Alternate Universe - Canon
A feast in honor of the victory over Morgana's troops at Camlann changes everything between the king and his court sorcerer.
The king propped himself up on his elbow and watched the man beside him sleep. His eyes followed from the top of Merlin's raven dark hair, to his long lashes that were fluttering softly against his smooth pale skin. Arthur looked at the sorcerer's flushed cheeks and his full plush lips. Those beautiful, extremely talented lips. Arthur leaned in and gently kissed Merlin, being careful not to wake him. He wished he could see the sorcerer's beautiful blue-golden-sparkling eyes but they were closed in sleep and Arthur could remember them how dark they were the night before when he was making love to Merlin.
Making love. That's what they did last night.
The king didn't even know how it had started. They tiptoed around their feelings for years now, and last night at the feast something had changed though.
Arthur felt it the moment Merlin walked into the throne room. He was standing a little secluded from the major crowd with Gwaine and the happily married couple Lancelot and Gwen, discussing the battle. Merlin looked beautiful in his black breeches with matching black boots, his white tunic and no neckerchief, so Arthur could see his long slender neck. His hair was a mess as always but Arthur liked it that way.
The sorcerer literally took his breath away.
He ended up spending most of the night at Merlin's side, smiling at him and getting a blush as his reward. He also couldn't keep his hands of him, whether a hand on the sorcerer's lower back when they changed from talk partner to talk partner, or brushing his fingers with Merlin's when he gave him a goblet with wine or just making sure to 'accidentally' brush against his arm when he could without making it obvious.
Arthur had a strange feeling that Merlin didn't mind at all and if his eyes weren't deceiving him Merlin also was touching him a little bit as well.
It all came ahead for them when Arthur left to speak with Gaius about the wounded. On his return he found Merlin talking with a tall douche bag. He didn't know what came over him though a voice that sounded strangely like Gwaine did mutter in his head jealous as he walked to stand by the sorcerer's side, making it very obvious to Mr. Douche bag that Merlin was his!
After that it was pretty much a blur, except the king did remember Merlin teasing him and he kissing the sorcerer to stop him, then he asking if Merlin wanted to leave with him. They could barely keep their hands of each other as they heated to the king's chamber, were clothes quickly discarded.
So here he was now after a couple of very nice rounds with Merlin, watching him sleep, knowing that his life was going to be changed by this beautiful man and even though the thought scared him a little bit he was willing to give it a shot.
Arthur lowered himself back on his bed, adjusting Merlin so that he was resting his head on the king's chest and he wrapped his arm around the sorcerer's waist, pulling him close. He gave Merlin a kiss on the forehead and fell back to sleep, his heart content.