Rating: PG

Pairing: MerlinEmrys/ArthurPendragon

Rights: Merlin and co are owned by the BBC, and not me… sadly.

As Arthur made it back into the safe haven of his own chambers, he was struck with another unpleasant surprise. Lancelot was sitting at his desk, waiting for him.

"Can't you people leave me alone!" Arthur snapped, trying to wipe the tears from his face discreetly. Of course, Lancelot saw them.

"Sire," Lancelot said, "my apologies. I came to clear up a huge misunderstanding. Merlin and I are not in any sort of relationship. What you saw in the stables was an accident, it was-"

"Don't worry, Lancelot," Arthur said, he sounded so deflated as he sat heavily down on the foot of his bed and stared at his boots. "I'm not angry with you. None of this is your fault."

"For what it's worth," Lancelot said, "I'm sorry."

"Thank you," Arthur whispered. He was fighting so hard to keep his tears in, but he was failing.

"Do you want to talk about anything?" Lancelot asked. "I can tell you're upset. If you need to talk, I- I'm here."

Arthur smiled briefly. "I appreciate that. But I'd really rather be alone."

"Of course, sire," Lancelot whispered, vacating the room. As soon as the door closed, Arthur laid back into his bed, grabbing his pillow and pressing his face into it, crying his eyes out.

He hadn't heard Merlin enter.

"I did want to be with you," Merlin whispered. Arthur jumped, embarrassed.

"Get out of here!" he snapped, throwing the pillow at Merlin.

"I meant every word," Merlin continued. "I just- I thought about the future, and I didn't see a way that we could be together. You need a queen, and an heir. You wouldn't want to sneak around with me for the rest of your life. I knew you meant what you said, too. I trusted you. I just knew that you'd change your mind one day. You'd wake up and realize that as much as you wanted me, you couldn't do it anymore. I was just trying to protect myself before that day came. Before I invested too much of my heart in you."

Arthur sat on his bed, staring blankly.

"I wish I'd known that," Arthur whimpered finally, bowing his head as his tears came again, "I gave you my whole heart ages ago. I invested my heart in you completely."

"I know that now," Merlin whispered.

"I guess I was just wrong," Arthur said, still staring at the floor, tears dripping down his nose. He hadn't noticed that Merlin was taking slow, nervous steps toward him. "I shouldn't have expected so much. I hadn't really thought about how often people don't get their happy endings…"

"You're not wrong," Merlin said, sitting on the bed beside Arthur, "I'm the one that was wrong."

Arthur looked up at him with confused hope. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry I've been an idiot," Merlin whispered, wiping the tears from Arthur's cheeks. Arthur breathed a sigh of relief, and leaned into Merlin's touch. He hadn't even realized he'd been holding his breath. "Will you have me back?"

Before Arthur had realized what he was doing, he'd thrown his arms around Merlin and buried his face into the wizard's neck.

"I love you, Merlin…" he breathed, clinging to Merlin desperately.

"I love you, too," Merlin said, his own tears falling from his eyes. "I've been stupid. A prize idiot. How could I have let you go?"

"…promise me one thing," Arthur said.

"Anything," Merlin replied, without thinking about it for even a moment.

"Promise me, that you'll talk to me," Arthur said, "about everything- anything that's bothering you. Even the smallest worries. Promise me you won't do this to me again."

Merlin held Arthur as tightly as he could, and whispered a soft "I promise."

FIN