I apologize for the length in advance, it's nearly twice as long as the other chapters. D: But to make up for it, I think you'll all really enjoy this chapter. For reals though. Let me know what you think by reviewing if you can! Thanks! I don't own Merlin.
"Oh no, Freya," Merlin started, the lump in his throat preventing him from saying anymore. He slumped, loosening his grip on Arthur slightly. Arthur just flopped to the side. Her angry expression instantly changed to one of sympathy. She walked to him and knelt next to him, positioning her feet under her legs. She put a hand on his face softly, stroking his cheek with one finger.
"What have I done?" he asked, horrified, after a minute. Freya's expression turned serious as she answered him quietly,
"You brought me back from the dead. And no one's meant to do that, especially not for me. I'm the Lady of the Lake, I should be...well, in the lake. I'm afraid you've just made things worse, Merlin, I'm sorry. There's no use in me lying to you about it." Merlin held up a hand.
"We'll worry about that later. Can you...fix him? I can't seem to focus on my healing spells right now. I don't know what's wrong with me," Merlin asked, his voice cracking. He was incredibly fragile at the moment and Freya recognized that easily.
"Of course," she replied kindly. With Merlin's attempts to heal him, the burns had healed, but not gone away, leaving angry pink scars where the water had touched him, and he was still heavily unconscious. Freya laid a delicate hand on Arthur's forehead, whispering,
"Plinay cawarwah unthes." Her eyes glowed gold for a moment before they turned back to brown and Merlin heard Arthur take a deep shuddering breath. He did not question that she should be able to use magic, seeing as she had nearly as much knowledge as Merlin and was able to perform a fair amount of magic, having picked it up from different sources over the years. As he heard Arthur's breathing even out, as it had been ragged for the past few minutes, a rush of old affection came over him for Freya. Those feelings were long gone, as he just thought of her as a good friend now, but the rush of emotion overwhelmed him.
Leaning over Arthur, Merlin brought a hand to Freya's chin quickly and tilted her head towards his. He kissed her gently and she responded more than he thought she would. So her feelings, at least, were still there. This could only mean trouble. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeper and he just let her lead. This went on for a solid two minutes before they heard a grunt below them and an annoyed voice.
"Merlin, what are you doing?" Upon hearing this, they sprang apart quickly, Merlin wiping his lips with the back of his hand and Freya looking slightly hurt at him doing so. He gave her an apologetic look as he looked down at Arthur.
"Welcome back, buddy!" he tried, to clear the awkward moment. It didn't work. Arthur looked annoyed, or even angry as he sat up quickly. He shoved Merlin in the chest and replied,
"Yeah, no thanks to you. What the hell were you thinking, raining down on me? I could've died! When I get through with you, you'll have to breathe through your bellybutton! Do you have any idea-?" Merlin placed a hand on Arthur's mouth.
"Shut. Up." Arthur swatted his hand away, scowling at the still grinning Merlin and wondered if he was going to kiss him too. He waited for a moment. Apparently not. So Arthur stood. He pointed at Freya.
"So what exactly is she doing here?" Merlin suddenly looked uncomfortable.
"Imayhaveaccidentallyraisedherfromthedead," Merlin mumbled quickly before clearing his throat. Arthur heard him and looked at Freya, almost as if sizing her up.
"Okay. Um….were we not just discussing the consequences of raising people from the dead? Specifically from this lake?" he inquired. Both Merlin and Freya nodded. "So why did you do that then?" Merlin bit his lip as he tried to remember.
"Well...I knew I had to save her from the spirits in the lake but….after she disappeared, I don't remember what happened. Honestly." Arthur remembered the blackness of his eyes and his sudden crazy rant.
"Could the spirits have gotten into your head?" he suggested casually, shrugging as he did so. Merlin narrowed his eyes.
"I suppose...why do you ask?"
"No reason," Arthur shrugged again.
"You're lying."
"Am not."
"Yeah, you are. Really bad liar, sorry Arthur," Freya interjected. Arthur shot her a glare that may or may not have had two meanings and then looked back at Merlin. Arthur sighed and pointed to his eyes.
"You may have had uh...well some….you know….your eyes were like...black pits of doom so I was just wondering if that was...important or anything," he said awkwardly. Merlin's eyes widened. He glanced down at the lake nervously as if it might eat him.
"Seriously?" Arthur glanced to the side and then back at him.
"….Yeah."
"Well then, yes, Arthur, to answer your question, I was probably being possessed by something. Fantastic," he finished bitterly. Both Arthur and Merlin glanced around as if the spirits were going to possess them from behind.
"If it makes you feel better," Freya said loudly, "They can only possess you at a moment of emotional weakness."
Arthur scoffed, "That helps a ton, thanks Freya."
"No need to get snippy with her, Arthur, she didn't do anything wrong," Merlin said, defending her.
"I wasn't being snippy, I was just saying that-"
"Shut up."
"….Excuse me?" Arthur asked, affronted by Merlin's words.
"No, seriously. Shut up. I can hear something." The three got closer together as Merlin listened to the sound of water lightly slapping the shore. But there was something else too….
Suddenly the island rumbled and shook slightly. Merlin winced and the trio looked around to see what had caused the disturbance. The only direction none of them checked was, by Murphy's law, behind them, which is exactly where they should have been looking. It started with two figures emerging from the water. But then two more followed them. And three more.
Merlin whipped around at the first sound of water dripping on grass. Freya and Arthur turned around soon after him and gasped at what they saw. There, standing in front of them, were Gwen, Gaius, Gwaine, Leon, Percival, Elion, and Lancelot. Arthur's jaw nearly dropped and Freya just looked slightly bewildered. Merlin looked torn between happiness and confusion and fear. All of their friends looked the same as they had when Arthur had left them, which was strange. Merlin knew that Gwen, Percival, and Leon should have looked at least twice their age since they died at older ages. It was understandable for Elion, Lancelot and Gwaine since they died at the ages Merlin and Arthur knew them at best. Merlin was the first to speak, holding out an arm in front of Arthur in case he tried to go to them.
"How are you here?" he demanded to know with almost hostility. Immediately, they all looked hurt. No one answered. "Tell me!" Gwen looked as though she wanted to answer but shut her mouth quickly.
"Merlin…." Gaius started, looking unsure how to answer, "We don't actually know. I, at least, just sort of found myself….well, walking out of the lake. I have no conscious memory of coming here." Merlin looked at the others and they nodded at him. They seemed to have the same stories.
"Are there any more?" he asked them. They shrugged. They didn't know anything about it. Merlin lowered his arm and immediately Arthur rushed at Gwen to give her a hug. His heart gave a slight tug of something….jealousy? He wasn't sure. Whatever it was, he ignored it. He was still unsure of how to feel about all this. Could they be trusted? Were they even real or were they puppets? He stood still, not going to any of them. Gaius looked understanding, as always, but after Gwaine finished greeting Arthur, he walked over to Merlin.
"Aren't you happy to see us, Merlin?" Merlin glanced up at him.
"Of course, I just….I don't know why this is happening and-" He didn't get to finish because Gwaine pulled him into a tight hug. He froze, standing very still and not leaning into his old friend's hug. What was wrong with him? He loved Gwaine! So why couldn't he allow himself to be happy to see him? When Gwaine pulled back, he saw Merlin's uneasiness and frowned. He waved a hand in front of Merlin's face.
"Merlin, it's me. Honest. Your old buddy, Gwaine! What's wrong?" Everyone was staring at Merlin now. His face turned bright red up to his ears as he tried to answer awkwardly,
"I just...you shouldn't….I mean….it's not that I…." He hesitated to speak his mind, not wanting to offend everyone if it was really them, but also considering what would happen if they weren't really themselves. His voice caught and he choked slightly, coughing loudly to clear his airways. He couldn't do this. His hands were shaking. He was completely overwhelmed. Freya walked over and slipped her hand into his to try and comfort him and Merlin saw out of the corner of his eye, Arthur's face darkened slightly before he came over to stand next to Merlin, too. He didn't hold his hand, but he stood close to him so they were shoulder to shoulder. Just this little bit of warmth coming from his friend and the feeling of Freya's hand in his gave him the strength to try to say what he was thinking.
"It's not that I'm not happy to see all of you. Don't ever….don't ever think I wouldn't be happy to see you. I've missed….every single one of you….for so long," he paused again before adding, "But I'm being cautious. I've been so alone for thousands of years and….it's just overwhelming to see you all. It's almost...too good to be true. I don't want to let myself believe you're all back and then….and then to see that it's a trick….just a trick and….I think that would break my heart." He hung his head in shame. He had basically just told them all that he didn't trust them, didn't trust that they were real. They should just leave with Arthur and Freya and leave him on the island by himself. And he would let them.
Merlin felt them all staring at him for a moment more before something happened he didn't expect. He kept his head down so he wouldn't have to look at them, quickly wiping away any tears that rose to his eyes out of frustration, but his peripheral vision darkened as figures moved closer to him. Freya hadn't moved, but Arthur also grasped Merlin's hand tightly. He raised his head slowly to see everyone had formed a circle, a round table. Merlin was not in the middle, but rather, just another part of the circle. He finally found the courage to meet the gaze of everyone there and they all looked at him with curiosity, but also sureness. They wanted to prove to him that they were who they should be.
Arthur stepped forward into the middle first. "Merlin," he said quietly. Merlin looked at him, scared of what he might find in Arthur's eyes. Even though it hadn't technically been him who had caused him so much pain with the lake water, he still felt wholly responsible for it. "I am Arthur Pendragon, and you know I am. I know you know it. I said to you once that no man is worth your tears. So quit crying already," he joked. He walked back to where he was standing next to Merlin and slapped him on the back semi-roughly and Merlin coughed and smiled at him. Arthur smiled back, the radiant smile that Merlin knew and loved. This was his Arthur.
Freya stepped forward next. "Uh, I'm Freya. Some of you may know me as the Druid Girl or the Bastet from ages ago." She paused to give them a moment to remember. "Merlin was kind enough to give me a proper burial in this lake and for reasons still unknown to me, I became the Lady of the Lake. I am who I say I am because I can say this with confidence: I killed five people during my stay in Camelot while I was in Bastet form, I acknowledge this, and I apologize for this from the bottom of my heart. I never meant to hurt anyone. Merlin, you know this." She glanced at him before stepping back to hold his hand again.
Gwaine, Elion, Leon, Lancelot, Percival, Gwen, and Gaius all made similar testimonies to prove to Merlin that they were who they said they were. And Merlin believed them. He was laughing by the end with everyone else and he gave everyone tight hugs to reassure them that he loved and missed them dearly. Merlin approached Elion and Gwaine and said, "I can do magic." They were the only ones who didn't know and he didn't want it to just suddenly surprise them when he needed to use it. They both stared for a moment before glancing at everyone else. They all knew. Gwaine just pulled Merlin into a headlock and rubbed his knuckles against his scalp playfully. Merlin struggled while Gwaine shouted,
"Why didn't you tell me, you little monster? There was so much more we could have accomplished! So many more pranks could have been played! Damn you, Merlin!" Everyone laughed at that, including Merlin and Arthur. They failed to hear the disturbance behind them.
"What a heartwarming sight," drawled a familiar voice from behind, "Sorry to crash your party, boys and girls." Merlin froze at the sound of the voice, as did Gwaine and nearly everyone else. Merlin was still under Gwaine's arm and he quickly released himself. He rushed to the front to get a good look at the intruder and raised his arms in defense of everyone behind him.
"Hello Morgana," he hissed, his teeth gritted, "Oh good, looks like you brought your little backup, Mordred. Surprised you didn't bring Morgause or Nimeuh, I have to say." Morgana scowled at him.
"They weren't interested, Emrys. They knew I would do an excellent job of finishing you all off myself. Although, I have to say I am quite surprised to be here. I've been dead so long, I didn't think there was any hope of revenge." Mordred scowled at Arthur and Merlin, but looked almost torn when he looked at the rest of the knights.
"Leave us alone, Morgana. There's nothing for you to accomplish here."
She laughed, "And miss all the fun? Not for the world, Emrys, not for the world." At that, she thrust her hands forward to blast them all off their feet. Merlin bounced back the fastest and rushed at Morgana. Mordred threw a spell at him, but missed and Merlin grabbed Morgana's wrists, holding them away from him. She struggled, looking almost fearful of him, but also determined to beat him. Mordred had to deal with the rest of the knights, who had tackled him to the floor. He tried using magic to get himself out, but every time he got them to release him, they just got up and tackled him again.
Merlin whispered, "Blankhousa himiday knaua" and a long strand of rope appeared. Morgana struggled harder, knocking him away, but was not expecting an attack from behind. Both Guinevere and Gaius caught her when she fell back from knocking Merlin away and held her as tightly as they could. Her eyes were cold with hatred as she struggled against them and Merlin quickly bound her with the rope. The minute she tried to burn it away or undo it with magic, Merlin quickly whispered another spell and she cringed in pain.
"The more you struggle, the more it will hurt you. And it inhibits your magic. So don't try anything," Merlin told her. She looked fearful again.
"I used to be your friend, Merlin!" She used his real name for the first time in a very long time.
"Yes. And you left that behind when you turned on Arthur and Camelot. I am loyal to him first. Don't think you can appeal to my humanity, Morgana. It. Won't. Work. On me," he hissed before going to help the knights with Mordred. Merlin pulled Gwaine off of him, who looked the most upset, and told him,
"You watch Morgana while I deal with Mordred." Gwaine nodded solemnly before marching over to Morgana. He looked as though he was resisting the urge to kick her. Merlin quickly subdued Mordred the same way he had Morgana and the two looked very tired.
"It's very different fighting us when it's just the two of you, isn't it?" Merlin asked them. They did not answer, but Mordred spit at Merlin. Gwaine yelled, "Hey!" before trying to go over to Mordred to hurt him, presumably. Percival held him back. Merlin's voice softened.
"Gwaine, stop it." Gwaine looked furious, but he obeyed, pulling his arm out of Percival's grip. "Look, Morgana, Mordred. I never wanted to hurt either of you. But you both gave me good reason to." Mordred looked furious as if Merlin was being unfair, but he said nothing. "I'm giving you a chance, one chance mind you, to be the way you used to. We all loved you both, but you betrayed us. Don't pretend that was our fault. It was your decision. But I, at least, am willing to give you both another chance." Neither of the prisoners said anything. "If you don't," Merlin warned, "I will send you back into the Lake so you can never return. You will go back to the world of the dead, never to return here." He looked around at his companions. They all looked shocked. Arthur walked up and put a hand on Merlin's shoulder roughly.
"Come here, now. Need to talk to you." He steered Merlin away from the others and whispered to him, "You can't just do that. It's my decision as well as yours and everyone else's. They all have to agree, Merlin, that's not fair." Merlin raised an eyebrow.
"I thought this is what you wanted. Don't you want the old sweet Morgana back? The little brother you never had back?" Arthur hissed in dissatisfaction.
"Yes, but they're not coming back, Merlin. It's too late for that now. Come on, I always listen to you. 'S time you listened to me for once. Just send them away." Merlin's gaze held steady with his.
"I can't do that, Arthur." Merlin walked back to the others, but Arthur caught him just before he reached them.
"You are not in charge just because you have magic and the others don't. Round table, remember? Everyone's equal." Merlin's eyes widened. Arthur was right. He scowled slightly before pulling everyone into a group huddle.
"Uh okay. I'm sorry I didn't consult you guys first on this, so….what do you think? Should we give them a second chance?"
"Merlin, are you nuts?" Elion voiced, "We can't trust them!"
"Well, they wouldn't be totally free. I'd be keeping a close eye on them. And I know they don't really deserve a second chance, but -"
"Merlin, they tried to kill all of us, numerous times. They almost succeeded in killing you and they did succeed in killing me and Gwaine and Elion!" Arthur hissed.
"I know, but…" Merlin tried desperately, "I feel like it's unfair to at least not offer them one."
"That's true," voiced Gwen, "I think Morgana, at least, would appreciate the second chance. I know her, or, I did, rather. I truly think she hates us partly because she thinks we didn't love her. Maybe this would give her a change of heart."
"I don't know," Gwaine pitched in uncertainly, "I never really knew Morgana when she was still on our side, but Mordred...he was just upset because Arthur did his duty. I'm not sure he would rest without revenge. But I do miss him as a brother. I do." He glanced around at the others. Leon, Percival, and Elion nodded. Lancelot was just quiet and thoughtful.
"I believe they were both just misled," Gaius said slowly, "Maybe it is kind to at least offer it to them. They may not even take it."
"Are you all insane?" Arthur hissed again, "This is madness. We've lost them and that's that."
"Arthur," Merlin warned, looking surprised, "You are one of the fairest people I know. Why is this so different?"
"Because," Arthur looked torn, "I trusted them once with my life. They both betrayed me. I can't forget that. I'll never be able to trust them again."
"I'm sorry, Arthur," Merlin said, "All in favor of offering them a second chance?" Everyone raised their hand except for Arthur. He scowled before raising his hand as well.
"You'd better be right about this, Merlin," he growled. Merlin smiled at him and ruffled his hair affectionately. Freya looked just as unsure as Arthur, but the rest just looked a bit relieved.
"Okay, so, Mordred. Morgana. I'm offering this to you once, and once only. Will you leave behind your hatred to come be our friends again?" Merlin pleaded. Both looked slightly torn. Morgana looked more unsure than Mordred.
"You all hate me," Morgana said, her eyes burning, "Why would I do this?" Surprisingly, Gwen stepped forward.
"Morgana, we used to be best friends. You're Arthur's half-sister. We were devastated when you turned on us, we did not expect it," she said quietly, but then more boldly she continued, "I have not forgotten what you did to me. I will never forget it. But I may be able to forgive it if you give me a good reason to." Merlin glanced at Gwen. She looked determined, but also sad. She wanted her best friend back. Arthur looked incredibly conflicted. He didn't know what he wanted.
Merlin went over to him while Gwen and Morgana stared at each other. "I'm sorry, Arthur," he said, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Maybe this is for the best, though." Arthur looked at him without speaking and nodded, crossing his arms across his chest. Merlin sighed. He hoped Arthur would have liked this, but it was obvious his feelings were the complete opposite. Hopefully he'd come 'round.
Merlin put aside his thoughts about Arthur and turned towards Morgana and Mordred. Mordred had not moved a muscle, even though the knights were almost pleading for him to accept Merlin's offer.
"Morgana, you first," Merlin announced. Silence fell over the island and the knights retreated from Mordred's side. Morgana looked tired and defeated. Her arms were shaking. It was pitiful.
"I-" she started. She glanced at Mordred, who looked at her, but said nothing. "I will do as you ask, Merlin." She bowed her head. Mordred looked surprised and Merlin walked over to her and gently removed her bonds.
"I will be keeping a close eye on you, so don't think you can get away with anything," he said firmly. He placed a thin metal bracelet around her wrist that tightened until it was perfectly fit around her wrist, but not too tight at all.
"This will inhibit your magic until you show me that you've really changed." All her arrogance was gone. Merlin was very surprised as she simply looked at him and nodded like a dog that had just been chained to a post. Merlin's heart tugged very slightly. He knew what it was like not to be able to use magic, but it was a necessary precaution. He had seen what she was capable of and no matter what, he did not trust her yet. He gently put a hand behind her back to guide her towards Gwen and she flinched.
"Gwen, can I trust you to care for her a bit? I think she'll need some TLC."
"Some what?"
"Tender loving care."
"Okay Merlin," she giggled. She put a hand on Morgana's arm, partly to comfort her and partly to keep her from surprising her in case she jumped or tried to run. Morgana just stood still, rubbing the bracelet on her wrist and watching Mordred.
"Mordred?" Merlin asked. He looked up, and still looked angry. Arthur didn't look at Mordred, but the other knights looked sad and worried.
"Yes Emrys?" he sneered.
"Who's Emrys?" Gwaine mumbled. Gaius pointed to Merlin. Gwaine nodded and then focused on Mordred.
"You killed her," Mordred said suddenly, looking at Arthur, his eyes burning into the blonde's. Arthur bowed his head before looking up again.
"Yes. She was a threat, Mordred, and I'm sorry, but-"
"A threat to whom?"
"A threat to me and Camelot. She tried to kill me." Evidently Mordred hadn't realized this because his eyebrows raised slightly, but he stood his ground.
"And I succeeded," he hissed, "Morgana was right before she turned all soft on us. Camelot was better without the Pendragons."
"How could you possibly know that?" Arthur asked him, "You were gone before you would have known that kingdom. And guess what? After the Pendragons died out, Camelot fell. So evidently, Camelot was better with the Pendragons, thank you." Mordred looked at Morgana for support. She did not look at him.
"Alright. So say I do take you up on this offer, what then?"
Merlin cut in, "I inhibit your magic like Morgana's until you prove to me you're not a threat."
"What kind of life is that?" Mordred asked, "You know what it's like to not be able to use magic, Emrys!"
"Yes, but it's for the safety of others. So if you care about that, you'll wear it. If you don't, you leave." Mordred scowled at them. He didn't want to die again. Not yet.
"Fine," he spat, "Do it. But don't think I'll believe that you all still care about me." Merlin cut his bonds with a slightly rougher hand than with Morgana's and placed the inhibitor bracelet on his wrist. Mordred scowled at him, but took a deep breath and sighed. Merlin guided Mordred to the knights.
"Think you can handle him?" he asked them. Percival and Leon smiled and nodded. Gwaine and Elion looked suspicious but nodded as well. Lancelot walked up to him and introduced himself. Mordred gave him a tight smile.
This should be fun.
((()))
Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. It had now been a year since Arthur's arrival and six months since everyone else's. Arthur's mood had gotten increasingly better as time went on. He grew to accept Morgana and Mordred back into his life and they grew better-natured as time went on. Gwen coaxed Morgana into talking again and soon enough she was talking regularly with everyone. She tended to keep it polite and professional with most, but with Gwen around she opened up more. Arthur and the knights went shopping, which was a very fun affair because every teenage girl a mile around flocked to see them. Being good looking males that they were, they were flattered, but also tried to avoid the attention. It made them a tad uncomfortable. Except for Gwaine.
Gwaine was the biggest flirt of them all and sometimes Percival would join him. Arthur ended up pulling them away by the scruffs of their shirts a lot of the time, but it made everyone else laugh. The first time this happened, Merlin told them specifically,
"You guys, seriously, it's frowned upon in modern society for men in their late-20s to be flirting with girls in their mid to late teens. If you need female companionship so badly, go find someone your own age." Gwaine and Percival nodded seriously to humor him, but they continued to flirt with any girls who approached them. They did, however, put a limit on it and never went any further than flirting. Merlin had to put an enlarging spell on his cottage to make it even larger on the inside to accommodate so many people. Gaius was thrilled that Merlin had kept up the herbs and he happily busied himself with organizing them.
Gwen mostly spent time with Morgana, occasionally giving Arthur a pat on the cheek or a butterfly kiss, but their affection seemed to have faded a bit. Mordred tried to warm up to the knights, but found himself awkward and unable to talk to them like friends anymore. Gaius tried to help him, but Mordred was mostly quiet and brooding. This worried Merlin greatly, but there was nothing he could do. He had given him a chance and he had to fulfill his promise.
Merlin spent all of his time teaching his friends about the century. It was hard, at first, but eventually they caught on to most of the basics. Merlin had collected everyone's knives, swords, or other weapons and put them in a huge chest with a magical lock on it. No one needed it and if it was found on them, someone might call the police.
Arthur and Merlin hadn't had a moment to themselves since all of this happened, but Freya and Merlin did. Nothing ever happened, but it concerned Arthur greatly, for reasons unknown to Merlin. Freya explained that these people had returned because Arthur did early and they had some role to play in the second-saving of Albion. This sat at the back of Merlin's mind, but he tried not to let it worry him.
((()))
Merlin stood up at the end of his dining room table. It was rectangular because they had not been able to locate a round one big enough to fit all of them. He tapped his fork on his glass until the chatter died down.
"So. I don't know if you've all realized it yet, but today is December 23rd. The day before Christmas Eve. I'll give you all some money to get presents or whatever your plan is, but remember to be careful with it. Don't spend it all in one go because I'm not giving you more. I'm telling you right now that I do not have enough to give each of you to buy presents for everyone, so I'd like you all to pick a piece of paper from this mug. Each piece has a name on it, and whoever's name is on it is who you have to buy a present for. It's called Secret Santa."
"That's a stupid name," Gwaine interrupted. Merlin shot him a look before continuing,
"No cheating. If you get your own name, put it back in and take another and no switching! " He passed around the mug and was satisfied to see he had received Arthur's name. He looked up and handed out the pounds for each of them. They all scattered to their rooms until only Gwen and Morgana remained. Merlin had his back to them, but when he turned around, he asked,
"You okay?" They both nodded and Morgana approaching Merlin, fidgeting with the bracelet on her wrist. She had acclimated much better than Mordred had and Merlin was almost happy to see her sometimes. Almost.
"Uh, Merlin. Gwen told me I should probably thank you for giving me a second chance." Merlin smiled politely at her, not sure what she wanted. "I know I didn't deserve it, and it would have been perfectly expected for you to just kill me and Mordred both and be done with it. But you didn't. So thank you. I'm, um, I'm actually enjoying myself. There's no reason for me to be so….angry all the time anymore. It won't achieve anything, so thank you." She nodded before walking back to Gwen. Merlin raised an eyebrow. Morgana was never that humble. Merlin caught Gwen later that night and pulled her aside.
"Did you like, put a whole new personality into Morgana? She's completely different than….ever," he asked cautiously.
"I think she's just defeated and tired, Merlin. She has nothing to fight for. She knows killing Arthur or anyone else she hates won't accomplish anything anymore. I'd say you could trust her," Gwen informed him. She smiled, "Really, I think she's on our side. Not sure about Mordred to be honest, but I think she's okay." Merlin thanked her before rushing off to bed in his own room.
Arthur still slept in the same room, but he stopped curling up next to Merlin. Freya slept in the same room as them too, and she did, in fact, curl up to Merlin when he was asleep. She was asleep in his bed at the moment, her small mouth forming an 'o'. Merlin smiled in the dark and picked her up gently before setting her back down on her own bed. He knew Freya sleeping next to him made Arthur upset, and it wasn't the same as sleeping next to Arthur anyway. Merlin drifted off to sleep, considering what on earth he was going to get Arthur for Christmas….
((()))
Christmas Day arrived quickly and Merlin and Freya hastily set up decorations, them being the only ones with magic. Everyone had bought their gifts and they had decided to wait until Christmas morning to open them. Everyone woke late except for Merlin and Freya, as usual, and Merlin had breakfast prepared for them. They all sped through it and rushed to the living room to open presents.
Gwaine located his present first. It was from Percival and he smiled widely. The box shook when he approached it and Gwaine frowned for a second. He hesitated, seeing the small holes made in the sides of the box and tapped it. The package shook again.
And then it barked.
Gwaine opened it quickly, knowing now the identity of his present and was face to face with an Irish wolfhound puppy. He laughed loudly and the puppy jumped onto his chest and licked him fiercely.
"Percival, you know how big that thing is going to get, right?" Merlin warned. Percival smirked at him and said,
"Yeah. Gwaine can handle him." Merlin pointed at both of them, his mouth curling up into a smirk.
"You know you two are completely responsible for him, right?" They both nodded eagerly. Gwaine scooped up the puppy in his arms and started cooing at it, sitting farther away from everyone else so that it wouldn't disturb them. Percival joined him, not even worrying about his own present and the two played with the dog all afternoon.
Morgana had received a beautiful necklace from Leon, who she thanked profusely. Gwen received a dress from Gaius that greatly resembled her own back in Camelot. It was purple and she hugged it to herself tightly before running off to try it on. It fit perfectly and the two girls came back out wearing their gifts. Mordred had gotten a giant stuffed bear from Gwaine that spouted curse words whenever he squeezed the paw, which made the tips of Mordred's mouth curl up into a smile that turned into a laugh. This brightened everyone's spirits because Mordred hadn't smiled in a very long time. He joined Gwaine and Percival in playing with the puppy and squeezed the bear's paw whenever the dog jumped on him or licked him, sending Gwaine and Percival into laughing fits.
Leon got a watch from Elion and Elion received a good pair of boots from Gwen. As the rest of the presents were handed out, opened, and enjoyed, Merlin watched from the sidelines. He had been given a red neckerchief from Lancelot, seeing as his own had gotten lost he didn't know when. He happily tied it around his neck and smiled at Lancelot. Lancelot winked at him kindly before going off to talk to the others.
Merlin made the mistake of allowing Arthur to buy some wine to drink during the day. Gwaine naturally nicked two out of three bottles and shared them with Percival and they both drank a whole bottle by themselves. While it was weak considering what they were used to, they were now both drunk and playing with a puppy and trying to get Mordred to drink with them. He denied it, especially after seeing what it was doing to them, but he did think it was hilarious. Merlin confiscated it quickly and hid the third bottle, waving a reprimanding finger at both of them.
A drunk Gwaine swaggered up to him after handing the puppy to Mordred and put a hand on Merlin's shoulder, swaying slightly. He couldn't focus on Merlin's eyes, but he leaned in close and said, "You need to lighten up, mate." He gave him an affectionate pat to the back of the head and made his way back to Percival and Mordred. They had christened the puppy 'Bear', partly because of Mordred's present and partly because the puppy was going to grow to be the size of a bear. Gwen and Morgana were giggling at the sight of Gwaine and Percival. This surprised Merlin. He had expected that maybe Morgana would become their friend again and maybe talk to them like she used to, but never had he expected her to be almost completely the way she used to be. Not ever. Maybe the part of her that missed her old life needed to be released and Gwen's company allowed it to be so.
They stayed at the cottage all afternoon and into the evening, just enjoying each other's company and relishing in the fact that everything was perfect.
Well, almost everything.
Arthur glanced over to notice that Freya jumped up on her tiptoes to give Merlin a kiss on the cheek. He blushed furiously and didn't look at her. What he missed was that Merlin quickly walked somewhere else to be away from her. It's not that he didn't like her, just that he didn't feel that way anymore. Since Arthur missed this bit, he frowned and turned away, walking over to Gwen and Morgana.
"Merry Christmas, Morgana, Gwen," he said politely. He remembered the way he used to kiss their hand to be polite an did just that.
"Arthur, you don't have to do that anymore. Or at least do it to Gwen, not me, I'm your sister!" Morgana giggled. Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"Has she had anything to dr-"
"Yes. Yes she has," Gwen cut him off, pointing to Gwaine and Percival, "They appeared to have brought something stronger than your wine and gave her a shot of it. Now she's turned into this giggling mess!" When Gwen finished she reached over and tickled her friend, who laughed louder and was obviously a little tipsy and off her guard.
"Right," Arthur said, "Uh, see you later then." He pulled down his red jumper self-consciously and walked away. He gave Gwen a light kiss on the top of the head before he left. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Merlin watching him and his face darken. Arthur immediately felt guilty, but he didn't look at him.
((()))
Gwaine announced that they were going to have a proper twenty-first century party now that it was night and he produced from who knows where, a boom box with a single CD titled "Best of Christmas". Merlin didn't want to know where or how he'd gotten either, but he simply face-palmed.
"It'll be interesting to see what they listen to these days, eh Merlin?" Gwaine called out. Merlin chuckled slightly and gave him a thumbs up, but warned him,
"On your head be it if the neighbors get after you. They're used to peace and quiet."
"Sounds like they've outlawed FUN!" Mordred yelled loudly before he and Percival broke into another fit of laughter. Looks like they coaxed Mordred into drinking something, too. Fantastic. Merlin shook his head as if he disapproved, but he was smiling. He was glad they were all having fun.
Gwaine played the disk and immediately hard rock sounds started playing. Arthur covered his ears, but guffawed and everyone else just screamed before adjusting the volume and laughing and dancing. Gwen pulled Morgana and Freya up to dance and Percival with Gwaine and Mordred and Gaius did his own little loner dance in the back corner. Elion chuckled at seeing Gaius and pulled him in the middle with himself, Leon, and Lancelot.
"Ridiculous, isn't it?" Merlin asked, after sidling up next to Arthur. Arthur looked at him and nodded, smirking slightly.
"I'm, uh. I'm sorry for...you know, stuff." Arthur looked at him with concern.
"What for? This is great, this is….all I could have asked for," Arthur said, taking a deep breath.
"Well firstly for the whole acid rain deal, even though it wasn't technically me."
Arthur raised his eyebrows and snorted, "Yeah, that wasn't okay."
"And also for forcing Morgana and Mordred's company on us."
"I understand why you did it, Merlin. And look how it's turned out. It's fantastic. But yes, a little warning and consulting on my part would have been nice."
"Yes. So I'm sorry. I hope you're not still mad at me," Merlin gave him a sidelong glance and looked at him hopefully. Arthur stayed silent for a minute before smiling at him. He smacked the back of his head good-naturedly and answered,
"Of course I'm not. You're my best friend." Merlin grinned at him and Arthur returned it before giving him a mocking solemn look and pushed him into everyone else dancing.
"Go dance and have fun, Merlin!" he laughed. Merlin stumbled into Gwaine, who smiled at him and then saw it was Arthur who had pushed him. He grinned mischievously. Arthur seemed to realize what he was about to do right before he did it and Gwaine caught him by the arm and pulled him on to the dance floor too. It wasn't really a dance floor so much as the middle of the living room, but it sufficed.
Merlin soon found himself next to Arthur again on the side of the dance floor, both catching their breath from being thrown around and forced to jig. They laughed at each other for a moment before Gwaine swaggered over.
"Oh what do you want?" Arthur asked him sarcastically. Gwaine's mouth twisted up into a sideways smile as he pointed to something above their heads. They both looked up at the same time and Merlin looked at Gwaine in confusion.
"What is that?" He was surprised when Arthur answered,
"It's mistletoe, Merlin." He paused before snapping at Gwaine, "Don't be a prat, Gwaine, go away. We're not doing that, it's childish." Gwaine stayed silent and crossed his arms across his chest. He wasn't going anywhere. Arthur rolled his eyes and ignored Gwaine. He stood there for another couple of minutes before he rolled his own eyes and walked away.
"What was he expecting us to do?" Merlin asked.
"Uh, nothing. He's being stupid. I'll tell you later." He paused before asking, "Merlin?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you and Freya like….a thing?" Merlin blushed furiously before answering.
"No. I mean, we used to be, but not anymore."
"No interest whatsoever?"
"Nope."
"Oh."
"Why?"
"No reason."
"….Kay."
Merlin stood and Arthur sighed inwardly. He was about to walk away. Should he take this chance? No, he shouldn't.
"Merlin?"
"Mm?"
"Thanks for bringing me back." This seemed to startle Merlin. He turned back towards Arthur and walked back to where he was sitting. Arthur stood and they were practically nose to nose. Merlin didn't back away, but he was expecting Arthur to.
"Of course. I mean, it wasn't me, Freya said it was you who-" Merlin was silenced when Arthur closed the distance between them quickly and kissed him lightly. At first he was frozen, but soon Merlin's brain was lit up like a Christmas tree and his hands were shaking with adrenaline. His hands found their way around Arthur's waist and he pulled him closer. It was a warm, slow kiss, not too fast or uncomfortable. It was perfect. Arthur was still gripping the front of Merlin's neckerchief to keep him close.
It could have been a thousand years or two minutes, but the minute they broke it, they realized the entire room had gone silent. Someone had turned off the boom box and everyone was staring at them.
All Arthur could think about now was Merlin...