Title: Set Fire to the Rain
Character(s): Merlin and Arthur
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1207
Warnings: fluff?
Summary: No knight of Camelot likes to wake up to rain, even the Prince.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, am making nothing from writing this, and claim nothing.
Author's Note: This has been sitting on my computer for forever after writing it for a friend on a rainy day. By the way, I tend to take a lot of story titles from songs, if you can't tell. Upped the rating after a comment on LJ. Please read and review. And enjoy!

The rain pattering on the windows wasn't usually what he liked to hear when he woke. It meant muddy, soft, sticky, sucking ground on the training field. It meant rusted chainmail, sopping tunics, sloshing boots, and slick swords. It meant ignoring the few knights stupid enough to grumble, and driving on despite heavy looks from his most trusted, who would go on with him despite their discomfiture. It meant a bad mood and a chill at this time of year.

Arthur rolled over and looked out the window across from the bed. The sky was a murky gray as usual, the rain no more than a flexing horizon though he could hear it perfectly well, see it where it jumped up again from his window sill as though trying to escape the inevitable. And even as he watched, his resolve to train no matter the weather diminished. He never liked dealing with the muddy, soft, sticky, sucking ground, and he really didn't like dealing with the rusty chainmail, sopping tunics, or sloshing boots. Granted Merlin probably could argue that he liked the last bit even less. And maybe he did, but at least he was dry when he had to deal with it.

The rain started a bit harder and Arthur let his head thump to the pillow again. He couldn't remember the last time he'd cancelled training for rain. A long time, he was sure, despite the grumbling. But today…today he was tempted.

A moment later he forced himself onto his elbows and levered himself up, legs dangling off the bed above the cool stones, their chill wafting to his bare feet though they were a fair bit away. He threw the covers back and had just set one foot on the stone when a warm hand brushed over his hip and a questioning hum sounded softly behind him.

Arthur looked back and the sleepy, confused look Merlin gave stayed him a moment. "Just going to find Leon." Though, the thoroughly rumpled and naked Merlin peering at him gave him other ideas. No, best not to entertain them.

Merlin's brow furrowed further. "Why?" he asked, voice thick and heavy with sleep and Arthur wished he hadn't woken him.

"Calling off training on account of the rain."

Merlin looked around him to the window and smiled, the look taking a moment to form as it crept molasses slow onto his face. "They know."

Arthur frowned at him and shook his head, not trying to follow whatever logic he was using so early in the morning. "Merlin, how would they know? I've just woken up and found out it was raining. I haven't told them anything yet. Go back to sleep, you make even less sense than-"

"I told them the next time it rained practice was called off."

Arthur shook his head again. "They only take their orders from-"

"On Gaius' orders for their health," Merlin said with a yawn, stretching his hand out again and letting it drift along his hip a second time. "So come back to bed?"

Arthur stared at him a moment, marveling at the wonder of him, before curling back in under the covers and pulling Merlin's sleep-warmed body to his. Merlin grumbled lowly and shifted against him, tucking his head into Arthur's chest under the covers so he was safely cocooned. "Insubordinate. I'll have to have words with Gaius regarding this. He should run such things by me before telling my knights anything."

Merlin snorted and blue eyes blinked up at him from the darkness of the covers. "Yes, Gaius should do that. I tried to warn him."

Arthur heaved a longsuffering sigh and felt Merlin shake beside him as he laughed. "I'm sure you did. It must have been such an effort. He's probably forgotten about giving them the order in the first place."

Merlin grinned against his chest, lips teasing lightly over Arthur's bare skin and sending a pleasant bolt through him. "Probably. I'm sure he would claim complete innocence."

"Indeed." Arthur shook his head at him and shimmied further down the bed himself until he was low enough to lay a sucking kiss on Merlin's shoulder. Merlin made another sleep heavy hum, smiling at him in their darkened hideaway. "Perhaps punishing the messenger would help?" Arthur asked, running his calloused, war-hardened, rough hand down Merlin's side. It followed the shape of Merlin's body, dipping here, curving there, gliding at times.

"No-"

"Turn over," he murmured, sucking another kiss into a bony shoulder. Its owner groaned but rolled over, obstinately staying on his stomach. Arthur grumbled softly though he smiled, too relaxed to argue. It was too early, the air too heavy, the lethargy still hanging in his every limb, every breath. Instead he rolled over Merlin, supporting himself with his elbows just to each side of Merlin's head.

He let a large part of his weight rest on him and Merlin's breath hitched for some reason, like he wasn't used to feeling the slide of Arthur's skin against his, as though they hadn't laid pressed against one another even as they fell asleep the night before. Barely raising himself, Arthur groaned as he deliberately slid his cock against Merlin's back. Merlin let out a contented mumble, burying his head in the pillow he'd snatched from outside the heating covers.

Arthur moved down further so he slid between Merlin's cheeks and now his breath hitched stupidly, but he hadn't been expecting… Merlin peered back at him, eyes bubbling with lust and magic, the gold dying as he watched. Arthur chuckled, the sound rich and deep as his voice tended to be so early, and Merlin gave another shiver, pressing back against him almost imperceptibly.

Arthur bent to nibble on Merlin's ear and received a light gasp. "Arthur, tease."

He smiled and leaned heavily on one arm to trail the other down Merlin's back until he could press gently at the slickened entrance. Shaking his head, at himself and Merlin, he took his cock in hand, fully aware he'd hardened nearly instantly the moment magic had become involved, and pushed slowly into his warlock.

And this made staying in bed the best decision he'd made in a while, not that it wasn't a good one before. But had Merlin not been lying in his bed looking that way this morning, and hadn't asked him to stay in that sinful voice, he might have made a different decision when he was on his feet.

"Arthur," Merlin breathed again.

Arthur let his weight fall to his knees, most of him still pressing firmly against Merlin, and it was a wonder he wasn't crushing him, but Merlin squirmed a bit and he drew back but Merlin's hand on his arm made him pause. Even as Merlin's mouth opened, he finished the move with a slow push forward and the air in Merlin's chest rushed out in a soft, "Oh."

Staying as close as possible and listening to the harmony of Merlin's soft noises, the shifting of the sheets, the slick sound of their bodies, and the rain, he couldn't help feeling that the pattering of rain on the windows when he woke up would be something he looked forward to time and again.