This is a little one shot I wrote a few weeks ago that I found today. I got the idea from watching a deleted scene from that episode.
I hope you enjoy reading it.
I Still Need You
Merlin was sitting alone by the fireplace. He, Arthur and the knights were spending the night in the forest during their quest to save the last dragon's egg. Or rather, Merlin's quest to save it and Arthur's quest to make sure that it was destroyed.
Everything was peaceful and all the others were asleep. Merlin could not sleep because he had just realised something, and that realisation had brought along pain and now he was sitting on a log next to the fire with tears making their way down his face. He had realised that were on the exact location where his father had died while protecting him a few years earlier. The father whom he never had got much of a chance to get to know, but who apparently still had loved him enough to die for him. And he had said that he was proud of him. More than anything Merlin wanted his father to be proud of him and therefore it was absolutely necessary that he made sure that the last dragon was set free.
Arthur woke up late into the night and noticed that Merlin's blankets were empty. He became a little bit worried and he looked around only to find that a lone figure was sitting by the fire. He walked towards it and when he got closer he heard small sobs. He felt a bit awkward because he never knew how to behave in these situations. Still, he neither could nor wanted to leave Merlin alone when he was obviously distressed about something. So he sat down next to his friend and did the only thing he could think of: he put an arm around Merlin's shoulders.
Merlin quickly tried to collect himself when he felt Arthur's presence beside him, and he pulled his hand across his face in order to dry the tears away. Arthur had seen them, of course.
"Merlin, will you tell me what's wrong?"
"No," Merlin answered, even though he wished with all his heart that he could.
"Can't you tell me?"
"No, sorry," Merlin said, and then he closed his eyes at put his head on Arthurs shoulder before adding "I still need you, though."
"I'm here, Merlin"
Thank you for reading.