chat what if your gay lover left you to become a depressed vigilante
Gwaine: look, it'll all stay between us mates.
Arthur: that's not as reassuring as you think it is
Gwaine: you offend me!!!! Look. I'm your drink-mate, Leon's your brain-mate, Lancelot's your honor-mate, Percival's you brawn-mate, Elyan's your bro-mate, Merlin's your soulmate and Gwen's your heart, mate. Let's drink to that
Arthur: hold on, Merlin's my what now?
Sorry your boyfriend died and came back and died and came back and died and came back and died and came back again. He was trying to find you.
Bro if uther bitch ass don’t hurry up and kick the bucket, I’m so tired of him. Like Merlin, please let this man die already so that Camelot can be better
okay
I absolutely love the idea of Arthur writing letters to Merlin saying all those things he couldn't say out loud. He would compose the most heartbreaking breathtaking well-written confessions of longing. But he would hide them in a chest that once belonged to his mother, careful Merlin wouldn't find them should he ever decide to do something outlandish like cleaning the kings chambers.
Now imagine Arthur gets poisoned and falls into a coma, so while Merlin searches everything to determine what happened he finds a spell to see what objects someone touched recently.
So he finds the chest and opens it, staring at dozens of letters addressed to him.
Naturally he would read them and find out about Arthur's love but still he had no clue how to wake him. That's when Morgana shows up telling Merlin she dreamed about the cure and she was fairly sure she could make it with Gaius help
A few hours later the potion was ready and given to the sleeping king, who woke to a sobbing Merlin with those letters in his hands
So Merlin is Immortal, he can't stay dead, but he does get killed throughout the show in his bid to protect Arthur.
Here's my AU idea:
Every time Merlin dies, a piece of his memories dies with him.
This doesn't affect him much, as he doesn't die often in the beginning, but as time goes on and he gets more desperate to protect Arthur, he becomes more reckless, not realising his lucky escapes after being knocked out was due to him being dead and the perpetrators leaving his corpse.
After all, dead men tell no tales, usually.
With each death, he loses a memory and he wouldn't have noticed, but Arthur does.
Arthur would mention at one point or another about this or that and Merlin wouldn't be able to recall it.
It at first annoys him and makes him point out about Merlin's low intelligence. But as time goes on, he gets concerned when Merlin can't remember certain people or events.
He brings up the time Merlin cried for the Dragonlord.
Merlin: Who?
Arthur: The last Dragonlord? Balinor? You cried over him when he died protecting you?
Merlin: Huh... I don't remember him, but if he did save my life, then I'm grateful, but why did I cry? Did I know him well?
Arthur: ... No, but you helped to convince him to help Camelot. He was a good man in the end.
Merlin: I see. Well, it's strange how I don't remember that.
Arthur: *Concerned*
It happens occasionally as time goes on and Arthur starts to consult Gaius about Merlin's memories.
Then I can see Merlin being outed as a sorcerer to Uther when Arthur is gone on some diplomatic mission. Uther wouldn't think twice before sentencing Merlin to death. Only he won't die.
He dies and dies in many different ways. Uther desperate to get rid of Merlin who he sees as the embodiment of his fears (if only he knew 😅).
Merlins deaths happen so many times, that by the time Arthur returns 2 weeks later, and storms the dungeons angry and confused, he was met with a sight he'll never forget.
Arthur: Merlin! *Rushes to the jail bars and demands answers to his questions*
Merlin: *Stares blankly*
Arthur: 😠 Merlin! Answer me!
Merlin: Do I know you?
It hits him harder than any fist or magic ever could.
And that's all I've got. Tell me what you think, what happens next?
Till next time fellow dreamers~! ✨
Leon: usually when someone is in love they act really stupidly in front of their crush, it's common to make a fool out of yourself
Lancelot: I can confirm
Merlin: wow, Arthur must really love everybody since he acts like an imbecile all the time
Arthur: There's no way he likes me back.
Leon: Merlin would throw himself in front of a moving car for you.
Arthur: Merlin would throw himself in front of a moving car for fun.