Mischief - epilogue part 1
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camelot_drabbleAuthor: 
archaeologist_d
Title: Mischief Part 21 - Epilogue
Rating: R for language
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Morgana
Summary: The Best Christmas ever
Word Count: 821
Camelot_drabble Prompt 484: Grinch
Author's Notes: unbetaed. I had to split it up because it was too long.
Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
--------------------
Arthur didn’t like change very much. Numbers made sense. They didn’t change or morph into something completely different and that’s what he liked about his job. His cat had brought pandemonium to his life, giving it a richness that numbers lacked, but it was a balance that he loved.
At the time, he had felt complete, both sides of his life stable, sensible, steady. Yes, his demon kitten left a swath of destruction, but it was predictable, too. The expected cat chaos.
But since Merlin, mysterious, long-limbed, devastatingly handsome, a man of power and talent, crashed into his sheltered existence, Arthur felt breathless most of the time, as though there were layers and layers of things he didn’t understand and wasn’t sure he wanted to.
Much as he loved his past life, the steadiness of numbers and certainty, he had also never felt so alive. Each day brought new experiences and new ways of thinking about life and love and choices.
Like now.
It had taken a long time to come to this point. And now it was Christmas Eve in their new flat, both of them decorating the tree with old things and new. Together, sharing laughter and joy and worry.
It had been hard, though. The last year had brought revelations of Merlin being a hell of a lot older than Arthur would have ever expected and the real Merlin of Legend—and wasn’t that a kick in the head—and there was shouting and Arthur stomping off, swearing to never see Merlin again because he just couldn’t take any more confusion in his life. And reflecting upon such an awful life Merlin must have had, full of sorrow and loss, brought Arthur back.
Now, thinking it all through, sitting by the fire, watching the lights twinkling in the tree, drinking hot chocolate, surrounded by love and Merlin’s arms, Arthur said, “I’m sorry I’ve been such a cabbagehead.”
“Which time? There are so many to choose from,” Merlin said, smiling, then kissing Arthur’s hair before settling back.
Arthur turned around and stared at him. Merlin was taking it far too lightly. “I’m being serious here. I shouldn’t have left when you told me about… well, you. It was a shit thing to do.”
“It’s water under the bridge.” Merlin reached over and pulled him back into the comfort of his arms. “Look, Arthur, don’t beat yourself up about it. I kind of expected it, to be honest.”
“You wanted me to leave?” Arthur said, his voice small.
“Never.” Merlin shook his head, giving Arthur a quick hug. “But I came into your life, a furball of energy, and turned out to be a thousand-year-old man with powers you had no idea of. No wonder you stomped out.”
“I was an idiot,” Arthur insisted. After all, he’d been such an arse about so many things and it took a while before he could even think that Merlin would forgive him for it, and yet he did.
“I won’t disagree. But you’re my idiot.” Laughing a little, Merlin shoved Arthur away, pushing him down onto the sofa. When Merlin didn’t follow him, didn’t crawl on top and start wrestling, all arms and legs and searing kisses, as Arthur had hoped, Arthur popped back up again, straightening his jumper as he did.
There was such fondness in Merlin’s eyes that it warmed Arthur more than the hot chocolate.
“Well, I guess we can agree on that, at least,” Arthur grumbled. But it was true. He still hadn’t forgiven himself even if Merlin had.
Yet Merlin had been the one to suggest that they move in together, into something smaller than his mansion. Something cosier, just for the two of them. And then turned over his huge place to be used for other things like magical conferences and training. Morgana loved the idea.
Bumping his shoulder against Arthur’s, Merlin hummed a little as if agreeing to disagree. “Look, you came back. I wasn’t happy it took so long, but you’re here now and we have this lovely flat and a very large bed and… you make me happy, Arthur. So stop beating yourself up about it.” Merlin leaned in, murmuring, “We all make mistakes. Some more than others. Some of my mistakes were hell-hole bad. Some I will never stop regretting. But you taught me to live again, in a way I hadn’t in a very long time.”
“And you taught me to think beyond myself.” Arthur reached up, enjoying the feel of Merlin’s hair under his fingers, the warmth of Merlin’s skin against his palm, and began brushing his lips across Merlin’s, punctuating what he was saying with feather-light kisses. “About magic, about living each day to the fullest, about love… and speaking of which….” At that, he pulled back, about to reach over and find that hidden box under the tree. The one he’d planned on giving Merlin for months now.
archaeologist_dTitle: Mischief Part 21 - Epilogue
Rating: R for language
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Morgana
Summary: The Best Christmas ever
Word Count: 821
Camelot_drabble Prompt 484: Grinch
Author's Notes: unbetaed. I had to split it up because it was too long.
Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
--------------------
Arthur didn’t like change very much. Numbers made sense. They didn’t change or morph into something completely different and that’s what he liked about his job. His cat had brought pandemonium to his life, giving it a richness that numbers lacked, but it was a balance that he loved.
At the time, he had felt complete, both sides of his life stable, sensible, steady. Yes, his demon kitten left a swath of destruction, but it was predictable, too. The expected cat chaos.
But since Merlin, mysterious, long-limbed, devastatingly handsome, a man of power and talent, crashed into his sheltered existence, Arthur felt breathless most of the time, as though there were layers and layers of things he didn’t understand and wasn’t sure he wanted to.
Much as he loved his past life, the steadiness of numbers and certainty, he had also never felt so alive. Each day brought new experiences and new ways of thinking about life and love and choices.
Like now.
It had taken a long time to come to this point. And now it was Christmas Eve in their new flat, both of them decorating the tree with old things and new. Together, sharing laughter and joy and worry.
It had been hard, though. The last year had brought revelations of Merlin being a hell of a lot older than Arthur would have ever expected and the real Merlin of Legend—and wasn’t that a kick in the head—and there was shouting and Arthur stomping off, swearing to never see Merlin again because he just couldn’t take any more confusion in his life. And reflecting upon such an awful life Merlin must have had, full of sorrow and loss, brought Arthur back.
Now, thinking it all through, sitting by the fire, watching the lights twinkling in the tree, drinking hot chocolate, surrounded by love and Merlin’s arms, Arthur said, “I’m sorry I’ve been such a cabbagehead.”
“Which time? There are so many to choose from,” Merlin said, smiling, then kissing Arthur’s hair before settling back.
Arthur turned around and stared at him. Merlin was taking it far too lightly. “I’m being serious here. I shouldn’t have left when you told me about… well, you. It was a shit thing to do.”
“It’s water under the bridge.” Merlin reached over and pulled him back into the comfort of his arms. “Look, Arthur, don’t beat yourself up about it. I kind of expected it, to be honest.”
“You wanted me to leave?” Arthur said, his voice small.
“Never.” Merlin shook his head, giving Arthur a quick hug. “But I came into your life, a furball of energy, and turned out to be a thousand-year-old man with powers you had no idea of. No wonder you stomped out.”
“I was an idiot,” Arthur insisted. After all, he’d been such an arse about so many things and it took a while before he could even think that Merlin would forgive him for it, and yet he did.
“I won’t disagree. But you’re my idiot.” Laughing a little, Merlin shoved Arthur away, pushing him down onto the sofa. When Merlin didn’t follow him, didn’t crawl on top and start wrestling, all arms and legs and searing kisses, as Arthur had hoped, Arthur popped back up again, straightening his jumper as he did.
There was such fondness in Merlin’s eyes that it warmed Arthur more than the hot chocolate.
“Well, I guess we can agree on that, at least,” Arthur grumbled. But it was true. He still hadn’t forgiven himself even if Merlin had.
Yet Merlin had been the one to suggest that they move in together, into something smaller than his mansion. Something cosier, just for the two of them. And then turned over his huge place to be used for other things like magical conferences and training. Morgana loved the idea.
Bumping his shoulder against Arthur’s, Merlin hummed a little as if agreeing to disagree. “Look, you came back. I wasn’t happy it took so long, but you’re here now and we have this lovely flat and a very large bed and… you make me happy, Arthur. So stop beating yourself up about it.” Merlin leaned in, murmuring, “We all make mistakes. Some more than others. Some of my mistakes were hell-hole bad. Some I will never stop regretting. But you taught me to live again, in a way I hadn’t in a very long time.”
“And you taught me to think beyond myself.” Arthur reached up, enjoying the feel of Merlin’s hair under his fingers, the warmth of Merlin’s skin against his palm, and began brushing his lips across Merlin’s, punctuating what he was saying with feather-light kisses. “About magic, about living each day to the fullest, about love… and speaking of which….” At that, he pulled back, about to reach over and find that hidden box under the tree. The one he’d planned on giving Merlin for months now.
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