Bubble Bath (merlin/arthur)
Title: Bubble Bath
Author: bleedforyou1
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: PG-15
Summary: Arthur is mesmerized by Merlin's bath.
Word count: 1,437
Warnings:
Note: I don't even know where this came from. For this prompt at kinkme_merlin
Having a bubble bath always reminded Merlin of the long summer days in Ealdor, when his mum would let him use his magic to fill the tub with bubbles during his bath. He’d create mystical lands and play rescue-the-maiden by himself in the bath, using his wooden toys. Of course that was when he was only a child... sometimes when he got a day off from working as the King’s manservant, Merlin allowed himself this one small childish act. Soap bubbles let him forget about how much he loved Arthur and how much Arthur was still pining over Gwen, who had left months ago.
“What... are you doing?”
Merlin looked up, startled, to where Arthur was standing at his doorway and dropped his washcloth into the bathtub in surprise. “Arthur! What-- get out of my room! You didn’t even knock!”
Arthur paid no heed to what Merlin was saying and instead closed the door behind him, staring at Merlin, who blushed head to toe. “Don’t tell me what to do, Merlin, I’m the King.”
“Didn’t you hear me? GET OUT! This is my private room and I’m bloody bathing!”
“How are there so many... bubbles in your bath?”
“I...” Merlin blushed even harder and gathered a few bubbles to cover his very-naked chest. “Arthur, seriously, get out of my room!”
“No, really, how did you do that? Why don’t you ever do that for me?”
“Because-- because I don’t know! I didn’t think think you’d like it, it’s rather childish and... and why are you still here?!”
Arthur, again, ignored him and stepped closer, kneeling next to Merlin’s bath. Merlin resisted the urge to scream like a girl. Slowly, Arthur reached out and popped one of the bubbles on the edge of the tub, as if mesmerized.
“Sire, I beg of you, get out of my room!” Merlin practically shouted.
“Shush Merlin, don’t want the rest of the world hearing you and coming in.”
“You just did! Just because you’re the King doesn’t mean you can just barge in wherever you want, ignore me, and-- and-- oh my God why are you taking your clothes off?!”
“I was just about to call you to come draw me a bath as well, but since you’ve already got this one,” Arthur said, shrugging and carelessly taking off his shirt and untying his trousers.
“I’m in my bath! You can’t have it!”
“No matter, we shall share. I already share my meals with you anyway.”
Merlin panicked and the screaming feeling almost came back, his face aflame in embarrassment. “Sire this is very inapprorpiate I assure you! Go back to your rooms and I’ll come in a few moments and draw you your own bath! I’ll even bloody put bubbles in it if you want!”
“No, I want this one. Now budge up, Merlin,” Arthur said as he took off his smallclothes and stood naked in front of Merlin, about to put a foot into the tub.
“We can’t both fit in here! This isn’t your royal tub! Stop! Arthur! No!”
But Arthur was already going in, and Merlin was literally about to drown himself in the bathwater as Arthur’s half hard cock was in front of his face before Arthur sat down in the tub. Their legs tangled and Merlin let out an embarassingly loud squeak.
“Did you just squeak?”
“WHY ARE YOU IN MY TUB?! GET OUT BEFORE I STRANGLE YOU WITH YOUR OWN SHIRT!”
“Stop screaming Merlin,” Arthur said, rolling his eyes as if all of this were perfectly natural. “A shared bath between friends is no big deal. The knights and I do it all the time.”
“What?! You? What? No you don’t! You’re lying! Arthur, seriously, I can’t move! Let me get out at least!”
“No, just, come here you silly thing,” Arthur was saying at the same time as Merlin started to flail his arms. Arthur grabbed him by the arm and turned him over so fast Merlin slipped in the tub and landed on his arse, in between Arthur’s spread legs. Merlin’s entire body went tomato red and he shuddered.
“Arthur, seriously, this is just-- this is-- this is madness, have you gone bloody insane? Oh God did the fae enchant you again?!”
“Sshhh,” Arthur murmured in his ear and held a hand tight against Merlin’s mouth. “For once in your life, stop chattering for five minutes and relax, will you?”
Merlin shook his head viciously and tried to speak under Arthur’s hand, but Arthur kept it tight against his lips.
“Keep quiet and let me enjoy these... bubbles. So interesting!”
The hand remained on Merlin’s mouth while Arthur’s other hand drifted through the water and gathered bubbles into his palm, then pressed them against Merlin’s chest. Merlin squirmed and splashed in the water but he didn’t dare try to fight Arthur lest the entire tub turn over and turn his room into a sopping mess.
“Hmmmm, your skin is much softer than I thought it would be,” Arthur said softly, tracing his fingers down Merlin’s chest. “It makes me wonder if calling you a girl all the time is actually correct.”
Merlin reached his elbow back to slam it into Arthur’s chest, but not hard enough to hurt, considering Arthur was a knight and his chest was really rather strong. Arthur growled and twisted his hand, causing Merlin’s neck to face to the side, able to see Arthur behind him.
“You really don’t want this?” Arthur asked, his voice soft again.
Merlin blinked, and looked into Arthur’s eyes, blue, earnest, but serious, and slightly... hopeful? Merlin let out a breath and picked up his hands, pulling Arthur’s hand off of his mouth gently. “I don’t know... I never, um, thought you would want... me.”
“Merlin,” Arthur chuckled, his eyes shining now, mirth filling them. “You are silly. How could you not tell I’ve wanted you for so long?”
Merlin’s mind reeled in shock and he accidentally blurted out: “But... Gwen...?”
This time Arthur sighed, his fingers caressing the side of Merlin’s neck. It was hard for Merlin to concentrate when Arthur did that, but he tried.
“Camelot still needs a Queen, Merlin. I cannot let my selfishness take an heir away from the Kingdom. However, all of that was no matter when I thought you were in love with someone else.”
“What?! I-- what? Who? I’m not in love with someone else!”
“Well you’re always sneaking off, and you never... seemed to show the same attraction for me, and you were always rather chummy with Gwaine,” Arthur said, rolling his eyes slightly. Was Arthur... jealous?
“I’m not with anyone else, Arthur...”
Arthur smiled at him, a small, hesitant smile and Merlin couldn’t help it, he leaned forward and kissed his King’s pretty mouth, because it was there, and inviting, and that just needed to happen after all this.
They broke away after a moment, Arthur’s arms tight against Merlin’s chest and Merlin’s neck aching slightly from turning it for so long. Merlin moved in the bath, curling up slightly and kissing Arthur again.
“I... I’ve-- Gods, Merlin, I’ve wanted you so badly,” Arthur sighed into Merlin’s mouth.
“Me too... I never wanted to impose, but I just-- I’ve loved you for a very long time.”
Arthur pulled away and stared at him and then his face broke out into a large grin. “You love me?”
“I... I, um, I don’t...” Merlin sighed. “Yes.”
“Well that’s rather girly of you, Merlin,” Arthur teased.
“Shut up, you prat!”
“Bubble baths, declarations of love, my oh my Merlin, must I send roses and lace dresses to woo you?”
“No, you’re not woo-ing me at all, you--you dollophead.”
“Oh come now, you must allow me to court you, my love!”
Merlin splashed a handful of water into Arthur’s face and laughed when Arthur started to splutter.
The argument soon decended into splashing and pretty much messing up Merlin’s room anyway, but Merlin enjoyed it all the same. Soon after, Arthur was wrapping sheets around them and holding Merlin close in Merlin’s tiny cot. Merlin’s fingers brushed through Arthur’s damp hair while Arthur lied half on top of him and hummed into the hollow of Merlin’s collarbone.
“You’re not a girl,” Arthur said after a long moment of silence.
“Why thank you for noticing sire,” Merlin replied tartly. “Did you finally realize I had a cock? Jealous that I’m bigger than you?”
“Shut up, Merlin. I meant to say you’re not a girl for loving me. Because... because I love you back.”
Merlin grinned up at the ceiling. “Interesting.”
“And you’re not bigger than me, idiot.”