"I think it's about time that I filled you in on your destiny, Merlin."

His breathing laboured and strained, his hair matted and ruffled, and with sweat dropping from his forehead and trickling down his face, Merlin slouched as he tried to regain his balance and fought with himself to stay upright. His magic was still arcing over his body, soaring in and out of his muscles like a Tesla coil.

"Please," Gaius continued, "sit down, Merlin."

The old man motioned his hand to the stool that was near Merlin and sat himself down at his desk before turning to face the boy, an old book now in his hands. Merlin sat before him on the stool, feeling somewhat better now, but still exhausted. He looked towards Gaius, ready to listen intently.

"The Purge started only recently," Gaius started, and his eyes glazed over with an all too familiar sense of pain as he remembered the horrors he'd seen. "It's run by a man whom no one has ever seen. The members of the Purge are special, Merlin; their blood gives them the ability to kill our kind. They, too, are magical creatures, but they are hypocrites. They say that their Magic is a creation to defeat our Magic. Preposterous!" At the word, Gaius slammed his hand down on his book, his eyes wide with anger.

Merlin could only stare and nod slightly as he waited.

"Over the years they have grown in numbers. As a member of the M.A.S.T—which is the Magical Association of Students and Teachers—we've been noticing that many teachers and students, like you and I, go missing, or turn up dead," Gaius said, and Merlin's eyes widened with fear. Was he strong enough to protect himself? "Upon further inspection and help from the police, I discovered that the knife in your back was made of pure silver."

Merlin's eyes expanded even further with shock, his hand instinctively stretching back behind him to feel the small scar of the entry wound.

"I believe it was the intention to make it look like they were robbing you, leaving Arthur alive. I believe they were Drinkers."

Merlin couldn't believe what he was hearing. Someone had actually tried to – actually fucking had tried to kill him? He felt weak and sick. He'd almost died. Merlin's palms began to sweat and his body trembled slightly in fear, because of his near-death and Gaius's enemies who were now his own and because of the destiny being forced upon him, but he found it useless to try and calm himself down. Dammit, he needed to remain rational! He needed to stay calm, he needed to. They'd almost... they had almost taken him away from Arthur. Merlin shook his head and looked up to Gaius, needing to change the subject, or at very least, move the conversation forward away from this.

"Drinkers?" Merlin asked with a quiver still in his voice. "Is that some kinda code name for something they can do?"

"Why yes, Merlin, it is," Gaius responded, sounding a little impressed. "They drink the blood of the creatures they kill, giving them a magical resistance to our magic. I'm afraid it means that when you come face to face with them you'll only be able to physically harm them, at least, as long as your power remains as weak as it is."

Merlin's head dropped in shame. He had honestly been trying for the past few weeks, he really had. He thought he had made a lot of progress, but by the way Gaius was speaking he clearly was not anywhere near as strong as he needed to be to protect himself.

Gaius stood up and walked over to him, kneeling down in front of him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Merlin. You must keep training after you go home. You must get stronger. These monsters are going to find you eventually, they'll track your magical trail, and this time, they won't underestimate you." Gaius looked down to the floor. "I care about you as if you were my own son. I couldn't bear to lose you."

Merlin looked down at the man with affection. He felt bad for Gaius, who feared for their lives. Gaius must've spent his entire life worried about Merlin, worried about if he could face the destiny that he'd always had. Merlin placed a hand on Gaius's head and leaned down, bringing him into an embrace.

"You are so sweet, Merlin, just like I remember you," Gaius whispered. He looked up and kissed Merlin's forehead, before standing up and walking back to his desk.

"I am going to give you something," he said eventually, and he reached into his desk and began to fish around. A few moments later he pulled out a blue pendant. Merlin wasn't trained but even he could see the energy surging inside the trinket.

"This pendant will keep you shadowed for a while. Its barrier is not impenetrable, but it is deceiving, and anyone who doesn't know where you are will not be able to find you, and they'll find themselves searching after a rat. If you ever feel the need to run, put this on before you go."

He extended his hand and Merlin reached out, taking the pendant.

As he clasped the chain, Merlin's gut sank into his ass at the dread which filled him. Something about touching the gem made everything so real, like it wasn't a video game or a book or a story, but that it was real. It was real life.

"Thank you... Gaius," Merlin said, his voice hollow and shaking in the night air.

He wasn't ready for this.

Merlin walked down the steps into the main hall of the house. The thoughts of Gaius's words still echoed in his ears. He was scared, really scared and – Arthur. Arthur.

Arthur was coming out of the living room as Merlin caught his eyes. He turned to face Merlin, a smile creeping along his face as he all but bounced to the other boy.

"Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed "I was looking for you."

He stopped really, really close to Merlin—only a few inches away, at the most. Merlin took this time to realize how much taller Arthur was than him, to realize how clear Arthur's skin was, how bright and yellow his hair was, how tight the skin on his neck was... That neck.

"For me?" Merlin asked after a few seconds of unashamed fantasizing. "What for?" he pressed, his eyes flashing up and down Arthur inquiringly. What was he up to?

Arthur took a few steps back with the same large grin on his face. He waited a few painstaking seconds before slowly reaching behind him to pull out two tickets—the tickets to the planetarium.

"Because, I wanted to know if you still wanted to go tomorrow? Or did you forget?" Arthur mocked a little jokingly. He waved the tickets just out of Merlin's reach.

Merlin felt all his fear escape him, all of his rage and his anxiety—it all just left him. Merlin looked at Arthur and stood there, pretending yet again to be thinking.

"Well... Since Gaius has a doctor appointment, I guess I'd have to go with you huh?" Merlin said.

Arthur's smile faded and he looked defeated, like Merlin had just run over his puppy with a segway, and Merlin realized just how stupid of an analogy that was. The diameter of a segway's wheels couldn't go over a bump the size of a puppy, let alone run it over and kill—he snapped out of his tangent thought to see Arthur walking away, his head hung.

"Oi, Arthur," Merlin yelled. He watched Arthur turn around, his face expressionless. Merlin rolled his eyes and walked towards him, placing both hands on Arthur's shoulders he continued, "I was kidding you daft pillock," he said, and watched again as Arthur's face lit up.

"I couldn't think of a better way of spending tomorrow," he added gently, and he pulled Arthur into an embrace.

Merlin and Arthur stepped out of Gaius's car to face the large building that was the Adler Planetarium. Gaius leaned over and rolled down the passenger side window. "Just give me a call when it's over. I should be back from the doctors in about two hours or so."

Merlin turned around and gave Gaius a smile, a nod, and a wave. "Oh, and Merlin," Gaius added, almost conversationally, "be careful."

Merlin nodded again before Arthur took his hand and dragged him away from the car. Gaius sat there for a few seconds before driving off, smiling to himself. Young love. It's amazing how oblivious they were to each other, just like before...

Gaius put the car in gear and drove off.

Merlin, meanwhile, felt his breath leave his body as he entered the huge building. It was littered with designs and signs, and he immediately noticed a large sign pointing up the escalators that was for the show, and which was starting in ten minutes. He looked to Arthur, who was still gazing throughout the room, and grabbed his hand to pull him forward. "Come on, Arthur!" Merlin complained. "We're going to be late."

Although Athur gave a little resistance, he ended up following Merlin anyway. He wanted to stay down stairs and look some more, but he realized that they needed to get upstairs quick.

There was a small line at the door to the room where they were having the viewing. Merlin was disappointed and yet amazed at the small amount of people who were interested in science and the universe, but he was also amazed that Arthur wanted to come with him, because surely it wasn't his cup of tea.

The room was small and dark with soft chairs like you would find in a movie theatre. They stretched in circles on the floor, with a screen on the ceiling, and Merlin felt so excited that he couldn't wait.

He and Arthur took a seat in the back, away from the few people who were in the room which got darker, and a light projected onto the sky, starting the intro to the program. Merlin looked over to Arthur and gave him a smile that said, "Thank you," and Arthur replied with an "any time" smile of his own.

About thirty minutes had passed and the presentation was coming to a conclusion. Arthur had been able to keep up with almost everything so far, and he was glad that he could share it with Merlin, to feel what he felt, to see what he saw, and to be in love with what he was in love with.

His gaze wandered along the ceiling, looking at all of the beautiful CGI designs. He was impressed. It all looked so... so beautiful, and it made him feel so small—so insignificant compared to what really existed.

"... stars that are pushed below the even horizon become black holes..."

Arthur leaned over to Merlin, and asked "What's an event horizon?"He squinted trying to make out Merlin, because even though the show was bright, it gave little illumination to the people below, and he wanted to make sure he wasn't awkwardly close to Merlin—not that Merlin would notice anyway, he later realised.

Merlin leaned even closer to him that Arthur had, his lips only an inch or so from Arthur's ear. "It's the line where there is really too much matter in the space provided, where the point gravity becomes infinite and nothing can escape, not even light," he explained.

Arthur turned to face Merlin to find hs lips just as close as his ear had been earlier. "It's amazing how smart you are," Arthur complimented, and Merlin blushed in the darkness. "How do you know all this?"

"I like to learn," Merlin responded with ease. His breath was hot and moist on Arthur's face, smelling like toothpaste and tea. Arthur tried, he really did, but he couldn't hold back anymore. He leaned in forwards, and their lips touched. It was quite literally an explosion.

Merlin felt his magic extend out and fill the room—it filled the entire building. Merlin didn't want this to end. He needed Arthur, just like this, and yet, he hadn't moved his lips at all, being in shock.

Arthur felt that, and of course, he took it the wrong way.

The lights flashed on in the planetarium and Arthur pulled back. Merlin's face was in shock and Arthur felt so guilty; he'd no right to do what he had. None. Merlin wasn't gay, and he had pretty much just violated all the trust, all the friendship that they'd had built up. Arthur watched Merlin bring his hands to his lips.

Arthur turned away in shame and stood up. "I'm sorry..." he said, needing to leave. The event was over. He needed to get out, needed to think about what happened. With no warning, he ran quickly from the room, pushing past every guest on his way.

He left Merlin sitting in his seat, alone and confused.

Arthur walked down the side walk, his mind in utter shambles. He was angry and sad, and he wanted to take a leap off of the bridge that he had just walked on. He looked up at the buildings around him, at the people who passed him, and they were all so goddamn happy. Why couldn't he be like that?

He continued walking, for a while; he knew the way back to Gaius's house, and he knew what he had to do, and what he had to say.

Merlin got into Gaius's car. Gaius looked at him, puzzled. Merlin definitely had been crying and Arthur wasn't with him. Gaius placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at him concernedly. "Do you want to talk about it, my boy?"

Merlin shook his head, tears still falling from his eyes. He clutched his fists and pulled out his phone. He opened a few menus and went down to Arthur's number. He wanted to text him, to call him, to ask what it meant, that it was okay, and to ask why did he leave?

Merlin was so stricken with emotion he could barely contain his magic. Gaius noticed this and quickly put the car into drive, getting ready to take Merlin home and let him rest.

And then, Arthur was kissing him. It was so delicious. Merlin pulled back, confused. The forest air was cool and damp on his skin and his body was hot from the kiss.

Arthur leaned in and pulled their foreheads together.

"It was never Gwen, Merlin," Arthur said. "It was never Gwen. I just thought that – you wouldn't share my feelings." Arthur looked up at Merlin worried, his eyes full of fear and hurt. He obviously had been thinking about this for a long time.

"I have shared your feelings for a long time, sire," Merlin responded. He leaned in and gave Arthur a small kiss, but Arthur pulled back.

"Please, Merlin. It's Arthur," the King whispered gently into Merlin's ear, and he pulled Merlin into a tight embrace.

Around them, the beauty of the sunset in the forest was bright, and it was rivalled only by the passion and love that Merlin and Arthur were sharing.

Merlin heard the door open and barely managed to snap his eyes up through his sheer anxiety. He heard footsteps walking slowly to the living room, and Merlin couldn't help but wish time would go faster because whoever it was, they were taking their sweet fucking time.

Arthur entered the room to find Merlin already staring. He hadn't been crying for a few hours but he was still upset. Arthur slowly walked to him and never made eye contact.

"It was an accident," Arthur stated firmly. His eyes wandered around the room, trying to find something to focus on, something he could use to keep his sanity, his rationality. Merlin would only break his resolve.

Merlin's heart sank into his stomach and then his stomach sank into his ass and then his ass sank into hell and there sure as hell wasn't going to be a Castiel to pull it all out and make everything right again. Tears welled up in his eyes. So Arthur didn't like him. Of course, of course it had been an accident, it was dark, and Arthur couldn't see where his lips were. Of course. OF FUCKING COURSE!

Merlin nodded, his eyes still on Arthur, even though there were none on him. "It's okay, really," he said, trying with all his might to be nonchalant. "I mean, it was really dark and you had no idea where your mouth was and... well... shit happens," Merlin concluded lamely.

Arthur nodded in agreement; it was amazing how Merlin was able to craft the lie for him. He knelt down to Merlin who was sitting on his air bed, shirtless and in a pair of boxers with a book in some language he didn't understand in his hand. He was so beautiful that Arthur almost wanted to cry. Almost. He couldn't believe that this was the reality he was forced to live in, the one where the only person he thought he'd ever love did not love him back.

"Still friends?" Arthur asked in a small, delicate voice that carried hints of the thoughts that were folding his hand and breaking his heart.

Merlin looked deep into his eyes. "Still best friends, you dollop head."

He picked his hand up and ruffled Arthur's hair and brought him into a hug, a hug that said everything was okay, when in reality, it really, really wasn't.