Sometime after Arthur had left, Gaius sighed and turned around to look at Merlin's bedroom door.
"You can come out now, Merlin."
After a moment of silence, the door creaked open and Merlin guiltily walked down into the room. "How'd you know I was there?" He asked incredulously.
"Merlin, give me some credit. I may be old, but I'm not as deaf as you may think, and you've lived here long enough for me to know what your footsteps sound like." He poured a cider for the boy and motioned for him to sit down. "No matter how quiet they may be. So, how much did you hear?"
Merlin shrugged. "Enough," he said. Gaius seemed somewhat displeased with this vague answer, but he let it go. "Arthur didn't say much."
"I don't know if I would, either, in his place," Gaius responded. A moment of silence passed between them. There were plenty of things that they could say – about the confrontation in the throne room, about Arthur, about what Gaius had said, about Merlin's fate, but somehow, both of them knew just as well as the other that for all the potential conversation, this was not the time for talking. Merlin stared down into his cider, warming his hands on the mug.
"Do you think he'll ever forgive me, Gaius?" Merlin asked. Gaius looked at him, and didn't say anything for a long time.
"Give him time."
Merlin frowned slightly. He knew the most he could do at the moment was wait. He wished he could do more. Gaius stood and walked around Merlin, giving the lad a good squeeze on the shoulder as he went, to his bed at the side of the room.
"Everything will be alright, Merlin, you'll see." He patted Merlin's head like a father would to his son. "Snuff all the candles when you go to bed. Goodnight, Merlin."
Alright. Everything might be alright, Merlin thought, but that didn't mean that anything would ever be the same, for better or worse.
Merlin watched the sunrise over Camelot from his perch on a small knoll just outside of the western forest. It was a chill morning, and Merlin's breath rose in a cloud of steam from where he sat, arms wrapped around his knees. Any other morning, he would have been smiling. The birds were chirping, the leaves were rustling, and the morning bells of Camelot were tolling their clanging welcomes to the new day. However, the brightness of day had been tainted that morning, by a churning storm of doubt that had Merlin's brow drawn together in a worried frown. He'd hardly slept a wink last night, after Gaius had called him out. What he'd heard last night made him even more antsy and frustrated than he had been before. Arthur hadn't acted or sounded like himself. Merlin knew he was taking the whole ordeal incredibly hard, and he wished he could do something to help, but he knew he couldn't. He hadn't seen Arthur in person since their conversation in the throne room days prior, and, seeing as it was Merlin who had caused the King's distress, he could effectively do nothing but watch and wait, while the fates of both he and his friend hung in the balance. Merlin sighed into his knees and watched the distant guards on the battlements. Arthur had been telling him for years that he was utterly useless. Merlin had never truly believed him, until now. It was one of the most crucial times of his young life, and he could do absolutely nothing but sit there. He was useless.
"Merlin?"
Merlin recognized the voice and looked over to his left, where Gwaine was climbing up to Merlin's lookout spot.
"Gwaine," Merlin started to stand, but the knight put out a placating hand.
"No need to get excited," He said. "I saw you come out here a while ago." Gwaine sat down heavily next to Merlin. "Thought you might want some company." He smiled. In the time that Gwaine had been speaking, Merlin had simply stared at him. After a few more seconds of silence and staring, Gwaine frowned. "What?"
"You're talking to me."
Gwaine frowned. "Yeah, I am, as a matter of fact. That surprising?" He raised an eyebrow.
Merlin raised his in return and looked away. "Last I checked, knights of Camelot don't usually get chatty with known sorcerers."
Gwaine shrugged. "Good point. Though, between you and me, that sorcerer we saw out on the battlefield a while back didn't really look much like a sorcerer."
Despite himself, Merlin was offended. He raised an inquisitor's eyebrow at Gwaine. "Oh really?"
Ignoring Merlin's dark expression, Gwaine shook his head. "Nah, not at all. Scrawny, for one thing. Dirty, for another. Brave, perhaps, but stupid, facing up against Morgana by himself." Gwaine shook his head again. "No, he didn't look much like a sorcerer."
"And what did he look like?" Merlin asked dryly. Gwaine fixed him with a small smile.
"A friend." He said. Immediately, Melrin's face softened and he looked away. Gwaine's smile grew.
"Honestly, Merlin," He beamed, throwing an arm roughly around Merlin's shoulders, "did you think I'd forget our friendship so easily? So you're a sorcerer – that is bit shocking, I admit – but I know that beneath all the magic and dragons and surprises, you're still Merlin."
Merlin wanted to thank him, but could only sigh and look away. "I wish everyone thought like you do, Gwaine."
Gwaine's smile left his face and he dropped his arm from Merlin's shoulders. "I heard about what happened in the throne room," He said, and Merlin looked at him in surprise. "No details, mind you, but word got around with the other knights and myself. I'm sorry Arthur's taking it so hard."
Merlin shook his head. "It's not your fault. I just… Wish I knew what to do."
Gwaine looked uncharacteristically pensive for a moment before he said, "Wait, I suppose."
Oh, how Merlin was beginning to despise that word.
"Now come on," Gwaine changed the subject, scooting forward so he could see Merlin a bit better. "Let's see it, then."
"See what?"
"Your magic! I didn't exactly get a good look at it during the battle, fighting for my life as I was, and I'd like to know what it looks like." When Merlin did nothing but stare at him in confusion, he gave an encouraging smile. "Oh, come on, Merlin! I just found out that my best friend is one of the most powerful sorcerers in the world! Of course I'm curious – please, just a little magic?"
Although the charming smile and pleading had no effect on Merlin whatsoever, two little words convinced him to humor Gwaine. Best friend. Merlin couldn't hold back a tiny smile. "Alright. What do you want me to do?"
Gwaine paused momentarily to run through the possibilities. A slow smile spread across his face. He nodded over towards a pine sapling that grew a few metres away. "Can you turn that tree a different color?"
Merlin frowned. What an odd request. "Maybe," He said, "I've never really had a reason to."
"Well now you do," Gwaine said, assuming his request was sufficient reason. "How about a lovely, bright shade of pink?"
After giving Gwaine a thoroughly puzzled look, Merlin shrugged and took a deep breath, mentally constructing a spell that should do the trick and trying to ignore the fact that Gwaine was staring at him. "Crohmcran bándearg," he said, nodding toward the small pine. He could hear Gwaine gasp when his eyes flashed gold. Then the knight turned to look at the tree, and he erupted in laughter.
"Ha! A pink pine tree! Perfect!" He slapped Merlin on the back and beamed at him, and Merlin just had to smile back. "A sorcerer indeed, my friend! A scrawny one, perhaps, but no matter. That was brilliant!"
"You think so? I mean, my magic, I don't – that is, it doesn't… scare you?" Merlin asked apprehensively. Gwaine continued to laugh.
"Of course not! You're still Merlin, as I said, and I trust you." His words meant more to Merlin than he could ever know. Still smiling, Gwaine continued, "Besides, do you know how much fun this could be?"
And for whatever reason, Merlin wasn't sure he liked that tone of voice.
A/N: I think I might have gotten Gwaine grossly out of character in this. You will have to tell me what you think. Read and review, please!