The Colours Of Your Life

A/N: Hello all! Sorry for the time it took to update, but good news! I've finished all the pre-series chapters and finished chapters up to episode 10 :D Yayness! Please, this chapter...don't ask. I'm not sure what I was on when I decided to write this. Really. I always wondered what the character's excuse to the colour use in their costumes were so voila! Hence this. I will come back to this in later chapters, trust me. Also, I'm aware that in those days, people would start work when they were, like, 13. But Will won't till he's 16, I think. And Merlin just helps his Mum. Plus, since Will's profession is carpentry (I assume), he has to learn it from somewhere, right? Hence the lessons.

Qwerty: Good to hear from you again! Thanks so much :D You're too kind, as always. Yeah, I imagine it this way too! Yay!

Sprawled out like a wet lettuce, William sighed contentedly as he settled on the hard ground that was the floor of his temporary home. Evening dawned outside, drowning the world in darkness and forcing the huge moon to spring from behind the havens of the horizon. She grew wide, a vast pearly orb that draped her light onto the world she was guarding below. Merlin dropped down next to Will, crossing his ankles and propping himself up by his elbows while rolling his eyes. Will still found a way to look like an idiot, no matter the situation.

As he yawned, Will grumbled,

"These evening lessons are going to be the death of me, you know". Scoffing, Merlin replied,

"You'll live. A bit of hard work never hurt anyone". A soft silence fell over them as Merlin shut his eyes, basking in the warmth. Beside them both was a roaring fire, sparking and spitting heat at the walls of the room, forcing the warmth to bleach the air. It fought off the night chill while lighting up the shadows of the evening. It was beside that fire that Merlin and Will lounged.

The red head stared into the flames, haunting memories nipping at his mind. As always, he blocked them out by concentrating on an image. Dancing a perverse dance of pleasure, the flames reached for the sky, twisting around each other and giggling with the sound of death lingering in the back of their throats. The colours that eradiated from them were blinding, yet enchanting.

In his nightmares, it was the colours of the flames that attacked Will with their venom, burning his skin and forcing screams from his mouth. Yet, it was the colours of the flames in the fire in front of him that soothed him. They calmed him. Sending him into a slumber-like state. The first colour to greet him was amber, licking at his cheeks friendlily.

The only image that sprang to his mind was Merlin. His eyes as they glowed a bronze with the power of his magic. The true colour of his soul. To Will, it was the most beautiful sight on this Earth. Lips curving into a smile, he glanced to Merlin and posed a random question,

"What colours do you see in the fire, Merlin?" The warlock cracked one of his eyes open, and raised an eyebrow,

"What?" he asked puzzled. Will rolled his eyes and repeated the question for his friend's slow brain,

"What colours do you see in the fire, Merlin?" Now the raven-haired boy chuckled, but opened his eyes none the less. With a final confused glance at Will, Merlin turned to gaze at the fire. He too fell under its spell, hypnotized by the sudden harsh canvas of colour. Yet, two colours raised themselves up from the rest.

They embraced each other as they spiraled, kissing each other wherever they could reach. They horrified yet engrossed Merlin. He stared at the two, and relayed his answer to Will,

"Red," he paused, "And blue". Smiling, his friend kept him under the spotlight,

"What does red mean to you?" The first image that materialized in Merlin's head sickened him, but he answered none the less,

"Red means blood". To others, blood is an image associated with death and pain. It seeped from wounds, and it ran from broken hearts. The bold scarlet colour could equally startle and sooth men, being a clear sign that a life has ended. Yet, blood was present when life began. There was always blood in birth.

But to Merlin, the liquid-life meant humanity. Only mortals bled. Only people could be crippled by the sight of the scarlet liquid. Only the innocent could die from wounds. Blood defined who Merlin was. It reminded him he wasn't a monster.

"Lovely…" Will murmured, before perking up and adding, "What about blue?"

Merlin frowned, his eyes laughing. He turned his gaze back to the fire, watching over the beauty of the flames. The blue was the hottest part of the fire, scarring all the other colours, causing them to rebel and force the blue to the centre of the flaming ball. Glancing back over to Will, he knew the answer before he saw it.

Blue meant Will. The cerulean pools that were his eyes. That red head meant a lot to Merlin. He trusted him with his life. With his secret. And with his soul. This time, however, Merlin didn't reply. Instead, he signaled to the magic inside him, causing it to rumble and growl. Sweeping up him with great speed, it left him and span through the air til it hit the fire. His eyes burned the same amber of the fire, and Will watched, mesmerized.

The magic engulfed the fire, draining it of its autumn colouring and dying it emerald instead. Streaks of beryl and jade twisted instead of red and blue, forcing a satisfied smile from Merlin. The red head laughed loudly. Merlin joined him.

"What colour do you see, Will?" He asked, sarcasm lacing his words. Will rolled his eyes, smiling, and replied,

"Oh, I don't know…How about green?" More laughed filled the air, followed by,

"And what does green mean to you?" Again, Merlin repeated William's words, teasing him. Pausing to think, a surprisingly bright yet predictable answer came from Will,

"The forest at the edge of the village," he replied, widening his eyes dramatically, "Where all the bad stuff happens!" He sucked in a breath, realizing his words could split open old scars. But, his concern was in vain. Merlin just chuckled.

"Ah, yes. The wood!" he said enthusiastically, and both boys laughed. They spent the next few hours mumbling about various pointless things before falling asleep in front of that fire.

Over the next few years of their life, those colours would imprint onto their style. Merlin wore red and blue everyday. William wore green. The colours reminded them of the past and everything terrible and wonderful that had happened. It reminded them who they were. Of their humanity. It reminded them that they meant so much more to each other. How close they once were.

More importantly, the colours held memories. Things that had shattered and broken the boys. People that had terrified them. Events that sent shivers down their spines. If they remembered, then they'd never forget. Because if they forgot, then it could happen again.

Reviews are my drug :D