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About two months ago Merlin had had a dream of Arthur returning to him. This was nothing strange as Merlin had that dream many times. Thousands of years later it didn’t happen as often, maybe two or three times a year as opposed to weekly, but it still happened. Something about the dream this time was different though. He didn’t know how he knew, but when he woke from the dream Merlin knew that that was the day. So, he cleaned his house, straightened up, and drove the hour and a half to Avalon.
Situated in front of Avalon was now a senior community center. During the day, the seniors could come out and sit by the Lake, enjoying the peace. Here, one hour passed dawn is where Arthur appeared. That had been an interesting day. It took forever to get Arthur into the car, then almost longer to get him to stay in the car once Merlin started to drive.
Out of everything new that he had seen, the most shocking thing, besides the car, had probably been the two men. Merlin had taken Arthur out to a restaurant to eat lunch when a man at a table across the room stood up. He walked around the table to the man sitting across from him and knelt one-kneed on the ground. He pulled what looked like a ring out of his pocket. Arthur couldn’t hear what was being said, but the man who was still seated let out a scream, and threw his arms around the kneelers neck and kissed him.
Arthur turned to Merlin bugged eyed.
“What are they doing?”
“Hmm?” Merlin turned around to look at the scene behind him.
The men were now standing, and the ring was being slipped onto the others finger.
“Oh.” he said smiling. “He must have asked him to marry him.”
“What!?! But…but they’re….both men!”
“Shhh!” Merlin said. “Don’t be so loud! And yes, they are two men but that’s normal now. It’s not something that has to be hidden or kept a secret. Something that doesn’t have to be whispered about. People are free to love whoever they want.” he said quietly staring at his plate.
“Oh.” Arthur said, furrowing his brow, staring at the happy couple who resumed their drinks. He watched them curiously.
“Don’t stare Arthur. It’s rude.”
The adjustments were hard for Arthur. The new clothes, machines, technology, him not being King anymore, and all of his friends and family being dead except for Merlin, took a lot to get used to. He was doing a bit better, but it was sometimes still overwhelming.
Sometimes after work Merlin would take Arthur out for dinner, but most of the time they ordered take-away and just watched a movie. Arthur loved T.V. That was probably his favorite invention. Then on the weekends they mostly hung at home. Arthur sometimes agreeing to go out to a mall, a park, or a museum, but after a few hours he was ready to go back to the house. Merlin was trying to be patient. He knew that this was all new and surprising to Arthur but he was starting to get stir-crazy.
“Arthur. I’m thinking of going to a near-by Pub. Do you want to go?” Merlin asked, coming out of his room in a light blue shirt, and a pair of tight black jeans.
“Nah. I’d rather watch a movie.” Arthur looked over at Merlin looking over at him quickly. “What’s with the tight-girl pants Merlin? Trying to pick-up a woman.” he said, using one of the new phrases he learned from some show.
“Something like that.” Merlin mumbled.
Arthur nodded. “Alright. Have fun.”
“I have my phone. If you need me, need anything just call.”
Merlin would have liked Arthur to come. After all, he wanted to see the other get out of the house more, but he was happy to be going alone too. He had always been attracted to Arthur, but their situation back then had been different. Their lives much more separate. Arthur had been King, Merlin a servant and a man at that. Nothing would have ever come of it. Also, Merlin had seen Arthur everyday but Arthur also had went off and done his own thing. Now he saw Arthur every morning, and every night. They were together a lot more now, and all the old feelings Merlin had were coming rushing back. He needed to get out and let off some steam.
When he got to the Pub, Merlin sat down at the bar and ordered a drink. He drank half of it to loosen himself up, before turning around on his stool and surveying the room. HIs eyes glanced over the couples, and the obviously straight guys before landing on a group in the corner of the room. There were two couples and a guy. Merlin looked at the guy, taking a sip of his drink. The guy seeming to notice Merlin looking turned his head. Merlin met his eyes, and gave the guy a smile. The man gave a small one back, said something to his friends who looked over quickly, finished his drink, and got up. He walked over towards Merlin and sat down next to him.
“Hey.” he said. “I’m Richard. You can call me Rich.”
“Hey.” Merlin said back looking him over now that he was closer. He had brown hair and green eyes. Far from Merlin’s type but Merlin wasn’t looking for a relationship. “Merlin.”
“Interesting name.”
“I get that a lot.”
“I’m sure you do. So, what are you drinking?” he asked, nodding his head at Merlin’s now empty glass.
“It was a whisky but now I’m thinking a beer.”
Rich smiled and turned towards the barman. “Two pints.” he said.
They started to converse over their beers, when about ten minutes later Merlin’s pocket vibrated.
“Sorry. Hold on.” he said pulling his phone out of his pocket, seeing that the text was from Arthur.
‘The television wand broke. I’m pushing the buttons but it won’t change. What do I do?’
Merlin chuckled and rolled his eyes at the phone.
‘It’s called a remote I told you. And you just need to change the batteries. Go over to the television stand. There should be batteries in one of the drawers.’
He paused wondering how to describe batteries.
‘Take the back off of the remote. Take the two batteries out. Those are what you need. Just replace them. I’m sure someone of your former standing can figure that out.’
‘Clotpole’ Was the only response Merlin got back.
‘What did I say about stealing my words?’
‘When did I ever listen to you?’
Merlin rolled his eyes again before sticking his phone back in his pocket. “Sorry about that. An old friend is staying at my house. They couldn’t find the batteries for the remote.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Merlin figured that Arthur had figured everything out when half an hour later he hadn’t messaged Merlin again. Him and Rich were just finishing their second beer, when Rich turned to him awkwardly.
“So on the risk of sounding forward, what do you say we go back to my place? My flat isn’t that far from here.”
Merlin nodded and got up, pulling his wallet out from his back pocket, and put some money on the table. “I think that sounds like a great idea.”
Rich smiled and headed out with him. As soon as they stepped outside he paused and turned to Merlin. Leaning in, he hesitantly placed a kiss on Merlin’s lips, who briefly kissed him back, before pulling away.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for a while now.” Rich said smiling.
Merlin grinned back. “Me too. Lead the way and we can do that even more.”
Rich pointed. “It’s that way.”
They began to walk when Merlin felt his pocket vibrate. He sighed and was going to ignore it when he felt not one but two more texts. He pulled the phone out to check.
‘Come home.’
‘There’s something I need to talk to you about’
‘Please.’
Merlin wasn’t sure what Arthur needed to talk about, but it sounded pretty serious. He sighed and stopped walking.
“Rich. I’m sorry I have to go.”
Rich paused. “What?”
“My friend. They just texted me. I need to go. I’m really sorry.”
“I…uhh…” Rich looked at a loss for words, unsure what to say or do. “Should I give you my number?”
“Look…you seem like a really nice guy, and you’re really cute but….there’s someone I’m hung up on. Have been for a long time. This would have been nothing more then a one-nighter. I’m sorry.”
“Oh.”
“It was nice meeting you though. I had fun talking with you.”
“Yeah uh…you too. Nice meeting you too.”
“Sorry again.” Merlin said before heading off in the opposite direction, leaving a confused Rich behind.
“Arthur what’s wrong?” Merlin asked coming into the house and walking into the living room.
He paused seeing Arthur on the couch, flipping through a photo album on his lap, another on the table.
“Oh.”
“What are these Merlin?”
“Some photos through the years. Of my life…my lives…memories.”
Arthur nodded, and held up the album on his lap.
“Friends, co-workers, pictures from my travels. People I met around the world, traveling like me.”
Arthur placed that book down and picked up the other one.
“And this?” he asked voice low.
Merlin paused looking down at his feet before sighing and looking back up. “My lovers…partners.”
Arthur placed that album on his lap and began to flip through it quietly. Merlin sighed again when Arthur didn’t say anything, and he walked around to the other side of the sofa to sit next to him.
The first half of the album was all black and white photographs. Many of them were of Merlin standing next to someone. The two of them sometimes smiling, space always between them. The same person never appeared in more then two photos. It was interesting to see Merlin through the years, how the styling of clothes had changed, centuries, decades going by.
Finally the pictures started to gain color. The earlier ones the colors mostly faded making them look older then they really were. On these ones the men and Merlin would stand closer, or one of them would have their arms around the others shoulders.
Arthur paused, finally looking at Merlin. “This man…he’s in many of your pictures.”
Merlin nodded, frowning at the pages. “That’s…thats Oliver. We were together for twenty years. He was the only one I ever revealed my magic too.”
That surprised Arthur. He was still getting used to Merlin’s magic since being back. Merlin didn’t use it often, as this was a world where people didn’t believe in magic. If Arthur could hardly understand Merlin having it back during a time where magic was everywhere, how could a man who lived in a world without?
“And how did he take it?”
“Didn’t believe me at first. Thought I was having a laugh. Then after I showed him…he had no choice but too. He was shocked, scared at first, but in the end he accepted it.”
“Why did you tell him.”
Merlin looked down at the pictures wistfully.
“We were in love.” he said barely audible.
“What happened to him?”
“Cancer.” Merlin said, looking down at his lap, hands fidgeting. “He died about 14 years ago.”
Arthur grabbed Merlin’s shaking hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry Merlin. You’ve lived for so long. I can’t imagine all of the people, all of your friends that you’ve loved and lost. It must have been hard on you.”
Merlin nodded. “You get used to it, immune. Or at least I thought I had become so but after Olive…” he paused. “I never wanted to feel that again. Those other photos…the ones after Oliver…they never lasted long. I don’t want to feel like that again. Twice is enough.”
Arthur pulled his hand away. He didn’t even want to think about what Merlin said meant. He flipped through the rest of the pictures quietly realizing something that he hadn’t been able to during the black and white photos. Merlin had a type. All of them men had features in common. Blonde hair, and most of them blue eyes. He paused.
“Did all of them look like this? Even the black and white ones?”
“Look like what?”
“Like…like me?”
Arthur saw Merlin tense up out of the corner of his eyes.
“Blonde? Yes…yes they were all blonde.”
Arthur closed the album and placed it onto the table before turning back to Merlin, who seemed to be trying to avoid his gaze.
“Merlin. Merlin look at me.” he said, and when Merlin glanced up he leaned it to brush his lips against his hesitantly. When he heard Merlin gasp he pushed them together harder. Merlin moved his lips against Arthur’s in the briefest kiss before Arthur pulled away.
“What…what was that for?” Merlin whispered, bringing his fingers up to his lips.
“I wanted to. I wanted to do that since I saw the couple in the restaurant. The one’s who got engaged. I didn’t understand why, not until tonight. After I saw this album I knew…I knew you liked me. I knew you liked men and were at a Pub trying to pick one up, and it made me mad that it wasn’t me you were trying for.”
“But why…why would you want that? You’re straight Arthur. You were married to Gwen.”
“Yes, and I loved her, but…but she would never have been my first choice. Not if…not if we were allowed to love whoever we wanted back then. I wanted you. From the first moment you opened you mouth and yelled at me, I wanted you. I just didn’t realize why, or what those feelings were. Not until not, not until I’ve been shown what they could be.”
“You won’t live forever Arthur. I don’t want to go through that again.”
He shook his head. “No. No you’re right Merlin I won’t, but…isn’t it better to be happy for a short time then never be happy at all?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you regret your time with Oliver?”
“No! Never!”
“If you knew how much his death would hurt would you have never spoken to him?”
Merlin shook his head. “He showed me what love was. I would never want to not know what that felt like.”
“Then don’t pass that up with me.”
Merlin furrowed his brows looking at Arthur, then his face split into a smile.
“You know for a Prat, you do say some intelligent things sometimes.”
Arthur laughed and leaned in to peck his lips again. “Every thing I say is intelligent Merlin.”
He saw Merlin’s eyes twinkle, and his mouth open to go say something.
“Merlin. Do shut up. The next words out of your mouth will ruin the moment.”
“Of course sire.” Merlin said with a chuckle. “Anything for you.” he said before claiming Arthur’s mouth in another kiss. This one longer and much more heartfelt.