Merlin had seen Arthur. Arthur had seen merlin.
Arthur had seen merlin grinning with Gwaine and slid his arm around Gwaine and laugh with Gwaine. The last time Arthur saw merlin grin like that, was the first time they had kissed.
Arthur felt a strike of guilt. He was seriously considering stealing merlin back from Gwaine. Arthur was certain he was in love with merlin and would do anything for him.
Arthur wanted his merlin back. But he waited first. He had to plan something. Something extravagant to win Merlin back.
Arthur listened to the radio in his house as he tried to think of a plan. The 6 Stages of Separation came over the radio.
First, you think the worst is a broken heart. What's gonna kill you is the second part. And the third, is when your world splits down the middle. And fourth, you're gonna think that you fixed yourself. Fifth, you see them out with someone else. And the sixth, is when you admit that you may have fucked up a little.
Arthur paused.
One, two and three he'd managed to do back in Camelot. He knew he'd fucked up in Camelot. Four he thought he'd managed when he arrived here. Fifth he'd done here.
He'd screwed up the order but he managed to go through all the steps. Arthur looked down at what he was doing.
Trying to steal merlin back wouldn't help him. Merlin was happy again. You could tell just by looking at him and Gwaine together. They were happy. Even though he wasn't with merlin, just knowing merlin was happy pleased him.
So, for the first time in a long, long time, Arthur found himself happy.