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Mme Beret

@whoevenknows-things

Feel like I’m falling back to being 13 again and in my hardcore teenage fandom era. And I am absolutely loving it Mostly a RWRB page featuring some Merlin and F1 for good measure British She/her

The dynamic between Arthur and Gwaine is so interesting to me. They are both men who struggle with trust and abandonment issues. They both have so much anger and self hatred. But in Gwaine it manifests as a drinking problem (to numb the feelings, and to become that funny cool guy everyone likes because he is easy to get along with and doesn't have this huge amount of emotional baggage) , getting into brawls (punishing himself for drinking or for feeling) and flirting with every single person he comes across (avoiding any deep meaningful connections bc then ppl would realize he's not that nonchalant careless guy and would abandon him) and Arthur isolates (avoiding needing people bc eventually they would leave and he doesn't want to be hurt and humiliated again but also as a punishment for himself bc he shouldn't need other people that's weak, a lesson he learned from Uther), broods and denies himself to feel his emotions. (a king needs to be strong)

They are literally the same but they are so different. And I think thats why they struggle to get along sometimes because they recognize that wound in the other but they have a very different way of coping.

Or they just both wanted to kiss Merlin and were jealous who knows

I also think their coping mechanism reflects how their losses have been treated before.

Gwaine, who had needed help and been abandoned, constantly seeking attention. If nobody helps him when he has problems, he becomes the problem instead.

Arthur, whose mistakes have been highlighted by his father every time he did something 'wrong', isolates and hides in order to avoid attention.

They don’t know it yet, but they’re about to spend the next ten years trying to save each other.

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Neither of them will succeed.

Sometimes when Merlin is trending without a reason, I think it is just Merlin checking if Arthur is back.

Since Tumblr would be the first to know if the Once and Future King is back.

Idea for an alternate ending:

Merlin gets Arthur to the lake in time and manage to save him.

They spend the night by the lake just talking, like they have been for the past few days, and realise that neither of them is ready to return to Camelot. For various reasons. They decide to take to the roads instead, just disappear, together.

Eventually their (few remaining) friends start to worry and the queen sends out her knights searching for them. Maybe Gaius points them towards the lake and maybe the knights find a neat pile of Arthurs belongings nearby, like his armour and cape (To heavy to carry and to easy to identify) and just assumes the worst. They knew Arthur was injured, and now presumably dead, but where is Merlin? Perhaps the grief was just to much for him? Perhaps he went home? But Hunith hasn't seen him either.

They are both gone. And life moves on.

Until a few months later when rumors start reaching the castle, about two heroes helping people throughout the realm. A fighter and a sorcerer working together using their skills to take out different threats from low life bandits to magical creatures attacking people.

No one really suspects anythingat first, but Gwen sends out her knights to find these two heroes. To confirm the rumors and if so offer a reward for their bravery. And maybe see if they would be willing to join forces?

It's not until Sir Leon hears a description of the two that he start to wonder.. A blond sword fighter with blue eyes and a regal nose who talks like a noble? A dark haired sorcerer also with blue eyes and a wide infectious smile? And they are constantly bickering and insulting each other? It couldn't be? Could it?

Trying not to get his hopes up Leon still doubles the search efforts.

No matter what they do though the knights seems to always be one step behind the two. Always gone before the knights reach the village or town they just saved. Missed them by a few days, a few hours down to mere minutes.

Somewhere along the way Leon hears about The Kiss. Told by an eye witness who saw the blond grab the warlock by the front of his tunic, haul him in and kiss him fiercely for almost getting himself killed (again, the idiot <- Arthurs note).

And suddenly things are making alot more sense. Why they never came back. Why they are staying away and don't want to be found.

He never tells Gwen. Or anyone. But that is the day Leon starts pulling back, cutting down on the search. Telling everyone it's not worth it, it has been over a year ( several years?) and there are more important things for the knights of Camelot to do then chasing ghosts. It's better if people start moving on with their lives instead. They are not coming back.

An undecided amount of time later Leon finds himself drinking alone in some random tavern in some random town, in an unknown part of the kingdom. When two cloaked strangers sit down uninvited at his table. And as he looks up their hoods fall back to reveal two very familiar and very dear faces.

Merlin grins widely. 'We heard you were looking for us?'

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