Merthur One-shots

Human Ceremony

Bit of smut

Summary: Arthur finds out about Merlin's magic. Then they find out about other things, like feelings, and love, y'know, merlin and arthur stuff.

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Merlin’s face is as white as a sheet.  He stares, mouth agape, eyes wide, at the doorway to Arthur’s chambers, the doorway in which the Prince is currently standing.  Arthur’s armour floats, rags still polishing feverishly, all around the room--he doesn’t know if letting them fall will do any good, because Arthur is staring right at them. 

Merlin still hasn’t said a word.  Arthur is silent, too, the question he’d presumably come back to ask long gone from his mind.  

After several more moments of torturous silence, the armour and rags fall to the floor, the harsh clangs reverberating around the room.  Merlin jumps, and he knows his eyes have gone back from gold to blue.  He knows it’s all over.  He just wishes Arthur would do something--anything--besides just stand there and look at him!  He wishes he would yell for guards, yell for Uther, maybe even get it over with and kill Merlin himself!  

Arthur doesn’t do any of those things.  

Arthur looks one last time from the armour, now scattered around the floor, then back to Merlin, his face contorted into something Merlin can only place as pain.  Then he’s slamming the door, and striding over to his servant, throwing the papers he’d been carrying when he’d walked in, not seeming to care where they land.  Merlin braces himself, eyes shutting tight, ready for the blow.  Then Arthur’s arms are around him, enveloping Merlin entirely, pushing his head into the crook of Arthur’s neck.  

Merlin makes a panicked noise, completely caught off guard.  He opens his eyes, but he can’t see anything except Arthur’s neck, and he has no idea what is going on.  

“ What is going on? ” He asks, and his voice sounds so small, pressed up against Arthur, but that’s okay because he feels really small right now.  Arthur brings one hand up to grasp the back of Merlin’s head, fingers twisting around his curls.  

“I am so sorry.”  Arthur finally speaks, and he’s not yelling, his voice just sounds hard, as if he’s angry, but not at Merlin.  Merlin tries to pull back, and Arthur lets him, but he doesn’t let go, his arms stay around Merlin's waist.  Now Merlin truly has absolutely no idea what’s going on.  

“ Wha-- ” Merlin sputters, unsure of everything.  “Shouldn’t you be turning me in right now? Calling for the guards !?   I’m. . .  I have magic. . .I’m a sorcerer, Arthur.” He doesn’t see any sense in skirting around it.  He’d been careless, and he’s been caught.  But Arthur just shakes his head, looking at Merlin as if he’s an idiot.  Quite frankly, Merlin is starting to feel like one.  

“ Christ , I’m not going to do that!  I--” Arthur looks angry again, brows furrowing harshly, and he squeezes Merlin’s waist before continuing, “I’d never let anyone hurt you, Merlin.  I don’t care if you have magic.  My father is wrong, he must be wrong about this.  About a lot of things.”