Work Text:
“No, it’s fine, Arthur. I get it. I really do. This is a lot for you to work through, so please take your time. I don’t want you to rush into anything, I don’t want you to feel pressured to do something you don’t want to,” Merlin said, hands holding Arthur’s while he rested his head in his lap.
The room shone in the dark orange of the setting sun and it illuminated Arthur’s face in brilliant colours. He was looking down at him and Merlin couldn’t decipher the look on his face.
“I mean it, Arthur. This is for you to figure out on your own. I wouldn’t want you to regret it later, so please wait until you’re certain,” Merlin continued.
“Because you never got the chance to?” Arthur interrupted and Merlin averted his eyes. He looked into his room, lost his train of thought while staring at his set of drums before he found the courage to look back up.
He only did so once he was certain that there was no more pain visible in his expression. It still stung whenever he thought about the past years.
“Yeah, maybe,” he admitted and turned his head to the side to hide his face in Arthur’s sweater. Merlin took a deep breath, loving the scent of fresh laundry and Arthur. It helped him calm down instantly.
“Look, Merlin. It’s alright, you don’t have to worry about me. I have made my decisions and I want us to be serious. And we can’t have that if we’re sneaking around each other. I want to shout it out into the world, Merls. Because that’s what you deserve,” Arthur said while lightly massaging Merlin’s neck.
Merlin’s face reappeared out of the hoodie and he grinned up at Arthur.
“Merls?” he repeated and Arthur’s cheeks turned rosy.
“Seriously, that’s what you’re getting from that?” Arthur groaned and Merlin grinned even wider, turned around and pushed up on his elbows.
“You, Arthur, have a nickname for me?” he asked again and Arthur nodded before hauling himself forward and right onto Merlin. He pinned him down onto the ground with his weight and started tickling him.
Merlin started laughing and wound himself like a cat trying to escape but Arthur’s hold was merciless, so he just gave up and tried to catch Arthur’s hands to stop the tickling.
He succeeded at some point and grinned victoriously up at Arthur who smiled down at him lovingly.
“So, Merls, what I had been meaning to tell you was: I am going to tell my mum. About us, about me,” Arthur told him and Merlin’s eyes grew wide in surprise.
“You are?” he asked quietly and Arthur nodded determinedly.
“Yes, Merlin. Because you deserve that. Because I want you to be happy and this is part of it,” he explained in such a sweet, caring manner, Merlin couldn’t help pulling him down.
He kissed him softly but still tried to convey each and every emotion he was feeling right now. All the love and adoration, the pride and gratefulness, his support. He wanted Arthur to know every bit of his feelings.
Merlin let his head fall back and smiled up at Arthur in a happy daze. Arthur returned the look with such deep affection, Merlin suddenly knew he was being serious.
“So, you’ll tell her?” Merlin asked again and Arthur nodded.
“She’ll know today, Merlin. And then we can tell your family and slowly, possibly everyone else,” he suggested and Merlin nodded strongly.
“Definitely, Arthur. Absolutely! Everything you want. Oh god, do you know how much I adore you right now?” he asked and caressed Arthur’s cheek who smiled at him softly.
“Probably as much as I adore you, Merlin,” he replied and they hugged tightly. In this hug here on Merlin’s bedroom floor everything felt right. They felt safe, protected and it was all so very perfect.
Reality faded away and kept them in the happiness of a love that had survived for longer than they knew.