Ignition

[million_star]

Title: Ignition
Author: millionstar
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: PG
Warnings: I can't think of any tbh, unless fluff applies as a warning.
Summary: Merlin is an amazing gift-giver.
Feedback: Is always appreciated but please, just enjoy.
Disclaimer: The Almighty BBC own this version of Merlin and Arthur, not I. No offense is intended, no profit is being made, and this is fiction.
Beta/Support: As always, dolce_piccante & frisky_biscuit, who rock my world on a daily basis. Thank you, girls, so much love! <3

Author's Note: For shuralove because she is brilliant!

ALSO: I had intended for this to be my entry to the current fic challenge over at merlinxarthur but I chickened out at the last moment. Still, this is the picture that I chose to write around if you are interested in seeing it:



Perhaps next time a challenge rolls around there I will feel more confident. Hope y'all enjoy!


* * * *

It could be said that as Merlin sat watching the knights during another round of training, that he was happier than he had been some time. And why not? The sun was high in the sky and yet there was a soft breeze billowing through his hair. If he happened to close his eyes and wonder how Arthur's fingertips would feel buried in his hair as opposed to the wind, well, that was just time well spent.

It could be said that he was impossibly content and at peace as he watched Arthur and Leon spar. It was something of a surprise to discover that knew Arthur's fighting technique so well now that he could practically predict his movements. He wondered what the prince would think about that-

-but only for a moment-

-as he was now busy trying to breathe after Leon fell on top of him with a grunt.

"Merlin! Are you okay? Sorry, I lost my footing!"

"Yeah, no worries, I'm fine!"

"Merlin, what have I told you about daydreaming?" Arthur teased.

The warlock squinted into the sun. "I can't remember, Sire" he shot back as Leon helped him to his feet with an apologetic smile, "perhaps if you gave me a day off to think about it really hard, it might come back to me?"

Arthur rolled his eyes.

Merlin's heart skipped a beat.

For, you see, it could also be said that Merlin was a little bit in love with his Prince, and that was why he lived for moments like these. Stolen glances of Arthur Pendragon were things to be treasured and locked away in his heart for safe keeping.

The morning Merlin had come to this grand realization had been a rainy and gray one. He'd woken Arthur with his usual bright greeting (secretly hoping that it would be well received and would not lead to him being pelted with a stray goblet; in dealing with Arthur Pendragon first thing in the morning, one took their chances), placed the tray containing breakfast on the table and proceeded to pull the curtains back when Arthur spoke quietly.

"Merlin."

"Sire?"

"Leave the curtains. Please."

Merlin paused with hands on the thick, elegant fabric for a beat, then drew them closed again. Arthur was curled up in his bed, facing Merlin, fully awake. The brunet was struck with a sense of unease; he was used to Cranky-Arthur, Bossy-Arthur, and even "Tell-Me-How-Fabulous-I-Look-In-This-Robe-Merlin"-Arthur. But this solemn, melancholy version of Arthur was a rarity and Merlin was slightly unsure of how to proceed.

"Of course," the brunet replied. "Anything else?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I think so. I woke up hours ago, couldn't get back to sleep."

"Ah," Merlin said carefully, "it must have been the rain."

"Perhaps. Merlin?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you ever feel lonely?"

Merlin didn't dare look at Arthur; instead he busied himself with cleaning the mess of papers on Arthur's desk as he considered the question. "I suppose I do, at times. It's only human." His hand now stilled on an inkwell, Merlin turned to face the prince. "Do you?"

"I do."

"Sire, you are surrounded every day with people who care about you, surely you realize that?"

"But would that be so if I weren't Crown Prince? I just... sometimes wonder how many true friends I actually have."

"Arthur, what brought this on?"

The blond shook his head. "Never mind. Leave me be, Merlin."

They never spoke of it again.

However, Merlin couldn't forget, wouldn't forget the way that Arthur's face looked when it was peppered with discontent and sadness and he made it his life's mission in that moment to ensure Arthur felt that way as little as possible.

He would bring a smile to the prince's face as often as he could.

It proved difficult, though. Arthur, in the days that followed, remained quiet and reserved, not interested in having Merlin around except to take care of his duties as manservant. On a heady summer night a week or so later Merlin was stealing back to Camelot after a visit with Kilgarrah when he saw something that stopped him in his tracks.

Fireflies.

Not just a few, but what seemed to be dozens, if not hundreds of fireflies.

He smiled into the warm night and one elegant hand extended automatically as if to swirl through the sea of light particles. He fell to his knees, utterly enthralled with this display of nature's majesty. In a flash of gold which filled his vision and a whispered chant his hand was covered in them. Instantly the smile on his face morphed into a full-on, blinding grin illuminated perfectly by the creatures' natural light.

Merlin wished Arthur could see them. To bear witness to Arthur's beauty in a setting such as this one would be something from out of a dream. Golden hair would appear even more so in the presence of a crowd of fireflies such as this one. Merlin closed his eyes for a moment and he could see it; Arthur there with him, eyes wide in wonder, but only in regard to the animals themselves and not the fashion in which Merlin had commanded them.

As with so many of the fantasies Merlin occasionally allowed himself, this one ended abruptly. He couldn't reconcile being in possession of such an amazing gift while at the same time not being able to share it with the one he wanted to the most. He shook his head to chase such sad thoughts away. It remained that he was eager to share all things beautiful and precious with the prince, even if the prince in question was oblivous to that fact.

Waking Arthur at this time of night simply to show him a grouping of fireflies was most likely a poor idea. That didn't mean that he couldn't take the unexpected light show to Arthur, though. Smile still in place, he raced through the fields of tall grass, the stars hanging in the sky over him as he sped toward the castle. In no time at all he had stolen into the chambers he and Gaius shared, retreiving a small jar from the physician's stash before dashing back out into the night.

He sat down in the grass as he had done before, placing the empty jar on the ground next to him. They heeded his call immediately as they flocked to Merlin, pausing almost reverently in front of him. Merlin nodded in response, raising his hand in an incantation and watching as a few dozen of them made their way into the jar after having received his permission to do so.

His tongue peeking out the corner of his mouth, Merlin carefully covered the jar with its lid, which was now poked full of holes to allow the creatures to get the air they needed. Satisfied, he tucked the jar beneath his shirt and headed for his master's chambers.

Merlin was quiet as a mouse for once as he entered Arthur's room, well, after he'd tripped over the door frame at least. The blond didn't stir though, so Merlin walked quietly across the room. As he put the jar on the table beside Arthur's bed he was proud of himself for being so quiet. If there were to be only one time he managed to keep his clumsiness at bay he was glad it was on this particular night. Merlin placed a small note with the jar, which read, simply,

from a friend.

Merlin was exceedingly pleased with himself as he crossed the room quietly and closed the door.

Until he promptly realized that Arthur wouldn't be able to enjoy the fireflies while he slept, that is.

The brunet smacked himself in the forehead, irritated at himself for having overlooked such a critical detail. He rose from the keyhole and pulled the door open a crack, offering a whispered command to the wardrobe amd smiling as it opened and shut loudly. Door closed again, he peered through the keyhole and saw Arthur sitting up in bed, wide-eyed.

"What?"

The blond sat up, running one hand through his gorgeously mussed hair as he stretched. His eyes fell on the jar then and his mouth dropped open as he read the note that was left beside it. The prince then picked it up carefully, his eyes wide in wonder as he turned it in his hands.

A lone tear slid down Merlin's cheek as he watched Arthur react to his gift. His heart was in his throat already but when the prince opened the jar and watched the fireflies billow around his bare upper body, Merlin feared he might choke on his feelings.

Then, Arthur smiled.

A beautiful, beaming smile.

A smile born of pure happiness, of child-like wonder.

And it was all Merlin wanted. More than that, it was all Merlin needed.

Suddenly it didn't matter to Merlin that Arthur only reciprocated his feelings wholly in his dreams. If all he ever got to share with Arthur were fleeting moments in which he was able to see the occasional smile grace the blond's beautiful face, he would accept that happily.

He was just grateful to be able to share in Arthur's life in any way he could; Merlin would do everything he could to protect him and to serve him. This was his destiny, after all.

Merlin walked back to his room with a spring in his step and with the corners of his mouth turned up in happiness.

Years later Arthur would admit that he'd seen Merlin in his chambers that night...

...that Merlin had actually stubbed his toe as he'd entered the room, and stubbed it loudly enough to wake the blond. (Of course Merlin denied emphatically between kisses that this ever happened, but Arthur was having none of it.)

...that he'd pretended to be asleep but was smiling on the inside simply from being able to sense Merlin's presence so closely to his own as he stood at Arthur's bedside. (Of course, Merlin then declared Arthur to be a hopeless romantic, and got a punch to the shoulder for it, which Arthur promptly kissed better.)

...that it could be said that on that particular summer night, Arthur Pendragon fell hopelessly in love.

(Of course, it could be said that Merlin felt the same.)