A/N: So this is my new story. It's a modern day AU, so in keeping with that, I've changed most of the names to sound a little more modern. I tried to have all of them start with the same letter as their original names to make it easier, but just in case they aren't obvious I've listed the changes below. This first chapter is a little jumpy, but the next chapter will flow better I promise. I'd love to hear what you think, so feel free to review.

Uther Pendragon – Ulysses Penn

Igraine Pendragon – Isabel Penn

Gaius – George Medine

Hunith – Helen Emrys

Balinor – Benjamin Emrys

Lancelot – Lance Griffith

Gwaine – Gabe Bellator

Elyan – Edward Smith

Merlin – Mark Emrys

Morgana le Fay – Morgan Fay-Penn

Freya – Fiona Rivers

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Also, I got the idea for Arthur naming Merlin from a wonderful story called "Coffeeshop Muffins" by skellerbvvt. It's a fantastic story and you should all read it by following this link (remove the spaces): http : / / skellerbvvt . livejournal . com / 57045 . html

/

Helen and Isabel had always been best friends. They were neighbors that grew up doing everything together. When it was time for them to go to college it wasn't a question of whether or not they would go to the same university, it was who would get which side of the room. Helen had always been more practical than Isabel, and so she chose to major in business. Isabel wanted to do something more creative, and so she became an art major. They say that opposites attract, and that became even more true when Isabel came home one day to announce that she had a date with Ulysses Penn, a straight-laced law major. Helen had seen him around the business building talking to Benjamin Emrys, a second year business major that had caught Helen's eye. When Isabel found out that Benjamin and Ulysses were not only friends, but roommates themselves, she insisted that Helen and Benjamin join her and Ulysses on a double date. That was the spark that started it all. In no time at all the four of them were inseparable and the best of friends. The two boys proposed to the girls on the same night and they had a double wedding after the girls graduated. Isabel got pregnant while Ulysses was still in law school, but Helen waited a few more months. When she announced her good news the café that she and Benjamin started was not only up and running but doing better than anyone could have hoped. The group of friends couldn't imagine how life could get any better. Their happiness, however, was short-lived. When Isabel went into labor it quickly became obvious that something was wrong. She began to bleed internally and the doctors couldn't figure out why. In the end they had to do an emergency C-section in order to save her baby. Her son, Arthur, was perfectly healthy but Isabel died on the operating table. Her loss hit everyone hard. Ulysses could barely look at his newborn son because of his resemblance to his mother and Helen cried for weeks. In fact, it took the birth of Mark to bring everyone out of mourning. Helen and Benjamin's son was perfect and his birth brought joy back into everyone's lives. The first time Arthur met Mark it was only hours after Mark's birth. They spent every day together after that. Helen watched the boys while Benjamin ran the café and Ulysses went to law school. They were always destined to be best friends, but no one knew that they were destined to be so much more.

/

The playground was very busy. There were kids everywhere since it had finally warmed up enough for them to spend some time outside. Helen had brought Arthur and Mark out to play and playing they were. They boys each had a stick in hand and were involved in an epic swordfight.

"Un gourd!" Arthur cried.

Mark giggled.

"That's not right." the four-year-old pointed out.

"Sure it is!" Arthur said crossing his arms.

Mark laughed again.

"Nuh-uh." he said shaking his head.

"I say it is and I'm the king so you have to listen to me." Arthur said puffing up his chest.

"Who said you were the king?" Mark asked.

"I did! My name's Arthur and that's a king's name. My dad told me the story."

"What story?"

"The story about King Arthur. He was the greatest king ever."

"Well if you're the king, what am I?"

Arthur put his hand on his chin like he'd seen his father do. He thought for a moment and then an idea hit him.

"You can be Merlin, my sorcerer!"

Mark seemed to think about it for a minute and then he nodded.

"Okay, I'm Merlin and you're Arthur. Now let's play!" he said thrusting his stick at Arthur's chest.

They continued their sword fight until Helen called them.

"Come on you two, it's time for lunch!"

Arthur ran over and gasped, "Mom, guess what!"

Helen smiled. Arthur had started calling her "Mom" not long after he learned how to talk. She and Ulysses had tried to explain to him that she wasn't his mother, but he wouldn't stop. Now that Arthur was older he knew the truth, but he couldn't break his habit.

"What?" she asked after she had bent down to be eye-level with him.

"I gave Mark a new name. From now on I'm going to call him Merlin."

"Merlin? Why Merlin?"

Arthur smiled.

"Because King Arthur's best friend was Merlin and since I'm King Arthur and Mark is my best friend, that makes him Merlin."

Helen laughed. The reasoning was good and she wasn't about to argue with the stubborn boy.

"Alright. Merlin it is then." she said ruffling his hair.

Helen didn't think that the Merlin thing would last, but how wrong she was. The name stuck and soon Mark was introducing himself as Merlin to everyone he met. When they started school the next year, he and Arthur made sure all his teachers called him Merlin and all the new friends they made only knew him as Merlin. Whenever someone would ask what his real name was, he would smile and tell them that Merlin was his real name. Even Helen and Benjamin got caught up in it, because they too began calling their son by his new name. Mark ceased to exist, and in his place was Merlin with Arthur constantly at his side.

/

When Merlin and Arthur were eight Ulysses met Vivian. She was the mother of one of the boys' classmates and Ulysses was quickly taken with her. Within a year he had proposed.

"I guess everything's going to change now, huh?" Merlin asked one night.

Arthur rolled over in bed to look at him.

"What do you mean?"

Merlin sighed.

"Well, your dad is going to marry Vivian next week. She's moving into your house with Morgan and you'll have a whole new family. I doubt you'll be allowed to sleep over anytime you want and you especially won't be able to say that my mom is your mom. Vivian will be your mom."

Arthur scoffed.

"Don't be an idiot. She's going to be my stepmother and that's not the same as my mom. My real mom is dead and your mom is the only one I've ever known. That's never going to change."

"But…"

"But nothing!" Arthur said putting his hand over Merlin's mouth.

"Nothing is going to change, you hear me? Mom is still my mom, you're still my best friend, and no one is going to tear us apart." he said with conviction.

Merlin could only nod. When he did, Arthur removed his hand from Merlin's mouth and rolled back over.

"Now, stop spouting off nonsense and go to sleep. We've got school tomorrow." he whispered.

Merlin did go to sleep and Ulysses did marry Vivian. The wedding was a small event with only close friends and family. It was beautiful, and Merlin laughed when his mom cried. Arthur stood next to his father looking like he wanted to be anywhere else, but he smiled when Vivian walked down the aisle with Morgan, her daughter, at her side. At the reception Arthur and Merlin tormented Morgan by throwing grapes at her and she ran to her mother. Of course, the boys got in trouble, but they didn't really mind.

/

In middle school Merlin met his first love. Her name was Fiona Rivers and she was all Merlin could talk about. Arthur tried not to be jealous, but it was hard. Lance, Gabe, and Leon just made fun of him when he would start, but Arthur would just sit in brooding silence. Eddie never gave him a hard time, but that was probably because of his sister, Gwen. Gwen and Morgan thought it was sweet that Merlin had a crush.

"Why don't you ask her on a date?" Gwen asked one day at lunch.

"And where would they go, Gwen? He can't drive." Arthur pointed out.

Morgan elbowed him in the ribs.

"His mom could drive them to the movies. I think you should go for it, Merlin."

"Yeah, man! Then you can tell us what it's like to kiss someone." Gabe said with a wink.

Merlin paled, but the other people around the table laughed and nodded, well, except for the girls and Arthur.

"I don't know, guys. What if she says no?" Merlin asked quietly.

"She won't say no!" Leon said.

"No way! You're a great guy, there's no reason for her to say no." Lance said with a supportive pat on the back.

"You'll never know if you don't ask." Eddie said wisely.

Merlin thought about it.

"What do you think, Arthur?" he asked looking at the boy sitting next to him.

Everyone turned to look at Arthur too. They all knew that Merlin would never do something unless Arthur backed him up. Arthur looked around the table at his friends and then met Merlin's eye. He could tell that Merlin really liked Fiona, and even though he was jealous he wouldn't stand in the way of his best friend's happiness.

"I think that if you like her then you should be with her. Ask her out, Merlin." he said with a smile that he hoped looked genuine.

Merlin beamed and threw his arms around Arthur. Arthur hugged back for a moment and then pushed him away.

"Alright, go get your girl." he said nodding in Fiona's direction.

Merlin got up and walked over to Fiona. They walked out of the cafeteria together and Arthur watched them go. He tried to ignore the pain in his chest. He didn't know why he felt so bad; he just knew that the idea of Merlin having a girlfriend always made him feel sick. He summed it up to the notion that if Merlin had a girlfriend then they'd spend less time together. He couldn't really think of any other reason why the idea had him nearly in tears. At fourteen emotions are too complex to really think about anyway.

"She said yes!" Merlin exclaimed as he sat back down.

The table erupted into cheers and they all gave Merlin their congratulations. Even Arthur put on a smile for his friend and gave him a one-armed hug.

"Just remember to pop in a mint before the movie starts." Gabe reminded Merlin when the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. Merlin once again paled and grabbed Arthur's arm.

"What?" Arthur asked him.

"Arthur, I don't know how to kiss someone!" Merlin whispered frantically.

"So?" Arthur asked.

"So you have to help me!" Merlin begged.

"Sorry, man, but I can't. I've never kissed anyone either."

Merlin looked like he was about to pass out and he was starting to hyperventilate. Arthur pulled him into an alcove in the hallway and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Alright, alright, just calm down."

"I'm going to look like a fool! I got the girl of my dreams to go on a date with me and I'm going to completely mess it up because I don't know how to kiss. What am I going to do?" Merlin gasped. He was still hyperventilating and on the verge of having a full-blown panic attack.

"Merlin, everything's going to be fine. You won't look like any more of a fool than normal, I promise." Arthur tried to reassure him, but it wasn't working. Merlin wasn't listening. At a loss for anything else to do, Arthur slapped him.

"Mark! Stop it!" he yelled. That got his attention.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened." Merlin said as he rubbed his cheek.

"You were in freak-out mode. You need to calm down. It's just a date. You pick her up, buy her ticket, watch a movie with her, and take her home. It's not a big deal."

Merlin shook his head.

"Yes it is! It's my first date and Fiona's perfect and I really want to kiss her but I don't know how. You have to help me, Arthur!"

Arthur sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Alright. I'll help you. We'll figure something out. When's the date?"

"Friday night."

Arthur nodded. It was only Wednesday so they had some time.

"Okay. Afterschool today we'll go to my house and we'll get this all sorted."

Merlin pulled Arthur into another hug.

"Thank you! I knew I could count on you!"

Arthur laughed and hugged him back.

"You can always count on me." he said pulling back.

"We're late for algebra."

Merlin grimaced.

"I hate that class."

"Yeah, well, missing it won't make you like it any better. Let's go."

They finished out the rest of the day and then made their way to Arthur's house. They said hello to Vivian and then went to Arthur's room. Arthur shut and locked the door and then started pacing.

"Okay, so, you need to learn how to kiss."

Merlin nodded.

"Well, all the movies make it seem really easy. You just put your lips against the other person's."

"Yeah, but that can't be all there is to it. I mean, if it was then how could someone be bad at it? We've heard people talk about bad kissers before." Merlin pointed out.

Arthur nodded. That was true, but he didn't know what made someone a bad kisser or a good kisser.

"Let's Google it." he finally said.

They climbed onto the bed and Arthur got his laptop. They typed "how to kiss" into Google and waited. After looking at a few of the sites they sighed in irritation. None of them helped.

"I think you just have to figure it out as you go." Arthur said.

Merlin shook his head.

"No way! I don't want to go into this with no experience. What if I'm a horrible kisser and she never talks to me again? I don't know what I'd do!"

Arthur sighed.

"Then, why don't you test-kiss someone?"

Merlin opened his mouth to say something, but then stopped. That wasn't a bad idea actually.

"That might work. But who could I test-kiss?"

Arthur got off the bed and put his laptop back on his desk.

"I don't know. You'll have to figure that one out on your own. I'm all out of ideas for today."

Merlin looked out the window and thought for a minute while Arthur climbed back on the bed and switched the TV on. Suddenly, Merlin had an idea.

"What about you?"

Arthur glanced at him.

"What about me?"

Merlin shoved him.

"I could test-kiss you, dummy."

Arthur snorted.

"Me? You want to kiss me?"

"No, not kiss you, just, test-kiss you. Who else is going to be brutally honest with me about whether I'm a horrible kisser or not?"

"Dude, how would I know if you are or not? I'll say it again, I've never kissed anyone."

Merlin frowned.

"Oh yeah."

He looked so pathetic that Arthur had to yield.

"Oh, alright! I'll do it." he said.

Merlin beamed.

"You will?"

Arthur nodded.

"Yeah, but I don't know how much good it will do you."

He rolled onto his side on the bed and Merlin followed suit. They stared at each other for a moment before Arthur said, "Well, go on."

Merlin blushed and said, "I'm not sure about this anymore."

Arthur sighed and said, "Oh hell."

He grabbed the back of Merlin's neck and pulled him forward. Their lips crashed together with more force than either would have liked and they pulled back immediately.

"What are you trying to do, break my teeth?" Merlin asked.

"No, I was trying to do what you asked me to, test-kiss you."

"Well, I think we can both agree that that's not how you do it."

"If you think you can do better then go for it!" Arthur exclaimed.

"Fine! I will!" Merlin said as he placed his hands on either side of Arthur's face and drew him close. He stopped right before their lips touched and just breathed for a second. Arthur could feel how Merlin's hands trembled and how his breath ghosted across his lips. Arthur's heart started to pound in his chest and when Merlin's lips finally closed over his Arthur thought he might just die. Neither of them moved and it wasn't until Merlin slowly drew back that Arthur realized that he'd closed his eyes. When he opened them he saw that Merlin was sitting across from him touching his lips. It was in that moment that Arthur realized that he wanted nothing more than to have Merlin's lips against his again.

"That was better." he whispered.

Merlin nodded.

"I think we should do it again, just to be sure."

Merlin looked at him with wide eyes and Arthur was about to say that he was just kidding when Merlin nodded again and tackled Arthur. Their lips came together clumsily and Arthur was pushed back into his mattress by Merlin's body on top of his. With nothing else to do with his hands, he placed them on Merlin's hips and continued to kiss his best friend. Their lips moved cautiously against each other and Arthur ran his tongue over Merlin's bottom lip. Merlin gasped and did the same to Arthur. Arthur opened his mouth and Merlin took his invitation. When their tongues met they both thought that it was weird, and so they went back to just simple kisses. Neither knew how long they kissed, but the burn in their lungs made them stop. Arthur looked up at Merlin for a moment and they both seemed to forget that this was just supposed to be a test-kiss. Merlin remembered first, and he flew off the bed and grabbed his backpack from the floor.

"Well, thanks for everything. I think I'm good now. I'll see you tomorrow."

He was out the door before Arthur could move. For a long time Arthur just laid in bed and stared at his ceiling. He could still feel Merlin's lips against his and he wondered how long that would last. He hoped forever. It was with that thought that he finally acknowledged that he might have feelings for his best friend. He might even be in love with him.

/

Merlin did end up kissing Fiona, and he must have done a good job because they dated for almost six months. They broke up when she and her family moved overseas and Merlin took it hard. In time he got over it with the help of Arthur and his other friends. High school brought with it a tragedy when Merlin's dad was involved in a car accident. Arthur would never forget that day.

"My dad's dead!" he screamed as he slammed Arthur's door behind him. Arthur had been playing a video game when Merlin had burst in, but he immediately turned it off.

"What?" he asked.

Merlin collapsed and put his hands over his face. He began to sob and Arthur fell to his knees in front of him.

"He was in an accident. A drunk driver came across the line. He was gone before the ambulance arrived." Merlin forced out.

Arthur's mind went blank. What could he say?

"Merlin I'm…I…"

Merlin shoved him hard and he fell back.

"Don't say you're sorry! Don't you dare say you're sorry or that you understand what I'm going through! I'm sick of people saying that! That's all that anyone could say at the hospital and I don't ever want to hear it again!" he screamed. Arthur was dumbstruck. Merlin stood up and began throwing things. He ripped the sheets off the bed and knocked everything off the desk. He overturned the dirty clothes hamper and punched a hole in the wall. When he saw his bloody knuckles he collapsed again and Arthur carefully moved toward him. He gently wrapped an arm around him and when Merlin didn't pull away Arthur gathered him close and just held him. If Merlin didn't want him to say that he was sorry, he wouldn't. He would just hold his friend and do whatever else Merlin needed him to. In the end that meant that Arthur held him until Merlin fell asleep. He picked up the broken teenager and placed him in the disheveled bed. Arthur picked up his duvet and placed it over Merlin and then went to call his mom. As it turns out, he didn't have to call her. She was sitting in Arthur's living. Arthur's father was holding her to his chest and Vivian was sitting across from them silently crying. Morgan walked through the front door behind him. She looked into the living room and was about to speak when Arthur shook his head and pulled her into the kitchen.

"What happened?" she asked in a whisper when the door was closed.

"Merlin's dad died in a car crash." he said.

Morgan's eyes widened and she gasped.

"What?"

Arthur nodded.

"Don't say anything, especially to Merlin. He doesn't want people to say that they're sorry or that they understand."

"But I do understand!" Morgan insisted.

"My dad died when I was six. I know what it feels like." she said looking away.

Arthur had forgotten that Morgan had lost her father. He hugged her as an apology and said, "Then you can help him through this, just don't say that that's what you're doing."

Morgan nodded into Arthur's chest and he felt her tears soaking through his shirt. It was going to be a long night.

/

The day of Benjamin's funeral was one of the worst days of Merlin and Arthur's lives. Helen stood between the two boys and they each held one of her hands. Ulysses had on hand on her shoulder and the other was wrapped around Vivian. Morgan stood next to her mother with her head bowed. No one spoke because there was nothing to say. Merlin stayed at Arthur's for weeks afterwards, but Helen wouldn't leave her home. She went back to her old routine of running the café and keeping house. She had always been the strongest woman that Arthur had ever known. After a few months things started to get better. Merlin's great uncle George moved in after retiring from being a doctor, the boys got their licenses, and they started their junior year of high school. Arthur got his lip pierced, which Merlin thought was cool but Ulysses yelled at him about for nearly an hour.

"What possessed you to do that, Arthur?" he screamed.

Arthur shrugged.

"I just wanted to. I don't see what the big deal is."

Ulysses pointed at the small ring on the left side of Arthur's bottom lip.

"That is the big deal. You look ridiculous!"

Arthur smiled.

"I think I look great actually."

In the end Ulysses lost the fight and Arthur got to keep his lip ring.

"It makes you look very artsy." Merlin said one night when they were playing video games.

"Artsy?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah, artsy. You're an artist after all."

Arthur laughed.

"I don't think my sketches of trees and my cat really qualify me to be an artist."

Merlin shoved him with his shoulder.

"Those sketches are really good! I still say you should show them to someone besides me. You've got a lot of talent."

Arthur smiled and then he crossed the finish line to win the race.

"You think so?" he asked turning to look at Merlin while the next race was being set up.

"Yeah, I do."

They continued to play the game for a while until Arthur said, "So I'm a gay artist. How cliché is that?"

Merlin paused the game and stared at his best friend.

"Why'd you do that? I was winning!" Arthur said trying to resume the game. Merlin took his controller.

"What did you say?" he asked.

Arthur shrugged.

"I said I was winning."

Merlin shoved him again.

"Not that. The other thing. The thing about you being a gay artist. What's that about?"

Arthur shrugged again.

"You said I was an artist, and I'm gay, so that makes me a gay artist."

"Since when are you gay?"

Arthur sighed.

"I think since forever. I've just never liked girls and looking at them does nothing for me."

"But guys do?" Merlin spluttered.

"Yeah." Arthur said.

Merlin looked at Arthur and saw no hint of joking in his gaze. When he realized that Arthur had seriously just come out to him there was only one thing that he could say.

"I'm so going to kick your ass in this race."

Arthur laughed and snatched his controller back.

"In your dreams!"

Merlin didn't win the race, but that wasn't really a surprise. When they went to bed Merlin climbed in beside Arthur like he always did. It seemed like Merlin couldn't care less that Arthur preferred guys to girls, and for that Arthur was more than eternally grateful.

/

As it turns out, no one really cared that Arthur was gay. His other male friends said that he could do whatever he wanted and they were perfectly fine with it. Helen just smiled and told him all she wanted for him was to be happy and George nodded his agreement. Morgan rolled her eyes and told him she already knew. Ulysses was a little disappointed, but that was only because he wanted the family name carried on. He perked up when Vivian reminded him that Arthur could always adopt. Vivian herself just hugged him and told him that it didn't change anything. The only one who seemed hurt by the news was Gwen.

"Are you sure, Arthur?" she asked after he told her.

"I'm positive, Gwen."

She chewed her lip and frowned.

"I have nothing against it or anything, it's just, you're only sixteen. How can you know for sure?"

Arthur smiled.

"Well, I've never pictured myself with a girl and, to be bluntly honest, lady parts do nothing for me."

Gwen blushed and looked away.

"Oh. Have you, um, have you been with a girl?" she asked in a whisper.

"No. I haven't."

Gwen's eyes met his when she asked, "Have you even kissed a girl?"

Arthur shook his head and before she could ask he said, "But I have kissed a guy, and it was amazing." He thought back to the few kisses that he and Merlin had shared when they were fourteen and his heart started hammering in his chest like it always did when he thought about Merlin's lips against his.

"Oh…" Gwen said looking away again. Arthur immediately felt awful. He'd had a sneaking suspicion that Gwen had a crush on him and he'd only just realized how hard this must be for her. She was one of his closest friends and he hated the thought of hurting her.

"Gwen, I…"

"Kiss me."

Arthur stared in shock. He couldn't have heard her correctly, right?

"What?" he asked.

"I want you to kiss me. That way you'll have kissed a girl and a guy and you can compare."

Arthur shook his head.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Gwen."

"I want you too, Arthur. No matter what happens afterwards. I mean I've wanted you kiss me for years. I'm sure you knew that."

"I had a suspicion of it, yeah. That's why I don't think it's a good idea for me to kiss you. I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't, I promise. I've had my heart set on you being my first kiss for years and I won't let something trivial like you being gay stop me. Now, kiss me, Arthur Penn!"

Arthur sighed. If she was sure this was what she wanted, he would do it.

"Alright." he said as he stepped closer to her and placed his hand on her cheek. He rubbed his thumb across her cheekbone and then leaned into her. Gently he brushed his lips over hers and he felt her gasp. As he pulled back he hoped that she wouldn't regret what she'd asked him to do.

Gwen slowly opened her eyes and asked, "Anything?"

Arthur shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Gwen."

She nodded and looked away. When she looked back at him she gave him a small smile and said, "I didn't think so, but thank you. I hope this doesn't ruin things between us."

Arthur wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug.

"It won't. I care about you a lot, Gwen, just not the way you want me too. But trust me, if I were straight I'm pretty sure I'd be madly in love with you."

Gwen laughed and pulled away from him.

"Thanks. That helps in a strange way."

Arthur smiled and then pushed her towards the door.

"Come on, I'll buy you a coffee."

She agreed and they spent the afternoon in their favorite coffee place.

/

The rest of high school passed in a blur of half-assed papers, tests, and lots of skipped classes. Finally graduation arrived and Merlin, Arthur, and the rest threw the biggest graduation party in town. Half of their class was there and the Penn's house had never been so packed. Everyone was enjoying themselves, but there was the feeling of sadness in the air too. They all knew that things would never be the same after this. Everyone was headed to a different university, well, except for Merlin and Arthur. They, of course, were following in their mothers' footsteps by sticking together. The summer passed quicker than any summer before it and before anyone knew where the time had gone they had reached the last night that they would all spend together.

"It doesn't feel real yet. Not really." Leon said.

"I know what you mean. Even though everything in my room has been packed away I still don't feel like I'm leaving tomorrow." Gabe replied.

Eddie raised his drink and said, "To good friends and good times."

They all repeated him and clinked their drinks together.

"We'll always be friends you guys, so let's not get too sentimental." Arthur said.

"Easy for you to say! You don't have to say goodbye to your best friend. He's going with you." Lance pointed out.

"And we're girls! We're allowed to get sentimental." Morgan put in and Gwen nodded.

"I'm gay but you don't see me tearing up."

"Oh shut up, Arthur!" Merlin said hitting him in the back of the head.

"I'm not saying that this isn't sad or anything. All I'm saying is that maybe we shouldn't think of this as the end, but as the beginning. The start of something new." Arthur said rubbing his head.

The friends all looked at each other and realized that Arthur was right. They would always be friends, and this wasn't the end. With that in mind they agreed to just enjoy the time that they had. They stayed together until the early hours of the morning and then they finally dispersed. The next day they all set out to start the newest chapter of their lives, but Arthur was lucky. Just like always, Merlin was right by his side and neither of them would have it any other way.