IOU

*.*.*.*.*

He isn't aware of anything right away except a dull pounding in his head and a coolness on his nose that he wishes to escape from. He wiggles under the blankets as best he can, moves over the tiniest bit, touches a foot with his own, and is suddenly reminded of the body next to his, reminded of the warmth and comfort that is his for the taking if he can find it in himself to do as much. He moves impossibly closer to the body and throws an arm over it, him, snakes his free arm between the pillow and his head, moves so his nose is nestled in the crook of his neck, and inhales deeply, exhales contentedly.

This is better. This is nice. He can fall back asleep just like this, and all will be fine and well; he will be warm and have dreams of Merlin with his sweet morning smell nestled deep in Arthur's lungs.

And it will be nice.

"Mm, tickles," Merlin mumbles, voice thick with a half sleep Arthur feels in his bones before he can succumb to his desire for more sleep.

In response, Arthur rubs his nose against Merlin's skin, smiles at the amused huff that leaves Merlin, as close to a chuckle as he is capable of this early in the morning, Arthur knows. He presses a kiss to Merlin's skin as well just then, and sighs into him, presses his body against Merlin all the more.

"I know what you're after, and I can tell you right now, I'm not getting up to make coffee," Merlin grumbles without preamble. "I don't care how sweet you act, it's not happening, Pendragon."

Arthur snorts in response, presses another kiss to Merlin's skin anyway. His fingers brush absently against Merlin's chest and stomach, tracing out an affection that probably has nothing to do with wanting coffee. Though since Merlin has mentioned it...

"If you love me, you'll make me coffee," Arthur says, knowing as he does that the words send a shiver down Merlin's spine as they are whispered so carelessly into his skin.

"Then this is as good a time as any to break the news to you: I've fallen out of love with you; I think it's best we see other people, people who will voluntarily make coffee for each of us in the morning. I'm sorry things didn't work out between us; I'll always remember you and your unwillingness to make even a single pot of coffee every now and then, and how it led to the downfall of our relationship."

Arthur snorts, tightens his grip on Merlin.

"Your words might hold a little more weight if you weren't still in bed with me right now. If you're breaking up with someone, you don't typically continue to cuddle with them while you do it."

"You do when it's cold as balls, and the person you're breaking up with is warm, and an exceptional cuddler."

"If I'm an exceptional cuddler, then you're a bit of an idiot for breaking up with me in the dead of winter, aren't you?"

"Mhm."

It is the agreement that makes Arthur let out a chuckle, though the sound is too loud and he is reminded just then of the headache that has been building as he pressed kisses and words to the crook of Merlin's neck. Now that he is aware of it once again, it is too much to ignore, and he closes his eyes against the pain.

"Will you at least get me some aspirin, then? My head is killing me. Or is that the sort of thing you'll only do for boyfriends who are willing to make coffee?"

Merlin lets out a huffy sort of sigh in response, turns around suddenly and presses a kiss to Arthur's forehead, chests pressing together so Arthur feels Merlin's heart thudding in time with his own.

"Aspirin? You do know how cold it is outside of this blanket, don't you?"

Arthur leans in towards Merlin and rests his forehead against his instead of replying, lips finding Merlin's all too easily in a lazy kiss that he revels in for a moment before Merlin pulls back.

"This isn't a ploy to get me up so I'll make coffee while I'm at it, is it? You really have a headache?" Merlin asks, his voice skeptical and untrusting of Arthur's motives.

"I do," Arthur assures him in a quiet tone. "Though since you'll be up anyway, I see no reason you can't start the coffee on your way back to the bedroom…" he adds quickly, slyly.

Merlin lets out a sound that is both a huff and a chuckle at once, and Arthur leans forward to steal yet another kiss, hoping that such affection will help Merlin make up his mind on what he wants to do, and how soon he wants to make the coffee. And, erm, get Arthur his medicine as well, of course.

"Maybe I really should break up with you," Merlin sighs when Arthur pulls back.

"Too late for that, you've already accepted my kiss."

"Prat," Merlin snorts, throws the blanket off himself and slides out of bed without another word.

"Thank you," Arthur yawns, then flashes Merlin a smile he knows the other finds damn near irresistible. "And if you happen to bring me a cup of coffee with the aspirin, I might just propose when you get back."

His teasing words are met with a narrowing of eyes.

"You don't have a ring, and you like to do things all proper like; you wouldn't propose without a ring."

"Fine, I'll… write you an IOU for a proposal, then, and you can cash it in whenever you feel like marrying me and that's when I'll buy a ring to do it with—sound good?"

Merlin rolls his eyes just then, the smile tugging at his mouth not escaping Arthur as he turns around, grumbling something about Arthur being a good for nothing too pretty prat who uses his good looks for evil rather than good and Merlin should have a cape by now, all the times he's had to combat Arthur and that stupid evil doing smile of his…

Arthur grins widely to himself and closes his eyes as Merlin—and his teasing, less than serious grumblings—pad away from the bedroom steadily. He settles back down against his pillow and under the blankets as he awaits Merlin's return...

Which comes all too soon, he decides, as he is awoken merely a second later, it seems, by Merlin shaking the promised bottle of aspirin in front of his face, a cup of coffee sitting on the bedside table next to Arthur's lamp, and behind Merlin. As he ignores the more severe pounding in his head, he sits up and smiles at Merlin thankfully, reaches for the bottle—

And finds himself frowning suddenly when Merlin yanks it out of his reach before he can take it.

"I want my IOU first. Can't trust you and that smile not to try to weasel out of this after you've had your first sip of coffee for the day," Merlin explains, providing a pad of paper and a pen for Arthur from nearby with a sly look on his face.

Arthur contemplates, for a moment, arguing with Merlin on this and insisting he has his coffee first and then write the IOU, but, well, it isn't as though this is the worst trade in the world, Arthur has certainly traded more for less before, but this, at least, seems like a fair trade—much more than just fair, really. So he bites down on the argument and takes what has been offered to him, quickly scribbles out Merlin's IOU, and hands it back to him.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Merlin says, ducking down to press a quick kiss to Arthur's lips to seal their exchange as he finally hands Arthur his aspirin.

He steps aside and allows Arthur access to his coffee, and Arthur reaches for it greedily, much too preoccupied with chasing his medicine down with his favorite morning beverage to wonder over just how long Merlin is going to hold onto that IOU before he cashes it in.

That will be something to worry over and wonder about later.

*.*.*.*.*