Note: My first AU, ever! I was having this conversation with my sister (who's getting quite famous, now that I'm including her in my facfiction universe, type, thing...) And it sprouted this plot bunny.
The Finer Qualities of the 21st Century
Merlin lay stretched across the couch, his legs thrown over Arthur's lap. They sat in comfortable silence while they did their schoolwork. The assignment Arthur was currently working on was a literary analysis of Le Morte D'Arthur for his English class. Merlin stared at his French text, a feeble attempt to soak in the language. He's spoken both English and Gaelic since he was a child, and was pretty proficient in the bit of German he understood, but this romance language crap really got the better of him.
Arthur sighed wistfully and Merlin hummed in question, peering over the top of the text at his boyfriend. "What?" He finally said when Arthur looked at him.
"Oh, nothing. I was just wondering what it would have been like to live back then. The knights, the swordfighting, the chivalry…"
"The crude tools, complete lack of technology, the cold, stone castles with no central heating to keep the winter out? You wouldn't last a day." Merlin snorted, turning back to his text.
"I'm sure it couldn't be all that bad. What I wouldn't give to experience a tournament," His eyes looked far off and dreamy.
Merlin closed his book and set it on the coffee table in front of them. "No football, no microwaves, no running water even? Imagine that, Arthur. No showers! No shower sex!"
"But," He protested.
"No shower sex, Arthur! Imagine that." Merlin knew this was one of Arthur's favorites. It was Merlin's favorite of all of Arthur's favorites, even trumping shared ice cream cones and Casablanca, and a long list of other things Arthur had shared with him over the last nine months.
Arthur looked defeated. Merlin sat up, sighing in exasperation. "Most importantly, love," He reached out for Arthur's hand, dropping a kiss onto the back of it. "There'd be absolutely no tolerance for homosexuality. You and I would be burnt at the stake for it, punished for heresy or witchcraft or something crazy like that." He placed a gentle kiss on the blonde's cheek.
"I suppose you're right." He turned, wrapping his arms around the slimmer boy and holding him close.
"Don't you like living in a world where we don't have to hide who we are? Where I can love you, honestly and completely, and you don't have to constantly worry about revealing our secret to anyone?" Merlin's words were slightly muffled by the fabric of Arthur's sweater, but the blonde understood anyway.
"I know. I'm glad for that." He kissed the top of the raven head. "I love you, babe."
"I love you, too." Merlin kissed him. It was soft, and short, but heavy with every ounce of love he felt for his blonde prince. Finally, he pulled back from the warm embrace. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to try and absorb some more of this dreadful language." He lay back, reaching for the text on the coffee table.
Arthur batted his hand away. "Oh no you're not." He leaned towards him, shifting until he was on top of the smaller boy, bracing himself on his forearms. Arthur's kiss was far more possessive, full of hunger and passion. It left Merlin breathless as the blonde pulled away, his smirk sending lust rocketing to the pit of his stomach.
"You're going to point out the finer qualities of shower sex, just so I'm convinced."
Merlin snorted in laughter and pulled Arthur back into another heated kiss.