Fragile
*.*.*.*.*
Fragile.
That's what Arthur is thinking in this moment—that's what he thinks this moment is: fragile. Fleeting and fragile and precious. And he wants it to last forever, but he knows, in the blink of an eye, in the span of a few long breaths, this moment will be gone and there will be no way to get it back. And it's so frightening a thing to realize—so very, very frightening, indeed.
And thrilling. And sweet. And... nice.
He is laying in his bed next to a still sleeping Merlin; one of his hands is tucked behind his head, the other is resting on his bare chest. A smile tugs its way into place as he turns his head ever so slightly and his eyes come to rest on Merlin's soft, sleeping face. He looks so peaceful, so at ease with himself and the world, with the love he made with Arthur just the night before—it really is a shame he will have to wake up soon, and will, more likely than not, lose that look in the stress and worries of the day. Arthur knows he can be hard on Merlin sometimes, but he does care about him, he does worry that he works too hard sometimes...
So moments like this, moments where he knows Merlin is safe and relaxed...
They have truly come to mean the world over to Arthur.
Arthur feels his smile grow ever so slightly as he considers Merlin for another moment, and before he can stop himself, he is leaning over to place a careful, gentle kiss to Merlin's forehead. He hopes, as he pulls back, that he was careful enough that he did not wake Merlin—he is a fairly light sleeper, Arthur has come to learn—but...
"Arthur...?" Merlin mumbles, eyebrows coming together in confusion, though his eyes, thankfully, stay shut. If they open, Arthur knows, Merlin will be up for the day, and Arthur wants him to get as much sleep as he can.
"Yes. Now go back to sleep, love. I'll wake you when it's time." Arthur says gently, one of his hands coming to cup Merlin's cheek, his thumb stroking the side of his face until he has that relaxed look about him once again.
"'Kay. Love you." Merlin says, his voice thick with sleep.
Arthur's smile widens just a touch, and there is a stirring in his chest as he places just one more kiss to the top of Merlin's head.
"I love you, too." He says as he settles against his pillows once again.
He watches Merlin smile softly before snuggling deeper under the covers, scooting closer to Arthur so he is now tucked against Arthur's side.
Yes, Arthur thinks as he wraps an arm around Merlin, moments like this are so fragile and fleeting and precious... he would be a fool not to enjoy and cherish them while they last.
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