A not-quite drabble I posted for a challenge at LJ. And, as usual, I don't own Merlin- which is a pity; I could've had a lot of fun. :)

Merlin sighed happily as the lake came into view. It wasn't often Arthur gave him the afternoon off and he planned to make the most of his master's temporary insanity.

This particular piece of shore was familiar. He'd rescued Arthur from the Sidhe and buried Freya here. Sometimes when he came, Freya would rise from the lake and chat with him. She couldn't leave the lake, but they had had several meaningful conversations despite that. He spread out the blanket he'd brought in front of his favorite tree and sat, leaning against it.

He must have dozed off because he woke to the sound of footsteps coming toward him from the forest. His body tensed and he pulled his magic to the surface, just in case.

It was good he'd done that—Morgana stepped through the trees several yards away. She was looking at the lake but turned when he tried to move and snapped a twig. "Merlin," she hissed.

"Morgana," he replied.

"What are you doing here?"

"This is the place I come to when I have some free time. You?"

"I . . . just started walking and ended up here. Now, tell me why I shouldn't kill you." She raised her hand preemptively.

"Morgana . . . I don't want to fight you. It's my afternoon off. Couldn't we just . . . set our differences aside for a day?"

Her mouth fell open in surprise; her hand slowly lowered to her side. "Y-you want to call a temporary truce?"

"Yeah. In honor of our former friendship."

"Oh-Kay?"

"Here," he patted the blanket. "Come sit. I've brought enough food to share." She gave him a look of disbelief. "Seriously—I'm not going to bite."

Morgana walked over and sat. Merlin brought cheese, bread and apples out of his satchel and divided them up. Morgana set upon her food like she'd been starving. Maybe she had, he thought.

When they finished, they sat back and looked out over the lake. "So, what now?" she asked.

"Well, it's a nice, warm summer day. We could . . . splash around in the lake."

She looked shocked. "First off, I'm not getting undressed. Second, you are such a child!"

Merlin laughed. "Clothes stay on. And yes, sometimes I act like a child. It's fun."

"All right."

At first they simply waded in the water. Then Morgana had the impish thought to splash Merlin. That ignited a water fight the denizens of the Lake of Avalon had never seen before or since. But they laughed and played like the friends they had been. Lines blurred and they just forgot their enmity.

By sunset, both were thoroughly soaked. They looked at each other and laughed then waded out of the water. Morgana pronounced a drying spell over herself then him. Neither said a word as they simply stared at each other for a few minutes. When they did speak, they tried to talk at the same time.

"You first," Merlin said.

"Um, thank you. For a nice day. I . . . had fun for the first time in a long time."

"Me too. Um maybe . . . maybe we don't have to be enemies."

"Maybe. Maybe not. But I won't kill you today."

"Thanks?"

They put their socks on shoes on in silence. When they were done, they turned to each other and said "Goodbye." Then she went in one direction and he in another, returning to their homes.

After they left, a figure rose out of the water. She watched the two departing people with interest. Then she smiled the smile of one who knew something no one else knew, and sunk back into the lake.