An hour an a half after sitting down to eat, and after cleaning up from this fancy meal, which luckily for Merlin, Arthur had helped too. He had actually done all the dishes, while Merlin had put all the leftovers in containers and put them into the fridge. They now sat in the sitting room, on the sofa. Both of them probably had just a little too much wine-glass beer and Merlin knew this because he felt a little more tired than he really ought to. It was only nearly eight, no where near time for bed, but the mix of belly warming food and beer told him differently. This made Merlin kind of slump onto the sofa and made it so Arthur, who looked as if he was experiencing a similar problem, not bother to turn on the telly.

"So, do you like it?" asked Merlin, after a few minutes of them just sitting there, not talking. And perhaps he should have said more, because he realized after he said it and by the way Arthur looked over at him confused, he really wasn't making sense. "Your job," he continued. "Do you like it?"

"Oh," Arthur smiled, a sleepy, huffy, kind of laugh-smile thing. "It was only day one, but I think I will, yeah." He looked over at Merlin as he said this and slightly turned himself on the sofa, so he could look at Merlin with less effort. He continued talking after that. "You know, every morning they have this meeting in the Head's office, and we're supposed to talk about...whatever we want, Because this was my first day, they asked why I was working, what was my motivation."

"What did you say?" asked Merlin, inching closer to Arthur, and trying with effort to keep his eyes open. Arthur shrugged at the question.

"I said for my family."

"Well, that sucks," said Merlin, a little more roughly than he had meant to, and Arthur frowned at him.

"What should I have said?" he retorted. "For my husband's bird habit?"

"It's not a bird, it's a Puffin..."

Arthur openly rolled his eyes. "Right..."

"Well," said Merlin then, slipping a little closer to him yet again. "You must have liked it, because you didn't even call me."

Arthur took pause at this, looking at Merlin intently, with a raised eyebrow, but some sort of half uncertain half smile look on his face. "Was I supposed to?"

"It would've been nice..." Merlin shrugged, and he had shrugged so aggressively that his shrug ended with him being leaned against Arthur's side, which was both on purpose and also not. "I was here all day...by myself...bored."

"Aw," said Arthur, in a very asshole like tone. Yet, he did not question their sudden closeness, instead he weaved his arm from around Merlin's shoulder, down his back and his hand came to rest on Merlin's right hip. "You missed me."

Merlin was tired and a little drunk, he couldn't function enough to answer that question truthfully, even if he knew the truth to the question or not. Which, right now, he wasn't sure he did. Instead, Merlin laid his head on Arthur's shoulder and drew patterns with his fingers into the silkily-ness of Arthur's trouser pant-leg. "So what if I did?" he promoted, probably a little too late. It took Arthur a little longer to answer back this time though, too.

"Oh, who's flirting with who now?"

Merlin swiveled his body a little bit, turning his head to face Arthur. Facing Arthur was kind of hard right now, due to how close they were, Merlin couldn't barely make his face out perfectly clearly, but he glared at him all the same. "Why would I want to flirt with you?" Arthur shrugged, smirking all the same though. "You're a jerk...who doesn't even call me."

"I promise to call you tomorrow," said Arthur, without having to think about it much and Merlin pouted.

"You had better," he warned, which made Arthur smirk more.

"...if I get around to it."

Merlin growled. "You're an asshole!"

Arthur laughed. "Wow...and to think I thought you liked me."

"Who ever told you that...?"

Arthur shook his head and looked down at Merlin, as he sort of slouched against him, his body contorted in a strange way, so they could look at each other. They're eyes met now and Merlin's lolled hand went from sitting idle on Arthur's leg to coming up and resting on Arthur's chest. Arthur inched closer, as he spoke again, but this time he spoke in almost a whisper, Merlin could feel him talking, as his warm breath danced on Merlin's face. "I must've been confused with someone else..." he said. "Perhaps your other husband..."

"Jealous...?" Merlin retorted back, in the same sort of soft, whisper, yet asshole tone. Arthur bit his bottom lip before he replied, trying to hide the playful smile that wanted to come out.

"Extremely..."

This whisper had gotten them even closer, to the point where it was impossible to be any closer. Not only that, it was also impossible, due to the closeness, to tell who exactly had leaned in the rest of the way. But the logistics didn't matter now, now their lips were pressed together, unmoving, but pressed together. Both sets of lips slightly ajar, as if neither of them had actually expected for this to happen, but it was happening. And Arthur was the one to pull back, if only slightly, looking highly alarmed and confused, but Merlin with his stupid, fuzzy brain didn't let that register in his head, he leaned forward and their lips were pressed together again. Once more, not moving, just held there. When Merlin realized this was entirely stupid of him, perhaps thirty seconds after doing it, he pulled back himself this time. Arthur looked at him, less alarmed and confused, but now slightly stupid looking himself and then leaned forward and pressed their lips together for a third time. This time Merlin was just letting it happen, he was only going to hold himself so responsible. Neither of them pulled away. Merlin pressed a little harder, rather than let their lips just sit there, together, he actually kissed him. Arthur let out a shaky sort of breath as this happened, but kissed back too, and for about possibly fifty seconds they were actually kissing, kissing each other with very serious intent. That was until fifty one seconds in and they heard the sound of the front door opening and then shutting with a slam, and they both shoved each other away, with such aggressiveness, that none of this might have even happened at all.

Gwen walked in and happily greeted Arthur with a high pitched, "Arthur!" and didn't even acknowledge that Merlin was there at first. Merlin was alright with this, because he didn't necessarily feel badly for this slight mishap that had just occurred, but more so felt fear that she might just know that it happened. That's what it was too, a mishap, Merlin wasn't stupid enough to think that it had happened for any other reason. It was an accident, both of them were tired and full, and a little drunk, they are in a tricky situation where this should be normal. They're married, they should kiss each other, but they can't and they won't because it is all fake. Merlin should probably feel badly about it, too. He really should, he had unintentionally betrayed his sister, but he really didn't. Gwen sat herself on Arthur's lap and touched his chest, just like Merlin had done a few moments ago. "How was work?"

"Alright," said Arthur, with nothing else added to it. It was then that Gwen looked over at Merlin for the first time and raised an eyebrow.

"Did you order pizza or will I have to order him something?"

"I did," said Merlin and then he stood up. Because he couldn't have a normal conversation right now, especially not with Gwen. "I'm gonna go to bed."

Gwen didn't bother replying to him, and turned her attention back to Arthur, muttering something in his ear, but he ignored it. "Merlin," he said, and Merlin paused before he left, feeling a strange, even fuzzier feeling wash over him at the sound of his name on Arthur's lips. He didn't want to hear him say his name right now, not with the memory of their lips together so very fresh in Merlin's mind. He looked back at Arthur and Arthur smiled. "Thank you for the pizza," he said, and he said it so genuinely, with the kindest and warmest smile Merlin had ever seen. It made Merlin kind of want to die a little. "It was perfect."

Merlin smiled back, with a real smile, he couldn't help it, as a stupid, warm glow filled him just a little too much. "Any time," he replied, and then left. The problem was though, is Merlin really meant that.

(A/N: I know I just updated but I wanted to post this chapter for you all to see and then I probably won't up date for a few days. I I get excited with more important chapters and I get impatient, and have to most them. I hope you all like it, I love this chapter. Not because they kiss...I mean I can make them do that any time I want them to, I write this thing. But because it really shows their relationship and chemistry next to Arthur and Gwen's and I'm not saying I know which one is better but... I am also saying I know which one is better! Anyways, enjoy!)