Timeless

Juice Jug

His breath gets stuck in his throat and he takes a step back and then falls on his butt in the cold dirt.

"Arthur." Merlin breathes at the blonde guy who Merlin is most certain isn't Arthur because that can't because Arthur died in his arms over what feels like millions of years ago.

But Merlin would know those eyes anywhere.

The blonde guy smiles looking at the ground a little but then looks confused and a little pained. Merlin can feel his heart start beating so fast he was scared it would kill him.

Even though he knows it can't kill him.

But no, he's right. It's Arthur.

His Arthur.

Arthur slowly gets to his knees and his arms are what's holding him up, as he looks at the ground, his arms shaking and he looks so weak. Unlike the Arthur he grew up with but much more like the Arthur who was dying in his arms.

He then looks up at Merlin and almost as if Merlin has been splashed with cold water, he quickly gets up and slowly walks back to Arthur.

He hesitates before holding out a hand towards Arthur. Fearing that this is all because of the alcohol he drank and Arthur really isn't here.

But all that doubt goes away when he feels Arthur's hand grab his hand and Merlin feels more tears come to his eyes, even though he was so sure he ran out of them.

He pulls Arthur up and the familiar sound of the chain mail fills Merlins ears and he slowly chuckles breathlessly to himself. How's this possible?

He lets Arthur throw his arm around him as he makes his way back to his place. If Arthur was better, even a little bit then he'd be pushing Merlin away saying he could do it.

Well he knows one thing for sure, he didn't go home alone.

No wonder the park always gave me the creeps.

As they walk, no one says a word. The only knowledge of Arthur actually alive beside him is his breathing and the rise and fall of his chest under the armour.

When they finally reach Merlin's house he digs around in his pocket for the key and unlocks the door, half helping and half dragging Arthur though the door before shutting and locking the door.

He really doesn't need Holly to come barging in here right now.

Or at all really.

He slowly drags Arthur to the living room and groans once Arthur is off his shoulders and onto the couch. Yes his couch is getting wet but he can't find it in himself to care.

Merlin slowly backs away as Arthur gets this far away look in his eyes. Merlin blinks his.

"I know you're weak but I need you to stand up again so I can take your chainmail off." Merlin says with a wobbly voice.

Arthur doesn't move or seem to have heard Merlin and it makes his heart hurt.

After a few moments of Arthur just sitting there, Merlin slowly pulls Arthur off the couch and starts taking off his chainmail and armour and he sighs once he removes it all.

"Okay I'm going to run you a bath." He says as he slowly helps Arthur up the stairs and down the hallway.

Once in the bathroom Arthur sits on the toilet seat as Merlin runs his bath, filling it with warm water. He lets it run for a few minutes as he and Arthur sit in dead silence the whole time.

Once the bath is full of the warm water he stands up from the side of the tub and faces Arthur.

He helps Arthur out of his shirt and his breath hitches at the feeling of how sadly familiar this feels and his eyes fall on the muscle on his arm and he averts his gaze back up to Arthur's blank gaze.