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Arthur and Merlin were walking through the Lower Town one day, heading back to Arthur’s chambers after a long day of hunting. Merlin hated every second of the hunt, but he loved the time he got to spend with Arthur. Merlin was thinking about their day and how he almost got outed to Arthur after he saved his ass again. Arthur almost caught him doing magic again. He stopped suddenly, “Arthur. Wait. I want to show you something. Follow me.”
Arthur looks at him for a moment, wondering (again) where his servant got the nerve to tell him what to do. “I’m the one who gives the orders around here, Merlin. Or did you forget again?”
“Oh stop being a prat and just follow me,” Merlin huffs out as he rolls his eyes with the hint of a smirk on his face. Arthur shakes his head slightly, a little fondly, while he rolls his eyes. Merlin leads him down a path between two houses and up to a wall, where he enters into a tunnel of sorts. Arthur follows him without question (he would follow Merlin anywhere, but he’d never admit it out loud). Merlin leads him down a set of stairs into a chamber underground. Arthur looks around at the small chamber.
“What is this place?” Arthur wonders out loud.
“Do you remember that druid girl who was cursed to turn into Bastet from two years ago?”
“The one I killed?” Arthur asks.
“Yes. Her. Her name was Freya. She had been cursed by an old woman. The mother of the man she killed while trying to protect herself from him,” Merlin tells him.
“And why are you telling me about her?” Arthur asks, with a raise of his eyebrow.
“Because this is where I hid her after I freed her from the cage she was locked in,” Merlin tells him.
“Wait. Why are you telling me this now? Two years later?”
“Because there is so much more that I haven’t told you these last three years that I’ve known you. I want to tell you the truth.”
“Merlin. What are you saying?”
“Arthur. I have a secret. Well, two secrets actually. One of which, nothing will ever come of it, so I won’t bother you with that one. The other one, however, I trust you. More than anyone else in this world and you deserve to know exactly who I am. I have been protecting you from behind the scenes for three years now and after I tell you this, I hope I can continue protecting you for the rest of my life.”
“Merlin. I need you to know something. Before you spill whatever secret it is that you have. I trust you too. Now will you please tell me?”
“Let me show you,” Merlin brings his hands together and whispers “Blóstmá” into the gap between his thumbs. He looks up at Arthur after his eyes go back to blue. He holds his joined hands out to Arthur. “Look,” he says with a small smile as he opens his hands slowly. Arthur looks at Merlin’s hands as he opens them to reveal a small red rose. He looks up at Merlin’s face. On his face, is a look of pride and pure joy. Arthur knew, in that moment, that he would always protect Merlin. He looks at Merlin with pure love and wonder on his face.
“Merlin,” Arthur breathes his name. “That is amazing. What else can you do?”
“You-you’re not angry with me?” Merlin asks, with fear shining in his eyes.
“Merlin, why would I be angry with you? You clearly love your magic,” Arthur tells him. He walks closer to Merlin, who flinches away from him, clearly spooked. “Merlin, don’t be afraid of me. I would never hurt you for being a sorcerer.”
“But why though? Your father would burn me the second he finds out. Why aren’t you? I lied to you for three years about who I am,” Merlin exclaims frantically.
“Well, he’s never going to find out.”
“That’s not an answer Arthur. Why? Why would you protect me from him like this?”
“Because Merlin. Just because.” Arthur is starting to get slightly frustrated with the man in front of him. He reaches out and grabs Merlin’s hands. “Merlin. Stop fretting. I care about you. You are my only friend, even though you are a servant. You are the one person in this kingdom who actually knows me. The only person who is not afraid to tell me off for being a prat. The one person who tells me like it is without fear of repercussions. The only person who tells me to question my father’s actions and then pushes me to stand up against him. The bravest man I’ve ever known.”
“Arthur. Wh-wh-what are you saying?” Merlin gives him a confused look. “What about Morgana? Doesn’t she do that too?”
“Yes, but I don’t spend all of my time with her like I do you. Have you really not noticed that I literally spend every waking minute with you unless I have a council meeting or something else going on that my father says you’re not welcome at?”
“Oh, I’ve definitely noticed. But I’m not understanding why that is though. I’m literally no one special,” Merlin reminds him again.
Arthur takes a deep breath and looks Merlin in the eyes, “Merlin. You are special. So very special…to me…” He grips Merlin’s hands tighter for a moment. He lets go of one of Merlin’s hands and brings his own up to Merlin’s cheek. He brushes his thumb back and forth along Merlin’s cheekbone. Merlin closes his eyes and leans into his touch slightly before opening his eyes again to look up at Arthur. He sees the look on Arthur’s face and sees it in his eyes as well. Arthur looks like he’s in love, Merlin thinks to himself. No, he can’t be. Not with me. I mean, that would be amazing. But that’s my other secret. Could he be harboring the same secret as me?
“Arthur,” Merlin breathes his name. “Arthur? Are you saying what I think you’re saying? Why can’t you just admit your feelings? It’s so obvious. A blind man could see it. Is it really that hard to admit? Just say it. Please.”
“I can’t. How can I admit that…I think about you all the time? How can I admit that I don’t know what I’d do if any harm comes to you?” Arthur drops his hand from Merlin’s face, Merlin instantly mourns the contact.
“Why can’t you?” Merlin asks, with sadness lacing his voice.
“Because nothing can ever happen between us. To admit my feelings knowing that…hurts too much,” Arthur responds sadly.
“Who’s to say nothing can happen?” Merlin asks, earnestly.
“My father wouldn’t let me rescue you, do you honestly believe he’d let me marry you?”
“You want to marry me?” Merlin exclaims. “I think we missed a few steps here.”
“I do Merlin. I do want to. Eventually. But my father would never allow it.”
“Arthur, when you’re king, you can change that,” Merlin reminds him.
Arthur thinks for a moment, “What would the council think? What would my people think?”
“Arthur, it doesn’t matter what other people think. It only matters what we think. The rest of them be damned.”
“Is it really that simple Merlin?” Arthur asks.
“Of course it is Arthur,” Merlin says earnestly. “It might not be simple getting the rest of the kingdom to believe this but it is for us.”
“Merlin,” Arthur sighs. “I love you. We will get the kingdom there eventually and my father. My mother already adores you. So she will probably help us win my father over. But until then, we can’t let anyone find out that our relationship has changed.”
“Changed?” Merlin asked with a slight smirk and mirth glinting in his eyes. “I think you’ll have to show me how it has changed.” He yelps when Arthur suddenly has his arms around him. He looks into Arthur’s eyes and Arthur leans in and kisses him. He is shocked for a moment before he melts into the kiss. He wraps his arms around Arthur’s neck and his fingers find their way into the hair at the nape of Arthur’s neck. He deepens the kiss before Arthur pulls away.
“I have wanted to do that for so long,” Arthur says with a smile. “Come on, let’s go to my chambers.” Arthur smirks and grabs Merlin’s hand. They take off up the stairs and into their new future.