Merlin imagines

Arthur- Let go

Dying was never a choice, never an option. Right from the start I knew exactly what I had to do. It was Arthur's life or mine. 

My sword fell to the ground along with my body, my head throbbing from the impact of the forest floor. I could feel the poison burning through my veins, sickness sweeping over me, and my vision darkened by each second that passed. I knew not what dying was going to entail, but as Arthur came into my sight the fear subsided. 

"You utter moron," In seconds he was bending over me, his arms bringing me into a caress. "You should of let me die." 

"I am not needed in this world Arthur, you are." I smiled up at him, the boy I once knew now a man. I swallowed the sickness building up from my chest, burning my throat, and lifted up my hand only for him catch it in his grasp. 

"You are needed Y/n, I need you." His voice was so desperate, so broken, it hurt my heart to know I was the cause of his pain. But it was too late. The poison was already corrupting my body, the decision already made. 

Arthur bend down even further to press his lips against my forehead, so gently it was as if he were afraid I'd crumble under his touch. I could feel his tears dripping onto my skin from his eyes, causing my own eyes to leak with the pain. 

"Why did you have to be so idiotic?" He sniffed, his hands running through my hair in a soothing motion. 

"I'd like to think it is noble," He laughed at my words, despite the weakness to my voice, and bent down once more pressing his lips against mine. 

"I love you. I've never said it and I should have but I love you, damn I love you." Tears were streaming down from Arthur's eyes falling onto his cheeks and then onto me, as more and more worry and emotion flooded into his features. "But it's too late, I'm too late."

"Shhh," My own tears were now streaming from my eyes, my hands on his cheeks the pad of my thumb smoothing away his tears. "It is not too late, but you cannot-"

"I will not find someone else," His jaw was clenched, angry tears falling. "I promise you, that it is only you."

My bottom lip started to quiver, pain overriding me causing my body to shake with the pain. I wanted to scream, to end my pain, but the look of horror on Arthur's face made my lips tighten to hold in my cries. 

"You can let go Y/n," Arthur's voice broke along with my heart, tears rapidly falling. "You have to let go."

And with Arthur's arms wrapped tightly around me I did just that. 

I let go.