Merlin Holidays

The reindeer have finally stumbled back into the stable, happy albeit pretty hungover. We have completed the 2016 Merlin Holidays fest, with great thanks to everyone who has participated whether you're a writer, artist, pinch hitter, or reader!!

We'll have our author reveal on Friday. In the meantime, please take a few more days to read and kudos/comment all the lovely work that's been posted. Most especially, don't forget to leave a nice comment on the gift that was created for you!

Title: Mine But to Do or Die
Recipient: AJsRandom
Rating: T
Pairings: Merlin/Morgana
Word Count: 4100
Content Notes/Warnings: n/a
Summary: Merlin has loved Morgana for as long as he can remember. When he draws her name in the annual office Secret Santa exchange, it's the perfect opportunity to finally show her how he feels -- or at least Arthur thinks so.
Author's Notes: Dear AJsRandom, I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thank you for the lovely prompts!

AO3 link to fanwork: http://archiveofourown.org/works/9235448

Title: Nothing Hurts Like No You
Recipient: Skitz_phenom
Rating: Gen
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Word Count: 2.5k
Content Notes/Warnings: excessive swearing ;)
Summary: After Merlin's magic was revealed, Arthur banished him from Camelot, but Merlin is not just going to accept that. From his exile in Ealdor, he starts writing Arthur letters. When Arthur finally responds they manage to slowly understand and open their hearts to each other.

Author's Notes: Dear Skitz_phenom, the holidays might be mostly over, but who doesn't like a belated present to draw them out just that little bit longer? It truly was my privilege to write something for you. I'm sorry if I didn't have the time to go full on slow build, but I think it's implied that the boys' epiphany has been a long time coming. I hope you enjoy this little epistolary fic! Happy New Year! :)

AO3 link to fanwork: http://archiveofourown.org/works/9122053

Title:The tale of the Knight, the Sorcerer and the Baby
Recipient:ChaoticDemon
Rating:PG13
Pairings:Merlin/Percival
Word Count:4643
Content Notes/Warnings:None
Summary:When the patrol comes back, Arthur soon realises Gwaine is missing. And why is Merlin carrying a baby in his arms?
Author's Notes:
Thanks a lot to the mods for their patience with me as the whole world seemed to want to prevent me from finishing this fic!
Thanks to ingberry for the beta!
ChaoticDemon, I hope you'll like what I did with your prompts!

AO3 link to fanwork: http://archiveofourown.org/works/9070444

Title: This Cold December Night
Recipient: GeekLover
Rating:PG-13
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Word Count: 12k
Content Notes/Warnings: None
Summary: Arthur gets the kiss of his life from a stranger in a mask at his company's New Year's Eve party. With Morgana's help, he's determined to find him again, especially if this guy can help him get over his inconvenient feelings for his best friend...

Author's Notes: Happy holidays, GeekLover! I knew I had to write your first prompt the minute I saw it. I hope you enjoy this <3 Thanks to my beta for their speedy, excellent work, and to the mods for all their great work!

AO3 link to fanwork: http://archiveofourown.org/works/8815123

Title: I'll Take You Back to the Start
Recipient: matchboximpala
Rating: Teen and up
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Word Count: 8.5k
Content Notes/Warnings:
Summary: In his final year of school, Arthur did something extremely foolish—he fell in love. That mistake has haunted him ever since. Now he's about to become king, Merlin is back, and Morgana is determined to keep him from breaking Arthur's heart again. However that's going to work.

Author's Notes: Dear matchboximpala, I want to wish you Happy Holidays of whatever kind you are celebrating! I've always had a weak spot for Morgana—the not-crazy one who cares about her brother—and so I got shiny eyes at seeing your prompt. And although my muse took me off into the wilderness with it, I tried to match it to your preferences as best as I could. I sincerely hope I managed to make you something to your liking. All the best, your Secret Santa ;)

AO3 link to fanwork: http://archiveofourown.org/works/8707180

Hello, all!

We're taking a posting break due to some scheduling issues. Since we just posted some long fics we hope you guys can spend the time catching up on all the goodies!

We'll be back with more stuff for you on Monday January 2nd, so posting will continue a little longer than usual this year. We hope you're all having a great Holiday if you celebrate anything, and if you don't, we hope you're having a good week!

REMINDER:
If you've received a gift, please take the time to thank your gifter for all their hard work!

- Your mods,
Ing and Cori

Title: Braver Than We Are
Recipient:Rawks
Rating:Explicit
Pairings:Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 63k+
Content Notes/Warnings:Temporary Character Death
Summary:Merlin has lived - though he'd be hard pressed to call it that lately - on the outskirts of Avalon for several lifetimes. It's sometime in the late 17th century when rumor reaches him of a man claiming to have nearly been snatched by the fair folk, and he knows he must investigate. What he finds on the Isle of Avalon is... miraculous to say the very least. Yet despite how long and how deeply he's hoped for such a thing, there's something about this wondrous event that isn't quite right. Merlin struggles to balance his better judgement against his selfish wants, but he knows fate is a fickle thing that won't be ignored.
Author's Notes:Joyous Merlin-Holidays to you Rawks!
I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. :) This was an absolute labor of love. As you can see, I took one of your prompts and kind of ran with it. Or rather, it ran away with me. I just hope I was able to craft something that makes you smile!

The title comes from an Album/Song by Meatloaf (it inspired quite a bit of the writing). I did an excessive amount of research for quite a few minuscule details to fit the time period, and yet the anachronisms right from the show caused me the biggest headaches! Also, my beta was pressed for time (which had nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that I'm glacially slow... really...), so she and I both apologize for the excess commas that didn't get cleaned up as they should have.

My most profuse thanks to J for dealing with me and my slow-writing ass and for tolerating being thrown so much fic. And to Scylla and Daroh who listened to me whine. And last, but definitely not least, my extreme gratitude to the ever-patient Merlin Holidays Mods. You guys are the best.
AO3 link to fanwork: http://archiveofourown.org/works/8715298

Title: Stars and Soil
Recipient: ZairaA
Rating: Mature
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin, Gwen/Morgana
Word Count: 3,238
Content Notes/Warnings: Alternate universe - space, fluff, getting together
Summary: On a routine cargo run, the Avalon runs into life-changing trouble.
Author's Notes:
Dear Zaira, apologies for going for something quite far from what you wished for, but I hope you'll enjoy this anyway. Happy holidays! <3
Merlin belongs to its creators, and that's sadly not me.
Thanks to J for the beta!

AO3 link to fanwork: http://archiveofourown.org/works/8673913

Title: Do No Harm
Recipient: argentsleeper
Rating: PG
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Word Count: 5,162
Content Notes/Warnings: None
Summary: Merlin gets offered a job as a physician. He has to choose between staying with Arthur and leaving. Arthur makes it hard for Merlin to choose to stay.
Author's Notes: Thanks so much, argentsleeper, for all the prompt notes that you left in your gift request. I tried to include as many of your angsty likes as I could. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a magical Merlin holiday! Thanks to my awesome beta team for all their help.

AO3 link to fanwork: http://archiveofourown.org/works/8712640