"Arthur….?" Merlin, not believing that Arthur is right here standing outside the forest like he's waiting for someone...waiting….

Maybe he was waiting on...no no no not possible not when Arthur knows about Merlin's feelings for him and the look on his face when he left the prince. But maybe just maybe...no no Merlin not going to go there not when he's so close to leaving Camelot. he will just….

"Merlin…?" Arthur calls his name in a whisper that Merlin is surprise he is able to hear but doesn't say anything. He's not able to from the shock of it all and that Arthur is actually in front of him.

"Merlin…." Arthur calls him again and sees that he's moving a little bit close to Merlin trying to reach out to move. Merlin quickly moves away slightly, looking away from Arthur, not wanting to see him. He can hear Arthur sigh but doesn't hear anything else expect the wind blowing softly in the air around them.

Merlin slowly turns around facing Arthur ,with his head down, knowing that he will have to face him to be able to leave. Arthur looks up, seeing that Merlin is looking at him, and gives him a small sad smile.

"Merlin….i…",Merlin interrupts him stopping him from saying anything more.

"Arthur, what are you doing here?" the prince surprise and off guard with the question but knowing that he has to explain himself before anything else is said. "i couldn't let you go do something idiotic and stupid possibly like what you doing right now".

"I don't have time to hear you usual rant about the many stupid things i do ok?"

Merlin frustrated and annoyed that Arthur is being a bigger phat than usual at a moment like this. "What do you care about what i do anyways, it's not like you actually care so back off and go back to your chambers before anyone notice you're gone."

He begins walking away finish talking to Arthur knowing that it's useless after everything that happened today. Merlin knows that maybe it's unfair talking to the prince like this. But he's done caring about Arthur or anything involving him, destiny or not.

He gets some distant from Arthur but Merlin can hear that he's being followed. But that only makes him walk faster wanting to get far away from the prince and Camelot. Suddenly he gets grab by the wrist and pulled towards a nearby tree and hold him there. Merlin sees Arthur in front of him holding him against the tree not letting him go. He tries to push the prince off but its no luck with Arthur being bigger than he is and not having much strength to do so. Merlin can see the other boy looking at him worriedly but also can see that he's frustrated too.

He quits trying to fight Arthur off of him and leans his head against the tree. Merlin looked up to the sky, tiredly wondering how he will get out of this, knowing that Arthur stubborn and won't let him go easily. He sighs and looks at Arthur again hoping that the prince will see that Merlin doesn't want to fight with him. But to get out and be left alone to flee away. Arthur looked at him with eyes that are full of sadness but tiredness. His eyes a bit of grey instead of the crystal blue Merlin usually sees.

He can feel Arthur's body from where he's holding him, warm and strong, but soft as not to hurt him. The prince's heartbeat against Merlin's body beating faster than normal. His breath again his face too close for Merlin to even know what is happening and too comfortable to move away from. He can hear the vibrations through his own body as Arthur begins to speak slowly. The other boy asking if Merlin is ok. But he's not able to listen, not with Arthur so close to him and this feeling too right for him to be able to reply back to him.

He feels a hand on his cheek, slowing rubbing it as to soothe him but to Merlin it only frustrates him more. He moves away from the touch, too intimate for him to handle and looks at Arthur with anger that he didn't think he could manage. "Don't arthur, let me go now and go back. You have no business doing this, let me go and i'll be on my way out of here please" the anger that he had slowly vanished and replace with trying to urge Arthur to let him go. The other boy slowly pushes away but not enough for Merlin to move away. Still close to him as if Arthur wants to be close to as possible.

"I'm not going nowhere and not going to let you leave until we get some things clears up", Arthur looks at him with his eyebrows squinted together in frustration. Merlin getting more angry and frustrated with the royal phat, pushes Arthur away leaving the prince and himself some distance between them.

"Get things clear up?." "What 'things' do we need to clear up Arthur, tell me? Because you made things pretty clear back in your room when i told you i love you."

"Don't think that you can come here and try to be the hero and make things better. I have loved you since i came to Camelot even when you were being a royal phat. But never told you because i knew the feelings weren't going to be returned. "But no you arse had to be all charming and freaking perfect and RUIN IT ALL! So don't tell me that we need to clear things up because i have nothing to tell you expect goodbye."

He sees that there's some distant for him to walk away so he does and doesn't see Arthur's face with hurt and regret. Merlin gets some feet far from the other boy still angry that Arthur thinks that he can make the situation right. So he doesn't hear Arthur running to him trying to catch up. The other boy gets as close to Merlin to grab his wrist again, turning him around and kisses him. He tense up against Arthur trying to make sense of what's going on but not able to stop the kiss.

Merlin lets Arthur continue kissing him still too shocked to move away or anything. But as soon as the boy stops and moves away, Merlin blinks and puts one of his hand against his lips. Arthur, a few inches from him, stares at Merlin like what he just did would make things better between them. He slowly stops touching his lips, still a little dizzy from the kiss and everything that has happen, begins getting angry. Merlin look at Arthur with hate and disbelief.

*He marches up to Arthur, getting close to him to where both of their noses were touching. Then Merlin unexpected slaps the prince hard. Arthur tumbles away a little from the force of the slap and raises his hand to his face, shocked. When the anger left Merlin, he gasp at what he has just done and saw that Arthur was in pain because of him. He couldn't believe that he actually hurt the prince when he was suppose to keep him from harm. But with his anger that harm now included him along with the rest.

Merlin steps away from Arthur, with tears forming at the corner of his eyes. He wanted to wipe away what just happened with his magic. But Merlin knew he couldn't with the other boy being just a few feet from him. Arthur could see that Merlin is farther away from him then he was a minute ago. He saw the regret in Merlin's eyes as single tears were running down his face. The prince stops holding his hand against his face that hurt and starts slowly walking to Merlin.

"Merlin, it's ok", he watches as Merlin shakes his head, making more tears run down his face. The tears being in a constant stream now and his lover turns around not facing him.

The prince begins walking faster, trying to get to Merlin as soon as possible and stop him from crying. But as soon as the prince gets to him, Merlin starts running away from Arthur. He can see that Merlin is struggling to keep running, his body shaking from the crying. Merlin's legs weak, not able to get very far from his body being tired. So the next thing Merlin knows, he's face down on the floor. Arthur rushes to him quickly and in seconds, he's next to Merlin trying to to see if he's ok.

But as soon as he puts a hand on Merlin's shoulders to turn him around, Merlin moves away and rolls over far away from Arthur. Merlin, crying and dirty from the ground, slowly starts rolling up into a ball. The prince could see that Merlin's body were tense and shaking from the crying that he was doing. But wasn't able to move closer to the other boy to comfort him, afraid of scaring him.

They stay on the ground, Arthur staring at Merlin, the pain on his face forgotten, with sadness. His lover sitting a distance away still crying not able to stop. The prince doesn't know what to do next, not able to handle feelings well. He knows if he gets close, Merlin will move away from him or if he tries to comfort him, he will scoot away from his touch. After a few seconds, he could hear Merlin stop crying. His lover had his head on his knees with his head still down and his body vibrating with hiccups.

Arthur, thinking that this will be his only chance to get close to Merlin without him noticing, gets up from where he's sitting and walks very slowly. He gets to Merlin in a matter of seconds but instead of touching Merlin, he slowly sits next to him making sure none of his body is touching Merlin. Arthur could see in the corner of his eye that the other boy has lift his head from his knees and is looking at him with regret and misery.

The prince doesn't move or try to get closer to Merlin, just sits there letting him calm down a bit. He gives himself some time to think of what he's going to do when the other boy is calm enough to talk again. He takes a second to look at Merlin, not facing him but looking in the corner of his eye at Merlin. Arthur could see him red faced and eyes blotchy from the crying, staring down at the wet spots on his knees from the tears that soak through his trousers. But also could see that Merlin is turning his head to look at the prince.

Minutes past, with both of them looking at each other with looks that neither of them could figure out. But both continue to look as if concentrating on each other will help the situation out. Merlin is the first to break the silence, slowly moving to stand up but not taking his eyes off of Arthur. He moves towards the forest without saying a word. Arthur quickly stands up too following Merlin deeper into the forest both not saying a word.

The prince, with his head down in deep thought of what to say when they did stop, didn't notice Merlin stopped and bumped into him. He whispered a sorry but didn't get a reply back from his lover, who either didn't hear it or was ignoring him completely. Arthur sighs loudly and rubs the tiredness of his eyes but stop when he heard Merlin speak.

"This is where we go our separate ways", Arthur blinks and stares at his lover, not believing what he is saying. Merlin, not taking notice of the prince surprise look continues talking.

" I'm sorry for everything that I have cause you, I never wanted to cause you harm but my anger took the better of me and I didn't handle you kissing me well, sire." Merlin looked at him like he would if they were in front of other people and had to talk properly to him. Addressing him as sire instead of phat or other names Merlin calls him.

"Merlin you idiot, you are not going anywhere, i told you this. Why the heck are you acting like this? This is not the time for a joke, you just cried your eyes back there and now all of a sudden you want to act like none of this happened? Wanna walk away from it? I don't think so, not when this can be fix please Merlin don't."

Merlin frowns and shakes his head, laughing at something that Arthur has no idea of what it would be.

"You really think that this can be fix, just as easy with the snap of your fingers?" Merlin said with a raise of his eyebrow.

"No, that's not what i meant…" ,the prince said trying to figure out how to explain to his lover.

"Really, tell me dollophead, what did you mean? because what i heard was that you think this can be fix just like that. No issues at all, are you really that stupid to think that?" Merlin begins laughing, the kind of laugh that sends shivers up his spine and makes his blood run cold.

"And you call me the idiot, if you could hear yourself now you would see who the idiot" ,Merlin stopped talking when he saw that Arthur was getting angry. The prince's face getting a red shade and his hands turning into fist. He backed away slowly, beginning to get scared but not wanting to show it. So Merlin stopped and stood where he was at, not looking the bit of what he was actually feeling.

"You think that you can give the orders here Merlin? Do you think you can say what is going to happened between us and give the finally say? DO YOU?!" Arthur, while talking moved closer to Merlin to where they are touching nose to nose. Each glaring at each other, not tearing their eyes away.

"Do you think that what I feel doesn't matter and that only what you feel does? That because I may not have said anything back when you told me that you love me, that's the end of it? Did I get a chance to say anything Merlin before you ran away, out my door, without even a glance back or even a word? TELL ME MERLIN IF IT'S FAIR TELL ME!"

Arthur by this point was yelling in Merlin face, tired of trying to be reasonable, trying to be the calm one and get worked up. But by now he wants his lover to hear him even if it involves yelling at him. Merlin still glaring at Arthur, hasn't moved or even blink taking all that Arthur has said and trying to see where this is going to end. Arthur, seeing that he's not going to get an answer stepped away from Merlin. The prince yanked at his hair in frustration, not knowing what it will take to get Merlin to understand.

"I didn't get a chance to say anything….Merlin i saw you crying, probably thinking that I would be disgusted or send you away. But that wasn't even close to what i wanted to tell you at all. It hurt me to think that you actually think so little of me even after everything. You should know me by now Merlin just like i know you. But right now, I don't even know because you sending me away without even knowing nothing."

I can tell you that if you walk away now like this, you will regret it and I know you will Merlin. You were brave enough to tell me your feelings now it's time for me to tell you". Arthur steps close to Merlin, grabbing his hands intertwining them together. He looked at Merlin with such earnest and truth that Merlin couldn't help but look to him as he was talking.

"Merlin, my idiot manservant, the one who was a fool to stand up to me when you first arrived at Camelot but brave. The one who saved my life when the old hag wanted to kill me and had my father award you with being my manservant. You, Merlin, always been the one who stood by me and never left me even through all the hard times. Which I thank you because without you i'm nothing but an arrogant phat…."

''and royal arse'', Merlin said with a small smile on his face.

''Yes that too…

''and a condescending pompous dollop…", Merlin added with a huge grin.

''Ok Merlin i get it but that's beside the point, what i'm saying is without you, i wouldn't be the great prince I am today and for that Merlin….I-I….I love you." Arthur let out softly,looking at Merlin for a reaction.

"W-What?" ,Merlin shocked and not believing what the prince just said, stared at him thinking that this couldn't be happening.

"I, Arthur Pendragon, love you, Merlin" ,he says again in case the other boy didn't hear him.

"You're mocking me, aren't you? like the prince of Camelot could actually love a simple manservant like me? Merlin said unsure and not believing a word.

"Yes you idiot i do love you, did you bump your head when you fell and lost your hearing? Do I need to check your head?", Arthur moves to grab his head and check to see if there's any scars or bumps in Merlin's head. But he pushes him off, laughing and shaking his head at Arthur.

"You are such a phat but...you love me?" Merlin says, with all serious now that he can maybe believe it's true

"Yes, you idiot i do, a lot actually" ,Arthur looks at Merlin, this time with the love that he can see the prince has for him. Merlin smiles and rushed up to Arthur, hugging him to see if maybe he's dreaming. But when Arthur hugs him back, Merlin knows he's not and this is reality.

"Merlin?" ,Arthur says quietly into his head, not wanting to scare Merlin away so soon.

"Stay with me tonight?, The prince asked him and Merlin, not knowing what Arthur meant, stopped hugging him.

Merlin moved away to be able to face him and see his face. "What do you mean?"

"I mean stay with me, in my chamber tonight. We don't have to do anything, just lie there together. I just want to be close to you tonight if you want to."

Arthur looked at Merlin with hope in his eyes and love that Merlin couldn't resist but smile up to him and say….