Still Monday
Arthur was frozen in place as he awoke. Not for any sort of dangerous reason, it's just that he didnt want to move and disturb Merlin's slumber. The boy was all wrapped around him, head on his chest, soft huffs of breath could be heard. He was adorable. Seems Arthur was just thinking that more and more often. But he paid no mind.
The blonde laid there for a good half hour before there was a light knock on the door. He shifted his leg down to the floor, tapping the wood with his foot as a reply. He didnt want to speak, Merlin could wake up at that. The person understood the message and walked in. "Hello, Sire." Alex entered. Arthur tried to keep settled, his face wanting to just scrunch up in disgust. Alexander hadnt even done anything wrong and yet, he didnt want him near. "I've been sent to wake you up and get Merlin ready for dinner. Can you handle waking him then? I'll be getting an outfit." Alex smiled to him, walking over to the wardrobe and easily finding what he was looking for. Nothing too fancy but it was rather 'proper'. They were welcoming guests from another kingdom. Even if they're just his friends, he still has to dress nice. Just the rules for a prince.
Arthur looked down at Merlin, shaking him a bit. "Merlin.." He took a soft approach, in case he was still feeling little. "Merlin, come on." He lifted the blankets off, sitting up. That got him to stir, slowly opening his eyes and looking up at him. "Hey." He smiled like a dork before sitting up. "How long did I sleep? Is it dinner time? I'm starved." He stretches out, looking over to where Alex was. "Oh, hey Alex." Merlin smiled brighter upon seeing him. He had seen him in little space but this was different. Now he could actually catch up with him. "Come to coordinate my clothes as if I cant dress myself?" He stood. "Orders." Alex shrugged, handing him the outfit before hugging him, Merlin hugging back. "Theres no way I'm figuring out how the hell this jacket works. But give me a minute to put on the rest. You can leave for a moment so Arthur can get something on. Then we can catch up before dinner. I'm dying to hear about how you've been." Arthur had only his pants on, having taken his shirt off because it got dirty from somehow falling into the mud on their way to Liiandria.
"So you two really are close then?" The blonde tilts his head, looking Alex over again. "Oh yeah, we're like best friends. Well- here anyways. You're my best Camelot friend." Merlin answers, "Don't let that get to your head." Arthur most definitely did let that get to his head. He was Merlin's best friend. Even if Alex also was. Just depended on where Merlin was. He didnt mind it too much. As long as Alex didnt have a higher place in Merlin's heart than him. But why did he care anyway? The man was just a servant and Arthur took care of him on the side when he was little. Still, Arthur supposed he did work his way into Merlin's heart and vice versa.
"Yeah, yeah." He grumbled, moving to get changed into something decent for dinner. Alex left right as he was, giving the two some privacy. Of course Arthur struggled a bit though so Merlin went ahead and helped him. "There." He smoothed out Arthur's jacket slightly, hands running over his chest just enough to measure his heart flutter. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to change as well. You're in my castle now, I'm gonna take my sweet time getting dressed." Merlin just wanted to tease him a bit though the mention of it being his castle brought back the tension from earlier. They would need to talk about it. Not everyday you find out your best friend is actually a prince.
Arthur suddenly felt very underdressed once Merlin came back out from getting ready behind the curtain. Clothes really could change a person. It was rather odd though, seeing the clothing styles of another kingdom. But he liked how it looked. Really he liked everything that Merlin wore. Probably because it was Merlin.
(Art not mine)
"What do you think? Is it good?" He hadnt put on the jacket yet, needing Alex's help with it. But even without it he looked great. "You-" Come up with something quick, Arthur. "I didnt know you could dress nice, Merlin." Okay, not the best approach. But he was just so in awe. It was Merlin but..he didn't look like Merlin. He looked like a proper prince. And with those freckles? His hair all curly? Arthur had whiplash just from looking at him. Not to say he wasn't beautiful. "Says the man who cant dress at all without my help." The brunette crossed his arms, giving him a look. "Uncle Fern wants me wearing something nice to 'greet our guests' I'm sure. Even if you are friends. I'll get back to normal clothes after dinner. Just- try not to say anything rude. If something might come out bad when you think about it, then dont say it. Cause it most certainly will come out bad like you thought." Merlin knew half of this wasnt getting through to Arthur but he tried the best he could. "I've dealt with meetings like this before, I can handle myself." Arthur brushed him off, Merlin just sighing and going to get Alex, letting the man get his shoulder cloak on. That's the proper name anyway. But Merlin still called it a jacket.
"There we go!" Alex ruffled Merlin's hair, turning him to look in the mirror. "I havent actually gotten dressed up in forever. Almost forgot how stiff these clothes were." He chuckled, "Well sorry but it's about to get stiffer. Fern wants you in your crown." Alex made a face, patting his back before going over to the wardrobe, opening up a compartment. "Ugh- which one?" "Well, theres nothing particularly special besides greeting guests so I'm going to assume just the boring one. It fits the expectations of most kingdoms so it's perfect for making them comfortable when they visit." Alex brought over a crown, gently placing it atop Merlin's head.
"Its crooked." Merlin teased, earning a nudge from Alex. "Shut up-" He adjusted it a bit, making sure it laid nicely before grabbing pins and pinning it into Merlin's hair so it would stay put. "Still dont get why we have to adjust our customs to make them comfortable. I mean, I know my friends. I'm sure they wouldnt pay any mind to my crown. This one is just..plain." Merlin huffed, letting Alex finish getting him ready before turning to look at him. "It is what it is. Other kingdoms lack flavour. Just- deal with it for now. I'm sure we can get you one of the nicer crowns tomorrow."
Arthur listened in on their conversation as he got his boots on, confused by what they were on about. "One of the nicer- You have more than one crown? Even better question: you actually wear your crown? I only wear mine for banquets." He tilts his head. "Yeah, several actually. Theres different attire for different occasions. Unlike you, I have to change my crown as well. This is the main one. Just for world affairs. Greeting guests. Meeting other kingdoms. Boring stuff." Merlin explained a bit before getting the question he didnt want to hear. "What all do you have different crowns for? What occasions?" "Theres a lot, Arthur. I cant even remember all of them. Alex memorizes that stuff cause hes a lifesaver. All I know is I like some, hate the others." The brunette fixed his hair in the mirror before walking over to get on his boots. Though they were the same he usually wore. Not fancy, not tailored. All belt buckles and beaten leather.
Arthur found adjusting to their customs to be so odd. They were different from him. What he most recognized though was just how much Merlin probably had to change to live in Camelot. He hadnt shown an ounce of his own culture while Arthur shoved his own in Merlin's face. He felt..kind of bad. He didnt force anything but the brunette had probably been suffocated by all of it that he just- gave in. Embraced the culture so off from his own. Maybe Arthur had to repay him now. Take in some of Merlin's culture.
"Can I see what some of your other crowns look like?" Arthur asked, tilting his head. "Maybe later. We're already a tad late." Alex spoke up, "Fern and Ivan don't mind tardiness but the people would very much like to see their prince, I'm sure." Merlin looked up at the two when Alex said that, just agreeing with him. "Yeah. I'll head on down to the dining hall now. Arthur, you go with Alex. He'll gather the knights and bring you all down. Dont worry, you're in good hands." The man stood before moving towards Arthur, fixing his hair real quick before leaving with a wave to both of them.
As soon as that door shut, Alex was giving Arthur the most shit eating grin ever. "What the hell are you smiling at?" Arthur got a bit snappy with him. "You are absolutely head over heels for him. Oh, and hes so oblivious. But I guess that's just Merlin for you." Alex laughed and grabbed Arthur's boots, sitting down and grabbing a brush to clean them off. At least make them look as nice as possible on short notice. "What are you talking about?" Arthur never did get things all that quick. He thought Alex was teasing him right now. Making fun or something. "Oh wow..so you're both clueless. That's a first. Usually the people after him actually know that they're courting. I figured you were trying for his hand too. Little word to the wise: Once you let go of that ego and realize you want him, dont let anyone else know. They'll try and stop you. Hes a beloved Prince. Everyone wants a piece." He hands him his boots after that, going to the door. "You coming?"
Arthur definitely had a hard time racking his brain to figure out what the hell kind of cryptics this man just spoke in. Of course he totally missed what he was really saying though, just furrowing his brows and following him. "I dont have an ego.."
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Merlin fixed up his- everything before he entered the large dining hall. First time back in about two years. He needed to make a good impression on his people. See, the thing about Liiandria is that they have a reputation for 'disorder'. That roughly translates to 'treating everyone with respect' because apparently other kingdoms like to think that having anyone but the royal family at the castle table is a bad thing. Fern and Ivan have always invited the people to come visit for dinner with them. They loved everyone they ruled over. And even though the poverty rate was the lowest in Albion, there were still the few and far who sometimes went hungry. The kings knew they couldnt personally help everyone so they let everyone help themselves if they needed it. Inviting them over for meals helped a lot, actually. It also gave more of a bond between the leaders and the people. Even if people werent starved, they were allowed to visit and chat up with people. Everyday seemed like a feast, really. But with that, Merlin knew he was about to walk into a room full of people. All wanting to see their beloved Prince. What can I say, he was a charmer.
"Alright..you've got this Merlin. Get your head into Prince mode." He looked at his hands as he walked upto the doors but tilted his head up just as both were swung open by the gaurds. It was so lively. People drinking, eating, laughing, chatting, having fun. He never got this in Camelot. Meals were..always so boring. He was either with Gaius or eating very quickly after serving Arthur over a three person meal. Camelot's main dining hall was never so full except for events. Oh how he missed this.
Immediately, people took notice. But they didnt approach him yet. They let him talk to his friends first. Just as Arthur made friends with the knights of Camelot, Merlin made friends with the knights of his own kingdom. Though those ratbastards weren't even paying attention. Yeah, they were just as dumb as Camelot knights.
"James, you're a pussy. There's no way you can fit that whole croissant in your mouth." Said one. His name was Matthias. The instigator. He had short black locks, hazel eyes, a charming smile and beauty marks across his face. "You know I have a bad gag reflex, of course I can't fit it in my mouth." James responded. He was shorter than Matthias which made him the victim of constant leaning against his head. He had sky blue eyes, wavy brown hair and a gap toothed smile that could light up a room. "That's something a pussy would say." Matthias ruffled his hair. "Good thing you're not gay, James, you would be terrible at sucking dick." Chimed Mark, a handsome lad with grey eyes, a bit of stubble, dark brown hair and a towering height over the other knights. "From what I hear, you're bad at sucking dick too, Mark. And you are gay." Jade. She was one tough cookie. But she was mostly known for her intellect. Not that it kept her from being generally dumb with her friends. She was the main war strategist amongst the knights. Her co-captain was Caspian. Caramel hair, amber eyes, she wasnt from around here, assuming her features. She always tended to wear her hair up. "I'm a top. What's your excuse?" "I dont like men." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Guys, you dont have to be so mean to eachother. Cmon, why dont we just have fun?" Caspian was an absolute sweetheart. But that was just one of several reasons why they liked to stay on his good side. The last time someone thought they stood a chance against him, they ended up with three broken bones, 2 fractures and a concussion. But he was also the only ounce of common sense the group carried. He had blonde hair, green-blue eyes, a little button nose and freckles across his face. "Sorry, Casp. You know we just like to play around." Then there's Rivv. They had red hair, caramel eyes, freckles on their cheeks and a smirk in place of a smile. They were The Charmer. That smirk told everything. Cool, collected, a pretty face, nice sense of style. Suave. A total heartbreaker though because they never really fell in love that easy. Basically Gwaine if Gwaine werent such a player.
That was the main group. Matthias, James, Mark, Jade, Caspian and Rivv. Just a couple of idiots Merlin loved. "You're making fun of eachother without me? I come all the way back and this is my treatment. How cruel." Merlin walked over, watching their faces light up. "Merlin!" Matthias was the first to hug him. He could be a jerk but he loved everyone a lot. "I didn't think you would be here until tomorrow! Oh, we've missed you-" He kissed Merlin's cheeks, feeling the other knights pile around him in one big hug. "What took you so long? We thought you died or something. Or worse- fell in love." Jade made a face at the idea but it wasnt too far off. "Not a romantic love at least. You know I go back there for friends. That and I- sort of have a destiny or whatever. Remember? I've just gotta keep an idiot safe. It's as hard as it sounds." He sighed, thinking about all those times Arthur has almost died. "Destiny is a tough lover." Matthias said with a sigh. "Is his royal pain in the ass behaving better now though?" He looked up with a laugh. "I dont know, maybe you should see for yourself when he gets here." Merlin shrugged. "Wait, you brought him here-?" James looked rather surprised, wondering why he could possibly have been brought. "Well I did want to come alone. I figured maybe I could leave without being noticed but unfortunately the knights are only good at their job when I'm trying to do something bad. So I actually brought my knight friends from over there along too. I think you'll get along well. Try not to scare them, they're already confused by the kingdom enough. Mostly about the fact that I'm a prince. You know I didnt tell anyone over there." Merlin looked across the group with a small smile. He was really just happy to see them all again.
Right as they were about to ask more questions, just a general how has he been, what's happened, etc. the dumb blonde himself entered. That bright red caught everyone's eye. He was followed by the knights, of course. They looked so professional now. Which was funny because they were never professional. "Theres my cue." Merlin said to his own knights, walking over to Arthur and taking his hand to lead him through. He wanted to show them their seats and such so if encounters got a bit tiring, they knew where to relax.
The talking in the room continued but he was sure it was about the newcomers. No one from Liiandria had seen the Prince of Camelot since he was little. The sight was truly one to behold.
"Here. Your seat is next to mine. Knights next to yours. Remember what I said- dont let anything stupid come out of your mouth." That warning went to all of them really. "Now, first I'm going to introduce you to family. Some of them stopped by because I was coming. If they seem judgemental, it's because they are suspicious of people from Camelot being here. Another warning- They will probably hug you. They're very touchy." Merlin takes Arthur's hand again, not thinking much of it. Arthur did though. Oh the warmth in his palm from Merlin's hand was hitting him like a truck. He barely noticed when Arthur started introducing him to his Aunt. "Oh, arent you a handsome lad then?" She sounded rather sweet. Arthur appreciated it really, "Pleasure to meet you." He threw on his Princely manner, taking her hand and kissing the back. "And he has manners!" She looked at Merlin. "Arthur, this is my Aunt Clarissa. She's the nicest one you'll meet and also the best pie maker ever." Merlin hugged her side, looking up as she took in Arthur's features. "..you look so much like your Father when he was your age. Right down to your nose. Though he was a bit shorter. Either he grew more or you got your height from the other side of your family." She laughed a bit, moving to hug him. "Well, I dont think my Mother was all that tall." Arthur laughed back, giving an awkward hug. "Right..your Mother." She looked rather saddened by that mention but- it was different than what Arthur had ever seen. It wasnt like a sadness from death but more of a sadness from..loss? No, it was something more. It's like when you were a kid and adults would just sigh when you didnt quite understand something. Arthur didnt get why he was being given that look again but tried not to think too much of it. "Here, why dont we see my cousins? You'll get a kick out of them. They're more sarcastic than me." Merlin intervened, guiding him through to two people.
Arthur wasnt expecting to be intimidated when he said 'cousins' but these two creeped him out. Looked to be twins. Fraternal. The way they eyed him just- messed him up. "Arthur, this is Andy and Marie. They're fun when you get to know them but they can kill you in four seconds flat-" "Actually we've upgraded. Its three seconds now." Andy smiled to Merlin, moving to hug him first. "Do I even wanna know how you figured that out?" He hugged back, making a face. "Rabbits. We do go hunting y'know." Marie responded, hugging Merlin when Andy let off. "So what's with this fruitcake? Any reason for bringing him?" Andy tilted his head, talking as if Arthur couldnt hear him. "Yeah, he's kind of out of place. I'm surprised Uncle Fern even let him here." Marie continued. "Give him a chance. He- He's not his Father. You know Uncle Fern keeps his grudges only to that person, not people related to them." Merlin defended Arthur. "Well- Sorry for putting everyone off here..Uh- I hope I can put a good name up for Camelot. Somewhat, at least. Merlin is a great friend of mine so I'd like to be friends with the people he loves." At that, the two laughed a bit. "Yeah. You two are 'friends'. Let us know how that one turns out." Andy gave a sly look to Merlin. The two obviously had an exchange there. Arthur didnt know what it meant but Merlin did. Andy basically just told him 'you have a big fat crush and theres no way you're just friends.' But before Merlin could get a word about it, the two were off. "I hate them. Whatever. Let's introduce you to my Grandmother."
Arthur..had never heard much of grandparents being alive. His most certainly werent. Actually, he never met his. They died before he was ever even a thought. Not to mention most of the time, someone only becomes ruler when their parents die. Things worked a bit differently in Liiandria. "Your..Grandma is still alive?" "Yes, very much so. She even gets around. Very wise. Shes seen kingdoms fall, shes seen war, shes seen the world. She also makes the best blankets ever." Merlin guides him. This was probably the most important meeting. Honestly, he was scared. "I should warn you though- If she doesnt like you..no one in my family will. It's like when dogs sense danger. You would never go near something a dog growls at. But- I have faith in you." Merlin smiled at him, taking in a breath and going to stand in front of the chair where an old woman was sitting. "Hi, Gramma! Look, it's me- Its Merlin! Oh, I've missed you so much- Did Uncle Fern tell you I was coming?" He spoke up when he talked to her, wanting to be sure she could hear. "Oh- Merlin! Yes, yes, Fernadirian told me you were coming today. I've missed you too. Come - Give me a kiss!" She waved him over, Merlin leaning down and kissing her cheek as he hugged her. "You always call him by his full name. You know he complains." He laughed a bit. Fern really did hate hearing his full name. He thought it sounded too royal. Prissy. "He can deal with it. It's a very nice name and I think it rolls off the tongue just beautifully. " She waved him off before noticing Arthur who was waiting to be introduced. "And who is this? He's blonde." They had blonde people in his kingdom, yeah but darker colours were more common. Plus their blondes were just darker too. More a caramel colour. So seeing Arthur with such golden hair made her suspicious. "This is Arthur. He's my friend." He took in a breath, "Prince of Camelot." At that introduction, Arthur bowed slightly and kissed the back of her hand. "Oh my.. that's why you look so familiar. You have your Dad's face." She smiled up at him, "You can just call me Gramma. Everyone does. But if you dont like that, you can always just call me Meirda." Really Arthur would be out of place calling her anything but 'Gramma'. "You look so much like him. Different lips and eyeshape though. You must get that from the other side." Arthur was confused as to why she didn't just say his mother. 'Other side' seemed so dramatic. It felt drawn out. "Yes, I've been told I look a lot like him." He smiled. "He was such a sweet boy when he visited here. Oh and you should have seen him and Fernadirian. They were so wonderful. I just hate to see how things ended up. I'm sure your Father is good at heart but its sad to hear the things he's done." She looked him over for a moment. "You're a good man. I can see it in your eyes. That and so much more." The woman turned to Merlin again, "Would you be a dear and go get me water please? It's hard to speak so much when I'm thirsty." Merlin of course instantly went to get it.
"Stargazers." She said when he left. "Pardon?" Arthur looked down at her. "Blue stargazer lillies. Those are his favorite flowers. I can see things about you, Arthur. You're trying to connect with him. If you would like to get him to open up, you need to be more open yourself. Show your emotions. Give him flowers. Maybe take in some of our culture. He's always loved every part of it." As Meirda explained, Arthur felt his cheeks heat up. He wasnt sure why but this image kept rolling in his head where Merlin is smiling and smelling the flowers and.. holding his hand. It made his heart beat faster. "You- You're basically asking me to court him. That's what I would do with an eligible maiden." "Well he's not a maiden but he is eligible." She smiled knowingly. "There are things other people see about you that you cannot see yourself. Maybe you need to meditate. Its helped me. And- I really do recommend those flowers. Hes a simple man. Many do not understand that. He's been courted countless times and they're always so extravagant. Merlin likes men who remember the simple things in life. Walks, parks, hugs, words of affection, compliments. Quality time. That's his love language." Arthur barely caught all that, too focused on 'Merlin likes men'. He swallowed, "Merlin..is interested in men?" "Oh, yes, you didnt know? He's never shown any interest in women like that. I figured he would have at least told you how him and Alexander used to be together." And Arthur's fantasy world suddenly crashed.
He didnt know why he disliked Alex so much. He just met the guy. But he gave him such bad vibes. And now he had dated Merlin? Great. Just great. He probably put his gross lips all over Merlin's mouth and he must've held him and cuddled him and all that mushy stuff. Arthur didnt like the idea of Alex's hands on Merlin.
"No, um- I've never known of anyone that Merlin has had relations with." Arthur cleared his throat. "Well- I suppose liking men is a connection?" He tried, thinking maybe that would be some form of saying he was okay with the idea of Merlin liking men. "I- I like men. I mean, I like women too but- Yeah. Men. They're nice." Okay, maybe he hadnt quite come to full terms with it yet. Meirda nods a bit, "We have a few words for that here. Some call it 'Twisendra'. An attraction to two genders. Or- the more worldly term is 'bisexual'. Means the same thing. You just like two genders." She patted his shoulder, looking at Merlin brought back some water.
"Thank you, dear." Meirda kissed Merlin's cheek. "I'll let you two go enjoy your dinner. It seems your knight friends are having quite the good time." She points towards the knights who were eating and drinking and chatting up others. Arthur nodded at that, though his mind was racing. Merlin was a prince, the prince of an enemy kingdom no less, he liked men, Arthur liked men himself, women too so at least he had that and- he didnt know how his Father would react to that. Maybe that's another reason he didnt like this kingdom. Because two men were together ruling it. Great. Now he would be in trouble.
Arthur has always known in the back of his mind that men were of his interest but he didnt exactly like to vocalize it. The closest knights knew. Guinevere knew. Morgana, of course, knew. There was so much just piling up now. Just a few days ago, he didnt even like being called a caregiver. Now he had Merlin as his little, which he didnt actually know was little, he was visiting another kingdom and he was finally coming to terms with his attraction. This was a lot to handle. He needed a drink.
"Do you have any mead here?" Arthur quickly asked Merlin, the other man just nodding. "Servants usually walk around. I'm sure one with alcohol will pass by." Merlin walked back to the knights, grabbing two chalices of mead when a servant walked by them. "Here you go." He smiled to Arthur. "Thank you." The blonde sat down to eat now, hoping for some relaxation after this. Dinners were never so lively in Camelot. He actually rather liked it all. Maybe it was growing on him.
"You know- if we get an early start tomorrow, I'm sure we can catch a ride out to the lake before the festival is in full swing." Merlin leaned over so he could talk to him better. "I think we dont do that enough. Just us two- I mean, we go on hunts but that's not the same as just going for a ride for the hell of it." Arthur nodded a bit when he said that, sipping at his whiskey. "Maybe. Depends on if this cooking gives me a food coma or not. The knights seem to he digging in. Must be good." He chuckled and went to eat. "Shit- okay, I might have to move here. This is better than home. What the hell are you putting in this to make it taste so good? I dont even know what this is and its delicious." He looked from the food to Merlin who cringed a bit. "Yeah..let's keep you not knowing. It tastes better to foreigners when you dont know..But I can tell you its Uh- a form of mutton." He didnt feel like telling Arthur that it was the blood and intestines of a sheep. "We call it Drisheen. It's very good." Merlin knew it would just freak Arthur out. The man ate typical parts of animals. Ribs, thighs, wings, etc. Across Hibernia, they used all of the animal. That means they ate everything edible and the rest was put to other uses. It was very sustainable, actually. "Alright. Noted. I wont ask. As long as it's not a brain, I think I'm fine with it." Arthur continued to eat, drinking along with it. He didnt have much mead, settling at two beers. But- as the night went on and there was more talk and more interaction, Merlin needed a load off. So he drank.
Now- he was not a lightweight. He handled the first three drinks perfectly fine. He had eaten after all so it didnt hit his system that hard. But when you're a prince who isnt usually in the prince position, it takes a toll. He accepted the drinks given and he remedies the long conversations with alcohol. Somewhere between the first and third drink, he mentioned how he 'never gets to drink' and 'he can spoil himself for one night'. Needless to say, Merlin should not have spoiled himself so much. Seven drinks in two and a half hours. At least he was sitting down now, just talking with the knights. He was definitely a happy drunk, giggling at everything. His cheeks were all rosy now and his speech was slurred.
Arthur was concerned. He never really saw Merlin drunk and with how much he had- he just knew he would need to be walked back to his room. But it was fine. He could handle a drunk Merlin. Just when he thought it couldnt get worse - Merlin was chatting up with some guy. He was sure he knew him but..it was unsettling how the other man was so close to him. Rather touchy too. Arthur didnt appreciate that. "Alright, you idiot. Come on. We should leave before you start making a fool of yourself." He chuckled and tried to help Merlin stand. "What? Why? Cmon, that's no fairrr..The knights get to- get to stay." Merlin huffed at him, pointing to the knights who just talked amongst themselves. "They're not shitface drunk, Merlin. You are. Now let's go. You just got back here, you dont want people thinking Camelot made you a drunk." He tried moving Merlin away but the man kept trying to stay. Truth was- he didnt want someone taking advantage of Merlin. According to his family and friends, he was a very sought after item on the market. Everyone tried to get with him. Him being drunk would just make it easier to lay him.
Arthur just gave up on getting him to walk, picking him up instead. He didnt seem to mind that too much, going ahead and leaning into him. "You're so strong.." Merlin giggled, feeling his shoulders. "And cute. I.. really like blondesss, did I ever tell you that?" Arthur didnt say anything as he carried him out and into the hall, going towards his room. Merlin continued, "You've- got pretty lips. I bet they're soft. You mind if I tessst that theory?" "Merlin.." Arthur sighed, trying to tell him no. He obviously wasnt in his right mind. He probably- thought he was someone else. Maybe Alex.
Once they actually got into Merlin's room, Arthur put him down and closed the door only to feel him lean back against his chest. It made his heart race being so close to him, hands going over his chest. "You look stressed, Arthur. Maybe we could..dooo something to help remedy that?" Merlin moved to try and get Arthur's shirt off but he was stopped. "Merlin. No. No..You're drunk. Not like this-" Honestly, there was that thought plaguing the back of Arthur's mind where- he wanted this. He wanted Merlin. But he swept it away, tossing it as being the alcohol or Merlin touching his chest. His words, maybe. But- he dismissed it as both wrong morally and plain incorrect. He couldnt want Merlin like that, even if he was sober. They were just friends. "We should get you water and get to bed." Arthur watched Merlin pull his hands away. He may be drunk and horny but he still knows what a 'no' means. "Sleep is boring." He mumbled but wobbled over to the bed, flopping down.
Arthur was relieved Merlin went to lay down. Maybe once he fell asleep, he could change him into some night clothes. "Arthurrr.." Merlin whined, "Come here. I wanna- wanna hug." He turns over, looking at the blonde. "We can hug if you get your boots off first, okay?" Arthur came over and helped with that, also taking off his jacket while he was at it. He figured that would be good for now. Then, as promised, he hugged Merlin tight, laying down with him. "Get some sleep, okay? You're gonna need it.." He let out a breath of relief. Merlin was safe in his arms. No one would be taking advantage, no one would be bothering him. "..Arthur?" Merlin looked up again after a moment. "Hm?" He looked down.
"I love you..."
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