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whydon-twego · 11 months

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"You have Arthur's complete trust" Merlin laughs when Gwen tells him this and asks her what she is talking about.

Gwen looks at him strangely, as if she thinks Merlin is joking but then she sees Merlin's expression and can't hide her surprise.

"Merlin, you do realise that you're the person Arthur trusts most in the world, right?" Merlin chuckles again but this time it is with a sense of guilt and annoyance that won't let him alone.

"I don't think so."

Gwen, who until then had been mending one of Morgana's dresses, puts down her needle and thread and looks at him seriously, Merlin doesn't think he has ever seen her like that.

"You two fooling around and teasing each other is fine, Merlin, but you can't really think Arthur doesn't trust you. You can come and go from his rooms as you please, whether he's there or not, you have the keys to his room, and you're the only person who has them, and the whole castle knows perfectly well that Arthur has priceless things in there. I know you shave him every morning and believe me, that is not the job of a manservant,"

"But he is the one who-"  

"That's right, Merlin. He's the one who."

Gwen seems genuinely annoyed that Merlin doesn't grasp how much Arthur trusts him, and Merlin finds himself having a chasm in his chest because he doesn't want to think about it. He doesn't want to think about Arthur's trust in him, he doesn't want to think that Arthur thinks Merlin is a person worthy of his trust, because Arthur is the most noble and sincere person in the world and Merlin is hiding most of his life from him.

"I have to go, Gwen."

Merlin leaves everything where he is and does not even turn around when Gwen (probably guilt-ridden from that lecture) calls him back.

Merlin hides in the first crevice he finds and struggles to breathe.

He struggles to breathe because Arthur trusts him and he knows it, but he tries to think about it as little as possible. He tries to live life day by day and not think about tomorrow and how long it is that he is lying to him. He tries not to have a heart attack every time Arthur looks at him and smiles or pats him on the back saying "good job!" or when Arthur is the first to worry about him when they are attacked by bandits.

Merlin tries not to think about Arthur's scream when they were separated on a mission and Merlin had to drop rocks to protect him. He tries not to think about the time he had to steal the keys from Arthur's room and Arthur, finding him in the room early in the morning, didn't bat an eyelid at the excuse of the woodworms because Arthur trusts him and simply told him to leave.

Merlin is a horrible person who does not deserve this kind of trust, not when he is lying to the most important person in his life.

"Breathe."

Merlin, caught in the middle of a panic attack he didn't even realise was happening, jerks at the voice and Arthur's hand resting on his shoulder.

"Breathe, Merlin, come on, in and out, calmly, follow me" Arthur takes deep breaths and Merlin tries to keep up with him but Arthur's mere presence makes the situation worse and Merlin finds himself with tears in his eyes as Arthur looks at him more and more worried.

"Gwen!" shouts Arthur then and Gwen is at his side within moments "Go get Gaius, I can't move Merlin from here in this condition."

Gwen looks at Merlin and she's so worried and feeling so guilty that Merlin wants to say something to her but is already so much if he can breathe.

Gwen leaves and Arthur and Merlin are alone and Arthur strokes his back trying to calm him down and Merlin bursts into tears.  Arthur lays a hand on his shoulder and settles him on top of him, not holding him too tightly for fear of Merlin's breathing getting worse.

"I was looking all over for you, you know? I thought you'd be at the tavern or having fun somewhere and instead, I find you here doing the doppol-head."

Merlin laughs between sighs and sobs and Arthur continues.

"You have a myriad of tasks to do. My armour is completely ruined, I have no idea where my sword is and you were supposed to revise my speech for this afternoon but apparently, you had better things to do."

Merlin's breathing calmed and he was finally able to concentrate better, noticing that the king was sitting on the dirt floor next to him and practically rocking him.

"Arthur…"

Arthur turns his head slightly but they still can't make eye contact.

"I have magic."

Arthur stiffens and Merlin already feels lost without his king by his side even though he is still physically there.

"Alright," Arthur murmurs and Merlin gets up to look at him because there is no way he is hearing correctly. Arthur turns to look at him and his expression isn't the happiest but Merlin can't blame him "we've been through a lot worse, haven't we?"

And etiquette be damned, what is right or not right to do at court, Merlin throws himself onto his king and holds him as if he never wants to let him go again, holds him trying to tell him everything he is unable to say right now in words.

Arthur holds him just as tightly and Merlin finally knows that everything will be all right.

And that is how Gwen and Gaius find them, embraced tightly in the middle of a corridor in Camelot.

#merthur #merthur prompt #merthur fic #merlin #merlin prompt #merlin fic #merlin bbc #bbc merlin #arthur pendragon #gwen bbc #gaius bbc #merlin emrys #merthur fanfic #my writing

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ramblings-of-a-chaotic-neutral · 13 days

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Seeing as how my last au idea, where reincarnated Merlin finds Camelot again, got a ton of support, here's a continuation of that au! You can find part one of this au here.

EDIT: You can find part three of this au here!

Note: Translations for the Old English are at the end!

As a recap, in this au, Merlin died at Camlann and his magic made everyone in Camelot immortal, but they all eventually fall into a comatose state until Merlin returns. Merlin's reincarnated without his magic or memories and winds up as an archeologist working at the site of the ruins of Camelot. While exploring with his colleagues, Merlin accidentally awakens Arthur, whom he thinks is some sort of undead creature, and Merlin is captured by Arthur and the knights along with his colleagues. Arthur and everyone else speak in Old English, so Merlin's got no clue what's going on and assumes that these undead creatures are going to kill him, while Arthur and the knights assume that Merlin has just returned from Avalon and still has all of his memories and magic.

So, without further ado, on to the new stuff! I figured that it would be better to see the next part from Arthur's POV!

For Arthur, waking up had always been a struggle. The morning sun had always been his enemy, mockingly telling him that his time being warm and comfy in his bed was over. But if he had looked forwards to seeing a certainly lanky frame throw his curtains open and wake him up with whatever cheery, inane greeting he had come up with that morning, then that was Arthur's business and Arthur's business alone.

However, when had Arthur sat down in his seat at the round table, barely able to keep his eyes open and knowing that this was the last time he would be conscious for hundreds of years, he was thoroughly looking forward to waking up again. Because when he awoke, his centuries-long wait would be over! His love would be back where he belonged, by his side, and they would have all the time in the world to grow close once more!

And when that glorious day finally came, when Arthur's mind awoke and his eyes opened again, it was to the best sight Arthur could have imagined. Merlin, here in front of him, whole and healthy! Oh, Arthur had dreamed of this day for centuries before his long slumber! Those long centuries without Merlin were grim, with a phantom pain of Merlin's absence lingering within his heart and his life, and the pain was only slightly lessened with the assurance of Merlin's eventual return.

But now Merlin was right here, within his grasp, and they could be together once more! Arthur slowly got his arm, stiffened by centuries of disuse, to move, trying to reach out and touch Merlin, to prove to himself that Merlin was truly here and was not some desperate illusion conjured by his mind. Looking into Merlin's wonderfully familiar eyes though, Arthur knew deep down that this was real.

Before Arthur could get his arm to cooperate, however, four oddly-dressed strangers ran up to Merlin. Merlin yelled in surprise, probably at seeing the strangers running at him, and tried to dodge them, but wound up clumsily falling to the ground instead. Arthur would have laughed at his lover's antics if he heart wasn't pounding with rage at the sight of those intruders grabbing ahold of Merlin and dragging him away!

Arthur finally got his legs to work as the intruders dragged Merlin out of the council room, and shouted as soon as his jaw would allow it, "Gripan híe! Híe syndon fandian to niman Myrddin!"

The others at the round table were startled awake at his shouting, and looked around the room confused. As joyous as Arthur was at seeing his brothers in arms and his lovely wife again, Merlin's abduction was a far more pressing matter. Their long-anticipated and happy reunions would have to wait until after Merlin was rescued from those strangely dressed invaders.

Despite the awful situation, Arthur had the urge to smile at Merlin's situation. It was just like Merlin to get himself into trouble only mere seconds after reuniting with Arthur. Arthur had been so afraid that Merlin would be different when he returned, but it seemed as though that wasn't the case! He was still the same old Merlin that Arthur was so devastatingly fond of, finding trouble anywhere he went!

Still, regardless of Arthur's nostalgia, Merlin was in danger and needed to be saved! After a few seconds, Guinevere and the knights had all woken up properly and had registered what Arthur had shouted, sharing in his panic. However, these intruders were in Arthur's castle, where he had the advantage.

"Hwæt, Guinevere, far to þæm wæpnedhuse and find hwæt wæpnedu sindon gód in þæm stæde. Leon, far and wec þa oþre cnihtas. Hæbbe hí ceorfan of þæm unrihtwisan fleon. Oðer ealdras, fylgað me!"

After shouting out his orders, Arthur pulled Excalibur from its sheath and took off in the direction of the intruders who had stolen Merlin, moving as quickly as his stiff legs would allow. He could hear Percival, Elyan, and Gwaine behind them, their weapons at the ready.

It didn't take long to find the intruders, as they were clearly not familiar with the layout of the castle and had no sense of stealth whatsoever. If they were spies or thieves of some sort, whoever hired them deserved their money back. Arthur just had to follow the sounds of their rapid footsteps echoing off the ancient stone of the hallways.

As Arthur came around the corner to a long corridor, he caught sight of his prey, about halfway down the corridor from him. As they turned back to look at him, he could see the fear etched onto their faces.

Good, Arthur thought, they deserved to be afraid of him after what they had just tried to do. The group of thieves made it only a couple more steps before Leon burst into the hallway from the other side, flanked by about a dozen more knights and cutting off the intruders' escape. The knights made quick work of apprehending the inept thieves and freeing Merlin from their clutches.

Anger welled up savagely in Arthur's chest as he looked at Merlin, who looked rather frightened by this failed kidnapping. He might still be in pain from his injuries at Camlann, and these fools would have no doubt injured him further while they dragged him along with them, sprinting through the castle!

Arthur grit his teeth as fury rolled over him in waves. If he lost Merlin a second time due to these intruders, then there would be hell to pay.

"Hū darrst þū āsceacan hine from mē! Iċ hæbbe bīdode ofer þūsend geara for þisne tīman, and þū ātēowedest tō nīefre hine from mē stelan! Þū scealt āgildan for þis!"

It felt nice to release even the slightest bit of his rage onto these thieves, but Arthur had to keep his priorities straight. Punishing these fools could wait until after he knows more about Merlin's current condition.

Arthur turns his gaze to Merlin once more. Oh, how he had missed his dear Merlin! If only his Merlin's face wasn't marred by fear, but that would change after his would-be kidnappers were safely locked away.

"Nimðað þa ungewelwieras to ðære cyrcan cwellan, wē magon dēmian mid him æfter. Gwaine, nim Myrddin to his geardas and hafa Gaius locian ofer hine. And be mildheort, he sceal hæbbe geferod eft fram Avalon and mæg swilc bēon in pinunge fram his wundum! Gecyða eft to mē mid Gaius's gemetungum þonne hē geendod hæfð."

As hard as it was to part from Merlin's side now that he had just gotten him back, there were still other matters that Arthur had to attend to before he could truly give Merlin the attention he deserved. Still, he knew that Merlin would be in good hands with Gaius and Gwaine, and Arthur would rest easier knowing that Merlin was whole and healthy.

After ensuring that the intruders were securely locked away in the dungeons and awaiting punishment (which would solely depend on how uninjured Merlin turned out to be), Arthur retreated to his study. Now that the whole castle was waking up, he needed to sent out scouts to see how the land around Camelot had hanged, to coordinate with the council to arrange a full head-count of who was awake and see if it matched the last census before everyone fell asleep, to meet with the cook and arrange for their emergency food supplies (which were thankfully also preserved by the same magic that kept them immortal) to be distributed and hopefully keep everyone from going hungry until the next harvest, and to draft a speech to address everyone and get everyone on the same page. The last thing that they needed right now was for chaos to break out, so hopefully keeping everyone well-informed of the situation would allow them to keep everyone's fears at bay.

During his paperwork, one of the guards reported to him that the prisoners were shouting loudly, but in a language that none of them could understand, and they didn't seem to understand anything that the guards told them. Arthur told him to gag them with some cloth for an hour if they got too loud, but otherwise don't bother with it. They could work out some way to get information, like who they worked for and why they had dared to target Merlin, from the prisoners later.

Near the end of the day, had received a report from Gaius that Merlin was completely healthy and unhurt, which abated most of Arthur's fears. However, Gaius also included in his report that Merlin seemed to not be speaking, which Gaius theorized would have most likely been caused by the lasting trauma of his death. A deep pit opened in Arthur's stomach as he read that. He had been so focused on having Merlin back and physically healthy, but he hadn't considered if Merlin would be mentally healthy upon his return. Arthur steeled his resolve that, no matter what condition Merlin was in, he would support his dear Merlin and help him heal from whatever lasting scars his death had left. Merlin had died for him, it was his solemn duty to see that Merlin would recover from it.

As if on cue, Gwaine burst into his chambers, without knocking of course, and gently set Merlin down on the ground. With a teasing wink and a genuine smile, Gwaine closed the door, leaving Merlin and Arthur alone together. Merlin flinched at the sound of the door closing, and Arthur wondered how deep the scars on his mind must be if Merlin looked so frightened even here, in Arthur's chambers, which should be the safest place in the world for him.

Arthur stepped closer to Merlin's shivering form, concerned by the way Merlin pulled back from him. Still, Merlin obviously needed comfort, so Arthur pressed forward and pulled Merlin into a hug, the warm, sappy kind that Merlin had always tried to coax out of Arthur.

Arthur couldn't help the words that spilled out from his mouth next. "Oh Myrddin, hwǣr eart þū bēon?"

Arthur could feel Merlin stiffen in his arms at his words and immediately knew that he had just messed up. Merlin had, of course, been in Avalon before his return, and if Arthur knew Merlin at all, Merlin had probably spent all of his time in Avalon trying to escape, to get back to Camelot and return to Arthur's side. Arthur should have known that Merlin wouldn't like to be reminded of his time being dead!

Quickly, Arthur released a tense and still wordless Merlin from his hold and guided him towards the table, lightly manhandling Merlin into the seat next to Arthur's. Dinner had already been sent up by the kitchen, but Arthur hadn't had the chance to eat any of it yet, so there was plenty of smoked ham and vegetables for Arthur to pile onto Merlin's plate. It was doubtful if there was food in Avalon for the dead, so Merlin's probably starving!

"Ēat, Myrddin, and þæt is ān bebod! Þū eart ǣac þinra þonne ic þē lǣstan gesēah! Þū scealt nū hungor hæbban, swā þū ne eart fēor þæt þū þæt disc fullfremed hæbbe!"

Merlin simply blinked at Arthur and looked at him with painfully blank eyes. Worse yet, his fear was still present on his face. Why was he still afraid? Was Merlin even mentally present, aware of where he was? Or was he stuck in some sort of nightmare conjured by his own mind?

Concerned, Arthur stepped closer to Merlin. However, Merlin still didn't even look at the food on his plate, his eyes stuck to Arthur's face. Arthur tried to move slowly, like he was guiding a particularly skittish horse, and took hold of Merlin's hand to guide it to the fork on the table. Luckily, Merlin seemed to be aware enough to know what to do, as his fingers grasped at the fork and picked it up.

Arthur gave Merlin a smile, hoping to coax him further back into reality. He then guided Merlin's hand, now holding the fork, back towards Merlin's plate, where he led Merlin's hand to stab a nice-sized piece of ham, and then guided his hand to Merlin's mouth.

Merlin seemed to get the hang of it from there, taking the piece into his mouth, chewing, and swallowing. After a quick glance at Arthur, Merlin started eating through the food on his plate of his own accord, which Arthur counted as a victory. Merlin was already showing so much progress!

By the time Merlin had finished the plate, the fire in the hearth was burning low, and Arthur knew that it was time for him to go to bed.

As Arthur stood to walk over to his changing screen though, he heard Merlin speak, which sent his heart jumping up his his throat his surprise and joy.

"Please, what do you want from me? I don't understand."

Arthur whipped around at the sound of Merlin's voice, a sound that time had cruelly eroded from his memories, and he couldn't contain his excitement.

"Hwæt wæs þæt?! Myrddin, hwæt sægst þu? Ic bidde þe secge me!"

Merlin flinched back at his outburst though, stopping Arthur dead in his tracks. Speaking slowly and gently, Arthur tried again.

"Myrddin, hwæt sægdest þū? Mihtest þū āgēan sprecan for mē, þancie?"

Merlin blinked at him again, his eyes filling with tears. Oh no, what happened? Arthur hadn't meant to upset Merlin, he had only wanted to hear him speak again! Before Arthur could try to comfort his distraught lover, to his amazement, Merlin spoke once more.

"I don't know what we did, but please let us go! We'll never come back here again, I swear! Just please let us go!"

Arthur blinked as he tried to make sense of what Merlin was saying. He didn't recognize any of those words. Had Merlin come back from Avalon speaking another language?

Well, Arthur knew that languages changed over time, perhaps Avalon sent Merlin back speaking the language of whatever century they were in now? That would make the most sense after all.

Wait... a minute, if Merlin couldn't speak their language... then that meant...

Arthur frantically set his hand on the table, just a few inches away from Merlin's arm, and spoke as clearly as he could.

"Hwæt, Myrddin, gif þu me understandan mæg, þonne set þin hand on min."

Arthur's heart pounded in his chest as he waited for Merlin to move his hand. He waited and waited, but Merlin just kept looking at him with those painfully blank eyes.

Eventually, Arthur lost his tenuous grip on his grief and rage, and he grabbed a goblet and hurled into the wall with a shout. Why?! Why had Avalon done this?! How could the fates be so cruel as to return his love to him, but place this barrier between them?!

Arthur took a few deep breaths to get himself under control again. He looked over at Merlin, where his lover as practically shaking in his seat. Poor Merlin must have been so confused! To return home only to find that he could not understand anyone! It was no wonder he was so frightened, he had no idea what was going on!

Then, an idea struck Arthur. If Merlin couldn't understand his words, then he would surely understand his actions! Arthur was a man more suited for actions rather than mere words anyways.

Keeping a keen eye on Merlin, Arthur made his way across the room towards a locked chest, one that had not been opened for centuries even before everyone fell asleep. Arthur could not bear to look upon its contents, but he needed to keep them for Merlin's eventual return.

Arthur carefully unlocked the chest and opened the lid, revealing Merlin's few material possessions at the time of his death. It had saddened Arthur deeply, even in the fog of despair that had surrounded him in those days following Merlin's death, to realize that all of Merlin's possessions could barely fill a chest halfway. Even when he was the beloved consort of the wealthiest king in Albion, Merlin lived as though he was still in the poverty that he had grown up in.

Inside the chest sat a few articles of clothing, a couple books of magic, a carved wooden dragon, a few bags, some letters from Hunith and Lancelot, and two gifts from Arthur. Arthur had only been able to give Merlin one of those gifts during his lover's lifetime, but he kept the second gift safe in the chest, ready for Merlin's return.

Carefully, Arthur pulled out his mother's sigil and a delicate silver crown from the chest and made his way back to Merlin.

Merlin was looking at him confused again, so Arthur held up the sigil and, keeping is movements very clear, pressed the sigil into Merlin's hands. To his dismay, Merlin looked at the sigil like he'd never seen it before in his life.

Oh god, were his memories warped as well?! What did he remember?

A thin, hurt voice whispered treacherous questions in his ears. Did he remember Arthur at all? Did he remember the love they had shared, or did he only see a strangers face when he looked upon Arthur's?

At this point, tears were silently streaming down Arthur's face as he swallowed back wailing sobs. He had just gotten Merlin back, and yet he still remains lost to Arthur!

Arthur let out a gasping breath and, desperately hoping for some sort of response, he placed the silver crown on Merlin's head, as he should have done centuries ago. Still, Merlin only looked at him with confusion, and no recognition was sparked in his eyes.

Unable to bear it any longer, Arthur lurched forwards towards Merlin. If absolutely nothing else worked, if this was the only thing Merlin knew of Arthur, then by god let it be how much Arthur loved him.

Closing his eyes, Arthur softly pressed his lips onto Merlin's. Merlin, unsurprisingly, did not respond, likely too shocked at the stranger kissing him. After a couple seconds, Arthur pulled back, not waiting Merlin to get too uncomfortable, and dared to look at Merlin's eyes once more, hunting for any sort of recognition, but only one thing caught his attention.

Merlin's eyes were gold. They definitely weren't golden before.

Arthur stood, frozen, as Merlin seemed to go through some journey within his own mind, his face changing expressions every few seconds. Slowly, though, the golden light began to dim from his eyes.

As his eyes returned to their usual lovely blue, Merlin let out a loud gasp, and looked around Arthur's chambers as if he was only just now becoming aware of where exactly he was. Ever so slowly, his eyes drifted back to Arthur, and Merlin, through the tears that had now gathered in his eyes, let out a gasping laugh.

"Þū ne miht gān ymbe cyssende folc butan gewarnunge swā, þū dolop heafod! Þū ēac næarwe mē ġefēngest þæt mīn heorte ġeswenced wæs! Būton þām, hwæt wōd þīn lufiende gemǣra, þā hērde þone cyning cyssende folc on ætǣlum!"

Then it was Arthur's turn to laugh, to excited and relieved to do anything else but kiss Merlin again, with his love back where he belonged.

SOME TIME LATER:

Arthur yelped as Merlin punched his arm as they were both laying in bed, his lover giving him a somewhat scathing look, the same one he wore when Arthur ordered him to mucked out the stables.

"Hwæt wæs þæt for?"

Merlin huffed at him indignantly, but his eyes held the barest hint of mirth in them.

"Þæt wæs for þrowing mīn ġeweorċiend in þā ġeolu! Hīe wǣron ġeþēodende tō ālȳsene mē, and þæt is hū þū þancast hīe? Nā mā cossas for þē oþ þū lǣte hīe faran!"

Arthur rolled his eyes but complied with his lover's wishes, getting out of bed and calling over a guard and telling him to release the prisoners. Really, how was he supposed to know that the intruders were just Merlin's coworkers? They had looked like kidnappers from Arthur's perspective!

Huffing with amusement, Arthur made his way back over to the bed, softly kissing Merlin as he climbed back in, ready to sleep for the night. Before he closed his eyes though, he called out to Merlin.

"Beheald þū mē þæt þū beōn hēr þonne ic āwacige?"

Merlin smiled gently at Arthur and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Ic behēte."

TRANSLATIONS:

Gripan híe! Híe syndon fandian to niman Myrddin! = Catch them! They're trying to take Merlin!

Hwæt, Guinevere, far to þæm wæpnedhuse and find hwæt wæpnedu sindon gód in þæm stæde. Leon, far and wec þa oþre cnihtas. Hæbbe hí ceorfan of þæm unrihtwisan fleon. Oðer ealdras, fylgað me! = Guinevere, please go to the armory and find whatever weapons are still in decent condition. Leon, go wake up and gather the other knights. Have them cut off the intruders' escape. The rest of you, follow me!

Hū darrst þū āsceacan hine from mē! Iċ hæbbe bīdode ofer þūsend geara for þisne tīman, and þū ātēowedest tō nīefre hine from mē stelan! Þū scealt āgildan for þis! = How dare you try to take him from me! I have waited over a thousand years for this moment, and you've attempted to steal him from me! You must pay for this!

Nimðað þa ungewelwieras to ðære cyrcan cwellan, wē magon dēmian mid him æfter. Gwaine, nim Myrddin to his geardas and hafa Gaius locian ofer hine. And be mildheort, he sceal hæbbe geferod eft fram Avalon and mæg swilc bēon in pinunge fram his wundum! Gecyða eft to mē mid Gaius's gemetungum þonne hē geendod hæfð. = Take the intruders to the dungeon cells, we can deal with them later. Gwaine, take Merlin to his chambers and have Gaius look over him. And be gentle, he must have just come back from Avalon and could still be in pain from his wounds! Report back to me with Gaius's findings when he's done.

Oh Myrddin, hwǣr eart þū bēon = Oh Merlin, where have you been?

Ēat, Merlin, and þæt is ān bebod! Þū eart ǣac þinra þonne ic þē lǣstan gesēah! Þū scealt nū hungor hæbban, swā þū ne eart fēor þæt þū þæt disc fullfremed hæbbe! = Eat, Merlin, and that's an order! You're even skinnier than the last time I saw you! You must be hungry now, so you're not leaving until I see that you've finished that plate!

Hwæt wæs þæt?! Myrddin, hwæt sægst þu? Ic bidde þe secge me! = What was that?! Merlin, what did you say? Please tell me!

Myrddin, hwæt sægdest þū? Mihtest þū āgēan sprecan for mē, þancie? = Merlin, what did you say? Could you try to speak again for me, please?

Hwæt, Myrddin, gif þu me understandan mæg, þonne set þin hand on min. = Merlin, if you can understand me at all, then put your hand in mine.

Þū ne miht gān ymbe cyssende folc butan gewarnunge swā, þū dolop heafod! Þū ēac næarwe mē ġefēngest þæt mīn heorte ġeswenced wæs! Būton þām, hwæt wōd þīn lufiende gemǣra, þā hērde þone cyning cyssende folc on ætǣlum! = You can't just go around kissing people without warning like that, you dollop head! You almost gave me a heart attack! Besides, what would your loving consort think, hearing about the king kissing people at random!

Hwæt wæs þæt for? = What was that for?

Þæt wæs for þrowing mīn ġeweorċiend in þā ġeolu! Hīe wǣron ġeþēodende tō ālȳsene mē, and þæt is hū þū þancast hīe? Nā mā cossas for þē oþ þū lǣte hīe faran! = That was for throwing my coworkers in the dungeons! They were trying to save me, and that's how you thank them? No more kisses for you until you let them go!

Beheald þū mē þæt þū beōn hēr þonne ic āwacige? = Promise me that you'll be here when I wake up?

Ic behēte. = I promise.

And that's a wrap! Man, this thing quickly spiraled out of control. What was supposed to be a short and sweet prompt evolved into this beast of a post. Well, I hoped you liked this au!

And, as always, thank you for reading through my ramblings! :D

Also, here's everyone who asked for this continuation (and if I forgot to tag someone, I am so sorry, there were a lot of you who asked for a part 2 and I couldn't really keep track of them all 😭): @valiantkittenwitch @gaiussleechtank @laundryandtaxesworld @ath99 @dont-know-how-this-works @young-skam @authenticblob @regulusrules @linotheghost @olidun @championrevali @lil-gremlin-things @hopeaha @mitoconniedria @candlemouse @starlightdreams-blog @todolist-nothing07 @princess-of-morkva @mortalmab @livewondrousss @araevenn @shesthewindandsea @that-ghost-bitch @myself-being @queencutl @hakka84 @asagijing @izzymizzyofficial @thedollopheadofcamelot @lostinthe--stars @larluce ( <- also I'm a big fan of your au's so thank you so much!!) @allisnotfairinloveandbooks @arthursbubblebutt @rain-dragons @ofqueensandwitches @ramadiiiisme @righteous-scamp @cwilbah @merthurogies @merlinrepost @once-upon-the-earth @fluffy-loves-chocolate @lightoftheemeraldstar @tansruduri @avixenk

Also, a shoutout to @theanishimori, who inspired the "true love's kiss" element of the ending!

I'll see you all again soon with a new au idea!

#bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #merlin bbc #merlin au #merthur #protective arthur #merlin prompts

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my-destiny-my-chicken · 10 months

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I think the most heartbreaking thing about any of the events in Merlin is that every choice that Merlin is forced to make to keep his mouth shut or say what he is supposed to just works to doom the narrative of the show. He could have changed so many of the outcomes of the story if he would have only said one thing different.

Merlin telling Morgana “You’re not alone in Camelot, and I can help you discover the beauty in this power that you were taught to hate and fear.”

Merlin telling Arthur “Your heart is right about the goodness in magic and we should create the kingdom that I was born to help you build.”

Merlin telling Mordred “You and I are both part of prophecies that are out of our hands but we can work to forge our own destinies within them.”

Over and over Merlin dooms himself to his fate of watching Arthur die. He does exactly what he is told and it ruins him. Every time he is forced to make an impossible decision against his own judgement it ends up burying the knife deeper.

#watching merlin create his own demise #it kills me every time #merlin #bbc merlin #bbc #merthur #arthur #bradley james #arthur pendragon #merlin bbc #colin morgan

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mcmactictac · 1 year

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I love bbc merlin so much because despite the variety of plot points that drive me insane they’re all needed for everything to play out correctly.

I hate that Merlin’s magic isn’t revealed till the very end but also recognize how incredibly powerful he is that if everyone knew their external threats just. Wouldn’t be a threat anymore.

And I hate that Arthur never repeals the ban on magic but if he did than Mordred wouldn’t have had a reason to turn and the finale would fall flat.

I can’t stand Agrivaine but I understand that Arthur being betrayed by him is necessary in order to make Merlin’s perceived betrayal hurt more. That it serves to break down Arthur’s confidence in a time where he only trusts Merlin, who brings him back to himself. Then to realize that foundation of trust he’s had has been wrong and that he has literally been deceived by every single person he lets get close to him.

I hate how they ruined morgana’s character and while I still think it could have been done with more nuance, there is literally no major antagonist besides her. Plus she’s such an interesting one because of her connections to everyone before she slipped.

I hate that merlin tries to kill her, especially like that, and so early on. I get why he does it, and I get that it’s necessary to break morgana’s trust in him. I get that the whole point is that every choice he makes is to try and stop things and he does the best he can every single time, and it’s still never enough.

I don’t always like how we get there but GOD do I love the tragedy of it. For a show that’s so happy on the surface the tragedy of knowing there’s nothing any of them can do to stop the ending is SO GOOD.

It’s devastating to watch merlin lose huge pieces of himself, watch his morals change and shift, watch as the lines he won’t cross get pushed farther and farther away. He loses so much of himself to save Arthur and he STILL LOSES ARTHUR.

And listen I can and I will complain about some of the goofy ass plots but it’s so important to me that people recognize the seriously tragic narrative at the Center of it. I could go on for AGES about how each and every one of the leads is doomed by the narrative.

#Merlin #bbc merlin #Arthur pendragon #back on my bullshit #merthur #bbcmerlin

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nothankyoudear · 1 year

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Arthur doesn't have many secrets, being the prince of Camelot and all, but he does have one that he's managed to keep from everyone but himself.

In the prince's royal chambers, underneath the bed, in a box that can only be unlocked with a key that Arthur carries by his side, there is a small brown journal.

Unlike the most common expectations for such a carefully secured book, what is inside this journal is - to put it plainly - not important at all. There are no secrets inside this journal that could bring Camelot to ruins. No ancient prophecies that could shift fate and history, and most certainly nothing of importance to Camelot and its people.

What is inside this journal is actually quite simple - There is a list.

But the fact that it is a list is not what deems its protection and security, it is the content of the list. It is the list of everything that Arthur has wanted since he was a mere child.

The list starts off simple with childish whims and demands. Things like a horse of his own and a sword that spans the length of the castle itself are not uncommon reoccurrences.

Then, as Arthur grows, the list of simple things begin to evolve. He writes that he wants a friend who isn't just friends with him because he's the prince. He writes that he wishes his father would look him in the eyes without some sort of judgement for once in his life. He writes that he wants his mother back.

He writes because he's not allowed to want or have, and at least this way he could fool himself into thinking that maybe - just maybe - one day he'd finally get what he wants.

Then, Merlin happens, and Arthur slowly realizes that he is writing about Merlin more and more often in this book that was supposed to be about his own selfish little desires.

He finds himself facing the fact that Merlin has somehow slowly slipped into every minuet crevice of his life, and has consumed the secrets that were supposed to be his own little safe haven.

But even with this knowledge, Arthur can't stop.

So he keeps writing.

He writes about how he wants to crawl beneath his blanket and cuddle up with Merlin on cold nights. He writes about how badly he wants to hold Merlin's hand in his every time he complains about the cold during one of their hunting trips. He writes about he wants to touch and kiss those ridiculous ears of his.

He writes about how he wishes he’s not the prince of Camelot so he could be with Merlin. He writes about wishing he had the confidence to just tell Merlin he loves him so desperately that it burns him from the inside out. He writes about how he wants nothing more than the chance to love.

And sooner or later, he finds himself picturing and writing about wanting a future with Merlin - a future where Merlin agrees with run off with Arthur to a small, remote village.

He's got it all written out - Arthur would feed the chickens and Merlin would pluck the berries they planted. They'd grow carrots and wheat and maybe even keep bees. They'd lean on each other and kiss as the sun sets.

Arthur would love Merlin, and Merlin would love him back.

But he knows that he's still not allowed to want or have, so he simply does what he always does: He writes in the journal, puts the journal in the box, and locks the box before returning it to the space underneath his bed.

Afterwards, he sleeps in his bed alone, hoping that he dreams of him and Merlin on their little farm tending to chickens.

And one day, as Arthur is feeding their chickens and Merlin is collecting ripened blueberries from the bushes they planted, Arthur will tell Merlin about the silly little journal that he wrote in about a silly little future just like the one they have. Merlin will smile at Arthur as they watch the sunset, and before they kiss, he'll whisper, “I know.”

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eldritch-ambrosia · 7 months

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“And it’s difficult to keep eye contact with them when they keep bowing! They keep their heads down like if they look at me I’ll smite them on the spot!” Merlin exclaimed, rolling his eyes. “It’s always been like that, even when I was a servant, they would act like I was some kind of… of-”

“God?” Arthur finished, amused by his companion’s ramblings. He was shaking his head, his face tinted crimson in a way Arthur found quite lovely, something he chose to pocket the moment it fell into his mind. Perhaps that was one of the reasons he loved to rile Merlin up so. “The most powerful sorcerer to walk the earth and you don’t expect people to treat you as such?”

“You don’t.”

He was right, of course. The only change to Arthur’s demeanor since Merlin had told him had been hesitance. Hesitance in their relationship, hesitance in Merlin’s magic, hesitance in the lies that had separated them. It hadn’t taken long for that hesitance to be thrown right out the tower window as Arthur finally saw Merlin for all he was, all he had always been. He hadn’t changed, not really, but to see Merlin open and honest with every part of himself, to confide in Arthur in ways he hadn’t before, hadn’t felt he could, had erased any doubt in the king’s mind.

“Well, I’ve seen you trip over your own feet. Kind of ruins any illusion of the ‘all powerful sorcerer’ the druids have made up in their minds.”

“And here I was thinking it was because you’re the King of Camelot.” Merlin said.

“That could be part of it.” Arthur considered, tilting his head in thought. “I know what it’s like when everyone treats you like this untouchable being. Like the idea of power rather than a person who just so happens to have power and is doing the best they can with what they have.”

Merlin eyed him bemusedly, coming to a halt in the middle of the field. Arthur mimicked him, though he glanced ahead before fully turning to Merlin. They probably had about half a day’s walk before they would make it into the city and he didn’t see any place to rest, save for a small temple a bit farther off.

“What?” Arthur asked finally.

The sorcerer paused, his eyes flicking down as if he was analyzing Arthur in a way he hadn’t before. Arthur didn’t squirm under anyone’s gaze, not since his father had passed, but the way Merlin was looking at him had him on edge, heat rushing to his ears.

“I-” Merlin stopped, his nose scrunching, glancing to the sky. Arthur followed his gaze to the clouds above, just as water splashed down onto his forehead.

The rain fell suddenly, like a dam in the heavens bursting open to the earth below. They had only a few seconds of awareness of the weather before they were completely drenched, both making a run for it to the nearest source of cover, the clanging of droplets on armor and the gasps the sudden chill of the rain sent down their backs the only sound over the heavy rainfall.

An excerpt from something I'm writing so they can kiss in the rain. (possibly spicy?)

#bbc merlin #bbc merthur #merlin #merthur #arthur pendragon #fanfiction #writing #you know that scene in bridgerton s1 where they have a montage of effing literally everywhere #and at one point it's raining so they take shelter on the steps of a nearby temple to continue #and they make out against a statue #i was thinking about that #and scenes from Pride and Prejudice #and my brain auto-filled Merthur

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mysticsublimeperson · 3 months

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<< part 2 >>

Merlin woke up feeling cranky, he didn't exactly sleep. It resembled more to several disgusting and sweaty naps, and a lot of self deprecating introspection in between.

So Merlin decided to stop trying around 10 am, and moved to the sofa. He didn't have anything to do that day, they weren't waiting for him in the lab, nor in the office, they all thought he would have been too hangover. Funny.

He needed to get out, to get coffee, to try and look for a new perspective, or at least a solution, so he got up and dressed and went to open the door.

A sharp thud sounded when something collide to the ground.

"Arthur?"

"Shit, er... Merlin, sorry, good morning?" Arthur was trying to blink away the heaviness.

"Were you sleeping in my hallway?" Merlin was really confused now. Arthur had always been a bit of a prat, and he grew up rich (and still was very rich, even if he denied it) so he was posh. In all the years he knew him, Arthur had never volunteered himself to discomfort, because he could afford not to.

"Yeah, I.. Well, you told me to go, but then I thought that if I went then I would have to come back in a few hours, and well it was really early in the morning, and I didn't bring my car, so I would have to call for a car and then, well come back, and wold spend like a proper half hour just pacing around my flat, just so far away from you... guessed you also wouldn't be answering your phone, so waiting here seemed like the better option. But now that I say it out loud, it sounds kinda stalk-ish" He said sheepishly, his voice was still deep, and slow. Trying to recover from sleep. He stood up, but was supporting in the door frame. "It's just... you seemed really upset. I know I was the reason, but" he gulped "you are always for me when I'm like that..." Merlin sighed.

"Come in" Merlin talked with a controlled voice. He would have wished for a little more time to figure this out, but if he was honest maybe more time would have only made him more paranoid.

"I, er, yeah, thank you" It was extremely strange to hear Arthur so insecure, but Merlin needed to focus on his situation, and not fall into old habits. "How.. How did it go? Yesterday I mean, sorry I didn't ask sooner"

Bad, he wanted to say.

You ruined it, he wanted to shout.

I missed you, he wanted to cry.

"Fine, I guess" he didn't want to offer information, he sat in the sofa again.

Arthur gulped again and put on a tight smile. "I see" sitting beside him.

"And you? How was your dinner?" Merlin suddenly felt tired again, he didn't want to shout, or yell, he didn't want to incriminate or fight, he just wanted this situation to be over. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

Arthur opened and closed his mouth several

"Merlin. I am so sorry" he said after a while. Without looking at him. "I know there's no excuse... and the way I treated you when you arrived here too... you didn't deserved that" his voices sounded tight.

If this had been any other day, Merlin would have folded, he would have told him that it was forgotten. Any other day, Merlin would have bitten the bullet of disappointment, and would have try to understand his point of view, his situation. Any other day...

"Arthur" he said after a long silence "I think it's time for us to rethink about what we want from this relationship" he could see the moment all the muscles in Arthur's body tensed up.

"What do you mean?" He sounded so scared, and Merlin fought the urge to hold him.

"What I mean Arthur it's that, this relationship can't go on like this forever" Merlin breathed slowly, trying to express himself as accurately as posible "I feel like im living on borrowed time with you, and even if you are the one in the wrong, I feel like I should just be grateful to have you a little longer, no matter how you much you may hurt me"

"That's not true Merlin, please, I would never intentionally hurt you. how can you think that? I love you" he finally looked Merlin in the eye. They were red and swollen, and a bit desperate.

"I know you love me Arthur, I believe you" he tried to swallow the knot in his throat "but sometimes that's just not enough" Merlin sat back at the sofa, looking at the ceiling. The same ceiling he had been looking since he arrived yesterday, thinking the same things, over and over. "I know you love me, and I love you, more than anything. But I also know that you would never invite me to a company dinner, you would never even acknowledge me in front of your coworkers, you would purposely hide me from your dad..."

"Merlin" Arthur said his name like a warning.

"Im not trying to be resentful Arthur" Merlin spat "they're just facts. Like the fact that you hate your job, and it makes you miserable. But you would never leave. Even if it's a shit job, at a horrible and inmoral company" he kept his tone neutral, he wanted to make a point "I would never ask you to leave, because a would never want to put you in a position where you would need to choose"

"Merlin" now his name sounded like a prayer, and a question.

"I think I always knew that I really never had a chance if you had to choose" suddenly his voice quivered.

"That's not..."

"Arthur please!" he really didn't want to hear empty promises, so he made a gesture for him to wait "I told you that yesterday was important, you knew that. And you choose him" he will not cry, no more "You ditched me, last minute. You left me alone even though I told you I Wanted you with me" his words bouncing on the walls.

"I didn't think..." Arthur was trembling a bit. And he looked like his world had been rocked and put upside-down.

"Arthur, you already have a life planed out. And you are the one that's choosing to keep it that way, you are going with the plan. And one day I will have to see how the papers and magazines cover the stories of you ascending to CEO of the world's most evil construction company, and marrying a young nice pretty girl, who is really boring and bratty but also insanely rich and has good connections, and have three beautiful very normal and healthy kids... all while I keep fighting with my little NGO to change the status quo that you reinforce. Don't you see that you don't have space for me in your future?" all the resolve to keep his cool abandoned him mid speech but at least he got it out. Arthur was looking at him like he had just told him that he only had a minute to live.

"I don't see a future without you Merlin" Arthur said, really softly, eyes shining with soon to be shed tears.

It hurt Merlin to hurt Arthur.

He never wanted to hurt Arthur.

Merlin brought up his legs and hugged his knees, hiding his face momentarily biting his lips hard, while blinking away the tears. "I love you Arthur, and I don't think I could leave you alone if I wanted to. But I think this relationship... it puts unfair expectations, for both of us" Merlin swallowed "It's not fair for me to expect something you are not ready, nor willing to give" he argued as calmly as he could. "I suppose we work better as friends"

He could see Arthur wanted to fight.

He also could see that Arthur had seen his point.

"What if...?" Arthur started, shaky. "What if I leave?" Merlin's brows furrowed confused. "My father, I mean. What If I leave him? What If I leave Pendragon Constructions? Everything... what if i..." he was starting to stammer and was not making sense. So Merlin took his hands.

"Why would you do that?" I was the genuine confusion in his expression that made Arthur sob.

"Because I love you Merlin!" he practically screamed with broken voice and desperate eyes. "please" begged silently.

"I think that if you do that. You'll resent me, eventually" he tried to reason while giving a reassuring squeeze to his hold "He is your father Arthur, you love him, and you want to make him proud, I understand that" even when he knew what it meant for himself "But you also are better than he could ever be" he assured "You won't ever lose me, I'll just need some space"

"I don't think I can do that" Arthur spoke carefully while caressing his hand "I don't know how to, I don't want to" he breathed trying to calm himself. "But I will try for you if you want me to" he swallowed "But don't misunderstand. I am not giving up on us. I won't" using his hold he pulled Merlin in for a hug. "I am sorry, I am sorry I disappointed you, I am sorry you felt like that, but above all I am sorry that you are right" he hugged him strongly and Merlin tried and failed nor to melt in his arms. "But this won't be the end Merlin, you are right for now. I will work, everyday, every moment to deserve you, to make you feel loved, to prove to you and to myself that I can become the man that you think I can be, and when that day arrives, Merlin I will sweep you off your feet" he talked those words like it was a threat, directly in his ear, while holding him close, so Merlin decided that just one last time, he would believe in him.

He would keep hoping.

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44cowboycryptid44 · 17 days

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Currently I’m on s1 e7 of Merlin (I’m speedrunning all the shows the tumblr gays can’t shut up about and doing my job to not shut up about them as a tumblr gay) and so far:

1: Merlin is trans and gay. :)

2: Arthur<3 gay

3: Gwen? You guessed it, gay. Maybe bi

4: Morgana. Lesbian.

5: gauis is who Richard Siken was taking about when he tweeted “everybody longs for a father figure. Even those with fathers. Even fathers. That’s why we invented god. Also gay.

6: uuu(king??) has something deeply sad going on. He’s kind of a loser but he is a father figure of sorts so I’ll let it pass. Vaguely gay but totally closeted to himself

7: now don’t get me wrong. I’m rocking with this. But it seems so far that every episode has the same plot

King: boo magic. Boohoo. Waaaa.

Merlin: but it’s COOL gaius. Im autistic.

Random medieval woman: I want to kill Arthur or Merlin.

Gaius: I think it’s MAGIc

Everybody: booooo

The dragon: baaaaa cgi! Destiney! You and Arthur are destined to fuck sloppy t guy style

Merlin: I have a public humiliation kink

Overall? 10/10. Nothing super emotional yet but I can tell that this will ruin my life very soon.

#Theo thinks #Merlin #Merlin bbc #AHH #I’m autism #merthur

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longlivechips · 7 months

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Magic Reveil au where....

Arthur goes east for.... something important I'm sure.

He stops, as any noble man would do, to see Hunith.

Gwen has sent a bolt of embroidered cloth as a gift to her host in Ealdor. It cost more than she had made in a season, even as Morgana's maidservant.

Merlin had picked it out.

On Arthur's first trip to Ealdor, no one had been happy to see him. They had not even been particularly happy to see Merlin if Arthur was honest with himself.

But as time past Arthur likes to imagine the people of Ealdor have grown....fond of him in a way. As had he of them.

The children, at least, always seemed happy to see him. Asking questions about Knights and Dragons and 'is it true you killed a REAL unicorn??'

The children of Camelot have been taught to respect him. They are reserved, and polite.

A child in Ealdor, on the other hand, had staired for some time before boldly declaring "mama? Is he fat?"

Arthur saw Merlin in the mischievous twinkle on her otherwise innocent face.

On Arthur's first trip to Ealdor he had been jealous.

He had tried to ignore the pang in his chest when Hunith kissed her sons forhead.

Or when she 'tsk' him for talking with food in his mouth.

They...had each other. In a way very different than the way he had his father.

He thinks of their house, cozy and warm. Beds feet away from each other. He imagines sometimes, what winters here would be like. How they would pass the time, warm in the house as winter raged outside.

He watches Hunith spindle. Gwaine is telling a story. Arthur hardly listens long enough to confirm that the knight isn't hitting on her before his mind moves on.

"It's a drop spindle" she said. He sees it frequently in Ealdor, idle hands always seem to be spinning. He has even seen Gwen do it on occasion.

Hunith showed him. Her hands had felt strong as she did, positioning Arthur's fingers just so.

and so King Arthur of Camelot sat on the dirt floor in a town on no map (until Merlin had added it)

Making yarn.

And he felt warm.

On Arthur's first trip to Ealdor he had watched Merlin sob over the body of a Sorcerer.

They never spoke about it again. Arthur meant to ask but the topic seemed ... unapproachable.

Merlin spoke against magic, if pressed, but Arthur was no fool.

He saw the reflection of the old religion in Merlin. He showed an awareness of the magic of this land that Arthur couldn't comprehend.

Merlin had asked, his first year in Camelot, when they would be celebrating Beltane.

Arthur had nearly twisted out of his seat to correct him. His father has declared it May-day and Arthur can't imagine the stir Merlin would create by calling it something different.

So Arthur never asked about Will. Because he was worried what the answer would be if he did.

Arthur is patient, despite what Merlin says.

He sits calmly, dumbstruck, as a young girl he thinks may be Merlin's cousin complains about King Arthur.

He's ruined her "whole life" she said.

They were going to have a bonfire, and Auntie Hunith was going to do tell them a Fyré Story.

"Magic!" She said, thrilled. "Auntie Hunith makes shapes from the sparks to tell the most amazing stories!! There are knights even in them!"

Arthur asks what the girl's favorite story is.

"The Prince and The Unicorn!" She cries, and leaps up to begin a very passionate performance of a story that Arthur already knows.

On his first trip to Ealdor Arthur builds a pyre for the body of a sorcerer.

Today, he asks Hunith if it's too late to do the bonfire.

The fear he sees in her. The way she stills over her spindle. Breaks his heart.

"I'd hate...." He starts " to think I put you out of your holiday I forget...." She is looking right at him, as though she sees him standing on the edge of a clif he had been ignoring for nearly a decade.

"I forget we are not in my kingdom. I would be... honored to...watch."

He finishes lamley, but the smile that spreads across Hunith's face makes him think she will forgive him for it.

#hunith said 'is anyone gonna mother this??' and didnt wait for an answer.#i just wanted to write something about Arthur and Hunith #Merlin #fanfiction #bbc merlin #arthur pendragon #hunith #merlin

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alenseress · 1 year

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Empathy (1/2)

//tw gore

The man is already dead when Lance lightly pushes Gwaine against the empty window opening with deliberation of a disappointed mother hen. To sit down, it is, but Gwaine's arse slides right in and he catches himself first with a startled shriek and then a wounded cry. Lance curses, curses some more while pulling him into an upright position and pressing harder on the bleeding wound.

And there it is.

"Jesus Christ."

The man lays right below what once was a windowsill and looks, medically speaking, fresh. Not rigid, but not yet bloated, which is surprising in the dry heat of the late afternoon.

Merlin prefers to silently recite rather than think about, well, the thing.

"Jesus Christ," Elyan echoes with a choked jump in his voice that might be a suppressed gag.

Rigor mortis, livor mortis, algor mortis. Algor mortis, rigor— Jesus, the teeth. Mortis. Jesus fucking Christ. No, rigor—

Merlin knows a curse when he sees one. Doesn't know what kind, but parts of a wholly developed foreign skeleton growing all over the man's body like some Last of Us type of fungus is more than likely not any of the something-something mortis stages. If the cold shock on Lance's face is anything to go by. If the goddamn mutilated, grotesquely absurd corpse is anything to go by.

Leon moves first, dropping off his load a few feet away from the ruin and helping Gwaine to plop himself onto the backpack instead. The recent unspoken rule of action first, questions second sets in motion and the team nervously moves aside, back into the slowly reddening sunlight, in a matter of seconds. Merlin follows, stripping Gwaine off his gear and parrying some poorly executed sex jokes that he forces out through gritted teeth."

Keep running your mouth and I'll send you to walk this," Merlin can't see what exactly Lance's freshly gloved hands do behind Gwaine's back but Gwaine squeaks and punches his own thigh in frustration, "off. All the way to the base."

There isn't actually any malice behind his words, only tired concern. He moves gently while sticking Gwaine with needles from his kit and slowly washing out the torn wound, sun settling lower and lower behind them. At some point Gwaine sits up straighter, pulling away from Merlin's supportive hold, and carries on a light conversation between the five of them. Four, to be more exact, because Merlin quietly drops off his rifle by Elyan's side and nods towards the ruin. The man gives him a heavy look, but no more, really.

White walls burn in the bloody red light of the sunset. The roof is partially caved in and the ruin doesn't really look inhabited by a squatter, so Merlin wonders if the dead man came here to die. The maggot infestation on his mutations is too large and visible to be postmortem, the body looks malnourished to the point of starvation — Merlin notes with a dull ache in his head as he inspects the broken jaw and the necrosis around it. For a brief second, a dangerous thought of trying to trace the magical seal on the curse, to find out where the man came from, but a loud boom of laughter outside makes him jump up anxiously and back up a few steps, bumping into a pile of collapsed bricks. He picks a piece up, staring between the stone and the body in front of him for a few seconds, considering how much time they have before Arthur's voice comes through the comms again. He stares, and nearly misses the movement in dead man's eyes and some bump rolls down his to the side of his nose. Merlin's breath hitches and a panicked spell almost escapes his mouth when another small bump falls out and he comes to a sickening realization that the unnatural white of the dead eyes isn't of the eyes at all.

The corpse cries and if Merlin cries real tears with it as he mechanically piles up rocks on top of it with his bare hands, he doesn't feel it.

#Avalon12 au #merlin bbc #merlin emrys #arthur pendragon #merthur modern au #im spending too much time on this #nonlinear narrative

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quotidian-oblivion · 2 months

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for the Melrin ask - Worst thing you think Merlin ever did. im so curious about this one

I had to think so much about this one too.

I don't know. I love Merlin, he's my favorite character. I justify everything he does, even if it's bad. That's what happens with any favorite fictional characters.

I don't want to say "Not telling Arthur sooner" or "Mistrusting Mordred" or "Poisoning Morgana" or anything of the like because, to be fair, that's a given. It's something a lot of us will lament about. Mainly because the writers did not do their job properly (imo).

I'd say, the worst thing he did, to me, is be passive.

I'm bringing up my own values and morals here because I believe that Merlin ruined himself and all of Albion by being passive. By listening to the dragon and not doing his own research. By being whatever Arthur needed him to be. By taking things upon himself. By not trusting others because that's what he was told.

If Merlin had been a little more assertive and a little more sure of himself and what he wanted, then the show would have gone on in an entirely different direction. But he's passive. For the majority of the show. The biggest time where he's not is in the first scene where he challenges Arthur because he wanted to stay true to his ideals and values which was to stand up against bullies who prey on the ones who can't defend themselves against them.

If he had been more assertive, he would have told Arthur earlier, he wouldn't have poisoned Morgana, he would have trusted Mordred or even Gwaine and the others more.

But he let himself be led by Destiny and Kilgharrah and Gaius and whoever else advised him rather than take some time to think things through first. Like Arthur does.

The thing about Merlin and Arthur here is that Arthur really is bolder than Merlin, but in a different way. He is bold in a way Merlin lacks, which is with practical and tactical matters. He questions Merlin's judgement, questions his father's judgement, Gaius's judgement. Agravaine was a main villain for season 4 because of his perfect ways of manipulation and deceit in a way that it got past Arthur's critical thinking and assertiveness. Arthur doesn't take things at face value and is willing to consider different ways things can go and the show mostly shows that when it comes to questioning Merlin's judgement (like about Agravaine and the siege tunnels and about Gwen at first etc). But in the first few seasons, he questioned his father's judgement a lot too but the fandom mainly focuses on Merlin's opinions vs Arthur's even though he and Uther had met head-on-head multiple times.

Arthur doesn't take things at face value which is why it's possible for so many magic reveal fics to look and be accurate.

But Merlin does. Merlin takes a lot of things at face value. He took Kilgharrah's sayings at face value, he took Gaius's (good-hearted but misguided) warnings at face value. He took what the druids said, what Edwin Muirden said, what Julius Borden said, what that druid seer in the Diamere episode said, and so many others at face value. Just accepted it without thinking much about it and went forward.

Don't get me wrong, Merlin has a very strong moral compass and moral thinking. But he lacks critical thinking. Something which Arthur doesn't lack. They complete each other in this way.

But if we're not looking at all that then I'd say the worst thing I believe Merlin ever did was poison Morgana because- WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK MERLIN, DID YOU NOT THINK OF ANY OTHER FUCKING SOLUTION???? HOW ABOUT GETTING MORGANA OUT OF THE CASTLE? HUH? WHAT THEN? WHAT ABOUT TELLING HER THAT HEY, I'M GONNA POISON YOU BUT DW I HAVE THE ANTIDOTE SO THAT I CAN REVIVE YOU AGAIN WHEN MORGAUSE COMES AND LIFTS THE SPELL BC I KNOW THAT YOU DONT WANT THIS EVEN THOUGH YOU THINK UTHER SUCKS. I MEAN, THE USED THAT PLAN SEVERAL HUNDRED TIMES ALREADY, WHY COULDN'T THEY USE IT THIS ONCE???????

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whydon-twego · 9 months

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Merlin watches Arthur from afar.

Despite the fact that the two are always close, despite the fact that they spend most of their time together, despite the fact that even the time when they cannot be together they are always in each other's proximity, Merlin watches Arthur from afar.

He watches him as he smiles at the maids indulgently, watches him as Arthur's gaze lingers on a woman more than necessary, watches him as he laughs at nonsense just to please a noblewoman.

Merlin watches him from afar because he knows perfectly well that if he did it up close Arthur would understand everything and everything would be ruined.

And Merlin sometimes can't sleep at night just thinking about it because Arthur is everything to him. Despite being an insufferable, spoilt prat, Arthur is his other half. He is the one who can turn his day around with a simple smile or a raise of an eyebrow, making a joke or hitting him on the shoulder.

Merlin did not think he could feel so strongly about another person.  

Merlin did not know that such a strong feeling towards another person could exist.

And Merlin will not lose Arthur, he will have to watch Arthur court all the women of Albion and then eventually marry. Merlin will be at his side because the very idea of not having him near devastates him.

Merlin will watch him from afar. ***

Arthur watches Merlin from afar.

Despite the fact that Merlin is always by his side, despite the fact that Merlin whispers in his ear during boring encounters with delegations from outside and Arthur has to restrain himself from laughing, despite the fact that Arthur can reach out a hand and be sure that Merlin will be there to catch it, Arthur watches Merlin from afar.

Because he knows perfectly well that if he did it up close Merlin would understand everything. And Arthur cannot risk that.

Because his father is still on the throne.

Because Merlin does not deserve a secret affair.

Because Arthur can do nothing but wait until he is king to give Merlin what he deserves.

And if, in the meantime, Merlin has found someone else, if Merlin has found someone who can openly appreciate him for the wonderful person he is, if he finds someone who loves him even half as much as Arthur loves him, Arthur will be happy for him and will be at his side.

Because Arthur loves Merlin more than it would be healthy to do, because Arthur loves Merlin and Merlin deserves more than shady encounters in dark corners. Merlin deserves to be carried in the palm of his hand and to sit at his right hand for the rest of his life.

Merlin deserves the world.

And Arthur will watch him from afar until he can give it to him.

#merthur #merthur prompt #merthur fic #merthur fanfic #merlin prompt #merlin fic #merlin fanfic #merlin emrys #arthur pendragon #prince arthur #prince arthur pendragon #manservant merlin #uther pendragon #merlin bbc #bbc merlin #my writing

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ramblings-of-a-chaotic-neutral · 21 days

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Ok, since you guys liked my last silly Merlin au idea, here's another one! :D

I think that the Knights of Medhir should have come back in some way. They're so versatile as villains, and supposedly any sorcerer powerful enough to awaken them could control them.

Combine their versatility in the story with my saltiness that Merlin never really got any minions despite Morgana getting, like, four whole armies, and I think there's a fun little au in there!

So, I'm imagining around season 4 the knights of the round table plus Merlin and Arthur are on a quest, but there's some sudden bad weather, so they need to seek shelter. However, the only shelter around is the ruins of Idirsholas, much to Arthur and Merlin’s discomfort. However, they’re reassured by the fact that the knights of Medhir are long gone after Morgause's failed invasion.

Let's say that Merlin was injured by a bandit’s blade, giving him a shallow but bleeding cut on his arm. They were able to bandage it with some cloth, but it was still bleeding a bit. As the knights and Merlin prepare their camp for the night, Merlin lights a campfire for them in the courtyard, put as he leans over the firepit, his bandage comes loose a bit, causing some of his blood to spill onto the fire. He thinks nothing of it as he rebandages his arm and starts cooking dinner.

Meanwhile, in the crypt underneath the ruins, the Knights of Medhir have been awakened by a powerful sorcerer lighting a fire in the castle, and then got a massive power-up thanks to being awakened by a blood sacrifice by Emrys himself!

So, the Camelot knights settle in and sleep, while the knight of Medhir are waking up more powerful than ever before. However, their new master hasn't given them any commands yet, so they're just... standing around. For now.

The next day, the knights of the round table pack up and leave, heading back to Camelot. The knights of Medhir can sense their new master getting further away, but they still don't have any orders, so they stay put.

After a couple days, the knights return to Camelot, just in time for a big tournament! Of course, with a big tournament, there's a bunch of rude and downright awful noble knights that show up and make Merlin's life miserable by treating him like dirt behind Arthur's back. One in particular throws a goblet at Merlin's head, and not playfully like Arthur does, and it strikes Merlin's head, giving him a small cut and making him bleed.

The knights of Medhir, sensing that their new master is hurt and hopping onto their demonic horses: We ride at dawn bitches!

So, a couple days into the tournament, the knights of Medhir crash the party! But strangely enough, they only attack a group of non-Camelot knights, even killing a few before they suddenly stop their attack. Then, the knights of Medhir make their way into the castle's courtyard and await their master's next commands, as still as statues.

Arthur, Merlin, and the knights of the round table are scrambling to find out what sorcerer summoned these knights, for what purpose, and why were those foreign knights targeted? Merlin in particular is pulling his hair out over this because the last thing he needs right now is another power-hungry sorcerer trying to take over Camelot!

What's the most confusing is why the knights are just... standing in the middle of the courtyard, unmoving. The Camelot knights try to take this opportunity to destroy the knights of Medhir, but nothing works. They try stabbing them, beheading them, drowning them, even setting them on fire, but nothing could destroy the undead knights. The knights of Medhir just stand there, unmoving.

The Camelot knights, after trying and failing to destroy the knights of Medhir for the twentieth time: They're just standing there... menacingly!

Merlin's also tried a bunch of spells to get rid of them, but nothing's working. It's like his magic refuses to destroy the knights! (Because his magic is now connected to the knights, but he doesn't know that.)

After a while, everyone just sorta accepts that the knights of Medhir are apparently just going to be creepy permanent statues in the courtyard, and life goes on. That is, until another assassin sneaks into Camelot trying to kill the king and Merlin's trying to secretly catch them, but is out in public, so he can't rely on his magic.

All of a sudden, and to everyone's horror, the knights are moving again! The knights of Medhir tear through the castle, thankfully not hurting anyone, but not letting anyone get in their way. They eventually make their way into the throne room, where the assassin is about to strike at Arthur. They brutally murder the assassin (whom only Merlin knew about) in front of the entire court and then march back out into the courtyard, going still once again.

And that's when Merlin realizes it: he's the sorcerer who summoned the knights! And now he apparently has them under his command.

Cue Merlin's life getting a hell of a lot easier.

I feel like this could go in a pretty humorous direction, with Merlin trying desperately to hide the fact that the knights are under his control, but he keeps needing to them save his friends (and himself).

But then Arthur sees Merlin and Gwen being constantly protected by the knights of Medhir, and comes to his own horrifying (and incorrect) conclusion that he himself may be the one commanding them, as they seem to be prioritizing their safety (since Arthur doesn't see them saving his life), which is what Arthur does himself. So Arthur thinks that the knights tearing apart people who hurt Merlin or Gwen is the knights acting on his own darkest impulses, and which makes him very uncomfortable.

I think that there's lots of potential here!

Thanks for reading through my rambling! :D

#merlin #bbc merlin #merlin bbc #arthur pendragon #knights of the round table #knights of medhir #protective merlin #protective arthur #merlin prompts

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cbk1000 · 8 months

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Hey, remember how I wrote a fic that was literally just about two men driving around the countryside looking at animals and being gay for one another? And it was 90,000 words? And at the end I went, "That wasn't enough nothing, so I'm going to write a sequel to this?" Anyway, here's a preview from that sequel:

Merlin gave him a few biscuits to show they were still chums, and then rested for a bit with his forearms on the table, recovering his stamina and courage for the follow-up round. The pocket on his scrub top was torn, and his trousers had seen neater days in a byre. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm. The door opened, thankfully, before he had launched himself into the next round, and in came Gaius with his stethoscope round his neck, saying, “It sounded like the Blitz in here, so I thought I’d give you a hand.”

“Yeah, did it give you flashbacks?” Merlin asked cheekily, though he did not yet have the breath to be a fully-realised shit.

Gaius rolled his eyes. “Ah, Charlie. Have you been giving Merlin some trouble?”

“He’s given me all the trouble. I’m sedating him next time.”

“It’s only an ear cleaning, Merlin.”

“That’s easy for you to say. I don’t see you in here being the David to his Goliath.”

“David won, didn’t he?” Gaius replied serenely.

“Sure, if you believe a book that says some guy talked to a burning bush and he wasn’t even tripping balls.”

Gaius rolled his eyes. “Where’s Arthur?”

“Does everyone ask ‘Where’s Merlin’ when I’m gone?” Merlin demanded.

“No.”

“He’s shopping because we’re the worst gays ever and we live like two bachelors who forgot that they have to do things like actually keep replenishing the refrigerator which, turns out, doesn’t just refill itself. But I can’t believe he’s still not here. I bet he knew Charlie was coming in today and he’s sat at home right now swigging champagne and living the high life and laughing at me cutting off dog’s balls and putting in bloody ear drops.” Then his phone went, and he slipped it out of his pocket to find there was a text notification from Arthur. “His ears must have been burning.”

Gaius put on fresh gloves and knelt down stiffly to greet Charlie whilst he read the text, which said very cryptically, Ring me; I need saving.

He did so. “Hullo, it’s your handsome, charming, taller boyfriend, saying these things because he assumes if you try and refute them you’ll ruin the bit. Who do you need saving from?”

“Oh,” Arthur said on the other end of the line. “Ok. Right. Well, don’t worry, I’ll be there straight away.” Then: “I’m sorry, Olivia, I’m afraid there’s a bit of an emergency at the clinic. Right. I’ll tell him as soon as I see him. Right. But I think it’s really a pretty big emergency and I’m needed straight away. Yes, I’ll tell him. Yes. No, it’s not him on the phone, it’s one of the front desk staff. I think he’s in surgery. Yes. That’s why I’m needed. Exactly.” Merlin took the phone away from his ear for a moment to laugh.

“Are you free of her?” he asked when he had finished snorting.

“I’m hurrying across the street now, too quickly for her to follow, so I think I’m in the clear. Or else I’ll be hit by a car; either way, I'm free.”

“Is that what’s taken you so long to do the shopping? I was about to ask if you’d gone to York.”

“I’m at our very own Morrisons right across the street. I finished shopping nearly an hour ago. She ambushed me. Trixie has rabies again.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Merlin blurted out.

“Merlin,” Gaius scolded him with a frown.

“Well, sorry, but Olivia Harris thinks her bloody dog’s got bloody rabies again, so I’m pretty confident the next thing Arthur’s about to say is that she demands I go out there and fix her up with one of those rabies shots again before she’s torn limb from limb by her 14-year-old Pomeranian. Some people are too stupid to live, and I wish they wouldn’t.”

“Merlin!” Gaius barked.

“Oh, yeah, because this whole village is going to go into mourning if she cocks up her toes. Probably give Death a plaque and a hand shake when he comes for her.”

“I’ll be there in a minute,” Arthur said. “I’ve still got to get the shopping home, but I know she’s watching me, and if I don’t pop into the clinic for the ‘emergency’ then I might as well walk into oncoming traffic.”

“Don’t do that; I need you to help me with Charlie.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. “Don’t,” Merlin snapped. “You dare go home or walk into oncoming traffic. I’ll drag you right out of hospital.”

He did not walk into oncoming traffic, but through the employee entrance a few minutes later, after Gaius, citing the imminent arrival of Arthur as a reason to scurry off without having so much as scratched one of Charlie’s ears had scarpered. Merlin, sensing the presence of a fellow cow wrestler, who might have been up to the gargantuan task before him, poked his head out of the exam room, said, “Get in here,” and yanked Arthur in by his shirt, in case the command had not been clear enough.

“Don’t manhandle me,” Arthur said.

“I thought you liked that,” Merlin said.

Arthur was still fresh enough to being dicked down that he coloured, very faintly, though bamboo shoots under his fingernails would not have gotten him to confess to it. He went into the overhead cabinet for some gloves, and then knelt down in front of Charlie, though all he would have had to do to meet him eye to eye was to stoop down a bit. “Hello, Charlie. Has this twat been mucking about with your ears again?” He rubbed them.

“I’ve cleaned them out and just need to put in the antibiotic drops.”

“‘Just.’ That’s like saying you ‘just’ need to build the third Pyramid of Giza,” Arthur complained.

“That’s right, I did the first bloody two, you whingeing pillock, now man up.”

“Good morning, by the way,” Arthur said, in a tone which implied very heavily it was not. Arthur had had a rare lie-in that morning whilst Merlin slipped out ahead of him, so that their last interaction had been the night previously, a shag which ought to have put him in a better mood.

“Good morning, you crotchety tit.”

“You’d be crotchety too if you’d just had to listen to Olivia Harris for an hour.”

“Well, I’m going to have to listen to her for another hour this afternoon I’m sure, so I don’t actually have any sympathy.”

“You never do.”

“He’s a rotten liar, Charlie, I’m delightful.” He hauled Arthur in by the front of his shirt, and briskly pecked him on the mouth. “In case Charlie leaves you my war widow.”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “Don’t be such a coward; he’s like a giant teddy bear.”

“Yeah, that’s why you were thinking about walking into oncoming traffic when I said you needed to help with him.”

“I was thinking of walking into oncoming traffic because I had to talk to Olivia Harris for an hour.”

The teddy bear stood cooperatively enough for his two friends, delighted to see they had multiplied, and that the second was the lovely blonde who gave him against the express advice of his stingier partner an extra biscuit; then this friend too transformed into that vile, snakeish Judas. Arthur patted his shoulders, and said, “Up” a little wearily, though he regularly bore the weight of an animal almost as heavy. He scratched all round the ears with Charlie’s hot breath in his face, and under the lax chin whilst Merlin sidled in with the drops. He managed the right ear before Charlie had quite comprehended what was happening to him; then he lunged back from Arthur with a look to show how he had wounded him.

“Whoa, there, mate,” Arthur said, catching his front legs, and pinning them to his shoulders, whilst Charlie hopped about on his hind legs, shaking his head, and whipping it about, and turning Merlin’s ministrations into something like a bloody-minded Cirque-de-Solei audition, where the interviewers were throwing roundhouses at him whilst he contorted himself for their amusement.

They were all three panting, sweaty, and dishevelled when at last the ordeal was finally over, and Charlie clumped down onto the floor, and then galloped over to the Sulking Corner because he knew that Arthur would want to make friends again with some treats, whereas Merlin would have merely called him a great baby.

“How did this morning go?” Arthur sked, squatting in front of Charlie and offering him a chicken flavoured gravy bone. “Ear drops aside.”

“Pretty well. Diggy’s bollocks are no longer amongst us, RIP. Had an emergency c-section after that; poor bitch was in labour all yesterday and still hadn’t progressed by the time her owner brought her in, but all the pups were alive and she came through the surgery just fine. Oh, and Emma says she wishes you weren’t gay. And that you’re such a soppy loser for me that it defeated her mum’s homophobia.”

Arthur looked round from Charlie and arched his eyebrow. “What? So what you mean is, today Emma confessed to being totally insane?”

“She did all but say she fancied you, so, yeah.”

“I do have a history of attracting lunatics.”

“True,” Merlin said. “It’s your arse. If you just had your personality, even crazy people would leave you alone.”

“Oh really? Maybe I should stop doing squats, then. Live out the rest of my days in peace.”

“Don’t do that,” Merlin said, and swatted him on the bum, unfortunately timed to the opening of the door, which had been opened by Gaius.

“Merlin.” He frowned.

“What? That’s one of the most innocent things I’ve ever done to him.”

“At the clinic he is your coworker, not your boyfriend. I’m not going to have another complaint from one of our clients about you sexually harassing people.”

“That was a misunderstanding.”

“So you didn’t make a lewd comment to Arthur at the front desk in front of Mrs Clarke?”

“Well I thought it was under my breath.”

“You don’t have an under your breath,” Arthur retorted.

“Arthur started it anyway,” Merlin said.

“I did not!”

“You said--”

“I don’t think Gaius needs to know what I said to know that you’re guilty,” Arthur cut in hastily.

“I’m certain I don’t,” Gaius said drily. “Nor do I want to have any inkling of 98% of what’s said between the two of you. Just keep it away from the front desk.” He jotted down something in the chart he was holding. “Do the two of you have time to see an alpaca today?”

“An alpaca?” Merlin asked.

“There’s a local breeder who’s just got a new male and bred him to several of her females without any pregnancies, and she was hoping we might nip over and take a sperm sample.”

“What am I supposed to use to collect alpaca jizz? I assume what we’ve got for the bulls won’t work.”

“We say semen, Merlin.”

“Well, regardless, semen, jizz, spunk, baby batter--what am I supposed to put it in?”

“You could use a bit of tupperware.”

“We are not using our tupperware to collect alpaca semen,” Arthur broke in.

“Calm your tits, I’m not going to make you eat out of it afterwards. Obviously we’d chuck it; you can’t erase that with a washing-up. But, yeah, not really keen on wasting some tupperware on that.”

“A sandwich baggie, then,” Gaius said with the serenity of a man who would not be sticking his hand under an orgasming alpaca.

“I’ve still got to put the shopping away. I’ll take Merlin, nip home quickly, and then drive us over to the farm.”

“You just want me to put the shopping away,” Merlin complained.

“Well I did it the last two times in a row.”

“Well I was operating on a pig.”

“You always have some excuse.”

“‘Can’t, I’m sorting out intestines’ is an extremely valid one.”

“I just find it extremely interesting that these things happen when there’s shopping to put away.”

“It’s not like I’m scheduling rectal prolapses to coincide with when we do the shopping--”

“Boys,” Gaius said.

“Oh, yeah, right, alpaca jizz,” Merlin said.

They bickered amicably all the way home and whilst refiling pantry and fridge and cupboards, comparing the number of items each had put away, and determining whether he was or wasn’t carrying a fair load, till Merlin decided to cheat by saying, “I am putting away my stuff so much faster” to ensure that Arthur finished the job.

“You’re a cock,” Arthur said.

“You’re way too easy to goad,” Merlin said.

#fic #preview #writing #merthur

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