merlin_holidays | Entries tagged with length: 5-15k

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: Maybe You Could Be Mine
Recipient:

merthurallure
Rating: E / NC-17
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 11k
Content Notes/Warnings: Homophobic language, stereotypical 80s bullies, underage drinking
Summary: Merlin is busy with school, work, and a mom who wants him to go to prom. He doesn't have time for dating any of the rich kids at school, but he hadn't considered that Arthur Pendragon isn't quite what he expected. The differences between them threaten to keep them apart, but maybe they can find a way.
Or the Pretty in Pink AU where everyone is queer

Author's Notes:

Dear MerthurAllure/Kirbymatsu) <3
I was so excited to write something for you! I ended up running with your 80s prompt and have done a Merlin/Arthur version of Pretty in Pink. I've had the best time jamming to 80s songs while writing this and I hope you enjoy it. Hope you have had a good holiday period if you celebrate and I wish you a happy new year!

Thank you to my trusty beta and sounding board (you know who you are!), and to the mods and the community!
I hope everyone puts on an 80s playlist and has a good time <3

CONTENT WARNING: This is complete with 80s bullies and one of these bullies uses a homophobic slur. Most characters are in high school, but are over 18.

Title from Kiss by Prince!

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/36026944

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: Livewire
Recipient:

ext_4137531
Rating: E
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 8.8k
Content Notes/Warnings: None

Summary: Arthur tries to come to terms with Merlin's magic.

Author's Note: Dear fifty_fifty, I hope you enjoy! Happy holidays and happy Merlining. <3

Link to Fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35755999

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: The Love Spoon
Recipient: chamaenerion
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 12.2k
Content Notes/Warnings: N/A

Summary: Arthur decides to cheer up a homesick Merlin by making him a holiday gift. The significance of this specific gift, however, completely escapes him.

Author's Note: This idea was based on the Welsh love spoon. I took liberties! Thank you to my fellow Merlin holiday buds for your help writing and editing this.

Link to Fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35580946

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: The Ghosts of Lothian Hall
Recipient: to the

merlin_holidays community.
Rating: Mature
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 15,000
Content Notes/Warnings: Minor Character Deaths,
Summary:
1837: Orphan Mordred, now a ward of his aunts, isn't very happy with the upcoming Christmas celebrations or the state of his world in general.
1851: The Caerleons struggle to come to terms with the strange events happening in their newly-bought mansion right around Christmastide.
Present Day: Paranormal Investigators Merlin and Arthur set out to research Lothian Hall, which has a long history of supernatural occurrences.

Author's Notes: (i) To the

merlin_holidays community, wishing all Merlin fans a very happy festive season.
(ii) Many, many -- really a boatful -- of thanks to D, for beta reading this at such short notice. You are a definite champ.

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35482864

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: Uther's Holiday Workshop
Recipient:

ajsrandom
Rating: Teen
Pairings: Arthur/Gwen, Merlin/Morgana
Word Count: 5,786
Content Notes/Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Summary: In the spirit of Christmas, Uther Pendragon decides to plan an office Christmas party, and the employees of Camelot Entertainment, namely Arthur, Gwen, Merlin, and Morgana, come together to make it happen, maybe falling for each other in the process.

Author's Notes: Happy Holidays! I tried to hit all the tropes you requested, but couldn't work some in. Still, I'm quite pleased with how this came out, and I hope you liked it as well!

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35455189

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: Operation Woo Arthur
Recipient:

aeris444
Rating: General / Teen
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur/Gwaine, Merlin/Gwaine
Word Count: 5.3k
Content Notes/Warnings: None

Summary:
“Merlin! When Arthur gets here tonight, we tell him that there’s only one bed.”

Merlin blinked.

“But there isn’t.”

Merlin and Gwaine have a plan to woo Arthur at Christmas. It all goes horribly right.

Author's Notes: Dear Aeris, I loved your lovely prompts and it was a joy to write for you! I hope you enjoy it and happy holidays <3
Mods, you are brilliant and incredibly hard working to keep this wonderful fest going year on year. It wouldn't be Christmas without it!

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35650828

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: Between the Salt Water and the Sea Strand
Recipient: paintedpigeon
Rating: Teen and up
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Word Count: 13K
Content Notes/Warnings: AU, Selkie Merlin, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama and Romance, H/C, Pining, Good Morgana. No Archive Warnings Apply.

Summary:
Arthur encounters the intriguing Merlin and falls deeply in love. Their time together is magical, filled with joy and wonder. All too soon, though, the revelation that Merlin is a Selkie brings dark family secrets into the open and forces a heartbreaking choice on Arthur and Merlin. For a Selkie reunited with his skin will always yearn for his true home, the sea.

The story takes place more than a hundred years ago on the imaginary Camelot Island, inspired by the Hebrides and Coastal Norway.

Author's Notes:

Dear Paintedpigeon, you gave me such a wealth of inspiring prompts that I had a hard time choosing, but once I saw the Selkie prompt, I knew that was the one. I think the dramatic events and mystery in this fic go with the Selkie territory of myths and old ballads, so I very much hope you will enjoy it. Happy Holidays to you!

My helpful beta deserves lots of thanks. And a big thank you to the MH mods for organizing the fest! Disclaimer and more notes can be found with the fic on AO3.

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35086378

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: dealing with destiny
Recipient: UisceOneLove
Rating: Mature
Pairings: Gwaine/Percival, Arthur/Merlin
Word Count: 5.5k
Content Notes/Warnings: N/A
Summary: It's Valentine's Day before Gwaine finally works up the nerve to ask Percy out.
Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Getting Together, Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Happy Ending, Christmas

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34882837

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: What I Know Now
Recipient: The smart blue box (Jacobeth)
Rating: Teen
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 13k
Content Notes/Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Summary: The morning after a mysterious sorcerer rescued him from a magical attack, Arthur wakes up to discover he possesses magic. Who else can he confide in, but Merlin?

Author's Notes: For The smart blue box (Jacobeth). All of your prompts were amazing and it was hard to choose, but I loved the thought of Arthur possessing magic so I went with that one. Thank you such a neat prompt! I hope you enjoy my take on it.

Huge, massive, ginormous thanks to highlynerdy for the beta and loads of much-needed encouragement!

Thank you, mods, for once again hosting this amazing fest!!

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35397115

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: Crowning Glory
Recipient: tehfanglyfish
Rating: Mature for language
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur, Gwaine/his hair
Word Count: 6186
Content Notes/Warnings: none, other than some rough language.

Summary: Gwaine should never have got into an argument with someone with magic. Not that he remembered. But it didn’t matter much. He had bigger problems. There were tentacles on his head. And his hair was gone. It was a disaster.

Author's Notes: my recipient wanted crack and fluff. Here there be dragons.
Many thanks to the Merlin Holidays mods who made this fest very smooth and enjoyable!
But most of all, thanks to the ever-lovely camelittle who is always quick with her beta returns and so very helpful! All mistakes are mine.
Peisinoe is a Greek siren, whose name means affecting-the-mind.

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34998943/chapters/87166705

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: the devil's in the details
Recipient: queerofthedagger
Rating: T
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon
Word Count: 7.5k
Content Notes/Warnings: N/A
Summary: It takes a month after Arthur lifts the ban on magic for him to adjust to the fact that the people around him might actually start to use it. Even stranger is when Merlin learns some from Gaius and, oddly enough, has a bit of a knack for it.

In which Arthur is obtuse, Merlin is trying his best, and Gwaine, Elyan and Leon don't understand why they can't learn to light fires as easily as Merlin did.

Author's Notes: Happy holidays queerofthedagger! Your prompts were so fun, and I ended up rolling a bunch into one that hopefully satisfies a few cravings. As you can probably tell from the summary, this is mainly "Arthur finds out/knows about Merlin’s magic but has no idea how powerful Merlin actually is until something happens and he sees", but I managed to sprinkle in some elements of the other prompts as well.

I hope you enjoy!!

Title from peace by Taylor Swift
(the devil's in the details, but you've got a friend in me. would it be enough, if I could never give you peace?)

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35440153

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: Don't stray
Recipient: scotscookie
Rating: Explicit
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 6.5k
Content Notes/Warnings: None
Summary: A long way from Camelot, Merlin and Arthur do everything they need to to stay alive.
Author's Notes: Dear scotscookie, I tried so many versions of your prompts and likes and then this one stuck and I just couldn't leave it alone. I hope you enjoy <3

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28728159

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: a war of attrition
Recipient: silence_since_silence
Rating: Explicit
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 8097
Content Notes/Warnings: Shades of dubcon if you squint, fuck or die, magic made them do it, magic made them do it repeatedly, idiots in love, magic revealed, canon era
Summary: A whammy is cast, and a trial of character is had. It's all bullshit if you ask Arthur.

AO3 link to fanwork: a war of attrition

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: Red is the Colour
Recipient: bruit_of_buss
Rating: Teen and up audiences
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur, Morgana/Gwen
Word Count: 5023
Content /Warnings: No archive warnings apply

Summary: When Morgana attempts to sow discord between Merlin and Arthur, she gets more than she bargained for - but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Author's Notes: Thank you for a lovely set of prompts - I was really struck by the red thread of fate prompt and set about to provide some fluff and happy endings for you. Some may see that I have appropriated Rhiannon from the Mabinogion within the story. I hope you enjoy it. Happy Holidays!

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28242885

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: In His Heart
Recipient: schweet_heart
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur, Gwen/Morgana
Word Count:13091
Content Notes/Warnings: temporary character death, typical canon violence, sexual encounters
Summary: When Arthur finds out Merlin has magic, he doesn’t know what to do. He’s furious, of course, but it’s Merlin. Should he kill him, help him escape, or protect him as best he can from Uther? Some choices are no choice at all.
Author's Notes: Before the end of season 2.
My beta, camelittle, was fabulous. She went through everything and made some excellent suggestions for changes. But, of course, all mistakes are mine!

Prompt: Something inspired by this gifset at https://tsundereslasher.tumblr.com/post/22937735427. “I’m curious, what hurts more? Thinking you should hate him, or knowing that you don’t?” Particularly partial to a conflicted Arthur publicly defying his father to save Merlin from the pyre.
Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27357163

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: baby, give me a sign (that you want to be mine)
Recipient: furloughday
Rating: Teen and Up
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: ~8200 words.
Content Notes/Warnings: Mild jealousy/possessive behaviour.
Summary: Arthur is under the (mistaken) impression that Merlin's neckerchief is a token of love. Merlin is under the (mistaken) impression that Arthur is in love with somebody else. It's a good thing neither of them is the jealous type, otherwise things could end up getting pretty awkward...
Author's Notes:

Dear furloughday,

I had a hard time deciding on which of your wonderful prompts to go with, so in the end I threw several of them into a blender and added a sprinkle of your other likes on top. I hope you enjoy the resulting concoction!

With thanks to the mods for their endless patience, and to my friend FF, without whose insight and encouragement I would still be trying to figure out where to start.

Wishing you safe and happy holidays, everyone!

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28100010

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: No time runs against the king
Recipient: merlins_little_sister
Rating: R
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 11.5k
Content Notes/Warnings: None
Summary: Arthur, or whoever it is that’s pretending to be Arthur—right down to a heavy white scar in his abdomen where Mordred’s blade had been—takes a long time to wake up.
Author's Notes: Happy holidays, merlins_little_sister. I picked and chose from among your prompts--I really hope you like the result :)

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28159935

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: At Arm's Length
Recipient: elirwen
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon
Word Count: 9142
Summary:

“I’m sorry, there must be a mistake.” Uther furrows his brows. “That is my son’s manservant.”

“This is Emrys, the most powerful sorcerer who will ever walk the earth. It is our deepest honor to be able to offer his hand to your son.”

“Merlin?” Arthur asks, looking across the hall. Merlin looks the palest and the smallest Arthur has ever seen him. He looks like a scared animal that knows it’s about to be trapped, and that’s when it clicks for Arthur that no part of this is a joke. None of it. “Merlin, what are they talking about?”

Author's Notes: happy merlin hols to elirwen! i took this right from your prompt list and i really hope you like it. special shout-out to nina for keeping me sane and to the mods for being so helpful when i had questions. this is my first time participating in this fest and my first time writing merlin fic in a year and a half, so i hope you all enjoy!

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27832258

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: Only Skin Deep
Recipient: YouKeepMeRight
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 7200
Content Notes/Warnings: depression, self-loathing
Summary: Merlin doesn’t think he’s very handsome. Actually, he thinks he’s pretty ugly when it is all said and done, scrawny, weak, big-eared. When King Lot comes to visit and brings a gorgeous manservant with him, Merlin can’t help comparing himself to Ethelbert. And Arthur isn’t helping any.
Author's Notes: many thanks to my ever-patient beta for whipping this into shape. She’s a star! But keep in mind, all mistakes are mine!
And thanks so much to the Merlin Holidays mods who made this fest very smooth and enjoyable!
YouKeepMeRight - There were so many great prompts that I had a hard time choosing one, but this one was closest to my heart, so I hope you enjoy what I’ve written.

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28077354/chapters/68789622

merlin-hols.livejournal.com

Title: if you hadn't been you
Recipient: deli (deliciousirony)
Rating: Teen
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Word Count: 14k
Content Notes/Warnings: None
Summary:
"Merlin twisted round in his new chair as Arthur scowled over his shoulder. 'He could be anyone, you know.'
'I got that part, yes,' Arthur said flatly.
'I’m just saying. He could be some creepy murderer for all you know. He could have magic!'
A flush crept across the back of Arthur’s neck. He turned fully to reply. 'I don’t care, alright? Why are you still talking to me?'
Merlin ignored the last part, raising his eyebrows in mock surprise. 'You would date a murderer?'"

A You've Got Mail AU in which Merlin owns a magic shop, Arthur works for his father in politics and they cannot stand each other. EmrysHimself and SirKnight, on the other hand, have struck up a burgeoning romance...

Author's Notes: This fic was very much out of my comfort zone, but so much fun to write! I couldn't help myself when I saw the prompt for a You've Got Mail AU, since I love that movie. I tried to keep the magic element, as requested, and work in as much mistaken identity and two-person love triangle shenanigans as I could ;) I hope you enjoy, deli!! Happy Holidays!

Thank you to my sister for keeping me on track and being the best cheerleader, and an eternal thank you to Meg and to Mia for being betas despite never having seen the movie. I couldn't do this without you guys!

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27970376