I suppose I would apologise, but I'm really not all that sorry about the crazy level of Merthur.
It's sort of a song fic. I was originally going to use the song for a Merwaine squeal to a fic I'm still fixing up but then this happened and I liked it better.
The two songs in the fic are Keane's Somewhere Only We Know and Frankie Valli's Can't Take My Eyes Off You. To be honest I prefer the Muse version of Can't Take My Eyes Off You. And just so you know when Merlin sings it it's the Muse version, but when Arthur sings it it's the Frankie Valli version. Hopefully that makes sense when you read it.
There is a bit of gender-bending but not much.
TRIGGER WARNING: death and stuff, nothing too graphic.
The problem with being the brother of the bride and the best friend of the groom is that it makes things complicated, Arthur thought to himself.
Does he stand at Leon's side as his best man? Or does he give the 'big brother' speech and embarrass Morgana at the reception?
Thankfully, the choice had been taken out of his hands when he had met up with Leon for drinks some months before the big day and, over beer and chips, Leon had asked that he not be offended when he asked Lance to be his best man. The reason for that had become clear to Arthur when, the next day at lunch, Morgana had asked him to walk her down the aisle.
It had been a beautiful wedding, and Arthur wasn't just believing that because it was his best friend and his sister. The trio that Leon had found, and Morgana had subsequently adopted into her circle of friends (from what Arthur had read in Leon's long emails to him), had played beautifully as Arthur had escorted Morgana down the aisle before handing her to Leon.
Merlin's hands fluttered over Arthur, checking and double checking that his armour was perfect. After letting it happen for almost ten minutes Arthur finally moved to catch Merlin's hands in his own.
"Merlin," he said softly.
Merlin flushed slightly. "I know," he whispered.
Though Arthur had a manservant (George) to ready him for battle, both men preferred the excuse of Merlin helping him so they could have a private moment, hell, since becoming Court Sorcerer Merlin had his own manservant.
"Remember…" Arthur began. But Merlin cut him off.
"Stay with Gwaine and Lancelot. Don't let Aithusa in too deep. I know."
Arthur huffed a small laugh and pulled Merlin close to his chest, arms moving to encircle the other man's shoulder.
"And don't leave me," Arthur added.
"The same goes for you," Merlin said.
"I can't promise that," Arthur said quietly.
"Fine, but I'll always find you," Merlin promised.
However biased he was, there was no denying that Morgana looked absolutely radiant. And it had nothing to do with her dress, or her jewellery, or the delicate white gold tiara set in her black hair, or anything else like that. No. Arthur was sure it was all to do with Leon, who looked at Morgana like he were a condemned man and she his angel there to save him.
Morgana was his sister and that meant, without a doubt, he would not have settled for anything less than the best for her and Leon, his best friend, was better. He could still remember the depressed and lost looks Morgana had been covered in through their latter teen years, but then something had happened and suddenly Morgana had become lighter and freer and that was when Arthur had known that he wasn't, and would never be again, the main man in Morgana's life.
The trio, whose name Arthur had forgotten (it was something in Welsh), had set back up on the stage while the guests were taking their seats. They had been lucky in the fact that it was a clear night and, out in the country where they were, with the full moon in the sky, there was need for only minimal lights in the form of soft glowing lanterns.
Arthur sullenly trailed after his father. He didn't want, nor did he need, a tutor. But despite his protests Uther had employed a young man, apparently a few months his senior, to teach him the piano.
Arthur was only sixteen, younger than the first time, the real first time, they had met. But he had never grown into his memories so early. It had been almost a decade since he had and the wait was worse than slow, burning torture,
Trying to think of ways to get out of the lessons, Arthur missed when they entered the large, open room that housed the dreaded instrument.
Standing at one of the windows that overlooked the southern grounds was a tall figure, hands clasped at the small of his back.
"…I'll leave you two alone, now." Uther said, and Arthur realised he must have been talking, before leaving.
Arthur hadn't breathed since setting eyes on the man set to be his tutor.
"Hullo, Arthur." The man said, turning around.
"Merlin…"
Arthur leant against the bar next to Lance and sipped at his drink. "You okay?" he asked softly, concerned for his friend that hadn't moved in almost an hour.
Lance gave a noncommittal grunt and kept staring in the direction of the band playing as Leon and Morgana swayed in their first dance as a married couple.
"…this could be the end of everything…"
The drums slowly faded out and the curly haired woman sitting behind the drum set looked straight at them.
Not at them, Arthur realised after a moment, at Lance.
"…so why don't we go, somewhere only we know…"
"Do you know her?" Arthur asked.
Lance turned to him, a soft look on his face. "You could say that," he said in an odd voice.
Arthur wasn't sure why Leon and Morgana had chosen the song for their first dance, it didn't scream of romance or anything Arthur imagined someone wanting their first dance song to be about. To him it seemed very sad, but it made them happy, and that was all he could ask for.
"…somewhere only we know…"
"Arthur?"
Arthur shook away his musing and the man on stage sung the last few line with only the soft piano notes accompanying him.
"Do you… do you remember?" Lance asked him.
"Remember what?"
Lance's shoulders sank and he gave Arthur a pitying look. "Nothing."
"…somewhere only we kno-ow."
Arthur held on tight to Morgana's hand as she led him into the playroom. There were already a number of children there, playing and shouting and having an all-round good time.
Within moment Morgana had abandoned him to play with a group of girls.
Arthur shrunk against the wall, looking around, before his eyes caught on a boy sitting in a corner of the room.
He was thin and curled up on himself as he read a large book, not noticing when several older boys surrounded him. When he finally did, he looked up and Arthur caught sight of the bluest eyes he had ever seen.
Acting on instinct Arthur bolted across the room, shoving past the bullying boys and pulled the other boy to his feet.
"I'm Arthur," he said.
"Merlin."
"Friends?"
Merlin small, bow mouth widened into an impossible smile. "Friends."
Even at only six Arthur knew immediately that one day he was going to marry Merlin.
Everyone clapped and cheered as Leon dipped Morgana kissing her soundly. The long haired guy behind the piano stuck two fingers in his mouth and gave them a loud wolf-whistle.
Beside Arthur, Lance gave a small laugh, shaking his head and muttering something that Arthur couldn't quite hear.
Not removing her lips from Leon's, Morgana twisted an arm to flip the man the bird.
There was some shuffling around as people tucked in chairs and grabbed partners.
On the stage the long haired man abandoned the piano for a guitar and Arthur stepped forward onto the dance floor to take Morgana from Leon.
As the music started the singer, a tall and thin man clicked his fingers, his brilliant blue eyes hidden behind shut lids as he swayed gently.
Arthur hadn't been as involved as he would have liked with the wedding, Uther's death had meant that he had spent much of the last year living out of suitcase in hotel rooms as he visited all their offices around the world. Most of his involvement had been over skype at odd hours of the night and during lunch or dinner when he happened to be back home.
He didn't know much about the band, just that they were a small group that Leon had found somewhere. The singer though, since first seeing him only hours ago, just before the wedding started, Arthur hadn't been able to shake the odd feeling he had about the man.
"You're just too good to be true…"
Arthur stood next to Gwaine in the crowd.
Leon had already buggered off with Morgana and the two were happily spinning circles in the centre of the ballroom.
"Arthur…" Gwaine hissed, jabbing his elbow into Arthur's side.
"What?"
Gwaine's eyes were bright with shock and happiness as he pointed to the other side of the large room.
Squinting, it took a few moments for Arthur to realise what was being pointed out to him.
Dressed in a deep purple gown, Gwen was standing next to another woman in a bright red gown.
"That's not…" Arthur breathed in disbelief as he took in the other woman. Her jet black hair hung loose and tastefully messy around her shoulder, she was slim but not unhealthily and her mouth was bunched into a small pout. But none of that mattered because for as different as she looked, Arthur would always recognise those blue eyes.
Within moment he was across the room, Gwaine on his heels.
"Milady," Arthur murmured, pressing a kiss to her hand and smiling to his eyes when her pout turned into a scowl. "Might I have this dance?" he requested. Before she could answer he had pulled her into the floor.
They were silent as they danced and slowly her pout turned into a soft smile.
"You're wearing my colours," Arthur murmured eventually, eyeing the shimmering golden trim on the Camelot red.
Her lips twitched. "Of course I'm wearing your colours, you prat."
Arthur let his eyes rove over her lithe figure. "You look resplendent, Merlin."
"It's Merlyn. Arthur, I'm a bloody woman," Merlin hissed.
"A beautiful one." Arthur shrugged.
Merlin bit her lip, looking up at Arthur through hooded lids. "So, yo… you don't mind."
Arthur sighed. "I love you, Merlin. I can't say this won't take getting used to. But I will always love you, no matter what you look like."
Merlin's smile caught in Arthur's heart and the hurt burned with pleasure.
"…can't take my eyes off you…"
Arthur placed his right hand on Morgana's waist and took her hand with his left.
"You look resplendent," he told her, enjoying the slight blush that rose up on her cheeks.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"…you look like heaven to touch…"
"I'm happy for you Morgana," leaning closer to press a kiss to her cheek. "You are happy?"
"More than I ever thought I could be."
"…I wanna hold you so much…"
"And you could be too, Arthur. I wish you'd remember."
Arthur wasn't sure what she meant but out the corner of his eye he saw more and more couple joining them on the floor.
Arthur shivered as he turned with Morgana, his eyes briefly meeting the singer's for a fraction of a second.
"…at long last love has arrived, and I thank God I'm alive…"
Arthur scowled, subtly adjusting the bust of her dress.
Noticing, Morgana slapped at his hands. "Stop fidgeting," she hissed.
It had been four years since her debutant ball and her father was still trying to marry her off as Arthur had successfully run off every suitor.
"I should have known," a warm, velvety voice wrapped around his ear.
Arthur spun around on her heel and into a pair of deceptively strong arms. "Merlin?" she hissed.
"A pleasure, milady." Merlin said, bending slightly as he pressed a kiss to her hand. "And you are?"
"Ann Ruth."
"A beautiful name for a beautiful woman." Merlin said, drawing her out into the mass of dancing couples.
"You couldn't have turned up a few years earlier?" Arthur demanded as Merlin twirled her around. "Father has been trying to marry me off for years. Do you any idea how tiring it's been making excuses and such. Fucking Gwaine pretended to court me until Elena cropped up."
Merlin chuckled, warm breath caressing her ear. "Scared of the gorgeous men, are we, my dear?"
Arthur's scowl morphed into a smirk. Merlin winced as her heel dug into his foot.
"My apologies," Arthur said, eyes widening into with faux innocence.
"It's odd isn't it," Merlin mused, pulling Arthur closer to him.
Arthur snorted in a most un-lady like fashion. "Like you can talk. You're practically a girl anyway, and you hardly changed. Mine are bloody huge," she muttered into Merlin's ear.
Both their eyes drifted momentarily to Arthur's robust chest. "Not everything's a competition, and if it were, my dick was always bigger than yours."
Arthur's eyes flashed lust. "Maybe I liked it that way," she said coyly.
"...you're just too good to be true, can't take my eyes off you…"
Arthur spun Morgana around as the singer's voice washed over them.
He could distinctly feel the man's eyes on him, but instead of making him feel uncomfortable it was oddly comforting.
"...pardon the way that I stare, there's nothing else to compare…"
It almost hurt the way the song reached into Arthur, grabbing at his very soul.
"…the sight of you makes me weak, there are no words left to speak…"
Arthur found him as he lay dying in the trenches. Or rather Merlin found him.
"Oh god, Arthur," he said with a choked cry.
"Hey, hey," he said weakly, grabbing Merlin's hand. "It's okay, I'm okay."
"Shut up, Arthur." Merlin sobbed, hands pressing futilely against the wounds in his chest.
"You're here, Merlin."
Hand flailing up he latched onto Merlin's collar, pulling the other man down. Meshing their lips together messily Arthur poured everything into the kiss.
"I love you," he whispered against Merlin, feeling the warm tears mixing with dirt and blood between them.
"I love you too…" he heard Merlin whisper before he fell unconscious and everything, even the pain which had disappeared at the sight of Merlin, faded away.
The low, melodic tones shifted as the long haired man played a more intense riff on his guitar and Arthur chuckled as Morgana grinned and they moved faster.
"…I love you, baby and if it's quite alright, I need you, baby…"
Arthur shuddered and a tear leaked from his eye.
"...to warm the lonely nights, I love you, baby trust in me when I say…"
Again he and Morgana turned and he gasped when he saw that the singer was staring right at him, blue eyes going straight to his soul.
"…oh, pretty baby, don't bring me down I pray…" Arthur crooned into the microphone.
The club was dimly lit and smoke curled to the ceiling.
The sound of trumpets and drums was accompanied by the swishing of dresses and the slightly chiming of jewellery.
"…oh, pretty baby, now that I've found you stay…"
Arthur caught sight of a couple dancing together. The woman was in a blue dress that looked darker than it really was because of her white hair and pale skin. The man swinging her around with a grace and elegance that Arthur could recognise on sight was wearing a fitted tuxedo that clung to his slight frame in an almost obscene way.
"…and let me love you, baby, let me love you…"
Arthur stared until the man looked at him and he grinned as shock burst onto Merlin's face.
Arthur winked at him and continued to sing his eyes never leaving the Merlin's, even as he danced with the woman in blue.
"…you're just too good to be true…"
"...can't take my eyes off you, you feel like heaven to touch…"
Another tear slipped from his eye and his hands tightened around Morgana.
"...I wanna hold you so much, at long last love has arrived…"
He felt her manoeuvre them so his arms were around her waist and hers around his neck and she was the only thing keeping him upright.
"...and I thank God I'm alive, you're just too good to be true…"
"It's okay, brother mine," he heard her whisper as the man on the stage kept singing.
"…can't take my eyes off you…"
Once their set was done, Arthur hopped off the stage and, impatiently accepting the audiences praise, made his way to the bar where the man stood, the woman in blue was nowhere to be seen.
"So what do you say?" he asked the man, his back leaning against the bar.
"What do I say about what?" the man asked, amusement in his voice and head turned to face Arthur.
"Who's the girl?"
"Are you jealous?"
"Merlin…"
"Vivian's dancing with Perce and you are jealous." Merlin said smugly. "Don't deny it."
Arthur took a sullen sip of his whiskey.
"Hey," Merlin bumped his shoulder into Arthur's.
Arthur looked up and melted at the wide eyed expression on Merlin's face
"I'll let you love me anytime," Merlin said with an over the top smouldering look.
Arthur snorted with laughter, his mouth curving into a smile. "You're terrible."
"Your point?"
"I missed you."
"…I love you, baby and if it's quite alright I need you, baby…"
Arthur sniffed wetly, his arms tight around Morgana as he buried his face in her hair. She gently stroked his back as they swayed.
"…to warm the lonely night, I love you, baby, trust in me when I say…"
"You remember now, don't you," Morgana said with an ecstatic smile on her face when he finally looked up.
"How could I forget?" Arthur whispered, the words sticking to his throat.
He spun them around so he could see Merlin and fresh tears welled in his eyes.
"…oh, pretty baby, don't bring me down I pray…"
He laughed aloud, drawing attention, when Merlin's perfect voice stumbled over the words.
"…oh, pretty baby, now that I've found you stay…"
His entire body itched as he felt the song ending and a delirious grin rose up on his face as he bounced on the balls of his feet.
"Gods, just go…" Morgana muttered at him, the annoyance in her voice betrayed by the smile on her face and the joy in her eyes as she gave him a gentle shove towards the stage.
"…let me love you, baby, let me love you…"
The last few words were lost as Merlin was unceremoniously shoved off the stage by Gwaine who shot a mock salute in Arthur's direction. Arthur was surrounded by people as he tried to get to the stage.
And then Merlin was there, barrelling into him and throwing his arms around Arthur in a pressing embrace.
Arthur wound his arms around Merlin, crushing them ever tighter together.
He pulled back only enough so he could press his lips to Merlin's, loving the feeling on Merlin's long fingers twisting in his hair.
"I love you desperately," Arthur said roughly, his voice wrecked with emotion, when they finally separated, though their arms were still would around each other.
Merlin nodded, sniffing. "Don't leave me," he choked out.
"Never," Arthur replied instantly. "And if I do, I'll always find you."
Aaaaaaaaaaaaand I need to stop being a sap. :P
So, yeah. Italicised bits were the past in different time periods and lives.
Like always, I don't own anything... but god I wish I did.
One week of uni down... many more to go, I forgot how exhausting it was.
Until next time,
-Nita