Yes, i realize that its been a while. Im so sorry! im busy with all kinds of stuff, and im getting ready for national novel writing month which is coming up in november. Please forgive me for this sub-par, short chapter. As usual, i receive sustenance from your comments, and really, the lack of them is disparaging and upsetting. Pretty please let me know how im doing. Other than that, enjoy!

Chapter Five:

They watched a marathon of Harry Potter that evening, adding in their own commentary and laughing enough throughout that, if they hadn't seen the movies before, they would not be able to say what they were about.

Time passed quickly, and before Arthur new it, the sky had darkened and it was time to go home.

"Where's Gawain? Shouldn't he be home by now?" asked Arthur.

"Oh, don't worry about him. He's either plastered somewhere in a bar, or spending the night at Laddie's. Either way, he won't be back for a while," Merlin said dismissively. Arthur raised an eyebrow. "No, don't do that," Merlin said, shoving his hand into Arthur's face. "You look like Gaius."

"I do not!" Arthur sputtered, shoving Merlin's hand away. "And don't touch my face."

"Apologies, princess. Wouldn't want to induce blemishes on your fair skin," Merlin teased, eyes twinkling.

"No indeed," Arthur huffed. "Obviously, you're just not aware that it's not easy looking this good. You couldn't look good if you tried."

"Oh, please, Arthur. I'm so attractive you can't handle me," Merlin scoffed. "Probably just jealous of my devilish good looks."

"Yes, Merlin. That's exactly it." Merlin grinned in return, and stretched his arms over his head.

"You gonna head out now?" he asked.

"I guess so. It's late, and I have to…" Arthur let the sentence trail off, and he frowned. What do I have to do, anyways, he asked himself. Merlin grinned wolfishly.

"Looks like you have nothing to do. All that free time after exams confusing you?" he teased. Arthur glared. "Alright, alright, keep your trousers on. Sit, I'll make you some tea." Arthur felt himself salivating, and he nodded and sat down.

Merlin walked into the small kitchenette and set the tea to boil.

"What shall I serve you with today, highness? Chamomile ok for someone of your stature?" Merlin called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, that's fine."

"So where're you staying here?" asked Merlin.

"Oh, um," Arthur hesitated. "I'm staying at the Castle." Something fell and shattered in the kitchen and Merlin swore.

"Oh, fuck, ow that hurts. Goddammit that was my favorite tea cup. Shit." Arthur had jumped up at the crash, and now he made his way to Merlin, to find him looking between the bleeding gash on his hand and the shattered tea cup. Merlin shoved Arthur with his good hand. "The Castle? What the fuck? How rich could you possibly be, Pendragon, to be rooming in the Castle? Shit," Merlin sucked on his bleeding palm, Arthur's eyes fixed on the action, and feeling slightly sick to his stomach.

"It's not that I'm rich, although that does help. It's who my father is. Was," he corrected himself quickly. "It tends to get people to treat you a certain way. Everybody wants to impress the Pendragons." Arthur shrugged. "I'm used to it by now."

Merlin cuffed him upside the head. "Now that you know me, you better get unused to it, cause I don't give a shit who you are. You will work to earn my respect, or you won't get it. Period." Merlin paused. "Mordred rooms in the Castle."

"Mordred?" Arthur asked, surprised. Merlin nodded.

"Yeah, he's a scholarship kid, but his parents are massively rich. They have a foot in a whole bunch of companies, and they made some mad cash through investments. They told Mordred that he had to earn his way through life, though. He gets treated to fancy dinners once in a while when people want to see the youngest Druid, but other than that, he has a job in the shop and he lives on that and Gaius's help. Like you said, the university wants Mordred to have a good experience here, maybe impress his parents and get something in return."

"Whoa. Your cousin is a Druid?" Arthur had heard of the Druids. They were a powerful family in the world of business.

"Yeah. They don't like to talk about him too much, but he is usually there for those fancy dinners you business people attend purely to act like you're as posh as you think you are," Merlin scoffed.

"Oh, Merlin. Just because you've never been invited to the cool kids club doesn't mean that you need to be bitter about it," Arthur said with a wink. Merlin rolled his eyes and went to the bathroom, returning with a piece of gauze wrapped around his hand. Overcome by a sudden urge, Arthur spoke. "Come on, I'll take you out for dinner." Merlin gasped, his hand flying to his chest.

"Why, your highness. Are you asking me on a date?" he asked in mock surprise. Arthur rolled his eyes and resisted the urge to smile.

"Come on you idiot."

"Dollophead."

"That's a new one."

"I have a list. You should be prepared for the worst," Merlin joked.

"Alright, Merlin. What do you want to eat?" Merlin shrugged.

"I dunno. Whatever's fine, just nothing too expensive. I can't afford too much," he said.

"Pizza it is. And you're not paying," Arthur said, with a glare that shut Merlin up right away.

They wound up at a Pizza Hut, munching on a deliciously greasy deep dish pizza.

"How the hell do you not eat meat? I don't even know how you can survive," Arthur was telling Merlin. He shrugged.

"I dunno, I just… I just don't like it much. Never did. Besides, you'd be surprised at all the amazing things you can make without meat," he explained. Arthur shook his head in disgust.

"No, I'd never survive a day," Arthur said. Merlin scowled.

"Well, yeah, you're like three times my size, fatso. Of course you would eat a shitload of meat."

"I am not fat!" Arthur protested. Merlin laughed, choking on his drink a bit.

"No, but seriously. You're an athlete, and a big guy. You need lots of protein, and you probably wouldn't get enough on a no-meat diet," Merlin said, matter-of-factly.

"Lucky that I love meat, then."

"Yeah. Just watch how much you eat. You're a little on the heavy side." Arthur threw a plastic fork at him, and Merlin chortled at him.

"Oh, shut up. I will make you pay for dinner," Arthur said, pointing at him accusingly. Merlin eyed the pizza.

"I probably could afford it, but you can consider this the last time I go anywhere with you. And no more tea," he said slyly.

"Ok, no forget that. I'll pay, I'll pay." Merlin grinned.

"Thanks, Arthur," he said with false sweetness. They finished eating, and, true to his word, Arthur paid the bill.

"Come on, I'll give you a ride home," Arthur offered. Merlin sidled out of his chair.

"Oh, a proper gentleman, are you?" he said with a wink. Arthur rolled his eyes and left the shop, Merlin trailing behind him.

The air outside was still cold, but they could feel spring slowly eradicating the winter.

"It's getting warm," Arthur said with a deep breath. He let it out and his breath formed a cloud above their heads. "I can go back to wearing summer clothes."

"God, if you wear t-shirts in the winter, what do you wear in the summer?" Merlin asked. "Do I even want to know?" Arthur grinned at him rakishly.

"Of course you wanna know."

"Judging by that look, no, I really don't."

Arthur drove them back to Merlin's dorm and walked him to the door.

"So, Merlin, you gonna give me a goodnight kiss from Gawain?" he asked. Merlin smiled and leaned in, more touching his lips to Arthur's than actually kissing him, and then stepped back.

"That's from Gawain," he whispered. "Goodnight, Arthur." And the door closed behind him. Arthur stood there for a minute. Was this a date? He shook his head, and walked away, unable to wipe the goofy smile off his face. I hope it was.