“ Rare blue ”
Arthur very rarely notices the insignificant changes that take place around him, but surprisingly he noticed that his chamber now have a small vase that may have originally been a cup and had some flowers in it that always looked vibrant.
Arthur initially thought it was Gwen's doing, or that of one of the maids, although that seemed unlikely since he didn't allow anyone to wander around his room as they pleased—except for one particular servant—ah yes, of course it was that servant.
Arthur saw Merlin once changing the water in the cup and renewing the flowers, and then realized very later that this absolutely insignificant change, had begun after Arthur asked Merlin where's his flowers when he saw some of them at Morgana’s.
Merlin didn't mention it, neither Arthur pointed it out.
The flowers were very beautiful, Arthur admitted one night, the flowers looked as if they were swaying under the moonlight, of course this was not true because he was very sleepy.
The next morning, Arthur decided to search the woods himself for the source of those small blue flowers that—he hated to admit it—reminded him so much of Merlin's eyes.
Damn it.
It wasn't like he was going on a trip to specifically pick the flowers, of course Arthur isn't this stupid, he's in hunt trip and Leon's with him which was a good help for Arthur When he told him that Merlin spent his time in the tavern or collecting blue flowers, Leon listened intently nodding, then told him that the flowers seemed rare and that Merlin must be making an effort to collect them.
“ right, he's slacking off his chores to do as silly thing as picking flowers, Merlin's such a girl !” Arthur scoffed, and Leon smiled very gently.
The silence stretched for a moment before Leon suggested with a steady tone “sire you....if we're lucky enough to encounter some, it will be good to pick them up” Arthur narrowed his eyes listing to Leon, wondering how came the knight know he intended to found the flowers, he's that obvious?
Leon Added “... you know, to save Merlin from wandering around the wood and abandon his duties”
That's very reasonable “ Excellent, Leon !” Arthur give him a not-so-gentle punch in the arm.
Arthur spent more than half the day searching for the damned flowers, almost forgetting the hunt they had made on their way back, had it not been for Leon gathering the belongings himself during their return.
Luckily for Arthur, he found some flowers at the top of the hill in, They were nowhere near the beginning of the woods; Merlin must have wasted two hours or more each day trying to find them. Arthur thought it was truly incomprehensible.
So he decided to gather as many flowers as he could when he found them. "I'll never come back here. It's best if we gather them all; it's too much work." If Merlin could do it constantly, Arthur couldn't be any less! This is a challenge.
Later, when Arthur returned at sunset, he went straight to Merlin with a lavish bouquet of flowers that covered half his face. He looked utterly ridiculous; Merlin bit his lip to stop himself from laughing.
“ Arthur you're back,”
Arthur sneered “ very insightful, Merlin"
“so you were hunting... flowers?”
Merlin joked, biting the inside of his cheeks at the very brilliantly cute man before him, but said man grimaced at him.
“ here, don't you think i didn't know what you did !”
“ I did what? Was here all day”
“ slacking off Merlin ! If you're not in the tavern you running wild to the woods to pick up ridiculous flowers, even choosing rare ones to take more time off ”
“oh..”
Arthur was smiling smug, now cornering Merlin and exposing him out, he can even see his prominent ears blushing red, yes Arthur absolutely did a great job!
“ now you can't go out as you please, here's enough of them, whether it's that ridiculous vase up there or whatever you're going to do with them ” Arthur dropped the bouquet to the table tapping it few times enough to bring Gaius' attention to them.
“oh...” Merlin's ears blushed farther threating to reach his cheeks.
Arthur, nodded to himself satisfied to shut the talkative servent' mouth, turning to Gaius and warning him “ don't cover up for him anymore !”
“ No. I won't, sire”
And simply like that Arthur turned away taking his leave.
Merlin burst out laughing, “see ! He just give me flowers !” fingertips tracing the delicate petals as his face turned faint pink. “ good thing you're here”
Gaius raised his face slowly from the potion in his hand, eyebrows turning up questioning him.
Merlin explained “no one would have believed if i said Arthur gave me flowers, now you're a witness!” then clapped his hands to the table.
Gaius sighed, obviously having enough from them “ i should have been out ”
Merlin's smile grow even wider, he kept mattering to himself Arthur's earlier words as if it's the finest joke ever “you can't go out as you please, here's enough of them!" All while re-arranging some flowers of them on his own window, saving the brighter one for Arthur's.
“silly boys” Melrin thinks that's what Gaius had said with a huff before excusing himself away. Or maybe he didn't.
Arthur didn't know, the flowers names, nor Where to find them, stubborn as he's always self, he wandered all day out to find them, deliberately not taking Merlin along.
That night, Merlin renewed The flowers on Arthur's chamber, he returned back to his bed and played with the petals with a swap of fingers from beneath his quilt. They're swaying gently as if performing a small dance.
Arthur don't know the flowers type or name, nor did he notice before they don't withers, Therefore, he obviously didn't know that it wasn't the season for those flowers to bloom.
But the fact that he had actually noticed the flowers in his room and managed to bring them in himself was a great accomplishment, he thought. Merlin would have agreed.
Arthur lay on his bed that night, watching the small flowers sway gently once more under the moonlight. This time, Arthur felt a little more at ease, even warmer, looking at them before falling into a deep and somewhat strange dream, where there was Merlin squatting in the wet grass planting the flowers on the hill, calling to it gently as if she were a kitten or a even toddler, ' forget-me-not'.
Although there was no wind, the flowers swayed with, again.
AO3