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Arthur was startled out of his reverie with a ping of his phone. He glanced at the clock and the calendar and smiled; it was Merlin’s posting day.
Quickly picking up his phone, it was confirmed that Embers from Alexandria had indeed posted his latest video - one about Ovid’s Metamorphoses and the Peter Paul Rubens painting The Fall of Phaeton. Arthur sighed contentedly to calm the beating of his heart as he clicked on the video and listened to Merlin’s soothing voice walk through the intricacies of Ovid’s text and the painting displayed on the screen. Arthur knew the painting well, having traveled to the National Gallery of Art with his mom once or twice when he was a kid. It never failed to awe him every time he saw it, with all of the contorted bodies and the ray of light cast on to some specific figures who your eye is immediately drawn to.
Listening to Merlin walk through the intricacies of the painting and the text, it was really astounding to hear him talk about it in a way he’d never heard before - through Ovid’s text. Arthur could close his eyes and listen to Merlin’s recitation of the text and watch the image get painted behind his eyelids.
Once the video ended with Merlin asking for likes, subscribers and comments, he put his phone down and just sat with his thoughts, replaying certain parts of the video in his head.
It was hard to believe he was going to Florence for his study abroad term in two weeks and was going to get to spend time with the man he’d been crushing on for ages.
****
Merlin smiled when he got the notification. It was Light in the Dark Ages’ posting day and Merlin couldn’t wait to see what he was going to talk about today. Merlin picked up his phone and pulled the notifications down. Plague Art. Merlin’s eyes widened and clicked the link as fast as he could.
He always loved hearing Arthur talk about his area of expertise - medieval and Renaissance art and history, but this topic was particularly interesting to Merlin. He wondered if he’d mention Boccaccio’s Decameron at all. That was such a key text.
A few minutes later, Merlin got his answer. Arthur did mention the Decameron, but this video’s focus was more on the actual art the Plague inspired rather than the texts it inspired. Merlin was hooked on every word - listening to him talk about the holy and divine and things that were created years later. It was absolutely fascinating to hear about such horror and tragedy and how it produced such beauty and grotesque.
It was hard to believe how so much time had flown by, and that he’d be in Florence in two weeks. Maybe he could get to know Arthur better and talk to the man he’d been crushing on for awhile.
****
Arthur walked out of the Amerigo Vespucci Airport in Florence, and walked until he found the area where he could catch a cab. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and double checked the address before hailing one, which took him longer than he expected.
“Buon giorno” Arthur said in a clear Italian “Via Fiume per favore.” The driver nodded his head in assent, and Arthur loaded his suitcase and bag into the cab before sliding in.
The drive was short, and Arthur was tired from a long night, so he didn’t pay much attention to anything. When he arrived, he noticed he was near the train station and mentally catalogued that for reference. He paid the cab fare, unloaded his luggage, and figured out what his next steps were.
Arthur glanced down at his watch and saw it was nearing 11:00 A.M., which was the earliest time he could check in to the school hotel where they were staying until they got their host stay assignments.
Arthur looked for signs on the buildings and found Via Fiume easily enough. He made his way towards the narrow, cobblestoned street, and he walked until he found Linguaviva, the school he was associated with for the program. According to the instructions, he had to go up to check in. Once checked in, he was shown to his room, and as he was the first one there, he had his pickings for which bed to choose. He chose one by the window and settled his suitcase on it, before sitting down and relaxing a bit.
Shortly after that, several other students in the program started to arrive. He was sure he’d meet them all eventually and get to know them, so he figured he’d wait to interact with too many people until they all went out to dinner. He knew he wouldn’t be the best company right now either, as jetlagged as he was, so he stayed in his corner to journal and doodle a bit.
****
Arthur was right in thinking he would meet everyone sooner rather than later. There were thirteen of them total in the program: Arthur, Merlin, Leon, Elyan, Gwaine, Percival, Lancelot, Mordred, Gwen, Mithian, Elena, Sophia, and Freya
Everyone seemed nice enough so far, but he didn’t know them well enough yet. And he still hadn’t gotten to speak to Merlin at all really. Hopefully he could soon, but the next few days were going to be busy seeing the sights like the Duomo and Companile and Baptistry and going on a scavenger hunt throughout Florence in groups. Maybe once they’re in their host stays they could finally meet and talk a bit.
****
Merlin loved Florence so far. He had gotten lost so many times already, but that was part of the beauty of travel - getting lost and finding new places to explore. It was just better when he didn’t do it at night. It wasn’t his fault he got shin splints easily!
Climbing the Duomo to the top was probably what did him in the most. 463 steps to the top. All of the history and thinking about how it was built, and when, and all of the memory that went into these stones over the years.
Once they made it to the top, it was so worth seeing the city from up there and all of the graffiti at the top from all of the people who made it there. Just another slice of history and an interesting way to get a brief glimpse into other people’s lives.
Today, it was time to finally get their host stay assignments. He couldn’t wait to see who he got as a roommate and meet his family for his time here. The idea of living with someone and getting to experience the culture that way was always really appealing to him. It was part of the reason he picked this program.
Making his way towards the stairs, instead of taking the sketchy elevator again, he made his way up to the top floor where their classrooms were and took his place towards the front and near the door.
Shortly after that, the program head, Geoffrey, came in and walked them through some basic guidelines for their stay before reading out their host assignments. Since there were twelve of them, there would be two groups of three, but all of the others would be groups of two.
Mithian, Elena and Sophia were paired together, and Gwen and Freya were paired. Elyan and Percival were paired, as were Gwaine and Lancelot, Leon and Mordred and finally Merlin and Arthur.
Merlin was so excited he got paired with Arthur. He couldn’t have expected better. When he glanced over at Arthur, it looked like he felt similarly.
****
Arthur couldn’t believe his ears, he was getting to room with Merlin! He couldn’t wait.
Once the meeting adjourned, they all went back to their rooms to gather up their luggage to transport to their host stays. Geoffrey and his assistant, George, helped each of them into the cabs, and gave instructions to them on where to go.
Once in the cab, Arthur turned to Merlin and said, “It’s nice to officially meet you Merlin. How are you liking it here so far?”
Merlin nodded and replied, “Yeah, good to meet you too. And so far I’m really enjoying it. Except for the shin splints,” he grimaced in pain and sighed. “How about you?”
“Yeah it’s good. I’ve actually been here before, once a long time ago. But I have a feeling this time it’ll be different.”
Merlin nodded again in reply.
Before either of them could continue the conversation much more, they arrived at a building in a suburban neighbourhood with flats all around them. They glanced down at the paper George had given them before they left school, and noted the address. 44 Lambruschini and they had to ring to the third floor.
They grabbed their bags and pulled their luggage up onto the sidewalk and pushed the bell for the third floor.
A man’s voice answered, and Merlin and Arthur announced who they were. He exclaimed in joy before buzzing them in.
Merlin and Arthur glanced at each other with smiles on their faces. Those smiles faded when they glanced at the stairs and then their luggage, dreading having to drag them up.
Merlin sighed, “I suppose I better go first. If I fall, can I count on you to catch me?”
Arthur chuckled and replied, “Yes Merlin. Now go ahead, I’ll follow after you reach the first landing.”
Merlin nodded and grit his teeth, readying for a workout getting his cases up the stairs. Taking a deep breath, he took the first step and pulled his luggage behind him; one stair at a time.
Once he reached the first landing, he took a few seconds to breathe and then Arthur started to follow.
They both made it to the third floor without incident, but out of breath, and knocked on the door, which opened to a jovial Italian man.
“Ciao ragazzi! My name is Gaius, please come in.” Gaius said in a broken English with a heavy accent.
Merlin and Arthur followed him into the flat, and they were astonished to find out how big it was. Upon entering, they saw a large sitting room that doubled as a dining room to their left, a kitchen to the right. Further up to their left was a bedroom, and then on their right was a long hallway with two or three more bedrooms, and two bathrooms. Straight ahead was a balcony. It was absolutely lovely.
Gaius gestured for them to enter the large bedroom on their left and put their bags in there, before telling them to follow him into the kitchen.
The kitchen was cozy with a table big enough for 4 people and it had nice appliances for cooking and overlooked another balcony that was smaller than the one on the other side.
They took seats next to each other, facing the window with the smaller balcony.
Gaius smiled and welcomed them again before explaining what it would be like to live there, and giving them keys. They were allowed to choose their rooms - they could either room together, or separately. Gaius’ son wasn’t home at the moment, so all the rooms were free.
Merlin didn’t want to be in Arthur’s way, and he always liked having his own space, so he said he’d prefer to room alone. Arthur nodded his head and agreed.
Shortly after, it was decided that Merlin would get the room down the long hallway, and Arthur would get the bigger room to the left of the entrance.
****
Later in the day, once they had both unpacked and gotten settled, Merlin knocked on Arthur’s door, vlogging camera in hand.
“Hey Arthur, do you want to go out for a short walk with me? Get to know the area a bit?”
Arthur hesitated briefly. He was tired, but he wanted to finally get a chance to talk to Merlin, plus he could also do a little bit of filming; give his viewers some sights of Florence with it’s gorgeous architecture and some history. He could always do a voice over for that part later and get some footage now.
Arthur nodded and replied, “Yeah, that would be good. Let me just grab some things, and we’ll head out”.
Merlin smiled and headed back out to give Arthur some privacy.
A few minutes later, Arthur was dressed and ready to go out for a short dusk stroll.
They left the flat the way they came, the stairs. Despite their whole bodies protesting any movement, and knowing it would be worse tomorrow, they knew the stroll would be good for them.
Once out in the fresh late summer air, they took in their surroundings, mapping their route as they walked so they knew how to get back. They walked straight, until they made it to a busier road and spied a bus stop. They didn’t have their bus passes yet, but they took note of it for future reference. Instead, they took a left at the road, and walked under a bridge.
They continued walking in companionable silence, until they reached a park with a bench. Arthur jerked his head toward the bench and Merlin nodded in agreement. Once they were at the bench, Arthur turned and said, “Nice night. It’s nice to be away from the city center. It’s a bit quieter here.”
Merlin nodded and pursed his lips a bit, seeming to debate with himself about something. Finally, he asked, “What brought you back here, to Florence?”
Unsurprised by the question, he replied, “The history, the culture, the people. There’s just so much to learn and gain from a place like this. Also, my history degrees are focused on the medieval period and Renaissance period, I couldn’t not come here, you know? What about you?”
Merlin sighed “I’m a classicist and there’s a lot of ancient history in Italy. I’m particularly excited for our Rome trip in a few months. But I picked Florence because the Renaissance was a rebirth of classics. They started studying ancient philosophy and languages, reading the texts of the great historians of the time. There’s so much you can gather about a time from the primary sources. It’s one of the things that bothers me about historians actually. You all barely look at primary sources, and if you do, you look at them through the wrong lens. You use them to gain an understanding of a time, place and people, but don’t take them at face value, you feel like you need more. That’s not right.”
Arthur couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “That’s not true. Historians look at everything because it gives us a fuller picture. A primary source document is only one piece of the puzzle. Classics elitism! I can’t believe I’m living with a complete idiot for our stay here. HIstory is more about dates and primary source documents. Yes they can teach us a lot, but looking at secondary sources gives us a lot of information too. Looking at art, architecture. It’s all valuable.”
Merlin grit his teeth and stood up, pointing a finger at Arthur and saying “Listen to me, you complete clotpole. Looking at the primary sources is the only way you can truly understand a time period and what was happening and what a culture was like. Art can be useful too, but secondary sources are only other people’s interpretations and ideas about what happened. They don’t really know.”
Arthur bat Merlin’s finger out of his face “First of all, don’t get all up in my face like that again, you arrogant sod. Second, you’re so incredibly wrong. Translations can get bastardized, even if you translate it yourself. You become a secondary source and according to you, that’s unreliable. How do you even know the texts you’re reading are primary sources?”
Merlin looked like he’d been slapped. “You know what? I don’t have to continue this conversation with you. I’m heading back, and I’m going to try and enjoy my time here. We probably won’t even be in the same classes with the way you’re going. You probably wouldn’t even fully grasp or understand them, the way you think.”
Arthur huffed an incredulous laugh “Fine then. Let’s try to enjoy our time here. The flat is big enough we won’t have to interact much besides mealtimes, and those will be bearable enough. I bid you a good night Merlin.”
By then, Merlin was already halfway down the street back to the flat. And Arthur sat there thinking about how the man he’d been crushing on from his videos was an arrogant idiot and how he was sad about that.
Little did Arthur know, Merlin felt the same.
****
The next few days were particularly tense. They were only in Italian class currently, but Arthur and Merlin were in different rooms. Arthur already had an Italian background because of his studies, whereas Merlin was just starting to learn. Thank god for small mercies.
That didn’t mean other students in the program hadn’t noticed the tension. They absolutely did. And Arthur knew they were talking about them behind his back, but he didn’t care. He had other things to worry about. Registration for classes was happening at the end of the week, and there were very specific classes he wanted to get into - Patrons and Artists with Nimueh, Decorative Complexes with Finna, Love, Beauty and Eros or Esotericism with Geoffrey and Cecil’s Art Studio - Portrait Drawing with Cenred.
He was planning on taking Patrons and Artists and Decorative Complexes for sure, but unsure if he wanted to pick Love, Beauty and Eros or Portrait Drawing at the Studio, but he was leaning more towards portrait drawing. While he was not good at it, he found it calming and felt like he could express himself in a way that he couldn’t with other things. He’d always been drawn to painting. It connected him to his mom in ways he couldn’t explain, so he did it when he could. But he was also interested in Decorative Complexes, not only because it was a fascinating topic to study because architecture is core to so many things, but also it would count as an elective for his degree. Luckily, he still had a few days to decide.
****
Later that day, everyone had to meet up near the City Center near the Duomo. They all only climbed it a few days ago, but now standing in front of it, learning it’s history and the story of the competition for the doors was extra fun and special.
Arthur was just a history student, whereas the majority of the other students here were art history students particularly, and then of course there was Merlin, the odd one out, a classicist. Though he was one of the few people here he could talk with about topics that were close to him, even if they were fighting the majority of the time. He was in limbo between the two worlds.
The following day, they went to one of the many Medici sites. Arthur was absolutely in his element the entire time, getting to educate everyone on the powerful, ruthless and fascinating family they were. When many people heard the name Medici, those were the words they often used to describe them, but in reality, without them, we wouldn’t have many of the works we have today. Artists were nothing without their patrons, and they were one of the most influential families in that regard.
When Arthur was talking about them, everyone was hanging on every word he said, including, interestingly enough, Merlin.
He couldn’t figure Merlin out. One second it seemed like he hated Arthur, and the next it seemed like he was interested in him and what he had to say. Through all of this, Arthur had still been watching Merlin’s videos. There was just something so calming about them, and he really was intelligent, and fuck... he was beautiful too. If all Arthur could get of Merlin was through his videos, that was what he would take. But when Merlin looked at him like that, he didn’t know what to think and what to believe. All he knew was that he was absolutely not going to be the first one to lend out an olive branch of peace. Merlin had to be the one to do that.
****
Merlin couldn’t help but hang on every word Arthur was saying. Listening to him talk about the Medici was always one of his favorite things. There was one video where he discussed the family as a whole and why they were so important to the world, even today, and he couldn’t help but be entranced by him.
He was learning a lot, and it had only been about a week since they started. Despite fighting with Arthur, Merlinwas still watching all of his videos. He found them interesting and different, and ok, Arthur wasn’t bad looking either. He’d had so much to say since coming to Florence too, and his eyes were different in the videos he’d made here, almost like he’d had a rekindled spark.
Merlin was looking forward to classes starting officially. He knew he was taking both Love, Beauty and Eros and Esotericism, and he would probably take Decorative Complexes, so he could write a comparative paper on architecture from this time period and compare it to that of the antiquities.
For now, he just needed to figure out what his feelings were for Arthur, and do his best to quell them. They were not right for each other. A classicist could never be with a historian; they may study similar things, but their approaches were too different. Merlin was going to do all he could to keep it that way. Though maybe in time, they could at least be friends, but it was on Arthur to bridge that gap.
****
The next few weeks went by in much of the same way, with Arthur becoming known as the class know-it-all when it came to history. Merlin and Arthur avoided each other at all costs and prepared for their class registration.
Originally, they were supposed to go to Venice at the end of the month, but that ended up getting canceled due to an insane amount of rain. They hoped to reschedule the trip for later in the term.
As predicted, Merlin took both of Geoffrey’s philosophy classes (Love, Beauty and Eros and Esotericism) along with Decorative Complexes with Finna, and of course continued with Italian.
Arthur ended up taking Patrons and Artists, Love, Beauty and Eros, and Portrait Drawing with Cenred, and of course continued on with Italian.
On their first day of classes, Merlin and Arthur rolled their eyes at each other when they entered Love, Beauty and Eros. All the other students in that class purse their lips and try to discreetly glance around the room and silently communicate that this class is going to be awful with the two of them.
Arthur took his seat near the front of the room by the door, and Merlin was directly across from him near the window. Great, Arthur thought, more reasons to stare daggers at me all day. He sighed and put his bag down, glad he had an excuse to leave as soon as class got out because he had to go to the studio for class.
Luckily the majority of today’s class was going through the syllabus, but they also had to start reading Giovanni and Lusanna which was about love and marriage in the Renaissance. Glancing through the syllabus, it would be particularly infuriating and fascinating to get to Ficino’s works and Rocke’s works. Arthur had a feeling he and Merlin would get into quite the debates those days in class.
Class passed by pretty uneventfully, but it was fun seeing the complete and utter joy on Merlin’s face seeing what they were going to read and discuss in the class. Arthur imagined that being the classicist he was, reading all of the primary source accounts and analysis would be interesting for him.
Shortly after class ended, Arthur ran out the door in order to get to Cecil’s on time. And when he found out the majority of their assignments would be drawing and sketching different things and people followed by a full art portfolio display at the end, he couldn’t have been happier.
****
Merlin was distraught. It had been a few weeks since classes started, and he was slowly getting more comfortable here. Even though he still got lost from time to time, it was no longer as panic inducing as it used to be.
He also started to notice that the hostility between him and Arthur was waning. He wanted to try and broach him to make peace, but he didn’t know how after so long. He knew Arthur went to the Boboli Gardens from time to time, not that he’s followed him or anything, but because he always brings back such lovely single flowers, and photos, and footage for his vlogs. So, maybe he would be able to catch him there..
However he did it, he wanted to try and make peace with him. Merlin had come to realize how special Arthur really was the last few weeks, and he wanted to try. He just had to get up the courage.
****
Arthur left the flat in a hurry; sketchbook in hand, wallet in pocket, and stormed past the gelaterias and restaurants. It had been a few weeks since classes started, and he was finally starting to feel a lot more comfortable here. He wandered among the cobblestone streets and by the medieval buildings of Florence and upon reaching the Duomo, paused, closed his eyes briefly, and took a breath of air. He inhaled the tantalizing scents of the eateries around him and upon opening his eyes took the path towards Santa Maria Novella and towards the bridge that led him across the Arno.
As he neared the river, he couldn’t help but stop to take in the scenery of the grey light shining on the water and revealing the mountains in the back along with the foliage; every single time he had to cross that river, the view struck him and he wished he could share it with someone he cared about. He wished he could share it with one person in particular; Merlin. Lately, things had been calming down between them. Their hostility with each other was turning more playful.
After he crossed the bridge, he continued on to his original destination; The Pitti Palace, and ultimately his favorite place; the Boboli Gardens. Being a student, he got free access to any museum or historical site, so he got his free ticket and cut all the lines and went in. Once through the palace entrance, he continued through the courtyard to a small door on the right that led into “his” garden.
Normally, Arthur would take his time and meander paths and explore but, today, he made straight for the pond at the very top of the stairs and sat on the bench, setting his sketchbook down on his right and taking a deep breath. As he took in the grey sky and watched the rain hit the water making it ripple, he trapped himself in his mind and thought. Arthur sat forward putting his head in his hands and let out a sigh. Then glancing up, towards the fountain, he saw two ducks gliding gracefully across the water.
He picked up his sketchbook and flipped to a blank page. His sketchbook doubled as a journal for him, and this was one of those times he needed to write and draw out his feelings.
Arthur couldn’t help but feel great affection for Merlin. Despite their hostility at the beginning, it had turned more affectionate lately. Even though they’d been fighting for weeks, Arthur almost liked having those debates with Merlin because he was the only one who was on the same plane intellectually, and honestly, he finds himself turned on by Merlin's intelligence.
He started off by writing it all out:
It’s an absolutely gorgeous fall day out. The air is crisp and cool, the leaves are slowly turning colors, and I might be falling in love with someone I’m pretty sure hates me. I’m not one to use the term “love” lightly, but after reading some of the texts from my Love, Beauty and Eros class, I can’t help but notice I have similar feelings as being described for Merlin. He just lights up in a beautiful way whenever we’re in that class. You can see the passion and pure and utter delight on his face as we dissect and analyze the texts. He truly is an Ember from Alexandria. I’ve always understood that channel name. Any historian and lover of books and knowledge would get it, I think, but seeing him and interacting with him in that kind of setting is truly an experience to behold. I’m so glad I’ve gotten to experience it. But it doesn’t make things any easier. I don’t know how to break through to him, and get him to see that we aren’t so different.
Arthur glanced up from his writing and noticed that Merlin was in the garden too. Feeling secure in his location, he picked up his sketchbook and started to sketch him. The sunlight illuminated him to make him look ethereal - making his dark hair look vibrant and his cheekbones sharper. He was dressed in a black sweater vest with a white Oxford shirt underneath, and dark dress pants today, a true scholar.
Arthur was just finishing up a rough sketch, when he heard footsteps coming his way. Glancing up, he saw that it was Merlin. He quickly shut his sketchbook, having a heart attack at the thought of Merlin seeing the sketch of him and he blushed lightly, feeling the heat rise up his neck, to his face and ears.
“Merlin!” Arthur waved and smiled.
“Hello Arthur. Beautiful day isn’t it?” he replied, standing off to the side of the bench, blocking the sunlight that still managed to illuminate Merlin in the most spectacular way.
“Yes. It really is.” Clearing his throat, he stammered “Wou-would you like to sit for a bit?”
Merlin nodded his head, and gingerly sat down on the bench next to Arthur, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. He took a breath before speaking and said “You know, after nearly a month and a half of being here, I realize I still don’t know much about you, besides you being a historian with a focus in medieval and Renaissance history, you’re good at Italian, and that you have an incredible memory for detail and you’re really intelligent.”
Arthur huffed a laugh and replied “I don’t know much about you either except that you’re a classicist, love reading, enjoy cooking and baking and are absolutely brilliant.”
After a moment, they both looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Merlin, being the first to calm down and catch his breath said, “We’ve both really been clotpoles haven’t we?”
“I don’t know what a clotpole is, but I’ll say we’ve been idiots for sure.” He replied. “I suppose I can go first.” Arthur said “History is of course my passion, but I also love music and football, travel and reading.”
“I also love traveling and reading. I like music too, though you’ll have to elaborate on what you mean by that. And you know classics is my passion, though I also have a love of art as well.” Merlin said that last bit sheepishly and a slight blush was dusting his cheeks.
“Seems like we have more in common than we thought. And by music I mean both listening and playing. I played the piano quite a bit when I was younger, and I still dabble in it from time to time.” Arthur says with a shy smile.
“Seems like we do. And that’s brilliant! I played violin for a short time, but ultimately had to stop after coming to uni. There was just too much else going on that drew my attention, so I don’t play much anymore.”
They continued the conversation until the sun was low, and they had to head home for dinner. It was easy to see how the conversation flowed when they were able to put aside their differences and be cordial to each other.
And if either of them noticed that the other didn’t mention they had a youtube channel, well it didn’t bother them.
****
After they reconciled and decided to stop fighting, things got a lot easier. They began spending a lot more time with each other, and the moods of everyone in the program improved greatly.
One of the places they went was the Uffizi. There was so much art to look at and analyze, and secretly film for when they thought the other wasn’t looking, and with their museum passes, they could get into any museum in Florence without a problem.
The one painting they found themself lingering over the longest was the Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli. They were going to talk about the painting more at length in their classes in a few weeks, but looking at it now, they could see the embodiment of love, beauty and eros in one painting. It was the culmination of many of their classes in one, a connection point.
Arthur knew, in that moment, what he was going to write his term paper on, and what he was going to do his next video on. It was impossible not to after the semester he’d had and the knowledge he’d gained.
Looking at Merlin, it seemed like he agreed. Arthur was beginning to be able to figure out Merlin’s reactions and expressions. It was astonishing how after such a short time, he was able to read someone so well. As well as he could understand his own feelings and emotions, maybe moreso.
After spending a large portion of the day in the Uffizi, they decided to try and catch a bus down to Santa Croce, all the way on the other side of the city. They hoped they would make it before it closed.
Luckily, when they arrived, the church was open for another half an hour, and they were able to spend some time inside. They walked from tomb to tomb, Arthur and Merlin switching off translating the inscriptions in Latin; Merlin being the superior translator, often gently corrected Arthur’s translations, and thankfully it didn’t end in disaster.
They left the church with smiles on their faces, and headed back to the flat for dinner. A successful and lovely day behind them.
****
The following day, Arthur had a few errands to run on his own. First, he took the bus back down near Santa Croce, so he could buy tickets to a concert he’d been dying to go to; Ludovico Einaudi live. It was lucky that the concert was happening while he was still here - during his last week here actually. He wasn’t sure if Merlin would want to go, so he just bought the one ticket, wanting to do this one thing for himself.
Next, he made his way to Dante’s Chapel. He couldn’t shake his feelings for Merlin, so he decided to seek some guidance and help from Beatrice. People went to this chapel primarily to get help with their love life. Of course, Arthur being the Renaissance scholar that he was, knew all about this and read Dante’s Divine Comedy and all of the symbolism and history involved in it. He wondered if Merlin had read it, what with all of the classics and antiquities references in it. He’d have to make a point of asking him later.
For now, he sat down to write his letter.
Dear Beatrice,
Lately, I’ve been finding myself in a romantic quandary. I’ve fallen in love with a man who is so much my equal, and a delightful companion. Our conversations make me burn from his embers and ache from his beauty.
I’m at a loss for what to do. I don’t want to lose the fragile friendship I have with him, but I yearn for more. Even before I came here on this program, I felt drawn to him through his videos. He really embodies his name, and I see it more and more every day.
If you can, help guide me and help me figure out what to do.
Lovingly yours,
Arthur
He tightly folded up the letter, and put it in the offering box. Hopefully she was able to help him figure out what to do.
****
Little did Arthur know, Merlin was suffering the same affliction. He was dealing with it in a slightly different way, since he didn’t know about the obscure Dante Chapel. He’d of course read The Divine Comedy and all of the readings about Dante and Beatrice for his classes, so he knew about their story, but not the chapel with the letters.
Instead, he decided to film a video analyzing certain passages of The Divine Comedy and particularly those dealing with Dante’s feelings for Beatrice.
He pulled out his camera, set up his tripod, and began his analysis, thinking of nothing but Arthur while he was doing it.
As much as Arthur thinks Merlin lives up to his name, Merlin thinks the same of Arthur. Light in the Dark Ages. He really had been a light in the dark for Merlin. Merlin felt like he was Icarus and Arthur was his sun, begging him to fly to him. While he was loving his time here, he felt out of his element at times, lost, and Arthur had been his light. Despite their rocky start, Merlin felt like he was closer to Arthur than most people. They understood each other.
He only hoped he was able to figure out what to do, and how to tell Arthur, looking to Dante and Beatrice for guidance as he often did with the texts he read.
****
A week later, the perfect opportunity presented itself. Their whole class had to go on a trip to Fiesole, and then they got the rest of the day to themselves.
When they arrived, the sun was just starting to rise, heavy fog lined the path to the villa making everything around them look hauntingly beautiful with the rising sun on the unusual trees lining the property.
They had their brief lesson, discussing the architecture and art and landscape, before breaking to do their own thing for the day.
Arthur and Merlin lagged behind, deciding to take some pictures and walk around the gorgeous property. They came to an area that overlooked Florence and Tuscany, and Arthur finally got the courage he needed.
“Merlin. Wait just a second. I want to talk to you about something.”
Merlin paused, cocked his head and furrowed his brows in confusion.
Arthur looked sheepish for a second before steeling himself and continuing, “The landscape is beautiful here isn’t it?
Merlin didn’t think Arthur really wanted to talk about the landscape, but went with it because he’d never seen Arthur like this before, “Yeah. It’s absolutely stunning.”
Arthur nodded, “I particularly love how the country and the rolling hills blend in with the city. It creates a meeting of things that are slightly different, but have similarities, that join together harmoniously.”
Merlin was at a loss for words for once, feeling a lump form in his throat. Clearing his throat gently, he replied, “Yes I can see what you mean. You know, I never properly apologized for how we first started out, and saying all of the things I said to you that day. You’re right. Classicists and historians can get along and have quite a bit in common. You-”
Merlin was cut off when Arthur gently placed his hand on his cheek and the other on his upper back, smiling fondly at him. “Merlin, I forgave you for that a long time ago. What I would not be able to forgive is myself if I don’t say this to you.” He paused briefly, letting his eyes flutter closed until he felt Merlin’s fingers brush his cheek tenderly.
“Merlin Emrys, I’m so in love with you it makes me burn and ache inside. You are my equal in so many ways, and I can’t go another minute without telling you. Seeing the countryside and city merge into one, made this feel like the best place to tell you because I believe classics and history can merge into one too. One isn’t better than the other, they complement and strengthen the other.”
Merlin felt a tear slide down his cheek and replied, “Arthur, I’m in love with you too, and I didn’t know how to tell you. I feel the exact same way. Now if you don’t kiss me I’m -”
After hearing that Merlin returned his feelings, he closed the gap between them; first tenderly pressing their lips together, and then firmer kisses with such love pouring into each it threatened to set them both on fire. They both felt the remaining tension between them dissipate and the pressing of their bodies together symbolized the full joining of old and reborn, city and country. This was the perfect place to bridge the gap, as it seemed like the country and city were calling to their similar but different souls.
It didn’t matter that they both had channels the other didn’t think they knew about, but in that moment they couldn’t help but think of each other by the descriptors in their head; Arthur light, and Merlin ember.
When they broke apart, hands still on their cheeks and upper backs, they smiled at one another, love shining through their eyes light and ember alike, and they turned and looked out over the county-cityscape at the almost fully risen sun, framing the divide between them, symbolising the joining of the two; Merlin country, and Arthur city, ready to embark on this new journey together.
****
In the weeks that followed, Merlin and Arthur took their time adjusting to their new relationship status, choosing to go on dates and get to know each other more before taking things further.
One of their favorite dates was going to the Palazzo Vecchio and seeing Dante’s death mask, along with spending time in the Hall of the Five Hundred.
Arthur took the time to explain to Merlin the great rivalry between Leonardo and Michelangelo to create the best fresco in the hall within the timeframe they were given, and how neither of them completed their fresco. Leonardo because he was a master procrastinator who liked to experiment with materials and styles, and Michelangelo because he was called to Rome to start work on the Sistine Chapel.
“And another reason they allegedly hated each other was for their sexuality and their stances on it. Da Vinci embraced his sexuality, whereas Michelangelo shied away from it. They were both absolute geniuses with very different perspectives on the world, that ultimately cost them a great potential friendship. Sound like anyone else you know?” Arthur asked teasingly.
Merlin laughed and shoved Arthur affectionately, “Prat.” When he stopped laughing he added seriously, “But you’re right, they do sound a bit like us, minus the romance aspect.”
They linked hands, smiling at each other and continued making their way around the room, awestruck by the styles Michelangelo and Leonardo created. Leonardo chose to focus on the horses bodies, rather than the humans. Whereas Michelangelo did the opposite, focusing more on the humans than the horses. The similarities of them both being battle scenes, and differences in the subjects each artist chose to focus on are part of what is awe inspiring about the room.
They made their way through the palace, and continued until they found the way up to the tower, once again overlooking Florence, through a hard-to-see wall.
Once they left the Palazzo Vecchio, Merlin wanted them to go to an absolutely adorable little cafe he found on that side of the river called Le Citte. It was a cafe that doubled as a library, and since they both loved books, it seemed like the perfect place to go for a quiet afternoon.
Arthur ordered their drinks, while Merlin went to browse the books. When Merlin found what he was looking for, he sat down at the table with a triumphant smile on his face and showed Arthur the title, The Divine Comedy by Dante Aligheri. Arthur’s features softened into an affectionate smile, cocking his head to the side.
Shortly after their confession at Fiesole, Merlin had told Arthur about the time he spent agonizing over the text of that book in order to tell him how he felt. Arthur laughed so hard he almost fell out of his chair, and quickly explained his excursion to Dante’s Chapel and the letter to Beatrice. Great minds really did think alike.
They sat at their table, drinking and reading their favorite passages from Dante’s famed work, until the sun was starting to set.
Arthur and Merlin left the shop, and started making their way to the bus stop, before Arthur said “No. Let’s keep walking. There’s something I always wanted to do with you.”
Merlin gestured for Arthur to lead the way, and then Arthur led them to one of the bridges crossing the Arno.
Arthur took Merlin’s hand, “Remember that day we ran into each other in the Boboli?”
Merlin shook his head in assent.
“Well, before I got there, I was walking over this bridge, thinking about how much I’d love to spend time here with you, looking out at the rippling water and thinking about everything that’s happened on this bridge; lots of death from the Plague to hangings and battles. It’s just somewhere I’ve always felt peace and as it’s a bridge, it’s once again symbolism for us and bringing things together.”
Merlin tucked his head down slightly and kissed Arthur soundly, thinking that was a lovely thing to say.
Arthur smiled, encouraged, “And since it’s sunset, I thought, why not end this day on a high note?”
And that’s what they did, talking about all of the writings and history surrounding this magnificent river, watching the sun’s rays cause the water to shimmer and the sky turn vibrant colors of pink and purple and orange, until it sank below the water, the two spectators witnessing a spectacular scene of beauty.
****
The following week, their entire group went to Rome, and now it was Merlin’s time to shine. Starting at the Forum and Colosseum and Capitoline Hill, Merlin was the one doing all of the talking for a change, telling everyone about the myths and history, and translating the Latin inscriptions scattered all over the city.
Arthur was happy to stand back and listen, despite knowing everything Merlin was already saying. He loved seeing Merlin in his element, and have a chance to shine bright for everyone to see.
The following day, they all went to the Vatican. It was an absolutely exhausting day, but absolutely worth every second. Merlin was in awe of all of the ancient artifacts and relics the Vatican museums had, and Arthur was in awe of Michelangelo and Raphael’s works.
The work that gave both Merlin and Arthur pause, however, was the magnificent School of Athens fresco done by Raphael. It embodied everything the two of them stood for. A bridging of classics and a rebirth of those classics in the Renaissance. Merlin and Arthur. Once again seeing that symbolism like they did in Fiesole, and the Arno and Palazzo Vecchio, and now here in Rome, of all places, it really was quite something to behold.
Raphael depicted many famous artists, writers and sculptors during the time of the Renaissance in his portrayal of the classical spirit of bringing back the ancient teachings in subjects like philosophy, theology and literature.
Arthur couldn’t take Merlin’s hand in that moment, so he did what he could by subtly brushing his hand against his. They both took a photo of it, and secretly filmed it when the other wasn’t looking. Arthur and Merlin both knowing what their next video topic would cover.
****
On their last day in Rome, they all went to the Borghese Gallery, a museum Merlin had been aching to go to since he first arrived in Italy.
One of Merlin’s favorite sculptors was Bernini, and several of his most famous works were in there; Apollo and Daphne, Pluto and Persephone and his depiction of David. They were only allotted two hours in the museum, but they were all going to see what they could before having to leave to head back to Florence.
When they all saw the Apollo and Daphne for the first time, many of them had tears in their eyes. The professors did too, despite them seeing it many times in their life.
Professor Nimueh asks Merlin to tell the story, since she knew his background well despite never having him in her class.
The statue was based on Ovid’s Metamorphoses and depicts the story of Apollo chasing Daphne who wants to rape her. The gods, seeing her distress, change her into a gorgeous Laurel tree in order to escape his lust. Bernini shows her mid-transformation and the leaves are so razor thin that the slightest touch would break them.
No one fully understood how Bernini got the leaves that thin without breaking them, but it was a masterpiece and one that they’ll all remember for the rest of their lives. It was tragic that they were not allowed cameras or bags of any kind in the museum, but understandable nonetheless.
It was the same with the Pluto and Persephone statue. The emotions caved into the marble were so raw and incredible. You could see Pluto’s hand imprinting on Persephone’s body. It truly was one of the most incredible pieces of artwork.
Arthur was starting to understand what Merlin meant when he said coming to Rome would be a huge highlight for him. Seeing all of this classical artwork, as well as art from the Renaissance, really brought everything together in a way Florence didn’t.
After leaving the museum, they were all allowed to go back to Rome’s center to go to the Trevi Fountain, an absolute must when visiting Rome. Always packed, no matter what time of day, they managed to squeeze their way up to the front near the fountain and take their three coins, and make three wishes, one of which had to be to be able to return to Rome one day.
Both Merlin and Arthur made their three wishes, not revealing them of course, since they wanted them to come true.
Once everyone had a chance to make their wishes, they all hurried back to the bus, and back to Florence.
****
As the term was nearing its end, Merlin and Arthur barely had time to do more than eat a quick meal together before having to get back to their end of term projects.
The project Arthur was focusing on the most was his art portfolio. They had to include several of their in-class works like their self-portraits, but they could also include several of their out-of-class assignments, like when they had to draw specific landscapes or people they saw around the city or on their travels.
A lot of Arthur’s portfolio was going to encompass much of his and Merlin’s relationship over the course of the term - sketches from the Boboli Gardens and Fiesole, to Merlin himself and the Palazzo Vecchio. He couldn’t wait for Merlin to see it and hopefully he wouldn’t be too upset Arthur hadn’t consulted with him beforehand.
****
Merlin left the flat dressed in his dark dress pants, Oxford shirt, and sweater vest, over which he wore his grey peacoat and earmuffs due to the colder weather. It was almost time to go to the art gallery and see all of their student’s work from the semester. And Merlin couldn’t wait to see Arthur’s.
He’d caught him several times sneakily trying to sketch him, but he’d never seen any of those sketches, not even the one he suspected Arthur of doing on that day in the Boboli Gardens.
He once again caught the bus, not wanting to take the long, nearly hour walk to the studio and arrived twenty minutes later.
He hadn’t been to the studio since the second week of being in Florence. Since he wasn’t taking the class, he had no reason to go.
He made his way up the stairs and into the gallery, glancing around at all of the lovely artwork everyone had created that term.
Landing on what he thought was Arthur’s display, he lingered and studied each drawing carefully. Arthur’s self-portrait was lovely, he really drew out all of the details on his face and cast himself in a gorgeous light. He landed on the landscape of Fiesole and his breath caught. The detail of the countryside and contrasting it with the cityscape was spectacular. He moved on to the small pond from the Boboli and smiled when he recognized the pair of ducks there from the day he ran into Arthur all of those months ago. Finally he looked at the sketch he’d done of Merlin. He looked almost ethereal and he’d never thought of himself that way. Merlin could see the joy radiating from his eyes, the way his clothes hugged his frame, and the sun illuminating him. He had to look away for fear of becoming a puddle on the floor. He’d never seen himself depicted that way, and he could see the love Arthur poured into that drawing.
Composing himself a bit, he turned around and caught Arthur’s eye across the room, eyes shining with unshed tears, knowing he caught Merlin’s reaction a few moments ago. Slowly making his way around the rest of the room dazedly, glancing at the other works of the other students, but not really taking them in, he ultimately made his way to Arthur. Taking in a shaky breath, he ultimately launched himself at Arthur, giving him a big hug and saying “Your drawings are absolutely incredible. I love you so much, thank you.”
Arthur pulled back, tears of joy still standing in his eyes, but also gratitude for allowing him to love him that way. Arthur nodded and gestured for him to keep looking at the other works. Merlin did, and later at the reception, they sat together secreted away in a corner, the rest of the world falling away.
****
The day before they left for home, they decided to go out to the Christmas shops around the city. Arthur only had a limited amount of time in the day, before he had to head back to the flat to get ready for the Ludovico Einaudi concert later that day.
As they were walking from market to market trying different foods and buying lovely handmade gifts, Arthur heard a shout, and tried to move out of the way, before he had an excited young girl in front of him, about twenty years old. “Are you Arthur from the channel Light in the Dark Ages?”
Arthur’s eyes went wide with panic, before softening them and replying, “Yes. I am.”
“Oh my god!” The girl continued to scream, “I absolutely love your channel! It’s helped me out so much, particularly this semester!”
Arthur smiled tightly, “Well, thank you, I’m glad I could be of help.”
“I’m so sorry for disturbing you from your - WAIT! Is that Merlin from Embers from Alexandria? Do you two know each other?” The girl continued to squeal.
Merlin and Arthur sheepishly looked at each other and Arthur said, “Yes. We’ve been on the same program this semester, and we’re out doing some last minute Christmas shopping before leaving tomorrow.”
“Oh! Wow! That’s so cool! Well I’m sorry for disturbing you both, and I hope you have a lovely rest of your time!”. Then she ran off, presumably to catch up with her friends.
Arthur heard Merlin sigh next to him, and said “So...I think we should talk about all of that. Now you know, I have a youtube channel, and apparently you do too.”
Arthur grit his teeth and nodded tersely, “Yes we both have channels, but I’ll be honest with you, I’ve known about yours for a long time. I’ve followed you for ages, like before this trip ages.”
Merlin’s eyes were blown wide, “No! I’ve been following you for ages! Do you mean to tell me, we both came on this trip, knowing of the other’s online content creator status by chance?”
“Seems that way to me. Is that the same for you?” Arthur asked knowingly.
Merlin sighed exasperatedly, “Ok fine, I wasn’t fully honest when I first told you why I came here. A lot of it did have to do with what I said, but another part of it had to do with you. I didn’t know much about the Renaissance before coming, at least in terms of art and architecture and things, and I wanted to learn more, so I could try to have more intellectual conversations with you.”
Arthur laughed at that and said, “Merlin. You’re absolutely brilliant. We found plenty of things to talk about besides this. It’s not the only thing I love, which now I’m sure you know. And you seemed to pick it up quickly, unless… Wait. You probably learned so many of the things we talked about early on from me, didn’t you?”
Merlin blushes and purses his lips, too embarrassed to admit it, but slowly glances up at Arthur.
“Oh my god, you did!” Arthur exclaimed, “You absolute dollophead. I’d been crushing on you for ages before we came here, it wouldn't have mattered what we talked about, but then you opened your mouth and disparaged my love and passion and I felt like I had to win you back. Clearly we’re both idiots.”
Merlin chuckled at that, and agreed, then he gently kissed Arthur, showing how glad he was they met regardless.
“Come on” he said, “Let’s get you ready for your concert.”
Arthur hooked his arm through Merlin’s, and they made their way back towards the flat.
****
Arthur left the flat shortly after finishing a quick dinner.
He passed the blue Christmas tree and the Nativity scene near the Duomo and continued walking the cobbled streets past Santa Maria Novella and down the narrow street straight ahead that led to the river. While he normally crossed the river, this time he turned before the bridge and walked along the water until he came to the brightly lit “Teatro Communale”. He checked his watch and saw that he had plenty of time before the concert started at 21:00, but he went in regardless, too excited to wait.
When he entered the lobby he saw that there was no ticket taker and entered the theater and looked at his ticket, despite the fact that he had every single fact on it memorized, to see what his seat number was. Upon glancing back down at the ticket and seeing that his seat was in fact A 16, walked straight down the red carpet leading to the front and center and found his seat almost immediately.
Seeing that he still had a half hour before the concert started he decided to get a good look at the theater. Everything from the seats to the carpet were all red, which of course was the color of Florence. There were three floors of seats, and the stage, which was made of a light wood, spanned the whole width of the theater which had a piano at the far left. Einaudi’s “In a Time Lapse” was playing on the speaker above on repeat as that was the album that was just released and would be the main focus of the concert.
Slowly, people started to trickle into the theater, along with, to Arthur’s surprise, Merlin.
“Merlin! What are you doing here?” Arthur asked incredulously.
“When I heard you got a ticket, I had to come too. Einaudi’s one of my favorites, and the fact that he’s playing in Florence, on our last night here, seems too much like fate, you know? So, I went to the ticket shop, shortly after you, and managed to snag a ticket close enough to yours, since I knew where you were sitting. Surprise.” He added with a cheeky smile.
Arthur couldn’t believe it, but got up and hugged him, telling him to sit and enjoy and they’d talk more after, and soon enough the lights were dimming and the concert starting.
Einaudi came out with his entire string orchestra and percussionists and they began to play.
Both Arthur and Merlin immersed themselves into the music for the next two hours, occasionally glancing at each other when one of their favorites was being played.
After the concert ended, they left and walked into the crisp evening, enjoying each other’s company and their last night in the city that brought them together.
****
Two Years Later
Merlin and Arthur were once again back in Florence and spent the day visiting all of their favorite places; the Uffizi, Arno, Palazzo Vecchio and spent time just taking the city in. Finally, they decided to go into the Boboli Gardens, the place where they made that truce all those years ago and started a relationship that changed both of their lives.
Merlin, unbeknownst to Arthur, had plans, and one he wished to execute. Leading Arthur up to the pond where they saw those adorable ducks, they sat down on the stone benches and just took in the nature around them.
Merlin turned to Arthur suddenly, “Arthur, I love you.”
Arthur smiled, his heart never failing to skip a beat at those words. “And I love you.”
Merlin smiled back, “You know, I was a bit of a cynic back when I first met you, thinking my specific area of study was superior to all else. You helped me understand that it’s not. You opened my eyes and were a light in my darkness. You are the light of my life, Arthur. Would you do the honor of marrying me?”
Arthur sat on the bench, mouth slightly ajar, and blinked back tears before responding with a crack in his voice “Of course I will, you idiot!” He chuckled, “I was actually planning on doing the same thing” he said and pulled out a ring of his own, “I was just planning on doing it back at Fiesole, but you beat me to it. I couldn’t be happier though. I may be the light of your life, but you light up like an ember and guide my shining light to you. Ever since I met you, and even before, I was drawn to you, and now I know why. Your passion and love is so large, so much bigger than yourself, that it can’t be contained. I love you so much Merlin.”
They each placed the rings on each other’s fingers and kissed each other, bridging the gap between light and ember once again, yearning for the day they could be joined fully as one; like the cityscape and countryside, antiquity and Renaissance and two sides of a city. They couldn’t wait to add themselves to that long list of bridges connecting two similar, but different things, for all of eternity.