Fic- A Little Illumination
Title: A Little Illumination
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Uther/Merlin
Series: Scenes from a Holiday Romance
Rating: G
Summary: Ye Olde Fireworks Display, written for Day 8 of merlinadvent
AN: No warnings or spoilers. Random fluff . A little late, but better than never *g*
The king had mentioned something- an off-hand comment when the last shooting star lit up the sky over Camelot- about the beauty of light in the dark winter sky.
“Beautiful, isn’t it, Gaius?” Uther had asked, although it was clear what he thought the answer was.
“Seeing the light of a star dancing across the black sky. Just…beautiful,” the king had trailed off; eyes glancing over Merlin in a way that makes him feel slightly flustered.
Merlin had been slightly captivated by that. Not just the words- although he’d never heard the king so poetic, waxing lyrical about unnatural phenomenon- but the hint of wistfulness in his eyes and the way his mouth twitched into an almost-smile at the sight. Uther hadn’t seemed to remember he had an audience beyond Gaius then in his moment of silence, and Merlin had crept out not wanting to disturb him.
It had been almost a full day later that Merlin had appeared again, dishevelled and blearily eyed, barging into Arthur’s room like he hadn’t been shirking his duties all day.
“What sort of time do you call this?” Arthur yelled. “All day you’ve been off god knows where, and you show up just as I’m getting ready to sleep? You really are an utter moron sometimes, Merlin.”
“Right,” Merlin says, “I was-”
But he never gets a chance to say what he was doing, because at that moment there’s a loud boom and a blindingly bright light shines through Arthur’s windows.
Arthur barely paused long enough to grab his jacket (and Merlin was glad he’d remembered, it was freezing outside and the prince could moan like an old washer-woman) before he tore out into the illuminated square.
It seemed like everyone was drawn out into the courtyard by the strange light, all milling around, knights and nobles alike.
As Arthur arrived- almost as if it coincided with his leaping down the stairs- the sky comes alive in a sea of light.
It starts like a shower of shooting stars racing full-pelt across the sky, millions of tiny bursts of light dancing and weaving in the night, and becomes more spectacular in its explosions. The first flare of colour in the cacophony of lights earns an ‘Ooh’ of appreciation from the crowd, sky ablaze with glowing stars that streamed across their vision with a whoosh.
Merlin looks about smiling, seeing everyone captured by the beauty of the display- Arthur smiling a soft and wistful smile that makes Merlin’s heart hurt in some inexplicable way, Gwen coming up behind her mistress and slipping her hand into Morgana’s, who squeezes it and uses her other to point at her favourite bursts of light. It’s the ones that look like blooming flowers, exploding blue then yellow and ending with green, Merlin had known she’d like those.
Gaius comes up to him, a hand weighing heavily on his shoulder and a whisper of ‘I know you had something to do with this’ that under any other circumstances would leave Merlin feeling guilty, but he has seen Uther’s expression, and for the first time he can see him as a man people would willingly follow.
He doesn’t scream about magic and sorcery, or demand Arthur do something beyond his power to stop it. Uther’s face is set and implacable, but his eyes reflect the fires from the sky above, and shine from a light burning deep within.
Gaius sees which way he’s looking, and how Uther has joined Arthur and Morgana and is watching happily. He wraps his arm firmly around Merlin shoulders.
“It’s a good thing you did, Merlin,” Gaius smiles softly at him.
Merlin watches them smile, and says, “I know.”
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Uther/Merlin
Series: Scenes from a Holiday Romance
Rating: G
Summary: Ye Olde Fireworks Display, written for Day 8 of merlinadvent
AN: No warnings or spoilers. Random fluff . A little late, but better than never *g*
The king had mentioned something- an off-hand comment when the last shooting star lit up the sky over Camelot- about the beauty of light in the dark winter sky.
“Beautiful, isn’t it, Gaius?” Uther had asked, although it was clear what he thought the answer was.
“Seeing the light of a star dancing across the black sky. Just…beautiful,” the king had trailed off; eyes glancing over Merlin in a way that makes him feel slightly flustered.
Merlin had been slightly captivated by that. Not just the words- although he’d never heard the king so poetic, waxing lyrical about unnatural phenomenon- but the hint of wistfulness in his eyes and the way his mouth twitched into an almost-smile at the sight. Uther hadn’t seemed to remember he had an audience beyond Gaius then in his moment of silence, and Merlin had crept out not wanting to disturb him.
It had been almost a full day later that Merlin had appeared again, dishevelled and blearily eyed, barging into Arthur’s room like he hadn’t been shirking his duties all day.
“What sort of time do you call this?” Arthur yelled. “All day you’ve been off god knows where, and you show up just as I’m getting ready to sleep? You really are an utter moron sometimes, Merlin.”
“Right,” Merlin says, “I was-”
But he never gets a chance to say what he was doing, because at that moment there’s a loud boom and a blindingly bright light shines through Arthur’s windows.
Arthur barely paused long enough to grab his jacket (and Merlin was glad he’d remembered, it was freezing outside and the prince could moan like an old washer-woman) before he tore out into the illuminated square.
It seemed like everyone was drawn out into the courtyard by the strange light, all milling around, knights and nobles alike.
As Arthur arrived- almost as if it coincided with his leaping down the stairs- the sky comes alive in a sea of light.
It starts like a shower of shooting stars racing full-pelt across the sky, millions of tiny bursts of light dancing and weaving in the night, and becomes more spectacular in its explosions. The first flare of colour in the cacophony of lights earns an ‘Ooh’ of appreciation from the crowd, sky ablaze with glowing stars that streamed across their vision with a whoosh.
Merlin looks about smiling, seeing everyone captured by the beauty of the display- Arthur smiling a soft and wistful smile that makes Merlin’s heart hurt in some inexplicable way, Gwen coming up behind her mistress and slipping her hand into Morgana’s, who squeezes it and uses her other to point at her favourite bursts of light. It’s the ones that look like blooming flowers, exploding blue then yellow and ending with green, Merlin had known she’d like those.
Gaius comes up to him, a hand weighing heavily on his shoulder and a whisper of ‘I know you had something to do with this’ that under any other circumstances would leave Merlin feeling guilty, but he has seen Uther’s expression, and for the first time he can see him as a man people would willingly follow.
He doesn’t scream about magic and sorcery, or demand Arthur do something beyond his power to stop it. Uther’s face is set and implacable, but his eyes reflect the fires from the sky above, and shine from a light burning deep within.
Gaius sees which way he’s looking, and how Uther has joined Arthur and Morgana and is watching happily. He wraps his arm firmly around Merlin shoulders.
“It’s a good thing you did, Merlin,” Gaius smiles softly at him.
Merlin watches them smile, and says, “I know.”