Chapter Text
Just… a little… further-
“Fuck!” Merlin shouted, landing soundly on his back from the stepstool. Arthur stuck his head out of his bedroom, and promptly began laughing at Merlin’s predicament. “Shut up,” Merlin groaned, pushing himself upright from the ground. “If you would help with the decorating, I wouldn’t be having this problem.”
Arthur shook his head. “You’re the one with the unhealthy holiday obsession Merlin, not me. If you want to hang holly all over the flat, fine, but I’m not helping you.” Still, he left his room and pushed the footstool closer to the wall. “Just set it like this, you’ll be fine.” Merlin climbed back onto the stool, glaring over his shoulder at Arthur as he did so, and hung the tinsel carefully on the wall. Arthur grinned smugly as Merlin got down to the ground.
“I bet Gwaine will help me later,” Merlin said, pulling out his mobile.
“When’s Gwaine coming over?” Arthur asked, “I thought it was Lance’s turn to babysit him.” Gwaine made the rounds each week through everyone’s flats, having dinner and causing mayhem as he went, and usually only spent about one evening a week at his own place.
“I told you last weekend, Gwen invited Lance to her house for a movie marathon or something, so we’ve got him twice. Don’t look at me like that, you love Gwaine and you know it,” Merlin said, scolding Arthur for his pout. “Now, come over here and hang these in the window.” Merlin shoved a handful of paper snowflakes into Arthur’s hands along with some tape.
Arthur trudged over to the window and started taping the paper to the glass. “You know this is going to sweat and the snowflakes will fall right off,” he warned, but Merlin completely ignored him, still hanging tinsel around the fireplace and over the doorway while he hummed under his breath. His back was stretched out, his shirt riding up a bit and exposing the pale skin beneath it as he reached to hook the tinsel on a tack. Arthur breathed carefully through his nose, glancing away when Merlin relaxed back down off the tips of his toes.
Keep it together, Pendragon.
“Speaking of Gwaine,” Arthur said, trying to be casual, “What are you going to say when he asks you out?” It came out just a little more stilted than he’d have liked, but at least it didn’t reveal the desperation he felt at the concept. He finished taping up the last snowflake and schooled his expression before turning around to find Merlin ready to hand him some fairy lights.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Arthur,” Merlin said. “Hang these over the windows, the nails are still up from last year.” Arthur rolled his eyes.
“Don’t play coy, Emrys. Gwaine’s been shooting you these moony looks for months, he’s gonna do it sooner or later, and I’d be prepared with an answer when he asks,” Arthur replied, trying to mask his jealousy with teasing while he looped the fairy lights over their hooks easily.
Merlin scoffed. “I’m not being coy, I’ve just got no idea what you mean,” Merlin said, setting out the candles Hunith had given him a few years ago. He lit one, smiling as the smell of peppermint began to fill the room. “Gwaine’s a great guy, don’t get me wrong. I just don’t think –hang on, you’ve got it twisted– he’s interested in me that way.” Merlin untangled the ends of the lights and plugged them in while Arthur stepped back to admire his work.
“Now I know you’re joking. He comes at your beck and call!” Arthur exclaimed.
“Yeah, just like I come every time you call,” Merlin said thoughtlessly, blowing the bangs out of his face and flushing a bit at the implications. “You know what I mean,” he clarified lamely, but Arthur was already laughing at the unintended joke. Merlin shoved at his shoulders. “You’re twelve, you know that? Actually twelve years old.” He shook his head while Arthur laughed. “Clotpole.”