So I finally jumped on the Merlin bandwagon and let me just say that it was one of my better decisions. However, I have to say that all the dramatic irony is really irksome. I just wish that everyone (that's not Merlin) would see who the traitors are before it ends up being too late. But oh well. Anyways, it's winter break where I am and I finally have time to write.
And with all that said, this fic will probably not mention anything that happens in the episodes, so there's no spoilers for people like me who are tardy to the party.
If there's one thing that Arthur Pendragon hated more than magic, which he doesn't really hate that much to begin with, it's waking up in the morning. He should be used to it, since he's had to do it almost every day of his life, but no, of course not. It definitely doesn't help when he has a certain manservant prattling on about whatever nonsense the whole time he's trying to drag him out of bed, sometimes literally.
"You can't just lie in bed all day, Arthur. You have things to do," Merlin reminds him.
"Don't remind me," he groans, burying his face under the covers when Merlin opens the curtains to let light into the room.
It's quiet for a moment and he thinks that maybe Merlin has actually let him be for now until he feels his servant tugging at his blankets in an attempt to rouse him. He grumbles and wraps the blankets around himself and Merlin sighs.
"You are such a child sometimes. This is hardly behavior fitting that of a prince," he chastises.
Arthur doesn't answer and he hears Merlin mutter something under his breath, probably something along the lines of 'dollop head' but he can't find it in himself to care. Except when the blankets he was so desperate to hold onto swoop out from under him, leaving him blinking in surprise wondering when Merlin got so strong.
The servant in question is holding an armful of blankets and smirking at the prince, which is really quite annoying and if he weren't so adamant about not getting out of bed, he'd probably be in the midst of strangling him at the moment. Instead he just lets out a huff and settles for throwing one of his pillows at Merlin.
"Come on now, up you get," Merlin says, dropping the blankets and grabbing Arthur's arm to tug him out of the bed.
"Wait! What are you doing? Stop!" he cries as his servant pulls him off the bed to land in an ungraceful heap. But he figures that he might as well take Merlin down with him, so when he falls he grabs Merlin's arm and drags him down, so that the servant falls down on top of him with a huff.
"Arthur!" Merlin exclaims, trying to escape. And of course, he's got his long legs tangled up in the blankets and only succeeds in wriggling about like a worm which makes Arthur laugh.
"You are such a dollop head," Merlin complains, hitting Arthur on the chest playfully.
"And you're a clotpole. Couldn't you have just let me sleep?" he inquires, staring up at Merlin, who's finally managed to prop himself up on his elbows above Arthur.
"Could've, but I don't think you'd be pleased if Uther came storming in here to find you asleep still,"
He imagines it and frowns. "You're right, that would have been disasterous," he admits.
Merlin grins down at him. "Told you. I know best,"
"Right and I'm the Queen of Camelot," Arthur scoffs.
"Well, you do act like a girl sometimes,"
"I think you're confusing me with yourself, Merlin,"
Despite the bantering, Merlin smiles and lets out a little laugh that makes Arthur's heart stutter in his chest. He realizes that his servant is still nearly sprawled out on top of him and suddenly the whole situation has become a lot more awkward. But of course, Merlin has no clue and continues calling Arthur names like 'royal prat' and 'cabbage head'. If it were anyone else, he'd have them in the stocks for such insults upon his honor, but in this case, Merlin is just being his annoying friendly servant, whom he may or may not have a liking for.
He stares up at Merlin, still prattling on about all the things Arthur has to do and why it would be a bad idea to remain in bed all day, and not for the first time notices how his eyes seem to sparkle when he's happy and how he smiles a lot around Arthur, which shouldn't make the prince feel so pleased but it does.
In fact, there's a lot of things that Merlin does that Arthur secretly finds endearing. He especially appreciates how insanely loyal Merlin is to him and sure, he's the prince and all, everyone should be, but there's something different about this. No one else questions Arthur's decisions or judgements or dares to banter with him the way Merlin does, and even though he's just a servant and shouldn't be able to do any of that, he still gets away with it. Merlin has changed his views on so many things, like magic for instance, and a servant should not have such an influence over royalty, but Arthur finds he doesn't mind it.
He doens't even notice that the incessant babbling has stopped until a hand brushes a stray hair out of his eyes, startling him out of his internal monologue. Merlin is looking down at him with an expression that makes a smile bloom over Arthur's face of its own will. He has no idea why Merlin has such an effect over him nor why he's suddenly turned into a girl, what with all these feelings, but he can't focus on that when Merlin's hand moves to cup his face, thumb rubbing over his cheekbone.
Without even thinking about it, Arthur pulls Merlin down for a kiss. It's short but he doesn't miss the happy sigh that Merlin lets out against his lips. As suddenly as it began, they pull apart with Merlin smiling down at him with this ridiculously happy expression that shouldn't make Arthur feel like he's soaring.
Someone knocks at the door, seemingly breaking the trance that Arthur is in, because surely he is not falling for his manservant, and he wriggles out from underneath Merlin in time to stand up as Gwen enters the room.
"Ah, Guinevere. Good morning," he greets.
"Good morning, my lord," she replies. She looks over and sees Merlin gathering the blankets from the floor and spreading them back onto the bed. A confused look crosses her face.
"Oh, Merlin is already here? The king told me to wake you since you have not shown at the council meeting yet. He thought that Merlin had neglected to wake you," she says.
"Merlin is just taking a while to get me ready for today. He is the most imcompetant servant in all of Camelot after all, aren't you Merlin?"
"Whatever you say, sire," Merlin says, and Arthur doesn't have to see him to know that he's rolling his eyes.
"Of course," Gwen says with a laugh. "I'll tell the king you'll be down in a moment,"
She gives a curtsy and leaves the two alone.
"Told you you'd be in trouble if you didn't get up," Merlin gloats.
"Oh shut up Merlin. If you weren't so busy snogging me, maybe we wouldn't be in this situation," Arthur says.
Merlin blushes a bright pink. "What? Me snogging you? You've got that the wrong way around!" he exclaims.
Arthur just laughs and motions for Merlin to come closer. Once he's close enough, he reaches out and wraps his arms around Merlin's slim waist.
"Fine. Maybe just this once, you're right," he says, leaning in to kiss him once more.
"Not that I'm complaining," Merlin starts when they pull away, "but where's this come from all of a sudden?"
Arthur shrugs. "To be honest, I'm not sure. I guess, when you decided to be evil and pull me out of bed, literally," Merlin lets out a sound of protest, but otherwise doesn't interrupt, "I kind of realized how ridiculously adorable you are," he finishes, a light blush gracing his face.
"I mean, it wasn't just that," he hurries to add. "I just think that, well, you're probably my best friend. Even if you're just my manservant. You're loyal to me, more so than anyone else, I think. And I've never told you how much I appreciate that,"
"Well," Merlin says after a moment. "I guess you really are the Queen of Camelot,"
"Merlin!" Arthur cries, shoving playfully at him. Merlin laughs and it's a wonderful sound.
"You should probably get going. Uther's going to think someone's abducted you if you stay any longer," Merlin says, retrieving Arthur's clothing and dressing him.
"Now hang on, I just poured my heart out to you and you're going to dismiss me like that?"
"What, you want me to say something equally girly in return?"
"I'm not a girl! And I suppose so,"
"Fine. You, Arthur Pendragon," Merlin pokes him in the chest, "are the most insufferable, arrogant, stubborn prat I've ever met,"
"That's the exact opposite of-,"
"But," Merlin cuts him off, "all those things aside, you're the bravest, most noble, self-sacrificing, courageous man I've ever met. And it's an honor to serve you. I know you will become a great king, the greatest that Camelot will ever know, and I look forward to that day,"
Arthur can't help but smiling at Merlin's words and he pulls him into an embrace, thinking that while Merlin may be the most clumsy, inefficient servant on the face of the planet, he still loves him.
"You what?" Merlin asks. And Arthur's heart almost stops in his chest, because he so did not just say that out loud.
"I-nothing," he says.
"No, you said you love me," Merlin says, grin growing wider by the second.
"Did not!"
"You did too!"
"You must have a hearing problem, Merlin,"
"Dollop head,"
"Clotpole,"
Another knock sounds at the door and this time Uther's voice interrupts them.
"Arthur, are you planning on gracing us with your presence anytime soon?" he asks irritably.
"Yes, right away, sire," Arthur calls. He hears the king sigh and walk away. He gives Merlin an apologetic look and goes to follow.
"Arthur?" Merlin's voice stops him as he's opening the door.
"Hm?"
"I love you too, you know. Have done for the longest time," he says.
Arthur smiles at that and he doesn't stop smiling until he's in the council meeting and he realizes that he hadn't even thought to give Merlin his chores for the day. Well, once this meeting is over he's going to find Merlin, kiss the daylights out of him and then give him a considerable list of tasks to be done. Because there is no way that Merlin is getting a day off.