Summary: Whilst trying to prove himself to his father, Arthur ends up wounded in a tournament and receives medical treatment from Merlin as Gaius is away from Camelot. Before he left, Gaius asked Merlin to deliver a vial to one of his customers which just so happens to be a powerful aphrodisiac. Plans don't go so smoothly for Merlin however, as he is faced with saving Arthur from yet another person who wants him and Uther dead. As Merlin's chaotic day continues, somehow Arthur ends up with the aphrodisiac instead, causing trouble (and fun times) to pursue. An emotionally constipated Arthur is forced to face his emotions whilst Merlin is put to the test; can he resist the man of his dreams for the duty of Camelot and for the sake of his own heart?
A/N: UPDATE So this is only my second fanfiction and I seem to have a thing for editing it like 100 times. So those of you who have already read this and think… 'this is a tiny bit different'- you're right! When I first started this I was just going for a 6,000 word limit although that has NOT happened. And for all of you glorious people waiting for chapter 3, it is coming- and has now made this 14K story a 25K+ story. I know. Kill me. :)
Today should have been a good day, a fun one, well as fun as one could be cleaning up after Arthur. But fate had other plans for Merlin. Running up multiple flights of stairs within the castle, Merlin ran into the small cloak cupboard that was left open and quickly (but very quietly) shut it behind him. At this point in time, Merlin really did deserve to be called Camelot's biggest idiot. Still, Merlin was hunched over with his hands on his knees attempting to get his breath back which in all honesty hurt. His dark raven hair was a complete mess, a crimson coloured flush covered his cheeks and upper body from physical excursion, he could already feel his clothes sticking to him uncomfortably. He should really start working out or at least do something to raise his stamina, Merlin thought bitterly.
It was the day of the grand feast, to celebrate Arthur's stupendous victory in one of the many tournaments in which men hit each other recklessly until there was only one man left standing. Merlin wouldn't be surprised if Arthur had lost brain cells, a lot of them, during his time smashing other people for 'fun' and 'honor'. Hopefully he would partake in less of them in the future, after all, Camelot's 'Once and Future King' couldn't be a simpleton. However, this wasn't a normal tournament winning, certain events had occurred -as per usual- making this particular win more triumphant. Merlin let out a long sigh only to clamp his own hand over his own mouth as he heard multiple footsteps running past his cupboard.
"Which way did he go?!" Shouted a rather gruff voice. The footsteps slowed down and seemed to circle the area outside Merlin's temporary hiding place. Merlin didn't even dare breathe as the voices and footsteps got closer and closer.
"Why does the Prince want the skinny runt anyway?" A different voice asked, also sounding rather unpleasant. Damn knights of Camelot - they're all brutes.
"That's not for us to question, right now we need to find him and deliver him to the Prince. Don't mix up your own foolish curiosity with your duty. Now come, this way!" Okay, well maybe not Sir Leon, he's okay and pretty friendly. Merlin could hear the footsteps of Sir Leon and the other knights fade as they continued down the long lengths of the corridor.
You see, yesterday's tournament is where it all went wrong. It really wasn't Merlin's fault, well maybe a little- but it was an accident. A mistake.
-26 hours previously.-
"Gaius where are the healing ointments? I need them for Arthur!" Merlin called as he was going through shelf after shelf, trying to find the right ointments and equipment.
"Ah Merlin, I've got them already prepared in a bag over there." Gaius pointed over to the far table which was crowded with books, potions and a vast amount of vials holding- Merlin wasn't sure what. "But while you're on your way, be a good lad and deliver this to Hugh. He's paid very good coin for this as it's... not something I would normally make. Anyway, tell him to take it when he's got plenty of free time as it's very strong and will last a long while." Gaius finished, his eyebrows furrowed together slightly as if being extra vigilant on what he was saying. It wasn't normal for Merlin to take care of Arthur's health during his tournaments however, a state of emergency had crept up in the form of the quick spread of a particular nasty illness in the villages close to Camelot. This meant that Gaius had to journey over there and Merlin, being Gaius' apprentice, had to fill in for him during the tournament.
"Okay but it'll have to be quick, I haven't got much time. Arthur's been making me run around all morning to make sure everything is prepared for this afternoon. Which one is it?" Merlin put back all the small vials that he had moved and jumped down from the small ladder he was perched on and strode towards the cluttered table which the bad was rested on.
"This one, although be very careful Merlin. It looks extremely similar to the healing draft. Also tell Hugh that it'll take a while to take effect so it's best to drink it on an empty stomach as food will prolong both the amount of time it takes to take effect and how long it'll last." Gaius pulled out a small blue vial that really did look exactly like the healing drafts and ointments. The only difference being a small 'A' written in ink on the cork. Gaius put the small vial back into the bag after giving Merlin one of his 'Don't mess this up' looks.
"Okay Gaius, I'll do it." Merlin smiled at the old man that was a father figure to him and grabbed the bag off the table, moving quickly to the door.
"Oh, and Merlin?" Merlin swiftly stopped and spun around, his hand still on the door's latch. "Don't do anything reckless, like using those talents of yours at today's tournament."
"Me? Reckless? Never!" Merlin shouted happily back, his smile widened to his typical goofy grin as he rushed out of the room and went on his way to the tournament. He was running late anyway for Arthur and if he was lucky, the old man Hugh would be in the tournament stalls sitting down and waiting for the show to start. Merlin had already spotted Gwen and Morgana in their seats and waved at them when they looked over in his direction, as if sensing his presence and smiled back at him.
It didn't take long for Merlin to get to Arthur's tent but unfortunately for him a certain Prince was already waiting... And fuming.
"Merlin..." Arthur's hands were on his hips, a tell-tale sign to duck, run and basically do everything as quickly and efficiently as possible to avoid something (normally hard and sharp) being thrown at him. "Where the hell have you been?! The tournament will start anytime now!" Arthur bellowed, reaching for something to throw at Merlin.
Thankfully Merlin's reflexes were sharp enough to dodge the flying goblet. "I was getting your healing ointments and equipment- Gaius can't make it as he has been asked by the King to deal with the illness that has spread in the village of Aysgarth!" Merlin squeaked, dodging left and right. Arthur momentarily stopped throwing random objects at Merlin, his arm still raised to throw the apple that he held securely in his hand.
"Right, well. Get on with it then." Arthur mumbled, throwing the apple at Merlin anyway and succeeding in hitting him on the head. Merlin mumbled insults as he sprang to action, hurriedly getting Arthur into his armour in record time. After checking everything twice over and being completely satisfied, Merlin nodded.
"All done. Good luck out there."
"Merlin, how many times do I have to tell you? You can't win a tournament with luck-"
"No, but it helps." Merlin smiled cheekily up at Arthur who seemed to give up on his idiotic manservant. At that, the horns were blown to signify everyone to shut up and sit down and for those who were taking part in today's 'smash and bash' tournament to get their buts outside and into positions. "Right well, that's you."
Arthur let out a particularly long sigh before saying "It seems so." Arthur looked back at Merlin, his eyes squinting slightly in a calculating look. "Don't do anything stupid- no I mean it Merlin, I need to win this one to prove to my father that I'm no longer the boy he says I am. All the other nobles out there are both older than me and a hell of a lot more experienced. Their seasoned warriors not the younger knights that I usually battle with, which means it's even more vital that you don't screw anything up." Merlin nodded, not bothered that the Prince didn't let him defend himself. It wasn't Merlin's fault that trouble always seemed to find him and a lot of the time it actually found Arthur- but as he always jumped in the way it naturally looked like it was latched onto him instead. Arthur walked out of the tent, not looking back at Merlin who eventually followed.
Strangely enough, Merlin understood why today's tournament was so important which was why he had stayed up all of last night making sure that everything was perfect for his Highness' use today. Polishing, sharpening and preparing everything (maybe a few 'small unnoticeable enchantments' to make sure nothing broke whilst he was fighting) to ensure everything was at its best and that nothing (other than Arthur's own fighting skills) could go wrong today. Uther had made it completely clear that he was not impressed with Arthur's 'boyish attitude', claiming that if Arthur continued his behaviour he would dishonor both the Pendragon name and Camelot. Although Merlin wasn't entirely sure what Arthur had done that was considered to be 'boyish'. Merlin sighed, leaning back onto the wall just before the arena so he could watch Arthur destroy his opponents, he could already tell that today was going to be a long one.
It didn't seem to be too long until Arthur re-entered his tent looking like he had had a fight with a boar in a mud-pen whilst trying to explain to the King and his advisers the meaning of 'Hakuna Matata'. In other words; he looked muddy, wounded and extremely agitated. "Bloody tournament. I swear the next tournament my father decides to put on I will not participate and I'll make sure all of the contestants wear nothing but ladies petticoats. At least that way it would be amusing." Arthur ranted. Okay, maybe Uther did have a point about Arthur's 'boyish' behaviour. Still, Merlin couldn't help but let out a loud laugh at the thought of a bunch of men fighting in frocks. Arthur smiled back at Merlin and let out a little chuckle at his own joke. Although they both knew that would never happen- it was nice to dream and although Arthur complained now, in reality Arthur loved these 'stupid' tournaments. Merlin passed Arthur a full goblet of fresh, cold water which Arthur joyfully accepted.
"You're doing really well out there." Merlin muttered, focussing on trying to find any wounds or broken pieces of armour on Arthur's body. They only had a small amount of time as a 'break' until Arthur had to go back out there and continue fighting the other remaining contestants.
"Well, I am the best fighter in all of Camelot- OW! Be careful Merlin." Merlin found a small but slightly deep cut just below the Prince's ribs which he had poked, causing the obnoxious prat to yell out. Merlin went over to the bag that Gaius had given him and took out a healing ointment and a few bandages, making sure that the little 'A' wasn't on the cork. After he had bandaged the wound and put a rather large amount of the greenish-blue paste onto Arthur's skin to prevent any infection from occurring and also to speed up the healing process, he paused.
"Right, do you have any other injuries anywhere that you can feel?"
"No."
"Okay, do you need any pain relief for that cut? I've got some healing drafts in my bag so they're there if you want one."
"No. If I take anything now it'll just delay my reaction time and make me tired. I'm fine Merlin." Arthur stretched, his arms above his head as he cracked his back, knuckles and arms- much to Merlin's disgust. Arthur then picked up the water goblet again and downed the remaining liquid. It was almost time for the second and final part of the tournament to start so Merlin helped Arthur get back into his armour before he set out again outside.
Merlin followed and decided to watch the tournament for a while, there were four other men left to fight, all of which Merlin didn't recognise or could even put a name to. As the fighting commenced two of the nobles went down almost immediately, one being injured (not fatally) by Arthur who knocked the older man off his feet in a sweeping movement then proceeded to knock the sword out of his hand. The other noble was taken down by the other two who seemed to have had the same target and idea as all three swords clashed together before two of which were redirected to the man's chest and an elbow to the head. Thankfully the armour the man was wearing was extremely strong so nothing really happened apart from the man getting knocked out. Now that there were only three left, Arthur and the two other men seemed to be circling one another, waiting to pounce. Merlin really hoped that Gaius would return soon, although some of the nobles had brought their own physicians, it looked rather messy and a lot of work for Merlin if nothing else. Thankfully these tournaments were just for fun and therefore not to-the-death but still, accidents did happen. After several minutes of the two other nobles attempting to take down Arthur's defenses- the taller man out of the two started to lash out more, clearly losing his temper and began to batter at him as if to pound him into the side panel close to where Morgana sat. It was clear that this noble had expected to give Arthur a quick defeat and easy humiliation but not fight an equal- if not better- opponent. It was clear that this man, whose name Merlin overheard to be Sir Gregory, was no longer participating in a friendly tournament but out for blood and would not be content with simple pretend or shallow wounds and victory.
Arthur's anger went from simmering to boiling point as he began to fight harder, the smaller man out of the two was forgotten but clearly not in on Sir Gregory's plan and stood motionless. Torn between protecting the Prince or letting things continue. The crowd who had been cheering for their Prince, fell completely silent, the only sounds in the air being that of a few faint gasps from the audience, the ringing of the blades crashing together viciously and the hoarse rasp of both fighters' breathes. Sir Gregory's sword slipped past Arthur's defences and slashed towards his throat. Before Gregory could completely execute the move, Merlin's eyes flashed gold- moving Gregory's left foot slightly causing him to slip, making the move a lot easier to dodge which Arthur did. The Prince laughed as if he was having the greatest time in the world and even praised Gregory loudly by shouting "A wonderful move! Show it to me again?!" Arthur was clearly outraged by Sir Gregory's bloodthirsty tactics to the point he was taunting him. When Gregory slashed backhanded in a return blow, Arthur thrust his blade vertically and caught it before it cut him in half. "Excellent. Excellent. You're one of the finest swordsmen I've ever seen!" However, whilst pushing into Gregory's blade to attack back, Gregory's blade caught his side penetrating Arthur's chainmail. How deep the wound was, Merlin couldn't tell as Arthur barely reacted.
This seemed to get the third man out of his daze as he blinked hard and then swept in to protect the Prince from further assault. The smaller man managed to knock Sir Gregory down pretty hard as he charged into him but didn't strike any real blows. The Prince held his sword to Sir Gregory's throat. "What are you waiting for boy? Go on, do it." Sir Gregory whispered.
"Dying is a messy, bloody, ugly thing. I wish it upon no man- especially not in front of an audience at a friendly tournament. If you wish to fight me, we do it without an audience." Arthur spoke in a regal voice, loud enough so everyone could hear.
Sir Gregory glanced up towards the audience, Uther was scowling down at him among the many bodies that stood white and silent, Uther's hand grasped the handle of his sword in a painful looking vice-like grip. "I had forgotten… another time then." Sir Gregory muttered.
The smaller man who was still restraining Sir Gregory looked over at Arthur who gave him a sharp nod. Taking that as a sign all was okay, the man jumped off and walked towards Arthur and took off his helmet, revealing a ruggedly handsome man who was around 10 years older than the Prince. Shaking his shaggy brown curls which were damp with sweat before laughing out "Shall we continue the-" Sir Gregory's sword pierced his shoulder before he could finish speaking. Arthur stood stock still from shock as he watched the man slump to the ground, screaming in agony.
"You're right Prince Arthur." Sir Gregory shook his sword clean as the man before him fell. "Dying is an ugly thing, something which both you and your father deserve." Sir Gregory launched at Arthur. Their weapons caught each other high in the air, and they stood belly to belly, face to face. The fighting became ruthless and bloodthirsty, more so than earlier. Merlin panicked, he had been too focused on Arthur to notice that Sir Gregory had gotten up. The fighting continued as Merlin tried to work out a plan of action in how he could save Arthur from yet another person who wanted him dead. The metallic twang of swords crashing together ruthlessly surged his magic into action. Thankfully, Merlin's magic seemed to know what to do- the hilt of Sir Gregory's sword became white hot making him momentarily lose both his grip and pace. This gave Arthur the chance to strike, taking Sir Gregory's head clean off. To anyone else watching the scene unfold it would have looked like a mere slip up on Sir Gregory's part, Merlin sighed in relief as he leaned back on the wall behind him. The crowd began to cheer loudly at Arthur's victory, however Arthur wasn't paying any attention to anything other than the other body that was sprawled on the ground behind Sir Gregory's. Arthur quickly crouched down and put the back of his hand close to the man's nose and mouth to check if he was breathing.
"We need a physician over here! This man is still alive!" Arthur shouted over to where Merlin was standing. Almost immediately two older men- slightly younger than Gaius with a number of other men trailing behind came running over to where Arthur and the wounded man lay.
"Sire, you should go and get your wounds checked out, one of us would offer our services but as you can already see, are hands are tied with Sir Thomas." Said one of the physicians that was still trying to get Sir Thomas- the knight who had been stabbed by Sir Gregory, onto a stretcher. Arthur nodded and got up, ignoring Uther who was calling him over and the cheers from the audience. Merlin walked alongside Arthur as they came to his tent and walked inside, Arthur didn't say a word whilst Merlin helped to take off his armour. Arthur sat down, his head resting on his hands between his legs.
"Arthur…" Merlin started, not really knowing where he was going with this. Arthur looked up at him, still mute, waiting for him to carry on what he was saying. "I need to check your side and also redress the wound from earlier. We can go to your chambers if you'd feel more comfortable- away from everyone?" Arthur looked back down at his hands which were covered in blood. The rest of him wasn't that great either, the spray of blood that had occurred after he had beheaded the crazed knight had hit him straight in the face. Arthur looked a mess.
"Bath." Arthur mumbled.
"What?" Merlin asked- not catching on.
"I'd like to bath first Merlin, if that's alright with you." Arthur snapped. He got up and walked out of the tent towards the castle, Merlin running after him after grabbing the bag with all the medical he would need, including the small bottle that Gaius had given him for Hugh which he had entirely forgotten about.
"Would you like any food at all?" Merlin asked as the turned down the corridor towards Arthur's chambers. Still cautious, it seemed to Merlin that Arthur was only just holding it together.
"Yes, I haven't eaten at all today so make sure you bring enough- and wine. I'd like some wine." Merlin nodded and turned to run down to the kitchen to get the food and hot water for the Prince's bath. "Oh and Merlin, get some of the other servants to help you with the bath- I'd like that as soon as physically possible."
"Will that be all sire?"
"Yes, now run along and don't keep me waiting." Merlin scarpered down to the kitchens and asked the cook for some of the Prince's favourite foods to be brought up after briefly explaining the events of the tournament. With that the cook sent up two servants with a tray each of the Prince's favourite food and wine. They were lucky as they had already been prepared for the feast tonight and were at hand. Merlin then asked a few passing servants to help him with carrying the bath water up to Arthur's room. In all it took an entire candle mark to get everything done, except the heating of the water which had to be done in the Prince's room. Once Merlin had got everything prepared the prince had washed his hands and face in a basin of warm water provided by one of the kitchen staff which was now as red as blood itself. Arthur had also eaten the majority of food which was brought up to him, which was a lot. Including both sweet and savoury pastries, meats and cheeses. If Arthur wasn't careful Merlin would have to put another hole in his belt, he still had the feast to attend.
"The baths done." Merlin turned towards Arthur to see him drinking from one of the vials from Merlin's bag. "Are you in pain?" Arthur shrugged and set the now empty vial down and then disappeared behind the changing screen. Merlin pushed one of the small tables next to the bath and placed the last plate of food on it so it was within Arthur's reach whilst he was in the bath. Going back to his bag Merlin placed the empty vial back into his bag before shuffling around to find anything else which would help him with treating Arthur's wounds. What Merlin failed to notice was the little 'A' on top of the cork of the now empty vial that Arthur had drunk from. Clothing was thrown from behind Arthur's changing screen onto the floor before Arthur came out from behind it- completely naked, not bothering to put on the waist cloth that Merlin had provided. "You know you could just put them in the basket next to you." Merlin said as he averted his eyes elsewhere around the room.
"That's your job, Merlin." Arthur went over to the bath which had recently been heated and put his hand in to test the water. "It'll do." He mumbled. He slowly sunk himself into the bath and let out a large sigh of content. Thoughts of the tournament and Sir Gregory still plagued his mind. Not just thoughts about why Sir Gregory had tried to kill him, going as far as to hurt other innocent people but sicker, darker thoughts stirred Arthur. They had been since he had killed the man. Arthur didn't like killing men, not really. Then again what honorable man did? Images of Sir Gregory's decapitated body flashed in his mind, where the neck was sliced, how the blood had sprayed him in the face to the point he got a small mouthful of it. The blood and gore oozing out onto the ground only mere feet away from the king. Although, the most sickening thing Arthur had seen was when he had looked up to see his father's smiling face. Uther had looked extremely proud in those few seconds before he had ordered to have Sir Gregory's body taken away. But there was something else in his father's eyes… something more sinister. It sent a chill down his spine, as if Uther enjoyed watching death. That's what had made Arthur's stomach churn, bile rising in his throat. Arthur closed his eyes and willed himself not to think about it any longer. His eyes didn't stay shut for long apparently as the noises in the room made him reopen his eyes, the sounds of clanking and cursing filled the room.
As he lay there in the bath he could see Merlin shuffling around his chambers, his raven black hair shining slightly from the few rays of sunshine which were easing their way into the room. Merlin looked up from where he attempting to tidy the room and gave Arthur an apologetic goofy grin. From his position in the bathtub, Arthur studied Merlin's scrawny physique. He really did look like a boy who had been forcibly stretched to be made taller and then given clothes which were a size or two too big, dwarfing him. Arthur chuckled a little bit. Imagining a smaller version of Merlin, looking like a mere child with his giant, yet somewhat adorable ears. His deep blue eyes and beautifully plump lips. Arthur's thoughts stopped abruptly there. The Crowned Prince of Camelot did not think that another man's features were either adorable or in-any-way-shape-or-form beautiful. Especially not Merlin's features. His manservant for heaven's sake. Arthur forced himself to look away trying and failing to think about something else. He looked over at Merlin who was at his bedside, laying out garments for this evening, Arthur felt his cock twitch and closed his eyes tightly but that didn't stop him thinking about Merlin's plump lips and how they would look stretched around his cock whilst those eyes, ravishingly beautiful eyes, looked up at him. Arthur felt his cock twitch again and a stirring in his lower regions as his blood seemed to slowly pump down to his cock. With that line of thought Arthur abruptly up and dunked himself into the bathtub causing water to spill out over the edges. He was just very stressed. Yes, that was it- he had had a very stressful and tiring day which was causing him to have abnormally strange thoughts. As Merlin was the only one here, his brain was taking it out on him. It's not like he had had these inappropriate thoughts before, of course not. Why would he? He had never dreamt about Merlin once. Okay, not entirely true, he had but only once and that was also when he was not in his right mind. And the time after that was because he thought he was going to lose Merlin when he ran off to Ealdor to save his village. And the time after that- Arthur was yanked up from under his armpits causing him to come up gasping and nearly choking on the bath water.
"What the hell do you think you're doing Arthur?!" Merlin shouted, mere inched away from Arthur's face. His eyes focused solely on his as he spluttered and gasped for air. "Are you really being so dramatic to nearly drown yourself in your own bath water because you had to kill a man that wanted your head?!" Arthur shook Merlin's hands off him which were slightly submerged into the water, holding onto his sides. The touch of Merlin's hands made Arthur's skin burn, as if it was on fire, a fire which Arthur craved enormously. His eyes raked over Merlin's form. The water had soaked his tunic making it cling to his skin and show off Merlin's slightly toned but mainly lithe upper body. Arthur tore his gaze away sharply.
"I was not trying to drown myself Merlin. I was merely washing my hair." Merlin looked far from convinced, his hands were no longer inside the bathtub but resting on the side, he reached behind himself to get the soap and offered it to Arthur. A silent gesture of 'want me to do it?' However, the way Arthur's brain was working, better not. Arthur took the bar of soap from Merlin but in doing so, accidentally brushed against Merlin's slender ivory fingers which made Arthur shudder involuntarily. The soap was still in between their hands. Arthur looked deep into Merlin's bright blue eyes, the beast residing in Arthur's lower abdomen was twisting into a tight knot.
Merlin didn't break the stare but furrowed his brow in confusion. Did Arthur want him to wash his hair or not? He had grabbed the soap… so why didn't he take it? Merlin let out a small sigh. Arthur's gaze dropped down to Merlin's lips and noticed (not for the first time) how kissable they really were, he normally had a lot more control over his inner beast which wanted him to devour his scrawny manservant but today, it had a mind of its own and he had very little self-control left.
Merlin noticed how Arthur's gaze dropped to his lips but Merlin being as innocent as he was, assumed there was something on his face. Raising his hand to the side of his mouth he asked "Have I got something here?" Arthur brought his eyes back to Merlin's, slightly caught unaware. His heart beat increased rapidly, feeling the constant build-up of warmth and tension in his lower abdomen. Not knowing what to say he nodded and then raised his left hand from the bath to meet Merlin's cheek, using his thumb to stroke Merlin's plump bottom lip to get rid of the imaginary dirt. The wetness from his own thumb made Merlin's bottom lip glisten slightly which made him look even more irresistible. Merlin cocked his head to the side, leaning into Arthur's palm and gave Arthur a questioning look, his brow furrowed together even further. Everything Merlin was doing was having an effect on Arthur, his once semi-hard cock now stood proudly to attention and twitched at the sight of Merlin, now above the water level. In one fluid motion Arthur dropped the bar of soap into the water and grabbed hold of Merlin's tunic with both hands, pulling him into the bath completely, his mouth crashing down on to Merlin's desperately. The beast had won.
Merlin had no idea what was going on. One minute he was handing Arthur a bar of soap, the next he was being manhandled into Arthur's bath and being kissed! Merlin could still feel Arthur's ravenous mouth moving hotly over his own and couldn't help but let out a small moan. It wasn't his fault his traitorous, inexperienced body reacted so much to even the slightest of touches. Or in this case, kiss. Arthur moaned back in response, his full and leaking cock rubbing against Merlin's clothed stomach and groin. When Arthur then moved to take off Merlin's shirt, Merlin's head snapped back into reality. This was Arthur he was kissing, not some maid or stable boy, Arthur for heaven's sake! He couldn't have this. "Arthur!" Merlin cried out and managed to push him off for about two seconds before Arthur's mouth smashed back onto his and Arthur somehow had managed to take off Merlin's very wet shirt.
Arthur felt hands cover his own, trying to prize them off Merlin's slim waist. Instead of getting the message, Arthur held on harder, crushing Merlin's body towards his with greater force. Arthur's body was literally on fire, he'd never felt this strongly before about wanting to- no, needing to be inside someone before. Even if that meant he had to rut up against them for a while. He was faintly aware that he could feel Merlin struggling against him. This bugged Arthur enough to stop what he was doing to have a proper look at Merlin. What he found made his blood roar harder and cock twitch insanely so. Merlin's lips which had slightly fallen apart were swollen, red and wet with saliva, his raven hair even messier than before and his eyes, they were completely dark and slightly dazed. Arthur loved this look on Merlin, it satisfied something dark and deep within him which also demanded more. Finally, Merlin was able to detangle himself from Arthur's death like grip and tumble out of the bath tub. "What the hell was that Arthur?" Merlin said angrily, his arms wrapped around himself and covering his bare and very wet chest. Like an icy cold slap to the face, Arthur was brought back out of his lust fogged mind and he became faintly more aware of what he had just done and tried to do.
"I… I don't know." Arthur's voice trembled as he spoke. He could still feel the fire burning within him and it was beginning to hurt. Merlin was still looking at him with narrowed eyes, as if trying to work out if he still needed to protect his virtue. The thought of Merlin still being untouched and pure made the creature within Arthur purr which turned into thoughts of 'not for long' and 'mine'. The fire grew bigger within Arthur's lower abdomen and made him breathe out a heavy moan. He had found out about Merlin's purity when that incident with the unicorn had occurred, of course with Merlin being a fair maiden and all. It was also clear that he was very sensitive as just from that small skin on skin contact and a few passionate kisses, Merlin was already semi hard, a small tent bulging in his breeches. "Merlin, get back here."
"No, I'm not your tavern slut." The look on Merlin's face was a mixture of confusion, shock and disbelief which also happened to mirror Arthur's. He couldn't believe he had just commanded that of Merlin. "What has gotten into you?" There were a few moments of silence where Arthur didn't respond because he really didn't know what had gotten into him. "Is this about killing Sir Geoffrey? Are you that upset about it that you need to get yourself off to stop thinking about it?"
"I honestly… I… Well, the thing is Merlin-" Merlin waited patiently for Arthur to finish his sentence. His eyebrows raised as if to say 'I'm waiting'. Merlin was always cheeky with him and sometimes really quite rude with no adherence to propriety that the rest of the castle's staff and their subjects had- not that Arthur truly minded. In fact, Arthur loved it secretly. Just like he loved the slenderness of Merlin's body, the curves of his lips and the swell of Merlin's lovely arse. Arthur shook his head to clear his head and proceeded to open and close his mouth like a stunned goldfish until Merlin cleared his throat waiting for a decent answer, his patience clearly tested. "Merlin. I -um. I'm not exactly sure. I feel…" Arthur tried to decipher what it was exactly he was feeling, the fire in the pit of his stomach, the way his skin felt uncomfortably tight, how fidgety he felt like he was ready to burst, and then there was the matter of his nether regions. His cock was still painfully hard and hot, he wanted nothing more than Merlin to use his mouth in more productive ways. Although, he couldn't exactly voice all of this to Merlin now could he? "...weird." He finally finished.
"Weird?"
"Yes, Merlin. Weird."
"In what way weird?"
Arthur let out a large sigh. "Can't you just give it a rest. I apologise for temporarily losing my mind" Arthur snapped. This however, must not have been the right answer. Although, Arthur was never truly good at expressing his emotions.
"You prat!"
"What?!" Arthur felt like he was digging himself a larger hole by the second. Truth be told, he there were many occasions where he dreamt of kissing Merlin but he had never been this… distracted to actually act on his feelings. Urgh he felt like some sex obsessed maiden.
"Don't you worry. I'm going to get back to my duties, after I get changed into some dry clothes." After that, Merlin bent over to pick up his sodden wet shirt and stormed out of the prince's chambers without waiting for a response. If he actually got one that is, and if he did he would have probably had to have waited a bloody long time for one. Stupid Arthur.
It took a while for Merlin to realise that he was standing outside his and Gaius' quarters. He was still dripping wet and could feel the mild tension in between his legs dissipating from where Arthur had grinded up against him. Most of all, Merlin was trying to figure out what he was doing here and why he wasn't upstairs with Arthur finishing what the prat had started. Hadn't this been what he had wanted for a while now? To be able to sink into Arthur's strong arms and let him claim him? Of course, he still wanted that. The only thing stopping Merlin was that he couldn't understand how they had gotten from A to B so quickly. He didn't want to be used by Arthur and then thrown aside when he was no longer useful. When the urgency to get off (if that was all it was) had subsided and all that was left was awkwardness, regret, and on Merlin's side of things; unrequited affection. Merlin could feel the painful clench in his chest already, knowing he desired something so desperately that he could never have.
Merlin didn't really know when it started. When he developed these feeling for Arthur, the man who was to unite all of Albion. It was probably after all that time spent trying not idolise the clotpole, caught in between saving the royal prat and being his useless manservant. There had always been a slight physical attraction there. Even from day one when Merlin stood up for that serving boy in the courtyard and when Arthur told him, threatened him that he would make him walk on his knees. Even then Merlin wouldn't have minded if he had actually gotten on his knees for an entirely different agenda. Servicing Arthur in the middle of the courtyard in front of everyone, this was also one of the many fantasies that Merlin had at night frequently. Alongside others, sometimes Merlin would imagine that Uther had made Merlin Arthur's 'bed warmer' instead of his manservant, although such a profession was unheard of in Camelot but not so in other kingdoms. It was safe to say that Merlin had a very good imagination but that's the only place he would have Arthur's affection.
Merlin sighed, stepping inside the threshold and unthreaded his breeches, slipping them off past his wet hips with some difficulty. Shuffling forward more with his breeches around his ankles, he finally got to his room where he kicked the wet fabric off onto the small, old wooden chair. However, the stiffness in between his legs was still slightly present and Merlin could still feel where Arthur had kissed him, touched and caressed him. His erection flared with new vigour, he could feel the warmth spread down to his lower abdomen. Merlin moaned as he moved his hand down his chest towards his now fully erect cock and gave it a tentative stroke. Jumping back onto the bed behind him, Merlin stretched over his unmade bed before grasping his erection again. It wouldn't hurt to pump one out before he went back to Arthur, if anything it might help his self-control.
With Merlin's other hand, he gave his left nipple a tentative squeeze and his now leaking cock another stroke. Merlin closed his eyes and imagined that he hadn't left Arthur upstairs. He rolled his lips hard, and let his tongue slip out slightly to taste any remainder traces of Arthur and he could still taste him. The wine that Arthur had drunk earlier, the sweetness that was Arthur alone that reminded Merlin of hot summer days. Merlin imagined he had stayed in the bathtub with Arthur, that he had been stripped- his clothes torn off him even in Arthur's lust fuelled haze. Their bare cocks rubbing against each other whilst Arthur brought down a hand to finger Merlin open. Merlin's hand slid further down his body from his sensitive nipple, past his cock and stones towards his twitching little hole. In order to get better access, Merlin shifted his knees up towards his chest, one hand still firmly on his cock, still pumping. A finger tracing the outside of his hole, Arthur would plunge inside without care of lubrication. Merlin always enjoyed the burn anyway, the pleasure-pain of it. Another finger later and then Arthur would get impatient and beg Merlin to ride his massive cock. Merlin shifted his fingers so he could fit more of himself inside but found himself too dry. Looking around, Merlin spotted the small- nearly empty vial on the table in Gaius' room. With a flash of golden eyes, he caught the speeding bottle above his head and poured what was left of the ointment onto his fingers, placing them back at his hole. It didn't take long for Merlin to cum after that, with him imagining Arthur fucking up into him, hitting that special spot inside Merlin whilst he'd be bouncing on Arthur's hard cock- head thrown back in immense pleasure. Until Arthur stroked his cock to completion. In his imaginary tryst they'd cum together, Merlin's back passage squeezing Arthur dry.
Now that Merlin was satisfied with his own cum drying uncomfortably on his stomach, he was able to actually think about what had happened. That whole experience with Arthur had been very… weird. What had happened? At one moment Arthur had barely acknowledged him, the next he was all over him. Had all the food and wine he had taken gone to his head? Could it have been charmed or bewitched somehow? Perhaps Arthur was supposed to have gotten off with someone else and it was just that Merlin had gotten in the way of things as per usual. Merlin mulled over the idea of an impostor slipping something into Arthur's food or wine for a while before deciding he needed to investigate this further and that he should not have left Arthur on his own. He was halfway to the door in Gaius' chambers when he realised that he was naked. Completely nude. And he was still covered in his own cum.
"Ah, clothes first."
Unfortunately for Merlin, this was exactly when the dutiful Sir Leon barged into Gaius' chamber and quite frankly scared the shit out of him. Merlin screamed.
