#cally writes

[iamcaledonia]

@merthurmicrofic | Prompt: Wake | I've been loving everyone's AMAZING works, and thought it was time for me to make a little contribution. | 384 words | Canon era and it's a happy ending, but it's chock full of angst because I'm Cally, and that's just how I do. :)

The first thing Arthur saw when he woke into this world was his mother's face, serene in death, and his father's face contorted with a rage and an unbearable grief that would never really leave him. Arthur, seconds old, would never remember that first waking, which, on reflection, was probably for the best.

As a young child, Arthur remembered waking from countless bad dreams, terrified, with nothing to cling to for comfort except the ghosts of his nightmares, which faded swiftly in any case.

As an adult, Arthur often woke in company, though always at one remove. He was physically there with his knights, but never together, held apart as their leader, knowing he could never truly be one of them.

After Arthur met Merlin - impertinent, brave, reckless Merlin - Arthur often woke from vivid dreams of their two bodies together, wild, and hot. Those dreams were infinitely more painful than his old, familiar nightmares, because it was so much worse to want something he could never have than to have never known that wanting.

Occasionally, Arthur woke to brilliant blue eyes in an achingly beautiful face. Merlin rousing his prince for the day ahead, cheeky, or apologetic, or exhausted, nevertheless putting on a smile. It set the tone for Arthur's entire day, that smile, and it made him want to be worthy of more.

Then, one fateful morning, Arthur, waking reluctantly from a dream of Merlin and himself together the way Arthur's soul yearned for more than breathing, Merlin was there with his beautiful smile, and his beautiful face, and Arthur, fully aware of what he stood to lose, pulled that beautiful smile to his and kissed Merlin like the sunrise.

Now…

"Wake up, Arthur," Merlin mumbled, still more than half asleep. They'd, neither of them, slept much. Arthur had had a nightmare, but Merlin was there, as he always was, now, to bring Arthur back from the darkness, and the comfort Merlin gave him had progressed rather quickly to much more than comfort, so, no, neither of them had had much sleep.

"You wake up," Arthur muttered, halfheartedly, pulling Merlin closer and settling his face into the curve of Merlin's graceful neck, where it belonged.

Merlin, relenting, tightened his arms around his king as, together, they drifted back to sleep.

[henryspearl]

after eastenders, i am determined to finish this fluffy wedding reception fix it fic. someone throw me some motivation😩

[iamcaledonia]

 @merthurmicrofic | prompt: man | 477 words

"Your turn, Merlin. Have you ever been with another man?"

"I have," Merlin replied, sounding unimpressed, "and to be honest it wasn't what I was expecting."

This caused a hearty laugh to roll around the camp.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Arthur asked, not interested at all, naturally. What business was it of his who Merlin did or did not sleep with?

"Well, this lot are always going on like being with another man is an almost ecstatic experience, and it just wasn't like that for me."

"He must have been doing it wrong," someone said - who, Arthur didn't catch, because he was too busy watching Merlin, imagining whoever he'd been with not taking their time, and he couldn't fathom it. If he had Merlin in his hands, he would absolutely take his time. Not that he'd thought about it before, of course. That wouldn't be proper. Not between a prince and his manservant. It just wouldn't be—

The men continued their conversation, the topic moving on from Merlin's experience because it was clear he didn't want to talk about it, but Arthur had latched onto the idea. Who had it been? Merlin was always conscious of the power imbalance between himself and the other servants, so not one of them. None of the knights, or he wouldn't have admitted to it being bad in front of them.

Whoever it had been, the thought of them having their hands on Merlin was enough to make Arthur want to reach for his sword.

Later, as Merlin helped ready Arthur for bed, Arthur grasped his wrist gently. Around them, the other men settled down for the night, and Arthur stepped closer to Merlin, whispering.

"If you wanted to try again, I could show you how it's supposed to be." Arthur's imagination flooded with ten thousand fantasies.

"What?"

"I would make it so good for you, Merlin, that you wouldn't ever want to stop."

Merlin turned his hand and grasped Arthur's fingers, Arthur's pulse reacting to the gentle touch as if the issue was settled between them.

"Yea? Gwaine's already made the same offer," Merlin spoke in a non-nonchalant tone, and Arthur made a mental note to send Gwaine on a long, unpleasant quest.

Arthur took a step back and let himself look at Merlin the way he always wanted to look at Merlin. Merlin inhaled sharply, a flush creeping up his neck. Merlin's fingers tightened around Arthur's, and Arthur stepped closer, whispering again.

"He wouldn't make you feel half as good as I can," Arthur's tone was steady, though his nerves were not. Merlin stepped even closer, their bodies almost touching, and looked at Arthur the way Arthur had always wanted Merlin to look at him.

"So good that I won't ever want to stop… Promise?"

Eavesdropping, Gwaine, Percy, and Lancelot celebrated silently, their mission accomplished at last.

[iamcaledonia]

@merthurmicrofic | prompt: party | words: 75

"Where are those two idiots? Have you seen them?"

"No."

"Nope!"

“Not me.”

"Gods above! This is their engagement party, where are they?!"

"Go find them, if you're worried."

"I wouldn't..."

"Yeah, they're probably fuc-"

"Gwaine! He's my baby brother, stop!"

In the empty ballroom adjacent to the party Morgana had thrown for them, Arthur and Merlin were taking full advantage of the loud music to cover the sounds of them absolutely celebrating their engagement.

[iamcaledonia]

@merthurmicrofic | prompt: pain | 50 words

Arthur was hiding his pain after the day's training. The bath had helped, however, Merlin's hands worked the real magic, eliciting soft moans as he massaged Arthur's weary muscles.

Both of them pretending it was only pain relief until, suddenly and without warning, neither of them were pretending at all.

[iamcaledonia]

@merthurmicrofic | prompt: party | words: 191 | Here, have some angst. Swim in it, until your fingers get all pruney. xx Cally

Merlin performed his duties, refilling Arthur's wine and making sure the prince's favourite foods were within his reach. The party was a success, and everyone was enjoying themselves, except for Merlin, who was exhausted.

Exhausted by his duties, exhausted by the weight of the secret he was carrying and, not least, exhausted by the enormity of his feelings for Arthur.

As the party grew more raucous, Arthur grew friendlier, and Merlin drew further into the shadows, not wanting to witness anything he'd wish he'd never seen. Arthur's hand lingering on someone's arm, or his gaze following someone across the room.

No, Merlin would stick to the shadows, where Arthur only ever sought him out when there was something he needed. 

---

Why could Arthur never find Merlin when he needed him?

As Arthur drained yet another goblet of wine, he looked around for any sign of his manservant. A single glimpse of Merlin's untidy black hair, or the skin of his neck, or the blue of his eyes - even a single glimpse would set Arthur up for the whole damn night.

So, why could Arthur never find Merlin when he needed him?

[iamcaledonia]

@merthurmicrofic | Prepare | ~2K words | I'm playing fast and loose with the prompt word here, friends, but I had fun with it and I hope you enjoy it, too. xx Cally

((ok, so that was my first attempt at an image heavy post and i've never done this before, so please be kind. I'm sure it looks best on mobile, so sorry for all you browser people. ily all really. also, i'm never doing that again - i will leave it to the professionals. xx Cally))

[iamcaledonia]

@merthurmicrofic | prompt: transformation | 399 words

Merlin readied his king's clothes, as he had done every morning for as far back as he cared to remember, even though he'd been the king's husband for longer than he'd been his servant. Behind him, in the bed they shared, Arthur was slow to wake.

Over the decades of peace Camelot had enjoyed under Arthur's rule, most tasks had lost their sense of urgency, including getting up in the morning. Merlin smiled a small, private smile, knowing that what he and Arthur shared behind closed doors was the one exception to that rule. Decades together, and their hands upon each other still felt urgent, desperate, and new.

The door to their chambers opened quietly and a servant appeared, carrying a tray laden with the best foods Camelot had to offer, and Merlin smiled at them as they set the tray upon the table and departed, nodding deferentially to the Court Sorcerer.

Arthur, perhaps, had been woken by the door closing, but Merlin knew it was more likely the tantalising scent of breakfast that had finally roused him. Arthur and his appetite! Merlin smiled softly at his King, who had, in his middle age, grown rather soft himself.

Gone was the angular physique Arthur had maintained in his youth through endless hours of training for battle, gradually replaced by gentler curves and beautifully rounded edges as the peace of the kingdom brought an end to battle, and lessened the need for such vigorous training.

Merlin, who was, himself, rather softer around the edges than he'd been in his youth, brought his King the clothes he had chosen for the day. He set them down beside Arthur, who now sat on the edge of their bed, plump belly rounding over his thighs in a way that made Merlin feel both intensely grateful for the peace of their kingdom which allowed his Arthur to transform into such a deliciously soft creature, and, although the thought felt far too young for his old body, rather breathless and weak at the knees.

Merlin ran his hands through Arthur's hair, stubbornly blond where Merlin's was quickly turning silver, and leaned in for a kiss. Arthur, waking fully now, wrapped still strong arms around his lover, gripping the soft flesh at Merlin's hips and sighing into the embrace.

Breakfast would wait; the king had something rather urgent to attend to, after all.