Notes: Originally written for Cat_77 for Fandom Stocking 2013.

It's one of the first thing Merlin notices about Arthur when they meet again, all these years later.

He's the same person, the same lovable oaf and Merlin has missed him terribly. The only differences seem to be the tiniest, smallest things.

Arthur drinks coffee now.

"You don't take tea?" Merlin wonders, as they sit in a café.

Arthur looks up from stirring his coffee, his face perfectly neutral. "Never cared for it much. Prefer the sugar in the coffee."

Merlin grins, looking down at his own cup. "That's fair. You never did much care for Gaius's herbal teas, anyway."

Arthur stares at him for a long moment, making Merlin look back up and hold his gaze.

Arthur doesn't have all his memories back yet. Since he's met Merlin, things have started to come back… but he's still the Arthur from this century, the one born to Maggie and Peter Pentecost of the city of Winchester, and Merlin can't just say things like that to him. The intimate way Merlin knows him already freaks him out, and while he knows somewhere deep down that what Merlin says is true, he still also looks at him like he's a lunatic at times.

Not this time, though. No, he's looking at Merlin intensely, like he's trying to remember not liking Gaius's tea, using every brain cell he possesses.

Merlin sips his tea.

"Well," Arthur says, taking a long drink of his coffee, "Maybe Gaius soured me on the whole experience, then."

Merlin grins to himself, slumps down in his chair a little. "Maybe."