camelot_drabble

Author: Loopstagirl
Title: The best presents come unwrapped
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Arthur/Merlin
Characters: Arthur, Merlin
Summary: Maybe this Christmas, he wouldn't be alone.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 527
Prompt 38: Presents
Author's Notes: Not sure if I've ever done a reincarnation one like this before. Happy Christmas Everyone!

Merlin knew that he should really be looking where he was going. But he wasn’t in the mood. Another lifetime, another Christmas with presents that didn’t matter to him. After all, what were a few trinkets when you had lived for as long as Merlin had? Especially as what he really wanted was nowhere to be found.

He had felt Morgana, he knew that she had returned to this time. But he hope that he had felt at that died away when the years past and there was still no sign of the Once and Future King. What if Arthur never came back, what if he was doomed to walk this earth alone for all eternity, never being able to find the other half of his soul?

Sighing, Merlin kicked out at a piece of litter. He wasn’t normally like this, but it was true what they said. Christmas was not the time to be alone. The streets were practically deserted, everyone with their families and loved ones, taking the time to be with them with no interruptions. Who was Merlin supposed to be with? Whether his friends remembered who they were or not didn’t matter, they had paired up. Just like every other lifetime.

Leaving Merlin alone.

“Get out, you worthless scum!! If I ever find you snooping in my bins again, I’ll have the police on you quicker than you can blink. Go back to where you came from!” Merlin looked up at the furious shout. It was a well-to-do neighbourhood, the people here had money. And the tempers to match. He watched as a wealthy and somewhat portly man threw a youth down the steps and onto the street. The state of his clothing indicated that the young man was just another who had been let down by the system, fending for himself on the streets. He rolled painfully, not getting up again as the man slammed the door.

Merlin found himself walking over before he knew what he was doing. The pull of his gut was too strong to ignore, and the boy had just got to his feet as Merlin approached.

“Are you okay?”

“Do I look okay, Merlin?”

There is was. The voice he had been waiting forever to hear. Merlin gasped as the boy turned around. He looked confused, and almost frightened.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I said that, I don’t even know what your name is…”

“Arthur, it’s okay.”

“How do you know my name? And what are you looking so happy about?”

“Because, my king, I just got the best Christmas present ever.” With that, Merlin reached out and touched Arthur on the arm. An almighty crack of thunder filled the air and they were whipped by an invisible wind as Arthur’s memories came flooding back to him. Their eyes remained locked for the whole thing, and as the wind died away, Arthur’s hand entwined in Merlin’s hair, yanking him forward until their lips collided.

“Took you bloody long enough, idiot.”

“Sorry, Sire.” Merlin whispered, grinning into Arthur’s neck as he allowed himself to be held.

It seemed this Christmas, he wouldn’t be alone after all.