Disclaimer: The BBC owns all; I own nothing.

A/N: my first Merlin fic! Sorry if they're OOC; I'm still getting to know them! :]


"I'm a sorcerer."

His heart sunk; ice-cold hands gripped his chest. Tighter and tighter they squeezed, until he could hardly breathe. With a last burst of strength, he choked out a single word.

"Why?"

"I don't know why." The reply was soft and broken. "It's just who I am."

"No."

The fist clutching his lungs slowly released, just enough so he could take another mind-clearing breath. His head still reeled from the shock; his extremities felt numb. He sat onto the large bed, and stared blankly at a brick in the wall, above his head.

"You must understand…why I've kept it from you. You didn't even believe me at first… 'How could Merlin be a sorcerer? He can barely stand up by himself!' Merlin." The words were bitter and filled with old scorn and a pinch of self-pity.

As the sorcerer--no, Merlin--sunk to the cold stone floor, with his head in his hands, Arthur realized something important.

More than important, actually. It was like a passively explosive revelation, warming the last traces of ice from his heart.

"I don't care."

"What?"

"It doesn't matter if you're a sorcerer."

The blue eyes filled with alarm and he could see tears about to spill over.

"So this is it, then?" Hands brushed away stray moisture from the sharp cheekbones. "You're done with me? Going to tell your father; have me killed?" The words were quiet and steady. Not a trace of fear that was carefully hidden behind the deep blues.

Arthur started, jumping from the bed.

"No! I don't mean that at all." Why wouldn't he understand? This was a good thing. "Merlin, I don't care that you're a sorcerer. You've saved my life, and probably others, too. If you were an evil sorcerer, you'd have killed me or my father by now. How dense are you, anyway?"

He watched as impossible hope lit his manservant's face.

"So…I'm not going to die?" The dark head turned to the side; you could tell that he was thinking, deeply. "And you're pretty much fine with the fact that I'm a potentially very dangerous magic worker?"

" Well…yes." There were words, words that were just beyond his reach. "You've saved my sorry arse over and over… You've been nothing but a loyal servant and companion and I owe you much, much more than a prejudiced stereotype and a death sentence--of all things. You're not some evil sorcerer bent on taking over Albion. You're not.

"And as much as it pains me to admit, you've been a friend, Merlin. The only one I've been able to count on—ever. So, no; I don't care at all that you're a sorcerer. You're just my friend."

"Oh." Arthur watched with light amusement; his manservant seemed to have forgotten how to speak. "Thank…you?"

He stood up and clapped a hand to his friend's shoulder.

"You're welcome." He felt himself grinning, of all things. "Now, my trousers need to be washed, the windows cleaned, and I could have sworn I saw a cobweb or two."

"Right on it." The sorcerer—Merlin! -- ducked, and unsteady legs propelled the thin body to the chest of unlaundered clothing back in the corner.

"Thank you." These words were spoken so softly, so lightly, that he mightn't have said them at all. But the small smile on Merlin's face told him otherwise.


A/N: so... how was it? not too horrible, i hope. i tried to use an ambiguous topic... reviews = 3 please review. :]