Date Published: August 8th, 2022
Word Count: 12,084
A/N: Let's mix up this angst fest with some modern (with magic) meet cute fluff

There were not many things that intimidated Arthur Pendragon. He was, by all accounts, a very courageous man. He had stood up to his father when he wanted to pursue a different career than Uther's business despite knowing it would likely lead to him being disinherited. After years of hard work and training, he secured a position as a knight at a medieval show. It was as authentic as possible; the swords and armor they used were real, as were the many aches and bruises he gained.

He wasn't completely fearless, of course. There were plenty of logical things that he was wary of. Arthur was intimidated by a couple things: his father (though he had managed to overcome that slightly), his half-sister Morgana when she was in a foul mood (he was aware of what that woman could do), possibly facing some dangerous predator while out in the wild (there were reportedly bears in the forest he liked to go hiking in), and lastly, magic.

It wasn't that he hated it, or thought everyone who used it had malicious intentions; Morgana certainly dabbled in witchcraft and she wasn't evil (even if she seemed to be whenever angry). Arthur just didn't particularly like it. It made his hair stand on edge, his skin crawl, and all his instincts screamed not to let his guard down.

Perhaps it was because he was such a physical man. Arthur was the type of man to spend the weekend going camping, hiking, or doing something else to keep him active. For his job, he'd learned to fight hand-to-hand, wield a sword and shield, and ride horses for jousting tournaments. When he faced an opponent in combat, Arthur had something tangible to work with or against. Magic, however, was mostly invisible. It could throw someone across the room, launch items at people, or conjure elements with a simple spell or incantation. There was nothing a sword or fist could do about words when the magic user was out of arm's reach.

Needless to say, Arthur tried to distance himself from magic and its many branches. This was why his stomach churned uncomfortably as he looked at the store he was outside of.

He tried to peer into the windows, but the glass was colored and there seemed to be many shelves that blocked his view. He frowned and read the sign on the door. It read "Merlin's Myriad of Magical Amenities" and had a bird flying underneath the words.

Arthur rolled his eyes; a magic user named Merlin was quite cliché and whoever he was, he clearly liked to be tongue-in-cheek with the amount of alliteration in the name of his shop. He honestly thought it was borderline obnoxious. His skeptic feelings toward this were growing by the second, but the little sign hanging on the door was mocking him with "OPEN!" in a curly font and what he could swear was a smiley face. Damned if he was scared off by a simple potion shop, Arthur pulled the door open. 

The musical sound of a small bell greeted him as he stepped inside. Despite the sunny day outside, the interior of the store was dimly lit with colorful light fixtures that created a calming atmosphere. An aroma of herbs filled the air. Arthur felt his nerves dissipate as he inhaled and wondered what made up the smell.

He began to look around. Elegant shelves lined the walls, many of them filled with bottles containing various colored liquids. Some of them looked like normal drinks; others were glowing or had particles floating in them. There were other objects on the shelves such as bundles of herbs, boxes of candles, and other things used for witchcraft that Arthur didn't recognize.

There were display tables filled the floor between him and the desk he assumed was where he was meant to checkout. The tables were ornamental and beautiful, and upon them sat bowls of crystals and stands with jewelry hanging from them. Hanging from the ceiling were what Arthur assumed were charms. Some of them were constructed with simple components like twigs, and others looked like they were meticulously woven out of metal wire and held precious jewels.

Arthur's face held a look of awe as he took everything in. He felt like he should be overwhelmed by all the magic he was witnessing, but whatever was in the aroma was doing a good job of keeping him from panicking. He hoped it was for harmless reasons and that he wasn't about to be assaulted or kidnapped by a witch.

A squawk from a bird drew his attention back to the desk. He hadn't noticed the wooden bird perch that was present on it, too overwhelmed by the shop's appearance. On of top it, sat a bird of prey of some kind. Its feathers were an array of different shades of brown. The thought passed his mind that it was probably an actual merlin.

Arthur noticed the doorway that led further into the shop beside the desk; he assumed it was a back room for the shop owner. The bird squawked again, more aggressively. He looked toward the bird with wide eyes, but a thud from behind the wall the doorway led to. Apparently, he was right in his assumption.

"Yeah I hear you! I'm coming Kilgharrah, geez," a voice called with frustration in his voice.

Arthur looked back at the bird. He could've sworn it shook its head and rolled its eyes before squawking again. A young black-haired man, who couldn't be older than Arthur himself, stumbled into the doorway. He was wearing an apron and he looked a bit ragged. He didn't even notice his presence, glaring at the bird.

"What on earth are you yelling at me about, Kilgharrah?!" he snapped with an exasperated voice.

The bird turned its head toward Arthur and the man followed his movement. He blinked in surprise, eyes widening and his mouth dropping open in a silent "oh" as he realized what was happening.

"Oh! Shit, I'm so sorry, give me a second, I was just- working on something-" the man rambled, reaching to pull the apron up off of his head. It got caught and he tipped into the doorframe with a thud. Arthur winced a little. "I'm fine- damn it, Kilgharrah why didn't you tell me sooner?! You know I can't hear the bell when I'm working- so sorry- just give me a second!"

Arthur watched with a slightly amused expression as the man moved back into his work room; clearly he was worried about being kidnapped for no reason. He waited patiently for him to return, hearing a couple noises that sounded like items falling to the floor, more bumping into walls, and muffled swears.

The man appeared in the doorway again, looking much less disheveled. Now that Arthur could see him clearly, he realized how gorgeous he was. The man was pretty pale which provided a striking contrast to his dark hair. His cheekbones were sharp and he wore a sunny smile that made his chest feel warm. Finally, he had kind eyes that were bright blue, and only when he started speaking did Arthur realize he was staring.

"Hi! I'm Merlin, obviously," he said. "Sorry to keep you waiting! I've been meaning to set up a better system than that little bell. What's your name?"

Merlin extended a hand to him, which Arthur took and suppressed a wince at the pain the movement caused. "Uh, nice to meet you, I'm Arthur," he managed. He mentally kicked himself for sounding so uncertain. He fumbled to say something to remedy it. "Is your name really Merlin?"

He barely managed to stop himself from groaning at his own stupidity. This was not how Arthur behaved. He was good with social interactions from years in his father's company. He was an entertainer for hundreds of people at night. There was nothing about him that would make him act this thick-headed.

Fortunately, his question made the man in front of him bust out laughing. The sound made his heart swell. It was a purely joyous sound and he had to stop himself from grinning so he didn't come across as creepy. "Yeah, it really is!" he said. "I'm a warlock, born with magic. My mother told me I was making objects float before I could walk or talk, so she named me Merlin like the wizard from the fairytales."

"Well, I can't claim that my family is any less cliché," Arthur admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with embarrassment. He let his hand fall away almost immediately. "My last name is actually Pendragon."

"No way, that's amazing," Merlin exclaimed with a laugh. This time Arthur let himself smile, feeling extra proud of himself for making him laugh again. The warlock calmed himself down and shook his head like he was trying to refocus. "Right, customer, sorry. How can I help you today, Arthur?"

For a moment, he forgot that he was here for any actual reason. He blinked for a couple seconds. "Oh, right," he stumbled. "I get a lot of bruises and muscle pain from my job. Normal painkillers haven't been very effective. My sister told me that some sorcerers, or magic users, or whatever, can make potions that help with health problems. You wouldn't happen to have anything to help with that, would you?"

"I've got something to help everyone," Merlin said confidently.

He made a small hand gesture to follow him as he started strolling over to one of the large shelves. Arthur did, feeling slightly like a lost puppy now that he was truly in the world of magic. Merlin hummed under his breath and started scanning the potions on the shelf. He looked at them too, being thoroughly confused by all the names and labels. He hadn't even noticed the rolling ladder attached to the shelves that allowed Merlin to reach the ones higher up. Arthur had assumed those were just for decoration. The warlock did not seem fazed by all the bottles. "What kind of job has you getting banged up so bad that you're consulting a warlock for potions?" he questioned as he climbed up the ladder.

"I'm a performer in a medieval show," Arthur said. "We stage tournaments and stuff, as true to life as we can without literally killing ourselves at least."

Merlin turned to look down at him over his shoulder, a smirk across his face. "So you're a real Prince Arthur then, is what I'm hearing," he teased before turning back to the shelves.

He flushed and frowned in fake anger. "Says the guy who's got magic, is named Merlin, and decided to open up a magic shop to provide 'help and advise to people in need'," he retorted. The warlock looked over his shoulder again with a scowl. Arthur smirked and cocked an eyebrow. "Gee, now who does that remind me of?"

"Point taken, we're both walking fairytale characters," Merlin conceded as the scowl turned back into a smile. He turned back to the bottles. "Now, enough about that, what kind of pain are you feeling other than the bruises? Like do they burn? Are they sore all the time or do you get random stabs of pain? Where does it hurt? Oh, also are you allergic to anything?"

"I'm not allergic to anything I know of," Arthur said. He flex his muscles, concentrating on the type of pain. He could feel his shoulders and back protesting, but his arms were what hurt the worst. He could feel it as soon he tensed to do something. "They're pretty much sore all the time, and it's pretty much my entire body"

He chuckled as Merlin turned to give him an incredulous look. "I have to do a lot of different types of exercise and activities that use multiple parts of my body," he continued with a shrug. He wasn't that bothered by the activity, just the pain that came with it. "The fights are with lots of different weapon types so those affect different muscles, and riding the horses requires a lot of leg strength, and that's not counting the times I'm actually hit-"

"That is actually a stupid amount of rigorous activity and opportunity for injury," the warlock interrupted. He looked at him with a disapproving expression. His worried gaze made him feel guilty. "You're lucky you haven't ended up in the hospital by now."

Arthur flushed again and ducked his head. "Well, that's why I'm here," he said with an apologetic smile.

Merlin offered a reassuring smile as he turned back to the shelves. He picked up a bottle of purple liquid, inspecting the label before nodding to himself. He slid down the later with grace Arthur had not expected from the man he'd seen stumbling around minutes before. The warlock handed him the bottle. "This here is a pain potion that should treat and relax all of your muscles," he explained. "All you have to do is pour it into a bath and soak in it for half an hour. If that works, you can comeback and I'll whip up a larger bottle for you. If it doesn't, it's not the only kind I have, so we can try something else."

He took the bottle from the warlock. "How much will this cost?"

At this, Merlin let out a laugh as though he was kidding. He looked at his face and realized he was serious. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he tilted his head. "Why would I charge you for something we don't know will work yet?" he asked incredulously. Arthur was lost for words for a moment; that was how things usually worked, you bought something to try it out and if it didn't work, your loss. The warlock shrugged. "A bottle this small costs me nothing to make, charging you without proof it works is just... exploitative."

"There's a whole lot of companies and stores out there who would disagree with you," Arthur pointed out.

"Well they're a bunch of greedy bastards then," Merlin said. He turned and strolled over to a different shelf. This one had little containers of what looked like creams or ointments. The warlock looked only for a couple seconds before he picked one up. He handed it to Arthur with a smile. "This is some bruise treatment that works for the majority of people who I've given it to. Pretty simple, just apply it to the bruise and rub it in. They should be gone within a couple hours."

Arthur looked at the items in his hands, feeling a little overwhelmed. He knew it was Merlin's job to help him but the genuine care he seemed to have made his chest swell. He wasn't used to people showing him concern or support for these things. He'd always been taught to be strong and take care of himself; asking for help was a sign of weakness in his father's eyes. It had been a few years since Arthur had made an effort to remove that man from his life, but it was going to take a while to unlearn all the toxic teachings.

He met Merlin sparkling gaze with a small, breathless smile. "Thank you."

"It's my pleasure," the warlock replied, giving him a brief pat on the shoulder. "C'mon, I'll get you a little bag for those."

The two of them strolled back to the desk where Kilgharrah was perched; the bird seemed to be watching with an all-knowing eye. Merlin slipped behind the counter and bent down out of sight, popping back up moments later with a small paper bag with his shop's logo on it. He gestured for Arthur's products. He handed them back and watched as Merlin rapped them in colored tissue paper and set them into the bag with a soft smile on his face.

The warlock then handed the bag to him with a grin. "Here you go! Come back and let me know if it works or if you want to try something different," he said cheerfully.

Arthur took the bag from him and thanked him. As he walked towards the door, he heard Merlin mumbling to the bird as he returned to the back room; he assumed he was going to finish whatever he was working on. Arthur put his hand on the handle of the door, ready to open it when a small clanging sound rang out from where the warlock had disappeared. It was accompanied by a muffled "ow" that made him smile a little in amusement. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine, thank you!" Merlin called back. "Just clumsy, if that wasn't obvious."

"I did pick up on that, funnily enough," Arthur joked, opening the door. The little bell jingled overhead. "Thank you again, Merlin."

There was a small thud and the warlock's head popped into the doorway where Arthur could see his dopey grin. "You're welcome! I hope you have a lovely rest of your day!"

Arthur couldn't help the smile that spread across his lips as he returned the sentiments. He stepped outside into the fresh air and found that he already missed the calming aroma from inside the little shop. Looking down at the bag in his hands, he wondered if Merlin sold candles or incense that he could light in his flat. He supposed he was getting a little ahead of himself though; this was his first time using any kind of magical product. He figured he should see if the pain treatments worked before he started thinking about less important things. Arthur turned to head home, looking forward to a relaxing bath.

~ ~ ~

His good mood stayed with him all the way home. He decided to actually cook something rather than order takeaway. Something about speaking to Merlin put him in the mood to be productive and take care of himself. After eating dinner, Arthur padded to his bathroom where the bag from Merlin's shop sat on the counter.

He turned on the faucet and let the water fill the tub. Arthur took out the small bottle of purple liquid the warlock had given him for muscle pain. As he pulled the cork off with a pop, the smell of lavender wafted into the air. He hummed with a small smile as he poured it into the water. It mixed into the water and turned it a soft shade of purple that seemed to sparkle; he wasn't surprised, it was magic after all. To his surprise, it also created bubbles. Arthur frown curiously and picked the bottle back up.

Inspecting the label, he read the phrase "includes magic bubbles" and shook his head with a smile. The potion also promised the "perfect temperature" of water. Merlin had really thought of everything he could do to make someone who purchased his potions happy.

Arthur stripped and stepped carefully into the bath. A gasp escaped his mouth; it really was the perfect temperature. He sunk down into the water, feeling it cover his skin. Something felt different. The water felt like it was wrapping him in a warm hug. All of his muscles relaxed immediately. Arthur looked down at the water with a stunned expression. Merlin had said to soak for half an hour, but it felt like the potion had already done its job. If he could, he'd prefer not to bathe for that long. He was curious, so he brought an arm out of the water and flexed it. The soreness was still there, making him wince a little. He dropped it back into the water. A thirty minute bath it was.

The water maintained its perfect temperature, even after ten or so minutes had passed. Arthur was having trouble keeping his eyes from closing. If he wasn't careful, he could definitely fall asleep like this. He shook his head and tried to think of something to keep him awake.

The bubbles were still floating around him. Arthur shrugged and poked a hand out of the water, gathering some. They tickled his skin slightly and he smiled.

His smile disappeared into a face of shock. The bubbles started moving on their own, gathering into a lump in the center of his palm. They began shifting into something. In a few moments, there was a tiny dragon made of suds on his hand. Arthur blinked in amazement, but before he could be impressed by that, it came to life. It turned its tiny head toward him and let out a little roar. He couldn't help but laugh in disbelief as it hopped off his hand and began flying around his head. The bottle hadn't been exaggerating when it said magic bubbles.

Out of curiosity, he gathered another ball of suds into his hand. They too started to morph; next thing he knew, there was a unicorn in his palm. It reared, its fluffy mane and tail moving as though there was wind blowing through it. He grinned as it galloped off his hand and trotted on the water's surface effortlessly.

Arthur kept gathering up the bubbles and letting them turn into things, worries of falling asleep long forgotten. By the time he was out of bubbles to make something new with, there was a griffin flying around, several knights on horseback, and a pair of them sparring. He watched them all dancing on the surface of the water and in the air above it. When his phone went off, indicating his thirty minutes were done, Arthur blinked in surprise. He hadn't realized the bubbles had kept him enthralled for that long.

The bubbles seemed to know he was done too. The figures all gathered together and morphed into one blob of suds. The blob hovered in the air in front of him and transformed into the bird Arthur had seen on Merlin's shop sign. It flapped its wings and disappeared before his eyes.

He moved to get out of the bath, freezing as he realized how painless it was. He opened the drain and watched as the sparkling purple water swirled down, leaving no trace or stain in the tub. Arthur dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist. Looking at himself in the mirror, he raised an arm and flexed it experimentally. Nothing; there was no pain or tension in the muscles at all. They felt completely fine, hell better than fine. A breathless huff of laughter escaped his lips as he smiled at himself. Arthur was beginning to wonder why he hadn't sought magical assistance sooner.

Now that he was cleaned up, he figured it was a good idea to apply the bruise cream Merlin had given him. He changed into his pajamas and sat down on his sofa with the container. Arthur checked the label for any special instructions or inclusions that had been on the potion. The cream seemed to be straight forward.

He unscrewed the lid and set it aside. The cream within looked silky and white, like lotion you could buy at the store. Arthur scooped a small dollop onto his finger and located a large bruise on his knee to test it. The same warm and comforting feeling he'd gotten from the potion flowed into his skin where the cream made contact. He rubbed it until he couldn't see it anymore. Arthur was littered with bruises all over his skin, but he made quick work of applying the cream; he was used to using treatments from pharmacies and stores, but they also hadn't been effective, hence the magical solution.

Once he was done, Arthur closed the container and set it to the side. He looked around his flat, feeling warm, comfortable, and content. He smiled serenely to himself as he stood up and headed to his bedroom. He hadn't asked Merlin for something to help him sleep, but the effects of the potion bath were certainly making him sleepy enough that he doubted he would have any trouble. He switched off the lights and slid into bed. As he drifted off, his thoughts were of magical bubble creatures and the sweet smile on the warlock's face.

~~~

It took all of two days for Arthur to find the first available moment to step back into Merlin's shop. Both of the items he'd been given worked wonders. He'd woken up with not a single bruise the morning after using the cream, and his muscles weren't even the slightest bit sore. Arthur was overjoyed. He didn't hesitate in front of the shop's door, smiling at the "OPEN!" sign.

The bell overhead jingled, but this time, a series of other musical rings played in a melody. The sounds were moving away from the door and toward the back room. Arthur smiled in realization; Merlin had added a new alert system.

Said warlock poked his head out into the doorway. He recognized Arthur and grinned. "Ah, his royal highness!" Merlin greeted. He ducked back into the back room, and then came strolling out into the store. Arthur noted that this time he hadn't dropped or bumped into anything, and his stifled a small laugh at the thought. The warlock dropped into a small bow. "Were my remedies to your satisfaction, Prince Arthur?"

"Oh shut up," he replied, rolling his eyes as his cheeks flushed a bit.

"Of course, Sire," Merlin continued with a cocky smirk. Before Arthur could reply, he stood back up to full height and looked him up and down. "You seem better from what I can tell. You're more relaxed than you were when you first came by."

Arthur nodded with a smile. "They both worked perfectly," he agreed. "You really put a lot of thought into your products. The magic bubbles were genius. How can you even do that?"

The warlock beamed and looked around his shop. "I'm far more powerful than this shop would have you believe," he said. "My uncle Gaius is convinced I'm some kind of prophesied incarnation of magic itself. I'm not sure I believe him, and even if I did, I'm not sure what I would even do with that information. It's not like we're in the times of kingdoms and knights, but the point is that I have a lot of power."

"If you're so powerful, why don't you seek a position of power or respect? Like a magic professor or advisor?" Arthur questioned, gazing at him with a look of confusion.

Merlin shook his head. "I would rather live in the woods than go do something stuffy and boring like that. Plus, there's always the chance that someone will see my power as a potential weapon. I would only use my magic violently if someone's life was on the line, and I'm not someone's property to order around."

Arthur's eyes were wide with awe at the conviction he spoke with. Merlin's words had created a serious air. The man standing before him, the same one was clumsier that a newborn faun, and made a potion with magic bubbles, had likely had the power to topple entire nations and bring their rulers to their feet; yet he stood before him as a simple shop owner. Merlin's eyes were hard and unyielding as Arthur met them. The warlock seemed to be taught as a bow string, prepared to defend himself. He looked like a completely different person.

The tension between them was thickening with each moment of silence that passed. He swallowed nervously, feeling guilty for prying. He thought to return them back to the playful banter they had been sharing. Arthur cleared his throat and put on an unimpressed look. "Well, you would certainly be a lousy servant with an attitude like that."

Merlin gave him an incredulous look. He offered the warlock a sly smile, and added a wink for extra flair. He stood frozen for a moment before dissolving into a fit of giggles. Arthur joined in and before they knew it, they were laughing loudly. "You would totally be a prat if you were actually royalty," he said accusingly, a smirk present on his face.

"I beg your pardon, Merlin?" Arthur replied sarcastically, pretending to be wounded. "And here I thought we were becoming friends."

"I'm sure we would've been, if you weren't such an arrogant, pompous dollophead," Merlin said.

Arthur looked at him incredulously. "That's not even a real word!"

"It is too, and if you look it up in the dictionary, there's a picture of you next to it!"

The two of them stood for a moment, glaring at each other with no real disdain. They started laughing again. Arthur had to take deep breaths to recover. The warlock shook out his head, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair. He looked embarrassed. "Right, it seems that I get distracted when you come in," he said bashfully. Arthur couldn't help how his chest swelled at the admission. "You're fun to talk to, I guess. It kinda feels like I know you already, is that weird?"

"No, I get what you're saying, totally," he rushed to agree. "It's a weird feeling in my chest, I thought I was imagining it."

Merlin grinned and shrugged. "Maybe we were friends or lovers in our past lives," the warlock said offhandedly.

He began to stroll over to the shelf that contained larger bottles of the potions. Arthur, on the other hand, was rooted to the floor; the way Merlin casually suggested that they could've been romantically involved in another life stole the breath from his lungs. He felt like it was too risky to suggest any kind of romantic interests. He was worried about coming on too strong, having just met him, but if the warlock was open to the concept of a past connection, perhaps he could ask him.

"Here we go," Merlin said, breaking him from his thoughts. He was holding a large bottle of the sparkling purple liquid in one hand and a larger container of the bruise cream in the other. He extended the potion to him. "It's on the label, but for the amount you use, you just fill up the cap. It should last you about three months if you take a bath once a week. If you use it less or more often, obviously it'll change." The warlock then handed him the cream. "That one is more up to personal use, but you shouldn't have to use too much at a time. I've had customers keep a container of it for a year before they needed more."

Arthur took the items speechlessly; he wouldn't have a reason to come to the shop for a while if the products were going to last that long. He wouldn't have an excuse to see Merlin. "Wow, you're... you're really good at helping people," he managed. "How much will this cost me?"

"The potion is $12 and the cream is $6.50," the warlock replied as he moved behind his desk.

"That's... that's a very kind price for products this large," Arthur pointed out.

He frowned in confusion as he took out his wallet. Merlin's cheeks seemed to redden a bit as he scratched his jaw. "I might be giving you a special sale," he confessed.

"Oh, no you don't," Arthur argued. "I'm paying you for what they're worth. With how much work and thought you put into these, you deserve nothing less than what they're worth. Hell, you deserve more than that!"

"Really, I insist," Merlin pressed, face getting redder as he avoided looking directly at him. "I know how much you need them with your job. It's such a demanding role and I want to make sure you have plenty of this stuff. If you were to get banged up worse than usual, you'd have enough to use some extra and whatnot."

He looked at the warlock in disbelief, feeling his own cheeks warm slightly. He snapped out of his daze, and shook his head again. Arthur looked around the store, trying to find something that looked more expensive. "If you're not going to charge me full price for those, I'll just have to buy something else," he said.

Merlin protested as he placed the items on the desk and walked away. He searched for anything that stood out as something worth a lot of money. He could hear the warlock complaining and calling after him. He moved into a dark little corner of shop. As he looked around, suddenly a light shone in his eye, but just for a moment. Arthur followed the direction of the light. It was reflected light hitting a necklace in a box.

It was a golden circular pendant that was completely devoid of pattern or jewels. Arthur cocked his head to the side curiously. "What about that?"

"Seriously, you don't need to do this, that's really hard to make so it's really expensive," Merlin complained. "I have to keep it up there so no one can try steal it, and the box itself is enchanted not to open for anyone but me. You probably don't even want it-"

"Well, I won't be able to tell if I want it if I don't know what it is," he countered.

He straightened his back to appear taller and crossed his arms. Merlin stared him down with an annoyed look. Arthur returned the expression with a stubborn eyebrow raise. He tilted his head to the necklace, indicating for him to tell him. They held a stare off for what felt like ages. Finally, the warlock seemed to realize that Arthur wasn't going to back down. He let out a sigh and made a gesture with his hand. The box levitated off the shelf and floated down into his hands.

"It's a soulmate coin necklace," Merlin said. He muttered a couple of words and the locks clicked. "It's supposed to help someone find their soulmate."

The warlock gently opened the box so Arthur could look closer at it. It was beautifully crafted and shimmered under the low light of the shop. He furrowed his eyebrows questioningly, looking toward Merlin. "Why is it blank?"

"When a person touches it, a symbol representing them magically forms on one side. If someone touches the necklace and the other side gains a symbol, that means they're your soulmate," Merlin explained. He took the cloth that was in the box, using it to lift the pendant up. "That's why it's so difficult to make. I have to imbue it with the power to recognize a soul bond, but also take shape according to any individual's personality. Soul bonds are rare and tricky to identify on a base level."

Arthur gazed at the beautiful necklace. With a decisive nod, he turned to Merlin. "I want to buy it," he said.

"You can't be serious, Arthur," the warlock protested, returning the necklace safely to into its box. He didn't close it though, turning to face him directly. He met his eyes with his own steely ones. "This necklace is a thousand dollars at least. You need be absolutely sure. I can't even guarantee that you'll find them. It doesn't lead you to them, it just identifies them."

"I'm sure," Arthur said, smiling. "I have a lot of money set aside for a rainy day from working for my father for years."

Merlin searched his eyes. Arthur wasn't sure what he was looking for in them, but he seemed to find it. He let out a resigned sigh. He took the cloth and picked up the necklace again. "Come on, I'll put it in a box for you and you can pay for it," he said. Arthur followed him with a triumphant grin as the warlock moved behind the desk again. He shook his head as he carefully put the necklace in a protective box. "You're insane."

"Possibly," he replied with a laugh. He took his credit card out of his wallet, waving it a little bit to tease him. Merlin glared at him. "It's about $1018.50, right? Let's just round up to $1025 and make it easy." The warlock opened his mouth to argue, but he held up his hand. "I have no idea how much you're shaving off of the pain products' real prices, and I'll let you get away with cutting their prices if you let me pay the extra seven bucks."

With an annoyed huff, Merlin accepted the offer. He rang up the items and held his hand out for Arthur's card. As he placed it in the warlock's hand, their fingers brushed for a moment. Arthur swore that a jolt of what felt like electricity surged through his body.

He looked at Merlin carefully as he started putting in the card. There was a slight nervousness in his movements; he had to have felt it too. The idea of knowing each other in a past life was starting to sound more and more believable.

Arthur was shaken from his thoughts as a chime sounded from the computer, indicating the successful payment. He took the card back and smiled proudly at the warlock. Merlin started putting the items into a bag, still shaking his head occasionally in disbelief. Once all the items were carefully packed into the bag, he held it up for him to take. "Here's your insane purchase," he said, eyes twinkling with badly disguised joy.

"I don't know what you mean by insane. If I was truly a king in a past life, I could do whatever I want, and I wouldn't have to explain myself," Arthur replied. He grinned smugly at the annoyed expression that crossed Merlin's face.

"Oh, does his Highness need to have the door opened for him? Should I carry the bag for you too?" Merlin drawled. Despite the sarcastic nature of the suggestion, he came out from behind the desk. He did another mocking bow and gestured for him to lead the way. Arthur rolled his eyes but played along. When they reached the door, the warlock grasped the handle and turned toward him. He tilted his head down and held the bag out dramatically. "Your goods, Sire."

Arthur pretended to adjust his clothes before accepting the offered bag. "Thank you, Merlin."

"My pleasure, Sire," the warlock said. "I bid you farewell and safe passage."

When Merlin opened the door, they were blasted with violent wind. It was pouring outside. The streets were slightly flooded with how much rainfall there was. A bright flash of lightning illuminated the dark sky. It was followed by thunder that shook Arthur's bones. He was confused; it had been perfectly lovely when he had arrived. The storm must have come on suddenly, but he hadn't heard rain or thunder.

Merlin slammed the door shut. He looked as stunned as he was. "Well, shit," he stated. He brought a hand up to smack himself lightly on the forehead. "I'm so stupid. I forgot. I knew there was a storm coming in but it completely slipped my mind. I thought you'd be gone before it hit, but we were chatting and you wanted to look at the coin necklace- ugh! I am such an idiot!"

Now that the door was closed again, Arthur definitely noticed the lack of noise from the storm. "How come we didn't hear it? Don't hear it, I mean," he questioned, gesturing toward the ceiling.

"I have spells in place to make my shop an environment I can control. I don't want customers to come in here looking for help only to have to yell over traffic outside. I can control the temperature of the shop as well, so if a customer is especially sensitive to heat or cold, I can adjust it for them. I even burn incense for calming effects every day," Merlin explained. He opened the door and flipped his sign before closing it again. He squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. "But obviously, the fact that outside noise is blocked meant that we couldn't hear the storm, which I knew perfectly well was coming. Again, I'm an idiot."

A small laugh escaped Arthur's lips before he could stop himself. "Honestly, that's a bit of an overstatement," he said. "Everything you just described sounds like the work of a genius."

The warlock looked at him skeptically. He sighed heavily again, shaking his head and running his fingers through his hair. "Whether that's true or not, I'm not really sure what to do right now. There's no way you can go home in a storm like that, and I feel awful cause you're stuck here. If I hadn't forgotten about it, you would've been able to get home before it hit."

Arthur opened his mouth to suggest something, but Merlin lifted his hand to stop him. "Before you say just use magic, I don't have anything to help with this," he continued. "Hypothetically, if I had a cloak or something, I could enchant it to repel water, but I don't have anything like that on hand. Hell, I don't think I even own an umbrella!"

"You live in London but don't own an umbrella?" Arthur asked.

"I don't really need one when I have magic," he said exasperatedly, waving his arms. "I can enchant and disenchant my personal items whenever I want, cause they're mine! I don't need anyone's permission or to make sure it's what they want cause I already know exactly what I want!"

Arthur put his hands up defensively and fought an amused smirk that was trying to emerge. Merlin was kind of adorable in this flustered state, not that he was going to point that out to him. "Look, it's not a huge deal. I'll just hang out in here until the storm passes."

The warlock looked torn and worried. "I don't want to just leave you here in my shop! I don't even have a place for you to sit," he said. He chewed on his bottom lip as he fidgeted with the ends of his sleeves. "I mean, I guess you could come in the backroom, and my flat is upstairs, so I guess you could..."

His cheeks were flushed bright red. He avoided looking at Arthur as he waited for his response. Arthur's eyes had widened and his mouth had fallen open slightly. Merlin was so concerned with him being comfortable that he was willing to let him into his home and personal space; it clearly made him nervous to do so.

"I'd... I'd really appreciate it, but you don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable-"

"It's not me I'm worried about. I don't want you to feel forced or obligated," Merlin explained. The blush started spreading into the tips of his ears. "I'm... uh, I'm not really good at being, I don't know, forward? Making friends has always been a little difficult."

Arthur offered a supportive smile. "If you don't mind, then lead the way."

The warlock exhaled, seemingly relieved by his response. He turned and began walking toward the doorway leading to the backroom. Arthur followed, feeling nervous himself. Merlin disappeared into the room with a gesture to follow him. He felt like he was stepping backstage at a theatre. Taking a deep breath, he entered the room.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but the room looked exactly like how he expected the workshop of a magic user would look like. There was a large cauldron sitting in a dormant fireplace. Plants were hanging from the ceiling and lined shelves in pots. A desk sat against the back wall, covered in marks and stains. A smaller cauldron and several glass vials were strewn across its surface; Arthur guessed that was where Merlin tested recipes to see if they worked before making larger quantities. There were a couple of cabinets will glass doors, allowing him to see inside. They were filled with bottles of different substances. Some resembled the potions Merlin sold in the shop, while others held plants, stones, and other trinkets. A large bookshelf was also present, filled with worn and new books alike.

Arthur couldn't help but gape as he gazed around. He was overwhelmed by all the classic magic imagery. He felt like he stepped into a world of fantasy. His eyes wandered around the space, spotting a tall, wooden stick sticking out of a base on the floor. Blinking in surprise, he realized the bird, Kilgharrah, was perched on one of its branches. The falcon opened its eyes and locked onto his. Arthur felt like it was judging him and was unimpressed.

A clattering sound broke him from his thoughts. Arthur jumped, turning to see the warlock hurriedly trying to clean up. "Yeah, this is my work room, it's a complete disaster, sorry," Merlin said.

"It's really not a big deal," he reassured him. "If you're worried about it, we can go upstairs like you suggested. I don't mind either way."

Merlin, whose arms were full of books he'd picked up off the floor, placed them down on his desk with a grunt. He took a deep breath and turned back to him. "Yeah, it's probably a better idea to go up there," he said. "This place is so... chaotic. My flat isn't spotless, but it's at least organized. I can make a pot of tea as well."

He turned toward the bird. He whistled and made a gesture. "C'mon Kilgharrah."

The falcon squawked and jumped into the air. It did a loop around the room before soaring toward Merlin. Kilgharrah came to a hover and then landed on his shoulder. Arthur followed with a small smile as the warlock led the way up the stairs.

When they reached the door, Merlin didn't pull out any kind of key but rather spoke a couple words. The lock clicked and he pushed the door open. Kilgharrah left his shoulder, flying into the room. Merlin stood in front of the door, holding it for him.

"That must be handy, not having to worry about losing your keys or getting locked out of your flat," Arthur pointed out as he walked passed him.

"Well being a warlock has to have some perks, doesn't it?" he replied.

He closed the door behind them and then the two of them were alone in Merlin's apartment. It suddenly rushed back that they didn't know each other very well. Arthur looked around to distract himself from the awkwardness of the situation. The flat was organized and fairly neat, other than a couple of items here and there that indicated there was someone living there. The room was simple, but there lots of items and decorations that indicated witchcraft was practiced here.

There were plants hanging similarly to the ones he'd seen in the shop below. Hanging on the walls were strands of star shaped fairy lights. Charms of various shapes and sizes hung from the ceiling that Arthur assumed had some sort of significance. Shelves held trinkets and crystals, glittering with magic.

The windows were normal and he could see and hear the storm now. The sound of the raindrops hitting the roof above them was calming. A lovely smell hung in the air, making him inhale deeply with a smile. "Wow, what is that?"

"Oh, some of my candles," Merlin said proudly. He pointed to a set of them that were sitting on his kitchen counter. There were red and gold, swirled together into a marble pattern. "They're infused with magic, so they can create the smell of an actual feeling. I choose a base scent and then add some magic ingredients. A little spell and done! These are the smell of home. The scent also lasts a while after being put out."

"That's honestly incredible," Arthur praised. "How do think of these things?"

The warlock shrugged and moved toward the kitchen. "I'm not sure, it's probably that prophesized magic Gaius was talking about," he said with a chuckle. "Oh, please sit down, make yourself comfortable. I'm not sure how long this storm is gonna last."

He did as he told, pulling out one of the chairs to sit at the counter. Merlin moved around the kitchen comfortably. The awkward air from a few minutes before had disappeared. Arthur felt relaxed, watching the warlock retrieve a tea pot. A grin fought its way onto his face; it was a real glass teapot with stars and galaxy-like spirals painting onto it. He wasn't surprised as he fetched matching teacups.

The two of them chatted idly as the warlock prepared the tea. Arthur learned that Merlin was actually from a rural town in Northern Ireland called Ealdor. His mother, Hunith, still lived there, but he'd never met his father. Merlin's mother had told him that his name was Balinor, and that he was a wildlife expert who traveled to exotic habitats all over the world. He used his documentation to protect their habitats from companies who looked to destroy them. Merlin had been born while he was away. It wasn't a risk-free job though; Balinor had been in the Amazon Rainforest and was presumed dead after being unresponsive for several months.

Hunith thought he'd had a run-in with poachers. After some of his trips, Balinor would tell her about occasionally sabotaging their operations. He'd ruin their traps and sneak into their camp to open the cages when they were asleep. She'd always told him that it was too dangerous, but he insisted on its necessity.

In return, Arthur talked about how much of an emotionally abusive ass his father was, and how his mother had died due to complications during his birth. It felt comforting to talk about it to Merlin; they had something in common.

A timer went off, indicating the tea was ready. Arthur blinked in surprise. It felt like they were talking for hours but it was actually a few minutes. Merlin moved with surprising grace as he brought the pot and cups over to the counter. Arthur would be lying if he said he wasn't a little worried he'd trip.

The warlock placed a cup in front of him and filled it with the steaming amber liquid. He poured himself a cup, then looked up at him. "You want any sugar or milk? Or anything else?"

Before Arthur could answer, Merlin flicked his fingers. A box of sugar packets floated over and settled onto the counter. With another wave of his hand, the refrigerator door opened and a jug of milk followed suit. Lastly, a pair of tiny spoons settled next to each of their cups. Arthur opened his mouth and closed it again in confusion. He gestured to the objects with a frown. "So... why did you even..." he began, shaking his head. "Why didn't you just magic all of it?"

"Hey, I like doing some things for myself," Merlin said. He ripped open a sugar packet with a shrug. "I'm just like skipping the annoying parts, like walking around and getting all the ingredients out and stuff like that."

Arthur didn't argue as he put sugar into his own tea. After pouring one packet in, he stirred it and brought it up to take a sip. However, he almost spit it out as he realized what the warlock standing across from him was doing. "Geez, how much sugar are you going to put in that?!"

There were four ripped packets sitting next to his cup. Merlin grabbed another one with a satisfied smirk. He added it to his tea and poured in a small amount of milk. As he stirred it, Arthur gave him a judgmental glare over the rim of his tea cup. Merlin seemed unbothered as he brought the tea to his lips, taking a long sip. When he put the cup down to see Arthur still staring at him, he shrugged. "What? I like sweet things!"

"That cannot be healthy," he pointed out.

"Whatever, I do what I want," Merlin said confidently.

They both chuckled a bit before they were interrupted by a loud clap of thunder that made both of them jump. Looking outside, the storm seemed to have gotten worse. Merlin sighed guiltily. "God, I'm sorry you're stuck here. Is there anything I could do to make this more... I don't know, fun or entertaining?"

Arthur looked over at the TV on the wall and back at the warlock. "Got any good movies?"

Merlin smiled at the suggestion, nodding happily. He picked up his teacup and walked over to the couch. After placing his tea on a small side table, he snapped his fingers. The remote to the TV floated into his hand from somewhere Arthur didn't catch; it must be convenient to never lose the remote. The warlock switched on the TV and looked back to him. "What kind of movies do you like?" he asked. "I have to say a hard no to any scary movies, I don't like them, but I'm okay with pretty much everything else."

"Hmm," Arthur hummed thoughtfully. "I mean, this feels like a playdate from elementary school, you know, like where you go hang out after meeting another kid like once? Maybe we should watch something fun."

Merlin searched through movies as he stood up with his cup. He sat down on the couch as he heard a delighted gasp. Arthur looked up to see the colorful cover of Disney's The Sword in the Stone.

"Oh my god, seriously?" he exclaimed with a laugh.

The warlock started giggling before quickly stopping and schooling his expression. He widened his eyes innocently. "We can watch you as a cute little kid," Merlin said mockingly sweet voice. He gestured to the movie's Arthur on the screen. "He looks just like you! It'll be like watching a home video!"

Arthur grabbed a pillow from next to him and hurled it at him as he broke down laughing. The pillow his shoulder harmlessly and fell to the floor as Merlin kept laughing. "I don't know why you're so pleased with yourself. It's like the opposite for you," he countered. He pointed at the wizard from his place on the couch. "I mean, look at you, Merlin! You're a doddery old man with a beard that reaches the floor!"

"Yes, but that's because I'm a wise and all-knowing sorcerer who shall always be," the warlock said dramatically. "I am magic incarnate! My last name is Emrys, which the druids of old believed to mean the immortal one! I am the most powerful sorcerer to have ever lived!"

This earned him another pillow thrown at him. This one hit him in the face, making him yelp in surprise. It was Arthur's turn to laugh as he glared at him. "I knew you were a prat behind that charming smile of yours!"

"Aw, you think I'm charming," he teased.

"Less and less by the second," Merlin snapped with no real bite in his voice. He hit play on the movie, grabbed the pillows off the floor, and flopped onto the couch next to him. He left a respectable distance between them. Arthur was still grinning at him smugly. The warlock shoved the pillows toward him, pushing him over. "I could actually turn you into an animal, like in the movie you know. Maybe I'll turn you into a donkey since you're an ass."

The two of them shared smiles before finally calming down to watch the movie. They managed to get through the magical packing song and their adventures as fish with only a couple silly comments between them. When they got to the squirrel scene, however, Merlin suddenly protested.

"I always hated this part!" he whined.

Arthur looked at him with an amused expression. "Wait, why? It's adorable."

"Exactly! It's super cute, and then they transform back and the little girl squirrel cries because she really loved Arthur as a squirrel," Merlin ranted, standing up to point at the screen. "Why the hell didn't Merlin just turn the girl squirrel into a human? We know he can! He says he's done it to Archimedes before."

"Okay, but she's an actual squirrel and he's a human boy. She's lived in the woods her whole life. How on earth would they begin to explain humanity to her?" Arthur argued. "Where would she live? Sir Asshole definitely wouldn't let her live in his castle! He barely likes letting Arthur live there and he does all the work for them! And how would they explain that? Oh hey, this is just a squirrel who fell in love with Arthur so we turned her into a human, can she live here? Pretty please?"

Merlin crossed his arms stubbornly and plopped back down onto the couch. "She could've stayed with Merlin, he could've taught her all about humanity," he said. "Hell, they could've even made her Guinevere! She's never mentioned in this version."

"I think you're being a bit unrealistic," he chuckled in response.

"Well excuse me for believing in love," Merlin said with a huff.

Arthur laughed at how sweet this man was. The talk of love reminded him of what he'd bought earlier. He gasped a little bit, standing up and clapping his hands. "I just remembered! I could put on that soul coin necklace and see what my symbol is."

He walked back over to the counter where his bag of purchases sat. It wasn't difficult to pick out. He lifted the box gently out of the bag, smiling to himself. Arthur felt strangely nervous as he opened it, his heartbeat rising. He turned back to Merlin on the couch and gave an embarrassed smile. "I'm sort of scared for some reason," he admitted, walking over to sit next to him again.

Merlin looked at the necklace in the box, then back up at him. He offered a supportive smile. "I mean, this is the easy part," he said. "All you have to do is put it on. It's finding the other person that's the tricky part."

Arthur took a deep breath and nodded. He willed his hands not to shake as he carefully picked the necklace up by the chain. Even with the magic being in the pendant, he could feel the energy. He steeled his nerves; Merlin was right, this was the easy part. Arthur lifted the necklace up over his head. Once the chain was at his neck, he let go, letting the coin shaped pendant fall against his chest.

Once it touched his skin, it glowed softly. He gasped in surprise at the warm feeling that washed over him. It only lasted a second or two, and then the pendant stopped glowing. Arthur met Merlin's gaze with wide eyes.

"Before I look, is it cool?" he asked with a nervous smile. The warlock let out a laugh and gave him an indifferent shrug. "Great, thanks for being super vague."

He ignored the amused expression on his face and reached up to hold the pendant. He held it away from his body and lowered his head to see what the symbol was. One side of the coin was still blank, but the other side had now held the engraving of a dragon on it. It was a side profile of a Western fairytale dragon; it was two-legged and had no arms. It had a slightly long neck and curvy horns. Its wings were spread wide and its tail waved behind it. Arthur looked at it, stunned.

"I have no idea what I was expecting," he admitted, blinking in awe. "But for some reason, not a dragon. I wonder why-"

Merlin snapped his fingers suddenly, making him jump. "I get it! You're a Pendragon!"

Arthur's eyes widened in realization. "Oh my god, that's both cheesy and awesome at the same time," he said. He couldn't help it as he grinned wide enough to make his cheeks hurt. There was no way to describe his feelings in words. The magic in the pendant seemed to radiate warmth. "Wow, it feels like... I'm not sure, like it's warm or alive somehow."

The warlock nodded. "I've heard it described that way," Merlin confirmed. "When I was first learning how to do the soul bond magic, I made a bracelet for a friend of mine. Her name is actually Gwen, ironically. She said something similar when she put it on. I'm pretty sure it's the energy of the soul bond that's being channeled into the necklace. It's sensing your soulmate through the bond. That's why it feels alive."

"That's amazing," Arthur replied sincerely.

A soft silence fell between them as they met each others' eyes. It occurred to him that he meant that in regard to the necklace, but also Merlin in general. He could feel his cheeks turning red at the thought. It seemed that the warlock picked up on the tension in the air because his face started reddening too.

The movie broke their trance as the sound of Archimedes yelling emitted from the TV. They both jumped a little and cleared their throats. Arthur swallowed nervously and looked back at the movie.

Fortunately, it provided a good distraction. They had reached the portion of the movie where the old wizard turned the young squire into a bird. The little sparrow had fallen through the thatched roof of the Merlin's nemesis, Madam Mim. "Oh, this part is so fun," he said quickly. "I mean Mim and Merlin's wizard duel. I like all the animal transformations."

"Yeah, but Mim did freak me out a little bit when I was little," the warlock replied, sounding relieved by the subject change. "I think it's her eyes, they're so... empty. Like, not without emotion entirely, but without empathy, does that make sense?"

"Yes, I totally get what you mean," Arthur agreed.

They slipped back into the comfortable quiet of watching the movie, with only the occasional comments about it. Arthur found his thoughts wondering back to the soul bond necklace. He wondered how he would find the person that would make up the other side of the coin. Merlin had said it didn't provide any assistance, but maybe the soul bond itself had ways of indicating when they were close to each other.

Beside him, Merlin let out a whimsical sigh as the blond boy entered the churchyard where the sword sat waiting for him. The warlock looked so comfortable and content. The sight made his entire chest swell; the thought crossed his mind that he wouldn't mind if he was his soulmate.

Arthur's eyes widened as a tingle ran up his spine. He had felt a strange attraction to Merlin since he saw him. The comfortable manner they could talk to each other despite not knowing each other for very long. The strange jolt he felt when their hands brushed. Merlin's suggestion that they knew each other in a past life, specifically that they could've been lovers.

It became apparent that he was staring because a hand waving in front of his eyes made him blink back into reality. The warlock was looking at him with an amused smile. "You there? You completely spaced out for a second there."

He opened and closed his mouth like a fish for a moment. Merlin was smiling in front of him with glittering eyes and Arthur made up his mind. Not taking a moment to second guess himself, he reached up and unclasped the necklace from around his neck. The warlock's expression changed immediately to confusion and nervousness as he opened his mouth to question him. "What are-"

Arthur held it out toward him determinedly. Merlin's eyes widened to saucers as he looked at the coin swinging between them. "I want you to try holding it."

A silence fell over them that was only interrupted by the soft noise of the movie. Merlin kept looking between the coin and Arthur's face. He looked conflicted, panicked, and slightly sad. He tried to speak but cut himself off, shaking his head. A humorless laugh escaped his lips. "No, no, I really don't think that's a good idea."

"Why? You said yourself that you're unusually comfortable talking to me even though you struggle making friends. You even suggested we could've known each other in past lives," Arthur persisted. "Answer me honestly, have you enjoyed spending time with me?"

"I- Of course I have-"

"Then what's the worst that can happen?" he challenged. "If it doesn't work, then oh well, we can be friends; but if it does work?"

The warlock looked down at his hands, biting his lip. He tried to talk, but had to clear his throat, like his voice broke. He wouldn't meet Arthur's eyes. "I don't want you to be disappointed..."

"Disappointed?" he repeated. "Why would I be disappointed? We could still be friends."

Merlin didn't respond, but finally looked up meet his eyes. The sadness that was in them didn't look natural. It was like a cloud had suddenly damped all the sunshine he normally created with his presence. There was something in his eyes that made Arthur's brain connect the dots. His heart clenched in realization.

"You think that I would be disappointed if you were my soulmate?"

The silence answered his question for him. Arthur let the hand that was holding the necklace lower into his lap and stared at the young man in front of him. He was at a complete loss for how Merlin could think anyone would be disappointed with him. He was undeniably handsome. He was genuinely kind and caring. He had magic; he used that magic to help people and make fun, positive improvements to everyday life. He got upset over a crying squirrel in a Disney film. He had the power to topple governments and destroy cities, but he spent his time making remedies. His bath potion had magic bubbles. How could Merlin think so little of himself?

Arthur inhaled with determination. Soulmate or not, he was going to make this man see his self worth. He reached across with one hand. Merlin froze as if he was worried about the coin, but Arthur had simply placed his hand over his. The warlock looked up to meet his eyes as he lifted his hand to hold it gently.

"Merlin, you are the most extraordinary person I have ever met," Arthur said firmly. Merlin opened his mouth to protest but he kept going. "And before you say I haven't know you that long, I figured that out within five minutes of first meeting you. I didn't want to leave. I have been unable to get you off my mind for three days straight. There was something about you that I couldn't put my finger on, but I think I know what it is now." He reached down for the pendant and held it up again, hearing Merlin's breathing hitch. He focused on the warlock's eyes as he continued. "If you're my soulmate, which I really think you are, I will be the luckiest person in the world; so please try holding it."

Merlin still looked nervous as he stared at the coin, but when his gaze found his, he swallowed. He nodded and ducked his head away. Arthur calmed his own nerves and turned the warlock's hand palm up. As gently as he could, he lowered the pendant into his hand and let go.

There was a terrifying beat of silence; they held their breath. For that terrifying moment, Arthur thought he was wrong, but suddenly the coin began glowing. The golden light coming from the necklace illuminated the entire room. It was so bright that he had to look away until it stopped. When the light faded, he and Merlin looked up. They locked eyes speechlessly. Their gazes moved down to the coin in the warlock's hand. Arthur let out a stunned breath as a smile slowly made its way onto his face. "Well, it worked."

A small laugh escaped Merlin's lips as his cheeks flushed pink. He didn't look at the coin, moving his hand to offer it back to Arthur. "I saw your sign before you," he explained. "It's only fair you see mine first."

He accepted the necklace he excitedly. It felt warm and a feeling of what could only be described as love flowed from it into his skin. He looked up at Merlin. "Did it feel like that when you were holding it?" Arthur asked. Merlin blushed a bit more as he nodded, seeming to know what he meant without clarification. He looked down at the necklace at his crest and carefully flipped it over. His eyes widened as he took in the symbol. "Whoa..."

"What? Is it stupid or something?" Merlin asked nervously.

"No, you're just not gonna believe it," Arthur replied, looking up from the coin with a grin.

He handed the necklace to the warlock. When Merlin looked down at the coin, his eyes widened too. There was a look of recognition and amusement. "It's the logo for my shop," he said with a shake of his head. "A flying merlin. It's a perfect copy of it. I wonder if that's how I came up with the logo, like my subconscious tapped into my soul bond or something."

Merlin put the pendant down in his lap. A comfortable quiet settled between the two of them gazed at each other. It was Arthur who made the first move, taking his hands gently. He lifted them to his lips and placed a lingering kiss on his knuckles. He glanced up to see Merlin's surprised and flustered expression. "Well, Merlin Emrys," he started. He moved closer to him with a satisfied smirk. "Your theory of us being lovers in a past life seems to be right."

"Well- I- Yeah, I guess I was spot on," the warlock stammered. "D-Did you know that soul bonds carry over into new lives?"

He hummed in response, shaking his head as he moved even more into his space. Merlin's face was bright red as his eyes darted between his eyes and his lips. Arthur raised one of his hands to hold his chin. "Does that mean that I did this in my past lives?"

Closing the space between them, Arthur pressed a soft kiss to the warlock's lips, eliciting a small gasp. After a tiny moment of shock, he felt Merlin reciprocate the kiss. It felt familiar. It was like they had done this a million times, and if Arthur thought about it, they probably had over the course of their past lives. Grinning, he pulled him closer and kissed him more aggressively. He pushed him down onto the couch. The warlock let out a surprised noise at the action. Merlin seemed to get over his shock of the situation as he reached up to thread his fingers through his hair. When neither of them could breathe anymore, they broke apart. They were panting as they stared at each other.

Merlin's pupils were expanded; he was breathless as he spoke. "Yeah, I think you did."

Arthur moved back to let him sit up. He picked up the coin on the chain, holding it between them. "Since we've confirmed our status as lovers that transcend time and space, and snogged each other breathless," he began nonchalantly. Merlin reddened again and hid his face behind his hands. "Would you like to go on a date with me?"

"How are you so calm about this?" he demanded, shoving him lightly. "I'm having a gay, existential crisis over here, cause my soulmate is stupidly gorgeous and skilled, and I'm an awkward sorcerer who can barely get around his own workshop without breaking something or bruising myself!"

"Hush, Merlin Emrys, the incarnation of magic itself, the immortal one," Arthur ordered. He reached out and grabbed him by the shoulders, dragging him backwards against his chest. Merlin protested as he buried his face into the crook of his neck. He nuzzled his skin as the warlock complained about it being unfair. "I'm named after the Once and Future King, and you're named after the greatest sorcerer of all time. We are plenty even."

Merlin stopped struggling as Arthur lifted up the necklace. The coin swung and spun around in front of them, both symbols clear and shining. He watched as his soulmate reached up to gaze at it. "Two sides of the same coin," the warlock murmured, a smile in his voice.

Arthur grinned and squeezed him affectionately. "Two sides of the same coin."