Glad everyone is enjoying this. I haven't written slash for ages, but I always need a plot, however feeble it might be. But I do enjoy a good, disgusting story ;-)
The effect of his arrival was instantaneous. His skin was shockingly cold compared to Arthur's and the prince jerked awake in alarm, grabbing Merlin around the neck. Merlin coughed.
"What the hell?" Arthur yelped.
"It's just me," Merlin said.
Arthur didn't release him, not immediately. Arthur seemed to contemplate that and then said.
"What the hell are you doing? If nothing else you're making the bed cold!"
"Sorry," Merlin said, coughing again. Arthur let him go. The only light was the moon through the windows, and one lone candle burning by the bedside. It was enough for Merlin to see Arthur gazing down at him, debating his next move. Arthur rose up and pushed the covers aside.
"Stay there!"
He left the bed, leaving a rather significant gap. Merlin huddled into the dip where Arthur had just recently been. It was nice and warm there, and he watched Arthur take the burning candle and moving around the room, he lit a few more. He jammed the candle he was carrying into a gap in the candlestick by the fire, and grabbing the poker, stirred the burning embers back into life, throwing another two logs in as the fire revived. Then hunching his shoulders and rubbing his upper arms Arthur tiptoed back over the stone floor.
"Great, now I'm cold!" Arthur moaned. He paused as he looked at the pile of Merlin's discarded clothes then he shook his head and jogged to the bed, scrambling in under the covers. "What are you doing clambering into my bed in the middle of the night?" Arthur snapped as he slid back under the covers.
"Sorry," Merlin said, shuffling from out of the centre of the bed, to give Arthur more room. But he lay close enough so that when Arthur lay on his side facing him they were inches apart.
"I presume that this has something to do with the conversation we had this morning."
"No," Merlin said. Then as Arthur raised his eyebrows Merlin hunched. "Yes, I suppose."
"You suppose," Arthur drawled. "You just got a sudden urge to climb naked into my bed, when you're cold I might add! And this just happens to coincide with a rather direct conversation about the fact that people assume I am having sex with you. Which is also after the night when you spy on me proving my sexual performance."
"I wasn't spying!" Merlin said indignantly.
"Really, I told you to leave and not return until the morning. Instead of doing as you are told, you sneak in the door without me knowing to find out what was going on. Seems like a good definition of spying, Merlin."
"Well, I was just worried about you," Merlin said, riling a little as Arthur smirked.
"What are my father and the council going to do to me?"
"I don't know, that didn't look very…" Merlin paused, wondering what he was trying to say. The memory of Arthur lying there pleasuring himself stirred something in Merlin, but the thought of doing it while people watched in a seemingly emotionless fashion dampened the sensation.
"You shouldn't have to do that, in front of all of them," he eventually concluded.
"I'm expected to, it's easy to get on with it and not think about it."
"And…?" Merlin paused and bit down on his lip. Arthur waited with a curious, but patient, expression on his face. The prince had realised early on that Merlin was utterly naïve on such matters, but he hadn't realised the extent of that naivety.
"… You use that thing, inside you?"
Arthur raised his eyebrows, it took a moment for him to realise what Merlin meant.
"Oh, the wand, I could probably manage without it now but it stimulates the nerves, and means it happens a little quicker. I'm not really supposed to use it now."
"Why not?"
"Because it's assumed I have you instead."
"Oh, but you don't."
"No, and I'm not going to start forcing you."
Merlin wondered how much force Arthur thought it might take, especially since he was now naked in the bed. Even now, Merlin wasn't quite sure what possessed him. Well, maybe he did, just a little bit.
"How long have you been using the wand?" Merlin asked. Arthur shrugged again.
"Since the first time I had to prove myself, I think I had just turned sixteen."
"And you… did they…?" Merlin grimaced a little at the thought of the council members doing that. Arthur couldn't have known what to do the first time, and the thought of Uther having a hand in it was just weird. And Merlin decided that was unfortunate phrasing, even if it was just in his own mind.
"No, they didn't. One of the more trusted of the knights showed me what to do. My father made sure I had a few private practice runs before… well… before the first time I had to perform."
"And the knights showed you… other stuff?"
Arthur smirked, Merlin felt his face flush, but he couldn't help but want to know. It was not a subject he was very familiar with.
"Yes, Merlin."
"Which knights?"
The corners of Arthur's mouth tugged upwards in a smile, he moved his head closer to Merlin's.
"That is none of your business."
Merlin glanced away, his eyes moving down to Arthur's bare chest. It was, probably, a fair enough thing to say. Arthur was not likely to casually tell Merlin which knights he had been intimate with. Merlin lifted his eyes again, meeting Arthur's, which were regarding him with cool amusement. It was a severe contrast to his anger the previous night. And there was affection in his eyes, which made Merlin feel a little bolder, so he blurted out what was on his mind.
"Would you show me what you did?"
Arthur's face flickered with a frown. "You want me to do that again. I'm not a freak show, Merlin." There was a hint of anger creeping into Arthur's voice. Merlin shook his head, realising Arthur had slightly misinterpreted what he was asking.
"On me," Merlin said. Arthur blinked in surprise. Merlin took another breath and carefully asked.
"Will you do it to me?"
