Buddy System
Author: 
shadowspun
Title: Buddy System
Rating: G
Pairing: none
Characters: Lancelot, Arthur, Merlin, Valiant
Summary: Lance and Arthur have to restrain their friend when Val bullies him.
Warnings: mild bullying
Word Count: 625
Prompt: 490, bargain
A/N: Sorry this is late. I got held up at work tonight.
Lance was reminded of how much strength Merlin hid in his wiry body at the weirdest moments. He certainly didn't expect a display from his roommate when he got up this morning. Of course, he probably should have realized something was up when he noticed Val and Cenred whispering at breakfast.
"At least my mum doesn’t shop at some bargain basement store for my clothing!" Val taunted Merlin, who was being held firmly by Lance on one side and Arthur on the other.
"So I'm poor. As if this is news, you kumquat! I got in here because of my brains and grades. Your mum and dad probably have to pay double for the teachers to let you stay here, you're such a lackwit," Merlin shouted back.
Val bristled, all of his arrogance gone. "What did you call me?"
Merlin shook his head, his shaggy hair flopping. "A lackwit. An idiot. A moron. Someone who is all brawn and no brains."
"Merlin," Arthur groaned. He looked at Lance, who nodded and let go of Merlin's arm. This wasn't the first time they'd done this.
As Val charged, Arthur jerked Merlin out of the way and Lance stuck his foot out, tripping the older boy. The three of them ran for it, Arthur dragging a laughing Merlin behind him.
“That was amazing. You were magnificent, Lance.”
Lance stopped and doubled over, heaving in deep breaths. Val and his friends would make them pay for that, but for the moment, the three of them were safe behind the statue of St. Giles, who was leering at the painting of the deer that had supposedly kept him alive with her milk.
“You’re bonkers, Merlin. Utterly bonkers. What the hell were you thinking, winding him up like that?”
Merlin shrugged, “It’s so easy, and it’s irresistible.”
Arthur scowled at their friend. “You’ve been hanging around with Gwaine too much.”
Lance agreed, but had to live with Merlin, so he kept his mouth shut.
“One of these days he’ll go too far and get expelled,” Merlin said.
Lance took a last breath and snorted. “And we’ll be visiting you in hospital while his parents cozy up to Arthur’s father and he gets away with it anyway.”
Arthur gritted his teeth. “Lance is right. My dad hates the idea of scholarship students in the first place, and the fact that you’re my friend galls him even more. I can’t help you. So will you please stop? Val and his idiot friends will be gone soon enough.”
“But they go after other scholarship kids, like Daegal. I have you guys backing me up, but the others are too shy and scared to defend themselves.” Merlin’s face was getting redder as he got more upset.
Lance put his hand on Arthur’s arm, stopping him from answering. “Merlin, if we try harder to make sure the other scholarship kids have someone around them so they don’t get bullied, will you stop getting in Val’s face?”
Merlin scowled. “That might work. If they can’t get them alone, then they should be safe, right?”
“Yeah,” Arthur reassured his friend.
Lance didn’t think he looked too sure, but maybe it was a start and maybe, just maybe, Lance would get through a week without having to patch his friend up.
Merlin’s face smoothed out. He nodded. “I think we should make sure Percival is Daegal’s buddy.”
Arthur grinned at that. “You just want to set them up. You’ve been talking about that forever.”
Merlin grinned back and shrugged, “Two birds, one stone. Yadda yadda.” He stretched and yawned. “I’m hungry. You two hungry? Let’s see if Audrey will give us a snack.” He turned and patted St. Giles’ knee for luck as he left them behind to wonder at their friend.