Something Old, Something New

25

Iris and Freya were sitting across from each other in Iris's favorite bookstore cafe. For years, this had been her and Merlin's place, and just because she was upset with him right now, didn't mean that she was going to stop going there, especially when she had someone as beautiful as Freya to distract her. 

Freya was nervous. Well, nervous was an understatement. She was about to suggest that Iris go to therapy, and she was terrified. She knew that Iris would not take it well, especially if she found out that it had been Merlin's suggestion. Freya and Iris had been dancing around each other's affections for years now. Freya really didn't want to mess it up. 

But on the other hand, last night Iris had woken from another nightmare. She'd thought that Freya had been asleep, and Iris hadn't tried to wake her. Freya didn't want to intrude; they're relationship was still new, but the ragged breaths that Iris was trying her best to keep quiet made Freya long to sit up, hug her, and never let her go.

Iris' hand was clasped in Freya's on the table. They'd been talking, mostly about random things. Conversation had always been so easy between them, and them finally getting together had no changed that.

Iris could tell that Freya had something on her mind, but just like Freya, she didn't want to push things.

"Are you okay?" she settled on asking, giving Freya's hand a small squeeze. Freya's eyes snapped to Iris's, and Iris saw the fear there. "Hey," she said gently. "You can tell me anything." Freya hesitated, and then sighed.

"Have you been having nightmares?" she asked. Iris tried to extricate her hand from Freya's, already mentally retreating back into herself. She didn't want to have this conversation right now. She didn't want to have this conversation ever. But Freya held on, gripping her hand so tightly that it was almost painful. "It's okay that you are," Freya insisted. "You went through something terrible. It's natural for you to still be dealing with it. There's no schedule for how long it takes you to move past your trauma."

"Did I wake you up?" Iris asked, and Freya felt her heart fracture slightly. Iris thought her nightmares were disturbing Freya, and that was what mattered to her.

"I'm glad you did. I hate it that you're hurting, but I can't stand that you're hurting alone. I want to be there for you."

"I know you do, love," Iris said, and stopped trying to take her hand from Freya's. 

"Then let me help you and..." Now or never. "And maybe...you should consider seeing someone."

"It's really not that bad," Iris protested, but she wasn't completely shutting the idea down, and that was all that Freya could have hoped for. 

"Even if it isn't that bad, it's still some level of bad. Wouldn't it be better if it weren't bad at all?" Freya didn't want to tell Iris that she was wrong. That it was in fact that bad, but she knew that would make Iris retreat from her and reject the idea. Iris didn't respond for a few moments. 

"Do you want me to see someone?" she asked, voice small and vulnerable. 

"I want you to be okay, but I don't want you to see a therapist just because you think it's what I want," Freya replied. "It needs to be for you." Iris looked up from the spot she'd been studying on the table, and the intensity of her gaze surprised Freya.

"I love you."

"I love you too," Freya breathed, and the words felt like the truest ones she'd ever spoken. Iris smiled, and it was the first real smile Freya had seen on her face in a long while. It was beautiful. She was beautiful.

Still smiling slightly, Iris looked down at their clasped hands.

"I'll do it." 

"You will?" Freya asked, hope blossoming inside of her.

"Yeah. I will."

------------------

Seeing Arthur in modern clothes was odd. Even more odd was seeing him in Merlin's clothes, which were at least a size too small. Merlin had gained some muscle over the years, but he was simply built very differently from Arthur.

Merlin didn't know whether to laugh at the way the sweatpants didn't go past his ankles, or gawk at the way the t-shirt was hugging every part of Arthur's chest and biceps. He settled for somewhere in between.

"We'll need to get you something that actually fits," Merlin stated, and Arthur glared at him.

"Yes, I should think so," he replied scathingly.

"Well, if you'd rather wear the hospital scrubs," Merlin huffed.

"I just might." 

Merlin rolled his eyes. "Prat. Be naked for all I care."

"Just go receive some decent clothing for me." Merlin was ready to obey the order, as it had been ingrained in his mind to do, until he realized that he didn't actually have to anymore.

"No," he tried, and Arthur looked at him incredulously.

"Excuse me, Merlin?" 

Merlin looked him in the eyes and smirked slightly. "No."

"Merlin, get me some clothes. Now. Or I'll--"

"You'll what?" Merlin asked, laughing. "Have me thrown in the dungeons? Put in the stocks, perhaps? You are no longer King, and I am no longer a servant." Arthur opened his mouth, then closed it.

"Why can't you ever do what you're told?" he finally asked Merlin, trying not to look like he was pouting. 

"You know me," Merlin replied with a shrug.

"Unfortunately, I do." They stared each other down, Merlin waiting, and Arthur having some sort of internal battle with those parts of himself that were still very much part of that entitled prat Merlin had first met on a street of Camelot. 

"Get me some clothes...please," he ground out. Merlin smiled at him.

"Well since you asked so nicely, Arthur, I will take you to the store with me, and we'll get you some clothes."

"Thank you."

"Wow. A please and a thank you? Perhaps you can be taught." Arthur walked over to where Merlin was seated on the edge of his bed. He stood directly in front of him, and Merlin kept his eyes resolutely on Arthur's face. Arthur leaned in, and Merlin was pretty sure he'd lost the ability to breathe.

"Merlin," Arthur said quietly. Not being able to breathe definitely took speaking out of the equation, so Merlin just nodded. Arthur reached behind him. Then he stepped back quickly and smacked Merlin in the face with a pillow. Merlin sat there for a second, stunned, and then laughed.

"I should have seen that coming," he said, shaking his head.

"Yes, I should think so," Arthur replied with a grin. Merlin stood up.

"Alright. Let's go get you some clothes."

------------------

Both he and Iris had all but forgotten about Charles Brundige's case. It wasn't really their case after all. Perhaps they would just leave this one to Evelyn Abernathy. She wasn't really as bad as Iris thought she was; Iris just didn't like her. She'd gone through the same training that Iris and Merlin had gone through. 

Iris had Freya, and she was going to get help.

Merlin had Arthur back, and there didn't seem to be any world-ending events attached to the case. Sure, he'd seen Emma in Dr. Parra's memories with Charles Brundige, but Emma was dead. She couldn't possibly cause any more problems.

When they thought about it, Iris finally making an appointment with a psychiatrist, and Merlin laughing as Arthur gazed open-mouthed at the vast mall, the case of Charles Brundige really wasn't their problem.

I believe they call this the calm before the storm, which also means that the story is almost over. However, I've been considering a sequel. It probably wouldn't be updated very often, because I have a fanfic for a different fandom already planned out for after this one, but it would be something I'd work on in my spare time. Any interest?

xoxo

-Sierra <3