So I originally saw this idea in a Tumblr post by wearealsoboats who came up with some adorable domestic scenes to imagine your OTP inand since I haven't written anything Merthur related in what feels like forever I decided to do this because adorable. It's garbage and really short but I feel better now that I've got these two idiots back in my life so…yeah.
Sunday morning coming down
By the time Arthur gets home, Merlin is already on his third glass of wine this afternoon.
Normally, despite the fact that it's barely four o'clock, Arthur wouldn't consider this to be a bad idea except for the fact that his boyfriend is a terrible lightweight and is more than likely already a little tipsy despite the fact that it's still early on a Sunday afternoon.
When he'd left that morning to finish a few things in the office before his upcoming vacation (the one Merlin is forcing onto him) Arthur was sure that Merlin had still been asleep in bed, dozing quietly after they'd taken it upon themselves to replace breakfast with a round morning sex (or multiple rounds…) and if Merlin's seemingly concrete habits were anything to go by then Arthur was almost positive that his husband would still be asleep by the time he got home.
Of course that's definitely not what's happening right now.
No, instead of a sleepy Merlin who likes to reach out and grab Arthur before he's even had a chance to undress and pull him into bed, he's greeted with an obviously already tipsy Merlin who lurches forward the second he sees Arthur and latches on with shaky arms.
Arthur lets out a surprised breath as he lets Merlin lean into him, smelling like wine and faint aftershave, hair still damp and curling around his ears which tells Arthur he's recently showered and his chest gives this little squeeze that makes him feel like a lovesick school girl because Merlin.
"Drinking this early in the day already? If you keep on like this you're going to turn out like my father," Arthur says with a laugh, feeling his smile widen when Merlin lets out an offended gasp before taking another swig of his drink, as if he's just forgotten what Arthur's said.
"I was bored," Merlin finally slurs, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his jumper, "waiting for you can take so long and this wine has been sitting on the counter since Morgana gave it to us at Christmas so I thought why not?"
He breaks off with a soft giggle and buries his face in the crook of Arthur's neck again, warm and buzzing with alcohol induced energy and Arthur is almost certain that this is one of those moments that he lives for because even when stress is threatening to break him and his father is breathing down his neck about one thing or another Merlin is always there, smiling and happy and so in tune with the simplicity of life that Arthur sometimes has to wonder how the two of them managed to find each other.
"You know what sounds like fun," Merlin whispers suddenly, pulling Arthur from his thoughts as his eyes grow comically wide, "dancing."
And suddenly Merlin is pulling away, teetering towards the counter on unsteady legs where the little radio he listens to in the morning sits tucked next to the toaster, turning it on with the flip of a switch before the soft sound of a song Arthur is only vaguely familiar with begins to filter into the room.
Merlin, however, can't seem to care less if he knows the song or not because in a series of slurred movements he manages to down the rest of the wine still in his glass before moving back across the floor to Arthur and pulling him to middle of the kitchen, barely managing not to pull them both down to the floor as he stumbles. It takes a moment for them to get completely comfortable but after a moment they settle into each other and then they're swaying gently back and forth in a horrid but endearing attempt at dancing.
And then, with the warmth of the sun streaming through the kitchen window and the rhythmic sound of Merlin's breathing, Arthur almost forgets where he is. It's like time seems to slow a bit, wrapping him in the comfort of simply being, and before he knows it the song is over and the next one begins flowing from the speakers and this time Arthur laughs, because it's one of those cheesy love songs they like to make fun of but Merlin is too far gone to realize so instead they just keep dancing.
It goes on like this for nearly an hour, until Merlin gets so tired that Arthur is practically holding him up in the middle of the kitchen, grumbling about how a man this skinny couldn't possibly be this heavy, and they end up in the bedroom where Merlin instantly curls into the blankets with a happy sigh the moment he hits the bed.
"What am I going to do with you?" Arthur asks with a laugh, shimmying out of his trousers before unbuttoning his shirt and climbing carefully into bed beside Merlin.
His only answer is a barely discernible hmph as Merlin rolls over and snuggles into his side, evoking a soft laugh from Arthur as he leans in to press a kiss to Merlin's hair, wishing he could live in this moment forever and bury himself in the warmth of Merlin and his love.
But, he supposes he could settle for many more Sundays just like this one instead.