~A slightly AU Merlin fic. The AU part being the slight addition in Merlin's appearance. The idea sprout and then grew wings. ~
Arthur really did have a useless man servant. He had asked the idiot to muck out his stables the to return with his lunch to polish his armour. Apparently the man had better things to do than his job. The prince was furious and was going to have a heated, mostly on his part, talk with Merlin. So he was storming his way through the castle halls towards the physicians chambers, people basically leaping out of his way servants and nobles alike.
Throwing open the wooden door that thudded with a jingle from the handle and he barged into the room. Gaius wasn't anywhere to be seen and so Arthur didn't bother with manners as he made for Merlin's room, fury in every step. He was sick of the blatant disregard Merlin had for his duties, he did not have time to reprimand the lacking servant in his schedule.
He didn't knock just barged in, head fuming and sharp words on his tongue. He stopped cold as his mind stilled as if frozen, the words blunt in his slightly gaping mouth. Merlin stood by a wash basin with a linen cloth in hand lacking a shirt, but it wasn't Merlin. Arthur continued to gape in silence at the sight of the not-Merlin's back.
It was covered in the most intricate tattoos he'd ever seen. Inky black patterns against the pale cream skin, they seemed to depict nature to the prince. The wild freedom and unstoppable force that was calm and beautiful in its menace. They swirled down the man's shoulders and arms continuing down his back coming to an abrupt stop like a torn map. Arthur could have gone on starring forever, but Merlin turned his head the movement morphed a detailed lattice and Arthur was completely entranced. Beautiful.
"Back so soon Gaius I'd have thought you'd be- Arthur!" Merlin's eyes were saucers when he noticed the blond in the place of his mentor. The dark haired boy hastily covered himself with one of his blue shirts. "What the hell are you doing here?!"
"I-" Arthur stumbled for a second the images still sealed onto his memory. "What are they?"
"None of your business." Merlin said flippantly. "I'll be up with your lunch soon."
"But they're just- where did they come from?" Everything about Arthur then was awe struck.
"Again none of your business." Merlin had turned his back.
The prince found himself moving closer, every bit the curious child. He was too close to Merlin now for it to be even slightly proper, and just to push it more his body was acting with out his consent. Merlin gasped in surprise when his finger tips feathered the strange lattice, the skin was warm beneath Arthur's fingers.
Regaining himself and his sanity Arthur stepped back clearing his throat, embarrassed. Merlin was facing him again his eyes owlish.
"I'll be going." Arthur was gone without another word, Merlin's eyes following him out.
He swept through the halls, strange thoughts in messy tangles. Thoughts of pale skin and swirling patterns of ink.
He couldn't, no matter how hard he tried, rid it from his mind. For the past two days Arthur had been completely dazed, he couldn't focus properly on anything it seemed. His father dragged him to another drab counsel meeting, but he barely heard snippets of conversation something about crop delegations.
And it was Merlin who fully occupied his head. There seemed no end to the mystery of the man that was his servant. How had Arthur never noticed the marks of ink on his skin? Granted he'd never previously encountered Merlin shirtless before, but surely after all the time they'd spent in each others company Arthur would've caught a glimpse. He hadn't though and so the mystery doubled. He desperately needed to see it again.
His gaze remained trained on Merlin, thinking of the sight beneath the flimsy cloth his servant opted to wear. His dark head was bowed respectively, but as Arthur continued to gaze lost in the enigma of this man he thought he knew everything about, Merlin raised his head slightly and his eyes connected with Arthur's. The prince gave an involuntary shiver not looking away. Merlin detached his eyes shifting uncomfortably a frown appearing on his forehead as blush stained his cheek bones.
The counsel adjourned and Arthur was out of there as respectfully as he could manage, Merlin trailed behind him as he made for his rooms.
The paperwork he was trying to complete held the same productivity of the counsel meeting, Merlin had busied himself with chores around Arthur's room. His posture was bristled Arthur noticed as his eyes followed the willowy man. The prince forced his eyes to the parchment unable to focus once more as the ink dripped from his quill.
His intent gaze flittered back to his servant who was preparing his bed, turning down the covers with a slightly viscous tug.
"Stop that, now." Merlin warned, not facing Arthur as he bent over the covers.
"Stop what?" Arthur scoffed looking dazed like he'd just woken from a dream.
"You know damn well what, Arthur." Merlin said exasperatedly, "You've been eyeing me with that look on your face for the past two days! And you know, it really doesn't suit you."
"Can I just-" Arthur cut himself off.
"Can you what?" Merlin was facing him now.
"I don't know how to explain Merlin. It just… It feels like I've only seen half of a battle formation, or read a book that's pages became blank half way through the story." Arthur tried hopefully, desperate for Merlin to understand. Groaning when the man just quirked an eyebrow.
"I have no clue what brought this on." Merlin sighed, "Just tell me what needs to be done to fix it."
Arthur's mouth moved of its own accord, "take off your shirt."
Merlin gaped like a fish, his face incredulous. "What?!" His voice was shrill.
"I…" Arthur sighed realising this wasn't going to get anywhere if he didn't just tell it straight. "The markings I saw…" He trailed off as realisation bloomed on Merlin's features to be replaced with embarrassment.
He gave a small 'oh' eyes falling to the floor shyly and Arthur felt something stir at the pure innocence before him.
Merlin's eyes raised again and Arthur was pinned. "I'm guessing you want to see them again."
Arthur fought down the anticipation and said as softly as possible, "May I?"
His friend looked about as flustered as the prince had ever seen him. Then Merlin turned away from Arthur and the blond prince watched lungs stationary as the ebony haired mystery shrugged the brown coat from his shoulders the garment fell unceremoniously to the floor. Arthur tried not to think to hard about the fact that Merlin was disrobing in his chambers, that fact lead to some very uncouth scenarios.
The red necker chief followed his coat and lastly it was the royal blue shirt that hid the beauty of those markings. Merlin fingered the hem of his tunic with hesitation before taking a breath pulling the fabric over his head.
Arthur was once again mesmerised by the seemingly never ending patterns adorning Merlin's ivory skin. He rose from his desk and stepped toward Merlin barely breathing in his awe, he was behind the man in an instant drawn to touch the markings as he had been that day in Merlin's room. He couldn't help himself and so his palms rested lightly on his shoulders, the warlock's head tipped back slightly, a shiver rippling through him.
"I can't possibly study you like this." Arthur stated.
"Study me!" Before Merlin could protest the prince pushed him forward onto the bed, the man man flipped over rising himself on his hands to glare indignantly at the blond realising his mistake immediately when Arthur gasped in surprise. The inky marks continued on Merlin's torso covering the entire expanse of his chest. Merlin was flushed with colour shy under the prince's gaze.
"Are they all over you?" Arthur asked stunned.
"I guess…" Merlin muttered.
"I don't suppose it'll make any sense," Merlin looked at Arthur as the prince spoke, "but I feel as though they mean something, much like a page of a book." Arthur continued feeling like he was on to something, "And half of it is covered." He gestured at Merlin's pants.
"You do realise what your asking Arthur?" Merlin almost growled. "Which areas your gesturing at?"
Arthur nodded sheepish in the perfectly understandable way Merlin had reacted to what appeared to be advances of the romantic kind. Arthur felt the irrational parts of him demanding he make some flippant insult, but that was not what was needed in this situation. Some of the ever more irrational parts were suggesting…
"I do not intend to force anything of the sort on you Merlin." The man looked genuinely surprised, "However somehow this feels important."
Merlin let the defensive anger slid from his features, nodding his understanding. "I had assumed they had a purpose." He mumbled, shifting on the bed.
Arthur couldn't help but admire the, dare even think it, beautiful man on his bed. He'd thought Merlin a graceless oaf, with limbs to long and ears to big. That couldn't be further from the truth, his man servant looked other worldly at that moment lithe and pale. The dark markings a miraculous contrast and his face was… words like picturesque or angelic wouldn't do it justice.
"You know this was supposed to fix that." Merlin was quirking an eyebrow again.
Arthur cleared his throat, "Right then strip."
Merlin looked completely indignant at this and Arthur felt the urge to laugh at his expression and really just everything about the situation.
"I am wearing one of your bath towels, thank you." Merlin said standing and striding to the dividing screen, Arthur chuckled quietly at Merlin's petulance.
That was until he reemerged from behind the screen, one of Arthur's bath towels low on his hips the material barely stretching a quarter of his thigh. The prince's throat was dry all of a sudden, eyeing the finish of the tattoos extremely low on Merlin's navel. Then the began again on Merlin's legs starting somewhere under that towel. He shook himself as Merlin moved closer and stopped a step in front of him. When Arthur stepped to the side and gestured at his bed Merlin complied without a word the pale flush remained on his high cheek bones.
The warlock lay face up in the red and gold covers, relaxing into the pillows. Arthur climbed onto the mattress after him kneeling by his side he was aware that this was not the most advantageous angle of which he could study the markings on Merlin's pale chest.
The thought of fixing this in mind he placed his knee on the other side of his servant effectively straddling Merlin's thighs sitting only just below the end of the towel. Merlin's eyes were open as soon as Arthur had settled, the man was raised on his elbows and starring unbelievably at Arthur.
"You are aware that this position is more than compromising." Merlin breathed.
Arthur leaned over Merlin his hands pressing the warlock's shoulders back to the bed. "I am also aware that I will do nothing of the sort unless you want it of me."
Merlin's eyes had a look that stumped Arthur for its meaning. The prince took his silence as consent to continue studying the tattoos. After some searching he found something interesting it was in the middle of Merlin's sternum. He bent his head low squinting at a mark that looked strangely like the Pendragon crest interwind with what seemed to be a tree with roots that were looped and woven.
He hummed in curiosity which got Merlin's attention.
"Find something?" He asked drowsily.
"I'm not sure… but." Arthur rested his palms either side of this mark and there was an instant reaction.
Merlin lost all drowsiness arching violently up into Arthur's touch, a throaty cry forcing its way past the warlock's lips as he threw his head back.
Arthur drew his hands back frightened at the reaction he leant forward again, Merlin's chest was heaving breaths. The prince took the ivory face in his hands worried for his friend. Arthur stroked his thumbs along his cheek bones Merlin's eyes were sealed shut his breath still coming in harsh pants.
"Merlin?" Arthur questioned concern and fear fluttering in his chest, "Merlin what's wrong? What did I do?"
The warlock's eyes snapped open and Arthur searched them for a sign.
"What happened Merlin?"
"Again." Merlin breathed.
"What!"
"Again Arthur. Do that again." Merlin looked frantic as he gripped Arthur's wrists tightly. "I need you to do that again."
Arthur looked at loss, he had no idea what repeating his actions entailed. That sound Merlin had made scared him. He stared at Merlin taking in his pleading eyes and his ragged breathing, he looked desperate.
"Please Arthur." The man begged the grip he had on Arthur's wrists tightened.
"But Merlin…"
"For once in your bloody life- just do it!" His breath was still laboured and against his better judgement Arthur hovered his hands over the place he'd put them before. Against his better judgement because Merlin begged him.
He looked back to Merlin's face worry etched into the blond's features. The warlock's hair was a mess, his eyes were desperation at its most severe and his lips formed the word please over and over.
He flattened his hands on either side of the interwind crest once more and the reaction was again instant, this time multiplied tenfold.
Merlin jolted his back arching with his head thrown back in a cry of something Arthur couldn't determine. The dark haired man writhed beneath the prince continuous croaked noises tearing from his throat. Arthur watched unable to shift his hands from the warm skin even if he wanted to. Transfixed by this gorgeous creature thrashing beneath him, long fingered hands fisted in the sheets.
Before he knew it they were in his hair and Merlin's eyes were open pupils blown wide. The hands tugged him forward to Merlin's face where his lips were attacked by the warlock's full rose ones, in a fervent kiss burning with uncontrollable passion. Then he felt it.
What Merlin must have been feeling this whole time, it was ecstasy in its purest form with the ceaseless intensity of a raging bonfire. It was incapacitating, thrilling, terrible and addictive. The best of a thousand life times wrapped into one moment.
Then his eyes were shut and images danced in his mind, like memories not yet lived. The pair of them horsing around after a long hunt, rolling in the tall golden grass of a forest clearing like two children souls stuffed into the bodies of men. They laughed and played until their chests hurt, falling into each others arms content in company. Then it changed and he and Merlin were swimming in a lake as clear and blue as the sky and as depthless as the ocean. The sun was high and droplets like pearls cascaded down the cream of Merlin's skin as he laughed in delight. Then Arthur pulled him close and they kissed languidly like two lovers without a care in the world.
It changed again and Arthur was seated on the throne a crown atop his head with Merlin by his side dressed in the finest royal blue robes the tailors could acquire. A crown crested the ebony locks of Merlin's head and then the man smiled, a smile knowing and compassionate that felt like coming home. The smile of the man he loved.
Then it shattered like a dream and Arthur arose for breath, that feeling lingering under his skin. He gulped in air as his eyes fluttered open to reveal Merlin below him panting his eyes still closed, dark lashes against his pale cheeks. They slid open to reveal the most stunning blue he had ever witnessed nothing could compare but maybe the lake they'd swam in. Clear as the sky and as depthless as the ocean.
Neither of them uttered a word locked in each others eyes and the memories that would be. Then they were kissing again Merlin sitting up Arthur in his lap, the prince's hands curled in the ebony locks. They were wrapped up in the feeling of each other, it felt like new love that had been around for ages past, passion beyond any other and love everlasting.
They broke apart again sharing air in the space between them.
Arthur grinned resting his forehead against Merlin's, "The crown suited you."
The prince opened his eyes met with that impossible blue. Merlin laughed and it held every joy. That smile appeared again as vivid and compassionate as he had seen in the memory.
The life they would live. The destiny they would share. It was the stuff of legend.