I Wonder...
Merlin stretched leisurely. "I wonder..." he said sleepily.
Arthur groaned as the sound chased away sleep, burying his head into the pillow. "Please don't wonder, Merlin. I'll never get to sleep."
Merlin flopped onto his back, staring at the ceiling, the red digits on the alarm clock (02.37) the only light in the room. "But really, I was thinking..."
"What have I told you about that?" Arthur said half-heartedly, stifling a yawn. "Just go to sleep, Merlin, it's far too late for philosophical discussions."
Merlin pouted. "But Arthur..." Arthur sighed and turned over, half-raising himself from the bed and looking down with an amused frown on his face. He was more than used to Merlin's antics by now. "What were you thinking about, Mer-lin?"
Merlin smiled lazily up at him, his silky black hair fanning messily across the pillow. "Wellll..." he drawled, lengthening the syllable. Arthur growled and Merlin laughed. "Well I was just thinking about old legends and stuff, because I'm reading a book on myths and their origins right now-" Arthur scoffed and Merlin pinched the delicate skin under his forearm. Arthur yelped and thudded flat onto the bed, giving Merlin a wounded look. Merlin smirked evilly and continued speaking. "-a book on myths and their origins, and I was reading about Arthur Pendragon and the knights of the Round Table."
Arthur groaned. "Not that stupid legend! I hate that legend."
Merlin nodded in agreement. Their relationship, first friendly, then more, had been rife with jokes of that ilk. "Look, Merlin and Arthur! Bow to your king! You gonna do some magic?"
"But I was just thinking," Merlin said, lying down and resting his bony chin on Arthur's chest, "about what life would have been like if we were boring King Arthur and Merlin the awesome amazing sorcerer."
Arthur chuckled. "Well to start with, this wouldn't be happening," he said, gesturing to their entwined bodies. "That Merlin was ancient. And Arthur had Gwen."
Merlin frowned at him. "Just imagine," he said, "that Merlin and Arthur were the same age and Gwen married Lancelot. I've always thought that would be better, anyway. She'd clearly have been happier with him..."
Arthur sighed a put-upon sigh. "Fine. I'm imagining..." He closed his eyes and scrunched his face up in mock-concentration. "Well. I'd be the handsome king that everyone lusted after, and you'd be the idiot manservant that everyone felt sorry for."
"Hey!" said Merlin indignantly. "I wouldn't be a manservant! Merlin was a sorcerer in the legend, the most powerful sorcerer ever!"
Arthur laughed. "Maybe... Maybe you were hiding your magic," he improvised. "Making everyone think you were an idiot when you were actually really smart?"
Merlin sniffed, mollified. "I'd probably save your life so many times," he said.
Arthur scoffed. "Yeah, right," he said, tracing his finger over Merlin's prominent ribs. "You're far too skinny."
Merlin frowned. "I'm strong too though!" he said indignantly. "Remember that time when I-"
"Yes, yes, I remember," coughed Arthur, blushing.
Merlin laughed. "Well if I had magic I would use that to save you. I wonder if I would have told you that I had magic... I mean if you were the king..."
Arthur felt his eyes droop, tiredness overcoming him finally. He lay down, cuddled into Merlin, the soothing sound of Merlin's voice washing over him, and he drifted off to sleep.
