It wasn't exactly a surprise. Merlin had had a feeling for a while that they both cared for each other much more than just simply for a random hookup, or even being a little bit smitten. He had been in love before in his life and he knew how it felt. Though, the feeling was much easier and deeper with Dean than it had been with Julia, because she hadn't really known who he is.

Despite knowing, he still felt a bang of something warm and excited exploding in the pit of his stomach and he crawled up along Dean's body to stare down at him, light blue eyes open and soft as he gazed down at Dean's laughing face.

"I love you, too," he said simply while reaching up to curl his fingers around Dean's wrists and pressed his hands down to the mattress while leaning in to kiss him on the lips,