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Merlin has always been a clumsy person, much to his mother's exasperation, but it was usually just small cuts or scrapes, nothing to really see or worry about. Which is why he never noticed his rather... Strange but cool situation surrounding injuries. As if he wasn't already strange enough with such powerful magic.
It isn't until he's gotten to Camelot, isn't until after nimueh's fireball that he finally sees it. Instead of his wounds being red or white once they've healed, his are golden. At first he thought it was just his magic trying desperately to heal him, but as his collection of injuries stacked up all over his body, he discovers that no he's just like that.
Which makes hiding his magic even harder. He's thankful that the smaller injuries, like the chain indents from his run in with Morgause all those years ago are a muted golden so they aren't quite as visible when he has to roll his sleeves up to do his damn job.
Gaius finds it fascinating, the moment he sees them he starts researching the cause and what it could be. Merlin comes home one day, with yet another injury to add to the never ending list, Gaius rolls his eyes in fond exasperation before he says "I believe it's kintsugi, my boy" he says, before a look of amusement grows on his face "though it's usually done on broken pottery, it symbolises adversity turned into something beautiful or resilient" he continues, giving Merlin that look he always does when he's proud of him.
Merlin huffs in amusement "well we both know I'm resilient, I'm not sure I need the visual reminder" he responds, causing Gaius to shake his head and turn back to his books to see if he can find anything else on the matter.
Years later, when it's just him on his own as he waits for Arthur to return, he often looks at his golden scars when he's struggling or losing hope and remembers Gaius's words. He's resilient, he has visual proof, he'll get through this wait, no matter how long it takes.