nonsexual acts of intimacy.
โ: reading a book together
It seemed that Arthur wasn't the only one who was having difficulty with sleeping tonight. Despite the storm having long gone, it had risen tensions to where the prince was unable to settle in for the night. It had resulted in the blond wandering around the castle, catching notice of the door to Gaius' chambers opened up a sliver. The older man hadn't been in though; he recalled the court physician having mentioned earlier that there had been a sickness breaking out in the lower town, which meant that the only other person who could be there was Merlin. And judging by the candles still well lit, the physician's assistant was still awake.
For what reason, that wasn't really at the forefront of Arthur's mind. Instead, with a gentle push of the door, he peered in only to catch Merlin in the midst of reading something. The book certainly looked rather dated, though the way it had been bound certainly allowed for it to maintain a sturdy condition. A part of Arthur wondered if it was even written in a language he could discern, curiosity getting the better of him as he stepped forward into Gaius' chambers, closing the door behind him as gently as he could before approaching the other man with a chair taken into one of his hands.
He settled it next to the physician's assistant, sitting down in order to peer over the text he was looking as, surprised to see some rather lovely art of what looked like plants and animals. Perhaps a book of herbs and wildlife? Arthur looked to Merlin then, not one much for offering greetings, but he was sure the other man had grown used to his self-invitations.
"Mind if I read with you?" He asked, guiding a hand to rest his index finger right beside Merlin's own, in order to peer at the text as he did so.
"--sorry," came an apology, Arthur grimacing as he felt his foot step on Merlin's for possibly the third time that evening. To his defense, he had warned the other man that he couldn't dance to save his life. However, Merlinย insisted, saying he could transform a man with two left feet into someone who could glide the dance floor of a ballroom with ease.ย
And so, there they were, the blond's fingers twitching slightly as they rested against Merlin's hip, his eyes trying to focus on his feet despite Merlin guiding him to let his body move naturally and to relax. Arthur drew in a breath, and gave their intertwined fingers a gentle squeeze before he was instructed to attempt a twirl. The moment was growing, and his anxiety heightened, but as he gave Merlin that momentum he needed--not letting him go and drawing him back with a good amount of fluidity, he drew the other man close to himself and huffed out a laugh. Whether that laugh was out of relief, disbelief, or a mix of both, the blond would never understand.
"I guess I'm notย all that hopeless after all, am I?" Arthur commented after a time, shifting just in time to avoid yetย another tread of Merlin's poor toes.
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