It had been weeks and there was no sign of Agravaine even still, though the search parties had stopped at this point, there was no reason in searching anymore. Even though Arthur was still upset, he managed to go back to normal, even still that meant being a giant prat.
It was training time again, Arthur had to change a few things and better train a few men, just in case Morgana and Agravaine attack, they had a few surprises coming their way. Merlin had somehow weaseled out of furthering his defense training and was now skirting through the halls, he had just left Arthur's chambers, where he left a bath waiting for him, and was now heading back to Gaius' chambers, to hide further, just in case Arthur was coming to look for him, to demand he finish those seven drills. He rounded the corner to Gaius' chambers and almost ran for it, upon seeing a blur of silver and red, he thought it was Arthur, but it wasn't.
"Merlin!" Gwaine called after him, and he doubled back, sighing in relief, there was no way he was doing anymore training.
"Gwaine!" he said, once he was close enough, Gwaine leaned against the wall, right by Gaius' door. "What are you doing?"
"I was injured in training and wanted Gaius to look at it," Gwaine explained, pulling up his sleeve to show Merlin the rather large and deep gash on it. "But Gaius' isn't here."
"No, he's in town," Merlin told him, going to open the door, allowing Gwaine to enter first. "I can look at it for you though, basic wounds I can handle."
"I might be missing a toe as well," Gwaine smirked, as he walked over to the table, where he started looking at something in a bowl. "What is this?"
"If it's your toe I don't want to see!" Merlin told him, turning his back on him as he went through Gaius' supply cupboard. He pulled out the treated water and wrappings. "Alright, sit down," he told Gwaine, but he was too busy eating an apple now. They were Gwaine's favorite too, Merlin had learned that the hard way. "Where did you get the apple?"
"In this bowl," Gwaine pointed to a bowl full of apples, that had once, clearly, been neatly stacked in a tower, but had sense been knocked over by Gwaine. "I think they're for you."
"Me?" Merlin asked, pulling a confused face, as he walked over and set the supplies down on the table. He looked over the bowl of apples as if the answer of who they belonged to would jump out at him. "They must be Gaius'."
"Could be, "Gwaine told him, picking up a piece of parchment and opening it. "'For my big eared idiot,' that doesn't really fit Gaius' description to me, mate, must be for you."
Merlin shook his head, "But who would spend me a bowl of apples?"
"The same idiot who tried to take off my left arm because he thinks my kettle burns for you," Gwaine said, taking a bite of his apple with a loud crunch and pulling a rather pleased with himself face, as he sat down.
"Wait…what?" Merlin asked then, even more confused than before, he sat down on the other side of the table, with a huff.
"The princess!" Gwaine shouted, throwing the piece of parchment at him. It landed on Merlin's knee and he picked it up, opening it to see that yes, it was indeed Arthur's handwriting and it was even signed with his name at the end.
"But why would he send me apples?"
"Oi," Gwaine shook his head. "He can't very well send a bloke flowers, can he?"
"Why would he send flowers?" Merlin demanded, giving up on trying to understand this anymore. "And why does he think your kettle burns for me, what does that even mean?!"
"He thinks I fancy you, I told him I don't, you're just my mate," Gwaine shrugged, with a smirk. "He doesn't trust me I guess, thinks I'm going to scoop you up," Gwaine chuckled, finishing off the last of his apple. "But you're not really my type."
"I thought anyone was your type?" Merlin remarked, grinning, remembering Gwaine saying that very thing not too long ago. "Maybe I should be offended."
"Nah, don't bother," Gwaine told him, leaning across the table to pat his shoulder with the hand that belonged to his injured arm. "We're too good of friends; I wouldn't want to mess that up."
"I wouldn't want to either," Merlin smiled at him, before it downed on him just exactly what they were talking about. "Arthur thinks you fancy me?!"
"Of course he does," Gwaine said, seeming proud about this. "Even warned me to stay away from you, he's a greedy bastard, wants it all for himself."
"Wants what exactly?"
"You," Gwaine answered, girnning something mad, as he looked over at Merlin with a knowing look in his eye. Merlin's mouth must have fallen open, because Gwaine started laughing, but he didn't notice because he was too busy over heating at the thought.
"No," Merlin shook his head. "He loves Gwen."
"Sure he loves Gwen," Gwaine shrugged. "But that doesn't mean he doesn't want you too."
"He isn't like that."
"I'm thinking he is."
But before Merlin could rebuttal and say that no, Arthur was not like that, the door to the room opened and in walked Gaius. He scanned the scene and shook his head.
"What is going on here?" he asked, rushing over to take over what Merlin was so clearly not doing. Merlin got up and let Gaius handle Gwaine's wound, as he fiddled around the kitchen area, still stuck on Gwaine's words. Why would Arthur want him? That didn't make any sense.
Merlin left soon after that, heading up to the king's chambers, to…check on him. To be truthful, Merlin had no real reason to go up there yet, he knew the king would be bathing, that's what he always did after training. Perhaps Merlin just wanted to find out if it was true, did Arthur really want him? Gwaine could be wrong, he was wrong a lot, he was Gwaine. Though, in the time Merlin had known Gwaine, he had never been wrong once…and that was unfortunate for Merlin.
He walked right in, not knocking, even though he probably should have. He noticed the tub was still empty, and then he heard rustling behind the screen Arthur sometimes changed behind. He bit his lip.
"Merlin?" Arthur asked, from behind it.
"Yeah, it's me," Merlin called back. "Who else would it be?"
"Guinevere had shown up a few times before, so I like to make sure these days."
Merlin laughed, but he sort of wondered why exactly Gwen was sneaking in when Arthur was changing and why did it bother Arthur? If they were to be married…she would see him naked at some point, that's what marriage is for, to look at each other naked without feeling strange about it.
"What are you doing here, Merlin?" Arthur asked then. "I thought you were hiding from me so you didn't have to train?"
"Is that what you thought I was doing?" Merlin scoffed. "I was uh…busy helping Gaius."
"I saw Gaius on my way to my Chambers," Arthur caught him in his lie. "He told me you were hiding."
"Gaius needs to keep his mouth shut."
"Or perhaps you should take your safety more seriously," Arthur said, coming out from behind the screen then, wooly towel wrapped around his waist. Merlin huffed, averting his eyes to the wall, it was a lovely wall. "I don't want you getting hurt like that again, Merlin!" Merlin couldn't help it, but to look back over at the king, and flushed. "I don't want to lose you again."
"You won't," Merlin told him, and he felt this was a rather strange conversation to be having while Arthur was naked. It then it hit him that Arthur was NAKED and he averted his eyes again. He heared the splash of water and knew Arthur had gotten in the tub, but yet still, couldn't bear to look anywhere else but that patch of wall, just above Arthur's changing screen.
"Merlin," Arthur said then. "What are you looking at?"
"The wall…"
"I can see that…" Arthur trailed off, sounding amused. "But why?"
"I um…" Merlin mumbled. "I just…I don't know."
"Merlin," Arthur said then, sounding both patronizing and amused. "Turn around."
"I'd rather not…"
"Merlin…"
"Oh, look at that, Gaius is calling me; I had better go see what he wants!" Merlin said then, not turning around once as he headed toward the door. He heard Arthur laughing then.
"Are you honestly using that excuse again?"
"Excuse?" Merlin paused, still not turning around, but now facing the wall Arthur had pressed him against once. He felt the back of his ears growing hot. "What excuse?"
"Everytime I make you uncomfortable, instead of dealing with it, like a man, you make an excuse that someone is calling you," Arthur explained. "I find it rather pathetic."
"I'm not uncomfortable," Merlin said and turned around to prove the point, but he wished he hadn't. Because Arthur's hair was damp and chest was all-glistening, Merlin felt very overwhelmed suddenly.
"Not at all, hm?" Arthur asked, sliding, in the tub, closer to where Merlin stood. "Then, it would not make you uncomfortable if I demanded that you take your clothes off and get in this tub with me?"
"Why uh…why would that bother me?" Merlin asked, trying to remain conscious, because he felt sort of light headed.
"You tell me," Arthur smirked.
"Well it doesn't!"
"Then do it!"
"I'd rather not…"
"And why not?
"I'd like to but..." Merlin trailed off, biting his lip. "My-"
"Your mother is calling you?" Arthur smirked, and reluctantly Merlin nodded. "And she sounds angry?"
"Very…"
"That's what I thought."
(A/N: This chapter entertained me a lot, I'm not sure why. But I really enjoyed it, I know that the past few chapters hadn't been very fun, with dealing with Agravaine and what-not, but that must be dealt with one way or another. And I just want to say, I always make my Arthur's rather aggressive, because I just feel like he kind of was sometimes, but I'm definitely not into anything that's not consensual, just to put that out there.)
