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Merlin fic: From New Zealand, With Love (1/1)
Title: From New Zealand, With Love (1/1)
Author: dk323
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Merlin, Morgana, Lancelot/Gwen (referred to)
Disclaimer: Merlin is property of the BBC.
Summary: Everyone’s reincarnated. It’s 1500 years, give or take, after Camelot. But Morgana is surprised to discover that Merlin doesn’t remember his past life when the rest of them do.
Fortunately, Arthur has a brilliant idea to combat this problem. (Okay, not so brilliant according to Morgana, but Arthur never seems to listen to her)
Author’s Notes: New Zealand vs. Arthur, basically. Something like that. *cough* And the Lord of the Rings films were all filmed in New Zealand, which I think most everyone knows at any rate… the TV series Legend of the Seeker is filmed in New Zealand too. I may have gone a bit overboard with Merlin’s back story (for his current reincarnation), but I couldn’t resist…
~ * ~
Morgana thought she would reach her 30th birthday without seeing a hide or hair of Merlin in this new life, this reincarnation. But finally, when she was 25 and Arthur 24; Merlin came to visit.
She had been startled, of course, because she hadn’t been expecting him. All of them – she, Arthur, Gwen and Lancelot – had devoted some time to searching for the erstwhile sorcerer of Camelot. But the search had proved fruitless.
And now Merlin was sitting at her kitchen table, telling Morgana how he wasn’t exactly sure why he’d felt the need to come here, to London, to her doorstep (well, he’d been going off the name ‘Pendragon’ that had somehow gotten stuck in his head). Considering that he had been living in New Zealand – New Zealand, imagine! – all these years, flying off to London due to this strange feeling he had in his gut was the most spontaneous thing Merlin had ever done, he had told her.
Morgana had stared at him, sucking in a breath. How did he end up being reborn in New Zealand while the others were reborn in the UK? Fate was laughing at them, she was sure. But she tried to catch up with him, find out what he’d been up to either way.
Merlin said that hearing about Camelot elicited this familiarity within him, but he couldn’t remember his past life. He wasn’t even certain that he was that Merlin, of legend. And then he had promptly apologized for it upon seeing Morgana’s frown, her face falling at the thought of Merlin – of all people – not remembering yet. But she had only shaken her head, waving her hand at him. It certainly wasn’t Merlin’s fault that his memories hadn’t returned to him.
“So you work in a bookshop?” Morgana asked him, going off what he had just told her.
She contemplated calling Arthur. It was a Saturday, and he had gone out to play football with some friends, Lancelot included. She knew that Arthur would drop whatever he was doing once she told him who was at their house – she shared it with him for the time being. And the ‘sharing house’ situation worked out all right. Morgana wasn’t tempted to slap Arthur at his moments of unbelievable prattishness…well, the temptation wasn’t too strong. She couldn’t wait to see the shocked look on Arthur’s face when he saw Merlin. Morgana wanted oh so desperately to take a picture of that face. So she decided that telling Arthur beforehand would ruin that fun moment.
Merlin shook his head, and he drank some of his tea before responding, “I actually own it, but I do work in the shop when I can. I enjoy it.” He gave her a small smile.
“Oh, how lovely. What’s the shop called then?”
Merlin’s face reddened slightly, a healthy blush on his pale cheeks. “It’s well, since I own it…” He took a deep breath and then he said, “I named the shop: ‘Merlin’s Avalon Book Shoppe’.”
“That’s a great name. I love it,” Morgana enthused.
He smiled softly at her. “Thanks. My mum wants me to focus more on the family business though. But I’m hoping to keep the bookshop running.”
“What’s the ‘family business’ then?” Morgana wondered.
“Er, it’s this small toy company. Well, not that small as we have business in several countries. Not here in the UK, but we’re looking into Ireland. It’s called, ‘Medieval Dragon Toys.’ My father started it – he passed away about a year ago,” Merlin added quietly, looking down
Morgana expressed her sympathy for him, reaching out to squeeze his hand. “Oh, I’m sorry. I know you don’t really remember me, but I hope you can see me as a friend.”
Merlin smiled reassuringly at her. “It’s all right. I mean, if you believe you are that Morgana, then maybe it’s a matter of time before I remember whatever it is that brought me here.”
“My half-brother Arthur will be glad to see you,” Morgana noted. “I’m not sure how he’ll take you not remembering.”
“Merlin and Arthur…that feels all a bit too surreal.”
“Trust me, it’s real. Reincarnation is real,” she assured him confidently. “Now tell me more about ‘Medieval Dragon Toys.’ I don’t think I’ve heard of them. We have our own family business too…it’s a global corporation: Tintagel Software. Arthur will probably take over as head of the company in a few years. But I would love to know more about the toy company. Oh, my friend, Gwen, is expecting and I’m sure she would love to buy some toys for the baby.”
“Well, they’re more for older children – like miniature statues, you know,” Merlin explained, his enthusiasm showing through. “But we’re always looking for new product ideas. My father was brilliant at carving these dragons out of all different materials, and he decided to make his passion for that into a business. We primarily make mythical creatures like dragons, of course, gryphons, and winged horses. Right now, we’re thinking of toys specifically for girls like fairies and witches. We’re a niche market, but the business has been thriving for a couple of decades now. And we have steady clients as well. My mum manages the company for now along with my father’s long-time right hand, Gareth. But like I mentioned before, she hopes that I would head the company one day. I’m sure you understand keeping a family business within the family…like with Tintagel…” He nodded at her.
“Arthur may understand, but he’s the type to shirk responsibility. Or he’s probably just rebelling. ‘Life of the Party’, he is,” Morgana remarked, rolling her eyes.
Merlin laughed at that.
“So can you do magic?” Morgana asked.
Merlin shrugged. “I don’t believe so. I’m rather good at sleight of hand, but nothing that tells me that my name means anything more than an expression of my mum’s love for Merlin falcons.”
Morgana was about to ask something else when she heard the door open.
Arthur was home.
“Morgana, I’m back!” He called. “Where are you?”
Morgana pressed a finger to her lips at Merlin who suddenly appeared tense. He wasn’t quite sure why he felt so anxious as he didn’t even know Arthur, well, not yet at least if Morgana’s words were to be believed.
“In the kitchen. We have a guest,” Morgana told him, unable to stop the amused expression on her face. Merlin just looked like the apocalypse would be coming any minute now.
“Who is it?” He asked. “Is it Gwen or…?”
Morgana heard him walking toward the kitchen.
Arthur, a bit sweaty and clad in his footie uniform, had entered the kitchen. The blond stared at Merlin.
And he continued to stare.
Morgana decided to take charge when Arthur remained silent and Merlin looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him up right then and there. Although, she did deign to notice the dark-haired man’s eyes shift up and down Arthur’s body with undeniable interest. Some things never changed.
And so she said, “Oh, stop ogling, Arthur. Yes, this is Merlin. He doesn’t remember his past life though. Luckily, he felt compelled to travel all the way from New Zealand for a nice visit.”
Merlin politely waved at the blond. “Er, hello, Arthur.”
“What the hell were you in New Zealand for?” Arthur uttered in complete disbelief then, almost yelling. “New Zealand?? Bloody hell!” Then he turned to face Morgana. He waved his hand at Merlin. “New Zealand, Morgana. Seriously?!”
Morgana had her hands clasped under her chin, her elbows resting on the table, and she was completely unperturbed by Arthur’s half-crazed outburst. Gods, his face though. She would never forget the ‘gaping fish’ look he’d sported upon seeing Merlin.
“Yes, that is what I just told you. He lives in New Zealand. What is wrong with that?” She answered him calmly.
Then Merlin chimed in, almost sounding defiant, as he said to Arthur, “It’s not my fault I was born in New Zealand. I like it there, that’s where I grew up. It’s my favorite place in the whole world,” he finished, almost breathlessly. His blue eyes lit up as he spoke of his homeland.
Arthur deflated then and rubbed his brow. “Sorry. I’m just…still trying to take this in. It’s good to see you. Hopefully you should remember soon. With me around, I have no doubt you will,” he said, sounding rather sure of himself.
Merlin raised his eyebrow at him. “Well, I’ve seen you and I still don’t remember.”
“Give it some time,” Arthur retorted quickly, undeterred. He winked at Merlin. He directed his next words to Morgana. “I’ll be right back.”
And then the blond left the kitchen. Morgana had no idea what her half-brother was up to, but that mischievous look on his face did not ease her mind. If Arthur planned on doing something stupid…he’d regret it. She would make sure of that. She exchanged puzzled looks with Merlin.
Arthur returned about 20 minutes later, having changed and freshened up. He had something in his hands.
“So,” the blond started as he seated himself at the head of the table, between Merlin and Morgana who sat across from one another. “I heard that a good way to get someone to remember something is to shock them into it… like a--” And then Arthur abruptly cut himself off.
Merlin barely had a chance to react when Arthur whacked him across the head, hard, with the DVD set he’d been holding.
“Arthur! Honestly, I can’t believe you!” Morgana exclaimed, rising up out of her seat in obvious dismay. She glared at the blond.
“Ow, you prat!” Merlin shouted, rubbing his head. “What did you do that for?” He demanded.
But even as Morgana rushed to get an icepack prepared, she did not miss Merlin’s eyes flaring a familiar gold.
“It was for your own good. You remember now, don’t you?” Arthur asked, the hopefulness clear in his voice.
Merlin just gave him a withering stare, still trying to contend with the sudden pain thanks to the unexpected blow.
Morgana gave him an icepack and he pressed it firmly to his head. The cold ice helped to ease the pain just a bit.
“Yes, all right! Yes, I remember now,” Merlin declared, shouting unnecessarily as the pain frustrated him. “That bloody hurt though!”
Now Arthur really did look reconciliatory for what he did. He grimaced and standing up, he went to Merlin and lifted his chin to kiss the dark-haired man softly on the lips. Though chaste, the kiss felt electric to Merlin. He let out a shaky breath.
“Arthur,” He uttered, the name like a vow on his lips.
Morgana didn’t know whether to berate Arthur or thank him for helping to restore Merlin’s past memories. She settled for seeing which DVD set of hers Arthur had decided to hit Merlin with.
It was her Legend of the Seeker Season 1 DVD set. She commented on it out loud, and Arthur said that it was either a DVD set (chosen at random, he said, but Morgana knew that he knew that the show was filmed in New Zealand…Arthur had chosen it intentionally to vent his frustration about Merlin being reborn all the way over there. She supposed that he couldn’t find the Lord of the Rings DVDs fast enough) or a heavy book.
That he was being polite by using a ‘lighter’ item, but really, Morgana knew that if Arthur wielded enough force behind the object, no matter the weight of it, it would still leave considerable damage. She’d asked him why he hadn’t simply used his hand, and Arthur had told her that then he would feel like he’d really been hitting Merlin. That the DVD set served as an impersonal barrier.
Merlin rolled his eyes and scoffed at Arthur’s explanation.
“If you gave him a concussion, Arthur…” Morgana looked to the blond, hands on her hips, promising him pain in the near future.
Merlin grinned at them then. “I’m fine, Morgana. Truly, I believe I am,” he reassured her earnestly. “I think I have my magic back. I feel it in me. I may just be able to heal myself magically if I need to.”
“I did see your eyes flash gold for a moment,” Morgana noted.
Arthur looked happier than Morgana had ever seen him. “Everything is as it should be…well, except for the ‘you living in New Zealand’ bit.”
“You’re still not off the hook, Arthur,” she said to him, pointing her finger at him.
Merlin sighed then. “You’re right, Arthur. I live in New Zealand and everyone I love, my mother and friends are all there. My father’s business, my bookshop…I can’t just leave all that because all of you are here. Though it’s so good to see the both of you again. And I would love to see Gwen and Lancelot.”
“…father’s business?” Arthur wondered.
“Merlin told me all about it – it’s a toy company called ‘Medieval Dragon Toys’,” Morgana informed him. She turned to Merlin, now standing, and clasped his hands in hers. “I understand that it’ll be hard for you to leave your home. At least stay for a little while longer? So you could properly catch up with Arthur? Gwen and Lancelot, too. They married almost two years ago, you know. She’s expecting her first child. Oh, their wedding was so beautiful. If only you could have been there!”
Merlin smiled at her. “Of course I’ll stay as long as I can. I’d love to. And maybe, I don’t know, I could magically travel back and forth. Hopefully I can still remember how to do that. It will definitely be faster,” he said, biting his lip as he thought how difficult it could be to recall that method of transportation.
Arthur pulled the dark-haired man toward him, his arm around his shoulders. “So how about we watch a movie?” He suggested as they walked to living room.
“What do you suggest?” Merlin asked, uneasy at Arthur’s cheeky grin.
“Oh, you know…nothing too heavy. Kids’ stuff…there’s Disney’s Sword in the Stone and then Wall-E. I always felt that if you were a robot, you’d be Wall-E.”
“I’d be Eve,” Morgana contributed smartly from behind them.
“No, I’d be Eve!” Arthur shot back.
Merlin couldn’t help but laugh.
“Then you would be a girl, dear brother,” she reminded him sweetly. Then she told them that she would make the popcorn as she headed back into the kitchen.
Arthur was about to retort when he’d realize that Morgana had won this time.
“Stop laughing, Merlin,” He demanded of him.
“Can’t,” Merlin barely managed to breathe out as he was bent over, his face a rosy shade of red from laughing so hard.
Arthur made a frustrated noise and then a moment later, he smiled wickedly. He said decisively, “That decides it. We’re watching Sword in the Stone first. What do you think of that, Merlin? Did you see that one?”
Merlin sobered up remarkably quickly at Arthur’s choice of movie. Crap, he did see that movie… and that long, white beard, that squirrel, the Wizard’s Duel Arthur was sure to laugh at…
“Well, you’re a scrawny boy in that film,” Merlin countered weakly.
Arthur only grinned at him, unaffected, by his remark.
Bugger, Merlin thought.
“Welcome home, Merlin,” Arthur told him sincerely, and then he kissed him again.
Merlin smiled as he returned the kiss.
~ * ~
Author: dk323
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Merlin, Morgana, Lancelot/Gwen (referred to)
Disclaimer: Merlin is property of the BBC.
Summary: Everyone’s reincarnated. It’s 1500 years, give or take, after Camelot. But Morgana is surprised to discover that Merlin doesn’t remember his past life when the rest of them do.
Fortunately, Arthur has a brilliant idea to combat this problem. (Okay, not so brilliant according to Morgana, but Arthur never seems to listen to her)
Author’s Notes: New Zealand vs. Arthur, basically. Something like that. *cough* And the Lord of the Rings films were all filmed in New Zealand, which I think most everyone knows at any rate… the TV series Legend of the Seeker is filmed in New Zealand too. I may have gone a bit overboard with Merlin’s back story (for his current reincarnation), but I couldn’t resist…
~ * ~
Morgana thought she would reach her 30th birthday without seeing a hide or hair of Merlin in this new life, this reincarnation. But finally, when she was 25 and Arthur 24; Merlin came to visit.
She had been startled, of course, because she hadn’t been expecting him. All of them – she, Arthur, Gwen and Lancelot – had devoted some time to searching for the erstwhile sorcerer of Camelot. But the search had proved fruitless.
And now Merlin was sitting at her kitchen table, telling Morgana how he wasn’t exactly sure why he’d felt the need to come here, to London, to her doorstep (well, he’d been going off the name ‘Pendragon’ that had somehow gotten stuck in his head). Considering that he had been living in New Zealand – New Zealand, imagine! – all these years, flying off to London due to this strange feeling he had in his gut was the most spontaneous thing Merlin had ever done, he had told her.
Morgana had stared at him, sucking in a breath. How did he end up being reborn in New Zealand while the others were reborn in the UK? Fate was laughing at them, she was sure. But she tried to catch up with him, find out what he’d been up to either way.
Merlin said that hearing about Camelot elicited this familiarity within him, but he couldn’t remember his past life. He wasn’t even certain that he was that Merlin, of legend. And then he had promptly apologized for it upon seeing Morgana’s frown, her face falling at the thought of Merlin – of all people – not remembering yet. But she had only shaken her head, waving her hand at him. It certainly wasn’t Merlin’s fault that his memories hadn’t returned to him.
“So you work in a bookshop?” Morgana asked him, going off what he had just told her.
She contemplated calling Arthur. It was a Saturday, and he had gone out to play football with some friends, Lancelot included. She knew that Arthur would drop whatever he was doing once she told him who was at their house – she shared it with him for the time being. And the ‘sharing house’ situation worked out all right. Morgana wasn’t tempted to slap Arthur at his moments of unbelievable prattishness…well, the temptation wasn’t too strong. She couldn’t wait to see the shocked look on Arthur’s face when he saw Merlin. Morgana wanted oh so desperately to take a picture of that face. So she decided that telling Arthur beforehand would ruin that fun moment.
Merlin shook his head, and he drank some of his tea before responding, “I actually own it, but I do work in the shop when I can. I enjoy it.” He gave her a small smile.
“Oh, how lovely. What’s the shop called then?”
Merlin’s face reddened slightly, a healthy blush on his pale cheeks. “It’s well, since I own it…” He took a deep breath and then he said, “I named the shop: ‘Merlin’s Avalon Book Shoppe’.”
“That’s a great name. I love it,” Morgana enthused.
He smiled softly at her. “Thanks. My mum wants me to focus more on the family business though. But I’m hoping to keep the bookshop running.”
“What’s the ‘family business’ then?” Morgana wondered.
“Er, it’s this small toy company. Well, not that small as we have business in several countries. Not here in the UK, but we’re looking into Ireland. It’s called, ‘Medieval Dragon Toys.’ My father started it – he passed away about a year ago,” Merlin added quietly, looking down
Morgana expressed her sympathy for him, reaching out to squeeze his hand. “Oh, I’m sorry. I know you don’t really remember me, but I hope you can see me as a friend.”
Merlin smiled reassuringly at her. “It’s all right. I mean, if you believe you are that Morgana, then maybe it’s a matter of time before I remember whatever it is that brought me here.”
“My half-brother Arthur will be glad to see you,” Morgana noted. “I’m not sure how he’ll take you not remembering.”
“Merlin and Arthur…that feels all a bit too surreal.”
“Trust me, it’s real. Reincarnation is real,” she assured him confidently. “Now tell me more about ‘Medieval Dragon Toys.’ I don’t think I’ve heard of them. We have our own family business too…it’s a global corporation: Tintagel Software. Arthur will probably take over as head of the company in a few years. But I would love to know more about the toy company. Oh, my friend, Gwen, is expecting and I’m sure she would love to buy some toys for the baby.”
“Well, they’re more for older children – like miniature statues, you know,” Merlin explained, his enthusiasm showing through. “But we’re always looking for new product ideas. My father was brilliant at carving these dragons out of all different materials, and he decided to make his passion for that into a business. We primarily make mythical creatures like dragons, of course, gryphons, and winged horses. Right now, we’re thinking of toys specifically for girls like fairies and witches. We’re a niche market, but the business has been thriving for a couple of decades now. And we have steady clients as well. My mum manages the company for now along with my father’s long-time right hand, Gareth. But like I mentioned before, she hopes that I would head the company one day. I’m sure you understand keeping a family business within the family…like with Tintagel…” He nodded at her.
“Arthur may understand, but he’s the type to shirk responsibility. Or he’s probably just rebelling. ‘Life of the Party’, he is,” Morgana remarked, rolling her eyes.
Merlin laughed at that.
“So can you do magic?” Morgana asked.
Merlin shrugged. “I don’t believe so. I’m rather good at sleight of hand, but nothing that tells me that my name means anything more than an expression of my mum’s love for Merlin falcons.”
Morgana was about to ask something else when she heard the door open.
Arthur was home.
“Morgana, I’m back!” He called. “Where are you?”
Morgana pressed a finger to her lips at Merlin who suddenly appeared tense. He wasn’t quite sure why he felt so anxious as he didn’t even know Arthur, well, not yet at least if Morgana’s words were to be believed.
“In the kitchen. We have a guest,” Morgana told him, unable to stop the amused expression on her face. Merlin just looked like the apocalypse would be coming any minute now.
“Who is it?” He asked. “Is it Gwen or…?”
Morgana heard him walking toward the kitchen.
Arthur, a bit sweaty and clad in his footie uniform, had entered the kitchen. The blond stared at Merlin.
And he continued to stare.
Morgana decided to take charge when Arthur remained silent and Merlin looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him up right then and there. Although, she did deign to notice the dark-haired man’s eyes shift up and down Arthur’s body with undeniable interest. Some things never changed.
And so she said, “Oh, stop ogling, Arthur. Yes, this is Merlin. He doesn’t remember his past life though. Luckily, he felt compelled to travel all the way from New Zealand for a nice visit.”
Merlin politely waved at the blond. “Er, hello, Arthur.”
“What the hell were you in New Zealand for?” Arthur uttered in complete disbelief then, almost yelling. “New Zealand?? Bloody hell!” Then he turned to face Morgana. He waved his hand at Merlin. “New Zealand, Morgana. Seriously?!”
Morgana had her hands clasped under her chin, her elbows resting on the table, and she was completely unperturbed by Arthur’s half-crazed outburst. Gods, his face though. She would never forget the ‘gaping fish’ look he’d sported upon seeing Merlin.
“Yes, that is what I just told you. He lives in New Zealand. What is wrong with that?” She answered him calmly.
Then Merlin chimed in, almost sounding defiant, as he said to Arthur, “It’s not my fault I was born in New Zealand. I like it there, that’s where I grew up. It’s my favorite place in the whole world,” he finished, almost breathlessly. His blue eyes lit up as he spoke of his homeland.
Arthur deflated then and rubbed his brow. “Sorry. I’m just…still trying to take this in. It’s good to see you. Hopefully you should remember soon. With me around, I have no doubt you will,” he said, sounding rather sure of himself.
Merlin raised his eyebrow at him. “Well, I’ve seen you and I still don’t remember.”
“Give it some time,” Arthur retorted quickly, undeterred. He winked at Merlin. He directed his next words to Morgana. “I’ll be right back.”
And then the blond left the kitchen. Morgana had no idea what her half-brother was up to, but that mischievous look on his face did not ease her mind. If Arthur planned on doing something stupid…he’d regret it. She would make sure of that. She exchanged puzzled looks with Merlin.
Arthur returned about 20 minutes later, having changed and freshened up. He had something in his hands.
“So,” the blond started as he seated himself at the head of the table, between Merlin and Morgana who sat across from one another. “I heard that a good way to get someone to remember something is to shock them into it… like a--” And then Arthur abruptly cut himself off.
Merlin barely had a chance to react when Arthur whacked him across the head, hard, with the DVD set he’d been holding.
“Arthur! Honestly, I can’t believe you!” Morgana exclaimed, rising up out of her seat in obvious dismay. She glared at the blond.
“Ow, you prat!” Merlin shouted, rubbing his head. “What did you do that for?” He demanded.
But even as Morgana rushed to get an icepack prepared, she did not miss Merlin’s eyes flaring a familiar gold.
“It was for your own good. You remember now, don’t you?” Arthur asked, the hopefulness clear in his voice.
Merlin just gave him a withering stare, still trying to contend with the sudden pain thanks to the unexpected blow.
Morgana gave him an icepack and he pressed it firmly to his head. The cold ice helped to ease the pain just a bit.
“Yes, all right! Yes, I remember now,” Merlin declared, shouting unnecessarily as the pain frustrated him. “That bloody hurt though!”
Now Arthur really did look reconciliatory for what he did. He grimaced and standing up, he went to Merlin and lifted his chin to kiss the dark-haired man softly on the lips. Though chaste, the kiss felt electric to Merlin. He let out a shaky breath.
“Arthur,” He uttered, the name like a vow on his lips.
Morgana didn’t know whether to berate Arthur or thank him for helping to restore Merlin’s past memories. She settled for seeing which DVD set of hers Arthur had decided to hit Merlin with.
It was her Legend of the Seeker Season 1 DVD set. She commented on it out loud, and Arthur said that it was either a DVD set (chosen at random, he said, but Morgana knew that he knew that the show was filmed in New Zealand…Arthur had chosen it intentionally to vent his frustration about Merlin being reborn all the way over there. She supposed that he couldn’t find the Lord of the Rings DVDs fast enough) or a heavy book.
That he was being polite by using a ‘lighter’ item, but really, Morgana knew that if Arthur wielded enough force behind the object, no matter the weight of it, it would still leave considerable damage. She’d asked him why he hadn’t simply used his hand, and Arthur had told her that then he would feel like he’d really been hitting Merlin. That the DVD set served as an impersonal barrier.
Merlin rolled his eyes and scoffed at Arthur’s explanation.
“If you gave him a concussion, Arthur…” Morgana looked to the blond, hands on her hips, promising him pain in the near future.
Merlin grinned at them then. “I’m fine, Morgana. Truly, I believe I am,” he reassured her earnestly. “I think I have my magic back. I feel it in me. I may just be able to heal myself magically if I need to.”
“I did see your eyes flash gold for a moment,” Morgana noted.
Arthur looked happier than Morgana had ever seen him. “Everything is as it should be…well, except for the ‘you living in New Zealand’ bit.”
“You’re still not off the hook, Arthur,” she said to him, pointing her finger at him.
Merlin sighed then. “You’re right, Arthur. I live in New Zealand and everyone I love, my mother and friends are all there. My father’s business, my bookshop…I can’t just leave all that because all of you are here. Though it’s so good to see the both of you again. And I would love to see Gwen and Lancelot.”
“…father’s business?” Arthur wondered.
“Merlin told me all about it – it’s a toy company called ‘Medieval Dragon Toys’,” Morgana informed him. She turned to Merlin, now standing, and clasped his hands in hers. “I understand that it’ll be hard for you to leave your home. At least stay for a little while longer? So you could properly catch up with Arthur? Gwen and Lancelot, too. They married almost two years ago, you know. She’s expecting her first child. Oh, their wedding was so beautiful. If only you could have been there!”
Merlin smiled at her. “Of course I’ll stay as long as I can. I’d love to. And maybe, I don’t know, I could magically travel back and forth. Hopefully I can still remember how to do that. It will definitely be faster,” he said, biting his lip as he thought how difficult it could be to recall that method of transportation.
Arthur pulled the dark-haired man toward him, his arm around his shoulders. “So how about we watch a movie?” He suggested as they walked to living room.
“What do you suggest?” Merlin asked, uneasy at Arthur’s cheeky grin.
“Oh, you know…nothing too heavy. Kids’ stuff…there’s Disney’s Sword in the Stone and then Wall-E. I always felt that if you were a robot, you’d be Wall-E.”
“I’d be Eve,” Morgana contributed smartly from behind them.
“No, I’d be Eve!” Arthur shot back.
Merlin couldn’t help but laugh.
“Then you would be a girl, dear brother,” she reminded him sweetly. Then she told them that she would make the popcorn as she headed back into the kitchen.
Arthur was about to retort when he’d realize that Morgana had won this time.
“Stop laughing, Merlin,” He demanded of him.
“Can’t,” Merlin barely managed to breathe out as he was bent over, his face a rosy shade of red from laughing so hard.
Arthur made a frustrated noise and then a moment later, he smiled wickedly. He said decisively, “That decides it. We’re watching Sword in the Stone first. What do you think of that, Merlin? Did you see that one?”
Merlin sobered up remarkably quickly at Arthur’s choice of movie. Crap, he did see that movie… and that long, white beard, that squirrel, the Wizard’s Duel Arthur was sure to laugh at…
“Well, you’re a scrawny boy in that film,” Merlin countered weakly.
Arthur only grinned at him, unaffected, by his remark.
Bugger, Merlin thought.
“Welcome home, Merlin,” Arthur told him sincerely, and then he kissed him again.
Merlin smiled as he returned the kiss.
~ * ~
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LOL at Arthur's method of getting Merlin to remember XD
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LOL at Arthur's method of getting Merlin to remember XD
Glad you liked his method...I had a laugh writing that bit. Oh, Arthur. *shakes head*
Thank you for reading and commenting! I appreciate it. :)
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Oh yes, I completely agree with you on New Zealand. I've seen the LOTR films as well, and the scenery/landscape was truly beautiful. Just adds that something extra to the movies. :) And one of the reasons I love watching the show, Legend of the Seeker, is because of the gorgeous New Zealand landscape that serves as background for the series. :)
Merlin would definitely be attached to New Zealand - who wouldn't be? ;)
Thanks for reading and commenting. :) I appreciate it.
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Also, Tintagel Software. <3