Watching
Title: Watching
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me - they belong to legend and the BBC.
Spoilers: None.
Summary: Arthur is looking for Merlin, and get a surprise when he finds him.
Author's Note: My first foray into writing Merlin fic, and what a surprise, it's smut. I intended this to be around 1000 words... ended up closer to 3000...
Thanks to: morbid_sparks, my wonderful beta.
Watching
Arthur clattered through the hallways of the castle, the thunderous look on his face dissuading any of the servants he passed from even meeting his gaze.
“Merlin!” he called, not for the first time. On many occasions, Merlin had accompanied him down to training with the knights, hanging around and watching from the side, in case Arthur required his services. Today had not been one of those times, so obviously today would be the day that he needed to see him.
The idiot hadn’t fastened all of his armour properly before the session, which had resulted in one particular move leaving him looking like a fool in front of all of his men.
He wasn’t going to stand for that.
“Merlin!” he yelled again as he rounded the top of a staircase and came to the end of the corridor that led to his own rooms. He had to be around here somewhere - he hadn’t been with Gaius, and he hadn’t spotted him wandering anywhere else in the castle.
He pushed open the door to his bedroom and was about to call out for Merlin again when he noticed the man in question and the word stuck in his throat. His tirade against him vanished completely from his mind.
He stood frozen just inside the doorway, reeling, trying to wrap his head around the scene playing itself out in front of him.
It was… it was… Merlin.
His eyes drifted across the limbs splayed out in front of him - he’d never looked at Merlin like this before and… He shook his head, closed his eyes and tried to shake the images out. No, he wasn’t going to start looking at him like this now, or ever.
No matter how much he liked the image. No, no, he didn’t like the picture it made, he didn’t.
Except that he did.
He tentatively reopened one eye, the view assaulting him anew, and he realised that he hadn’t actually taken a breath since he stepped into the room several seconds before.
The air caught in his throat as he attempted to start again, and he coughed to clear the lump out of it.
Merlin startled and looked over, halting his movements.
“Uh…”
The sound of a threat being cleared - loudly - snapped Merlin out of his fantasy and back into the real world.
He jerked his head around and saw Arthur standing in front of the doorway.
This was not good.
“Uh…”
Merlin scrambled to cover himself, twisting himself off the edge of the bed and onto the floor in the process. He clambered back to his feet, tugging his tunic down awkwardly over his bare thighs, hunching over and gripping the bottom edge, his arousal fading somewhat as he shrank into himself.
“Ah…. Arthur, Sire… ah…”
Arthur had a fierce look on his face, like he was holding back. Merlin didn’t want to see what would happen if he let go of what he assumed was the rage within.
“What are you doing here?” Arthur said tightly. “No, wait… it’s fairly obvious what you were doing.” He blew out a burst of air. “The question is, why are you doing it here?”
Merlin squirmed, trying to make himself smaller. There was absolutely no way he could answer that question truthfully, not if he wanted to continue living here. Arthur would toss him right out on his ear if he admitted that the lingering scent of him on his pillows was enough to turn Merlin on.
If he admitted that, in Arthur’s bed, he could close his eyes and use the scent to help him fantasise that Arthur was there with him, doing all the things he’d imagined in his dreams… His hands on him, his mouth, his whole body there for Merlin to reach out and touch…
Merlin pushed the thoughts firmly away. He had to come up with some plausible reason that didn’t involve his overwhelming attraction to the prince. “I… um… it’s…”
“Well? Come on, Merlin. Spit it out.” Arthur was shifting his weight from one foot to the other agitatedly.
Merlin wracked his brain. “It’s… uh… warmer… in here?” He was inwardly wincing at how ridiculous the words sounded even as he said them. Why had Arthur chosen this day of all days to return from training with the knights early?
Arthur… well, Arthur clearly didn’t believe him. He was conveniently oblivious about many things, which often worked to Merlin’s advantage, but even he could see through that lie.
“Look, I’ll just… I’ll just go,” Merlin stuttered, moving to pick up his discarded clothing.
“Don’t.”
Merlin started to prepare to leave and the word was out of Arthur’s mouth before he even had time to process the thought.
“Don’t.”
Merlin looked back up at him, arms full of fabric, blinking owlishly. “Don’t what?”
Arthur hesitated. He hadn’t meant to say that - or had he? His eyes drifted of their own accord back down to slide across the naked skin still visible below the hem of Merlin’s tunic. His mind’s eye filled in the rest, heat building in the pit of his stomach.
He’d never thought of Merlin this way before - dreams didn’t count; those were out of his control and didn’t really mean anything anyway, right? But now his mind was in overdrive, all the images from those dreams coming back to him, the details even clearer.
And he really, really, liked them. He surprised himself with the thought, but the fact was immutable. The sight of Merlin like that, the thought of seeing more… was arousing. He couldn’t let this moment pass by without doing something about it.
“Don’t leave,” he replied, his throat thick.
Merlin’s grip on the clothes in his arms tightened and he stuttered a bit. “Oh… is… is there something you n-need me to do? Do you want me to… uh…?”
Arthur took a breath. This was it, he was going to do this. He turned around and closed the door, locking it behind him.
He took a few steps towards the middle of the room and fixed Merlin with a steady stare.
“Right now, all I need you to do is come over here.”
Merlin gulped as he watched Arthur lock the door. What was he going to do to him?
In hindsight, locking the door would probably have been a very good idea before he started anything, but there was nothing he could do about that now. For all of his abilities, going back in time was not one of them.
“Right now, all I need you to do is come over here.”
Arthur indicated the space right in front of him. Still tugging the bottom of his tunic down, Merlin took small steps until he was standing barely a foot away from Arthur.
Arthur stepped forward, closing the distance between them to mere inches.
Merlin tentatively raised his eyes to meet Arthur’s. There was a look in them that he was sure he had never seen before. It was intense, dark… and insanely hot. He swallowed hard.
Arthur’s glance dropped away from his, dipping down and then returning. Merlin’s heart started to beat faster - was it possible that Arthur… wanted the same thing he did?
He could feel his hands trembling minutely, his knuckles probably turning white in their grip on his tunic. He didn’t dare look down to see, couldn’t bring himself to break Arthur’s heated gaze.
And then Arthur brought his hand up and gripped Merlin’s chin gently, and Merlin thought his heard would just beat right out of his chest.
“Tell me you don’t want this,” Arthur said quietly, bending his face so close that Merlin could feel his breath brushing across his face. “Tell me, and I stop now.”
Merlin took a deep breath. “I can’t tell you that,” he whispered shakily.
“Good,” Arthur said, barely more than a breath, and then his lips were on Merlin’s, and Merlin forgot even to think. All he could do was feel.
Merlin’s lips were pliant beneath his own, and Arthur groaned into the kiss. In his wildest dreams, he couldn’t have imagined how incredible this would feel. The only thought that could make its way through his brain was ‘yes’.
Merlin must have loosened up his stranglehold on the hem of his tunic, as the fingers of one hand found their way into Arthur’s hair while the other landed on his shoulder. Arthur dropped his hand from Merlin’s face, wrapping both arms around him to bring them flush against each other.
He trembled when he felt Merlin’s tongue tracing his bottom lip, wresting away some of the control of the kiss, and he opened gladly and gave himself up to Merlin’s exploration. Their tongues tangled enthusiastically, and Arthur wondered if this floating feeling was what he’d been missing all this time.
“Merlin,” he panted, when the need for air forced them to pull back. “I… Gods, Merlin.” He swooped in and kissed Merlin again softly, briefly. “I never thought… I…”
Merlin nodded dreamily and swayed into him; Arthur could feel him hard against his hip, and knew Merlin would be able to tell that he was in the same condition. The fire in his belly was burning out of control, and all for this wondrous young man in his arms.
He took a small step backwards - towards the softness of the bed - as he recaptured Merlin’s lips in a smouldering kiss. He was relieved to find Merlin following his movement happily.
They fell onto the bed a minute later, lips still locked together, Arthur squirming happily under Merlin’s slight weight as he kicked off his boots. The combination of the kiss and the feel of Merlin’s body against his own was blowing his mind.
“Merlin,” he breathed against his lips, “I… I want…”
“What?” Merlin asked quietly, nuzzling at the tender skin under Arthur’s ear. “What do you want?”
Arthur released a long moan before he could gather his thoughts enough to answer. “I want to watch you.”
Merlin pulled away and sat back on his heels. “You want to… watch me?”
Arthur nodded and sat up a little. “Yeah. Like you were when I came in… I want to watch.”
Merlin tried to organise his scattered thoughts to work out what Arthur meant by watching him. He couldn’t, and asked Arthur for clarification.
“Like you were when I came in… I want to watch.”
“You mean, I…” He gestured vaguely towards his own groin.
Arthur nodded. “If you’re not comfortable with that, it’s okay, but… I really liked it.”
Merlin bit his lip - he wasn’t entirely sure about this, but he wanted to make Arthur happy. And if this would please Arthur…
He twisted, and slid onto his back next to Arthur. Arthur rolled over onto his side, leaning on an elbow and smiling down at Merlin, his eyes dark with desire. He dropped a hand onto Merlin’s leg, just above the knee, stroking gently with his thumb.
Merlin gulped and with more than a touch of nerves ran his own hand up his other thigh, pushing his tunic up at the bottom, revealing his erection to Arthur’s gaze again.
Working up the courage to actually do what Arthur had asked, he closed his eyes and ran his fingertips across his abdomen, the slight tickle sending a jolt of pleasure up his spine. Arthur tightened his grip on his leg and Merlin opened his eyes slightly again, looking over to see Arthur’s hooded gaze traversing his body.
“How did I never notice quite how gorgeous you are?” Arthur whispered.
“Because you’re a prat,” Merlin responded, his fond smile taking any heat from the insult as he brushed Arthur’s hair back from his forehead.
“Oh I am, am I?” Arthur grinned, his hand leaving Merlin’s leg and dropping on the other side of his head as he loomed over Merlin and kissed him fiercely. “Would a prat kiss you like that?”
Merlin couldn’t repress the joyful laugh that bubbled from his soul. “If his name is Arthur Pendragon, then I guess he would, yes.”
Arthur shook his head. “Oh, you just… you.” His head dropped again, and Merlin’s eyes drifted closed as he melted into the luxurious kiss.
He was feeling entirely boneless by the time they pulled apart again, and Arthur rolled back to his side, leaving one hand on Merlin’s chest.
Still a little tentative, Merlin stroked his own hand back towards his groin. He wasn’t entirely sure why he was having trouble with this; when he was alone he would imagine Arthur was there, touching him, and now he actually was and Merlin was frozen.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Arthur asked, showing that insight into Merlin’s mind that he so rarely displayed. “If you’re not…”
“No, I am,” Merlin interrupted. “I just need to…” His hand hovered inches from his cock; he wanted to move that last distance but couldn’t find the impetus.
“Here,” Arthur murmured into his ear. “Let me give you a hand.” He intertwined his fingers with Merlin’s and brought their hands to wrap around Merlin’s erection.
They both gasped sharply at the first contact - Merlin had to steel himself not to erupt on the spot.
Sensing that it was just getting started that was troubling Merlin, Arthur reached out a hand. “Here,” he whispered, leaning close to Merlin’s ear. “Let me give you a hand.”
He wrapped his hand around Merlin’s and guided it to grip his cock; his own fingers made contact with the soft skin in the spaces between Merlin’s, and he gasped at the touch.
He had - there was really no use denying it anymore, even to himself - been dreaming of this moment for a long time, and now it was actually happening.
He urged Merlin’s hand into a slow stroke beneath his own, drawing a guttural moan from Merlin’s throat. Arthur mewled himself - his own cock was decidedly interested in these proceedings, and was straining to escape his clothes.
The pace of the stroke started to increase gradually, and - as Merlin was clearly more than okay to carry on with Arthur’s help now - Arthur released his grip, letting his hand go exploring.
Merlin keened and shuddered when Arthur took one of his balls in hand, squeezing slightly. Making a note of the response for future use - because Arthur knew already that this was not going to be the last time they did this - Arthur continued his exploration, seeking out the spots he knew were sensitive on his own body, hoping they would prove the same for Merlin.
“Arthur, I’m…” Merlin groaned, his head dropping back and his back arching up.
Arthur brought his fingers back to entwine with Merlin’s around his cock as he stroked frantically. Barely moments later, Merlin cried out his name in a high pitch, his whole body quivering as he spilled over their joined fists.
Arthur stroked him through it, dropping soft kisses on whatever bare skin he could reach. When the last of the aftershocks passed, he freed his hand, lifted it towards his mouth, curious, and licked the tip of a finger. He closed his eyes and considered the taste; it wasn’t quite what he’d expected, but it wasn’t unpleasant.
When he reopened his eyes, he found Merlin staring at him intently. It was a look that did strange things to his insides.
“Do you want me to…?” Merlin said throatily, making a vague gesture with his hand. It took Arthur several seconds to parse his meaning, realising then that Merlin could probably feel how hard he still was against his side.
He cleared his throat, and then discovered that - despite his usual confidence in all things - he couldn’t make the acquiescing, grateful words leave his throat; he nodded instead, hoping his eyes would fill in the rest.
Merlin grinned and stripped him of all clothing on his lower body with a remarkable efficiency.
Arthur suspected this wasn’t going to take very long - he had almost overheated just watching Merlin tip over the edge - and at the first touch of Merlin’s fingers on his cock he knew he’d been right. A fizz of pure pleasure shot straight up his spine and rocketed around his whole body. It only took a few short strokes before he was crying out his release.
When he finally came back to Earth, he slumped over, half-covering Merlin’s body with his own and drawing him into a relaxed and sloppy kiss.
He knew they should probably clean up, but he was reluctant to leave the comfort of Merlin’s arms, now that he knew what it felt like to be in them.
“You know what?” he murmured sleepily into Merlin’s neck.
Merlin hummed questioningly.
“We should have done this a long time ago.”
Merlin turned his head and kissed the side of Arthur’s head. “I couldn’t agree more.”
The End
Comments and concrit - especially as it's my first fic in this fandom - are adored!
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me - they belong to legend and the BBC.
Spoilers: None.
Summary: Arthur is looking for Merlin, and get a surprise when he finds him.
Author's Note: My first foray into writing Merlin fic, and what a surprise, it's smut. I intended this to be around 1000 words... ended up closer to 3000...
Thanks to: morbid_sparks, my wonderful beta.
Watching
Arthur clattered through the hallways of the castle, the thunderous look on his face dissuading any of the servants he passed from even meeting his gaze.
“Merlin!” he called, not for the first time. On many occasions, Merlin had accompanied him down to training with the knights, hanging around and watching from the side, in case Arthur required his services. Today had not been one of those times, so obviously today would be the day that he needed to see him.
The idiot hadn’t fastened all of his armour properly before the session, which had resulted in one particular move leaving him looking like a fool in front of all of his men.
He wasn’t going to stand for that.
“Merlin!” he yelled again as he rounded the top of a staircase and came to the end of the corridor that led to his own rooms. He had to be around here somewhere - he hadn’t been with Gaius, and he hadn’t spotted him wandering anywhere else in the castle.
He pushed open the door to his bedroom and was about to call out for Merlin again when he noticed the man in question and the word stuck in his throat. His tirade against him vanished completely from his mind.
He stood frozen just inside the doorway, reeling, trying to wrap his head around the scene playing itself out in front of him.
It was… it was… Merlin.
His eyes drifted across the limbs splayed out in front of him - he’d never looked at Merlin like this before and… He shook his head, closed his eyes and tried to shake the images out. No, he wasn’t going to start looking at him like this now, or ever.
No matter how much he liked the image. No, no, he didn’t like the picture it made, he didn’t.
Except that he did.
He tentatively reopened one eye, the view assaulting him anew, and he realised that he hadn’t actually taken a breath since he stepped into the room several seconds before.
The air caught in his throat as he attempted to start again, and he coughed to clear the lump out of it.
Merlin startled and looked over, halting his movements.
“Uh…”
The sound of a threat being cleared - loudly - snapped Merlin out of his fantasy and back into the real world.
He jerked his head around and saw Arthur standing in front of the doorway.
This was not good.
“Uh…”
Merlin scrambled to cover himself, twisting himself off the edge of the bed and onto the floor in the process. He clambered back to his feet, tugging his tunic down awkwardly over his bare thighs, hunching over and gripping the bottom edge, his arousal fading somewhat as he shrank into himself.
“Ah…. Arthur, Sire… ah…”
Arthur had a fierce look on his face, like he was holding back. Merlin didn’t want to see what would happen if he let go of what he assumed was the rage within.
“What are you doing here?” Arthur said tightly. “No, wait… it’s fairly obvious what you were doing.” He blew out a burst of air. “The question is, why are you doing it here?”
Merlin squirmed, trying to make himself smaller. There was absolutely no way he could answer that question truthfully, not if he wanted to continue living here. Arthur would toss him right out on his ear if he admitted that the lingering scent of him on his pillows was enough to turn Merlin on.
If he admitted that, in Arthur’s bed, he could close his eyes and use the scent to help him fantasise that Arthur was there with him, doing all the things he’d imagined in his dreams… His hands on him, his mouth, his whole body there for Merlin to reach out and touch…
Merlin pushed the thoughts firmly away. He had to come up with some plausible reason that didn’t involve his overwhelming attraction to the prince. “I… um… it’s…”
“Well? Come on, Merlin. Spit it out.” Arthur was shifting his weight from one foot to the other agitatedly.
Merlin wracked his brain. “It’s… uh… warmer… in here?” He was inwardly wincing at how ridiculous the words sounded even as he said them. Why had Arthur chosen this day of all days to return from training with the knights early?
Arthur… well, Arthur clearly didn’t believe him. He was conveniently oblivious about many things, which often worked to Merlin’s advantage, but even he could see through that lie.
“Look, I’ll just… I’ll just go,” Merlin stuttered, moving to pick up his discarded clothing.
“Don’t.”
Merlin started to prepare to leave and the word was out of Arthur’s mouth before he even had time to process the thought.
“Don’t.”
Merlin looked back up at him, arms full of fabric, blinking owlishly. “Don’t what?”
Arthur hesitated. He hadn’t meant to say that - or had he? His eyes drifted of their own accord back down to slide across the naked skin still visible below the hem of Merlin’s tunic. His mind’s eye filled in the rest, heat building in the pit of his stomach.
He’d never thought of Merlin this way before - dreams didn’t count; those were out of his control and didn’t really mean anything anyway, right? But now his mind was in overdrive, all the images from those dreams coming back to him, the details even clearer.
And he really, really, liked them. He surprised himself with the thought, but the fact was immutable. The sight of Merlin like that, the thought of seeing more… was arousing. He couldn’t let this moment pass by without doing something about it.
“Don’t leave,” he replied, his throat thick.
Merlin’s grip on the clothes in his arms tightened and he stuttered a bit. “Oh… is… is there something you n-need me to do? Do you want me to… uh…?”
Arthur took a breath. This was it, he was going to do this. He turned around and closed the door, locking it behind him.
He took a few steps towards the middle of the room and fixed Merlin with a steady stare.
“Right now, all I need you to do is come over here.”
Merlin gulped as he watched Arthur lock the door. What was he going to do to him?
In hindsight, locking the door would probably have been a very good idea before he started anything, but there was nothing he could do about that now. For all of his abilities, going back in time was not one of them.
“Right now, all I need you to do is come over here.”
Arthur indicated the space right in front of him. Still tugging the bottom of his tunic down, Merlin took small steps until he was standing barely a foot away from Arthur.
Arthur stepped forward, closing the distance between them to mere inches.
Merlin tentatively raised his eyes to meet Arthur’s. There was a look in them that he was sure he had never seen before. It was intense, dark… and insanely hot. He swallowed hard.
Arthur’s glance dropped away from his, dipping down and then returning. Merlin’s heart started to beat faster - was it possible that Arthur… wanted the same thing he did?
He could feel his hands trembling minutely, his knuckles probably turning white in their grip on his tunic. He didn’t dare look down to see, couldn’t bring himself to break Arthur’s heated gaze.
And then Arthur brought his hand up and gripped Merlin’s chin gently, and Merlin thought his heard would just beat right out of his chest.
“Tell me you don’t want this,” Arthur said quietly, bending his face so close that Merlin could feel his breath brushing across his face. “Tell me, and I stop now.”
Merlin took a deep breath. “I can’t tell you that,” he whispered shakily.
“Good,” Arthur said, barely more than a breath, and then his lips were on Merlin’s, and Merlin forgot even to think. All he could do was feel.
Merlin’s lips were pliant beneath his own, and Arthur groaned into the kiss. In his wildest dreams, he couldn’t have imagined how incredible this would feel. The only thought that could make its way through his brain was ‘yes’.
Merlin must have loosened up his stranglehold on the hem of his tunic, as the fingers of one hand found their way into Arthur’s hair while the other landed on his shoulder. Arthur dropped his hand from Merlin’s face, wrapping both arms around him to bring them flush against each other.
He trembled when he felt Merlin’s tongue tracing his bottom lip, wresting away some of the control of the kiss, and he opened gladly and gave himself up to Merlin’s exploration. Their tongues tangled enthusiastically, and Arthur wondered if this floating feeling was what he’d been missing all this time.
“Merlin,” he panted, when the need for air forced them to pull back. “I… Gods, Merlin.” He swooped in and kissed Merlin again softly, briefly. “I never thought… I…”
Merlin nodded dreamily and swayed into him; Arthur could feel him hard against his hip, and knew Merlin would be able to tell that he was in the same condition. The fire in his belly was burning out of control, and all for this wondrous young man in his arms.
He took a small step backwards - towards the softness of the bed - as he recaptured Merlin’s lips in a smouldering kiss. He was relieved to find Merlin following his movement happily.
They fell onto the bed a minute later, lips still locked together, Arthur squirming happily under Merlin’s slight weight as he kicked off his boots. The combination of the kiss and the feel of Merlin’s body against his own was blowing his mind.
“Merlin,” he breathed against his lips, “I… I want…”
“What?” Merlin asked quietly, nuzzling at the tender skin under Arthur’s ear. “What do you want?”
Arthur released a long moan before he could gather his thoughts enough to answer. “I want to watch you.”
Merlin pulled away and sat back on his heels. “You want to… watch me?”
Arthur nodded and sat up a little. “Yeah. Like you were when I came in… I want to watch.”
Merlin tried to organise his scattered thoughts to work out what Arthur meant by watching him. He couldn’t, and asked Arthur for clarification.
“Like you were when I came in… I want to watch.”
“You mean, I…” He gestured vaguely towards his own groin.
Arthur nodded. “If you’re not comfortable with that, it’s okay, but… I really liked it.”
Merlin bit his lip - he wasn’t entirely sure about this, but he wanted to make Arthur happy. And if this would please Arthur…
He twisted, and slid onto his back next to Arthur. Arthur rolled over onto his side, leaning on an elbow and smiling down at Merlin, his eyes dark with desire. He dropped a hand onto Merlin’s leg, just above the knee, stroking gently with his thumb.
Merlin gulped and with more than a touch of nerves ran his own hand up his other thigh, pushing his tunic up at the bottom, revealing his erection to Arthur’s gaze again.
Working up the courage to actually do what Arthur had asked, he closed his eyes and ran his fingertips across his abdomen, the slight tickle sending a jolt of pleasure up his spine. Arthur tightened his grip on his leg and Merlin opened his eyes slightly again, looking over to see Arthur’s hooded gaze traversing his body.
“How did I never notice quite how gorgeous you are?” Arthur whispered.
“Because you’re a prat,” Merlin responded, his fond smile taking any heat from the insult as he brushed Arthur’s hair back from his forehead.
“Oh I am, am I?” Arthur grinned, his hand leaving Merlin’s leg and dropping on the other side of his head as he loomed over Merlin and kissed him fiercely. “Would a prat kiss you like that?”
Merlin couldn’t repress the joyful laugh that bubbled from his soul. “If his name is Arthur Pendragon, then I guess he would, yes.”
Arthur shook his head. “Oh, you just… you.” His head dropped again, and Merlin’s eyes drifted closed as he melted into the luxurious kiss.
He was feeling entirely boneless by the time they pulled apart again, and Arthur rolled back to his side, leaving one hand on Merlin’s chest.
Still a little tentative, Merlin stroked his own hand back towards his groin. He wasn’t entirely sure why he was having trouble with this; when he was alone he would imagine Arthur was there, touching him, and now he actually was and Merlin was frozen.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Arthur asked, showing that insight into Merlin’s mind that he so rarely displayed. “If you’re not…”
“No, I am,” Merlin interrupted. “I just need to…” His hand hovered inches from his cock; he wanted to move that last distance but couldn’t find the impetus.
“Here,” Arthur murmured into his ear. “Let me give you a hand.” He intertwined his fingers with Merlin’s and brought their hands to wrap around Merlin’s erection.
They both gasped sharply at the first contact - Merlin had to steel himself not to erupt on the spot.
Sensing that it was just getting started that was troubling Merlin, Arthur reached out a hand. “Here,” he whispered, leaning close to Merlin’s ear. “Let me give you a hand.”
He wrapped his hand around Merlin’s and guided it to grip his cock; his own fingers made contact with the soft skin in the spaces between Merlin’s, and he gasped at the touch.
He had - there was really no use denying it anymore, even to himself - been dreaming of this moment for a long time, and now it was actually happening.
He urged Merlin’s hand into a slow stroke beneath his own, drawing a guttural moan from Merlin’s throat. Arthur mewled himself - his own cock was decidedly interested in these proceedings, and was straining to escape his clothes.
The pace of the stroke started to increase gradually, and - as Merlin was clearly more than okay to carry on with Arthur’s help now - Arthur released his grip, letting his hand go exploring.
Merlin keened and shuddered when Arthur took one of his balls in hand, squeezing slightly. Making a note of the response for future use - because Arthur knew already that this was not going to be the last time they did this - Arthur continued his exploration, seeking out the spots he knew were sensitive on his own body, hoping they would prove the same for Merlin.
“Arthur, I’m…” Merlin groaned, his head dropping back and his back arching up.
Arthur brought his fingers back to entwine with Merlin’s around his cock as he stroked frantically. Barely moments later, Merlin cried out his name in a high pitch, his whole body quivering as he spilled over their joined fists.
Arthur stroked him through it, dropping soft kisses on whatever bare skin he could reach. When the last of the aftershocks passed, he freed his hand, lifted it towards his mouth, curious, and licked the tip of a finger. He closed his eyes and considered the taste; it wasn’t quite what he’d expected, but it wasn’t unpleasant.
When he reopened his eyes, he found Merlin staring at him intently. It was a look that did strange things to his insides.
“Do you want me to…?” Merlin said throatily, making a vague gesture with his hand. It took Arthur several seconds to parse his meaning, realising then that Merlin could probably feel how hard he still was against his side.
He cleared his throat, and then discovered that - despite his usual confidence in all things - he couldn’t make the acquiescing, grateful words leave his throat; he nodded instead, hoping his eyes would fill in the rest.
Merlin grinned and stripped him of all clothing on his lower body with a remarkable efficiency.
Arthur suspected this wasn’t going to take very long - he had almost overheated just watching Merlin tip over the edge - and at the first touch of Merlin’s fingers on his cock he knew he’d been right. A fizz of pure pleasure shot straight up his spine and rocketed around his whole body. It only took a few short strokes before he was crying out his release.
When he finally came back to Earth, he slumped over, half-covering Merlin’s body with his own and drawing him into a relaxed and sloppy kiss.
He knew they should probably clean up, but he was reluctant to leave the comfort of Merlin’s arms, now that he knew what it felt like to be in them.
“You know what?” he murmured sleepily into Merlin’s neck.
Merlin hummed questioningly.
“We should have done this a long time ago.”
Merlin turned his head and kissed the side of Arthur’s head. “I couldn’t agree more.”
The End
Comments and concrit - especially as it's my first fic in this fandom - are adored!