As always when I want to make a short chapter, it somehow extends himself, and now you've got this. But I still hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it. Needless to say, this not happened to me at a work experience, I doubt it does to anyone, but don't give up hope, maybe you're lucky.

Anyway, at this point it is up to me to thank Snazzy Cookies for this wonderful tutorial: post/17540318658/how-to-write-a-kiss

and I actually got a soundtrack for this one, for the first part it's "Oh My Goodness" - Cover by Gavin Mikhail (strongly recommended^^) and of course, how should it be different for the last part "Kiss me" by Ed Sheeran.

And now: Enjoy ;)

Merlin had practically begged him not to tell anybody, not even his closest friends whatsoever, because Merlin lived in constant fear of too much attention.

("You know, I really don't want the BBC knocking on my door one day, trying to talk me into participating in some crap Reality-Show, or even worse, some military forces that want me to help them explode other people brains. Don't you laugh, have you ever read "The rare gift" by Andreas Eschbach? It's bloody nuts, okay?")

So Arthur just shrugged it of with a laugh, punched Merlin's shoulder slightly – because he figured, this would be a great and less messy alternative to the frequent hair-ruffling plus he didn't really want to hurt Merlin – and let the topic be.

They had only required three weeks to function like clockwork as a pair:

Merlin would usually start work right after his lectures, because he was actually getting for the job and tried to work as much as possible, and a few hours later Arthur would drop in with their take-away. Then they'd indulge in a china-food-feast on top of a shelf they'd lifted two or three boards off and stuffed it with pillows, before Arthur made his presence known at Gaius who gave him something to do. (Which mostly contained computer work, as Arthur was the only one of them who knew how to half decently handle such a thing.) Arthur used his position as the lunch delivery guy to recover Merlin's tastes and secretly stuff them in categories: For example, Merlin loved spring rolls (very good) but always took real soy sauce over sweet and sour (which was pretty insane.) Merlin instead used his position to get a free lunch almost daily, because he naturally offered to pay, but Arthur would have none of it. Besides, Merlin brought him the perfect coffee every Friday just in time to fight the last exhaustion wave of the day: Two espresso shots with full-fat milk, two sugars, caramel syrup and a little walnut cookie. Not that Arthur would ever admit he'd had such preferences, coffee shops were pretty girly, weren't they, and why should he even have preferences, it was just coffee, okay? Nothing to be a girl about. But nevertheless his eyes lit up with joy when Merlin handed him a Styrofoam cup every Friday and then placed a tiny walnut cookie on top of it. Whereupon Arthur had asked him, if his "special abilities" also included reading minds – and maybe got a bit pale around the nose – and Merlin just said: "Not as far as I know, unfortunately. Never tried, though.", and snickered a bit, "But one doesn't have to be a mentalist to see you always order the same on your bills from Starbuck's."

"Oh, have you watched to much 'Sherlock' again, haven't you?"

Arthur decided it was time for a casual arm punch, but carefully, so Merlin wouldn't splutter his coffee. Maybe he just looked for an excuse to touch Merlin, one could never know.

"Couldn't help it, I only receive BBC on my little telly."

"Just because you live at the only spot in London that could easily compete with the place also known as 'the end of the common world as we know it'.", muttered Arthur.

"How do you acquit yourself, son?"

When Uther decided to check up on him on the phone the first time, Arthur's 'work experience' was nearly finished and he wondered whether it would've made a difference if he hadn't shown up at 'Gaius secret spot for long forgotten books' at all. To his father ostensibly not.

But to him? How would he'd spent the past weeks without Merlin, for example? The common routine, sleep-eat-study, a footie match here, one or another bender, maybe the occasional one night stand, but his life would've passed meaninglessly as always, the final exams in sight, yes, but there was nothing in it, nothing he'd have said was important.

Now, there was Merlin, tiny, clumsy, adorable cheeky Merlin, who made him purposefully drop his books to look less clumsy, who stole his last spring roll and yelped endearingly when he tried to escape him, who had shown him new places in a town he thought he'd knew like the back of his hand, who actually understood that live wasn't easy and didn't bother to pretend he was anything special at all, because he was so special, there was no need to pretend that. Just that Merlin also never bothered to realise that. Which made him first and foremost even more precious in Arthur's eyes, but also so incredibly vulnerable at once, that Arthur actually tinkered with the idea to never leave the library, to pretend Merlin from all the catastrophes he could face down there, all the chaos all the stress, never mind the fact, that Merlin was probably much more able to cope with them than Arthur ever could be. And just as he realised that, his gaze fell on the calendar which unmistakeably told him that his forced 'work experience' would be over in three days, and that there was nothing he could do about it, because he knew all along he would eventually have to finish it, as he had to finish all, his studies, his exams, his whole bohemian life attitude, in order to start working I his father's company, and sure, there were things he could take along, but how much space could there be for a ambitious pharmaceutics major, who read nerdy books and cared much to much for everybody he'd just met, but knew as much about economy as a cow about laying eggs?

There were always gonna be things, and persons, and circumstances he would have to give up once he graduated, once he could fully be declared as grown-up, and he knew it, he knew it all along but right in this moment, with his father on the line waiting for him to say something, it him like a wall of bricks, that there were loads of things he gladly gave up, left behind and never looked back, but that Merlin, though he knew for hardly a month, wasn't going to be one of it, that there'd always had to be a small place in his life marked as 'Merlin', come what may.

"Bloody brilliant if you ask me", Arthur force a smile on his sudden frozen face, though he knew his father wasn't able to see him, "but I'm not quite sure if Gaius goes along with that description." He heard his father laughing at the other end of the line. "Oh, Arthur, what have you perpetrated now?"

If only I knew, father, if only I knew... Arthur thought sadly and swallowed. "It isn't going to be that bad, I know it, because you're my son, and you never disappointed me, you know that, do you?" Arthur nodded slowly, then remembered that his father couldn't see him and added a quick: "Yes, yes, yeah, thank you." On another day this sentence would've meant the world to him, would've made him proud of himself and he would've bean unbearable for at least a week, but Arthur still stood there, numb like a corpse and thought Only three days left with Merlin, how do I keep him after that, is it hard to stay in touch, how can I do that, have I ever done that, but I need to do that, we should both, really, we have to stay in touch, he will see that, too, I mean, he has to see that, isn't obvious, but if he doesn't, no he can't, but really like, I should tell him, but how can I tell him, I mean, would he miss me, 'cause I will miss him, and I have to tell him, somehow, but there are really only three days left... in an infinite loop.

Arthur was pretty broody all Monday, and when he entered the library with Merlin's favourite Chop Suey, he thought he might get clobbered over the head with the gloom emanating from the silence of the books. He had absolutely no idea how to handle Merlin. Pretend to be happy as always, as he probably should be? Or admit that he would miss everything down here? Miss him? He nearly turned on his heels and ran away, if Merlin wouldn't have jumped on his back from a shelf near-by and exclaimed: "Hiyah! We're the pirates of the zoology section and we've victoriously conquered your boat! Now give us all your food and we might let you live, mwahaha."

Arthur just chuckled.

"Ouh, Merlin is the air down here affecting your brain that bad that you started to refer to yourself in plural? Or is it just the hypoglycaemia?"

"Hungerrrrr", cooed Merlin in his ear, which made Arthur shiver and snicker at the same time, so he decided to potentially ask his family doctor about this and give Merlin a piggy back lift to their shelf.

"Your a pretty shitty pirate, you know that?", he asked as he dropped Merlin on a pillow.

"No, I'm badass."

"You conquered a ship without asking for gold? You're besmirching the glory of all the honourable buccaneers out there!"

"But I got what I wanted, didn't I?"

"Pff."

Arthur urged Merlin to move aside and then handed him his take away container. And just with that, the whole question on how to behave vanished into thin air. There wasn't really anything to pponder about, because Arthur decided that Merlin should stay in his life, ergo Merlin would stay in his life. Period. In the bottom line the smaller aspects of closeness, frequency or deepness only mattered if you let them. And Arthur decided long ago to never let the random things matter.

"So what do you want to do on your second to last day then?", Merlin asked the day after, fiercely sucking his last noodles in his mouth.

Arthur, having finished his noodles ages ago, shot him the crooked-brow-gaze they now exchanged like an own language, being able to read a thousand words in a half a degree of crookedness.

"Is there really anything to want to do down here, or am I right again and Gaius will just give me a task I have to stick to like... you surely remember, everyday?"

"Yeah, probably, but when exactly have you fulfilled your tasks properly?", Arthur opened his mouth, when Merlin added, "When Gaius wasn't watching,of course."

Arthur inhaled. "Uhm."

When Gaius wasn't watching it was either them, playing silly games between the shelves like children, planning stupid pranks on their friends or Arthur begging Merlin to show him his "Paranormal Activity" stuff. (Which mostly ended in Merlin slapping Arthur over the head, claiming it was "parapsychological", not "paranormal" but then sorting the books without raising a finger regardless.

"See." Merlin said, clapped him on the shoulder, and Arthur could only watch his china box emerging from his grip and flying over to the next bin. Pretty damn useful in domestic duties like cleaning the bin, Arthur mentally added to his 'Why-Merlin-is-the-best-friend-EVER"-list. Not that it would matter. The bin thing. Because Merlin wouldn't drop his rubbish, would he? Unless they'd live together of course, but why... Arthur abruptly stopped this trail of thoughts. Because the stupid thing was, he could only ever see positive things out of moving together with Merlin, and this was awkward, because it never worked out with any of his past flatmates, independent of them being his partner or just a roomie, there was always stress and fight, and ever would be, and that was probably the end of it.

"As you've seem to have lost your ability to form thoughts to sentences in the meantime, also known as inexplicable speechlessness – nice word by the way, speechlessness – I'll go to Gaius and organize us some books and you just...", he looked around, as if meanwhile there was actually something to do for Arthur, "you... prepare the ladders." And with a wink he was gone.

'Prepare the ladders' might have caused utter confusion in anybody else, but to Arthur it was perfectly clear what Merlin had asked for when he bounced around the corner. Apparently he thought it was time for "The Great Library Race of utter Childishness" number... I lost count. It got a bit much lately. Just that this was their favourite discipline. Because in aisles that were long and broad enough you could easily arrange to travelling ladders opposite of each other and then move them forward by pressing your weight in the right direction. Needless to say, Arthur brought it to perfection in this discipline and couldn't be beaten by Merlin, even when he allowed him to use his "abilities" instead of his weight. So he self confidently strode down the aisle, grabbed a ladder with each hand and pulled them towards the wall from which they'd start.

Just as usual, Merlin took his time, so Arthur decided train on a few rounds extra and rolled down the aisle with passion a few times.

No one could have foreseen it, and undoubtedly no one had planned it, so it took Arthur totally by surprise, when one ladder's end lost track above the shelves and caused him to dangerously falter in the air at the end of the aisle and finally crash down towards the end. In reflex, he let go of the now tumbling ladder and spread his arms to catch his fall – just that, he wasn't the only one to do it. In the moment he let go, there was, how should it have been different, Merlin, right in the way, moving in his direction, also completely taken aback when Arthur fell down the ladder just to grab him by the shoulders and pull him down with him, flat on his back and then overturning a few times until he lay sprawled out underneath him, heartbeat pounding in his ears and the familiar weight that was Arthur straddling him on the floor.

"Flattening", he muffled.

Arthur himself was overfed by adrenaline pulsing through his veins, so he couldn't help the panting, and was unable to notice that he somehow had managed to push himself only slightly up with his hands right next to Merlin's face. Unable to notice how close he was, it had been such a rush, how could he have noticed, there was barely a part of their bodies not touching and no they lay there both panting, none of them saying a word, it was about to get awkward, but for nothing in the world he would've let go now, not in this moment, not when he just noticed that it had been exactly this what he'd waited the whole time for to do. Not now that he had it, though he didn't even knew he was waiting.

"Was this your doing?", Arthur finally managed, still out of breath, and made an uncoordinated gesture towards the half unhinged ladder. Merlin abruptly shook his head. "How could I..." All he said now was quiet, barely audible, you had to be as close as Arthur was to realise he was saying something at all, to feel the hot breath on his lips and see the Adam's apple bobbing up and down. "Could've saved me though.", Arthur grumbled. Not that he'd have expected it, but it would have been nice.

Merlin hinted a shrug and whispered: "But then I wouldn't have got to lie underneath you, would I?" There was much to much tension stirring in the air when Arthur met his eyes after this sentence, his whole gaze exposed and more vulnerable then ever. Arthur swallowed. "What have you said?", he croaked. If this had been another one of Merlin's attempts to be cheeky, it was a pretty bad one. "Nothing." It was more a breath than a whisper that Merlin managed, and still it felt like he carried his heart on his tongue, there for the world to see but in this moment, underneath the pavement and far to much down, it was a special offer only for Arthur. He couldn't take to hold Merlin's gaze any more and fixed it on his lips instead, Merlin's sight following his, also swallowing. Merlin had wonderful lips, they were smooth and not a bit chapped like Arthur's probably were, and what is more they included a super-full bottom lip that Merlin now bit down gently, in nervous anticipation. Because even to Arthur it was obvious what he would do next. Ever so slowly he eventually bent his neck to nip down at the spot Merlin's teeth had just released, pressing down his own full lips ever so softly, eliciting a small gasp from Merlin, and slowly closed his eyes. He now supported his weight on his forearms to give Merlin the ability to raise his arms and stroke down his spine in one fluid, unhasty motion, causing goose bumbs and slight tremble all over his body. He opened his eyes again to meet Merlin's stare again with dilated pupils, a little flushed and more adorable than should be possible for a man. He decided that it would have been unuseful to say something, so instead he just breath heavily against Merlin's lips and smoothed a bit of Merlin's odd fringe out of the way. Then he help his arm's in place as he turned to lay on his back, Merlin now topping him, both their heartbeats speeding like a Silvester firework. He settled his grip on Merlin's hip and smiled reassuringly, so Merlin finally took his face in his hands and kissed him with a passion he hadn't considered possible. He closed his eyes and pulled Merlin closer – if this was even possible – when aforementioned began to place tiny, wet kisses on his bottom lip, gently suckling and biting a bit now and then, taking his time, until Arthur finally parted his lips a split, so it felt like Merlin downright sank into him, now being able to be consumed by Arthur as if he was the air he had to breathe to survive, as if he was the last drop offered a parching man. Arthur explored Merlin's mouth like a new landscape, slowly tracing the inner width of his palatine and then rubbing their tongues together, which caused them both to moan, as they felt their breath and scent mingling together around them, not ever wanting to part, clinging together, unable to let go.

They had to part for breath sooner or later, and it was unpleasant, as if something essential was missing in their lives, although they were in front of each other, able to eat each other with their stares. "Hey", Arthur whispered against Merlin's nose, "wanna keep in touch after my work experience?"

"Thought you never ask", admitted Merlin and sealed Arthur's huge grin with his mouth, deciding only to part when in acute danger.

Epilogue

Which should come sooner than anticipated.

Gaius had known there was something going on between the boys since he'd first seen them. The way Merlin persuaded Arthur to stay with barely more than his thoughts, the way Arthur looked at him, the way Merlin's smile got only ever so cheeky when Arthur was around, the way they sloshed in each others lives as if they were to jigsaw puzzle pieces meant to stick together. Gaius may have been old and seen more than one assumably should have, but one had either bee blind or deaf or both to miss the tension between them.

What Gaius wasn't assuming was a secret snogging session in his dear library. So when he heard a loud moan behind the shelf, the first thought that crossed his mind was not: "Run, run, and never come back, it could get awkwardly uncomfortable in the next seconds for you." but "Has something happened, have they injured themselves with books, what if they're concussed, could it be worse, oh, Uther is going to kill me, no, we don't have any insurance, have we?" and hurried around the corner – just to find to find to bodies tightly wrapped around each other on the floor. On the floor of his library, mark you. So he cleared his throat to make himself known and immediately had all the awkward attention of to equally flushed faces with a tiny note of pink on their cheeks and well-coloured lips. "Boys, I know you're going to miss each other, but if you don't mind, there's still work to be done." He let them untangle their limbs on their own, turned around and smirked to himself. Who would've thought what common work experience could be good for?

Thank you so much for keeping up and reviewing, this means a lot to me.
Also sorry for grammar/spelling issues and so on, I'm not a native speaker let alone writer.

Thank you xx