Merthur One-shots

All To Myself

SMUT WARNING

Summary: Everyone has a crush on Merlin, and Arthur decides that he doesn’t really like it.

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There was just something about Merlin that drew people to him. He was smart, even if he did hide it behind a veil of clumsy foolishness, he was charming in his own way, quick to smiles and easy laughter. The moment he stepped foot in Camelot, it was like he had the whole city under his thrall. Servants would watch him pass, then duck their heads together as they whispered and giggled. The stable boys would stare at him wide eyed when Arthur sent him out to muck out his horses. Noblewomen would fight over his attention at feasts, vying to be the one to receive any of his extra help, when Arthur wasn’t hogging his attention. Visiting noblemen would even comment on him, asking each other who he was. But it didn’t stop there. No, the knights would playfully shove him around, citizens in the Lower Town would suspiciously and conveniently only get sick when Gaius was away or busy, leaving only Merlin to help them. Even the odd druid they would meet out in the forest would get oddly awestruck expressions on their face in Merlin’s presence. The King was slowly losing his patience with it all.

   “I’m sure you have an opinion on that.” Arthur says as he walks down the stone halls of the castle, on his way to the Council Chambers. He frowns when Merlin doesn’t immediately reply. Usually, the man wasted no time in telling his king exactly what he thought about any given thing, at any given moment. His sudden silence now is decidedly suspicious.

   “Merlin?” The King asks, slowing his steps to a halt and looking back down the corridor. Sure enough, Merlin is way behind, chatting to one of the serving girls, who is currently biting her bottom lip and looking up at him with adoring eyes. It makes Arthur’s lip curl slightly, and he has a brief and irrational desire to tell the girl to go home, and never return. He controls the sudden impulse, knowing it to be foolish and rash.

   “Merlin!” He yells instead, letting his annoyance show in his tone. The pair look over at him, the girl blushing red and dropping into an awkward curtsy, laundry basket balancing on one hip. Merlin just frowns a bit, turns to bid the woman goodbye, the makes his way back to Arthur’s side, where he belonged.

   “No need to be so rude.” Merlin says as he reaches him. “We were only talking.”

   Arthur had to bite back a nasty retort. Even from his distance away, he could tell that merely talking was not the only thing that had been on that young woman’s mind. The sheer obliviousness of his frie— his manservant truly astounded Arthur at times. He doesn’t comment on it though, instead choosing to just huff in irritation.

   Starting on his way back down the hall, Merlin now once again in step beside him, he says, “Need I remind you again that it looks back when the king himself is late for his own council meeting?”

   Merlin doesn’t rely, biting back an amused grin instead. Arthur chooses to ignore it, just as he ignores the dark, oily feeling that’s filling his chest as he unwillingly recalls the look in that young woman’s eyes. Now was not the time or the place to deal with such utter nonsense. Not when he had a council to meet, made up of lords from his father’s time that were all scrutinizing every step he made. He often felt himself more exhausted after a council meeting than he did after an arduous training session. Perhaps he could convince Merlin to swipe him a jug of wine from the kitchens this evening.