Kiss it better

Merlin groaned, his body stirring restlessly against the sheets. He could feel a cool cloth on his brow and knew that they were trying to keep his fever down, but all he knew that it was too cold, far too cold…

He moaned again, his head tossing to one side to try and dislodge it, but there was a hand against his cheek, preventing him from doing exactly that. Years ago, it would have been his mother’s hand, soft and feminine even if it had been hardened by hours worked in the field. She would have wiped his brow, murmuring soothing nonsense at him whilst trying to get him too cool down and fight back.

“Shh, sleep…” Both the voice and the hand were wrong though. It was a deep, masculine voice, the hand toughened by years of holding a sword. Yet that did nothing to undermine the affection he could feel coming through in that one gesture, and he moaned again, trying to say something.

“Come on, Merlin, please just sleep…” That wasn’t right, Arthur never sounded that worried. Nor that drawn and haggard, and Merlin tried to open his eyes, but found that the effort was simply too much. He whimpered something in response, trying to get his rebellious body to listen to him. He wanted to sleep, didn’t they know that? But something was missing, something…

Oh…

Now that was precisely the right temperature. Arthur’s hand felt so good as it softly caressed his cheek that Merlin automatically leant into the touch, the corners of his mouth turning up in the beginning of a feverish smile.

“Go to sleep, love, I’m right here.” Still something wasn’t right though, and Merlin blindly reached out a hand, grabbing hold of Arthur’s wrist. The king huffed, and Merlin realised that Arthur knew what was missing. He was about to ask when he felt the weight next to him shift.

Very softly, a pair of lips brushed over his, kissing him softly. Immediately, Merlin slumped, the tension leaving his body as he finally did as he was told and fell asleep.