Sweetness

1

Arthur couldn't sleep. His mind was buzzing, worried about the great feast of Samhain set to take place tomorrow evening.
It was no use. He'd spent many sleepless nights simply staring at the canopy that stretched over his bedposts. For some reason, tonight it had been worse.
Arthur swung his legs over the side of the bed, feet touching the ground. Maybe a snack would calm his nerves. He was dressed in his sleeping clothes but it didn't matter. Arthur just needed to get out of bed.

There was not a sound in all of the castle. It must've been the dead of night. He realized upon arriving to the kitchen that it was unlikely that the cook was working.
Arthur had never really learned how to prepare anything but he looked around anyways.

"Arthur?"

His head spun.
Merlin stood in the doorway with a satchel hung over his shoulder.

"Merlin? What are you doing awake?"

"Oh I just decided to help with preparations for tomorrow... I couldn't sleep"

They looked at each other for a moment. Merlin, too, was wearing his sleeping clothes. There was a shared familiarity, perhaps even a feeling of nakedness among them.

"...do you want me to make you something?" Merlin offered eventually.

Arthur nodded.

Merlin grabbed a pan, some grease, and a few other things.
"I hope you like french toast."

"I've never had it."

"Well that is a national shame right there," Merlin joked "the crown has officially failed you."

Arthur smirked.

"Where did you learn to make this?"

"Toast? It's hardly a family secret," Merlin looked at Arthur, "you just paint the egg on the bread and add sugar and spice. See?" He smiled.
"Obviously you have better ingredients than I do, so I've been perfecting the recipe."

Merlin handed Arthur the piece he'd just finished cooking.

"Do you mean to tell me that you've been creeping into my kitchen at all hours of the night to make bread?"

"Yes. Try it"

Arthur did. He was pleasantly surprised. "I can see why."

They sat there in the kitchen, which Arthur had never done before, in the haze of the morning, and ate and enjoyed each other's company.

In this hour, Arthur had forgotten his nerves, and found a rare fondness for Merlin. He had been in Camelot's service for some months now, but he had always felt a stronger bond in him than what was supposed to be a very official relationship.

They were laughing and making jokes at each other's expense, (more so than usual,) because now there was no pressure to perform. They could be their fundamental, impulsive selves because every one who would have told them to do differently was simply not watching.
There was a mutual (and metaphorical) nakedness that they shared. In this moment, both men were their unregulated and unapologetic selves.

And it was exhilarating.