Merlin shut the door with a loud bang and shuffled past Gaius, managing to look both angry and shattered. He made no attempt to talk, and it was only when he was opening the door to his room that Gaius called his name.
"Yes?" Merlin bit out.
"I'm sure you have no reason to talk to me that way."
"No, you're right, Gaius, sorry."
"So?" Gaius crossed his arms over his chest.
"What?"
"Why are you sulking like a friendless manticore?"
"I… have never heard that saying before." A smile made its way onto Merlin's drawn features.
"It's not a particularly common one."
"I didn't think so, no."
"So?" Gaius was patient as Merlin caught up. "What's got you looking like that?"
Merlin looked unamused. "Arthur."
"I'm not surprised." Gaius sighed. "What did he do this time?"
"Other than making me jump in front of a wyvern while we were hunting because I couldn't use magic to save him?"
"Yes." Gaius himself wasn't amused at this point, either. Merlin was Arthur's keeper—self-appointed as well as by destiny—and he couldn't always complain about it. Besides, it was his own idea to be self-sacrificing in life or death situations. "As I'm aware, that's what usually happens."
"He put me in the stocks!"
"He what?"
"He put me in the stocks! Says I'm only saving him so I'll get injured badly enough to get a day off!"
"Merlin—"
"I'm going to bed."
The door slammed, and Gaius was viciously reminded that his charge was only twenty years old. He was allowed a hormonal outburst once in a while, especially if he'd spent the day in the stocks; and this reason was actually ridiculous, unlike others.
.oOo.
Gaius was asleep when the door opened. It was by pure coincidence that he noticed, and only the fact that the visitor turned out to be Prince Arthur caught his notice.
He was just about to sit up and ask the prince what he came for, but Arthur bypassed his bed completely—walking purposefully and quietly—and went to Merlin's room. He let himself in.
Gaius turned over to go back to sleep. It wasn't his business. It really wasn't. But he was a tired old man with nothing to amuse him but Merlin's rants about his prince's prattishness, so he stayed awake for another minute, wondering if Merlin would wake up and kick Arthur out or if he wouldn't wake up at all.
As it turned out, neither of those happened.
"Merlin! Merlin! Merlin!"
"Wha—Arthur?"
"Yes."
"What are—it's the middle of the night! What are you doing here? If you think that I'm getting up right now and—"
"Shut up."
"No!"
That was different. Gaius had heard, of course, how Merlin talked to Arthur, but this was no-nonsense. He wasn't taking anything, not now, and Arthur probably deserved it.
At any rate, it would be something to tell Geoffrey and Alice over breakfast the next day.
"What do you mean 'no'? I'm your Prince, Merlin, you can't talk like that."
"Yes, I can. I saved your life today, Arthur."
"You—"
"And you shut me in the stocks. I don't care if you put me in the cells, you're not coming into my room in the middle of the night and dragging me out and about for whatever thing you want to do."
"I'm not—"
"And keep your voice down, Gaius's sleeping."
"Merlin."
"Shut up. You're a prat, and I don't even know why I bother anymore. I'm tired, I'm sore, and at the rate we're going, half the castle's going to be up."
"Merlin!"
"What?"
"I came to apologize."
"Oh."
"Don't think I'll do this often."
"Didn't cross my mind."
"Good… Merlin…"
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry."
Gaius had never heard something so earnest come out of the prince's mouth. Merlin was silent for a moment. Gaius knew he should go back to bed. The conversation was heading into an intimate territory.
So that was what he did.
It was an interesting trait that most tired old men possessed. Gaius rolled over in bed once more, pulled the blanket up to his chin, and fell asleep.
.oOo.
"Merlin?" Arthur put his hands on his hips.
Merlin looked at him, just as curiously as before. He still didn't say anything, and Arthur felt decidedly uncomfortable. He'd apologized, for god's sake! What more did Merlin want?
"I—are you alright?" He hadn't expected that to come out of Merlin's mouth, and stared. Merlin broke into a smile. "Must be something wrong if you're apologizing."
"I'm not joking." I'm being completely serious. Please see that.
"I didn't think you were." Merlin gave a heavy sigh, sat up, shook the sleep from his eyes, and patted the mattress. "Come on, then."
"What?"
"Or stay standing." He shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me… Arthur?"
"Yeah?"
"Why were you mad?"
"Because you're stupid."
"I'm always stupid."
"No, you're not."
"You're the one that says it." He glared. "I'm the one that saves your arse half the time."
"That's true."
"What?"
Arthur crossed the distance from the door to the bed in two paces and knelt down in front of Merlin. "I'd be dead if it weren't for you. Several times over. Merlin, you've saved my life so many times. And I'm sorry it took a wyvern to see that."
"Arthur—"
"I'm the prince, you can't interrupt me."
"Sorry."
Arthur took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I stuck you in the stocks and I'm sorry I called you an idiot and I'm sorry I—no, that… I'm sorry. I talked to Lancelot."
He saw Merlin tense. "And?"
"And he told me." Arthur put a hand on Merlin's knee and felt him tense further; he was scared. He tried not to be hurt, but it was understandable. "Merlin, I'm not mad."
A weak chuckle. "Why'd you stick me in the stocks, then?"
"Because I don't want a new servant." He took a deep breath. "When that wyvern… well, I thought I was going to lose you. You're stupid and incompetent and an idiot and I want to hit you half the time, but you're the most loyal, brave, smart man I've ever known. You stood by my side today and for the past four years."
"That's still not a reason."
"I know." He gripped Merlin's knee tighter. "I don't want a new servant because I don't want to lose you. You, Merlin: foolish and brave and loyal and… and magic—no, please listen to me!"
"Arthur…"
"Please sit down." He was pleading, now. "Lancelot told me, and I was so mad. You lied to me! You tricked me and fooled me… and you saved me. You've been saving me. Merlin, I owe you my life. Not only today. So I'm sorry I stuck you in the stocks. I'm sorry I made fun of you. I'm sorry I've barged in—I'm making a mess of this."
"Yeah, you are."
"Yeah, I am." Arthur took a fortifying breath. Merlin may not have been ready to run, but he looked to be still on-edge. "I need you."
"I know."
"And not because you dress me and feed me and wash me, and apparently save my life on a regular basis, but because…" Oh, god… "I love you."
It wasn't uncommon. He knew plenty of knights who turned to their comrades for companionship, but it wasn't anything public or accepted. He expected Merlin to recoil—wouldn't blame him if he did—but Merlin just stared.
It was worse, in a way. Worse, because he was judging. Worse, because he was probably disgusted but too scared to show it.
"That's… unexpected."
Arthur stared. Of all the things he'd expected to hear… well, this certainly hadn't been it. "And?"
"And I think you're a dollophead." Merlin's hands were shaking as he leaned forward to hug him.
Arthur held him and let himself be held, and it was probably the best feeling he'd ever experienced. His earlier feelings—fear that Merlin was going to die, distrust that Merlin was a warlock, fear that Merlin was going to kill him, shame for thinking so bad of the most important person in his life—ran through his mind and he held on tighter, focusing on only one.
Love.
Merlin chuckled into his ear. "I love you, too."
It was the best thing Arthur had ever heard, and he could feel Merlin's nervousness alongside his own. But he could feel something else.
Love.
There were few things as great as it, and few things as important. At the moment, it bypassed everything else. Arthur's fear and shame and guilt melted away, replaced by love and Merlin, and though love couldn't make the bad things go away, it could certainly help.
Outside, Gaius snored.
Inside, Merlin pulled away, smiled, and leaned forward to kiss Arthur.
Thanks for reading!
Quick note: this is not, in any way, shape, or form, supposed to be serious, realistic, or... well... anything, really. Just a bit of self-indulgent fluff because Happy Endings are fun :D