As soon as the limousine stopped, Merlin jumped out and ran up the steps into Arthur's mansion. Arthur was waiting for him in the foyer, pacing.
"Arthur!" Merlin cried happily, flinging himself at the man.
"Merlin!" Arthur laughed, swinging the younger man around before pulling him into a hug. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, just glad to be home," Merlin smiled.
Arthur reached up to cup Merlin's face. "You really do think of this as your home?"
"Yeah of course I do," Merlin nodded. "I know what they are accusing you of and they tried to tell me I had Stockholm Syndrome or some such shite. They didn't want to let me go. They were going to put me in some kind of group home. And they have the gall to call you a kidnapper!"
Arthur leaned in and gave Merlin a quick kiss. "I was worried they were going to take you from me. That's why I sent Gaius. He'll take care of everything. We just need to remain in free time for a while, understand?"
"Yeah Arthur," Merlin nodded. "If we can maybe still play a little once in a while?"
Arthur chuckled. "Yeah, we'll just keep it in the bedroom for now."
Arthur led Merlin into the living room and poured them both a drink before curling up on the couch and gesturing for Merlin to join him.
"Hey, back when they were arresting you and trying to drag me off, did you mean what you said?" Merlin asked.
"I always mean what I say," Arthur said, brushing some of Merlin's hair out of his face. "Which part are you asking about?"
"When you called me your boyfriend," Merlin said blushing.
Arthur hesitated at that before nodding. "Yeah I suppose I did. We have been going out on dates for over a year now, after all."
"So that means you must like me then, yeah?" Merlin said smiling.
"Of course I like you," Arthur said. "I wouldn't have you share my bed if I didn't like you."
Merlin was suddenly overcome with emotion and tears spilled down his cheeks, unable to hold back any longer. "A year ago I didn't think it would be possible, with the contract and all that, but…" Merlin took a deep breath and looked at Arthur. "Arthur Pendragon, I think I'm in love with you."
Arthur's breath hitched at Merlin's confession. Arthur sat up fully and looked Merlin straight in the eye, cupping his cheeks in his hands. "You…you're in love? With me? After all the things I did to you this past year?"
"Well, I had fun with all that," Merlin smiled. "Apparently I'm just as much of a kinky bastard as you are."
Arthur took Merlin's hand and placed it over his heart and Merlin could feel how fast it was beating.
"Do you remember what I told you, about why I chose you?" Arthur asked.
Merlin nodded. "Yeah something about my dazzling eyes."
"It was more than that," Arthur said. "I became obsessed with you. I learned everything I could because I dreamt of you every night, I longed for you every day. When you agreed to be mine I couldn't have been more thrilled. Because…because I was already in love with you."
"Wait, you were in love with me, and that's why you wanted to enslave me?" Merlin asked in shock.
"Everyone else I'd ever been with, they all left me eventually," Arthur confessed. "I was never able to hold on to anyone I truly cared about. Even my own father left."
"I thought your father died?" Merlin asked, confused.
"Yes," Arthur nodded. "He left me in death. My mother also left, dying when I was born. I've always been alone; other than the servants I pay. I guess I thought the only way to get you to stay was to enslave you."
Merlin knew he should be furious, but after everything they'd shared this past year, he just chuckled. "Well it seems you managed to enslave my heart."
Arthur pulled Merlin closer and kissed him with every ounce of emotion he had before standing up and taking Merlin's hand. "Come to bed?"
Merlin nodded and let his boyfriend lead him to their bedroom. Merlin noted along the way that the house had been tidied since the police practically ransacked everything. The bedroom was once again impeccable as always. It felt good to be home.
"Tonight, my love," Arthur purred into his ear. "Tonight I don't want to merely fuck your brains out. Tonight I want to make love to you."
Merlin's heart clenched at Arthur's words, as Arthur slowly undressed Merlin, who was still wearing just sweats and sneakers from the earlier commotion. Arthur kissed and caressed every bit of skin that he bared. Then he undressed himself and led Merlin to their bed.
And it truly was their bed.
Arthur nearly wept for joy, remembering that Merlin had said he loved him. Arthur lay down, and pulled Merlin with him so that Merlin lay atop him. He kissed Merlin tenderly, almost reverently. He had almost lost Merlin today. The young man could have chosen to leave and there would have been little he could have done to stop it, despite the contract.
After everything Arthur had done in the past year, Merlin still chose him. Merlin actually had fallen in love with him. Arthur could still hardly believe it.
Arthur resolved in that moment, as they were lying there, kissing and caressing each other, to do better by Merlin. They both clearly enjoyed all the kinky games they had played together over the past year, but Merlin deserved better than what was in that damnable contract.
Arthur loved feeling Merlin's smooth skin against his own, and he slowly turned them so Merlin lay on his back beneath Arthur. The older man began kissing and licking Merlin everywhere, worshiping every inch of the younger man who was beginning to writhe beneath him.
"You're so beautiful," Arthur breathed as he licked and suckled on one of Merlin's nipples.
"Arthur!" Merlin moaned, arching into the man's touch. "Please! I need you…"
Arthur then kissed and licked further down Merlin's torso, getting a wicked grin on his face as he slowly licked up the length of Merlin's arousal. Arthur had never done this with Merlin before and it felt amazing to make Merlin gasp as he took the head of his cock between his lips. Arthur had used Merlin's mouth many times and he tried to remember all the things he loved for Merlin to do to him.
Merlin gasped as Arthur took his entire length down his throat, gagging slightly before he remembered to swallow.
"Oh gods, Arthur! I won't last long if you keep doing that," Merlin groaned. "Please Arthur, please. I want you. I need you inside me. Please."
Arthur blindly reached for the bottle of lube they kept under the pillows and quickly slicked his fingers, loosening Merlin. It didn't take long as Arthur had been fucking Merlin two or three times each day for the past year, so he never really needed a lot of prep anymore.
Arthur then put on a liberal amount of lube on his cock and crawled up between Merlin's legs to capture the younger man's mouth, as he sank his length into Merlin, savoring every inch as he swallowed the pleasured moan Merlin made.
Once seated Arthur broke the kiss and looked into his lover's eyes. "You always feel so amazing. I love you so much Merlin."
Slowly Arthur began to move, thrusting slow and deep, making love to Merlin, who was eagerly meeting each thrust as he moaned and writhed beneath Arthur.
Arthur leaned in to kiss Merlin passionately, while keeping his thrusts slow but steady. He kissed Merlin along his jawline and down the long column of his neck as his lover arched his body into him when his cock finally hit the younger man's prostrate.
Arthur reverently kissed along the golden collar that Merlin still wore as Merlin began to thrust up more urgently, silently begging Arthur for more.
Arthur increased the pace slightly before whispering more endearments into Merlin's ear. "You're so amazing. Are you getting close, baby? Can you cum for me soon?"
Merlin couldn't respond with anything other than a groan as he coaxed Arthur to go faster. As Arthur complied Merlin cried out as he rolled his head back in ecstasy and came hard between them.
The feel of the vice-like grip of Merlin's ass around his cock, sent Arthur over the edge, and he came deep inside Merlin.
Arthur was breathing heavily and he leaned his forehead against Merlin, smiling brightly. "Love you so much, baby."
Arthur slowly slipped his softening cock out of Merlin and collapsed on his lover's side, pulling him into a warm embrace. "I'll do better by you from now on," Arthur promised. "I'll never let them try and take you from me again."
"I wouldn't let them take me," Merlin said. "I love you too."
Arthur got up then and brought over a wash cloth to clean up before slipping back into bed. "Let's get some sleep, Love. We can figure things out tomorrow."
"Yeah, alright," Merlin said sleepily as he curled into Arthur's embrace once again.
...
The next morning Arthur was awakened by his usual blow job. At first he groaned in pleasure until he remembered the events of the previous day.
"Merlin, Love," Arthur said sleepily. "You don't have to do that if you don't want."
Merlin slid his mouth off Arthur's hardened flesh. "But I do want to. Doesn't feel like morning without it now."
Merlin then dutifully went back to work and Arthur decided he wasn't going to argue the point; especially with how close Merlin had gotten him. It wasn't long before he was coming down Merlin's throat with a groan.
Merlin sat up and smiled happily before getting up and padding off to the bathroom to pee. Merlin then turned on the shower and waggled his eyes at Arthur invitingly. Arthur chuckled and got up and peed as well before joining Merlin in the hot shower, remembering the first time they shared it. Merlin still dutifully shaved himself every morning.
Arthur leaned in to kiss Merlin under the hot water and took the razor away from him. "Do you want to keep shaving? It's ok if you don't."
"Actually I like it. Makes me feel cleaner all over. I loved it when you did it for me the first time," Merlin confessed.
Arthur smiled. "Then let me do it for you again, Love." Merlin nodded and Arthur soaped him up before beginning the process, carefully shaving everywhere, including the boy's balls.
They were both getting aroused again, but Merlin shook his head when Arthur tried to bend Merlin over. "I have a better idea."
Merlin then turned off the shower and stepped out, toweling himself off and throwing a towel at Arthur before heading towards the playroom.
Arthur wrinkled his brow in confusion and decided to towel off quickly before following Merlin. Once Arthur entered the playroom his breath hitched as he saw Merlin draped obscenely over the spanking horse, wiggling his ass at him.
"Well come on then," Merlin said. "Time for my morning spank, yeah?"
"You actually still want to do that?" Arthur asked. "Are you completely sure?"
"Absolutely, as long as you don't mind my skipping my enema," Merlin winked at him. "I never much fancied those."
Arthur laughed. "Well, alright then. What do you want me to use?"
"I'd like the belt today," Merlin said thoughtfully. "Give me some good welts, make me sob. I could really use a good cry to get yesterday out of my system."
"You're really sure about this, Love?" Arthur asked as he picked up a belt hanging from the wall.
"Yeah," Merlin nodded. "It's all your fault I have a pain kink now, you know."
"Just promise me if this gets to be too much, you'll use the safe word," Arthur said. "You remember what they are?"
Merlin nodded. "Green to keep going, yellow to pause, red to stop."
Arthur nodded, satisfied that Merlin knew what he wanted, and positioned himself behind Merlin. He first warmed him up with a nice hand spanking before wielding the belt.
Without even really thinking about it, Arthur slipped into his Dom headspace then, as he lay stripe after stripe with the belt over Merlin's ass and thighs, until Merlin was sobbing. Although never once did Merlin try to safe word out, the sobbing is what snapped Arthur out of it and he dropped the belt and gathered a pliant and sobbing Merlin into his arms. "Thank you, Arthur. I really needed that."
Somewhere in the middle of the beating, Merlin had actually cum hard all over the spanking horse and Arthur smiled when he saw the mess before he carried Merlin out to the bedroom and lay him gently on his front onto the bed before fetching the salve they used to help Merlin heal faster after a good beating.
"So, it's my fault that I've turned you into a kinky bastard?" Arthur chuckled as he gently kissed each of the welts before smoothing more salve over Merlin's reddened skin.
"Yeah, well I had no idea how good all that would feel until you actually did it to me," Merlin shrugged. "So what's for breakfast?"
"I forgot to tell the kitchen staff what to make," Arthur said. "Let's go see if they've got a surprise for us?"
They both quickly dressed and headed down to the kitchen, where plates of steaming pancakes and syrup awaited them, along with freshly brewed coffee.
...
They were about half finished with their breakfast when there was once again a commotion at the front door. Both Merlin and Arthur headed to the foyer to see what was going on this time.
There at the front door stood Gwen and two officers, arguing with George and Gaius.
"What is going on this time?" Arthur asked exasperated.
"I'm here to check in on Merlin and take him away from you if I find even one thing amiss!" Gwen set petulantly.
"No!" Merlin said stepping forward. "I have had enough of you and your meddling. I am an adult and if I choose to be with Arthur it's really none of your damned business!"
"Is this really necessary?" Arthur growled. "You and your detective friend really need to end this witch hunt. I have done nothing illegal."
"That will be for the court to decide," Gwen said smugly. "Since Merlin won't press charges against you, I am doing so on his behalf. I'm already working on the paperwork to get him declared incompetent so that I can take over custody of him and get him away from you."
"Gaius!" Arthur cried in frustration. "Is there anything you can do?"
Gaius nodded. "I'll see to it right away, sir." Gaius then headed towards the office to presumably make some phone calls.
Arthur turned back to Gwen. "I am not going to let you take away the man that I love, just because some damned detective wants to bring me down on some trumped up charges!"
"I'm just trying to protect a young man from a sexual predator!" Gwen yelled back.
Merlin came forward again. "You will not insult my boyfriend like that again. I am not incompetent and I do not need to get away from this man. I love him!"
"You only think that dear," Gwen said condescendingly. "You really can't see what he's done to you."
"I know perfectly well what he's done to me," Merlin growled. "And I can't wait for him to do it again. Care to watch?"
Just then Gwen received a phone call. "Gwen here! Yes, sir? Oh no, My Lord! But…My Lord? We have him right here. I could…" Gwen let out a sigh of defeat. "Yes, My Lord."
"Well it seems you're still well connected," Gwen growled and turned to go, taking the officers with her. Arthur and Merlin both let out a sigh of relief before going to find Gaius in the office.
"Thanks, Gaius," Arthur said gratefully. "Is there anything else we can do to keep them off our backs? This really is getting ridiculous."
"I've been doing some digging," Gaius said. "It turns out that Detective Cenred was one of your father's victims. Your father had his parents murdered and it seems he's trying to go after you for revenge. He's been trying to pin things on you for years without success, but then Merlin's friend came in to file a missing person's report and when your former maid reported what she thought was abuse, that was finally enough to get the warrant."
"Great, just great," Arthur sighed. "I know my father was a horrid man, but I've tried to be better. People know that, don't they? I shut down all my father's illegal operations, and started a truly legitimate corporation."
"Unfortunately this is all over the tabloids now as well," Gaius sighed. "It will take some time to get this all cleared up."
Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose and Merlin came up behind him and gave him a hug. "I'm so sorry Arthur. This is such a mess."
"Let me try and handle it, sir," Gaius said, reassuringly. "However I would lay off some of your…kinkier…activities for the time being."
They both nodded and Merlin melted into Arthur's embrace after Gaius left. "I ream am so sorry Arthur. If it weren't for my stupid friend Gwaine."
"Hush, Love," Arthur said. "It's not your fault. Gaius will fix it. He always does."
...
A couple of weeks later, Arthur was once again taking Merlin out to dinner. They had not gone back to any Master/slave play since the last threat from Gwen and Arthur began to realize how much he enjoyed Merlin's company without all the rules.
Arthur had been in love with Merlin for quite some time and he knew he wanted Merlin in his life permanently. Since a Master/slave contract was now proving to be more trouble than it was worth, Arthur decided there was a much better way to bind Merlin to him, if he was willing.
As Arthur and Merlin were escorted to their table, the staff all gave Arthur a knowing smile. Dinner proceeded as normal until they were served with two glasses of Champaign and a romantic serenade began. Arthur had also permitted a couple of Paparazzi in to capture this moment. Merlin would understand how much he needed to improve his PR.
As the soft serenade began to play Arthur got down on one knee before Merlin. "My love, I knew from the moment I laid eyes on you that I needed you in my life. I may have gone about this the wrong way, but I still want you to be mine. You make me complete and whole. You fill an emptiness in me I didn't know I had until I first saw you. Please, my love, Merlin, will you marry me?"
Merlin's eyes were wet with joyous tears. "Yes, Arthur. Yes, of course I'll marry you. You literally saved my life and I love you so much for everything you have done for me."
Arthur produced a beautiful gold ring, inlaid with diamonds, and slipped it on Merlin's finger, before pulling Merlin in for a deep, loving kiss as the restaurant erupted into cheers.
The tabloids would have a lot to print the next day.
...
Back at the house later, Arthur took out the contract that he had convinced Merlin to sign well over a year before. "This is my engagement present to you, Love," he said as he flung the contract into the large fireplace in the sitting room. "That contract is now null and void."
"But you'll still let me see my mum, and help take care of her?" Merlin asked.
"Of course, you know I will," Arthur nodded as he pulled Merlin into an embrace as they watched the fire consume the contract.
"And we can still use the playroom once in a while?" Merlin asked mischievously.
Arthur chuckled. "Yes, once in a while, at least once that detective and social worker finally back off."
Merlin admired the ring on his finger and snuggled into Arthur's embrace. "I love you, so much."
"I love you too," Arthur said as he leaned in for a lingering kiss.