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“Well, I probably should get going.” Merlin stood up end stretched and Gwaine took the opportunity to catch a glimpse of pale skin as the shirt rode up over Merlin’s hips. “You staying here?” he asked and Gwaine forced himself to stop thinking about pale skin and what he’d like to do to it.
“I better go as well” he answered, looking out of the window. “It’s snowing pretty heavy out there, and it looks like it’s getting worse.” Merlin nodded and the two of them got all their books and pulled on their coats. After a friendly wave to Gwen, and Merlin finally having finished wrapping his favourite, one kilometre long, blue knitted scarf around his neck, the two of them stepped out from the café and started to walk home.
Gwaine had not made an understatement. It was snowing heavily and the wind had started to pick up as well. It was difficult to see anything and the cold pierced through every layer of clothing that they’d put on. They were not even halfway to Gwaine’s place before Merlin was shivering badly, and by the time they actually got there Gwaine took one look at his friend’s blue lips and ushered him inside the building.
“Gwaine, I ne-need to get ho-home” Merlin tried to protest but since he couldn’t speak properly for shivering so badly it only strengthened Gwaine’s resolve to get him to stay.
“You’re going to freeze to death before you even get halfway there” he said, unlocking the door. “And don’t worry about Gaius” he added, knowing that Merlin would want to get home to make sure that his uncle was alright. “Just call him and tell him that you’re going to stay here until the snowing lets up a bit, ok? He’ll be fine.”
“Okay.” Merlin nodded and slowly started to take of his coat, fingers numb and clumsy from the cold. After the third attempt to open the zipper he huffed annoyedly and Gwaine chuckled.
“Need a hand with that?” he asked and Merlin rolled his eyes and gestured to the front of his coat.
“Yes, please” he muttered, and was glad that he could blame his red face on the cold, and not on Gwaine’s close proximity.
“Here” Gwaine said, pushing a large, steaming cup into Merlin’s hand and the dark-haired man immediately perked up.
“You even got me whipped cream and marshmallows” he beamed as Gwaine plopped down on the couch next to him.
“Can’t have hot chocolate without it, can you?”
“Absolutely not” Merlin said firmly and took a small sip before he burrowed down deeper under the blanket and let out a content sigh. Gwaine realized that it was a lucky thing that his hands were occupied holding his own cup, otherwise he might have done something stupid like stroking Merlin’s hair or cuddling down beside him. Not that he wouldn’t want to, but he didn’t want to ruin their friendship, or scare Merlin away. Too many people already thought that he was nothing more than a player, and Gwaine didn’t want his best friend to think that he was just after a casual fuck.
“Um, Gwaine?”
”Yeah?”
”You’ve got something on your cheek, there, no, more to the right, wait, let me.” Merlin leaned in to wipe the cream away from Gwaine’s bearded cheek and at the same time Gwaine turned towards his friend to properly see where Merlin pointed. They both froze, almost nose to nose and with Merlin cupping Gwaine’s cheek.
“Um, I was just going to…” Merlin gestured towards Gwaine’s face. “I mean, you had some cream there and I…” When he realized that he was still touching Gwaine’s face, almost caressing it, he snatched his hand back and blushed crimson red. “I’m sorry” he muttered mortified, looking anywhere but at his friend.
“It’s ok” Gwaine assured him gruffly. “I know that you don’t want to… you know…” Merlin slowly lifted his head.
“Don’t want what?” he asked, his heart thrumming with the hope that maybe, please please please let it be so, Gwaine meant exactly what he thought that he meant.
“You know” Gwaine made a sweeping gesture that could mean anything. “Like, us.”
“Oh.” Merlin blushed again but this time it was a different kind of blush. “Don’t be so sure about that” he continued and smiled, tentatively at first but then radiantly when Gwaine understood what he meant and grinned back. Merlin cleared his throat.
“So, uh, there is something on your lips as well. Maybe I should help you with that as well?” he offered and Gwaine leaned in closer.
“Yes, please.”