Hello everyone! This is my very first Merlin fanfiction, and it's Merlin/Arthur slash so if you don't like then don't read! I only started watching Merlin relatively recently, but I just couldn't help but notice the fact that Merlin and Arthur should really be a couple ^.^ it's just so obvious! Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and please review :)
The Destiny of Prince Arthur
A new day dawned in the sleepy city of Camelot. The sun was just rising high enough to light the tip of the castle, and the rest of the city stretched off into the distance, covered by a thin layer of mist. The only sign of life in the whole city was to be found in a small, cramped room in the court physician's quarters.
Merlin sighed. He had been polishing armour for what felt like hours and hours, and he was gasping for water. Looking hopefully at the pile of armour he had finished, he felt like he'd made a decent effort. However, that small hope was squashed when he looked at the much larger pile of armour that he was yet to complete. Just how much armour did one person need, anyway? With another sigh, Merlin had a quick sip of water to soothe his parched throat, and continued on with his momentous task.
He sometimes wondered why he went to so much effort just for Arthur, but he knew deep down why he did it really. Arthur may not ever say thank you, or seem very grateful, but Merlin still hoped every time he finished a task for the prince that he would let his guard down, and show some form of gratitude.
Every now and then, when Merlin managed something really spectacular, Arthur would give him a small smile that lit up his face and put a twinkle in his bright blue eyes. He would look Merlin in the eye and tell him he wasn't as useless as he thought, with a wry smile that changed his whole demeanour. It wasn't much, but it meant the world to Merlin. He would smile back, a big grin that he just couldn't hold back, and for a little moment he would feel truly connected to the prince.
However, inevitably, Arthur would then dismiss Merlin, brush him aside as if completely unimportant, and forget anything had happened. The one thing that really got Merlin down sometimes was how he must seem in the eyes of Arthur; a lowly servant that didn't deserve proper attention. However, he still always looked forward to that special smile that Arthur would sometimes save just for him.
What felt to Merlin like days later, he finally finished polishing Arthur's armour and decided to take a walk around the castle to stretch his legs, after being cooped up in his room all day. The halls were just starting to fill with the hustle and bustle of a normal morning in the castle. As Merlin made his way down the endless corridors, not aiming for anywhere in particular, he came across his best friend Gwen. She was carrying a basket of laundry in the direction of Morgana's rooms.
"Hello Merlin! Where have you been all day?" Gwen smiled at Merlin with a slightly concerned look on her face.
"Hello Gwen. I've been stuck in my room all day, polishing armour for the royal prat!" Merlin joked lightly. No matter how fond he was of Arthur, he would always be a prat at heart, even if he was a good natured prat.
"Are you alright? You look like you have something on your mind," Gwen said, looking worriedly into Merlin's eyes.
"I'm alright, really," Merlin responded. "It's just... no, I can't really talk about it..." he hesitated, knowing that if he told Gwen what was truly bothering him, deep down, he would have to admit it to himself as well.
"Come on Merlin, we're friends! You can tell me if something's wrong. I promise I won't tell anyone."
Merlin sighed. It really was tempting to just get everything off his chest.
"Alright then Gwen, you win! Do you have time to talk?"
Gwen nodded enthusiastically. "Of course I do! I'll just drop this laundry in Morgana's quarters, and then we can have a good heart to heart." Gwen smiled at Merlin and hurried down the corridor.
Merlin paced up and down nervously, already regretting his decision. How could he possibly tell Gwen his true feelings for Arthur? Maybe she wouldn't understand, maybe she would be disgusted by him. It just wasn't natural, the feelings that were creeping up on him.
How had he gone so quickly from hating the prat to feeling this way? Well, people did say that love and hate were two sides of the same coin. Merlin gulped as he realised how similar that sentiment was to the words that the great dragon had spoken to him about his and Arthur's destinies. Could that be what the dragon really meant by it? Surely not, Merlin pondered to himself. For one thing, he knew with all his heart that Arthur would never want anything more than vague friendship with Merlin. He would grow up, marry a beautiful woman and become what he was meant to be; the king of Camelot. Once again, Merlin sighed bitterly.
"Merlin! Let's go and talk, shall we?" Gwen hurried back down the corridor and smiled encouragingly at him, beckoning to a small side room that they could talk privately in. "Now, tell me what's bothering you! It must be something serious if it can stop you smiling..." Gwen tailed off, seeming inquisitive but sensitive enough to approach the subject carefully.
"Well..." began Merlin, not really sure where to begin. "It's just...I know that it's wrong, and I can't help it, but I really want to, but he won't...and I just can't..." He trailed off; realising that nothing he had said made any sense. "Sorry," he laughed softly. "It's just difficult."
Gwen looked at him, even more puzzled than before. "Look, just take it slow. Don't try to explain too much, just tell me exactly what the problem is and we can get to the details later!" she encouraged, giving him a quick smile.
"Ok." Merlin steeled himself. "What it is...my problem..." With his fingers crossed, he blurted it out. "I think...I think I'm falling for Arthur!"
He sat looking at Gwen, blood pounding through his veins, his cheeks feeling so hot that he could fry an egg on them. He shouldn't have said anything; he should have just run away! His thoughts raced as he panicked, looking at Gwen's shocked expression. Whatever she had been expecting him to say, it wasn't this.
"Oh..." was all Gwen could manage for a few minutes. Merlin sat tensely, waiting for the onslaught he assumed would happen. Finally, Gwen managed to get her thoughts together.
"Well, I suppose I shouldn't really be surprised," she began. Merlin looked at her in amazement as she went on. "I mean, you save his life at every opportunity you get. You look at him with such respect, even though he's a complete ass to you. You get so down every time he ignores you, or shouts at you, even though it happens pretty much every day. It does make sense, when you think about it..." Gwen tailed off, looking in slight amusement at the shocked expression that was now on Merlin's face.
"You...you're not angry?" Merlin stammered, hardly daring to believe that she was accepting it so readily.
"Of course not, Merlin. You can't help who you fall in love with! Although I do wonder what you see in him, considering how he treats you most of the time." She looked at him expectantly.
"What do I see in him? Well, where do I begin?" Merlin grinned, happy that he was going to talk about his favourite topic. "I love his bravery, and the fact that he never lets anything stand in his way. I love the way he insists on fighting for his kingdom, even though he's risking his life as the only heir to the throne. I love how he sometimes forgets to shout at me, and gives me one of his perfect smiles instead. I love his handsome features, his hair, his mouth, and most of all his eyes. When I look at him, I sometimes have to force myself to look away...I love the way he smiles at me when I've done something really great for him, because I can see in those moments that he doesn't hate me. Well, not all the time, anyway." Merlin stopped, realising that he'd been talking for quite a while. He looked self consciously at Gwen, a cheeky smile on his face.
"I certainly won't be insulting him around you any time soon then, Merlin!" Gwen joked.
"Don't be silly! He's still a complete prat, and a big headed one at that. And yet I can't help but feel this way about him..." Merlin tailed off, feeling the warm glow that had engulfed him while talking about Arthur slowly recede again.
"If you love him, then you should tell him how you feel. It's only fair, right? You never know, he might even love you back!" Gwen chuckled to herself, and patted Merlin on the shoulder in a comforting way.
"I wish I could, Gwen. I really wish I could. But you know he wouldn't understand. Despite all I've done for him, and all those times I've felt like we've really connected, he still always brushes me to the side as if I mean nothing to him. It's as if I'm invisible unless he wants something from me!" Merlin sighed, frustrated with the world.
Gwen sat in silence for a while, a look of concentration on her face. Suddenly, after a few minutes, her face lit up with excitement.
"Of course! It's so simple; I don't see how it couldn't work!"
Merlin looked at her, puzzled. "What's simple?"
"What you need is for Arthur to notice you more, right? Then he'll realise how handsome you are, fall for you too, and you'll both live happily ever after!" Gwen looked extremely triumphant.
"Well, yes, that would be preferable. But how exactly do you propose to get me noticed? I mean, I've saved his life countless times and that hasn't worked." He couldn't figure out where Gwen was going with this.
"Isn't it obvious, Merlin? We have to make you more attractive so that Arthur realises how he feels about you! You're a handsome lad, of course," she clarified quickly, not wanting to offend him. "But really, you always wear those mangy old clothes of yours, along with that dratted neckerchief, not to mention your pudding basin hair cut!" She looked apologetically at him, trying to soften the blow a bit.
"Thanks a lot, Gwen!" Merlin said, but he laughed to show that he wasn't mad at her. "I suppose I see what you mean. But I don't have any money, how exactly do you expect me to buy a load of new clothes? I wear these rags for a reason; they're all I've got!" He looked down at himself, realising for the first time that Gwen was exactly right. How did he expect Arthur to like him when he walked around dressed like this all the time? It was no wonder he blended into the background so often.
"I have an idea. I've been putting aside money my whole life, for emergencies and the like. I'm sure I could spare a little to buy you something nice!"
"Gwen, I couldn't possibly take your money! What if you needed it for something important?" Merlin felt extremely guilty.
"Don't talk rubbish! This is important. This concerns the happiness of the rest of your life! I won't take no for an answer, we're going down to the market right now. Come on!" With a quick pat on the back for support, Gwen got up and walked to the door. "What are you waiting for?"
With a little trepidation, Merlin followed her out the door and through the castle, heading outside to the large market that had permanent residence in the streets of Camelot. He was sure they'd find something to suit him amongst the hundreds of racks of clothing, but where on earth would they even start? Merlin silently thanked the Gods that he had Gwen with him. She would know what to do in this situation.
"Right, what we need first is a pair of nice tight trousers..." Gwen said absently, concentrating on the clothes in front of her.
"What?" Merlin blushed, suddenly too embarrassed to meet her eyes.
"Anything is better than what you're wearing now, Merlin." Gwen laughed at his reaction. "Anyway, this will really catch Arthur's eye." She held up a pair of black trousers that practically looked like tights to Merlin.
"Are you sure?" he questioned hesitantly.
"Yes! I know what I'm talking about. Right, hold these for me." She threw the trousers she had picked out at Merlin and carried on walking, looking like she was on a mission.
"This will go with them perfectly! I've always thought red suits you," Gwen winked at him and held up a fitted red shirt. "It'll show off your body perfectly!" Gwen was laughing loudly now at the embarrassment Merlin was clearly feeling at her scrutiny of him.
"Ok, fine, whatever you say," Merlin said in defeat, his cheeks burning. He would need all the bravery he could get to actually wear these clothes in front of Arthur. What if he just ended up looking like even more of an idiot that normal? As if she could tell what he was thinking, Gwen looked at him sympathetically.
"It's going to be fine, Merlin! Arthur won't be able to resist you in these clothes. And you're NOT going to look stupid!" she added, seeing that Merlin was about to interrupt. "Trust me, I know what I'm talking about!" she grinned at him. Merlin was still doubtful, but he decided it was safest for him to just keep quiet at the moment.
"Ok...we have your trousers and shirt, now you need some nice new boots..." Gwen muttered to herself as she browsed the clothes and shoes. Eventually she picked out a pair of smart brown leather boots. "I reckon these are perfect!" Gwen said with a sparkle in her eye, as she held up the boots to the rest of the outfit Merlin was holding.
Merlin looked at the clothes dubiously. Would they really suit him? Or would he just look like a prat, as he suspected? Gwen saw his face and seemed sympathetic.
"Merlin, trust me. We'll buy these clothes and get you back to the castle so you can try them on, then you'll see what I mean! She spoke softer than earlier, and Merlin suddenly felt bad. Gwen was spending some of her savings on helping him out, and he was just complaining about everything!
"I'm sorry Gwen. I do trust you, I really do! Let's go back to the castle now, ok? I'm sure Arthur will want something or other from me soon enough. He might get suspicious if he can't find me anywhere."
"Wait! There's one more thing we need to do first..." Gwen towed him down the street with a sly look on her face, and Merlin began to get nervous again. What was she up to now? It soon became obvious as they neared a small building that Merlin recognised straight away as a barber shop.
"No! I didn't think you were actually going to make me get a haircut?" Merlin stood still, panicking even more than earlier. If he looked stupid in his new clothes, he could just throw them in a corner and forget about them. There was no hiding a new haircut...
"Calm down Merlin! It'll be fine, I'm not going to make you chop it all off. Just...improve it a bit. The barber will know what he's doing!" Gwen pushed him forward slightly, encouraging him towards the shop door. With a last desperate look backwards towards freedom, Merlin entered the shop and nervously waited. Gwen sorted everything out, and before he knew it he was sitting in a chair, listening to the disconcerting snipping of the scissors above his head.
After a while of tense silence, the barber pulled back and looked at Merlin with a smile. "It's finished! Would you like to see it in the mirror?"
Apprehensively nodding, Merlin took the small handheld mirror that the barber was holding out to him. He looked in, and gasped in surprise. It looked...good! The barber had left him the fringe that he was used to, but now it flopped casually over his forehead, without the pudding basin look that he had before. It was short, but looked thick and luscious. Merlin sat in shock, a slight smile appearing on his face. Maybe this hadn't been such a bad idea after all...
Merlin grinned at the barber and thanked him as he walked quickly to the waiting area to find Gwen. She squealed when she saw him, attracting the attention of half the shop, and ran over. "Merlin, it looks perfect! I can't believe how different you look already!"
He gave her a shy smile. "Thanks Gwen! I can't believe it too...I just hope this plan comes together now. I couldn't bear it if after all this, Arthur still rejected me."
The nervous thoughts flooded back into Merlin's mind with a vengeance, and he couldn't hold back the feelings of doubt and fear about how Arthur would react to him. Gwen gave him a quick hug, and a compassionate smile.
"Don't worry too much, Merlin. It'll all work out in the end, I'm sure of it! Come on, let's head back to the castle."
Merlin followed her obediently, lost in his thoughts. Before he knew it they were back at the castle, and Gwen was ushering him into Morgana's quarters.
"Why are we in here?" Merlin questioned, mystified.
"Morgana won't be back for ages, and I thought it was best for you to get changed in a room that has plenty of mirrors!" Gwen joked, and led Merlin behind the screen. "Here are your clothes. Now hurry up! I can't wait to see how they look," Gwen smiled encouragingly and rushed off to give him privacy.
Merlin pulled off his clothes, wondering what on earth he had got himself in to. As he pulled on the trousers, the tight material felt strange to him. He pulled the shirt on and buttoned up the top of it, then finally put on the leather boots. Feeling slightly uncomfortable and like a totally different person, Merlin shyly edged out from behind the screen. Gwen took one look at him and her eyes opened wide, her mouth hung open in shock. Then she smiled; a big grin that showed she was suppressing another squeal of excitement.
"Merlin! Wow! Get in front of a mirror now before I drag you there myself!" Gwen urged him on, and Merlin took a deep breath to steady his nerves. With one big step, he placed himself in front of Morgana's full length mirror, and almost stopped breathing.
It was as if a completely different person was looking back at him! He had to concede that Gwen really had known what she was talking about. The tight fitting clothes showed off his figure perfectly, and the understated yet eye catching ensemble seemed to suit him perfectly. He gave the mirror a large grin, and turned to Gwen.
"Thank you! Just...thank you. I don't know what to say!"
"You're welcome, Merlin!" Gwen grinned at him again. "There is no doubt in my mind that Arthur will find you extremely attractive. No more stalling now, go and find him!"
Merlin hurried out of the room, his confidence the highest it had been in a long time. He paused outside Arthur's rooms, not sure exactly what he was going to do. In a moment of madness he suddenly undid the buttons at the top of his shirt, exposing a bit of his chest. He was damning himself to hell if this all went wrong, why not go the whole way? He laughed to himself slightly, and knocked on the door.
"Come in!" Arthur's slightly suspicious tone came from inside his room, and Merlin felt a sudden flutter of butterflies in his stomach. He couldn't turn back now! He thought of his feelings for Arthur, and he was suddenly full of a deep passion that he couldn't hold back. He opened the door and strode in, trying to put confidence into every step.
Merlin strode towards Arthur, and looked him in the eye. He didn't think he had ever seen Arthur looked so shocked. Taking advantage of Arthur's silence, Merlin stared at him and took in every detail. His smooth, regal face, his soft pink lips, his perfect blond hair, and of course his bright blue eyes that were caught in Merlin's fervent gaze.
Slowly, Merlin smiled at Arthur. He took special care not to do a goofy grin like he normally did. As seductively as possible, he smiled and walked closer and closer to Arthur. The look of shock was slowly fading from his face, to be replaced by something else, something Merlin couldn't quite read. Eventually, Arthur spoke.
"Merlin, you look...well, you look good!" Arthur's tone was disbelieving, and Merlin was almost sure he could see a faint pink blush appearing on the prince's cheeks. It seemed that Arthur was so shocked he had let his guard down, and Merlin wasn't going to let this opportunity pass him by.
"Thanks," Merlin replied in a voice slightly huskier than usual. He saw Arthur visibly gulp, and knew instinctively that his plan was working. He edged even closer, until their noses were practically touching. He had never been this close to Arthur, and it really was a beautiful sight. Up close, his eyes were full of emotions that Merlin could only ever have dreamed of seeing on his master's face. He was close enough to feel Arthur's warm breath tickling his cheek.
Seeing no hesitation in Arthur's face, Merlin took a deep, rugged breath and made up his mind to go for it. In one swift motion, he closed the gap between them. Merlin's lips met Arthur's in a gentle but passionate kiss, putting as many unspoken emotions into it as he possibly could. He could feel the heat radiating from Arthur, and the tickle of Arthur's hair on his face. Merlin pulled away after only a few short seconds so he could judge Arthur's reaction. Not entirely sure whether to expect requited infatuation, or being sentenced to death, Merlin held his breath.
Arthur looked him in the eye, and Merlin could see the emotions brewing. He was pleased to see that Arthur still didn't seem to have put on his cold mask yet. Finally, Arthur managed to get his senses together.
"Merlin, you prat!" Arthur said, looking him directly in the eye. Merlin froze, terrified suddenly. What had he done? Why had he been so stupid? Of course Arthur would be horrified, why had he even considered anything else? He backed off slightly, never breaking eye contact with Arthur.
However, Arthur began to smile slightly. "Merlin, how many times have I told you? I'm the prince, and you're my servant. I should be in charge at all times!"
Before Merlin could fully comprehend what had happened, Arthur was backing him into a wall. Arthur pressed him against the cold stone, his warm body an exhilarating contrast. Raising his hand slowly, Arthur stroked one thumb down the side of Merlin's face, eliciting a barely audible moan that Merlin couldn't hold back. Arthur smiled even wider at this, and leaned in even closer.
In a whisper that he had his lips almost touching Merlin's, Arthur breathed "The new haircut suits you...but don't tell anyone I said that," he laughed slightly, making a jolt of excitement course through Merlin's body. Merlin tried to lean forwards and recapture Arthur's lips, but he pulled away before Merlin could make contact.
"You're forgetting what I said, Merlin..." Arthur said in his most regal voice, "I'm the one in charge here." He looked amused into Merlin's frustrated eyes, leaving it for as long as he possibly could. Then, with a sudden fire that burned in his expression, Arthur leaned forwards and took control.
Merlin's heart almost stopped when Arthur's lips touched his. This was nothing like the slightly nervous, gentle kiss of earlier. Arthur pressed his whole body against Merlin, and worked his lips against Merlin's with an urgency that hadn't been there before. His lips felt soft, moist, and perfect against Merlin's. His heart jumped in his chest when he felt Arthur's hand snake its way under his shirt and come into contact with his bare skin.
Merlin's mouth opened slightly from the surprise, and Arthur gently darted his tongue along Merlin's full bottom lip. Merlin moaned again, this time a little louder, and Arthur used this opportunity to slide his tongue into his mouth. Feeling waves of pleasure radiate through him, Merlin responded with equal intensity and revelled in the taste of Arthur's tongue. All the while, Arthur was pressing his hips roughly against Merlin's, and he was quickly realising that this was causing quite a reaction that his new tight trousers wouldn't be able to conceal.
It felt like his whole body was on fire, and his hands seemed to get a life of their own. One snaked its way in to Arthur's hair, softy caressing it as he moved his lips against Arthur's. The other was slowly descending down Arthur's back, and he quickly covered the distance before hesitantly stroking his hand over Arthur's soft backside. This had two very desirable effects; the first was a pleasant moan from Arthur, the second was the fact that this movement brought their hips and groins even closer together.
Merlin was losing all his inhibitions by this point; the feeling of Arthur's tongue softly teasing his was driving him insane. Without thinking, Merlin reached his hand between them and found what he had hoped for; either Arthur had something in his pocket or he was just as excited as Merlin was. With a burst of confidence, Merlin started gently caressing his hand up and down the bulge in Arthur's trousers. This caused another pleasurable moan from Arthur, which sent a rush of heat to Merlin's face, not to mention other parts of his anatomy.
This moment seemed to last for a lifetime; lips moving against each other without any notion of stopping, hands fumbling over each other in extremely pleasant places. However, eventually, they pulled slightly apart. Merlin was short of breath, and extremely flushed. He opened his eyes and took in the breathtaking view in front of him. Arthur's usually perfectly placed hair was sticking up all over the place. His cheeks were pink, his mouth red and full from kissing. His eyes, usually so cold and distant, were full of excitement and desire.
Merlin had his arms loosely around Arthur's back, and he tightened them into a sudden hug that he felt necessary. He felt a rush of love for the prince, and he rested his head on Arthur's shoulder as he felt him return the hug. Something huge had just changed between them, something momentous. Merlin's world was about to be turned upside down. Would Arthur regret his decision to act this way with his man servant? Or would he make the life changing decision to turn these emotions, these feelings into a relationship of sorts?
He heard Arthur sigh slightly, and he pulled back to look into his eyes again. Arthur smiled at him, and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. Merlin blushed slightly at this moment of tenderness, and grinned back at him. Arthur seemed to see the question in Merlin's face, and he whispered into his ear, "No matter what happens, there's no going back now".
So, I hope you enjoyed it! I posted this as a multi chapter fic a while ago, but I lost track of where it was going and couldn't carry on so I thought I'd just alter the ending slightly and post the first chapter as a one shot. If you liked it, please review! If you didn't, review anyway :)