Happy Labor Day to our American readers, and to the rest, well...happy September 5th! :)

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Title: The Future Soon
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: AU, Romance
Length: Long (~30,000 words)
Warnings: bigotry/prejudice, unethical employment practices

Author on LJ: lady_ragnell
Website: Author's Merlin Tag

Summary: Arthur sees a vision of himself and Merlin married and happy, but they can barely stand each other. They both start doing everything they can to avoid it happening.

Review:
This is a wonderfully realized modern AU, and I loved the world lady_ragnell creates. Arthur and Merlin are so freakin' adorable here, and I really enjoyed their epic struggle against their destined love. But it isn't as cracky as the summary makes it seem. Merlin and Arthur's relationship is full of pitfalls and landmines, as Merlin lashes out against Uther's business practices and Arthur's continuing loyalty to the firm. But as they try and prevent their doom of domestic bliss, they find themselves growing closer, and discovering things they didn't even know about themselves. Arthur's inner conflict between his familial loyalty and his own moral compass is beautifully done, and his growth as a person is palpable. This is a lovely, somewhat bittersweet story with some great moments and character insights, and I'd really recommend it to anyone who's a fan of "be careful of what you wish for, because you just might get it."

The Future Soon