Merlin has a better day today, but he is still sad. He regrets his foot-in-mouth syndrome again, again. But, he reckons, at least there is no fighting. Instead, he spends a fair amount of time embracing his love of mythology, and so, Merlin concludes that his day is not at all that bad, although he is feeling somewhat ill.
Nevertheless, he finds himself tiptoeing around Arthur when back home at the flat tonight. Arthur lets Merlin know that Arthur is willing to listen, but Merlin only gives small anecdotes of his day. Arthur doesn't press for more. Out of gratitude - or maybe it's the sadness – Merlin presses himself close to Arthur when they lounge in bed. Dressed in only soft sleep bottoms, Merlin takes advantage of heir closeness to pet at the smattering of hair on Arthur's chest.
Arthur uses Merlin's distracted laziness to read the closest of Merlin's writing from the day that Arthur can reach without jostling Merlin. A few short paragraphs in, Merlin speaks up, adding to and correcting his notes. It shocks Arthur as he had thought that Merlin hadn't taken any notice to what Arthur was doing. But, Arthur reasons, if Merlin is anything like Arthur - which he is - when it comes to being tentative and touchy, then of course Merlin has taken notice to Arthur's every move. Merlin has probably even been reading right alongside Arthur the whole time.
"Tell me about it?"
The moment Arthur sees he ever lessening guard to Merlin's bright eyes, Arthur decides right then and there that he will hang onto every word. As if he wasn't going to anyways.