Note: I know during the time of the traditional Arthurian legends, no one would have clocks or other such time pieces. However, the BBC seems to care less about period accuracy, so neither shall I.

Merlin entered Arthur's chambers that morning, running a bit behind as usual, but thankfully the prince was still asleep, so it meant he wasn't too late. He set the breakfast platter on the table and crossed the room to open the curtains.

Arthur's strong arms wrapped around him, interrupting his thoughts as his lips pressed to the back of his neck.

"Good morning, sire." He leaned back into Arthur's embrace.

"Mmm, morning," Arthur nuzzled his neck, coming to rest his head on Merlin's shoulder so he too could look out the window. "Happy Birthday, Merlin."

"How did you know it was my birthday?" He asked. "Little birds again?" he guessed when Arthur remained silent. He felt him nod, his ear brushing the side of his neck. "Well thank you."

"I have something for you." Arthur stated plainly.

"You do?" Merlin turned to face him, his eyebrows disappearing into his hairline in surprise.

"Yes," Arthur crossed the room to his wardrobe, opening it to pull out a rather large box. Merlin joined him at the table where he set it, motioning for Merlin to open it.

He stepped up to the box, which was decorated with a large blue dragon on the top. He pulled off the lid and the sides fell away, revealing an intricately carved miniature of a clock tower.

"It's a clock." Merlin stared at his gift. One side bore the clock face, and the other three were open to showcase the beauty and craftsmanship of the clock's inner workings. The four columns connecting it to the base were decorated with carvings of wild animals and flowers. Arthur had obviously spent a fortune on it.

Arthur hummed in agreement to his statement. "And look," he picked up a small steel ball that was resting on top of one of the columns. "You take a ball bearing, and you place it in one of these wells." In the base was a disk with twelve wells, one for each hour on the clock. Arthur demonstrated this. "When the clock reaches the desired time, a chime goes off."

"Like an alarm." Merlin stated. Arthur nodded, smiling cheekily. He was pleased with himself that he had thought of such a clever gift. "You bought me an alarm clock."

"So you won't be late for work again," Arthur kept his smile.

"Thanks," Merlin said sarcastically. He continued to stare at the clock. "It is really beautiful," He added, this time sincere. It was a fine piece of craftsmanship, but he couldn't help but think of how selfish it was.

"But," Arthur raised his eyebrows, waiting for Merlin to finish his sentence. He had sensed the hesitation in his voice.

Merlin knew he should be grateful for such a beautiful gift, but the words were out before he could swallow them. "Don't you think it's a little self-serving?" His gaze dropped to the floor, cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

Arthur was silent for a moment. "It is," he said finally. He lifted the clock from its wrappings and carried it to his nightstand. "And that is why we're going to put it here, where it will wake both of us in the morning."

Merlin gasped. "You mean…"

Arthur nodded. "Nothing would give me greater pleasure." He watched as Merlin's face broke into a joyful smile. Arthur extended his arm towards the raven haired boy, who took it and allowed himself to be pulled into the prince's embrace. "I love you, Merlin. I want you by my side always." He placed a light kiss on his lover's lips, lingering for only a moment before pulling away to watch his beautiful face.

"I love you, too." They kissed again. "Thank you, this means the world to me."

"Yeah?" Arthur looked happily surprised, though he knew the young warlock had wanted this for a very long time. He saw it in his eyes, a look of longing as he left for the night. It made Arthur sad, made him want to pull the boy back into bed with him and hold him close until the sadness left those beautiful blue eyes.

"It's the best birthday gift I could ever ask for."

Arthur smiled against his lips as Merlin kissed him. Soon their kisses became more heated, passionate, as hands sought warm skin, leaving goosebumps in the wake of cool fingertips. Merlin toed off his boots as the prince pulled his tunic over his head.

"Let's try it out, shall we?" He said, laying him on the bed gently. "And set it for, oh, never." He slid next to his lover, burying his face in his neck.

Merlin giggled. "I'd love to, but how would we know if it works or not?"

"Shut up, Merlin." Arthur teased, a smirk playing on his lips. Merlin giggled once more, and he silenced him with another passionate kiss.