Merthur One Shots

Coming Back to Me

Merlin was lazily leaning on the counter while flipping through the pages of a magazine to which he didn't really pay attention. He was more concentrated on the sound of the howling wind that blew outside his pharmacy and on the big snowflakes constantly, gently hitting the window. The blizzard outside gave him a nice feeling of safety when he was embraced by the heat of the small store he had managed to open.

Despite the rough weather there was a constant line of cars on the road, while people even passed by foot in a hurry. Christmas was closing in on them and Merlin had found himself yet again all alone only with the company of the customers that occasionally entered. But unlike most of the holidays he had spent on his own for so many years, for about twenty years now, the desperation was slowly washing away.

Winter-1998

Merlin pushed open the doors of the hospital in a rush that startled every person in the room, his magic pulling at him with a force he's never felt before, an inaudible voice guiding him through the halls. He didn't need anybody to tell him that that was it. The last bit of his suffering. The end to his neverending loneliness. The end to the agonizing silence that he drowned in with every passing day.

It was a new beginning.

The beginning of the next chapter of his life, chapter that he waited for so impatiently.

His legs suddenly stopped in their tracks. His heart was hammering in his chest with a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long, oh so long time. Joy. He watched through the window of the door, bitter-sweet tears stinging his eyes. His knees went weak as he heard a cry from the room, a cry that moved his very soul and restored his faith.

As the doctor moved away, Merlin could catch a glimpse of the small, frail body of Arthur wrapped around a sheet and with his mother crying happy tears over him. But her tears were nowhere near close to Merlin's. He felt his heart grow thrice the normal size but also felt it shattering in millions of pieces. He felt like he's been lifted from the ground but also as though he'd been pinned down by an unbearable force. He felt like the happiest man alive and like the most broken soul to ever exist. To say that he was overwhelmed by emotion was an understatement.

As soon as Arthur opened his eyes, he did not look at his mother, nor at his father, but straight at the door where his destiny, his other half stood, like he knew just who was there. Their eyes met for a brief second before the doctor blocked the view again, but it was enough for Arthur to stop crying and for Merlin to finally let it all out.

He collapsed to the ground, his back against the wall. He placed his elbow on one of his knees and drove his hand over his face, attempting to wipe away the tears that did not stop falling. He was crying. He was crying loudly for he was so happy. He was crying for his king. He was crying for the early years of his life. He was crying for everything that was and was now long gone. He was crying for the years he had spent waiting. For the years he had spent apart from him.

***

The doorbell attached to the wall above the door rang as the door opened revealing a young man with golden locks of hair nicely falling on his forehead and with deep blue eyes.

Merlin beamed a smile, a truly heartfelt one as he spoke, voice a little bit shaky:

"Welcome!" Welcome home.

The man was standing in the door, staring at Merlin like he was a far away memory that he was so close to, and yet couldn't grasp.

The raven haired boy just watched him with a warm smile, hardly holding back his tears. 20 years of watching his king, his friend, his love grow from afar, waiting patiently for the day that Arthur would come to him. The day that Arthur would remember. And now there they were, finally face to face, after so long.

"Can I help you?" It's been a while, Arthur!

"Uh, yes!" Arthur spoke, still not able to exit the trance he had entered at the sight of the boy. "I-I came to take my mother's medicine", he spoke again, handing Merlin a small paper.

Merlin's shivering hands reached out for the paper and took it from Arthur's own trembling fingers.

"Oh, of course! Miss Pendragon!" God how I've missed you. "I'll be right back!" I never left.

Soon enough, Merlin returned to the awaiting man with a small bag.

"Th-thank you!" Arthur mumbled, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. He couldn't quite understand why, but he knew it had to do with the boy he felt he knew like the palm of his hand.

Merlin smiled at him, knowing that from there on, it was just a matter of days before his friend's memories would be returned to him and yet, he could not contain the overwhelming joy that washed over him.

Arthur turned to leave, a frown on his face, trying hard to place the boy in his past. Little did he know, he had to go way back. As he was walking away, he felt utter sadness compel him, as if he could not bare to be apart from the raven haired man, as if another day without him would seem an eternity. He didn't even realize the bitter tears that covered his cheeks with every further step he took. Just as he was about to reach for the doorknob, he quickly spun around on his heels to face the boy.

"Have we met before?" he asked, his voice cracking midsentence.

Merlin let a tear roll down his cheek as his pulse grew and his knees went weak.

"Yes, I believe we have!"