Merlin×Arthur One Shot

The way you look tonight

    It was late. Merlin knew he should be going to bed, but tonight he had a horrible feeling that if he went to sleep he would wake up and everything would be different.
    It has been a little over a month since Arthur's return from Avalon and there was still no sign of the the reason for this to be Albion's greatest time of need. There had been no evil witches, no plagues, no power hungry dictators, nothing. And this scared Merlin. It scared him to death that tomorrow would surely be the day that all hell would break loose and the battle that had been prophesied would commence.
    Either that or Merlin would wake up in the morning and it had all been a dream and Arthur hadn't really came back. This is what scared him the most, that he would wake up and be alone again.
    Merlin closed the book he was reading with a sigh. And reached behind him for the off switch on the lamp sitting on the end table behind him. Before he shut off the light he heard a noise coming from the room Arthur was sleeping in, it sounded like Arthur was getting up.
    Merlin hurriedly picked back up his book and pretended to be engrossed in the story as he saw Arthur open the bedroom door out of the corner of his eye. He watched, fixated on Arthur's bare chest as he stretched his arms wide and rubbed at his hair drowsily.
    "What are you doing still up Merls?" Arthur asked with a yawn as he stepped into the living room.
    Merlin just shrugged and stated "couldn't sleep, you?" He asked as he tried to set his attention on the book in his hands.
    Arthur plopped down onto the couch next to the warlock and looked over his shoulder to read along but frowned when he realized it wasn't in English. "Same. what language is that anyway?" He asked curiously.
    "Latin." Merlin replied nonchalantly while he tried not to notice the way Arthur's leg was leaning against his or the way his bare shoulder was touching his t shirt clad one.
    Arthur just chuckled and shook his head. Since he had returned he had discovered that Merlin had spent his time learning many things including medicine, music and many many languages and not to mention magic.
    It was impossible for Merlin to concentrate on his book as the gorgeous prince was sitting so close to him so he threw it off to the side and stood up. "Would you fancy some tea?" He asked as he headed for the kitchen.
   "Sure." Arthur replied as he watched Merlin walk away. He hated to see him go but he shore did love watching him leave, Arthur thought to himself.
    After sitting by himself for sometime he got up to see what was taking Merlin so long. Surely Merlin  could just use his magic to make the tea instantly?
    "Thank you, by the way. For letting me sleep in your  bed while you are left with the couch." Arthur said as he entered the small kitchen.
    Merlin had been leaning with his head laying down on the counter and when Arthur entered it startled him causing his to jump and bang his head on the open cabinet door above him. "Ow." He mumbled as he slowly slid to the floor clutching his head.
    "Merlin!" Arthur yelled and hurried to his side. "Merlin I'm so sorry I didn't mean to scare you! Are you OK? Do you need a physician?" Arthur asked worriedly as he crouched next to him on the floor.
    Merlin glanced up at Arthur and was surprised to see how panicked he looked. "I'm fine, Arthur. It's just a little bang. There's no need for a doctor "
    "Let me look at it at least" insisted Arthur as he gently removed the hand that was still clenched to his scalp. Arthur gasped when he saw a small trail of blood trickle down Merlin's temple. "You're bleeding, you need to see the physician." Arthur said and began to pick his friend up.
    "I'm fine." Merlin argued stubbornly.
    Arthur stopped and held Merlin's hands in his and said softly "Merls, you're injured. You need a professional. A doctor."
    Merlin smiled fondly at the nick name that he had only heard for the second time. "Are you forgetting that I am a doctor?" He asked the worried blond.
   "Fine, tell me what you supplies you need and I'll get it for you." Arthur agreed.
    "No need." Merlin replied with a wink. He began to mumble words in the old religion that Arthur was sure was a healing spell.
   Arthur gasped when he saw his friend's eyes change. The magic didn't surprise or scare him anymore, but the way the magic caused Merlin's eyes to glow such a pure bright gold always took his breath away.
   "There." Merlin said and smiled triumphantly "all better." And then he began to stand up.
    "Oh no you don't." Arthur said and pushed Merlin back down so he was sitting on the floor next to him again. "I'll be the judge of that."
    Merlin let himself be pushed back down and sat still as Arthur began inspecting his head where his wound had been a moment before.
     Arthur ran his fingers through the black hair and marveled at its softness. He had always dreamed of running his fingers through Merlin's hair and now he was finally doing it. He couldn't help himself as he leaned  in to test to see if smelt as good as it felt and it did.
     It smelt like Merlin. Like the woods, light, honey and something else that could only be described as magic. Merlin radiated magic. Arthur pressed a kiss to the top of Merlin's head and said "There, now you're all better."
    It wasn't until he heard Merlin let out a small gasp that he realized what he had done. His face flushed a bright red and he scrambled to move away from the friend that he had just kissed on top of the head.
    Merlin refused to let his prince get away. With a random blast of courage he pulled him in close and captured Arthur's lips with his own.
     They sat on the floor of the kitchen wrapped in each other's arms. They couldn't feel the cold from the tile floor that was seeping through their clothing, they didn't hear Merlin's cell phone going off in his pocket or the tea kettle that was screaming to be moved off the burner, the whole world could have been crumbling around them for all they knew, but that didn't matter. All that mattered to them was the feel of each other's lips as they pressed together in a desperate kiss that spoke of all of the pent up emotions that they had been holding in for far too long.
    "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that." Arthur said with a sigh when they finally pulled away for air.
    Merlin gave Arthur a pointed look and let out a breathless laugh. "Don't you dare get me started on waiting " He said pointing a finger into the bond's chest.
    Arthur just laughs and pulls Merlin into a tight hug using that disapproving finger. "Since the first day you called me a prat I knew I had to have you." Arthur murmured into the crook of Merlin's neck.
   Merlin laughed again and snuggled in close. "I called you a royal prat if I recall correctly."
    "You sure put me into my place, didn't you?" Arthur hummed as he began to run his fingers through Merlin's dark hair again.
    Merlin hummed in agreement and shut his eyes while he concentrated on the feel of the prince's fingers as the combed through his unruly hair.
    "Thank you." Arthur said suddenly after a long comfortable silence.
     Merlin sat up slightly to look Arthur in the eyes and asked "For what?" Placing a hand on Arthur's cheek.
     Arthur wrapped both his hands around Merlin's raised hand and place a kiss on it before replying "For waiting for me of coarse. For not giving up, for being here when I returned."
    Merlin felt his heart constrict and he smiled sweetly at his prince sitting in front of him. "Arthur, I would wait until the end of the universe for you." He leaned in and place a kiss on Arthur's lips.
   This kiss was much slower and less desperate than the first. The two men took their time to try to express all of what they were feeling simply by kissing. Merlin was the first to pull away, he looked into Arthur's eyes with both of his hands holding his lovers face close to his as he whispered "Arthur, I love you."
   Arthur looked puzzled at first and then his face slowly broke into a blindingly bright smile. He pulled Merlin into his chest and hugged him as tight as he could. "Oh Merlin! Thank the gods! I was worried that you'd moved on, I was so afraid when I met your friend, what was her name? Jenny?  Anyway I thought that you had gone off and found someone new, I thought that maybe you didn't feel the same..."
   Merlin tried to follow Arthur's excited rambling but he was finding it difficult. "Arthur, Arthur calm down." Merlin said calmly as he grabbed the other man's hands.
    "Merlin, you have no idea how happy you just made me icantbelievethisishappeningtjankthegods...." He continued saying g as he stood up pulling Merlin along with him as he spun in an excited circle.
    Merlin rolled his eyes fondly at Arthur as he continued to talk. He pulled his face close and planted a soft, sweet kiss on Arthur's lips, instantly shutting him up.
    Arthur closed his eyes and lost himself in the kiss. When it ended he sighed out in content. "God's Merlin I love you too."
    Merlin smiled and pulled Arthur in once again for another kiss. He waved his hand in the direction of the radio sitting on the kitchen counter. When his eyes flashed a brilliant gold music started to play.
    Arthur smiled as he recalled the song to be the one Merlin told him was calked 'the way you look tonight'.
    It was 3 am and the two men were clad in their pj's as they swayed along to the music. There were plenty of chaste kisses and murdered I love yous throughout the song. And at the end Merlin led them to his bedroom where they spent the remainder of the night with Merlin using Arthur's muscular chest as a pillow and with Arthur's arms wrapped around his sorcerer's back.
    "Good night Merls." Arthur whispered as he placed a kiss to his lovers head.
     Merlin smiled and replied "good night Arthur, my prince."
    For the first, and definitely not the last time Merlin got to fall asleep to the sound of Arthur's heart beat and it was the most beautiful sound that he had ever heard. 

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Author's note:

Thank you if anyone reads this! Please vote and comment and all that jazz and let me know what you think :)
Thanks!

PS. Let me know if you think I should write more. Either stuff that happens before or after this scene.