Happy Merlin Holidays, eldee! (3/4)

[merlin-hols.livejournal.com]

Merlin waited anxiously Monday evening for Arthur to return home from work. Mordred had already questioned him about the date, but overall appeared to be fairly uninterested. Merlin, however, couldn't help but wonder if there was disappointment woven in Mordred's voice, although he couldn't think of a reason why Mordred would be disappointed.

Suddenly, Merlin heard the front door open. Merlin's back straightened in nervousness; he was unsure how Arthur would act. Merlin could feel his heat rate increase as the sound of Arthur's steps came closer and closer to the reception room. When he finally appeared in the doorway, Merlin was surprised to see him dressed in athletic shorts and a shirt. "Hi," Merlin managed to say as he noticed that Arthur looked relatively dry, though his hair was slightly damp with sweat.

"Hey," Arthur said with a half-smile. "How was your date?"

"It went really well. Probably the best date I've had in a long time," Merlin lied.

Arthur nodded in acknowledgement as he walked towards the mini bar. "Are you guys going out for a second date?"

"We already did, yesterday," Merlin replied nervously as he recalled the less romantic and more friendly date that was followed by awkward sex that highlighted Merlin's inexperience even more.

Arthur's eyes widened in disbelief as his grip on the wine bottle faltered a little -- some of the dark liquid splashed out of his glass. Merlin smiled inwardly at the unusual display of clumsiness. "Wow, that was fast. He that good in the sack?"

Merlin's smile instantly turned to a frown, and the beginning signs of Arthur distancing himself with sarcasm. "Why does it matter if he is?" Merlin challenged.

Arthur downed the entire contents of his glass. "I guarantee you I'm better."

Merlin's eyes widened at Arthur's statement while Arthur's expression remained unchanged. "You're an ass," Merlin finally muttered, but he couldn't help but focus on the taut muscles of Arthur's arms and legs.

"And you're an idiot," Arthur said as he stared at Merlin's face, pushing down the jealousy that was creeping inside him.

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"This isn't working out, is it?" Gwaine asked as he lay naked on his back, gazing up at Merlin.
"Not really," Merlin replied, sitting next to him in a similar state of undress. It was the night of their fourth official date and their fifth time having sex. Once again, small periods of awkward silences peaked during their conversation while the sex was uncomfortable, embarrassing, and seemed to be over before it really began.

"So what should we do?" Gwaine questioned, although he was fairly certain what the only course of action was.

"I guess there is really only one thing we can do," Merlin answered, inwardly hitting himself for not being upset about the impending break up in even the slightest.

Another silence passed between the two before Gwaine finally got up and off the bed to get dressed. "I really did have fun, and I'd like for us to still be friends," Gwaine said as he slipped one leg into his pants.

"I'd like that too."

"And if you ever feel like a shag, give me a call," Gwaine added with a smile.

Merlin couldn't help but laugh lightly at Gwaine's words. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

Once he was fully dressed and ready to go, the two looked at each other in another moment of awkward silence. "I'll let myself out," Gwaine stated, making his way to exit Merlin's room before turning around to say, "I'll see you around."

"Bye," Merlin said with a smile. As soon as Merlin heard the front door open and then shut, he flopped back onto the bed and let out a sigh. He couldn't help but feel relieved that the friendly but passionless relationship had come to an end.

As he lay naked in his bed, his mind wandered to the past weeks of tension with Arthur. Over the period of time, Arthur had remained somewhat distant with him, although their customary banter stuck around. About a week ago, the banter became elevated to a more sexual level; they now threw frequent sexual innuendos at each other that generally left Merlin heated and blushing, leading him to rush to the bathroom to bring himself furtively to release when he got home.

Merlin covered his face with his hands as he thought of a couple of his more intense wanking sessions. Slumped against the bathroom door, his hand pumped furiously while the other hand gently teased his entrance. He thought only of Arthur, even though he was still with Gwaine. He also couldn't help but wonder if the constant sex banter was beginning to take its toll on Arthur as well; his occasional slip up of words, blushes, and readjusting of his pants provided the only clues Merlin had. With a loud groan, Merlin grabbed a pillow and smothered his face with it, inwardly cursing the current torment of his life---Arthur Pendragon.

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The next day, Arthur arrived home exhausted from yet another intense work out; the soreness of his muscles from his irresponsible weight lifting caused him to be thankful that it was Friday and the gym wasn’t in his schedule for the next two days. As soon as he shut the door, his sore shoulders straightened as he mentally prepared himself to see the subject of his recent frustration, and the cause of his constant work out sessions to relieve the frustration, Merlin.

As Arthur walked through the entry room towards the reception room, he composed himself, expecting to see Merlin, sitting on the couch as usual. To his surprise, the room was empty, though Merlin's bag and tutoring supplies were scattered as they were normally. It was then that Arthur's tunnel vision and thinking ended and he heard the sound of piano playing coming from the spare bedroom.

Arthur's face contorted in confusion as he slowly made his way towards the spiral staircase; the music emitting from the piano was beyond what Mordred was usually capable of without his use of magic. As Arthur reached the stairs, the music stopped for a few moments before resuming again, this time slower and less fluid than before. As soon as he reached the top floor, Arthur quietly made his way down the hall and into the spare bedroom, stopping at the end of the little hall in the room to lean against the wall as he watched Mordred hands move across the piano keys.

"That was a lot better," Arthur heard Merlin say from his seat next to Mordred before playing the same piece that Arthur had heard before. Arthur was mesmerized by the fluidity and speed of Merlin's hands as they glided across the keys of the piano. Merlin then stopped and gave a few instructions to Mordred before allowing him to try and play the piece once again.

Arthur stood there quietly for about five minutes with a smile on his face, taking in the sight of Merlin instructing Mordred. He couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness as he saw the satisfied look on his son's face; he knew very well of his son's desire to learn how to play the piano, but their inability to find and keep a teacher kept him from doing so.

Once the music finally stopped, Arthur finally made himself known by saying, "So you've gotten back into the piano."

Both Mordred and Merlin immediately turned towards Arthur; his son wore a smile that Arthur hadn't seen him give to anyone besides him and Morgana. "Yeah, Merlin is teaching me."

"Yeah, Mordred told me that he stopped a year ago. And that you guys had trouble finding a teacher," Merlin said nervously; he hoped the tension with Arthur would be lifted.

Arthur grinned. "Yes, most of them tend to run off after dealing with us. I'm glad you're teaching him though."

Merlin's breath caught in his throat at the completely honest and raw grin of happiness on Arthur's face; a small part of him wished that he could pull out that type of reaction from Arthur more often. "Well, Mordred gets distracted anyway, so I figure we might as well spend some time with the piano," Merlin replied.

Arthur simply smiled, unsure of how to respond, before Mordred cut in, "Can we have pizza delivered tonight?"

"Sure, go ahead and call it in," Arthur said before shifting his attention toward Merlin, "Will you be joining us tonight?"

"I'd love to," Merlin mocked the polite tone that Arthur was using. Arthur shook his head in mild amusement.

"Something tells me I should pull out the brandy," Arthur thought out loud, partially as a joke and partially serious. Merlin flashed Arthur a weak scowl, inwardly hoping that the alcohol would help relieve some of the tension that had been building up over the past couple of weeks.

Sometime later, both Merlin and Arthur stared at each other in an unofficial staring contest. They were relatively intoxicated due to the substantial amount of alcohol they had consumed after Mordred went to sleep. The staring contest continued for an unknown amount of time until Merlin finally blinked, quickly mumbling, "Shit."

Arthur smirked in triumph before taking another sip of his brandy. "Do you enjoy it when I'm in charge?" Arthur questioned with a touch of arrogance.

Merlin simply rolled his eyes, "What if I do?"

Arthur looked at Merlin in slight disbelief; his mouth opening and closing a few times like a gaping fish as a response failed to come to mind. Unwilling to allow himself to lose to Merlin, he suddenly said without thinking, "Should we test that then? See how much you truly love it when I'm in charge? How hard I can make you come?"

Merlin’s brandy-addled mind struggled to process Arthur’s proposition. All of his pent up sexual frustration with Arthur all boiled down to this point, and his response. He gazed at Arthur, wondering his there were any signs of reservation or joking; his heart rate increased as he noticed the seriousness in Arthur's face. Taking a deep breath, Merlin nodded imperceptibly, and Arthur squared his shoulders.

"No kissing on the lips though," Arthur stated, lacking the confidence in his voice that he was hoping for.

"Why?" Merlin questioned in curiosity, though the effects of the alcohol made thinking more difficult.

Merlin watched as Arthur's face contorted in thought, making it obvious that he was having just as much difficulty thinking through the intoxication. "I'd feel guilty."

"Guilty? What are you talking about?"

"Do you want to do this or not? If you do, then stop talking and agree, damn it."

"Okay, no kissing," Merlin said with a nod as the fuzziness in his head made pressing the issue further not worth the trade off.

Suddenly, a smirk appeared on Arthur's face as he shifted aggressively, his solid chest sliding against Merlin’s. Crawling over him, he forced Merlin on his back. Merlin stared up at Arthur, mesmerized by his blue eyes, inwardly cursing Arthur for establishing the single rule.

Before Merlin realized what was happening, he felt a callused hand slip under his shirt and glide up his torso; his eyes closed as he soaked in the sensation. Unlike with Gwaine, Arthur's hand felt more natural against his skin, while the heat of Arthur's body over his provided him with comfort. As soon as Arthur's callused hand brushed against his nipple, Merlin's face contorted in barely controlled pleasure. Arthur smirked in delight at the reaction.

Alcohol and sexual tension drew Arthur's hand away from Merlin's torso down towards the young male's trousers; he expertly snuck his hand inside Merlin's trousers, rubbing Merlin's prominent erection through his boxers. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Arthur asked with the little remainders of his un-intoxicated logic so he would not take advantage of Merlin's similarly alcohol induced state.

Merlin took a moment to consider Arthur's words, more out of affection for Arthur's caring rather than desire to actually stop what was going to happen. Feeling strangely more aggressive than usual, Merlin quickly wrapped his legs around Arthur's hips and rubbed his erection into Arthur's palm. "Aren't you supposed to be in charge?" Merlin questioned challengingly, immediately erasing the hint of concern off of Arthur's face.

Arthur once again smirked as he lightly gripped the length of Merlin's cock and rubbed it through the soft cotton boxers. "Trust me, you won't be disappointed," Arthur said as the pace of his rubbing increased, prompting Merlin’s breath to start quickening.

Merlin's hands gripped the leather cushions of the couch as Arthur kept a steady pace; his steadiness and control contrasted with Merlin's quivering and desperation. Suddenly, the hand in Merlin's pants was removed and Arthur knelt before him, looking down at Merlin with a predatory gaze. "Why did you stop?" Merlin quickly asked, short of breath.

"Let's go upstairs," Arthur replied in a controlled tone that irritated Merlin as he resisted the urge to fuck Merlin right then and there. Merlin nodded eagerly, and Arthur stretched out a hand. Merlin looked at the offered hand with a smile before grasping it and was literally yanked to his feet.

The walk to Arthur's bedroom was slightly more awkward than Merlin would have liked. In his mind he could see them kissing, slamming each other into walls and furniture in a flurry of passion as they tried to make it upstairs. In reality, Arthur's no kissing rule prevented Merlin from obtaining the rabid passion that he desired.

Arthur quickly opened the door and gently pushed Merlin inside before stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him. Merlin quickly scanned the unfamiliar room, his eyes falling on the comfortable looking bed.

Arthur quickly closed the space between himself and Merlin and pressed his body flush against Merlin's back. His breath hitched at the feeling of Arthur's wide torso against his back, feeling both comfortable and natural as Arthur wrapped his arms around him. "You've been teasing me these past weeks," Arthur spoke in a low voice, "all of your little innuendos and looks. You've wanted this, haven't you?"

Merlin mentally cursed at Arthur, knowing that the little talk was part of Arthur's act of showing he was in charge. "Yes," Merlin mumbled.

Arthur chuckled softly against his ear; Merlin felt as if his insides were melting. Before he knew what was happening, Arthur spun him around and pushed him backwards onto the bed, causing him to bounce on the extremely springy mattress. Merlin leaned up on his elbows as he watched Arthur grab the hem of his shirt and quickly pulled off the material, leaving him shirtless. Merlin eyes scanned Arthur's bronzed, taut chest, before making their way down towards his abs. Unable to stop himself, Merlin's gaze then traveled lower to Arthur's athletic shorts, noticing the extremely prominent tent that jutted out towards him.

The instant Arthur took a step forward towards the bed, Merlin's body shuddered in anticipation; his mind registering that he was definitely going to get what he had wanted for longer than he would admit. In what seemed like a split second, Arthur was on the bed with him, grabbing at the hem of his shirt as if it offended him. Merlin hesitantly allowed him to strip him of his shirt, feeling mildly self conscious about his physique.

Without warning, Arthur quickly leaned down to attack one of Merlin's nipples with his mouth; one hand holding himself up while the other began to unzip Merlin's denim pants.

Merlin threw his head back at the sensation Arthur was creating, barely registering that the Arthur was beginning to strip him of his pants. Just as quickly as the feeling started, it stopped; Merlin opening his closed eyes to see Arthur pulling away from him. With a smirk on his face, Arthur quickly grabbed onto his pants and tugged, pulling the material off of his body with a surprising efficiency that forced Merlin closer to him. Arthur tossed the pants off to the side before staring at Merlin with a hungry look; Merlin's breath quickened once again. "Take those off," Arthur ordered in such an authoritative tone that Merlin couldn't help but follow. With a nod, Merlin hooked his thumbs onto the elastic band of his boxers before trying to push them down; his efforts proving to be not nearly as efficient as Arthur was in removing his pants.

Arthur couldn't help but smirk at the adoration on his face as he watched Merlin clumsily remove his boxers. Once the material was off the slender body, Arthur grabbed them and threw them over his shoulder. He then took a moment to soak in the new sight of the completely naked Merlin, frowning as he noticed that Merlin's legs were closed while his arms attempted to hide his obvious erection. With a predatory groan, Arthur grabbed onto Merlin's legs and spread them; Merlin's arms shot back behind him to hold himself up.

At that exact moment, with the sight of Merlin's pale legs spread, his impressive cock standing proud and swollen against his stomach, his lean arms holding himself up, a fusion of nervousness, desperation, lust, and anxiety on his face, Arthur lost control. He grabbed onto the back of Merlin's thighs and used his strength to push Merlin up the bed more, causing him to yelp in surprise.

"What do you say we bypass the foreplay and get straight to it?" Arthur was barely able to ask, his voice laced with primal lust and desire that Merlin couldn't help but let out a small groan.

"Your best idea yet," Merlin breathed.

"I'll make better use of your big mouth next time," Arthur said as he leaned over towards his bedside night stand. Merlin felt a sudden surge of happiness at the hint of a next time, desperately hoping that Arthur didn't just say that because of the current mood.

Once Arthur retrieved the bottle of lube and a condom from the nightstand drawer, he pushed up straight on his knees and dropped the items next to him on the bed. He then quickly hooked his thumbs onto his athletic shorts and boxers and pushed them down to his knees, freeing his constrained erection as it slapped back against his lower abdomen before jutting out straight towards Merlin.

Merlin was mesmerized by the sight of the perfectly sized, shaped, and cut cock pointing straight at him. His forced himself to pull his eyes away when Arthur leaned forward over him, holding himself up with one arm as he removed his shorts and boxers. Once Arthur was completely naked, he stared down at Merlin as Merlin stared back; his legs widened further.

Arthur quickly stood up straight and hooked his hands around Merlin's thighs and dragged him closer. He picked up the bottle of lube and squirted a fair amount of lube onto his fingers before dropping the bottle and properly coating three of them. Finally he brought his coated fingers to Merlin's puckered hole while looking into his eyes for any sign of hesitation or regret. When Arthur found only desperation and desire, he rid himself of his uncertainties and pressed a finger against Merlin's entrance, his head cocking to the side in surprise as he didn't feel much resistance.

Merlin blushed as he realized what was going on in Arthur's head. "I can probably take at least two," Merlin mumbled in embarrassment.

Arthur stared at him with a contemplating look before a smirk appeared on his face. "That's hot," Arthur stated before pulling out the one finger and slipping in two. Arthur slowly pumped the two fingers in and out of Merlin, re-angling his fingers with every thrust to try and find Merlin's prostate. Suddenly, Merlin let out a loud moan with one particular thrust; Arthur smirked in triumph.

Merlin's eyes widened in panic as Arthur began to repeatedly hit the magical spot inside of him that caused him to see stars. Merlin felt panic rise within him, praying in his mind that Arthur would not notice that he was not actually hitting his prostate; he mentally cursing his magic for reacting to Arthur in such a way.

With each thrust of Arthur's fingers, he felt an involuntary surge of magic course throughout his body that replicated white-hot pleasure. He desperately tried to contain the waves of magic, fearing that they would expose him to Arthur; no matter how desperately he tried to manage his magic through the tidal waves of pleasure, his magic was far beyond his control.

As soon as he felt a third finger enter him, Merlin's magic began to intensify the pleasure, his entire body relishing the feeling of being breached by Arthur. Arthur's fingers halted momentarily as he stared down at Merlin. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" Arthur asked before sharply thrusting his fingers into him, earning a moan in response.

After a few more thrusts, Merlin's moans became louder and more obscene; he was barely able to curse his magic in his mind as his magic intensified the feeling of Arthur's fingers fucking him. Desperate to feel Arthur's cock, Merlin quickly demanded, "Fuck me already!"

Arthur's eyes widened as his entire body stilled in surprise, surprised by the words that came out of Merlin's mouth. "You asked for it," Arthur said as he pulled his fingers out to rip open the condom package. Merlin stared intently with half-lidded eyes as Arthur rolled the condom onto his practically perfect cock, prompting Merlin to widen his legs even more as he lay fully on his back.

As soon as the condom was properly on, Arthur squeezed a generous amount of lube on his cock and coated it evenly. Arthur stared down at Merlin with an arrogant smirk before picking his legs up and draping them around his waist. He then grabbed his swollen erection and guided it to Merlin's awaiting entrance; Arthur brushing the head of his cock along Merlin's hole, teasing him. Before Merlin had time to demand or complain, Arthur grabbed onto Merlin's hips for leverage and slammed into him, earning one of the most obscene moans he had ever heard in his life. Arthur took a deep breath before pulling out and thrusting back in; a surge of pleasure rushed throughout his body.

Merlin's eyes slid shut as Arthur began to set a steady pace, his magic involuntarily enhancing the feeling of the other man's thrusts to levels he had not felt before. He struggled with his breath in between the loud moans expelled and the hard thrusts of Arthur's cock inside him that caused his entire body to shudder.

Arthur's eyes remained entirely focused on Merlin's facial features; the closed eyes, gasps for breath, porn star moans, and flushed skin encouraged him to pick up his pace. His breathing became more ragged as Arthur felt Merlin become impossibly tighter around him, bringing him closer to release much faster than he had expected.

Merlin felt his magic tighten his muscles around Arthur's cock, heightening the pleasure of Arthur's powerful thrusts even more. Suddenly he felt Arthur's grip on his hips release before feeling the mattress sink beside both sides of his head. He opened his eyes to see Arthur's face a few inches above him. Merlin resisted the urge to close the gap between the two of them, instead focusing on the way Arthur held himself up with straining arms to his sides, instinctively prompting him to wrap his legs tighter around Arthur, urging him to continue in the new position.

Arthur simply grunted at the demand before rolling his hips to thrust in and out of Merlin; his eyes staring directly into Merlin's as he refused to close his eyes this time. An unknown amount of time passed in this new position before Merlin finally moved a hand down toward his cock.

Merlin finally grasped his straining erection; he gasped at the feeling coupled with a particularly hard and well-placed thrust by Arthur. Merlin slowly stroked his cock, rubbing his thumb over the leaking head, knowing that release would follow in any second.

Arthur stared at Merlin as Merlin stared up at Arthur; the look in his eyes, and the closeness of their faces finally sent Merlin over the edge as he pumped his cock one final time. Merlin's hand flopped to his side while his back arched with his release; he bit his lip to prevent himself from moaning Arthur's name as he shot several spurts of come onto his stomach and chest, some of the substance splashing against Arthur's body.

As his orgasm rode out impossibly long, Merlin barely felt Arthur's entire body lock up as he thrust into him desperately a few time before stilling; Merlin's only focus was the look on Arthur's face as he came.

The two stayed in that position for longer than either of them would ever know. Both of them simply staring at each other as the ecstasy of orgasm began to fade away. Arthur's face was mere inches away from Merlin's; both males struggled to resist the urge to close the gap with a kiss. Merlin's spent cock lay against his stomach as he felt Arthur's erection begin to shrink in size

With a sigh, Arthur finally pulled out of Merlin and stripped himself of the condom before leaning over the bed and tossing the used condom into his trashcan. He then collapsed onto his back on the bed and turned his head towards the obviously tired Merlin. "Told you I would make you come hard," Arthur said with a smirk.

Merlin groaned at Arthur's words as sleep began to overcome his senses. "Could have been better," Merlin replied in order to not feed Arthur's arrogance further.

Arthur let out a laugh before saying, "I guess I'll just have to show you how amazing of a top I am next time." He stared at the ceiling a little longer, wondering if Merlin was planning on staying the night or leaving. As he turned back towards Merlin to say something, he quickly closed his mouth upon seeing Merlin's eyes closed. "I guess you're staying here," Arthur said out loud, more to himself than to Merlin, before moving gently to cover them with the blankets. As soon as they were covered, Merlin scooted closer to Arthur and curled up to his side, causing him to stiffen slightly at the unfamiliar feeling. Part of Arthur wanted to push him away, yet another didn't quite mind the snuggling intent of the sleeping male. Once he finally settled on letting Merlin snuggle against him, Arthur's eyes slowly fell shut as sleep took over him, feeling much more content then he had in ages, though he would never openly admit it.

Merlin lay curled up against Arthur's side with his eyes shut, thankful that his fake-sleep appeared to be convincing. When it became apparent to him that Arthur wasn't going to kick him out, Merlin couldn't help the grin that appeared on his face. As he finally allowed himself to fall asleep, Merlin couldn't help but think of how his magic had reacted to Arthur so intensely, even going so far as to mimic the feeling of pleasure as it coursed through his body. Though, as one final thought before he fell asleep, Merlin admitted to himself that deep down, he didn't mind that Arthur was the only one who made his magic react that way.

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The next morning Mordred wandered downstairs into the kitchen, expecting to find his father drinking his morning tea as per usual, but instead found the kitchen deserted. Mordred searched his sleep-fogged brain for anything his father may have mentioned about a Saturday morning meeting but came up empty. Determined to find his father, Mordred quickly checked the reception room, though part of him knew that his father would not be in there. However, what did catch his attention was the sight of Merlin's scattered tutoring supplies, still in the same place as they were the night before.

Suddenly, Mordred's eyes widened as a new idea came to his head. A smirk crept onto his face as he made his way towards the staircase and up the stairs, stopping right outside his father's bedroom door. Mordred rested his ear against the door to hear if there were any signs of life. He heard the familiar sound of his father's gentle snoring, along with another person's snoring that was equally as light, but slightly different sounding. A smile appeared on Mordred's face as he straightened his shoulders and threw open the door as hard as he could; it swung and hit the wall.

Mordred laughed as Arthur bolted upright in his bed, while Merlin groggily rubbed his eyes. "Good morning," Mordred called out as a look of embarrassment appeared on Arthur's face.

"Oh shit," Merlin mumbled as he shot upright at the sound of Mordred's voice; a blush appeared on his face that reached all the way to his ears.

Arthur stared at his son in panic before turning towards his bed companion; his head throbbed in a way that told him he was going to have one hell of a hangover. "Mordred, out," Arthur ordered as he pointed towards the door; his pounding head tried to figure out what to do in regards to Mordred and Merlin.

"I'm going to order breakfast. You seem," Mordred paused for a moment before continuing, "busy."

"Okay smart arse, out!" Arthur said again, the sleep, panic, and headache completely diminishing Arthur language filter.

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Arthur watched as Mordred simply shrugged before turning around and exiting the room, shutting the door behind him. As soon as his son was out of the room, Arthur launched out of the bed before running his hands through his hair. After a few moments, he finally turned his attention towards the naked male in his bed, only to see Merlin staring directly at his morning erection. Arthur looked down at his cock then back at Merlin; a flood of desire rushed through him as images from last night played before his eyes. "We can't, not again," Arthur finally let out as he noticed the same look in Merlin's eyes as the night before.

Merlin nodded reluctantly as he said, "You're probably right."

"It's a bad idea, right?" Arthur asked, partially seeking some sort of sign from Merlin that he really didn't want it to happen, again.

"Probably your worst," Merlin said in a tone that completely betrayed his words; Merlin's cock twitched in hopes for a repeat of the previous night.

The two stared at each other for a few moments, when Arthur noticed Merlin hand moving lower underneath the bed covers, all of his constitution snapped, again. "Fuck it," Arthur said before crawling back under the covers and over Merlin; heat rushing through his body as he lightly rolled his hips against Merlin's, causing their two erections to rub against each other. Suddenly, Arthur stopped his grinding and gazed at Merlin. "Promise me one thing," Arthur said.

"What?" Merlin asked in desperation for Arthur to fuck him like he did the night before.

"Don't tell Gwaine," Arthur said, trying to hide his guilt for sleeping with Gwaine's boyfriend.
Merlin stared at Arthur in confusion, wondering why he was worried about Gwaine at a time like this. "Just promise me you won't tell him," Arthur said again.

"I guess it would be awkward if Gwaine found out, wouldn't it," Merlin admitted from beneath him.

"Probably a little more than just awkward," Arthur said as he thought about how the potential confrontation that could occur if Gwaine found out. "Now promise."

"I promise," Merlin quickly said before once again wrapping his legs around Arthur's lower back.

With a sigh of relief, a smirk quickly appeared on Arthur's face as he leaned closer to whisper in Merlin's ear, "I think it's time I make use of that big mouth of your now. I can't have you being as loud as you were last night. Especially with Mordred awake." Merlin groaned, his head falling backwards as his body jittered with anticipation.

As Arthur slowly moved down Merlin's body, he couldn't help the small feeling of guilt that was beginning to arise. Gwaine was, after all, a friend of his, and he knew that he shouldn't be sleeping with Merlin. He inwardly cursed the alcohol for weakening his resolve and putting his needs before his Gwaine's. Yet, another part of Arthur couldn't help but recollect how amazing and natural it felt with Merlin, and how he couldn't remember the last time anyone had made him feel so content.

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Merlin slowly descended the stairs while Arthur was showering. With each step he took, he felt his legs wobble just slightly; he groaned in irritation and embarrassment. Suddenly, the smell of food filled his nose. He quickened his pace to the kitchen to see Mordred sitting on a bar stool with a large McDonalds bag next to him. "That's your breakfast?" Merlin asked, surprised by Mordred's choice of food.

Mordred took a bite into an Egg McMuffin and chewed while nodding. As soon as he finished, he motioned towards the bag with his head and said, "There is some for you. I thought you and my dad would be hungry."

Merlin smiled before joking, "Oh, you thought of us, too!"

Mordred simply shrugged before replying, "I always get food for my dad. It wouldn't be nice if I got him food but not you."

Merlin stared at the boy, surprised by his maturity and thoughtfulness that was not normal for a ten-year-old. "Thank you," Merlin said as he reached into the bag, pulling out an Egg McMuffin.

Before Merlin had the chance to unwrap his breakfast, the sound of the doorbell echoed through the house. Mordred simply put down his breakfast and hopped off of the barstool before making his way out of the kitchen as Merlin followed.

Merlin stepped into the entry room just as Mordred opened the door; the ten-year-old immediately froze in a way that Merlin had never seen before. "Hello Mordred." Merlin heard a female voice from outside of the flat. "Are you going to let me in?" Mordred stared past the door with a blank expression.

Mordred stepped to the side to allow the woman in; the dark, long-haired woman wore expensive business attire and walked with such confidence that Merlin couldn't help but feel intimidated. She leaned down and gave Mordred a soft kiss on the forehead before shutting the door behind her. She turned towards Merlin, causing him to feel nervous under the woman's gaze. "Who are you?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

"I'm Merlin."

"Merlin? That's a unique name. I am Nimueh," the woman greeted with a bored smile before adding, "Mordred's mother." Merlin's eyes shot open in shock as he stared at the other half of Mordred's parentage; that instantly explained Mordred's dark hair in comparison to Arthur's blond hair. Nimueh then stepped closer to Merlin with a curious look on her face, "May I ask why you are here this early in the morning? Are you a friend of Arthur's?"

"He's dad's boyfriend," Mordred quickly answered before Merlin had the chance to open his mouth. Merlin's mouth opened and closed as he gaped like a fish; his mind going crazy as Mordred's words processed in his head over and over. "He stayed over last night," Mordred added. Merlin wanted to die on the spot.

Nimueh turned to Merlin with a look of fury and disgust before collecting herself and saying, "Boyfriend? I don't think I've ever met one of Arthur's boyfriends before."

"He hasn't had many," Mordred muttered under his breath, just loud enough for his mother to hear.

"I-I'm not Arthur's boyfriend," Merlin struggled to say, embarrassment and nervousness over the situation got the better of him even while a small part of him wished that Mordred's words were true. Merlin immediately shoved those thoughts into the deep recesses of his mind.

"Hey Mordred, who is at the door?" Arthur's voice suddenly echoed through the entry room as the sound of his footsteps descended the stairs. As Arthur turned the corner into the entry room, his heart immediately dropped to the pit of his stomach as he saw Nimueh, prompting his stature to straighten. "I didn't know you were stopping by today," Arthur stated in an impassive tone.

Nimueh smirked as she turned towards Arthur; her eyes raked across Arthur's shirtless torso and down to his athletic shorts. "I just came by to see my son after spending the past year in America," Nimueh finally answered before adding, "And do you greet all your guests shirtless? Or just when your boyfriend is around?"

"My boyfriend?" Arthur asked; Merlin's shoulders slumped at Arthur's reaction. When Nimueh motioned towards Merlin with her eyes, Arthur felt his heart race as the words to describe Merlin and his relationship did not come to mind. Unwilling to display this uncertainty to Nimueh, Arthur changed the subject. "Why else are you here?"

"No reason, but maybe we should discuss you bringing men over while Mordred is present," Nimueh said; he instantly threw his head back with a groan as he realized where the conversation was going.

"What I do with my time is none of your business," Arthur began to say before being cut off.

"It is my business when you're exposing my son to your disgusting gay tendencies. I still can't believe I lost custody over him, even though you're gay," Nimueh spat out.

"Arthur is a great father! You're probably just pissed off that your ex is interested in men!" Merlin shouted.

Arthur stared at Merlin with a quick look of amusement and admiration before turning back to his ex, "I don't use Mordred as some trophy or status symbol to flaunt around Nimueh, like I know you would."

"Now you're lying Arthur. I just want what is best for our son."

"So you think getting full custody so you can have the image of a strong, single business woman with a kid to better your reputation, would be best for our son?" Arthur questioned loudly.

"It is better for him than staying here with you while you have men over."

"I've heard all of your homophobic comments before Nimueh. The fact is I prefer men, and you're the one who helped me realize that."

"You're disgusting," Nimueh instantly remarked before pointing to Merlin and continuing, "Look at him! How drunk do you have to be to want to be with that?!"

Merlin stepped closer to Nimueh with a challenging look while he tried to suppress the feeling of hurt stirred by the insult. Before he realized what was going on, Merlin was suddenly spun around by strong hands that he immediately recognized as Arthur's, before feeling a pair of lips press firmly against his. Merlin's eyes widened as he saw Arthur's face so close while he felt Arthur's lips begin to gently move against his. Merlin's eyes then naturally slipped shut as he stepped closer to Arthur.

Just as suddenly as it began, it ended. Arthur stared at Merlin for a few more moments with the desire to resume their kiss, before turning to his ex and saying, "You have a problem with that?"

Merlin's eyes finally opened upon hearing Arthur's words, still slightly dazed from the kiss. "Mordred, come with me. You shouldn't be around while your father is snogging his boyfriend," Merlin heard Nimueh say.

"No," Mordred replied.

"No? So you would rather stay here with your idiot, gay father than come with me?"

Mordred glared at her, "He didn't run off a week after I was born without leaving a phone number or address."

Nimueh's eyes widened in rage before she turned towards her ex, "You told him?!"

"Must have slipped," Arthur said with a shrug. Merlin's gaze shifted between the three in disbelief, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

Nimueh opened her mouth to say something, closing it again upon seeing the uninterested look on her son's face. With a sigh of defeat, Nimueh opened the front door to take her leave before saying, "I'll be in touch."

After a few moments of silence, Mordred turned towards his father with a grin and a risen eyebrow, "Are you sure it was a good idea to kiss Merlin in front of her? Even if he is your boyfriend."

Arthur stared at Mordred and then Merlin, wondering how he had suddenly become Merlin's boyfriend. "Did you tell her that?" Arthur asked as soon as a small hunch popped up in his head.

Mordred nodded in confirmation before changing the subject. "I got you some food."

"Thank you," Arthur said, earning a look of recognition from his son before Mordred pivoted on his heel and walked away. Arthur turned towards Merlin, panic surging through his veins as he thought of the kiss he just forced upon him. "Oh shit," Arthur mumbled before averting his gaze from Merlin, the guilt he felt earlier returning as he realized that he was having an affair with Gwaine's boyfriend.

"Are you okay?" Merlin asked with a concerned look, wanting to go over to Arthur to comfort him but refusing to let himself do so.

"Yeah, great," Arthur answered with an attempt at a reassuring smile, earning a strange look from Merlin. "Let's go eat," Arthur said as he briskly walked past Merlin. He followed with a confused and concerned look, wondering what was going on in Arthur's head.

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Merlin returned to his flat with a loud groan as he hurled his bag to the side. "Arthur again?" Will asked, although he already knew the answer.

Merlin nodded as he took a seat on the couch next to his friend, "Can you believe that prick? Who shags someone twice, talks about a next time, kisses that someone in front of their son and ex, and then ignores them for two weeks and three days?!" Will and Ferya both sighed as they heard the same rant they had been hearing for the past two weeks. "I mean, the bloke will barely talk to me! All he does is gives me that look of guilt every time we make eye contact! Even Mordred noticed that Arthur is acting weird. And he is ten and has ADD!"

"But you said Mordred always notices stuff," Freya said. Merlin flashed her a look that indicated he was not done ranting.

"What is with the guilty looks anyway?! It's not like he took advantage of me, or I was a virgin or something!" Merlin started, opening his mouth to continue before being interrupted by his best friend.

"You're not that far off from being a virgin. You can count the amount of times you've had sex on two hands. Before Arthur, that is," Will added.

"You guys are no help," Merlin huffed.

Will sighed as he turned to his best friend and placed his hand on the other male's shoulder, "Merlin, I'm going to be straight with you. Stop moping and confront him about it."

"Will! Be nice!" Freya shouted before immediately adding, "But he is right, Merlin. You need to confront him. You're not the type to normally back down like this."

"Arthur must have been amazing in the sack to make you this obsessed," Will quickly stated.

Merlin's eyes narrowed at his best friend's statement before suddenly flashing gold; all of the loose pillows throughout the flat piled on top of him. He turned to Freya and replied, "Fine, I'll talk to him."

Freya smiled as she pulled Merlin in for a hug, "I'm glad. It sounds like you really like this guy." Merlin stayed silent as he thought about his roommate's question, wondering what his feelings for Arthur were, ignoring the voice in his head that was shouting to him that his feelings for Arthur were a lot stronger than he wanted to admit.

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"We need to talk," Merlin stated firmly as soon as he was alone with Arthur in the kitchen, Mordred already asleep in his room.

"No I'm not increasing your pay," Arthur said. Merlin stared at him in confusion. Suddenly, it dawned on him that this was one of Arthur's tactics to avoid the overdue conversation.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" Merlin asked, determined to pull an answer out of Arthur.

"Okay fine, I'll pay you more. You do end up watching Mordred a lot."

Merlin stared at Arthur with an irritated look before stating, "We shagged twice and then you kissed me in front of Mordred and your ex. We need to talk about it."

"Then again, you do end up eating a lot of our food. And I take you out to dinner all of the time with Mordred and me," Arthur said as if he was thinking out loud.

Finally, something inside Merlin snapped, prompting him to shout, "I would still be here even if you didn't pay me! Now why the hell are you avoiding me?!"

"Because you're still with Gwaine!" Arthur shouted back before continuing in a slightly quieter voice, "How am I supposed to do anything while knowing that you're still Gwaine's boyfriend? Sure, you may be okay with it, but he is my friend! And I don't want to make you have to choose between him and me."

All of the pent up anger Merlin had been feeling over the past two weeks and three days immediately diminished; his eyes blinked in disbelief as he stared directly into Arthur's blue eyes. At that moment, everything began to make sense; Arthur's desperate request for Merlin not to tell Gwaine and the way Arthur had begun to act weird after the kiss. It was then that Merlin realized that he never told Arthur that he was no longer with Gwaine, assuming that Gwaine would have told Arthur. "Gwaine and I broke up before that night," Merlin said, emphasizing the word 'that' so Arthur would know what he was referring to.

Arthur stared at him with an unrecognizable look. "So you're telling me I've been stressing over this for nothing?" Arthur asked in between his teeth. Merlin nodded, feeling surprisingly comfortable around Arthur as his frustration was becoming more and more apparent. After a few moments of simply staring at each other, Arthur questioned, "And you couldn't have bothered to tell me?"

"I thought Gwaine was going to tell you," Merlin said; the stupid grin on his face refusing to leave even in the presence of an agitated Pendragon.

Arthur immediately began to rub his temples with his thumbs before replying, "Why did you two break up?"

"We both just weren’t into it," Merlin answered.

Arthur stared at him as he calmed a little before questioning further, "Why?"

"I can't speak for him. But I wasn't thinking about him because I was always thinking about you," Merlin said.

"You put me through a lot of grief," Arthur began to say.

"I know," Merlin quickly interrupted, his grin unfaltering.

"I should punish you for that," Arthur added as he leaned his face in closer to Merlin's.

"It would be irresponsible for you not to," Merlin said.

Arthur stared into Merlin's eyes. "Glad we agree," Arthur finally said before closing the gap between the two, pressing his lips gently against Merlin's.

That night, after Arthur had carried him upstairs and taken him to his bed, Merlin never felt so sore in his life. But never as happy either.

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Part III

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Mordred tapped his foot as he waited by the front door of his flat; his arms crossed in front of him as a look of irritation was displayed on his face. "I'm sorry, I'll just be a sec," he heard Merlin say as the he darted through the entry room towards the stairs, flashing him a nervous smile.

"You're late, again," Mordred stated.

"I know, I know," Merlin quickly said as he climbed up the stairs two steps at a time, mis-stepping and losing his balance for just a split second.

Arthur walked into the entry room dressed in his standard business attire as he took a sip of his tea. "He late again?" Arthur asked his son while already knowing the answer. Mordred simply nodded, prompting Arthur to smile in amusement. "Merlin, you're going to make my son late for school!" Arthur shouted in an amused tone, earning a glare from his son.

"He's just as bad as-," Mordred began to say, when suddenly he felt an unfamiliar wave of magic flood throughout the entire room, causing him to feel sluggish. Mordred took a deep breath to concentrate before dispelling the foreign magic invading his system; his magic clashed chaotically with the foreign magic as it struggled to expel the intruding force. Mordred turned his attention towards his father, his eyes widening as he saw Arthur frozen in place.

"Dad?" Mordred said softly as he stepped closer to Arthur, feeling the foreign magic surrounding his father just as it had done to him earlier. Mordred then looked around the room, his eyes resting on the sight of birds frozen mid-flight outside of the windows. Realizing that that meant that time had stopped everywhere, Mordred began to feel nervous under the feeling of the foreign magic completely surrounding him. Determined to break the spell, Mordred took a deep breath and concentrated before completely dissipating the effects of the time stop.

When Merlin finally reappeared downstairs, Mordred stared at him, startled by how quickly he had dressed. "You dressed fast," Mordred pointed out, his mind making the connection between Merlin's accelerated dressing speed and the time spot. He then thought back to the time he attempted to read Merlin's mind, realizing that his failure to do so could be because of magic. After a few more moments of contemplation, a smirk appeared on his face as he inwardly laughed at himself for even considering the thought that Merlin could be a sorcerer.

"Well, I had to with you and your father yelling in my ear," Merlin said as he slung his bag over his shoulder and moved closer to Arthur. "Good luck with your meeting," Merlin said before leaning in to give Arthur a peck on the lips.

Arthur held the kiss for a second longer than Merlin had originally intended, not that he minded, before pulling back and saying, "I don't need luck."

Merlin simply rolled his eyes before turning around towards Mordred and saying, "Let's go."

"Finally," Mordred replied as he opened the door before stepping out.

"Don't get into any fights today," Arthur called out, causing his son to stare at him with a look that illustrated to his father how stupid he thought the random comment was.

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"Do I have to?" Mordred said with a groan like a stereotypical ten-year-old boy.

"We're just going to be a few minutes," Merlin said as they moved down the busy London street. "And since when did you complain like a ten-year-old," Merlin asked.

"I only do it when my dad tries to drag me places. I guess it doesn't work on you either," Mordred said in his normal Pendragon-influenced tone. The two walked in silence for another block in a half before Mordred spoke again, "Why are we going to your flat though?"

"I need to get more clothes and say hi to Will and Freya," Merlin answered as the two got nearer to his flat.

"You should just move in with us," Mordred replied; a small smile appeared on Merlin's face as the idea of living with Arthur and Mordred permanently replayed in his mind.

"It's not that simple."

"Why not? You already stay the night at our flat all of the time anyway," Mordred retorted. When it became apparent that Merlin was not going to respond, Mordred let out a sigh and said, "Adults make everything complicated. Especially you and my dad." Merlin couldn't help the smirk on his face as he inwardly agreed with Mordred's words.

By the time the pair reached Merlin's flat, he was driving himself insane with thoughts of moving in with Mordred and Arthur. Although he was more than open to the idea, he couldn't help but wonder how Arthur would feel about it, especially considering Arthur hadn't mentioned anything about Merlin moving in, even though they only had been officially together a month.

As soon as Merlin opened the door to his flat, he instantly heard Mordred say, "Wow." Merlin turned to Mordred with a curious look before noticing the messy state his flat was in compared to Arthur's flat.

"Yeah, my roommates aren't the most clean people," Merlin stated as he stepped into the messy threshold, purposefully ignoring the fact that he was just as messy.

"Merlin? Is that you?" Merlin heard Will call from his shared bedroom before his best friend stepped into the main room of the flat.

"Hey Will," Merlin greeted as he saw Freya exit her room, prompting him to say, "Hey Freya."

"Where have you been mate? I know you're getting cozy with Arthur, but you don't have to ignore us," Will exclaimed before he finally took notice to the boy standing next to his best friend. "Who's that?" Will asked.

Mordred narrowed his eyes at Will. "This is Mordred, Arthur's son," Merlin answered, amused by the way the Mordred was unnerving his best friend.

"Oh my god! You're Mordred?!" Freya said in excitement as she pushed her way past Will to greet the boy. "You are adorable," Freya added as she bent down and pinched Mordred's cheeks, earning a laugh from Merlin.

"Can you not do that?" Mordred asked, though it seemed like more of a demand with his Pendragon tone.

"I'm sorry," Freya instantly replied as she let go and stood up straight before turning to Merlin, "So did you finally decide to bring him around to introduce us to him?"

"No, actually, I just came by to get some more clothes. And to let you two know I'm not dead," Merlin said with a smile.

"Not cool mate. We haven't seen you in over a week and you come by just to pick up clothes? What happened to our movies nights and staying up late relaxing?" Will asked in a serious tone; the tone in Will's voice caused Mordred to wonder if he was saying it out of a feeling of competition for Merlin's time.

"It's not that bad," Merlin said in a concerned tone before turning to Freya, "Is it?"

Freya gave Merlin a small shrug and smile, causing his face to fall in guilt. "But it could be worse!" she added with an optimistic voice.

"Yeah, if you were locked up," Will spat out jokingly.

Mordred stared worryingly as guilt became apparent in Merlin's eyes, afraid that Merlin was going to start spending more time with his friends. "You're right," Merlin's words were drawn out as he contemplated. Mordred's heart beat rapidly for a second in fear. "I'll start staying here more often, starting tonight," Merlin announced, prompting Mordred's shoulders to sag just slightly.

"NO!" Both Freya and Will shouted simultaneously. Merlin and Mordred jumped in surprise. The two flatmates quickly looked at each other before turning back to Merlin, both unsure of what to say.

Merlin's eyes widened as he held up his hands as if he were surrendering, "Okay then. I think I should just get my stuff and go." As soon as he was in the bedroom and began to collect a large portion of his clothes, he sensed Will walk in behind him. "I probably don't want to know, do I?" Merlin asked as he picked up some of his clothes off of the floor.

"Probably not, no," Will said as Merlin's eyes landed on the small shoe box tucked beneath his bed.

"Well, as long as you know what you're doing, I can't say anything," Merlin replied, blushing as he grabbed the box and shoved it into his bag.

"Don't worry, we didn't use anything in there," Will said. Merlin cringed at the thought of Will and Freya going through his little box.

"Good, that means there should be some condoms left. Arthur and I have been going through them quickly," Merlin said.

Will immediately covered his ears as he replied, "Too much information mate. Way too much."

Merlin snickered to himself as Freya came in, closing the door behind her. "Where's Mordred?" Merlin asked.

"He's watching the telly. He doesn't like to talk much, does he?" Freya replied as she took a seat on Will's bed.

"I kind of dragged him here, so he probably hates me right now," Merlin answered, realizing that it may have been slightly unfair for him to drag Mordred with him while Arthur was home.

"How are you and Arthur doing?" Freya questioned in her standard concerned voice.

Merlin quickly flashed the widest, most sincere grin Freya and Will had ever seen, before answering, "Great. It's been better than great. We joke around a lot and have fun, but we also have our close moments, even though he is pretty reserved. It's hard to believe we've only been officially together for a month. It feels longer than that."

"So you're happy?" Freya asked.

"Yeah, really happy," Merlin said, his grin unfaltering.

Freya smiled at Merlin, feeling envious at the way Merlin seemed to glow. "Is he good in the sack?" Freya asked; both Will and Merlin looked at her in shock.

"Don't answer that, Merlin," Will ordered.

"Amazing. Beyond amazing actually. And I don't feel that uncomfortable about my lack of," Merlin paused to think up a proper word, "experience."

"So he basically doesn't care that you could count how many times you had sex before him with two hands," Will said before Freya could say anything.

Merlin suddenly felt embarrassed at Will's words; his magic naturally reacted to the familiar insult. Merlin's eyes flashed gold; the door flew open and a pillow hurled toward Will, forcing him backward. Will landed flat on his back with his arms spread to his sides, the pillow resting on his chest. Merlin turned his head to the side to see Mordred staring at him with a suspicious and confused look on his face.

"Shit," Merlin mumbled upon seeing the direction Will was looking towards, inwardly beating himself up for using magic so openly with Mordred in the other room.

"I'm guessing Arthur doesn't know," Freya said very quietly as she tried to hide the doubt in her voice. As much as she loved seeing Merlin as happy as he was, she knew that magic had been a deal breaker for him in the past.

"No," Merlin replied with a frown before adding, "I should probably get going. I'll see you later, yeah?"

"Of course," Freya said with a smile before giving Merlin a reassuring hug, attempting to be the friend she knew he needed her to be when it came to the delicate situation.

Merlin picked up his large bag, stepping over Will. "Don't mess up the room too much," Merlin said down to him with a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, yeah. Later, mate," Will responded with a casual tone.

As Merlin stepped into the main reception room, he saw Mordred staring at him with narrowed eyes; he knew exactly what was going on through Mordred's mind. "Ready to go?" Merlin asked as he attempted to think up a proper excuse as to why Will was propelled out of the door.

"Yeah," Mordred answered before making his way out of the flat with Merlin. The two walked out of Merlin's building and down the street in silence; Merlin felt slightly uncomfortable. "What happened? With your friend I mean," Mordred finally asked as he gave Merlin a stern glance.

"He made a joke as Freya was opening the door, so I threw a pillow at him. He isn't very balanced so he fell backwards," Merlin said, feeling fairly confident in his made-up excuse.

Mordred stared at Merlin for a moment longer before nodding slightly in understanding. The remainder of the trip to Arthur's flat was spent in silence; there was a look of suspicion in Mordred's eyes while Merlin reassured himself that Mordred was not onto his magic. After all, Merlin thought, Mordred probably didn't even know that magic existed.

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Comments

[brunettepet.livejournal.com]

Arthur and Merlin finally coming together was delightful, though I can't believe Arthur would think Merlin would be a cheater. I know he hardly knows Merlin, but I'd think he'd think Merlin better than that.

Merlin's magic is outing itself left and right, so it won't be long before he has to explain himself to Arthur and Mordred. I bet their reaction is going to really surprise Merlin.