Hey there! I realize that, as I do have another story incomplete at the moment, I should probably have that as my priority before starting new fics…but to tell you the truth, on my other story (it's called When In Doubt'), I'm stumped. Writer's block has come to call…at least in that area anyway. And so as I was thinking to myself, Why oh WHY did I say I would update in a few DAYS?, I got a bit sidetracked (my mind likes to take me on wild adventures with my imagination) and came up with this idea. And I thought, Hey, why not?

So here you are. The summary: In this fic, as will be explained, practically EVERYONE knows about Merlin's magic…except Arthur. And Arthur, obviously, can't be left out on Knowing Merlin's Secret, so everyone pressures Merlin into telling Arthur. But, try as he might, Merlin just can't seem to be able to tell Arthur the truth. Or anything, really, and believe me, he's tried.

It's a humorous reveal fic, taking place between 3x13 and 4x1. All friendship and LOLing, and no slash whatsoever. Enjoy!

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Merlin knew it was time.

Honestly, he did. He had to tell Arthur the truth.

Practically everyone else knew by then. Lancelot, Gwaine, Percival, Elyan, Leon, Gwen…how that had happened, he had no idea. But it had, and now he had to tell Arthur.

He really didn't have any choice. How could he let practically all of the knights know, as well as the future queen, and not tell his best friend – his other half and all that – Arthur?

He didn't have any choice.

That's what he kept telling himself, over and over again…

It wasn't really making things easier.

Merlin was pacing back and forth in Arthur's vast chambers, waiting for the Regent to arrive. Wringing his hands nervously, he couldn't keep still. He was definitely going to tell Arthur, and he knew that it was time to do so. But, after living for so long keeping his secret hidden…after hiding it from everyone…it was going to be difficult.

Well, not everyone…

Merlin had grown increasingly baffled as the number of people who knew about his gifts grew. He was relieved, of course; relived beyond belief. Not one of them had tried to kill him, or turn him in, or…anything. They didn't shout, or get angry at all.

It was definitely very strange.

Gwen was the first to find out, after Lancelot of course. After her, Gwaine, then Percival, then Elyan, and finally Leon. Some had confronted him after putting the pieces together themselves, and some had caught him in the act. They'd shown varying degrees of surprise, wariness, and shock, but nothing more.

Which, Merlin had thought, was great. That is, until they'd all gotten together to start pressuring him to tell Arthur about it, too. He couldn't go anywhere without getting the earnest lectures from Gwen, the pointed glances from Leon, the loud remarks from Gwaine…

Even Percival's silences, though they were still as silent as ever, were filled with those crazy words that everyone was throwing at him all of the sudden.

Tell him.

After Merlin's initial reaction of 'Are you INSANE?', he began wearing down to 'I will tell him…eventually', to 'I'm waiting for the right time', to 'FINE! I'LL TELL HIM, BUT ONLY IF YOU STOP TELLING ME TO TELL HIM!'.

That didn't actually take very long.

So, finally, after the small mountain of threats from his friends (that's what friends were for, he was told) had grown to teetering, he relented. And there he was.

In Arthur's chambers.

About to tell Arthur…the truth.

And, hopefully, not about to jump out a window or anything, because that was actually looking more appealing than Option #1.

Merlin paused in his relentless pacing, clasped his hands behind his back, and tried to force himself to stand still for more than approximately 3 seconds.

It didn't work.

He practically threw himself into the chair that sat at the head of Arthur's table, trying to calm himself. Hyperventilating was not a good idea right now.

Deep breaths. One, two, three….

Nope, that wasn't working, either.

Merlin leaned forward in the chair, placed his elbows on the table in front of him, and rested his head in his hands. Sighing deeply, he fixed his gaze on the chamber doors.

No, that was a very bad place to fix his gaze on.

He turned his eyes downwards, and ended up staring unwaveringly at a bowl of grapes sitting at the center of the table.

I can do this, I can do this, I can do this…

He thought to himself as loudly as he could, staring at the grapes so heavily that they were probably extremely creeped out by now at his stalker-like interest in them.

No you CAN'T, no you CAN'T, no you CAN'T…

A second little voice in his head yelled at him, completely drowning out his earlier thought.

Shut up, I can totally do this. Can, can, can…

Can not! Arthur's going to be furious, you're going to be arrested, you friends will turn against you, and you're going to be burned at the stake. YOU CAN NOT DO THIS!

Merlin relented a bit in his scrutiny of the grapes as he tried to control the flow of the conversation going on inside his head.

Nope, everything's going to be fine. Arthur's my friend. Everything will be fine. I CAN DO THIS.

No you can't –

Yes, I'm going to, everything will work out wonderfully.

YOU ARE GOING TO DIE.

SHUT UP!

Merlin felt like banging his head on the table. So much for the pep-talk.

Feeling like he was going to spontaneously combust, he lurched out of the chair and resumed his frantic pacing.

This wasn't going to work.

Merlin faltered, scratching his head. What he needed was a distraction. He had to think about something else. If he could only keep his mind off what he was going to have to do, he could stay calm. If Arthur saw him like this, it would only make things harder.

Merlin had to forget about it completely, and then just…say it. Without thinking too much, if at all possible. If Merlin thought about it too much – or at all, probably – he'd internally explode.

No thinking.

Just don't think about it.

Okay…no thinking.

Merlin took a deep breath, eyes closed.

Relax.

Feeling his muscles loosening, he rolled his shoulders – all that stressing could give you such a crick in the neck – and unclasped his hands, which, he realized, he'd been squeezing to the point of cutting off the circulation.

No thinking.

Well, this was much better.

For a second, Merlin simply reveled in the fact that he wasn't going crazy with anxiety for more than 3 seconds. What a feeling.

And continued doing that…for approximately 4 seconds.

Before he could fully register the footsteps pounding down the corridor outside the chamber doors, they were swinging open to admit none other than Arthur, the Prince and Regent of Camelot.

No thinking –

– I can do this –

– YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!