The Innocence of a Kiss

Merlin was panicking. It was all good and well for Morgana to say sort it out. But how could he, after all these years that they both spent thinking 'what if'. He didn't know what he wanted, what was the best thing to do. Maybe even up and leave again, go back to Ealdor and help his mother.

The rings were still sitting it Merlin's palm, his hand shaking only slightly. Deliberating what to do with them, Arthur walked in.

The Prince stopped still. Merlin was standing pale and shaken before him and his most precious possessions in view. The souvenirs of his youth that he had tried so long to keep secret and hidden from the world, for him to only see when it became too much to bear the memories of him and Merlin in silence. By himself.

"Where did you find them?" Arthur partially yelled as he strode forward quickly, snatching the two rings from Merlin's hand.

Merlin did not answer the blonde's question but asked one of his own "Why did you say you didn't remember?"

"I didn't want to remember" Arthur all but spat "You left me! You broke my heart!"

"Well you broke mine" Merlin shouted back.

"Sophia put me under a spell, it wasn't my fault"

Merlin went quiet. Silence engulfed the Prince's chambers as the two men avoided eye contact with one another.

"Well what now?" Merlin spoke up.

"I think you should leave merlin"

"What!"

"I said leave. Please" Arthur locked eyes with Merlin then, tears were forming as Merlin sombrely nodded and left him alone.

Arthur began to cry . . .

…Flashback….

Arthur was crying in his chambers, snivelling into his sister's shoulder as the rest of his friends tries to comfort him after Merlin's departure.

"Don't worry he'll be back, you're see" Morgana softly soothed her little brother rocking him on his bed. She had found him running along the corridors, sniffling and hiding his young face from the redness that came with crying. She had followed him and along the way picked up the rest of their newly formed friendship group of whom all seemed to be suffering in some way from their youngest companion leave them.

"Yes Gwaine lives not to far away from Ealdor; he's visiting home in a few days. He can bring merlin back" Gwen suggested hopefully as she went to the other side to join Morgana in comforting the young Prince.

"Yeah don't worry about it princess"

Arthur looked up from Morgana's shoulder to give an irritated look in the direction of the more outspoken member of their group who thought he could tease Arthur just because he was one year older then him.

Arthur soon gave a small smile though when Morgana got up from beside him to go and smack Gwaine around the head "Be nice"

"What at least he's stopped crying now" Gwaine replied while rubbing the side of his head.

"Don't worry Arthur we will get Merlin back" Lancelot now replaced Morgana's earlier position by his side, giving his shoulder a small squeeze.

During Gwaine's trip they all tried to cheer Arthur up. Lancelot and Leon had let him win in their game of knights and dragons. Gwen had picked him some flowers for him and Morgana hadn't argued with him once!

But Arthur still was sad. Eight years old and already was walking around with a permanent look of sadness like his daddy.

When Gwaine returned he did so with sad news. Merlin's mum wouldn't let him come back. He was happy there and had recently become good friends with a young boy in the village named will, who was a few years his older then him.

When Arthur was told this he walked out and ran along the corridors, his friends not following him but to allow him to be on his own for a moment.

The Prince ran straight to Merlin's room, old room. Gaius wasn't there as he barged through into the physicians quarters and into the backroom; landing atop of what was Merlin's bed before he let go and cried deep into the day and night.

…..End flashback….

Merlin was crying softly on his bed, his pillow held against his face to quieten his sobs.

That was how Gaius found him "I think I can presume what this about" Gaius addressed his young ward, peeling the pillow from out of the young man's grasp.

Merlin looked at him with red stained eyes, tears flowing down his angular pale face giving the old physician a curious glance.

"Morgana and Gwen came to me earlier" Gaius explained "though I had to admit I thought this would all come out a lot sooner than it did."

"What do you mean?" Merlin sat up, wiping his sleeve against his face to rid him of the final tears,

"I knew all along about you two. I could see it, I still see it. You're childhood wedding was not a just a game. You both truly felt connected and I always thought you two would end up together. You should try to rekindle that love Merlin."

After getting past the shock of Gaius' statement Merlin breathed deeply to bear down his emotions and replied "How can I, he probably hates me now."

"Arthur could never hate you. For you see you were not around as Arthur grew up. When you left he became a different person and into his teens he became a bit of a delinquent, he built a wall around himself and used his sarcasm to shield his emotions. When you came back to Camelot two years ago Arthur knew who you were straight away, that was why he acted as you say a prat towards you. He was afraid of letting you back into his life. When you didn't remember he seemed to draw himself even deeper into his shell. But you've brought him out, you've made him feel again and that scares him a lot. All those years of trying to forget yet he still is in the same situation he was in all those years ago. You will have to make the first move my boy; you need to give it a chance, each other a chance."

"But how do you know all this, how do you know it just wasn't some silly little game we played when we were children?"

"Because you two are tied together, you returned because of it. You may say it was your mother wanting you to learn from me but deep down destiny was at work as were you're emotions. As Kilgharrah says you are two sides of the same coin. It is more than just destiny that joins you two. Now go to him boy before I die of old age, I've been waiting a long time to see you to back together." Gaius finally finished, and now began shooing Merlin up and out of his room and through the entrance of the physician's quarters.

"If I didn't know any better I would say you had this planned all along"

"Really Merlin" Gaius shook his head.

Merlin smiles at his guardian before running of to face his destiny and apparently soul mate, leaving the old man smiling after him.

Arthur had been silent since Merlin had left, staring at the rings he held on his open palm. Just like last time. His emotion flooded his mind. So long he had tried to get over Merlin; it was stupid how he couldn't. It was just one stupid boy after all. But Arthur couldn't deny it on Merlin's return that he had been hopeful and to be truthful he still was.

After some time in silence Merlin came rushing back into his chambers.

"Merlin, what -"

"Before you say anything I need to tell you this" Merlin stopped dead just in front of the Prince. Glad he had shut the doors from the whole world to see what he was about to do "I love you. I don't know what happened after I left but I do know that it changed you. I kinda turned you into a prat."

Arthur snorted at Merlin's blatant final sentence. A good thing too considering he was experiencing a mini panic attack on the inside from his manservant's first statement. Merlin continued.

"But I do know that you love me, that you have always loved me. I know I'm kinda coming on a bit strong but" he paused all the time he had been walking further towards Arthur, the Prince actually stood up waiting for something to happen.

"Yes" Arthur prompted the raven haired man in front of him.

"Well, urgh, urm . . ."

Arthur's smile grew wider at Merlin's now bumbling ways, obviously what he had been finally saying had caught up to him.

"Do I have to do everything around here" and before Merlin could reply with more rambling Arthur stepped forward, closing the final distance between them and pressed his lips against Merlin's. They lingered like that for a few moments, sharing a tender and gentle kiss they had not experienced since they were children. The experience of an innocent kiss.