Merthur Oneshots

I'm Anchored By Your Side (The It's Only Love Remix)

(A/N)

This work was written for this year's Camelot Remix (on LiveJournal and Tumblr), inspired by the fic 'Don't Be Scared, It's Only Love' written by Geeklover on the Archive. Though this fic can conceivably be read as a stand-alone, it is still highly suggested you read that first, for a few elements of this work may confusing otherwise. The work has been linked as an external link to this chapter.

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Let it be said about Arthur Pendragon, that once he sets his mind about something, it would take no less than the earth and the sky itself crashing against each other in a spectacular display of utter annihilation for him to change it. People say he gets that from his father.

Keeping that in mind, one should also be aware he had changed his mind about something only twice in his life.

The first time was when he was only seven years old. His father, in what Arthur later decided was a fit of momentary insanity, had signed him and Morgana up for piano classes, citing that his children should have at least some training in the musical arts.

Little Arthur had thrown at least half a dozen tantrums against it, and perhaps his father would have even conceded to his wishes to leave them even before he had even started, if not for Arthur digging himself deeper into his hole by screaming that it was too girly for someone like him.

Preteen Morgana, who had really been rather excited for the classes and had just started to understand casual misogyny, had yelled at him for an hour for that comment. Apparently, even Uther had been moved by her arguments, as he had put his foot down and forced Arthur to attend the month he had paid for. There had been no amount of alternating pleading and screaming tears that could have made him budge from his decision, all while Morgana stared smugly at him from the corner of the room.

He'd hated her at that moment.

It didn't last long, though, and it had taken Arthur only two classes to realise that he had taken to piano like a fish to water, and another three to finally admit to it. When the month was up, Arthur had shyly climbed up to their father's study and asked him if he could continue. The rare, blinding smile Uther had bestowed upon him had stayed with Arthur since that day.

He didn't know what it was about it that had drawn him so utterly in. Perhaps it was the deep valleys and the toppling crescendos of the music that swirled around him, bobbing and jumping, as his fingers flew over the keys, making something so profound to the senses with only slight pressure of his fingers. Or it could have been the sheet music, which he painstakingly learnt how to read but never regretted it since, with the melancholy, cheerful memories of a ten-year old Arthur imagining it to be a secret code only he could read, like in a pirate movie, associated with it.

His love for piano never ceased, even when—four years after they had first started—Morgana came home one day and announced she would not be learning it any longer. Uther hadn't even blinked an eye, which was highly uncharacteristic of him, and when he had asked Arthur if he had echoed his sister's sentiments, another smile had graced his features when he had staunchly denied it.

Morgana then went to learn ballet, and later archery, while Arthur stayed right where he was, content with his black and white keys.

(It had been a dark day in Year 10 when he had realised with the mounting pressure of schoolwork and other extracurriculars, Arthur would have to cut back on his free time and hobbies, and the sacrifice would be his music. But the pain had lessened as time wore on.)

The second time Arthur had changed his mind about something, it had rather been a someone , a big-hearted, large-eared enigma of a man named Merlin. At that time, Arthur had never been more glad of his piano skills.