A Premier Suite, Wednesday Evening

[bitchprince]

"I still have my trousers on," Arthur reminded him, dryly, and shot a glance towards the bath.

And then reached over and yanked on the knot of Merlin's neckerchief. That wasn't your trousers, Arthur.

[[ continued from this for Um. Prooobably NWS ]]

Comments

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin inhaled against Arthur's neck, concentrating on yanking a bit of water upwards. "You're the king of that."

[bitchprince]

"I never cheat."

But now his hair was soaked.

"Merlin--! Are you trying to wash my hair?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Me? I didn't do anything."

[bitchprince]

"You're a menace," Arthur informed him, pulling on his hips.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

But he was one who now had water about to be less naked.

...while being naked. And on top of Arthur. How this was any better was up to the reader.

"You started it."

[bitchprince]

"You were being an idiot," Arthur told him, "I accept no blame but for doing my duty."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Since when is bathing a servant your princly duty?"

[bitchprince]

"I mean keeping you from being an idiot," he retorted, "Which is only my princely duty in that if I let you get away with it all the time you'd probably get us all killed."

Yes. Really. Merlin. Get them all killed. With a bath and nudity. "...and if you think this is bathing you, you have incredibly low standards for such a thing."

Don't turn this into a challenge, or he really would be soaping you up within the next few minutes.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Oh, terribly sorry. How should the bathing go?" Somehow... this was a sarcastic, but innocent question.

Give him time, Arthur. Give him time.

[bitchprince]

Arthur smiled at him. Beatifically.

Then held up a water-soaked sponge (...approaching loofah. Not that Arthur knew what it was, or he might have given it the EW COOTIES treatment) and squeezed it empty above Merlin's head.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"...I hope you don't expect me to return the favour."

[bitchprince]

"Don't be such a girl, Merlin. That's just a bit of water."

The mocking part, anyway. The second part, now, which involved some more soap, seemed less intent on getting Merlin's hair soaked and a bit more on trailing along his back.

He was Arthur Pendragon. He didn't do nice things without mocking you severely, first.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin shot him a look, putting a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "And you're an expert, I'm sure."

He took a moment to try and get comfortable in the tub. It was just a bit too small for this.

[bitchprince]

Arthur shrugged his other shoulder, although the shifting was a bit-- yeah, okay, don't lean too far that way. "I've been known to pick up many a skill quickly."

He pulled the sponge along Merlin's side to his front.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"I'll keep that in mind," Merlin replied dryly. And really, Arthur's own fault for suggesting a bath.

[bitchprince]

Hey, a bath was an excellent idea. He was already starting to feel some of the tension soaking out of his limbs. "We need to do something about that smart mouth of yours," he decided, leaning up to kiss him.

... and sliding a hand up to the back of his neck, not so much for the sake of touching as for the sake of preventing Merlin's horrible coordination from drowning them both.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin snickered into the kiss, pulling him closer. "You sound like those movies."

[bitchprince]

"That's because I'm terribly charming, Merlin," Arthur told him, pressing the sponge against the boy's lower back at the same time, "Do try and pay attention."

Also, up this close, he was free to say hello there little Merlin.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Hey! It wasn't that small.

"And smarmy," Merlin replied, tangling his legs with Arthur's in a way that might end in a broken nose. "And utterly silly."

[bitchprince]

Honest to God, Arthur sometimes wondered how Merlin had survived a relationship in which the other person didn't possess enough grace to offset his complete lack of it. He shifted his leg a bit in a bid to avoid getting anywhere near a position that would herald that ignoble fate.

"Merlin," he said, kindly, as that sponge made a distinct downwards slide (which was not to say Arthur wasn't being thorough on the way, because he was), "I distinctly remember us just talking earlier about this idea of you knowing anything about this." Beat. "I am not smarmy." Beat. "And I'm far too poised to be silly."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin nodded solemnly. "Of course you're not."

[bitchprince]

"You're still trying to mock me," Arthur said, long-sufferingly, and dipped the sponge between his cheeks.

No, not the ones on his face.

He was trying to prove a point!

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Point proven! Proven!

Merlin made an undignified noise and started forward. "What?"

[bitchprince]

... Okay, now he did have to dodge a bit awkwardly to avoid getting headbutted, which would really ruin the mood. "...Avoid the nose."

The sponge went drifting up to the surface of the bath on accounts of Arthur settling his hand on Merlin's side to seriously no violence in the bathtub.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

It wasn't like Merlin was trying to injure him!

"You could try warning me next time," He suggested sheepishly.