Author : Tch0upi.

Title : Not What He Expected

Disclamer : Everything here belongs to BBC, Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy.

Rating : K

Pairings : Balinor/Hunith

Author's note: Hey guys. I wanted to write something about Hunith and Balinor since a long time. We didn't see them together in the show but I think they would have made such a beautiful couple. Balinor seemed genuinely committed to her and still in love with her, even after all those years, and Hunith is just a beautiful and kind woman. They deserved so much better! So here is a little piece, sweet and fluffy with some cute baby Merlin meeting his daddy for the first time! :)

Not What He Expected

Her heart nearly stopped when she opened the door. Her breath was lost in the moment, and for a split second she forgot how to breathe. It had been so long since the last time she'd seen this man. Almost three years already, even though for her it felt like eternity. She had really loved him, and still did…

But Balinor was there, he was really there, standing outside her small house. It was dark, well into the night, and thank God, so no one would see him. It still was very dangerous for him to be walking around the village. What had he been thinking? she thought.

"Balinor…" she whispered, unable to quite believe the sight in front of her. The man was the same as he left, except the beard that he had been obviously growing and his hair which was longer. He seemed a little dirty and tired, but most of all — and it broke her heart instantly — he looked sad. But above all he was, to her, still beautiful.

"Hunith," he whispered too.

When she came back to her senses, she immediately stepped to the side.

"My God, come in, come in, quickly!" she said, her voice full of panic.

He didn't need to be told twice. He glimpsed behind him to make sure he wasn't being seen, and stepped inside, in the warmth of the young woman's home. Hunith closed the door and turned around.

"God, Balin-…" she began before she found herself crushed into strong arms.

She didn't finish her sentence, but quite honestly, she couldn't bring herself to care. She was surprised at first but didn't take long to wrap her arms around the man's waist, like she used to, so long ago. The hug was tight, bone crushing, almost painful, but it was good. God, so good. Hunith couldn't believe how much she had missed him…

Balinor held her close to him. Out there in the forest, he had nothing with him to help him remember the woman he loved. It had felt so alone… He knew it was stupid to come here, to risk her safety, but he had craved it ever since the moment he left her three years ago…

Hunith was the first to step back. She looked up at him.

"It's not that I'm not… happy, but… what are you doing here? What if you'd been followed? What if Uther…"

Balinor stopped her at the sound of that cursed name, taking both her hands in his.

"I was very careful. I… I've been haunted for months, Hunith. I've had nightmares about you… I couldn't… There was no way for me to know if you were safe. If anything had happened to you. I know I've taken great risks in coming here, but I needed to see you."

Hunith smiled through the few tears that had formed in her eyes. She was having a rather boring evening. She couldn't sleep. Merlin had been sick all week and even though he was alright now, she couldn't get any rest, obsessed with the idea he would choke in his sleep or get a fever, or needed her in anyway. A baby this age was ever so fragile… Like any other mother, she couldn't bring herself to rest.

But now, her boring evening was taking a great couple of steps to an unbelievable one. An unthinkable one. She could've never imagined her deepest desire would come true. Now that Balinor was here, so close to her, she felt the impossible loneliness of the three endless years she had just lived without him, and knew how much she had missed him. She was so excited that she wondered, in a frantic, stupid moment, why she hadn't followed him. Why she'd stayed here, letting the man she loved go without her…

But then she remembered. She remembered what Uther had done to the other dragon lords, the slaughter he had cause. And she thought of the sweet, innocent little boy sleeping in the other room, who deserved nothing else but a peaceful and safe life.

Her heart bumped in her chest when she caught Balinor's eyes.

"Hunith?"

"I'm so happy you came Balinor… I'm happy to see you, so happy, don't ever forget that, even though it is dangerous. For the three of us," she added after a short silence.

Balinor frowned.

"The three of us?" he repeated.

"Yes."

The incomprehension was readable on his every feature. Fear and worry shone in his eyes as he stared at her.

"Is Gaius here?"

"No. I'm not talking about Gaius."

She stopped for a second and then took Balinor's hand.

"There is something I need to show you." She waited a second, hearing Balinor's breathing getting faster. "Or I should rather say… someone."

She held his hand and walked slowly to the other room.

Balinor's heart was racing, as he noticed the door leading to the other room. Three years ago, when he hid here from Uther, he stayed in this room with Hunith. He could remember the time they had together, the kisses and… and then Balinor remembered the night, the passionate night they had. And then a bell rang in his mind, making his heart beat even faster.

Was Hunith leading him to what he thought? It couldn't be, right…? Her hand was soft, warm and slightly trembling. When they reached the door, Hunith opened it after she looked at him one last time. She had a small smile, but what was worrying Balinor was the little glow of fear in her eyes, apprehension, almost unnoticeable.

In the room, it was dark, except for the moonlight that the window was providing. It shone to a little handmade cradle. Balinor followed at Hunith's rhythm, even though he wanted to run to it and take a look at…

"There was no way for you to see if I was safe," she murmured. "And there was no way for me to tell you about Merlin."

She stepped quietly to the cradle that was set on a small table in the middle of the room. Balinor, as much as he loved Hunith, couldn't take his eyes off the cradle as he made his way closer and closer, until he could finally see it. See him.

"Merlin?" he asked Hunith, repeating the strange but lovely name.

"Yes. Your… son."

The words were almost as unbelievable as the sight of the little baby as soon as he put his eyes on him. The baby wasn't much older than a year, maybe a year and a half. If he counted the time that had passed since he had left, then yes, Merlin was a one-and-a-half-year-old. He stared down at the black hair, the pale skin bathed in the moonlight. The baby was sucking on his thumb, all curled up in a tiny bundle. He was so small… so unbelievably cute. Balinor suddenly felt a huge wave of love crash over him. A protectiveness he never felt before. A desire to protect even stronger than the one he always had for Hunith. A whole different kind of love he had never experienced before.

He was his son.

He had a son, for God's sake!

Balinor came all the way to Ealdor to make sure Hunith was okay, that she was safe, that he could have some peace of mind. He had never guessed, even for a second, that there was this little boy here with her. And how couldn't he have thought about it? After all, they had made love right before he left like a thief. In his hurry, he forgot about the state he'd left the young woman.

But Hunith didn't seem angry at him. She didn't seem unhappy, ashamed of having a baby while being unmarried. She was happy, she was peaceful.

"Merlin…" he said again, getting used to the sound of the name.

The name of his son…

"Oh, Hunith…"

"I'm sorry if it wasn't what you imagined when coming here…"

"This isn't what I imagined. Far from it. But Hunith… he's so… he…" he stuttered nervously.

Hunith took a few steps to get closer to him. There was a proud smile on her lips.

"That's the effect he can have. And he's not even awake, looking at you with his big blue eyes. Ever since he was born, he charmed everyone that met him."

"I'm so sorry I left you when you needed me most…"

"It's fine, Balinor. Uther would have found you, he would have killed you and me for conspiring against him. He would have hurt us, and Merlin in the way… You did the right thing, and I don't blame you for leaving. You had no choice."

"He's my son."

"Yes."

Hunith couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw a little tear fall down the man's cheek. He was looking at Merlin.

They stayed like that for a moment, until the baby made a little sound. He turned on his back and opened his eyes as he started crying. Hunith immediately jumped on her feet.

"Hey, hey, shh, shh," she said as she took him and lifted him in her arms. Balinor watched as she rocked him slowly against her chest. Merlin was a tiny little thing in her arms. It didn't take long for his delicate face to be all wet with tears.

"It was just a bad dream, baby, I'm here. Mommy's here," Hunith added while walking around in the room. All Balinor could hear after that was Hunith's soft voice as she sang a wordless song, as well as Merlin's birdlike breathing, fast and erratic as he was trying to calm himself. He could figure the outline of Hunith's silhouette in the moonlight and the shape of Merlin's small hands resting on his mother's arms. Hunith continued to rock him tenderly, and after a moment, they could no longer, fortunately, hear the sobs. Both the parents felt relieved, and when Hunith walked back to Balinor, she was smiling maliciously.

"You know what, honey? Someone special is here, just for you."

Merlin's head was resting on Hunith's shoulder. He looked tired, and was still sucking on his thumb, but his eyes were curious as they met Balinor's. The man felt his hands shake hearing Hunith's words.

"It's your daddy. You want to meet your daddy, Merlin?"

Hunith walked closer to Balinor, and stopped. The two kept quiet, waiting for Merlin's decision. He was holding his mother tightly, a little shy, and still looking intently at Balinor.

"I will probably only scare him more," Balinor said in a low voice. "I'm a dirty, tall, imposing and scary stranger, after all… not quite the sight for kids."

"What are you saying? You are no stranger, Balinor. You're his father. He may not be a newborn, but he's still young, and he's never known any other man. And a baby can sense these things. He'll recognize you. And he'll love you."

Hunith gazed lovingly at the smile that slowly appeared on Balinor's face. They stood there looking at each other for a moment before Balinor slowly leaned down. Their lips met as if they had never parted before. The kiss was slow, steady. Their lips moved naturally, and together, they forgot everything and just melted in the happiness of having found each other again, despite Uther, despite his desire to destroy all the magic of this world — including the magic of love.

Balinor broke the kiss when he felt something touching his chest. When he looked down, he realized it was Merlin.

They'd been standing so close that Merlin, still comfortable in his mother's arms, could reach him. His tiny little hand was clutching at Balinor's jacket. The boy had let go of his thumb and was looking up at the man. When Balinor looked into his eyes, he saw how impossibly blue they were. He also noticed the one and only tooth he had in his mouth, at the bottom, when he opened it to whine at him. It was so cute, so innocent, that he couldn't do anything but laugh.

"Hey there little man, I saw her first, you know? Don't go all jealous on me."

Hunith laughed at his words. And surprisingly, Merlin also laughed, as if he'd understood the joke. Inspired by a new wave of love that made his chest blow like a balloon, he put his hands under the boy's armpits and lifted him up, taking him from Hunith, who more than willingly let him hold his son.

Merlin didn't cry, he didn't even protest. He just obediently let himself get transferred from the arms of his mother to those of his father, even though he didn't know it was his dad.

Balinor looked at Merlin, impressed by the warmth irradiating from such a small body. He was a little clumsy at first, but soon he got confident. Merlin stared at him for some time before he lost his concentration. Balinor decided to take advantage of that moment and look at him better while he was this close.

His hair was as dark as him, and his skin color was definitely from Hunith. He had the most adorable ears and round cheeks that he just felt like kissing or gently caressing with the tip of a finger. He was thin, yet chubby like a healthy baby had the right to be. But in Balinor's big hands, he felt small and fragile, like something that could be broken so easily. Balinor had never seen a baby before, let alone held one. He never especially loved kids, but the one in his arms right here was his… it was his child. And that was the exception.

By the time he was finished admiring him, even though he wanted to do just that for the rest of his life, Merlin was now concentrated on his little fingers, that he was running playfully and innocently on top of Balinor's chest, which got the dragon lord smiling softly.

"Merlin," he said, happiness running through him like a new energy, and the boy looked up, alerted by the sound of his name. "It's me. It's dad. I'm sorry I wasn't there for a long time, but I'm sure your mother took good care of you. Did she tell you how much I love you, little thing?"

He hadn't really thought of saying those words, to be honest. He never really was a lover, he had never been easy with feelings. The only person he had ever loved was Hunith. But he didn't even have to force it now. He didn't have to pretend. He had just met Merlin and yet he loved him so much without even a doubt, without even knowing what was the extent of that love, or where was the limit. It was as scary as exciting, how such a little creature could awake so many things in a man's heart.

He pressed a kiss on the baby's forehead. "I love you, son."

And then, suddenly, Merlin looked up to him and his eyes lit up, but literally. They became gold, and they made the darkness of the room dissipate for a slight second, glittering like a fiery candle. Balinor watched in fascination and as soon as his eyes got back to their original blue, he lifted his head up to look straight at Hunith.

"What was that?"

"That's another thing I've been meaning to tell you. Our son is… very special, to say the least. It's been happening since he was… four, maybe five months old. It's instinctive. He doesn't know what he's doing, he just does it, he does magic. When he's upset, when he just wants to play. He moves objects around in the air, without touching them. I've never seen anything like this before…"

Balinor looked at Merlin again. The boy was smiling, harmless mischief in his eyes. He reminded him so much of Hunith. He had his face, his eyes, he even smelled like her. And now, the magic… How could this be possible? Magic needed to be learned, studied, mastered with years and years of practice. Merlin could do it, according to Hunith, since before he was even a year old. It was natural, it was in him like air in his lungs. Maybe it had to do with his own magical abilities, even though Balinor's gifts weren't as impressive as Merlin's.

"I see you have your father's tongue, that's good!" he said with pride in his voice and eyes.

Merlin made a soft little sound along with a lovely smile before he set his head down on Balinor's chest. He yawned deeply and closed his eyes.

"Okay, it's getting late, isn't it, my love?" Hunith said, gently putting her hand on the back of Merlin's head. The toddler opened his sleepy eyes to send only one look at her mother, before he settled against Balinor again.

Hunith smiled.

"Right. Now I'm getting jealous."

Balinor laughed at that and kissed her.

"Can I… can I do it?" he asked silently, softly brushing his lips to hers.

"Do what?"

"I know I just came here, invading your home after I left almost three years ago, and that I have no right to… but can I… can I put my son to bed?"

Hunith sighed, before she took Balinor's face in her hands. They were standing so close again it was like they were encircling the baby with their bodies.

"You have every right to, Balinor, I told you. He's your son. I'll be more than happy to see you do it. And it seems Merlin already loves you too."

Balinor protectively held Merlin against him — heck, the baby was almost fitting in his hand. He was so tiny…

Filled with love like never before, he planted another kiss on his fragile head, noting at the same time that Merlin had fallen asleep just like that, in his arms. He smiled and gave Hunith the most passionate and sweet kiss she ever had.

"What was that for?" she asked, trembling all over, her hands clutching at his biceps the way Merlin's had earlier.

And it was the best feeling in the world. Having, not only the woman he loved, but his family here… needing him. His family holding him, loving him. He knew these short moments wouldn't last forever but they gave him enough love to make him go on and endure every pain or loneliness he would face in the future. They were everything to him. They were his reasons to go on.

"For Merlin," he finally answered. "And I didn't want you to get jealous," he added in a light tone.

She rolled her eyes, holding a laugh to not wake the baby, and he smiled again, wrapping his free arm around her waist.

Later, Hunith was standing near the door. She was looking at Balinor. The man she loved with every fiber of her body and soul was sitting on the chair in the back of the room. He was sleeping, and so was Merlin, wrapped tightly in his arms. They looked like any father and son, but she knew they weren't as ordinary as they had the right to be. One was the last dragon lord, hunted by the King of Camelot, condemned to run away for the rest of his life, and the other was probably the most promising sorcerer ever to be born. Hunith smiled sadly: she would give anything, anything for them to be ordinary.

A single tear ran down her cheek, for she knew Balinor would have to go before dawn. Before Merlin even had the chance to wave him goodbye.

I know it's sad at the end but you know, hope you liked it either way. :)