Author's note: hello, all :) I've come to deliver a wee story for ye. Surprise, surprise: it's Merthur. Don't like, don't read, and all that good stuff. Anyway, I felt really bad about all the people that followed "Like Real People Do" even though I stated it was a one and done work, so I wrote another (I cannot keep myself away from Merthur for too long). Like "Like Real People Do," this is also a song-fic. Two songs are central to the story line in this one (AND I DO NOT OWN EITHER), those songs being "Ae Fond Kiss" by Robert Burns and "Annie's Song" by John Denver. The song "Rose'' by The Oh Hellos was also used for the main title as well as the chapter titles. They're all very lovely, but I would be lying if I said they were the only songs to influence this work. I have made a playlist on youtube for songs I think not only describe this story well, but Merlin and Arthur's relationship in the show, as it was originally intended. The link for that is here: /playlist?list=PLReoYAFZd-Q-4ZLk7xoT01fh174snsY2L If for some reason that doesn't work, you can find the playlist on YouTube under the same title as this story. Hopefully it enhances the reading for those of you who listen to it. I kept to my very lax writing style as I did in my last story, so hopefully it's still enjoyable and there are few mistakes. I appreciate any reviews of my work greatly and hope you all enjoy the reading :)

IMPORTANT: this story is very slightly AU. Basically, Arthur and Gwen were only friends, and the whole thing with Freya never happened. ALL of 5x13 (Diamond of the Day, Part 2) occurs as it did in the show, other than what is negated explicitly by this story.

PART I: "Like a Sickle"

Destiny, the Triple Goddess, the Old Religion, and Kilgharrah, Merlin decided, could take their expectations, and piss off.

As he sat beside the shore of the Isle of the Blessed, he wondered if anything the Great Dragon had told him about his grand destiny had ever held any weight. He wondered if his knowing of the future played a hand in the dying of the man in his arms.

"Just hold me, Merlin," Arthur groaned against the pain in his abdomen. The tears that had begun to well in Merlin's eyes finally spilled over and dropped softly into the sun-kissed hair of the king he held in front of him.

"Hold on, Arthur; you can't die," Merlin croaked.

"Don't forget-" Arthur breathed heavily, "who gives the orders around here." The king tilted his head up far enough to see his servant's cloudy eyes. His lips curled up softly at the jibe - one of his last, he reckoned. "Listen, Merlin. I wanted to say-"

"No-" Merlin cried out, lips quivering, but quickly regained control. "Don't say things like that. You're not dying - you will live, Arthur."

"No. No, I won't. I'm going to die here, and I will finish my damn thought, you idiot." Arthur searched Merlin's eyes for a surly retort, but found none and continued.

"I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for everything - for scrubbing my chamber floor, for washing my clothes and mending my armour, for preparing me for every tournament, for following me into every danger, for never wavering once in your loyalty, no matter how appealing I made betrayal seem, for… for making me a better man and a better king. But most of all, Merlin, thank you for showing me what it is to love."

Merlin blinked through wide, watery eyes at Arthur. Arthur - his king, his master, his superior, his sovereign, his comrade, his friend, his closest companion, his clotpole, his prat, his Arthur.

Before the warlock knew it, he'd been pulled into a soft kiss. It didn't last long, but a lifetime wailed within it. It spoke all the words two sides of the same coin meant, but could never say.

When they parted, it was as if a child - newly born, yet all grown - had parted with life. The tears Merlin had quietly kept at bay rushed forward once again as the pair opened their eyes to a world that had ripened far too late. Words weren't needed as Merlin peered into Arthur's starbright eyes. They, like stars, were dying, and Merlin knew he had little time to cherish this moment. O so little time to cherish this now candid, liberated love. So he did the only thing he could do. He gathered Arthur more comfortably in his arms, held him fast, and began to sing.

He recalled a melody sung by a travelling bard at a funeral sometime in his childhood. He'd never heard words more mournful of lost love, and they'd seemed the most appropriate.

"Ae fond kiss, and then we sever

Ae fareweel, alas forever

Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee

Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee"

Neither of them had the courage to admit the true nature of their relationship. Neither had wanted to leave this ocean unspoken before they were made to part.

"Who shall say that Fortune grieves him

While the star of hope she leaves him?

Me, nae cheerful twinkle lights me

Dark despair around benights me"

The world would show Merlin no mercies after Arthur. The Goddess and his destiny - forever unfulfilled - would show him no mercies, he knew.

Despite their less than savoury beginnings, Merlin would be a fool to say he could never fall in love with the prat. Arthur would be equally a fool if he'd said the same about his idiot. Below the arrogance was a selfless man who had captured Merlin's heart long ago. There was nothing servant nor king could do to avoid the strong intimacy that had formed. If it had not been fated in the stars, truly their passion had been fated within their blood and marrow.

"Had we never lov'd sae kindly

Had we never lov'd sae blindly

Never met - or never parted

We had ne'er been broken-hearted"

Had the prince and the warlock never met all those years ago - had Merlin never saved Arthur from that vengeful witch - this moment would never be upon them. Merlin would have attended the funeral of a royal he thought was a right ass. A right ass he'd never get to know. Had he never saved the prince all those years ago, he would never have gotten to appreciate the life he was destined for. He'd never felt the pain of losing the one he'd loved most, yes, but he'd never get to fall in love with the righteous prat. He'd had to suffer for his love, but it was all worth it. He would never trade away a single breath he'd had with Arthur to lessen his pain. It was better to have loved and lost, as they say.

"Fare thee weel, my first and fairest!

Fare thee weel, my best and dearest!

Thine be ilka joy and treasure

Peace, Enjoyment, Love and Pleasure!"

Merlin knew inside somewhere there would never be another like Arthur. Whether he see another day or a millennia, he was certain the man cradled in his grip would never have another to fill his space. Never would Merlin be able to give himself wholly to another as he was able to for Arthur. Never would one beat Arthur's sun-kissed hair or his starbright eyes. Never would another beat his victorious smile or his ruthless tongue. None would ever match the goodness of Arthur.

Arthur had closed his eyes to listen to his love sing to him - something he appreciated in his dying moments. Merlin paused in the song before he ended it and appeared to lack the courage to finish it. So Arthur lent him his and turned himself around for a moment's kiss, which was welcomed kindly. It was warm and wet with the servant's tears.

They pulled apart and Arthur rested his head on his love's shoulder waiting for the end of the song and his time. Merlin carted his well-worked fingers through his king's hair and continued.

"Ae fond kiss, and then we sever

Ae fareweel, alas, for ever

Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee

Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee!"

Merlin's chest shook with heaving breaths. He wanted to be strong for Arthur, but nothing was right in the world, and it seemed nothing ever would be again.

"Thank you, Merlin," Arthur breathed into Merlin's ear, still on his shoulder. A tear had finally made its way down his cheek. He, in his last moments, mourned a love cut short by destiny and times' cruel, deft fingers. He placed a kiss on the neck of the one he regretted to leave behind. "I'm sorry. I love you."

Merlin wailed as the breaths against his neck ceased. Fingers searched cold scalp for any hint of soul left in a now lifeless body. His eyes flashed a molten golf, lit with the fire of one thousand and one dying stars. A wave of magic visible to the human eye protruded in a wave from the warlock and exploded outwards in a strong wind.

As he rocked, clutching the vessel of his one love, it began to lightly rain. The Earth appeared to join Emrys in the mourning of its Once and Future King. Small flowers bloomed around the pair as a boat began to take shape on the lake.

Merlin, after a time of memorising Arthur's face and kissing his hands, shut the eyelids of his love and carried him to the boat now beached on the shore. He placed him in the boat and reached for his loved one's hand. It was cold and unmoving, but still Merlin wished it back to life. His eyes moved to the ring - Ygraine's ring - and removed it from the pale finger. He leaned over the king to press his quivering lips to his forehead. He whispered to deaf ears "ae fond kiss," tears mixing with the dried ones on Arthur's face. He gripped the ring in his left hand as he stood back and silently commanded the boat forward with his right.

He shut his eyes briefly to chase away the wetness before opening them again. His sorrow quickly blended into the drops of rain that soaked his hair and clothes. He raised his right hand towards his lost love and with a flash of gold, set the boat aflame. The rain fought hard to quench the fire, but cloudy golden eyes kept the flame ablaze.

It seemed the Earth, like Merlin, did not want to be rid of Arthur Pendragon. Alas, Arthur's boat burned until it was a dot on the water surrounding the Isle. Only then was it that Merlin spoke again.

"And then we sever."