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Uther died of illness two years after Arthur's return to Camelot. When Arthur took the throne, sorcerer hunting was immediately put to an end but he had to wait three more years to have asserted his authority enough to be able to lift the ban on magic without compromising his reign. Not that it had happened without difficulty but in the end, the majority of his people accepted the change. That was when Arthur's wait began. Every day he woke up hoping to be announced that a sorcerer named Merlin demanded to see him. Every night he went to bed disappointed. He began to think he hadn't done enough to Merlin's taste, so when Gaius, the court physician, expressed the wish to retire, Arthur appointed a sorcerer to take his place. He also found a teacher for the magic children of Camelot. The kingdom thrived and earned the reputation of a safe haven for magic users of all kind. Yet Merlin never gave a sign. When, finally, Arthur went to his house to enquire about him, he found the place empty.
Years went by. Arthur was known as a generous and fair king, loved by all. He was proud of what he'd achieved and delighted to see how well magic users had integrated. Yet something was missing. All he could think of at night, lying awake in his bed, was his time with Merlin. He wondered what he had done wrong to disappoint Merlin so much he had disappeared. Or had the sorcerer simply forgotten him? He missed him. He missed the way everything had been simple with him. He missed his honesty, even if sometimes his words had hurt. He missed his smiles. But there was nothing he could do about it.
Then the curse began. At first, everyone thought it was a rough season. The rain would stop soon, like it always did. It didn't. Crops were lost. Villages were flooded. The kingdom became a giant puddle of mud and still the rain didn't stop. People from the whole kingdom were seeking refuge in the city. Food reserves were diminishing quickly. Sorcerers tried to break the curse, in vain. Finally, Arthur sent men to find out where Merlin lived. He didn't want to ask for his help, not when he was already so deeply indebted to him, but he was now Camelot's last hope. A week later, one of his knights had found his trace.
The trip, that would have been long under normal conditions, was lengthened by the terrible state of the roads. At times it seemed they would never even reach the border. Then suddenly, they could see the sun, not above them but a few miles away. This sight made them increase their pace. Later, the rain disappeared and they stepped into a dry field, spilled with spring flowers. The sun was warm on their soaked skin. A sigh of relief ran through the knights. If they had turned around, they would have seen dark clouds and a curtain of rain stopping abruptly. They had left Camelot territory.
After that, their progression was easier and quicker too. They still needed a week to reach the village Merlin lived in, though, much to Arthur's frustration. Every day they spent travelling was a day food reserves dwindled and people died as well as a day they would have to travel back. As if that wasn't enough, a nagging feeling had settled in the pit of the king's stomach at their departure and had kept growing from there. Nine years had passed since the last time he'd seen Merlin. There was no reason whatsoever for Merlin to welcome him with any sort of enthusiasm. That might have contributed to the knot in his stomach but, as painful as that was, Arthur could live with a few cold words and a brisk leave-taking. What kept him awake at night was the knowledge that Merlin was Camelot's last chance. The lives of his people depended on his meeting so he'd better not mess it up. Not knowing what he'd done to disappoint Merlin, of course, didn't help.
The villager Arthur asked for directions to Merlin's house eyed him and his knights suspiciously. The king couldn't blame him.
"What do you seek him for?" the man asked.
"I only want to talk to him."
The villager frowned deeper, visibly unconvinced.
"He's a well-loved man here. Heals our sick and teaches our children. He's done nothing wrong."
"I'm sure of that. I assure you I mean him no harm. Besides, I'm sure my men and I wouldn't stand a chance against him."
The man wavered a bit longer but the argument must have softened his reticence because he pointed to a small house in the middle of the village. Arthur thanked him with a coin and walked in the direction he'd indicated, leaving his horse to one of his men.
He realised his hand was trembling when he raised it to knock and he cursed under his breath. He inhaled deeply and chased the memories of months spent in the woods away from his mind. Instead, he focused on the never-ending queue of people waiting for a portion of food he saw every day in the yard, the children complaining of hunger to their helpless parents, old people growing weaker before his eyes. Then he knocked.
Arthur's self-control was smashed to pieces when the door opened. Merlin had changed. His shoulder had widened, his face had lost his most boyish features. But his eyes were exactly as Arthur remembered, a deep and sparkling blue that made his heart miss a beat. They widened at the sight of the king.
"Hello, Merlin." Arthur went for casual but his tone was sharper than he'd intended to.
"A-Arthur?"
A horse whinnied and Merlin tore his gaze a way from Arthur and tensed as he noticed the handful of men taking care of their horses.
"My men," the king provided. "They won't cause any trouble."
Merlin nodded slowly. Finally, he seemed to realise what was expected of him and stepped aside to let Arthur in. The king walked in. As he took in his surroundings, a modestly furnished room in which every horizontal surface was covered in jars and vials, he was aware of the sorcerer's gaze on him.
"Why are you here?" Merlin asked after a long, awkward silence.
"I'm afraid I need your help, once again."
"Oh."
Arthur didn't miss the way Merlin's posture tensed slightly. Of course, he wasn't pleased with the request.
"You're my last hope."
"Yes, I imagine you wouldn't have come to me unless you didn't have another choice." Merlin's voice was sharp and full of bitterness. It hurt but Arthur decided he deserved it.
"Will you at least hear me out? Please. I should add you'd be remunerated, of course. Just name your price and, providing it's in my power to give, it'll be yours."
Merlin studied him in silence. His gaze left Arthur with a feeling of awkwardness he was not used to. It made him ashamed too, of daring to ask for help again when he was already so indebted to the sorcerer and all the mistakes he'd made although he wasn't sure what they were. Then Merlin sighed and gestured to the table and the adjacent chairs.
"Sit down."
Arthur obeyed. Merlin took place opposite him.
"So what is it?"
"Camelot's cursed though nobody knows why or by whom. For more than two moons now, the rain hasn't stopped. Rivers have burst their banks, our crops are lost and illnesses are spreading. We're down to our last reserves of food and they won't last long. The most skilled sorcerers of my people have tried to break the curse or at least localise its source but all of them have failed."
"One does not put a curse of that scale without reason. That sorcerer must be very angry at you."
"I swear I don't know what I've done to deserve it. But whoever that sorcerer is, I'll gladly hear them out and do everything in my power to right my wrongs."
Merlin pondered. His jaw was set, his eyes guarded. Arthur felt his chances slip by. As silence stretched, Arthur added: "Look, I know I have no right to come to you and ask for your help once more. Had I been the only one to suffer from that curse I wouldn't have dared seek your assistance. But my people are dying. Please, don't make them pay for the pain I caused you."
The sorcerer let out a sigh, his shoulders hunched slightly. Arthur knew he'd found the right argument.
"When do we leave?"
"As soon as possible."
"Let me pack a few things and we can go."
***
On the journey back, Merlin and Arthur didn't exchange a word that wasn't absolutely necessary. The knights had brought a horse for the sorcerer and Arthur had been worried the sorcerer couldn't mount but he was soon reminded Merlin had a way with animals.
They reached Camelot and its downpour without trouble. Passed the border, Merlin eased their journey by putting a shield around the group to protect them from the rain and by solidifying the mud under their horses' steps. That helped lighten the group's mood but not by much. Arthur didn't miss Merlin's concerned gaze whenever they rode past a village, abandoned or whose inhabitant had shut themselves up to avoid the rain, they could never tell. His concern increased in the lower town, which was swarming with people come in hope to find food and shelter. There was no doubt now he was determined to do everything he could to break the curse. And if that resolve had nothing to do with Arthur, the king could only accept the pain and be grateful he would help at all.
Once in the castle, Arthur led Merlin to the best guest room so he could rest from the long journey before starting to work the next day.
"I assumed you wouldn't enjoy the formal dinner the situation would call for normally, so I'll have a servant bring your meal in a few moments, although I’m afraid it won’t be much," the king said once inside the guest room. After all, Merlin had never lived at court and was unlikely to feel comfortable in such a formal event. The man Arthur remembered enjoyed simple things.
Merlin's eyebrow shut up.
"That's…very thoughtful of you."
"I hope I haven't got ahead of myself. If-"
"No. No, I prefer it that way. Thank you."
For the first time since their departure from his home, Merlin smiled. Arthur found himself unable not to smile back. Then the gravity of the situation came back to his mind and his smile faltered.
"No, thanks to you, Merlin. If you need anything, just ask a servant."
"I will. Thank you."
Arthur nodded and left.
***
The next day, Arthur was too busy discussing further food rationing with the council to give Merlin a tour of the castle as he'd initially planned and had to send a knight instead. It might be for the best. If the situation was dire enough for both of them to be civil and put their past aside, Arthur had felt during the journey that Merlin was tense whenever he was around. At least that way the king wouldn't disturb him while he worked.
Arthur was in his room studying reports on the spread of various illnesses in the lower town, his stomach sinking deeper at every line, when there was a knock on the door.
"Come in!"
The door half-opened and Merlin's head slipped in the gap.
"Hi! Um... I don't know if that's proper and judging by the look one of your servant just shot me, I guess it's not but I don't know much about court protocol so um… Mind if I come in?"
Arthur couldn't help but chuckle. It was good to see Merlin coming out of his reserve. It reminded him of the man he'd once known, the one he'd fell in love with. The one he'd lost.
"It definitely goes against every rule but I can make an exception for you." He gestured to the chair opposite him. "Join me."
Merlin walked in and carefully closed the door behind him. As he crossed the room, he shot curious looks around him, taking in the fireplace, the candelabrums and the wooden wardrobe. He must have liked what he saw because he sat down with a smile. Arthur would have happily studying him until dawn but there were more urgent matters. Besides, it would only make the pain stronger.
"You wanted to talk to me?" he prompted. Merlin's smile disappeared.
"Yes. I did everything I could but I can't break the curse. I could, of course, create a shield to stop the rain but that would only be temporary. Besides, I could never make one large enough to cover the whole kingdom and that wouldn't help the lack of sunlight."
Arthur's chest tightened. He had to hold back a whine of despair at the thought of his people, huddled together in houses too small to shelter them all. So many had died already. He swallowed the lump in his throat.
"Is there nothing you can do?"
"I should be able to track it to its source and then… Well, I'll do my best to convince that sorcerer to break their curse."
"I'll come with you."
"It could be dangerous. What if… What if they're another Morgana?"
Arthur waved his concern away with a gesture of the hand.
"I'm not sitting here doing nothing while my people are dying. If someone should negotiate with that sorcerer, it's me. I'll take a few knights, although if it comes to that I doubt they'll matter much. I won't ask you for your protection."
Merlin titled his head to the side. He had a lopsided smile Arthur couldn't quite read.
"Who says I don't want to protect you?
Arthur blinked.
"I-I just assumed-"
Merlin interrupted him with a wave of the hand.
"I suggest you leave your men here. They wouldn't be of any use and the sorcerer might feel threatened by them."
The king wavered. What Merlin suggested went against his instincts yet it made sense, assuming he could trust the sorcerer with his safety. He didn't see any reason not to. Merlin wasn't vicious enough to make such a suggestion only to turn his back on him.
"As you wish."
Merlin's smile widened.
"When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow at dawn. The sooner the better. If that's alright for you?"
Merlin nodded. He stood up and made for the door but stopped mid-way and turned to Arthur.
"We'll find them. I promise."
****
Merlin led Arthur deep into the forest. As before, his magic made them travel in dry conditions, much to the king's relief. They travelled in silence though Arthur couldn't tell if Merlin was too busy tracking the curse or if he simply didn't want to talk.
It felt strange to be alone with Merlin again. It brought up memories of time long since gone and the heart-breaking knowledge that nothing would ever be like before. The cheerful and babbling man Arthur had known was now guarded and silent around him. If only Arthur knew what he'd done wrong. There was so much he wanted to say, to ask, but the time wasn't right. There were more urgent matters to focus on.
It was past midday when they reached the clearing that could only be the place they were seeking. The sun was shining on that little portion of grass. The earth was dry. A small house stood in the centre, more like a shed. Its door opened before they could make their presence known. An old, gnarled woman walked out of it. Her long white hair fell in her wrinkled face. Arthur bowed.
"My Lady," he said although judging by her worn robes she was far from one. He'd learned respecting his opponents always helped.
She laughed.
"A Pendragon calling someone like me a lady, what a novelty."
"Times have changed. Magic is no longer banned in Camelot. Magic users of all kind are free to live here and treated like any other citizen."
"It doesn't change the past."
"Nothing can," Merlin intervened.
The sorceress shot him a glance full of contempt.
"And who are you?"
"My name's Merlin but the druids call me Emrys."
The woman gasped then her face contorted in a grimace. She spat at him.
"How dare you? You, the mightiest of us all, how dare you take his side?"
"Arthur is not the one killing innocent people right now."
She snarled and Arthur cursed under his breath. Merlin had obviously a thing or two to learn about diplomacy.
"Camelot must pay for what it did to sorcerers, for what it did to me!"
"And what is it Camelot did to you, lady… "Arthur trailed off. "I'm afraid I didn't ask your name."
She bared her teeth and studied him.
"Mary," she finally said after a pause. "And you can stop with your flattery, it doesn’t work on me."
"Alright, Mary. What has Camelot done to you?"
"What do you think? My whole family died! Uther killed my husband and my three sons. Then he hunted me down. I had to abandon my home and flee. I lost everything! But I swore I would get my revenge. So here I am."
"I am deeply sorry. What my father did, to you and to every other sorcerer, was wrong. But I can't bring your family back."
"But you can suffer as I suffered!"
"Mary, you are not targeting the right people. Yes, I suffer but I am not the only one. Your curse affects my people. Innocents are dying, their parents, siblings and spouses are grieving. They do not deserve it. This is not the way to get your revenge. Please, if someone deserves to pay for Uther's mistakes, it's me, not my people."
"Arthur!" Merlin hissed. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Righting my father's wrongs."
"That's not the way to do it!"
"Yes," Mary intervened. "It is. Uther's son must die and the Pendragon line with him."
"And what would that change?" Merlin cried. "Can't you see what Arthur has done? He saved dozens of sorcerers under Uther's reign. He lifted the ban on magic and provided shelter to hundreds of sorcerers. What more do you want? Killing Arthur would only put an end to a time of peace for the sorcerers of Camelot. This peace is still fragile, it wouldn't survive if the king were to die at the hand of magic. Is that what you want? Does your revenge matters so much to you that you're willing to rob hundreds of sorcerers of their peaceful existence?"
Mary and Arthur both stared at him. The king hadn't expected Merlin to defend him, not with so much passion and certainly not by resting on the politics he'd been so disappointed about. He could sense the sorceress' determination falter, though, and that was what truly mattered now. He would have time to reflect on Merlin's words later.
"I don't think that's what you want," Merlin said calmly after a moment. "Come on, now. Break the curse. Enough people have died."
Mary turned to Arthur.
"What would happen to me if I did?"
"I can't allow you to stay in Camelot. Not after all the harm you've done. You'll be banned."
"You won't execute me?"
"I should. You certainly deserve it. But as Merlin said, enough people have died."
The sorceress studied him as she considered his words.
"How do I know you won't change your mind?" she finally asked.
"You have my word."
"That's hardly enough."
"That's all you'll have. You should consider yourself lucky to walk away with the damage you've done."
He held her defiant gaze. Slowly, he saw her surrender until she sighed and broke the eye-contact. She muttered a few words and the rain around the clearing stopped.
"I've done my part," she said.
Arthur nodded once in acknowledgement.
"You have until tomorrow at nightfall to leave Camelot's territory."
"Very well."
Without another word, she disappeared into the house. Arthur let out a sigh of relief. His muscles relaxed. He turned to Merlin with a smile but it faltered under Merlin's glare. Jaw set, he jerked his head in the direction they'd come from and, without word, walked away. Puzzled, Arthur followed.
Merlin walked quickly to their horses. He was mounted before Arthur even reached them. His body was tense and he held the reins in tight fists. The king didn't dare ask what was wrong. Instead he released his horse, sat in the saddle and headed for Camelot. Merlin's sulking left him a bitter feeling. He might have saved Camelot but somehow, he'd disappointed the sorcerer again. And it hurt.
"You're such a clotpole," Merlin said, long after they'd started their journey back. Arthur jolted at the sound of his voice.
"Um…What?"
Merlin glared at him.
"What were you thinking? Offering your life like that?"
"If Mary could be convinced of nothing else, it was a reasonable and honourable solution."
"Reasonable? How on earth was that reasonable?"
Arthur blinked. Such vehemence surprised him. Could Merlin care about him? That seemed beyond reason.
"One life to save thousands, doesn't that sound reasonable to you?"
"You're the king!"
"Yes and therefore the one in position to make such a sacrifice."
"This is ridiculous."
"Look, I know it's hard to understand but… Becoming king, it changes the way you see things. I'm responsible for the well-being of my people. The right decision is not always the easiest one and I must be ready to make sacrifices."
Merlin made a noncommittal sound.
"Still, it was pretty shitty decision making, if you ask me. With your death, everything you've done as a king would have been gone. You know sorcerers would have been hunted down if you'd died at the hand of one of them."
Of course, Arthur realised with an internal sigh, it was the sorcerers Merlin was worried about, not him. He couldn’t begrudge him that. And he certainly had no right to feel disappointed.
"You're right and that would have been a tragedy."
"So what? You just didn't think it was important enough?"
This was more that Arthur could take without losing his temper.
"Don't you dare!" he growled then collected himself and continued in a lower voice. "When I took the throne, no one wanted to hear about lifting the ban on magic, let alone give sorcerers rights. I had to fight hard against the council. They said I was betraying my father, dishonouring his name and destroying his life's work. There were plots against me. Two of them almost worked and I would have been killed if it hadn't been for my most trusted knight. Most commoners were relieved to see the persecutions end but not all of them. I had to fight years of prejudices spread by my father. When I gave shelter to a family of sorcerers in the castle, it almost triggered a riot. But I held on because I truly believe in equality for magic users. Mentalities start to change but it's hard work. Sorcerers might have equality on paper but discrimination still exists, especially in distant villages. And now part of this work's gone to ashes and I'll have to do it all over again. But I won't give up. So don't you dare say I don't care about your people."
Arthur stopped, out of breath, his cheeks reddening. He didn't like boasting about his achievements but he was proud of them and he was certainly not letting anyone belittle what he'd done. His words had the desired effect because Merlin was silent, a bit wide-eyed.
"You're right about one thing, though," Arthur added in a softer tone. "I should have tried harder to convince her before I came up with that solution. I'm glad you were there."
There was a long silence after that. So long that Arthur thought the conversation over when Merlin asked shyly: "What do you mean you'll have to do it again?"
"With the disaster the curse caused, some people will want a new law on sorcery. They'll use this event to support their belief that magic is wrong and try to make the commoners rally behind their cause. Never mind that for years they've mixed with sorcerers without problem, never mind that some of their children's friends are sorcerers or that they've been healed by the court physician who is one. They'll forget and concentrate on Mary."
"So um…Do you have a plan?"
"Stand my ground, obviously. I'll ask for volunteers amongst sorcerers to repair the damage, dry out the fields, help the crops grow, rebuild villages, whatever they can do. To remind people that magic isn't inherently bad."
"Sounds good."
The honesty in Merlin’s voice made Arthur relax a little.
"Yeah? Obviously, you're in a better position than me to know what your people need. So you know… If I missed something, I’d be glad to hear it."
Merlin turned to him with a smile. There was something bright lightening up his eyes when he looked at Arthur. If the king hadn't known better, he would have said it was admiration.
They travelled as long as they could but were forced to stop when the light faded. Merlin offered to light their way but Arthur knew he wasn't used to long rides so he preferred to give him some rest. They set the camp on a patch of earth the sorcerer dried up. He then busied himself with the horse while Arthur collected small wood.
By the time they sat around a fire to eat what little bread they had brought, it was pitch dark. Merlin created shapes in the flames, flying dragons and running horses. Arthur's eyes went from the fire to the sorcerer's face, glowing in trembling light. The king was as fascinated with his magic that he had been all those years before, when Merlin had toyed with his powers to impress him. He wondered if that was what Merlin was trying to do now but doubted it. Then the shapes disappeared.
"Would you like some dessert?" Merlin asked with a playful grin.
"I doubt you'll find anything close to that in our packs."
"No need."
The sorcerer put a hand on the ground and a moment later, indented leaves were sprouting from the earth all around the fire. They grew quickly then budded. The buds bloomed heartbeats before their petals withered, giving way to small, white fruits quickly growing and reddening. Moments later the ground was covered in strawberries. Arthur stared in wonder.
"Don't look so surprised. You've seen me gardening before."
"It doesn't make it any less fascinating," Arthur said, looking up at the sorcerer.
"Yeah, well. Try them before you say anything else. I don't usually make them grow so fast."
Not needing to be asked twice, Arthur picked a fruit and bit into the red flesh. The fresh and sweet taste was a delight after weeks of rationing. He moaned.
"Gods, it's delicious."
"Thanks."
The king could have sworn Merlin was blushing.
They ate until their bellies were full, although Arthur felt slightly guilty to be gorging himself while his people were starving. It was a one-off, though. As soon as he would be back to Camelot, he would summon all willing sorcerers and organise a plan of action to grow crops much like Merlin had just done. They'd tried before, of course, but none of the plants had survived in the dreadful conditions the curse had caused. The sorcerers weren't strong enough. Arthur hoped that with the stopping of the rain things would be different. He didn't dare ask Merlin for more help.
The sorcerer went back to making figures in the fire. Arthur's gaze lingered more and more on his face than on the flames. They needed to talk but he wasn't sure how. Merlin might not be hostile, yet he'd been hurt nonetheless. Arthur was loath to see him retreat into his distant self again.
In the end, it was Merlin who spoke first.
"I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have implied you didn't care about magic users. Obviously, you're very committed to the cause and… Really, what you've done in Camelot is amazing."
Arthur blinked, slightly stunned.
"Is it? I thought… I thought what I've done had disappointed you."
"What? What makes you think that?"
"I thought once I changed the law, you'd visit me but… You never came. I thought I'd done something wrong or not enough or-"
"I was waiting for you!"
The king gaped at this outburst. He must have misheard, he thought, because that was simply impossible. It took him a few heartbeats to come out of his stupor.
"What?"
"When I heard you lifted the ban on magic, I waited for you. I thought you'd forgotten me. You could have come and see me!"
"I-I did. The first year leaving the city would have been to dangerous but then, I did. But you were gone."
"So you hadn't forgotten me?"
"Of course not!"
They stared at each other, dazed. Arthur couldn't believe it. All these years of pain and guilt and questioning, they had all been for nothing. And now it might be too late. Merlin hadn't talked about his life. For all Arthur knew, he'd found someone else. In any case, years of resentment wouldn't disappear in a click of the fingers. Silence fell as they both struggled to come to terms with the revelation.
"You said you'd ask sorcerers to help repair the damages of the curse," Merlin said a few moments later. "I could help… If you want."
Arthur was surprised by the sudden change of topic but saw the offer as it was: a way for the sorcerer to say he wanted, not only to make himself useful, but also to spend time with him.
"Don't you have someone waiting for you back home?"
"Only a few children I teach but other people in the village can take care of that."
"Then I'd really appreciate it."
Merlin smiled then blushed when his gaze met Arthur's and he focused on the fire instead. It had taken the shape of a mounted knight in full armour. As the horse reared up, the king's gaze flickered to Merlin. He lost himself in memories, remembering their peaceful and simple life in the woods, Merlin's thankful smile every morning when Arthur had made him breakfast because he always woke up first, the long walks they spent talking and laughing, the wonders of the sorcerer's magic. The mornings he woke up holding Merlin in his arms, dying to stay right there until the sorcerer opened his eyes but never daring to. How he wished he could go back in time. The weight of missed opportunities crushed his chest.
Arthur wondered if, against all odds, they still had a chance. Merlin had made a move to show him he wanted to try and patch things up, at least. Maybe Arthur should reach out too.
"If you enjoy your stay in Camelot, I… I need a court sorcerer. Obviously, you don't have to take a decision now. Just, you know, think about it."
"What happened to the previous one?"
"There wasn't a previous one."
"Why now then? Why me?"
Arthur wished he hadn't asked but lying wasn't an option, however vulnerable the truth made him feel.
"I never considered giving the position to someone else."
He heard Merlin's sharp intake of breath but didn't see his expression, staring at the fire as he was, unable to meet the other man's eyes. There was a pause during which all Arthur could hear was the sound of his own heart thumping hard in his chest. Then Merlin stood up.
For a moment, Arthur feared he was leaving, then the sorcerer took a step towards him. He sat back down right next to the king.
"I'll think about your offer," Merlin whispered.
His hand brushed Arthur's, the contact so brief the king almost thought he'd dreamt it. When Merlin tried again, a bit less tentatively, Arthur captured his fingers. He turned to the sorcerer to discover the man studying him. His heart hammered in his chest. Then Merlin's lips were on his and everything else disappeared.
He let out a moan when his tongue found Merlin's. He'd been waiting for so long, hoping against hope that they'd meet again and pick things up where they'd left them. The kiss felt surreal yet so, so delicious.
"We've been fools," Merlin breathed against his mouth when they parted.
"Yeah. But not anymore."