Chapter Text
6 years later
“Mum, Dad, uncle Arthur,” Anna said as she entered the room, interrupting their rather heated conversation and winning the adults’ attention.
She was wearing a long, silky, dark blue dress, her dark hair falling in soft curls around her shoulders.
“What do you think?” she asked shyly, turning and smiling.
“You look… absolutely amazing, sweetheart,” Merlin told her, crossing the room to press a kiss to her forehead. “Can you believe it? My little girl is all grown up.”
“Your Dad’s right. You look stunning,” Arthur said, joining them.
“More than beautiful. Oh, my little baby girl is all grown up and beautiful.” Freya was in tears when she pulled out her phone to take pictures.
Anna blushed a little. “Thank you.”
“And so the circle is complete, I guess. 18 years ago--” Merlin started, but Anna held up a hand to stop him right there.
“I know what you were going to say, Dad, and please don’t. I know the story and there’s no need to tell it again.”
Merlin chuckled and raised his hands in surrender.
“All right. Just promise you’ll be careful.”
“I’m going with Daniel, Dad. Nothing is going to happen. I won’t get pregnant. Prom won’t make a difference in that regard.”
Merlin’s eyes widened, and he felt Arthur squeeze his hand supportively.
“Right.”
He could hear Freya chuckle through her tears.
Anna kissed him on the cheek and let her magic reach out to his.
“Don’t worry so much, Dad. You can trust me.”
Merlin sighed. “I know I can. And I do. But you’re still my little girl, and you always will be.”
Anna smiled. “I know.”
Then she turned to Arthur. “Please take care of him tonight? I can feel he’s a nervous wreck. His magic is going nuts.”
“Oi!” Merlin protested, but let himself be pulled against Arthur’s chest anyway.
“Till death do us part,” Arthur said, and Merlin knew he meant it. He’d meant it the year before when they’d finally made it official just as much as he meant it now.
Anna smiled at them.
“Good.” Then, “I love you both.” She turned around. “And you, Mum.”
They hugged her all at once, like the one big family they had become.
The doorbell rang shortly after, and Merlin knew it was time to let Anna go.
“All right, then. Daniel’s here. Have fun, sweetheart.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
And before anyone could say anything else, Anna had grabbed her bag and her jacket and was out the door.
“Merlin,” Arthur said when she was gone, looking amused, “You need to calm down.”
Merlin did feel a bit frantic. “What?”
“You’re sending me your troubled thoughts again. Stop it.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Merlin reined his magic back in, and forced his thoughts to stay where they belonged. It didn’t happen a lot, but sometimes, especially when he was nervous or excited, his thoughts tended to drift, and cross the special bond he had with Arthur.
He didn’t really know why or how, but they did, and sometimes Merlin liked that they did. He liked sharing his feelings with Arthur. Well, sometimes.
Arthur wrapped Merlin in a hug and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
“Anna is a great girl. She’ll be fine,” he told him.
“I know. It’s just… an emotional moment, okay? My little girl is an adult now. Soon she’ll leave for university and how am I supposed to handle that?”
Arthur smiled sympathetically and kissed Merlin softly. “You will. We will.”
“If you say so. But I still need a drink.”
Arthur nodded. “Well, let’s go and get one, then.”
He turned and walked towards the coat rack and Merlin was right behind him, eager to get away. Going out to get a drink at the local pub was exactly what he needed. What he didn’t need, however, was Kilgharrah crossing his path, making him stumble and fall just as Arthur turned around with their coats. He landed softly, right on top of Arthur, who groaned when his back hit the floor.
“Stupid cat!” Merlin cursed. But then he met Arthur’s eyes and he couldn’t help smiling. He knew his husband was thinking the same thing, and they both started laughing.
“Get off of me, you clumsy dolt!” Arthur demanded, trying to sound serious, but Merlin could still see his smile.
Merlin feigned outrage. “Oi! That’s not a very nice word! You need to apologize!”
“I most certainly won’t! You deserve it!”
“I said I’m sorry!”
“You did not. I hate you already!”
“You’re so mean! Apologize!”
“Won’t.”
It was really hard not to burst into laughter again, but Merlin decided to pull through, unable to keep the grin from his face.
“Well, I don’t hate you. I think you’re pretty. Like Ken.”
Arthur tried making a face.
“Like Ken?”
“Oh yeah, very pretty.” Merlin smiled and just couldn’t keep up the act any longer. “I love you, Arthur.”
Arthur grinned. “Do you, then?”
“Yes. Yes, I think so.”
“Well, lucky that I love you too, then.”
Smiling happily, Merlin leaned down to kiss Arthur. Sometimes he still felt exhilarated because he was finally able to do that whenever he wanted. And knowing that Arthur loved him just as much as he loved him while he did so, was the best feeling in the world. Merlin was - quite literally - ancient, had seen so much in another life before, but with Arthur he didn’t feel so ancient at all.
He let his magic reach out and wrap them in, and he heard Freya and Kilgharrah cackle in the background. Maybe they were being a bit silly, making out on the floor like that after years of relationship, but Merlin didn’t care. He was happy, and after 1500 years in another life, and 36 years in his current one, he was finally where he wanted to be.
+FIN+