Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Merlin had never seen Arthur so relaxed. Ealdor was already full of lambs jumping around, making those cute little baaing noises and even Arthur smiled when one of the lambs butted his leg. Of course, the prat wanted Merlin to clean up his breeches a second later, what with grass stains and lamb drool.
Merlin just shook his head, then turned away and started shooing the lambs back into the enclosure for the night.
One of the lambs was pretty insistent, though, following not Merlin but Arthur around, nipping at his arse, chewing on Arthur's boots, nuzzling at his hand. Arthur didn't quite giggle, but it was a near thing. He did try and turn it into a cough when he saw Merlin smiling back at him, then scowled and told Merlin to skivvy off and get on with his chores.
Merlin laughed. "Seems you have a fan. Shall I arrange for her to come back with us to Camelot? I'm sure she'd be welcome at court. We could even give her a title, maybe Princess Pratorianna of Ealdorton? And with a fine cape and a pretty coronet, she'd clean up well."
"Don't be ridiculous. Lambs are meant to be… hey, stop that." Arthur pushed Princess Pratorianna away, but he didn't push all that hard and she slipped past his hand to butt her head against his thigh. "Merlin, help me."
"It must be true love," Merlin said, giving a little snort as Arthur tried again. But when Arthur just sent him a look, Merlin shrugged. "Come on, Princess, time for dinner."
Merlin picked her up and carried her into the barn where her mother was waiting. It didn't take much persuasion for the lamb to start suckling. And then it was obvious that Princess Pratorianna had forgotten all about Arthur.
Leaning against the fence, Arthur stood there a moment, watching, Merlin next to him. "I've never helped with lambs before. It's been an interesting experience." When Merlin just smiled at him, Arthur said, "Well, except for the grass stains."
Merlin's smile turned heated. "There is something to be said for grass stains. Rolling around in the grass for one." He nudged Arthur, then nodded toward the back of Hunith's hut, where the grass was high and soft. No one would see them there. "I could show you how it's done."
"We have grass in Camelot, too. I could show you how it's done," Arthur said, his shoulder hitting Merlin's, then pulling him in for a decidedly not-innocent kiss.
Neither of them said much after that, just heated mouths on heated skin and clothes were throw around a bit and there was some panting and ecstasy to follow.
But when they were done, when they lay in the tall grass, stains soaking into cloth and skin, Merlin looked up to see Princess Pratorianna staring at them both, her mouth full of Arthur's tunic, chewing on it, turning it into rags.
Beside him, he could hear Arthur sputtering in outrage, but Merlin just laughed again and pulled Arthur back for another round.
And if Princess Pratorianna came with them back to Camelot, well, Arthur would just deny why.
But Merlin knew. It was true love after all. That, and grass stains.