Timeless

The Woods

"What on earth are you doing?"

Merlin comes down the stairs, wondering where his king had run off to, when he spots him at the kitchen table, hunched over a piece of paper with a pencil. His brow furrowed in concentration.

His head snaps up when hearing Merlin and stops scribbling at once. "Merlin, you're awake already?"

He makes his way closer to Arthur when he notices it's not a piece of paper Arthur is writing on but a notebook, one he's never seen before. He frowns at Arthur then they both look at the clock. "Mate, it's already 11:00. Why are you awake before me? You never are."

The notebook closes and Arthur rolls his eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about Merlin." He stands up, pats Merlin on the head as he passes him going back towards the stairs while leaving Merlin confused and half naked in the kitchen.

He's also hungry. And in need of a coffee. Or several.

He shakes his head and walks more into the kitchen going over to turn the coffee machine on when he notices his green Yeti already full of coffee. He furrows his eyebrows and takes a sip.

He pulls it away from his face and grins.

"Merlin." Arthur says as he comes back into the kitchen but this time fully dressed in a red shirt with a pair of dark blue jeans that look very nice on him if Merlin does say so himself. "I want to do something today." He leans against the counter as Merlin sips his coffee again, eyes going back to Arthur's face.

He swallows, placing his coffee cup back on the counter. "Okay, what did you have in mind? Also thank you for the coffee." He places his hand on Arthur's arm, giving it a squeeze getting a shy smile in return.

"I hope it's how you like it, I tried to remember." He says shrugging and the thought of Arthur paying attention to him enough to remember what he takes in his coffee makes Merlin's heart stutter in his chest and a warm feeling take over him.

"Hey Arthur?"

Blue eyes meet his own. "Yes?"

"I love you."

Arthur grins softly at him and leans in, covering Merlin's lips in a soft kiss that makes it feel like the world has stopped in that moment.

Kissing Arthur is always earth stopping.

"I love you too. Now please go get dressed." He mumbles against his lips causing Merlin to chuckle. He pulls back and places a hand on Arthur's cheek before pulling back fully and walking back towards the stairs.

He passes the couch where Lilith is laying on her back, sleeping with a blanket wrapped around her. He rolls his eyes as he makes his way upstairs towards their room.

He gets out a fresh pair of jeans, boxers and shirt and takes a quick shower before getting a pair of socks out and putting them on as well. He shakes his unruly hair out and frowns at it in the mirror.

Maybe he should get a hair cut.

He goes back downstairs and sees Arthur eating an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter. "Should I get a haircut?" He asks running his hands through his hair, frowning.

Arthur looks up from the laptop he's got open, must have gotten it while waiting for Merlin. He's probably on google searching up more random things.

Merlin looked at the search history and Arthur has a wide range of things he's googled from pancakes to different parts of the world and to how to build a house videos on YouTube. It's a strange combination but normal for someone who has no idea what most things are these days still. He looks past Arthur's quirks now. Well these ones anyways.