merlin/arthur

L

The older prince smiled widely, with tears in his eyes. "Merlin, oh, Merlin! I have missed you."
He stumbled forward and took the other boy's slim form in his arms. The raven-haired prince allowed him, but when it lasted too long, he pushed his broad chest away. Gwaine didn't seem to notice. He took his beloved's face in his hands and smiled at him. "I'm so happy to see you."
"I am, too," Merlin admitted. Then he frowned. "I thought...I thought you were dead by now."
"I thought Cendred had taken you for his own," Gwaine responded.
"Arthur saved me," Merlin said with a smile.
Gwaine frowned. "Arthur?" he repeated. He looked bothered. "He's alive?" Merlin nodded eagerly.
"Yes. He's been taking care of me. He took me to his family's old manor." He gained a soft look on his face, one that Gwaine noticed.
"Is that so?" he said. He didn't seem very impressed.
"Do you want to come with me to the manor? We have food, and there's a bed for you." Merlin said, his eyes bright and happy.
"Of course. Take me with you." Gwaine replied.
Arthur felt beyond frustrated. He was looking forward to the return of his sweetheart after he got rid of Lancelot's body. However, things changed when Merlin returned with that stupid prince, Gwaine. "Arthur!" Merlin hurried to him to give him a hug, which Arthur gladly returned. "I'm sorry," Merlin said, looking up at him with doe blue eyes, "I didn't get to pick anything. I got..." He looked over to Gwaine, who had his arms crossed and had a slight furrow to his brows. "I got distracted." Merlin finished. Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin's form loosely.
"Prince Gwaine, it is a relief to see you alive," Arthur said, giving a bow, even though he felt like taking the prince's neck to snap it. "Merlin has been worried about you," he added when Gwaine didn't seem very moved.
"Thank you, Sir Arthur," Gwaine replied stoically. "I am honored to stay with you." Arthur arched a brow and looked at Merlin questioningly. Merlin rushed to explain.
"I said he could stay with us... I hope that's alright..." he said with a guilty expression. Arthur forced a smile. "Why, of course! Prince Gwaine mustn't even ask. It'd be a crime if I didn't provide shelter for the prince! His Highness is always welcome to stay as long as he wishes and needs." he said. The words almost physically hurt him, but he managed. He had to. Merlin's wide cheery smile was nearly entirely worth it.
"Thank you!" he said, hugging him tightly. Arthur smiled gently and stroked his hair. He looked up and saw Gwaine glaring at him. Arthur glared back, but when Merlin withdrew to gaze at him, his stern expression melted into a soft one. Gwaine seemed to regain himself. His usual lazy grin was on his face.
"So," he clapped his hands together eagerly, "Where am I staying? I hope it's not too far from my beloved's bedroom." he purred, stroking Merlin's chin. Arthur swore he did that deliberately. He felt inclined to break Gwaine's filthy fingers, but once again, he held himself back. It was too soon, and Merlin was watching. He'd have to get rid of the foolish prince when Merlin wasn't around.
He just had to figure out when.
Merlin's sweet giggle brought Arthur back from his hateful thoughts. "Gwaine, you'll have a
separate bedroom. Here, I'll take you." Merlin took Gwaine's hand and led him away. The roguish
prince looked over his shoulder with a smirk that said, "I'm taking him back."
But there was no fucking way Arthur would allow that.
"And here's your room," Merlin said with a little chirp as he opened the door. The bedroom was nice with a large bed and plenty of windows for light. But Gwaine's mind wasn't in the bedroom.
It was on Merlin. He took the boy's hips in his hands and draped himself behind him. He relished Merlin's surprised little gasp and kissed his neck. A part of him liked seeing Merlin dressed simply. He looked like an innocent country boy, one that needed to be ravished.
"I missed you so much, my love," Gwaine whispered sultrily into his ear. "I've longed for you. I
haven't taken another." Merlin was trying to get away from him. He managed to twist out of his arms.
"Gwaine, I'm sorry," he said as soon as he was out of the older prince's grasp. "I just...I can't."
Gwaine didn't look hurt, but he looked disappointed.
"It's your Crow, isn't it? It's Arthur. He's the one you've always loved." Merlin looked down to his feet. Gwaine sighed. "I thought you were over him. I thought you loved me."
"I did! I mean, I do! It's just...Arthur..."
"Right. I get it." Gwaine says with a nod. "Now that you're all alone with him, you can't help it. I
understand. It would have happened to anyone." he says with ease that unsettles Merlin. He's taking this well, but a bit too well for Merlin's liking.
"Really? You mean...you're not angry at me?" Merlin asked uncertainly.
"Of course not," Gwaine said. "I forgive you, Merlin," Gwaine said, kissing his brow. "Now, go
to your Crow." Merlin wrapped his arms around his shoulders and gave him a brief kiss.
"Thank you, Gwaine. I will not forget this." He turned and left to join Arthur.
"Yes..." Gwaine said after he left. "Neither will I." It had been a whole week since Gwaine stayed with them. Arthur was glad to see Gwaine no longer showed any signs of interest in Merlin, but he knew there had to be a reason. And he was planning to find out why. After all, one didn't just give up on someone they loved. He knew Gwaine had ulterior motives, and he was probably only biding his time until he had Merlin back.
Arthur felt like laughing in his face. There was no way he was going to let that happen.
The young knight found the perfect opportunity. They needed meat again, which meant Arthur had to go hunt. He decided to invite Gwaine to come along. Merlin jumped at the idea. "That's wonderful!" he gushed. Meanwhile, Gwaine himself didn't seem very convinced, but he soldiered on for Merlin.
"Yes. Very," he said simply.
"I only have one crossbow, unfortunately," Arthur informed. Yes. Unfortunately, indeed, his mind supplied evilly. "You won't have any need for your sword. I have a hunting knife you can borrow," he says the words neutrally and carefully. He doesn't want any of his wicker eagerness to rid him of this world to be shown.
"Yes, of course," Gwaine answered. Arthur turned to Merlin.
"Goodbye, my heart," he said. They drew forward together for a kiss and an embrace. Then,
Merlin turned to Gwaine.
"Return safely," he said, then hugged him.
"I will. Take care of yourself." Gwaine said, ruffling Merlin's hair.
They depart to the forest and go on foot. It's awkward between them since they so obviously loathe each other. But Arthur trusted Gwaine to speak at some point and break the tension. He was always a blabbermouth. "Y'know, I find it odd that Morgana's brother managed to escape with the prince before all of us," he said. "It's almost as if you knew that there was going to be an attack on Ealdor," he said, as they trudged up a hillock. Gwaine behind, following Arthur.
"I have always been on full-alert when it comes to His Majesty's safety," Arthur replied calmly.
"Yeah, I've come to realize that..." Gwaine said. "But you know what else I find odd?" he asked.
Arthur didn't want to know, and he just wanted to kill Gwaine and go back to Merlin as soon as possible.
"What is it?" he asked begrudgingly.
"That instead of bringing Merlin to Mercia where he could be protected, where he could be with his betrothed, you took him far away." Arthur glanced up at the sky, not caring where
Gwaine was going with this. What he cared about was that the sky was full of ominous clouds and was grey.
"Really? You thought that much?" he quipped.
"Of course, I did. After all, Merlin was meant to be mine." Just as he said this, a flash of thunder lightened the sky. "And this also causes me to wonder if you even tried to contact anyone to tell
that Merlin was alive and well." By now, they had fully gotten up the hill. The grass on it was wet with the steady rain that was slowly turning into pouring. The grass beneath his boots was turning slippery. He noticed a rather large rock at the bottom of the hillock. "Hm..." Arthur said thoughtfully. "That is very odd like you say. And I suppose your suspicions are correct. I wanted Merlin for myself, and he wanted me, but you were in the way." he confessed with a grin.
"You're sick." Gwaine barked. "And I won't let you get away with this!"
"Oh." Arthur smiled widely. He still hadn't turned around to face Gwaine. "Well, I think I should show you just how sick I am." He turned around with a flash. He grabbed Gwaine's shirt and threw him down the hill. The fall would hurt him but not kill him. Well, it wouldn't have killed him if it wasn't for the rock Arthur had spotted. The stone hit Gwaine's head with a loud CRACK!
And he didn't move from there, and his muscular body sprawled brokenly.
Arthur slid down the hill and landed at the bottom. He watched Gwaine's corpse. The prince's eyes were wide, showing the signs of his surprise. His blood was trickling down from his head and mixing with the rain. "Oh, poor Prince Gwaine," Arthur said. "Merlin will be so devastated.
But he'll forget about you. He has me now."
When Arthur returned, Merlin was so happy. But his happiness was short-lived when he noticed
Gwaine's absence and the way he favored his side. "Arthur!" Merlin ran to him and stopped him from falling just in time. "What happened to you?" Merlin asked. He took in Arthur's side, and blood was seeping through. Arthur groaned in pain.
"It was Gwaine," he said. "He was angry at me and jealous. He attacked me with my hunting knife." Merlin gasped.
"No....no, he wouldn't!" Merlin sobbed.
"I'm sorry, Merlin. I wish it weren't true." He let out another groan of anguish.
"I have to heal you," Merlin said. He dragged him towards the house. He lied to Arthur on the floor and rushed to get a cloth to dry him before getting sick. Then he pressed his hands on his side. His eyes and hands glowed. When he withdrew, his bleeding cut was nothing more but a
healed scar. "There. You're okay now."
"Thank you, Merlin," Arthur said. Merlin helped him get up and wrapped him in a dry blanket.
"Do you feel better?" he asked.
"Much better."
"Good." Merlin gave the nod. "Now, tell me what happened."
Arthur spilled the whole story of how they had been walking when Gwaine attacked him, yelling about Arthur taking Merlin from him. Arthur had tried to stop him and ended up having to fight him. Gwaine managed to stab him, but Arthur defeated him by hitting a rock in the head. Merlin had listened to the whole thing attentively without interrupting. "Oh, Arthur.
I'm so sorry." Merlin cried. He hugged the knight tightly. "I should have known better. I should have listened to my instinct." Arthur held him, smiling into his neck triumphantly.
He had Merlin. All obstacles were gone. Now all that was left was their future together.
Arthur raised his head and said while looking at Merlin in the eye, "I think we should move and start over." "Yes, let's! Where to?" Arthur smirked as he said, "Camelot."