I don't quite know how many times I and Merlin tossed and turned in bed. As the morning light finally passed, West vaguely felt someone hugging him from behind, and the cold body temperature wrapped tightly around every inch of his skin, as if the burning heat that wanted to burn the person to ashes faded, comfortably making him willing to fall asleep and never wake up again.

He was so tired. His head was swollen, his limbs were limp, and his body seemed to be tied to a boulder. This feeling of burnout, as if he was dead, had taken away almost all of West's mind, and he was so groggy that he didn't even notice when Merlin was getting up and going out.

In fact, after nearly a week of traveling thousands of miles, fighting several encounters with the reformers, and suffering a few minor injuries, the hermit's physical strength was already in an extremely low state. Coupled with the fact that he rolled the sheets with his boyfriend all night in extreme excitement, even if he was a mutant, in this situation, it was no surprise that he fell ill.

"Besides, you don't even know how to clean it up after doing this kind of thing?!"

Merlin was hurriedly called to the room, and at first glance he understood what was going on. Gaius carefully examined West, who was awake from a high fever, and then turned around and took a broom and threw the archmage down the stairs:

“…… Even the wound has collapsed, how long the hell have you little bastard been there?! How can his body withstand such a spoil from you!! ”

“…… I know it's wrong! Gaius, you let me go see Serena Williams......"

"What do you see? Look how uncomfortable he is right now?! I'm telling you, I'm not going to let you go into the room until West's fever is gone! ”

“…… Gaius!! ”

Koko, deserved.

Although he was burned in a daze, he also heard every word of how the old doctor taught Merlin a lesson. West, who was indeed tossed miserably, gloated and pulled up the quilt, shrunk himself into a ball, and enjoyed the treatment of reaching out for food and opening his mouth without any burden.

And after repeatedly promising Gaius not to touch a finger of the young man before he was cured, Merlin, who was finally done, walked in the door dejectedly, looking at West, who was curled up on the bed and really looked extremely bad, and began to regret it a little in his heart.

"I'm sorry, it's me who is bad."

Brushed his brown hair, which was wet with sweat. The archmage lay on the side of the bed, looked at the pair of thrilling blue eyes, and said aggrievedly: "I didn't hold back for a while...... I didn't expect your physical strength to be so bad. ”

“……”

You did it on purpose, right?!

West choked on his chest with a mouthful of blood, so stunned that he almost didn't catch his breath.

"Next time, you can try it and see how good my physical strength is."

Squeeze out such a sentence from between your teeth. The hermit, who was disgusted by a crispy mage, was not convinced, and wanted to reach out to pull the mage's face, but was cut off halfway, and his right hand fell firmly into Merlin's palm.

He took the boy's hand and pressed it against his chest, allowing him to feel his own strong and powerful heartbeat.

"You can't imagine how happy I am, Serena Williams."

Leaned down and gently kissed him on the corner of his forehead. Merlin smiled at West's cheeks, which were flushed with fever, and there seemed to be a sky full of bright stars under his eyes:

"I've been waiting, waiting for many years."

"It does sound like a long time."

Then I remembered that they seemed to have a lot of things to communicate. West narrowed his eyes slightly, grabbed the mage's collar in this position, and pulled him in front of him:

"By the way, Merlin, I haven't asked you how old you are this year?"

Could it be that he is also the same as himself, he will not die or grow old, and he is not the reincarnation he originally thought?

"I don't remember exactly."

And Merlin's answer also confirmed what the boy was thinking. With a rather complicated expression on his face, the mage looked at the hermit-sama's eyes with a flash of shock, and although there was a lot to say, he didn't know where to start for a while.

And in the end, he just withdrew from the Occlumency technique and motioned for West to read his memories directly.

A thousand years is a bit lonely and a little long.

… …

When Merlin returned to Carmellot with Arthur, who had risen from the dead, the whole kingdom was boiling. Although the Knights suffered heavy losses in the Battle of the Sword Fence, and even Sir Gauwen was buried in the wilderness, except for Mojana and the Saxons, the fate of Albion in the future will be completely attributed to the Britons themselves, and there will be no ancient religions and gods to interfere with.

Magic returns, and the myth of the Eternal King is forever etched into the annals of history. The Sword of Victory and Oath was thrown into Lake Avalon by Merlin, and the sharp edge was returned to its sheath, and the heroic soul was also returned to its homeland. However, when all this came to an end, he felt that there was something empty in his life, like losing something important when he didn't know it, and no matter what he tried to fill it, it couldn't fill the huge hole in his heart.

The mage knew that his memories were incomplete, and while they seemed invulnerable, there were always anomalies and paradoxes that did exist in every bit of the past that he wanted to scrutinize closely. Although Gaius never told him what he had lost, Arthur was uncharacteristically silent. Gradually, however, as time passed, Merlin was able to piece together a faint outline from the clues, and even if the silhouette was not sharp enough to depict a specific image, it was enough to soothe his restless soul by carrying the growing feelings in his heart.

Later, Gaius finally could not resist the wear and tear of time, and died suddenly in the eleventh year after the Battle of the Sword Railing. The physician who had worked all his life for the royal family of Camelot did not leave any last words, and the only trace of regret was well hidden in the eyes that the light was gradually extinguished. He will never see his 'youngest son' again in his life, and he will take this secret to the grave forever, if nothing else, but because he had promised it.

It was then that Merlin discovered his last secret – his eternal life.

That's not something to be happy about. At the very least, for the mage, instead of watching familiar people leave one by one, he would rather be like an ordinary person, from the prime of life to the gray hair, to live this short but beautiful life. He had even decided to cast a spell on himself when the Eternal King finally died and Carmellot no longer needed him, and he would sleep forever under the calm waters of Avalon. However, he was changed by Arthur's confession after a drink.

"I don't know where he went, Merlin, Gaius...... Gaius won't let me tell you ...... either"

Holding the mage's still thin shoulders, the king, who was no longer young, muttered drunkenly. It was something he would never have said when he was awake, but seeing Merlin alone year after year, he must have felt sorry for him in his heart: "He saved me and you too...... While it's really cruel to make you forget everything, Westerta...... If he didn't have no choice, he would be reluctant to do it. ”

West.

The name was repeated on the tip of his tongue, and his restless heart, restless by fear of eternal loneliness, was miraculously calmed. Merlin suddenly thought that maybe he could keep looking for it like this, no matter how long it took. Because he could feel how important this hazy phantom figure occupied in his life, so important that even such an ordinary name was enough to support him on this quest that might never end.

Later, a hundred years of time passed in a flash, and the trauma and glory brought by magic were gradually covered by time, and the fate was endless, the times changed, and most of the human beings no longer remembered the beacon years. Sorcerer, Dragon, Knight, Elf...... Those are stories from the distant past, memories that have long since been yellowed. Only the songs and poems that are still passed down by word of mouth are still recording all the eternal legends.

Times have changed, Britain has changed, the people who live in this land are no longer the same as they used to be, and Merlin is the only one walking alone on this lively planet. He began to search for the reincarnation of the Eternal King, witnessing firsthand the birth and aging of the Knights of the Round Table. Arthur, Gaius, Lancelot, Gauvin, Gwen...... Even Mo Jiana, in every life, they have lived peacefully and peacefully, after giving away the fate of being so upside down, it seems that fate has finally given them the happiness they deserve, and from now on, no one will bury their bones in the wilderness, and no one will shoulder those too heavy responsibilities and burdens with blood and tears.

However, Merlin still couldn't find the person he knew and didn't know at the same time.

The mysterious boy who haunted him, but couldn't remember what kind of past he had after all.

Sometimes, the mage also wonders if this person really existed, existed in his best years. He even thought of Freya, the girl he fell in love with at first sight, willing to abandon his mission and leave with him, and perhaps West had fascinated him as much as she did. But he clearly understands that as time passes, Freya will be the warmest and most beautiful part of his life, and the latter seems to be integrated into his life, even if he doesn't remember his appearance or his voice, he still stubbornly refuses to let go, in a vain hope that they can meet each other again in an endless time.

He seemed to have become the only insistence he had in his endless years. But if time proved to be futile, he couldn't wait for the person he wanted to wait for, and Merlin didn't know what he would do.

A thousand years is a long time.

The search for the reincarnation of Arthur and others has crossed one new century after another, but fate has never brought him the answer he wants. Time is endless, and the mage is still in his prime, but he is inevitably tired. So, one day, while waiting for his friends to be reincarnated, he went to an all-night pub in Oxford, which was not suitable for a noisy environment, but always made himself seem less lonely.

At that time, a war that swept the whole world had just ended, and a new round of confrontation between superpowers was high. The tide rises. This era is almost the worst Merlin has ever experienced, but it is also the most changing. He has learned a lot over the millennia, but he still feels unable to keep up with the pulse of the times, such as how to reject a conversation from a person of the same sex in a bar.

"Hello, alone?"

Hearing this voice, somewhere between youth and teenager, the mage was silently staring at Margarita, which the bartender pushed to him. The high-cheeked boy who was not very popular with girls in Camelot was the object of competition among the beauty hunters in this era, although he didn't like this kind of thing very much, but in politeness, Merlin nodded and turned to look.

It was a very young man, with brown hair tucked back and wearing the Oxford students' favourite shirt and V-neck sweater. And the most impressive thing is his thrilling blue eyes, like an all-encompassing sea, which seems to be able to intoxicate people with his unique charm with just one glance.

Merlin couldn't help but freeze in place.

For no other reason, this person is too consistent with the image of West in his imagination.

"I'm Charles Xavier, you can call me Charles."

Straight to the mage's blank gaze, the young Professor X smiled. He has always been at home in a place like a bar, and seeing Merlin alone and lonely, it is natural that he has a little careful thinking about accosting him. And the other party seems to be very satisfied with his appearance, maybe he can try it further.

And......

He tried again, but found that he still couldn't read the other party's thoughts, and Charles's eyes couldn't help but light up.

Maybe the other party has some special function, or maybe it's the same kind of person as him. Either way, it piqued his interest even more.

"I'm ...... Merlin. ”

Perhaps it has been lonely for too long, and the pursuit of this endless path has consumed all the mage's mental energy. He replied a little tiredly, and although he did want to give up, he couldn't help but want to get closer to this person who was too similar to the imaginary West.

They talked a lot about the rest of the day, and most of the time Merlin just listened quietly. It has to be said that Charles is a very charismatic gentleman, and no one can escape his seduction when he is intently watched by his blue eyes. Soon, cocktail after cocktail was poured into the mage, who had not been very good at drinking since the distant days of Camelot, felt a little drunk.

And the young Professor X no longer knows where to lead the topic.

"Do you believe that there are incredible forces in this world?" Putting down his wine glass and catching a glimpse of a stack of popular science magazines on hypnosis and suggestion in the other person's hand, Charles's eyes flashed, "It seems that you seem to be interested in telepathy?" ”

"Yes." The alcohol slammed into the most fragile part of the brain, and Merlin nodded slightly. He wondered what he had forgotten, how he remembered the memories that had been forcibly erased. Therefore, in the twentieth century, when he came into contact with these psychological sciences that have been around for a long time but are gradually becoming familiar to the world in the new era, he will also pay attention to some clues that may be useful, "I want to break the shackles he has given me." ”

There was a man who took away the memories of Amoris and the most inseparable part of his life.

And perhaps, he didn't have to find anything. It's just that before finding the mystery that has lasted for thousands of years, I can't stop searching.

“…… Maybe, I can help you. ”

Probably bewitched by the loneliness that the boy's eyes were too heavy. By the time Charles realized what he had blurted out, it was too late to take it back.

Although, he was not so annoyed, and even a little faintly excited. It was as if he was now standing in front of an iron box that had been precipitated for countless centuries, and no matter what secrets were hidden in it, the mere excitement of opening this artifact with his own hands was enough to satisfy the proud son of heaven.

"You?"

So, in the face of Merlin's puzzled gaze, he did not hesitate to announce his difference to the world for the first time: "Yes, although you may not believe it, but from the perspective of life science, I should be regarded as a mutant with special functions." ”

…… Mutants.

There seemed to be a thunderclap in his ears, as if a long, long time ago, a man whose face could not be seen was leaning against his cabin in Camelot, and he had spoken a term he had never heard before.

After hesitating, but still nodding, Merlin suppressed his magic, let go of his brain, and looked at the young Charles beside him.

"Oh...... It's incredible. For the first time, I met someone who was able to block my telepathy. Feeling that the brainwaves of the people around him were no longer unable to capture nothingness, Charles's eyes widened in disbelief, "Do you also have superpowers?" ”

"It doesn't count." Of course, it is impossible to show all his memories to Charles. The millennium has given Merlin not only vicissitudes and loneliness, but also the caution that cannot be left behind at any time, so that he will not be disturbed by all kinds of accidents before reaching the end: "It's just ...... It's just a little trick. ”

"I don't think it's a little trick."

Stretching out his finger against his temple, this familiar action made the mage in a trance again. Charles sank into Merlin's open consciousness and followed his lead to a door. It was the cage that West had set up for his lover on the shores of Lake Avalon, where everything about them had been placed, and even though the mage had tried to push it away a thousand times, he could not shake the slightest.

However, this is not a difficult task for Charles.

There are many commonalities among psychic people, and although the means are not completely consistent, this hint happens to be familiar to the young Professor X...... Even, if he wasn't sure that he was really seeing this boy for the first time today, he would have wondered if it would be his own handiwork. Although, he still doesn't know that what he is about to liberate will be the ban set by his adopted son in the future, and how this seemingly extraordinary and wonderful encounter tonight will affect the rest of their lives.

Calming down, under Merlin's watchful eye, he pushed open the door where all the mysteries were buried.

Memories flood in.

"Tell me what you're feeling right now."

"Look at me, Merlin."

"Everything used to be a big dream...... Now, it's time to wake up from the dream. ”

"I'm ...... Sorry......"

The beginning of the story, the end of the story, this belated memory is not very long, nor is it very thrilling. There was no alliance between them, no lingering, not even a goodbye, and the only light kiss that fell on the corner of the mouth also seemed ethereal and ethereal because of West's disappearance.

He lost him for a thousand years.

"Oh...... I...... Are you alright......"

Overwhelmed by the emotions that were too intense for that moment, Charles was forced to withdraw from the mage's consciousness before he could see what he had recovered for the boy. Looking at Merlin's initial stunned moments, followed by silent but surging tears, Charles wanted to settle down, but when he saw the madness contained in those light gray eyes, he involuntarily withdrew his hand.

It was the look of a wounded beast, too terrible to be in a boy who still looked young. And that look looked so vicissitudes, so vicissitudes that he didn't even have the courage to take another look, endless sadness.

He also had a hunch that at this moment, the mage's joy and sorrow were mixed, and he might not be suitable to disturb it anymore.

At the end of the day, Merlin was drunk to the point of unconsciousness for the first time in a bar. Bringing him to the room behind the bar for the guests to rest, Charles looked at the man's frowning brow even in his sleep, sighed silently for the first time, gave up the original thoughts, and turned away.

The mage struggled to open his eyes, looking at his back, which was too similar to West's, as if he wanted to say something, but finally remained silent.

- He wants to get him back, even if another thousand years have passed.

The exhaustion of countless days and nights finally dragged him into the darkness. The moment he closed his eyes, Merlin was thinking. He knew that there were clear blue eyes, and even if their owner was nowhere to be found, they still lingered in his mind. See how he waits for time to fade away, across mountains and rivers, to embrace the most important mystery of this life.

He fell asleep in the damp room. But even so, there is a figure wandering in the dream. The man seemed to smile many times and seemed to say a lot. From the past to the future, he did not fall at all, so that even in the sinking, the corners of his mouth showed a good-looking smile.

… …

"So, in the end, it turned out to be Charles's hint for you?!!"

He almost jumped out of bed, but fell into Merlin's arms with a grin of some indescribable pain. West was stunned as he watched the mage who kept whispering to comfort him, but finally couldn't swallow his breath anymore, and lifted the quilt to run out of the house.

"What are you doing!!"

Grabbed the hermit's slender waist, and for a moment was fascinated by the feeling that he didn't want to let go of last night. Merlin reacted quickly and fell backwards on the bed with West, really frightened by this guy.

Just kidding, this wound hasn't healed yet, and he's having a fever, how can he just run around like this?

"I'm going to get my phone." Still gritting his teeth, West completely ignored the ambiguous marks on his body before they subsided, and was about to break free from the mage's arms: "Charles must give me an explanation!" And damn it, he almost shot you?!!! ”

"That was before, a long time ago."

Holding the boy tightly, Merlin wanted me to tell you that in fact, I wanted to use Charles as a stand-in to find some comfort for a moment at that time, why don't you just strangle me, while turning over and pressing the hermit who was still moving under him: "Instead of me, haven't you been accosted in a bar yourself?" ”

“……”

Yes, he has not only been accosted by others, but also accosted by others.

Remembering what good things he had done when he was young, West's expression froze, and finally he didn't move.

And Merlin clearly had no intention of letting him go.

"If I'm not mistaken, your reaction seems to be very dissatisfied with your adoptive father's unraveling of the hint for me?" Speaking of this, his expression automatically adjusted to gloomy, and the mage lowered his head and kissed from the corner of the young man's mouth to his neck, itching, if he was about to leave to seduce the disobedient hermit:

"Or do you actually want to recover my memories at all, even if I meet you again after a thousand years, I can only see and miss it?"

"I ......"

Where can the body that has just eaten the marrow and know how to taste it withstand this kind of teasing. West's expression became stiff, he wanted to hide but couldn't dodge, and the nature that Merlin had set for him was too serious, how dare he not hurry up to excuse himself.

However, when the hermit was about to speak, the mage pressed a finger to his lips.

"Shh

There was nowhere to hide the depth in his eyes, and Merlin leaned in a little closer, so that the boy could see the renewed desire in his pupils. Fire: "You know, you can convince me of whatever you say...... So, now I don't want to hear your reasons. ”

"How about expressing it in action?"

The mage's voice was hoarse and deep, with a magic that had to be indulged. Feeling the man's restless hand running down his back, West gasped and felt like he was going crazy.

He had no objection to the proposal.

And yet—

"May! Forest!!! You forgot what you promised me?!! You don't want to go one step closer to the house this week!!! ——”

Kick open the locked door of the room. The mage and the hermit turned their heads to look at the old physician who had rushed in like a whirlwind, almost simultaneously dumbfounded.