Merlin and Arthur but someone help me I can't get it out of my head:
A threat, Merlin is going to face it, Investigate, fight, yadyadayada... The only solution is to make a deal that, in exchange for keeping Camelot safe for another day, Merlin must give up all the memories of his most precious person.
Obviously after running out of memories of âArthurâ He doesn't understand the importance of returning to Camelot, why is he still there if Gaius has taught him almost everything he can, Even kilgharrah isn't there anymore. For some reason, moreover, he feels that he often causes the poor physician more problems that should be... And all this without mentioning that before he wanted to see the world, he wanted to explore, to know and who knows? He might even make a name for himself... At least that's what he dreamed of as a child.
Again, why is he still in Camelot?
THEN HE GOES. JUST LIKE THAT
The next day Arthur can't find Merlin anywhere and we all know how he gets. He searches for him, he stresses, he screams... But it is not until night comes and he speaks with Gaius that the old man breaks his facade and Arthur notices the concern, that something is not right. He presses and presses until Gaius finally admits that he hasn't seen Merlin since the previous evening, that Merlin didn't sleep there and that he didn't even know where Merlin had gone.
It is canon that Arthur would immediately lose the marbles. As prince regent he order a wanted party. Nothing can stop him because *the power of the script*
Weeks go by with no sign of Merlin. Search efforts are dwindling as there are other priorities These priorities include certain strange occurrences in border villages.Some of these strange occurrences include a group of knights who were defeated by an entity they failed to see or recognize when they went to pick up an accused sorcerer. In addition, in the town next to that one, an entire family suspected of magic disappeared.
The council agrees that action must be taken or the people will begin to see those signs of weakness when it comes to responding to the law, with a sick king and having faced a mini conquest (I don't remember the chronological order of certain events, apologies); They must make it clear that Camelot is still the same as always...
Then, by the power of the script, the prince argues until he is the one who is designated to command the patrol of knights who will go to the villages in question (for honor, to make the people see him as a prince who executes his own orders or whatever)
Between surveys in the villages, some talks with peasants, follow clues... GUESS WHO THEY FIND?
Merlin has been wandering here and there, posing as a herb seller (because that must be good for something), Coincidentally, he has not left that specific town where the suspicious events occurred (he is that stupidly confident)...
He seems to vaguely recognize the knights. One of them he met in a tavern, another fighting a griffin, another is the brother of someone he met who-knows-where; and the other... He can't remember where he knows him from. That makes him feel strangely dizzy, there is a pressure in his head and there are pits that he does not want to question himself.In all this, Arthur does not stop shouting a thousand and one things at him. How stupid he is, how careless he is, how much work he has put in the backlog while touring every tavern in Albion...
Then Merlin says the three words that put Arthur's world Heel over head:
merthur marriage of convenience. arthur is complaining that his council is on his ass about marrying and siring an heir and they keep trying to arrange marriages but arthur doesn't fucking want any of them. merlin knows that arthur would like to marry someone he loves but he also knows that arthur has shown no interest in like anyone except when he was enchanted so like...who tf is he gonna marry? he needs to marry someone to get the council off his ass so he's just like "why not marry a friend? ik it wouldn't be a marriage of love but at least you'd have some control and choice in this." and arthur is like "hm. but who tho?"
anyways they make a list of everyone they know who can bear children (bc arthur will need an heir eventually). then they narrow it down, crossing off names like gwen bc she is happily married to lancelot and in a loving relationship with morgana (she has two hands and i love morgwencelot) and morgana (she's literally arthur's sister but they were just putting every name they could think of down first) and elyan (he may be able to bear children but they know he wouldn't be happy going through it bc of medieval dysphoria). eventually it's down to two names, mithian and merlin and arthur looks at merlin's name then up at him and is like "you're literally a trained physician so you should know this but you were literally born a man...how tf are you gonna bear children?" and my beloved genderfluid magic incarnate emrys just shifts her form to female and is like "don't be an idiot. anyways, mithian or me?"
dumb idiot whipped and in love arthur is like "you" and dumb idiot whipped and in love merlin is like "bet". anyways they marry but they're very insistent it's just as friends. lol they have to consummate the marriage the losers. they insist they did that as friends too. the entire round table has way too much fun with this. anyways they remain married "as friends" as they slowly morph into a very loving and touchy relationship "as friends" until they're like casually kissing as greetings and farewells and have that moment of "oh shit we're like actually married and in love" bc they're stupid dumb idiots.
anyways they unite albion and are recognized as high king arthur and high queen merlin and finally have an heir - the high prince/princess whatever you prefer. uhhhh anyways merthur happy ending bc i'm a sucker for it.
Iâm not usually one for miscommunication as a trope but hear me out:
Arthur thinks he and Merlin are together because Merlin says shit like âyouâre my destinyâ and âtwo sides of the same coinâ fairly often.
He even looks fond or proud whenever he calls Arthur a prat, and pet names never suited them. He considered it once but it just felt weird. âIdiot.â Changed to âIdiot <3â when they finally got together and that suits them much better than Darling or Babe or whatever else.
And itâs not like he doesnât say romantic stuff back, all: âyouâre the bravest man I ever met.â Or âyouâre the best friend I have and I couldnât bare to lose youâ
Meanwhile, Merlin pinpoints the same moment Arthur believed they started dating as when Arthur started acting more affectionate and Merlinâs crush got dialled up to 11.
Arthur doesnât seem to mind, so he pushes his luck occasionally and will hug Arthur after a long day or will lean on him if theyâre eating together on a hunting trip. Merlin absolutely cherishes these moments, but heâs secretly wishing they meant as much to Arthur as they do to him. (Spoiler alert: they do.)
So they must be together, Merlin just canât be bothered with titles and with everything that happened, Agravane and Morgana betraying him, it would be ideal to wait for an announcement of their relationship.
He gifts Merlin clothes, new boots, will leave flowers in his chambers and asked for the cook to make more of Merlinâs favourites so he can steal food from Arthurâs plate because he claims it tastes better when it isnât his food.
Arthur gave Merlin his motherâs sigil, for crying out loud. Theyâre obviously together.
And even better, (you can pry demi or ace Arthur from my cold dead hands) they donât even need to be intimate beyond the occasional hug or soft gestures like Merlin brushing the hair from his face before Arthur goes to sleep at night and Arthur doing the same whenever theyâre not in the castle and sleeping next to each other. He was worried at first, but Merlin never expected it, which Arthur just takes as: âAnd how stupid to worry? who knows him better than Merlin? Of course he would already know Arthur didnât feel comfortable with that sort of stuff.â
Then one day, a delegation comes to Camelot and one of the foreign knights is flirting with Merlin. Arthur sees, and he doesnât usually feel any need to act on his jealousy because he trusts Merlin, but this knight isnât flirting in the way Gwaine does thatâs just part of who he is, and Merlin looks uncomfortable. So he calls Merlin over to him, starts acting like a prat, and keeps Merlin âbusyâ all night by keeping his goblet full or usual servants duties.
Then later, Merlin thanks Arthur but says he doesnât need to worry and he can handle himself. Arthur, finally relaxing after being ready to start a fight for the past three hours, pulls Merlin into a hug and kisses his forehead, because let the medieval gays be soft sometimes. He whispers something like, âI know you donât like talking about it, and that youâve said you donât need a title, but you shouldnât have to handle everything on your own.â
Merlin pulls back, looking shocked and confused. Then they actually have to talk about everything.
Merlinâs just fine with actually dating the guy heâs got a massive crush on and now heâs more willing to instigate hugs and affection. (Arthur just thought Merlin wasnât going to push him to not make him uncomfortable but secretly wishes that he would instigate more) They end up sleeping in the same bed in Camelot too, because cuddles and softness, something Arthur wanted for a while but didnât know how to ask for.
Basically all the problems in the relationship that Arthur was worried about but kinda felt âitâs already more than I could hope forâ so didnât want to bring up get worked out naturally and Merlin, who was previously worried about his friendship getting ruined if they changed the dynamic too much, is shocked by how little actually changed now that theyâre together. He just gets to hold Arthurâs hand, can be less subtle about stealing from his dinner, gets to relax and gets an Arthur thatâs more clingy and soft now that Merlin knows heâs allowed to reciprocate affection.
They still tease each other, theyâre still two idiots sharing a braincell that they occasionally give to Leon to babysit, theyâre just more open about being in love now. (More open to each other, anyway. Literally everyone else in Camelot knew long before they did)
Bonus points if theyâve been talking about their relationship and having the important conversation with each other the entire time, just without actually talking about it. Merlin asking why Arthur suddenly changed how affectionate he is and Arthur saying he thought he was allowed. Merlinâs just like âcool, as long as youâre okay. Iâm glad youâre feeling more comfortable and relaxed.â And glad thereâs no love spells or anything sinister going on. Arthur says he doesnât like Merlin flirting with Gwaine, even if he doesnât mean it, and Merlin agrees to stop if it makes him uncomfortable. He doesnât think too much into it, just thinks Arthur doesnât like the casual flirting and believes that relationships are important so casual stuff isnât super comfortable. Merlin is still friends with Gwaine, just makes less jokes about going home with or marrying him.
Like, theyâre having entire conversations and maintaining a fully functional healthy relationship, theyâre just fucking idiots at the same time.
ok i have a dumb Merthur fic idea: Farmer Wants a Wife AU
hear me out:
Arthur is a rich bachelor who owns a farm
Merlin is his farm hand who lives in the local town
Heâs been working for Arthur for 3 years- they got off on the wrong foot by insulting each other but since then have become close friends (not that either of them would admit it)
Morgana secretly signs Arthur up to the TV show Farmer Wants a Wife
Arthur has to host 4 beautiful women on his farm and take them on dates (and everything is being filmed)
Arthur starts to realise he misses Merlin- that he would rather be mucking out the stables with him, than on a boring picnic date
Maybe he kisses one of the women and realises heâs not attracted to her and heâs like Oh Shit: Sexuality Crisis
Of course some fun banter between Merlin and Arthur around the farm when theyâve stopped filming for the day- Merlin teases Arthur about the whole Wife thing
Maybe one of the women is Gwen and she Notices how much Arthur talks about Merlin, and she Notices how awful it was when Arthur kissed her, and she puts the pieces together
Maybe Arthur and Gwen become close as friends, and at some point he confides in her (off camera) and sheâs like âI know.â
MAYBE ALL THE GIRLS HAVE INDEPENDENTLY FIGURED IT OUT- and they compare notes âyeah, he was SUCH a bad kisserâ âdefinitely gay for his farm handâ AND THEY WORK TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH A PLAN TO GET ARTHUR AND MERLIN TOGETHER
Arthur doesnât know whatâs going on, but the girls keep calling in âsickâ and he keeps ending up on romantic dates with Merlin???
Donât really know how to end this, but of course they end up together, Arthurâs a good kisser when itâs Merlin heâs kissing, he remains good friends with Gwen and the girls, and they make television history
I need someone to write a time travel fic where Merlin & Arthurs child (i do not care how you make it work tbh) fucks up a spell and travels to early days of Arthur's reign and because the kid is in panic it runs to Arthur's chambers and wakes him up
Arthur would obviously freak out and be like: wtf
And the child would start to cry and say: dad pls help me i fucked up this spell papa taught me and now something is wrong-
Arthur: Did you just call me dad??? Wait did you say papa???????? Spell?!?!?!
The child sniffling: yes papa as in your husband Merlin Pendragon, where is he? He told me to practice this spell but I think i mixed up the words and -
And thats how Arthur finds out about Merlins magic and they try to get their child back in their time and you know talk for once in their lives.
Merlin, legs shaking, slides down against the tree at his back. Arthur, breathing hard beside him, slowly sheathes his unused sword. The woman on the ground, a sorcerer, remains still, body crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut. Dead.
Silence.
Painful, vibrating silence.
Merlin's fingers flex, brittle with tension. He feels unmoored, unbalanced. Mouth dry, throat catching as he swallows, he stares up at the taut line of Arthur's shoulders, stiff and still as an animal sensing danger, threat.
He feels tornâbetween begging, desperate, for Arthur's understanding; or shouting at him. He's angry. He's frightenedâaching, already, at the thought of Arthur turning to him with a cold gaze, or worse, a fearful one.
Arthur lifts a hand to his face, and rubs at it.
"Well?" Merlin can't help but break the silence. Can't help the provocation that follows: "Are you going to execute me?"
"For God's sake, Merlin," Arthur says, quietly, and finally turns.
A stone plummets heavily through him at the look in Arthur's eyes. Not fear. Not hatred. Not distrust.
Shock.
Hurt.
He scrambles to his feet. "Arthurâ"
"How long?" The words seem wrenched out of Arthur now, heaved up, like he's choking on them, body desperate with agitation. "How long have youâlied to me? I thoughtâ"
"Arthur," he says, louder this time, stumbling towards him, head still light from the magic he'd cast only minutes ago. "I couldn't fucking tell you."
"Yes, you could have!" Arthur shouts, wrenching his gloves off and throwing them hard at the ground, fingers trembling at the fastenings of a vambrace. "What, did you thinkâDid you think I wouldâ?"
Merlin reaches him, gets a hand on the back of Arthur's neck, bare skin to skin. "I couldn't afford to trust anyone, alright?" He presses their foreheads together, damp with sweat. Arthur's eyes are shut now, mouth twisted, grief-stricken. "Not with this. No matter how badly Iâwanted to. I wanted to, every fucking day. Arthur, you prat."
And helpless, burning up with it now, he does the other thing he's wanted to do, every one of those days:
If Merlin would have come back one night from another magical quest to keep Arthur safe and he would have headed towards his kings chambers instead of Gaius rooms, it would have been the perfect situation for a magic reveal.
Merlin being exhausted and tired and just desperate for some comfort even if he didn't dare to ask for a hug he would have just soaked up Arthur's presence and Arthur after wondering the entire day where the hell Merlin had disappeared to again was worried out of his mind. The concern wouldn't go away even when the servant returned. He had noticed the change in Merlinâs behaviour for some time now. He rarely prattled, his smiles were half hearted at best and he always seemed to brood.
That night he decided he couldn't watch it any longer, clearly Merlin was troubled and Arthur was the king. There was a good chance he could help.
But Merlin didn't make it easy, trying to switch topic or sidestepping questions, claiming he was only tired.
Arthur didn't believe him and their conversation became an argument.
The king was determined to get to the bottom of this but stopped when he noticed Merlin was shaking. He couldn't see his face, as he had turned to poke at the fire angrily once Arthur accused him of lying. But now it was silent he heard a sniffle.
"Merlin?" he kept his voice soft.
He got no answer so he approached carefully. When he was close enough he put a hand on Merlinâs back. The shaking hadn't stopped, if anything it had gotten worse.
"Tell me what's going on please." Arthur rarely asked like this but Merlin shook his head.
"Can't" He answered in a strangled voice.
Somehow Arthur could feel this was an important moment, a defining moment. If he would let go now they would continue drifting apart and he couldn't risk it. So he pressed on, prodded until Merlin was at a breaking point. It hurt him to see his servant, his friend in such distress but something told him they needed to talk about this. Properly.
Seeing there was no way out, Merlin broke down confessing his magic while tears ran down his cheeks.
Arthur was shocked, his first reaction was getting angry but Merlin flinched hard when he snapped and all the rage turned into shame at once. His heart wasn't in it anyway. His heart was screaming to hold Merlin close, to reassure him nothing would happen to him. To make him understand that Arthur would have walked into fire himself before he would ever lay a hand on Merlin. And that's what he did.
"You did... A lot." Arthur says, still staring at the photo album in his hands.
Merlin blows the smoke of his cigarette to the sky. "I had a lot of time on my hands."
Arthur looks up, watching him instead, roving over Merlin's slumped posture with keen eyes. Merlin tries not to feel like it's ice upon his skin, prickling and unwelcome.
"You got tattoos," Arthur murmurs softly. "And jewelry. A lot of them."
"I--" Merlin hesitates, before ultimately deciding fuck it, alcohol loosening his tongue. "It was something new to do. And..."
"As the years wore on, I found myself wanting to do more and more."
"Why?" Arthur asks, curious. "You never used to want things like these."
Merlin loathes the next words out of his mouth then, wishing, with all his being, that he could've shielded Arthur from them. That alcohol still made his tongue leaden and heavy like it did in Camelot, when he still had secrets to keep from Arthur.
I desperately NEED a fic where Uther executes Merlin after somehow finding out about his magic, and Arthur straight up loses his mind and just... walks away. From his father. From the hatred of magic. From his knights. From his friends. From his people.
From Camelot.
He's done. Merlin is gone, and nothing means anything anymore.
Uther burned Merlin while Arthur was in the dungeons for protesting. Uther who claimed to love Arthur's mother, and still bargained with her life for a son.
I want Uther to see his son's devotion (feelings realized too late, too late) to the dead servant boy. To realize that unlike him, Arthur would never have sacrificed the love of his life for a legacy.
I want Uther to realize that Arthur's love for a dead sorcerer is far greater and purer and more selfless than Uther's obsession for Ygraine ever was. (Because Arthur would never take his anger out on innocents. Cannot bear to imagine what Merlin would say if he did. Caring about a sorcerer's opinion, loving the sorcerer -Not really his father's perfect son, eh?)
And I want Uther to realize that he, King Uther Pendragon, has done to his son what he accused Nimueh of doing to him. (And knew, always, deep down that she didn't.)
I want Morgana, so recently "rescued" from the clutches of her sweet sister, to find out that the boy, once a friend, who poisoned her to save Arthur and Camelot and was rewarded with his death for it, was like her all along.
I want Morgause to exclaim in delight to Morgana that with the Crown Prince having taken himself out of the way, Camelot is ripe for the taking.
And for Morgana to hear this and think -none of this makes sense, what even is the point?
I want Arthur's last words ever to his father to be that he would never forgive him for this.
That in killing the sorcerer who had prevented Arthur from ending Uther's miserable worthless life, he's lost his son forever.
Uther Pendragon's young dynasty built on blood and bones and tears and screams and ash did not have it's legacy robbed by magic.
The legacy walked away.
And it will keep walking, wandering, alone from this land to that, until over a thousand years later, when it finds its soul's mate again, in a world forever changed to the both of them.
Body swap episode where Arthur wakes up in Merlin's body but as we know Merlin is clumsy because he has to control his magic which was literally jumping out of him every now and then when he was younger. So after obviously freaking out a little Arthur sneezes and casts a bunch of butterflies or sets the bed on fire. Or he flinches and Merlin's belongings go flying around his room. So our great smart king assumes it is the effect of body swapping enchantment and storms out to find Merlin and warn him about it. They meet and discuss the situation and as Arthur is about to tell his servant about this weird side effect somebody comes in. And for some reason since that moment they are not left alone for one minute and Arthur understandably stresses over the idea that Merlin might start floating around the room in his body in front of the councel or whatnot.
But half a day passes and he realizes he is the only one occasionally moving objects across the room and Merlin seems blissfully unaware. So being a VERY smart king he is Arthur concludes Merlin has magic. Oh he is terrified. He must never let Merlin know.
What? Obviously Merlin doesn't know about his powers look at him. He wouldn't be such a girl if he knew and he would have told Arthur right. Since that moment Arthur decides to keep an eye out on Merlin so that he could protect him if something were to happen. They swap their bodies back and Arthur spends the night thinking about how to keep it a secret both from Merlin himslef and everybody else in the castle. Quite the stressful week for the king i must say. Imagine Arthur sweating hiss ass an entire episode trying to conceal the truth. But as he now pays more attention to his servant that is when he sees how Merlin protects him in battle using magic being a complete badass behind the curtains. He is both devastated and understandably a little turned on...
Merlin didn't know what he expected when he started courting Arthur. For everything to continue as it was maybe? The horseplay, the insults and the awkward talking around feelings
What he definitely didn't expect was for Arthur to give him a bouquet of dandelions (Arthur picked them himself) after sprinting across the training field in front of the knights.
He also didn't expect the endearments. The first time he called him 'love' Merlin fell off his chair in the middle of a council session.
The most unexpected thing however was that the king of camelot after a exhausting meeting with the round table told his knights to get out, only to rub his head against Merlin's neck, like a snuggly cat. His arms wrapped around the warlock and his lips pressing gentle loving kisses on Merlinâs skin.
Golden Age King Arthur accidentally gets sent back in time to the beginning of his reign. While making his way to Camelot hoping to find Merlin and figure out how to get back to his own time he runs into Agravaine making his own way to Camelot for the first time. Knowing he was a traitor working for Morgana in his own timeline, Arthur kills him and decides to take his place.
No one had seen Agravaine since Ygraine's death, there were no portraits of him in the castle, and Arthur's premature greying hair has to be good for something other than Merlin calling him a silver fox. He can pass as his own uncle and be the caring advisor that young him deserved damn it!
After one of Merlin's casual off-hand declarations of devotion Arthur heads to Morgana's chambers, let's himself fall dramatically on the bed, sighing like a teenage girl in a 2000s movie before telling her all about it. What Merlin said, how stunning he looked while he said it, that Arthur wanted to kiss him right there and why he couldn't (his duty to Camelot but mainly the fear of forcing Merlin into something)
And while he gushes about his manservant, ignoring the stupid gestures of his sister that look like she wants him to shut up, said manservant was hiding behind the screen in Morgana's room, because Arthur just interrupted their magic lesson.
A sorcerer sneaks up on Arthur and Merlin when they are on a hunt
Sorcerer: "finally i get my revenge!"
Merlin: *positioning himself in front of Arthur*
Arthur: "You idiot! Stay back" he then pulls Merlin back and stands in front of him
Merlin: "Stop trying to be the hero!"
Merlin wrestles his king back
Arthur: "Merlin they want revenge and i doubt you're the target for that!"
Merlin: "Oh so this is what this is about? Your head really is as big as your waist! I have made some enemies too!"
At this point they are basically spinning in a circle while the sorcerer just stands there watching the two most powerful men in albion fight over who has more enemies
for my beloved, @bellamyblakru <3
thank you to @sourdough-morbread for proof reading! <3
âMerlin! Merlin, where are you?!â
Ever since Merlin realized that he was hopelessly in love with Arthur, he had been avoiding him.
Or trying to at least.
For days, Merlin had been having strange sensations in his stomach and heart whenever he was near Arthur, and he had become worried that he caught some sort of disease. That is, until he went to Gaius with his symptoms, who only laughed at him before revealing what was really going on. That was two nights ago.
Right now, Merlin was hiding in Gaiusâs wardrobe. That was his first mistake.
Arthur burst through the door, looking around frantically.
âMerlin!â
âWhat is it, sire?â Gaius asked, trying and failing to act shocked that Arthur was here searching for Merlin.
âWhereâs Merlin?â Arthur stood with his hands on his hips, trying to hide the desperation he felt.
âOh! Heâs⊠heâs at the⊠tavern, sire,â Gaius replied as he glanced at his wardrobe. If he could see through the doors, he would see Merlin cursing the day they met.
âThe tavern⊠At this hour of the morning?â
Gaius laughed, but it came out more like a grimace.
âWhat do you need him for? Is there anything I can do for you?â
Arthur hesitated, searching for an excuse. The truth was that he missed Merlin. And he was hurt by the manservant ignoring him all of a sudden. âUh, yeah... he hasnât⊠polished my armour.â
âAlright, Iâll tell him to do that immediately as soon as I see him.â
With a brisk nod, Arthur left, shutting the door behind him.
âThe tavern? Again!?â Merlin couldnât help but shout as he flew out of his hiding spot.
âOops,â Gaius replied, having the decency to look a little sheepish.
An hour later, Merlin was still trying to muster up the courage to face Arthur when he realized that he could just go polish the armour in the armory and sneak away unnoticed.Â
But what he didnât know was that Arthur had had his armour placed in his room for this very reason. He was gonna put an end to Merlinâs avoidance.
Merlin entered the armory, looking around for Arthurâs chestplate and coming to a stop when it was nowhere to be seen. After asking another servant who informed him that the armour is, in fact, in Arthurâs chambers, Merlinâs face felt hot. How could he go in there after realizing his feelings? Heâll just be a blubbering mess in front of Arthur.
Filled with nerves and the overwhelming urge to jump into a hole in the ground, Merlin slowly made his way to Arthurâs chambers. After pacing for at least 5 minutes, he finally walked up to the door and knocked quietly, hoping Arthur wouldnât hear it.
âCome in.â
Cursing silently, Merlin stepped inside while keeping his eyes down.
âSire, Gaius said you needed your armour polished?â he asked innocently, looking around the room for it and making sure to not look at Arthur himself. Only there was a slight problem.
The armour was on the dinner table. And the king was standing right in front of it.
Arthur fixed Merlin with what can only be called a glare, his arms crossed in front of him.
âMerlin.â
The manservant audibly gulped as he looked up at Arthur only to look away immediately.
âWhere have you been? I havenât seen you since two nights ago.âÂ
Merlin was shocked to realize that Arthur sounded⊠sad? He had thought he would be furious with him. He looked back up at the king before responding.
âUm, I was busy⊠sire.â
âAt the tavern?â
Merlin's eyes widened as he blurted out, âNo!â He scratched the back of his neck and looked around awkwardly before continuing, âI mean um⊠No, I was just helping Gwen. With⊠you knowâŠâ
He jumped slightly when Arthur cut in sternly, âNo. I donât know. Helping her with what, exactly?â
âHer⊠house? Yes, she needed some help with her house. Itâs⊠broken.â
Arthur nodded slowly, staring at Merlin.
âHer house. Right.â
âYep,â Merlin replied while looking a bit guilty.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Merlin finally glanced up to see Arthur looking completely dejected, his eyes downcast. Panic flared through him. What was wrong with Arthur?
Just as he was about to ask, Arthur snapped.
âWell, if you could remember your real duties and complete them on time for once, that would be great.â
Arthur turned and walked away as he said this, leaving behind a surprised and confused Merlin.
âRight, the armourâŠâ he mumbled, completely at a loss. What was going on? Was Arthur angry at him?
After the most painfully awkward 20 minutes of his life, Merlin finally finished polishing the armour. Unsure of what to do next, he slowly approached Arthur who was sitting at his desk.
Arthur didnât look up.
Merlin cleared his throat. Still nothing.
âUh, sire?â
Silence.
âIâve polished your armour⊠Was there anything else?â
Arthur slammed the quill he was holding down on the desk before looking up at Merlin, startling him again.
âThatâs it then? Youâre just gonna leave like nothing is wrong?â
Merlin practically broke out into a sweat, confused and panicked by Arthurâs behaviour.
âWhat⊠whatâs wrong, sire?â
Arthur abruptly pushed away from his desk and came around to stand directly in front of Merlin before answering, âYou really donât know?â
Merlin shook his head, his nerves in overdrive. He struggled to maintain eye contact with Arthur, his face starting to flush under the close scrutiny Arthur was giving him. The close proximity wasnât helping either.
And at the worst possible moment, his gaze fell to Arthurâs lips.
As quick as he looked at them, he ripped his eyes back up to Arthurâs, with his face feeling like he had put it inside the fireplace.
Suddenly, Arthurâs demeanour changed completely. His face relaxed as he took a step back before his lips turned up at the corners.
âOh. Now it all makes sense, doesnât it, Merlin?â
Merlin felt sweat dripping down his side. What on Earth was going on?
âWhat?â he choked out.
âI know why you were avoiding me.â Arthur was smiling now, his eyes sparkling.
âYou do?â Merlin blurted before mentally slapping himself. âI mean- I wasnât avoiding youâŠâ
Arthur chuckled lightly before replying, âRight. It was for the same reason that I missed you so terribly yesterday.â
Now Merlin was really confused, his brain scrambling to figure out what was happening.
Arthur took a step closer, causing Merlin to step back as his face burst into flames again. The tension in the room was becoming palpable and Merlin had no idea what to do. Arthur kept stepping closer until Merlin felt his back hit the wall behind him.
âDid you miss me?â Arthur asked.
Merlin could barely breathe, let alone speak. âHuh?â
Arthur put his hand on the wall beside Merlinâs head before continuing, âDid you miss me when you were avoiding me all day?â
Merlin was like a deer caught in headlights, his hands pressed to his sides, frantically looking back and forth between Arthurâs eyes. They were absolutely stunning from this close.
After another few seconds, Arthur spoke in a low, soothing voice, âItâs okay. You can tell me.â
With his heart ready to beat right out of his chest, all Merlin could do was nod slightly.
Arthur smiled again, moving his other hand to brush Merlinâs cheek.
âYouâre so cute when youâre flustered,â he teased, admiring Merlinâs blush.
âAm I dreaming?â Merlin blabbed, his mouth completely dry. That was the only explanation for what was happening right now.
âOh, so you dream about me?â Arthur giggled, âThatâs good to know.â
âWhat!? No, sire- I mean Arthur, I-
Merlin couldnât finish what he was about to say when Arthur pressed his lips against his.
After only a couple seconds, Arthur pulled back but only just. He smirked at the dazed look on Merlinâs face before asking, âWas that in your dream too?â
Merlin didnât know it was possible to blush this hard.
fics, fics, and more fics @meadowstarss - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
