Merthur Oneshots

Do I really mean that less to you?

Part 3

"How long have you known?" Arthur asked sharply, pacing around in his room.

It was three days after they had come back, and Gwen had wasted no time in breaking off their engagement. Arthur hadn't fought, he had always felt that something was off in their relationship, something not quite right. Plus, he was still shocked from the fact that Merlin was his soulmate, Merlin the sorcerer whose life he had spared all that time ago. It also gave him an insight as to what had made him do so. Some part of him had realised back then who he was and what he was meant to be to him, and stopped him from killing Merlin.

"Arthur-" Merlin started, from where he was sitting at the desk in Arthur's chambers.

"How long, dammit!"

There was a small pause. "Since that day in the forest."

Arthur barked out an incredulous laugh. "And it didn't occur to you that you should have told me?"

"It did. But you had made it pretty clear what you thought about me."

"Which is?"

"You wanted to chop my head off." He replied indifferently.

Arthur wanted to rip his hair off. He had just received a shock of a lifetime, realising that the person he was meant to be with wasn't who he had thought, and the man who was his soulmate was a sorcerer who he had threatened to kill.

Oh, and also the fact that the man in question knew that they were soulmates, and didn't bother to tell him for years, instead watching him fall in love with someone else.

Just as that went through his head, Arthur's anger fizzled out. Oh God, how difficult would it have been for Merlin to see the other half of his coin falling in love with someone else?

With a heavy sigh, he dropped into the other chair, holding his head in his hands.

"How difficult was it?"

"Sorry?"

"How difficult was it? Watching me fall in love with Gwen?"

"Not as difficult as you'd think. I've had time to cope."

A stab to Arthur's heart. He didn't know for whom he felt worse for, himself or Merlin.

"Were you ever going to tell me?"

Merlin sighed. It was the only emotion Arthur had elicited from him so far in this conversation. "Honestly, I don't know."

"You don't know?!" Arthur yelled again. Merlin flinched a little. "I was getting married next week! When else would you have told me?!"

"I don't know!" Merlin burst out, slamming his hands onto the table. "I don't know, alright?! And stop acting like you are the only one who has been hurt from this! You fell in love with Gwen, ignorant of the fact that she wasn't the one you were supposed to be with, while I watched you all this time, while knowing that I was your soulmate!"

"You've had time to cope! Besides, you were the one who knew! You could have told me anytime you wished!"

"That didn't make it any less painful! And what could I have said? 'Hey, I, the sorcerer who you had threatened to kill, am your soulmate, and now you have to spend the rest of your mortal life with me?!' You know I couldn't have said anything that could make you understand! You were too smitten with her ." He added bitterly, slumping back in his seat, his eyes glittering with unshed tears.

The last of Arthur's anger fizzled out. "I am sorry." He whispered.

Merlin sniffled, and wiped his eyes, "You should be."