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Merlin was, for once, enjoying a nice quiet moment up in a high tower with only himself and—
“Merlin?” says a voice Merlin really does not want to hear right now. A voice as loyal and steadfast as the suns journey through the sky, who may struggle to understand the baby dragon currently being held in Merlin’s arms.
Oh well, nothing he can do about it now.
Well…. There is that one memory spell Merlin found, but he wouldn’t like to try that out on one of his friends.
Merlin turns his head to see Leon standing in the entrance to the tower, resplendent in his shining armour and tousled hair. The sun shines through the solitary window igniting the copper strands of his hair.
Then he opens his mouth and Merlin is suddenly reminded that his friend is not just pretty, but also the First Knight of a magic-hating kingdom who also has been personally victimised by a dragon.
“Merlin, step away from the dragon.” His voice is slow and careful as if trying not to scare the dragon (or possibly because Leon thinks Merlin needs to be spoken to like a child when he comes across adorable things). “Put it down, nice and slowly and step back gently.”
Merlin thinks very carefully about all his options.
He could do as Leon says and get Aithusa’s head chopped off, or he could refuse and explain that this is Aithusa, and he’s a dragon lord and have to flee Camelot or get his head chopped off.
Of course, he goes with option number two.
Merlin lifts Aithusa up and out to stare at Leon. “This is Aithusa! He may look like a baby dragon, but he’s actually just a non-fire-breathing kind of lizard. Not dangerous or magical at all.”
Huh, that wasn’t exactly option number two. Option number three it is then! Lie and hope Leon is more gullible than Arthur.
Leon’s eyebrows have been slowly raising as Merlin speaks and they finalise on an expression of extreme disbelief. “What is the species of this non-fire-breathing not-dragon lizard then?”
Merlin’s brain short circuits for a moment and he internally panics because he didn’t think this through. Knights aren’t supposed to ask intelligent questions, they’re supposed to wield swords and — Merlin doesn’t really know what else. Yell a lot?
“It’s a uh—“ Merlin looks around the room for inspiration and his eyes come to rest on a shadowed shape in the corner. “He’s a winged bucket-bodied lizard.”
Merlin can see Leon’s exasperation despite his face not moving an inch. He really hopes this works.
“Bucket-bodied?”
“Yes. Bucket-bodied.”
Merlin watches as Leon’s head drops down to rest in his hands for a moment before he reclaims his composure and stands up straight. “I’m afraid, Merlin, that I don’t believe you. That is a dragon, and while I don’t know why you’re trying to protect it, you can’t keep it as a pet. It is a dangerous fire-breathing magical creature.”
Merlin stands hastily and brings Aithusa level with Leon’s eyes. “Please, Leon, look at him. He’s a just a little guy and he won’t hurt anyone! I promise! He’s not at all evil.”
“He may look quite cute, but I’m sorry, you can’t keep him. And furthermore, I don’t understand where you get off thinking he— “
Merlin tunes out Leon’s lecture about his idiocy, the danger of dragons, the evils of cute little creatures and how Merlin should look after his own life better with all his skill as Gaius’s apprentice. He nods in all the right places, hums occasionally and gives all the indications of being thoroughly attentive, all the while his mind is thinking about how he’s going to explain this, how he’s going to get Aithusa out of here, whether Leon’s lips are as kissable as they look and whether his hair would feel as soft as the freshly spun silk it looks like.
Merlin tunes back into the lecture when Leon stops speaking and just stares at Merlin with his eyebrows raised. Merlin thinks back on what he was saying can’t come with anything Leon said, so instead he just says, “Yes.”
Leon continues to stare at him, before very slowly saying, “Yes, you agree the dragon should be put down for Camelot’s good?”
“No!”
“So, you weren’t listening to anything I said?”
“I was!” Merlin thinks back real hard and tries to think of what Leon said last. Instead, all he gets are images of his hands running through Leon’s hair. “You told me about my idiocy, and— and about how evil dragons are?”
Leon sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “The short version of it was this: the dragon may be small and cute now, but it will soon grow into a large beast with the ability to raze down Camelot, and we can’t let that happen.”
Merlin’s really starting to panic now. He considers using the memory spell on Leon for just another moment, but Gaius’s warnings of Leon losing all his memories, or his ability to make memories swims in his head and he dismisses that again.
He can’t let Leon kill Aithusa though, and he doesn’t particularly want to hurt his friend. He could put him to sleep and then get Aithusa out of Camelot, but Leon could have search parties happening within hours of waking up again and may never trust Merlin again.
He doesn’t quite know what his other options are apart from telling Leon his secret (at least the Dragonlord part of it) and hoping for the best.
Right. There’s nothing else for it then. “So, if there was a way Aithusa could be controlled and it can be assured that he will neither attack Camelot nor help her enemies, Aithusa wouldn’t have to be killed?”
Leon looks sceptical, but he gestures for Merlin to go on.
Merlin takes a deep breath in and says “I’m a Dragonlord. Aithusa must listen to me. I brought him forth from his egg by naming him. That is why he’s here with me now. I can control him. Please Leon. He is my kin; you can’t ask me to hand him over to you to die.”
Leon is silent for a long, horrible moment, while Merlin’s heart is in his throat. He stands and holds tightly onto Aithusa, petting him down his spine.
“A Dragonlord,” Leon breathes. “How can this be? Balinor was the last of the Dragonlords.”
“Balinor was my father.”
His grip on AIthusa has only increased at his words, and Aithusa squeaks from where he rests in Merlin’s arms He tries to wriggle out of Merlin’s grip.
Merlin loosens his grip in surprise, unaware of how hard he had been gripping Aithusa. He runs his hand down the rough scales of Aithusa’s back, scratching behind the some of the spikes and divots as he goes. Aithusa settles down with a grumpy little chirp, once again content to snuggle into Merlin’s chest and relax.
When he looks up, Leon is staring at the two of them, mouth lax in shock. While it’s normal for Leon to be quiet, never a man to prattle on unnecessarily, to have him be quiet about Merlin’s declaration he is technically an enemy of Camelot unnerves Merlin.
Leon moves all at once, startling Merlin, and sits against one of the empty barrels in the corner. Merlin returns to petting Aithusa, ignoring the silent figure in the corner of the room.
It does little to calm his nerves.
“What are we going to do about this?” Leon asks.
Merlin thinks about it.
He won’t hand Aithusa over to Leon to be killed.
Which leaves Merlin’s only option to leave. Flee with Aithusa and become an enemy on Camelot.
Before Merlin can gather the courage to knock out his friend, Leon speaks again.
“I can’t just hand Aithusa over to Arthur, not knowing that he is your kin. So, where does that leave us?”
Merlin stares, open mouthed at Leon while he processes Leon’s words.
He says them back to himself and they still make so little sense. He thinks Leon just said he won’t hand Aithusa over to Arthur, but this is Leon. Kind, loyal-to-a-fault Leon, who would never betray his King.
But he’s still sure Leon just said he wouldn’t hand Aithusa over.
“So, you won’t hand Aithusa in?” Merlin asks, needing to double check what he thinks he just heard.
Leon one hard, definitive, solitary nod and that’s all Merlin needs to know.
He launches himself at Leon all at once — Aithusa squawking as he jumps out of Merlin’s arms. A couple of long steps takes him to Leon and Merlin doesn’t hesitate for even a second as he reaches out, cupping Leon’s face with his hands and kisses him.
It’s not a nice kiss by any stretch of the imagination, Merlin’s nose knocks firmly into Leon’s and their teeth knock together as Merlin comes in with too much speed, but it’s still the best kiss Merlin has ever had. Leon’s lips are firm, a little chapped and the scratch of his beard is pleasant against Merlin’s skin.
He goes to withdraw after a moment of holding the kiss, but one of Leon’s hands comes up and cups the back of Merlin’s neck, steady and strong, and he deepens the kiss, tilting Merlin’s head a little to the side.
And, oh.
This is better.
Their noses are no longer squished together unpleasantly and Leons is reciprocating.
Merlin forgets to think about the kiss for a moment as that thought repeats itself in his mind.
Leon’s kissing me back!
The joy he feels at that is a heady feeling and a grin stretches across his lips without his permission. He tries to lessen it so he can keep kissing Leon, but it doesn’t work.
After trying to illicit a different response from Merlin by pecking his smiling mouth, Leon eventually pulls back with a small huff. “If you want me to keep kissing you, you’re going to need to get rid of that smile.”
Merlin laughs, giddy at Leon’s response.
Merlin drops his hands from Leon’s face and takes a step back from, a little unsure what to say now. He’s been thinking about this for an age now and to have it actually happen is a little overwhelming, but Merlin perseveres. He’s not going to be a girl it.
He brings his smile up at to Leon’s eyes, who is himself looking a bit unsure at what to do now. That more than anything gives Merlin the strength to laugh for a moment and then step forward to kiss Leon again.
It could be mere moments later, minutes or even hours later for all the notice Merlin has been paying to the time when they finally draw apart. They’ve been kissing for what feels like hours.
But Aithusa has started tugging on Merlin’s hair demanding attention and who is he to ignore the young dragon.
He takes Aithusa into his arms and watches Leon out of the corner of his eye.
The man is looking down at Aithusa with a contemplative expression on his face.
“You know we have to introduce Aithusa to Arthur, right? It’s the only way you both can be free.”
Ever the voice of reason, Leon’s cut right to the heart of the matter in only a few words.
Merlin sighs. “I know. It’ll change everything, though. And what if it goes poorly?”
Leon is silent for a long moment. Merlin’s considered what it’ll mean for Arthur to learn who he really is many times. He doesn’t need to go over it all again. But Leon hasn’t.
“It won’t. I’m going to believe in Arthur. He will see reason, as I did,” Leon declares as if the matter is that simple; that easy.
Maybe it can be though, a little voice whispers in Merlin’s mind. Maybe Merlin needs to take a leap of faith and actually trust that Arthur can be the King he is prophesied to be.
He turns to Leon and gives him a look filled with all the hope, worry and nerves he feels and says simply, “Okay.”
It had taken a few days of planning and many conversations before they came to decision that the best way to introduce Arthur to Aithusa was in his own chambers, where Arthur could be in his own turf.
Which is how Merlin came to be sitting on Arthur table while he kissed Leon for all he’s worth while waiting for Arthur to finish with his council meeting, while Aithusa waits in the antechamber.
The door bangs open, and Merlin realises they forgot to account for Arthur’s bad mood and his tendency to finish meetings early.
“MERLIN!” Arthur’s yell reverberates through the castle.
Merlin jumps while Leon jerks himself away from Leon. Aithusa chirps from his perch on Arthur’s usual chair.
Merlin looks at Arthur’s face and sees anger, annoyance, and confusion at finding Merlin’s tongue down Leon’s throat in his own chambers while a baby dragon perches on a chair, but none of the fear he worried about.
He steps off the table ready to talk his way out of this one.
Instead, Arthur pulls his sword and for just one moment, Merlin is actually afraid. But then Arthur opens his big fat mouth.
He points it at Merlin’s head and demands, “What are your intentions towards my first knight?”
Merlin blinks and indignation rises in his chest.
“My intentions? Why is it his virtue that needs to be protected?”
Arthur laughs and puts his sword away while he says, “Obviously, Merlin, because Leon is loyal and noble and good while you—“he drags the word out and smirks. “You are a useless layabout who spends far too much time at the tavern to be trustworthy. I need to know you aren’t taking advantage of my first knight.”
Merlin splutters. “There’s a dragon hanging around on your chair and you’re worried I’m taking advantage of your very tall, strong and well trained First Knight?” He really can’t believe Arthur sometimes. This is not at all how he expected this conversation to go.
Arthur looks over at Aithusa for a moment then focuses back in one Merlin. “I’ll get to the dragon in a moment — because don’t think I haven’t noticed it — but your relationship with Leon is what I’m interested in at the moment.”
Merlin looks at the smile playing around Arthur’s lips, the teasing glint to his eyes, and thinks to himself, yeah. We’re going to be just fine.
Merlin smiles and steps forward, ready to embrace his destiny wholeheartedly, for possibly the very first time.