Title: Something Worth Fighting For
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: Historical AU, epistolary, friends to lovers, first time, romance, pining, angst, war
Length: Long (20,921 words)
Warnings: Non-explicit references to off-screen violence

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: TheAvalonian

Author's Summary:
Set during World War II. Arthur is sent to the front lines to fight for Britain, while Merlin is left behind, struggling to cope with the absence of his best friend. Seeking to give Arthur some comfort, Merlin begins to send him pieces of a story, which tells of a legendary King and his devoted manservant.

Through their letters, Arthur and Merlin grow closer, and perhaps begin to discover feelings that they could not put into words before. But will Arthur make it through the war? And what will happen if he does?

Review:
It begins with goodbye -- with Merlin's painful farewell to Arthur, as Arthur departs to serve in His Majesty's Armed Forces. The emotions are readily apparent, and while Arthur and Merlin are "only" friends at this point, the potential for something so much deeper and more intense is quickly revealed.

While not told exclusively through letters, the correspondence between Arthur and Merlin plays a key role in this story. We see the depth of Merlin's emotion expressed through the letters he lovingly crafts for Arthur to give him comfort and succor as he endures the horrors of war. The stories of the King and his Wizard that Merlin creates are my favorite element, and I loved the parallels that were drawn between both the events that Arthur was experiencing as well as Merlin canon.

The highlight, of course, is the emotional reunion between Arthur and Merlin when the war finally ends. After experiencing Merlin's realization of the true nature of his feelings for Arthur and his deep longing to be with him once more, I found myself on the edge of my metaphorical seat as Merlin rushed to see a newly-returned Arthur. The integration of Merlin's story into the revelation of their true feelings for one another was a lovely touch and an excellent way of tying everything together.

At long last, seeing the reunited men consummate their love was the perfect ending. If you love historical AUs, letter writing, and/or pining with a happy resolution, please give this one a try.

Something Worth Fighting For