15 FAVORITE STORIES by supercalvin
LAUNDRY’S HARD WORK + FATHOM ME OUT
(Previous Recs 1 + 2)
Rating: Teen+
Setting: CannonAU
Word Count: 4k + 4k
Summary: Arthur still thinks Merlin is the young boy he met ten years ago and he starts to notice things in his manservant that he wasn’t aware had changed at all. + After ten years, Arthur thinks he has Merlin all figured out. But as he watches Merlin, he finds out that he has more questions than answers. The longer he thinks about it, the more uneasy he feels. So he pushes it aside. Except, he can no longer ignore the questions he has about Merlin.
Comment: This two stories can stand alone, but I find that it’s better to read one after the other. They are great stories that focus on more aspects of Merlin’s secrets that only the magic or perhaps his feelings. Scar reveals are great, and they are made even greater when there is a magic reveal somewhere in there.
GREEN THUMB
Rating: Teen+
Setting: ModernAU
Word Count: 13k
Summary: Arthur came into the nursery to look for some plants to liven up the house he had inherited. He had expected to look at some grass, leave, and then buy plants at a local store instead. What he hadn’t expected was a garden that made him feel like he entered a magical land, with a quaint run-down house and a clever green-thumbed owner.
Comment: I think this was my first supercalvin story. Its great and fun and has so much feeling. It’s amazing and I like the physical manifestation of Merlin’s power, as well as how it was addressed in the story.
CHRISTMAS CARDS
Rating: Gen
Setting: ModernAU
Word Count: 2k
Summary: Morgana can tell a lot about Arthur just from his Christmas card.
Comment: Pining all around, funny dialogue and it makes you feel warm inside, what more would you want?
FLY ME TO THE MOON, LET ME PLAY AMONG THE STARS
Rating: Teen+
Setting: ModernAU
Word Count: 10k
Summary: Arthur knew it was Merlin’s dream to be an astronaut, and every single day was a dream come true, but sometimes it was still hard for Arthur to grasp. Why did he need to do this? Of all the dreams to have, that idiot just had to pick one of the most dangerous in the world? Scratch that. In the solar system. He may look like a lanky geek of a scientist but that man had a daredevil streak in him the size of Jupiter.
Comment: This story is amazing and so original and ugh, it’s perfect in more ways than one. BAMF!Merlin? Yes please. Angst? As long as it comes with a happy ending. God, it’s just perfect. Do yourself a favor and read it.
COMING HOME
(Previous rec)
Rating: Gen
Setting: ModernAU
Word Count: 2k
Summary: Midshipman Percival Troyes watches his fellow sailors reunite with their loved ones after nine months on the HMS Albion.
Comment: there is so much that I like about this story. Percival is a great narrator, and this story has such hope inside of it. There is a lot of love, friendship and understanding. For such a short story it has a lot of emotion on it.
GIVE THE DRAGON A CHILLI
(Previous rec)
Rating: Mature
Setting: ModenAU
Word Count: 46k
Summary: Aithusa might have been no bigger than a house cat but she was still a dragon. That meant wings, claws, and her own personal hoard, which in Aithusa’s case included soft pillows, fluffy socks, and much to Merlin’s chagrin, stolen pants. When Merlin found out that his winged ward had stolen a rather considerable pile of clothing for her hoard, he thought that it would be the end of any kind of friendship with his neighbor. But when Merlin met the victim of Aithusa’s burglary, he was pleasantly surprised to find Arthur, a man who had never in his life seen a dragon let alone a burglarizing one, and Cavall, a curious German Shepherd puppy who was quick to befriend the little white dragon. From there, it was only the beginning.
Comment: This story is amazing. There are dragons the size of puppies, fun and cute puppies. Merlin being a badass doctor slash magical doctor and Arthur being a caring member of society that really wants to be better so that people can be better.
THE MEDIATOR
Rating: Gen
Setting: HighSchool AU
Word Count: 1k
Summary: Their friends go to a haunted hospital in the middle of the night. Merlin’s been acting weird all night and Arthur’s slowly starting to figure it out.
Comment: I adore paranormal stories, this one has a great way of showcasing a small part of what feels like a bigger universe. You finish reading and you are surprised that you already got to the end, because it really feels like it’s part of a bigger story.
TALLY MARK
(Previous rec)
Rating: Explicit
Setting: ModernAU
Word Count: 8k
Summary: When someone falls in love, a red tally mark appears on their wrist. When the love is returned, the mark turns black. When someone falls out of love, the mark fades, but never entirely. When the person you love dies, the mark turns into a scar
Comment: It’s just really, really sweet. I love the reactions of different people to their marks, I love the image it presents, everything is just amazing.
THE WALL OF ARTHUR
Rating: Mature
Setting: ModernAU
Word Count: 4k
Summary: How Merlin and Arthur Met and Why There is a Restroom Wall Dedicated to Arthur’s Ass
Comment: God I just love this story. It makes me laugh far harder than it should considering I have read it a thousand times.
FEEL BETTER
Rating: Gen
Setting: ModernAU
Word Count: 1k
Summary: Merlin is an A&E doctor. After a long shift, he gets a call from his boyfriend.
Comment: It’s just teeth rotting fluff. Its great.
FROM THE HEART
(Previous rec)
Rating: General
Setting: ModernAU
Word Count: 8k
Summary: In which Arthur gives Merlin gifts.
Comment: The banter is strong on this one. It also has a lot of funny moments and amazing visuals. There is something about how the relationship between Merlin and Arthur is written that I can’t get enough of.
PRIDE & SUPPORT
Rating: Mature
Setting: ModernAU
Word Count: 12k
Summary: When Merlin first started working for Arthur, he had naively thought Arthur was straight. They worked in an LGBT support organization, but Merlin had given Arthur one look and thought ‘Gorgeous, but straight.’ Of course, he should have known that Annis would not have hired a straight man to head the department of networking
Comment: I love that in this story, Arthur is really open about his sexuality. It’s such a refreshing take because a lot of the stories I have read have Arthur coming out to Uther. In this one, he is out and proud and its good. Really good.
A HUNDRED QUID
Rating: Teen+
Setting: ModernAU
Word Count: 3k
Summary: There’s a man sitting in Arthur’s spot at the bar, talking to Lance. He’s gorgeous, and just about everything Arthur finds attractive in a man. But when he turns around, Arthur’s more than surprised at what he finds.
Comment: Overhearing a conversation is often used as a way to create tension, I love that in this one is also used, but in such a different and amazing way.
EMROOMIE
Rating: Teen+
Setting: ModernAU
Word Count: 4k
Summary: Merlin has just moved into a new flat, but his new roomie thinks he’s a bit odd.
Comment: I feel like I am repeating myself, but this one is great. Funny, short, it’s good. Also the way it’s told seems so unique to me? Like a pretty distinct way of telling a story, and it works really really well.
Extra Comment: I really recommend taking the time to read though all of @supercalvin stories. She has 95 Merlin stories published at the moment on her ao3 account and they are all really worth a read. The ones on this masterlist are my personal 15 favorites and believe me when I tell you that choosing only 15 was more than extremely difficult.