An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Summary: Arthur and Merlin had known each other practically since birth. They were inseparable from infancy; destiny had a funny way of working out how the man Arthur would rule his kingdom with was the same man who was his closest friend and confidante.
Uther and Balinor weren’t like that; Uther and Balinor fought like a hellstorm every day, every hour. Their wives could try to mend the anger between them, but more often than not it seemed as if the men were trying to run completely different kingdoms.
Arthur knew that he and Merlin could do a better job. They fought, but never seriously; it was always teasing, always in jest, always with a ripple of affection underneath it all. Arthur couldn’t imagine his father ever sneaking into Balinor’s chambers when they were teenagers, just to talk about what was bothering him.
Well. There were probably other reasons Arthur came, too, but he didn’t like to think about those reasons.
Comment: I loved how soft and gentle this story was. Their love for each other was so clear that they both only needed a few words to let the other know how they felt. Beautiful.