"Got the popcorn ready?"
"Yep."
"Good. Now get over here, it should be on soon!"
Merlin smiled and joined his boyfriend on the couch, setting the bowl of popcorn between them.
"What time is it?" Arthur asked, toying with the remote and checking his watch. "I can't be late, it's going to be on at three-forty one, we can't be a second off…"
"Arthur, relax," Merlin chuckled, taking the remote. "We're on time. Calm down."
Arthur heaved a forced sigh. "I just don't want to miss it."
"We won't," Merlin reassured him, resting his hand on Arthur's incessantly bouncing knee.
They turned their attention to the television, Merlin taking great mouthfuls of popcorn, Arthur sitting tense as a bow string, eyes glued to the screen.
"Almost here…" Arthur murmured, looking about ready to burst with anticipation as the credits to the TV show began to roll. Merlin couldn't help but press a kiss to his cheek.
"Merlin!" Arthur spluttered, pushing him away, "Don't do that!"
"I can't help myself!" Merlin grinned.
"Stop it, you're distracting me." Arthur sounded more agitated than ever.
"Sorry," Merlin said, "You're just so hot the way you're so excited–"
"Shut up! It's on!"
Both of them hushed and shushed each other as on screen, a dog bounded into view, carrying a bright tennis ball in it's mouth. Arthur's voice rose from the speakers.
"My dog loves running around and playing outside. He and I play catch all the time, especially if it's a nice day." The dog onscreen ran across a grassy yard and dropped the ball at the feet of it's owner, who bent to pick it up.
"That's you!" Merlin shouted, smacking Arthur's arm over the popcorn bowl. Arthur seemed oblivious to everything but the television.
"But spending so much time running around takes a lot of energy, which means my dog needs to have a lot of nutrients." The Arthur onscreen waved the tennis ball in the air and threw it with a joyful shout, watching the dog chase after it. The Arthur sitting on the couch next to Merlin seemed ready to faint.
"That's why I feed my dog Camelot dog food. It has 10% more vitamin E than the other leading brands of dog food, so my dog can be strong and healthy for when I take him to the dog park." The shot cut to Arthur laughing on the ground, tossing the tennis ball while the dog barked and ran around him. "Plus, my dog loves Camelot's new and improved beefy flavor. Your dog will too!" The dog onscreen barked. The Arthur onscreen laughed. The Arthur on the couch twitched. Merlin smothered a giggle.
"Camelot dog food, keeping your dog healthy and happy." Arthur and the dog continued to play, as the company's logo appeared on screen. "Find it in the pet aisle of your local grocery store."
The screen faded and changed to an advert for laundry detergent. Merlin turned to Arthur and cheered.
"That was great!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms around Arthur's neck. "You were brilliant!"
Arthur seemed to be in shock, for he hadn't moved and his eyes were still on the screen.
"Arthur?"
Finally, Arthur turned to look at him, and a tentative smile broke across his face. "You think so?"
Merlin grinned. "I know so. I know everything. That was a wonderful performance, Arthur Pendragon."
Arthur let out a shaky laugh. "It was only a dog food commercial."
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step!" Merlin proclaimed. "Your name is gonna be up in lights in no time, I guarantee it."
Arthur let out a laugh and wrapped his arms around Merlin. "I can't believe it," He said, "I was on TV!"
"Not bad for your first acting gig," Merlin smirked.
"Hey, it's a start."
Merlin pulled back and pecked him on the lips. "Just don't leave me to run off with Johnny Depp when you become a big shot actor man," He said.
Arthur pulled him in for a kiss. "Wouldn't dream of it."
The flashes of the cameras hurt Merlin's eyes, but none of them were as blinding as Arthur's smile right now, as the two of them faced the sea of reporters.
"Arthur Pendragon!" They called, raising their cameras and microphones across the velvet rope keeping them from flooding the red carpet.
Arthur grinned and waved, and Merlin did the same. He felt stiff in his new suit, but it didn't matter. Arthur was dazzling in his tight-fitted suit, his handsome smile threatening to leap off of his face.
"Arthur Pendragon!" A reporter called, weaving through the celebrities milling about. She was dressed in a sparkling floor-length dress and sporting a huge microphone. A rather large camera man followed in step behind her.
"I'm from the E! network, can I have a word?"
"Of course," Arthur grinned, and the reporter gestured for the cameraman to start recording.
"Arthur Pendragon, you just won your first Oscar Award after being nominated for three consecutive years. How does it feel?"
"Better than I ever could have imagined," Arthur replied. Merlin smiled and stepped away so he was out of shot. He knew Arthur wasn't afraid to be with him at public events, but tonight belonged to Arthur, and he deserved the spotlight all to himself.
"Your movie Round Table premiered back in August, how do you feel about its enormous success? Are you surprised?"
"No, it's great" Arthur said, "My costars were all brilliant, Lancelot Du Bois and Morgana Le Fay, so naturally the movie was going to be a hit…"
Merlin watched Arthur speak to the reporter with pride bursting out of his chest. To reporters and fangirls worldwide, this is Arthur Pendragon, Outstanding actor and voted sexiest man of 2011, 2012, and 2013. But for Merlin, he's Arthur, his Arthur, the man who just a few years ago he sat with him and a bowl of popcorn, watching his first commercial air at three o'clock in the morning. Now he's achieved his dream, standing on the red carpet next to all the other A list celebrities, and Merlin couldn't be more proud.
"…But I couldn't have done it without my partner, Merlin." Suddenly a hand closed around Merlin's wrist and he was yanked forward so that he stood right in front of the camera. Merlin managed a weak wave.
"Merlin has been with me from the very beginning, he's supported me and encouraged me even when I thought I couldn't make it. I'm here because of him."
Merlin smiled and discreetly squeezed Arthur's fingers. Their engagement rings were at home on the bedside table– the press didn't need to know about that yet.
"Well Merlin, thank you for helping shape such a fine actor," The reporter smiled to him.
"My pleasure," Merlin said, silently congratulating himself on not tripping over his words as he tended to do when speaking to reporters.
"Well, Arthur Pendragon, congratulations on your win tonight, and I hope to see you at the after parties."
The pair nodded and the reporter swept away to track down someone else.
"I meant it," Arthur said, nudging Merlin with his elbow. "Thank you for sticking with me."
"I know talent when I see one," Merlin replied, "I would be a fool to leave someone who would become so rich."
Arthur laughed. "Shut up."
Merlin laced their fingers together. "I love you, mister big-shot."
Arthur squeezed his palm. "I love you too."
The next day, the cover of every tabloid showed a photo of Arthur Pendragon kissing his partner Merlin Emrys on the red carpet. Fangirls despaired.