Title: Innocent
Author: elirwen
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur, past Merlin/other
Genre: mpreg, hurt/comfort
Word Count: ~570
Rating: PG-13
Warnings (Highlight to view): *past underage noncon, past child abuse*
Summary: Merlin backs away from him, wide eyed, terrified. His back hits the wall and he wraps his arms around his middle, tensing, closing his eyes, as if he expects Arthur to attack him.


Read @ ao3

“I’m pregnant,” Merlin says, shoulders hunched, eyes cast down.

Arthur’s head spins and he has to stable himself, leaning on the back of a chair.

“I’m starting my fourth month,” Merlin says, his voice slightly shaking.

Arthur feels weak in the knees. They haven’t planned this. He doesn’t know if he’s ready for it.

“I found out a month ago,” Merlin says.

“Why have you waited so long to tell me?” Arthur snaps, moving towards Merlin.

He didn’t mean to sound angry. He’s not angry. Just shocked.

Merlin backs away from him, wide eyed, terrified. His back hits the wall and he wraps his arms around his middle, tensing, closing his eyes, as if he expects Arthur to attack him.

Arthur stops, watching the quick rise and fall of Merlin’s chest. It’s been so long since something like this happened, early in their relationship when they didn’t know each other’s secrets.

Arthur closes the distance between them and reaches out to caress Merlin’s cheek. Merlin flinches away from his touch with a quiet whimper.

“I’d never hurt you,” Arthur says, his tone soft.

He brings his fingers to Merlin’s face, barely touching the skin. Merlin leans into it, tears leaking from under his eyelids.

“Why would you think I’d hurt you?” Arthur asks in a whisper.

“I’m sorry,” Merlin whispers back.

He starts sliding down the wall, his legs failing to support him, but Arthur is there to catch him, to hoist him into his arms and carry him into their bedroom.

~x~

Minutes tick by in silence with Merlin curled on his side, his head pillowed on Arthur’s thigh, his hand on Arthur’s knee. Arthur is gently stroking Merlin’s forearm.

“I haven’t told you everything,” Merlin says and Arthur knows he’s holding back his tears, he can hear it in his voice.

“It’s okay,” he says.

“You should know,” Merlin says and takes a deep breath, his fingers tightening their hold on Arthur’s knee.

“You don’t have to,” Arthur says.

“I was pregnant once. At fifteen,” Merlin says and Arthur doesn’t want to hear more because he knows what will follow.

He lies down and pulls Merlin to his chest.

“He never used protection,” Merlin says.

Arthur feels utterly helpless. There’s nothing he can do to change Merlin’s past.

“When he found out, he beat me up.”

Arthur wants to bring the guy back from the dead just so he could kill him again. Slowly. Painfully.

“I lost the baby.”

Merlin is clutching at him now and Arthur tries to soothe him, mumbling reassurances into Merlin’s ear, petting his back, never letting go.

“Innocent,” Merlin whispers, his voice breaking.

Arthur’s imagination serves him an image of Merlin curled on the cold ground, pale and in pain, desperately clutching his belly, blood leaving his body, taking the tiny life away.

“It didn’t get the chance…”

“I’m sorry,” Arthur whispers, and he knows they’re just empty words, but he can’t help it and says them again and again, holding Merlin as close as he can.

Merlin’s trembling is slowly calming down. He’s still clinging to Arthur, but he’s not crying anymore.

“I’ll take care of you,” Arthur whispers. “Nobody will hurt you or our baby ever again. I’ll keep you safe.”

“I love you,” Merlin says, breathing the words into the skin of Arthur’s neck.

“I love you too,” Arthur says and presses a kiss to Merlin’s hair.