The lights were far too bright, Merlin thought. Blurry white streaks of overhead lamps burned his eyes. The smell of Arthur and his own head being cradled lulled his eyes back shut.
"Are you falling back asleep?" Arthur patted Merlin's cheek with mock irritation.
Merlin murmured in agreement, making himself comfortable in Arthur's lap.
"Fine. But I'll have to carry you."
That sounded good to Merlin. His head was swimming. He doubted he could walk anyway.
"Do you..." Arthur hesitated. "want to get cleaned up here or wait until we get home?" Arthur was propping Merlin up at his under arms.
"do I... What?" Merlin breathed as his consciousness flickered at the sudden change in position. Arthur hoisted Merlin up into his arms with one, practiced motion.
"ah." Merlin couldn't help but squirm a bit as his attention was brought to his soaking wet trousers clinging to his legs. It was rather uncomfortable.
"So. Are we cleaning you up here or at home?"
Merlin considered his opinions as throughly as he could given his circumstances. He nodded his head slowly.
"Right." Sighed Arthur. "I've got nothing to change you in, you're going home with me."
Merlin mumbled in agreement in nestled into Arthur's shirt. His legs swung idelly as Arthur walked.
Merlin must have fallen asleep again, because he was suddenly being deposited onto a towel-covered seat in Arthur's car. Arthur made to strap him in when he hesitated.
"I didn't check if you still had to go."
"I hope so," Arthur said meaningfully.
Thankfully for Arthur's car, Merlin did not still need to wee.
By the time they parked, Merlin had started to remember himself. He blinked out the window as if the world had just turned on.
He fiddled with the towel he was sitting on as Arthur took his key out of the car.
They locked eyes and Arthur placed a hand on Merlin's cold thigh.
"it's wet." Said Merlin sadly, attempting to curve his leg out from under Arthur's hand to protect him from getting any more wee on his hand.
"I know." Said Arthur in a tone oddly casual.
"oh," Merlin mused, tilting his head. Maybe after years of baring witness to Merlin's accidents Arthur had become desensitized.
"Can you walk or should I carry you in?" Arthur stroked Merlin's thigh with his thumb. Beads of wee were pushed out of the fabric and thus coated Arthur's hand where he pressed.
"I can walk," Merlin affirmed mainly to himself.
Technically, Merlin did walk. If you count clinging to Arthur as a human crutch to be walking.
Merlin was able to kick off his trainers fine enough but needed help coaxing his drenched trousers to release its ironclad grip on his legs. He nearly passed out again trying to get them off until Arthur stopped him.
"you idiot, you should have asked." Tutted Arthur under his breath.
Merlin shrugged, watching Arthur shimmy his waist band down one of his legs.
"Do you have any idea how long it's going to take me to undo what you've done?" As much as it pained to admit, Arthur was right.
Merlin, too exhausted to think, had desided rolling up his pant legs would somehow be an appropriate step to undressing. Undressing means showing skin, rolling up his pant legs did that. Sort of.
Merlin's saturated nappy was fully exposed now. He shivered. Arthur was kneeling before Merlin and working on peeling his trousers down his calves.
"I'll have to remove your compression socks." Arthur said regretfully, assessing their wetness. Merlin sighed and nodded.
"if you feel lightheaded, tell me. Alright Merlin?" Arthur's eyes were boring deep into merlins soul, or at least that's what it felt like.
"right, yeah" said Merlin, trying to sound normal.
Arthur had to hold merlins nude thigh with one hand and use the other to tug the sock off.
