Title: The History of Two Conversations (On Paper)
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: Canon era, magic reveal, romance, humor, first time, angst
Length: Medium (11,114)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: takadainmate
Author Website: n/a
Author's Summary: Arthur/Merlin. Books are defaced. But it's all for a good cause. Really.

Review:
This was written just after season one ended, so it's got the innocence and optimism of the early days. It centers around hand written notes in Merlin's magic book, and I love that the book itself holds traditional Magic with a capital M ("Ways to curse a thousand generations of sons"), while notes in the margin reveal more down to earth concerns ("Spell for banishing Arthur's hand from my bum" and "You can clean almost anything with it, even though in this book it refers to badgers alone.")

I'm a sucker for magic reveal of all kinds, but I particularly like this one and Merlin's subsequent need to cover for Gaius. The writing moves seamlessly between humor and some angst (in the wake of the reveal and with Merlin injured at one point). Both Merlin and Arthur are terrific here. It's funny, and it feels good, and it's one I reread.

The History of Two Conversations (On Paper)
podfic by such_heights