The Epilogue

Merlin could still remember the first time they had kissed, as he sat alone, on this log near the waters edge, looking out onto Lake Avalon. They were young, still a bit stupid, and Arthur got a little too excited, he had admitted that a few years later, after a good amount of heavy drinking, not that Merlin needed him to admit that, Merlin already knew. He remembered the very last kiss they had shared as well, just yesterday, as Merlin had loaded Arthur's lifeless form onto a boat to send him off into the abbess for however long until he decided to return...if he decided to. Merlin has kissed him, because it had only felt right to do so. Even though up until that point, up until about two days ago, Merlin had been respectful of Arthur's marriage to Gwen, Queen Guinevere, even when she had been cursed evil for a short period of time not too long ago. Nothing had happened between them even if it could have, many times. The last time Merlin remembered them kissing was before Gwen and Arthur had gotten married. She had been cursed once again, Camelot had a serious misuse of magic issue, and she ended up accidently kissing the dead corps of Lancelot...it was a long story. Either way, Merlin had kissed Arthur after that, during that time where Arthur had banished Gwen , due to the fact that he was heartbroken Merlin had let them continue kissing for a short while then, but he probably shouldn't have. Simply due to the fact that Merlin had let Arthur do a lot more than just kiss him. Which, he probably shouldn't have done either, but Merlin always did have a hard time saying no to Arthur.

But that was the last time, up until the boat, and Merlin now only had his cold, dead lips as a reminder, it was gross. Merlin now wished he hadn't done that, he should have kissed him before, when Arthur was still alive and had told him, even though Merlin protested a lot, that he loved him...after all these years, he had actually used the word love. Merlin could still hear him saying the words, they played over and over in his mind...

"I want to say something I never said to you before..."

Merlin shook his head, trying to release the memory, he put his face in his hands, feeling the tears roll down, over his cheeks. It had been a long last few days, he didn't think he could return to Camelot this way. They had went from Merlin losing his magic, to a war, to Merlin getting back his magic, then Arthur getting fatally stabbed by Mordred, the little bastard, and then Merlin told him, told Arthur of his magic, and now this...the lake. Merlin was crying harder then, nearly sobbing into his hands.

..why did he tell him about his magic exactly...? Merlin supposed deep down, he just felt the end of something was coming, he supposed he was right. Merlin cried harder, he felt the achy roar of a sob come up the back of his throat and he hated himself and everything else for a good minute and a half. He was crying so hard he didn't hear the footsteps next to him, not that he cared anyway. Anyone who was there to cause him harm would get what they deserved, and also were probably already dead anyway. Morgana was dead...Mordred, too.

'Why the hell are you crying again?" said an irritated voice and Merlin let his hands fall down from his face and glared up at Arthur.

"I've been through a lot!"

"You're not the one who died!" Arthur complained. Merlin pouted, but then took the offered hand Arthur gave him, and was helped stand up. He took in a deep breath as he looked over Arthur. See, just about right after he kissed his dead, lifeless lips, something started to happen. Merlin tripped and knocked the boat sideways making Arthur's deadness fall into the water, and Merlin had been cornered about this, until the waves started crashing around him and a lot of blue flame like lights filled the water around them. And then Arthur sort of just popped up...from under the water, like a tadpole that just got born and started flailing his arms like an utter fool. Which alarmed Merlin, because he was dead just a second before this. That just added to Merlin's trauma, he supposed.

"Are you going to start using you dying as an excuse for you to get stuff you want now?" asked Merlin, and Arthur only shrugged, with a happy smile. "Because if so I know I've died at least twice..."

"Sure, whatever you say," retorted Arthur, but he tugged at the collar of Merlin's jacket and grinned at him. "No more crying, understood?"

"No, I'll do what I want."

"Oh, so you become a sorcerer and think you can tell me what to do?"

"I've always told you want to do..."

"And you've always been a sorcerer...apparently, so my argument still stands."

"I feel like you're a bit bitter about this still..." said Merlin then, hoping to irritate Arthur, which it seemed to. It was so easy, and it only got easier as time went on. "Even though you love me so much...as you said, and you thank me...for all I've done for you, and blah, blah...-."

"You shut up, or I'll be putting you on that boat next!"

"Oh, I'm scared!" retorted Merlin and Arthur grinned, just grinned at him like a complete buffoon. He yanked him forward then, by the jacket collar he was still holding on to, and gave him a rather soggy kiss, which he should have been more dried off than this, Merlin thought, irritated now. It happened yesterday! They kissed each other pretty soundly, also a little roughly. Both of them just pleased it was actually happening again rather than one of them being dead and the other losing his mind from lonesomeness. Arthur pushed him back and then glared at him suddenly.

"You didn't say it back!" he argued then and Merlin just looked at him, kind of confused. Say what? They were kissing! You don't talk during that. Merlin had definitely kissed back too, so maybe the dying had caused Arthur to become a bit more stupid. "You didn't say you loved me back, Idiot!"

Merlin stared at him still, nonplused. "You know I do!" he argued.

"Of course I do!" argued Arthur right back. "But I want to hear you say it!"

"I love you...you big, stupid prat!" shouted Merlin, pouting a little bit more then, but Arthur just smiled. which, for what it's worth, took Merlin's pout right away, without fail.

"Thank you..." he said and Merlin grinned now instead of looking irritated.

"You've been saying that a lot lately..."

"Shut up," offered Arthur, and then he let Merlin go and looked to the left of them, in the direction of Camelot, even though they were at lest two days out. "We ought to head home."

"Yes...I suppose we should," said Merlin causally. "Or we could stay here and kiss more...?"

"Hm...tempting, but..." Arthur said, as they both started heading away from the lake. "I think I should go home as I am King and plus...Guinevere's having a baby."

Merlin suddenly paused at this and turned to Arthur, holding an arm out to stop Arthur from walking ahead of him. "She told you that?" he asked surprised, it had been no secret that lately Gwen had been looking a bit longingly at children as they passed by the castle windows. She wanted to be a mother, but a war was no time to bring a baby into this world. However, the war was over now. "When did that happen?"

"She didn't tell me," Arthur shook his head. "My mother did...while I was dead."

"What?!" said Merlin then, kind of confused and also thought maybe Arthur was out of his mind again.

"She told me it was a gift...for coming back," he said then, with a pleased sort of smile. "It will be a girl. She asked me to name her after Morgana...and you, I said I would."

"Morgana Merlin?" offered Merlin then, as they began walking again, he shook his head, obviously ignoring the major issues with what Arthur had just said, on purpose, because he didn't have the strength just yet.

"I think she wanted her to be called Emrys..." Arthur shrugged and Merlin nearly tripped over a fallen log at Arthur saying that name. He had to jog to keep up with him now, because he was getting far too distracted. "Something about the coming of a new age..."

Merlin smiled and shrugged a shoulder as they walked into heavily treed area. "With names like that she'll be doomed to be a sorceress..."

"If she is..." said Arthur, a little bit more seriously than Merlin had actually been, as he turned toward Merlin. "You will teach her?"

Merlin grinned at this. "Of course I will."

"Good," Arthur said simply, and then reached over and grabbed Merlin's hand as they walked deeper into the woods together. "Thank you."

"Oh, so you're saying it again?

"Shut up..."

(A/N: The Epilogue is honestly my favorite part of this entire story, I just think it's cute and it leaves me feeling a lot better than the actual ending did. To everyone who read this story thanks, I did forget about it for awhile I am not going to lie, but I am glad it is out there now! Enjoy!)