Warning (or perhaps a promise?) light Merthur

Merlin lay comfortably next to a fire in the middle of the woods, the sounds of clanking and clumsy scrubbing coming from behind him, those sounds caused by none other than King Arthur. How had they gotten into this predicamint? You could blame that on the king's back-stabbing uncle who had lead Morgana and her army straight into Camelot, which had caused Arthur and Merlin to flee for their lives, only to stumble upon smugglers, traveling through the forest. Why was the king doing dishes? Merlin had needed to cast a spell on him so that he would "lose his will" insuring the man would acually flee, the stubborn mule that he was. The spell had worked a little too well and the king did everything he was told, even so, it was atleast entertaining. Merlin stired as the sound of his friend's footsteps approached him. The young king set down the barely cleaned pot and bowls down beside Merlin, wishing to be praised obviously. The sorceror knew Arthur was useless at chores, but this was a bit much. "You've almost made them dirtier." He quipped easily.

Arthur looked from him to the pots, doing that thing where he'd stick out his lower lip in thought. That definitely was not something Merlin was attuned to watching for. "Should I try again? I'm sure I'll do better this time." Arthur reached for the pot as he spoke, but Merlin sat up and waved his hands away.

"No, no, it's no use, just sit down." Merlin sighed as Arthur complied immediately and sat next to him, legs criss-crossed. The king looked around, then into the fire, and then at Merlin, and then back around the dark forest, before Merlin spoke up again.

"Arthur."

"Yes?" He responded immediately, looking back at Merlin.

Merlin looked him up and down, much too aware of Arthur's never ending gaze. "Look over there." He pointed to the left. Arthur followed his finger's line of tragectory.

"Look over here." Merlin gestured to himself and Arthur complied again.

"Look at the tip of your nose." Merlin continued, and watched as his friend went cross-eyed.

He laughed lightly before issuing another order. "Pat your head and rub your stomach." Arthur brought up his arms, still cross-eyed. He tried to do as Merlin said, but was having touble.

"I'm not sure this is physically possible." He confessed light heartedly.

Merlin nodded. "No, I'm sure you can do it, just keep trying." He feigned seriousness as Arthur's expression, though still silly, grew determined as he concentrated.

Once it seemed he was getting the hang of that, Merlin spoke again, having far too much fun ordering around the man who normally did the same to him to stop."Now try to touch your nose with your tongue."

Arthur stuck out his tongue and tilted his head back as if that would help. As his body began to lean back too, Merlin realized if he didn't stop him the king would fall backwards. "Alright!" he laughed, "stop, that's enough." Arthur nodded, a goofy and innocent smile plastered on his face as he stopped the ridiculous acts. He was an open book, and Merlin was almost startled with how different he looked, and yet how he was still the same Arthur.

After a few minutes of contemplation, Merlin spoke up, this time softly, and thoughtfully. "You really will do anything I say won't you?" He was really asking himself, and was surprised greatly by Artuhr's answer.

"Of course I would. I trust you many times more than most. You are my greatest friend Merlin." It seemed serious, and Merlin felt pride and warmth spread through him. The statement was almost ruined by the idiotic grin that spread across the king's face afterwards, as if he thought it was funny. That stupid, entrancing, smile.

Merlin rolled his eyes and began to ready himself for bed, not wanting to linger on the feelings he felt when Arthur smiled so freely. He stopped, however, whan a thought came to him. It was silly, stupid, and vain. Normally he wouldn't dare, but looking at his friend now, he knew there be no harm in it, not atleast tonight. He cleared his throat, getting Arthur's attention. "Arthur...Would you, come closer?" Arthur looked at him a moment, pursing his lips.

"Alright." He scooted closer to Merlin, close enough so that their knees bumped each other. Merlin nodded. He made to put out the fire as Arthur eyed him curiously.

Merlin cleared his throat again, this time from embarrassment. "It will be cold, we should probably move closer, to keep warm." Arthur nodded seriously and soon they were pressed against each other, and Merlin moved Arthur's arm so it was around his waist. He'd wanted to do this for a long time now. It was unbearable being Arthur's servant, having to dress him, but not able to be close, intimate like he'd like to be. They weren't even proper friends yet, there was no way, magic or not, that they would, or could, ever be lovers. It was one of the reasons he pushed Gwen and Arthur's romance so much. If their love was that much more unatainable, then he would be able to give up that much easier; that was what he told himself atleast.

Merlin glanced at the young king and allowed a longer look than normal, carving every inch of Arthur's face into his memory, not that he didn't already have every curve and shadow memorized already. His eyes lingered upon Arthur's lips and he felt his mouth dry up. He allowed one swipe of his tongue over his own lips before whispering almost too softly to hear. "Arthur..."

He must have heard, because the previously wandering eyes turned to him. Merlin swallowed and continued, pausing a moment under those intense eyes. "Arthur, would you, kiss me?" He held his breath, waiting, hoping.

A stone dropped in his gut as Arthur pulled his lips tight into a straight line and pulled back just an inch. "Mmmmm...I don't know Merlin. That's not really important is it?"

Merlin stared into the open eyes of his king, his love, and let it go. It was too late to go back; he'd already said the words, so the damage had been done. "No I supose it isn't, but it would make me happy. " He confessed, tone light, to sound as if he were joking, it would be easier that way. He tried to pull away, and was surprised to find Arthur's grip on him tight around the waist.

Merlin's head whipped back to look at Arthur as the man spoke up again. "Well in that case why not? It's not as if I hadn't thought of doing such a thing many times before." Merlin's heart thrilled, and he willed its beating to steady. He felt as if he were about to burst. Arthur had thought about it before, and not just that, many times before! His breathing sped with his heart rate from the implications and he had to remind himself that this wasn't really Arthur was it? It was an enchanted version of the real thing. Though he was Arthur, he held none of the man's fire, and Merlin calmed, and then felt almost sick by what he had done. In no way was this not a misuse of his gift and he should never treat another human as such, not to mention-

All his thoughts ceased as Arthur's lips met his, and in that moment he didn't care at all, about anything. He reached up and ran his hand through the man's silken hair, golden threads entwined in his fingers and he pulled up, harder and more passionately into the kiss. Arthur responded immediately, tilting Merlin back so that he bent lightly. He slipped a tongue over the sorcerer's lower lip and Merlin gasped at the sensation. Arthur took this chance to intensify the passion of their kiss once more, tongue proding into Merlin's mouth. They kissed feverously, Merlin moving so he sat upon his love's lap to get more comfortable. Sadly, nothing lasts forever, and they were soon apart. Merlin looked into Arthur's eyes, and then examined his expression, looking for any kind of recognition of what they'd done. Surely something so passionate could not have been from pure suggestion alone, there must have been Arthur in there somewhere.

Arthur seemed serious as Merlin sat, stradling him, arms thrown 'round his neck as Arthur's were around his waist. He thought maybe, just maybe, but then the seriousness broke down, leaving only a goofy smile and unfocused eyes. "Well that was fun." The king said easily. Merlin sighed and pulled himself from the blonde without resistance. He stood and frowned.

"You should get some sleep sire, we will need all the rest we can get." Merlin said seriously, all of his jolliness gone as he realized how empty he felt. The king nodded and obeyed and Merlin left him, curled next to the dwindled fire and covered by a thin blanket as he made his way closer to the wagon. He found himself a blanket and sat against a tree, wrapping it about himself. He felt so crushed by how void of meaning that had been, and had trouble falling asleep. Eventually, however, he managed to pass out as he turned his mind to more monotonous thoughts.

The next morning Merlin awoke to kicks to his side and he looked up in annoyance to see Arthur standing above him. "You better have a damn good explanation for this Merlin."

Merlin watched him in confusion, too many thoughts going through his head to answer immediately, some such as, does he remember, does he hate me now, what if he doesn't remember, why so early, ouch geez, don't kick me in the morning jerk, and more.

Arthur wasn't pleased with the slow reaction. "Fine, I'll just carry on kicking you." And that's what he did, until Merlin rose to his feet quickly. Once they were at eye level, he examined Arthur's face for but a moment before speaking a smile on his face.

"You're back." He said happily, for even with his worries he was happy to have the old Arthur, his Arthur, back.

Arthur looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean I'm back, you're talking gibberish." He turned away, but Merlin followed and took hold of Arthur's arm to keep him in place, determined to speak to him.

It didn't seem like Arthur remembered...anything...so he quickly thought of a lie, whispering so the others wouldn't hear "Listen to me please, Camelot, is lost. You were injured in an attack, you passed out. I had to get you out of there." It was almost the truth.

It took a moment for the king to adjust to the news and he somberly asked Merlin where they were. He explained they were heading north, to Ealdor, a safe place, and that the knights would hopefully meet them there. From there he continued to explain their situation and his situation, explaining his clothes and the way he'd need to act. Arthur really didn't remember anything from the night before, and perhaps it was better that way.

Merlin himself tried to forget as the camp woke up around them, but he knew that when he was alone, he would still remember his stolen moment with king Arthur, no matter how brief, no matter how tainted by his loss of will. Arthur had confessed something that Merlin would realize much later meant more than it had seemed to. For that morning however, he busied himself with his King, and thought not of his Arthur.