gilli_annTitle: Morii
Rating: G
Pairing/s: Arthur/Merlin
Character/s: Arthur, Merlin
Summary: The perfect moments may be simple and brief
Warnings: None
Word Count: 250
Prompt:: 408 - random tag on AO3 - 'Dictionary of obscure sorrows'
Author's Notes: I found this tag so intriguing, I had to look into it. 'Morii' is one of the words in the dictionary, meaning 'the desire to capture a fleeting experience'.
There were so many moments that Merlin longed to capture and hold, so that he could revisit them later. He wished he could keep them pristine and pure, complete with emotions, sights, sounds, and smells. Like objects trapped in amber, memories would then be perfectly preserved.
There were many such moments. There were the grand and important ones, like Arthur's coronation. There were the more private and intimate ones— the meals he served Arthur in his chambers, or their rides together through the countryside. It would be difficult to choose just one.
"Merlin!"
Confused, Merlin looked up from his reverie, suddenly brought back to reality by Arthur's voice. The king looked at him in the campfire's light and raised a quizzical brow.
"What?" Merlin asked, befuddled.
"Sleeping with your eyes open as usual, are you?" Arthur was in a good mood. He grinned and punched Merlin's shoulder lightly. "You didn't hear a word!"
Merlin frowned. "Yes! I mean, no! Ehm...."
Arthur threw his head back and laughed.
This, Merlin realized, this was it. The firelight, Arthur's carefree joy, his handsome and happy face, their easy connection, his own heart swelling with love — yes, this was the moment.
With Arthur's face imprinted across his vision and on his soul, a sight as profound as it was brief, Merlin closed his eyes. He whispered the spell.
'Morii'.
The passing moment had already come and gone, but the fleeting experience had just been captured forever in Merlin's mind. It would never fade.