Only For You

Chapter 22

Merlin woke in the middle of the night with a start, cold sweat beading across his forehead. The thrill of his nightmare had his heart pouding, and he sits up in his bed, pressing his fingertips to his temples, exhaling a shaky breath.

He'd dreamed that there had been a great battle in Camelot. Dark forces had overtaken the gates, and were swiftly cutting down anyone in their path as they steadily advanced towards the castle. Merlin had been with Arthur, trying to convince him to leave the kingdom, that he needed to stay alive, when the door had blown open to the throneroom and a cloaked figure had entered. Merlin was frozen to the spot, unable to move or make a sound as the figure withdrew a blade from his cloak and plunged it into Arthur's heart.

Merlin shakes his head, trying to dispel the image from his mind.Judging by the darkness outside his window, it was still a ways until dawn, and Merlin shuddered at the thought of sleeping alone.

Though he knows it was just a foolish dream, a part of Merlin still needs to check on Arthur, make sure he's okay.

Slipping out of his bed, Merlin pads silently across his room and the chambers where Gaius slept, careful not to wake the old man as he slips out, closing the door quietly behind him. He moves through the corridors swiftly, avoiding the night watch guards who patrolled the halls. 

He doesn't knock when he reaches Arthur's chambers, but lets himself in softly, closing the door after he was inside. He walks forward, stopping by Arthur's bedside.

In the light of the moon, the King's sleeping face was clearly visible, his lips parted slightly as soft snores escape them. Merlin lets out a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing. He gazes down at Arthur's handsome features, brushing his finger lightly across his cheekbone.

Arthur stirs, his eyes blinking open. "'erlin?" His voice is groggy and confused as he squints up at him. "What on earth are you doing?" He mumbles.

Merlin drops his hand. "I...I wanted to make sure you were all right."

Arthur's brow furrows. This doesn't make much sense to him. "Why would I not be?" He grumbles, clearly a bit annoyed at being woken.

Merlin chews on his lip, looking down. "I had a...nightmare." He admits.

A bit of understanding crosses Arthur's sleepy face, and he's quite touched that Merlin came in just to make sure he was okay. Wordlessly, he pulls back the covers of his bed, scooting over a bit to make room for Merlin.

Merlin doesn't hesitate to crawl in beside Arthur, pulling the blanket over himself and snuggling close to Arthur's warm body.

"Gods, Merlin, you're freezing." Arthur mutters, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him closer. His eyes drift close again as he presses a soft kiss to Merlin's cheek.

Merlin smiles, closing his eyes as well and resting one of his hands on Arthur's chest. "Love you."

"I love you too, you buffoon."