I've been waiting

2000 Years

I had a feeling Arthur didn't want to know what had occurred that night before, so i slipped out of bed before he woke up. I didn't want to leave the reassuring warmth of his embrace, and that night had been the first I'd had that wasn't plagued with nightmares of his demise, but what was i to do? Arthur didn't feel how i did.
I made pancakes for breakfast, and when Arthur came downstairs rubbing his temples and groaning, i flipped them into the air and onto a plate, grinning at him.
"Sleep well your majesty?" I sniggered. He glared at me and took his usual seat, shovelling food down instead of replying. "I was talking to Leroy last night, he wants to meet you. Don't worry, he's not Gay or anything-"
"I wasn't worried." Arthur said, making me smile, he really was totally fine with it all. "Is he the one that likes Rugby?"
"Yeah. I was thinking you could go to a match with him? As long as you avoid conversations about anything you don't know about, and don't start a fight"
"I would never. Who do you think i am? Gwaine?" I smiled. Arthur looked as though he was going to say something, but instead he looked down and noticed for the first time, the bracelet on my wrist. "Do men in this century wear jewellery?"
"Well, they can, but a lot straight men don't because they're afraid of being called gay. Anyway, this is special, it's made from the flower Gwen gave me" Arthur was silent, he reached out and grazed his fingers along the metal and woven flower strands, his hand hovering over mine. I wanted desperately for him to just take my hand, but his fingers soon retreated and he looked up at me.
"Why?"
"Huh?" 
"Why are a lot of straight men afraid of being called Gay?"
"Oh. I don't know. You're one, figure it out." When Arthur looked more confused, i sighed. "Gay people aren't always accepted, and any man expressing a healthy dose of femininity is deemed to be gay. Also, there's the idea that men have to be some sort of super masculine, hero type, so anything outside of that is looked down upon by certain people. Not everyone though, there are a lot of good people too. Leroy is like that. Coming out to people is hard, you can never tell how they'll take it, but Lee treats me just the same, he's still my best friend, even when people presume he's my boyfriend, or that he's gay for even being friends with me."
"I never realised it was that hard to be Gay" Arthur said after an excruciatingly long time.
"Its hard being different, Gay or not. And i should know, i haven't fit in for 2000 years." I realised the conversation had taken an unwanted turn into deep and meaningful, and knowing that was Arthur's forte, i clapped my hands and cheerily said; "Moving on swiftly, when d'ya wanna meet Lee?"
Arthur looked me up and down sceptically. "How about next weekend? There's a saint's game I'd like to see"

I spent the entire week teaching Arthur how to use a Nokia-Brick, just texting and calling, though he figured out on his own how to play pinball, which was oddly impressive. He spent most of the time asking me why everything did what it did, which I kept telling him i didn't know.

"Merlin!" Leroy yelled, pulling me into a hug as he stepped through the door. I smiled and let him squeeze me, before shutting the door behind him and calling Arthur down. He said he'd be a minute. "So what's the deal here? He appeared out of nowhere, now he lives with you, i know your in love with him- don't try and deny it- and yet you say your just friends???"
"Look, we've known each other a very long time, and he recently came back into my life in need, so i offered him a place to stay until he gets back on his feet, or he can be my permanent tenant, either way that's all it is. A friend helping out his friend..... who he happens to be in love with" I begrudgingly admitted, knowing there was no fooling Leroy. He grinned and slapped me on the back.
"Knew it! You've been way too cheery over the past weeks. There had to be a reason"
"Hey, i'm always a radiant fucking ball of sunshine" I joked, punching him in the shoulder.
"You must be the illusive Arthur Morgan" Lee grinned as Arthur jogged down the stairs to greet us. He reached out to shake Leroy's hand, but was pulled into a hug instead. "Great to finally meet you. Merlin never shuts up about you"
I shot Lee a glare. "Yeah, how much you drive me nuts" I smiled. "Now hurry up, or you'll miss kick off, or whatever they call it" I shoved the two of them out the door and waved them off.

It was early evening when Arthur returned. Lee had texted me to say they were grabbing drinks afterwards so might be a little longer than expected. I was halfway through Brokeback mountain when the front door slammed. 
"Merlin!"
"In here!" Arthur came in barefoot- i had trained him by now to take his shoes off at the door- and quietly approached me. At first i thought he was drunk, but Lee had said they only had one pint each, so the other option was that he was angry or upset. I paused the film thankfully just before it got too raunchy, and asked what was wrong.
"Lee and I had a very enlightening conversation" 
Fuck, Lee, what have you said now. My brain went through all the possible things he could have told Arthur, and all the ways this conversation could go. Arthur sat down beside me on the sofa, he knee just touching mine, and he turned to face me.
"We got to talking about you, and I asked if you'd ever had a- well you know- a boyfriend- and he said in the entire time he's known you, you've never even been on a "date" because you were still hung up on someone." 
"Arth-"
"You told Lee that a long time ago you had fallen for somebody who didn't- no, apparently you said couldn't- love you back, and then he died without you ever telling him, and you'd never gotten over it"
"So? I've had a bad dating history, i don't see why that's any of your concern"
"It is though, isn't it. Because that man was me, wasn't it Merlin." I tried to talk, but my voice betrayed me and all that came out was a sort of defeated whimper. "You loved me then, and you love me now? After 2000 years..."
I nodded, my whole body numb, tears threatening to spill at any second. And then Arthur, more gently than a thought possible for him, cupped my cheek, his thumb wiping away the tears that now fell freely.
"Good" He whispered, pulling me closer and brushing his lips against mine. My whole body lit up, fire rushing through my veins at just the gentlest of touches, and my body surged forward for more, our lips connecting more purposefully this time, a strange mix of tenderness and desperation, and Arthur met my enthusiasm with him own, his hands finding their way into my unruly hair, and mine settling either side of his face drawing him as close as i could, until we were breathing each other, drowning in a kiss that never seemed to end. And then it did, and we were both silent, scared of what this meant, what came next, if we could ever go back to what we were. But i didn't want us to. I wanted us to be a new Arthur and Merlin. And so i went back for more, and he let me, our hunger turning ravenous and our hands becoming more curious. Arthur tugged a the hem of my shirt, and i lifted my arms to slip out of it, though his lips didn't leave mine, his hands splayed across my chest, pushing me back onto the sofa and roaming the planes of my stomach- now more toned that it had been, with definite muscle. My fingers deftly tugged at his buttons, desperately trying to get them undone. The desperation, mixed with the uncontrollable nature of my lust for Arthur, started bubbling up in me in the form of my magic, and I felt my eyes flicker golden for a moment. Arthur noticed and pulled back.
"Is something wrong?" He asked, his eyes scanning me for some sort of regret, or fear, but i just smiled and ripped his shirt open with my magic, not having to use my hands, but my eyes flashed again. Arthur grinned and discarded the shirt, leaning back down to kiss my neck and whisper; "Your magic is incredible."
I chuckled and laid my hand on his chest, a small pulse of magic had him thrown back onto the other end pf the sofa, so i could crawl onto him, tipping the scales in my favour. He was obviously aroused, so i took the initiative to take control, straddling his hips and bending down to kiss neck, and collar bone. I used my tongue generously, to illicit small moans from Arthur, and i would feel the hardness in his jeans growing against mine.
This isn't the place. I told myself. If we're going to do this, it should be better than rutting on a sofa. I will remember this forever, it needs to be special.
I reared back from Arthur, much to his dismay, and shuffled off him, getting up from the sofa. He sat up and frowned. "What?"
"Come with me" I said, still catching my breath, my heart pounding in my chest. I held out my hand, and he took it, letting me lead him up the stairs and to my room.