ok i have a ✨headcanon✨
(disclaimer: this is coming from someone who's watching the show for the first time and is only on 3x02 so idk it might not fit at all sjdhsjs anywho i had fun doing this)
merlin likes to sing.
you know merlin is in a good mood if he's singing.
he sings under his breath while cleaning Arthur's room, sings to himself while mucking the stables, and sings while they all are out in the forest.
he knows a lot of songs. he sings songs from back home, songs old enough for only Gauis to know, sweet love songs he's heard Gwen sing, songs in a language he doesn't quite understand but the washerwoman sings them and he liked them.
Arthur always tells him to shut up and stop crooning his god-awful voice
but Merlin ignores him and sometimes starts singing louder just to piss him off more
he knows Arthur doesn't really mind
because this one time when Arthur was doing something or the other sitting on his desk and he was singing while polishing Arthur's chainmail, Arthur started humming along too. Merlin quietened until it was only Arthur's surprisingly nice voice filling the room, biting back a huge smile. when Arthur noticed what was happening, he immediately stopped and threw a balled-up paper at Merlin's head.
also Arthur notices it when Merlin doesn't sing (like he notices when he doesn't smile). he asks him if everything is alright, tries to pretend he's glad that he doesn't have to listen to him. but it makes Merlin smile and then he sings just for Arthur
