Merthur One-shots

The Sweet Blackberry Is Worth The Bitter Aftertaste

Summary: Merlin and Arthur are on a fairly easy diplomatic negotiations trip. The hardest part is their single bed and hiding their feelings from one another.

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When he and Merlin arrive to Mora, Arthur’s pleased that they know to put him and Merlin in the same room. Not that he would admit it, of course.

It just makes sense for them. They used to share on diplomatic trips like these when Merlin was his manservant, and Arthur knows the man keeps an obsessive eye on him. And this makes it easier for Arthur to try and keep Merlin from getting into trouble, as he long since discovered his Court Sorcerer’s hard-dying penchant for sneaking out in the night.

So when the servant leads them to one room with a bow, neither bats an eye. They each thank him, and once he’s gone Merlin’s making a snide joke about one of the lords’ bushy eyebrows, and Arthur’s straining to withhold an unkingly snort, and then they’re freezing three steps into the room.

“Maybe he keeps them thick to keep his face warm. I don’t know why it’s so cold in here, isn’t anyone tending to the fire. . .places. . .?” Merlin trails off absentmindedly.

In all honesty, it takes Arthur a few beats to realize what it is that’s actually wrong. When he finally thinks, the bed, you idiot , he involuntarily glances at Merlin and is relieved to find he isn’t the only one blushing.

“Nice going, Merlin,” Arthur says loudly, effectively cutting the thick air.

No matter how small or irrelevant any convenience or trouble is, it’s always easiest to just blame Merlin for it. For one thing, there’s actually a fairly good chance he has something to do with it — considering how involved he has been in Arthur’s life right under his nose for so many years, it wouldn’t surprise him — but also, poking fun at Merlin always makes him stupidly happy. This, obviously, is another thing that does not get mentioned aloud, or really, even acknowledged consciously, if he can help it.

Merlin turns slowly and shoots him an incredulous look and damn, despite the little issue they have, this alone is making him grin like hell. “ Me ?”

“It’s always you, isn’t it?”

Merlin huffs at him as he waves a hand and brings their bags floating in to settle on the floor on the far side of the room for now. “Someone just made a mistake. Happens. Remember that time in Odin’s kingdom?”

Arthur starts laughing. “Merlin, they put you in the servants’ quarters on purpose.”

“That was an outrage!” Merlin cries, gold eyes and raised hand revealing his compulsive habit of casting protection spells wherever they went. “After he tried killing you on multiple occasions, how was I supposed to leave you in a room by yourself?”

“I can defend myself, Merlin.”

“Tell that to the hundreds of times I’ve saved your ass.”

He drops his hand, evidently satisfied.

“Whatever,” Arthur reluctantly concedes, “I’m not sharing this bed with you. So you can figure it out or sleep on the floor.”

Knowing he has had to say this before makes his stomach kind of flutter like crazy. Except maybe that’s not it. It was probably just the fish they had for dinner.