See Chapter 1 for info & warnings
Author's Note: Because we like a little action with our angst…
Merlin blanched, turning almost as white as the linens, before flushing a dark red. He supposed he should have known that Robert would try and get them to talk. The man was not shy about expressing his interest, but Merlin had never believed that his intentions were anything but pure ultimately. Arthur might have thought him selfish, but Merlin knew that Robert truly cared. /He knows how much being away from Arthur hurts me./ That made him feel a flash of guilt since Robert had been wonderful to him day and night since he arrived. /But he knows what I really want is.../ Merlin's gaze finally raised to take in Arthur's face, trying to discern whether he was accepting or affronted. "Um... I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't know he meant to do this."
Arthur slammed his fist against the door out of pure frustration. Sir Robert had been gracious - much too gracious - and his insistence on escorting them upstairs should have made Arthur suspicious from the start. He could have retaliated against his host's actions, but somehow the prince could not muster any anger toward him. After all, Robert had contrived the perfect way for him to spend time alone with Merlin. Exhaling deeply, he turned to face his former servant. "I know you didn't, Merlin. This is classic Sir Robert." Arthur folded his arms across his chest, leaning back against the locked door. "How's your shoulder?"
Merlin pulled down the fabric of his shirt so that Arthur could see the nasty blotch of red. "Looks terrible, but it feels better. Should be just a scar before long." Thanks to the tincture Gaius had given him, the skin was healing admirably, and the physician had assured him that the scarring would be minimal. Realizing he was holding his shirt open to the crown prince of Camelot while they were trapped together in a bedroom, Merlin hurriedly shifted his top back into place and tightened the laces. "It's fine," he added a bit more quietly. Had Arthur seen the locket? Had he cared? Had he understood what it meant?
"No, it's not." Arthur unfolded his arms and took a step closer to Merlin. "It's my fault it happened. It's my fault you're here now." He shook his head, pursing his lips tightly. "Aren't you angry at me, Merlin? You must hate me. You saved my life, and how do I repay you? By driving you out of Camelot. I thought..." Arthur's voice trailed off. He struggled to contain himself, but it was impossible. When he spoke again, it was little more than a whisper. "I found the locket. I know why Sir Robert gave it to you."
It was difficult to breathe for a moment, but once Merlin found his voice, he ventured quietly, "Then you know I don't hate you. I should. You're right, I should. I should be... be furious." Instead of anger, the words ended with a wistful sigh. "Even if I'd known that you'd send me away... I still... still would've done it." He put a hand to his shoulder to indicate what he meant and gave as light shake of his head. "You have to know me well enough to know that by now." Merlin fell silent again for a moment before allowing, "Maybe it was stupid to leave the locket." Heaven knew he had spent hours wondering why he'd been so stupid, feeling more and more foolish with every minute that he heard nothing at all from the prince.
"No, it was stupid of me to think I could drive you away and not miss you." The words left Arthur's mouth before he had a chance to think twice about them. Once they were said, however, he did not want to take them back. "It's not the same without you. I know it's only been a couple of days, but... Merlin..." Arthur clasped the back of the brunette's neck, caressing him, luxuriating the feel of him as he gazed deeply into Merlin's eyes, "I can't stand being away from you. I thought if I put some distance between us, I'd stop wanting you so much..." His barriers breaking down, Arthur gave up the fight and crossed the line that had held his true feelings in check. He lunged forward, crushing Merlin against the nearest wall as he kissed him with all the passion and hunger he'd kept locked away inside.
There were tears already starting to make their way down Merlin's cheeks, and then he couldn't breathe. His feet lost their purchase on the stone floor and then... /Arthur./ He supposed that it made him a bit slow, but it honestly didn't occur to him at first that what he felt was really happening. Only slowly did it dawn on Merlin that Arthur's body was pressed against his own and that the prince was kissing him. Merlin let out an utterly undignified whimper against Arthur's mouth when it became clear, and he wrapped his limbs around Arthur as if to ensure that the prince didn't change his mind and pull away. Arthur was kissing him. Arthur, the person that he had loved almost since the moment that they first met was kissing him with all the desire he'd been sure that the prince could never feel for a servant.
Arthur lost all sense of himself as his lips melded against Merlin's. It felt so perfect, so right that it seemed impossible to believe he ever thought it might be wrong. His embrace was tight and bordered on possessive as Arthur basked in the warmth and feel of Merlin's body trembling against his own. His tongue snaked out, demanding entrance and, finding no resistance, slid inside Merlin's impossibly sweet mouth. It was the prince's turn to whimper as he completely surrendered himself to his pent-up desire. In an instant he was moving, lifting Merlin and wrapping his former servant's legs around him. Arthur found the bed purely on instinct and, laying Merlin down without breaking the kiss, draped himself on top of him.
Merlin couldn't breathe, he couldn't think. All that he could do was cling to Arthur desperately and soak up the desire rolling off of the prince. Had Arthur been wanting this all along, or was it the heat of the moment? He quickly dismissed the concern. There was no reason to do anything but enjoy being given a gift that he had never thought he'd receive. Arthur wanted him. Merlin's body moved with a certainty that his mind and heart lacked. His body knew that it belonged against Arthur's, and Merlin's hips and limbs pressed tightly against the Arthur as though even a breath of separation between them would be too much.
"I want you naked," Arthur panted to Merlin. His nimble fingers untied the laces of his former servant's shirt, and the prince fairly tore the cloth away in a frenzied effort to touch Merlin's bare chest. His eyes drank in the sight before him. Arthur leaned forward, ghosting his lips over Merlin's wound as if to soothe the hurt. Then he was embracing him again, kissing Merlin with building fire.
Merlin gasped and shifted restlessly. He wanted to be absolutely naked, and he wanted something else as well. "You too. Please," he managed, not forgetting his manners entirely in the heat of the moment. They were touching. Arthur was touching him. In fact, Arthur was looking at him like he was a particularly delicious morsel at dinner. Should he say anything? Risk ruining the sweetness of the moment? Merlin's lips, as usual, moved faster than his brain, and before he could stop to think, he whispered, "Arthur, I had the locket because... I love you." The seconds afterward were terrible. Merlin knew that he might have ruined the only chance that he had to be with Arthur, but it wasn't fair to keep something so important to himself.
"I... love you too." Arthur's only hesitation was from breathlessness. It was something of a shock hearing it out loud, but it was also right and true. "I should have told you before," he murmured softly, his eyelids growing heavier, his gaze falling to Merlin's wildly alluring mouth. "I've missed you, Merlin. There's no one like you." Arthur raised two digits to Merlin's amazingly soft pale cheek, and he ran his fingertips down it. "I love you," he whispered. Without further words, Arthur took Merlin's face in both hands and kissed him ravenously, plunging his tongue deep, devouring his mouth with feverish lust.
Merlin shivered as he pressed his body tightly to Arthur's. The prince loved him. It was as if the clouds had parted and the world had suddenly changed. Merlin had never thought of himself as being lost - except when he lost Arthur - but it was as if he was suddenly filled with a new kind of light. Nothing had ever felt so good. Nothing. The sorcerer's fingers twisted in Arthur's hair, and he marveled at the realization that the strands were every bit as soft as they'd always looked. A slight shift on Arthur's part brought home just how hard he was and how terribly he ached to feel skin on skin. "Let me see you," he gasped between kisses.
Arthur stole one more kiss before blinding Merlin with an eager smile. He pushed himself up and stripped off his shirt, revealing his bare torso. His skin was flushed, and a light sheen of sweat clung to his golden chest hairs. He reached for the waistband of his trousers, untying the laces and fairly groaning in relief when his swollen length was set free. Arthur's cock jutted out, twitching and begging for attention. Drinking in Merlin's reaction, the prince took on a playfully commanding tone and said, "Now, it's your turn."
Merlin drew in a shaky breath, barely hearing Arthur's request. It registered only a few moments later. If it hadn't been for Robert's lavish praise of his pale, scrawny form, Merlin might never have had the confidence to peel away his clothes in front of the beautiful prince. Arthur was a vision. Every single inch of Arthur cried out for worship and praise. A little thrill went through Merlin's body as he gaze upon the blond. The sight proved enough to distract him from the fact that he was baring himself as well. Soon Merlin sat kneeling in front of Arthur on the mattress with his clothes thrown haphazardly about him and his cock impossibly hard.
"You are beautiful." Arthur could barely speak, having had his breath stolen away by the sight of Merlin's naked body. His fingers itched to explore the tempting expanse of alabaster which was only blemished by the healing shoulder wound. "Merlin," he whispered, cupping his cheek and gazing deeply into his eyes. The tenderness was nothing short of startling restraint, for the desire Arthur felt thundering through him churned like a frenzied storm raging to unleash itself. Embracing Merlin tightly, the prince moaned as their swollen lengths brushed together. The incredible sensation almost made him spill himself. He pressed forward, crushing Merlin against the bed with his body and his increasingly heated kisses.
Merlin gasped into the prince's mouth and wrapped his slender arms around Arthur's neck. He'd never thought that Arthur would ever look twice at him, not as anything but a fumbling servant. Now the man was clutching him close as if he were something precious. The prince tasted sweet with a hint of spice from their earlier meal still clinging to his lips. How had he never tasted those lips before? How had he kept from telling Arthur a thousand times already the way he felt? Of course if Merlin had been given even a hint that he could receive such a reception, he wouldn't have hesitated. His body shifted restlessly against Arthur's as if seeking of its own will satisfaction to the desire building inside of him.
"Merlin," breathed Arthur, drowning in the sensation of those soft, warm lips pressed against his own. Beneath him, Merlin was no longer the nervous, anxious, edgy being Arthur had seen when he arrived at Sir Robert's. Instead his former servant had surrendered himself completely, making him even more stupendously gorgeous and very, very desirable. Arthur found it hard not to draw back and stare. Merlin's pale skin was the gleaming smooth silky soft expanse of perfection he often dreamed of licking, and Arthur was determined to expend all of his most extravagant oral fantasies on his new lover.
Merlin caught the prince's gaze and smiled, only barely resisting the urge to squirm as Arthur looked down on him. "What?" He couldn't imagine that Arthur saw that much to impress him. He spent all of his time with the knights, men who spent their days training and honing their bodies to utter perfection – much like Arthur's own. What did he have to offer someone so used to men who were built for battle? The sorcerer found it difficult to imagine his pale form being much of a draw despite Robert's obvious interest in it.
"You're lovely," Arthur couldn't help blurting out to Merlin. "Everything about you... is perfect." He pushed a hand through Merlin's dark hair. "Sometimes... I'd catch myself staring at you, and I tried everything so you wouldn't notice." Arthur grinned, his secret out. Now that he was so close to Merlin, it took his breath away to realize how attractive he really was. He had a very pretty face with sensual lips and sparkling eyes. Arthur felt himself falling into Merlin's gaze and, for the first time, he allowed himself to be drawn in. Arthur pressed forward, brushing their lips together again.
Merlin shivered at the sweetness of the kiss. "Never knew you watched me," he admitted between kisses. "I did you. All the time. Couldn't stop. Right from the first, it was... you were a prat," Merlin assured, grinning for a moment, "but a beautiful prat." Knowing that he was talking too much and that Arthur would soon lose patience - the prince had told him time and again that he should learn to babble less - Merlin forged ahead. He hardly dared to take a breath as he spoke for fear that Arthur might not let him finish and that he might lose his nerve if he couldn't. "Will you... Arthur, will you... will you make love to me?" It sounded utterly foolish but Merlin knew no other way to say it or to ask.
Arthur jumped at the opportunity. In fact, he had longed to hear those words from Merlin for so long that he felt a little twinge of guilt for suppressing his impulses for such a long time. "Yes," he breathed, "yes, I will..." Arthur kissed Merlin's wonderful smooth pale neck, nibbling his earlobe. "Mmmm, I want you more than anything." He let his hands sweep down and under Merlin's back, digging his fingers into Merlin's splendid bottom.
Finally his lips found Merlin's mouth and they kissed again. It was slow and romantic this time by contrast to the more heated contact elsewhere between them. Arthur continued to clutch Merlin's marvelous bottom in both hands, coiling their tongues together, kissing him patiently and warmly with simple, uncomplicated passion."I love kissing you," he murmured against Merlin's mouth. "I could kiss you forever."
"My schedule's free," Merlin answered at once, grinning up at Arthur. He felt as if he could fly. The thing that he'd wanted most in the world was to have Arthur back any way he could, and now... now he knew that the prince loved him as much as he loved Arthur. "Forever sounds very, very good." Only when Arthur's lips sealed against his once more could Merlin silence himself. He was filled with too much bubbling energy to be silent. He wanted to climb to the top of the castle and scream out to the world what he was feeling. /Something tells me Uther wouldn't approve of that./
Idle fingers stroked through Arthur's hair as Merlin shifted restlessly in the other man's grasp. He'd never been much good at patience or at keeping still. Now that he was filled with so much joy, Merlin found it doubly difficult to keep himself in check.
Arthur kissed him again, tenderly but with increasing passion. He licked his way back inside Merlin's delicious mouth, his tongue diving into its warm, inviting depths. Ripples of excitement coursed over the prince's muscular frame and he reached for Merlin's hand, grasping it in his own. He ached to be with Merlin, to take him and claim him and never let him go. His cock, feverish and painfully hard, twitched against his former's servant's and their precum mingled, making the slide of flesh even more thrilling. "I never knew anything could feel this good," he gasped against Merlin's rapidly bruising lips.
"Knew it could with you," Merlin murmured in response. He had known. He'd always known that if he and Arthur could just be together, it would all fit, all magically be right. Merlin shivered and arched up to kiss Arthur again and again until he lost count of how many times their lips had met. He didn't ever want to stop or let Arthur go again. Surely no business of state could ever be as important as the sensation of the man's lips on his own. That their cocks were grinding together only made it that much more intoxicating. Merlin had stopped wondering how long they'd been locked in the bedroom. He just prayed they'd never have to leave.
Arthur's lips fairly melted into Merlin's, and he marveled at how remarkably soft and plaint Merlin's mouth felt. Not only that, but Merlin's slender body responded in kind to each caress of his tongue, every stroke of his fingertips. Arthur shuddered, having never realized that such perfection could ever hope to exist. He groaned and whimpered, his desire for Merlin hot enough to scorch the bed. As he broke the passionate kiss long enough to catch his ragged breath, Arthur's lust-darkened eyes fell upon the bedside and caught sight of several different colored bottles of oil. He realized in an instant what they were meant for, and Arthur vaguely wondered if Sir Robert kept every room in his room similarly prepared. "I think one of these will do nicely," he murmured, smiling at Merlin as he reached for one of the bottles.
Merlin nodded, blushing. He had to say it now or never. Merlin sucked in a breath and then said in a rush, "Ihaven'teverdonethis." Realizing that the words were too quick and too garbled to make a great deal of sense, Merlin forced himself to take another breath. "Um, what we're... I haven't. Before." He hoped that it made a bit more sense or that Arthur wouldn't purposefully feign ignorance just to make him say it again.
Arthur was momentarily stunned. Having believed that Sir Robert would not have wasted an opportunity to take Merlin's innocence, he felt like an even bigger fool for distrusting his father's friend so much. His desire for Merlin pushed all thoughts of his idiotic behavior aside, and Arthur flashed a smile intended to melt him. "You do me a great honor," he breathed, nipping at Merlin's bottom lip. "This will be more special than you can possibly imagine."
"I know it will be," Merlin answered with some of his usual fire. It wouldn't do to retreat entirely. They hadn't met under congenial circumstances, had bonded first through banter and not sweet nothings. "It'll be with you." To Merlin's mind, nothing in the world could have so firmly assured that every last detail would be perfect. It didn't matter how it all went because he would be sharing himself for the first and most important time with the man he loved to the point of utter distraction. "There's nothing else I wanted. No one."
"Merlin," breathed Arthur, feeling his heart swell. "I've wanted you too, for so long." Why had he waited? Why had he taken so long to claim what was right there in front of him? Arthur covered Merlin's luscious mouth with his own. The prince blindly poured the oil onto his fingers and sought out Merlin's most secret place. Arthur's swollen length gave a hearty twitch as the slick pad of his fingertips circled Merlin's twitching opening.
Merlin's breath caught at the touch, and he tried to fight against the sudden anxiety that he might not live up to what Arthur truly wanted. His lover was the prince, a man who could have any man or woman he wanted. The passionate kiss was precisely what he needed to distract him from the growing unease. Instead of being nervous, Merlin found himself relaxing and sliding his tongue along Arthur's to catch another taste of the other man's sweet mouth. They were sharing their very breath, and soon they would be joined even more closely.
Arthur's touch was gentle and slow despite his desire that demanded gratification. The pad of his index finger continued to circle Merlin's untouched opening until the supple flesh gave way. Merlin was unbelievably tight, and Arthur's overheated length gave a hearty twitch at the idea of being caressed by those clenching walls which threatened to break his probing digit in two. "Relax, Merlin," he whispered. "Let me in... please... I want you so much..."
Merlin realized that he was tense all over, clinging fast to Arthur and holding his body all but closed against the invasion. He took a few slow breaths. His lips were a breath from Arthur's, and Merlin forced himself to focus on the sweetness of that instead of his fears. "Yeah... relax. Got it," he managed in a breathless tone. Merlin felt as if no matter how much oxygen he took in, the air had been sucked out of the room. He felt light-headed and floaty from the surreality of the situation, his mind still half convinced that it couldn't be anything but a dream.
Merlin's muscles slowly gave way, allowing his finger to ease in further. "That's good," Arthur encouraged Merlin with a low purr. "That's perfect." Arthur's smile was hot enough to melt steel as he began to kiss his way down the length of Merlin's pale chest. Merlin tasted incredible, his salty-sweetness fairly exploding on Arthur's tongue. He eased his digit in and out of that tight sheath, marveling at the warmth surrounding his questing finger. Arthur's mouth brushed across Merlin's stomach, moving lower and closing in on the fragrant patch of dark hairs framing what had to be the most beautiful cock he had ever laid eyes on.
Merlin shivered at the ticklish, pleasant sensation of Arthur's lips working their way down over his stomach. His fingers fluttered from Arthur to the bed and then back again as if filled with too much energy to lay still. Even the sorcerer's toes flexed and wiggled. "Arthur..." Whatever he'd imagined, it had never been so indulgent as to involve the crown prince of Camelot lavishing him with such attention. Even in his fantasies, Merlin had thought that desire born of affection was the best he could hope for - never that Arthur might share his desires. "Please, Arthur..." No longer did the finger pushing inside of him feel strange. Instead Merlin found himself aching for something more though he had no idea how to communicate the nebulous desire.
Arthur, who had been panting close to Merlin's twitching arousal, smiled up at his flushed and beautiful lover. "Now, now," he soothed, "I have waited far too long to rush things with you." In truth, the prince felt more frenzied than he ever thought possible. His separation from Merlin had only made the longing he'd harbored that much more palpable. Arthur barely restrained himself from consuming Merlin on the spot. He wanted him, but he would take his sweet time. Pressing his lips to Merlin's turgid length, he kissed his way along the shaft, tickling his nose through the tight black curls and relishing the taste of his cock.
Merlin was sure that he was going to burn up. The fire consuming him was so hot that he had no idea how to contain it. The sorcerer's head tossed against the pillow, and his fingers flexed and relaxed against the smooth sheets. "A-arthur..." The young man's inexperience meant that he entirely uncertain whether he could hold himself together under Arthur's erotic assault. Slow and steady suddenly sounded like the very practical idea that it was since Merlin knew that otherwise he'd be spending himself all over Arthur's face.
Arthur realized just how close to the edge his heated actions had pushed Merlin, but the prince could not pace himself. If Merlin came, then he could always make him do it all over again. That thought alone sent a fresh thrill through Arthur as he took Merlin's length fully into his mouth. Merlin was harder than the finest steel sword, and the heat radiating off his twitching shaft was almost enough to burn his tongue. Arthur nursed on him eagerly while easing a second finger into Merlin's grasping channel.
With a great deal of reluctance, Arthur allowed Merlin's twitching length to slip from his mouth. "Go on, Merlin... relax. Do it for me." Arthur continued to twist his fingers, stretching and teasing Merlin's quivering ass. His lips fell back to the servant's throbbing cock, lavishing the thick, hard velvet shaft with attention. Camelot's crown prince could have anything in the world laid at his feet, but what he wanted most of all was to taste Merlin's come, to feel the other young man thrashing and bucking wildly beneath him.
Merlin's brow furrowed, and his eyes fell closed even as his lips remained parted to gasp for breath. He wanted to watch Arthur but somehow couldn't coax his eyes open as the first spasms wracked his body. The climax came with greater intensity than he had ever expected. Experiences reaching his peak alone didn't compare to what it felt like to have Arthur's mouth sealed around his cock and the prince's fingers prying him open. Jet after jet of cum shot into Arthur's mouth as he mewled his pleasure, utterly lost to the thought that someone might hear.
Arthur had waited such a long time to taste Merlin that none of his deepest, darkest fantasies could have prepared him for the milky sweetness that filled his mouth. Swallowing on instinct as well as his hunger for Merlin, Arthur sealed his lips around the swollen tip of Merlin's cock, drinking deeply until the twitching shaft was completely spent. Even then Arthur took his time licking, nibbling, and kissing until Merlin's glistening cock was clean. Finally, beaming up at Merlin, he said, "Now that was worth waiting for."
Merlin's slender chest rose and fell as he took gasping breaths. The only response he could manage for once was a firm nod. When Merlin finally caught his breath, he broke into a grin. "Not all I've been waiting for, though, Sire," he answered playfully. Merlin spread his legs a bit wider and looked at his lover with eager eyes. He wanted Arthur every bit as much as he had before he came. "Please, Arthur? Will you?"
Prince Arthur Pendragon nearly lost himself right then and there. Fantasizing about Merlin begging to be taken was a far cry from the real thing. His cock - hard, hot and heavy, like a broadsword forged in fire - twitched and pulsed, the swollen tip glistening as silvery strands of pre-cum clung to the underside. "Oh yes, Merlin," he replied, his throat thick with desire, "I will." Arthur groaned as he moved between the Merlin's inviting legs, their bodies melding together and interlocking as if they were made for each other. He shivered as he took hold of himself and began to slowly, carefully push himself inside Merlin's body.
Merlin gasped softly as the prince began to press him open. It was different than the fingers. Arthur's size was imposing, and Merlin felt a moment of misgiving. Would his own limited experience stand in their way? The thought made the young man tense for a moment, but he fought against the urge to clamp down, and soon Merlin found himself letting Arthur in with all the willingness he truly felt. Arthur's thick cock drove into him deeper with every thrust, and Merlin's own spent length began to stir again at the realization that all of his fantasies were coming true. His arms and legs wrapped around Arthur as much as possible as if to keep him from changing his mind or retreating. Pale limbs cradled Arthur's muscular form close, and Merlin's long fingers carded through Arthur's hair.
Arthur found it unbelievably difficult to retain control of himself. Sinking inside of Merlin was beyond anything he could have ever dreamed of: warm, tight, slick and absolutely perfect. He shuddered and gasped, melting into the intense sensations. His cock pulsed dangerously, threatening to spill itself within the clenching embrace of Merlin's tender passage. How he managed to hold on and prolong the pleasure was nothing short of miraculous. Kissing Merlin provided the right distraction, and Arthur plunged his tongue in just as deeply as his pistoning length.
Merlin moved experimentally and felt his body expanding to allow Arthur even deeper. The shift also caused the prince's cock to strike something inside of him. He broke the kiss to gasp for breath, and wide blue eyes met Arthur's. Merlin felt almost foolish, but he'd had no idea that it would be so good to have Arthur inside of him. "Oh..." The realization of how good it was going to be slowly dawned on Merlin. The idea of control flickered briefly in the back of his mind, but it faded before he could understand why it might be important.
"Do you like that?" Arthur breathed out raggedly. He smiled only to tremble as Merlin clenched around him. "I promised it would be wonderful, didn't I?" Another kiss, tender and sweet at first, grew into something more passionate and scorching as Arthur felt himself easing even deeper inside of Merlin. "I don't want to stop," he panted against Merlin's beautifully swollen lips, "I don't want to ever stop..."
"Please don't... ever... don't." Merlin had no idea what he was saying. All he knew was that it felt perfect having Arthur inside of him, and he never wanted the man to be apart from him again. Merlin clung to his lover and closed his eyes. "Arthur..." It was like coming home at last. Merlin had never felt truly comfortable anywhere, always ill at ease for one reason or another. In Arthur's arms, he felt as if he'd found his place at least. Merlin had no idea that when he opened his eyes again, they weren't blue any longer but instead glowed with a soft gold light.
Arthur did not readily notice the startling change to Merlin's eyes. He was far too lost in desire, raining kisses down on the other man's throat. His thrusts were slow, deep, and sensuous, his swollen length sliding along every inch of Merlin's clenching passage. It was only when the prince ached to taste Merlin's mouth again that he found himself startled by the surprising change. "Merlin... your eyes..." he panted out, blinking at him in disbelief.
It took Merlin a moment to realize that Arthur had stopped moving. He groaned his frustration and then registered what the prince had said. "My eyes?" he echoed stupidly. It was impossible to think when all he wanted was for Arthur to start fucking him again. Merlin cupped Arthur's cheeks, still at a loss as to what had Arthur look at him so strangely. It struck him at once, and Merlin's expression turned from pleasure to terror. Arthur knew. If he didn't yet, he certainly would as soon as some blood flowed north from his nether regions. "I'm sorry... I... I should have... I'm sorry..."
Arthur's emotions waged war between pleasure, anger, and betrayal. He could do little but pant and stare at Merlin's softly glowing eyes even as his body ached to continue what it had started. His kiss-bruised lips pursed in consternation, the prince accused, "You're magic, aren't you?" Arthur should have put the pieces together. There had always been something different about Merlin, something he could never explain, and now he knew the truth. What scared him the most was the fact that he couldn't quite bring himself to care that Merlin was a being his father would have ordered executed on the spot.
Merlin had never felt so trapped in his life. "Yes... Arthur, I should have told you, but... I was... I am... scared." Would Arthur leave? The idea of being left in such a vulnerable state terrified Merlin, and his fingers curled against Arthur's shoulders as though he might be able to physically hold the prince if he chose to leave. Would Arthur hate him? He had every right. Merlin knew that he'd essentially been lying to Arthur since the moment they met. Whatever his reasons for doing it, the ruse seemed cruel now that it was exposed, and Merlin hated himself for not confessing sooner, not seeing that Arthur knew before they fell into bed together.
Arthur could not explain what came over him. He should have been livid, railing at Merlin for having kept such a monumental secret from him. What stopped him was the emotion brimming in the other man's eyes as well as his own feelings. "Merlin," he started in a shaky whisper, "you shouldn't have..." Arthur couldn't finish. Instead he lunged forward and kissed that sweet mouth again. He couldn't think, not when his head was whirling with revelations and desire. All he wanted was Merlin. Nothing else mattered.
Merlin started at the touch of Arthur's lips as though the contact alone was a spark that burned. The moment permission was so silently and succinctly given to enjoy himself once more, Merlin clung tightly to Arthur. He shifted his hips to silently remind Arthur of what they'd been doing and how desperate he was not to stop. Merlin could do nothing but hold onto the sweetness of the man's kiss and pray that he would not regret a moment of it.
Arthur kissed and caressed Merlin until he was moaning and squirming again. All thoughts of Merlin being magical were pushed to the back of his mind. Only pleasure and the deep need to finish what he had started remained. Slowly Arthur began to pump his hips again. He reached beneath Merlin, filling his large hands with the globes of Merlin's ass. In seconds the leverage he gained allowed Arthur to spear his cock even deeper. The sensation drove him crazy. "Do you want me to do it hard?" he whispered, tantalizing Merlin.
"Yes!" It took no thought at all for Merlin to know that he wanted exactly that. The idea of Arthur's cock slamming into him was enough to draw a whimper from Merlin. He'd never known that it would be so intoxicating to open himself up at last. That Arthur was the man he'd loved for so long only made it that much hotter. "Please, Arthur? I want to feel it..."
That was all Arthur needed to hear. Grasping Merlin's tight, round bottom, the prince angled the man into position and began to thrust hard and fast. Grunting and groaning like a rutting animal in heat, Arthur's eyes rolled back in his head as he was overwhelmed by the incredible sensations. "Merlin... oh, Merlin..." His breathing was increasingly ragged, his muscular frame taut and glistening with sweat. Arthur leaned forward, burying himself so deeply that he would have sworn he could feel Merlin's rapidly beating heart surrounding him.
Merlin wanted to hold on. He wanted to keep his arms wrapped around Arthur forever. That might have the added benefit of completely ridding them of the need to discuss what Arthur had just realized about him. Instead Merlin shivered and twisted in Arthur's grasp. It felt too good for him to show any restraint whatsoever. Before Merlin realized how dangerously close he'd gotten to the edge, he was crying out, muscles clutching hungrily at Arthur's cock. The white hot evidence of his release flowed between them while Merlin's fingers clutched at Arthur's back as if to keep his balance.
Arthur had witnessed many magnificent wonders in his life, but none of them compared to the sight of Merlin in the throes of ecstasy. It went beyond anything his feverish mind could have imagined. If Arthur could have had it his way, he would have simply drunk in the moment, but it was not to be. The feverish clenching of Merlin's body around his swollen length set him off as well. His cock fairly exploded within those wondrous depths, painting Merlin's tender passage with his royal seed. Arthur groaned out his pleasure, covering Merlin's luscious mouth with his own as he drowned in sweet completion.
Merlin was lost, breathless and groaning into Arhur's mouth as he rode out the release. Never before had he expected that sex would be quite so intimate, but it was as if Arthur had broken him apart and then put him back together again. By the time the breathless kiss ended, Merlin was still trembling in his lover's grip. Surely after what they'd shared, nothing else could matter. Merlin clung to the thought desperately. He couldn't bear to lose Arthur again, and he silently prayed that Arthur felt the same way.
As Arthur slowly descended from the high of his climax, he broke away from Merlin's mouth long enough to catch his breath, then their lips came together again. This time it was a tender, aching kiss that grew more passionate. Arthur knew his feelings should have been conflicted, but how could he hate Merlin for having kept the secret of his magic from him? His father would have had his former servant executed on the spot. /Not all magic is bad,/ he decided, knowing there wasn't an evil bone in Merlin's body.
Merlin shivered and kissed Arthur again and again until he finally had to catch his breath. The pressure of the unspoken words standing between them was too much, and he reached out to stroke his fingers over the prince's cheek. "I never meant to lie. I just... I knew you would have to tell your father. I knew how you felt about magic... but I'd never hurt you or anyone else if I didn't have to." Merlin found that he was trembling again at the thought of what it might mean to speak so honestly to the other man.
"Shh," whispered Arthur, silencing Merlin with a tender kiss. "You don't have to explain. I understand." He brushed his long fingers over Merlin's warm, damp cheek. Arthur understood all too well. His father's prejudices had started to rub off on him, and it frightened the prince to contemplate what might have happened to Merlin if Uther Pendragon even suspected that Merlin possessed the slightest hint of magic. "I know you, Merlin," Arthur continued in a soft voice, "and I know you wouldn't raise a hand against Camelot."
Merlin let out a breath that he'd been holding fast to and nodded eagerly. Arthur understood. He was weak with relief, would have fallen had he been standing instead of lying in bed. "Yes... Arthur, I would never do anything that would hurt you." He met the prince's gaze and couldn't help but smile. "I meant it before. I love you. Being away from you's been killing me. Driving me mad." A small shiver passed through the young man's body as he pleaded, "Promise you won't leave me."
Arthur faltered more at that simple request than he had upon discovering Merlin's secret. Every instinct in his body wanted to make that promise, but what held Arthur back was the fear of what his father might do if he ever learned what Merlin truly was. "Don't worry," he finally whispered, pressing a tender kiss to his lover's forehead. Arthur wrapped Merlin in his strong arms, embracing him as he settled back into bed. "Close your eyes. Your prince commands it." He was smiling, relishing the feeling of Merlin crushed against him. "And let me hold you."
Merlin melted into Arthur's embrace. That the promise went unmade was utterly lost on him. He felt sure that Arthur would not leave him again. They would find a way to make things work. Uther had never discovered his secret - why should he now? A smile touched Merlin's lips as he curled up in Arthur's arms. Everything would be fine. "G'night," he murmured. He knew he would sleep soundly for the first time since leaving Camelot.
Tortured by the war of conflicting feelings raging within him, Arthur gazed at Merlin's slumbering features for what seemed like an eternity before reaching a decision. His heart heavy with reluctance, he carefully eased himself free of Merlin's embrace and out of bed. Tears sprang to Arthur's eyes as he quietly dressed, his body already aching to be near Merlin's again. He stopped short at the door, remembering that Sir Robert had taken the initiative to lock them inside. Arthur reached out and was surprised to find that the door opened easily. /When did Sir Robert unlock it?/
Terrified of waiting a moment longer lest he change his mind, Arthur took one last, longing glance at Merlin and whispered, "Forgive me, please?" before leaving the room and making his way out of the estate.