CHAPTER 1 : OIL OF CAMPHOR

The last of the season's leaves ripped from the branches, were falling over Camelot as Merlin lowered himself onto the bed until he was lying on his right side. He sighed; he'd been waiting for this since midmorning. Arthur was still moving around in the bedchamber but he'd told Merlin to go to bed without him. He could hear him; he closed his eyes. It had been the first time that he'd had a moment to himself all day. He felt weight on the bed and warm hands on him.

"Arthur, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to massage your shoulder!"

"You haven't got a clue about massaging. I'd prefer to have Gaius do it as he'll at least accomplish something. You'll just be messing and I'll end up having to change the sheets and clean up after you. Anyway, I warmed that oil for my shoulder not your hands."

Arthur smiled to himself and continued to rub ineffectually at Merlin's left shoulder. "I won't hurt you! Have I ever hurt you?" Leaning over he kissed the offending injury. "Did no one ever tell you that stairs are dangerous when wet? Merlin, you really need to take better care of yourself."

"It'll be fine in a few days, Gaius called it a minor sprain."

"...and bruising, some areas are blue." Merlin tried to wriggle away but Arthur had his other hand on the bed in front of him. He was held captive. "You can sleep on my side of the bed so that I can still see you when you're sleeping on you right side."

"No, I'm sleeping alone tonight."

"Why?"

"Because I'm injured"

"That never stopped you sharing before." Arthur again kissed his shoulder.

"A suggestion, Arthur, stop kissing me; the oil will numb your lips. You will be useless even if I sleep with you. Gaius mixed camphor and cloves in the oil for me."

Arthur pulled back and realised that his lips were beginning to tingle. "Kiss me, Merlin, then we'll..." He lifted his fingers to feel his lips.

Merlin grabbed his hand, "Don't! You'll make it worse. Let me get some cloths and clean you off." He winced as he lifted himself into position to swing his legs off the bed. Gaius had given him another mixture which he could use to alleviate the sensation of the camphor if he found it uncomfortable. He handed Arthur a larger piece of linen and told him to get as much oil off his hands as possible

Arthur had licked his lips, scrunching up his face before shaking his head. Merlin said over his shoulder, "Now go and wash your hands thoroughly, use soap and a clean cloth and don't touch your face again, then sit near the window, the cool air will help."

Arthur ever obedient did as he was told. His lips were beginning to burn slightly. He put his forehead against the glass it was cold and then let his lips touch the glass as well.

Merlin came back with some pieces of linen, a small bowl of water and a covered clay pot. His hands were wet and he shook them to get rid of the water droplets. "Arthur, stop kissing the window, anyone in the courtyard will wonder what you are doing." Arthur turned and looked sorrowful and Merlin had to smile.

"I don't think you realise how sore my lips are," Arthur moaned.

"Well, don't touch anything...!" Merlin put one of the smaller cloth into the warm water and soaked it. He grabbed Arthur's chin and wiped his face where he could see the oil glistening. Throwing the rag on the table, he took a second one and did the same. "How does that feel?"

"Strange, do my lips look huge because they feel it?"

"No, you look surprisingly normal..."

"Well, I don't feel it. It's your fault as you didn't tell me not to get in on my lips!"

"How was I to know that you were going to kiss away my pain? I'd already rubbed some oil on and was going to just leave it."

"Well, you're no cat and you were twisting yourself like a contortionist so I decided to help...you could say thank you and when I was little, if I fell and hurt myself Gaius used to say, 'Come here, let me kiss it better!' Anyway, you are not adverse to kisses are you?"

Merlin smiled and leant over to kiss Arthur's brow. "Your lips will be out of commission for at least four hours. Shame really, as I was just thinking what kissable lips you have..."

Arthur grinned, "But I have other kissable parts..."

"I don't intend to risk it as I don't know where else you touched yourself. How about your ears?"

"I don't think so. Can't you just smell them to see if they are all right?"

"Arthur, I'm covered in the stuff as well, smelling you would make no sense." He looked at him as he sat forlornly at the window every now and then smacking his lips together. "Let me wash my hands again and then I'll put on some of the soothing agent. It won't cure it but it should relieve the burning if not the loss of feeling."

Arthur was actually a good patient not that he could be anything else when Merlin started kissing up his neck to his ears. He knew Merlin had a method in this madness and Arthur in no time was like putty in his hands. He almost jumped out of his skin when Merlin after whisperings sweet nothings in his ear, suddenly licked the shell and nibbled the rim. He pushed against him making Merlin laugh.

"You're so easy, Arthur!"

Arthur smiled, "Only for you!" However, the hardest thing was not grabbing Merlin to claim his lips.

Merlin smiled to himself and remembered his mam saying, 'Don't run on wet stairs and...some people learn better by experience.' Arthur and he were like peas in pod, they complemented each other. He shivered...

"Merlin, put on your dressing robe as you're cold. Let's sit by the fire," he smiled, "...and I'll bring my ears with me."

"How are your lips feeling? Do you feel up to joining the others for supper? Do you think you could eat? I could tie a linen cloth around your neck in case you dribble."

Arthur looked at him shocked, "Are you serious, I'm going to dribble?" He walked to the table and took his goblet and added a splash of wine. He raised it to his lips and realised he had less control than normal he managed to swallow most of it but a three or four drips ran down his chin and he grabbed for one of the damp cloths on the table.

Merlin's hand stilled his as he said, "Don't touch them, they have oil on them." He removed the goblet he'd used and threw Arthur another clean cloth and bundled the others into the flames where they momentarily burst into a bright green flame. Arthur was impressed.

Supper was a quiet affair with just the two of them. Arthur after little success passed on the soup but managed to eat the rest of the meal without too much trouble.

"How long, Merlin?"

"How long what?"

"Until my lips will return to normal?"

"I promise that when you wake up in the morning, it will only be a memory."

-0-0-

The following morning, Merlin sat in front of the fire in the physician's chamber with one elbow on the table and his head in his right hand. Gaius was working on his shoulder. He had told him of yesterday afternoon's episode with Arthur and his camphor lips.

"Maybe it would be better if I kept all medications down here as you obviously weren't watching him."

"I didn't know that he was going to try to give me a massage and then he must have touched his lips and disaster."

Merlin decided that he would save Arthur the embarrassment of mentioning the kiss.

"Is he all right now? Should I check on him?"

"No, he's fine but he learnt his lesson of playing with massage oils. He wants to know if you'd like to join us for supper."

"One night and two invitations…I've agreed to dine with Geoffrey and one of his old friends who is visiting Camelot. Make my apologies to Arthur and maybe suggest another night."

"You'll be sorry," said Merlin, "As we're having braised rabbit with turnip." Gaius's eyes brightened so Merlin added, "I'll bring you any that is left over. Trevor and Henry went hunting and snared a couple of rabbits and he gave them to us as a gift. We sort of have to eat them as he's still a little tentative on foot in the woods after that first rabbit hunting episode and being surprised by the boar. Arthur made a great fuss over them. He'd prefer venison or boar but I'm happy with rabbit…I was raised on it."

Gaius finished the massage and put a piece of fleece over Merlin's shoulder. That will give you added warmth. Let me know how it goes and take it easy. Don't let Arthur run you ragged." He smiled as he added, "I could give you a doctor's note."

Merlin grinned having a flash of his waving the note in Arthur's face when he had any bright ideas of what they might get up to. "Sorry, Gaius, don't think it would work but you never know, keep it in mind as it might be useful one day. Have a nice supper with Geoffrey."

Making his way up the stairs to the royal corridor, Merlin kept flexing his shoulder. It certainly felt a lot better than two days ago when he'd hit it on the edge of the steps. He nodded at the guards at the top of the stairs and made his way along the corridor. He remembered how Uther always had guards right outside his door but Arthur had opted for more privacy removing the guards and relocating them at the top of the stairs.

Arthur was out with the knights on a mission and wouldn't be back until later on. Merlin knew that Thomas would have everything in hand so he wandered over to Uther's apartments to see how the renovations were progressing. Arthur and he had studied the work plans and were satisfied that with a little tweaking, they could make the place like home.

To keep down the dust, a huge curtain had been hung across the corridor and another one across the antechamber door. Workmen were everywhere and they nodded pleasantly at him. He was in their eyes the trusted manservant of the king and he was a pleasure to deal with as he had a friendly outgoing manner and seemed agreeable to most things.

Uther's quarters were spacious and included the separate quarters for a consort. The antechamber had three chambers off it as well as a door leading to an interior hallway and the king's private chambers. Merlin remembered standing in the antechamber and watching Arthur walk the length of that hallway to reach his father's room where he was laid out. There was an adjoining door which opened to three chambers for the queen which was also accessed by a servants' staircase from the floor below.

He remembered how Arthur had said on one of their earlier visits, "If either of us decide to have affairs, we can shove the visiting party into the queen's quarters so they can escape unnoticed and we can keep our secret."

"That's an awful thing to say. I would never cheat on you, I'm sorry if you don't feel the same way."

He felt arms wrap around him and pull him into a strong chest as Arthur said, "Merlin, for heaven's sake, it was supposed to be a joke but I guess it wasn't very funny. You're all I want or need. Sorry…am I forgiven?"

"That depends, I will have to compare you to my current paramour and see who scores the highest?"

Arthur's jaw dropped, Merlin had a paramour. Then it dawned on him that he was being teased and he said grinning, "Bring him on, as I presume he is a he."

Merlin laughed and grabbed Arthur, "You are sufficient to my needs and a handful to boot." He allowed Arthur to kiss him and managed to manoeuvre him over to the windowsill for lack of anywhere else to sit. "One day, we'll have this whole area to ourselves, we can even have Treva stay over in one of the extra bedchambers."

"I think, maybe that I prefer to keep you all to myself…we wouldn't want Treva wandering in unannounced now, would we? Anyway, it would curb your style as you could no longer wander around in the buff, don't want to give the poor boy nightmares." Arthur couldn't add anything more as Merlin had taken a sudden desire to kiss him. They broke apart when they were getting light headed from lack of oxygen. "You know, you are the greatest kisser…"

"Had much experience with other people?" Merlin asked.

"No. not really, I just know that you are the best!"

"Well then, I believe we should add another contest at next year's tournament, Lip to Lip Combat!"

Arthur laughed, "We'd be the only contestants and win the pennant, unless you can think of other knights who are similarly involved."

"No, not really…" He had his suspicions but that was not information which was his to share. "Maybe, it should just be by drawing a name from a hat." He started to laugh, "Can you imagine Gawaine and Leon?"

Suddenly looking serious, Arthur said, "No, but I can see you and Gawaine. He'd do anything for you and if you asked him, he'd enter if you were going to be one of the competitors."

"Gawaine has no interest in me and I certainly have no interest in him beyond being a good friend."

"Not even a little bit?"

"No…! Arthur, what do you take me for? He's just a hugger and he has never stepped out of line with me. Anyway, I wouldn't be competing as it would only by for knights."

"Mark my words, Merlin, Gawaine is attracted to you. He'd die for you if the situation arose."

"As he would for you…"

"He'd have to as I'm his monarch and he swore allegiance to me."

"Will I ever get to swear allegiance to you?"

"You already did, the first day that you showed me you were interested in me and I kissed you. Kiss me, Merlin, as I did you that day." Merlin placed a chaste kiss on Arthur's lips and then stood up to leave. "Where are you going?"

"Well, that's what you did! You kissed me and then ran away and I didn't see you until the next morning. I had an awful night, wondering if I was wrong and you were going to have me killed for tempting the crown prince of Camelot."

Arthur stood up, "Come on, we're going back to our chambers, so that you can tempt me to your heart's content and body's desire."

Merlin jumped as Arthur grabbed his shoulders dragging him to the door saying, "Come on!"

Merlin smiled as he looked around the chambers, he wondered how long memories remained as a person grew older. When the two of them were old and grey would they remember? Would he still remember everything? He hoped so.

He nodded at the workmen on their way out and the two of them made their way back to their chambers.

Wandering down the deserted corridor Merlin asked, "What are you going to do with the consort's apartments?"

"Well, I thought that they would be your private chambers. If I felt like it I could come and visit you overnight or not…We'd both have big beds and sleep very comfortable alone."

Merlin turned and said, "Glad you told me that ahead of time as I have no intention of sleeping alone so if you are not interested in my body then maybe I will have to seriously consider finding someone else to keep me company."

"Over my dead body!" said Arthur as he grabbed Merlin by the waist and drew him into their bed chamber.