Once they got back to Arthur's parents house, they had dinner with the family. Grilled chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans, Arthur didn't like the green beans. When his mother wasn't looking, Merlin let him scrape them onto his plate instead. Arthur had never been more in love than in that moment.
"Are you excited for your party?" Merlin asked Morgan, slowly eating Arthur's green beans. Morgan's party was the day after tomorrow, she seemed excited about it.
"Oh yeah, I've got the greatest black dress getting tailored," Morgan explained. Arthur just couldn't wait to spend a whole night with snotty teenage girls. At least Merlin would be there.
"I've finally got everything ready, I just ordered the cake today," Arthur's mother said then. "Nothing's too good for my little girl, you only turn sixteen once."
"I didn't get a party for my sixteenth birthday," Arthur complained then.
"You got a car!" Morgan retorted.
"Oh, that's right," Arthur smirked, remembering his first car. Watching as Merlin snorted into his plate. He turned back to Morgan then. "Because mum and dad trust me to drive."
"But they can't trust you to give them grandchildren, now can they?"
"Morgan!" their mother shrieked. While Merlin chocked on the green beans.
"Not true, actually," Arthur said, cockily. "We can adopt, while you…no one would ever want to spawn with you."
"Arthur!" their mother shrieked again. Merlin was still choking.
"Spawn?" Morgan asked, outraged. "At least I won't be waiting for my baby to hatch, like you and your boyfriend will be!"
"If we ever did adopt a baby we would never allow him or her around you," Arthur barked at her, standing up. "It might pick up bad habits, like scratching it's self or smelling it's backside!"
"You would know all about backsides, wouldn't you, Arthur?"
"Robin, control your children!" their mother finally yelled, but it was too late. Arthur was already stomping out of the kitchen, to the stairs and finally, into his room.
He sat on his bed, annoyed, he was used to this though, he and his sister fought all the time, it had been this way since they were children. He even remembered when Morgan was a baby, and how he swore she would purposely throw her bowl of cheerios at him.
A few minutes later Merlin walked in, looking wide eyed. He smiled at Arthur and sat down next to him.
"That was interesting," he said, which Arthur could only laugh at. "And to think it all started because I asked a question..."
"It's not your fault, it's Morgan, she loves to piss me off," Arthur shrugged. "She's probably happy now, knowing she got to me."
"I guess that's how sisters are," Merlin shrugged too, getting up and moving to sit on his own bed. "They love to annoy their big brothers."
"Maybe," Arthur shrugged, but his mind was on something else now. Their whole fight had been about Merlin and Arthur having a baby, the idea sounded pretty good actually. He looked up and saw Merlin sitting on the other bed, playing with the watch on his wrist. "Are you ready to try again?"
"After all that?" Merlin looked up. "Do you really think you can relax?"
"Yeah," Arthur said. "I want to remember!"
"I don't know why you are pushing this so much…"
"Well, you're certainly not," Arthur barked at him a bit. "I thought you would want the king back!"
"Is that why you're doing this, because you think I want you to?" Merlin asked, standing up suddenly. "Because I don't want you to do it, and then blame me when it's not what you thought it'd be."
"Who else would I do this for?" Arthur asked, in return. "Can we just..."
"No," Merlin told him, shaking his head. "It will never work if it's just for me, you have to want to."
"I do want to!" Arthur all but yelled.
"But why?"
Arthur huffed, looking away from him, he didn't want to, and wouldn't fight with Merlin. He looked back at him and sighed.
"You wouldn't understand."
Merlin just gave him a look, as if this confused him. Arthur thought, it probably had.
"Alright, fine," he said then. "Close your eyes, try to relax."
Arthur nodded, closing his eyes and trying to relax. He took deep breaths, trying to concentrate on keeping his mind clear, yet open at the same time. He felt Merlin's hand on his knee, and then another hand on his shoulder. Doubling touching, that might help. Seconds ticked by and it wasn't working, not that it ever did…
"Just relax, Arthur," Merlin said, and Arthur could swear he felt Merlin's warm breath on his face. He tried to keep his mind clear and open though, plus relaxed. More seconds ticked by and nothing was happening, but then….something did happen.
Not in Arthur's head, on his lips, something he never expected. Merlin was kissing him, soft and gentle. Arthur gasped against his lips, and Merlin suddenly pulled away and stood up right.
"Did I read the signs wrong?" he asked, a bit of panic in his voice. It reminded Arthur of the Merlin that had shown up on his door. "I just thought….and how you've been acting…and your mum this morning…I just thought."
Arthur began to laugh then, and Merlin looked all the more alarmed.
"I'm sorry, I…I-"
"Shut up, Merlin," Arthur told him, pulling him back down by the front of his shirt, bringing their lips together once more. It took half of a second, if that, for Merlin to kiss him back. Arthur suddenly wondered how come Merlin hadn't done this sooner, or why Arthur had been so afraid to do it himself. It was lovely, no.…it was wonderful. No, it was perfect! Kissing Merlin was the best thing he had ever done, he had just decided.
He pulled Merlin closer, the guilty hand that had pulled him down into the kiss was now creeping it's way around Merlin's neck. Merlin, who was now tilting his head, leaned closer. Lungs in need of air, Arthur reluctantly pulled back, grinning. (Probably like an idiot.)
"Arthur…" Merlin murmured, it was only then, that Arthur realized Merlin was still standing and that would just simply not do. He pulled him down, into his lap, which was rather awkward, and then pushed him into the bed. "Arthur…!"
"Can I help you, Merlin?" he asked, as he climbed on the man underneath him, as he had done many times before. But this time, with much greater purpose. He didn't give Merlin time to answer, because he was now occupying his lips with kisses. But he didn't seem to mind and wrapped his arms around Arthur's neck, pulling him down further.
It wasn't too long before their innocent kisses turned into heated, opened mouth kisses. With tongues fighting, teeth biting and hands sneaking up shirts. Arthur didn't bother with talking, even though Merlin seemed like he wanted to. They would figure out who felt what later, for now, kissing was much better. When air was an absolute need again, for what could possibly be the fourth or fifth time by now, Arthur pulled away, taking in a few deep breaths, before trailing kisses down Merlin's jawbone, to his neck.
"Arthur…" Merlin mumbled. Here we go again, he thought. Sinking his teeth into the skin his mouth was covering, it made Merlin jump a bit. "Arthur!"
"What?"
"Um…" Merlin stumbled for a second, still sounding a bit out of breath. "What made you, I mean…I know your mum said you fancied me, but I just wonder…why?"
"Why?" Arthur asked, pulling back and looking at Merlin with a smile. "I have no idea."
"I was worried you'd say that," Merlin said then, trying to wiggle his way out from under Arthur, but Arthur wouldn't have any of that. "I don't want you to do this, if you're just doing it to make me feel like-"
"Do you really think I would do that?"
"I don't know," Merlin frowned then, Arthur pecked him on the lips to wash it away.
"I really do fancy you, Merlin, I don't know why, yes, but…" Arthur paused for a second. "It might be because I like being with you, and spending time with you, you're nothing like anyone I've ever been with, not even because you're a bloke. You love my cat and like my family. Maybe there isn't some profound reason why, but I just feel it."
"You just feel it?" Merlin asked, with a smirk.
"I do," Arthur grinned, and then they were kissing again.
They didn't do much but kiss, they didn't need to, not yet. In the morning, when Arthur woke up Merlin was snuggled into his side, head resting on his chest. It was lovely, and Arthur couldn't help himself but to trail his fingers up and down the soft skin of Merlin's arm. It wasn't long after that, that Merlin woke up, tilting his head and smiling up at Arthur.
"Morning," Arthur said, smirking a bit.
"Hello," Merlin smiled still, leaning up, and pressing his lips to Arthur's, Arthur could get used to this. Merlin pulled away after a few second and laughed. "I can't believe this."
"Me either," Arthur admitted. Merlin laughed again and pressed a kiss to Arthur's clothed chest, but it still managed to leave a firer inferno in the pit of his stomach.
"We should get up now, before your mum comes in and catches us…."
Arthur agreed, but he still didn't move, in fact, he just tightened his grip around Merlin and closed his eyes. He could feel and hear Merlin laughing as he tried to struggle free of Arthur's hold.
"Come on, you clotpole!"
Arthur reluctantly let Merlin go then and they got up. While getting ready Arthur found he couldn't stop grinning and he really wished he would, so his family wouldn't think he was crazy. But it was alright, he supposed, because Merlin looked the same, grinning madly to himself. And one worse, had a bit of a red mark on his neck, that was thanks to Arthur of course.
He found himself grinning again, as they walked down the stairs together. In the kitchen they sat down and were served breakfast, more pancakes, and Arthur began eating.
"You two are quiet this morning," Arthur's mother commented, once she sat down. Arthur shrugged, keeping the grin at bay the best he could. "It's not because of Morgan is it?"
Arthur heard Morgan huffing into her plate.
"Course not," Arthur said, glancing over to his sister, before looking back at his mum.
"Good," his mother said then. "Because I need you to take Morgan to the mall today to pick up her dress."
"Why do I have to do it?" Arthur asked, annoyed. He'd much prefer to spend the whole day locked up in his bedroom with Merlin.
"Because your father has work and I have running around to do," his mother explained, he growled. "Merlin, if you're going, try to keep these two from killing each other please," Arthur's mum said then, turning to Merlin, who nodded. Morgan suddenly snorted.
"As if Arthur's going to go anywhere without his boyfriend."
(A/N: Well, it's finally happened...there was kissing! This chapter was a bit short, but that will be made up for in the next chapter, it's really long and VERY important, I am not kidding this time, the next chapter is the chapter we find out (well, you find out, I already know,) why this story is called Flames in the Fire. YAY!)