Archive of Our Own ^beta

So this is how their story began:


Arthur showed up to his half-sister Morgana's flat with a bottle of very expensive wine in one arm and Sophia hanging off the other. Morgana greeted him with a big hug followed by a scowl once she spotted Arthur's date.


To say there was anomosity between the two women would be a huge understatement. They once had come to near blows when Sophia had had the nerve to criticize Morgana's choice of friends, whom she felt were way beneath her. What Sophia didn't realize was that Morgana was fiercely loyal to those she considered to be in her tight-knit circle of friends. So for Arthur to dare show up at her annual Christmas party with this witch on his arm was unfathomable, but, so as not to ruin the evening, Morgana stepped aside and allowed them to enter.


Morgana's flat had been exquistely decorated and was already bubbling with laughter as Arthur was the last to arrive. It had been 3 or 4 years since most of them have finished university and as he looked around, Arthur realized how much he had missed their mutual friends & seeing them on a regular basis. Being that Arthur & Morgana were only 16 months apart in age & had attended the same uni, they had many of the same friends. In attendance, Arthur was happy to see Leon (an architect), Percy (a personal trainer), Gwaine (a photographer), Lancelot (founder of a non-profit), Elyan (an accountant), Elena (working in advertising), & Gwen (a nurse). But where was Merlin, who Arthur hardly considered a friend, more of someone he had to tolerate when they were forced into close proximity of each other.

If Arthur was being honest with himself, he found the animosity Merlin always displayed toward him quite confusing. He had a face-splitting smile for everyone except Arthur, who always was on the receiving end of one of Merlin's scowls. He was so open & friendly with others but Arthur only got the cold shoulder. He wasn't sure what he had done to Merlin, nor did he particularly care. His impression of Merlin was that he was an idiot who had little fashion sense & was the unfortunate recipient of ears that stuck out too far, cheekbones that were too prominent & a body that looked like it belonged to some pre-pubescent boy that he was waiting to grow in to. And then there was the hair. Oh, that hair. Could it have been any more horrendous. It looked to Arthur as if he had taken lawn clippers & given himself a haircut. So far be it from him to care what Merlin's problem with him was.

Even though Arthur didn't know Merlin very well, he did know that Morgana had met him through her best friend Gwen. Gwen had known Merlin since their first day at uni when she stumbled across a group of rich arses teasing Merlin about his worn & thread-bare clothing & questioning how he even got into their school since he obviously was too poor to belong there. Once they had seen Gwen, they shoved Merlin out of their way (promising to be seeing him again soon) before Gwen got too close to see their faces. Merlin didn't take their threat too seriously though, since they most definately had been drinking, as evidenced by the smell of alcohol on their breath & the way they stumbled away.

Gwen had rushed over to Merlin but he assured her he was fine, that he didn't care what some bunch of spoiled, rich pricks thought of him. Little did they know how close to the truth their assumption was, because Merlin was indeed poor & had only been able to attend uni on scholarship. Gwen was also a scholarship student and that helped them form a close bond, which was still fully intact.


Morgana adored Merlin from the minute she met him. She found him warm, funny, very sweet & considerate, not to mention absolutely adorable. And Merlin felt the same toward Morgana. As she slowly introduced Merlin to others in their group of friends, they were all quite taken with Merlin. Then it was Arthur's turn to meet Merlin & Merlin recognized him at once, as Arthur was the leader of that bunch of bullies that had harassed him his first day of school. What was worse, Arthur acted as if he'd never seen Merlin before (which, in Arthur's defense, he indeed had no recollection of that day or of ever having met Merlin because he had consumed far too much alcohol to be healthy). Merlin didn't want to upset Morgana or Gwen so he didn't tell them what Arthur had done but did let them know that Arthur seemed to be a bit of a stuck-up asshole, which they both laughed at & agreed.


So Merlin formed close friendships with Gwaine, who was constantly flirting with him, but, he soon discovered, was mostly harmless. Then there was Lancelot, who was Gwen's boyfriend & had a heart of gold. Percy & Leon he enjoyed spending time with but had less in common with them since they spent a lot of time working out & were built like brick houses, whereas he was thin & kind of scrawny in comparison. Elyan was Gwen's brother & they got along quite well. And Elena was as clumsy as himself so they had that in common & he found her quite endearing.

In regards to Arthur, Merlin found him to be arrogant, condescending, bullish & he always talked down to Merlin as if Merlin was so much beneath him & he should consider it an honor that Arthur would even grace him with his presence. In a nutshell, Merlin though Arthur was a royal prat & wanted nothing to do with him.


What Arthur didn't know was all the hardships Merlin had been through in his short life. Merlin grew up without a father in near poverty, was constantly bullied & beaten up, and lost his mother to cancer before he started Uni so he was virtually alone in the world, except for his best friend Will. He had only been able to attend Uni because his outstanding grades had earned him that scholarship & he had had to supplement his living expenses by working two part time jobs, one as a barista and the other as a tutor.

Once Merlin had became immersed into Gwen & Morgana's lives, they soon discovered it was a perfect fit, Merlin was like the little brother they all wished they'd had & in return, Merlin found a family he so much longed for.

**********

Arthur was making his way around the room greeting his friends when the doorbell rang. In walked Merlin with a smile on his face that lit up the whole room. Arthur had to catch himself from staring as Merlin took his breath away. And where had that come from? Although he hadn't seen Merlin in a few years, he couldn't believe the transformation that stood before him. He thought Merlin looked strikingly handsome. His hair, though still a bit unruly, suited his sharp features perfectly as it curled around his adorably large ears. His cheeks were flushed pink, which Arthur assumed was caused by the chill outside. Merlin was dressed in a nice pair of jeans & button-down with a blue jumper overtop that brought out the blue of his eyes. And on Merlin's feet, as always, was a pair of worn Converse sneakers that had become his trademark. All in all, Arthur found him breath-taking.


Merlin greeted everyone with a warm smile & hug as he came in when, suddenly, he spotted Arthur across the room. He gave Arthur a tentative, barely perceivable smile & nod in acknowledgement before he turned back to the others. Then, out of seemingly nowhere, there was Sophia draping herself all over Arthur, much to his displeasure. The timing couldn't have been worse. When Arthur looked back up, it was to find Gwaine being entirely, in his opinion, too friendly & handsy with Merlin & he wanted to go over there & break Gwaine's arm the next time it went to grab for Merlin.


Just then, Morgana called everyone to the dining room to enjoy the delicious catered dinner she had organized. Merlin & Arthur were seated at complete opposite ends of the table so there was no chance to talk. After dinner, Merlin was amongst the first to leave because he had to be up early the next morning for a meeting with his boss. Unfortunately, Arthur happened to be in the loo when he left so he never did get a chance to talk with Merlin. Oh well, thought Arthur. It didn't matter anyway, what with him living & working in the States for the foreseeable future. Besides, what could he have hoped for anyhow, Merlin thought he was an ass.


Even though few would have suspected, Arthur was actually gay. That bit of information was a tightly held secret that few were privvy to. It wasn't so much that he was ashamed of who he was but more that he was afraid of what that relevation might mean if it was ever found out, especially by his father.


His father was Uther Pendragon, renowned businessman who ran a global corporation that was worth hundreds of millions. It had been drilled into Arthur's head for as long as he could remember that he would one day take over Pendragon Enterprises, as would his son after him.


Uther was a cold man who had little time for Arthur or Morgana when they were growing up. He was never around, always away on business trips so they were escentually raised by nannies. But they always had each other to rely on so they never felt alone. And they always had the best of everything that money could buy them.


So now Arthur maintained the appearance of an entirely heterosexual male & surrounded himself with beautiful women when a date was expected or required & nobody needed to know otherwise. At least, that's how it was when Arthur was back in London. It was a different story when he was in America because there, he wasn't constantly being scrutinized by his father. In the states, Arthur had dated men & had even been in relationships with a few of them but nothing serious & nothing that ever lasted long.


After the party was over & everyone had left & Arthur had put Sophia into a taxi, he went back up to Morgana's flat to help straighten up. Morgana was waiting with a drink in one hand & the other hand firmly planted on her hip. Arthur wished he'd have made his escape when everyone else did because he most definately wasn't in the mood for a lecture from Morgana right now. But here he was so there was no escaping it.


Morgana questioned what he was thinking bringing that woman into her home. Arthur merely shrugged, said he was sorry & slumped onto her sofa. Morgana knew full well that something was wrong but getting anything from Arthur was like pulling teeth so she plied him with several glasses of wine. Finally, Arthur confessed how difficult this charade he was playing was getting to be, that he wished he could be "out" & that he was tired of pretending to be someone he wasn't. Of course Morgana had known he was gay, she had known even before he admitted it to himself & she was always supportive of him. She also sympathized with him because she, too, knew what Uther was like & she very much did not want to be on the receiving end of one of his rants, to put it nicely.


But she was also intuitive enough to know that wasn't all that was bothering Arthur. He finally fessed up to having maybe, perhaps, possibly been attracted to Merlin when he saw him that evening. He knew that Merlin didn't think much of him but he was hoping he would have gotten a chance to speak with Merlin, maybe figure out what Merlin's problem with him was. What was the point though, he would be leaving two days after Christmas to return to the States & it was probably for the best to drop the whole matter. Morgana couldn't argue with that logic, afterall, how would that work, what with an entire ocean seperating Arthur & Merlin. Perhaps their timing was just off & who knew what the future would hold. Maybe the next time their paths crossed, things could be different.

**********

Arthur found himself back in London in late April to attend a friend's wedding. While back, he decided it would be the perfect opportunity to look for a new flat since his business in the States would be wrapped up by the end of summer & he'd finally be able to move back to England, much to his delight. As much as he enjoyed his independence from his father's constant scrutiny, he longed for that sense of "home" he got whenever he came back.


Morgana promised to help Arthur on his quest to find the perfect flat but bowed out at the last minute, claiming work obligations. She had arranged for one of their friends to accompany him but wasn't very forthcoming as to who would be going with him. Finally, Morgana told him that she had asked Merlin to help Arthur out since Merlin had the most flexible work schedule & knew the area Arthur was interested in. Merlin had reluctantly agreed and Arthur was both nervous & excited at the prospect of spending time with Merlin.


Bright and early Monday morning, Arthur & Merlin were to meet up at a small coffee shop close to Merlin & Gwen's flat. Merlin & Gwen had decided to share a flat once they graduated from uni & even though both could afford their own places by now, the pair discovered they enjoyed living together. Lately though, Gwen was spending more & more time at Lancelot's & Merlin knew that soon, Gwen would probably be moving in with him.


Arthur was the first to arrive, as he had a tendency to be obsessively punctual. He placed his order then proceeded to find a table near the window so he could watch out for Merlin. Just as Arthur was always on time, Merlin was perpetually late. So it was no surprise when Merlin came rushing in, 15 minutes late, completely in disarray, as if he'd run the 2 blocks from his flat in a full-out sprint.


Even as disheveled as Merlin looked, Arthur couldn't take his eyes off him. He was wearing well-worn jeans that threatened to fall off Merlin's hips at any minute along with a red hoodie that Arthur suspected he'd had since his early days at uni. Still, Arthur found him absolutely striking. Once Merlin spied Arthur, he hesitated for a minute before heading over to his table. Arthur stood up, shook Merlin's hand & thanked him for coming. Merlin gave him a hesitant smile which Arthur returned with a much broader smile. He was thrilled to finally be able to spend some time with Merlin & hoped Merlin would finally warm up to him.


As Merlin sat, Arthur took his order & went to the counter to retrieve him a large Caramel Macchiato, along with some pastries. Merlin hadn't taken his eyes off of Arthur & although Merlin looked at him in confusion, Arthur didn't seem to mind because Merlin was looking at him & that was all that mattered. When they were both situated, they were finally able to catch up with what was going on in each other's life. Arthur learned that Merlin was working as a free-lance writer which allowed him plenty of time to work on his novel. In turn, Merlin discovered that Arthur would be moving back in September & working with his father as a newly appointed VP of acquisitions (though Merlin wasn't sure what that entailed exactly).


Finally, Arthur broached the subject that had been weighing on him for some time. He needed to know why Merlin seemed to harbor such a dislike for him. When Merlin told him what had happened all the years ago back in uni, Arthur was mortified. And although he had no recollection of it, he was sure that Merlin's account was entirely accurate because Arthur could now readily admit that he was, in fact, a total douche bag back when he started school. He apologized profusely to Merlin & promised that he really had changed, that he wasn't the same prick he was back then. Merlin seemed to accept his apology & the tension that was always between them could be felt slipping away.


Nearly two hours later, they left the coffee shop & headed off to check out some flats. After viewing nearly half a dozen, Merlin complained that Arthur was entirely too picky & to stop being such a girl & just pick a place already. Arther got him in a headlock & when Merlin let out a squeal of surprise, Arthur asked who was being the girl now. After that, they continued their teasing but always in a good-natured way. The wall between them was slowly but surely coming down & it was obvious they were becoming very comfortable around each other, as if that was how it was meant to be.


Arthur was no closer to finding his next home & was all but ready to throw in the towel. In a final desperate attempt, Merlin directed Arthur toward a building that he was sure Arthur would like. It was posh & opulent & Merlin felt sure that it would be the perfect fit for Arthur. As they viewed the sprawling 3 bedroom, 2 bath flat, Arthur knew with all certainty that this was where he was meant to be. Arthur signed a lease immediately & felt a rush of relief wash over him. He was finally coming home.


As a thank you for all his help, Arthur offered to take Merlin out to dinner but unfortunately Merlin had made other plans so that was where they parted. Arthur was heading back to the States in a couple of days & Merlin had to get some writing done for an article that had to be submitted soon. Once again, timing was not on their side so they said their good-byes with a friendly one-armed hug & promised to meet back up once Arthur was back to stay.

Of course Arthur had to call Morgana the second Merlin was out of sight to thank her for arranging it so that Merlin would be the one helping him. He explained how they finally got a chance to hash out their issues & how they had gotten along better than he could have hoped. Morgana could hear the excitement in his voice & could tell that Arthur must be smiling like a loon.

**********

September finally rolled around & Arthur once again found himself back in London, except this time he knew he was home to stay. The move into his new flat couldn't have gone smoother. Since his new place had been empty for a few months before he was able to move in, Morgana had offered to furnish & decorate it so it would be ready for his arrival. Plus, she seemed to be under the impression that Arthur's taste was too sterile & cold & could definately use a woman's touch.

When he first opened the door, he was blown away. It was absolutely perfect, very warm & inviting. The more he looked around, the more he found to love. Then his eyes landed on the fireplace. Arthur was in awe when he saw the painting that was hung above it. It was spectacular, like nothing he had ever seen before. When he questioned Morgana as to it's origins, she told him that Merlin had painted it especially with Arthur in mind. Arthur was gobsmacked. Firstly, he didn't know Merlin painted, and, secondly, he couldn't believe he would take the time to paint something so beautiful for Arthur. He was beyond touched.


Morgana had been very thorough in preparing his flat, even taken the time to stock his kitchen. Was it any reason he loved her so much. All that was left for Arthur to do was move in his clothes & he was done. Now that that was finished, arrangements were made to get the whole gang together for a pub night, as a sort of "welcome back Arthur".


That Friday night, Morgana, Leon, Gwaine, Percy, Lancelot, Gwen, Elena, Elyan & Merlin met up at The Dragon's Call, a local pub, to officially welcome Arthur home. Arthur couldn't have been happier & as he made his way from friend to friend, he was delighted by the prospects of once again immersing himself in the lives of this group of mates that meant so much to him.

When he spotted Merlin, he couldn't hide the grin breaking across his face. He immediately grabbed him into a big hug, as he thanked him profusely for the wonderful housewarming gift. Merlin was delighted he liked it so much, as he didn't really know Arthur's style. They continued chatting & bantering back & forth until Gwaine came over & ushered Merlin away to the bar to help with the next round.


As the evening progressed, Arthur couldn't help but notice how Merlin's demeanor changed, though he doubted anyone else was paying close enough attention to detect it. He seemed to be squinting, even though the pub was dimly lit & he was rubbing at his eyes as if to clear his vision. When he approached Merlin to see if he was feeling ok, Merlin simply shrugged him off, claiming he was just feeling a little buzzed from all the alcohol. Arthur let it drop & ordered the next round for the group. Nobody, including Arthur, noticed when Merlin slipped out a while later, Arthur deep in footie conversation with Leon, Percy & Elyan, while the rest were scattered around the pub playing darts or shooting pool. It was nearly 2 in the morning before they called it a night, heading off to their respective dwellings.


In the morning, his world would not stop spinning & Arthur was sure death would take him at any minute or at least that's what he was hoping. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been this hung over. And what was that taste in his mouth? So the only logical option Arthur had was to bury his head in his pillows & burrow deeper into his blankets & hibernate until the simple act of opening his eyes didn't cause excrutiating pain.


It was nearly 2 in the afternoon when Arthur deemed himself well enough to leave the confines of his bed. As he made his way to the kitchen for some much needed food, he retrieved his mobile & noticed he had several missed calls from Morgana, Leon & Lancelot.


There was also a text from Merlin: Just checkin in 2 make sure u survived. hope u rn't 2 hungover :o

Arthur texted back: never better, thnx 4 askin Mate. where'd u disappear 2 last nite? There was no response.

**********

Arthur's new job as VP at Pendragon Enterprises kept him extremely busy for the next couple of weeks as he tried to get up to speed with the inner workings of the company & meeting his co-workers. He was assigned a temporary PA by the name of Vivian. What could he say about Vivian? Aside from her looks, there was very little about her that Arthur liked. In fact, he was barely able to tolerate her as she made it a point to constantly & blatantly flirt with him, regardless of who was around. As the days progressed, it was almost comical to notice how her wardrobe changed, with her skirts getting shorter & her tops getting tighter & even lower cut to the point of bordering on obscene and most definately not appropriate for a work environment.

Arthur pleaded with Morgana to help him find a new assistant asap. He wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to put up with Vivian's antics. Morgana promised to do her best & would try finding him somebody by month's end.


Unbeknownst to Arthur, Morgana already had the perfect candidate in mind, a close friend by the name of Mithian, who had just recently moved to London & would be perfect for the job. Once Arthur met her, he knew she was exactly what he was looking for & hired her on the spot. One less headache for Arthur to worry about. He wasted no time in giving Vivian her walking papers & Mithian was to start as soon as she was able to.

Mithian started on the first Monday in October & Arthur knew right away that this was going to be a perfect fit. Even though Arthur barely knew her, they quickly developed a comfortable repore with one another & it wasn't long before Arthur found himself confiding in her about his sexual orientation. She didn't even bat an eye. She did offer to set him up with her brother though, if Arthur was interested.


Arthur politely declined, as he explained to her how he was interested in someone but was going to take things slowly & wanted to develop a strong friendship first. When she questioned him about who had caught his eye, Arthur was surprised by himself when he told her it was Morgana's friend Merlin. Although Mithian didn't personally know Merlin, she knew of Merlin as Morgana had spoken so often & fondly of him. Arthur promised Mithian to secrecy since nobody at the company other than Morgana knew he was gay & that was something he didn't want exposed just yet.

**********

Life continued on, Arthur & the gang meeting up often to catch up with each other. Arthur ended up joining Leon's pub footie team, with Lance, Gwaine & Percy. Elyan had injured his knees years ago so he didn't play anymore & Merlin wasn't really into sports, given that it was all he could do to walk a straight line without tripping. Most Sunday afternoons, they could all be found in the local park around the soccer pitch, either playing or cheering on their team. More often than not, that was followed by pints at their local.


October quickly slipped into November which quickly gave way to December & before he knew it, it was once again time for Morgana's annual holiday party. This year, Arthur decided he'd go stag, no longer wanting to pretend he was something that he wasn't. Once they had all gathered around Morgana's dining table, Arthur tapped his wine glass with his knife to get everyone's attention. With all eyes on him, Arthur cleared his throat & told his friends that he was gay. As he looked around the table, Arthur couldn't help but notice more than a few smirks. Apparently he wasn't as good at hiding his secret as he had thought, since most of them either knew or had suspected anyway. Of course, leave it to Gwaine to be completely inappropriate, as he leaned across the table & locked lips with Arthur, catching him totally off-guard. As Arthur sputtered, everyone else broke out into laughter & just like that, everything was back to normal. Merlin, seated beside Arthur, reached his hand over to Arthur's knee & gave him a reassuring squeeze & the warmest smile Arthur could ever remember seeing. He knew he'd be seeing that smile in his dreams for weeks to come.

**********

Arthur was wracking his brain for something to do for Merlin as a way of saying thanks for the beautiful painting Merlin had done for him. He & Mithian had put their heads together & decided that Arthur's best course of action would be to invite Merlin out to dinner as a thank you & perhaps he could then get an idea if his feelings for Merlin were in any way reciprocated. Once the invitation was extended & Merlin eagerly accepted, Arthur found it nearly impossible to concentrate so, with prodding from his PA, he called it a day & headed home a full 2 hours earlier than his normal quitting time.


Arthur decided on a short nap followed by a long, hot shower then proceeded to scrutinize his wardrobe for an outfit that accentuated what he felt were his best assets without looking like he was trying too hard. After having tried on nearly everything in his wardrobe & still unable to decide, he buckled & called Morgana. Of course Morgana knew exactly what was in Arthur's closet since she had helped organize it when he moved. She also knew what would look best on him so she was able to advise him & he was dressed & ready to go a brief 10 minutes later.


Arthur & Merlin had agreed they'd meet at the restaurant, The Albion, since it would be easier given that Merlin would be coming from a meeting with his editor. They arrived within 5 minutes of each other which was really quite remarkable given Merlin's track record on tardiness. Once seated & having placed their order, they fell into easy conversation & all was going better than Arthur could have hoped for. As Merlin was reaching across the table for his wine glass, his hand brushed Arthur's & Arthur could swear he felt a jolt of electricity run through his body. Merlin must have felt it too, Arthur was sure, because he just stared into Arthur's eyes only to be distracted when the waiter returned with their desserts. As they finished up with their meals, the atmosphere between them seemed to have shifted & Arthur wasn't sure what to make of it. Did he dare get his hopes up?


After Arthur paid the bill & they were heading out, Merlin suddenly looked faint & sweat started beading on his upper lip. As he swayed ever so slightly, Arthur steadied him with an arm around his waist & helped him out into the chilly night air, hoping some fresh air would help. It did a little & color started to return to Merlin's cheeks though only slightly.


Arthur noticed that Merlin was squinting his eyes rubbing at his temples. Merlin claimed it was just a bad headache, brought on, he was sure, by stress & his constant staring at his computer screen as he was completing his articles for work & writing his novel. Though Arthur was most definately concerned, Merlin assured him he'd be fine after a good night's sleep.


Arthur walked Merlin back to his flat being that they lived within a few blocks of each other & once there, left Merlin in Gwen's capable hands, being that she was a nurse & promised to take good care of him. Arthur grudgingly left although he would have preferred to stay & sit with Merlin until the pain in his head subsided but upon Gwen's urging, he headed out, not before placing a good night kiss to Merlin's temple & a promise to check up with him in the morning to see how he was feeling. The next morning, Arthur woke to find a text from Merlin thanking him for the lovely dinner, assuring him that he was feeling fine now & apologizing for the way the evening had ended. Arthur was relieved to know Merlin was back to normal.

**********

Although Arthur & Merlin's limited interactions thus far hadn't provided the outcome he was wishing for, Arthur refused to give up hope. He was certain, given time, that he & Merlin could move past their "mates" status & onto something more meaningful.


February rolled around & Arthur found himself meeting up with Merlin as often as possible, sometimes for dinner or a movie or drinks at The Dragon's Call. And although Merlin seemed content keeping their relationship as it was, Arthur had had enough & had decided it was time to lay his cards on the table. He took Merlin to dinner, followed by a movie both had been wanting to see. During the film, Arthur bucked up the courage to reach out & wrap his hand around Merlin's, fully expecting Merlin to pull away but was delighted when Merlin simply squeezed back & Arthur was sure he caught a smile on Merlin's face when he dared glance over at him.


When they left the theatre, hands still intertwined, Arthur felt sure he looked like a lunatic with such a wide smile plastered on his face. As they walked towards a nearby park & found a bench to enjoy the unseasonably mild weather, Arthur turned to Merlin & confessed his feelings for him, how he had been crushing on him for a long while & was hoping they could start dating like a real couple. Merlin looked at him with confusion written all over his face because, although he may have hoped, he was sure Arthur only saw him as a friend. But soon his face broke out into a huge smile that reached his eyes & lit up his face. He leaned in to kiss Arthur who readily reciprocated & although the kiss remained somewhat chaste, Arthur thought it was the most perfect kiss he had ever experienced.


They sat there with Arthur's arm slung around Merlin's shoulder & Merlin's head resting against Arthur's for what seemed like hours, content with just being together & both realized there was no where else they'd rather be at that moment.


When they finally decided it was time to call it a night, once again Arthur took note of a pained grimace spreading across Merlin's face. And once again, Merlin did his best to assure him that he was fine, nothing that a few aspirin couldn't cure. Arthur couldn't help but to be worried by the frequency with which Merlin's headaches seemed to plague him but he let the subject drop upon Merlin's insistence. As they headed home, Arthur wrapped his arm around Merlin's lower back & waist to keep him close & as he felt Merlin's weight leaning against him, he realized that nothing in his life had ever felt more perfect than this right now.


When they arrived back at Merlin's shared flat, Arthur & Merlin together decided it was best that they take things slow & not rush into anything. They didn't want to ruin what had only just started & figured they had all the time in the world for their relationship to progress & grow. So with a kiss good night, Arthur headed out.


Arthur called Morgana once he was back in his flat, letting her know how his date went. When he told her about Merlin's headaches, Morgana was clearly concerned, as she too had noticed something a bit off with Merlin lately but she tried to reassure Arthur that he'd be fine, just overworked & under stress. With that, they ended their call.


Morgana texted Gwen once she finished her call with Arthur to find out if she knew anything about Merlin. She didn't dare call because she didn't want Merlin to overhear their conversation. Gwen texted back that she was also worried about Merlin & was going to try & convince him to see a doctor. Gwen promised to keep Morgana updated.

**********

Merlin hadn't mentioned to Arthur that on top of the headaches, his vision had begun to blur, he was having problems keeping food down & his balance seemed to be more off than usual. Gwen had her suspicions as to what may be wrong with Merlin & was extremely worried but she kept her thoughts to herself. Being that she worked at the local hospital, she made arrangements for Merlin to see Dr Gaius, known to be the best in the area.

It was several weeks later that Merlin decided to take Gwen's advice & make a doctor's appointment. 
Merlin's initial visit with Dr Gaius proved to be more involved than he had anticipated. Whether in denial or overly optimistic, Merlin had simply assumed that Dr Gaius would prescribe him some medicine then send him on his way & that would be that. But when the doctor ordered him to immediately undergo a series of tests, including x-rays & CT scans, Merlin suspected this may be more serious than he had hoped.

**********

With help from Mithian, Arthur had planned a romantic date for himself & Merlin to celebrate their two month anniversary but Merlin had to cancel last minute, telling Arthur that he had a late meeting for work & was under a tight deadline for an upcoming story he had been assigned. Arthur was barely able to contain his disappointment but he knew he needed to be supportive of Merlin & assured him that they could just reschedule for a later date.


Truth was, though, that Merlin had lied to Arthur, that the true reason he had cancelled was because he could barely make it out of bed, the pain in his head, dizziness & nausea making him utterly miserable. Gwen did her best to comfort him & soon Merlin was able to fall into a restless sleep.


Gwen questioned Merlin the next morning as to why he didn't just tell Arthur what was really going on but Merlin explained to her that he didn't want to unnecessarily worry him until he knew what was wrong with him. Dr Gaius assured Merlin that he should be getting the test results back within the next few days & then he would figure out what to do.


Arthur couldn't help but notice that something had been off with Merlin but when he questioned Merlin about it, he hit a brick wall. Merlin clammed up, claiming nothing was wrong with him & quickly changed the subject. After too many of these aborted conversations, Arthur decided to approach Gwen with his concerns. As much as she wanted to, Gwen knew that she couldn't divulge what she suspected was wrong with Merlin. If Merlin wanted Arthur to know, he'd have to be the one to tell him.

**********

It wasn't long after Merlin's missed date with Arthur that Merlin got the call he was dreading from Dr Gaius' office. His test results were in & he had asked Gwen to come along to offer emotional support. The news that Merlin was suffering from a brain tumor hit Merlin like a punch to the gut, but that it was also cancerous was beyond comprehension. Even though he had begun to suspect it may be something serious, he still hadn't prepared himself for this diagnosis. Dr Gaius continued speaking but Merlin had tuned out, leaving Gwen to figure out their next move.


Gwen had texted Morgana the news & asked her to meet them back at their flat where Gwen got Merlin settled in with a steaming cup of tea. They sat with him on the sofa, trying their best to reassure him that he would beat this & everything would be just fine. Merlin wished he could be so sure. He felt numb all over. What was he going to do? He did know one thing for sure...there was no way he was going to burden any of them.


Merlin knew the fight he was in for. He had seen his mother battle cancer & seen the tole it had taken on her, not to mention how helpless he had felt knowing there was nothing he could do for her as he watched her die. He knew that that was not anything he was going to put his friends, especially Arthur, through. No, this was a battle he would wage on his own.

**********

Arthur was missing Merlin but every time he tried to make a date with him, he had one excuse after another as to why he wouldn't be able to make it. Arthur was seriously concerned that Merlin seemed to want nothing to do with him. He questioned Morgana to see if she knew anything, but she claimed not to know anything. Arthur knew she was hiding something from him but if she didn't want to tell him, there was no way of getting it out of her. Morgana hated lying to Arthur but Merlin had sworn her to secrecy. Morgana tried telling Merlin that they'd all be there for him but he had made up his mind & she had to respect his decision. If Merlin wanted Arthur to know, he'd tell him.

**********

Not long after Merlin's diagnosis, Merlin, Morgana, Gwen & Dr Gaius sat down to discuss possible treatment options that were most likely to yield the best possible results. It was decided that Merlin's best option would be to travel to Ireland where Dr Gaius had a friend, Dr Kilgharrah, who was doing break-through research in cancer treatment. Arrangements were made, and as luck would have it, Will (Merlin's best friend from childhood) had recently moved to a small town, Ealdor, not far outside of Dublin, so Merlin could stay with him when not in hospital. Now all that seemed left to do was to deal with Arthur.

**********


Arthur was going stir-crazy wondering what was going on with Merlin. His calls & texts were going unanswered & when he stopped by their flat, nobody came to the door. Finally, after multiple attempts at contacting him, Arthur got a much-dreaded call from Merlin. Merlin told him that although he cared for him greatly, he just wasn't ready for any kind of serious relationship right now & that it would be best if they didn't see each other anymore. He told Arthur he was very sorry & with that, the line went dead. Arthur stood in his flat staring at his mobile, thinking that this was some kind of bad dream that he so very much wanted to wake up from but realized that wasn't to be.


Once Merlin hung up on Arthur, he collapsed to his knees. Luckily Gwen was there to help him onto the sofa. His condition was getting worse & he barely left his bed anymore so when he ended his conversation with Arthur, Gwen knew it had taken it all out of him. He was exhausted & heart-broken & felt utterly defeated. Even through Gwen's always upbeat pep-talk, Merlin couldn't bring himself to care. He felt like his world was falling apart & he was losing everything.

**********


Merlin's relocation to Ireland was done quickly with the help of Morgana, Gwen & Will. Merlin didn't want the rest of their friends to know, not wanting to worry them or be a bother to anyone. He instructed Gwen & Morgana to tell them that he just needed a change of scenery & wanted to get away for a while so he was going to visit with his childhood friend Will. Merlin wanted to be sure the girls told the rest of their gang how much he'd miss them all & that their love & friendship meant everything to him.


Gwen was more than distraught by Merlin's absence. She was so worried about him & missed him dearly. Lancelot had grown exceedingly close to Merlin also, as he spent a great deal of time at their shared flat once he & Gwen started dating. He knew something more was going on with Merlin but neither were saying. Once Merlin moved out, Gwen broke down & confided in Lancelot what was really going on with Merlin. He, like Gwen, was devastated. He only wished Merlin had let him in so he could have helped but he also understood Merlin's need to not feel like a burden on those close to him so he promised Gwen not to tell anyone about Merlin's cancer, as much as it pained him.


At their friends' usual get-together for pub night, Merlin was once more absent, as he had been for the last several weeks. Gwen broke the news to everyone that Merlin had gone to Ireland to stay for a while & that he would be in touch with everyone soon.


All heads turned to Arthur, as they all knew Arthur & Merlin had been dating but had recently split up. Arthur barely acknowledged what Gwen was saying, excusing himself to the bar. As hard as he tried to put on a mask of indifference, Gwen & Morgana saw right through it. Their hearts ached for Arthur but they couldn't be the ones to tell him the real reason for Merlin's departure.


Arthur had become so accustomed to hiding his true feelings over the years that it was no trouble showing little reaction to Merlin's leaving. Arthur shrugged off Morgana's attempt to comfort him, telling her it didn't matter to him what Merlin did or didn't do. Gwaine, Percy & Leon offered to buy him drinks but Arthur simply excused himself, claiming he was tired & was heading home.

**********

Merlin settled into the spare room of Will's quaint little cottage in the middle of Ealdor, not too far from Dublin. He knew he wouldn't be spending much time with Will in the immediate future as treatments were to begin the following morning but he was hoping to return to recuperate & wait for the results of the treatment. It felt good to be back in Will's company, he hadn't realized how much he missed him & how much he reminded him of home.


First thing Monday morning, Will drove Merlin to hospital in Dublin where he was scheduled to meet with Dr Kilgharrah. Dr Gaius had faxed all of Merlin's medical records over ahead of time so Dr Kilgharrah was well versed in Merlin's case. The plan was to admit Merlin into hospital that morning, run some additional tests & then begin chemo the following day. They then would assess him to determine if additonal treatment would be required or if surgery would be needed.


Merlin was anxious to get the ball rolling. He had been feeling poorly for several months now & just wanted to get his life back. He took a few days after his phone call with Arthur to feel sorry for himself but now he was ready to fight this with all that he had. He wasn't going to roll over & die if he had anything to say about it. Dr Gaius had told Merlin that he needed to go into this with a positive attitude, & although he was scared, he was also determined.

**********


Arthur felt like his life was falling apart & he needed to get out of this rut he'd been in ever since Merlin dumped him. It had been a few weeks & still he was depressed, confused & utterly at a loss as to what to do with himself. Even though he & Merlin had only been officially dating for a few months, they had spent a great deal of time in each other's company over the last several months, be it alone or in a group & Arthur was feeling Merlin's absence profusely.


Morgana knew Arthur was having a difficult time adjusting but she became really worried when Mithian had confided in her that Arthur's work had started to suffer. At first he had thrown himself into work, but lately he had been leaving early & coming in late & she was really worried about him. Morgana assured Mithian that Arthur would be fine & back to his old self in no time, though she wasn't sure how convinced either of them were of that.


Morgana soon discovered what was behind Arthur's lack of commitment to work. He had started hanging out & partying til all hours of the night with Cenred & Valiant. Morgana knew both of them & knew they were nothing but trouble. Those were the last people Arthur needed to be associating with right now. Nothing good could come of it.


Gwaine, Percy, Elyan, Elena & Leon started to get really concerned that, after several weeks, they still hadn't heard from Merlin & Merlin had yet to return to London. With much pushing & prodding, Morgana, Lancelot & Gwen finally told them what was really behind Merlin's disappearance. Though they were hurt that Merlin hadn't confided in them, they also knew Merlin's selfless nature & knew the last thing he would want was for any of them to worry. Since Arthur seldom crossed paths with any of them as of late, they assured their friends that Merlin's secret was safe with them. They knew Merlin well enough to know that Merlin wouldn't want what he would perceive as Arthur's pity.


**********


Leon & Gwaine caught site of Arthur late one Friday night inside a dance club. They had seen very little of Arthur since Gwen's announcement of Merlin's unexpected departure to Ireland. What they saw sickened them. Arthur, accompanied by Cenred & Valiant, was surrounded by a couple of slutty-looking blond women hanging all over him. The boys tried getting Arthur's attention but to no avail. It certainly appeared to them that Arthur had moved on from Merlin.


It was a week or so later when Gwaine & Percy happened upon Arthur in much the same position, except this time he had his hands all over some blond twink. When they approached him, he gave them a wide smile & offered to introduce them to his new friends, which they immediately declined.


Gwaine asked him what the hell he thought he was doing & Arthur looked completely taken aback. What he was doing was trying to have a good time, wasn't that obvious! But Arthur knew what Gwaine was getting at because he knew how protective Gwaine was of Merlin.


Arthur loudly informed Gwaine & Percy that he was over Merlin & that he had been ready to dump his sorry ass anyhow. With that, Gwaine lunged at Arthur, held back only by Percy's strong arms. Percy pulled Gwaine out of the club, Gwaine cursing Arthur the entire way. Arthur simply shrugged & went back to where he had left off.


Not two weeks later, Percy, Leon & Gwaine spotted Arthur out at the Dragon's Call. They were shocked, to say the least, as they watched Arthur saunter up to some dark haired slag, whisper something in her ear & head for the back of the pub, where it wasn't as loud or as crowded.


Nobody noticed when Mordred, one of the bartenders, trailed behind. He had seen Arthur out with Merlin on many occasions so he was very surprised to see Arthur with somebody else heading to the back of the pub.


Not long after Arthur showed his random pick-up to a booth did she find her way into Arthur's lap & they began making quite a spectical of themselves. Mordred couldn't let the opportunity slip by so he pulled out his phone & started snapping photos.

Little did anyone know that Mordred had been crushing on Merlin for several months now & this seemed the perfect opportunity to out Merlin's boyfriend for the cheating liar that he was. Although Merlin was always polite & friendly to Mordred, Mordred wanted & hoped that some day they could be more. He couldn't wait to get home to download the explicit photos of Arthur onto his computer, to be used at the most opportune time to turn Merlin against Arthur & hopefully push him straight into Mordred's arms.


Enough was enough. Gwaine pulled Percy & Leon with him to the back of the club where Arthur had disappeared to. The scene they walked into both shocked & disgusted them. Arthur's hands were all over that slag & there was no telling where her hands were.


Gwaine stormed over, grabbed Arthur by the arm & yanked him from the booth, causing the hussy to fall back against the seat. Arthur's look of surprise & outrage would have been comical in any other situation, but this was most definately not one of them. Arthur started screaming in Gwaine's face & Gwaine cocked his arm back & swung, knocking Arthur off his feet before storming out. Leon & Percy helped Arthur up, then escorted him out of the club before sending him home in a cab, telling him to sleep it off.


Arthur awoke the next morning hung over & sore all over. Oh shit, what had he done! As his mind cleared & the details of the previous night became more in focus, he felt sick & disgusted with himself. All he wanted to do was stand under a hot shower to wash away the shame.

**********


Arthur was having a wretched week at work, missing several deadlines & getting into arguments with his father on more than one occasion. He had had enough & decided he needed a break so he headed to The Dragon's Call after work for a pint to help him relax. Mordred was serving him & when he asked about Merlin, Arthur nearly exploded. Merlin was the last thing he wanted to think about right now.


He was more than a few cups in when he spotted a bloke that from the back, did look vaguely like Merlin. As he approached, he soon realized the eye color was all wrong, his face was more rounded & his lips weren't nearly as full. But then he cursed himself for even thinking about Merlin when Merlin was so obviously through with him. When they made eye contact, Arthur recognized him as a player from one of the other teams in his footie league. They made small talk & before he knew it, they were back by the pool tables snogging like hormonally charged teenagers. And yet again, Mordred, being the stalker that he was, had followed & once more captured Arthur's antics on his phone.


It was at this time when Lancelot, Gwen, Leon, Morgana, Gwaine & Percy showed up. They got their drinks & were heading back to shoot a round of pool when they all stopped in unison. There was Arthur, who had some bloke shoved up against the pool table in what was definately not a behavior appropriate for public viewing. Gwen was livid & stormed out, while Morgana just stood there. Leon & Gwaine hurried over to Arthur to break up their ellicit performance, followed closely by Lancelot & Percy.


Once Arthur & his partner were seperated, Lancelot grabbed Arthur around the neck, shoving him against the wall as hard as he could. He was mere inches from Arthur's face, slamming his head back, calling him an egotistical, disgusting prick & letting him know that he never deserved Merlin in the first place.


When Arthur screamed that it was Merlin who dumped him & that he no longer cared, Lancelot told him how selfish he was, that he had no idea what was really going on & that the world, regardless of what Arthur thought, did not in fact revolve around him. With that, Lancelot gave him one final shove & left. Morgana walked up to Arthur then, looked him straight in the eyes & slapped him with all her might. The slap sent him reeling. As she walked off, Arthur heard her say that Merlin was always too good for him anyway.


It wasn't until later when he had time to cool down & sober up that Arthur thought, really thought, about what the others had said. What did Lancelot mean by not knowing what was really going on? What could be going on? As far as he knew, Merlin was done with him & left. Could there have been more to it than that? Arthur had always suspected Merlin was keeping something from him but could never get Merlin to open up. Maybe it was time Arthur stopped feeling sorry for himself & get to the bottom of this. It was time he finally admitted to himself how much he missed & needed Merlin & fight to get him back.

**********


Merlin had been receiving chemo treatments for weeks now & it was really taking it's tole on him. He had lost so much weight, what with being unable to keep anything down. He suffered constant nausea and was exhausted all the time & to make matters worse, his hair was beginning to fall out in clumps. Life pretty much sucked at this point in time but Merlin felt certain that things could only improve from here, right?


Merlin decided to take matters into his own hands & had his head shaved. Merlin cursed his now bald head, as it only accentuated just how big his ears really were. Fortunately Will had brought several beanies to hospital for Merlin to cover his bare scalp so Merlin was able to hide his ears as best he could.


Gwen finally was able to convince Merlin to let her come visit him, as he had insisted she stay away while he was receiving treatment. He didn't want Gwen or anyone for that matter to see him at his weakest. Will visited almost daily, as Merlin was unable to stop him. Will had no idea how much his visits meant to Merlin though, as they were the only bright spots of his stay in hospital, what with Will reliving their childhood antics & always telling crazy stories of what he'd been up to since they'd last seen each other.


When Gwen arrived at the hospital where Merlin was a patient, her stomach dropped. Working in a hospital herself, she knew what she might encounter but she was having trouble mentally preparing herself to see Merlin in such a vulnerable state. Arriving at Merlin's door, she immediately heard the sound of vomiting coming from inside & knew instantly it must be Merlin's reaction to his latest treatment. Her heart was breaking & she was fighting to keep her tears at bay. She waited a few minutes until the noises had stopped then gently knocked on the door. Merlin voiced a request to come in as best he could but his throat still felt raw from his recent bout with nausea.


Gwen slowly pushed open Merlin's door to find him lying down in bed with a cold cloth draped over his forehead, eyes closed. As Gwen approached, he struggled to turn his head & open his eyes. Immediately upon spotting Gwen, a smile crossed his lips & he tried sitting up, which was a really bad idea since the nausea had yet to pass. Gwen was quickly at his side, gently placing a hand on his shoulder & guiding him back down onto the bed, coaxing him to close his eyes & get some rest. She assured him she'd be there when he woke up.


Hours passed before Merlin began stirring. Gwen had a chair pulled up next to his bed & was holding & gently stroking his hand. When their eyes met, the mutual love & friendship they shared was evident. The hug Gwen gave Merlin was crushing but he would never complain because it was exactly what he needed right then, reminding him just how much he missed her & all his other friends.


When they parted, Merlin could see the concern & worry on Gwen's face & hated that he was responsible for that. After Gwen got an update on how Merlin's treatments were progressing, they moved on to more pleasant topics of conversation. Gwen updated him on how all their friends were doing & what they had all been up to. Merlin told her how Will would visit nearly every day which was a relief to Gwen because she hated to think of him going through this alone.


It was inevitable that the conversation would eventually steer toward Arthur. When Merlin had inquired how he was doing, Gwen started fidgetting & didn't know how to respond. Well, this didn't bode well Merlin was sure. Gwen tried being vague, informing Merlin that she had seen very little of him since Merlin left. Merlin could tell she was hiding something from him & he needed to know what it was.


Gwen finally caved after much persuading, letting Merlin know that she had seen Arthur with another man. To say Merlin was devastated would be an understatement but he did his best to hide his heartbreak. He did break up with Arthur after all so he really didn't have the right to be jealous & hurt. Arthur was free to do as he pleased & he didn't need to answer to anyone. It still did hurt though.


It was getting late in the evening by now so Gwen, after making sure Merlin was alright, headed to Will's after promising Merlin that she'd be back in the morning. He asked if she could bring his laptop with her because he had left it with Will since he had been so sick & unable to focus. He wanted to check his emails & try working on his novel as his health permitted.


Gwen arrived late morning the following day, carrying Merlin's laptop along with a bag of snacks that she hoped he'd be able to keep down. Once they made small talk, he booted up his computer. He scanned through his emails, finding dozens from Morgana, Gwaine, Leon, Lancelot & Elena. Even Percy emailed, which was saying something because he was most definately the least proficient when it came to computers. What he didn't find was any corresponse from Arthur. He didn't know what he expected, just wishful thinking on his part.


It was late in the day when Gwen suggested they take a stroll around the hospital gardens. Merlin had ventured out on a few occasions but was mostly confined to his room & the surrounding hallways. It had been sunny all day & the heat of the day still lingered so it was decided it would be alright for Merlin to go outside without becoming too chilled. As Gwen pushed his wheelchair, the fresh air seemed to do him a world of good & his mood had improved greatly by the time she left for the night.

This pattern continued for several more days, Gwen spending hours with Merlin, cheering him up & getting him up & about. She would stay until after dinner which Will joined in on more than not, then they'd head back to Will's for the night. Some days were better than others. Though Merlin was still receiving chemo, the symptoms did seem to be lessening somewhat but he was still having trouble keeping food down.


It was a few days later when Gwen came into his room & found Merlin staring at his laptop with tear tracks running down his face. As she approached, she instantly froze when she saw what was on the screen. There, staring Merlin in the face were the pictures that Mordred had taken of Arthur with his tongue down some woman's throat along with photos of him with a man sprawled across a pool table.


Gwen was utterly mortified. Never did she want Merlin to hurt like she knew he must be. As if he didn't have enough to deal with already, he now had those images of Arthur to contend with. Merlin simply wiped his face, closed his laptop & gave her a half-hearted smile. He tried his best to convince her he was fine & that Arthur had done nothing wrong but she saw through him instantly. Merlin gave her a look that she knew meant he didn't want to talk about it & that was that. Nothing else was mentioned.


A week after Gwen's arrival, it was time for her to head back to London. She needed to get back to work but hated leaving Merlin behind more than anything. She so wanted to bring him back with her & nurse him back to health but knew that he was in capable hands & receiving the best possible treatment for his condition.

After many tears were shed & Will assuring Gwen that he was there for Merlin, she gave him one last hug before heading out. She promised Merlin she'd be back as soon as she could & that if he needed anything, all he needed to do was call. Before she left, Merlin made her promise not to be too hard on Arthur, as he was free to do as he pleased, he owed Merlin no explanation. Even though she didn't understand how Merlin could be so forgiving, she did agree to abide by Merlin's wishes & with that, she was off.


**********

Arthur spent the next few weeks getting a cold shoulder from both Lancelot & Morgana. Had Gwen been around, he was sure her treatment toward him would have been much the same. Leon, Gwaine, Elyan, Percy & Elena were not happy with him but they also understood his need to try to move on from Merlin, even though the way he went about it was all wrong. It was a while before he felt comfortable around them again, as he was both embarassed & ashamed of his actions, but soon, things fell back into a somewhat normal routine. Merlin's name was seldom mentioned when he was around though.


Morgana was next on Arthur's list of ammendments to make because he knew she harbored resentment toward him for having acted as poorly as he had. At first she wanted nothing to do with him but Arthur looked so broken that she relented & agreed to hear him out.


He confessed to her how much he missed Merlin & that he'd do anything to get him back. At the same time he felt it was a losing battle because he didn't even know where in Ireland Merlin had moved to. Morgana suggested he make contact with Lancelot & Gwen because she knew for a fact that Gwen had just returned from a week's vacation spent with Merlin.


As Gwen was still doing a spectacular job of ignoring Arthur, Lancelot was his next stop. He cornered him at the pub one Friday night & after apologizing profusely, asked him what he had meant when he said that Arthur had no idea what was really going on with Merlin. Lancelot refused to say, only telling Arthur it wasn't his place to say anything & that maybe he needed to talk to Gwen. Lancelot could see the pain on Arthur's face & told him he'd try to get Gwen to agree to meet with him but couldn't promise anything because Gwen was furious with him.


It was a week later before Gwen finally agreed to see Arthur. It was instantly clear that Arthur was remorseful & ashamed simply by looking at him. He had deep shadows under his eyes, as if he hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in days. He also looked thinner than she remembered.


When they made eye contact, Gwen knew, truly knew, that Arthur was sorry & missing Merlin more than she could have guessed. The boys had a bond that was undeniable & Gwen knew that he needed Merlin as much as Merlin needed him. But she also knew she had promised not to tell Arthur what was really going on with him, knowing Merlin would not want his pity, or anyone elses for that matter.


Arthur pleaded with Gwen for information regarding Merlin. He knew that something must be going on, otherwise she wouldn't have been so mad at him. When Gwen questioned why Arthur had never tried phoning or emailing Merlin, his only excuse was that he was angry with Merlin for dumping him like he had & that he knew making a clean break was his only chance of getting over him, which clearly hadn't worked.


Merlin had confided in Gwen & she knew she couldn't break that trust by telling Arthur what he wanted to know. But she thought that if maybe she nudged him in the right direction, it wouldn't be so bad. So, after much internal dialogue with herself, she gave Arthur the name of the village where Will lived & informed him that Merlin had been staying with him for a while but that was all she could say. Arthur thanked her, embracing her in a warm hug & was preparing to leave. Gwen stopped him at the last minute to inform him that Merlin had seen photos of him in those compromising positions. Arthur felt sick but thanked her again & left. 


**********

Merlin's weeks of chemo had finally come to an end. Dr Killgarah released Merlin from hospital but wanted him to stay nearby in case complications arose & also to monitor how his body had responded to the treatment. Although he only felt marginally better, he was ecstatic to be leaving the hospital that had been his prison for too many weeks.


Will was there to pick him up & ushered him back to his quiet cottage where Merlin would be able to recuperate in peace & quiet. Once Merlin was settled in, Will resumed his normal routine, working as an IT tech until six or so, then sharing a quiet dinner with Merlin. Merlin was able to keep more & more food down but he was still so painfully thin, Will worried a strong wind might blow him away. Merlin tried pushing himself more with each passing day & by the end of the first week, he had begun venturing out into the village whenever the weather permitted.


Gwen had clued Will into everything that had occurred between Merlin & Arthur. Will's heart broke for his long-time friend but whenever he broached the subject with Merlin, he would get this pained look in his eyes before rapidly changing the subject. WIll knew it wasn't doing Merlin any good keeping all that pain inside but he didn't know how to help him since Merlin was not going to open up about it.

**********


Arthur spent the next few days at his computer trying to find the right words to tell Merlin just how sorry he was in the form of an email. He composed email after email but nothing seemed quite sufficient. How could he ever explain himself to Merlin? No, this was something he would have to do in person.


He didn't even try Merlin's mobile because he felt certain that there was no way Merlin would answer any call from him. Merlin hadn't even answered calls from their other friends, though he did email everyone now & then, everyone but Arthur that is.

Arthur was able to track down Will's phone number in Ireland but was afraid to call. What if Merlin was there & refused to talk to him. Could he handle any more rejection? Maybe he wasn't there at all. Would Will tell him where Merlin had gone off to since they were such great friends & Will would probably cover for Merlin. No, Arthur decided, he needed to go to Ireland himself & find Merlin.


**********

Arthur wrapped everything up at work on a Friday afternoon in preparation for an extended vacation. Mithian had seen such a drastic change in him from the time she had first started working there. Arthur had been through a lot & she hated to see him suffer as he was. She had witnessed him so happy & full of life once he & Merlin finally got together to this empty shell he had become once Merlin had ended their relationship.


Now, for the first time in months, Mithian was encouraged because Arthur seemed to have a determination in him that had been missing for so long. She assured Arthur she'd cover for him as best she could & run interference with Uther but at this point, Arthur was beyond caring what Uther thought anymore. He had his Merlin to bring back! 


**********

Merlin was adjusting well to this much slower pace of life. Having spent so many years in London, he had grown accustom to the hustle & bustle of the big city but could certainly find the charm in this small village lifestyle. Although he spent most days alone at Will's, he did enjoy being outdoors & feeling the sun beating down on his skin. His hair had yet to grow back & he still felt weak & tired most days, but Dr Killgarah assured him it would just take time.


Late one afternoon, Merlin was heading to the local pharmacy to pick up a prescription to combat his nausea. It was warm out but he still wore his oversized hoodie (everything now was oversized on Merlin's slight frame) & his favorite beanie.

He walked there as it was only a short distance from Will's, just past the neighborhood park. Apparently the walk had taken more out of him than he expected because as he was leaving the pharmacy, he was struck with a bout of dizzyness. He had to lean against a nearby wall to regain his balance before heading off toward the park to rest & get his strength back. He took his favorite spot on a deserted bench near the duck pond & stretched out, letting his head fall back to take in the sun.


Little did Merlin know that someone was watching his every move. Arthur had just arrived in town that very morning & after he checked into Ealdor's one & only B&B, he thought he'd take a stroll to settle his nerves before going to Will's place. He was at a cafe across the road from the pharmacy when he spotted Merlin leaving.


Arthur wanted nothing more than to rush right over to Merlin but decided that may not be the best course of action. Obviously something was very wrong with Merlin & seeing him like that was breaking his heart. He needed to compose himself because he knew the last thing Merlin needed was his pity.

After what felt like hours had passed, but in all actuality was more like mere minutes, Arthur followed Merlin to the park. When he spotted him alone on the bench, he hesitated before heading over. He didn't know if he should announce himself or just sit down next to Merlin whose eyes were drawn tight. He decided on the latter & took his chances that Merlin wouldn't bolt once he saw him.


Almost immediately, Merlin detected the presence of another body sharing the bench with him. As he cracked his eyes open slowly & allowed them to adjust, he was certain he was seeing things. There was absolutely no way Arthur was sitting next to him right now. Surely he was more exhausted than he thought & his mind must be playing tricks on him. But when Arthur sent him a shy, bashful smile, Merlin instantly knew this was really happening.


Both young men just stared at each other, not knowing what to say. Merlin knew he must look like death warmed over & he never wanted Arthur to see him like that. The look on Arthur's face more than confirmed that. He immediately lowered his head as if to hide his face & his hands unconsciously went up to his head to pull the beanie farther down. As he reached for the hood on his hoodie to pull it up to hide him even further, Arthur's hand reached for his wrist to stop him.


Arthur was shocked as he took in Merlin's appearance. He looked so thin & fragile. His face was drawn & sunken in, causing his cheekbones to stand out even more prevelently. His eyes no longer had that sparkle that was always so full of life & there were dark rings surrounding them. And Arthur was certain he knew what Merlin's beanie was hiding.


It was such a heartbreaking sight to see Merlin like this & to realize what he must have been going through. But what hurt most was knowing that he should have been by Merlin's side during this entire time, not feeling sorry for himself, getting drunk & hooking up with random people. He had known deep down that something was physically wrong with Merlin but instead of fighting, he let, LET, Merlin leave him. Why didn't he make Merlin tell him what was going on? Didn't Merlin know how much he cared about him?


Upon seeing the look of what Merlin could only assume was pity on Arthur's face, Merlin wrenched his wrist away from Arthur, pushed himself to his feet & started walking away. Arthur was, under no circumstances, letting Merlin leave him again.

"Merlin, wait!" was all Arthur could manage as he rose to his feet.


"What are you doing here Arthur?" Merlin asked in an almost too soft voice that came out more as a whisper.

"Merlin, why, why didn't you tell me you were sick? Why did you push me away? Merlin, don't you know how much you mean to me!" at which point Arthur was in tears. "You could have told me, you should have told me!"


Merlin turned away from Arthur, his shoulders slumped & he started shaking. As Arthur ran to him, he realized Merlin was trying to hold in the tears. When he reached out for Merlin, Merlin pushed him away. It was then that Merlin saw the hurt in Arthur's eyes & he felt awful for being the cause of that but at the same time, he would never want Arthur to stay with him because he felt a sense of obligation.


"Please, Arthur, please just go. I can't do this right now. This, what we had, it's over."


"Merlin, come on, what are you talking about. I need you, do you hear me...I NEED YOU!"


"Are you crazy. You didn't sign up for this, having a sick boyfriend who can't even manage to walk a few blocks without getting tired. I can't eat, I can't sleep, I've even lost all my hair!" at which point Merlin yanked off his beanie to prove his point before sinking back down onto the bench. Arthur was barely able to conceal the gasp that escaped him.


He slowly walked back to Merlin, knelt down in front of him & gently grapped his face. "Look at me Merlin. Do you think this, any of this, matters to me? Being here with you right now is all that matters to me. Please, will you talk to me & hear me out?"

Merlin gave an exhausted sigh as he stood up & led Arthur back to Will's house. Once they entered, Merlin set about making tea for them both but Arthur gently steered Merlin back to the sofa as he finished preparing the tea himself. It was still early afternoon so they had the place to themselves for a while yet.


An uncomfortable silent engulfed them as they drank their tea. The quiet seemed to stretch forever, with neither of them knowing what to say or where to begin. It was Arthur who finally spoke.


"So what, if you don't mind my asking, is wrong with you?"


"Brain cancer" was Merlin's stilted response.


"Oh, ok. So why did you come here instead of staying in London where all your friends are?"


"Well, there's a great hospital here that I've been receiving treatment at. Plus, I just needed to get away from everything."


"Ok, I get that. But what I don't get is why you didn't tell me. Merlin, I thought we had something really special, like there was a special connection between us. Was I wrong about that? Did I just imagine the whole thing?" Arthur sounded so broken as he spoke.


Merlin slumped forward, resting his head in his hands. "No, of course not Arthur. But don't you see. We...us...it was all still so new. And the last thing I ever wanted was to burden you with this. Arthur, I watched my mother die of cancer & I know what it did to her & I know what it did to me & I would never want to put you through that. I lov...liked you too much to do that."


Arthur shuffled closer to Merlin & carefully draped his arm over his shoulders. He then gently tugged Merlin back so he was leaning against Arthur with his head resting against his shoulder. He could feel the tension leaving Merlin as he let out a breath & his muscles seemed to relax. Words could never explain how good it felt to Arthur to have Merlin back in his arms.


Suddenly Merlin looked up at him with sad eyes. Merlin then ducked his head & once again asked Arthur once more the question he had yet to answer: "Arthur, why are you here?"


Arthur was speechless. "I came for you, Merlin. I came to get you back."


"But why?"


"Because I'm in love with you Merlin. I think I fell in love with you the moment I saw you at Morgana's Christmas party two years ago. And then the more time we spent together, the stronger my feelings for you became."


Before Arthur could continue, Merlin cut him off. He slowly made his way to his feet & started pacing in front of the sofa. "Arthur, if that's true, if you were in love with me, then why did I see pictures of you making out with other people? I know we weren't together or anything so you were free to do as you pleased but it still hurt so much to see them."


Arthur jumped to his feet. He grabbed Merlin by the shoulders & rested their foreheads together. "Merlin, you have to believe me when I tell you how sorry I am about that & how I regret everything I did. I swear to you though, I never slept with any of them. I am not trying to make excuses for my behavior but I was honestly so devastated when you dumped me that I thought it would help me get over you, which it obviously didn't. I'm so sorry I hurt you like that Merlin & I don't expect you to just forgive me but I do hope you'll give me a chance to prove how much I love you."


Merlin let out an exhausted breath. It had been a very long & taxing day & all he wanted to do was curl up under his blankets & sleep. When he told Arthur he was tired & wanted to lie down, Arthur didn't know what to do exactly.


Was this it then? Had he had his one & only chance to try to win Merlin back & failed? If he left now, was Merlin going to shut him out again, this time for good? Just as Arthur was frantically running through various scenarios of how this may be the last time he got to really talk to Merlin, a hand snaked out & grabbed ahold of his.


Arthur looked down at their entwined fingers then up to see Merlin's tender smile that was meant only for him. As Merlin tugged them to his room, Arthur was on cloud nine. He happily allowed himself to be led to Merlin's small room where he helped Merlin out of his sweatshirt & trainers before gently lowering him onto the bed where he snuggled in closely behind him, taking the role of big spoon. He reached down to cover them up with the blanket from the foot of the bed & in no time at all, he heard Merlin's soft snores. He couldn't help but to gaze lovingly at the man who had stolen his heart all that time ago & as sleep started to overtake him, he pulled Merlin impossibly closer, vowing to never let him go again.

**********

Once Will arrived home after his work day had ended, he was greeted by silence. Usually Merlin would be at the small desk in the corner typing away on his laptop or lounging in front of the tv watching Doctor Who reruns. He assumed Merlin must either be out or napping in his room. As he approached Merlin's door, he immediately spotted what looked like a head full of blond hair. So that must be Arthur, was Will's first thought.


Will tentatively pushed open the door to see if Merlin was awake yet & what he wanted to do about dinner. Merlin stirred as light from the hallway flooded his room. At first he was confused & disoriented by the feeling of warmth pressed all up along side his back. Then realization set in & he couldn't help the smile breaking across his face. He looked at Will & Will silently mouthed "so that's Arthur then" to which Merlin gave a small nod. Will gave a small smile & backed out of the room.


Merlin's movements caused Arthur to awaken from one of the best sleeps he'd had in months. He felt so warm & content that he felt like he wanted to lay there & sleep like that forever. Merlin reached his hand back & gently nudged Arthur onto his back so Merlin could roll over & look into Arthur's eyes. What they saw in each other's eyes was nothing but pure love & slowly Merlin lowered himself until their lips met in a soft gentle kiss.


At that moment, it felt like everything that had been broken in each of them was instantly mended & no matter what, they would always have each other. Arthur reached his arms around Merlin's skinny frame & held him tight until Merlin finally pleaded with Arthur to let him go because he couldn't breathe. As Arthur reluctantly loosened his grip on Merlin, Merlin whispered into his ear "No worries, I'm not going anywhere."


Following a few more minutes of snuggling, Arthur & Merlin made their way to the kitchen to find Will hard at work fixing Merlin's favorite dinner of veggie lasagna & freshly baked bread. After introductions were made, Arthur went to take a seat on the sofa while Merlin helped chop the lettuce for salads. Will questioned Merlin about Arthur's sudden appearance & warned him to be careful but after much assurance from Merlin, Will let his guard down. After all, Merlin had always been very careful about guarding his heart & if he was willing to give it to Arthur, then surely Arthur must have some redeeming qualities.


When dinner was ready, they gathered around the small dining table & made small talk until Will finally started to relax. He was beginning to see what Merlin saw in Arthur & it was clearly obvious from the way Arthur never took his eyes off of Merlin just how much he truly did love & care for him. Will, for the first time in a long time, felt a sense of relief knowing that Merlin had someone other than himself to help him through this whole ordeal.


Not long after they sat down to eat did Merlin begin to feel queasy. He so very much did not want to get sick in front of Arthur so he excused himself to the bathroom. Arthur just looked at Will once Merlin left & Will sadly shook his head.


Arthur got up to follow Merlin & heard him from outside the loo door vomitting. He slowly pushed open the door to see Merlin hunched over the toilet wretching up everything he had just ingested. Arthur's heart broke when Merlin looked up at him with tears in his eyes. He was embarassed for Arthur to see him like this but Arthur simply squatted down behind him & rubbed his back as he vomitted some more. After Merlin was finished, Arthur wrapped him up in his arms & they just sat there together against the tub with Arthur rocking him & whispering words of endearment into his neck until Merlin felt able to get up.


Arthur got a flannel wet & ran it over Merlin's face & bald head before tugging on his ears. Merlin blushed & tried to pull away but Arthur stopped him. "Wow, you really do have sticky-outy ears, don't you?" Merlin shrugged & they both grinned at each other. Merlin knew Arthur was only being playful & for a brief moment, it felt like nothing had ever changed between them.

**********


It was an hour later that Arthur & Merlin found themselves sitting on Will's porch swing enjoying the crisp evening air. Merlin was feeling much better now & was enjoying laughing & joking with Arthur once more.


The mood shifted drastically when Arthur started talking about his job. Merlin knew he was under a lot of pressure from Uther but hadn't realized how much Arthur detested his work. Arthur always felt like he had been forced into his current career path & was never given an opportunity to follow his own dreams.


Merlin was curious how Arthur had gotten the time off to come to Ireland but Arthur informed him that it hadn't been a problem because he had plenty of vacation time coming. He certainly didn't want Merlin to feel guilty for causing problems for him at work or with his father.


He also informed Merlin that he'd been thinking about this for a long time & that he intended to turn in his resignation once he returned to London. What Merlin hadn't realized until just now was that Arthur had millions in a trust fund from his mother's estate so in all actuality, he'd never have to work another day in his life if he didn't want to.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Arthur said to Merlin after he told him he'd be quitting soon.

"What's that?" Merlin inquired.


Arthur broke out into a broad smile that overpowered his face. "You're stuck with me now. No getting rid of me so easily."

Merlin gave him an equally wide smile. "Wouldn't dream of it. And there's no one else I'd rather be stuck with."

They sat cuddled together for a while longer before Merlin started to feel chilled. Arthur escorted him back inside before placing a kiss on his cheek & headed off to his hotel with a promise to return the following morning.

**********


Arthur showed up bright & early the next day with breakfast in hand. Though he knew Merlin had trouble keeping anything down, he had texted Gwen the night before from his room at the b&b to get advice of what might be easiest for Merlin to digest. Merlin was touched by Arthur's thoughtfulness & was indeed able to make it through the entire meal without so much as a bit of nausea.

Later on that afternoon, Merlin got a call from Dr Kilgharrah's office reminding him of his upcoming appointment. Arthur asked Merlin if it would be ok if he came along & Merlin was surprised that Arthur would want to, even after everything Arthur had said the day before.

Merlin was reluctant to accept Arthur's offer of support because he wasn't sure what news the doctor had to share with him. Merlin was quickly engulfed in a warm embrace from Arthur as Arthur pleaded with him to let him be there for him. Arthur was going to do everything in his power to prove to Merlin that he was there for him & would continue to be there for him no matter what. That settled that, Arthur was coming along whether Merlin wanted him to or not, which Merlin, in fact, did very much want Arthur there by his side.


**********


Merlin & Arthur arrived early for Merlin's appointment. Arthur could see Merlin's nerves were frayed as he couldn't keep his legs from bouncing. Arthur did his best to calm & reassure him that it was alright, that no matter what, they'd get through this, this time together. Merlin gave him a nervous smile. It was at this time that the nurse called them back. Arthur grabbed Merlin's hand & hauled him to his feet as they followed the nurse through the corridors to Dr Kilgharrah's office.


Once inside, they were warmly greeted by the doctor, who rose to shake Arthur's hand & introduce himself. Arthur immediately returned the shake & thanked the doctor for taking such good care of Merlin.

Down to business then. Dr Kilgharrah informed Merlin that although the chemo had been mostly successful in shrinking his tumor, it would still be imperative for Merlin to undergo surgery to remove what remained. Merlin wasn't completely surprised but had hoped that the chemo would be the end of it. Arthur squeezed his hands & assured him everything would be alright. So surgery was scheduled for the following morning as all agreed it would be best to get it over with as soon as possible.

**********

Arthur would be lying if he said he wasn't scared for Merlin. He was well aware of Merlin's fragile state, still being so frighteningly skinny & fighting near constant fatigue. But he also knew that this surgery was Merlin's best chance at complete recovery so he was going to do everything he possibly could to help Merlin through this.

Will, Arthur & Merlin drove into Dublin early the morning of Merlin's surgery. The tension was so thick in the car, it could be cut with a knife. Will tried to joke & goof around but to no avail. He understood what was at stake here as much as Arthur & Merlin did. 


After being prepped for surgery, both Will & Arthur were allowed a few minutes with Merlin before he would be wheeled off to the operating room. Will gave Merlin a quick hug & told him he'd see him when he was out, then left to give him & Arthur a few minutes alone. Arthur held onto Merlin's hand & stroked his cheek with his free hand. He told Merlin how much he loved him & that everything was going to be fine. He promised him he'd take Merlin anywhere he wanted to go, just the two of them, once this was all over.


**********

Will & Arthur waited for what felt like forever to hear how Merlin's surgery was going. Arthur was so worried, he couldn't sit still. Will warned him that he was going to wear a hole in the rug if he didn't stop pacing.

Arthur was no dummy, he knew the risks & how dangerous this surgery really was. One small slip during the operation could cost Merlin his life. But Arthur refused to allow his brain to dwell on such thoughts, instead trying to convince himself that Merlin was going to be fine, that the doctor would be able to remove all of the remaining tumor & Merlin would live a very long & happy life, presumably with Arthur by his side.

An eternity later, which really translated into 3 long hours, Dr Kilgharrah walked into the waiting room to update Arthur & Will. They were informed that everything had gone well, that they were confident they were able to remove what remained of the tumor & that Merlin would be resting in recovery for another couple of hours before being transferred to his room. The doctor suggested they go home for the day & come back tomorrow but Arthur was under no circumstance leaving the hospital without seeing Merlin for himself. Will, too, wanted to hang around just to be sure Merlin was alright.

Will & Arthur headed for the hospital cafeteria to get some dinner & kill time before they'd be able to visit with Merlin. Will took this time to explain some things to Arthur that he may not be aware of. 


He started off by stressing what a great guy Merlin was (as if Arthur needed Will to tell him that) & what a struggle his life had been growing up. He explained to Arthur how Merlin had been bullied throughout most of his school years, not only for being poor but also for being fatherless.

He told him how Merlin never had many friends & those he did manage to make never stayed around for long. Not surprisingly, that was when he started having real issues with abandonment. It was bad enough for a young boy to feel abandoned by his father but then to watch supposed friends turn their backs on him was too much. Merlin became closed off & barely ever spoke to anyone other than his mom or Will.

Once Merlin's mother had died, Will was afraid Merlin would never be able or willing to open his heart up to anyone. Will needed Arthur to understand what a big step it was for Merlin to get this close to somebody & to let them into his life. He all but threatened Arthur that if he ever did anything again to hurt Merlin, he'd make him pay if it was the last thing he did. Arthur was touched by Will's obvious love & concern for his dear friend & promised him that he would never do anything to hurt Merlin again. He assured him that he would do everything in his power to make sure Merlin felt loved & charished every waking minute. And Will had no doubt that Arthur meant every word of it. 


Will & Arthur headed up to wait in the room Dr Kilgharrah had said Merlin would be transferred to out of recovery. They were surprised to see Merlin lying there, sucking on some crushed ice the nurse had given him, looking totally dazed & confused. His bald head was wrapped tight in white gauze but Arthur could still make out where the incision had been made.

Merlin turned toward them as they made their way over to his bed & gave them both a tired smile. He didn't say anything but squeezed their hands when they reached down to wrap their hands around his. Both Arthur & Will knew that what Merlin needed most right now was rest so they promised him they'd be back tomorrow. Before he left, Arthur bent down to place a soft kiss on Merlin's dry chapped lips & tell him he loved him, always & forever. Merlin sluggishly raised his hand to touch Arthur's jaw & whispered that he loved him too. With that, Merlin surrendered to the sleep fighting to claim him. Arthur reluctantly pulled himself away from Merlin & headed out to meet Will for a ride back to Ealdor.

**********


Arthur was woken up by the ringing of his mobile. As he reached for it, he noticed the clock showing the time as just after 3 in the morning. Trying to clear his foggy mind, he answered the phone, worry clearly audible in his voice. Nobody ever called this early in the morning with good news.

The voice on the other end of the line was that of one of Merlin's nurses who he had met briefly in Merlin's room. She calmly began explaining to Arthur that Merlin had developed an alarmingly high fever just after midnight & that he had been calling out for Arthur. She informed him that Dr Kilgharrah was at the hospital closely monitoring Merlin's condition. The doctor thought it best if Arthur could come to the hospital as it may help to calm Merlin down.

Arthur was nearly dressed by the time he was off the phone with the nurse. He quickly grabbed his wallet, keys & phone & threw on a hoodie before heading down to the carpark where his rental was. Arthur was surprised to see Will waiting outside his car for him. Will quickly nodded for Arthur to get in & they were off.

Of course Will would know, Arthur realized. After all, it had been Will, not him, who had been by Merlin's side this whole time so it was only natural that the hospital would call him. Arthur was once more consumed with guilt knowing he hadn't been there for Merlin when he needed him most but this was not the time to dwell on that. Few words were spoken between the two as they rushed through the nearly abandoned streets of Dublin, each lost in their own thoughts.

Will haphazardly parked in the visitor's lot which was currently near empty. Once inside the hospital, they quickly rushed towards the elevators that would take them up to Merlin's room. As they waited for the lift, Dr Kilgharrah came up behind them. He informed them he was just heading back up to look in on Merlin after having been to the lab to check on Merlin's test results.

When they pushed open the door to Merlin's room, they spotted two nurses with him, one checking his vitals while the other was placing cool cloths on his head & upper body trying to bring down his fever. Arthur couldn't help but notice the pained look on Merlin's face, as if he was in great distress.


Dr Kilgharrah moved past the nurses to check Merlin's chart. He once more checked his pulse & heartbeat before turning to address Will & Arthur. The doctor explained that it appeared Merlin had developed an infection, which wasn't entirely unexpected given that his immune system had been greatly compromised from all the chemo.

They were currently treating him with strong antibiotics but the next several hours would be critical. It was vital that they get Merlin's fever down. If noticable improvement wasn't made in the next hour or so, their next step would be to submerge Merlin into an ice bath. Both men flinched at the thought of that.

Dr Kilgharrah went on to explain that Merlin had been hallucinating & was in & out of lucidity so whatever he was saying may not make sense to them or even Merlin himself. But he felt certain that Merlin would know they were there & that would help to settle him. Dr Kilgharrah gave them both pats on the back & told them he'd be back to check on Merlin in a little while.

Arthur made his way to Merlin's bedside & wrapped his hands around Merlin's, carefully avoiding the IV lines that were delivering Merlin's much needed antibiotics. The nurses nodded toward Will & Arthur before leaving to give them some privacy. They assured the men that they'd be just outside at the nurse's deck if they were needed or there was any change in Merlin's condition. Arthur planted himself in the chair previously occupied by the nurse, determined to stay put until Merlin was out of danger.

Will came forward to Merlin's side & started talking to him, even though by this time it appeared Merlin was probably sleeping because his eyes remained closed & he was lying motionless. Will was telling him that they needed him to get better soon & really just rambled on about nothing in particular. The doctor had said that even if he didn't respond, Merlin would most likely know they were there so Will continued on for several more minutes before he retreated to the chair that had been pulled over to the foot of his bed.


Arthur scooted closer to Merlin, stroking his hand & pleading with Merlin to fight. He told Merlin that he knew how strong he was & that he needed to get better because they had a lifetime ahead of them just waiting. Arthur leaned forward & rested his head against Merlin's shoulder while he whispered words of endearment & encouragement. Suddenly Arthur's head shot up. Merlin was squeezing his hand & when Arthur looked at his face, Merlin's fever-glazed eyes were fixed on him & he had a slight smile on his face.

Unfortunately Arthur's elation was short lived because not a minute later, Merlin started writhing & thrashing almost uncontrollably. Will, having been watching Arthur's interaction with Merlin, ran out the door to get the nurses back in. They rushed in & pushed past Arthur. They tried to get Merlin's movements under control less he pull out his IV or hurt himself. Arthur & Will stepped forward to help hold Merlin down until he started to settle.

It was obvious from a simple touch that Merlin's fever had spiked. Another nurse hurried in with a stack of cold compresses to apply to Merlin's limbs & torso. Dr Kilgharrah had been paged & arrived within minutes. He told everyone in the room that it was urgent that they get Merlin's fever down immediately before permanent brain damage was done. An ice bath was urgently being prepared for Merlin.

Not minutes later, Arthur & Will were helping to lower Merlin's prone body into the ice bath. A hiss could almost be heard as Merlin's body hit the water. Merlin, who had been listless up until this point, sat bolt upright & tried pulling himself out of the freezing water only to find himself being held down by the nursing staff, along with Arthur & Will. He was becoming more lucid & pleaded with Arthur to help him but Arthur could only shake his head as tears streamed down his eyes. He hated seeing Merlin in such a state but knew that it was what was best for him.

Merlin stopped fighting & just lay there, trembling uncontrollably. Dr Kilgharrah was closely monitoring Merlin's vitals & after a very long 10 minutes, Merlin was promptly removed & wrapped in dry, warmed blankets then put back into his bed. Although Merlin was still shivering, the doctor tried to reassure Arthur that they did what needed to be done because he could see the guilt etched on Arthur's face.

Not long after, Arthur could see a marked improvement in Merlin's appearance. His eyes didn't seem so vacant & sweat wasn't rolling off him. He caught Arthur's gaze & held it for a few silent moments before the corners of his mouth started to pull upward ever so slightly. Arthur knew from that small gesture that Merlin would recover, that he was going to fight, not just for himself but for Arthur too.

The nurses were back in Merlin's room with a fresh hospital gown & boxers. As they began to pull down the blankets that Merlin was still wrapped up in, Arthur quickly stepped up & offered to dress him instead, if that would be alright with them. Since the nurses saw no harm in that, warning him to be careful of the IV lines, they left Arthur to it. Will was by Arthur's side helping to maneuver Merlin into a more accessible position so as to get him dressed & snuggled back in as quickly as possible.

Once the gown was on, Arthur blushed when it was time to put on the boxers. Yes, he had caught sight of Merlin's junk as they stripped him for the bath but he had paid little attention, other matters obviously more pressing. But now, with Merlin just lying there turning every shade of red imaginable, Arthur, too, felt his face heating up. He swiftly helped to raise Merlin's lower body off the bed so he could pull up the boxers & save Merlin any further embarassment. Arthur then tucked the blankets around Merlin & gently kissed his forehead. He told him to try to get some sleep, knowing sleep & rest was what his body needed to continue fighting the infection. 


Arthur turned to Will & could see that he was drained, both emotionally & physically. He talked him into going home & promised to call if anything changed. Will left reluctantly but he knew that he was leaving Merlin in very capable hands. He promised to be back later with some fresh clothes for Arthur then drug himself out, heading for the lifts.


Merlin had dozed off prior to Will's departure, so when he woke, he was surprised to still see Arthur there alone napping in the chair next to his bed. Merlin leaned over & began stroking Arthur's golden locks causing Arthur to stir. He saw Merlin just staring at him & he blushed. He suddenly became very self-conscious of his appearance. He was sure he looked atrocious, not having had time to shower or run a comb through his hair or anything.

Merlin's gaze never left him. Finally, he asked Merlin what he was looking at & he told Arthur he was looking at the most beautiful man he had ever seen. Arthur shook his head & told Merlin that honor belonged to him. Merlin started squirming in the bed before Arthur realized he was trying to scoot over to make room for him. Merlin grabbed Arthur's hand & pulled him up so he could lay down with him. Arthur happily obliged, not needing told twice. Once Arthur was settled, Merlin cuddled in as close as he could before both young men drifted off into a peaceful & restful sleep.

It was in this position that Gwen & Morgana found the boys. Will had been keeping them updated almost daily on any & all developments regarding Merlin's health. They had already planned on travelling to Ireland to visit Merlin but when Will had informed them about Merlin's surgery, they moved their trip up so they could be there for him. Huge smiles broke out on Morgana & Gwen's faces. They were just turning to leave, not wanting to disturb either Merlin or Arthur, when Merlin groggily called out to them.

As the women rushed to his side, he lightly nudged Arthur with his boney elbow to wake him. Arthur was surprised to find his sister & Gwen standing over them giggling. Momentarily ignoring them, Arthur turned his head to the side to see Merlin before enveloping him in a warm embrace. Gwen & Morgana were next to swoop in for big hugs.

Morgana, having not seen Merlin since he initially left for Ireland, was shocked by Merlin's appearance but covered it well. Gwen had warned her that Merlin had lost his hair along with a great deal of weight but no words could have prepared her for this. The Merlin she had last seen was so full of life & this Merlin seemed a mere shadow of his former self. But then Merlin gifted her with one of those smiles that lit up the whole room & Morgana knew Merlin could get through this.

**********


The two women kept Merlin company while Arthur, after much persuading, returned to the B&B to get some rest. It felt like forever since he had been back in his room & as soon as he entered, he stripped off his clothes & headed straight for the shower, which did wonders for him. 


He didn't want to leave Merlin for long but at the same time, he knew Morgana & Gwen would want some time alone with Merlin so he laid down & napped for a few hours. He then packed his bags, determined that he was going to stay at the hospital until Merlin was released. He had checked with Dr Kilgharrah prior to his decision & the doctor didn't seem to think it would be a problem, in fact, he thought having Arthur around would give Merlin the strength he needed for his recovery.

Arthur entered Merlin's room to find him sleeping once again. Will had arrived & he was just about to take the women down to the cafeteria for a bite to eat. Morgana stayed back once she saw Arthur. The siblings chatted for a bit before the conversation turned to Uther & Arthur's job.

Morgana informed Arthur that their father was furious about Arthur's unexpected departure & demanded to know where he was, since, apparently, Arthur hadn't been taking his calls. Arthur explained to Morgana he had more important things on his mind, which she completely understood. She had told Uther that Arthur was spending time with a sick friend & wasn't sure when he'd be back.

Arthur felt bad leaving Morgana to deal with their father but, at the same time, it was unavoidable. Arthur informed Morgana that he'd been doing a lot of thinking since he'd been back by Merlin's side & he'd come to a decision....he was turning in his resignation, effective immediately.

A smile broke out on Morgana's face. She leaned over, gave Arthur a big hug & told him how proud she was of him. Arthur looked confused. His sister explained that she was so happy he was finally doing something for himself, was living his own life & not the one Uther had mapped out for him. She knew how happy Merlin made him & was just glad he had finally found someone to share his life with. Plus, she absolutely adored Merlin so it was a huge bonus that he'd be around with them.


**********


It wasn't long before Merlin was deemed fit to return to Will's place in Ealdor. He was still on antibiotics, along with all his other medications, but it was a relief to be out of the hospital once more. Morgana & Gwen headed back to London once Merlin was back at Will's with a promise to see him soon. Hugs & kisses were exchanged & they were off.

Will was able to persuade Arthur (not that it took much persuading) to move into his cottage with Merlin so he would be able to care for him while Will was at work. Arthur hated to impose but at the same time, he relished the idea of being by Merlin's side 24/7. Although the room was cramped, Merlin & Arthur settled in together quite nicely & Arthur was really beginning to love the quiet peacefulness that Ealdor had to offer.

**********

One afternoon, Arthur & Merlin had taken a walk to the park where they had been reunited. Arthur told Merlin of his decision to quit his job. Merlin was apprehensive. He didn't want Arthur to give up his career for him, he didn't want Arthur to give up anything for him. Arthur just wrapped his arms around Merlin, explaining to him that nothing was more important to him than Merlin & there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for him. He also reminded Merlin how miserable the job made him, which Merlin knew, so he wasn't really sacrificing anything, easing Merlin's guilt.

Merlin wanted to know what Arthur intended to do for work, which was when Arthur informed him he had no immediate plans. Arthur's mother had set up a trust fund for him before she had died & left everything to him, which was a sizeable fortune, along with a sweeping country estate. He'd never have to work another day in his life if he didn't want to. His intentions were to stay by Merlin's side while he finished his treatments, as long as that was agreeable with Merlin. Merlin turned to face Arthur with tears streaming down his face but Arthur knew that they were tears of happiness. The embrace they shared was all the answer Arthur needed. He knew immediately that he had made the right decision.

**********

Arthur finally decided to answer a call from Uther. He had put it off long enough. Uther didn't even give Arthur a chance to answer, just started screaming at him. Arthur had pulled the phone from his ear until his father's rant was over. He then calmly informed Uther that he would no longer be working for him. He figured while he was at it, he should lay all his cards on the table, so he also informed Uther that he was gay & was in love with Merlin, whom Uther had heard about from Morgana on several occasions.

Uther accused Arthur of having some kind of mental breakdown, that there was no way he was gay & that he needed to be back in the office immediately. Arthur, while trying his best to remain in control, let his father know in no uncertain terms that that was not going to happen. He tried explaining to Uther that he'd been living a lie for too long & he wasn't doing it anymore. He let him know he wasn't happy working for Pendragon Enterprises, that he was indeed gay & Uther could either accept the fact or not. With that, Arthur ended the call.

Merlin was there to offer comfort once Arthur hung up but surprisely, Arthur felt so much lighter, like a heavy boulder had been lifted from his shoulders. It didn't matter if Uther accepted him or not...he had Merlin, he had Morgana & he had a great group of friends that were more of a family to him than Uther ever had been.

**********


Weeks passed & Merlin was slowly but surely regaining his strength, along with gaining back some of the weight he had lost. Radiation was going well & he was no longer throwing up. He was feeling more & more like his old self with each passing day. And, just as he had promised he'd be, Arthur was there with him every step of the way.

**********

It was approaching late November when Merlin & Arthur were called into Dr Kilgharrah's office. He had Merlin's latest test results. The boys waited with bated breath as Dr Kilgharrah informed them that there was no signs of the cancer anymore, that Merlin was officially in remission. A collective breath was let out at the news. Was it even possible? Was Merlin going to be alright? Arthur jumped up, pulling Merlin to his feet & started swinging him around, overcome with joy. Merlin & Arthur laughed until tears rolled down their cheeks. Not to be left out, they grabbed the doctor in a death grip & thanked him profusely.

Before they left the hospital, Dr Kilgharrah scheduled a follow up visit for Merlin in six months. They would need to bring Merlin back for check-ups every six months for the next few years just to make sure but as far as the doctor was concerned, Merlin had done it, he had beat his cancer & nothing should stop him from living a long & fulfilling life.

**********

Will was ecstatic to hear the news, as was Morgana & Gwen. They wanted to know when Merlin & Arthur would be returning to London but Arthur told them he wanted to take Merlin away for a while before coming home. He promised they'd be back in time for her annual Christmas party though.

Arthur then asked Morgana if she could let everyone else know Merlin was going to be ok & if it would be possible to move Merlin's belongings out of his flat & into Arthur's place. Morgana assured him that everything would be taken care of. Arthur also had one more favor to ask of Morgana, which she laughed about but assured him it would be all set for him. She also told Arthur to give Merlin all their love & made him promise they'd be back for her party. He promised, thanked her & hung up.


**********


When it was time to pack up their stuff at Will's, Merlin felt sad to be leaving his friend after so long. With Arthur's assurances that they'd be back as often as they could to visit, Merlin was feeling a little better about leaving. Will gave them both hugs & made Arthur promise to take great care of Merlin, which Arthur whole-heartedly did. Will knew Merlin would always be in good hands because he knew Arthur loved Merlin more than anything.

**********


Merlin assumed Arthur would be taking them back to London, but when they arrived at the airport, Arthur apparently had other things in mind. Without Merlin's knowledge, Arthur had asked Will to mail their things back to his flat in London & had Morgana arrange a private flight for them to be wisked away to the Caribbean. Arthur thought some sun & fun would do Merlin a world of good, given what he had just been through.

Merlin was giddy with excitement. He'd never been to the ocean before so to be surrounded by it was going to be amazing. Merlin's excitement was contagious & Arthur couldn't wait to get there. Merlin was worried what they would do about clothes, since they hadn't packed anything for warm weather but Arthur told him that Morgana & Gwen had taken care of everything, that they arranged for their luggage to already be on the plane & waiting for them when they landed.

Once the plane took off, Merlin & Arthur settled in for the nearly 12 hour flight. Merlin wasted no time cuddling up against Arthur & falling asleep, Arthur soon following. Arthur woke up several hours later to find a blanket tucked around him but no Merlin. He looked around the lavish plane & caught sight of Merlin at the table near the refreshments, typing away on his laptop.

Arthur placed a gentle kiss on his head before settling in beside him. He knew Merlin must be working on his novel because he could see the concentration on his face. It was such a relief not to see Merlin squinting at the screen or rubbing at his temples as he had observed prior to Merlin's diagnosis.

Merlin closed down his laptop once he had finished his thought & turned bright eyed toward Arthur. They met each other halfway in a tender kiss, Arthur's hand coming up to caress Merlin's cheekbones. Arthur pulled away & just stared at Merlin. Merlin was starting to feel self-conscious & asked why Arthur was staring at him.

"You are absolutely gorgeous, Merlin" was Arthur's reply.

Merlin ducked his head, shaking it vehemently. "You're insane, Arthur. Look at me, my hair is just starting to grow back & looks all kinds of crazy. I'm gangly, too skinny & I'm pale as a ghost. I don't know what you see in me."

Arthur reached over, lifted Merlin's chin & gave Merlin another kiss. He then ran his hand through Merlin's hair. His hair had indeed just started growing back & was sticking out & spikey all over but Arthur loved it. It was soft & Arthur enjoyed running his hands through it. He joked to Merlin that his hair was sticky-outy like his ears so it was perfect. Merlin laughed & gently shoved Arthur away.

Merlin & Arthur sat in companionable silence while they had a light snack & something to drink before returning to their seats & just enjoying each other's company until they arrived at their destination.

**********

Once the plane landed & Arthur & Merlin were shuttled to their hotel, they were both exhausted but Merlin had never before touched the ocean so they changed into swim trunks, t-shirts & grabbed their flip-flops & towels (thank you very much Morgana & Gwen for thinking of everything) before heading to the water. Their suite was oceanfront with a spectacular view so it was a quick trip down to the beach.

When they got to the beach, they took off their t-shirts & sandals before Merlin headed for the surf. The look on Merlin's face when he stuck his toes in the water was priceless. He was like a puppy with a new toy. He was bouncing & splashing around & rushed toward Arthur to pull him along with him. They couldn't contain their glee & soon were up to their chests in the warm crystal clear water. Arthur couldn't recall a time when Merlin looked happier. He wanted this moment to last forever.

The sun was beginning to set when Merlin & Arthur made it back to the beach & their towels. They sat holding hands watching the sunset together & it was magical. Once they made it back to their suite, Merlin bashfully asked Arthur if he wanted to shower before or after him. Arthur got a glint in his eyes & suggested they conserve water & shower together.

Merlin couldn't contain his smirk but also felt nervous about being in front of Arthur without any clothes. They'd only ever cuddled together so this was a big step in their relationship. (Merlin was unaware that Arthur had seen him naked in the hospital while he was fighting through his fever.) Arthur approached Merlin & slowly caressed his arms before motioning to the bathroom for him to follow if he wanted. It didn't take much thinking on Merlin's part before he was joining Arthur in the shower.

Later that night, as they laid snuggled together in their king sized bed looking out at the moonlit ocean, Arthur couldn't believe any of this was real. How could he be so lucky to be lying next to the man of his dreams. Merlin shifted impossibly closer to Arthur before rubbing their noses together & planting a loving kiss on Arthur's lips.

He thanked Arthur for bringing him to this place & for everything he'd done for Merlin over the past several months. Arthur could see the love & devotion in Merlin's eyes. Merlin peppered his face with kisses, each one given a special sentiment...I love your eyes...kiss...I love your nose...kiss...I love your smile...kiss...I love your laugh...kiss, & it went on & on like that until Arthur wrestled Merlin over onto his back & returned the favor. Soon, though, Arthur & Merlin were growing more & more tired, it had been a long day after all, so they resumed their normal position, with Arthur being the big spoon & Merlin the little spoon & that's how they fell asleep.

When they woke up the next morning, the sun was shining brightly & they had the whole day ahead of them with nothing to do. Arthur informed Merlin that Morgana had taken it upon herself to arrange for them to go horseback riding on the beach, parasailing, & several other activities while they were on vacation but those could be scheduled at their leisure. Merlin was hoping today they could spend the day soaking up the sun & swimming. Of course Arthur wanted to do anything Merlin wanted so that's how they spent their day.

**********

They'd been relaxing in the Caribbean for just over a week when Merlin asked how long they'd be staying for. Arthur's answer was that they could stay as long as they wanted just as long as they made it back to London in time for Morgana's Christmas party. Merlin beamed at that, as he wasn't ready to leave paradise yet but he was anxious to see all their friends again.

On day 10 of their vacation, Arthur arranged a sunset boat ride. He had made all the plans without Merlin's knowledge, making sure they'd be served Merlin's favorite foods & wine. Little did Merlin know that this was the day Arthur would be proposing.


As Arthur ushered Merlin toward the Marina & their private yacht for the night, he couldn't keep his hand out of his pocket, checking & re-checking that the ring was still there. Merlin didn't seem to sense anything was up, he was just delighted that Arthur had planned such a romantic evening for them.

After settling down for dinner while taking in the beautiful sunset, Merlin could tell something was wrong with Arthur. He seemed tense or nervous or something but Merlin tried to ignore it. Once dinner was through & they were sipping their wine while relaxing against each other, Arthur walked over to the railing & looked out over the sea. Merlin soon followed & hugged Arthur from behind.

It was at this point that Arthur turned in his arms & began his well-rehearsed speech. He told Merlin how much his life had changed since he became part of it, what a better person he was with Merlin by his side & how he couldn't imagine a life without Merlin in it. It was then that Arthur dropped to one knee, reached for Merlin's hand & asked if he would do him the honor of marrying him.

Merlin was speechless. As tears filled his eyes, he began nodding his head. "Yes, yes, yes, of course I'll marry you!" before he managed to pull Arthur to his feet & press kiss after kiss to his lips. Arthur let out a sigh of relief before he pulled back with a chuckle.

"Well, since you are now my fiance, I think you need to be wearing this" & he pulled out the ring box from his trousers. In it was a beautiful platinum band with a dragon etched around it. In the center, where the dragon's eye would be was a blue sapphire, the color of Merlin's eyes. As he slipped it on Merlin's finger, Merlin began to shake. Never in his life did Merlin ever expect to find such a love, one that was completely unconditional. He knew right then that no matter what, Arthur would always be by his side & he'd always be by Arthur's side. They were made for each other, like puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together.

**********

Two & a half weeks after arriving in the Caribbean, it was time to head back home to London, only this time they'd be heading back as a newly engaged couple. Neither could contain their happiness. As they once again boarded their private plane, they were excited to see their friends & share the news with them. Morgana had known, or at least suspected, that Arthur was going to propose but he just hoped she had kept it quiet & not told the others. He & Merlin wanted to be the ones to share the news with them.

When the plane landed, Morgana had a limo waiting to drive them back to "their" place. Merlin couldn't believe it. He was so used to it being Arthur's place that it was strange to hear Arthur refer to it as "theirs" but he liked the sound of it. He was surprised to find all his belongings had already been moved in.

"You were awful sure of yourself, weren't you? What if I'd said no?" but then Merlin laughed at the shocked look on Arthur's face. He did worry that Merlin would decline his proposal, not that he didn't think Merlin loved him but he was afraid Merlin would think they were rushing things. "Welcome home sweetheart" was all Arthur said before pulling Merlin into a loving embrace.


**********

Merlin settled right in to Arthur's flat, helped along by Arthur going out of his way to make accommodations for all of Merlin's possessions. Why Merlin kept some of the stuff he did was beyond Arthur but it was a small concession to make to insure Merlin felt comfortable & welcomed.

Morgana's party was being held a week after the young men returned to London & settled into their flat, As they got dressed & packed up all the souvenirs they had gotten for everyone, Merlin started rubbing at his eyes. Arthur noticed almost immediately & panic set in. Merlin did everything to assure him that it was simply a headache & nothing to worry about. Merlin took some aspirin & within 15-20 minutes, he started to notice some relief from the pain. Arthur was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

When they arrived at Morgana's party, everyone was already there. As Morgana opened the door to allow them entrance, they were immediately swarmed by their friends. Leon was the first to grab Arthur while Gwaine rushed to Merlin. He grabbed Merlin's cheeks in his hands & planted a big kiss right on his mouth. As Merlin sputtered, Arthur playfully pushed him away, telling him hands off! Lancelot was the next at Merlin's side, wrapping him up in a big hug & telling him how great it was to see him. Gwen squeezed her way in to be the next to welcome Arthur & Merlin home. The rest of their friends waited for their turn to greet the missing members of their group.

Once everyone had their chance at hugs & well-wishes, Morgana called everyone to dinner. Just before everyone was to dig in, Arthur cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. As he stood, he held Merlin's hand tightly in his own.

"I have an announcement to make. As you all know, Merlin is in remission & the outlook for the future is great. On that note..."

"Let me guess, Merlin's pregnant!" interrupted Gwaine, causing everyone to break out in laughter.

"Not funny, you arse" was Merlin's reply.

"Before I was so rudely interrupted," Arthur continued, "I recently asked Merlin to marry me & he said yes". It was at this time that their eyes met & they shared a smile only meant for each other.

Everyone started cheering & offering their congratulations. Morgana & Gwen had tears in their eyes, they were so happy. True to her word, Morgana had kept Arthur's proposal a secret, even from Gwen.

Once everyone settled down & dinner was underway, the conversation returned to normal, with everyone catching up with everyone else. The gang couldn't help but notice the change that had taken place in Merlin & Arthur. Although they both seemed happy enough on their own, now being together was a whole different story. There was a light in their eyes & they seemed to glow in each other's company. All agreed they were a perfect match.

It was while enjoying dessert that Morgana & Gwen started inquiring about wedding plans. Merlin & Arthur looked at each other then turned to the girls & smiled coyly. Morgana & Gwen screeched in unison. They were now in charge of planning the wedding of two of their nearest & dearest. Merlin leaned over to ask Arthur "what have we done?". Arthur just snickered & shook his head.

Everyone gathered in Morgana's living room once the meal was finished. Arthur helped Merlin hand out the souvenirs they had gotten for everyone, which they all loved. Then it was time for other gifts to be exchanged.

As Gwaine handed Merlin his gift, he rustled his hair & told him he made a really cute porcupine. Morgana & Gwen shot death glares at Gwaine but Merlin just laughed along with Arthur, knowing his hair did resemble a porcupine, what with it sticking out this way & that. Lancelot & Leon burst into laughter & everyone else followed suit, laughing so hard it brought tears to their eyes. And at that moment, it was exactly what they all needed. They were all back together, like one big, happy, disfunctional family & nothing was going to come between them again.

**********


Morgana & Gwen took their job as wedding planners very seriously. With Merlin & Arthur's protests against having a big wedding, the two women set about planning a small, intimate affair that the future grooms asked for.

Merlin had asked Will to be his best man while Arthur wanted Morgana to stand up with him. It was Gwen who was going to be escorting Merlin down the aisle since he had no living family & she was like a sister to him.

The small guest list included their closest mates, both Dr Kilgharrah & Dr Gaius & of course Uther, who wasn't expected to show anyway. In total, there were around 40 guests, including spouses & significant others, that they invited.

It was a beautiful spring afternoon when Merlin & Arthur said their "I dos" under a sunny sky in the park where they first kissed all those months ago. Morgana & Gwen kept to their word, keeping everything lovely but understated, nothing too extravagant.

As Arthur waited for Merlin to come down the aisle, he was shocked to see Uther sitting by himself in the back row. When they made eye contact, he saw regret in Uther's gaze. This was the first time they'd had any contact since Arthur called him to resign & informed his father that he was gay.

Arthur didn't have time to think on that right now because Merlin was bouncing down the aisle, Gwen in tow. In complete Merlin style, he found himself flailing when he tripped over what appeared to be thin air but quickly righted himself. Everyone present broke into silent laughter while Arthur simply shook his head & smirked. Merlin, face red, shrugged & carried on toward Arthur's outstretched hand.

Vows were said, rings were exchanged & Merlin & Arthur kissed for the first time as husband & husband to the boisterous applause of those in attendance. Once photos were taken, everyone proceeded to the Dragon's Call for the reception. Normally it would have been packed on the weekend but Morgana had booked the entire pub for this special occasion.

Mordred happened to be bartending for this event &, although he still harbored a secret crush on Merlin, he could see how truly happy Merlin was so he couldn't help but be happy for him. He made his way to the grooms' table & wished them both much happiness, which he honestly meant. It was time for him to move on & find his own true love.

Uther was looking uncomfortable, sitting near the bar, when Arthur approached, Merlin by his side. As Uther spoke, Arthur saw for the first time a vulnerable side to him. He didn't want to lose his only son & acknowledged all the mistakes he'd made, pushing Arthur to follow in his footsteps, never once taking Arthur's own feelings into consideration.

It was then that Uther looked over to Merlin, stuck out his hand to shake & welcomed Merlin into the family. Merlin, too swept up in what he had just heard & witnessed, went in for a hug instead, much to Arthur's amusement & Uther's shock. But Uther not only accepted but returned Merlin's hug, chuckling while doing so. He could see what Arthur loved about this man, he was quite endearing. And Uther was sure they were going to make each other very happy.

Several hours & many, many bottles of champaign later, the reception started winding down & guests extended their best wishes before heading out. All that remained were the grooms, Morgana, Gwen, Lancelot, Leon, Gwaine, Percy, Elyan, Elena & Mithian (the newest recruit to their group). It was time for Merlin & Arthur to head to the airport to head out for their honeymoon, which was to be a surprise arranged by Morgana & Gwen.

But before they left, the gang huddled together for a big group hug. They all vowed never to let anyone or anything ever come between any of them ever again. They promised each other that they'd be there to look out for one another no matter what. They were a family, now & forever, & families stick together & that was that. It was at this moment that Gwaine spoke up & asked if they could possibly put Arthur up for adoption. They all broke down into laughter but the love in the room was felt by all.


**********

Three years later

Merlin was just getting dressed when Dr Kilgharrah entered the room. Arthur sat on the stool nearest the exam table & waited for the doctor to speak. Once they saw the smile cross Dr Kilgharrah's face, they knew it was the news they had been waiting for. Merlin had been cancer-free for three years now so it was highly unlikely that the cancer would reappear. Merlin was the first to hug the doctor, followed by Arthur who thanked him profusely for everything he had done for his husband. And although this would be the last time they'd see Dr Kilgharrah again in a professional capacity, they promised to keep in touch & let him know how everything was going.


It was off to Ealdor next. Much to Merlin's delight, Arthur had surprised him with a charming little house not far from Will's as a wedding present. He knew how much Will's friendship meant to Merlin & they had both grown to love Ealdor & it's small town charm so it was an easy decision to purchase a home that they could escape to when big city life became to stressful.

They spent a week visiting with Will & getting acquainted with his new girlfriend, Freya. She seemed to be a lovely young woman & they appeared quite smitten with one another. Will wanted to propose to her but he didn't want to do anything without getting Merlin & Arthur's opinions first, as he truly valued what they thought. Both gave Will the green light, thinking they made a wonderful couple & knew they could have a terrific life together.

Not long after they returned to their flat in London did they get the call they'd been anxiously awaiting. It was from the adoption agency that they'd been working with for the past year & a half. They were about to become parents. But better still, the agency wanted to know if they'd be able to take both babies, as a set of newborn twin boys had just come up for adoption.

As if their lives weren't perfect enough as it was, they were now the proud parents of Andrew & Oliver (Andy & Ollie for short).

Arthur sat in the nursery rocking Andy to sleep while Merlin fed Ollie his bottle in the other rocker. Arthur & Merlin couldn't believe how much their lives had changed in just a few short years. They'd gone from barely acknowledging each other's existence to developing a friendship, which led to dating before Merlin made a run for it. They survived Merlin's health problems, fell in love, moved in together & got married. And now, here they sat, caring for their baby boys. It was then that they knew no matter what life threw at them, they would get through it together...always together.


THE END