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Sitting at his table, Arthur glanced at the bowl of stew Merlin had just brought over for lunch. Raising an eyebrow, he turned his head to Merlin who was gathering the laundry from around the chambers.
“Merlin! Would you come here for a moment?”
“Yes, sire?” Merlin replied as he left the laundry basket on the floor and approached Arthur, standing by his chair.
“Would you care to tell me what it is in my food?” Arthur asked sternly.
“It’s pork, my lord. I prepared it myself.”
“I think that might have been the problem!” shouted Arthur as he raised his arm, grabbed the back of Merlin’s neck and pushed his face into the bowl, so close that Merlin’s nose almost touched the stew. “Look! What do you suppose that is?”
Merlin swallowed hard and replied; “That…is a fly, sire.”
With an angry grunt, Arthur let go of Merlin’s neck.
“Yes, a fly! You really are a total buffoon, aren’t you? You are incapable of doing anything useful. Anything at all!” Arthur kept shouting.
“I’m sorry, sire. I’ll go fetch you another meal” Merlin said, looking all bewildered and traumatized.
“Infested with dirty roaches this time? No, I don’t need you to bring me anything else. I do not have the slightest idea how or even why I keep putting up with you. You incompetent, absent-minded, oblivious little…” Arthur continued firing all his anger at Merlin, until he noticed Merlin’s eyes growing slightly watery while trying to keep a solemn face.
In a matter of seconds, Arthur felt his heart ache. This was Merlin.
Merlin who has drunk poison for him. Merlin who has held Arthur's head whenever he's been badly wounded or ill. Merlin who has taken the blame whenever Arthur asked him to. Merlin who has always made himself present at a snap of Arthur’s fingers.
And Merlin, who had not denied him when Arthur had kissed him and taken him one particularly drunken night after the debauchery of the Yuletide banquet, and instead, had told him that he loved him as he was entangled in Arthur’s inescapably strong embrace.
Merlin who was his. His own. His manservant, his best friend and his companion in passionate nocturnal kisses and lovemakings.
Merlin, who was everything to Arthur and whose beautiful blue eyes were now filled with sadness and hurt. All because of him. And really, if anyone was a buffoon it was Arthur for not realizing how hurtful he could be at times. Arthur kept thinking all this while breathing heavily and switching his gaze from Merlin to the table. Soon his exasperated expression softened and his temper started to cool.
“Merlin…” he said, somewhat softly.
“If you allow me, sire, I shall go at once and bring you a decent meal from the kitchen.”
There was a grave expression in Merlin’s eyes and voice.
“No. There’s no need, Merlin…”
“There’s every need, sire. Now if you allow me...” Merlin said as he bowed to the prince and started walking towards the chamber doors.
“Merlin, I did not give you permission to leave,” Arthur said assertively as he gestured Merlin to halt in his place. Merlin however, did not stop and was halfway out the door when Arthur got up and took the four long steps to cross the room. He grabbed Merlin’s wrist and pulled him back inside, closing the door behind them.
“Don’t leave, alright?” Arthur said almost hesitantly. Before adding quitely, “Please?”
“Please? I thought I was the one whose head almost hit the table earlier,” said Merlin quite loudly, gesturing to the back of his neck, mimicking the way Arthur grabbed him and almost slammed his head into his plate.
Arthur led Merlin into the room towards the dining table, not letting go of his wrist and now holding Merlin’s other wrist as well. He sat Merlin down on one of the chairs gently and pulled his chair closer and sat himself down.
“I was unfair, Merlin. I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you. It’s summer, there are flies everywhere. I am sure you did your best.”
“Sire, there really is no need. I am to blame for the unpleasantries and I shall make up for it by bringing you another...” he said as he made an attempt to stand up and leave again.
This time, Arthur grabbed Merlin’s sleeve and pushed him down on the chair a bit more forcefully.
“Merlin. I'm admitting it was unfair. I said you did not have to go and that I shouldn’t have shouted at you like that.”
“You almost broke my neck, my lord.” Merlin said while giving Arthur a cold questioning look.
“Now Merlin, don’t be such a big girl's blouse! It wasn’t that bad.” Arthur said, trying to lighten the mood. But Merlin didn’t look amused at all as he tried to release his sleeve from Arthur’s grasp.
“Look Arthur, I really have to go. I’m used to it. You needn’t worry.” Merlin said a bit more loudly than usual.
Arthur couldn't stand the sad look on Merlin’s face. He felt a desperate need to make Merlin smile right then and there. To hear his playful blabbering and moreover, feel his soft and loving kisses and cuddles. Merlin however, was insisting he needed to leave. In truth, Merlin had never rejected his apologies like this before and Arthur was unsure how to deal with it. Once again, Merlin tried to get up.
“Merlin, don’t leave. I’m sorry, okay? I saw a fly in my food and I snapped. Believe it or not, princes should not be given flies for lunch,...but it wasn’t your fault,” Arthur said, his voice slightly rising in pitch while trying to look unruffled.
“No, sire, it was. And now I must—”
Arthur didn’t let him finish.
“Merlin, for god’s sake! Here. Look! I’m eating it. I’m eating the fly stew. Just look!” Arthur said as he took a spoonful of the stew and put it right into his mouth without hesitation.
“No! That's disgusting, Arthur.” Merlin almost yelled, trying to seize the spoon out of Arthur's hand. “You don’t have to do this.”
Arthur held him back.
“Yes, yes I do, Merlin. Mmm, yum! Here goes another one,” he said with an air of determination and took another spoonful and gulped it down.
He continued fighting off Merlin’s attempts to stop him by holding him back with only one arm.
“All right, Arthur, all right! I won’t leave. Now, stop eating that nasty stew for heaven’s sake!”
Arthur put the spoon down. He wiped his mouth gently while looking directly into Merlin’s eyes.
Are you happy now?” he asked with a grin.
“You're an idiot, and a prat” Merlin said, shaking his head with disbelief when a slight smile appeared on his face.
Arthur grinned and cupped Merlin’s cheek.
“I swear, I’ll never make you cry again, Merlin.”
“I wasn’t crying, you clotpole,” insisted Merlin and batted Arthur’s hand away from his face.
“Keep telling yourself that!” Arthur said as he grasped Merlin's neckerchief and pulled him closer, brushing his lips against Merlin's, before seizing his now smiling lips in a deep kiss.
He wrapped an arm around Merlin's waist and drew him towards his lap, gently sitting him there, where he belonged.
“Are you gonna kiss me again with your fly mouth now, sire?” said Merlin cheekily against Arthur’s parted lips while they were trying to seize his.
“Shut up, Merlin!” Arthur said, as he invaded Merlin’s beautiful mouth with his tongue.
Merlin started stroking Arthur’s soft blond hair as they kissed and when he broke the kiss, he drew Arthur’s head into an embrace and rested it on his broad and bony shoulder.
“I see that you’re feeling sorry for me for eating your bug infested stew,” Arthur said with a smirk.
“On the contrary, my lord, We both know you quite deserved it.”
Arthur brought his head up and smiled into Merlin’s face. Suddenly he grabbed Merlin’s neck with one arm, pulling his head down, messing his unruly black hair up with his other hand.
“Ow! Cut it out, Arthur!”
“Tell me you love me” said Arthur, not letting go of Merlin's head.
“No.”
“Say it, Merlin!”
“Fine. I love you, clotpole. You know I do. Now let me go!”
Arthur let him go with a grin.
“Can I bring us some fresh food now, my prat? I’m starving!” He said as he gave Arthur’s lips a soft little kiss.
“Off you go, but be warned, if it’s anything less than rat this time, I won’t eat it.”