YES YES YES to the domesticity! That's why I loved how hurt Merlin looked when Arthur told him to be gone from his chambers before he got back -- Merlin belongs there, as we saw last episode, too.

Good point about Arthur's habit of awkward phrasing. *g*

And it's a great point by both of you that Arthur isn't being harsh or unkind to Merlin anymore, even when he's pushing him away or scolding him. Same for when Arthur fucked up at the beginning, and Merlin just offered to listen if he wanted to talk about it, but didn't guilt him or scold him or tell him what to do. They are both so human and normal this year, and I love it so much.