A/N: So I was reading a story recently about the relationship between a master and his soldier and I wanted to explore that relationship dynamic for myself and I thought, hmm where could I set this, and obviously Merlin came to mind. It's been a while since I've watched the show so please forgive me any inconsistencies.
I hope you enjoy and please be so kind as to review, I get sad when my stories don't get any reviews :(
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the amazing Merlin characters
Chapter 1
They had been riding long and hard to reach Camelot before the end of the day. They rode straight through sundown and reached the gates of the city just after midnight. Arthur was tired and in bad spirits, and all he wanted to do is collapse into a soft, clean bed. After he's had a long, hot bath, that is.
He told the knights 'good work' and to head to sleep and got a few grunts of acknowledgement. They were all exhausted and also looking forward to a sleeping surface that wasn't the hard, cold ground.
They had been on a prolonged mission for the past ten days, hunting down a monster concocted by some witch or another from a foreign land. The monstrosity which looked like and uglier and bigger version of a lion had been picking off peasants from the main road and Arthur was tasked by his father to find it and dispatch it "At once!" Of course it took a bit longer than they had anticipated.
Since they weren't expected to be gone more than a couple of days, Arthur had insisted that Merlin stay back in Camelot, he didn't really need a manservant on an overnight hunting trip. He was happy now however that the servant had stayed home and could provide him with a hot bath and a clean bed he so desired. Arthur also found that he missed the servant, missed their morning verbal sparring and missed his company, he was usually a nice respite from the loud and rowdy knights.
As Arthur strolled purposefully towards his chambers, barely having the strength left to walk straight he decided not to dwell on the fact that the idea of seeing Merlin seemed to not only match his desire for rest and comfort but even to outweigh it. He smiled involuntarily just thinking of that goofy face greeting him by the door and his dirty wet rags became a little easier to bear on the long walk to his rooms. Was it really necessary to have so many stairs in one castle?
"Arthur!" The exclamation reached his ears even before he registered the servant rushing to his side.
"Merlin, do you always have to squeak so? I kind of have a headache" He always felt the need to diminish his affection for Merlin, even though he wished sometimes to be able to be more direct.
"Do you always have to be so grumpy, sire?" Merlin's enthusiasm was undeterred. He walked back to the rooms alongside Arthur, not making an attempt to support him as he knew the prince wouldn't like to appear like he needed help and held the door open for him.
When Arthur saw the inside he felt such a wave of gratitude wash over him that he felt an irrational desire to pull Merlin towards him and kiss him till he whimpered in his arms. He chased that image away with difficulty, he was too tired and his inhibitions were giving way.
Instead he focused on the steaming bath in the middle of the room and started quickly dragging off pieces of his clothes. Usually he didn't let Merlin assist him with the bathing even though it was part of his duties. The idea of being naked in the same room as Merlin, with Merlin touching him while he was naked… Well, the reaction those thoughts invoked in him was bound to make their relationship somewhat awkward. Arthur had long since discerned that Merlin only loved him as a friend and cared for him as a brother.
But today he was too tired to tend to himself and he hoped that that meant he'd also be too tired to get a raging hard-on in the presence of his loyal friend. He quickly ripped off the last of his clothes and stepped into the bath. It was hot, but after his legs got used to the temperature, it felt heavenly, and he gingerly lowered himself in. He looked at Merlin "Are you going to help me or will you just stand by the door like a statue?" As if he had Merlin wash his back every time he bathed.
Merlin resisted the urge the say something and simply approached the prince. He grabbed a bar of fragrant lilac soap and dipped into the side of the bath before moving to draw wide circles on Arthur's back. Arthur let out an involuntary moan, the hot water and the sublime sensation on his back was so soothing. He realised he was wrong about the hard on practically immediately. Apparently his body was too tired for everything, but not too tired to get painfully hard at the simple idea that Merlin was bathing him. He decided to pretend like the moan never happened and just readjusted himself slightly and tried to inconspicuously place his hands in a way that would hide his groin. He may have gotten embarrassed and would have tried to say something in other circumstances, but he was too damn tired!
Instead he decided to hope that Merlin wouldn't notice his hard cock and let him continue to rub his back in a soothing motion, and then let him wash his hair and give his chest a cursive wipe with the soap. At that point he took the soap and quickly washed his own ass and genitalia, it's been a long time since they've been clean. In the meanwhile Merlin grabbed a towel from the commode and stood holding it out for him. Arthur had to think for a minute, before standing up strategically facing away from Merlin. He looked back and held out his hand for Merlin to hand him the towel. He quickly dried himself, his semi hard cock hardening again at the thought that the servant was in a perfect position to observe his perfectly round ass. Did he like what he saw? Did he even look? Arthur had a good ass, and he kind of wanted Merlin to be looking. Oh, who was he fooling? He really fucking wanted him to be looking. He pulled the towel around his waist, annoyed that his painfully hard cock couldn't seem to take a hint.
"That's it for tonight. Thanks for the bath. I'm hitting the sack now." He threw, as he got to the bed and picked up the sleeping clothes laid out for him.
Merlin bowed slightly, a slight smile of his face and went to loudly drag the wooden tub out of the room. Arthur waited till he wished him good night and was gone before untying the towel. He grabbed his dick into his right hand and groaned. He wanted to do this quickly so he could finally go to bed. He jerked off without ceremony. He imagined Merlin's cock swelling while looking at his ass; Merlin on his knees; Merlin's mouth around his cock, licking, sucking. He came with a quiet gasp. He quickly wiped himself off, threw on the sleeping pants and was asleep mere seconds after his head hit the pillow.
