Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a bright new day and with it, another magical entity wreaking havoc. Uther had simply ordered Arthur to go get rid of the creature that was terrorizing a village nearby and had specifically informed him to do it alone. Naturally, that meant that Merlin would go with Arthur. Even Uther knew he couldn’t separate the boy from his master for longer than a day.

So Arthur had told him to pack everything, and they set out towards the village, whereupon reaching, Arthur insisted on doing his quest undercover. Arthur became Artie and Merlin became Marlin. Due to the disguise, Arthur couldn’t wave around his royalty to get away with whatever he wanted, and that is how they were stuck in a dingy inn with only one small room for the night, which had barely enough floor to stand on much less sleep.

Arthur, being the generous prince that he was, allowed Merlin to sleep on the bed, which he not-so graciously accepted. They shuffled around the bed a little, testing the boundaries, and ended up curled on the edge, with their backs to each other.

An hour later, Arthur was spread across the bed like an eagle while Merlin fumed on one corner. He knew the royal prat did this on purpose. The warlock sought out the candle in the room and lit it with his magic. Then he curled his knees to himself and glared at the prince.

Arthur was lying on his stomach, head on his pillow while his hands clutched the other pillow tightly. His soft snores were the only sound in the room, and Merlin had to admit grudgingly that the prat looked very peaceful at the moment. Despite the gross drool pooling out of his mouth and on the pillow.

Nevertheless, Merlin needed his sleep, and this would just not do. He shook the prince’s shoulder a little, hoping he would wake and move over. But he did not get a response.

“Arthur, you’re taking up the entire bed. Move!” he hissed, but Arthur did not move. In fact, he lay there so still and silent that if Merlin did not know better, he would have thought his prince was dead. But he did know better, and that Prince prat was awake and doing this on purpose.

“I know you’re awake, you thick-skinned clotpole, now move! Or I swear I will kick your fat bottom out the bed.”

Arthur grunted in response and pushed his face further in the pillow. Okay, Merlin thought to himself. Time to take things into his own capable hands. He shifted so his legs now rested against Arthur’s side, and he pushed. The prince did not budge.

“For fucks sake, Arthur, get out,” he mumbled, and continued to push. When he got no results, his shoulders sagged, and he sat there panting heavily. Then he cracked his knuckles and pushed Arthur out of the bed and onto the floor with his magic.

The royal prat tumbled to the hard floor and fell with a loud thump. Merlin covered his laugh with his hand and quickly lay down on the bed, grabbing his pillow and pulling the covers up to his chin. Arthur sat up, with a glare so intense that Merlin shivered under it. And then he dived into the bed and pulled the blanket away from the warlock.

“Wha-Arthur! Give me the blanket!” Merlin said, pulling at the covers. Arthur stuck out his tongue like a child and shifted to his side, stealing the warmth away. Merlin grumbled under his breath and moved so he was closer to Arthur and covered by the blanket.

With the warmth emanating from Arthur, Merlin quickly drifted off to sleep, a little less bothered than before about the lack of cover.

It quickly bothered him more when he was awoken rather rudely in his sleep by the prat tugging on the blankets again.

“Stop hogging the blanket, Merlin,” Arthur mumbled, his voice slurring due to his half-asleep state. Merlin would’ve been a puddle of melted warlock usually at the sultry tone the voice took, but at that moment in the middle of the night, all he cared about was getting his blanket back.

He pulled back the covers with great strength. “You’ve stolen the blanket, prat.”

“Can’t talk to me that way. I’m royalty.”

“A royal pain in my arse for sure.”

Arthur’s elbow hit his stomach at that, and Merlin cried out in pain. For someone so muscular, not that Merlin took notice, he had very sharp elbows.

“Don’t be such a girl, Merlin,” the prince grumbled. The tug of war over the blanket had ended with their backs against each other, and the blanket barely being able to cover them both. Merlin rubbed his stomach and continued to insult Arthur in his head with words that would’ve had his mum wash his mouth with soap.

He shuffled a bit, trying to get a little warmer in the chilly room, and he ended up with even less blanket than before.

“For goodness- Alright.” Arthur turned around and flung his arm across Merlin’s waist. Merlin’s breath caught in his throat, and he willed his wildly beating heart to calm down. It was just because of the situation, he tried to justify it to himself. It had nothing to do with Arthur’s chest against his back, and how the prat had his legs over Merlin’s. It had absolutely nothing to do with how Merlin instantly felt warm and how their bodies seemed to fit together so perfectly.

Merlin squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stop his train of thought.

“Stop thinking so much, Merlin. Just sleep,” Arthur mumbled against the back of his neck, his lips leaving ghost kisses across it. And just like that, Arthur put his lips at his neck and kept it there. Merlin could not sleep now, not with Arthur kissing his bloody neck!

Arthur let out a small snore, indicating that he had fallen asleep. But his movement did not change, and neither did the position of his lips. Merlin let his hands cover Arthur’s which were resting on his stomach now and fell asleep to the beats of his prince’s heart.

---

When morning came, Arthur was first to wake, and he noticed how Merlin’s small frame was tangled with his own. Dark, messy hair was sprayed right next to his head, and his servant had his arm flung around Arthur’s torso. His soft breaths tickled the nape of the prince’s neck, and his arm, which he just noticed was wrapped around Merlin’s waist, tightened at the contact.

His pillow was left discarded to the side as they shared a single one. Merlin’s legs were flitted right across Arthur’s and if he turned his head ever so slightly, he was sure he could kiss him easily. He decided to place a kiss on Merlin’s forehead instead, and when he pulled back, he was met with half-opened blue eyes, gazing at him with confusion and fondness in them.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Arthur said with his heart in his throat at the sight. Merlin pushed his nose into Arthur’s neck, and the prince swallowed a gulp at the cold contact. “Rth’r?”

“Who else would it be, you idiot?”

Merlin chuckled softly at that, his lips grazing Arthur’s neck. “You’re a cuddler. Should’ve known.”

Arthur couldn’t help but smile at that and let hope build in his chest.

“You’re the one all over me right now, Merlin.”

“Do you have a problem with it?”

Arthur thought carefully before uttering his next words. This was it. This was his chance to find out if Merlin felt the same way about him.

He took a deep breath and whispered, “No.”

“Good,” said Merlin, and lifted himself just enough for Arthur to see him looking at him with a questioning gaze. Merlin’s hand was on his jaw now, rubbing his thumb across his cheek lightly.

“Good?” Arthur asked, his voice breathless and low. His eyes flitted to Merlin’s lips and saw them form a word. “Yes.”

He didn’t know who moved first, or who leaned forward, but then they were kissing, softly, slowly, not a care in the world. They kissed as though they had forever, and they kissed like it was the last time they could.

Arthur was so wrapped up with Merlin holding his face and him holding him tightly by his waist, that he didn’t even notice his servant pushing him off the bed.

“Wha-Merlin!” he yelled, as Merlin shot him a wide grin, snuggling under the blanket on the now-empty bed.

“I love you, Arthur, but now I’m going to sleep,” Merlin said, leaning forward to give him a chaste kiss and then pushing himself back under the covers. Arthur’s heart thud in his chest at the confession, and the insolence.

He growled, getting up and tackling Merlin on the bed. “Oh no, you don’t!”

Merlin shrieked in response and thrashed as Arthur tickled him mercilessly. “You bloody maniac, stop!”

Arthur grinned at him, taking his wrists, and pinning them above his head. Merlin glared at him with no bite in his look. They held that position, panting, and Arthur refused to let the disheveled appearance of his love throw him off again.

“I love you, too,” he said, swooping down to steal a kiss. Merlin scowled at him when he pulled back. “You’re horrible.”

Arthur laughed at that and leaned down again to give Merlin a kiss. “And you’re a clotpole. What’s your point?”

“Why do I even love you?”

“Because I’m the best?”

“Best at being an absolute cabbagehead, yes.”

“But you love me,” Arthur retorted, eyes gleaming with joy, and a carefree smile shaping his lips. At the sight, Merlin got a tender look in his eyes and he leaned up and kissed Arthur.

“Yes, I do.”