Title: Since Before (6/8)

Author: Solarbaby

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Merlin is not mine.

Words: 379

Summary: Slash. Merlin has been Arthur's since day one.

Spoilers/Warnings: None

Notes: It's getting close to the end. That's sad…

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

The first thing that Arthur thought when a sixteen year-old Merlin busted into his room in the middle of the night was if tossing him a cell for the rest of the night would have been overkill. Then Merlin was right there, beside his bed and tugging at his covers. He reached out, wrapped a hand around his friend's wrist and tugged.

Merlin yelped and crashed to the mattress, an arm wrapping around his waist. "Let me go!" He struggled only to have the arm tighten and a face nuzzle into his neck.

"Why?"

Arthur got a babbling rant in reply; something about dreams and Morgana (which he really didn't want to hear about) but it was when he said the word dragon that his interest spiked. "Did you say just that there was a dragon under the castle?"

Roughly half an hour later he found himself following an exuberant Merlin down a dark hallway. When he reached the opening he barely stopped his jaw from dropping. And the tale that the dragon spun had him thinking that maybe he had knocked his head too hard during training. Talking about 'being a great king' and 'two sides of the same coin' and he was pretty sure he heard something about a teapot as well and Arthur was sure he would have found it fascinating if he wasn't so tired.

During all this, Merlin was practically bouncing. He was watching the prince was a bright expression which turned amused when Arthur turned and rested his head on the sorcerer's shoulder.

"It is far too late for this," he muttered as they headed back to Arthur's room. A reached up, patted him on the head and Arthur got the sinking feeling that Merlin was patronizing him. So he did the only think he could think of.

Merlin jerked away in reply and stared. "Did you just pinch my butt?"

"Maybe," Arthur replied, before reaching out and pulling the dark haired teen to his side. He leaned down and nipped at Merlin's neck, getting a moan in response. "See, you belong with me. Even the dragon knew it."

The look he got from Merlin was nothing short of incredulous before an eye roll took its place. "As if I ever doubted it."