Arthur didn't know if Merlin did this on purpose or if there really was something extraordinarily wrong with him, more so than everyone already suspected.
"Merlin," he said with thinly veiled annoyance, as Merlin attempted to clasp Arthur's ceremonial robe. "I know you think you're special but the feast isn't exactly waiting for you to get started."
"It's stuck!" snapped Merlin, obviously getting a little irritated himself. He fumbled helplessly with the clasp. "What do you want me to do?"
"Uh, try being competent at your job?" suggested Arthur.
Merlin sighed, shooting him an exasperated look. "Are you sure you don't just want a new servant?"
"Well, I'm stuck with you, aren't I?"
"Are you? I'm happy to step down."
"Shut up Merlin and hurry up!" said Arthur, effectively ending the conversation. He was unwilling to even entertain the thought of not seeing Merlin's stupid face every day. It wasn't that he was too fond of him or something like that; he just liked to adhere to a routine and Merlin was a big part of it. That was all.
Merlin rolled his eyes insolently, just as the clasp finally fit into place. "There."
"Thank you," Arthur mocked, adjusting the robe a little.
"You're welcome," fired back Merlin. "Now let's go."
Arthur gave a dry laugh, crossing his arms. "It's astonishing how often you give me orders."
"Someone's got to," mumbled Merlin, as he went to the door.
"Wait!" Arthur said suddenly. "Something's missing."
Merlin stopped in his steps and looked him up and down. "Everything seems fine, Arthur."
"My coronet!" Arthur said. "Where is it?"
"Oh!" exclaimed Merlin, moving across the room to the chest of drawers beside the bed. "Of course. It's right here."
He opened one of the drawers and stared.
"Uhhh," he hesitated, rapidly trying the other drawers.
Arthur raised his eyebrows. "Well?"
Merlin turned around and gave him a tight smile. "So we might have a problem. A small one. A teeny-weeny tiny little proble –"
"Merlin."
"The coronet's not here."
"WHAT -!"
"Oh, calm down. It should be around here somewhere," Merlin assured him, running a hand through his hair and looking around the chambers at the various cabinets and drawers and cupboards with narrowed eyes, as if they'd conspired against him and hid the coronet somewhere.
"Merlin, I swear if you've lost my coronet –"Arthur warned, pointing his index finger at Merlin threateningly, not that that had ever worked in the past.
Merlin laughed awkwardly. "I haven't lost it," he said unconvincingly.
"You don't sound so sure!" cried Arthur.
"God Arthur, would you please be quiet for a moment? I'm trying to think," said Merlin, pinching the bridge of his nose and screwing his eyes shut in concentration.
The –the nerve of him! Arthur couldn't believe this. Merlin had misplacedhis coronet right before an important event and he was asking Arthur to be quiet. Honestly, when had he stopped putting Merlin in the stocks and why?
"Think? You can do that?" he asked in a biting tone.
"Got it!" Merlin declared, rushing to the far end of the room to the folding screen, beside which was a hidden compartment in the wall.
He opened it with clumsy hands and proudly brandished the gleaming coronet from there, grinning widely.
Arthur shook his head in disbelief, propping his hands on his hips. "Honestly, Merlin…you are a wonder."
Merlin rolled his eyes and held out the circlet to him. "Here."
Arthur made no move to take it from him. "What about my hair?"
"Your hair," repeated Merlin, and then exhaled tiredly. "You couldn't have combed your own hair while I was searching for your precious coronet?"
"It's your job," Arthur informed him.
"Is it really?" Merlin questioned, cocking his head to one side. "Besides, it looks fine."
"Oh it does, does it?" said Arthur. He held eye-contact with Merlin and proceeded to push a hand through his hair, ruffling it so that it stood up on all ends and wasn't at all presentable. That'd teach him.
"How about now?" he asked, smirking ever so slightly.
Merlin gaped at him incredulously. "I can't believe you just did that," he said slowly, "when you were the one harking on about being late a few minutes ago."
"The damage is already done," Arthur said smiling, counting this as a win.
Merlin shook his head in a way that made Arthur feel less proud of victory, which was rather unfair if you asked him.
Merlin forcefully grabbed the comb from the dressing table and stepped into Arthur's space to run it through his horribly messy hair. Arthur suppressed a contented sigh as the pleasurable feeling of someone else touching his hair swept over him. He observed the light from the candles that fell on the panes of Merlin's cheekbones, making them look even sharper and casting a shadow on one side of his face which gave him an enigmatic air.
Well, he couldn't be blamed for this. He had nothing else to do just standing there, might as well enjoy the view.
Finally, Merlin was able to get his hair to stay put and he grabbed the coronet lying beside them on the table to place it on Arthur's head.
Arthur sucked in a breath. This was the first time Merlin had done that.
Arthur didn't need to wear a coronet every day and when he did during special occasions, he wore it himself. There hadn't ever been an opportunity for Merlin to do it. Except now.
The moment held a certain intimacy that made Arthur's stomach clench. The intricate headdress in Merlin's dainty fingers as he gently placed it on Arthur's head, his lovely eyes fully focused on the task, the way he adjusted it and pushed Arthur's hair back from his forehead. It was almost too much.
Arthur's eyes involuntarily went to Merlin's lips. They were parted and bitten into a bright pink colour. As he stared at them, he wondered, just for a moment, how it would be like to tip Merlin's chin down, lean in and just…
No, no, no. He couldn't think about this. Not right now. He should have other pressing matters on his mind. Like the feast. The feast with the very important foreign dignitaries certainly took precedence over how attractive he found his manservant.
Merlin glanced at him with his eyes narrowed curiously. "Is everything okay?"
"Fine," he said tightly, swallowing through the uncomfortable lump that had formed in his throat. "Just don't let my wine glass go empty tonight, no matter what."
Merlin grinned and nodded, his little dimples peeking out on both cheeks, which always meant trouble for Arthur. He averted his eyes and quickly took several steps back, lest he gave in and did something horribly inappropriate.
Merlin took one last look at Arthur's appearance and gave his silent approval.
Arthur pretended to not notice when Merlin's eyes lingered in a few places. After all, he'd extended Arthur the same courtesy.
However, if anything were to happen after the feast under the influence of copious amounts of wine…well, he was hardly to blame.
Merlin, he soon found out, agreed.
A/N: Yes, I continued it! And am planning to continue further. This fic will have a total of five chapters, I think.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it was because of you that I decided to write more for this story in the first place. I hope you enjoy!
Stay home and stay safe. I know these are some troubling times we're going through, I hope everyone is okay.
Till next time!