There For Me | Merthur

Exhaustion

"You should get ready."

Arthur looks up from his desk, the papers sprawled out on top of it all melting together in one big pile of stress.

He has a knighting ceremony to go to, but his energy is down to zero and his will is even lower than that. Not only is Morgana missing, but the last few days, nay weeks, had been beyond stressful and he feared that if he didn't get more sleep, he would collapse in the middle of something important.

"Arthur?"

He blinks, realizing that he'd been staring blankly at Merlin, or more accurately through him.

"Are you alright?", Merlin asks, standing with the princes' clothes in hand, waiting for him to get up so he could get ready.

"Why wouldn't I be?", Arthur grumbles, looking down again so Merlin couldn't see the exhaustion in his eyes.

"You look dead."

The prince was too tired to think of snarky reply. He gets up from his seat, his vision twisting and head starting to pound. His hand grabbed the table's edge to stabilize his body, but even a step forward would lead him to fall.

Merlin left the clothes on a chair, rushing over to wrap an arm around his waist, to support him.

"You should lay down."

Arthur grumbles, trying to pull away and stand on his own, "I have to go."

"Not like this, you don't. Come on, don't be stubborn.", Merlin guides him to bed, letting him fall back on the pillows. A cold hand touches his forehead, "You're burning up.", Merlin voice is panicked and his eyes dim with worry, "I'm going to go get Gaius."

Arthur grabs a hold of his arm, "No, don't.", he pleads with eyes and Merlin almost listens right then.

"I have to get you medicine.", he tries to pull away, but the grip on his arm tightens.

"I'm fine.", Arthur sighs, letting go, his eyes closing, "Just, stay here."

Merlin listens. He stays there the whole day as Arthur sleeps, knelt down by the bed with his head on it and hands brushing against Arthur's.

When Arthur wakes and sees his servant sitting there, asleep, he can't help the beating of his heart or the warmth that arrives with it.

He doesn't push it away either, just let's his hand brush against the softness of Merlin's hair.