Disclaimer: Arthur owns Merlin. Not us...xD Just kidding. But seriously, we don't own Merlin. Never have, never will...:'(

It was the summer of... whatever (he didn't bother with such trivial things like that) and Arthur had just turned twenty two. After a brief mandatory meeting with his father (who was such a boring bore... SNOREFEST!), he went back to his room and just sat by his fireplace. The light was flickering in his face (his sexy face, cause he's SEXY) as he recalled the sudden memories of what just occurred and what must occur...

It ALL started with a beard...

FLASHBACK

"MERLIN!" Arthur shouted, looking for his daft manservant who was quite honestly daft in Arthur's opinion. What man had only one belt to wear but had like 10 different scarves and neckerchiefs? A daft one, that's what. "WHERE IN THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU?"

There was no immediate response. GOD, his manservant was so... so... lazy!

"MERLIN, WHERE ARE YOU?"

Sighing in a manly matter, as he was a complete and utter man-stud, Arthur once again went looking for Merlin (he shouldn't have to do this, HONESTLY!) when he decided that perhaps Gaius might know the whereabouts of the daft idiot.

"GAIUS!" Arthur burst into the physician's home. "DO YOU KNOW WHERE- Oh."

Theeere he was. This is where his manservant had hid himself. Couldn't he have eaten at ANOTHER time?

"Didn't you HEAR me calling for you Merlin? I have been calling your name for at least SIX hours!" Arthur glared in annoyance at the back of his manservant's head, who was currently sitting at the table with his back facing him.

"Six hours?" Merlin responded to him with a mouth full of food. He dropped his spoon into his bowl rather loudly, because he was such a woman sometimes. "It's like noon, I doubt you've been up for that long."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Would you at least LOOK at ME when I'm TALKING to you?"

He could hear Merlin give out a small sigh. "Could I at least finish eating first? I'm almost done..."

"MERLIN." Arthur demanded. "TURN around and LOOK at me. I DEMAND it."

Meanwhile, across the room, Gaius went unnoticed. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of the two of them acting like school children with a crush, and silently walked towards the door, exiting without making a noise.

"Arthur!" Merlin yelled, and in Arthur's opinion he sounded like a little girl squealing. "Could you just let me eat in peace? I'm almost done!"

"MERLIN!" Arthur demanded again, because he was allowed to demand things at his servant. "I need you to scrub my tub, clean up ALL of my dirty clothes off of the ground, wash my undergarments until SPOTLESS, scrub the floors, press my socks, shine my boots, rehang my curtains, fix the broken chair I tripped on last night, brush my hair, shave my beard-"

Merlin turned around, glaring immensely at him. It took Arthur a moment to comprehend what was going on. This occurrence was something he never thought he would ever witness in his ENTIRE lifetime.

"OH MY GOD!"

Merlin only stared back at him, milk dripping from what only Arthur could describe was an enormous beard.

"WHEN DID YOU GROW THAT THING?" Arthur demanded. "I SAW YOU EARLIER AND YOU HAD NOTHING ON YOUR FACE!"

END OF FLASHBACK

(cont. of the flashback thing) (Only for a MOMENT, as he was was not done telling the story, OBVIOUSLY.)

Arthur sighed rubbing his chin (in a non-dramatic manner, he didn't partake in such things!), remembering the memory quite well as it stuck in his mind like how muck stuck on horses hooves. He grinned at his inner musings, because yes, he was a complete package. Sexy and smart.

RETURN TO FLASHBACK

Merlin continued glaring before moving to wipe the milk away from his huge (not manly! Arthur was the manly one!) beard.

"WELL?" Arthur asked. "Are you going to ANSWER me?" Seriously how in the world had Merlin grown such a large beard in such a short amount of time?

"Arthur, look- "

Arthur rushed over after getting what he thought was an excellent idea, to grab Merlin's beard and pull on it roughly.

"Ow!" Merlin yelped and glared at him again. "What are you doing!"

Arthur rolled his eyes, moving to give one last tug on the beard. He had to make sure it was still real! "Obviously I had to test out if it was a REAL beard or not, MERLIN."

Merlin gave another one of his girly-pout sighs and began rubbing his chin to sooth it while mumbling to himself "I knew you would act this way..."

"WHAT did you say?" Arthur demanded. GOD! He was NOT the deaf and dumb one of the duo.

"I didn't want you to know..." Merlin looked away from him and Arthur wanted to tug on his beard again. "...because you just wouldn't understand."

"What." Arthur said glaring. What did he mean he wouldn't understand. Arthur was a Prince and he was quite understanding!

"My eyes are up here." Merlin muttered with a tinge of annoyance in his voice and Arthur snapped up. He couldn't help but stare at what he was now dubbing 'The Beard'! He sat there pondering immensely with his awesome brain and came to one conclusion: Something STRANGE was going on here.

"One," Arthur ticked off, moving to plop down comfortably across from Merlin who still hadn't stopped his womanly glaring fest... thing (and he wasn't going to stand around like some servant all day). "You totally did not have that earlier and TWO!" He said pounding his fist down on the table in a matter-of-fact manner. "I tugged on that REALLY hard and it didn't even BUDGE! What is your secret?"

Apparently his manservant did not bother to respond.

Arthur suddenly narrowed his eyes at him. "How on EARTH did you grow a full length beard in just a matter of hours!" He thought for a moment, watching Merlin's reactions carefully. "Gaius gave you something didn't he? Well whatever it is... I want some."

"Excuse me?" Merlin asked. "Arthur, no it's- "

"Oh don't be such a hog! Do share. Is it some sort of hair growing tonic? There's no other explanation... unless..."

"Arthur, no. I can explain everythin- "

"Oh my GOD..." Arthur drawled out dramatically. Something had hit him like a plate full of meat, he couldn't believe that he hadn't realized it before...

"Arthur, before you jump to any conclusio-"

"You're not wearing your scarf!" Where was his scarf? Did he just take it off because his beard was now hiding his neck? Just what was going on with Merlin? It was almost as if...

Merlin just rolled his eyes in reaction to his outburst. Then he proceeded to give him a look of... pity was it?

Pity.

Arthur scoffed. "Why do you look at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"....You know..." He drawled out darkly, narrowing his eyes.

"Umm... sorry? Arthur... there's something I really should tell you..." Merlin announced to him, a little to femininely in his opinion. But, Merlin was Merlin. What was happening to his manservant? It was like he was trying to change his whole image or something. Then something clicked in his head.

"Merlin, I accept."

"Um, what?"

"I accept your challenge."

"What challenge? I never- "

"You did when you grew that." He pointed to his beard. The urge to pull on it suddenly rose again as he tried to ignore it. "Mark my words... one of these days... I will out-beard you."

"Are you drunk?"

"What?" Seriously, did he say what he think his manservant just said?

"What?" Merlin quickly covered it up.

"You asked me if I was drunk." Did he think he was daft? He wasn't born yesterday.

"No I didn't. Nope... no. Not me. You must have me confused with someone else." Merlin shook his head, avoiding eye contact with him.

END OF SECOND FLASHBACK

(That will continue shortly.)

Arthur stroked his non-existent beard as of the moment next to the roaring fireplace in thought. The light hitting his face, outlining his sexy defined features.

Arthur had a secret that he dared not tell anybody. Not even his father. Yes, that was right. Merlin wasn't the only one with a suspicious secret that was so obvious that he was hiding... the simple fact was Arthur was far better at hiding his than Merlin will ever be at hiding his. Which again, was so painfully obvious he had one...

The simple fact of the matter was... Arthur had tried to grow a beard before long ago...

He rubbed his chin some more, trying to push back the scarring memories. Ever since it happened... He shook his head, shaking away the thoughts. No, He mustn't think of such things... never again.

BACK TO FLASHBACK

Arthur pouted a manly pout. A sexy manly pout because that was the only way he could do it. That was another trait of his he had inherited since birth.

"I think you're HIDING something from me MERLIN and I want to know what it is!"

"I- what- I have no idea- " His servant blubbered on about and Arthur was too distracted to listen by the way Merlin's beard bobbed when Merlin gaped like a fish trying to talk to him.

"Could you and your BEARD be any less distracting?" Arthur said, annoyed that Merlin's magical hypnotizing beard was distracting him so easily from the whole point as to how he had even gotten the beard in the first place!

"Arthur, I'm still lost as to how this became a competition..."

"When you tried to out-man me!" Arthur yelled, thinking it was quite obvious. "As my manservant, a girly one at that, you set a challenge by growing that beard!"

"Girly?" Merlin shrieked like a girl, looking furious like one as well. "How does growing a beard make me girly?"

Arthur put his hand up to stop Merlin from continuing his girl chatter. "No you've got it all wrong. It's not the beard itself, it's that you were already girly before the beard and- "

"Arthur, honestly, are you drunk? Are you upset about something so you're lashing out and needing a good talk with someone?"

"-Are trying to grow one to out-man me. The Prince! Trying to out-man the Prince and your- "

"I am not girly! What is your problem?" Merlin crossed his arms in front of himself. "I wish you would just drop all of this!"

"-Master! Honestly? How could one be so daft at the knowledge that that wouldn't be a challenge! Well, then again you've only been in Camelot for a few years- "

"WOULD YOU JUST STOP IT ALREADY?" Merlin suddenly yelled into his face, beard partly fluttering about and Arthur was momentarily distracted. Again.

"Did YOU just yell at ME?" Arthur rose an eyebrow. His servant was just FULL of challenges today, wasn't he?

"NO! I will not stop this! Will you just leave me alone!"

"Uh, no." Arthur scoffed. "I will not stop because I demand answers."

"It is, it is, UGH." Merlin was throwing a hissy fit. "I can't help it okay!"

Finally there was SOMETHING interesting about Merlin. "What do you mean you can't help it? For God's sake Merlin, no one can help that they can grow a beard."

"I was trying to explain it earlier but you just couldn't let me finish..."

"What are you saying exactly?"

"Are you serious?" Merlin said, face getting red but it was hard to see most of it through all of that bushy beard he was now supporting (and no he was not angry he couldn't see Merlin's beautiful neck anymore!). "Look, Arthur, I can't really help the fact that my beard grew!"

"WHAT does that even MEAN?"

Merlin let out a rather loud, obnoxious sigh indicating that he was in fact annoyed with the Prince. (Him. He was annoyed with me? He was the one talking in riddles! He couldn't help the fact that his beard grew...? What the bloody hell was that nonsense?)

"Look- "

"No!" Arthur cut him off, again. He needed to get to the bottom of this... one does not simple grow a beard over night. It is impossible... unless..."Did you... use magic...?"

Merlin in return, just gave him in incredulous look. "Would you please let me explain? Before you jump to dangerous conclusions resulting in my ultimate death."

"Don't be ridiculous, MERlin. Why would I have you killed?"

Merlin gave him a indescribable look.

"Go on. Explain. Since you deny all of my other claims." Arthur motioned for him to continue.

Merlin inhaled and exhaled slowly. "Weeeeeell... you were kinda right on the mark with that last assumption..."

"WHAT- "

"BUT NOT ENTIRELY!" Merlin shouted over him. "Let me explain, well, I was going to have to tell you sooner or later, and well... it wouldn't be right for me to hide things from you when we- I mean-"

"My god, are you engaged?"

"What? NO! Would you quit interrupting me?"

"Go on, then."

"I'm a wizard. I have magic."

Arthur jolted awake from dozing off momentarily. He couldn't help it... his voice was so soothing it made him want to sleep all the time. "I'm sorry, come again?" He asked, full attention on Merlin again.

"I'm a wizard, Arthur. I have magic." Merlin repeated.

Arthur stared at Merlin for a moment. Then broke out in a laugh. "Ha! No really, how did you grow that beard overnight?"

"It just magically grows itself every night. With MAGIC. I usually have Gaius help me shave it before I come see you in the morning..."

"What-?"

"Gaius explained it to me, I-It's like, he described it as 'magical puberty' and since my magic is so strong- "

Arthur snorted, as he couldn't hold it in, because REALLY. "You? Strong?"

Merlin gave him a hard glare making Arthur realize he wasn't paying attention again. He crossed his arms. "Go on."

"And he said that in a few years it'll become more... manageable." Merlin looked at him, partially vulnerable. "Are you really okay with this Arthur?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Well, as long as you don't WALK around all smug with it and being more manly than me, then I can't say I mind."

Merlin's mouth fell open in shock and Arthur wanted to pull on his beard to get that look off of his face. (What? He could be nice!)

"Not the beard Arthur!" Merlin gestured with his hands and whispered. "My magic."

Oh. "I KNEW that. You don't need to point it out for me... Merlin." Arthur sighed. "As I said before, I wouldn't just go and kill you for growing a magical beard."

END FLASHBACK

Arthur was only going to admit this fact inside of his mind... because he was the only one inside of it (he hoped... sometimes he had suspicions about Merlin's abilities because he disturbingly knew him so well) . The truth was... he had been jealous of Merlin's magical beard. It was so bloody hard seeing someone who didn't even want a beard grow one without even trying while after hard attempt after hard attempt all he could get was... odd stubble.

He had quite the (sexy) features for one, as the firelight was constantly showing a reminder of that as it shadowed and danced across the face. Merlin had tried to be nice about it, often showing how truly girly he was by his actions and not talking about his beard filled mornings very often.

RETURN TO FLASHBACK... AGAIN

Arthur suddenly thought of something because he was incredibly (VERY much so!) sharp. "Why DO you still have a beard right now... Merlin?"

Merlin looked over from his pondering (he just would NOT get off the subject of his magic and shock about how Arthur wasn't going to murder him) to give him a sad look.

"I tried, but, I don't even really know HOW it happened..." Merlin paused. "...the razor broke. Gaius said he would go into town next chance he got to pick one up."

"Repeat that please."

"The, um, razor broke?"

"HOW in the WORLD did you break a razor?" Arthur yelled, standing up to begin pacing around.

"Well, not me technically, but my beard." Was only Merlin's supply on an explanation.

"Your magical beard broke a razor?"

Merlin shrugged. "You didn't want to believe me when I said I had a lot of strong magic."

Arthur scoffed. "Who could blame me? You're MERlin. My manservant."

"Why is it so shocking that I have magic..?" Merlin trailed off.

"It's not about the magic! It's about that beard. That magical beard of yours. It's... It- It's just not fair!" Arthur did something next that he was probably never ever going to forgot or possibly live down for the rest of his life. He ran - well busted out of the room with only a few manly tears trickling down his face. Because he was a man, and men do not cry over... such things that must stay hidden.

And so, he ended up back in his room. Sitting by his fireplace, stroking his chin softly as he went over the memories. It had started with a beard... and now he needed to figure out his next motive of action. He knew he'd have to face Merlin again. Especially with that performance he just displayed. How could he cover that up? It wasn't him? He was under the influence of magic? No... that wouldn't fool, Merlin. He stroked his chin more, then got a brilliant idea.

"MERLIN!" Arthur stormed through Merlin's bedroom door, skipping the knocking since he wasn't really obligated to do so anyways. He was a prince after all.

Merlin was sitting on his bed, reading a large book that was currently faced down as he looked up, looking like he just pissed himself for his sudden intrusion.

"What in Gods name, Arthur." Merlin wanted answers, that was obvious.

"Can you... change colors of things... with your magic?" Arthur asked casually, leaning against his dresser.

"What- I don't see why- "

"Just answer the question. Can you?"

"I-I suppose yes... why?"

Arthur straightened up and walked over to his bed, kneeling down so he was eye level with his face. "I need you to do something for me..."

"Okay..."

"But before you do this for me, I need to explain something very delicately to you."

"Okay..."

"I once tried to grow a beard..."

Merlin tried to hold back a snicker, but failed miserably. "I'm sorry. Not funny. Continue."

"Well... the thing is... when the first signs of stubble started showing up..." He started stroking his chin idly while he was talking. "I had a strange feeling, but it was too early to tell. I woke up one morning, I hadn't looked at the progress of my beard in days... and... well... let us just say that Morgana had to tell me since no one else would. I knew something was up when everybody I passed immediately went into fits of laughter once I was out of their sight."

Merlin was intrigued. "What was it?"

"It was ginger, Merlin. My beard... was ginger." He put his face in his hands, hiding the embarrassment and shame.

"I see..."

"So will you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Change the color of my beard when it comes in! Honestly, Merlin. Keep up!"

"I don't know..." Merlin mumbled, attempting to discreetly put the book away underneath his pillow but Arthur caught on because he totally knew everything that went on. He was a manly Prince after all. "What do I get out of it?"

Arthur thought as quickly as a jumping rabbit (that totally reminded him that he and Merlin should go on another 'hunting trip' quite soon in the future, though not much hunting actually went on...). "A kiss?"

Merlin actually pulled a face on him. "Is that it?"

Arthur growled at Merlin's look of pure deviousness, pretending to be innocent while he laid on his bed and twiddled his thumbs. He jumped up, wondering why he was kneeling on Merlin's floor in the first place to talk to him and instead moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

"I CANNOT believe you find this funny MERLIN!" Arthur complained (he hardly ever did, so he believed he had the right to!). "This is a serious situation and all you've done is giggle and grin the whole time."

Merlin rolled his eyes at him before pushing himself up to lean against his pillow and finally, FINALLY, gave him a serious look.

"Alright, now just let me get this whole entire story straight." Merlin ended up getting this stupidly cute thinking face on and Arthur cursed at himself for noticing. He could do that later! "You tried to grow a beard, and it wasn't working very well. But then one day it did but then it ended up being... a ginger beard...?"

"Yes MERLIN, a ginger beard!" Arthur sneered. "Must you keep repeating that?"

"And you want to try to grow another beard, and with the help of my magic, to make it a blonde... beard?"

"God yes you finally get it!"

"Hmm." Merlin mumbled, bring up his hand to his now clean shaven chin in a pondering matter where he hopefully was thinking about helping because if not Arthur was going to throw a chair... or something. Okay maybe not. "Come closer for a moment."

"Dear God, WHY?"

"Could you just please do it, it'll only take a moment."

Arthur did so, feeling weird that Merlin was inspecting his chin of all things while making little noises as he stared and Arthur wished he would stop noticing these things and think about beards!

"Arthur?"

"What?" he snapped, before finally saying it nicely after seeing the unimpressed look Merlin gave him. "What."

Merlin gave him a nervous look. "Will you promise not to tell anyone about something?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. This probably had to do with his magic. Hadn't he already explained to Merlin his acceptance? "Yes, yes, whatever you want."

Merlin shifted forward, slowly pulling the book out from behind his pillow and it wasn't like Arthur hadn't already known it was hidden there. "This," Merlin said opening the cover. "Is my book of magic."

"Okay, AND?"

"I'm hoping it can help me with, your uh, problem." Merlin gave him a grin before it turned into a somewhat doubtful look. "I know I said I have strong magic, but I'm still inexperienced and I'll try my best to help."

Arthur was secretly proud of Merlin but there was no way he would ever let it show... maybe. "Alright, well, get searching!"

Merlin put up a hand to silence. "I'm agreeing to help you only because you'll promise to do something for me in return."

"Why are you even demanding things?" Arthur whined. "I'm the Prince and your Master!"

Merlin gave him another rather unimpressed look, slowly sliding the book closed and it was making Arthur sweat and curse harshly inside of his head. "Fine! I'll do whatever you ask! Please just stop the gingerness of my future beard!"

After Merlin finally agreed and that they would discuss the bargain later his then took his sweet ol' time going through his magic book, making odd faces here and there as he read things and apparently got to a chapter that made him blush profusely.

"WHY are you all RED, Merlin?"

Merlin had never responded only flipping farther back into the book.

"Alright Arthur I'm going to try a spell on you." Merlin said reading the page over a few times.

"FINALLY!" Arthur said moving onto the middle of the bed and faced Merlin. "This isn't going to HURT, is it?"

Merlin shrugged the sneaky little bastard. "Probably not, but then again I don't really know."

"UGH, just get on with it then!"

Merlin straightened his back, moving up his arm and facing his palm toward Arthur's chin and gaining an intense look of concentration. He muttered a confusing line of words Arthur couldn't understand and he gasped noticing that Merlin's eyes changed to the color of gold! He was going to comment on it but suddenly his chin began to feel all prickly and strange. "Oh my GOD! You're going to make my jaw fall off!"

"Arthur, honestly..." Merlin set his arm back to his against side and shook his head. "Don't be such a girl."

"You're the girl!" How dare Merlin make such an accusation! Did he even notice how toned and manly Arthur was?

"Whatever." Merlin mumbled putting the book back behind his pillow. "You'll just have to wait and see..."

THREE DAYS LATER

"MEERLIIIIIN!" Arthur yelled furiously bursting into Gaius' chambers. Gaius, who was apparently eating breakfast, quickly stood up without a word and left.

"MERLIN!"

"What...?" Merlin sleepily mumbled a few moments later, coming out of his room in all of his bearded glory.

"WHAT did you DO to me MERLIN?" Arthur shouted, even more annoyed now seeing Merlin's perfect and accidental magical beard.

"Arthur, I don't understand-"

"LOOK AT THIS BEARD! LOOK AT IT!"

Merlin squinted his eyes at him. "What's wrong with it?"

"Well." He said as obnoxiously and manly as he could. "It seems to me that you only made the situation WORSE! Dear GOD Merlin you managed to make my beard even more ginger than it's gingerness before! Instead of SLIGHTLY ginger, it's now half-way to a flaming ginger beard. FLAMING MERLIN, FLAMING!"

Merlin actually had the decency to look ashamed. "...Oh."