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After Arthur’s been in Bejing a week and still doesn’t know for certain when he’ll be able to come home, Merlin tells him about the shop. He has to, really; there are no other options. The bank will give them a loan, but it will barely cover moving expenses. Merlin’s afraid that starting over like that will sink them, and although he might be able to recover from it, he can’t take that chance with Will when there is another option open.
When Arthur hears, he goes through the roof. It takes twenty solid minutes over the phone for Merlin to calm him down, and then Arthur has to ring off because he’s due in a meeting.
“I didn’t want to tell you, Arthur,” Merlin says before ending the call. “I know this puts a lot of pressure on you on top of things that are going on there.”
“Fuck things going on here!” Arthur almost shouts. “And you should have told me when you first heard about it, whether I had jet lag or not. I have half a mind to leave here tonight. I can’t believe this---he is manipulating me, Merlin. Manipulating us! Well, he’s not going to get away with it, I can tell you that. I have to go.” He disconnects before Merlin can say anything else.
“He was livid,” Merlin tells Leon a little later when Leon calls Merlin over his lunch break.
“Morgana rang me briefly about half an hour ago and said the same thing.”
Merlin has Leon on speaker phone in the shop while it’s empty of customers.
“What else did she say?”
“Only that Arthur stewed through the meeting this morning and then stomped out with his mobile clenched in his hand.”
Merlin glances at Will as Leon suddenly intones, “Uh, oh. I have a feeling the shit’s hit the fan. Here comes Uther, and he does not look happy. Talk to you later.” Leon disconnects.
It isn’t two hours later before the registered letter arrives at the shop.
“Wow,” Will says, flabbergasted. “That was fast.”
Merlin stares at the legal notice informing them that the rent increase on the shop has been rescinded.
“It certainly was,” he agrees.
Will clamps a hand on Merlin’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes and be getting that man for a father-in-law. Maybe you ought to think about this a bit, yeah?”
Will’s words ring through Merlin’s head for the rest of the day. Arthur doesn’t call, and Merlin wonders how angry he is at Merlin for not telling him everything immediately. Considering how quickly Arthur ironed things out, it obviously would have been the thing to do, and certainly would have saved Merlin and Will a lot of trouble and needless worry.
Why it hadn’t occurred to Merlin that Arthur could get his father to rescind the enormous rent increase, Merlin doesn’t know; rather, Merlin only imagined Arthur offering monetary help. It bothers him that he obviously underestimated Arthur badly.
When he arrives home that evening, Merlin immediately tries to call Arthur, but he gets his voice mail.
He calls Leon.
“I had a text from Morgana earlier that they’re returning home this week. She couldn’t pinpoint a day, and she was in a meeting at the time.”
“Arthur hasn’t contacted me at all, but his father cancelled the rent increase,” Merlin tells him.
“That explains why so many left his office in tears this afternoon,” Leon chuckles. “And I had to fill out the forms for two terminations.”
“God, Leon, it isn’t funny,” Merlin moans. “The man’s a beast.”
“I’ve developed skin of leather where he’s concerned,” Leon replies. “Have to in order to keep my job and survive family get-togethers.”
“Do you ever regret it?” Merlin almost whispers. “Marrying Morgana?”
Leon sighs. “No…not marrying her. But working for her uncle? Yes, frequently and fervently.” He waits a beat. “Arthur’s my mate, but you’ve become a good friend, too, Merlin. My advice is this: I’d make sure how things stand between Arthur and his father before you marry him. And just so you know, I’ll deny I ever said that.”
Merlin can’t sleep that night for thinking about these things. What will it be like to have Uther Pendragon as a father-in-law? Sure, Merlin loves Arthur more than anything now, but will dealing with his mean, conniving father chip away at their relationship year by year until there’s nothing left?
The very thought of breaking things off with Arthur is unbearably painful to Merlin. He simply can’t imagine it; yet, when he thinks about what it will be like to be married and waiting up nights while Uther keeps Arthur away from home, toiling at the office as Arthur’s health suffers—and Merlin’s concern slowly turning to nagging until Arthur pushes him away. With all of Uther’s wealth, there are an untold number of things the man could do to make their lives miserable.
Merlin feels he has barely shut his eyes when the alarm goes off for him to get up.