Merlin missed Arthur. His smiles, his laugh, his little four year old face. Sure, it was only for a week, but every day seemed like a year. He had forgotten what it was like to be loved, but Arthur suddenly reminded him, with his small-child charm and affectionate nature. He knew Arthur loved him too, but he just wasn't sure in which way. Queen Guinevere's last words to him suddenly bubbled to the surface of his mind.

"He loved you, you know," the old and dying queen whispered to the warlock. After the battle of Camalnn, Merlin hadn't returned to Camelot, except to be there when his friends died. He'd done it for all of them so far, and now it was sweet Guinevere's turn.

"What?" he asked, thinking it to be the rambling of a dying woman. She smiled at him, still looking beautiful in her old age.

"Arthur; he loved you. Not in the brotherly way. He really loved you. I was just a cover-up for his real feelings, as he was for me. I still love Lancelot. But, Arthur, he loved you. He thought you might reject him, or that his feelings would push you into the arms of another. Merlin, he loved you and would rather have you as his friend than lose you. Merlin, he loved you," Gwen said, her last words rasped out. Merlin shook his head at the words, not wanting to believe them. Arthur had loved him? That only made his loss more unbearable.

"Gwen, thank you for your kind words." He hadn't realized he had started crying. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

She smiled. "Hold an old friend's hand as she dies?"

Merlin compiled, crying the night away as his last friend passed away.

In current day, the warlock sighed, feeling depressed.

A sharp knock, coming from his front door, brought him out of his thoughts. Forcing himself up, he trudged to his front hall, to the door and creaked it open a bit.

In an instant, though, he flung it open and brought the soaking wet child into his arms.

"M-M-Merlin!" Arthur said through chattering teeth. His eyes looked red, as if he'd been crying, but there was a huge smile on his face. "I m-m-missed you!"

Merlin hugged him tighter, trying to convert some body heat, and also buried his face in the blonde's wet hair. "I missed you, too."

As Arthur shivered and tried burying himself further in the warlock's embrace, he explained himself. "I m-missed you s-s-so much! I knowed that daddy wouldn't take me to see you, so I came all by myself!" He seemed proud of his accomplishment, so Merlin decided not to berate him just yet for running away.

They stayed on the door-step for a few minutes, locked in an embrace, Arthur gripping the warlock's shirt in a way that said I love you while Merlin stroked the child's hair in an I love you, too.

The little boy shivered again and Merlin realized he wouldn't get any warmer in his drenched clothes. He carried Arthur inside and placed him on the couch. Leaving him there for a moment, he ran to his closet and pulled out a gray sweat shirt that Arthur could wear as a very long shirt.

He walked in the room and changed the four year old, who looked quite adorable in the over-sized article of clothing.

"I'm a bird!" Arthur flapped the over-sized sleeves, his "wings," around to prove his point.

Merlin smiled at him and sat down, pulling Arthur on his lap. The child snuggled close.

"How'd you get here, Arthur?"

The little boy looked up. "I walked."

"How did you know where I live?"

Arthur smiled and pointed to his chest. "Felt warm in here when I walked one way, so I walked that way and here I am!"

A warm feeling led him here…that was magic. It must be.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked, shattering the warlock's thoughts. Merlin looked down at him and smiled. "Merlin, you love me right? 'Cause I love you, but daddy kept saying you don't love me."

Merlin brushed some blonde hair out of Arthur's eyes before responding. "Of course I love you. I always will."

That answer seemed to please Arthur, as he hummed a bit and snuggled down into Merlin's arms. The warlock rocked him back and forth for a bit, before coming to the conclusion that Arthur may be asleep. Without warning, however, Arthur looked up with big blue eyes and popped a question, scaring an unsuspecting Merlin.

"Can you tell me a story?" Arthur asked again as the warlock's heartbeat went back to normal. If a small child hasn't really surprised you like that, you don't know fear.

Merlin nodded and scanned his mind. He had lots of stories. But one stuck out. "How about the story of The Prat and The Idiot?"

Arthur cocked his head. "Never heard of it."

Merlin smiled. "Excellent."

Arthur cuddled himself closer to the warlock, getting comfy for the story. Merlin took a breath and began.

"Once upon a time…"

"That's how every story starts," the little boy interrupted, but then turned red. "Ooooh, sorry, Merlin. It's just that every story does start like that."

The warlock shook his head fondly. "Alright. I've got another idea." He started again. "In a land of myth and time of magic…"


Throughout the whole story, Arthur's eyes were wide as coins. He paid rapid attention, and every once in a while, he would interject something.

"Why didn't The Idiot just tell The Prat about his magic?"

"That's stupid; The Prat should be able to marry whoever he wants."

"The Prat did that to The Idiot?! He's a meanie!"

It went on and on, but Merlin smiled through the whole thing. Arthur seemed to be remembering his past life, as at one point, Arthur started telling the story.

"And The Idiot held out his arms and tried to hug The Prat, but The Prat was a prat and he said he didn't want a hug. Really, though, The Prat wanted to hug The Idiot and hold him all night long. He wanted to protect The Idiot, he wanted to kiss The Idiot, but he didn't…" Arthur babbled on. Merlin felt his insides melt at this point. He remember his and the original Arthur's "almost hug." He had felt a bit hurt when that initially happened, but this coming from Arthur's mouth made him blush.

"…And then The Idiot jumped in the ghosty-monster's way, stopping The Prat," Arthur said a little later in story. Merlin knew these "ghosty-monsters" to be the Dorocha. He still cringed at the thought of those creatures. "The Prat thought he had lost His Idiot."

The little boy continued on for a while and by the end of the story, Arthur always referred to The Idiot as His Idiot, as in the Prat's Idiot. That made Merlin's heart swell like nothing else had ever done before.

But also as the story neared the end, the warlock found himself staring at the four year old more and more, as if confirming he was real.

"..And then as The Prat died, I told His Idiot 'thank you.' Those were my last words. But what I really meant was 'I love you…'" the four year old trailed off, his eyes looking around but not seeing. In a flash, however, Arthur's big blue orbs were back on Merlin, focused but confused.

"Merlin?" he asked, unsure. He touched the warlock face with one sweat shirt sleeve covered hand to confirm he was real.

"I'm here," Merlin said, gulping back his tears. He never really got over Arthur's death, and it just being retold made the memories come back.

"Merlin…?" Arthur asked again.

"Yes?"

"I love you," the little boy said as his eyes rolled back in his head.


A/N: Hi. Can anyone tell me if this chapter was any good? I wrote most of it in car...(long story there).

Oh, and don't worry, Arthur's not dead (if you thought he was for some odd reason.) He just fell asleep.

Oh, and thank all you people that have reviewed, fav-ed, and followed! I hope all of you get magical penguins! :D

Until the next chapter...

(Update: I apparently reposted chapter five instead of this one first. I'm sorry. *face palms* I'm kinda stupid. Thank you to greenteafacemask for pointing that out. *face palms again* I'm an idiot...)