I love Merlin way too much than I probably should. But then I regret nothing, and I'm okay again. And then I go write some more. And the little drabbles definitely alternate in length, but that's okay!

- Yerrie

The First Time Merlin Fell Asleep.

Merlin tore his jacket off and threw it on the vacant chair he usually ate any of his meals in.

"Gaius?" he called, hoping against hope that he wouldn't be home. Luck was on his side today, because nobody called back. He ran into his room and automatically tore the rest of his messy clothes off and dove into his bed. Twenty minutes later, a knock came at the front door.

"Merlin?" Arthur pushed the door open. "Merlin, I need you to do something for me!"

Merlin continued sleeping, and Arthur made his way into the room. He recognized the doorway to Merlin's room and hopped up the stairs, knocking on the door rapidly.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled at the door, pushing it open and seeing Merlin passed out on the bed.

"Later, then." he murmured, shutting the door behind him and leaving quietly.

The Second Time Merlin Fell Asleep.

Merlin sat in the chair at Arthur's bedside, head nodding as he struggled to keep himself awake. Arthur had had the flu for a week now, and Merlin had been awake for about as long trying to keep him well enough to not complain much.

Now that Arthur was finally asleep, and seeming to be staying that way, Merlin took it as an opportunity to get his own rest. He curled up as tightly as he could in the small chair and promptly fell asleep.

Arthur opened his eyes as soon as he heard Merlin fall asleep. He smiled and closed his eyes again, glad that Merlin was finally getting some sleep. He'd been watching him keep himself awake for a week now, and he knew Merlin wouldn't sleep unless he, Arthur, slept first, so he pretended to fall asleep. A clever ruse, if he did say so himself.

Merlin let out a little noise, and Arthur grinned, putting his hands behind his head and yawning widely.

The Third Time Merlin Fell Asleep.

Merlin sat down limply in the wooden chair in the corner of Arthur's room, dissolving into a coughing fit as soon as he hit the seat.

"Merlin, are you alright?" Arthur asked, tugging at the cuffs of his shirt. Merlin just nodded and bent his head down.

"Just a cough." Merlin stretched in the chair and stood up again. "No big deal."

Arthur watched as Merlin swayed on his feet a little bit. "You look like you caught what I had last week."

"Nope, just cold out." Merlin stepped forward to help fix Arthur's jacket. Arthur stood up a little straighter as he did so.

"Are you sure you're alright, Merlin?" Arthur asked worriedly, and Merlin nodded before stumbling a little. "Okay, get in the bed."

"...Your bed?" Merlin questioned, coming around Arthur to see his face. "Sire?"

"Yes, get in it. You're obviously not well enough to be walking about." Arthur watched Merlin hesitate. "I order you to rest."

"Can't argue with an order." Merlin mumbled as he climbed on top of the covers and fell asleep immediately. Arthur sighed and threw the blankets over him.

"Goodnight, Merlin." Arthur smiled a bit and left the room.

The Fourth Time Merlin Fell Asleep.

Arthur sat in the chair opposite Merlin at Merlin's little table, the two of them laughing and skimming through books of various potions and the like that Gaius had left out.

"This one says your hair will grow one inch. One inch!" Arthur laughed. "The one beside it says it makes your hair shorten one inch! It's like there's no point whatsoever."

Merlin laughed and took the book. "Let's create these, then, and test them."

The two of them split the potions and created them, each taking sips from the other's. They laughed together as their hair grew and shortened.

"I don't understand the medical purposes of that one." Merlin snickered, flipping through another book.

"What about this one?" Arthur asked. He pointed at a potion in the book. "The Sleeping Draft."

"How long would we sleep for?" Merlin asked, leaning over the table to look at the book. "We can do it for just a minute, how about that?"

"Okay, let's do it." Arthur began mixing it. "Merlin, can you get me a couple ashes from the fireplace?"

Merlin nodded and got up to retrieve the ashes. Arthur quickly added some extra ingredients to make the draft last a few hours, grinning widely. Merlin handed him the ashes, and Arthur finished the draft.

"Finished." He handed a glass to Merlin and took a glass for himself. "Bottoms-up."

Merlin smiled and drank his glass down. Arthur just set his on the table and watched Merlin fall off his bench. He laughed for a minute before realizing he'd now have to move Merlin to his bed. He hesitated for a moment, then finally just sighed and got up to drag him in.

The Fifth Time Merlin Fell Asleep.

The wooden door burst open with what appeared to be a kick, and Arthur dashed into the room with a small army of men following and a thin man in his arms. Gaius stood up immediately and pushed all the items off the table.

"What's happened?" Gaius asked urgently, surveying the amount of blood on Merlin's body as Arthur set him down. Arthur brushed a hand through his hair anxiously, leaving streaks of Merlin's blood in it and on his skin. Gaius tugged an arrowhead out of Merlin's neck and hurried to stop the bleeding from the spot.

"We were out hunting and he got attacked by some winged creature. We tried to shoot it off of him, but..." Arthur hesitated, seeming unable to continue. Gaius looked up at him.

"But what? What's happened?" Gaius demanded, and Arthur looked down.

"I missed and it got lodged in his neck. I tried to get it out but I just broke off the shaft." Arthur wiped at his eyes, leaving blood in dripping strips all over his face. "I've killed him, haven't I?"

Merlin stirred and stared up at Gaius. "What's happened?"

"Don't move, Merlin, you've been hurt very greatly." Gaius murmured, pushing Merlin back down as he struggled to get up. Merlin's eyes whirled around and met Arthur's.

"What happened, Arthur?" Merlin asked anxiously. His skin was too pale, too light, his eyes too dull. Arthur kneeled beside him, took his hand, and forced himself to speak.

"You've been hurt very badly. You were attacked, and we tried to save you from the monster, but I missed." Arthur tapped his own neck with his free hand. "I got you in the neck."

"Wonderful shot, thank you for saving me, Arthur." Merlin laughed a bit before whimpering and trying to sit up again. Gaius shoved him down, and Arthur squeezed his hand.

"You'll be fine, just hang on, okay?" Arthur nodded, encouraging Merlin to nod back.

"Thank you." Merlin smiled slightly before his eyes shut again and his head thumped onto the table. Arthur squeezed his hand again and rested his head on Merlin's chest.

The First Time That Arthur Fell Asleep, Too.

Merlin yawned widely and turned in bed, burying his face in Arthur's chest. He scrunched his face up and smiled.

"The material is so itchy." he mumbled into Arthur's bed-shirt. Arthur just laughed.

"So take your face out of it." Arthur pulled back slightly and ran his hand over Merlin's head, down his neck to the jagged scar and over his chest.

Merlin laughed. "Alright, alright." Merlin focused, his eyes glowing a bit before Arthur's shirt pulled itself off of Arthur. Merlin grinned smugly; Arthur just shook his head and kissed Merlin's forehead.

"Go back to sleep, we have a lot to do tomorrow." Arthur murmured, wrapping himself around Merlin protectively. Merlin listened as Arthur's breathing deepened. He smiled and closed his own eyes, curling into Arthur and drifting off into sleep happily.