How Long Is Forever? - Merthur

what happened to Camelot?

It took awhile to show Arthur on how a shower works.

"It's really not that confusing, you just pull the nob forward, and that thing changes the temperature."

"So that means I can't make you take trips of filling up the water buckets anymore?" Arthur jokes, "and how did you used to get it so hot?"

Merlin stuttered. "Well, with magic." He spent so long hiding his magic, it felt weird spitting it out like this.

Arthur pointed and jabbed his finger at merlins chest, "when I'm done, you are going to show me some of that." And shoved him out of the room, closing the door.

Merlin breathed out a breath he has been holding in.

He still can't believe any of it. Arthur is back.

Arthur is actually back!

It all felt surreal. He had to close his eyes and remind himself that it is real.

He sat back on the couch, still closing his eyes and whispering to himself that it is real, falling asleep as the water from the shower drizzled in the back.

~~~~~

The first thing merlin saw were eyes. Arthur looking straight above him. Oh how he missed them.

Water from his hair was dripping on his face, making merlin flinch.

"You were talking in your sleep." Arthur said, pushing Merlins legs over so he can sit down. He wore merlins other clothes, a hoodie and sweatpants.

"I'm sorry." Merlin blurted out, not knowing why he was apologizing.

"You don't have to apologize for everything anymore."

Merlin sat up next to Arthur, and he just shrugged.

"I still want to know more about your magic, merlin."

"Yeah? What do you want to see?"

"Well...I don't really know."

Merlin looked around the room. He hasn't done magic in a while and almost feared if he could still could. So he did the first thing he could think of.

He cupped his hands, and muttered into it. He felt Arthur's eyes on him. He took a deep breath and opened his hands.

A small blue butterfly fluttered out and into the room, it started flying around Arthur's head, landing on his nose.

Arthur almost looked started,

"Oh, sorry." he made the butterfly come back and land on merlins knee.

"No, no it's fine. It tickled." Arthur smiled. "More?"

He spotted the candles around the room, muttered again and lit them all, bringing the flames out with his hand. They also circled around the room with the butterfly.

"You hungry?" Merlin asked.

"I'm not going to eat the flames!" Arthur stated almost flatly. "But starving."

Merlin smacked the back of his head, "you idiot! Not the flames, I can make something." He breathed out a laugh.

Arthur had a look that he was going to hit him back, but looked too bewildered at the flames and butterfly.

"Well, I haven't done food in awhile but." Merlin cupped his hands and whispered once again.

He unfolded it and a red rose layed. Merlin choked out a laugh, "it was supposed to be a strawberry."

He layed it on the couch between them. "Well here's the flowers you asked for awhile ago." He went to cup his hands to try again.

Arthur put a hand on his arm, "maybe we should go get some actual food."

~~~~

Merlin had plenty of time to practice cooking. And started in his kitchen.

"You...are cooking?"

"Servants aren't really a thing anymore, I've had time to practice." Merlin said with a grin

Arthur sat down at one of the small stools next to the kitchen island, watching merlin. He shoved his hands into his pockets of his hoodie. "So many pockets." He muttered and all merlin could do was chuckle.

"What do you want to eat?" Merlin asked and Arthur just shrugged.

Merlin looked at the cabinets and asked, "have you ever had spaghetti before?"

"Spaghetti? No, what's that?"

"Noodles!" Merlin smiled and pulled out the ingredients.

~~~~

The whole room smelled of noodles and spaghetti. Steam flowed from the plates of it merlin layed out. The sauce and meatballs layed almost professionally as if he had someone to impress.

He pushed a plate towards Arthur and he didn't even pause, shoving the food into his mouth. Merlin sat next to him, swirling his fork around.

"It looks like...there is no camelot." Arthur said inbetween bites, looking out, at the window.

"Yes, the world heavily changed, and Camelot with it." He missed every second of it.

"So...I'm no longer king?" He waited for merlin to nod, and continued. "But if I'm supposed to be the once and future king, how am I supposed to when I have nothing to rule?"

Merlin looked at the window also, many people passing by, walking dogs, feeding pigeons. Nothing to rule.

"I'm not sure." Merlin muttered into his plate, steam fogging his face.

"Is magic...still excepted?"

"I haven't seen anyone else with magic in hundreds of years." He tried to ignore the lump in his throat.

Arthur looked like he was trying to distract himself as he shoveled more into his mouth.

"Show me more of this strange new world, merlin."

______
These chapters have been more fillers and a bit slow, I'll start picking up the pace soon!