Merlin Holidays

Title: The Power of Being Known
Recipient: princessoftheworlds
Rating: Mature
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 42.6K
Content Notes/Warnings: Mentions of homophobia, internalised homophobia

Summary: After a PR disaster that provokes public backlash, movie star Arthur Pendragon needs to fix his image, and fast. His sister's solution? Set him up with an eligible man. Cue Gwen, who has a single, available friend who’s a fundraising coordinator for a prominent LGBT rights group. It seems like the perfect solution.

But Arthur finds he’s not quite ready to be out, and fake-dating can only get you so far when there are real feelings involved...

Author's Notes: Dear princessoftheworlds,
Thank you for your prompts! I had a lot of fun thinking about what to write. From the looks of them, I feel like you were very interested in a Ted Lasso AU. Unfortunately, I’ve never seen the show and I don’t really get American Football 🙈, otherwise I would have obliged.

Given that I’ve not seen the show, I have taken your fake relationship ‘oops we caught feelings’ prompt with a celebrity AU. I hope that what I’ve written works for you.

Wishing you all the best for the holiday season! 💗

A HUGE thank you to the mods for their patience and understanding, and to my beta reader for their helpful suggestions and hard work getting this into shape! Any remaining mistakes are my own.

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35887279

Title: The Book of Love
Recipient: mithian
Rating: Teen
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Word Count: 28.5k
Content Notes/Warnings: None
Summary: Arthur isn't interested in Jace Storm, the superstar actor who apparently just ran past his bookshop. Arthur is interested in books – and maybe the slightly strange man hiding in the self-help section.
In which Gwaine signs knickers, Morgana kicks arse, and Cenred is a cheating thieving scumbag. Business as usual.

Author's Notes: Dear Mithian, I went with your cute bookshop prompt, although all of your prompts were tempting.Unfortunately Notting Hill was on the TV and things went a little awry from there.I do hope you enjoy this and have a lovely holiday season.
Thank you so much to my wonderful betas and cheerleaders for all your help and support. And huge thanks as always to the mods - you guys do a wonderful job running this fest, thank you for being so patient with me.

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35809258

Title: At this moment, you mean everything
Recipient: camelittle
Rating: Explicit
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 18k
Content Notes/Warnings: modern AU with magic, physically disabled character, widowed character, fairies & fae, kid fic

Summary: Merlin, a fairy who grants wishes to ill and disabled children, is assigned a new case with the Pendragons. All he wants is to give Mordred and Arthur their best Christmas ever, but he can’t figure out what Mordred wants, and he can’t get a read on Arthur, and he’s running out of time.

Author's Notes: Happy Holidays, Camelittle! I hope you enjoy!

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35189671

Title: There Are Many Names in History
Recipient: slantedknitting
Rating: Mature
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon
Word Count: 43,500
Content Notes/Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Summary: “And have you,” Merlin starts, his voice drawing
Arthur’s gaze back to him, inevitable. Merlin licks his lips, his eyes
intent and wary on Arthur’s face. “Have you changed your mind about
walking away?”

Arthur feels like he’s balancing on a precipice, and a part of him wants
to move back to safety. The other wants to see what happens if he jumps.

He feels like he’s getting better at the whole jumping bit.
---
Arthur's life is going alright; he finally got his feet back underneath
him after his father died a year ago, his friends are great, and he
loves his work as a journalist. That is, until he gets assigned to write
an article for pride month, together with Merlin of all people. Merlin,
who he usually does his best to avoid, at work and within their group of
friends both. Merlin who, unlike Arthur, is out and proud as bi. Merlin,
who is exactly Arthur's type.

It's fine, though. Arthur can write an article about the queer history
of England, and he can write it with Merlin, too. Nothing has to change.

Author's Notes: Dear Slanted_Knitting, when I got your
assignment, I was honestly a bit intimidated, but all your prompts were
so great that I got the basics of this idea almost instantly. It ended
up being a mix of several of them, and it got about twice as long as I
planned it to be. In the process, the story also grew incredibly close
to my heart, and I want to thank you for that. I hope that you'll like
it, and that you have wonderful holidays!

AO3 link to fanwork:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/35436709/chapters/88331695

Title: Converge
Recipient: mmmmay
Rating: E
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 20,546
Content Notes/Warnings: Canon-typical violence, violent threats, mention of past near-drowning, mention of past dwelling fire
Summary: Merlin works as Arthur's servant, serves his destiny as Arthur's magical protector, and takes to the skies to save people in crisis. Can he also keep all of his secrets? In the end, it may not be up to him.
Author's Notes:
To my recipient: All of your prompts fit together so nicely that I couldn't resist using them all! So, you'll find absolutely everything in here. :D I hope you like it.
Thanks always to the mods for all you do! One of these days I'll take you out for an entire week of dinners of your favorite fancy food. You deserve all your favorite things.

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27611387/chapters/67550816

Title: The Greatest Thing You'll Ever Learn
Recipient: Polomonkey
Rating: Explicit
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur, Morgana/Gwen
Word Count: 23.5k
Content Notes/Warnings: Uni AU, angst, alcohol, friends with benefits
Summary: Arthur thinks he has everything figured out, but then his non-boyfriend breaks up with him, and somehow he ends up at a queer society meeting and gets voluntold to make art for a zine, whatever that is. Soon enough and Arthur is in deep with the society and the committee members, including Merlin, his new friend with benefits. Except they definitely aren't friends, because Arthur is just here for the benefits.
Author's Notes: Happy Holidays, Polomonkey! I hope you enjoy this :)

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27804358

Title: A Different Way To Be
Recipient: elissastillstands
Rating: Mature
Pairings: Gwen/Morgana, side Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 18k~
Content Notes/Warnings: Canon typical violence, grief
Summary:
She cannot succumb to the belief that the only way to peace is through violence. Too much is at stake. The heart of her kingdom and the heart of her lady.

Four times Gwen and Morgana sparred for practice, and one time they sparred for real.

Author's Notes:
Dear Elissa, thank you so much for your beautiful prompts! From one Gwen lover to another, I sincerely hope you enjoy this story!

Huge thanks to my amazing beta jiang who did such a wonderful job in such a short space of time <3 And many thanks to the lovely and patient mods who run this wonderful fest so well every year <3

This fic has a vague relationship to series one canon but it's pretty much all au from To Kill the King onwards.

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27950249

Title: Sleight of Hand
Recipient: Atlanta_Black
Rating: T
Pairings: Gwen/Morgana
Word Count: 42,281
Content Notes/Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence

Summary: The castle watches. It listens. And one day, it will feast on all their bones.

Gwen has grown up inside the looming castle which towers over Camelot, in the shadow of the butcher's rule. In the wake of Morgana's disappearance, as the lower town struggles with their monarch's tyranny and rumor grows of a sorcerous kingdom rising up against Uther, Gwen must face what it means to call Camelot her kingdom, and what she will do to save it.

Author's Notes: Atlanta_Black, it was a positive delight to write for you! I saw that you had Gwen/Morgana on your list, with the two of them refusing to hurt each other no matter what happens, and from those words this story grew. I tried to incorporate elements from across your prompts as well (Merlin not shying away from his magic, telling Morgana about his abilities, and training with the Druids; a magic reveal which puts Arthur on the spot; Gwen not being too nice), but this fic ran away from me in the end, in unexpected ways. I hope you enjoy it!

With greatest thanks to Anya, for a thorough and insightful beta on a fic that kept sprawling beyond its bounds.

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27750199/chapters/67925905

Title: with your name wrapped tight around my ribs (you’ll keep me warm)
Recipient: Merlin Holidays Community
Rating: Explicit
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 18,636
Content Notes/Warnings: None
Summary: Arthur should have known that the hunting trip was ill-fated from the start. It always felt like something went wrong when it was just him and Merlin, but how could he have known that it would turn his entire world upside down?

Or, Merlin is hurt during a bandit attack, uses magic, and Arthur suddenly has no idea what anything means anymore.

Author's Notes: Thank you to my wonderful beta for helping me fix up this fic! You're the best! Any remaining mistakes are, of course, my own.

And another huge thank you to the mods for hosting this fest again!

The title comes from the poem “To the Desert” by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

AO3 link to fanwork: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27826774

Title: Tell the World We Finally Got it Alright
Recipient: Glayvas
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur, background Gwen/Morgana and Elena/Mithian
Word Count: 31k
Content Notes/Warnings: Modern AU, Christmas festival, enemies to lovers, rivalry, small towns, starting over
Summary:
It’s the most beautiful time of the year and Merlin can’t wait to open his regular stall at the Ealdor Christmas Festival for weeks of handmade cards, wreaths, ice skating, not so secret Secret Santas, and cozy evenings with friends and family. But when newcomers Morgana and Arthur mistakenly intrude on his territory, Merlin isn’t sure he can embrace the season and overcome bad first impressions.

Yet December in Ealdor brings its own kind of magic that doesn’t care for petty rivalries.

Author's Notes:
Dear Glayvas,
It has been a joy to write a gift for you and I hope you enjoy it! I picked two prompts and unceremoniously smashed them together: Christmas festival and enemies to lovers. Enter Merlin who sells his hand-painted Christmas cards at Ealdor Christmas Festival and his instant dislike of newcomer Arthur Pendragon. Wishing you happy holidays and a happy new year!

Thank you to my little helper elves who have been given special nicknames for the occasion:
Brainstorming elves: Zesty Advent and Ivy O. Bells
Beta elves: Merry Jingle and Angel Mittens

Thank you to the mod team!

AO3 link to fanwork:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/27827545/