(So, here's another cheesy oneshot from me. This is rubbish, but I have to admit I liked it. And I enjoyed writing it. I have been in a funk where I can't finish the stuff I write and I finally finished something so I'm pretty happy. Hopefully I'll be able to focus on my stories now. I have no idea where this idea came from, I just sat down and said, Okay I'm gonna write something tonight and here you go. I don't own Merlin!)

"I've got to head out now."

"Why?" Arthur asked, standing up from the small table in the coffee shop. Merlin looked a bit sheepish, cheeks turning red and he fiddled with his fingers. Arthur raised his eyebrow at his mate.

"I've…sort of got a date tonight," Merlin blushed, and he blushed hard. Arthur had to hold back a laugh. "It's the first, since Mordred…"

"Uhhuhh…" Arthur nodded, grinning. "That's good; I still say Mordred was a right idiot to dump you."

"He wasn't happy anymore…" Merlin took in a deep breath and looked anywhere but Arthur for a moment, probably trying to hide the hurt that was still in his eyes. Arthur knew him better than that, you're not mates with someone for six years and not know them better than that. "Anyway," Merlin finally looked back at him and gave a small smile. "Gwen set me up with someone."

"It's funny, actually," Arthur said, walking ahead of Merlin and toward the doors. "Morgana set me up with someone tonight as well, I keep trying to get out of it, I don't really fancy going." He pulled open one of the doors and allowed Merlin to exit first. He did so, and Arthur followed him out. "She always sets me up with such duds, but she won't let me get out of it."

"Maybe you'll have fun?" Merlin offered, shoving his hands in his pockets and turning back to give Arthur a smirk. "Or end up in jail again."

"They weren't arresting us, I told you a thousand times!" Arthur argued. "They were just holding us until we sobered up a bit."

"If you ask me Gwaine really isn't the right choice for you anyways," Merlin grinned. Arthur rolled his eyes at this.

"If that wasn't obvious enough…"

"You need someone a bit more your speed, a bit more…boring."

"Thanks, Merlin, thanks…." Arthur trailed off while Merlin burst into a fit of giggles. Arthur gave him a nasty glare after a moment. "I'll call you tomorrow; see how your date went, huh?"

"Oh, high hopes?" Merlin pulled a face that made Arthur roll his eyes.

"A dirty mind doesn't suit you, Merlin."

"Whatever you say," Merlin smiled, as he walked away. "Talk to you tomorrow!"

XXX

Arthur stood in front of the mirror in his flat, adjusting the collar of his dress shirt. He hated blind dates, he really hated them, but Morgana, Arthur's annoying, meddlesome, sister thought it would be a great idea, seeing as Arthur hadn't been on a date in almost a year. He just didn't think about dating is all, relationships normally just happened for him, he didn't really have to put in any effort. But it seemed his sister thought he should, or at least put himself out there.

Honestly, he was waiting for this date to be a complete flop, at least then he could come home, dress like a slob and watch Top Gear in peace.

His phone rang from the dresser where it was charging and he walked over, picking it up without looking at the ID. He knew who it was, it was the same fool who was forcing him to go out.

"What?" he barked into the phone.

"Well, hello to you too, brother."

"What?" he repeated, with a roll of his eyes this time.

"I just wanted to see if you were ready to go, god, such a little bitch."

"Don't get me started on bitches, Morgana!" he barked. "How the hell am I supposed to know who this person is? Why didn't you give me a name?"

"Sh, please, your voice gives me a headache."

"You called me!" he yelled.

"The reservation is under Doctor Lover, and that's all you need to know," she told him, Arthur swore, she just liked to ruin his life.

"I'm going to look like a complete idiot saying that…"

"Well, you always do!"

He hung up on her then, shoving the phone into his jean pocket. He looked himself over one last time, not that he cared, this date would be rubbish, he was sure of it. He headed out, not bothering to turn out the lights; he wasn't going to be gone that long.

When he got to the restaurant (which was like ten minutes away from his flat, probably the only thing Morgana would be getting right tonight,) and walked up to the seater, he took in a breath. "Doctor Lover…" he said, cringing, the woman looked up confused and raised an eyebrow. "The reservation is under Doc-please don't make me say it again!"

The girl laughed and looked down at the papers on her post. "Right this way, sir."

Arthur followed the girl to a table for two in the back, all the while slightly panicking about who might be sitting at the table already. In the end, it was no one, he must have been the first to arrive, and he sighed, in a bit of relief, at least for now, and took a seat. The girl rattled off about what their specials were and ran off, leaving Arthur to sit there, his newfound relief slipping away.

He sat there for five minutes, picking at the tablecloth and trying not to jump up and run out , he considered it quite a few times actually. Until he saw the seater once again, coming toward him, he looked down at the menu, like he wasn't at all concerned about whoever it might be behind her, nope, he wouldn't even look up. God, he really hated blind dates, they were so stressful.

He only looked up again, even though he tried really hard not to, when the pressure got too much and he had to look up or he'd burst. However, who stood there, made his mouth fall open a bit.

"Merlin?!"

Merlin made a huffing noise and looked at the girl and then Arthur, and then the girl. "This can't be right."

"Doctor Lover, Doctor Lover," the girl said, pointing to Arthur and then Merlin. "Sorry, boys, looks like it's right," she grinned, she was clearly entertained about the whole thing. "Would you like to hear the specials?"

"No thanks," Merlin said, pulling out a chair, and sitting down. The girl shrugged, set the menu in front of Merlin, and then ran off again and Arthur could swear, she was laughing as she went. He turned back to Merlin and glared.

"This some sort of sick joke?"

"I don't know!" Merlin defended. "I'm going to kill Gwen, I thought she was serious about this!"

"Morgana's evilness is running off on her, for sure," Arthur commented, pulling out his phone to text a hateful message to said evil sister. What the hell are you playing at? Was the message he sent and then looked up at Merlin. "Should we just leave?"

"I'm texting Gwen now," Merlin answered, shaking the phone he was now holding in his hands. "She says we should give it a try…" He looked up with a confused face. "I don't get why."

"We've been mates six years, why the hell would we if we haven't already?" Arthur demanded, Merlin just shrugged and looked back at his phone. Arthur looked back to his now too, to see a fresh message from Morgana. You are perfect for each other. Enjoy. "ENJOY WHAT?!"

"Well, we do have some great appetizers and the top notch of all chocolate cakes," someone said and Arthur jerked up, seeing the waiter there. He grinned brightly and Arthur looked over to Merlin to see him starting to laugh. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Well, there's no reason we can't eat.…" He said and Merlin smiled, nodding. "We'll have some potato skins and two baskets of chips."

"That's not very romantic, Arthur," Merlin teased. "We need romance on our date; we'll have the fondue for two as well."

"This isn't a date, Merlin…" Arthur trailed off, as the waiter wrote down what they wanted and scurried off. "And I'm sending Morgana a bill for this dinner."

XXX

"Stop stealing all the frosting!" Merlin complained, slapping Arthur's spoon away and scooping up all the icing for himself.

"That is very unfair!" Arthur complained, trying to look as appalled as he could. Merlin only smirked and shoved the whole spoon into his mouth. "That's it!" Arthur yelled, being much too loud in such a nice restraint, but he didn't care. He took a handfull of cake and leaned across the table, rubbing it all over Merlin's face. "Well…you look delicious, Merlin."

"That was…" Merlin trailed off, bits of cake all over his face; really, Arthur couldn't help but to smile at this. "That was rude!"

"True."

The waiter came around one last time and presented them with the bill, Arthur almost chocked on his last bite of cake. It was a good thing he was planning on taking this out of Morgana's ass. He paid and they headed out, bits of cake still all over Merlin's clothes and a bit in his hair. Honestly, Arthur had had a good time tonight, if not a date, it was still fun to hang out with Merlin.

Arthur felt his phone buzz and he pulled it out, ready to send another hateful message to Morgana when he looked though, it was from Gwen. Sorry about being sneaky but you two are so cute together. Morgana paid for you two to have a carriage ride in the park. Have fun!

"….I have to feed my cat and go-"

Arthur hadn't realized Merlin had been talking, too busy reading his text, he looked up at him and sighed. "I don't think you'll be going home any time soon, Morgana has paid for a carriage ride in the park for us."

"How thoughtful of her," Merlin smiled suddenly. "And we'll be going?"

"Of course," Arthur grinned, heading down the sidewalk, the opposite way from his flat, but toward the park. "If Morgana is paying why on earth would I miss it?"

"You're such a cheapskate on dates."

"It's not a date, Merlin."

XXX

The night air was a bit chilly in the park, but the sky was clear and the stars could be seen all around. And if this wasn't with Merlin it might be really romantic, even with Merlin it wasn't half bad. The little old guy steering the carriage hadn't said a word and that left only Merlin and Arthur to make conversation and for some reason they were making it in a hushed tone.

"This is fun," Merlin whispered, leaning close to Arthur. Arthur nodded, turning to look at him. He was so close, Arthur could smell his breath and it smelled of chocolate cake.

"It is."

"Feels very date-y too," Merlin suddenly grinned. "Sure it isn't a date?"

"It's not."

"Morgana and Gwen think it is…"

"They're stupid."

"They are going to be mad you said that."

"They set me up on a date with one of my best mates, who should be madder here?" Arthur asked, glancing away from Merlin. He still couldn't believe they had done it, he had never shown any interest in Merlin at all.

"Don't be a clotpole," he heard Merlin say and he rolled his eyes. That nickname (or insult,) was given to him by Merlin back in uni, when they first met, and Arthur wasn't the nicest. The two hadn't gotten along at all in those days. Sometimes they didn't get along so well now even, they bickered a lot, so why Morgana (or Gwen,) thought they should date was beyond Arthur. Sometimes some people are just better off as friends.

Arthur had never even considered dating Merlin before, which didn't really make a lot of sense to him now, thinking about, because they were both interested in men, (well, Arthur was interested in both, but that's another story for another time,) and it wasn't as if Merlin was ugly. He was a bit thin and corner-y, but not ugly. And having known each other for so long, they got each other pretty well at this point. Arthur had to admit, on paper, they could work pretty well. But that didn't mean they would.

XXX

The carriage ride ended soon enough, and they both walked now, through the park. The air was a bit colder than before, and Merlin, wearing only a light coat, looked pretty chilled.

"Cold?" Arthur asked, causally, looking up at the bugs forming around the lamppost.

"Don't tell me you're going to be a gentleman and offer me your jacket, are you?" Merlin teased and Arthur turned to glare at him. But, the silly sort of smile Merlin was sporting made Arthur grin instead. "You were, weren't you?!" he laughed now. "Oh, that's very sweet, Arthur…"

"I wasn't, actually," Arthur rebutted, he didn't want to look like an ass, even if he was going to offer the jacket. "I was just wondering if you wanted to go back to my place."

"That's rather fresh; it's only the first date!" Merlin told him, still with the same silly smile. "I think you'd better know I don't kiss on the first date and I don't go back to people's places."

"This isn't a date, Merlin!" Arthur argued further. "And you've been over to mine a thousand times!"

"Okay, whatever you say," Merlin smirked, turning back and heading the way they had come. "I am a bit cold anyway..."

On the walk back to Arthur's flat , they didn't talk much, not at all really. This led Arthur to wonder if he was offending Merlin by denying this as a date. But Merlin had never seemed interested in Arthur in that way and he was a bug, a annoying little bug that loved to make Arthur uncomfortable (and) or pissed off. So, of course not, Merlin was just being himself, wasn't he?

When they got to the flat Merlin walked right in and kicked his shoes off, like he always did, Arthur sighed a bit, in relief, because if Merlin was truly upset, he wouldn't be acting like this, he would be acting like a proper human being. When Merlin acts like his weird, little self, that's when you know you're fine.

"Nice place you've got here," Merlin said then, in more of that teasing tone. "Very spacious…"

"Merlin…"

"What?" he asked, turning to look at Arthur with big, innocent, blue eyes. "I was just commenting on the very spaciousness of your flat, and how my CD case would fit nicely in that corner when we finally take that big step and move in together."

"And you say you like taking things slow?" Arthur scoffed, kicking off his own shoes and going to sit down on his sofa. "Already planning where the Christmas tree will go, are you?"

"Course not," Merlin retorted. "Over by the window.…but that's beside the point."

"Of course," Arthur nodded, playing along. "And I do think your mum will do well in the guest room, granted that we're not too loud."

"We will be quite loud, won't we?" Merlin smirked, coming to sit next to Arthur and tucking his legs under himself as he turned toward Arthur.

"Excessively loud," Arthur countered.

"The neighbors will complain."

"The super will have to come up and have a chat with us."

"Think of how awkward that will be…" Merlin's face turned to pretend embarrassment, which followed by loud giggles, from both of them, that, in themselves, might send the neighbors complaining already. "But it's not a date, so…"

"Not even close," Arthur nodded, after they sobered from their short laughing fit. "But I do wonder, do you talk about your future lives together with all your dates?"

"No," Merlin smiled and turned toward the TV, just as Arthur flicked on Top Gear. "That would scare them off."

"Almost had me running for the hills," Arthur teased, smirking over to Merlin. "So, how do you do it then? How do you reel them in?"

"Mostly by chatting with them, see if we have any chemistry."

"And if you don't?"

"Nothing happens?" Merlin looked over and raised his eyebrows.

"But what if they're really in to you?"

"I blow them off I guess…" Merlin trailed off and looked away again, shrugging a little. It probably made him feel bad, Arthur laughed to himself, Merlin was such a nice person all the time.

"How do you blow them off?"

"Well," Merlin looked back to him suddenly and smiled. "I usually tell them I have to go home and feed my cat."

"You tell, you-wait a moment!" Arthur said, thinking back over their not-date and remembered, clearly, Merlin saying something about having to feed his cat. "You were trying to blow me off earlier?!"

Merlin turned red. "No…I mean, well…kind of," when Arthur gave him a very nasty glare he continued on, sputtering a bit. "W-well, I just didn't think you wanted to hang out with me anymore, you weren't expecting me and we did have fun at dinner, but…"

"You utter asshole!" Arthur charged at him, knocking Merlin and himself off the couch as he dealt light punches to every bit of Merlin he could find. Within a moment, he had Merlin pinned to the floor. "I can't believe you tried to blow me off!"

"I'm sorry, I am!" Merlin stressed, wiggling underneath Arthur's hold. "I won't do it again, I get it…you're un-blowable!"

Merlin gave him one of those looks that he did whenever he had said something dirty and Arthur rolled his eyes. "You're disgusting," He looked over Merlin quickly, grinning a little, before getting up and sitting down again. Merlin got up a second later and sat down next to him once more. "If you ever say anything like that again to me we will no longer be friends."

"I was just trying to make you hot, I thought it might work," Merlin said, scooting a bit closer to Arthur. "You know, because you have the personality of a cardboard box."

"I do not!" Arthur retorted, shoving Merlin away from him a bit.

XXX

"So, how would you do it?" Merlin asked, after a bit of sitting there and back and forth. Top Gear was on, but neither of them were really paying attention to it. "If you wanted to kiss me, how would you do it?"

Arthur thought about this for a moment, biting his lip. "I have one move that always works," he said, smirking a little. Merlin grinned and raised an eyebrow.

"Show us then."

Arthur shrugged and turned right on the couch again, and Merlin did too, eyes cast Arthur's way to watch."Well, I just sort of," Arthur raised his arm and casually slipped it around Merlin's shoulders. "Like that, and then turn to look at them," he did as he said, turned, and looked at Merlin, with pouty lips. "Give them sort of this look."

"That's rubbish!" Merlin commented and Arthur glared, he expected Merlin to be impressed. Though, Merlin was never impressed. "That's first base stuff!"

"Well then what do you do?!" Arthur demanded, he doubted Merlin was any better at romance than he was. In fact, Arthur was sure he was better than Merlin; he had been with more people after all.

"Well," Merlin let out a long breath. "They've already put their arm around me some time ago, because that is complete rubbish and not kiss worthy at all," Arthur rolled his eyes as he listened to Merlin ramble on. "And then I sort of just…" Arthur's eye rolling halted though, when he felt Merlin's hand on his leg, his thigh really. "And then work my way up a little…"

"Whoa!" Arthur pulled back. "You do that for a kiss?"

"Well, by this time it's the third or fourth date and I want them to get a bit more friend…if you know what I mean," Merlin smirked, leaning closer to Arthur. "Do you wanna know what I mean, Arthur?"

"Merlin…" Arthur said, a bit more serious now. "Knock it off!"

"Oh, fine," he pushed away from Arthur and an awkwardness washed over them. Arthur looked back at the TV and bit his lip. When it all got too irritating Arthur chanced a look over Merlin's way and found him already looking back. Arthur really just had to know now.

"Merlin," he said, slowly. "Would you ever…want this to be a date?"

"I won't lie and say I wouldn't."

Arthur took in a breath and rubbed a hand over his face. Sure, he hadn't thought about it before, but he had been thinking about it now, all night actually, and it could work, it might work. But they had been friends for so long…

"Would you really want to fuck up our friendship for a quickie romance?"

"No I wouldn't," he heard Merlin say, because right now, he couldn't look at him. "But that's the thing, I don't think it would be a quickie romance, I think we could be great, long term great."

Arthur's heart suddenly thought now was the best time to welcome a heart attack and Arthur took in a very sharp, painful breath. It was like some sort of reality was crashing down on him. He and Merlin could be great, really great. It was one of those effortless relationships Arthur liked to fall into, it was Merlin after all, how much effort would there be? They already knew everything about the other, they could be really great. How Arthur hadn't seen it before was a mystery to him.

"I think I should head home, I have work in the morning and so do you," Merlin was saying now and Arthur frowned. Well, it didn't have to happen tonight.

"I'll walk you home," he offered.

"No, you don't have to…" Merlin told him, getting up. "I know where I live."

"It's like twelve in the morning, it's freezing, there's no way I'm letting you walk home alone," Arthur told him, sternly, pushing him toward the door. They slipped on their shoes in silence and then headed out.

XXX

Arthur felt rather bubbly and warm while walking, and when he glanced over at Merlin it only got better. This would really work, work really well. Maybe it was a bit foolish of Arthur to be so keen suddenly, but he couldn't help it. Merlin looked over and grinned when he saw Arthur looking his way.

"You're weird," Merlin said, but he was grinning idiotically and that made Arthur want to slug him, or do something else, like kiss him. That was a new thought indeed. Even though they had spent the whole night talking about kissing and sex and relationships none of that stuff had Merlin as the other player in his mind and now that it did, it felt…nice.

He walked closer to Merlin and grabbed his hand, that had been swinging along his side before, Merlin looked a bit surprised but he squeezed Arthur's hand in return and they continued walking, as if nothing happened at all.

When they got to Merlin's door Arthur really didn't want to let him go, or really wanted to be invited inside. Neither would happen, he knew this, Merlin never rushed things and they both had work. So instead, they just stood outside, in the hall, looking at each other.

"I had fun tonight," Merlin told him, licking and then biting his bottom lip, Arthur knew he did this a lot, but never knew how attractive it was. He was probably confused though, Arthur thought, because Arthur was a bit confused too. Six years and then suddenly you want to shag the person against a door…okay, maybe shagging was going a lot too far too quickly.

"Me too," he said, a bit late. Merlin smiled at him.

"Too bad it wasn't a date."

"Yeah…" Arthur nodded, not sure what else to do. Merlin pulled back then and stuck the key into his lock. He opened his mouth to say something but Arthur was too quick for him. "You know, Merlin…maybe it was a date."

That was completely lame but it had Merlin start beaming anyway. "Really?"

"Maybe…"

"We're never going to live this down, you know?" Merlin was grinning something mad and it made Arthur smile, even with the looming fact that his sister would be insufferable from now on.

"We'll never hear the end of it," Arthur said. "They'll tell the story at every Chisratmas dinner and anniversary."

"I like the sound of that," Merlin admitted, turning away from his door again. "I can't wait to hear what they'll tell our kids."

"Kids, huh?" Arthur smirked. He had only been thinking about shagging against a door, Merlin had been thinking children. That made Arthur's smile grow for some reason. "How many?"

"Three, maybe four, but not until the others are a bit older," Merlin explained. "I've got names picked out. How do you like Pierpont?"

"I hate it," Arthur laughed, feeling a bit too happy about this whole turn of events.

"I knew you would."

"I like Augustus!"

"You want to name our child after a fat kid who eats chocolate like a pig?!" Merlin looked royally offended by this, just like Arthur knew he would. It made him think about how well this really could work out, it really, really could. Merlin seemed to realized himself after a second though, and pulled back. "I guess we have time to think of better names, huh?"

"I think we do," Arthur nodded. Merlin turned back to his door then and cracked it open a little, just so his cat wouldn't come running out. Arthur wondered, idlly for a second, if Gotham, (Merlin's cat,) might like Arthur's flat. There was more sun in the afternoon, so he just might.

"I'll call you tomorrow," Merlin told him.

"Yeah," Arthur nodded, not really wanting to leave just yet, it seemed to Arthur though, that Merlin didn't really want him to go either. "I still want to know how that date went."

"I think it went pretty well actually, and you know…I think he went for me."

"Funny, I think my date went for me too."