He pushed them aside and stood his ground.

"I wouldn't if I were you."

"What are you going to do?" the bully laughed. Merlin gritted his teeth.

"You have no idea." It frustated him so much that he could not threaten him openly. If he could just reach out and use his magic to snatch a sword on one of the stands behind him it would have been enough to send this guy and his followers running. But no. Magic was outlawed and it would surely cost him his life.

This meant, of course, that this bully had no idea of Merlin's power, and so only saw an empty threat.

"Be my guest," he taunted, making beckoning gestures with his hands. "Come on. Come on. Come on!"

Merlin knew he shouldn't have, but clearly someone needed to teach this guy a lesson, and with magic being outlawed he could not use it, so he did the next best thing; he threw a punch.

Or at least he tried to. For as the moment his fist was in the air it was blocked and he found himself twisted round in a rather uncomfortable position with the bully pressed up against his back. It should not have been so arousing.

"I'll throw you in jail for that," the bully grunted in Merlin's ear. His breath made the skin it brushed against tingle.

"Who do you think you are, the king?"

"No." Thank god for small mercies, thought Merlin. "I'm his son, Arthur."

Oh fuck.