2
Gwen stood, wide eyed, at what her best friend had just shown her. No. This isn't right. This is criminal, it's wrong, it's insanity, completely impossible, it's"
"Beautiful." she breathed.She watched as the pale yellow fire danced over Merlin's hand, mesmerized. "It doesn't hurt you?"
"Not at all."
"But it's fire."
"It is," Merlin grinned, "but it's my fire." They stood in silence for a moment, before Merlin stopped. "I was born like this Gwen. Since I was small-"
"I don't care." she said seriously. "I don't care that you have magic, Merlin. You are my best friend. I mean you're clumsy and ridiculous and apparently a sorcerer, but it doesn't matter."
"You can't tell Arthur."
"I wasn't planning to."
And there they stood, smiling at each other like lunatics, in the middle of a lonely corridor, at quarter to one in the morning until Gwen said,
"Show me again."