Kissing it Better
Author: oflittleuse
Title: Kissing it Better
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: pre-Arthur/Merlin
Character/s: Arthur, Merlin
Summary: Arthur is just the legendary best friend he always is, and tends to a wounded Merlin.
Word Count: 423
Prompt: Burn.
Author's Notes: another kid!fic. They just don’t stop. Lot's of fluff ahead.
“Ow!”
Arthur glanced over across the craft table his father had shoved into the playroom. Both he and Merlin had been working on finishing their castle made of popsicle sticks for school. Now Merlin was hunched over and clutching his hand.
“What did you do?” Arthur asked. He put down his marker he had been using to make little flags.
“Nothing,” Merlin grumbled, turning his back so Arthur couldn’t see. Arthur wasn’t having any of that though. Grabbing Merlin’s arms, he spun his friend around. Arthur held tightly at the hand Merlin had been trying to hide. The thumb had a deep red burn along the edge of it. Arthur frowned and brought the hand closer to his face.
“Merlin, you idiot, how did you manage to do this?” Arthur demanded.
“I was trying to use the glue gun,” Merlin sniffled. He refused to meet Arthur eyes.
“Well you can’t just stand around,” Arthur informed him. Dragging Merlin into the bathroom and he turned on the tap. “Dad says you need to put it under cold water. Does your mother teach you nothing?”
“I know how to treat a burn,” Merlin said. “Probably better than you.”
“Keep it under there and I’ll get a bandages,” Arthur instructed, grabbing the stool from under the sink, Arthur reached up into the medicine cabinet and grabbed a handful of the pink butterfly bandages Morgana had convinced their dad to get.
Layering on the bandages so they were five thick to make sure Merlin got better even faster, Arthur stepped back to appreciate his handiwork.
“There you go, all done!” Arthur smiled.
“You forgot the last step,” Merlin frowned, holding up his bandaged thumb. Arthur just stared at it.
“I haven’t forgotten anything. I’m the expert here, Merlin.”
“You need to kiss it better,” Merlin explained. “Mom says that if wounds don’t get a kiss they don’t feel loved and don’t heal right. If you don’t kiss my thumb I’ll have a big giant, red, gross thumb and everyone will ask why and I’ll say it’s all Arthur’s fault because he refused to kiss my wound.”
“Don’t be a baby Merlin,” Arthur rolled his eyes. Grabbing the thumb he gave it a quick kiss, making sure to smack his lips loudly. “Better?”
“Yep,” Merlin smiled, skipping out of the bathroom and back to their castle.
Arthur figured Merlin didn’t need to know that he had never had a wound kissed and he was perfectly fine. Merlin was more fragile, and Arthur didn’t mind kissing his wounds better.