AN: I love Merlin and Gwen as best friends; except for the small fact Merlin hasn't told Gwen his secret but I hope that'll be changed soon enough. Just a few drabbles contrasting their friendship with the knights and their friendship with each other.

A friend helps you get your handsome prince…

"You see Gwen; it's simple. You simply have to make him jealous." Gwaine advised. Gwen rolled her eyes. A king and princess from another kingdom were visiting Camelot and in Uther's place; Agravaine was the one pushing Arthur into an arranged marriage with the princess. The princess was their age and really beautiful. As whenever this situation arose, so did Gwen's sense of unworthiness about being with Arthur. This was why Gwaine was trying to help her see that Arthur only loved and wanted to marry her, only his suggestions weren't exactly… helpful.

A best friend kidnaps him and drags him to you…

Thankfully Gwaine's tips were cut off by the sound of someone knocking at the door. Gwen opened it to reveal Merlin who was dragging something behind him. That something was a certain handsome blonde prince who was unconscious, gagged and hog-tied. Gwen looked at Merlin with wide eyes and Merlin simply handed the rope that was connected to the ropes around Arthur's wrists and ankles.

"You owe me one."

A friend gives you food…

Merlin was starving; he'd not stopped working all day long enough to catch his breath never mind eat. The smell of the knight's dinner was tempting him. He was so hungry…

"Merlin, here you look starved." Elyan said, handing Merlin at least half his food. Merlin took the plate gratefully, ready to wolf down the delicious, wonderful, beautiful meal the cooks had prepared.

A best friend is the reason you have no food…

"I am starving, thanks Merlin." Gwen appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the plate of food and began eating. Merlin shook his head in disbelief as Gwen smiled innocently at him as she chewed.

"What?"

A friend sits with you by the poolside during your period…

It was the hottest day of the year and the knights, Merlin and Gwen had slipped off to the river that flowed just outside the town limits. While the men all swam and soaked one another in the river, Gwen was leaning against a tree, her arms wrapped around her stomach. Mother Nature was too cruel; giving Gwen her monthly torment on the hottest day of the year so that she couldn't swim. Leon got out of the water and sat down under the tree.

"Why aren't you swimming?" he asked, shaking his hair dry.

"I just don't feel like it." Gwen shrugged. There was no way she was telling them why she wasn't swimming. Leon shrugged and they sat chatting instead.

A best friend pushes you into the water anyway…

Out of nowhere a drenched Merlin ran up and out of some hidden strength (he was so skinny; whatever strength he had must be hidden somewhere) picked Gwen up and carried her to the riverbank. Gwen yelled and began trying to free herself but it was all in vain. Merlin ran down to the bank and threw Gwen into the water. Gwen was instantly soaked and glared at her so-called best friend who laughed and jumped back into the water and began trying to dunk Gwen under the current.

A friend comforts you when you're upset…

It was two years to the day when he met Freya. Merlin never believed a person could fall in love in such a short space of time but he had. Merlin had fallen for the beautiful and sweet Druid girl with the demon trapped inside her. Merlin's upset mood hadn't been picked up on and instead he had been the target of both Arthur and the knights' bad tempers. Arthur was being informed (brainwashed) by Agravaine that one of his knights could be a traitor to Camelot. After a brutal training session that involved Merlin being the target, he was left alone to clear up after the knights.

"Sorry about that; you know what he's like." Lancelot said as he helped Merlin put away the equipment. It wasn't much but it made him feel better.

A best friend simply asks 'Who do I have to kill?'…

As Merlin and Lancelot put away the equipment; Lancelot went to change out his chainmail leaving Merlin wandering around the castle lost in his thoughts. Merlin was slumped at the bottom of a staircase thinking of Freya and what total prats the knights were and didn't notice a lavender clad figure sit down beside him until she wrapped an arm around him.

"Come on tell me, who do I have to kill?" Gwen asked, nursing a sword in her left hand. Merlin simply laughed.

A friend helps you move…

Gwen pushed at the cabinet to no avail. She had been dusting Uther's room and an old portrait of Queen Ygraine that rested on the top of the cabinet had fallen down behind it. Gwen was trying to move the heavy mahogany cabinet to get it out. Percival walked into the room; on orders from Arthur to check on Gwen and Uther and watched her for a moment before silently helping her slide the cabinet forward enough for Gwen to reach behind it and grab the portrait. As they straightened the cabinet, Gwen smiled at the muscular knight.

"Thanks Percival," she smiled.

"It was nothing Gwen," Percival replied.

A best friend helps you move the body…

Gwen sprinted down to Gaius' chambers as fast as she could. Without knocking she burst into the room and looked around for Merlin. Merlin and Gaius were bent over a book working on creating some kind of potion. Both of them looked up at the panicked servant.

"Merlin, I need your help, it's urgent!" Gwen insisted.

"What's wrong?" Merlin asked; had something awful happened? Gwen simply grabbed his arm and pulled him from the room. They sprinted through the castle until they reached one of the rooms Gwen had been tidying. Gwen pushed open the door to reveal an unconscious Lancelot and a bunch of flowers lying on the floor.

"He was really annoying me this time; you know promising me this, that and the other if I dumped Arthur for him and I ended up knocking him out. You have to help me move him before he wakes up or anyone else sees him." Gwen explained in a rush.

Merlin rolled his eyes but began helping her carry Lancelot out of the room and setting him at the bottom of a staircase, making it look as though the knight had fallen down the stairs and not been knocked unconscious by the prince's girlfriend.

A friend bails you out of trouble…

Merlin was in big trouble again. He had made the decision to tell Gwen about his magic but during his demonstration, Lord Agravaine had walked in. This was why Merlin was in his current situation. He was in one of the dungeons about to face trial for sorcery. Again. However instead of being scared or concerned, Merlin was simply chatting away to the guards. This happened so often they basically had a routine for this situation. He was locked up; they had a nice little chat and right on cue…

"Uncle you cannot be serious. If you told me anyone else in the kingdom was a sorcerer I'd believe you but Merlin? Uncle I don't mean to be rude but come on, this is Merlin we're talking about." Arthur argued as he and Lord Agravaine walked into the dungeons. Agravaine looked from Arthur to Merlin. There was some truth in what Arthur was saying. The boy was a total buffoon. However Morgana had warned him that Merlin was shrewder than he was given credit for.

"I suppose you're right Arthur. It's possible I made a mistake." Agravaine agreed, shooting Merlin a look that clearly said 'I'm onto you'. Merlin simply gave the traitor an innocent look.

"Release him," Arthur ordered, walking out of the dungeon, Agravaine with him. The guards unlocked the door and Merlin casually strolled out of the cell.

"Bye lads," Merlin called.

"See you Merlin," they replied.

A best friend laughs and says 'Next time we won't get caught!'

Gwen was waiting outside the dungeons for Merlin. She knew his arrest routine as well as he did. Given the fact that Arthur and Lord Agravaine had just passed her and the look on Agravaine's face told her that Merlin was due to come up those stairs in a matter of seconds. As soon as Merlin appeared the best friends looked at one another and laughed. The look on Agravaine's face when he opened the door had been priceless. Gwen wrapped her arms around Merlin and squeezed him tight.

"That was amazing and next time we won't get caught." Gwen laughed. Merlin knew the second meaning behind her words. That Gwen now knew exactly who he was and had accepted it with open arms. Her acceptance of his real self was why Merlin knew Gwen was his best friend. They had been through so much and always had one another's backs. Because through all the teasing and trouble that Gwen and Merlin managed to both get in and out of together; their bonds of friendship were stronger than any others and that was the true reason why they were the other's best friend.