Arthur knew the odds of seeing Merlin again after centuries had passed was small, but he still hoped that, the next time he saw Merlin's goofy smile, he would be true to his heart and take what was always his. These were his only thoughts as he saw the light of day slowly coming to meet him at the water's surface. His mind was bare of any knowledge pertaining to the last couple hundred years, but he still somehow had a sense of how much time had passed. All he could see was a white essence while he waited. But it wasn't bright or blinding. It was simply there, enveloping him in a comforting feeling. And now he was leaving that sanctuary, his body utterly restored. He felt more relaxed then he'd ever been.
The cool feeling of a breeze brushing up against his wet skin was astounding to him, having been exposed to the numb for so long. As his head emerged from the water, he took in a deep, starving breath and relinquished the cold sting of it in his throat and on his gums.
He blinked the water from his eyes and the shoreline before him simply looked welcoming. He trudged through the water. Any other man would have been deterred by the water's resistance, but Arthur smiled at it. The feeling of the liquid rolling past his legs was exhilarating. He never knew how much someone could miss simple things such as this, the temperatures, the movement. It seemed to him that movement didn't exist where he had been, tucked away.
When he finally reached the shore he collapsed onto the grassy ground, feeling the weight of his chainmail bring him down. He hit the ground with a thump that caused his head to throb for a moment. But he did not wince or grimace, he merely laughed at the long unfelt sensation.
He rolled onto his side and felt the grass stick to his cheeks as his wet skin brushed up against the ground. Then he lay flat on his back, staring blearily up at the vast blue sky.
For a while he just sat there, breathing, feeling the slow up and down motion of his chest that he had not performed in years. He rolled his joints and did nothing but smile at the way he ached from not using them. After a long day of basking in his senses, the sun rolled higher into the sky and he fell asleep to the warmth that bathed him.
When he next opened his eyes, it was not to a sight that he would have expected. After all these years, he would have thought the idiot would have had the sense to move on and stop grieving over him like a girl who'd lost her lover!
But there he was, standing over him, eyes curiously wide. It took Arthur a moment to realize he wasn't dreaming, to make sure of himself that the image before him was not of his own mind's illusion, bug blue eyes gleaming and ears prodding out a bit more than they ought to.
He wasn't dreaming. He was there and he was real and he had found him!
"Arthur?" Merlin questioned in a voice that sounded far too young and far too innocent for his age and his bearings.
Arthur couldn't think of the words to say. All he could do was smile as a throaty laugh leapt from his mouth. And, though he didn't think it possible, Merlin's eyes grew even wider and they shone with the joy that Arthur so dearly missed. And his goofy, lopsided smile reclaimed its residence on his face.
Then Merlin did the last thing he would have expected him to, especially after leaving him behind for so long, all alone. As he laughed and laughed and laughed, Merlin brought Arthur into a sitting position and his smile came to a close.
And he kissed him.