Merlin ran a hand through dark hair that had grown unruly. He simply couldn't be bothered to get it cut. Only the manager's insistence that he dress better had resulted into a trip to the thrift store. Merlin now wore a pair of dark jeans and a button-down shirt in a deep gray that he'd found. It wasn't high fashion, but at least he looked presentable. That plus his affable demeanor had made him popular at the bar, enough that he made rent and managed to get his bills paid. Merlin shut the door behind him and pulled the keys from his pocket to lock up properly.

The town was just like any other Arthur Pendragon had passed through. Same houses, same people; nothing ever seemed to change during his eternal wanderings, nothing that is until tonight... He recognized the scent almost immediately, and for the first time in hundreds of years, the former prince of Camelot felt something old and disused inside of his undead heart open up. //Merlin...// It couldn't be! There was no possible way Merlin could be alive here and now, Arthur tried to reason away the glimmer of hope. Even as he tried to dismiss what his enhanced senses screamed for him to believe, he was running, running with supernatural speed toward the source of the familiar smell. Earthy and innocent and powerful, and oh so very Merlin...

He stopped in his tracks outside of the vampire club, it's lurid neon sign the only light illuminating the front of the building. There, locking the front door, was unmistakably his former friend and servant. "Merlin?" he whispered, taking a careful step forward.

The sound of the voice was enough to make Merlin weak in the knees. He didn't believe it to be anything but a hallucination. He had wanted so much, so desperately to hear it. Even things like tonight when he'd seen the reunion of souls long since separated and then brought together again did little to help. Because Arthur was gone. For a moment, Merlin pressed his hand flat to the building to hold himself up. He didn't want to turn around and realize it was just another hallucination, another hopeful connection his mind had made unbidden. It wouldn't be the first.

But he had to turn eventually to show himself that he was being silly and too hopeful all over again. Slowly, Merlin did turn to look and very nearly fell over. His eyes were wide beneath shaggy dark hair, and Merlin couldn't quite get his jaw to raise enough for his mouth to shut. After a long pause, he took a tentative step forward, unbelieving and wanting so very, very badly. "Arthur?"

It was him. Arthur still couldn't believe it. He was rushing forward without a second thought, only stopping once he reached Merlin; an uncertain hand reached out, and his fingers brushed against one warm cheek. "How is this possible?" he whispered, barely able to speak. "I thought you long dead..." His eyes wet with crimson tears, it didn't even occur to the former prince of Camelot that the same could have been said of him.

"No... you... I thought you..." Merlin blinked, clearing the tears from his vision. "How could-" The light from the bar's obnoxiously bright sign caught Arthur's face at last, and between that and the chill of the man's fingers, Merlin understood in a flash. "Oh, Arthur..." He swallowed hard. What had happened? How had Arthur come to be this? He couldn't help reaching up to touch Arthur's cheek as the man had touched him moments before. It didn't matter what Arthur was. It mattered that he was there and whole. More than anything, Merlin wanted to fling his arms around the man and hold him, but that wouldn't have been permitted even before he disappeared into the ether for centuries. The tears were back as he whispered, "I never thought I'd see you again..."

Arthur's fangs emerged unbidden; Merlin's touch set him afire. He quickly brushed away his former servant's hand before things went too far. Hurting Merlin was the last thing on his mind, not now that they had been miraculously reunited. "You wouldn't have," he started to explain, his handsome face rendered macabre with streaks of bloody tears. "If it had not been for the final battle." Memories of that dark day in Camelot flashed before him, and Arthur felt as if he were reliving the moment as he told Merlin the story, "Mordred had revealed his true self; he was not the child we knew. He was something more, much more powerful. He defeated me in battle, and I lingered on the verge of death. He changed me, Merlin; he changed me into this."

Merlin wished he could say that it was fine, that there was nothing wrong, but he knew that Arthur wouldn't believe that. The pain in his voice said as much. "I'd read... when I found my way back, I... after I got reacquainted with everything... there are a lot of stories out there." He shifted uneasily from foot to foot. "You married Gwen?" When he received a tentative nod, Merlin ventured gently, "And she and Lance... they really...? Oh." He let out a soft sigh, wishing he could do more. Wishing he had done more. "I should've been there, Arthur. I should've been there to protect you." The words ended with a note of pain that spoke of all the recriminations he'd lodged against himself since he came back from the faerie realm. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry that this went so wrong and that... the letter was never supposed to be good-bye." If he'd known that it might be, he would have included the one thing he didn't include. He would have said "I love you" instead of "I'll be back."

Arthur, his face a mask of torn anguish, fixed Merlin with an accusatory glare. "You're sorry? Why didn't you come back? I waited, and I thought you'd died, I thought..." He trailed off, realizing his moment of elation had swiftly turned to anger. "Yes, I was deeply upset that you had kept the truth about yourself from me. But, we'd been through far too much to allow that to end our friendship." Arthur's expression softened as he continued, "I made changes to Camelot, Merlin. Magic was no longer outlawed." Something bitter entered his throat as he continued, "Unfortunately, Mordred took advantage of that..."

If he'd been there, he could have stopped it. He could have saved Arthur. Maybe he could have seen what was going on and seen that his marriage was a happy one too. As much as he hated the idea of anyone - even Gwen, who he'd loved dearly - being with the prince (the king, he reminded himself again), Merlin wanted even more for Arthur to be happy. "I tried. I did. For so long... I... I didn't know how long. Time there is strange. Everything's strange." He shivered and looked around the empty parking lot. "Will you... will you come back to my place? It's just a couple blocks, and I want to make sure I do this right at least."

Arthur faltered, he honestly did not know what he wanted to do. Saying no after finding Merlin again after all this time would be ridiculous and pointless. As hurt and angry and confused as he felt, Arthur wasn't about to let the other man slip from his fingers again. "Yes," he answered, brushing at the streaks of dried blood on his face. "We should go, now." His head whirling from the reunion, Arthur followed Merlin the short space to his home, remaining close as if afraid his former servant might disappear again. "I can't believe you're really here," he confessed, unable to hide the wonder he felt.

"Yeah... yeah, me too." Merlin offered a smile that felt even more strained than it probably looked as he unlocked the door. "Sorry it's..." He shrugged and ducked his head. Though Arthur probably wasn't exactly living in a castle anymore, the room was hardly livable by anyone's standards. He kept it mostly clean with just a few take away packages littering the small table in the room, but the carpet was worn and discolored, the paint peeling places, and dark stains dotted the ceiling. It looked like it was a step away from being condemned. Merlin gestured for Arthur to take the only chair in the room and sat on the edge of the bed. He leaned over, elbows braced on legs that didn't quite stop twitching with nervous energy. He looked up at Arthur again and breathed out. Arthur was there. He was alive - at least after a fashion. The thought brought Merlin's smile back, brighter and more sure this time. Slowly his expression sobered. "They told me - the fae did - that I owed them. I owed them for helping, for saving me and you and... and I did. It was right, so I went. It was supposed to be a quick thing. It was. And then there was always just one more thing, one more... and the more I kept asking to leave, the more I started just looking for a way back, the more I realized they didn't want me leaving at all."

Merlin had been furious at being tricked, at being held, at being kept from Arthur most of all. He wrung his hands unconsciously. "I finally found one. One single tear between the worlds. I found it and I used it and I thought... but it was all different." He glanced around at the drab walls. "I was in this town, in this time and everyone... everything was gone. Youwere gone." Merlin's voice broke despite his best efforts, and he looked down again. He'd gotten used to crying, but he didn't want to do it in front of Arthur, not when the former king had so many reasons to be angry with him.

Arthur listened in silence, absorbing everything that Merlin said and feeling completely helpless. Nothing that had happened between them had been in the least bit fair. They should have remained together, Merlin and Arthur just as it had always been. The sadness and despair rolling off Merlin was unbearable, and Arthur reached over to take both of his hands in his own. "Merlin, stop," he urged gently. "Please..." He gazed into those shimmering eyes, feeling as if no time whatsoever had passed since the last time he looked into them. "I've heard stories about the fae; I was never sure how much of it was true and what was legend." Arthur had also heard about fairy blood, but he decided to keep that to himself for the moment. "If I could have found some way to bring you back, I would have. You know that, don't you Merlin? But, I thought you were lost forever."

Merlin looked down at their joined hands and took a shaky breath before he looked up again. "I know. I know you would have. And if I could have gotten back..." His fingers squeezed Arthur's almost too tightly before relaxing again. "I don't know if I could have stopped it all, but I would have tried. You deserve to be happy. You always did." Hoping that maybe they could share something for a moment that didn't involve focusing on everything bad that had unfolded, Merlin ventured hopefully, "Was it... before everything got to be a mess... were you? With Gwen, were you happy?" Part of him didn't want to hear the answer, part of him prayed that Arthur had known peace for at least a little while.

The question surprised Arthur and he replied with a hint of sadness, "For a little while, yes." He glanced down at their joined hands, feeling another jolt realizing that he and Merlin were actually together again. "Only I felt as if the whole world disappeared out from under me when you disappeared. How could I ever be truly happy with you no longer by my side?" He lifted his eyes toward Merlin's again, finding himself disarmed and frustrated and helpless against their mesmerizing charm. The faintest hint of smile ghosted its way across Arthur's lips. "I suppose it's far too late to order you to polish my shoes?"

A touch of the sadness drained from the room, and Merlin's face split in the widest smile he'd mustered since he'd left Camelot to begin with. "Bit, yeah. 'Fraid I've got a better job now. Fewer stables." His tongue flicked out, wetting suddenly dry lips. He had never thought that Arthur could possibly feel so lost without him, that it would affect the man so strongly. Merlin had thought he mourned their separation alone, or at least bore the brunt of it, but the hollow look in Arthur's eyes said otherwise. "I can't fix this, the way it happened, but I... I don't ever want to be so far away from you again." And maybe he was still playing word games. Maybe he couldn't risk Arthur rejecting him after so long apart, but at least he'd said the most important thing. He'd told Arthur that he was needed.

"Neither do I," Arthur agreed, Merlin's smile filling him with a warmth he had not felt in centuries. Losing the other man all those years ago had made him realize just how much Merlin meant to him. He would have never been able to say it when he was mortal, but now things had changed radically for both of them. "Merlin," he started, almost afraid of breaking the mood. "Can you accept as I am? I'm no longer the Arthur you once knew." He was a creature of the night, feeding on others, not the headstrong ruler of Camelot.

Merlin didn't answer at once, instead considering the best way to say it, the best way to phrase things to avoid making a mess of things. "I know. I'm not the same either. There was so much I had to hide before. Sometimes it felt like... like even with you, I was just playing a part. I don't want any lies now, and that's... things will be different. They have to be." Glad that Arthur still hadn't withdrawn his hands, Merlin gave them a squeeze and found himself marveling at the fact that for the first time, his skin actually had more pigment than Arthur's. The prince had always been tanned, sun kissed by the sun from riding so often and training so long. Now he was whiter than the eggshell sheets on Merlin's bed. "Different doesn't have to mean bad, though. It's still us. Different, maybe, but still us."

"You're really not afraid of me? Of what I could do to you?" It was a relief to know that Merlin didn't find him abhorrent. However, he didn't want the other man to totally be at ease. After all, he was an old vampire now and there were times when Arthur simply could not control himself. "As I said before, I have heard many stories of the fae. Only..." He paused, leaning in closer and brushing his nose close to Merlin's cheek. "...you don't smell any different." Arthur fixed Merlin with a curious gaze, wondering, "Do you still have your powers?" It was the first they had ever spoken openly about magic, and he hoped that his willingness to bring up the subject would put Merlin further at ease.

Merlin blushed, uncertain if that was because of the words or Arthur's sudden proximity. "Oh, yeah. I... that's why I don't smell any different," Merlin answered with a hint of a smile. "Bit of a cloaking spell. I'd be screwed at work otherwise." Eaten alive would hardly begin to describe it. Merlin couldn't help but wonder how affected Arthur might be. He was older than most of the vampires than Merlin interacted with on a daily basis. Would that mean it would be easier for him to resist or harder? It wouldn't be a fair game to play without Arthur's complicity. "Do you want me to... I could drop it, I mean. I usually do at home."

"No, please don't," Arthur insisted, drawing back. He was already having a hard enough time controlling his urges, and he couldn't imagine what might happen if the scent of Merlin's fairy blood washed over him. "Merlin, I'm sorry but it's been a while since I... fed." It seemed surreal to be discussing such a thing with Merlin after all the years of separation. Only, Arthur reminded himself, this was his life now and he wanted the other man to be able to accept both it and him. "I can barely control myself now, so please... keep using your spell?" His tone was almost pleading, his eyes haunted; Arthur pushed himself up from the bed to stop himself from lunging at Merlin, who was even more temptingly beautiful than he remembered.

Merlin felt a shock as Arthur moved away. He had never affected the man that way before. Was it just the fact that he was alive? Just his fae blood? Merlin didn't know, but it made his heart beat faster. "No, of course. Sorry. I didn't think... It's not hard. I'm used to doing it by now." None of the spells were as hard anymore. They came as easily as breathing. They flowed and shifted beneath his skin, just waiting, always waiting beneath the surface. "That's the only good that really came out of it, being there. It was so normal and easy to use my magic there. I could just... just do it." Try as he might to stifle his excitement given the seriousness of the moment, Arthur was the first person he'd been able to talk about it all with. "Never been able to do that before." Merlin's smile broadened into something joyful and ridiculous. "It was brilliant."

The sound of Merlin's rapidly beating heart was like the sweetest music to Arthur's ears. His hunger returned as he contemplated how warm and sweet Merlin's blood would taste, and the vampire trembled as he fought to control his urges. What helped was the other man's talk of his powers and that other realm. It alarmed Arthur greatly, and was he drawing closer to Merlin again without thinking twice about it. "You're not thinking of going back there, are you?" That terrified him; he had only just found Merlin again and he didn't want to lose him.

Merlin's expression went from bright to startled. "No! No, Arthur... no." He shook his head to emphasize the words. "I was lucky to get back this time. I don't know if... no. This is my world. This is where I belong. I'm not leaving you again. Besides, I may have to hide it more here, but I can still do the same things." Never before had he been able to show Arthur what he was capable of, and the thought brought Merlin's smile back. A few gestures and the mini fridge in the room opened of its own volition and a bottle of True Blood levitated out and over to Arthur. "No microwave, but..." He shrugged, hoping it would help just the same.

Arthur stared at Merlin in amazement; it was quite a sight seeing the other man using his magic so openly. Many, many years ago Merlin would have been executed for even entertaining such thoughts. //It's little wonder he was forced to hide this from me...// "Thank you," he said, plucking the bottle out of thin air. Arthur was not fond of True Blood in any way, shape or form. But, it turned out to be exactly what he needed with his intense craving to taste Merlin clawing at him. He downed the contents all in one go. "I'm glad you're staying." Arthur wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand. "I've felt so... lost without you. I think I would long for the True Death if you disappeared again."

"Haven't known what to do with myself without you either," Merlin confessed. "Apparently darning your socks and polishing your armor was more fulfilling than I ever realized." He grinned at the other man and plucked the empty bottle from Arthur's hand before flinging it casually in the trash. "D'you live here? In Lima, I mean?" If Arthur lived somewhere else, Merlin realized he wouldn't hesitate to leave his job and uproot himself to follow. They'd come together again after far too long an absence, and he wasn't about to give up on the man now.

"No," Arthur shook his head, "I wander from place to place; I don't really have a home." There was more than a hint of sadness in his voice, even as he offered Merlin a soft smile. "I've never had any reason to stay... until now." If this little town was Merlin's home, then it would be his too. The idea of parting from the other man again was much too painful to contemplate. "I'll have to make some kind of arrangements during the day," Arthur said, half to himself. "In the meantime, I can sleep in the ground." Flitting from city to city with nothing permanent to hold onto, he was certainly used to it.

Merlin shook his head at once. "No. Look, you can stay here. I mean, I know it's a dive, but it's someplace. There's a closet, which, yeah, not so secure normally, but you've got a pet sorcerer." He smiled, hoping to ease some of the tension rolling off of Arthur and sway him. "Stay? We'll figure something out. Maybe I can work someplace else during the day sometimes, make some extra cash so we can get something bigger." Mostly he just felt an overwhelming urge not to let Arthur walk out the door. Merlin was terrified that if he did, he might not ever see the man again.

"Alright, I'll stay," Arthur agreed, taken aback by the undeniable panic in Merlin's eyes. "Only, you don't have to fret about money. I might not look like it anymore, but I actually have the means to buy just about anything I want." He smiled, settling back down now that his craving for blood had been a little sated thanks to the bottle of that synthetic garbage. "That spell of yours must be pretty powerful; I can't even find your scent." Merlin had always had a rich, earthy smell about him, but even that was gone. It disrupted Arthur's vampire's senses to being in someone's presence and not be able to detect anything.

Visibly relieved at Arthur's willingness to stay, Merlin sank down into the flimsy office chair across from Arthur. Having the man there made him see all his mismatched belongings in a different light. "Yeah, well, can't be too careful. Got warned by the manager when I was hired, so I've been incognito ever since." He shrugged and tapped his fingers on the table only to realize he was getting on even his own nerves. "Sorry. It's stupid, but... y'know this stuff all came from thrift stores and dumpster diving and it's been fine until now. Can't quite wrap my head around the King of Camelot sitting in a chair I got from behind an office supply store."

Arthur chuckled softly; it had been a while since he had genuinely laughed, and the sound was so unfamiliar that it took him completely by surprise. "Well, I guess we're even there. I still can't believe you're here and you're real." He glanced down at the chair, then back at Merlin. "And believe me when I say that your apartment is a palace compared to some of the places I've stayed." That was an understatement. So many things had happened to Arthur since he and Merlin had parted that it would take several centuries to recount them all. Having secreted money away in banks all over the world, the former ruler of Camelot could find something more than adequate for himself and Merlin where they were ready. "This will do fine, Merlin."

Merlin grinned in response and nodded. "Yeah, okay," he agreed, watching Arthur with open curiosity. "It's a lot to go through. I mean, just... years of it. And I don't know any of it. Didn't even know you were married until I read it and then... well, lots of the stories seem sort of wrong. Like I'd read about me doing this and that and... and I wasn't even there." It had made him feel even worse to think that somehow history - or legend, at least - gave him credit for any part of Artur's success as a king. Until the end, he suspected Gwen had been far more influential. "I wish I had been. Wish I could've seen."

"Those last days, I'm almost glad you weren't there to see Camelot fall." Sadness and bitterness passed over Arthur's face like a cold shadow. Again, memories flashed before his eyes unbidden and the former ruler was quick to brush them away. "Perhaps if you had been by my side, things could have been different. Maybe I wouldn't have been turned into... this." Arthur's shoulders lifted and he was quick to add, "I never thought I would thank Mordred for anything, but at least we are able to be together again."

"I won't say I'm grateful to him, but I'm grateful for you, grateful to have you back," Merlin answered earnestly. He watched Arthur for a moment. It was difficult to find the lines of time on his face, though when he looked long enough, Merlin could fine a few, faint traces that showed the years which had passed after his disappearance. "Someday I'd like to hear about it. Bad and good. It's... it feels like another lifetime, but I miss everyone. It was... it's been hard adjusting to being alone all the time."

"Merlin," Arthur started softly. The urge to embrace the other man was overwhelming, but he managed to control himself for fear of harming Merlin. "You're not alone anymore. Better or worse, we're together again." He smiled softly, desperate to lighten the mood. "And I promise, no more polishing armor." Taking a chance, he eased out of the armchair and rejoined Merlin on the bed. Arthur draped an arm across his shoulders, in a gesture that was hauntingly familiar and all at once shockingly intimate. "So, do you think we'll be alright? Vampire and sorcerer?"

Merlin just barely resisted the urge to rest his head on Arthur's shoulder and simply smiled instead. "S'pose so. In this day and age, we could probably produce our own buddy movie. Think I'll stick with the bartending, though. Better tips." He looked over at the other man and then ducked his head, a sheepish smile still playing on his lips. "Think I've said it already, but I'm glad you're here. Can't remember the last time I smiled this much in a night."

"Me either," Arthur admitted. It was crazy, but it felt as if no time whatsoever had passed between them. For all intents and purposes this could have been another night in Camelot. Merlin's becoming flush grabbed Arthur's attention, and the sudden rush of attraction he felt brought back even more memories. Of moments when little glances had meant the world to him. His vampiric instincts threatening to return, Arthur was quick to brush such irrational thoughts aside. "I'm thankful for your magic, Merlin. Otherwise I fear every vampire would have tried to get a piece of you." He admired the other man's throat, relieved to find it just as flawless smooth as ever.

Unaware of the scrutiny, Merlin shrugged. "Yeah, well... not exactly in the job to pick up guys. I mean, pick up anyone," Merlin covered with little grace. He winced and tried to hurry on, "Occupational hazard to get hit on some, but, honestly, it's... I'm not interested. Besides, I can take care of myself." Bright blue eyes met Arthur's. "Beat you if you remember. Maybe not fair and square, but..." He shrugged and smirked. "We've all got advantages."

Arthur caught how hurriedly Merlin tried to cover his 'pick up guys' remark, and noted the immediate rush of warmth that colored the other man's pale cheeks. He had always suspected that his former servant fancied men--there had been more than a few hints, not to mention the underlying sexual tension between them--and this seemed to only confirm Arthur's assumption. "We certainly have," he agreed, feeling more than a little flustered. After all these long years, it was foolish to keep his attraction to Merlin a carefully guarded secret. But, if they got too close now... Would he be able to control his baser instincts?

As the awkward silence stretched out, Merlin finally rolled his eyes. "Okay, we're both a little old for the pronoun game, yeah?" He tapped his feet nervously on the carpet as if to discharge some of the awkward energy hovering between them. "Um, so... I guess maybe it's not a huge secret or anything... especially considering the, y'know, magic and..." Merlin licked his lips, straightened his shoulders, and forced himself to actually look at Arthur. "I like guys. I mean, I'm... y'know, I'm gay." He was pretty sure that there were a few extra "y'know"s in the mix, but he was proud of himself for having been bold enough to make the confession. Lying or hiding the fact seemed absolutely and utterly stupid given their situation, a fact he'd realized rather quickly after trying to cover it. It was instinct to lie to Arthur - an instinct he wanted to leave well in the past.

"It's not a big deal or anything, honestly. Still me. Not going to, like, try to shag you or anything." //Never did before.// He shrugged and smiled, still feeling awkward and exposed. "Bit of a shame about you not having an entourage anymore. For a straight bloke, you always had brilliant taste in eye candy."

"Oh..." It wasn't the most brilliant response in the world, but it was the best Arthur could manage as Merlin's confession sank in. He didn't want to blurt out, 'I always suspected as much,' or something equally uncouth. "Well, thank you for being so honest with me," he eventually managed, offering up a warm smile. "I..." Arthur paused again, almost letting slip the truth about himself. If we were to tell Merlin, might they act on the information? Becoming a vampire had released the former ruler from the shackles that had bound his mortal urges. He desired Merlin, and had secretly done so for some time. However, giving into passion could only result in harming Merlin, despite the sorcerer's powerful abilities. And Arthur had no intention of doing that. "I... think you'll have to settle for just me. I no longer travel around with anyone anymore."

"Oi, don't either," Merlin returned, elbowing the former king in the ribs none too gently. "Got me. Granted, I don't think I quite rank up there with Gawain or Percy or-" He broke off before he could get to Lance, realizing that was probably a sore subject. "Anyway, not much to look at, but you've got me. Not going anywhere. Not now. I mean, unless you go somewhere. But then we're going together. You aren't getting rid of me now. Not after all this. Not again. Not happening." His internal clock honed to a vampiric schedule already, Merlin sighed. "Almost sunrise. Will the closet do for tonight? I'll spell it to make sure nobody but one of the two of us can get in. Be safer than some weird hole in the ground. Cleaner too... even with my old trainers in there."

Arthur chuckled at Merlin's ramblings, "I have truly missed you." He clapped a hand on Merlin's shoulder, then stood up and investigated the closet. It was just large enough for him to lie down comfortably in. "Perfect," he declared, stretching out on the floor and pillowing the back of his head with his hands. Arthur glanced up, raising his eyebrows at the same time. "Will I see you again... before you have to go back to work?" He sounded more worried than he cared to admit. The idea of being separated from the other man so soon after reuniting with him terrified Arthur in a way that shocked him right down to his core.

"Always wondered why the closet was almost bigger than the bathroom. Then I remembered I lived a block away from a vampire bar," Merlin answered with a smirk before nodding. "Yeah, should do. I'll have to get there just after sunset, but I don't open tomorrow, so we can have breakfast together. Y'know, such as it is." He had a nice stock of True Blood on hand, and while it wasn't ideal, it was fairly clear that Arthur hadn't been taking care of himself in that regard. They were definitely going to be changing that. Merlin kicked gently at Arthur's tennis shoes - still somehow nicer than his own, of course - and added, "Sleep tight," before gently shutting the door. He muttered a few simple incantations, and that was all it really took to see that the man would be secure until morning. After stumbling through a shower, Merlin pulled on some threadbare sleep pants - since his normal habit of sleeping in the nude sounded ill-advised with company - and curled up to sleep with a smile on his face for the first time in a long while.

Arthur wore a similar smile, and he remained awake until the rising sun lulled him to sleep. During those last moments of consciousness he pondered the miracle of stumbling upon Merlin again. It had seemed like an impossible dream--one that Arthur had given up hope of ever coming true a long, long time ago. But, here they were together at last as if no time whatsoever had passed between them. Then there was the fact that Merlin was gay. Now that confirmation of Arthur's suspicions definitely threw him off-kilter. If he revealed to Merlin that he fancied both women and men where might that lead? Already it had taken every ounce of his willpower not to force himself on the sorcerer, who seemed to have grown more desirable than ever before. If he harmed Merlin, he would never be able to forgive himself. Deciding it was best to not only stay silent on the matter but also keep his desires in check, Arthur finally closed his eyes and entered into a day filled with oblivion.