Summary: Every year, on the winter solstice, anything Merlin crafts out of ice comes to life. But only for one night. One year, he builds a prince.

For Random_Nexus

Breathing Frost

Every winter, Hunith yells at Merlin for running out into the snow without his coat on. Merlin never listens. How else is he supposed to feel the sharp cold against his skin, feel snowflakes against his hair, or feel these ice crystals melt back into water? How else is he supposed to hug the winter for bringing its first snowfall? He has to grasp the snowflakes in his palms, shape them into life before the magic slips away.

Hunith yanks a wooly hat over his ears. An impressive feat considering how much his ears stick out but now Merlin can't hear as well.

"There you go, my little imp. Now stay still so I can get your scarf on you."

"Mum! The North Wind was just telling me about the penguins in the Arctic! It snows there all. The. Time!"

"Yes, dear. And the Arctic can keep that snow. I prefer the spring. Why couldn't you be this mad about the spring, snow imp?"

"Oh but I do love the spring!" All those flowers are gorgeous to look at and grow. He has two gardens. One for magical growing and the other for normal growing with his mum. Builds character, Hunith says. "But winter's just better!"

Hunith just sighs and pokes his nose.

"Oi!"

"There you go, all bundled up warm. Go make some snow angels, darling."

Merlin grins at her and does just that.

The thing about Merlin is that he's not exactly normal. His best friend is the North Wind, who always breezes in for a visit even in the summertime (but not too often, for fear of upsetting Merlin's plants.) He talks to birds and insects. His hair constantly gets filled with faerie knots and the earth seems to sing a little louder when he plays outside.

And he has magic.

His plush dragon Kilgharrah floats after him like a puppy when Merlin feels lonely. The dishes clean themselves whenever Merlin doesn't feel like cleaning the 'normal' way (Hunith always makes him do the dishes again for character building. Normally, this time.) His clothes mend themselves (a perk for Hunith, honestly) and Hunith always wakes up to a new bouquet grown from her alarm clock.

His magic does as it pleases, its power waxes and wanes with the seasons. For that reason, Hunith keeps Merlin at home for school, hoping that Merlin might be able to go to university someday when he regains control of his powers. For that reason, Merlin's powers do the extraordinary at every season's height of power.

During the spring equinox, Merlin's garden gains the ability to talk (daffodils, for some reason, love to give the best flower gossip) before going mute again the next day. In the summer solstice, rain clouds gain creature-like shapes and chase Merlin around the yard. When autumn comes, during the equinox, spirits comes to converse with Merlin (his mum had a mini heart attack the first time it happened.)

But in the winter…

Merlin rolls around in the snow until he feels cold dripping through his scarf. Their backyard (more like endless forest stretching out for miles until the next town) is filled with snow angels and awkwardly drawn loops from Merlin's rolling. He grins a little and gathers some snow together in his arms.

What to play today…? Hm… He looks around and begins gathering a few clumps of snow together. Something fluffy and cute that he can cuddle with, like his flying plush Kilgharrah. He's always loved teasing the rabbits that try to sneak leaves from his garden. Maybe a snow rabbit?

He forms the ears and pictures them twitching in the sunlight. He puts in little pebbles for the eyes and nose. He carves in the mouth and little feet, pictures the little bunny hopping up to his shoulder.

Suddenly it does.

It twitches, just like the real thing, and nuzzles his cheek.

Merlin's eyes go wide.

"MUM!" he runs into their cottage. "MUM, I DID IT AGAIN!"

Hunith laughs in exasperation. "Little Imp, don't get the carpet wet!"

They spend the rest of the afternoon feeding the snow bunny fruits and letting it hop around the living room. Merlin curls up with the snow bunny at night, kissing it on its head, and letting it rest on its towel.

"Goodbye little Jackie," he whispers to it, "thanks for visiting me this year."

In the morning, it's gone. Just a puddle of water. The magic only lasts for one day a year after all.

Merlin knows he shouldn't, his late Dad explained the magic to him when he was five after all, but he tears up a little for his missing friend. Hunith finds him later, curled up around Jackie's damp towel, and they have a blanket party for the rest of the week.

Mums, Merlin thinks, have the best magic.

On the next autumn equinox, Merlin wakes up to a ghost of a bunny chewing on his socks. "Jackie!" he scoops up the spirit in his arms, laughing as Jackie nudges his nose.

Kilgharrah, his ever temperamental plushie, blows tissue flames at Jackie. The rabbit only twitches, smug.

"I didn't know that your creations could come back," Hunith muses over breakfast, watching Jackie phase in and out of the fridge for kicks. Kilgharrah chases Jackie into the oven.

"Didn't Dad's ever do that?"

"No… but your magic is more animated than his. The best things he ever made in the winter were snowmen… and those were extremely unnerving to look at. I remember they'd roll down the street chasing Old Josie's angels into the barn… They weren't as well made or lifelike as your creations, Merlin."

"Huh," Merlin shoves more cereal in his mouth. He wishes Dad was still here sometimes, just so he could ask about magic. Mum is wonderful (and he wouldn't give her up, ever) but having someone to ask questions to would be great about now.

Oh well. He grins, watching Jackie and Kilgharrah have a tug of war over the rug. He'll just enjoy it while it lasts.

The years go by and Merlin makes snow leopards and ice unicorns, named Sally and Godfrey respectfully. They visit him with Jackie every autumn equinox and try to sneak into Hunith's supply of apples. He learns four languages, since Hunith's always been a linguistics enthusiast and skypes his uncle Gaius for chemistry lessons. He learns to knit and make pie and tries to teach himself to skate (still a work in progress) but by the time Merlin turns twelve, he's lonely, even with the North Wind and his snow creatures for friends.

"Mum," Merlin lies down against the couch, giving up on making the longest scarf in the world. "Do you think I could go to school in the city?"

Hunith pauses. "Well… you still have trouble controlling your magic…" Exhibit A has Kilgharrah wrestling with a potato on the floor. Exhibit B has Merlin's socks running around in some sort of race. Merlin can never get the hang of socks. "But. Maybe next year, if you train very hard. Do your meditation exercises."

"Oh," Merlin groans. Meditation is the most annoying activity in the planet. All he can think about are stories in his head, stories about princes and knights and, for some reason, tragedies where they all die. Merlin wonders why his mind creates such messed up stories when he's generally content with life, if not for the loneliness.

Quietly, Hunith puts down her book and sits next to him. "This isn't about school, is it?"

Merlin doesn't look up, but he nods.

"I'm so sorry, darling," Hunith pulls him close. "I'm so cautious. It must be hard, stuck with just me for company and some visits from Gaius."

"No, no, not at all. I love you both! Well," Merlin says when Hunith looks at him, "it wouldn't hurt to have someone my age to talk to, I suppose."

"Well," Hunith thinks, "what if you got a pen pal? Gaius is a schoolteacher, I could ask him if he knows any students that would be willing to write to you."

"Would you really?!" Merlin beams. "Thanks mum!"

It's not the same as meeting someone new but it's something.

Gaius sends him the contact information of three students. Even better, they've all written the first letter and Merlin only has to reply back to whichever one he wants. 'No pressure,' Gaius said. But Merlin decides, to hell with it, he's going to write to them all. Just in case one of them don't like him. Gods, he hopes at least one of them likes him.

Lancelot seems nice. Apparently he does fencing and helps out at several charities. He wants to change the world when he grows up and his favourite food is curry. Merlin writes back several recipes that Mum's made with squash curry and calls Lancelot a knight. He hope it isn't too weird.

Gwaine, on the other hand, asks Merlin what movies he watches. Does he watch anime? Does he like comic books? Does he play Fable? Merlin has no idea what any of these are but he shares some of his favourite books with Gwaine, picking the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter because those seem safe.

But Gwen, Merlin really likes Gwen. She's sweet. She asks about Merlin's hobbies and tells him she likes gardening (a girl after his own heart). She tells him she loves fairy tales and books. She wants to be a writer but also a doctor too.

Merlin tells her about his garden immediately and then, because he's feeling a little brave, he tells her his favourite fairy tale. One that Mum tells just to him.

There once was a brave prince who had to fight against a terrible law that banned magic…

Having friends feels wonderful, even if they tease him for not having a cell phone. He gets to talk to them every day for an hour on skype and it's the closest he can feel to not-lonely in ages.

One morning, the snowfall comes a little earlier, just before Winter Solstice, and Merlin sets up his snow creatures for the magic to begin right away at dawn. He makes sure to make a bigger body for Jackie, to put Sally and Godfrey at least two feet away from each other (they fight almost as often as Jackie and Kilgharrah do), and he sets up his laptop by the window so he can take a picture of his snow creatures from the window.

Grinning, he sends the photo to Gwen, Gwaine, and Lancelot, writing 'Happy Snow Day!' in all caps.

Gwaine replies right away with, urgh, I wish. I still have to go to school. Why can't I live in the wilderness with you, Merlin? Take me awayyyy!

Lancelot, thirty minutes later, puts, ! That's amazing, Merlin! You're so talented! Have you ever built a horse before?

And, Gwen replies, You should build statues for a living, I'm so jealous! Do you mostly do animals? What about people? I didn't know you were an artist, otherwise I'd ask you to draw or build what you think the prince from your fairy tale looks like!

That, Merlin realizes, is an excellent idea.

Hunith laughs in amusement when Merlin crams down dinner and rushes outside to build more snow sculptures. "Put on your boots!" she yells before he can go barefoot.

He does. Sort of. He forgets to tie them but that doesn't matter, he's got a prince to build!

"Don't stay up too late, darling," Hunith tells him. "Remember to come in before midnight."

"Yup. Got it," Merlin mutters, trying to find the perfect spot to put the prince.

The prince from the fairy tale has always been Merlin's favourite character, even more than the knights or the warrior princess or the lonely witch. He always loved the idea of a prince fighting back against the injustice in his kingdom, standing up for the outcasts.

In his dreams, he imagines the prince with sun-kissed hair and beautiful blue eyes. Tall and strong. He wonders what the prince looked like when he was thirteen, like Merlin. Was he shorter? More lean? Merlin builds up long robes and a stubborn brow. But kind eyes. The prince should have eyes you can drown in.

There.

Merlin looks up at a slightly taller figure of his imagined prince at thirteen years old. He can't stop grinning or rocking back on his heels. The prince looks perfect.

Now, to take a picture and then send it to Gwen… then he can smush the snow away. He wouldn't want to bring a person to life during the Winter Solstice. That's just another can of worms that Merlin doesn't want to deal with.

But the moon shines bright that night, high above the trees, and the shadows cling to Merlin, as if to slow him down. Wait, they whisper, wait, you'll want to see this.

Even the Wind bustles in front of Merlin, slowing him further. Gusts of light snow, like pixie dust, hover in the air after the Wind, kissing Merlin's cheeks.

Watch him, the moon, the shadows, the wind, and the snow chant.

Before Merlin's eyes, the snow prince suddenly starts to sneeze, jolting up to life along with the other snow creatures.

"Oh my god. OH my god," Merlin runs hands through his hair.

The snow prince looks at him in irritation. "Who are you."

"Uh," what to say to an idealized fairy tale hero? "Hi."

The snow prince stares at him in disgust.

"I'm Merlin?"

"Right. Well. Tell me where the nearest town is, I need to figure out where I am."

"Uh… well… you're in Ealdor."

"Ealdor?!" the prince wrinkles his nose, looking less and less like a prince and more and more like a prat. "Where the heck is that?! I've never heard of it! Is it in Cenreid's Kingdom?"

Jackie, annoyed at being ignored, hops up to Merlin's shoulder. Godfrey, at this point, has begun chasing Sally with his horn. Merlin's willing to bet that Kilgharrah is napping in the living room. Lucky dragon.

"Yeah… about that… you might want to worry about when you are."

"When I am?!"

"Yeah, I'd say maybe thousands or hundreds of years into the future? I'm not sure when you come from." Or if this spirit is even the prince. "Sorry. Uh, you'll probably get back by midnight tomorrow? This will only last a day?"

The snow prince looks like he wants to punch something. Merlin's hoping that the snow prince will punch a tree instead of one of the snow creatures. Or Merlin.

"Explain."

Merlin winces. "That's going to take a while."

The snow prince crosses his arms.

"So I built you out of snow, and I forgot that my magic brings what I make out of snow to life during the Winter Solstice, but like I said, it only lasts for one day and you'll be back tomorrow, right?"

Snow Prince's mouth drops. His face twists into something harsh and broken. "You're a magic user?!"

Merlin doesn't understand. "Well, yes, but—"

"Get. Out." Snow Prince grits his icy teeth.

"But—"

"Get away from me before I cut your head off, mage!"

Before Merlin can say anything, Snow Prince pulls out a snow sword (where did he get that?! Merlin did not build that) and starts swinging it around like a madman.

"What the heck?!" Merlin ducks behind a tree, holding Jackie tightly against him. If he wasn't busy running for his life, he might appreciate how his rabbit is attempting its scariest face on Snow Prince. Not very scary but still appreciated.

Snow Prince follows like a hunter tracking his prey. Merlin barely catches his breath before Godfrey the snow unicorn tries to trample over Snow Prince with his hooves and Sally tackles him.

"Demons!" Snow Prince shouts when his face is shoved against the ground. Sally, tactfully, yanks his sword away and throws it several feet away.

Godfrey kicks Snow Prince once in the stomach, just for that comment.

"Guys, stop! He's just… confused! I think." Honestly, Merlin's never brought a human spirit to life with snow before. Unlike Jackie, Godfrey, or Sally, Snow Prince seems to have had a life of his own before the Winter Solstice breathed him to life.

Godfrey and Sally exchange a glance before Sally decides to sit on Snow Prince.

"Umph!" Snow Prince gasps. "Get off of me, you stupid beast! I am Prince Arthur of Camelot and I demand respect!"

Merlin tries not to laugh. Honest. "Dunno if snow leopards care if you're royalty. Sorry."

Snow—wait, Arthur glares at him and hisses, "Mage," like it's a filthy word.

Merlin tries not to flinch. 'Your magic is beautiful, darling, don't ever be ashamed of it,' Mum always tells him, 'just learn more control.'

"There's nothing wrong with magic," Merlin says.

"Yes, there is! It's devil's work! Magic ruins everything! My father says so!"

"That's not true!"

"Yes it is! Magic is the reason my mother died!"

And Merlin… has no idea what to say to that. When his father Balinor was alive, he told Merlin all sorts of stories about people who abuse magic and the consequences of being selfish with power. Every magic user has to have strong moralities and convictions, he told Merlin, or they can lose themselves. Having magic is easy and natural. Being a good person is a choice.

"...I'm sorry," Merlin whispers, "but that's not magic's fault… it's the fault of the person who killed her with it."

Prince Arthur stops for a moment before he scowls and turns away. Merlin just sighs. This prince doesn't act like the one from the fairy tale at all. The prince from the story was righteous and true, stood up against all injustices. This prince seems impulsive and rude, unwilling to listen. A complete prat. Spoiled to the brim.

"Fine," Merlin snaps. "Don't listen. I'll just leave you out here till the next night and then you'll be back to wherever you came from. Good night."

He conjures up a quilt to put on top of the Prince, nods to Sally and Godfrey to guard him, and then marches back to the cottage.

"Merlin," Hunith crosses her arms, glaring at him when he wakes up the next morning. "What did I say about staying up too late?"

"There was a crisis, Mum. A crisis. The wind wouldn't let me go back in the house and then things started moving."

Hunith groans. "Did you make build a sculpture of a three-headed dog even though I told you not to?"

"...No…" though Merlin makes no promises not to try (dogs are cool,) "I built a sculpture of a person."

"Oh. Well. Are they nice?"

Merlin scowls. "He's a prat. A stupid, mean, prat! He threw a sword at me!"

Hunith looks like she wants to go and do the same thing to the prince outside.

"Is he gone, at least?"

"No…"

"Merlin…"

"...He's sleeping in the backyard."

"Merlin!"

"I gave him my quilt."

"He tried to hurt you!"

"He looked cold!"

"He's made of snow!"

"I, well, maybe snow can get cold from snow too!"

This time, Hunith sits down. On the floor. She needs it.

"Sally and Godfrey are watching him?" she sighs.

Merlin nods easily. "Don't worry. I'll tell him the rules. Maybe he'll be nicer this morning after some rest," Prince Arthur seemed like the cranky sort, "I'll go get him."

Before Hunith can stop her son, he rushes out the door. She wonders if she should have raised Merlin in the city after all. His sense of 'stranger danger' alarms her very much.

Oh well, she trusts Merlin's little guardians to protect him and their uninvited guest will only be here for a day… she'll watch by the window just in case.

When Merlin goes out, he sees Prince Arthur chasing Sally with a tree branch, while Godfrey tries to bite him. The sword from earlier seems to be stuck on the roof with a very smug Jackie. Merlin is not going to ask. Nope. Kilgharrah, as usual, decides to fly down and rest on top of Merlin's head. Sometimes Merlin wonders if his plush dragon is part bird with the way he nips at Merlin's hair.

"Having fun?" Merlin asks when Prince Arthur trips over Godfrey's hooves.

"Fun?! No. This is humiliating. Just put me out of my misery, mage," the Prince grumbles from the ground. Sally sniffs at his fingers.

"Sorry. Can't. Contrary to belief, magical people don't eat human beings. It's a crime. Also dark magic. Do not want to touch dark magic," Merlin grins.

"Stop being cheerful. It's annoying."

"Right. Of course, your highness."

"If you're not going to kill me, send me back to where I come from, at least," Prince Arthur sits up.

"If you were listening, yesterday, you'd know that this magic only lasts for a day, during the Winter Solstice. I can't send you back. It'll just… wear off on its own at midnight."

"...So I'm stuck here until then."

Merlin nods.

"Urgh, I hate it already."

"I could always summon a few trolls for you to fight."

Prince Arthur's eyes widen. "Can you really do that?!"

Merlin laughs. "No! That would be cruel! The trolls don't deserve that."

"Hey!"

"And I shouldn't use my magic for that sort of thing."

"What, to defeat your enemies?" the Prince sneers.

"No, to abuse my power. Every being has autonomy and should be respected and cherished, not used against its will," Merlin recites, remembering Balinor's words well. Balinor always held Merlin close when he said these words and told Merlin that if he stayed good, one day, he'd ride a real dragon.

The Prince stares at him oddly.

"What? Do I have something on my face?"

"No!" the Prince sneers, silver dusting his cheeks. "Just your stupidly big ears."

"Oi!"

"Merlin!" he hears Mum calling from the cottage, "Breakfast!"

He notices Prince Arthur tensing, going for the tree branch and hisses, "That's my mum! She's got no magic, so don't hurt her."

The Prince gapes at him. "Mages have mums?!"

"Oh for… Yes, we have mothers. And fathers too. Or just mothers, depending on the relationship you have. Just. Come on, let's get something to eat. You must be hungry, even if you are in that snow body."

Prince Arthur, for the first time since he woke in Merlin's world, goes quiet, letting Merlin lead him by the hand. The rest of the snow creatures follow.

Hunith glowers at Prince Arthur for a moment, her eyes speaking a heavy warning, before she smiles and serves warm cinnamon oatmeal with berries. Merlin happily feeds Jackie while Hunith offers some candy apples to Godfrey and meat to Sally. Prince Arthur sits awkwardly at the table, staring at the shiny utensils and modest house with something like a sense of loss.

"You can just eat, you know. We won't poison you," Hunith says.

"Right. Of course. Um. Thank you madam," Prince Arthur says quietly, scooping up the oatmeal into his mouth. He pauses and whispers, "...It's delicious. Like the taste of autumn."

"Oh," Hunith softens a little, "Why thank you, your majesty. Those berries were grown in my Merlin's garden, you know. I always think they taste better than normal because of the amount of love his magic has."

The Prince's face sours.

"...Magic."

Hunith glares again. "Is that a problem?"

Prince Arthur hesitates, glances at Merlin and Jackie, and keeps eating. The rest of the meal is tense and silent but when he finishes his meal, Prince Arthur says a quiet thank you and Merlin feels something inside himself melt.

"This world is so strange," Prince Arthur comments later, when Hunith finally decides to leave them alone. She tells Godfrey and Sally to watch over Merlin with a stern voice, leaving Merlin and Prince Arthur to sip hot cocoa in the sitting room.

Merlin, trying not to smile at the sight of chocolate stains on the prince's chin, coughs. "How so?"

"Well, you have an entire closet that's cold. All the time! And you don't even need to keep it underground! And there are lights without fire indoors! Also, I saw that box, it had moving pictures in it. And the way you all dress… it's very different. What kind of sorcery did you use to get your home so warm without fire?"

"That's not sorcery!" Merlin laughs, while Kilgharrah huffs in his ear, "That's technology!"

Prince Arthur blinks. "Tech what?"

"Here, I'll show you."

They spend the rest of the afternoon watching youtube videos on Merlin's computer, videos explaining electivity and light bulbs, videos explaining cars and fridges. Prince Arthur reads with wonder, marveling at how fast the computer is, "an entire library stored in this metal container!", and laughing at how amazing people can be.

"I wish I understood these concepts more clearly, I could take them back with me to Camelot," Prince Arthur muses.

"What's it like? Camelot?" Merlin asks, hoping that he didn't accidentally pull a dead prince from the timestream. Please be alternate dimension. Please, please, please.

"We have two moons, for one thing," Prince Arthur snorts while Merlin praises all the magic in the universe for not making him accidentally ruin time. "You have no idea how long I stared up at the sky, convinced that mages blew up the other moon, before I decided to kick your giant cat off me."

"Sally is not a cat, she's a leopard."

"Whatever she's called. Camelot is a great kingdom. It stretches out from sea to sea… someday I'll have to be responsible for it all and protect it from the scourge of—" Prince Arthur stops. "Sorry."

"...You were going to say magic, weren't you?"

The Prince ducks his head down. "...Yes."

"Well," Merlin frowns, "I don't know what the history is like where you're from…" Merlin tries not to think alien space prince, because really, what kingdom has two moons?! "But I know magic isn't all bad. You must have met some bad people who didn't know what they were doing with magic. Most people are pretty decent, you know, if you give them the chance."

The Prince, with crystals in his eyes, looks at Merlin strangely. "You really believe that, don't you?"

"Well, yeah. I have to, don't I? Or what hope do I have?" he jokes.

But Prince Arthur just touches Merlin's cheek, the snowflakes in his fingers melting slightly at the touch.

"You're an idiot…"

"Hey!"

"But I might try believing that too…"

Merlin doesn't know why but he feels trapped, entranced, by the Snow Prince's gaze. Maybe it's the handsome face, the way those eyes soften in such sweet detail that shouldn't be possible for snow, but he turns away, hoping to hide the blush in his cheeks.

"Come on, let me show you my room!"

Prince Arthur just rolls his eyes and follows.

He tries showing the Prince how to knit, only to laugh when the Prince gets swallowed in stray bits of yarn, all green and yellow. He shows the Prince his sketchbook and a big book of aeroplanes so they can argue over whether humans can fly without magic. He laughs so much that the blankets and yarn in his room start to float and this time, Prince Arthur doesn't even flinch.

"You're a special kind of idiot, Merlin," the Prince says fondly.

"I have no idea if that's a compliment or not so I choose to ignore it."

"Moron," the Prince says softly, "I meant… it takes a special kind of idiot to make me feel like this."

"Emotionally constipated?"

"Happy," the Prince scoffs. "Honestly, aren't you listening?"

"Oh," Merlin thinks.

"Yes, Merlin. Oh," the Prince pokes him in the shoulder. "People just treat me like a Prince, like I'm high above them but you… you and your magical animals just kicked me to the ground and then fed me oatmeal. You're mad."

"Hopefully that's another word for 'nice,'" Merlin goes pink.

But the Prince doesn't stop. He takes Merlin's hand. "Whatever happens next, even if I never see you again, I won't forget this."

He leans in.

"Thank you…" he whispers just as the clock strikes twelve.

A puddle of water is all Merlin has left.

"Darling? Are you alright?" Hunith comes up the stairs, extra sweets in her hands just in case.

"Mum… mum, I think I almost got kissed by an alien prince."

Hunith's eyes widen.

"I really want to see him again."

Hunith closes her eyes. "Please be a temporary crush. Please."

The rest of the year, Merlin's magic seems wilder than ever. Now the flowers dance even if it's not Spring Equinox, around him. Sometimes, Merlin swears Kilgharrah talks (mostly to mutter 'mine' to Merlin's hair, or 'thank you' for free food.) His friends say they can smell his mother's cooking when he does a video call and Merlin almost shuts the app down in fright.

What would they say if they knew he had magic? Would they be awed? Afraid? Would they react like Prince Arthur first did?

Merlin doesn't even know if there are other magic users out there… Balinor never said…

And Arthur. Merlin finds himself missing the prat even though they only met once. How silly is that?

Hunith never says much about this anymore. Only helps him meditate for an extra hour per week.

The next Autumn Equinox, after Merlin turns fourteen, he wakes up to see the spirit of his Snow Prince, pacing on the ceiling, looking frustrated and confused.

"Prince Arthur!"

"Merlin, why am I see-through?!"

"I can't believe I'm a ghost."

"You're not a ghost. Just a spirit. Which doesn't mean dead. You're just… visiting. Because reasons." Sometimes Merlin wishes his magic was corporeal, just so he can scold it for its mischief. But he can never get the hang of Equinoxes or Solstices.

"This better be temporary," Prince Arthur grumbles unhappily, staring longingly at the lovely eggs and bacon spread on the table. Jackie hovers beside him, nibbling on his shirt.

"It is," Hunith sighs, "otherwise our house would be overrun by the spirits this boy attracts. You have competition, Prince Arthur."

"Unless I have to worry about Merlin running off with a rabbit or a knock-off horse, I'll be fine," the Prince snorts, ignoring how Godfrey bites at his ear.

Merlin just rests his head against the table in a sigh.

"So…" Merlin says awkwardly, not twitching for any reason whatsoever, as he rakes up the leaves. "Nice, um, weather, we're having."

"I approached my father about the magic laws in Camelot, eight months ago."

Merlin drops the rake. "What?"

Prince Arthur doesn't meet his eyes. Just stares at the trees. "I said, that I tried to get some of the laws changed. No more hands chopped up for fooling around with spells, for instance."

Merlin pales. "They chopped off hands for using magic?!"

The Prince winces. "Right. Sorry."

"Your planet is crazy!"

"Well, I'm trying to change it!" the Prince shouts, "It's just… hard! My father's… You haven't met my father."

"I'm not sure I'd survive."

The Prince grabs his arm. "Don't joke about that."

Merlin has the urge to vomit. "So it's true. I wouldn't survive."

"It's not… I just... " the Prince lets go. "I'm sorry. I was awful when I first met you. And I was so wrong about so many things… but I'm trying to change things for the better in Camelot because I kept thinking about you and how harmless you are… I just… I didn't think I'd see you again. I guess I just wanted to tell you how much I've changed while I still can."

"Arthur…" Merlin takes his hand, ignoring how it passes through him, "were you going to kiss me before you disappeared last year?"

The Prince splutters. "N-no! Of course not, I mean, I wanted to. But I should have asked…! It was the last time—you should be courted, at least—I'm not presuming you were waiting for me or anything—"

"So, two men are allowed to get married on your planet? Even if one of them is royalty?"

His Prince looks scandalized. "Of course! What kind of backwards kingdom is Ealdor?! Anyone can marry if there's love!"

"Ealdor's just a town and it's a long story, just come over here and kiss me; we've got like fourteen hours left together."

Arthur, being a reckless teenager, does just that.

"I'm still courting you though," he mutters after the kiss.

Merlin, giddy even if he feels like he just kissed air, just tells him to shut up.

Hunith lets them curl up and watch movies, amused at Arthur's responses to Shaun of the Dead and Nightmare before Christmas. In return, Arthur describes Camelot's holidays. A weeklong festival for the Moon Goddesses, a day for lovers, a day for the spirit world to open up.

They carve jack-o-lanterns together and throw leaves in each other's faces.

It's perfect and it's too short and soon it's only two minutes to midnight.

"Your stars are so different. I keep charting them out, trying to find where you are," Arthur murmurs.

"Well, the universe is pretty big. Scientists still haven't found any other planets closeby that might have life on them," Merlin shrugs. They sit on a blanket in front of the cottage, watching the spirit animals frolic among the trees.

"...Will I… will I see you again during your Winter Solstice?"

"Oh," Merlin blinks. "You… you really want to visit?"

Arthur scowls. "Of course, I do!"

Merlin beams back. "Then yes! If I can build another snow body for you, yes, yes, yes!"

The stars shine bright, the universe seems to hum, and Arthur just presses one last kiss against Merlin's hair before he says bye.

Winter Solstice that year starts with Merlin throwing a snowball in Arthur's face.

His Prince splutters to life again, coughing on the loose pieces of snowball, before a challenge lights in his eyes.

"Catch me if you can," Merlin laughs, rushing in between the trees with Jackie at his side.

Arthur rises to the challenge. Snowball after snowball gets thrown back and forth. Merlin admittedly cheats sometimes with an impromptu snow shield but Arthur has faster reflexes. Eventually, Merlin finds himself tackled to the the ground, until they're both rolling in white and giggling without breath.

"Oh my god, your face," Merlin laughs, brushing off excess snow. Arthur's armor looks bulky now with all the packed snow sticking to him.

"Your nose is as red as a fruit," Arthur teases, pressing an ice-cold kiss against his neck.

"Gah! Cold. Okay, off, we go indoors now. And sleep a bit."

"Mer-lin! I just got here!"

"And it's probably two o' clock in the morning now, I need sleep. Wake me up in a few hours, we'll go ice skating!"

Arthur just dunks Merlin's hair full of snow, watching the snowflakes swirl around his eyes.

Another snowball fight breaks out until they're kissing again.

"I…" Merlin sneezes, "blame you," he sneezes again.

"Just sit still and let me put another blanket around you," Arthur grumbles.

"What were you thinking, honestly?! Playing in the snow until morning… Merlin, you're not five anymore. And Arthur, you are made of snow, you need to take better care when you fiddle around with my son."

Arthur gulps. "Yes ma'am."

Hunith only sighs and fetches more blankets.

"So…" Arthur grins. "Shall I fiddle around with you more?"

Merlin kicks him off the coach.

"...How are things in Camelot?" Merlin asks tentatively.

For a few moments, Arthur doesn't answer. "Better. Somewhat," he admits. "I managed to get another law changed. Magic is legal to use in medicinal practises now, as long as it's not dark. I'm trying to convince my father to let us hire a court mage, someone to educate the general public on different applications of magic so people aren't lead astray. It's slow going."

"But that's great!" Merlin feels warm at the thought of his prince acting more and more like the one from the fairy tale. Of course, he prefers Arthur more than both princes, but it's nice to see the change.

"Maybe." Arthur looks back at him with a smirk. "But enough about me. I feel that I barely know about you. What do you do in your life when you're not pining after me?"

"Excuse me, but you're the one pining after me," Merlin jokes.

"Always," Arthur says seriously and Merlin has to look away.

"Well… I'm still home schooled. But Gaius thinks I should come to the city for school next year anyways, just to get some social skills. Mum says I trust people too much because I don't know anything about the real world."

Arthur, the traitor, nods in agreement.

"Gaius also thinks that being around other people will encourage me to keep my magic hidden."

"Hidden? I thought magic was legal in your world?"

"Well…" Merlin pauses, "more like rare. I haven't met a lot of people who think it's real, let alone who have it. There's just my dad, but he's dead… and my uncle, sort of. Gaius just knows basic healing spells. He refuses to teach me until I'm fifteen though, says it's too advanced."

"Fifteen…" Arthur murmurs, running a hand through Merlin's hair, "so come next year, I'll be meeting with a Healer-in-training…"

Merlin blushes. "I suppose so."

"I'm tempted to try to convince your mother to let you stay here, instead of school in the city."

"Yeah? Why?"

"I just know there will be people trying to court you."

Merlin just rolls his eyes. "You're too dramatic. Besides, you're the one I'm with. Not them."

"...Really?" his Prince sound so vulnerable then. "Even though you've only met me three times?"

Silently, Merlin swallows and holds Arthur's hand. "Even though we've only met three times."

Arthur starts to laugh.

"It's strange, isn't it? We hardly know each other, not really, and yet I feel like I've always known you. Like the universe has connected us together. I don't know if I can wait another nine months to meet you again."

Merlin doesn't know either.

But midnight comes. And the spell breaks. Merlin is left with melted snow once again.

"Mum… do you think it's possible to fly to other planets?"

"Oh, my darling imp," Hunith puts her arm around him. "If anyone can do it, it'd be you."

School in the city is frightening at first, but Merlin has friends. Gwaine and Lancelot jump him for a group hug and drag him to football tryouts. Merlin doesn't make it on the team but he cheers for all their games. He and Gwen start a gardening club and write stories and do clay sculptures. Merlin tries not to make too many busts of Arthur's face.

Eventually he makes friends with others like Will from drama class and Sophia from maths. Sometimes his magic goes a bit haywire during class but after his friends found out about it, they helped keep his secret.

In his free time, he charts the stars. He learns the stories of different cultures and their constellations. He buys a telescope just to stare at the moon and the milky way, he wonders if Arthur is staring back somewhere in that dark abyss.

"Why did you want me to meet him?" he asks the Wind once.

The Wind and the Shadows and the Stars whisper he's your other half.

"Then why is he so far away?"

They don't answer that.

"Do you want to know how your father and I met?" Hunith asks him one day.

"Well, I was curious." Every time Merlin asked before, Hunith always avoided the question.

"I was playing guitar in my backyard, wondering how I was going to pay for University… when suddenly, I saw a great flash of light across the sky and before I knew it… your father fell from the sky. He just… landed in my backyard. I stared at him, and he stared at me, we had no idea what was happening. He looked at the moon and started to cry so… I went back inside and got him a blanket. We were together ever since."

Merlin's jaw drops. "Wh-why didn't you ever tell me?!"

Hunith smiles sadly. "You never asked and I… I didn't want an alien prince to steal my little boy away so soon. You're fifteen now. You're so mature for your age but you're so lonely. I won't be angry if you try to go after him, Merlin. I promise."

With a sniff, Merlin embraces her. "I could never leave you, Mum. Not on purpose. If I ever figure out a way to go there, I'll take you with me."

Hunith cries into his shoulders. "You're such a good boy. I'm blessed to have you."

Merlin thinks it's the opposite. He's blessed to have her.

On the Autumn Equinox, Merlin makes a magical door. Holding his mother's hand, they both step through to another world.

END NOTES: I like to think that Arthur and Merlin hop back and forth between worlds to visit each other regularly. They are disgustingly happy and so married. Arthur keeps courting Merlin even after they're official. If I continued this any further, there would be less fluff and more plot like Uther wondering how he can use this new mage to his advantage etc. etc.