Work Text:
The waters of Avalon were clear, calm, and rippling gently in the light breeze. Things were quiet and peaceful, especially when compared to the sea storm roiling inside of Merlin, dashing his tiny ship of hope against the rocks of time.
"C'mon, Arthur..." Merlin murmured to himself, rolling a stick between his palms. "Just like you to be late to your own party..."
Merlin had been gently antagonizing the lake for centuries and to no avail. His voice jacked in frequency and urgency as bitterness foamed out of him. "It's no longer fashionable, you know!"
He threw the stick into the lake, and for a moment, it was Excalibur all over again. He had relived that moment millions of times, but never had it felt like this; like the first time all over again.
The next thing Merlin knew, he was standing and flinging handfuls of soil and clouds of dirt clinging to grassroots into the shore. "I dare you!" He screamed.
"I dare you to be real!" Choking back sobs, Merlin sank back his knees and clawed at his hair. "I dare you, Arthur Pendragon, you insufferable prat! Come back to me..."
Arthur was not the sort of man to back down from a challenge. All it would take was time.