If you write fanfiction and have ever written an AU... did you ever just forget that one character didn't even know the name of the other? No? Okay, then... me neither. *laughs nervously*
CHAPTER 3
I'll Just Wait Here Then
Arthur hurried out of the castle into the courtyard, and then up the tower to Gaius' quarters. Once he stood in front of the door and raised his hand to knock, he suddenly realized that it was still after midnight. He put his hand down and frowned. He didn't want to disturb Gaius, they all needed sleep, but having an angel in his chambers?
That was an emergency.
He closed his eyes and finally knocked on the door, patiently waiting for a response. He heard Gaius curse and stand up, walking towards the door with a creak of the floor on every step. Finally, the door opened.
"My lord?" Gaius frowned, opening the door more so Arthur could walk inside. Once he closed the door again, he asked, "what are you doing here at this hour?"
"I'm so sorry, Gaius," Arthur started and then stopped, taking a deep breath. Gaius watched him with a raised eyebrow.
"Did something happen?" He asked, leading Arthur to the bench so they could both sit down. "Is Morgana okay?"
"Yes, she's alright." Arthur nodded. "Sleeping, I guess. But that's not why I came here." Arthur looked into his eyes and finally said what he never thought he'd say, slowly and clearly. "There's an angel in my chambers."
Gaius was silent and his mouth was open. "Excuse me, sire, but I don't think I understand what you mean."
"What I mean is, that there is a man in my chambers, who has wings and can make himself invisible and tells me he's an angel." Arthur told him. "I... don't know what to do. Do you know anything about angels?"
Gaius raised his eyebrow again and stood up, heading to his little library. "I've heard of them a few times, of course." He began. "But, erm, they are creatures of myths, sire. They do not exist." He picked a book and laid it on the table in front of them both.
"Well, this one seems very real." Arthur said as he watched Gaius who started turning the pages, one by one.
"This is a very old book." Gaius told him. "If anyone's ever seen an angel, it should be here. Ah." He pointed at a picture on one page. There was a man with not very long (but not short either) blonde hair, and he had a sword in his hand and an armour. But the more important thing were the wings. They were huge and something between white and gold, almost sparkling.
Arthur stared at the image with a frown. The wings were... fascinating.
"This is supposedly an archangel, Michael." Gaius said. "Did the angel in your chambers have similar wings?"
"Not gold or sparkling." Arthur told him. "Only... white, and pure."
Gaius nodded. "And did he tell you why he was there?"
"Yes." Arthur nodded and looked up at Gaius. "He told me he accidentally ended up here, among humans. Or something like that. He didn't really make sense." He began and swallowed as he rubbed his eyes. He was still tired and his head was starting to hurt from too much nonsense in one day. "He also said he needed my help." He added.
"What help?" Gaius sat down again.
"He said he didn't know how to get back to heaven and that he needed somewhere to stay. Somewhere with a lot of people so other angels would see him or something. I don't know how that makes sense, Gaius, but I don't think he's lying." Arthur admitted. There was just... something about that angel in his room that he couldn't quite put his finger on.
Gaius nodded. "According to this book, angels are creatures of truth and righteousness. They do not harm humans and they don't show themselves unless it's necessary. If he really is an angel, then he will not harm you."
"He said he wanted to keep me safe. Even after he got back to heaven." Arthur mused out loud, frowning slightly.
"Then I believe what he is saying, is the truth." Gaius told him simply, which made Arthur look up at him.
"But why me, Gaius? Why me, out of all people?" He asked. "I'm no one special, I'm not even a good person... not really."
"Ah," Gaius raised from his chair and put his hand on Arthur's shoulder. "Don't ever say that." He looked into his eyes. "You're a remarkable young man, Arthur. And a good one. And if that angel can see that in you, then sooner or later, you will too."
"Thank you, Gaius." Arthur stood up and nodded at him with a little smile. It felt good to hear that. Then he looked around and sighed. "I'll let you sleep. It's... really late."
Gaius nodded with a smile. "You should get some sleep as well. Good night, Arthur."
"Good night." Arthur smiled. "And thanks for the advice."
Gaius only smiled and led Arthur out of the room. As soon as the door closed again, Arthur sighed and slowly went back down the stairs in the tower, entered the courtyard, and looked up at the window of his chambers. He couldn't see the angel, but there was still light in his window and he knew the angel was there.
Was it a good idea to let the angel stay? Arthur had no clue. But there was something when he looked into the angel's eyes. Something true, and pure, something that was telling him that it was the right thing to do. He just wished he had some way to prove that he really was an angel and not a sorcerer. But he had wings. Literal wings on his back, and no sorcerer could have that, right?
He shook his head and entered the castle again, going back into his chambers and closing the door behind himself. He expected the angel to start talking again (because he seemed to like rambling a lot), but there was only silence.
As Arthur turned around, he realized why that was. His beloved bed was not empty. The angel was lying there, his wings probably invisible and his eyes closed, with soft snores coming out of his mouth.
"Well," Arthur whispered and frowned. What should he do now? The angel apparently followed him all the way from the Isgard mountains, not using his wings judging by how long it took him to get to the castle and that was all it took for him to fall asleep.
The prince stepped closer to the bed and knelt down, looking at the angel. He looked pale, his hair was clean and his eyelashes were long and his cheeks were slightly pink, and he was not even talking about the high cheekbones. His lips were just as beautiful as his eyes when he saw them. If this was the first time Arthur saw him, he'd say the boy was almost cute. He looked very young, probably close to his age, but a little bit younger. He looked innocent and pure. Arthur could almost feel it himself. This boy was not dangerous, even though he seemed powerful.
For the first time, Arthur realized that Merlin must have been an angel. He was sure of it. Because if he wasn't, how could he look like one?
With a silent sigh, Arthur stood up again and shrugged, walking to the other side of the bed. It was an enormous bed after all, and he needed to sleep just as much as the angel apparently did. He did mind sharing the bed a little bit because it was his bed, but... angels weren't supposed to hurt people, right? And the idea of sleeping on the floor or letting the angel sleep on the floor was not acceptable.
So he changed into his sleeping clothes (for once glad that his manservant had the day off and wasn't here), and then went back to the bed, pulling down the covers and getting under them, his head finally hitting the pillow. As soon as he closed his eyes, his exhaustion from just an hour ago returned with full force and he slipped away into the land of dreams within a few seconds.
xoXÖXox
Merlin was very surprised when he opened his eyes and realized it was day. He had no idea angels could sleep, actually, he thought they couldn't because neither he himself (and nor Will) needed to ever before. The Earth was doing something to him, he was sure of it. And he wasn't yet quite sure whether he liked it or not. But when he finally felt fully conscious again, he decided it didn't matter because he was going home soon. That thought made him a little bit sad for some reason, but he willed that feeling away.
He slowly sat up. He had been sleeping in a royal bed, Arthur's bed. But that meant- Merlin turned around and saw the prince, who was already looking at him, his eyes tired and still puffy. Merlin couldn't help but smile when he saw how he looked, his hair was tousled and it was making Merlin feel all sorts of things all at once, things he couldn't recognise because he'd never felt them before.
"Good morning?" Merlin turned around so he was fully facing Arthur, who was still lying under the covers. That movement alone made him realize that their legs and feet were actually touching. His eyes widened and he looked at their legs (that were still hidden under the soft blanket) with a swallow. Then he slowly untangled them and sat up, folding his legs under himself so he could smile at Arthur once more. The prince was still, not talking or moving, only... watching him, probably still too tired to realize what just happened.
Merlin clasped his hands in his lap. "How did you sleep?" He asked politely. He just really wanted to get to know Arthur. The first human he's ever come into contact with, although he shouldn't have.
Arthur blinked at him and frowned. "You fell asleep in my bed." Arthur told him, not smiling at all. "And I had to sleep only on this half of it."
Merlin pursed his lips. "I was surprised as well, believe me." He told him, seeing something in Arthur's eyes - as if the prince understood for some reason and knew he wasn't lying. "I didn't know angels could fall asleep, I wasn't supposed to."
"Yeah, you tell me." Arthur nodded. "What time is it, my manservant hasn't even arrived here yet." The prince seemed to... blush? And then he groaned and rolled on his back, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and blinking again.
For some reason, Merlin found that adorable.
"I don't know." He answered truthfully and paused. He'd never lost track of time before... Was it because he fell asleep? Was this what being human felt like? Was he... becoming human by staying on Earth for so long? "I don't know..." he repeated and closed his eyes.
"Well, at least it's not late yet." Arthur mumbled and slowly sat up.
Merlin made his wings visible again while Arthur left the bed. Then he shook his head and yawned, stretching out his wings and arms at the same time. When he heard a knuckle crack, he smiled in satisfaction and turned back to Arthur, surprised that the prince was watching him the whole time.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"Nothing." Arthur shook his head, looking at his wings. "It's just... unusual." He shrugged, turning his back to Merlin again. "Your wings, you, having someone sleep in my bed..." His voice kept getting quieter and quieter as he spoke until he was only mumbling the last bit.
Merlin felt his cheeks heat up a bit again when he noticed Arthur was shirtless and he touched them, not quite understanding what was happening. He sighed. Why did all of this start happening once he landed on Earth and why did it always leave him feeling puzzled?
"It's not unusual where I come from." Merlin commented, also standing up. Arthur turned to him with a raised eyebrow and Merlin just shrugged. "I mean... we don't sleep at all and don't really have beds, but we all have wings."
He frowned slightly, feeling a little bit homesick. When he looked at Arthur again though, it all washed away and he felt... happy.
"What is heaven like?" Arthur asked. "Are there people too?"
Merlin laughed at that. "It's probably a lot more beautiful than what you're thinking." He smiled. "I haven't seen the whole of it, but I know there are humans too. A lot of them, but not in the sphere I live in. There is a huge Garden, with trees and-"
Suddenly there were footsteps in front of the door, making them both freeze. Arthur looked at Merlin with wide eyes and quickly strode over to him, grabbing his forearm and dragging him to another room, closing the door behind him.
Just before the door opened, he leaned closer to him and whispered, "don't move, don't speak, don't show up, just shut up."
With that Merlin was left alone, with a door being slammed in his face. He frowned and made a few steps back, accidentally knocking over a scabbard. He froze and gritted his teeth, hoping that whoever walked into Arthur's chambers didn't hear him.
He focused on the voices and found out the second was also a man.
"Here is your breakfast, sire." The voice said and Merlin heard a tray being laid down on the table with a silent clang. It was Arthur's servant then.
"Just pick something for me to wear." He heard Arthur tell his servant. "I'm going on a hunting trip today, so something suitable."
Merlin heard footsteps, almost too close to his door, but they stopped and he heard a closet being open. Then he heard some the servant as he was picking up some clothes. At the same time, he heard Arthur sit down to the table and start eating.
He wished he could be there with him, sitting at the same table, even though he didn't really have to eat to live. But he'd thought he didn't have to sleep either, so what if he had to eat now too?
Merlin slowly moved his wings closer to his body so he wouldn't knock anything down accidentally, and he closed his eyes. How long would he have to be here? Suddenly, after not being affected by time at all in heaven, he felt bored.
"I picked these, sire." He heard the servant say and walk over to the table.
"Alright, that will be all, Morris." Arthur told him. "Put them on the bed and go prepare my horse for the trip. And be ready when I return in the evening."
"Yes, sire." The servant said and then left the room.
As soon as he was outside, Merlin opened the door and got out of the little room, walking over to Arthur and sitting on the chair in front of him. He put his hands on his table and smiled widely at the prince.
"You didn't mention a hunting trip." He told him.
Arthur raised his eyebrow at him. "That's because you're not going." He told him, making Merlin's smile disappear instantly.
"But... I'm supposed to keep you safe." Merlin protested, leaning back in the chair with a little frown on his face.
"You're supposed to stay here and wait until someone notices you're stuck here. That's what you told me." Arthur shrugged and took a bite of the cheese that his servant brought him together with ham and bread and water.
"But..." Merlin opened his mouth and then closed it again. Then he opened it again and leaned closer to the table. "I've never been here, I want to see your world." He said.
Arthur frowned at that. "I don't even know your name." He pointed out, putting his cheese down, back on the tray.
Merlin had to smile at that. "I'm Merlin." He told him. He couldn't believe he forgot to tell him his name! Then he paused and added, "but even though I ended up here on accident, I want to see where you live." He smiled. "To see if it was worth it at least."
"Worth what?" Arthur asked with a suspicious frown.
"Well, I saw you were in danger and I wanted to help you." Merlin answered truthfully.
"How did you know I was in danger?" Arthur frowned at him again, leaning forward as well, curiously.
"Well, there's this pond in the Garden in heaven where we can watch the Earth. And... I saw you." Merlin shrugged. "And I wanted to help, so I tried and instead of helping you, I found myself in the forest and couldn't find my way back. Angels aren't supposed to walk among humans. You shouldn't ever see us, it's one of the main rules up there." He pursed his lips as he looked at Arthur. "It's forbidden to fall in love with a human too." He added, making Arthur pause.
"Why are you telling me this?" He asked him, making Merlin look up at him again.
Their eyes locked, but Merlin looked away. "It's just one of the rules, I don't know." He shrugged. "But you're right." He looked into Arthur's eyes again, this time without a smile. "I'm stuck here."
"See? So you're staying." Arthur sighed as he finished his breakfast and stood up from the table. Merlin did the same thing.
"But I could help you!" He said, hoping it would help somehow. But all it did was that Arthur turned to look at him with a doubtful frown. Why was he frowning literally all the time?
"No one can see you." He said. "How could you possibly help me? Do you want to fly around, invisible so no one can see you, then get yourself in trouble because you don't know what these woods are like, and then never return with me back to Camelot? I wouldn't even know about it because you'd have to be invisible!"
Merlin looked down and nodded. His wings were visible right now, and he knew Arthur was right. But he still couldn't help but feel... left out. He hoped he could spend as much time with Arthur as he could, and if the angels realized he was gone and came to save him while Arthur was still on the hunting trip, he'd never even get to say goodbye.
"You're right." Merlin nodded, with a plan already forming in his stubborn head. He looked up at Arthur and smiled. "I'll just... wait here then."
Arthur nodded as well. "Alright."
Then he made a few steps back, gathering all of his clothes that were on the bed into his arms, and getting behind the changing screen. "Don't you come here, I'm getting dressed!" He called.
Merlin only smirked and sat down on the bed. "Don't worry." He replied. "I doubt you could manage to get yourself killed with a belt or something."
xoXÖXox
As soon as Arthur gave Merlin one last stern look and closed the door, Merlin set his plan in motion. He needed to get back to Arthur as soon as he could because the prince was already on his way down to the horses and Merlin wasn't prepared. He just needed to leave with Arthur, you see? He couldn't leave him alone, besides, his servant might return any moment and discover Merlin in the chambers.
Merlin took a deep breath and quickly opened one of the wardrobes, looking for some breeches. He had a long white robe and just couldn't fly or walk with that behind Arthur all day. He probably should have felt guilty about using Arthur's clothes without permission... but to be honest, the thought of him wearing clothes that belonged to Arthur... it made Merlin's stomach feel a little funny.
As soon as he found the breeches, he put them on. Then the young angel glanced out of the window and saw that the prince was already talking to his knights, standing beside their horses.
"Hurry up, Merlin!" He whispered to himself. "You were always the slow one." He added as he pulled the robe over his head and wings, suddenly shivering as the air hit his naked body.
With the thought of Arthur's warm clothes, Merlin quickly put on the breeches and then looked at Arthur's collection of tunics and vests. And then it hit him.
"Oh no," Merlin mumbled and swatted his forehead rather painfully. Arthur didn't have wings and Merlin couldn't just destroy his clothes with two huge holes on the back...
Merlin paced the room, getting more and more agitated by the second. Then he spotted his white robe on the stone floor and bit his nail, thinking.
"No, this will have to make do." He sighed as he grabbed his robe and put it on again, adjusting his wings as he did so. But it was still too long – reaching beneath his knees.
Should he destroy his original clothes from heaven? Would he be able to repair it again? And if he wouldn't, would Arthur be willing to lend him the breeches he already borrowed without him knowing?
The angel quickly looked out of the window and noticed the prince was already gone.
"Oh no!" He sighed more loudly than he wanted. But he didn't care. He looked down at his ridiculous appearance, quickly grabbing the end of his robe and tying a huge knot around his waist.
And before the door could open by some guard who heard him in the supposedly empty chambers, Merlin had already made himself invisible and opened the window, jumping outside.
Being back in the air was strange, particularly because he didn't fly often in heaven and looking down at the hard ground below him made him feel a little uneasy. But as he saw that the prince was already gone, he had to fly even higher.
He swallowed and moved his wings, flying over the highest tower and then the gate, flying faster than before and searching for Arthur on the way. He couldn't just lose him after so much trouble he went through because of his attire. But to be honest, he was getting quite cold as he flew through the wind.
When he finally saw Arthur on his horse and a group of men, riding deeper into the forest, Merlin grinned and flew closer to his prince. This was the greatest idea he's had so far. Seeing Arthur like this again, was exactly like in the pond in the Garden.
He was a silent observer, yet again.
Well, not very silent because for some reason he decided to land on the ground and run after Arthur through the forest. If it was to feel more like a human or simply to enjoy the feeling of his bare feet touching the grass again, he wasn't sure, but he sure as hell knew that it was a mistake.
TBC
So did you find the Supernatural reference this time? (Sorry, I just can't help it. I even used it for the chapter title this time *sighs*) Oh and Morris was Arthur's manservant before Merlin and he's only been in two or three episodes in season 1, I think. Poor boy, I liked him.
Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it :)
