"Ah-" Merlin hesitated as he pulled up his trousers and tucked his shirt in, watching her cry. Was this still part of it? But then he was fairly sure he'd heard the safe word, so…
Crossing to the screen standing at the side of the room, he bypassed the filmy, translucent robe he normally reserved for Luna to wear, and went instead for his own warmer, fleecy dressing gown, and brought it back for Luna, draping it across her shoulders and tucking it around her. Then, cautiously, he sat down next to her and put an arm around her.
"Hey now," he said in a soothing way, stroking her back. "You're safe here."
Luna turned herself towards the warmth of him, pressing her face against his chest as she cried. She wanted to tell him sorry, but she couldn’t quite find the words for it, and she couldn’t quite pull herself back together.
But Merlin stroked her back and he told her she was safe, and Luna believed him. There had been so many times and places without safety, but she believed Merlin.
And maybe she was ruining whatever professional relationship they had by exposing herself like this, but she couldn’t find it in her to care. She was just glad to have someone’s arm around her while she broke down.
Eventually her crying died down and she made herself straighten right up and wipe her eyes. She took a few deep breaths and, looking ahead and not at him, she said, “I’m okay.” She could hear the tiredness in her own voice. “I’m okay.”
"Of course you are," he said quietly, rubbing her shoulder. Whatever she was going through, this boy misjudging her was only the straw that broke the camel's back. Coming to Merlin and requesting to be used and abused wasn't the regular thing she did.
Then again, she didn't normally have to murder somebody in order to escape torture. The whole event had taken a heavy toll, clearly.
"Trust me when I say everything that happens here is between us. You don't need to worry about betrayal from me." He watched her face carefully, trying to guess at her mental state.