Arthur had watched Albion through a veil that settled itself around Avalon for years. He had lost count of how many times he had sobbed, cried and shouted at Merlin, his advisor, his lover through the screen in the few months he had been there. He did not age in death, neither did his body decay or wither. This was Avalon, the land did not age.
Eventually, he gave up watching, deigning to play with Aithusa or take delight in ignoring Kilgharrah when he was being especially cryptic, which was admittedly most days.
Until the day the old dragon finally wasn't.
"For heaven's sake! Seriously Arthur, it's time for you to go back! Merlin is waiting for you at the water's edge!" The dragon shouted, desperately trying to ignore the urge to pick Arthur up in his claws and throw him out of the veil himself. "I've been trying to tell you that for weeks, but did you listen? Nooo. Now get out of Avalon and go stop the Warlock from pushing a lorry off of the road!" He said, turning around to go sulk.
"Sorry, a lorry… what's-"
"NOW!"
"Fine, I'm going, I'm going…." Arthur muttered, standing up from the grass to walk towards the shimmering light of the outside world.
A blinding white light. Agonising pain as Arthur's body was brought back to the world of the living. Darkness. Sand. Light.
An old man seemed to wait for him, the same man that used to delight in making fun of him and the people around his kingdom. The man that always seemed to turn up when they were in trouble, when Merlin was down the tavern.
God Dammit Merlin, You should have just told me...
"Don't I know you?" he grinned, waiting to see Merlin's reaction to his return.
"Probably not. I don't speak to people much nowadays." The old man said, not moving from where he had his eyes closed, seemingly reflecting on the world.
"You're speaking to me." Arthur protested, walking forwards slightly, grin falling from his face as he saw how battered, how worn his lover had become.
"Yes, but you're different."
"How?
"No one could be such a colossal prat!" He exploded, spinning around to look at Arthur, eyes blazing gold as the age seemed to fall from him, changing him back into the Merlin Arthur knew and loved. "Over two thousand years Arthur, and all I get is a 'don't I know you?' Not a 'Merlin', or a 'my love', not even a 'Hello, idiot'. No, I get a 'don't I know you?'. Thank you. Thank you so much." He said, turning to walk away.
"Merlin-" Arthur began, following after him.
"Nope."
"Please-" He pleaded, running to catch up with the warlock, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
"Shut up." Merlin spat, shaking Arthur's arm from his body, stopping in his tracks.
"I love you." And with that, he found himself with his nose buried in a scruff of brown hair, sobs wrecking through the warlock's body, long gangly arms wound tightly around his torso. "Hey, it's okay, I've got you."
"Where have you been… Albion needed you. I needed you.."
"I've been in Avalon, annoying Kilgharrah.. Come, let's find somewhere to sit, hmm?"
Over the next few weeks, Arthur had taken residence in Merlin's home, dominating the sofa and insisted on having a stand for his weapons in the front room for Excalibur ("Of course I got it back, I pulled it out of the stone Merlin. Why the hell did you throw it into the water anyway?!"). Merlin had managed to get Arthur into a hoodie, shirt and skinny jeans, Arthur insisting on keeping his boots as they were comfortable.
He refused to call anything by its proper name, almost stabbing the washing machine as it was turned on for the first time since the Once and Future King's arrival.
Since then, Excalibur was on lock down.
Five arrests for having a weapon on person, almost an ASBO for harassing ("Commanding my people my good man- OW! There is no need to put me in chains!") And a near miss for drunk and disorderly all within a week. Merlin had managed to talk their way out of it with magic, confining Arthur to the house unless he was with Merlin on an outing.
This however gave Arthur the incentive to jump Merlin when he was least expecting it.
They still went to the Lake of Avalon, sat on the sand or under a shelter, huddling together from the winter weather.
They just about managed to get on with their lives, trying to ignore the reason why Arthur had come back for just a bit longer.
In short, all was well.