Disclaimer: Don't own Merlin.

Warnings: Language, panic attacks

A/N: I am incredibly sorry about the embarrassingly long delay, I don't even have a good excuse! If you're still out there, I hope you enjoy this final chapter and my sincerest thanks to you for reading. This chapter is dedicated to Vaughntronic, who reminded me to get this done :)

Also massive thanks to helenealbra, lovePEOPLEandCOWBOY, bog3, YaoiIsMyDrug.23 and Vaughntronic for the ace reviews.

This one picks up a bit before the point the last chapter ended at. I was gonna focus on Uther and the trial and all that but then I decided to make it about friendship instead, as I am a sap at heart...

~III~

As the end of the Easter holidays approaches, Arthur realises he needs to decide what he's going to say to his friends come Monday morning. His first few days out of the hospital, he and Merlin have several discussions about what he should tell them, what he feels comfortable with letting them now. Arthur is scared. Telling Merlin had been daunting enough, and there was no-one he loved more. He doesn't know if he can face all the rest.

Merlin is very understanding, suggesting he take his time to decide, but in the end Arthur's hand is forced. A local newspaper gets wind of Uther's arrest and prints a gaudy front page spread entitled 'Pendragon's Secret Shame: International Businessman's Alleged Abuse of Own Son'. Uther is famous enough in the business community that the national papers pick up the story the next day, thus ensuring that anyone who missed the local rag will most likely see it at some point.

Arthur has the first panic attack of his life when he brings the paper delivery inside and sees the cover. One minute he's standing in the hallway, and the next he's curled up on the floor, wheezing for breath and completely convinced that he's having a heart attack and he's going to die.

Merlin finds him lying there and calls for Hunith frantically, before crouching down next to his boyfriend. He doesn't know what to do but Hunith instantly recognises what's going on and starts calmly explaining what's happening to Arthur. She sends Merlin off for some water, and then gets Arthur to sit up and take deep breaths in and out. He can't make his lungs work at first and it only terrifies him more, tears begin to leak out of his eyes as he struggles to catch his breath. But eventually Hunith's soothing voice cuts through the chaos in his mind, and he tries to concentrate on what she's saying to him. Finally, finally, the air begins to come back to him and his skittering heart rate slows down.

Merlin comes back and hovers anxiously.

"Is he alright?"

"He had a panic attack," Hunith says before turning back to Arthur. "And it's very scary but you're not dying, I promise."

Arthur nods, exhausted now that he's finally beginning to come down from the adrenaline. He leans back against the door, wiping the sweat from his forehead with one hand.

Merlin sits down next to him and Hunith. The three of them sit there like that in the hallway for a while, under Arthur trusts himself to speak.

"The paper," he says shakily.

Hunith spots it next to her and picks it up; her face falling as she sees the cover. Merlin immediately leans over her shoulder to look. He takes in the headline and his mouth tightens, his eyes narrow.

Merlin hardly ever gets angry, so the signs are difficult to spot, but he's clearly angry now.

"They can't- they can't do this, can they Mum?"

Hunith shakes her head absently, still looking at the article.

"This is bullshit! They shouldn't be allowed!"

"I agree," Hunith says, but she puts a restraining hand on Merlin's arm, reminding him where their focus should be right now.

Arthur drops his head into his hands. It's all too much. Everyone's going to know now; from friends and classmates to complete strangers. The one thing he'd worked so hard to keep hidden all this time. His most painful secret has been shared with the world, in a way he had no control over.

The idea of leaving the house ever again makes him feel sick.

"Arthur."

Hunith's voice is gentle.

"Do you want me to make some breakfast and we can talk about this?"

Mutely, he shakes his head.

"I'm just gonna-" he mumbles, not bothering to finish his sentence before he gets unsteadily to his feet and heads towards Merlin's bedroom.

Once there he gets under the covers of the bed fully clothed, burying his head under the duvet.

He stays like that for a few minutes, until there's a knock on the door and Merlin's voice asking if he can come in.

He wants Merlin to climb in bed with him, and he also wants him to go away. He can't make up his mind which he wants more so he says nothing and Merlin eventually comes in, Rosco in his arms.

"I don't wanna crowd you," he says anxiously. "But I also don't want you to feel like you're alone. So I thought if you really don't want me here, I'd leave you Rosco so at least you had some company."

The pain in Arthur's chest lessens slightly. Merlin's so sweet, so thoughtful.

"You can stay," he says, and Merlin sits down in the desk chair.

Arthur stares at the ceiling for several long minutes.

"Everyone's gonna know, Merlin," he says at last, and feels humiliation burning through him. "Everyone will be looking at me, thinking they… thinking they know about me."

"Yeah," Merlin says softly. "But they won't know about you. It doesn't matter what they think."

"Our friends…" Arthur says miserably.

"Our friends love you. I'm sure they'll be gutted to hear about it, but they won't treat you differently Arthur, I promise."

"They will…"

"What about when Lance's dad got cancer? What about when Freya's brother got sent to jail? Did you treat them any differently? Did any of us?"

"No, but-"

"So they won't do it to you. All they'll want is to support you."

Arthur tries to believe it, but panic is still thrumming through him.

"I don't want to face everyone at school on Monday," he whispers.

Merlin is silent for a second.

"So don't. We should get everyone round here, so you can tell them yourself. Today."

The idea is terrifying but Arthur tries to think about it. Would it be better to get part of it over now? So he could maybe go into school backed up by his friends?

And if any of them didn't want to be his friend anymore, at least he'd know now.

He nods in acquiescence.

"Okay. I'll start texting round."

When Merlin puts his phone away a few minutes later, he looks sad.

"I'm so sorry, baby. This shouldn't have happened."

"It's okay," Arthur croaks out, aware he doesn't sound very convincing.

"None of this is fair," Merlin says quietly.

His face is composed but Arthur can see his hands unconsciously clenching.

Unfortunately Rosco is still in Merlin's grip and wastes no time making his objections to being manhandled in this way known.

"Ow!" Merlin yelps and he drops Rosco on the floor, who promptly sneers at Merlin in a way that only cats can, before stalking out.

"He scratched my finger," Merlin pouts.

"I think you were trying to squeeze the life out of him," Arthur points out.

"Oh sure, take his side," Merlin says, shoving Arthur over so he can climb into bed with him.

"I'm always on your side, I swear," Arthur says; only half-joking.

Merlin kisses his cheek.

"I'm on yours too. I promise we'll get through this."

~III~

Gwaine is first to arrive and straight away Arthur can see he doesn't know the news. Gwaine has no front, no way of hiding his emotions, and the cheery way he greets them testifies to his ignorance.

"Arthur! Where the hell have you been, man? You went AWOL!"

"Yeah, I… sorry about that," Arthur says.

"Well? What was so important you blew off laser tag last week? And what's with the arm?"

"Tell you when everyone gets here," Arthur mutters. His fingers and ribs are no longer taped up, but his arm is still wrapped. The bruises on his face are all but gone, although there's still a healing cut at the top of his nose from where it was broken. He hopes it's gone by Monday.

Gwaine opens his mouth to ask another question but Merlin quickly directs his attention to a plate of cookies Hunith made for the occasion, granting Arthur a reprieve.

It's only a temporary stay of execution however. Gwen and Elyan are next to come, and it's obvious they know from the moment they step in the house. Elyan's eyes are filled with concern, his whole body language edgy, as though he's ready to spring into action to defend Arthur from any possible threat. And Gwen…

Gwen looks devastated. She's obviously been crying, her eyes are red rimmed and puffy. The second she sees Arthur she reaches out her hands, then retracts them suddenly, as though she thinks Arthur might not want to be touched.

He does want to be touched, so badly. He opens his arms to her and she walks into them. He can feel her shake slightly as she buries her head in his shoulder, and when she pulls back there are tears in her eyes. But she swipes at them immediately, as though she can sense they're not what's needed right now, and gives him a lopsided smile.

"We're just gonna wait for everyone to arrive," Merlin says softly from behind him and Gwen nods in understanding. Elyan rests his hand on Arthur's arm briefly, and then takes his sister into the kitchen.

When everyone's assembled, bunched up tight in the too-small living room, Arthur sits down in the armchair; Merlin perched on the arm beside him.

"So, um… I wanted to…"

His mouth is very dry and he licks his lips.

"I know I disappeared last week and some of you were a bit worried, and I'm really sorry about that. It's, um… I was…"

He dries up again, and feels Merlin's hand squeeze his shoulder.

"My dad's been arrested," he says at last. "I-I guess some of you might have seen the paper today already."

Freya and Leon are nodding sadly but Elena, Lance and Gwaine all look totally shocked.

Elena looks like she's going to say something but Arthur wants to finish speaking now, before he loses his nerve.

"He got arrested because… because…"

He can't say it. There's panic rising in his chest. He turns his head to Merlin, who reaches out to take his hand.

"It's okay," he whispers, massaging Arthur's knuckles. "Take your time."

Arthur takes a deep breath, in and out.

"He's been hitting me," he says, and his voice cracks but he ploughs on. "For a while. A few… a few years."

There's a collective intake of breath but he keeps his eyes on his hand in his lap, intertwined with Merlin's.

"And when we broke up for the holiday, he… he lost it and he beat me up. Badly. And… after h-he locked me up in a room so I couldn't tell anyone and he took my phone, but I was meant to meet Morgana and she got suspicious, which is why she messaged some of you, and then she came round and he tried to-to… he put me in the car boot so the police wouldn't find me but they did and then they arrested him and now I'm staying here."

Arthur gabbles the end out, not sure if he's even making sense anymore. He can feel sweat trickling down his back in the silence that greets his statement.

It abruptly strikes him how insane it all sounds. Getting held captive in your own house, getting shoved into car boots; it's the stuff of Hollywood movies. How can he ask his friends to process all this?

He keeps his eyes firmly locked on his lap.

"Fucking hell," Gwaine eventually says, and it's not an unusual proclamation from him, but the total lack of mirth in his voice is.

Arthur risks a quick look upwards. He's pleased to see that Gwen isn't crying, but he notices that both Freya and Lance look extremely tearful. Leon is sat very stiffly, his hands gripping the couch. Elena has gone very pale, and beside her Gwaine is clenching and unclenching his fists.

Suddenly he leaps to his feet, the movement making Arthur flinch away, and punches the wall with all his might.

Merlin gets up straight away and grabs Gwaine by the arm, pulling him from the room and closing the door behind him.

Arthur hunches in his chair, feeling horribly vulnerable now that Merlin's left the room. For a few seconds it feels like no-one's going to break the terrible, yawning silence, but then Freya speaks.

"Arthur, we're so sorry. It sounds like you went through hell."

Her words are simple and direct, there's empathy in her voice but no pity.

"We had no idea," Elyan says from the other side of the room. "But I think I speak for everyone when I say how glad I am that you're safe now."

There are several fervent nods of agreement.

"I don't think-" Lance starts, then clears his throat and tries again. "I don't think any of us can say we know what you're going through, but if there's anything we can do to help…"

"No," Arthur says, swallowing around the lump in his throat.

Then he changes his mind.

"Yes. Please don't… treat me differently. Please just be the same way you always are. Otherwise…"

He runs out of words, unable to articulate why it matters so much to him.

There's a short silence.

"Are you sure you want us exactly the same?" Leon suddenly says. "Because this might be a great time to ask Elena to stop singing out loud to One Direction."

Arthur starts slightly, then a smile creeps across his face.

"Er, or Leon to stop driving like my ninety year old grandfather!" Elena shoots back, and she does an impression of Leon at the wheel, squinting around like an old man.

"I could live without Elyan's attempts at magic tricks," Freya puts in, grinning widely.

"What do you mean, attempts?" Elyan says indignantly. "Arthur, if anyone needs to change, it's Freya and her creepy obsession with that Benadryl Cucumber guy."

"It's Benedict Cumberbatch!" both Gwen and Freya shout at the same time.

"I'm with Elyan," Leon says. "I've heard enough about Benevolent Cummerbund to last a lifetime."

"Pipe down, Leon," Gwen says. "Don't you have somewhere you need to be driving to at four miles an hour?"

Leon throws a cushion at her, but it misses and hits Lance in the face, who swiftly retaliates. Elena swings one in Elyan's direction but it heads towards Arthur and he catches it with his good arm reflexively, before pitching it at Freya.

By the time Merlin and Gwaine walk back in the room, an all-out cushion fight is in session, with Arthur, Gwen, and Lance hiding behind the armchair whilst the others lob missiles at them.

Merlin promptly gets hit in the face and his look of surprise is so comical that everyone breaks off the game to laugh at him.

"Very funny you heathens, you'll be the ones putting this room straight before my mum gets home."

Merlin's mock indignation only makes them laugh more, but they do set about clearing up the mess.

In the midst of the tidy up operation, Gwaine makes it to Arthur's side. Arthur notices his hand is bandaged up.

"I'm sorry about before," he mumbles. "I just… I was so mad."

Gwaine looks miserable and Arthur feels a rush of affection that his friend seems to care so much.

He smiles at him.

"Thanks for the support. But don't be mad anymore. I think I've had enough of people being angry to last a lifetime."

Gwaine nods, then pulls Arthur into a hug.

"Love you, kiddo," he says roughly, and then releases him.

When the room's sorted, Arthur sits back down on the armchair. Merlin walks over to sit by him, and it feels like the most natural thing in the world to pull him down into his lap and give him a lingering kiss.

It's only when he breaks it off that he becomes acutely aware of the fact that no-one else in the room actually knows about Merlin and him yet.

Looking into Merlin's wide eyes, he realises the same thing has occurred to his boyfriend, and they slowly turn to face their friends.

To find a sea of knowing smiles (more of a smirk in Gwaine's case) and one completely bemused face.

"Since when are you gay, Arthur?" Elena says, bafflement in her tone.

"Since he first laid eyes on Merlin," Gwaine says instantly and Arthur blushes slightly.

"But I swear you were checking out my arse once," Elena says guilelessly and everybody groans, while Arthur's blush deepens.

"Thank God you two finally figured it out," Gwen says warmly.

"I was all for locking you in a classroom together," Elyan says. "Or a bathroom, or a cupboard…"

"Yes, well, we got there ourselves," Merlin says grandly, "…eventually."

"I don't know which one of you to give the 'you hurt him, and I'll kill you' speech to," Leon muses.

"If you hurt each other, we'll kill you both," Freya says promptly.

"That's… nice," Arthur says weakly, slightly stunned by how well this way going. Not that he expected major protests, but he didn't foresee such whole hearted support. It's like they all thought the relationship was inevitable.

Maybe it was, Arthur thinks; and it's a happy thought.

~III~

As his final year of school goes by, a lot changes. After Morgana finishes her second year at university, she comes home for the summer and Arthur moves back in with her. It takes a while to get used to the old house for both of them. Arthur is haunted by the memories of what had happened there, and occasionally gripped by irrational fears that Uther is about to pop out from around a corner and attack him. He also finds himself physically unable to go into the cellar or the third floor guest room. Meanwhile he can sense Morgana is struggling with being trapped back in the same place she'd tried so hard to get away from.

It's difficult, but they manage to adjust. They try to make it so the house feels more like it belongs to them – they move furniture around and Morgana hangs up some of her artwork and Arthur grows more comfortable with leaving his books and clothes around the place, so that the house loses that sterile, uninhabited feel.

They also try to create new memories in it. Morgana persuades Arthur to invite all of his friends round for a barbecue in August; pointing out that the huge back garden had remained unused for far too long. It's true; Uther never went out there, and the makeshift goalposts in the corner had been sadly neglected since Arthur stopped hoping against hope his father would join him for a kick about.

Barring Gwen when they were in primary school, none of his friends have ever been inside his house before. Gwaine lets out a long whistle when they first step inside.

"Fuck me; I think I saw this place on MTV Cribs once."

He continues to make increasingly outlandish comments until Elena asks him if he was literally born in a barn and that's why he's having such an extreme reaction to seeing a nice house. Arthur just thinks it's funny. He'd never imagined any of his friend's reactions to his (admittedly palatial) house because he'd never envisaged any of them coming round to see it. It's another first he has to tick off on his list; another perfectly normal thing that he'd missed out on as yet.

He makes sure his friends have a good time, because he's very aware the last few months would have been much worse without them. He has a hard time returning to school after the paper prints the story on Uther, but their support helps a lot. Other than the odd comment, no-one really bothers him. Even Val and Kay, who he sees in the corridor on his first day back and abruptly recalls their last encounter with a sudden chill of fear, simply give him a quick nod and hurry on their way. Whether it's that they don't want any trouble, or that they saw the paper and feel guilty for picking on him, Arthur doesn't know. But they never bother him or Merlin again.

There's another low point when summer's over and the trial begins to loom. Morgana starts to split her time between living with him four days a week, and spending three at Morgause's so she can attend her lectures. Arthur hates to be in the house alone when she's gone so he invariably spends the time over at Merlin's. Hunith is incredibly tolerant of his constant presence, and just sleeping next to Merlin at night does a lot to calm his nerves.

He needs that support once the trial starts. His lawyer tries to ensure he spends as little time in court as possible, but he still has to testify. He finds the whole experience terrifying and he throws up in the court house toilets more than once. Merlin always comes with him, even if he has to take time off school (the teachers are very understanding about Arthur's absences) and he sits where Arthur can always see him in the courtroom.

Arthur never meets Uther's eyes once, the whole time he's on the stand. He only has a vague awareness of his father, a sort of shape looming in the corner of his eye. He can't look properly or he'll fall apart.

Uther's lawyer is good, but there's overwhelming physical evidence, as well as the police officers' statements about finding Arthur in the boot of the car. Aredian also turns traitor to lessen his own sentence, and testifies that he saw signs of physical abuse on Arthur several times before the final incident. Giving evidence against Uther saves Aredian from jail time – he takes a plea bargain and ends up with a two year suspended sentence. It makes Arthur angry, but the silver lining is that he loses his license to practise medicine; which is a source of some comfort to Arthur, just as Aredian's public and professional disgrace is.

Morgana and Merlin both accompany Arthur to the court when it's time for the verdict and sentencing. They hold his hands on either side as the jury finds his father guilty of child cruelty, assault, false imprisonment, and attempted kidnapping. The judge sentences him to seven years in prison, with a recommendation to serve at least five.

Arthur feels… nothing. He takes his first proper look at his father since the day Uther dropped him into that car boot, and all he can think is that the man looks very old. His hair has almost completely greyed, and the hands currently being cuffed in front of him are wrinkled with age. He casts his head down again before Uther can look his way, and he finds he can't get up and move for a long time after his father has been escorted out.

He's very low for a while after that. He doesn't go the school at all the next week, just stays home and lies in his bed. Morgana sits with him a lot, and makes sure he eats at least something every day. When she has to leave, she calls Merlin to come round, and his boyfriend stays in his room with him for three days until he finally feels up to leaving.

It gets a bit better after that, although the panic attacks continue, much to his frustration. He tells his therapist he doesn't understand why he never had an attack when he lived with Uther and had plenty of reasons to panic, but he's having them now he's out of the danger zone.

Andrew says it isn't uncommon. He suggests that Arthur spent a lot of time running on adrenaline with his father; keeping himself on edge to be prepared for anything. Now that's it over, his body and mind have more time to process the trauma inflicted on him; and the panic attacks are a sign of that struggle.

Andrew helps him learn some coping strategies; different breathing exercises and mantras that he can try when he feels an attack coming on. It helps that Merlin and all his friends know what to do now when it happens in front of them; but Arthur still finds it humiliating. Andrew asks him to try and be patient, and laughs when Arthur rolls his eyes slightly.

But it does get easier. School is much improved since he was able to give up Maths, and if he still finds Business Studies boring, he's buoyed up by the idea that he's applied to King's College to do Politics. Merlin's applies to the same place to do Mathematics and Physics (Gwaine pretends to stab himself when he hears Merlin's choice of degree), deciding that he prefers art and literature to be for his free time, and not something he studies.

There's no question that they'll go to the same university. Even their backup choices are the same. Sometimes Arthur gets a giddy thrill, thinking of the two of them in London together. He worries on and off he won't get the required results for Kings, but when the time comes, he does just fine. Morgana screams in delight down the phone when he tells her his results, and Hunith hugs him with tears in her eyes.

To celebrate results day, Elena suggests they all return to her parents' house in Cornwall for a few days.

The day before they leave Hunith has him and Morgana round for a congratulatory dinner. Merlin thinks it's hilarious that Hunith bothered to formally invite Arthur.

"He practically lives here anyway Mum; chances are he'd have been round without an invite."

Hunith takes a break from chopping vegetables to gently smack her son's arm.

"It's called good manners Merlin, something you are entirely without, you little fiend."

"Less of the little," Merlin says, standing up to rest his chin on his mum's head.

"I knew it was a mistake to let you get so tall," Hunith says, winking at Arthur. "I shouldn't have fed you so well."

Some days Arthur can't believe Merlin's even taller than he himself is now; he still remembers that skinny little thirteen-year-old he first saw upside down all those years ago. They've both changed so much since then.

He smiles across at Hunith, who's shrieking with laughter as Merlin wraps her in a hug and lifts her off the floor.

Occasionally there's a slight ache in his chest when he watches Hunith and Merlin together. He's never known that kind of parental relationship for himself, and he wishes he had.

But it's only a slight ache, because the two of them are his family now as well. He feels closer to Merlin than he ever could to flesh and blood. Merlin has a part of his soul. And after everything Hunith's done for him, he loves her like a mother. This past year she's opened her home to him, given him her whole hearted support, and he never stops being grateful.

He hopes the feeling runs both ways. Hunith always treated him with the same kindness and love she showed Merlin; and once she had even remarked she felt like Arthur was her second son. To which Merlin promptly replied that that made Arthur and him brothers, which meant they should probably both be under arrest. Then Hunith had raised her eyes to heaven and asked God to deliver her from her overly literal son; and Arthur had shut Merlin up with a very unbrotherly kiss.

When Morgana shows up, Hunith opens a bottle of Cava and they all toast to the boys' success. Arthur feels quietly happy, being with all of them. That night he and Merlin stay up late talking and giggling, like they're twelve years old and at a sleepover again.

They both sleep on the drive down to Cornwall, much to Elyan's annoyance, and they're wide awake in time for the barbecue on the beach. Gwaine seems to have brought more alcohol than all of them put together could hope to consume, so they all end up very tipsy. It's a blessing Lance stays sober enough to build a fire as night falls later on. They sit in a merry circle around it, talking about old memories and new plans.

"This might be one of the last times we're all together," Gwen says seriously at one point and everyone shouts protests at her.

"Me and Elyan have been at uni for a year, and we still manage to see you layabouts," Leon points out.

"Just as long as we all promise to keep in contact," Gwen says firmly. "Wherever we end up."

There's a cheer of drunken agreement, which somehow turns into calls for a speech.

"A speech from who?" Arthur says and immediately regrets it as all eyes turn on him.

"Arthur!" Freya beams and the rest take up the cry.

"Why me?" he objects.

"Because otherwise Gwaine will do it, and he'll probably end up stripping or something," Elena says.

"You wish!" Gwaine calls from across the fire.

Arthur looks at Merlin in an appeal for help but his boyfriend simply gives him a mischievous grin.

"Your public awaits," he says.

If Arthur wasn't pleasantly buzzing from the alcohol, he would refuse, but as it is he gathers his liquid courage together.

"Okay," he says and stands up, then sways a little to the side, to a chorus of 'waheys'.

"Erm right. So here we are, in Cornwall, enjoying this fine August evening…"

"Get to the point!" Gwaine interjects.

"I don't know what the point is!" Arthur protests.

"No heckling!" Gwen says, then turns back to Arthur. "Go on Arthur."

"Okay, right. So… so we're all here, and we all made it through A-Levels, or first year uni for those two, and now we're all heading off in different directions. And we all know it's easy to lose touch once we're not living in the same place, but I think that no matter where we go, or what we end up doing, we should remember tonight. All of us here by the fire, having a laugh and being together. That way we'll know never to lose contact with each other, and we'll be able to find our way back here. I know I will. Because it's hard to find mates like you lot, and that's something to remember."

There's a pause and then rowdy applause starts.

"Now strip!" Gwaine yells.

"No chance," Merlin says. "That sight is reserved strictly for me."

His friends make exaggerated noises of disappointment and Arthur drops back down to the ground to pull Merlin into a kiss.

The two of them end up staying by the fire until it dwindles down to embers, and all their friends have gone back to the house.

"We're gonna be moving in three weeks," Merlin says happily, his head resting on Arthur's shoulder. "Are you ready for the big city?"

"I am," Arthur says. "These little town blues are melting away, I can feel it already."

"Dork," Merlin says fondly. "Hey, can we go see Billy Elliot in the West End?"

"How am I the dork here?"

"Pleeease?"

"Okay, okay. Let's waste all our money in our first year on theatre tickets and overpriced cocktails."

"Sounds like a plan."

Merlin snuggles further into Arthur.

"I'm so excited. It's gonna be so great! I mean, not all the time obviously, because nothing can be great all the time. If it was, you wouldn't appreciate the good things. You need the sour to have the sweet. Is that a quote from Vanilla Sky? I think it is. I didn't really like that movie. But I liked the bit at the end on the roof. Or is that not that movie? Am I thinking of that weird one you made me watch with the man with the funny eye? Or-"

"I love you," Arthur says, and Merlin stops mid-sentence and lifts his head to kiss Arthur.

"I love you too. And I can't wait to go to London with you. And also to go everywhere with you."

Arthur smiles, peace flooding through him.

"I would like that," he says.

~III~

It's over! Thanks so so much if you've been reading or reviewing this story, I really hope you liked it :) I may do a one shot companion piece to this with all the events from Merlin's perspective, if that sounds like something you might be interested in reading?