Arthur on Vegetarianism

*Snap*

…

*Rustle rustle*

…

*Crunch!*

Merlin!

What?

This concept might be hard to grasp, but I am TRYING to hunt!

…And?

And for that I need you to be silent! Understand?

…Yes.

Alright then. Carry on.

…

*Snap*

Right, you’re doing that on purpose. What the hell is your problem!? Do you want to catch anything?

Well actually no.

…What?

I don’t. I think it’s wrong to kill innocent creatures.

But it’s not wrong to kill delicious creatures. Like deer, or boar, or hare, or-

They all have the right to life!!

…Merlin that is quite possibly the most idiotic thing that has ever left your mouth, and it is up against some stiff competition. What do you think we should do then, just not eat?

*mumblemumble*

I’m sorry I didn’t quite catch that. What is your brilliant solution to this pointless conundrum?

…Well…we could live off…vegetables.

…

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

No seriously, they’re quite nice re-

AHAHAHAHAOOHOOHOOHOO!!!

Arthur!

AHAHAHAHA..HA..haha…hoo.

…

Are you done?

...*snort*…heeheeheeheehee. Oh Merlin, you’re brilliant. It’s times like these I am reminded why I put up with your incompetence and terrible dress sense.

Shut up sire.

…

…

…

…You always seem to eat my meat very happily-

SHUT UP SIRE!!!

I’m just saying.

…

Come to think of it it’s also times like that I’m reminded why I put up with your-

I’ll chew it next time if you don’t shut up.

…

Merlin, that’s not funny.

Fic: One night stand
Chapter title: Epilogue
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Summary: A one night stand changes Arthur forever

Notes: Last chapter :-( might renovate both of my last chaps after exams because tbh I'm not completely happy with them, but I couldn't settle down to revise properly till I at least had these out there :-S sequal series will defo be coming in the summer, possibly (probably (definately :-S)) covering Merlin's trip home, and also a few of the issues about the whole recognition thing :-) as it stands I hope this is Ok for everyone, I tried to get it up to at least an acceptable standard, if not a good one hehe :-S comments are love, especially since this is the last update and I will miss it like I'd miss a family pet (mabye a guinea pig...) ;-) thankyou so much to everyone who's regularly commented so far, you've really spurred me on through the whole process. This fic is dedicated to you guys xxxxxxxx

*One year later*

“You’re coming out with me, Gwen, Will and Morgana tonight aren’t you?

“Yeh course. I’ve been working non-stop all week on this stupid gala thing, I’m looking forward to the break. We’re not staying out too late though.” Arthur grinned lecherously down to where Merlin nestled in the crook of his arm. “I haven’t had you to myself all week.”

Merlin grinned. “Well, you’ll be having me very much all to yourself for the whole of next week.”

Arthur wrinkled his nose. “Yeh, but you’re parents are gonna be there, so we won’t be able to do too much. You’re too noisy.” He smirked and bit Merlin’s neck softly, making him giggle and sigh. “See?”

Merlin sighed. “Suppose. I guess it’s best not to rock the boat while we’re over there, I’m just glad they’ve let me come see them. I bought the plane tickets today by the way. Newquay to Shannon, which is about an hours drive from my parents house.” He kissed Arthur softly. “I don’t know how I can thank you enough for making me get in contact with them again,” he told him sincerely.

Arthur pressed a kiss to his temple. “I’m just glad I could help. I know from experience what it’s like to almost lose you because of a stupid mistake. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

Merlin smiled, and they snuggled closer, enjoying the simple pleasure of the embrace after almost a week of late nights, early mornings and not a minutes free time.

Arthur stirred reluctantly. “Merlin? You know it’s our anniversary today?”

“Mmmm?” Merlin confirmed sleepily, slightly annoyed at the obviousness of this question. He wasn’t exactly likely to forget.

“Well, I’ve got you something I wanted to give you before we went out.” At this Merlin looked up, confused. They were going out for a very extravagant meal tonight, that was meant to be their gift to each other, along with Merlin’s trip back home. So what could Arthur want to give him?

He untangled himself from Merlin’s arms, and reached into his bedside drawer, pulling out a small black box. He gave it to Merlin, who looked at him sharply when he saw his fingers were shaking slightly. Merlin looked back to the box, and it was several seconds before realization finally dawned about what this could be.

“Arthur…” he started, not daring to think…to hope….He opened it with shaking hands. Two matching rings, of a swirling celtic design in white gold, glinted from the cushion. Arthur lifted the smaller one out of the box.

“Merlin Emrys.” He said, unable to hide the quiver of nerves in his voice. “Would you do me the honour of being my husband?”

For one awful second there was complete silence. Arthur’s stomach plummeted. He’d fucked up again, oh Gods, he…

“Yes Arthur, God yes!” Merlin said this in a shaky, huffing breath, thick with unshed tears. He pressed a swift, hard kiss to Arthur’s mouth, sealing the promise. Pulling back, they were both grinning from ear to ear, the type of utterly moronic grin which hurts your cheeks and which stays for days and days. Arthur let out a shaky breath he didn’t know he was holding, and slid the ring securely onto Merlin’s finger. Merlin carefully took out the larger ring and did the same for Arthur, twining their hands together. He was acutely aware of the now-warm heavy metal on his finger, which felt so unfamiliar and yet at the same time so utterly perfect.

Arthur kissed him again, softly this time. He pulled back. “Well that’s good. I wanted you to be able to introduce me to your parents as your fiancée. If you wanted to that is.”

Merlin snorted shakily, still reeling slightly. “Good idea, might soften the blow a bit. Their son’s dating a man, but at least he’s going about it the right way.”

Arthur grinned. “Don’t you think it might be a bit late to be claiming virginal honour at this point Merlin?”

“Hmmm. Perhaps.” He grinned, lying back down on the bed and pulling Arthur on top of him. “Better make absolutely sure though, don’t you think?”

Arthur grinned, but pulled back. Not much, just enough to retain the ability to think clearly. He twined their beringed hands together, their fingers twining. He pressed a kiss to Merlin's ring, making sure not to break eyecontact for even a moment.

"Love you, so much." He said, with a quiet intensity that made Merlin clasp their hands tighter.

Merlin smiled up at him. "I love you to, Arthur. More than I can find words to tell you."

And then they were lost in each other and words ceased to matter.

 

END

AN: Not sure if beringed is actually a word or not. If it isn't then I don't care, I like it and I'm keeping it in hehe ;-)

Fic: One night stand
Chapter title: Make you banana pancakes
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 800
Summary: A one night stand changes Arthur forever

Notes: OK, so this fic is now winding down L one reason for the delay, as a lot of you can probably sympathise with, is exams :-S the other reason is a very big overhaul of the last two chapters. I decided I was trying to resolve too many things, and it kept coming out all jumbled :-S so I am leaving one or two things from this fic unresolved, and I’ll be doing a sequal series this summer :-D which is good cos I’d miss my Irish!Merlin if I left it here ^_^ anyway so enjoy the penultimate chapter, hope it’s alright, I’m so tired I can’t really tell any more :-S as always any mistakes are my own and I would love if you could point them out to me J

The first time they had had sex, it was new, full of lust and urgency. The second time, it felt like coming home. They teased each other with fingers and mouths for what felt like hours, and every caress felt like I love you.

The first time, Arthur had spent the entire time with his face buried into Merlin’s neck. The second time when Arthur entered him, he looked straight into Merlin’s face, and held his gaze, watching in fascination as those eyes dilated, watching the slow flush creep up sharp cheekbones, and white teeth bite at already swollen lips, failing to prevent the small gasps and moans from escaping into the hot room.  

They came within moments of each other, their names this time spilling from each others lips. The first time, Arthur had rolled away, leaving Merlin lying in the wet patch and falling asleep immediately. The second time they cleaned each other tenderly, before curling up together, whispers of I missed you, I love you, I need you, the only things filling the space in between them.

And the second time when Arthur woke up, he felt only love, affection and utter bliss at being able to wake his lover with sleepy kisses, teasing touches and jokes about his morning breath and his complete inability to speak coherently.

They both called in sick to work, and spent the morning cuddled up in bed. They fucked a second time, slow and lazy, each learning the others body, mapping it out with tongues and fingers and eyes. Arthur thought dimly that he could spend every morning like this for the rest of his life. The thought made him smile.

Merlin found the note he had first left Arthur when he was looking in his bedside table for more condoms. He pulled it out, crumpled and well read, and couldn’t help being oddly touched that he had kept it all this time. Arthur came up behind him, wrapping an arm about his waist and kissing his ear, before he saw what was in his hands.

Merlin sighed. “Oh. That. Well, I’m from Southern Ireland. I was brought up Catholic, my family’s Catholic, my friends are Catholic. Everyone I knew from my childhood was Catholic. And unfortunately for me, the Catholic Religion isn’t exactly very…supportive of homosexuality as a lifestyle choice.” Arthur pulled him until Merlin’s head lay on his chest, and carded his fingers through his hair soothingly. Merlin smiled sadly, curled up a little bit closer and continued. “I grew up hiding who I really was, and let me tell you, it gets to you after a while. I got sick of it, sick of the lies. I told my parents one evening after they tried to fix me up with a girl from our village. They went mental. Da told me to get out of the house.” Arthur tightened his arms around his lover, and Merlin squeezed his hand in thanks. His voice was tight as he continued, and the little shake to it told Arthur all he needed to know. “So, I left them a note, told them I was going to London. Seemed like the best place for me, no one knew me. So I started afresh. Found a job, found a flat.”

“Do you…” he nearly didn’t continue, unwilling to upset Merlin any more than he already was. “Do you ever regret it? Was it worth it?”

Merlin looked at him fiercely. “I have never once regretted telling the truth about who I am. I couldn’t have lived my life like that.” He looked down, mouth turned down at the corners. “Sometimes I regret how I told my parents. I wasn’t exactly…gentle with them. And running away without saying goodbye.” He took a deep breath, and met Arthur’s eyes, smiling. “But all the choices I’ve made in my life have led me here, so I can’t really regret anything. Arthur smiled back, kissing him and silently thanking whatever power watched over them for bringing Merlin back to him, for giving him the opportunity to be the family Merlin needed.

While Merlin was on the phone fending off questions from his obviously very concerned roommate, Arthur went downstairs, put the kettle on and picked up the newspaper that was lying on the mat. A picture on the front cover immediately caught his eye, of himself leaving the club last night with his arm wrapped possessively around Merlin’s shoulders. He flicked quickly to the relevant page inside. ‘Shock coming out of Arthur Pendragon!’ screamed the headline. He rolled his eyes.

 
'The prominent charity worker, and son of Mayor of London
Mr. Uther Pendragon was yesterday seen exiting a club with
an unknown young man. Eyewitnesses reported that the
couple were kissing in the corner of the room, before, leaving
at around 1.30am. Arthur was overheard referring to the young
man beside him as, ‘the man I love.’ It remains to be seen as
to the effect this will have on Uther Pendragon, who is running
for re-election in six months time…'

The article continued on in this vein for another several paragraphs, but it was at this point that Merlin burst into the kitchen.

“Arthur, don’t open the-” He paled seeing the article in Arthur’s hand. He looked at him, an expression on his face that reminded Arthur of a fox caught in a trap, awaiting the hounds. For a moment, Arthur was confused as to what was wrong.

“What?” Merlin looked up at him pleadingly. And suddenly Arthur understood. Despite what he had told him at the club last night, despite COMING OUT to his friends, and despite the night they had shared, Merlin was still worried that at any moment Arthur would change his mind, get scared and reject him again! As he looked into Merlin’s large, scared eyes, he felt simultaneously frustrated that Merlin hadn’t yet got the message, and enraged at everybody in this young mans life that had caused him to expect rejection. Especially himself.

He put down the paper with a low growl, and strode across the kitchen, pulling Merlin possessively into his embrace. As he had advanced Merlin had backed away, and for the first few seconds of the embrace he struggled in Arthur’s arms. Arthur just pulled him tighter, burying his face in Merlin’s neck, whispering murmured reassurances, “it’s okay, I’ve got you now, I’m not leaving, I love you,” until Merlin quietened in his arms, and returned the embrace, pulling him into himself as if he never wanted to be separate again. Their lips met in a kiss, Merlin almost attacking Arthur’s lips. Arthur kissed back softly, stroking Merlin’s cheek as the kiss became tender, soft. He felt like he was pouring everything he wanted to say into that one kiss. They broke apart, gasping slightly. Arthur rested his forehead against Merlin’s. “You know I meant it when I said I loved you.” He felt Merlin start to relax in his arms, and he carried on. “I want to be with you, only you, and I promise you that NOTHING will stop me from wanting that. Especially not some stupid article in the paper. I lost you once Merlin. I won’t…I can’t let it happen again.

“And you’re sure you’re alright with this?” Merlin asked disbelievingly, a brilliant smile on his face that made his eyes crinkle at the corners.

“Completely. What about you? I mean,” -he opened the curtains to reveal the inevitable paparazzi outside his house- “this is what you have to contend with now.”

Merlin smiled. “You’re worth the hassle. Besides, they’ll get bored of you eventually. You’re not that interesting you know.”

Arthur grinned devilishly. “C’mere and I’ll show you who’s interesting.”

Title: Cherry tree

Rating: PG-13/very mild R

Summary: Songfic inspired by Sam McCarthy’s song, ‘Cherry tree’

Disclaimer: We all know that I don’t own Merlin, because otherwise it would be a post-9pm kind of show…

Author’s notes: A testament to my complete and utter inability to write angst. This was meant to be a fic in which Merlin was remembering their first kiss after Arthur had died but…I bottled out. So this is a complete and utter puddle of fluff (does fluff come in puddles?). Clearly I am not destined to ever write angst.

Come on Merlin, please?

Merlin frowned, torn between indulging his friend, and sorting out and relabelling uncle Gaius’ ingredients. If it had been a more interesting task, then Merlin firmly believed that he might have resisted for once. But…

“OK, fine. But you have to explain why you had to drag me off for the afternoon.” He groused, secretly pleased when the large grin spread across Arthurs face as he realised he had won again.

He supposed this was the reason he could never resist Arthur when he truly wanted something. When he first met Arthur, that wide grin was so rare that whenever it came it was a reward that Merlin cherished. He had grown up permanently trying to encourage that very expression onto his serious Prince’s face.

When they were first introduced, Merlin aged 7 and Arthur 9, Merlin had hidden behind his mothers skirts to get a better look at the Prince. Having grown up in Ealdor surrounded by his playmates, with their scruffy hair and dirty, grinning faces, the sight of this strange, serious boy in his neatly pressed clothes and smoothed down hair had been simultaneously fascinating, and intimidating...

Unlike Merlin, Arthur stood tall on his own, looking down at this scruffy new boy, who Gaius had told him would be helping him from now on.

His eye was caught by the dirty, understuffed bear, clutched tightly in the boys arms. He held out his hand imperiously.

“Let me see that.” He demanded. Merlin clutched tighter at Bruin, gritting his jaw.

“Come on, let me see.” Arthur demanded, annoyed that he hadn’t been obeyed immediately. He stepped forward to take it from him, only to be told a word he had only ever heard directed at him from his father.

“No!” Merlin stuck his bottom lip out stubbornly, releasing his mothers skirt and stepping back.

Arthur stood stunned, jaw hanging open. Hunith bent down to her son.

“Merlin, this is the Prince, you must do as he says.” She looked almost reluctant to say this, but Merlin looked back at her defiantly, before turning back to Arthur. “No.” He said again, and turning smartly on his heel he flounced out of the room. Arthur was left looking stunned. Hunith apologised extensively to him. He cut her off impatiently.

“What is his name?” He asked her.

“Merlin, sire.” She replied, surprised to feel intimidated by this imperious young boy.

“I should like to see him again.” He told her. “You will send him up to me when he is free.” He paused, unsure for the first time in his young life. “That is…if he wants to see me.” He scowled at Gaius who’s eyebrow was raised.

Surprisingly perhaps, Merlin did want to see him again. They met the next day, Merlin ushered into the Princes rooms by Gaius.

Arthur walked up to up to him, nearly half a foot taller than him.

“Hello Merlin.” He said, seriously. Merlin looked back at him appraisingly, with eyes that seemed to Arthur to be too old for such a young looking face.

“Aren’t you going to say sorry?” Merlin asked. Arthur gaped. His face darkened and he scowled.

“Why should I apologise to a dirty servant boy like you? I’m the Prince!”

Merlin shrugged. “Bye then.” He turned to leave. Arthur managed to resist until he was near the door.

“I’m sorry.” He blurted, still scowling and wondering why he didn’t want this boy to leave quite so much. Merlin turned and grinned at him.

“Great. Want to play hide and seek tag?”



Arthur couldn’t help grinning back happily. “What’s that?”



Merlin took his hand. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

For the first time that anyone could remember, raucous laughter rang through the Prince’s wing of the castle.

*-*-*-*-*

Merlin smiled as he remembered the first time he had seen that grin, as they ran through the castle and out of the main doors into the courtyard.

“Where are we going?” He panted breathlessly, struggling to keep up with the young Prince speeding in front of him. Arthur slowed to a walk and Merlin nearly toppled them both over, crashing into the back of him.

Arthur caught him before they both hit the ground, and Merlin found himself mostly held up by Arthur, only a foot from the ground. Arthur’s grinned turned soft, and a look entered his eyes that made Merlin blush. He stood up, straightening his clothes where Arthur had grabbed them to stop him falling.

“Thanks. Sorry.” He said, awkwardly. These moments had been happening for almost a year, since he had turned 15. They confused him, because before this there had never been any awkwardness between them, ever.

Even when, aged 10, Merlin had told Arthur about his magic, they had both taken it so easily in their stride. Arthur had at first been slightly put out that Merlin had not told him straight away, but he reluctantly had to admit that Merlin had good reason not to tell him, after watching a boy aged 15 burned at the stake for sorcery by his father just three weeks earlier.

Merlin had been furious at the injustice of it.

“Why did he have to die?” he had asked quietly into Arthur’s neck, the angry sobs now quietened. Arthur held him tight, scared because he had never before seen his friend as upset as his.

“My father says that all people with magic are evil and want to hurt him and me.” He told him patiently, hoping that this would make Merlin understand, because he wouldn’t want him to get hurt would he?

Merlin had shoved him away. “I don’t want to hurt you Arthur, or your father.” He told him tightly. It took Arthur a minute to get what Merlin was telling him.

“You’re magic?!” He realized that he should now be terrified of Merlin. He should go straight to his father and tell on him. But somehow, he found it much more plausible that his father was wrong than that Merlin was evil. This was Merlin.

Merlin looked at him steadily, tears still fresh on his cheeks. He held out his hand, and his eyes flashed a shade Arthur had never seen them before. A ball of light now floated above his friends palm.

“Cool!” He said, before he could stop himself. Merlin grinned softly in relief. Arthur pulled him onto the bed.

“Show me some more!” He demanded, and yet again Merlin couldn’t resist, seeing the enraptured grin spread on Arthur's face as he conjured silent fireworks, glowing butterflies and dragons made of flame appear in the hearth.

*-*-*-*-*

Arthur looked down, and bit his lip. He carried on, this time at a walking pace, and Merlin followed.

“I’m going to show you something I found the other day while I was hunting,” Arthur replied, as if nothing had just happened.

They went to the stables, for Merlin to find two horses already saddled. Arthur swung himself up onto a large black stallion easily, smirking while he watched Merlin scramble awkwardly onto the bay gelding that the stable hand held steady for him. Once mounted, Merlin turned to glare at Arthur as he if he had seen him smirk.

“Don’t you say anything, just because you get trained six days a week by the finest horsemen in Camalot.”

Arthur’s smirk widened. “That’s no excuse Merlin, you’re trained by me.” He laughed as Merlin stuck his tongue out at him, and he kicked at the sides of his war horse, gesturing for Merlin to follow.

This, Merlin had to admit he didn’t mind doing. Despite what he had said, it was almost a pleasure to see Arthur ride. The training had paid off, and he rode with a fluid, almost catlike grace, the rhythm of his body matched perfectly with the horse under him. The muscles in his back flexed underneath his thin shirt. Yes, it was a pleasure to watch him ride. Almost as much as watching him fight, the same fluid grace, confident air. Breathing hard, sweat damp hair…

Merlin shook himself guiltily, adjusting his trousers that were now a tad too tight. His mind was straying to these sort of thoughts more and more often. He blamed it on his young hot blood and the fact that most of the time he didn't have enough privacty or time to...take care of his needs. But to think those thoughts about Arthur. He felt guilty. They were like brothers for gods sakes. Not to mention that Arthur was a boy! It was just wrong. He sighed to himself, watching carefully where Arthur was headed. They had left the castle some time ago, and were now headed deeper into the dense thickness of the forest.

 

*-*-*-*-*

They had been chatting amiably for about an hour, when Merlin noticed the trees starting to thin out. The sun streamed brightly through the leaves, the sun sinking lower into the sky as they rode onwards.

“Arthur, are we nearly there? I’m really hungry and it’ll be getting dark in about an hour or so.” Merlin said, thinking guiltily about the tasks Gaius had left him to do while he did his rounds.

“Well when it does you can just conjure some light for us can’t you? Honestly Merlin, stop worrying,” he tutted in that condescending voice that told Merlin that he had never been spanked for not doing his daily chores. But barely 5 minutes later he slowed to a halt, Merlin walking his horse to stand beside him. He dismounted, tying his horse to a tree and sniggering at Merlin, who’s awkward dismount was made worse by the fact that no-one was holding his horse steady this time. He wriggled, draped over the horse as it walked forward to a particularly lush patch of grass, squeaking indignantly for it to stop moving, bloody horse! He didn’t see Arthur turn away, blushing slightly and biting his lip at the sight of Merlin in this position.

Merlin finally managed to touch ground, and tied his mount deftly to the tree next to Arthurs, huffing.

“Go on then, what was it you wanted to show me?” He demanded, slightly disgruntled that Arthur was still smirking at him.

Arthur grabbed his sleeve, tugging him further into the large grove they were standing at the edge of. Merlin’s breath caught in his throat as he surveyed the sight around him. The sky was blue still, but striped with orange and pink in the west. The air was warm and fragrant, and the light of the dying day fell on the pink blossoms of the grove of cherry trees they now stood in. Crickets and birds hummed and chirped and sang all around them. Merlin turned to face Arthur, a wide smile playing on his lips.

“This is amazing.”

Arthur grinned back, satisfied that he had been right in guessing that Merlin would like this. “I’ve brought a pack with food. We can sit under one and eat.” He looked shy. “If you want. Or we could go back?”

Merlin grinned at him. Forcing him to go in the first place and then telling him graciously when they got there that they could return whenever he wanted was just Arthur all over. Somehow though, he never minded.

“I’m starving,” he replied in answer.



He went and sat under a particularly large and widespreading tree, heavy with blossom. Arthur grinned and followed him. They sat together, talking and eating, watching the sky fade from blue to pink to gold. Hunger sated, Merlin edged closer to Arthur before laying his head on his shoulder. Arthur put an arm around him, pulling him close.

They were silent for several long minutes, just breathing in the perfumed air and watching the sunset, enjoying the rare peace they found. Eventually, Arthur spoke.

“Merlin?”

“Hmmm?” Came the lazy reply.

“Have you ever kissed someone?”

Merlin’s eyes widened. He sat back, looking at Arthur to see if he was teasing him. The face that looked back at him showed no hint of humour, just affection and a trace of apprehension.

“…No.” He admitted. “I’ve never seen a girl in that kind of way before.” Arthur smiled at him, and it was that soft smile again, but this time it wasn’t awkward. His heart fluttered strangely and he felt warm right in the middle of his chest.

“Don’t you understand?” Arthur asked him softly, with just a hint of fond exhasperation. And then his breath caught, and everything fell into place.

“Oh! Oh...I think I do now.”

Arthur smiled and leaned forwards, planting a soft brief kiss, below one of his too-large ears. “Close your eyes Merlin.”

For once obedient, he did as he was told. Arthur’s forehead rested against his, and he felt Arthur’s warm hand, fingers intertwining with his own.

He didn’t move for almost a minute. Finally, he opened his eyes. Arthur was looking directly into his own, and it felt like they were staring into each others souls. Merlin realized something he had always known. He belonged right here, by Arthur’s side, always and forever.

“Can I tell you a secret Merlin?” Arthur whispered, breath ghosting against his lips.

“Yes.”

“I love you.”

Merlin smiled. “I know. I’ve always known. I love you too.”

Arthur’s free hand tangled in his hair, and they were kissing, softly, then wetly, then passionately, exploring each others mouths and pressing wet fevered kisses anywhere they could reach, cheeks, jaw, necks and in the soft hollows of throats. Merlin was on top of Arthur, he wasn’t entirely sure how, but he took advantage.

They moved against each other, finding a rhythm that rolled them and pushed them all too quickly, gasping, into sweet release.

They lay there, getting their breath back, curled against one another.

“We should leave,” said Merlin reluctantly. “It’s getting dark.”

But Arthur only shook his head and burrowed closer into Merlin, kissing his neck. And really, Merlin knew he couldn’t deny Arthur anything.

He levitated a large log over from the other side of the clearing, and set it alight, feeling the warmth immediately on his cooling skin. Arthur wrapped his arms around him, twining their legs together, and Merlin rested his head on Arthur’s broad chest, both staring into the fire and watching the sun finally sink below the horizon, and the light fade to darkness.

*-*-*-*-*

Merlin curled closer to his King, watching the fire just like all those years before, and remembering. They were different now. Arthur’s broad grin now caused wrinkles to fan out from around his eyes, and his temples were streaked with grey. The waist that his arm was draped across was thicker now, and softer, and there were battle scars underneath his fingertips where once there was soft, unmarred skin.  He himself was faring not much better. But the warmth he felt in his chest when he looked into those eyes, when they made love or when they lay curled together like this, remained untouched by the decades.

Though he sometimes missed their innocence, the shaking hands as they touched each other, and the messy, inexperienced kisses, he found that what they had found together had deepened, improved, ripened into fullness like the fruit that hung on that old cherry tree.

*-*-*-*-*-*

We were looking for cherry tree,
saw that we could find our way,
Then she turned around and said to me,
said to me why can’t we stay?
Stick around, I don’t wanna go now,
I’m just gonna sit and watch the sun go down,
Then she come and sat next to me,
undernearth that old cherry tree.

 She asked me if I’d ever kissed a girl
Well I got scared didn’t know what to say,
Never before had I seen a girl,
Seen a girl in that kind of way
But she laughed and looked me straight in the eye,
Asked me why I didn’t understand.
Then she told me to close my eyes,
So I closed my eyes and she held my hand

 There for the first time, In the setting sunshine
well it felt like we belonged.
She told me a secret cos I promised I could keep it
But I already knew all along.
All along

 Now we sat for a while now the words you say
ll looked around all nervously
How could it be that a sunny day,
I felt a cold shiver coming over me
Stick around, I don’t wanna go now,
I’m just gonna sit and watch the sun go down,
Then she come and sat next to me,
And I kissed a girl under the cherry tree.

 There for the first time, In the setting sunshine
well it felt like we belonged.
She told me a secret cos I promised I could keep it
But I already knew all along.
All along

 And now that I’m getting old and grey
I still look back to that sunny day
Remembering when the words got a way
Nervously not a lot to say
Stick around, I don’t wanna go now,
I’m just gonna sit and watch the sun go down,
Remembering when she first kissed me
Underneath that old cherry tree

authors note: lyrics transcribed, probably innacurately, by me. If anyone knows where I could find the proper lyrics it would be great if they could send me a link? My google search came up empty :-S hope you enjoyed xxx

Song can be found here, please listen cos it's a gorgeous song :-) not my video by the way.

Fic: One night stand
Chapter title: see me, feel me, touch me, heal me
Rating: R for swearing and boy-kissing
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 1055
Summary: A one night stand changes Arthur forever
Disclaimer: Merlin belongs exclusively to the beeb and shine (you can tell cos if they belonged to me every episode would be PWP) ;-)

Notes: More than half way through :-0!!! I'll be quite sad when this finishes really :-S just like to say a really massive thankyou to everyone who's been commenting on this, I really just started writing for a bit of fun but all of your comments have meant so much to me ^_^ I'm a bit hooked now though, might have to keep writing to get my fix ;-S hope you all enjoy my latest offering, this was probably my favourite chapter to write :-)

They were sitting at a small table in the same corner of the room that Merlin had first been standing in. Arthur had mumbled that he needed to sit down, and grabbed Merlin firmly by the hand, dragging him over to this spot, and then sitting down heavily, resting his head on the table. He never let go of Merlin’s hand.

“Are you alright?” Merlin asked him, squeezing his hand.

Arthur came back to himself slowly. He’d been dreaming of this moment for months, but now he’d finally found him, all carefully formed apologies, all finely worded declarations of love and promises to change flew promptly out of his head, and he was left to gawp in wonderment that finally, his Merlin was right in front of him.

“Arthur, don’t piss me about, please.” Merlin prompted, guardedly.

The hurt in his eyes tore at Arthur’s insides, and he was painfully and vividly reminded of the last time he had seen this man. He feebly tried to make amends, tried to make him understand just how much he had missed him.

“I tried to find you.” He told him quietly, desparately. Merlin raised his eyebrow. “I hired a private investigator, and he tried to find you! I didn’t know anything about you, and he couldn’t…and I…I thought I’d lost you.” He bit his lip, twining their fingers together still more tightly and looking at him in wonderment. “And now you’re here. I can’t believe it.” Merlin just looked at him steadily, with that gaze that seemed to go right through him. He suddenly became very conscious that he had just made himself sound very stalkerish, and blushed and hating himself for it. Merlin quirked the corner of his mouth up.

“You can let go of my hand you know, I promise I won’t run off.”

He released Merlin’s hand guiltily, and drew it back, but left their fingertips touching. After six months apart he couldn’t quite bring himself to break contact completely. He took a deep breath, desparately trying to compose his scattered thoughts. It didn’t work though, he simply couldn’t. And Merlin was looking him because he was being given the chance he had prayed for for six month, to explain himself, and he was just sitting here!




The dam finally broke.

“Merlin.” He choked. “You can’t ever know just how much I regret letting you go that day, it’s easily the worst mistake I’ve ever made in my life, I think about it every fucking day, I’ve tried but I just can’t get you out of my mind, I’ve missed you so damn much and I’m so sorry if I hurt”- he paused for breath- “you, oh fuck and I’m messing this up to, first I can’t say anything then I can’t stop-” he was mercifully stopped by Merlin’s hand clamped over his mouth.

He felt slightly dizzy and lightheaded with nerves. They stared at each other for several seconds. Then Merlin started to laugh. Arthur joined in, it started off as embarrassed chuckling, then to laughing, getting worse and worse until they could barely breathe. They got funny looks from several of the nearby tables, which he didn’t care about even the tiniest bit, because here was Merlin, and they were laughing together and for the first time that evening he was beginning to think that he could fix this.

 Tears streamed down Arthur’s face as they both tried to regain composure. But when they had both finally controlled their laughter, the tears remained, and ran in wet trails down Arthur’s face and dripped off his chin. It felt like the constant tension since that awful morning had finally dissolved, and he could breathe again. He swiped self-consciously at his cheeks, and sneaked a look at Merlin. He was surprised to see tears in his eyes as well.

He went to wipe them away with the pad of his thumb…and then they were kissing, hot and sweet and salty and wet and just perfect. He sighed into the kiss, and Merlin’s hand was tangling in his hair, and Merlin was pressing soft kisses to his neck and mumbling in his ear that it was alright, he forgave him, they were Ok now. They drew apart, and rested their foreheads together, their breath mingling.

“Thank you.” breathed Arthur. “For making me see.”

Merlin smiled softly. “Thank you for listening to me.” He pulled back. “And you really have changed haven’t you?” He said in wonderment. “I mean its 1 in the morning and you’re not wasted for one thing.” Arthur smiled ruefully at this, and Merlin cocked his head at him. “Why?”

“I was playing it safe. I was the spoilt son of a rich politician, and I acted like it. But what you said about … about making myself unhappy for other people’s expectations- well you were right. So I did what I wanted to do, and now I’m not ‘Uther’s son’ any more. I’m me. And I’m in love with you.”




He said the last bit because somehow it fit with that statement. Because that was part of who he was now. He bit his lip and looked at Merlin, holding his breath. The smile that he received took his breath away, and suddenly he had a lapful of Merlin kissing him to within an inch of his life. Merlin drew back.

“I love you too.” Merlin said, his voice heavy and quivering with the emotion behind those four words. Arthur stood up, taking Merlin’s hand.

“Come on, let’s go home.” Merlin smiled softly at the word ‘home.’




As they were walking out, one of Arthur’s friends called after him. “Hey Arthur! Where are you going? Who’s that?” He turned round to face them. They were all staring at their clasped hands and interlocking fingers. Who was this skinny, dark haired, fey looking man? Arthur grinned. This was as good an opportunity as any to show Merlin how much these people’s opinions meant to him now.

“This is the man I love!” He called out across the dancefloor, getting more than a few askance looks. He looked from the stunned faces of his friends to Merlin, beet red but still managing to look very pleased. He slung an arm around his shoulders, and they walked out into the cool crisp night air.

Fic: One night stand
Chapter title: Another perspective
Rating: R for swearing
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 1667
Summary: A one night stand changes Arthur forever

Notes: First fic in the Merlin fandom, though god knows how many I’ve attempted to write. A big thankyou to podicus for looking very disapproving whenever I promise to post tonight, and then don’t, and so guilting me into writing something I’m halfway happy with ;-) thanks also to lazzypie for the general slashy musings.

It had been six months since the night Arthur had seen Merlin in the club.

After a month, Arthur finally admitted to himself that he was completely in love with a man he had met only once. After two months, Arthur gave up trying to get over him, and decided to find him. He had no idea if Merlin would want to even give him the time of day, let alone another chance to not be such a complete bastard, but he needed closure of some sort. After three months, he had finally realized how difficult it is to find one man in the whole of London with just an Irish accent and a first name to start from, even if it was something as unusual as ‘Merlin.’ By 5 months he was having to consider the possibility that he would never see him again. He hadn’t even known if the man lived in London, he could, literally, be anywhere. The thought of never having the chance to make things right filled Arthur with despair.

In between looking for ‘his lost love’, as Morgana had taken to calling him, he had also started working for cancer research. He had been looking for some meaning in his life, and since his mother had died of breast cancer shortly after giving birth to him, it seemed like a good place to start. His mother Igraine had learned that she had advanced stage terminal breast cancer when she had been 5 months pregnant with him. She had refused chemotherapy, instead choosing to carry him to term, and denying herself any hope of recovery in the process. It was for this reason that his relationship with his father had always been strained. He had always felt that, whatever he did with his life he could never live up to the sacrifice that his mother had made for him, and his father would always feel, deep inside, that he would rather have Arhur’s mother back, than Arthur himself.

However, since starting work for cancer research, the feeling of inadequacy that had hounded him since he was a small child was finally starting to disappear. It felt extraordinary, as if a weight that had been on his shoulders since before he could remember was gone. All his friends had noticed the change in him, not least Morgana. She smiled as she saw him mingling with guests at gala. This new Arthur was less loud and arrogant, more thoughtful and confident. He was slower to judge, and quicker to admit he was wrong. Now if he’d just stop looking sad and wistful when he thought no one was looking, she could count this change as a completely positive thing.

Very quickly he went from lending his support to the charity, to being employed by them to represent them to businesses to apply for donations and funding. The contacts that he had made through partying with his rich friends were now absolutely invaluable to his job, and he never failed to get a kick out of guilting an old acquaintance into parting with another large sum of money towards a good cause, by slipping in veiled references to cocaine, lapdancers, or anything else he had against them.

He would see his picture or name in the paper sometimes, connected with some fundraising event or particularly large donation from a company, and he would wonder if, somewhere, Merlin was reading that newspaper, and whether he knew if it was all because of him. The newspapers had stopped referring to him as, ‘Uther Pendragon’s son,’ he was now simply, ‘Arthur Pendragon.’ This felt important to him somehow. Now that he was recognised as more than just an extension of his father, the prospect of telling Uther that he was dating another man was less terrifying. He was determined that if he ever met Merlin again, he would not let himself mess up a second time. However, as time went on, this was looking less and less likely.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Merlin’s POV

Merlin was a strong believer in reincarnation. Many scoffed at him when they found this out, others just accepted it as yet another idiosyncrasy in someone who was after all, already a fairly strange person. But he knew what he felt when he had first seen Gwen at his university, and again when he had met Lance at the bookshop he worked at during the holidays. That feeling of instant recognition, that he read answered in both of their eyes. It was a very odd sensation, seeing Gwen stutter and blush, or Lance's winning smile, and feeling memories tickle at the fringes of his mind. But every time he tried to grasp at them, they slipped away from him, leaving him vaguely frustrated for no good reason.

So when he first saw a picture of Arthur Pendragon on the cover of a glossy men’s health magazine, he very quickly recognised the feeling that tugged him to buy the magazine. He had sat in his car, staring avidly at the picture, tracing the face that was as familiar to him as his own, though he couldn’t remember ever seeing it before. The blue piercing eyes, the spun-gold hair, shaggier now than…he would have thought. The curling, sensuous mouth and the strong jaw he could picture with his eyes closed. Even the name had tugged fiercely at the back of his mind, begging him to remember. He had read the article twice through, absorbing every detail. Son of the mayor of London, his competitiveness, his long list of conquests all delivered to the interviewer in such a way that the arrogance was not lost even in the transcription. He smiled. This had seemed familiar too. He wondered why he felt so…affectionate? Towards this arrogant, cocky man who it was obvious he should despise. He had sighed, shoving the magazine under his seat, and trying to push Arthur Pendragon into the back of his mind.

And this had worked until that night in the club, that night when the recognition had curled into desire, that somehow felt familiar in itself. He had been pleased to notice how much his presence had upset and unsettled the man, who always looked so in control in every picture Merlin had ever seen him in. He stood in the corner, clutching his drink, just drinking in the sight of him, not even surprised in the slightest when Arthur had given into the pull that Merlin knew existed between them. When Arthur offered him a drink, he had refused, still enjoying how much he unsettled this man. His smug grin had widened when Arthur had asked if he had wanted him to leave, hurt tingeing his voice. He certainly didn’t want that, so to show him what he did want he stepped closer, closing the gap between them until he could feel the heat radiating off Arthur’s body. He found himself mesmerised by the way those white teeth had worried at the full lip, before the tip of a pink tongue coming out to sooth it. He had never felt so attracted to anyone in all of his short life. He saw realization dawning on that sweet face, and a blush painted his cheeks.

“Do you want to come back to mine?” The slight shake of his voice had betrayed his nerves, and tugged at Merlin’s heart. Just for a moment, he had hesitated. The depth of emotion and desire he felt towards this man he had spoken barely ten words to scared him. But he wanted this too much. He didn’t have the strength to refuse.

“Sounds good.” He had replied huskily.

The next morning, when he felt his heart crack and splinter into pieces, he wished that he had had the strength. Nothing was worth this pain, even a night of the best sex he had ever had.

Increasingly, Merlin felt that his life was not directed entirely by him. He shouldn’t even have been in that club to begin with. He was only standing there because he had arranged to meet someone here. His date had texted him to say his car had broken down, and it was only while he had been gearing up to leave that he had spotted the object of his two month long near-obsession.

And then only a week later he had been enjoying a quiet coffee in his local café when who had walked in? He quickly picked up a coffee of the financial times that lay beside him on his table, hiding behind it and feeling utterly ashamed at his urge to start crying. This wasn’t fair! It was the first time he had even left the house since that morning when he had stumbled back into his flat, with rumpled day-old clothes and tears running down his cheeks. He didn’t have the strength to see him so soon after- after that morning. And what were the chances that he would bump into the same person at two different places in the space of a week, in a city as big as London?! He had wanted to get up and leave, but Arthur had sat only several tables in front of him, and he would notice him leaving. This was obviously some giant cosmic joke, he had thought desparately. Somewhere, someone wanted to see him suffer.

The conversation that he had overheard just served to confirm this.

“It was nothing, just a one night stand.” Arthur had said. Merlin felt sick. The woman he was talking to seemed not to believe him though. Arthur had explained the reason why he had chucked him out, and he couldn’t help but feel slightly better that he had correctly guessed the reason behind Arthur’s violent reaction to waking up next to another man. His note had been on the mark then. Arthur had continued.

“Well it doesn’t matter anyway, he wouldn’t talk to me now even if I knew where I could find him.” Hearing the bitter, sad tone in his voice had made his stomach twist. He had wanted nothing more than to put down his paper and to reassure Arthur that he was here, that he forgave him, but he gritted his teeth and shook his head slightly, as if trying to clear it. Just because he still wanted him, didn’t excuse what he had done. He didn’t give second chances, he tried to tell himself. He had been relieved when the conversation had drifted away from him. He no longer cared about the risk of being seen. He had to leave now, or any moment he would break, would walk up to his lover and kiss him. Keeping his face turned away, he had walked swiftly out of the coffee shop, leaving his coffee untouched on the table.

Over the next few months he tried to forget about the whole fiasco. Somehow though, he knew that he would be unable to. It certainly didn’t help that every other week Arthur was now in the papers, not for his old antics of falling out of nightclubs or dating famous models, but for his new work for charity. Merlin couldn’t help wondering if his new and unselfish behaviour was in any way due to him, and the comment he had made to Morgana in the coffee shop, but he shook his head, chastising himself for even thinking that he, a poor boy from Ireland, who lived in a crappy tiny flat in Camden, could have any influence whatsoever on the wealthy and illustrious Arthur Pendragon. He had sighed miserably to himself until his roommate Gwen had told him to please breathe more quietly. At first she had been incredibly sympathetic, but after six months her patience with him was wearing thin. He had apologised again.

“You need closure Merlin.” She told him in her sternest voice. “I know! Tonight we are going to the club where you first saw him, just you me and Lance. You can relive it all, tell us all about it, then we can just have a drink and have a great time, and you can forget about him.” His stomach plummeted at the thought of going back to that place again, but he could see that Gwen would not be moved on this. Besides, maybe it would help. Lance had been half in love with him for over a year now. He was attractive, funny, and unlike Arthur he wanted to be with him. Mabye tonight he could erase memories of him and Arthur by replacing them with memories of him and Lance. He agreed reluctantly.

And now, here he was, struck immobile by the sight of that familiar profile, turned away from him but absolutely unmistakeable. The music pulsed around them.

*-*-*-*

Arthur’s POV

He felt like all the pieces of his life were finally sliding into place. There was just one piece missing, but he was beginning to resign himself to always feel the loss of it. The loss of him.

Because of all his charity work, he had been neglecting is friends, and he had finally agreed, after much cajoling, to have a night out with them. ‘Just like the old days,’ they had said, like this would appeal to him. He merely smiled, agreeing to keep them happy. They had started off in a ritzy bar lounge in Knightsbridge, but had then headed farther into London, to an area bristling with clubs and clubbers. He had only drunk one or two cocktails, but was feeling very giddy on the hype of being out with his friends again, the old jokes and the feeling of camaraderie that he admitted that he had missed. So he didn’t notice until they were inside, that this was the club that he had first caught sight of Merlin in. He immediately sobered up, the happy atmosphere evaporating around him.

“Umm, guys, can we go? I don’t like this place.”

The whole place reminded him of Merlin so much he knew he wouldn’t be able to get him off his mind the rest of the evening, and tonight he had just wanted to forget about the constant ache of longing in his chest. His friends hadn’t heard him though, they were laughing and joking together too loudly, and were already seated at the bar. Arthur, still by the doorway, turned to leave. He knocked into someone standing just behind him.

“Sorry I-“ He stopped dead and went white. He closed his eyes and opened them again, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Merlin smiled at him, a sad sort of a smile. “Why don’t you like this place?”



Chapter 4



Note: Was planning on doing this entirely from Arthur's POV, but I'm just not good enough to put in everything I need to just using him, so I'v stuck a bit from merlin in there to make things a bit clearer :-S which was why its a bit late, so apologies for that. Hope you like :-) xx

Fic: One night stand
Chapter title: My mistakes were made for you
Rating: R for swearing
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, its characters or its scripts in any way. If I did there would be much more canon sex and much less of the near death experiences ;-)
Word Count: 1,364
Summary: A one night stand changes Arthur forever

Notes: First fic in the Merlin fandom, though god knows how many I’ve attempted to write. A big thankyou to podicus for looking very disapproving whenever I promise to post tonight, and then don’t, and so guilting me into writing something I’m halfway happy with ;-) thanks also to lazzypie for the general slashy musings.

Jesus Fuck. What the hell had he done? What the hell did he do now? He was Arthur Pendragon, son of the Mayor of London Uther Pendragon, socialite, sometimes-model, self confessed womaniser! And he’d been seduced and reduced to a blushing, lip-biting wreck by a scrawny Irish guy in some seedy nightclub in the rough end of London.

He had to get this man out of his apartment. Perhaps it was a good thing he never learned his name, it would just be one more thing that he would have to erase from his memory. His brain ordered his body to move, to shake his bed mate, wake him up, throw him out and then to get on with his daily life as if nothing was different…but his treacherous body did not obey. He found himself curling closer to this vision, and his hand reached up to card through the soft strands of hair. An uncomfortable mixture of self disgust and desire flashed through him.

His lover stirred, and he stilled, hand frozen where it was. For several long moments Arthur held his breath, because once he woke properly, he could no put off starting the process of putting this whole episode to rights. He felt eyelashes flutter against his shoulder, and soft sleepy kisses being pressed to the skin, begging to be responded too. He resisted with iron willpower. His body stiffened minutely with the effort, and the man lifted his head to look at him. He stared determinedly up at the ceiling, sensing that his willpower would crumble to nothing if he looked even once into those deep, blue eyes. He would drown in them if he wasn’t careful.

“Morning?” The man said in a small voice, more a question than a greeting. He didn’t respond, his jaw tightening and flexing. He closed his eyes. His lover sat up. “Arthur? Please?” The emotion in the man’s voice scared him, but his surge of protectiveness at the vulnerability he heard scared him more. Propelled by this fear, he sat up too, sitting on the edge of the bed facing away from him.

“I really think you should leave.” He gritted out.

“Why? Arthur, You want me.” The certainty in his voice wavered as he repeated. “You wanted me.”

“This has all been a terrible mistake. I’m sorry if I mislead you. Now please leave.”

There was silence. “Why won’t you look at me?” The voice was soft, considering.

“I SAID GET OUT!” He couldn’t stand this any more, he got up quickly, ignoring the wave of nausea that followed this sudden movement, and strode into the bathroom, banging the door shut closed behind him. He sat down on the edge of the bath and rested his pounding head against the cool tiles, struggling to control his breathing, and swallow down the painful lump in his throat.

His eyes stung. Why was this so hard? Right now he couldn’t care less that the man could walk out of his apartment with anything he owned. He knew his name after all, he knew who Arthur was. The tabloids would pay thousands just for pictures from his flat, let alone any personal items! There was nothing stopping him from ransacking the flat, but even knowing that he still could not bring himself to go out and face him. If he did, he didn’t trust himself not to beg him to stay, and pull him back into his arms.

When he emerged, ashamed at his weakness, about an hour later, the flat was perfectly intact, and devoid of any trace of the man. His gut twisted oddly, and he looked around for just a hint of the man who had shared his bed, without really knowing why. His eyes caught on a small folded up note on his pillow. He picked it up with a shaking hand.

 
Righteous anger boiled up inside him. Who the hell did this man think he was? How dare he? He didn’t know him! He had no fucking clue what kind of pressure he was under, what people expected of him.

This Merlin wasn’t in the public eye, no one cared what he did in his spare time, or who he did it with! If he went around dating men- he stopped there. Why should he consider the consequences when it wasn’t something he wanted to do? He’d never even considered dating a man before this…person had come blundering into his life and fucked with his head! Fuming, he scrunched the note up and threw it in the bin.

He got dressed, had a shower, checked his schedule for the day, and left the house to get a coffee. Half way down his street, he turned back, ran back up to his room and fished the crumpled note out of the basket. He smoothed it out carefully, tenderly, and put it in the drawer on his bedside table. Merlin. That had been his name. Merlin.

He left again, refusing to analyse what he’d just done, but feeling slightly relieved nonetheless.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

His life carried on as normal for the next several days. He hung round the flat, he went out in the evenings, got wasted and came home with a different woman each time. He did a few modelling jobs and he went to the gym. But somehow the activities that had previously kept him happily occupied felt vacuous and pointless. He was constantly bored, and was beginning to get irritable. Everywhere he looked, he kept thinking he could see Merlin, but then whoever it was would turn around, or he would focus on them properly, and every time he couldn’t stop the disappointment that twisted his gut.

“What is it chicken?” Asked his foster sister kindly, having taken him aside at a party being held for some state visitor to London that their father was hosting.

“Nothing, gana” he sighed, annoyed at her meddling. He tried to leave but she grabbed his arm. She was surprisingly strong for such a slip of a girl, and he was yanked back. “No Arthur, not nothing.” Her voice was still playful, but he could tell from the look in her eyes that she was serious. Morgana La Fey was the most stubborn, determined woman that he knew. He sighed. He might as well resign himself to telling her, she’d get it out of him sometime.

“It’s not really appropriate conversation here.” She raised her eyebrows at this. “Can we meet up for drinks tomorrow? I’ll tell you about it then.”

“Alright then.” She agreed, giving him a piercing look. “Tomorrow.”

He always told Morgana everything. She was his confidant, the only person that knew him as well as he did himself. But this- he couldn’t even admit to himself what was wrong, what was he going to tell her?

Tomorrow came round all too quickly. They met in a quiet little coffee shop in Camden. Arthur was sipping a Greek coffee and wincing at the strong taste as Morgana swept into the room, looking gorgeous as usual. She sat down gracefully across from him and frowned at him in that knowing way she had.



“Arthur, why are you drinking black coffee? You don’t like black coffee, you like it with so much milk and sugar and syrup and froth that you can’t taste the coffee in it.”

He quirked a smile at her. “Story of my life isn’t it? Diluted down to practically nothing by stuff that’s bad for me." He shrugged. "Maybe I want a bit of a change.”

 

She stared at him in amazement. “Bloody hell Arthur what’s got into you? You sound so…wise.” She sounded so shocked at the fact that he was even capable of self criticism that he couldn’t help laughing, his glum mood lifting for the first time in over a week.



She narrowed her eyes. “It’s a girl isn’t it? Has to be, to stir that fluffy object in your head you call a brain.” She grinned at her own joke, before frowning as she saw his own smile slowly disappear back into broodiness. He looked away.

“Arthur, it’s not a guy is it?” Sometimes she could read him much, much too well.

He went red and looked down at the table. He could lie effortlessly to anyone but there was no point with Morgana, she could tell. Sometimes it was infuriating. She gasped, and when he looked up she was grinning broadly.

“I knew it!”

“No you didn’t.” he snapped back waspishly. “How could you, I’ve never even looked at a man that way before, let alone-”

 He went two shades redder and Morgana crowed. She arched her eyebrow at him, smirking knowingly.

 
“Darling, you take longer to get ready for a party than me, that’s got to tell you something.” Usually her teasing would draw him out of any sort of mood, forcing him to respond and drawing him into the banter. But today he just shrugged.

She sobered, realizing that he was not in the mood. “So what happened?”

He shrugged. “I chucked him out.” At her disgusted face he tried to defend himself. “I’m Uther Pendragon’s son! I can’t just date whomever I like you know, imagine what it would look like for him? It was nothing. Just a one night stand.”

Morgana scowled at him.“Bullshit. I’ve never ever seen you like this before, ever. You’re pining Arthur.” He stared at the table miserably, not quite willing to acknowledge the truth in her statement just yet. “And you’ve got to stop thinking of yourself as just a detached extension of your father. So what if he doesn’t approve?!”

He looked at her miserably. “Well it doesn’t matter anyway, he wouldn’t talk to me now even if I could somehow find him again.”

She tried to remain stern, but his woeful eyes and down turned mouth tugged at her. “Poor baby, you’ve got it pretty bad haven’t you?” She took his hand and he couldn’t meet her eye. She squeezed and then let go. “Well, if he’s made you look at your life, that can only be a good thing. You were content before all this Arthur, but you weren’t happy. I’ve hardly ever seen you happy.”

He snorted softly. “Now who sounds wise? Do you have a man then?” He looked up at her and smiled, wan still, but happier than before. She winked.

“Darling I don’t need a guy, I’m wise all the time.” The serious atmosphere gone, they fell to talking about other things. Merlin folded up the newspaper he had been hiding behind since Arthur had come in and sat down only a few tables away, and left quickly, unseen, processing what he’d just overheard.

Fic: One night stand
Chapter title: Seduced by a smiling Irishman
Rating: NC17
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 1,093
Summary: A one night stand changes Arthur forever

Notes: First fic in the Merlin fandom, though god knows how many I’ve attempted to write. A big thankyou to podicus for looking very disapproving whenever I promise to post tonight, and then don’t, and so guilting me into writing something I’m halfway happy with ;-) thanks also to lazzypie for the general slashy musings.



Hot hands seem to grab him everywhere, and the desperate mouth that plundered his own and kept pulling back to nip and suck on his neck was driving him slowly towards the edge of oblivion. It was now absolutely impossible to think, the heady sensations added to the large amounts of alcohol in his system made it a struggle to remember even who he was, let alone where.



It was for this reason that it was perhaps forgivable that he was quite honestly considering shagging the pliable man in his arms up against his own front door, without a thought for the fact that anyone walking past his house at this moment could see Arthur Pendragon, having it off with a man. Luckily, the stranger seemed not to be quite as far gone as he was.

 

“Keys,” whispered a husky lilting Irish voice in his ear, and my God how did he make that one word sound like a promise which sent a spark straight to his crotch? He bit his lip, and then he whined as the heat was gone. He opened glazed eyes to see the  man biting his lip and looking at him expectantly.

 

“Keys. Right.” He croaked, and fumbled round in his pocket for them, drawing them out with shaking hands. The man beside him chuckled in the back of his throat.

“Need some help?” he asked, a smile in his voice. He gently prised the keys from Arthur’s hands, found the one that matched the lock, and quickly let them into the flat. No sooner were they in than Arthur kicked the door shut and pounced, half leading, half dragging the man into his bedroom. Within seconds their clothes were in a pile on the floor, which was quite a feat considering the amount of alcohol they’d drunk at the club that night.




The sex was hot and fumbling, perfect in its imperfection. Arthur entered the man underneath him with a choked gasp, after quickly slicking his cock with spit. The man keened, pushing back against him, and they found an unsteady, almost brutal rhythm, which carried them both to the edge all too quickly. The stranger came first, choking out, “Arthur!” before his head fell back on the pillow, breaths coming in gasps. Arthur followed him a moment later, with a deep moan, and the guilty thought that he didn’t know the man’s name to cry out. His breathing returning slowly to normal, he rolled off the man onto his back. He fell asleep shortly after, his brain finally surrendering to oblivion.

Beside him, Merlin lay there in the dark, with the disconcerting thought that, as satisfied and happy as he felt now, he would regret this in the morning. Pushing it aside, he rolled over so that his arm lay across his lovers chest, his head on his shoulder, and joined him in sleep.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Arthur woke up, and immediately wished he had died in his sleep. His head roared and pounded like waves breaking against a cliff, his mouth was dry and furry, the room was cold where he had left the window open, and there was something cold and sticky on his belly. Perhaps the only pleasant thing was the warmth against his side, so he curled further into that. However, this brought with it a worse feeling, as memories of last night came flooding back.




Instead of the familiar feeling of soft breasts, smooth legs and long hair that he was fairly used to waking up next to, he could instead feel short hair tickling his chin, a hard, wiry torso pressed against him, hairy legs tangled with his own and-god- morning stubble prickling his shoulder. He looked down cautiously, his head spinning at even this small movement.



Dark, shaggy hair curled in tendrils and framed the face of a pale man, with prominent cheekbones, large ears and a wide mouth. He should have been unattractive, gawky, but somehow the features arranged themselves in such a way that he had to catch a breath at the beauty of the almost angelic features.

It was this that had drawn him to this man at the club the night before. He remembered the inexorable pull he had felt towards him. He had been trying to keep his eyes on his drink, his friends, and the girls around him. But he found his gaze constantly pulled back to him, and disconcertingly he found that every time he looked the man had been looking at him, leaning casually against the wall, steadily meeting his gaze and never breaking eye contact. A small smile played on his cherubic lips. After several rounds of drinks, and a few shots, Arthur had excused himself from his friends, and had walked unsteadily over to the corner.

“So why are you staring at me? Are you trying to freak me out?”

The man grinned, and spoke in a fantastic husky voice with an Irish lilt. “Could ask you the same question.”

They stood there awkwardly for a few seconds. Arthur rubbed the back of his neck, feeling very out of his depth. “So. You want a drink?”

“No.” The smile hadn’t left the man’s face.

“Oh. Uh, d’you want me to go away then?” No one made Arthur Pendragon unsure of himself, but this man was doing a pretty damn good job. To his horror he felt himself blushing, as the man’s gaze turned predatory. He pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning against, and advanced until he was right in Arthur’s personal space, their breaths mingling.

“No.” Arthur swallowed and bit his lip. This drew the dark haired man’s gaze downward, and he knew what to ask next. He had wet his dry lips, and the man’s eyes dilated. He looked back up at Arthur.

“Want to come back to mine?” Arthur asked quietly, not daring to think about what this question entailed, but wanting it all the same.

The man gave him a sultry look from beneath lowered lashes. “That sounds good.”

“Right. Let’s go then.” Arthur took the man by the hand and turned to leave, but he was tugged back into the man’s arms. The pale man bit his lip, then leaned forwards. Their lips met, and Arthur opened his mouth, inviting the man in. They pulled apart moments later, breathing slightly faster. Arthur looked around nervously to see if his friends had seen, but they were all deep in conversation right at the other side of the club.

“Come on,” he muttered. “Let’s go.” This time the man followed him without protest.

He knew

Ianto wasn’t naive. He knew that he loved Jack, and always would. He knew just as well that Jack had liked him, had fancied him, had respected him even. But he hadn’t loved him, and he never would, not even if Ianto lived as long as Jack would. That simple profound piece of knowledge hurt, hurt more than he could bear, because it was made up of every memory of Jack treating him badly, from standing him up on dates and forgetting his birthday, right up to disappearing for a year, leaving without an explanation and coming back without an apology.

And that was another thing that Ianto knew, that that sort of rejection from the one you loved hurt, and kept hurting, and just never seemed to fucking stop no matter what he did.

But the Doctor helped. The Doctor who looked at him with love, and wiped away his tears, the Doctor who took him away from Jack, and tried to put him back together, the doctor who showed him the wonders of the universe, and kissed him like he was drowning and Ianto was air. He helped. He stopped it from hurting.