*collapses in a heap*

22,174 words later...

(I wrote a fucking novella in a week, you guys)

...the fic that shall henceforth be known as GROUNDHOG GAY (thank you, random commenter) is complete! It has way more dialogue and action and plot than my usual fics and is much less prettily written, but it is done and that is all I care about.

Quickening Days -- Merlin/Arthur -- This, whatever they had, whatever they were creating simply by existing in the same space at the same time, was too important to risk losing.