Title: The Bridge (1/?)
Author: elirwen
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Rating: PG
Genre: hurt/comfort, dystopic!present!AU
Word Count: ~950
Beta: inspired_being
Warnings: suicide attempt, mention of violence (hate crimes against sorcerers), minor character death (in past, not on screen)
Summary: Arthur met a suicide attempter on the bridge and tried to stop him, finding out, what brought him there. 
Chapter One

Arthur crossed this bridge so many times and there never was anything interesting about it. Well, until that day.

* * *

It was already night. He'd spent a long day at the office. A new law, forbidding sorcerers to study at university, had been enacted that day. He was exhausted and really just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep.

When he reached the bridge, he noticed a shadow, that he hadn't seen there before. As he moved closer, the shadow turned into a person. Said person was standing on the outer side of the railing.

Arthur took a deep breath and searched his brain for the information; how to deal with suicide attempter. He couldn't remember the precise techniques, so he just decided to try and talk to him.

“Hey,” he said calmly.

The man turned his head and looked at him.

“What? Can't kill myself either?” he snapped.

The anger behind the words surprised him.

“Are you sure you want to do that?” Arthur asked, instead of answering.

“What choice do I have? In a year, you'd probably lock me up in some kind of facility. In five, you'd kill me. Or I'd die in a different way. This will at least be quick.”

“I... don't understand,” Arthur said.

“The law that's been put into action today. Do you think it will be the last? Or worst?”

Arthur watched him, unable to say a thing.

“I thought so,” the man said and went back to looking down.

“So, you're a sorcerer?” Arthur asked, carefully.

“Yeah, I am. Now you can go, knowing that the world won't lose a valuable member of society.”

“Everyone's valuable,” Arthur blurted.

The man's laughter was harsh.

“Do you live in a fairy-tale?”

Arthur didn't like the direction in which the conversation was going.

“What about we start again,” he said and took a few cautious steps forward. “Hi, I'm Arthur.”

He extended his hand towards him, and the man took a moment to measure him up.

“Merlin,” he said.

“Can I come closer?”

“Sure, whatever,” Merlin shrugged.

Arthur moved to stand at the railing, a few feet from Merlin.

“What did you mean by those predictions of yours?” Arthur asked.

“Well, it started just a few years ago with a law, that said, we all had to be registered. Since five years ago, we have had to ask for permission to leave the country. Since two years ago, we have to check-in every two months with our custodian. Like some criminals. And from today, we won't be allowed to study at university.

In a year or so, we might be perceived as too much of a threat and locked up, away from the rest of society. Later, maybe genocide.”

He said it with such a calm conviction, it sent shivers down Arthur's spine.

“It's a bit...” Arthur started, but Merlin didn't let him finish.

“Even if it doesn't happen, what's my future here? Huh?”

“You can always get a job and live a normal life.”

“I bet I'll get a great job with only a high school education,” he said bitterly.

“I have friends who only have a high school education and have a fine one,” Arthur said.

“But they're not sorcerers.”

Arthur couldn't say anything to that.

“But still, life is... life. You can enjoy it, even when the job is bad.”

Merlin's fingers clenched at the railing.

“Have you ever been beaten, Arthur? Have you ever had all fingers in your hand broken? Has anyone ever kicked you into unconsciousness?”

Arthur stared at him, horrified.

“I can't take it anymore,” Merlin said. “Bye, Arthur.”

Arthur decided in a fraction of a second to grab Merlin under his arms and drag him over the fence. He pinned him to the ground, when Merlin started fighting him.

“Let me go,” he yelled. “I don't want to live. I don't.”

He kicked and tried to punch, but finally grew limp under Arthur, sobbing.

Arthur released him and pulled him into a hug.

“Shh, shh, I've got you, it's okay,” he murmured.

“It's not. My mum died a month ago and I promised her just before, that I'd finish my studies and become a nurse, as I always wanted, and now I can't,” he said, crying into Arthur's shoulder. “I promised her. I promised.”

Arthur was rocking him gently, stroking his back.

“Where do you live?” Arthur asked.

Merlin told him his address.

“Is anyone home?”

Merlin shook his head.

“And as I'll be kicked out of uni, there won't be any scholarship money, and the bank won't let me into Mum's account. They'll kick me out of that flat soon.

They fired me from the café I was working at 'cause someone found out I was a sorcerer and threatened them with burning the shop to the ground.

And I don't have any relatives, any friends. I've never had a boyfriend.

I don't want to die, but life hurts too much.”

Arthur had always had his doubts about the restrictive laws against sorcerers. He had a lot of nasty rows with his father about it, but he always fell back into submission.

Now, with Merlin trembling in his arms, seeing and hearing, what he helped create, his stomach was churning and he thought, he could never forgive himself. How could he not notice these things? How could he ignore people's suffering?

“I'm sorry,” he whispered. “You shouldn't be alone tonight. Come with me. My flat is near.”

Merlin shook his head, but didn't let go of Arthur.

“Please, let me help. You need a friend and I can be that. I don't care, that you're sorcerer.”

“Other people will.”

“I don't care about other people.”

“I shouldn't.”

“I'll make us dinner,” Arthur said. “Please.”

“Okay,” Merlin finally gave in.