Nothing made Merlin feel as carefree as just strolling. It didn't matter what time of the day or night it was, or whether it occurred inside or outside. Just walking was nice. No running around for Arthur or Gaius, no chasing down undead armies or warring with soldiers. It was as close to peaceful as the young warlock expected he'd ever get.

There was just one problem that had presented itself lately, and that was trying to avoid any run ins with the Lady Morgana herself. Now that she had returned, Merlin had been careful to watch his every move.

After all, he and Gaius were the only ones who knew the truth. Who knew that she had been the one who summoned the army that attacked Camelot from inside their own walls. That she was working with Morgause. That she wanted Uther dead, and likely Arthur too.

The boy also knew that Morgana would have no trouble convincing Uther that Merlin had tried to kill her if she so chose to. It was the truth, after all. Though every time he remembered what he'd done, it ate away at him from the inside out until the guilt felt like it was a creature trying to claw its way up his throat.

Merlin's next step faltered, and he caught his breath while forcing his thoughts to divert. He hadn't had a choice. All of Camelot would be in ruin had he not done what he did. But that knowledge didn't make it any easier to come to terms with.

Had he been the final straw that made her turn on them all? Or had Morgana always been harboring that hatred for the kingdom? Regardless, she had returned, and though Merlin had been suspicious of her staying, there was nothing he could do but wait and watch, hoping that whatever she planned next was something he could stop in time.

Heaving a sigh, the warlock rounded a corner and spotted two guards standing outside Arthur's door. A quick check on his royal surliness and Merlin would be off for the evening and setting off towards his tower.

Gaius had been far from fond of the boy's admittance to everything he had been doing, and their conversation had stretched on for many hours, and the irritation of his guardian over many days. But after a promise to not be so foolish in future endeavors, Merlin had been allowed to return the sorcerer's journal to the tower for safekeeping.

Of course, the physician had insisted that Merlin leave it beneath the floorboards and not bother with opening it again, and to his credit the warlock had listened. Well, mostly listened.

Striding past the guards and not bothering to knock, Merlin barged into the prince's room and immediately began the task of pulling down the man's bedding.

"Is there anything you need before I return home, Sire?" The boy asked, leaning over the bedspread and yanking at a pillow with hurried motions. Leaning back and lighting a candle on the royal's nightstand, Merlin paused. "Sire?"

Turning and glancing around the room, he found that the blond was nowhere to be seen. Normally that would worry him, Arthur not to be found at such a late hour, but all that meant to the warlock now was that he didn't have to spend extra time arguing with the man about rumpled sheets.

Setting the candle down and hurrying towards the door, Merlin's fingers had just brushed the handle when he heard a cough. Followed by a laugh. Then a chastising shush. And then a snort.

Frowning, Merlin paused and weighed his options. In the end, curiosity won out, and the boy took a step back into the prince's chambers.

"Arthur?" He called out, listening to the eerie silence. Squinting in suspicion, Merlin stepped back to the door and grabbed hold of the handle. "Alright, I'm leaving!" Opening the door and letting it shut a moment later, he held perfectly still until another laugh burst out from behind the prince's desk.

Striding over, Merlin stared when he saw the toe of Arthur's boot sticking out the side, and as he neared he came to a dead stop in shock at seeing the royal sprawled out on the floor.

"Merlin! What are you still doing here?" The prince demanded, though any venom the words held were lost with a slur as the royal clutched the goblet he held tighter.

"What am I doing here? What are you doing there?" Blinking at him, Merlin stepped closer. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine! Go, you're dismissed for tomorrow. Tonight. I meant tonight. Just go." The prince waved his free hand in the air, his fingers fluttering about while Merlin continued to stare.

"Are you drunk?"

"No! Are you drunk?" Arthur scoffed, pointing his empty cup at the servant. "Why are you still here, Merlin? I told you to go!"

Shifting his gaze from his friend, Merlin looked to the three pitchers sitting atop the man's desk that he'd otherwise ignored earlier. Two of them were still full, but the first was completely dry.

"You're ignoring me again, why do you always ignore me?" Arthur demanded, his body sitting up and turning so he could glare properly at the warlock. "If you're going to stay you might as well be useful."

Lifting his goblet, the man stared expectantly at him as Merlin felt his free evening slipping away. Arthur was right, why did he always have to ignore him? The prince thrust his goblet forward again and Merlin let out a sigh as he picked up one of the full pitchers.

The royal's tunic was hanging off one shoulder, and he was lazing on the floor as if he hadn't a care in the world. While the warlock liked seeing the man loosen up, he'd never seen him do it to such a degree.

"Are you drinking alone?" He couldn't help asking as the liquid poured easily into the goblet.

"Why are you asking that as if it's a bad thing?" Arthur scowled, drawing the cup close and taking a long drink.

"So, that's a yes?"

"What if I am? I'm celebrating."

"Alone."

"Yes, Merlin. Alone. Why do you care, anyway?"

Pressing his lips together, Merlin set the pitcher down and placed a hand on the desk while eyeing the man. "But why?"

"Because I can, and I wanted to, and I don't have to explain myself to the likes of you!" Thrusting out the goblet again, Merlin realized the man had downed over half of it just since they'd been arguing. "Well? Are you going to fill it?"

"I don't know that I should." Merlin grimaced, watching as the prince's arm lowered and the scowl returned.

"I am not a child, Merlin. And I am not asking." Sighing again, the boy picked up the pitcher and carefully filled the wobbling goblet as the prince gave a curt nod.

"Are you going to tell me why you are celebrating?" The warlock asked, setting the pitcher back down as Arthur rolled his shoulders and shifted against the desk.

"Morgana has returned. We didn't lose our kingdom. My father hasn't lost his mind. I have much to celebrate."

Forcing back the grimace that wanted to push through, Merlin could only shrug. "If that's the case, why didn't you just celebrate with everyone at the feast?"

For a moment Arthur paused. His face went slack, his arm lowered, and he looked entirely sober. Sober and sad.

"I can't just go around getting drunk with everyone, Merlin. I can't let my guard down in such a way." Sucking in a breath and sipping his drink, the prince's red rimmed eyes flitted to the floor. "Not around Morgana, nor my father. After everything they've gone through someone needed to.. someone needs to be stable."

A pang of sadness struck Merlin on the prince's behalf at hearing the words, at watching the life and enjoyment drain out of his friend while he sat staring into his goblet as if it contained all the answers.

"What are you doing just standing there?" Arthur demanded a moment later, cutting his eyes to his servant as Merlin forced away his wandering thoughts.

"As opposed to..?" The questioned trailed off as Arthur took another drink, gesturing vaguely beside and behind him without looking at the boy.

"Sitting."

"Are you sure you're alright? I can fetch Gaius if you're feeling ill."

"I'm not ill, Merlin."

"You sure? Because you don't seem quite right in the head right now."

With a roll of his eyes, Arthur glared in the warlock's direction. "There's a second goblet on the table over there somewhere. You should be able to find it since it's right where you left it after cleaning earlier."

"Please tell me you're not going to drink out of two cups at the same time." Merlin pled, already dreading the outcome of a royally drunk Prince Arthur.

"Don't be an idiot." The man scoffed, setting the goblet down beside him.

"Well, if it's not for you, then.." Merlin had never agreed when anyone called him an idiot. In fact, he thought he was rather clever at times. But in that moment, with the prince staring at him and a not so subtle invitation hanging in the air, Merlin felt very, very stupid. "Oh, oh you want.. but I thought.. you said you'd never be caught buying a servant a drink."

He regretted the words the moment they came out. No, getting drunk with Arthur was not high on the list of things he wanted to do that evening, but then again it wasn't often that the prince wanted to spend time with him that didn't involve making him work tirelessly.

"Well, I'm not buying it, am I?" The royal muttered, looking away and refusing to meet the warlock's eye again.

The boy hesitated for half a moment more before moving to fetch the second goblet. His previous plan for his evening had been ruined the moment he decided to pursue the noises he'd heard. However, maybe his new ones wouldn't be so terrible.

Filling his own goblet, Merlin set the pitcher down and glanced at the prince with the cup halfway to his mouth. "This isn't some sort of trick that ends with me getting flogged, is it?"

"For Heaven's sake Merlin, just drink it!" Arthur snapped, scowling up at him as the boy hurried to take a large gulp.

Without another word the prince scooted over, making room for the warlock beside him on the floor. Taking a drink as he settled his back against the large desk, Merlin stared out the window where the moon was on full display.

"What do you think happened to Morgana?" Arthur asked, causing the boy to nearly choke on his drink, the burning liquid making his eyes water as he coughed.

"What do you mean?" He asked cautiously, already reaching for the pitcher again. There was no way he was having any kind of conversation about Morgana while sober.

"Have you seen the look on her face sometimes?" The prince questioned, swirling the drink around and watching it with a small pout. "It worries me."

"She was held captive for a year, right?" The warlock shrugged, pouring his goblet full and topping off the blond's while he was at it.

"Yes, and she still won't tell me what happened during that time." The man complained, gripping his goblet tightly as Merlin drew in a breath. He didn't drink often, and he already felt himself beginning to loosen with the mead.

"Perhaps it's too difficult for her." Or perhaps she's too cautious to unveil her newfound evil. While Merlin swallowed down the private thought with another large gulp, Arthur huffed.

"Too difficult she can't even confide in us?" He asked, gaping at the boy as Merlin stared.

"What us?"

"You had a thing for her, she even asked to speak with you privately after we brought her back! She had to have told you something!"

Swallowing another gulp, Merlin's head was shaking before he'd even figured out what to say. How could he tell Arthur now that she was evil? Or that he'd poisoned her? Or that she could be secretly plotting her next attack on Camelot at that very moment?

"N-No, she didn't. Cross my heart." He added when the prince's withering stare never left. "But I'm certain that she's fine, Arthur. You saw her at the feasts, she just.. she just needs time to fit back in." Cringing at his own lies, the boy downed the rest of his goblet quickly, trying to drown out the nagging thoughts screaming at him.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Arthur narrowed his eyes as the warlock topped off their goblets once more, polishing off the second pitcher as he did.

"I've got to catch up with you, don't I?" Merlin asked, already regretting how quickly he'd been drinking as his stomach turned. When had he last eaten? He was going to hate himself for this in the morning, he just knew it.

"Did you see how drunk my father got?" Arthur snickered, his head lolling back while he shook it. "I rarely see him that far gone except on holidays."

"He was enjoying himself." Merlin relented, feeling himself settling into a calm, relaxed state now that the conversation had changed off of Morgana.

"I'm not that bad, am I?" Arthur questioned, tilting his head towards his servant who couldn't stop the grin from creeping up his face.

"Not at all. You're just whiney." Within a moment of finishing his thought, Arthur's hand reached up and smacked the back of the boy's head, jolting his body and sending his drink spilling over the lip of his goblet and into his lap. "What was that for?" He cried, hurrying to dab at the liquid while the prince frowned.

"I'm still your prince, Merlin. Have some respect."

"More like you're still a dollop head."

"What does that even mean? It makes no sense!"

"You make no sense." Merlin shot back as the two stared at each other before erupting into laughter.

"I'm empty." Arthur declared, tipping his goblet upside down as Merlin swallowed the last of his.

"Well, Sire, allow me to top you up!" Reaching for the third pitcher, Merlin stifled his laughter as he filled their cups.

"What are you laughing about?" Arthur asked, beginning to chuckle again himself while Merlin snickered.

"I wonder what the person who brought these up thought. Delivering three full pitchers to his royal highness's chambers late in the evening."

"I'm more interested in what they'll think when they retrieve them completely empty later." Arthur snorted as Merlin devolved into laughter again. "No, I'm more certain that they'll be watching tomorrow to see how useless I am." Arthur added, lifting his glass in a mock cheer that Merlin met with his own goblet.

"Or perhaps they'll be talking about how well you did in battle."

Snorting, Arthur took a sip and shook his head. "I don't need validation from you or anyone, Merlin. I know I did well."

Merlin refrained from rolling his eyes, but instead of the prince continuing to boast like the warlock expected, Arthur set his goblet down. For a moment neither man said anything, and then the prince's head was lifting, and he was staring out the window.

"I'm still vastly unprepared to rule."

The statement was said suddenly and with certainty, and Merlin gripped his drink tighter. "Your father is still here, Arthur."

"Yes, but we've seen how easily he was taken down. All this has shown me that I don't know what I'm doing. All his teaching, all my work, and I'm still unfit to be Camelot's ruler."

Sitting up a little straighter, Merlin puffed out his cheeks. "Stop worrying so much. You're a great ruler already. The people trust you, not to mention those here that are loyal to you. You'll make an even better king when the time comes, you'll see."

"How can you have so much faith in me?" The blond asked, eyeing his friend while Merlin shrugged.

"Well, when you're not bossing me around or dumping nasty water over my head, you do occasionally have some form of regality about you."

"Thanks." The prince deadpanned. "You know, I'd almost be touched if you hadn't reminded me how dirty my floors still are."

"You dirtied them up as soon as I'd cleaned them, that's no one's fault but your own." Merlin huffed, taking another drink while Arthur grabbed hold of his again.

"You're going a bit fast there, aren't you?"

"Yes, well, I'm still several glasses behind you." Merlin scoffed, taking another drink and meeting the blond's stare.

"Must you be so rude all the time? I am your prince after all." Arthur frowned as the boy shrugged.

"Give me another hour and I'll either start singing your praises or begin telling you how awful you are."

"It's obvious that you don't need to be drunk to do the latter, Merlin."

"Cheers to that." Merlin grinned, falling back into a laughing fit that even had the prince smiling.

"Shut up, Merlin. Be useful and top us up already." He commanded, thrusting out his goblet as Merlin gave a fake salute.

"Yes, Sire!" He shouted, reaching for the pitcher and pausing at the sight of them in the window.

For once they didn't look like just a prince and his servant, or the future king and a warlock. This time they just looked like two friends, laughing, grinning, and not caring how ill they'd both end up feeling in the morning when the fun was over.


A/N

After all the drama in the previous chapters, AND the first two episodes of season three I wanted a cute little refresher! Plus, we can never have enough of these two dorks bonding, right?

It's funny though, because fun fact about me, I don't drink. I'm of age, I just never have and never plan to. So writing about people who drink or get drunk is just a smidge out of my comfort zone, which I actually enjoy!

Anyway I hope you guys liked this one, and I'll see you in the next where I have some exciting news to share with you all!