Because Arthur always knew what he was talking about. Especially at two in the morning, after so many beers and a few shots of something Gwaine liked to partake in whenever he was feeling particularly stupid. And hey, Gwaine knew of a tattoo shop that stayed open well into the night and could do exactly what Arthur wanted done…
Even all these years later, Arthur still expected him to just pop up one day, cheeky grin in place as he called him a clotpole or a cabbage head for whatever reason.
Arthur wasn't supposed to fall in love that summer. But then he met Merlin, and, well... his plans changed. "And what makes you think I'm interested in the prat who blocks bookshop traffic and snaps at the people he makes drop stuff, anyway?"
"You have magic, don't you?" Arthur asked, his whisper cutting through Merlin's insults and silencing the entire camp, the forest itself seeming to hush with the question.
Hush, my love
"You, Arthur—" Gwaine made a wide gesture. "—You're in love. S'all right to admit it, Merlin."
Percival thought of them often—how could he not? They were his family. And everything seemed to remind him of them some days, of what he was missing, of what he ached for.
Before Camelot, there had been Ealdor.
He remembers every single detail of the day that changed his life.
"Interesting first date—Next time, could you maybe not get us arrested?"
"So what's a bloke like you doing in a place like this, then?" Merlin asked after a moment, all amusement and curiosity, which, okay, Arthur didn't think was entirely misplaced—this was a gay bar, after all…
It was the way he was so unsubtle it was endearing.
Dreaming is free
Merlin wasn't supposed to risk his life for Arthur—that was Arthur's job.
Because Fate was kind to them—even when she was cruel.
Bumping shoulders with someone at the local park didn't usually change your life, but when you bumped into Arthur Pendragon, of all people... Well, finding out your king has returned is bound to change a few things.
His destiny was Arthur—he would never doubt that again.
God—Merlin!—what a ridiculous name!
They didn't know—would never know—how much Merlin had loved him, how much he had loved Merlin in return.
When Arthur and Merlin make a deal in the dark of the woods one night, one of them might have to be make good on it sooner than ever expected. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm fairly certain my mother would have loved you."