III
After a while of debate (Arthur inquiring what a TV was, Merlin answering, Merlin having an inner fight with himself on what to watch), they settled with Sherlock. Merlin decided that Doctor Who was too hard to explain to the knight and he left superhero movies for later. They watched the first episode, "Study in Pink", and Merlin just had to answer a few questions about the technology and customs.
"I don't get something," Arthur said suddenly after the episode was over and they were lounging on the couch. Arthur was sitting in the far right and Merlin was resting his back on the right armrest, his legs completely stretched and his toes brushing the king's thigh.
"What don't you get?" Merlin asked curiously.
"When they are at the little restaurant and John asks Sherlock if he has a girlfriend and then if he has a *boyfriend*..."
"Oh, what's happening is that John thinks Sherlock is gay," Merlin answered before Arthur even asked his question, seeing where this was going. "You know, when a dude wants to be in a relationship with another dude."
"Like me," he thought.
"No, I did get that," Arthur said to Merlin's surprise. "What I don't get is: if Sherlock is being so obvious about it, why doesn't John realise he fancies him?"
Merlin took advantage of the fact that Arthur was looking straight towards the blank telly to mouth, "I wonder!"
The room grew silent and Merlin almost dozed off, but a question was still nagging his mind. "Arthur?"
"Hmm?"
"You... Do you... Doesn't the whole "gay" thing, I don't know, freak you out?"
Arthur looked at Merlin like he had grown a second head, "Why should it?"
"I don't know. Many people from the present are freaked out and you come from long ago, and I really don't know why it would bother you but I´m just asking, does it?" Merlin said quickly.
"Merlin, you are babbling. Maybe we were more tolerant 1613 years ago than people now."
"Yeah," Merlin hesitated. "We should get some sleep. You don´t mind sleeping on the couch?" he asked Arthur.
"Is switching places with you and using your bed available?" the knight answered with another question.
"No."
"Then I don't mind the couch," Arthur answered, flipping over and almost instantly falling asleep.
"G´night, sire," Merlin whispered and dragged himself to his bed.
Next morning, Arthur woke up with a ray of sunshine in his eyes. He got up from the couch grumbling and closed the living room's curtains. He then peeked into Merlin's room only to find it empty. When he got to the kitchen asking himself how on earth was he supposed to have breakfast, he found a plate of eggs sitting next to a thick volume. The title of the book was "History of the world" and a note on top of it read:
"Try to catch up! I'm buying groceries! -M"
"Idiot," Arthur muttered, grabbing his plate. He was wondering how the plate was still hot, but then he felt a familiar tingle in his fingers and a metallic taste in his mouth. Magic. Arthur sighed, his Pendragon instincts screaming for bloodshed but his common sense whispering about how Merlin cared for him. He rolled his eyes and started eating his eggs.
When he finished, he left his plate on the sink, having no idea how to wash them. He opened the book and started reading on some half humans, half monkey who walked around with a tiny piece of fur as clothing. After rereading a paragraph four times, he admitted he did not know half the terms used. "Merrrlin!" he called. "Need your help!" He did not know what groceries were, but he hoped they were near enough.
Merlin dropped his heavy bags on the hallway, sadly looking at the stairs that led to his flat.
"So that handsome fella is "just your friend, right?" A familiar voice asked him.
"Yes, Mrs. Merryweather," Merlin answered sheepishly.
The woman crossed her arms over her chest.
"I swear!" Merlin added. "He doesn't even know that I'm... you know..."
"How come he is your "friend" but he doesn't know that you are gay?!" she exclaimed.
"See, I met him years ago. Years and years ago. We lost contact for a while, until yesterday. There are a lot of things we need to... update," Merlin explained.
"There´s more, isn't there?"
"Well..."
"Come on, you can tell me!"
Merlin opened his mouth slowly and took a deep breath. "I have a crush on him. The biggest crush in the history of gianormous crushes. But..." he sighed, "it could never happen."
"Why not?" the landlady asked. "You are one handsome boy, and he seems to like you."
"Yeah," Merlin said slowly. "Maybe."
Arthur´s voice suddenly interrupted their thoughts. "Merrrlin! Need your help!"
Merlin smiled wryly. "So that´s why I missed him!" he noted sarcastically.
By noon that day, Merlin had managed to stuff Arthur´s slightly thick head with enough historical facts. The young warlock closed the book and placed his forehead on the kitchen´s cool table. Arthur didn't seem as tired as Merlin was.
"What are we going to do next?" the knight asked impatiently.
"After I take a nap, you and I are going to get you a citizenship."
"A what?"
"It is a little piece of paper that makes you a citizen of Albion."
"But I am a citizen of Albion! For the gods´ sake, I rule Albion!" Arthur whined. Merlin raised an eyebrow and Arthur added, "I know, I know. The Pendragon line ended in... long ago, and now the rulers are... another family."
"But most of the political decisions are made by the...?" Merlin asked.
"Erm... political man?"
"Prime Minister! There go three hours of my life I will never get back," Merlin sighed.
