Chapter 35

The day before they were leaving for New Zealand, Merlin was fixed to his phone permanently. Obviously there would be a lot of travelling over the next couple of days and he wouldn't be using his phone then. Arthur knew who he was messaging. It couldn't really be anyone else. All of their friends were on a group chat together and rarely messaged anyone privately. His mother didn't text very much and would usually call instead to talk about something. And obviously there was no need for him to message Arthur when they were sitting right next to each other.

Which meant that Merlin, as he had been for the past two weeks, was texting Freya.

"Are you going to be on your phone all the time while we're on holiday too?" Arthur asked teasingly as they were sitting down to eat dinner.

Merlin apologised quietly and put his phone in his pocket.

"Is it Freya?"

Merlin nodded, "Ten weeks until the babies arrive," he said.

"Worried you'll miss it? Is that why you've been so quiet?"

"Not exactly."

"What was that dream about? What was so bad that it's still upsetting you?"

Merin sighed, "I dreamt that the birth goes went for Freya and-" he choked, "All three of them died during childbirth. And I know it was just a bad dream and it's stupid to get so worked up about but when I regularly have nightmares about my little brother's actual death, suddenly dreaming about my sister's hypothetical death doesn't sit right with me. And I can't stop thinking about how ill she looked when we went over to visit them. I've been begging her to go to the doctors just for one last check-up but she won't because she says nothing feels wrong and I won't tell her why I want her to. All I want is some peace of mind before we fly across the world for a month." He picked up his fork and stuffed some pasta into his mouth, avoiding Arthur's gaze. He felt insanely embarrassed about finally explaining how he felt.

Arthur didn't look at all judgmental though. He looked deeply saddened. "Was it just one dream?"

Merlin shook his head, "Twice. The first time was that afternoon two weeks ago and then I had it again last night."

"Which is why you've been talking to her all day."

"One time I probably could have got over. But another time right before we leave was too much."

"Why don't you tell her?"

"In case she's as stupid as I am and thinks it's something that might actually happen as well. I don't want to make her stressed."

"But her mind would be put at rest when she goes to the doctors," Arthur reasoned.

"In which case she'd just decide I'm insane."

"Would you not prefer that? Knowing she's safe?"

"Maybe. I don't know. The paranoid part of me is scared she'll get checked and there will be something wrong."

"And if that's the case, there'll be something they can do about it."

"You don't think I'm insane?"

"No. I know how much dreams can affect someone. Besides, I'm one of the most paranoid people out there, who would I be to judge you for this?"

"I want to know she's alright before we go away for four weeks for the sake of my own sanity."

"Nothing on any of her scans so far have shown anything," Arthur said, "Everything's fine."

"My mum did say she felt similarly when she was pregnant with me," Merlin said.

"So that the worst that's going to happen is that her kids end up like you which," Arthur frowned, "Now I think about it, is pretty bad."

"Oi!" Merlin scowled.

"I'm kidding. But the doctors say she's fine, she thinks she's fine so…"

"She's fine," Merlin finished reluctantly.

"Ok?"

Merlin nodded and fed a piece of steak to Killi. He felt deeply guilty about voluntarily leaving them with someone else for a month even if it was just Gwen and Lance they'd be staying with.

"He'll get fat," Arthur said, "You know Will is going to feed him under the table for the entire time they're there."

"Aithusa's more likely to bug him for food."

"Aithusa's too small for Will to be able to reach under the table without Gwen noticing."

"True. I'm going to miss them," Merlin said sadly, tickling Killi behind his ears.

"We'll be having too much of a nice time to miss them."

"Let's hope so."

"Right, so we said we'll leave at nine and get up at half seven so what time are we going to bed?"

"How long is the first flight?"

"About thirteen hours. And then there's a three hour break in Singapore before an eight hour flight to Australia."

"Is take off or landing worse for you?"

Arthur thought about it, "They're probably about the same. Maybe take off a little worse."

"So if we don't get much sleep tonight, we'll be really tired by the time we get on the plane and you can sleep through take-off."

"And I'll take the tablets before then so they'll have kicked in by the time I wake up."

"An all nighter then," Merlin said, "Quality time with the dogs before we abandon them?"

They played with the dogs for quite a long time before remembering Killi and Aithusa wouldn't be travelling for two days and probably needed to sleep through the night. Then Arthur went upstairs just to double check their stuff was packed and Merlin put all of the dogs' stuff into a bag to give to Gwen. They'd also included some money in case they needed to buy more dog food or treats or anything.

"If you've put those trousers in my suitcase," Merlin started when he went upstairs and found Arthur zipping it closed.

"You'll what?"

"Rip them in half and burn them?" Merlin suggested.

"You wouldn't dare. You like them almost as much as I do."

"No. I like them, you like what I look like when I'm wearing them."

"What can I say? I have good taste. Why didn't you pack them?"

"You never told me I had any need to pack fancy clothes. You've planned the entire thing, not me. I don't even know where we're staying."

"But you didn't think that I wouldn't take you out for a nice meal on our fake honeymoon?"

Merlin laughed, "Of course I did. I packed a nice shirt, didn't I?"

"So why not the trousers?"

"Because I knew you'd pack them and I could tease you for it."

Arthur rolled his eyes, "Coffee?"

Merlin nodded and they made their way back downstairs together, avoiding the living room where the dogs were asleep. Arthur made them drinks to use up the last of the milk. Over the past few days, they'd been keeping a close eye on what food they had in the house which would need using up before they left.

They sat outside to drink it and chatted for ages before finally deciding to go upstairs to bed, locking up everything behind them so they wouldn't have to check everything the next day.

"Are you anxious about flying?" Merlin asked as he pulled his jumper off to replace it with the long-sleeved top he slept in.

"A little. Only because it's three separate flights though so if I feel awful on the first one it'll only get worse."

"We'll cope," Merlin said, crawling into the bed to cuddle Arthur, "What time is it?"

"Nearly four."

"That'll be why I'm so tired then."

"Probably. You didn't have to stay up with me, you know."

"Bit late now to say that," Merlin laughed, "But I wanted to. And I know that if I hadn't, you'd have just fallen asleep anyway."

"Probably."

"Is the alarm on?"

"Yeah. I put it on for seven. And I've booked the taxi."

"What time is Lance coming?"

"No idea. But I said I'd walk the dogs before he came so he wouldn't have to. Do you want to come?"

Merlin nodded with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.

Falling asleep was, naturally, very easy. Even their nerves for travelling were quelled by their tiredness from being up for so long.

They walked the dogs the next morning with bleary eyes and heavy legs but had them back in plenty of time for Lance to pick them up. He told them to have a good time and to send lots of photos to the group chat so they knew they were having a good time. He also said they were strictly not allowed to get in any trouble whatsoever and that he'd be furious if they did.

Merlin hugged Killi and Aithusa for a lot longer than was probably necessary before watching Lancelot put them safely in the boot of his car and driving away.

"They'll still be here when we get back," Arthur said to Merlin.

"But they don't understand that we'll be coming back for them. They might think we're leaving them forever."

"Then they'll be ridiculously happy when we come home then, won't they? Come on, the taxi will be here soon."

They bought breakfast at the airport after checking in, purposefully avoiding anything with caffeine in it and ate together pleasantly before boarding. Arthur had made sure they'd be the first people to get on the plane for both of their sakes so they were sitting in a quiet section of the plane log before take-off was due.

"This is first class," Merlin said suspiciously, "I thought we were just boarding early because you'd pulled a few strings for comfort's sake. But we're in first class."

Arthur shrugged, "Can't I spoil you every now and then? It's meant to be our honeymoon isn't it?"

"Arthur, it's expensive!"

"You know where the money's come from, Merls. This is what I want to spend it on. It's a long journey and neither of us really like flying so I want us to be as comfortable as possible."

"How much money did your dad leave you?"

"A lot," Arthur said vaguely, "Morgana and I were all he could have left it for and he was a very rich man. Invested his money carefully. Morgana's put a lot of hers to making sure the kids will always be comfortable. But seeing as I don't have kids, I'll be using mine to spoil my husband in as many ways as possible. Starting with this holiday. So no more questions about money, alright?"

"You know one person wouldn't usually pay for everything on a honeymoon?" Merlin teased as he unattached his prosthetic leg, "Are you going to let me even treat you to a meal?"

"Nope. Because your mum has given me money for a meal. So it's fair. Our parents have payed for it all." Arthur took Merlin's leg and all the components off him and stashed it away in the overhead compartments before sitting down next to him, "I know what you're going to say about money and how if we have this much, it should be going to charity because that's what we do with a lot of the money we earn from work. But my father didn't leave what's paying for this holiday to charity. He left it to me. I got a third, Morgs got a third and the rest-"

"Went to charity."

"Exactly. So this money is for us and us alone. I know other people could use it but we give so much to other people already. Maybe this once we'll treat ourselves."

Merlin nodded.

Arthur got out his phone where he'd set a series of alarms so he knew when he'd have to take the pills he had to help with his travel sickness. He'd planned it out in great detail, taking into account when they'd be on the plane taking off or landing, when they'd be cruising mid air hopefully calmly and when they'd be on land. All that, of course, counted on there being no delays.

He yawned widely and sat back, reclining his chair a little and closing his eyes. "Staying up late definitely worked," he said, "I'm exhausted."

"You haven't taken the pills yet," Merlin said, "Fall asleep now and you'll ruin your schedule."

Arthur fished around in his pocket and produced the medicine before taking a bottle of water from Merlin gratefully. He then put everything away and sighed. "Will you be alright for the take off?"

Merlin nodded, "Course. Why wouldn't I be?"

Arthur shrugged and closed his eyes.

Merlin was more than happy to sit and read his book until take off. He always found personally that take off and landing were the best parts of flying. When all you were doing was sitting on a plane with nothing else happening, Merlin found it easy for his mind to wonder and he'd often end up thinking about things which made his anxiety go mad. So, while Arthur preferred to sleep during the start and end of a flight, Merlin preferred to sleep through the middle.

The departure was a little bumpy and rough so Merlin watched Arthur carefully to make sure he was alright. As soon as he was allowed to, Merlin undid his seatbelt and picked up his book, securely fixing his earphones in to listen to. He read for a few hours, planning to finish his book before getting some sleep but inevitably dropping off mid-chapter. He woke up when Arthur was returning to his seat, looking a little green-faced.

"Are you alright?" he asked with a stretch.

Arthur nodded, "Toilets are nice, you know. Do you need to go? I can get your leg down."

"I'm alright. Are the pills working?"

"They're great."

"How long's left?"

Arthur looked at his watch, "About four hours. Here," he handed him his book, "You dropped this."

"Thanks."

"How long were you reading?"

"A while. How long have you been awake?"

"A while," Arthur smiled.

They chatted for a while and watched a film together to pass the rest of the time. Merlin held Arthur's hand tightly through landing and put one hand on his thigh reassuringly.

"Well, wasn't that easy?" Merlin said as they got off the plane and entered the airport in Singapore where they'd need to find somewhere to eat. The time there passed relatively quickly and they were soon getting onto the next plane which would take them to Australia.

This journey was considerably harder for Arthur. He spent it all moaning and groaning, going back and forth to the toilet. He was blaming it on the slight delay which meant he'd missed the pill he needed to take for the first part of the journey. Merlin tried to comfort him but it was difficult when the sickness was physical. No amount of words could subdue that.

Merlin was relieved when Arthur did fall asleep, looking peaceful. Having finished his first book and forgetting to pack a second in his hand luggage, Merlin didn't have much to do except look out the window and think. He was still worried about Freya. The dreams had haunted him more than he'd like to admit and Freya refused to go to the doctors. The more Merlin asked, the more adamant she was to say no because he wouldn't tell her why. In Merlin's opinion, they were both being stupid and neither would step up to be sensible.

He must have fallen asleep at some point because he and Arthur both woke to a flight attendant shaking their arms gently. The plane was on the ground and everyone else seemed to have got off. Merlin and Arthur apologised, gathered their possessions and left as quickly as they could. Their hotel was close to the airport and, local time, it was ridiculously early in the morning. So, they walked to the hotel, checked in and went up to their room, collapsing onto the bed and falling asleep immediately.

They had a few hours the next morning where they found somewhere nice to eat breakfast before heading back to the airport for the final flight to get to New Zealand. Arthur was feeling pretty rubbish by then and they were eager to get to where they'd be staying in New Zealand.

So after one last flight, a late lunch at the airport, collecting the car they'd rented for the duration of the holiday and a drive which was longer than the flight, Arthur was calling Merlin's name softly to wake him up. He'd fallen asleep in the car, being exhausted after all the travelling over the past day.

"Are we there?"

"Not yet," Arthur reached into the back to pick something up off the back seat, "Put this on."

"A blindfold?"

Arthur nodded, "I want where we're staying to be a surprise."

Merlin looked out the window and frowned, "We're in the middle of nowhere."

"We're about fifteen minutes away," Arthur said, not providing much of a response, "Blindfold, please."

"Can you tie it?"

Arthur reached across to secure the blindfold for him. "Don't fall asleep," he said, "I don't want you to wake up and panic because you can't see."

He started the car again and drove quickly, aware that Merlin might be uncomfortable with his lack of vision.

"Ok," he said when he arrived, "I'm just going to check in, I'll be two seconds."

"Arthur," Merlin wined.

"Don't worry," Arthur kissed his cheek which made him jump a little, "I promise I'll be really quick."

As promised, only a few minutes later, the car door opened and Arthur took Merlin's arm. "Are we going to look stupid walking around like this?"

"I doubt anyone will see us," Arthur said, "Stand still for a second. I'm just unlocking the door."

"Already?"

Arthur hummed. There was a soft clicking as the door unlocked and then Arthur took Merlin's arm again. Merlin heard him open a sliding door before he felt himself get lifted up. "Hey!"

Arthur laughed as he carried Merlin, "Sorry. There are steps. Ok," he set Merlin down again and the smile on his face was audible through his voice, "Ready?"

"Ready."

Arthur undid the blindfold and revealed what was probably the most beautiful view Merlin had ever seen. They were standing on an outdoor patio of a log cabin, overlooking a huge, perfectly crystal blue lake which was surrounded both by more little cabins like theirs and humongous mountains, all topped with snow. Each cabin was spaced out around the lake, making the resort huge. Merlin was speechless. Everywhere he looked provided something more spectacular to admire. He turned around and threw his arms around Arthur, kissing him happily, "It's brilliant."

"Thought you'd like it," Arthur grinned, "You stay here, I'm going to get the bags from the car and then we can have an explore?"

Merlin nodded excitedly, kissed Arthur again and then turned back to the view. Upon further inspection, the patio he was standing on had different layers. On the bottom was a pool which seemed to be heated as it had steam rising up from it. The middle, where Merlin was standing had an outdoor table and barbeque and the top was just an open space with a bench, a firepit and a few plants.

Inside the cabin was just as pretty. It had a rustic, outdoor feel to it, smelt strongly of pine and was definitely going to be very cozy at night. It had a large sitting area a small kitchen and a bathroom downstairs and a single en suite room upstairs. It sounds simple but it truly was lovely.

Arthur dumped the bags downstairs and they left the cabin for a walk.

"Everything's spaced out around the lake," Arthur explained as they walked, hand in hand, "Fifteen cabins, a dining space, a spa/ sauna, a bar, a little shop, I think there's a gym, the receptions space, obviously. All sorts, really. All far enough apart that you have your own space to live but close enough to anything you'd need."

"How did you check in so fast?"

"I had it prearranged to meet someone outside our cabin so I could park there and check in. I'll have to go over to the reception at some point but they know we're here and I got the key. Come down here," he led them down a path to the side of the lake and they stood, looking over the water.

"There's so much we can do here, all through the resort. I've booked loads."

"Yeah? A few days for relaxing too, though, right?"

"Loads, don't worry."

"You must have had it booked for ages," Merlin said.

"Mary told me about it when we were in Scotland," Arthur explained, "She said her brother stayed here once or something. Couldn't recommend it enough."

"I'm glad."

They walked back to the cabin for a bit of downtime. Arthur was feeling queasy after so much travelling and his legs shook with every step. It was clear he was desperate for a cup of tea and a sit down.

"Arthur?" Merlin called across as he investigated their new little home in more detail, "The cupboards are all stocked with food. Food we like."

Arthur peered over his shoulder, "I thought it couldn't hurt to do a little pre-ordering. The staff were more than happy to help seeing as we have the cabin furthest away from the shop and we've travelled so far."

"Did you get to choose the cabin?"

Arthur nodded, "On the website when I was booking there were photos from every single one which was available. I thought this one had the best views."

"It's amazing," Merlin came over with two cups of tea and handed one to Arthur before sitting down himself with a sigh, "Why is travelling so tiring? All you do is sit for hours doing nothing but you end up exhausted."

"It's stressful," Arthur shrugged, "I don't know."

"What time is it? Locally."

"Nearly seven. Do you want something to eat? We can order it from reception. They bring it over for us, it's great."

"So long as we don't have to cook," Merlin said.