A/N: I appreciate your reviews! :) Here's the next chapter!!

Merlin was once again lying in the grass, eyes closed, relishing the feel of Arthur's presence next to him.

"Merlin?"

"Yes, sire?" Merlin answered, unable to stop himself from using the formal "sire."

"How many times have I told you that you can ignore the formalities when we're alone?"

"I'm sorry, Arthur," Merlin said, turning to look at his Prince. "What did you want to tell me?"

"I was about to say that I'm lucky to have you as a friend."

Merlin was in shock; he couldn't believe that he hadn't woken up yet. For months the dream hadn't changed, and now this.

"Friend?" Merlin asked, surprised Arthur hadn't said "servant."

"Yes," Arthur replied, leaning on his elbow to look at Merlin. The light breeze tousled his hair. "You stay with me even though I can be…" He searched for the right term.

"Prattish?" Merlin suggested, and he was suddenly punched in the arm. "Ow!"

Arthur smirked at him, but continued. "You're the most loyal friend I've had."

"Well, thanks," Merlin replied, rather lamely. "Arthur, can I tell you something?" He wanted to take this opportunity that the dream had given him.

"Anything, Merlin."

His heart soared at the way his name sounded coming from those royal lips.

"Arthur, I-"

"Merlin, get up! You're going to be late!"

Damn it all to hell, Merlin thought, covering his head with his pillow. But he couldn't feel as annoyed as he should; the dream had changed, and that made Merlin's day a little brighter.

As he accompanied Arthur on the hunting trip, he wondered if Arthur really did consider him a friend, and not just a servant.

"Merlin, you idiot, keep up!" Arthur snapped at him, several yards ahead of the young warlock.

"Prat," Merlin muttered. He urged his horse forward.

Deep inside himself Merlin knew that Arthur did consider him as more than a mere servant. He had saved Merlin's life when he was poisoned by Nimueh, and he showed that he was willing to sacrifice himself for Merlin when he was tested after killing the unicorn. Even then he had told Merlin that he was glad he was there with him, and that meant a great deal to him.

Maybe Arthur does like me.

Merlin sat by the campfire later that day, pulling leaves and twigs out of his hair. While he had been thinking about Arthur, his horse had been spooked, and Merlin had promptly been thrown into the undergrowth. The undergrowth had been so dense that it completely hid Merlin's winded body and it took the knights a good fifteen minutes to locate him. To say that Arthur had been annoyed was an understatement.

"You really are completely useless, aren't you?" Arthur asked him as he took a seat next to his manservant.

Merlin chuckled lightly. "If I'm so useless, why did you bring me?"

Arthur turned his head away from Merlin, looking into the fire, but not before Merlin saw the light blush creeping up his face. "I felt it was my duty to let Camelot have a few days without your presence," he said.

"I'm not that bad!" Merlin protested.

"Oh, really? What about when you tried to boil me with my bathwater?"

Merlin opened his mouth to protest, but quickly closed it. That had been his fault.

"That's what I thought," Arthur said, clearly happy that he had won the argument. He smiled at Merlin. "You have a leaf in your neckerchief."

Merlin quickly brushed it off, and looked back at Arthur.

"Get some rest," Arthur advised. "You'll need it for tomorrow; you're carrying our supplies." His amused smile turned to his usual arrogant smirk as he left Merlin grumbling by the fire.

Merlin's dream that night didn't make any more progress before he was awakened by the real Arthur.

"Merlin, you idiot, get up!"

He opened his eyes to see an irate Arthur. Oh, god, he had overslept.

"Good morning," Arthur said. "Did you have a good sleep?"

Merlin knew it was bad idea to respond. He just looked up at the prince.

"Well, I hope you did, because you get to carry this today." Without warning, he dropped a rather heavy bag on Merlin, causing him to grunt.

"Great," Merlin replied, shifting the bag off of himself.

As Arthur left him to get ready for the hunt, Merlin wished that he could go back to sleep, back to his dream, back to a much more pleasant Arthur.

A/N: I've already started on chapter 3, so I'll try to have that done by Monday... Reviews will make me write faster... *hint*hint* ;D