Merlin was laying on his back, on the cold, stone ground of the cave. He did have a blanket shoved behind his neck, so he supposed it wasn't so bad. His head was tipped back into the blankets, Arthur's lips were smearing down his neck, leaving big, open mouth kisses as he moved over the skin there. This was the second night in a row that they had laid together, and instead of sleeping like the others did, they kind of just stayed there together. However, unlike last night Arthur had gotten just a little bit more comfortable with the idea, and Merlin thought that maybe he just took comfort in Merlin's presence and in his body, but he also knew he shouldn't let him do this. That being said, Merlin also knew he wasn't going to stop him either...he was bad at that last time, too.

He didn't think his heart could take another break like last time though, and he didn't think Arthur's metal state could either. They were both too fragile, and both completely covered in another one of Merlin's large blankets, hidden from the world, in this hot little bubble they had made. Merlin surely hoped they were not attacked now, because they were very unprepared. Arthur was half on top of him, his hands up the back of Merlin's tunic, gripping at the bare skin of his back.

Arthur bit down on the spot right under Merlin's left ear and Merlin gasped, he let his tongue run over the spot next and Merlin sighed, half way liking it, yet getting kind of annoyed. He knew Arthur was marking him, on purpose, to show dominance to Gwaine, who apparently Arthur was in some sort of competition with. Only in Arthur's head anyway. '"Arthur..." he said in a whisper, and Arthur did not respond, only continued his kisses, but now, pushed Merlin's tunic out of the way to make contact with his shoulder blade. "Arthur, he said a bit more sternly. Arthur pulled back, leaning up on his elbow to look at Merlin, his lips were all red and Merlin cursed the fact that he was actually in love with this fool. Because it was incredibly true that he was, very much. Merlin reached up, and raked his fingers through Arthur's hair. "We're doing that thing again..."

"Pardon me...?" said Arthur, looking a bit confused now, Merlin only smiled at him.

"That thing where we let stuff happen between us and then not mention it ever..."

"Hm," said Arthur softly. "I suppose you are right, we are rather good at that."

Merlin's smile turned into a grin, even though what they were talking about was a bit serious. "Yes, we are."

Arthur frowned then. "I'm sorry if you didn't like-" he gestured to Merlin's neck and Merlin bit his lip, looking up at Arthur with, what he was sure, were utter heart eyes.

"No...I liked it."

Arthur smiled a little bit at this now, too. "So did I..." he said. "Seems a shame to stop."

"But we should," said Merlin slowly. "We agree on that, don't we? We should stop it before-?"

"Before it get's worse?" offered Arthur, Merlin nodded. "You're right, Merlin," he said, he took in a deep breath then and looked down, over Merlin's body. "And I could have let it become a lot worse...if you had let me.."

The way Arthur said that, with just complete desire, sent Merlin's heart rate into an absolute frenzy, he gulped and he felt his ears grow hotter than they already were under the blanket. Arthur's eyes stayed mopping over him, and he had never felt more exposed before, also as if he had never been completely at Arthur's whim so much before. In all of his life, that destiny had planned out for him, did he think he would have ever had to feel this way. Arthur had said, when they first met, that he could take him apart, and Merlin had never believed that until right now, in this moment. It became clear to him then, that this was going to end up going a lot further than just kissing...very soon, if he let it.

But as far as Merlin knew, Arthur still loved Gwen, he was planning on marrying Gwen one day, where did that leave Merlin? With secret rendezvous? He didn't want that. Arthur let his eyes fall finally, moving away and laying down at Merlin's side. They were still very close though, Arthur even draped one arm over Merlin's middle. Still claiming him against Gwaine, no doubt. Arthur had tired himself out stressing Merlin out so much, and soon he was breathing deeply into Merlin's left ear, while Merlin lay awake worrying about things. Everything, actually. Merlin knew he needed to put Arthur in his place, he had already had to do so long ago, with how Arthur treated Merlin as a servant, but somehow...with this, with their feelings, or their wanting for each other, it made the idea of forcing Arthur to stop all the more hard for Merlin to do. Mostly because he didn't want to, but Arthur had already told him once that he didn't love him, so after learning their lesson last time, why was this happening again?

The simple answer is that they are both complete idiots, that's why. They had no backbone when it came to each other, there was a reason why they were both so ready to die for one another at a drop of a hat. Whatever it was, love, lust...destiny, it was strong between them, and Merlin knew he either had to take it for himself or force Arthur to stop before it was too late, and marry Gwen. Gaius told him before that it was not his place to chose who Arthur was with, but now more than ever it felt as if that is exactly what Merlin was going to have to do. And he knew, even if it did hurt him, that he had to force Arthur to choose Gwen. Because Arthur would be king, he needed a queen and an heir. Merlin couldn't give him that. But how could Merlin tell him that without him getting mad...? There was nothing worse than a defensive, mad, prat prince called Arthur Pendragon. But there was also nothing better...

(A/N: This was my nanowrimo from last year and I just realized I never finished posting it, so I will quickly post the two last chapters and then the epilogue in a few days.)