A/N: I'm sick. So I made the boys sick. Don't you just love my logic? :) This is the one with sick!Merlin - sick!Arthur can be found as "Chicken Soup and Destiny" on my profile.

This is set in my St. Stephen's Series. The my other fics in this AU are "Snuggle" and "Christmas Present". Those are all independent and you do not need to read them to understand this series. Also, if you wish to learn more about this series, you can find out on the St. Stephen's Island Wiki, which can be found under the "My Links" section of my profile.

Arthur unlocked the door to Merlin's flat and walked in to see Merlin curled up on the sofa, a DVD menu on screen, a half-finished mug of tea and bottles of various cold medicines littered about the coffee table, and Merlin sound asleep under his thick quilt.

Rolling his eyes and smiling most-decidedly-not-fondly, he made his way to the kitchen and got out a bowl and spoon and set down the can of soup, along with another of chicken broth to be warmed in yet another mug.

Putting the bowl of soup and mug of broth in the microwave, he walked back into the living room to see Merlin blinking himself awake and propping himself up, staring at Arthur in confusion for a few moments before smiling broadly. "Arthur!"

"Good evening," he said wryly.

Merlin frowned, looking at the clock, then out the window. "It's late already?"

"Yes," he said curtly.

Merlin sighed, before coughing harshly, a miserable look on his face. Arthur's chest clenched at the sound - the wet sound of the cough was not good.

"Bronchial coughs still bugging you?" he asked, sitting down on the couch arm and wrapping an arm loosely around Merlin's shoulder.

Sitting up and pulling the blanket with him, Merlin leaned into Arthur's touch and said, "Yeah."

Arthur rubbed Merlin's back comfortingly as Merlin continued.

"I think the rhinopharyngitis weakened my immune system or something and let something else in, pro'ly some kind of pneumoniae or something for the bronchitis..."

When the microwaved dinged, Arthur left Merlin to his ramblings to go collect the soup, and balancing the bowl and mug, he came back rolling his eyes again at Merlin. Doctors really did make bad patients.

"...try and get a stronger decongestant, one with pseudoephedrine, and maybe I can get someone to prescribe me some azithromycin-"

"Merlin, I love you, but shut up," Arthur said. He set the soup down on the coffee table, and put the mug in Merlin's hands. Gesturing towards the coffee table at large and especially at the soup, he said, "This is all the medicine you need."

Merlin stared down into the mug with his sunken in eyes. "...I wish. Why did you have to stay in nursing, if you went the doctor road you could've written me the prescription. Do you think I can get Morgana to make the prescription for me? She-"

"Is as brilliant a doctor as you and will tell you the same thing I am now," Arthur said. "You don't need those drugs. And, I wouldn't have written you the prescription, anyway. Sleep, drink fluids, sleep, eat some, sleep some more."

Merlin huffed but sipped at his broth.

Arthur changed out the DVD to a new movie, and turned around to see Merlin smiling again.

"Do I get my kiss from my knight in shining armor to make me better?"

"That only works if you're in an enchanted sleep," Arthur said. "And all it does is wake you up, which would be counterproductive to what we're trying to achieve, here."

But when Merlin pouted, Arthur sighed and got up, pulling Merlin close and kissing him on the forehead, before he managed to get on the couch behind Merlin with another, much thinner blanket around him, and pull his fluffed up pet doctor towards him as he reached for the remote.

He leaned against the couch and Merlin leaned against him as he continued sipping his soup. Arthur hit Play, and once the movie started going, he wrapped his arms around Merlin and pulled him close through the blanket.

"Once this is done, you're sleeping, understand?" Arthur said.

"...will you be here?"

"Of course I will," he said.

"M'kay, then," Merlin agreed, and settled down to drink his soup with a happy sigh as he cuddled into Arthur.

"Bloody terrible patient, you are," Arthur murmured, setting his chin on Merlin's head.

"Yes I am, and you love me anyway," Merlin said happily.

"...damn you, I do. Now eat your soup."

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