A/N: Here we go! Prompt 20: Colourless. Bit of Merthur. Quite angsty but you know me… The title is because I wrote this around Bonfire Night
Remember, Remember
Arthur stumbled into Gaius's chamber, carrying a limp body over his shoulder. Gaius turned, mouth dropping open.
"Arthur!" The blonde looked exhausted, hair stuck up and clothes torn to tatters. Laying down Merlin's unconscious body without a word, he stood back, shoulders hunched. They'd been out on a hunting trip for a few days, an extended one which Arthur had insisted on going on alone, which, of course, meant with Merlin.
"What happened?" demanded Gaius, rushing over to check on the boy he called a son.
"We were attacked. Wolf. Merlin jumped in front of it to save me and it threw him aside. He cracked his head in some rocks and stopped moving." Arthur's voice trembled slightly as he spoke and Gaius frowned.
"Sit down, Arthur. You look like you're going to fall over." The king slumped into a chair, watching as Gaius fussed around Merlin.
"How bad is it?" Arthur said, voice cracking slightly.
"He's taken a heavy blow to the head, has a cracked rib and is generally battered and bruised. I'm just a bit worried about the head injury." Gaius frowned and Merlin groaned, coming round.
"Merlin?" Gaius asked. "Can you hear me?" His blue eyes fluttered open and focused on Gaius.
"Who are you? Where am I? What's going on?" Arthur felt like someone had shot him through the heart.
"Merlin? Merlin, it's me, Arthur."
"Arthur? I don't know any Arthurs." Arthur's world had ended. Merlin, his sweet, beautiful, secret-lover didn't know who he was. He nodded slowly, putting on a straight face but he wasn't sure who for.
"I see. Gaius, tell me of any developments." The king swept from the room before he could begin to cry.
Two days later, there had been no change in Merlin's condition; Arthur was distraught, although he tried not to show it. He attended court, training and the odd patrol but those who knew him well enough, knew he was not the same man. Meanwhile, Merlin had accepted that he was in Camelot, that he lived with Gaius the physician and that he was the manservant of King Arthur Pendragon. So, he began to show up for work again but Arthur hated it. He wasn't the same. Obedient, organised and all round an excellent servant just wasn't Merlin. It seemed a white-hot knot had formed in his chest and every time he saw Merlin, it grew. On the fifth day, he couldn't stand it any longer.
"Merlin, I love you," the king blurted out. The dark-haired man turned.
"You, you love me?" Arthur didn't reply, merely kissed him hard. Gasping slightly, the servant kissed back, tender and gentle like he always did. Arthur pulled back and gazed at Merlin who groaned and rubbed his head.
"Arthur? Oh, my head hurts…" He stumbled and the blonde caught him.
"Woah. I've got you. There we go." Arthur laid him down on the bed.
"What happened? We were hunting and… I hit my head?" Merlin moaned. Slipping on to the bed beside him, the king wrapped his manservant up in his arms.
"It's okay now. I've got you. You hit your head rather hard and then… well, you forgot everything. Thought you were still back in Ealdor…" The dark-haired man nuzzled into him with a long sigh.
"I'm sorry, Arthur."
"Don't apologize. It's okay. I'm just glad you're back." They shared a lingering kiss before Arthur blew out the candles and pulled the blankets over them.
"Goodnight, Merlin."
"Goodnight, Arthur." And with that, they fell asleep in each other's arms.