I'm rewatching the show for like the fifth time as research/inspiration for this fic. As I was watching series 3, I noticed things. Not for the first time, but I didn't write them down the other times, so I am now.

1) When Arthur threatens to move away and become a farmer in episode 10, even though he was implying that he was doing it so he could be with Gwen, he says he would bring Merlin with him. Like it's only natural. Doesn't even think about it. Arthur can't be parted with him. Ever.

2) At the round table during episode 13, Gwen should be at his right side, right? But she's not. She's at his left. Because Merlin is at his right. Gwen could never mean as much to Arthur as Merlin does.

Today's reasons why if society were less homophobic, Merthur would be canon. Seriously, they were so close. SO CLOSE.

Also, the last episode of series 3 is like an Arthurian Myth orgasm. You get the round table and the sword in the stone in the same episode and I'm just like, as John Watson would say, OH GOD YES

That is all.

When Merlin woke in the morning and found that last night had actually happened, he stiffened in fear.

Merlin was pond scum. Worse than pond scum. Pond scum would vomit at the sight of him.

Arthur would never have done and said the things he did the night before unless he were far drunker than Merlin had guessed. That thought had run through Merlin's mind and he'd still let it happen.

He just wanted to have this one night with Arthur. Stealing one kiss and a few hours of snuggling wasn't the worst thing in the world, was it?

And if he waited here until Arthur shoved him away in horror, that wasn't completely fucked up. Just taking a few extra minutes of comfort and warmth that had nothing to do with the blankets. It wouldn't kill anyone.

Merlin knew he was kidding himself. Taking advantage of someone was never okay, even if that person had seemed sober enough. Arthur couldn't have been as sober as he seemed if he kissed Merlin. And had seemed to bloody well enjoy it, at that.

Merlin, you have to move, he told himself. This is wrong. Arthur's your friend. You might've passed the point of no return as it is. Get up.

The fear that he'd already offended Arthur past recompense was enough to make him take action.

He started to get up and Arthur grumbled angrily, tightening his arm around Merlin. "Quit that," he murmured blearily, snuggling closer.

Maybe Arthur didn't realise who he was holding. Yes, that was it.

"Arthur…" Merlin said carefully.

"What, you gotta take a leak or something?"

He heard Merlin's voice and still wasn't recoiling. He was too groggy to register it?

"Arthur, you—"

"Merlin, please stop talking."

Okay, so Arthur definitely knew who was in his embrace. He was, erm, still drunk?

"But—" was all Merlin got out before Arthur made a sound kind of like a growl, finally opening his eyes.

"You're really not going to let me sleep, are you?"

Merlin kept staring at Arthur, who clearly didn't mind in the slightest that he was cuddling with Merlin.

"I… I thought… last night…"

Arthur smiled a mischievous little smile then. "Oh, I see. Can't get enough of me? Figures."

And Arthur leaned in and pressed a kiss to Merlin's lips.

Merlin could only come to one conclusion.

Arthur had meant it. All of it.

Well then, there was only one thing to do.

Merlin flung his arms around Arthur's shoulders, going in for a deeper kiss. Arthur made a startled noise before enthusiastically reciprocating. Merlin was kissing Arthur. Arthur was kissing him back.

This was really, truly happening.

Merlin felt like his body was half the weight it used to be—like he might actually float away from the earth in happiness but for having Arthur as an anchor to keep him grounded.

Before Merlin consciously realised he was doing it, he rolled over and got on top of Arthur, straddling his hips. He dipped his tongue deep into Arthur's mouth and received a low groan of appreciation.

Merlin then moved his mouth to Arthur's neck, expertly flicking his tongue and running his teeth against the sensitive skin.

"Jesus, Merlin, I thought you said you've never done this before."

Merlin smirked. "I said I've never dated before, not that I've never fucked before."

"Really?" asked Arthur in interest. "You never struck me as the type for casual sex."

Merlin didn't bother to respond because Arthur's skin under his mouth was way more interesting than a conversation about Merlin's sex life could ever be.

Merlin's hands were exploring Arthur's bare abdomen greedily, the skin hot and hard like Merlin always imagined it would be. And more than that, Arthur's hands were against Merlin's back, seeming just as covetous in their search for more skin to caress.

Merlin then got carried away. In his excitement, he ground down against Arthur's hardening prick, who gasped a little.

Don't take it too fast, Merlin scolded himself.

At which point Arthur flipped Merlin over, nestling between Merlin's open thighs and grinding once more experimentally. Maybe seeing how the sensation was different from what he was used to.

It was too good. Even past Merlin biting his lip to keep quiet, he let a moan slip out.

Arthur's eyes immediately darkened with lust and he ground down again. Merlin's mouth dropped open, but he kept quiet this time.

"Moan again," Arthur demanded.

"But your father is probably home by—"

"Merlin, I don't care. Moan for me."

And this time when Arthur started the movement, he didn't stop. It was slow and steady and holy fucking god it was good. Merlin couldn't have kept quiet if he tried because yes, it felt good, but this was Arthur, and he'd been dreaming about this for years and here it was, really happening—

"Arthur," Merlin choked out.

"You started it," Arthur muttered dangerously into Merlin's ear.

"I know, I know," Merlin said. "But, we don't want to—to take it too fast."

"But—" Arthur complained past his own heavy breathing, getting in a particularly tantalising thrust.

Merlin opened his eyes. "Arthur."

Arthur sighed and stopped. "You're no fun," he pouted.

Merlin smirked a little. "I care for you too much for this to turn into another meaningless fuck."

Arthur flopped over beside Merlin. "I'm pretty sure it's just that you're no fun," Arthur insisted.

"Sure it is," Merlin replied, cuddling into Arthur's side. "Plus, you have lots to do today."

Arthur sighed. "I know. Just give me a minute." Arthur didn't really need to say it, because Merlin wasn't planning to try to end the snuggling session before he absolutely had to. "I hate trying to find new members," Arthur said after a while. "Most people who try for the Guard are useless lumps like you."

"If they're all like me, then you'll have the safest city in the world," Merlin said.

Arthur rolled his eyes but then leaned in for another kiss. "I really could get used to kissing you all the time."

"By all means," Merlin said, kissing him one last time before he sat up. "But you need to get ready. It's already later than you usually get up."

"Alright, alright," Arthur said, standing and climbing over Merlin—even though he easily could've gotten up on the other side of the bed. Merlin shoved at him playfully and Arthur laughed and they kissed for another moment before Merlin could get him to get up and do what he needed to. Merlin watched from under the covers as Arthur got ready. "What, you're not coming?" Arthur asked.

"Sure I am," Merlin said. "Just give me a minute to bask in my success."

"Success?"

"I seduced you. I win."

"You seduced me?" asked Arthur indignantly. "I think it's the other way 'round."

"I was so sexy that you couldn't keep resisting me."

Arthur sighed in a long suffering sort of way and Merlin grinned. Arthur rolled his eyes but then leaned down for one last quick kiss. "Come down when you're ready. But don't take ages!" he called as he shut the door.

Merlin wasn't a hundred percent convinced that this wasn't a dream or something. He was lying in Arthur's (insanely huge and comfortable) bed in just a pair of shorts, the sheets still warm from Arthur lying beside him and his dick not completely flaccid yet from Arthur's previous ministrations.

But no, this was real. He knew it was. He could feel it.

Merlin didn't want to be parted from Arthur, not when all this had only just happened, but he actually had important business to attend to.

There was something he needed to ask Kilgharrah.

"You seem happy, young warlock."

Merlin couldn't stop the grin that found his lips. "I am," he replied. "For the first time, I believe that I can really change the outcome of all this. Having read the journal was both a blessing and a curse, because knowing how it failed last time had been such a great burden."

"A wise man is not cowed by knowledge, Merlin. Instead, he uses it to guide him."

"I know," Merlin said. "I know that now. I couldn't imagine how I could change anything. But now… everything's changed. For the better, I believe."

"That is very good. Do not run from knowledge."

"I won't. And in light of that, I wanted to ask you something."

"I shall give you whatever wisdom I possess."

"It's something I have wondered for many years now, but was too afraid of the answer to ask." Kilgharrah only looked at Merlin expectantly, so he continued, "In the journal, it said that you told past-Merlin that he had succeeded in his quest, but now you are telling me that he—that I—failed. You can't be lying to me… so you must've been lying to him. But why would you do that? How bad could the truth be?"

"I actually was lying to neither of you. At the time, I thought he had succeeded."

Merlin had been afraid of that. He asked the inevitable follow-up question, the part that actually frightened him. "Then what changed?"

"Merlin, there is something I never told you. I wasn't sure what kind of harm the information would do to you, but I was wrong to keep it from you. You must know everything you can to stop the evil that's upon us."

"Then tell me," Merlin insisted.

Kilgharrah was quiet for a long moment. "The reincarnation cycle did not begin to give you a second chance at success, because you did succeed. The second chance was for another."

"Another?"

"'Twas for The Lady Morgana that this magic has been cast. I know not how she managed to do it, but she must have done some spell before she died to ensure she would rise again. It took longer than she probably imagined, but now that time has come."

Merlin understood why Kilgharrah never told him, because the knowledge weighed on him like a ton of bricks. He'd thought all along that the Old Religion was so sure of his cause that they brought him back… that the odds were with him.

But it wasn't for him at all. He wasn't just going through the motions of succeeding, he was actively fighting against what all this reincarnation was destined to achieve.

"But I still don't understand how Morgana can be a part of this!" Merlin insisted. "Maybe… maybe her reincarnation isn't the same as her. You said I'm not exactly like the past Merlin. Maybe her own plan backfired!"

"But all that we feared is still coming to pass."

"You told me that was Morgana's mother."

"Who, for all you know, is taking orders from Morgana herself. I know you care for her, but you cannot keep denying that her destiny has been for centuries shrouded in darkness and hatred! You cannot refuse to see the evil in people the way you did in the past. Your mercy brings about Arthur's death!"

Merlin went quiet. It was so hard to believe that she was evil, but he couldn't keep ignoring the possibility. He couldn't keep waiting for the perpetrator to come out of the shadows. He had to take action.

"I don't know what I should do," Merlin finally said. "If Morgana is evil, I can't just kill her. Arthur would be devastated."

"But he would be safe, and that is what matters."

Merlin realised for the first time that this barely budding relationship of theirs could be a problem. Because he had always found it difficult to do anything that would hurt Arthur, but now it was impossible. Unthinkable.

Merlin couldn't act recklessly. He had to find proof.

"Young warlock, heed my words," Kilgharrah warned. "The witch is behind all this, of that I am certain."

Without another word, Merlin vanished, teleporting back to Arthur's room.

The joy he'd felt at he and Arthur's confession was all but gone now. Again the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

He had to see Arthur. Nothing could cheer him up like Arthur could.

He got dressed and went out back to where the tryouts were already finishing up. He'd been gone longer than he thought.

Merlin looked around until he found Arthur, who was talking to someone Merlin didn't recognise. Must've been a new recruit.

"Ah, Merlin!" Arthur said as he saw Merlin approaching. "I thought you'd fallen asleep. Come meet the new member of the Guard." Arthur turned the man around, who was smiling a small, shy sort of smile. "This is Mordred. He was the best by far. I expect great things from him."