Truth under spell (Merthur)

chapter 5: day 1: dinner

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"Yes that will be all."
Mumbles
"No, I've got it."
Mumbles.
Door closing.

That's the first thing Merlin's ears pick up. He slowly opens his eyes and groans at the light. The second thing to catch up with him is the feeling of being extremely warm. His shirt sticking to his skin from the sweat. And his back pressed up against something soft.

His eyes blinked open and closed, trying to get use to the light as well as to stay open. The heat making him drowsy. Causing his body to try and go back to sleep.

Once his eyes were finally open he looked down at him self and realized he was in a bed. Blankets pulled up to his chin. Three of them to be exact. He didn't need to ask who's bed he was in. If the room itself, and the familiar blankets wasn't a clue, then the blonde man leaning against the bed post, arms crossed and staring down at him from the foot of the bed was.

"Morning, or evening." Arthur finally broke the silence. Merlin pushed the blanket off of him. With his good arm that doesn't have any bruises on it, he pushed himself into a sitting position. Already mourning the loss of the soft bedding against his body.

"You shouldn't have let me sleep." Merlin said as he rubbed the palm of his hand into his eyes. "What time is it? Did you get your dinner?"

"I just said evening, and yes I just got it." Arthur said, pushing himself off the bed post. Walking a short distance before sitting down on the bed. His hand brushing Merlin's leg under the blankets.
"You ran off. I called for you but you didn't answer me." He began. "Any other servant would have been thrown in the stocks for that. Not to mention the falling asleep thing."

Merlin looked down at the bedding. Picking at the strings on his shirt. Noticing that his neckerchief wasn't around his throat. His bandages around his arms loosened and falling off. He assumed from tossing and turning. He tended to do that when he was asleep.

"Merlin you can't just run off like that. I get it. This wasn't your fault. But Gaius told you to take it easy and you go off and do chores." Arthur continued, "hey look at me."

Merlin moved his gaze from his arms to Arthur's face. Heart clenching at what he saw. Actual concern, Arthur is worried about him.
"By now we can kinda guess you're not just a servant to me. Your my...friend." small pause before he said friend.
"And you might be my servant, but you're still human. You get hurt. You need breaks, sleep, food. So when I tell you to take the day, you take the day."

"You didn't tell me to take the day off." Merlin said.

"You wouldn't let me. You ran off before I could." Arthur stood and walked to the table, then came back with a vial in hand. Brown liquid moving around inside the glass. Clearly the previous conversation over for the time being.

The prince sat back down and handed the vial over to the man that still rested against the head board. His legs covered by warm blankets.
"Gaius said a sip."

Merlin's fingers brushed against Arthur's as he reached out and took the glass container from the blonde.
The first time that had happened he blushed, and dropped things. By now he was use to it.

Being Gaius assistant came with the perk of knowing knowing what was in it and how it was made. The though made him hesitant to take it but held his breath and drank what was needed, gagging at the taste. He put the cork back on the vial. And placed it beside him on the bed.

Merlin looked up and noticed that while he was trying not to throw up, Arthur walked across the room to the table. Which clearly held trays of food. A pitcher with wine and another with water.