Ghostofafruit

Leon was almost certain he knew what was about to happen. It'd been inked into his arm since birth, the first words his soulmate will ever say to him.

'Your leg is broken'.

Leon's no medical expert, but it sure felt like his leg was broken. That, and it's sitting at a funny angle he's sure legs aren't meant to sit at.

It'll make for an incredibly embarrassing story when he goes to tell his friends how he met his soulmate. Getting jumped by a gang that hated Arthur, more so the Pendragon name and had instead taken that out on Leon was one thing. Getting his leg broken by them, and being otherwise injured as well, entirely another but perfectly understandable thing. But being in public bathroom? Unable to leave? Only to have his soulmate find him?

Leon was never living that down. Arthur would laugh at him at every given opportunity for it, he could see it now. It was going to be in the best man speech, when him and his soulmate eventually got to that point, he was sure of it.

Just in case any gods did exist, Leon turn his eyes skyward, and begged for mercy. Mercy did not come. He was stuck in the back most stall, his leg sticking out and broken, and he was bleeding slightly. No gods were going to shine on him today.

At least, he thought distantly, he would get to meet his soulmate from all this. A small mercy in the grand scheme of things, he supposed. Though he'd rather meet his soulmate under better circumstances. Perhaps in cafe, or on a walk. Somewhere almost romantic, so the story would be good.

He supposed it could be worse. He wondered distantly what his soulmate had ingrained in their arm. Maybe a call for help, it would make sense, given Leon's predicament.

The door swung open, creaking on it's hinges. Leon opened his mouth to call for help, but stopped. As the door shut he heard a click. The door wasn't meant to click.

"Your leg is broken," someone said suddenly. A head popped round the corner, concerned blue eyes, slightly messy black hair. Cute, all things considered.

"And we're trapped, bigger things to worry about," Leon replied without thinking. "Ah," he said at the same time as his soulmate.

"Not ideal this, is it?" his soulmate asked. "Is that blood?" he asked, squinting at him. Leon shrugged instead of answering. "And how do you know we're trapped?"

"Door clicked. Not meant to do that," Leon told him. "I'm Leon, by the way."

"Merlin," he said, turning around. Leon heard him arguing with the door, shoving at it, pulling at it. But not once did it creak on it's hinges.

"Trapped then," Merlin agreed. "Not ideal. Can't say I pictured being trapped in a bathroom."

"Can't say I pictured breaking my leg in a bathroom either," Leon admitted.

"Gwaine's never letting this go," Merlin mumbled. Leon snorted.

"Neither's Arthur. We're hearing about this for the rest of our lives," he said. Merlin sighed. He settled on the bathroom floor by Leon and appraised his leg.

"It's definitely broken," he told him. Leon nodded. He thought he was doing quite well not reacting to the pain. Probably the shock of it all. He'd been able to distract himself at first with thoughts of meeting his soulmate soon, and now here his soulmate was, eyeing his leg.

"We aren't getting out of here without help," he told Leon. "And you need medical attention."

"I know," Leon said. "I'd have called someone, but my phone was stolen." He doesn't add that even if it wasn't he was waiting for his soulmate to show up. Doesn't add that he's at least slightly glad the day had gone as it had. Doesn't tell Merlin that he doesn't mind the broken leg because he's finally met his destined.

Not everyone things about soulmates in the same way. Leon loves the idea, someone destined for him. Someone that will love him, his perfect match as foretold by the universe or maybe the gods he's not really sure. But Merlin might not feel that way. Merlin might not care at all, Merlin might take time to warm up to the idea. Merlin might be the sort to entirely disregard the idea of soulmates, and this might be the only time they interact.

How tragic would that be? Leon with a broken leg, bleeding slightly, pain slowly creeping up him as the shock and adrenaline wear off, trapped in a bathroom. Trapped in a public bathroom, sat in the furthest stall in the heap he'd been dropped in. Tragic, undignified, an awful story to tell in the future. It would be even worse if Merlin decided that was all he wanted from Leon. Just a quick meeting with his soulmate to get it over and done with.

"Here, call someone," Merlin said, holding out an old and slightly cracked phone. Leon took it. He'd memorised his friends numbers, just in case of a situation like this. It's not like he'd call the Pendragons a gang, or anything like that at all. But they were trouble magnets, and Leon was close enough that he might get hit in the crossfire. And now he had.

He dialed Arthur's number. It rang through and hung up. He dialed again. Arthur didn't answer unknown numbers on the first ring.

"What?" Arthur snapped as soon as he picked up. Leon rolled his eyes, and put him speaker without telling him.

"I broke my leg," Leon said, also forgoing any form of greeting. There was silence across the line. No reaction for some time. And then,

"You broke your leg?" Arthur asked. Leon hummed his confirmation. "Leon broke his leg!" Arthur shouted with much more joy than such a proclamation should have, presumably to Elyan, Gwen, and Morgana.

Merlin couldn't help but laugh, and the sound must have carried across the line, because Arthur suddenly shushed the celebration that had started up.

"Is that them?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah, my soulmate is here," Leon told him.

"Oh this is brilliant! Where are you?" he said. Leon winced, the pain finally getting to him. Merlin snatched the phone.

"There's a slight complication," he said, taking over the conversation. "I'd be taking him to the hospital right now, if we weren't trapped."

"Trapped?" Morgana asked, presumably Arthur had stuck the call on speaker too. Leon winced again, this time because of the reality of his situation.

"In a bathroom," Leon mumbled. Arthur started laughing, and Leon sighed. Merlin shook his head.

"I'll hang up and call someone else if you're not going to offer help," Merlin informed them. Arthur calmed down.

"Text the address, we'll be there," Morgana said. Merlin did as he was told, and hung up.

"This is going to be fun," Merlin mumbled. Leon hummed, leaning into the side of the stall.

"Sorry," Leon said.

"Not your fault," Merlin said with a shrug.

Eventually the door was pushed open. Only after a lot of fighting, and presumably help from the staff. Morgana stepped in, and stared first at Merlin.

"You'll do," she said finally, nodding to him. Merlin rolled his eyes. "Arthur, help him get Leon up," she instructed.

Merlin and Arthur lifted Leon together, careful not to disturb his leg too much.

"Gaius is going to kill me," Merlin mumbled. Leon hummed in question. "He's a doctor, taught me a bunch of first aid. Can't remember a lick of it right now."

"Meeting your soulmate does that to you," Gwen said from the door. Leon hummed slightly in agreement. As they made their way out, it felt almost as if Merlin were hugging him. He wasn't, not really, just supporting his weight so they could get him to a car and then a hospital. But it was nice.