Chapter Text
Significance
Arthur's movements were graceful and deadly as he danced through the light forest, without ever faltering, without pausing to catch his breath. It looked perfectly choreographed, not a single step out of place, not an inch too much.
Excalibur was in his hands and it gleamed, the blade singing as it whizzed through the air.
A somewhat feral roar escaped Arthur's lips, his eyes flashed gold and he let his sword speed towards the beech directly in front of him. But instead of getting stuck in the wood Excalibur neatly sliced through it in one fluid motion. The tree, however, remained standing, the vicious cut magically sewing itself up, merely a split second after the blade had touched it.
Arthur spun around again, turning on his heel and coming to a halt with both feet wide apart and solid on the ground, letting Excalibur slide back into the sheath with one elegant twist of his hand.
For a moment there was only the silence of the wind rustling through the foliage. Then someone stared applauding.
"Bravo, sire," Colin called from where he was leaning against a different tree only a few meters to the side, "That looked really impressive."
Bradley snapped his head to the side to glare at him, annoyed by the obvious teasing.
"Fuck off," he snarled, concentrated on a twig directly above Colin and let it crash down.
As expected Colin yelped, more in surprise than pain, when it landed on his head.
"Hey!" he complained, rubbing the sore spot, "Are you trying to kill me?"
"As if that would kill you," Bradley huffed, kicking against the decaying leaves to his feet.
"What, never heard of people randomly being crushed by falling branches?"
"That wasn't a branch," Bradley pointed out, "That was barely a twig."
"Suit yourself," Colin pouted, made a rude gesture and then conjured a cup of coffee into his hand, "What's got you in a strop today?"
"Nothing," Bradley replied gruffly, wiping his forearm across his nose, and kicked the leaves yet again.
"Oh, c'mon, the poor trees can't be at fault for whatever happened," Colin's eyes were twinkling, unaffected by the bad mood, "Remember, trees are your friends."
"Trees are only a means to exert my power."
"Your power over what?"
"Fuck if I know," Bradley grumbled, weakly punching the bark. Stupid tree.
Merlin gave a long-suffering sigh, "Are you having another one of your 'My life is meaningless and doesn't have a purpose'-moments?"
"So what if I am?" Bradley pouted, leaning his forehead against the trunk, and just for good measure he added, "You sold my destiny!"
"That was one-thousand-and-five-hundred years ago," Merlin reminded him, "You weren't even born back then."
"Your jokes suck," Bradley complained, "And so does all of this."
Merlin took a sip of his coffee, for a long moment only staring at Bradley in a contemplative manner.
"What distracted you last time?" he asked finally, "When you were feeling that it was all useless?"
Bradley's pout intensified.
"You did," he admitted reluctantly, but refused to turn and face Merlin. Bradley wasn't someone who got easily depressed and even if he did it never lasted long; he knew he was acting childish but sometimes he just needed to get it out of his system. Merlin was so much more compared to him. Being the sidekick was more degrading that he ever would have thought.
"Arthur," Merlin said with an understanding smile, "Come over here."
With a slump of his shoulders Bradley gave in to the indirect request to let Arthur take over again. It was probably easier that way. Merlin was always nicer to Arthur. Colin was nicer to Arthur, too. Heck, everyone was always nicer to Arthur. No one was ever nice to Bradley.
Feeling another big wave of sulking coming on, he quickly withdrew and Arthur stepped forth, standing up straight, pulling his hand from the tree and stepping over to where Merlin was casually leaning against his maple.
With a haughty smirk he grabbed the cup from Merlin's hand to take a big gulp, only to pull a disgusted face. God, he hated the taste of coffee. But that was worth it to see Merlin cock an eyebrow and thus distract him from the actual problem. Namely the lack of purpose.
Merlin shook his head in despair.
"I swear you're like a big child," he said helplessly, "Just less cute."
"I beg to differ," Arthur put up a hideously adorable expression, "The king is always cute. Anyone who disagrees will be burned on the pyre."
"Of course, my lord," Merlin agreed with a weak nod, "You are the cutest thing to ever have touched the earth. Safe for baby rabbits."
"Baby rabbits are meant to become grown up rabbits," Arthur reminded him, "And we eat grown up rabbits."
"You eat grown up rabbits," Merlin replied, "I am vegetarian."
"You call it vegetarian," Arthur countered seriously, "I call it unnatural."
"Call it what you will it still doesn't change a thing about the fact that I can't stand your never-ending moping."
"It's not my fault!" Arthur tried to object, "It's- This world- Bradley is too insignificant to bear!"
Colin stared at him, his mouth hanging open a little bit, but after a moment he caught himself again.
"You… do realize how pompous and arrogant that sounds, right?" he asked, his brow furrowed.
"I know!" Arthur was frowning at himself, "Of course I know. And it makes me feel terrible. I make him feel terrible. And in return he does the same to me."
"Here we go," Colin let out a long breath and rolled his eyes, "The long-awaited identity crisis."
"I can't help it," Arthur was clenching his fists, "I- Hold on! You expected this? I clearly remember you telling me that there would be no problem whatsoever after my awakening."
"Well," Colin admitted with a small, embarrassed smile, "That might've been a bit of a stretch. There would be no real problems."
Arthur glowered at him, "I certainly do feel that my problems are very much real, you blockhead."
"Yea, they're real, but not really severe," Colin pointed out.
Arthur only cocked an eyebrow, "And that makes a difference because?"
"Don't you remember how I told you that your déjà vu might've driven you mad or even killed you?" Colin reminded him, "So-"
"Wait a moment," Arthur held up a hand, "You never said anything about the possibility of my death."
"Didn't I?" Colin blinked, "Must've slipped my mind. My bad. So as I was saying-"
"Slipped your mind?" Arthur hollered, "I could have died! Again!"
"Hey, without me you wouldn't even have been able to do that because you wouldn't have been reborn in the first place!" Colin pouted, "So you should be grateful. Now, if we may return to the problem at hand: your problem, as I feel the need to point out."
Arthur managed to keep him mouth shut, though he did so with great reluctance. Colin continued with a barely suppressed sigh.
"Anyway, your identity crisis," he said, staring first at the ground and then at a point somewhere just across Arthur's shoulder.
"There was always a risk of something like that happening," he conceded, "But I knew that both of you, respectively as Arthur and Bradley were mentally strong enough to work it out. And you did. No batshit crazy ancient un-dead king of yore hopping all over the place. But… I anticipated that you would reach a certain point of… discontent."
Arthur gave him a hard look, expecting him to say more.
"Arthur," Colin gave in, placing a hand upon his shoulder, "I feared that something like this would happen. And… I know that you're not entirely joking when you complain about your sold destiny. Once you were born for a greater purpose and your spirit grew according to it. You have all this courage, all this fire, this radiance that draws people towards you. And yet there is nothing for you to spend it on. I watch you waste your smiles day after day while you try to fit into this life that is far too small for someone like you."
Slowly, very slowly Colin blended into Merlin as he spoke, his gaze growing fonder and softer and easier to read.
"On the other hand," he continued, his own fingers, still warm and trusted, digging into the fabric of Arthur's shirt, "On the other hand there is Bradley who knows what you want, what you need, but who can't give it to you. He blames himself, doesn't he, and you can feel it as well. You were once a king while he is just a man. He's already stretched thin and yet he still tries to do what is right, what is best, risking losing himself in the process."
Merlin smiled sadly, "He's very much like you in that aspect."
Arthur's mouth opened to say something, but then his face twisted and Bradley stepped back, trying to turn away.
"Bullocks," he snorted as if gravely offended, though his voice sounded raw, "Stop analyzing every little thing that clotpole drones on about."
"Arthur," Merlin only called, letting his coffee cup hovering in the air to grab Bradley's face with both hands and gently turn him back to him, "Tell me what's troubling you. Tell me how I can help."
Arthur let out a shuddering breath.
"You'd think in this life I'd finally learn to solve my problems on my own, right?" he tried to jest, but his pained expression belied the jovial tone.
"Arthur," Merlin only repeated, his thumbs brushing over the hollows of his king's cheeks, "Have you been thinking about Guinevere again?"
At this question Arthur's eyes fell shut and he didn't open them for a long while.
"When do I not think of her?" he asked finally, though his gaze was averted.
But Merlin gave him a kind smile, "If I am to read your face now or any other moment I spend with you then I'd say that you rarely do."
A shiver went through Arthur's body and he made to pull back again; it was only Merlin's touch that still kept him in place.
"You need not lie to me," Merlin chided him gently, "You mustn't. Do you hear that, Arthur? We have lied to each other for such a long time. I have tired of it."
But Arthur only swallowed dryly, his voice hollow.
"How did you know?" he demanded, "Is it that obvious?"
"Only to me," Merlin's smile was still sad, "And you should know that I do not judge you for it. And neither should you blame yourself."
"How could I not?" Arthur appeared to be angry at himself, staring hard at bark behind his friend's head, "How can I live again and not spend every moment yearning for the woman I loved, my wife, my queen?"
"She's not the woman you loved," Merlin corrected, "She's the one you still love. And you always will. But deep down you have accepted that you will not be reunited with her. Not until your death. It'd be unfair to ask anything else of you, to expect you to go walk this world alone, to let Bradley never have the pleasure of knowing what it feels like to be complete."
"I should allow him to find someone," Arthur told himself haltingly, "I should give him the chance to make a decision on his own without my own emotions overpowering his."
At this Merlin laughed, "Oh please. He's at least as stubborn as you are. You would not be able to influence him like that."
"Then he should love someone of his own choice," Arthur insisted, "Someone whom he can readily welcome in his life, unbiased and without prejudices. If I were to follow my heart, then my affections-"
And then he broke off, letting the words dangle in the air between them like the sword of Damocles, dangerous and thrilling.
"Your affections," Merlin said and maybe there was something akin to hope in his eyes, "Have always rested with those who deserved them."
Arthur gave a startled laugh.
"May I remind you of the Tylwyth Teg's enchantment?" he asked, wrestling a grin from Merlin's lips.
"Yea well," said the sorcerer, "Your affections willingly given were always well deserved."
"That might just be true," Arthur allowed and then they were just staring at each other as if seeing that familiar face clearly for the first time in a long while, for some reason suddenly only an inch apart, as if the bond they shared included some sort of physical gravitation as well.
"Is it wrong of me?" Arthur finally asked with some poorly hidden hesitation, "To think like this?"
"After you death she allowed herself to love Lancelot," Merlin answered in an equally timid voice, "Why should you not allow yourself to love again after hers?"
"I do not love easily," Arthur reminded him, warned him, "I am possessive, I am jealous."
"You are passionate." Merlin only replied, "And faithful."
It was so easy then to close that last inch, an inch that might've been there for one and a half millennia, a distance too vast, too intimidating, too dangerous. The kiss itself, though, was gentle, was a promise – like everything else between them – of greater things to come.
Slowly they pulled back again.
"Whoa," Bradley said, blinking, "That was weird."
"Uh-huh," Colin agreed eloquently and then leaned in again to capture those lips once more. Bradley made an unintelligible noise but surrendered into it.
"I knew it," he murmured against Colin's mouth, "This whole rebirth thing did fuck me up."
"Be quiet," Colin only ordered and moments passed as they just stood there, pressed up against that tree, kissing and kissing and not a care in the world.
"Colin," Bradley said after a while, touching their foreheads together, "Your eyes are glowing."
"Oh," Colin hummed, "Yours, too."
At that Bradley only smiled against his lips.
"Figures," he said and pecked Colin playfully.
"Huh? Why?"
"It's magic," Bradley answered and Colin couldn't help but laugh into the kiss.
"You are such a girl, Bradley!"
Later, when they lay side by side in the meadow, the blades of grass tickling their skin and their fingertips brushing, they stared up into the sky and into their future that was no longer written in the stars.
"What are we going to tell everyone?" Bradley asked suddenly, turning his head to face Colin.
"What?" Colin asked lazily, "You think anyone will be surprised?"
Bradley chuckled, "Probably not. Katie will only cheer us on."
"Katie will demand that it'd be put into the show."
"But then Angel wouldn't get any screen time."
"She can have Lancelot," Colin mused, "And you won't even have to die for that."
"Very funny," Bradley huffed, "But I'm okay with it as long as she keeps pining for a little while."
"Both Gwen and Angel are too proud to pine."
"Oh?" Arthur rolled onto his side to give him an imploring look, "And what about you? Did you pine?"
"For you?" Colin shifted slightly, leaving Merlin in his place, "Possibly. In the beginning. When you hadn't met Guinevere yet."
"I couldn't love you back then," Arthur told him seriously, an explanation and an apology, "Even though I might have wanted."
"We lost so much time," Merlin lamented, lifting his hand to touch his king's cheek, "Wasted it all."
"We did neither waste nor lose," Arthur objected, "We used it wisely and did what we deemed best. But thanks to you we are granted one more life together. And we can live it to the fullest."
"Well spoken, my king," Merlin whispered, "I would follow you into battle anytime you wished."
"Not battle," Arthur shook his head, "No war, no swords, no pain. This world is meant for tender passions."
Colin burst out laughing.
"I knew it!" he wheezed, holding his stomach, "A couple of kisses and you actually do turn into a girl."
"You're only saying that so you can deny being gay," Bradley pouted and then Colin propped himself up on his elbow to press a kiss into the corner of his mouth.
"I'm not gay," he claimed, "But I do love you."
"Must you speak like that blasted dragon?" Bradley groaned and let himself fall back into the grass, "Then again, if it were for him we would've hit it off in the very first episode. Was that your dropping a subtle hint?"
"That was my knowing teenage girls love seeing two fit guys being destined for each other," Colin replied smugly, closed his eyes and turned his face back to the sunlight.
~o0o~
"I knew it!" Katie exclaimed triumphantly, eyes fixed onto the screen of her laptop that displayed Bradley's latest email.
"What is it?" Angel asked curiously from the other end of the phone line.
"Bradley and Colin," Katie answered smugly, "They are shagging!"
"No way!" Angel gasped, "How do you know?"
"Bradley updated me on their mission," Katie explained, "They are currently in Devon and 'decided to stay a little while longer because the cottage is so nice and Merlin suspects more hidden sources of magic in the area'. They've already been there for a week. Reading between the lines it means they are too busy shagging to get anything else done."
"You think?" Angel sounded dubious, "Why would they suddenly-"
"Suddenly?" Katie echoed, "They had it coming for hundreds of years!"
"No, I mean…" Angel shuffled around a bit, "Why do you think it happened now and not, I dunno, when they were in Australia?"
"There were too many people around to distract them," Katie deduced, "Now, though, it's just two guys, full of horny hormones, somewhere in a lonely cottage. There's a beautiful forest all around, there is magic, and the only one they can turn to is each other."
"Oh," Angel sounded a bit dumbfounded, then, "Do you think… do you think it's only because of Arthur and Merlin?"
Katie frowned, "How do you mean?"
"Well," Angel swallowed nervously, "I'd hate to think they are only doing this out of some sort of obligation towards their former lives, you know. Giving it a chance now because they knew they couldn't back then."
"Are you trying to tell me you honestly believe Bradley and Colin allow Arthur and Merlin to borrow their bodies and do the naughty?" Katie sniggered, "Seriously, you know that's not how rebirth works. And you know the two of them always had a strong bond, even before Arthur awoke and before Bradley knew the truth. Not to mention that by now he is much better in controlling the switching. And let's face the facts: the fans always thought Arthur and Merlin were shagging, and the fans always thought Bradley and Colin were shagging. Heck, at some point we thought the same. It's not like it comes totally out of the blue."
"It doesn't," Angel admitted, "I'm just trying to wrap my mind around the matter. You keep saying they are shagging, but… they are probably really truly in love, aren't they?"
"Yes," Katie smiled serenely, "Yes, they are."
"I knew the way they looked at each other was fishy!" Angel crooned happily, "Watching them feels downright indecent."
"Oh yes," Katie's smile grew dirty, "Yes, it does."
She paused for a moment, "… Do you think we can put that into the show?"
"Katie," Angel pointed out smoothly, "It already is in the show."
The rest of the evening was gleefully spent trying to come up with more and more creative plotlines to pair up Merlin and Arthur in the next season. And to tease the hell out of the boys. Because even if nowadays destiny possibly disagreed, they really had had it coming.
~o0o~The End~o0o~