Epilogue

Merlin looked beautiful in his blue velvet suit. Hunith also cut quite a dashing figure in red, and seemed proud and calm while Merlin's maniac grin couldn't really hide how anxious he was.

Arthur smiled – he knew it couldn't be any different. Even after almost two years, Merlin was still more than a bit jumpy when it came to public displaying his affection, and there could hardly be anything more public than this.

"You lucky bastard" whispered Gwaine, by his side, and Arthur grinned even more. On the other side of the makeshift altar, Morgana was clearly fighting against any sort of emotional outburst. On the front roll, Gwen wasn't having nearly as much luck as she cried her eyes out and Lance rubbed her back.

As Merlin came to stand beside him, Arthur couldn't think of any moment in his whole life that was happier than this.

Arthur was tired. He had danced with Hunith, Morgana, Morgause, Gwen, Elena and a number of Merlin's relatives that he couldn't even remember the name. He also had felt obligated to make some small talk before being allowed to dance with his new husband.

"I can't wait to leave" whispered Merlin on his ear, still smiling. "I can't say how many times I heard the same things, over and over!"

"Well, that's how weddings go" he said, before nodding to Will, who winked at them as he took Mithian's younger sister away from the dance floor.

"I know" said Merlin, trying and failing not to step on Arthur's feet. "That's why I wanted to have just a small ceremony, no party, nothing, but no, you wouldn't hear of it!"

"You mean Morgana wouldn't hear it" answered Arthur, smirking.

"She kept on blackmailing me!" complained Merlin, shaking his head. "She can be really scary! I don't know how she knows half of the things she does!"

"I've been telling you that for years" said Arthur, but he knew that Merlin didn't really mind the whole big wedding thing, he was just tired. He had actually been as excited as Morgana about it.

"Still scary" mumbled Merlin.

"You know what's scary?" said Arthur, looking at his husband's face. "Your step-father. He's really creepy."

Merlin laughed out loud at that, and Arthur could see Kilgare looking at them from his table.

"I'm serious. He kept on telling me this was destiny and that it was meant to happen and when I told him you mostly hated me when he met he said that a half cannot truly hate what makes it whole. He never gives a straight answer; it is like he only talks in riddles. Creepy, I'm telling you."

Merlin just grinned at him, shaking his head at the same time.

"I'm sure you'll survive it" he teased, and Arthur tilted his head.

"I don't know, I might be scarred for life."

That made Merlin laugh once again, before kissing him lightly on the face.

"I'll love you anyway."

"You better" said Arthur, smiling at him. "You're stuck with me now."

And as Merlin answered with his brightest smile and came closer for a proper kiss, the whole world could have crumbled and ended that Arthur wouldn't notice it.

It wasn't simple, but it was right. Their life was not always happy, but it was truly theirs, so, they could deal with the occasional anger. They fought a lot – especially since they had finally started to talk to each other. Morgana still thought they were idiots, and Will still offered to ruin Arthur's face, but that was good. Neither of them had ever wanted a dull life anyway.

And even as Arthur forgot to clean the sink properly, even as Merlin left his wet towel upon the bed, even as they screamed and banged doors, they were glad to have stuck to each other as much as when they shared jokes, ate popcorn, walked hand in hand or kissed deeply during shower.

Some people would have given up – some people wouldn't understand and say it was terrible and that it would be their downfall one day, as it had been before.

But to Merlin and Arthur, it didn't really matter – if this was a downfall, it was the sweetest one of all.