Autumn Rain
Arthur was motionless, sprawled on the ground where he'd fallen after taking a dark wizard's spell to the center of his chest. His eyes did not open. His chest did not heave with pained breath nor flutter with shallow sighs. There was no sign that Prince Arthur still inhabited his earthly form.
Merlin had darted through the scattered bodies to his prince's side. The rain had come moments later, slow and tentative at first. Merlin didn't notice it as he shook Arthur's shoulders, desperately calling his name. As the intensity of the autumn shower increased, so did Merlin's frantic efforts to rouse the prince. He shouted, slapped both cheeks, and shouted again. Tears sprang from his eyes to blend with the droplets of rain streaming down his cheeks, falling on Arthur's chest.
The clouds became relentless in their issue, turning the forest gray. Merlin began to pray to the old gods, the new god, and to the whole of the universe. He begged them all to return Arthur to life, screaming at them of his devotion. Spent, Merlin collapsed, rolling to face the sky, attempting to shout at all the powers in existence but his voice failing as more tears joined the rain. He covered his face and searched for the energy to continue crying. He was lost without his Arthur.
Unbeknownst to Merlin, the spell flung in haste by the dark wizard was only temporary. At the edge of the clearing, a few men were rousing from forced slumber, hit by the same rushed incantation. Merlin didn't see them. He cried through his hands, muttering and sobbing as the skies ignored his pleas. Arthur's eyes flickered, then opened. The rain pelting his face was overwhelming, so he closed them but listened. He sensed Merlin before he heard his pained whispers. As feeling returned to Arthur's limbs, he tried to make out what Merlin was saying.
"I never told him that I love him."
With his eyes shut and his palms pressed over his brow, Merlin didn't see Arthur sit up. He didn't see Arthur's smile as Arthur gazed down at Merlin. He only felt the sudden pull of strong hands on his wrists, pulling away his hands. He opened his eyes to see a flash of blonde hair, a smirk of pink lips, and a wink of the bluest eyes. Blinking to adjust his vision, Merlin gasped, "Wha..?" He didn't speak the words in his mind before feeling the press of those soft lips against his own and the mix of rain and tears that flowed from his cheeks to Arthur's and from Arthur's to his.
"And I love you in return, Merlin."
As rain soaked them in its cool embrace, Merlin parted his lips to attempt speech again, only to take the prince's tongue into his mouth, rendering him oblivious to the sorrow he'd felt and the touch of the autumn shower.
Merlin had darted through the scattered bodies to his prince's side. The rain had come moments later, slow and tentative at first. Merlin didn't notice it as he shook Arthur's shoulders, desperately calling his name. As the intensity of the autumn shower increased, so did Merlin's frantic efforts to rouse the prince. He shouted, slapped both cheeks, and shouted again. Tears sprang from his eyes to blend with the droplets of rain streaming down his cheeks, falling on Arthur's chest.
The clouds became relentless in their issue, turning the forest gray. Merlin began to pray to the old gods, the new god, and to the whole of the universe. He begged them all to return Arthur to life, screaming at them of his devotion. Spent, Merlin collapsed, rolling to face the sky, attempting to shout at all the powers in existence but his voice failing as more tears joined the rain. He covered his face and searched for the energy to continue crying. He was lost without his Arthur.
Unbeknownst to Merlin, the spell flung in haste by the dark wizard was only temporary. At the edge of the clearing, a few men were rousing from forced slumber, hit by the same rushed incantation. Merlin didn't see them. He cried through his hands, muttering and sobbing as the skies ignored his pleas. Arthur's eyes flickered, then opened. The rain pelting his face was overwhelming, so he closed them but listened. He sensed Merlin before he heard his pained whispers. As feeling returned to Arthur's limbs, he tried to make out what Merlin was saying.
"I never told him that I love him."
With his eyes shut and his palms pressed over his brow, Merlin didn't see Arthur sit up. He didn't see Arthur's smile as Arthur gazed down at Merlin. He only felt the sudden pull of strong hands on his wrists, pulling away his hands. He opened his eyes to see a flash of blonde hair, a smirk of pink lips, and a wink of the bluest eyes. Blinking to adjust his vision, Merlin gasped, "Wha..?" He didn't speak the words in his mind before feeling the press of those soft lips against his own and the mix of rain and tears that flowed from his cheeks to Arthur's and from Arthur's to his.
"And I love you in return, Merlin."
As rain soaked them in its cool embrace, Merlin parted his lips to attempt speech again, only to take the prince's tongue into his mouth, rendering him oblivious to the sorrow he'd felt and the touch of the autumn shower.