this post has a link of the bbc merlin fics that iāve written on ao3,Ā if youād like to give them a read, that would be lovely! thank you so much :) iāll also take requests if you want to send one in!Ā
i donāt write reader inserts, sorry!Ā
š = completed
š = in progress
hereās the list in no particular order:Ā
- To the Brows Laid in Thorn and Weapons Made of WordsĀ š: arthur finds out about merlin's magic prior to the events of season 5 and post-season 4. he goes into sullen silence to punish merlin for lying to him, leaving merlin in the interim of "does he want me dead or does he just need time?" Major TW: su!cide attempt, su!cidal thoughts, struggling with mental health, graphic depictions of violence, injuries, and death. (there will be a happy ending!)
- Arthur Pendragon Loves FlowersĀ š: ~3,000 words, inspired by that one scene in one of the earlier episodes where Arthur asked Merlin where his flowers were, and Merlin proceeds to get Arthur bouquets of flowers from there on out. Very angsty fic, but there is a happy ending! (Love confessions, language of flowers, fluff and then heavy angst, Merlin/Arthur, TW: temporary character death, descriptions of violence, eventual happy ending).
- The Way Things FallĀ š: ~25,000 words (my longest fic!) Modern Crime AU where Merlin and Arthur are detectives trying to solve a serial killer case, but Arthur is emotionally repressed and the mystery may be closer to the heart than they think. TW: graphic descriptions of violence, death, and injuries. (Eventually happy ending, relationships: Merlin/Arthur, Gwen/Lancelot, Percival/Gwaine, Morgana/Leon).Ā
-Ā Love Me NotĀ š: ~3,000 words, post-magic reveal. Merlin/Arthur, past Gwen/Arthur. Arthur is repressed as always. He treats Merlin very differently than he had treated Gwen, and Merlin begins to wonder whether or not he's worth being loved in the same way. Whether Arthur even loves him at all. (Emotional hurt/comfort 4+1 with a happy ending!)
- The Cost of Magic and What a King ValuesĀ š: ~9,000 words, Merlinās magic revealed. Arthur reacts badly and ignores Merlinās injuries, and they have a massive falling out. Set just after "The Sword in the Stone" (part 1 and 2). Aithusa doesn't go to Morgana because Aithusa being emaciated breaks my heart, and Gwen doesn't marry Arthur. (Eventual Merlin/Arthur love confession; hurt Merlin,Ā TW: graphic descriptions of violence + temporary character death; guilty Arthur; eventual happy ending!)
- Tell Me You Love MeĀ š: ~5,000 words, Arthur Returns fic in modern era, Merlin/Arthur relationship where Arthur is emotionally repressed (as always) and canāt bring himself to say the wordsĀ āI love youā to Merlin. Angst with a happy ending, character injury.Ā
- Iām Forever Missing Him š: ~8,000 words, upon the magic reveal, Arthur has Merlin hanged. (Major TW: graphic descriptions of violence, implied/referenced suicide, major character death, HEAVY angst, happy ending in chapter 2, guilty Arthur, hurt Merlin).Ā
- breathing memoriesĀ š:Ā ~6,000 words, Arthur breaks up with Merlin for having magic and relives some of his old memories through a watch. (Modern era, angst with a happy ending, emotional hurt/comfort, breaking up/making up.)
- Oh, the Scars Iāve Left Ā š: ~3,000 words. Merlin makes one too many excuses to Uther on Arthurās orders, and has to pay the price. (hurt Merlin, angst, guilty Arthur, hurt/comfort, eventual Merlin/Arthur, first kiss, TW: graphic descriptions of injuries, happy ending).Ā
thank you so much for reading if you choose to! this list will be updated whenever i post a new fic. have a lovely day, lovely people :D
this post has a link of the bbc merlin fics that iāve written on ao3,Ā if youād like to give them a read, that would be lovely! thank you so much :) iāll also take requests if you want to send one in!Ā
i donāt write reader inserts, sorry!Ā
š = completed
š = in progress
hereās the list in no particular order:Ā
- To the Brows Laid in Thorn and Weapons Made of WordsĀ š: arthur finds out about merlinās magic prior to the events of season 5 and post-season 4. he goes into sullen silence to punish merlin for lying to him, leaving merlin in the interim of ādoes he want me dead or does he just need time?ā Major TW: su!cide attempt, su!cidal thoughts, struggling with mental health, graphic depictions of violence, injuries, and death. (there will be a happy ending!)
- Arthur Pendragon Loves FlowersĀ š: ~3,000 words, inspired by that one scene in one of the earlier episodes where Arthur asked Merlin where his flowers were, and Merlin proceeds to get Arthur bouquets of flowers from there on out. Very angsty fic, but there is a happy ending! (Love confessions, language of flowers, fluff and then heavy angst, Merlin/Arthur, TW: temporary character death, descriptions of violence, eventual happy ending).
- The Way Things FallĀ š: ~25,000 words (my longest fic!) Modern Crime AU where Merlin and Arthur are detectives trying to solve a serial killer case, but Arthur is emotionally repressed and the mystery may be closer to the heart than they think. TW: graphic descriptions of violence, death, and injuries. (Eventually happy ending, relationships: Merlin/Arthur, Gwen/Lancelot, Percival/Gwaine, Morgana/Leon).Ā
-Ā Love Me NotĀ š: ~3,000 words, post-magic reveal. Merlin/Arthur, past Gwen/Arthur. Arthur is repressed as always. He treats Merlin very differently than he had treated Gwen, and Merlin begins to wonder whether or not heās worth being loved in the same way. Whether Arthur even loves him at all. (Emotional hurt/comfort 4+1 with a happy ending!)
- The Cost of Magic and What a King ValuesĀ š: ~9,000 words, Merlinās magic revealed. Arthur reacts badly and ignores Merlinās injuries, and they have a massive falling out. Set just after āThe Sword in the Stoneā (part 1 and 2). Aithusa doesnāt go to Morgana because Aithusa being emaciated breaks my heart, and Gwen doesnāt marry Arthur. (Eventual Merlin/Arthur love confession; hurt Merlin,Ā TW: graphic descriptions of violence + temporary character death; guilty Arthur; eventual happy ending!)
- Tell Me You Love MeĀ š: ~5,000 words, Arthur Returns fic in modern era, Merlin/Arthur relationship where Arthur is emotionally repressed (as always) and canāt bring himself to say the wordsĀ āI love youā to Merlin. Angst with a happy ending, character injury.Ā
- Iām Forever Missing Him š: ~8,000 words, upon the magic reveal, Arthur has Merlin hanged. (Major TW: graphic descriptions of violence, implied/referenced suicide, major character death, HEAVY angst, happy ending in chapter 2, guilty Arthur, hurt Merlin).Ā
- breathing memoriesĀ š:Ā ~6,000 words, Arthur breaks up with Merlin for having magic and relives some of his old memories through a watch. (Modern era, angst with a happy ending, emotional hurt/comfort, breaking up/making up.)
- Oh, the Scars Iāve Left Ā š: ~3,000 words. Merlin makes one too many excuses to Uther on Arthurās orders, and has to pay the price. (hurt Merlin, angst, guilty Arthur, hurt/comfort, eventual Merlin/Arthur, first kiss, TW: graphic descriptions of injuries, happy ending).Ā
thank you so much for reading if you choose to! this list will be updated whenever i post a new fic. have a lovely day, lovely people :D
btw i block empty blogs now. i didnāt use to but the influx of bots on this site has made me not care as much about the āwhat if thatās actually a real personā because chances are, it isnāt. if you want to avoid this fate do the bare minimum customization. thanks š
Same. Iām so fed up with bots friendship that Iām also blocking and reporting. I hope thereās not a real person behind. If I see posts I donāt do this, but I wonāt follow someone simply because.
When I follow someone itās because I like their posts (their art and their fiction mostly), and I expect the same in return, to be followed for the things I post and reblog. ā¤ļø
In case anyone was wondering, hereās the logic behind how Merlin addresses Arthur:
When Merlin is talking to Arthur as his friend, he says: āArthurā.
When Merlin is talking to Arthur and heās So Totally Done With Arthur Being An Idiot, then he says:Ā āPrat / Arse / Ass / Dollop Head / Cabbage Headā
When Merlin is in I Am Trying To Remember My Place And Be A Good Servant mode OR when heās in Unspeakably Sassy mode, he says: āMy lordā
When Merlin witnesses Arthur acting as a king, or when Arthur needs to be reminded that he is the king, he says: āSireā
^^^^ Reblogging for this 100% canon-accurate addition. Because itās true.
When Merlin has his face in Arthurās butt-crack, bodily wrestling Arthur to the ground, trying to pull down his trousers, the only thing Merlin can think of to call Arthur is āYOUR MAJESTYā.
Sometimes, Merlin wonders if heās somehow harder to love than Gwen was.Ā
He plays the game when heās out picking herbs for Gaius and comes across wildflowers, and picks at the petals thinking,Ā āHe loves me, he loves me notā over and over and over again. It rather parallels the pratās ever-changing disposition towards him, the petals usually landing onĀ āNot,ā but there are rarities ofĀ āHe loves me.ā
The he, in question, is Arthur Pendragon.Ā
Instead of affectionate smiles, he receives slaps to the back of his head, and instead of romantic picnics in the meadows, he is woken at dawn to go watch the knights kill innocent animals for sport.
He understands to a certain extent that itāll take time for Arthur to come to terms with the magic. It was sudden and had taken a toll on their relationship, but after all was said and done, Arthur had been the one to kiss him, after all, after they spoke extensively about destiny and Albion being reunited under Arthurās reign.Ā
It aches, sometimes, when he allows himself to think they could be more. More than master and servant, more than king and sorcerer. More than... kisses in an empty corridor or the stables or the woods when no oneās watching. Oftentimes, he longs for the affection. Dreams of it. A world where Arthur loved him as much as heād loved Gwen. A world in which Arthur loved him at all.Ā
So, in a desperate attempt to better understand the preposterous king, he goes to Morgana.Ā āWould he be so cruel if he truly cared for me?ā
And Morgana is immediately furious at this question, slamming down an exceptionally heavy book.Ā
āIs he doing things that make you feel as though he doesnāt love you?ā
Merlin rushes to say,Ā āNo, not necessarily,ā before she can go and behead him.Ā āHe just... does things differently. For me. Different than heās been in the past with his... lovers.āĀ
Morgana narrows her eyes, pondering this for a moment.Ā āWhat would you like him to be like, then?ā
And Merlin wants to say kinder, but doesnāt have the heart to.Ā āLess of a prat, maybe.ā Morgana snorts, and Merlin continues,Ā āMaybe dinner in his chambers without him snarling about how useless I am. Or a hunt where he doesnāt leave me hungry. Maybe a morning where we can have a lie-in and he smiles at me as he wakes, instead of pushes me out the door.ā Merlin feels wistful as he lists these things off, as he dreams of all the things they could be, and as he goes on, Morganaās inquisitive eyes fill with concern.Ā āWhat?ā
āHe sounds... awful,ā Morgana says very quietly.Ā āMerlin, those are very, ehm, low expectations and you talk of them like heād have to move a mountain to do those things for you.āĀ
āWell, thatās how heās always been. A prat.ā
āBut things should be different now. They just sound worse.āĀ
āOh,ā Merlin says, and he starts to feel that sense of sorrow again. Morgana puts a hand on his, squeezing his fingers.Ā
āYou should talk to him,ā she says, giving him an encouraging smile.Ā
Days later, Merlin is folding Arthurās laundry in the corner of his chambers when Arthur bursts in, looking frustrated. Merlin looks at him briefly, trying to decipher what was bothering him, when Arthur spots him and shoots him a glare.Ā āFetch me a bath, would you?ā he commands. Merlin stands, dropping the tunic back into the basket, before tripping over a stool that runs into the table, and causes everything to clatter to the floor.Ā
āCanāt you do anything well? Or are you always so incompetent?ā Arthur hisses.Ā
āSorry, sire,ā Merlin says, and instead of his usual sarcastic tone, his voice is a bit withdrawn, thoughts going back to the talk heād had with Morgana.Ā
Arthur gives him a funny look at the unusual tone.Ā āWell, get on with it. Iāve had a long day.āĀ
āYes, sire,ā Merlin says, and soon heās coming back buckets of water to fill the tub for his king. As he readies it, he says hesitantly,Ā āArthur?āĀ
āWhat is it?ā Arthur snaps, looking up from his desk.Ā
āI was just... well, you know. Itās been a while since youāve had a day off. I thought maybe, we could have a picnic or something. Something... nice.āĀ
Arthur just glowers at him, flicking his quill a bit.Ā āIām busy.ā
āI could try to clear the day for you, so we could spend some time--ā
āI said I was busy.āĀ
Merlin pauses in his movements, trying to feel the warmth of the water against the numbness of his hand. Of his heart.Ā āAlright. Sorry for bringing it up.ā
Arthur kisses him in the stables, later. Sweetly, gently. He holds Merlinās face in his hands like an apology. His eyes look at him like he sees Merlinās pain, and knows heās the one who caused it.Ā But he doesnāt say anything, just gives Merlin a long look, and just like that, he disappears once again.
The trees are bare, and the snow begins to fall. Thick and heavy. Arthur asks Merlin to try and protect what he can with his magic as the storms sweep over Camelot. Or, itās not really asking, per se, but that kingly youāll-do-as-I-say tone that doesnāt bargain room for retaliation. Merlin does so without question, and if there are a couple extra rations in the vaults, food that is more plentiful than normal, no one questions it. The season is harsh, and the people wonāt complain.
āYou havenāt moved from that place at the window for an hour,ā Arthur says flatly.Ā
āI like the snow,ā Merlin says easily.Ā āItās very pretty.āĀ
āPrettier now with the knowledge that the people will live to see another year, thanks to you.ā Merlin stiffens, surprised by the compliment. The rare sliver of gratitude. He feels something swell up in his chest, an emotion he canāt quite explain. His eyes sting a bit. Itās been ages since Arthurās said anything remotely kind to him.Ā
Arthur, as always, tears him away from happy thoughts.Ā āNow youāre looking at me oddly. Did I say something wrong?ā
āNo, I think you just complimented me, sire,ā Merlin tries to quip.Ā
āDonāt get used to it,ā Arthur says brashly, too aggressively to be taken as a joke. And just like that, Merlinās smile fades a bit.Ā āWhat?ā Arthur says, narrowing his eyes.
āNothing, Iām just being stupid.āĀ
āLike always, then.ā
Merlin is quiet a moment, then laughs softly. But the sound is sad as it leaves him.Ā āYeah, like always.āĀ
Yule comes. Merlin gifts Arthur a statuette of a dragon, carved from wood. Itās intricate and extremely detailed, and Merlin feels immense pride when he gives Arthur the ribbon-wrapped box. It fits in the palm of Arthurās hand.Ā
āYou got me a gift,ā Arthur says slowly, perplexed. Merlin gives him a confused look.Ā
āOf course,ā Merlin says.Ā āIām your lo--ā He cuts himself off.Ā āServant. Your friend.ā Arthur looks at the box, very pensive.Ā
āThank you,ā he says after a beat.Ā āIām sorry, Yule just got away from me, I suppose.ā And Merlin knows this mean that Arthur didnāt get him a gift, which he tries to brush off.Ā
āItās alright, sire,ā Merlin says, trying and failing to muster up a smile.Ā āI donāt do things and expect you to do them in return.ā He knows he sounds a little bitter, by the way Arthur stiffens and his eyes widen. And deep, deep downs, he knows heās not talking about the gifts, either. āHappy holidays, sire.āĀ
Arthur mourns his fatherās and his motherās death a few days later, which, coincidentally, align with Arthurās birthday. He asks Merlin to stay after Merlin puts out the candles, drunk off the best wine the castle can offer due to the feast, sounding vulnerable and tired and very, very young.Ā
āWill you stay, please?ā Arthur says from under piles of blankets.Ā āWill you come here?ā
And Merlin just nods, changing into his sleep tunic and pants that he keeps in Arthurās room for nights like these, making his way over to the bed. Setting his boots on the floor and tucking in. Arthur immediately curls into his side.Ā
āYou smell nice,ā Arthur whispers, his breath tickling Merlinās ear. His tongue slurs his words, still affected by the alcohol.Ā
āItās the vanilla. Iāve been in the kitchens all day.āĀ
āNo, you smell like you.ā Merlin feels his heart clench at that.Ā
āYouāre drunk,ā Merlin says, unable to keep the affectionate fondness out of his voice. He brushes Arthurās hair from his eyes. Arthur grunts, but holds Merlin closer.Ā
After a few moments, Merlin believes Arthur is asleep, but he hears Arthur murmur sleepily as he traces patterns on Merlinās chest,Ā āYouāre so beautiful. I love you so much. I love you every single day.āĀ
And Merlin has trouble believing him, but he says,Ā āI love you, too.āĀ
The first day of spring comes around, and with it Merlinās birthday. He smiles as the flowers bloom, as his magic surges out to the fields and wildflowers grow. Gaius makes him a special breakfast, gives him some new charcoal to draw with. Gwen and Morgana give him a very beautiful dagger coupled with little flowers theyād forced into his hair very early in the morning, and the knights invite him for a night at the tavern.Ā
Arthur doesnāt acknowledge the day of his birth at all.Ā
And itās not a big deal, truly. Heād grown up with just his mother and Will, and though they made an effort to acknowledge his birthday, there was never anything spectacular. Ealdor was what it was, and heād been grateful for whatever he had.Ā
But he canāt help but wonder if itās because Arthurās always hated birthdays, but remembers how heās gifted Gwen some new tools for blacksmithing, and Morgana a lovely necklace.Ā The king had even gifted Gwaine a personal tankard, and Lancelot new gloves.Ā
Merlin goes into Arthurās chambers that morning to bring Arthurās breakfast, and doesnāt get so much as aĀ āhelloā.Ā
āSet that down on the table,ā Arthur says, glued to his desk once more. His eyes flick up to Merlin very briefly, and sees the little flowers in his hair.Ā āWhat are those flowers for?āĀ
āGwen and Morgana gave them to me for--āĀ
Arthur scoffs, rolling his eyes a bit.Ā āDonāt be such a girl. Take them out before training today.āĀ
āArthur,ā Merlin starts, feeling riled and annoyed and hurt.Ā
āYouāre dismissed.āĀ
Merlin glares at him, but deflates. There isnāt anger left anymore, just disappointment. Sorrow.Ā āWhy are you so mean to me, Arthur?āĀ
Arthur snaps his head up.Ā āWhatāre you talking about?ā
āIāve been trying to understand whatās going on, with your slow acceptance of the magic, and... the kisses, but I canāt. I canāt do this anymore,ā Merlin says very softly. He longs to say, Youāre breaking my heart, but holds his tongue.Ā āItās like Iām nothing to you but a few snogs on the side. I canāt go on like this.ā Arthur just stares at him, his mouth slightly agape.Ā āIām sorry, sire. I wonāt be attending you for the rest of the day.āĀ
Hours later, Merlin is ambushed by his prat of a king as he grinds herbs for one of Gaiusā sleeping draughts. He wants to get his list of chores done before he heads out to the tavern with his friends.Ā
āWhat do you want?ā Merlin says haughtily.Ā āI told you I canāt attend to you today, and I also donāt want to see you.āĀ
āCome with me, please,ā Arthur says tentatively. Heās no longer wearing his armor, and it looks like heād had a bath after training, wearing a simple tunic and pants. He would look common, if not for his golden hair and the way he carries himself like a king even now. āReady a bag, something light. You donāt have to bring much.ā Merlin glares at him.Ā
āI said I donāt want--ā
āPlease, Merlin,ā Arthur says, near begging.Ā āTrust me.ā Skeptically, Merlin puts down the bowl, packs a light bag, and follows Arthur to the stables. They get onto their horses, and Merlin follows Arthurās lead.Ā
He is brought, shockingly, to a meadow. Arthur leaps off his horse first, tethering it to a tree, and goes searching through some bushes. He brings out a blanket and a basket and sets it down. Merlin gives him a suspicious look.Ā āAre you enchanted?ā
āNo.āĀ Merlin approaches him, and Arthur removes his shoes and settles on the blanket.Ā āSit.ā Surprisingly, Merlin does as told.Ā āIām sorry Iāve been horrid. I want to make it up to you.ā He rifles through the basket a tad, and pulls out a lovely, deep purple robe. It looks like it costs more than Merlinās made in the past ten years.Ā āHappy birthday, love.āĀ
āYouāve definitely been enchanted.āĀ
āShut up,ā Arthur says, swatting Merlinās arm.Ā āI know Iāve been... in a mood. Iāve treated you horrendously. I was confused, and stressed, and while that is in no way an excuse for my appalling behavior, I just wanted to apologize and tell you why.ā He pulls out a scroll tied with red ribbon and hands it to Merlin. Merlin undoes the bow, eyes traveling down the page.Ā
I, Arthur Pendragon, king of Camelot, hereby repeal the ban of sorcery and legalize the usage of magic. Wizards, sorcerers, warlocks, and witches will now be protected within Camelotās borders.Ā
āArthur,ā Merlin breathes.Ā āOh, Arthur.ā
āThis is what Iāve been working on, for those months following your confession. It only got approved today.ā Merlin tackles him with a hug, kissing the day light out of him, and smiles brighter than the sun. Arthur looks up at him, surrounded by wildflowers. āI love you. Iāll get better at showing it, I swear it. I love you.āĀ
Merlin is at the tavern as the knights, Gwen, Morgana, and Arthur are gathered at a large, round table, laughing over drinks and telling stories, singing songs. The whole tavern seems to be in a good mood, many coming by to say happy birthday to Merlin on their way out or in. AndĀ Arthur, beautiful and golden, squeezes his hand every time someone tells him āhappy birthdayā. He fixes Merlin with a meaningful look. He tucks a flower behind Merlinās ear and when a petal falls to the table in the space between them, Merlin thinks,Ā
āItās so hard to forget pain, but itās even harder to remember sweetness. We have no scar to show for happiness. We learn so little from peace.ā
ā Chuck Palahniuk
Can someone recommend me some merthur fics from ao3 where Arthur feels betrayed by Merlin once he learns about his magic. Possibly post getting together, but with a happy ending please. I need the angst.
ā¦..not even six hours later i got an offer of a well paying full time long-term job with free room and board in queens in nyc, allowing me independence and a way to escape an abusive situation and an unhealthy environment
likes charge reblogs cast, folks, this is the good luck post
the last time I reblogged this post right before I got a great job, in a permanent work-from-home position, with benefits, retirement, and a salary literally 3x what I was making before, doing something I really like.Ā
not even romantically, i just want to know that someone loves me, like in general you know? thereās a sadness i canāt really escape and it feels endless and god i want to be loved, but i will never say it to anyone aloud. i donāt think i can, and this will just remain here.
but iād like to be 100% certain i would be missed, and iām not sure about that right now but maybe one day i will be.
anyways, itās time to not do my homework š good night
stfu stfu literally nobody has an ugly smile or an ugly laugh its just not a thing. your smiles and laughter are the literal manifestations of your joy theyre gorgeous no matter what they look like or how they sound
*reads a gorgeous line in a fanfic* oh my god. how is this possible. how did they even fucking think of this. the symbolism is spot on. the planets are fucking aligned, everything is one and all and the world is complete, my soul is at peace
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
crime au!
Summary: Merlin Emerson is the Detective Sergeant of a missing persons case, but when he successfully finds the victim, he also finds that the victim is another lead in Detective Inspector Arthur Pendragon's case. Now, the two have to work together to find a serial killer behind a string of murders, if Arthur doesn't (figuratively) kill him first.
Updates will be every week (Wednesday) if youād like a read! Thank you! <3333
Instead of the sun/moon trope, how about the lightning/thunder trope
which of your otp is showy, bright and illuminating, always visible and dramatic, lights up the earth, usually looking for a fight -- not subtle at all and truthfully, not very threatening
which of your otp is subtle but also very scary, is not always visible, is always a threat, shakes the earth, and is mostly peaceful until they're not -- a subtle but ever present threat