In the morning, Merlin wakes Arthur with sweet kisses and they spend the remaining hours before noon curled around each other in bed. Reluctantly, Merlin leaves to get food for them both, and when they are finished, they know they both have duties to attend to.
Back in the physician's quarters, Merlin is sorting through herbs to help make the medicine Gaius tasked him with, when Gaius himself returns. Merlin looks up when the man walks in and offers a bright smile.
The physician's mouth drops open. "Merlin!" He sounds scandalized and Merlin glances down at himself, checking that he is in fact wearing clothes and hasn't done anything offensive.
"What? Gaius, what?"
"And just where were you last night?" Merlin flushes under the scrutiny, but doesn't answer. "Merlin? Where?"
"Why do you ask, Gaius?" He's trying to sound nonchalant and knows he's been unsuccessful.
"Have you looked in a mirror since you returned?"
"Er, what?"
"A mirror, Merlin." Gaius sets down his medicine bag and locates a mirror, bringing it back and shoving it in Merlin's face.
Merlin's hands fly up to his neck and he flushes a startling shade of red. "Oh." The purpled marks on his neck combined with swollen lips are a dead giveaway to what he's been up to. He's utterly mortified and even more horrified that he'd gone around the castle looking like that.
"Yes, oh. If you are going to engage in late night trysts, the least you could do would be to hide the evidence."
Merlin covers his face with his hands.
"So who is the lucky lady?"
"Er," Merlin says, too embarrassed to even acknowledge the misconception.
"Merlin!" He hears echo from the hallway. In a second, Merlin's gone rigid in his chair, eyes widening in horror. Gaius follows his gaze to the door.
"Merlin!" the voice calls again, and then the door is open and Arthur is standing there. "There you are, Merlin." An assessing look and Merlin can tell Arthur's lips are swollen as well, fewer, but still visible purple marks gracing his neck.
"Here I am," he says, voice tight in his throat.
And then, "Merlin!" echoes through the room again, only this time it's Gaius's voice and Merlin knows he's been found out. "You didn't!"
"He didn't what?" Arthur's voice asks curiously.
Merlin just sits in dumbfounded horror. His cheeks are bright red and he knows his eyes are wide in shocked dismay. "He knows," is all he manages to say.
"Knows what?" Arthur asks. And is it Merlin, or has Arthur always been this daft?
"He knows!" And it's in that moment that Arthur's eyes flash to Merlin's neck, then to Gaius, and back to Merlin's eyes in embarrassed shock.
"Oh. He knows. Well, uh…" Arthur stammers and rubs the back of his neck, about to sidestep out of the room.
"Don't you dare leave," Merlin says, threat clear in his voice. Arthur freezes and drops his hands to his sides.
Then Gaius breaks in. "What have the two of you done?"
"Well I really don't think this is any of your business," Arthur manages, his tone stiff, arms coming up to cross defensively over his chest.
"And if you're found out?" Gaius's voice is shrill, scolding. "What then?"
"I-we won't be."
Gaius turns his shrewd gaze on Merlin. "Merlin, may I speak with you in private?" And Merlin can tell that Gaius is not just concerned about the prince and his servant being found out, but that Merlin's gift will be discovered if they are so intimate.
"He already knows, Gaius." The man's eyebrows shoot sky high. "He knows everything."
The old man turns to Arthur and the prince nods. "It's true. I know and I will protect him to the best of my ability, Gaius."
Gaius blinks and nods, seemingly strapped for words. He raises a finger as if to say something else scolding, then stops himself, nods again. "You best be careful then, both of you."
"We will," Arthur says. He turns to Merlin, a soft smile on his lips. "I need your assistance Merlin."
"Of course, sire," he answers, sure to add the sarcastic lilt this time.
Arthur smirks and shakes his head, turning toward the door. "I want you on the training field shortly." He pauses. "Oh, did you look into that blue light at all?"
Merlin freezes and notices Gaius's interest is peaked. "Blue light, sire?"
Arthur's cheeks pink and he nods. "Oh, uh yes. Merlin, tell him about the blue light."
Merlin shoots him an outraged look, swearing vengeance later. He doesn't want to explain any of this to Gaius.
"Merlin?"
Merlin huffs a breath through his nose and speaks through a tight jaw. "When we were–" Merlin gestures at the air, "there was a blue light that kind of filled the room. It lessened if we moved apart, brighter if we were…closer." By the end, Merlin's fairly positive he might die from blood loss, as all of it seems to have gone to his face.
Arthur is red in the face too, but at least he didn't have to put it into words.
"A blue light, you say? Hmm, I'm fairly sure I have a book….yes…hmmm." Gaius's curiosity is certainly engaged and at this point, he's more focused on research than he is on the two men. Merlin breathes a sigh of relief. Gaius grabs another book down from the shelf and starts flipping pages.
"Er," is all Merlin manages, not really knowing what to say.
"Go. Go help Arthur. I hope to have an answer for you when you return." He looks up briefly. "And please, if you plan to keep this a secret, heal those marks you're both sporting. It won't due to walk around displaying the evidence." And he goes back to work.
Both men flush at the order, embarrassed again that they'd been caught and knowing they should have thought of this themselves. Before they duck out the door, Merlin holds his hands over the skin of Arthur's neck and mutters a healing spell, thankful his minimal healing abilities can manage this. The marks fade. Then he brushes a finger over Arthur's lips and murmurs another spell to reduce the swelling. He makes sure to keep his eyes low, not wanting Arthur to see just yet. He's only just learned of Merlin's abilities and he's handling it well. Merlin doesn't want to scare him off with the alien glow of his eyes.
When he's finished fixing Arthur, he pushes the prince out the door and tells him he won't be far behind. He rids himself of his own marks and swelling and then sets off for the training field.
If he'd expected the prince to go any easier on him after last night's confessions, he was sorely mistaken. If anything, Arthur pushes harder, though many of his insults and jibes are intertwined with flirtation.
By the end of training, Merlin is panting, sore, and overheated. Arthur offers his forearm to pull him up from the ground and then they head back to Gaius's quarters, shoulders bumping as they go.
"You know, we will have to find a time and place to train where we can enlist your other gifts."
Merlin shoots him a surprised look, but nods, and when they walk through the door, they find Gaius working with a potion, a book open on the table.
"Sit, sit," he tells them, pouring something into a jar. He sets it down and sits across from them.
"What did you find, Gaius?" Merlin asks, feeling a little anxious about the possibilities.
"Well it's very interesting, actually. And as it has to do with magic, has not likely occurred for many people in decades."
"What is it?" Arthur prompts.
"It's what many refer to as a soul-bond." He pauses, grinning at them.
"And that is?" Merlin can hear the irritation beginning in Arthur's tone.
"Just what it sounds like. It's a bond forged between two souls. From my research, it seems that people believe these only form between those destined for each other. It's a rare occurrence."
Arthur makes a face. "Destined? Are you telling me we didn't have a choice?"
"Oh! No. No! In terms of destiny and souls, there are many who believe there is a perfect other half for every person, but not everyone meets theirs, and not everyone has the magical capacity to recognize it even if they do. Even still, it is the choice of those involved to follow through or remain separate. Merlin has already explained about your destiny?"
"Two sides of the same coin," Arthur mutters.
"Yes, exactly! It seems the prophecy surrounding the two of you was correct on more than one account. You are destined to change the world as king and warlock, but your souls also complement and complete each other on a personal level."
Merlin takes a deep breath. This is a lot of information. "And the blue light, Gaius?"
"Ah! The light appears when the bond is forming. Its brightness symbolizes the bond's strength. How bright did you say it was?"
"Er, we didn't," Merlin says, scrubbing at his cheeks. At Gaius's searching look, he gives a sharp breath and continues. "It started as just a glow, but it reached near blinding at one point."
"Interesting. Interesting. At what point would you say that was?"
Merlin and Arthur exchange glances and look away from each other. Gaius doesn't seem to catch onto what he's asking, so Merlin just stares at him, pressing his lips together and widening his eyes, willing him to understand.
"Ah, yes." The old man seems a bit flustered, realizing the implications, but he pushes on. "That makes sense. Then it was at that point the bond likely reached it's completed form. If the light was blinding, the strength of your bond is incredible indeed."
With red cheeks, Merlin asks, "Will it always appear?"
"No, it doesn't seem so. Descriptions of the bond explain that the light only appears at formation, though a spell can be used to reveal it at other times."
"Well that's good news," Arthur murmurs. "What does it mean for us?"
"The bond is a tie between your souls. If it is fed, it will grow. If it is deprived, it may weaken and die. According to the records I could find, some bonded couples reported an increase in sensitivity to each other's emotions, even physical sensation. Others reported an even deeper connection that allowed them to transmit actual thoughts back and forth."
"We could one day be linked that deeply?" Arthur questions. And Merlin can't tell if he views that as a good or bad thing. Merlin's not sure what he thinks about it either, to be fair.
"It seems a possibility," Gaius nods. "As the light of your bond was so bright, I imagine there is little you two would not be capable of."
"Right." Arthur blinks, seemingly overwhelmed.
"We don't have to let it get to that point, if it makes you uncomfortable," Merlin tells Arthur. "You just learned of my magic yesterday. There's no reason we need to pursue the bond to that extent, provided you want to pursue the bond at all." Merlin's voice drops on the last part, wanting to give Arthur the choice, but knowing it will break him if he takes the option.
He hears Arthur take a deep breath. "Merlin, do you remember what I told you yesterday?"
"That I don't listen?" Merlin offers, wincing.
"Yes. And?" Arthur lifts his brows pointedly.
"That I make things difficult?"
"Exactly. Would you give me a chance to process new information before you start offering an exit? It's a lot to take in, Merlin. It doesn't mean I have any plans to walk away."
"Really?" Merlin's whole body sits up straighter, his mouth spreading in a wide grin.
"Really," Arthur murmurs, casting a sideways look at Gaius before seeming to shrug off his presence and leaning in, a finger under Merlin's chin directing their mouths together. The kiss is soft and loving and Merlin feels the tension just drain out of him.
"Okay," he whispers, tilting his forehead into Arthur's.
"Okay," Arthur echoes.
From his place across from them, Gaius speaks up. "I must say, sire, you're taking all this surprisingly well."
"After surviving a dragon's rampage through my kingdom, I find everything else leaves me with little to worry about." Arthur turns to face Gaius. "Merlin has gone into great detail about all he's done for me, and for Camelot. If he can do all of that with magic and remain as pure-hearted as he is, I cannot see that magic itself is the evil my father proclaims, only those who choose to use it for the wrong purpose."
Gaius's eyebrows lift and he nods. "That is very wise of you, sire."
"And if I am destined to have Merlin in my life, I am thankful we can share more than simple friendship. We have endured much together. Now that there is honesty between us, and given the affections we already shared, I find I'm feeling grateful we have this bond as well."
Merlin swallows around the lump forming in his throat, blinking back tears. He never dreamed to hear Arthur speak about him in such a way.
"Then I will be grateful you share it as well." Gaius nods at them both and pushes himself to his feet. "Just, please, be careful. I have medicine to deliver, so I will be on my way."
Vaguely, Merlin is aware of Gaius gathering supplies and exiting through the door, but his focus is on Arthur. Arthur, whose blue eyes are staring right back at him with affection. Arthur, whose mouth is curled into a fond smile. "I love you," Merlin whispers.
And then his prince's lips spread into a wide crooked grin, eyes crinkling at the corners. "And I love you."
"I'm glad you found out about me," Merlin admits. "I never wanted lies between us."
"I'm glad too. No more lies."
"I promise," Merlin says, and leans in. Arthur curls a hand around the back of his neck and tugs him into a kiss. It's a long time before they come up for air.
AN: And there it is! A sweet end to my first venture in the Merlin fandom. I may do a timestamp for this at a later time, but for now, this is the end. I have to say, I had a good time embarrassing our boys in this last bit. I really hope you enjoyed!