![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
New Fic: Epilogue (Arthur/Merlin, R)
Title: Epilogue
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rivestra
Rating: R
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Summary: It's not quite as simple as all that. (Epilogue tosnarkgoddess's No More Affection Than Duty Requires, which you should probably read first.)
Length: 960 words
Warnings: Do I need to warn for Toppy!Arthur? He's kinda cannon.
Disclaimer: Written purely for fun; no profit or harm intended. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners.
A/N: Sosnarkgoddess made me stay up all night (possibly a slight exaggeration) and beta her wonderful Morgana POV story, No More Affection Than Duty Requires (a pinch hit gift for lickingbeads over in ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
merlin_santa). Wide awake, way past my bedtime, my brain decided that if I was going to spend all night with a story, someone'd better actually get lucky. ::sighs:: I miss sleep.
lickingbeads, please consider this a belated stocking stuffer. I hope you enjoy it.
*****
Merlin couldn't breathe. Gwen was babbling, but he couldn't make out the words. Distantly, he heard a sharp intake of breath. Arthur turned to glare, but he didn't release Merlin's wrists, his thumbs tight over Merlin's pounding pulse. He didn't release Merlin's eyes either, not really, and Merlin couldn't turn away even when the door slammed and giggles erupted out in the hall.
Arthur squeezed a little, right on the bone, as if he needed to reclaim Merlin's attention. "Well?" As if he could ever lose it. "Are you going to answer my question?" His voice was demanding. Arrogant, as always. Merlin's eyes tracked down to watch Arthur's lips move, his brain several crucial beats behind, his pulse pounding over the words.
Arthur shifted so he held both wrists in one hand, shifted so his now-free hand could come up and grip Merlin's jaw, angling it up so Merlin had to meet his eyes again. They were shining, of course, perfectly, stunningly blue. Captivating, like the purest stream. "Morgana says you've been lusting after my body but are holding back out of some unfathomable idiocy." A stream roiling with smug supremacy.
Still, Merlin couldn't look away. He also couldn't – quite – parse the question. Fear and hope surged through him in equal measure and when he opened his mouth to reply, no sound emerged.
Arthur's confidant smile twisted into something far more savage. He shoved, spinning Merlin around and into the wall, hands held tightly above, twisting them both until his face was at Merlin's ear. He growled, "Did you really think to keep this from me?"
Merlin felt the words from scalp to toe, all along the length of his spine where the heat of Arthur's body pressed into his. He breathed them in place of air, but he couldn't tell what they meant. He couldn't tell if Arthur meant his body or…
"Did you really think," hot, so hot against his cheek, and Merlin leaned toward that ferocious burn, "that I didn't need to know?" Arthur ground against him, the hardness of him unmistakable against Merlin's ass and that's what made Merlin grind back helplessly, but it's not what made Merlin gasp.
Low and predatory, Arthur asked, "Did you really think I didn't already know? That I haven't been…"
Merlin froze.
Thought unfinished, Arthur froze too, teeth resting lightly on Merlin's throat. He pulled back, looking down at Merlin, face unreadable. A whimper escaped Merlin at the loss of Arthur's heat, but he didn't – couldn't – move.
"You did." Arthur shoved Merlin sideways roughly, into a chair. "Morgana was right." He stared sharply at Merlin, eyes flat and cold. Dismay colored his words, "You really thought I didn't know," but was quickly being replaced by arrogance. "How could you even consider keeping this from me? I thought you knew. I thought you trusted me."
Softer, almost inaudibly, Arthur said, "I trusted you," little-boy-lost and broken.
The storm in Merlin's head finally broke.
He flung himself off the chair, landing hard on his knees, hands catching at Arthur's hip. "Trust you?" He was shouting, suddenly, blindingly, furious. "You think this is about trust, you miserable, selfish prat?" He couldn't look up, couldn't stand to see the look in Arthur's eyes. He buried his face in Arthur's thigh, nosing in hard and allowing his voice just enough volume to be clear through the muffling flesh. "Of course I trust you. I trust you with anything. My friends. My mother. Camelot – I trust you with the whole bloody future! Of course I trust you with myself – the only thing I don’t trust you with is yourself, you incomprehensible ass!"
Minutes passed, Merlin listening to Arthur breathe and trying to remember how to do so himself.
Merlin's voice is exhausted when he finally asks, "How could I?"
Slowly, warily, Arthur tried to shift Merlin's face, his hand rough against Merlin's heated skin. Worn out and totally exposed, without a solitary defense left against his prince, Merlin moved as bid.
Arthur drew him up, pulled him to his feet without breaking the contact of eye and skin. He said, "Merlin," and Merlin heard Yes but didn't know what it meant. He said it again, and Merlin heard I didn't know and felt his heart unclench. Again, and Merlin could almost hear I'm sorry. He said it again as he kissed Merlin's hair and temple, and again as he dragged his mouth down Merlin's jaw, and these sounded like You can and Please and I promise to be careful.
He said it again as he moved in toward Merlin's mouth, catching it in a tender kiss that turned hungry, desperate and heavy with the weight of more Yes. He broke off and down and growled it into Merlin's neck, and Merlin heard Mine and arched his neck into Arthur, melting into him from top to bottom. Arthur was the only thing holding him up, holding him together. Arthur was the only thing that existed at all.
*****
Many, many hours later, sleepy and sore and trying not to let his grin shine from ear to ear and scare half the castle, Merlin passed Morgana in the hall. Gwen was with her and had the grace to blush and turn away, but Morgana didn't. Her steady gaze took in his missing buttons and laces and every bitten inch of him that showed through the tears in his shirt. Morgana's grin was slow and unsure of its welcome so he stopped hiding his own and grabbed her hand, elaborately twirling her around in a swirl and stealing a quick kiss from Gwen as he passed. His cheeks ached as he headed off down the corridor and into his day, but he couldn't stop the grin.
Camelot would just have to manage.
~fin~
~ Fic Index ~
Author:
rivestra Rating: R
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Summary: It's not quite as simple as all that. (Epilogue to
snarkgoddess's No More Affection Than Duty Requires, which you should probably read first.)Length: 960 words
Warnings: Do I need to warn for Toppy!Arthur? He's kinda cannon.
Disclaimer: Written purely for fun; no profit or harm intended. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners.
A/N: So
snarkgoddess made me stay up all night (possibly a slight exaggeration) and beta her wonderful Morgana POV story, No More Affection Than Duty Requires (a pinch hit gift for lickingbeads over in merlin_santa). Wide awake, way past my bedtime, my brain decided that if I was going to spend all night with a story, someone'd better actually get lucky. ::sighs:: I miss sleep. lickingbeads, please consider this a belated stocking stuffer. I hope you enjoy it.*****
Merlin couldn't breathe. Gwen was babbling, but he couldn't make out the words. Distantly, he heard a sharp intake of breath. Arthur turned to glare, but he didn't release Merlin's wrists, his thumbs tight over Merlin's pounding pulse. He didn't release Merlin's eyes either, not really, and Merlin couldn't turn away even when the door slammed and giggles erupted out in the hall.
Arthur squeezed a little, right on the bone, as if he needed to reclaim Merlin's attention. "Well?" As if he could ever lose it. "Are you going to answer my question?" His voice was demanding. Arrogant, as always. Merlin's eyes tracked down to watch Arthur's lips move, his brain several crucial beats behind, his pulse pounding over the words.
Arthur shifted so he held both wrists in one hand, shifted so his now-free hand could come up and grip Merlin's jaw, angling it up so Merlin had to meet his eyes again. They were shining, of course, perfectly, stunningly blue. Captivating, like the purest stream. "Morgana says you've been lusting after my body but are holding back out of some unfathomable idiocy." A stream roiling with smug supremacy.
Still, Merlin couldn't look away. He also couldn't – quite – parse the question. Fear and hope surged through him in equal measure and when he opened his mouth to reply, no sound emerged.
Arthur's confidant smile twisted into something far more savage. He shoved, spinning Merlin around and into the wall, hands held tightly above, twisting them both until his face was at Merlin's ear. He growled, "Did you really think to keep this from me?"
Merlin felt the words from scalp to toe, all along the length of his spine where the heat of Arthur's body pressed into his. He breathed them in place of air, but he couldn't tell what they meant. He couldn't tell if Arthur meant his body or…
"Did you really think," hot, so hot against his cheek, and Merlin leaned toward that ferocious burn, "that I didn't need to know?" Arthur ground against him, the hardness of him unmistakable against Merlin's ass and that's what made Merlin grind back helplessly, but it's not what made Merlin gasp.
Low and predatory, Arthur asked, "Did you really think I didn't already know? That I haven't been…"
Merlin froze.
Thought unfinished, Arthur froze too, teeth resting lightly on Merlin's throat. He pulled back, looking down at Merlin, face unreadable. A whimper escaped Merlin at the loss of Arthur's heat, but he didn't – couldn't – move.
"You did." Arthur shoved Merlin sideways roughly, into a chair. "Morgana was right." He stared sharply at Merlin, eyes flat and cold. Dismay colored his words, "You really thought I didn't know," but was quickly being replaced by arrogance. "How could you even consider keeping this from me? I thought you knew. I thought you trusted me."
Softer, almost inaudibly, Arthur said, "I trusted you," little-boy-lost and broken.
The storm in Merlin's head finally broke.
He flung himself off the chair, landing hard on his knees, hands catching at Arthur's hip. "Trust you?" He was shouting, suddenly, blindingly, furious. "You think this is about trust, you miserable, selfish prat?" He couldn't look up, couldn't stand to see the look in Arthur's eyes. He buried his face in Arthur's thigh, nosing in hard and allowing his voice just enough volume to be clear through the muffling flesh. "Of course I trust you. I trust you with anything. My friends. My mother. Camelot – I trust you with the whole bloody future! Of course I trust you with myself – the only thing I don’t trust you with is yourself, you incomprehensible ass!"
Minutes passed, Merlin listening to Arthur breathe and trying to remember how to do so himself.
Merlin's voice is exhausted when he finally asks, "How could I?"
Slowly, warily, Arthur tried to shift Merlin's face, his hand rough against Merlin's heated skin. Worn out and totally exposed, without a solitary defense left against his prince, Merlin moved as bid.
Arthur drew him up, pulled him to his feet without breaking the contact of eye and skin. He said, "Merlin," and Merlin heard Yes but didn't know what it meant. He said it again, and Merlin heard I didn't know and felt his heart unclench. Again, and Merlin could almost hear I'm sorry. He said it again as he kissed Merlin's hair and temple, and again as he dragged his mouth down Merlin's jaw, and these sounded like You can and Please and I promise to be careful.
He said it again as he moved in toward Merlin's mouth, catching it in a tender kiss that turned hungry, desperate and heavy with the weight of more Yes. He broke off and down and growled it into Merlin's neck, and Merlin heard Mine and arched his neck into Arthur, melting into him from top to bottom. Arthur was the only thing holding him up, holding him together. Arthur was the only thing that existed at all.
*****
Many, many hours later, sleepy and sore and trying not to let his grin shine from ear to ear and scare half the castle, Merlin passed Morgana in the hall. Gwen was with her and had the grace to blush and turn away, but Morgana didn't. Her steady gaze took in his missing buttons and laces and every bitten inch of him that showed through the tears in his shirt. Morgana's grin was slow and unsure of its welcome so he stopped hiding his own and grabbed her hand, elaborately twirling her around in a swirl and stealing a quick kiss from Gwen as he passed. His cheeks ached as he headed off down the corridor and into his day, but he couldn't stop the grin.
Camelot would just have to manage.
~fin~
~ Fic Index ~
no subject
Lovely.
no subject
no subject
no subject
I am so glad you liked it!
no subject
::flounces off::
no subject
And of course John's not going to show. John's never going to show up, and Dean's going to have to sell his body to support Sam's inpatient anorexia treatment, even though he's a nun (there's a real premium on nun-hookers, I understand). Also, it will never be over, because your evilness will never let them go!