I'm sorry, please don't shoot! I have been struggling a lot recently with coursework and other things and I have simply not found the time to write. I would like to let you know that their will only be one or two chapters after this one and then the story will come to an end. I am prepared to write a sequel, depending on how many people would be interested, so please just drop me a review telling me if you want a sequel and what you might want to happen. So again, I'm sorry about the wait, here it is, chapter sixteen…
When he awoke the next morning the sky was still dark. Arthur dragged himself silently out of bed and began to stumble towards his wardrobe still half asleep. Eyes still half closed he was surprised when he caught his foot on a chair leg and tumbled to the floor, pulling with him, a pitcher of water and his armour. The clatter was immense and the sudden noise caused the warlock to jolt awake. The sight of Merlin, with bed hair and rumpled clothes was almost enough to stop the blonde swearing. Almost.
"Owwwww, shit, my toe." he whined, tears gathering in his eyes as his toe throbbed. Merlin rushed over, unsure of what was wrong and began to fuss over the blonde.
"What happened?" he said, and Arthur noted, with a hint of pride, that the time Merlin had spent with Gaius had proven useful. Merlin sounded confident and sure, like a physician; not panicking and trying to help their patient as best as they can.
"Stubbed my toe." he whined childishly, pulling his knee up to his chest and rolling around on his back, trying to think of anything but the pain. Merlin sighed and rolled his eyes at the prince.
"Anyone would have thought it was serious Arthur." He moaned, plonking himself down next to the prince, crossed legged and rather gracelessly. As Merlin spoke Arthur smirked; he waited until the brunette had finished speaking before he pulled the warlock down on top of him so that they were lying in a tangle of arms and legs.
They sat for about ten minutes, contemplating the rest of the day and the possible outcomes, neither wanting to think about the people that might be lost, but not wanting to kid themselves into thinking that everyone would be ok, Arthur eventually placed a kiss to Merlin's temple before standing and attempting his walk over to the wardrobe again.
He pulled out clothes that were heavy and dark, believing that although he would get warm, the extra padding might protect him from a knife attack. After pulling on the clothes he walked over to the mirror and took in his appearance, committing the boy before him to memory; either way, he wasn't coming back the same person tonight… if he came back at all.
Merlin still lay on the floor, appraising the blonde. Arthur looked as if he were attending a funeral, all solemn in black. He looked different, older, as if he had the weight of the entire world on his shoulders and Merlin supposed that in some ways, he did.
Making a decision, Merlin stood shakily and walked over to the chest of draws that held the small number of clothing that he had accumulated from Arthur's wardrobe and searched through until he found the bright blue top that was much to long for him. Ripping a strip from the bottom, Merlin tucked it into his back pocked before waling over to help the prince with his armour.
The gauntlets were the last to go on, and after he had done the last buckle a feeling of helplessness washed over the teen. He looked up at Arthur, all blonde hair and tan and beauty, he decided that it was worth asking.
"Arthur, let me spell the armour." He asked, sounding marginally braver than he felt.
The blonde looked as if he were considering the offer for a moment, before he answered with a firm "No."
"Please, Arthur." Merlin tried again. "I cannot help you in anyway today, so let me do this." He explained, tears welling up in his eyes at the conversation and the day ahead. "Please." He pleaded, trying one last time to show Arthur how worried he was.
Arthur looked at the brunette before nodding ever so slightly, not once breaking eye contact. Merlin's smile was reward enough; it was one of those breathtaking ones that made the blonde think what did I do to deserve someone so pure and good.
Merlin quickly got to work, muttering incantations and running his hands over the cool metal. Finally, once he was finished, Arthur stretched his arms as if to try out his new addition. Deeming it perfectly workable and safe Arthur turned to the brunette and smiled, pulling the boy into a kiss. The kiss was sweet and tender, the kind of kiss that made your knees go weak, your heart jump and your head to become light from lack of oxygen.
"There is one more thing, sire." Merlin jested and they both forgot momentarily of their current predicament. "Close your beautiful, noisy eyes." He continued to tease the prince and the blonde scoffed, choosing to ignore the insults and let his warlock have his fun. He did, however, do as he was asked and closed his eyes.
Merlin pulled the vibrant deep blue cloth from his pocket and wrapped it around the prince's bicep, before wrapping it down his arm in a crossed pattern. When he got the blonde's gauntlet he stopped, wrapping it round the blonde's forearm twice and tying it off, letting the loose ends dangle from under his arm.
Merlin smiled and nodded, pleased with his work before tapping the blonde on the arm, giving him silent permission to open his eyes.
Arthur's eyes adjusted to the light quickly and soon he could see the beautiful deep blue fabric wrapped around his arm. The thoughtfulness of the gesture touched Arthur even though he was sure that the warlock didn't understand the social meaning behind his actions. Merlin had just presented him with a favour, a traditional way in which the ladies of the court expressed interest in a knight.
Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin's waist, resting his hands on the brunette's hips, pulling their lower half's flush together. Merlin gasped slightly at the sudden movement before placing his hands on Arthur's shoulders.
"Do you favour me Merlin, do you like me?" the blonde teased, nipping slightly at the skin of the brunette's neck.
"Hu?" Merlin replied eloquently in a questioning tone, the kisses that Arthur was now bestowing upon him distracting him completely.
"Traditionally, ladies of the court offer knights favours, sleeves of dresses, hankies, strips of fabric to show that they are interested in a relationship with that person. And if the knight is interested back, he will wear that fabric on his arm, so that everyone can see that he is dedicating the fight to that other person." The prince explained, still kissing the brunette.
"Oh… I didn't mean it like that… not that I don't like you, 'cause I do… I mean, you're nice and…" Merlin's embarrassed, disjointed sentence eventually trailed off as he buried his head in the blonde's neck, trying to hide his quickly reddening cheeks as the prince laughed boisterously.
"I knew what you meant my love." Arthur consoled, his laughter dying down into soft chuckles as he pulled the brunette into a hug, running one hand through the soft black/brown hair that covered Merlin's head.
Merlin slapped Arthur's chest half-heartedly, most likely doing more damage to himself than the metal plating on the blonde's chest.
"Do you have to go?" Merlin asked, not knowing for certain how to tell the time of day or when they were going to start.
"Yes." Arthur replied simply, knowing that Merlin wouldn't appreciate any lies or diversion tactics. Merlin smiled bitterly, nodding his head in resignation.
"Know then, that I love you, more than I have ever loved anything or anyone." Merlin said quietly, wanting the blonde to know how much he meant to him.
Arthur's eyes welled up and his chest swelled at the confession.
Arthur didn't really know how to respond in an equal way; he had never been good with words or expressing his emotions and he knew that anything that he could say would pale compared to Merlin's words. So he didn't.
He just settled for a very honest and heartfelt "I love you too, my warlock." And undeniably, that was the exact thing that Merlin needed to hear.
They held each other in the centre of the room until a knock sounded on the door. Neither Arthur nor Merlin moved until the person knocked again and then reluctantly Arthur pulled away and mumbled out a string of syllables that sounded vaguely like "Come in."
Leon's tired face and sunken eyes poked around the door. He nodded once in greeting to Merlin fist and then turned to his brother. "I'm sorry Arthur, but time's up."
Arthur frowned and nodded. He tugged Merlin impossibly closer, resting his chin on top of the brunette's head. He lets go quickly, saying nothing; afraid that if he lets one word out that they will all come tumbling out in a unstoppable flood of pleads and declarations of love that he doesn't wish to share with anyone, today of all days.
Releasing Merlin, Arthur walked over to Leon and embraced his brother quickly in a one arm hug that portrayed all the feelings they had shared.
And then, without looking back, Arthur strode from the room, sword at his side and Merlin's fabric around his arm.
Did you like it? Final battle next, what will happen? Reminder; drop me a review regarding this chapter or a sequel please, I love to here from you, it literally makes my day. And I can not apologize enough for the wait.