Wherever Merlin's fears were right then, that Zach would pick up on them like that was far from his mind. He tensed, feeling exposed and strangely afraid, as though to speak of it would be to bring it all back, to make himself an easy target.
He couldn't even deny what Zach had said by shaking his head, because then Zach was close against him, so close that it would have only taken a slight tilt in to kiss.
Merlin turned his head away and he felt like a coward even as he did. "No one." he said, and it was, in a way, the truth. In a physical way at least. "No one hurt me." Because he hadn't stuck around to give the guy a chance to, because he'd run and run and run. And then more words were coming out of his mouth, almost before he could stop them. "He didn't get the chance." It was more than he wanted to say, more than he'd told anyone, and he felt more stripped bare in that moment than he would had he been naked.