Chapter Text
Prince Arthur and Merlin had been riding through the lush green forest since early morning. It was a slow walk on their horses, both of them content to spend some time with each other without eyes or the pressures of court life on them. Sometimes they filled the time with light conversation suitable for the sunny and warm spring day. The rest they rode next to each other in comfortable silence, broken only by the rustling of animals in the bushes and the bird song in the trees.
By midday, they reached the meadow Prince Arthur has been attempting to subtly guide them towards without alerting Merlin to where they were going. Which was difficult as sometimes Merlin could be alarmingly perceptive. It always seemed that Merlin knew Prince Arthur’s secrets before he even knew them himself. But Arthur knows his secrets are safe with Merlin.
“What do you think?” Prince Arthur asks, nodding his head towards the meadow. He hopes Merlin will like it.
Merlin takes in the meadow before them, blooms of flowers of various colours fluttering and gently swaying in the breeze. His eyes seem to take on a faraway look for a moment before returning to normal, and he turns to Prince Arthur with a smile.
“It’s beautiful. It’s so peaceful here, and the horses like it already too.”
He motions to their horses who have started grazing where they’re stood.
“Good enough to stay awhile?” asks Prince Arthur, heart beating fast with nerves.
Merlin grins. “Sure. Are you trying to shirk your royal duties, sire?”
“Shut up.” Prince Arthur dismounts off his horse, and takes a moment to breathe and get his nerves under control. He’s a knight and been in plenty of battles, he should be able to control his nerves better than this.
He wanders over to Merlin’s horse and helps him take down the panniers on the horse. Merlin may technically be his servant, but Prince Arthur is still capable of this. He doesn’t want them to be Prince and servant here. Just two people of equal status.
Arthur grabs the blanket, and under Merlin’s raised eyebrow, lays it out on a patch of grass in front of them. He smooths out all the wrinkles and stands back to survey his work, proud of himself. He turns to Merlin, whose raised eyebrow rises even further.
“What are you doing? Who even are you?” Merlin asks in surprise and disbelief.
“Putting out the blanket, what does it look like?”
Merlin still stares at him. “But I’m usually the one doing that.”
Arthur scoffs. “I am quite capable of rolling out a blanket Merlin. It’s not that difficult.”
Merlin grins at him. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“Shut up and help me get the other things out of the panniers.”
Merlin hums, smirking, but goes to help. “Maybe the blanket sapped all your strength and now you need me to do the work?”
“Merlin, I swear I will put you in the stocks!”
Merlin grins, used to the threats that are not really threats. Between the two of them, they pull out a range of food and drinks, placing them on the blanket.
“Remind to thank the kitchen staff for cooking and packing all of this,” Merlin said, as he sits down on the blanket at Arthur’s urging.
Arthur sits closer to Merlin than a prince should sit next to their servant. “Why do you think it was them? It could have been me, you know?”
Merlin shoots him a disbelieving look as he searches through the food. “You know how to hunt and cook the animal on a fire out here in the forest. You know enough to keep yourself alive. But cooking in the kitchens? Nah, not your thing.”
Arthur scowls. “I could’ve learnt. I could have been taking lessons.”
Merlin softly laughs as he hands Arthur a loaf of bread and a bread knife. “What, with all that non-existent free time you have in between all of your royal duties? Slice the bread please.”
Merlin sees Arthur failing to hide his sulking, but still slicing the loaf as instructed. “And thankyou for organising all of this. Is there a particular reason you’re skipping out of your duties?”
Arthur shrugs his shoulders, not expecting to tell Merlin the true reason until much later. “Can’t a man take a break once in a while and sit in a meadow eating food with a friend?”
Merlin places some slices of meat onto two plates and places one next to Arthur and takes a slice of bread. “Sure, but you don’t usual- wait, you consider me a friend?”
Arthur waves a chunk of bread at Merlin. “If you tell anyone that you’re my best friend, I will make you clean everyone’s armour for a month straight.”
Merlin just smiles widely. “You are threatening me with bread. Forgive me if I don’t take it seriously.”
Arthur huffs in response. He knows his threats are not really threats. He has no idea how to actually talk about his feelings without some form of threat to hide how vulnerable Arthur feels. But Arthur feels safe with Merlin, which is why he wanted this picnic so he could actually speak about his thoughts without threatening Merlin. It’s just not quite worked out so far.
Merlin’s eyes flicker to Arthur’s hair.
“You have a tiny bug in your hair, stay still,” Merlin said, as he leans in and plucks the bug out with one hand.
His eyes flick back to Arthur’s and realises how close their faces are.
Arthur barely breathes, eyes flitting between Merlin’s eyes and his mouth.
"You're everything I've wanted and more," comes out unbidden from Arthur’s mouth.
Arthur is pleased to see a blush paint Merlin’s cheeks and his smile widens. But he refuses to move forward to kiss Merlin, even though it would be so easy. Whether or not they like it, for now Merlin is his servant and has to follow Arthur’s orders. He will not pressure Merlin.
But Merlin leans forward to press their lips together in a quick kiss, before leaning back slightly to check Arthur’s reaction.
Arthur smiles and gently tugs Merlin towards him, eyes closing when he’s sure their lips will touch again.
“Once more,” he mumbles against Merlin’s lips.
Merlin breaks away from the kiss and rests his head against Arthur’s shoulder, his breath tickling Arthur’s neck.
“You should wake up now,” Merlin said softly.
“Hmm?” Arthur said, not understanding.
“Open your eyes.”
Arthur opens his eyes, heart dropping at what he sees.
Instead of sitting on a blanket in a meadow, with Merlin curled into his side, he sees the top of his canopy bed back at the castle.
It was just a dream.
“Fuck.”