The little boy ran though out the garden, blond hair shining in the afternoon light and blue eyes as bright as the sky. His sister shouted after him, a tall girl with hair as black as midnight and eyes as green as the grass before her. She was laughing, saying they would be late for his cousin's birthday party if he didn't hurry up. With a cry of, "No!" he rushed back into her arms, giggling about nonsense. She carried him inside, looking like a loving mother rather than a sister - but isn't that what she had become? After their mother's death, she had become the women of the house, caring for her brother and father, who didn't give a single damn about them.

Unbeknownst to the two siblings, another boy stood atop the hill, with hair as dark as the sister's past life and eyes as bright as they had been when he first ventured into Camelot. His eyes held a sadness that people couldn't begin to understand, a past no one dared to ask about. But the boy had brought a smile to his face, the first in years. He could see them walking across the street, to Leo's house - or 'Leon,' as he had been known so many years ago. With a sigh, the boy atop the hill retreated, happy for the first time in years.

He made his way to the party - he'd known the women holding it for so long, and he was known as 'Uncle Merlin' to her son - he laughed at the name, knowing Leon of the past would have found it hilarious. He could still see the blond boy, and he kept a careful eye on him so he wouldn't get hurt - something he had grown used to in the past, looking out after his best friend. But than there was a moment where he and the boy's sister had made eye contact - she'd gasped, turning her back on him to go home, taking her brother with her. Merlin watched her go, knowing the Morgana would remember him, but would try to be a better sister to her brother.

The blond looked back at him, looking confused, almost as if he could remember - but not quite. Mogana refused to speak of the incident, but Arthur would remember the day for many years to come. The man would linger in the back of the boy's mind, the memories just out of reach. The days of his past so far gone that Arthur may never grab hold of them again - but Merlin? He was okay with that concept, just as long as Arthur wasn't hurt. As long as he was safe.

It was ten years later that the blond saw the boy again. He was running through the park with his friends, Lance and Gwen, talking about nothing in particular. They'd slowed to a slow walk, and the two made an excuse about getting food, which he took for 'making out in the bathrooms.' He didn't mind, even if he did have a crush in Gwen in fifth grade - Lance deserved her, and besides, the boy had realized he was more attracted to the other boys in his class. Specifically the brown haired boy with the little brother,weird dad, and wicked car he'd creatively named "Baby". He waved goodbye, heading back to his home, for his sister was surely worried about him now. Ever since he was four, she'd been jumpy, as if he were going to run away if she let him out of her sight.

As he passed through the trees, deciding to take a shortcut, a hand was placed on his shoulder. He spun around quickly, terror filling his body - three adults stood before him, staring at him hungrily; a woman and two men, big and burly and horrifying to look at. He tried to think of a way to run, but they were probably much faster than he could be. There was no one around to save him from what was about to happen; why had he left his sister's side? She would surely be terrified for him by now, and she would never know what happened to her baby brother should he be killed and dumped. And if she did ... he couldn't bear to imagine what that would do to her.

"Are you lost, little boy? We can help you get home to mommy and daddy."

"You're a handsome one, aren't you?"

"Why don't you come with us?"

Arthur took a step back, and they took one forward - he couldn't count on his friends to come and rescue him. They had said their goodbyes. One of the men grabbed his arm while the blond struggled to run away, terrified. He shouted for help, not knowing who he really was calling to - it just felt like someone was always watching him. He wasn't very religious; far from it, in fact, but it was almost like there was an ... angel, of some sort, always there. "Help! Someone help me!" The three laughed, dragging him by his hair back to ... wherever they lived. The blonde cried, screaming for his sister. For anyone.

"I think you should let him go," a voice spoke up, cold and dead. The three assaulters turned on their heels to face a young-looking man, whose eyes flashed gold before they were thrown back against the trees, letting go of the boy under their 'care.' Arthur by took off, running through the forest - feeling the branches and bushes scrap and scratch at his face but not giving a damn about his health - and appearing on his street, out of breath and tired. The stranger appeared behind him, the same as before - not a scratch, unlike the boy - and he wasn't even out of breath. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" He looked so concerned and worried, the expression was almost familiar ... Arthur shook off the memories, looking the man over. Dark hair, almost like his sister's. Blue eyes, the same color that matched his own.

"Thank you for helping me," Arthur said hesitantly, wondering if the stranger would try to kidnap him, too. The man smiled, looking across the street - Morgana was running out of the house, looking both relived and horrified. With a sigh, the stranger turned his back, beginning to walk back into the woods. "Wait! I still don't know who you are!" His steps faltered a bit, and he bit his lip, considering an answer.

"Just call me Merlin."

Around collage was when things got even stranger.

Arthur had walked into his new dorm to find his new roommate already inside and unpacked. The stranger had made his side neat, and was now reading a book, completely unaware that someone else had just entered. He was pale, with black hair like the man's elder sister and eyes as blue as the sky at dawn. He looked familiar, as did most things these days, but Arthur brushed it off. "Er, hi - I'm new here," the man greeted. The other looked up from his book, nodding in acknowledgment. "Have we met somewhere before?"

"I think I would remember," the man whispered, sounding sad. "Welcome to collage - I'm new here, too. That's why we share a dorm." He flashed a smile. The blond chuckled at the comment, going over to his side of the room and unpacking his own property. "I'm Merlin." Arthur paused, considering the name - it was strange, and very, very familiar. He could've sworn he'd heard the name before, and the stranger already looked so similar to a different memory. He straightened, studying his new housemate with a serious expression before shrugging it off.

"Arthur - everyone my family is named after a character from a legend." He smiled. "I suppose you are, too?" Merlin laughed, nodding in agreement. "I have a sister named Morgana, my father is Uther, and my cousin, Leon - Leo for short." Arthur smiled at the thought of his older cousin, who would be in the same collage as him this year - he made a mental note to go and say hello. "What about you?"

"It's just me these days - my father and mother were very old when I was given to them, and they died when I was eighteen," Merlin explained, sounding dejected. A silence filled the room after his announcement, and the blond unpacked, wondering what he could say to that.

"I've very sorry to hear that," Arthur whispered. Merlin nodded, willing his old friend to remember something, anything about their past together. But Arthur stayed oblivious, the memories just out of reach.

Days passed between the two, and they shared jokes and stories about their childhood. "And than Gwaine decided to set his desk on fire and tried to burn his arm so he could go home early!" Merlin snorted, knowing it was something his old friend would do. "And while the teacher ran around screaming, his boyfriend, Percy, was so worried he pushed Gwaine out the way and he got burned!" Arthur took another drink of his whiskey, and they were both so drunk they Merlin didn't try to stop him, instead taking another bottle for himself

"Yeah? I once had a friend who would never listen to me - almost got himself killed in a fight until my other friend came and saved the day. But get this: the guy's father got so upset that he banned my friends from ever seeing each other again!"

"Just for saving him?"

"Yeah!" They both chuckled at the thought. "I swear, he was such a dollophead."

"Dollophead? There's no such word!" Merlin giggled.

"Yes, there is!"

"Describe it!"

"In three words? My friend, Arthur."