Author notes: Hello everyone. You know the drill.
Author notes: I'm a big lover of fanfiction, and I admire those who are able to write, unfortunately I have to confess, I am not among them. My spelling is terrible :( So any beta reader please if you are interested contact me, I would be grateful for help, be it grammar, filling the blanks or help with romantic scenes, really anything would be good.
Anyway if you can get over it I invite you to read ideas that I got or read somewhere for stories that I would be very happy to read. So the authors who needs inspiration and wants to adopt them, just please write to me, so I can read your work. I can't wait :).
Warnings: contains SLASH (malexmale relationship pairing), foul language, sexual content and dubious consent.
My prompt: crossover Merlin/movie Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades trilogy by E. L. James)
I admit I wrote too close to the original and used some quotes.
Warning for the spoiler for the oneshot, the prompt is too detailed. You may want to skip it and then come back later.
Pairing Arthur/Merlin
Anastasia Steele!Merlin
Christian Grey!Arthur
Merlin was immortal warlock waiting for his king to be reborn. While waiting he lived his life, traveled to foreign lands, friended interesting people and tried different jobs. Right now he studied an English literature in the Washington State University. His roommate Kate Kavanagh becomes ill and is unable to interview Arthur Pendragon, young billionaire, for the college newspaper. After some cajoling, Merlin agrees to go in her place. He is shocked to recognize Once and Future King. Arthur, takes an interest in him. Modern times and his childhood made him be more dominant and aggressive, he rebuffs Merlin´s offer of friendship and instead, he wants relationship on his terms. He is exactly his type, he always chooses dark-haired, slim and pale lovers for submissives. He offers him the standard contract which he has always used. Merlin being Merlin, don´t take it to the heart and ignores the alarming signs of Arthur becoming more and more obsessed with him. Arthur sends him gifts, he knows where he works (part-time in bookstore), where he lives, identities of his friends, hobbies, likes and dislikes. There is possibility of having his apartment bugged. One day he become suspicious after conversation with his friends and demand a space. After that everything is okay and Merlin feels guilty for being so harsh and paranoid. Then his guardian has problem with his medical bills and pension, he is fired, his and his roommate scholarship is revoked and it´s all connected to the Pendragon firm. Enraged, he storms to his office. He is tempted to use his magic but doesn´t. In the age of cameras, mobiles and interned he was very careful not to. He didn´t wanted to end up in same secret laboratory. On top of that his magic isn´t able to hurt Arthur who he is born to serve and protect. To make everything right again, Merlin is blackmailed to sign the more exclusive and constricting contract about entering relationship with Arthur.
Move and book behavior and conditions.
Arthur takes more and more of Merlin´s time. He starts to struggle with schoolwork and argue with his friend. When they enter sexual stage of the relationship, the blonde man start to become more possessive and easily jealous and makes him move in and wear tracing chip in his watch. As Dom he is insatiable, and so intense and absolutely focused on making him begging mess. Merlin has to drop out of the school and starts to feel useless. After Arthur´s manipulation, he starts to clean, cook and generally takes over the housekeeping, it gives him some equilibrium, he is used to it from the Camelot era. He just hopes that when Arthur remembers, they can get over it and forget everything. Unknown to him Arthur remembered but didn´t plan to change his behavior little bit.
The king had a secret, he wasn´t in love with Guinevere but with Merlin. She knew it and it was the reason of the affair, she was trying to make him jealous. He knew he couldn´t be with him but made sure that no one else be too. He was stumped when he discovered his magic but it gave him only another ace against him. He plans to threaten Merlin with his discovery if he ever tries to leave him.
Arthur could be happy with the relationship and give Merlin more freedom. Or he could worry that if Merlin discover that he now remember he would want to end the current relationship and get more dominant in response.
Fifty Shades of Pendragon
"Aright, alright, I´ll do it" Merlin threw his hands in the air "but you´ll own me". "Yes! Thanks Merlin. I knew I could count on you" his roommate said from the sofa, on which she was sitting surrounded by snotty handkerchiefs. He met Kate Kavanagh on his first day at the Washington State University. The sunny blonde was planning to study journalist and it fit her, with her outgoing nosy personality Merlin was sure she will go far. His guess was right, Kate was the star of the college newspaper and her professors predicted her bright future. With fortitude the blonde assured the most sought after interview with one of university´s benefactor, Mister Arthur Pendragon. When she, all enthusiastic, announced her victory, he felt pang in his chest. That name, the same name as the name of his dear best friend. Merlin signed and while she talked about it, thought about the past.
Arthur Pendragon, the king of Camelot. Unlike what his acquaintances thought, Merlin´s name wasn´t only an unfortunate choice of his parents who had a weakness for the Arthurian legends. No, Merlin was an original. The famous warlock from the middle ages. The legend had it all wrong. He wasn´t some mysterious old man, he was the manservant of the crown prince. He didn´t get how they had got his age so wrong, he stopped aging and maybe it was the problem. People would rather have some wise ancient figure than a teenager with power they are helpless against.
After Arthur's death he left the kingdom behind, certain it is in good hands with Guinevere. He traveled a long time. He discovered foreign countries with even more alien traditions and cultures, met interesting people and tried diverse jobs. All the same, some part of him was always looking at the sign about his king return. He hunted every mention of Camelot at first, but after he met his fiftieth wrong Arthur, he gave up and put it in destiny's hands. It was his fate to be by his side and he trusted that it will happen with or without his help.
Now he was here in Washington studying English literature. And yes, he saw the irony of it but he liked to be in picture on how the times changed. He didn't attend the colleges very often, most of the time he worked the low paying jobs to keep low profile. In the age of computer identification, he had to be careful about having a false identity. He got lucky and befriended old man in a senior house he volunteered in. Gaius, that was his name and no it was only coincidence, helped to set him up as his grandson. It seems to him that all Gaiuses are his guardian angels. He enlisted in the university and gave higher education try. Money was a problem even if he got the scholarship, thanks to his placement tests. He got the part time job in the bookstore. He liked it, it was quiet and when there weren´t any customers he got some studding in. Still he couldn´t afford an apartment for himself and dorms were too noisy and full of rude people for his taste. That´s why he answered the ad for a roommate. They were surprised when they recognized each other from the classes and they agreed to give it the try. He was glad for it, Kate become his closest friend. And she was fully aware of it, hence cornering him to cover for her.
Kate just couldn´t deal with having her big chance slip through her fingers. And Merlin was the only one on whom she could have counted to help her and not mess up or steal her story. So he got to his old rusty VW Beetle and drove to the Pendragon Corporation building. He felt really out of place in his sweater and jeans between all that concrete, glass and steel.
He was relieved when the perfectly neat looking receptionist nodded to him to go in. Of course, he made an idiot of himself when he stumbled and fell on the floor. Embarrassed, he quickly gathered things which has spilled from his bag and stood up.
"Hello. I'm Arthur Pendragon. And you are? I thought I was to be interviewed by Miss Kavanagh". Merlin looked up from the floor and froze.
A young, very attractive blonde man dressed in a fine gray suit was watching him with intensive light blue eyes. But it wasn´t his attractiveness that stopped his breath, no it was the reality that in front of him stood The Once and Future King. He was shaken and it took him a while to find his voice.
"Um. My name is Merlin, Merlin Emrys. Miss Kavanagh is indisposed, so she sent me. I hope you don't mind, Arth- Mr. Pendragon" in a daze, he shook his hand. "I see," he said simply with a polite expression on his face. Merlin sat down on the chair before the huge mahogany desk, while Arthur stood standing and simply leaned on it.
The warlock shook his head and retrieved Kate's questions and the recorder from the satchel. He tried to appear like his world hasn´t changed forever. Sure he wanted to hug him and have a tearful reunion but it was oblivious that Arthur doesn´t remember and he didn´t wanted to look like a lunatic. He would have to go slowly and become his friend again. It shouldn´t be so hard, he did it once before, he can repeat it. "Do you mind if I record your answers?". Arthur took his time to answer and Merlin started to fidget "no, I don't". Merlin took a deep breath and started "you're very young to have amassed such an empire. To what do you owe your success?"
"Business is all about people, Mr. Emrys, and I'm very good at judging people. I know how they tick and I make sure to take a full advantage of it. You could say I own my success to my ability to make myself a master of any situation". He couldn´t help himself and said "maybe you're just lucky", it was almost automatic reaction to tease him so when he got like this. Arthur´s eyes flared momentarily in surprise "I don't believe in the luck but in the hard work. It really is all about having the right people, placing them in the right positions and making sure they give one hundred percent to the tasks. I have found that I excel in it. I am used to practice control in all things, Mr. Emrys". The blonde had unreadable look in his eyes that confused him and made his heartbeat quicken. To escape his eyes, he continued with the questions "do you feel that you have immense power?". "I am responsible for over forty thousand people. If I were to decide I was no longer interested in the telecommunications business and sell up, twenty thousand people would struggle to make their mortgage payments after a month or so."
Merlin´s mouth dropped open. He said it so unconcerned, it staggered him. He couldn´t resist and tried to push him down a peck "don't you have a board to answer to?". "I own my company. I don't have to answer to anyone". He flushed and remembered fondly the later days when Arthur had such arrogance beaten out of him. "Any interests outside your work?". "I have varied interests, Mr. Emrys" he felt heated gaze. "Vague much?". The blonde smiled tolerantly "I'm a very wealthy man, and I have expensive and wide-ranging hobbies. I sail, I fly, and generally indulge in various physical pastimes". The tone made him shifts in his chair.
"You invest in manufacturing. Why, specifically?" Why does he make me so uncomfortable?. "I like to build things. I like to know how things work: what makes things tick, how to construct and deconstruct". Merlin made a note and slipped his own question in "would your friends say you're easy to get to know?"
"I'm a very private person. I go a long way to protect my privacy. I don't often give interviews," he trails off. Merlin was disappointed and changed direction, not wanting to put him on defensive "you also invest in farming technologies. Why are you interested in this area?". "We can't eat money and there are too many people on this planet who don't have enough to eat". It made him feel warm and he send him slight smile "is it something you feel passionately about? Feeding the world's poor?". He shrugs, very non-committal. The dark-haired boy glanced at the next question, confused by his attitude "do you have a philosophy? If so, what is it?"
"I don't have a philosophy as such. Maybe a guiding principle – Carnegie's: 'A man who acquires the ability to take full possession of his own mind may take possession of anything else to which he is justly entitled.' I'm very singular, driven. I like control – of myself and those around me".
"You sound like the ultimate consumer". "I am." He smiles, but the smile doesn't touch his eyes. Merlin was getting more confused by the minute. The passionate speech was at odds with someone who wants to feed the world, so he couldn´t stop thinking that he missed something and that they're talking about something else. He tried to steer the conversation back on the track "have you had to sacrifice a family life for your work?". "I have a family. I have a sister and two loving parents. I'm not interested in extending my family beyond that." "Are you gay, Mr. Pendragon?" Merlin blurted the question without thinking and then starred in horror at its written form in Kate´s notes. He was mortified and hoped that he won´t get hit by a fist. Damn Kate and her curiosity!
Arthur raises his eyebrows "I am a bisexual". "I apologize. It's um… written here". With how the interview is going, he wouldn´t be surprised if Arthur won´t want to see him ever again. Glumly, he thought what it means, hours of trailing after him and convincing him that he isn´t some crazy stalker.
He cocks his head to one side "these aren't your own questions?". "No. Kate – Miss Kavanagh – compiled the questions. She is my roommate and she became very ill, I am the replacement". He rubbed his chin in quiet deliberation, his eyes appraising me "that explains a great deal". Merlin bristled insulted. He tried his best and he thought he wasn´t so bad given the circumstances. "Prat". "What?". "You are a prat. Maybe I am not the most sophisticated in journalism but I tried my best. It's offensive to have said something like that to my face and, by someone who said he knew people, stupid as well". Arthur opened his mouth but was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Mr. Pendragon, forgive me for interrupting, but your next meeting is in two minutes". "We're not finished here, Andrea. Please cancel my next meeting" Andrea hesitated, gaping at him. She's appeared lost. He turned his head slowly to face her and raised his eyebrows. She flushed bright pink. "Very well, Mr. Pendragon" she muttered, then exited.
He frowned, and turned his attention back to me "Where were we, Mr. Emrys?". Well, this is awkward. "Please don't let me keep you from anything". "No, Mr. Emrys. You were right and I sincerely apologies. I didn´t mean it as it sounded. I was just surprised is all". "Apology accepted" Merlin smiled to show all is forgiven. He got a little uncertain when Arthur came closer "I want to know about you. I think that's only fair". "There's not much to know" Merlin said. Yeah not much if you don´t count me being the thousand years old magic user who was your best friend in the past life. "What are your plans after you graduate?" he persisted. "I haven't made exact plans, Mr. Pendragon. I finish my exams and then I see".
"We run an excellent internship program here," he says quietly. Merlin raised his eyebrows in surprise. Was he offering him a job? "Oh. I'll bear that in mind," warlock murmured, completely baffled. But he had to admit to being tempted. It would help him get closer to Arthur tremendously. "Would you like me to show you around?" he asks. "I'm sure you're far too busy, Mr. Pendragon, and I do have a long drive" Merlin picked up his things and stood up. "You're driving back in this weather? Well, you'd better drive carefully" he sounded surprised, anxious even. Merlin was warmed by his concern and filled with hope that it won´t be so difficult to forge the friendship "yes sir. Thank you for the interview, Mr. Pendragon". "The pleasure's been all mine," he replied. "Until we meet again, Mr. Emrys" now that sounded like a challenge. You can bet we will, Merlin though about his plans to investigate him and nodded "Mr. Pendragon". He was surprised when he follows him out, the secretary was obliviously too. She had leapt up and retrieved my jacket, which Arthur took from her before she could hand it to me. He held it up and, feeling ridiculously self-conscious, he shrugged it on. Arthur´s placed his hands on my shoulders and then pulled me to the elevator. When he got in, he turned and awkwardly waved.
"Merlin," he said as a farewell.
Author note: I can try to continue. Should I? Say if you are interested.
